Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1896-04-08
OUT WITH DR.. "IIm.'
CONTINUED from page H.

along the road--we were toiioWlnS the
road all the time--which runs along the
north side of the town.
I'VE could see nobody, and We're
simply fighting puffs of smoke. Not a
head showed anywhere. Those lei
lows are simply marvellous at taxing
cover. We got our guns into action
again to check them, but we were drop
ping freely. The firing was being
heavily kept up by concealed men, and
we were losing men fast. AS soon IS
horsemen showed up we formed up N
a long line to charge them. but the mo-
ment we charged they simply vanished
like smoke into the weld. We followed
them up, and then, as the ground
seemed to swallow them up. we re-
treated again. and formed laa2cr, still
under a hot fire. All night we lay in
laager With the bullets dropping into
us, for the Beers went on firing among
the wagons from all around krugers-
dorp. 1t was not easy to sleep, but
many one of us slept all the same. J.
myself. nodded in the saddle and
dropped over on to the horses neck,
Were you not getting tremendously
tagged by this time, Capt Thateher?'
Yes, indeed we were
WAS il not bad tactics, though.
Would it not have been better to take
up position ami set some rest
Not With the object we were aiming
at in view. We could not afford to give
the Beers time To mass. Our one
chance was TO push on right through,
without stopping anywhere. For the
same reason there was never any idea
Of stopping to find position and get
cover. We simply rode on, affording
good mark for bullets. and We're shot
Is we rode. Nv horse was shot under
ne. but we had plenty Of led horses.
Very Well; we have now come 20
Thursday morning"
We'll, about dawn Il strong attack
was made, aud We pushed on following
the road round the north side OF KrI-
gersdorp. We were being fired al from
the outlying houses of the town and
from the SHUTS on each side of the road
so heavily that We had to give it M
Men were tumbiing out of the saddles
IN all sides We turned and tried 20
ride round the south side of the town,
the idea being to make a flank attack
IN the enemy's left And SO we came To
Doornl1op We soon found ourselves
HbliN til-'ts7'1t WIN sthVIt D't' VI tHN'
men entrenchea in q really strong po-
sition.
We were absolutely in the open.
without cover of any sort and our
lighting strength was By this time re-
luced to only 200 or eco men. We were
lragging our wounded with us In
wagons. and the rest of the force was
either looking after these wagons or
wounded themselves or 50 Knocked UP
viii fatigue as to be incapable Of firing.
Under these circumstances, of course.
t was simply impossible to try to out
1ank them. They had every man OF
as completely 1T their mercy unless q
diversion had been made from the
Dther side.
We'll, this fight started in the early
lawn. 1t was bitterly cold. Ones
nands were numbed. There had been
| storm of rain during the night. The
iicilening conviction had begun II
grow in on us that Johannesburg was
rot stirring a finger to help us. We
Kept up a running fight under thos"
conditions against odds of 10 to one,
from ) O'Clock in the morning until
100.
on all sides men were heard ours
ne Johannesburg. though that was the
Dnly thing in the way of Il complaint
hat ever reached my ears, save the
,ries for water of the wounded. Water,
however. we had none to give them
We had not water to keep the MaNiWs
DOL and they became jammod. With
he fire growing thicker every minute.
not an enemy visible. our position 80
aemmcd in that there was no cover
wen at the farmhouse. Jameson deter
mined to waste no more men, aud
ordered Il flag of truce to be hoistcd.'
Did the burghcrs stop firing n
,ucc?'
Not at once. not for 10 minutes;
rhoy Lad some artillery from pretoril.
which had just come upon our left
lank. And now comes the bitter thin"
When the artillery first began to play
way. We said Thank God. Here are
those Johannesburg fellows at last
We thought they We're our allies.
When they turned out to be the enemy.
me simply did not feel as though one
AIRED TO hang on to life amy longer.
However, presently, when the flag was
wen seen, and our fire had entirely
stopped. UP popped men in all direc-
tions and came down upon us like
;WarmS of ants out OF the earth.
Where. just before. there was not
nan to be seen. now the whole coun-
trysidc seemed suddenly alive With
them. Waving their rifles, they rode
down on us.
How did the column behave"
The men threw themselves down on
the ground. without caring a pin. and
tried t. go to sleep. A man said TO me,
What viii they do to u.s. and | said,
Oh, we shall all he shot. But as il
turned out, they treated us tremen-
dously well, gave us food. and did all
they could for us. Conditions We're
agreed upon With jameson, and thc
mems arms were taken away"
And you?"
las it happened, I was the only one
dressed differently from the others. |
wore an ordinary brown jacket, being
the only volunteer from outside. The
rest wore a gray uniform. Captain
White suggested to me that | should
try and gallon through the lines. and
go and tell Johannesburg. | saw that
this would be simply impossible. The
Beers were everywhere. However, /
rode quietly off in the direction of
Commandant Cronje. who presently
hailed me and asked me WHY | was