Mahdi's Tomb--Effect of Lyddite Shells, 219 Interior Mahdi's Tomb (Grille around Sarcophagus), 221 Khalifa's Gallows (cutting down his Last Victim), 223 Neufeld on Gunboat "Sheik"--Cutting off his Ankle-Irons, 225 Khalifa's Chief Eunuch (surrenders in British Camp), 229 Fresh Batch Wounded and Unwounded Dervish Prisoners, Omdurman, 4th September 1898, 231 Neufeld, with Abyssinian Wife and Children; also Fellow Prisoner, 241 Distant View, Khartoum (from Blue Nile), 255 Hoisting Flags, Khartoum, 259 Col. H. Macdonald at Omdurman, with Officer and Non-Commissioned Officer of 1st Brigade, 291 MAPS AND PLANS. General View Plan, "A," _page_ 173 Zereba Plan, "B," " 179 First Attack on Macdonald's Brigade, "C," Plate 1, " 187 Second Attack on Macdonald's Brigade, "D," Plate 2, " 191 KHARTOUM CAMPAIGN. CHAPTER I. INTRODUCTORY.--REVIEW OF FIELD. It is an easier and kindlier duty to set forth facts than to proclaim opinions and pronounce judgments. Before Tel-el-Kebir was fought in September 1882 and the Egyptian army beaten and disbanded, the insurrection headed by the Mahdi or False Prophet had begun. In the disrupted condition of affairs which succeeded Arabi Pasha's defeat by British arms the dervish movement made further rapid progress. To Sir Evelyn Wood, V.C., at the close of 1882, was assigned the task, as Sirdar or Commander-in-Chief of the Khedivial troops, of forming a real native army. It was that distinguished soldier, aided by an exceptionally able staff, who first took in hand the re-organisation and proper training of the fellaheen recruits. By dint of drill, discipline and stiffening with British commissioned and non-commissioned officers he soon made passable soldiers of the "Gippies." The new army was at first restricted to eight battalions of Egyptian infantry, one regiment of cavalry, and four batteries of artillery. Although there were Soudanese amongst Arabi's troops, they were mostly gunners. It was not until May 1884 that the first "black" regiment was raised. Yet it had been notorious that the Soudanese were the only Khedivial soldiers who made anything of a stubborn stand against us in the 1882 campaign. The blacks who came down with the Salahieh garrison on the 9th of August 1882, and joined in the surprise attack upon General Graham's brigade then in camp at Kassassin, were not easily driven off. The large body of Egyptian infantry and cavalry, although supported by several Krupp batteries which, issuing from the Tel-el-Kebir lines, assailed us in front, were readily checked and pushed back.