The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1901-07-24
Was American Military Attache to
The Boer Forces in the
Field.
He Tells Of the Splendid Fighting Qualities Of
the Embattled Farmers and Predicts
Long War.

Captain Carl Reichmann, Seventeenth |
United States Infantry, whose move |
ments in the past fourteen months have
been watched with unusual interest by
Americans while ne was with the Boer
army in the South African war as the
military attache from the United
States Government, is a passenger
aboard the transport Grant en- route to
Manila to rejoin his regiment. Captain
jReichmann is splendid type of man
! hood, strong and sturdy, and, being
familiar with the language of the peo
pie whose varying fortunes he follow
ed since the first shot was fired in the
war for Boer independence, was just
the man for the place.
| He speaks in the highest terms of the
brave men who are still fighting for
| their liberties, and characterizes them
not as soldiers in the .-ue sense, but
as men banded together to protect their
country from an invading foe. Captain
Reichmann was at Pretoria when the
city fell into the hands of the British.
This impedimenta in charge of the Amer
lean Consul and there it remains to this
day, he not having returned to the
limited States via. that capital. He has
watched Cronje, Joubert, Blake, the
Header of the Irish Brigade. Botha and
Dewet He has scurried here and there
over the veldt and kopjes in the mas
terful retreats conducted by Dewet and
Botha, and when he left the scene of
guerilla conflict Dewet was eluding the
| columns of the British with much
lstrategical skill from his own or Boer
standpoint as during the brightest days
of the war. When he left South Africa
| Dewet- was also making his sudden
deadly assaults on unprotected columns
and outlying garrisons, harassing the
enemy at every point, cutting off rail-
road communications worrying the
| British Generals and all with but
handful of men.
| Captain Reichmann recently compiled
a lengthy report OF his experiences in
South Africa while military attache,
which was placed in the hands of the
/ War Department authorities prior to
| his departure for Manila. In ii he has
embodied his views of the methods en-
ployed by both armies in the field. con
lcentration of troops by the Beers, and,
| in general. a narrative of the manner
| in which the Beers were compelled to
trelinquish each of their strongholds and
take to the field to commence an active
guerrilla campaign. The officer hestat-
led yesterday before granting an inter-
view upon the subject of his Boer war
Experiences. saying that the interview
ers had quoted him incorrectly and
caused him to say things in the news
/ papers which he stoutly disclaims hav-
ing said.
| Il have been with Generals Botha
and Dewet both splendid strategists,
and men who have the liberties of their
lcountry and people at heart. They are
lin the field to harass the British to the
bitter end. They will cause England to
continue the war and pile up the enor-
nous expenses to maintain it, until
they have worried them to a point
where they believe they can obtain
terms more to their liking than those
now proposed.
Generals Botha and Dewet are rip
ping up the lines of railroads all around
the British. cutting off garrisons here
land there, and capturing trains of sup
plies. AS for President Krueger, he was
too old and feeble to take the field with
the younger and more energetic men of
the Republic. and they allowed him to
lretire at much reduced salary. The
Generals are free to conduct their
Icampaigus as they see fit and are able
to maintain their men in the field from
the supplies taken from the British.
jThey are armed with British guns and
ammunition now.
when I Cook my leave of the Gov
ernment there the Secretary of State
said to me. T shall remember how your
Ipeople fought good fight for eight
wears for their liberties. and we will do
the same When I left Pretoria with
the Boer Government my property was
placed>in charge of the American Con-
sui. Upon my return to the States I
lid not wish to ask the British military
| government of Pretoria to allow me to
come into the city to get my kit, for,
| Indsr the circumstances. 1 was in a
| peculiar position, and, not desiring to
re under the necessity of being refused
| nermission to enter, I avoided Pretoria
| There We're many Americans in the
Soer army. I knew Colonel Blake of
he Irish Brigade very well. having
-nown him when he was an officer in
! he United States Army. They were
rood fighters. although for the most
art a harum-scarum lot of Ameri-
ans.
'.I think the war will keep on until