The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1902-12-13
AMONG THE BOOKS
First Boer Book of the War Is
Out.
General DeWet's Story Of
Struggle Published.
THE TRUE SITUATION.
His Graphic Account of Siege
of Ladysmith.
His Mild Defense of Gen. Sir
Redyers Butler.

Scribner's Cons, New YORK. II IS Gen.
DeWet's book entitled "rhree Years
War
DeWet was the most active of the
Boer generals during the war in South
Africa. Between March 30 and August
20 1900 he covered line Of march e&-
tending over 900 miles. He had crossed
the Vaal. and seemed to be able 10 con-
fine his operations to the OronSe hiNer
colony or to extend them north into the
TransvaaI at will. He had played 'puss
ia the corner" with Methuen. and had
ulAved tag" with Kitchener over a
race of more than zoo miles, completely
exhausting his Dursuer, ami had hnally
engaged in a game of blind man 5
burr with Hunter But G slecal + noX
brought this march to a close Deceln-
Der 10.
The authors tone and method may be
Illustrated by the following excerpt de-
scribing the siege of Ladyslaith:
The Orange Free State and the South
African Republic held joint council
of war on the 1st of November. and It
was then decided to lay siege 10 Lady
smith.
We also agreed to send out a horse
commando in the direction of Estcourt
This commando. under Vie General
Louis Botha, had several sSirmishes
with the enemy. On the 18th of \ ovenl-
Der he engaged an armored train, cap
turing a hundred of the British troops
This was General BOtha's chief exploit,
and shortly aIteTWalQ ne IelHLHeQ "
camp. But I must not antictpate.
On the night of the council of war,
General Pet Cronie was sent to occupy
positions to the south and southwestern
Ladysmith. He had with saim the He'll
brOn burghers a part of the comman-
dos from Winburg and HarrisInith, and
two Krupp guns On the following day
a brush took place with the enemy, who,
however, speedily fell back on Lady
smith. On the Sd few OF their in
+I1..Tr Il
fifteen hundred mounted troops, and
two batteries of IS and 20-pound Arm
strong guns, marched out Of the town
in a southwesterly direction.
The English brought these two guns
into position al such a distance from US
that we could not reach them with the
Mauser nor would it have been safe
for us to advance upon them, for be-
tween them and US lay an open plain,
which would have afforded no cover. One
of our guns which was placed exactly in
front of the enemy, did indeed begin to
fire; but after a shot or two it received
so much attention from the English ar
tillery that we were compelled-just as
at Rietfontein-tO desist.
The British infantry and cavalry did
not show any excessive eagernesS to
tackle as; and we, on our side, were az
disinclined to come to close quarters
with them Nevertheless, the enemy's
infantry. backed up by the thunder of
twelve guns. did make attempt to
reach US; but though they advanced re-
peatedly, they were for the most part
careful to keep out of range of our
rifles When they neglected this pre-
caution they soon found themselves
compelled to retire with loss.
Our second gun, which had been
placed on a "tafel-kop' to the east of
the ground where the engagement was
taking place, did excellent work. 1t eff
fectually baked the enemy's mounted
troops in their repeated efforts to out
flank US on that side, and also made it
impossible for the English to bring
their guns farther east so as to COM
mand the "tafel-kop." They did in
deed, make an attempt to place some
guns between US and Platrand, which
lay to the north of our eastern posi-
ton, but it was unsuccessful for our
Krupp on the "tafel-kop'' brought Sucf,
q heavy fire to bear on the troops ano
gunners that they were forced TO retire.
We, on our part, as l have already
said, found it equally impossible to
storm the English positions. To adj
vance would have been to expose our=
selves to the fire of their heavy guns.
whereas an attack to the south would
have involved exposure to a cross fire
from the guns on Platrand.
Altogether 1t was a most unsatisfac-
tory engagement for us both. Nothing
decisive was effected: and as is always
the case in such battles, little was done
except by the big guns, which kept up
q perpetual roar from 10 in the morning
until in the afternoon At that hour
the British fell back to Ladysmith.
Our loss was one killed and six wound
ed. among the latter being Neldtcornet
Marthinus Els of Hebron
1t was evident that the English did not
escape without loss, but we were unable
to ascertain its extent. My own opinion
IS that they did not lose very heavily
From that day nothing of Importance
happened until I left Natal though both
the TransvaaIers and Free State burghers
had eli -1,.,
During the night of December Long
Tom" the big Transvaal gun, which had
been placed on Bulwana Hill, had been so
seriously damaged by dynamite that it
had to remain out of action for some time
We all admitted that the English on that
occasion acted with great skill and pru.
dence, and that the courage of their lead
ers deserved every praise. Yet, if we had
only been on our guard, we might have
beaten off the storming party: but thew
had caught us unawares. Nevertheless
the mishap taught US a useful lesson;
henceforth the Transvaal commandments
were more strict, and their increased Sc
verify had an excellent effect both on the
burghers and sunners.
General Sir Redvers Butler had landed
at Cape Town early in November We
We're now expecting every day to hear
that he had assumed the chief command
over the English army encamped between
EStcourt and COlensO The number OF
troops there was continually increasing
owing to the re-enforcements which kept
pouring in from over the ocean.
Great things were expected of Sir Red.
vers Butler, to whom the Beers by a n1av
of words had given a somewhat disre-
spectful nickname He had not been long
in Natal before his chance came. I must
however, be silent about his successes and
his failures, for. I left Natal on the
9Th of December, I had no personal eS-
perience of his methods. But this will
say, that whatever his own people have
to say to his discredit, Sir Redvers Butler
had to operate against stronger positions
than any other English general in South
Africa.
The Outlook Story Book for little peo-
plesis collection of stories. poems. and