The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1900-03-21
THE HORRORS OF WAR
An Officer Tells Of the Terrible Times
During Spion Kop Battle.

An Officer Tells Of the Terrible Times
During spion Kop Battle.
For real ghastliness, for glimpse
into the CORY realities Of war and the
horrors Of battlefield the private letter
of a young British medical officer at
Spion Kop printed in the London Daily
Graphic, can scarcely be beaten. II
selected pass, he writes, overhung
by steep clay banks on the top Of which
got up Red Cross flag. Cases now
began to pour down from Spioa 1op on
streschers. The Beers opened fire OF
US, and three bullets went into the fire,
knocking the sticks about The reason
for this fire was not the Red Cross flag,
but owing to some Hommies who were
strolliDg over to it, either to take cover
there or to see what we were doing.
l promptly ordered them away. A few
minutes after Beers let fire FIVE shells
in quick succession in my direction,
but they fell short and did no harm.
This sort of thing went on round me
for the rest Of the DAY, but I always
kept we'll in the shelter of the bank.
From this time till 10 o'clock the
next morning the wounded came
through my dressing station, as the
pass was the only exit from the hill. l
saw every case aud some Of them we're
mutilated beyond description.
Fully $50 wounded aud dead who
had died on the way passed through
my hands. The cbeerfulness of the
wounded struck me as remarkable
men with shattered wounds smoking
their pipes, and although starving, not
grumble did 1 hear. Many a poor
chap shot in the morning in the front
trenches who could not be reached, lay
in the blazing sun ali day. One old
colonial in Thorneycroft's, with a gray
beard, walked down leaning on his
rife; he was 8 mass of wounds-one
ear cut through by bullet, his chin,
neck and chest also shot through by
others, and his back and legs torn by
shell. He came in and said he just
dropped in to let me take his finger 81.
as it was so shattered he could not pull
the trigger of his rife as it got in the
way of the next finger, which he could
use, for he wanted to get back up the
hill to psy the Dutchmen out. Of
course would not let him go back. The
bullet wounds are beautifully clean,
just little round hole and as rule do
not do much damage, as they often go
through the bone without shatteriDg it,
and they don't bleed much. The shell
wounds are hideous.
''It was frigh,fully dark aud put
one of the lanterns on stick as d.
recting light to my pass; one Of group
Of soldiers returning to the hill tried to
run away with it and | would have lost
it only | snatched up rife from a
wounded man and shouted l would
shoot him if he did not bring it back.
He dropped it and ran away, and it
went out; but l got it again. Shortly
after this both lanterns went out and |
had a pretty bad time, as the pass
often got blocked with wounded. FL
DalIy l could send no more wounded
across the drift and had to stack them
with the dead in rows on the grass. l
collected all the wounded officers on
stretchers around me and gave them
brandy and hypodermic Of morphis.
The morning light began to dawn
about 4::3O and lit up the CHASTITY faces
of the patients around me. Ny men
now got fire ready and got some more
beef tea and coffee, and I had some my
self, the first meal since my dinner the
day before, and after giving the wound |
ed some as well, [ sent them on the |
ambulances across the drift.
"Commandsnts Botha and Burgess,
who were the Boer generals, came now
on the scene, the former, who was the
chief general, was a asmallish, thin man,
with yellowish beard and hair and had
magnificent rife, carved with his
name and text from the Bible. He
had couple Of mounted kafirs, carry
ing mis- ammunition and water bottle,
and an Interpreter. He seemed, how
ever, to understand English, though
he refused to speak it, but now and
then said certainly certainly There
we're quite number Of German officers.
heard one of them had been killed.
They let our men search the dead for
their Identification cards, letters and
money. 1t was vely sad to see the
things We found in their pockets-loVe
letter, Christmas cards, little pocket
books with accounts, half finished let
tiers. Several of the Beers handed in
little things they found check for
los, purse with money, etc. Some
Of the officers had trinkets round their
necks. One poor chap had locket
with spray Of white heather and we
had to cut his name Of his shirt and
pin tito the locket as means OF lden-
ti6cation. / am sorry to say that
number had had their finger cut OF to
get their rings, but the Beers said that
they did not see who did 1t, and were
indignant.
Will Be Completed.