A VISIT TO THE SCENE.

Wanganui Chronicle, Issue 15000, 15 May 1900, Page 1

A VISIT TO THE SCENE.

On the following day the same correspondent telegraphed :— I have just returned from a visit to tbe scene of yesterday's action. The spruit where the Boers were hidden was occupied till this morning when the enemy retired on perceiving our Bcouts. We found all our wounded well attended to by SurgeonMajor North, from whom I heard the story of the affair. It was evidently only due to Colonel Bro'adwood's magnificent handling that any member of the force was enabled to escape. The enemy v:is commanded by Reichmann, a German American.

Two Dutch military attaches were left in pur hands by the Boers, one named Nix being dangerously wonnded. Four Dutch military attaches are with the Boers. The enemy are still holding the waterworks, and a line of kopjes behind. General French's cavalry division has arrived.

To-day General French's cavalry division and the scouts found the spruit which was the scene of yesterday's action, held by a few Boers, who galloped back towards the waterworks. I immediately followed, and arrived at the drift where the Boers stopped and captared our cenvoy. It was one of the most terrible scenes I have ever witnessed. Dead horses were stretched ont in'variour attitudes of sudden death, while here arid there was a dead soldier, and broken-down weapons, food and forage'were scattered about, the whole telling a terrible tale.

It is impossible to conceive a more ingenious trap. Colonel Broadwood's presence of mind alone enabled any member of the party to. escape. The drift crossed the spruit at a point where the ground rose immediately towards a grassy knoll, on the slopes of which facing the drift, was a stone enclosure, whence it was possible to fire over the drift. The north spruit made a circular bend, while the south embankment of the railway in course of construction enablen the enemy to pour in a terrible fire from three sides as well as a, double tier of fire from the front.

When the convoy was first assailed a scene of terrible confusion followed ; mules stampeded and waggons were overturned, while all the time a deadly fire was maintained. When the first battery appeared, the enemy seemed undersirous of continuing the slaughter, and demanded a surrender, with the result as told yesterday in my dispatch. Nothing was then known of the gallant behaviour of N. Battery Which, escaping from the back of the convoy under a heavy fire, come fnto action, and shelled the enemy with' "the four remaining guns.