CHAP. IV. Attack on The attack on the fort commenced by the enemy opening fire from the walls and gardens of the town, and then throwing forward flanking attacks-the left the fort. of which was, however, never developed. Their right came on boldly into the open, some riding forward until they got cover from the cemetery wall—360 yards to the north-east. From this position they were dislodged by three or four shells; and, similarly, the advance of the main body was checked and driven to the north end of the town. Besides the garrison of the Court-house-which was supported by artillery-fire on portions of the town occupied by the enemy that of the jail was also hotly engaged. In twenty minutes the combined artillery and rifle fire had caused the enemy to retire from all sides, with the loss, it was believed, of many men and horses, their leader-Assistant Commandant-General Cronjé-having had two horses killed under him. Some desultory firing went on during the 17th and morning of the 18th, until a white flag appeared hoisted at the Court-house. The cause for the latter seems to have been little anticipated at the fort; but soon after, one of the leading Boers of the place-Mr Erasmus-appeared, under a flag of truce, bringing a letter to the commanding officer, which stated that Major Clarke, finding his position untenable, had surrendered, but that the lives of the garrison would be spared and good treatment given to the prisoners. It was hoped that the remaining posts would now also be given up. A truce was proclaimed until 4 P.M. Lieut.-Colonel Winsloe replied to the effect IV. CHAP. that the surrender made by Major Clarke did not affect the other positions held by her Majesty's troops. Truce. Boer treachery. The jail abandoned. Advantage was taken, on both sides, of the interval of truce, to strengthen their respective positions. The gun-pits at the north-east corner of the fort were deepened and traverses erected. The white flags on either side were still flying, when, a few minutes before four o'clock-the hour named for the expiration of the truce-and while many soldiers were exposed, the Boers poured in a volley, luckily only wounding one man, at the jail, but severely in two places. Lieut.-Colonel Winsloe declares that there was no excuse for this act of treachery. That officer also relates that "A few Boers carried explosive bullets, about the using of which frequent protest was made without effect. One of our men had the flesh blown from his arm by one of these shells, and their explosion was frequently heard at night." The enemy's line of fire was now so extended that it was difficult to do anything to reduce it, though it was observed that, after one or two shells being effectively directed to a particular spot, the fire from that point would perceptibly slacken. The jail especially became hotly engaged with large numbers occupying the houses behind it. The Courthouse no longer forming part of the position, there was no longer the same necessity for holding the jail, which, besides, was now discovered IV. to be untenable. Lieut. - Colonel Winsloe therefore CHAP. signalled, on the afternoon of the 18th, that the garrison should, on a given signal, displayed after dark, retire on the fort. Lieutenant Dalrymple - Hay effected the withdrawal noiselessly, under cover of a misty night, in skirmishing order, without attracting the attention of the enemy. One man had been killed and two wounded. The latter were carried in on stretchers made with rifles. The post could not have held out much longer, as, besides the upper walls-built of only sun-dried bricks-being easily perforated by bullets, the Boers fired through the lower loopholes at short range, with such accuracy that occasionally they could not be manned. The supplies of provisions kept in the jail had to be abandoned, water. The want of water became at the outset a serious Want of cause for anxiety. Some of the horses had been watered the first evening at the water-furrow towards the town, but only with losses and one man wounded. Then horses and mules, one-third at a time, were sent, with covering parties to protect their flanks and rear, to a spot above stream, called "The Willows," N.N.W. of the fort. The water-carts also made two trips during the night, the reserve barrels being so filled and a moderate supply of water secured, calculated to last the garrison three days, at three pints a-head each day. This allowance was found very inadequate by the soldiers, of whom, at this time, such continued exertion and hard labour, IV. CHAP. under a hot sun, was required. But even this source of supply was cut off by the enemy moving in its direction. Horses and mules lost. The oxen lost. On the 19th, the horses and mules had been without water for forty-eight hours, and the men's supply was nearly exhausted; but that night, a storm coming on, sufficient water was caught, by means of tarpaulins, waterproof sheets, &c., for men and animals until the 21st. Then the battery-horses-many of them very fine ones-and the transport-mules were turned loose, and galloping off to the water, were quickly driven away by the Boers. Only one favourite horse, belonging to one of the officers, was retained. Although twice wounded, it survived the siege. On the afternoon of the 21st, more heavy rain falling, enough water was again caught to last further three days. Meanwhile the well inside the fort had been sunk to a depth of over thirty feet, sixteen of which was through rock, and yet only a nine-gallon cask of muddy water was obtainable each day. A second one was therefore commenced on the left front of the fort, and eventually a good and plentiful supply was found at fifteen feet depth. The oxen had strayed away and fallen into the hands of the Boers on the 17th, though many of them had already been shot by them. Their carcasses lying about caused most noxious odours, until pulled away by men who volunteered for this risky work, when the vultures ventured to approach and performed their usual useful scavengering. IV. Refugees The presence of women and children in the small CHAP. fort-only thirty yards square-proved a very serious embarrassment, it never having been intended in the fort. as a place for such refugees. On the night of the 16th, after the first day's engagement, five additional men and twenty - one women and children came out of the town and asked for protection. They were taken in, the number, with those previously received, being thus increased to fortyeight. Most, however-all but about thirteen men and women-soon found that it would have been better for them to have remained in the town and risked the ill-treatment they feared at the hands of hostile Boers. These, therefore, availed themselves of the permission given by the Boer general, and left the fort on the 24th December. One child had been killed and another wounded on that day. Later, towards the close of the siege, when the Boers were aware that provisions were running short, although permission was asked for the remaining ladies to leave, it was refused. the fort. Besides these civilians, there were, attached to the Natives in Commissariat and Transport Department, one European civil conductor and sixty native drivers and leaders; but thirty-nine of the latter left during the siege. On the 23d January, about thirty, of their own accord, attempted to escape through the Boer lines. While some were successful, others were shot, and a few came back unable to get away. The strength of the enemy at the commencement |