THE BOER WAR.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 11798, 30 July 1900, Page 2

THE BOER WAR.

THE BATTLE OF BIDULPS-

BEKG.

FIGHTING ON THE BURNING VELDT.

(Cape Times.)

Arriving at Senekal on Friday, the 25th May, with the 16th Brigade (under General Campbell), Yeomanry, and artillery, General Rundle halted for a complete day to rest his force. Meantime the Beer commando, which had been making such futile and spasmodic efforts to stay our steady advance, betook itso'.f to the hills immediately to the north-east of the town, where small parties lay in ambush to entrap unwary Yeomen, ltundle did not worry about their presence. He v/as busy maturing his plans and replenishing his commissariat from the railway depot at Winburg, some 35 miles away. When he had prepared himself sufficiently he would no doubt attend to them in the manner they had already learnt to dread. For Bundle gained his experience of the Boer during the U0 days siege at Potchefrtroom in the' last war, and he does not spare them now. But on bunday news came that Colonel Sprag=>with some 500 Yeomanry and a convoy -had' got into difficulties near Lindley. Accordingly, on Monday afternoon ' Rundle, instructed from headquarters, marched out of beneka! on the Lindley road with the-object ot creating what in military parlance is called a diversion. On reaching a few miles out, tlie Boers were sighted on the ridges in front ol v?. Xt then being too late in the evening to commence a general action. Rundle contented himself with pushing a few Yeomajiry forward, and dropping one shell in the Boer position to acquaint them of his arrival This ' was done to induce the enemy to send at once ', tor reinforcements, which would naturally come from the Lindley vicinity. To ensure hose in the immediate front sending for help tvundlo made as large a demonstration as he could with the force at his command, and I therefore, bivouacked for the night to allow < the Boer reinforcements time to come up Next morning (Tuesday, the 29th) Rund-e advanced, his force consisting of the 2nd Grenadier Guards, the 2nd Scots Guards, the West ! Jl-ents, a strong force of Yeomanry, mainly 1 drawn from the 4th and 7th Battalions, the 2nd and 79th Royal Field Batteries, and last but not least, the little corps of Colonial bcouts, under Captain Driscoll, of the Upper Burmah Volunteer Rifles, which had just ■ joined the division. While th« force advanced the East Yorkshires, with the right section of the 2nd Battery, held a kopje im- i mediately in front of Bidulpsberg, preventing ' j the enemy, if they were so inclined, from com- I J ing down between us and Senekal. j

THE ENEMY'S POSITION.

The enemy were found in a long, Mgn, and inaccessible mountain ■ called . Bi<*»tTisberg, about eight miles north-east of Senctjl,' other commandos occupying hills almost immedi-' ateiy behind, and several.miles away on our right front, where the enemy's laagers were pitched. Bundle's object was to make the Boers believe he was marching towards the town of Bethlehem, and to 3raw their whole force down to intercept him*. With this in view, he carefully skirted the front and left of the Bidulpsberg position, allowing the Boers on it a, full view of his force advancing far out on the plain below in extended order. About 10 o'clock he had passed right in front of the enemy's position without a shot being fired on either side, and was on the plain well to the-left of the hill and facing the Boers' right flank. At this junction, isolated numbers of the enemy being visible, moving to andt fro amid the rocks on the hillside, the artiJery came into action, sending shell after shell with the utmost rapidity and vigour all over the hillside, until it seemed impossible that anything alive could remain in the face of the fearful fusillade of bursting shrap-

nel. At this time naturally the infantry were beyond the range of rifle fire, and the enemy, apj)arently having no heavy ordnance posted on this side, the whole force, after nearly an

hour of this kind of one-sided warfare, resumed the march further round the mountain,

not, however, before some of the infantry, who had been lying among the long, dry grass, had carelessly or accidentally set the veld afire by dropping a lighted match. This incident may appear at first sight as unworthy of mention, but it will be seen that it subsequently bore an important and terrible effect in the after events of the day. ' ' Scarcely had we rounded the hill and the artillery lined up for action, facing a farmhouse—situated at the extreme base of the mountain, and still flying the white flag— from which two scouts were most treacherously shot the previous day, than a Boer gun, actually entrenched in one of the farm kraals, opened fire. Our guns immediately replied, and a prqj^nged artillery duel ensued, during which the Boer gunners showed the greatest pluck and the most stubborn determination, loading and firing their gun again and again, notwithstanding that ten of our guns burst scores of 'shells over, behind, in front, be-

neath, and on every side of them. With as many as six shells sometimes bursting simul-

taneously over them it must have literally rained shrarmel bullets where they stood, but at the slightest lull from us they loaded again,

and spat out defiance. AH day long we stormed, with at no time less than four guns

to their one, and all day long they sent back an answer as determined and stolid as in the

beginning,

It was a marvel of grit and

pluck, and both sides wondered—we at their

coolness and bravery, and they at our guns'

inability to silence them,

THE VELDT ON FIRE,

Meanwhile tlie infantry were ordered to advance towards the hill, while the Yeomanry galloped away on our left fla.nk. Unfortunately, again, someone set the veldt afire, the flames, madly dancing from blade to blade, rushing right down the centre of the field, dividing our forces in two by an immense column of smoke. Gradually gathering strength, the fire spread on, working its way behind the advancing infantry, thus obscuring their movements from view. Slowly the great veil of smoke coiled itself skywards,. and the Grenadiers were seen moving grimly forward towards the hillside, having the -long grass as excellent cover. The Soots were on their right, with the West Kents supporting. Nearer and nearer they now crept along amid ) the grass, until suddenly "ping-ping" went the Mausers, and " gurgle-gurgle " the Martinis, and we knew our men had got within I range of the rooks behind which the Boor i

!ay safely ensconced, with just the muzzle

is weapon in sight.

For an hour, for

■wo hours, and for three hours this battle of

bullets went .on, the Boers making the rocks

ring with their musketry, and the Guards, now lying prone on tho ground, answering

hot for shot,

But.as, suddenly as the Mausers rang out, where our men came within range, so Bud-

did another more horrible and more

:errifying danger arise.

In the heat of battle

the burning veldt was forgotten, but during our forget fulness it had relentlessly gone on

its way of destruction right on and amidst our men, past the.reserves and supports, who

shifted from its grasp, and was now lapping in and about the firing lino, leaving vast

latches of smouldering, .blackened ground 'be-

lind, against which the khaki showed up in lold relief, enabling the Boer marksmen to ako calm and deliberate aim at each and

every khaki-clothed figure.

And as we

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THE GUARDS' HEROISM,

Tlie Guards slowly and calmly rose from the ground ' 611 which'they had so patiently lain for over seven hours, straightened out their wearied arid cramped limbs, shook themselves free of the dust and soot, and proceeded to march off as steadily and coolly as if they were marching out of their barrack, gates. Again the etfects of that dreadful fire came homo to us, as the men walked across the ugly, charred ruins, a magnificent mane for.the Boer sharp-shooters, who redoubled their, efforts' to speed the parting enemy; but on as calmly as before went the Guards, oblivious of the storm of snitting bullets falling amongst them, and "the ominous flash of bursting shell, back without a falter, a line unbroken, save for the stooping down of a giant form to lift and help on a fellow-comrade— marvellous exhibition of discipline and fortitude, marvelled at by the. Boers, as 'we. afterwards found, just as we marvelled earlier in the day at the stand of their gunners. Soon our whole force had reached beyond the range, pf the fire and bullet, and had camped on the last . night's bivouacking ground, starting again the next morning for Senekal, which was reached after an' easy five miles' march. ~-'... Though all regretted the'loss of life entailed, increased as it was by the. disastrous veldt fire, much consolation was derived from the fact-that-Bundle completely succeeded in his object, i the force near Lindley being allowed to get away- by the evening,,,coming down to meet what they imagined was an advancing army from Bethlehem. Indeed, it was afterwards found that the engagement had .far greater results than ever anticipated, for not only, were Colonel Spragg's Yeomanry relieved, but Lord Methuen, operating iv the vicinity of Ventersbe'rg, and General Colvile, who also found • himself in a tight place in. endeavouring to reach Lindley, were both pulled, out of their difficulties, the latter safoly occupying Heilbron, a most important, and strategical railway terminus in the north, . and the former" peacefully reaching Lindley. , BUNDLE .TIGHTENS THE CORDON. On Thursday Rundle's force- again left Senekal, this time striking south-east in the direction of Ficksburg, and after two days' march arrived at Hammonia, near Ficksburg, joining the main camp of Brabant's colonial division. Thus it will be seen from the most casual glance at the map that by his action at Bidulpsberg on Tuesday, the 29th, and his subsequent movements Bundle has been instrumental in greatly tightening the coition gradually being worked round the remains of the Fr^ State army now. in the north-eastern portion of the country. First of.all, on the extreme left, the railway itself forms an impassable barrier. In the north Colvile occupies Heilbron; further south, more immediately -behind .them, Metlmen holds the ground at Lindley; on the north-west, Clements, with the 12th Brigade, garrisons Senekal ; further south and east Ruridlo himself, with the 16th and 17th Brigades, along with the entire colonial division, covers all the country around Ficksburg right to the Basutoland border., , Thus the enemy..cannot break south or west; to go north to the Transvaal would only be to fnll into Lord Roberts' hands.: to turn east, they find Natal and Buller blocking the way. They are completely cornered in their own country, the portion in which they have chosen to fight. They are absolutely cut off from all communication with their countrymen south, north, ea'stj' and ■ vest: wherever they turn they aro met with a British force.

and" strained our eyes towards the firincr line mo-P horrible thoughts entered men Win I? TW* were wounded lying there who W not „, could not, be succoured in me. for the' man who falls wounded in battle knot tiS the *">merit he h «t"u k lil eho oi cIS I^o™* tT hnnd ™d "i" ,fi , nt , sold«r knows these ? 'al£f , h° ha 3to face, and if they fall to , lot !l% mf' s t}l om with fortitude and b™veiT- Bllt 1"> wounded, immovable, f et ."'■ a.L yotlr facil!tie* alert, and watch a terntJrlnS ™c gradually ■ come relentlessly, al f ul moro flercf> ]y towards you, with no hope °/ oScaPe>. n° comrade near you amidst the thousands a stone's throw away, was what ™any a fa' len Guardsman experienced on ■'•'"dulpsberg. Some escaped, many were r°scued—some only scotched, some halfroasted—while; others were left to face the most horrible of fates, HORT?TRTP PTPirlßTT?vnr>ct Thp 11OKKIBLE_EXPLRIEACES. m< j£ e experiences of some of the rescued read 2l (T of one-who had eluded the ,'„,?? of M 1! ™tA er J' 1811 an cx Penence on %™t' n bat^fieW One wounded Grena-' f? er'-Y ho. as horribly burned, says he lay on f , slc, ialf co^aous after an explosive bul- ' • aI"103t pulvensod. his shin. He was in no . 2mme"iate pain, and was deliriously happy amid dreamy Visions of cheering doctors and comfortable hospitals, when suddenly he became thoroughly aroused by the choking sensation of surrounding smoke. He looked around and saw the fire slowly coming towards him. He was now awake, but struggle as he would he could not crawl away. Exhausted and frantic he felt the heat becoming- greater and greater, and the flames came nearer and nearer. Another mad effort to move, and ho fell back prostrate. Inch by inch the lapping flames came closer, until at last they reached him. He remembers his right hand being burnt, his hair and eyebrows singed, and he fainted—only to be tenderly lifted away by kindly arms, and to wake up next morning in hospital, .v snatched from the gates of hell," as he put it. Many, unfortunately, were not snatched," aiid more than one hero met his death in this truly hellish manner, leaving his mutilated ■ body on the blackened battlefield, in mute, defence of Queen and country. leace be to their ashes. May God receive them, and their country remember them. The fighting- swung to and fro all day, the Jioors firing from ■ behind the rocks, the Guards replying from the plain, four of our guns Etill pounding away at the Boer gun, while the : remainder worked round on the right, and opened again on the rocks. Rat-tat-tat, and bomb, ; bomb, bomb, whizz and hiss, hiss and whizz, on they went with their infernal pandemonium, till the evening. Then suddenly above the din came the sledge-ham-mer thump, thump, thumpity-thump' of the pom-pom,, and loud bursting reports of bigger guns. The Boers at last had been reinforced, bringing into action other three guns and the pom-pom. On went the fight until the sun had nearly set,' neither side gaining any advantage, the Boera remaining among the rocks, and wo in practically , the same position, as when.we started. Just as daylight was giving way to darkness dur whole force began the retirement