The daily morning journal and courier., 1903-04-24
BRITISH FORCE WIPED OUT.
ORIGINATED IN 4 BATTLE WITH
 THE SOMALIS.
Ten Officers and Is0 Men, Out of a Total
 British Force of 22O, IxtIIed-Details of the DIsaster-GeneraI Manning Marching to Extricato-<OIoneI CObbe
from Q Pertlous si.natlon.

from a Periious Situation.
 London, April 2S.-The war office to- day received from Brigadier-General Manning, in command of the British forces in Somaliland, a dispatch, dated twenty miles westward of Galadi, Som aliland, April IS, as follows:
 T regret to report that flying col umn, under the command of Colonel Cobbe, which left Galadi April 10 to re- connoitre the road to Walwal, had most serious check April II. On the morning of April 17 Colonel Cobbe was at Gumburru, forty miles westward or Galadi, and had decided to return to Galadi, owing to the serious difficulty in finding the road to Walwal, and to | the shortness of water. He was about to leave his zareba (protected camp)' when firing was heard in the direction of small party, under the command of Captain Olivey, which had been sent in westerly direction to reconnoitre.
 At 9:15 in the morning Colonel Cobbe dispatched Colonel Plunkett with l6O men of the Second battalion of the Kings African Rifles, forty-eight men of the Second Sikhs and two Maxim guns for the extrication of Captain Olivey, if necessary AS a matter of fact, Captain Olivey had not been en- gagged. Colonel Plunkett, on Joining the detachment, continued to push on. At 11:45 Colonel Cobbe heard heavy fir ing in the direction taken by Colonel Plunkett, and at about one in the af- ternoon few fugitives coming Ill re- ported that Colonel Plunket had been defeated with loss.
 "The news has been fully corroborat- l ed since, and have to report the total loss of Colonel Plunkett's party, with the exception of thirty-seven Yaos, who I have arrived here. .ss-
 'The latest information extracted from the fugitives is to the effect that Colonel Plunkett pushed on after the enemy's force to the open country seven miles westward of Gumburru, where he was attacked by very strong force of mounted troops and the enemys infan- try, who attacked at close quarters. He kept back the enemy until the had no
 more ammunition, when he formed a
 square and charged with bayonets m
 the direction of Colonel Cobbe's zarepa' He moved some distance in this man.
 ner. but a great many men, including
 Colonel Plunkett himself, were Killed
 or wounded by the pursuing enemy. Al Hast the enemy's infantry overwhelmed the square and annihilated them all with the exception of the thirty-seyen
 fugitiyes above mentioned
 The dispatch closes with list oftthe , officers and men missing, and no doup'
 killed in action" namely, Colonel A. w. V. Plunkett, Captains Johnston, Stew.
 art. Olivey, Morris and McKinnon, anc Lieutenants Gaynor and Bell all of tht Kings African Rifles; Captain Vizey
 of the Second Sikhs; Captain Slime, o
 the Indian Medical staff; two Whitt
 privates, forty-eight men of the Seconc
 Sikhs and 124 inen of the Africal Rifles. The two Maxim guns were als' lost. KY
 1, Another dispatch from General Man '. ming, who immediately on hearing tn : defeat of ColoneIs Plunkett started fo Gumburru with 460 men, says that fur ther information reached him from Col 5 one1 Cobbe to the effect that the latter with 22O troops, was encamping wit plenty of food and supplies, and fou
 days water. He has about thousan lcamels. and does not think he can with
 draw from his position without assist n ance, because the scrub is thick an e the enemy's forces seem likely to act O l. the offensive. e General Manning adds: "I marc - again directly and expect to arrive y Gumburru tomorrow at noon. l sha F accomplish the extrication of Coion' Il cohbe with as much transport as pos - sible. and return to Galadi. can onl r., carry sufficient water for the march $. Gumburru, returning directly. l sha
 therefore be unable to advance again' the enemy if the latter holds back