The Baggara were always under arms, but only when danger threatened were the great levies of foot assembled; for it would have been impossible, in the now desolate state of the Soudan, to find food for an army of a hundred thousand men.
All agreed, however, that, with the exception of the Egyptian artillerymen, they heard that no single white man had escaped.

Numbers of the black soldiers had been made slaves.

The whites had perished--all save one had fallen on the field.

That one had accompanied a black battalion, who had held together and, repulsing all attacks, had marched away.

They had been followed, however, and after repeated attacks had dwindled away, until they had finally been broken and massacred.
With the Khalifa's army were several emirs who had fought at El Obeid; and these would, no doubt, be able to tell him more; but none of those who were taken prisoners, at the Atbara, had heard of any white man having escaped the slaughter of Hicks's army.
Just as the general movement began, the force was joined by three companies of Soudanese.