The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-09-05
DERWsHEs DIE DEFIANTLY.
THEY MELT INTO DRIBLETs BE-
MEATH THE LEADEN HAIL.

about 200, While Thousands OF
Dervishes Fall - Renewed Attacks
of the Savage warriors, But Every
Hush Was stopped By Deadly
cross Fire - Forced to Flee From
The Field and Leave Their Dead.
Omdurman, Opposite Khartoum. on the
Nile. Nubia, Sept 2, by Camel Post to
Nasri-The sirdar, Gen. Sir Herbert
Kitchener. with the Khalifas black stan
dard. captured during the battle, entered
Omdurman, the capital of Mahdiam, at
o'clock this afternoon, at the head of the
Anglo-Egyptian column, after completely
routing the dervishes and dealing death
blow TO Mahdiam.
Roughly, our losses were 2O0 while thou
sands of the dervishes were killed or
wounded.
Last night the Anglo-Egyptian army en-
camped at Agalza, eight miles from Om-
durham. The dervishes were three mics
distant.
Al dawn to-day, our cavalry, patrolling
toward Omdurman, 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 huttered over
their masses, and the copper and brass
drums resounded through the surried
ranks of the savage warriors, who ad
yanced unwaveringly, with all their old
time ardor. Our infantry formed up out
side the camp. On the left were the First
Battalion Northumberland Fusneers, the
Second Battalion Lancashire Fusileers and
the First Battalion Grenadier Guards,
with the Maxim battery, manned by the
Royal Irish Fusileers.
In our center were the First Battalion
Cameron Highlanders and the First Bat
talon Lincolnshire Regiment with Max
inns worked by detachment of the Roy
al Artillery, under Maj. Williams. On our
right were the soudanese brigades COM
manded by Gen. Maxwell and Gen. Nc
Donald. The Egyptian brigades held the
reserves and both fianks were supported
by the Maxim-Nordenfelt batteries.
At 72O 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 dervsh rifiemen.
Their attack developed on our lefs, and
in accordance with their traditional tao
tics, they swept down the hillsides with
the design of rushing our flank. But the
whitening fire, maintained for fifteen min
utes by all our line, frustrated the at
tempt, and the dervishes balked swept
toward our center, upon which they con-
centrated a fierce attack
a large force of horsemen, trying to
face continuous hail of bullets from the
Cameron Highlanders, the Lincolnshire
Regiment and the Soudanese, was liter
ally swept away, leading to the Withdraw
al OF the entire body, whose dead strewed
the field
The bravery of the dervishes can hardly
be overstated. Those who carried the
hags struggled to within a few hundred
yards of our fighting line, while the
mounted Emirs absolutely threw their
HYes away in bold charges.
When the dervishes withdrew behind the
ridge in front of their camp the whole
force marched in echelon of battalions to-
ward Omdurman. AS our troops sur
mounted the crest adjoining the Nile the
Soudanese on Our right came into contact
with the enemy, who had reformed under
ed beneath the black standard of the
nnalifa IN order to make a supreme eff
Tort to retrieve the fortunes of the day
mass, 1900 strong, bore down on the
Soudanese.
Gen. Kitchener swung round the center
and left of the Soudanese and seized the
rocky emlnence, and the Egyptians, hith-
erto in reserve, joined the firing line in
ten minutes, and before the dervishes
cOuld drive their attack home.
Inc Hover of the khaifa's army was
caught in depression, and within zone
oI Wlthering cross fire from the three bri-
eades with attendant artillery Devoted
Mahdists strove heroically to make head
way, but every rush was stopped, while
their main body was literally mown down
ny a sustained deadly cross fire.
DenantIy the derVishes planted their
standards and died beside them. Their
dense masses gradually melted to COM
panes and the companies to driblets be-
meath the leaden hail.
Finally they broke and fed leaving the
held white with jlDbah-clad corpses, like
snow drift dotted meadow.
AT HIS the sirdar ordered an advance,
and our whole force in line drove the
scattered remnant Of the foe into the des-
ert, our cavalry cutting off their retreat
10 Qmdurman.
Among The chief incidents of the battle
was brilliant charge by the Twenty first
Lancers. under Lieut.. Col. Martin. Gal
opng down on a detached body of the en-
emy, they found the dervish swordsmen
massed behind aud were forced to charge
rome against appalling odds. The Ian
GERS hacked through the mass, rallied and
Kept the derv.sh horde at bay. Lieut..
Grenfel nephew of Gen. Sir Francis
Grenfel was killed, four other officers
were wounded, twenty-one men were kill
ed and twenty wounded.
The Egyptian cavalry were in close fight.
ing throughout with the Baggara horse.
men. FOR q short period the enemy cap.
,lied and held the gun, but it was bril-
Hahtly re-taken. The heroic bravery of tht
gaSrNlshes evoked universal admMatio
me after lime their dispersed and broker
Ioices reformed and hurled themselves
upon the Anglo Egyptians, their emirs
eCnspicuousiy leading and spurnlng death
Nhen wounded and in death agonies
they raised themselves to fire a last sho.
Among the wounded Is Col Rhodes. III,
correspondent of the London Times. and !
brother of Cecil Rhodes