The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1900-01-15
LETTERS FROM SOLDIERS.
some Interesting Accounts of Fighting
in south Africa.

London, JANUARY b.-Lestsrt irom tns
soldiers fighting against the beers are
published In large mum bers and In many
oases arc Just as interesting rs the &C
oour Is by trained war correspondents.
A medical officer under Lord Methuen
describing the battle OF Modder river.
writes:
"a lot Of the North Lancashire men
were horribly wounded. Iturned over
a sergeant, black In the face, dead. One
man was brought to me who had been
struck by shell frsgmsnt--facs mutt
lated, throat ont and chest lacersted.
Oh, God, the sight was sickening blood
every where Very few OF our men being
wounded, We went out near sunset to
aid the Highlanders. They had been
lying all day under that frightful sun
and their wounded were stlll there. No
strsicher bsarers could advance as they
were all shot at. They shouted to me to
crawl on the ground, as though most Of
the firing was ever, there were It Ill three
or four Beers, with express rifles and
explosive bullets who were under cover
aud who kept picking of our men.
Some men utterly collapsed and ali
could do was to put pad TO their
wounds and my whiskey dask 30 their
Lips then crawled back to my horse
and made my way 20 some ambulanoes
xo miles distant to get their aid.
was under tire all the time. felt kind
Of solemn disregard ss had been exposed
to greater danger BEFORE"
In a letter written to his father from
Moor river, In November, an officer In
the Queens Royal West Surrey regiment
says:
against an enemy like the Beers In
fantry are useless. The Beers have spies
every where and as they are well mounted
they can move away hours before our
infantry can get within striking dis
tanoe. On the ether hand, they " i'll new.
err attack and when we advance toward
Pretoria oommaudos will be left all
over the country looting and burning
farms"
The special correspondent of the Cape
Arxus thus describes a bonn bardment OF
X kimberley;
What will probably be handed down
In the annals of history to Boer posteri-
ty as the bombardment Of Kimberley,
probably occurred on Tuesday, Novein-
Der z, and II ever the faroical element
VIZ re introduced into such serious busi-
ness as war, the pue,ile attempts to raze
Kimberley can surely lay claim TO 1t.
From the Boer side come reports just
as interesting. A lad Of IL wrote to his
mother after the battle of Elandslaagte
and the letter is published in the Jour-
nal do Gensys as follows:
I'VE were on q kopje. Our horses were
behind 1t In a hollow. AS the infantry
advanced against against us We began
shooting. When 1t looked as II We were
of our men fell back to another position.
About q hundred Of Us remained on the
kopje. But the tire of Eaxims and the
other guns became so violent that We
withdrew little to find cover. The
general and commandment ViIjosn. rallied
us and brought us back to the top OF the
hill and advised US to get under shelter
there as soon as possible. followed the
general with dozen others to the right,
and Viljoen led the rest Of the left.
The English were still advancing and
they were now within 500 y ards OF us.
IL was easy TO recognize the kilties they
were wearing. We fired at them ipees-
sanity. All our bullets seemed to strike.
l had not time to be afraid. i prayed
God and fired on, aiming each time at
one of their men. You know 1 am not
bad shot. Their Maxims gave Us back
what we sent them without a moments
stop. A few of us finding our position
too risky. ran back to where the horses
were, and went of. was close to she
general and remained. We fired on, ne as
well as and tried to get cover behind
three great blocks of rock when lyditts
shell burst close to us and covered us with
earth and stones. The general withdrew
us a little back. At this nom snt one Of
my neig bors was hit In the side. But
he had strength enough to get TO his horse
and galloped OF. We were now only fight
Ing on the kopje while tho general and
the kilties were still advanoipg and rush.
ing us In a circle. At 60 yards distance
We were still firing on .hem. just then
the general fell. The group around me
was reduced to eight. of whom three were
wounded. My friend, Van Nieksrke,
had been wounded at the wrist. but he
kept on firing with his left hand. resting
his gun on his right arm. We could
neither carry away the general nor do
fend him and our cartridges were ex-
haustsd. What nowf said CoRhili.
whilst we looked at each other. One OF
the wounded said: We must raise the
| white flag CoRhill answered with a
curse. The balls whistled all around us.
Something had to be done. 'Wel,' said
one OF the wounded-coghill completed
the phfase-'we must run for it, We
threw down our muskets and everything
that might delay Us and then We rushed
down from the kopje for 1t was cass
of saving our own skins. don't think
that ever ran SO quick. was lucky
enough to get TO the horses without being
4 A. \