The herald., 1898-09-05
Associated Press Special Wire.

OMDURMAN, Opposite Khartoum, on
the Nile, Nubia Sept 2, by Camel Post to
Nasri, Sept. 4.-The sirdar. General Her
bert Kitchener. with the khalifa's black
standard captured during the battle, en-
tered Omdurman, the capital of Mahdism.
at 4 o'clock this afternoon at the head OF
the Anglo-Egyptian column. after COM
pletely routing the dervishes and dealing
a death blow tc Mahdism.
Roughly, our losses. were 200, while
thousands Of the dervishes were killed and
wounded.
Last night the Anglo-Egyptian army en-
camped at Agazia, eight miles from Om-
durman. The Dervishes were three miles
distant. At dawn today our cavalry pa
trolling toward Omdurman discovered the
enemy advancing to the attack in battle
array, chanting war songs. Their front
c, insisted Of infantry and cavalry, stretched
out for three or four miles. Countless
banners futtered ever their masses and
the copper and brass drums sounded
through the ranks Of the savage warriors
who advanced unswervingly with all their
old-time ardor. Our infantry formed up
outside the camp. On the left were the
First battalion Northumberland and fu-
Steers, the Second battalion Lancashire
fusileers and the First battalion grenadlel
guards, with the Maxim battery manned
by the Royal Irish fusileers. In our CEN
ter were the First battalion Warwickshlrt
regiment, the First battalion Cameron
Highlanders and the First battalion Lin
cclnshire regiment, with Maxims worket
by detachment of the Royal artillery un
der Major Williams. On our right wer
the Soudanese brigades, commanded b,
General Maxwell and General Macdonald
The Egyptian brigades held the reserves
ard both fianks were supported by tn,
Maxim -Nordenfelt batteries.
The Dervish Advance
At 7:20 a. NJ. the enemy crowded th'
ridges above the camp and advanced
steadily in enveloping formation. At IA
our artillery opened fire. which was an
swered by the Dervish riflemen. Theil
attack developed on our left, and in ac
cordance with their traditional tactics the.
swept down the hillside with the design O.
rushing our flank. But the whitening fir,
maintained for fifteen minutes by all oul
line frustrated the attempt, and the Der
wishes, baked, swept toward our center
upon which they concentrated fierce at
tack.
A large force of horsemen, trying to fac
continuous hail Of bullets from the Cam
eron Highlanders, the Lincolnshire regi
ment and the Soudanese, was literally swep
away, leading to the withdra wal of tn
entire body, whose dead strewed the field
The bravery of the Dervishes can hardl,
be overstated. Those who carried tn
flags struggled to within a hundred yard
of our fighting line.
Forward to omdurman
When the Dervishes withdrew behind tn
ridge in front OF their camp the whole fore
marched in eschelon Of battalions towar
Omdurman. AS our troops surmounte
the crest adjoining the Nile the Soudanes
on our right came into contact with tn
enemy, who had reformed under cover o
rocky emirenec and had massed beneat
the black standard of the Khalifa in orde
to make a supreme effort TO retrieve tn
fortunes of the day. A mass 5000 stronl
bore down on the Sondanese.
| General Kitchener swung round the cen
ter and left of the Soudanese and seizet
| the rocky eminence, and the Egyptians
hitherto in reserve, Joined the firing line ii
ten minutes, and before the Dervishe
could drive their attack home.
The flower Of the Khalifa's army wa
caught In a depression and within a zon
of witherng cross-fire from three brigade
with the attendant artillery. The de
voted Mahdists strove herolcally to max
headway but every rush was stopped
while their main position was LITERAL!
mown down by a sustained deadly cross
| fire.
Defantly the Dervishes planted thei
standards and died beside them. Thei
dense masses gradually melted to com
panies, and the companies to driblets be
meath the leaden hail. Finally they brok
and fled, leaving the field white with lib
bah-clad corpses like snowdrift dotte,
spot.
At ILLS the sirdar ordered an advance
and our whole force, In line, drove tn
scattered remnant foe into the desert, ou
cavalry cutting off their retreat to ON
durman.
A Brilliant Charge
Among the chief incidents Of the battl,
was brilliant charge by the Twenty-first
lancers under Lieutenant Colonel Martin
galloping down on a detached body of the
enemy, they found the Dervish swordemer
massed behind and were forced to charge
home against appalling odds. The Ian.
GERS hacked through the mass, rallied ant
kept the Dervish horde at bay. Leutens
ant Grenfell, nephew Of General Sir Fran.
els Grenfell, was killed, four other officer.
were wounded, twenty-one men were killed
and twenty wounded.
The Egyptian cavalry were In close hglft,
Ing throughout with the Baggara horse.
men. For . short period the enemy cap.