Cover photo: Battle of Atbara by the British artist and illustrator Richard Caton Woodville Jr.

The Anglo-Egyptian forces undertook a campaign in Sudan from 1896 to 1899 aimed to reclaim lands previously relinquished by the Khedives of Egypt during the Mahdist War of 1884–1885 after they failed to orchestrate a systematic retreat of the Egyptian military from Sudan and the loss at Khartoum. The Egyptian military was activated, and by June 4th, 1896, Brigadier Herbert Kitchener had gathered together a contingent of 9,000 soldiers. This force comprised ten infantry units, fifteen squadrons of cavalry and camel corps, and three artillery units. Swiftly, the Egyptian troops advanced towards the Wadi Halfa border, commencing their southward movement on March 18th.

Egyptians had the initial significant clash with Mahdist troops in early June at Farka village on June 7th, 1896, and captured Dongola by August 23rd, 1896. By May 1897, the Khalifa’s forces from Kordofan bolstered their numbers to the extent that he felt confident in adopting a more aggressive approach. Throughout the rest of the year, Kitchener extended the railway line from Abu Hamad, reinforced his troops in Berber, and fortified the northern bank of the Atbarah River confluence. Meanwhile, the Khalifa fortified Omdurman and Metemma, preparing for an assault on Egyptian positions while the river’s level was low, making it impossible for gunboats to retreat below the fifth cataract or advance above the sixth.

To ensure he possessed adequate strength to defeat Mahdist forces in their stronghold, Kitchener brought in reinforcements from the British Army. In late January 1898, a brigade led by Major General William F. Gatacre arrived in Sudan. The Warwicks, Lincolns, and Cameron Highlanders had to cover the last thirty miles on foot as the railway hadn’t reached the front line yet. Finally, at 06:20 on April 8th, 1898, the Anglo-Egyptian offensive commenced. Three brigades, namely the British Brigade commanded by William Gatacre, along with two Brigades from the Egyptian Division under the leadership of Archibald Hunter, spearheaded the frontal assault.

Following a brief artillery barrage on the Mahdist encampment, the combined British and Egyptian forces launched their attack. Soon, they found themselves engaged in close combat with the Mahdist fighters within their camp. After 45 minutes of intense fighting, the confrontation concluded with Osman Digna leading a small group of warriors in a retreat towards the south, while the majority were either killed or captured. Among the captured was Mahmud, who was apprehended by loyal Sudanese soldiers serving in the Egyptian Brigade.

A letter from Corporal Laurie of the Seaforth Highlanders to his sister was published by the newspaper “The Scotsman”. There he gives a description of the battle of Atbara against the Mahdists in Sudan on April 8, 1898:

” I suppose you”, he notes, ” have seen me reported slightly wounded, and pictured me as an interesting invalid. Well, I was struck, but the effect was so small that I have often been worse hurt in a football match. But during the rest of the day and for some days afterwards I have been an object of interest, and have been questioned by almost every officer and man in the battalion, referred to as the “bullet-proof man” and asked if I would mind letting a section fire a few rounds at me to see if they do me any harm.

The fact is that I got most of the corners of my clothing shot off, while personally I was uninjured. Before I entered the zareba ( enclosure of bushes or stakes) I was not struck, but ‘ shortly afterwards a bullet took off the toe of my left shoe without hitting my foot, the shoe being a size too big, for easy marching and sleeping at night. Then my bayonet was struck, and bent over at a right angle. Then a shot went through my sleeve, near my left wrist, leaving two holes, but not hurting myself.

Then my rifle was struck while I was loading, the bullet splintering the butt and being stopped by an iron bolt which it met. This bullet would certainly have gone right into my body but for my rifle being there. Then a nigger in a trench let drive at me with a spear, missed my ribs by an inch and slit up my haversack. A bullet then gazed the of back my hand just enough to make it bleed.

When I reached the river bank, which was nearly perpendicular, a shot came from the bottom about 20ft. below and a little to the left, which caused the wound I am supposed to have got, and was so curious that I was paraded before the general. It entered through the lid of my right ammunition pouch, which was open, went into my right coat pocket smashing a penknife and two pencils tore four holes in my shirt, made a surface wound 2 or 3 inches long on my left breast, and came out near my left shoulder through my coat and ammunition pouch braces.

In the afternoon I strolled over to the field hospital and got a piece of dressing on, and it has never troubled me at all. In fact, it was-a farce to put it as a wound, and was done without my knowledge by the color sergeant. So you see I’ve really been, as I’m told by everybody, wonderfully lucky in getting off as I have done, while other poor chaps were given as chances.”

For the record, in the battle, the British-Egyptians had 568 casualties, 83 dead (26 British) and 485 wounded (99 British), while the defeated Mahdists had 3,000 dead and wounded (2000 of them killed), as well as 2,000 prisoners. The Seaforths where Corporal Laurie belonged suffered 22 casualties, including 6 officers killed and wounded.

Following the battle, Colonel Lewis’s brigade endeavored to pursue the retreating Dervishes into the desert on the west bank of the Atbara. However, the challenging terrain and the dispersed Dervish forces thwarted their efforts. Recognizing the futility of the pursuit, Lewis opted to abandon it and regroup with the main army.

Upon returning to Berber, Kitchener awaited the arrival of additional British troops deemed essential for securing the comprehensive defeat of the Khalif and the subsequent capture of Khartoum, the Sudanese capital.

Sources:

The West Australian (Perth, WA), 12 August 1898, page 2.

W. Churchill, “The River War”, publ. Longmans, Green and Co., 1902.

www.britishbattles.com/battle of atbara