THE FIGHTING AT LADYSMITH.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXVI, Issue 11230, 27 November 1899, Page 5

THE FIGHTING AT LADYSMITH.

_ FURTHER PARTICULARS BY MATT,, STORY OF AN EYE-WITNESS. Melbourne, November 25. News just received by mail from Capetown states that at the Ladysmith battle, in which the British lost portions of the Gloucestershire Regiment and the Royal Irish Fusiliers, the Boer gunners sent shells flying through the air in scores from their " long Toms," as the 40-pounderj are nicknamed, but although they were experts in getting the range the shots did no great damage. The greater part of the British guns were out of action, not being within the range of the Boers long-distance metal. The Boers had a admirable position. They formed a segment of a circle round the British with an artillery cross-fire. There was no central objective, and no individual position to storm and take. The Boers seemed to be in every position in the vicinity, and there were not enough British troops to storm half-a-dozen hills at once. The Boers did not attempt to pursue as the British retired to Ladysmith. The .brunt of the fight was oil the right, where the chaos of fire was awful. Maxim, Hotchkiss, and' rifle artillery belched forth, the Boers serving and manning their guns) with indomitable pluck. The arrival of the naval brigade with longrange 12-pounders saved the situation. They got their guns in position with the loss of one man, and at the eighth shot silenced the" long Tom" effectually. Tho Argus special, describing the battle of Ladysmith, said the accuracy of their shrapnel fire proved that the Free State gunners were better than the Boers at Glencoe. The British artillery swung into action with marvellous promptitude. One thick-set Tommy, as he ran past with a couple of brass-capped shells, cried out " this is medicine for 'em ; Beecham's pills; a 'ole box free, given away," and lie affectionately kissed the shell which was the next instant bursting over the heads of the crouching Boers on the hill-top. A few of the earlier shots struck before exploding, and threw up columns of red dust, but once the range was picked up the fire was most effective. No conception of war is complete until one has watched its painful sequel, the bringing in of the wounded and the burial of the dead. The central British field hospital is the Town Hall at Ladysmith, where the red cross, emblem of all that is beautiful and beneficent in warfare, floats from the tower. All round is reeking with chloroform, and as the first of the wounded are brought in one hears the groans of a Boer who had three shots in the thigh, having Dum-Dums extracted. There is no other sound as the sisters and white-aproned dressers move from bed to bed. One lingers longest at the Boers' hospital, where, among the wounded who occupy the line of tents, one gets a good idea of the Boer soldier,, three waggon loads of whom,

wounded at Elands Laagte, were duty sent on to Ladysmith for treatment. The Boer professes contempt for the British soldier, but has the greatest possible faith in the British surgeon. His ambulance, like most of his army appliances, are commandeered, and two of these are the delivery vans of business firms at Johannesburg. Should the Australian corps come here we shall have no need to be ashamed of comparison with the Natal forces in physique, set-up, and drill. The Natal troops, though somewhat slovenly in appearance, have a hard wear-and-tear look. LATEST MAIL NEWS FROM CAPETOWN. From Capetown papers of October 25 received yesterday, we extract the following war news: — THE BATTLE OF GLENCOE. BRITISH KILLED AND WOUNDED. OFFICIAL LIST. Maritzufrg, October 21.— official list of the British casualties at Glencoe on Friday is as follows: — KILLED. Staff Officer:' Colonel John Sherston, D.5.0., Brigadier-Major. Royal Irish Fusiliers: Second-lieutenant A. H. M. Hill, Sergeant Harry Burnes, 4561; Private Durban, 962; Private .!obu Bell, Private Christopher Macdonald, LanceCorporal McCami, Private Daniel Karie, Private Robert Campbell, Private Thomas James Duffy, Private Martin, O'Brien, PriCarey, Private James O'Rourke, Private vato William Quinn, Private James Fitzpatrick, Private Thomas Brady. Ist King's Royal Rifle Corps: LieutenantColonel R. H.' Gunning, Captain M. 11. K. Pechell, Lieutenant J. Taylor, Lieutenant R. C. I'arnett, Lieutenant 11. J. Hambro, Colour-Sergeant C. E. Edwards, Sergeant S. Abrames, Lance-Corporal G. Taylor, Private G. Cooper, Private Chown, Private A. Ford, Private J. Malison, Private G. Hobbey, Private T. Poole, Private A. Tiffany, Private J. Best. 18th Hussars: Sergeant Batten, 19th Field Battery: Trumpeter William Benjamin Thomas Hall. Royal Dublin Fusiliers: Captain G. A. Weldon, Private Patrick Ciihill, Private Albert Merrill, Private John CVotty, Private Patrick Callagh an. WOUNDED. Staff Officers: General Sir William Penn Symons, mortally wounded in the stomach ; Colonel 0. E. Beckett, A.A.G., severely wounded in the right shoulder; Major F. Hannersley. D.A.A.G., seriously trounced in the leg; Captain Frederick Lock Adam, A.D.C., seriously wounded in the right shoulder; Lieutenant D. W. Weldon, Ist Leieesters, slightly wounded in the hand. Royal Irish Fusiliers: Major W. P. Davison, Captain and Adjutant F. H. B. Connor (since dead); Captain M. J. W. Pike, Lieutenant A. E. Southey, Second-Lieuten-ant M. B. C. Carberry, Second-Lieutenant H. C. W. H. Wortham. Thirty non-com-missioned officers and privates. Ist King's Royal Rifles: Major 0. A. T, Boultbec, Captain 0. S. W. Nugent, Captain Montague Stuart Wortlev, D.5.0., Lieutenant F. M. Cram, Lieutenant Johnston, Lieutenant G. 11. Martin, Colour-Sergeant G. Hamilton, Sergeant G. Tarrant, Colour-Ser-geant A. Taylor, Sergeant A. Benurth, Corporal A. Bitclift'e, Lance-Corporal J. Kingston, Lance-Corporal C. Schoon, Lance-Cor-poral A. Ellis, Lance-Sergeant W. Beek, Lance-Corporal 11. Hart. Sixty-five noncommissioned officers and eight privates. 18th Hussars: Lieutenant Herbert A.. Capo, Lieutenant Albert C. McLachlan, Lieutenant Edmund Rat-ford. Seven non-com-missioned officers and privates. 69th Field Battery: One non-commissioned officer and one private. 13th Field Battery: One private, Natal Police: Two troopers. Royal Dublin Fusiliers: Captain Maurice Lowndes, Captain Atherstone Dibley, Lieutenant C. N. Perreau, Lieutenant C. J, Ger.ge (since dead), 40 non-commissioned officers and privates.