The Egyptian campaigns, 1882 to 1885 Part 80

[80] About the same period the Sultan bestowed a similar order on his bootmaker at Constantinople. Upon the writer remarking to an Egyptian official on the singularity of the circ.u.mstance, the latter replied, "Yes; but he is a very good bootmaker, you know."

[81] Omar Rahmi was Arabi's Private Secretary.

[82] This crime comes under Article 55 of the Ottoman Penal Code, which lays down that every one who directly or indirectly incites subjects of the Ottoman Empire to arm against the Imperial Government shall suffer death.

[83] This crime comes under Article 111 of the Ottoman Military Penal Code, viz.:--"Every Commander who, without motive, continues hostilities after he has been officially informed of the conclusion of peace, or of an armistice, shall suffer death."

[84] Suleiman Sami was subsequently convicted and hanged at Alexandria on 9th June, 1883.

[85] Toulba, being in ill health, was permitted to return to Egypt early in the present year (1899), and died in Cairo on the 16th July, 1899. On the 18th July, 1899, a Decree was issued allowing Mahmoud Sami also to return.

[86] The strength of a battalion varies from 700 to 750 men.

[87] Afterwards Sir Evelyn Baring.

[88] Two days before Lord Dufferin said farewell to Egypt, that is, on the 1st May, 1883, he had the satisfaction of seeing established by Khedivial Decree: 1st, Provincial Councils, for the purpose of fixing the contributions to be levied for extraordinary local expenditure on works of public utility; 2nd, a Legislative Council, to whom all new laws have to be submitted for discussion; 3rd, a Chamber of Notables or General a.s.sembly, without whose consent no new tax can be levied.

[89] The reason for giving the nominal command to Suleiman was that the Mahdist movement being a religious one, it was undesirable to increase the fanaticism of its supporters by placing a Christian at the head of the Egyptian troops.

[90] A German servant named Klein, attached to the expedition, subsequently related that he remembered Colonel Farquhar coming into his master's tent and saying, "We find the Mahdi has many friends among the Egyptian officers."

[91] The account here given of Hicks' death is borne out to some extent by another version, according to which, the cartridges being all spent, Hicks put himself at the head of the army, and ordered bayonets to be fixed. When last seen he was with his staff. Sword in one hand and revolver in the other, he charged in the midst of the enemy, and was in a few moments overpowered. Another report contains the following:--"Surrounded by his staff, who dropped around him one by one, Hicks fought like a lion, emptying his revolver thrice, and then hacking with his sword, till a lance-thrust stretched him beside his slaughtered companions." So impressed, according to one narrative, were the Arabs by Hicks' gallantry that they resolved to build a tomb over his body in recognition of his bravery. Klein, the German servant to one of Hicks'

officers (already referred to), and who managed to escape, reported that Hicks was taken prisoner in the second day's fighting, and afterwards killed at a place three days distant from Obeid. He adds that the Pasha's hands were cut off, and he was cut to pieces afterwards.

[92] Klootz is the person referred to in many of the reports as Vizetelly.

[93] He died in France, January, 1899.

[94] Lieutenant Cavalieri, and probably also many other officers, were killed in this way.

[95] So sudden and rapid was the enemy's onset that only a single round was fired, the Egyptian gunners bolting instantly afterwards.

[96] Colonel Barrow's life was saved by Quartermaster-Sergeant Marshall, who caught him as he was falling, and seizing a loose horse belonging to a dismounted trooper, was, with the a.s.sistance of the latter, placing the colonel on it, when it fell. Marshall and the trooper then supported the colonel through the scattered ma.s.ses of the enemy. The danger run may be imagined from the fact that Barrow and a corporal of the 19th, named Murray, were the only two who, when unhorsed, escaped with their lives. Murray had no less than four horses either speared, hamstrung, or clubbed--a circ.u.mstance almost unexampled.

[97] Major Slade was not missed until the cavalry had for some time been returning to the square. He is supposed to have been killed in an attempt to help Lieutenant Probyn. Twelve spear wounds were found on his body.

[98] Most of these were wholly untrained, and the rest only understood one movement, viz., that of retreating in the presence of the enemy.

[99] Already in zeriba.

[100] This was the khor already spoken of.

[101] General Graham, who had taken the command of the brigade out of the hands of General Davis, gave the order personally.

[102] It subsequently transpired that many of the "voyageurs" had absolutely no experience in the management of boats, and were worse than useless. There were some excellent men amongst them, and more particularly among the Indians, but the general opinion was that the bluejackets from the fleet could have performed the work far more efficiently, besides being sober and amenable to discipline. When, in addition, it is stated that the Canadians received very high salaries, the wisdom of engaging these men for the Nile expedition appears open to much doubt.

[103] A letter from the Mahdi states that all these fell into his hands.

[104] This is sometimes called New Dongola, and is not to be confused with Old Dongola, some 60 or 70 miles further south, on the east bank.

[105] This was the notorious Oliver Pain.

[106] The prize, after a keen compet.i.tion, was won by the Royal Irish Regiment, the Royal Highlanders coming in second, and the West Kent third.

[107] The appointment of Lord Charles Beresford was perhaps justly regarded as a piece of favouritism. Commander Hammill, who had for months been engaged in the preliminary work on the Nile, and whose services in pa.s.sing the steamers through the cataracts have been already referred to, was pa.s.sed over.

[108] The last whaler with troops did not arrive till 7th February, 1885.

[109] There was something anomalous in placing heavy cavalry in an infantry square, a formation altogether contrary to the spirit of their training and traditions. Notwithstanding this, the behaviour of the force in the _melee_ which ensued, and the steadiness which enabled the square to be re-formed under circ.u.mstances which rendered disaster possible, were worthy of the finest traditions of the British Army.

[110] The screw guns of the Royal Artillery did immense service, especially against the enemy's hors.e.m.e.n, three shrapnels going in their midst, and again when a renewed attack was threatened from the enemy's left. The sh.e.l.ls caused utter demoralization. Altogether the battery fired thirty-eight shrapnels, nineteen common sh.e.l.l and six case.

[111] Died of his wounds subsequently.

[112] Over a hundred camels with their loads were lost in this way.

[113] The story is told of one of the soldiers who on hearing the creaking and groaning of one of the "sakheas," or waterwheels (a sound which the troops had not heard since leaving Korti), exclaimed, "We can't be far off now; I can hear them blooming musical boxes again."

[114] The men at the zeriba had pa.s.sed an undisturbed night, part of which they spent in looting the stores; the camel-drivers, native boys from Aden, were the worst offenders.

[115] The command at Gubat was taken by Colonel Mildmay Willson, of the Scots Guards, in the place of Colonel Boscawen, who had fallen ill.

[116] A court of inquiry was held at Gubat to investigate charges of treachery against the two captains and one of the "Reises" (pilots) of the wrecked steamers. The pilot was sentenced to death, but recommended to mercy on account of his having brought down Stuart-Wortley in the boat.

[117] Wad en Nejumi was subsequently killed at the battle of Toski, and Abu Girgeh fell at Tokar.

[118] It should be explained that the word Dervish is derived from the Persian language, and corresponds with the Arabic word "Fakir,"

signifying "poor." Strictly speaking, "Dervish" applies to a member of a religious brotherhood or sect, but latterly, in matters dealing with the Soudan, the term has been used to indicate all those who have a.s.sumed the faith and uniform of the Mahdi.

[119] During the last six days before the fall of Khartoum, the rations of the soldiers consisted of gum, and, when that failed, of palm-fibre only.

[120] At a Court Martial held in Cairo on Ha.s.san Bey, in June, 1887, on a charge of treachery in connection with the fall of Khartoum, one of the soldiers, being asked if the troops were exercised in "night alarms," navely replied "that there was no necessity for any such practice, as the enemy attacked every night."

[121] At the moment when the town was taken the train had not been completely laid.

[122] The scheme fell through owing to a disagreement with the Greek Consul. There is every reason to suppose that Gordon never had any intention to escape himself in the steamer, although the Greeks formed the design of taking him with them by force.

[123] For many of these details the author is indebted to "Mahdism and the Egyptian Soudan," and to "Ten Years' Captivity in the Mahdi's Camp,"

both by Sir Francis R. Wingate, the head of the Intelligence Department of the Egyptian army.

[124] Though the above is the generally accepted version of Gordon's death, Mr. Charles Neufeld, in his lately published work "A Prisoner of the Khalifa," gives the following narrative of the occurrence:--"Each day at dawn, when he retired to rest, he bolted his door from the inside, and placed his faithful body servant--Khaleel Agha Orphali--on guard outside it. On the fatal night Gordon had, as usual, kept his vigil on the roof of the Palace, sending and receiving telegraphic messages from the lines every few minutes, and as dawn crept into the skies, thinking that the long-threatened attack was not yet to be delivered, he lay down, wearied out. The little firing heard a few minutes later attracted no more attention than the usual firing which had been going on continuously night and day for months, but when the Palace guards were heard firing it was known that something serious was happening. By the time Gordon had slipped into his old serge, or dark tweed, suit, and taken his sword and revolver, the advanced Dervishes were already surrounding the Palace. Overcoming the guards, a rush was made up the stairs, and Gordon was met leaving his room. A small spear was thrown, which wounded him, but very slightly, on the left shoulder.

Almost before the Dervishes knew what was happening, three of them lay dead, and one wounded, at Gordon's feet; the remainder fled. Quickly reloading his revolver, Gordon made for the head of the stairs, and again drove the rea.s.sembling Dervishes off. Darting back to reload, he received a stab in his left shoulder-blade from a Dervish concealed behind the corridor door, and, on reaching the steps the third time, he received a pistol-shot and spear-wound in his right breast, and then, great soldier as he was, he rose almost above himself. With his life's blood pouring from his breast--not his back, remember--he fought his way step by step, kicking from his path the wounded and dead Dervishes; ...

and as he was pa.s.sing through the doorway leading into the courtyard another concealed Dervish almost severed his leg with a single blow.

Then Gordon fell."

[125] There is an entry in Gordon's Diary, dated the 12th November, to the effect that the specie in the Treasury was then only 831, although there was paper representing 42,800 more.

[126] Sir C. Wilson had left for Korti on the 5th.