The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1901-02-02
CHILDREN IN The BOER WAR
Are SMALLER THAN THEIR OWN
GUNS.
They Undergo All the Bardships-One
Boys Feet.

Boys Feet.
Captain James F. j. Archibald, o
San Francisco, who has just returned
from South Africa where he distin.
guished himself as a war correspondent
and passed through some thrilling eX
periences in his hazardous attempts tt
get the news, contributes the following
article on the military qualities of Boel
boys
Captain Archibald left this city three
years ago for Cuba accompanying the
First United States infantry as wal
correspondent. He was decorated by
the queen of Spain for humane treat
ment Of wounded Spanish officer
Joining the Boer forces, after further
service in Havana with the army of oc.
cupation and along other lines of mill
tary usefulness, Captain Archibald was
wounded in the battle of Pretoria by a
British shell and taken prisoner
Through the influence of Consul Hay,
however, he was paroled, and observed
operations from the British side as the
guest of General French.
Returning to New York, he completed a
book, blue Shirt and Khaki" He
says:
Children have played important parts
in many wars as individuals, but there
is no doubt that there was never con-
fict waged between armed forces
where so many boys and girls have ac-
tually participated in the defense Of
their country as in the present strug-
gle the burghers of the South African
Republic and the Orange Free State
are making against the invasion of the
British.
Many of them have gone forth into
the terrible war alone of their own free
will, as volunteers, for the defense of
their country; many have gone because
their families have been killed and their
homes destroyed, and they have no
place else to go; but the majority go to
accompany their brothers and fathers,
for If the home is found by the British
and the men are not there it is blown
up, burned and the place destroyed.
The first Boer boy I met was the lit
tie son of Secretary of State Reitz,
bright handsome little chap Of nine.
He was the same sort that we see In our
schools and never would have been
taken for any but an American boy.
When I first met him he was with
Mrs. Reitz, his mother. She turned to
him and said: "This is the only boy I
have left The others are all fighting"
He took off his cap and bowed, and I
asked him if he spoke English Ga use
less question to put to any Afrikander,
afterward yearned) He looked up at
me moment and then his eyes flashed
as he answered with great emphasis:
mo, sir, 1 do not. But" he added, IT
speak American"
When leaving / asked him If he want
ed to send any message to his father at
the front. Tell him l want to go back
on commando again." he said. I'm
tired of staying here with the women
like a little girl"
He had been out with his father and
brothers for three months at the COM
mencement of the war and had partici-
pated in many of the important battles. 4
His brothers were eleven, twelve and
fourteen respectively and they had
been fighting since the very first
One of the most noted characters of
the entire Boer war is the adjutant on
General Delarey's staff-a boy of elev-
en-, who has seen more fighting in the
few years of his life than the majority
Of men see in a lifetime. He does not
hold this important position through |
any favoritism or any influence or rela-
tionship with the famous general, but |
purely on merit. This little boy, mere
child, goes into a fight with the cour-
age and GOODNESS of a veteran with .
- VI;
warrior was one of the first invaders of
Natal, when the war was declared
against England. He passed through
the bloody fields of the northern part
If Cape Colony, when his forces were
in number to those of the Eng
ish. This little chap fought and slept
n the trenches around Mafeking, Kim
oerley, Ladybrand and Ladysmith.
He calmly directed his part of the COL
INN up the rock-strewn nights of Spi-
IN kop, where hundreds of brave Brit
sh soldienrs were sacrificed to the ig
torrance of incompetent officers. He,
vas one of the force of Beers who took
he guns at Colenso where Lord Rob-
rts' only son fell in the hopeless en-
leavor to rescue the lost artillery from
he hidden foe, who poured a pitiless
hover of death from their unseen po-
itions among the rocks.
The little adjutant won his first great
lonor by riding from Ladysmith to
with dispatches of great i'm
,ortance to the commandant who was
emming in the little garrison unSer
When he returned he :
vas made the adjutant Of General De-
arey, who was then an obscure COM
1andant of an Orange Free State COM
nando. The little fellow was elected
y vote Of all the fighting burghers,
len old enough to be his grandfather,
ut they recognized his marvellous mil
AIRY ability and made him an officer
Ieneral Delarey is now one of the dar- !
lg invaders of Cape Colony, and this !
tile officer is now fighting in that Sec
on of the country.
I noticed another little boy of about 8
IN or twelve years during the excite :
lent of the last days of Pretoria, and
e came to my attention simply be-
luse of his apparent Indifference to all
le excitement which prevailed during
le evacuation of the capital Every +
ling was intense and furious during
lie four days before the British ar
we'd, but amid all this furious excite v
ent I noticed this little boy standing v
llmly by, talking to a couple of his II
rmer school friends. He wore q II
raw hat. brown coat and Ions trou-