While waiting for the game, I decided to populate Khartoum with appropriate civilians, doing what civilians did, and show Gordon's preparations for the siege to come. The Blue Nile waterfront was the city's busiest part. Here a small steamer and small dhow unload.
The souk or bazaar, running along Khartoum's main street in front of the Governor General's palace, the city hall, and the main mosque.
Calling the faithful to prayer.
Before the siege forced them to eat their mounts, Egyptian and Bashi-Bazouk cavalry patrolled the desert outside Khartoum.
Gordon supervises repairs to the defenses and laying wire at the White Nile end of his fortifications. The mud proves too thick to rebuild the wall and catwalk.
The bridges over the trench are removed at two of the three "gates" to the city. On the Burri road, an iron gate replaces the bridge. Stores are collected at the granary.
Gordon moors two old barges on the White Nile, next to the city's greatest weakness: the muddy mess where the earthen fortifications have been washed away. The barges are lightly fortified and manned by a reliable unit.
Gordon's forces: Egyptian and Sudanese troops.
The Bashi-Bazouks, now forced to fight exclusively on foot.
Gendarmes, armed civilians, and armed slaves.
Egyptian artillery.
Machine guns. Some sources contend that Gordon had two Gatling guns at his disposal, left behind in Khartoum's arsenal (as too heavy) by Hicks. Gordon certainly had some machine guns. I've decided to give him a Gatling.
The Mahdi's encampment.
The Mahdist army. There were three divisions or "flags" at Khartoum: the black flag (of Abdullahi), the green flag (of Ali Hilu), and the red flag (of al-Sharif). The units within each flag carried smaller banners of the same color.
The Mahdist artillery.
The Mahdi's mounted troops.
Rifle-armed foot troops.
Swords.
Spears.
I'll post a battle report soon.