New-York tribune., 1899-06-18

Rines and retired in good order The Boer loss
is said t. have been two. II was maSninceh',
were needed that for infantry in column TO
charge in broad daylight works thus strongly
held by resOute men who can handle Dreech-
leaders is to court ruin and disaster.
After Laing's Mex tn" exutant Beers threat
ened CoIley's communica tiOns. ard on February
= he sailed out from his camp at Mount Pros
pect 10 clear the road in his rear. rms tlme ne
took with him five companies Of the both klHeS-
who being i'm reserve. had not been cut up at
Laing's Nek-and four guns tog' ther Win
thirty-eight mounted men. few miles from
camp he left a haf-cOmpany and two guns TO
guard the drifts OF the flooded Ingogo River
and mile or two further ON he encountered a
strong party of Beers With confidence be
gotten Of their easy victory at I.angs Mex. the
Beers did not wait to be attacked, but without
hesitation. assumed the offensive. Colley took
up a position iat-topped hill and stood
on his defence, having now about three hundred
men and two guns with him. According To Al
fred Aylward the Boer patrol numbered lGi.
The Beers took cover all round the hill. and a
prolonged rifle duel cnsued between the two
forces
Avoiding the British tactics at Laings Mex.
the conditions Of which were exactly reversed
upon this occasion the Beers refrainei from any
attempt to take the hill by direct assault in
body. but independent sharpshooters they
kept up an incessant rife fire until nightfall
In accuracy Of shooting and in the skill with
which they sheltered themselves they proved TO
be superior to the defenders Of th' hill. They
drew off at last with loss of twelve killed and
fourteen wounded but the defenders had actual
ly lost six times as many. The sharpshootlng
skirmishers had put no less than half the force
they were attacking hOrS de combat. After the
withdrawal Of the Beers. Colley. whose horses
were nearly all killed. with great difficulty sue
ceedcd in saving the guns. dotted all over as
they with with the SplaShes Of the BOer bullets.
and by a desperate night march he regained his
camp under cover of darkness with the remnant
Of his forces. England had to learn by bitter
eXperiencr that ValOr without good shooting is
l,u, Of no of he
The spirit and Stanchness of the British troops
were admirable; and Colleys own letters warmly
acknowledge The fact. But as shots they were
completely outClasSed.
Reinforcements now began To arrive. Colleys
force at the front. which had suffered 50 heavily
in these two engagements, was strengthened by
the arrival of the 92d Highlanders. fresh from
their victories i'm Afghanistan and with them he
resumed the offensive This time he decided TO
avoid making direct attempt on Laings Mex.
and aimed at turning that position by occupying
the Majuba Mountain. which Overhung the pass
on the southwest. After Laing'S Mex, CoUey
had promised the survivors Of the ISth TO give
them another chance of trying conclusions with
their opponents; and to seize MaJuba ne TOOK
with him force composed Of three companies or
the 92d, two Of the 18th and two Of the 10Th.
supplemented as before by a naval contingent.
BY a skilful and daring march on the night OF
February p he occupied, without opposition,
this post Of vantage, which appeared to him i'm
pregnabe.
rad seized was not strong as he had mag
ined. The Majuba Mountain was what Western
Americans would call a beted mesa. it was n
Hdt-topped or rather saucor-toppa ID height
with belt Of perpendicular cliff running round
ii little below the summit broken only here
and there by a few gullies, through which ac-
cess to the summit might be- gained from the
lower slopes These lower slopes were steep. and
the upper Jarts Of them were screened from
view from the summit by being below the belt
Of cliff which looked formidable to the eye.
Technically speaking. they were "'ead ground
THE BATTLE or MAJUBA HILL.
In his fancicd security. Colley omitted to
fortfy his position. the very error which two
years before had led 10 the disaster of Isandula
He allowed his staff 10 distribute most Of his
men around the rim Of the saucer-shaped basin
where they cOntented themselves with piling up
little heaps Of stones to lie down behind.
As soon daylight revealed to the force hold
Ing Laing's Mex that their flank was threatened
they began To prepare to send their wagons 10
the rear; but they determined also. before re-
treating. To try the effect of a direct assault
upon Majuba. According to the account given
by General Sir William Butler, some Of the
Highanders showed themselves boldly on the
sky line in the morning light shaking their fists
dedantly at the hostile camp. which lay two
thousand feet below. and Of which they could
now see every detail. Come up here. you beg
gars" they cried and il Alfred Aylward may
be trusted two hundred and twenty-three Beers
accepted the invitation. Part OF the Boer as
Sailants took cover at once with their usual Skill
and opened long range fire on the summit ot
Maiuha This fire did but little execution.
though a single shot at nine hundred yards
mortally wounded the brave ROmilly. com |
mander of the naval contingent. But, generally !
speaking. the defenders Of the hill took good
care not to expose themselves unnecessarily to
the craftsmanship Of the Beers. with the result |
that the actual loss inflicted by the lagrange /
fire was small. Though the Beers kept ii up |
necessarily all that long summers morning. |
scarcely any one except poor ROmilly was
touched.
Nevertheless the Beers were not throwing |
fO nothing They succeeded
in their object Of compelling the defenders OF
he hill tn keen closelN under shelter and pre- |