The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1900-01-09

London, jan S.-The first account
giving an adequate explanation Of
General Buffers defeat at the Tugela
river comes by mail from Bennett-Bur-
leigh. the Daily TelegraDh's correspond
emit It appears that the battle orders
drawn up by General CIeTy provided for
the effective support of the artillery by
Harris, Barton's and Dundonald's bri-
gadeE. General Hart missed his way,
Lord Dundonald failing TO support, and
General Barton got part of his forces
IN an untenable position. Colonel Long,
with the artillery, outpaced the escort
of the guns, and they were lost.
Briefly, this seems to be the story of
the Tugela river But through graphic
columns there continually recurs the
discovery Of the unexpected intrench-
menus and the awful fusillades from
hidden Beers and gallantTy such as has
seldom marked British battlefields.
After describing how the British force
began their advance at daylight, and
how the Beers left them absolutely IN
molested, the correspondent says;
Awful Crash of Musketry.
AT $50 there suddenly bUTst an aw-
full crash OF BOer musketry upon the
batteries and advancing infantry. The
rattle Of the Mausers swelled and was
maintained as one continuous roar.
From the buildings and line OF
trenches south of the river and from
the river bank itself. the Beers fired AT
our gunners and fCotmen, and from the
trenches on the northern side Of The
Tugela. river and Fort Willie and else
where they sent out a hurricane OF
leaden nail. and bullets venOmOusly
h. 4 al ali nfagf
raising puffs of dust and tearing
through the air with shriu sounds.
Few have ever seen so heavy and
so deadly a fusillade, but neither the
British gunners nor the infantry hest
tated or WINGED. Cannon were wheeled
into position, although many Of the
horses and men were shot down ere the
maneuver was completed, and our indo-
uitable soldiers walked erect and
straight onward.
Not even Rome in her palmiest days
ever possessed more devoted soldiers.
As the gladiators marched proud and
seeming to meet death, so our soldiers
doomed to die, saluted IND with alac-
rity stepped forward TO do their duty.
Glory or the grave Anglo-SaxOn
soldiers always advance that wav.
Just Like Americans.
u asked an American who had seen
warfare in Cuba ard Manila If his own
cOuntrymen generally did this, and he
answered: YES; il is marvellous Dul
yvastefuI' Closer and closer walked
the soldiers TO the BOer trenches, untl
within 400 Yards Of the nearest rifle
pits. Then. living down, they returned
the fire, but there was little or nothing
TO aim at
The irish brigade had driven the
Foers to tie north bank of the Tugela
They found that the enemy had planted
the ground with barbed wire Even II
the bed of the river barbed wire was
laid down Into the water went the
Dublin Innisskillings, BordeTers ano
COnnaughts. bat ii was found that the
Beers had damned the river at th'
ford. where ordinarily It was DuJ Knee
deep. They strOve 10 mo the cross
ings. and many a fine fellow with ms
weight Of ammunition ana accoutIe'
ments was drowned.
Situation Was Desperate.
1T was a desperate and serious sit
uation. The attack on the right wa:
making TO progress, and the hearts OF
the men had reached an apparent EN-
passe But there were furious du'
angry Irishmen who had resolved Z
get across somehow. BY dint of scramb
a number won the other side Yet mos
of them found that they mad but passed
across a winding spruit. The Iugeli
still lay in front and all the while I'M
murderous fire Of cannon and Mause
crashed and comrades fell weltering II
their blood.
In the meanwhile Colonel Long haC
lost his guns. and Generals Bullar anC
CIerv. with their Stalls and escorts
had ridden to the scene. The spout
ing hail Of iron and lead spluttered anS
snapped. and the dust pulled more thar
ever
Lord Roberts Son Falls.
Lord Roberts son. with Captain
SchofeId and COngrOve. volunteered {.
ride out and endeavOr to save the tW'
neld batteries in the open. READILY
other volunteers were found. Corpor
ais from the line, men and drivers o.
the ammunition wagons, taking spar
teams. galloped out, and men ant
horses again began falling on err
side. Young Roberts horse was blow
up with a shell. C0ngrOve was hit bl
a bullet and his clothes were cut bl
other missiles. Schofeld alone escape,
untouched.
Across that valley OF death quickly
the surviving animals were rounded up
and the guns were hooked and dragged
away. Again an attempt was made q
rescue the remaining guns, but tn
Beer fire was inCessant and whitening
At 4 the battle was over. Genera
Butler abandoned the guns and re
treated"