The Topeka state journal., 1899-10-24
GRAPHIC STORIES
Of the Battle of Elandslaagte by
War Correspondents.

London, Oct 24-The Daily Mail
publishes the following description of
the battle of Elandslaagte from its spe-
ciaI war correspondent, G. w. Stevens,
filed at Ladysmith:
The battle was a brilliant and COM
plete success. The Beers outnumbered
from 1900 to 1000 and probably had
about a hundred killed and $50 wound
ed.
''The fight itself was like a practical
illustration Of handbook tactics, each
arm represented doing its proper work
to perfection. The Gordon Highland
ers in their attack advanced in magni-
hcent order. They were Immediately
saluted with a heavy fire which told
from the first.
Their major fell with bullet in
his leg, but as he lay where he fell he
lighted a pipe and smoked placidly
while the advance continued. AS man
after man dropped, supports were rush
ed into the firing line, our men darting
from cover to cover, splendidly led and
ever advancing. Yet as ridge after
ridge was won, the Highlanders still
found a new ridge confronting them,
and thus they fought their bleeding
way until the final ridge was neared,
with nearly every officer down.
Then, slamming every available
man into the firing line, Manchesters,
Devons and light horse all mixed, with
bugleS chanting the advance, bagpipeS
shrieking and the battle a confused
surge, our men swept, yelling, forward
and the position was won.
Meanwhile squadrons of 1ancers and
dragons Tapped round the Boer left
flank, catching the enemy as they re-
tired in order, goring and stamping
them to pieces. And the commando
was not
The Daily Telegraph says:
General French commenced the ac-
tiOn at $50 a. m. The enemy had only
just finished coffee when they were sur
prised and nearly all our prisoners were
in a xrioi0 Of
train. The mining and railway officials
escaped from the enemy and came into
us, to the number of thirty-seven
whites, besides many natives and cool
les.
Both of the latter classes had been
robbed and compelled to work by the
Beers, but the white were treated fair
Iy Well, though they were made to make
an oath to remain neutral, etc.
"A Boer sergeant, native of Cape
Colony, hid his rife and came in with
twenty of his late captives.
THE Manchester regiment with the
characteristic hardihood of British in
fantry, all marched straight back at the
enemy, too often careless of taking
splitting of the Mauser bullets. Tommy
Atkins says in effect: What! Hide
from yokels! Let 'em shoot
Discipline has its drawbacks as well
as it advantages, and our soldiers who
have learned the Boer tactics are now
capable of readjusting the mistakes of
the past.
1.-The panoroma was heightened and
colored by the red hue of gun flashes,
and shells tore along, roaring through
the air like express trains in tunnel,
bursting noisily and spouting flame,
lead and steel, which hissed like hot
iron dropped into water. The places of
explosion were marked by clouds of
earth and a nimbus of white smoke.
THE enemy bobbed up about over the
rocks like jacks in the box, firing heav-
lily at US and with fair accuracy, for
the magazine Mauser rifle is a terrible
weapon, although it inflicted clean
wounds. Many of them used explosive
bullets.
1.-The Boer shells were mostly per-
cussion and threw up volancoes of mud
and stone about our gun crews. 1t
should be noted that, especially on
rocky ground, percussion shells given
better results than high bursting
shrapnel.
Colonel Scott-C Chisholm, of the i'm
perial light horse. cOurted disaster by
waving his scarf to give encourage
ment to his men, who really needed
none. Suddenly somebody showed Il
white flag and Col. Hamilton tried to
stop the fighting, but the party of Beers
escOnsed on a cOnical hill and caring
nothing about their comrades, took ad-
vantage of the lull to deliver a heavy
fire. The Gordon Highlanders and the
Manchesters were rendered more saw
age than ever by this and redoubIed
their energy, for the Beers in the hOl-
lows We're driving a fanking fire.
'Our Tommys got wonderful quanti-
ties of lOOt-frOm silk hats and frock
coats to beaded kaffir loin cloths. It
was a sight today to see them loaded
with their booty.
although we gave the prisoners the
best seats around the camp fires, many
of the poor wounded had to lie out on
the bare hillsides, where they spent a
terrible night crying; For Gods sake
give US water. Get a doctor for US.
Out here are British and Boers.' One
fS7-a6 Of fflT- from hi
rifle to attract attention to his where
abouts, for the field of battle covered
miles. The Beers say that the kits of
the Gordon Highlanders made them
conspicuous targets"
The Daily News says:
''The approaching fall of darkness
was a great factor in the last phases of
the fight, making the capture of the
position at once absolutely imperative.
BY this time the crack of rifles and the
battle of maXiTns had become absolute
ly furious. Our men understood the
necessity well enough.
Nothing 10th they expressed them
selves gallantly in their resolution to
drive the Beers from their last stand.
officers, sergeants and men fell in the
lines but nothing checked the fierce
onset. Conspicuous among the Gordon
Highlanders and in the fighting line
throughout was Lord Ava, attached es-
pecially to the brigadier'S staff.
1.-The final rush was a sight to see.
With levelled bayOnets, cheering as
they went, our men sprang over the
bouIders t1.at were strewn at their
feet The Beers recoiling fired wildly
and they dashed down the rugged slope
| to escape the annihilation threatened
them. Some desperately determined on
| killing returned to the Mex, in the rear
of which the Highlanders had crouched
behind some bou1ders. These men fired
on ambulance men at work among the
wounded I and others there can certi-
! fy from our own experience to this das-
| tardly act"