The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1899-11-16
FIGHTING IN TRENCHES
Brilliant Attack Of Captain Fitz-
clarence's Party at Mafeking.
FOUGHT WITH FIXED BAY0NETs.

Stole Silently on the Beers in the Dark
ness OF Night, Pounced Upon Them
With Fearful Eject, and as Silently
Returned Under Heavy Fire.
London, Nov. 16.-A dispatch to The
Daily Mail from Mafeking, sent by
way of Magalapye. because the run
ners sent southwark were unable to
traverse the Boer lines, gives an in
teresting account of trench fight dur
ing the last week in October. The cor
respondent says:
After the failure to rush the town
General Cronje had recourse to the
tactics employed during the siege Of
Potchefstroom In 1881, making an ad-
vance to the town by succession of
trenches in echelon. Such a move had
been anticipated by us for some time.
and for that reason there had been sent
out parties to worry the Beers inces-
sanity by night attacks.
These tactics the enemy disliked, but
he contented himself with daily shell
fire, which exposed him to little per-
sonal risk. Then Colonel Baden-Pow-
ell played his trump card by sending
Captain Fltzclarence's party to worry
occupants of the trenches. The little
force stole out silently in the dark
ness. No shot was fired, and the men,
with fixed bayonets, creeping rather
than walking along. gradually APP
preached the chief Boer position, near
the race course. Then, as they closed
in, there was shrill screech. 1t was
FitzcIarence's whistle and the signal
for onslaght.
A ringing British cheer which the
listeners back in camp caught up, was
the only reply as the party dashed into
the trenches. There was fearful
struggle, the attacking forces catching
and bayoneting the Beers under the
turpaulins, where they crouched crying
for mercy. At least so bayonets got to
work, and the havoc they wrought was
terrible.
For just a moment there was no
systematic return fire, but then per-
feet hailstorm of bullets poured in from
the trenches in the rear. Again Fitz-
clarence's whistle sounded. It meant
cease fire and scatter homeward.' The
British forces scattered, silently creep
ing back under the furious fire in the
darkness to the appointed rendezvous,
where the roll was called.
Colonel Baien-Powell met and con-
graduated Captain Fitzclarence and
his men upon their splendid work. say
ing that 1t was a heavy price to pay,
but that the Beers had to be stopped
making rifle trenches within range of
the town. The members of the party
are now the envy and pride of the gar
rison. Even the Boer commander
Botha expressed admiration of the at
tack, and added that he would take
Mafeking before long, for he meant to
do one thing or the other quickly.
Belated dispatches from Ladysmith,
dated Nov. 7. tell of a languid bonn
bardment and Of native rumor that
the Basutos are on the warpath, which
is supposed, according to one corre-
spondent, to have had the effect of in
ducing some of the Orange Free State
troops to abandon the siege and to re-
turn to their own territory. Another
correspondent says it is reported that
in the attack on the Free States forces
at Dewdorp the Beers had 800 in kill
ed and wounded. ..
If the reports that the Free State
burghers are tired of the affair and arc
going home should prove true, the
fact would be most important, as their
retirement would probably compel
General Joubert to withdraw north
ward.
There has been no confirmation of
the report published In Paris yester-
day that the town of Ladysmith had
been surrendered to the Beers, and
the report is discredited.