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50-570: After the Battle of Magdala in 1868, the victorious British expedition looted a great many books and artifacts not only from the city of Maqdala but also from the Ethiopian Christian church of Medhane Alem . According to Henry M. Stanley , the loot included "an infinite variety of gold, and silver and brass crosses", as well as "heaps of parchment royally illuminated". Fifteen elephants and almost two hundred mules were required to bear

100-527: A 19 + 1 ⁄ 2 -inch (50 cm) barrel, with the same rifling as the Short Rifle. The Artillery Carbine has a 21 + 1 ⁄ 4 -inch (54 cm) barrel with a full stock and two barrel bands, and the same rifling as the Short Rifle and Cavalry Carbine. The Snider was the subject of substantial imitation, in both approved and questionable forms, including the Nepalese Snider, which

150-428: A 15-foot-long (4.6 m) stone archway. Each side of the gate was protected by a thorn-and-stake hedge. After this gate was a further uphill path to a second fortified gateway, which led onto the final plateau or amba . On reaching the gate there was a pause in the advance, as it was discovered the engineer unit had forgotten their powder kegs and scaling ladders and were ordered to return for them. General Staveley

200-564: A big blue mark in his forehead And the back blown out of his head. The Snider–Enfield was produced in several variants. The most commonly encountered variants were the Rifled Musket or Long Rifle, the Short Rifle, and the Cavalry and Artillery Carbines. The Long Rifle has a 36 + 1 ⁄ 2 -inch (93 cm) barrel and three barrel bands. Its total length (without bayonet) is 54 + 1 ⁄ 4 inches (138 cm) in length. It

250-410: A gift from Queen Victoria. When his death was announced, all resistance ceased. His body was cremated and buried inside the church by the priests. The church was guarded by soldiers from the 33rd Regiment although, according to Henry M. Stanley , looted of "an infinite variety of gold, and silver and brass crosses" along with filigree works and rare tabots . Magdala was formerly in the territory of

300-399: A latch-locking breech block instead of the simple integral block lifting tang. The Snider–Enfield used a new type of metal-cased cartridge called a Boxer cartridge after its designer. The breech block housed a diagonally downward sloping firing pin struck with a front-action lock mounted hammer. To operate the weapon, the rifleman cocked the hammer, flipped the block out of the receiver to

350-557: A letter Tewodros II had sent to Queen Victoria requesting munitions and military experts from the British, delivered by an envoy, Captain Cameron, had gone unanswered. They were released; however, Tewodros II changed his mind and sent a force after them and they were returned to the fortress and imprisoned again, along with Captain Cameron. The British won the battle and, rather than being subjected to capture, Tewodros committed suicide as

400-479: A pencil note: "taken from a church at Maqdala in 1868" . In the mid-20th century, world law and opinion gradually came to ban looting , most notably codified in the Fourth Geneva Convention . A problem remained as to the status of goods looted previously. A number of efforts to return cultural items grew up around the world, of which AFROMET is one. The Ethiopian government started requesting

450-476: Is difficult to obtain an accurate order of battle of the Abyssinian forces, from British reports it appears to have consisted of a small amount of artillery and several thousands of light infantry lacking firearms. Before the force could actually attack Magdala, they had to get past the plateau at Arogye, which lay across the only route to Magdala. It certainly looked formidable to attack. The British could see

500-576: The Martini–Henry rifle began to supersede it. The British Indian Army used the Snider–Enfield until the end of the nineteenth century. In trials, the Snider Pattern 1853 conversions proved both more accurate than the original Pattern 1853s and much faster firing; a trained soldier could fire ten aimed rounds per minute with the breech-loader, compared with only three rounds per minute with

550-476: The loot across the Bashilo River to the nearby Dalanta Plain. A grand review was held, and then an auction of the loot; the money raised was distributed amongst the troops and no written list was made of who purchased the various items. Many looted objects, cultural artefacts and art objects found their way into state and private collections, family possessions, and the hands of ordinary soldiers. Most of

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600-536: The 16-year-long Yoruba Civil War (1877 to 1893). Frank Richards , who served on the Northwest Frontier between 1902 and 1908, records in Old Soldier Sahib that the British army still used Sniders during that period. Sentries on night duty in camps and cantonments would carry a Snider and buckshot cartridges. Should tribesmen try to get into the camp to steal rifles, the buckshot would give

650-727: The 33rd Regiment outgunned some of the Abyssinian artillerymen and captured their artillery pieces. The surviving Abyssinian soldiers then retreated back onto Magdala. The Anglo-Indian advance party involved in this first clash numbered between 600 and 700 men. One of the missionaries who observed the fighting noted that the breech-loading Snider rifles, firing six volleys a minute, were decisive. In his despatch to London, Lord Napier reported: "Yesterday morning (we) descended three thousand nine hundred feet to Bashilo River and approached Magdala with First Brigade to reconnoitre it. Theodore opened fire with seven guns from outwork , one thousand feet above us, and three thousand five hundred men of

700-599: The Muslim Gallas ( Oromo ) tribes, who had long ago taken it from the Amhara people ; however Tewodros had won it back from them some years before. Two rival Galla queens, Werkait and Mostiat, who had both allied themselves with the British, claimed control of the conquered fortress as a reward. Napier much preferred to hand Magdala over to the Christian ruler of Lasta , Wagshum Gobeze , because if he were in control of

750-570: The Queen and Napier were later concerned with the subsequent development of the young prince, who became increasingly lonely, unhappy and depressed during this time. In 1879, the prince died of illness at the age of 19. He was buried near St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle with a funeral plaque placed to his memory by Queen Victoria. One of the British soldiers, John Kirkham , stayed in Ethiopia and ultimately served as an advisor to Yohannes IV . He

800-522: The battle the 4th (King's Own) Regiment of Foot alone fired 10,200 rounds. The Snider–Enfield served throughout the British Empire , including Cape Colony , India, Australia, New Zealand, and Canada, until its gradual phaseout by the Martini–Henry , beginning in 1871-1880. Volunteer and militia forces continued to use it until the late 1880s. It stayed in service with the Indian Army until

850-705: The beginning of February. It took two months to reach their objective. The advancing British forces' route took them through rough terrain, traveling by way of Kumayli , Senafe, Adigrat , Antalo , passing west of Lake Ashangi , through the Wajirat Mountains and across the Wadla plateau, before finally arriving via the road Emperor Tewodros built through the Zhitta Ravine to move his heavy artillery to Magdala. Composed of some 12,000 British and Indian troops, beside Royal Artillery and Royal Engineers ,

900-1018: The books and manuscripts went to the British Museum or the Bodleian Library in Oxford University , while a few went to the Royal Library in Windsor Castle and to smaller British collections. Other looted objects ended up in the Victoria and Albert Museum , the Museum of Mankind and the National Army Museum . The scientific acquisitions and expropriated articles of the Magdala expedition are credited with stimulating and promoting an interest in

950-441: The charging mass of warriors and poured a devastating fire into their ranks. When two Indian infantry regiments contributed their firepower, the onslaught became even more devastating. Despite this, the Abyssinian soldiers continued their attack, losing over 500 with more wounded during the ninety minutes of fighting, most of them at a point little over 30 yards from the British lines. During the chaotic battle, an advance guard unit of

1000-406: The field force comprised: British: 3rd (The Prince of Wales's) Dragoon Guards , the 4th (King's Own) Regiment of Foot , 33rd Regiment of Foot (1st West Riding Regiment) . Six companies of infantry from the 45th Nottinghamshire Regiment (Sherwood Foresters) and a Royal Navy rocket battery. The Armstrong Artillery Battery, complete with elephants carrying their guns, joined the expedition on

1050-426: The forenoon a dark-brown circle appeared round the sun, like a blister, about 15° in radius; light clouds passed and repassed over it, but it did not disappear until the usual rain-storm came up from the eastward late in the afternoon. Walda Gabir, the king's valet, informed me that Theodore saw it when he came out of his tent that morning, and that he remarked that it was an omen of bloodshed." Tewodros II sent two of

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1100-432: The fortress was finally seized. Advance elements of the British military units arrived at Annesley Bay on 4 December 1867; but did not disembark until 7 December due to chaotic conditions on shore. Thousands of mules had been sent from Egypt and other countries before adequate arrangements had been made to feed and water them and the freshly arrived troops had to first obtain fresh feed and water for them. A base camp

1150-407: The fortress, Gobeze would be able to halt the Muslim Gallas' advance and assume responsibility for over 30,000 Christian refugees from Tewodros' camp. Yet as Gobeze was unresponsive to these overtures, much preferring to acquire Tewodros' cannons, and the two Galla queens could not reach an arrangement, Napier decided to destroy the fortress. For the victory in the campaign, Lieutenant-General Napier

1200-519: The gap in the hedge and dragged Private Bergin up behind him as Ensign Conner and Corporal Murphy helped shove from below. Bergin kept up a rapid rate of fire on the Koket-Bir as Magner dragged more men through the gap in the hedge. As more men poured through and opened fire, advancing with their bayonets fixed, the defenders withdrew through the second gate. The party rushed the Koket-bir before it

1250-412: The garrison made a gallant sortie which was repulsed with very heavy loss and the enemy driven into Magdala. British Loss, twenty wounded." Two of the British soldiers wounded in the attack would later die from their injuries. The following day the British force moved on to Magdala. Writing later, Clements Markham recalled "a curious phenomenon" that occurred on the day of the final assault: "Early in

1300-725: The history and culture of Ethiopia within Europe, laying the foundations for modern Ethiopian Studies , and also for the research on the ancient Kingdom of Aksum . From time to time, some of the looted treasure has been returned to Ethiopia; since 1999, the AFROMET (Association For the Return Of the Madgala Ethiopian Treasures) campaign has been lobbying for the further return of other looted objects. Returned items include: The Ethiopian government has called for

1350-476: The hostages on parole to offer terms. Napier insisted on the release of all the hostages and an unconditional surrender. Tewodros refused to cede to the unconditional surrender, but did release the European hostages. The British continued the advance and assaulted the fortress. (The native hostages were later found to have had their hands and feet cut off before being sent over the edge of the precipice surrounding

1400-605: The loot to the nearby Dalanta Plain for auction. Richard Holmes, then Assistant in the British Museum 's Department of Manuscripts, purchased 350 manuscripts and various solid goods, such as the crown of the Abun (Head of the Ethiopian Church). Most of the loot is still missing; some of it is known to be held in public collections such as the British Museum. For example, a manuscript in the Bodleian Library bears

1450-514: The looted items. In 1965, Queen Elizabeth II returned to Emperor Haile Selassie I the royal cap and seal of Tewodros II . AFROMET was formed to lobby systematically for the repatriation of the objects, using legal means and public pressure. So far 10 items have been returned by private donors including a hand-written Book of Psalms , two Tabots and a shield. More than 460 items are still being claimed. Battle of Magdala [REDACTED]   United Kingdom The Battle of Magdala

1500-661: The mid-1890s, because between the Indian Rebellion of 1857 and 1905 the British kept the Indian Army one weapon generation behind British units. The Hunza Scouts may have been the last to use it in action (in the carbine version), in the Chitral campaign of 1895. The Indian units received the Martini–Henry when the British adopted the Lee–Metford . The Ijeshas used large numbers of Snider–Enfields against Ibadan during

1550-631: The muzzle-loading weapon. From 1866 onwards, the Enfield rifles were converted in large numbers at the Royal Small Arms Factory (RSAF) Enfield beginning with the initial pattern, the Mark I. The converted rifles received a new breechblock /receiver assembly, but retained the original iron barrel , furniture, lock , and hammer. The Mark III rifles were newly made. They featured steel barrels which were so marked, flat nosed hammers, and

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1600-629: The number in circulation boosted by the acquisition by Atlanta Cutlery and International Military Antiques of a vast quantity of antique weapons held in the Royal Nepalese Armory in the Lagan Silekhana Palace for over a century. Ammunition is reloaded into either modern production .577 Snider cases, or re-formed 24-gauge brass shotgun shells. Black powder or modern black-powder substitutes are used. The Halifax Citadel Regimental Association does live-fire demonstrations in

1650-789: The plain at Talanta on 5 April, just 12 miles (19 km) from Magdala during a delay of four days waiting for supplies to arrive. Towards the end of the campaign the 26th (Cameronian) Regiment of Foot also arrived. Indian: 10th Regt of Bengal Cavalry (Lancers) , 12th Regt of Bengal Cavalry , 3rd Regt of Bombay Lt Cavalry , 21st Punjab Regt Bengal Native Infantry , 23rd Punjab Regt Bengal Native Infantry (Pioneers) , 2nd Bombay Native Infantry (Grenadier) , 3rd Bombay Native Infantry , 10th Bombay Native Infantry , 21st Bombay Native Infantry (Marine) , 25th Bombay Native Light Infantry , 27th Bombay Native Infantry (1st Belooch) , No 1 Company of Bombay Native Artillery , Corps of Madras Sappers and Miners , Corps of Bombay Sappers and Miners . While it

1700-483: The plateau.) The bombardment began with mortars , rockets and artillery . Infantry units then opened fire, covering the Royal Engineers sent to blow up the gates of the fortress. The path lay up a steep boulder-strewn track, on one side of which there was a sheer drop and on the other a perpendicular cliff face, leading to the main gateway, known as the Koket-Bir, which included thick timber doors set into

1750-499: The protection of the British. This decision was apparently made in fear that his life would be taken by any aspirant for the empire of Abyssinia. In accordance with these wishes, Alemayehu was taken to London, where he was presented to Queen Victoria , who took a liking to the young boy. Alemayehu later studied at Cheltenham College , Rugby School and the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst . However, both

1800-557: The remains of Prince Alemayehu to be returned to Ethiopia from his burial place in Windsor Castle . Snider-Enfield The British .577 Snider–Enfield was a breech-loading rifle . The American inventor, Jacob Snider created this firearm action , and the Snider–Enfield was one of the most widely used of the Snider varieties. The British Army adopted it in 1866 as a conversion system for its ubiquitous Pattern 1853 Enfield muzzle-loading rifles , and used it until 1880 when

1850-475: The return of the looted goods within three years of the battle, with some small success. However, progress in general was slow. Lady Valerie Meux bequeathed her collection of Ethiopian manuscripts to Emperor Menilek II , but her will was overturned shortly after her death in 1910, on the grounds that Menilek was dead when Lady Meux died (which, in fact, was untrue; he died in 1913 and in any case he had heirs). The British Government occasionally returned some of

1900-538: The right by grasping the left mounted breech block lever, and then pulled the block back to extract the spent case. There was no ejector, so the firer turned the rifle to the right and upside-down to allow the case to drop out. The Snider first saw action with the British/Indian Army at the battle of Magdala (Aroghee) in Ethiopia on 10 April 1868, against the forces of Tewodros II of Ethiopia ; during

1950-560: The sentries a better chance of hitting the thief, and unlike a .303 round, would be less likely to wound or kill a comrade should the sentry miss. The Snider was notably powerful. Rudyard Kipling gave a graphic depiction of its effect in his poem, "The Grave of the Hundred Head": A Snider squibbed in the jungle— Somebody laughed and fled, And the men of the First Shikaris Picked up their Subaltern dead, With

2000-506: The way barred by many thousands of armed Abyssinians camped around the hillsides with up to 30 artillery pieces. The British did not expect that the Abyssinian warriors would leave their defences to attack them and paid little regard to their defensive positions as they formed up to deploy. But the Emperor did order an attack, with many thousands of soldiers armed with little more than spears. The 4th Regiment of Foot quickly redeployed to meet

2050-574: The withdrawing Magdala expedition, who was able to expand his power and prevail over his rivals. In July 1871, he won the Battle of Assam, near Adwa , even though he had far fewer troops, defeating his old rival Wagshum Gobeze of Lasta . Kassai had himself crowned Emperor of Ethiopia, taking the name Yohannes IV. Tewodros had asked his wife, the Empress Tiruwork Wube , in the event of his death, to put his son, Prince Alemayehu , under

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2100-581: Was a nearly exact copy, the Dutch Snider, Danish Naval Snider, and the "unauthorised" adaptations of the French Tabatière and Russian Krnka. There were also "Trade Pattern" Snider–Enfields, being Snider–Enfields made for private purchase by various English gun-makers. These were often intended for sale to members of volunteer military units, or simply to anyone who might wish to purchase a rifle. Enthusiasts still use these rifles today, with

2150-482: Was ennobled by Queen Victoria, and became Baron Napier of Magdala. Officers and soldiers who took part in the campaign were awarded the Abyssinian War Medal . After the withdrawal of the British, fighting for the succession to Tewodros' throne raged in Ethiopia from 1868 to 1872. Eventually, it was Dajamach Kassai of Tigray , not least because of the British weapons that had been handed over to him by

2200-482: Was fully closed and then took the second gate, breaking through to the amba. Ensign Wynter scrambled up onto the top of the second gate and fixed the 33rd Regimental Colours to show the plateau had been taken. Private Bergin and Drummer Magner were later awarded the Victoria Cross for their part in the action. Tewodros II was found dead inside the second gate, having shot himself with a pistol that had been

2250-586: Was imprisoned in Massawa by Egyptian forces during the Ethiopian–Egyptian War . Despite being discovered by a group of British sailors from HMS Teazer , the sailors were not permitted to aid in his liberation. Kirkham died in captivity in 1876. On 19 April, having first blown up the fortress and burned the city, Napier commenced the return march. According to historian Richard Pankhurst , fifteen elephants and almost two hundred mules were required to bear

2300-528: Was instrumental in training Ethiopian troops to Western military standards, raising and drilling what became known as the Emperor's Disciplined Force. Kirkham's troops played a major role in the defeat of Yohannes' rival for the Ethiopian crown, Wagshum Gobeze, fighting with conspicuous success in the Battle of Assam on 11 July 1871. Kirkham had sacrificed the right to British protection by taking service with Yohannes, something which came back to haunt him when he

2350-405: Was issued to line infantry and has three-groove rifling with one turn in 78 inches (200 cm). The Short Rifle has a 30.5-inch (77 cm) barrel and two barrel bands with iron furniture. This variant was issued to sergeants of line infantry and rifle units. It has five-groove rifling with one turn in 48 inches (120 cm). The Cavalry Carbine is half stocked and has only one barrel band. It has

2400-514: Was not happy at any further delay and ordered the 33rd Regiment to continue the attack. Several officers and the men of the 33rd, along with an officer from the Royal Engineers, parted from the main force and, after climbing the cliff face, found their way blocked by a thorny hedge over a wall. Private James Bergin , a very tall man, used his bayonet to cut a hole in the hedge and Drummer Michael Magner climbed onto his shoulders and through

2450-429: Was set up at Zula . The British were dressed in new khaki drill jackets with a white cloth-covered cork helmet called a ' Topi '. They had been issued the new breech-loading Snider-Enfield rifles the previous year, which had increased the soldiers' firepower from three rounds per minute to ten rounds per minute. Lord Napier arrived in early January 1868 and the expedition started from the advance camp at Senafe at

2500-651: Was the conclusion of the British Expedition to Abyssinia fought in April 1868 between British and Abyssinian forces at Magdala , 390 miles (630 km) from the Red Sea coast. The British were led by Robert Napier , while the Abyssinians were led by Emperor Tewodros II . In March 1866, a British envoy had been dispatched to secure the release of a group of missionaries who had first been seized when

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