THE NEW ZEALANDERS AT BOTHASBERG.

Evening Post, Volume LXIII, Issue 87, 12 April 1902, Page 2

THE NEW ZEALANDERS AT BOTHASBERG.

* AN INTERESTING ACCOUNT OF THEIR GALLANT STAND. HOW THE BOERS GOT A POSITION OF VANTAGE. Sergeant Crispin, of Wellington, now in the held with the Seventh Contingent, sends us -the following interesting sketch of the glorious stand of his comrades at Bothasberg :: — • "Tho awful night of the 23rd February was tho anniversary of our going into camp at Newtown Park, and it will be many a long day before it dies out of our memory. "Our column was one of many taking part in the drive from the Bothas PassHeiibron blockhouse line to the VredeHarrismith line. On the 22nd we were close to Bothasberg*, and the following day we trekked to Holspruit and camped at tho farm, Langverwacht, wnere our ouipost line was thrown out for the night. Our extreme right touched Rimington!s left, whore his pompom was posted. Our posts were between sixty and one hundred yards apart, and in the darkness it was as much, as one post could do to distinguish its neighbour. The posts averaged five men each. "Everything was quiet until shortly before midnight, when all the poeta were on the alert, as the low murmuring of driven cattlo could be heard, and then a little later the cries of the Kaffirs driving them. About a quarter of an hour after midnight the Boers opened a heavy fire from the front of, our left wing, which our men immediately answered, and from that moment until it was all ovor tho firing did not cease. "While the attention of our men was kepfcfo the front oy the fire which came, from that direction, a strong party of Boers attacked the second post, held by Captain B&tger and some men of the Otago Company, to the left of the line. This post made a gallant stand, but 40 or 50 Boers rushed it, and though numbers of them were shofr down, the others came on and captured the position. Then their work was simple. They got in at the back of our mer- and while the Boers on tho front kept up a heavy fire, about 100 of thorn worked round to the rear of our sangars, which only afforded cover from the front. "While the front and rear were being thus attacked, a third party marched right' along- the line of our posts, pouring in a deadly fire. Our men dared not lire in tho direction of their own posts, foxfear of shooting their own men. It was some time before our men realised tha the posts had been taken, nnd in many cases tho men shouted out to their next post to cense firing at them, thinking that the Borrs' fire, coming right along the line, came from their own posts in mistake. "Post after post was tnken by tbo enemy, but not before nearly every man in each trench had been wounded or 'killed. Lieut. Dickinson was Bhot in the centre of the forehead whilo warning the men that the enemy were advancing in the line of the posts, and shortly afterwards Lieut. Dan Hiokey fell wounded through tho legs. Eveii after he was wounded be continued shouting to the mi 1 it— ".Stick to your posts, lads !" "Don't you leave your posts, men 1" "Give it to thorn I" and with such officers as this, it in .10 wonder that the men did die at their posts. "It would bo unfair to apeak of individual cases of bravery that night, unless ono could mention the name of every man of tho left wing on duty, for the whole light was a glorious test of the courage of every man. "Tho men on the right of the vfinpr changed their front and faced the line I of our posts to check the advance, after ; it was beyond aty. doubt that the lower posts wore taken. Rimirigton's &>mpom suddenly ceased fire, and the' officer, in charge was heard to shout — "For God's sake, men, make a stand round this gun," and immediately afterwards was shut tipad. Our men aid make ft stand, and stopped tho rush, and it was here that Sergeant Millar (Wellington), Sergeant Minifle (Canterbury), and littlo Anderson (Wellington) were shot down, after a gallant fight. There was no ono left to fire tho pompom, and Sergeant Warner, of the 26th Squad, and two or tlfree others, pushed the pompom over tho hill towards Rimington's men, and saved it from falling into the hands of the enemy. "The Boers then fell back along the lino, picking up their dead and wounded, searching and robbing many of our men who had fallen. After a gap was made in our lines several Boer women rode through, and they kept up a continual scream of "Kill the English bastards!" "Kill the English dogs I" and cursed us in fearful language. News was sent over to tho right wing as soon as the firing ceased, and Dr. Dawson, with his staff, was soon on the scene, doing his utmost to ease tho sufferings of the wounded. "At daylight the hitl on which the fight took place was a shocking sight. There were dead and wounded in almost every trench, while the pools of blood and the hundreds of empty cartridges proved what sort of stand the men had made. Some .of tho mounted men suffered intense agony, and one poor fellow, who was shot through the stomach, implored his mates to put him out of misery. Surgeon-Cap-tain Dawson worked Inceswntly at the wounded for fourteen horns, and his gentleness and kindly skill eased many a poof fellow's pain. "Although the Boers carried off most of their dead and wounded, we found twelve dead bodies of the enemy in the morning. Their casualties must have been nearly as heavy as ours, for though numbers were seen to fall at the first posts, not a body was picked up. "On the afternoon of the 24th all the men of the regiment off duty gathered round the graves of their comrades who had lallen, and with eyes swelling with manly tears, listened to the solemn words of tho burial service, read by our own 'Colonel. It was a sad gathering, but the Colonel made a .few touching remarks, and told us we should not grieve for out fallen comrades, for they had met their death as soldiers should pveet it-^like men. "Lord Kitchener visited us and addressed a few words to the regiment. He said he felt very proud of the New Zealanders, and the way that the men stuck to their posts added another glorious record to the annals of the feat* of British soldiers. He said the whohj British Army felt proud of us, and those who had fallen were heroes to a man."