In the meanwhile the British Government, under the leadership of Mr
Gladstone, had come to the conclusion that the advanced posts of the
Egyptian Government in the Soudan could no longer be held, and pressed
upon that Government the necessity of withdrawing the garrisons. The
Egyptians reluctantly accepted the advice of their powerful "ally," but
were unable of themselves to execute its purpose. The British
Government then applied to General Gordon, who had been formerly
governor of the Soudan, and who had more influence over the Arab tribes
than any other European of modern times, to undertake the task of the
evacuation of Khartoum, the civil population of which numbered about
11,000. General Gordon at once responded to the call of his country,
and set out for Khartoum, which he reached with General Stewart as his
sole companion on the 16th of February.
At first all seemed well, and Gordon was able to send down some widows
and children, 2500 in all, to Korosko, but the events above related at
once destroyed all hope of a peaceful retreat; and it became evident
that help from without would become necessary if the population were to
be saved; but the two British officers never doubted that their country
would aid them in their time of need.
The sensation caused in England by the events around Suakim now became
so great that Mr Gladstone's Government could no longer evade their
responsibility, and now took the step which, had it been taken six weeks
earlier, would have saved thousands of lives. English troops were set
in motion from Egypt, some regiments were stopped on their way home from
India up the Red Sea, and a force was assembled at Suakim under General
Graham; when these were collected they were taken down to Trinkatat by
sea, and the disembarkation there began on the 23rd of February 1884.
As usual, all the hard work to be done fell upon the sailors, who worked
incessantly--landing stores through the surf, working up to their necks
in water. On the 26th, having accomplished this work, a Naval Brigade,
consisting of all the marines and sailors who could be spared from the
men-of-war, was landed to take part in the expedition, taking with them
several gatlings and light ship guns; all of which were dragged by them
through the deep sand, no means of transport being available. Two or
three days now elapsed before the advance commenced, as some of the
troops had not yet arrived; but on the 65th Regiment coming into port in
the _Serapis_ transport, orders were given for the advance to commence.
As soon as the 65th landed, they crossed a lagoon, or shallow salt-water
lake, which lay behind Trinkatat, and joined the main body, who had
already taken post on the other side.
The column consisted roughly of 3000 infantry, 750 cavalry and mounted
infantry, 115 men of the Naval Brigade, and about 200 artillery and
engineers; of these 150 were left at Trinkatat, and 200 men at the
camping ground across the lagoon, which had been entrenched by General
Baker and bore his name. The troops advanced in a hollow square. The
Gordon Highlanders formed the front face, the Irish Fusiliers the right
face, the 65th the left, and the 42nd Highlanders formed the rear of the
square. The Rifles marched inside the square next to the Fusiliers, the
marines next to the Rifles, the sailors, with six gatling guns, were
stationed to the left of the Gordon Highlanders; while the eight
seven-pounder guns belonging to the fleet, which had been transferred to
the camel battery, were in the centre of the square in reserve. Two
squadrons of cavalry were to scout far out on the front and flanks, the
rest of the cavalry were to remain in readiness for action in the rear
of the square.
Soldiers and sailors were alike in good spirits, and longing to meet the
foe and to avenge the massacre of Baker's troops on the very ground
across which they were about to march; but they knew that the work would
be no child's play, and that the greatest steadiness would be needed to
resist the tremendous rush of the fanatics. The march began in the
morning, and the enemy's scouts were seen falling back as the cavalry
dashed out ahead. Their main position was in the neighbourhood of some
wells. It was marked by a number of banners floating in the light air
on a low ridge which was swarming with men; guns could be seen in
position at various points along the position, which extended about a
mile in length.
As the column approached the ridge, the natives took up their post
behind it; but, as in a direct advance against it, the column would be
swept by the fire of their guns and musketry, without being able to make
any adequate return against the concealed foes, General Graham
determined to turn it by working round its flank. Accordingly, after a
halt, the column continued its march in an oblique direction across the
face of the position.
At a few minutes before eleven, the cavalry scouts moved away from the
front of the column and left it face to face with the enemy, who were
now but a few hundred yards away. Their heads could be seen popping up
behind the bushes and earthworks, and every moment it was expected that
they would rise from their hiding-places and charge down upon the column
which was marching past their front at a distance of about 400 yards.
The assault did not come, but a sudden fire of musketry broke out from
the face of the position, and the Krupp guns, captured from Baker's
force, in their batteries opened fire on the column. The effect was at
once visible, several men in the square fell out from the ranks wounded;
but fortunately the enemy fired high, and the storm of shot and shell,
for the most part, passed harmlessly over the column. Without returning
a shot, the column moved steadily on in the line which would soon place
them across the end of the enemy's position, and enable them to take it
in the rear.
It was very trying to the nerve of the troops to march on without firing
while pelted with such a storm of missiles. General Baker was badly
wounded in the face by a bullet from a shell, and many men were struck,
but by this time the column had reached the desired position; they had
passed round the enemy's line, and were almost in their rear. They
halted now, and the men lay down, while the sailors opened fire upon the
enemy with the gatlings, and the men of the camel battery with their
seven-pounders,--six guns of the enemy replying. These were well
handled and aimed, for the garrison of Tokar had three days before
surrendered, and were now fighting in the ranks of their captors, whose
guns were all worked by the Egyptian artillerymen.
By twelve o'clock the English guns had silenced those of the enemy, and
the word was given for an advance against their position; the bagpipes
struck up, the men sprang to their feet cheering, and the column, still
keeping its formation as a square, marched straight at the enemy's
position. The Arabs ceased firing as the British approached, and when
the column was close at hand they leapt to their feet and charged
furiously down.
The change of the direction of the march had altered the position of the
column, the flank of the square was now its front, and the brunt of the
attack fell on the 42nd, 65th, and the Naval Brigade. Groups of twenty
and thirty Arabs rushed fiercely down upon them, but they were swept
away by the fire of the musketry and the machine guns; but in some
places the Arabs came to close quarters, but were unable to break
through the line of bayonets.
The column had now reached the position, and with a cheer rushed over
the bank of sand. From every bush around them the Arabs leapt up and
flung themselves upon the troops. Admiral Hewett himself led the
sailors and joined in the hand-to-hand fight. A party of fanatics
nearly succeeded in breaking in between the sailors and the 65th, but
Captain Wilson, of the _Hecla_, threw himself into the gap, and,
fighting desperately, drove back the assailants.
There was a short halt when the post was captured, to reform the column
before moving forward to the attack of the main position of the enemy,
of which we were now well in rear; and after a short artillery duel the
column again advanced. The whole ground was covered with trenches and
innumerable little rifle-pits, all hidden by the close growing bushes,
and every foot was contested, the Arabs leaping from their defences and
dashing recklessly on the British bayonets. Great numbers of them were
slaughtered; and they fought with a desperate courage which extorted the
admiration of our soldiers.
At last the column, which was now extended into line, passed across the
whole of the position occupied by the enemy and emerged in front; the
main body of the enemy withdrawing sullenly. Of the Naval Brigade two
men were killed, and Lieutenant Royds and six sailors wounded.
No more fighting took place; a portion of the column advanced to Tokar,
which the enemy evacuated at their approach, and brought off such of the
townspeople as wished to leave. The force then marched down to
Trinkatat, and, re-embarking, were conveyed in the transports back to
Suakim, and marched out to attack Osman Digma. The Naval Brigade took
part in the advance.