The Camden chronicle. (Camden, Tenn.) 1890-current, 1898-09-09

Faced Deadly Hail 81 uniiets win Crest
Yaier-untue Described

we're completely routed and the city Of
Omdurman captured
"Our infantry formed mp outside
The camp On the left were the First
battalion Northumberland Fusileers,
the Second battalion Lancaster PUSH
leers aud the First battalion Grenadier
Guards, with the maxim battery,
manned by the Royal Irish Fusiloers.
In our counter we're the FirBt Cameron
Highlanders and the Pirst battalion
Lincolnshire regiment with maxims
worked BY detachment Of the Royal
artillery, under Major Major Williams.
On our right were the Soudanoso
brigades commanded by General Max
well and General Mcdonald. The
Egyptian brigades held the reserves
and both TANKS we're supported by the
Maxim Nordenielt batteries.
SAT 7:20 o'clock in the morning the
enemy crowded the ridges above the
camp and advanced steadily in envel-
oping formation. At 7:40 O'Clock our
artillery opened fire. which was
answered by the deryish rihemen.
''Their attack developed on our left,
and in accordance with their tradition
al tactics, they swept down the hill
side with the design Of rushing our
flank. But the whitening fire main
tanned for fifteen minutes by all Of our
line frustrated the attempt, and the
dervishes baked and swept toward
our center, upon which they eoncen-
trated fierce attack. A large force
Of horsemen, trying to face a continu-
Gus hail of bullets from the Cameron
Highlanders, the Lincolnshire regi-
ment 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 oyerstated. Those who car
ried the flags struggled to within few
hundred yards of our fighting line,
while the mounted emirs absolutely
threw their lives away in bold charges.
''When the Dervishes withdrew be-
hind the ridge in front Of their camp,
the whole force marched in echelon of
battalions toward Omdurman. As our
troops surmounted the crest adjoining
the Nile, the Soudanese on our right
came into contact with the enemy,
who had reformed under cover of q
rocky eminence and had massed be-
meath the black standard Of the khalifa,
in order to make a supreme effort to
retrieve the fortunes of the day. A
mass, 10, 200 strong, bore down on the
Soudanese.
General Kitchener swung round
the center and left of the Soudanese
and seized the rocky eminence, and
tie Egyptians, hitherto 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
a zone of a whitening cross-fre from
three brigadee, with the attendant ar
tillery. The devoted Mahdists strove
heroically to make Roadway, but every
march was stopped, while their main
body was literally moved down by
sustained deadly cross-fre.
'Defantly the Dervishes planted
their standards and died beside them.
Their masses gradually melted to com
panies, the companies to dribble be
meath the leaden hail. Finally they
broke and fled, leaving the field white
with iibbah-clad corpses, like snow
drift dotted meadow.
eat Ills o'clock the sirdar ordered
an advance, and our whole force in
) line drove the scattered remnant of
a the foe into the desert, our cavalry
! cutting off their retreat to Omdur-
man.
"Among the chief incidents of the
! battle was brilliant charge by the
Z Twenty first Lancers, under Lieuten-
ant Colonel Martin. Galloping down
: on detached body of the enemy they
. found the Dervish swordsmen massed
a behind, and were forced to charge
home against appalling odds. The
: Lancers hacked through the mass, raj
9 lied and kept the Dervish horde al
q bay. Lieutenant Grenfell, nephew Of
q General Sir Francis Grenfell, was
I killed, four officers were wounded,
/ twenty-one men were killed and twenty
Q wounded.
"The Egyptian cavalry were in close
/ fighting throughout with the Baggara
Q horsemen. For a short period the en-
$ envy captured and held the gun, but
a it was brilliantly retaken.
~ ''The heroic bravery of the Derv
} ishes evoked universal admiration
Time after time their dispersed and
broken forces reformed and hurled
}. themselves upon the Anglo-Egyptian
their emirs conspicuously leading ant
ID spurning DEATH