The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-12-04
STORIES FROM THE FRONT.
BATTLkEIELD INCfDENTs At GLEN
COE AND hLdNDSLAAGTE.

How Gen. symons Received His NORTH
wound--F-eiinRa OF Men Under Fire 70
the First Time-The Boy Trumpeter of tn
fifth Lnncers who Killed Three Boers
LONDON. Nov 2i.--Letters from South Africa
still tell the stories OF the battles OF Gencos
and Lar d-laHgts A general account OF these
engagements you have aIready had. but there
are many details and incidents which make
good reading.
private In the Kings Royal Rifles 10 let
ter to his parents de- crbes his feelings under
fire. us he went with HE regiment up the now
famous hill OF Talana: Il can tell YOU Il was
avery funny sensation indeed standing thero
with shot and shell dying all over you. but wo
got tho order to advance. and then the
worst time came. for we were within rife range
then. and there was about seven hundred
yards Of open ground TO cross. with absolutely
no cover at all. and tho bul cts did fly around.
I felt rather frightened at frat. but II soon
wore or. az then felt very Il desperate. and did
not core much what happened and that was
what most OF us thought when we compared
notes after"
The correspondent OF the .Noruiug Tos, gives
the following account OF his feelings when
under fire for the first time ut Elan ,lslaagte.
He was under cover with some troops. waiting
for tho advance. an / says: This was my frat
eNptTItncc VI Us " was 'o Whoio
force. nrst experience OF modern shell fire. I
found that my strongest Instinct was curl
osity. II a shell fell near me always went TO
the spot to see what II had done. When the
rife FIRE was heavy found II almost mpossi-
bic to keep cover. l felt that must. simply
must lift up my head and see what was
going on. All the same I had rather been
under such shell FIRE as the Beers put into us
than under their rife nre The swift whistle OF
the passing bullet Ia not pleasant sound It's
furious 'phphtt' as II falls into the ground Ia
rather quaint What I dislike most OF MI Is
the ricochet. The bullet that ricochets comes
for you all ends up with a grim. uncvil 'bzzz'
that IL distinctly annoying. Perhaps my senti-
ment In this matter has been siren Rthened by
observation Of the clean wounds made by the
Mauser bullet In full flight and the nasty holes
that result from the contact OF the ricoohetting
bullet with the human body"
The following Incidents OF the stormlng OF
Talana Hill are told BY the san correspon-
dent
1T was a sight mover TO be forgotten TO see
what the British soldier could stand. One OF
the 'Dubs shot through the left leg and both
arms. shvering with cold and soaked by rain.
being helped slowly down the hill. jocularly
asked his two comrades not to let him go. as
having no arms to protect himself he was sure
to fall on his face and spoil his beauty. Imme-
diately after the hill was taken many Boer
ponies were captured. many OF them with all
equipment and even Mausers strapped en- to
the saddles. and II was comical sight to see
Tommy careering round on Boer mounts over
ground which even the Boer would have picked
his way carefully.
There is no doubt our shell Are must have
disconnected the Beers. An officer OF the 'Dubs'
placed his helmet on his sword and placed IL
- all. -
pierced by six bullets. Contrast this shooting
with the double across the open to the home
stead below Talana Hill. when only four men
dropped
'one OF the Kings Rifles was In the act OF
picking of q Boer: he had Just pressed the
trigger. when n Boer popped his head up d.
rectly in 'front.' with the result he got the bullet
Ss The ohsf
said The, Kings Rifeman as he showed me the
n The hospital attendants who came With the
their PARTICULAR branch of work. The Posts
correspondent says OF them. in this same en-
-, In FTidqys engagement the Boer. fred on
nullah % the homestead. and Major KERN lost |
four OF his men. The way the Doodle bearers |
Al 80 A. H.. and worked hard al Az day 1 until ~ ~
a ss' big nsA xs a when then th Ssyss got S Ss
little sugar; They will eat nothing unless |
cooked by Themselves, and this cooking opera
ton lasts about three hours"
The following is the fullest account yet
printed oil how Gen. symons received his mortal |
The General displayed his characteristic in
%bsIs Ss la aas f aiding open ground
advance OF the troops, He was warned by Ma
iSr Murray That it would be dangerous to leave !
tx were dePloyed iGr their attack upon the
sss A'fEs bullet dS ss and an rode s0I lo
SasRs4 81 Ss M hsSa MSSaI guide
psafty reached In safety wire fence on the edge
tS"qs ten o %'ng sss
Shelter Of the ess "' sh nsa GG9% aS 1ss
General &c. to s sSsp Il t h PHPtston t
yard: iurhsr he was shot sSS .t a1sy
dropped on bis horse and wa. sspp SSqsa
Col; DartaeL This was about half past
w tn" w RSSrRRas Il When hf
Penn ,5ymops suddenly moved forward and
sissses. He had been looking qba but q few lew
moments when he turned and came bach. re-
marking quietly that he was shot"
Hss: Are ,o sT ,tSrs: o. the battle
Post and Standard.
In the few minutes at my disposal may re-
late how one Imperial Light Horseman was
absolutely paralyzed with fear. Como on,
don't be coyyard; said Major sampson. The
enough. but he failed physically. Soon after
ward Sappfon saw him rushing to the front
With al! his might. blood pouring from a wound
on his lace. Where are, The, BoersY' he cried.
Let me get at them Another Light Horse
man did not know he was wounded IIn tho
abdomen until the next day He Thought
that the slight pain he suffered was due TO
drinking beer on an empty stomach after the |
fight was over.
One Dptchmap was, found moaning and
crying, under II thorn bush. I'm dead, lin
dead. hs cried; ,its that dreadful lyddlte' He
was told that no lyldtr had been used In the
battle. know II was. he said, because read
II In the Standard and Digors Ne,rs.' A quaint
rcason. He was examined and punched ali |
oyer Ie ond!found g be n0tso much ~ scratched.
The Standgri and Diy0ss says that lyddite |
Mis- you without hurting you II In n singular |
prisoners the vast majority spoke English |