ABU KLEA. January 17th, 1885.

Sir H. Stewart, after a long and waterless march, reached Gakdul, about one hundred miles from Korti, on January 2nd. Here, water was found in abundance, and a halt of some days was made. On the 14th. the march to the Nile was resumed, but on approaching Abu Klea, two short marches from Metammeh, the scouts of the 19th. Hussars reported the enemy to be encamped in force near the wells. The troops were in need of water, but formed a zareba about four miles from the Arab camp, and slept on their arms, exposed to a desultory fire all night, by which five or six men were wounded and several camels killed. As soon as it was daylight, on the morning of January 17th., General Stewart began his preparations for an advance, his object being to drive the enemy from the wells of Abu Klea. A strong body of skirmishers with the guns were sent out, who engaged the enemy at long range, but failed to draw them from their position, though a brisk fire was kept up for some time by both sides. At about half-past eight o’clock, leaving most of the camels and the sick and wounded in the zareba, with a guard of Mounted Infantry, and one hundred and twenty-five men of the 35th. regiment, the troops advanced against the enemy in a square, 620which was formed as follows:—“Left front face, two companies Mounted Infantry; right front face, two companies Guards, with the three guns Royal Artillery in the centre; left face, two companies Mounted Infantry; one company Heavy Camel Regiment; rear face, four companies Heavy Camel Regiment, with Naval Brigade with Gardner gun in the centre.” The 19th. Hussars, numbering one hundred and twenty men, under Colonel Barrow, were stationed on the flanks. The square moved towards the left flank of the enemy, under a hot fire from the sharpshooters, and was nearly abreast of their position, when several thousand Arabs, with loud yells and beating of tom-toms, rushed down on the left and left rear of the square. The three guns of Captain Norton, and a heavy rifle fire was opened on them, but did not check their advance; the British skirmishers came racing for life into the square, while with waving flags the enemy rushed on like a vast black wave of surf. “By twos and threes our skirmishers had now reached our lines, and the left face being nearly clear, a volley was sent into the enemy at one hundred and fifty yards, as they rose over the last crest between our opposing fronts. A hundred or more Arabs dropped, and for a moment I saw the force waver and halt, as a man stops to gasp for breath. Had that volley been promptly repeated, there would have been little more of the battle to tell.” The Gardner gun of the Naval Brigade^[225] was brought into action at the left flank, 621but after a few rounds had been fired, the gun jammed, and was rendered useless, and Lieutenants Piggott and De Lisle with several seamen were killed. Many of the rifles were also rendered temporarily useless from the same cause, the jamming of the cartridges. Colonel F. Burnaby, who had arrived a few days before from Korti, called on the Heavies to meet the Arab charge, and riding out to assist two or three skirmishers, was surrounded and slain, and the enemy closed in upon the square, throwing its left face into confusion. So furious was their rush that many of them penetrated to the middle of the square, where they killed the camels and slew the wounded in their litters, but none of them returned, being all slain to a man. Meanwhile the Guards and Mounted Infantry poured such a heavy fire into the dense crowds of the Arabs, that after a few minutes they began to waver and recoil, and at length took to flight, under a fire of rifles and shell from the guns; and followed by the Hussars and Mounted Infantry.

The hard-fought battle was won, the square re-formed and presently advanced, while the Hussars pushed on and took possession of the wells at Abu Klea, at which place, the whole force, with the wounded, arrived at the close of the day.

The British loss was Colonel Burnaby, Major Carmichael, 5th. Lancers, and seven other officers killed; nine officers wounded (Lord St. Vincent and another, mortally); sixty-five non-commissioned officers and men killed; and eighty-five wounded. The total Arab force was estimated at over twelve thousand men, and of these more than two thousand were killed and wounded. “Five or six hundred of the enemy lay heaped in front of, and around our dead camels.”

The troops present at Abu Klea, were detachments of 19th. Hussars; Royal Artillery, with three seven-pounders; the Guards, and Heavy Camel Corps; Mounted Infantry; 35th. Regiment; a detachment of Royal Engineers; Naval Brigade of fifty-two officers and men, under Lord C. Beresford; and Departmental Corps.

At four p.m. on January 18th., the column pushed on for the Nile, marching all night, and found at daybreak it was still six miles from the river, with the enemy, in force, barring the way. Sir H. Stewart halted near Abu Kru, and formed 622a zareba under a continual fire, which caused many casualties. The General himself fell, severely wounded, and the correspondents of the Standard and Morning Post were killed.

Sir Charles Stewart then took the command, and it was decided that if the Arabs did not attack by two p.m., to march out and cut a passage to the Nile. About three hundred men with the guns were left in the zareba, under Lord C. Beresford and Colonel Barrow; and the rest of the column, in square, pushed on for the river, under a heavy rifle fire from the scrub. The accurate fire of the British guns scattered the masses of the enemy, and prevented many from joining in the attacks; but a body of several thousands made a furious rush on the square, about two miles from the zareba, and were repulsed with fearful loss. The Arabs then retreated to Metammeh, and the wearied troops reached the Nile at about five in the evening.

The British losses in the battle of Abu Kru, or Gubat, were two officers and twenty-two men killed, and nine officers and ninety-two men wounded, many severely. Next day the bulk of the column returned to the zareba, the dead were buried, the wounded removed, and at night the whole force was encamped on the bank of the Nile.

On the following morning, January 21st., a reconnaissance in force was made towards Metammeh, the column being joined by two hundred and fifty of Gordon’s men, with four guns. These, with four steamers, had been waiting the arrival of the relief force for some weeks on an island a little way above Metammeh. The place was cannonaded with little effect, and being considered too strong to be taken by assault, the troops retired. On the 24th., Sir. C. Wilson started for Khartoum with two of Gordon’s steamers, but on approaching the town he was met by so heavy a fire from rifles and Krupp guns, that he was compelled to return, with the knowledge that the expedition had failed in its object, and that Khartoum was in the possession of the Mahdi.

Information was soon received that on the night of January 26th. the place had fallen through treachery, and the heroic Gordon, with many of his followers, had perished. On his return down the river the two steamers of Sir Charles were wrecked by the treachery of the pilots, about thirty miles from the British camp, and Sir C. Beresford was sent with another steamer to rescue him and his party. In this service Beresford’s steamer was for a time disabled by a shot from the enemy, but after many dangers and difficulties, Sir C. Wilson and his men were taken on board, and all reached Gubat in safety. As the recovery of Khartoum was impracticable, General Sir Redvers Buller was dispatched by Lord Wolseley to withdraw the troops from Gubat to Korti. On February 14th. the return commenced, and after a smart skirmish at Abu Klea, the column reached Gakdul without further opposition. Here many of the sick and wounded died, among them, on February 16th., the gallant Sir Herbert Stewart, to the unfeigned regret of every officer and man. By March 9th. the whole of the troops returned to Korti, and a few weeks after, the expedition was broken up.

Khartoum had fallen after a noble defence of over ten months, maintained by the pluck and endurance of a single Englishman, who scorned to desert his post; and the efforts and lives of his countrymen who bravely struggled in the face of countless perils and difficulties to effect his deliverance, were fruitlessly thrown away. As Gordon had written months before, the expedition was “just too late.”

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