The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1900-03-28
MARCHED WITH ROBERTS.


Father r. Il. burke, of st. Columbia =
church. Buffalo. look part in the India
campaign OF 1S7S-S0. in which Gen. Rob-
erts made his famous march, from Ca
bool to kandahar a march that con-
sumed three entire weeks 60 cover los
miles.
Father Burke himself Is a wearer OF
Victoria medal he obtained by going
from Bombay 10 Kandahar with Rob-
erts during that memorable campaign.
when the temperature was 140 degrees
in the coolest bungalow i'm all India. The
English officers had forbidden even the
natives TO travel because OF the intense
heat but Father Burke and a compan-
ion, Father Andover, made the jour-
ney.
A Buffalo Courier reporter recently
found Father Burke at the rectory in
Eagle street. In response to a request
for few words about Gen. Roberts
Father Burke said
This brings me back to- memories
that / have not recalled for years. and
| do not recollect everything at once,
but i do recall Gen. Roberts. He was a
colonel when first / met him, and TO my
eyes he was an ideal warrior, not too
small. not too large, not prone to cor
pulency. He was wry and alert, a man
OF action. He had that Irish dash
about him. you know, that brings things
10 a crisis when wanted. He was from
Waterford. in Ireland, and II was nat
ural that he should be man OF deeds,
not words.
II was surprised that he should go
into this South african war; for one
must consider his forty-one years OF
service in India. But do not believe IL
Is love of Queen Victoria that brings
him there. IL is his profession. and he
loves it. The South African campaign
Is nothing compared with what we went
through in that awful campaign In In
dia.
'As history tells you.the march from
Cabool 10 Kandahar stands second only
TO Napoleon's great march. We went 10
rescue the remnant OF a mighty army
OF soldiers that had been annihilated at
Maiwahd. In the army that Roberts
commanded were 1000 picked men, in
Guiding the Ninety-second Highlanders
and the Eighteenth Royal Irish Fusil-
iers."
"A colonel was Roberts when the
Kandahar Division was almost swept
from existence. He was junior TO 200
other officers, but his worth had been
recognized, and, though there was an
tagonism and opposition To him. he
went. and see what he dids
From Cabool to Kandahar II los
miles. Three weeks time had been con-
sumed before we were within striking
distance of the beleaguered handful.
One hundred thousand natives were in
hiding. was the information that was
conveyed TO Roberts, and retreat was
suggested. He went out on a promon-
tory. in the Khyber Pass. and surveyed
the field. Then he dashed in.
THE Ameer commanding cried for
mercy, burt there was no mercy from
Gen. Roberts; he was bound 90 drive
them out and into Herot they entail
of them save their dead. which they
left behind lt was the end OF the cam
paign and shortly afterward we were
all OF us ordered 20 leave India Gen.
Roberts went 90 Ireland and succeeded
the Duke OF Connaught as the COM
mander of all tine forces in Ireland.
That was a promotion OF no mean
magnitude-from colonel to he the COM
ma Sier of all the troops In Ireland. but
Roberts was a man who could make his
felt. lie was a born piece or
lighting machinery. and it was but
right that ne should succeed. Lord Bea-
consfield was the Premier when we set
out for India and Lord Lytton was the
viceroy OF India; government changed
but fortunately not until the campaign
was az an end.
Money can never pay for the expe-
rience Of that awful campaign. II will
never come again. What with famine
and pestilenCe. cholera and the plague
that struck even into Europe. IN n re-
gton where there Werr l3b, O0v dead CAM
els and the cemeteries were filled with
the dead OF the army. 81 is something
that never will be fully realized by any
nave those who went through is aw-
ful experiences"
After serving with the army until ne
vac carried or the field for <ad. Faith
PIT Burke went into Central India and
became the king and ruler Of the Te-
Isgu race. RE lived with them for FIVE
,f.MUr -. q ~ NJ 1uHru D. IL
word. no doctor. priest nor Pope save
him. and ~ was with regret that he
had TO leave them. Hc vas born I'm Buff
fsio and studied for ministry In London.