The Banner-Democrat. [volume] (Lake Providence, East Carroll Parish, La.) 1892-current, 1900-04-07
A Heroine at Gutenberg.
AN EPISODE IN THE IRANsvAAL WAR Of Isso.'sI
BY w. wILMoTT DIXON.

One forgets many things in 10
years, and probably the story which ]
purpose retelling here is forgotten by
all except the surviving actors in it
and their immediate.friends. But the
memory of such a signal instance of
British pluck should not be allowed
to die.
On Sunday, the 5th of December,
1880. the little town of Gutenberg, in
tho Transvaal, was in state OF un-
vonted excitement. The whole popu-
lation was out in its Sunday best to
give a hearty send-off to the Ninety
fourth regiment, which had been
quartered there for many months and
was now ordered to Pretoria. Both
officers and men had made themselves
extremely popular with all classes,
and the expressions of regret at their
departure was universal Numbers
of the inhabitants accompanied the
regiment on its way for five or SIX
miles. One lady and gentleman
Lieutenant Walter Long, the junior
subaltern of the Nine y-fourth, and
his pretty young wife-rode ont as far
as Is miles. The colonel had paid
the lieutenant the high honor OF leav-
ing him in sole command of the troops
left behind responsible position for
a youngster of barely two-and-twenty.
As the lieutena and his wife
turned their horses heads and babe
farewell to their comrades, Colonel
Anstruther called out:
"Good by, Mrs. Long! Look aftel
Long, and mind you're good little
adjutant. Good by, Long! Lool
after my garden for me; remember
expect TO find it in as good order as
leave it"
Both the colonel and the lieutenan
were enthusiastic gardeners.
As the regiment tramped past, Mrs
Long cried out:
"Good by, Ninety-fourth! Go
bless you'll"
And the men shouted back:
''Good by, our lady! God bles
you, Mrs. Long!"
1t was last farewell for many Q
them, though they little thought il
for a fortnight later Colonel Anstruthe
and more than half his men wen
killed at Bronkhorst Spruit.
Out on the open veldt, about half
mile from the town, were eight mil
tary huts, each so feet long by Is fe'
wide, built two abreast, with an int
vening space of 80 fee, the who
forming parallelogram 78 yards
length by 20 in breadth. At the FIR
rumor of disaffection amongthe Boer
Lieu lant Long resolved to withdra
his men into these huts, and throw
some kind of shelter round them. +
up to this time they stood without q
slightest enclosure and utterly unpr
tected. The force under his col
mand consisted of so privates al
three non commissioned officers OF Z
Ninety fourth, seven privates and
sergeant of the Royal Engineers, thr
priyates and conductor of the Arr
Service Corps-in all, including L
Falyey of the Army Medical depa
ment and Lieutenant Long himse
GA officers and men.
Mrs. Long, who had been livi
with her husband in a pretty lit
cottage empowered in roses and fr'
trees ut the lower end of the tow
without a moments hesitation
cided to leave her comfortable no
and take up her quarters with
husband. Her many friends IN Lya'
berg tried in vain to dissuade her fr
the step. She was offered wa
welcome in half dozen houses;
the brave little woman said that
place was beside her husband. so
soldiers brought her belongings II
the pretty cottage to one OF the hu
showed their admiration for her pi'
by taking the greatest pains IN max
rouarters as tasteful and comic
able as possible. There was, h
ever. but scant accommodation 10
iadv in the hut assigned to her, wh
sheltered under its roof three nor
Whose every movement was distin'
audible) besides herself and her
band.
On the 10Th of December they
ran throwing up works OF defe
ronnd the huts, and Mrs. Long
LIGHTED the men by working as har
any of them. On the 23d OF Dec
ner the appalling news reached u
~ the massacre OF the Ninety -for
AZ BronLhorst Sprint. But, stun
though they were by the terrible
ings, they set to work more yigofo'
than ever to complete their deien
When the tiny font was finished 1t