The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1881-02-12 00:00:00

THE WAR IN THE TRANSVAAL.

The Times of the 7th published a telegram from Durban,
under date Feb. 6, which gives some additional particulars
of the fighting at Lang's Neck, from which we take the fol-
lowing :
Sir George P. Colley was aware of the great strength
of the Boer position, Major Poole having reconnoitred
it at night. The artillery on the right advance shelled
the camp for three-quarters of an hour, the Boers not
firing. It was then thought possible to take a position
500 yards on this side at the point of the bayonet.
A mounted squadron of 70 men was ordered to carry
the height on the extreme right. Under Major
Brownlow and Captain Hornby, they rode close up
to the kopje, and in about five seconds half of their
saddles were empty. Troop Serjeant-Major Lunny
actually got into the Boer trenches, but there was
shot dead by half-a-dozen rifles. The squadron then
retired, reformed, and charged again up the hill, but
nothing could live under the fire they met with, and
they fell back with a loss of 17 killed and wounded,
and thirty-two horses killed, wounded, and missing.
By the time the cavalry were in retreat, the 58th Regi-
ment was attacking the hill. The first rush up the in-
cline made the men blow hard, the grass being long
and the ground wet. After two minutes' rest they
went on to a slight ridge between them and their goal.
No sooner were their heads seen above this ridge,
before they had time to deploy, and while they were
rather crowded together, than the front companies
received terrific volley, and were also enfiladed
on the right flank. After about five minutes of
this tire, our men returning it as best they could,
Oolonel Deane called for a charge. Immediately
his horse was shot under him, and he fell. Springing
to his feet, he reassured his men by shouting, "I
am all right." The words were hardly uttered when
he fell, mortally wounded. Major Hingeston, who,
with the other officers, had kept in the- front, cheering
the men on their desperate task, then took command,
and ordered the men to fix bayonets. He was in-
stantly shot down, and has since died. The Boers at
this time keTt well in their trenches. Our men were
lying on the ground, taking a shot whenever an oppo-
nent was seen, but when they uprose to charge the
fire poured in upon them is described by all as terrible.
Before the final charge our men were lying down within
twenty yards of the trenches, but their fire was neces-
sarily less destructive. Here Major Poole and Lieutenant
Dolphin were killed, their bodies being found lying
well in front of the men. Captain Lovegrove was
seriously wounded, while nearly all the non-commis-
sioned officers were killed or seriously wounded._

The survivors say that they positively saw coloured
men armed and fighting in the Boer lines. These were
probably wagon-drivers.
The only officers who came out of the fight were
Captain Loliegrave and Lieutenants Jopp, Bolton,
blonck, and O'Donel, wounded; Lieutenants Morgan,
Hill, Peel, and Lucy, and Quarter-master Wallace.
Captain Hornby now commands the 58th Regi-
ment.
Out of five staff officers, only Major Essex, who,
escaped at Isandlana, re-appeared.
Lieutenant Baillie, who carried the colours' being
mortally wounded, Lieutenant Peel offered to help
him. "Never mind me; save the colours ! " was his
reply. Lieutenant Peel then took both colours, but,
falling into a hole, Sergeant Brendstock, thinking him
to be shot, seized the colours and bore them ont of
danger.
The enemy took the boots, leggings, and accoutre-
ments off all our men who fell.
When the retreat lat,gtn the Boers showed them-
selves, keeping up a constant fusillade. Our shells
now did good service, preventing the Boers from
following up. The practice was splendid, the shells
dropping oaaly 10 or 15 yards in the rear of our troops.
On reaching the foot of the hill the remains of the
regiment refilled their pouches and reformed, prepared
if ordered, to storm again. This Sir George P.
Colley deemed it to be imprudent to attempt.
Our men who have met the Boers in the field say
that there are two classes, one being insolent, while
others deplore the loss of life, but say that they must
defend their country. .

Private Brennan bayonetted a Boer who was shoot-
ing at a wounded soldior, who was calling out for
mercy.
It is the universal opinion that the next attack on
tke Neck will be desperately resisted and the position
cannot be taken without a great loss of life. The
Boers' bravery excited the surprise of even their own
countrymen. As they are sportsmen from childhood,
their fire is deadly.

The following telegram was received at the War Office
on Saturday from the General Officer commanding Natal
and Trausvaal
sth February, 1881.
"News received from Lanyan, Pretoria to 23rd
January. Town abandoned; nearly 5,006 persons
collected in intrenched laager under protection of
Fort. Supplies on hand for several months.
"Garrison augmented by volunteers, ample. Boers
in laager all round at average distance eight miles;
successful sortie on 16th; Boers deferited with loss.
Surrender of Lydenberg garrison contradicted.
"Reported that Lydenberg and Rustenberg Forts
have been unsuccessfully attacked; forts well pro-
visioned, and soldiers reinforced by local help.
" Maraba9tadt not attacked; but well prepared
and provisioned; natives loyal, but being cruelly
treated."

The following telegram has been sent from the War
Office for publication
From the General Officer Commanding, Natal and Transvaal,
to the Secretary of State for War :

"6th FEBRUARY, 1881.
"Wounded at Laing's Nek going on as favourably as can
be expected.
"Twenty-three wounded arrived at Newcastle, doing
well."

The following telegram from Sir Hercules Robinson to
the Secretary of State has been receivea at the Colonial
Office :

" sth February, 5.20 p.m.—Commissioner, Kimberley, tele-
graphs has been requested by Lanyon to forward following
message to you
' Pretoria, 10th January. All well here; though
hemmed in on all sides we are secure and well provisioned.
By last accounts all our forts were the same. Troops at-
tacked Boer laager twelve miles hence on 6th; laager taken
with heavy loss to enemy Our loss heavy, in consequence
of treacherous conduct of Boers, who, after hoisting white
flag, fired upon our men on two occasions when they left
cover. Colonel Gildea and orderly, both bearing white flags,
were fired upon when within sixty yards of laager; both
escaped. This is the third time that treacherous use has
been made of white flag. Boers inciting natives to rise, but
all Chiefs are loyal, and have offered to send armed assist-
tance ; this has, of course, been refused. Some nativeshave
been wantonly murdered. Numbers of loyal people have
been forced to join Boers' camp. On every occasion Boers
fired on our men.'

"Commissioner Adds, despatches brought by same
messenger, 'who left^ Pretoria 23rd January, forwarded by
post."

It is officially announced at the Hague that the
neutrality of the Dutch Red Cross Society will be
recognised by the British authorities at the Cape,
who will also do all in their power to assist the work
atending the wounded of both belligerents. •

A telegram from the Premier at the Cape states
that the rebel chiefs in Basutoland have sent a peti-
tion to the Governor asking for peace. The reply was
that if they lay down their arms and submit to the
authority of the Government, they may expect not
only justice but generosity.

CAPTAIN LAMBART'S OFFICIAL REPORT
The following is Captain Lambart's official report of his
experiences in company with the late Captain Elliot :

"Imperial Hotel, Maritzburg, Jan. b, 1881.
"To the Military Secretary to H. E. Sir George Pomeroy
Colley, K.C.5.1., (U.

" Sir,—l have the honour to report for the infor-
mation of His Excellency that as I was returning
from the Orange Free State on Dec. 18 (where I have
been on duty buying horses to mount Commandant
Ferreira's men for the Basuto war and also remounts
for my troop of mounted infantry an the Royal
Artillery), when about 30 miles from Pretoria on the
road from Heidelberg, I was suddenly taken prisoner
by a party of 20 or 30 Boers' who galloped down on me
all round, and captured the horses. I was taken back
to Heidelburg. After being there some six or seven
days I was joined by Captain and Paymaster Elliott,
94th Regiment (the only officer not wounded in the
attack on the detachment of the 94th Regiment) who
arrived with some 40 prisoners of war of the 94th Regi-
ment. On the following day, the 24th of December,
we received a communication from the Secretary to the
Republican Government to the effect that the members
of the said Government would call on us at 3.30 that
day, which they did, the purport of their interview
being " That at a meeting of Council they had decided
to give us one of two alternatives, to remain prisoners
of war during hostilities in the Transvaal, or to be re-
leased on our parole d'honcur that we would leave the
Transvaal at onoe, cross into the Free State under
escort, and not bear arms against the Government dur-
ing the war, time being given us for deliberation.
Captain Elliot and myself desired to accept
No. 2 alternative, and communicated the same
to the Secretary of the South African Re-
public, who informed us in the presence of the Com-
mandant-General P. Joubert that we could leave
next day, taking with us all our private property.
The following days being respectively Christmas Day
and Sunday, we were informed that we could not start
till Monday, on which day, having signed our parole
d'honneur, my horse S were harnessed and we were
provided with a duplicate of our wrote, or free pass,
signed by.the Commandant-General, and an escort of
two men to show us the road to the nearest drift over
the Vaal river, distant twenty-five miles, and by
which P. Joubert personally told us both we should
cross, as there was a pont there.
"We started at about one p.m. from the Boer
camp, passing through the town of Heidelberg. After
going about six to eight miles, I noticed we were not
going the right road anti mentioned the fact to the
escort, who said it was all right. Having been 'look-
out ' officer in the Transvaal, I knew the district well.
I was certain we were going wrong, but we had to
obey orders. At nightfall we found ourselves near
the river drift and were ordered to outspan for the
night, and next morning the escort told us they would
look for the drift. Inspanning at daybreak, we again
started, but after driving about for some hours across
country, I told the escort we would stop where
we were while they went to search for the drift.
Shortly after they returned and said they had
found it and we must come, which we did, eventually
arriving at the junction of two rivers (Vaal and
Klip), where we found the river Vail impassable, .but
a small pont, capable of only holding two passengers
at most, by which they said We must cross. I pointed
out it was impossible to get my carriage or horses over
by it, and that it was not the pont the General said we
were to cross. The escort replied it was Pretorius
pont; that the General told them to take us, and we
must cross ; that we must leave the carriage behind and
swim the horses, which we refused to do, as we should
then have had no means of getting on. I asked them to
show me their written instructions, which they did-
(written in Dutch), and I pointed out that the
.name
of Pretorius was not in it. I then told them they
must either take us back to the Boer camp again or