LETTER FROM TROOPER WITTY.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 6795, 15 May 1900, Page 1

LETTER FROM TROOPER WITTY.

Mr G. Witty, of Templeton, has received a letter from his brcther, who is a member of Bethune's Mounted. lnfantry,- dated from Botha's Farm, on March 14. It states that though the writer was still in the Ladysmith relief column, just before the relief he was sent, with others, round to Zululand. They wore reckoned as having taken part in the relief, as they were on the right flank, and would receive a bar on the medal. Nome of them liked going round to Zululaaidj and thus missing the entry into Ladysmith, as they had followed the- Boers all the way from Estcourt, and had always been in the front. Thsy were then going towards Dundee, which was about 40 miles further up the line from Ladysmith, and not far from the Transvaal border. They crossed the Tugela River on March 11, and weTS going to a place called Helpmakaar. When they got about nineteen, miles over the river, they found about 1500 Boers strongly entrenched, with four Maxim-Nordenfeldt and two heavy guns. The Mounted Infantry got within six hundred yards bafore they were noticed, and opened firo on about thirty Boers, killing nine and wounding the rest. The Boens then started shelling the infantry, and as the latter had no artillery with them, and tidy four Maxims, and the Boers numbered 1500 men as against only 400 men, the infantry retired over the Tugela River, where they waited, for reinforcements. At this camp there were about 800 Alounted Infantry, the Umvoti Mounted Rifles being attached to them. . TJie King's Royal Rifles, with some 'big guns, were expected to be the reinforcements. General Buller said that the Mounted Infantry were the best irregular boys that he had, that they had' done most hard work, and that none of the others could come up to them at scouting. Whan they heard that Ladysmith and Kimberley were .relieved, there were great rejoicings, and they held' a sports meeting, including horse races, on© of which the writer won.