Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1900-02-17
SORTlE FROM MAFEKING
Gallant Attack of the Troops
Under Baden-Powell.
STORY OF HERoIsM.

The London Times publishes the fol-
lowing account of the engagement
from Mafeking. dated Dec. 20:
AT dawn today Colonel Baden-Pow-
ell organized an unsuccessful attack
upon n strong position of the enemy
at Gametree. two miles from Mafe-
king from which the Beers have been
maintaining Il desultory but annoying
shell and rifle fire for several weeks.
The railway has recently been recon
structed between the town and Game
tree, where the Beers had destroyed
It. the final repairs being made IN
preparation for the sortie.
During the night the armored train.
with Maxim and Hotchliss guns, I'M
der Captain Williams. and the troops
took up positions for attack from two
sides. Captain Lord Charles Bentinck
and n squadron were in reserve upon
the left, while the extreme left wing
was occupied by artillery under Major
Panzera and a gallOping Maxim of the
Cape police, the whole being under
Colonel Hore.
"EmplacemcntS were thrown up dur
ing the night. the orders being to at
tack at dawn, and the artillery fire to
desist upon prolonged footing from the
armored train. At daybrcak the guns
opened fire and rapidly drew the re-
ply of the enemy, our shells bursting
within effective range. Captain Yer
non gave the signal to cease firing and
10 advance. his squadron leading off.
LAS our men engaged the position
with their rife fire it was soon found
that the strength of the fort was great
or than we had supposed. The enemy
concentrated such an exceedingly hot
fire that the advance of Captain Yer
non was almost impossible, but with
remarkable heroism and gallantry Cap
tains Sanford and Vernon, Lieutenant
Patton and Scout Cooke, who guided
the squadrOns, and a few men actually
reached the sandbags of the fort, with
in 300 yards of the area of the fort.
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 suf-
fered terribly. and in following their
officers to capture the fort 20 men lost
their lives. Captain Sanford was the
first to fall, and Captain Vernon, al
ready twice wounded, and Lieutenant
Patton were killed at the foot of the
fort. These two officers. climbing Il
ditch which surrounded tire fort, thrust
their revolvers through the enemy'S
. synIx
the next moment.
"Gametree is surrounded with scrub,
which contained many sharpshOOterS,
and their accuracy of fire still further
confused the men who had followed
Captain Vernon and who saw him and
his brother officers killed. Being with
out commanders, they We're driven off
at one point. but they endeavored to
scale the fort at others. They found
the position OF the Beers, however, al
most impregnable.
when we retired under cover of the
armored train, so many men had been
wounded that suspension of HOSTILE
ties occurred under the auspices of the
Red Cross. The veldt around the Boer
position was at once dotted with flags
of mercy, and it was seen that our
wounded We're scattered within but a
short radius of the fort We had al
most completely surrounded it, and
had il not been so extraordinarily we'll
protected we should have been in pos
session.
II went with an ambulance to Game
tree. The fort itself is circular. with
wide interior and a narrow frontage,
between six and seven feet high, pierre
ed with triple tiers of loopholes and
surrounded by n ditch.
Il was permitted 10 assist in dressing
the wounds, a majority of which APP
peared TO have been caused by explo-
sive bullets. the point of entry being
small. but the area of injury covering
wide region. While the wounded
were being attended numbers of the
Beers left their intrenchments and
gathered round. At the conclusion of
the dressing | spoke to several tattered
and dirty but physically fine men.
MANY Of them were understood and
all wore boards. They referred me TO
the field cornet. who denied the use of
explosive bullets. On being shown the
horrible wounds. he admitted that at
one time explosive bullets had been
served out. but he said lie was certain
they had all been previously expended
and that none could have been used on
this occasion. He then produced a
bandoller filled with dumdums. and
pointed out that, so far as Mafeking
was concerned, these had been re-
called.
Later on called the attention Of the
field cornet 10 four of his own men
-sa
pressed his regret TO British officer
that despite his instructions 10 re-
spect the dead. the younger Beers
were unruly and beyond his control.
and he accused the British soldiers Of
stripping General kock and leaving
him naked and wounded on the field,
thus Indirectly causing his death"
The correspondent then describes a