The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1896-04-27
BOLDUBSS
AND ENERGY
Matabeles Displaying Both to
an Extent Most Alarm
ing.
SITUATION VERY SERIOUS
Advance of the MatabeIes on the
Little Band.
River Dyed Crimson with the Blood
Whites Have Met Obstacles They
Had Little Idea of When the Cam
paign Was First opened-A
Glimpse of What Might Have Been

CAPETOWN. April 26.-(Copyright
1896, by the Associated Press.)-The
news Of Saturdays events in Buluwayo
show that the Matabefes are display
ing great boldness and energy in the
pursuit of their purpose to surround
the town completely and cut off all
communication with the outside world.
On Saturday morning, it was found
that the hostile forces of natives had
surrounded the town on the north, east
and west, their ranks being much too
close to the town to allow of any free
dom of action by those within. Their
lines were being energetically extend
ed in both directions, and threatened
to close in on the south and cut off
communication with Mangwe and Ma
feking, along which the expected re-
Inducements and supplies of provis-
ions are coming. The
PICKETS OF THE ENEMY
were found to be i'll no case beyond
four miles distant from the Buluwayo
lines, and they were giving lively evil
dence of their improved knoWieuSe OF
military strategy over that displayed
in the war of Lobengula, by the way in
which they are throwing up rude for
tifications and earthwork projections
beyond which the native warriors
could resist the charge of the whites.
They threatened thus to work an ap,
proach to the town which was speedily
putting the place in jeopardy. Immedi-
ate steps We're perceived to be necessa-
ry to dislodge the lines of the enemy
and drive them back. A column for
attack was hastily formed, consisting
of one hundred whites, one hundred
Cape boys" and one hundred ma
tives. They We're supplied with one
Maxim and one Hotchkiss rapid fire
gun, which were placed in command OF
Captain MacFarlane. They were
speedily ready for an offensive move
ment and thus commanded and equip
ped they sailed forth from the Bulu-
wayo defenses at Z o'clock on Saturday
morning. They took a direction north
easterly from the town ir the direction
of Umguza river. They had proceeded
only about five miles on this course
advancing cautiously with scouts in
advance and outriders on each side,
when the enemy
OPENED THE ATTACK.
The Matabele force numbered not
less than 5000 and their attack was
eager and well directed.
The column for Buluwayo was just
crossing small stream, a tributary
of the Umguza, when the attack opened
The overwhelming odds, ten to one3
hurled upon the little column and drove
if back by mere weight of numbers and
the advance parties were glad to retreat
in haste across the stream. This retro
grade movement was. however, effect
ed in good order and fighting as they
went thus drawing the enemy across
the river. 81
The Matabeles advanced on the lit
tie band in formidable array. Inelr
line extended in a crescent lorna tlon,
the horns of the chescent advancing
to the front, creeping and writhing IKE
treacherous serpent, seeking 10 en-
close it's prey and surround 1T in It's
deadly coils.
The long struggling line extended
distance of over three miles with wide
intervans, and between the men in
line. except in the parts where they
closed in expectation of
A HAND-To-HAND CONFLICT.
Many came on brandishing their asse-
gals and shields and giving forth fierce
wells IN true savage fashion. AS the
bowling savages closed in on the col
umn they afforded an excellent target
for the sweeping discharge of the rapid
firing guns The engagement which en-
sued was a hard and desperate one.
The Buluwayo force kept the river
in their immediate front. The fine arms
did heavy execution among the hostile
natives as they rushed up to the oppo-
site bank This only partly checked
their fierce onslaughts and many gain
ed the side on which the whites stood.
These were charged by the troopers
and cut down or driven back into the
stream.
When the Matabeles in front were
finally driven back they were seen to
have sustained heavy loss. The lit
tie river was dyed
CRIMSON WITH THE BLOOD
of the victims of the Maxim gun. One
observer counted forty dead lying in
a small circuit close to the column.
The whites had been holly engaged in
front and when they succeeded in re-
pulsing the attack there, they found
more work waiting for them. The adj
vance ends of the enemy's line then got
under their tanks and they found
squares of bowling black men in their
rear when they turned their attention
in that direction. This came near prov
ing a greater peril than the onslaught
from the front, but it was luckily de-
food until the first attack had been
repulsed, and the forces of the Mata-
beles weakened there. But for the open
nature of the ground toward Buluwayo
the encircling tactics of the enemy
would certainly have succeeded against
the small force opposed to them. AS it
was. it was possible to perceive their
and move accordingly and
the open ground gave
FREE PLAY FOR THE MAXIM
which was employed also in that direc-
ton with deadly effect The loss sus-
tanned by the whites were: H. G. I
G. Gordon and B. Persons,
killed and wounded, the exact number
not being stated. The rapid fire gun
IS thought to have saved the day for
The whites beyond question. The loss
hey sustained. in view of the force of
The attacking party and the fact that
hey were actually outhanked, is con-
sidered small and the whites are con-