Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1901-10-31
THE BOER GENERAL, DE Ia REY.
His Extraordinary Kindness to Eng
lish Prisoners.

lish Prisoners.
A remarkable tribute to Gen. De La
Rey's humanity appeared in the Cape
Times, the South African Rhodesian
loyalist organ, on July 10, over the
signature, Nv. l. H., Late Head of
Gen. De La Reys Ambulance" The |
following al e some extracts:
II do not know the details of the |
Nlakfontein affair, but l feel perfectly |
sure that # you knew Gen. De La Rev |
and were acquainted with his charac- |
ter you would be satisfied that he !
would never countenance such thing |
When Capt. Thorn. Capt. Simpson.
QuartermaSter Dallas and about 80
or so sick and wounded men were re-
leased by Gen. De La Rey, he gave
Capt. Thorn photo IF himself and his
wife. When the released men were
about to start away, Gen. De La Rey
came to me aud said that if could
spare my ambulance wagons to take
some of the wounded as far as Roof
grond he would be glad if would
do so. as the English were short of
| conveyances. This I did, as did also
| Mr.. Graham who was in charge of
| another ambulance section. Gen. De
| La Rey further returned TO the three
| officers mentioned above the horses
which had been taken from them.
! Now. is it likely that such a man
would countenance the shooting OF
wounded men? If such thing has
occurred and. De La Rey finds it out |
should not like to stand in the shoes
of the man who did it.
DE La Rey had habit of visiting
| the prisoners himself and seeing that
they had been properly attended to.
| The day after Moselikatze Mex affair
I had a wounded Lincoln at my
ambulance. He had been taken early
in the day and handed over to me. De
| La Rey saw him and spoke to him,
asking him whether he was being
well attended to, and was satisfied or
his replying yes. De La >Rey said a
few kind words to him and hoped he
! would soon recover. He then pulled
his tobaccopouch out and, after giving
the man handful Of tobacco, walked
away When he was some distance
off the man-whose name, think, was
Broadley-said:. Who's that old
Johnnie?' I replied, That's Coos De La
Rey' What De La Rey?' said
Broad1ey. De La Rey from Lichten-
bury | replied. oh, he's a parson. I
suppose? nexed asked the man. "A
parson!' I exclaimed. Certainly not.
That's Gen. De La Rey.' Good Gawd"
said Broadley, is that the great De
La Rey?' I replied. Well, I don't
know about him being "the great De
La Rey, but he's the general My
world said Broadley. If I'd only
known he was general Id have given
him salute if I'd had to crawl on my
hands and knees to do it. | told him
De La Rey would have thought moth
ing of the salute; that. having thank
ed him for the attention he had re-
ceived, De La Rey neither expected
nor wished for anything more.
THAT night, when sitting around
the camp fires, told Dom Coos about
his being called the great De La Rey.
He smiled and, in his quiet, gentle
manner, said: Well, it is something to
be called great" by ones enemies;
but it is something greater to be
acknowledged good by them And
, this is what We should all strive for
a subject upon which he enlarged in
such a manner that we who heard him
could not held feeling what an earnest
thorough, Christian gentleman he is
Let me again ask. DO you think, Mr.
Editor, that such a man would coun-
tenance the shooting of wounded
, men?'
''The day after Moselikatze Mex, De
La Rey came to me and said: Take as
many boys as you require and let them
dig q grave and bury the poor fellows
who have fallen He added, You had
better superintend it yourself, you are
the only one who knows anything of
the English burial service I replied,
: I'm not much Of a parson and I don't
know much about the English service
De La Rey looked at me with a panied
expression and said: Then you ought
to be ashamed of yourself. I trust
however, you know enough to be able
to say a few ords that would be a com
fort to their relations to hear if they
were present, and that it will be q
satisfaction to them to know of later
on; also to beseech the Heavenly
Father Of those dead heroes to forgive
them their trespasses.' He turned on
his heel and left me feeling anything
but comfortable But carried out his
wishes, even to the few words"