The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1881-03-05 00:00:00

THE WAR IN THE TRANSVAAL.

DEFEAT OF THE BRITISH TROOPS.

The following official telegram was received at the
War Office on Sunday :
From Colonel Bond, 58th Regiment, commanding
Mount Prospect, Natal, dated 27th, 4.55 p.m. :

"Last night Sir G. P. Colley with Staff, consisting
of Lieutenant-Colonel Stewart, A.M.S., and Major
Fraser, R.E., .proceeded with twenty officers and
627 men 58th Regiment, 3rd Battalion 60th, 92nd,
and Naval Brigade to occupy the Majuba mountain,
overlodking the enemy's position.
"The Boers attacked about seven a.m., and satis-
factory reports were signalled from the General, and
telegraphed to you up to 11 a.m. About one the firing
increased, and at 1.30 p.m. it was evident from the
camp that a sudden change had occurred in the posi-
tion of affairs. Great confusion was observed on the
hill, but owing to the distance from camp it was not at
first possible to determine whether the enemy or our
men were retiring. At 2.20, however, it was only too
clear that we had lost the hill, and that our men were
retiring under a heavy fire.
"I have to report with deepest regret, I fear, from
information I have obtained, that there is no doubt
Major-General Sir G. Colley is among the killed, but
at present, as the enemy is still in the vicinity of the
camp, I have not obtained certain proof. lam now
sending to the field of action for the purpose of re-
moving the wounded and burying the dead, and will
communicate full particulars as soon as possible."

From. Sir E. Wood, Piet6rnutritzburg.
Feb. 27, 13.30 p.m.
"Colley occupied Majuba Mountain last night.
Stewart and Fraser, R.E., 20 officers, 600 men of khe
58th, 3rd-60th, 92nd, and some Naval Bride v,i%s
R attacked at 7 a.m. epulsed attacks till 2.30, when
our people were driven back and are retreating,
losing heavily. Essex telegraphs from Mount
Prospect there is no doubt Sir George is among the
killed, and Colonel Bond corrobrates.
"I shall go back to Newcastle to-morrow."

THE STORMING OF MAJUBA HILL
DESCRIBED.

The Standard of Tuesday published the following
graphic description of the disastrous engagement at
Majuba Hill. The account was sent by their Special
Correspondent, who, it will be seen, was taken pri-
soner by the Boers, but liberated with a pass in order
that he might procure assistance from the camp for the
wounded :

PRosinicT Him, Monday, 6.30 a.m.
Eight p.m. Sanday.—l have just returned to camp,
having escaped almost by a miracle from the fate which has
befallen a great portion of the force which left the camp
last night.

The -strength of the column amounted to about six
hundred, all told, belonging to the 58th, 60th, 92nd, and
Naval Brigade.

-
The night was dark, and the march, across an unknown
country, toilsome in the extreme. We first made our way
over the comparatively level ground to the foot of the
main range of hills, but there our difficulties began.
In many cases the ascents were absolutely precipitous;
and wherever there was footing for them huge boulders and
loose stones, which rolled down when touched, covered the
ground. When, after immense labour and no alight danger,
we reached the top, it was only to find that after a short
time we had to descend again. Our native guide kept
steadily forward; had it not been for him we should never
have reached our destination.

The task would have been exhausting for an unencumbered
man, but to troops carrying their arms, eighty rounds of am-
munition, water bottles, and three day's provision, it was
painful in the extreme.

Daylight was breaking when we approached the hill which
was the object of our expedition. We had started at ten
o'clock, and had been more than six hours in accomplishing
a distance which, as the crow flies, was little over four miles.
We had, of course, made a great detour, so as to reach the
position from its rear, and so avoid giving the alarm to any
outlying posts the Boers might have thrown out in front of
their line of position.
- -

At a commanding point on the hill we left two hundred
of our force to keep open oar communication with the
camp. They were ordered to set about entrenching them-
selves at once.

When we gained the summit of the eminence we looked
down upon the long line of Boer entrenchments, stretching
from a point immediately below us to the Buffalo River.
So far our success had been complete. It was clear that
our occupation of the hill rendered the Boer position abso-
lutely untenable, as we took their whole entrenchments in
reverse.

Our own camp, although four miles away, looked quite
close, for we were at an elevation of two thousand live hun-
dred feet above it.

The enemy's principal laager was about two thousand
yards away.
The position we had secured was undoubtedly one of
immense natural strength. On the summit was a plateau,
so that all the troops not actually engaged in repelling
assaults could lie down perfectly secure from fire from
below.

For an hour the reater part of the trops rested, a por-
tion, however, helping the sailors, who lxa7i not, so far, been
able to get the Gatling gun up the hill.

At sunrise the Boers 'were to be seen moving in their
lines, but it was not until nearly an hour later that a party
of mounted videttes were seen trotting out towards the hill,
upon which they evidently intended to take their stand.

As they approached, our outlying pickets fired upon them,
and our presence was for the first time discovered.

The sound of our guns was heard at the Dutch laager, and
the whole scene changed as if by magic. In place of a few
scattered figures, there appeared on the scene swarms of
men rushing hither and thither, some rushed to cheir horses,
others to th.l waggons, and the work of inspanning the oxen
and preparing for an instant retreat began at once.
When the first panic abated it could be seen that some
person in authority had taken the command. The greater
portion of the Boers began to move forward with the evi-
dent intention of attacking us, but the work of preparing
for a retreat in case of necessity still went on, and con-
tinued until all the waggons were inspanned and ready to
move away; some, indeed, at once began to withdraw.
At about seven o'clock the Boers opened fire, and the
bullets whistled thickly over the plateau. The men were
all perfectly cool and confident, and I do not think that
the possibility of the position being carried by storm
occurred to any one.

From seven to eleven the Boers lying all round the hill
maintained a constant tire. Their shooting was wonderfully
accurate. The stones behind which our men in the front
line were lying, were hit by almost every shot.

Opposed to such shooting as this, there was no need to
impress upon the men to keep well under cover. They only
showed to take an occasional shot; and, accurate as was
the enemy's shooting, up to eleven o'clock we had but five
casualties.

Commander Romilly was dangerously wounded as he was
standing close to General Colley; he was struck by a ball
fired from.a long distance, as he was out of the line of fire
from the Boers below. Four of the 92nd were slightly
wounded.

Twenty teen of this regiment, ander Lieutenant Hamilton,
held the point wilich was most threatened by the Boers.
Nothing conld exceed the steadiness of these Highlanders.
They kept well under cover, and, although they fired but
seldom, they killed eight or ten of the Boers who showed
themselves from behind cover.
So far, our position appeared perfectly safe. The Boers
had, indeed, got between us and the camp; but we had
three days' provisions, and could hold out until the rein-
forcements came up. Our casualties were, with the excep-
tion of that of Commander Remilly, few and unimportant,
and all were perfectly confident of the result.

_
From eleven to twelve the enemy's fire continued as hot
but as harmless as before; between twelve and one it
slackened, and it seemed as if the Boers were drawing off.
This, however, was not the case. The enemy had been, as
we afterwards learned, very strongly reinforcing his fighting
line, in preparation for an assault; and shortly after one
o'clock a terrific fire suddenly broke forth from the right
lower slopes of the hill, the side on which the firing had all
along been heaviest.
A tremendous rush was simultaneously made by the
enemy.

Our advanced line was at once nearly all shot or driven
back upon our main position.

This positioa may be described as an oblong basin on the
top of the hill. It was about two hundred yards long by
fifty broad.

Our whole force now lined the rim of the basin, and fixed
bayonets to repel the assailants.

The Boers with shouts of triumph swarmed up the sides
of the hill and made several desperate attempts to carry the
position with a rush ; each time, however; they were driven
back with the bayonet.

After each charge the firing, which nearly ceased during
the melee, broke out with renewed violence, and the air
above us seemed alive with bullets.

The troops did their duty well and steadily, and trying as
was the occasion, fought with great coolness, encouraged by
their officers.

At last the Boers, who had gathered near the edge of the
slope, made a tremendous rush at a point beyond that at
which they had before been attacking, and where the
numbers of the defenders were comparatively smalL

They burst through the defenders, poured in over the edge
of the basin, and our position was lost.
The main line of our defenders, their flank turned, and
taken in reverse, made a rush along the plateau to endeavour
to form and rally, but it was useless.
With fierce shouts and a storm of bullets the Boers poured
In. There was a wild rush with the Boers close behind ;
the roar of fire, the whistling of the bullets, the yells a the
enemy, made up a din which seemed infernal. All round,
men were falling; there was no resistance, no halt—it was a
flight for life. At this moment I was knocked down by the
rush and trampled on, and when I came to my senses the
Boers were firing over me at the retreating troops, who were
moving down the hill.

Upon trying to rise I was taken prisoner, and led away.
On the hill I found the body of General Colley shot through
the head. I also saw Captain Singleton, of the 92nd, severely
wounded: Lieutenant Hamilton, 92nd, slightly; Dr. Lanton,
severely; Captain Morris, severely; aud Millar also severely.
Captain Mande was killed; Lieutenant Macdonald, of.the
92nd, was a prisoner.
What others uere killed, wounded, or taken prisoners I
cannot as yet say, but fear that our loss both in officers and
men is very severe.

gany are still missing, but probably some may turn up
during the night, having hid themselves in the brushwood
on the hills till the darkness fell.
After a conversation with the Boer General I induced him
to grant me a pass to come into the camp and bring out
succour for the wounded. They were lying thickly both on
the plateau and everywhere on the descent of the hill.
The Boers were very civil. They took, it was true, a few
articles I had about sue; but no troops in the world could,
on the whole, have behaved better as victors.
Talking with me they ascribed their victories not to
their arms or bravery, but to the rightsousness of their

cause.
As to the completeness of their victory there can be no
question. They carried by sheer fighting a position which
the General himself considered to be, defended by the force
at his command, impregnable. Even now I can hardly
understand how it was done—so sudden was the rush, so
instantaneous the change fzum what we regarded as perfect
safety to imminent peril.
Up to the moment when they made this rush they had
effected no progress whatever ; a few only of our men had
been engaged : the casualities were trifling in the extreme.
A few minutes later they held the crest of the hill, and
our men were defending the natural basin iu which they had
been lying in apparent security.
It cannot be denied that the capture of Majube Hill
Is an exploit of which any troops in the world might be
proud.

The Standard of Wednesday published another telegram
from their Correspondent from Prospect Hill. He said he
was about to return to the Boer Camp he having only been
released on parole to procure medical assistance for the
wounded. He ga,ve further particulars of the fighting, and
made some remarks on the causes which led to the defeat.

While at the Boer Camp the Correspondent had an inter-
view with Jonbert, with whom he conversed for some time,
and who explained to him the views which the people of the
Transvaal entertained as regards this war. Joubert said—
" England was fighting now for honour and for domination;
the Boers for liberty, for which they were prepared to die.
The God of Battles was with them. 'their total loss in the
capture of the strong position of the Majnba and the rout of
the British troops was, be said, only one killed and five
wounded."—The Correspondent added that the statement as
to the Boer loss appeared to him to be scarcely credible.

The Special Correspondent of the Daily Telegraph,
under date Mount Prospect, Feb. 28 (7.15 a.m.) says:—

I have just returned from the battle field.
We found a large number of our wounded men lying upon
the mountain side. A farmhouse was being used as a
hospital,
-

Sir George Colley was shot immediately before the close
of the engagement, while giving the order, "Cease firing."
A bullet struck him full in the forehead. The General's
helmet has been brought to the camp. His body is supposed
to be still lying where he fell.
No trustworthy intelligence of the Staff officers is yet to
hand. Up to the present time none of them have returned
to this camp.

Rain is now falling heavily, and it has been doing so for,
some hours.
The sufferings of the wounded lying on the ground all
this time—from Sunday afternoon—have been something
altogether indescribable.
I met Major Hay on the field. He had been shot through
the leg and arm. He was subsequently got into the camp,
but with great difficulty.
Our loss in yesterday's engagement must have been very
heavy indeed. The small numbers who have come back is
proof of the extent of the disaster. I reckon that there
must have been at least 300 killed and wounded. Our
officers consider that the Boer losses were in comparison
Our men behaved gallantly, but the enemy outnumbered
them on all hands, and fired into them with deadly pre-
cision. In the end the fight was turned into a rout.

Captain Hornby, of the 58th, is dead. At present I cannot
ascertain any certain tidings of the other officers.
I have no fear that the Boers will attack this camp.

DURBAN, Feb. 28.
Great excitement prevails here and at Pietermaritz-
burg.

The vessels in the harbour are flying their flags half-mast
high for General Colley.
Sir Evelyn Wood proceeded to the front from Maritzburg
last night, to take command of the troops.

Lieutenant Maude, Vfiffal Engineers, and Captain Morris
58th Regiment, were killed during the engagement yester-
day. Captain Singleton, 92nd Regiment, was severely
wounded, Second Lieutenants Lucy and Hill, 58th Regiment,
and*Say (?) are reported as missing.

The following items are gathered from other sources,
under date Mount Prospect, March 1 :

Sir George Colley's body was brought into camp this
morning, and formally identified. The corpse will be buried
here in a few hours with military honours. It is thought
this will be but a temporary measure, and that hereafter
the remains will be removed to Pietermaritzburg.
The Boers are treating all prisoners with every respect,
and when gathering round General Colley's body they re-
moved their hats.

When last seen. General Colley and Staff were standing
on the hill, surrounded by Boers, using revolvers. The
whole of the Boer army divided into three columns and at-
tacked the British.

Two guns accompanied the troops on Saturday night, but
the hill was too steep, and they were sent back.

Under date Mount Prospect, March 2 :

Major Fraser has suffered great privations, having been
forty-eight hours without food, and having lost his way
repeatedly in the mist. Although much bruised he is un•
wounded.

The burying party have come in from Majuba Hill, having
interred upwards of 80 of our dead. Parties are bringing in
the wounded.

DURBAN, Monday Evening.
The whole town is in mourning for General Colley and his
comrades. The General was most highly esteemed and re-
spected, and his death is considered a great loss to the
colonists.

General Sir Evelyn Wood, before leaving Maritz-
burg, was sworn in as Governor of the Colony—a
position naturally devolving upon him as senior officer
in command. His assumption of office will give
general satisfaction, great confidence being reposed in
him.