The Grit-advocate., 1900-04-27
HERO OF SPION KOP.
BOTHA MOST POPULAR OF
BOER COMMANDERS.
Il Young and Unpretentious - Tells
How His $50 Burghers Defeated at
Least 1000 British-Gives the Credit
to Kruger.


toria, March 7, says: THE Boer hero
Of the first four months of the war is
Louis Botha, the victor Of Colenso and
Spion kop and the youngest general
In the republican armies. The Beers
are too stoical to have many popular
heroes, but the name Botha is on
every tongue in the two republics, and
already he is being mentioned as
possible candidate for the presidency.
1t reminds one of the days in America,
after the fight in Manila, when Dewey
came into prominence.
"The fight on Spion Kop in the lat
ter part Of January was the first of
any great consequence, inasmuch as
a British victory would have been fol-
lowed by the raising of the siege Of
Ladysmith. A defeat for the Beors
would have changed the tide Of the
entire campaign in Natal, and to guard
against such calamity Gen. Jou-
bert placed Gen. Botha in charge. To
show how successful Gen. Botha was
in combating the British forces it is
only necessary to say that seven days
after the battle there remained on the
sides of Spion Kop and in the valley
below more than 700 bodies of Eng
lish soldiers, while the total loss of the
Beers was fifty killed and Is wounded.
The total Boer force engaged in the
fight was not more than $50, while the
British force was no less than 1000,
and probably twice that number.
"Botha is farmer and modestly
claims to know more about sheep
raising than he does about fighting.
every year of that time he has spent
In raising sheep and cattle on the
large ranges of land in the Vryheld
district of the Transvaal. Like all
Beers, he is democrat Of democrats,
and when he told the story of the bat
tie he was clad in suit of clothing
that might have been dear at $40 when
scarf, an old, stained, broad-brimmeG
hat surmounted his head and the ell
bows of his coat were worn through.
Apparently he left his flocks of sheep,
and, without changing his clothing.
went to the battlefield to assume COM
mand of his neighbors. He did not
seem to be proud of his victory, but
spoke only of the bravery of the Brit
ish soldiers and the injustice of the
war which made such slaughter neces
sary.
"'After the battle of Colenso.' the
general began, (which the forces TN.
der my command won as result OF
the careful planning of President Kru-
ger and their own prowess, was pre-
pairing to return to Pretoria for short
rest, when l received instructions
from the president to go at once
toward the upper Tugela, whittier the
British forces were advancing to the
relief Of Ladysmith. They had crossed
the river at Trichardts drift. and were
on the main road which leads into
the besieged city, when l arrived in
General Burgers camp at 8 o'clock in
the morning. l saw there was moth
ing to do but prepare for an immediate
attack, and for four days we fought
hard on large plateau to the right
of Spion Kop. On the evening Of the
fifth day the British forces suddenly
retired toward Trichardt's drift, but
instead Of recrossing they took up
positions on Spion Kop. This point
was of great strategic Importance, and
Gen. Burger and l agreed that we
must have it. During the night we
elected our men from different COM
.handoes in the vicinity, took our posi-
tions and waited for the dawn before