Shoshone journal. [volume] (Shoshone, Idaho) 1884-1931, 1899-09-11

1t Is usual, know, for military men
to sheer at the generalship, or want Of
1t, which, as they allege, was RESPONSE
Bile for the Majuba dlsaster-these
critics are wise after the event, says
the African Review 1t is forgotten
that the Beers met other officers than
Gen. Colley at Bronkhorst Spruit in a
number of fights about Pretoria, Pot
classroom and other villages, and
that in no case were our men and mil
itary leaders able to stand up to the
enemy At Durham, in Natal, in 1848,
we got the worst of 1t, 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 en-
counters with the Beers is the battle
OF Boomplaats, fought in 1848 between
artillery and f1int-lock guns. 1t is,
therefore, nonsense to take refuge be-
hind the lack OF generalship of our
leaders. If such factors 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 Laings Neck the action began by
our guns dropping a few shells into
the Boer lines, and, as admitted by
the Beers themselves, the small loss
they suffered from this fire-Gen. Jou-
bert was nearly hit by splinter of
ahell-induced them to think seriously
OF abandoning the position. They
were about to leave when the attack
by a small number of mounted infan-
try and by a few companies of Col.
Deane's regiment 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, 100 killed and wounded on the
British side, against twenty-four Beers
killed and wounded. At Ingogo, |
fought few days afterward, force |
of about 300 men and two guns were |
stopped on small plateau and, after |
an action lasting all day, four men,
with the two guns, were withdrawn
during the night, leaving dead and |
wounded on the ground. The Beers
fight the Beers crept up to within sixty
yards of our guns. They lost seven
teen killed and wounded, while our
oss was 142 killed and wounded. A
'orce Of about 600 infantry set out for
he summit of Majuba hill on the
light of Feb. g. 1881 There were
about $50 combatants. After leaving
'ome companies on the road, about 400
men reached the summit and were
disposed In various positions about the
i'm of the mountain. The first shots
we're fired about O'Clock, and the
combat went on uninterruptedly for
hours. In the final stages the main
,ody of the Beers crept to within forty
ards, and for a considerable time
usilladed our troops at this distance.
fanny of the men fell in the subse-
uent flight; but when the fighting j
vas over, at l o'clock, our casualties 1
Vere $50 killed and wounded, while :
he Beers lost one killed and four ,
At Bronkhorst we lost 100 I
1en killed and wounded within ten ]
linutes, the Beers losing one. In the
ameson raid our losses were about s
DO killed and wounded, the Beers !
aving FIVE killed and wounded In the '
ctual fighting. 1t is usually main e
aimed that these Transvaal fights were 9
ought at q disadvantage and that our
len were In each case vastly out ,
II we accept the Boer ac- :
ounts, our forces were not outnum- /,
cred. At MaJuba they say they had
bout 400 men. But even assuming :
lat there were as many as 1000 Beers, !,
le result is still extremely unsatisfac-
Try.