The evening times., 1900-04-16
C1valr, Bricads Camp. Natal Field IJrHe.
..--..----- A-r-- M.-L.- = Ism

,o,ndje i, rlp,r, Yesterday Tol rHe good things
tlle, contained. { thank H""
II would hu teuli-a 'ar my f. atl,WW 10 aa-
scribe the siege 0f lady-u.ti- HlA leave Ihat
- sll.r non. ti.4ll mine The only thing ] Ndu
-, i thar % has been avfGl. We we're l>"ialeu
rrom the world exactly H. da', on each OF "ni'h
1he Boers amused themselves hy n'a'lA ei'llh-
lhc outposts ana The town
They had several 6-iuch guns iu position bfJe.
each 81 which throws Il ninety -hyc pound -at..;
but a l. surprising what little harm iheH fSdiH
did. Of course they have knocked tue i"Ni aU''''
and some ot the buildings look very sick IEGeea'
p-igr tp olIr being relieved 10y Butler. We hdu
been living horse and mule flesh. We nae
eight weeks of that dlrt--oHe pound per oitih aHu
/, quarter of . pound oi biscuit.
II Wa very irving lyinE IN ihe Tei'ntS "ti
might and IN all sorts oi weather Ia td'i never
lad night under canvas In iaJr months
on January the BoeTs made ther grand az
tack on Iadysnith shall never forget u a, long
A. 4 live Il wH- fearful thirty -sIA hours ~ Tue
teu.lies. raining an the time and having 10 nEit
like demuIe Again and again did they r1l-h "uf
i,8,ition ONLY TO receive tl- h6yoUCt, and pa
rood many places. when we ciIne 10 bury our
dead we found then locked In each Others arms
However. we showed them that even a ha.i-
starved garrison and hall their number oi bitllsl
soldiers were enough tor them aud We remained
IA pc--ps,inu 81 Iadysmith. But they killed a Tot
ut our poor fellows. aud u Was ~orf"Niai I'o
tor rls hurying our dead. ] helped 20 pui l"' 'l
our men in one h'g hole. and, hlE ahd strong .
{ am. J felt that tears were no disgrace 70 my
l1ifrm-
Sin George White tsplsudd old mani came
around an the trenches when n was over. ana II
Mas 4 sight that stirred Wy heart 90 see him
early In the morning, harcu,Idod. ard the Tain
coming down IN torrents. thanking u> tor DOING
our duty % cur country dnc The Queen, ana cali
iuc tlS an the brave names Doe could ihlnh oi.
Nes, the Boors fully intended coming INTO
ad,sr15th THAT time. They are rot manly
enemy hy any means iaNnriie iIck of theirs
= fr have Maxim guns 900 guhuisuces. 10 fact
they had two that day, aHr q fo1h ouI "fl'ff, q
Am ,Ier tFgy did r. -r. and told us nap va
Jumped out af tle fIru,l,> and charged these TWO
Vapcrs and I am Elso rn ~aA uo Boei> I'D lhoee
Two lmbulau-,> have returned home 40 tneu
trans on one Bu,r ] counted twenty y-tirte hay O.
net points.
We have only had one glorious charge al them,
aud that WAS al Elatd>idagle. where my squadron
got iiCht into them. and ran assure You thai the
fsut,. /, a I'm, weapon. u was there drew my
first blood. Two Bners veTe clearing out an one
horse and I skcWclcd them together and lost my
lance q, J could not pull ii out
However my sword did Tor the remainder az the
engagement and Ve bad the pleasure 81 Sleeping
thar night under Bocr canvas on Boer position,
and can assure you thai the three cheers tor our
Queen were given from The bottom ct Tommy
Hoping To- hesl from YOU shortly. ] remain your
son, hEhbEAt-
FROM other letters dated at Pietermaritz-
purg and at other points on General
Whiie's route to I.adysmith before the ar
rival al Elandslaagte Mr.. Thompson
gaitfs light of the pig sticking affair
which convinces him that his son and his
COMPANIONS of c squad. Royal Irish Ian
Gers. had ample proyocation for their act.
1t is the only time so far" said Mr..
Thompsou. that the men have been be
vond the control OF their officers These
IanceTs are picked men. you know. They
arc 1roud of the record Of their organiza-
ton ON its standard are the names of
planbeim Families. Oudenarde, Malpla-
,uet and Suakim. for the Fifth Lancers is
more Than three hundred years old.
NV son Joined them five years ago. go
ing to india with { squad. where ne saw
scfive service under General White.
wanted TO make business man OF MN
but his inclination was so entirely toward
The army for which his strength. health,
athletic habits coolness and courage well
fit him. that / had TO yield. So when we
were in London six years ago he secured
the prize Of a place in this regiment
II know that he must have felt the
strongest possible provocation for his part
in the Elsngslaagte affair. for though the
stubboruest of fighters. he is sober quiet
and slow TO anger.
.You uote his reference TO the Boer prac-
tice of opersting Maxim guns from ambu-
lance wagons. In letters from Pietermaritz-
burg he mentioned this. He told of the
terrible hatred the Boers bore the British
and of their constant acts of ueachery.
There we're many of these acts during
the march TO T.adysmith. The men were
constantly warned 10y the officers TO be OF
ine watch General White himself ISSUED