Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1900-02-22
First Conflict in Which All the
Latest Appliances Appear.
Hills Turned Into Cloudburst Of Ball
and Shell-Why the Beers Abandon
ed the Kopjes For the Trenches
Julian Ralph's Word Picture.
Julian Ralph sends the following graphic


cd ali Lord Mcthuen's UattlCs-6clmont
Graspan, Modder River and Magerafon-
tcln--aud can assure you that each one
was as near to being an example of
hell transferred to earth anything
which modern man can produce. In the
nrst two battles it was the hills which
( lned themselves into cloudbursts of ball
and shell. None except AnglO-SdNOn
troops (and. perhaps, the Russians) would
have attempted to give battle 10
foe In such positions, but by alb
soUtoly reckless valor. the British went
at the Mills and climbed them like ilics or
gnats, needless of the ropes OF ball ihat
tore their ranks to pieces. They rose and
surged over the hills like waves and drove
the Bocrs before them with the irresisti-
BILE impulse of their amazing courage.
These were experimental battles. with the
newest arms in use on both sides; but
they taught Christcndom very lite, Lee
cause the English succeeded. The moral
and lesson Of modern warfare was hidden
under the fact that the English did the
impossible thing. However tho Beers
learned great deal, and in the next two
fights they taught the thoughtful and
scientific soldiers of Europe things which
they are bordering ia surprise The Beers
abandoned the kopjCs from winch they
had so fcarfully massaclod the British -
years ago, and took to trenches in the
carth-tronchcs no enemy could SOC
blended the foliage behind thcm-trcnches
always connected by runways. sluices or
hidden bridle-paths 10y which reinforce
mcnts and fresh ammunition could be fed
to the trenches as such were needed.
This was how We found them at Moddcr
River, and | believe | am correct in sag
ing that we 10 not know why they everVa-
Gated that position. When We took 1t and
examined IL we saw that all the regulars
and reservsts of England could not have
taken the place by frontal attack. The
Beers retired for one of two reasons;
either they heard the shouts of four hum
dred of our men who had got across the
river and imagined that great force of
us Was coming at their rear or (and this
is more like,D they retired because they
had done us all the damage they could.
his mt was falling, and they feared a bay
Ouct attack in the dark. and they had q
still stronger and better position to which
to retire. Those are always the Bocr's
tactiCs--to fight like a snake in the grass
or behind rocks, to do all the damage he
can, and to run away to better place
when he fears he might suffer injury If he
remained.
But am not discussing Boer tactics. l
am exp aiming some of the wonders of the
first war in which the latest appliances
have been used on both sides for the first
time. What the British are employing
they used a Omdurnan but that was not
Mai ~ d nu't.o. ~ va ~, y, -, ,a,,,,h
u'iP', NJ, y. VI 1''' D..,i,' 80 49, LEI
tei' ne eoHiu' az Dii'1' i''l "' -, =
the British and the bravery was with the
Dervishes. But here the British are in
the place of the Dervishes, except that
'Hey as wen "9 t"e ooei "aN , .'o 10
appiianoee. W." We ~. ~ nc ~" go
tcih We saw VIA, I'm, ',',a'1a s. - j.;
We seit oui ii's "'a.i" W - auo 10,
P'tcn-p'aCh 'isli,' III w. 'ei No'"'',i, IVA
"la'l'h' a'u su""S'"S nv @ - ~
opoh' anu rom 'ne N SIN ms iu ,n
tlcic was Spe"cu iioli ''''.Pe9. u 80,
Hic Su'n aH ~, ~! ~ 49," 80 80,
Su'nu h'lore, Inc piinNlP'' eNc"t VI u,
pat'e Was tndt ""Iul tiap' Sui ~ Use 't"u
carnage bul the moral oi lhe ~ ut.. 'p'
l. MOI aHeVteu ny 'iI"t "oV""9V' ~ We
rnarcheu III lroh'"i "t'"cA upon 'u'V t''9''
u2h III pr"du Gay l,Sn" We ."ulu no. nan
taFeh IL EHs ana mas MOI So' imam
enough to take H. Germany ''Hthens,
iotceS OF infantry couId haNc zone H. pu'
II Woulu nave pteu "cC"ihlH'7"'u at SUI
fearful cost OF me that no suner Ken
cfal with the rear or ms Goa ana MS I'm
IcIOT III MS ivdIl Wpul'l nave tN'l ElN'l
the command to rush the Bner posi-
ton.
ne oiu illIl.ary so'ouIDooNn
" cap'uit Hen III 0''oe ~ ~. ~
iciu'i % t,.ise W. r'"iS ',vI ~, 49,
"Pe" tIo"'U Ia n'"elIi' ~
zen pel ore uno ICY ri ~ 80 ~
apy ItquIIe Fisi. " zen .i'''I a.