Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1900-01-06
IMPROBABLE.
British Attack on Boer Fort
at Mafeking Fails.
A Gallant Charge Under Hot Fire..
British Loss Quite Heavy.
Boer Attack on the British Left al Coiesberq
Also Failure.

"
from Maf"kinS dated Dec. 26:
AT dawn, Col. Baden Powell organ
| lied an unsuccessful attack upon 4
strong position Of the enemy at Game
Tree. two miles from Maftking. from
which the Beers have been maintain
ing GesultOry but annoying she'll and
rifle fire for several weeks. The rail
way has recently been reconstructed
between the town and Gametree. where
the Beers had destroyed il, the final
repairs being made il preparation fOi
the sortie.
During the night the armorcd train
with Maxim and Hotchkiss guns under
capt. Williams and troops took NJ po-
sitiOns for attack from TWO sides
capt Lord Bentinick ana q squadron
Wcr" in reserve upon the left, Will
the extreme left wing was occupied by
artillery under Major PanZcra ana Il
galloping Maxim of the Cap. police,
the Who'll" being under Col. More.
"Empl acementS We're thrown up dur
ig the night. the orders being TO at
tack at dawn and the artillery fire Ia
desist upon prolonged footing from thu
armored train. AT daybreak the gun.
opened fire and rapidly drew the reply
" the enemy. our shells bursting With
in effective range. Capt. Vernon gave
the signal 10 cease firing and 10 adj
vanse his squadron leading of.
LAS our men engaged the position
with their rifle fire it was soon found
that the strength Of the fort was
greater than we had supposed The
enemy had concentrated such an OK
cedinegly hot fire that the advance Of
Capt. Vernon was almost impossible:
but with remarka Die her0iSm ana gal
lantry Captains Sanford and Vernon,
Lieut.. Patton and Scout Cooke, who
guided the squadrons. and a few men
actually reached the sand bags of the
fort. within 500 yards of the area Of
the fort.
But nothing living could exist there.
since the ground was swept by bullets
The men who charged through this
zone Of fires suffered terribly and in
following their officers To capture tn
fort ~ men lost their lives. Capt
Sanford was the first To fail; and
capt. Vernon. already twice wounded.
and Lieut.. Patton were killed at tn"
foot of the fort. These two officers
climbing ditch which surrounded the
fort. thrust their TevolyerS through
tho enemys loopholes only to be shot
themselves the next moment.
"Cfametree is surrounded with scrub
which contained many sharpshooters
and their accuracy Of fire still further
confused the men who followed Capt
Vernon and who saw him and his
brother officers killed. Being without
commanders they We're driven off at
one point. but they endeavOred to scale
the fort at others. They found the po-
sition of the Beers, however almost
impregnable.
when we retired under cover Of the
qrmored train 50 many men had been
wounded that 4 suspension ~ hostil-
ties occurred under the auspices Of the
R.d Cross. The veldt around the Bocr
position was at once dotted with flags
Of mercy: and ii was seen that our
wounded We're scattered within but
short radius of the fort. We had al
most completely surrounded it: and.
had it not been extraordinarily well pro-
t"ctcd. We should have been in posses
sion.
ii Went with an ambulance to Game
tree The fort itself is circular. with
Il wide interior ana 4 narrow frontage.
between six ana seven feet high. pierre
"a with triple tiers Of loophOles and
surrounded by a ditch"
Il was permitted to assist in dress
ing TIL wounds. Il majority of which
appeared to have been caused by cN-
plosiye bullets. the point Of entry be
ing small but the area Of injury cover
ing a wide region. While the wounded
We're being attended numbers Of Beers
left their entertainments and gathered
around. At the conclusion Of the dress
ing | spoke to several tattered and
dirty. but physically fine men. Many
of them We're 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
that al one time explosive
bullets had been served out but ne said
he was certain they had all been preVi-
~ expended ana that none could have
been used on this occasion. He then
produced bandolier filled with dun
dums and | pointed out that SO far as
NafcknG was concerned these had
been recalled
Later on called the attention of
the field cornct to four of his own
men who We're riling dead bodies. He
expressed his regret to a British Off |
r"r that despite his instructions to re- |
Spect the dead, the younger Beers We're
unIuly and beyond his control; and he !
accused the British soldiers Of strip |
Ping Gen. Kock and leaving him naked |
and wounded on the field, thus indi-
rectly causing his death
The correspondent then describes 4 /
scene of angry rccriminationS between /
he field cornCt and the Beers regard /
ne the existence Of orders about rob
)ing the dead and also about the facts
themselves, some of the Beers assert
ng that they only took arms. despite
he arrival. at the very moment Of the
bodies of five British under Boer es-
'or;. with the pockets Of their uniforms
Urned inside out.
He continues: Some of the British
Wounded fatty accused the Beers Of
tealing their money. rings and other
'aluatles. We had great difficulty in
continued on page 3D.