The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1896-04-25
TIE SORTIE At BULUWAYO.
British Troopers aud Matabeles In.
dulse 10 a Sharp Fight.
THE ENGLISH FINALLY RETIRE
Two Versions Of the EnGssemeut-Per'
haps Q Bad Defsat-Ths Narrow
Escape Of the Explorer.
Selous.


somewhat conflicting. but the main
British have made a sortie In force;
that they encountered large numbers
Of Matabcles. and inflicted great loss
upon them: that they suffered In re-
turn, and were at one time In danger
ap annihilatiOn, anu that they finally
retreated.
The official version OF the sortie says
that the British force was quietly
called TO arms just after midnight, and
that. without alarming the native part
Of the town. a force of about 800 men
under Captains Napier and Duncan,
with one Maxim rapid-fire gun and a
Hatchkiss gun. belonging to the flag
ship st. George, mustered outside the
barbed-wire defences. and prepared for
dash at the enemy's lines. There was
considerable delay in starting. and 1t
was beginning to be daylight when the
of the enemy. The latter were camped
behind the earthworks thrown up when
the Matabels made their last advance
to within about four miles Of BuluwayO.
Contrary to expectation, however, the
Matabeles had thrown out pickets, who
although surprised by the advance
guard, raised the alarm. This was no
sooner done than the troopers in ad-
vance charged and shot down many of
the fleeing natives. This was the Sig
nal for the ADVANCE of the main body
of the troopers. and they galloped for
ward to the support OF their comrades.
BY this time 1t was getting light and
the Matabeles had sprung to arms all
along the line As the British advanced
they were received by q scattering rifle
fire from behind the earthworks, but
the advance guard charged up to the
mounds, and sourred their horses over
them In several places.
MATABELEs ADVANCE.
Then the Matabeles drove the ad-
vance guard back. Fire was opened at
about 400 yards on the Matabele posi-
ton. This was kept up until broad
daylight, when an advance was Or
dered, In view Of the fact that too much
ammunition was being wasted.
Up to this ting the loss on either
side had not been heavy, although the
Matabeles had by far the worst of It.
especially when the Maxim and Hotch-
kiss guns were brought into play to
cover the retreat Of the advance guard.
Just previous. to the advance on the
Matabels posftiOn. the two rapid-fir
guns were again set to work. and for
about . quarter Of az holf they made
to sweep the Matabele ranks. A charge
was finally ordered, and there was a
close quarters. Gradually the Mata-
beles almost surrounded the British
who. to avoid being enclrcled, retreat
ed. hghting foot by foot, but dc,ven
steadily backward. One squad, for q
time. was quite cut of, and only ex-
tricat"i itself by q charge through the
Matabele line. The British we:e hard
pressed and gave ground fast, tn IN.
rallied by Napier and Duncan, they
again as umed the offensive ani: drew.
BACK The swarms Of natives. Suddenly
the retreat was ordered. and tile
liitish fell back toward Buluwayo.
LATER REPORTS.
Later advices received from Bulu-
WayO snow that when the Matabele
main body was first made out. about
four miles west of Buluwayo, the enc
my occupied ridge on top of which
were the earthworks and stone para
pets. ana prepared to receive the Brit
ish force. A slight detour was made
SO as to bring the column slightly north
or BuluwayO. The enemy were found
to be covering four miles of well Sc
iected positions on the north bank of
the umguza river, and after fierce
fighting the natives drove the British
back and down the bank Crossing
the river in the retreat, F. c. Selous
had narrow escape. His horse was
killed In midstream and he became en-
tangled In the stirrups. When he ex-
tricated himself he was half drowned
and would have sunk had 1t not been
for Lieutenant Windley who swan
his horse out into the middle of the
river. In face Of the fire of the enemy.
rescued Selous. and reached the left
bank without injury.
When !he British rallied and drove
back the Matabeles. they were en-
gagged with only part Of the enemy's
force. and as soon as the latter swarm.
ed over the ridge In larger numbers.
they almost surrounded the British,
who were compelled to retreat. The
squad Of troopers which was for a time
quite cut Off and only able to extricate
| itself by brilliant charge through the
Matabele Gordon was Captain Grey's
scouts. 1t is said that both the Hotch-
| kiss and the Maxim rapid-fire guns
worked badly and were used only for a
comparatively short time.
The opinion Is gaining that the Brit
ish suffered q bad defeat and that the
Matabele loss was not so great as was
at first rumored.
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