The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1900-01-09

from hidden Beers and gallantry such as
has seldom marked British battlefields.
After describing how the British forces be-
gan their advance at daylight and how the
Beers left them absolutely unmolested, the
correspondent says:
'At $40 there suddenly burst an awful
crash of Boer musketry on the batteries
and advancing infantry The rattle of the
Mausers swelled and was maintained
one continuous roar. From the buildings
and lines of trenches south of the river and
from the river bank itself, the Beers fired
at our gunners and footmen and from the
trenches on the northern side of Tugela
river and Fort Wylie and elsewhere, they
sent out a hurricane of leaden hail, and
the bullets venomously rained on the
ground in all directions, raising puffs of
dust and tearing through the air with
shrill sounds. Few have ever seen so
heavy a fusillade, but neither the
British gunners nor the infantry hesitated
or WINGED. Cannon were wheeled into posi-
tion although many gunners and men were
shot down before the maneuvers were COM
pleted, and the soldiers walked erect and
straight onward. Not even Rome, in her
palmiest days ever possessed more devoted
sons. AS the gladiators marched proud
and beaming to meet death, so the British
soldiers, doomed TO die, saluted and then
with alacrity stepped forward to do their
duty-'glory the grave Anglo-Saxon
soldiers always advance that way. asked
an American who had seen warfare at
home, in Cuba and Manila if his own coun-
trymen generally did this, and he ans
wered:
"'Yes. 1t is marvellous, but wasteful.'"
Closer and closer walked the soldiers to
the Boer trenches until within four hun
dred yards of the nearest rife pits Then,
lying down they returned the fire, but
there was little or nothing to aim at BY
7:l5 the Irish brigade had driven the Beers
to the north bank of the Tugela. They
found the enemy had planted the ground
with barbed-wire entanglements. Even in
the bed of the river barbed wire was laid
down. Into the water went the Dublin
Inniskillins, Borderers and Connaughts but
ii was found at the ford that the Beers
had cunningly damned the river and there
was ten feet of water where ordinarily it
| is but knee deep. They strove to find the
crossings and many fine fellow with his
$,
| was drowned. 1t was a desperate and
serious situation. The attack on the right
was making no progress and the hearts of
the men had reached an apparent impasse.
But there were furious and angry Irishmen
who had resolved to get across somehow.
| Scrambiing from rock to rock and SWIM
ming, number got to the other side. Yet
| most of them found they had but passed
across a winding spruit. The Tugela still
lay in front ana all the while the murder
Gus fire of cannon and Mauser crashed and
comrades fell, weltering in their blood.
"In the meantime. Colonel Long had lost
his guns and Generals Butler and Clery,
| with their staffs and escorts had ridden to
the scene The spouting hail of lead and
iron snapped and spluttered and the dust
puffed more than ever. Lord Roberts's son
with Captains Schofield and Congrove, vol
| unteered to ride out and endcavor TO save
the two field batteries I'm the open. Readily
other volunteers were found. Corporals
from the lines. men and drivers or the am
munition wagons, taking spare teams, gal
loped out. and men and horses again began
falling on every side. Young Roberts horse
was blown up with shell. Congrove was
hit with a bullet and his clothes were Gu,
by other missiles. Schofield alone escaped
untouched. Across that valley of death the
surviving animals were rounded up and the
guns were hooked and dragged away
Again and again that day attempts were
made to haul off the remaining guns, but
the Boer fire was incessant. At O'Clock
the fire was over. General Butler aban.
doned the guns and retreated."