The record-union., 1896-04-19
UNDER FIRE WITH Jim. >
Text Of Captain Thatcher'S Story Of the
Jameson Raid.
How One of DR.. Jim's Officers Played It
on the Boer Officials-An
Exciting Adventure.

Thatcher's stirring story of the jameson
raid, as related in his interview in the
Cape Times short extracts from
which have been sent to this country by
cable. Although a partisan Of Jameson,
Captain Thatcher does full justice to
the martial qualities or the Beers. His
narrative of his escape in the guise of
correspondent of the Times" is one of
the best bits of adventure of modern
times, and reads like chapter of Du-
mas or Stanley Weyman. The Cap
tain'S story is as follows:
II was with JameSOnS column from
the start to the surrender at Doornkop,"
he said. II have just escaped and got
here On Sunday afternoon the column
started. Having heard of the move, I
joined them as they were crossing the
border on Monday afternoon. 1 was up
in Malmani District looking after some
gold properties, which are now all con-
fscated. The column was riding along
about 600 strong. There were also about
100 KaffirS leading horses, three mule
wagons, eight Maxims and three Whit
worth guns. / was attached to Sir John
Willoughby as aide camp. All Mon
day and Monday night we cantered
along and over the weld, hardly stopping
to sleep or eat, though we had plenty of
stores
Stop a moment; did you hear Jane
sons speech, and were you under the
impression that the column was going to
fight some Kaffir chief"
Ridiculous rubbishi I knew per-
fectly well what we were going to do,
and so did every other man in the col
umn. Jameson's speech was before 1
joined-quite at the beginning. I was
told all about it, and know that he ex-
planned things thoroughly, and told
anyone whose heart was not with the
movement to go back. We counted on
johannesburg moving out to support us,
but we expected no other help from NOR
tai man.
Did the column realize that it had
thrown everything official up, and was
going in on its own account under no
authority?'
Absolutely. We continued on Tues
day without a pause. 1t was very hot in
the day, and bitter cold on the weld at
night
THE FIRST SHOT.
when was the first shot fired?"
"On Tuesday night, or, rather, at l
O'Clock on Wednesday morning, when
we were about twenty miles from Kru-
gersdorp. We were riding on in bright
moonlight when first fired on Hitherto
it had been level rolling weld, but here
We're some rather high hills, and from
these We were fired on
You are certain that the Beers fired
the first shot?"
Certainly. 1t was from about 600
yards range. The&hill position was
good one, as were all the positions they
chose. We at once replied by bringing
the Maxims into action. After an hour
and half pretty steady firing, we si-
fenced them, and they cleared When
the firing was on bullets were whistling
all around us, but nobody was hit [
suppose the moonlight and the scattering
Of the Maxin1s spoilts their practice We
went past the position they had va
Gated, and about five miles further on,
and then laagered for the night. But
we only stopped about two hours, and
very few OF US got any sleep. 1t was
choice between sleeping and eating, and
most of US We're ravenous
1--WE. started again just after day
break, and pushed0 hard. About noon
we came to a stqrs only about six miles
from krugersdorp- Here we fed, and
then marched straight on the town. The
first sight of the houses seemed to bring
Johannesburg very near to u.s. AS we
came within range of the town we were
fired on from all sides, but jameson
gave strict order that the guns should
not play on the town at all for fear of
injuring the nom -combatants. There
was one house, mine building, lying
some distance away from the others
which was held by strong force of the
enemy. We put a shell into the gable
and knocked it to pieces. The men hold
ing it crept away. 1t was determined
to make a dash along the road-we were
following the road all the time-which
runs along the north side of the town
FIGHTING PUFFS OF SMOKE.
I'VE could see nobody, and were sim
ply fighting puffs Of smoke. Not a head
showed anywhere. Those fellows are
simply marvellous at taking cover We
got our guns into action again to check
them, but we were dropping freely The
firing was being heavily kept up by con-
cealed men, and we were losing men
fast. AS soon as horsemen showed UP
we formed up in a long line to charge
them, but the moment we charged they
simply vanished like smoke into the
weld. We followed them up, and then.
as the ground seemed to swallow them
up, we retreated again and formed
laager, still under "a hot fire. All night
we lay in laager with the bullets drop
ping into US, for the Beers went on
firing among the wagons from all
around Krugersdorp. It was not easy
to sleep, but many a one Of us slept all
the same. I. myself nodded in the
saddle and dropped over on to the
horses neck"
'.Were you not getting tremendously
tagged by this time, Captain Thatch-
err"
Yes, indeed, we were
"Was it not bad tactics, though?
Would it not have been better to take
up position and get some rest?''
mot with the object we were aiming
at in view We could not afford to give
the Beers time to mass. Our one chance
was to push on right through, without
stopping anywhere. For the same
reason there was never any idea of stop
ping to find a position and get cover.
We simply rode on. affording a good
mark for bullets, and were shot as we
rode My horse was shot under me. but
we had plenty of led horses"
DRAGGING THE WOUNDED.
VERY we'll; we have now come to
Thursday morning.
"'Well about dawn a strong attack
was made, and we pushed on, following
the road round the north side of Kru-
gersdorp. We were being fired at from