The British authorities who were responsible for Gordon's appointment, but who were unfortunately not equally alive to the danger of his position, resolved at length upon an expedition for his relief, to proceed by the Red Sea to the port of Suakim to operate in the Eastern Soudan, between the sea and the River Nile, where a number of Egyptian garrisons were being threatened by the rebellious tribes under Osman Digna. British troops in and about Cairo, Alexandria, and other stations were at once despatched under the command of Sir Gerald Graham to quell the disturbance. Wauchope, who had received the appointment from Lord Wolseley of Assistant-Adjutant and Quartermaster-General to the expedition, left England on short notice, and, accompanied by Sir Redvers Buller, arrived in the Red Sea towards the end of February, in time to take his share in active operations against the enemy, who were strongly fortified and in possession of Tokar.
Battle of El-Teb
The expeditionary force was landed at Trinkitat, a port on the Red Sea, some miles south of Suakim, and Tokar being inland, a long and fatiguing march had to be undertaken to reach it. When half-way they encountered the Arabs in a strongly entrenched position in the desert at the wells of El-Teb, and here, on the 29th February, a fierce conflict took place, the Arabs fighting with great determination. The Black Watch and the York and Lancashire Regiment took a prominent part in the battle, and suffered severely. To the former fell the main attack on the right and centre of the enemy's position, where their chief strength lay, protected as it was by skilfully constructed rifle-pits, defended by resolute men, ready to die rather than yield.
Captain Wauchope escaped with his life as by a miracle. Being on horseback, charging the enemy's guns, he was a prominent figure in the fight, and was unfortunately struck down by a musket-shot, which entered the lower part of his body. He was only saved from instant death by the friendly intervention of his binoculars, which were hanging by his side, the bullet striking the glass and smashing it to pieces. He was carried off the field, and at once attended to. But the wound was of such a serious nature that little hope was entertained of his recovery. The battle over, and the Arabs completely routed, the British force proceeded on their way to Tokar without further opposition, and relieved the small garrison there. Wauchope and the other wounded men were taken back to Trinkitat and put on board ship for Suez.
When sufficiently recovered to be able to be removed from the hospital, he rejoined the Black Watch at Cairo in the month of April. The binoculars which, it may be said, saved his life at El-Teb have been carefully preserved, and may now be seen in their shattered condition among other relics and war trophies in Niddrie House.
For his gallant conduct at the battle of El-Teb, Wauchope received a favourable mention in General Graham's despatches, which procured for him the medal and two clasps, and what was perhaps of more importance, the rank of Brevet Lieutenant-Colonel.
He suffered long and severely from the wound he had received, but he was much benefited in health by a visit which he made to his old friend Sir Robert Biddulph at Mount Troodos in Cyprus during the summer of that year.
In the autumn came further rumours from the Soudan of the rising power of the Mahdi, and the danger with which General Gordon was threatened of being overwhelmed in the capture of Khartoum. It was now resolved that active and immediate steps should be taken in order if possible to relieve him, notwithstanding that the distance was great, and the road perilous, and to a great extent unknown. The Black Watch was called upon once more to undertake this difficult task, and officers and men responded to the call with enthusiastic delight. The regiment at Cairo numbered about 700, and at an inspection there by General Sir Garnet Wolseley on 16th September, he complimented Colonel Bayly and the officers and men under him on the highly efficient state in which they then were, and the pride with which the people of England had followed them in the gallant upholding of 'the honour of their splendid and historic regiment.' 'I do not think,' he continued, 'there will be much fighting in the coming campaign, but there will be very hard work, and I shall want you to show that you can work hard as well as fight. If there is any fighting to be done, I know that I have only to call on the Black Watch, and you will behave as you have always done.'
Relief of Khartoum
The sequel proved this to be a true forecast. The expedition was beset with difficulties from first to last, and the labour involved was enormous—the pity of it being, that after all, the result was not commensurate with the cost, and was altogether disappointing. With Cairo as their starting-point and Khartoum as their goal, the intervening space of over fifteen hundred miles, with its sandy plains, its waste howling wilderness, held by hostile tribes of Arabs, had to be covered by our troops. This was a work of no ordinary kind, and involved not only skill in planning, but persevering toil in execution, which tried to the utmost the stuff our soldiers are made of. The Black Watch, led by such men as Colonels Green, Bayly, Kidston, Coveny, Eden, and Wauchope were a host in themselves, and abundantly justified the confidence reposed in them by the commander-in-chief. The expedition started on 5th October by rail to Assouan, where they hoped immediately to begin the ascent of the Nile by steamers and barges. Unfortunately, one or two cases of smallpox here broke out among the men of the 42nd, and the regiment was compelled to go into quarantine for four weeks. They pitched their camp within a palm-grove close to Assouan on the banks of the Nile, and the tedium of enforced idleness was relieved by preparation for the arduous task before them. Colonel Wauchope energetically exerted himself during these weeks, and in the off hours of drill encouraged the men not only in out-door sports of all kinds, but was active in getting up theatrical and other entertainments for their amusement. In this way the time passed pleasantly until the regiment was released from quarantine on 12th November, when the real forward movement for the relief of General Gordon commenced, so far as the Black Watch was concerned. Embarking at Philae, famed for its ancient island temple, in steamers and barges, the voyage of two hundred and fifty miles was safely accomplished to Wady Halfa, after which, avoiding the second cataract of the Nile, the journey to Sarras was made overland. Here there was considerable detention waiting the arrival of a large flotilla of 800 whale boats—which had been commissioned from England by Lord Wolseley for transporting the troops up the river. Regiment after regiment were here embarked to fight the cataracts, the rapids, and the shallows of the mysterious river whose source had for ages been hidden in the dark recesses of the African Continent. Surely no stranger or more gigantic armed force ever floated on its waters either before or since the days of Egypt's ancient greatness!