DE WET’S BALACLAVA

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1511, 14 February 1901, Page 17

DE WET’S BALACLAVA

MAGNIFICENT DASH THROJuGH A TEMPEST OF FIRE. ... ThXbA December 16. De.. Wet’s dash. with, his army of 2500 , m&n through, the Thaba: N’chu line was perhaps the boldest feat of the whole war. When he found the Orange river .rising and all the drifts strongly held ho abandoned an idea of entering Cape Co lony. Kencef orwaixl his only thought -was of. effecting hisescape. 1 c ..' Four British columns were in hot pursuit "of the Boers Under the direction of General Knox whose idea was to push Do Wet intp .the,corner-, formed by the : Basuto frontier and, the long line of fort tified. posts stretching from Thaba N’cnu :to brand, where. Colonel Thorneyc croft; Jwas., posted . .with a moveable columa. ; ; / Following close on. the heels of Be .-Wet, General .Knox surprised the Boer .rearguard at Helvetia, halfway between Southfield and DewetsdO'rp, and scatter--ed it, retaking four British officers who were prisoners, .and some waggons. As the Boers appeared to be breaking to the west! General Knox made a wide detour, driving them back on to the Thaba N’chu road. This was on December 11. On December 12 the main British eol- ' uran reached Daspoort, at the south ; end of Dewetsdiorp, three miles out from the Boers, who had taken up a. strong .position, at Geluk, which they had .strengthened with sangars. News having evidently reached De . Wet'that Colonel White had appeared .on the Dewetsdorp-Thaba N’chu road, he decided to trek immediately. Knox following close upon his heels. Be Wet, .however,- had several hours’ start, of which he took the greatest advantage, as could be seen from the numerous abandoned horses which were scattered along his line of march.; During the day tie was joined by Haasbroek’s, commando, and th© combined J force made straight lor Springhaan Nek, about fifteen ’ miles; east of Thaba N’- " chu. -

Knox was now but an hour behind, ! tod apparently De Wet had at last been oornered, But the desperate nature of Ins posi tion necessitated desperate measures. He despatched. Haasbroek to the west to make a feint on Victoria Nek, to the south of Thaba N’chu, while lie himself did perhaps the boldest thing of the whole war. Springhaan Nek is a pass about four miles broad, flat and unbroken. At the entrance are two fortified posts, while Colonel Thorneycroft, with artillery., had taken up a position on a hill to the east of the nek, carefully watching the Boers. MR STEYN -DEADS .THE CHARGE. Suddenly a magnificent spectacle was seen. The whole Doer army, numbering about 2500 men, began to gallop in open order through the nek. Steyn and Piet Fourie le-d . the charge. Our guns and rifles immediately opened fire, and the discharge was incessant. The Boers first mounted the pass to the east but encountering the fire; of Thomeycroft’s artillery, galloped along the foot of a Hill on the western side, where the fire of only one' post was effective-. - :■ •' ~ It was a piece of magnificent daring, and its success, was complete, notwithstanding the loss of a 15-pounder gjan. one of those t which had been: captured from, the British at Dewetsdorp, a pour pom, and about twenty-five prisoners. D-a Wet brought up the rear of the column. -.."1

In tie meantime Colonel White had ; been detached to follow tip Haasbroek, who was making a feint against the ; Victoria- Pass. Unfortunately, night ar- • : rived just at the moment when the 3two ’ P forces, came in contact; but the result was the effectual scattering of Haas-' : brock’s commando, which dispersed in ‘ confusion immediately .White’s force was •' -'perceived. - '■ . - There ’ was, however, still a little light, ' and in the gathering darkness our men 4 - ; boldly pushed home tlie attack, ; the; *' “Welsh Yeomanry 'actually galloping *” - among the retreating Boers, using their ; S 5. reVolvefs ‘and the butt-ends of - their p e}: - riflCs with'great effect.-; • '• ; y jy;,, . When the.:; Jhght, f^l^, r; >tl^ + jhen of i, Haasbroek's j do)mman.dp, v , spattered _., and/ -dispersed, .mad.O; their/way -under shel- ! 3 . ; ter.of the .night north of.-T baba N’chu ;n . twos; anti, threes. - One -inpident ch the fight was, the-..gallop of one. of. pur- am- ■ f . . munition waggons righfi . through the e J. a scattered Boers,- the gunners' using Their ; ii. :■ revolvers freely;- . . Yet another body of the- enemy-was left in the neighbourhood- - -Pe.Wet hadt.>: evidently expected some difficulty; in;: et.. crossing our fortified line, and he had ordered Prinsloo, -brother of the; general who* was captured by Bundle, to ■ bring . from Picks burg all, his available men, and b -to post himself a little to the north of v Thaba N’chu with -the view- of co-operat-V ing with him ia the event of his being b: strongly opposed. . r ' - In order to prevent Prinsloo from taking any part ill the operations' Colonel - Thorneycroft cletaichecl a small body of bi the South Afrieajl police to form a screen K~" the north. While scouting the police nd a Boer outpost of about thirty men ¥' asleep. •• - v - • -/ • When called upon to surrender the Beers seized.;' their arms and tried to

escape. Consequently, the police opened fire, killing about ten men. The main commando, nearing the firing, came to the rescue, and the police were obliged to retire. OFFICER'S BRAVE DEED.

A gallant act was performed by Captain Saunders. Seeing a wounded Boer lying between the fire of the two forces he took a white flag and went to give him some brandy and food. The however, fired seven volleys, which luckily bad no effect.

Colonel Pilchers task was to- prevent any of the enemy breaking back. He was obliged to trek hard to keep li'-s proper distance. Though he had no fighting, he capture a fifteen Boers, two of whom carried explosive bullets. Colonel White’s column captured a Beer dressed in kliaki and carrying all the accoutrements of a British soldier. Owing to this disguise be was ab 1 e to d o considerable, damage without being suspected, but was ultimately captured.

’ Prisoners state that many of De Vet’s followers are anxious to surrender, but are prevented from doing so by the admirable sy stern of police which has been arranged by De Wet. ....These police consist chiefly of foreigners and colonial rebels.

Some of their number are always in the firing line during a fight, aim on the march they ride in front, in rear, and on the flanks. They have orders to slic-ot any Boers trying to escape. .De Wet is now in rapid retreat towards Ficksburg, having lost three guns, about fifty killed, and 100 prisoners, besides a great amount of ammunition. There is no doubt that the vigorous pursuit of De Wet and bis failure to enter Cape Colony have diminished the confidence felt in him by bis force. According to accounts of the prisoners the state of both men and animals is deplorable, and they all think that he will sc-on be obliged to halt and give battle, since the continuance of his flight is impossible.—Routers Special.