The pioneer press. (Miller, Hand County, S.D.) 1893-190?, 1900-01-11

At dawn To-Day COl. Bauen-fONeA
organized an attack upon a strong po-
Eition of the enemy at Gametree. two
miles from Mafeking. from which the
Poers had been maintaining a desul7
tory shell and rifle fire for several
weeks The railroad had recently
been repaired between Mafeking and
l,ametree, where the Beers had de-
ii. the repairs being made in.
preparation for the .sortie. Dcring the
right the armored train with MaXims
and IIotcEkiss guns. under Capt.
Williams. and troops took up positions
for attack from two places. Capt
Lord Charles Bentinck and Z squadron
were In reserve upon the right, while
HE extreme left wing was occupied by
nr;i,lery urder Mai Palm. end a gal
Looping Maxim of the Cape police. the
whole being under Col. fIore. En-
placements were thrown up during the
night, the intention being TO attack at
dawn. and the artillery fire 10 desist
upon prolonged footing from the ar
iaored tIaip. At daybreak the guns
opened fire ana rapidly dew reply
rroU the enemy, our shells bursting
within effective range. Capt. Vernon
rave the signal TO cease firing and 10
advance, his squadron leading off. AS
eur men engaged the position with
heir rife fire 1t was soon found that
he strength Of the fort was greater
than we had supposed. The enemy
concentrated such an exceedingly hot
ire that the, advance OF Capt. Vernon
was almost impossible. but by remark
able heroism of Captains Sanders and
Vernon. Lieut. Patton and Scout
Cook, who guided the squadrOns, a
few men actually reached the sand
bags of the fort. within 800 yards Of
he head of the fort But nothing liv-
ing could exist there:
The Plat nwas Swept
by Martini and Mausar bullets. The
rnen who charged through its zone OF
ire suffered terribly, and in an at
tempt TO capture the fort twenty men
st their lives. Capt. Sanders was the
Srst to fall, and Capt. Vernon. already
vice wounded, and Lieut. Patton
Tere killed at the fort. These two Of
icers. climbing the ditch that sur
rounded the fort pressed their revol-
gers through the enemy's loopholes.
only ~ BE- shot themselves the next
scrub. which contained many Beers,
and their accuracy Of fire is testified
/ 20 by the men who fell on the advance.
Capt. Nernon's men being driven back
1t one part. attempted to scale the fort
at another. They found the position
IF the Beers almost impregnable.
When we were Under cover OF the ar
mored train so many men had been
wounded that there was n suspension
Of hostllities under the auspices of the
Red Cross. All around the Boer posi-
tion nj 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 50 ex-
traordinarily well protected we should
have been In possession. Some of the
British w:0uided fatty accused the
fBoersssof stealng their money. rings
And qsheE vs2t,a bles We had great
aifIicuay n, Citing permission to use
| the armored train to remove our
wounded. We believe that spies car
ried TIRE news of;oUf contemplated
sortie tofth& Boerss The field cornet
admitted sthsf hFsi.was reinforced dur
ng the might by 100 mounted men and
acknowledged YttlFirawing, his guns"
British secure No srbstantia Gains.
London, Jan. NO decisive opera
lion is reported from SQathsAfrica this
morning, military operations being
confined TO points Of subsidiary i'm
portaEce. In the central theater of
operations the British have apparently
secured no substantial gains. The on
~ dispatch Of dramatic interest is the
narrative of gallantry at the sorrie at
Mafeking. when the sortierers threw
themselves hopelessiy against
strongly defended Boer work. The
question of contrabi nd seizures takes
almost paramount Importance In the
thoughts Of the public. through the
vague possibility that these NAV he
made the pretext for continental inter.
Ventioni The governments undeyi.
ating purpos to maintain the right TO
search resulted In the dispatch yes
terday by tho admirn lty. to their com.
marders in South African waters of
weignty warning to uphold the gov
ernment orders with regard TO the
shipment OF contraband Of war by way
OF Delagoa bay
Firing at Ladysmith.
London, Jan. IA dispatch to the
Daily Telegraph from Frere Camp
dated Jan. 3, says:
There has been firing to-day at
Ladysmith and at Colenso. A strong
cavalry reconnaissance, under Lord
Dundonaid, proceeded westward this
Emorning 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. Z. - The seizure of tho
Bundesrath remains the dominant
topic OF the German press influential