New-York tribune., 1900-02-12

powder But alas! man accustoms himself so
quickly to all things that a bombardment 10 US,
unless stones actually tinkle on the roof, Is now
as an egg without salt
An officer who took part in the battle Of Co
lenso writes To-day describing the confusion
and slaughter that marked Buffers first battle
In the campaign. He also recounts an incident
which shows the Boer soldiers in a pleasanter
light than is often done here. He says:
About ten men of the Connaughts and twenty
of the llingS-representatives of the
green and orange-under Colonel Thackeray,
found themselves in this position, and the am
buance wagons being already in the field carry
ing off the wounded they were obliged to cease
firing. We'll men," said Colonel Thackeray. III
is now Pretoria for u.s. (meantng surrender),
"or shall do the best % The divil OF
a Pretoria for U.S. was the cry Of all DO the
best you can, and II the worst comes, We'll fight
1t out" A Boer officer came up and said: You
seem to have lost very heavily here" Yes"
said Colonel Thackeray laughing. but shall
"Well,' said the Boer. 'if you are I promise to
stand you the best bottle of champagne in South
Thackeray said. "Goodby, I'm going back to
camp. and intend to take my arms with me-"
Very well. I've no orders about that but in
any case, I'm looking the other way" And
1t has been the custom in England for the
purpose of melting the passions of the people
to the war pitch to describe the Beers as little
better than savages. but many incideats like
the above prove them to be something very
OF treachery against their opponents partial
and one-sided evidence General Joubert has,
believe. challenged inquiry before a court, end
two incidents came under my own notice in this
battle which shows how difficult it is to deal with
such matters and how ignorance Of what is
taking place in the heat of battle. or. perhaps,
errors of judgment, may be miSinterpreted into
treachery. Some indignatCF was expressed be-
cause one of our ambulanceS was struck by a
shell. The fact that these ambulances had
been placed by mistake in advance of and di-
rectly under one of our naval guns Understand
fhka lnffif heh
altered by staff officer. but under such cir
cumstances the enemy were evidently quite
justified in continuing their fire.
Again, the parties whom L have already men
toned remaining in the advance line after
the order to retire had been given kept up their
fire long after the ambulances had advanced
to the field and We're picking up the wounded.
OF course the officers and men were ignorant of
this. but naturally, also, the Beers were iadg
nant. and threatened 10 retaliate. What a cry
there would have been all over Europe if our
men had been fired at and hit under similar
conditions! The truth is, a battlefield is not
managed, like an electrical machine, by The
pressing of button. Groups and lines OF
highly excited men are scattered over miles Of
country, and are often unaware of much that
is happening outside their immediate vicinity.
and. to tell the truth, not always even there.
Men are often only partially responsible for the
result of their own actions and certainly they
can be very imperfectly controlled.
The officer was with the Irish Brigade. and
says:
Every survivor looks back with bitterness and
indignation at the gross folly and mismanage-
ment that led TO the certain slaughter OF his
companions, The brigade was marched into the
very jaws Of death in mass of quarter columns
and without waiting for the artillery prepara-
tion. No scouts sent forward to discover
the exact position OF the ford. No skirmshers
were thrown out 10 cover the advance OF the
main body. No attempt was made TO extend till
we'll within the Of rifle fire. and till shells
had already begun to burst over their devoted
heads. Then IL was found for the first time that
they had been led not only under destructive
frontal fire from beyond the river which barred
their passage. but into the very midst OF a dead
ly enfilade.
For five hours the men were allowed to re-
main in this position, helpless for good. seeing
tnelr comrades shot at every moment by their
sldes, yet powerless to retaliate, Like the
homan sentry. they kept their posts TO the last
but when the order did come to retire nearly
SIX hundred lay the field. more wanton
sacrifice of life has never been made, and there
Is not an officer man in the brigade who is
NOT Well aware OF the fact. All men make mis-
takes. but men who liable to such 1ts OF
toAy' and who afterward have the hardihood 20