PROGRESS OF THE WAR.

Press, Volume LVI, Issue 10522, 7 December 1899, Page 5

PROGRESS OF THE WAR.

THE BATTLE OF REITFONTEIN.

SEVERE FIGHTING. THE smJATI6i~AT LADYSMTTH.

(From Our Special. Correspondent $* Capetown.)

I (Per Rakaia at Wellington.) November 12. Pull particulars are- to hand of a third I battle which occurred on the 24th October, at Reitfontein. Reitfontein is situated a little to the northeast of Ladysmiih, lodioiigtt very TSkr grounds and command* [,fl»e. road-to Dundee..* News having been brought Uiat the. Bcijrs had moved eastward, and intended seizing the I voad, Hius intercepting amy With Dundee and Glencoe, • -Sir ■• George White determined to try and bring them into action, fully relying on the strength of his own fcroopa. therefore, sent the Lancers and 19th. Hussars as an advance S guard, and followed with the rest of his forces. The enemy, numbering about fifj teen hundred, were soon discovered, ensconced along a ridge.of small hills rising one above the ,c>ther r where they had thrown up earthworks and posted their artillery all along She surrounding. hills. Altogether they held a very strong position. But once more the defective construction of their shells turned what would probably have meant a victory for them them into a defeat; for had their shells been effective they, could doubtless Jbave helu the position and beaten us off, if we attempted to charge it. As soon as our men got within 4000 yards' range, the Boers commenced firing with great accuracy on our advancing troops, but luckily with no effect, for out of twelve shots fired from one of the main guns, only one exploded. By this time our guns were ready for action, and as it was deemed advisable' to clear the front ridge of Boers, whose sharpshooting was very deadly, the Light Home volunteered for this work. Leaving their horses under cover they carefully advanced until within a short distance of the eneffiy, and then suddenly charging, drove back the Boer skirmishers, and semng the ' first ridge, commenced exchanging shots with the second line of the enemy. Meanwhile an artillery duel -was being carried on between bur guns and a battery situated on the top of an adjacent kopje, but so accurate was our fire that after four or five shots had been exchanged' the enemy were somewhat easier, the artilkry dropping shell 'after shell into the I groups of men who showed tHemsalvea on the rising ground beyond. At last the Boers, w4xo had been firing very warmly on the Devon and Gloucester Regiments, who were occmwing the intervening valley, could stand our fire no longer; and after an hour and a half of hard fighting, slowly retreated from the second ridge. So excellently were our guns working thas one could easily see groups of men falling at every .shot, and it is hardly to be r ondered that they retreated as they did. After shewing the crest of the hill for some time, .to dislodge any, stray parties of sharp-shooters our infantry advanced once more. On reaching the crest of the hill, it was found that the Boers were now occupying Tinlanyoni Hill, and as it was impossible to charge them from the front, the Natal Mounted Volunteers, the Liverpool and King's Royal Rifles were detailed to make a sortie and assail, the Boers from the rear. Here the-Boers for a time had rather the best of the fight, for our guns not being available, the battle- resolved itself into a rifle duel, and as plenty of cover Was at hand, and the quality of their shooting excellent/ Tβ suffered pretty heavily. But though labouring under great" disadvantages, we at length succeeded in enemy to the top of the ridge, when our machine guns were again brought into play, finally dispersing the enemy." ,' It is officially reported that our loss was eleven killed and ninety wounded, while the Boers lost over eighty killed and two hundred wounded. Our men fought with great dash and vigour.