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EGYPT

[military operations.

this actually occurred. The force was caught partly unpre- caused vacillation and delay, and in the choice of a route pared soon after 2.30 p.m., and some fighting took place. by which, having regard to the date of the decision, the The enemy were repulsed in about twenty minutes, the relief of General Gordon and Khartum was impossible. (g. s. c.) Naval Brigade, the Berkshire Regiment, the Royal Marines, and the 15th Sikhs showing the greatest gallantry. The Military Operations in Egypt and the Sudan. casualties, including those among non-combatants, were 150 1885 to 1896. killed, 148 missing, and 174 wounded. More than 500 The operations against Mahdism during the eleven years camels were killed. The tribesmen lost more than 1000 killed. As soon as firing was heard at Suakin, Sir G. from the end of the Nile expedition and the withdrawal Graham, with two battalions of Guards and a battery of from the Sudan to the commencement of the Dongola Horse Artillery, started for Tofrik, but returned on being campaign will be more easily understood if, instead of assured that reinforcements were not required. On the narrating them in one chronological sequence, the opera24th and 26th convoys proceeding in square to Tofrik tions in each province are considered separately. The were attacked, the enemy being repulsed without difficulty. Mahdi, Mahommed Ahmed, died at Omdurman on 22nd On 2nd April a force exceeding 7000 men, with 14 June 1885. He was succeeded by the principal Khalifa, guns and 1600 transport animals, started from Suakin Abdullah el Taaishi, a Baggara Arab, who for the next at 4.30 a.m., and bivouacked twelve hours later at Tesela thirteen years ruled the Sudan with despotic power. Hill. Next morning an advance was made towards Cruel, vicious, unscrupulous, and strong, the country groaned Tamai, and a number of huts in the Khor Ghob were beneath his oppression. He removed all possible rivals, burned. The force then returned to Suakin. The rail- concentrated at Omdurman a strong military force comway was now pushed on without interruption, reaching posed of men of his own tribe, and maintained the asOtao on the 30th. On the night of 6th May a combined cendency of that tribe over all others. As the British movement was made from Suakin and Otao, which resulted troops retired to Upper Egypt, his followers seized the in the surprise and break-up of a force of the enemy evacuated country, and the Khalifa cherished the idea, under Mahommed Sardun, and the capture of a large already formulated by the Mahdi, of the conquest of Egypt, number of sheep and goats. The moral effect of this but for some years he was too much occupied in quelling operation was marked, and large numbers of tribesmen risings, massacring the Egyptians in the Sudan, and placed themselves unconditionally at the disposal of Sir fighting Abyssinia, to move seriously in the matter. Upper Egypt.—Mahommed el Kheir, dervish Emir of G. Graham. A great native movement could now have been organized, which would have kept the route to Dongola, however, advanced towards the frontier in the Berber and enabled the railway to be rapidly pushed autumn, and at the end of November came in touch with the frontier field force, a body of some 3000 men composed forward. Meanwhile many communications had passed between in nearly equal parts of British and Egyptian troops. A the War Office and Lord Wolseley, who at first believed month of harassing skirmishes ensued, during which the that Berber could be taken before the summer. In a long Egyptian troops showed their mettle at Mograkeh, where despatch of 6th March he discussed the general situation, 200 of them held the fort against a superior number of and pointed out that although the force at his disposal dervishes, and in combats at Ambigol, Kosheh, and Firket. “ was amply sufficient ” for raising the siege of Khartum Sir Frederick Stephenson, commanding the British army and defeating the Mahdi, the conditions were changed of occupation in Egypt, then concentrated the frontier field by the fall of the town. It was now “ impossible. . . force at Firket, and attacked the main body of the enemy to undertake any offensive operations until about the at Ginnis on the 30th December 1885, completely defeatend of the summer,” when twelve additional British bat- ing it and capturing two guns and twenty banners. It talions, four strong squadrons of British cavalry, and two was here the new Egyptian army received its baptism of R.H.A. batteries, together with a large extension fire and acquitted itself very creditably. Although checked, the dervishes were not discouraged, and continued to press t ie ^ndmiu ^ Wadi Haifa railway, eleven steamers, and upon the frontier in frequent raids, and thus in many terysitua- three hundred more whale-boats, would be rewon at end quired. He considered it necessary to hold Don- bloody skirmishes the fighting qualities of the Egyptian of opera- g0ia) anq he reported that he was “ distributing troops were developed. In April 1886 the frontier was this army along the left bank of the Nile, on drawn back to Wadi Haifa, a fortified camp at the northern the open reach of water “ between the Hannek cataract end of the desolate defile, Batn-el-Hagar, through which and Abu Dom, opposite Merawi. On 30th March Lord the Nile tumbles amid black, rocky hills in a succession Wolseley quitted the army and proceeded to Cairo. A of rapids, and debouches on a wide plain. The protection cloud having arisen on the frontiers of Afghanistan, the of the frontier was now left in the hands of the Egyptian withdrawal of the troops from the Sudan was ordered on army, a British force remaining at Assuan, 200 miles to 11th May. On the formation of Lord Salisbury’s Cabinet, the north, as a reserve in case of emergency, and two the new Secretary of State for War, Mr W. H. Smith, years later even this precaution was deemed unnecessary. In October 1886 Wad en Nejumi, the Emir who had inquired whether the retirement could be arrested, but Major-General Sir R. Buffer reported that the difficulties defeated Hicks Pasha in Kordofan three years before, and of reoccupation would be great, and that if Dongola was led the assault at Khartum when General Gordon was to be held, a fresh expedition would be required. On slain in January 1885, replaced Mahommed el Kheir as 20th June, before the British rearguard had left Dongola, “ Commander of the Force for the Conquest of Egypt, and the Mahdi died. The withdrawal of the Suakin force brought large reinforcements to Dongola. An advanced began on 17th May, and the friendly tribes, deprived of column under Nur-el Kanzi occupied Sarras in April 188/, support, were compelled to make terms with Osman was attacked by the Egyptian force under Colonel H. Digna, who was soon able to turn his attention to Kassala, Chermside on the 28th of that month, and after a stubborn which capitulated in August, nearly at the same time as resistance was defeated with great loss. Nur-el-Kanzi was killed and ten standards taken. Sennar. The troubles in Darfur and with Abyssinia (<],v.) inThe failure of the operations in the Sudan had duced the Khalifa to reduce the garrisons of the north ; been absolute and complete, and the reason is to be sought in a total misconception of the situation, which nevertheless the dervishes reoccupied Sarras, continued