The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-12-17
BRITISH EYES OPENED.
r<nDY DISCOVERY or THE BOER's
FI0H1INO ABILITY

IONDON DcC. O.-hnOtntf DhlCn OF Hldn nv
tiers dealing with roth eastern and western cam
tsgns in South Africa has come In. They do
moi, contain so much actual information as pre-
,ious letters; hut many Joints in them help 10
siye fuller comprehension Of the circumstances
under which the war Is being waged Further
accounts Of the battle Of Elandsaagtc tell us
practically nothing more Of the action. but the
Standards correspondent speaks Of dangers in
that Fight ether than those usual on battlefield,
Speaking Of the wounded, he says
They were not all rife OF she'll or lance wounds
Ono or two Of the most distressing TO look upon
we're the victims Of snake tites, for the veldt
sbounds in snakes, scorpions and tarantulas
Among the first wounded to be- brought into the
station at Elandslaagtc Yves Gen. Kock. The
correspondent says
stretched upon mattress on the platform was
the loer leader. lie been severely wounded
by shell. Occasionally. he raised hS hand and
flushed back the thin gray hair from his pale
f,cc Kneeling at his side. the tears streaming
down his checks was distinguished looking
youth--a giant in stature. with the fair hair and
clear complexion Of the Saxon This was the
Generals grandson His son, Judge Kock. also
WAS among the wounded The General was a,
man without military training or experience.
aud though full Of energy and determination
was more al home in the Office than On the field
Another interesting prisoner was Col. Schicl;
who commanded the German Corps, and served
the guns at Esnd.lnas'S He Is man a o. sy npS
physOgnomical indication 81 that alert intclli.
gence which has given HIM great influence WIN
in the canteen, Like nearly every other prisoner,
he spoke English perfectly. and was eager to Gus,
c'iss the incidents Of the hgh' IN when ne hma ,
artillery was unmistnkabc. 1t was heauii-
full, he exclaimed, with the fervor Of conn4is.
sour With one Of his German officers had
long talk. | COMMUNICATED him ON the puckS
fight they had made; Yes was the reply. \
Of 6 mSs , snnhsr "' III lie sdmsd hs, the
in which our soldiers stormed the hill had been
revelation. and added, Had known that It was
Joined the commando Before leaving Johannes
burg, We were assured that We were To defend the
Hooked in vain for ben Vii Joen. that ircbrand
o. the late republic i was Iumorcd thai ne was
slain bu, rai k9ss DECLARED he s, he hsd fli On %.
had quarrelled. and Gen. kock had threatened
10 put them under arrest
There were also signs Of dissension among the
Beers in the dispatches giving the account ~ the
Moddcr River hattie. hut there IL seems Ia have
been case - nS agd free Slater rather
Throughout the war 1t has been difficult TO get
any trustworthy estimate "f the Beer !, sses. The
Standards correspondent counted thirtyCne of
their dead at Eisndslasgte in a single krpie, but
says The Beer doctors had estimated their dead
at not more than DOZEN, and Their oficial rep n
yard to the extreme anxiety they always show
10 conceal their serious casualties the number
u killed probably much larger The Is, ers
will often carry away their dead and leave Their
wounded AT Dundee no fewer than forty seven
bodies were found hidden in q donga, consid.
cradle distance from Ta.ana Hill.
The battle Of Rietfoniein, which. IL will be
remembered. ras fought for the purpose OF pre-
venting the retrcating column from Dundee from
being cut Of. causes the same correspondent
Taxwell. one OF the ablest newspaper men at
the front 10 moralize thus:
During the last week or two many decisions
with regard to the enemy have been destroyed.
Those who proiesscd to have he.itmost intimate
Acquaintance with the Boer character were wont
10 declare that the frst British success would
send them scamperins home that he would never
face our soldiers, and that our artillery would
Tighten him out of his wits. In short, they per
suaded themselves that the Boer an arrant
coward and would not stay even TO be Iained
and Elandsiaagte have not brought the enemy
TO his knees. He has attacked Dundee and Lady
snfg lie has has no alarm at
guns which ore inferior to his own. On this
last point | have had abundant evidence
and STEEL. the Beers maintained their position
and their dark figures we're often silhouettcd on
dee sy Rs sy have
capacity 10 act Independently, while their eN'
'reme mobility and their knowledge Of the country
OF security: There was nothing unusal in the
spectacle OF two or three men conducting hght
81 their own under &C conditions that seeTed more
OF brave men kept up regular fuSllade on the
face q the mountain long after the main body
end and added few Mauser bullets TO the shells
that FASTENED our departure when the signal
was given 10 retire
The Daily Telegrdph's veteran correspondent
Bennett Burleigh, writing from Estcourt on Nov,
TO- again INDUCES in what he fears Is "A terribly
srumbling letter" Writing Of Ladysmith he
says;
Had Lombard's Kop or the Bulw ana been for
'ihed in modest way the enemy could never
have quite enclosed the town without making
direct attack upon one or other Of these domi-
mating positions But that is past and IL is sat
isiactory TO learn from Gen. whites headquarters
to-day and yesterday that he has plenty Of pro-
visions and ammunition, and that. by the con
s'ruction Of new defensive works Ladysmith
Is hourly growing stronger. Yet the situation
Ii ono in which. for the sake OF all concerned
within the town, the sooner a relief column is de.
spatched TO their assistance the better. Death
by disease well as bullet stalks when force
Is cooped up under not very agreeable sanitary
surroundings The wonder is that Gen. White.
with such an excellent and strong body of English
soldiers, has been shut up by irregular bands
oi burghers, shoot they ever so well with rifles.
War, like what somebody said about eloqucnce,
requires action, action action There WAS,
fear disposition 20 hold the Beers lightly a,
nrs', and We heard about waiting until they
gathered in greater numbers before attacking
them or course. it is often like fighting the
wind TO reach the Beers; but still IL Is an invari.
able military axiom q smash your enemy in de.
tail; and we might have cornercd more as Gen.
French did at ElanisaaEte. had we tried with
out ceasing, Finally, last and worse stage
was reached. when there was a seeming hest
tancS 10 close and force the fighting when we go;
Inc bOcrs upon our front. But one can only
speak %! what one sees. and II may have been
that the General had higher orders that directed
and controlled his operations
The Investment Of Ladysmith came as q shock
70 The good people 0f Natal Here, as in England.
There were many proud Of their innate knowledge
OF the Boc!, who declared that he would never
invade this colony. Al home there are those who
profess TO believe that the Boer does not ride u
battle. al least all the rural commanders accom-
panied by armed Kafilrs Their we'll known rule
IS TO have kafiir for u rear,rider for every five
or SIX men, The native almost invariably carries
atlNe and b9ndolicr Of his own and his duty IL 10
groom and look after his bosss horses in camp
and upon the field, and ncgro-like get in shot
when he can. There were several kaifir Beers