The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1899-10-21
British Casualties Estimated at About ESQ,
Including General Symons Injured.
Artillery Duel at Long Range-Joubert's Guns Cap
tured, and His Army i'm Full Retreat
with Brtons in Pursuit.

at dawn opened fire on the camp. The bat
tie became general.
After eight hours of continuous heavy
fighting, the hill was carried by the Dublin
Fusileers and the Kings Rifles under cover
of well-served artillery fire by the Thir-
teenth and Sixty-ninth batteries. The
Beers who threatened the British rear re-
tired The fight was almost an exact coun-
terpart of Majuba Hill, except that the po-
sitions of the Boer and British forces were
reversed.
SEVERE BOER REvERSES
The battle was brilliant success. The
Beers got reverse which may possibly. for
time at least, check all aggressive action.
The British artillery practice in the early
part of the day decided the battle. The
seizure of the hill by the Beers was a sur
prise. for. although the pickets 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 posi-
lively alive with the swarming Beers, still
the British artillery got to work with mag
nificent energy and precision
The batteries from the camp took up po-
sitions to the south of the town, and after
quarter Of an hours magnificent firing
silenced the guns on the hills. The cor
respondent could see shells dropping among
the Boer pieces with remarkable accuracy
and doing tremendous execution. for the
enemy were present in very large numbers
and in places considerably exposed.
BY this time the enemy had the whole OF
the hill behind Smiths farm and the Dun
dee kopje, right away to the south, in which
direction the British infantry and cavalry
moved at once. The fighting ragged particu-
larly hot at the valley outside the town.
Directly the Boer guns ceased firing Gen.
Symons ordered the infantry to move on the
position. The infantry charge was magnifi-
cent. The way the Kings Royal Rifles and
the Dublin Fusileers stormed the position
was one of the most splendid sights ever
seen.
MANY FELL ON THE HILLSIDE.
The firing of the Beers not so deadly
as might have been expected Irom troops
occupying such an excellent position. but
the infantry lost heavily going up the hill
and only the consummately brilliant way
in which General Symons had trained them
m fcht nf Ind
being swept away. Indeed, the hill was
almost inaccessible to the storming party
and any hesitation would have lost the day.
The enemys guns. so far the corre-
spondent could see, were all abandoned,
for the Beers had no time to remove them
A stream of fugitiyes poured down the hill
side into the valley. where the battle went
on with no abatement.
General Symons was wounded early in the
action and the command then devolyed on
Major Yule.
The. enemy as they fed, were followed
by the cavalry. mounted infantry and ar
tillery. The direction taken was to 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.
Although the enemy's position was car
ried soon after 1 o'clock, scattering firing
went on almost all afternoon. The final
rush was made with triumphant yell and
as the British troops charged to close quar-
ters the enemy turned and fled. leaving all
their impedimenta and guns behind them
in their precipitate flight
While this was going on one battery of
artillery, the Eighteenth Hussars and the
mounted infantry with part OF the I.efces-
ter regiment. got on the enemys flank, and
hills. making for the main road, they found
their retreat had been cut off, but they
rallied for while and there was severe
firing. with considerable loss TO each side.
Many OF the enemy surrendered.
ESTIMATE OF THE LOSSES.
rough estimate places the British loss
at 30 killed or wounded and that of the
Beers at 500.
newspaper correspondent states that
through his glasses during the fighting to-
day he noticed how much the Beers seemed
to be nonpIussed By the tactics Of the im-