The daily morning journal and courier., 1900-01-25
BLOODY MAGERSF0NlEIN.
A Waste of British Valor.

says:
 Estimates of the numbers of the Boers present, vary considerably, but all things point to 15,000 as being ap- proximately correct. Our forces num- bered about II ,000 of old arms, including reserves, Army Service Corps, and others who had no place in the fighting line.
 "This force moved forward under cov- CT of the night, and the Highland Brig ade, to whom was entrusted the duty of making the first assault, soon vanish ed in the darkness. They had been ex- pected to make their way to the south eastern face of the kopjes and then ex- tend for attack as soon as there was light enough to see their way but by a mistake the entire brigade, still in quar- ter column-the least effective of all formations, and that affording the most certain target, in fact, formation that should never have been used within the range of the largest ordnance possessed by the enemy-found itself within 4oo yards of the southern face of the ene- mys position opposite to the barbeo wire, entanglements of the strongest in- trenchments of the entire line Of de- fence.
 "A moment later single shot was followed by fusllade that must have emptied the magazine of every Boef rifle for a space of a quarter of mile: Beneath this hell of fire discipline van ished, the men broke and fled, leaving on the field dead, dying and wounded, one man in every five of the 5000 men who but 30 seconds before had been marching at ease, trusting absolutely to their leaders, and thinking of nothing less than that, in march-past formation, they were to be called upon to face at point blank range the most devastat- ing volley that has probably been pour ed into any body of men. Recharglng magazines delayed the Boers moment but in the Mauser system this operation wastes much less time than our own. The darkness, more than any possible cover, saved our men from second catastrophe, and there was entire sl- lence as the shattered remnants Of the brigade made their way back. Thls sl- lence was broken at last by huge lyd- dite shell from the naval gun bursting on the spur to the left of the scene or disaster. From that time onwards ar tillery became the chief feature of the day. and the accuracy and steadiness of their fire while within rifle range of the shelter trenches and the promptness and, energy with which they eventually covered the retirement of the troops de- serve the highest praise.
 A few shots, not perhaps fifty in all, were fired by the enemy, but their guns were quickly silenced, and the only fighting that took place for some hours was on the right. Here the mounted 1n- fantry and cavalry were early in touch with the Boers, backed by Major Ala sons Horse Battery, which galloped forward and took up position a mile and a half east of the kopjes enfilading the trenches on their left, and sweeping the containing line of intrenchments running eastward to the Modder. The mounted infantry early in the day pushed forward too far, and were at one time cut off by a body of horsemen who intercepted their retreat. bold dash, however, cleared their way with the loss of one man only. PrlVate I,azenby. brought into camp under fire by Lieut.. Riley, the retreat being cover ed by Sergt Cassen. Lance-Corporal Bennett and Private Mawhood, who dismounted, without cover, and under hot fire knelt and kept off the Boers for some minutes.
 The Twelfth Lancers under Lord Air lie, did well on the same flank and un- der similar circumstances. Meanwhile the Yorkshire Light Infantry stormed house and occupied the drift over the Modder on the extreme right of our line, three companies being left as guard of a second drift halfway back. Some of the Grenadier Guards came to their support there being a considerable gap between this small force on the extreme right and the right of the main body which wae composed of the Coldstream Guards and Grenadier Guards, with small sprinkling of Argyll and Suther- land Highlanders.
 The Highland Brigade reformed, re- enforced and, led by the Gordons (who had but arrived the day before, ana whom it had not been intended to use), approached the kopjes in open order without suffering any great loss. The Scots Guards acted as guard for the central artillery and two batteries of field artillery and howitzer battery and the extreme left was protected by the naval AZ gun and the North Lanca- shire Regiment There was little incl dent to note throughout the day, except on the extreme right, where the York shire Light Infantry expended 22,0oo rounds There was little rifle fire from us: and what there was from the Boers came chiefly from a strong contingent of sharpshooters who crawled among the bushes in front of their left extension and sniped at anything that showed it. self
 Toward 2 o'clock the monotony and heat combined with the terrible shock that had been suffered in the early morning, and little by little the High land Brigade came back, the movement culminating in a general withdrawal under cover of a terrific fire from our puns front and flank, which, however, was unable to reduce greatly the re- doubled fire from every yard of breast work and every boulder on the hillsides.
 There were however, fewer casualties than might have been thought, though again and again a man flung up his arms and fell The retirement was an obvious mistake, as the men were in no danger where they lay, and by remain ing where they would, as the Boers have -,,beoo,,aptIv admitted have persuaded