Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1881-03-16
the RECENT RATTLE BE.
TWEEN THE BOERS AND
THE BRI1ISH.
THE LATTER DRIVEN FROM A POSITION
1900 FEET ABOVE THE CAMP or the
DuTcH-DETAILs ny A PARTIoi
PANr-Tng USE or THE DAY.
oNEr IN CLOSE QUARTERS,


column last night amounted to GOO
men all told, belonging TO the Fifty. /
eighth, Sixtioth and Ninety.second
regiments and Naval brigade. The
night was dark, and the march across
the unknown country was toilsome in
the extreme. We first made our way
over comparatively level ground to the
foot Of the main range Of hills, but
there our difficulties began, In many
cases the ascent was absolutely pre-.
cipitous, and wherever there was u
footing for troops huge powders and
loose stones rolled down when touched. |
The troops carried their arms, eighty
rounds Of ammunition, water bottles
and three days provisions, making
progress dreadful, daylight breaking
when wo approached the hill, which
was the object ofthe expedition, Start.
ing at 10, we were six hours in accom-
plshing what, as tho crow flies, Is
little over four miles ID the summit Of
the eminence, from which wo looked
down upon long line Of Bocr in.
trenchments, stretching from Il point
Immediately below us to Buffalo river
SO far our success was completely clear
Our occupation of the bill rendered
the Boer position absolutely untenablc
as we took their whole intrenchments
in. Our own camp, although miles
away, looked quite close, for wo were
at an elevation of $500 feet above ii.
The enemy's principal laager was
about two thousand yards away. The
position secured was undoubtedly one
Of immense natural strength on the
summit was a plateau, so that all the
troops not actually engaged in repell-
ing assaults, could lie down perfectly
secure from the fire below. For an
hour the greater part of the troops
rested, II portion, however, helping the
sailors, who had not, so far, been able
TO get the Gatling gun up the hill. AT
sunrise the Beers were to be seen
moving in their lines, but il was not
until nearly an hour later that q party,
mounted, were seen strolling out to.
ward the hill, upon which they evi.
IDENTITY intended to take a stand As
they approached, our outlying pickots
fired upon them, and our presence was
for the first time discovered
THE SOUND OF OUR GUNS
was heard at the Dutch lager, and the
whole scene changed as it by magic,
In place Of few scattered figures,
there appeared on the scene swarms
of men, rushing hither and thither /;
some rushed to their horses, and others
to their wagons, and the work Of
yoking oxen and preparing for an in.
slant retreat began Ut once. When
the first panic abated il could be seen
some person in authority had taken
command; o great number Of Beers
began to move forward with tho evi-
dent intention Of attacking us The
work OF preparing for retreat, in case
of necessity still went on, and contin-
ued until all the wagons were inspannod
and ready to move away some, in.
deed began to wiihdrawatonc AT 7
THE BoERs OPENED FIRE,
and bullets whistled thickly over the
. plateau. Tho men were all perfectly
cool and confident, / do not think the
possibility of the position being carried
by storm occurred to any one. From
Z to II the Beers, who were lying all
aronud the hill, maintained a constant
I fire Their shooting was wonderfully
accurate the stones, behind which our
men in the front line were lying, were
a 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
r themselves to take an occasional shot,
!. and accurate as was the enemys shoot
ing up to II o'clock we had but five
3 casualties. Commander Romilley was
dangerously wounded be was stand.
= ing close to Gen. Coley, Twenty men
c of the regiment, under Lieut.. Hamil-
!. lon, held the point which was most
4 threatened by the Beers. Nothing
! could exceed the steadiness of these
! Highlanders they kept well under
cover, and, although they fred but
seldom, they killed eight or ten of the
+ Beers who showed themselves from
d behind cover. So far our position ap-
r pears perfectly safe Tho Beers had
=. indeed, got
BEHIND US AND OUR CAMP,
3 but we had three days provisions and
could hold out until re endorsements
came up. Our casulties were, with the
$ exception of that of Commander Rom.
s iley, few and unimportant and all were
s perfectly confident Of the result From
4 IL to ~ the enemy's fire continued as
hot, but as harmless as before. Be
tween l2 and / it slackened, and il
n seemed as if the Beers were drawing
q off This, however, was not the case
= The enemy had been, as was after
- wards learned, very strongly re.Iniorc
e ing their fighting line in preparation
Il for an assault. Shortly after O'Clock
!. aterrifc FIRE suddenly broke forth from
4 the right lower slopes Of the hill, the
side on which the firing had all along
. been the heaviest. A tremendous rusl
II wassimultaneously made by the enemy
n Our advanced line was at once nearly
Is all shot down or driven back upon oul
main portion. This position may b,
described as an oblong basin on top o.
Il the hill it was about 200 yards lonl
!, by fifty broad, Our whole force now
~ lined the rim of the basin, and
y FIXED BAYoNErs
= to ropel the assailants. The Beers
u with shouts Of triumph, swarmed NJ
10 the side of the hill, and made sovcra
/. desperate attempts to carry the posi-
~ tion with q rush each time, however
they were driven back with the bayo
10 nets. After each charge, the firing
which nearly ceased during tho melee
p broke ont with renewed violence, ant
u the air above us seemed alive will
a. bullets. The troops did their duty vel
d and steadily, and, trying as was tn,
v occasion, fought with great GOODNESS
d encouraged by their officers. At las
the Boers, who had gathered near th,
= edge Of the slope, made tromendou
d rush at point beyond that at whicl
10 they had before been attacking, ant
where the number OF defenders wa
comparatively small they burs
r. through tho defenders and poured il
n over the edge, and our position wa
), lost The main line OF our defenders
" with their flank turned and taken II
u the reverse, made rush along th
b. plateau to endeavor to form and rally
o but it was useless. With fierce shout
a.I a ata.... - l..llo..