The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-10-13
THE MAN OF THE MOMENT.
How Sir Redvers Butler Won the
Victoria Cross.

I
! If any one were asked who is the man
of the moment from the point of view of
the soldier, or even of the man in the
| street." whose range of observation is far
wider and he were TO reply Sir Redvers
BuLer," how far would he be from the
mark? There are few names that are more
| frequently on peoples lips just now. Yet
| the object of al these inquiries would
| blush as | have seen him blush, If he
were conscious OF how fully he fills the
| public eye just now.
Ii is a highly hatterins testimony to the
| confidence the public Iepose in him that
| there should be no unnecessary delay in
| dispatching him to assume the command
| of her majestys forces in South Africa.
| He is one of the cool st of men, and I'M
| doubleday one of the greatest soldiers OF
! his time. It is characteristic of The man
/ that when il was decided that in the event
| of a sufficiently large force being dis
| patched to South Africa he should COM
| mand IL he should a t once rush off to his
place in Devonshire, and VIII Re awaiting
! the turn of events find occupation in at
| tending meetings of the local school board
| az Creditor.
1t would be Impossible for any one 10
| see Sir RedYers Butler, or TO hear this dis
| tinguished general spe ak, and not he con-
| WINGED that he he'd been in the presence of
| a tornleader of men. and, 10 boot one who
| does not know what fear is. To read the
| story of how he won his Victoria Cross
| is like reading of tie deeds of some en-
| chanted prince IN fairy romance, The
story entrances one. Yet to those who
! know the man the astounding details
seem to lose much Of their marvellous
quality.
1t was on March %. 1879. at which time
| he was in command of the mounted troops
strictly they were not cavalry-of Sir
| Evelyn Woods column in the Zulu war.
| He had been dispatched by his command
| er to clear the Inhlobane mountains. The
| task had been accomplished in the face Of
| stupendous difficulties and some opposi-
| ton. when enormous Zulu achievements
were observed coming up and threatening
| to cut them off He was by sheer force
of circumstances compelled TO retreat by
making a descent by the PERCEPTIONS sides
of the mountain. His force lost heavily.
| but his cannes and magnificent self-de-
votion saved it from the absolute destruc-
| ton which seemed imminent. The much
priced decoration was won not by head
| long rush against foe, nor yet by sud
den impulse of gallantry, but by three I'M
affected acts of unse.fish devotion involv-
| ing almost certain death.
First when the pursuit was hottest, he
| saw Capt. Darcy, of the Frontier Light
| Horse, dismounted, his horse having been
killed under him. and retiring on foot Col.
| (as Sir Redvers then was) Butler, though
/ he himself is big, heavy man, quite
| load for horse, especially after fatigu-
| ing morning promptly took Capt. d Arcy
up behind him and carried him out of reach
| of the foe. A lite later on the same ds =
| under similar circums tances and in the
| same manner, he rescued another officer
! of the Frontier Light Horse, Lieut. Ever
EFT lie f'nished-also on the same day
| by carrying out of danger a trooper whose
horse was completely exhausted When
| he took this man up behind him the Zulus
i Wp within piOhtN wards of them Three
| separate and distinct actions in one day.
| each OF which would have gained The ia
nous bronze cross for any man!
Mai. Cen Sir Redvers Butler comes
FROM good old Devonshire stock. He is
a son OF the late J. w. Butler, and his ma
| tive county may well be proud of him. lie
| has filed practically every position in he
! army except that of commander in-chef.
| and he seems to be destined one day TO fill
| that, TOO. II is a happy augury for his
complete success in the Transvaal, should
war break out, that he was for some tims
! associated at the war Office with Lord
| Wolseey i'll reorganizing work, and thar
this Septe mber has found Sir Redvers CO.
| operating with his friends the Commander
| in-Chief aud Sir Evelyn Wood. V. c.. I'M
der the same roof in forming effective
| army corps for South Africa. The mas
| terfu.ness shown by Sir Redvers Butler
while holding The Adershot command is
/ only what might have been expected from
| him.
| Sir Redvers Butler was foi tunate a the
| outset of his military career, inasmuch as
| he received what Napoleon the Less called
| his baptism of fire" within two years of
| the date of his first commission. This was
| in the China war of 1860. In 1870 he took
| part in the Red River expedition. which
| first brought him under the no ice of Lord
! Woiseley. Three years later he was depu-
/ " assistant adjutant general n The Asian
| tee war in which he was badly wounded.
| He was i'm South Africa in 1878 and played
1 an active part in several actions against
| the Gakas and Galekas, and commanded
the columns in the affair at Buffalo Range.
In the more serious campaign against the
Zulus he commended the mounted troops
| of Sir Evelyn Woods column, as already
stated He had charge of the intelligence
| department in the Egyp ian war i'm 1882,
| and was present al re,-el-Kebir, also q {
| HI Teb ana Tamai. and was chief of STAFF
| in the Gordon relief expedition in 1S4'S5,
| as depicted at the time by our special ar
| list Melton Prior, in THE Illustrated
London News.
Sir Redvers Butler is not given to talk,
| and never writes for newspapers or maya
zines But he is the author of the infantry
drill book, which is The very best tactical
handbook ever penned At Aldershot they
soon discovered he could write well and to
| the point. His official criticisms on The
tactical operations carried out under his
superv vision are very fine reading and vaf-
liable. There has never been whisper of
| cantankerousness or characterization to-
ward his official superiors On the other
hand, he not only requires but exacts from
those who are his own official interiors i'm
| plicit obedience and untiring zeal. Sixty
| years of age, he is in the fun vigor of lie
and his practical knowledge Of warfare In
South Africa amply justices the public
' confidence In him.