Iowa state bystander. [volume] (Des Moines, Iowa) 1894-1916, 1903-04-24
BRITISH ARE CUT
Down IN BATTLE
Command Under Col. Cobbe
Is Almost AnnihiIated in
SomaIiland.
OVER TWO HUNDRED KILLED
Enemy Overwhelmed British Square
and Hut Thirty.seven EAcape-Troop-
ship Leaves Alden With Reinforcements
for British General.

Alden, Arabia, April Z4.--Ihe BrltSn
transport Harding arrived here yester.
day from Berbera, the capital OF
Somaliland, East Africa, and confirm.
ed the report of British defeat in
Somaliland. The officers of the Hard
ing say that ten officers and $50 men
out of total British force of 220 men
were killed recently in an engagement
| with the Somalis.
London, April 24.-The war Office
yesterday received from Brigadier
General Manning in command of the
British forces in Somaliland, dis.
patch dated twenty miles west of
Gaiadi, SomaliIand, April Is, as fol.
lows:
II regret to report that flying col.
umn under the command Of Colonel
Cobbe, which left Gala'li April 10, to
reconnoiter the road to Walwal had
a most serious check, April II. On
the morning of April II, Colonel Cobbe
was at Gumburru, forty miles west,
ward of Galadi, and had decided to re-
turn to Galadi, owing to the serious
difficulty in finding the road to Wal.
wal and to the shortness of water.
"He was about to leave his sereba
protected camp. when fI4ng was
heard in the direction of small party,
under the command of Captain Olivey,
which had been sent in westerly
direction to reconnoiter. At 9:15
o'clock in the morning, Colonel Cobbe
dispatched Colonel Plunkett with 160
men of the second battalion of the
Kings African rifles, forty-eight of the
second Sikhs and two maxim guns for
the extricatfon of Captain Olivey if
necessary. AS matter of fact, Cap
tain Olivey had not been engaged.
Colonel Plunkett, on joining the de-
tachment, continued to push on. At
11:45 Colonel Cobbe heard heavy
fire in the direction taken by Colonel
Plunkett, and at about 1 in the after
noon few fugitives coming in report
ed that Colonel PlunHett had been de.
fea.ed with loss. The news has been
fully corroborated since and have to
report the entire loss of Colonel Plum.
kett's party. The latest information
extracted from the fugitives is to the
effect that Colonel Piunkett pushed on
after the enemy's force to the open
country seven miles westward of Gum.
burru, where he was attacked by a
very strong force of mounted troops
and the enemy's infantry, who attack.
ed at close quarters.
Gle kept back the enemy until he
had no more ammunition, when he
formed square and charged with
bayonets in the direction of Colonel
Cobbe's sereba. He moved some dis
lance in this manner, but great many
men, including Colonel Plunkett him.
self, were killed or wounded by the
pursuing enemy.
AT last the enemy overwhelmed the
square and killed them all with the
exception of thirty-seven fugitives."
The dispatch closes with list Of
the officers and men missing and no
doubt killed in action, namely:
Colonel A. w. v. Plunkett, Captains
Johnston. Stewart, Olivey, Norris and
McKinner, and Lieutenants Gaynor
and Bell, all Of the Kings African
Sikhs, Captain Sims of the India med
icai staff, two white l>rivates. forty.
eight men of the Second Sinks, and
124 men Of the African rifles.
The two maxim guns were also lost
Another dispatch from General Man
ming, who Immediately on hearing of
the defeat of Colonel Plunkett, started
for Gumburren, with AGO men, says
further information reached him from
Colonel Cobbe to the effect that the
latter, with 200 troops, was encampine
WITH plenty Of food and supplies and
four days water. He has about a
thousand camels and does not think
he can withdraw from his position
without assistance, because the scrub
is thick and the enemy's fol ces seem
likely to act on the offensive 1