The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-12-26
TWO SAD PICTURES
Views of the Boer War-EngiSh
Officers Story of How His
Comrades Fell
THE HEAVY LOSSES
SUFFERED AT DUNDEE
A Feminine Sufferer in Pretoria
Gives Her VerSion-Racial
Hatred Revived

Two graphic pen pictures of the war
in South Africa are presented by the
accompanying letters sent by men who
know how widespread is the interest
felt in this country in the progress of
events.
One letter is from an English officer
Of rank. It tells of the heavy losses
at Dundee Oct. 20, when the British
forces so CALAMITY charged the in
trenched position of the Beers, in the
hills across the river from Dundee
and of the CHASTITY mortality among
the officers under the hail of lead from
the Boer marksmen.
The second letter is from one of those
born to suffer-a young woman in Pre-
toria, whose comments upon the war
are tinged with the great bitterness
of one who sees husband father and
brothers doomed TO fall in a hopeless
struggle.
The story of the fight at Dundee
reads as follows:
My Darling: Thank God, l am safe
back, but we have had a very hard
time of it, and as hard fighting as any
one would see. All l can say or feel
is that it is by Gods goodness that
we are back, and l am sure he kept
me safe.
We'll, darling, must tell you in de-
tail all that happened, but it seems
years since this day week 1 have lived
lifetime in that period. 1 fear you
did not get my letters last mail, though
1 wrote three. The train service was
stopped. and I fear they are still at
Dundee though they may have go;
through to you
And now 1 will tell you about the
battle and subsequent events. We stood
TO our arms in camp at o'clock the
morning of the Goth day of October and
were then dismissed. Suddenly we saw
the Beers appear upon the tops of the
hills, about 1000 yards from the camp.
right or the other side of Dundee. They
very SOON opened fire on us with shells,
which luckily did not burst and which
came al around and in our camp. One
took the
TOP OF A MANS HELMET OFF.
eve replied with our artillery. and
then three regiments fell into line on
the cas- side of the town Col. Gun
ming took our first line, extended and
took ,our second. We lay down on a
slope and then went across some very
marshJ ground with wire all across it
and under heavy Hotchkiss and rife
hre from the hill opposite. However,
we got across this without losing a
man, and all three regiments descend
ed into the bed of the river and waited
to attack
The Dublins were put into the first
line and were told to get across into a
wood, WITH farm buildings to the direct
IIoht: VIC were to be the supports and
the Irish Fusileers the reserves THIS
was nasty run but, in good extended
es der, We &C. across, losing only a few
men, and gained the near edge of the
wood, where We recovered our breath
When we got all the men together. Col.
Cunning took the left and told me to
look after the right of the line
We got through the next part of the
wood Yer well under a heavy fire, and
l took thre, companies through the
garden and round the outhouses Of the
farm. We were then about $50 to 200
yards OFF the nearest Beers, and there
were great many on hill to our right
'front.' who were firing at us at about
l2OU yards range. We pushed out and
gained The walls one by one, and then
got to wal on right of position and
hammered away hard.
we had a very nasty time. as we
were med upon from all sides. and had
good many wounded / ordered the
companies to go to the wall to our right
front and Pechell and Barnes took
theirs and the Third was just behind.
Poor Barnes was killed Just at this
time; one Of the incest fellows YOU ever
met. Shot clean through the head. and
only lived ten minutes. The doctor
went out to see him and behaved mosr
gallant.y, but nothing could be done
Young Martin was hit at this time and
ne went pack to get his wound dressed
and brought up the doctor
AN AWFUL PLACE.
we then got an order to rendezvous
more TO our left behind ethe farm
buildings. I withdrew the conlpanies n
the place. An order came to Gen. Yuie
from Sir P. Symons to attack the hill
SIDE. / can assure you it was an awful
place TO go and especially under the
1lre Of The best shots in the world. The
Dublin Fusileers should have advanced
first, but Gen. Yule ordered US to as
sault thu hill. We did so, and were ex-
oSed to q very hot fire especially over
the first field, after leaving the houses.
| can't -un as well as l used to, so was
longer tnan the others, but we gained
the BOTTOM of the hill and over the
stone wall at the bottom, and then got
to some stones about thirty yards up
the hill, and crept on
was on the left with a lot Of men
and the ground gave a dip, so we could
not get to the wall, and had to stop
among the stones. I got a fairly big
one. A man close to my side was shot
in the head, about two feet from me.
AS l. was running up / was hit by a
ricochet just below the knee and was
knocked over, but when we got home
| was 50 busy and had so much to see
to that ] did not return myself as
wounded. 1t has been bit painful
since, and have not been able to rest
it at all.
When W. were in this position we
had to stay, and the fire was tremen-
dous-vclleys. Independent guns and
Maxims going on for about two hours
1t was more difficult to see the Beers
as they haG taken up such good places
behind stones and walls, and were fir
ing through loopholes The comnanies