Virginian-pilot. (Norfolk, Va.) 1898-1911, 1900-01-13

| ''-'SAS VI VIC nay, IlG " iihGS, siiS
Guards Brigade lay OH the open veldt
In heat that was actually ITO degrees
in the shade at midday. Meanwhile
the left flank had not been idle. and
after the General had personally led
them to the summit of n slight rise
that commanded the only possible
means of crossing the river-the dam
that had been built to turn the Nfodder
river into an ornamental water for the
picnics of Kimberley eXcursionists-
they moved in echclon towards the edge
OF the river bank OH the enemy's eX-
IRENE left.
RECKLESS HEROISM.
THAT 1t could even be attempted 10
cross the river sliding sideways through
the rush of the water over the paddles
o. a rickety iron bar, by one clinging
to the short supports in full view of
the opposite shore was an act OF reck-
less hcroism against which even the
wary Cronje had not provided. This,
however, Is what was actually done
and it would be difficult to find Il par
allel for the stubborn pluck OF the men
who accompanied Colonel Barter across
the 200 yards of dam and weir. Little
by little q force was collected. which
cleared several of the nearest houses
OH The right and effected an occupa-
they were never dislodged. For thir-
teen hours they fought on the trecess
shadeless veldt. and were so exhausted
that in hundreds OF cases men and OIL
GERS alike slept as they lay in the
shrub. careless of the shell and rife
fire that surged over them.
ITO provide them with food was inn
possible, to bring water cart on the
field-as the Coldstream Guards found
hV hit "a 4or r
ing men to expose themselves to death,
rushing for the water at all hazards,
and leaving the cover, such as it was.
afforded by the nine and ten inch of
growth of mimosa scrub.
EARLY in the afternoon the General
was shot through the thigh. and for
some time the two brigades. in the alb
sence of orders, were compelled to act
independently of each other the only
communication being u warming to the
Ninth brigade not TO fire upon the
First. OF which there was some danger
THE BOER'S TACTICS.
The magnificent manner in which
the Bocrs had realized and augmcnt-
ed the strength of the position. the
success with which they had kept their
works and disposition secret until the
crucial moment, the fcint on the eX-
treme right by which they drew off the
entire artillery strength OF our force
from their main position, and the as
tonishng accuracy of their picked
shots at the longest ranges should nll
he remembered to the credit OF their
Generals. But ii was In the material
which formed the commandos that
they failed. They could not do moro
than they actually did with the men
under their command. Already jeal-
ousies had sprung mp among the Cen
erals. the men accused others of cow
ardice and the threat of physical force
If iumors were true. had TO be held over
them more than once.
SWORDS ARE USELESS.
ct will be impossible in my future
war for the officers to retain their
swords, and IL will be worth while for
the War Office to construct some light
carbine to replace the weighty rife
served out to the men,
The naval brigade advanced in ex-
tended order. but in convcrgng upon
the position 10. be taken they uncon-
sciously found themselves closed in and
that formation attempted the ascent
The flre-dfrectcd uT1pn ttIc1n WIS ter
rible, and, distinguished by their
swords,thc officers were the first to fall
Commander Ethelstan was MORALLY
wounded fifty yards from the first
slope. and one by one the rest fell as
they advanced, many with two or three
bullet wounds The slaughter was an
FALLING TO watch; the gallantry dis
played was useless under the pitiless
iron hail.
Little by little tho thin line of khaki
crawled up to the top.
THE stormng line was now so near
the crest that the guns could only be
directed upon the Beers enfilading the
position from the spurs Of the kopie
on the left, and almost in a calm the
outer works of the Sanger We're reach
ed and crossed.
I'm the next half minute fifty men
tumbled over and Immediately rushed
forward to clear the position in the
rear. This was, however, stubbornly
held for quarter of an hour more,
perhaps as screen than anything
else. 10 cover the retreat of the
Beers.
DRIPPING WITH BLOOD.
above the hill top was almost drip
ling with blood; not boulder escaped
its splash of crimson and the innum-
cradle splinters and chips of iron-stonc
blocks indicated the terrific nature of
our fire. Most of the dead or wounded
Beers were carried off-Gfty of the
more severely wounded were found in
their hospital, quarter of mile
away-but here and there a dead man
proved that here the Transvaal had
sent its men down for the first time to
meet the oncoming column"
Julian Ralph, correspondent of the
Daily Mail, says that one of the most
astonishing facts of the war is that
at some of these battles the better class
of Beers have come to battle in their
| carriages like gentlemen driving To tho