The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1900-08-25
A GREAT GUERILLA GENERAL,

After the death OF JOubert and the
capture of Cronje the military experts
of London predicted that the Anglo
Boer war would soon come to an end
But they We're too sanguine, as sub
sequent events have shown. There
are yet in the field three Boer generals
who have displayed military talents Of
Il high order-Botha, Delarey and DE
Wet. The last mentioned has just
conducted Il retreat which has never
been surpassed in the annals of war
fare since the days of Nenophon. and
his famous Greeks. The military men
| of all nations are astOundcd at the
escape of Christian De Wet from six
of the best English generals now in
South Africa. Bennett Burleigh, the
best Judge of military tactics among
the British correspondents, says that
De Vets march across the Free State
to- the Vaal and EDWARDS from that
river to Rustcnbcrg is one of the
finest performances of the kind in
modern campaigns. In a burst of adj
miraton he says:
"Rundle, Hunter and Metlucn are
| chasing him. For three months he
has held the former ut bay. Thirty
thousand men are watching for him
on the borders of Natal. He has
swoopcd down on the lines of commune
ication and apparently With ii paltry
1000 men is keeping them all busy
a whole battalion of ycomanry. Il regl-
mcnt of militia. and warm clothing
for his whole army have been cap
turcd Honor to whom honor is due,
and the first time an English cavalry
leader, acting under the same condi-
tons as now surround De Wet, cap.
lures 1000 men, half of them cavalry,
breaks up lines of communication, ana
plays general old Harry with a force
of something near $4,000 men, then I
shall speak of him In terms of appro.
batiOn."
a report from BOcr sources, which
has not been denied, says that Dc
Wet turned on his pursucrs after
effecting a junction with Delarcy ana
captured seven guns and 1000 prison.
ers, thus gripping both Kitchener and
Butler and forcing them to flee. The
latest dispatch locates De Wet i'll an
cntrenchcd position within fifteen
miles of Pretoria, the headquarters
of Lord Roberts, who will be recalled
in October, to take the place or Lord
Wolseley as commander chief of the
British army.
\ few words concerning De Wet,
the brave Boer general, will prove in
tercsting ut this time. \ year ago he
was Il plain field cornet ana before
that he was Il peaceful farmer and
silent member of the Free state volls-
raad. He has risen on his merits 10
his present rank. At the battle Of
Nicholson's Mex with fifty men he
made 1000 British hoist the white
flag and surrender. When the British
officer saw De Wet advance with his
We're killed and several wounded, he
mustered courage to renew the strife
and whispered to his men to take un
their arms again, but De Wet covered
him with his Mauser and threatened
to shoot him if he resisted.
For this gallant deed De Wet was
promoted and made a conmantlant by
Joubert. Soon after he distinguished
himself at Honey Nest Kloof, and
later on was made a general of the
Free State forces. 1t was he who cap
tured large British conveys at Klips
Drift. Sannahsport and Koorn Spruit.
Lately he has kept Roberts best gen
erals busy and escaped by marching
ut night when they We're unable to
follow him without getting ambushed.
THAT weasel, De Wet" is what they
now call him.
This brave Boer is comparatively a
young man, and so long as he holds
out the war will be prolonged indefl-
nitely. The entire Boer forces under
Botha, Delarey and De Wet must be
in the neighborhood of 10000 men, ii
the correspondents can be believed.
They must have some 100 cannon, in
Guiding the seven recently captured
from the British. With such an army