The Battle of Abuklea.

Thames Star, Volume XVI, Issue 5036, 4 March 1885, Page 2

The Battle of Abuklea.

FULL PARTICULAHS.

FOUR HOTJEB' FIGHTING.

London, January 23. The special correspondent of the Morn: inff Post telegraphs that General Stewart, on January 17th, fought an obitinate battle with the enemy, lasting from nine o'clock in the morning till one p.m. The correspondent states:—; v

General Stewart arrired near the Abuklea Wells on the afternoon of the 16th, and obierving that the enemy w^as not far ahead, he determined to halt four mileg from the wells, and throw up entrenchv ments, under cover of which the force birouacked for the night. Daring the whole night the enemy maintained a fire from the hills, and in the mot&ing General Stewart, seeing that they did not attack, determined to advance agaiust them. Ht therefore left the darnels and' storea with tbe b«gK«ge and boipUal cvniiuii»»riat fa

•: the'.-;e», treriehmeutß ;■. -uucltir^avguird^t^lSOjM-^. m^n^'and at- ontee 'nm^ed^- out;.with" tbjijS«g ; remaihder:6f;::his;Yorlf^ ■ "■• ■-' ADVANCE WASIiADB IK BQUAB:B,^>;<:^;}.|; with tbe mounted infantry its likirmirterg on the front and right, the Hussars being in skirmishing ordei ■oorn r thjs left; The enemy saluted us with a. hot fire frpmitbe : , hills, by which several of pur; men -were! ;f ; wounded. ; By the ■ continued; •Did bold ■■.'<,:■■; skirmishing of the; Bifles / sand/^thev^v mounted infantry, the enemy was admirv; ably driven baefc; the irtillery at the same time -keeping vp fa« brilliiot^rfiirl^ on thei position 'acrossi .the ftlley*, Thovchole, force wa§ Xmtf&ii^JLhbsv&itf'^ :.:■'}.. i being left behind in \kn^wiient]i^j^Mtf^:: ; gavei those allotted ':J6i}'.'^o9^UV'imv^*.--l,:. and to convey water fand^aniiittnition, : which were stationed in»ide. the square. At 11, o'clock, the square; w»B^ moving on^ { '; the right incline, inVorder^to enfilado theli; fnemy, who were Hifitunt a quarter of » mile, and had brought their' left N fiice to ; v ■;;, wards the Arab force, when suddenly tbev Arabs leapeel up in. dense maitei and | rushed fiercely, at great speed, against th« 'x square. The onset such that thf»; ekirmisberg had scarcely time to reach the square before, the enemy were fbllpwing ■close'upon'their''trick.:.:-;.-^;i;;.;:::;>:'-^:V^''h'-'^^^^

.■" ,■;.; .-;:;^-;THE"8QpABfc be6kbk.;""?:;.,'';;;:;'"^'' ; /.' A ( call was made upon itheKheaTy>.ft dr'ngoon9,.who formed the rear half of the left face and the whole of the rear face of the formation; but so fierce and rapid was" the rush at this moment, that the heavy cavalry were borne back by the magsts of ■; Arabs, and in a moment the square was forceß. The Gardiner gun was! jammed, f and for ten minutes a desperate struggle raged from the left Tear to the centre. Here Colonel Bornaby fell dead, a spear having severed his jugular .vein. General Stewart's horse was shot under him, and as the General fell to (the ground, at the same moment his orderly was killed be« side him. Many of the camels were spsared by the Arabs, tod the interior of the square presented a mass of falling camels, of struggling Arabs and soldiers, the whole being filled also with dense smoke and dust, whiSe shots and sword- „ strokes were the replies to the Arab spearthrust. It was not long before > EVEBY ABAB. IN .THB SQtTAitB •Wlaj illLKly;': I and the r«Bt:w^a^atea^:;^ir«e|«af^^' cheers were given as the square was ire* : formed on fresh ground. The enemy then retreated sullenly, numbers bf them rising from among the dead and rushing past the square, not without many being shot. Among the dead are the Emir of Metam* meh, and the chief of the Hamira Arabs.^ One of these penetrated into the square on horseback. After the fight had terminated the Hussars were sent forward to the , Wells of :•■ Abuklea, which were three « • miles in advance, and took possession of % them after a few;' shots had ;, ; b«eß'-ex^/'" changed.., V V' '"/ V'';-;;\X:'vZ\-J^C^^/.'^-

\^;GALEASTBEI^ The heat had been extreme^and the - men, who were without ''WitierYQi^ioodf bore it admirably: Their behaTiburwai splendid dnrinß tlie march, and ii worthy of the highest praise; and also when in the; face of the enemy. The WelU of Abukiea were reached by the troops >t 5 o'clock in the afternoon, where the water was plentiful and excellent for drinking. At 8 o'clock that night, General Stewart sent back a portion of the Guards, with some of the heavy cavalry, camel corpi, and mounted infantry, to fetch every thing from the entrenched post in rear. They all arrived safely there at 8 a.m., and on the 18th, on their arrival the troops had the first food they had partaken of for 24 hours: ) ■ ."■ ■';■. ■■■ ?."■■■ ..,:X\.^w.: ■■r':.-X-\

THE KILLED |":: •>I

The British losses were heavy, and the following /nine /officers Swews killed i—^i; Colonel Burnaby, Majors Atherton, Car* micbael, and Gouch, of Boyals; Captain | Darlcy and Lieut. Laro, ..'ofvvfhep DrHgopn Guards^Lieuti-^Wblfe,''-of-the^ '■}■'■; Scots Greys; and ,>Lieat Piggq^t and ; Delisle of the. Brigade. ; There ' were sixty-six of the men killed, inoluding forty-six lof the ;hetvy eavllrjfe abSl^.. camel corps, and 85 were wounded. The number of the enemy killed are supposed to be 2000. They had 900 special negrftv rifle men, who proved themselves to bet good shots, and as theMe men kept ou tUo ' hills they suffered less than the: othen. The priiioners, in giving an account of th» numbers of their forces, reckoned that 1O tribes, haying on an avenge 800 men each, - were in the field, which would make th§> 'total'SOOO^ ■ -■■:■ "■ ■■,•■,:.;: ; ,'.:;:-:-; v 7 iv; r ;;. / ..;^-; : ■■?:■■■..■

* The Daily News special carirespOhdent says:—The rebels fought '/^rith;;';wbklefi*^f conraue, and displayed grotttich'oalikill. They harassed vi at Zeriba all thQpyTiqiig; night, and cndearbured to load iis into a skilfully-laid trap.: We adraiiced,?.two:. ■• miles exposed l;o>heayj fire on all sidet, and we halted and closed the square while ' the skirmishers wen t forward to force the concealed enemy into attack. They sprant up, 20 banners on wing, and came on in splendid line. The troops on the right were led byj AbU; Saleh^ the Emir of Metammeb, and on the"left^tbieys"ireW. f nnder Mahommed Khan, Emir of Berber. The latter was wounded, and he retired^^ early; but Aba Saleh came desperately onr at the bead of 100 fanatios, escaping the/ withering fire of Martinis marvellously^ until be was shot down in the squart. The rear face, which was composed of the Heary cavalry, broke forward in tbeit^nS'^ deavours to fire \on the'xebelii; :\ who 1 swept round the flank and broke; into us. '.For; a:; moment:; there V/wM^g^Jjt'V^ confusion, then the men felll back JrW#; formed in good; order *nd poured volleys^ into the rebels, every one of whom in the* leading division falling dead in our midst When we had time,-;tp look around we wiir that line after line of the enemy had fallen under the Martinis' fire arthw tdT»nw£;? and there could scarcely harebeen \em than 8W orlOOO^dead^and Wounde^ot the wbeli. The others, in scattered bands made off in^ Tanoos directions, learinjr w % when the rebel piTalry formed sor th» :- charge, three shrapnels going in^th© mid»|^and again a renewed attack wi! threatened from^ thawiemy'ji line thW sheila > caused utter demoralißation^ Thft JNaril ■Brigade Gardiner gun also produoed grett mortal eflfect on the retreating banda. Of - the ground selected by General Stewirt •^i^fa*, 1 8*«» d» and the ne handled his men at the most critical moment^ too much ctnnot be said in nraiae and he led his: staff where; there wm imTS f mediate di^l^t^^^r;-^^"jsig