The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1900-01-17
A BOER SOLDIERS LETTER.
Account OF What Hap
pens when the British Carry "a
Kopje.
(From the London Truth. }

The following letter from Boer lad
of seventeen to his mother after the bat
tie OF klsndslaagte is sent home by the
at Pretoria, aud has just been published
In that journal. 1t 10 worth reproduce
ing, as 1t gives Sery vivid aocoant Of
what happens when our forces carry a
kopje occupied By the enemy:
1--WE were on kopje. Our horses
were behind It In hollow. As the
infantry advanced against us we began
shooting. When 1t looked as II we were
going to be surrounded, a certain number
Of our men fell back to another position.
A bout a hundred of us remained on the
kopje. But the fire of the Maxims and
the other guns became 50 violent that we
Withdrew a little to lind cover. The
General and Commandant Viljoen rallied
US and brought us back to the top Of the
bill, and advised us TO get under shelter
there as much as possible. I followed
the General with a dozen others to the
right, and Viljosn led the rest to the
left. The English were still advancing,
US. 1t was easy to recognize the kilties
that they were wearing. We fired at
them necessarily. All our bullets seemed
to strike. had not time to be afraid.
prayed to God. aud fired on, aiming
each time at one of their men. You
know / am not !, tad shot. Their Max
inns gave us back what we sent them
without moments stop. A few Of us,
finding our position too risky, ran back
to where the horses were, and went off.
was close to the General, and remained.
We tired on, he as well as i. and tried to
get cover behind three great blocks OF
rock, when a lyddite shell burst clase by
us and covered us with earth and stones.
The General withdrew us little back.
At this moment one Of my noighbors
was hit In the side. But he had strength
enough to get to his horse and gallop
of. We were now only lighting on the
kopjs with the General, and the kilties
were ttill advancing and crushing US
were still firing on them. Just then the
General fell. The group round me was
reduosd to eight, of whom three were
wounded. My friend. Van Niekerke,
went on firing with his left hand, resting
his gun his right arm. We could neither
carry away the General nor defend him,
and our cartridges were exhausted.
looked at each other. One of the wound
ed said. We must raise the white flag
Coghill answered with curse. The
balls whistlsd all round us. Something
had to he done 'Well,' said one Of the
ENTHUSIASTICALLY completed the phrase
wa IL ust run for 1t. Good luck, cried
the General, lwho was seated ON the
ground, and pale as death. We threw
down our muskets and everything which
might delay Us, and then we rushed down
the kopje. for 1t was a oass Of saving our
own skins. The two bodies OF ths nd
vanoing English troops we're within zoo
yards of each other. / ran down between
| them. without turning my head to right
OF left. The bullets gave me wings.
don't think that ever ran 30 quick.
could not find my horse but got hold OF
another. Then off / went on him. and
managed to get clear Of the Lancers,
who were pursuing us. ! passed the
night in an abandoned Kaffir krasl, and
the next morning manazed 60 join this
command of Vuioen. l don't know
what became of my comrades. but hops
they were as lucky as l was"