The San Francisco call., 1899-12-20

Sprult. General Hildyard's brigade. con-
sisting OF the Second battalion OF the
Devonshire Regiment. the Second Bat
talon OF the Queens Royal West Surrey
Regiment. the Second Battalion OF tho
West Yorkshire Regiment and the Sec
ond Battalion Of the East Surrey ReEf-
ment. was directed 20 proceed 20 CoIensD
and cross the river near the iron bridge.
General Lyttelton's brigade. which was
composed OF the Second Battalion os
Cameronians. the Third Battalion OF
Kings Royal Rife Corps. the First Bat
talon OF the Durham Light Infantry and
the First Battalion Of the Rife Brigade.
was ordered 10 support either Hildyard
or Hart. as occasion might arise. while
General Barton's union Fusileers Brigade.
consisting OF the Second Battalion OF
the. Royal Fusileers. the First Battalion
OF the Royal Welsh Fusileers. the Second
Battalion OF the Royal Scots Fusileers
and the Second Battalion Of tho Royal
Irish Fusileers. proceeded 10 the east OF
the railway toward Mount DanEwine 10
protect the British flank and threaten
that of the enemy.
The British cavalry and field guns wer.
stationed on either wing. The naval guns
were posted I'm a central position on the
west side OF the railway. while Colonel
Long. with his artillery, went 20 the east
side of the railway on the right OF the
infantry. General Hildyard was sent
ahead. the Queens Royal and West Sur
reys on the right and the Devons on the
left OF his front. while General Hart
pushed on the Inniskillens, ConnauEhr
Rangers and Dublin Fusileers. Our front
extended for a distance Of about six
miles.
The Beers had evidently fully extended
their line. Their extreme mobility gave
them great advantage.
Guns were booming around Ladysmith
when ours broke the silence round Co
lenso by shelling the foothills north % the
Tugela River and Fort Wylie. which
stands upon the ridge nearest 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 Estcourt % Co.
lenso. The country Is bare and gently un-
dulating. similar, indeed. 70 our own. Our
troops. therefore, had TO advance 10 Tu-
gela without any cover.
The battle commenced before o'clock
in the morning. but the Beers made no
reply 10 the heavy cannonadc which our
blucjackets directed upon them Few OF
the enemy were visible. They lay hidden
behind their hill works. hut on our In
fantry and batteries and cavalry nearing
Colenso n sharp musketry fire was opened
on them by the Beers from houses on the
river bank. behind which many of the
enemy had been concealed for hours.
II was twenty minutes after when the
Beers battery opened fire on our field
artillery. cavalry and infantry on the east
OF the railway. Their cannon included
Cruezot 5O-pounder. Rrupps and Hotch-
kiss. the latter a machine gun. which
while being discharged gives forth a vii
famous and unnerving rat-tat-tat. sort
OF voluminOus pOstman's knock The en-
emy's shells were soon splashing in all d.
rections. 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 batteries In