ELOFF'S DARING RAID.

Otago Witness, Issue 2425, 5 September 1900, Page 38

ELOFF'S DARING RAID.

IN THE HEART OF THE TOWN. j A CRITICAL MOMENT. i COOLNESS AND GALLANTRY WIN. .i AN INTERESTING STORY. \ (Reuter's Special to Cape Times.) j Mafeking, May 13. i A quiet and peaceful Sunday morning, -, bright with winter's sunshine, and over the whole town a keen sense of exultation, born \ of victory, complete, decisive, and far-reach 1 11lg ' HOW THE ASSAULT BEGAN. i Yesterday morning at 10 minutes past 4, 1 just as the moon had set. the garrison vvns i aroused by an automatic rapping on the east face, which was apparently the signal for" the I commencement of a. rapid and continuous 3 rifle firing. The bells were lung, alarms " sounded, and within three minutes every fort -j upon the interior and exterior line of defence c was manned and ready. The fusillade from j the eastward lasted an hour, but no attempt was made to advance from that point, and ye j: began to believe that it was after all nothing £ more than the usual abortive attack General | Snyman was in the habit cf making of late ( upon us. i At 5 o'clock, however, just as the sky be- j gan to pale to the eastward, we heard the 1 crackle of rifles upon the north-western front, , and a lurid tongue of flame shot into the sky \ from the outer edge of the Baralong slaclt. ( Quickly flew the news that the enemy had ( rushed past the outer forts and fired the sladl. ( This proved to be the case. Under cover of darkness and a feint upon the eastern front, ] a party of Boers, about 7000 strong, led by j the notorious and plucky Commandant Eloff, ] and guided by two deserters, had crept up - the bed of the Molopo and rushed the stadt. j Our pickets, after encountering tho advance 5 guard and giving the alarm, drew to the < flank- in order to avoid a rush, and opened a flanking fire. The result of tbio t. as thai j nearly 300 men reached the native town. Then the picket closed in again behind them, j and, covered by Fort Limestone, Major God- , ley repulsed the advance of the enemy's main body. The Baralongs, first taken by sur- , prise, scattered in all direction?, but quickly , rallied with commendable pluck and gaHan- | try, and assisted in the repulse of the enemy's j force. ELOFF'S GREAT HUSH. Commandant Eloff, with the advance guard, accompanied by Captains Yon Weiss and ; Cramond, detaching about 160 of his men, made a rurfh for the old B.S.A.P. fort and the jarracks of the Protectorate Regiment, held by Colonel Hore. Captains Singleton, Dunlop, and Smith, and about 15 men, who were chiefly non-commissioned officers, thia being the headquarters of the regiment. The remainder of his men, under Field-commandant De Beer, set to work, burning and pil l aging the stadt. Up at headquarters it was difficult to learn what had happened. The stadt was in flames, which clearly showed that the enemy had forced our exterior lines. Major Godley's fort was, however, still in telephonic communication with up. He was still all right, . but what had happened at the other .outlying works he did not know. Then, with startling suddenness, came a message from Colonel Hore over the telephone that the stadt was in the hands of the enemy, who were surrounding his fort. He was instructed to retire if possible upon the town, biit telephoned that it was too late to do this, and just as it became light enough to see each other's faces, we got a message over our telephone from a Dutchman saying, " You cannot touch us. We have Colonel Hore jprisoner." Here, indeed, was a crisis — a large force of the enemy being in possession of our main fort upon our interior line of the western defences. ORGANISING THE DEFENCE. "8.P." was very quiet; short. and sharp he issued orders, as if playing a game of kriegespiei. Our troops took up fresh positions. The reserve artille^, under Major Panpera, swung past at the gallop arid unlimbered below the railway bridge : while a detachment of the Town Guard, under Commander Winter, garrisoned Early's fort. The Bechuanaland Rifles lined the railway embankment, in order, as far as possible, to keep up communication with Major Godley. The right flank was pushed a little ahead, and tho left of Captain More's railway division wheeled back, manning the sheds. Twenty men, under Serseant-major Layton, loopholed tho galvanised iron fence, which, although it had no cover from fire, at least masked their position. The whole thing was done in 10 minutes, and we had an improvised new line of defence. The town was smart ly reinforced by a division of the Cape Police and D Squadron of the Protectorate Regiment., A rapid, and, from their own account, a terribly accurate fire then opened upon the enemy from the right flank. Ten men, tinder the command <if Major Hepworth, occupied his house, and 300 from the barracks, and by sunrise the. advance of the enemy was effectually checked. THE ATTACK SPLIT UP. We were by no means, however, out of the wood, for here Colonel Hore, his officers, and men were prisoners in their own fort, and the enemy was ensconced in the very heart of our position. Meanwhile, down at the stadt Major Godley had taken command, and with B and D Squadrons of the Protec- j torale Regiment, under Captains Fitzclarence ! and Bentinck, was engaged in rounding up those of the enemy who remained in the stadt. About 30 of these men rallied in a stone cattle kraal, and, being closely hemmed in and pressed by Captains Marsh and Fitzclarence and a 7-pounder under Lieutenant Daniel being brought up, the enemy was given an opportunity of surrendering, but tho opportunity was declined. Meanwhile another and a larger body of the enemy had taken refuge upon a stony kopie about the centre of the stadt, which afforded excellent cover, and were kept there by Lord Charles BenmC A COMPLICATED SITUATION. So shortly after sunrise we found ourselves

face to face with a most extraordinary miii- i tary position. All our outlying works and i forts were intact, and we had hardly lost any 1 men, but three bodies of the enemy were ] right in our lines, surrounded and cut off. j The enemy had been given an opportunity ; of surrendering, which he declined. Eloff, I s who did not realise the fact that his sup- j ' ports had been driven back, informed our ' -, messenger that Mafeking was practically at 1 1 his mercy. If the situation was not so seri- J j ous, it would almost be ad funny as a volun- 1 j teer field day. Towards noon firing from j ] the hill on the enemy in the B.S.A.P. fort \ >. commenced. The enemy had already lost six j ' killed, and, aa one of the prisoners told me . ' atterwards, no one dared to thow a hand or < head, so accurate was the fire of our, men. Down in the stadt a party in the kopJßs'Mad j held in check, while Captains Mar3h .and | ; Fitclnrence vi ere gradually creeping nearer to the Dutchmen in the cattle kraal. A fie- j " tae'iunent of the Cape Police, under Captain ' i Murray, and a troop of C Squadron of the j Protectorate Regiment, under Lieutenant j 'Fcltham, had aLo got between the 8.5.A..P. ' . fort and the stadt, thus effectually preventing communication between Commandant j Eloff and the remainder of his men. L T p at ' headquarters everybody went to breakfast, '- and I wrote the ehort and hurried despatch ', which I already sent you. j For the time being, the town being tafe, ' the commissariat hurriedly , requisitioned ■ j horse-sausage and bread, which were carried . ! to the troops in the fighting line, together p ] with water for breakfast. It was no que.3- • ' tion of half rations; the men got as nrucli ! _ as they could eat. ■ ENQIBCLING THE BOEPvS. ', Down tLe stadt, cleverly creeping from rock to rock and bush to bush, snatching ( every bic of cover possible, the men cf tho Protectorate Regiment were drawing the cir- 1 cle round the foted cattle kraal tighter every j moment. Already a half-dozen of them and i the 7-poundcr were unpleasantly close. _ i Shortly after noon thf* white flag was hoisted, i and amidst ringing cheers the first batch of 1 Boerd vow disarmed and sent to toun by way ; of Molopo I'iver. It was padt 4 o'clock when ! 1 they reached the Market square. It was a; ] heart-rending spectacle to tho long-besieged j townsfolk to see their enemies, hungry, j • dirty, battle-stained, cowed, marching between the gleaming bayonets of the British . soldiers. As they par-sed the headquarters a >, detachment of Cadets assembled there on orderly duly was dravvn up upon the kerb*. a.nd were received in silence by the English in- ' : habuaTvts. But tho Kaffir bad his idea of , good form, ana t'le native population was not to be restrained from loud hoots and i yells, after extravagant expressions cf extil- | lation and delight. The prisoners themselves seemed rather glad that the whole thing was over. BOERS SURRENDER TO PRISONERS. As the afternoon drew on the crackle of musketry recommenced all round, but^ our j fire was too good to permit the enemy talcing ! I aim, and their shots new wide, landing every- j I where ineffectually. Down in the stadt the J enemy had been shelled out of their kopje, | and driven in confusion in among the Kaffir hut;. The darkness drew on, and once'raore , i the tension increased. If Saymsn should ( assault now, «with a party of the enemy in • our very midst and our men weak and dog- , tir s ed ! 'in the slacU the scattered remains of j -the enemy's force rallied and attempted to ', retire up the Molopo, but were met and j driven back by Captain Bsntinck's men. ; Hardly had it got really dark than we were surprised by a tremendous fusillade from the direction of the town. From the B.S.A.P. barracks our men promptly reopened upon the fort, and a little before 7. the men at the gaol distinctly heard the voice of Captain J Singleton, of the Protectorate Pvegiment, I shouting " Cease fire." As the enemy had not replied for some time to our musketry, the order was obeyed, the officer being asked for j a message to be sent to headquarters that 1 Commandant Eloff and men surrendered and i laid down their arms tmconditionally to our . prisoner, Colonel Hore. The fusillade which we heard was from Eloff and his men, who ! stood by him, firing upon deserters, about j eight of whom refused to remain any longer ; in the fort. As one ptood on the Market j square one could hear the cheers of the garrisons of the different forts as they received the news. It first went the round cf the interior lines among tho Town Guard ; then came faintly from the Brickfields, as the telephone carried it to the outlying trenches. 8.-P.'s MEETING WITH ELOFF. In the drawing room of Rieste's Hotel somebody started " God save the Queen," and the strains of the National Anthem mingled with the hoarse shouting of the natives. A few .minutes later Captain Singleton and Colonel Hore appeared with Commandant Eioff and his officers. The meeting between Baden-Powell and Eloff was interesting. '' This is Commandant Eloff, sir," said Captain Singleton. " Good evening. Commandant," said Baden-Powell; "Won't you come in and have some dinner?" As we now had 120 prisoners, about all we could manage, instructions vere sent to Captain Lord Charles Bentinc'k to stand cloar of tho enemy in the stadt, and join Captains Marsh and Filzclarpncc in driving tLe -scattered remnants of Eloff's ill-fated party out. Merrily the rifles cracked. Half on hour's quiet -stole over the town. In the headquarters moss room three Boer officers were dining with me. Nearly every mess in town was raked up for some hidden store of liquor. At Rieste's it was the birthday of the hostess, and bottlas of champagne and one of whisky were discussed. \t Dixon's Hotel a little whisky was resurrected from the depths of the cellar. For myself, I dug deep in my bomb-proof and unearthed a, bottle of brandy, and then went round the town drinking to each other, shaking hands, and singing " God save the Queen." . , , j Our casualties were few indeed, while dead j Boers were lying all over the stadt. We have not yet been able to estimate the extent of the enemy's lo,=ses. -It was a great night for Mafeking, which was worth a seven months' liege. SNYMAN, " COWARD AND BULLY." Later on we went to the Masonic Hall, where the Boer prisoners' rank and file had been put foi safety. At every entrance the bayonets of the Bechuanaland Rifles glistened ; inside, tired, weary, ill-kept, ill-shod, ill-clothed, were about 100 burghers of the Republic, thankful to be out of the way of the steel-lipped hail of the Lee-Metford. I talked to half a dozen of them in Dutch, and recognised two old campaigning ' friends. There was a good sprinkling of Germans, Hollanders, and Frenchmen amongst them, and there was a quiet class of Boer. Most of the latter had been drawn from Johannesburg, where long intercourse with Englishmen had taught them the fear of being called cowards. They seemed in excellent spirits, and scrambled for the blankets is&ucd to them. They begged to be allowed to write letters to their friends, and were anxious to tell

their adventures to me and each other. How they hated Snyman, called him coward and bully, swore he sold them, and said he could have supported the desperate rush upon the fort, but had not the heart to do it. They grumbled at the rigorous martial law, and said they were thankful to be well out _ of it. They said the siege was now over, as this was the la,=t attempt to have been made. One bet me a bottle of champagne^ that within seven clays no Boer 'could' be found wdl^m an hour's ride of -Mafeking. None of uffeni had any heart in the war. They cursed their generals and their Government, but I said • '• Your Commandant Eloff is a brave man." They said : 'He is certainly brave, but incautious." Our casualties consisted of poor Heals, the gaoler, who was killed while defending the gaol by a high velocity shell, and Trooper M'Goe, of the Protectorate Regiment, killed while bringing ammunition for one of the northern forts. BHAVE WOMEN xVND DOCTORS. The cViy's fighting was leplete with interesting incidento, and tho work done by Miss Crawford, matron of the Children's Hospital, and Mrs Buchan was unequalled for gallantry and devotion by anything during the war. iJiv Buchan walked up under heavy fire to fetch tho doctor to attend to the Boer and i our own wounded. W. A. Hays, accompanied by iJr J. Young, a medical student, spent the whole niornin? in moving about under the lied Gross flag attending to the casualties, despite the bullets which our men hailed upon the fort. Miss Crawford and her sister both left the Children's Hospital, about 300 yards away, and went to the assistance of the wounded. The conduct of the Boers with regard to enr women, both native and European, was excellent, and it may be accounted to the credit of Commandant Eloff that he and his men showed humanity and consideration in their treatment of our prisoners and wounded, respected the Red Cross flags, and there was no treacherous incidents to mar the gallant j fight which was well fought on both sides. I Eloff;- clath was indeed a gallant one, although even had he been supported by Snyman, his position must have been untenable. As the fight went on it was curious to watch Colonel Baden-Powell. He wore an expression of grave pre-occupation. The telephone exchange belli jangled, and messages from the outlying post., came over tho wires and were brought to him by a small cadec. Soon after sunrise another eyrious incident occurred. A splinter from one of the enemy's shells came with a sharp spat upon the rcadv. ay, in front of the cadet, who was bringing in a message. The shock knocked the youngster off his machine. In. a minute lie had measured the distance which lie had fallen from his bicycle, and delivered his message. Colonel Baden-Powell enjoyed the humour of the , situation immensely. The officer commanding the artillery took tho splinter from the boy and glanced at it. '" Fourteen-pounders are common," he paid, returning it. ""Nearer the' General, better for the correspondent," I thought, so I remained at headquarters here. A group of staff officers gatiiered, listening to the fusilbcle outside. The bullets whistled and shrieked, down the street and overhead, and I found a goo.d stout wall to be most acceptable. I had no hor»e; mine was converted into sausage some time ago, and so I was unable to make myself useful, but there Mas plenty of work for mounted ofnpei*3 and men, despite night attacks or anything else. Captain- Gordon Wilson's old soldier servant had prepared hot coffee. There was no sugar, but we were extraordinarily grateful.