The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1899-01-25

Nile meet to make the great river of
story and song-is to be added to Eng
lands territory. For sixteen years in
this new English empire, a land of
marvellous alluvial valleys and mighty
rivers coming from unexplored coun-
tries far TO the southwark, under the
equator. Gen. Kitchener has been do
ing his work. He has six brigades of
matchless infantry, which he created
himself. In twenty-three hard-fought
battles these $1,000 black troops, led by
their indomitable head, have never
once known defeat. If Kitchener is
not beloved by his officers and men, he
is not unpopular. No general is ever
unpopular who always leads his men to
victory. Sternly just, melting out re-
wards as they are deserved, Furnishing
with heavy hand where punishment
is deserved, Kitchener, the man, seems
to his men to have been effaced,
changed into a human machine that
seems by intuition and instinct, to
know all that he ought to know.
But the fight at Omdurman, Septem-
Der, 2, 1898, was the last and greatest
evidence of this new Generals won
derful skill. He had $4,000 men;
Osmau Digna had $4,000, as Mahmud
says, who commanded at the hottest
part of the line. 1t VIII suffice to tell
how these Mahdists fought 10 say that
out of this 10000, II 900 were killed
outright, 10000 wounded, and 1000
taken prisoners. The honor OF the
fight must go with the men who died.
One instance will suffice. About if-
teen hundred Baggara horsemep-the
| Nib ne ninnata
started to charge the squares made up
from black soldiers. On they came,
torn and killed by every device that is
known to modern war, but not once
did they finch. AT 600 yards but three
were left. Their horses were dead.
These three gathered the black battle
went forward. Two fell. The last
waved his banner and shouted:
"Allahou Allahoul Allah il Allah
Resoul Allah" and hurled his lance at
his copqueror. Then he stood head up,
, erect, like the warrior he was. In a
moment he quivered all over, then his
! knees bent and he fell forward, his
7 head on his naked arms, and 80 he
, died. These were the men Kitchener
fought in three distinct actions that ID
VI OepIchb6Ts 1000 L uc GuSIioh ahu
Egyptian loss, killed and wounded, was
. under 500 men. True, Gems. Hunter,
: MacD onald, and Broadwood were the
: subordinate commanders, but this tall,
t cool man in white flame uniform,
3 was everywhere, seeing everything.
: Not q cog was skipped; it was fought
7 out Just as the Sidar Kitchener had
8 planned.
4 What this bundle of steel wire and
= brains called the Sirdar Kitchener will
t do if he lives twenty-five years longer
t is impossible to predict. He is not
Q quite forty. eight years old now. Stand
Q ing, as 1 have said, six feet four.
8 straight as lance, he sees everything.
: He is never tired nor surprised; never
: taken unawares nor showing furry; he
/. is the ideal man for just the conditions
b he has to deal with. He came into
9 British affairs at the right hour and he
: was the right man. To-day he is abso.
i. lutely king and ruler over one-third of
g all Africa, the Nile Valley and it's tribu
J.. taries. He is the biggest coming man
e on that domain on which the sun never
/, w. H. R.