THE BATTLE OF TAMAIL

Poverty Bay Standard, Volume I, Issue 125, 7 May 1884, Page 2

THE BATTLE OF TAMAIL

{Concluded.) capture of osman’s camp. It was now the turn of the 2nd Brigade, which was under General Redvers Buller’s immediate command. The 2nd was halted on the right of the nulla, and forward, down and across it went the Ist Brigade. The men were formed in square, the Gordon Highlanders on the right and the 89th on the left being leading regiments, with the 60th i i the rear, and the nine and seven pounders, under Major Gough, in the centre. The objective point was the second intervening ridge 800 yards off. The red granite boulders were rugged and sharp and hot, and the march was a most trying one. With a cheer the men took the first ridge, firing as they went along, occasional shots at the enemy’s main body, whom we could see gathered on our right on the second ridge. The Arab fire in reply to ours was feeble and wild, and they soon began trotting off towards the mountains as we advanced. General Graham, with a portion of his staff, directed the advance, and with a ringing cheer we carried the second ridge, the defence of which was insignificant. Gaining the top we saw in the valley Tamai 180 feet below, the tents and huts composing the camp of Osman Digna. The brigade descended slowly into the valley, and then took the opposite heights at the charge. Clearing the way before them with a steady fire, they then descended the. next hill into a small valley, where Osman Digna’s camp and the villiage of Tamasi lay. The rebels here made an attempt to hold their own, but by doing so only lost a few more brave warriors, and the villiage was taken. The village, or, properly speaking, the villages — for there are three villages, situated at distances of about a quarter of a mile from one another—are formed of bush and mat huts. A number of round tents had also been erected. In the villages were found bags of money, Korans, talismans, and rebel property of various kinds, while on the outside of each hut was stored a considerable quantity of grain. The rebels had evidently not contemplated the possibility of our getting so far, and had been forced to leave everything in great disorder. Having burned the villages and all they contained, the Ist Brigade recrossed the valley and joined the 2nd Brigade, which had meanwhile occupied the wells, where we are now halted. From Tamasi the troops brought back Osman Digna’s standard and Tewfik Bey’s st-ndard which was captured when his force was annihilated. THE ARAB LOSS. The Standard's correspondent, telegraphing at a quarter past seven p.m. yesterday, says : —■“ I have just returned to Suakim from the front. When I left there the entire force was marching into the zareeba we occupied last night. They will remain there until to-mor-row morning, and will then march to the next zareeba, and the following day will arrive at Suakim. Upon my way back I passed over the battle field. From what I saw there I should increase my estimate of the killed to

at least 3,000. The Arabs lie in heaps, as the Egyptians did in the square on General Baker’s battle field. Alongside of them are skeletons of the Black regiment annihilated here three months in *, and now terribly avenged. Osman is said to have lied to the hills. INCIDENTS OF THE BATTLE. Writing of the night before the battle a correspondent says:—As darkness camo on, the fires at the enemy’s camp, a mile and a half away, were plainly visible from our pi>-itL) i. Ai, ci;dil a b’.'./le sounded, and an allowance of grog was served out to the soldiers. tShortly afterwards Commander Rolfe, R.N., went out by himself to reconnoitre. It was a most daring action, as no one could scy v.’i • • <• might be lurking among the bushes. He went on until > to the enemy’ watch fires, and found the Arab pickets asleep around them. He returned at nine o’clock to camp, and as it was evident from his report that the enemy were not meditating an attack, the men were

ordered to lie down and get what sleep they could. During the desultory firing of the enemy in the night, Private Sheldon was shot through the head as he lay asleep, in which peaceful attitude he was found. Before coming to close quarters, the Arabs actively plied their Remington rifles, and with the musketry from the 42nd and the 65th half battalions, the fire was simply terrific. In recent battles there have been few hotter corners than General Davis’s square. The hissing and whizzing of the enemy's bullets over our heads made our voices almost inaudible. As the wild ruck of reckless savage Arabs pressed onwards on the Ist Brigade, the Highlanders and 65th continued pressing on the rear, and for a few momenta the scene suggested a strange resemblance to Baker’s square at El Teb, but there was a difference. The Highlanders and their comrades were retiring like lions at bay. The spectacle did not so much terrify as exercise a weird, terrible fascination. Two officers of tb.e Black Watch killed several of the enemy with their claymores, running the blades up to the hilt every time. Nearly every man present had occasional narrow escapes. Colonel Green, of the 42nd, had a spear glance off his holster, and his oar cut by a pebble dislodgedby a rifle ball. General Buller had his horse shot through the ear, while many officers had their steeds killed.. During the fight a small water convoy coming from the bivouac zareeba to the rear of one of the squares, was attacked and thrown into panic by a single Arab. The black serges nt of the convoy, a plucky fellow, seized his rifle and dropped the rebel. Even when fighting had concluded it was dangerous to move about the battle field, owing to the wounded natives lying thickly ainongt he bushes. These positively refused to accept quarter, and those who were able continued loading and firing at anyone who came near them, or thrust with their spears at those who passed by. In the bush, too, were many unwounded men, who, when the saw an opportunity, leaped to their feet and attacked any soldier or soldiers who came near. One man charged six hussars, and fought so desperately that he was not despatched without great difficulty. The Arabs have, the Standard's correspondent says, proved themselves to be as formidable adversaries as any irregular troops in the world. Their tactics are good. They prepare the way for their charge with a heavy musketry fire. In their advance they take advantage of every bush and cover ; but they charge with a recldess valor which may well shake the steadiness of the best troops in the world.

It may be said, in excuse for the troops who at the critical moment failed to prove themselves equal to the occasion, that the long sleepless night passed under a heavy fire was extremely trying to the nerves, and would certainly detract seriously from their fighting powers. There is very little difference of opinion as to the fact that it would have been far better had we advanced to the fight from the first zareeba. The seven-mile march in the early morning would not have been excessive, the men would have been spared the sleepless night, and the great and undeniable risk which we ran, from camping so close to the enemy would have been avoided.

The Daily Telegraph's correspondent says : I again noticed the poor quality of the steel wrought into cutlasses and bayonets for the soldiers. If these weapons touched a bone, they bent like hoop iron, without piercing the body of the Arabs. Their spears and swords, sharp as razors, cut, as I saw scores of them, through bone, sinew and every obstacle without even once turning the edge of the weapon. Another matter worth notice was that the savages made better use of their weapons than the troops. When they made a thrust it was invariably for a vital part about the head, throat, or chest. LATER DETAILS. Four thousand three hundred of the enemy wore killed, and several thousands wounded. The villages of Hanoi, Tarnay, and Tamanieb have been destroyed by fire. All the regiments are now rapidly returning to Suakim. Osman Digna has fled to the hills. The total British loss amounted to 70 killed, including Major Aitken, of the 42nd, Captain Ford, of the 65th, and 58 soldiers, 30 of whom belong to the 42nd. The wounded numbered two officers and 120 men. The enemy are still around the British camp, and fire when the cattle are watered. All the native guides and interpreters bolted from the British when the saw the enemy had broken the square. The fighting raged fiercely from eight a.m. till half-past ten a.m. It is estimated that the British killed about 4,000 rebels and wounded about 6,000. Although the enemy fell back to the hills, they made off slowly and sullenly. Doubtless the nature of the ground rendered rapid movement on their part difficult and needless ; yet I must say that they acted like men defeated, but not routed. As our troops carried their ground some of the retiring Arabs would walk away as if sauntering down the bazaar, with their arms folded or swinging by their side. Often they were shot down as they thus withdrew, but that did not deter the others following their example, nor did it hasten their speed. Our men who fell, even for a few minutes, into the enemy’s hands, were, as at the battle of Teb, dreadfully cut and gashed by sword and spear, but not otherwise disfigured. We took no prisoners during the fight. Indeed, it was impossible to do so, for whilst life lasted the wounded Arabs would lie still, rarely uttering a cry or moan, but watching a chance to strike at our fellows with knife or spear as they advanced. For the victors it was like walking among wounded vipers. At Osman Digna’s camp three wounded Arabs killed a marine last night, and another wounded man, whilst General Stewart’s aide-de-camp was giving him water, drew a knife and attempted to stab the General. Many of the Arabs got away in spite of their hurts, but it could not be but to suffer and die, as the natives are without surgical skill. Two hundred sailors went out last night to bring in the wounded.