Ivester Lloyd.]
Two newspaper correspondents risk their lives in an attempt to escape capture.
Feb. 8-12, 1900.] Fine Work done by the Australians.
Accuracy of Australian shooting.
Coles Kop and Slingersfontein evacuated.
[Feb. 12-15, 1900.
British retire to Arundel.
The Australians showed great steadiness and courage. A small party under Captain Cameron dismounted and covered the retreat of the others with a rapid and accurate fire. "They shot like lightning, not volley after volley straight in front of them, as do regular soldiers," said a Boer afterwards, "but every man picked his man and shot to kill. We dared not face them." The Boers endeavoured to work round them and cut them off, but at the right moment the colonials made a dash, mounted their horses, and rode off under a hail of bullets, with only one man slightly wounded. There can be no doubt that their skill in taking cover saved them from heavy loss, if not from annihilation. About a dozen Boers are said to have been killed. Mr. Hales was taken prisoner, but was afterwards released by the enemy. He had been only stunned by a fall from his horse. Another reconnoitring party of twenty Australians under Captain Moor had a precisely similar experience on this same day near Slingersfontein. They were surrounded on a kopje, and the Boers called to them to surrender. They replied by shouts of defiance, telling the enemy that "Australia is here to stay," and by their steady fire kept the burghers at bay. Meantime, Sergeant Edwards and two troopers ran the gauntlet of the enemy's rifles, and brought news to the nearest camp that the Australians would hold out till dusk. The 6th Dragoons were sent out to support them, and succeeded in getting them away with one killed and three wounded. On this same day the Boers began to drive in the British left, seizing Bastard's Nek, placing a 40-pounder in position there, and menacing the position at Coles Kop. On the 10th several British patrols were cut up, and Boer parties appeared on the road between Rensburg and Slingersfontein. The position was becoming untenable, and General Clements was hard put to it to hold his own. On the 12th the Boers vigorously attacked all along the line, and our troops were compelled hastily to abandon Coles Kop, sending down the two guns from the top. The half battalions of the Berkshires and Wiltshires were compelled to fall back upon Maeder's Farm, suffering considerable losses, the Wiltshires alone losing thirteen men. The 6th Dragoons and Australians covered the retirement in this quarter, and prevented the Boers, who came on in great numbers, from doing much damage. On the British right a determined attack was delivered by the enemy upon Slingersfontein, supported by the "Pom-Pom" and some field guns. They assaulted the kopjes on this flank, which were held by three companies of Worcesters under Captain Hovell, and, though their onset was repulsed, the Worcesters lost heavily, no less than fifteen men being killed and twenty-nine wounded. Severe punishment was, however, inflicted upon the Boers. The Bedfordshires and Royal Irish were also engaged, and were driven back on Slingersfontein. The Boers were seen to be moving their 40-pounder into a position whence it could shell the British camp, whereupon a further retirement was at once ordered. Under cover of darkness the troops evacuated Slingersfontein and concentrated at Rensburg. Even this point could not be long held, and on the 14th General Clements had once more to retreat to Arundel, after severe fighting. An "unfortunate occurrence" marked the retirement. Two companies of Wiltshires, who were on outpost duty near Rensburg, did not receive the order to evacuate their position and fall back with the rest of the troops, and remained behind. On the morning of the 15th they were surrounded on some kopjes and attacked by the Boers in overwhelming force. Escape was impossible; General Clements was too weak to give them any help or extricate them, even if he had known of their situation, and, after a brave resistance, in which 12 officers and men were killed and 45 wounded, 103 unwounded men laid down their arms. They had suffered terribly from thirst before they surrendered. The Boers claimed that their own losses were only the now invariable "two killed and four wounded."
