The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1898-09-05


Nile, Nubia, September 2, by Camel Post
to Nasri.-The Sirdar, Sir Herbert
Kitchener With the Khalltia's black
standard, captured during the battle,
entered Omdurman, the capital OF
Mahdism, at four o'clock this afternoon
at the head of the Anglo Egyptian
column, after completely routing the
Dervishes and dealing death blow to
Mahdism.
Roughly, our losses were one hundred,
while thousands of the Deryishes were
killed and wounded.
Last night the Anglo Egyptian army
,amped at A gaia, eight miles from Om-
durman, the Dervishes were three miles
distant. At dawn today our cavalry,
patrolling toward Omdurlnan, discovered
the enemy advancing to the attack in
battle array, chanting war songs. Their
front consisted of infantry and cavalry,
stretched out for three or four miles.
Countless banners futtered over their
masses and the copper and brass drums
resounded through the ranks of the savage
warriors, who advanced unwayerlngty
with all their old time ardor.
Our infantry formed up outside the
camp. On the left were the first battalion
Northumberland fusileers, the second
battalion Lancashire fusileers and the
first battalion grenadier guards. with the
Maxim battery manned by the Royal
Irish fusileers. In our centre were the
first battalion Warwickshire regiment,
the first battalion Cameron highlanders,
and the first battalion Lincolnshire regl-
ment with Maxims worked by detach-
ment of the Royal artillery under Major
Williams. On our right were the
Soudanese brigades, commanded by Gen.
Maxwell, and General Macdonald. The
Egyptian brigades held the reserve, and
both fanks were supported by the Maxim
Nordenfelt batteries.
At 7.20 a. m. the enemy crowded the
ridges above the camp and advanced
steadily in enveloping formation. At 7.4o
our artillery opened fire, which was
answered by the Dervish riflemen. Their
attack developed on our left, and in ac-
cordance with their traditional taotins,
they swept down the hillside with the de-
sign of rushing our flank. But the with
ering fire maintained for fifteen minutes
by all arms in our line frustrated the at
tempt, and the Dervishes, balked, swept
toward our centre, upon which they con-
centrated fierce attack. 4 large force
of horsemen trying to face continuous
hail of bullets from the Cameron High
landers, the Lincolnshire regiments. and
the Soudanese was literally swept away,
leading to the withdrawal of the entire
body, whose dead strewed the field.
The bravery of the Dervishes can hardly
be oyerestimated. Those who carried the
flags struggled to within a few hundred
yards of our fighting line, while tne
mounted Emirs resolutely threw tnelr
lives away in bold charges.
When the Dervishes withdrew behind
the ridge in front of their camp, the
whole force marched toward Omdurman' H.
AS our troops surmounted the crest ao-
joining the Nile, the Soudanese on our
right came into contact with the enemy
who had reformed under cover of ROCKY
eminence and had massed beneath the
black standard of the Khalifa in order u
make supreme effort to retrieve tine
fortunes of the day. A mass. 15,0oo
strong bore down on the Soudaness.
General Bitchner swung round the
centre and left of the SoudaneSe ana
seized the rocky eminenos, and the
Egyptians, hitherto held in reserve, joined
the firing line in ten minutes and before
the Dervishes could drive their attack
home.
= The flower of the Khalifa's army was
caught in a depression and within one
of withering cross fire from three