Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-04-16
BADEN :||!. POWELL HERE
fol7I0ZtyD 81 -
"a - TIL y til
Hero of Mafskinrg Sees Cav
airy Drill at Fort Myer.
.ae;.L
WITH WAR OFFICIALS
si1l-
WILL VISIT RATTLE FIELDS OF
McCLELLAN's CAMPAIGN.
The Distinguished Soldier Will Go to
the Military Academy and Sail
= ar>;I ;~ &.
for Home April 90.
WITH WAR OFFICIALS


Maj. Gen. r. Baden-PowelI. the .'hero OF
Mafeking." recently appointed chief of cav
airy Of the English army, Is on q visit to
the United States for the purpose of maxi
ing a study Of American cavalry tactics
and methods In order that he may accom-
plish his purpose with as little publicity
and ceremony as possible he Is travelling
incognito and unoflcially. He arrived here
last night unannounced and registered at
the Arlington Hotel under an assumed
name. He visited the War Department to-
day and paid his respects to Secretary
Root. Lieut.. Gen. Miles and Adjt- Gen.
Ccrbin. Gen. Corbin made the acquaint-
ance of Gen. Baden-Powell on his recent
visit to England. $50
The cavalry troops at Fort Myer gave
special exhibition of their proficiency In
cavalry drill and, tactics this afternoon for
the benefit Of the distinguished visitor, who
was accompanied to the post by Major
Green of the adjutar1t generals department.
General Baden-Powell will leave here this
evening to visit the battlefields of Virginia,
following the route of the Mcclellan cam
paign on the peninsula. He will also make
a visit to the West Point Military Academy,
and will sail for England on the steamer
leaving New York on the 26th instant.
Defense of Mafeking.
The defense of Mafeking by Col. Baden
Powell was one of the most notable
achievements OF the recent war in South
Africa. When news reached London, May
10, $780, Of the relief of the place London
went wild with joy. The tumultuous en-
thusiasm of the night, instead of waning.
swept like mighty wave through the
whole day following. No other such scene
in London is on record. The nation. wea-
ried with the war, had been receiving with
apathy the successive accounts OF Lord
Roberts advance-ffteen or twenty thou
sand men steadily pressed backward by
fifty thousand; in this was little cause for
exuitation.
But the saving of this little garrison Of
heroes, small as was Its bearing on the
issues Of the war, was Of immense import
showing British bravery and endurance.
A force of 1000 irregulars hastily gathered,
with guns few end poor, tncumbered with
women and chfftffen whom they had not
time as at Ladyamith to send away. sud
denly caughbsbys Boer invaders three days
after the openingsUf war in a town on Brit
ish territory 1000 miles from Cape Town.
200 miles from help, their numbers reduced
to about 100 Through seven months siege
by famine and by repeated assaults Of sew
eral thousands of, foes, yet with never
word Of complaint or of fear, and never for
a moment entertaining the thought of sur
ronOor-INlS, W1CnL'1tS SUCCESSFUL emu, WAS
felt to have refreshed the national ideal Of
heroism and to have enriched the historic
heritage of the British race. Mafeking was
to take its place among the great sieges in
the annals of war.
The Relief Movement.
The official confirmation of the tidngs of
relief, delayed by distance at last brought
out the flag on the var Office in London on
May Fl. It was then made known that the
whole movement had been arranged with
admirable precision and secrecy. Col B.
T. Mahon. commanding a flying column of
$500 picked"nen, with supplies of food and
ammunition. starting May from
Barkly West twenty miles northwest of
Kimberley, took course west Of the rail-
way by Roodpoort, Vryburg and Kraal-
pan. to avoid the Beers: and marching 800
miles In twelve days. reached Janmassilt,
twenty miles west of Mafeking. on May
10, and there was Joined the same day by
Col. Plumer from the north.
Last Assault.
The approach of this relief column incit-
ed the besieging Beers to a final grand as
sault on Mafeking; and on May 10 a storm
ing party, led by Commandant Elon, a
grandson or nephew of President Kruger,
rushed the western pickets and seized one
or two outlying posts.
Other British posts closing in stopped
Eloff's supports from following thus cut
ting off his retreat. Gradually his force be-
came divided into three parties and was
completely surrounded; and after fighting
through the day, one party was driven out
and two parties surrendered. Among the
los prisoners taken were Commandant
Eloff and nine other officers, seventeen
Frenchmen, and many Germans; the Beers
also left behind ten dead and nineteen
wounded.
Col. Baden-Powel1's Sally.
The British loss was six killed and
eleven wounded After this success Colo
mel Baden-Powell, the brilliant and i'm
perturbable young commander at Mafeking,
is reported to have sailed out to aid the
relief column under Mahon as it ap-
preached. Colonel Mahon, after FIVE hours
fighting on May IT, nine miles from MAZE
king, drove the Beers from their strong in
trenchments. and entered the town at 4
o'clock the next morning. His whole leader
ship of the relief column, with the bravery
shown by his men, ELECTS warm commenda-
ton.
Meanwhile to General Hunter, with an
adequate force. had been assigned the work
of clearing and protecting the railway and
opening 1t for transport of abundant sup
plies to Mafeking, thus opening also west
ern entrance to the Transvaal and a new
line of advance upon Pretoria, LOO miles
eastward.
Promoted to Major General.
!. Colonel Baden-Powell, commanding at
Mafeking insists that not to him. but to
his soldiers, belongs the credit for the en-
durance and the unwavering courage that
have made this siege memorable. His men
and the British public recognize the fact
that heroic leader develops heroism in his
followers; and that without a leader, re-
sourceful, skillful. stout hearted, even
company of heroes would not have outlast-
ed such dismal and depressing seven
months siege. Acting on this view, the
war office promptly announced the promo
ton of Colonel Baden-Powell to major
general, while the popular estimate ac-
cepted him as the only rival to Field Mar
shall Roberts He had sufrused the dull,
wearisome war with glow of romance.
CONTRACT AWARDED.