"Dervish artillery" Topic

As it's a new period, I have a few Sudan questions.

The Dervish used Egyptian slave-soldiers to crew their captured Krupp guns. I've seen such figures with manacles on their ankles.

Is this accurate? Did they expect crews so encumbered to fight effectively or is this just a wargamer's convention?

Also limbers: how were the Krupps carted around? I'd imagine they captured whatever the Egyptians used (standard limbers & horses I think) to pull their guns.

I've been gaming in this period for several years and have a Dervish army. I've never seen anything showing their gunners in chains. And I've sometimes wondered about the issue regarding limbers myself. I operate on the assumption that they used captured limbers.

If they used their potentially many captured limbers, they almost certainly didn't use draft animals to tow them around. Instead, it would have been far easier to tow guns and limbers by manpower, as was done by the Naval Brigade when operating out of Suakim.

And, "No," I'm not aware of any need for captured Egyptian gun crews to be chained. Prisoners they more or less were, but if they had not accepted the Mahdi as the "Expected One," they would have been chopped with the rest of the garrisons which fell to him. As "Impressed Ansar," they had no need to be chained to fight.

TVAG

I'm no expert, but I did stay at a Holiday Inn Express last night….
I have read several accounts relating to reluctant gunners being forced to fire on their former comrades. One such instance the gunners intentionaly fired above the Anglo-Egyptian steamer to avoid hitting it. In only one occurrence do I vaguely remember a mention of chained gunners. I would say that most if not all gunners were NOT chained. Though it does make for interesting scenario options. Cannon Fodder produce a set of chained Egyptian gunners that is very cool. I'll see if I can locate a pic and post it. In all my research I have not read of any arty limbers though I'm sure they must have had to use something to transport the guns. All the battles I have read and all mention on Ansar arty discussed them in a static role in defense of a fort or vill. If anyone has any info on Ansar/Dervish limbers I'd be very interested to know.
Cheers, JB