Page:1902 Encyclopædia Britannica - Volume 27 - CHI-ELD.pdf/769

 MILITARY OPERATIONS.]

EGYPT 715 active in raids and skirmishes, and destroyed the railway that his stronghold at Tamai was captured on the 7 th south of Sarras, which during the Nile expedition of 1884 October, 200 of his men killed, and 50 prisoners, 17 guns, and 1885 had been carried as far as Akasheh. It was not and a vast store of rifles and ammunition captured. For until May 1889 that an invasion of the frontier on a large about year there was comparative quiet. Then at the scale was attempted. At this time the power and prestige end of a1887 Digna again advanced towards Suakin, of the Khalifa were at their height: the rebellions in but his forceOsman at Taroi was routed by the “Friendlies,” and Darfur and Kordofan had been stamped out, the Anti- he fell back on Handoub. Kitchener unsuccessfully enMahdi was dead, and even the dervish defeat by the to capture Osman Digna on the 17th January Abyssinians had been converted by the death of King John deavoured 1888, but in the attack was himself severely wounded, and and the capture of his body into a success. It was there- was shortly after invalided. Later in the year Osman Digna fore an opportune time to try to sweep the Turks and the collected a large and besieged Suakin. In December British into the sea. On the 22nd June Nejumi was at the Sirdar arrivedforce with reinforcements from Cairo, and on Sarras with over 6000 fighting men and 8000 followers. the 20th sallied out and attacked the dervishes in their On the 2nd July Colonel J. Woodhouse headed off a part of this force from the river at Argin and, after a sharp trenches at Gemaizeh, clearing the whole line and inflicting action, completely defeated it, killing 900, among whom considerable loss on the enemy, who retired towards Handoub, and the country was again fairly quiet for a were many important Emirs, and taking 500 prisoners and time. During 1889 and 1890 Tokar became the centre I-/ banners, with very small loss to his own troops. A of dervish authority, while Handoub continued to be occuBritish brigade was on its way up stream, but the Sirdar, pied for the Khalifa. In January 1891 Osman Digna who had already arrived to take the command in person’ showed signs of increased activity, and Colonel Holled decided not to wait for it. The Egyptian troops, with a Smith, then Governor of the Red Sea Littoral, attacked squadron of the 20th Hussars, concentrated at Toski, and Handoub successfully on the 27th and occupied it, then Battle Ot tll.ence’ .on tilc 3rd August, General Grenfell, seized Trinkitat and Teb, and on the 19th February fought Toski. slight loss, gained a decisive victory. the decisive action of Afafit, occupied Tokar, and drove Wad en Nejumi, most of his Emirs, and more Osman Digna back to Temrin with a loss of than 1200 Arabs were killed; 4000 prisoners and 147 700 men, including all his chief Emirs. This Battle of standards were taken, and the dervish army practically action proved the final blow to the dervish Afafit‘ destroyed. No further serious attempts were made to power in the neighbourhood of Suakin, for although disturb the frontier, of which the most southerly outpost raiding continued on a small scale, the tribes were growwas at once advanced to Sarras. of the Khalifa’s rule and refused to support The escape from Omdurman of Father Ohrwalder and of mg Osman Digna. two of the captive nuns in December 1891, of Father In the spring of 1891 an agreement was made between Kossignoli in October 1894, and of Slatin Bey in February England and Italy by which the Italian forces in Eritrea 1895, revealed the condition of the Sudan to the outside were at liberty, if they were able, to capture and occupy world, threw a vivid light on the rule of the Khalifa, and Kassala, which lay close to the western boundary of their corroborated information already received of the discontent new colony, on condition that they restored it to Egypt at which existed among the tribes with the oppression and a future day when required to do so. Three years passed despotism under which they lived. before they availed themselves of this agreement. In The Eastern Sudan.—In 1884 Colonel Chermside, 1893 the dervishes, 12,000 strong, under Ahmed Ali, Governor of the Bed Sea Littoral, entered into arrange- invaded Eritrea, and were met on the 29th December at ments with King John of Abyssinia for the relief of the Agordat by Colonel Arimondi with 2000 men of a native beleaguered Egyptian garrisons. Gera, Amadib, Senhit, force. Ahmed Ali’s force was completely routed and himand Galabat were, in consequence, duly succoured, and self killed, and in the following July Colonel Baratieri, their garrisons and Egyptian populations brought away to with 2500 men, made a fine forced march from Agordat’ the coast by the Abyssinians in 1885. Unfortunately surprised and captured Kassala on the 17th of that month’ famine compelled the garrison of Kassala to capitulate on and continued to hold it for three years and a half. 30th July of that year, and Osman Digna hurried there The Abyssinian Frontier.—On the Abyssinian frontier Ras Adal from Tamai to raise a force with which to meet the was m command of a considerable force of Abyssinians early in 1886 Abyssinian general, Ras Alula, who was preparing for its and in June of that year be invaded Galabat and defeated the relief. . By the end of August Osman Digna had occupied dervishes on the plain of Madana; the dervish Emir Mahommed Kufit, in the Barea country, with 10,000 men and en- Wad Ardal was killed and his camp captured. In the following trenched himself. On the 23rd September Ras Alula year Emir Yums ed Dekeim made two successful raids into Abvssinian territory, upon which Ras Adal collected an enormous armv attacked him there with an equal number of men and said to number 200,000 men, for the invasion of the Sudan. The routed him with great slaughter. Over 3000 dervishes Khalifa sent Emir Hamdan Abu Angar, a very skilful leader, with with their principal Emirs, except Osman Digna, lay dead an army of over 80,000 men against him. Abu Angar entered on the field, and many more were killed in the pursuit. Abyssinia and, m August 1887, attacked Ras Adal in the plain of The Abyssinians lost 40 officers and 1500 men killed, Debra Sin and, after a prolonged battle, defeated the Abyssinians their camp, and marched on Gondar, the ancient capital besides many more wounded. Instead of marching on to captured of Abyssinia which he sacked, and then returned into Galabat. Kassala, Ras Alula, who at this time was much offended Kmg John, the Negus of Abyssinia, burning to avenge this defeat, by the transfer of Massawa by the Egyptians to Italy, marched, m kebruary 1889, with an enormous army into Galabat, made a triumphant entry into Asmara, and absolutely re- ^re the Fmir Ez Zaki Tumal commanded the Khalifa’s forces, some 60,000 strong, and had strongly fortified the town of Matamma and fused to make any further efforts to extricate Egyptian the camp. On the 9th March 1889 the Abyssinians made a terrific garrisons from the grip of the Khalifa. Meanwhile Osman onslaught, stormed and burnt the town, and took thousands of Digna, who had fled from Kufit to Kassala, wreaked his prisoners. A small party of dervishes still held a zeriba when K mg John was struck by a stray bullet. The Ayssinians decided vengeance upon the unhappy captives at Kassala. retire, fighting ceased, and they moved off with their prisoners In the neighbourhood of Suakin there were many tribes to and the wounded Negus. That night the king died, and the greater disaffected to the Khalifa’s cause, and in the autumn of part of the army having gone ahead with the prisoners, a party 1886 Colonel H. Kitchener, who was at the time Governor of Arabs pursued the rearguard, which consisted of the king’s bodyof the Red Sea Littoral, judiciously arranged a combina- guard, routed them, and captured the king’s body, which was sent Omdurman to confirm the report of a brilliant victory sent by tion of them to overthrow Osman Digna, with the result to Ez Zaki Tumal to the Khalifa. Internal strife prevented the new