The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1900-01-09

one continuous roar. From the buildings
and tines of trenches south OF the river and
from the river bank itself the Beers hred
at our gunners and footmen. and from the
trenches on the northern side Of the Tugela
river and Fort Wylie and elsewhere thAy
sent out hurricane Of leaden hail and
bullets venomously rained on the ground IN
all directions, raising puffs Of dust and
tearing through the air with shrfll sounds.
Not . Man Faltered.
"Few have ever seen so heavy and 30
deadly q fusi1lade, but neither the British
gunners nor the infantry hesitatsd or
WINGED. Cannon were wheeled into POSI-
tion, although many Of the horses and
men were shot down ere the maneuver
was completed, and our indomitable sol
diers walked erect and straight onward.
Not even Rome in her palmiest days ever
possessed more devoted soldiers. Az the
giadiators marched proud and smiling to
meet death. 80 our soldiers. doomed TO die:
saluted and with alacr1ty stepped Horward
to do their duty--'Glory or the grave
Anglo-Saxon soldiers always advance that
way. asked an American who had seen
warfare in Cuba and Manila II his own
countrymen generally did this. and he
answered: Yes; 1t is marvellous bit
wasteful.' Closer and closer walked the
soldiers to the Boer trenches. until with
in 400 yards of the nearest rife pits.
Then, lying down, they returned the
FIRE. but there was little or nothing to
aim at.
Barbed Wire IN tho River.
"The Irish brigade had driven the Beers
to the north bank OF the Tugela- They
found that the enemy had planted the
ground with barbed wire. Even In the
bed Of the river barbed wire was laid
down. Into the water went the Duhlirs.
Inniski,lings, Borderers and Connaughts.
but Il was found that the Beers had
damned the river at the ford, where ordi-
narily 1t was but knee deep. They strove
to find the crossings. and many hne fel-
low with his weight of ammunition and
accoutrements was drowned. 1t was des-
perate and serious situation. The attack
on the right was making no progress, and
the hearts Of the men had reached an APP
parent impasse. But there were furious
and angry Irishmen who had resolved to
get across somehow. BY dint OF scrann-
bling from rock to rock and swimming
number won the other side. Yet most OF
them found that they had but passed
across winding spruit. The Tugela still
lay in 'front.' and all the while the murder
Gus fire of cannon and Mauser crashed and
comrades fell weltering in their blood
Long Loses HIS Gums.
''In the meanwhile Col. Long had lost
his guns, and Gems. Butler and Clery.
with their staffs and escorts. had ridden
to the scene.
Trying to Rescue some Of Them.
1.-The spouting hail OF iron and lead
spluttered and snapped and the dust
puffed more than ever. Lord Roberts
son, with Capt. Schofield and Capt. Con-
grove, volunteered to ride out and en-
deavor to save the two field batteries in
the open. Readily other volunteers were
found. Corporals from the line, men and
drivers of the ammunition wagons taking
their spare teams. galloped out. and men
and horses again began falling on every
side. Young Roberts horse was blown
up with a shell. Congrove was hit by
bullet and his clothes were cut by
other missiles. Schofeld alone escaped
untouched. Across that valley of death
quickly the surviving animals were rcund-
ed up and the guns were hooked and
dragged away
again an attempt was made to rescue
the remaining guns. but the Boer fire was
incessant and whitening. At the battle
was over.
Gen. Butler abandoned the guns and
retreated."