Waterbury evening Democrat., 1903-04-23
Only Forty Out of 22o Left at
 Somaliland.
GENERAL MANNING's REPORT.

GENERAL MANNING'S REPORT. Says That a Flying Column on a Re
 connoitering Expedition Met With q Serious Check-Colonel Plunkett Is Among the Killed-Colonel koboe In Position He Cannot Withdraw From.
 Alden, April 23.-The British trans 9 port Hardinge arrived here to-day from Berbera, the capital of Somall- $ land, East Africa, and confirmed the # report of British defeat ill Somali- # land. The officers of the Hardlnge H say that ten officers and 1S0 men, out M of a total British force of E2O men, were killed recently in an engagement 8 with the Somalis.
 z The war office to-day received from A Brigadier General Manning, ill com- z mand of the British forces in Somali- 8 land, a dispatch dated 20 miles west 4 ward of Galadi Somaliland, April IS, as follows:
 q regret to report that flying col
 
 Cobbe, which left Galadi April 10 to & eeconnoiter the road to Walwal. had most serious check April 1T. On the A morning of April IT Colonel Cobbe was E at Gumburru, 40 miles westward of Galadi, and had decided to return t. z 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 carnp), when firing was heard in the direction # of a small party, under the command 8 of Captain Olivey, which had been sent in a westerly direction to recon $ noiter.
 "At 9:15 in the morning Colonel Cobbe dispatched Colonel Plunkett x with 16O men of the Second battalion of the Kings African Rifles, AS men of the Second Sikhs, and two Maxim N guns for the extrication of Captain I Oliyey, if necessary. As a matter of # fact, Captain Olivey had not been en- gagged. Colonel Plunkett on joining the detachment continued to push on. S At II 45 Colonel Cobbe heard heavy fire in the direction taken by Colonel Plunkett and at about 1 :O0 in the af- & ternoon few fugitives coming in re- N ported that Colonel Plunkett had been defeated with loss.
 ssThe news has been fully corrobor- # Rted since and have to report the to- taI loss of Colonel Plunkett's party, S with the exception of 37 Yaos who have arrived here.
 "The latest information extracted from the fugitives is to the effect tnat R Colonel Plunkett pushed on after the enemy's force to the open country seven miles westward of Gumburru, where he was attacked by a very strong force of mounted troops and the enemy's infantry, who attacked at close quarters. He kept back the ell emy until he had no more ammunition when he formed square and charged with bayonets in the direction of Col onel Cobbe's zarebaA He moved some distance in this manner, but q great many men, including Colonel M Plunkett, were killed or wounded by the pursuing enemy.
 & "At.last the enemy's infantry over. whelmed the square and annihilated them all, with the exception of the 37 fugitves above mentioned
 The dispatch closes with a list ot the "officers and men missing, and nc doubt killed in action namely Col, one1 A. w. V. Plunkett, Captains II Johnston, Stewart, Olivey, Morris anG lMcKinnon and Lieutenants Gaynol and Bell, all of the Kings African Ri Hes; Captain ViZey- of the Second Sikhs; Captain Slime of the IndiaI A Medical staff; two white privates A men of the Second Sikhs and PA me1 of the African Rifles. The two Max i'm guRs were also lost.
 Another dispatch from General Man ming, who immediately on hearing O the defeat of Colonel Plunkett started for Gumburru with 46O men, says fur ther information reached him iron Colonel Cobbe to the effect that tn lGtter with 220 troops was encampinj with plenty of food and supplies au; four days water. He has about thousand camels and does not thinl he can withdraw from his position without assistance because the sctu1 is thick and the enemy's forces seen likely to act on the offensive.
 General Manning adds: T marc1 again directly and expect to arrive a
 Gumburru tomorrow at noon I saal
 accomplish the extrication of Colone
 Cobbe with as much transport as pos
 sib1e and return to Galadi. I can CT
 ly carry sufficient water for tn s march to Gumburru, returning direct
 ly. I shall therefore be unable to ad
 vance against the enemy if tie latte
 holds back"
 M Ad rvpmMm CmuRrMmR FHf Geneva.