The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1900-01-27
INCIDENTS OF SOUTH
AFRICAN CAMPAIGN
Interesting GIimpses Of the Anglo
Boer War in Letters From
English Soldiers.
SLEEPING IN MIDST OF THE SLAIN
Grewsomc Experience at Moddcr
Rivcr--.Woundcd Plead to be
killed..Ilion Kills a Soldier.
Salvation Army's Work.

London, Jan. 24.-Letters from sol
dicrs in the Transvaal are pouring in
upon their friends at home, and excit-
ing incidents are related. Some inter-
csting details and information from
Modder river have just been received.
Private Washington, of the Second
Coldstream Guards, writing of the
Modder river battle, says:
1--WE We're only sent there as targets
that is, to draw the Boer fire while
the river was being crossed Mt the
ford. We lay there under the most
terrific fire for five hours.
For four hours we were able to re-
| ply, at the end of which time our am
munition gave out. Then came n ter
rible suspense, for all the ammunition
bearers We're shot as they attempted to
bring up more, and we could not adj
vance and charge because of the river.
Eventually they sent the Argyll
and Sutherland Highlanders to
strengthen us, but, poor fellows, they
got more shot in reaching us than we
got all the time we were there. The
Beers had all the distances marked, SO
they knew exactly how to adjust their
sights"
Slept Among Wounded md Dead
Writing home from Modder river, a
private in the Second Coldstreams,
says:
Il have been through three battles
up to now without n scratch. Nobody
has any idea of a battlefield, only
those who go through it. 1t is some
thing awful to see the dead and
wounded. You might not credit it,
but it's true as I'm alive, that at Mod
der river | saw men fall asleep on the
firing line. fairly worn out.
I'VE were lying in a hot sand for
twelve hours without drink or food,
and the heat was unbearable. NV
company got lost at night and we had
to sleep among rocks and stones
amongst the dead till morning. l
often thought of home and the chill
dren."
Patrol Makes II Fatal Mistake.
a lieutenant in the Shropshire light
infantry, which forms part of Lord
Methuen's column, writing from the
camp at Orange river, says:
~ most exciting time we had
reaching here. We have 10 guard a
bridge, which, if destroyed, would
mean the relieving force for Kimlm.:-
ley would be delayed some months,
and the force ut Modder river cut off.
One night the Beers did make an at
tack on the line and managed to cut. it
about one and d half miles away from
us, which caused us some excitement.
The night before last q most awful
thing hsnpened: a patrol was return
ing from his rounds about
and for some reason or other chnl-
lenged the sentry, which he had no
right to do. The sergeant and sentry
told him it was nll right-they were
Shropshires-when the man, instead
of going on, fired bullets into them
as hard as he could, even when they
were down. The sergeant was shot
twice through the chest, and in two
other places, and is now, l hear, in u
very bad way. The sentry also was
wounded.
1.-The food here is very primitive.
Food that ] would o have touched
in England | eat with relish now; but.
on the whole. we are better off than I
expected, and l must say it is grand
fun, although we have some very hard
work. and every other night we go
without Sleep"
Picked Out and Finally Hit.
Private G.. Lyddell of the Grenadiers.
writing to his father at Northampton,
says:
II was in the middle of the firing
line at Modder river. and soon after we
began ] realized that some beggar on
the other side had marked me out.
"A bullet hit my rife, three buzzed
close to my ear, another fell Just in
front of where ! was lying, and threw
up the sand in my face. | thought |
was done for, but | set my teeth and
prepared for the worst.
Somehow ! felt quite cheerful, but
a feeling of hunger and thirst came
over me and ! felt q mad desire to rush
forward. When | rose to get more
cover. their terrible maxim-norden-
feldt happened to be turned in my di-
rection, and | was hit below the left
elbow. No bones nre broken, however,
and l am staying in camp.
Pint of Water in Two DAYS.
a private of company L, Argyll and
Southland Highlanders, writing from
Modder river camp, says:
The battle lasted from s O'Clock in
the morning till 1880 at night. 1t wa
not properly over till neXt morning.
We Ind no food and only one pint Of
water for forty-eight hours.
we were rushed right up to the
front in the hottest fire. The bullets
were whizzing all around us, men
dropping dead by the score. / came
out on the other side of the river drip
ping with water and blood. "A lot of
dead horses and men had fallen in.
One of my chums had half his foot