A LIVELY BRUSH WITH THE BOERS.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 11934, 7 January 1901, Page 2

A LIVELY BRUSH WITH THE BOERS.

• AN LUPETUOUS COLONEL. A letter has been received in Melbourne from Colonel Kelly, in command of the Victorians, dated Lichtenburg, November 13, in which the writer says:— We have had some more excitement since my lost lettei, in which I informed you that we were playing the part of locusts, in eating up all the food and forage in Jacobsdal. On the 7th of November we were informed that, having about finished Jacobsdal, wo wore about to be moved to Vergenoef, for the purpose of putting that district- through the same operation, and as that placet, was onlyfive miles away we concluded that we were going to have an easy time. It was not so easy, as the sequel will prove. On the afternoon of the Bth Lord Methuen issued orders that the whole of the mounted force sliould muster at five minutes past 4 p.m., in as light marching order as possible, the waggons to carry two full days' rations forthe men;; and two three-quarter. days' rations forJhe horses and mules (no oxen teams to be taWn), and then, instead of moving -towards Vergenoef, we started in its opposite direction, arid travelled about ten miles towards Kaffir Kraals, where we halted about 8 p.m. fed and watered our horses, and lay down just as wo word, and slept for two hours, arid then saddled up and started again at midnight, and travelled steadily along for the remainder of tho night, 1 and at about daybrwtk (5 a.m.), after having travelled about another 18 miles, we came to a place called Wonderfoutein, where our advanced guard was fired upon by a Boor picket. Our main body was rushed up, and in a very few minutes the hills and rising ground were covered with Boors bolting in all directions. Our instructions were to push them hard, and if possible force them over to the right, as there was another column, acting in conjunction with us, coming otft in that direction from Otloshoop. We did so, and the Boers were caught be- • tween the two columns and very badly cut

up. We (the Victorian Imperials formed the advance guard) were the first under fire, and led tho pursuit all the timo, and yet, owing to our wonderful luck, had only one man (Trooper Jtickards) wounded, and he is now doing well. The Boers were vcry'much surprised,'..lis they left their cooking; pot? on the fire, and their blankets and rugs just as they tumbled out of them. It is simply marvellous how wr| escaped without having more men wounded, as the bullets .wero coming. "phnt-plmt-phut," knocking up the dust in, amongst, and all around us. Wo aspin adopted the same, tactics that we did at Kaffir Kraals, and rode straight- at them at top speed, and thoy again declined to wait until wo got to what I consider a . decisive ; range. A .little incident occurred which rather limits my rifle shooting for the future. ! " . i During one portion of tho fight, as Ii was leading my men forward, and my horse'. being a bit better and fresher than the others, I got about 100 yards ahead, ovc-r the crest of a rolling ridge. , I suddenly found myself in a verv hot place. I signalled back to my men to halt and dismount behind tho crest, and as somo Boers were paying me individually too much attention, I jumped off - my horse, started him back for the lines, and lay in the grass and engaged with them in a duel on ray own account. Tlii? had an effect that I did not anticipate. Captain OFarrell, seeing my hor-e return riderless, at osco concluded that I was hit, and galloped out in the face of a very : heavy firo to my assistance, and on Ms arrival where I.was busily employed was received, n)itcli to his surprise, with vigorous abuse, and ordered bark apain to his lines. Rut. it. chows what- a real good, plucky fellow he is,_ and how he escaped without being hit was simply marvellous. The general witnessed the incident, and sent for me, and said that for the future he would prefer that I did not shoot, except when not in activo command of my men. I explained that tho matter of my being so far ahead was accidental, and that, fmdinothat it was too hot to bring the men over tlie ridge, I did the best I could under the circumstances. > But he knew as well ai I did that the fact was that I got .'o wild at being singled nut and being mndo a snceial target of that I could not. resist the temptation of having ,v shot in return, and t)iat,'mo3t certainly, at'or having once got out, I was liot. goirig to ride back for all the Book in South Africa. But at. any rate, my shooting is stopped, as the G.O.C.'s wislris equivalent to an order, but, perhaps, eveiyihing is for the best, as if I had boon back'with my men, as I ought to havo been, we would all have gone over tho ridgo together, and, instead of having' one man to fire at uncovered, tho Boers would have had tho lot. for a target, with a- more uflfortunate result. Tho fight ended about 8 a.m.,' when we arrived at. a place called Klip Kuil, with'both men and horses completely done up. ■■■ ■• •. A good many of our horses received bullet

wounds, and were still serviceable} on® of them, shot clean through the head, has been working ever since, without apparently any inconvenience. (This is the second case of this description.) ' v Wo rested at Klip Kuil until midnight, when we saddled up again, and started for Lichtenburg, 18 mile 3, where, we arrived at daybreak on the 10th, again caught the Boers boforo ">oy expected us, took the town, gave tho Boers another run, captured a lot of waggons, oxen, stores, ammunition,-prisoners, and a _ pom-pom, and have now settled down in Lichtenburg to recruit, and once more play the part of locusts, , Lichtenburg is a very pretty little town, * aeout ons mile square. Thk streets are laid at rignt'angles, and arc all lined with fruit and rose trees. The, latter are at present in bloom, and the effect is charming In it is the residence of the Boer general .' a Key, and his family are at' present residing there. The losses of the Boers during the two days fighting were very great, and amongst the killed were Limraer and Groebler, two of their most men in this district. They also lost all their waggons, provisions, and cattle. "" Tho people of this place are mostly hostile, so we give them the option of moving into Mafeking with thoir belongings, or else we leave them 14 days' provisions for the family, and commandeer everything else, giving them a receipt. If they provo -themselves friends or neutral they get paid for what is taken; if hostile they get nothing. In addition, wo eat up with our horses and cattle all the growing crops that they will eat, and tread down and destroy the remainder', so if Mr Boer does not give in very soon both he and his family will have a deuced bad time.

GENERAL BULLER'S "WELCOME. _ Recent English papers show.that General Bullcr had a great reception on his arrival in England. Buller's dogged pertinacity in forcing his way through to the relief of Lndysmith when the task seemed absolutely hopeless restored him to a high place in popular favour; and it is not surprising, therefore, to learn that his welcome home was so enthusiastic. Both at Southampton and Aldershot ho was fairly mobbed. His speech at Southampton, full of pleasantries, was characteristic. "You needn't thank me," said he. "We, out there in South Africa, and you, here at home, have all been doing the same thing—every man his best." Then, in the midst of the cheering, a voice exclaimed, ''Ah, but you were at the front." "Never mind that, old chap," promptly took up the general, "for I always had an awfully good lot 'at the back of me." This, of course, caused a tremendous roar of cheen. It was delightful to see the pride with which Lady Audrey Bullor followed her husband's words, and listened to the aDpreciative reiharks made concerning him, At the hotel at Southampton a charming little incident occurred. The first person Sir Redvers.saw waiting to greet him there was his old nurse. '"What, you here, Nannie?" he exclaimed, and he gave the old lody a heartv kiss that atoned for the anxiety she had suffered whilst he had been in South Africa. The general and his wife were met by thousands of people at- Aldershot, where Sir Radvers is in command —a post which remained open for him during his absence "By instructions of tho Government. Here the populace again cheered itself hoarse, whilst the Reception Committee presented the inevitable address. This ceremony over, the horses were taken out of the general's carriage, which was seized by the men of the fire brigade and "drawn alonsr the road towards Government House. But it was while Sir Rcdvers Buller was on the way to his home at Crediton, in Devonshire, that the really, exuhcrant enthusiasm of the people was manifested. The general has his ancestral home at Downes, and as lord of the manor owns about half the town. Crediton was lavishly decorated. 17 triumphal arches having been run up within the space of a mile and a-'balf, and all over the town there were mottoes hailing Sir Redvers as " Saviour of Natal." Of course there wns on address of welcome, and at night, the place was illuminated. The demonstrations showed that the part played by Sir R. Buller in the var is held in no lieht esteem amongst the people who know him best.

A TASMANIA'S VICTORIA CROSS. The London Gazette, in officially announcing the conferment- of the Victoria Cross unon Private Bisdoe, of Tasmania, thus describes the act of gallantry bv which is was won " Private J. H. Risdee, Tasmanian Imperial Bushmen—Act of Courage for whioh Recommended.— On Ist September, 1900, Private Bisdee .was one of .an advanced scouting nirty naming. through a rocky defile near Wann Bad, Transvaal. The enemy, who. were in "ambuscade, opened a sudden fire at close ranee, and- six out of the eight were hit. includine two officers. The horse of the wounded officers broke away and bolted. Private Bisdee gave the officer hi» stirrup leather to lieli) him out of action; but. finding that the officer was too badly wounded to so on, Private Bisdee dismounted, nlaced him on his own horse, mounted'behind him, and conveyed him out- of ranue. This act was performed under a very hot fire, and in a very exposed place."

A private Iptter received from Johannesburg states:—The resumption of business is delayed by the new and apparently more difficult phase that hostilities have taken. The High Commissioner is desirous of getting the refugees back to the Hand, where they might form town guards in the centres, and, presumably. permit of some of the " Tommies " coing out- to guard the linos (?f communication—the only duty the infantry, are fit for in this countrybut Lord Roberts had declared that he will not take the responsibility of rnmrdinq- and 50.000 or 60,000 additional people, and so Sir Alfred Milner has.had to countermand the arrangements for the return of the refugees. It is hoped that with the "passing.of Lord Roberts" tho tension may be removed. Sir Alfred Milner could hardly insist against Lord Roberts, but may be firmer with the next man. There is reason to suppose that the difficulties of supply are much exaggerated by the military, who do not want any civilians while they may continue to themselves the advantages of martial law with any number of fat positions, According to recent Home papers, Boer refugees continue to arrive in increased numbers at Marseille',, in France. Two German ships brought 1200 at one time, and tiro French ships 950. These people are. of the well-to-do class, and wen; on at once to Holland by special trains. They say that there are thousands of destitute Boers in the Portuguese territory trying to obtain pnssaie for 'Europe. Many express a desire to go to the United States.