New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1900-01-06
BADEN-POWELL'S FIGHT.


OPENED fire and rapidly drew the reply of the
enemy our shells bursting within effective
range Captain Vernon gave the signal to cease
firing and 10 advance. his squadron leading OF
AS our men engaged the position with their
rife fire il was soon found that the strength OF
the fort was greater than we had supposed
The enemy concentrated such an exceedingly hot
fire that the advance Of Captain Vernon was al
most impossible. but with remarkable heroism
and gsIlantry. Captains Sanford and Vernon
Lieutenant Patton and Scout Cooke. who guided
the squadrone and few men actually reached
the sand bags Of the fort, within 800 yards of
the area of the fort
But nothing could exist there since the ground
was swept by Mauser and Martini bullets. The
men who charged through this zone Of fire suf-
fsred terribly. and in following their officers TO
capture the fort. twenty men lost their lives
Captain Sanford was the first TO fall. and Cap
tain Vernon. already twice wounded and Lieu
tenant Patton were killed az the foot OF the fort
These two officers. climbing e ditch which sur
rounded the fort, thrust their revoIvers through
the eaenys loopholes. only TO be shot them
selves the next moment
Gametree is surrounded with scrub. which
contained many sharpshooters and their accu-
racy Of fire still further confused the men who
had followed Captain Vernon and who saw him
and his brother officers killed Being without
commanders, they were driven of at one point
but they eudeavored TO scale the fort al others
They found the position Of the Beers. however
almost impregnable-
When we retired under cover Of the armored
train so many had been wounded that a
suspension OF hostilities occurred under the
suspices Of the Red Cross The veIdt around
the Boer position was at once dotted with flags
n mercy. and il was seen that our wounded
were scattered within but short radius Of the
<ort We had almost completely surrounded IT,
and had il not been extraordinarily well pro-
tected we should have been in possession
went with an ambulance 10 Gametree. The
fort Itself is circular. with a wire interior and q
narrow frontage. between six and seven feet
high. pierced with triple tiers Of loopholes. and
surrounded by ditch
It was permitted to assist in dressing the
wounds. majority Of which appeared to have
been caused by explosive bullets the point Of
entry being small. but the area Of injury COW
ering & wide region While the wounded were
being attended TO, numbers Of Beers left their
intrenchments and gathered round At the con-
cIusion Of the dressing spoke TO several tat
tered and dirty. but physically fine. men. Many
Of them were understood. and all wore boards.
They referred me TO the Field Cornet, who denied
the use Of explosive bullets. On being shown
the horrible wounds he admitted that at one
tine explosive bullets had been served out but
ously expended and that none could have been
used this occasion. He then produced a
bandolier filed with dumdums and I pointed
out that so far as Mafeking was concerned
these had been recalled
Later on I called the attention Of the Field
Cornet TO four Of his own men. who were rifing
dead bodies He expressed his regret to Brit
ish officer that, despite his instructions 70 re-
spect the dead, the younger Beers were unruly
and beyond his control and he accused the
British soldiers Of stripping General Koch and
leaving him naked and wounded on the field
thus indirectly causing his DEATH
The correspondent then describes a scene Of
angry recriminations between the Field Cornet
and the Beers regarding the existence Of orders
about robbing the dead, and also about the
facts themselves some Of the Beers asserting
that they only took arms, despite the arrival at
that very moment. OF the bodies Of five British
under Boer escort, with the pockets Of their uni
forms turned inside out He goes on 10 say:
Some Of the British wounded fatty accused
the Beers Of stealing their money, rings and
other valuables- We had great difficulty in get
ting permission 10 use the armored train TO re-
move our wounded We believe that spies car
ried the news Of our contemplated sortie 10 the
Beers The Field Cornet admitted that he was
reinforced during the night by 100 mounted
men, and acknowledged Withdrawing his guns