Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1899-12-04

London, Dec. 1.-THE Daily Chronicle
publishes the following dispatch. dated
Wednesday. Nov. 20. morning. from It's
correspondent at Modder River camp
Tho scvorcst engagement our column
has yet had and probably the scvcrcs,
for the whole campaign, was fought
yesterday ON the banks Of the Moddar
river. Tho battle was waged fcfccly
for nearly fourteen houra The enemy
occupied a strongly entrenched position.
their front extending i've miles along
the bank Of tho stream. They were
well supplied with artillery and fought
desperately
THE BRITISH FORCE.
our force consisted OF the second
battalion Of the Coldstrenm guards. the
first battalion Of the Scots guards. the
third battalion OF the ercnndicr guards.
tho first battalion OF the Norihumbcr.
land nsllcors, the second battalion Of
the Yorkshire HIGHT Infantry uhc Kings
own, a part 81 the first battalion of the
royal Lancashire regiment the ninth
lanccrs. the mounted Infantry. three
batteries " field artillery. and the nrai
battalion OF the Argyll and Sutherland
illghlanders u'rinccss Loulse's).
The latter reinforced Us from Gen.
wopchope's brigade. and arrived jus,
In time Cor the night
OPENING THE Hattie.
The battle started at daybfeak. our
guns Smelling the Boer left.
The enemy replied with artillery.
Hotchkiss and Maxlms. and the artll.
lery duel lasted some hours. Then there
was a brief hull In the onemy's opera
,ione. of which we Immediately took
advantage. Infantry advanced across
the plain towards the river In two bril-
sadcs.
The guards ON the right were met by
an awful hail of bullets from the enc
my's uharpshootcrs posted close To the
river ON the opposite bank ours had
no cover Whatever and We're simply
moved down. II seemed Impossible TO
live through the terrible frc. but the
brave fellows did not retreat an inch
The Boer IRE was horribly accurate.
and they must have numbered a, least
10000.
FORCED HIGHLANDERs BACK.
The Scotia guards advanced six hun.
dfvd yards before they wcrs hrol on
Then the, had to lie down to escape
the deadly fuslladc. which lnstod with.
out inicrmlsslon throughout the day.
Tic Iilfhlaufers made several dtter'I,r
To- force a passage OF the river. but they
Were oNnosed to such murdero Is rr-
h'nd'.g IRE that they had to retire az.
Ter ihcy Tad suffered terribly.
Subsequently a party OF the gua.is
got uNtr and held thelr own for hours
nga,ns' rdstiy superior force.
The general opinion OF tho star IL
that there had never been such a sun
tanned fire IN the annals OF the l'ritlsh
army us that our troops had 10 face
s. stcrdny our men fell In d17ans while
tlyiis tu rrsh the bridge.
~ onf the many heroic dc.ds. ono of
III most conspicuous was taat u Lieut..
Col. CotmRton OF the Colistreim
guards. Cant sclpeyn II the Queens
laul contuI ent. and a dozen mrinbtfs
NJ the C"ldstrcam guards. who ;uEi..cd
int" Sic river and swan nearly 70 The
other side In the face Of a steady nrc;
but who Norc forced 20 retrc. and.
i.lnlng hands swan back. TWO ~ rtlr
nIrl'cr ici' Z; nearly drowD.d In the re-
treat
MIGHT STOPS Tar FIGHT
The British guns kept up heavy fire
all day nud fearful havoc was wiough,
on the ro,r positions. the enc ny b,ins
forced TO rs from their "n;rcrt hmonts.
NiFht Lul an end 20 ~ terrible
blooJHheu. The infantry brigade was
droalgily cut mp.
Tho Beers rctrcated at night. taking
their guns with them, and We are now
occupying their positions, The enemys
loss was tremendous
london, Dee. i.-The liter details re-
celved from Moddcr river show that
even the d,'perate courage tt'e attack
In force displayed al day ionr tNov,