HOW DEWETSDORP WAS DEFENDED.

Greymouth Evening Star, Volume XXXI, 30 January 1901, Page 4

HOW DEWETSDORP WAS DEFENDED.

The following account of the siege of Dewetsdorp and the surrender of the garrison has been furnished by one of the released prisoners:—

The garrison defending the position close to the town consisted of a company of Highland Light Infantry, three companies of the 2nd Gloucesters, a company of the Boyal Irish, and some Orange Elver Colony Police, with two guns, the whole under Major Mussy. The first shot was fired on the evening of November 17.

The garrison were invested on the morning of the 18th, the enemy mounting a gun eastwards.^ The Boers poured in a heavy rifle fire, but there were few casualties. From the first the enemy directed their attcniion to the position occupied by the Highlanders. The neighbouring ground was favorable for attack, and the Boers crept nightly nearer, while the firing went on unceasingly throughout the day and most of the night.

The water supply was cut off on the 20th, with the exceptiion of a small quantity which was fetched nightly by volunteers. The garrison under a hot sun suffered dreadfully from thirst. It wis evident on the 22nd that the ground occupied by the Highlanders was untenable, and they retired the same night on the main position.

During the retirement the enemy attempted to rush the defenders when only ten Highlanders were left. The Highlanders immediately called loudly to each other to fix bayonets, which disconcerted the enemy, and gave our men ample time to retire,

Throughout the last two days the farthest range from which the Boers fired was 650 yards The occupation of the Highlander's trenches made the position hopeless. The garrison were subjected to a crosa-fire. They had no water, and the men were hardly able to lift their rifles. Sixteen out of the eighteen men of the gun detachment were killed or wounded. The last rounds were fired by the ser-geant-farrier, who carried the ammunition and fired the piece alone. November 2:1 was the hottest day of the siege. The men's tongues began to swell with thirst and their situation was pitiable, as the enemy's fire was coming from every direction. Major Massy therefore decided that it was impossible to continue the struggle, and at half-past five the white flag was hoisted. De Wet and Steyn then entered the defence, De Wet congratulated Major Massy on the plucky defence made by the garrison, and Steyn said the losses of the Boers in killed were greater than those of the British in wounded.

The prisoners who were subsequently taken at Baalband said that the Boors had lost their best man at Dewetsdorp, and would never again attempt to take a fortified post. The British buried some ammunition, which was not discovered by the Boers.