The Greenville times. [volume] (Greenville, Miss.) 1868-1917, 1899-10-28
BATTLE Of TALANA HILL.
Notable Victory for the British
Arms After a Most Determined
Resistance by the Beers.
EIGHT HOURS OF DESPERATE FIGHTING.
Magnificent ARTILLERY Work-The rug
OF wHr-UneaunIIed Courage of
the BOers-Thc battle began AT
Dundee, but Endcd at THl"na Hill
Flight Of the BOcrs.


London, Oct. 23.-A correspondent IN
Glencoe camp, telegraphing ON October
20, and describing the fighting that
followed the first engagement of the
Boer attack on the British position,
says:
where the Casualties began.
at was after the battle was re-
newed following the lull that ensued
upon the sharp cannonading of tl't
British which silenced the guns of the
Beers on Smiths hill, that our casual
ties began. The Indian hospital corps
| OF coolies under Mai. Donegan, of the
Eighteenth hussars, ran out, keeping
in the rear of the advancing infantry
and artillery that had galluped from
the second position through the town
amid the cheers of the citizens.
The Hoers Gradually slsnced.
AT this point the Beers became err
ratio, The artillery was firing on the
| hill where the Beers were stationed
| in great numbers, but the return fire
die little damage. The enemy kept up
an iucessant shooting, but our shrap-
mel began to tell its tale, witt the re-
sulI that the Boer fire visibly slack
| ened. From a ceaseless rattle the rifle
fire dwindled to struggling shots.
"A corporal of Dublin fusilefrs was
carried past me to the rear ON a
stretcher Maj. Davidson, of the Irish
! fusiiers was shot through both legs,
and Color Sergeant Anderson, of the
Dublin fusliers was brought in wound
ed in the right shoulder.
The artillery in front was sheliing
the hill. and the Kings Royal Rifles,
on the right front, were busy with the
MaNims. making the Beers anxious
about their position. Their artillery
had been siIenced by the splendid serv
ice of ours
FIanLing the Enemy.
Meanwhile a squadron of the Eigh-
tecnth hussars and a mounted com
pany of the Dublin fusiliers were
creeping around on the enemy's left
flank. while another squadron Of the
hussars and a mounted company of
the Kings Royal Rifles deployed to the
right flank. at the corntields.
Several Men Killed or Wounded.
The artillery continued to play on
Smiths hill with range of nearly
| 1000 Yards. Under it's cover the Dun
lin fusilicrs and the Kings Royal Rifles
pressed forward 1t was in the exc
Cution of this maneuver that the cas-
ualtes to our infantry occurred, sever
al men being killed or wounded.
Rode in Front of the Guns.
"Ihe firing now eased off on our side,
and only solitary shot was returned
now and then. Gen. Symons. taking
| advantage of this lull, rode forward
with his staff, in front of the guES,
taking cover at the rear of the planta
ton. near the base of the hill All this
time our infantry, in extended forms
ton. had gradually pressed forward,
watching the Beers from the rear of
the artillery and massing on the ex-
IRENE left of the hill
Cut to Pieces Or Driven Away.
81 saw three shells in quick success
| sion cut some to pieces and drive 9th
ers away. The Boer fire was becom-
| ing hot. but the first battalion of the
| Kings Royal Rifles and the British
fusiliers. led respectively by Col. Gun
ming and Col. Carlton, continued to
mount the hill
Gradually they extended along the
ridge, and at one o'clock, after four
and half hours of artillery fighting
to screen them, they managed to reach
a wall running parallel with the ridge,
! about 600 yards from the summit,
Magnificent Artillery Work.
This position was gained under coy
err of some magnificent shooting by our
| artillerymen, who placed shells at
points were the Beers We're masSed,
with amazing accuracy, compelling
them to retire. But not for long. On
! again the determined enemy would
come. only to be beaten back again
by the excellent shooting of the Thir-
teCnth and Ninth batteries under Maj
Dawkins and Maj. King.
The Tug of War.
AT 11:4j a, m. the firing had almost
ceased. and our infantry were over the
wall in a twinkling, and rushing to-
ward the plateau at the base of the top
or secondary ridge. The defense by the
! Beers was most determined the enc.
my again and again pouring a long
fusiliadeS fire into the British ranks,
which was hotly returned in well-di-
rected volleys by the slowy-advancing
Dublin fusliers and Kings Royal
Rifles.
"A large body of Beers, driven from
Smiths hill, took refuge in cattle
lraal, intending a cross fire. The
Thirteenth battery opened fire, how
ever and poured in such hail of bull
lets as caused them to shift their posi-
ton.
InequnlIed Courage of the Beers.
THUS far the enemy have displayed
undoubted courage, perhaps unequalled
by the best European troops. They
have stood up to our scattering artil-
lery fire with the greatest determine
ton on Taana ridge, standing clear
ly out on the sky line they still APP
peared unbeaten and defiant.
The siAty-NiHth Pushed Forward.
"The fighting had now ragged siN
and half hours, when the SiXty-nintll
battery was ordered to timber up and
advance. The battery galloped into
! IN, al
was in action at the front in a mo
ment.
The thirteenth Ordered Up.
so effective was the apparent re-
suit of this close-range firing that the