The Irish standard., 1900-03-31
100
A FIGHT WITH THE KAFFIRS.
The hodder Rivers First Baptism
OF Blood.

OF Blood.
If the torn and rugged banks of the
Modder River had a tongue they could
unfold tale OF sanguinary strife al
most unparalleled in modern history,
for many times have its rocks been
deluged with the life blood OF Briton,
Boer, Matabele and Kaffir. AS far
away as fifty years ago the spot at
which General Cronje made his last
gallant stand received its baptism of
fire, but the conflict arose from condi-
tons different to those which now con-
front South African leaders.
All during the year 1887, when the
Beers were gradually becoming more
angered at the rise OF British power in
Cape Colony, their famous trekking
movement was carried. on, and hun
dreds of slight conflicts with various
native tribes were OF almost daily &C.
currence. The bold and hardy emf
grants, undaunted by the terrible night
mare OF the black mans cruelty, pushed
on farther and farther, until, in the be-
ginning OF April, 1888, 400 OF them,
mounted on sturdy ponies, had reached
a spot on the eastern border OF Girl
quiland, near Jacobsdal, on the present
edge OF the Orange Free State. Fol-
lowing the course of the Modder River,
near the old settlement OF Ramal,, they
came upon 10000 heavily armed Mata-
bcles. The Beers, under Pet UP and
Jacobus Potguiter, advanced undaunted
toward the natives, who held strong
position in circle of hills overlooking
the banks OF the Modder, twenty miles
above Jacobsdal. Pet UP was one OF
the original immigrants, who, with his
descendants to the third generation,
had left Cape Colony forever. Most OF
his family had persisted miseraby, and
it was now his turn to mingle his bones
with theirs.
In two hours all was over. Three
hundred OF them had been cut to pieces,
about eighty retiring to large kopje
two miles back from the river bank,
position that they CALAMITY held for
twelve days against the fierce on
slaughts of the natives.
One OF their number, a son OF Pot
gutter, managed to slip through the
Kaffir line and take word to several
hundred English settlers OH the border
OF the new colony OF Natal, telling OF
the plight of his comrades. The Eng
lish, even though they felt in all its
strength the class hatred Of the Beers,
determined to risk their lives sooner
than see them slaughtered by the
blacks In great haste 300 or 600 OF
them formed a regiment, and, though
arms were scarce and the surrounding
country thick with Kaffirs, they reached
the Modder River after steady four
days march, The blacks, now REIN
forced to 5000 men, used all OF their
cunning to keep the two small bodies
OF the enemy apart, and succeeded in
holding the English close to the north
bank Of the Modder, injecting their
whole strength between them and the
Beers. Leaving 5000 warriors to keep
the latter from effccting junction with
the British settlers, the remaining 49,
600 began murderous onslaught on
their hereditary foes. The British
formed in semicircle around the bank
OF the river and fought desperately for
several hours.
Toward nightfall 1900 Kafiirs went
into the bed OF the river two miles be-
low where the fight was in progress,
and, Using every cunning artifce, talk
ing advantage OF every stick and stone
on the river bank, they gradually crept
up on the British forces, who had
placed no guard in the rear. The
Beers, almost as cunning in woodcraft
as the Kaffirs themselves, distinctly
saw this maneuver from the hill on
which they were stationed, and, at the
loss OF twenty brave fellows attempted
to notify the British OF the danger by
sending men through the Kaffir lines.
An hour later the ground was red
dened by the almost complete slaughter
OF the British, who had been taken by
surprise and practically exterminated.
Forty OF them managed to escape and
get back into Natal. The Kaffirs,
flushed with their victory, swept over
the hill where the few Beers remained
and cut nearly every man OF them to
pieces.
When news OF this sanguinary con-
hict reached the British authorities at
Cape Town the governor of Cape Col
ony issued proclamation containing
the following words:
ellis Excellency earnestly exhorts
civil commissioners and all public func-
tionaries throughout the colony, as
we'll as all ministers OF religion, who
cannot but foresee the inevitable result
OF the prevailing mania for immigra
ton, to endeavor by every means in
their power to dissuade intending emf
grants from the prosecution of their
plans, which cannot fail sooner or later
to involve themselves and their families
who are prepared to accompany them
in certain and irretrievable ruin"
This proclamation was Immediately