The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1900-01-18
MACERSFONTEIN.
Correspondents of London Pa
pers Tell of Slaughter
And the Burial of the Martyred
General WauchOpe..
LIKE RATS IN A TRAP
Thirteen Hundred of the Scot
fish HighIanders
Fell Within Fifty Feet of the
B0er Lines.
LIKE RATS IN A TRAI

Correspondence of Associated Pressl
London, Jan. 10-Some of the most
brilliant work in the way of descriptive
writing ever done by British war cor
respondents has been appearing in the
London papers during the last few
days. Bennett BueIigs splendid de-
scription of the battle of Colenso which
was cabled in part by the Associated
Press is not BIT finer thant the account
of Magersfontein by the correspondent
of the Daily News. After tracing the
terrible loss suffered by the Highland
brigade at Magersfontein, the Daily
News correspondent thus writes of the
burial of Gen Wauchope:
Three hundred yards to the rear of
the little township of Modder river, lust
as the sun was sinking in a blaze of At
r1can splendor, on the evening of Tues
day, the 18th of December, a long, shall
low grave lay exposed in the breast of
the Veldt. In the west the broad river.
Irlnged with trees, ran murmuringly: to
the eastward the heights still held by
the enemy, ScOWled menacingly; north
and south the veldt undulated peaceful
~ A few PAGES to the northward of
that grave 80 dead Highlanders Law.
dressed as they had fallen on the field
of battle. They had followed their chief
TO the field and they wereto follow him
e
men looked as they lay face upward to
the sky, with great hands clinched in
the last death agony, and brows
still knitted with the stern lust of the
strife IN which they had fallen The
pldldS dear to every Highland clan were
represented there. and as 1 looked out
OF the distance came the sound of the
piper; it was the general coming to
JOIN his men. There, right under the
eyes OF the enemy, moved with slow and
solemn tread all that remained of the
Highland brigade. In front of them
walked the chaplain, with barred head
dressed in his robes of office; then came
the pipers with their pipes 16 in all
and behind them with arms reversed
moved the Highlands, dressed in all of
their regalia of their regiments and
in their midst the dead general borne
by four of his comrades
out Swelled the pipes to the strains
OF the Flowers of the Forest" now
ringing proud and high until the sold
lerS heads went back in naughty def
ance and eyes flashed through tears like
supnght on steel; now signing to a
moaning wall like a woman mourning
her first born, until the proud heads
dropped forward till they rested on
heaVlng chests and tears rolled down
the wan and SCARED faces and the
choking Sobs broke through the solemn
rythm OF march of death Right up to
the grave they marched then broke
away IN companies, until the general Law
IN the shallow grave with a Scottish
square of armed men around him Only
the dead mans son and a small rem
nant Of the officers stood with the
chaplain and the pipers while the SOL
ernn services of the church were spo-
ken.
g., Then once again the piper pealed out
LochaVer no More cut through the
stlliness like "a cry of pain until one
could almost hear the widow in her
rllshIahQ nome moaning for the soldier
she would welcome back no more Then
as II touched by the magic of one
thought, the soldiers turned their tear
damp eyes from the still form in the
shallow grave toward the heights where
Cronje, the lion of Africa and his sold
iers stood. Then every cheek flushed
crimson and the strong laws set like
steel and the veins on the hands that
clasped the rife hand swelIed almost to
bursting with the fervor of the grip
and that look from those silent, armed
mel men spoke more eioguently than ever
spoke the tongues of orators. For on
each browning face the spirit of
vengeance sat and each sparkling eve
asked silently for blood God help the
Boers when next the Highlander pi-
Droch sound. GOD rest the Beers souls
when the Highland bayonets charge.
for neither death, nor hell nor things
ABOVE nor things below Will hold the
scots back from their blood feud.
AT the head of the grave at the
point nearest the enemy, the general
was laid to sleep, his officers grouped
around him, While in line behind him
ms soldiers were laid in a double row
wrapped in their blankets. No shots
We're fired over the dead men resting SO
peacefully. Only the salute was given,
and then the men marched campward
as the darkness of an African night
rolled over the far stretching breadth
of the veldt. To the gentlewoman who
bears the generals name, the Highland
brigade send their deepest sympathy.
TO the members and the wives, the sis
tiers and the sweethearts in the cottage
homes by hillside and glen they send
love and good wishes-sad will be their
Christmas, sadder the New Year. Yet.
enshrined in every womanly heart
from Queen Empress to cottage girl, let
their memory be the memory of the
Highland brigade who died at Mayors
fontein."
The same writer thus depicts the way
IN which the disaster overlook the High
landers:
During the night it was considered
expedient that the big Highlanders,
about 1000 strong, under General
Wauchope should get close enough to
the lines of the foe to make it possible