The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1900-01-06
SWEPT BY BULLETS
Nothing Living Could Exist Before the
Boer Fort.
INTO THE VERY LAST DITCH
Brave British Officers Led Their Men
to Death.
S0RTlE FROM MAFEKlNG A FAILURE.
Beers Too Numerous and Their Position
Better Fortified Than Expected.
iER0lSM AND CALAMITY REMARKABLE
Day After Christmas witnessed De-
feat of Col. Bnden-Poweli--f'ii-
chcr's Victory Exaggerated.
sORTlE FROM MAFEKlNG A FAILURE.
Beers Too Numerous and Their Position
Better Fortified Than Expected.
HFROISM AND CALAMITY REMARKABLE


cisive operation is reported from South
Africa this morning military activity be-
ing confined to points OF subsidiary Inn
portance. In the central theater of opera
tions the British apparently have secured
no substantial gains. The only dispatch
OF dramatic interest is the narrative of
useless galantry at the sortle from MAIZE
king. where the stormcrs threw themselves
hopelessly against strongly defended bull
wark.
London, January 6. 4;45 a m,-The
Times publishes the following dispatch
from Mafeking, dated December 26
At dawn today Colonel Baden Powell
organized an unsuccessful attack on
strong position of the enemy at Gametree,
two miles from Mafeklng, from which the
Beers have been maintaining a desultory
but annoying shell and rife FIRE for sew
eral weeks. The railroad has recently
been reconstructed between the town and
Gametree where tho Beers had destroyed
1t, the final repairs being made In prepa
ration for the sortlc, During the night the
armored train with Maxim and Hotchkiss
guns, under Captain Williams ana troops,
took UP positions for attack from two
sides. Captain Lord Charles Bentinck
and squadron were In reserve upon tho
left. while the extreme left wing was oc
cupled by artillery under Major Pan2era
and gNlloping Maxim Of the Cape police,
the whole brigade under Colonel Hare.
| Emplacoments were thrown up during the
night, the orders belns to attack at dawn,
and the artillery FIRE to desist upon pro-
longed footing from the armored train. Al
deyhreak the guns opened fire and rapidly
drew reply from 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
rifle FIRE. It 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 adj
vance OF Captain Vernon was almost i'm
possible. but with remarkable herosm and
galantry Captains Sanford and Vernon
Lieutenant Patton and scouts, who headed
the troops. actually reached the sand bags
within 800 yards OF the fort.
But nothing living could exist there,
since the ground was swept by Mauscr
and Martini bullets. The men who charged
through this zone OF Are suffered terribly
and In following their officers 10 capture
the fort twenty men lost their lives Cap
tain Sanford was tho first to fall and Cap
tain Vernon already twice wounded and
Lieutenant Patton were killed at the foot
OF the fort. These two officers. climbing
a ditch which surrounded the fort, thrust
their revolvers through the enemy's loop
holes. only to be shot themselves the next
moment.
Gametree is surrounded with scrub,
which contained many sharpshooters and
their accuracy Of fire still further confused
the men who had followed Captain YER
non and saw him and his brother officers
killed. Being without commanders. they
were driven on at one point, but they en-
deavored to scale the fort at others. They
found the position OF the Beers, however,
almost lmpregnable.
When we retired under cover Of the ar
mored train, so many men had been
wounded that suspension OF hostilities
occurred under the auspices of the Red
! Cross. The veldt around the Boer posi-
/ ton was at once dotted with flags OF mer-
cy and It was seen that our wounded were
scattered within but a short radius Of the
fort We had almost completely surround
ed ii and had It not been 50 extraordinarily
we'll protected we should have been in pos
session.
| went with an ambulance TO Gametree.
The fort itself Is circular with a wide In
terror and o narrow frontage. between six
and seven feet high. pierced with triple
tiers OF loopholes and surrounded by q
ditch.
II was permitted to assist IN dressi-
the wounds. majority OF which -
to have been caused by explosiy
the point OF entry being small
i OF injury covering vide rq
the wounded were being " ~
beers Of Beers left their inq az ~
4 gathered around. At tb u ~ :
the dressing I spoke
ana dirty but physicallS