Northern Wisconsin advertiser. [volume] (Wabeno, Wis.) 1898-1925, 1901-10-31
THE RoER GENERAL, DE LA REV.
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, wv. |. D.. Late Head of
Gen. De La Rey's Ambulance The
following are some extracts.
I do not know the details of the
Vlakfontein affair, hut feel perfectly
sure that If you knew Gen. De ! "A Rev
and were acquainted with his charac.
ter you would he satisfied that he
would never countenance such thing
When Capt. Thorn, Capt. Simpson.
Quartermaster Dallas and about so
or 60 sick and wounded men were re-
leased by Gen. De La Rey, he gave
Capt. Thorn a photo VI himself aud his
wife. When the released men were
about to start away, Gen. De La Rey
came to me and said that II could
spare my ambulance wagons to take
some of the wounded as far as Roof
grond he would be glad il Il would
do so, as the English were short of
conveyances. This 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 ii likely that such a man
would countenance the shooting or
AaI
occurred and De La Rey finds 1t 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
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
we'll attended to, and was satisfied on
his replying yes. De La Rey said a
few kind words to him and hoped he
would soon recover. He then pulled
his tobacco-pouch 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?' replied, That's Coos De La
Rey.' What De La Rey?' said
Broadley. De La Rey from Lichten-
bury replied oh, he's parson,
suppose? nexed asked the man. "A
parson!' exclaimed. Certainly not.
That's Gen. De La Rey.' Good Gawd =
said Broadley, is that the great De
La Rey?' | replied Well, don't
know about him being the great De
La Rey, but he's the general My
word! said Broadley. If I'd only
| known he was general I'd have given
him a 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: We'll 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 man would coun-
tenance the shooting of wounded
men,?
The day after Moselikatze Mex, De
la Rev came to me and said Take as
many boys as you require and let them
dig grave and bury the poor fellows
who have fallen He added. You had
better superlntend 1t yourself, You arr
the only one who knows anything OF
the English burial service replied,
Tn not much of parson and don't
De La Rey looked at me with a panied
expression and said: Then you ought
TO be ashamed of yourself trust.
however, you know enough to be able
to say few ords that would be com
fort to their relations to hear IL they
Were present, and that II will be
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"