Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1914-11-16


| mander. The Ameer of AfghaniStan
rebelled and Roberts went out at the
head of the Kuram field force to pun
ish him. With one swift rush and a
wide turning movement he carried the
enemy's stronghold in Peiwar Pass
/ against great odds and won the atten-
I ton of the Empire.
From this victory Roberts, then on
| ly brevet colonel, was promoted to
major general, made K. c. B. and ap-
! appointed on the army commission at
! Slmla.
He was there in September, 1879,
/ when news came that Sir Louis Cav
/ agnari had been murdered by the At
! ghans. Roberts was selected to avenge
| the crime At the head of 5000 men he
cut his way to Cabul in 30 days, de-
spite fierce opposition by the Afghans
When achievements came he took
10000 men and with them made one of
the most famous marches in British
history, from Cabul to Kandahar, 300
lies, in 20 days.
Sent to South Africa
The sensationally swift success of
the Cabul-Kandahar march, which
eliminated in the crushing. defeat of
Ayoob Khan, stirred Great Britain. He
was called home, made a baronet,
thanked by the Queen and Parliament
and feted publicly and privately.
He was put in command at Madras,
where he remained five years, and in
1886 became commander-in chief of the
forces in India. His seven years ser
vice was prolific of reforms in condi-
tions. He fortified the frontier and
brought both the British and native
troops to higher point of efficiency
On the eve of his retirement from his
post, in 1893, he was created Baron
Roberts of Kandahar.
Quiet years succeeded his two de-
cades of active military life. He was
appointed commander in-chief of. the
forces in ireland in 1895, and still held
that post when, on Dec. II, 1899, he was
appointed comander-in chief of the
forces in South Africa, with Lord
Kitchener as his chief of staff.
It was the darkest hour in the war
with the Beers. Butler, trying to relieve
Ladysmith, had suffered severe defeat
on the Tugela river, among the dead
being Lord Roberts only son. Methu-
enmoving northward from Cape Col
ony to relieve Kimberley, had been
crushed by Cronje at Magersfontein.
Gatacre, operating between these, had
likewise suffered an ignominous re-
verse from the alert Beers.
The new commander threw himself
into preparations for the conflict,
which all England now recognized as
needing her best soldiers and leaders.
In this he was heartily seconded by
Kitchener, who was a man after
"Bobs' own heart in his careful at
tention to details.
Roberts and Kitchener arrived IN
South Africa Jan. 10, 1900, with plans
for their campaign fnatured and add-
tional troops coming from England,
India, Canada and Australia to
strengthen their force.
From the first crossing into Orange
Free State the tide of war turned. In
Ito days the advance had raised .he
siege of Kimberley and forced Cron-
je to retire toward Bloemfontein. At
Paardeburg the Boer leader, headed
off by French's cavalry, was forced
to surrender on Feb. q after stubborn
resistance.
Following this catastrophe the Be-
ers abandoned the offensive, Free
Staters fleeing from Cape Colony AMI
the besiegers of Ladysmith falli1
back before Butler, who relieved that
town on Feb. %.
Urged Compulsory Service
Advancing northward against con-
slant annoyance by Boer forces on his
TANKS. Lord Roberts occupied Bloem-
fontein on March 49, Turning move
the face of the enemy enabled him to
reach the Transvaal border on May rs
without a pitched battle. Johannes
berg surrendered to lord Roberts on
May 81 and Pretoria on June 5.
The Beers continued fighting sew
eral months under the leadership of
Botha and De Wet so it was not un-
til December that Lord Roberts could
leave for England to take his new post
of commander in chief of the British
Army. There he was greeted with
great popular and official honors. The
Queen created him Earl of Kandahar
Pretoria and Waterford, and Parlia-
ment voted him 100000 for his war
services.
He continued in the office of COM
mander- incl until 1904 Since his
retirement he had been an active par
ticipant in the discussion of reforms
in the British Army.
He became chairman of the Imperial
Defense committee in 1905, but resign
ed TO throw himself with all his enc
gy into the work of organizing rifle
schools and clubs throughout England,
which should, he hoped, so far sup
plant cricket and football as to breed
up generation of soldiers trained
from youth.
He was then prone to borrow a pes
simistic view as to England's state
of unpreparedness against possible in
vasion. 1T is a willful gamble with the
safety of the heart of an Empire" he
said. To reinforce his plan he drew
and presented to the peers a bill look
ing toward compulsory service in the
territorial (reserve) army of all men
between the ages of Is and 80, which,
however. failed to become a law.
His closing years were devoted to
the preparation of an biography
which was to be a supplement TO his
Forty one Years in India publish
ed in 1897, which, in it's turn, had fol-