The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1900-08-22
I THE FIGHT OBJ THE BOERS.
Free and Easy Military Methods of
the Rurghers.

a ceeulng 10 any comment on the mill
a tary processes OF the Beers, | wish tt
essay brief and homely idea OF the
, field of operations. Upon an assump
, tion that Cape Town is located at New
Orleans, Pretoria would take the place
OF Washington, ID. q. Comparisons oI
this kind cannot be absolutely accur.
ate, but | have sought to make them
: approximately correct in both distance
and direction. Bloemfontein, Lord
Roberts present position, would be
thrown into the vicinity OF Charlotte,
N. c., with Kimberly placed near
Asheville, and Ladysmith short dis.
tance off shore in the neig ghborhood OF
Cape Hatteras. Mafeking would be
not lar west OF Parkersburg, w. Va,
and the Orange river, the border line
between the Free State and Cape Col
ony, would run along the southern bor-
der OF North Carolina, westward past
Chattanooga, toward Memphis.
AS the territory south Of the Orange
river is now little II at all disturbed by
war, though not little disturbed by
partisan feeling, q transfer of the scale
OF comparison may be made, and II ar
risburg, Pa, be taken aC the location
OF Bloemfontein. That would nut Pre-
toria at about Rutland, VT, Kimberly
somewhere little to the east OF Pitts
Jul 81 AN oiShlhS out III IlS
Lake Ontario, and Ladysmith some
whore oil Montauk Point Kroonstad
would be not far from the border line
OF New York and Pennsy and
the Vaal river not far from ALBANY.
Run railroad from Atlanta to Lynch
| burg, Va, representing De Aar juno.
tion and then turn 1t nOrthward to a
little east OF Pittsburg, and beyond
through Rochester, N. y, into Canada.
Run u cross.cOuntry line from Lynch
burg to Richmond Representing Naau-
port to tap two lines coming up from
the Atlantic ocean To the south and
southeast (Port Elizabeth and East
Londop); and from Richmond run
northward through Harrisburg (Bloem-
fontein,) to Rutland (Pretoria(; run a
line from 30 miles south OF Rutland
| (Which would be Johannesburg past
Montauk Point (Ladysmith,) l25 miles
| or 80 into the ocean, to Durham, and a
general idea will be obtained of the
| relative location of cities and railway
systems In South Africa.
AT present, with the exception of
the siege OF Mafeking, such lighting ss
there is is wholly within aud around
the borders OF the Orange Free State.
This may even be said of the Natal
front, where, for nearly two months.
more than to sit around among tho
hills and scowl at each other. The
centre OF such activity rs there is upon
the western border is at Fourteen
Streams, 30 miles north OF Kimberley.
There, Lord Methuen Is making unsuc.
cessful efforts to break the Boer line
along the Vaal river Ths centre of
the most important activity, though as
yet 1t has been western prairie, dotted
here and there with the rude homes
OF the settlers. Maps give names OF
towns, but very few, indeed of such
places are more than hamlets. They
are not even villages and many OF the
names serve only to Indicate, topo.
graphically, some prominent hill or
kopje, or some fOrdable point in the
streams.
Mainly from these rude homes there
come the greater number Of the fight
Ing mon OF the Boer army. The Trans
vaal has larger area, but the general
conditions are much the same. The
ready comparison OF area gives ready
comparison OF density OF population.
The Free State has white sn....u,nent
OF about 10000, or about l6 t. the
square mile. New York State has
about G,OGO,OOO, or 100 to the square
mile. New York State alone has today
IL
iton OF the Free State snd the Trans
vaal, in an area which exceeds but
little two-sevenths OF that OF the South
African republics. This suggests some
interesting semi-military speculations.
Assume the entrance into New York
State, at Troy, OF an armed and equip
ped English force OF $4,000 or 80, 900
men, equivalent to Lord Roberts main
body. Assume another Ehg lisn column,
Bullcr's 10000, TO be represented by
minor though not insignificant engage
ments and skirmishes, Is in the vicinity
of Lord Roberts advanced line, at
Bloemiontein. In it's area, the Free
State is not far from that OF the State
OF New York. Through that territory,
from southwest to northe ast, It's great.
est length, there runs single track
railway OF three feet six inches gusge.
For the rest picture force say 80, 600
| moro, to be run upon the southern bor-
der. How long would 1T take them to
occupy Syracuse, or capture tho State?
| Assume, again, that the same territory
was to be defended by the American ar
my, on it's peace footing, practically the
numerical equivalent Of the Boer fight.
Ing force, and aspeculation 10 open con-
corning that outcome. The Boers have
prolonged this fight for seven months
against lug ianu 10 l.
Their access Is undoubtedly due to
their method OF fighting and their
skill In the use Of their weapons. In
previous letters have sought to ipdi-
cate the appearance OF the Boer sold
iers (?), and their life In camp and on
the march. Their fighting is like tho
rest OF it. A Field Cornet said to me
| recently that the Boer soldier did W hat
he was told to do, discounted by his
own idea OF what he thought ought to
be done. There are no serried col
umns in the BOer army, either on the
march or on the field. The Vecht
Commandant, the Hoofd Commandant,
the Commandant or the Field Cornet,
whoever may be OF the highest rank In
the field, after q free and general dis-
cussiOn with those who happen to be In
his neighbOrhood, may determine upon
some particular point as the best posi-
tion to be occupied for the immediate
purpose. The detail OF occupation ,is
very much an individual affair. The
horses are hobbled and turned out to
Craze under the concealment OF some
hill or groups Of hill, II that be posi-
bility Of the terrain. Then Piet and
Hans and Cornelis and .Jacobus and
Hendrix and all the rest OF them hunt
each for what he thinks to be the best
point from which he can shoot and kill
some Englishmen. A rock, an Unequal
ity Of the ground, hastily scooped
| hollow ANYTHING which will pake a