Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-01-18
THE FIGHT AT LADYSMlTH
Detailed Account of the Boer Attack OF
January 6.
British Calamity Resisted What nj
First Seemed n Successful
BOer. Assault.

that the garrison was surprised, and that
several times the situation was critical.
Out of a detachment of thirty Gordon High
landers who surrendered every man was
wounded. says the correspondent. Curious
ly enough. this is the first mention of the
capture of the Highlanders.'
The dispatch, which is dated January Z,
by way CT Frere, January II, is as follows:
1.-The enemy today made a determined
effort to capture two positions, Caesars
Camp and Wagon Hill. The latter is a
lefty eminence to the southwest, possession
of which would have brought them within
rifle range of the town. Caesars Camp
was held by the LIST Battalion of the Man
chester regiment
1.-The position was separa ted from that of
the Beers by rocky ravine. In the early
hours of the morning, under cover of dark
ness, the Heidelberg commando succeeded
in evading our pickets, making their way
through the thorn bush and reaching the
foot of the slope at half-past :. The alarm
was raised by our sentries, but before the
full extent of the danger could be realized
the outlying Sangars had been rushed and
their defenders slain.
Highlander to the Rescue.
ION hearing the firing, two companies of
the Gordon Highlanders went to the as
sistance of the Manchesters. At first it
was thought that the Beers were concen-
trating on the southern slope where they
had already secured footing on the plat
eau. Here, however, their advance was
checked by the steady volleys of our in
f@ntry and the deadly fire of an automatic
gun.
Lieut. Hunt-Grubbe went out to see if
any aid were needed by the troops stationed
on the ridge near the town. He was not
aware that the enemy had already cap
tured the breastworkS, and called out to
the sergeant. He received the reply: Here
l am, sir and then he suddenly disappear
ed from sight. Capt. Carnegie. suspectng
a ruse, ordered the Gordons to fire voley
and to charge. The enemy thereupon fell
back precpitately, leaving behind them the
officer whom they had captured with
much presence of mind. The lieutenant
vas quite unhurt.
1T was now evident that the camp was
being asSaiied on the left flank and on the
front. BY daybreak reinforcements of Cor
don HighlanderS and of the rifle brigade
had been hurried up to the fighting line.
Lieutenant Colonel Dick Cunningham, who
was leading the Gordons out of camp, fell
mortally wounded, being hit by a stray bull
let while still close to the town. The SD
Battery of field artillery, under Major
Abby, crossed the Kip river and shelled
the ridges and reverse slope of the front
position, where the enemy were lying
among the thorn bushes.
Under n Hail Of Schrapnel.
THE shrapnel which few over our heads
did terrible execution. 1t effectually held
the Beers in check and rendered it impos-
sible for them to send reinforcements to
their men through the ravine
THE enemy fought throughout with the
most stubborn courage, being evidently de-
termined TO take the camp or die in the
attempt. Their 6-inch gun on Umbulwana
mountain and its smaller satellites threw
more than 100 shells at Abdy's battery and
at the troops on the hill. Our troops how
ever were not less gallant and resolved,
and the enemy was pressed back step by
step until at length those who were left
broke and fled in utter disorder.
"A terrific storm of rain and hail accom-
panied by peals of thunder, had burst over
The camp during the lighting. This served
to swell the streams into raging torrents.
In their efforts TO escape numbers of the
enemy flung themselves into the current
and were swept away. The struggle in this
part of the field was now ended, and the
finale was a terrific fuSlliade all along the
line the crash of which almost drowned
the incessant thunder above.
"Meanwhile a more exciting contest was
In progress in the direction of Wagon Hill.
At o'clock a stormiEg party, furnished
by the Harrismith commando, crept slowly
and cautiously along donsa in the valley,
which divides our posts from their camp.
A few we.l-aimed rifle shots killed our
pickets Taking advantage of every inch
of cover, the Beers gradually reached the
crest of the heights. Here body of light
horse were posted, but they We're forced to
retire before the advance of the Free Stat
ers, there being no breastworks for de-
Tense on the western shoulder of the hill.
With little to impede their progress, the
enemy soon came to an emplacement,
where they surprised working parties of
the Gordon Highlanders and the sixtieth
Rifles.
Lieut.. Dirby Jones' Gallantry.
Lieutenant Digby Jones of the Royal
Engineers, collected a handful of men,
made gallant effort to hold the position,
but the numbers We're against him, and
after a stubborn resistance he was driven
back and the enemy got possession of the
summit Even then, however, the Free
Skaters were afraid to venture far or to
face the heavy fire from the sangar. Here
it was that Lieut.. MacNaghten and thirty
of the Gordons were captured, although
not until every man among them was
wounded.
AT ) o'clock Col. Edwards, with two
squadrons of the Light Horse, arrived upon
the scene, and the 2lst Battery of the Roy
al Field Artillery. under Maj. BE witt, came
into action, preventing the storming party
being reinforced from the Boer camp.
AT the same time the 18th HuSsars and
the 9TH Lancers checked the movement
from the sprut our right flank. Never
theless, our position at this point had be-
come critical. our men had retired for
cover behind the northern slope while the
enemy had made their way into the pass
dividing them from the hill Mai Bowen
rallied few of the rifles, but fell while
leading them to the charge. His example
was at once followed by Lieut.. Tod, but the
latter met the same fate.
THE enemy Were making good the foot
ing they had already secured in the emplace-
ment when Maj. Miller Walnut calling
the scattered Gordons together charged in
and drove them back. Having thus cleared
the ground, he joined Lieut.. Digby Jones In
a newly prepared emplacement on the west
ern shoulder.
Pause Before the Victory.
"a pause ensued for time, but the
Beers were not yet finally beaten. Taking
advantage of the storm now raging, they
essayed to capture the position by another
rush. Three of their leaders reached the
parapet, but were shot down by Lieutenant
Digby Jones and Major Walnut, the latter
of whom also fell.
THE renewed check effectually discour-
aged the assailants, and the deadly duel
was now practically at an end. Neverthe-
less small parties of the Drawer spirits
kept up a murderous fire on our men from
behind the rocks.