The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-09-08
1900 DERvIsHEs KILLED.
The Slain at Omdurman Counted--Sfx-
teen Thousand Wnunded


teen Thousand Wounded.
LONDON, Sept. THE British War
Office has received a dispatch from Gen.
Sir Herbert Kitchener, the commander of
the Anglo Egyptian forces, dated from ON
durham on Monday last, saying that over
5000 Arabs mounted on camels were dis
patched after the fugitive Khalifa Abdul
lah that morning The general added that
the Dervish leader was reported to be NOV
ing with such speed that some of his wives
had been dropped along the road followed
by him.
The sirdar says also: "Officers have been
counting the Dervish bodies on the field
and report the total number of dead found
as about 10SO0. From the numbers of
wounded who have crawled to the river and
town it is estimated that 1900 were
wounded Besides the above between 800
and 400 Dervishes were killed in Omdurman
when the town was taken. ! have as pris-
oners between three and four thousand
fighting men,
Intrepid courage, GOODNESS and self-com-
mand that no danger can ruffie, a remark
able capacity for hard work, a gift for or
ganization and tremendous perseverance in
carrying out his plans are qualities pos
sessed by Sir Herbert Kitchener in a high
degree, and by reason of which he has been
able to carry the Sudan campaign to its
present success. Sir Horatio Herbert Kitch-
ener was born in 1851. He obtained his com
mission as lieutenant in 1871 as an officer
of engineers. During the next twelve years
he did not gain any great reputation for
brilliance, for they were spent in civil en-
ployment. In 1874 he Joined the survey of
western
After the attack on the party at Safed in
1875 he returned to England, and until 1877
was engaged in laying down the Palestine
exploration funds map. Returning to the
Holy Land in 1877, he executed the whole
of the survey of Galilee. In 1878 he was
sent to Cyprus to organize the courts He
was next appointed vice consul at Erzeroum
and subsequently made survey of the en-
tire island of Cyprus. On his promotion to
captains rank in 1883 he had the good
fortune to take service in Egypt under Sir
Evelyn Wood, who, as sirdar, was then re-
organizing the Felahin army There his
capacity for hard work, together with his
eagerness to accept responsibility, found
recognition. Whether as second in COM
mand Of a cavalry regiment in bridging a
river or in making road across the I'M
stable sand, acquiring the native language
or studying the Egyptian character, he
prosecuted ell with untiring industry These
services were of so much Importance 70 the
British authorities that he was given an
appointment on the intelligence staff when
the trouble in the Sudan made necessary
the dispatch of trustworthy English officers
to Dongola in advance of Lord Wolseley's
Nile expedition fourteen years ago. There
Kitchener was always the one selected for
any work that demanded great force of
character combined with tact and resource
fulness in dealing with intrigues of disloyal
officials or winning over the chiefs who
wavered between fear of Egyptian power
and a laundering after the good things
promised by Mahdism.
Alone and unarmed among semi-hostile
Arabs, he endeavored to persuade them that
their interests would be best served if they
took part with British and Egyptian forces
against the Dervish rebellion. When per-
suasive reasoning failed with these powerful
chiefs he did not shrink from telling them
what punishment they would suffer when
the white emir and his army came.
With the Nile expedition Kitcheners pro-
motion was rapid. He became one of the
two majors of cavalry in 1884, was made
lieutenant colonel in 1885 and became colonel
in 1885, He was deputy assistant adjutant
and quartermaster general in the expedi-
ton. He was in command of brigade of
the Egyptian army in the operations near
Suakim in December. 1883, and was present
in the engagement at Gemaizah and at
Toski in 1882
AT the beginning of the present campaign
he was made sirdar, or commander-in-chief,
of the Egyptian army. He has organized
the native troops. amalgamated them with
the detachment of the British army and led
them over deserts, up cataracts and
through marauding tribes to victory His
courage in battle is as conspicuous as his
faculty for organization. He has been able
to conduct great and eventful campaign
at a cost which seems ridculousy small in
comparison with others.