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Show THE FIGHT IN EGYPT. BATTLE BETWEEN ARABI'S FORCES AND THE BRITISH. ISMAILIA, Aug. 28. - At the outset of the fight we were under a very heavy fire, especially from the Egyptian left where ten guns rained shells incessantly. The eighty-fourth moved in this direction in skirmishing order, and as the men were scattered, the losses were slight. Finding they were doing little harm, they directed their attention upon Gen. [General] Woolseley [Wolseley] and staff. The enemy played freely upon the Household Cavalry and all hopes entertained of the usefulness and bravery of the latter were fully realized. Two gatling [Gatling] guns, served by the marines, were unable to go into the action on account of the severity of the enemy's artillery fire. The fighting began at six o'clock a.m., and did not end until evening. There was not water for the horses, which were much fatigued. Our cavalry charged on the enemy early in the morning over heavy ground, forcing them to retire, leaving ten prisoners in our hands. Towards midday the enemy got our range more completely and landed shells right in our midst. By noon the heat was so intense that many of our men were attacked with dysentery and sunstroke. In the second day's fight the Dragoons charged the enemy, cutting down many and taking some prisoners. Major Bibby was shot through the chest, but rode considerable distance afterwards. The headquarters are likely to remain at Abu Risheh? Risheb?. The prisoners state that many dead and wounded were taken away by the train which our cavalry nearly captured. We captured a spy and handed him over to the native authorities, who tortured him with thumb screws and ordered him to be shot. He said Arabi Pasha has only one strong regiment of artillery, 2,000 cavalry and a few cavalry and an infantry in front of us. Signaling has been proceeding during the past few nights with Arabi Pasha, but we are unable to discover who is sending the signals. An engine and nine trucks arrived to-day from Suez. The line is in fair working order. The rebel position at Tel El Keber [Tel-el-Kebir] is very strong with entrenchments right across and on both sides of the railway. The position is flanked on each side by water. Our losses Friday were about fifty killed and wounded, of which the cavalry lost thirty from heavy shell fire and the charging of a square of infantry. Our total forces in Ismailia district under Gen. [General] Woolseley [Wolseley] are about 11,000 men, 2,500 horses and twenty-seven guns. LONDON, Aug. 28. - Gen. [General} Woolseley [Wolselely] telegraphs from Ismailia Sunday as follows: I have just returned from the outposts and saw that our action on Thursday and Friday had far more important results than I was aware of yesterday. The enemy was completely routed and fled toward Zaquzig [Zagazig], throwing away arms, accoutrements [accouterments], a large amount of equipage and munitions. Mahmoud Fehmy [Fahmy], Arabi Pasha's chief engineer and military adviser, is now a prisoner in my camp. The Court Circular says the Queen is greatly gratified at General Woolseley's [Wolseley's] success. ISMAILIA, Aug. 28. - The troops are continually advancing and it will not be long before Tel El Keber [Tel-el-Kebir] is attacked. Between Ramleh and Morjum? the ground is good for marching, but the canal is full of dead horses and the dead bodies of Arabs. Some of the latter were thrown there by their comrades while the others are the corpses of men shot while attempting to escape. Judging by the quantity of clothing found in the abandoned camps, the rebels must have been in great force, but most of them appear to have been merely peasantry, armed with muzzle-loading muskets. Almost all of the prisoners and all of the dead are peasants. The doctors have prohibited the use of the water in Lake Maxnon? Maxmin? for drinking. An artillery general has been captured who speaks English fluently. He furnished valuable information. We now have two infantry regiments with cavalry and artillery at Kasselsin [Kassassin]. ISMAILIA, Aug. 28. - This morning great excitement prevailed in our camp at Kassassin, in consequence of the Egyptians showing themselves in considerable force in various directions. Gen. [General] Graham presently sent Major Hart with an escort of mounted infantry under command of Lieut. [Lieutenant] Pigott, to ascertain the strength and exact position of the enemy. Major Hart proceeded in the direction of Tel El Kebir [Tel-el-Kebir] and had gone forward two miles when the enemy opened fire with two guns. Lieut. [Lieutenant] Pigott dismounted his men and returned the fire briskly; the men holding their ground well for a time, though eventually obliged to retire upon our own camp. At 10 o'clock 1,000 Bedouins appeared on the right and on the front, extending two miles, but on the guns opening fire on them they retired. About 3 o'clock their infantry advanced in open order upon our left, bringing up several guns which they placed at short distances from each other and presently showed several pieces of artillery on our right. Our guns opened fire and our men turned out to face the attack. The fight now waxed warm and during the whole afternoon the gallant little garrison made a good defense. Meanwhile the cavalry, which was five miles in the rear, had been twice signaled by Gen. [General] Graham to support him. It advanced almost to our position without encountering the enemy. By 7:30 p.m. the whole force, consisting of the 1st and 2d Life Guards, Horse Guards, Seventh Dragoons, and Nineteenth Hussars with four guns set out to succor the troops at Kassassin. The march had to be made very cautiously, the moon rising and showing the little army of horsemen to strange advantage as they passed over the shingly ground, the clanking of their swords sounding musically on the air. Col. [Colonel] Stewart, who directed the course of the brigade, disposed the men so excellently that he was able to pilot them safely to the point of contact without coming under the fire of the guns then pounding Kassassin camp. He led the way along the ridge with the idea of outflanking the enemy and turning his position. Col. [Colonel] Russell brought his men over four miles of heavy ground so that by nine o'clock, when they silently halted on the stay line, they found themselves so close to the Egyptians that the shells went over their heads in quick succession, landing nearly half a mile in the rear. From the position the cavalry now gained, they could see the enemy close on the horizon in a very large number. Thereupon Col. [Colonel] Russell dismounted the cavalry and ordered them to open a sharp musketry fire, but they found the enemy closer than they anticipated. Then Major General Lowe dashed up and gave the word of command, "Mount," "Fall in line," and "Charge." Scarcely had the words been uttered when the Household Cavalry and Dragoons rapidly obeyed the order and with suppressed but ominous murmurs swept on to meet the foe with drawn sabres [sabers] and stern determination. In a very few moments the horsemen charged the enemy with great bravery and our guns, having by this time ceased firing, mingled with the Egyptians and cut them up seriously. A general rout ensued, Arabi's artillery man [men] getting the guns away while the infantry fell into a disordered mass upon the banks of the canal. A few dashed into the water to save themselves. It would be difficult to imagine a more complete success than now seen. The bravery of the cavalry in thus grandly charging a blind position, the strength of which it was impossible to tell, rendered the enemy almost panic-stricken. Russell's horse fell dead but he seized another and before the enemy's position was gained was well in front once more. The enemy fell back rapidly, nor is this to be wondered at when the race between the various regiments of the English is considered, in which the Seventh Dragoon Guards exerted themselves beyond description by first plying their sabres [sabers]. In this way our position at Kassassin was relieved. We now command the ??? leading to Tel El Kebir [Tel-el-Kebir]. Great bravery and pertinacity was shown during the day by the ??? infantry and a detachment of the Fourth Dragoons with them. Lieut. [Lieutenant] Piggott is wounded. All along the line the greatest care has been taken to provide for emergencies, which shows how judicious are the arrangements of General Wolseley. For the sake of fairness, it should be mentioned that the men who took part in this gallant achievement worked for nearly twenty-four hours on empty stomachs but never dreamt of grumbling; their horses having been without food the same length of time. The British cavalry charged straight at the guns, sabring [sabering] the gunners as they passed and cutting down the flying infantry before them. The battle was ended at a stroke. A scene of wild confusion ensued, some of the guns still flying and bodies of infantry keeping up the fusilade [fusillade]. Our infantry at Kassassin had a hot time. Hundreds of shells burst in the confined space. Shelter trenches afforded but insufficient protection. The Egyptians came on with great bravery, and in spite of the heavy fire of our men, were rapidly gaining ground and would soon have rushed upon our entrenchments when the rear of our guns on their left, followed by the rush of our cavalry, proved too much for them and from that moment they thought only of flight. About 10 o'clock the cavalry came, in high spirits over their brilliant achievement. Many are missing in the darkness, but they no doubt will turn up in the morning, upon their return from the pursuit. They have been unable to find the guns over which they charged, but these will doubtless be discovered at sunrise. ALEXANDRIA, Aug. 28. - The man-of-war Minotauer has successfully shelled the enemy out of Macarin on the line between Ramleh and ??? PORT SAID, Aug. 28. - The steamer Calypso arrived Saturday with 150 Turkish troops, and moored inside the inner harbor, when the Monarch at once sent two armed boats, covered with a gattling [Gattling] gun, to learn their errand. The Turks stated that they were the annual relief for the Turkish garrison at some fort on the Red Sea. During the night armed boats from the British fleet cruised around with orders to prevent the Turks from landing. The Calypso entered the canal Sunday morning, the steamer Plunace? Planace? accompanying her, with orders to prevent the disembarkation of the troops. ISMAILIA, Aug. 28. - Mahmoud Fehmy [Fahmy] was examined at headquarters. He reports that much suffering and insubordination prevail in the Egyptian army. The difficulty of dragging supplies over the deep sand is very great, and but a few miles can be made in a day. The weather is somewhat cooler but the heat on the sands at noon is terrible. ALEXANDRIA, Aug. 28. - The garrison at Meks was reinforced to-day in consequence of Bedouins having formed a camp on the opposite side of Lake Mareotis. Nothing was done at Ramleh to-day. It is thought the last shell from the seven-inch gun yesterday disabled a large gun of Arabi Pasha's battery. Arabi is reported to be at Salihieh? Salibieh?. The authorities are unable to understand his persistence in the holding of Kaft-El-??? CALCUTTA, Aug. 28. - A further reserve is formed for immediate service in Egypt and will be dispatched on receipt of orders to that effect from Wolseley. The whole control of the Indian division is made over to Wolseley. ISMAILIA, Aug. 28. - An officer arrived from the Governor of the district between Suakin and Massowah on his way to the Khedive to declare loyalty. A Mahammedan priest held a meeting here at which several influential natives were present. The priest adjured them to remain loyal to Arabi Pasha. The native governor ordered them arrested. ALEXANDRIA, Aug. 28. - Sultan Pasha, attended by ??? Pasha and twelve subordinates, will start for Port Said and Ismailia to-day to accompany Gen. [General] Wolseley as the Khedive's Commissioner to explain to the population of the district through which the British pass that their mission is solely to re-establish the authority of the Khedive and overthrow military despotism. ALEXANDRIA, Aug. 28. - The enemy have flooded the country on both their flanks. The cavalry of Arabi continue to raid the village of Meks during the night, murdering the inhabitants. Gen. [General] Wolseley has not asked for reinforcements. ALEXANDRIA, Aug. 28. - It is stated that the British intend to build dykes near Meks to flood a portion of the dry bed of Lake Mariotis [Mareotis] and prevent any attack from that side. ALEXANDRIA, Aug. 28. - A ministry has been formed with Cheriff [Sherif] Pasha, President of the Council and Minister of Foreign Affairs; Riaz Pasha, Minister of Finance, and Omar Rufka? Pasha, Minister of War. SUEZ, Aug. 28. - Ships with troops from Bombay arrived Saturday. ALEXANDRIA, Aug. 29. - Those afloat in the harbor to-day witnessed the unusual sight of keel-hauling three Arab sailors on board an Egyptian frigate, for murder. They were first flogged, then tied with ropes and hauled up to the mast yard arm. They were then dropped into the sea, dragged under the keel and hauled up to the starboard yard arm, where they soon died. |
