THE NILE COLUMN.
The advance guard of the Nile column, consisting of 545 of the 38th
South Staffordshire Regiment, left Korti for Abu Hamid in the whalers on
the 28th December, 1884. Brigadier-General Brackenbury, second in
command, with a troop of the 19th Hussars, followed the next day.
On the 3rd January, 1885, the force encamped at Hamdab, where General
Earle and his staff arrived on the 4th. The remainder of the column was
sent forward from time to time, as the regiments reached Korti.
On the 24th the force at Hamdab, having been in the meantime joined by
the Royal Highlanders (Black Watch), a portion of the Gordon
Highlanders, the Duke of Cornwall's Regiment, the Transport Camels and
the Camel Battery, left camp and continued the journey up stream, the
mounted troops proceeding along the banks, and the remainder going in
the whalers as before. The enemy being reported to be in force at Berti,
every precaution was taken to avoid a surprise, zeribas being formed
each night, and a system of moonlight signalling was adopted.
Passing the Fourth Cataract and other formidable rapids, Berti was
reached by the advance guard on the 1st February and found deserted. The
enemy, according to the report of a deserter, had abandoned the place on
the previous day, and retired up the river to Salamat. Suleiman Wad
Gamr, the murderer of Colonel Stewart's party, it was reported, had fled
beyond recall. The boat belonging to Stewart's steamer _Abbas_ was
discovered on the shore. Hussein Ismael, the stoker, whose account of
the murder has been already given, presented himself and confirmed his
previous story. The houses in Berti being searched, traces of Stewart's
party were found in the shape of a number of papers, fragments of books,
and a portion of a barometer.
On the 3rd the head-quarters moved to Berti, where the rest of the
troops encamped as they came up. On the 4th news was received of the
fall of Khartoum by a telegram from Sir Evelyn Wood. The discouraging
information was carefully kept from the knowledge of the men. The same
message instructed General Earle to halt where he was until further
orders. On the 8th the General was informed by telegraph that Lord
Wolseley was communicating with the Government as to future operations,
but that the column was to push on to Abu Hamid. Orders for the troops
to move up were thereupon issued.
On the night of the 8th General Earle received a report from Colonel
Butler, who was in command of the advanced camp, that, in reconnoitring
that day, he had found the enemy in a strong position, occupying some
rocky knolls, and holding a high razor-backed ridge of hills behind.
Earle then ordered the advance of the 1st Battalion South Staffordshire
and 1st Battalion Royal Highlanders, in boats, to an open camping-ground
which Colonel Butler had selected, about a mile short of the enemy's
position, and ordered the squadron 19th Hussars, half of the Egyptian
Camel Corps, and two guns of the Egyptian artillery, to advance to the
same place.
On the 9th General Earle himself arrived on the scene, and having
personally reconnoitred the enemy's position, and sent Colonel Butler
with the cavalry to make a wide reconnaissance towards the enemy's rear,
he decided to attack the position the next morning.
A company of the Royal Highlanders was left in a zeriba to guard the
boats, baggage, and baggage animals, and at 7 a.m. on the 10th the
advance commenced.
Two companies of the South Staffordshire and two guns were placed under
the command of Lieutenant-Colonel Alleyne, who was instructed to take up
a position on a rocky hillock facing the enemy's position, and, with the
assistance of the Egyptian Camel Corps, to occupy the attention of the
defenders in front, whilst, with six companies of the South
Staffordshire and six companies of the Royal Highlanders, Earle marched
about a mile and a half to his right front, thus completely turning the
high ridge referred to in Butler's report, and the whole of the enemy's
position.
[Illustration: BATTLE OF KIRBEKAN.]
Meanwhile fire was opened (at 8.30) by the two companies of the
Staffordshire and the guns under Colonel Alleyne, the enemy replying
with their Remingtons.
After turning the enemy's position, Earle's column, pivoting on its
left, brought the right of the column round till it reached the rear of
the enemy's lines, and then marched over broken and rocky ground through
a valley in the direction of the river, keeping the high ridge on the
left. It was found that the column formation, ready to form square, was
unsuited to the nature of the ground, and the further advance was made
by companies, but not in extended order, points of vantage in the rocky
ground being occupied in succession.
The enemy had been seen crowding the high ridge as the column passed its
eastern end, but at first they appeared to take no notice. No sooner,
however, had the force wheeled to the left than (at 9.15) fire was
opened on it with Remingtons, hitting two or three men. As the fire
became hotter Earle sent two companies of the South Staffordshire, under
Colonel Eyre, to take the high ridge by working up its western shoulder.
The men advanced under a heavy fire, and climbed about a third of the
way up the shoulder, till they reached a cluster of rocks under which
they obtained partial shelter.
At the same time, two companies of the Highlanders and a company of the
Staffords were directed to advance under cover of the river bank and
take the knoll nearest the river, towards which parties of the enemy
were seen making their way, and swimming to the other side. This knoll
was speedily captured, and the enemy's position on the two principal
knolls was thus enfiladed.
The remainder of the Highlanders and Staffords then advanced from one
cluster of rocks to another towards the rear of the position, firing as
they did so, till they reached the rocks nearest to the enemy's
position, about 400 yards distant. From behind the enemy's works,
consisting of earthworks and loopholed buildings, a steady and
well-directed fusillade was kept up on the attacking force. This
continued for some time, till, difficulty being found in dislodging the
enemy by musketry fire, the order was about to be given to assault the
position and carry it at the point of the bayonet, when suddenly a body
of the enemy abandoned their works, and with spears and banners charged
down upon the nearest of the Highlanders, who were somewhat advanced
towards the British left front under Colonel Green.
The Highlanders, without changing their formation, received the assault
with a withering fire, killing many. The rest turned to their left and
made for the river, where several of them were shot in the water as they
attempted to escape.
After repelling this onslaught the Highlanders advanced with their pipes
skirling, scaled the rocks, and stormed the main position from front and
flank in gallant style, killing every one of the enemy, who were in
great numbers among the rocks and boulders.
At this time General Earle, who had accompanied the advance up the
ridge, was killed by a bullet from a hut in which several of the
defenders had taken refuge.
Meantime the two companies of the South Staffordshire sent to take the
high ridge had been received by a heavy fire; Lieutenant-Colonel Eyre
had been killed, and their ammunition was exhausted. Lieutenant-Colonel
Beale was sent by General Brackenbury, who had assumed the command, to
reinforce the attack and take the ridge, which duty was successfully
accomplished, and the enemy were driven from their last position by 1.30
p.m. Most of the defending force were armed with Remington rifles, and
their position, which was a formidable one, was defended with desperate
courage.
When General Earle made his turning movement, and so placed the
detachment he was leading between the enemy and their camp, Colonel
Butler, who had guided the column to the rear of the enemy's position,
made a wide sweeping detour with the cavalry to the enemy's camp, three
miles further on, which he captured. So rapidly was this operation
conducted that the camp was in his possession before the Highlanders had
captured the main position.[128]
Leaving two companies of the Highlanders to guard the captured position,
the remainder of the troops were sent back to the camp they had left in
the morning.
The Egyptian Camel Corps did excellent service in the fight. The
position which they had taken up at the commencement of the day enabled
them to protect the flank of the infantry in its advance. They remained
in that position throughout the day, assisting by their rifles to keep
down the fire from the high ridge and shooting, and in some instances
pursuing and capturing, such of the enemy as attempted to escape towards
the east on the southern slope of the hill. When the Staffords stormed
the shoulder of the hill one Egyptian soldier charged up alone on their
extreme right and joined in the attack.
Besides forty-one donkeys and camels captured at Kirbekan, fifty-eight
rifles, four fowling-pieces, two flint-lock muskets, one revolver,
twenty-two swords, fifty-three spears, and ten standards fell into the
hands of the English. Some prisoners were taken, and, according to their
statements, the enemy were surprised by General Earle attacking their
rear, and thought the soldiers who got behind their position were coming
from Berber.
Owing to the way in which the position was surrounded, it is difficult
to see how many of the enemy could have escaped. They lay thick in every
nook and crevice, and on the open ground where they charged the troops,
and the Staffordshires killed many on the main ridge of hills.
Nevertheless, their losses are only put in the General's report as 200.
As no account mentions more than 125 bodies having been counted on the
field of battle, this appears a liberal estimate, even after allowing
for the bodies swept away by the stream. The return of rifle ammunition
expended gives a total of 24,040 rounds, or rather more than 120 for
each man killed, leaving out of the calculation twenty-three shells
fired from the Camel Battery. The English force engaged only numbered
1,200, owing to the Gordon Highlanders and the half battalion of the
Duke of Cornwall's Regiment not having come up; the former, in fact, had
not succeeded in getting further than Berti.
The enemy's force at Kirbekan was stated by prisoners as being from
1,500 to 2,000. General Brackenbury, however, has put the number who
held the works at 800, and says that at least half of these escaped
before the attack. The resistance made was due to the almost impregnable
position taken up.
Owing to the excellent tactics adopted in taking the works in the rear,
the loss of the attacking force was but small. The death of General
Earle, however, made Kirbekan a dearly purchased victory. He met his
death shortly after the assault which resulted in the capture of the
ridges. The troops were at the time being collected and formed up.
Between the crests of the two main knolls there was a depression forming
a small flat plateau, on which stood a stone hut with a thatched roof.
Earle was forming up the ranks only ten yards from the hut, when it was
discovered that there were men in it. One of the latter fired from the
hut and shot a soldier. The General thereupon ordered the roof to be set
on fire, at the same time approaching the hut. The roof commenced to
burn, and a native rushed out, and was at once bayoneted. At this moment
a shot was fired from a window of the hut, and the General fell, shot
through the head. The back of the skull was shattered, and he lived only
a few minutes.
In addition to General Earle, the British and Egyptian loss was as
follows:--
_South Staffordshire Regiment_--Killed, Lieutenant-Colonel Eyre and 3
men; wounded, 2 officers and 20 men.
_Royal Highlanders_--Killed, Lieutenant-Colonel Coveney and 4 men;
wounded, 2 officers and 18 men; missing, 1 man.
_Egyptian Camel Corps_--Killed, 2 men; wounded, 1 man.
Total killed, 11; wounded and missing, 44.
On the 11th, General Brackenbury received further instructions,
according to which the Expedition was to stay in the country till the
Mahdi's power at Khartoum was destroyed, and arrangements were to be
made for co-operation with General Buller in an attack on Berber. The
instructions further stated that the column was to push on with all
possible speed pursuant to orders.
On the same day, the column continued its progress, the wounded officers
and men being conveyed in the boats. The difficult pass of Shukook was
got through without opposition, though it bore signs of having been
prepared for defence throughout its entire length of six miles.
On the 17th Salamat was occupied, and the force destroyed the house,
palm-trees, and sakheas of Suleiman Wad Gamr, the chief author of
Colonel Stewart's murder. Many relics of the murder were found, such as
cards, papers, photographs, &c.
On the 20th, Hebbeh, close to the scene of the murder, was reached, and
on that and the following day the 800 horses and camels of the force
swam over to the opposite bank, the equipments and loads being ferried
across in boats.
The wreck of Stewart's steamer was seen fixed upon a rock about 200
yards from the bank of the river. She was pitted with bullet-marks, and
torn by fragments of shell. The natives had stripped her of everything
useful.
The house of Fakri Wad Etman, where the murder was committed, was
visited by General Brackenbury. Fragments of books, Stewart's visiting
cards, and a shirt-sleeve stained with blood, were found close by.
Whilst the crossing was being effected, the troops, not otherwise
engaged, were employed in destroying the houses and property of Fakri
Etman. The force then advanced along the right bank towards Abu Hamid.
On the night of the 23rd, the whole column with 215 boats was
concentrated at the last cluster of huts in the Monassir country,
twenty-six miles from Abu Hamid, and the Cavalry, which had scouted six
miles ahead, were still without touch of the enemy.
On the 24th, just as the further advance was being resumed, Brackenbury
received Wolseley's instructions to discontinue the movement on Abu
Hamid and return to Merawi. The despatch said, "Buller evacuated Gubat.
His main body went to Gakdul with sick and wounded. He remains with
1,500 at Abu Klea. I have abandoned all hope of going to Berber before
the autumn campaign begins." This was a bitter disappointment to both
officers and men. A strong patrol was advanced to within sight of Mograt
Island (just opposite Abu Hamid), after which the column was reversed,
reaching Hebbeh again the same day.
On the 25th it remained at the halting-place the whole day, as the
horses and camels absolutely required rest.
Continuing his movement down the river on the following day, Brackenbury
reached a village opposite Salamat. Here, leaving the mounted troops and
convoy to move independently on the right bank under the command of
Colonel Butler, the General descended the river himself with the boats.
On the 4th March Hamdab was reached, the force having descended with the
boats in nine days, a distance that it had taken thirty-one days to
ascend. On the following day the force arrived at Merawi. The crossing
commenced at 2 p.m., and was completed at 11.30 a.m. on the 6th. On the
7th, Brackenbury, leaving the Black Watch, a troop of Hussars, the
Egyptian Camel Corps, and a detachment of Engineers, to remain at Merawi
under Colonel Butler, started with the rest for Korti, which was reached
the following day.
Apart from the engagement at Kirbekan, the Nile column had no fighting
exploit to boast of. The crushing effect of that action was, however,
shown by the fact that after the fight, the enemy allowed General
Brackenbury's force to march unmolested through the Monassir country, to
take successively all the positions which had been prepared for defence,
and subsequently to retire through the same positions without firing a
shot or offering any opposition.
Credit is undoubtedly due to the column for the manner in which it
triumphed over the difficulties caused by the nature of the river, which
from a few miles above Merawi presented a succession of rapids. All
these rapids, amongst the most formidable obstacles on the Nile, were
ascended and descended at an unfavourable season, with a loss by
drowning of only three lives throughout the entire operation.