The Battle of Abucklea.

Manawatu Standard, Volume IX, Issue 81, 9 March 1885, Page 3

The Battle of Abucklea.

DETAILS OF THE BATTLE.

1 A EIEECE CONFLICT,

DEATH OF COLOLEL BURNABY.

(the daily news account.) London, January 23. The Daily News'' special correspondent thus describes the battle : — " We . moved out to the attack under a hail oi. bullets, and the men dropped from the ranks right and left, but none of the wounded were left on the field; The medical staff under Surgeon- Major Ferguson worked splendidly, and under' the heaviest of the fire there were frequent stoppages for these purposes. The pro- , gress made was slow, and it was nearly an hour before we sighted the enemy's main body and realised that 7000 or 8000 men wei'e against us. General Stewart took up a good position on a slope, where the rebels must advance uphill and across open ground. Skirmishers of the 'mounted-, infantry were sen,t forward to force on the attack, while Captain Norton's battery of screw guiis planted several she^s among thedense mass. Then came the shock of the rebels m an impulsive charge against, the square, and for a while the fate of ot thre wholo force' trembled m the balance ; but the steadiness of the Guards, marines, and, mounted infantry prevailed,, and' the ..fierce foes retired beaten, leaving the ground strewn with their" dead and. wotindecl and their amis' and "banners. - ; Lieutenant- Colonel Barrow's Hussirs came up soon- after, but they ■ were top' lato to strike at the retreating foes. The Sussex Eegiment, though taken, m: the rear, rallied and fought., desperately. ; 'The greatest loss fell on the neavy camel- cortis,' of whose 'officers six were killed and two wounded. After . the .fight, m which, the fenemy. brought "all jtljcir bestr troops against General . fetcwart|s brigade, we gained tho we'ls of Abtiltlpa, ' and bivouacked' ' there. ' The rebels -fought' ivitli reckless' courage, and displayed great tactical skiH. .They harassed us at Zeribn all the previous night, alul endeavoured t« leafl us into a skilfully -laid trap. We .advanced two miles, expospd to a heavy fire on nil sides, and we halted. 5 arid closed the square while the skirmishers went forward to.lorce, theconcealorl enemy into attack. They sprang up, 20 banners on wing, and came on m splendid line. The troops' on the 'right' were led. by Abu Saleh, the Emir of Metemneh, and on the left, they were under Mahomed Khan, Emir of Berber. ;The latter was' woundeel, and he retired parly ; but Abu Saleh r.came desperately on at the head of 100 fanatics^ escaping' the" withering fire* of Martins marvellously, until he Was shot' d!own m the square. Tho rear face, ■which, was composed of the heavy, cavalry, broke forward m their endeavours to • fire on the rebels, who swept round tlie flank and broke into us; For a 'moment there was much confusion, then the men fell (back,: reformed m good, order! and poured volleys into the rebels, every one of whom m tfre leading division falling dead m our midst. When we had time to look around we saw that line after line of the enemy had fallen under the fire of the Martins' fireja's they advanced,' and ' there could have • been no less than 800 or 1000 dead and wounded of the rebels- , The others, m scattered bands* ; •made off m .various directions, -leaving i Tib masters. of the field. In the ternpo.r- 1 ary cpnfasiqn the Gardiner gun could i not he got into action at the most effec- i tive moment, and when it opened fire j the rebels were . close on it. The Naval ' Brigade, therefore, lost very heavily, i Lieutenants Piggot and "Delisle were j both killed, and among the first of our j officers who wasifnortally wounded was (Colonel Burnaby, who ; fell; gallantly m i thefight close to his old comrades of the ! Blues. Norton's Jiitle battery did immense tef vice,' especially when the 1 rebel' cavalry formed for the charge, three ! shrapnels going m the midst, and again i I "whe^'a reviewed attack wastlnreatenedlby jthe enemy's line the shells caused ujiter demoralisation. Altogether the battery fired 88 shrapnelSj 19 comnion shells, , and 6 case shells— the latter when the rebels- rushed to .; close quarter's. ; The. ;N,ayal Btiga.de Gardiner goi . also projduced'great moral effects on the retreat!ing bands. Of the ground selected by General Stewart for the final stand, and :the;way..in which he handles his men at jthe.jiaost crital,. moment, too much cannot be said m praise, and he led his staff iwhere there was immediate danger reIpeatedly."