Arizona republican. [volume] (Phoenix, Ariz.) 1890-1930, 1899-11-20
THE ANGLO-BOER
WAR NOTES

ant than at Southport Southport's
contribution to the armed forces of the
crown consisted of one warrior-a DO
liceman in his civil capacity. The GAL
liant policeman was feted as the occa-
sion demanded. There were banuuets.
presided over by civil dignitaries. and
there We're speeches. Liberal arrange
ments We're made for the support of the
hero's wife and family in his absence.
So the policeman went off to the wars.
And in two days time back he came.
rejected as medically unfit. Sic transit!
There is mighty good stock among
the English in South Africa. Captain
Randolph Cosby Nesbitt, V. C, who
made so gallant a defense of the ar
mored train which attempted the jour-
ney south from Mafeking to Vryburg
and back, won his Victoria Cross in
June, 1896, for conspicuous gallantry
in fighting his way with a party of
thirty men and three women in the
Matabele war from Umzoa to Sails
bury. No fewer than seven of the lit
tie party We're killed and five wounded.
The women were employed in serving
out ammunition from the inside of the
armored wagon to the men. Captain
Nesbitt's father. Major Nesbitt of Gra-
jamestown, South Africa, has also had
career of romantic adventure His
mother and he were on board the i'll
fated troop snip Birkenhead on their
voyage from England to Natal. where
they were to join Major Nesbitt's faith
er, who was in command of a regiment
stationed in Durham When the Birk-
enhead struck the boats were filled
with the women and children Major
Nesbitt, a youth of 16, was too old to
be included among the children. He
swan about after the ship went down
and seized the gunwale of a lifeboat.
when the tops of his fingers We're cut
off by a sailor with a cutlass. The
men, however, took pity on the drown
ing boy, and hauled him into the boat.
although it was in imminent danger Of
being swamped.
The Boer general, Lucas Meyer. who
was opposed to the English forces at
Glencoe, is a famous warrior When
Cetewayo died the Usutu recognized
Dinizulu as their head. but Usibepu, as
leader of the Umandhlakazi omen of
great strength') challenged his right.
DiniZulu asked the Beers to help him.
and Lucas Meyer commanded a body
of Boer Adventures who lent him their
aid. Usibequ was routed, and, as re-
ward, Dinizulu gave Meyer and his
friends 5000 square miles of Northwest
Zululand, where the New Republic"
was founded, with Meyer as president
In 1886 its independence was recognized
by England. but in 1883 it was alb
sorbed by the Transvaal
The feeling in the British army con-
corning the exposure of an officer to
fire is well illustrated by an incident
told to the London Chronicle by an eX-
sergeant. He says: During the storm
ing of an important fortress in the
south of India, when the writer was 4
young soldier, as the storming party
made for the breach, an officer was
seen resting beneath a high ledge of
rock. Before the regiment returned to
quarters that officer sold out as did
also his brother of the same regiment"
Colonel Schiel, the commander of the
German corps in the Boer army, who
was captured at Elandslaagte, was
originally a cadet in the Brunswick
Black Hussars. For economic reasons
he abandoned the attempt to get a
commission after having advanced to
the rank of sergeant He went in
search of adventure in Africa and be-
came one of the advisers to the Zulu
chief Dinizulu, from whom he OBJ
tanned a large farm near Santa Lucia
Bay, which Colonel Schiel tried to sell
to Germany. However, when England
claimed Dinizulu's territory, Prince
Bismarck would not hear of such a bar
gain. After the Jameson raid, Colonel
Schiel designed the Qualifications of
Johannesburg and superintendent the
building of the fort, which has been
armed with heavy Krupp guns of the
newest construction, so that the town
of Johannesburg can be destroyed
within a few hours In 1897 a show
took place in Berlin called THE Trans
vaal." Colonel Schiel was engaged by
the promoters to come over and drill
the twenty Beers who had been
brought to Berlin for the show. When
the agent for the show called on Presi-
dent Kruger to ask him for leave of
absence for Colonel Schiel, Dom Paul
said to his grandson EIoff: Read to
the doctor the latest newspapers The
English intend to take Delagoa Bay.
New dangers of war are arising.
want Captain Schiel here He must
finish the building of the fort. And the
twenty young Beers must stop here,
too" Colonel Schiel became aide-de-
camp of Piet Joubert and chief inspect
or of prisons for the Transvaal.
Colonel Baden-Powell, probably the
most versatile man in the British
army, has among other things written
songs which have been very popular