[ The Battle of Omdurman, 1898. ] Unknown printed transcription of vivid and detailed letter written on the spot [ by Major Lord Edward Cecil? ], titled 'An Account of the Battle of Omdurman. By one who was present.'

1p., folio. In three columns of small print, on a sheet of 37.5 x 23 cm paper. With three manuscript emendations. In fair condition, on aged and worn paper, with a couple of short closed tears at margins along folds. The present item is excessively scarce. There is no record of its existence on either OCLC WorldCat or COPAC, nor does it feature in Harold E. Raugh Jr's 'British Military Operations in Egypt and the Sudan: A Selected Bibliography' (2008). The document is anonymous, but its author is clearly an ADC, and there is a strong possibility that it was Lord Edward Cecil. The author's relaxed references to 'Tullibardine' (John George Stewart-Murray (1871-1942), Marquess of Tullibardine), with whom he poses for a press photograph, and 'Von Tiedmann' (Count von Tiedmann, the German military attaché, present as an observer), who gives him 'some tea', suggests that he is on an equal footing with them, and Cecil was (with Captain J. K. Watson, King's Royal Rifle Corps) one of Kitchener's two ADC, and son of the Prime Minister Lord Salisbury. The document provides a detailed and vivid account of the battle. It begins: 'Omdurman, 3rd Septr., 1898. | The operations resulting in the occupation of Omdurman reached the final stage on the 1st September (Wednesday). | About noon the troops marched over Kerrerii ridges, and bivouacked about seven miles from the Mahdi's Tomb. The gunboats meanwhile had steamed up to Omdurman, one towing the Howitzer battery, and bombarded the town and walls. The Howitzers were landed on the right bank, and shelled the Tomb, and knocked it into smithereens. [...]' As the Dervish army advances, the Sirdar (Kitchener) gives orders for tents to be struck, and the Anglo-Egyptian forces take lunch. 'I had reported to the General [Hunter], as galloper, but when immediate chances of an action ceased, I had returned to head-quarters.' He describes the formation of the troops, the arrangement of the guns, and the terrain. 'I believe it had originally been the Sirdar's intention to engage the enemy on 1st September, but the strong head winds, the loss of the gunboat Zaphir, etc., all put on an extra day'. Of the eve of the battle he writes: 'The night was a very fine one, bright moon and cool; no rain. Reveille on 2nd September was at 4 a.m. I slept in my bed dressed, except for my boots. We had a solid breakfast of bacon and fish. At 4.30 everything was packed up to move when ordered, and I went to the General at dawn. Original orders had been for the army to march at six, and we were going to attack. Before dawn, however, orders went round that the troops were to remain in position until the cavalry reports came in; and about 6 a.m. we heard that the enemy were advancing. The message said "cheering and yelling." | About 6.30 our cavalry could be seen on the skyline gradually retiring, and occasional shots were heard. then a few flags could be seen topping the crest of the plain, and a singing noise heard. At length in our front, between the two hills A and B, appeared a vast army headed by horsemen and numerous banners.' An account of the engagement follows, during which the author rides 'my old chestnut war horse, who is as quiet as a sheep under fire'. The author also discusses 'the nuisance of the Correspondents', describing a 'very amusing scene [...] the hunting of two "Cos." by a burly Baggara with a shovel-headed spear'. This is the incident which won Sir Nevill Maskelyne Smyth (1868-1941) the Victoria Cross: 'Smyth's horse was shot close to me, and several bullets splashed up to my feet. [...] Smyth rode out to assist them, and shot him; but the man wounded him slightly in the elbow.' The author continues: 'The General [Hunter] sent [me] to the Sirdar to ask him to wait for the rest of the brigades, which he began to do.' An engagement involving 'Macdonald's and Lewis's brigades' is described: 'The fire of the enemy was very, very hot, but I was very busy, and so did not have time to think about it.' The author moves to the 'second phase', which he considers 'much the hardest part of the fight, as at one time some of the dervishes were almost in our line'. He goes off in search of the Sirdar, who 'had got the Khalifa's large black silk flag flying'. On his return, while 'keeping the usual wary outlook for wounded savages', he captures a Dervish 'shamming' behind a bush, and takes his knife as a trophy. 'Then the day being over, I returned for headquarters. On the way I passed the Dervish field gun - one of Gordon's Krupps - and Bull, of Black and White, asked Tullibardine and me to ride near it, while he took a photo of it.' At Omdruman he has lunch 'under my umbrella, being fortunate in meeting Mohamed with the camels.' He changes to his 'other horse', and drinks 'a whole bottle of water, two quarts, and consumed a lot of biscuits. Von [Tiedmann], whom I met, gave me some tea.' The greater part of the third column describes 'the third phase of the day - the entry', including the death by the Mahdi's tomb of the Times and New York Herald correspondent Hubert Howard. The account concludes: 'The Khalifa escaped as we were entering, about 5 p.m. They think he will be brought in eventually. | This place requires, and will get, strong martial law.'