The Saint Paul globe., 1900-01-06
BRITISH FORCES AT MAFEKING
MAKE A DESPERATE sORTIE
AND FAIL
FOUND BOER FORT IhPREGNABLE
HAIL OF DEATH MET THE CHARG-
ING PLATOONs OF BRITISH,
MOVING THEM DOWN
B0ER FIRE WAS EFFECTIVE

Nothing Could Live in the Open
About the Coveted Fortress
Wounded Britons Found Right Up
Against the Walls of the Fort
Bundesrath Incident Still Causes
Much FeeIfng-BuIIer,s Plans.
LONDON, Jan. 6.-The Times publishes
the following dispatch from Mafeking,
dated Dec 26:
"At dawn today Col. Baden-Powell or
ganized an attack upon a strong posi-
tion of the enemy at Gametree, two miles
from Mafeking, from which the Beers
had been maintaining a desultory shell
and rifle fire for several weeks The rail-
road had recently been repaired between
Mafeking and Gametree, where the Beers
had destroyed it, the repairs being made
in preparation for the sortie During the
night the armored train, with Maxims
and HotchkisS guns, under Capt. Will
Jams, and troops, took up positions for
attack from two places. Capt. Lord
Charles Bentinck and squadron were in
reserve upon the right, while the extreme
left wing was occupied by artillery under
Maj. Pazim, and galloping Maxim Of
the Cape police, the whole being under
Col. Hore.
"Emplacements were thrown up during
the night, the intentions being to attack
at dawn, and the artillery fire to desist
upon prolonged footing from the armored
train. At daybreak the guns opened fire
and rapidly drew a reply from the enemy,
our shells bursting within effective range.
Capt. Vernon gave the signal to cease
firing and to advance, his squadron lead
ing off.
TERRIBLE SLAUGHTER
"As our men engaged the position with
their rifle fire, 1t was soon found that
the strength Of the fort was greater than
we had supposed The enemy concentrat-
ed such an exceedingly hot fire that the
advance of Capt. Vernon was almost I'M
possible, but by the remarkable heroism
of Capts. Sanders and Vernon, Lieut.
Patton and Scout Cook, who guided the
squadrons, few of the men actually
reached the sandbags of the fort, within
800 yards of the head of the fort. But
nothing living could exist there. The
plain was swept by Martini and Mauser
bullets The men who charged through
this zone of fire suffered terribly, and
in an attempt to capture the fort twenty
men lost their lives. Capt. Sanders was
the first to fall, and Capt. Vernon, al
ready twice wounded, and Lieut. Pat
ton, were killed at the fort These two
officers, climbing tie ditch that surround
ed the fort, pressed their revolvers
through the enemy's loopholes, only to
be shot themselves the next minute.
BOERs SHOOT WE'LL.
"Gametree was surrounded by scrub,
which contained many Beers, and the
accuracy of their fire is testified to by
the men who fell in the advance. Capt.
Vernon's men, being driven back at one
part, attempted to scale the fort at an
other They found the position of the
Beers almost impregnable. When we were
under cover of the armored train so many
men had been wounded that there was a
suspension of hostilities, under the aus
pices of the Red Cross. All around the
Boer position at once appeared the flags
of mercy, and it was seen that our
wounded lay close to the walls of the
fort. Had the fort not been SO extracr-
dinarily well protected, we should have
been in possession I went with an ambu-
lance and saw for myself that the fort
has a large interior and a narrow 'front.'
age, between six and seven feet high,
pierced with loopholes, and surrounded
by ditch.
UGLY ALLEGATIONS.
while the injured were being attended
to a numbef of Beers left their positions
and gathered around. They were phys
ically fine men. Many of them were not
uniformed and all wore boards. They re-
ferred to their commander, who denied
the use of explosive bullets. On being
shown the horrible wounds, he admitted
at one time explosive bullets had been
served out, but he said he was certain
they had been previously used, and none
could have been used on this occasion.
He then produced bandolier filled with
dunn -dums, and pointed out that, as
far as Mafeking was concerned, these had
been recalled. Later on I called the atten-
ton of a field cornet to four of his own
men who were rifiing dead bodies. He
expressed his regret to a British officer
that, despite his instructions to respect
the dead, the young Beers were unruly
and beyond his control, and he accused
the British soldiers Of stripping Gen.
Koch and leaving him naked and wound
ed on the field, thus Indirectly causing his
DEATH"
The correspondent then described a
scene of angry recriminations between the
field cornet and the Beers, regarding the
existence of orders against robbing the
dead, some Of the Beers asserting them
selves that they only took arms, despite
the arrival at that moment Of five British
wounded, under Boer escort, with the
pockets of their uniforms turned inside
out.
MAFEKING SORTIE.
The war office has received, through
Gen. Forestier-Walker, at Cape Town,
the following dispatch from Col Baden
Powell, dated Mafeking, Dec 26:
I'VE attacked one of the enemy's works
this morning, endeavoring to push back
the Gordon northward. Our force con-
sisted Of three guns, two squadrons of
the protectorate regiment, one Of the
Bochuanaland rifles, and an armored
train. The enemy had strengthened their
works during the night, and doubled the
garrison since yesterdays reconnois-
sance Nevertheless, our attack was car
lied out, and pressed home with the
greatest possible gallantry and steadi
hess, under very hot fire. But all ef-
forts to gain the interior by escalade
failed, the fort being fairly impregnable
Our attack only withdrew after six
of our officers and large number CT
men had been hit. Nothing could have
exceeded the courage and dash displayed
The general situation remains un-s
changed and the health and spirits of
the garrison are very satisfactory.
II regret to report the following cas-
ualties: Killed-Capt.-- r. ]. Vernon.