The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1902-08-17
GENERAL NYER
and HIS MY
Manner of the Late Leader of
Orange Free State.
INTERVIEW WITH HIM
His Constant Reference to the
Diary He Kept.
INTERVIEW WITH HIM


week in Brussels of heart disease, was
one Of the most prominent figures in the
last stage of the South African war. AS
commandments of the Orange Free
State forces at the beginning, October.
1899. he moved his army into Natal and
formed a junction with the Transvaal
army under Joubert. After the first bat
ties, however, he was not so conspicuous,
and though he retained the chief COM
mand, he did not achieve the exploits
which made the fame of Christian De
Wet and other Boer leaders. At the be-
ginning of this year, anticipating the
exhaustion OF the Boer resources, he was
one OF the initiators Of the peace move
ment. He secured safe conduct
through the British lines, and in the con-
ferences which ensued was a strong adj
vocate of arranging terms with the Brit
! ish. On his arrival in England he receiv-
ed a cordial welcome, was entertained In
social circles in London, and on one
memorable occasion, as described in a
Herald special dispatch, met at the house
of MIR. Alfred oe Rothschild, on a friend
/ ly footing, Lord Kitchener, whose antag-
onist ne had lately been in the field, and
whose personal acquaintance he had
made in the peace conferences at Pretoria,
The following interesting account of
General Meyers remarkable personality
appeared in one of the latest issues Of
the Manchester Guardian.
A tall man is General Lucas Meyer, a
finely built man, with darkly bronzed
face and heavy black-brown beard that
is rapidly CRAVING at the edges and in the
middle AS he sits in his easy chair at
Horrexs hotel in the strand, telling I'M
concernedly, as if he were recounting the
traditionary tales of his former fights
with Colley and the Kaflrs, of his hair
breadth escapes from the man he will
visit in friendly guise tomorrow at the
war Office, his face is impressive as if the
sunburn of the veldt had formed a mask
to hide his emotions. The mild deep
brown eyes scarcely fash or sparkle
when he tells the story of thirty months
of hard warfare and struggle. Now and
then he crosses or uncrosses his legs.
now and then. when he refers to--his
stained and thumb marked notebook.
carefully written up every evening as
long as he was on commando, his fingers
dive into his waistcoat pocket to take out
brown eyes CLEAN duly behind the
glasses Near him on the sofa sits his
wife. listening as he talks of his adven-
lures during the many months she has
been away from him. She has been in
Europe while he was fighting his uphill
struggle, and scarcely ever has she heard
from him On Saturday he came to Eng
land, arriving at Southampton in the
Briton.
1t is scarcely possible to give in detail
his lengthy "reminiscences of the war.
There is but space for few points upon
which he touched. Il went on comman-
do" he said, referring TO the notebook.
ION the To-. of October. 1900. joining our
forces in Natal. After the fight at Dun
dee. 1 was present at the fight of Lom-
bards Kop. near Ladysmith, on October
80 At that time I became i'll, and was
sent TO the Biggarsberg, where Mrs
Never came and nursed me. and finally
was sent to Pretoria, appointing Botha
In my place. On January returned TO
Coienso, not quite well. and even against
doctors advice, but 1 felt I had TO go.
Then came the exciting episodes Of the
new year campaign. You must know as
ton that Butler was coming up from
ChieveIey TO Trichartdt's Drift. and
Schalk (Burger). who was commanding
our division at Spion Kop, sent for reen-
forcements These were sent under
Botha, but I sent many of my men. until
at least half of my commando was at
the front" When he was asked the
question to what they thought OF
Butler. and how many men the Beers
had. the general thought for a moment,
ard then broke out. We thought he
CBuilerl would run as he ran before
But he would make no comparison. al
though such a comparison would have
been interesting and instructive. coming
from man who had received his bap-
tism OF English fire at the skirTnish Of
Schinnshoogte. when Coiley attacked
SHIFTS position. OF Kitchener he speaks
highly. OF Miner he does not care TO
speak at all.
MY commando numbered 500 men We
never at any time had more than 5oeoa
men under arms. OF course. II you viii
class old men Of eighty and infants OF
ten. who have never borne arms, as pris-
oners OF war. you may arrive at differ
ent estimate. but take il from me that
our armies never exceeded the figure
/ have just quoted Where was T. Spion
Kop7 Yes" And proceeding as uncon-
cernedly as before. he related his expert
ences in detail up 10 the time when the
retreat from Ladysnith was begun
Graphically he told OF the Peters Hi
fight. Many OF our poor trudsers
corpses lie there..-turning 10 his wife
and speaking very slowly. They were
TOO many for US there. and we had to re-
tire. Just at thzt time, too. ualucksiy.
came the news OF Cron3es surrender.
and that demoralized our men. as it
made them very cautious an afraid Of
being outaanked. Perhaps" he added
as IL to himself, that was better. for We
had to fight cautiously. and after that
there were no big catches Ike Cronje-"
Except PrinslooT
.sPrfnsloo-" be increased his legs
and sat upright, and for moment the !
brown eyes cleaned brighter .'So-he /
was a hsndsupper' They did not catch +
him Then. unconcerlsdly again. he /
told OF the retreat. Of Joubert's death. % I.
Botha's appointment. OF Buffers flank /
move through the Biggarsoerg and his /
appearance at Helpmskzar. OF Chris /
Bosha's unavailing defence az Charles
town and Lzing's Mex ard u the final /
stand at Bothss Pass. where fourie |
opposed Buffers troops. Es tosa q his