BATTLE OF KERBEKAN

Feilding Star, Volume VI, Issue 123, 2 April 1885, Page 3

BATTLE OF KERBEKAN

CAERYING THE POSITION WITH £..'•■' ,* THE BAYONET. On February 9th (general Earle, found Arabs strongly /posted, op the hills ▼opposite Dulka Island. Concentrating the Black Watch and the Staffordshire regiment in a isareba, he reconnoitred the position,, and 1 the following" 1 morning advanced Co the attach, 'lie /Standard' correspondent thus describes the battle: — "Our troops marched in two parallel columns, consisting .of two . companies of the Staffordshire Regiment » with two guns. Takimg up the ground directly in front of ihe'eaetnT' 1 to^ occupy. the^r attention,, at. B 6i|r .gunts dpened-fire, and for some time -a desultory fire was kept up between them «nd the enemy. In the : meantime the main body of troops were advancing steadily over almost imprsctipable grouad, ' pushing the , enemy before them, and seizing each: successive ridge by short determined rushes. This continued until the advanced troops reached , the right rear .of the enemy, which rested on .'.duo^ river. conplelod the movement by which tke Arabs were entirely ■urrounded. The' position occupied by the enemy was very strong, consisting of rocky broken ground,, fltreogtbened by loopholed walls, behind which they kept up a heavy fusilade. Finding it impossible to disiodge themby inuiketty fire; Greheral Earle ordered the Black Watch to darrj the position with' the bayonet. The pipers atrWk ttp,'an(i cheering, tU* Black Watch moved forward with steaSduiess and valour, which the enemy were Enable to resist, anitwaieh called forth the admiration of the (General From the loopholled walls rifle puffs shot out coktinuously, but without ebeck (he Black Watch advanced, scaled the rocks, and at the point of the bayonet drove the enemy from their shelter. Unhappily General Earle fell gallantly leading the . troops forward to thfs attack. 'In the meantime the cavalry pushed on beyond the scene »f the conflict, and. captured ihe : enemy's camp* three miles in the rear, before the Black .Wfttc.li had. caj'lured the main position. While the. uiai.n. atfcack wa> Tieing-- delirewd two eutupnuies bf the Staffotdsluru Be^iment were direcletl lo seise' the: ■bitfk rocky hill, which:: wn» stoutly defended by Artb riflemen). After General Ear^e's fall Oulonei Brack anbury, assurin-d comiiian, and after the main pqsiuon'.Lad'been. carried he crrdered' the remainder of the S|affi.»rd>hire "ltojiiment .'to join the two companies already «ngagedr*»dtojstorm : the hilL at t lie point of the bayonet. The enemy clung to the f position 'desperately, and disputed the ground inch by inch, but the Staffordshire, men were n6t to be denied, and at last thoy' drove the'eri#my from the hill. This brought the fight of Kerbeican to a close, it had lasted five hours, and was a gallantly;^con tested affair from first. to last. The! jenemy's force consisted of Monassir and Bobatal tribesmen, with numbers 'ordervisheß f ram Berber.. It is impossible to judge accurately of their number, *s~thV posittetiL exteafded'ov««r a" large rarige of rocky i broken 'ground.' Theii' losses 4ire very heavy, and' ! the dead lay piled ' uppn the ridges the^ had so stnbboniiy defend^. The, leader of the. rebels f^om Berber, /and. several. £mi^w ;^,^QJig' i thekiilejl n !7i . ...,! '*