The Irish standard., 1900-04-14
HORRORS WITNESSED on. sPION KoP
Generous Tribute to the Brave
Soldiers Of Liberty.
INTERESTING TALK With Gen. BoTHA
Republicans Manifest Sorrow in
the Hour of Victory.


Rev. Reginald F. Collins, Catholic
chaplain with the British forces in South
Africa, submitted to General Warren
the following report of what took place
on Spfon Kop after the bloody battle
fought thereon:
General: I have the honor, in CON-
pliance with your request to make the
following report Of what occurred on
the Spion Kop during the three days
Thursday, Friday and Saturday, Jan.
rs, 26 and ~ during which l was en-
gagged in the painful duty OF burying the
dead who fell there on the previous
Wednesday.
At daybreak on Thursday l went to
the scene of the previous days conflict.
On reaching the plateau of the Spion
kop l found several of the officers OF
the r. A. M. c. attending to our
wounded, and also considerable num-
Der of Beers in possession of the
ground. Numbers of other Beers were
streaming up in all directions, and soon
there was.a large force OF them present
in all parts of the~plateau.
Shortly an officer of the R. A. M. C.
came to me, asking if I could speak
German, as one OF the commandants
had forbidden, so he understood, the
removal of the wounded. On inquiry
found this to be the case, and after ex-
planning to field cornet that delay ii,
removing wounded men was very Sc
rious matter and certain to aggravatc
their sufferings, he allowed the removal
OF the wounded in our immediate neigh
borhood. For about half an hour was
then engaged going about with the two
medical officers, collecting identification
papers and letters belonging to the
dead.
! A clerically-dressed Bocr, who said
he was secretary to General Botha, then
came tip and asked me to go and speak
with the general, who was on horseback
at short distance. In polite terms the
general asked me who had given leave
for the removal OF the wounded. l told
him that the removal had already been
objected to, but that one of the field
comets had subsequently allowed it to
take place. The general then said that
he was in supreme command, and that
he had given no permission. Afterwards
he said: "Well, the time is going by,
and these wounded men should be seen
to. 1t is one thing my dealing with
General Warren, and another, as you
see, my dealing with other cammand-
ers. How am to know what other
generals will do? Now, take this mes
sage to your general. Tell him we want
to fight out this quarrel in Christian
way; that it should be clearly under
stood between us what is to be done
after fight (schlacht) and during the
war (kricg). But there must be reci-
procity, there must be reciprocity. Ask
him to send me list OF those of our
people who are in his hands. Their re-
1ations and friends want to know whetf-
er they are alive or dead. I myself will
give at all times the fullest information
of those we have belonging to you
That he may count upon. AS I give up
your wounded he should give up ours
You can now carry away the wounded
and bury the dead. There arc also six
wounded who are prisoners in my hos
pital down there. They can also be TAX
en- away, or will give an order that one
Of Our ambulances convey them to any
place decided on by your medical au-
thoritics. There is with us in hospital
wounded superior officer. He is not to
be removed. / will decide about him
later on" After shaking hands with the
general and his secretary, and thanking
the former for the permission he had
granted withdrew.
The officers OF the r. A. M. c. then
carried out the removal of the wounded,
and the Rev. Mr.. Gadge, Church of
England, chaplain to the forces, and
on Thursday buried 1888 dead. On Fri
day 20 were buried and on Saturday IS.
l venture to think it matter of con-
siderable importance to draw attention
to the attitude OF the Beers whom we
met during the carrying out of our du-
ties on these three days. After collect
ing all the identification papers, letters
and personal property of the fallen and