The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1896-03-27

He stupidity Led His Men Into tn
Beers Trap.

new 4 OEk sun.
In a letter to a London paper the other
day an honest Englishman called attention
TO the transformations arrival Of the volun-
teers returning from the Ashantee cam
pa.gn, who had done their duty under very
severe privations." Contrast this" he
sdded. with the reception of Jameson's
troopers. who have dragged the English
flag in the mud at the bidding of stock
jobbers to the accompaniment Of music hall
applause" If the employees Of the Char
tered Company had acquitted themselves
like heroes there might be some excuse for
the Juror made over Them, but the facts OF
the raid" as studied by an English mill
tary expert, show that Dir. Jameson and his
men reflected no credit on British arms by
their exploit. Ten years hence the English
people will be glad to forget all about it.
This expert comes to the conclusion that
the expedition was managed with wretch
eddy bad judgment; that the raiders" were
ignorant of the proper use OF their ar
tillery. and that they Unanswered like
tyres. The first blunder was made in
pushing forward from Mafeking for $50
miles with halts so brief that neither man
nor beast could rest or eat. Whenever the
column stopped for breathing spell Sir
John Willoughby would say: why. we've
been here too long already. Let US get on"
The result was that after the first dash
over the border their progress declined to
three miles an hour. and everybody began
to feel the need of a good rest Three
halts of six hours EACH says this critic,
could have been made in forty-eight hours.
and still have left thirty hours for march
ing. At five miles an hour this would give
80 miles. and this rate of going ought to
have been possible for men like Jameson's
troopers, with spare horses and in fine
summer weather" With every bore aching
and nerves unstrung, the invaders were in
poor fettle when they deployed against the
Beers TO keep their heads and make a stub
born fight.
The Beers seemed TO have picked their
ground for the first engagement. 1t was
In the broken ground west OF Krugersdorp
and near the Violet mine, where they had
dug rifle pits and shelter trenches behind
hillocks OF rough rock and "tailings' from
the mines. Here the Chartered force made
their first tactical blunder, blindiy pepper.
ing with their machine guns the 'Bosr
sharpshooters. who lay ten feet apart and
well protested by their im2romptu de-
fences. THE game" says their critic,
was very much like an attempt 20 destroy
individual ducks with n big pun; gun. 1t
was absurd &c use Maxims In such place.
few rifles would have done quite as
much damage" He Is of the opinion tina.
man of military talent would have ad op--
ed one of two plans: Either he wclIid hava
fusnel SOUTHWARK ana westward during
the Night following this attack dn which
Jameson lost but eight mem. leaving the
guns in protected position with a small
force. instructing them to keep up the
semblance OF replying TO the Beers: or, he
would have iutrenched his command in
the broken ground to the best advantage.
with the object OF repulsing a Boer attack
and ar the same time he would have dis
patched dozen he rsemen to Johannes
N.,r {Sn he
plan, this critic believes. would have been
the sounder; but Or. Jameson hluniersd
on taking the chances OF a football runner
who tries 10 thread the opposing team.
Pushing on straight ahead the raiders
then fell into the angle trap al Dorm
kop. which they might have ESCAPED had
they not been totally deficient in military
skill The road lay between two hills or
slopes. which the Beers had occupied dur
ing the night. hidden like rabbits In heir
burrows From both sides they began 70
open fire OF. the advancing column. which
rode right into the Y. instead OF trying
10 work around one OF the projecting
tanks az the enemy. Did Won oyer Sc
hear or read Of anything so absurd "a
Jauesons tactlcsg" said an old soldier
who had seen = great deal OF rough f{sh.
ing In Africa 1t Is devoutiy to be hon l.,
concludes the English expert, +',har whao
the true facts OF the case are more ge.sr-
ally known We shall hear no more nor
serse about JaIneson's military skill ard
the heroic conduct of his six hundred"