AFTER GLENCOE.

Otago Witness, Issue 2389, 14 December 1899, Page 27

AFTER GLENCOE.

SCENES ON THE BATTLEFIELD.

GALLANT DEEDS.

The Capetown correspondent of the Melbourne Argus supplies the following particulars : —

Describing the battlefield ab the fight at Talana Hill, an eye-witness writes: — The first thing which struck me was the apparently impossible nature of the ground foi the proper handling of any large body of men, and it has been btaled on fairly reliable authority that the Boers numbered not fewer than 7000. The slope of the hill occupied by them was a mass of slippery boulders and rocks, affording- scarcely a fafe foothold for man or beast, yet the wheel marks of the. gun carx'iages which had been forced over these same rocks were plainly visible, and there wore plenty of indications that the guns in places mubt have been lifted bodily from the ground. I had to dismount and pick my way with the utmost difficulty, and about half way up came across the first evidence of the panic into which the enemy had been thrown prior to their ignominious flight. This was nothing more nor less than a case of unused shells, conclusive evidence that the Boer artillery bad been disabled by tho deadly fire of our own field pieces. A little furthor on higher up the rocky slope were two dead horses, the pooi brutes having been fearfully maDgled

- ; ■-.- "i-o bjra'shell. Passing on to '-he fc-pof t-.eric'a I noticed two bodies, apparently "father, and ' son, lying dead sidoHy side, killed most likely; by the same shell fii another corner, over*' looking the British ca-mp, lay another Boei; behind two huge rooks,, which he had evi«* deritly selected as affording cover for his rifla practice. There was blood on his mouth and right hand, but no other wounu was 'visible* Further- along the ridge, the Neky other bodies were found lying in various postures, some dead, and others dying from their wounds. The Boer ambulance parties wera already busy collecting their wounded, * and over 70 of these poor fellows were conveyed on stretchers to -the farm at the foot of tha hill. Strewn about the top of 'the hill wera saddles and saddle-bags, horse cloths, Mausers, and food, abandoned by the Boers in their hurried flight. These relics were eagerly taken possession of by our men as trophie3 of the victory. < > Once on the ridge of the hill, the tremenx dous advantage as regards the position held by the Boers was plainly apparent. Not only, could they command a full view of the camp, but also the approach to the wood below Smith's farm. The wood itself could have afforded but little shelter to our men, and had it. not been . for our artillery the infantrymust' have been easily annihilated. There was a great 'disproportion amongst the killed and wounded, for I counted only 12 V bodies aa . they lay stark and stiff, with their faces, to the sky, whilst the four rooms an the .farm hospital were crowded with' 'wounded "men. This gave me the impression that many" of their dead had been removed. Strewn along the ridge were hundreds of empty cartridges, and in places -the rocks -were darkly stained ' with human blood. The effect of the artillery,"., fire was evidenced everywhere, trees being shot away and rocks smashed up in every conceivable manner. Just on the slope of the ridge lay six dead 80er3, , all .in a heap, amongst whom had been identified the fieldcornet of Volksrust, and his brother,- whilst a little further away lay five men of the Dublin Fusiliers, all gone to their last account. Despending the hill on, the town side, W4 could not help feeling impressed with the stupendous task accomplished by our infantry in gaining the ridge under such a continuous ■> fire from the. Boers. In places climbing was out of the question, the slope was so steer* and rooky. Here and there lay cold in. death, men of the "Dubs" and of the Rifles, tho last-named apparently having suffered tho mo3t. Altogether I counted about 20 of our, men killed, though possibly the list may ba much heavier. It was a coincidence that a^ large number sustained wounds through the right or left hands. Several of the men lay dead in the wood at the base of the hill, bufc the majority appeared to have met their fata when victory was within their grasp, their * bodie3 being found within a few feet of tho top of tho hill. One regrettable feature of the fight ab Glencoe is that a squadron of 18th Hussara pursued the enemy too far, and was surrounded. They .are now prisoners in Pretoria. Amongst the gallant deeds of ' the action on pctober 24, one by Lieutenant Compton deserve 3to be -recorded. A' Car- . bineer named Cleaver fell while the meij were clearing for an exposed position. He was shot through the body. Lieutenant Compton* ran back to him, despite the galling fire, 'and said, " I will carry you under cover." Cleaver replied, "No, let me re3t," as ho was in groat pain. Compton ', after another appeal ' -to be allowed to take him to the ambulance, left him. He was taken -up shortly after by ambulance.

Colonel Scott-Chisholme's remains wera buried the next afternoon in the cemetery.The coffin was placed on a gun-carriage, followed by the deceased officer's horse, which' had white trappings. The cortege included the sth Lancers and the Light Horse. The funeral of Sergeant Colville, of the volunteer troops (Carbineers), also took place on the 25th. The chief mourners wore hia two brothers and Mr Hoskcn, superintendent of transport. Colville was snot through the chest, the bullet making a big hole on coming out of his back". The bullet was an. explosive ? one, and the only Bullet of the kind known to be used in battle. After being struck he rose, grasped his rifle, and ran a yard or two, then falling fiat on his face. Deceased was 39 years of age, and was a much-respected and efficient non-commissioned officer.