THE TRUTH ABOUT LINDLEY.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 7133, 25 June 1901, Page 2

THE TRUTH ABOUT LINDLEY.

AN EYE-WITNESS'S TALE OF UNAUTHORISED SURRENDER. (By P. C. BURTON, D.C.O, in-UJbe "Daily Mail.) He-na is the true story of the Liodl&y affair, whichi for mia<ny months past has j been occupying the minds and attention of the ever-critical and curious British pub--lie. The 13th Battalion; of Imperial Yeomanry was composed of four squadrons of mounted' infantry, made up as follows: — The 46th Squadron, known as the Irish \ Hunt Corps, and recruited! from the ranks of the well-known hunting men of Ireland ; ; the 46th and 54th Squadrons, men. recruited from Belfast and the North: of Ireland ; and, lastly, the 47tli Squadron, or "Duke of Cambridge's Own." The whole battalion was under command of LieutenantColonel Spragge, D.S.O. It was on May 21 of last year that we started from Bloemfontein with orders to proceed to Kroonstad. At the time Lord Roberts was nearing the Vaal River. We (reached Kroonstad; on May 25, and were here joined by the Irish. Hunt^orps, who had com© on by train from Bloemfontein, with Lord Longford as squadron-com-man<ier.., . ■..,.. where the telegram came "\ FROM; About twelve o'clock on the same day Colonel Spragge received a wire orderingthe regiment to join General Sir Henry Colvile at Lindley, a distance of f orty-seven> | miles to the east of Kroonstad. Several statements have been made by ill-informed correspondents respecting this telegram. Some have said the telegram came from General Colvile, while others stated it came from the Boers. But on . wihat authority hare these statements being made? Colonel Spragge 'has never stated that he received 1 the wire from General Colvile ; neither has he ever said that it was a bogus Boer wire. The telegram came in the usual way from head-quarters, and there is -no question of dcubfc about >its authenticity. General Spragge immediately sent a reply that tthe regiment would reach Lindley on Sundey, May 27. It- has been stated by Dr Co-nan Doyle that we had a convoy with us. But this is not a fact. We had no convoy, and excepting =faro days' rations for the men and forage for our horses, we carried the least possible amount of bag- j gage. -„ ! At 1 p.m. on Sunday, the afternoon) of j the- 27th, we came in sight of the village j of Lindley. Our eyes searched the neigh- j bouring hills and ground for the column j wthich we were expecting to join. But Colvile had gone, and Spragge was warned that the neighbourhood was swarming with Boers. The Colonel, therefore, decided to j continue liis march: to Heiibron, Whither he ' li€»r& General Colvile had gone. But before doing so he entered the town, with a view of obtaining supplies for our men. IN THE TRAP. The baggage and main body were lefb two i miles outside Lindley, and the advancad squadron continued towards the village with all military precautions, pushiug round the flanks and occupying the high ground beyond. The enemy's scouts could be seen riding along the oresft of the neighbouring hills, and a few sholt were exchanged. We found there was nothing eatable in the town, so some individuals in the corps started foraging on tJutiv own account. This lasted about a quarter of ah, hour, when the sounds of heavy rifle fire aJt the other end of the town warned us that our advanced party was being attacked. This was. followed 'by a fusillade from- all round the town. Bullets rained like hail in the market-place, where stood our led 'horses,'and a few men holding them. All this time we could not see a Boer, so well were they concealed. Several small parities of our men made up firing lines in different parts of the town, but we were subject- to a 'heavy cross lire, before which we were compelled to retire. The Duke of Cambridge's Own, with . Captain Keith in command, were ordered to cover the retreat. If it had not been for this move, many more men -would have been killed in retiring. As it was, we only ,lost cne man, and one horse killed, and a few horses woundtd. We reached the waggons and main body, which had halted about two miles outeofe, n.nd found that they too had been attaoEed, bufc had driven off the enemy for the time being. AT BAY. The D.C.O. 's were ordered to take up a position on two neighbouring kopjes, com-man-ding the approach to Lindley by road, aDd also a waterway. Opposite these kopjes, and on the other side of tie stream-, was the Kafßr kraal, which Colonel Spragge chose as the main position. On the ot-her side of this kraal, and occupying a long low-lying ridge, w«r.e the tJiree squadrons of Irish Yeomanry. This was how the regiment was apportionedi at daybreak on the morning of May 28. Tie evening before 00-lonel Spragge had despatched mounted .msflsengers f wi+h despatches to Generals Colvile aad Rundle, ths. latter bei-noc then at Senekal. some forty mile? south of Lindley. Smith, tie colonial scout, vrlio tried 'to reach Rundle. was captured, we a fterwards 'heard, and shot as a spy, but the other men. got through to General Colvile and delivered Colonel Spragge-'s message. It was not the bugle sound vk reveille that woke us on Monday morning, it was the pick-pock of the Mauser riffr. The Boers had opened the ball by attacking the two kopjes held by the D.C.O.'s. The firing was returned with interest, and thas kept up all day. Parties of Boers could be seen riding about from position to position., and gradually drawing a cc-rdonround cur -different positions. W$ knew we were being surrounded, but. Colonel Spraggo hoped for relief, and, therefore, decided to 'hold on to- his position. Our food supply was exhausted. Ou Tueeday morning we acfain awoke with the rattle of the Mfcuser in our ears. .This 'time it came from different quarters. \Ve knew that brother ■ rßoer had tfoen j surrounded uv and our retreat to Kroon- j stacl or elsewhere was cut off. All that ; day the fire was kept up, neither side gaining an advantage. The day closed with a number of killed; amd VciHKfed added to our already long list. With Wednesday morning oama the same old tune. THE WHITE FLAG WITHOUT ORDERS. On the morning of tlie 31st the enemy were reinforced by 2500 m«n with five gums and two Maxims as against our 468 men, a fourth of whom were employed . with led horses and other duties outsida the firing line. At daylight Colonel I Spragge ord«reid Lord Longford with forty men to clear a lull one mile south, which he did mot* gallantly a* the ]>oint of the bayonet, and, though wcunded an three place.?, this splendid" officer kspt command j of the little band throughout ths day under _ a terrific rifle fire. j All th:« tinw the two kopjes which were ; held by the D.C.O.'s and the main position' w«re being subjected to a merciless rifle and shrapnel-shell fire. Reinforcements were asked for, and Colonel Spragge immediately ojcdered Captain Humby with j the Ulster squadron to the assistance of i the D.C.O.'*. But before tftey could ar- ! rive *v order haid been given on the fore- . most kopje to retire. Three or four men, among whom wa« Corporal Jacques, moi> hearing tihe order, renla'tted on top, and before they knew what had happened, they w«re looking down the barrels of hundreds of Mauser riflfs. Jacques, therefore, ; hearing the order, remained on top, and he and his small party were takan prisoner?. Lieutenant Robins, together with the remainder had by this time reach- i ed the bottom of the first kopje, and were j preparing to v&uxfarxi* *-U« wound. I^flot.- j

ing round Lieutenant Robins saw the white flag flying, and immediately ordered the "cease fire." Ranging the now captured men along the top of the two kopjes, the Boers commenced to rain bullets on to our position in the kraal over the -beads of our oto men. It was impossible, therefore, for us to refcnrn their fire without shooting our own men. There was nothing for us to do but surrender.