AN AWFUL DAY.

North Otago Times, Volume XXXV, Issue 9779, 14 January 1901, Page 3

AN AWFUL DAY.

Sergeant T. H, Overton (says the Christchurch Press) 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. Ho 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 ?9th again advanced. At 5.30 a.m. they came in touch-with the Boers, and at once dismounted, and advanced down a small slope to where the Boers were flri jg. Only a few shots were fired until the attackers were about 400 yards 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 cpver, in a broiling sun, unable to move a single inch. The few who had any water in. their bottles drank it long before midday. A ll the' time poor fellows 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 inuch for the writer, who had to make anattempt to get out and fetch him some water. By good luck Sergeant Overton managed to crawl out and back again, but it was only to find his comrade dead. '' ho 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 five men lying dead, and carrying out 23 wounded, including five officers, 'J he Second Contingent went into action 51 strong, and out ui that number lost 18, The others belonged to ; the Third Contingent. The writer said it showed what an awful fire they were under 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. None of thein got any sleep that night, they being all on picket, and next morning advanced, only to find the Eoers 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 fcaok, losing seven more men, On December Ist they had another- brush with the Boers, but only a short one, the officer commanding the New Zealanders considering his brigade was not strong enough, Altogether, for the six days' fighting, the brigade had just kit over 300 men killed and wounded out of 2000, aud the writer opined they would k>33 a good many more beforo they were finished, as they were in a <' bad way " out there. Only two officers were left at the time of writing, and hewasacting-lieutanaut, and was in charge of tJe Canterbury division, .