Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-09-08
Beers NATAL CAMPAIGN
COLONEL. of SECOND IRISH BRIG AIDE
TELLS or FIGHTING.
South African Methods Of Fighting
Hiustrated-Eack Of Discipline
showHs at Times.

uiu.trated-Eack Of Discipline
shown at Times.
Arthur Lynch in Collses's Weekly.
A balmy night IN May l sat in my tent
my laager being then . few miles south Of
Glencoe-and through the open awning 1
looked OIL the orderly row OF the mems
tents in front of me. 1t was about 8 o'clock,
but all was still In camp. The men, accus-
toned to rise early. found no difficulty in
counting slumber at that exemplary hour,
and there was nothing to be seen stirring
outside except the sentries keeping guard
on the laager and the long lines of picketed
horses Major. Mitchell and myself sat on
our beds-for we were luxuriously fitted UP
at Glencoe; we had stretchers and rugs
and rumlnated gravely on the mutability OF
things as we gazed upon the placid face OF
nature extended to our view. We had just
finished our supper, OF which the staple
was a very excellent steak 0or we had oxen
always accompanying the camp) and the
only liquid the chocolate-colored and mys-
teriously compounded coffee which Is the
national drink of the Beers. Major Mitchell
was smoking contentedly, while on my bed
were purring a couple of tabby kittens.
which had come to us know not whence.
and which gave the last touch to our pic
ture OF comfort and calm.
Our positions were some miles distant
from our laager, and overlooked the road
from Waschbank to Glencoe. The positions
consisted simply OF low spur from the
Biggarsberg range. which ran to within
couple of hundred yarda OF the road' ana
row trench about three feet Deep At ordi-
nary times posted at the positions only
a 'brapdwacht" or outlying picket, Whlcn
could give the alert In time In case the Eng
or other of the commanders along the
range there was always patrol or a scout
ing party keeping watch on the movements
Of the enemy. Each commando nao us
tire range, and hence 1t was that our
lager could repose' SO peacefully. and that
with no sense OF insecurity we could en-
camp within easy, distance OF our COM
rnissa riat base and so save our horses and
men as much as possible from the rigors OF
the campaign until the hour OF action had
sounded.
Major Mitchell was reloading his pipe
with the tobacco supplied to US by the gov
eminent, and caiieu by the Beers Maxim
tobacco. because It used to fire OF so quick
Iy, when there appeared at the entrance TO
our tent a fiorid German with blond beard,
whom 1. recognized to be one OF the officers
of the German corps at Helpmakar.
He had come, he said. to ask me to bring
my brigade to Helpmakar. l was little
astonished at this request, and asked MN
markable, for he gave clear and fairly
detailed account Of what was afterWard
exactly verified by the course of events.
along this whole Biggarsberg. ne SAID.
.Helpmakar is our weak spot The English
may demonstrate on the Waschbank line,
but we can hold them there. At Help
makar we have BOer commando, the Plet
Relief men, and ourselves. The Piet Relief
nd a coward.
men, The first shock will fall on them,
and they will run away. Then there VIII
be only ourselves left to defend the pass,
and we will naturally run away too. II
the Piet Relief men stayed we could fight.
but not otherwise. We want you to come
and take the place Of the Piet Reliefers.'
in which my German ignored General Lucas
Meyer in coolly proposing that should
forthwith betake myself to Helpmakar. 1t
was a weakness of the Boer generals not to
keep tight enough hand upon the COM
mandoes and the same weakness was found
within the commanders themselves, where
those of the burghers who had mo stomach
for the fight" Invariably left 1t to their
comrades to take all the hard knocks.
I therefore told the German that 1T was
his duty to go forthwith to General Lucas
Meyer and lay the case before him, and
took leave of him without having been able
which up to that period had been part of
the hospitality of my laager. Luxuries
were getting little short in Natal.
General Lucas Meyer, 1 heard subse-
mandant Ben Viljoen and Commandant
Christian Botha. brother Of Commandant
General Louis Botha-to Investigate the sit
uation at Helpmakar. Their report corre-
sponded with what had been told me, but
nothing in the way of remedy was done.
This neglect on the part Of our command
ing general was really inexcusable, and 1t
the subject of hot verbal encounter
Ron a. a QphS
quent war council, which we held at
Charlestown after we had been forced to
retire to Laings Mex.
Morale of the Beers.
In order to have clear idea of the
course Of events in the Natal campaign 1t
Is necessary to understand how the loss of
a single position often necessarily involved
the retreat Of the whole force, and how
consequently the fate of an army might de-
pend upon the courage of a commando of
800 men. The Bfggarsberg range. for in
stance. stretched barrier throughout
the breadth Of Natal. On the south side
the hills ended rather abruptly In various
spurs. overlooking a band of fairly level
country, which extended down to near
Ladysmith. On the north the hills sloped
into the higher fiat country, reaching away
toward Majuba. 1t would be impossible
for an army to scale the heights of the
Biggarsberg In face Of our opposition, and
which the enemy could traverse the range
Once through either of these passes, how
ever, the English would find themselves
on tolerably level country, in which they
could maneuver with ease, and they would
be able either to take US in the rear or,
by simply securing possession of the rail-
way running from the north to Glencoe
cut off our supplies and force us to at
tack them In their own chosen positions
We could not face such a contingency and
hence it happened that the loss of pass
meant to US a retreat right along the line
until we should arrive at other positions
from which we could hold back the adj
vance of the enemy. Thus from Colenso
We had been forced back to Biggarsberg
before We could make an effective stand:
from Biggarsberg we should have to re-
tire to. Laing's Mex. and If We could not
hold that we We're lost cats so far
the protection of Pretoria from the south
was concerned. And Helpmakar depended
on the three or four hundred men Of ILL
omened Piet Relief!
Pretoria, the Transvaal, South Africa,
the history Of the world depended on that!
For a fortnight I'VE had not taken off
our boots. There were wars and rumOrs Of
wars excursions and ealarms The En-
glish were reported aS1coming up toward
Waschbank in force We went out to meet
them, but they 'had1 disappeared Our
scouts. often unc6hsciohable rascals, who