Khartoum Campaign, 1898; or the Re-Conquest of the SoudanBurleigh, Bennet
History
Khartoum Campaign, 1898; or the Re-Conquest of the Soudan
Burleigh, Bennet
Omdurman, Battle of, Omdurman, Sudan, 1898; Sudan -- History -- 1881-1899; Sudan -- History, Military
All attacks on our position having failed, and the enemy having
retired out of range, I sent out the 21st Lancers to clear the
ground on our left front and head off any retreating dervishes
from the direction of Omdurman. After crossing the slopes of Jebel
Surgham they came upon a body of dervishes concealed in a
depression of the ground; these they gallantly charged, but
finding, too late to withdraw, that a much larger body of the
enemy lay hidden, the charge was pressed home through them, and,
after rallying on the other side, they rode back, driving off the
dervishes, and remaining in possession of the ground. Considerable
loss was inflicted on the enemy; but I regret to say that here
fell Lieutenant R. Grenfell (12th Lancers) and twenty men.
Meanwhile I had ordered the army to follow in echelon of brigades
from the left. At 9.30 a.m. the front brigades having reached the
sand ridge running from the west end of Jebel Surgham towards the
river, a halt was ordered to enable the rear brigades to get into
position, and I then received information that the Khalifa was
still present in force on the left slopes of Surgham; a change of
front half-right of the three leading brigades was, therefore,
ordered, and it was during this movement that Macdonald's brigade
became hotly engaged, whilst taking up position on the right of
the echelon.
Learning from General Hunter, who was with Macdonald's brigade,
that he might require support, I despatched Wauchope's brigade to
reinforce him, and ordered the remaining brigades to make a
further change half-right.
No sooner had Macdonald repelled the dervish onslaught than the
force, which had retired behind the Kerreri hills, emerged again
into the plain and rapidly advanced to attack him, necessitating a
further complete change of front of his brigade to the right. This
movement was admirably executed, and now, supported by a portion
of Wauchope's brigade on the right and by Lewis's brigade
enfilading the attack on the left, he completely crushed this
second most determined dervish charge.
Meantime Maxwell's and Lyttelton's brigades had been pushed on
over the slopes of Jebel Surgham, and driving before them the
dervish forces under the Khalifa's son, Osman Sheikh ed Din, they
established themselves in a position which cut off the retreat on
Omdurman of the bulk of the dervish army, who were soon seen
streaming in a disorganised mass towards the high hills many miles
to the west, closely pursued by the mounted troops, who cleared
the right front and flanks of all hesitating and detached parties
of the enemy.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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