There Have Been Few Finer Infantry Advances During The
War, For The Veld Was Perfectly Flat And The Fire Terrific.
A mile
of ground was crossed by the fusiliers.
Three gallant
officers - Dick, Elliot, and Best - went down; but the rush of the
men was irresistible. At the edge of the ditches the supports
overtook the firing line, and they all surged into the trenches
together. Then it was seen how perilous was the situation of the
Boer snipers. They had placed themselves between the upper and the
nether millstone. There was no escape for them save across the
open. It says much for their courage that they took that perilous
choice rather than wave the white flag, which would have ensured
their safety.
The scene which followed has not often been paralleled. About a
hundred and fifty burghers rushed out of the ditches, streaming
across the veld upon foot to the spot where their horses had been
secreted. Rifles, pom-poms, and shrapnel played upon them during
this terrible race. 'A black running mob carrying coats, blankets,
boots, rifles, &c., was seen to rise as if from nowhere and rush as
fast as they could, dropping the various things they carried as
they ran.' One of their survivors has described how awful was that
wild blind flight, through a dust-cloud thrown up by the shells.
For a mile the veld was dotted with those who had fallen.
Thirty-six were found dead, thirty were wounded, and thirty more
gave themselves up as prisoners.
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