DETAILS FROM LADYSMITH

Te Aroha News, Volume XVI, Issue 22209, 6 March 1900, Page 2

DETAILS FROM LADYSMITH

THE: GARRISON’S SUFFERINGS THE WHOLE. DISTRICT CLEAR BRILLIANT ASSAULT BY THE TROOPS:

London, March 3. General Buller shelled the trenches at the nek leading to, Pieter’s Hill. Buller used 95 guns with lyddite, sweeping the entire range. The havoc was terrible.The wounded were yellow from the fumes.. The British infantry, advancing to three simultaneous assaults, felt the effects of the fumes.. Lieut.-Colonel Kitcehner, commanding Wynne’s brigade, bore the brunt of the engagement. The Royal Lancasters, the South Lancasliires accompany thorn, led the assault: The Boers doggedly stuck to the trenches in the nek, until bayoneted. The flank onslaughts were irresistible. The Boera were paralysed, firing wildly. Those persisting were-bayoneted in trench after trench. The Royals on reaching the summit surmounted their bayonets with their helmets. - The West Surreys on- the leffe and Barton’s forces on the right,, completed the victory. A hundred prisoners were taken, the majority being Hollanders,, who were glkd to be taken. The British buried 1 100*Boers. Seven: officers were killed and 25 wounded, including an Australian, H. B. Maccartney, of the Royal' Fusiliers. Our casualties in men were 1 TO. When- Grubler’s Kloof was evacuated artillery was pushed to the limits of the position won by the Boers. Buller on Friday wired “ The defeat of the Boers is fuller than I dared- anticipate. The whole district is clear except on top of Van Reenan’s Pass. Ladysmith lost 30 officers and 513’ men killed or by disease ; 70 officers and 520 men wounded,, exclusive of civilians and natives. Eight thousand soldiers passed’ through the hospital. The garrison suffered great privations since the middle of January.. Rations were reduced after each of Bliller’s rebuffs. The final allowance was half a pound of horse flesh, half a pound of biscuits, an ounce of sugar,- one- third of an ounce of tea daily; The garrison was pale and’ listless and’unable to- join in pursuing theBoers;

Most of the horses Belonging to the field Batteries were converted [into soup and sausages. Twelve thousand shells were thrown into the town.. They did little dhmage ; only killed 35 and wounded 188. Cronje has arrived 1 at Simonstown. He occupies the Admiral’s quarters on Board the Doric; Lord Roberta now admits that he considered it almost impossible to> relieve Ladysmith The Queen’s message to Buller- and White began u Thank God,”’ and -after congratulations paid a tribute to the heroism displayed. General White in thanking the Queen said the hardships and privations had been compensated for a hundredfold By the sympathy and appreciation of the Queen’s message, which

would do more to restore the officers and men than anything else. . Uord Roberts has reached Asfontein. six miles east of Paardeburg;. Tive thousand Boers have assembled four miles further east.