Idaho County free press. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho Territory) 1886-current, 1899-12-15
THE FIGHTING BOERS.
An Enelishman's Account Of Battles
Fought with Them.
rn.w A. re.r,e.s and Excellent
MaFksmen-LOsses Of the Eng
lish Outn lumber Theirs i'm
Every Engagement.

It is usual, know, for military men
to sheer at the generalshiH, or want OF
it, which, as they allege, was RESPONSE
. Bile for the Majuba disaster these crit
les are wise after the event. 1t is for
gotten that the Beers met ether officers
than Gen. Colley at Bronkhorst Spruit
in a number of fights about Pretoria,
rotchestroom, and other Villages, and
that in no case were our men and mill
tary leaders able to stand up to the
enemy.
At Durham, in Natal, in ts4s, we got
the worst OF it, as we did at Doornkop,
where English officers of the ordinary
type commanded. The only military
success which English officers can claim
in a good many encounters with the
Beers Is the battle of Boomplaats,
Fought in 1s4s,. between artillery and
ilntlock guns. 1t is, therefore, non
sense to take refuge behind the lack OF
generalship of our leaders. If such fac
Tors as courage and leadership do not
come into the controversy, except to a
very limited extent, in what direction
must we look for the explanation OF our
defeats?
At Laing's Neck the action began by
our guns dropping few shells into the
3oer lines, and, as admitted by tie
Beers themselves, the small loss they
suffered from this fire--Gen. Joubert
was nearly hit by splinter of a shell
induced them to think seriously OF
abandoning the position. They were
about to leave when the attack by a
small number of mounted infantry and
by a few companies of Col. Deane's regi-
ment, was made. Only one of our men
reached the Boer lines, the others being
stopped short distance away; and
as they were unsupported. these were
driven back down the hill Result, 1870
killed and wounded on the British side,
against "a Beers killed and wounded.
At Ingogo, fought few days after
ward, force of about 300 men and two
guns were stopped on small plateau,
and after an action lasting. all day our
men, with the two guns, were with
drawn during the night, Leaving the
dead and wounded on the ground. The
Beers also left the field at night. AT
this fight the Beers crept up to within
GO yards Of our guns. They lost II
killed and wounded, while our loss was
142 killed and wounded.
A force of about GOO infantry set out
for the summit of Majuba hill on the
night of February &c, 1881. There were
| about $50 combatants. After leaving
some companies on the road about 4ol
L. Al 4 Il
posed in various positions about the
| rim of the mountain. The first shots
| were fred about six o'clock, and the
combat went on uninterruptedly fol
hours. In the final stages the mair
body of the Beers crept to within AZ
| yards, and for a considerable time flu
| silladed our troops at this distance.
Many Of the men fell in the subse
quent flight; but when the fighting
was over, at one o'clock, our casualties
were $50 killed and wounded, while thu
Beers lost one killed and four wound
| ed. At Bronkhorst we lost 100 mer
killed and wounded within ten minutes
the Beers losing one. In the Jameson
raid our losses were about 100 killet
anu Wounueu, Lne Doors having i've
killed and wounded in the actual fight
ing.
1t is usually maintained that These
Transvaal fights were fought at dis
advantage, and that our men were il
each case vastly outnumbered. If WI
accept the Boer accounts, our forces
were not outnumbered. At Majuba they
say they had about 400 men. But ever
assuming that there were as many a.
| 1000 Beers, the result is still extreme
/ ~ unsatisfactory. African Review.