The Washington weekly post. (Washington, D.C.) 1878-1916, 1900-02-20
AFTERMATH OF BATTLE
Scenes After the Repulse at
MagersfOntein.
BRAVERY Of BRITISH WOUNDED
IL IL Futile and Dangerous Task to At
tempt 20 Remove Wounded soldiers from
a Battlefield Until After the FiEhtins IL
Over-The Ambulance Trains Are Doing
Coed Work In south Africa-Giimpses of
Modder River After Methuen setback.

Oyer-The Ambulance Trains Are Doing
Coed Work In south Africa-Giimpses Of
Modder River After Methuen setback.
Special Correspondence o, The Post.
AIodder River Camp, Dec. 2s.-The
Crown and Royal Hotel. when 1 returned
from the battlefield TO Modder River.
had never before in the short period Of
its existence seen so many visitors
thronging its corridors. clubhouse. or
closely nursing Tire shade of its veran-
das. Now it was veritabie Hotel Dieu,
for its present patrons were the sIrviy-
ors OF the wreck of the Highland Bri-
sade. and a more battered and bloody
/ crew / have seldom seen. The ambulance
carts. with their smart teams of six or
ten mules. were trotting up with their
sorry burdens till late in the night. BY
/ the light OF the moon strong arms, with
almost feminine tenderness stretched out
( to receive the MANNED, suffering, and sx
I haUsted travellers, who. stricken down at
! dawn. had lain patiently under the .orrid
{ sun all day. hardly daring to stir to raise
I their water-bottles till darkness came,
I FOR the vigilant. remorseless foe. safe
and snug behind his cover of rock fired
! on all that moved. There was no claSsi-
} fieatiOn OF the wounded that night; men
/ lay shoulder to shoulder. A reverend
I father was soothing the last moments Of
( one poor fellow, while the surgeon was
! trying 10 save the life of his immediate
/ neighbcr.
! The NightAner the Battle.
I The breath Of the night was sweet
and cool after the feyerlsh turmoil of the
{ day The slightly wounded stood in
( groups nursing their manned hands and
! arms. sWathed in bandages. while they
/ whispered over the terrible events of the
/ morning. and wondered why they had
/ been led into that veritable deathtrap at
/ MageTsfOntein, and hoped that their be
/ loved leader was still alive for there
/ had been no news of Gen. WauchOpe
/ since he dashed forward into the jaws Of
! death at break of day. / never felt so
I proud of being a Britisher. and claiming
/ the same nationality as those brave war
I riOrs, than on that memorable night after
I the battle. There was hardly a murmur
I OF a sigh from their fevered. tortured
/ bodies, and if a man could speak. il was
/ always in a CHEEKY hopeful strain, his
/ sole wish being to pull trigger and use
| bayOnet again
One young trumpeter. with a face mold
/ ed and cOlored like that of a beautiful
/ girl. had a curious experience for his bap-
/ tism of fire when the brigade was about
( to break under the terrible cross-fre A
1 young officer, not of his own regiment
/ ran UP, and asking him whether he was
game TO follow, ordered him 10 sound the
| charge A group of men readily respond
/ ed to the call They ran forward a few
! yards, when the plucky young officer was
| shot. He then stumbled and fell head
| long into a trench. Three Beers grabbed
/ him and took him prisoner. when two
/ Highlanders dashed in, bayoneted the
| Beers, and dragged him out of the trench
! One of his rescueTs was shot down, while
| he and the remaining Highlander erawled
| along the open. but the searching fire
| from the trenches found them out. a bull
| Jet Scared his thigh, and he lay feigning
| death till the heat caused him to feel for
! his water-bottle. IN the act of drinking a
bullet passed through his arm. and anoth-
err struck the water-bOttle and Scared his
! lip and face. A long dark smear marred
| the beauty of his unclaimed cheek but
| with merry twinkle in his large blue
| eyes. he said: 81 had my drink all the
| same" Eventually, by lying low for a
! time, and wriggling along on his back,
he came to the first aid. and was at last
/ forwarded down to Modder River This
/ Highland lad rested but little that night !:
| he was continually on the move, helping
/ his more seriously wounded comrades.
Another of the Black Watch showed me
/ his hand badly mauled by what the sur
! geOns told him was ali explosive bullet 1t
] was badly smashed. but the man was
| quite hopeful of being all right in day
or two. / did not care to tell him that it
| probably meant ampuratiOn. Whatever
the British soldier has to say regarding
I the way he has been sacrificed in attempt
| ing TO carry almost impregnable positions
during this war. he can never complain
| from want of solicitation on the part of
the authorities for his comfort when he is
once hOrs de combat
Dangers of Removing Wounded.
The ambulance and hospital arrange
ments from hrst 20 last are tile most per
| feet and well organized that | have vet
seen in any campaign. and they seem TO
me so perfect in the arrangements for the
comfort Of the wounded or sick soldier
that they can hardly be bettered The
present mode Of warfare makes it exceed
inSly dangerous, often impossible. to as
sist the seriously hurt till some arrange
ment has been made with the enemy II
bring off the wounded. or till they can be
moved under cover Of night. AT Mayors
iOntein and elsewhere heroic deeds have
been done in sd,coring the wounded BY
comrades aud surgeons during the battle;
but, as this campaign progresses, # will
be seen whether this heroic folly can BE-
allowed TO go on. 1t seems excessively
inhumane and un-English to leave woun-
ded comrades On the field. but the woun-
ded IN this war have seen the necessity
OF being left and prefer being left alone
till after the fight. There has already
been many instances where bearers ap.
preaching wounded have been earnestly
requested not 10 come near by TIE man
they we're about to succor. owing 10 the
danger OF being shot again when being
lifted from cover on to the strctcher. Oui
Of lnhumerable instances there have come
Under my notice-if may use the express
sIon-he ole folly in succoring wounded
Col Keith-FalcoEer was killed as he lift.
ed his head from cover when ne heard
that Beran, CT the Fifth, was hit. Bean
ltagar and Ray. OF the Fifth. were hit
in attempting 10 succor wounded.
| At Magersfontein. Milton. Of the Mount.
"a Infantry, though wounded, received a
Iaore severe woSrd, which caused death
through cOmra3e insisting on succor
ing him an spite Of his circumstances.
Capt. Percy Probyn, attached 10 Tn,
- p = = ~ 3 =
EI0sI.aIt.lEs 90 Ill IiFlgf'I|