Little Falls weekly transcript. (Little Falls, Morrison Co., Minn.) 1894-19??, 1900-01-19
LETTERS FROM AFRICA L / ]
What British Soldiers Are Writ
ing to Their Homes.
BOER KINDNESS TO PRISONERS

Cared For ut PretOrin-ROers Say
They Won't Exchange officers at
Any Price-How 1t Feels to he
Trapped-A Grim Picture.
The following extract from a British
soldiers letter to his father Is taken
from the London Chronicle. Second
Lieutenant G. E. Kinahan of the
Royal Irish fusileers. writing to bis
father. Mr.. &. p. Kinahan, Bagshott,
from Staatsmodel Schulz. Pretoria,
says:
I'VE were all taken prisoners. togeth-
er with the Gloucester regiment and q
battery Of mountain artillery, which
accounts for us being in Pretoria so
soon. We went out at night to occupy
a hill right in the midst of the enemy
in order to protect Whites hank for an
intended attack next day. Everybody
knew that to be able to relieve us he
would have to be entirely successful.
and from what we hear he was not.
AS we were going up the hill In the
dark small party Of Beers dashed
through our ammunition mules. caus-
ing them to stampede. By this move
we lost all our mules, 200. and with
them all our ammunition and artillery.
We started fighting at a. m. and in
q few hours time the Beers were fir
ing on US from all four sides, until by
20 lock they were firing at about 200
yards range and doing fearful execu-
ton. You don't know what it means
shooting at Boer. he Is behind a
rock. and oil you can ever see is his
rifle sticking out. For the last hour
of the fight l had rifle and ammunf-
ton which l took from a dead man
and blazed away for all was worth.
Then we fixed bayonets and prepared
for q rush, when the cease fire sound
ed. We were all then taken prisoners,
except two officers killed and eight
wounded, and marched to the Boer
lager and sent off that night to sta
ton 20 miles distant in wagons. While
we were in their lager they treated
US extremely we'll and gave US food
and tobacco. All you read about the
Beers in England Is absolutely untrue.
They are most kind to the wounded
and prisoners, looking after them as
we'll as their own wounded, and any
thing they've got they will give you if
you ask them, even If they deprive
themselves.
I'VE came up to Pretoria In first
class sleeping carriages. and the way
they treated us was most considerate,
feeding us and giving us coffee every
time we stopped. The day we arrived
we took up quarters on the race course.
but we have been moved into a fine
brick building. with baths. electric
light. etc. They provide us with every
thing, from clothes down to tooth
brushes They also feed us. and we
are constantly getting presents Of veg
ctablrs and cigars from private people.
lii fact. we can have everything we
like except our liberty. For some rca-
sen or other they won't at present give
us parole. and we are surrounded by
sentres. There are close upon 30 Oh
GERS in this building. and they have got
any number Of wounded ones in differ
cnt places. They say they won't ex-
change the officers at any price,
An exciting bit Of outpost work is de-
scribed in a letter from Private Albert
James. serving with the mounted In
fantry. says The Westminster Gazette:
Another Of our fellows who was out
scouting came across Niger minding
Sonic sheep. or pretending to be any
way. and he had an Express rifle with
him. So our chap loads his own rife
in the saddle, gallops up to him, dis
mounts and covers him with it, makes
him put his rifle down and then 60
back step or two. Our chap then
goes and picks it up. questions him on
different things, and he tells him there
are 10 Beers knocking about. He Is
going to take him prisoner when all of
a sudden he hears voices shouting
Dick and joe So be leaves his pris-
oner and goes up toward the rocks un-
til he is in speaking distance Of them.
Then he sees he has been led into q
trap. and he mounts again and rides
they are. There were. I'll swear, mt
least 30 shots fred after him AT ram
dom. and not one hit the mark.
THAT was the commencement Of the
firing and we had to gallop and 60 as
hard as ever our horses could take us
over ground you would scarcely be-
lieve a horse could walk on. 1t was
full Of holes-some like rabbit holes
and humps of rocks and stones and one
thing and another for at least 10 or ~
miles. The colonel who is in charg Of
us wouldn't let us dismount and fire.
as he said we should all be cut up. and
they were too strong for us. as we
were only small party-and he has
got a fine breast Of metals-but. hang
them, let's get it over. a month today
and it will be a bit nearer. hope We
chaps were swearing like ! o'clock
when he wouldn't halt us and let us
have packet at them. but | expect
we shall have another pop at them"
Here is a grim picture from pri
Yates letter: Zone of our fellows was
talking to a parson who went over the
battlefield Of Elandslaagte day after
the fight. He says there were terrible
sights. the most awful Of which was
Poor SiftinO down u,,ito M FINALLY with