e lost 4
officers and 37 men killed; 31 officers and 175 men wounded. Ten men
were missing. The Boers lost over 300 Burghers killed and wounded,
besides several hundred horses. Their hospital with wounded prisoners
was placed under the care of the British hospital, they having only one
doctor, who, with his primitive staff, was quite unable to cope with the
arduous work of attending the multitude of sufferers.

Numbers of the enemy of all nationalities--Germans, Hollanders, Irish,
and others--were made prisoners, and among them were General de Koch and
Piet Joubert, nephew of General Joubert. General Viljoen was killed. The
mongrel force, estimated at about 1200 strong, was commanded by Colonel
Schiel, to whom it doubtless owed its excellent tactical disposition.
This officer was wounded and taken prisoner. The _Times_ gave somewhat
interesting character sketches of prominent Boers who were killed or
wounded on this occasion:--

"General Koch was Minute-Keeper to the Executive, and was
President Kruger's most influential supporter. His son, Judge
Koch, was appointed to a seat on the Bench, but was not
popular, and was regarded as a puppet. The fighting Koch is not
to be confounded with the General Koch, who belongs to Vryheid,
and is a sterling warrior.

"Advocate Coster was State Attorney at the time of the Reform
trials, but resigned owing to President Kruger having insulted
him at a meeting of the Executive. He was an accomplished man,
a member of the Inner Temple, and was very popular with the
Dutch Bar.

"General Ben Viljoen was responsible for most of the
fire-eating articles which appeared in the _Rand Post_."

"Colonel Schiel was court-martialled in past days for shooting
four natives whom he accused of insubordination."

The courage of the Boers during this battle was immense. About two
thousand were engaged, and these, though certainly aided by the strength
of their position, fought valiantly, facing doggedly the heavy
consummately well-directed fire of the British artillery, and returning
it with undiminished coolness.

An interesting incident is mentioned in connection with the battle. When
the fire of the British guns became overwhelming, eight plucky Boers
dashed forward from cover, and, standing together, steadily opened fire
on the men of the Imperial Light Horse, with the evident purpose of
drawing their fire, while thei