"
One of the culminating battles of the campaign was that of Atbara,
where the backbone of the dervish rebellion was broken. It is
estimated that here 8,000 dervishes were killed, 2,000 wounded, and
2,000 made prisoners. The battle began with a bombardment by the field
guns. Then came the British cavalry at a gallop--the Camerons in
front, and columns of Warwicks, Seaforths, and Lincolns behind.
Bugles, bagpipes, and the instruments of the native regiments made
strange music as the army pressed forward intent on reaching the river
bank.
The native stockades were reinforced with thorn bushes, but these were
torn away by the men, with their bare hands, in their eagerness to
advance. Haig's regiment was one of the first to penetrate, but once
past the stockade they encountered many of the defenders who put up a
fierce fight. Several British officers lost their lives, and it was
due to Haig's agility and presence of mind that he was not at the least
severely wounded. Two dervishes attacked him at once from opposite
sides. One aimed a slashing blow at his head with a scimitar. Haig
quickly ducked and the scimitar went crashing against the weapon of the
other dervish. Haig's luck again!
Others were not so fortunate. "Never mind me, lads, go on," said Major
Urquhart with his dying breath.
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