STORY OF COLENSO

New Zealand Mail, 22 January 1902, Page 25

STORY OF COLENSO

J pb ® re is still a dispute as to how close the Boers actually Avere at Colenso to Loionel Long’s lost guns. Here is an acapui]b Mr. Bennet Burleigh obtained from the Boer side, furnished by one of the exThe information is supplied cy Piet Nel, Avho Avas a corporal in tne -tioer army, a position nigh equal to that oi lieutenant in our force.

At the battle (Colenso) some of us were hid under the river banks and others toAvards HlangAvani. When with murderous Mauser fire, used at close range, not more than 800 yards, Ave had shot doAvn the gunners, horses and most of the men, as AA'ell as the infantry escort to Colonel Long’s batteries, none but dead and Avounded remaining upon the field, I Avent out Avitli eight men and several mule teams, accompanied by natives, to try and haul tlie guns away. Whilst approaching the batteries a Boer fell off his horse, and the horses that tAvo other of mv comrades Avere riding were shot from under them. Instantly taking cover Ave signalled back to the leaders of the mule teams to halt, and screen themselves. Then Ave tried to locate our as yet unseen enemy. I craAvled cautiously forward some distance, and got nearly killed, a bullet splashing full upon the front of a small rock behind Avhich 1 had paused for a moment.

Then it was that but thirty feet distant I saAv a AA'hite, haggard face, Avith tAvo gleaming, burning eyes, peering over tlie barrel of a rifle. The KUakl soldier, for such he Avas, probably thought that lie had laid-me out. That pause Avas my sole chance, so I fired and shot him in the forebead’ blinding for ever those burning ej es. The poor khaki must have been a „ n ? l au °l rare courage, a soldier Avorthy ot tlie best traditions of the British Army 1 found that both his legs had blown off beloiv tlie knees by the spiteiul fire of one of our pom-poms. He fiad tied the shattered stumps Avith his putties, and exerting all his remaining strength, managed to drag himself, and gather and pile together a loav breastAvork ot loose stones in front of him. He AA-as one of the infantry escort uudoubtedh', and determined to defend the guns Avhilst life remained. The putties Avere thickly dyed Avitli his blood, and it drenched the ground—-a big coagulated patch beneath Avhere his dreadfully mangled limbs lested His Lee-Metford held five more cartudges in the magazine, Avliilst some -0 more lie had draAvn from his pouch lay handy for him ready for use. lulst I and my comrades, Avho came up, were looking at the dead soldier, we heaid a faint voice asking for a drink of water. A feAV steps aivay Ave found a mii* tlS f ° fflCer - die looked anxiously into °W 7 . faces >, a “ d repeated the words, }' at f r ’ water. So I stooped down and placed my bottle to his lips, from lvhicli hL fm k bf eedi , ls A Tho draught reVived si or’tbm T ! S Kr"!r 1 ’ , and tendered me liis sporting Lee-Metford as a reAVard But ! could not take it, for the bawel was'filled and* 1 Av^et oC j> frVil 6 outsi de was sticky felloAV ’FI i| d sorry for the poor reiiOAv. His dead horse laA’ beside him and hi „, by tl , e bear Km wounded, we heined to X',4vci, to r&*sr tiSf's 1 ' *»>«“ KobeltsT V.C.° lle ° ther than LiluteS