"DAILY MAIL" AND "TIMES" ACCOUNT.

Auckland Star, Volume XXX, Issue 278, 23 November 1899, Page 9

"DAILY MAIL" AND "TIMES" ACCOUNT.

Mr Stevens, the. war correspondent of the "Daily Mail," describing the engagement at Ladysmith, says: — "By 10 o'clock the British had driven the/ Boers back several miles, when the retirement was ordered, which Sir Archibald Hunter conducted with great skill, retiring battalion by battalion, covering the movement with the artillery of their guns by alternate batteries. The Boer artilleryfield, quick-firing, and siege guns— immediately opened a heavy lire all around, showing their knowledge of war by aiming at the guns and waggons as they retired. Little damage was done, however, and our operations were quite unflurried. "At the end of the action a bearer company advanced' under a Red Cross flag to seek the wounded,' and was fired upoii by the Boers, apparently through a misapprehension, of because of want of discipline, since <the .fife'soon ceased. In the meantime the native- bearers . continued their advance, their cool bravery being- most praiseworthy. All the troops retired in safety, and pickets were left on '.he field,".

: Except a vague reference in the "Standard." none of the special dis'pafclies make mention of the rois'sing battalions, statements regarding' them evidently having been censored. - The correspondent, of the "Times" at Ladysmith says: "The action seemed to be proceeding most satisfactorily when, at 7.15 -a.m.-, the enemy in large numbers, with field guns, Maxims, and 37-milli-metre guns, began to develop a heavy attack on Colonel Grimwood's infantry. The cavalry brigade had moved np on our right, holding the parallel ridge over against Col. Grimwood's position and practically acting as Infantry. In the meantime our batteries kept down the siege gun fire upon Ladysmith with shrapnel. At;». o'clock there seemed to be a lull as our reserves moved up, but suddenly the engagement' re-opened ..as the enemy oh our right brought further artillery to bear. Colonel Grimwood, who. with the three advance battalions, had held the ridge for five hours, suddenly

fell back across the open upon our guns. "The "Fifty-third ..Battery pluckily pushed forward ..to cover this withdrawal. Several casualties occurred at this phase. The Fifty-third Battery held. on against a cross fire of rifles and quick-firing guns until the .infantry were clear. The teams of the two guns were damaged and the battery eventually retired, made-up teams being sent to.extricate the guns. The c-avalr3 r remaining unsupported, were forced to fall back also. "Then began a 'general retirement, on Ladysmith. The guns which had. been covering the Devonshire Regiment stoutly covered the final withdrawal.' The enemy did not press, but showed-themselves in their positions in great numbers, only to find ■that, the Naval Brigade from -he Powerful had arrived. Two quickfiring guns were at once placed in position, under cover of n redoubt, and' in five rounds they silenced the enemy's forty pounder. The troops were back in Ladysmith by"2 o'clock in the afternoon. The casualties caused by. the enemy's artillery were not severe. The mountain battery on the left reported it had suffered through a stampede of mules. Our artillery, cavalry, mounted infantry, and, .volunteer cavalry behaved splendidly in difficult circumstances. Dr. Jameson and Sir John Willoughby arrived to-day; and were spectators of the action." ANOTHER VERSION. LADYSMITH. October 29. Firing commenced at. 5 o'clock this morning,; the Boers shelling Ladysmith with forty-pounders. Ah advance of the British forces was made at dawn, with the object of shelling the Boers from the position where yesterday they had-mounted a number of guns. On reaching the spot, however, it was found that they had evacuated the position. The British continued to advance, and the movement developed into a reconnoissance in force. The enemy were posted on a range of hills havinga frontage of about sixteen miles. The British force was disposed in the following order: On the right, three regiments of cavalry, four batteries of the Royal Field Artillery and five battalions of: infantry; in the centre, three batteries of the Royal Field Artillery, two regiments of cavalry and four infantry battalions; on the left, the Royal Irish Fnsileers, the Gloucestershire regiment and the ■ Tenth Mountain Battery. This force has been.detailed.to guard the English left 'flank at a late hour last night. General White's plan of operations was that as the movement, developed the force constituting, the centre, which was disposed under.cover of a kopje about' three miles from, the j town,, should throw itself upon the j enemy, while the left flank was being j held by the Fusiliers and- the. Gloiir \ cesters. The scheme was.well devised t but failed in'execution, owing to the fact that1 the Boer . position which \ : formed the British objective had been | j evacuated. ...... | ; The: British artillery quickly re- j ! duced the volume of the enemy's fire, ' ;but the attack delivered on the right, -flank was-the principal one, and the j I column was' compelled to charge. The ! Bp^.^ttackvhacl been silenced dor n< | time,' arid ' the British infantry ad- j jvanced, covered by cavalry. . The' enemy now began to develop a heavy counter attack, and as they were in j great numerical superiority General i White gave orders for the infantry j to be gradually withdrawn. The j 'movement was carried out with great I j steadiness and deliberation, under ! | cover'of the British guns, which made j j excellent practice. ' Some shells were thrown into the J town from the Boers forty-pounders I at a range of over GOOO yards, but no damage was done. The engagement lasted several hours, and resulted, on the British side, in casualties esti- . mated at from' 80 to 100. The Boer losses must largely have exceeded this total; The attack was admirably delivered by the British right, and Boer's were fairly driven put of one of their strongholds near Lombardskop. It was not possible, however, to push the success much further, as beyond that point lay'a long, big ridge, affording every kind of natural cover. Qf this the enemy'• took . the fullest advantage. The British shells failed to dislodge the Boers, and.as the infantry moved forward in extended order they fame under a heavy and well directed rifle fire, the result of which was soon apparent. General White, who was with the centre, seeing that the troops on t heright were somewhat pressed, sent to their assistance the whole centre column with the exception of the Devonshire regiment. The battle had then lasted four hours, during which the artillery fire ono both sides had been almost incessant. The Naval Brigade, which landed at Durban, had arrived on the scene toward the end of the fight, and they immediately brought their heavy guns into play. At the fourth shot the enemy's forty-pounders had been knocked out of action. The town is now freed from apprehension of bombardment. Throughout the engagement the Boers held their ground with courage and tenacity, and, considering tJie intensity of the British artillery fire, they must have suffered severely;