The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1895-11-03
LICKED THE ENGLISH
The South African Beers Know How
to Shoot.
AT ALL DISTANCES, TOO
The ConceIted EnglIshmen Tackled
the Wrong Little Country
This Time - Hunting
Wild Animals.
From the Philadelphia Times.

| Wnen Il ursI went 10 OOutn africa
made 1t my business to inquire at once
into the causes which enabled the Beers
to defeat the British regulars. 1t prov
ed. Of course. to be the old story OF de-
| termined craftsmanship proving SUI
perior in irregular fighting over aca-
demic tactics. But much of the detail
proved most interesting.
The pioneer Boer farmers took UP
their abode in the land to live peace
ably by farming, but feeling that there
would be constant danger OF attack
from barbarous tribes, they deemed ii
prudent to organize themselves into a
trained and disciplined body of men,
and 1t was we'll they did so. for they
from time to time had many struggles
for existence. more especially with the
Zulus.
The war with England was practical
ly forced upon them, but as soon as 1t
began, disaster after disaster befell the
British simply because they looked
upon the Beers as a contemplate lot
of ignorant farmers. without organi-
zation and with no fighting powers,
consequently taking no fighting pre-
cautions, feeling that 1t would be a
kind of walk-over and soon ended.
The way of the Majuba Hill affair
was this: The Beers had their spies,
who brought the news of all that was
going on in the British camp.
From them 1t was learned that the
English general intended taking up a
commanding position on the summit OF
the hill, with some six or seven humid
red men. and that no extra defensive
precautions were to be taken, as the
height was considered inaccessible.
As the English were advancing to
accomplish their object the Beers ar
ranged for $50 of their men to lie con-
cealed in such positions at the base OF
the hill as would permit of their read
lily moving out in extended order at
daylight next morning, so as TO stead
lily and quietly ascend on the signal to
do so, under the protection of their
comrades in extended order, some 700
yards distant in the open.
On the signal being given the party
at the base moved steadily up, ana
such was the protection they received
that the instant there was the slightest
exposure on the part of anyone on the
summit, he was surely shot down, so
admirable was the firing and judging
distance.
The English all this time felt them
selves comfortably secure on the top
of the hill, being in complete ignorance
of the steady and sure advance up the
hillside of the skirmishing party. So
that when the final rush was made by
the Beers so great was the surprise
that 1t created a general panic ana
stampede. ending in a general massa-
ere and rout. r'rrf
This victory terminated an unsought-
for war in a way little expected by the
British, who had to yield on every
point.
During the campaign the loss on the
Boer side was insignificant, but that
of their opponents heavy. Ae..
The Beers are a fine, smart, ACTIVE,
why, we'll trained, disciplined body OF
men, always ready for an emergency,
plucky to a degree, accurate judges OF
distance and thorough, reliable shots.
Boer Is generally mounted. but un-
der no circumstances is he to be found
without his rifle, pistol, hunting knife
and telescope or binoculars.
He is forever judging distances and
making test shots at special objects
in every imaginable direction and un-
der all conditions and variations OF the
weather, so as to render himself sprac-
tically perfect. Once he takes a shot
at any object ne Is never satisfied until
he has hit 1t.
He will take good care to accustom
himself to judge distance on and f1re
at objects directly in the sun, as also
when the sun is shining from either
flank, or from the rear. so that he may
become sure under all circumstances;
and II was on this thorough and sys-
tematic training that the Beers as
body owe their success against the
British.
Their diminishing system was as per-
feet as 1t could we'll be, they were well
under control and their distances in ex-
tended order were well kept
Each file of the Beers had file OF
the enemy told off to them to watch
and kill, and splendid, in deed. was
their practice TO the bewilderment of
their opponents, who were shot down
like so many reed rats.
The Boer system was as follows:
Front and rear rank men acted as
comrades, encouraging and advising
each other. and besides being well
armed and equipped. had the addition
al aid OF powerful binoculars; they also
wore wells the color OF the ground to
conceal their faces, and while one man
shot his comrade watched the result
OF the trial through his binoculars.
turn and turn about. The British firing
was wretched, partly because the home
authorities sent out young soldiers.
most of whom had not completed their
recruit drill, and who had not gone
through a course of musketry.
But to my mind the British are bad
service shots anyhow, owing to their
inability to judge distance correctly.
The Boer training system could to
a certain extent. be copied In England.
by having camps of instruction for
musketry In wild parts Of the country.
TO safely train men how to fire cor
rectly at objects placed at unknown
distances, etc.
/ love the delightful country of
South Africa, where / can enjoy my
self to my hearts content and have
all the sport I want from a lion to a
duck.
peaceable bunting party with a good
guide is invariably well treated where
ever they roam. and l cannot say that
have ever experienced the difficulties
and dangers one 50 often hears about.
The only dangers l have had to en-
counter have been from wild beasts.
resulting through my own careiessneSs