The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1900-01-13
BATTLE OF M0DDER RIVER.
HOW THE HEROIC BRITISH WENT
ACROSS THE STREAM.

| NcIdt-ImpOssibIet to Get Food and
Water-How the Beers Were Fin
ally DisIodged-Every Rock Was
Dripping With DIOOd-Boer War
| riOrs in Carriages.
| Correspondence of the Associated Press)
London, Jan. 3.-Bridsh war correspon-
dents are pouring in through the mails
! columns of descriptions of the operations
| in South Africa. Those recently printed
refer chiefly to the battles Of Graspan and
Modder river, for it is yet too early for
| the publication of full accounts of Bull
| ler's defeat at Colenso.
I The Times Correspondent at Modder riv-
er has written graphic account of the
long fierce battle that takes its name from
that stream.
For the whole of the day." he writes,
1.-THE Guards Brigade lay on the open
vedt in a heat that was actually 10 de-
grees in the shade at midday. Meanwhile
the left flank had not been idle. and after
the general had personally led them to the
summit of slight rise that commanded
| the only possible means of crossing the
river-the dam that had been built to
turn the Modder river into an ornamental
stream for the picnics of Kimberley ex-
cursionists-they moved in echelon to-
wards the edge of the river bank on the
enemy's extreme left.
THAT it could even be attempted to
cross the river sliding sideways through
the rush Of the water over the paddles of
rickety iron bar. by one cinging to the
short supports in full view of the opposite
shore, was an act of reckless heroism
against which even the wary Cronje had
not provided. This, however, is what was
actually done, and il would be difficult 10
find d parallel for the stubborn pluck of
the men who accompanied Col. Barter
across the 300 yards of dam and weir Lit
| tie by little force was collected which
cleared several of the nearest houses on
the right and effected an occupation of an
| irrigation patch from which they were
! never dislodged. For thirteen hours they
| fought on the treeless, shadeless veldt, and
| were so exhausted that in hundreds Of
cases men and officers alike slept as thew
lay in the scrub, careless of the shell ana
! rife fire that surged over them
Danger in the Water Cup.
ITO provide them with food was i'm
! possible; 10 bring a water cart on the field
as the Coldstream Guards found by bit
! ter experience-was only tempting men to
| expose themselves to death. rushing for
the water at all hazards, and leaving the
cover, such as it was afforded by the nine
or ten-inch growth of mimosa scrub
early in the afternoon the general was
| shot through the thigh, and for some time
! the two brigades in the absence of or
! ders, We're compelled TO act Independently
! of each other, the only communication be-
| ing a warning to the Ninth Brigade not 20
fro I1.a 1fYef Of rr~kf nI,
| some danger.
THE magnificent manner in which the
| Beers had realized and augmented the
/ strength of the position, the success with
which they had kept their works and dis
position secret until the crucial moment
! the feint on the extreme right by which
! they drew off the entire artillery strength
| Of our force from their main position, and
| the astonishing accuracy of their picket
| shots at the longest ranges, should all be
remembered to the credit of their generals.
| But ii was in the material which formed
! the commandos that they failed. They
| could not do more than they actually did
with the men under their command. AL
ready jealousies had sprung up among
| the generals, the men accused each other
of cowardice, and the threat of physical
| force, if rumors were true had to be held
| over them more than once.
1t will be impossible in any future
|
and il will be worth while for the war of
| fee TO construct some light carbiue 10 re-
| pace the weighty rifle served out to the
men.
Slaughter Was Terrible.
The nava! brigade advanced in extend
ed order, but in convergng upon the posi-
| ton to be taken they uncons ciously found
themselves closed in, and that formation
| attempted the ascent. The fire directed
| upon them was terrible, and, distinguished
| by their swords, the officers were the first
| to fan. Commander Ethelstan was mortal
| ly wounded fifty yards from the first slope.
| and one by one the rest fell as they adj
| vanced, many with two or three bullet
wounds The slaughter was appalling 10
watch; the gallantry displayed was use
| less under the pit!ess iron hail
Little by little the thin line of khaki
, crawlaa up to the top.
THE storming line was now so near the
crest that the guns could only be directed
upon the Beers enfiladng the position
from the spurs of the kopje on the left.
and almost in calm the outer works of
the Sanger were reached and crossed.
I'm the next half minute fifty men tum-
bled over and Immediately rushed for
ward to clear the position in the rear
This was, however. stubhornly held for a
quarter of an hour or more, perhaps as
screen more than anything else, to cover
the retreat Of the Beers.
Dripping with Blood,
above the hill top was almost dripping
with blood; not a boulder escaped its
splash of CRIMSON and the innumerable
splinters and chips of iron stone blocks
indicated the terrific nature of our fire
Most of the dead or wounded Beers were
carried off-hfty of the more severely
wounded were found in their hospital. a
quarter of a mile away-but here and
there a dead man proved that here the
Transvaal bad sent it's men down for the
first time to meet the oncoming column"
Julian Ralph, correspondent of the Daily
Mail, says that one of the most astonish-
ing facts of the war is that at some of
-s-e .>~4nl..sA.~ aHsoA .iA s.oss..s Pnere have
come TO battle in their carriages llKT III.
tlemen driving TO the Derby al home and
having done their best, have retired in
the same way, leaving their vassals 10
cover their retreat