The Greenville times. [volume] (Greenville, Miss.) 1868-1917, 1900-01-13

the portrait which adorns the fronts
piece of the book, and throughout the
pages of it there is manifest effort
to accord to Others, usually his sub
alterns, the credit which they them.
I selves are the first to acknowledge be-
longs to him.
Like so many English officers, Lord
Roberts may be said to have laid the
foundation of his military career on
the cricket field of Eton, and at 10 was
already fighting the Afghans as lieu
tenant of the Bengal horse artillery.
Before he was five-and-twenty he had
i've horses shot under him in battle,
had been twice wounded, repeatedly
mentioned in the dispatches, and last,
but not least, had won that Victoria
cross which constitutes the climax of
every Englishman's ambition.
Inasmuch as Lord Roberts with
characteristic modesty refrains from
giving any description in his book as
to how he won his Victoria cross. the
only reference to the matter being
brief mention in footnote of three
lines, to the effect that it had been
awarded to him, it may be just as
well to state that it was conferred up-
ON him not for one, but for several
feats of conspicuous gallantry at the
battle of Khodagange,e during the
mutiny. In one instance he rescued
a regimental flag from several Sepoys,
attacking them single-handed and cut
ting two OF them down, the others
taking to fight. On the same day he
rescued wounded native officer from
several Sepoys, killing one of the lat
ter on the spot by a sweep of the
saber, which literally split the mans
skull
"Quick as lightning and tough as
steel used to be the description APP
piled to Lord Roberts during his
younger days out in India, and that
he deserved the qualification thus ac-
corded to him is shown by the fact
that on one occasion he rode from
Chamkanie to Rawal Pinde, distance
of 100 miles, over frightfully rough
country, in little less than ~ hours.
The native troops were convinced that
ne bore charmed life. For he was
the head and front in all his cam
palgns, and has invariably been the
hrst to lead his men into action.
What has won for him more fame.
however, than anything else was his
march to Candahar. He had captured
kabul, the capital of Afghanistan, aft
r the massacre of the English envoy
here, Sir Louis Cavagnari, when news
vas suddenly brought to him of the I
defeat of Gen. Burrows at |
daiwand, the routed forces which had c
ost their guns being compelled to t
eek refuge in Candahar, where they G
we're besieged by Ayoob Khan. v
Without moments hesitation Lord L
ioberts started with force of 10000 o
men from Kabul to relieve Candahar Ii
or the space of three weeks this ex- S
edition disappeared entirely from hu- v
IAN ken. At length it emerged from I
he trackless and for the most part t
regions between Kabul and fl
andahar, and under the walls of the W
liter city fought battle and won a a
rilliant victory, inficting a crushing 81
efeat upon the Afghans.
This took place in 1880, and before
len he had been mentioned in the
Ispatches more than 81 times. There h
no doubt that he would never have L
zen able to accomplish this forced 81
arch from Kabul to Candahar had il tn
IT been for the devotion and blind WI
'nfidence with which he managed to OF
spire his men, white as well as ma TO
res. ha