Washington sentinel., 1899-07-22
Dur FOR EIoN NEW s
Translated asd Selected from isaiSHg
RAI06s6Hod6EYSF0I EAs SENTINEL.
ENGLAND.
The BoRRs-BY ONE Who KNOWS
THEM.
african ReUfsU.

present Transvaal trouble. Our opinion
remains unchanged that there IS little
! probability OF war If President Kruger
and the Beers can be persuaded that
| England is united and in earnest. But,
apart from the possibility OF trouble, the
| subject of the relative value Of the Boer
marksman and the English soldier Is OF
real interest at present. We have ac.
cordingly applied to a South African
gentleman at present in London for his
opinion on the causes which led to the
British reverses in 1881. He
saYs;-My experience of the Beers leads
me to make the general assertion that
in the face OF great risk Boer courage,
as rule, fails, though here aad there,
OF course, individuals possess the quail
ity in high degree, I think that all
South Africans. Who know them best,
will agree generally with this conclusion.
When, however, this discus ion on
the Boer successes in 1881 arises, the
question Of the relative couraae or
cowardice Of the combatants can be
omitted. IianY Englishman likes to ex.
plain these defeats by attrIDuting very
high degree OF bravery to the Beers
no one can object, But my explanation
of the reverses OF 1881 is different. NV
argument is not-the Beers are braveH
than the British soldier. therefore they
beat him; nor do / say that the British
military leaders made tactical mistakes
and therefore they suffered defeat.
Unfortunately, the causes OF our defeat
lie, in my opinion, far deeper, and are
QperatiUe TO-DAY. 1t must be assumed
for the purpose Of my argument that,
like all highly civilized beings, the
Englishman will face greatrisk as a rule
without hinchlng. He does this either
because he IS really Indifferent or be-
cause he thinks less Of the risks than he
does Of the shame Of being thought a
coward Ordinarily Tommy Atkins
thinks as little Of risk as any other man
and therefore l must attribute his de-
leafs to other causes than want of cour
age, don't think even the Beers &C
cuse the ''rOoinck" Of not standing up
to his Cruel. The relative bravery OF
the two cOmbatants may therefore be
put aside as not affecting the result
Another point. 1t is usual. know,
for military men to sneer at the general
ship. or want Of 1t, which as they allege,
was responsible for the Majuba disaster
these CTiIics are wise after the event
It is forgotten that the Beers met other
officers than General Colley at Brook.
horst :ipruit in a number Of fights about
Pretoria, POtcheistroom and other
villages and that in no cases we're our
men and military leaders able to stand
up to the enemv. AT Durham, in Natal,
in I74S, we got the worst of it, as we did
at Doornkop, where E glish officers OF
the ordinary type commanded The
only military success which English
officers can claim in a good manv
encounters with the Beers rs the Battle
Of Boomplaats, fought in TS4S between
artillery and fiintlock guns, 1t is, there
fore, nonsense to take refuge behind the
lack Of generalship OF our leaders. If
such factors as courage and leadership
| do not come into the controversy. except
TO a very limited 'xtent, in what direc-
ton must we look for the explanation
| O4 our defeats'
At Laing's Mex the action began by
our guns dropping a few shells into the
Boer lines, and, as admitted by the Beers
themselves, the small loss they suffered
| from this fire-General Joubert was
| nearly bit by a splinter OF a shell
induced them to think seriously OF
| abandoning the position. They we're
about to leave when the attack by a
small number OF mounted infantry and
by few companies oil Colonel Deane'
regiment was made. Only one OF our
men reached the Boer lines, the Others
being stopped a short distance away
aud, as they were unsupported, they
we're d iven back down the hill Result
100 killed and wounded on the British
side against q Beers killed anc
wounded Al IugOgo, fought a few days
afterwards, a force Of about 800 men witt
two guns we're stopped on a small
4 plateau, and, alter an action lasting al
day, our men, with the two guns, were
withdrawn during the night. leaving
dead aud wounded on the ground. The
Beers also lett the held at Ught
At this fight the 6Oers crept up to wIthiI
sixty yards OF our guns, They lost L
killed and wounded, while our loss wa
r4A killed and wounded.
A force Of about 600 infantry set ou
Tor the summit of Majuba Hin on tn
night OF February 26, 1881. There wer
about $50 combatants. Alter leayin
some companies on the road about DO
men reached the summit, and wer
disposed in various positions about To
, | rim OF the mountain. The first shot
| we're fred about six o'clock. and In
q | combat went on unInteTup tedly 10
& | hours. In the final stages the main bod
, ol the Beers crept to within 80 yard.
I and for a considerable time fusillade
, our troops at this distance. Many oil IN
men fell IA the subsequent flight; bu
. when the fighting was over, at on
r o'clock. our casualties were zbo kille
4 | aud wounded while the Beers lost on
r. killed and four wounded, At Bronl
. hurst we lost r2o men killed an
q wounded within ten minutes. the Boe
! losing one. In the amesou raid OF
!, losses we're about 100 killed an
,s wounded, the Beers having FIVE kllle
. and wounded in the actual fighting.
- Il is usually maintained that the'
" Trausyaal fights were fought at di
,r advantage, and Jhat our men we
IA IN each case vastly Outnumbered.
is we accept the BoeT accounts, our fore
lg were not outnumbered, Al Majuba tn