The Cape Girardeau Democrat. (Cape Girardeau, Mo.) 1876-1909, 1900-03-03
STORY OF MAJUBA HILL.
The Dis aster to the British Arms
that "Tommy Atkins" was Anx-
tOus to Wipe on the Slate.

Nineteen years ago, February 81, oc-
cured the massacre of Majuba, when
the British experienced one of the
most disastrous defeats recorded in
English army annals, and Sir George
Colley, governor of Natal and COM
mander-in-chief OF the colonial forces,
was among the killed. The engage
ment on Majuba Hill was the conclud-
ing episode of the Boer-British war, in
1851 and paved the way to the estab-
l;shment of n peace on what may be
termed a I;oer basis.
After dark on the evening of Febru-
airy a6. 1851, Gen. Colley paraded his
force of 554 men in the camp at Mount
Prospect. to which he had retired af-
ter the repulse at Laing's Mex, and the
doubtful victory of the Ingogo. The
force consisted of seven companies.
belonging 10 the Fifty-eighth regi-
ment, Sixtieth rifles, and Ninety-sec-
ond Highlanders, with GA men from
the naval brigade. Not a man in that
camp. outside of the staff, knew of its
destination.
To his staff, Gen. Colley revealed the
plan and purpose Of the seizure OF the
summit. The occupation of such a
commanding point would. he urged.
compel the Beers 10 %evacuate their po-
sition It Laing's Mex and restore to
the British possession of the passes
through the Drakensberg mountains.
The Majuba, like nc st South Afri-
can mountains, shows at the summit
a horizontal sky line. The crest OF
the hill was some 1000 feet higher
than the Mount Prospect camp. and
the northern side of the summit DOM
mated the Boer position at Laing's
Mex, but was not held by them. The
Beers, in fact, were fully occupied in
concentrating their forces and their
energies in strengthening the defenses
of the pass itself. as they believed, by
holding it, they could bar the road
into the TransSaal.
Guided by Kaffir scouts, Colley post
ed two companies Of the SiNtieth Ri
files and one of the Ninety-second
Highlanders, at important points be-
tween Mount Prospect carp and Ma
juba, and with the remaining four
companies and the sailors, numbering
just 400 men, the general himself led
the way up the southern spur of the
mountain. The climb was long and
tiresome. The path at n point was
so narrow that the men had to clam
Der, one by enc, round a projecting
rock: each man leaving his rifle with
the next behind, till be had gained a
footing On the further side. The sum-
init was gained just before dawn, and
it was found hat the crest of the pla-
tcau of Majuba vas a perimeter of
fully 100 yards. but so commanding
in appearance was the position thai
no shadow Of doubt as to the ability
of the little force to hold it against
vastly superior numbers appears to
have crossed the minds of Gen.. Colley
and his advisers.
When the morning mist cleared
away, it was found that the distance
to the Boer camp was too great for
effective rifle fire, and the British had
neither gatling guns nor rocket tubes
to drive the burghers away from their
breakfasts. After inspanning their
oxen. B0er skirmishcrs were thrown
out, approached within range, and the
recent experience of Spicn Kop was
foreshadowed. The Beers had a def
mite mark, the sky line of the hill. The
British saw here and there a puff of
smoke, and knew that at that spot 4
Boer had found a sheltering rock. Up
to IL o'clock no great harm had been
done, and the consensus of opinion
on the British side was that the Beers
were wasting their ammunition
The firing ceased for two hours. then
suddenly, at 1880, about sixty Beers
appeared close to Il body of the British.
They occupied n small kopje, and,
firing a volley, killed, disabled or dis
persed the English in a moment. The
sudden collapse of this party so dunn
founded those who were in sight OF
the spot that they recoiled from the
brow of the hill, thus leaving the at
lacking force free access to the sum-
NIT. The rapidly increasing contingent
of Beers clambered Y the edge,
swept the perimeter with a storm of
lead. which sent the British flying
hcadlong down the side of the noun
tain. All cohesion was lost. The rout
was complete and ignominious. All
the efforts of the general and his OIL
GERS to rally their men were vain, and
then at last, having suffered all the
bitterness that life has in store for a
soldier, Colley had the supreme good
fortune to lind death, facing the en-
envy.
When Gen. Joubert, the Boer COM
mander, recalled his men from the
pursuit of the fleeing British that at
ternoon, and retraced his steps up the
Maiuba, he found 40 dead soldiers on
the slope of the mountain, while on
the summit, surrounding the body OF
Gen. CoIley, were 5 officers and so
men. slain in that brief struggle. Nine
officers and 121 men were wounded,
and 7 officers and As men were taken
prisoners. OF the original 400 which
gained the summit, just 122 got back
to the camp at Mount Prospect I'M
scathed. The Beers had one maj
killed and five wounded.