Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1900-01-11
A GALLANT S0RTIE.
BRITISH ATTACK A srRoxc,x -,
Tended BoER WORK.

ihe Plain With Martini .,a
Mnuser Bullets, Causing, Cou.,d
cradle LOSS of, Life-Bocrs Rob
q the Wounded,
London, Jan. I. - The Times pub
fishes the following dispatch from
Mafeking, dated Dec. 90:
cat dawn to-day Col Badcn-Powell
organized an attack upon a strong DO
sition of the enemy at Gametree. two
miles from Mafeking, from which the
Beers had been maintaining a desul-
tory shell and rifle fiji for several
weeks, The railroad had recently
been repaired between Mafeking and
GaHetree, Where the Beers had de-
stroyed it, the repairs being made in
preparation for the sortie. During the
night the armored train with Maxims
and HotcEkiss guns, under Capt.
Williams. and troops took up positions
for attack from two places. Capt.
Lord Charles Bentinck and squadron
were i'll reserve upon the right. while
the extreme left wing was occupied by
artillery under Maj. Palm. and a gal
Looping Maxim of the Cape police. the
whole being under Col. Hore En-
placements We're thrown up during the
night, the intention being to attack at
dawn, and the artillery fire to desist
upon prolonged footing from the ar
mored train. At daybreak the guns
opened fire and rapidly drew a reply
from the enemy, our shells bursting
within effective range. Capt. Vernon
gave the signal to cease firing and to
advance, his squadron leading off. 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 advance of Capt. Vernon
was almost impossible. but by remark
able heroism of Captains Sanders and
Vernon, Lieut.. Patton and Scout
few men actually reached the sand
bags of the fort. within 800 yards of
the head of the fort. But nothing liv-
ing could exist there;
The Plat nWas Swept
by Martini and Mauser bullets. The
men who charged through it's zone of
fire suffered terribly, and in an at
tempt to capture the fort twenty men
lost their lives. Capt Sanders was the
first to fall, and Capt. Vernon, already
twice wounded. and Lieut.. Patton
We're killed at the fort. These two Of
ficers, climbing the ditch that sur
rounded the fort. pressed their revolt
vers through the enemys loopholes,
only to be shot themselves the next
minute. Gametree is surrounded by
scrub, which contained many Beers,
and their accuracy Of fire is testified
to by the men who fell on the advance
Capt Vernon's men being driven back
at, one part. attempted to scale the fort
at another. They found the position
of the Beers almost impregnable
When we We're under cover of the az
more6 train so many men had been
wounded that there was a suspension
of .hostilities under the auspices Of the
Red Cross. All around the Boer posi-
ton ut once appeared the flags of
mercy and it was seen that our
wounded lay close up to the walls of
the fort Had the fort not been so eX-
traordinarily we'll protected we should
have been in possession. Some of the
British wounded fatty accused the
Beers of stealing their money. rings
and other valuables. We had great
difficulty in getting permission to use
the armored train to remove our
wounded. We believe that spies car
ried the news of our contemplated
sortie to the Beers. The field cornet
admitted that he was reinforced dur
ing the night by 100 mounted men and
acknowledged withdra wing his guns
British Secure No Substantial Gains.
London, Jan. NO decisive opera
ton is reported from South Africa this
morning, military operations being
confined to points of subsidiary i'm
portarce. In the central theater of
operations the British have apparently
secured no substantial gains. The on
ly, dispatch of dramatic interest is the
narrative of gallantry at the sortie at
Mafeking, when the sortierers threw
themselves hopelsssly against
strongly defended Boer work. The
almost paramount Importance in the
thoughts of the public. through the
vague possibility that these may be
made the preteXt for continental inter-
vention. The governments undevi-
dllllS puIpOS 10 Lldlutulll lue ilSuI 10
search resulted in the dispatch yes
terday by the admiralty to their COM
manders in South African waters, of
weighty warning to uphold the gov
eminent orders with regard to the
shipment of contraband of war by way
of Delagoa bay.
Firing Mt Ladysmith
London, Jan. IA dispatch to the
Daily Telegraph from Frere Camp.
dated Jan. 5, says:
'"There has been firing to-day at
Ladysnith and at Colenso. A strong
cavalry reconnaissance, under Lord
Dundonald, proceeded westward this
morning toward Springfield, where
firing is progressing. There is a re-
vival of the report that the Beers are
short of provisions. Gen. Buffers
army is eager for the advance"
Anti-British Feeling Growing.
Berlin, Jan. 9. = The seizure Of the
Bundesrath remains the dominant
topic of the German press Influential