The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1900-03-08
BOER B0YATTHE FRONT
His Graphic Story Of the Fight.
ing at Ladysmith.
HOW he CAPTURED A BR1TIsHER

HOW HE CAPTURED A BR1TIsHEB
secretary Reits's Son Tells How. Aft
er British sallying Party Had Dam
aged a Howitzer, He. With a Few
Companions. Fired at Passing Com
mand and Beat on an Attack.
From Pretoria the London Dali,
News has secured a letter written b.
Deneys Reitz to his father, the Trans
vaal state secretary. The writer is
with the Boer forces before Ladysmitt
and is only II years old. Joubert is
q younge brother. while IIjalmar is
m elder brother. just returned from
Europe. The letter. written before
L.adysmith and dated Dec. l.. 1899. is
as follows:
"Joubert and l are still safe and
we'll. l see in The Standard and Dig.
gers News that the English had storm
ed Lombard's kop. but it is not stated
that they damaged two of their guns.
On the following morning they came
past us, but We're soon driven back.
But now comes the worst. We were
on outpost duty last night about COO
yards from the hill. on which stood a
howitzer. Below this hill lay other
outposts. which. either through treach-
cry or carelessness. allowed the Eng
lish to pass. About l o'clock we heard
the English on the top Of the hill cry
ing 'Hurrah" We sent word to Feeder
berg, the field cornet. but before he
could arrive the howitzer was dam.
aged. The English again cheered. and
we were then SO enraged that we i'm
mediately ran through the bushes to
stop them when they should come
down again. There were only eight Of
US.
1T was, Of course. pitch dark. When
we had run a short distance, we heard
Halt! Who goes there" from a body
Of English who had remained in the
bushes. We fired a volley in their di-
rection and raj as fast as we could
to a ditch behind us. After waiting
some minutes we again advanced
among the bushes. and after having
marched about a mile we reached the
creek which runs below the hill. Here
a body OF English. who had remained
behind. fired volleys at us. We lay
against the bank Of the creek and re-
piled to their fire. 1t became so hot.
however. that we retired around the
corner of the bank.
Here Sample a Zyl was shot. He
was just about a yard ahead Of me. He
was struck by two bullets. one in the
throat, the other through the lungs.
We are very sad today on account Of
his death. for he vas the life and soul
Of our camp. We placed him against
the bank and were then obliged to
leave him, for some Of the English
were behind us. while those who had
front OF US.
I'VE ran to the opposite bank. and
then an Englishman rushed down to-
ward me and was going to stab me
with his bayonet, but he was a little
too high up. SO that he could not do It.
He said, Throw down your gun, and l
won't shoot But / said. Throw down
yours, or | shall shoot And SO l
would have. and he threw his gun
down.
Then be fumbled with his hands in
his breast. probably to loosen his car
fridge pouch. but l thought he meant
TO take out a revolver. My comrades
shouted out: Shoot him. Reitz. Shoot
him" But l had not the heart to shoot
4 man at two PAGES distance, so | said,
which he accordingly did. l then took
his gun and shall send you the bayo-
net.
I'm the meanwhile the English were
approaching. We could hear what
they said. They were in high spirits,
and they were quite Of our
being in front OF them. We waited till
we could see them. They marched in
close order. about 300 in number. They
were then about ten yards from us.
We then fired among them. They
stopped, and all called out, Rifle bri-
gade" They must have supposed that
we belonged to their people.
Then one Of them said. Let US
charge One officer, Captain Paley Il
am writing this letter with his silver
pencil case). advanced, though he had
two bullet wounds already. Joubert
gave him another shot, and he fell on
top Of us. -Four Englishmen got hold Of
Jan Luttig and struck him on the head
with their rifles and stabbed him in the
stomach with a bayonct. He seized
two OF them by the throat and shout.
ed, Help, boys" His two nearest COM
rades shot two Of the nearest soldiers
and the other two bolted.
But then the English came I'D in
such numbers that we all lay down as
quiet as mice along the bank. They
came in single file, about 500, along the
iootpath. only about six yards from
where we lay. Had there been more of
us we would have continued firing, but
the English would simply have tram.
pied US down.
I'VE could, of course, see them well
and overhear all they said. One of
them said. Who knows the way" An
other replied, Keep to the right and
! was sitting a few yards to the
-