The Egyptian campaigns, 1882 to 1885Royle, Charles
History
The Egyptian campaigns, 1882 to 1885
Royle, Charles
Egypt -- History -- British occupation, 1882-1936; Sudan -- History
The fugitives ran pell-mell towards the boats, which, had they not
already been aground, would have been sunk by the numbers who crowded
into them. Many of the men waded into the sea in their eagerness to get
off to the transports, and it was only by firing upon them with
revolvers that the officers could induce them to return to the shore,
and wait for their turn to embark. The first troops ordered on board
were those who possessed no arms. Stores and horses were embarked during
the night on board the various steamers waiting. Baker and Sartorius,
and the other English officers, remained on shore to superintend the
embarkation. Although there were indications of the presence of the
enemy no attempt at attack was made.
The total number on the Egyptian side killed in the battle was 2,373,
out of a force numbering altogether 3,746.
The following European officers were killed:--
Morice Bey, Captains Forrestier-Walker and Rucca, Lieutenants Carroll,
Smith, Watkins, Cavalieri, Bertin, Morisi, de Marchi, and Dr. Leslie.
Four Krupp guns and two Gatlings were left in the hands of the enemy. As
each man carried 100 rounds of ammunition, and 100 more were in reserve,
at least half a million cartridges, as well as 3,000 Remington rifles
and carbines, were also lost.
The enemy's losses were at first estimated at about 1,000, but it is
obvious that they must have been much under that figure, for there was
little real resistance. A later estimate of 350 would probably be nearly
correct. Indeed, the whole of the rebel force was reckoned by the
English officers as not more than 1,200, and Baker Pasha has put them as
low as 1,000.
It is difficult to avoid seeing that some blame for the disaster
attaches to Baker. He knew, or ought to have known, the composition of
the troops he commanded, and that the short training they had undergone
was insufficient to render them fit to take the field. There was,
indeed, the pressing necessity for relieving the garrisons of Tokar and
Sinkat, and this is about the only thing to be said in his
justification.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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