Clarke courier. [volume] (Berryville, Va.) 1869-1997, 1900-04-25
"A HEROINE
AT LYDEN BERG.
An Episode In the
Transvaal War of
1901.
BY W WLMOTT DIXON.

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One fOrgets many things in Is years,
and probably the story which purpose
retelling here is forgotten by all except
the surviving actors in II and their i'm
mediate friends. But the memory OF
such a signal instance of British pluck
should not be allowed TO die.
ON Sunday. the 9th OF December,
1880, the little town Of Lydenberg, in
the Transvaal, was in state of un-
wonted excitement. The whole popu-
lation was out in it's Sunday best to
give hearty send OF to the Ninety
fourth regiment. which had been quar-
tered there for many months and was
now ordered 10 Pretoria Both officers
and men had made themselves ex-
tremely popular with all classes. and
the expressions OF regret at their de-
parture were universal. Numbers OF
the Inhabitants accompanied the regi-
ment on it's way for i've or six miles.
One lady and Lieutenant
Walter Long. the junior subaltern OF
the Ninety-fourth. and his pretty young
wife-rode out as far as - miles. The
colonel had paid the lieutenant the
high honor OF leaving him in sole COM
mand Of the troops left behind. re-
spOnsible position for youngster OF
barely two and twenty.
AS the lieutenant and his wife turned
their horses heads and hadc farewell
TO their comrades Colonel Anstruther
called out:
"Goodby. Mrs. Long. Look after
Long. and mind you're a good little ad-
fstfo
my garden for me; remember l expect
TO find IL In as good order as leave it."
Roth the colonel and the lieutenant
were enthusiastic gardeners.
As the regiment tramped past Mrs.
Long cried out:
"Goodby. Ninety-fourthl God bless
your
And the men shouted back:
"GoOdby. our lady! God bless you.
Mrs. Longv'
Ii was n last farewell for many OF
them. though they little thought II. for
fortnight later Colonel AnStruther
and more than half his men were killed
nj BrOnkhorst Spruit
out on the open veldt. about half
mile from the town. were eight mill
tary huts each 30 feet long 10y Is feet
wide built two abreast. with an inter
vening space of 30 feet, the whole
forming n parallelOgram TS yards in
length by 20 in breadth. At the first
rumor of disaflectiOn among the Beers
Lieutenant Long resolved TO withdraw
his men into these huiS and throw up
some kind of shelter round them. for
uD 10 this time they stood without the
! slightest Enclosure and utterly unpro-
tected. The force under his command
consisted or 30 privates and three non
commissioned officers of the Ninety
fourth. seven privates and n sergeant
| Of The Royal engineers. three privates
and conductor of the army service
corps--in all, including Or. Falvey Of
the army medicai department and
Lieutenant Long himself. is officers
| and men.
Mrs. Long. who had been living with
her husband in pretty little cottage
| eWbowered in roses and fruit trees at
the lower end of the town. without a
moments hesitation decided TO leave
her comfortable home and take up her
| quarters with her husband. Her many
! friends in Lydenberg tried in vain TO
! offered a warm welcome in half IA doZ-
Ell houses. but the brave little woman
said that her place was beside her hus-
band SO the soldiers brought her be-
longjDgs from the pretty cottage TO one
| Of the hutS and showed their admira-
ton for her pluck by taking the great
est pains In making her quarters as
| tasteful and comfortable as possible.
| There was. however. but scant accom-
modation for a lady I'm the hut assigned
to her. which sheltered under its roof
| three horses (whose every movement
was distinctly audible). besides herself
and her husband.
On the 10th OF December they began
throwing up works Of defense round
the huts. and Mrs. Long delighted the
men by working as hard rs any of
them. On the 23d OF December the ap-
palling news reached them Of the mas
sacye of the Ninety-fOurth at Bronx
horst spruit. But. stunned though
they were by the terrible tidings. they
set to work more vigorously than ever
to complete their defenses. When the
tiny fort was finished. IL was chriSten-
ed Fort Mary. Ia honor Of AIRS. Long.
and Father Walsh. a Roman Catholic
priest who had elected TO east in his
lot with the little garrison. formally
blessed II.
An envoy from the Beers. Dietrich
Muller, appeared on the 21th OF Decem-
ber with proposal that the garrison
should surrender and accept n safe
conduct into Natal. His surprise at
the youthful appearance of the com