Battle commences
There were so many different versions of the battle told after the event that it's now not possible to describe it with any accuracy. All we know is that at around 3am (or was that 4am, as at least one source claims, or 4.45am as another authoritatively states?) the battle started. What follow are just a couple of the stories told.
A couple of stories say that after receiving their orders, around 40 soldiers under the command of Captain, or was that Lieutenant, Wise continued to advance towards the stockade's northern, or rear, wall. Some 30 mounted soldiers rode around to the north-east. 24 police were positioned to Wise's right, and 112 foot soldiers marched off to advance from the west. 70 mounted troopers rode around to the south-west. By the way, we note this adds up to 206 attackers. The remaining 70, or should that be 90, were probably among those kept in reserve.
Somewhere around 150-200 metres from the stockade, it seems someone, we think probably a sentry, although neither side agreed on this, fired their gun. The soldiers would have been unlikely to have fired without an order, but the troopers are certainly a potential source of the first shot.
Whatever. The advance kept moving forwards. At about 75 metres, the first of the awakened miners seem to have made it to the wall, and random fire started to shoot out at the soldiers, who could undoubtedly hear the shouts of the disturbed and perturbed miners and the shouted orders of several very confused would-be leaders. According to the military, the soldiers had not yet fired. At 50 metres they were ordered to stop, aim, fire, and charge. Further firing, at least from these soldiers would probably not have been possible, although several witnesses talk of constant firing.
Another source says that when a sentry fired from the stockade, Thomas ordered the attackers to halt and fire, sent the troops and troopers to their places, and directed Wise to advance rapidly to take advantage of the confusion in the stockade. This was presumably at around the 150-200 metre mark.
The attackers, some sources and historians have said, kept firing as they advanced towards the stockade. However, it seems a bit unlikely the troops fired if they were in rapid advance or charging modes, although not impossible, at least for the rapid advancers. But, it would require them to keep stopping, loading, aiming and firing. This was a quick process for the soldiers, about 30 seconds per shot, but it does slow them down and interrupt the flow of a rapid advance, depending on how often they stop and fire. Presuming, of course, that's what they did.
It seems more likely the police to the right of Wise's group, and/or the rest of the reserve, happy to wait while the attacking soldiers did the hard yards, had the time to keep up a regular fire for several minutes. But at their distance, with their weapons, their accuracy would probably be low. But, if you fire enough shots in the right general direction, some hits will in all probability occur.
The other soldiers and police seem to have been rapid marching to their positions around the stockade, and would not have been capable of firing, especially as to do so would require them to wheel around 90 degrees, load, aim, fire, wheel back and march on.
A couple of stories say that after receiving their orders, around 40 soldiers under the command of Captain, or was that Lieutenant, Wise continued to advance towards the stockade's northern, or rear, wall. Some 30 mounted soldiers rode around to the north-east. 24 police were positioned to Wise's right, and 112 foot soldiers marched off to advance from the west. 70 mounted troopers rode around to the south-west. By the way, we note this adds up to 206 attackers. The remaining 70, or should that be 90, were probably among those kept in reserve.
Somewhere around 150-200 metres from the stockade, it seems someone, we think probably a sentry, although neither side agreed on this, fired their gun. The soldiers would have been unlikely to have fired without an order, but the troopers are certainly a potential source of the first shot.
Whatever. The advance kept moving forwards. At about 75 metres, the first of the awakened miners seem to have made it to the wall, and random fire started to shoot out at the soldiers, who could undoubtedly hear the shouts of the disturbed and perturbed miners and the shouted orders of several very confused would-be leaders. According to the military, the soldiers had not yet fired. At 50 metres they were ordered to stop, aim, fire, and charge. Further firing, at least from these soldiers would probably not have been possible, although several witnesses talk of constant firing.
Another source says that when a sentry fired from the stockade, Thomas ordered the attackers to halt and fire, sent the troops and troopers to their places, and directed Wise to advance rapidly to take advantage of the confusion in the stockade. This was presumably at around the 150-200 metre mark.
The attackers, some sources and historians have said, kept firing as they advanced towards the stockade. However, it seems a bit unlikely the troops fired if they were in rapid advance or charging modes, although not impossible, at least for the rapid advancers. But, it would require them to keep stopping, loading, aiming and firing. This was a quick process for the soldiers, about 30 seconds per shot, but it does slow them down and interrupt the flow of a rapid advance, depending on how often they stop and fire. Presuming, of course, that's what they did.
It seems more likely the police to the right of Wise's group, and/or the rest of the reserve, happy to wait while the attacking soldiers did the hard yards, had the time to keep up a regular fire for several minutes. But at their distance, with their weapons, their accuracy would probably be low. But, if you fire enough shots in the right general direction, some hits will in all probability occur.
The other soldiers and police seem to have been rapid marching to their positions around the stockade, and would not have been capable of firing, especially as to do so would require them to wheel around 90 degrees, load, aim, fire, wheel back and march on.