When the column arrived within half a mile of the position occupied by
the main force of Osman Digma, they encamped for the night. At eight in
the evening, Commander Rolfe, RN, performed a most daring action; he
started alone to reconnoitre the camp of the enemy, and made his way
close up to their fires, and was able to bring back the news that the
enemy were quiet and evidently meditated no immediate attack; the men
were therefore able to lie down quietly and sleep for a while. At one
o'clock, however, the enemy gathered round the position and kept up a
fire all night.
The next day the advance was made, not in squares as before, but in two
brigades. In the first of these, with the 42nd and 65th, were the
marines and Naval Brigade. As the brigade advanced, the enemy swarmed
down to the attack, and the soldiers with their rifles, and the sailors
with their machine guns, opened a tremendous fire upon them; but the
Arabs still came on with desperate bravery. The brigade was in square,
and the 42nd, who were in front, charged the enemy at the double,
cheering loudly; but this movement left a gap between them and the 65th,
who formed the right face of the square, and, before the gap could be
closed up, great hordes of Arabs charged down and burst into the square.
For a while all was confusion. The 65th fell back on the marines. The
Naval Brigade, surrounded by the broken soldiers, were unable to use
their guns, and, as the confused mass fell back, had to leave these
behind them; but with great coolness they removed portions of the
machinery, so that when the guns fell into the hands of the enemy they
were unable to use them against us.
Wildly the Arabs pressed down upon the retreating troops, but the second
brigade, under General Buller, came up in splendid order, their volleys
sweeping away the enemy. This gave the retreating troops time to reform
their ranks, and they at once advanced again in line with Buller's
brigade; and the enemy were put to flight, after suffering a loss of
over 5000 men.
Amongst those who fell in this action were Lieutenant Montresor, RN,
Lieutenant Almack, RN, and Lieutenant Houston, RN, with seven of their
men who were killed at their guns.
For the subsequent proceedings against the Mahdi, see _Our Soldiers_,
page 338.