Marshall County independent. (Plymouth, Marshall County, Ind.) 1897-1902, 1900-04-27
HERO OF SPION KOP.
BOTHA MOST POPULAR OF
BOER COMMANDERS.
Is Young and Unpretentious - Tells
How His $50 Burghers Defeated at
Least 1000 British-Gives the Credit
to Kruger.

toria, March Z, 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 a 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 200 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 2,0G0,
and probably twice that number.
"Botha is a farmer and modestiy
claims to know more about sheep
raising than he does about fighting.
He is only SO years Of age and almost
every year of that time he has spent
in raising sheep and cattle on the
large ranges of land in the Vryheli
district of the Transvaal. Like al
Beers, he is democrat Of democrats,
and when he told the story of the bat
tie he was clad in a suit of clothing
that might have been dear at $40 when
he bought it. He wore no collar or
scarf, an old, stained, broad-brimmeG
hat surmounted his head and the el-
bows of his coat were worn through.
Apparently he left his fiockS 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 Un.
der my command won as a result Of
the careful planning of President Kru-
ger and their own prowess, ! ~ pre-
pairing to return to Pretoria for snort
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 Trichardt's drift. and were
on the main road which leads into
the besieged city, when | arrived in
General Burgers camp at 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
selected our men from different com
mandoes in the vicinity, took our posi-
tons and waited for the dawn before
beginning hostilities. Only $50 men
were in these positions. but there were
more near by to render assistance, if
it became necessary. During the day
before we estimated the British forces
at 1900, although there might have
been more. There was Il heavy mist
over the top of the kOp at dawn, and
it was impossible for us to see the
British forces, but we knew they were
there, for almost as soon as | gave the
order to begin the ascent the fighting
began. My men climbed slowly, but
steadily, under the fire of all sorts OF
guns, and started to drive the British
back to the top and down the other
side. Toward the top the mist was so
thick that the smoke of the enemy S
rifles mingled with that of ours, and
for short time the soldiers of the two
combatantS were running against
each other. My men were being killed
and wounded by the dozens, but the
others kept on toward the top. Shortly
mist lifted and then our men could
see those of the enemy. For a short
time it was really amusing to see our
men so close to the British soldiers
that at least twenty-five of them were
able to seize their rifles from their
hands. Finally, after very severe
fighting, We gained the day, and as
night came over the scene We had
taken 200 prisoners.
1.-The British retreated during the
night. leaving many of their wounded
and all their dead behind on the noun
tain top. The following morning
personally counted the dead bodies
and found $50 of them scattered
around the hill. The wounded left on
the hill all night were 800, and these
sent back the following morning. On
the other side of the hill no less than
$50 British were killed. The loss on
our side was fifty killed and 120
wounded