The British Victory at Tel-el-Kebir.

Thames Star, Volume XIII, Issue 4306, 19 October 1882, Page 2

The British Victory at Tel-el-Kebir.

London, September 13.—A corresponddent gives the following description of the batde: -

Tel el Kebib, 4.15 a.m.—Wolseley was on the ground. The artillery opened fire before the enemy were aware of our presence. The infantry immediately after pressed forward, deploying and opening; fire from a sheltered-position. At this moment the battle is raging fiercely, so far as firing in concerned, but the men have not yet come to close quarters with the rebels.

9 a m.—The great battle is practically over. The rebels discovered our men when about a mile from their works and opened a heavy rifle fire.: Our men paused for a moment on a line of sand hills, and then with a gallant rush they were among the rebs. Acting- on General Wolseley's orders, they reserved their fire, and went in with the bayonet. The slaughter for a time was very great. The rebels could not stand it, and broke and fled, hotly pursued. I followed the Royal Irish .Regiment into the trenches before one of the forts. They were filled with Arabi's followers, dead and dying. The final rush was made over a distance of 200 yards, the men skirmishing and seeking cover -until they reached this point. Several thousand Egyptians were taken prisoners. Our own loss up to this time I should compute at 200 killed.

New York, September 13.—A. special to the Telegram, say: 'f .The.. Highland Brigade distinguished themselves, notably at the redoubts of Tel el-Kebir, all of which alone the enemy's line were parried at the point of the bayonet at 5.30 this morning. The Highlanders dashed Jo on the left, completely surprising the enemy. The latter, however, soon rallied from . their surprise and pluckily replied .with volleys of musketry, inflicting loss on their assailants.. . . Lieutenant Gordon in the melee killed three Egyptian officers with his claymore. As the forty»sixth Regiment daubed over the entrenchment, their leader, Colonel Hutchison, was wounded in the mouth and carried off the field. ' London, September 13.—A. correspondent sends the following:—Alt first the fire of the rebels was very wild. It came from both infantry and artillery, and passed over our heads, they being disconcerted by the sudden attack.. With the daylight the enemy's fire improved, and became like a hailstorm. Many men fell, but not for a second did oar advance stop, one ok the covering parties lying down fired over, while those in front pressed on. General Graham's brigade worked with a gallantry nothing could surpiss. ' Their cheer which resembled a wild yell, could be heard above the din of musketry as they charged up the steep slope of the trenches. The Egyptians were terrorstricken, and many hid in the corners of the works, while others fl d at their utmost speed, throwing everything from them. Our work, however, was not yet ended. A large inner redoubt on Arabia left wing, well armed, still held intact, but the British troops were not to tft deterred. With another brilliant ru«h they were among the enemy, biyoneting the gunners at their guns and capturing the heavy artillery. Thus we captured the key of the position ; in' fifteen minutes from the first rush we wore its misters. The rattle of the enemy's musketry died away, while our men forsook tiic bayonet and picked off any ri;i<pU wlin showed fight in tiieijr redoubt., On the south the enemy stood a few minutes longer, perhaps a quarter of an hour, but the appearance of our cavalry on their right flank soon hastened their retreat. In a few minutes one rushing stream of fugitives wa* male* ing for" Zagazi.,% flying out of alt thpir entrenchments. A. little Inter General McPherson, of the Indian Brigade, burst upon the flying fo« from fie south, and the rout was complete. Tha artillery coming up at a gailop uulimbered and sent their shot and shell after the rebels, adding to their confusion. The cavalry had got right around the enemy's flank r^ when the fight began. My previous esti--^| mate of the number of the rebels captured was under rather than over the mark. The Egyptians losses and number of guns captured was also greater than at first mentioned. It is believed that the bulk off the rebel force will be captured, and that a death blow has been given to Arabi. AH the work was done by our troops in the first line of attack. The principal fortifications had been carried by the time the Guards aud Fourth brigade came up. September 14—The British cheered General Wolseley after the battle. On our right the Guards and Rifles carried everything before them. > The accuracy with whioh the Highland Brigade came into line after their seven mile march on a moonlight night in. the soft, sandy desert, guided only by the stars, and stormed (he entrenchments and redoubts last Wednesday, has never been surpassed in history. Alexandria, September 14.—Sultros Bey, who arrived from Cairo to-day, told the Khedive thai the rebel force at Telel Kebir at the time the British attack commenced was 20,009 regulars, 7000 Bedouins, and 3000 volunteers. AEABl's FLIGHT. According to correspondents of the Daily Chronicle, Arabi was seen ridioc by the village of Belbeis from the disaster of Tel-el Zebir, attended by only twenty horsemen. The fugitive rebel leader, v he dashed past, waved his sword, red with blood, appealing to the natives with th*

wy : " Efjypt is ruined ! " They, how. erer, paid bo heed to him. The'first news of Wednesday's battle mat reached Cairo was reported a great Egyptian Tictory; and when, subsequently, It was announced that Arabi Pasha was on his way to Cairo, it was rumored he bore .-with hint Admiral Seymour's head. The of Cairo hare neter heard of General Wolßeley, and imagined that '"Admiral Seymour commanded the British forces. When Arabi Pasha armed alone, the people stoned him. THE LOSSES. Regarding the Egyptian less in Wed nesday's engagement, no computation 'approaching accuracy has yet been made, but including what has been accounted for by the cavalry, it cannot be short of * 2,600, to 3,000. In seTeral places the . bodies of Egyptians were lying in heaps. of from thirty to fifty. Tbey lay in dense rows where the. Eortysecond, getting en tbJLflank, enfiladed Arabi's lines while they were holding the position against an attack in front. The dead tr ere for o?er a mile behind the position, as our pursuing troops fired after the mass of fngitires. Altogether the field of Tel-el-KebirVpresents a terrible and ghastly sight.' Eifty guns hare fallen into the hands of the British. The chief of tha the prisoners state, issued rations the day before the battle for . 15,000 regular troops and 7,oooirrrgu- ■ lars. , '