Field-Marshal Lord Napier of Magdala: G.C.B., G.C.S.I. |
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Common terms and phrases
Abyssinian Adigrat advance Afghanistan Alum Bagh Antalo appointed Arogie arrived artillery attack barracks Bashilo batteries Bengal Bombay bridge Brigade British Calcutta camp canal Captain cavalry Cawnpore Chief Colonel Napier command Commander-in-Chief Council defences despatch Division Duke of Cambridge duty enemy enemy's Engineer European expedition Fahla fire force fortress French frontier Gibraltar Goomtee Government Governor guns Gwalior honour horse India infantry Islamgie Kabul Kaiser Bagh letter Lord Elgin Lord Napier Lord Northbrook Lucknow Madras Magdala Major March ment miles military mortars Napier of Magdala Napier wrote Native army Native officers night occupied opinion Palace passed Persia position Prince Punjab regiments river road Royal Russian sent Shere Ali side siege Sikh Sir Bartle Frere Sir Charles Sir Colin Sir Hope Grant Sir James Outram Sir Robert Napier soldiers supplies Tantia Topi Theodore tion troops Umballa Viceroy wounded
Popular passages
Page 26 - On parent knees, a naked new-born child Weeping thou sat'st while all around thee smiled ; So live, that sinking in thy last long sleep, Calm thou mayst smile, while all around thee weep.
Page 340 - ... cases not considered when the explanations are given, I nevertheless find it necessary, by way of elucidating the subject, to bring into this connexion the substance of a debate which is said to have taken place in the House of Commons on the 27th of June last, and which is as follows: Mr. H. Berkly asked the secretary of state for foreign affairs whether her Majesty's government recognized a notification given by...
Page 74 - Cavanagh, an intelligent civilian acquainted with the locality, and examined the palace as far as was practicable, and obtained sufficient knowledge of it, to form my plan of operations. I then led the party, by one of the side outlets of the palace, along the river bank to Major Simmons' position, under a smart fire from the enemy, by which, however, we received little damage.
Page 81 - The position was too extensive for our force, nearly all of which was occupied in guarding it; but it was susceptible of no reduction, so that most desirable as it was that we should have occupied some of the exterior buildings as flanking defences, we were unable to do so, but were obliged to confine ourselves to the palaces and gardens, and to erect precautionary defences against any means of annoyance the enemy could devise.
Page 84 - I am aware of no parallel to our series of mines in modern war ; twenty-one shafts, aggregating 200 feet in depth, and 3,291 feet of gallery, have been executed. The enemy advanced twenty mines against the palaces and outposts : of these they exploded three, which caused us loss of life ; and two which did no injury : seven...
Page 241 - All arrangements for this had been considered, and the positions for the artillery reconnoitred and fixed upon, when information was brought to me that Theodore had left Magdala, and that many of the chiefs, with their followers, wished to surrender. I agreed to accept their submission, and ordered Sir Charles Staveley to advance on Islamgie, relaxing no precautions that I had considered necessary for the attack. " The scarcity of water rendered it impossible to retain any considerable body of Cavalry...
Page 84 - But skilful and courageous as have been the engineering operations, and glorious the behaviour of the troops, their success has been in no small degree promoted by the incessant and selfdenying devotion of Colonel Napier, who has never been many hours absent by day or night from any one of the points of operation, whose valuable advice has ever been readily tendered and gratefully accepted by the executive officers ; whose earnestness and kindly cordiality have stimulated and encouraged all ranks...
Page 82 - In order to prevent a repetition of this annoyance, I examined carefully, in company with Lieutenant-Colonel Purnell and Captain Moorsom, the buildings connecting us with those of the enemy, and we succeeded in penetrating to a vault under their position, where, screened by the obscurity, we could see the enemy closely surrounding the entrance, and hear them in considerable numbers overhead. A charge of two barrels of powder was lodged in the vault, and was fired by Lieutenant Russell, of the Bengal...
Page 330 - The Queen and the people of England entrusted to you a very arduous and difficult Expedition ; to release our Countrymen from a long and painful Captivity, and to vindicate the honour of our Country, which had been outraged by Theodore, King of Abyssinia. I congratulate you with all my heart, on the noble way in which you have fulfilled the Commands of our Sovereign.
Page 241 - After the lapse of 48 hours, Theodore had not surrendered himself ; reliable information reached me that his army was recovering from their defeat, that many soldiers who had been unable to return to Magdala on the night of the 10th had since rejoined their ranks, that fresh defensive arrangements were being made, and that Theodore and his Chiefs even contemplated a night attack on the 2nd Brigade encamped on the lower ground.