THE LATE WAR.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 12393, 1 July 1902, Page 2

THE LATE WAR.

THE MAKCII OF THE SEVENTH.

ERJIELO TO BOTIIASBERG.

DETAILS OF THE FAMOUS FIGHT. 1 Tho work of the gallant Seventh Con-! tingont in matter of history, but thero mo ' many incidents and events which have not been recorded, and with the object of■ obtaining some interesting copy # represon- 1 tative of this journal buttonholed a likely, looking,' stalwart young follow, and haled him off for an interview. This proved to ho | Lance-corporal Hadfieid, formerly of Nel-! son, but who had joined the Seventh in Otago. In answer to questions be briefly sketched tho long and arduous trek of tho contingent prior to the great fight at Pot hasborg, in which tho New Zealanders suffered so heavily. The first engagement was at I'.rmolo, near Standerton, .wlicro tho troopors ■ were hotly pressed by tho enemy, being forced to retire, and the Boors finally rotroated after a long fight. Tho contingent thon trekked to Greylingstadt, whero. Colonel Grey left and Colonel Garratt took command, and tho march was resumed to Springs, a coal-mining district, and on tho way Commandant Prinsloo was captured. Tho men, for tho first time, experienced the sensation of standing up to pom-pom nro, which was by no means pleasant. The guns wero turned on the Boers, and three or four wero killed, besides somo homes. It was in this action that Trooper Jl'Lcan was killed.- Tho contingent next wont down to Vlakfontein, and then towards tho Vaal River, tho boundary between the Orange River Colony and tho Transvaal, inarching in column together with 400 ol tho Queensland Bushmen. On tho way a convoy was captured and several Bnert. There lmd been fighting nearly every day in this part, the Boors harassing the column's flanks ana then retreating into tho rough country. Proceeding to, Wolverhock, tno captured waggons and prisoners were left behind, and tho men made up t-h© railway Along the blockhouse lino," and on to Lostbcrgs and Voreemginß, between- which places several smaller actions were fought. The column mado a number of night marches in search of a Boor gun that was supposed to bo in tho locality, but it was not discovered, and several Boer farmhouses wero burnt. The march then was back towards the Vaal Kivcr, and a largo convoy wao discovered and attackod, when 40 waggons and several hundred cattle wero captured. The march was now turned hack towards Vereeniging, and n sevoro action took plaeo at a spot where the Bocn held 'a long, stony ridge in force. Tho column shelled the enemy with two 15-pounders and a pom-pom, hut could not shift thorn, and tho night came on with the Boors still in position. Next morning the Boers were gßne, but tho traces of severe fighting remained, and 20 graves were counted in the enemy's position, showing that the shelling had tieen effective. Several of our men wero wounded, and one, belonging to tho King's Own Rifles, who had joined the column, was killed. The day after Colonel Rawlinson's convoy was met with and passed, and the following day a heliograph message waa received to the effect that Colonel Rawlinson had captured the remainder of tho Boers who had retreated from the ridge. The column proceeded on its way, capturing a laager and many cattle and horses incidentally,' and camped at a river drift, where news was received from tho Intelligence Department that a convoy was not far away, and Colonel White, with 300 men, set out In chase, and captured nearly all the waggons (14), beiules sheep, cattle, and 14 Boers, and also some Boer women and children, who were not at all pleased with the fortunes of war, 1 From Kronnstadt the contingent marched down to the Zand Kjver, tho Orange River Colony, and on one occasion some of the men galloped 14 miles after a Jioer convoy, but though they caught up, their horses woro too exhausted, and they were obliged to return i but aa they lost the way it was a caso of camp., out till morning, when they were able to. rejoin the column. In this locality 16,000 head of cattle were captured. On the road up tho railway line the column made a long night march, and continuod all next day, covering 72 mile* in 2?. hours, which was the record march of tho campaign, and - then caught tip on a Boer convoy, and captured.2s, which ntiml>er included all wjth the exception of four killed. The men Were then taken back to Vredefort; and guarded the lines while the blockhouses were being built, after which •they proceeded toLeuwpootf, tliim to Meyerton and Vereeniging, where they entrained for Paardokop. From thence the march led around tho Drakonbere Mountains, and then dovro to Wnkkerntroom, Volksrust, and Charlestown, where they entrained again lot Newcastle, and from thence proceeded to Utrecht, and Vryheid, near which place Louis Botha wita supposed to be cornered by threo columns under General Walter Kitchener, but Botha managed to get away. Die morning after (Sunday, October 6), about 4 o'clock, tho men woro sent out in chase of Botha, and caught up on his rearguard at 7 o'clock. Botha took Up a position mi a lolig ridge, where lie \w» shelled for six hours with 10 gum, and at last he retired, about 3 o'elock. Tho troopers had then to return to camp, and next morning they found 25 wounded Boers in a house, anil the/so reckoned Botha's casualties' for the previous day at 70 killed and wounded. Tho traces of the hot shell' firo wero very marked about the Boer position. The contingent thon trekked ' round to Pondola Bush) where they had a rough time and suffered ninny hardships. In this district thero wda an exciting chase after Chris Botha. The men had no gum; with them, but tlif'se wero sont for, and the celebrated Gonornl wan dislotlffotl from his position, he csoaping, but leaving his waggons, which wove burnt. There had been seven or oigfot columns, nndor General I'lumer. after Botha, and the boys of the Seventh here met the Sixth New Zealanders. The Seventh were again returned to Vryheid, and then on to I'imdewana by a series of night marches, meeting the Boers several time* in minor engagements. Newcastle was again mado a rendesvoiu, and tho men were given liuard duty during the building of blockhouses. By this limer'the column was joined by Colonel Dunlop's column and Colonel Byng's column, making three in all nndor Colonol Byng. The forco proceeded in a line with the blockhouses, driving the Boers in front, this being one of Kltchoner's great drives.

At the end of January the men captured the last of Do Wet'* guns, ono 15-pounder ami two pom-poms, aftor a night march in the Linloy district. This, ho (Lnncc-cotpoftll llndfiokl) thought the Lost hit of work the Seventh had over porformrd. It had been a f'-ry hot notion, nml 50 Boer* were made prisoners after a desperate fight. Ono of the raptured pom-poms had liefn the one turned on to tlio Seventh at Hrmolo, so that there was ait element of grim satisfaction about its capture. This was about a month prior to tho celebrated . Bothaobwg. In tho meantime tho columns started to drivo from fiilvevfontorn, with 14 columns in all,' taking a frontage of 40 miles, and in this drivo Rimington's force hud beon attacked very heavily ono night. Guns had beon ronrinff all nitfht, firing case shot, nnd tho whole line had been a shoot of riflo fire for about 15, miles. Noxt morning 47 Doers had surrendered to Rimington, nnd aftor tho burial of the enemy's dead the forco continued tho drive up to tho railway line, capturing 623 Boers. Then another drivo was commoneed round from IJeidolbcrg to Vrcde, across tho line of blockhouses, and the sccond night after thw the great struggle took plaeo at Langer Wacht, alxiut 10 or 12 miles from flothasborg. Twenty columns were now in tho great drive, covering a frontago of 70 miles, but, by reason of tho immenso area covered, only a few mon could bo allotted to each post. About 11 o'clock tho men were startled by tho roaring of cattlc, tho rumbling of waggons, and galloping of horses, and tlioy know something l»ig was on tho move, and about half-past 1!! they realised

tho I Mil meaning, for tho Boers wore sighted | about 1 200 yards away bearing down on the line. I*ire wan opened upon them, and immodiaftoly the Boert commcnccd to crack their Whips and yell, driving tho cattln down, j Women and chiidron in the Boer wtigßonl' wore heard screaming, and a regular pnndonijonium reigned. One post of pix men continued firing into tho Boers' until thoy, Invoke through at Captain Batger's I jiost, Cajptain Batgor bding in command of I tho pojti Lance-corporal Iladfield had been ; on the ijipper part of tho line, and dcecribcs tho !cei(o as a Mfugglo of desperation, tho Boom Ifeiufr cornered, and fighting like , ('emoii'.'. After they broko through they I were onj throe lidos, and took tho posts a* they • went, lighting right along. Tho Now hod a pom-pom, which wus doing sjdondid exoeution, but (hey had to rush it flown into tho gully to savo it from j capture,! and twp or thrco of the gun -crow were flfot, but the gun was saved. The Canterbury and Otago men had borne tho brunt ofl tho fight, which was one those who aro left twill never' forgot, though tho wholo j thing haid lasted only about half on hour. Next daw tho sorrowful task had. to be perI formed of burying tho dead, of which details have beep cabled. There wore about 28,000 hwAd of cattle in the drivo and 1095 Bnern. Tito sccno when morning broko on tho fiold oi blood wae_ terrible, tho dead and cattle lying in heaps. This was tho brwrft, deed for which Lord Kitchener the men such generous praise. .Many drives were entered into after this, and then thqihon wero released 'from duty, and must alt bo glad to too tho dear homeland again, ■ \ , The following is >'ho list of tho men of the Seventh Contingent who returned on Saturday evening:— ffergeant-major C. T. Munro, Sorgeants Dobsoif,, Wilson, Lcckie, Todd, M'lyor, and A. F. Martin, Quarter-: master-sergeants A. Bagloy, Fnixiorscrgcant Olark, Corporal* Ashton, U. H. Carr, John Grant, .T, skorie, H.jHarvoy, A. R- Murphy, and J. M'Lennari, Lanco-corporals C.\Hatlfield, Ledington, H. Fopham, and A Andcrson, Troopers T. J. Brown, C. Bare, ,T. Cole, Corkin, J, Cairnoy. 15. Evans, D>. Forbes, D. Ferguson, T. ; Gilligan, A. Grant, H. Harraway, H', Ibbotson, J. Jenkins. T. Leslie, R. Lawrence; G, 8, Moffet, J, Mills, •T. Haskeir, .T.Mnrsli, R. Jl'Gregor,'J.. T.' M'Kolvie, .Ti M'OrUcken, J. M'Grogor, D. M'Gregor, H. J.V Quarterman, W.' Smith, Jamea Smith, .T. .Templeton, It. L. Wliyre, arid W. Vi'hyte, ■ ' .