The age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1897-1902, 1899-12-22
MANY STORIES OF THE
WAR IN SOUTH AFRICA

Correspondence of the Associated Press.
London, December 1s.-Letters from Britt
ish officers and soldiers fgheing in the
Transvaal and lengthy descriptions from
war correspondents that filter into print
Through the mails TEEN with thrilling ana
pathetic Incidents Writing to his mother,
a young officer of the Manchester regiment
wounded in one of the first engagements.
relates that while he lay at night on the
hillside expecting to die, bleeding from a
wound in his thigh and shivering with
cold, three men stumbled over him, all
of my company and two Others" This
Tommy quickly whipped off his own
overeoat, placed DIT around the boy officer.
and, lying down, put his arms around him,
and for the rest of that long, cold night
kept him beautifully warm.
The Times correspondent gives graphic
account and explanation of the British dis
aster at Nicholson's nek, where Cartons
column, consisting of six companies of the
Royal Irish Fuslleers, four and a half COM
panies of the Worcestershire regiment and
No. 10 mountain battery surrendered.
Two hours before daybreak," says this
correspondent, "while the column was in
an enclosed country, either a shot was fired
or a boulder rolled into the battery. The
mules stampeded and easily broke away
from their half asleep drivers. They came
back upon the Gloucestershire regiment, the
advance party of whom fired into the mass,
believing in the darkness that it was an
attack. This added to the chaos, the ranks
were broken by the frenzed animals and
they dashed through the ranks of the rear
guard, carrying the first and second reserve
ammunition animals with them. 1t became
a hopeless panic. The animals, wild with
the shouting and the turmoil. tore down the
Nullah into the darkness, and the last that
was heard of them was the sound of ammu-
milton boxes and paniers as they were spin-
tered against the boulders. The hubbub Of
these few minutes was sufficient to have
alarmed the enemy. BY a strenuous effort
the officers succeeded in getting the men
again under control, and when daylight
came they seized the first position which
presented itself, and which was about two
miles short of the original goal. they
were forced to take advantage of the first
kopje as Boer scouts were all around them,
and the day was ushered in with desultory
firing. 1t was sorry position which they
had chosen and the men were in sorry
plight. All their reserve ammunition was
gone, and though they had saved pieces on
the screw guns, they were not able WIN
these pieces to patch up Sfngfe mountain
gun.
From earliest daybreak Boer scouts were
accommodating, and about O'Clock mount
ed Beers could be seen galloping in small
SQUADS to the cover of the hill west. strong
parties of mounted men took positions on
the far side of the two hills, commanding
the kopje from the east. About o CLOCK
these two parties had crowned the hills
and opened a heavy fire at short range
right down upon the plateau. Our men
made plucky attempt to return the IRE.
but 1t was impossible. They were under a
cross fire from two directions, flank ana
rear. Our men were driven from their shell
ter. and as they crossed the open on the
low plateau were terribly mauled, the men
had not vet declared themselves, but about
200 marksmen climbed to the position which
two companies of the Gloucestershires had
Just vacated. These men absolutely raked
the plateau, and it was then that the men
were ordered to take cover on the steep re-
verse of the kopje. AS soon as the enemy
realized this move the men on the western
hill termed on to the summit, and opened
up on our men as they lay on the slope.
They were absolutely hemmed in, and what
had commenced as a skirmish seemed
about to become a butchery. The grim or
der was passed around: ooh, faugh-a-
ballagh! Fix your bayonets and die like
neni" There was catter of Steel the mo-
ment of suspense, and then the cease fire.
sounded. Again and again 1T sounded but
the Irish Fusileers were 10th to accept the
call, and continued firing for many minutes.
Then It was unconditional surrender, and
the men laid down their arms.