Albuquerque daily citizen. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1895-1903, 1899-12-04
MODDhR RIVER BATTLE.
Details Of the Bloody Battle Be.
tween British and Beers.
II was a Dearly Bought Victory
for the British.
Bo.rs Held their Position and Retired
with their Ariillery.
BRITISH MARCHING TO KIMBERLEY.

London, Dec. The Daily Chronicle
publishes ihs 10 lowing dispatch dated
NOvomOer 20 from lis correspondent al
hOdder river camp The seyerest en.
gsgement that our column has yet had
aud probably the sevefest Of the whole
campaign. was fought yesterday on the
| banks OF the A0t1er river. Tue battle
was wagei lisrcely for nearly fourteeen
hours. The enemy occupied q strongly
enIre1ched position, their front extend
Ing ave miles along the bank 0t tue
stream. They were we'll supplied win
artillery and fought desperately, Oar
foics consisted OF the second battalion Of
the ColdsIream gustds, the iirst battalion
0f The SCOTS guards, third battiii0n OF
the GIena Ter guards, first battalion OF
the Northumberland Fuslilers, second
battalion OF the Y Yorkshire light infan ny f,
no Kings own, part OF the tifst Dattal
Ion of the Loyal NJrtl Lane ishire rexi-
mont, Ninth Laucers, Mead infantry,
three batteries tieid artillery and first
battalion OF Argyll and sutherland high
LADDERS (Piincess LOuise's) The latter
reinforced US from General Wauchope's
brigade and arrived just In time for the
light.
fhe battle started at daybreak, our
guns shelling the Beers left. The enemy
replied with artillery, Hotchkiss aud
Aaxims. and the artillery duel lastel
some hours. Then there was big lull
Ia the enemy's operations. OF which the
general Immediately took advantage.
Ine infantry advanced across the plain
towards the river, In two brigades. The
Guards on the right we're met by an
awful hail Of bullets from the enemy's
sharp shooters, pasted 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 fire, but the brave fellows did not
retreat an inch. The Boer tire was h0r.
ribly accurate. They must have numbered
at least ten thousand. The Scots guards
advanced six hundred yards before they
were fired upon. Then they had to lie
down 10 escape the deadly silade which
lasted without intermission throughout
the day. The Highlanders made several
attempts to force the passage Of the
river, but were exposed TO such mur.
derous enfiladiDg tire that they had to re-
tire after they had suffered horribly.
subsequently u party OF Guards got over
and held their own an hour against
greatly superior force The general
opinion OF the staff Is that there ha
never been such sustained tire IN the
a DaiJ OF the British army a. that which
our troops had 10 face yesterday. Our
men fell In dozsns while trying TO rush
the bridge,
Among the many heroic deeds the
most c0nspicous was that OF Lieutenant
Colonel Codrington, Of the Coldstream
Guards, Captain Sellpein. Queensland
contingent and doZ ,n members OF the
ColisIream Guards, who jumped into the
river and swan nearly ~ the other side
IN the face OF "A steady 6re, but who were
forced TO retire and Joining hands, swan
back. two % their number being nearly
drowned ia the retreat.
The British guns kept up a heavy fire
all day and fearful havo3 was wrought
on the BOer positions, the enemy being
forced to II se from their entertainments.
Nigh, put sn end TO the terrible blood
sh'd. The infantry brigade was dread.
fully cut up. The Beers retreated In the
night, taking their guns with them and
W are now occupying their positions.
The enemy's loss was tremendous.