The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1900-01-13
Graphic Account Of Methuen's Long,
Fierce engagements at Nodder
River and Grns Pan.
PICNIC RESORT IN RUINS
TERROR CREATED by THE ONE.
POUND MAxIMs OF THE BoERs.
Gallant Work of Naval Brigade--Ju-
liam RaIph's Picture Of the Un-
clean, Ignorant Boer Private.


LONDON, Jan. 3-British war corre-
spondents are pouring i'm through the mails
columns of descriptions of the operations
I'm South Africa. Those recently printed
refer chiefly to the battles of Gras Pan and
Modder river. for it is yet too early for the
publication of full accounts of Buffers de-
feat at Colenso.
The Times correspondent at Modder river
has written a graphic account of the long.
fierce battle that takes its name from that
stream. For the whole of the day." he
writes, ''the Guards brigaoe lay on the
open veldt in a heat that actually 10
degrees in the shade at midday. Mean
while. the left flank had not been idle and
after the general had personally led them
TO the summit of slight rise that COM
manded the only possible means Of cross
ing the river-the dam that had been built
to turn the Modder river into an orna-
mental water for the picnics Of Kimberley
excursionists-they moved en- echelon tow
ard the edge of the river bank on the en-
emy's extreme left.
THAT it could even be attempted to
cross the river, sliding sideways through
the rush of the water by clinging TO the
short supports of the dam. 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 it would
be difficult to find a parallel of the stub
born pluck Of the men who accompanied
Colonel Barter across the three hundred
yards of dam and weir. One by one some
four hundred of them crossed. Then a
detachment of the Royal engineers, show
ing how well they could take their part
in the forefront of the fighting line. fol-
lowed them, after that some more of the
Yorkshire Light Infantry. Little by little
the force was collected which cleared sew
eral of the nearest houses on the right and
patch from which they were never dis
lodged. To fight for thirteen hours is an
ordeal that i'm any kind of warfare would
be terrible strain, but out on the tree
less. shadeless welt, with the THERMOMETERS
at the degree above mentioned, the exhaus-
ton suffered by our men was so great that
in hundreds of cases. men and officers
alike slept as they lay In the scrub, care
less of the shell and rifle fire that surged
over them. To provide them food was i'm
possible, TO bring water cart on the
field as the Coldstream Guards found by
bitter experience. was only tempting men
to expose themselves to death.
EARLY in the afternoon the general was
shot through the thigh and for some time
the two brigades, in the absence OF orders,
were compelled to act independently Of
the other, the only communication being
warning to the Ninth Brigade not to fire
upon the First, of which there was some
danger.
BOER GENERALS JEALOUS.
Beers had realized and augmented the
strength of the position, the success with
which they had kept their works and posi-
ton 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 as
tcnishing accuracy of their picked shots
at .-.e longest ranges. should ali be remem-
bered to the credit of their generals. But
1t was in the material watch formed the
that they failed. They could
not do more than they actually did with
the men under their command. Already
jealousies had sprung up between the gen.
erals. The men accused each other OF
cowardice and the threat of physical force.
had If rumors were true, to be held over
them more than once.
THE one-pound Maxim gun was the most
effective weapon used by the Beers. The
five or six shots fired in one second while
the gun was traversed had more moral
effect than the steady discharge OF shrap-
mel of the ordinary fifteen-pounder at half
minute intervals. One man Lot far from
me had both thighs blown of he sat
by one of these little shells landing on
the ground between them, but there is lao
question that the moral effect was, as
rule, greater than the practical results. No
gun was more cordially disliked by our
men than this new weapon. that was usual
ly christened "Bong-bong-bo the patent
for which, in 1892, was offered TO and de-
clined by our government"
OF the lessons to be learned from Mod
der river this correspondent says: 1T will
be impossible in any future war for the Of
Hcers to retain their swords, and az Will
be worth while for the War Office TO con-
struct some light carbine that might be
carried by them instead OF the weighty
rifle served out to the men,
The scene after the battle Is thus de-
scribed by the same writer: Most people
who have stayed at Kimberley know Of
Modder river as a recreation ground, only
thinking Of IL. in fact. much as London
regards Maiden Head. Never has II been
anything than frivolous little patch I'm
the heart OF the veldt. The punishment
for its giddness has been sudden and ex-
traordinary. The place is deserted, the
walls and roofs are perforated like a colan-
der. the water. churned and befouIed by
ten thousand animals. rolls over and over
the dead that were hurriedly thrown into
its eddying hollows/with a weight attached
The bridge lies on its ruined piers. a
twisted length of scrap iron, and the dead
horses fill every nook in the riverside
woods. The chapel with its little wooden
cross, near the river. stood IN the thick
of the fight and now lies crumbling mass
of adobe walls, with it's shattered earth
en- altar and most OF it's seats. There is
no square ROOD within this extinct para
disc that does not bear witness 20 the
fearful effect of modern weapons
THE NAVAL BRIGADE.
The conduct CT tile marines Of the naval
brigade at Gras Pan is a source OF unend-
ing praise from all correspondents. The
Times representative at that battle writes:
1.-The naval brigade advanced in extended
order. but i'm converging on the position
to be taken they unconsciously found them
selves closed I'm. and I'm that formation
attempted the ascent. The fire directed
upon them was terrible. and. distinguished
by their swords. the officers were the
first to fall. Commander Ethelstan was
mortalIy wounded fifty yards from the first
advanced. many with two or three wounds.
The slaughter was appalling TO watch: the
gallantry displayed was useless under the
pitiless iron hail that was but slightly
checked by the red6ubled shelliag of the
reinforced battery. With cheer the York
shire men. by curious coincidence had