The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-12-05
M0DDER RIVER FIGHT.
English Troops Met by a Whitening Fire.
Beers Retired,


London Dec. 4-The Daily Chronicle
publishes the following dispatch, dated
Wednesday morning, from its correspond
ent at Modder river camp:
The severest engagement our column
has yet had, and probably the severest of
the whole campaign, was fought yester-
day on the banks of the Modder river.
The battle waged fiercely for nearly IA
hours. The enemy occupied a. strongly
entrenched position, their front extending
five miles along the bank of the stream.
They were well supplied with artillery and
fought desperately.
Our force consisted of the second bat
talon of the Coldstream Guards 1st bat
talon Of the Scots Guards. Sd battalion of
the Grenadier Guards, 1st battalion of the
Northumberland Fusliers, I'd battalion of
the Yorkshire light artillery (kings
OWN, part of the LIST battalion of the
Royal Lancashire regiment, 9th Lancers.
mounted infantry, three batteries of field
artillery and LIST battalions of the Argyle
and Sutherland Highlanders The latter
reinforced us from General Weuchope's
brigade and arrived just in time for the
fight.
The battle started at daybreak. our
guns Smelling the Beers left The enemy
replied with artillery, Hotchkiss and
Maxms, and the artillery duel lasted
some hours. Then there was a brief lull
in the enemys operations, of which We
Immediately took advantage. The infan-
try advanced across the plain towards
the river in two brigades.
The Guards on the right were met by
an awful hail of bullets from the enemy'S
sharpshooters posted close to the river on
the opposite bank. Ours had no cover
whatever and We're simply moved down.
1t seemed impossible to live through the
terrible fire, but the brave fellows did not
retreat an inch.
The Boer fire was horribly accurate and
they must have numbered at least 0000.
The Scots Guards advanced 600 yards be-
fore they were fired upon. They had
to lie down to escape the deadly fusllade,
which lasted without intermission
throughout the day.
The Highlanders made several attempts
to force a passage of the river. but they
were exposed to such murderous en-
filading fire that they had to retire after
they had suffered terribly.
Subsequently a party Of the Guards got
oyer and held their own for hours against
a vastly superior force. The general
opinion of the staff is that there had
| never been such a sustained fire in the
| annals OF the British army as that our
| troops had to face yesterday. Our men
, fell in dozens while trying to rush the
bridge.
Among the many heroic deeds one of
the most conspicuous was that of Lieu
| tenant Codington of the Coldstream
| Guards, Captain Sellheyn of the Queens
| land contingent and a dozen members of
the Coldstream Guards who jumped into
the river and swan nearly to the other
| side in the face of a heavy fire, but were
forced to retire, and, joining hands, swan
| back, two of their number being nearly
| drowned in the retreat.
The British guns kept up a heavy fire
all day and fearful havoc was wrought
on the Boer positions, the enemy being
forced to fly from the entertainments.
| Night put an end to the terrible blood
she'd The infantry brigade was dread
| fully cut up. The Beers retired at night,
taking their guns with them, and We arc
now occupying their positions. The ene-
| my's loss was tremendous
| The later details received from Modder
| river show that even the desperate cour.
! age of the attacking force displayed all
day long Nov. 2s), failed to drive the
| Beers from their strong entrenchment,
and night fell on an undecided battle, but
| apparently during the coupe of the night
| General Cronje commanding the Beers,
| who are said to have numbered 1000 men,
decided that the struggle was hopeless,
| for the British found the town and sur.
| rounding positions evacuated when day
| light broke, and the whole British army
crossed the river and encamped on the
| Boer position.
The experts here are unanimous In ex-
pressing the opinion that Kmberley's
| needs must be very pressing to induce
| General Methuen to expose the whole OF
| his command to the Boer marksmen,
| snugly entrenched in a semi-circle. So
! deadly was the fire zone that the Scots
| Guards were compelled to leave their
Maxim guns behind when they were
| forced to seek less exposed ground. IT
| was only after dusk that a portion or
| British troops succeeded in crossing the
| river by milldam on the extreme left.
| When night fell the Boer artillery fire
| was still as vigorous as in the morning,
| but the Beers retirement in the night
| saved the situation for the British. The
| exhausted condition of the British troops
precluded the possibility of a pursuit of
| the enemy.
| The conclusion of the correspondents
| that the Beers must have suffered heav-
! lily must be confirmed from official sources