The Warwickshire Herald. — 1899-02-02 (Birmingham, West Midlands, England)

THE WOUNDED DERVISHES AT  OMDURMA.N.  In the Contemporary Review for February, MajorGeneral Sir W. Gataae. K,C.8., who commanded the British DiViiioll in the Soudan, replies to Mr. Bennett's recent charges of inhumanity towards the wounded and detested Dervishes. Re gives an absolute contradiction to such accusations on behalf of all those with whom he was connected, though he points out that there must always be some loophole for cruelty and hardship in war. - -  In the S..uclan during the recent expedition, he says, the composition of the army was such as to demand a close watchfulness being kept over it. We had the British soldier anxious to avenge Gordon; the Soudanese, in whom the desire to loot Is strongly developed; the Egyptian, who had many old scores to pay off; and the "friendly" Jaalth. whose blood was still boffinr over the massacre al Metemnia, in which some 2,000 of the pick of the. tribe fell victims to the savagery of the Khalifs and his lieutenant Mahmoud. Mr. Bennett charges the Sirdar with having issued orders for, or acquiesced In the  DESTRUCTION OF THE WOUNDED, or of having so neglected to watch the course of events that thoee wounded who fell into our hands were murdered in cold blood; further, he alleges that, harmlem persons, when leaving the town after the Battle of Omdurman, were fired on by our gunboats. With regard to the first of these allegations, had any orders of the kind been issued they must have been conveyed through general officers commanding divisions; certainly no such order, or any order which could be construed into acquiescence in the killing of wounded or prisoners, was received or issued by me; further, it is well known that Lord Kitchener was anxious to increase his fighting strength by taking into the ranks of the Egyptian atony al/ able-bodied men who fell into his hands. Shortly before the Battle of atbara, the Birder sent for me and personally explained that any men laying down their arms, bolding up their hands. sod giving the word of peace, "Amin," were to be allowed to pass through the ranks towards General Lewis's Wits& (in reserve). This was made known to all otters and men in my brigade; but it is quite possible that some few men who wished to surrender were killed in the confusim whic.lk owing to the firing and fighting, was great. General Gatacre gives his reasons at length, both for what he saw and what he can only surmise, for disbelievin • in any considerable looting or any deliberate killing of wounded. Undoubtedly, he adds, if wounded Dervishes  THIACHEROUSLY SHOT AT OCR MEN, or endeavoured to use their spears. a British soldier would be excused for shooting at his disabled enemy : in principle it would be wrong, but in practice it becomes a necessity. The only case I remember against a British soldier of cruelty was on the second morning after our arrival at Omdurman, when three or four natives came to complain that some soldier had forcibly taken a silver ring off some woman's finger. Inquiries were made. but it was impossible to test the truth of the statement or to trai e the offender. Moat ot the relics obtained during the expedition, in the shape of flags, armour, swords, ar., were brought into camp by followers or friendly natives, who got what they could for them. Where and how they got the loot it was impossible to ascertain; it is probable that in some cases the things were taken forcibly from the inhabitants, but the invariable explanation was that they were picked up outside Omdurman; as all the country between Kerreri and the city was strewn with swords and military dibria which was to be had tor the picking up, this was very plausible. The Jaal in friendlies nad good reason to hate the Dervishes, and I have no doubt that when they got a chance on the sly of knocking a wounded Beggars on the head they would do so."