PORT CHALMERS TO THE FORE.

Otago Witness, Issue 2467, 26 June 1901, Page 25

PORT CHALMERS TO THE FORE.

Lieutenant J. R. Macdonakl, of the fourth New Zealand contingent, writing to a friend, sends him the following graphic account of the plucky deed that deserve?, and in all probability will result in, the decoration of the V.C. being conferred upon Captain Arthur Bauchop : — Cyferfontein, February 12. 1901. Last night at half-past 10 a lantern was flashed in at my teat door and the adjutant spoke: "Sorry 10 disturb you, but it's rouse at 1 o'clock, parade at 1.45; no rations and no horsefeed; no lights and no fires; each man to carry 200 round?. Good night." I At 1 o'clock we got up and prraded in the dark. E\ cry thing was done quietly. a".d orders were given in an undertone. Without any noise except that occasioned by the jingling of a curb-chain or the sound of a, hoof striking a stone, we moved southwards down the slope in column of fours, and out over the grassy billows that he to the south of our camp. " Form troops " was passed back quietly, and the fours lode up into their troops. '• No smoking," came the subdued order, as some thoughtless individual in the rank* struck a match, and m silence the troops moved on through the long grass which deadened the sound of hoofs. "What is the game this morning?" we asked one another, but nobody knew except the 'brigadier. We were heading towards a long ridge about six or seven miles south of the camp. At length, towards daylight, we were told. A party of Boers were in laager behind a somewhat detached kopje which rose just behind the ridge, and we were to try to surround them. We were about 250 strong, composed of the fourth New Zealand, 19th Yeomanry, 14th Hussars, and the composite regiment. The New Zealanders were ordered to work round to the right and the Yeomanry to the left, while the Hussars and the composite formed the main body. There's not much fun in being with the main body. Bauchop was out in the front with a small advance guard of 16 men, and as I had the leading troop of our regiment I proceeded at once to steer to the right of a flat-topped kopje that rose above the ridge. I had got abreast of this kopje when orders were sent out to me to keep to the left of the kopje. This, unfortunately, spoilt my chance, for on riding over the ridge we saw the Boers getting oway from a small belt of timber at the foot of the conical kopje. Had I baen allowed to go round the right of the flat-topped kopje my troop would have come out well on their flank. As it was we were straight behind them. We blazed away at them and they scattered at the gallop, about 30 of them making to my right front, while 40 or 50 n>ade away to the left front •with an ox waggon and two carts. We gave chase to the 30, and the Yeomanry, accompanied by a troop of D Squadron, swept down after the party with the waggon. We chased our mob for about two miles over open, undulating country, but, finding that we were not gaining on them, gave it up, -and halted. The troop of D Squadron had no difficulty in getting up on the ox waggon and the carts, which they took, together with two prisoners — a man aud a boy who were driving them. When the chase began Captain Bauchop, with his advance guard, not knowing where we had gone, got away on the left with the Yeomanry, who continued the ] chase on that flank for about two miles. When the order to retire was given we on the right flank we«"e not pressed, but things soon became lively on the left. No sooner had the general retirement begun than the enemy began to reappear over the undulating ground, at first in threes and fours, then in twenties and thirties, till there were fully "200 of them. The Yeomanry, who did not number more than 100, had not time to ask where they all came from. They bad only time " to get," as the Boers galloped up into range, dismounted, and fired into them. And now occurred the most exciting incident of the day, and the most plucky action, yet recorded in the annals of the fourth New Zealand. Captain Bauchop, who had been acting on the left flank with the Yeomanry, was retiring with them, when he saw a Yeomanry trooper named Craig endeavouring 1 to drag an exhausted horse along. The bullets were flying fast, and Bauchop advised the man to shoot the horse and run. A Yeomanry officer rode up, and, borrowing the man's bavonct, tried to urge the horse along, when a Boer bullet put an end to the difficulty bykilling the animal. The Boers were now within 600 yard*. "Run, man, run!" shouted the Yeomanry officer, as he galloped or after his squadron, while Craig ran for his life with the bullets humming about his ears. The nearest cover was the belt of timber at the foot of the conical kopje, about threequarters of a mile away. Bauchop and tli3 I.Y. officer had got about half-way to this cover when they pulled up. and looked round. "That man y, ill lose his life if something isn't done," said the I.Y. officer. '"Yes," said Bauchop, "I'm going back for him," and putting- spurs to his horse he galloped back towards those cracking rifles. Before he had gone 100 yards a bullet thudded into his horse's flank, but he kept on till he reached the man, and, jumping off, told him to mount. Craig, who was completely " blown and beat," gasped out in most unmistakable Scotch : " No, no, sir : I can't do that. You're jan offieei , sir. I can't conscientiously take youi horse. ' ' " Get up," said Bauchop; "I'm fresh, and yon're done. You're only making us a target here." (i "No, sir, no! You go back," said Craig; "I'll manage to run." "Mount," cried Bauchop; "hang it, do you think I came back here to argue with you. Mount, l say ! " But the horse, trembling with the pain of its wound, excited by the firing, and anxious to get back to its companions, whined and neighed, md ■would not stand still. " Swioh," "fipp,"' came the bullet.*, while Bauchop held the animal by the head, and as Craig was mounting it was hit behind the shoulder. "Your hor»e is hit again, sir," cried Craig. " Never mind, he'll carry you to the timber," replied Bauchop as he freed the horse's head, and the poor brute, maddened by the pain, bolted for the bush, with Craig hanging on as best he could, and there fell dead. In the meantime the Yeomanry had reached the timber, and were replying to the Boer fire, as the New Zealand captain, who was riaking his life for one of their men, sped over that bullet-swept stretch of open veldt. Bauoiioe's cross-country runs of other clays

stood him in good stead now. He was sound in wind anci limb, and lie ran as he had never run before, the bullets flicking up the dust about his feet. He ran until he dropped. Then the Yeomanry officer galloped out, and, dismounting, gave Bauchop his horse while he took his turn at the race for life. Next, Lieutenant Burgoyne (of the signalling staff) galloped out, and, taking the Yeomanry officer up behind him, rode back with him to the timber. And then the principal actors in the scene had time to laugh and congratulate each other on their miraculous escape. We on the other flank were too far away to sco what was happening, and knew nothing about the incident til' we got back to camp and to breakfast at midday, after having been out 10 hours. Then I gathered the particulars from those who had witnessed the whole affair as well as from those who were concerned in it, and I ha~\e set down a plain, unvarnished tale — a bare, bald narrative of a gallant deed — purnosely refraining from dwelling on the deadly crackle of rifies and the hail of lead under which it was so daringly accomplished. But I hope I have made it clear that Port Chalir.ers has reason to be proud of her representative Men have got the V.C. for less.