Slight, however, as the actual fighting was in regard to the numbers of troops killed and wounded (only nine of the former and thirty -six of the latter on the British side), it was still a most important and decisive action, the Dervishes being completely routed, and pursued for fifty miles. This was at a time when any reverse might have had widespread and disastrous results, by encouraging the fanatical supporters of the Mahdi.
The admirable organisation of the expedition, with its perfect success and small loss, should, one would think, have been more specially noticed, instead of being denied the usual honour bestowed on such doings, when each man who helped to the good result can point to his clasp and say, " I too was there."
Of course, no one ever heard Sir Frederick refer to the matter, — all he used to say of the battle of Giniss was that the entire success was due to General Grenfell, — but he felt the omission for the sake of his men.
Perhaps what gave him more pleasure than any honour conferred on him, on his return to Cairo after this expedition, was when — I quote from the Times of January 20, 1885 —
" As Sir Frederick Stephenson's carriage passed the Kasr el Nil Barracks, the men of the Black Watch and of the Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry voluntarily turned out, lined the road on both sides, and vociferously cheered the General, who has acquired singular personal popularity with all ranks."
At the time of his leaving Egypt a letter was written to the Spectator of January 14, 1888, which I have permission to quote. It shows how deep was the affection for him of all classes and conditions during his five years' stay in the country.
From the "Spectator" of January 14, 1888 " General Stephenson in Egypt
" Sir, — Perhaps it may make the New Year a little happier to some of your readers if I, an Englishman, relate to Englishmen how faithfully and nobly one of our countrymen has been doing his duty and upholding his country's honour here in Egypt.
*' General Sir Frederick Stephenson came among us in May 1883, to command the army of occupation. A month later we were facing the cholera. Amidst the absolute panic of the Greek and the Levantine, and the stolid indifference of the Moslem, it seemed a bad look out for our English lads. The Khedive and his Council were at Alexandria, and cut themselves off from all communication with the plague city. But our General was here. He did not abuse or despise anyone, but very soon he had organised a sanitary inspection such as this city had never had before. He divided the city into districts. He induced volun-
LETTER FROM " ANGLO-EGYPTIAN " 45
teers thoroughly to examine each district daily. Every night at ten o'clock they brought their reports to his house. Whatever sanitary measures were taken were due to his wise arrangements. The cholera left us, and a few months after the news of Hicks's defeat and slaughter fell like a thunderbolt among us. Then out came Gordon, and passed on to the South — steadfast, earnest, yet cheery. Then we heard how he was encompassed, and we thought surely England was not going to let him die away there in Khartoum. We could not conceive that our leaders would have thought more of the details of the redistribution of seats than of the national honour and of our hero in the Soudan, General Stephenson thought, as every thinking man in Egypt did, that the road to Khartoum was by the Red Sea and Suakin. The War Office knows best how often he wrote to them, how strongly he urged and implored that an expedition should be fitted out. He advocated the Suakin route, but when the Nile Valley route was preferred, and Lord Wolseley — a man much his junior — was sent to take the command over his head, who ever heard him grumble, or slack one hour in his efforts to smooth Lord Wolseley 's way for him? Then came hot fightings, — Abou Klea and Kirbekan in the Nile Valley, Tamai and Teb on the Red Sea coast, — and Cairo was full of anxious little wives with their husbands at the front. They will not soon forget how kindly he went among them, how he cheered them and saw that they had the last information. And sweet and sympathising as he was, General Stephenson knew how to be stern and severe. When was there ever an army of occupation so thoroughly under discipline? When were any molested or insulted that he did not see them righted?