Abyssinian expedition of 1867–68 was a brigade major, being again mentioned in despatches and given a brevet majority. He retired with the honorary rank of colonel in 1880. After the close of the Egyptian war of 1882, he entered the khedive’s service and was made a pasha. Early in 1883 he went to Khartum as chief of the staff of the army there, then commanded by Suliman Niazi Pasha. Camp was formed at Omdurman and a new force of some 8000 fighting men collected—mostly recruited from the fellahin of Arabi’s disbanded troops, sent in chains from Egypt. After a month’s vigorous drilling Hicks led 5000 of his men against an equal force of dervishes in Sennar, whom he defeated, and cleared the country between the towns of Sennar and Khartum of rebels. Relieved of the fear of an immediate attack by the mahdists the Egyptian officials at Khartum intrigued against Hicks, who in July tendered his resignation. This resulted in the dismissal of Suliman Niazi and the appointment of Hicks as commander-in-chief of an expeditionary force to Kordofan with orders to crush the mahdi, who in January 1883 had captured El Obeid, the capital of that province. Hicks, aware of the worthlessness of his force for the purpose contemplated, stated his opinion that it would be best to “wait for Kordofan to settle itself” (telegram of the 5th of August). The Egyptian ministry, however, did not then believe in the power of the mahdi, and the expedition started from Khartum on the 9th of September. It was made up of 7000 infantry, 1000 cavalry and 2000 camp followers and included thirteen Europeans. On the 20th the force left the Nile at Duem and struck inland across the almost waterless wastes of Kordofan for Obeid. On the 5th of November the army, misled by treacherous guides and thirst-stricken, was ambuscaded in dense forest at Kashgil, 30 m. south of Obeid. With the exception of some 300 men the whole force was killed. According to the story of Hicks’s cook, one of the survivors, the general was the last officer to fall, pierced by the spear of the khalifa Mahommed Sherif. After emptying his revolver, the pasha kept his assailants at bay for some time with his sword, a body of Baggara who fled before him being known afterwards as “Baggar Hicks” (the cows driven by Hicks), a play on the words baggara and baggar, the former being the herdsmen and the latter the cows. Hicks’s head was cut off and taken to the mahdi.
See Mahdiism and the Egyptian Sudan, book iv., by Sir F. R. Wingate (London, 1891), and With Hicks Pasha in the Soudan, by J. Colborne (London, 1884), Also Egypt: Military Operations.
HIDALGO, an inland state of Mexico, bounded N. by San
Luis Potosi and Vera Cruz, E. by Vera Cruz and Puebla, S. by Tlaxcala
and Mexico (state), and W. by Querétaro. Pop. (1895)
551,817, (1900) 605,051. Area, 8917 sq. m. The northern
and eastern parts are elevated and mountainous, culminating
in the Cerro de Navajas (10,528 ft.). A considerable area of
this region on the eastern side of the state is arid and semi-barren,
being part of the elevated tableland of Apam where
the maguey (American aloe) has been grown for centuries. The
southern and western parts of the state consist of rolling plains,
in the midst of which is the large lake of Metztitlan. Hidalgo
produces cereals in the more elevated districts, sugar, maguey,
coffee, beans, cotton and tobacco. Maguey is cultivated for
the production of pulque, the national drink. The chief industry,
however, is mining, the mineral districts of Pachuca, El Chico,
Real del Monte, San José del Oro, and Zimapán being among
the richest in Mexico. The mineral products include silver,
gold, mercury, copper, iron, lead, zinc, antimony, manganese
and plumbago. Coal, marble and opals are also found. Railway
facilities are afforded by a branch of the Vera Cruz and
Mexico line, which runs from Ometusco to Pachuca, the capital
of the state, and by the Mexican Central. Among the principal
towns are Tulancingo (pop. 9037), a rich mining centre 24 m.
E. of Pachuca, Ixmiquilpán (about 9000) with silver mines
80 m. N. by W. of the Federal Capital, and Actópan (2666),
the chief town of the district N.N.W. of Pachuca, inhabited
principally by Indians of the Othomies nation.
HIDALGO (a Spanish word, contracted from hijo d’algo
or hijo de algo, son of something, or somewhat), originally
a Spanish title of the lower nobility; the hidalgo being the
lowest grade of nobility which was entitled to use the prefix
“don.” The term is now used generally to denote one of
gentle birth. The Portuguese fidalgo has a similar history and
meaning.
HIDALGO Y COSTILLA, MIGUEL (1753–1811), Mexican
patriot, was born on the 8th of May 1753, on a farm at Corralejos,
near Guanajuato. His mother’s maiden name was Gallaga,
but contrary to the usual custom of the Spaniards he used only
the surname of his father, Cristobal Hidalgo y Costilla. He
was educated at Valladolid in Mexico, and was ordained priest
in 1779. Until 1809 he was known only as a man of pious life
who exerted himself to introduce various forms of industry,
including the cultivation of silk, among his parishioners at
Dolores. But Napoleon’s invasion of Spain in 1808 caused a
widespread commotion. The colonists were indisposed to
accept a French ruler and showed great zeal in proclaiming
Ferdinand VII. as king. The societies they formed for
their professedly loyal purpose were regarded, however,
by the Spanish authorities with suspicion as being designed
to prepare the independence of Mexico. Hidalgo and several
of his friends, among whom was Miguel Dominguez, mayor of
Querétaro, engaged in consultation and preparations which the
authorities considered treasonable. Dominguez was arrested,
but Hidalgo was warned in time. He collected some hundred
of his parishioners, and on the 16th of September 1810 they seized
the prison at Dolores. This action began what was in fact a
revolt against the Spanish and Creole elements of the population.
With what is known as the “grito” or cry of Dolores as their
rallying shout, a multitude gathered round Hidalgo, who took for
his banner a wonder-working picture of the Virgin belonging to a
popular shrine. At first he met with some success. A regiment
of dragoons of the militia joined him, and some small posts were
stormed. The whole tumultuous host moved on the city of
Mexico. But here the Spaniards and Creoles were concentrated.
Hidalgo lost heart and retreated. Many of his followers deserted,
and on the march to Querétaro he was attacked at Aculco
by General Felix Calleja on the 7th of November 1810, and routed.
He endeavoured to continue the struggle, and did succeed in
collecting a mob estimated at 100,000 about Guadalajara.
With this ill-armed and undisciplined crowd he took up a
position on the bridge of Calderon on the river Santiago. On
the 17th of January 1811 he was completely beaten by Calleja
and a small force of soldiers. Hidalgo was deposed by the other
leaders, and soon afterwards all of them were betrayed to the
Spaniards. They were tried at Chihuahua, and condemned.
Hidalgo was first degraded from the priesthood and then
shot as a rebel, on the 31st of July or the 1st of August
1811.
See H. H. Bancroft, The Pacific States, vol. vii., which contains a copious bibliography.
HIDDENITE, a green transparent variety of spodumene, (q.v.)
used as a gem-stone. It was discovered by William E. Hidden (b.
1853) about 1879 at Stonypoint, Alexander county, North Carolina,
and was at first taken for diopside. In 1881 J. Lawrence
Smith proved it to be spodumene, and named it. Hiddenite
occurs in small slender monoclinic crystals of prismatic habit,
often pitted on the surface. A well-marked prismatic cleavage
renders the mineral rather difficult to cut. Its colour passes
from an emerald green to a greenish-yellow, and is often unevenly
distributed through the stone. The mineral is dichroic in a
marked degree, and shows much “fire” when properly cut.
The composition of the mineral is represented by the formula
LiAl(SiO3)2, the green colour being probably due to the presence
of a small proportion of chromium. The presence of lithia
in this green mineral suggested the inappropriate name of
lithia emerald, by which it is sometimes known. Hiddenite
was originally found as loose crystals in the soil, but was afterwards
worked in a veinstone, where it occurred in association
with beryl, quartz, garnet, mica, rutile, &c.
