Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1902-03-22
WITH THE B0ERS IN THE FIELD-AN INSIDE VIEW

A T no time In the history Of the
IN Boer war has there been such
XA dearth Of authentic informa-
ton, especially from within the
lines Of operation, as at present and
the following narrative, based upon the
personal experience Of Mr. Adolph De
Wet, nephew Of the great Bocr STRAIT
egist, should be welcomed by all,
Mr.. De Wet, who escaped from one OF
the British prison camps in the Bermu-
das not long ago was born In Bloem-
fontein, Orange Free State, twenty-sIx
years ago. lie Is the son Of a farmer
engineer, was educated IN the South
African college, Cape Town, and Is as
fine a specimen Of physical manhood as
one could desire TO meet He stands 9
feet inch IN his stockings Is muscular
and athletic and the grip Of his hand Is
something 10 be remembered A natu'
raj lingulst he speaks not only the
Flemish Dutch used by his compatrlots
throughout South Africa but English
French, Spanish and the native Basuto,
and has a smattering Of as many more,
At the breaking out of the war In
1899 Mr., De Wet was working in johann
nesburg as an electrician, which trade
he had acquired at Cape Town. Like
every other young man Of his nation
atty at that time, he started for the
scene Of operations az soon az war was
declared. Whatever the outcome, there
was a promise Of adventure, and every
body at once started to secure his arms
and ammunition, which had been Sc
GREETED for long time against just such
a contingency. IN fact, the Beers had a
pretty good idea Of what was coming
weeks before Dom Paul issued his def
TO Great Britain, and II was well known
that both the government and private
individuals had for many months been
accommodating munitions Of war To tell
the truth the Beers had supplies stored
up for twice the number Of their avail
able fighting men, and, what is more,
they doubtless have at present more
than enough ammunition, etc, on hand
and cached to last them for another
year. Not only ammunition and small
arms, but big guns, ak well as foreign
artlllerists, were provided for In adj
vance by the willy Boers, as the British
learned TO their sorrow In the first
months OF the war, when their men were
moved down by hundreds and they
were kept almost continuously on the
jump. In addition to the supplies orig
inally accumulated, the Beers since the
war opened have helped themselves al
most without stint from the trains and
supply bases Of the British which they
have so frequently ralded,
At the outset, according to generally
accepted accounts, the Beers had not
less than 10000 men available, but Mr..
De Wet says that the grand total would
not amount to more than 10000 men at
the outside, and as II Is well known
that the Boer CONSUMPTION included
males of all ages between sixteen years
and sixty the term men in many in
stances might be rendered boys"
After having cleared the towns and
cities OF the uitlanders, or foreigners.
the Beers all started on for the scenes
of prospective operations, OF which they
had a very good notion, as the British
had been modifying their troops an
along the Natal border, and went on
the supposition that where the carcass
is there will the eagles gather together
From all over the two republics bands
Of Beers kept wandering toward cer-
tain common centers which had been
designated beforehand and finally they
met the enemy The FIRST skirmish of
the commando to which young De Wet
had attached himself was at Modder
Flaats-an indecisiye action. but It
helped gel the young bloods into Tight
ing trim. There for the first time. he
says, he heard the singing Of bullets
and could not for the lie Of him refrain
from ducklng Soon after his COM
mando met with a larger body Of the
enemy at Modder spruit. and a big fight
resulted, in which the British flank was
turned The Beers followed up the line
Of British retreat until they met q pa
troll at Roof Lager, where they again
turned the British flank after severe
loss to themselves
The Beers at the outset inaugurated
that system Of intrenchments by which
they inflicted the greatest possible loss
upon the enemy without suffering
greatly themselves. During Buffers
operations for the relief Of Ladysmith
and In his advance upon Colenso the
Boer intrenchments extended along the
Tugela river for more than twenty
miles II was while lighting In one OF
these Entertainments at Magersfontein
that young De Wet received his first
wount le was crouching down behind
a large rock which he had rolled up In
front as a shield when a glancing ball
filed his face with splInters and nearly
put out his eyes, The scars from this
casualty show on his cheek today
Securing leave OF absence while his
wounds were healing, De Wet went to