New-York tribune., 1900-01-26
INCIDENTS OF COLENSO.
EXPERIENCES OF AN INFANTRY OFFICER
JUST RECEIVED BY MAIL


London. Jan. 1.-THE following account of the
battle of Coenso, written by infantry officer
present, was received by to-day's mail:
After that most terrible and one-sded battle of
Colenso last Friday 1 tainted when I got to camp
from sunstroke, and on Saturday morning l found
1 had dysentery How any one escaped on Friday
is marvel to to me We we're nine and half hours
tin E09 put my ro the up RerT Rs
it would be no go. Directly we got under fire
a corporal said to me: 81 wonder how many Beers
Tae sa n tna5 M0Ga S Of @
Butler has never shelled it at all I was right.
came out through us and exposed ed our four re com. M
escaped at all. Then saw about three companies
of the 7th Fusiers go in on the left of the taken
were told to advance bit and eventually we were
f fSd of @ WHEN to ae d4ePd 2 @ guns nG Tf fhe ala
not like that word at aID and had a75 six 0ffGerS
missing or prisoners, of total OF thirteen Off
GERS and 472 men, with which we started at a. m,
never shall be again and them to add tot to it all they
f-pSound Maxim -Nordenfeltd Shells and Mausers
until we had retired well out of range
troops went through it all they never hesitated
one moment, never finched. On they went with
shall never forget the sight. man was hit. on
PAGES, on they went shell blew poor captain of
the Connaught Rangers to bits A subaltern of the
absolutely no trace Of his comrade left, and see
he is reported as missing. as they could not find
him, and yet on went the lines.
Ny own company was most light hearted One
man at Chatham. in front of me while we once
were ordered to turn in file to the left and wheel
flank of the guns, and when a bullet whizzed very
bo 10 e ne to pE antics 6 we 5nd SKIP @
bullets were as thick as bees. and 1 had several
lay down showers OF bullets came pitching about
half yard in front of my head. It truly
at all Just before we lay down Sg o private BEHIND
1' me s said: Sir l don't know how we got through
III i think
must be good to us to-day was much impressed
To show what a good fellow Tommy" is, when
near camp felt very III; my legs were giving way;
sai f. o; M o9 SO one Of the company asked leave to
had seen train from FTere with water. There
was great crowd of men there jostng for water,
water for me ' to drink % Really s W ther se actions
them all And under the most @ trying sfn
in which our idiotic generals UNNECESSARILY placed
us ! did my best TO save all fatigue where could
eES aways {eTa hated wheTe the grass was longest
major He fortunately is very sound man full
had the greatest confidence in him 90
Can we not get the best men for every billet yet?
We do get some but not all Social qualities still
rule the day 1t should not be so. Where do social
stance OF 1obbery among many ] viii give you
Now h: have made Signalling sig life study, 50
! was sitting with three or four other officers OF
Of ot snd sd
thing like he wondered who was signalling"
in at once four letter" man. So determined
to watch and listen. They signalling from
Weenen, twenty-seven miles off, with heograph
He tried TO read. but could not. The Beers called
them up from Umbulwana and asked who they
well they mighty
This fellow stood with his mouth open looking
on and wondering what Il all about; and /
asked who he and told that he was a
signalling officer the staff; that he came from
the Royal Horse Guards and wanted q medal and
a soft Job. "Oh" said I. Then wasn't far wrong
I can assure you all Of us earned wretched
clasp at Colenso; but 70 make frontal. attack
with the whole army. just Ike an Aldershot field
day, simply silly rot
FIGHTING AN INVISIBLE FOE.
The correspondent Of '"rae Times" with Buffers
army, writing from Chieveey Camp December a.
gives some interesting details of the battle of
Colenzo. After describing the movements OF the
previous day preliminary TO the engagement he
says:
At dawn on the 18th. the troops were filing slowly
out OF camp 10 their respective positions There
was no wind and not cloud in the sky. BY
quarter OF hXe there was sufficient light for the
sbonse whatever Shortly before the i4th and esth
BE- tteries and the naval 12-pounder battery ad-
vancsd across me plain TO the right Of the railway
Commanding the naval battery wsrs riding In