New Iberia enterprise. (New Iberia, La.) 1885-1902, 1901-06-22
THE WAR IN SOUTH AFRICA.

The Crowley Signal publishes tn
following letter from the seat Q
war in South Africa through tn
courtesy of B. J. Thompson, who is
particular friend of the writer:
Wonderfontein, Transvaal, May l, 1901
Dear Toni have received you
welcome letter; am glad you are il
good health. | am all right my
self, but a little wearied. We lef
Middleburg on January % ant
struck away into a portion of thi
country which had never beer
touched by British troops before
and l only got back to the railway
day before yesterday.
The first days march we met tn,
enemy and had a stiff fight, and
that has been our experience for the
whole three months. We are never
clear of them and never able to gel
a good dig at them. We were one
of seven columns, who, marching
from different points, cleared the
country of cattle, horses, growing
crops and all occupants of farm
houses, villages, etc. Everything
was taken-surplus furniture burn
ed, women and children taken from
their homes and the whole country
destroyed. We followed the Beers
and they eventually took shelter in
a negro district called Swaziland, =,
which lies between the Transvaal
and Portuguese territory. We sent
several bodies of troops after them
and with the natives assisting us,
we took immense captures of stock,
etc. 1t took our leaders all their
time to stop the natives from
massacreing the Boer families who
had taken refuge there, but the
natives were held we'll in hand.
The Swazies, as the race is called,
are a big, powerful lot, armed
with spears and assegies, which
they handle both for stabbing and
throwing. The country is noun
tainous with fertile valleys which
they plant with mealies (Indian
corn) and a sort of millet seed,
which here is called Kaffir corn.
The only use they seem to make of
it is beer.
Now l am going to give you an
account of a night attack on our
column on February 8. The day
before we had long march and
had been annoyed by Boer "snip-
ers' and we made camp at a small
village called Boutwell,, situated
On the banks of a lake called Lake
Chrissy. The lake was on one side
IF the camp and small hills on the
other three sides. About 3 80 in
he morning we were attacked on
Ill three sides at once. It was a
misty morning and you could not
zee twenty yards off and they came |
light up to our outposts and let
lrive at us. Some of them got
nto camp and stampeded the horses
md mules and for a half hour
here was absolute hell. No one
seemed to know what to do, horses
md mules galloping about, no light
o see anything, impossible to FIRE
my big guns and the heaviest rifle
ire l have been under yet. But
he infantry stood their ground and
gradually gained the upper hand,
ind when daylight broke the Beers
we're in full retreat. The Beers
lsed explosive bullets, in fact they |
lse anything or any ammunition or
life they can get. Our loss amounted
o twentyfour men killed and fifty
tx wounded, and the Boer loss was
bout double. We buried friend and
oe in one trench and marched on.
We have just completed this
march and it has been most miser-
BILE, wet weather-rivers up, no
PROVISIONS, plenty of meat but short
f everything else, and without salt
or three weeks. No biscuits (In.
ian meal supplied Unsteady, no
Office, tea or sugar. And all of
hese things are within twenty
niles of US but we are not able to
ct them across the rivers and
treams that could in ordinary
ime be crossed. They are deep
nd 100 yards wide and no living
hing could cross them.
We are resting here for a week
nd then we are going out again.
have joined for three months
,nger. am a non-commissioned
ficer now, having got the stripes.
here is more work and more pay
nd l get out of the dirty work.
A. MCPHAIL,
tn Brigade, B. c., South Africa,
Old Force.