Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1899-10-21

LONDON, OCTOBER lU."A QlSpdlcl
from Glencoe, dated S:25 o'clock this
morning. announced that the Boer posi-
ton had been captured after heavy
fighting, during which five gun we're
taken.
The reported Boer attack on the
British position at Glencoe was con-
firmed early to-day. 1t appears that
during the night the Boer artillery oe-
eupied a hill commanding the British
camp and began dropping shells at day
break in the direction OF the British
forces.
The latter under Gen. Sir William
Penn Symons promptly accepted the
challenge and moved to meet the in
vaders under cover of the British ar
tillery, which appears to have been
worked with such advantage as to
quickly sience the enemy's batteries,
enabling the infantry to carry the Boer
position Wleh a usn in which the Dub
lin Fusilllers and the Kings Royal
Rifles are SAID 10 have specially distln-
guished themselves, the Fusilliers cap
turing the nrst guns of the enemy taken
in the present campaign.
GLENCOE CAMP, October 2O.-2:50
p m.-After eight hours Of continuous
heavv fighting Talana hill was carried
by Re Dublin Fusiliers and Kings Ri
fes under cover of a well served ar
tillery fire by the Thirteenth and Sixty
ninth batteries. The Beers who threat
ened the British rear have retired.
The fight was almost an exact coun-
terpart of that Of Majuba hill, except
that the positions of the Boer and Brit
ish forces were reversed.
Gen. Symons was severely wounded.
GLENCOE CAMP. October 20.-Af-
ternoon-The battle to-day has been
a brilliant success. The Beers got a re-
verse which may possibly, for a. time
at any rate, cheek all aggressive action.
The British artillery practice in the
early part OF the day decided the battle.
The seizure Of Dundee hill by the Beers
was a surprise, for, although the pick
cts had been exchanging shots all night
it was not until a shell doomed over the
town into the camp that their presence
was discovered. Then the shells came
fast. The hill was positively alive with
the swarming Beers, still the British
artillery got to work with magnificent
energy and precision.
The batteries from the camp took up
positions to the south of the town and
after a quarter hours magnificent firing
silenced the guns on the hills.
The correspondent could see shells
dropping mon the Boer pieces with
remarkable accuracy and doing tre-
mendous execution. for the enemy were
present in very large numbers and in
places considerably exposed.
BY this time the enemy held the
whole OF the hill behind Smiths Farm
and the Dundee Kopje, right away TO
the south. in which direction the Brit
ish infantry and cavalry moved at
once.
The fighting ragged particularly hot at
( the valley outside the town. Directly
the Boer guns ceased firing, Gen. Sy-
mons ordered the infantry TO move on
the position. The infantry charge was
magnificent. The way the Kings Roy
al Rifles and the Dublin Fusiliers
stormed the possession was n of the
most magnificent sights ever seen. The
firing Of the Beers was not so deadly as
might have been expected from the
troops occupying such an excellent po-
sition, but the infantry lost heavily go
ing up the hill. and only the c0nsum-
mately brilliant way in which Gen.
Symons had trained them to fighting
i of the kind saved them from being
swept away. Indeed. the hill was al
most inaccessible to the storming party
and anv hesitation would have lost the
day. The enemy's guns, 50 far as the
correspondent could see, were all aban-
doned. for the Beers had no time to
remove them. A stream of fugitives
poured down the hillside into the val
lev. where the battle went on with no
abatement.
Gen. Symons was wounded early in
the action, and the commad then de-
volved on Major Yule.
The enemy as they fed were followed
by the cavalry, mounted infantry and
I artillery. The direction taken was 10
the eastward. At the latest reports the
! cavalry had not returned.
Some say that four and some say five
guns were captured.
The Boer artillery firing was weak.
A lot Of plugged shells were used AL
though the enemy's position was car
ried o o after l o'clock. scattered fir
ing went almost all afternoon.
The British losses are very severe.
! but those of the Beers are much heaT-
Ter. The final rush was made With 3
triumphant yell. and as the British
troops charged to close quarters the
enemy turned and fed. leaving all their
impediments and guns behind them 10
! their precipitated flight.
while this was going on u battery
OF artillery, the Eighteenth Hussars.
and the mounted infantry, with a part
OF the Leicester regiment, got on the
enemy'g flank and as the Beers stream
ed wildly down the hills making for the
main road. they found their retreat hal.
been cut OF. but they rallied for q
while and there was severe firing with
considerable loss TO each side. Many
Of the enemy surrendered. 4 rough es-
innate places the British loss at go
killed or wounded, and that Of the Beers
at 500.
4 newspaper correspondent states that