Suakin, 1885

Suakin, 1885: Being a Sketch of the Campaign of this Year (1885)
by Ernest Gambier Parry

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An eye-witness memoir of the Brittish campaign to avenge the death of General Gordon in the Sudan. A personal account of one of the campaigns in the Sudan that followed the siege of Khartoum and the death of General Gordon. Major Gambier Parry took part in the expedition to avenge Gordon and to extirpate the power of the Mahdi Muhammad Ahmad, the religious leader, who had set the Horn of Africa ablaze, by declaring a jihad against Egyptian authority in Sudan. Although the author modestly claims no literary merit for his account, since he has ‘carried a sword more often than a pen’ - his little book gives a vivid soldier’s perspective on the punitive campaign. Including the landing at Suakin and the successful battles of Hasheen and Tamai during which the author received the wound which gave him the leisure in hospital to write this memoir. Published anonymously 1885 by K. Paul, Trench & Co. as being by “An Officer who was there.”

565995Suakin, 1885: Being a Sketch of the Campaign of this Year1885Ernest Gambier Parry

SUAKIN

SUAKIN, 1885

BEING A SKETCH OF THE CAMPAIGN OF THIS YEAR

BY
AN OFFICER WHO WAS THERE

LONDON
KEGAN PAUL, TRENCH & CO., 1, PATEKNOSTER SQUARE
1885

(The rights of translation and of reproduction are reserved.)

PREFACE.

The following chapters were written to while away many hours of pain and suffering, and for the amusement of some few friends.

They contain a simple record of the events which made up a war of peculiar privations and dangers, due to the climate we toiled in and the foe we fought against.

Every statement made may be taken as fact, and the experiences are those of one who took part in the campaign—the author.

No literary merit is claimed for the story, such as it is, and the indulgence of critics is therefore asked on behalf of one who has carried a sword more often than a pen.

CONTENTS.

CHAPTER		PAGE
I.	The Voyage Out . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .	1
II.	Suakin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .	21
III.	Landing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .	39
IV.	Night Attacks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .	57
V.	Preparation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .	92
VI.	The Advance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .	124
VII.	Hasheen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .	140
VIII.	The Zarira . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .	167
IX.	Convoys . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .	203
X.	Tamal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .	233
XI.	Hospital . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .	262

This work is in the public domain in the United States because it was published before January 1, 1929.

The longest-living author of this work died in 1936, so this work is in the public domain in countries and areas where the copyright term is the author's life plus 87 years or less. This work may be in the public domain in countries and areas with longer native copyright terms that apply the rule of the shorter term to foreign works.

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