THE ROODEVAL FIGHT.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXI, Issue 186, 7 August 1900, Page 5

THE ROODEVAL FIGHT.

A HEROIC DEFENCE

BRITISH CAPTURED BY THE

BOERS

The Bloemfontein "Post" g-ives the following interesting account of the Roodeval fight:—

On Thursday morning, June 7, two engagements with the Boers took place, one at Roodeval station, about thirty-four miles beyond Kroonstad, and 'the other at Rhenoster River, about two miles further on; and as the writer was present at the first, and visited the scene of the second later in the day, an account of the same and some of the incidents of these severe engagements may be of interest.

On Thursday, June 7, 1900, 5.26 a.m., we were awakened by hearing rapid and hurried footsteps and the grounding of rifles, and a voice asking, "Is there anyone here can read Dutch?" On lifting up the tarpaulin covering the truck of goods which we ha,d in our charge for the N.S.W.A.M. corps, we saw a man approaching on" foot with a white flag, carrying a note. He approached and was met by Captain Grant, Captain McDonnell, Lieuts. Blanchard (E.C.E.), Hayes (A.0.C.), and several other officers, while the men of various details stood around to hear what was the matter. On the note being read it was found to run: — "Have 1200 men and five guns; give you

TEN MINUTES TO SUREENDEE." A short consultation was held between the officers, and a reply given that the station would *not surrender. The bearer of the note hurried away towards a large party of horsemen waiting some distance oft"/ We jumped out of the truck, and over the.small' barricade made of bales of coats, clothes, boxes of boots, biscuits and canned meat. Captain Gale gave orders in quiet, quick tones to the men numbering about IGO all told, to take coyer behind the ramparts. Almost- immediately a volley from the enemy came whistling and zizzing among us, then bang, and Captain Gale and two men of the E.P. Eegiment fell. A shrapnel shell had caught them, killing all tTTfe'e, Then commenced a veritable duel between 150 odd men with rifles, protected by little more than bags, against 1200 well.armed men and heavy artillery. Ping, ping, whizz, and the short, sharp reports of our rifles told that the little garrison meant business. The enemy had the range of the station house and poured fifteen pound shells in and around the corrugated tin house, smashing doors and windows and knocking the chimney off in a very short space of time._ The Boers could be seen riding and FIEING FROM ALL SIDES, while to the left of the station was their "one " gun, which was accurately and carefully fired. They must have been about 1,400 yards away, closely hidden in the long grass, their horses browsing about while their masters kept up a continuous rifle fire. Just at this time one of the E.P.E.'s was struck in the shoulder by a piece of shell, and fell close to the writer, who assisted him into the back room of the station, and? attended to the ugly wound. He had just finished binding it up with the 'assistance of a sergeant of the P.O. corps, when a shell bore through the wall and burst overhead, filling the room with smoke and flames and "covering them with dust and splinters of wood. They carried the wounded man outside, s and placed him behind a' large tank. Almost immediately another shell burst through the house arid tank, tearing a large hole in the iron and exploding, stunningv.the sergeant, and causing a..general stampede behind boxes and bales. The wounded man, being insensible.at this time, was placed under the verandah floor as a protection. In the I distance to our left could be heard

heavy guns at intervals, and hope 'was raised in the hearts of the men that the reinforcements promised the night before from .Kroohstad had arrived, but the firing was the guns of the enemy firing- on the Sherwood For-< ests 4th Derby Militia, two miles further- on, who had also been surprised in the early morn ig by another party of Boers, with four guns. By this time it was broad daylight, and the sun streamed down with great heat, adding1 to the extraordinary scene a peculiar enchantment. . Suddenly the big gun ceased firmg1, and a dropping1 rifle fire, after continuing for a few moments, stopped. The little force could now take BREATHING TIME. Then five men were seen making' from a Kafir kraal, some distance off, runningl and making' for the station; they were the picket, who had .not been able to reach us before the fight started. As they neared the little wall of mail bags, etc., they were fired on, and the hopes that, all was over were suddenly dashed to the ground by a shell exploding1 over the tin roofed house, firing- from another direction; and, as if waiting1 f.or the signal, four other guns, which were, out of sight, opened fire, ploughing tip the ground and rending1 the bales and boxes with terrible rapidity. The fighting force were soon again busy replying, but owingl, to the distance did very little apparent damage, ns they continued popping shell after shell in and around the station. The telegraph office, a small tin building to the left, also received a large part of the heavy shelling The firing on both sides was now simply one continuous roar. The roof of the house was gone, doors and windows smashed to matchwood, while the iron walls and lookingglasses in the sitting-room of the stationmaster showed signs of the heavy bombardment. The stationmaster's wife and four children had long since fled to ?>. safer position down to the right of the line, where numbers of boxes and biales were lying. The writer piloted the way, and carried two of the youngest. About 12.15 a.m. A COUNCIL OF WAR was held, and it was decided, rather than all of the now worn-out brave little band should be blown to pieces, to surrender. This was done, and soon from all sides could be seen hundreds of mounted men, galloping up on their sturdy veld ponies towards us. The place was filled with a mob of the enemy, talking and chattering in deep guttural voices. One of the last to come up was the well-known General de Wet, mounted on an English cavalry horse, and the writer walked over to him, saluted, and asked him if he required help for any of his wounded. "Presently," replied the general. "How many are killed and wounded?" he asked in' good English; "where are they?" and dismounting he walked over to the prostrate figures. Pulling back the blanket covering he asked who the officer was. On being told he stood silent for a minute, and then said, "Poor.men; very sad." Turning round he added, "Bury them at once," and then walked away. General de Wet gave permission, on being asked, that the dead officer might be buried with a small Union Jack that was at hand, and he stood by and watched -the ceremony, hat in hand, and with solemn face.' There was one big, burly, tall Boer, with a terrible hare lip, his voice being considerably affected thereby, who strode up and down slashing, at dogs, horses, and even his own men with a big sjambok. He was a field-cornet, and evidently in a bad temper, for the writer asked him if the hospital things might be saved. He replied, "Niet verstaan," waved his heavy whip, and pointed to the general, who, on being asked the same question, replied that everything belonging to the hospital would be safe. GENERAL DE WET is a fairly "tall man of stout build, heavy features, and straggling greyish brown beard. He was dressed in a dark grey tweed suit, big overcoat, with the inevitable rifle, and two bandoliers full of cartridges, likewise a belt holding a revolver and two pouches. He wore also a thick gold watch chain, to which was attached a large gold medal with the head of "Oom Paul" on it. He was most polite, and even kind in many ways, and expressed himself as "very sorry to do it," when asked not to destroy the 2000 bags of mails and registered parcels, etc. He said if he did not do so his young Boers would open and read them and turn the letters of the soldiers into ridicule.

Hundreds of bags of letters, parcels, etc., were ripped open, boxes burst, and their contents strewn all over the place, while hundreds of Boers, both young and old, were soon busy ripping off covers of parcels, looking with eager and very often disappointed eyes at the contents'. A shout of gratification would be heard now and again as one would find a silver watch, a pair of field glasses, or a drinking flask. One, found four five pound notes, another a beautiful gold watch, another a box of pills, which, as they were all thrown away, were 'evidently not worth a "guinea a box" to the finder. Cigarettes in thousands, boxes of cakes, chocolate, pipes and tobacco strewed the ground, and as the prisoners sauntered to and fro they were invited by their captors to help themselves, as the general was going to burn everything. They got very communicative, asking all sorts of questions and replying to "Tommy's" inquisitive queries. As night was approaching preparations were made for the FINAL SCENE OF DESTEUCTION. The railway trucks were pushed together, empty boxes and bales were1 piled in, the trucks split up as much as could be done with axes, the enormous 9.4 lyddite shells were piled in, with boxes of shrapnel, fifty pound shells and other shells for which they had no use. A lajrge quantity of kerosene was then poured over and several pounds of dynamite thrown in to assist the coming fire. We prisoners were then, called together, and the patient, waiting oxen, with heavy.laden waggons, neighing mules drawing their guns, and carts of stolen ammunition, began to fall into line, the conquerors mounting their horses, loaded-with sacks of loot of all descriptions, every man dressed in new boots,: pants, winter coats and carrying more behind him. General De Wet and his stafE waited behind to see the conflagration properly started. Then the cavalcade fell in, the wounded being in'the hands of the Imperial Yeomanry Hospital and Bearer Company, who most fortunately arrived on the scene about two hours after the surrender. The sun sank down- and darkness closing in hid from our wearied and aching eyes the long column of prisoners and victors as they trekked out over the flat veldt to the laager, some \three miles away, in the neighbouring shelter of a,wooded and iwell-watered kopje. ?>.*:.-