Relieving Beleaguered Ladysmith.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXI, Issue 54, 5 March 1900, Page 5

Relieving Beleaguered Ladysmith.

A PICTURESQUE STORY.

Whites Tribute to Civilian Heroism.

THE BATTLE OF PIETERS.

A FEARFUL SHOWER OF LYDDITE.

A Brilliant Feat of ilrms.

ADVANCING AGAINST STORMBERG.

GATACRE'S DIVISION MOVING.

ROBERTS MARCHING EASTWARD.

[N.Z. Press Assoc:

(Received 8.50.)

LONDON, March 4.

General White reports that while Lord Dundonald's cavalry was galloping towards Ladysmith on Wednesday at sunset an outpost in the scrub on Waggon Hill suddenly challenged and received .he reply that it was the relieving army. Then the tattered, pale, worn and almost bootless men crowded round, cheering feebly, and conducted Lord Dundonald to General White. The garrison and civilians rushed to meet the relievers, and the sick and wounded crawled from their tents to cheer. The scene was one of uncontrollable excitement. The cavalry started in pursuit of the retiring- enemy, hoping to capture the big gun, "Long Tom," which was removed from Bulwana Hill the same day. General White, addressing the citizens in the semi-darkness, lauded their heroic patience. He said: "It hurt me terribly to reduce the rations; thank God we keep the flag flying." Durban and Capetown were delirious with joy. Several children were found in the trenches on Pieter's Hill. One baby was wrapped in a blanket. Lieut. Brassey, of the 9th Lancers, son of a nephew of Lord Brassey, was killed during the advance to the relief of Ladysmith. LONDON, March 3. Boulders sheltered the trenches at the nek leading to Pieter's Hill. General . Buller used 95 guns with lyddite, sweeping • the entire range. The havoc was terribla, the wounded being yellow from the fumes. The British infantry, advancing in three simultaneous assaults, on the 27th ult., felt the effects of the fumes.-Lieutenant-Colonel Kitchener, commanding Colonel Wynne's Brigade,. bore the brunt of the engagement. The Royal Lancasters and the South Lancashires accompanying him led the assault. The Boers doggedly stuck to the trenches in the nek until bayoneted in the flanks. « The onslaught was irresistible, the Boers being paralysed, and firing wildly. Those persisting were bayoneted in trench after trench. •. ; • The Royals, on-reaching the summit surmounted ih.eir bayonets with their helmets. The West Surreys, in the left, and Major-General Barton's force on" the right, completed..the .victory. A hundred prisoners were taken, the majority being Hollanders, who-were glad to be captured. The British buried 100 Boers. , Seven officers were killed, and 25 wounded, including an Australian, H. B. Macartney, of the Royal Fusiliers. Our casualties in men were 170. At the baffle of Pieter's Hill women were in" the Boer trenches until three hours before the British charged. Two were found, one aged 70 (who was dead) and the other aged «0 (who was dying). The latter declared that her husband kept her in the trench because she was a good shot. When Grobler's Kloof was evacuated the artillery pushed on to the. limits of the position won. :' , ■' The Boers at Isimbulwharia cannonaded General .Buller's cavalry as they advanced on Ladyimith.' Gough found the ridges to the south-east unoccupied. .-.'V " Lord Dundonald, with two. squadrons of Light Horse and Carabiniers, swiftly ".traversed the" gap and were welcomed into '.Ladysmith. General Buller on Friday mrea.—

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PATHETIC GRATITUDE OF THE EXHAUSTED ARMY.

. "Defeat of Boers fuller than I dared anticipate. The whole district is cleared except on the top of Van Reenen's Pass." The- last train left Modder's Spruit on Thursday, when the Boers exploded the bridge. -, They had packed their waggons six days ago, and moved north of Ladysmith; abandoning vast quantities of ammunition, herds, aaid necessaries, but took all their guns except two. '.Ladysmith has lost 30 officers and 513 men killed or by disease, and 70 officers and 520 men wounded, exclusive of civilians and natives. -, Eight, thousand .soldiers passed thrlough the hospital. The garrison, have suffered great pri-Vat-Oris 01 Slnci-the middle of January. Rations were reduced after each of i Buller's rebuffs, and finally the allowance., was half-a-pound of horse-flesh, half-a-pound of biscuit, an ounce of sugar, and a third of an ounce of tea daily. • The garrison were pale and listless, and unable to join in pursuing the Boers: ■• Most of the horses belonging to the field batteries had been converted into soup and sausages. Twelve thousand shells were thrown into the town, but did little damage, D only killing 35 and wounding 188. Lord Roberts now admits that he considered it almost hopeless to relieve Ladysmith. The Queen's message to Generals Buller and White began: —"Thank God," and after congratulations, paid a tribute to the heroism displayed. ' General White, in thanking the Queen, said any hardships and privation had been compensated for a hun-dred-fold by the sympathy and appreciation of the Queen. Her Majesty's message would do more to restore the officers and men than anything else. • The deliberate pollution of the water supply of Ladysmith by the Boers -was the chief cause of disease and suffering among the garrison.