AN AWFUL DAY.

Press, Volume LVIII, Issue 10863, 12 January 1901, Page 10

AN AWFUL DAY.

Sergeant T. H. Overton writes to his mother from Rhenoster Kop, under date December 2nd, four days after the fight in which the Second and Third Contingents took part at that place. He says that was an awful day, which none of them were ever likely to forget. The three previous days they had been fighting, and on the morning of the 29th again advanced. At 5.30 a.m. they came in touch with the Boers, and at once dismounted and advanced down a small •lope to whore the Boers were firing. Only a few idiots were fired until the attackers were about 400 yds from the Boers' position, when a fearful fire commenced, and they were unable to either advance or retire. All day they had to lie flat, without any cover, in a broiling sun, unable to move a single inch. The few who had any water in their bottles drank it long before midday. All the time poor fellow- who were badly wounded, and perhaps dying, were crying out for water, and their comrades had none to give. By dinnertime poor Oppenheim's cries were too much for the writer, who had to make an attempt to get out and fetch him some, water. By good luck Serfeant Overton managed to crawl out and ack again, but it was only to find liis comrade dead. The few bottles of water brought in by the writer were soon drunk by the other wounded men, and then a man named Stevens crawled out and brought more water. At dusk the men retired back to the slopes leaving live men lying dead, and carrying out twenty-three wounded, including five officers. The Second Contingent went into action fifty-one strong, and out of that number lost eighteen. The others belonged to the Third Contingent. The writer •aid it showed what an awful fire they were tinder for fourteen hours, when over a third of their number got hit. Shells and bullets were quite enough strain on one's nerves., but the cries of a'wounded man were fifty times worse. Nono of them got any sleep that night, they being all on picket, and next morning again advanced, only to find the Boers had retired into another kopje. The party set to work and buried their dead, about forty in all. after which, they advanced again, only to be again driven back, losing seven more men. On December Ist they bad another brush with the Boers, but only a short one, the officer commanding the New Zeidanders considering his brigade was not Rtrong enough. Altogether, for the six days' fighting, the brigade had lost just over 300 men killed and wounded out of 200Q> and the writer opined they would los*e a good many more before they were finished. as they were in a "bad way" out there. Only two officers were left at the time of writing, and he was acting-lieutenant, and vas in charge of the Canterbury division.