Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-10-18

valuable life an unfortunate condition of mind
which l would not mention except for the fact that
soon after the great victory at COlenSO 1t cost us
dear On the days Immediately following the first
important engagement of the war, when had
driven the enemy back into Ladysmth with heavy
loss to Them had devoted much energy to urging
the Generals to rush the town, which at that time
had practically no defenses and might have been
taken without great difficulty. Erasmus declared
that such talk was nonsense. He was supported by
some others of his kind, with the result that while
we sat on the hills and smoked our pipes and fired
futile Shots the British strung barbed wire round
the town and completed strong defenses.
Then it was that General Erasmus and his Coterle
decided pretended to, that it was time for vigor-
Gus action. The General announced with great
show of valor that he would lead an assault on
Ladvslnith and sent messengers to the various
com1nandos to inquire if we would follow him.
Eager for action, answered that we would. This
is where Erasmus had miscalculated; for he had
thought that the burghers would not countenance
an attempt to rush the town at this late day, and
that he would thus gn credit for bravery at risk
1t had been agreed that the men were to be in
their positions at three o'clock on the morning OF
January 6 but during the night General Erasmus
sent out countermanding orders. forgetting. how.
ever have the Free Staters the Irish Brigade and
the Pretoria town boys notified that the fight was
off / had been directed to take my men, with four
field guns to small hill in front of the English
Notifications elevation just out of Ladysrnith
to the north At the first glow of light the MauSers
of the Free Staters began to pop away to the west
of us, and out in front, almost under the strong
defenses of the British we heard the rapid rifle fire
of the Pretoria town boys. Never were Drawer boys
sacrificed to the lapses OF fatuous superior otcer
To give tf:em as much protection as possible, we
opened on the Notifications with our four cannon.
and almost at the same instant the guns on Buwana,
Lombard kOp, and PepwOrth Hill began to thunder.
We saw about hundred and fifty of the Pretoria
boys, reckless in their courage, try to scale high
stone wall that the chief factor the defensive
works at this point and saw number OF them tall
back with bullets in their bodies The remainder
took refuge in depression about one hundred yards
from the British firing line, upon Which we con-
centrated our shells.
For hours the artillery duel continued des-
patched note to General Erasmus with the IN
formation that if he would send us renforcements we
could successfully storm the Notifications. which
would give us a commanding position and would IN
all probability bring about the immediate surrender
of Ladysmith. But the General, instead of coming
forward with his large force, went back mile A
furious gale of rain and hail during the after
noon and under cover of this the Pretoria town boys
made run for life Somewhat later the rest of us,
seeing that task was hopeless, retired from the
attack There singing along the hills that
night, because ffty-ive of our men were dead and
one hundred and thirty five were badly wounded.
The Coloners Youthful Aide
MY messenger to General Erasmus had been
1vA Willie Smith, aged twelve l had sent Willie
because he too small to shoot gun. and also
because l knew that there was no man IN my COM
mand who was more likely to reach his destination.
There many things that the boy was too young
to understand, and one of these was fear. When
intrusted him with the errand to Erasmus he dug
his heels into his horse and rode off furiousy with
all the abandon of born cavalryman. And he
turned too. like young whirwind smiling sarcastic
ally when he told me that the General had read my
note had crumpled it up, and said there reply
During most of my rides Willie at my side, and
he held shells and bullets in such that of
my chief worries was that he would be killed or
wounded. had taken liking to him the first time
/ saw nina very dirty little chap crawling out from
under the train that had brought my and me
down to the Natal border. He had ridden from
johannesburg on the trucks beneath the car | had
claimed OF a laugh