Hutchinson gazette. [volume] (Hutchinson, Kan.) 1895-1902, 1899-12-07
FULL OF CONFIDENCE
Doors Still Maintain q Hopeful
Spirit.
PRETORIA PREPARED FOR SIEGE,
Will me Able 10 Hold out SIX Months
Tho Battle Of MOdder River
Described by Julian
Ralph,

Press dispatch IRON DurDun says tnNl
persons arriving there from Pretoria
assert That the Beers are full OF con-
hdence and are we'll prepared for a
ok months siege Off Pretoria.
Julian Ralph, describing in the
Daily Mail this morning the battle at
Modder river, says:
II can testify that the British never
once saw the enemy, yet they were
not nIble TO raise hand or foot with
out being rlddled
"Despbte all this, however, the day
belonged to the artillery. The infan'
try never advanced TWO PAGES during
this day OF hell. The shells Of our
twenty guns were accurately planted
in the enemy's trenches, and broke
the heart Of the Beers, for after dark
they all reiterated"
The Daily Chronicle publishes the
following dispatch, dated Wednesday,
November 20, morning, from It's cor
respondent Of Nlodder river camp;
"The severest engagement our col.
umn has yet had, and probably the
keverest OF the whole campaign, was
fought yesterday on The banks Of the
Modlder river. The batUle was waged
Aercely for nearly fourteen hours.
"rhe enemy occupied strongly ip'
trenched position, their front extend
ing Ave miles along The bank Of the
stream. They were we'll supplied with
ARTILLERY, and fought desperately.
"0ur force consisted OF the Second
battalion OF the Coldslream guards,
the First battalion OF the Scots
guards, the Third battalion OF the
Grenadier guards, the First battalion
OF the Northumberland Fuslllers, the
Second battalion of the Yorkshire
Light infantry (the Kings OWN, a
part of the First battalion OF the
Loyal North Lancashire regiment, the
Ninth Lancers, the Mounted infantry,
three batteries OF field artillery and
the First battalion OF the Argyll and
Sutherland Highlanders (Prlncess
.Louise's).
"The latter reinforced us from Cen
;eral Wauchopes brigade and arrived
Just i'm time for the fight The battle
started at daybreak, our guns she'll
ing the Beers left.
"The enemy replied with artillery,
Hotchkiss and MaXlms, and the artll-
Lery duel lasted some hours. Then
there was a brief lull in the enemy's
operations, OF which the general Inn
mediately took advantage. Our In
bantry advanced across the plain to.
wards the river in two brlgades, The
guards, on the right, were met by an
awful hail OF bullets from the enemys
jsharpshooters, posted close ITO the
|river ON the opposite bank, Ours had
mo cover whatever and were simply
moved down. 1t seemed impossible
to live Through the terrible fire, but
the brave fellows did not retreat an
,inch.
"Ihe Boer fire was horribly accu-
rate; and they must have numbered
,at least 10000, The Scots guards adj
|vanced 600 yards before they were
fired ON, Then they had to lie down
TO escape the deadly fusilade which
basbed without intermisslon through
y0alt the day,
1.-The Highanders made several at
tempts to force passage of the river,
but they were exposed 10 such a muir.
!derons enhlading fire that they had
10 refine after they had suffered ter
ribly.
Subsequently, q party Of the guards
got over and held their own for hours
against vastly superior force,
THE general opinion OF the staff
lie that there had never been such a
sustained fire in the annals OF the
british army as that our troops had
ito face yesterday, Our men fell In
dozens while trying to rush the
1bridge. =.
= Among the many heroic deeds, one
of the most conspicuous was that OF
lieutenant Colonel Cohrington, OF the
rColdstream guards; Captain Sellpren,
OF the Queensland contingent, and o
Sdozen members OF the Codstream
9guarda, who jumped indo the river
gand SWAN nearly to tine other side
In the face of steady 6ne; but who
lwere forced ito retire, and, joining
brands, SWAIN back, two OF their num-
Der being nearly drowned in the re-
treat.
THE British guns kept up a heavy
fire all day, and fearful havoc was
wrought on the Boer positions, the
enemy being forced TO fly from their
Entertainments. Night put am END to
\ w terrible bloodshed. The INFANTRY
brigade was dreadfully cut up.
"The Beers reiterated at night. TAX
tng their guns with them, and we are
now occupying their positions. The
eDemy's loss was tremendous"