The daily morning journal and courier., 1898-05-14
THE BATTLE OF ATBARA.

How the British and Egyptian Troops
 Routed the Dervishes-A Terrific
 Artillery Fire That Did Great Exc
 cution-The Splendid Charge on the
 Zareba.
 At half-past four, when dawn was already tinting the east, the troops ad- vanced. I accompanied the British force, marching with the Camerons, and keeping on the river front. Through my field-glasses plainly saw the zareba, the grass huts and the camp forts. The Dervish horse were watching us outside the works within which hundred colored banners were waving, the enemy standing grouped upon the parapet in hundreds. The smoke of many fires indicated that Mahmoud's troops were busy cooking.
 Our cavalry and horse artillery moved to the left steadily, and the in- fantry went forward, the enemy not firing. At 6;15 we reached point in the desert about eight hundred yards from the zareba, slightly overlooking the edge of the enemys position; but the defences behind the zareba were hidden by bush and huts, the ground being slightly hummocky.
 It was broad daylight, and the rising sun shone brightly when our batteries, established upon two or three sandy ridges, opened fire from the right of our position, effectively raking the Dervish camp. Even before the can- onade began most of the enemy with in the zareba had taken cover, and thousands of the Dervish cavalry gal loped out at the south end of the works, making for the extreme left of our position.
 Lieutenant Beatty, R. N, opened fire with twenty-four -pounder rock et-tuhe to the left of the Camerons, and from battery of twelve-pounders l shower of common and shrapnel shots was hurled into the zareba. The l forts and stockade were severely knocked about, and the bush and palm clumps thoroughly searched Colonel Longs fire was never hurried, but reg ular and accurate.
 One rocket fell into Mahmoud's cen | tral fort, and several fires were start i ed. The enemy maintained silence for an hour under a terrific pounding, which, as was seen afterward, disman- tied four guns, and killed probably over a thousand camels, horses and | donkeys and several hundreds of Der wishes, although all this slaughter was screened by pits and trenches at the time it took place.
 Throughout the whole action the l Egyptian gunners behaved splendidly later on advancing their guns step by step until within forty yards of the stockade. Their Maxims, actually keeping down the inside artillery fire, were of the greatest value. Up to the moment of the assault their case shot made great gaps in the zareba, so that the ladders carried by the stormers were not needed by our men.
 About seven o'clock a few rounds from the enemy's Remingtons battered about, but General Gatacre's Maxims went forward to the left of the Came rons. and soon quieted the sharpshoot- CTS. The Dervish horse also got near our cavalry whereupon our Maxims again rattled out, sending the enemy flying.
 With other such incidents the bom- bardment proceeded until TAO, when
 the Sirdar gave his direction to the
 brigadiers, and all was arranged for
 the assault.
 Shortly after eight o'clock the bugles and drums of the brigade started play ing, General Gatacres pipers struck up a cheery lit and the whole force advanced There was a necessary lull in the artillery fire while the guns
 shifted position to the right and left
 and moved forward The horse bat
 tery had joined the others at seven in
 the morning, making four batteries In
 action, besides the Maxims.
 Macdonalds and Maxwells men shouted uproariously shaking their rifles aloft, and stepping ahead with
 great alacrity. Instantly numerous Dervish heads bobbed out of the
 trenches, their owners opening sharp and venomous fire. One-th of our total losses was sustained before the
 zareha was reached. The British
 moved forward with the utmost delibe- ration, sweeping slowly across the
 lumpy ground. Their firing discipline
 was perfect, the Camerons delivering occasional section volleys, but more
 frequently firing independently, and
 not using the contents of their maga-
 zines. The Khedival troops were mov-
 ing twice as fast as the British, Major , General Hunter, on horseback, leading
 them and waving his helmet.
 As the brigades closed up thought !, the Egyptians would surely be in first for we were one hundred yards away from the enemys works, while they
 were less than half that distance. Il was inspiring to observe the care ant coolness of the Cameron men, only
 firing when they saw some one to hit Quikening their step as we descend ed the last fifty yards of slopins ground, the Camerons reached the ga
 reba hedge nearly as soon, if not quite
 as the other brigades, without haltinf to fire. Pluckily they sprang at tn,
 stokaded cover-trench. Five yardi T beyond it were three to five rows O