The age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1897-1902, 1899-12-04
SIR REDVERS BUTLER
COMMANDER IN CHIEF

| are several references to Sir Redvers Bull
Ter. These will be read just now with no
| little interest
| ''Sr Redvers Butler belongs to what used
| to be called the wolseley gang. 1t is not
easy says Mr.. Forbes in his character
| sketch of the commander-in -ehief, 'for the
most censorious to challenge the discrimin-
ating aeumen of woIseIey's selections. It.
| would be superfluous for me to emphasize
| the merits of Redvers Buffers military
character, although perhaps I happen to
| know more than do most men how much,
once and again, that fine officers acute dis
| cernment, masterfulness of nature, and
| ruthless promptitude have served u.s.
| The gallant soldier to whom England is
| looking now to bring to a speedy and sue
cessful conclusion the war between our
| selves and the Beers of the Transvaal is,
| as all the world knows, no novice in African
| warfare In Mr. Forbes Barracks, Biv-
| ouacs and Battles" there are some passages
| referring to Sir Redvers Buffers exploits in
| that country. When Mr.. Forbes reached
| Durham in 1879 Colonel Redvers Butler,
he was them had already won his Victoria
| Cross by deeds of conspicuous bravery, af-
ter the unfortunate affair at the Inhlobane
| Mountain:
| HE assisted while holly pursued by
| Zurus, in rescuing Captain c. Darcy, of
| the Frontier Light Horse, who was retiring
| on foot, Colonel Butler carrying him on his
horse until he overlook the rear guard. On
stances he conveyed to a place of safety
| Lieutenant c. Everitt, of the Frontier Light
/ Horse, whose horse had been killed under
| him. Later on Colonel Butler, in the same
| manner, saved trooper of the Frontier
| Light Horse, who was completely exhaust
| ed, and who otherwise. would have been
| killed by the Zulus, who were within eighty
| yards of him.
| They are the formal words of the Ga
| zette, and give no very vivid idea of the
! man. Mr.. Forbes brilliant pages do, and
| his incidental references to the dashing
| officer gives an impression of verisimilitude
| very interesting under present circum-
stances:
1--WE reached Port Durham about the mid
| die of April 1879 to find its roadsteads
crowded with the transports that had
brought the achievements out from Eng
| land. and its hotels crammed with officers
| of all ranks and all branches of the SER
| wee. General Fred Marshall, an cid friend
| OF Beresford and myself, commanded the
regular cavalry brigade, and Bill hoped
| fer berth on his staff. But a better bill
| let fell to him. Far up in the Transvaal
| Sir Evelyn Woods little brigade had just
| gained a brilliant victory over some 10000
| Zulus, who had made a desperate attack
| on its position. Colonel Redvers Butler
| commanded Woods irregular volunteer
cavalry, and in the recent fight his staff
| officer, Major Roland Campbell, had been
| killed"
/ Mr.. Forbes ''chum Bir'-Lord William
| Beresford that is-got the appointment,
| and next day went off up country to his
| billet, land not long AFTER says the writer,
| JOiltu NOUu loICS up at hdIHDuld.
II found Bill too busy to give me more
| than hurried handshake. He was Bull
| ler's only staff officer, and the force
| commanded, about thousand strong. was
| the strangest congeries imaginable. 1t
| consisted of broken gentlemen, of rum
agate Sailors of flgitives from Justice, of
the scum of South African towns, of stolid
| Afrikanders, of Beers whom the Zulus had
| driven from their farms. Almost every
| European nationality was represented;
| there were a few Americans, some good,
| some bad; Greaser, a Chilean, several
! Australians and a couple of Canadian voy-
| ageurs from somewhere In the Attic re-
| gions. There were Frenchmen who could
| not speak a word of English and Channel
| Islanders whose patcis neither Englshmen
| nor Frenchmen could understand. One and
all were volunteers, recruited for the cam
paign at the pay of IS day. What added
to the complication was that the force COM
prised dozen or more suOcommands, each
originally, and still to some extent, a sep
arate and distinct unit. There was Bakers
Horse and 'D'Arcy's Horse and Bedding
toms Horse, and .Ferreira's Horse and
so on; each body asserting distinctive
independence. Beresford had to arrange
all details and be in everything
Buffers right-hand man. The volunteer Of
fieers, some jealous, some sluggish, some
cantankerous, were, as regarded any
knowledge of duty, for the most part quite
useless. In effect the force, which in num-
erical strength reckoned as a brigade, was
run by these two men-Redvers Butler and
Bill Beresford. Butler was a silent, satur-
nine, blood thirsty man, resolute fight
er as ever drew breath-a born leader of
men-who ruled his Heterogeneous COM
mand with a rod of iron. Beresford, to the
full as keen a fighter and as firm in COM