New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1900-02-25
BOER ARTILLERY IN FIELD KIT.


black robed figures of the kneeling sisters
q the priest BEHIND the vas an, motley dsg
mG ah IF one hs Man o the
outside the chapel he might have found the rifles
at any moment The mass began with the 'Adeste
eGSesS nS the rne Sd at hs PS
door group of Cape , WAS Gathered
meant. Vivid flashes Of lightning illuminated the
room piercing the yelling of the windows; hail
flushing fhro%gh the pasgag made the aP e
who had the opportunity made confession and
were communicated Then the priest gave us M, MS
Of OfeS CHRISTMAS mas Day He"' O''
The day after GhTstmss made dean staGk upon
had been emRaeed during the night c on our 0F
White smoke showed they were in action. Shot
after shot fell rapidly AROUND the enemy,s position;
automatically and to the right the armored train
toward her destination The whole scene com
men ic TO- unfold Itself IKE a photo which is
we Could see the Union Jack floating proudly over
kefrT e' broke on our ears and we knew that our
men had opened fire and been sighted by the
veous rapidty the east of Game Tree 0he fort
which were attacking) and Vernon and Fitz-
final rush. Away the right flank Captain Cowan
disposed to intercept achievements or the enemys
retreat. The armored train, under CAPTAIN Will
up as fast as the broken state Of the line would
manded by Major Cooley. to the left Of US, and
west OF the enemy. The guns, under Major Pan,
ezra Charles Wef BennoK and the whoe BY
4 had been reported upon and reconnoitred some
DAYS beforehand, and the east had then been pos
Tos the armored frain sounded her whistle It
the signal fro and o be guns to
| cease firing. As the sun rose we could see the
rushing eagerly forward. hardly stopping to fire.
! aTv7adc alxr
| the scrub which surrounds the sandbag fort, and
a bag S hy Msanmge
firing was continuing furiously. and we waited for
render be bayonetted to man 80, Then there was vas
It was only too true. Slowly, sulieny and suIkly
turning to fire in desperate defiance now and again
the IN M TG Sgq 4a hfF the the Go6p
under cover of a hollow in the ground. Then there
which Se eod Eatheng oghr
An aide5decamp came galoPing up from Major
he a The and a9r daeS Goes hof hnR
For moment the Colonel hesitated, and we could
| see that the question as to whether he should or
should not again attempt to carry the enemys posi-,
D qneG Ta and @ the IN am HS go
That was all; The battle Of Game Tree was over
tack had been We were only 10 learn later On On
d out 5s Of the OF rs who hd led
so well three were dead. one wounded and only
hit bent by bullet: Of the eighty men who formed
the eee paF ~ then w0ne fa f0ne
today in hosPitanffty,tth6ee out Of eighty. -
bury 'f the Gead ohs trench was s dug for the
ed; officers and men and there be-
were buried without collins, wrapped in white
It Would have besn unWise to fire yoIleys as we
might have drawn the return Are Of the enemy. At
long trench he White bodies SHOWED e through the
/ collins
buried the officers and over the dar<ening yeldt
turned away, with the knowledge that even then
gathered in the theatres Of London hang With
eaed it here Boxing DaR We had Gone
our best to break the Gordon which surrounded us
north. and We had failed: not for the want Of
bungled, not because there had been mistakes
for there were none but because the enemy must
and had rendered their position practically i'm
pregnable to anything but heavy artillery.
A DARING EXPLOIT
General Funstons river swimming exploit was
daringly enulated on Lord Dundonald's advance
upon Potgieter's Drift. 1.-The Daily Newss" cor
respondent with that column sends this account of
the feat from THE Natal Witness:
While surveying the position it noticed that
Rnr peat 6 at ,b the drift was lying moored on the
that IT would be a piece Of luck for If the
would serve as the beginning of the means to
carry our men over the swollen stream. The offer
OF Lieutenant Carlisle, of the South African Light
Horse, to lead few men. all Of whom. Ike him
self, were good swimmers the river for
the pont, was accepted those volunteering beng
Sergeant Turner, Corporals Barley and Cox. and
Troopers Collngwood Howell and Golden, all Of
+ Squadron. The forlorn hope set forth amid
great interest, They got down the precipitous
slope and into a friendly donga, running toward
the river, and reached the drift as they thought
qnnoticed. Five of the party stripped but the
Lieutenant and another only threw off their boots
Entering the river quietly, the seven swimmers
struck out vigorously. and Notwithstanding the
strong current; were making splendid progress,
when almost in midstream Barley was seized
with cranp. Fortunately Howell. with great pres
ence OF mind. quietly dropped down stream a few
yards until he caught Barley with hand and
the guiding rope OF the pont with the other. and.
working along the rope, managed to get Barley
to the north drift cutting. into which the remainder
or the party had just previously landed. There
Barley was quickly brought to rights. and every
moment was precious and there was no time 10
disengage the Pont from where 1t had been fixed
by the Beers, Lieutenant Carlisle cut the guiding
rope close 10 the landing post threw the end on
board and made IL fast, and the men scrambled
on 20 the pont, pulled IL away into the river by
hauling taut on the otheT-or our-end of the made
fast guiding rope
The strength myth Of the swollen stream helped to
carry the pont with its adventurous load quickly
through the water but. unfortunately. when the