The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1900-02-25
4 hattie As SEEN FROM THH RANKS
Member ~ the InniakiliinR Regiment Writes
Of Buffers Defeat At Coienso.

of Buffers Defeat ~ Colens0'
Aiet,sr received a few days ago by a New Yorker
from a cousin In the Inniskilling Regiment In
South Africa describes, without giving the name.
Gen. Buffers nrst attempt TO cross the Tugela'
The letter Is dated Frsre Camp. Jan. !, and IL In
part A. follows:
Our brigade. consisting Of the Connaughs
Rangers, Dublin Fusiiers, the Border Regiment,
aud ourselves, was on the left flank and centre.
our regimen, was on the extreme left, and We
were marched 10 within a thousand yards Of the
Bpcr POSITION, IN column, before a Long Tom
let lly a shell at us. We we're ordered 10 lie down,
aud. after u bit. the word " extend was given.
My company was on the left Of the lot, and think
We must have doubled at least a mile before we
got extended and lay down, the shells and shrap-
mel hufrying us up.
I'VE lay on the side Of a hill, right opposite
the Boer position, without any kind Of shelter,
At q distance Of between 800 and 900 yards. !
raised myself on ny elbows and watched the
duel which began between our artillery
and the enemy's some Of the shells
passing over my head, but most TO the centre
and right flank. II was a grand sight, ,he guns
flashing all kinds Of colors; and high columns
Of white smoke rose every place the lyddite shells
burst from our naval guns. The roar Of the big
guns and the continual rattle %! the Mnxims
and Nordenfellts, &c, were tremendous. |
could see perfectly where our shells burst, as
there was hardly any smoke except from the
Boer guns. on each side Of which the shells Ia nded
without putting them out Of action.
Il had come 10 the conclusion that the main
body of the enemy was on the other side Of the
hills. as | hal not seen one Of them, except a
squadron Of horse who galloped toward the fort
from the river, after The first shell was fred. and
ny -pwly escaped our shells. was waiting
I'll 1ur guns had silenccd the Long Tom and
we could get our pontoons fixed and cross the
river, when | heard a rattle Of musketry night
IN front Of me, and the bullets begen to whiz over
my head, ! looked in front, and right and left,
but could see no enemy; and, not knowing that
the Beers had trenches al the base Of the hull,
| was puzzled, and thought the fire came from
the top Of the hills opposite. There was nothing
to b. but lie as fiat as we could, but, after n bit,
all officer gave the order 10 fire at a plantation
on, the left. where he imagined the enemy were
hidden We blazed away fof some time at ran
dom but soon gave II up as waste Of ammunition,
aud lay down again, several fellows getting hi
while firing The sun was blazing, hot, and
scorched me through the khaki, and between
that and TIE bullets buz2ing by my ears | frlt
very uncomfortable, and longed for the word to
advance, retreat, or anything but lie Ike a dunn
my target for An unseen marksman, expecting
. bullet 'hiough the head every second. Al about
2 o'Cl"ck We got the order from the General to
retrrrt, having been under fire since $50 that
morning. We had TO retire half a mile 10 get
u the top Of the hill, and | felt 50 stuff and week
from lying So long in the sun that ! could not
double any distance, aud he'd 10 walk the best
part Of the way.
The firing was bad enough before, but it Was
simply chllds play 10 the fusIllade that opened
On AS as We re'irad Long Tom, kovirlprs, and
is'riS sop S@dS' ar all idi'T us' W. II, S Snd n lss Snl ,rs
hundred rounds ~ Ammunition IN our pouches,
and had on our haversacks fun, and our cantrens
The later w"rn uncovered and shone in the sun
like heliJgraphs, and made a grand mark for the
Beers, several follows getting shot through them.
| made for a kafir kraal near the top ~ the hill,
and lay down Tor a brcaiher behind some prickly
pears that .inclosed H. then got behind the kraal
with q crowd OF others, but a few shells burst close
To us, and scattered us again | looked back
several times to see II the enemy were following
us, in hopes that | might -, a shot al them, as
fey mad a. h'lng p'ppcred al ~ long without, re-
taliaiing but thsy kept we'll in ME trenches, and
their rifles carry four miles. After | got over he
hills and out Of their sight ! felt Comnaranvcly
safe, though the shells followed Ms nearly back
10 camp, and did a lot OF damage, specially TO
our bag gage wagons and artillery. eleven Of The
guns having To be spiked and abandoned 10 tho
enemy, over Nifty N the gunners being captured.
The enemy bad +. Oandon hem, too, as our naval
guns sJon dispersed them. 80 they lay between
III" two " us I'll the artillery got some Of them
bark that niSht,
were lef, OF my section, ard We filled our water
bbtles and had a drink, and then lt our pipes and
had a good smoke and rest, a shell screaming
by us occasionally. We picked up with our com.
pany bv dngr scs, and formed UP under Major
saunders, who told us that tho right flank had
taken COlensO Bridge while We were craving
the fire, but, il they did SO, they los, it ~ am that
night, our losses altogether were about nine hun
drcd killed and wounded, one hundred " whom
were Of our regiment, the DublinS over two hun
dr-i and fiftv, and the ConnaughtS heavily. too.
The troops were disguised and mad al having
been led into such a trap, and no wonder. The
Duhlins actually tried 10 swim the river near
the centre 4 the line, but A lot got drowned, The
Brers having put barbed wire down the middle
II H. The naval brigades wrrc the only branch
who did any execution, and their lyddita shells
killed a great number IN tho trenches, The Beers
sent in n flag II truce in the evening, asking fr
an armistice fr twenty four hours, 10 bury their
VIII had fallen into their hands with the Glpsters,
was released and came with them, and he It'd
nur G. q that The Beers must have lost between
two and three thousand, and HAT the trenches
were filled with dead and wounded. The Beers
themselves own up ~ thirty casualties, but our
papers have put II down nS 200, which, | dare
saw, is nearer the marx.
81 cannot make cut no Conner y tea in bring.
inr p large force 4 i~nfnn'rv IT, such a position,
ing them to FIRE for nothing. "" could not pos-
sibly charge the trenches, as The Tugela River
is very wide and deep, ard the pontoons could
Mt be- fixed IN account I The heavy ilc from
the guns. The only the ry | can f0rm is that
be thought the enemy had evacuated no rosi-
tinn, IS our naval guns had been slellirf. ,rem
the whole dav before We advanced, with ~ any
rerly from their guns: and hey soy that our
native guide sid MS, and swcre that the enemy
had retired. Anyway, he made a bolt after the
frst shot ives fired 81 us, and was romptly shot
by one Il the Generals staff"