The Irish standard., 1902-01-04
garrison that was to become historic
lin all thirteen thousand.

garrison that was to become historic
lin all thirteen thousand.
Previous to that, however, was fought
the battle of Elandslaagte, an engage
ment made notorious by the inconceiv-
able brutality of lancers and dragons,
together with the folly of Germans
and Hollanders in the Boer Foreign
Legion.
The latter seized the railroad station
at Elandslaagte on the night of Oct
20, and, neglccting to cut the wires
penned up the station-master in his
operating room. He thereupon, very
thoughtfully, telegraphed to the Brit,
ish camp for aid. That evening the
Foreign Legion looted a supply train
filled with military stores'-tennis
rackets, polo sticks, chessboards and
brandy. The smoking concert that
followed was n wild, ripping entertain
ment, where men sang God Save the
Queen" and "Volkslcid" impartially
and confusedly. 1t was told of one
Hollander that he drank so deeply as
to drop on the veldt and lie there in
a stupor all next day, unconscious of
the battle, and passed over by the
English, who thought him dead
The Boer losses at Elandslaagte
were dire, including the capture of
Captain Schiel, the German leader, and
the death of poor old General Koch,
a JudgeAdyocatc Of Pretoria. lie
was found almost nude, his white.
bearded face up-turned to the stars,
lying beside his dead son. The major
ity Of the Beers, in their hopeless at
tempt to escape or surrender, fell vic
tins to British lance or sabre.
OF this feature a private in the First
Kings Royal Rifles says: ut was Il
great but terrible sight to see those
horsemen hew their way through the
Beers. Three times they rode, hack
ing, cutting, slashing. Some Of the
Beers died in praying attitudes. Many
clasped their arms above their heads
and begged for mercy. But they had
shown no mercy to us-this was our
revenge"
Mr.. w. Williams Of the Sixty-sixth
battery, who afterward received the
distinguished conduct medal ut Colen-
so, wrote to his father, saying: 81
got hold Of one Boer, and was mad.
He did not know what meant when
l spoke, so made motions for him to
run for his life. So he went, and
galloped after him with the scrgeant's
sword and cut his head right Off his
body. Then lancer went after two
that were on one horse, and put his
lance right through their backs and
whirled them in the air."
A British officer, whose letter is
quoted in the London Times Of Nov.
10, 1899, described the scene as fol-
lows: "After the enemy were driven
OuIy OiC VI Vul
got right in among them in the twi-
light and the most excellent pig stick
ing ensued for about ten minutes, the
bag being about sixty. Had it not
been getting dark we would have kill
ed many more"
Anent all of which the mildest COM
ment one could make was that of Il
British lieutenant, who remarked to
me that he did not blame the lancers
for giving way to passion ut such IL
moment, but to write Of the thing he
considered shocking bad TASTE"
With the evacuation of Dundee,
which gave the Beers one million dol
lars worth of supplies and chest full
of documents showing that war had
been planned against the Transvaal as
early MS 1897, England thought 1t high
time to stop trifling. So Gen. Sir
Redvers Butler, tried veteran and
relentless fighter, was selected to adj
minister the coup de grace. He prom
Used to cat Christmas dinner in Preto-
ria, and all his luggage was marked
thereto. He arrived in time to find
Ladysmith isolated and bcsicged; Jou-
bert raiding Natal securing all the cat
tic, and the Beers mobilizing in north
ern Cape Colony and the Free State.
TTe prepared to cross the Tugela and
relieve Ladysmitll. That was imper-
alive.
While he made those preparations
waiting for the arrival of sixty thou
sand troops and massive guns from
the British battleships, happened that
series of terrific and mortal engage
ments for the relief of Kimberley,
where Cecil Rhodes was immured.
These included Mcthucn's attack at
Belmont with the Guards Brigade and
Ninth Brigade; Graspan, Modder Riv-
er, Stormberg, and finally Magersfon-
TEN. There brave Gen. Wauchopc
met death, and the Black Watch, Eng
lands most illustrious regiment, was
almost wiped out of existence in one
sheet of rifle fire. In each engage.
ment, whether or not the Beers re-
treated, England sacrificed hundreds
of men and officers. She waited now
for Butler to erase the stain.
This general thereupon conceived