Papers Relating to the Foreign Relations of the United States, Transmitted to Congress, With the Annual Message of the President, December 4, 1876
No. 323.
Mr. Comanos to Mr. Fish.
Cairo, Egypt,, February 18, 1876. (Received March 15.)
Sir: * * * * * *
Herewith please find a translation of the official account of the defeat of the Egyptian troops by the Abyssinians.
I am, &c.,
Vice-Consul-General, in charge.
Official account of the late Abyssinian expedition from Wakdï Misrïë.
The intelligence published at intervals in the newspapers has called attention to the conduct of the Abyssinian government, which during the last three years has provoked incursions into our territory, and has pillaged our frontier population.
The Egyptian government has on many occasions addressed the Abyssinian government in courteous terms, reminding it that its acts were incompatible with good neighborly relations; that it was but just to return to it that which it had taken from it, and that it should take measures to prevent the recurrence of such outrages.
Without regarding our rightful representations, and far from confining himself to the iniquitous acts which he had committed, the King of Abyssinia assembled recently a considerable army in the Harmacin province, bordering the territory of Massawa. He thus threatened our frontiers with immediate war, the more so as he put an end to all commercial relations between the two countries, forbidding Abyssinian subjects to pass into Egypt and Egyptian merchants to penetrate into Abyssinia. This state of affairs having carried dread into the heart of our frontier provinces, and deprived them of the security which our government is bound to assure to them, it sent to Massawa two battalions of mounted infantry, under the command of Colonel Arendrup Bey, in order to restore confidence to the people and to guard our frontiers. After the arrival of these two battalions at Massawa, the bulk of the Abyssinian army abandoned Hamacin and withdrew into the interior of the country. But the remaining troops posted near our frontier continued to pillage and maltreat all Egyptian subjects falling into their hands. In face of these acts of hostility, Colonel Arendrup entered Hemacin at the head of an armed force, including the aforementioned battalions, formed each of eight companies, and of six other companies which happened at that time to be in Sanhit—that is to say, a total of twenty-two companies of infantry and two batteries of artillery. It was required, to guard our frontiers, to occupy temporarily the Hamacin, and to endeavor to come to an understanding in a treaty with the King of Abyssinia.
Upon the entry of the Egyptian troops into the Hamacin, Cougag Dabron, commander [Page 601] of the Abyssinian troops, fell back upon Adua, capital of the Tigris province. Although the Egyptian soldiers were received with manifestations of joy by the inhabitants of the Hamaein, Colonel Arendrup distributed in the following manner the twenty-two companies of which he had the disposal. Six companies remained at Fidour under the orders of Dasholz, the chief of the battalion. Passing afterward by Atkhal, where he left seven companies with Lieut. Col. Rustem Naghi Bey, Colonel Arendrup marched with the seven remaining companies to Goudet, near the river Marb. Arriving at the last-named place, he formed an advance guard of four companies, under the orders of Adjutant-Major Murgan Agha, and ordered him to advance farther into the country, though the three other companies remained at Goudet. It appears from the news lately received by telegraphic dispatch that a part of the inhabitants of Goudet came on the 16th day of the month Chawal to Murgan Agha, announcing that the Abyssinian soldiers were marching on their town, and implored his aid and protection against the invaders.
Upon this information, and at the instance of Comte Zichy, the adjutant-major pushed forward part of the advance guard, which soon encountered the Abyssinian troops, putting them to flight, and killing fifteen men.
The news spreading on the morrow that an engagement had taken place between the advance guard and the Abyssinians, they hastened to inform Colonel Arendrup of it, who at once marched on Goudet, accompanied by Lieut. Col. Rustem Bey, Arakel Bey, governor of Massawa, and five companies. Arriving first at Goudet, Colonel Arendrup left the two companies which had escorted him, and took with him two others which he found there to reinforce the advance guard. Having taken part for some time in the combat, he left the adjutant-major in command and returned to Goudet with four soldiers.
However, as a great number of Abyssinian soldiers soon followed them, a square was formed of the soldiers which were at Goudet, Colonel Arendrup placed himself in the midst, and a fight took place lasting from one o’clock a.m. until evening. The governor of Massawa and Colonel Arendrup were the first struck and killed. Lieut. Col. Rustem Bey, wounded by a ball in the head, bound his wound with his handkerchief and continued to command his soldiers for some time longer. Struck by a second ball which brought him down, he ordered, in expiring, to charge with the bayonet and to hold on till death.
The chief of the battalion of artillery, Ismail Raghi Effendi, and the chief of the battalion of infantry, Achmet Fanzi Effendi, sustained the struggle with much bravery and vigor. As much can be said of the soldiers, who, when their ammunition failed, charged the Abyssinians with the bayonet and continued the battle with fury until they fell victims to their devotion. Of the eleven companies which took part in the battle, one sub-lieutenant, one aid-major, and twenty soldiers fell as prisoners into the hands of the enemy.
The heroic resistance displayed by these brave men, from the chief officers to the plain soldiers, is a proof that every one performed his military duties with the greatest honor.
The number of deaths is 770 men of the infantry, including one entire battery. As the engagement lasted a long while, the Abyssinians must have suffered considerable losses.
Recent news states that Ras Raga, Vezir of the King of Abyssinia, also Ras Ourania, commander-in-chief of the Abyssinian troops, and the governors of Adua and of Hamacin, were killed. Later intelligence places the number of Abyssinian losses at 15,000 men. A little while after the battle, an army composed of infantry and cavalry, commanded by the King of Abyssinia in person, appeared before Atkhal, and summoned, in writing, the Egyptian soldiers who were there to deliver up their arms, and leaving them free to withdraw or to remain in the same place.
The Egyptians having answered that as their commander was absent the letter must be sent to him, and that they could not of themselves accept the propositions of the King, the Abyssinian soldiers retired without making any attack.
After spiking four cannons, which they were forced to leave on the spot for want of horses, the Egyptian detachment likewise fell back to a place called Harkikon, near Massawa, where it is now. It results from the aforementioned details that the misfortune met with by the troops which were under the command of Colonel Arendrup was occasioned in part because they were not numerous enough, and in part by the distance which separated the one from the other. But our brave soldiers shall be avenged!
His Highness the Khedive has decided to send a complete expedition, under the command of his excellency Ratib Pasha, general-in-chief of the Egyptian army. Four steamers filled with soldiers have already departed for Suez, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, en route for Massawa, and the remainder will follow soon.
The expedition consists of four regiments of infantry, two squadrons of cavalry, and three batteries of artillery. His excellency Ratib Pasha will have as chief of staff General Loring, and will be accompanied by other chief officers, among whom are their excellencies Osman Rifky Pasha, brigadier-general, and four staff-officers.