The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1899-10-21

fuslIeeTps and the King Rifles aI-cer
cover of a well directed artillery fire
by the Thirteenth and Sixty-ninth bat
teries. The Beers who threatened the
British rear have retired.
The fight was almost an exact coun-
teTpart of that of MajuDa Hill, except
thar the positions Of the Boer and Brit
iSh forces were reversed. General Sy-
mons was severely but not dangerously
wounded.
The battle today has been a brilliant
success. The Beers got a reverse which
may possibly, for a time at any rate,
check all aggressive action. The Brit
ish artillery practice in the early part
OF the day decided the battle.
Shells Came Thick.
The seizure of Dundee Hill by the
Beers was a surprise for although the
pic6ets had been exchanging shots all
night, it was not until shell doomed
over the town into the camp that their
presence was discovered. Then the
shells came fast The hill was posi-
lively alive with the swarnIing Beers;
still the British artillery got to work
with magnificent energy and precision.
The batteries from the camp took up
positions TO the south of the town, and
after a quarter of an hours magnificent
firing, silenced the guns on the hills;
The correspondents could see shells
dropping among the Boer pieces with
remarkable accuracy and doing ire
mendous execution, for the enemy were
present in very large numbers and in
places considerably exposed.
BY this time the enemy held the
whole OF the hill behind Smiths farm
and the Dundee Kopje, right away 10
The south, in which direction the Brit
ish infantry and cavalry moved at
once. The fighting ragged particularly
hot at the valley outside the town.
Was Magnificent Charge.
Directly the Beer guns ceased firing,
General Symons ordered the infantry
to move on the position. The infantry
charge was magnificent. The way the
kings royal rifles and the Dublin fusl-
leers stolmed the position was one of
the most splendid sights ever seem
The firing of the Beers was not so
deadly as must have been expected
from troops occupying such an excel
lent position, but the infantry lost
heavily going up the hill, 6nd only the
consummately brilliant way in which
General SymOns had trained them to
fighting Of the kind saved them from
being swept away Indeed, the hill was
almost inaccessible to the storming
party. and any hesitation would have
lost the day.
respondent could see, were all aban-
doned, for the Beers had no time to e.
move them. A stream Of fug1tlVeS
roured down the hillside into the valley,
where the battle went on with no
abatement.
General Symons was wounded early
in the action, and the command then
devolved on Major Yule.
The enemy, as they fed, were FOL
lowed by the cavalry, mounted infan-
try and artillery. The direction taken
was to the eastward. At the latest re-
ports, the cavalry had not returned.
Boer Guns Captured.
Some say that four, and some say that
five guns were captured. The Boer ar
tillery firing was weak. a lot OF
plugged shells We're used.
Although the enemy'S position was
carried soon after l O'Clock scattering
fire went on almost all the afternoon.
The British losses are very severe,
but those of the Beers are much heaV-
Ter.
The final rush was made with a tri-
umphant yell, and as the British
troops charged 10 close quarters the
enemy turned and fed. leaving all their
impediments and guns behind them in
their precipitate fight.
While this was going on one battery
of artillery. the Eighteenth huSSarS-
and the mounted infantry, with a part
of the Leicester regiment, got on the
enemy's flank and as the Beers stream
ed wildly down the hills. making for
the main road, they found their retreat
had been cut off, but they rallied for
a while. and there was severe fighting,
with great loss to each side.
Many of the enemy surrendered. A
rough estimate places the British loss at
80 killed or wounded and that of the
Beers at 500.
Beers Were Puzzled.
A newspaper correspondent states
that through his glasses during the
fighting today he noticed how much
the Beers seemed to be nonplussed by
the tactics of the imperial troops, es-
pecially of the well drilled, swift NOV
ing horsemen. The enemy are still as of
old. a mob. They are without horses
and forage, and many of them rely for
food upon what they can obtain by
footing. Their animals are mostly in a
wretched condition. 1t is understood
that before today's battle several Beers
had left their commanders and gone
home TO their farms, and many others
are now likely to follow.
General Symons was shot through
the thigh. hut no bones were broken. He
is cheerful.