The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1901-02-02

they stood. The commander heard
and rode back to his men, covered all
the distance by De Vets rigid rifle
Then the command rang out, "Files
about. gallop!' De Vets rifle cracked,
the mounted infantryman pitched for
ward out of his saddle, and thirty-two
Of his troopers lay wounded or dead
beside him.
Away out across the 1000 yards to
safety an ugly wake of khaki marked
the days fight was done.
Had the cayalrymen's commander
had the presence Of mind equal IL his
courage and given the order "Charge!'
he had altered the days fortunes and
had not written this story. But
Britains star was clouded that 31st
day of March, last year, and little mis-
takes We're quickly added to the first
great error of choice of position and
Lack of efficient vigilance.
Startled by the cracklc Of Mauser
fire in wholly unexpected direction,
the Q and U batteries of horse artil-
lery wheeled right under the Boer ri
fles. In thirty seconds the horses of
five guns Of U battery and two guns
OF Q battery were killed and their
drivers out of action. The remaining
five nine-poundcrs staggered across
the plain and opened fire from the sta
tion buildings, 1900 yards away. Their
singing shrapnel dampened the Bocr
fire. but when the order to retire came
only ten men, several of them wound
ed, could leave the field with their
guns.
Behind, in the spruit, Dom Chris
thrift. experimenting the mcnding OF
the damaged wagons, straightening
the bent aXletrecs and splicing the
strained diSSel booms. At one swoop
he had captured guns, 40 wagons
with nearly 1000 mules, 400 prisoners,
and had driven from the field with
:.
one of the smartest of British cavalry
generals.
Three days after his success at San
nah's Post De Wet swooped down on
Rc(ldersburg. 100 miles to the south,
and captured three companies of the
Irish Rifles and two of the Second
Northumberland I',,silicrs. In less
than a week he Wet with his 1900
men, had captured 1000 British sol
diers and taken seven guns.
ut Wepencr, away out on the Ra-
suto border, he found another isolated
British force 100 colnnists under
Colonel Dal&rty and settled down TO
bcsc-c it. For seventeen days lac he
set THE FritiShci}, but this time I'M
successfully. although he killed nearly
ull their horses and Disabled S'ro OF the
troopers.
The engagement ut Wrprrnr had its
chief interest in the fact that ii gnvr
Lord Roberts time to complete his ar
rangclncnts for netting he Wet and AL
OF his force. Generals BUNDLE ana
French. Ian Hamilton, Polc-Carrw
and Smith-Dorricn. Ernbant. Hart and
Chirmside, Stephenson. Brentwood
and Bruce Hamilton drew rapidly
around linn 10000 mon disposed in
two nets to capture De Wet. But
-
his liberty. He successfully hindcrcd
French and Rumble until his Wcpcncr
force was discngagrd, and they
skipped gayly past IAN Hamilton ut
Thabanchu. On May he was safely
back in Winhurg. and Lord Roberts
had commenced his main advance on
Pretoria
For some weeks the Beers were too
busy in retreat to give De Wet Il
chance of attack. hut hc carefully dis
cntanglcd himself from the main fight
and Withdrew to the northeastern cor
ner Of the Free Slate with lMs rrcsi-
dent and a handful of followers Past
him rolled Lord Roberts giant army to
Pretoria and the North.
On May - Dc Wet swoopcd down
on Il convoy at Lindlcy, to the east
ward OF KrOonSi;d, in the nor,hern
part of the Free state, and after three
days fighting captured it and the as
cort OF 800 yconlanry. With him We're
five gums, 1900 men and the best of
the Free State horses.
On June i he held up baggage
train of tifty-iive wagons near He'll
bron fifty miles to the north of Lind
ley, and took prisoners it's escort of
16O NEIL
With the supplies secured from
these wagons he set Off down THE rail-
way line to Ropdeval. where he found
the Fourth Dcrbyshircs, a raw militia
regiment. The Mllitamen had gone
quickly to camp in the kopjcs north Of
Roodeval and expected nothing less
than the hail of bullets that woke
them in the night time Dc Vets five
guns completely commanded the camp,
and, after losing their colonel and 40
men, the regiment, OH June 1. surren-
dered.
Two miles to the south was Roode-
val station, and tlrither, after the noise
Of the Dcrbyshires' death struggle had