The record-union., 1898-09-05
THE KHALIEA ESCAPES.
But Thousands Of Prisoners Are
Taken

LONDON, Sept. 5.-The war corre-
spondent of the Daily Telegraph" with
the Anglo Egyptian forces says:
Khalifa Abdullah, with his harem,
and Osman Digna, his principal Cen
eral, managed to escape, but Abdul
lah's banner and thousands of prison
ers are in our hands. It is estimated
that $4,000 of the enemy We're slain.
Our total casualties were about 500.
Besides Colonel Rhodes, another cor
respondent was slightly wounded.
Mr. Howard, the New York Her
ald' correspondent was slain by a
shell in Omdurman.
The war correspondent of the DAILY
News says: Our victory was not east
ly or cheaply won. The Dervish loss
was enormous 1t is estimated that
the killed of the enemy We're not fewer
than 5000.
Our whole force was engaged in
fighting from $50 a. m until sun
down Instead of waiting for us in
Omdurman, where they could have
made a resistance that would have cost
us thousands of lives, they advanced
to meet us. The sight was extraor-
binary. Some 12,000 men in four brig
AIDES attempted to rush our zereba.
With desperate gallantry they were
repulsed, suffering huge loss. Our Max
i'm guns especially made terrible lanes
in their ranks, and our artillery dealt
havoc in the town, which was full of
women The Dervish army of 60,OOO
is utterly broken, but we are fully pre-
pared to fight if they wish it.
The standards" war correspondent
also pays tribute to the magnificent
courage of the Dervishes, but adds:
Fortunately for US, their leaders show
ed little or no wisdom in choosing a
battlefield BY not occupying the hill
on our left front, the enemy missed his
opportunity. That would have left the
Sirdar two alternatives. He might
have either accepted the challenge or
elected to make wide detour into the
desert to reach Omdurman.
I'm the former case, we should have
been compelled to meet the Dervishes
in the open. In the latter case the
enemy's chances of offering a prolong
ed resistance would have been materi-
ally increased, but the baggars have
lost none of their former courage and
were resolved to attack us where we
stood, trusting to weight of numbers
and hoping to hurl themselves against
us with an irresistible rush."
Describing the attempts of the bag
gars horsemen to retrieve the days
fortunes by final charge, the CORE
spondent says: ''Dashing across the
level stretch Of pebbly soil, the Kha-
lifa's cavalry rode madly at the steady
line of infantry. Our troops awaited
I the charge without flinching. On came
the Dervishes, but again the deadly
fire poured into them did it's deadly
work. Men and horses fell thick and
hardly rider in that desperate charge
escaped.
"A large body Of the enemy's infan-
try, undismayed by the slaughter, could
be seen preparing to follow the cavalry,
but our field artillery and Maxims, de-
scending from the hill on which they
We're posted, came again into action,
and the conflict entered a new phase.
THE attack on our camp had been
repulsed and the only question was
whether the defeat of the enemy was
complete. 1t was not long before the
Dervishes We're seen in full flight to-
ward the right leaving their dead on
the field as they fled. Practically the
whole army of the Khalifa was de-
stroyed. Our casualties number over
200.
Our losses in the Zereba when the
enemy first attacked us, were small,
considering the number of the enemy.
Our artillery and rifle fire was terribly
effective. The Dervishes fought well,
displaying courage that would have
seemed marvellous, had we not known
their spirit.
THE march to Omdurman after the
great fight was comparatively without
Incident