The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-01-24

~ p. rn Sonpshy men ana With two troops
Col Grey. Major Coventry. and Sir John vii,
loushby addressed the men on the sunday be-
the exncdition was then for the first time let
ar. a 20 ns s, men; msos Cov:ptry 'ss w.
you ali 70 Soms Win Ss spors we want
thing has been arranged for" Several OF the
men wanted TO know whether they were going
not ssy that You are going under TIE oue eaT
orders" said Col. Grey frankly, but YOU arc
going TO night for the supremacy Of tho British
=, There was some misgiving. apparently, among
the men, but there were also the chances OF
success. There was talk of the whole thing
There were 2.o0U armed mon ID Johannesb Blu re-
TO help; the Clue Mounted Rifles would rush
forces in Natal and the RhodesiA Horse IN tba
north. bonus was offered for this special
service. and, In short, said the speakers. any.
jail out. Jameson wanted no din ,hers. Cheers
followed such speeches. and the prospect OF q
m MAD sdvsnture attracted the lads arm ed
win their rifles. An essential part OF the
plan was the cutting OF tho telegraph wire.
and the wire leading back TO tho ca 90 Colonywas
TO Pretoria BY way Of Zeerust and Ru.tsnhur n.
was not cut, by reason of tho trooper who was
sent 70 cut u being. in plain words. Trunk. He
most elaborate and detailed Instructions. He
was 70 cut the wire In two places, so many
Il sts far S ,GS ysS and
YIELD; Blu, the Tire:whi:h 10 cut was THAI Of
he reeied back. In the whole tragi.comsdy
there Is no srotesoner touch than this. which
tho writer bad from resident on tho SPOT"
-. Tho two columns effected their ju.ction at
the villsee Of Malmani thirty.I lie mile. from
on Monday moruins. and great was the ', sSr.
prize OF the few folks who were stirring The
united force numbered about 5l2 men, all
mn taA xrte k<N,,t
. posse Of Ksnrs leading them. with eight scotch
carts ana three Cane carts drawn by horses
or mules and loaded with ammunition and
with . Email amount Of provisions. with eight
En- .adDs ocsr, Ana have ' si
others, including an invalid. who happened to
DO staying At Mafeking for his health. and
wen went along 10 his own cart in civilian clothes
rusrdsmen ''secondsd." dwelling upon that fringe
On. OF sSSs r r,o% %on
have loved especially In VIC OF the sequel of the
cavaliers. WIN ,seir raeaey roop Of souns
do-wecls. and the pious fathers or.gross families
who were TO give them their Dunbar.
certain number of the troopers. no doubt, per.
regulars. fhsy were SPOKEN Of at the time: a. ",ne
lads who smashed Lob-nsuiN" bat this was not
bel. war were .eas or s.e"me ' ss,,i.r se
"Rhodesia Horse." up At BuiAwayo. hal more title
umn was the b. B. p. or strictly. the e1.B. n. p.
or tho n. n. p. the company's force proper sur.
and or ihess many were rseen, arrival. IN South
Africa. some OF them indeed quite green but for
few weeks There was a sprinsiins OF Afrisauders.
. few OF them with the typical Franco Dutch names
The column went along with scouts. advance
Scotch carts in tho. middle. Counting the
seventy odd native drivers. leaders. and so
forth. IL wss fewer than 600 strong. About
nd -. b..
and like amount In the carts. and there were
also about 5000 rounds for the Maxi ms. and
from hs S
haps from siI-score to seven. score miles, aud
from Mslmani 70 tho latter Loint there is =
Krugersdorp was duly reached. and there
came the first hostile encounter. 1t shnuli
be mentioned that. before reachins It, de-
was repudiated and that he was ordered to re.
s sa ,hs +. a.a rss oree Of fGns
and horses to feed and must proceed TO Rru-
Rsrsdorp, or johannesburg for the purpo.e.
promise TO aid those who had sought his help.
Al KRUGER sdorp Sir John Wulouehby. the Of
OF irnss n,tIos aSs sn ssn opn no. aRaef a.
hannesburr." would cause him 70 shell the
tenburx, returned no ans Ssr. The women
and children had boon directed to leave at
Saa hs asd tho
bear. and presently hole was neatly knocked
right through tho gable of the battery house.
vacated. None Of them was hurt. The ar
tillsry IRE was next turned along the ridge
where puffs of smoke told Of line Of sharp.
shooters. and . large quantity OF shrapnsl
der Capt. Gosline and Capt. RIncaid Smith.
Just over where the puiis of smoke were. The
Beers. who had no artillery mp As yet save an
old sevsn-pounder. replied with rine FIRE. and
from both sides. till presently Col White. In
charge OF the advance guard Of about 100 men.
ordered IL TO advance and charge the Queen
Battery house position"
Whoever ordered the charge, It I. dubious what
the Troopers charging were intended TO do upon
reaching the ridge. rney had no swords. and could
OF their rins. the Ids. seems to have been that
thsy had only asiiop forward and rush the posi-.
sIposins themselves TO the ARE OF the troopers and
making way for the column. However. the:ques.
ton OF whAt they should do when they reached the
Boers was not destined to arise. ms Boers, lying
prone along the ridge protected by stones and the
and exposing themselves. Most Of them were pro.
tsc.ed o. line Of roc. ..ou,S,or" natural ram
wal creates endless positions OF defensive strength
Then q. q; S:s,y hsa.s hs,. ,s mer. the tai.
trenches already msn,losed. which. by the way.
wn 90. arc os q, is
the Beers lay low. cautous.y refraining from any
attempt 10 put up their heads and take aim. They
stayed quite still where they were. having found
that the shrapnel. plough sending up dust and
spitn ters OF stones. burst harmiessiy them
they lay. The Beers say ~ matter Of fact not u
single Boer was wounded here except one man who
had the skin taken on his thumb aud went On nr.
ing. This II simply explained. shrapnei does not
burst upward and downward. but opens out In q
horizontal plane. fan.iike. II the Doers had been
obiiging enough TO stand up IL would have cut them
20 pieces. but very few inches OF ground mixed
with stones sufnced 10 break the proJectiiea wnen
fred low. and whom nred higher they simply passed
the Beers heads. SO tightly. however. aid the
shrewd farmers bul the ground that q Faloper.
after surveying the prostrate and motonles, Beers
at end OF their positions. reported to the col
umn $50 many Killed." and the apparent siiencing
OF tho ridge q whole led to the illusion that Q
charge would got through without difficulty.
Between y ana O'Clock. accordingly. tho boers
on the ridge saw . sudden movement OF the troops
nearest them. A manGuNre WAS executed which
much Impressed ,hen for the moment. A barrow
oiump OF men Eaioping toward them suddenly
opened cut the word OF command. to right and
left. ana came In . single long straight line In
open order. The Boer does not drill and has no
..and he--for q ,nomeut--admised &C.
sordingly. On the charge came. about a hundred
strong. with ringing cheer Till from 900 yards
the range diminished 300. 900. roo. Al this point
the riders splaahed into the 'yioi ana as they aid
30 right along the ridge and from the nankns posi-.
lions the Boers opened nre emptying saddle after
saddle. A score OF men tumbled on. The fright.
sned horses plunged and scattered. Tho not
killed or wounded stopped, Jumped down, and 70.
piled TO the hail OF bullets ring over the backs of