New-York tribune., 1900-01-26

front and Colonel Long selected ed position about
w yards from the river ana l. @ yards IT from M F9rt M
,fantry. He had scarcely given the order 10 uIs-
Timber 1nd when a single gun was fired from one Of
This was evidently the signal fol for the Beers to
fire began from the intrenchments on the kopjes.
river, all directed upon the two field batteries;
Just behind the batteries lay small donga ana
The naval battery, drawn by oxen, was in the act
OF crossing IS this d dopga when the re 6egaa
across and they got into ACTION behind and TO the
left of the field batteries. Two more We're in the
middle of the donga and two more had not yet
entered IT, When the fire began, the native drivers
sailors manned the oxen and at length with great
difficulty. got their guns into action behind the
Meanwhile the other naval battery and Colonel
fire upon Fort Wylie The 18th and 66th We're them
selves the object of most deadly musketry hre
bank on the near side of the river at range of
mendousiy heavy but not so effective shell fire. At
about 6l5 o'clock Colonel Long was wounded and
lery Shortly afterward Colonel Hunt, command
ing the two batteries, was also hit. The rife fire
and our casualties were very heavy, but our men
served their guns with the utmost galantry and
At O'clock the ammunition train not having
come up, the ammunition In the hmbers was ex-
hausted- Captain Herbert, aide-de-camp to Colonel
Long; and one OF the few unwounded officers left,
fetch doctor; was sent off to ask for reinforce
ments, and while doing so had second horse shot.
The order was then given to retire into the donga
behind until fresh ammunition should arrive: This
them. They did not attempt to destroy the guns by
carrying away the breechlocks. because they ex-
pected TO return to them as soon as the infantry
came up. The naval 12-pound battery. which was
about four hundred yards in the rear OF the de neq
very heavy fire. It was extraordinary that their
mained in action entirely unsupported until S;So
o'clock, when they received the order from Gen
nary escapes Lieutenant Ogilvy, after having his
horse shot, had three shells from HotGhlss pass
batu- hiS Laps Uyhfi looking through
glasses.
BRAVERY OF THE IRISH BRIGADE.
Meanwhile on the left General Hart was devel-
oping his attack The Dublin Fusiliers the
leading battalion. The brigade advanced in col
umn and the Dubns had scarcely taken open
order when the enemy opened on the column with
shrapnel. They were temporarily unable to deploy'
owing to the nature Of the ground and in the S in
ing the column suffered severe loss Al 6;5O ti5e
Dublin FusilieTs and the Connaught Rangers ad-
vanced the open ground under fire, and as
they came into the curve of the river the B@oers @
fbem Remed be aR re %as eqTc qT me as
Besides the musketry fire, the enemy sheled them
with three guns one directly ahead at comparaee a.
lively short one on the flank, at the 1901 Oh
the Red Hill The ed and 64th batteries the
left seemed unable to silence their fire and tne
doing it,, was concentrating its fre on Fort WYE ys
Gently against the ALMOST overwhelming fire, men
falling at every step. As they approached the river
company rose to its feet. to advance there was
perfect crash of musketry and the plain al around
them became a clou6 ef dust spurts. 1t seemed
wonderful that any man could survive it. And YET
there was nothing to tell where the enemy lay con
ceaed Not a single head, even, was visibe-noth-
ing but long line of smoke, scarcely visible and
the incessaRt cracking The batteries sent
shell after shell wherever they could distinguish
the line of trenches but they failed to silence the
terrible fire At last our men reached the river but
where there should have been a ford there was
seven feet of water The few who tried to cross IT,
overcome by the weight of rife and ammunition;
drowned The rest lined the bank and poured
in tremendous fire on the stl almost invisible
enemy. Then the Generals order to retire.
and fell slowly back 1t was during the
retirement that the brigade suffered the heaviest
loss.