LATEST CAPE NEWS.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume VIII, Issue 1276, 21 March 1881, Page 2

LATEST CAPE NEWS.

THE BATTLE OF LAINUSNKK. [Per s s. llotomahana.] Natal, February 7. At six on the morning of January 28th the order to advanco was sounded. A mounted squadron, composed of seventy men of the GOth, led up to the Flat, which lies between here and Neck, followed by the Naval Brigade, with three rocket tubes, the 58th, and a body of artillery, with two seven-pounders and four nine-pounders, the Mounted Police bringing up in the rear with the ambulances. The Flat was reached without the enemy making any demonstration. The rocket tubes then took up a oosition on the left-front,. nearly facing the high road which runs through Neck. To the right two nine-pounders and seven-pounders were unlimbered, and on the extreme right the other two nine-pounders. One company of Rifles (a detachment of the 21st) and the Catlings were left in camp; At 9.55 the guns began shelling Neck. By this time the IJo'ers were seen at the top of Neck, but iof a shot had been tired by them. General Colley commanded in person, and was aware of the strength of the enemy's position, Majors Poole and Bukett having reconnoitred the place during the night. After three-quarters-of-an-hour's firing, during which the guns made excellent practice, i' was thought practicable to carry the position 500 yards to the left of the Boers' lines at Neck at the point of the bayonet. A mounted squadron was accordingly ordered to take the hill at the .extreme right, the 58th to carry the height, that is to say, the position just referred to. On the right, Colonel Deane, Major Easex, Major Poole, Lieutenant Ewes, Lieutenant linnan, staff, led. Major Brownlow and Captain Hornby commanded the Mounted Infantry. When the leading companies of the 58th got about halfway up the rise, the first troop of the mounted squadron, led by Major Brownlow and Sergeant-Major Luny, charged a kopje held by the enemy on the extreme right. The men rode close up to the place, and in about five seconds half the saddles were empty. As an instance of valour shown by the mounted men, Sergeant-Major Luny actually got into the trenches of the Boers, but was there immediately shot dead, half a dozen rifles being fired at him. The squadron retired after the first destructive volley, m d re-formed, and a second time charged up the hill the same way. Nothing, however, could live under the tire, and they fell back, with seventeen men killed and wounded, and thirty-two horses horn rtc combat. By the time the cavalry were in retreat, the *)Bth were attacking the hill. The iirst rush up the incline made the men blow hard. The grass was long, and the previous day's rain made a quick movement forward hard work. After two minutes' rest, they gained a slight ridge intervening between them and the position they were trying to reach. Before the order given to deploy to the right could bo carried out, and the moment the heads of our men were seen by the enemy over the ridge, and while the? men were somewhat crowded together, the front company received a terriflio volley, the Boers enfilading them on the right flank. After about live minutes under this fire our men retired as best they could. Colonel Deane called for a charge, .and immediately afterwards his horse was shot under him, and ho fall to th& ground. Springing to his feet lie reassured the men, calling out "I am all right." The words were hardly out of his lips when he fell again, this "time mortallywounded. When Colonel Deane called for a charge Major Hingeston and other officers went well to the front in order to encourage them for the desperate work before them. When the colonel was laid low Major Hingeston took command, and gave the order to fix bayonets. Ho was immediately shot down, and has since died. Tho Boers during this time kept well within their entrenchment, our men lying on the ground taking a shot whenever an opponent was seen. When the British rose up to charge the fire poured in to them ia described by every one who came back as something terrible to remember. Our men were actually within twenty yards of the trenches and lying on the ground kept up the fire. That of the Boers told with fearful effect, whilst ours was less destructive. .Here Major Poole and Lieutenant Dolphin were killed. Their bodies were found afterwards lying well to the front. Captain Lovegrove was seriously wounded, and nearly all tho non-commissioned officers were either killed or seriously wounded. Those who survived the fire say that in the Boer lines they saw coloured men armed for fighting, but whether Hottentots or Kaffirs they cannot say, Whether they were under compulsion or election ia an equally open matter.

The fact remains, however, and cannot be t disputed. The only commissioned officers with the regiment who came out of itare Captain Lovegrove(wounded) Lieutenant Jopp, Lieutenant Bolton, Hon. Monck, Acting-Adjutant O'Donnol (wounded), Morgan, Hill, Pool, Lacy, and Quarter-Master Wallace. Captain Hornby, of the 58th, in command of the mounted squadron, now commands the 58th. Out of. five staff officers there, only one, Major Essex, came out alive. He must bear a charmed life, being one of tliy .survivors of Isandula. Returning to the details of the encounter, there is but the fact to add that the 58th was compelled to retire. Lieutenant Bailie, who carried the regimental colors being mortally wounded, Lieutenant . Peel, offered to assist. "Never mind me, .save the colors," was the reply. Peel, who was carrying the Queen's color, took both, but, facing into a 'hole, Sergeant Brid.stock, thinking he had boon shot, took tho colors and ran with them out of danger. The body of Jliille was recovered on the following day, minus boots, leggings, &«. This applies to the accoutrements of all the men. When the retreat commenced, the Artillery began firing fast on the Boers, who now showed themselves and kept up a constant fiisilade oa our men. The shells did good service, and kept the Boers from following our men. But for the artillery at this moment tho loss of life must have been greater than it was on our side. The practice of the artillery wws really splendid, the shells dropping within ten or fifteen yards beyond the regiment in retreat. Upon reaching the foot of the hill, the 58th Regiment refilled their pouches with ammunition, and were prepared to make another attempt to storm the position. They found seventy-three killed and 100 wounded. The 58th having come up to the guns the whole force then fell back towards the camp. A Hag of truce was sent forward to the enemy, and both parties engaged in the work of burying the dead and removing the wounded. Tho offer of a surgeon to attend the wounded Boers was refused by them. They probably sent their, wounded away, as waggons were seen later on travelling in the direction of Wakkerstioom. General Col ley, addressing the troops after the. disaster at Lainganek, said " I wish everybody to understand that the entire blame of to-day's repulse rests on me, and not on any of you." T le went on to say that we had suffered no loss of prestige, and that ho- was determined to take the field. The Boer General's report on the battle, says that there were only from seventy to eighty Boers present when the blue jackets charged, but just then CommandantGeneral Joubert appeared on the scene with reinforcements. Joubert gives his loss at twenty-four disabled. At a public meeting at Maseru, Orange Free State, it was resolved to assist tho Transvaal with men and money, and to impede the progress of munitions of war towards that place and Basutoland, sup)lies of powder and weapons to the residents being stopped by the Cape Government. The Boers make ofh'cer shooting a speciality. The ">Bth is now commanded by a sub-Lieutenant, all the superiors having been killed. . Telegrams from Fort Elizabeth, Maritzburg, of the lGth February, reports an alleged counter revolution in the Transvaal. It is also reported that the Boer loss was greater than that of the English at Laingsnek.