The Irish standard., 1899-12-30
Boer War Brings Mourning into
Many Noble Houses.
DARING DEEDS OF THE ARIST0CRACY
Long List of the Fallen in the
Present Engagements.

The following communication from
the London special correspondent OF the
Chicago Chronicle on the sons of dis
tinguisllcd British families who have
fallen i'll the Boer war makes interest
ing reading at this time He says in
part:
From the Orkncys to the Isle Of
Wight, from Drum Head on the west
coast OF Ireland to Yarmouth blight OH
the east coast OF England, the United
Kingdom is in mourning Her sons are
falling by the score in south Africa.
Hardly a family OF distinction in the
empire but has Grape on the door for
soldier dead or lyirg wounded in
some hospital on the vcldt. The blue
blood OF the nation is being poured
out in a copious flood. Peers OF the
realm, marquscs, lords and viscounts,
including some near to royalty, have al
ready fallen, and it seems that already
the grim remark OF Dom Paul Kruger
is fulfilled in respect 10 the slaughter:
England may win" he said, "but it will
be at such cost as TO stagger the
world"
In an estimate OF the loss to the fami-
lies OF the pccragc and baronctage OF
England the difficulty arises in the fact
that no soldier OF the queen goes to
war under the hereditary title Of his
house. Hence plain Lieutenant Pom
sonby OF the guards may be the heir OF
the house OF Warwick or OF Lancaster
Even should the heir be kept at home
it is certain that the second son and
frequently the third and fourth sons are
at the front with their corps, and only
their friends and army intimatcs know
that they represent the great families OF
the empire. But study OF the family
names OF those who have fallen in the
war with the Bocrs shows many OF the
best blood Of England, and among them
are the sons and heirs OF ducal houses
That the terrible reckoning will be
doubled and trcbcd before the flag OF
conquest flies over Pretoria who can
doubt? The aristocratic soldier OF the
queen may be the idlcst and most intol-
cradle OF men when at home, the most
reckless OF gamblers and the least re-
spcctcr OF the rights of others, but when
| oF II l., t-:1
he becomes another being. No one
ever charged him with cowardicc. He
will lead his men into the very jaws OF
death and the men go willingly, for
they love brave man and know moth
ing Of his gambling, his love affairs and
his debts.
An instance, perhaps the most recent
OF the war, will illustrate this contempt
for DEATH Lieutenant r. H. o. Rob-
erts, son Of Lord Roberts of Kandahar,
the new commander-in-ch chief in south
Africa, was attached to the staff OF Gen
eral Butler at the battle OF Tugela river
1t was not necessary for him to be on
the firing line except to carry orders,
yet when the guns were lost by the
death OF the grnncrs and the killing OF
the horses and General Butler asked for
volunteers to go into that fearful zone
Of fire and rescue the guns Lieutenant
Roberts was one OF the first to spring to
the front He, with two other officers
and some men, taking eighteen horses,
undertook to bring the lost guns out
Inside Of five minutes thirteen of the
horses we're killed, several OF the men
dropped mortally wounded and Lieuten-
ant Roberts had received his death
wound. He died soon after being car
rcd 70 the rear. In spite Of the failure
OF the attempt other officers sought for
permission to try and bring the guns
out, but General Butler refused to per-
NIT any further loss Of life ...
In the midst Of this carnage among
the aristocracy the spectacle OF hun
dreds OF other blue -blooded men volun-
tecring and organizing corps for service
in south Africa shows that there is no
faltcring in the task set before them. 1t
is not an exaggeration to say that before
the war ends many noble house will
lack an heir, many an ancestral estate
will have no male in line of succession.
Queen Victoria, seeing her people in
volved in war against her desire, weeps
and cannot be comforted. She refuses
to permit her sons, nephews and grand
sons to go to the front, but it is vain
command. The soldier members Of her