Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1894-01-18
DIED LIKE CUSTER'S PARTY.
Caot. Wilson'S Command Slaughtered by
Matabelas After a DESPERATE Fight.


CAFE TowS, Jan. 13.-Details OF the
massacre of Capt. Wilson's party by the
Matabelcs were received here to-day.
The news from Buluwayo shows that
Capt. Wilson and bis men made des-
perate resistance and died CALAMITY,
fighting to the last. Natives who ar
rived there in order to surrender TIER
arms and make terms with the British
commander admit that they were pres
emit when the Wilson detachment was
destroyed.
Capt. Wilson, who vas in pursuit of
King Lobe ngula, suddenly came upon a
strong detachment of Matabeles, head
ed by the King himself. The latter WAS
able to mount horse and lily before the
British advance. But when the intor-
nation was conveyed TO the King that
the Wilson party was few IN number,
come reports placing the detachment us
only 40 British troopers and 100 or so
iauxiIiaries, the King managed to get
the Matabees to make Il stand and pre-
pare to take the small British force
in . trap. 1nstructlng the cen
ter of his force TO continue re-
treating before the British troop
.ers, who were pressing their horses
onward through the Matabele ranks IN
the hope of capturing the King, the
right and left TANKS ,Of the Matabefe
impis were instructed to 'depIoy to the
right and to the left and to gradually
converge inward 80 as to take the Brit
ish force on both tlanks and in the rear.
The British troopers, under the impress
sion that the Matabele power was en-
tirely broken, pressed onward after the
King, Keeping up running ire upon
the rctreating Matabeles, which at
'tracted the attention of ,apt. Wilson
from the Vancouver which the King
had planned.
liz the meantime the mounted por-
ton of Capt. Wilson's force had be-
come separated from the native auxlll-
aries who were on foot and formed the
rear guard of the small force. When
King Lobengula saw that the British
were surrounded on three sides he
made stand upon some high ground,
and at the same time the Matabeles on
the TANKS began moving lnwards and
the fate of the British detachment
was sealed. When it was too late
Capt Wilson saw the trap into
which he had fallen, owing to his over
confidence and to the impulsive desire
of the troopers to capture King Loben-
gula. llurriedly having the halt
sounded, Capt Wilson gathered his
men together and prepared to retreat
upon the dismountcd portion of his
command, in hope eff being able to make
Il stand against the enemy or, failing IN
this, to sell their lives as dearly as pos
slble.
1t was too late to avert complete de-
feat and the fire of the Matabeles soon
became so CALLING that the British force
was compelled TO halt, as their horses
were being shot under them and moth
ing but death or surrender was before
them They began gallant fight TO the
death. From behind their dead horses
the British troopers kept up a contin-
ual fire from their carbines upon the
steadily advancing Matabeles, and
when the carbines were no
longer of use, owing to the
proximity of the savage enemy, they
drew their revolvers and awaited the
last .ush of the natives. 1t was not
long delayed, and then followed brief
hand to hand conflict, during which
sword and revolver met assegai and
club only to be swept down beneath the
onward rush of overwhelming numbers.
And thus, beneath a shower of assegais,
the troopers, fighting gallantly to the
last and firing even when upon their
knees and dying, met death.
During the latter part of the stand
beles, not Il man of the British force
was unwounued and some of them had
received ut least q dozen wounds. AT
ter all resistance had been overcome,
the triumphant natives stripped the
troopers OF every shred of clothing and
mutilated the bodies in q horrible man
ner.
Capt Wilson'S force, outside Of ma
tiVcs, is now said TO have numbered
IL I,.,i, 4, ,t,l
ed them variously estimated at | 1000
to 1000 The Wilson party included
Capts Fitzgerald, Judd, Greenfield,
HINTON and BARROW and Leuts Hughes
and Hotilueier. Among the troopers
under the command of these officers
were a lot of youngsters belonging to
some of the best families in England,
who had enlisted as troopers in
order to get their first taste
of campaigning. These young men
included among their number the son
of Sir Julius Nogel, formerly the agent
general for New Zealand in london.
All reports confirm the statements that
the young troopers made the most gall
ant defense, keeping the avages at bay
for a com paratiyely long time owing TO
their excellent craftsmanship and the
gallant manner i'll which they faced the
enemy though wounded time and again.
The reports add that every man among
them had one or more wounds ana that
the Matabe,es were unable to sweep
over them until nearly every cartridge
was exhausted and the whole party WAS
weak from loss of blood.