Ahmed Fedil himself, who with about half the original garrison had previously left Gedaref in response to a summons from the Khalifa to reinforce him against the main advance on Omdurman, encountered General Hunter and the gunboats on the Blue Nile near Rufaa, and realising that Omdurman must have fallen, resolved to return at once and retake his headquarters at Gedaref, where he arrived at dawn on 28th September with some 4,000 to 5,000 men.
THE LATE EMIR AHMED FEDIL.
After two determined efforts to dislodge the Anglo-Egyptian troops, now safely ensconced in several walled enclosures, he withdrew after heavy loss to the village of Sofi on the Abu Haraz road, barely two miles from our forts. Here he remained for three days quietly collecting cattle and grain from the outskirts of the town and then moved to Asar, 10 miles south of Gedaref.
On receipt of the news at Omdurman of the state of affairs at Gedaref, Lieut.-Colonel Collinson was despatched to Abu Haraz with a force of about 1,100 Camel Corps and Sudanese Infantry with 2 Maxims, and arrived at Gedaref on the 21st October. Two days after the arrival of these reinforcements Ahmed Fedil began his move westwards viâ Beila and Hawata to Roseires, his march being dogged by friendlies under command of the recently surrendered Emir Abu Bakr Mustafa.
Efforts were then directed, through gunboats on the Blue Nile, to prevent him crossing that river with a view to joining the Khalifa, at that time near Sherkeila.
Action near Roseires (26.12.98).These were eventually successful, for Colonel Lewis, hearing from Roseires that the enemy were about to make the attempt to cross close by, marched with a small column (Xth Battalion and Friendlies), on the night of Christmas day, and in spite of the troops suffering much from fever, they, in a severe action on the following day, cut up most of Fedil’s force as they were crossing the river near Dakhila, the leader and a few hundred men only escaping. About 500 Dervishes were killed,[200] whilst 1 British officer was wounded and 24 Egyptian Sudanese were killed and 118 wounded. Most of the remaining Dervishes subsequently surrendered on the White Nile.
Occupation of Gallabat.As the Abyssinians were becoming alarmed in consequence of our advance, and threatened trouble on their north-west frontier, a small body of troops was despatched from Gedaref to Gallabat, under Lieut.-Colonel Collinson, and hoisted the British and Egyptian flags alongside the Abyssinian one already flying on the old fort there (7th December).
Occupation of Fazogli.Fazogli and Famaka were also occupied by a small force under Lieut.-Colonel Nason, on the 22nd January, and friendly overtures were made to the Abyssinians in the neighbourhood, with completely successful results.
On 19th January, 1899, an agreement was signed between Great Britain and Egypt, defining the status of the Sudan, and laying down broad principles for its government (see [p. 283]).