Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1899-12-18
STORIES OF BOER WAR.
Incidents on the Battlefields of
Glencoe and Elandslaagte.
SENSATIONS UNDER SHELL FIRE.

DargaI-Queer Effects of Wounds.
Letters from South Africa still tell
the stories of the battles of Glencoe
and Elandslaagte. y general account
of these cnga gements you have already
had, but there are many details and in
cidents which make good reading. says
the London correspondent of the New
York Sun.
A private in the Kings Royal rifles
in letter TO his parents describes his
feelings under fire as he went with his
regiment up the now famous hill of
Talana: ~ can tell you it was a very
funny sensation indeed, standing there
with shot and shell flying all over you.
but we got the order TO advance. and
then the worst time came, for we were
within rifle range then, and there was
about 700 yards of open ground to
cross with absolutely no cover at all.
and the bullets did fly around. l felt
rather frightened at first, but. it soon
wore off, and then felt very desperate
and did not care much what happened,
and that was what most of us thought
when we compared notes after"
The correspondent of the London
Morning Post gives the following &C.
count of his feelings when under fire
for the first time at Elandslaagte. He
was under cover with some troops.
waiting for the advance, and says:
This was my first experience of rifle
lire, as it was the whole forces first
experience of modern shell fire. l
found that my strongest instinct was
If a shell fell near me, 1
always went TO the spot to see what it
had done. When the rifle fire was
heavy. l found it almost impossible TO
keep cover. l felt that l must. simply
must, lift up my head and see what
was going on. All the same / had
RI Their been under such shell fire as the
Beers put into us than under their rife
fire. The swift whistle of the passing
bullet is not pleasant sound. Its fu-
rious 'phphtt' as it falls into the
ground is rather quaint. What l dis
like most of all is the ricochet. The
bullet that ricochets comes for you all
ends up with a grim, uncivil 'bzzz' that
is distinctly annoying. Perhaps my
sentiment in this matter has been
by observation of the
clean wounds made by the Mauser bull
let in full flight and the nasty holes
that result from the contact of the rico
chetting bullet with the human body"
The following incidents of the storm
ing of Talana hill are told by the same
1T was a sight never
to be forgotten to see what the British
soldier could stand. One of the 'Dubs.'
shot through the left leg and both
arms, shivering with cold and soaked
by rain, being helped slowly down the
hill, jocularly asked his two comrades
not to let him go, as having no arms to
protect himself he was sure to fall on
his face and spoil his beauty. Imme
diately after the bill was taken many
Boer ponies were captured, many of
them with all equipment and even
Mausers strapped on to the saddles,
and it was comical sight to see Tom
my careering round on Boer mounts
over ground which even the Boer
would have picked his way carefully.
There is no doubt our shell fire must
have disconnected the Beers. An Off
Ger of the 'Dubs' placed his helmet on
his sword and placed it above the stone
wall. 1t was Immediately pierced by
six bullets. Contrast this shooting with
the double across the open to the home
stead below Talana hill. when only
four men dropped.
"One of the Kings rifles was in the
act of picking off Il Boer. He had just
pressed the trigger when a Boer pop
ped his head up directly in front, with
the result he got the bullet through his
head. 1T was quite an accident. sir.
You see. was aiming at the other
man. said the Kings rifles man as he
showed me the corpse"
Here are 4 few stories of the battle
Of Elandslaagte told by the CORE
spondentS of the London Post and
Standard: "In the few minutes at my
l may relate how one Imperial
Light horse man was absolutely para
lyzed with fear. Come on. Don't be
4 coward said Major Sampson. The
man tried. His heart and will were
good enough. but he failed physically.
Soon afterward Sampson saw him
rushing to the front with all his might,
blood pouring from a wound on his
face. Where are the BoersT he cried.
Let me get at them" Another Light
horse nan did not know he was wound
ed Gin The abdomen until the next day.
luOhSnl NLdb lbC Sii6hN l'1'h bN SUI
fered was due to drinking beer on an
empty stomach after the fight was
over.
"One Dutchman was found moaning
and crying under a thorn bush. I'm
dead! I'm deadf he cried It's that
dreadful Iyddite" He was told that no
lyddite had been used in the battle. Il
know il was. he said. because ! read
IL in The Standard and Diggers' News
\ quaint reason. He was examined
and punched all over and found to be
not so much as scratched L know he
said: but I'm dead. I'll die soon. The
Standard and Diggers' says that lyd-
dite kills you without hurting you 1t
is a singular fact. by the way. that OF
the wounded and prisoners the vast
majority spoke English for choice
"One fine incident must be told.
When Mr.. Pearse was looking after a