Evening star., 1898-10-12
in THE SOUDAN
Graphic Peu-Pioture of the Recent
Fight in Egypt.
GENERAL KIfCHENER'S VICTORY
Gordon Avenged and Mahdism
Practically Extermlnated.
RGE AT OMDU RMAN
frederick vGliers in the New York Herald.

/ Frederick tillieTS in the New York Herald.
OMDURMAN. September 3. 1898.
Toward midnight on August 81 a tropical
| rain burst upon US. and for an hour our
cncaD1pment was almost deluged. We were
, all excessively damp and uncomfortable for
! many hours on this our final march. as 1t
| afterward turned out. before meeting the
enemy. Soon the sound of distant booming
| of guns seemed to hasten the pace of the
! brigade into brsker step they trudged
over the heavy plain. 1t was remarkable
| the effect on the men-of this near possibil-
| ty of a fight.
| An eXultant buzz passed through the
ranks as Major FINISHES battery COM
| menced to pound away at the omdurman
| forts. At haIf-past II we came to halt
| at the village of Kerriri. and from the
plateau on which the village stood we could
plainly see the ruins of Khartoum and the
| mahdfs tomb, white cone standing out
on the horizon. The brigade had but hard
ly marched on their markers to cncImp
when our cavalry scouts reported the enc
my in sight, and hour later n recon
noisance party came in with the news that
| the whole dervish army was marching on
! our position.
AT once our brigade moved forward and
took up their position on ridges OF undulat-
| ing ground: the English division stretching
| from a point above the Nile south on our
left. the Egyptian forces continuing the line
north to a narrow creek on our right form
| ing an oblong square with a mile frontage
| toward the desert. the gunboats the Melik
Sheikh, Sultan. Nehemiah, Abu Klea and
Fatteh. protecting cur flanks. Toward sun
| set the enemy came to halt in our imme-
diate front, about two miles away. evident
| ly with the intention of giving battle in the
morning
Though rather weary with heavy days
! march. tbs Sirdar's forces were spelling for
| a fight. | never saw men keener; and there
was grunt of disappointment even when
fatigue parties were told off to bring in
wood TO cook their ratiOns. though they
had been without square meal since the
| night before. Kettles were soon boiling
right along the line. The men drank their
| tea. munched Their biscuits and bully beef
/ and eventually slumbered on their arms
waiting for the dawn. Lights were ordered
| out shortly after sunset, but the order was
not strictly carried out and many fires
| were burning far into the night giving the
| enemy splendid opportunity of following
| their tactics as at Abu Klea, which was to
snipe US all night long.
View of the Situation.
| However, not shot was fired, and when
! the moon rose. flooding the whole land
! scape with her soft mellow light, nothing
but the heavy brea thing of the troops and
| the occasional amorous bray of donkeys
| and growing Of camels broke the stiffness.
All ofueT arrived at dawn lor the com
| mandeT, Maj. Gordon. to coYer the extreme
| right flank of the square. and the Melik was
| steaning along shore to take up her posi-
ton.
MOI being able to land, climbed up to
| her aft battery, whence l could view the
/ country around. From this position ] COM
manded most comprehensive view of the
whole situation.
! 1t was a formidable force that faced the
| desert thai morning. Some 22.oot strong;
| certainly the largest invading army ever
seen in the Soudan. But that l knew the
admirable fire discipline of that force and
| the capabilities of the Makims. the sight OF
| the vast dervish host steadily advancing to
| give battle would certainly have opened up
| a vista of uncertainties. From the begin
ming there could be no doubt how the fight
! would end. The Khalifa, always yacillatiny
and uncertain up to the last. had decided
to lake the very course that meant certain
| destruction 10 his army-and that was to
attack Us while in square formation.
In the old days there was always a pos
sibilily CT fanatics getting into a square II
they persistently rushed it. But now, with
the superiority of weapons. especially Max
| inns, The khalfa's tactics were suicidal
\ Soma say that his intention was to attack
| US at night, which would have been a novel
departure or the part of dcryishas who
| have dread of fighting between sunset and
| sunrise However the Sirdar, | believe,
! fearing this possibility, sent spies into the
khai!ta'S hr es to say that we We're coming
| out to attack him, and this is accepted as
dawn.
Probably our scare hights from the new
! guEboats had more TO do in keeping them
/ quiet during the night than the Sirdar's
spies. for ii was afterward ascertained that
at least 10000 of the enemy threw away
| their weapons and fed back TO omdurman,
crying if the English could control the sun
surely Allah was with them.
The Firing Begins
Soon little puffs of smoke from the der
wish lines told us the fight had opened as
they fired at the retiring horsemen, pu. 10
sound broke the Stiffness as yet The
square seemed still asleep. Presently
blue haze rolled Up from or extreme left
and the blast of a gun seemed to star.,e
the whole square into activity. The 32i
Field Battery, known as Williams, was
first in action. and what splendid action
Shell after shell broke the dogged advance
OF the khalifa'S men on our left center
and piouged huge burrows through their re-
serves, maSSing in a sand hollow in the
rear: then the Maxims commenced STEM
ming.
In few moments all our artillery was IN
action and MaXims at work. The gunboats
covering the ianks sneNed the advancing,
hcrdes. Still the advance continued. the
Dervishes struggling over the hills OF deaI
and dying. With heads erect and stesGy
gait they came on, all seemingly taking
tine and dressing by their standards dal
white flags. jest when our infantry were
getting into action-aud I took out rny
watch to time the slaughter which / eX-
pected to last about ten mnutes-a black
standard. with its fleet of white sail, NOV