Omaha daily bee., 1899-10-26
Telephones-6lS- 69i.

eral hundredweights of gunpowder, but
the Beers got 300 pounds of his dynamite.
They looted all unoccupied places and COM
wandered right and left. s
The enemy moved back from Statman
on Friday night as they feared an attack.
General Kock was in CHIEF command. They
had 1000 men, but hourly expected another
commando.
"Commandant Spinner had charge of nine
prisoners. The Beers drank much and Spin
ner was always tipsy. The good naturcd
Beers recklessly destroyed the forage and
foodstufIs, Among the other Boer leaders
there was Colonel Sche.
THE prisoners were court -martialed on
Friday and sworn to strictest neutrality.
General Kock presided, but ate mutton crops
during the proceedings and employed an in
terpreter, pretending he could not speak
English. Last night however, lying wounded
in the rain and darkness he was glad to
speak that tongue when he found himself
stretched upon the rocks among unknown
people, Later still he was glad of mat
tress and blankets from the Beers hated
enemy.
Colonel Frank Rhodes, who drove with
mo into the action, is still suffering from the
effects of his railway accident. Boer marks
cover OF rocks and the enemy's guns were
we'll served and were replied to by volun-
teers with seven-pounder muzzleoaders, a
wretched type of weapon which should have
long since been discarded for Howitzers
where lightness is an object. The Beers
shells dropped among our troops, but happily
few casualties occurred although there were
numerous marvellous escapes. The enemy
fired shrapne and percussion shell, but our
little seven Founders could not reach or
damage the enemy's guns, while we had
our timber smashed and lost some of the
mules belonging to the teams,
"At o'clock it was found necessary to
retire The movement was executed finely
and slowly and the trains steamed back to-
ward Moddersprut, our troopers and gun
ners falling back by successive steps. The
enemy never pressed u.s. though their sharp
shooters tried to reach our right from the
east side.
"The permission to take the Boer position
being given by General White, two British
fifteen pound field batteries were sent for
ward, together with several squadrons of the
Fifth Dragon Guards and the Fifth Lancers,
THE Royal Irish and strong bodies of the
Gordon Highlanders and Devonshre regi-
ment came by train and guns and troopers
by the road A few prisoners were taken
and liberated, being sent into the town
"The day was fine until the afternoon,
when it became cloudy and cold, with tor
rents of rain.
News reached us about 3 p. m. that the
enemy's reinforcements were close at hand
and our fresh advance began firing. The bat
terry Of fifteen Founders opened heavy fire
into the hills on west of Modderspruit at 80
and the Beers rapidly skipped off. scattering
and riding furiously out of range.
"Our infantry having detrained on the
east side of the line the whole force went
forward The Dragon Guards and Natal
Carabineers were on our left, the Lancers
and Imperial Light Horse artillery on the
extreme right, with the seven FOUNDER guns
in the center, but to the east of the railway
and then in order from left to right the
Deyonshires, Manchesters and Gordons."