BAKER PAGHA'S DEFEAT.

Manawatu Times, Volume X, Issue 1211, 31 March 1884, Page 2

BAKER PAGHA'S DEFEAT.

FULL PAHTICIJLARS

(From the London Times' Correspondent.) On the 3rd Baker Pasha left 300 Shogers and 200 Egyptians to defend the camp with two Krupp guns, and marched to the fort with ,thc entire remaining force, intending to pass the night there, and rest the truops before advancing. The night was quiet, except that shortly after midnight a dozen shots from the rebel scouts were heard, tired tolerably ! near to us, the bullets whistling overhead. But nothing occurred ; the alarm was not sounded, and we slept tranquilly for a few hours more. The reveille sounded at 4.30 m the morning, and the camp was quickly astir. At 6.80 the camels -were loaded, the troops had formed, and everything was made ready for a start. We marched at 7in following order : —The two Cairo and Alexandria battalions, numbering 1,800, m quarter-distance column, leaving spaces between the Krupps and mitrailleuses to follow one behind another. Next came 500 of the Be* zinger blacks and Massowah battalion of Soudanese, m all 900. The four battalions were to form a square large enough to contain the guns and baggage. Of this square the Alexandria battalion would form the the Cairo on the left, the Massowah battalion of blacks the right, and the Bezing jrs the rear face. The Turks, 400 strong, who were intended to form a square, followed ; the Sanadeer blacks, moving a little to the right, were to form square on the right ; these two squares flanking the large square. The guns which were to be m the large square, consisted of two Krupps, two Gatlings, and two rocket tubes, with 150 Egyptians and 46 Europeans ; the Gatlings being under command of Egyptian cavalry, and beyond them a complete circle of scouts. Behind the Egyptian cavalry rode Baker Pasha and his staff, and behind Baker Pasha were the Turkish cavalry, under Major Giles. The morning was dull and misty, with heavy rain at intervals. We had not advanced more thau three miles when we saw small bodies of the rebels at come distance, and a considerable force beyond, on a slight rising ground. Baker Pasha then ordered q, Krupp gun to be brought forwaid and a shell was sent among the enemy, Colorel SarroYius-laying the gun, as the gun* ners weTe ignorant of the process of sighting. The range was found to be'soihewhat too great, so the gun was limbered up, and we advanced another mile and a half when we halted and fired three shells among the rebels who were still on the ris« ing ground. Almost immediately after this our scouts commenced firing all along the line. Baker Pasha sent Captain •uipert, of his staff, to see why the scouts were firing. He returned, saying that lie could find no reason for it. The rebels were visible ; but they were altogether out of range. About 10 minutes later, we saw small bodies of the rebsls, mounted on horses md camels, on the right flark, about a mile away. Baker Pasha ordered Major Giles to diaw swords and charge. The men went off at a gallop and pursued the re* bels, who fled. The cavalry were soon scattered beyond control. Baker Pasha, seeing that they were getting too far from the main body, sent Captxin Harvey to recall Major Giles. All this time the scouts were firing wildly, killing n fact, two of the Turkish cavalry. Immediately after Captain Harvey had left the flanking scouts were seen ga'Toping back m great disorder. Seeing them m hot retreat, the Egyptian cavalry at once turned tail, and were followed closely by large numbers of the enemy. General Sartorius at once galloped back to the main body, intending to Older them to form square as planned. But at the very sight of the rebels the Egyptians were so panic stricken that, it was impossible to do anything. Thus the square was never properly formed. The Beginger troops could not be persuaded to form up, as tLey should have done, m rear of the square ; and the Cairo and Alexandria battalions formed such a way as prevented Tuikish infantry being of any servioe. The Soudanese troops, especially the Massowah blacks, tried, indeed, to make some show of fight-* I ing, and formed their side of the square with tolerable accuracy. Unfortunately, this side was not im* mediately attacked, most of the rebels falling on the right flank and rear, I had myself gone after Major Giles and his cavalry with an English cavalry officer, Captain Maxwell, I saw Captain Harvey and Colonel j Burnaby gallop towards Major Giles, and then I observed the route of -the Egyptian cavalry. \Ve then turned and saw the square being formed. Immediately the Egyptian cavalry broke m 7Tpoii Baker Pasha andhis staff, Baker Pasha then rode back towards the square, with the Egyptian cavalry, who were m wild confusion, all around •him. The gun which the General had ordered to the front with him to the front with hini to shell the enemy m the distance was galloped back half the distance towards the square, but then was caught up by the rebels qn foot and horseback who speared the gunners m a moment ; the latter offering no resistance. The enemy then charged on against the Alexandria battalion, the men of which were firing wildly hi the air, on the ground, and into their own friends, doing even among those friends but little execution. As the rebels approached the Alexandria battalion it broke, the men turned their backs on the advancing foe, and m a paroxysm of terror fired into the square or fell on their knees praying for mercy, The Krupp gun m the square had uot been brought into action, the drivers having been unable to get the mules to wheel by reason of the panic reigning among the Egyptian regiments. Capt. Walker had, however, aided by his Europeans, brought his Gatlings into play, and was working them nobly. As Genera} Baker and his staff rode down the right flank of the square they were under a heavy fire from Massowah blacks, whose fire w t as,. however, so misdirected that only one of the sbdM was shot bj them. ,

Thic? was Lieutenant Cavalieri, an Austrian officer who had volunteered as ;i scout. As I came down this aide of tho square, I saw this officer struggling beneath his horso, the saddle of which had turned under the belly. v!; I reached the end of the Soudanese line and somehow entered the square. Here the state of affairs was]almost; indescribable. Cavalry, infantry, mules, camels, falling bag* gage, and dying men, were crushed into a struggling, surging mass. Men were loading and firing into tho air or into one another, without aim or object ; all were madly shrieking and groaning to run awuv, but simply struggling m abject terror, hardly attempting madly to shelter themselves one behind another, and passing into the centre square. Shrieks and prayers, soldiers bellowing, camels' screams, tmiLs and hol'.ses joining m the deafening noise, filing and hooting of the rebels, addid hideously to the horror of the scene m the square. Colonel Sartorius, aided by Maxwell and Bewley, sjught to inspire some courage into the soldiers. I saw also for a brief moment Morice Bey and Dr Leslie side by side. Morice had his revolver ready m his raised hand; Leslie's sword was raised above his head, as thougn about to strike. Captain Walker was seen on foot struggling, and had been apparently wtmnded and separated from the guns by the crowd. He fell against the neck of another officer's horse and spoke to him, then they were parted. All this time the rebels wereinc easing m number,and ou the edges c-f the square they were steadily spearing the unresisting soldiers, and were rapidly thinning ti eir rauks. It was thus I' got 'out of the square when men enough were j killed to give my horse sufficient free- ' dom of action. Outside 1 saw Baker Pasha and Colonel Sartorius was seeking to collect more . men, these others bolted. Gradually as the square thinned the men escaped and ran, throwing away their arms, boots and clothes, the rebels following and killing them, ab they ran. In this manner the remnant of the force streamed off towards the fort. Baker Pasha sent Colonel Sartorius to try to stem the . cavalry, rush at this point, for some time he kept them back by scooting those who sought to pass him. In this he was aided again by Captains Maxwell and Bewley, and afterwards by Captain Goodall, who received two spear thrusts through his coat, and shooting his assailants brought his spear into camp, General Baker was with difficulty persuaded to leave the scene of action, and was quite sur« rounded by rebels. At last Colonel Hay insisted on his leaving, and Colonels Burnaby,-Hay, Harvey and a few others of tli j staff charged through the rebels without drawing their swords. The square was then surrounded by a horde of rebjl « and of those left within not one escaoed. At the fort it was impossible for a long time to check the fugitives, who struggled across the morass and down to the shores scrambling into the bnats, fighting, and making for the ships. Nothing was to be done but to get the hors.es and men and remaining stores on board and get away from Trinkitat as soon as pos* sible. General Baker and Colonel riartorius worked through nearly the whole night to accomplish this, and had to contend with enormous difficulties m men taking the saddles off the horses and turning the animals adrift. By 11 next morning nothing was left on the shore- of Trinkitat but the bodies of a few camels and horses which had been shot The scene on the return to Souakin was heartrending. All th. black troops had wives and families m tho town, and the cries of the hopeless women filled the air till late iuto the night. But of the force oi nearly 5,000 men 2,300 were slaughtered m less than 15 minutes, Of them 72 were offioers.