The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1899-12-20
Stories of the Boer War,

was suffering intense agony" says Mr..
Paris, "but his first words were: %, tel
me, have they taken the hill yet? That
was at 1929 a. m, and the hill was not
taken for hours later. After the doctors
had injected morphia his pain was easier,
and he said he would be with the column
on the following day. Instead of that
he was under the sod.
ION the following afternoon I went up
the hill with the burial party and saw our
dead. There were eight officers awaiting
burial lying side by side in an Clubhouse
on the farm, including Lieutenant oClo-
mel Cunning, Lieutenant Colonel Shers-
ton, Captain Pechell, and others; and in
the next clubhouse were twenty-five man,
exhibiting the most frightful wounds In
one house on the other side of the hill
about eighty wounded Beers were lying
with only one doctor to attend TO them.
They were down-hearted and said they
had no idea our artillery fire was so ter
rible.
ION the evening of the 21st we received
orders to leave the town and proceed to
the south African collieries. My staff
and I were about the last TO leave, and
we got off on a three miles walk. 1t was
a pitch dark night, and no lights were
allowed. About half way we were stop
ped by our outposts, VINO demanded the
password. I replied that I did not know
it, but that I was the postmaster. The
password was given TO us, and further
on we were again stopped. Here 1 asked
to see the officer in charge. and was led
into a dirty colliery store, where I found
him with his head bandaged up, drying
his tSAIsers before wood fire. 1t ap
peared that he had fallen down a well
in the dark I told him I was willing to
90 haa NJ no IN If
they thought it was safe but he advised
me to go forward instead of back
Journeying through slush and mud and
a pitilessly cold rain, we came to the
machinery shed of the collieries. We
were ordered up a steep ladder to room
alone. Here we stumbled over sleeping
bodies, because no lights were allowed,
and, finally, we wedged ourselves in, ly
ing on the bare floor on a night that
seemed to wither ones marrow. At $3.50
a. m. we Were again ordered to get up,
and we made the best of our way to the
new camp, which was at Rowan's farm
house, about a mile away. When we ar
rived there was nothing to eat, and we
found hundreds of civilians huddled to-
gether, shivering. When daylight came
they broke open the cupboards in search
Of food, and a little timed fish was
found"
Postmaster Paris was sent by General
Yule to Ladysmith to ask for reinforce
ments and describes his journey as fol-
lows: "As I rode in the Beers were she'll
ing the town with two forty-pounders.
The shell went whizzing over the office,
and you may be certain 1 got the mes
sages sent as soon as possible.
II also ascertained that no reliefs were
being sent, which surprised General Yule
very much. Previous to starting l was
given a biscuit and some corned beef.
which I ravenously ate as l rode along.
Altogether we were at the office four diff
ferent times during the day, having to
travel the distance in full view of those
forty-pounders.
AT p. m. the General asked me to
go in with another telegram, adding that
he wished US to destroy all military mes
sages that had been sent. l replied that
my staff and myself would go in, but I
pointed out that we did not desire to be
abandoned, and l asked him if he could
let us know when they were retreating
to Ladysmith. He said that he quite I'M
derstood the position. and that if they de-
cided to leave Dundee he would send a
mounted orderly to inform us
LAS we could not get horses we walked
into the town, and we did as requested,
w
munication with Pietermaritzburg. The
Postmaster General wired congratulating
US on sticking to our posts to the last.
The camp field telegraph staff had bolted
the day before.
AT 11:30 p. m. a friend, who is guide
to the military, rode up eXcitedly. saying
he had come to inform us that the troops
had gone and that their last wagon was
then moving down the street The Gen
eral had forgotten all about us!
Needless to say, we soon had our
lights out, and after examining the regis
tered letters into the safe, and sarrying
away what office cash and stamps we
could amounting to e2OO, we soon
caught up to the last wagon and walked
throughout the night. tofling. through
slush. mud and rain, over a bad. hilly
road.
we caught up to the camp a mile and
a half past Beth. where the artillery had
drawn up into position to cover US. Some
Of the men of the Royal irish Fusiieers
shared their radons with us, and we
were grateful to them
I'VE travelled mostly at dead Of night.
so that the Beers should not see US
They We're endeavoring to cut US off. but
this move was frustrated by a column
from Ladysmith sent out to our relief.
We had little ammunition, and towards
the end OF the Journey the men were put
on half rations.
'I shall not dilate further on the mis-
cries and discomforts Of that ~
journey. Suffice it to saw that I hope
never TO have such another experience;
yet I would not have missed seeing the
battle for anything"
Writing from Orange River, under date
of November 6, a correspondent Of the
London Daily News relates some exciting
incidents connected with dispatch riding
He SAYS:
"One of the most remarkable instances
of seif-pOssessiOn on record Is accredited
10 gentleman who arrived here so late
as October %. He rode a bicycle, and
his dispatches were made UP in a brown
paper parcel which he carried in his coat
pocket so that If he saw trouble ahead
he could commend the safety Of his par
eel 20 the open veldt. He was riding
swiftly. and on turning . treacherous
corner found himself face 70 face with a
party OF about twenty Beers. who rad
been loOtinG, or, in their more charitable
phrase0loEy. communicating. He a. once
dism0unted and said: Good day and IS
his get up was excellent one % the
Beers shook hands with MN.
This gave little respite and enabled
him TO collect himself Yes b said.
he was coming from Kimberley and was
looking for work he preferred looking
for work to taking up arms Before Ire
Beers sought 10 search him he Brought
out two hard boiled eggs. which he Offer
ed them. They refused. and then he
produced his brown paper packet Of dis
patches. and said he had two sandwiches
which they could have His seeming
Kindness was his salvation. and the Beers
were satisfied. T1ev gave him plenty e
advice. and told him 20 keen his sand
witches. as they had a sufficiency 4 biz
tong.
Two other dispatch riders, who are