LETTERS FROM THE CONTINGENT.

Otago Witness, Issue 2401, 8 March 1900, Page 35

LETTERS FROM THE CONTINGENT.

Trooper Maopherson, in the course of a letter to his brother, writes : — You will have heard before now of poor Gourj ley's death and of Connell's. Gourley was a general favourite with all of us, and it will be hard to find a sergeant to fill his place. Grant is the most likely one to be chosen. Connell was a grand fellow, he was one of my section before the red cross was put on my arm. His father, who has been dead for years, was a

member of the firm of Connell and Moodie, of Dunedin. He was the first man ' over tHe breastwork when' Captain Madocks ordered the charge. The enemy were then within five yard a of the top of the hill. Connell, Sergeant Gourley, Captain Madocks, and Dickinson were the first four to get at them. The Boers fired a volley and fled at the sight of the bayonets. Had it not been for the pluck shown by Captain Madocks in leading the charge, there is little doubt that a repetition of Majuba Hill would have taken place, and, had the Bocra gained the position that we 'were holding, ' the whole of the troops in camp at S linger sfontein would have been cut off from the main body. The kopje was held by 100 Yorks and 70 of the No. 2 Company of New Zealand. The captain of the Yorks was shot at once, and Mr Neave (who came out as one of our officers, but got an Imperial commission with the Yorks) tried to get his 'men to charge with us, but very few of them did so. The enemy had kept up a very hot fire from a kopje on our right flank, which, kept all our men engaged while another party of Boers sneaked up on to our kopje on our left flank. They must have .lost heavily, as we drove them back to a kopje about 700 yards from ours. Here they remained; and kept. up a continuous fire for about three hours. After Dr Burns and I dressed the. wounded Yorka. and Sergeant Gourley, I crawled down the side of the, kopje to look for wounded., ., l found > a Sergeant Jamison, of the Yorks, dead about 30, yards' down the hill. "I had to expose , myself to get to him, and a party' of the enemy, spotted me, and opened on me. I shoved the, sergeant's body from behind a^bit of rock, andj'got down in his place with! his rjfle. I fired. '86, rounds,, and I am almost certain^ I; go;fc, home ,on, one. I could not shift from behind $ he rock for about

three-quarters of an hour, when our artillery came to our assistance. I got the heel shot off my boot, but otherwise I was well under cover. Gourley was brought into camp, but died about 10 o'clock at night.

We have been resting since the trouble on the kopje, and have had nice things said to us by General French. A patrol 'party of New South Wales Lancers have got into trouble. Two of the party have been brought in dead.

Eight dead horses, were found, and 19 of the party are missing. Dr Burns, who is sitting behind me, wishes me to give you his kind regards. I had to stop writing to dress one of the New South Wales Lancers who was killed yesterday. This is a part of my many duties. I forgot to mention that Dr Burns is attached to the Australians in the camp as well as our own boys. The Australians have been most unhappy in the selection of their officers. They have many faults, and will lead their men into all sorts of trouble. There is a large body of infantry coming across the plain from Kendsberg to our assistance. They should reach camp within an hour. When they have rested for a day I expect we will attack the enemy and try to drive them back a few miles. General French's column is divided into three parts. We are well in advance of Colesberg, and the other two divisions are trying to drive them out 'of Colesberg, and our division will try to out them off from retreating on to their other forces at Norval's Pont.

A good many of the colonial troops are laid up with diarrhoea, and it does not seem to answer to any ordinary treatment. Of course it is quite impossible to diet them. We are away from the railway line, and our diet is hard biscuits, tinned meat, and tea, and at times, when we are away from our camp for two or three days, we get biscuits, and, if we care to drink it, muddy water.