The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1900-01-17
How the British Lost the Bat.
tie OF Colenso.

RtVlDSe az dotQaatC cAptoHatlOb VI
Gen Buffers defeat at the Tugela
river comes by mail from Bennett
Burleigh, The Daily Telegraph's cor
respondent. 1t appears that the
battle orders, drawn up by Gen Clery
provided for the effective support OF
the artillery by Rart's, Barton's and
Dnndonsld's brigades These were
never completed Gen Hart missed
his way Lord Dundonald failed to sup
port Gen Barton and got part of his
forces ip an untenable position. Col
Long, with the artillery. cut paced
the escort of the guns and were lost
Briefly, that seems to be the story Of
the Tugela river battle But.
through graphic columns, there con-
tinuslIy recurs the discovery of un
expected entrencbments and awful
fusilades from hidden Beers anG gal
lantry such as has seldom marsed
British battiefeids
After describing how the British
force began their advance at day
iigh; and how the Beers left them
absolutely unmoleste6, the CORES
ponden. says: "At 6 20 there sud
denly burst an awful crash of Boer
musketry upon the batteries aud
advancing infantry The rattle of
the Mausers swelIed and was main.
tained as one continuous roar. From
the buildings and lines OF trenches
south of the river and from the river
bank itself, the Beers fred at our
auuners and footGen, and from the
trenches or he northern eide of the
Tugela river and from Fort Wylie
and elsewhere they sent out hurTi
cane OF )eaden hail and bullets veno
mously rained upon the ground III all
directions, raising puffs and dus: and
tearing through the air with sh'lll
sounds.
Few have ever seen so heavy aud
80 deadly a fusilade, bu, neither the
British guuners nor the infantry hesi-
tated or WINGED. Cannon were
wheeled into position although many
of the horses and men we're shot
down ere the manoeuvre was COM
ple.ed and our indolnitable soldiers
walked erect and straight onward
Not even Rome in her palmiest days
ever possessed more devoted cons.
As the gladis,ols marched proud
and beaming to meet death. so the
British soldiers, doomed &c die. ss
luted and then with slacrity stepped
forward to do their duty. glory or
the grave Anglo.Ssxoo soldiers
always advance that way asked
an American who has seen warfare
a. home, in Cuba and Manila, if HE
own couu.rymen gene, ally did this,
and ne answered Yes 1t is MAJ
veIous, but wasteful
"Closer and closer walked the
soldiers to the Beer trenches until
within 400 yards Of the nearest rife
pits Then lying dowo, they return
ed the FIRE. ont there was little or
nothing to aim at
B; us the Irish brigade had driv-
en- tie Beers to the DOT bank of The
TugeIa. They fouod that the enemy
had plated the groord With o:rced
w:re eptseg;eueots. Eseo 10 tie bed
of the river barbed wire "ss laid dows.
Ioto tie water weut the Dablin 1rnis-
killings. Bo7dere7s aod Concaugb's,
hut it was fouod at. the for1 ilat the
Beers had cuonicsiy danaed the river
and there was ten feet Of wa,e: where
ordinarily it is bat kaee deep. Toey
strove to 6nd the crossings aud many
foe fellow With his weigh. Of at0ru-
nislou and accout7enents was 1roToed
It was desperate and serious situation
The attack epon the tigb: was making
90 progress aod :ae hearts Of the nen
had reached 40 apparent impasse. But
there we're furious and a:g:y lrisbmen
who had resolved TO get across somehow.
By scramblipg from rock TO rock aaa
ewim ming number wou tbe ctber side.
Yet most Of them found tha; they bad
but passed acscss Winding sprrls
The Tugela still lay in froot aod al!
the while the murderous FIRE Of cannon
aod Mauser crashed aud comrades fell
welterIne ic their blood.
''Io the meaowbi!c Col Long bad
loat biz guns and Gems Butler ao3
C.e.y WITH their stats aud escorts, bad
ridden to the scene
''Tae spoutiog hail OF lead and irou
snapped apd sp'a,tered aud the dus.
pulled more than ever. Lore R,betts'
son with Capss scao6eld AID Conero7e
voluateere; to ride ou: 4rc enGea7or 10
save the two field batteries in tie open.
Readily otaer volunteers were found
Co,porals from toe iinesmea aoe
drivers Of the amDuaitian wagons.