The Intermountain Catholic. (Salt Lake City [Utah] ;) 1899-1920, 1899-11-18

Inc cdl1nly. 1t is a blot on the Ems
iisn IlIlltary escutcheon which has nc
7 Set peen ohilterated. 1t is blot wh1c
" tHlS uay brings the burning blush Q
shame to the brow of every English
n 1ridh' whether home or colonial born
me years which have since rolled o,
nave III no degree mitigated the over
fair.
In the first place the Beers, from thei
TAaiteu position On the summit OF TN
Ifahkensperg mountains, were able Il
observe every movement of the little
brush army eneamped in the valley
peneath; II was their custom, eacf
morning, 10 send a spy to the top OF
MaJupa mn, which overlooks the entire
Ealley. Thls seems to have been over
looked py Golley, or, if not overlooked
was foolishly ignored.
Sir George Collev's first idea was to
charge up the mountain on the east of
Lang s Mex, Majuba Hill being on the
west; the intention being after sur
mounting the range, to attack the
Boef Iaager IN the open country beyond
rms was an admirable plan, and ought
10 nave succeeded to a dead certainty
LOT the 3oers would not have withstood
the British charge in the open veldt.
There was, however. one unfortunate
item which prevented the success of
IN tilIs deeply-laid scheme; an item which
Sir George Cooley appears to have quite
lofgottehs ana that was that the Beers
opJected TO having their laager attack
ca IN thdt particular manner. Being
acquainted with the design of the Brit
leh troops the Beers stationed them
selves amongst the rocks leading up
the mountain; there are three layers of
outcFppplng granite at different heights
on the mountain the British meant to
attack, and the Beers were quick to
see the advantage this security would
give them Imagine the folly of the
BRUSH movement. Each soldier had
d scarlet coatand white helmet MAX
ing the best possible target; they were
ruShlng up the side of a steep noun |
tain to attack a body of hidden foes |
each one OF their opponents being a |
crack Sharpshooter: instead of fighting |
from rock to rock and bush to bush. as |
the BoerS subsequently did, when at |
lacklnS MaJuba hill, the English rush |
5d themselves out Of breath in the first |
lIteen minutes. The officers were near
y all Killed, and the bodies of the COM
non soldlers lay scattered over the
mountain side when the retreat was
sounded
Ihis was indeed a Boer victory. Not
treacherous, oarbarous massacre like
he B'onker's Spruit disaster. 1t was
falr tight and genuine defeat. But
IS ial' IS strategic skill is concerned.
5olley might as well have ordered his
men TIC stand in line and asked the
5oers to shoot them down, man by
nan. ~
The following evening, as the ambu-
lnee wagons, under escort, were con- .
eylng the English wounded to New
aastle' the Beers attacked them, at a
lace called Schuins Hoogte Although
ne Beers outnumbered the English on
his occasion, the fight was about a
raw When night coming on, the Beers
cured to their lager.
Maiuba Hill Fight. !
Sir Evelyn Wood, a grand fighter and
li-round soldier, accustomed to South {
frican warfare, now Joined Sir George s
olley, Dut disagreed with him as to /
le. advisability of ascending Maiubs $
III, winch was Colley's next inspired i
owe. wood in consequence of this a
sagreement, returned to Pietermaritz '
lfg ana Colley, undoubtedly thirst
g 10 retrieve his name from the darl, n
shonor which had fallen on it. one q
ght led a detachment of his troops f
Malupa Hill. From the side the Eng n
IN were on, MajUba presents q mo r
ID, most forbidding front. from the !
de OF the Boer Lager, the ascent is f;
adual and protected by rocks and q
ees. L have been up the hill several q
mes from the Boer side and once h
tempted it from the English side, as a
experiment butS gave it up half lie
ny. If ever men deserved victory if I r,
rs the small devoted force whom Col n
ordered up the -precipitous side of W
aJuba; that fatal, eyer-memora HE v
5ht. Among his followers were the Of
nety- first Highlanders, newly arrived
I'M their glorious campaign in Al
as brave "a body of men as
ar drew a dirk or wore a kilt I re- h,
.moer the day they marched out of d
etermaritZburg for the front, Bands be
re playing, flags were flying. crowds We
re cheering and the Highland ladies 81;
pped nigh, l remember also when CT
remnant of the regiment returned no
utter silence, detection in everv.l M
Yement and sorrow in every face. Eli,
ey had left then. comrades moulder- Or
IN a little cemetery near the base TT
MaJuba, a cemetery where / have O.
eral times spenta moody half hour rv
ascended .MaJuba hill shortly after W;
hght and to me it was incompre- "a
sible how the English sustained de- orr
there. On the summit there is a e.
Unlike depression, naturally fortified mr.,
large masses of surrounding rock b.
complete tortification as any man clio
Id wish, and still the English were G
ten and what is worse, beaten bv
'rce not much stronger than them =
es, and what is still worse. beaten -
a loss Oh over 800 men to four ONLY III
ne enemy 1t may be partly ac- jill
nted for. though l admit the reason
lame one, by remembering that the
rage English Tommy Atkins is
nine. What he knows has been ner
entity drilled into it. He lives RE
es and has his being in accordance
the commands of his superior Off
Place this machine-made fellow
g IN any unusual position and take
y his officer and he Immediately Rel
MS head. With artillery the Eng
could have battered down the Roer
err from the crest Of Majuba: with
artillery no tangible reason appears
Xlst for the occupation of the
ntain. =
e Beers fought their way up. as II
mad right to fight, from cover to Wa;
The English exhausted their asca
unition in the most lamentably
shooting ever known. When the Aus a us
reached the summit, the Eng plol
oillcers fell like ninepins and Tom Vote
ATKINS, being the machine he is Chal
having neither officer nor ammt,ni Boy
left turned fail and ec1,anlbind trail
ed, rolled, slid and tumbled down prles
lde OF Majuba in his frantic en- lect
'r to regain the English camp. Col OF
as among the first to fall when the ''poi
gained the top of Majuba. He ton.
IKE a Briton, with his wounds in OF Il
tend
Beers are justly proud of the man
y they gained that day. 1t was judo
DRY any body of men can be proud short
n future article, I shall have the
hlng to say about the manner in came
| the Beers celebrate the anniver- men
Oh MaJuba day; in the meantime. star
talking of the battle, 1 take the Fa
ion to say that, personally, 1 adj Ore
as intensely as anyone can, the "p
I, courage displayed by the Boer dreds
htlng his way UP Majuba and and
ing II from the English. convi
was the last conflict of the war schol