The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1900-01-29
ON THE FIELD OF BATTLE
Letters of British Soldiers From
the Seat Of War.
A Private i'm the GrenadIer Guards
Risks Life TO Save His COIOneI-Men
Loved Ones While Surrounded by
Death-Christmas i'm Lndysmith.

officers and privates TO their anxious
friends at home contain many Indications
OF the stern spirit in the ranks.
Among many individual acts OF bravery
displayed in South Africa that Of a private
OF the Grenadier Guards stands out promi
nenuy.
During the thick OF the fight at Belmont
Colonel CTabbe. commanding the Grena-
diers, became detached from his regiment
and was Immediately surrounded by Doors.
Seeing his cOlonels danger the private
rushed 10 his assistance. He shot two
Beers. bayOneted a third, and amid the
hung carried Colonel Crabbe TO the am
buiance wagon.
The colonel was shot in the wrist ana
injured in the thigh, and these were the
wounds he described as scratches when
wiring the result of the battle TO Windsor.
he was soon about again. and recon-
mended the guardsman for the Victoria
cross. The man was one OF the first
Gfenadiers who volunteered from Wind
sor to join the Third Battalion.
The MaERrsfOntein FfUbt.
In a letter to his sister about the Magars-
iontein battle private Of the Gordon
Highlanders writes;
will never forget it, Men on both sides
shot down like mad dogs. ! believe the demon
devil was in the men; an they wanted was tbe
llVes OF the Beers They seemed 10 be camoring
Tor the blood OF the Beers al the charge sha,it-
ing MaJuba! Maluba!' and we got MaJuaa
IN good earnest. We were glad to retire lac
dogs with tails between our legs / tEank
GOD nd not get hit. got my shins cat with
barbed wire.
Ny dear sister, ] remember your words; they
~ inn IN rrrr
oerer. Cams stain will never enter nv soul
don't forget 10 FIRE high I viii not be- the
tcol Of any nation. Il I take a mans life when
IN England ] would be haEged for il: but IL fb.
government orders me 10 Kill II i5 all right
Our picket brought in four prisonegs-an Irish
man, two Nelshmen, and German. The corporal
IN charge Of the prisoners vllfully, with the butt
end Of his rife. broke the right arm Of one Of
the Wclshmen prisoners, because he was fighting
against England. lie is q miner, and says IL
was the oppression Of Lord peurhvn which caused
MIN 10 leave his home and country and make the
lransysai his home. Anyway, there were several
said they would take the bounce ont Of the cor
poral- Well, 10 Is all over with him now. Il
appears he went 20 the rear. and never came back
alive, HIS skull was broken in, and these De Was
found stiff.
Don't forget me iu your night prayers. II il
IS the will Of COO that I should lose my lie IN
this var say Thy Will be done"
Sang ns They Died
Writing OF the battle Of Magarsfointein
a sergeant OF the Seaforth HighIanders
says:
The Black watch IN front made an attempt
% charge the position, but we bad 20 retire and
simply run for II, the eufmy blazing 20 ms an
the way and dropping our fellows ike skittles
from their splendid positions. There was nothing
Tor II but 20 lay down and pretend % b. dead,
and this did about $50 a. m. tin, ] suppose, 6
p m, the pCuring down on me al the time
and not a drink Of water an day, and dare not
STIR hand or foot and expecting every instant
to be my last
I could hear nothing but the cries. means.
and prayers Of the wounded all round me- but
daren't much as look ur 20 SEE who they
were shot and shell were going over me an
day from the enemy and our side. and plenty
Of them striking within yard 81 me-I mean
bullets, not shetland yet they never nit me.
believe some Of the fellows went of their
heads and walked night up 20 the enemys place,
singing til they dropped them. one yomgster
ing close 90 me- said be would make q dart
for II about :. m. tried my best 90 per-
~Iade him not 90. bat he would 20. A couple
OF seconds after / could hear them p.tIing al
him, and then rs ercsns fos about minute.
and JhCn De quiet.
About this time The sun began t0 get fesrfuily
hot and began Co feel Do lu the legs. which
are now very painful and swollen. besides ] was
parched with thirst Most Of the wounded
round me had ceased Cso1ning by this time
As 10 began 20 get dark 2 managed 90 wriEgle
my body through The shrub further back. and,
after I had been 40 10 some time. on looking up
found myself righi 20 front OF another currrnCh.
mcnt % the enemy, They cent "a few round, q
me, but they struck just IN front ana rig0yaCttcd
over my head After oit. it getting darker.
I got up and walked back. and tlerc was nothing
but dead Highlaudcrs an over the place
Prayed for His Loved Ones.
Writing home to his wife, in Noting
ham, from sterkstroom, color sergeant
in the Second Battalion, Fifth Northum-
berlapd Fusiliers. saws.
have been through my baptism Of FIRE. and,
my God! what d baptism IL was, on
our arrival at MoltcnO we were given half an
hours rest, and then ordered on night march,
bayonets fixed. no talking no smoking nothing
but the tramp, tramp Of feet; over hills. through
rivers, uullahs, kopies, Layers and one, on we
marched through the long, weary night.
At last day broke on as bright and sunny a
morning ever broke on Gods earth Our
generals idea was TO give the Beers 2 surprise
and carry them at the point Of the bsyOuct but
we were disappointed. We were betrayed by
soiue villain or other. and were led into as
nice trap as ever mortal was led into
veritabe slaughteIhogsc.
As we commenced % march between two large
hills 70 begin operations. both Of them became
q blaze OF shot and shell. and how ! am alive
90 tell the tale u a wonder. Ne found
IL impossible 20 get a. them. They were 50
strongly Cntrenched that had 20 retire and
horror OF horrors. 70 do this We had 60 run the
gsntlet Of a terrible FIRE.
I hadn't gone a hundred wards when ms ankle
gave, and | could only hop. Then I offered up
a hearty prayer 10 God 10 look after you snd the
children, and was about 20 give up when bullet
tore my TouseE That gave me a fresh lease
OF life, and Oh ! went sgsin. Awhile after the
bullets flew around that I gave myself up Ell.
tirely, but still the bullets would not hit me
We managed 20 get clear ~ last. and
marched fifteen miles TO Moltcno.
I forgot 20 mention that cavalrymsn lent me
his mount and il ran wild with me. and I again
had narrow escane from death. But il was not
n lp / Tnrl41 t1ar had IN ID
least that day.
Christmas in LRdysmith.
One Of the war correspondents shut I'D
in Ladysmith sends interesting particulars
OF the CHEEKY manner in which the PEOPLE
in the besiegsd Gown spent Christmas Day.
The children had an especially good
time Two hundred of the little folk were
entertained al a feast at which they had
abundance Of the customary dainties and
even Injuries. The feast was under the
chief control Of Colonel Dartneli and Major
Karri-Davies. who gleefully distributed the
good things with their own hands.
There were four Christmas trees. named
respectively Britain. Natal. Canada. and
Australia. Sir George White and General
Hunter were among the numerous com
pany that Witnessed the festive proceed
ings.
One of the men Of the Second Cornwalls.
writing under date OF December 20 TO his
father and mother at Plymouth, says:
After We disenbarked at Cape Town. ON No
vember %, we went about Ave hundred miles up
country to De .Aar. Ten days ago we left there
for the OranG. River Camp. and now we are
waiting hourly and snxiously for orders TO pro-
gone TO Nodder River 10 join Lord Me;huen's
column