Page 31 - GAHS Journal Volume 9

GREYSTONES ARCHAEOLOGICAL & HISTORICAL SOCIETY JOURNAL VOLUME 9

the sheen of their brandished weapons flashing like thousands
of mirrors, onward they came against us. By twos and threes our
skirmishers had now reached our lines, and, the left face being
nearly clear, a volley was sent into the enemy at 150 yards as
they rose over the last crest towards our opposing lines. A
hundred or more Arabs dropped, and for a moment I saw their
force waver and halt, as a man stops to gasp for breath or at any
sudden surprise. Had that volley been promptly repeated there
would have been little more of the battle of Abu Klea to tell except
the rout and slaughter of the Mahdi’s troops. But, somehow, the
firing that followed from our ranks was irregular, wild, without
visible effect; and the Arabs, who had barely checked their run,
leaped over their falling brethren and came charging straight into
our ranks.

Colonel Burnaby's Death
I was at that instant inside the square, not far from the
Gardner gun, when I saw our men beginning to shuffle a little
backwards. Some say Colonel Burnaby issued an order for the
men to “fall back”, but – I can speak confidently on this point –
though near him, I never heard it. That, however, is a small
matter, and it may have been issued all the same. At any rate,
the left face moved somewhat backwards.

Colonel Burnaby himself, whose every action at this time I
saw from a distance of about thirty yards, rode out in front of the
rear of the left face, apparently to assist two or three of the
skirmishers, who were running in hard pressed. I think all but one
man of them succeeded in reaching our lines. Burnaby went
forward to the men’s assistance, sword in hand. He told me he
had given to his servant to carry that double-barrelled shotgun
which he had used so well at El Teb, in deference to the noise
made in England by so-called humanitarians against its use. Had
it been in his hands, Burnaby would easily have saved other lives

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