The Irish standard., 1901-02-02

Tney St0OQ. line commander neafu
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 course of the escorts retreat until
the days fight was done.
Had the cavalrymen's commander
had the presence Of mind equal to his
courage and given the order "Charge"
he had altered the days fortunes and
had not written this story. But
Britain's 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 crackle of Mauser
fire in wholly unexpected direction,
the Q and U batteries of horse artil-
lery wheeled right under the Boer ri
fes. 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-pounders staggered across
the plain and opened fire from the sta
tion buildings, 1900 yards away. Their
singing slrapnel dampened the Boer
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
tian was busy, with his PEASANTS
thrift, experimenting the mending OF
the damaged wagons, Strengthening
the bent aXlctrecS and splicing the
strained dissel booms. At one swoop
lie had captured guns, 40 wagons
with nearly 1000 mules, 400 prisoners,
and had driven from the field with
heavy loss q force of 1000 men under
one of the smartest of British cavalry
generals
Three days after his success at San
nah's Post, De Wet swooped down on
Reddershurg, 100 miles to the south,
and captured three companies Of the
Irish Rifles and two of the Second
Northumberland FlSiliers. In less
than a week De Wet, with his 1900
men, had captured 1900 British sol
diers and taken seven guns
At Wepencr, away out on the Ha-
suto border, he found another isoIat"d
British force-1TOO colonists under
Colonel Dalgety-and settled down TO
besicgc it, For seventeen days he he
set the FlitiShcrs. but this time I'M
successfully, although he killed nearly
all their horses and disabled 500 of the
troopers.
The engagement mt Wrprner had its
chief interest in the fact that it gave
Lord Roberts time TO complete his ar
Engagements for netting De Wet and all
of his force. Generals ltundlc and
French. Ian Hamilton, Polc-C;rew
and Smith-Dorricn, Brabant, Hart and
Chirmside, Stephenson, Broadwood
and Bruce Hamilton drew rapidly
around him-3O,0U0 men disposed in
two nets to capture De Wet But
Dom Christian had further need OF
his liberty. He successfully hndered
French and Rumble until his Wepener
force was disengagcd, and they
skipped gayly past IAN Hamilton at
Thabanchu. On May he was safely
back in Winburg, and Lord Roberts
mad commenced his main advance on
Pretoria
For some weeks the Beers were too
busy in retreat to give Dc Wet Il
chance of attack, but he carefully dis
entanglcd himself from the main fight
and Withdrew to the northeastern cor
ner of the Free State with his Presi
dent and :: handful of followers Past
him rolled Lord Roberts giant army to
On May 81 De Wet swoopcd down
on Il convoy at Lindlcy, to the east
ward OF Kroonstad in the northern
part of the Free State, and after three
days fighting captured it and the es.
cort of 500 yeomanry. With him We're
five gums, 1900 men and the best of
the Free Statn horses
On June 4 he held up baggage
train of tfty-iive wagons near He'll
bron, fifty miles to the north of Lind
ley, and took prisoners its escort of
100 men.
With the supplies secured from
these wagons he set Off down the rail
way line to Roodeval. where he found
the Fourth Dcrbyshircs, a raw militia
regiment. The mllitiamen had gone
quickly to camp i'll the kopjcs north Of
Roodeval and expected nothing less
than the hail of bullets that woke
them in the night time. De 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
IT the Derbyshires' death struggle had
Gilenced, came Il small train with some