OUR SEVENTH CONTINGENT.

Press, Volume LVIII, Issue 11084, 1 October 1901, Page 5

OUR SEVENTH CONTINGENT.

-1 PLUCKY RESCUE UNDER FIRE

J Jtajor Abbott, in temporary command of the Seveotfh Contingent, haa seat a rei port to the Premier from Ventersburg road, i Orange River Colony, 'under date 14th J August, from which the "Post" makes the ! fol owing extracts: — { Colonel Porter is still in Pretoria unable through sickness to join us in the field. Dur : ing t&e last month the 7th Regiment has done splendid ''work, and X its efforts have ; been met Willi great success. Colonel Gari ratfc, of' the 6th Dragoon Guards," is in - . command of .the column, wihich is one of t Lord Kftcheiier'e special mobile columns with giriked iaen acting directly under his / orders. The mounted -troops consist of ' aiboußb 700 men-—Seventh. New, Zealand Re- \ gimeafc and about 300 ' Infantry, and four guns and other details. J As the work wa,ihav& to do demands rapid! * movements, the,mounted men have pracjl j tically to do afl tfoe fighting. r Jr ! Ilecently by,'night marcfiea we haves£ three occasions" hjs{L puccessful .iajjurpris- \ ' ing , ~iih»7 edfettty ' and"; lectin j- - imp6rteas" ': capturee.'ourtdtal"farthelastmonth being t i '; prisoners 4&d 51 rifles (captured while, j fighting), 84 waggons, 13,100 rounds of any- •" munition. 32 Cape ' oarts, ■ 5 Scotch* carts, 3692' cattle, 292' horses, 9160 sheep, 20 tons of forage, of madze (destroyed).* Have also brought in ,610 Boer women" said. ; children and 460 Kafirs. This is a most creditable record fox a small column,- and -ranks second for the month-in the, list of' operations of tee different columns in the Md. The carried' oil ~t)he honours in the.above captures; and Colonel G&rratt is extremely well pleased with tlae regiment, expressing (unsolicited) to another .Imperial officer the opinion that the mounted troops now serving with him were the best that he had ever eeesi in the field. .This, expression,. coming uaaeked for from a cavalry officer of long experience during this war, and-high fayour t with, tlte Comjnander-in-" > Chief, fcpealcs volum.ee for the men'tihat you 'sent from New Zealand. On the 22nd July last,we had a very stiff engagement with Smuts' commando on the Vaai river, Smuts holding a very strong position, with a strong body" of men. ' During the engagement two mounted men—one a Queenslander, the other on* of ttoe RoyaS Irish Riflee—gofc their norees' *hot" whtea witMn 600 yards of the Boer position, and were exposed toj the fire of over 100 rifles. Three-of thej Seventh New Zealand galloped to the& reecne, via., Lieutenant Heckter, Sergee|liMajor Callaway, and Corporal Vircoe. Heckler and Vircoe succeeded in .bringing them out "from almost certain death at tlhe greatest personal risk, but poor CaUaway was badly wounded in the attempt, a> .bullet going through lids abdomen. Colonel Garratt *nd staff witnessed the incident, and I although" not wiehdng to eaiooarage .men , running any tuxoeceseary . risk, admired ' tlhieir brave and p-ucky action. I have sent a report "of tlhe rescue with full particulars to Colonel Garmtfc, who has forwarded game to tihe Commander-in-Chief, to receive, I hope, the honourable mention deserved. Callaway is now in the Jhospital, and is being well cased for, and will, I hope, recover. , With reference to the officers and N.C.O.'a i that volunteered for fuarther service from , the 4th and stih Regiments, we were pressed . to extend our services so as to give the | Seventh the benefit of our experience, and ell. Who could, willingly responded to the <all. _t t - -~ ,