New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1900-02-04
IN CAMP AND FIELD.
STORIES OF THE WAR FROM CoRRE-
SPONDENTS AND SOLDIERS
IN AFRICA

London. Jan. N-Winston Churchill continues to
make the columns of THE Morning Post amusing
and instructive. Under date of Frere Camp De-
cember "a describing his arrival at Durham, after
escaping from Pretoria. he writes:
I received a great number of kilograms from all
sorts OF people concerning my escape-some serious,
the exceptions. was the following, which cannot
resist quoting:
London Dec 2O-Best friends here hope you
'MNEILL''
hope the publicity thus given to this amiable
thing more of my correspondent. A gentleman who
he will spend three pounds cabling impertinences
seven thousand miles to a perfect stranger, is a
human curiosity who should not remain unknown
TO his generation
BoMBARDING THE BoER TRENCHES.
To this he adds this graphic picture of firing on
the Beers from Chieveley:
Yesterday l rode out to watch the evening bonn
With the ~ guns From the low Hill on +, wh 1I6
the hills Tier above tier of trenches have been
run across the grass OF the open country south
l should say tent-Commander Lfmpus, of the
Terrible. kindly invited me to look through the
glass was one of great power, and 1 could plainly
see the figures of the Beers walking in twos and
away to heighten them We Selected one parou
eag noted and he gea slowly
brought to bear on the unsuspecting target. 1
three dirty beehives for the kraal. long breast
work of newly thrown up earth SIX or seven MINI MINI
skyarkng the grass behind the er trench Zap ap7
parently engaged in boxing match dRen tqrf 5
Seventeen an feet Of barrel peerng through the te
cuatons as to wind and light and other intricate
details The crew stood "@ed 6ad Il t6e enemX
The group was still intact; The boxers were stu
tary horseman had also come into the picture, and
was riding slowly across. The desire Of murder
at least foot dsarranging the telescope; but
Ws hsng and roaring its Way through nearly
five miles of air. l found the kraal again; the
Startled rabbits. Then they began to bob into the
earth after the other Suddenly in the mld9ie
Lowry ball of smoke and clouds Of dust Bang!
fore tRe sseI could reach the tTenohes dozen
little figures scampered away scattering IN an 1i
effect. But when 1 turned the glass to another
part of the defence, the Beers were working away
stolidly and only those near the explosion sho"eu
any signs of disturbance. A..
shells being flung sometimes into the trenches.
sometimes among the houses of Colenso, and always
c9yered up again in h1 their m @
amid the tents. and soon it became night.
Mr. Churchill gives rather dismal forecast OF
the future that confronts the Ladysmith forces;
Ladysmth has stood two months siege and BON bonn
6ardmen Food 4 and Tbe Strain on
the garrison has been, in spite OF their pluck and
out # is dent to say PTecSey because after
the ordinary rations are exhausted Determined men
will eat horses and rats and beetles ana such IKE
odds and ends and So BE- c0nH the Of e end
ance, and then if no help comes, Sir George White
viii have to fire off ali his ammunition, blow up his
s seay out gp With his Whole force in ee endeavo
to escape southTard Perhaps ns mgh tbs e
and wounded, would be sent TO occupy the new
such is the intelligent anticipation OF the enemy
for their accommodation.
STORY OF A YOUTHFUL BOER SOLDIER.
From Pretoria THE Daily News has secured an
interesting translation of letter written by Deneys
Reitz to his father, the Transvaal State Secretary
The writer is with the Boer forces before Lady
smith; he is seventeen years of age. Joubert is
younger brother, while Hjalmar is an elder brother
just returned from Europe:
Before Ladysmith, Dec. r. 1899.
Dear Father: Joubert and 1 are stu safe and
that the English had stormed Lombards Kop, but
guns. On the following morning they came past
US, but were soon driven back. But now comes the
six hundred yards from the HILL on which stood
howtzer Below this hill lay other ontposts which
the English to pass About O'Clock we heard the
sent o Rord to 902 2eedeber the ed but
before he could arrive the howitzer was damaged,
The English again cheered and We were then so
enraged that we Immediately ran through the
1t was, of course pitch dark When we had run IL!
from body OF English who had remained in the
f e We re eo g0e hr 6eb6 Us aa a
waiting minutes again advanced among
we reached the creek which runs below the Hill.
Here body of English who had remained behind
fired volleys at us. We lay against the bank OF the
creek and replied to their fire. 1t became so hot,
bank Here Sample Van zyl was shot. He was
just about yard ahead S Of me He was struck
the lungs. We are very sad to-day on account of
He did not die Immediately. We placed him against
the bank and gave him water We were then obliged
while those who had been the top Of the hill
We ran to the opposite bank. and then En-
glishman rushed down toward and going
high up, so that he could not do it: He said,
Throw IS down your gun, and won't shoot" But
SO fbad bs but he hrSW his gun Then
pou Bu hoagh he
d on to G Sm Rez so6 NY & p
not the heart to shoot man "a two PAGES dis
which he accordingly did then took his gun, and
shall send you the bayonet.
We could hear what they said they We're in high
IN front Of them We waited unt we S could ee
them They marched in close order. about three
yards from US, we, then fired among them. They
stopped and all called out Rifle brigade" They
people: Then one of them said Let US charge"
with his silver penciD, advanced though he had
oe se S09 m ae o o % gave him an
men got hold of Jan Luttg and struck him on the
head with their rifles and stabbed him in the stom-
ach with bayonet. He seized two of them by the
throat and shouted. Help. boysr His two nearest
comrades shot two of the nearest soldiers and the
other two boted. But then the English came up
in such numbers that all lay down as auiet as
mice along the bank They came in Single file,
about eight hundred along the footpath only about
six yards from where we lay. Had there been more
OF US we would have continued firing but the
English would simply have tramped us down
We could, of course, see them well, and overhear
all they said. One of them asked, WHO knows the
way?" Another replied. Keep TO the right" and
I was sitting a few yards to the right l felt
somewhat uneasy, but they just then fortunateIy