New-York tribune., 1900-05-13

Colonel Broadwood, realizing the gravity OF the
mac an nd ms this side Of the
waterworks. His baggage arrived about O'Clock on
2 O'Clock on SATURDAY. morning. The enemy had
sen gored their h ann % all as
Broadwood determined upon an early start on the
uated. The force had crossed the Modder and lay
In the open between two spruts adjacent 10 the tne
Let it be carefully observed that Broadwood only
later his convoy was retreating over the same
to mai dgrss for on this
on s
history of this war II the scale Of the operations
ds ii ha
visers would have earned Immortal fame As soon soon
in retreat and d had ba hs
scheme of cutting him OFF and surrounding him.
The scheme was delicate in the extreme as only a
sitions. But a perfect knowledge Of the country country
3 and hs n en a to IN the m
usually so apathetic rendered the plan feasible saer
thar must
Dr They knew the Topography Of + the os9n 70
shell the at daybek S II the m gage es
to guard the rear rear Consequently the four hundred
best mounted men were selected and ordered to
daybreak io The % four guns with the commando were
msn o aHd oo he and be in
position as soon as day should I'D breaS hs he could
morning advsneed Ths dspositIons sdmiTsSis
dred men were In koorn spruit before dayhght y!s
earthwork The four guns were in position on the
rear and fanks of Broadwoods camp, and skir-
At m the se enemy S opened with rifle
een hs s the first the
Boer guns opened on the mass, the baggage tram ram
road open to them-namely. the one which led to
Koorn Drift; the two horse batteries followed the
the high ground on the far side Of the drift. TO
ABOUT tbree mes from aS the drif which as
previously pointed out, lay in the point OF rough
and the bushgrown SLUT which converged toward
it. Thus when the Beers were In position lining
like the base of a horses foot The Beers
point G where the dr, cuts the slut the nuah
broad and extensive The Beers stationed at this
tton m as each wagon dropped below the skyline
into into the drift the eamsters We're directed take
their to the right or left, as the case mignt
Violence No shot was fired, Each wagon in turn
captured and placed along the sqt M s SO t9as s
taking place to their front until it became their
or1 TO a oWad The and
high ground beyond the drift were sufficient to ma
wagons except nine passed into the hands Of the
enemy Then came the arfery IN od56ers GOluhm; onn
parallel to their left Just as the leading ba,tsry
ence Of the enemy disclosed Report has it that
Sergeant Green. of the Army Service Corps was the
first man TO fire. Called upon to surrender. he
threw his revolver loose as II to tender Il to the
Boer at the horses head. and then shot him dead
He himself shot a moment later This incident.
If true. must have taken place Just as = battery sr
came level with the drift, for the gunners' hrst
knowledge of the real state of affairs was when
armed Beers stood all round them shouting ing:
You are prisoners-you must surrender! The
drivers ordered to diSmount and leave their
teams The men had alternative but to obey
Major Taylor. commanding Battery. with great
presence of mind able to slip away seize a
loose horse. and inform the officer commanding
Q Battery of what had occurred. At that moment
Roberts's Horse rode to the drift An old Dutch,
man stood up and waved them to move on down
into the drift and there to surrender their arms.
Major Dawson grasped the situation In a moment
Standing up in his stirrupS he shouted, Fours
about, Gallopr' The files swung around The
drivers OF O Battery whipped round their teams
There temporary pause and then the storm
burst The enemy that nothing further was
to be gained by violence Every bush on the donga
bed every foot of the railway embankment every
ward of the kopjes above the drift spouted Aalser
fire. The drift became pandemonium the
captured gun teams stampeded hopelessly, InlnShnS
with loose mules spans and dismounted Beers
while four guns of Q and one Of thundered PACK
one thousand yards TO the tin buildings, destined
some day to be Koorn Drift Station