THE RE-CAPTURE OF TOKAR. GENERAL GRAHAM'S VICTORIES. GALLANT BEHAVIOUR OF BRITISH TROOPS.

Te Aroha News, Volume 1, Issue 45, 12 April 1884, Page 3

THE RE-CAPTURE OF TOKAR. GENERAL GRAHAM'S VICTORIES. GALLANT BEHAVIOUR OF BRITISH TROOPS.

Graham's Advance on tho Egyptian Rebels. Trinkitat, February 28th. — Gonoral Graham marches from Fort Baker this afternoon, Bivouacs to-night, and resumes his march on Teb to-morrow. One company was left to guard Trinkitat. Trinkitat, February 29th. — Colonel Burnaby telegraphed Friday evening : "We are on the eve of battle. I will leave Fort Baker at daybreak, and expect to meet the enemy after an hour's march. The troops will be formed in a square, with a reserve consisting of four companies of marines, with four rifled guns in the centre. Guns will also be placed at the corners of the square, with a squadron of cavalry in the rear. The enemy are very bold, and kept up all day a constant fire upon Fort Baker. There were no casualties, although many narrow escapes. Spies report that the rebels are feasting and rejoicing because largely reinforced. They are erecting earthworks. A squadron of English cavalry acts as scouts, with orders to retire upon the main body when they touch the rebels. The remainder of the cavahy are massed in the rear, to act as may be necessary." London, February 29th. — A despatch just received says that General Graham, in accordance with J instructions from the Government, sent? a flag of truce to the rebels warning them to disperse. He admonishes them of the risks they run by opposing Her Brittanic Majesty's troops' advance. He also informs them of the conciliatory Gordon mission.

Battle at Teb. Souakim, March 2nd. — The British troops entered Tokar at noon Saturday. A few shots were exchanged with the enemy, when the 4,000 rebels holding the town fled. Osman Digna is encamped eight miles distant from Souakim. A battle with him is expected when the British troops return to Souakim from Tokar. All reports commend the steadiness with "which the British troops moved on Teb. The square in which they advanced to battle was never broken. The determination and bravery of the rebels was shown in the fact that when they were charged by the cavalry great numbers of them threw themselves upon their backs on the ground, and speared the horses of the troopers as they dashed over them. The march to Tokar was | accomplished in four hours from Teb. The Hussars scoured the country and kept up a desultory skirmishing with the enemy, who retired in disorganised masses in the direction of Tamenieb. Despatches from Trinkitat, March Ist, say ! that on Thursday night General Graham's expedition encamped near Port Baker. The troops were all assembled before sunset, except the Sixty-fifth Regiment, which arrived at eight on Friday morning. The forces, about 4,000 strong, formed in an oblongsquare,the frontand rear being longer than the sides. The Seventy-fifth Regiment (Gordon Highlanders) formed the advance with two Gatling guns and one Gardiner in the right corner and one Gatling in the left corner. The Eighty-seventh Regiment (Irish Fusileers) formed the right hand side of the square, and the Black Watch Regiment the rear. The length of the frent was 350 yards. The Hussars acted as scouts, advancing in a semi-circle a thousand yards ahead, covering the front and flanks. The main force of troops advanced over sand knolls and scrub for a mile from Port Baker along the Teb Road, when the rebels opened fire with Remington rifles. The range was so long that the shots proved ineffective. The rebels in swarms reached the high ground in front and on the flanks of the British army. They retired slowly as the British advanced, keeping about twelve hundred yards from the main body of the British force. The British cavalry followed, covering the rear upon the left, and formed in three lines, distant nine hundred yards from the main body of the enemy. At halfpast .nine a gunboat fired from Trinkitat, but the shells burst a mile short of the enemy's position. The cavalry and mounted infantry advanced on the left to touch the rebels, who moved obstinately, though not indisposed to fight. The infantry continued to advance steadily. Two or three times a halt was made to allow the sailors and artillerymen dragging the guns to rest. The road toward Teb was studded with hundreds of corpses of Baker Pasha's fugitives, filling the air with pollution, and around which swarms of carrion flies hovered. After advancing three miles the earthworks of the rebels came in sight ; the guns were mounted and standards were flying. The rebel fire had now almost ceased, except on the extreme rig^ht and left. The British stepped forward as if holding a parade, the bagpipes playing, and the Highlanders singing cheerily. They advanced until within 800 yards of the rebels' position, where there was an old sugar mill, surrounded by lumber huts, and where two guns were situated. Here a halt was ordered, and the scouts rejoined the cavalry. Neither force seemed disposed to open fire. At last " attention " was called, whereupon the rebels, seeing the British move, began the battle with a shell from a Krupp gun. j It passed wide of the square. The next

shots were fired with greater accuracy, ana the shells fell close to the British, wounding several. The rebels maintained a rattling fusilade with small arms. ' As the shots ihI creased the ambulance surgeons were fully occupied. The English advanced steadily ' in a square without answering the rebel fire till they passed north of the jDlace of the rebel works. At this place a piece of shell wounded Baker Pasha, and twenty men were hit. After an echelon of 1,000 yards a halt was ordered and the men directed to lie down. It was now noonday and clear, and the winds dispersed the smoke of the rebel fire, disclosing the rebels' movements. The British opened fire with guns and Martini rifles, causing the rebel fire to rapidly slacken and almost cease. At this the bugles again sounded the advance. The troops rose, wheeled on the centre of the square, and approached the rebol works. The rebels were in no military order, but were scattered here and there, so as to take advantage of the abundant cover which the ground afforded. They clung to their position with a desperate tenacity. There were 2,000 rebels directly in front, while many hundreds hung around two sides of the square. As the British moved forward, firing as they advanced, the rebels, armed with spears and huge cross-hilted swords, rose within 200 yards of the advancing lines and rushed against the British at breakneck speed, heedless and fearless of death. The rebels fell right and left, and though some of the brave fellows reached within five paces of the square, none of them bolted ; they only fell back sullenly when they were forced. Having cleared the ground in front with their Martini rifles, the British attacked the fort. Colonel Burnaby was the first to mount the parapet, firing a doublebarrelled shotgun into the enemy. Around the works the rebels fought with furious energy, and a frightful melee of bayonets and spears took place. At last the British gained possession of the fort. They captured two Krupp guns, and at once turned them against the enemy ; but the Arabs still contested every inch of ground. They would not submit to be driven off. They could only be killed. The British pext directed their attention to an old sugar mill, a brick building containing an iron boiler. This they stormed, and succeeded in dislodging 200 rebels, who leaped forth and charged from every opening. At 10 o'clock, after an hour of interesting fighting, the rebels gave way, and bolted outright. Gatling guns and Martini rifles caused great havoc there. The British pursued the rebels as they fell back, and advanced as far as the fresh water wells of Teb, where the rebels made their last stand. The sheiks, who advanced empty-handed to show that they bore charmed lives, were stricken down with bayonet thrusts. The Highlanders carried the next earthwork, capturing three guns. At the end of four hours' arduous fighting, the British gained possession of the rebel camps of huts and wells. The cavalry on the right flank charged the retreating rebels, who did not bolt at all, but met the troopers who rode among them, giving blow for blow. A splendid display of heroism was made by three mounted rebels. They resolutely maintained their ground against the shock of two cavalry charges. In the third charge they were cut down, but not before they had killed several men and wounded Colonel Barrow with their spears. The enemy retired sullenly, and, in consequence, the British kept up their firing for a long time after the fortunes of the day had been decided. The spoils taken from Baker Pasha were in a large measure recovered. According to despatches received from London, March 1, the War Office was in possession of a telegram stating the losses at 100 killed and 46 wounded. Four officers of the English force fell, and nineteen received wounds, including Baker Pasha and Colonel Burnaby, both severely. Despatch from Cairo, March, says the English Government has given its sanction to despatching two British battalions to Assouan. Popular enthusiasm in regard to the Gordon mission has subsided at Khartoum. It is likely Gordon will be recalled.

THE REBEL LOSS IN MEN AND MUNITIONS. The Arabs lost 1,100 men dead on the field at Teb, besides guns and other munitions. The whole camp, including 375 tents and many camels, were taken. The condition of the camp showed that the rebels relied upon being victorious. General Graham sends part of the Tokar gai'rison to Trinkitat, and destroys the fortifications. He will then march on Tamenieb, where he will convoke the sheikhs of the friendly trioes and those submitting to him to make arrangements to keep open the route to Souakim and Berber. After the battle Baker Pasha and Admiral Hewitt returned to Trinkitat. The soldiers cheered Baker Pasha, who was so severely wounded that he was unable to walk. Veterans who took part in the battle say they never met a more resolute foe. The enemy's trenches were found completely filled up with corpses.

A HALF-STARVJ&D GARRISON. , The garrison found at Tokar numbered seventy men, half -starved. The remainder had joined the rebels. The body of Morice j Bey, surgeon, lost, and those of four other Europeans killed in the rout of Baker Pasha's troops, were found at Teb and buried. Sir Evelyn Baring, telegraphing the news of Friday's victory to General Gordon, used the Arabic language, that the news might spread along^ the line. Baker Pasha's wound is not serious. It is believed that Osman Digna's power j has been broken

THE EGYPTIAN REBELS. London, March 3.— The people of Tokar kissed General Graham's hand as he entered the town, and there were great rejoicings. The enemy acknowledged 1,500 of their number were killed. The "Times" says: We understand orders have been sent to General Graham to retreat forthwith from Tokar, and arrange for an immediate retreat of English troops to Egypt.

JOINED OSMAN DIGNA. Sotjakim, March 3.— The 5,000 rebels who fled from Tokar when the British entered on Saturday have joined Osman Digna, Only 1,000 of them are Soudanese, being fanatics sent from Kordofan andDarfour. If Osman Digna refuses to surrender, it is expected I!ie rest of the tribes under the sheiks .will express their desire to come to terms.