The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1902-03-20
WITH THE BOERS in THE FIELD

"a II no time In the history OF the
A Boer war has there been such
Il 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, a nephew of the great Boer 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 I'm the South
African college, Cape Town. and is as
fine a specimen OF physical manhood as
one could desire 10 meet. He stands
feet inch i'm his stockings. is muscular
and athletic, and the grip Of his hand is
something 10 be remembered. A natu-
raj linguist, he speaks not only the
Flemish Dutch used by his compatriots
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 Johan-
nesburg as an electrician, which trade
he had acquired at Cape Town. Like
ality at that time, he started for the
scene of operations as soon as war was
declared Whatever the outcome there
was promise of adventure, and every
body al once started TO secure his arms
and ammunition, which had been Sc
creted for a long time against just such
a contingency. In fact. the Beers had
pretty good idea of what was coming
weeks before Dom Paul issued his def
TO Great Britain and IL 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, as well as foreign
artillerists, were provided for in ad-
vance by the willy Beers, 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 raided.
At the outset. according to generally
accepted accounts. the Beers had not
less than 900 men available, but Mr..
De Wet says that the grand total would
not amount TO more than $4,000 men at
the outside, and as IL is well known
that the Boer conscription included
males OF all ages between sixteen years
and sixty. the term men" i'm many in
stances might be rendered boys"
After having cleared the towns and
cities of the uitlanders. or foreigners,
the Beers all started off for the scenes
of prospective operations, of which they
had a very good notion, as the British
had been mobilizing their troops all
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 GER
tain common centers which had been
designated beforehand. and finally they
met the enemy. The first skirmsh OF
the commando to which young De Wet
had attached himself was at Modder
Flaats-an indecisive action, but Il
helped get the young bloods into fight
ing trim. There for the first time, he
says, ne heard the singing OF bullets
and could not for the life of him refrain
from ducking. Soon after his COM
mando met with larger body OF the
enemy at Modder Spruit, and big fight
resulted. in which the British flank was
turned The Beers followed up the line
OF British retreat until they met pa
troll at Roof Laager where they again
turned the British flank after a 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 I'm his advance upon Colenso the
Boer intrenchments extended along the
Tugela river for more than twenty
miles. 1t was while fighting i'm one Of
these intrenchments at Magersfontein
that young De Wet received his first
wound. lie was crouching down behind
a large rock which ne had rolled up i'm
front ,as shield when glancing ball
filled his face with spllnters and nearly
put out his eyes. The scars from this
casualty show on his check today.
Securing leave OF absence while his
wounds were healing. DE Wet went 10