New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1900-06-03
A BRAVE SOLDIER.
HIS MATTER OF FACT STORY OF HIS HARIsHIrs


HIS MATTER OF FACT STORY OF HIS HARDsHIrs
IN RATTLE
From The London Spectator
Field Force. South Africa Marcel Q. 1900
My Dear Parents. / am glad to say that nv
condition is more favorabIe than when / iast
wrote: in fact. am getting splendidly the
outside wounds practically healed but il
will be some time before / am right again The
movement of my heart and lungs preventing
the wound from healing inside / promised
when / last wrote to give YOU fuller details as
to how I got wounded. here goes. on Thurs
day morning. February -, we evacuated hill
knOwn as Monte Christie on the English charO
which battalion had held for four DAYS
and retired the River Tugela, whore We had
some food and a few hours well earned rest
However we got orders 70 fall in at 81 D. N
and advanced with the Kings Royal Rifles FOR
about mile and half across very hiIly C0Un-
try and under very heavy shell fire. Here We
came in contact with our firing !ia5. and We got
orders to lay low. as il was Impossible 90 ad-
vance further in daylight. and there was about
a mile of plain in front Of The rUm0r ran
round which. however. proved true, that We
supported by the Kings Royal Rifles. we're 10
take two hills held by the enemy az the point
Of the bayOnet, which We did successfully. and
held them in spite OF their trying To reake then,
four times during the night ON Friday morn
ing about 30 O'Clock we began throwing I'd
earthworks to- protect from a heavy shell
fire expected from the left. We had finished
that. and | had got nicely down under cover
when was detailed as messenger from the
major To the colonel. who had command Of The
force on the right hill. being on the left
The major told me that h had sent four men
and they had been unable 10 find he colonel
and I had been specially recommended % him
by my company officer for the task, and 7 tell
you felt highly hOnored. and vowed inWardlv
to find him die in the attempt but little iil
| think then what II was going 70 cost me How
ever. / got down 70 the bottom of the hin and
crossed a space of about fifty yards between
the two hills successfully. and advanced up the
other one. where / found the Devons intrenched
on the ridge. Here l asked a captain if he
could direct me to my colonel. and he said
Yes" Pointing across about eighty yards II
flat ground the firing line. ne said. He IS
told him l was conveying a message from the
other hill, and he said. My dear man. IL YOU
value your life. don't go; there have been dozens
of men knocked over trying To reinforce them"
and to give better heart he told I
should have three cross fires TO contend with.
However. / was determined 10 go. and pointed
out to him that it was my duty To do So
making myself small as I could I darted
across about thirty yards. and finding the rifle
fire rather hot / laid down fiat the ground
After | had got my wind. and they had ceased
firing a bit. | got up and covered another thirty
yards with success. the fire being hotter than
ever; again laid myself out nat and got my
wind. then being about twenty yards from The
firing line. where there plenty Of cover
and | should have been safe. but they had me
spotted, for when / got up 10 make the final
dash had not gone more than five yards when
l got it straight through the chest this being
about 30 a m, and there laid until ! O'Clock
in the evening, the fetching the skin on
my chest l must close this long letter with my
fOndest love to you all from your loving son.
p. 81 hope you viii not think I have written
this for the sake OF bravado, but il is simply
the true facts of the case