The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1902-06-21
He FOUGHT Beers.
A. ]. Williams, Now in Topeka,
Saws They Could Shoot.

A ]. Williams formerly a machin-
ist in the employ of the Santa Fe
here has returned from South Africa,
were he served in the British army. He
is visiting friends in Topeka and may
remain in this place.
Williams Joined the British army III
May. 1901 and saw nine months cam
paigning in the TransvaaI and Orange
Free State. the last with the First I'M
perlal Light Horse, crack cavalry
regiment When asked about his opin-
ion of the peace terms that had been
reached by the British and Beers, VIII
Iians said. I think the Beers got most
of what they asked for. aside from IN
dependence. They are to have Dutch
taught in the schools, and their farms
are to be reStOcked, which means
whole lot to them just now, for the
whole country has been practically ruin
ed so far property is concerned. II
was only rarely that we came across q
farm house IN which anyone lived. The
Beers would never have given up unless
they had been just starved to it; they
had not been able to do anything for
their own support for such a long time
that they had to give IN, and the fact
that winter was just coming on also
cut some figure. But 1 believe that If
they could have neld out Is months
longer, the English would have been
ready 10 quit, although the British al
ways seemed confident that they would
win in the end
DO those Dutchmen shoot straight
Well I guess they do. The papers never
got the correct results of battles. in
one enga cement I saw 200 or more cas-
ualties with my own eyes, and in a few
days the newspapers came out giving
the number as 80 They are not only
good marksmen. but they are cruel and
many of the killed which 1 saw had
their brains beaten out with the butts
of the guns welded by the Dutehmen.
And when English prisoners fell into
their hands they often never spared the
their soldiers being the worst in this re
spact-
Williams was participant in an en-
gagement at Tigerscluff Orange Free
State lasting about half day IN which
General Dew ct charged two British
cavalry regiment trying to capture some
of their field artillery under the misap-
prehension that there was only one in
stead Of two regiments. The Beers made
a desperate effort to drive their on
I ponents from the position which they
had taken but they had mistaken the
strength Of the enemy and finally them
selves We're routed. The casualties
amounted TO 30 for the English and so
for the Beers.
So far as future prospects for the coun-
try are concerned, Williams seems to have
/ developed IN any way the beers being
satisfied TO live comfortably from what
j they made off the cattle which they could
one of the principal items in connection
( with the feeding of the British troops was
+ III securing Iuel with which 70 COOK thelr
ratlons. He adds, however, that the Eng
lish soldiers often had to live on bully
+ beef biscuits for weeks at time.
Williams had the calf of his left leg
pierced by Mauser bullet from rifle in
the hands Of a Boer, although the wound
was not serious. He also carries as a
relic Of his South African campai gning 4
tw0-shillfng piece worth AZ cents in Amer
Paul one side and the denomination on
the other and is about the size Of a so cent