The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1900-01-20
the illustration to warrant the title un-
der it nor the extraordinary reading
matter which accompanied it.
In bold, black type was this heading:
(: TRAITORS! THE IRISH
BRIGADE SERVING
WITH THE
IT,: BOERS.

u. RoERs.
Then sA;..ss highly inter
"The men of th> c1/ .rican-
Irish mainly-brigade, Johan-
nesburg on the outbreak OF lie war to
fight the British, are described as some
of the worst sweepings of Johannesburg
and as all loafers.' They were about
J2o strong and led by an American ad-
vcnturer called COL Blake. Their
avowed object was loot and probably
that is all they would be good for The
Boers themselves have poor opinion
of them and were very anxious to keep
them out of the way, to prevent their
doing anything disgraceful. When they
left Johannesburg no rifles or cartridge
belts had been served out to them. The
Irish flag hears the motto. Remember
Mitchelstown'
1t was not long before the English
correspondent heard OF Blake, the
American adventurer,' again. This
time the adventurer had joined Gen.
Cronje, the great Boer officer. and was
member of his staff Cronje. in the
opinion Of all experts. is great man.
He is Phil Sheridan, Jeb Stuart and
Mosby combined in one. To him Blake
went direct, presented his papers and
offered his sword in the Boer cause.
Cronje talked with him about his SER
vices in the American army, saw that he
had grit no less than ability to plan, and
he accepted him promptly Several
times he was sent for by Gen. Joubert
who acted on the Americans advice
Several months before his graduation
the White Mountain Apacfes had
showed signs of desiring to take the
warpath, and Blake, who was sure OF
making the cavalry, prayed that he
would be ordered to join the "Gallopine
SIXTH then in Arizona, under com
mand OF Col. Eugene A. Carr. In May
the Apaches, under the leadership Of
the medicine man and prophet, Mock
aydatlslinne. took the warpatl,, and
there began series of Indian atrocities
Extending over period of nine years
which have never been approached in
the history OF the Southwest. -.
To his intense delight Blake was or
dered to Join the Sixth, and without a
thought OF the three months leave
which was his, he flew across the cont
nent as fast as steam could carry him
On reaching Chicago, he learned that
Troop M, to which he had been as
signed, had taken the field, but he was
to report at Fort Lowell, long since
abandoned, and ascertain, if possible, its
whereabouts. Two weeks later the
''Aedgling from the Point" reported tc
his captain, William A. Rafferty,, in the
heart OF the White mountain district
The fact that tenderfoot had ridden
through a hostile country alone and
found his troop was surprise to Raj
ferty. And that was not the last that
Blake caused his captain.
1t was early in this campaign tina,
Blake first met man who became fa-
nous at San Juan hill. Gen. Adna R
Chafee, at that time captain Of Troor
I, in the "galloping" Sixth. Two years
later the "man without hurdle on his
straps" carried message to that beat
ideal Indian fighter, the Gray Fox
which resulted in the killing of Nockay-
datklinne at Cibicu creek and saved a
squadron OF the Sixth from being mas.
sacred.
In those days the troops in the De,
partment Of Arizona spent most of the
time chasing 1ndians-Apaches, Co.
manches, Cheyennes, Kiowas, Navajoes
and Zunis-from the upper part Of the
Indian territory far into old Mexico. II
was rarely they saw garrison unless
sent home wounded or sick with fever
And this was the sort OF existence led
by Blake for nine years. When his
regiment did reach Goods country" ali
of the fight had been knocked and
licked out of the Indians in the South
west and helpless settlers, ranchers and
prospectors could travel the land with
out fear of massacre.
Possibly in no other country could
Blake have learned those tactics and
that strategy which is such feature o
guerrilla warfare, for in no other land
did similar conditions exist. He learned
to fight and whip willy foe, to guard
against surprise and the demoralizine
night attack. to met cunning with its
fellow and win, to endure the pangs oil
hunger and the awful torture of thirst
to assimilate the craftiness of the saw
age and applying it to the trained brain
beat the Indian at his own game
These were some of the lessons which
Blake has not forgotten, and, it is ap-
parent. 1t is being used with telling ef-
feet in South Africa.
A man who knew we'll the ex-cavalry
officer, said this about him the other
day: "Paramount1y Blake was and is
a fighter. At the same time he is the
oldest mass of contradictions that I've
ever seen. He was the life of the mess
loved joke and could tell capital
.,:,-f,A .ha..A A.. ...,~ G.. I.