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Updated: May 10, 2025
This I should have attempted; but, three weeks ago, an order came from the Mahdi to El Khatim, ordering him to send to Omdurman five hundred well-armed men, who were to be commanded by his son Abu. Khatim was to remain at El Obeid, with the main body of his force, until further orders. "Abu came to me at once, with the news. "'You will take me with you, Abu, I exclaimed.
"You are no longer enemies," he said, "and I know that, henceforth, I shall be able to rely upon your loyalty." "We are beaten," Khatim said, as they walked away, each leading his horse. "You can fight like men, and we who thought ourselves brave have been driven before you, like dust before the wind. And now, when you are masters, you can forgive as we should never have done.
"Do you give me your promise that you will no more fight against us?" "We do," Khatim replied. "We have received our weapons back from you, and would assuredly not use them against our conquerors." "In that case, Emir, you and your son are at liberty to depart, and your men can return with you. There will, I trust, be no more fighting in the land. The Mahdi is dead.
Six days' supply of grain, from the stores found in the camp, were handed over to them; together with ten camels with water skins, and they started at once on their long march. Gregory rode out for a couple of miles with them, and then took leave of the two emirs. "Come to El Obeid," Khatim said, "and you shall be treated as a king. Farewell! And may Allah preserve you!"
"I have often wondered what became of him," Abu said. "I believed that he had got safely into Khartoum, and I enquired about him when we entered. When I found that he was not among the killed, I trusted that he might have escaped. I grieve much to hear that he was killed while on his way down." "Such was the will of Allah," Khatim said.
The total force was about fourteen hundred strong, and a defeat would mean annihilation; while even a victory would scarcely secure the capture of the Khalifa; who, with his principal emirs, Osman Digna, El Khatim the Sheik of El Obeid, the Sheik Ed Din, and Fadil, would be able to gallop off if they saw the battle going against them.
Gregory had learned, from the women, that the Emir El Khatim, with a number of his trained men from El Obeid, had passed through the camp in good order, but that none of the other emirs had been seen; and the 9th Soudanese stated that, as they advanced, they had come upon a number of chiefs lying together, a few hundred yards in advance of our first position.
"You are a generous enemy," Khatim said, "and we thank you. We give in our allegiance to the Egyptian government, and henceforth regard ourselves as its servants." "See, Mr. Hilliard, that the party takes sufficient food with it for their journey to El Obeid." Colonel Wingate stepped forward, and shook hands with the two emirs.
On our return the camel corps shall collect the arms, and bring them in." Gregory rode back to the emirs, who were slowly crossing the plain, but who halted as the cavalry dashed on. "Now, Emirs," he said, "we can ride quietly back to camp." "You have not taken our arms," Khatim said. "No, Emir, it is not for me to ask for them. It is the General to whom you surrender, not me."
"We can honour brave foes; and you and your followers were ready to fight and die, when all seemed lost. Still more do I refuse to receive the weapons of the men who defended an English officer, when he was helpless and a fugitive; such an act would, alone, ensure good treatment at our hands. Your followers have surrendered?" "They have all laid down their arms," Khatim said.
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