The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1894-04-12
THEY SANG As THEY FACED THE ZOE.

Wnen tney became OF age.
THEY SANG As THEY FACED THE FOE.
How ths Last 81 M.ier wussn'. Comn.ud
Met Death AuIath Nstsbeis-.
stirring story Of the pathetically heroic
death OF party OF brave men. lighting
shoulder to shoulder against overwhel ming
odds. and finally facing the Inevitable with q
smile and q song. comes from the records OF
the late Matabele war. An African warrior re-
Gently related the particulars Of the death Of
Major Wilson and his party Of thirty-thres
men. who were sent forward into the bush to
capture King Lo Benguls. and were never az
terward seen or heard from by their COM
rades. The fate OF the party was in doubt for
many weeks. and the peculiar circumstances
Of Its disappearance and the search for it m ado
the incident the most notable one OF the cam
paign. American papers shared space with
the European press In printing news and con-
lectures about it The facts just learned Of
the death OF every man Of the lttlo com panv.
the manner In which 1t was wiped out OF ex-
istence. and the way the brave fellows met
their fate has increased and fxed that interest
After the Matabele warriors had been signal
ly defeated several times the British thought
that II King Lo Bengula could bs captured the
spirits Of the Africans would fail. and the war
be easily terminated. Major Wilson and
party Of some twenty mon. aiterward regn-
forced to thirty-three. were sent forward into
the thick bush OF the ensmy's country to cap
ture the big King. They were not heard from
again. Although 10 BenRuls offered to sur
render week or so later. and aftsrward be-
came . fugitive from the wrath OF his own
people. and later still the war was ended.
ell ondeavors to learn the actual fate OF
the party we're fruitless. II was finally learned
N N N In WA hat hah hAA lad
in fight with the Mstabeles. and later some
bones were found which were believed TO be
About three weeks ago an Induna OF Lo BEN
Rula's defeated army. the commander OF the
who was himself in the forefront Of the fray
and Immediately present At the hnal scene,
Scs sea sTssh ss Of
Matsosle spies doEged Maior wilsop and his
ana made on FOR
where the v, white men s0Tid easily be sur;
aanasd the sf ns on more
4s 0f BTsh tr as G sss an fpsesa
found they had been am bushsd. and, realizing
where the brush was thin, and Prepared to
make the hest fight possible, The natives
ha % SO .n ad' s sh :sd to A9Ss tn.
B But &. &: d Esit' bG asa and made i.p
theIr. overwhelming mum ers. to face the
one BY one he white men were picked OF. and
Seessionally handful OF Mstabeles more dsr.
ng than the others would dash %sdy q the
man. but yet In their turn, killing several OF
the whites, 80 that soon Srt q handful re-
ton Of the Whites seem ed 10. be giving out.
and the shots were fewer and fewer, Eventu-
one man. as Accurately a Described By the In.
dpna. was Major Wilson. who was famous
bsdS Wounded a.d shot ssr shot
Cd Cd me %s 10I PSsit 81 his side iosdns fss and
from his hands, the last cartridge tlIed. The
fol Of Englishmsn, still remaining alive. who.
badly wounded, had been sheltsring them
aarins 0t the last s few A %inStss raised tSes
'G%s asPs to ths fest and saScd
the Zoe in 10 q iittls circle. They raised
their hats said the Induns, and
singing song-the song ] have heard the
miss ionaries sing to the natives, And as they
them ike river. hurlins their ss.sEsis as
4 en- 10 death" LS Bsnsgl.,, warriors he
bun drsd having been slain In the fight
moment was the British national anthem.
" God Save the Queen"
The laundering OF the Birkanhsad on the
African coast in 1882 furnished an episode
similar to this incident. She was bound from
Lach m ents OF half dozen regiments. number
Ing some four hundred men In all, with their
wives and children. When on Simon Bay.
south Africa. she struck on . submerged rock
and began TO MI and sink. 1t was found that
lie boats would no more than hold the women
and children. Everybody aboard the ship was
brought on deck. farswslls were tax en-, and the
boats filled with the women and children and
On Rough men TO row them. left the vessels side.
Then the troops and crew were drawn up in
review order on the deck. $50 men In all. the
band and the color bearers at the front. The
N usieiAns at the word Of command struck up
The national anthem. without a tremor OF q
note the soldiers and sailors came TO the
8 salute" and thus. few seconds later. they
went braysly down.
Trenton was wrecked At samoa in 1880. the
band of the vessel THE flagship OF the Pacific
squadron was assem- blsd on the quarter deck.
and. TO the tune OF The Star. spanglsd BaA-
nsr" the old war ship drove ashore. That her
rreW was saved and the crew OF the BiTken-
cad lost IL the only difference between the
Two cases; the heroism of the Trenton's men
met more fortunate end than that Of the
sarlier vessel