The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1900-01-13
RECKLESS ITEROISNI

tsThat lit could even be attempting 70
cross the river sliding Sideways through
the rush OF the water, over the paddles
OF a ricketty iron bar, by one clinging
70 the short supports in full Wow of the
opposite shore was an act of reckless
heroism against which. even the
wary Cronje had not provided. TINS.
however. is what was actually done, ana
lit would be difficult to find a parellel for
the stubborn pluck Of the men who acS
companied Col. Baker across the three
hundred yards of dam and weir. One
by one some 400 Of them crossed. Little
by LITTLE force was collected Whlcn
cleared several OF the nearest houses on
the right and effected an occupation OF
an irrigation patch from which they were
never dislOdged. EStz-
TO fight for thirteen hours is an ordeal
that in any kind of warfare would pc
terrible strain; but out on the treeiesS.
sh,delsss yel1t, with tie thermonae1eraalt alt d
the degree above mentioned the exhausl
suffered by our men was 50 great that
in hundreds of cases men and ofncers
alike elent as they lay in the scrub, care
s'fss of TIE she'll and rifle fire that sufSeo
over them.
l.uTo provide them food was inposs1D.e.
TO bring a wa ter-cart on the tic cfd-as ne
co-ast-eam Guards found by bitter eA-
nerience-was only tempting men to eN-
nose themselves TO death. ruShlns lor 81 ttis :
water at all hazards. and iea.ins -
cover, such as it was. afforded sspS li.e
,,ipe or tep-inch growth Of miTosa .scr'lp.
81 tl,a 1essens to be learned from Mou-
der liver. this correspondent says:
SWORDS NO USE.
ut will be Impossible in any future val M
for the officers to retain their oiuS eee
g win he worth while for the WA O1.ics
to construct them some light carblne ina.
NAV be carried by them instead Oh
weiehtv rifles served out to the men.
,rhe conduct of the marine OF the naVai
brigade at GraS Pan is a source oi uil-
ending praise from all CORRESPONDENTS.
The Times representative at that DAT
tie writes:
.srhe naval brigade advanced IN eAteiiu-
ed order, but in converging upon Tue
nosition to be taken, they unconsciously
fond themselves closed in. and that for
nation attempted the ascent. The hre
directed upon them was terrible and dis
tino1,,5hed by their swords, the oHcers
we're the first to fall. Commander Etn-
elstan was mortally wounded nifty SardS
from the first slope and one by one the
rest fell as they advanced, many with TWO
or three bullet wounds
AWFUL SLAUGHTER
The slaughter was appalling to watch:
the gallantry displayed was, useless un-
der the pitiess iron hail that was but
slightly checked by the rcdoubted she'll
ing of the reinforced battery.
Little by little the thin line OF Khaki
crawled up to the top
The storming line was now so near the
crest that the guns could only be direct
ed upon the Boers enflading the position
,rom the spurs of the kopje on the lett,
and almost in a calm. Lieutenant s. c.
Taylor, closely followed by Lieutenant
Jones, of the marines, reached the outer
works, of Sangar and made their wa y
over.
I'm the next half minute fifty men
tumbled over and Immediately rushed
forward to clear the position in the rear.
This was, however, stubbornly held for
quarter OF an hour more, perhaps, az
q screen than anything else to cover the
retreat of the Beers.
above the hill top was almost drip
ping with blood; not a boulder escaped its
splash of crimson and the innunerable
.splinters and chips of ironstone blocks in
dicated the terrific nature of our fire.
Most Of the dead or wounded Boers
were carried off, fifty of them severely
wounded were found in their hospital, a
quarter of a mile away, but here and
there q dead man proved that here Trans
vaal had sent his men down for the first
time to meet the on-coming column"