Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1900-01-06
Details Of Col, Baden PoweIl's SOr-
tie at MafekIng,
Beers WERE ALL READY.
British Troops Were Moved Down by
Rine Fire = Fighting nc Lady
smith and Colenso.

London. Jan. 5.-The war office has
81 received. through Gen. Forester
Il Walker at Capetown. the following
II dispatch from Col Baden. Powell,
q dated Mafeklng, December 26th;
Eve attacked one Of the enemy's
4 works this morning, endeavoring to
a push back the Gordon northward. Our
Il force consisted Of three guns, two
squadrons of the Protectorate regl-
ments. one Of the Bechuanaland rifles,
armored trains, etc. The enemy had
strengthened their works during the
night, and doubled the garrison since
81 yesterdays reconnaissance.
Nevertheless, our attack was car
4 ried out and pressed home with the
greatest possible gallantry and steadi-
ness under very heavy fire. But all
. efforts to gain the interior by escalade
1 failed, the fort being practically i'm
4 pregnable.
"our attack only withdrew after six
OF our officers and large number of
men had been hit. Nothing could have
exceeded the courage and dash dis
played.
The general situation remains un.
changed and the health and spirits OF
the garrison are very satisfactory.
regret TO report the following casual
ties:
Ia n II
I. Sanford, lLieut. II. {. Patton, eigh-
teen non-commlssioned officers and
troopers.
"Wounded-Capt. Charles Fltzclar.
ence, twenty-three commissioned
officers and troopers.
Prisoners-Three troopers"
Gen. Forester Walker points out
that while the dispatch gives all the
names. 1t falls to show that six officers
were hit.
The Times publishes the following
dispatch from Mafeking dated Decem-
Der 2eth' 'At dawn today Col Baden
PoWeI organized an unsuccessful at
TACK upon a strong position OF the
enemy at Gametree, two miles from
!Safcking, from which the Beers have
been maintaining desultory. but an7
noying shell and rifle fire for several |
weeks. The railway has recently been
reconstructed between the town and |
Gametree, where the Beers had de-
sroyed IT, the final repairs being made
in preparation for the sortie.
During the night the armored |
train with Maxim and Hotchklss guns.
under Capt. Williams, and troops.
look up position for attack from two
sides. Capt. Lord Charles Bentlnck
ana squadron were In reserve on the
left while the extreme left wing was
occupied by artillery under Maj. Pan
zera and a galloping Maxim OF the
cape police, the whole being under Col.
Hare.
"Emplacements were thrown up dur
ing the night, the orders being TO at
tack at dawn and the artillery fire to
desist upon prolonged footing from the
armored train. AT daybreak the guns
opened fire and rapidly drew the re-
ply from the enemy, our shells burst
ing within effective range. Capt. YER
non gave the signal TO cease firing. and
10 advance. his squadron leading of.
AS our men engaged the position
with the rife fire IL was soon found
that the strength Of the fort was
h'NuNVt uidh we udu SUPPOSED. lie |
enemy concentrated such an exceed
lngly hot fire that the advance OF Capt.
Vernon was almost impossible, but
with remarkable herolsm end gallan-
Try Capts. Sanford and Vernon, Lieut..
ration and Scout Cooke, who guided
me squadrons, and few men actually
reached the sand bags Of the fort,
within three hundred yards Of the area
of the fort.
But nothing living could exist there,
SINCE the ground was swept by Mauser
mo Martini bullets. The men who
charged through this gone of fire suf-
IeIed terribly, and In following their
Dheers 10 capture the fort. twenty men
9st Their lives Capt. Sanford was
ne flrst to fail, and Capt. Vernon, al
'eady twice wounded. and Lieut. ~ I
on, We're Killed at the foot OF the fort. {
hese two officers climbing a ditch I
'hich surrounded the fort thrust their