Papurau Newydd Cymru

Chwiliwch 15 miliwn o erthyglau papurau newydd Cymru

Cuddio Rhestr Erthyglau

21 erthygl ar y dudalen hon

Haverfordwest Town Council.

Grand Concert at Milford Haven.

APPROACHING EVENTS

IDo You Know ?

INEW JUSTICE -OF THE PEACE…

----- -,--I -MILFORD HAVEN.

Dates to be Remembered at…

FOOTBALL.

ITHE WAR.

TO-DAY'S WIRES. I

I YULE'S RETREAT I

GREAT BATTLE AT GLENGOE.

Newyddion
Dyfynnu
Rhannu

GREAT BATTLE AT GLENGOE. DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGHT. HEROISM OF BRITISH SOLDIERS. HEAVY FATALITIES ON BOTH SIDES. The Central News Correspondent wiring from Glencoe Camp on Friday evening says :— The 13?er plan of campaign was devised with consider- able skill. It provided for a simultaneous attack upon Glencoe by three different columns, aggregating about 7,000 men. The first column detached from the large Boer camp on the Ingagane River had halted yesterday at HattingsprLlit on the main road between here and Dannhauser. It was under the command of General Erasmus. The second column, which was the largest and most powerful of the three, had made a long detour by way of Alrecht and Vrvheid, and crossing the frontier at Landman s Drift moved upon Glencoe due east. This was commanded by Commandant Lucas Meyer. The third column was composed almost entirely of burghers of the Orange Free State. It was commanded by Gen. Viij oen, and marched from Waschbouk on the railway gouth of Glencoe. It was Viljoen's column which had previously destroyed the railway and telegraphic com- munication between Glencoe Junction and Ladysmith, causing us considerable annoyance. General Joubert's instructions to the commanders of the various celumns were, it is understood, distinctly to the effect that Erasmus was to lure the whole British forces on to the northern road towards Hattingspruit. While the British were engaged in the apparently easy task of wiping out Erasmus s column, Viljoen and Meyer were to fall upon them in the rear and in the flank, and annihilate them. Of all this General Symons was well aware, and he took his measures accordintrlv But I THE BOER PLAN CAME TO GRIEF. I Being unaole to keep in telegraphic touch with each other, the three commanders blundered on with no thought of the all-important question of time. The result was that Meyer's force precipitated the battle before even the Hattingspruit column was within strik- ing distance and while Yiljoen and his Free Staters were a long way to the south. There was therefore no simul- taneous attack, and Meyer's force, numbering about 4,000 men with six guns had to bear the whole brunt of the battle. General Symons had no sleep last night, and few of his staff fared any better. Their vigilance was cease- less, for it was by no means improbable that there might be a night attack. It was, in fact, still night when the first shot broke the trying and depressing stillness. A picket of the Royal Dublin Fusiliers had challenged a prowling picket of the enemy two miles out from the camp, and exchanged shots with them. That was at 4 o'clock in the morning, and thereafter the entire camp were under arms and keenly expectant. One of the Fusiliers had been wounded in this opening incident, and he was passed back through the lines. It was evident that the main foroe of the enemy was located at the top of Smith's Hill, a rugged height to the east completely commanding the camp and town of Dundee, and General Symons proceeded to slightly alter the disposition of some of the troops, so that there was plenty of movement even before dawn. The General himself went out with his staff and a small escort reconnoitriug, and when he came in again everything was in perfect readiness and every officer and man on the alert. At half-past 5 pre- cisely the roar of artillery commenced. THE TIOER" FIRED THE OPENING SHOT from thier battery on to the hill. It fell actually in the I town of Dundee, but the shell did not burst and no damage was done. Within five minutes all the Boer guns were at work. Shell after shell whizzed over into the town and camp. The range was good at first, but strange to say not a shell burst and no man was hit. Perfect discipline was all this time maintained in camp, our men ll"g to their arms or lying prone at the word of command. At 20 minutes to 6 two of our batteries opened fire upon the enemy's position, and our gunners very quickly demonstrated their immense su- periority over the Dutchmen. They planted shell after shell right in the midst of the Boers, and the missiles ex- ploding to perfection wrought havoc in the enemy's ranks. The effect of our fire soon became apparent. The Boer gunners, poor shots at the best, evidently lost their nerve, and the range and aim got worse as our shells pounded them. The artillery was pretty to watch, but it was an unequal one. It could scarcely have been otherwise, for we had in action three splendid field batteries, the L]tli, the 07th, aud the (39th. There are NO I'rXEg GUNNERS IS THE EPITISlf ARMY. I and to-day all of them justified their reputation. The range was at first 5,000 yards, yet scarcely one shell failed to reach the top of the hill, and the majority burst right ui, Oll their mark. The best disciplined troops in the world would have been tried to .the utmost in such I oiicumstauces. Tha Boers could not stand it indefinitely, Early in the duel some of them began to move away fr ()- 'll! the fire zone. By a quarter past six several of the Boer I guns became sileut, either put out of action by our terrible fire or deserted by their own gunners. In another half hour the Boer artillery had ceased to hre, aud the enemy could be seen moving over the crest of the hill, but the majority still remained on the ridge, and the Maxims protected the lines of probable assault. General Symous, who, with his staff, had been following every detail, now issued a rapid succession of orders, and soon | our infantry were on the move towards the Boer position. The lead was taken by the King's Royal Rifles and the Dublin Fusiliers, and very workmanlike they looked as they advanced in skirmishing order to the east, leaving the town of Dundee just on their right. There was now a lull in the battle, and the weather, which had been fine became threatening. The sky was overcast, and a mist began to settle on the hillside. Not more than half our force were advancing to the attack, for other dangers believed to be imminent had to be guarded against. The Boer column under Erasmus had been found by our scouts at Biggarsdrift, only a few miles away, and the Hattingspruit contingent were reported to be moving from the north with the knowledge that the engagement had commenced without their indispensable co-operation, These two columns would have brought the strength of the enemy up to 9,000 men therefore the 18th Hussars, the Leicester Regiment, and the Yolunteers and mounted infantry still remained in and near the camp. The lull did not last long, and the enemy were the first to break in upon it. Our men had to pass over some two miles of broken ground, and they did not waste their fire. The Boers SEEMED TO GET AN ATTACK OF THE NERVES, lor tney openea a heavy rifle fire with little result, and then their Maxims began to Ig bark." Up till this moment the Army surgeons had had little to do. The infantry had not proceeded far when the 13th and 69th TT,'olf] R!lttAl'lp. 'trhnh rln_=. +-1. "1n1"'OO nr.l \1 h" x IOIU uuiiiig wit; UjJcu.mg uuci iuu uecii stationed on an eminence near the coalfields, were moved forward. They had done their woik well, and the Boer guns were mute. They were now wanted to cover the infantry advance. As a spectacle the scene was truly superb. To the Boers it meant heavy slaughter. The wonder almost is that the enemy with- stood the fearful fire for au hour at a stretch. The critical moment had come. The Boers poured down lead from the Maxims and rifles, and despite the clever mauner in which our men took cover, they began to fall quickly. By toilsome and steady work the Fusiliers and Riflemen at length secured good positions high up on the hillside whence it would be feasible to make the final rush. Suddenly the artillery ceased firing. Another moment, and at'the word of command our men fired two volleys, aId then with wild battle cries their pent-up emotion and energy found vent in an irristible rush up the remainder of the hill, and a swinging charge right among the enemy. For a quarter of au hour there was bloody work at short range and then at close quarters. Then the Boers fled in dis- orderly retreat, closely pursued by our men and the mounted infantry as THE ENEMY STAMPEDED DOWN THE HILLSIDE they round to their dismay that the whole regiment ot Hussars had forestalled them. The cavalry had got right to the enemy's rear, had captured many of their horses, and stampeded the others. One contingment of the enemy were thus perfectly helpless. They fought well enough for a little time, and then those who were left surrendered. It was found that the Boer battery con- sisted of six guns, and all of these fell into our hands. Immediately the loth and 69th Batteries had completed their work of clearing the way for the final storm of Smith's Hill, all the guns limbered up, and almost as mobile as Horse Artillery, they thundered along to the west of the enemy's position for the purpose of cutting off the Boer retreat, in which work they rendered signal service, together with the mounted Infantry and Hussars. They gave the beaten enemy no p,u,e or rest, and com- pleted their demoralisation. They came into touch also with the Hattingspruit column, and gave a good account of that belated contingent with the help of the Leicester Regiment. I compute that the battle had raged six hours before there was any appreciable slackening of the Maxim and rifle firing of the enemy. It was high noon when our artillery moved forward nearer to Smith's Hill aud just under Smith's Farm. Taking up a bold position on the open flats thev then opened a brisk fire upon both hills on either side of Smith's An infantry detach- e k An infantry detach- ment also moved forward into a donga nearer the hill- side. The earlier advance of the infantry from Smith's Plantation up the hill to take up a position under a ridge three-fourths of the way up to the summit was A MOST BKILLIANT PIECE OF WORK. I I I As long as they had to remain there they had grand cover. All the dongas about the hill were filled with British infantry. The mounted infantry remained till past three o'clock at the back of the plantation at Dundee Farm, whence they took part in the dispersal of the second force of Boers. After taking up a new position the artillery opened fire upon a Kaffir kraal on the farther side of Smith's Nek, where a strong force of Boers were located. This position was quickly cleared, our fire being so precise and destructive as to make the position untenable by any troops. The two batteries occupied the most of the next hour in shelling every spot where Boers showed themselves or were suspected of being under cover. It was rarely that a shell was wasted, and invariably when one burst it was followed by the scurrying of Boers whom it had reached. The weather became cold as soon as the mist began to come down, and so continued until evening. The British losses iu killed and wounded number about 200. The Boer loss is estimated at 1,000.

:ANOTHER BRILLIANT IBRITISH…

I OFFICIAL REPORT.

DUNDEE ABANDONED.

Departure of Welsh Fusiliers.

The Sad Occurence at Pembroke…

Pembrokeshire Men at Natal.…

Family Notices

INEYLAND.

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