The daily morning journal and courier., 1900-01-25
THE IRISH IN THE WAR.

Famous Celtic Regiments Now Serving
 in Africa-Some of Their Gallant i Deeds
 | Irishmen, it is well to note, are rem
 dering to the empire in the present war
 exceptionally large and distinguished services. For the purpose of this ar | ticle, one may lay aside the fact that the great Field Marshal who is now on | his way to the Cape is of the Irish race, and that his famous Chief of Staff, Lord
 Kitchener is not wholly free from Irish
 association, since his youth was passed
 amid the wilds of Kerry. But this, at least, is directly and conspicuously in evidence; that circum- stances have somehow conspired to place in Irish hands remarkably large
 share of the defense of the virile and
 hard-pressed colony of Natal. The colo-
 ny is proving itself a precious jewel in
 the British Crown, and Irishmen are guarding it with all that magnificent self-sacrifice and valor which are proud traditions of the race. Sir George White is native of County Antrim, his fam fly residing in the neighborhood of Ballymena, and the Orangemen of that
  George makes gallant sortie from Ladysmith, while Irishmen in London were glad to entertain him when he was last here. Coming to the fighting mass es it is notable that Ireland has fur nshed ten regiments to the war. Seven of them are fighting in Natal-Gen. Gatacre has two. and Gen French one. The list is as follows:
 Fifth Royal Irish Lancers, in Lady, smith
 Sixth Inniskilling Dragons, in Cape Colony with Gen French.
 First Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers, in Natal with Gen. Butler.
 First Royal Dublin Fusiiers, with Gen. Butler.
 Second Royal Dublin Fusiliers, in Ladys1nith
 First Royal Irish Fusiliers, the rem- nants in Ladysmith
 Second Royal Irish Fusiliers. with Gen. Butler.
 First Connaught Rangers, with Gen. Butler.
 Second Royal Irish Rifles, in Cape Colony with Gen. Gatacre.
 First Royal Munster Fusiliers, with Gen. Gatacre.
 Here are 5000 men at least-regiments which are almost entirely Irish. The | Ministers come chiefly from Kerry, Cork, and Limerick, the Dublins from the home counties, and the Royal Irish Fusiliers from the northeast of Ulster, | while the Connaughts hail largely from the west.
 They found no trouble in swelling | their ranks The Connaughts went away 917 strong, the First Dublns numbered 10O4, and the Inniskilling | Fusiler Battalion reached 1,02S.
 They have suffered greatly, being in the forefront of the Natal fighting. At the battle on the Tugela the four Irish which were engaged account for more than half the losses; they had 4 officers and men killed and '35 wound sd or missing. The Dublins had 40 1illed and 27S wounded or missing; of he Connaughts "A were killed and 130 or missing; the First Inniskill- ngs had IS killed and 93 wounded or missing.
 But the splendid records of these hree regiments tell of more glorious sacrifices. For instance, at Waterloo he Inniskillings suffered the heaviest osses of all They saved the centre of Vellingtons line on that historic day, I md every officer of the regiment and wo-thirds of the men lay dead or wounded on the field of battle. Sir 1eorge White, it may be noted, was ubalteran in that regiment when more han forty years ago it paraded in the 'unjab before the young afficer who } now Lord Roberts
 Of the Connaught Rangers it need nly be said that in it's centuryis exist nee it has served the empire in every art of the world-Europe, Asia, Africa, nd America. In the Peninsular war lone it's losses exceeded 1,500, of whom lose upon 400 were killed At the Boer defeat at Elands .aagte it was an Irish cavalry regiment 7 he Fifth Lancers, which charged trough the flying enemy in the dark ess and cut them up-the only time