The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1900-01-17
How the British Lost tho Bat.
tie of Colenso.

giving any adequate explanation of
Gen Buller's defeat at the Tugela
river comes by mail from Bennet
Burleigh, The Daily Telegraph's cor
respondent. 1t appears that the
battle orders, drawn up by Gen Clery
provided for the effective support of
the artillery by Hart's. Bsrton's and
Dundonald's brigades. These we're
never completed. Gen Hart missed
his way Lord Dundonald failed to sup
port Gen Barton and got part of his
forces is en- untenable position. Col
Long, with the artillery. out paced
the escort of the guns and were lost
Briefly, that seems to be the story Of
the Tugels river battle But.
through graphic columns, there con.
tinuslIy recurs the discovery OF un
expected entertainments and awful
fusillades from hidden Beers and ga!
lantry such az has seldom marked
British bsttlefields
After describing how the British
force began their advance at day
light aud how the Beers left them
absolutely unmolested. the CORES
pondept ssys: "At 6 20 there sud
denly burst sn awful crash Of Boer
musketry upon the batteries aud
advancing infantry The rattle of
the Mausers swelIed and was main.
tanned az one continuous roar. From
the buildings and lines Of trenches
south of the river and from the river
bank itself. the Beers fred at our
gunners and footuen, and from the
trenches on the northern aide of the
Tugela river and from Fort Wylie
and elsewhere they sent out hurri
cane of lesden hail and bullets veno
mously rained upon the ground in sll
directions. raising puffs aud dus: and
tearing through the air with shrill
sounds.
Few have ever seen 90 heavy aud
90 deadly fusilade, but neither the
British guuners nor the infantry hesi.
tated or WINGED. Cannon were
wheeled into position although many
Of the horses and men were shot
down ere the manoenvre was com.
pleted and our indo,nitable soldiers
walked erect and straight onward
Not even Rome in her palmiest days
ever possessed more devoted cone.
As the gladistors marched proud
and beaming to meet death. 90 the
British soldiers, doomed to die, Ga
iuted and then with alacrity stepped
forward to do their duty. glory or
the grave Anglo Saxon soldiers
always advance that way l asked
an American who has seen wau fare
at home. in Cuba and Manila. if his
own countrymen gene, ally did this.
aud he answered: Yes 1t is mar
velous, but wasteful
"Closer and closer walked the
soldiers to the Boer trenches until
within 400 yards of the nearest rife
pits Then lying down. they return
ed the fire. but there was little or
nothing to aim at
BY us the Irish brigade had driv.
en- the Beers to the nor;h bank of tue
TugsIa. They found that the enemy
had planted the ground with barced
wire eotspgicmeu,s. Even 10 the bed
Of tho river bsrbed wire WAS laid dowu.
Into the water went the Dublin Iouis.
Killings. Borderers aud Conuaugbts.
but it was found at the fori that the
Beers had cuDningly damned the river
and there was ten feet Of wafer where
ordinarily it is but knee deep. They
stroVe to 6nd the crossings aud man =
Q Zoe fellow With bis weight of ammu. :.
milton and accoutrements vas Crowned
IL was desperate aud serious situation
The attack upon the rigb. was making
no progress and the hearts of the meo
bad reached au apparent i'm passe. But
there we're furious aud angry Irishmeu
who had resolved to get across some ho v
BY scrambliog from rock TO rock az d
swimming q number WOO the other side.
Yet most Of them found tha, they bad
but passed across winding spru,;
The Tugeia still lay 10 frout aod oil
the while the murderous Ere of cannon
aud Mauser crashed and comrades fell
weiteriuG 10 their blood.
'In the meanwhile Col Long had
loat bis guns and Gems Butler and
C!cry With their stats aud escorts, had
ridden to the scene.
'Tbe spoutioR hail Of lead and iron
snapped aud spluttered aud the dust
puf1ed more than ever. lord Roberts
son with C,pts Scho6ed aud Con rove,
volunteered to ride ou. and cndeavor TO
save the two field batteries 10 the open
Readily other volunteers we're found
Corpora's from the linesmen ond
drivers Of the ammunition wagons.