Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1900-01-13
BELATED REPORTS
Just Received from Battle
of Modder River.
Reckless Courage Of Beers as They
Facet Certain Death.
Gallant Work OF British Soldiers and Marines
Lessons Of The Battle.
Correspondence of Associated Press

mails. columns of descriptions of the
operations in South Africa. Those
recently printed refer chiefly to the
battles of Graspan and Modder river,
for il is yet too early for the public2-
ton of fun accounts of Buffers defeat
at CononsO. The Times correspondent
at Modder river has written a graphic
account of the long, fierce battle that
takes its name from that stream. For
the whole day" he writes, THE Guards
brigade lay on the open vedt in Il heat
that was actually 10 degrees in the
shade at midday. Meanwhile the left
flank had not been idle, as after the
general had personally led them to the
summit of a slight rise that command
ed the only possible means of crossing
the river-the dam that had been built
to turn the Modder river into an orna-
mental water for the picnics of the
Kimberley excursionists-they moved
towards the edge Of the river bank on
the enemy's extreme left.
That it could ever be attempted to
cross the river sliding Sideways
through the rush of water over the
paddles along a rckety iron bar, one
by one. clinging to the short supports
in full view of the opposite side OF
shore was an act of reckless heroiSm
against which even the wary Cronje
had not provided. This, however IS
what was actually done. and it would
be difficult to find a parallel for the
stubborn pluck of the men who ac-
companied Col Barter across the 300
yards of dam and Weir. One by one
some 400 of them crossed. Then de-
tachment of the Royal engineers. show
ing how we'll they take their part IN
the fore front of the fighting line. fol
lowed them, after that some more OF
the Yorkshire Light Infantry. Little
by little a force was collected which
cleared several of the nearest houses
on the right and effected an occupation
of an irrigating patch from which they
We're never dislodged
ITO fight for Is hours is an ordeal
that in any kind Of warfare would be
n terrible strain; but. on the tree!ess
vedt with the thermometer at the de-
gree above mentioned, the exhaustion
suffered by our men was so great that
in hundreds of cases men and officers
alike slept as they lay in the scrub.
careless of the shell and rifle fire that
surged over them. To provide them
with food was impossible. To bring a
water cart onto the tield-as the told
Stream Guards found by bitter eNpe-
rience-was only tempting men 10 81
pose themselves to death, rushing tol
the water at all hazards. and leaving
the cover. such as it was. afforded by
the nine or l0-inch growth OF MimoSa
scrub.
Early in the afternoon, the general
was shot through the thigh. and fer
some time two brigades. in the absence
Of orders. We're compelled tc act in
dependently of each other. the only
communication being Il warning to tn
9th Brigade not to fire upon the lst,
of which there was some danger.
The magnificent manner in which
the Beers had realized and augmented
the strength Of the position, with which
they had kept their works and disp"-
sition secret until the crucial moment
the fcint on the extreme right by
which they drew off the entire artillery
strength of our force from their main
position. and the astonishing accuracy
of their picked shots at the longest
ranges should all be remembered To
the credit of their generals. But il was
in the material which formed the com
mands that they failed. They could
not do more than they actually dld
with the men Under their command.
Already jealousies had sprung up be
tween the generals, the men accused
each other of cowardice. and the threat
Of physical force if rumors We're true
had to be held over them more than
once.
The 1-pound Maxim gun was the
most effective weapon used by the
Beers The five or six shots fired in
one second while the gun was travers-
cd had more moral effect than the
steady discharge of shrapnel from the
ordinary 15-pounder at half minute in
tervals One man not far from me had
both thighs blown off by one of these
little shells landing on the ground be-
tween them but there is no question
that the moral effect was as rule
greater than the practical results.
NO gun was more cordially disliked
by our men than this new weapon. that
was usually chrStencd bong bong
bong the patent of which. in 1892. va
offered to and declined by our govern
ment."
OF the lessons to be learned from
Modder river this correspondent says:
war for the officers to retain their
swords and it will be worth while for
the war office to construct light car
bine that may be carried by them in
stead of the weighty rifles served out
to the men"
The scene after the battle is thus de
scribed by the same writer: Most !
people who have stayed 1T Kimberley
know Of Modder river as a recreation
ground only thinking of it. in fact,
much as London regards Maiden Head.
Never has it been anything but frivol-
Gus little patch in the heart of the
veldt. The punishment for its giddi-
ness has been sudden and eXtracrdi-
nary. The place is deserted, the walls
and roofs perforated like colander.
the water churned and befouled by 10
600 animals. rolls over and over the
dead that We're hurriedly thrown into
its eddying hollows with a weight at A
tached that has in many cases proved
insufficient. The bridge lies on its
ruined piers as twisted length of scrap
iron. and the dead horses fill every
nook in the riverside woods
THE chapel with its little wooden
cross near the river. stood in the thick
of the fight, and now lies crumDling
nj nd ha