Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1899-11-18


wasons-Rest Camp and Remount
Depot Established ut Durham.
When one considers that an army
corps in the field requires 800 tons OF
stores and supplies every day. II is
easy to realize the vital importance OF
the transport and supply services and
the working of lines Of communica-
tion in such campaign as that which
has commenced in South Africa. says
the London correspondent of the New
York Sun. writing under date of Oct.
%.
The Duke of Wellington, as Cape
Town correspondent writing on this
subject reminds us, prided himself less
on his tactical skill than on his success
in feeding the army under his COM
mand. During the Peninsular war
more orders were issued on the subject
of feeding the troops and on the work
ing of lines of communication than on
any other question. 1t remains to be
seen whether Sir Redvers Butler will
he able TO make a similar boast to that
of the Iron Duke" But. whatever
shortcomings may be revealed in South
Africa within the next few weeks, and
already there are grumblingS to be
heard, the criminal folly of 1854 cannot
be repeated. When the British troops
landed in the Crimea, the transport for
the whole army consisted of 10 mules
and a few carts, while the supply serv
ice was equally parsimonious. Thus
the army before. SevastOpol. though en-
camped six or seven miles from the
harbor of Balaklava, filed with ships
and stores. was losing men daily for
want of food and fire. AS a contrast
one may turn to the Sudan campaign
of 1898, when British army was OPP
Grating in the heart of Africa with
single line of communication extending
over 1000 miles from its base.
But conditions in South Africa are
very different, and the lines of commu
nication especially will be n far more
difficult problem. According to the
scale for mobilization in the present
instance, each battalion of 1000 officers
and men has 16 vehicles, IS draft
horses. pack animals and 80 drivers.
As the plan of campaign is not yet
fully revealed it is of course impossible
to lay down what will be the exact
plans. routes, etc, for the supply, trans
port and communication. The general
character of the scheme has, however,
been determined. Assuming that there
will be n single line of communication
through Natal to the Transvaal from
tier, Durham will be the base and Lady
smith the advance depot. The CORE
spondent proceeds:
Sir Edward Chichester, who was in
command of the squadron at Manila
when Admiral Dewey had his memo
rable passage at arms with the Ger
man naval officer, is responsible for the
Decentralization of troops and stores.
The work will be difficult. for no large
ships can safely enter the harbor at
Durham on account of the bar and the
heavy seas that tend to diminish the
depth of the water. Horses have to be
landed in lighters, costly and tedious
operation. which is intrusted. under
military and naval supervision, to Il
civil contractor. AS soon as the stores
are received they will be sorted and
sent TO the front by rail and road. The
single line of railway from Durham
winds northward through billy coun-
try, there being steady ascent along
its entire route. Ladysmith, 1S9 miles
from the coast, is 3,2S4 feet above the
sea.
L Ie carr luS CsIpdtltS VI tulS iihC 10
accordingly limited and must fall far
short of the requirements of 300 tons
n day. not to speak of men, sick and
wounded. and ammunition. This de-
fciency has to be made up by wagon
transport along roads which i'll many
districts are little better than tracks
and are likely to become quagmires in
the rainy season. which in Natal is al
be by mule and trek OK. Owing to the
rinderpest, these animals are rather
scarce in South Africa, and large pur-
chases Of mules have been made in
Spain, the south of France, Chicago
and elsewhere. Fifteen thousand
mules have been requisitiOned and will
he used for drawing wagons of Ameri-
can pattern. These vehicles are strong
ly built and weigh from 1G to % hun
dredweight, their track being . feet
inches. Twelve mules can carry a load
of 1000 pounds, and the transport will
be worked in sections of 20 wagons.
Mules do we'll on crushed mealies or
maize, but should have from three 70
four hours grazing if they are to be
kept in condition. The ration is eight
pounds a day, so that each section will
need half a wagon load of mealies for
every eight hours journey.
Trek oxen. though not suitable for
regimental transport. will be used on
the line of communication. They have
only two recommendations can
find their food on the veldt. and when
no longer able to walk or to carry any
thing you may eat them. as our men
did when shut up in Lucknow and the
Alumbagh. The disadvantage of this
method of transport is its extreme
slowness and the liability of the ami
mails to sickness. Great care has to be
taken in feeding the oxen and in regu-
latinS their hours of work. Fifteen
miles is a good days march, and in
the rainy season il is doubtful whether
ten miles can be exceeded. Trek oxen