The evening times., 1900-03-10
STORIES FROM THE FRONT
kitche ner's Selection Urged by
Queen Victoria.
Insisted Upon Having Him in South
Africa When Things Began to Go
Cross the Tueela-Scotland's Gem
erOus Contribution to the War.

PLANTATION of Lord Roberts appointment
has become public, which must be taken
for what it is worth. When things first
began to go wrong in South Africa. the
Queen was naturally much distressed. Her
Majesty, however. had a panacea, which,
with further misfortunes. became a fixed
idea
To everyone in authority with whom she
preached the subject of the war she said:
We must have Kitchener" Everybody
bowed. and agreed, but left it to the su-
preme war officials to point out that there
was a host of major generals senior to
Lord Kitchener The Queen however,
was obdurate. and insisted so strongly
that in matter of the kind her royal will
should not be diSregarded that at last the
officials themselves. by this time fairly
afraid OF public indignation. put their
heads together to devise means for CIV
ing effect TO it without violating the rules
of the army The result explains why
General Kitchener went out, not in a COM
mand Of his own, but as chief of the staff
to Lord Roberts.
One correspondent voices a little of the
criticism of Butler that apparently cir
culated in Ladysmith as follows;
Critics at home will no doubt have
wondered why General Butler in his at
tack of December 10. received no help from
Ladysmith. Ii was not known that Cen
eral Butler contemplated any attack until
December L. The fact that we were in
photographic communication with the south
must not be taken as a proof that We were
well informed. For reasons sound enough
no doubt we we're deliberately kept in the
dark. not only as TO General Buffers
movements and intentions. but as TO what
was happening in the outside world. Not
until December % did We learn by hello
gram that an attack was to be made on
Taba Imyana on the previous day.
Had General Butler sought the advice
Of General White. he could have moved
with greater caution at first. and before
Offering battle on December i he would
have made an effort to cross the Tugela
al some point west of ColensO-say. at
Springfield or Potgieter's Drift
Heroes of the Tugcia.
sars. with Lord Dundonald's Cavalry Bri-
gade. tells this story of an attempt TO
cross the Tugela. He says
1T was an agonizing sight to see the
poor fellows struggling In the rushing
fOaming water, and the horses plunglDg
so a major of ours asked for twO powerful
swimmers. Lieutenant Wise. of our troop
said. | will make one. and in an instant
was on. Then yours truly said. And /
will make two and in less time than !
can tell YOU We were stripping. and half
dressed, | plunged into the river after the
officer
In the meantime one of ours had drift
ed a long way down the river. and the
adjutant. Captain Tremayne, jumped in,
clothes and all He was brought out un-
conscious but the poor chap he tried 10
save was drowned. Guyler was his name
However We saved our man
Lance Sergeant Clare. Of the Scots
Guards, writing of the Modder River bat
tie. says: Our machine gun was blown
to pieces. and the sergeant in charge was
also killed. but we managed 10 drive the
Beers out. Il was a terrible sight reXt
morning 10 see the dead lying all around.
Il saw two or three touching sights.
There was one poor fellow who was lying
dead and had taken letter from his po1k
ct. and had it grasped in his hand An
ether had Bible in his hand, and another
had a cartridge between his finger and
thumb and the breech of his rifle open in
the act Of loading. when he was shot
through the heart.
Generosity Of the Scots.
Scotland has given most generously not
only her sons. but her money. and the
troops which have modified north of the
Tweed cannot complain OF any shabbiness
in the heartiness and liberality of their
send-off Mr. Forbes Leith. Of Fyrie. has
presented to each of the Gordon Volun-
teers going TO the front an insurance poll
cy for $500
Provost Geddie. Of Fortrose. has given
to eight volunteers from his own town
purse full of sovereigns and life policies
of $500 each. Mr.. Udny. Of Udny, has given
to each of the twenty men of the Second
Volunteer Battalion of the Gordon High
landers a dust-proOf and damp-proof
lever watch with his name and an inscrip-
tion engraved upon il, and TO each man of
the Perthshire Volunteers Sir Robert and
Lady Moncreiffe have presented a small
packet containing two sovereigns. Beyond
this there is. of course, no end Of enter
and otherwise-of the men
for the front in all the Scottish towns.
Lance Corporal A. Murphy. Of the Sec
Dnd Gloucester Regiment, writes from
lNdduN pOOIb. II 10 easy IOl ptOple " tain
at home about what he ought to do, but
they ought TO come out and have a look
at the country. To one acre of fiat land
there are 500 acres of high hills and great
rocks and powders. and the Beers are up
On these hills, and won't show them
selves. We have got to force our way
up under their fire. II they would only
come out and fight like men we would
wipe them off the face of the earth. AS
it is we have got plenty to do, and We
nave to be careful how We do it,"
Major Cubitt. second in command OF the
First Suffolk Regiment. which had such a
disastrous encounter with the Beers at
2ensburg. writing to his friend says:
Colonel Watson got peTmession to capt
y ). He kept it entirely to himself to the
asst moment and only told me when every
me but poor Mr.. Wilkins and Mr.. Wilson
lad gone to bed He was awfully keen
bout it and quite confident of success. II
would have been a magnificent thing for
ur side if his hopes had been fulfilled. as
was the key of the Boer position That
t was not a success was not Colonel Wat
ons fault. or. indeed, anyone's, but the
esult of treachery. probably on the part
# Kaffirs attached to our transport
Colonel Watson at half-past 10 D. m
old me his planS'' adds Major Cubitt |
Deeds Are Fruits,