THE DAY OF BRADFORD'S DEATH.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXI, Issue 30, 5 February 1900, Page 2

THE DAY OF BRADFORD'S DEATH.

A WARM ENGAGEMENT

Messrs T. Maunder, Keith Gorrie, and N. McDonald, Waikato members of the iirst contingent, forwarded the following vivid account of the fighting, written by the first-named, on December 3 to friends in the Waikato:On Sunday, the 18th hist., we had some hot work close to our camp. In the evening of Saturday we were all paraded before the llegimental Seigt.Alaior to see what men would be sound enough for duty on the morrow. Both companies were formed up into sections in close order, and, of course, all ears were open to learn what he had to say. He said the General commanding us was very pleased with our work, and was satisfied from what he had seen that we could be trusted in case <o£ danger. On Monday, the 18th, we were in the saddle at 3 o'clock to escort a battery of artillery (ten puns), an honour not "to be despised, and no doubt some of the regiments from Home considered we were not entitled to the position. We have the credit of being the General's pets. I am not romancing when I say we are always first to line up in the saddle at the first sound of alarm, thanks to our Sergt.-Major. I am, however, getting away from the point. As I have stated, we were out at 3 a.m. to cover the battery. The Boers' guns carry 8000 yards, whereas ours only carry 4000 'yards odd. The order was to take the Long Toms, as they call the Boer guns, even if we lost our whole battery; but luck was against us. We had to march about ten miles from the camp. To cover the guns we had to form in column of division all round them, so as, to hide them from the enemy. We'arrived in position just us day was dawning, but could not locate their position. We were in range of a rebel farm, so we shelled it. Then No. 1 Company, under -Capt. Davies, advanced on the house, dismounted and fixed bayonets. When we reached the house the enemy had cleared. lam No. 3in our section, and Keith Gorrie No. 4. The gallant 2nds, as we are now called, took rip a position close to the house, having1 led our horses up. All the Waikato boys are in the 2nd Division, under Lieut. Lindsay, and a fine fellow he is. We had no sooner taken up our position when the enemy was seen approaching a line of kopjes on the right fla.nk of the house. We were ordered to mount and take the kopje before the Boers. We cut off several of the beggars, but' were too late to do any x good. Our rifles spoke up and poisoned a few Boers. The Boers were too strong, numbering1 over 300 against our small party. We were blocked at a. high wire fence and could not get cover. We eventually got some shelter on the left side of the kopje, when we were in full view of 250 rifles. By Jove, they did pepper us for about 20 minutes. They were only about 250 yards away. Our boys dropped a few Boers, when we were ordered to retire. Our boys could ha,ve held the kopje against the enemy until the guns came up if it had not been for the danger we were in wibh our horses. Altogether we bad only 180 men and the guns against 2000 Boers. As soon as wo retired they advanced and opened their magazines on us. We were in.

a tight fix, and I don't want another like it. We were in three distinct lines of tire—one in front, another on our right, and tine shell from the Long Tom dropping within 20 yards from us oil our left. The Boer shell is inferior, although they fire straight enough, if they exploded. It is a pity we had no cover for the horses, as we had good cover for ourselves. 1 had a close call, and the Boers nearly knocked me over. I got a bullet score on the wrist, another one right through the neck of my water bottle, and one through.-the sling of my rifle, quite close. We had most of our horses wounded and one shot dead when we were retiring. The General complimented the officers and men upon our return. He said the twenty men on the kopje under fire were a credit to the British army. .He never expected to see us return alive.