The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1900-01-06
VICTORY FOR THEBOBRS
Badsn-P owell's Unsuccessful At
tack at Gametree.
SWEPT BY MAUsER BULLETS.


Found the Strength of the Position
Greater Than They Had Supposed.
Twenty Lives Lost I'm the Charge.
London, Jan. 6.-The was office has
received, through General Gorestier-
Walker, at Cape Town, the following
dispatch from Colonel Baden Powell,
dated Mafeking, Dec. rs:
| I'VE attacked one of the enemy's
works this morning. endeavoring to
push back the Gordon northward. Our
force consisted of three guns, two
squadrons of \ the Protectorate regi-
ment, one of the Bechuanaland Rifles,
an armored train. etc. The enemy had
strengthened their works during the
night and doubled the garrison since
yesterdays reconnaissance.
Nevertheless our attack was carried
out and pressed home with the great
est possible gallantry and steadiness
under very hot fire. But all efforts to
gain the interior by escalade failed,
the fort being practically impregnable.
Our attack only withdrew after four
Of our officers and large number of
men had been hit. Nothing could have
exceeded the courage and dash dis
played.
"The general situation remains I'M
changed and the health and spirits OF
the garrison are very satisfactory.
The casualties were three officers and
Is men killed, one officer and 20 men
wounded, and three troopers captured.
The correspondent Of The Times at
Mafeking, describing the above battle,
which he calls Colonel Baden-Powell's
unsuccessful attack upon q strong po-
sitlon of the enemy at Gametree." says.
"As our men engaged the position
with their rife fire it was soon found
that the strength of the fort was
greater than we had supposed. The
enemy concentrated such an exceed
ingly hot fire that the advance Of Cap
tain Vernon was almost impossible, but
with remarkable heroism and gal
lantry. Captain SANFORD and Captain
Vernon, Lieutenant Patton and Scout
Cooke, who guided the squadrons, and
a.few men actually reached the sand
bags Of the fort, within 800 yards Of
the area of the fort.
But nothing living could exist there.
since the ground was swept by Mauser |
bullets. The men who charged through |
this zone Of fire suffered terribly, and |
in following their officers to capture |
the fort 20 men lost their lives. Cap |
tain Sanford was the first to fall, and
Captain Vernon, already twice wound
ed, and Lieutenant Patton were killed
at the foot Of the fort. These two Of
flcers, climbing a ditch which sur
the fort, thrust their revolt
vers through the enemy's loopholes,
only to be shot themselves the next
"Gametree is surrounded with scrub,
which contained may sharpshooters,
and their accuracy of fire still further
confused the men who had followed
Captain Vernon and who saw him and
his brother officers killed. Being with
,ut commanders, they were driven off
It one point, but they endeavored to
he position Of the Beers, however, al
most impregnable.
when we retired under cover of the
lrmored train so many men had been
wounded that suspension Of hOstili-
les occurred under the auspices of the
Red Cross. The veldt around the Boer
position was at once dotted with flags
II mercy, and 1t was seen that our
were scattered within but
hort radius of the fort. We had al
most completely surrounded 1t, and
lad it not been SO extraordinarily well
rotected we should have been in pos
The Times correspondent declares
hat majority of the wounds appear
d to have been caused by explosive
ullets, says the British had great diff
Guilty in getting permission to use the
rmored train to remove British
and charges that the Beers
Dbbed the dead and wounded British