The Topeka state journal., 1899-12-20

regiment. the Second battalion Of the
Queens Royal West Surrey regiment,
the Second battalion of the West York
shire regiment and the Second battaI-
ion of the East Surrey regiment was di-
rected to proceed to ColenSO and cross
the river near the iron bridge.
Gen. Lyttleton's brigade which was
composed of the Second battalion of
Cameronians, the Third battalion of the
Kings Royal rife corps, the First bat
talon of the Durham Light Infantry
and the First battalion of the rife brig
ade was ordered to support either Hid
yard or Hart as occasion might arise,
while General BartOns Union Fusiliers
brigade, consisting OF the Second bat
talon of the Royal F'usiliers; the First
battalion of the Royal WeIch Fusiliers;
the Second battalion of the Royal Scots
Fusiliers and the Second battalion of
the Royal Irish F'usiliers proceeded to
the east of the railway toward Mount
DangWane, to protect the British flank
and threaten that of the enemy.
Our cavalry and field guns were sta
toned on either wing. The naval guns
were posted in a central position on the
west side of the railway while Col.Long
with his artillery went to the east side
of the railway on the right of the in
fantry. Gen. Hildyard sent ahead the
Queens Royal West Surveys on the
right and the Devons on the left of his
front, while Gen. Hart pushed on the
InniskillingS, Connaught Rangers and
Dublin Fusiliers. Our front extended
for distance of about six miles. The
Beers had evidently fully extended
their line Their extreme mobility al
most gives them a front in air.
The guns were booming around
Ladysmith when ours broke the silence
around Colenso by shelling the foot
hills north of the Tugela river and Fort
Wiley which stands upon a ridge near
the bridge. With skill and labor, the
Beers had built walls and forts and had
dug successive trenches on the road
commanding every line Of approach
from E1StCOurt to COIenSO.
The country is bare and generally un-
dulating similar indeed to our downs
Our troops therefore had to advance to
the Tugela without any cover.
The battle comm enced before in the
morning, but the Beers made no reply
to the heavy cannOnade which our blue
jackets directed upon them. Few of
the enemy were visible. They lay hid
den behind their hill works, but on our
infantry and batteries and cavalry
nearing ColenSO a sharp muSketry fire
was opened by the Beers from the
houses on the river bank, behind which
many of the enemy had been concealed
for hours.
1t was twenty minutes after when
the Boer batteries opened fire on our
field artillery, cavalry and infantry on
the east of the railway. Their cannon
included a Creusot f1ve-pounder,
Krupps and a Hotchktss. the latter a
machine gun, which while being dis
charged gives forth a villainous and
unnerving rat-ta-tat, a sort of volumt-
shells were soon splashing in all direc-
tiOns, but our indomitable infantry in
the face of the fusillade, which really
was one continuous roar of shot and
shell, fought gallantly on and gained
Colenso.
Colonel Long rushed in the batteries
in order to get close range when sud-
denly the Beers sprang up and opened
a destructive fire with Mausers at a
range of only 600 yards.
GunnerS and horses were rapidly shot
down. With the utmost pluck our pri-
vate soldiers took teams to recover the
cannon, but the animals were killed
and ten field pieces were not recovered
despite the heroic efforts of our fellows
to get them back.
It was here that Lieutenant Roberts
was hit.
General Barton sent in some compan-
les of Scots and Irish fusiliers to as
sist. Meanwhile General Harris bri-
gade, shelled by the enemy and pelted
and from the trenches on the river
bank, met with an equally terrible op-
position.
But despite the great losses which
were sustained the boys of the Irish
brigade grandly won their way across
the river, though a few of them were
drowned in the passage. But they
found the position untenable and were
ordered to retire. At noon our troops
withdrew to their former camp, the
Beers evincing no disposition to follow
us up.
During the action the enemy's rein
forcements gaIloped up to occupy the
trenches.