MAIL NEWS.

Otago Witness, Issue 2403, 22 March 1900, Page 23

MAIL NEWS.

MELBOURNE, March 13.

Cape files dated February 16 state that a remarkable scene occurred at Capetown on the receipt of the news of the relief of Kimberley. Crowds assembled at Government House and cheered the Governor. On the other hand, there was a considerable hostile demonstration outside the Premier's office.

The rapidity of General French's movement to the relief of Kimberley nonplussed the Boers, who deserted their positions round the beleagured town, the garrison occupying them.

On the receipt of the news of the relief of Kimberley Capetown was decorated with" flags. All the warships hoisted the White Ensign in honour of General French's victory.

On the 14th February a small cavalry patrcl entered Jacobsdal, and found the place full of wounded. A scries of small skirmishes ensued. Next day a battery of artillery drove out the ßßoer?.B x oer?. General French seized three drifts on the Modder River, and then moved rapidly towards Kir.iberley. Events then followed quickly. Lord Roberta's force answered gallantly to the heavy marching under a succession of great heat, rain, and cold winds. Wher the artillery dvovo the enemy from Jacobsdal the latter had to cross a ridge in order to escape, thus affording an excellent mark for the guns, showers of shrapnel causing heavy loss.

The Boer attack on the British convoy on the Modder River was happily conceived. The convoy had been counter-

mandclj but tbt order faile-l {.n raa-01/ them. Tho Boers opened on {he convoy with 15pounders nv,d Yi'.'kei'K-Mjs'flis. The convoy had a hot iiiup, but Colcucl. Kldley. wiih a brigade ol mounted men, prevented the enemy ae',"i 'liy a pin caching ilie wr'ggon*.

Captr.i:i Waul, who was formerly aide-de-camp to his Excellency the Governor, but voiunteeicd for the war, and is now M.iff officer 1o the New Zealand Contingent ■\-iih Gere al French, was, it is stated, lately wounded in the vn*t by a, splinter from a shell, and also received .some injury to one of Ins eves.

THE FIGHT AT JACOBSDAL. THE RELIEF OF KIMBERLEY

MELBOURNE,

March 14.

Cape news from the town of Jacobsdal, which has been held by four companies of infantry and a battery of artillery, states that during the night the town was entered by tho main column. At 7.30 a.m. tiie town was deserted of all fighting men. The citizens in the streets wore the red cross brdges. The German hospital was filled with Boer wounded, some of whom came from Magersfontein, and others from the fight at Koodoosberg. The hospital flew the German flag beneath the Red Cross. By some mistake it was hauled down, but was immediately replaced. Private properly in the town is 'respected, and everywhere the inhabitants, who were in mortal terror, have been reassured. They are bow very glad to see the English in possession. Thej r had been told that everything would be confiscated, and the houses given to the flames. Food is scarce, but the people az'e being fed from the army stores.

News that General French was entering Kimberley reached the British outside Jacobsdal shortly before noon on the 16th. The convoy guard returned, leaving a number of waggons in the hands of the Boej-g. Our casualties were very slight, being one man killed and a few wounded. The loss of the waggons would not be felt. A deserted Boer laager was found five miles south-west of here. The pots were on the fire, extra horses with saddles were tethered to Cape carls, and blankets littered the ground. They had evidently left in a hurry. At every stole in Jacobsdal there is posted a British sentry, and the men purchasing things are only "allowed to enter a few at a time. The news was brought to Jacob?dil from the Modder that the enemy were clearing out from Magersfontein in all directions. THE BATTLE OF VAALKRAXTZ. SOME GALLANT DEEDS. SYDNEY, March 14. At the battle of Vaaikrantz many gallant deeds were performed. One of those grand heroic *cats which inspire to almost tho maddening point took place. The ofSceis shouted to thennen to hold the trenches. The officers of the King's Royal Rifles toolc up the shout, and " Hold on, boys ! " came from every direction. In a second every man of the 60th Regiment left cover, and dashed over the rough ground alongside the mountain, with cheering. The enemy kept up their fire, but the enthusiastic advance completely nullified the enemy's object. The situation was gallantly saved, and reinforcements swung across the river.

With reference to the battle of Vaalkrantz, while reinforcements were swinging across the river, and as the last regiment filed over, a sJiell from " Long Tom " struck the bridge, a second one falling desperately close to the advancing cohymi. Next morning the general commanoine, finding he could not. from the natiu'e of the surface of the hill, entrench his troops in order to protect them from the enemy's fire or silence their big guns, determined to abandon the idea of opening a route to Ladysmitii from that direction. THE DEATH OF MR LAMBIE. GALLANTRY OF WESTRALIANS. With reference to the death of Mr Lambie. the Age correspondent, some Boer accounts slate that the two correspondents were ordered to hold up their hands and surrender. Instead they sought to escape. This version is corioborated by Mr Hales, Mr Lambie's companion. General De la Key does not endorse this stoiy. He told the confrere of Mr Lambie that the latter mas hit during the retirement. He rode with the troops, and, being dres&ed in almost a similar manner as the troops, his position could not be dstinguished. General De la Ecv wished Mr Lambie's wife to be informed of his sorrow over the incident.

One of the most heroic incidents of the ■war was the doings of Captain Moore and 20 "Westralians at Slingersfontein. Captain Moore occupied a small kopje, and, the Inniskillings moving back, the Wes-

tralians were furiously fired on from three sldss. The cover was not good, but the gallant colonials held the position from 6iv the morning till 7at night. It was a day full of individual gallantry. Ultimately the small force had to get away by dashes in twos and threes.

THE HOB KIRK'S FARM FIGHT. THE AUSTRALIANS IN A TIGHT

CORNER.

Major Eddy met his death whilst defending a position near Hobkh'k's fpnn. The Boers feinting a retirement, Lieutenant Tremerne occupied an extreme point with 12 men, on the Iftfi. While the Wiltshires and Aiif-traliuns' attention was attracted to a frontal attack, a party of Boers outflanked Lieutenant 1 lYemerne and got within 10 3*ards before they were noticed. Tremerne ordered his men to fire a volley and then rush for their . horses, but the Boers fled, and out of 12 men .only one got away. After Tremerne had been taken prisoner he asked his wounded comrades -whether they blamed him for not surrendering. They exclaimed, "No! Australians must not surrender." The order for Tremerne to retire had been sent, but the orderly was shot on his way. Major Eddy was shot immediately after sending the order for the men's retirement.

Of Tremerne's 12 men, Private Jennings, Who shot his pursuer, was the only one to

got svr&r. Trsuierne fsH 07<r a fences— af Ml vr)wh probably KU\e6 his life, the bulletf whizzing ovyr Inr.i as hts went foiward. One bullet tore his tunic, and another tore the heel of> in« boot, r, hile a shot in the ankle stopped )::m. He was subsequently reI leased as incapacitated. fciergeant Hens* '• ]n.m, tlio Westralian. whose death is reported, received three bullets in his leg. Krygger, a comrade, heard him sing out, " They have broken both my legs ! For God's sake, someone come and help me ! I am bleeding to death !" Krvgger crept up the heights where he lay, the bullets splashing all round him, and coolly took off his . own putties and, using Hensman' s rifle as a splint, bound up his left leg, then band- ; aged the wounds in the right leg, thus stopping the bleeding. He nest broke off some bushes to keep off the sun, and was building some stones around his chum when a bullet, passed through his helmet and another ripped open the .shoulder of his tunic. Krvgger finished his parapet, then, seeing Private Conwav down below, he called to him to bring up a few handfuls of earth to ptit under Hensman's hip, which lay on the jagged rocks. Conwav gamely complied, and brought three hanclfuls, but when he was bringing a fourth a bullet was sent through the brave fellow's head. On the evening before the fight Sergeant Hensman had Krygger up before the captain for ne- ! gJecting to obey an order, Krygger thought j that he had bsen harshly treated, and said j he would be even with Hensman some day. He has liad his revenge ! After dusk Krygger guided the ambulance to where Hensinan had lain for 10 hours in the broiling sun and suffering terribly. Hensoian says that while he lay there the Boers iired every time he moved his arm or tried to change his irksome position.