The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1900-01-18
DECORATIONS OF THUNDER WE'RE
DROWNED BY EXPLODING GUN
POWDER AT LADYsMITH
BOERS FOUGHT like MADMRN
SEEMED DETERMINED TO RUSH
AND HOLD BRITISH STRONG
HOLDS OR DIE
WERE FINALLY DRIVEN BACK
ShrapneI Which Flew Over Heads
of Advancing British Columns Did
Terrible Execution I'm the Ranks
of the Attacking FOrces-Many
Beers Threw Themselves Into
Raging Streams to Escape.


of the Attacking Forces-Many
Beers Threw Themselves Into
Raging Streams to Escape.
LONDON, Jan. 1.-THE Standard pub
fishes the following dispatch from Lady
smith, dated Jan 6, by way of Frere, Jan.
II:
1.-THE enemy today made determined
effort to capture two positions, Caesar
Camp and Wagon Hill. The latter IS
lofty eminence to the southwest, posses
sion of which would have brought them
within rifle range of the town. Caesar
Camp was held by the first battalion OF
the Manchester regiment.
Communication was had with the
Beers by means of a rocky ravine. IN
der cover of darkness q commando sue
ceeded in evading our pickets, made their
way through Thornbush, and reached the
foot Of the slope at half past e. me
alarm was raised by our sentrles, put De-
fore the full extent Of the danger could
| be realized the outlying Sangars had been
rushed, and their defenders slain. On
| hearing the firing two companies of the
GCIuOH ulSlloIuOiS NSAAS ~ S-S
ance of the Manchesters. At first 1t was
| thought that the Beers were concehtrat-
| ing on the Southern slope, where they had
| already secured footing on the plateau
Here however, their advance was check
| ed by the steady volley of our infantry,
| and the deadly firing Of an automalc
| gun.
| Lieut. Grum went out TO see II any
| aid was 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 I am, SIR and then he suddenly
| disappeared from sight. Capt. Carnegie,
suspecting a ruse, ordered the Gordons to
fire a volley and to charge. The enemy
thereupon fell back precipitately- leav-
ing behind them the officer whom they
had captured with so much presence Oh
mind The lieutenant was quite unhurt'
/ "It was now quite evident that the camp
| was being assailed on the left fank, on
| the front By daybreak reinforcements
| Of Gordon highlanders and of the rifle
brigade had been hurried up to the fight
ing line Lieut.. Col. Dick Cunningham,
who was leading the Gordons out OF
camp, fell mortally wounded, being hit
] by stray bullet while close to the town.
| The third battery Of field artillery. under
| Maj. Abby, crossed the Kiln river and
shelled the ridge and reverse slope. OF the
front position, where the enemy were ly-
| ing among the thorn bushes.
TERRIBLE EXECUTION.
''The shrapne which flew over our
heads did terrible execution. 1t effectu
ally held the Beers in check and render
ed it impossible for them to send REIN
forcements to their men through the ra-
vine. The enemy fought throughout with
the utmost stubborn courage, being ev>
identity determined to take the camp or
die in the attempt. Their six-inch guns
on Umbulwan mountain and it's smaller
satellites threw more than 100 shells
at Abdy's battery and the troops on the
hill. Our troops, however were not less
gallant and resolved, and the enemy were
pressed back, step by step, until those
who were left broke and fled in disorder.
| "a terrific storm of rain, accompanied
by peals of thunder had burst over the
camp during the fighting. This served
to swell the streams into raging torrents.
In their efforts to escape, numbers Of
the enemy flung themselves into the cur
| rent and were swept away The strug-
gle in this part of the field was now end
ed, and the finale was a terrible fusilIade
all along the line, the crash of which al
most drowned the incessent thunder
above.
Meanwhile a more exciting contest
was in progress in the direction of
Wagon hill At 2 o'clock a storming
party, furnished by the Harris1nith COM
mando, stole into the valley which divides
our posts from their camp. A few well
aimed shots killed our pickets. Taking
advantage of every inch of cover, the
Beers reached the crest of the heights.
Here body of light horse were posted,
but they were forced to retire before the
advance Of the Free Staters, there being
no breastworks for defense on the west
ern shoulder of the hill With little to
impede their progress, the enemy came to
an emplacement, where they surprised
working parties of the Gordon Highland
ers and the Sixth Rifles. Lieut. Digby
Jones, of the Royal Engineers, collecting
a handful of men, made a gallant effort
to hold the position, but the numbers
were against him and, after a stubborn
resistance, was driven back and the ene-
my got possession of the summit.
Even then, however, the Free Staters
| were afraid to venture far or to face
the heavy fire from the Sangar. Here II
was that Lieut.. McNaughten and three
5 of the Gordons were captured, although
: not until every man among them was
wounded.