The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1901-01-26
GENERAL DE LA REY,
SILENT BoER LEADER

douglas Strong in London MailD
The most dignified of all the Boer
generals, General De Ia Rey, has the
appearance of a Hebrew patriarch. and
the manners of an old-time French
seigneur. And yet is De la Rey a true
BOer. The fine lines of his HuguenOt
ancestry are apparent in his high
| bridged, finely chiselIed nose his well
poised head, his delicate hands and feet.
His breast is swept by a well-combed
beard, and his whole stature shortened
by the massiveness of mis- fine head.
General De Ia Rey stepped into the
war with fine reputation as a leader
As a field cOrnet he had served his
country in all of its native wars since
1852, and when the Free State was at
war with the Basutos in 1865 he had
charge of a commando. For eleven
years he has occupied a seat in the first
vOlksTaad and gained for himself there
widespread reputation as the silent
member. A lifelong opponent of Paul
Kruger, he said some years ago, in my
presence, to very intimate friends of his
and mine. No good can possibly come
to this state until that old man IS out
of the way His known opposition to
President Kruger cost him the position
OF commandment general when Piet JOu-
bert died.
In the war General De la Rey has
been the silent man. And vet has he
His chance came at MOdder river The
true story of MOdder river battle has
not yet been told Suffice it that Cen
eTai De la Rey and not General Cronje
was the moving spirit on the BOer side
He chose the positions and he fought
the battle It was at this fight Cen
eral De la Rey suffered a tragic loss
L give the little story exactly as the
Weather-WOTn general gave it to me-
remember only that its tragedy was
infinitely deeper when one was in the
actual presence of the taciturn. sad
eyed man, with his soft voice stilling
the movements of his busy adjutants
Yes. 1 had my eldest boy with me
in the first battles. He was only Is
and not big for his age, but wherever
l went he went, and 1 think he did his
duty.
we were walking together from one
position TO another at Modder river.
when the boy began TO lag a little be-
mind. / turned to him and asked if he
were hit. Yes, father
said. You had better come to the
ambulance with me, them and we
walked across to the tent
Arrived there he lay down and be-
gan to grow very gray.
father
In half an hour he was dead, shot
through the abdomen"
-iNsN wv AAtEAAr l1DEu ROBERTS ana
General De Ia Rey, have a great bond
IN common in the loss of their first
born No sooner had the eldest son been
killed than General De la Rey was Join
ed at the front by his second son. a bow
barely yet "a If a Lee Metford bullet
had not found his also, that little lad
would be bearing the terrible fatigue
OF guerilla war at his fathers side to-
day.
De la Rey's massive head and heavy
beard, set on a spare, clean-cut BODY.
give him the appearance of a man of
very medium stature. And yet I sup
pose he is a man Of five feet ten and
one-hah inches in height He was
strange figure in the field. Dressed in
a coarse brown tweed suit. with a light
coiOred patch on the seat of his trous-
ers' ne rode ragged Basuto pony. No
man mas ever accused De la Rev OF
anything approaching dishonesty. In
MN Is grand material for a loyal Bris-
iSh subject He voted against the dis
patch Of the ultimatum in the last Sc
cret session of the vOiksraad before tbe
var and he has fought throughout as
d PalfloI not as a political agitator.