Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1894-01-17
DIED LIKE CUSTER'S PARTY.
Capt. Wilson'S Command Slaughtered by
MatahaIaS After OnSnar9ta Ficht

MdJaD9i00 ATG6F desperate tlgnC.
CAPE Town, Jan. 13.-Details of the
massacre of Capt. Wilson's party by the
Matabeles were received here to-day
The news from Buluwayo shows that
Capt. Wilson and his men made a des
perate resistance and died calamity
fighting to the last. Natives who ar.
rived there in order to surrender THEN
arms and make terms with the British
commander admit that they were pres
ent when the Wilson detachment was
destroyed.
Capt. Wilson, who was in pursuit OF
King Lobe ngula, suddenly came upon {
ed by the King himself. The latter was
able to mount horse and fly before the
British advance. But when the infor.
nation was conveyed to the King that
the Wilson party was few in number,
some reports placing the detachment as
only 40 British troopers and 100 or sc
auXiliaries, the King managed to get
the Matabeles to make stand and pre-
pare to take the small British force
in 3 trap. Instructing the CEN
ter Of bis 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 Matahele
impis were instructed to deploy to the
right and to the left and to gradually
converge inward SO as to take the Brit
ish force on both TANKS and in the rear.
The British troopers, under the impress
sion that tie Matabele power was en-
tirely broken, pressed onward after the
King, keeping up a running fire upon
the retreating Matabeles, which at
tracted the attention of I apt. Wilson
from the manOeuVer which the King
had planned.
In the meantime the mounted por-
ton of Capt Wilson'S force had be-
come separated from the native auXili-
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 inwards 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. HUrriedly having the halt
sounded, Capt Wilson gathered his
men together and prepared to retreat
upon the dismounted portion of his
command, in hope Of being able to make
stand against the enemy or, failing in
this, to sell their lives as dearly as pos
sible.
1t was too late to avert complete de-
feat and the fire of the Matabeles soon
became SO CALLING that the British force
onF,7nolIoI holt hoI
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 q contin-
nal fire from their carbines upon the
steadily advancing Matabeles, and
when the carbines were 10
longer of use, owing to the
proximity Of the savage enemy, they
rev their revolvers and awaited the
}st <ush of the natives. 1t was not
ong delayed, and then followed a brief
and to hand conflict, during which
60 nd 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 CALAMITY to the
last and firing even when upon their
During the latter part of the stand
made by the troopers against the Mata-
beles, not a man of the British force
was unWounded and some of them had
received at least a 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 a horrible man
n5r
Capt. Wilson's force, outside Of ma
tiyes, is now said TO have numbered
only thirty-four British troopers, and
the number Of natives which surround
ed them variously estimated at LOCO
to 1000. The Wilson party included
Capts. Fitzgerald, Judd, Greenfield
Kinton and Barrow and Lieuts Hughes
under the command Of these officers
were a lot Of youngsters belonging to
some CT 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 Fogel, 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 savages at bay
for comparatively long time owing to
their excellent craftsmanship and the
gallant manner in which they faced the
enemy though wounded time and again.
The reports add that every man among
them had ore or more wounds and that
the M&tabeles were unable to sweep
over them until nearly every cartridge
was exhausted and the whole party was
weak from loss Of blood
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