The Van Buren press., 1900-01-20
The story Of Majuba Hill.

Remember Majubal' is an English
cry often heard In the present war. ltis
q counterpart Of the American cry Re-
member the Mainel Leading English
men, however, repel the idea that the
South African conflict Is one OF revenge
In this connection the story of the
famous fight ut Majuba Hill from which
the slogan just quoted arose, may be
recalled. Majuba Hill Is in extreme
Northern Natal, near Laings Mex,
where about month before the Msiuba
battle, the Beers inflicted another defeat
on the British. -
Both these fights occurred In 1881
while the Beers were waging the wal
which resulted In their securing inde-
pendence In internal affairs. "Oom
Paul's People thus describes the Ma
juba battle:
During the night Of February 28,
1881, Gen, Sir George Colley, the Brit
ish commander, made move which
was responsible for one Of the greatest
displays of bravery the world has ever
seen. The fight at Majuba Hill was won
by the Beers against greater odds than
have been encountered by any other
volunteer force In modern times, and IL
an example Of the courage, bravery and
absolute confidence Of the Beers when
they believe they are divinely guided
Between the camps Of Gen. Colley
and Commandant General Joubert lay
Majuba Hill, q plateau which precipi'
tous sides and a perfectly level top about
., 500 feet above the camps lnpoint OF
resemblance the hill was huge invert.
cd tub, whose summit could only be
reached by "a narrow path. Gen, Colley
and 900 men, almost all Of whom were
trained soldiers fresh from England as
cended the narrow path by moonlight,
and when the sun rose in the morning
were able to look from the summit OF
the hill and see the Boer camp In the
valley.
THE plan Of the campaign was that
the regiment which had been left behind
In camp should attempt TO force the pass
through Laings Mex and that the troops
on Majuba Hill should make new at
tack on the Beers and In that manner
crush them, So positive were the
soldiers Of the success that awaited
their plans that they speculated on the
number Of Beers who would live to tell
the story Of the battle,
1T was Sunday morning, and had the
distance between the two armies been
less the soldiers on the hill might have
heard the sound Of many voices singing
hymns Of praise and the prayers that
were being offered by the Beers kneel.
Ing In the valley. The English held
their enemies In the palm Of their hand,
1t seemed, and with a few heavy guns
they could have killed them by the
scores.
1.-THE sides Of the hill were 10 steer
that II did not enter the minds of the
English that the Beers would attempt
TO ascend except by the same path which
they had traversed, and that was I'm
possible. because the path leading from
the base WAS occupied by English forces,
The idea that the Beers would clint
from terrace TO terrace, from one bush
TO another, and gain the summit In tina
manner, occurred to no one.
before there was any stir IN tht
Beers camp the English soldiers stoot
on the edge Of the summit and shaking
their hsts In exultation, challenged th'
enemy Come up here, you beggars'
"The Beers soon discovered the pres
snce Of the English on the hill, and thu
camp presented such an animated seen,
that the English soldiers were led II
imagine that they were preparing for
retreat.
"a short time attsrward, when the
boers marched toward the base OF tn
hill the illusion WAS dispelled and stil
later, when $50 volunteers from tn
Boer army commenced TO ascend th
sides Of the hill the former spirit o.
braggadocio which characterized tn
British soldiers resolved itself into
feeling OF nervousness. During the fore
noon the British fred at such OF tn,
climbing Beers AZ they could see, bu
the Beers succeeded In dodging from on
stone to another, 10 that only one o
their number WAS killed In the ascent
"When the l60 Beers reached tn
summit Of the hill, after an arduou,
climb OF more than Ave hours, they Ia,
behind rocks ut the edge and commenced
\ hot Are at the English soldiers, whit
had retreated Into the center OF Oh,
plateau, 80 yards distant. The Englel
soldiers had been ordered TO Ak thei
bayonets and were prepared to charge
but the order WAS never given. A fresl
party Of Beers had reached the SUNNI
and threatened TO flank the English, who
having lost many Of their Offices an,
scores Of men, became widely panic
stricken,
"Several minutes after Gen. Cole,
M killed thS psitiSh eoldtsY vho ha<