THE BATTLE OF TAMANIEB.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XII, Issue 5, 23 May 1884, Page 21

THE BATTLE OF TAMANIEB.

Th» Londom correspondent of the Dublin Exprcts, writing of the condnct of the Royal Irish Fusiliers at the battle of Tamanieb says: — Irishmen of all parties, however they may be divided at home by political conflicts, will read with pride and throbbing hearts the details of the battle from General Graham's camp. There is no mistake about it. When the Second Brigade, composed of the Black Watch and the York and Lancaster Regiment, was broken by the fierce Arab assaults, the First Brigade— the Royal Irish Fusiliers leading— -advanced, beat the Arab warriors down, and turned defeat into a. glorious victory. Every line— nay, every word— from the correspondents, two of whom are Scotchmen one an American and one an Englishman, will be scanned with curious eyes. But the heroic behaviour of the Irish veterans, returning from India, and stopped on the way in the Red Sea, is told by none too willing pens. It is not pleasant to dwell on this point, but the ludicrous attempt— one might say the conspiracy— to land the Highland regiments at the expense of their Irish and English comrades— a conspiracy which has lasted for several years— has now received its qHietus. After, as Renter's account says, " the Black Watch broke from their ranks," or, as Mr. Cameron's account says in the Standard, the York and Lancaster men gave way, throwing the Black Watch into confusion, the square formed by the two regiments was broken up, a confused mass. The general, who was in the midst of- this danger, must have turned, an anxious eye on the second square, which was on the right and a little in the rear of the retreating English and Scotch regiments. Every vestige of doubt must, however, have vanished, as he caught sight of the grim and bronzed faces of the Irish Fusiliers, advancing like a wall of steel, to avenge and conquer. Mr Scudamore, for the Times, tells how the First Brigade acted at this critical juncture. They " advanced slowly, in excellent order, the rebels— those who had just broken up the Second Brigade and captured the guns—" falling back before it, and leaving numbers lying on the ground. They passed the spot where the guns were left, and advanced to the edge of the ridge commanding the entire breadth of the valley, where they poured a murderous fire into the rebels, who were soon in full retreat." The Daily News' correspondent speaking of the same brigade says :— "lts story was very much the reverse " of that of the square formed by the Black Watch and York and Lancaster Regiment ; and then he speaks of the rank and file of the Irish Fusiliers "calmly and strenuously holding their ground." The Standard correspondent, after describing the disaster to the Second Brigade, says :— " All this time Buller's Brigade, 600 yards in our rear, were moving forward in perfect order, and advancing to our assistance with the steadiness of troops on a parade ground." The artillery in vain tried to check the Arabs, who then were face to face with the gallant Irish Fusiliers. Doggedly, and like lions, these brave men held the Arab 3at bay. The retreitinjr Highlandersand Lancasters, having reached the Irish line, " answered * we are told, -to the challenges of their officers," and (I quote the Standard) " as if determined to retrieve the disaster into which they had. been thrown, they now advanced manfully, side by side with Bullers square." As already stated, the first line of Buller's square WkßW k 8 JbeßJ beßo yallry allri sh Fusiliers, the seoond line the Gordon Highlanders lne honours of the bloody encounter rest, according to the correspondents—who certainly have not yet shown a desire to be partial to tne 89th— with our noble countrymen, who on this, as on many another deadly day, carried the Anglo-Irish flag to victory. I bear at the War Office that the Irish Fusiliers were expecting to pass Patrick s Day at home, after a long spell in India. Their halt in the Boudan has been a piece of good fortune, on which all true Irishmen will cordially congratulate them.