The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1900-01-26
FIFTEEN
Continued from First Page.)

total of IS officers and 372 men with which
we started at a. m.
81 never was in such a verltable' fix
and I hope 1 never shall be again; and
then. to add to it all, they peppered us
with shot. shell and those Bedstly one
pound Observation-Disclosures shells, and
Mausers, until we had retired well out
of range.
But poor Tommy was simply grand.
On the troops went through it all. They
never hesitated one moment, never finch
ed. On they went with destruction and
death and agony all around them. I shall
never forget the sight. A man was hit;
on the line went A shell fell between
two men at six PAGES; on they went. A
shot blew a captain Of the Connaught to
bits A subaltern Of the Iniskillings close
by looked back, but could see absolutely
no trace of his command left, and 1 see
he is reported as missing, as they could
not find him, and yet on went the lines.
NY own company was most light-hearted.
One old soldier who used to be the quar-
termaster's store man at Chatham, was
in front of me while we once were or
dered to turn in file to the left and wheel
to right to double about half a mile to
the right flank of the guns, and when
bullet whizzed very close to him he be-
gan to play antics and skip about laugh
ing and joking the while. The bullets
were as thick as bees and 1 had several
mighty close to my head. Directly we
halted and lay down showers Of bullets
came. 1t was truly a one-sided game, as
we could see no one to aim at at all.
Just before we lay down a private behind
me said: sir I don't know how we got
through all that without one Of US get
ting hit. I thing God must be good to
US today I was much impressed by
what this man said
ITO show what a good fellow Tommy
is. when near camp 1 felt very Ill; my
legs were giving away; l had a pain In
my back Ohe sun and no food since
a. M. and so one of the company askea
leave to fall out and rush All tothe rail-
way, where he had seen a train from
Frere with water. There was a great
crowd Of men there jostling for water,
and yet he came back with his own can
teen full Of water for me TO drink Really
their actors made them all t-loved TO
me. I am very fond OF them all And
under the most trying circumstances IN
which our idfotic generals unnecessarily
placed US. I did my best to save all IA
tgue wherever 1 could. I always halted
where the grass was longest, where there
was any little rise. or where there was
q 'nullah. If I possibly could Yet. OF
course, 7 was only a subordinate 20 the
major. r.. fortunately. IS q very sound
man. full u common sense and a thor
ough sold er-so We all had the greatest
confidence in him.
Cannot we get the best men FOR ev-
cry billet yet? We do get some. but not
all. Social qualities stlu rule the day.
Il should not be so. Where do social
qualities come in on a day ike friday
Ons instance OF jo5bery among many I
will give you. Now l have made sig
mailing a Isfs study. 50 I know bit q
II. On the night before the battle I was
sitting with three or four ether officers
% various regiments 4 great fat-hs20ed
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES style Of an idiot
passed me and said something as 70 Tie
wondered who was signalling I saw MS
rank (subaltsrn1 and mug and took hin
in al once as a 4-lstter man 50 I de-
termiaed 20 watch ard listen They were
signalling from Weenen. tEenty-seven
miles or. with heliogrsph- He tried 20
Rad. but could not. The Bears called
,nem Up from Um5uIEzns and aszsd who
they were Cwea they might This fellow
stood with hLs mouth open looking On
and wondering what = was all sbout
and asked who h. Vas and Re tod Sne
that he zas z signaling officer OF TIE
star. that he came fror the Royal Horse
Guards and wanted = medal ard = so.t