The Irish standard., 1900-11-24

daughters OF Erin gave Il rOuSing wei
come to twenty members of the Chi
cago BOer ambulance corps, who
reached Chicago last Sunday after
noon by the Lake Shore, fresh from
five months brisk fighting in tho
Transvaal, says the Daily Inter Ocean
The homecoming reception double
discounted the send Off of the corps
and the enthusiasm of the wclcomcrs
well repaid many of the boys for the
hardship they underwent On tho
streets the men were almost mobbed
by their frantically joyous friends. In
several cases the men narrowly es
capped being trampled to death hy
their overjoyous acquaintnnces.
Immediately after their arrival the
members Of the corps fell into line
and, headed by the Clan-nn-G
guards, marched to the Seventh rcgi.
ment armory, where addresses of wei.
come were delivered by Colonel John
Il. Fincrty, the Rev. Father Reynolds
and NJ. V. Cannon. Suitable responses
were made by Captain Patrick O'COn,
nor and Lieutenants Enright and
Quinn.
After that the returned fighters left
the armory for McCoy's hotel, where
they were banqueted by the Irish Ma
tionalists. At this dinner speeches
were made by Col0nels Rlcard O'Srl-
Ivan Burke and Maurice r. Colby,
after which there was general jolli-
fication.
The members of the corps who re-
turned were: Captain Patrick O'Con-
nor, Lieutenant II. Il. Ryan, Lieutcn-
ant Michael Enrlght, Thomas Murray,
William Dwyer, Patrick Griffin. james
Coyne, Edward Healy, Martin Nc
Tigue, Thomas Cashell, John Costello,
Daniel DAILY, Hubert O'Hara, james
slattery, John II. Murphy, John Duff,
John Welsh, John Quinn, William
Hurley and Patrick Carroll.
"Thcrc are just twenty of us here"
began Captain O'Connor, "of the forty
| two who left Chicago last February
We have had n lively time of it since
we set foot in Lourenzo Marques, but
fight was what the boys were after,
and they got enough of it to gladden.
their hearts.
I'VE went right to Pretoria after
landing Mt Lourcnzo Marques. On the
way we met Colonel Blake at Middle
burgh with IN American scout named
Jack Hinton. Blake is ringer for
Buffalo Bill--a splendid looking fellow
and grand leader. He accompanied
the corps to Pretoria, where we were
all presented to President kruger,
who treated us admirably"
Captain O'Connor, when asked as
to the criticism of the members of the
corps for violation Of the obligations
of the Red Cross badge, said:
1--WE left Chicago with the intention
Of entering the hospital service of the
South African Republic. When we
reached Lourenzo Marques we found
that a telegram had been sent from
the state department ut Washington
| directing that we be treated not as IN
ambulance corps but as individuals
The telegram had been sent to Lisbon
and forwarded to L0urenzo Marquee.
We were compelled to pay for every
thing we secured, and received no
such attention as should have been
bestowed on an ambulance corps. We
then determined to enter the Boer
army. We have no regrets for our
action"
Lieutenant Daniel l.. DAILY, formerly
of the Seventh Illinois, received great
praise from all the members Of the
corps for the manner in which he took
care Of the sick and wounded, al
though he did as much as any one
else with his muskct.
eve had our first BRUSH" said Lieu
tenant DAILY, Eat Brandfort, where 1
lost my whole outfit carrying wound
ed comrade named Dunn to the hos
pital. All the boys were in the bat
tie, and it was hot one, with lydditc
and shrapnel bursting all around us.
1--WE always had to cover the Boer
retreat, and when we withdrew at
Brandfort we took up Il position ut
the Vet river and held the kopje that
the Heidelberg command abandoned.
We kept it until dark, and saved the
four Boer guns. There were just 200
men in our bunch, and between 10000
and 10000 British on the other side,
with forty big lyddite guns, besides
pompoms and Maxims throwing an