The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1899-11-22
BRITISH VETERANS.
Association Holds a Smoker and
Listens TO Addresses.
Addresses BY Gen. Brayton, Corporal Berry
and John DaIympIe.

The British Veterans association had
smoker last evening at No. 40 Wey-
bosset street. and the affair was made
quite interesting owing TO the fact that
! one man was present who served in the
! famous Twenty fourth. the regiment
! that lost all but so men i'm the South
African campaign OF 1S7s-19. and who
was IN the escort OF Sir Theophilus
Sheps'one in the Transvaal. Gen. Chas.
K. Brayton was a guest of the associ-
alton.
After Capt. Alfred Dawson had called
the members to order. he called upon
Lieut. T. III. Johnson and he spoke upon
the objects of the association. and then
Kipling's poem on Tommy Atkins"
was read.
zen. Brayton talked about the q. A.
r.. and some Of its history. He advised
mis- hearers To keep out Of politics, and
said that he considered the suggestion
or Capt. Dawson that the veterans
Identify themselves as citizens of their
adopted country, "A good one. Gen.
BraYton Was sure all old soldiers want
ed the British veterans 10 feel that
they have all the rights and privileges
of an American born. The old soldiers
would welcome the veterans with open
arms. Then ne told them a few Of his
own wartime experiences.
Corp. Harry BERRY was then intro
duced as one OF the survivors of the
South African campaign OF lS7S-T9 and
he spoke briefly Of his experiences there
and Of his services i'm the Northwest
rebelion. He has service medals for
both campaigns. The South Africa one
is of especial interest at this time. on
one side is the bas-relief OF Victoria
Regina, and on the diverse is the Brit
ish lion. the assagai and shield. and
the shrubs. representing South Africa.
The date on the cross-bar is ls1S-79.
Speaking OF his experience in IN.
Tfansvaal. Capt. Berry SAYS that he
knows all that country well. for he
passed about six years there. During
that time the command he was with
moved from place to- place, and ft-tfit
comes back 10 him today. OF course,
it has doubtless changed in that time,
for there was only one railroad there
then. and the country was not built
up. President Kruger and Gen. Jou-
bert he has seen face to face. The opin-
ion he formed OF them then has not
changed. The soldiers always regard
ed them as treacherous men. The Beers
were regarded as ignorant and lived
very plainly then. The <ties were not
large.
In speaking Of the destruction OF his
regiment. Corp. Berry said: "The fact
was the Twenty fourth was taken by
surprise in THE hills. l was I'm the es-
cort of Lord Chelmsford. who had 400
man and some four guns with HIM
The camp was left i'm charge Of Col
Pollein. If everything had gone accord
ing TO his orders the camp would have
been saved. But Col. Dunsford OF the
Engineers came in. and as the rank
ing officer took command. When the
Zulus attacked the camp he sent two
companies of infantry out and they
never returned. Instead of fighting
from behind the barricade. he deployed
the men as skirnlishers. What happen
ened /yeryone knows" Corp. Berry
expressed the wish OF many other ~
the old British soldiers when he said he
wished he was in South Africa today
The general sentiment seemed To be
that England Always began her cam
paigns with reverses. but the end was
inevitable victory.
John DalrvmDle. who has seen SER
vice In the British navy. was also I'M
troduced He was at South Africa IN
the second class corvette Dido. and this
first class cruiser Penelope, with tho
Duke OF Edinburg in command Dai-
rymple saw service some dozen years
ago on a British submarine boat and
in view OF the talk today about the
Holland boat. thought 1t might bo In.
teresting.