THE WILMANSRUST DISASTER.

Evening Star, Issue 11666, 28 September 1901, Page 4

THE WILMANSRUST DISASTER.

HOW THE' VICTORIANS BEHAVED

[By Bennet Burleigh in the London ' Daily Telegraph.']

MIDDKLBURG, June 28. A mishap which occurred on the 12th inst. to part of the Australians, the Victorians, away to the south of Burg-Spmit and Middelburg, I learned of early next day, but was precluded from wiring.* Not from troopers only, but from several Victorian officers who were present on the occasion, have I gathered the following particulars of that disaster. .•

General Beatson, to whose mobile column they were attached, when near Bethel, sent the Victorians (about 260 strong), with two former Boer pom-poms, all under Major Morris, R.A., ahead, to scour the neighborhood and bring in some cattle. When twelve or fifteen miles from Beatson's camp they got into touch with the Boers, who were found to be in very considerable strength. As a matter of fact, the enemy were under Ben Viljoeu, who had with him a Commandant Muller—the same pair that captured the 4.7 pun "Lady Roberts" at Helvetia. After skirmishing the V.M.R. formed camp quite early in the day (the 12th), expecting to have a fight next day, but not that night. There are quite unauthenticated stories afloat about the men tossing as to who should go upon outpost, and mobbing together later on at a critical moment to draw a rum ration. They were bivouacking upon the side of a bare," swelling upland. Another yarn is that the camp was so badly controlled that disguised Boers came and went amongst them, and some of them stood sentry near the pompoms. But the Victorians are no whit less suspicious than Tommy Atkins, who lets negroes and local farmers come and go about his blockhouses. This much is true in connection with the presence of spies in the V.M.R. camp. The chief interpreter, a Boer, has disappeared with the enemy, and is suspected, and h'is second has been put under arrest. There is a tale also that a negro was sent out to notify the loers of the situation of affairs in camp. Major Morris gave orders for placing the outposts, which were not numerous. Uriluckilv, a, valley, or depression, was left unwatched, although men were put upon the crests of the ridges. It was up that dip the Boers stole to deliver their attack. Another evil was that the posts were taken up in daylight, and not changed when darkness fell, so that the enemy knew bow to avoid them. It deserves noting that at night men placed in a valley can much more easily detect anv movement, as they have the sk*y line for a background, than a picket upon a hilL The Victorians turned in early on the 12th inst. Indeed, what else can "troops do upon the bare veldt when night falls, and with it descend chill hoar frosts? For then you are snugger if rolled in your blanket and waterproof. For the most part the arms were piled—an unwise adherence to drill regulations, now more generally " honored in' the breach than in the observance." Boer knows better, and by day carries his rifle slung over his shoulder, whether afoot or on horseback, and he sleeps with it lying handy by his side. It is his weapon, his particular property and charge, and not to be stacked and shuffled ■with promiscuous rifles. No sooner had darkness set in than the Boers, who were but a few miles off, advanced to surprise the Victorians. Guided by traitors, they came up the valley, passing the picket without challenge. Viljoen posted part of his men to command one side in case of accident, and Muller, with about 180, stole towards the camp. All was quiet, save the sound of the horses, which were securely picketed in a double- lino upon the east side munching the corn and mealies the Australian?) had spread out for them. The saddles and bridles were ranged behind. By them most of the troops slept, but there were soldiers lying about by the carts, baggage and guns. In the first—and last—sleep of many, about 8.20 p.m., there burst over the still pmp a mid roar of Boer musketry fired from a range of fifty yards. It instantly swelled into a diabolical tornado, with a savage accompaniment of human cries, and the ear-piercing and heart-racking shrieks of maddened, wounded horsesT Without pause the Boers rushed in, firing their Mausers the while, and yelling;

" Now, you khaki; you English bastards," "Hands up, you but groans of mangled men now rose, mingled with the screams of the struggling, plunging steads. Oyer 180 of the poor animals were slain upon the lines. Half awake and dazed,, Boldiere scrambled out of their wrappings.and ran to grab their rifles from the piles. But the Boers covered the stacks arid shot the troopers down. The officer in command of the pom-poms ran to cast one of them loose and use it. He was riddled with bullets in an instant. And still the shouting : and slaying went forward, the enemy rushing wildly about the camn. In the first rush around the horse lines a Boer yelled at- an unarmed soldier, who had sprung to his feet, "Hands up!" The trooper complied,' whereuppn the Boer pulled the trigg* of his Mauser,, which was planted against the Yictorian's breast, and murdered him. "t)h, you coward!" roared a wounded officer, stretched upon the ground, and, frenziedly pulling out his rerevolver, he fired, and stretched the Boer, mo.rtally wounded,, beside his victim. And still the bullets snapped and burst, for the ertemy were using both expansive and explosive missiles. "Never have I seen anything like it," said an' officer to me. "The enemy's bullets flicked everywhere, and many of them burst into flame, flashing about like very brilliant fire-flies or lively will-o'-the-wisps." Some of our men escaped by getting among the dead horses and under.the overturned baggage and saddlerjr. . One or two Bushmen caught loose horses, mounted, and rode for life towards Middelburg and General Beatson's camp. Others broke away on foot, and, as best they could, struck north to reach the railway. Lieutenants Burnie and Hennessey were sleeping close by the end of the horse lines. When the roar broke out, Burnie snatched his carbine from under his head. Boers appeared through the horse lines, and one came straight for them, fired, but missed, whereupon Burnie, returning the fire, bowled him over. The plunging horses kept the enemy off them. Seeing the camp in the Boers' possession—and the action was over in three minutes, although some think it lasted a quarter or half an hour, and no wonder—Burnie, Hennessey, and two privates made their way out past the horses. .In the darkness they saw Boers about, and fired upon them, meanwhile pressing forward. The party had but three rifles. Farther on, near the crest, they saw a thin line of Boers, placed to intercept stragglers and fugitives. A few rounds caused the enemy to leave an opening, through which all four Tan, under a hail ot bullets, managing to safely run the gauntlet. Once through, they took matters more leisurely, for the Boers on guard at that point were dismounted men. Ultimately, and towards 2 a.m., they succeeded in walking into General Beatson's camp without even being challenged. They found that some negro servants, who had also escaped, had arrived before them with the news of the disaster, warning that Camp. It appears that Viljoen, within ten minutes from the commencement of his attack, brought up six harnessed horses and took off the first of the pom-poms. The second, which was under a tarpaulin, was Temoved later, together with about 1,000 rounds of ammunition and much small-arm ammunition. All the rifles and stores also fell into the enemy's hands, but most of the latter were burned. They got very few horses, however, so many having tieen killed or wounded. In the morning they released Major Morris, 8.A., and all their prisoners. Our casualties—Victorians—were nineteen or twenty killed and forty wounded. The Boers were seen to remove at least eight of their dead in a cart. They confessed to having sustained considerable loss, despite the attack having been a complete surprise.