STAMPEDE OF ARMY HORSES.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 8156, 2 November 1904, Page 2

STAMPEDE OF ARMY HORSES.

ONE THOUSAND BREAK LOOSE IN CAMP. One thousand stampeding horses burst upon Sir John French's sleeping cavalry camp near Southampton in the early hours of Sunday morning, September 4, and, galloping wildly through the tents in which the soldiers were asleep, smashed up the entire camp, and fchen fled all over the country. The result "to the animals was most disastrous. Many were killed ; more than half the remainder seriously injured themselves. Several soldiers who were trampled upon sustained severe injuries, whioh in the case of one man at least (a trooper of the Bth Hussais) threatened to prove iatal. The stampede had the consequence of rendering two Hussar regiments unfit for setvice in tihe Essex manoeuvres, and tlhey were sent back to AMersihot, from which they had marched out on the Thurarlay morning. This is the brief outline of a sensation, replete with most alarming incidents, which developed out of a comparatively trivial circumstance — the shooting of a wounded troop horse. The force to which this sudden and unforeseen disaster happened w.as the Red column of cavalry, mounted infantry, .Royal Horse Artillery, and linesmen under command of Lieutenant-Colonel Duff, C.8., of the Bth Hussars. It comprised the Bth Hussars. 14th Hussars, the V Battery R.H.A.', two companies of moamted infantry, and) the Ist Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders. The cavalry and artillery sections of the column pitched their camp for Saturday night on Baddesley Common, intending to reach in the course of Sunday the port of Southampton, where the whole of General French's expeditionary army embarks for Essex. . ■ • Special care had been taken in pegging the horses for the night owing to the ground being soft from the heavy rain, and"because, in previous manoeuvres some of the troop horses pulled out their pegs and stampeded. The occurrence was accordingly not due to want of special precautions against a most dangerous form of panic, which, it may be recalled, was a favourite Boer device against British camps in the South African war. CAUSE OF THE STAMPEDE. A horse of the Bth Hussars, while plunging about in the horse lines, broke its leg, and a veterinary surgeon decided to shoot the animal where it stood. It was then 2 a.m., and in the stillness of the morning the flash and Teport so terrified the, surrounding horses that with a. great 1 plunge niajw shook themselves free. With loud! neighings these broke among the outer animals; all of tixep. escaped', and in a few minutes 600 troop hors-e-s, released; from any restraint and blind with terror, were dashing at full speed! through the sleeping camp. Tents in whioh the Hussar* were lying were traritpled to the ground. Suddenly awakened men, who scrambled from beneath the canvas, lay full length on the ground to avoid the horde that raced past them. The maddened horses swept on to the lines of the 14th Hussars and R.H.A. ; whose animals also caught the panic, and joined the stampede. 1000 HORSES AT LARGE. ' * One thousand horses were now loose. Hardly a cavalry horse was left at its post.. The artillery, whose horses were better secured, as they were attached to the guns and limbers, lost only a proportion of their animals. . The horses, as th?y rushed from the camp over the common, broke into droves of fifties and hundreds and scattered in all directions. . The iron-shod .picket pegs, whirling in the air at the end of the trailing ropes which they dragged after them, struck the horses every few minutes, goading them onwards at full: speed and inflicting upon them serious wounds. Many of the animals, unable to maintain the speed for long, fell and broke their necks. Scores in their flight across country dashed against barbed wire fences, . lacerating their bodies. One squadron of 200 horses galloped through, the main streets of "Winchester soon after 4 a.m., Avith a mad clatter loud enough to rouse all the sleeping inhabitants. They had covered fourteen miles of country on their way home again to Aldershot. Another drove of a hundred made southwards, and, reaching the Southampton camp, where the infantry of Colonel Duff's column was lying, raced through the lines of sleeping infantry. The wild incursion roused the camp, and many men turned out. GALLOP THROUGH SOUTHAMPTON. The horses dashed onwards, having cleared the camp lines without doing any serious injury. They entered Southampton by various routes at full gallop, the ring of their hoofs on the hard roadway resounding like a number of anvils in the stillness of the night. The whole city was awakened by the unusual clatter, and wondered as to the cause. Several of the animals were severely injured by rushing against, the ©\ectric tramway standards, and lay Where they fell maimed and exhausted. Part of the Southampton tramway route was under repair, and a few horses in their reckless rush came to grief in the trenches, scattering or smashing the guiding lanterns. Like the charge of a cavalry regiment another squadron galloped down High Street, and, reaching the ancient Bargate, smashed themselves against the masonry in their frantic efforts to force a way through the narrow passage. ; One poor horse broke its neck by jumping over the western esplanade. Soon many of them reached the waters of Southampton Harbour. Their terror, unexhausted by their run, continued so great that without hesitation they plunged into the harbour. Quickly behind them there came running; many soldiers from the nearest camp. Boats quickly put out, and by this means the swimming animals were rounded up. Many were drowned ; the remainder weTe rescued after landing stages had been broken down to get them ashore. At Baddesley Common the camp was aroused as quickly as possible Examination then showed that only three. out of 500 Bth Hussar horses— among whack the panic originated— remained at their pegs. Search parties were sent out, and remained, out all the morning, and the greater .part of the following day. Alone the roadside horses were found dead or dying. By 9 a.m. twenty had been reported dead. Up to noon only half the missing animals had been recovered. At a late hour in the afternoon there Avera still 100 unrecovered. Of those brought bac.k nearly one-half were injured, more or less seriously. At Stockbridge a troop of twelve was captured. Others were found on farms within a circle of twenty miles ; some at, Woolmer Forest, Lyndhurst and Jiastleiffh. Captufed animal* were coming back all day in charge of soldiers and civilians. Onfdetachment of the 14th Hussan* had on reaching camp 284 horses; next day it had 111 urjured and seventy ™ s *? n S; From tho uninjured remnant of the thousandl Vtampeded harses the .^•"««" decided to make up a squadron «ufc f ronj the Bth and 14th Hussars,, and sendthem to the manoeuvres as divisional cavalry. • Cmnainder of the two regents were ordered home by train, and General French SK? to Tide/shot for another cavalry Ssen?t£ replace the Bth Hum**. The Ist RoYal Dragons were selected, and they sta^y^aU for .Southampton the aaale 6 TSnload of wounded horses w*£ sent haoktVAldershot for surgical treatment.