The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1900-01-06
BRITISH LOSS AT MAFEKING.
BADEN-PowELL's HEROIC BUT IN
SUCCESSFUL sORTIE,

Tried to Take an ImpregnabIe Boer
Position and Lost Three Officers
and Eighteen Men Killed and
Many WOunded-British Went
Right Up to Boer Fort in thc
Face Of Hot Fire, But Were
Soon Compelled to Retire.
London, Jan. 6, 4;45 a. m.-The Times
publishes the following dispatch from
Mafelxing, dated Dec %:
AT dawn to-day Col Baden Powell or
ganized an unsuccessful attack upon
strong position of the enemy at Gametree
two miles from Mafeking, from which the
Beers have been maintaining a desultory
but annoying shell and rifle fire for several
weeks. The railway has recently been
reconstructed between the town and
Ganetree, where the Beers had destroyed
it. the final repairs being made in prepar-
alton for the sortie.
During the night the armored train
with Maxim and Hotchkiss guns, under
Capt Williams, and troops, took up posi-
tions for attack from two sides Cant
Lord Charles Bentinck and a squadron
were in reserve upon the left, while the
extreme left wing was occupied by artil-
lery under Maj Panzera and a galloping
Maxim of the Cape police, the whole being
under Col. Hore.
"Emplacements were thrown up during
the night, the orders being to attack at
dawn, and the artillery fire to desist upon
prolonged footing from the armored train.
Az daybreak the guns opened fire, and
rapidly drew the reply of the enemy, our
shells bursting within effective range.
Capt. Vernon gave the signal to cease fir
ing and to advance, his squadron lead
ing off.
Boer Fire Was Terrific.
"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 ad-
vance of Capt. Vernon was almost impos-
sibe, but with remarkable heroism and
gallantry Capts. Sandiord and Vernon,
Lieut. Patton and Scout Cooke, who guild
ed the squadrons, and few men actually
reached The sandbags of the fort within
But nothing living could exist there,
since the ground was swept by Mauser
and Martini bullets. The men who charged
through this zone of fire suffered terribly,
and in following their officers to capture
the fort, twenty men lost their lives. Capt.
Sandford was the first to fall, and Capt.
Vernon, already twice wounded and Lieut..
or ha nf
These two officers, climbing ditch which
surrounded the fort, thrust their revolvers
through the enemy's loopholes only 10 be
shot themselves the next moment
Position was Impregnable.
"Gametree is surrounded with scrub,
which contained many sharpshooters; and
their accuracy of fire still further confused
the men who had followed Capt. Vernon
and who saw him and his brother Off
GERS killed. Being without commanders,
they were driven off at one point, but
they endeavored 10 scale the fort at 9th
ers. They found the position of the Beers,
however, almost impregnabie.
when we retired under cover of the
ermored train so many men had been
wounded that n suspension of hostiites
occurred under the auspices of the Red
Cross. The veldt around the Boer position
was a once dotted with flags of mercy,
end il was seen that our wounded were
scattered within but a short radius of the
fort We had almost completely surround
cd it, and had it not been so extraordinar-
lily well protected, we should have been
Independent.
Il went with an ambulance TO Came
tree. The fort itself is circular, with
wide interior and narrow frontage, be-
tween six and seven feet higher, pierced
with triple tiers of loopholes, and sur
rounded by a ditch"