Note 221 — Chapter XXVIII · THE NEW DEPARTURE.

Sir Charles Wilson strives hard to defend Lord Wolseley and Sir Herbert Stewart. He says that Stewart could not march straight across the Desert for lack of transport, though he admits that an additional thousand camels, which could have been easily got in November, would have saved the situation. Why were they not got? Moreover, the blunder of Lord Wolseley and Sir Herbert Stewart is inexcusable, because they acted in defiance of Gordon’s last message. “Come,” said he, “by way of Metamneh or Berber; only by these two roads. Do this without letting rumours of your approach spread abroad.” Stewart’s first occupation of Gakdul, thirteen days before the Desert column was ready to move, was simply a gratuitous warning to the Mahdi of the English advance.