The Irish standard., 1901-03-09
GLoRD srRA1HcorA's HORSE.

drew attention to the barbarities COM
m!tted on Boer women and children
by the Canadian troops in South At
RIGA and based it's remarks on Il letter
written by one Lieut.. Morrison to his
own paper at the capital of the Domin-
| ion. He described how the Canadian
troops, led by Col. King, ravaged the
Boer farms for four days, going from
valley to valley lifting cattle and
sheep, burning, looting and turning
out the women and children to sit and
weep in despair and utter misery be-
side the ruins of their once beautiful
homesteads." He said the progress of
the Canadian troops was like the old
time forays in the highlands of Scot
land and that he found it anything
but agreeable work to do. However,
as the order had emanated from Kitcll-
cner he felt it his duty as Il loyal Brit
on to participate in the vandalism for
the promotion of British civilization
in the dark continent.
The much-heralded Strathcona's
Horse, the Canadian cavalry furnished
by the aristocrat whose name they
bear, have been lately heard from, and
they, too, made an unenviable record
for cruelty in the Boer war. They
! performed no deeds Of valor and none
of them won the Victoria cross for
G:illantry; but if badges of honor were
to be granted for brutality and barbar
/ ity, Strathcona's Horse would get their
share and more. The Australians
who have returned home to the anti
podes give anything but tlattering
account of the noted Canadian rutfians
| One of the Australian war correspond
/ ents says of them:
During the fighting Strathcona's
Horse never gave quarter unless the
presence of an officer compelled them
to, and it was their invariablc custom
to take revenge on any shots from Il
supposed friendly farmhouse by string
| ing up all the male adults OF the place
and shooting into the dangling bodies
| in true Wild West fashion. Stratf-
| cona's Horse got even too strong for
the military authorities in Cape Town,
and in tour of the fashionable bars
of the town they riddled every electric
light bulb, in some instances smash
ing up bottles on the shelves by the
same means. An orderly sent to de-
mand order by some big gun was
sewn up in Il sack and thrown into Il
drain, and Il threat was made by the
members of the Horse to throw the Of
fetal who made the order after him.
Owing to the frolics of StrathcOnaS
Horse, the Australians We're not al
lowed out of barracks at Cape Town
until the day of sailing, it being feared
that the loss in killed and wounded
might be greater than they had been
at the front. Altogether, the Cam
adams had the most fervent send off
that Cape Town accorded to any body
of troops. Old inhabitants said they
would sooner see Il dozen impis Of
Zulus in possession of the place than
experience another week of Strath
collas Horse"
The Strathcona's Horse is composed
of Il lot of towards as well as black
guards. and the loyal colony that gave
them birth has no cause to feel proud
of the dastards. The London cores
pendent of the New York Herald tel
rgraphs the following i'll regard to
these Canadian dragons who partici-
pated in the royal procession on the
18th of February:
'rhc presence Of Lord Strathcona's
troops in Thursdays procession, at Il
time when there is such urgent de-
mand for mounted forces in South Al
| RIGA, recalls Il curious story heard six
weeks ago. My informant, who had
l.ccn invaded from the front, said:
You remember the story of the three
officers whom De Wet caught and re-
leased with a sealed package to be
taken to Lord Kitchener, which, on
being opened, read, Chain up these
beggars: l am tired of catching EN-!
These were members of Strathcona's
troop, and since then so many stras-
Cling bodiesof this corps have returned
horseless to the English lines after
they have been liberated by De Wet
that the nickname De Vets Remounts
has been given to the troop. While
the men are as good fighters as any
in the English army and bitterly re.
scented the imputation on their courage
which the nickname implied, don't
think they will be able to stand the
chatting much longer, and the next big
celebration in London will probably
see Strathcona's Horse as prominent
feature"
Strathcona's Horse came back before
the war was over. They made no
record of which they can boast. The
Canadian troops who fought Cronje at
Paardeberg We're heroes, every one of
them, compared to these skulking
scoundrels. Bigger ruffians never
-