Sullivan republican. [volume] (Laporte, Pa.) 1883-1896, 1896-03-06
HOW THE BOFaS FIGHT.
GRAPHIC ACCOUNT OF THE BATTLE
OF MAJULA HILL.

H in South Africa, in 1881,
showed the ability and cour.
age of the latter as fighters.
An English correspondent who was
taken prisoner by the Beers at the
disastrous battle OF Maiula Hill, in
which General Sir George Colley, the
British Commander, lost his life, wrote
the following account of the British
defeat:
The column which left camp at
Mount Prospect consisted of 900 men,
all told, belonging to the Fifty eighth,
Sixtieth and Ninety-second Regiments
and the Naval Brigade. The night was
dark, and the march across an un-
known country tollsome in the ex-
treme. The troops carried eighty
and three days provisions. Daylight
was breaking when we approached the
hill which was the object of the ex-
pedition. We were six hours in ac-
complishing what, as the crow flies, is
a little over four miles, to the summit
of an eminence from which we looked
down upon a long line of Boer in
trenchments stretching from point
Immediately below us to Buffalo River.
Our occupation OF this hill made the
Boer position absolutely untenable.
The enemy's principal lager was
about 1000 yards away. The position
we had secured was undoubtedly one
of immense natural strength.
At sunrise the Beers were to be seen
moving in their lines, but it was not
until nearly an hour later that party
of mounted videttes were seen trotting
out toward the hill, upon which they
evidently intended to take their stand.
As they approached our outlying
pickets fired upon them, and our pres
ence was for the first time discovered.
At about o'clock the Beers opened
fire, and the bullets whistled thickly
over the plateau. The men were all
perfectly cool and confident. I do
not think the possibility of the posi-
tion being carried by storm occurred
to anyone. From to IL a. m. the
Beers, who were lying all around the
hills, maintained constant fire.
Their shooting was wonderfully ac-
curate. The stones behind which our
men in the front line were lying were
hit by almost every shot. Our men
only showed themselves to take an oc-
casional shot, and accurate as was the
enemy's shooting, up to IL o'clock we
had but five casualties. So far our
position appeared perfectly safe. The
Beers had, indeed, got between US and
the camp; but we had three days
provisions, and could hold out until
reinforcements came up.
From II to 12 o'clock the enemy's
fire continued as hot. but as harmless
as before. Between IL and it
slackened, and it seemed as though the
Beers were drawing of. This, how
ever, was not the case. The enemy
had been, as was afterward learned.
very strongly reinforcing their fight
ing bne in preparation for an assault.
Soon after o'clock terrific fire sud-
denly broke forth from the right
lower slopes of the hill, the side on
which the firing had all along been
heaviest. A tremendous rush was
simultaneously made by the enemy.
Our advance line was at once nearly
all shot or driven back upon our main
position. This position may be de-
scrlbed as an oblong basin on the top
of the hill. 1t was about 200 yards
long by fifty broad. Our whole force
now lined the lin OF the basin and
fixed bayonets to repel the asseilants.
The Beers, with shouts of triumph,
swarmed up the sides of the hill, and
made several attempts to carry the
position with rush. Each time, how
ever, they were driven back with the
bnyonet.
At last the Beers, who had gathered
near the edge of the slope, made tre-
mendous rush at a point beyond that
at which they had before been attack
ing, and where the number of defend.
ers was comparatively small. They
burst through the defenders and
poured in over the edge of the basin,
and our position was lost. The main
line of our defenders, their flank
turned and taken in reverse, made
rush along the plateau to endeavor to
form and rally, but it was useless.
With fierce shouts and storm of bull
lets the Beers poured in. There was
a wild rush, with the Beers close be-
hind. The roar of the firing, the
whistling of the bullets and the yells
of the enemy made mp din which
seemed internal. All around men
were falling. There was no resistance
no halt. 1t was fight for life. At
this moment I was knocked down by
the rush and trampled upon, and when
I came to my senses the Beers were
firing over me at the retreatipg troops
who were moving down the hill. Try
ing to rise, was taken prisoner and
led away, On the hill I found the
body OF General Colley, shot through
the head. After conversation with
the Boer general induced him to
grant me pass to so into our camp
and bring out succor for the wound
ed. They were lying thickly both on
the plateau and everywhere on the
descent of the hill. The Beers were
very civil. They took, it is true,
few articles had about me, but no
troops in the world could on the
whole have behaved better as victors.
AS to the completeness OF their vic
tory there can be no question. They
carried by sheer fighting position
which. our general himself considered
- ho lafan1ad ,v %ba foroa ot bio