The weekly democratic statesman. [volume] (Austin, Tex.) 1871-1883, 1880-02-05
.he breastwoIk euIvlng 0a.w..a l.oa

the breastwork curvlng cutWsrd from
the main parspet.
Here the gun, placed in position and
pointing along the front of the line,
opened fire with grape, sweeping the
scarp and hurling the enemy to the
ditch with every discharge as ones
hands would sweep flies from q board.
The yells, shrieks and groans were
now frightful, many OF the wounded
Zalus being doubtless buried alive Ia
the ditch beneath the bodies Of those
continually falling frcm the parapcl.
But they never desisted with secm-
ing contempt for death, fresh swarms
promptly took the place Of those anns-
hilated. Savage yells were now anz-
wered by the Anglo-Saxon cheer, ns
the soldiers, hitherto animated by dis
cipIine and jealous discharge ol
duty, perceiving that their position
was impregnable, gave way to the
burning feeling OF revenge. Notwilh-
standing the high order Of their train
ing, they were but men after all, end
it was not to be wondered at II they in
dulged in shouts of dension as fheq
foiled every attempt of those who the
day previously had butchered their
comrades.
The audscity OF the Zulus was un-
exampled. OCCASIONALLY one or moro
who would dash unscathed through
the tempest of missiles, would struggle
upward, and, seizing the end OF rifle.
attempt to wrest it from the clutch Of
Its owner, and hang on with desperate
tenaclty, only desisting after receiving
deadly bsyonet thrust from the de-
tenders right-hand man.
Thus the conflict ragged through tho
night. There were two conditions
which caused the extraordinary pro-
longation of this fight. Flrst-the
large number of the enemy, which en-
abled them to persistently renew the
attack as often as they were repulsed
and, second, the possession, on the part
of the garrison, OF large amount OF
reserve ammunition, which enabled
them to meet each attack with q well
sustained, vigorous FIRE. Else, how
could the little force of 100 men hopo
to have successfully resisted 5000 zu-
lus Chat is the number computed)s
Had it been otherwise, as at Isandufa,
they would have been slaughtered TO
man.
But all things must have an end.
As is the custom Of troops Of moro civ
ilized nations, the Zulus chose the
''darkest hour before the dawn for
their last and greatest effort. As usual.
they stole and cr9pt forward, but as
soon as the freballs performed their
Office they started up boldly, and IN
column of surprising density threw
themselves against the defenses. The
artillery thundered, aud the email arms
ratified like the close s'roll'' on drum.
Upward they mounted. only TO be dash
ed back again. The entilRding pnn
again did its work. The ditch was
now chocke-full of dead and the glacis
literally paved with the same, but the
supply for Deaths harvest seemed in
exhaustible; and, as crowding forward
counterscarp, the engineer officer.
deeming the opportune moment had
arrived, applied the electric cur
rent and sprang the = iassfl
report, louder than 5cr8
combined, shook the earth l-e,fFed
by an upheaval that for few minutes
filed the air with a flying macs Of
debris and mangled remains. The
smoke, Joined to the ''sulphuroua
canopy" already overhanging the eccnc
of carnage, rendered the atmosphere
impenetrable to human gaze but
when this was rapidly waited aside by
the rising wind OF the morning, spec
tacle was revealed which whs truly
appalling. The whole of the open
space was filed with q mass Of dead
and dying Zulus, while OF those who
had escaped unharmed, none were ~
close proximity, but were to be seen.
in the distance, making all sped
ward the river. In the courRo ~
twenty minutes the bush had hidden
from view the last Zulu combstsnf.
The .Jougasse gave the comp dc esace to
the enemy.
Standing on the parapet, the gafri-
son INDUCED in three exultant cheers
and then reaction of feeling onssied
which unbent the high-etrupg dotesnii-
nation to which each mind bad been
wrought during the eventful night.
Rough, hard men could be aeen n
tears as they wrung each others hende =
and their admiration for their oilicefe,
and especially the engineer, knew M
bounds. Another cause for gratitude
to Divine Providence was the fact
(strange as it may seem) that, with the
exception of a few bruises and
scratches, no one was hurt, none
killed.
The loss OF the enemy, however. was
found to be enormous. One thousand
were killed outright, and the number
OF wounded was very great.
BY direction OF the commanding efIi-
Ger, Ksllula questioned one Of the lat
ter, and learned from him that the
Znla force numbered 5000 men; that
they expected to give the English sol
diers to the crows, and would have
done so bad not the Evil Spirit fthc
fougdsse) taken the part Of the soldiers.
= Boston Commercial Bulletin.