TODAY'S CAPE MAIL

Evening Post, Volume LIX, Issue 12, 15 January 1900, Page 6

TODAY'S CAPE MAIL

THE BATTERIES LOST AT THE TUGELA RIVER. HEROIC ATTEMPTS TO GET THEM AWAY. The Cape Times ot tlio 18th December, to hand by to-day's mail, gives a detailed account of tho unsuccessful attempt made on the 15th by the British forces in Natal to force the passage of the Tugela River in the vicinity of Colenso. In tKe main it only fills .out in detail the outline sent to us by ca-ble from Rouih Africa, and the further particulars cabled from Australia on the arrival of the mail steamer there. But tho following statement as to lioav the British guns came to be lost is of special interest : — The two batteries led by Col. Long, R.H.A., moved fonvard to Avitbin 800 yards of the Tugela-and 1250 yards from their objective, a ridge just beyond Fort Wylie. on the other side of the river. As they Avere nearing the position, they suddenly found themselves exposed to a hail of bullets and shells. Captain Gol-di-j, of the 66th Battery, was killed almost at once, and several men Avero hit. The guns Avere then halted, as I ha\ T e sa ; d, Avithin 800 yards ot the river, and immediately to the east of the railway

line. The two batteries opened fire on a kopje beyond Fort Wylie, and also on tho latter itself. The Boers were so well under cover tliafc they could not. be easily detected, but for an hour and a-half, . Avhilo tho ammunition listed, the bat- . teries Avere able to somcAvhat keep down ( tho enemy's fire. All the time, however, oilieej's, men, and horses Avere falling . round the guns. ; Early in tho action Colonel Long was r seriously Avounded in tAVo places, while ' Colonel Hunt, avlio was in cliargo of the r division, had a bullet llesh wound in ! both sides. When the supply of sheila gaA r e out ) nnd there was no sign of tho ammunition column waggons aiming tho inferno of I fire from the enemy's right and left was , repeated, and those who could doubled back Avith the Avounded into a. donga p twenty yards in the rear of the guns, j There the men were nioio or less shells tercd, and after a time the enemy ceased ) directing their fire afc the aonga. Colonel Bullock then arrived on the scene Avith two companies of the Devons and a few , of the Scottish Fusiliers, and assumed | command. It Avas 'about this time that several heroic attempts wero made to get away tho guns. The General and his staff galJ loped doAvn the field, and Surgeon-Major » Bapto lodo through the shell and rifle ! fire right into the donga, and saw two wounded there. ' Captain Congvcvc, the press censor, Captain Reed, of the 7th Battery, and Captain Schofield, A.D.Cf, and Lieut. Pvoberts, A.D.C., to the General, all came to the donga, and tried to lead the | detachments and horses back to the guns, Avith the view of bringing them out. 1 This, however, owing to the hail of bullets and shell, Avas impossible. Captain Schofield was the only one who succeeded in getting tho tAvo guns of the 66th Battery away, and that Avithout being hit. Captain Reed failed because all the horses vrerc shot before the guns couCd be hitched on, and he himself was shot through the thigh ; Avhile Lord Roberta's son, in making his equally gallant attempt, was badly wounded in the upper part of the thigh. Captain Congreve, who previously had several marvellous escapes, Avas also unlucky, for just as he dismounted to make the attempt he was hit in the leg, and hobbled into the donga. Shortly after the firing seemed to abate, but Avhen anybody showed himself above the donga he was instantly made a target of. Captain Goodwin, of the Devons, nevertheless led his company Avith a fine rush into the donga, and Avas hit in the . ankle as he got there. Captain Elton, of the 66th Battery, Avas shot through the shoulder ai\d lung. He subsequently got away, but was brought back by the Boers. The unwounded officers and men of the Battery tried again to get away their guns, and in making one attempt, Captain Schreiber Avas killed and Lieut. Grylls was Avounded. From a second donga Lieut. Inkson, R.A.M.C., made several plucky rushes and brought in \vounded men and'attended to them and others who crawled through tho fire into the donga. It was •here also that Obtain Hughes, R.A.M.U. (attached to th.c General's Staff), was mortally 'wounded as he rode in to render help. Captain White Thompson, adjutant of the two batteries, made a rush back ,to secure some picketing gear to shelter the wounded in the front donga from the blaaimg sun, and in doing so was struck by 'a fragment of a shell in the right side t Subsequently both Captain White Thompson, Captain Congreve, and one or two other .officers, along some men, got away, either in the confusion or because they were wounded. Cojonel Hunt, although wounded, was detained by the Boers, .when a strong detachment of them came across tKe river weil on in the afternoon, and subsequent to firing having ceased, and surrounded, the ten guns, and party in donga, and captured the lot. When the Boers rode up, and although it was seen that any attempt to render the party succour was inevitable, Colonel Bullock declined to give up his sword. The Boers then threatened that if the surrender was not prompt and unconditional, they would shoot all the pany, and Colonel Builock gave in. Such is the story of the capture of the ten guns. v Several officers and a number of men were killed and wounded in .trying to rescue the batteries. During the heavy rifle fire which was directed against our artillery on the right, nearly every m» was shot down, and. when, the orderly arrived with instructions to retire the guns, there Avere no gunners left to execute the order. Another Chieveley correspondent tele-^ 1 graphs : — Volunteers and irregulars and a gun force was despatched to recover the guns, but they arrived too late to be of any service, the Boers having already removed them across the river. REPORT FROM MAJOR ROBIN. The Premier has received a report from Major Robin, officer in command of No. 1 New Zealand Contingent; date& Arundel (South Africa), 14th December, in Avhich the latter confirms \ all that has been said of the New' Zealand Contingent having gained the good opinion of the Imperial officers at the head of the brigade. Up to the Friday previous to the date of Major Robin's letter the men had been tAvice under fire, and the horse of one member of the Contingent had been shot under him. The Major states that the men are very hard -worked, and there is very little time for writing or reporting. When they are done duty they are quite tired out, and" are glad to drop on the ground and pet Avhat rest they can. They are often day and night in the saddle. The Contingent were delighted to receive the Premier's cable congratulating them on the, Avay tljiey conducted themstelves in their first skirmish. 1 . Major Robin 'hopes to send a fuller report by next mail.

A prosecution with a romantic as well as a serious side came before the Stipendiary Magistrate this morning, when a young man, 25 years of age, was charged with having taken away a young girl from her home at New Plymouth on the 12th inst. against her consent. Accused was arrested as the Talune was sailing for Sydney on Saturday night, by Chief Detective M'Urath and Detective Broberg, and the young woman, who is 19 years of age, was there with him. In Court this morning Mr. Wilford, who appeared ' for accused, said that the girl was willing to swear that she did not leave against her will at all, but that she conttived to get away on account of harsh treatment by her parents. She had been engaged to accused for over a year, and they had tried by all possible means to get her father to consent to their ntarriage, but he would not. Accused could not marry tho girl because she was under age, but she determined to go away with him because she was fond of him. Accused left itfew Ptyinouth in his own name, and he wrote to the father telling him what they intended to do. Inspector Pender said the girl had said to the arresting officers that she came away voluntarily. The New Plymouth police had been telegraphed to, and a reply was now being nwaited. At midday, a telegram was received from the Constable stationed at Inglewood, stating that the fnther of tho girl would not press the matter any further if the two were married at once. A remand till Friday was accordingly granted to enable tho father's consent to arrive and the marriage ceremony to be performed. Accused was released on his own recognisances.