MILITARY OPERATIONS.]
EGYPT 711 of evacuation, and on the 18th General Gordon left London ordered to charge up to the edge of the Khor. This to assist in its execution. opened the square, and a mass of tribesmen rushed in from The year 1883 brought a great accession of power to the small ravine. The brigade was forced back in disthe Mahdi, who had captured about 20,000 rifles, 19 guns, order, and the naval guns, which had been left behind, were and large stores of ammunition. On the Eed Sea littoral temporarily captured. After a severe hand - to - hand Osman Digna, a slave dealer of Suakin, appointed Emir struggle, in which the troops behaved with great gallantry, of the Eastern Sudan, raised the local tribes and invested order was restored and the enemy repulsed, with the aid of Sinkat and Tokar. On 16th October and 4th November the fire from the 1st Brigade square and from dismounted Egyptian reinforcements intended for the former place cavalry. The 1st Brigade square, having a sufficient field were destroyed, and on 2nd December a force of 700 men of fire, easily repelled all attempts to attack, and advancing was annihilated near Tamanieb. On 23rd December as soon as the situation had been restored, occupied the General Baker, followed by about 2500 men, gendar- village of Tamai. The British loss was 109 killed and 104 merie, blacks, Sudanese, and Turks, with 10 British officers, wounded; of the enemy nearly 2000 were killed. On the arrived at Suakin to prepare for the relief of Sinkat and following day the force returned to Suakin. Tokar. The Khedive appears to have been aware of the Two heavy blows had now been inflicted on the followers risks to be incurred, and in a private letter he of Osman Digna, and the road to Berber could have been Genera/ ^ormec^ general that “I rely upon your opened, as General Graham and Colonel H. Stewart Baker. prudence and ability not to engage the enemy suggested. General Gordon, questioned on the point, except under the most favourable circumstances.” telegraphed from Khartum, on 7th March, that he might The tragedy of Kashgil was repeated on 4th February 1884, be cut off by a rising at Shendi, adding, “I think it, when General Baker’s heterogeneous force, on the march therefore, most important to follow up the success near from Trinkitat to Tokar, was routed at El Teb by an inferior Suakin by sending a small force to Berber.” He had body of tribesmen. Of 3715 men, 2375, with 11 European previously, on 29th February, urged that the Suakinofficers, were killed. Suakin was now in danger, and on Berber road should be opened up by Indian troops. This, 6th February British bluejackets and marines were landed and General Gordon’s proposal to send 200 British troops 'for the defence of the town. to Wadi Haifa, was opposed by Sir E. Baring, who, Two expeditions in the Sudan led by British officers realizing soon afterwards the gravity of the situation, having thus ended in disaster, and General Gordon with telegraphed on 16th March :— Lieutenant-Colonel Stewart having reached Khartum on It has now become of the utmost importance not only to open 18th February, the policy of British non-intervention in the road between Suakin and Berber, but to come to terms with regard to Sudan affairs could no longer be maintained. the tribes between Berber and Khartum. Public opinion in England was strongly impressed by the The Government refused to take this action, and fact that the Egyptian garrisons of Tokar and Sinkat were perishing within striking distance of the Red Sea littoral. Major-General Graham’s force was employed in reconnaissances and small skirmishes, ending in the destruction of A British force about 4400 strong, with 22 guns, made up the in the Tamanieb Valley on 27th March. On of troops from Egypt and from units detained on passage the villages 28th the whole force was reassembled at Suakin, and from India, was rapidly concentrated at Suakin and placed was then broken up, leaving one battalion to garrison the British under the orders of Major-General Sir G. Graham, town. expedition with Major-Generals Sir R. Buffer and J. Davis The abrupt disappearance of the British troops encourunder ag Brigadiers. News of the faff of Sinkat, where aged the tribesmen led by Osman Digna, and effectually t ie Graham: ^ starving garrison, under Tewfik Bey, made prevented the formation of a native movement, battles of a gallant sortie and was cut to pieces, reached which might have been of great value. The ^ El Teb and Suakin on 12th February. On the 24th General Tamanieb. Graliam’s force disembarked at Trinkitat and first attempt at intervention in the affairs of General Sudan was made too late to save Sinkat Gordon at received information of the surrender of Tokar. At 8 the Kbartum ' a.m. on the 29 th the force advanced towards Tokar in and Tokar. It resulted only in heavy slaughter of the tribesmen, which afforded no direct or indirect square, and came under fire at 11.20 a.m. from the enemy entrenched at El Teb. The tribesmen made aid to General Gordon or to the policy of evacuation. The public announcement of the latter was a grave misdesperate efforts to rush the square, but were repulsed, take, which increased General Gordon’s difficulties, and and the position was taken by 2 p.m. The cavalry, 10th and 19th Hussars, under Brigadier - General H. the situation at Khartum grew steadily worse. On 24th Stewart, became involved in a charge against an unbroken March Sir E. Baring telegraphed :— The question now is, how to get General Gordon and Colonel enemy, and suffered somewhat severely. The total British away from Khartum. . . . Under present circumstances, loss was 34 killed and 155 wounded; that of the tribes- Stewart I think an effort should be made to help General Gordon from men was estimated at 1500 killed. On the following Suakin, if it is at all a possible military operation. . . . We all day Tokar was reached, and on 2nd March the force consider that, however difficult the operations from Suakin may began its return to Suakin, bringing away about 700 be, they are more practicable than any operations from Korosko people belonging to the late garrison and the civil popula- and along the Nile. A telegram from General Gordon, received at Cairo on tion, and destroying 1250 rifles and a quantity of ammunition found in a neighbouring village. On 9th March the 19th April, stated that, whole force was back at Suakin, and on the evening of the We have provisions for five months and are hemmed in. . . . Our 11th an advance to Tamai began, and the force bivouacked position will be much strengthened when the Nile rises. . . . Sennar, and formed a zeriba in the evening. Information was Kassala, and Dongola are quite safe for the present. brought by a native that the enemy had assembled in the At the same time he suggested “an appeal to the Khor Ghob, a deep ravine not far from the zeriba. At millionaires of America and England ” to subscribe money about 8.30 a.m on the 13th the advance began in echelon for the cost of “ 2000 or 3000 Nizams ” (Turkish regulars) of brigade squares from the left. The left and leading to be sent to Berber. A cloud now settled down upon square (2nd Brigade) moved towards the Khor, approach- Khartum, and subsequent communications were few and ing at a point where a little ravine joined it. The enemy irregular. The Foreign Office and General Gordon showing in front, the leading face of the square was appeared to be somewhat at cross purposes. The former
