The Irish standard., 1900-01-27
An Extraordinary Battle in the
History of Warfare.
HOW The BOERS DEFEATED KAFFIRS
Are Employing the Same Tactics
with Tommy Atkins.

While much has been heard during
the past few weeks OF criticism of our
South African forces from those
trained in European military methods.
we have had few opportunities OF learn
ing how the tactics OF Our generals
have impressed those accustomed to
the rough guerrilla fighting OF the
veldt, says London News correspond
cnt. J. B. Robinson is best known to-
day as millionaire mine owner but
before he found diamonds and located
gold fields he was Injured by long years
OF training to every hardship of frontier
life. He was brought up in the saddle,
with gun in hand; he fought side by
side in the Basuto war with many OF
the men who are now opposing us and
he was the intimate associate OF the
Bocr leaders until their political aims
drove him from them. Ii any man
knows the Bocr mind he surely should,
and went to him, confident OF hearing
a fresh and instructive criticism on the
war.
What is past is past" said Mr.. Rob-
lnson, in answer to my questions, "and
| it is no use CRYING over spilled milk.
We have shown that we possess in
South Africa the finest fighting mate
rial OF any nation on the earth; men
who for sheer courage and determined
resolution cannot be surpassed on
earth. The bravery exhibited by our
men in their charges against intrenchcd
Bocr positions can. perhaps, best be
realized by those OF us who know the
strength OF the enemy they have had to
face. But the war has made clear an
other thing. 1t has demonstrated that
The man with the gun, provided he
knows properly how to handle his gun,
is the force that rules the world.
mo bravery, however great, can
overcome him. England has not yet
realized and your generals refuse to un-
dcrstand, what man, armed as the
l'ocr is armed and trained as the Boer
is trained, can do against the bravest
men who try to storm his position.
Remember that the Bocr is taught from
boyhood to hit his living mark and to
hit it in the right spot. When l was
a small boy shotgun was put into my
hands and / was encouraged to fire at
birds. When ! got a little older l had
my doublcbarrclcd hunting piece, and
as parties OF us went out the elders
would show lis just where to fire so as
to pierce the game behind the shoul-
dcrs when running at full speed. This
is the training the Beers have had and
one man, taught in this way, can suc-
ccssfully resist hundred men who try
to rout him out from an intrenchcd po-
sition. On the other hand twenty
men who are poor shots can be driven
from their position by twenty-five de-
tcrmincd opponents.
Let me give you an illustration,
from my own experience of Boer war
iarc, OF the rcsistlcss power of reso-
lutte body OF trained marksmen. At the
beginning OF the Masuto war l joined
my command on the border and waited
some weeks with it before the fighting
broke out, and while the other COM
mandocs came into position. Each day
we rode out in scouting parties, each
party going out at a different angle into
the cncmy's country, and returning at
night to the camp. AS we rode along
we were constantly challenging each
other to shooting competitions. We
would form shilling pools to go to the
best shot. A stone or antheap BOO
yards off, small bird on the wing in
the far distance, anything that was far
enough away and difficult enough to
hit served as Our target. On one oc-
casion the leader Of Our scouting party
was Doris Potgcitcr, a magnificent
man, taciturn, reserved, hardly ex-
changing word with strangers, but
the best of good fellows when you
came to know him intimately. We
used to ride out about fifteen miles to
the banks of the Caledon river, where
we would outsaddle and have bathe
in the cool waters, then mounting again
and going round a mountain home.
"The party rode along as usual and
after passing the river and turning
/ bend of the mountain it suddenly came
| i'll view of body of between 400 and
500 Kafirs There were only thirty