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diff --git a/old/55109-0.txt b/old/55109-0.txt deleted file mode 100644 index 0150566..0000000 --- a/old/55109-0.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,6165 +0,0 @@ -The Project Gutenberg EBook of Blue Shirt and Khaki a Comparison, by -James F. J. Archibald - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and most -other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions -whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of -the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at -www.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the United States, you'll have -to check the laws of the country where you are located before using this ebook. - -Title: Blue Shirt and Khaki a Comparison - -Author: James F. J. Archibald - -Release Date: July 13, 2017 [EBook #55109] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: UTF-8 - -*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK BLUE SHIRT AND KHAKI A COMPARISON *** - - - - -Produced by Brian Coe, Charlie Howard, and the Online -Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This -file was produced from images generously made available -by The Internet Archive) - - - - - - - - - -BLUE SHIRT AND KHAKI - -[Illustration: Blue Shirt and Khaki at Malta.] - - - - - BLUE SHIRT - AND KHAKI - - _A COMPARISON_ - - - _By_ JAMES F. J. ARCHIBALD - - - _WITH ILLUSTRATIONS - FROM PHOTOGRAPHS - TAKEN BY THE AUTHOR_ - - - SILVER, BURDETT AND - COMPANY, _NEW YORK_, - _BOSTON_, _CHICAGO_. 1901 - - - - - Copyright, 1901, by - Silver, Burdett & Company - - - Press of I. J. Little & Co. - Astor Place, New York - - - - - To the Memory of My Father, - F. A. Archibald, D.D., LL.D. - - - - -Contents - - - CHAPTER PAGE - I. The New Soldier and His Equipment 17 - - II. British and American Recruits 38 - - III. The Common Soldier in the Field 60 - - IV. The Officers 90 - - V. American and British Tactics 121 - - VI. Feeding the Two Armies 147 - - VII. The Railroad in Modern War 171 - - VIII. Transportation of Troops by Sea 194 - - IX. The Last Days of the Boer Capital 217 - - X. The British in Pretoria 247 - - - - -List of Illustrations - - - PAGE - A Guard at Pretoria 17 - - Captain Arthur Lee, R.A., _attaché_ with General Shafter in - Cuba 19 - - Captain Slocum, U.S.A., _attaché_ with Lord Roberts in South - Africa 19 - - British soldiers visiting the U.S. troop-ship _Sumner_, _en - route_ to the Philippines 23 - - British officers at Malta, watching the setting-up exercises - of American soldiers 27 - - A company of the Eighth U. S. Infantry in the field, - Lieutenant M. B. Stuart 33 - - A review of the Life Guards in London 33 - - Horse Guard on duty at headquarters, London 38 - - Possible candidates 41 - - Persuasion by sergeant-major 41 - - British recruits at fencing practice 45 - - British recruits at bayonet practice 45 - - A musician of the Gordon Highlanders, age, seventeen 51 - - A Boer fighting “man,” age, twelve. Twice distinguished for - bravery in action. He fought at Spion Kop, Colenso, Dundee, - and Ladysmith 51 - - Colonel Napier’s frame for recruit-drill at Aldershot 55 - - One of the exercises in British recruit-drill 55 - - Setting-up exercises of American soldiers during their visit - in Malta 58 - - Recruit drill in the British army 58 - - American cow-boy with Canadians in South Africa 60 - - Dangebhoy hospital cart used in South Africa 63 - - The Twelfth Lancers in South Africa 67 - - General French examining the enemy’s position during the - battle of Diamond Hill 67 - - Heliographing from Diamond Hill to Lord Roberts in Pretoria 71 - - Burial at Arlington of 426 American soldiers who fell in Cuba 77 - - Gathering the dead after the battle of Diamond Hill 79 - - American volunteer officer 90 - - A cadet drill at the West Point Military Academy 93 - - Generals Chaffee, Brooke, and Lee reviewing the army in Cuba 93 - - Major Eastwood, Twelfth Lancers 94 - - Colonel Beech, Egyptian Cavalry 94 - - Sir John Milbanke, V.C. 94 - - Colonel Chamberlain, Military Secretary 94 - - A Canadian officer 94 - - British Colonel of Volunteers 96 - - Colonel Peabody, U. S. Volunteers 96 - - Staats Model Schoolhouse, Pretoria, where the British officers - were first confined as prisoners of war 101 - - Barbed-wire prison, Pretoria, where the British officers were - confined after their removal from the city 101 - - Released British officers in Pretoria after the entry of Lord - Roberts 105 - - Native East Indian servants of British officers in South - Africa 105 - - Lieutenant-General N. A. Miles, U. S. A. 109 - - General French and staff, South Africa 113 - - American officers of the Eighth Infantry _en route_ to the - Philippines 113 - - General Ian Hamilton in South Africa 115 - - Brigadier-General Fitzhugh Lee, United States Army 118 - - Major-General J. R. Brooke, United States Army 118 - - American officer at Siboney 121 - - Boer fighting men watching a British flanking movement - during the battle of Pretoria, while building defenses 128 - - British soldiers pulling army wagons across a drift 131 - - Boer artillerists waiting under shell fire for the British - advance 133 - - The battle of Pretoria, June 4, 1900; Boer guns in action; - British advance along the first range of hills 137 - - The unpicturesqueness of modern war. In the range of this - photograph of the battle of Diamond Hill the hardest fighting - is going on. Twenty cannon and 3,000 rifles are firing, and - two regiments are charging; but no more can be seen than is - shown above 145 - - A difficult kopje; two hundred men are hiding behind the - rocks 145 - - U. S. Officer providing for feeding the poor 147 - - Camp of a transport train in General French’s supply column 151 - - A base of supplies at de Aar Junction 155 - - An improvised commissariat cart in South Africa 162 - - A soldier with three months’ provisions 169 - - Major Burnham, the American Chief of Scouts for Lord Roberts 171 - - The old and the new military bridge at Modder River 174 - - Defense of a line of communication in the Transvaal 176 - - Canadian transport at a difficult drift 181 - - Cape carts with British officers’ personal luggage; nearly - every officer had one of these carts 182 - - A British transport train on the veldt 183 - - Canadian transport at a difficult drift 187 - - The Guards and mounted infantry at Pretoria Station 191 - - Armament on an American transport 194 - - British soldiers leaving the _Sumner_ after having exchanged - uniforms with Americans 199 - - American transport _Sumner_ in the harbor at Malta 205 - - A British transport taken from the merchant marine 205 - - The Eighth United States Infantry going ashore for drill - at Malta 211 - - Colonel Jocelyn and Captain Croxton, Eighth U. S. Infantry, - at Malta 211 - - Mr. R. H. Davis in Pretoria 217 - - Consul Hay and Vice-Consul Coolidge bidding good-by to - Captain Slocum at Pretoria 222 - - A. D. T. Messenger James Smith in front of President Krüger’s - house, immediately after presenting the message from the - American children 226 - - The battle of Pretoria: Boers awaiting the British advance - under artillery fire 229 - - The battle of Pretoria: British naval guns shelling forts 229 - - General De la Rey and staff at Pretoria; his nephew, twelve - years old, is serving on the staff 232 - - Field cornets in Pretoria receiving orders from a general 233 - - Boer women bidding good-by to their men off for the front 235 - - Russian hospital corps with the Boers: the wounded man is - Colonel Blake, formerly U. S. A. 235 - - Boers under heavy shell fire, awaiting British advance - behind their defenses 243 - - Burghers’ horses during the battle of Pretoria 243 - - The Boer retreat from Pretoria 246 - - One of the Guards at Pretoria 247 - - General De la Rey and a group of his burghers while awaiting - a British attack 249 - - Lord Roberts’s advance bodyguard approaching Pretoria 251 - - British guns captured by the Boers 251 - - Lord Roberts and staff approaching Pretoria (Lord Kitchener - is on the white horse, Lord Roberts is the first leading - figure at the right) 253 - - Lord Roberts and Lord Kitchener with staff entering Pretoria - at the railway station, June 5, 1900. The two locomotives on - the right, with Boer engineers, were started immediately - afterwards in an attempt to escape to the Boer lines 255 - - Gordon Highlanders entering Pretoria, June 5, 1900 259 - - Types of the crowd who watched the British entry 259 - - Lord Kitchener bidding good-by to the foreign _attachés_ - after the capture of Pretoria 265 - - - - -BLUE SHIRT AND KHAKI - - - - -CHAPTER I. - -The New Soldier and his Equipment - - -[Illustration: A Guard at Pretoria.] - -When the Second Division under General Lawton swarmed up the fire-swept -hill of El Caney, through an unremitting storm of bullets, Colonel -Arthur Lee, of the British Royal Artillery, exclaimed, “I would not -have believed it!” - -Two years later, when Lord Roberts’s army of ragged khaki poured into -Pretoria after their two thousand miles’ march from the Cape, Captain -Slocum, of the United States Infantry, said, “Tommy Atkins is certainly -a wonder.” - -There is obvious reason for a detailed comparison between the fighting -men of the United States and Great Britain. They have more in common -than either army has with the soldiers of any other nation. They have -both during the last three years fought testing wars against other -civilized nations, in which they faced for the first time the new -conditions of modern warfare. The relative qualifications of the two -armies have a pressing bearing on the troublous questions of alliance -or disputes yet to be between them. When the soldiers of these two -nations meet now, each has a sense of their peculiar relation of -mutuality, which is made piquant by the uncertainty whether they will -continue to support one another, as in China, or whether there is an -evil day in store when they shall have to cut one another’s throats. -But whatever the uncertainty, and whatever the surface criticisms -which each passes upon the other, there is at bottom both respect and -fraternity on the part of each. - -The American soldier to-day occupies a new place in the regard of the -world. Up to the campaigning of July and August, 1898, in Cuba, Porto -Rico, and Luzon, the military men of Europe were accustomed to think -of the fighting force of the United States as a thing too small to be -considered. They had forgotten the great Civil War, and they did not -comprehend our vast resources for a volunteer army. A standing army -of 25,000 men was insignificant to officers and statesmen who were -accustomed to estimate a national force in the terms of millions. -Consequently, the martial potency of the United States had fallen -into general contempt. This judgment, however, was wholly changed in -the space of a few months, and instead of considering our military -force on a level with that of some little South American republic, -Europe suddenly comprehended that there was a new military power in -the world which had not been taken into account. From the time that -over two million men responded to the President’s call for 200,000 -volunteers--many of them fairly trained soldiers, and nearly all of -them skilled in the use of firearms--the sentiment of Europe was -changed. - -[Illustration: Captain Arthur Lee, R. A., attaché with General Shafter -in Cuba.] - -[Illustration: Captain Slocum, U.S.A., attaché with Lord Roberts in -South Africa.] - -There was a more radical change in the public sentiment of England -than anywhere else. At the beginning of the Spanish-American War one -London paper said, “Now we will see the boastful Yankee go down before -the fighting Spaniard.” The general tone of the English press, if not -directly hostile, was not friendly. But a few exhibitions of American -arms changed the opinion to such a marked degree that soon there was -hardly a hostile paper in all England. This popular reaction in favor -of America is not, however, to be confused with the attitude of the -British Government, which had been friendly from the start, and which -had done our cause inestimable benefit through its forcible “hands -off!” communication to other European powers. Nevertheless, this -friendly disposition of the British Ministry was confirmed by its -perception of the increasing prestige of the American military force -both in England and on the Continent. - -But if the American soldier seems only recently to have come to his -own in the appreciation of Europe, he has long been the same soldier -that he is to-day. To be sure, training and discipline have improved -him as a product; our officers have made the study of the soldier a -science, and each year has marked a finer adaptation of methods to -ends; Yankee ingenuity has had fewer traditional prejudices to overcome -than have prevailed abroad, and in the relations of officers and men, -in the development of each unit’s individuality as a self-reliant -intelligence, the later years have been a period of surprising -evolution. But, on the other hand, the American soldier’s native -quality is the same as in that Civil War which required four years of -more terrible slaughter than Europe ever knew before one side would -yield to the other. If we were always confident of him, our boasts were -founded on an experience of his fibre which Europe had not apprehended. -His valor, his quiet contempt of death, could not, in its most extreme -exhibition, surprise his own countrymen. The only thing that robbed the -gallant Hobson and his comrades of the highest distinction was that -several thousand others on the fleet were sick with disappointment that -they could not go in their place. - -Nevertheless, the appreciation of Europe is agreeable, if belated. - -The soldier of the Queen did not need a new opportunity to prove his -quality. From the time that Cromwell’s Ironsides made the chivalry of -the Continent to skip, Europe and America have had a steadfast respect -for the redoubtability of the British warrior. Moreover, he has been a -civilizing power throughout the world; wherever he has cleared a path, -commerce has followed. It has not always seemed like Christian justice -to hew a way for trade with a sword, or to subject an unwilling people -to a rule of might under which they chafe and fret; but there is always -one word of praise which can truthfully be said--the government that -reaches from London to the remotest quarters of the globe has made the -world better, happier, and securer, even through its conquests over -unwilling peoples. Redcoat and khaki have stood for order, and, in the -main and in the long run, for the largest justice to the largest number. - -The time-honored phrase about the flag and trade is true. But few -pause to consider the cost that is paid by the men of the empire who -carry the flag forward that trade may follow. When the Queen issued -the proclamation of war against the two republics nestled in the heart -of South Africa, the world looked on and pitied the little States, -and averred that such a war could not last more than a few weeks; but -President Krüger said, “If England plants her flag on this land she -will pay a price in blood that will stagger humanity.” She has paid -that price for more than a year, and the payment is not yet complete. -Never before has she paid such cost in the blood of her own sons. This -is not the place to discuss the right and wrong of that struggle. Spite -of all protests, it became a ghastly fact of history; from apparently -impregnable kopjes, and their hillsides that were shambles, the -determined English soldiers drive the unawed burghers over the vast -veldts, fighting literally from rock to rock. - -[Illustration: British soldiers visiting the U. S. troop-ship Sumner, -en route to the Philippines.] - -It was my opportunity to be with both the Boer and British armies in -South Africa, and to observe the fighting qualities of the men on both -sides. After the Boers evacuated Pretoria, and I remained to witness -the British operations, I came to agree with Captain Slocum that “Tommy -Atkins is a wonder.” He certainly is. During two years spent in -Europe I saw the great manœuvres on Salisbury Plain and at Aldershot; -I have seen the British soldier on foreign garrison service and in the -field; and, last, I have seen him in Africa, confronted by new problems -and fighting against modern weapons in the hands of thinking men. -From the point of view of this experience I venture to draw certain -comparisons and contrasts between him and the American soldier, whose -fighting steps I have followed in half a dozen campaigns, against the -Indians in the West and also in the war with Spain. - -The system of “crack” regiments in the British army has done much to -injure the service of that country, as it has developed the “spit -and polish” officer, as he is called in London--an imposing society -soldier, useless in war. The men of these regiments are the pick of the -nation, but unless there is an exceptional campaign they are not sent -out. The Guards are usually ordered to the front long enough to get -their medals, and then are sent home. During the last Soudan campaign -the battalion of Guards was away from England only a few weeks, and -were, as the late war correspondent, G. W. Steevens, said, “packed in -ice, shipped to the front, and then shipped back.” During the Boer War -the Guards have not had such an easy time, as it was necessary to use -the whole army in active operations; and they have proved themselves -good fighters when properly officered. - -There is one exception to the rule of pampering the “crack” regiments -in the case of the Gordon Highlanders, for they have seen the hardest -service of every campaign since the organization of the regiment. Their -glory is in fighting rather than in polo and cricket, in campaigning -rather than in dancing. - -The sturdy, practical soldiers have a large contempt for the youngster -of birth who has received his commission through favoritism, and they -never lose an opportunity of expressing it. While in Pretoria after -the British occupation, I installed myself in one of the best houses -in the city, having commandeered it when the owner, who was a British -subject, fled. To make my position more secure I hung out a small -American flag, so that I should not be disturbed. When the British -entered the capital, General French’s cavalry division occupied the -portion of the town in which my borrowed home stood, and I invited -two or three of the officers of his staff to share the house with me. -Some days after their acceptance an order was issued by the military -governor to seize all horses in Pretoria, and a battalion of Guards was -detailed to form a line across the city, making a clean sweep of every -horse not already in governmental possession. I rode up to my door -just as the line struck that vicinity, and the soldiers were leading -out some of the horses belonging to the cavalry staff officers living -with me. Lieutenant-Colonel Welsh, a thorough soldier, who has learned -his profession by hard campaigning, was at the moment expostulating -with a stupid officer of the Guards, who was just remarking, “Beastly -business, this horse-stealing, but--aw--I have to do it, don’t you -know?” - -“Well, you can’t have my horse,” exclaimed Colonel Welsh, with an -emphasis that told the Guardsman he was some one of importance. - -That officer screwed his glass into his eye, looked about, and seeing -the American flag, turned to Colonel Welsh, who was in full uniform, -and said, “Oh, I say--are you the American consul fellow?” - -This was too much for the old soldier, who fairly exploded in his -indignation; but his pity for the poor Londoner prompted him to -explain, with an amusing manner, that he had the honor of holding the -Queen’s commission, and that foreign consuls were not in the habit of -wearing the British uniform. - -When the Ninth Infantry marched into Santiago to act as a guard of -honor to General Shafter, and to participate in the raising of the flag -over the palace, a Spanish officer standing by me on the cathedral -steps asked if this was one of our “crack” regiments. I told him it was -not, and he looked rather surprised. - -“You don’t mean to say you have any more like this, do you?” he -inquired. - -[Illustration: British officers at Malta, watching the setting-up -exercises of American soldiers.] - -“Why, they are all the same out there in the trenches,” I replied; but -he evidently did not believe me, and then I realized that here was a -regiment of men the like of whom the Spaniards had never seen, its -smallest man taller than their tallest, its horses half a foot taller -than theirs, and I ceased to wonder that he thought it a “crack” -regiment. The army of the United States, when the Spanish War broke -out, was superlative in its personnel. The hard times of a few years -before had led hosts of men of exceptionally high grade to apply for -enlistment, and of these fine applicants not more than one in ten had -been taken; each regiment was a sifted remainder. But in our army it is -the rule that if there is one regiment more “crack” than another, that -is the one to have the honor of the hardest service. - -In the use of government funds in the field the British army has a -great advantage over our own force, for their officers are allowed -much more freedom in expenditures for campaigning purposes. It is true -that they use much more money in consequence, but in many cases it is -essential that an army should have that freedom from red tape which is -enjoyed by the British. - -In South Africa every officer who has any occasion to use money is -provided with a government check-book; when he wishes to buy stock, -provisions, or forage he appraises the value himself and gives a check -for the amount, or sometimes pays in gold on the spot. The British -army, in consequence, pays the top price for everything; but, as they -wish to conciliate the people as much as possible, it is a very good -policy. - -On the contrary, when an American officer wishes to buy anything for -the government, he is obliged to have its value decided upon by a -board, and then the payment is made through the tortuous channels of -the paymaster’s department. Innumerable vouchers, receipts, affidavits, -and money orders pass back and forth before the party who is selling -receives the amount due him. - -The right system is a mean between these two extremes; for the English -method is as much too loose as ours is too stringent. The British -government pays for its method every month thousands of pounds more -than necessary. I watched a remount officer buy horses in Pretoria, -and the prices he paid were staggering. The animals had been seized -by the government troops, but payment was made to any one who came to -the public square and laid claim to a horse. The officer in charge -of the work happened to be an exceedingly good-natured and agreeable -fellow, who said the people undoubtedly needed the money. He asked each -person presenting a claim what he thought his animal worth, and almost -invariably paid the full sum demanded, without a word of protest. He -paid as high as £60 for animals not worth a third of that amount. It -can well be imagined that the stock left in any of the towns by the -burghers when they evacuated was not of a very high order, as they -all went away mounted in the best possible style, and in many cases -leading an extra horse. Every man in the Boer army is mounted, and well -mounted, on native stock, that does not need to be fed with grain to -be kept in good condition, as the veldt grass on which these horses -live and thrive is similar to our prairie grass. - -The equipment of the British army can in no way compare with that of -the American soldiers; it is heavier, badly slung, and is far less -useful. In the first place, the saddle used by both the cavalry and -mounted infantry is almost double the weight of the McClellan pattern -used by our army. The mounted infantry saddle is the flat seat known -in this country as an “English saddle,” one which should be used only -in the park or in racing. As it has no raised back it affords no rest -to a man while on long rides. The cavalry saddle, especially that -of the Lancers, has a slightly higher back and is somewhat easier; -nevertheless, it is much too flat according to the American idea. The -manner in which the mounted infantrymen ride is enough to show that the -saddle is a very bad one for use in the field, for the rider has no -command over his mount and no security of his seat; he keeps it merely -on the sufferance of a good-natured horse. - -The Canadian troops in South Africa created much comment because of -their saddles, for the eastern contingent had the United States army -McClellan saddle, and the western force rode the regular Montana -“cowboy saddle.” About two thousand McClellan saddles had been -condemned by our government inspectors on account of being a fraction -of an inch too narrow across the withers; and the Canadian government, -needing some uniform saddle in a great hurry, bought them. They were -quite satisfactory for the Canadians, for their horses are smaller -than the American animals, and the slight defect in construction made -no difference. Henceforth, the McClellan saddle will be known as the -“Canadian saddle” in England. - -The Boers equipped themselves fully in saddles, bridles, blankets, and -all other horse equipment from the stock they captured. There was not a -saddle to be seen that did not come from the English ordnance stores, -although in many cases the rider cut off all the extra flaps and threw -away the heavy bags and pouches, which encumber the horse and are of no -use. - -The cavalry equipment of the American army weighs a total of -ninety-eight pounds, including carbine and sabre; while that of the -English service is at least fifty or sixty pounds more. There is one -thing, however, in which their outfit is superior to ours--their -saddles are built of fair leather. A black saddle is much harder to -keep in good condition, and does not continue to look well nearly so -long after it has been cleaned as does the brown leather. Our ordnance -department is experimenting with fair leather equipments, and many have -already been issued. Our cavalrymen hope that soon there will be no -black saddles left in service. - -The British infantry equipment is unpractical to an amazing degree; it -is heavy and cumbersome, and includes accouterments that are needless. -There is a heavy set of straps and cross-belts, suggesting the harness -of a dray-horse, and all that this antique framework is useful for -is to hold up the blanket, cartridge-box, and bayonet scabbard. The -cartridge-boxes are as heavy as the cartridges themselves. I had a full -kit such as is used in the American army, which I displayed one day to -an officer of General French’s staff. He remarked: - -“Oh, well, we shall have that some day. In about thirty years, when -you have invented something much better, our War Office will adopt -something like this.” - -Wide admiration was expressed for my American rubber poncho blanket -with its hole for the head, which adapts it for use as a coat, for the -British have nothing like that. I saw the poor Tommies sleeping out, -night after night, in a cold, pouring rain, with nothing over them but -a woolen blanket. They have no field protection like our shelter tent -to shield them from the weather, and it is surprising that there has -been so little fever. - -Our knapsack, also, is greatly superior to the British haversack bag, -which must be carried in the hand when the troops are changing quarters -or are embarking for a voyage. The knapsack is a light trunk, which -will hold everything that a man needs for many weeks. - -[Illustration: A company of the Eighth U. S. Infantry in the field, -Lieutenant M. B. Stuart.] - -[Illustration: A review of the Life Guards in London.] - -It is doubtful if the helmet sees the light of another campaign, for -it has been found to be more objectionable than ever when there is -fighting to be done. The front visor is so long that it prevents the -men from sighting their rifles, and if it is shoved back, the back -visor strikes the shoulders and the helmet falls off. The soldier -cannot keep it on his head when he is sleeping; he might as well go to -war in an opera-hat. The felt field-hat has been adopted by nearly all -the colonials and by some of the volunteers from England; and although -the English have a difficult task to overcome the tradition attached to -anything that has become a part of the service, and although the helmet -gives the men a uniform and very military appearance, its eventual -disappearance is inevitable. - -There was a time when we learned much from England regarding military -affairs, but that period has passed, and it would be to her conspicuous -advantage to copy our excellent field equipment, as well as several -other things. - -I cannot say that I fully share the sentiment which reproaches the -British government for the continued use of “dum-dum” bullets. At the -Peace Conference at The Hague it will be remembered that the British -representatives maintained the privilege of shooting with these bullets -when the War Office so chose, against the protest of the other powers; -and the Americans in this dispute stood with the British. Terrible as -is their wound as compared with the neat, needle-like thrust of the -Mauser bullet, for instance, in the long run they are the more merciful. - -In South Africa both sides used these tearing projectiles to some -extent, although they were not supposed to be issued. I saw some -British prisoners brought into Pretoria who had a lot of “Mark IV” -ammunition, which is the deadliest “dum-dum” made. The steel jacket of -the bullet is split at the sides and at the nose, and when it strikes -a body, these sides of the jacket curl outward with a ghastly result. -It was afterwards stated by the British authorities that this “Mark IV” -ammunition had been issued at Natal by mistake, as the British contest -had always been that these bullets were intended solely for those -savage foes who did not mind perforation with the clean little modern -bullet. - -The Boers, on their side, had considerable ammunition known as the -“blue-nose bullet.” This projectile has no jacket at all over its -leaden nose, which spreads out like a mushroom on reaching its target. -The use of this was also the result of a mistake in issuance; it had -been bought by the Transvaal government long before war was thought -of, and was intended for sporting use, since the regular steel-jacket -bullet would not stop big game. But, on the other hand, in many -instances the burghers turned their regular jacket bullets into -“dum-dums” by simply scraping off the steel at the nose, leaving the -lead to flatten as it struck; when they had no file for this, they -rubbed them against a rock. - -The humane theory of the small calibre steel bullet is that when it -strikes, unless it hits a vital spot, it does not mangle, but simply -puts a man out of action, and that two more men take him to the rear, -thus putting three out of action. But the theory does not work; for now -that the magazine gun has multiplied every man in the trenches ten or -twenty fold, no erect man of the attacking force can be spared to care -for wounded comrades; consequently the man who falls is left where he -is; no one can pay the slightest attention to him when every minute -is infinitely precious and every stalking man is needed for the final -instant. On the other hand, many of the wounds thus made are so slight -that, if promptly cared for after the battle, the wounded men are able -in a few days to be back with their regiments. - -The little bullet darts through the soft part of leg or arm or body -like a sewing-machine needle, and if a vital spot is not struck, and -if no bones are shattered, the flesh closes up with beautiful repair; -and if antisepticized the recovery is surprisingly quick. The prompt -reappearance of these many slightly wounded men on the firing line is -equivalent to a perpetual reënforcement; thus the campaign is prolonged -indefinitely. - -The humane sentiment is neutral as to the victory of either side in -wars between civilized armies, and prays only that the slaughter and -destruction may cease as soon as possible. If in the early weeks of the -South African struggle each man hit had been wholly disabled, if not -killed outright, it is inconceivable that the British people would have -permitted the war to go on. If in the Philippines each native struck by -an American bullet had been unable to recover and soon appear in arms -again, that unhappy struggle would have ended long ago. Consequently, -there is much to be considered before making a wholesale condemnation -of the “dum-dum.” War cannot be anything but the most infernal thing -on earth, and the sooner a campaign is over the better. We have to -remind ourselves of the language of one of the generals in the Civil -War to his officers: “Gentlemen, war means fight, and fight means kill; -therefore the more you kill in any battle the sooner the misery of the -war will end.” - - - - -CHAPTER II. - -British and American Recruits - - -[Illustration: Horse Guard on duty at headquarters, London.] - -The British soldier as he appears in the streets of London is the -finest thing to look at in the military world. Although to the unused -American eye most of these beings seem to be a little theatric in -appearance, they are all that could be desired in uniform, build, -and military bearing. In a nation of big men they have been chosen -primarily for their height and their chest measurement, and they can -scarcely be criticised for the somewhat exaggerated jauntiness which -betrays a consciousness of their superior looks. - -On the other hand, the American soldier as he is seen in the streets -of a garrison city is not marked by either self-consciousness or -noticeable bigness. His uniform is not showy, although it fits well, -and the man inside of it is well set up; he is wiry, spry, and although -of soldierly bearing, is more to be remarked for his alertness of -movement. You would never think of calling him a magnificent creature; -the keen face under the visored cap might be that of a young mechanic, -business man, or student who had learned how to wear a uniform easily. - -The recruit of the British army is chosen on physical grounds, and -his obvious proportions seem to have been particularly desired. The -American soldier, as we see him, talk with him, and hear what his -officers have to say of him, seems to have obtained his place because -he is a good all-around man, with no more muscle than intelligence, and -with soundness of teeth considered as important as extensiveness of -height. - -The recruiting of the British army is admirably managed by some of the -cleverest sergeants in the service. They must be able to tell at a -glance whether an applicant is likely to pass an examination, and then -they must paint the glories and possibilities of a soldier’s life in -sufficiently alluring colors to persuade the prospective recruit to -accept the “King’s shilling.” - -The recruiting of the British army is always an interesting feature -of the military life of London, and one may see it any week-day -morning under the walls of the gallery opposite the church of -St.-Martin’s-in-the-Fields. This church is on the upper edge of -Trafalgar Square, in the busiest part of the city, and from nine -o’clock in the morning the work goes on all day. The various branches -of the service place signboards on the fence of the gallery court, upon -which are hung bills that set forth in glowing language the advantages -to be gained by enlisting in this or that service; also stating the -requirements, pay, and allowances. All these boards are hung side by -side, and there is an unwritten law that should a man be reading or -looking at one board, the sergeant representing another branch of the -service, or another regiment, is not permitted to speak to him until he -has passed on. As soon as he has left the board, any of the recruiting -officers is at liberty to speak to him. - -There are from ten to twenty non-commissioned officers on duty at this -place every morning; they are the finest types of men in the British -service, and always appear in their best uniforms. They nearly all have -the rank of sergeant-major, consequently their uniforms glitter with -gold lace and attract the youth who have an eye for the military. One -old sergeant-major is a particularly conspicuous character, being a -veteran of the Crimea. He is a very old man, has been seen at this same -spot, on the same service, for many years, and has become as well known -to the Londoner as the very buildings themselves. His hair and beard -are snow-white, and the years of campaigning have left their mark on -his face; but his step is as youthful and elastic as that of any of the -younger men on the same duty, and on his breast are the medals of many -wars, most of them being ribbons one never sees except at Chelsea. He -is the most energetic man on the recruiting detail, and he very seldom -makes an error as to the eligibility of an applicant. - -[Illustration: Possible candidates.] - -[Illustration: Persuasion by sergeant-major.] - -All day long the passers-by are scanned by these sharp old soldiers, -and are invited to join the forces of the empire and attain the glory -that, according to the “sar’-major,” is sure to be his portion. The -dignity with which the recruiting is done is very pleasing, for these -officers, uncommissioned though they be, wear their uniforms with the -grace of a major-general. When they approach a man, they do so with an -air of authority, in a straightforward manner, and although they depict -the attractions of the service beguilingly, they seldom attempt to -gain a recruit against his will. Most of those who loiter about the -boards come with their minds made up to enlist, and do not need any -great amount of persuasion. The grade of recruits taken in this manner -is said to be rather low, as they are generally of the class that does -not like to work, and has a mistaken idea that a soldier has an easy -life. - -Another method of recruiting the British army is by “recruiting -marches” through the rural districts. With their most attractive -uniforms, colors flying, and music piping, a battalion makes the entry -into a town on their march in such engaging style that many of the -youths of the place are sure to cast their lot with the army on the -impulse of the moment; and in this way some of the best men are found, -as in Great Britain the country lad seems to make the best soldier. - -In the United States it has not been found necessary to resort to -these expedients to gain recruits. The recruiting offices in time of -peace show a small but steady stream of callers; they are not from -the degraded classes, nor are they ignorant men; they are young men -of various social grades who, in many cases, have been advised by -older men to enter the army, or who think they see in its discipline, -regularity of life, and opportunity for promotion a promising opening -for three years of trial. - -The rigidity of the examinations is in itself an attraction to the -young American. There is no other line of work for which he must submit -to such searching competitive tests as he finds in the recruiting -office. Physically he must be perfect; unsoundness of eye, ear, lung, -heart, liver, skin, limbs, extremities, or any other defect, will debar -him no less than would his inability to read and write. - -There is also in the United States a continual fostering of the -military spirit among the youth by means of the cadet corps in the -public and private schools. Again, the fact that so many boys in -America are taught to ride and shoot has its natural influence in -leading large numbers of them to think of the army. The patriotic -instruction and the devotion to the flag which are now so prominent a -feature in the public schools, have also an influence in turning the -minds of many young men to the national service. - -Two exceedingly strong attractions which the American army presents, -and which are lacking in the British army, are the inducements of -good pay and of promotion. The English recruit enlists for a period -of twelve years, without the opportunity of ever becoming more than a -non-commissioned officer, and for the sum of twenty-four cents a day; -while the American enlists for three years, with the possibility of -becoming lieutenant-general commanding the army, and for pay which, -including ration and clothing allowance, a portion of which thrifty men -can commute into cash, amounts to at least one dollar a day, and from -that up to three dollars and a half a day, together with twenty per -cent. increase on all pay for active service. The American government -provides that the paymaster shall take charge of any funds that the -men do not wish to draw, and it pays a high rate of interest on these -deposits. Thus, large numbers of our men have saved several thousand -dollars out of their pay, and yet have lived well and had money to -spend all the time. - -The chief spur, however, that acts on the enlisted man in the army -of the United States is not the money, but the possibility that some -day he may become an officer. To commission an officer from the ranks -in the British army is almost unheard of; while, on the contrary, a -large number of the American non-commissioned officers and men receive -their straps every year. The one thing that I could never make an -English officer understand was that it is possible for our government -to commission men from the ranks. They could appreciate how these men -might be fully qualified as to their military knowledge, but they -could not comprehend how it would be possible for the West Pointer to -associate with them or to meet them on an equal footing in society. -They could not understand that many of the men in the ranks are in -the same station in life as are the West Point graduates. That social -possibility is the result of different conditions. Many officers’ sons -who wish to follow in the footsteps of their fathers are not fortunate -enough to obtain an appointment to the Academy; these boys always -enlist, and, to the credit of our government, they rarely fail to get -a commission if they can qualify in the examinations. - -[Illustration: British recruits at fencing practice.] - -[Illustration: British recruits at bayonet practice.] - -Moreover, the breeding as well as the intelligence of many of the men -accepted for enlistment is of the same kind that is required of the -applicants at West Point. In an army where every recruit must be able -at least to read and write, it is impossible to find, even among the -colored troops, any of that low-bred class of men which exists in large -numbers in the British army. Before the war with Spain, when the army -was on a peace footing, there were about five applicants for every -vacancy; consequently the recruiting officer could choose with care, -and an exceptionally high class of men entered the regular army. - -It is a rare circumstance that puts a gentle-born Englishman into the -ranks, and the discredit he suffers for enlisting is deep indeed; for -soldiers and servants in England stand on the same footing. In the -continental nations of Europe soldiering, while it is disliked, is -considered as a matter of course, because it is compulsory upon all men -to serve. But in England, where the service is voluntary, the private -rank is not a nice place for the upper classes. - -In New York, in Boston, in Chicago, it is not impossible to see the -private’s blouse at a tea function or across the table at dinner, in -the most refined society; after the instant’s surprise at seeing the -insignia of the common soldier, it is remembered that he is present -in his own right, irrespective of uniform, and he is admired for his -unostentatious service of the flag. - -Once a charming Larchmont belle told me, with the greatest pride, that -she had a brother who was a soldier, and she showed me his picture. -There were no straps on the shoulders, and the collar of his blouse was -turned down. - -“He is a private in the Seventh Artillery,” she said; “regulars, you -know; and some day he will be an officer.” - -“Some day ... an officer” tells the whole story; it indicates one of -the vital differences between the British and the American soldier. -When the former enlists in the army, he knows he will never get beyond -a “non-com.;” while many of those who cast in their lot with the United -States forces, do so with the anticipation that eventually they may -hold the President’s commission. - -At the outbreak of the South African War I met a young Englishman in -London who was bubbling over with patriotic enthusiasm, and whose fixed -idea was to go to the war, and to go quickly before it was over; but -he told me that he had almost given up all hope of getting there, as -he had exhausted every possible means of accomplishing his desire. He -had been to the War Office to see every one, from Sir Evelyn Wood down; -and although he was a relative of the Duke of Devonshire, and swung a -great deal of influence, he could not make it; and yet he said that he -“simply _must_ go.” - -“If you really want to go so much, why do you not enlist?” I asked. - -“What! go as a Tommy?” he exclaimed; “why, I could not do that.” -And, as a matter of fact, he could not, since the feeling against -such a course is so strong that even in time of war it would not be -countenanced by his social judges. I saw him again in the later months -of the war, and he had attained his desire by going to the Cape on his -own responsibility and recruiting a troop of colonials, afterwards -receiving a commission to command it. - -There are instances where men of social standing have enlisted in the -British army, but they are very rare in comparison with those of the -same class who answered the President’s call to arms at the beginning -of the war with Spain; men who joined not only the volunteer branches -of the American army, but who enlisted in large number as privates in -the regular service. - -General Hector Macdonald is an interesting exception in the British -system. He rose from the ranks, and is to-day one of the best officers -of the generals’ staff, and is loved, feared, and respected by his men. - -For these various reasons it is easy to see why the personnel of -the rank and file of the American army is much higher than that of -the British. This is conspicuously true in the matter of mental -attainments. In our army it is rare to find a man who is not fairly -well educated, while the majority of the men in the ranks are -considerably enlightened. There is not one illiterate man in the whole -enlisted force. - -On the other hand, the British army is dismally low in its standard of -literacy. In the official report published in 1899, the illiterateness -of the recruits receives scathing comment; only forty-five in one -thousand were fairly educated; eighteen per cent. were utterly -illiterate. - -The same attractions tend to secure for the American army a larger -proportion of healthy applicants than apply for admission in the -British service. The official report which I have just quoted also -states that thirty-five per cent. of all applicants for enlistment in -the British army have to be rejected for physical disability. - -In treating this subject before the United Service Institution in -London, in 1899, Colonel Douglas, of the Royal service, described the -recruits from the north, or country districts, as “sallow, downcast, -nondescript youths, mostly artisans.” Regarding the recruits in -general, he said: “It is significant that a good set of teeth is rare, -except among the agricultural recruits. The old recruiting sergeant -would have laughed at the recruits of to-day; the army of the past -had in it many blackguards, but few degenerates. These are depressing -conclusions, but it must be remembered that this refers to our peace -army, which is recruited from the half-starved offscourings of the -streets. The physique of the men who are offering themselves to-day, -in time of war, is very different from this. There are shoals of -Englishmen who cannot stand the drudgery and discipline of the ranks -in time of peace, but who flock to the standard as soon as there is a -chance of fighting. The recruiting sergeants say that nearly all of -the material they are getting at present is of a better class. These -men want to fight for the love of fighting, and not as a refuge from -starvation. A few weeks of training licks them into shape. As long as -the outbreak of war affords such a stimulus to recruiting as this, -there is no need to despair of the British race.” - -But as conditions now exist in both countries, England has much more -difficulty in filling her ranks in time of peace than is encountered -here. Her army is vastly larger than ours, and its attractions are -vastly inferior. There is, accordingly, no ground for surprise that -both in mental attainments and soundness of body the American recruit -is measured by a higher standard; and it is not strange that the -British government has such trouble in persuading enough men to enter -the ranks that almost any sort of able-bodied man would be accepted. -Most of the field musicians of the British regiments are mere boys, -twelve to fifteen years of age; these youth are enlisted regularly into -the army. The American forces employ grown men for the same service, -but the difficulty in obtaining men makes such a force impossible in -England. - -Once a man has been enlisted, however, in the British army, no pains -are spared to make him as good as the best of soldiers--not only in a -physical sense, but also in the training of his brains. - -[Illustration: 1. A musician of the Gordon Highlanders, age, seventeen. - -2. A Boer fighting “man,” age, twelve. Twice distinguished for bravery -in action. He fought at Spion Kop, Colenso, Dundee, and Ladysmith.] - -As soon as the British recruit is accepted he is turned over to the -drill sergeant, who proceeds to make a soldier of him; and in all the -world no better man exists than the British drill sergeant for the -special line of duty of whipping recruits into shape. He does nothing -else, and consequently becomes very proficient at his calling. These -drill masters are all alike; to see one is to see all. He is a species -of soldier by himself, and there is nothing like him that I have -ever seen. He does for the British army the work that is done by the -subaltern officer of the American army. He is by no means gentle, -but he is not unnecessarily severe, as is the German or French drill -master; he merely understands his men better than any other master, and -consequently gets better results from them in a shorter space of time. -He takes a slouching youth, of slovenly gait, from Whitechapel, and in -an incredibly short time turns him out into Hyde Park a dashing young -soldier, or sends him to the Cape in khaki, as willing a fighter as can -be found. - -I have seen a German drill master strike a recruit for some trifling -mistake or inattention; I have heard a Frenchman curse his squad by all -the saints in the calendar; but I know of nothing half so effective as -the quiet sarcasm that the English or Irish drill sergeant can command -when he is completely out of patience with an awkward “rookie”; it is -more deadly than oaths or blows; it always accomplishes the end. Up to -the present, the British army has been almost built, trained, and run -by non-commissioned officers, many of whom are superior to the officers -over them in all but birth and breeding. These rankers are capable of -commanding in so far as capability depends upon understanding every -detail of their profession. - -The majority of the English recruits are sent to the great camp at -Aldershot, which is a camp only in name; for in reality it is a -superb expanse of land, covered with perfectly appointed barracks and -well-laid parades. At this training station the work of the young -soldier begins in earnest, and for the better part of four months he -is drilled, trained, and instructed in all branches of soldiering. -The most interesting part of his work is that done in the gymnasium. -The average English recruit does not carry himself in the manner of a -soldier to the degree that an untrained American does, so that a more -rigid training than in the United States is necessary. Moreover, the -idea of the proper carriage of a soldier is so vastly different in the -two countries that it is difficult to draw a comparison which will be -understood by one who is not familiar with both armies. In the British -army the old-time conventional idea of soldierly appearance still -dominates the discipline; in the American army this idea is not absent, -and I hope it may never depart; but nevertheless, the prevailing aim is -to subordinate everything to simple effectiveness. Broadly speaking, -therefore, one is tempted to say that the British soldier is trained -for show, while the American is trained for comfort, for work, and for -general usefulness. - -The gymnasium at Aldershot is the best-equipped establishment of its -kind that I have ever seen; there is nothing lacking that could add to -the physical training of the recruits sent there for their preliminary -teaching. For one hundred and ten days each recruit has one hour a -day devoted exclusively to athletics, and in that time he is made -to exercise in walking, running, climbing, boxing, fencing, and is -instructed in the use of the bayonet. The men scale high walls and -clamber over lofty scaffolding at double time; they go up and down -swinging ladders and hanging ropes. - -The headquarters gymnasium is just outside of the little town of -Aldershot, among the miles of barracks that quarter so many thousands -of the British army. - -It is a large brick building, recently put up, and contains every -appliance known to athletic training, most of the apparatus having -been imported from New York. The interior is bright and airy, -handsomely decorated with flags, stands of arms, and trophies, making -an attractive room in which to work. Just at the left is a smaller -building for instruction in the use of the sabre and foil. Surrounding -the buildings are large fields for out-of-door exercise, one side being -a turf parade for walking, running, jumping, and the many drills in -the use of the arms and legs. When the weather permits, the classes -in bayonet, single-stick, and dumb-bells are taken to this field. On -the other side of the buildings are all sorts of stationary apparatus -similar to that inside; on that side also there are walls to scale, -heights to climb, besides the ordinary bars and ladders. The best -apparatus that the recruits use is a great frame that looks as if some -one had started to build a house, and dropped the work as soon as the -scaffolding had been finished. It is a square framework about fifty -feet high and forty feet wide; from it hang ropes, ladders, poles, -sliding-boards, and all kinds of devices by which ascent and descent -can be made. The apparatus is of great value in training the eye as -well as the muscle, for the recruits are put over it at double time, -and the slightest false step would mean a bad fall and broken bones. -It was the invention of Colonel the Hon. J. S. Napier, who has been -in command at the gymnasium for some time, and to whose efforts are -due the perfection of the system of training given, not only to the -recruits, but also to all officers and men who care to continue their -physical training. - -[Illustration: 1. Colonel Napier’s frame for recruit-drill at -Aldershot.] - -[Illustration: 2. One of the exercises in British recruit-drill.] - -The most useful drill given to recruits is the use of the “shelf.” -This, as the name indicates, is a huge shelf on the side of the -gymnasium wall. It is so high that a man cannot reach it as he stands -on the floor, and to mount it he must have the assistance of one or -more of his companions. The aim of the shelf drill is to train the men -to go over walls and obstacles where there is nothing for them to use -in pulling themselves up. In working together, one man makes a rest -of his hands and gives to his comrade a “boost”; then the man thus -assisted clambers up to the shelf, and turning, pulls up the man below -him. - -The American recruit is handed over to a subaltern officer, who is -usually not long from West Point, and is fresh with the athletic -enthusiasm and methods of the Academy. He takes the place of the -British drill sergeant. He tramps side by side with the awkward -recruit, and orders him to do nothing which he himself is not able to -do in a perfected manner. This fact of itself establishes a wholesome -and trusting relation between the enlisted man and his officer. The man -looks up to his superior as to an instructor and parent. He learns to -regard him not merely as his fugleman for parades and campaigns, but -also as his preceptor, who knows him thoroughly and takes an interest -in him. The motto of the American army is that the officer is the -father of his men. - -The young recruit gains his first comprehension of this as he is worked -upon by his young superior in shoulder-straps. No familiarity is -permitted; the etiquette is as rigid and unremitting as in any European -army; the orders are stiff and stern; and yet the fact remains in the -soldier’s mind, through his entire service, that his officer labored -patiently over him for months, to impart to him from his own rich store -of self-command and high bearing, of physical cleverness and military -skill. The man never forgets his place, nor his officer’s either. - -The American recruit receives a thorough course in all kinds of -athletic drill, riding, fencing, walking, running. Especial attention -is given to the “setting-up” exercises; these consist of a series -of movements of arms, legs, and body which involve all the motions -which are called for in any military action. The turning of the arms, -raising and lowering them, propulsive motions, the limbering of the -joints--every movement that can contribute to facility of action is a -part of this extraordinary discipline. - -[Illustration: Setting-up exercises of American soldiers during their -visit in Malta.] - -[Illustration: Recruit drill in the British army.] - -Beyond this, and of most practical moment, is the American recruit’s -training in making temporary trenches with bayonet and tin plate; in -seizing and using temporary protections; in shooting from behind trees, -rocks, hillocks, while showing as little of his body as possible. The -consequence of this drill is that when in battle the American soldier -can manage himself without depending on orders, and is an expert -fighter. - -In South Africa the British regulars could not be asked to make even -temporary entrenchments; they had to wait for the engineer corps to -come up and lay them out and dig them. But a company of American -troops, with only the implements they carry, can scrape up a pile of -dirt in front of them in less than five minutes sufficient to serve as -their fort in an all-day battle. - -The charge by rushes which the British had to learn on the battlefield -is the trick which the American recruit is taught before he leaves the -awkward squad. In this resourcefulness and practicality the colonial -troops in the South African campaign were by many points superior to -the British regulars, and showed that they had been trained to some -extent by the same methods that have been found so effective for the -American recruit. - - - - -CHAPTER III. - -The Common Soldier in the Field - - -[Illustration: American cow-boy with Canadians in South Africa.] - -There is much in common between the life of a tramp and that of a -soldier in campaign. If the tramp had ever watched an army on the -march it might not be difficult for him to imagine himself surrounded -by all the pomp of war. He is dirty, unshaven, his clothes are ragged -and torn, and he presents a generally dilapidated and loose-jointed -appearance. His line of march is along the railroad; occasionally he -gets a ride in a box car, and at night he sleeps beside the track. If -he is lucky he gets a meal or so each day; he cooks the meal himself -over his own fire, the meat sizzling on the end of a stick, and the -coffee boiling in an old can. On and on he marches along the railroad, -he does not know where, he does not care--he just goes. Finally he -comes to a town and stands around in the switchyard, or at the station, -until some one comes along and orders him out. These conditions are -those of the life of the average tramp, but they fit that of the -soldier as well, the chief point of difference being that the tramp -does not have to work and the soldier does. - -Fighting is what the soldier longs for and lives for; it does come -sometimes, although infrequently; and during the intervening routine -of work he almost forgets the fighting. The public at home reads of -battles, several of them perhaps occurring within a week; but those -actions cover the entire theatre of the war, and consequently one -command may rarely see two fights in succession. There is none of the -glitter that the romancers depict; the glory begins and ends with -the triumphal march through the streets to the transport. Up to the -time that the last line that connects with home is cast off, and the -great troop-ship turns her prow to the land of the enemy, the soldier -feels the true excitement and exhilaration of war; the cheers of the -crowd along the line of march still ring in his ears; the brave words -of speeding that were spoken by local officials, and the thoughtful -attentions of the ladies’ committees at the wharf are all bright -memories of the start towards fame and glory on the battlefield. But -about the time the jingling bell in the engine-room tells the official -at the throttle that the ship is clear of the harbor, and that she may -settle down to her long voyage, the soldier begins to realize that -war is no romance, but a stern reality that will take him away for a -long time from everything and everybody that he cares for, with the -possibility that he may never come back at all. - -When he thinks of this, he pictures himself staggering back from the -crest of some hill that is to be taken, with a rifle-ball in his heart. -A few weeks later the cause of his not going home means some slow, -consuming fever, or other wasting disease, which gives him plenty of -time to repent the day he ever thought of going to war. Or instead of -that neat bullet through the heart, a ragged chunk of shell rips off -an arm or a leg, or tears its way through his side, dropping him in -the mud or dust, to lie until some one finds time to pick him up, and -take him in a springless wagon to a crowded field hospital, where a -surgeon gives but hasty attention to his needs. There is no “dying for -the flag” sentiment; no tender nurse, such as we see on the stage, to -take the last message home; instead, it is a helpless sort of death, -without any one near who has time to give even a drink of water. There -is no resemblance that would come so near my idea of a soldier killed -in battle as that of an unclean, sweating, and unshaven unfortunate of -a crowded city, struck by a street car, and thrown, bleeding and torn, -into the mud. Then, if no one had time to pick him up, and he should -lie there for hours, or perhaps days, the picture of a soldier’s death -would be complete. - -After the first few weeks the whole idea of war becomes a dread, and -the one thought is, When shall we go home? After a few months have -passed, a helpless, “don’t care” feeling settles over every one, and -after that any change is highly welcome, no matter whether it be home, -the hospital, or the trench. The tedium of war is more telling upon the -volunteer than upon the regular, as the former soon begins to think of -his interests at home that are perhaps suffering. The volunteer never -thinks that his services will be needed more than two or three months -at the most; and when the service drags well on toward a year, it -becomes almost unbearable. The regular does not mind it so much, for -his apprenticeship of worry has been served with the early months of -the first enlistment, and any change from barrack life is an agreeable -one. - -[Illustration: Dangebhoy hospital cart used in South Africa.] - -After a soldier has been in the field for a few months there is not -much of the military appearance left to him except his gun, and there -is not the slightest trace of the smart, well-kept man on home duty. -It does not matter about his appearance, however, for the man himself -is there, and of all sorts and conditions of men in all creation, the -true fighting man is the manliest. He works day after day like a galley -slave, endangers his life night and day, and yet he is but the tiniest -portion of a great machine, of whom no one has ever heard, and who will -be forgotten before the ink is dry on the treaty of peace. For a day -he may be carried on the shoulders of a victory-maddened crowd, and -compelled to drink rare wine from silver goblets; nothing is then good -enough for him--the victor. But let him ask a favor from sovereign or -subject, from Congress or people, a year after, and no one remembers -him. His days and nights in the field, suffering that the nation’s -honor may live, are all forgotten, and the fighting man is pushed to -one side to make room for the trade of peace that this same man has -made possible. - -No honor is too great to render to the men who go out to fight, whether -they be regulars or volunteers. The wage they receive would not pay any -man at home to undertake half so hazardous a task. Within two years I -have had the opportunity of seeing the work of four different armies -in the field, fighting for what they thought was right. Among those -four--Spaniards, British, Boers, and Americans--can be found a curious -variety of methods of warfare, and there is much that has never been -told. - -The common soldiers of every land are brave; it is but a question of -leaders, methods, and numbers that decides which will be victorious; -for losing or winning, they show much the same valor. Nothing could be -more magnificent, nor reflect more credit on the men of Spain, than the -manner in which they met defeat at El Caney, at Santiago, and on the -seas in the conflicts with Sampson and Dewey. They went down in defeat -in a way that won the admiration of every soldier and sailor in the -American army and navy; they were brave, dignified, and courteous at -all times, even the rank and file. - -The fighting methods of the Boers and the Americans are very similar, -and if the Boers were trained in military tactics their military -character would be almost identical with that of our troops. They -possess the same natural instinct of a hunter to keep under cover that -our men have, and their methods during an advance are the same. The -British army has just taken its first lesson in this sort of work, and -although it has been a costly one, it will pay in the end; and it is -England’s great good fortune that she did not have a powerful European -foe for a tutor, instead of the two little republics whose entire male -population would not make a good-sized army corps. - -At the autumn manœuvres of the British army at Aldershot, just before -the South African war broke out, I was watching the attack and defense -of a hill by several battalions of infantry. Standing with me was an -officer of the Twelfth Lancers, and we watched the progress of the -action with alert interest. When the attacking force made its advance, -I noticed that neither the officers nor the men made any attempt at -keeping under the cover of the trees or rocks which were numerous in -the zone of fire. Of course the men were using only blank ammunition, -but in the same work our men would be compelled to crawl along from -tree to tree, or to keep under the shelter of the rocks. I remarked -to my companion that I should imagine the officers and men would take -greater interest in the work in hand if they went at it as though it -were real, and keeping to cover. - -“Why, you do not mean to say that American officers and soldiers would -hide behind rocks and trees, do you?” he exclaimed in astonishment. - -“Of course they would,” I replied. “They would not only get behind -rocks and trees, but behind the largest they could find. Don’t you do -the same?” - -“No, indeed,” he said with emphasis, adding, “What would the men think -of an officer who would hide during a fight?” As it was not my first -visit in England, I did not continue the argument. - -[Illustration: The Twelfth Lancers in South Africa.] - -[Illustration: General French examining the enemy’s position during the -battle of Diamond Hill.] - -It was, indeed, the general British opinion that to protect oneself -in a fight was to hide, and with this idea the men went to war in a -country where the enemy could find all the protection that he wanted, -and where he knew how to use it; and so these brave soldiers were -sent up in solid formation to be shot to bits by an invisible foe. -There could be no greater test of the valor of the British soldier than -the manner in which he faced death during the first months of the war. - -The difference between the British and the American soldier is very -marked in the fact that the class feeling in England is so great. All -the middle and lower classes of England are taught to touch their -hats to birth in what is called a gentleman, and no matter where -they meet one, they show him deference. From these middle and lower -classes the army, of course, gathers its strength; consequently there -is a feeling of obedience even before the real lesson of the soldier -begins. This subservience is not always a good thing, for any one -who has the appearance of a gentleman has about as much influence or -authority with the men as an officer in uniform would have. An incident -which illustrates this occurred during the first days of the British -occupation of Pretoria. It was found that some of the Boer sympathizers -were communicating with their friends on commando during the night, -and, to prevent this, an order was issued that no one should pass -the sentries posted around the town after sundown or before sunrise, -without a pass from the military governor or from the field marshal -himself. The order was as imperative as could be made, for the danger -at that time was very great, and it was necessary that even the -smallest bits of information should be kept from the Boer forces. A -party of five Americans were dining at the house of a friend on the -opposite side of the line of sentries, and, when the order was issued, -it looked as though we would not get back until the next morning. One -of the party suggested that we bluff our way past the sentry at the -bridge over which we had to pass. The plan was adopted, and we walked -boldly up to the sentry post, and were promptly challenged. One of -the party stepped forward, and in a tone of authority said, “These -gentlemen are Americans, and are with me, sentry, and it will be all -right. Just pass them too.” - -“You are sure it will be all right, sir?” inquired the sentry. - -“Yes, quite sure,” was the answer, and the entire party was passed -without any further trouble, and for all the sentry knew they might -have gone straight to the Boer camp, which was only a few miles away; -but owing to the fact that the party was one apparently of gentlemen, -he did not see fit to refuse the permission to pass through the lines, -even though the field marshal had given his strictest order to the -contrary. This was not a single occurrence; any person could pass -through the lines at any time, providing he did not speak English with -a Dutch accent. To do that was to arouse immediate suspicion, and at -times our own “Yankee twang” was enough to cause the Tommy to ask -questions; but a few words of explanation invariably brought a polite -apology. - -The Englishman makes a natural sailor, but he is not a natural -soldier, and it requires a great amount of training to make a good man -of him in the field; he may drill well, march well, and look well, -but he needs much training and good leadership to fight well. When -he has that, there is no better soldier to be found. It is in this -respect that the Americans, as well as the Boers, excel the English as -soldiers. They have been taught to hunt wild game in the wilderness of -the great plains and deep forests; they have been taught to shoot and -to ride in their childhood. The reason is obvious--they are a people of -a new country; both Americans and Boers have but recently fought back -the way for civilization, and, in fact, are still doing the same thing. -New York has forgotten the stress, Chicago is fast forgetting it; but -the great West has not forgotten it at all, and everywhere in America -the spirit of adaptability to rough conditions still pervades our life. -Each year every man, woman, and child who can get there seeks the -mountains or the woods for a few days or weeks, to satisfy the natural -American longing for the wild out-of-doors life that our forefathers -knew. But in England there is no open shooting as we know it, there -is no camping as we know it. It is true that the great estates have -excellent shooting, so far as their idea of hunting goes; but to our -point of view it is a senseless slaughter. Tame deer are driven up to -the guns to be shot, or domesticated wild birds are flushed by beaters -toward the hidden shooting party. The size of the day’s bag depends -merely on the supply of ammunition or the endurance of the trigger -finger. - -[Illustration: Heliographing from Diamond Hill to Lord Roberts in -Pretoria.] - -All this has to do with war only as it suggests one reason why the -British soldier has met his master in the art of war in South Africa. -The training that makes a fighting man, if not a soldier, is hunting -where the snapping of a twig or the approach on the wrong wind means -the loss of the prey. Guns and gunning are for the rich alone in -England, and the class that makes up the rank and file of the army -never have a firearm in their hands until they enlist. It cannot be -expected, therefore, that they can become sufficiently proficient -in its use to cope successfully in equal numbers with men who have -handled rifles since childhood. Not even the London police carry -firearms of any sort. The soldier is taught to load and shoot, and -learns his marksmanship at the target ranges; but he might as well be -taught pigeon-shooting in a street gallery with a .22 calibre rifle. -Target practice and firing in action are different games, and the -latter can be learned only by actual practice if the instinct is not -present. - -When the British forces were landing at Beira, in Portuguese East -Africa, to make their march into Rhodesia, there was a company of -volunteers belonging to “Carrington’s Horse,” already entrained and -ready to start for the front. In conversation with one of the men -I found that they were from Edinburgh, and that the name of their -company was the “Edinburgh Sharpshooters.” Merely from curiosity I -asked what qualifications were required to join their organization of -sharpshooters, and whether they had to make any particular score. - -“Oh, no,” he said, “none of us have ever shot a gun at all yet, but -as soon as we get up here we are going to learn.” When they left home -they wanted a name, and they liked that of “sharpshooter,” so they -took it. That is the way in which many of the British soldiers are -made; they receive a uniform, a gun, and a farewell address, and then -it is thought that they are ready to meet any foe. In some cases our -own volunteers have been as unqualified as were these young Scotchmen, -and we have suffered for it; but our men have in general a better -fundamental training than those of most other nations. One mark of the -difference between Englishmen and Americans (and also Canadians) is to -be seen in the toy-shop windows. The American boy’s first plaything, -after he tires of tin soldiers, is a toy pistol with paper caps. The -boy then begins to “play Indian,” and to shoot and scalp his little -sisters. In a few years, if he is favored by fortune, he will have a -little rifle, and then the Winchester will follow. That boyish training -helped to make the Canadian and Australian volunteers superior to the -English troops, and it is also in boyhood that the Boer farmer learned -to be the great fighter that he is. That same mimic use of deadly arms -in childhood, and the constant use of guns against game in youth, has -made the North American Indian not only the most formidable fighter in -the world, but also the world’s tutor in modern warfare. - -Switzerland has adopted the idea of the advantage of training in -the use of firearms, and every man is furnished with a rifle by the -government, and also with a certain amount of ammunition each year. The -people of that little republic could retire into the fastnesses of her -mountains and withstand the armies of Europe for months. If Austria, -for instance, should again attempt to invade the cantons, the Swiss -would show the world that they can do the same that the Boers have -done, and at least sell their land and liberty at a tremendous cost of -human life. - -If the British common soldier is properly led, and if he has full -confidence in his leaders, he will go anywhere; but he must be led, -for he has no initiative and does not think for himself in the field -any more than he does at home. What would an American soldier think of -a special privilege created in a regiment because there came a time -when all the officers were killed or wounded, and the non-commissioned -officers took the regiment through the fight? There is an English -regiment in which the non-commissioned officers all wear their sashes -over the same shoulder as do the commissioned officers, because in a -long-ago battle they led the regiment when their superiors were put -out of action. In the American army this would have been done by the -non-commissioned officers as a matter of course, or by privates if the -sergeants and corporals were disabled; and in the terrible slaughters -of the Civil War more than once this happened, demonstrating the -resourcefulness of the American soldier. While talking with British -prisoners taken by the Boers, I asked them why they surrendered so -soon, when they had ammunition left and when so few had been hit. Some -of them said that it was much better to be a prisoner than it was to -be dead, and seemed to take it more as a joke on the rest of the army -that still had to fight while they were now in safety. Some of them -blamed their officers. But not one seemed to feel that it was at all -incumbent upon the privates to fight it out alone or to take the lead -when there was no officer near. In all the months of imprisonment in -Pretoria and in the vicinity, the soldiers did not make any attempt -to escape, although there were enough of them to have taken Pretoria -empty-handed. There were several thousand British soldiers in one field -enclosed in wire, yet they made no effort to regain their liberty. The -reason undoubtedly was that they had no leaders with them. In such an -attempt some of them, of course, would have been killed, and possibly a -great many of them; but there is no doubt that with the proper spirit -an escape could have been made. - -The care of the dead is a problem to which the British government has -not given much attention. Certainly there is nothing in the field that -would indicate that it had been seriously considered. But in this act -of grace the American War Department maintains a system which is in the -highest degree praiseworthy and which commands the deference of the -world. - -It is purely a matter of sentiment that prompts any particular -disposition of the bodies of those who fall in a fight, or who succumb -to the ravages of fever; but to the fighting man in the field it is a -tender sentiment that means much. The body of every American soldier -who falls on a foreign shore is sooner or later brought home and -buried, with all the honors of war. If his family or friends want -his body for private burial, they are aided in securing it; but if -it is not so claimed, it is then taken to one of the great national -cemeteries and laid away with proper ceremonies. If one were to ask a -soldier in good health whether he wanted to be taken home to be buried, -he would probably reply that it did not matter at all what was done -with his body after he got through with it. But if the time came when -death seemed near, that same man would find sensible satisfaction in -thinking that some day his own family would stand beside the box that -served as the narrow cell of his last sleep. I have seen many a man die -soothed by the feeling that he would eventually be taken home. In a -severe campaign in a distant or foreign land, the idea of home finds a -meaning to matter-of-fact and apparently unimaginative soldiers which -they cannot express, but which stirs infinite pathos. When a soldier -lies weak from a burning fever, but with all his mental faculties more -than ever alert, or when he is on solitary outpost duty against an -active enemy, with time to turn the situation over in his mind, it is -then that he thinks of home as at no other time, and it is then that he -will appreciate all that he knows will be done for him should he happen -to be found by death. - -Whenever an American soldier falls in action or dies of disease, he -receives as good a burial as the circumstances permit, and his grave -is distinctly marked, so that there will be no possibility of its not -being found when the time for removal comes. It may be months before -the day arrives, but it is sure to come at last, and then the bodies -are taken up and put in leaden-lined coffins and transported home. - -[Illustration: Burial at Arlington of 426 American soldiers who fell in -Cuba.] - -The year after the Cuban campaign I attended the burial of four hundred -and twenty-six officers and men at Arlington, the great national -cemetery on the beautiful, sloping banks of the Potomac River, opposite -Washington. The President, the members of the cabinet, the commanding -general of the army, and other high officials of state were there to -pay their respect to the noble dead as they were laid to rest in the -company of the thousands of others who gave their lives for their -country in the Civil War. The long lines of coffins, each one draped -with a flag, resting beside the open graves, ready to be lowered, told -a heavy story of the breakage of war. Two chaplains, one Protestant and -the other Roman Catholic, read the service for the burial of the dead, -while a soldier stood at each grave and sprinkled the symbolic handful -of earth upon the coffin. At the end of the ceremony the artillery -boomed the last salute, and the trumpeters sounded the slow, mournful -notes of “taps.” The imposing funeral cost the government a great -amount of money. But each year the soldier dead are gathered home; the -dead of every war our country has waged have been brought together, a -silent army of heroic men. These graves will be cared for and the names -will be preserved so long as the nation lasts. - -In South Africa the English forces buried their dead with the honors -of war whenever it was possible, but not with the intention of taking -the bodies home at any future date; and in hundreds of cases the graves -were not even marked. There was not that deserved attention paid to -the dead which seemed often feasible, and which in some cases I felt -that Americans would have made feasible. In one instance in Natal a -Boer general sent a flag of truce to the British general, whose forces -had just met with a severe defeat, and told him that a truce would be -allowed in which to bury the dead, and that if the British general -would send out a burial party it would be given safe conduct and every -assistance in the work. The answer went back to the Boer commander, -“Bury them yourself and send us the bill.” The Boers did bury them, and -read a Christian service over them, but they did not send in a bill. - -[Illustration: Gathering the dead after the battle of Diamond Hill.] - -When rightly led, there is no braver soldier on earth than the -“gentleman in khaki” who goes out to do his Sovereign’s bidding in -every part of the world. He is the finest specimen of the sturdy -soldier known in Europe. He is not unlike the American soldier, except -in the standard of education and self-reliance. He is the same happy, -careless, and kind-hearted man, who will fight an enemy all day, and, -when he has been defeated, feed him out of his own scanty store of -rations. The British soldier does not often become intoxicated; but -when he does chance to take too much, he is apt to be affected with a -bit more of dignity, or with an exaggerated straightness; he is rarely -quarrelsome. - -The British soldier in the field is by far more attentive to his -personal and military appearance than is the American soldier when on a -hard campaign. All the men in South Africa wore their heavy cross-belts -and pouches when, had they been our men, it is quite likely they would -have been lost, for they were of no great importance to the comfort of -the soldier. The Britisher keeps well shaven at all times in the field, -and, although he is burned as only an African sun can burn, he looks -well groomed. It does not seem to be compulsory to shave, as some of -the men are whiskered, but the large majority of the men keep their -faces free from a beard. Naturally, however, their uniforms get very -dirty, especially as they do not have any shelter tents to protect them -from the rain, and frequently the regiments on the march look as though -they were uniformed in black or a dark brown. - -One thing in which the British soldiers are far behind the American -is in ordinary entrenching work in the field; they do not seem to -understand the first principles of construction of trenches, either -temporary or permanent. The sappers or engineers are, of course, -proficient in the work, but the ordinary infantrymen or cavalrymen -do not go at the work with the same intelligence that the Americans -display. This is not because they lack the intelligence, but because -they have never been trained for that obviously necessary work, always -having been taught to rely upon the engineer corps. Nearly all the men -carry an entrenching tool, but they have not had the necessary practice -and instruction in its use to make it a useful implement in their -hands. The American soldiers can do more and better work in protecting -themselves in a temporary trench with the top of a mess tin than the -British soldiers can do with their special tools. This is not the fault -of the British soldiers, but that of the officers who have neglected -to train them in this most important self-protection in the field. -Dr. Conan Doyle calls the infantry especially to account for their -ignorance in digging trenches in the South African war, and says that -the work they did were mere rabbit-scratchings in comparison with the -work of the amateur soldiers opposed to them. - -To compare the relative bravery of the American soldier and Tommy -Atkins is very difficult; there is a difference, but it is undoubtedly -due to the training and not to the actual courage of the men. There -could be no better or braver soldier desired than the British when he -knows what to do and when he is properly led; but the trouble is that -he has not been taught to think for himself, and the majority of his -officers do not take the trouble to think for him. The consequence has -been that the Boers took more prisoners than they could feed. There -are instances, shamefully numerous, where a greatly superior force -has surrendered to the Boers after very slight resistance. Howard C. -Hillegas gives a number of cases, in his book on the Boer war, where -from three to sixty men have been captured by one or two Boers, without -firing a shot in defense. It is true that they were surprised in a -mountainous or rocky place, where they could not tell how many of the -enemy were opposed to them, but even this would not excuse a bloodless -surrender. I know of one case where over seven hundred regular soldiers -surrendered to a few more than a hundred burghers, after a loss of -eight killed and twenty-three wounded, and with their belts half full -of ammunition. They were not in the open, but were well covered, and in -as good a position as were the Boers. General Methuen’s despatch to the -War Office after one of his first engagements, in which he described -it as “the bloodiest battle of the century,” after he had sustained a -ridiculously small loss, shows that to the British mind losses are more -disturbing than to the American. - -The Fifth Army Corps never would have reached Santiago, and never -would have driven out the Spanish fleet, had they ever allowed -themselves to be checked as the British did in South Africa before -Lord Roberts came. At Guasimas the dismounted cavalry, under General -Young and Colonel Roosevelt, attacked more than four times their -number of Spaniards, who were carefully entrenched in perfectly -constructed works, in a mountainous pass that was thick with a tropical -undergrowth. The enemy’s fire was well directed and very heavy, and at -one time the cavalry attacking were fought almost to a standstill; in -order to save themselves they charged the works, with a loss of sixteen -killed and thirty-two wounded. At El Caney and San Juan the fighting -quality of soldiers was shown on both sides; and it was on those fields -that the American gained his first deep respect for the Spaniard as a -fighting man. All day long General Lawton’s division fought every inch -of the ground toward the little suburb of El Caney under the stone -fort, and General Kent’s division advanced steadily, until there came -the final rush up San Juan hill. At the latter place the Spaniards -waited and fought until the bayonet drove them out, and at the former -they stayed and gallantly died. Very few prisoners were taken at El -Caney, and almost every one of these was badly wounded. The scene -inside the stone fort was beyond description. Captain Capron’s battery -had hit it forty-eight times during the day, and the little force -inside was literally shot to pieces; the walls and roof had fallen in, -and the floor was strewn with the wreck, covering the bodies of the -dead and wounded. Blood was spattered over the walls that were still -standing, and the terrible tropical sun had caused a sickening odor. -There was not a man in the fort that was not hit, and only two or three -were still alive. Even after this fort was taken, which was late in the -afternoon, and we were busy burying the enemy’s dead and caring for the -wounded, the Spaniards were still fighting at the thatched fort on the -other side of the town. The thought of surrendering never seemed to -enter their minds. - -I was reminded of their bravery at Santiago by Cronje’s noble stand at -Paardeburg, where he withstood the combined attack of forty thousand -British soldiers with many guns for twelve days. Although he was in -a defenseless position, and although the number of men and animals -killed caused a frightful condition within his lines, still he held out -until his ammunition was entirely expended. Both the Spaniards and the -Boers went to the opposite extreme from the British in the matter of -surrendering, for there is no doubt that in many instances the latter -gave up far too easily. So many of them surrendered during the latter -part of the war, that the Boers were compelled, after they had disarmed -them, to set them free, as they had no accommodations or means of -caring for the thousands captured. - -There is a significant contrast in the action of the British and -American governments regarding men who are lost by capture. It is the -policy of the British government to make no effort to rescue them; all -the prisoners are made to pay allowances, and promotion ceases from -the date of their capture. On the contrary, whenever any handful of -American soldiers have been captured in the Philippines, no possible -efforts have been spared to release them; in the case of the capture of -Lieutenant-Commander Gilmore and his men, a force of cavalry followed -them for several hundred miles, until finally, when they overtook them, -the rescuing party were in almost as miserable a condition as were the -prisoners themselves. The circumstances in the Philippines and South -Africa are quite dissimilar, however, and it was possibly good strategy -on the part of Lord Roberts to allow the prisoners to remain in the -hands of the Boers, as the responsibility for them was necessarily a -serious embarrassment for a small force; and on this account he would -not exchange any prisoners. - -It is astonishing that the death rate from disease among the men in -the British army while in the field is not greater, for, not having -a shelter tent of any description, the men are compelled to sleep in -the open unless they happen to be able to provide a temporary shelter -for themselves. I have frequently seen a rain storm of several days’ -duration, where the men were wet day and night and had no opportunity -whatever of drying their clothes. The English army uses regular tents -as much as we do in our service, but in the actual field work, where -the company tents must be left at the base of supplies, they are -shelterless. - -Not only are the British lacking in the giving of shelter and comfort -to the men while in the field, but all the other European armies are -also very backward in this respect--none of them using the shelter -tent as it is used by United States forces. This is a simple and light -portion of an equipment, which produces more comfort for the men than -anything else they could possibly carry, for it is used in other ways -than as a shelter. In light marching order it is wrapped around the -blanket, forming the blanket-roll, the sticks and pegs being wrapped -inside; two men, each carrying a half, sharing the tent. - -In the out-of-door life of campaign, our men again have the advantage -of the training which is bound to come from a new country where -sleeping in the open is not unusual. In the German army the men are -billeted upon the various towns or cities near which they happen to -make their night’s halt. The German War Department has statistics -showing the capacity of every house in the empire, and wherever a body -of troops is moved, information is given to the officers regarding the -accommodations to be found. Consequently, when a command marches into -a village or town, they are told off into squads and sent to their -respective quarters as easily as though they were in their own barracks. - -During the autumn manœuvres of the German army in 1899, after watching -the operations for the day, I was sitting in a hotel, talking with -some of the staff officers, when one of them said in a most mysterious -manner, “Ah, but you must wait until Thursday night!” - -“What is to happen Thursday night?” I inquired. - -“Wait,” he said; “wait until then. It will be wonderful.” And his -brother officers shared his mild excitement over the events promised -for this particular night. I had visions of all sorts of exciting -things--of night attacks, forced marches, or anything up to a real -declaration of war. - -“But what is it?” I asked, growing intensely interested. - -“Why,” he said, “the army is going to bivouac all night--in the open -air--on the ground;” and then he settled back to watch the effect of -his startling statement. - -So unused to camping were they that the event was looked forward to as -children might look forward to Christmas morning. It was the event of -the campaign, and the effect of putting these soldiers into the field -where there were no houses to be used for shelter would be a problem. - -The custom of the foreign governments of giving medals to their -soldiers for a campaign is an exceedingly good one, and might well be -copied to a degree in the United States. There is a certain aversion in -this country for the use of national medals, and yet there are quite as -many in the form of military orders, society orders, and decorations -issued by the various States, as are used in any European country. But -these all lack that distinguished origin and endorsement which makes -a man proud to wear them. The British government is far in advance in -the system it has adopted for military decorations. A war medal is -struck after every campaign, and given to every man who has shared in -it, the soldiers receiving a silver medal, and the camp-followers, -drivers, etc., a bronze one. They are worn with full dress, and the -ribbons are worn with fatigue dress or in the field. The higher orders -are the Victoria Cross, which corresponds to our Medal of Honor, and -the “distinguished service” order, given for the same kind of deeds for -which the men of our army would be mentioned in the order of that name, -issued each year by the Secretary of War. - -It would be a very simple thing for our government to issue a war medal -after every campaign, to be given to every man who had served in it. -It is a trinket of no intrinsic value, but the men who have the right -to wear it have gained it through hard-fought battles and privations -without number; they prize these trophies superlatively, and their -families treasure them after they are dead. Our government now issues -several medals, and so the campaign medal would be no departure from -our custom. It is always a pleasure to see the respect paid to some old -pensioner who carries an empty sleeve, as he enters a room or climbs -into a ’bus in London, with the medal of the Crimea hanging to his coat. - -The fighting man in the field commands respect, no matter from what -nation he may come, nor for what cause he is fighting. He is one atom -of a great body that acts under the head and brain of one man, and to -a certain extent he reflects the personality of his commander. But he -is directly dependent upon the officers over him, and it rests largely -with them whether he is to be considered a capable man or not. The -British soldier has been taught to rely absolutely upon the judgment of -his officers; and if he has been found wanting, the blame rests with -them and not with him. No better war material could be desired than the -khaki man fighting in South Africa, unless it be the man in the blue -shirt fighting in the Philippines. - -This latter man represents the extreme of self-reliance in the field; -to that he has been trained by his officers; for that his original -intelligence and his Yankee inventiveness have peculiarly fitted him. -With that self-reliance goes an American objection to being dispirited -under failure. When he is down he does not stop regarding himself as -“game”; under awful odds he cannot see sense in surrender, and if he -does become a prisoner he schemes and frets and digs and plots to -escape. He is probably the best fighting soldier in the world. - - - - -CHAPTER IV. - -The Officers - - -[Illustration: American volunteer officer.] - -To strike a comparison between the British and the American officer, we -do not need to go further into their military career than their first -schooling at the government institutions. The fact that the English -cadet receives eighteen months’ training, ending with an indifferent -examination, while the West Pointer is given four years of the most -difficult work, both mental and physical, known to the military world, -indicates the whole story. - -Yet, up to the time of the breaking out of the war in South Africa, -the British officers were generally considered to be at the head of -their profession. The colonies were taught to look up to them in -everything that pertained to the service; the European and American -War Departments considered them models to be studied. But six months’ -campaigning against a practical and astute foe proved many of them as -clumsy of mind and as inefficient as the officers of King George III. -who surrendered to Gates and Washington. The modern British officer -has received the pin-prick of active duty against modern fighters; his -inflation has vanished. - -The exposure was sure to come in his first meeting with a clever enemy. -It cannot be expected that a man can become proficient in the art of -war after eighteen months’ superficial training, or after a year’s -service in the militia. In times of peace he leaves all the duty -pertaining to his regiment to his competent non-commissioned staff, -and his sole duty has seemed to be to attend social functions, play -polo, cricket, or ride steeple-chases. The sergeant-majors knew the -work and did it; they attended to the tasks that should have been done -by the subaltern officers; and they performed that work so well that -the regimental business proceeded in a neat and harmonious manner, for -which the officers took the credit. Now comes the time when aptness -in society, polo, and cricket does not cut any figure in the problem -to be solved. Actual war with a keen-witted enemy stares the gorgeous -officers in the face, and they suffer from their own ignorance simply -because, with all their personal courage--and there are no braver in -the world than some of them--they have not learned their most obvious -business. - -In days gone by a couple of thousand pounds would purchase a commission -in almost any of the Royal regiments; but that practice has been -abolished for one that is equally pernicious in its effects. Now, -while a man cannot actually purchase a commission in the British -army, almost any young man of position who has sufficient income to -sustain his social rank can obtain the Royal warrant for the asking. -No British officer can support himself on the pay allowed, and he is -not expected to do so; it is largely a matter of income whether or -no a man receives his commission. An English officer is paid about -half as much as an American officer, and his expenses are many times -greater. He must support his clubs, and the stables for his polo, -driving, and riding stock; even the regimental band must be maintained -by a subscription from the officers, which of itself would nearly -exhaust his pay, since the British army does not include any but -field music in its enlistment. This fact alone would make promotion -from the ranks practically impossible, although it is permitted by -the army regulations; but the officer’s tale of necessary expenses -and subscriptions requires such a large private income that it is -absurd for the men in the ranks to dream of rising higher than the -non-commissioned staff. - -[Illustration: 1. A Cadet Drill at the West Point Military Academy. - -2. Generals Chaffee, Brooke, and Lee reviewing the army in Cuba.] - -There is no finer man living than the British officer at home; his -politeness rivals that of the Latin races, and his hospitality could -not be excelled by a Virginian. He entertains in the most lavish -manner, and in time of peace he is an ideal soldier, and merits the -idolatry society gives him. His garrison duties do not require his -attention to the exclusion of any of his pleasures; consequently he -has time to devote to his guests, and he entertains them in a superb -manner. The regimental messes are the most splendid social institutions -of England, and the guest-night of a cavalry or Household regiment -is scarcely outdone in brilliancy at the royal court itself. - -[Illustration: 1. Maj. Eastwood, 12th Lancers. 2. Col. Beech, Egyptian -Cavalry. 3. Sir John Milbanke, V. C. 4. Col. Chamberlain, Military -Secretary. 5. A Canadian officer.] - -It was expected, however, that officers who devoted so much time to the -honor and appearance of their regiments would at least be proficient in -military science; but, when the supreme test arrived, they were found -lacking, and what the observer in England took for indifference to the -work was in reality ignorance. No one was half so surprised, however, -at the ignorance of the British officer as the British officer himself. -He was not able to realize that he did not understand his profession; -and to this day hundreds of officers do not realize their ignorance, -because so many have not yet had the fortune to be brought face to -face with a campaign crisis sufficiently grave to show them their own -weakness. - -It has been a popular idea that the effect of the South African war -will be to bind the colonies closer to the mother country. But the -ignorance that has been displayed by some of the leaders of the -imperial forces is bound to have its effect sooner or later upon the -colonial dependencies, which heretofore have looked upon the English -officer as a military idol. - -For some days after Pretoria was taken, I was much in the company of -officers of the Canadian contingent, and their views of the South -African situation were refreshingly straightforward and enlightening. -I talked with a Toronto captain who wore the ribbon of the Northwest -Rebellion, and who had served with Roosevelt in Cuba merely for the fun -of fighting, and I asked him what he thought of the whole show. He was -a man whose judgment was sound, a man of the kind that we know as the -sound business man of this continent--a character with prestige almost -unknown in England. - -[Illustration: British Colonel of Volunteers.] - -“Well,” he said, “it isn’t the way we would do it, is it? We colonials -have been taught that nothing we could do could possibly be just right; -nothing we could say could just suit the point; and we are brought over -here and dumped into a country under a lot of officers who don’t know -as much as a child at home would know about the same game.” - -[Illustration: Colonel Peabody, U. S. Volunteers.] - -Throughout the colonial regiments that sentiment was manifest, for -both the Australian and Canadian forces were volunteers of the same -type that constitutes the United States volunteer army in time of -war. Business men, professional men, and society men--all sorts and -conditions--volunteered from purely patriotic feeling; they each went -from a new country, where every man is to some degree an adventurer. -The same spirit that had sent men to the colonies now sent men to the -war. They are men with intelligence and courage enough to better their -personal surroundings, and consequently are capable of approaching -a situation with daring and executing it with success. While the -colonials were in the field in South Africa, I think their opinions of -the imperial officer took the shape of amusement rather than contempt; -but when they have returned to their homes their derision is bound to -become scorn; for that great respect which they have been taught to -feel is broken, and they have suddenly awakened to the fact that they -of the New World have outstripped the mother country in practicality. - -The imperial officer did not hesitate to show his contempt for the -colonial officer; not because he lacked intellect or bravery, or -anything that a soldier should have, but because his social position -was not equal to the English idea. It was the old-time prejudice -against “the man in trade;” for the British society man cannot -understand the spirit and life of a new country, where every man, -rich or poor, of high or low birth, is what they call “in trade.” The -colonial officers felt this treatment keenly, for they soon perceived -their own military superiority; although they did not make manifest -their sensitiveness, they resented the lofty manner of the imperial -officers. - -There was a most unexpected disclosure of character in the conduct of -many of the British officers who were taken as prisoners of war by the -Boers. A great deal has been said on this subject, and although the -story has been told many times by those who witnessed the exhibitions, -it is flatly denied by nearly all Englishmen, especially by those who -stayed at home. - -During the first months of the war the British officers who had been -captured were quartered in the Staats Model Schoolhouse, in the heart -of Pretoria. It is a handsome one-story brick building, built according -to the most approved plan of what a modern school should be. At the -rear is a spacious yard, which served as a place in which the officers -might exercise. It was through this yard and over the side fence that -the war correspondent, Winston Spencer Churchill, succeeded in making -his escape. Some of the officers who had been in the prison at the same -time were very bitter against Mr. Churchill, as they say he anticipated -a plot planned by many of the prisoners by which a large number could -escape. As he escaped sooner than the time agreed upon, it prevented -the others from making the attempt. - -The Boer authorities were obliged to remove the officers from the Model -Schoolhouse to the open country, on account of the unbecoming conduct -that some of them displayed towards the ladies of Pretoria who lived in -the vicinity or who happened to be passing along the streets. It is the -extraordinary fact that some of the British officers made offensive -remarks to these ladies, and altogether acted in a disgraceful manner. -They defaced the walls of the building shamefully, cutting it and -drawing all sorts of pictures upon it. An exception to this vandalism -was the exceedingly clever topographical work of one of the officers in -drawing a huge map of the South African Republic and its surroundings. -It was, in fact, so cleverly done that, as the artist had not time -to finish it previous to the removal of the prisoners to their new -quarters, the Boer officials requested that he continue the work, -and allowed him to return each day until it was completed. When the -building was renovated and the interior defacings removed, this map was -allowed to remain, and it will be preserved. - -There is absolutely no doubt of this disgraceful conduct of some of -the officers at the Model Schoolhouse, and there is no doubt that -this conduct was the cause of their removal to the outskirts of the -town. It is persistently denied, but it remains a fact, nevertheless, -for instance after instance in proof of it was narrated to me by the -Boers. Indeed, I myself had one remarkable occasion to witness the -discreditable conduct of certain of the officers. - -On my way to South Africa I had occasion to stop at Cairo for about -two weeks, waiting for an East Coast steamer; and while at Shepherd’s -I was told that the commander of one of the Egyptian regiments, a -Colonel Kelly, had a son who was a prisoner in Pretoria, from whom -he had not heard for many months. He had been captured early in the -war, and all attempts to communicate with him had proved fruitless. -Colonel Kelly expressed the desire to meet me, as I was going directly -to the Transvaal capital. Consequently I had the honor of a call from -him. He is a magnificent type of the Irish soldier, a man who has -fought in every zone and in every quarter of the British Empire; one -of those men who has cut the pathway of civilization and progress for -the statesman to follow. Colonel Kelly requested me to take a letter -to his son and endeavor to deliver it to him by obtaining permission -from the Transvaal authorities. I took the letter, and the second day -after I reached Pretoria I asked Secretary of State Reitz what course -to pursue so as to obtain permission to deliver the letter. Although -all the officials were extremely considerate and glad to assist me in -what I desired to obtain, it took me several days to get the passes -required in order to see Lieutenant Kelly. Finally, having obtained the -necessary signatures to several papers giving permission to deliver the -letter, I drove out to the officers’ prison, which was about a mile -from Pretoria, on the first slope of the foothills. - -[Illustration: 1. Staats Model Schoolhouse, Pretoria, where the British -officers were first confined as prisoners of war.] - -[Illustration: 2. Barbed-wire prison, Pretoria, where the British -officers were confined after their removal from the city.] - -The prison consisted of a long, corrugated-iron building, enclosed in a -barbed-wire barricade, the ground around the building covering several -acres, sufficiently large for the officers to play cricket, football, -or tennis. The barbed-wire entanglement was about six feet high and -fifteen feet broad, and was constructed as though three parallel fences -were interlaced with innumerable strands of loose wire. There was -never a very heavy guard at the prison, as the impenetrable character -of the enclosure made it unnecessary that there should be more than a -small body of men on watch. A line of electric-light poles followed -the run of the barricade all around the enclosure, and the lights were -kept burning throughout the entire night, making the surrounding area -as bright as day, to prevent escape under cover of darkness. Such a -construction would not have long restrained the type of officers who -were prisoners of war in Libby or Andersonville. The officers were fed -better than was to have been expected under the circumstances, since -for several months the food supply from the outer world had been cut -off from the Transvaal. They were, indeed, receiving every day better -rations than the officers of the Transvaal army themselves obtained. -Their quarters were comfortable, each officer having an iron cot in the -large room, with an ample supply of blankets and linen. - -After obtaining permission to deliver the letter to Lieutenant Kelly, I -drove out to the prison. I had not been within speaking distance of the -enclosure three minutes when some of the officers began loud insults. -They did not wait to ascertain why I was there; to them I was merely a -“Yank,” coming there out of idle curiosity. A group gathered around the -entrance of the barricade and called out insultingly to me and to the -Boer officials who were with me, all of whom speak English with but a -slight trace of accent, if any at all. Some of the Englishmen even went -to the extreme of tossing sticks and stones at our party. I made some -comment on this behavior to the commandant in charge at the prison, and -he replied: - -“Oh, do not mind them; they always do this sort of thing when any one -comes out.” - -Their derisive remarks were particularly pointed towards Captain -von Losburg, a German-American who fought gallantly with the Boers, -commanding a battery of field artillery. Many of them knew him by name, -and among the English officers were a large number who had personally -surrendered to him, and whose lives he had literally spared when they -begged him to cease firing in battle; and yet they shouted insults to -him beyond the limit of endurance. Although his arm had been shattered -by a shell and he wore it in a sling, he told these officers that he -would gladly attempt to thrash any one of them for their language. He -had not brought it upon himself, for he had not said a word before they -began to vituperate him; in fact, the same thing had happened before, -so he came forewarned and endeavored not to heed their remarks. I was -thoroughly amazed, and could not believe that these shameless men held -the Queen’s commission; for in my estimation there is nothing more -unutterably mean than for a prisoner of war to insult the man from whom -he has begged his life. If it had been only myself upon whom they had -poured their torrent of abuse it would not have been so strange, for to -them I was an American who had cast my lot with their enemy; and they -did not know, for they did not stop to inquire, whether I was fighting -or not. It was almost beneath scorn, however, for them to abuse the man -who had so recently befriended them. - -When I entered the prison enclosure to meet Lieutenant Kelly, I was -compelled to pass directly through a large crowd of officers who had -gathered about the gate; as I did so I brushed elbows with a number of -them, but their offensive remarks continued until I had passed into the -building and out of earshot. The commandant who was conducting me asked -some of the officers who were standing about for Lieutenant Kelly, -saying that there was a letter awaiting him. A moment later an officer -ran up to me and said, in a manner full of excitement and anticipation, -“I hear you have a letter for Kelly. For God’s sake give it to me, for -I haven’t had a line from home since I’ve been in this place.” I was -about to deliver the letter to him when the commandant stopped him, -saying gently, “I am sorry, Captain, but this is for Lieutenant Kelly.” - -Never was keener disappointment pictured on a man’s face, and he -staggered as though he had been struck; but after an instant, making an -effort to recover himself, he half extended his hands with a gesture -denoting resignation, shrugged his shoulders, and simply said, “Oh, I’m -sorry!” and turned away. - -[Illustration: 1. Released British officers in Pretoria after the entry -of Lord Roberts. - -2. Native East Indian servants of British officers in South Africa.] - -A few moments later I delivered the letter to Colonel Kelly’s son, who -was that day probably the happiest man in the prison. He courteously -invited me to remain for a time and meet some of his brother officers; -but after having witnessed the exhibition near the entrance I felt that -I wanted to get away from the place as soon as possible. - -Not many days after, the boom of the British guns resounded in the -valley; shells shrieked over the prison and fell into the little -city; and on a day early in June a horde of khaki poured over every -mountain side, from every hill-top, and flowed through the valley from -every direction. Pretoria was in the hands of the British, and these -prisoners were released after many weary months of captivity. There was -a wild scene of rejoicing about the prison, and the captives embraced -their rescuers, fairly dancing for joy at the regaining of their -liberty. That afternoon, in the public square, when Lord Roberts raised -the Union Jack over the State House, five of the English officers -came up to me and apologized for the conduct of their companions in -captivity on the occasion of my visit to their prison. - -“It was a shabby thing for them to do,” said one of them, “but then -you know there are bound to be cads in every lot.” I could not help -thinking, however, that there was a singularly large number of cads in -this particular lot, and also of the many tales that I had heard from -the Boers of similar conduct on the part of other English officers when -they were first captured. - -My friend, Mr. Richard Harding Davis, went to South Africa in complete -sympathy with the British cause, and joined General Buller’s army, -seeing much of the hardest campaigning on the Natal side. He was fully -convinced as to the rights of the English cause, and equally firm in -his opinion that the Boers were all they had been depicted by the press -of Great Britain. A little later he had occasion to withdraw from the -British forces and transfer his observations to the opposite side. He -did so with the full consent of the British authorities, and without -unfriendly disagreement. He had not been with the Afrikanders very -long before he was persuaded of their cause, seeing how grossly they -had been misrepresented by men who wrote without knowledge of the true -state of affairs, or who wrote in revenge after having been crossed -in some manner by the Transvaal authorities. Mr. Davis saw that the -men of these two South African Republics were not the dirty, ignorant, -bewhiskered settlers that had been pictured, but that they were -clubmen, professional men, and business men of every description and -many nationalities, as well as the typical farmers of the veldt known -to illustrated papers, and they were all fighting in a just cause and -defending their rights against territorial aggression. This was also, I -am safe in saying, the impression of all the correspondents who had the -opportunity of observing the war from the Boer side, no matter how warm -had been their early prejudice in favor of Great Britain. - -Mr. Davis went to the war as heartily prejudiced in favor of the -British officers as of the cause of England; but because he has had -sufficient strength of character and love of fair play to change -his sentiments and the tenor of his writing completely, he has been -malignantly attacked for making the same statement that I have -just made regarding the personal conduct of the British officers. -Nevertheless, this statement is a fact that remains absolutely true. -It seems incredible that such demeanor could have been manifested, and -I am free to confess that had I not been a witness I would not have -believed it. - -[Illustration: Lieutenant-General N. A. Miles, U. S. A.] - -I could not but think of the contrast shown between these captured -Englishmen and the Spanish officers who surrendered during the fighting -in the war with Spain. They were compelled by the fortunes of war to -put themselves in the keeping of the officers of a different nation, a -different race; men whom they had been taught to despise and for whom -they really had a bitter hatred. Yet they could not have been more -courteous had they been guests instead of prisoners. Admiral Cervera -and the officers of his fleet were for a time quartered at Annapolis, -and later in one of the New England sea-coast towns, where they enjoyed -many privileges of recreation and liberty. They met our American women -each day during their term of captivity, and their conduct showed most -conclusively their gentle breeding. When they came in direct meeting -with any of the ladies, they raised their caps with grave respect; in -many cases they were formally presented, and they invariably proved -themselves the gentlemen of refinement that officers are supposed to -be. When they met any of our officers, they never failed to give the -military salute, showing the respect in which they held their captors, -notwithstanding the bitterness in their hearts. Their demeanor, which -won the admiration of all our people, was in marked contrast to that of -some of the British officers towards their captors. - -At the beginning of the South African War I was not without a wish -that our government might have arrived at an open understanding with -the British Ministry. After their gracious attitude towards us in the -latter part of the Spanish-American War, it looked as though Englishmen -might be sincere in their friendship. One of the titled staff officers -following Lord Roberts was, to put it very mildly, exceedingly -discourteous to one of the American correspondents whose papers were -of considerable influence upon public sentiment. In discussing the -incident with one of General French’s highest staff officers, I asked -if it would not have been better had this officer been a trifle more -diplomatic and, by a little courtesy, made a friend rather than an -enemy of a man whose writings reached so many American readers. This -officer’s answer struck the keynote of the British sentiment when he -replied: - -“We do not care a tuppenny damn what any American on earth thinks of -us!” - -Within fifteen minutes that same officer asked whether America would -not stand by England in the event of a European war. - -There is no doubt that the English-speaking peoples should stand -together. But my recent experience at the seat of war, in London, and -at other European capitals, has convinced me, against my will, that -we must be slow in having faith that England is our friend. If the -occasion required she would not hesitate to point her guns towards us, -and her friendship would be turned to hostility in an hour. More true -friendliness towards America exists in Germany or Russia to-day than -in England. There is a serious fallacy in the premise that because -we speak the language of England we are more closely allied to that -country than to any other. - -To return from the digression, the army officer of to-day, to be a -complete success, must be exceedingly versatile in his accomplishments. -He must not only be a careful student of the science of war, but he -must also be a thorough business man. He must not only understand -the tactics of attack and defense, but he must be able to tell the -quality of hay and of butter. He must understand weights and measures -as accurately as an ordinary shop-keeper. Real war of this day has a -great deal of everything except fighting. Hundreds of men and officers -go through an entire campaign and never hear a shot fired; instead, -they study columns of figures, great sheets of warehouse returns, -and manifold way-bills of freight shipments. They may worry over the -price of wheat or the weight of live stock on the hoof, but never over -bullets or bayonets. The only orders they give are written on little -slips of “flimsy,” such as you see the station agent hand into the -cab to the engineer just before the train pulls out. The only possible -difference between this sort of an officer and a regular business man -is that the officer wears a uniform and works much harder for less -money. - -During the Cuban campaign, and, in fact, ever since, the American -officers have been called upon to perform every duty that man could do; -and, greatly to their credit, they have in almost every case performed -their tasks creditably. When in Havana with General Ludlow’s staff, -for the first five months following the American occupation, I had an -excellent opportunity to see the real worth of the American officer -outside of his fighting qualities. Colonel Bliss was taken from his -regiment and made Collector of the Port, and has performed the duties -of that very peculiar and trying office, with raw clerks, incomparably -better than it had ever been done before. Captain Charles G. Treat -and Major Pitcher sat on the judicial bench and meted out justice in -the police and criminal courts. Colonel Black suddenly found himself -a superintendent of streets and of public works. Major Greble became -the custodian of the poor. In fact, every office, from that of the -governor-general down, in the entire government, was occupied by an -army officer, whose performance of the new duty was more thorough and -practical than could have been expected from most civilians. Not only -were these officers called upon to attend to all matters of ordinary -routine, but they were compelled to restore destroyed records, to -delve into the land titles of the island, and to handle problems of a -delicate nature which would seem to require the study of a lifetime. - -[Illustration: 1. General French and staff, South Africa.] - -[Illustration: 2. American officers of the Eighth Infantry en route to -the Philippines.] - -Not only the officers of the army, but also the officers of the navy, -have had charge of an administration difficult and complicated; and -in every case they have met the requirements of their unmilitary -duty. The great majority of instances where this excellent work has -been accomplished are hidden away in the records of the departments, -and the men will never get the slightest notice for what they have -done--because they did it well. - -On this executive side of the modern soldier’s duty the British -officers are also abundantly deserving of admiration for business-like -efficiency. The selections made for civil administration in captured -territory were, on the whole, fortunate. Especial credit belongs to the -Army Service Corps, through whose splendid management the stupendous -task of supply and transportation from the ends of the earth to the -interior of Africa was effected without breakdown. There is, however, -no comparison between the American and the British officers in the -knowledge of their strictly military profession. This is not to be -wondered at when their difference in training is considered. One has -been taught to be a social success, while the other has been trained to -be a man of tempered steel, being compelled to pass at each promotion -an examination of which not half the officers of the British army could -meet the requirements. - -[Illustration: General Ian Hamilton in South Africa.] - -Until it comes to the critical test, however, the British army gets -along just as well as though the officers worried themselves about the -fine principles of the art of war. It is astonishing how dependent the -officers are upon their men. One morning, while with General French’s -staff during the operations in South Africa, I was waiting for a man -to put the saddle on my horse; being rather impatient, as an action -was expected, I remarked to one of the staff officers standing by that -I would not wait, and so picked up my saddle, swung it on the horse, -and began to cinch it up. The officer watched me in an interested, -half-amused way for a moment, and then said, “My word! but you’re -clever!” I asked what he meant. “Why,” he answered, “you can saddle -your own horse.” “Most certainly,” I replied; “can’t you?” “Well,” said -he, “I suppose I could, although I have never tried, for my man always -does that.” And that man was a cavalry officer. - -A signal difference between the English and American officer is that -the former cannot forget his Piccadilly manner when he is in the field; -while the latter, no matter whether he is a regular or a volunteer, -once in the field he is a soldier through and through. There are some -of this type in the British service, but they are few and far between. - -One of the most typical soldiers I have ever seen in any service was -Colonel Beech, now a captain of the Reserve, who was for about ten -years commanding an Egyptian regiment of cavalry. He is still a young -man, but he has had more experience in war than usually comes to any -ten men. He has seven clasps to his Egyptian medal, having been in -every campaign waged about the Nile by the British in conquering the -country. He is a man of enormous force, and perfect knowledge of all -branches of military work, and is to-day a better soldier than the -majority of generals who are commanding. He is much the same type of -man that Kitchener is, and naturally, as he was trained in the same -school. - -Lord Roberts is also a splendid type of the fine soldier, who has -solved his problems, with all their difficulties, as a master genius -of war. His critics in London contended that he was not severe -enough in his handling of the people of the two Republics. But Lord -Roberts understood the people he was dealing with, and sought to use -conciliatory methods on that account. The present British army and the -present generation in England have been accustomed to exceedingly harsh -measures against their foes, who have usually been of half-civilized -races; measures which were absolutely necessary in order to make any -impression upon the sort of enemy they were fighting. The conditions -during the present war are entirely different, and Lord Roberts has -done all that he could--all any man could do--to bring matters to a -close. It is deplorable that such a magnificent soldier should be -unfairly criticised by those who keep at home. They do not realize that -the prolonging of the war is not the fault of their general, but is due -to the unconquerable spirit of the men whose country they are invading. - -[Illustration: Brigadier-General Fitzhugh Lee, United States Army.] - -The two wars of the last three years have overthrown a great many -traditions, suppositions, and theories regarding various branches of -military service, both in the navy and the army; and a new collection -of facts now stands in their stead. The American army has been hampered -by the uncertainty of the theory, while the army of the British Empire -has been bound to the traditions of past centuries to such a degree as -to cost immeasurably the lives of thousands of her bravest men, and to -cause a series of useless disasters and defeats, nearly all of which -can be laid almost directly to incompetent officers of the sort that -carry canes on active service and have tea served by body-servants -every afternoon. - -[Illustration: Major-General J. R. Brooke, United States Army.] - -An Australian war correspondent, Mr. Hales, has recently given his -opinion of the British army in the London _Daily News_. He says: “I -don’t suppose Australia will ever ask another Englishman to train -her volunteers. If there was one British institution your colonial -believed in more than another it was the British army. Their belief -in the British army is shattered. The idol is broken.” He describes -the officers as men “with their eye-glasses, their lisps, their -hee-haw manners, their cigarettes, their drawling speech, their -offensive arrogance, their astonishing ignorance, their supercilious -condescensions, their worship of dress, their love of luxury, their -appalling incompetence. - -“Many a soldier I’ve asked why he scuttled. ‘Tommy, lad, why did you -run, or why did you throw up your hands?’ I’d say. - -“‘What’s the use of being killed?’ he’d answer. ‘’E don’t know where ’e -are,’ meaning his officer. ‘I’d go anywheres if I’d a man to show me -the way.’ - -“I believe if Kitchener had been chief in command he’d have shot some -of those officers who surrendered. If the army is to be reformed it -is with this class of young man they will have to start. Let him -understand that soldiering is hard, stern business, and not play. The -average officer hasn’t a mind above golf or cricket. He knows nothing -of drill. He can’t ride. The mounted infantry is a farce. A Boer’s -horse is a part of him. If there is a body of them, and you watch them -through a glass, each man is off, has taken cover and led his horse -away before you can say ‘knife.’ But watch a body of British. They have -to wait for orders before they dismount; cover has to be pointed out -to them; they have no initiative. Napoleon got his officers from the -ranks. Who would make such a good officer as a sergeant-major? Instead -of glory when they come home--glory and guzzling--some of the officers -should get three years--you know where.” - -This is what the colonials have begun to think of the imperial -officers, and it is a growing opinion. Let me not be understood to -infer that there are no worthy or intelligent officers; there are -hundreds of them who understand all the details of war thoroughly, -but they are tremendously hampered by the men of the other class. -The British Empire has not the advantage of the great reserve of -leaders, men who, like General Fitzhugh Lee, General Joseph Wheeler, -and hundreds of others, have had years of experience in actual war. -These are the men who are the mainstay of a nation while the younger -generation are getting their baptism of fire. - - - - -CHAPTER V. - -American and British Tactics - - -[Illustration: American Officer at Siboney.] - -The Spaniards might have done better if they had not been so impressed -with the unknown in the tactics and strategy of the American invaders. -The Boers erred in having too much contempt for the British methods. -After their series of extraordinary victories over superior forces at -the beginning of the war, it was a common saying in Pretoria, “Fifteen -or twenty of you men come up here; a British regiment is coming.” The -echo of this jeer was at the evacuation, when a burgher said to me, as -he swung himself on his pony, “If we only had even terms, like fifteen -or twenty to one, we could lick them; but when they come forty to one -we can’t do anything.” It is a mortal mistake either to overestimate or -underestimate your enemy. - -Tactics and strategy extend into technical military science, and can -be treated in nice detail only by expert students. The following -observations are offered accordingly, not from any technical point -of view, but as the witness of one who on the field has watched the -operations of a number of campaigns, and who has tried to see things -not merely as they seem at the hour, but also as they look afterwards. - -Tactics are not to be confounded with strategy. Strategy, speaking -largely, is the planning of the thing which an army has to do; tactics -is the manner in which an army does it. The strategy of a campaign -may be carefully planned by the wise men of the War Department or by -the commanding general. It may be infallible on paper; but if the -tactics of the general officers in the field cannot follow the lines -thus laid down, the strategy is a drag anchor on the success of the -army. On the other hand, the tactics according to which the troops are -disposed, moved, and fought may be so unpractical, so poorly adapted to -the conditions of the country and of the hostile force, that the best -conceived strategy will be made foolish. - -In strategy the conditions of the Cuban and African campaigns were so -dissimilar that a comparison is less significant than in tactics. The -American War Department planned an invasion of Cuba near Havana. The -spot actually selected was Mariel, a few miles west of Havana. Here, -under cover of the fleet, a fortified camp, as a base of operations, -was to be established, and Havana was to be invested. Admiral Cervera’s -fleet, however, was first to be destroyed, the equipment of the army -gathering at Tampa was to be completed, and the unhealthy summer season -was to be escaped as far as possible by the delay. There seemed to be -no other objective than Havana, for there were over 100,000 Spanish -troops behind fortifications, the strength of which was never known -until they were evacuated at last without a blow. Had those formidable -works been attempted, the carnage would have been more frightful than -the worst of the South African battles. - -But the unexpected happened, and changed the entire strategy of the -campaign. Cervera sailed into Santiago Harbor and refused to come -out. To aid the navy in destroying him an army corps was despatched -to Santiago, and the capture of that stronghold, together with the -annihilation of the Spanish fleet, led Spain to acknowledge defeat. -Thus the first strategic plan, which was both correct and costly, was -abandoned in a sudden exigency for a diversion on a small scale, which -turned out to be decisive. In all this development of strategy there -was nothing histrionic; there was only an obvious common sense which -suggests the method of sound business men going at a problem with -determination and yet deliberation, with economy and yet quickness of -adaptation. The first blow of the war at Manila was dramatic enough, -but it was also plain, business-like strategy, which had been for -silent months in preparation; and the final blow in Porto Rico was -likewise very good business. Upon the whole, a survey of the problem -offered by the conditions of the Spanish war reveals a shrewd and -unerring strategy on the part of the United States. On the other hand, -while we came to respect the Spanish in the highest degree as brave -and dutiful men, we cannot regard the strategy of the Spanish War -Office as anything but puerile. Spain saw the war coming before we did, -and she might have put up a far better fight with no greater loss. - -In overcoming the Boers Great Britain had a problem of appalling -magnitude. Her soldiers were to be transported from the ends of the -earth to the Cape, and then to march as far as from New York to -Denver before they could reach the enemy’s capital. Their line of -communication was to be guarded in force at every bridge, trestle, -and causeway for the whole of that immense distance. Cape Colony, -the base of operations, was itself almost a hostile country. Three -besieged British garrisons were to be relieved, and they required three -diverging armies of rescue. The keeping up of the soldiers’ spirits -over such a prodigious march, and the maintenance of the trains that -fed them, constituted a problem such as no other army of this century -has had to face. That the War Office in London did undertake it, and -did actually overcome the natural obstacles which were more formidable -than any fighting force that could meet the British in the field, -showed a mental comprehension and perspicacity, as well as a perfection -of organization, that has properly engaged the admiration of every -strategist in Europe. Whatever blunders of tactics in the field were -thrown up by incompetent officers, there was a big, clear brain behind -it all, that knew the immense business, kept it going, saw beyond the -diverging armies, effected a concentration, captured the capitals of -two states, and accomplished military results that seemed impossible. -The strategy accomplishing all this is of the very first order, and is -a power which the warrior nations of the world must take into account. - -In the tactics displayed by the American and British armies there is -naturally a more proper ground for comparison than in the strategy of -the two recent campaigns. Strategy is necessarily the variable quantity -depending on combinations of conditions; but tactics, as the immediate -methods of accomplishing the requirements of strategy, are to be judged -by the invariable gauge of practicalness. - -The tactics of the American soldier have been the outcome of -generations of Indian wars and of fighting in woods and mountains. Our -colonial forefathers established the general principles of our present -fighting methods when they learned the art of warfare from the natives -of the wilderness. When Colonel Washington saved General Braddock’s -defeated British regulars from annihilation by the Indians, he -employed, in the main, the same tactics we now use. Washington implored -the British general to dispose his men like the pioneer volunteers, as -individual fighters; but the Royal officer disdained to take lessons -from a colonial. The British stubbornness was in the end fortunate for -the colonies, for the American victories of the War of Independence -were won by the common-sense tactics natural to men who had handled -long rifles from their boyhood, and who had learned to hide first and -shoot afterwards. The slaughter of the retreat from Concord to Boston, -the terrible losses at Bunker Hill, the defeats at Bennington and -Saratoga, were the work of men who sighted their foe with the same -precision that they aimed at wildcats, and took as few chances as -possible themselves. - -During that war an attempt was made by Washington to introduce the -Prussian tactics into the continental army. Baron Steuben drilled the -raw frontiersmen according to the rules of the Great Frederick, and -the result was unquestionably advantageous, as the men gained military -form and learned discipline. Had the Boers submitted themselves to -such discipline and obedience to commanders, had they been content to -do more “team work” and less determined to fight as individuals, they -might not have lost their positions. But the American continental, -with all his new-fangled discipline, never forgot that he was out to -kill rather than to drill; he was a hunter, and the pomp of volley -firing never led him to waste powder and ball. He kept his head, and -his finger stayed on the trigger until the sights on the rifle had a -perfect alignment on a red coat. - -But while the colonial idea of war has ever been a persistent influence -upon the tactics of the army of the United States, the troops of King -George sailed back to England without an idea that their methods needed -mending. Their success against Napoleon was not due to reformed -tactics, but because in fighting quality, man for man, they were better -than the French, and because they had plenty of allies. Barring the -Crimea, the wars of Great Britain since Waterloo have not been against -white men until they attacked the Boers. Whatever adaptations of method -were made in fighting Asiatic tribesmen, the general tactics of the -army in the field seemed to experience no radical change until the -world was horrified to see General Buller charging up kopjes against -magazine rifles and machine guns in not far from the same formation in -which Howe had led his men to slaughter on Bunker Hill. - -There was a vast difference between those South African frontal attacks -at the beginning of the war and the charges up the hill of El Caney -and San Juan in Cuba. The American assault was sanguinary enough, and -the resistance was more desperate than that offered by the Boers. But -had the blue shirts marched up in columns of fours, or swept up in the -old-fashioned line of battle of the Civil War, the carnage would have -turned to annihilation. They scattered, they abandoned all formation, -they crawled, they sprinted from one poor shelter to another; they -knew what the Mauser rifle would do, and they adapted their offensive -tactics to it. - -On the other hand, the traditions of Waterloo and Balaklava prevailed -at Spion Kop, Colenso, and along the Tugela and Modder rivers. To “get -in with cold steel” seemed to be the ruling thought among the officers -during the terrible first months of the campaign. - -[Illustration: Boer fighting men watching a British flanking movement -during the battle of Pretoria, while building defenses.] - -But the lesson was learned, eventually, that the long-range rifle, -with its incessant fire and the Boer precision of aim, required a -complete change in offensive operations. After the disasters to Buller -and Methuen the tactics developed into operations more creditable from -a modern point of view. With the advent of Lord Roberts, flanking -became the feature of the British advance. The Boer forces have never -been of sufficient strength to withstand a flanking movement by the -British; they have always been compelled to withdraw whenever the -flanking columns reached a point that would menace their retreat. When -the British came into Pretoria, the officers and correspondents all -complained of what they called lack of pluck in the Boer as a fighter, -as shown in the operations north of Bloemfontein; but in no instance -at that part of the campaign did they have an opportunity to defend -themselves against purely frontal attack, like those in which General -Buller made himself conspicuous for his fatal old-fashioned tactics. -Lord Roberts’s army was in sufficient strength, so that he could employ -a main force of infantry and artillery of from 30,000 to 40,000, and -could send out flanking columns, of cavalry and mounted infantry with a -few horse batteries, of about 10,000 each. - -Thus, when a Boer position was developed, the main advance took an -artillery position at long range and maintained an incessant shell -fire, while the mounted troops were sent out on either flank in an -attempt to cut off the retreat of the burghers. As soon as these -flanking columns reached a certain point from which a junction of the -two forces might be made, the Boers were compelled to withdraw, in -many cases without firing a shot. Sometimes this column of cavalry or -mounted infantry would be fifteen or twenty miles away on their flank; -but owing to their admirable signal service and their perfect scouting -they were able to keep informed as to the enemy’s whereabouts, and -at the last moment, just before a junction was made to cut off their -retreat, they would slip through. Cronje’s capture at Paardeburg was -due to the fact that he misjudged the movements of the troops on his -flank. His officers begged him to retire, but he insisted on holding -the position one day longer. That delay of one day proved to be fatal; -on the next morning he was surrounded by about 40,000 of the enemy, -with overwhelming batteries. After twelve days of the most heroic -defense, when his ammunition was expended, and the action of the heat -on the dead bodies in his laager made it intolerable, he was compelled -to surrender. That was the only time the British succeeded in capturing -any large number by the flanking movement, although they always -succeeded in preventing any serious opposition to their advance. - -The country which has been the scene of operations in South Africa -seemed designed by nature for defensive operations. In the Orange Free -State the veldt stretches away for miles and miles, broken by single -kopjes and short ranges of mountains, from which a sentinel can note -the approach of a hostile force in the far distance. In the Transvaal, -although the country is more broken, it is easy to watch the enemy’s -approach; and with the excellent signal service of the Boers it has -been practically impossible for an advancing column to surprise the -defending force. - -The drifts or fords of the rivers were the most serious difficulty -that had to be overcome by the British in transportation of their -wagon-trains and artillery. By long action of the water in the rivers -they have been cut deep, so that the descent from the ordinary level -of the country to the bed of the stream is at most places very sharp. -Strangely, there was no attempt, except at the railway bridges, to -improve in any manner these difficult fords, although in many cases an -hour’s work by a company of engineers, or by any kind of a company, -would have saved many hours’ delay in the transportation. - -[Illustration: British soldiers pulling army wagons across a drift.] - -I stood at one ford for over three hours, watching the passage of a -wagon-train which might have been taken over in a single hour had the -bed of the river been cleared of stones and rocks, as would have been -done by the first American officer to pass that way. The water was -not more than eighteen inches deep, and the obstructing rocks could -easily have been picked up by hand, and a way cleared by a dozen men. -Instead of that, a long wagon-train was taken over, with every wheel -in the train in jeopardy, and with a total wrecking of two wagons. At -some drifts the descent into the river and the ascent of the opposite -bank was so steep that the animals had to be assisted by a company of -men with a long rope attached to the wagon, to ease it down and haul -it out. This was the regular custom at a drift within twelve miles of -Pretoria, where there was every facility for bridging, and where a -company of sappers could have constructed a span in a few hours that -would have stood during the rest of the occupation of the district. - -At the foot of San Juan hill, in Cuba, there was a ford of a river -where the bottom was perfectly hard and smooth, and after the barbed -wire entanglements laid by the Spaniards had been removed, it could -have been used without bridging and without any serious loss of time. -But as the river banks were steep the engineers quickly threw a span -across, using the thick bamboo which abounds in the jungle; and this -adequate bridge allowed the men to be sent forward on the advance in -better time and in better condition. Similar tactics could have been -employed at many passages in South Africa that would have greatly -assisted in the operations, but for some reason, and at great cost, -they were neglected. - -In the use of the balloon the British showed high proficiency and -effectiveness throughout the entire campaign. The huge silken bag was -attached to a heavy wagon, and was drawn, fully inflated, by a span -of thirty or forty oxen. The successful use of this auxiliary was -facilitated by the open nature of the country. The information obtained -thus was exceedingly valuable to Lord Roberts during his advance -towards Pretoria. Not only, however, is it a material advantage to a -force to possess this direct method of getting information, it also -has a certain moral effect upon the enemy that is in itself powerful. -This is somewhat similar to the effect that a heavy artillery fire -has upon well-intrenched infantry; the shells are not apt to hurt -anybody--indeed, a heavy artillery bombardment of field intrenchments -is usually as harmless as a political pyrotechnic display, except for -the trying effect on the imagination and nerves of the men who are -being fired at. But the Boers were bothered more by the balloon than by -ballooning shells. - -[Illustration: Boer artillerists waiting under shell fire for the -British advance.] - -One day I was lying in the Boer trenches under an exceedingly heavy -artillery fire, which the burghers did not mind more than a hailstorm. -They were well under cover of the _schanzes_ which they had built along -the ridge of the kopje, and they were calmly awaiting the British -advance, smoking and chatting in nonchalant fashion, without a trace of -nervousness. Suddenly some one spied the balloon as it slowly rose in -front of us, and its apparition created a perceptible consternation for -some moments. This agitation was not fear, for the Boers knew perfectly -well that danger was no more imminent than before; but the thought that -the enemy from whom they were concealing themselves could see them as -perfectly as though the mountain were not there certainly got on their -nerves. - -The work of the balloon corps was valuable in that it could discover to -the artillery the position not only of the fighting line, but also of -the reserves and of the horses, and of the line of retreat. The mid-air -observer before Pretoria found and pointed out the range of the railway -line leading towards Middleburg, by which the retreat was being made, -so that the naval guns began to shell the line, hoping to break it -by a lucky shot, or to disable a train. As it happened, however, the -trajectories did not strike the narrow lines of rails, but they did -cause the American Consul, Mr. Hay, some inconvenience, as they filled -his consulate full of holes, though he kept on calmly at his work; -finally a sympathetic neighbor sent over his compliments and suggested -that they have tea together in the lee of his house; everybody else in -that vicinity had fled. - -But if the balloon was an important feature of tactics in South Africa, -it cannot be said that the Americans in Cuba made a brilliant success -of it. The balloon before Santiago proved a boomerang, since the -officer in charge was a trifle too enthusiastic and too anxious to keep -his toy on the firing line. The advance towards San Juan hill was made -through a jungle through which only one road led by which the troops -could move forward. Just below the hill along the military crest of -which the Spanish trenches were built, the undergrowth stopped, leaving -an open area several hundred yards wide across which the final charge -was to be made. The regiments moved forward along this narrow road, and -deployed as best they could through the undergrowth. The reserves were -held at a fork of the river, about half a mile back, huddled together -in a very small space. Just in front of the reserves was an open -ground. Thinking only of the balloon’s convenience, but thoughtless -of the danger to the reserves, the signal-service men planted their -apparatus here and began to inflate the mounting bag. - -As soon as the balloon was prepared it was ordered into the air, and -instantly it became the target of the Spanish artillerists. It was hit -several times, though without apparent effect; but the shells that -missed it broke into the crowds of the reserves. Shell after shell -found that unseen target, killing and wounding large numbers. Thus -the Spaniards inflicted their greatest injury upon our troops without -knowing they were doing so. Aides were rushed forward to get the -fatal thing somewhere else; but it was already winged and sinking to -the earth. After that melancholy fiasco it was folded away and not -used again. This unfortunate blunder should not, however, be permitted -to discredit the use of the balloon in our army. The notable success -of the British in operating it, and its helpfulness to them, amply -demonstrate its practicality. - -[Illustration: The battle of Pretoria, June 4, 1900; Boer guns in -action; British advance along the first range of hills.] - -The tactics of Lord Roberts at the capture of Pretoria were badly at -fault. The taking of that city was attended by a glaring military -blunder unexpected from that great leader. It seemed to be the -commander’s only idea to get into the town and to occupy it, rather -than to cut off the enemy’s retreat and capture him. The advance was -made along the road from Johannesburg, the main force being composed -almost entirely of infantry and artillery. The customary flanking -movements were commenced. Hutton’s division of mounted infantry swung -around one flank for a short distance. French’s cavalry division -started around the other flank, but did not get very far before the -fighting ceased. It happened that General Botha had not defended -Pretoria, and the action that lasted during the entire day of June 4th -was merely a rear-guard action, to cover the retirement of the main -force. Consequently, no matter what course Lord Roberts might have -pursued, he could not have captured more than 1,500 prisoners. But the -British commander did not know the state of affairs in Pretoria, -and was led to believe that he would be opposed by the concentrated -commandoes of General Botha and General de la Rey. Had such been the -case his tactics would have allowed the escape of the entire force, -as they did allow the slipping away of the rear guard. Had the field -marshal delayed the attack of the main body for another day, or even -two days, and allowed his mounted troops to get well into the rear, he -could have cut off the retreat of the burghers. Instead, his premature -frontal attack in force compelled them to retire under the cover of -darkness long before their flanks were even threatened. - -The miscarriage seemed like another case of British superciliousness -towards their foe, which has repeatedly cost them so dear. After -Bloemfontein the Boers had been kept so on the run that, to some minds, -the employment of costly strategy on the part of the British might seem -needless. They were in such tremendous force compared to the number of -Boers opposing them that they rolled down over the veldt, a flood of -khaki, irresistible in power. If they were opposed at one point of the -advance, they merely kept on marching either side of the threatened -position, until the flanking movement compelled the Boers to withdraw. -The British did not seem to attempt actually surrounding and cutting -off the retreat of the Boers, but were content with merely driving -them back. The inadequacy of this plan was clearly manifest after -Pretoria had been reached, for the force of their enemy was not in the -least broken. On the contrary, the burghers showed conclusively that -they were the strategic masters of the situation. Nothing but their -masterly movements saved them from defeat and capture early in the -war; and after Pretoria, when the London press began to call the Boers -guerrillas, wandering brigands, and outlaws, there was just as clever -strategy shown in the manner in which the Transvaal and Orange Free -State leaders handled their men as though a mighty army had been at -their command. - -I asked General Botha why he did not concentrate all the forces in the -field, so that he could make some decided stands. He answered: “We -have talked the matter well over, and have made a definite form of -campaign for the remaining portion of the war. Should we gather all our -fighting men together into one force we could undoubtedly make some -very pretty fights; but there would be only a few of them, for with the -overwhelming force against us they could soon surround any position we -could take, and there would be an end to our cause. As it is, we will -split up into four or five commands, continue operations independently -of each other, but keep absolutely in touch, and confer on the general -plan of campaign at all times. It took your colonial troops seven years -of that sort of work to gain independence against the same country, -and we can do the same thing. We can fight seven years without being -crushed, and should we gain our independence at the end of that time -we would consider the time well spent.” - -General Botha pointed to the facts that his troops were in better -condition and had greater resources than Washington’s ever had; that -there was more accord among his burghers than there was among the -American colonial troops; and that, more important still, the entire -population of the country was in absolute sympathy with the cause. This -shows why a campaign can develop into what the British call guerrilla -warfare and still be a part of a splendid strategical plan. In my mind, -the operations in South Africa cannot be called guerrilla warfare -so long as the Boer commands of 3,000 or 4,000 men move on regular -marches, with heavy and light artillery, baggage-trains, and assisted -by signal corps. From these commands small detachments are sent out for -the various duties of blowing up a bridge or a culvert, attacking a -force sufficiently small in number, or capturing a supply train. All of -these operations are done under a system of regular order, and are not, -as the British reports would lead us to believe, the work of mere bands -of robbers or outlaws. - -The strategy shown in these movements, and, in the main, the tactics -and their execution, have been of a superlative order, although not -developed from military text-books, but rather from the natural brain -of a lion-hunter. It is to be regretted that more of the movements -have not been chronicled, so that the military world might have been -benefited by a study of these operations. - -The facts that at last the British overwhelmed the Boers with their -inexhaustible supplies of troops, and that the general strategy -of the campaign proved successful, do not justify their careless -tactics in the routine of the campaign. If matched against a larger -and more aggressive army than that of the Boers, this characteristic -carelessness might have been very fatal. - -Here is a curious instance of this inexplicable heedlessness. The -first important engagement after the occupation of Pretoria was the -battle of Diamond Hill, about sixteen miles north of the capital, and -it was fought by Lieutenant-General French, who commanded the cavalry -division. His command had been very much weakened by drafts upon it -for duty about army headquarters in Pretoria, so that he did not have -more than 3,000 men at his call. This cavalry command, with a few guns, -went out to ascertain the position taken by the retreating burghers. -They found them strongly entrenched on a range of hills commanding the -valley through which the British were to advance. The battle lasted -three days, the fighting going on all that time. General French told -me, on the third night, when we were at dinner, that it had been the -hardest fight he had had during the campaign, and that he doubted -whether he could hold the position until noon the next day, when Lord -Roberts had promised him reënforcements. - -General French was surrounded on three sides with what he said was -an overwhelming force of the enemy, _and yet he did not station any -pickets or outposts even on his headquarters camp_. Captain Beech -brought a wagon-train into the center of the camp, through the lines, -without so much as a challenge. The bitter cold of the high veldt -kept me awake that night, and about three o’clock in the morning I -heard horsemen riding through the lines. They took no especial care -to keep their movements secret, so I imagined them to be friends, -but lay waiting for the expected challenge. None came, and the party -of horse rode nearer and nearer until it came quite up to General -French’s headquarters, near a little farmhouse. Dawn was just breaking, -and in the gray light I recognized Captain Beech as he rode up to -headquarters. Captain Beech is an old campaigner in experience if not -in years, and such negligence of the most ordinary and primary needs -of campaigning seemed to him outrageous. He expressed himself with -highly-colored vehemence. - -“Why,” he exclaimed, “the Boers could ride in here and take the whole -outfit, for there isn’t an outpost on the camp; and you are the only -one who heard me coming on with a whole wagon-train.” - -It staggers an American to comprehend such a situation; and if the -Boers had had a little energy that night they might easily have taken -the whole command. It is an instinct of animals and birds to have -their pickets. When a herd of deer is grazing on the plains, a few -are always left on the outskirts to watch for danger; when a flock of -birds is feeding on the ground, sentries are left in the trees; but the -ordinary British officer does not seem to share that useful instinct. -I asked one of General French’s staff if it was the custom of all -commands to ignore the necessity of placing outposts, and he said: - -“Oh, what’s the use? They never attack at night.” - -The fact that they do not make night attacks and are not more keenly -alive to such possibilities does not justify the British neglect of -outposts and pickets. I have ridden in and out of Pretoria at all times -of day and night without once being challenged, although it was well -known at headquarters that the residents of the town were communicating -with the Boer commanders every day. A little Afrikander girl of sixteen -told me as a jolly joke that she had ridden out on her bicycle to see -her father, who had a command in the hills within five miles of the -center of Pretoria. She said that she rode part of the way with a -mounted picket, with whom she chatted as they rode along. An order was -issued by the military governor that every one who wished to ride a -bicycle or a horse, or to drive in a carriage, must get a permit to do -so; and the fair young patriot said that after this it was easier than -ever, for she used the permit as a pass, and none of the Tommies ever -knew the difference. - -The conclusion of my observations is that in every-day tactics the -British officer still commits the radical error of taking too much -for granted. This is almost a racial error, for it has always been -his besetting sin to despise his foe and to be surprised by clever -tricks. Herein he is thoroughly unlike the American officer, as well as -unlike his own allies from Canada and Australia. The nimble wit of the -newer countries and the expert training of the West Pointer lead both -Americans and colonials to keep thinking what the enemy may be doing -and to take no bravado chances. - -After these criticisms of certain features of British tactics it is a -pleasure to recall a piece of work by the Royal Horse Artillery on the -last day of that battle, which would win the respect and admiration -of every American soldier. Diamond Hill is a very high kopje, rising -directly out of a plain, and from the beginning of the rise it is fully -half a mile to the summit, the latter part of the ascent being very -steep. The sides of the kopje are covered with huge rocks, some of them -ten feet high, and standing in every conceivable position, just as they -rested at the time of a great upheaval that broke the earth’s strata. -It was almost impossible to walk over the rocks, they were so rough and -jagged, yet the officers and men of this battery brought their guns -to the very top of the kopje and commanded the entire valley. It was -a magnificent thing to do, and almost incredible; I never before saw -soldiers bring to pass such an apparently impossible attempt. But it -evidently was not an unusual achievement in that campaign of titanic -labors, for it occasioned no comment. - -[Illustration: 1. The Unpicturesqueness of Modern War. In the range of -this photograph of the battle of Diamond Hill the hardest fighting is -going on. Twenty cannon and 3,000 rifles are firing, and two regiments -are charging; but no more could be seen than is shown above. - -2. A difficult kopje; two hundred men are hiding behind the rocks.] - -Perhaps no better illustration can be given of the new military -conditions which modern strategy and tactics have to meet than a -picture that shows how an actual battlefield looks. During the third -day the fighting had been very severe, and in one place in the line -the British had been compelled to charge a position several times in -order to prevent being completely surrounded. There were eight Maxim -one-pounder machine guns, several Colts’ machine guns, and a large -number of heavy guns in action during the entire day, and at one -time they were all concentrated at one point. I took a photograph, -which shows better than anything else how modern warfare has lost all -picturesque features. This picture shows nothing but a placid landscape -that might have been taken on any farm, instead of which thousands of -men were fighting desperately. At the time the photograph was taken -there was a charge going on, but the khaki clothing makes the men -invisible to the camera. Bullets were singing across the plain like -sheets of rain, and shells were screeching overhead; along the ridge -there was a constant crackling of small arms; but the landscape itself -was as quiet as that of a New England farm. - - - - -CHAPTER VI. - -Feeding the Two Armies - - -[Illustration: U. S. Officer providing for feeding the poor.] - -The most important work of an army is that of the commissary -department, which is the one division of labor that receives the least -credit and no glory. An army might get along without its engineer -corps, or its signal service; it could at least march without guns; but -it cannot move a foot without its full supply of food. - -A few days before Santiago fell, General Shafter wired the War -Department that he thought it likely he would be compelled to withdraw. -The despatch was made public in the press; to withdraw meant a retreat, -and instantly a wave of indignation arose against General Shafter. He -was blamed for being weak; he was blamed for allowing himself to be -drawn into a trap; he was blamed for everything that the criticising -public could think of in their resentment. That the American army -should retreat was maddening to the people, for they could see no -reason for such action, except the power of the enemy against them. It -was not the enemy, however, that threatened to drive the Fifth Army -Corps back, nor was it the weakness of the commanding general--it was -a rain storm. The columns had pushed forward toward Santiago as fast -as possible, and so long as the line of communication between the -front and the base of supplies at Siboney was open all went well. But -suddenly it rained, and then all was different. The road was eight -miles of swimming mud, flanked by impossible jungle; a wheel could not -turn in it, and the pack animals could flounder through it but slowly. -Hence the supply of rations at the front began to dwindle away, and -General Shafter decided that he must move his army toward the food -supply, as the food supply could not move toward the army. - -Lord Roberts was confronted by the same difficulty in South Africa, -and he met it in a masterly manner. The army supply corps that handles -the commissary department has been a marvel of efficiency. The work -of supplying the British army in the field in South Africa has been -done much better than the same work was done by the American force at -Tampa or in Cuba; and had it not been for the brilliant management -of Colonel (later General) John F. Weston, who was in command at the -base of supplies, General Shafter would certainly have been compelled -to withdraw from the positions that had been won after hard-fought -battles. Colonel Weston ignored all forms of the regular routine; his -one object was to feed the men on the fighting line, and feed them he -did. - -One day I heard one of his officers complaining that he could not -get some of his papers receipted, showing a delivery of rations to a -certain brigade, and Weston answered, in a characteristic manner, “Damn -the receipts! You give rations to anybody who wants them, and after -it’s all over I’ll receipt for the whole bunch; and if the government -doesn’t like it the government can have me--but the men won’t go -hungry.” - -Every time I had an opportunity of going to the supply depot I secured -all the tobacco I could buy to give to the men at the front. It was an -article worth more than its weight in gold, and there was no greater -pleasure than to have the chance of making some of the men happy. There -was a regulation against allowing one person to purchase more than a -pound of tobacco at one time. I asked permission of Colonel Weston -to be allowed to buy more; but he was loth to sell it to me until I -explained that I did not use it myself, but wanted it for the men. -After my explanation he would not sell it at all, but gave me all I -could carry. During this time the government held his receipt for all -this tobacco, and it really was equivalent to so much money. Colonel -Weston’s contempt for governmental red tape saved hundreds of lives in -the Santiago campaign; and instead of asking for an accounting for the -lack of receipts, the Washington government made him the head of the -subsistence department, where he has done the best work in rationing -our army at home and in our island possessions that has ever been known. - -Before the change in the head of the commissary department was made, -things were not so well done. We cannot do better than to look toward -England for some valuable points in the conduct of this department, -especially in the matter of army supplies for the warmer or tropical -countries. They have had more experience than we in feeding their -forces on foreign service, and consequently they have brought the -business to a state that borders on perfection. In strategy, fighting, -and the movement of troops they have been found lacking; but one of the -things they have done well is the feeding of their men. - -It is a colossal business to supply over 200,000 healthy men, with -field and mountain appetites, when they are 7,000 miles away from -home, and where there is an active enemy seeking to destroy their -communications. It would be a great task to feed that number of men -at home, where there is no difficulty in transportation; but when a -month’s time must be occupied for the delivery of the food stuffs, the -problem becomes most serious. - -[Illustration: Camp of a transport train in General French’s supply -column.] - -The quartermaster’s department of the British army has to provide the -rations for the men and forage for the animals; besides this, it is -called upon to furnish the transportation of the food stuffs, as well -as of the army itself. The paymaster’s work is also included in this -department. After the quartermaster’s department has put the supplies -on the ground, it falls to the lot of the Army Service Corps to deliver -it to the various commands in the field. - -The Army Service Corps is one of the features of the British army which -American authorities would do well to study. It is an armed and drilled -commissary corps, of about 4,000 officers and men, which handles the -entire work of that branch; but it is a fighting corps as well, when -occasion requires. This last feature is of great value, in that it does -away with the necessity of a detachment of men being drawn off as a -special guard for every wagon or two. The Army Service Corps acts as -its own convoy where only an ordinary one is required. When on home -duty, it presents a spirited appearance, with a military aspect fully -equal to that of the artillery. Its wagons and mounts are of the same -type as those of the artillery, and its general equipment is similar. - -This corps is one of the few departments that has done well its entire -duty during the South African campaign. The reason is obvious--there -was no theory regarding the appetite of a robust soldier; it was a -solemn fact, just as evident at Aldershot or on Salisbury Plain as -in the field. It has been just as real in Egypt or India during the -past years of peace as at the present moment at the Cape. The British -soldier ate as heartily when he was fighting fanatic dervishes as when -he fights the Boer; consequently that department was not compelled -on the field to test antiquated methods or to experiment with new -theories, only to find them wrong. - -The system that England works upon is the establishment of a base of -supplies at home, situated at Woolwich, where the government supply -depot was established for the especial purpose of meeting the demand -of an emergency in case of war. At this depot supplies have been kept -ready for shipment to the front at a moment’s notice. They are all -packed in cases, the heaviest of which weigh one hundred pounds, while -the majority weigh from thirty to eighty pounds. These cases are of -convenient size for rapid transportation in the field, and they are so -packed that it is not necessary to open them until they are issued to -the consumers. - -Cape Town was made the secondary, or field base, where all supplies are -shipped as fast as they can be loaded on ships; and it is necessary -to keep an extra supply of rations and forage sufficient for the -consumption of every man and animal on the field for three months, -at least, and as much more as it is possible to accumulate above the -amount used. Should this reserve stock be called upon, the men would be -put on shorter rations until it was an assured fact that the delay in -the arrival of fresh supplies was overcome. - -The reserve stock consists of 5,000 tons of canned beef, 5,000 tons of -white flour, 5,000 tons of hard bread, 90 tons of coffee, 50 tons of -tea, 780 tons of sugar, 150 tons of salt, 10 tons of pepper, 1,500 -tons of jam, 500,000 gallons of rum, 40,000 tons of oats, 40,000 -tons of corn and bran, 40,000 tons of hay. None of this may be used -unless it is absolutely necessary and all other supplies fail. Besides -this supply at the Cape, an intermediate depot was established at de -Aar junction, which is about half way to Pretoria; others were at -Bloemfontein and Johannesburg, and the last one was established at -Pretoria. - -My first idea when looking through these supply stations was of the -huge part America played in the South African war. One might well -imagine he was in the commissary department of the United States army, -as nearly all the supplies bear the mark of American production. While -I was at the German army manœuvres I observed the same thing--American -farmers were keeping the German army alive; and my first sight of -anything that pertained to war in the South African struggle was a -great pile of cases of the familiar Chicago canned beef, such as we -used in Cuba, on the wharf at Baira, in Portuguese South Africa. I -think the English army could be trailed from Cape Town to Middleburg by -empty cans of what they call “bully beef,” each one with the Chicago or -Kansas City label. - -“I didn’t know America was so large,” said an officer to me one day, -“until I saw so much tinned meat down here.” - -That same “tinned meat” from Chicago will do more to command the -respect of every European nation towards the United States than all the -battleships we can float. They have realized what it would mean to -attempt to feed an army without the assistance of America. - -[Illustration: A base of supplies at de Aar Junction.] - -Many shiploads of supplies came directly from American ports to the -Cape, not only of food stuffs, but also of horses, mules, and cattle. -It involves more to supply the animals of an army than to feed the -men themselves, for the quantity that is used by a mule, horse, or -ox is much greater than that required by a man. Each horse has to be -given twelve pounds of hay, twelve pounds of oats, and a pound of bran -every day. The mules receive ten pounds of oats, six pounds of hay, -and one pound of bran. The oxen are usually turned out to graze, and -find sufficient food in the veldt grass; when that is not abundant, -they receive about eight pounds of hay, but no grain. A large amount -of “mealies,” as American corn is called, is used in lieu of oats or -other grain, although in many cases the horses will not eat it, being -unaccustomed to it. It is always best to feed the animals on the -product of the country from which they come, if possible, as they do -not understand and will not eat strange grain. The native pony which -I rode in South Africa would not touch the plentiful oats, although at -one time he was without proper forage for several days. - -The use of spirituous liquors has been established in the British army -many years, and the issuance is still carried on in the same manner -that it was years ago. I do not think there is as much tobacco used -in the British army as in ours, although I have nothing but personal -observation to judge by in the supposition; but the Britisher wants -his “grog” in the army quite the same as in the navy. The issue is -about half a gill of rum per day. The quality used is of the very best -known, and it comes from a stock bought by the government in Jamaica -about forty years ago. The last of that old supply is now being used. -The use of liquor as a part of the ration in the British army is -almost as old as the army itself, and although it has been fought by -the prohibitionists for several years, it still continues. There is -not enough issued to cause any intoxication, and the use of the amount -which the men receive undoubtedly works effectively against drinking -to excess. A man naturally wants what he cannot have, and if he is -denied the use of liquor he immediately craves it, and to satisfy that -craving he takes too much. While in the field or at Cape Town I saw but -one soldier under the influence of liquor; this occurred in Pretoria -on the day of the formal occupation; he had celebrated the event too -enthusiastically. - -There has been a great outcry in the United States against the army -“canteen” as having a bad influence over the soldier. If the people who -rail at this establishment will look at it in a proper light they will -see that instead of increasing drunkenness it has a direct tendency -to decrease it. Some men drink to excess whenever they get a chance, -and such men always will do this, for alcoholism is a disease, and its -victims will always find the opportunity to get drink. Others are quite -satisfied with a single drink; but they want that one, and they will -have it. If they cannot find it at the post they will go where they can -obtain it, and that means in some saloon, where the temptation to take -more is far greater than at their own canteen. Not only is the desire -less in the post canteen, but should a man become intoxicated in the -least degree no more would be served him; while if he were in a public -house he might keep on drinking as long as he could stand up against -the bar, or as long as his money held out. - -In the British army the use of large quantities of jam is supposed to -prevent, to a degree, the craving for liquor, and consequently it is -issued to the men regularly. Tea is also a part of the British ration -that is never used in the American army, as our men do not want it. The -American soldier laughs when he hears of British troops in the field -being served with afternoon tea; but its use is so universal in the -British Empire that the men crave it as our men crave coffee. - -The British soldier in the field is better fed than the American, and -he has more variety; but to obtain that variety of food costs time, and -in consequence the troops move much slower than ours do. - -The rations of the South African army were in marked contrast to those -of the Fifth Army Corps during the Santiago campaign. We got bacon, -hard bread, and coffee, and very seldom anything else. Occasionally -tomatoes in cans were issued to us, and sometimes sugar; but the three -staple articles just mentioned were all we were sure of, and all we -wanted. The volunteers suffered somewhat, because they did not know how -to cook these simple rations so as to make them acceptable; but the -regular, who had lived on them many times in the West, was satisfied -and asked nothing more. The tomatoes were issued in gallon cans, and -naturally were exceedingly difficult to carry if the regiment was -moving rapidly. - -I recall that on the day when the battle of Guasimas opened, General -McKibbin’s brigade was encamped near Siboney, and we were ordered to -go into action on General Young’s right, as it was known the enemy -was in front of us in force, and it looked as though a general battle -would ensue. The brigade was ordered on the road just as some rations -had been issued, and in the issue were these large cans of tomatoes. -The men could not carry them, and so were compelled to abandon them. I -waited until the regiments had moved out, and then watched a crowd of -Cuban “soldiers” gathering up the cans, as well as a lot of blankets -that some of the men had thrown away. I allowed the Cubans to gather -a goodly lot, and then ordered them to carry the stuff on the march -forward, and later in the day, when the regiments had halted, our men -got their rations back. It is almost useless to issue food in large -packages to men on the march, for they cannot possibly carry them, and -the food is wasted. It is not the custom of our commissary department -to do this, but for that Cuban campaign the government bought all the -food supplies that could be found, regardless of the covering. - -The further task of putting rations on the firing line, or at the -extreme front, is a prodigious difficulty. The railroad is used as far -as possible, and then wagons and pack animals are brought into play. -In South Africa the transportation was exceedingly crude. All sorts of -wagons and carts were brought into service; everything that rolled on -wheels was promptly commandeered. Ox-wagons, buckboards, Cape carts, -grocery wagons, and even private carriages were a part of the long line -of vehicles. The ox-carts and great trek-wagons were chiefly used for -commissary supplies, but they were so heavy as to be unsuitable for -the work. An ox-cart was drawn by a span of sixteen or twenty animals, -while the army wagon was drawn by ten mules. This was almost twice -the number necessary, and the superfluous stock greatly delayed the -operations, for it could not carry much more than its own feed. Those -mules were much smaller than our big army mules, but six would have -been ample for any ordinary load. When more are used, there is a great -amount of energy lost. Pack-mules were almost unknown, and they are -never used in South Africa as they are always used in the army of the -United States. One of our trains of forty mules can carry much more -than forty mules can pull, and with far greater ease. The pack-train, -moreover, can go anywhere, over any sort of roads or treks, even into -the firing line itself, with rations or ammunition; while a wagon must -have a good road or it will be compelled to turn back. - -In our trains the mules are not bridled, but are taught to follow -the lead of a “bell-horse,” an animal with a bell around its neck, -and either led or ridden by one of the packers. Wherever that bell -goes, the other mules will follow, regardless of obstructions or -anything else. In my judgment, nothing can compare with the pack-mule -for transportation in the field. Wagons are useful as long as there -are good, hard roads to follow; but enemies have an unpleasant way -of going away from the roads into hills and mountains, or across -trackless plains, and there is where the mule is not merely valuable, -but absolutely essential. These pack animals can keep up, not only with -the infantry, but also with fast-moving bodies of mounted troops. The -“packers” of the American army are civilian _attachés_, but they are -a very essential part of the force. They are nearly all men from the -West, and are generally of the cow-puncher stamp, afraid of nothing, -not even of work. These packers did some of the most heroic work -during the Santiago campaign, although they never got any credit for -it, and are seldom mentioned in despatches. They are to the army what -the stokers are to the navy--the very means of life; yet bound to go -on doing that hard, undistinguished work, with no applause from the -great unthinking public. They are never seen in parades and reviews, -yet to them belongs a great portion of the credit for these displays. -The packers of the army are accustomed to go into the very firing line -to deliver ammunition. It is indeed a memorable sight to witness these -men in action, and to watch their indifference to the danger that is -singing about their heads. Very picturesque are these Western packers, -with their happy abandon and their oblivion to worry. They wear no -uniform, they have no regiment to be proud of; they are just plain, -good-natured, hard-working civilians of the great West. The only arms -they carry are their own Colts, just as they carried them in New Mexico -or Montana. - -One day, when the fighting was at its height in front of Santiago, a -pack-train came up to the line with a welcome supply of rations and -ammunition; and after the boxes had been dumped on the ground, and the -men were prying the lids off with their bayonets, one of the packers -strolled up to the trenches and drawled, “I ain’t had a crack at a -greaser since I left the reservation, so here goes.” He stepped out on -the embankment, in full view of the enemy, and emptied his six-shooter -towards the little low city in front of us. As the Spanish trenches -at this point were fully a quarter of a mile away, his pistol did not -produce a panic among them, but he enjoyed his prank. - -[Illustration: An improvised commissariat cart in South Africa.] - -“Well, I reckon I must have got four out o’ that six,” he remarked, as -he began to reload. - -“You’d better come down out of that, or one of the other two will get -you,” called a soldier. - -“Get me!” he said contemptuously; “I never see a greaser yet that could -hit a bunch o’ steers in a corral.” - -He was becoming the target of the entire Spanish line, and drawing -their fire; so an officer ordered him to get down, and told him at the -same time that if he wanted to shoot he might borrow a rifle. - -“No,” he replied; “I ain’t got no time to monkey ‘round here, for I got -to get some grub up, or you-all don’t eat.” And off he went, telling -the other packers how he had “done up half a dozen greasers.” - -If the British army had had a goodly number of Kentucky mules, the big -sixteen-hands sort, instead of the little donkey wagons they did have, -they would have saved several months of their campaigning. One of those -big mules can carry all day as heavy a load as he can stand under; then -if you remove the pack-saddle and let him have a roll, he is fresh -enough to keep going all night. Not only are they equal to heavy loads -and long hours, but they can go longer than a horse without forage. - -The British army has an emergency ration that is said to be very useful -in case of extreme need. Each man and officer carries one in his -haversack, and the men are not allowed to open them, except by order -of an officer, or in case of absolute need when no officer is near. -This emergency ration consists of a tin can, shaped something like a -pocket-book, five inches long, two and a half inches wide, and an inch -and a half thick. It is divided into two compartments, one containing -four ounces of concentrated beef, known as pemmican. The whole weighs -about twelve ounces, and the label on the case informs the soldier -that the ration is calculated to maintain strength for thirty-six hours -if eaten in small quantities at a time. I never ate one of them, but I -have heard some of those who have say that they could eat half a dozen -of them and still feel empty. They do not satisfy hunger, but merely -sustain strength. - -Another ration, prepared by a firm in England, consists of a species -of stew of beef, potatoes, carrots, and gravy; it makes an exceedingly -good dinner, one can being sufficient for two men for one meal. It may -be heated easily in the can in a few moments, as it is already cooked, -and it could, if occasion demanded, be eaten cold. General Weston has -been sending a similar ration to the soldiers in the Philippines, put -up in convenient shape, with rounded corners to the can so that it may -be carried in the pocket. - -In many respects the usual rations of the British and American armies -are very similar, but the latter army uses much more bacon than the -former, which uses much more fresh beef. - -The British military authorities always study out a ration for a -particular campaign, and then issue it according to the different -climates and zones. Major Louis L. Seamen, who has seen a great deal -of military service in every part of the world, has devoted much study -to this subject, and he claims that there is nothing more important in -army subsistence than this adapting the ration to the temperature. - -The ration adopted for the campaign in South Africa is: - - 1 lb. canned meat. - 4 oz. bacon, as a change from meat. - 2 oz. cheese. - 1 lb. hardtack instead of 1-1/4 lb. bread. - 1 oz. chocolate instead of tea or coffee. - 1/2 oz. coffee, 1/4 oz. tea. - 3 oz. sugar, 1/2 oz. salt, 1/3 oz. pepper. - 1/64 gal. rum, 4 oz. jam, three times each week. - 2 oz. condensed pea soup. - 2 oz. rice instead of 1 oz. dried vegetables. - 1 oz. dried vegetables. - 1 oz. lime juice. - 1 lb. fresh meat. - 1-1/4 lb. bread. - -The ration of the United States army is: - - 20 oz. fresh beef or mutton. - 12 oz. pork or bacon. - 22 oz. salt meat, when no fresh meat is issued. - 14 oz. dried fish, when no fresh meat is issued. - 18 oz. pickled or fresh fish instead of fresh meat. - 18 oz. soft bread, or - 18 oz. hard bread, or - 20 oz. corn meal. - 16/25 oz. baking powder, when necessary in field to bake bread. - 2/25 oz. beans or peas, or 1-3/5 oz. rice or hominy. - 16 oz. potatoes, or 12-4/5 oz. potatoes and 3-1/5 oz. onions; or - 11/15 oz. potatoes and 4-4/5 oz. canned tomatoes; or - 16 oz. fresh vegetables. - 1-3/5 oz. coffee, green; or 1-7/25 oz. coffee, roasted; or - 8/25 oz. tea. - 2-2/5 oz. sugar, or 16/25 gill molasses or cane syrup. - 8/25 gill vinegar. - 16/25 oz. salt. - 1/25 oz. (black) pepper. - 16/25 oz. soap. - 6/25 oz. candles, when oil is not furnished. - -The American army also has what is called a travel ration, issued on -any transportation where it is impossible to cook more than coffee. It -is also often used on quick marches, as it is a short but sufficient -allowance. It consists of: - - 1 lb. hard bread. - 3/4 lb. canned beef. - 1/3 lb. baked beans or tomatoes (canned). - 1/8 lb. coffee. - 1/15 lb. sugar. - -It was this ration that we used throughout the Santiago campaign, save -that most of the time we had bacon, instead of canned beef, and we very -seldom got the beans or tomatoes. I found it adequate for the entire -time, even with all the hard work we went through. No one found fault -with it, except some of the volunteers, and they were dissatisfied with -the ration because they did not understand how to use it to advantage. -A regular soldier can make about fourteen distinct dishes with that -ration, each one very palatable. - -There was considerable trouble over the complaints raised by the -volunteers, and it developed into the “meat scandal” that has furnished -jests for the comic papers ever since; but these difficulties are bound -to appear in every campaign. I did see some meat in Cuba that was not -fit to eat; but, on the whole, the meat supply was very good when one -considers the haste in which it was purchased and the climate where it -was used. - -England has had her difficulties in the same form, but her people do -not make such an outcry as was raised in our newspapers. Early in the -South African war the troop-ship _Arawa_ sailed from Southampton, -and before she got to sea it was discovered that her cargo of meat -was spoiled. She put back, and the entire lot, amounting to fifteen -thousand pounds of English and colonial beef and mutton, was dumped -out on the dock--a “very unwholesome mess.” The mutton was green, -and in a bad condition; as soon as the port health officer saw it he -ordered it to be taken to sea and dumped, which was promptly done. Had -this occurred in America during the Spanish war the newspapers would -probably have demanded the instant removal of a few officials. In -England, however, the only comment in the papers was that “the incident -was the one topic of conversation at the docks yesterday, and military -men were highly indignant about it.” - -Before closing the subject of rations it is necessary to speak of the -commissary department of the Boer forces, if I may use this phrase -regarding a department that does not exist. Among the Boers each man is -his own supply corps, finding his rations wherever he can, and in what -quantity he can. It is marvelous what a small amount these burghers -can subsist upon while carrying on active operations. During an action -near Pretoria I was lying on top of a kopje, watching the advance of -the British forces, while they kept up a heavy shell fire. About one -o’clock I felt hungry, so I opened my haversack and took out a loaf -of bread and a piece of beef weighing perhaps a couple of pounds. -Near me was an old, white-bearded Boer, who must have been at least -seventy-five. After I had been eating for a few moments I noticed that -he had no haversack, and so asked him if he would not have a bit of the -bread. - -“Have you plenty?” he asked before accepting. - -I said that I had, so he took the loaf and broke off a very small -piece, handing the remaining portion back. I told him that he might -keep it all, and also gave him some meat. As soon as he had assured -himself that I had more, he called to a couple of boys near by, and -they came over, accompanied by other boys. He divided the loaf and -meat, and it served for the full day’s rations for five fighting men. - -“I had some bread yesterday,” said the old man, half apologetically, -“but I have not had time to get any to-day.” - -“Will you have a drink?” I inquired, as I unslung my canteen. - -“Water?” he queried, as though afraid I was going to offer him -something stronger. - -The British people at home have taken comfort in assuming that, as no -supplies can get to the Boers, the war will be brought to a speedy end. -Deluded people! So long as there is a trek-ox and a sack of mealies -in the Transvaal the Boers will be sufficiently supplied to carry -on the war. They carry no store wagons, they issue no rations; but -occasionally an ox is slaughtered, and each man hangs up a piece of the -beef until it is dried. He sticks that into his pocket, with some bread -made of corn, if he cannot get better, and he is perfectly content. - -I asked General de la Rey where he expected to get his supplies after -he left Pretoria, and he remarked quietly, as if without humorous -intention, “Oh, the English are bringing in enough for both armies.” - -[Illustration: A soldier with three months’ provisions.] - -He had warrant, too; for I know of many cases where, as the supplies of -a command were getting low, they went out and captured a wagon-train or -a supply-train on the railroad, and replenished their larders. General -de Wet has kept his commands for many months in rations, clothing, and -other necessaries of war from the supplies of the enemy. - -When the Boers went into a town, they never commandeered anything -without paying cash for it, and in this matter they were far too -lenient. I was sitting in the Transvaal Hotel in Pretoria one evening -when a command of about forty men rode up. The commandant came into -the office and asked the proprietor if he would give the men a meal; -they had been marching since early morning without anything to eat. The -man in charge (the proprietor, being an Englishman, had fled at the -beginning of the war) asked if they could pay for the entertainment. -The officer replied that they did not have enough money to pay the -regular price, but that he would give all they had and would pay the -rest later. The hotel man told him roughly that he was not running his -place for fun, and that he could not feed the soldiers unless paid in -advance. The commandant walked slowly out and told his burghers what -had been said, and they wheeled their horses about and continued their -march through the town, supperless. I do not believe there is another -people on earth that would have done the same thing, and allowed that -money-grasping hotel man to go on serving meals to men who were too -cowardly to fight for their country, or to foreigners who had deserted -their cause, but who happened to have enough money to satisfy his -exorbitant demands. - -Many of the burghers went out of Pretoria on the last days with -scarcely enough to keep them alive, simply because they had no money, -and they would not take by force even a portion of the stores piled -high in every shop. The forbearance of these simple people was almost -past belief. - - - - -CHAPTER VII. - -The Railroad in Modern War - - -[Illustration: Major Burnham, the American Chief of Scouts for Lord -Roberts.] - -Railways are undoubtedly one of the most important factors in the -wars of to-day, and after some campaigning my first idea of war is a -railroad for a guide. Day after day the advancing columns follow the -broken iron pathway with the twisted rails and wrecked bridges as signs -on the trail they are following. At the same time the retreating force -rolls comfortably along in well-working trains, blowing up everything -behind them as soon as they are ready to evacuate a position. - -After returning from South Africa I spent much time reading in the -London press of the various engagements that I had seen, or had learned -about from those who had seen them. Nearly every despatch said that -“the enemy was completely demoralized,” or “the enemy retreated in wild -confusion.” As a matter of fact, there was at no time any confusion -whatever on the part of the Boers, and the retreats were the most -orderly and methodical affairs that can be imagined. If there was no -railway for use, the men merely mounted their horses and rode away as -though there were no really pressing reason for their going and that -any time would do. Even when the British advance was within striking -distance, the same calmness was displayed. When there was a railway -communication, which was generally the case, trains were brought up, -and the burghers entrained their mounts and their guns; and when -everything was ready, they pulled out to the next place selected for a -stand. The women occupied the first-class carriages, and if they did -not fill the seats, the men shared them; but the men did not seem to -feel much preference between a passenger carriage and an open truck. It -was always an orderly, good-natured crowd, which apparently, except for -the Mauser slung across every shoulder, might have been returning from -a county fair. - -The retreat from Pretoria was possibly an exception, as there was -then great excitement throughout the city; but even in this case the -agitation was among the people of the city, and not among the fighting -men. They continued in their usual quiet, indifferent manner, while -many of the non-combatants were almost panic-stricken. The commandoes -preferring to make the retreat towards Middleburg by rail gathered at -the station and attended to the entraining of their mounts as though it -were a matter of no importance whether they got away or not; and yet -at that time it was thought that the British were but a few miles away. - -To be able to control the railway means everything to an army, -especially when it is operating in a hostile territory. All things must -be sacrificed to protect and maintain the line so as to allow the safe -transit of trains; and to that problem the British were compelled to -devote most of their attention; the burghers sought chiefly to destroy -their plans, as they were not of sufficient force to control any great -portion of the railways. - -The defense of railroads did not enter into the Spanish-American War -on either side, as the territory covered by the operations in Cuba was -too small for them to be of vital importance; but owing to the vast -territory under military operation in South Africa they have been a -factor of prime importance. If the Boer commanders had had less respect -for property, and had destroyed every piece of rolling stock that they -could not use, they would have been more successful; but instead of -that they usually abandoned it all, and allowed the enemy to take it, -enabling him in every case to use it immediately for the transportation -of supplies and troops. A torch would have prevented this many times, -and would have been the proper and legitimate method to be used; -but, thinking of the loss to some of their own people, they allowed -the British to take everything. Some commandants even argued against -blowing up the bridges. The Spaniards knew the value of the fire-brand -at Daiquiri, for when General Shafter’s army was preparing to land -and begin the advance on Santiago, the invaders on the transports saw -the thick smoke of the burning buildings curling skywards; and when we -landed, about two hours later, we found the station and engine-house a -mass of smoking embers, surrounding the burned ruins of every engine at -that end of the line. Had the Boers shown more inclination to do as the -Spaniards did in this instance, they would have been far better off, -and would not have left miles of railroad and thousands of pieces of -rolling stock with which their enemies operated against them. - -[Illustration: The old and the new military bridge at Modder River.] - -The maintenance of the rail communication between the base of supplies -at Cape Town and the head of the army was the most difficult problem -that the British were called upon to solve during the South African -War; and there was nothing more essential to the successful operations -of the troops than the freedom of this line. It was the main artery -from the heart, through which the life-blood of the army flowed, and -to check it, even for a few hours, meant suffering and hardship to the -troops at the rail terminus, while to break it for a week or more would -have caused ruin to all plans of offensive campaign. - -The guard to protect this communication must be strong enough at every -point to repel any attempt to destroy the line; and to maintain this -guard means the constant use of thousands of troops who may never hear -a shot fired, but who are more essential to the success of the campaign -than the soldiers who are doing the actual fighting. If this vigilance -should be relaxed for an hour, one of their enemies could do enough -damage with a single stick of dynamite to embarrass the troops very -seriously, perhaps cause a wreckage that would take a hundred men a day -to repair, even if it were merely on the ordinary line; but if they -should get at a bridge the damage could not be repaired in a week. - -As the burghers retreated before the British advance they destroyed -all the bridges on the lines of retreat in a most effectual manner by -the use of high explosives, in many cases leaving hardly one stone -above another. On the line from Cape Town to Pretoria the spans over -the Orange, Riet, Modder, Vet, Vaal, and Zand rivers, besides many -others, were destroyed, so that it took weeks to repair them; and in -all cases the British were compelled to build deviations of the line -going around the banks of the rivers, and by gradual descent into -the bed of the river and then up the opposite bank. Nearly all the -river beds of the Orange Free State and the Transvaal are very deep, -with perpendicular sides. Their depth is so great that it is quite -impossible to cross at any point except by the railway bridges and the -regular fords and drifts. One may ride almost to the edge of the river -before realizing that there is a stream in the vicinity. The laborious -difficulty of spanning these deep gorge-like river cuts makes it -necessary that a large body of troops be detailed to guard each bridge -or line deviation. The railways must be maintained or the advance must -withdraw. - -[Illustration: Defense of a line of communication in the Transvaal.] - -There is a striking contrast between the methods of our government and -that of the various European powers in the treatment of practical -problems regarding the mobilization of troops in time of peace. -There is not a state of the Old World so small as to be without -its manœuvres, and as the great agency the railroad facilities are -carefully studied. It has been a huge military oversight on the part -of our government to fail to provide for an occasional mobilization -of troops, and for their operation in the field as one body. We have -never had an army of sufficient size to warrant any such manœuvres with -the regular force alone, but the National Guard regiments should be -included in this sort of work just as the militia regiments of England -are every year made a part of the Aldershot manœuvres. It has been -argued that our distances are too great to justify such an extensive -plan of peaceful operations, but that very reason should be the -incentive to our government to appropriate sufficient funds to carry on -the work. It would be a simple matter indeed were the operations of our -forces confined to as small a territory as those of England, France, or -Germany; but when the sudden call of troops means a mobilization from -many quarters and a journey of several days, to leave the problem to -the last moment before solving it is indeed a perilous hazard and one -that is incredibly irrational. - -In France and Germany every goods carriage is marked on the outside, -showing the exact number of men or horses that it will accommodate for -military transportation; every division of the railroad accounts each -day to the Minister of War for the number of cars on the tracks that -may be used for military purposes. Such minuteness would be, of course, -an unnecessary extreme for this country; but we do need a practical -relation existing between the War Department and the railroads, by -which the brains, as well as the stock, of the various systems might -be drafted at any hour into strict military accountability. Moreover, -we need a national instruction for the National Guard. The States -should give to the War Department authority to mobilize and temporarily -control their militia in time of peace; and then the Department should -be provided with means to mobilize both State and Federal troops of -a certain territory, making the territory as large as possible, so -that the number of regiments would be sufficient to be of use in the -instruction regarding transportation. Such a mobilization would be of -most signal value, even though the encampment lasted only the briefest -time, as it would enable the officers to become accustomed to rail -transportation. - -Just before the war with Spain the First United States Infantry was -stationed at the Presidio in San Francisco; and when war seemed -inevitable, that regiment was ordered to Tampa. It was the first body -of troops to be moved, and although no great haste was necessary, -there was considerable difficulty in getting the command properly -entrained. This was due to no fault of the field officers; they knew -what should be done, but the staff department did not understand the -necessary office work which it entailed. When the men were finally put -on board, they found themselves in tourist day-coaches, without any -sleeping accommodations, although they were to cross the continent. -The time occupied by the journey was longer than necessary, because -it was necessary to stop twice a day long enough to give the men an -opportunity to cook rations. A portable cooking outfit, to be used -in an ordinary baggage or freight car, should be supplied to each -regiment; most of the stops could then be avoided, the trip be made -in nearly half the time, and the comfort of the men would be greatly -increased. - -Just such an apparatus was attached to a troop and hospital train upon -which I made the journey from Pretoria to Cape Town, and it was quite -a successful arrangement, although it was merely an improvised one. -That was a journey of six to eight days at that time, and as every -delay meant a certain block in the traffic, stoppages were out of -the question; but with this rolling kitchen those on the train were -supplied with hot rations. The floor of the car was covered with thin -sheet iron or zinc, to prevent the car from catching fire, a large -water tank was fitted in one end, and next to it was a water boiler -of considerable capacity. The stove was an ordinary house range made -fast, and if, owing to the motion of the train, it was not a complete -success, it is another illustration of the value of preparedness before -the very moment of need arrives. - -The carrying capacity of our railroads far exceeds that of England or -of any other European country; our cars are larger and our engines more -powerful. With better facilities at command, the problem is simple, but -we need practice in the work. The War Department already knows how many -cars each railroad carries, how many may be used for military purposes, -and just how many men and horses they will accommodate; but a military -use of some of them should be made occasionally as an essential -manœuvre. The regular officers know at least the ordinary management -of trains for soldiers, but that cannot be said of the officers of the -militia which is to be used in time of war, and they should be fully -instructed in these matters in time of peace. - -Armored trains are little better than amusing until the inside of them -is spattered with the blood of good men sacrificed to a theory. Then -the amusement ends and the court of inquiry begins. The character of -the country in South Africa is all that could be desired for the use of -armored trains, especially in the Orange Free State, where the great -veldt makes a low horizon on all sides, and the level country is broken -only by an occasional kopje rising unexpectedly from the great plain. -An advance can be made with as much safety over this country as any -that could be chosen, and yet an armored train did not succeed at any -time to an extent that would make it advisable to continue its use. - -[Illustration: Canadian transport at a difficult drift.] - -Several of these trains were fitted out in Cape Town and at other -points, and none lacked anything in construction which could make -them a success. They consisted of an engine and two open trucks, one -in front and one behind, all very heavily armored with sheet steel or -iron, and in some cases hung with chains and heavy ropes as an extra -protection. The trucks were loopholed for small arms, and each train -carried one or more machine guns. The vitals of each engine were as -well protected as was possible, and the entire machine was painted -either khaki or battle-ship gray. As long as it was safely guarded -at Cape Town it was a remarkable invention; but when it attempted an -advance towards the enemy’s country, the trouble began. The keenest -watch failed to discover a trace of any foe, and mile after mile of -track they put in their rear without discovering a living being until -they concluded to retire. Back they went until suddenly they came to -a broken bit of track, a rail removed, by which the train was brought -to a sudden halt. Then from hidden foemen poured a storm of shot and -shell. There were but two alternatives, death or surrender. - -[Illustration: Cape carts with British officers’ personal luggage; -nearly every officer had one of these carts.] - -All that is required to capture the invading train is thus to allow -it to pass quietly on, then to remove a single rail or to place some -ordinary obstruction on the track, and wait for its return. A few -instances have occurred where the armored train has escaped when -flanked by columns of troops, but as a rule it has proved thus far a -useless and dangerous experiment, usually resulting in the death or -capture of all on board. - -[Illustration: A British transport train on the veldt.] - -No features of the campaign are more interesting than the attempts to -cut the lines of communication or to blow up a bridge or a culvert, and -one of the most daring deeds of the South African War was done by Major -Burnham, the Californian who acted as chief scout on Lord Roberts’s -staff. - -Major Burnham received his training in the Apache country in the -Southwest from those Indians who are masters of the world in following -a trail or informing themselves as to the whereabouts of their enemies. -Twice was Burnham captured by the Boers and twice he made his escape. -In both cases he was wounded, the last time seriously. He worked night -and day for the army with which he had cast his lot, and when he was -ready to leave for home, he came away with a letter from the field -marshal, written with his own hand, in which he stated that Major -Burnham had done him greater service than any other one man in South -Africa. - -When the advance of the British forces came within striking distance -of Pretoria, Lord Roberts found it necessary to have the line cut just -east of the town in order to prevent the retreat towards Middleburg -by rail. Burnham started to do it, taking with him a small patrol of -men for assistance. They made a wide detour to avoid meeting any of -the commandoes, which were now moving in the same direction. All went -well with him until he had gone half way around and was about to turn -to the north to find the culvert which he intended to destroy, when -he suddenly met a large commando coming directly towards his party. -A running fight followed, in which his horse was hit, throwing him -heavily, and he was seriously injured. The rest of the party escaped, -but he was made a prisoner, and not being able to walk, he was put into -a wagon under a guard of four men, two riding in front and two behind. -The vehicle was one of the large trek-wagons, drawn by a span of -sixteen oxen and driven by a Kaffir boy, who divided his time between -the front seat of the wagon and walking beside the span. Major Burnham -had made up his mind to escape at all hazards, and so until night -he lay in the wagon making plans. The moon was almost full, and the -night was so bright that the difficulties of an attempt to escape were -greatly increased. During the early part of the night the Kaffir driver -kept his position on the front seat, thus preventing any experiments by -the captive. He was just considering an attack on the black boy when -something went wrong with one of the leaders, and the boy jumped down -to remedy it. Seizing the opportunity thus afforded, Major Burnham -climbed out over the seat, down on the disselboom or tongue of the -wagon, on which he stretched himself flat between the oxen of the first -span, swung himself under the disselboom, dropped into the road, and -allowed the wagon to pass over his body. As soon as it had passed he -rolled quickly over and over into the ditch, and lay perfectly quiet -while the rear guard passed by, wholly unconscious that their prisoner -had escaped. The khaki uniform which Major Burnham wore made this -little bit of strategy possible, for had he been in dark clothes his -body would probably have been seen by the guard, who rode along within -twenty-five feet of him. - -As soon as the two Boer soldiers had passed to a distance which allowed -no chance of discovery, the Californian picked his way up through the -rocks to the side of an adjacent kopje, where he remained hidden for -some hours. For a well man to have accomplished this feat would perhaps -have been a simple matter, although it took a daring mind to conceive -it; but for a man in Major Burnham’s condition to go through the -mental strain and physical torture of such an escape was a remarkable -performance, and it received its proper praise from both Briton and -Boer. There is no man living who so admires true courage and pluck, or -who so despises a coward, as does this hardy farmer-fighter; nor does -he bear resentment towards a man who, like Major Burnham, fought only -for the love of war. - -After spending several hours among the rocks, without food or water, -and in the bitterly cold night air of an African winter, the scout -began to drag himself towards the railroad to accomplish the task he -had first set out to do. Strangely enough, when he was captured he was -not searched, and he still carried in his tunic a dynamite cartridge -ready for use. During the entire campaign Major Burnham never carried -arms of any sort, and when he was taken, his captors, not seeing any -weapons about him, probably thought that he had nothing about him of a -dangerous character. For more than two miles he dragged himself over -the rocky veldt until he finally reached the railroad, along which he -crawled until he found a culvert. Upon this he placed the cartridge, -with a fuse of a sufficient length to allow him to crawl to a place of -safety. He destroyed the line, and accomplished the task he undertook, -although it nearly cost him his life. He was picked up by a British -patrol late that afternoon, almost dead from exposure and the effects -of his wound, and was taken to the hospital, where he was confined for -a fortnight before he could even walk. - -[Illustration: Canadian transport at a difficult drift.] - -This achievement is one of many performed by this same brave American -during the war. Major Burnham is without doubt an exceedingly clever -man on the trail; he does not know fear, and his one idea is to -accomplish his end. But that does not entirely indicate the reason -for his high place in the confidence of Lord Roberts; it rather comes -from the fact that Englishmen know nothing of the wonderful arts of -the men of the plains; and when a man is able to tell them the number -of cattle in a herd, and the number of men guarding it, or the number -of men in a commando, and the condition of their horses, merely by -examining the ground over which they have passed, they consider it -little short of a miracle. Neither the officer nor the private soldier -has had any of the training of the latent faculties which is so -thorough among the officers and men of our army. - -The value of a stick of dynamite is sometimes more precious than that -of gold in war. As the Transvaal is a mining country, great quantities -of this explosive were easily obtained, and, accordingly, despite the -heavy guard, the line of communication was often broken; in fact, so -frequently was the railroad destroyed that Lord Roberts was heavily -embarrassed during his first month in Pretoria for provision and forage -for his troops. Hardly a day passed without the line being cut at some -point. Finally, in the hope of preventing further interruption of his -railroad line, Lord Roberts issued the following proclamation, the -terms of which were about as cruel as could be devised: - - PROCLAMATION. - - Whereas, small parties of raiders have recently been doing wanton - damage to public property in the Orange River Colony and South - African Republic by destroying railway bridges and culverts, and - cutting the telegraph wires; and, whereas, such damage cannot be - done without the knowledge and connivance of the neighboring - inhabitants and the principal civil residents in the districts - concerned; - - Now, therefore, I, Frederick Sleigh, Baron Roberts of Kandahar - and Waterford, K.P., G.C.B., G.C.S.I., G.C.I.E., V.C., Field - Marshal, Commander-in-Chief of Her Majesty’s Troops in South - Africa, warn the said inhabitants and principal civil residents - that, whenever public property is destroyed or injured in the - manner specified above, they will be held responsible for aiding - and abetting the offenders. The houses in the vicinity of the - place where the damage is done will be burnt, and the principal - civil residents will be made prisoners of war. - - ROBERTS, - F. M. - -A few days later it was followed by another proclamation, even more -harsh: - - PROCLAMATION. - - Referring to my proclamation dated Pretoria, 16th June, 1900, - I, Frederick Sleigh, Baron Roberts of Kandahar and Waterford, - K.P., G.C.B., G.C.S.I., G.C.I.E., V.C., Field Marshal, - Commander-in-Chief of Her Majesty’s Troops in South Africa, do - hereby declare, proclaim, and make known that, should any damage - be done to any of the lines of railway, or to any of the railway - bridges, culverts, or buildings, or to any telegraph lines or - other railway or public property in the Orange River Colony, - or in that portion of the South African Republic for the time - being within the sphere of my military operations, the following - punishment will be inflicted: - - 1. The principal residents of the towns and district will be - held, jointly and severally, responsible for the amount of damage - done in their district. - - 2. In addition to the payment of the damage above mentioned, a - penalty depending upon the circumstances of each case, but which - in no event will be less than a sum of 2s. 6d. per morgen on the - area of each farm, will be levied and recovered from each burgher - of the district in which the damage is done, in respect of the - land owned or occupied by him in such district. Furthermore, - all receipts for goods requisitioned in such district on behalf - of the military authorities will be cancelled, and no payment - whatsoever will be made in respect of the same. - - 3. As a further precautionary measure, the Director of Military - Railways has been authorized to order that one or more of the - residents, who will be selected by him from each district, - shall from time to time personally accompany the trains while - travelling through their district. - - 4. The houses and farms in the vicinity of the place where the - damage is done will be destroyed, and the residents of the - neighborhood dealt with under martial law. - - 5. The military authorities will render every facility to the - principal residents to enable them to communicate the purport of - this proclamation to the other residents in their district, so - that all persons may become fully cognizant of the responsibility - resting upon them. - - (Signed) ROBERTS, - F. M., Commander-in-Chief, - South Africa. - -I say these proclamations were cruel, because they struck the innocent -for the doings of the guilty. War is essentially merciless, but these -orders made it unnecessarily infernal. The reason given for the -burning of farms near where the line was cut was that such work could -not have been done without the knowledge of those who lived in the -vicinity; but that reason was wholly untrue, for in some cases farms -were burned and destroyed several miles away from the railroad--in -fact, not even in sight. How could it be expected that the occupants -of a farm several miles away could know what was going on while they -slept? I know of cases where the same damage has been done to the -railroad under the very noses of British sentries put there to prevent -it, and yet Lord Roberts assumed that the occupants of the farmhouses -must know all that went on for miles about. On the majority of the -farms there were only women. They and hundreds of other innocent people -who had no hand in the railway destruction, although their hearts were -undoubtedly with the cause, were made homeless by the torch. - -[Illustration: The Guards and mounted infantry at Pretoria Station.] - -The drastic measures taken by the British have reacted against them. -One of the principal obstacles in the way of ending the war has been -that the homes and farms of the greater number of the burghers in the -field were destroyed, and there was nothing left for them to do but to -fight. Outside of this wholesale burning, the British policy has, in -most instances, been very liberal indeed towards the residents of the -territory occupied; they have in most cases paid high prices in cash -for everything that was needed for the use of the military, and the -people have not been annoyed any more than was absolutely necessary for -the good of the operations of the army; but these two orders stagger -belief. They were not mere threats, but were actually carried out to -the letter, and are still in operation. The one most damaging blow -that a force inferior in strength can strike is at the enemy’s line of -communication; therefore, so long as the fighting goes on, the railway -will be broken as often as possible. More homes will be burned and more -men will be forced into the field; few farms will be left undestroyed, -and the country is likely to be left desolate of inhabitants. - -Thus it is that the railroad plays such an important part in the war -of to-day. The railroad reconquered the Soudan, and will eventually -conquer the entire continent of Africa. It is working down from the -north and up from the south, slowly but surely throwing out its network -of iron, from which nothing can escape. It has reclaimed the great -territory of Siberia as it did our Western plains. It is the mightiest -engine of civilization in peace; it is the very vitals of an army in -war. - - - - -CHAPTER VIII. - -Transportation of Troops by Sea - - -[Illustration: Armament on an American transport.] - -When rumors of war crowd upon one another until it seems inevitable, -the State Departments of the interested nations are not more anxious to -anticipate coming events than are the corps of war correspondents who -wish to follow the fate and fortunes of the armies. To be on the spot -when things happen is the secret of their success; but during the past -few years, when wars have been so frequent, it has been hard to decide -where to go. It is not always easy to get there after that decision is -reached, for in recent years war has been carried on in the most remote -and inaccessible places, and many weeks were often lost in anxious -travel before the scene of action was reached. - -When I was leaving Havana, just after the American occupation, a young -officer there was ordered to proceed at once to the Philippines. -He packed all his belongings, arranged his departure, and caught a -steamer for Tampa in two hours, bidding only such friends good-by as -he happened to be able to hail from his cab on the way to the wharf. -I met him on the steamer, and all the way to Washington he fretted -and worried because steam could not drive the passenger coaches fast -enough. He feared the war would be over before he could reach the -Philippines; he counted the days until he could get there; he prayed -that Aguinaldo might not surrender until he arrived. I received a -letter from him a short time ago, and he is now praying that the -rebellious leader will surrender; and he added that it was the one -regret of his life that he did not miss that steamer at San Francisco, -as it would have given him two weeks more at home. - -In London, last year, a young Guardsman told me almost tearfully that -he was ordered out to South Africa, but that he was sure Buller would -finish up the war before he could get there. More than six months later -I saw him in Pretoria, and he remarked hopelessly that he had come to -the conclusion that he was now a permanent resident of the Transvaal. - -Having gone through similar anxieties myself several times during the -past few years, I had a little faith that the Boers would be able to -hold out until I got there, but I naturally studied the quickest way -to make the long journey. I was favored in that the new army transport -_Sumner_ was ordered from New York to Manila, and I secured a passage -direct to Suez. Not only was I helped along on that journey, but I had -an opportunity of studying the new American transport service. - -The mystery and awe which always attend a great ship starting on a -voyage across the trackless ocean is intensified when the floating city -is filled with men of war, who are to face death in a far-off land for -their country’s honor; then the interest becomes appealing and tender. -Men who have left home for the front or the post many times before -now leave under new and more unknown conditions. Yet there seemed not -to be an officer on the _Sumner_ who doubted his return to his native -land after winning honor on the field. Already, however, several of -those officers who were my companions across the Atlantic and the -Mediterranean, and many of the men, have given up their lives in the -far East. - -One of the most attractive and promising of the officers on the -_Sumner_ was Captain McIniston of the Fourth Infantry, over six feet -of man, and of powerful frame. He had won in Cuba several mentions for -conspicuous gallantry. But he had carried from Santiago the seeds of -tropic fever, which were going with him now. He was appointed, upon his -arrival at the Philippines, to command a little garrison, which the -insurgents immediately besieged in force. His fever developed rapidly -under the exposure and terrible strain of the siege, and at last, when -delirium had usurped his brain, he was shot dead, in a panic, by his -own soldiers--thus dying the most pitiful death a soldier can know. -The comment of the bulletin, “temporary insanity,” gave no hint of the -bravery, dutifulness, and suffering which had produced it, and which -called for a better fate. - -The private soldier’s life while on a long ocean voyage is made as easy -and as pleasant as possible by the officers in charge, and the entire -trip is a rest from arduous duty. It is recognized that no serious work -can be done at sea by any man not accustomed to seafaring. A certain -number are detailed for assisting in the preparation and serving of -the meals, in keeping the quarters clean, and in a small guard detail; -but that is all. After the first few days out the men are put through -a regular amount of health exercise, which consists chiefly of walking -and running around the decks. When time hangs heavily, amusement is -ready. The army department of the Y. M. C. A. has been officially -recognized by the War Department, and men are detailed by the -Association to accompany the troops and furnish entertainment which may -occupy their minds. A variety of games, from tiddledy-winks to chess, -is provided, and the man in charge of this valuable work is active all -the day and evening in keeping the men amused. He arranges tournaments -and matches, and gives prizes for the winners. He suggests different -occupations for the idle men, and in this way does an immense amount -of good. The Association also provides reading matter sufficient to -occupy the minds of those who care to read. - -An incident of peculiar interest was the visit we paid to the Spanish -garrison when the _Sumner_ stopped at Gibraltar. Crossing the neutral -strip, the American officers, in full uniform, drove into the little -Spanish military town. It was with a natural doubt as to our reception -that we made this invasion. At once the strange uniforms engaged -attention, and then it was whispered and finally shouted that _los -Americanos soldados_ were visiting the place, and the crowds grew -greater to gaze at their former enemies. The salutations were of the -most friendly nature, and there seemed no trace of Spanish animosity. A -bunch of officers invited us to remain for the morrow’s bull fight, and -appeared genuinely sorry that their invitation could not be accepted. -They discussed the Philippine situation with friendly candor, sent -messages to old acquaintances, and rejoiced that they were not going -themselves. - -[Illustration: British soldiers leaving the Sumner after having -exchanged uniforms with Americans.] - -At Malta the _Sumner_ anchored only a couple of lengths from shore, and -her cable had hardly been paid out before several boat-loads of British -Tommies were alongside. Then followed an extraordinary exhibition of -fraternization. The soldiers of the two nations examined one another’s -equipment and uniforms and discussed their relative usefulness. They -finally began to exchange buttons from their blouses and tunics, and -before many minutes had passed the spirit of trade took their fancy. -A British soldier would admire the useful campaign hat of an American, -who in return would declare what a good souvenir the “dinky lid” of the -Britisher would make for his family at home, and the next moment they -would swap. Then the trading went into blouses, trousers, and shirts; -at least one entire boat-load of Tommies went back in the full field -uniform of the American army. What afterwards happened to them when -they encountered the strict sergeant the Americans conjectured with -grins. - -The American colonel, however, put his foot down, and the amusing -episode had to end, for the regiment was going to land for parade the -next day, and there would not have been an entire uniform in the lot -had the men been allowed to keep on exchanging clothes. - -The parade on British soil, in the presence of a British garrison, put -the men on their mettle. As the Philippine khaki had not then been -issued, they furbished up their worn blue suits until the uniforms made -an unusually good appearance. - -Just before they landed, Captain McCoy stepped out to give them a final -word of advice. It was short, and it expressed what every man was -thinking already. - -“Remember one thing, men,” he said; “you are going to be watched every -minute you are on shore by Britishers, so don’t forget that you are -Americans.” - -Although the men were nearly all recruits who had never drilled -together, even as companies, they went ashore in a regimental formation -which did credit to our service. Every man marched and drilled as -though the eyes of all the British soldiers about were directed upon -him alone. - -The British officers expressed much admiration for the men, and gave -our officers a good many hearty compliments. They were a different type -of soldiers from any they had ever seen; they had none of the fancy -steps or hackney carriage of the European soldier; they were, instead, -plain, solid men in uniform, nothing more; but they had the swing and -the soldierly alertness which stirs the blood with its promise. British -bands furnished the music for the American troops, and the old ground -of the Knights of Malta heard such tunes as “Marching Thro’ Georgia,” -“Rally ’Round the Flag,” and Sousa’s spirited marches, played for the -friendly tramp of the soldiers of the Republic in their first parade on -European soil. - -The beautiful transport to which I bade good-by at Port Saïd is -as near perfection as a ship made on this earth can aspire. This -superlative has a right to be used. The people of the United States -have been made familiar with the details of their perfected warships; -they have even more reason to be proud of the superb completeness of -their ships which have been prepared for the comfort, health, and good -cheer of the American soldiers as they sail around the world. From -the dirty floating pens of fever and misery which brought our men up -from Santiago to Montauk, to the cleanly, shining spaciousness and -undreamed-of conveniences of such ships as the _Sumner_, is a far call; -it seems as if a century or two instead of a couple of years had gone -between. - -The _Sumner_ is a fair type of all the new army transports now in use. - -To begin with, she is well armed with four rapid-firing guns, and -belongs in reality to one of the class of unprotected cruisers. She -would make a formidable foe in battle. Any distrust of the value of -such ships in time of war is dispelled when one remembers the record of -the American liners _St. Paul_ and _St. Louis_ when they were converted -into cruisers; of the dashing _Gloucester_, which won immortality on -a Sunday morning at Santiago--only a light-minded yacht a few days -before; of the stout _Hudson_, a conscript tug-boat, which, under the -command of Lieutenant Scott, participated in the engagement of Cardenas -Harbor, and finally rescued the torpedo-boat _Winslow_ after it was -disabled and helpless under the enemy’s guns. - -The transports are, in appearance, regular merchant-built ships; they -are not only armed, but they are fitted with every known appointment -for the comfort, health, and general welfare of the troops. Each man -sleeps in a comfortable bunk built on iron standards, to which are -fastened the springs on which rests a mattress. The seating capacity of -the tables equals the conveying capacity of the ship; yet, as soon as -the meals are finished, the tables may be folded away, leaving a large -deck room for the enjoyment of the men. Bath appliances of the latest -pattern furnish opportunities for cleanliness and comfort not excelled -in garrison. A store gives the men an opportunity to buy almost any -article necessary to their comfort or pleasure. All sorts of food -supplies, of a better grade than are usually furnished, articles of -clothing, games, candy, fruit, and all the ordinary articles in demand, -are to be found in the ship’s store. The prices charged for these -articles are only their cost to the government; and, as the government -buys in large quantities, the shop makes a very economical place for -the men to trade. - -The hospital and drug store hold all that is wanted by modern medical -science. There is an operating-room containing every known appliance -useful in surgery; the whole room is finished in marble tiling, -while all the metal work is shining nickel. Here is the electric -apparatus necessary to operations, a Roentgen ray apparatus, batteries -for treatment of certain diseases, and, in fact, all the devices -and mechanisms used in a city hospital. The hospital beds are as -comfortable as could be made on ship-board, all being supplied with -necessary supports, bridges for removing the weight of the bed-clothes, -and tables for the use of the reclining patient. - -There is a system of cold storage and ice manufacture which makes it -possible to carry a five months’ supply of fresh food stuffs for a -full complement of troops, so that the transport can take on a supply -of rations at a home port and not be compelled to replenish until it -returns again to America. The kitchens, bakeries, and laundries might -belong to a Fifth Avenue hotel, so perfect are they in every detail. - -One of the most important and useful features of this magnificent ship -is the arrangement for supplying a cold-air draft during hot weather. -The fresh-air supply is so forced over ammonia pipes that it is cooled -and then discharged throughout the entire ship. Each cabin, each deck, -and every part of the great vessel receives its supply of fresh air -in this manner, so that even in tropical weather the interior of the -transport is very comfortable. During winter weather the air supply may -be heated to a sufficient degree to create warmth throughout the vessel. - -The officers’ quarters are the final model of comfort. On the _Sumner_ -there are accommodations for more than sixty officers. Thirteen -bath-rooms belong to them. These baths are the most perfect made by -scientific plumbing; each has a great porcelain tub, with its spray and -shower; each room is done in white marble tiles, with nickel fittings -throughout. There is a large dining-saloon and also a comfortable -smoking-room. In short, every comfort that is known, afloat or ashore, -for both officers and men, is included in these new transports, which -are in all respects a distinguished honor to our government. - -In her fleet of splendid transports, of which the _Sumner_ is a -fair example, the United States now leads the world. Indeed, ours -is the only government that has a complete transport service of its -own regularly equipped. The others have a continuous use of hired -transports. The British abandoned their governmental transport service -a few years ago as a failure. - -[Illustration: American transport Sumner in the harbor at Malta.] - -[Illustration: A British transport taken from the merchant marine.] - -The American fleet of transports has been built up entirely since -the war with Spain by the purchase and reconstruction of a number of -vessels from the merchant marine. It grew out of sheer and alarming -necessity. - -When the war with Spain broke out, and it became necessary to transport -General Shafter’s army to Cuba, the government was compelled to use -every sort of vessel which the entire Atlantic seaboard could produce -to get a sufficient number flying the American flag to carry a little -army of 15,000 men a few hundred miles. So serious was the problem -that old side-wheelers were used, as well as a great number of ancient -craft that were barely seaworthy. This humiliating condition stands in -contrast with England’s readiness when the South African War called for -transports. She sent over 220,000 men several thousand miles by sea, -on British bottoms, without making so much as a ripple on the surface -of maritime commerce and traffic. The experience of Japan in her war -against China in 1895 might have taught us a lesson. After her first -army had sailed and landed and fought, operations were practically -suspended for months, as there were not enough ships available to -carry over the second army. But we do not learn our lessons that way, -and we required our own melancholy experience, both in the confusion -of the hired ships off Daiquiri and in their cruel inadequacy for the -broken-down soldiers on the return voyage, to teach us the need of -regular and model transports for our armies across the sea. In view -of this costly experience it seems like an unpatriotic thing for the -private lines now running to Cuba, Porto Rico, and the Philippines to -be engineering a movement to have our proud little national fleet of -transports abolished. - -Our transport service is adequate for our present needs, but in the -event of a new war, which might require us to send an enlarged army -over seas, we are practically no better prepared than in 1898; for -there are no more ships in the merchant marine carrying the United -States flag which could be drafted into service than were in commission -then. There are practically no American ships in trans-oceanic service -outside those of the government. During the past year I sailed entirely -around the continent of Africa, through the Mediterranean, touching at -many of the important ports on the route. In all that time I saw but -two vessels flying the American flag. One was a little lumber schooner -from Maine, lying in the harbor of Madeira; the other was a bark, at -Cape Town, over which there was an immense amount of trouble raised -because the crew refused to take her out to sea on account of her -unseaworthy condition. Consul-General Stow was making an investigation -to estimate whether the hulk would float long enough to get back to an -American port, not to be condemned, but to be painted over and sent out -again, a disgrace to the nation. American vessels do not carry five -per cent. of our exports abroad, for what American tonnage we have is -suitable chiefly for coastwise and lake navigation. While England’s -red ensign of the merchant marine is seen over the stern in every port -of the navigable world, to our shame, a ship flying the stars and -stripes is a stranger on the seas. - -On the other hand, we pay out $165,000,000 each year to foreign ships -simply to carry our products abroad. We need our own ships for our own -traffic. We may suddenly need them some day for availability in war. - -There seems to be but one way in which to build up an American merchant -marine without waiting for another generation. That is to permit ships -to become naturalized. There are to-day hundreds of foreign-built ships -plying to our ports, knocking at the door of the United States to be -admitted under American registry, so that they may fly the American -flag, but because they are foreign-built they are debarred. Men, -women, and children are allowed to become citizens of our country and -to enjoy our privileges; why, then, should we not allow ships to do -likewise? Protection to the home trade of ship-building is the reason -for debarring those who want American registry. We need make no quarrel -with the good principle of protection when we remind ourselves that our -ship-building does not need such drastic measures as that; we build -good ships, and foreign powers are ordering even their ships of war -from our yards. It will be a greater benefit to all our shipping to -allow the flag to be raised over as many vessels as will accept its -protection, and in building up our shipping our ship-building industry -will increase. - -It is simply not possible for the United States to acquire, within a -reasonably short space of time, a sufficient shipping to occupy any -important position in the control of the merchant marine of the world -without admitting foreign-built ships. A large amount of American -capital has been invested for some time in foreign-built ships, the -desire of the owners of these vessels being to place them under the -American flag; but they have been prevented from doing so by our -government. It seems only fair that our citizens who have invested -their capital in this way should be in a position to realize the -benefits that would accrue by having them under the American flag, -provided they would agree within a reasonably short time to add to the -tonnage so admitted an equal amount of American-built tonnage, thus -building up a large American marine, and at the same time securing a -large amount of work to the American ship-building interests. - -A Shipping Subsidy Bill, not unlike the one so long before Congress -would, if passed, materially help the merchant marine of this country. -It would make it possible for the United States to occupy a leading -position among the shipping interests of the world, instead of its -present insignificant place. To-day it is impossible for the United -States, with its scale of wages and larger amount of compensation to -seamen and officers, to compete with countries where there is absolute -freedom in the employment of help and in the scale of wages, without -some such assistance. In addition to this, the cost of ship-building -in the United States is so much greater than that of foreign countries -that the questions of interest, depreciation, and additional insurance -would make it impossible for the owner of American ships to compete -with foreign-built ships without assistance; and those countries which -have recently built up their merchant marine--notably Japan--have done -so by such help. - -The matter of raising the American flag over every good ship that is -willing to fly it most immediately concerns the commercial world; but -there is another side of the question to be considered. So long as we -are friendly with Great Britain we shall undoubtedly be able to borrow -her ships with which to transport our troops or to use as hospital -ships; but if we should ever have any serious difficulty with that -country it would be very difficult for us to obtain a sufficient number -of ships to transport our troops without stopping all trade. We must -remember that most of the vessels of our new transport service formerly -flew the Union Jack of Great Britain. If it is thus necessary for the -United States to buy its ships of a foreign power for this service, our -lack of such material is conspicuous. - -[Illustration: 1. The Eighth United States Infantry going ashore for -drill at Malta.] - -[Illustration: 2. Colonel Jocelyn and Captain Croxton, Eighth U. S. -Infantry, at Malta.] - -An excellent example of the advantage to our interests in offering -our flag to ships that desire it is afforded by the attitude of the -Atlantic Transport Line. That large fleet of steamships is owned and -governed by Americans. Ninety per cent. of the stock is held in this -country; more than half of the officers of the company are Americans. -The owners want the American flag to replace that of England, but -they are unable to accomplish their desire owing to the present laws. -This fleet would be a magnificent addition to the little shipping our -country has at present; not only would it be a valuable addition to -commerce, but it would be of inestimable value in time of war. In fact, -it would be almost like building fifteen or twenty extra transports, -for the line has proved its willingness to turn over its ships to the -government when necessary. The transports _Thomas_, _Sherman_, _Logan_, -_Sheridan_, _Grant_, _Buford_, _Kilpatrick_ were all formerly ships -of the Atlantic Transport Line, as were also the hospital ships, the -_Missouri_ and the _Maine_. - -The two new ships built by this line, the _Minnehaha_ and the -_Minneapolis_, are undoubtedly better adapted for use as transports -than any other private ships afloat to-day. They are especially adapted -for the transportation of mounted troops, the most difficult problem -of ocean carriage. These two sister ships are among the largest -afloat, and have permanent accommodations for one thousand animals, so -arranged that a long voyage could be made without any serious loss of -stock. Their freeboard is exceptionally high, and their immense deck -room would allow transportation of many guns and troops. The cabin -accommodations are ample; in fact, if these ships had been especially -built for use as transports they could scarcely be constructed in -a more available manner. They are not as fast as some of the mail -steamers, but they are fast enough to keep up to any convoy, and -what they lack in speed they make up in steadiness. I crossed in the -_Minnehaha_ during the most violent part of the great storm that swept -across Galveston, and although the seas ran mountains high it was not -found necessary to put the racks on the tables save one day, and even -then they were not really needed. The steady running is due to the -broad bottom and the extra wide bilge-keels. If some heavy rapid-fire -guns were mounted on these ships, as they were put on the American -liners, the _St. Paul_ and the _St. Louis_, they would make the best -transports ever seen; they could go almost anywhere without convoy of -warships, and still take care of themselves. - -Were it permitted by the laws of this country these ships, as well as -every other of the Atlantic Transport Line, would fly the American flag -immediately. - -Hospital ships have played an important part in the wars of the -past three years, and they have become a necessary adjunct to the -transportation department of the army. All of our new transports are -fitted out with hospital appliances; but separate vessels for nothing -but hospital work have been equipped, and have done excellent work in -both the Spanish-American and the South African wars. - -When the negotiations were opened by the United States Government for -the purchase of ships to be used as transports, it was also determined -to fit out one as a hospital ship, to be used with the fleet or to be -stationed at any port which the operations might include. Mr. B. N. -Baker, president of the Atlantic Transport Line, tendered to the -government the choice of his ships for hospital service, fully manned -and free of expense to the government, and furthermore made his offer -to cover the indefinite period of “the continuance of the war.” The -_Missouri_ was chosen as the ship best suited to the work, and she was -found so valuable for this purpose that, after the war, the government -purchased her at an exceedingly low figure. - -The _Missouri_ has had a romantic life ever since she has been afloat, -and has seemed destined to be a life saver and general benefactor to -mankind in distress. On April 5, 1889, the _Missouri_ overhauled the -_Denmark_, of Copenhagen, which was in a sinking condition, having -on board over seven hundred souls. The _Missouri_ stood by and threw -her entire cargo into the sea in order to take on this load of human -freight. Not a soul was lost, and the heroism of that day’s work was -rewarded by decorations and medals from nearly every kingdom of Europe. -The insurance companies offered to pay the loss of the cargo, as though -it had been lost by wreck; but the owners would not accept this, -taking the entire loss themselves. In 1892 the _Missouri_ carried the -gift of a load of flour to the famine-stricken people of Russia, the -company furnishing the crew, fuel, and cost of transportation. During -this year she picked up two more ships at sea--the _Delaware_ and the -_Bertha_--and towed them safely into port. There is thus a poetic -fitness that this ordinary freighter, which has been the cause of -saving thousands of lives, should have become a regular hospital ship -in the government service. - -In recognition of this magnificent gift, prompted by true patriotism, -Congress passed the following resolution: - - “_Resolved_, by the Senate and the House of Representatives, - That in recognition of the patriotism and generosity of Bernard - N. Baker in donating the use of the steamship _Missouri_ to the - United States, with the services of her captain and crew, during - the war with Spain, the cordial thanks of Congress are hereby - tendered to him, and Congress hereby authorizes and directs that - a gold medal with appropriate design be prepared by the Director - of the Mint, and that said medal be presented to him by the - President of the United States at such time as he may determine.” - -Mr. Baker repeated his generous offer when he gave the _Maine_ to the -American ladies in London to be fitted out as a hospital ship similar -to the _Missouri_. Lady Randolph Churchill (now Mrs. Cornwallis West, -Jr.) took the matter in charge and worked unremittingly until the ship -was sent to South Africa fully equipped. From October, 1899, to July, -1900, the _Maine_ ministered to the needs of the sick and wounded from -South Africa. Then she sailed for Chinese waters, there to undertake -the nursing of the British and American soldiers alike. All this time -she has been manned, coaled, and run by Mr. Baker entirely at his own -expense. - -The transportation of troops at sea is a problem of the first -importance in war. The government of the United States has solved -it for the present by purchasing and equipping a fleet of model -transports. Great Britain has solved it by abandoning her former -fleet of government ships and using her immense merchant marine. Her -conspicuous success in carrying promptly and comfortably over 200,000 -soldiers to South Africa shows that the resource was ample and that she -fully understands the work. The men in khaki fared well on their long -journey to the south, and the absence of any complaints speaks well for -the staff of the British army which had the task in hand. But the chief -secret of the success was in the fact that there were ships without -limit for selection, and only the best and largest and swiftest were -chosen. At the same time they did not find it necessary to disturb the -transatlantic commerce by drawing off the great liners. - -It is not a pleasant comparison when one thinks that Great Britain sent -the greatest army she ever brought together to almost the remotest -quarter of the globe without any apparent effect on sea-going traffic, -while the United States in 1898 had to scrape together every hulk that -would float in order to transport a single army corps a few hundred -miles. - - - - -CHAPTER IX. - -The Last Days of the Boer Capital - - -[Illustration: Mr. R. H. Davis in Pretoria.] - -Before the British advance reached Johannesburg one would never have -known, by merely taking note of the life in Pretoria, that a fierce -war was being waged in the country. The ladies went on with their -calling and shopping, business houses carried on their work as usual, -and the hotels were crowded with a throng of men who looked more like -speculators in a new country than men fighting for their homes and -liberty. - -The night I arrived in Pretoria the train pulled into the station just -after dark, and the street lights gave the place an air of mystery. The -blackness of the night heightened one’s imagination of possible plots -and attempted escapes, of spies and sudden attacks. A big Scotchman, -who told me his name was “Jack,” shared the compartment with me; he -was returning from the front, where he had been fighting for his -adopted country. He carried a Mauser, and over his shoulder was slung -a bandolier of cartridges; these, with his belt and canteen, made up -his entire equipment. His pockets were his haversack, his big tweed -coat was his blanket. He gave me the first idea of the real bitterness -of the struggle, for he said he would rather die many times over than -give up to the British. He was fighting against men of his own blood, -perhaps his very relatives; but the spirit of liberty was in him, and -he was defending the home he had built in this faraway land. - -As the train rolled around the curve into Pretoria, the Scotch burgher -pointed out a brilliant circle of lights on a far side of the great -group of flickering yellow lamps which showed the position of the town. -The effect of mystery deepened as I peered out at the station platform -and saw little groups of men huddled together in the radius of the -dazzling electric arcs. Here and there a solitary figure with a rifle -walked slowly about. The doors had been locked before we entered the -town, and no one was allowed to leave the train until an official with -a decidedly English air had examined all the passports. I wondered -whether I should be able to make myself understood, and whether, in -case I were mistaken for a British spy, I should be followed by some -secret agent of the Republic. Suddenly a sharp cry at my door broke in -upon my fanciful surmises. - -“Free ’bus to the Transvaal Hotel,” shouted a voice from the figure -outlined against the bright light. - -“Grand Hotel! The Grand! Grand Hotel!” and in another instant I was -wrestling against an unseen hand for the possession of my luggage. - -“Cab, sir? Cab up-town, sir?” - -My dream of war’s mysteries was shattered in an instant, and I found -myself on earth again, with the feeling that I was just arriving at the -San Francisco ferry from an overland train. In another moment I was in -a hotel omnibus illuminated with a dingy, smoking oil lamp at the front -end. Under the lamp there was a little sign imparting the information -that the vehicle had been built in Philadelphia. We rumbled along over -the rough streets, and the windows rattled in true hotel ’bus fashion. -We pulled up at a hotel, and a porter greeted us with a sixpence’s -worth of politeness and assistance. “Good evening, sir,” he remarked, -with a “Dooley” accent which was pleasantly reassuring. - -The clerk at the desk cordially called me by name--after I had -registered--and informed me that he could give me a room at the top of -the house for five dollars a day. After depositing my belongings I took -a look at the crowd of men in the hotel office. I was reminded of the -gatherings in a California “boom town” hotel, or of a Colorado mining -camp. There were men of all nations and in all sorts of dress; but the -prevalence of top boots and leggins gave to the crowd a peculiarly -Western look. Rifles stood in the corners of the room, but except for -this item there was nothing about the men to denote their connection -with the war. They were nearly all speaking English. By that time I -began to feel that I had been cheated, for I wanted to hear some Dutch. -It is a fact, however, that in all my stay in the Transvaal I found -absolutely no use for any but my own tongue. - -Mr. Thomas Leggett, the California mining engineer who, after twelve -years’ residence in South Africa, rose to be the leading engineer in -that country, told me that he did not know five words of Dutch even -after his long stay among the Boers, and, moreover, that he had had no -occasion whatever to use that language. - -When I first met the family of Secretary Reitz, I asked a little boy of -about ten if he spoke English. - -“No, sir,” he exclaimed with emphasis; “we don’t speak English down -here--we speak American.” - -There was formerly a complaint that the English language was not taught -in the schools, but the assertion proved erroneous, and to-day it is -the common tongue of the towns and cities of South Africa. - -Up to the time of the war but few Americans had lived in Pretoria, -consequently the official duties of our consul to that place had not -been onerous. When the war broke out, Mr. Macrum was the representative -of our government; but, owing to what appeared to be an excess of -desire to aid the burghers’ cause, he overstepped the diplomatic -reserve and was recalled. Several South African officials told me that -he had acted unwisely in endeavoring to do too much, and that had -he been more discreet he might have been of material assistance to -them. When Mr. Macrum was recalled, the Hon. Adelbert S. Hay, son of -Secretary of State Hay, was appointed to fill the position that had now -become a post of great importance. There was much speculation as to the -new American consul’s ability to fill the place, and he was received -with some misgivings by the statesmen of the Transvaal, for fear his -sentiments were in favor of their enemy. But his years of training in -affairs of state under his father, both at home and at the embassy in -London, had made him equal to the task. In a very few days he proved -himself to be a thorough diplomatist, and he came to be heartily liked -by all the burghers who were brought in contact with him. - -Mr. Hay had the sole charge of all British interests, as well as the -care of the thousands of English prisoners who were in Pretoria, and -of the transmission of all letters and moneys. All these duties he -performed without arousing the slightest animosity on the part of -the Boers. No American of any class ever went to the consulate on -business, for a social call, or from idle curiosity, without receiving -a hearty welcome from the consul. And to please unanimously the crowd -of resident Americans, soldiers of fortune, correspondents, doctors, -and ne’er-do-wells, was in itself enough to show his worth as a -diplomatist. Mr. Gardner F. Coolidge, of Boston, was the vice-consul, -and in cordial service and discreetness he proved to be made of the -same stuff as his chief. They attended not only to their own official -affairs, as well as the British interests, but they were often called -upon to assist men of other nationalities, which they did as willingly -as though they had nothing else to do. - -[Illustration: Consul Hay and Vice-Consul Coolidge bidding good-by to -Captain Slocum at Pretoria.] - -During the few weeks before the British occupation there was hardly a -ripple of excitement among the people of Pretoria; in fact, there was -more South African war talk in Washington and New York when I left -the United States than I heard in the capital of the Republic most -interested. - -President Krüger was the center of all interest, although when any of -the hundreds of foreigners that swarmed the place wanted anything, they -went to Secretary Reitz, who seemed to have more power than even the -President himself. - -My last meeting with President Krüger was on the occasion of the -presentation of the celebrated message of sympathy from 30,000 -Philadelphia schoolboys. The voluminous document was delivered by -James Smith, a New York American District Messenger boy, who was -accompanied by one of the editors of a Philadelphia newspaper, Mr. -Hugh Sutherland. This opportunity afforded an excellent chance to study -the wonderful old man who has piloted the Cape Dutch through so many -national storms. - -If President Krüger had been a handsome, polished, and dignified man -the world’s opinion of the Transvaal burgher would have been entirely -different, for the descriptions of the typical Boer have had their -origin in his personality. He is far from prepossessing; he is entirely -lacking in polish or distinction of appearance. He wears a shabby frock -coat that looks as though it had never been brushed or cleaned since -the day it left a ready-made stock. His clothes, however, are not the -most notable nor the most repellent characteristic of the head of the -Transvaal government. Mr. Krüger smokes a pipe incessantly, and has -an unpleasant habit of expectorating in any place that pleases his -momentary fancy, and with very little accuracy of aim; even the front -of his clothes shows signs of this habit. His eyes are inflamed, and -are seemingly afflicted with some ophthalmic disease which causes the -lids to show lines of red under the eyeball. His hair and beard are -unkempt, except on state occasions and Sundays, when they are brushed -to an oiled nicety. His hands are heavy, as though from great toil; but -when he shook hands, he did so in the cordial manner of one who wished -to show a heartfelt welcome to his guest. - -Secretary of State Reitz arranged this meeting at which Jimmie Smith -should present the message he had carried so far, and when the little -party arrived at the President’s house, he was waiting to receive them -in his library. - -The house in which President Krüger lives is a little, low, -unpretentious cottage, such as might be owned by an ordinarily -prosperous mechanic or tradesman in a country village. It is a -one-story building, with a wide veranda along the front. On either side -of the entrance is a marble figure of a reclining lion, the gift of -Barney Barnato a few years ago, when he wished to gain favor in order -to further some of the great schemes which eventually were the direct -cause of the downfall of the two South African republics. - -The library where the President met the party was a dark room with a -low ceiling. At the farther end of the apartment was a desk table, -at which the Chief Executive sat. The ornaments about the room were -tawdry and cheap, showing how little attention was paid to appearance; -nevertheless, everything was scrupulously clean. Books and papers were -scattered about in confusion; but, as we afterwards learned, this grand -disorder was due to the fact that the President was preparing for his -departure from the capital, a fugitive from the conquerors who were -even then just outside the city. - -All thought of the peculiar personal appearance of President Krüger was -dispelled when he spoke, or even when he was listening to anything of -importance; for he conveyed the impression of being the possessor of -a great reserve force, and of a wonderful mental power which grasped a -subject instantly and with precision. Once in touch with the workings -of his great brain, his untidy appearance was forgotten, and you -thought of him as a magnificent relic of the noble Dutch blood, one -who had reclaimed a new continent from wild beasts and wilder savages; -a man who had fought his way, foot by foot, into the great veldt and -into the mountains, and had built a home for thousands of contented -followers, only to be driven out by a more powerful nation. - -At the time when the messenger boy presented the greetings from the -young Americans, the President was visibly worried and his mind was -evidently occupied by other matters. Within a few hours he expected to -move once more from the place where he had settled, as he had done when -he was a young man. But this time he was to go he knew not where, a -fugitive from an overwhelming foe. - -As Mr. Reitz translated the speech which little Jimmie Smith cleverly -delivered when he presented the documents he carried, the President -listened graciously and thanked the boy heartily for the expressions -of sympathy conveyed in the message. Coming at that time, it must have -given him some little hope that the first republic of the world would -do something towards saving to the list of nations these two republics -of South Africa. - -A granddaughter of President Krüger told me that, after he left, Mrs. -Krüger, who stayed in Pretoria, spent much time reading the book of -American newspaper and magazine clippings regarding the Boer war which -accompanied the message from Philadelphia. She was deeply gratified -to note the sympathetic sentiments so strongly stated in the American -press. - -[Illustration: A. D. T. Messenger James Smith, in front of President -Krüger’s house, immediately after presenting the message from the -American children.] - -As soon as the presentation took place the President shook hands with -every one present, and then dismissed them politely, saying, “You must -excuse me now, as matters of great importance concerning the state -occupy my mind.” That night, just before midnight, the President and -Secretary Reitz left Pretoria. - -James Smith, A. D. T. Messenger, No. 1534, was well chosen for his -mission, and he proved himself to be worthy of the task. After the -message was delivered he stayed in Pretoria for several weeks during -the British occupation. During the battle of Pretoria he amused himself -by running about in the district near the American consulate, where the -shells were falling thickest, picking up chunks of the deadly missiles, -unmindful of the great danger he was incurring. Very few men have been -under a heavier fire than was this American messenger boy on the day -of the taking of Pretoria. That night he told of how he waited for the -shells to explode, and then ran and picked up the pieces wherever he -saw them kick up the dust. - -“It was just like the Fourth,” was his comment on an all day’s battle -which did as much to reëstablish England’s prestige as any that has -been fought in many years. The fight itself lasted but one day, but the -effect of the occupation of the capital of the South African Republic -by the British army worked wonders in the opinion of the world as to -the progress of the war. - -As Lord Roberts’s army came nearer and nearer to the doomed capital, -the excitement grew more intense and the air was filled with alarming -rumors. General Botha came back to Pretoria and established his -headquarters there in order to reconstruct his forces, which were badly -scattered, and to provision them from the government stores. Extra -calls for burghers to rally to the cause were issued every day and were -responded to by hundreds. Pretoria was the turning point of the war, at -which men were called on to decide for themselves whether they would -continue the struggle to the bitter end, or leave on the last trains -for Delagoa Bay and sail for Europe, or remain in the city and quietly -allow the British to overtake them, thus being possibly overlooked -among the hundreds of peaceable citizens. - -Arms were issued from the arsenal to all those who wished to continue -the fight or who wished to cast their lot for the first time with the -army of the two states. There were arms and ammunition in abundance -for hundreds more men than came to take them, for the supply had been -laid in with the idea of eventually arming every man and boy in the -Transvaal. Many of the burghers exchanged their well-battered rifles -for new ones; all filled their ammunition belts, and took in other ways -all they could besides. - -Hundreds responded to the final call to arms. Many burghers collected -their entire families and secured arms for them to assist in the -struggle. It is not possible for any one who has not seen that army -fighting in South Africa to realize how deadly is their earnestness. -Some of the men are so old as to appear incapable of sitting in a -saddle for a march of even a few miles, to say nothing of the marches -they often make, covering several days. There are young men in the -prime of life, strong and sturdy; there are boys in knee trousers, -who do not look old enough to have sufficient strength to endure the -hardships of war or to know how to do any real fighting. There are even -women who have followed their husbands or brothers through it all, -attending the wounded, and cooking when necessary, but often going into -the fighting line and matching the men with a rifle. - -[Illustration: The battle of Pretoria: Boers awaiting the British -advance under artillery fire.] - -[Illustration: The battle of Pretoria: British naval guns shelling -forts.] - -The Boer army entered the second year of the war a far more formidable -force than the one that fought through the first year, and especially -during the first months of the war. At that time the army was filled -with men who had been commandeered and who were compelled to go into -the field, but who were not obliged to fight, and often did not fight. -There were also many adventurers from other nations, seeking a little -fame, and perhaps fortune. But now there is not a man in the field who -is not there to fight, and when they went out of Pretoria they knew -they were burning their bridges behind them. It was for this reason -that fathers took their young sons with them, and it was for the same -reason that the women followed the men. - -One day I was in General Botha’s headquarters, just before he was -leaving Pretoria for good, when an old gray-haired burgher came in to -see him. He waited some minutes, as the general was busy, but finally -stepped up to his desk. He did not give the regulation military salute, -but merely shook hands with General Botha and wished him health in the -Dutch fashion. - -“What can I do for you?” asked the Boer leader, still looking over some -papers before him. - -“I would like to get an order for a carbine from you,” answered the -burgher. - -“You cannot get a carbine, for they are very scarce just now, and every -one seems to want them; but I will give you an order on the commandant -at the arsenal for a rifle,” said the general, and he began to write -the order at once. - -“Well, I’m sorry; but a rifle won’t do,” hesitated the man. - -General Botha looked up quickly, and said with some sharpness: - -“I’d like to know why a rifle won’t do; you will use a rifle or -nothing.” - -The old burgher still hesitated; then finally said, “I’d just as soon -have a rifle, but I’m afraid my boy isn’t big enough to carry one.” He -turned and motioned to a little smooth-faced lad to come forward. - -He was not yet ten years old--a bashful yet manly little fellow, ready -to follow his grandfather and to fight for the cause for which his -father had died. Not big enough to carry a rifle, he must needs fight -with a carbine. He got his carbine. - -This incident is typical of the spirit that prevails among the Boers -who are now in the field, and it is that unconquerable spirit that will -fight on as long as there is a man still free on the wide veldt or in -the mountains. - -It was thought at first that the capital would be defended to the last, -according to the intention when the forts were first built. But after -long debate it was decided that Pretoria should not be defended, and -two very excellent reasons were given for abandoning the capital to the -British without resistance. One was that the officials did not wish to -subject their families and the families of their men to the suffering -of a siege, or their buildings to the mercy of the British guns. The -principal reason, however, was that if they should defend the capital -it would be necessary to use all the troops of the Transvaal army -and would allow the English troops to surround them, cutting off all -possibility of escape or retreat. Thus their cause would be lost. But -with the removal of their forces to the high veldt or to the mountains -they could continue the struggle many months. - -[Illustration: General De la Rey and staff at Pretoria; his nephew, -twelve years old, is serving on the staff.] - -An air of suppressed excitement pervaded all Pretoria when the people -knew that the Volksraad was in session to decide the fate of the city. -It meant either a long period of suffering or British occupation within -a very few days. Little knots of men gathered here and there to discuss -the situation and to speculate on the result of the deliberations of -the few men who held the fate of all in their hands. - -[Illustration: Field cornets in Pretoria receiving orders from a -general.] - -Finally the word came--it was “Retreat.” Once more they were to retire -before the hordes of khaki that were steadily pouring in from all -directions. There were no noisy newsboys shouting “Extra!” There -were no bulletins placarded in public places. But the news seemed to -proclaim itself in the very air. From mouth to mouth it flew, carrying -with it feelings of terror, defiance, and sadness. The moment which -had been half expected and dreaded for years had come at last. Their -enemy was upon them in irresistible force, and they were to abandon -their homes and their chief city to the foe. The little groups of men -melted away as if by magic, and the streets were suddenly alive with a -hurrying mass of people, each person with but one thought--to escape -before the British arrived. The town was filled with rumors of the -movements of the enemy, and runners said that they would be upon us -within a few hours; that the advance was already on the outskirts of -the town; that Botha had been defeated; that Pretoria was completely -surrounded--every runner had some kind of unpleasant news to tell. - -During the next hour or so men were obliged to decide quickly what was -to be done with their families and personal effects. It was the crucial -moment of the war, as it was then thought that it was but a matter of -minutes before the British would arrive. - -I happened to be at the railway station on the night the President and -Secretary Reitz left with the State documents and moneys, removing -the capital and head of the government from Pretoria. About half-past -eleven a special train, consisting of three or four luggage vans, a -few passenger carriages, a few goods carriages, and, at the end, the -President’s private coach. Nothing had been said about the removal, -but from some remark coming from Mr. Reitz I imagined that something -unusual was about to happen, and therefore awaited developments. There -was no unwonted excitement about the station, and, with the exception -of a few burghers who were awaiting the departure of the train, there -was no one about except Mr. Sutherland and myself. In a few moments a -small wagon drove hurriedly up to the station, a couple of men jumped -out and gave orders to the driver to drive out on the platform near -the train; this being done, they began to transfer a load of books and -papers into the luggage van. Another cart arrived before the first one -was emptied, also containing huge bundles of papers and documents. -During the next half hour there came a stream of vehicles of every -description, loaded with bags of gold and silver. Even cabs had been -pressed into the service of transferring the treasure of the state from -the mint to the train. Bars of the precious metal were thrown out of -the cabs or wagons like so much rubbish. - -[Illustration: Boer women bidding good-by to their men off for the -front.] - -[Illustration: Russian hospital corps with the Boers: the wounded man -is Colonel Blake, formerly U. S. A.] - -There was bustle and activity, but no noise and no excitement. A few -burghers on the platform crowded about in the glare of the electric -light, to watch the work; but there was hardly a word spoken, except -an occasional command from one of the clerks attending to the removal. -Cab after cab drove up to the station without any guard whatever; some -of them, containing as much as £20,000 in sovereigns, had been driven -by boys through the dark streets from the treasury to the station. The -cabs were hurriedly unloaded and sent back for another load, while the -men on the platform were busily throwing the bags and bars into the car. - -One boy had driven away a hundred yards into the darkness when he -called out that there was a sack in his cab that had been overlooked. -An attendant went after it and brought it back--a sack containing -several thousand dollars’ worth of gold coin. - -It was an extraordinary sight, under the glare of the electric lights, -to see this train being loaded with all that was left of the capital -of the Republic. It was done decently and rapidly. As soon as the -last sack of gold was transferred to the train the doors were closed. -Secretary Reitz alighted from a cab and walked towards the train. As -he passed under the light I saw an expression of sadness and anxiety -on his face that forbade my speaking, although I knew him well and -realized that I might not see him again. He entered the private car, -and in a few moments the train departed, President Krüger boarding it -a few blocks from the station, and for a few weeks the capital of the -South African Republic was on wheels. - -Many have blamed President Krüger for running away, as they call it, -and for leaving the country and going to Europe. But there is no doubt -that he was pursuing the proper course. He was an old man, much too -feeble to follow the commands in their marches through the mountains. -Had he attempted to do this he would have been merely a hindrance to -the rapid movements of the army. He is charged with taking away gold -for his personal use; but if he took any of the state funds with him I -do not think they were for his own use. He is a very wealthy man. Money -was of no value to the burghers in the field, but it could be used in -Europe to their advantage. It would have availed nothing for Mr. Krüger -to remain in the Transvaal only to be captured and sent to St. Helena. -Such an event would have helped the British immensely, and would have -given a certain plausibility to the assertion that the war was over. -The criticism against the President because he left the country was -confined entirely to those who ran away themselves, for among the -loyalists in Pretoria there was not a word of complaint against his -course. - -One commandant reminded me that the capital of the United States of -America was for months wherever General Washington’s headquarters were, -and that even in the war of 1812 the capital was removed before the -advance of the British on the city of Washington. He asked if any one -had ever criticised the American President for not remaining to be -taken prisoner, or for not leaving the gold in the treasury to fall -into the hands of the enemy. - -Following the departure of the President and other officials, on the -last of May, came a couple of days of panic, during which all sorts of -rumors flew about, while the lawless element of the town played havoc. -As soon as it was decided to abandon the capital, all the government -stores which had been gathered for the use of the army in the event of -a siege were turned over to the people for their own use. The stores, -which were in large warehouses, were broken open and rifled by a wild, -excited crowd from every station of society. Well-dressed men and women -jostled with half-naked Kaffirs in their efforts to secure a goodly -share of the stores. Every sort of vehicle was brought to carry away -their plunder. Not one in a hundred had any idea that the stores had -been turned over to the public by the officials in charge; they thought -they were looting without permission, and were correspondingly mad with -excitement. - -The doors of the warehouses proved too small to admit the immense -crowd; then they tore off sheets of the corrugated iron of which the -building was constructed, so that they could get at the contents more -quickly. At one door a big woman stood guard with an umbrella, beating -back any of the blacks who attempted to enter, but admitting any white -person. She plied her weapon on the heads of the blacks when they came -within reach, and it was not long before they abandoned the attempt to -go in at that entrance. The looters worked in squads, a few carrying -out the plunder of sugar, flour, coffee, and other stuffs, while some -stood guard over it until a means of carrying it away was found. -Wheelbarrows, carts, children’s wagons, and baby carriages were brought -into service to take the provisions to the homes of the people, and for -several hours the streets were alive with hurrying crowds. Cabs at last -could not be hired at any price, as the cabmen took a hand on their own -account in the general looting. - -I was driving past the main warehouse when the scramble for plunder -began, and stopped to watch the wild scene. In a few moments my driver -caught the fever and asked permission to join the mob, saying he would -be back by the time I needed him. He carted away enough sugar, flour, -coffee, and candles to last him a year, and came back in such a happy -state of mind that he did not want to accept any fare for driving me -about. - -Very few of the burghers of the army took any hand in the looting, -although many of them looked on and shook their heads in disapproval -that so much of this good store should go to the stay-at-homes. - -When Lord Roberts occupied the capital and heard of that day’s work, -he sent a large detail out to search for the plunder, and recovered a -considerable amount, which he turned over to the use of his army. - -For some time it appeared as though there might be serious trouble, and -that the looting would be extended to shops and banks. Nearly all of -these barricaded their doors and windows and placed a guard inside. A -plot was hatched to break into the Union Bank, which was known to be -British in sentiment; consequently all the bank officials spent several -days and nights inside the building, armed with rifles, to protect the -property. The attack was not made, however, probably because the fact -of the guarding of the bank was known. - -During all this time the burghers were retreating towards Middleburg, -and by the first of June there were not half a dozen of the army left -in the capital. Each day the British were expected to march in, but -they did not come; and each day the situation became more serious, -until finally a committee, appointed by a proclamation issued by -General Botha, formed a special police corps for the protection of -property until the British forces should arrive and take possession. -The corps was composed of all the foreign consuls and their _attachés_, -and such men as were not directly in the army. At the request of Mr. -Hay I was sworn in and received a white band for my arm, on which -was stenciled “P. C. No. 161,” and a pasteboard card imparting the -information to all lawless persons that I was authorized to take them -to jail. But an officer without the backing of the majesty of the law -is not impressive, and in my one official act I have not yet decided -who came out ahead--only the other fellow didn’t get the horse. - -When the retreating burghers began to straggle through Pretoria towards -the north, they commandeered any horses that seemed better than the -ones they were riding. Cab horses and carriage horses were outspanned -on the street, and the vehicles and harnesses left lying on the ground. -Stables were entered and the best of the stock was taken for remounts. -As a war proceeding this was perfectly legitimate, although it was -rather hard on those who lost their horses. The American consul drove -a fine pair of large Kentucky animals, which were probably the finest -horses in the town, and he had considerable difficulty in keeping -them. Several times the burghers began to unharness them, but a word -telling them to whom they belonged stopped these orderly robbers in -their attempt. When it became known that many unscrupulous persons were -taking dishonest advantage of the fact that the commands were taking -remounts and state horses under the name of the government, an order -was issued against commandeering horses for any purpose. - -After this state of unrest and terror had continued for three or four -days without an appearance of the British, the excitement wore off, -confidence was restored, and many of the burghers of General Botha’s -command who had retreated now returned to the city. - -The last Sunday before the British came dawned quiet and peaceful as a -New England Sabbath; not a sign of war was to be seen; the streets were -thronged with men, women, and children on their way to church to pray -for their cause and their dead. The soldier laid aside his rifle and -bandolier for the day, and not one was to be seen throughout the crowds -which were moving towards their respective places of worship, while -the bells rang summons and welcome. The day was warm enough for the -women to wear white gowns, which served to make the many black ones the -more noticeable. The children were stiff and starched in their Sunday -cleanliness, and half the church-going crowd was composed of these -little ones. In many a pew there was no father or brother, but only a -sad-faced woman in sombre black. - -The churches were crowded to the doors, and I tried two or three places -before I finally gained admittance to the church opposite President -Krüger’s house, where he had himself often occupied the pulpit. It -was a typical country church, such as may be seen in hundreds of our -smaller towns; the windows were open, and a soft breeze blew gently -through the room. The people entered deeply into their worship, and the -sadness that prevailed made it appear like a service over the dead who -had fallen in battle. Many families were worshiping together for the -last time, for on the morrow a battle was to be fought, and all who -were going to continue the fight were to be separated that night from -their loved ones. - -[Illustration: Boers under heavy shell fire, awaiting British advance -behind their defenses.] - -[Illustration: Burghers’ horses during battle of Pretoria.] - -There was not one in the whole church who was not weeping. Near me -sat a young girl of about twenty, who sobbed aloud during the entire -service, as though her heart was broken beyond all comfort; and I -afterwards learned that her father and four brothers were all dead, and -that her one remaining brother was at St. Helena with Cronje. In the -pew in front of me sat an old grizzled burgher with a heavy gray beard; -he needed no rifle to show that he had been for months on command, -for his face was burned by wind and sun. His arm was around his wife, -whose head rested on his shoulder. She did not weep, but at frequent -intervals she huddled closer to him and grasped his arm more firmly, as -if afraid he would leave her. On his other side sat a little girl, who -looked around with big, frightened eyes, wondering at the scene. - -The pastor preached from his heart a sermon of hope and encouragement, -his words being interrupted by the sound of sobbing. Hardly a man there -but had his arm supporting the woman at his side, or grasped her hand -in his. The text was from Ezekiel, xxxvii. 3-9: - - And he said unto me, Son of man, can these bones live? And I - answered, O Lord God, thou knowest. - - Again he said unto me, Prophesy upon these bones, and say unto - them, O ye dry bones, hear the word of the Lord. - - Thus saith the Lord God unto these bones; Behold, I will cause - breath to enter into you, and ye shall live: - - And I will lay sinews upon you, and will bring up flesh upon you, - and cover you with skin, and put breath in you, and ye shall - live; and ye shall know that I am the Lord. - - So I prophesied as I was commanded: and as I prophesied, there - was a noise, and behold a shaking, and the bones came together, - bone to his bone. - - And when I beheld, lo, the sinews and the flesh came up upon - them, and the skin covered them above: but there was no breath in - them. - - Then said he unto me, Prophesy unto the wind, prophesy, son of - man, and say to the wind, Thus saith the Lord God; Come from the - four winds, O breath, and breathe upon these slain, that they may - live. - -Tender, with infinite pathos, yet manful, and with a virile faith -that seemed to make the impossible actual, the sermon went on. It was -a prophet’s opportunity, such as comes to but few preachers in all -history, to stand at the final threshold of a nation’s life, to bid -farewell to the men leaving for the forlorn hope of the last struggle, -and to embrace in one cry of faith both the heartbreak and the -resolution of a people. It was in the Dutch tongue, but the preacher -repeated it to me in English the next day, and I was the witness of the -effect of its simple eloquence on the people. - -When the service was over, there was a solemn and tearful handshaking -before the congregation scattered for the last time to their homes; -the men to buckle on their bandoliers and rifles for the next day’s -battle, the women to pray for the safety of those brave hearts so dear -to them, or to weep alone with memories of those they had loved and -lost. - -[Illustration: The Boer retreat from Pretoria.] - - - - -CHAPTER X. - -The British in Pretoria - - -[Illustration: One of the Guards at Pretoria.] - -On the morning of the fourth of June, 1900, the British troops turned -their guns on Pretoria, after hundreds of miles of weary marching, -enlivened with only a few fights to break the monotony of the work. -There was not much defense, as it had been decided that there should be -no opposition to the enemy’s entrance; but as many of the burghers had -returned over Sunday, and the panic of a few days before had vanished, -they were taking away more stores than they had at first intended. -Train-loads of troops and refugees were leaving Pretoria every hour; -therefore General De la Rey, with a rear guard, was detailed to -obstruct the advance as long as possible, to cover the retreat that was -then being made in an orderly manner. He had but fifteen or eighteen -hundred men to oppose many thousands, but as he had the advantage of -the positions, and as the English commander did not know whether the -forts were occupied and armed, he was able to hold off the advance all -day. - -The fighting consisted almost entirely of an artillery bombardment by -the British naval guns until noon, when the right of the Boer line was -heavily engaged, and the rifle and machine-gun fire became very fast. - -The burghers had but six guns with which to oppose the advance, and -they were small field pieces that could not be put into action until -the enemy advanced almost within rifle range. A little before dark the -fighting was heavy all along the line, and then the British became -fully convinced that there would be a determined defense at Pretoria. -They were very much disappointed when they discovered that the burghers -had waived the defense and had saved themselves for a struggle under -other conditions. All day long two of the guns shelled one of the forts -that had long since been abandoned, but as it was an advantageous -position from which to witness the fighting, some of the townspeople -had gone up there in the forenoon. They were seen by the British, and -were naturally mistaken for soldiers, consequently they were subjected -to a harmless shell fire. In the afternoon the invaders brought a large -number of their guns into action, and the shells flew thick and fast -over our position, occasionally striking and exploding at the crest -under which we were lying. Considering the number of shells, however, -very little damage was done. - -[Illustration: General De la Rey and a group of his burghers while -awaiting a British attack.] - -All through the day the two wings of Lord Roberts’s army kept extending -farther around the town, and just before dark the retreat from the -defenses began. As the entire force of burghers was compelled to take -one narrow road between the hills, this was crowded with horsemen, each -man trying to pass the others, although with no great excitement. There -was no talking in the procession; the men rode along looking like an -army of spirits in the white clouds of dust. Mingled with the horsemen -were men on bicycles, whose clothing showed that they had taken no part -in the campaign; men on foot, who had come out to witness the fight, -and even men in wagons. Occasionally a gun rumbled along. All were -bent on getting into Pretoria as soon as possible. Once there, however, -they seemed in no hurry to leave, many remaining until the next -morning, after the British had actually entered the town. - -As I rode into Pretoria there were knots of people at every gatepost -and in every doorway, watching the retreating burghers, bidding good-by -to their friends, and asking all sorts of questions regarding the -advancing army. - -I stopped at the Artillery Barracks, a fine large brick building, -and there saw Major Erasmus, a member of one of the famous fighting -families of the war; apparently he had not inherited the fighting -spirit, for he had taken off his bandolier, and he told me that he -was going to quit. Around him were a few more of the same mind, and -sitting on a horse near by was an old burgher talking to them in Dutch. -It needed no knowledge of the language to apprehend his meaning, for -he was evidently speaking with biting sarcasm, and its effect was -plainly seen in the faces of his hearers. Many others remained in -Pretoria and allowed themselves to be taken, afterwards taking the -oath of neutrality. Only those who wished to fight it out went on. The -faint-hearted ones who stayed behind were snubbed by all the women-folk -who knew them, and there is no doubt that many who broke their oath of -neutrality and again took to the field did so in order to escape the -taunts of the patriotic women. - -[Illustration: Lord Roberts’s advance bodyguard approaching Pretoria.] - -[Illustration: British guns captured by the Boers.] - -At the Artillery Barracks were all of the British guns that had been -captured by the Boers, but which they could not use. None of them was -destroyed, however, and eventually they again fell into the hands of -the English. In a few cases the breech block was broken, but aside from -that they were in as good condition as on the day they were taken. It -seems strange that the Boers should have allowed them to go back to the -enemy uninjured after the battling which the possession of them had -cost; but one commandant said that he could not see why they should -uselessly destroy property. - -It was said that a couple of English officers with a few men entered -Pretoria that night, but I did not see them. The first of the enemy -that I saw was an advance body next day, sent in to occupy the town -and to post a guard on all public buildings. I heard that Lord Roberts -and his staff were coming, and I rode out about a mile to meet them. -I then first beheld that wonderful leader, who is certainly one of -the greatest generals of modern times. His staff was preceded by an -advance bodyguard of about fifty men; twenty men rode on either side -of the road, flanking his staff by about one hundred yards. The staff -was so large that it looked like a regiment in itself. At the head I -recognized Lord Roberts, a small man on a large horse, sitting in his -saddle as though pretty well worn out by work. He was bundled up in a -khaki overcoat, as the morning was very cold. By his side rode Lord -Kitchener on a powerful white horse, the only white one in the staff. -That horse must have been a shining mark in action, but a little detail -of that sort would not trouble a man of Kitchener’s stamp. - -[Illustration: Lord Roberts and staff approaching Pretoria (Lord -Kitchener is on the white horse, Lord Roberts is the first leading -figure at the right).] - -Immediately behind the field marshal and his chief of staff rode -two Indian native servants, familiar figures in all Lord Roberts’s -campaign, for he never travels without them. It is said that one of -them saved his chief’s life in India, and that he is now retained in -his service forever. - -Lord Roberts and his staff rode into the railway station, where they -dismounted and made arrangements for the formal entry and occupation, -which was to occur that afternoon. The hour set was two o’clock, but it -was twenty minutes past that hour when the flag was raised. The square -had been cleared long before that by a battalion of the Guards, and -finally the field marshal and his staff rode in and took a position -just opposite the entrance to the state building. Immediately after -his entry the drums and fifes and a few pieces of brass played the -national anthem, and every one saluted, but no flag was to be seen at -that moment. Finally a murmur started and circulated throughout the -ranks and the crowd. “There it is!” exclaimed some one. “Where?” asked -another. “On the staff; it’s up.” “No, that can’t be.” “Yes, it really -is.” And it was. - -By looking very carefully we could discern a little something looking -like a stiff, colored table mat at the top of the high mast, but it was -not recognizable as the Union Jack. It was afterwards learned that this -little flag was made by Lady Roberts, and that as a matter of sentiment -Lord Roberts had caused it to be raised. But that bit of sentiment had -robbed the occasion of all the patriotic enthusiasm that would have -been awakened by the sight of a big, magnificent banner. The next day -a fifteen-foot Union Jack was hoisted, and the men who operated the -moving-picture apparatus waited until the second day before taking the -pictures of the raising of the British flag over the Transvaal which -were to be shown in the London theatres. - -[Illustration: Lord Roberts and Lord Kitchener with staff entering -Pretoria at the railway station, June 5, 1900. The two locomotives on -the right, with Boer engineers, were started immediately afterwards in -an attempt to escape to the Boer lines.] - -I was reminded of General Shafter’s anxiety at Santiago on the morning -of July 17th, when he sent from one end of his army corps to another to -find a flag large enough to raise over the palace, and of how pleased -he was when one sufficiently large was finally found. He said that day -that the affair would not be a success unless the flag was large enough -to show that it was waving. - -When the British troops entered Pretoria, their first thought was for -their unfortunate brother officers who were imprisoned there, and -their first questions were regarding them, as they feared they had -been removed by the Boers. While the preparations were being made for -the flag-raising, the imprisoned officers were released, and came down -town for the first time since their arrival. Many happy greetings were -exchanged, some of them showing an affection betokening relationship. -They were almost the only ones who did any cheering that day, as the -soldiers were too worn out and the townspeople were too sad. - -As soon as the flag was raised the march past was begun, and thousands -of the magnificent-looking troops passed in review before Lord Roberts. -The British soldiers made a fine show, although they were evidently -pretty well worn out; their horses, too, were in bad condition. The -Colonials and the Gordon Highlanders were the most attractive part of -the review and made the best showing. The naval guns were drawn by many -spans of oxen, and looked tremendously business-like. Under ordinary -conditions the spectacle would have been a sight to fill a spectator -with enthusiasm and admiration; but, somehow, the scene seemed more an -occasion of sadness, awakening admiration and pity for that little -band of men who had marched out into the night only a few hours before. -An American business man of Pretoria watched the regiments tramp past, -and then remarked, “Well, I think the best way for the Boers to win out -is to come back to-day and march in review before this army. They would -not need to fight any more, for this whole lot would die of shame.” - -There was not a very large crowd to witness the occupation, considering -the number of people in the city, for very few of the Boer sympathizers -came out, and in most cases the women went into their houses, closing -the front doors and windows tightly, and many did not open their -houses until they were forced to come out to attend to their household -marketing. Along the verandas of the Grand Hotel and in the street in -front of the hotel a few ladies were to be seen, but except for these -the crowd was composed of men, mostly blacks. This conspicuous absence -of the women served to show the bitter feeling and intense hatred that -prevailed among the people. - -The Union Bank, however, a British institution, swung out two large -Union Jacks in honor of the event. - -While the review was passing, a corporal’s guard brought in two -Boer prisoners, who were marched into the square, awaiting whatever -disposition was to be made of them. One was a man about fifty, the -other a boy about nine years old, in short trousers; but the little -fellow had a rifle, and was held as a prisoner of war. As they stood -there I could not but wonder what those British soldiers thought of -such a sight. - -While the review was going on, I stood near the Burgomaster of -Pretoria, a man whom I had met with General Botha and Secretary Reitz. -He was a man who had held the highest municipal office under the Boer -government, but now he was fawning upon a major of staff, telling him -that he had always hated the Dutch government and everything connected -with it. To gain favor in the eyes of his new masters, he blackguarded -all the men who had made him what he was. It did not seem possible that -this pitiful personage could be the same man who a few days before was -an official of the Boer government. - -As soon as the review was dismissed, officers and men began to explore -the town and to fill their pockets with souvenirs. Stamps and coins -were especially sought after, while copies of the extra _Volkstein_, -issued the night before, with news of Johannesburg’s fall and of the -coming battle, were sold for five pounds. - -Although there was not much chance to get liquor, the men found what -they wanted, but there was a surprising absence of drunkenness. To my -surprise and admiration, I saw only one drunken soldier in that entire -army after the occupation. - -[Illustration: Gordon Highlanders entering Pretoria, June 5, 1900.] - -[Illustration: Types of the crowd who watched the British entry.] - -During the first few days of the occupation Lord Roberts started the -machinery of his wonderful government, and in a very short time -everything was running smoothly. All stores and storehouses were put -under guard and the contents commandeered for military use; although, -when the stock was the property of private individuals, a good price -was paid for it. If the burghers had had sufficient presence of mind -or the inclination to destroy all the stores in Pretoria, the army -under Lord Roberts would have been not only seriously embarrassed, -but in a very critical condition. As it was, a sufficient quantity of -Boer rations was left to keep the British going until the railroad was -opened. In one building enough forage had been left by the Boers to -keep the stock supplied until more could arrive. A single match would -have prevented this, but one of the Boer commandants said regarding it, -“Oh, it would be such a wanton destruction of property!” They preferred -to allow it all to fall into the hands of their enemies than to burn -it. If they had destroyed it the horses would have had practically -nothing to eat, and all operations would necessarily have been stopped. - -A corps of correspondents came in with Roberts’s army, and they were -all very anxious to hear of the events that had occurred on the Boer -side. Mr. Dinwiddie, of _Harper’s Weekly_, was one of the first in -Pretoria; he had but recently come over from the Philippines, where -he had been with General Lawton, but he had seen all the British -advance since Bloemfontein. I had last seen him during the Cuban -campaign. Another veteran of the Santiago campaign was Mr. Atkins, of -the Manchester _Guardian_. The famous war correspondent, Mr. Bennett -Burleigh, was also among the first to arrive. He is one of the oldest -in the profession, and before he began writing he fought with the -Confederacy during our Civil War. Mr. Barnes and Mr. Jenkins were two -more of the American correspondents, although they were representing -English papers. - -Some of the wagons that were used by the correspondents and the -_attachés_ were grotesque affairs. One of them was a pie-wagon, with a -door in the back; its possessor had cut a hole in the roof and run a -stovepipe out so that he could cook in any kind of weather. There were -a good many grocers’ wagons, but the most common conveyance was the -two-wheeled Cape cart. - -As soon as Lord Roberts took possession, he issued a conciliatory -proclamation, telling the burghers who wished to lay down their arms -and take the oath binding them to neutrality that they would not be -made prisoners of war. A number availed themselves of this offer, and -most of them kept their promises; but subsequent events made many of -them take up arms again. - -The execution of young Cordua for conspiracy did much to help the Boer -cause by reviving fainting spirits with the spur of new indignation. -Everyone in Pretoria knew that there had been no plot whatever, and -that the rumors of the supposed conspiracy had been spread by the -agents of the British government. The young man was known to be -simple-minded, and therefore was not responsible for his actions, but -his death was a great stimulus to those fighting for the Boer cause. -The proclamation regarding the burning and destroying of all farms in -the vicinity of a railroad or telegraph line that was cut also sent -many men back into the field and made many new recruits. No matter -how loyal a feeling a farmer might have towards the English, he could -not prevent some one from coming down from the hills in the night and -blowing up the tracks or bridges somewhere within ten miles of his -home; but if this happened his house was burned, and almost invariably -the burghers who were thus deprived of their homesteads went on -commando to stay to the bitter end. - -One proclamation was issued compelling every man and boy to register -his presence in Pretoria; and another, ordering that all firearms of -every description be turned in to the provost marshal; this included -sporting rifles, shotguns, gallery rifles, and, in fact, every arm that -called for powder. It was not permitted to any one to ride or drive a -horse, or ride a bicycle, without having obtained a special permit. -Most of these orders were quite necessary and did no one any great -harm. At times the restriction was troublesome, but that was all; and, -upon the whole, considering the fact that the town was under military -rule, the British government was lenient. - -The women of Pretoria were intensely bitter against the British, and -did not scruple to show it. For several days not one was seen on -the streets. After a time they came out of their houses, but very -seldom would they have anything to say to the invaders. They showed -the same spirit said to have been shown by our colonial women towards -the British, the same that the women of the Southern States showed -towards the Northern soldiers, and the same that the French women felt -against the Germans. In their hearts was bitter hatred, but politeness -and gentle breeding toned their actions to suavity that was sometimes -mistaken for weakness by a race that has never been noted for its -subtle sense of discrimination. - -Lord Roberts invited Mrs. Botha to dinner one night, soon after the -occupation of Pretoria, and she accepted the invitation. Immediately -the rumor was spread throughout the army, and was construed by the -British to mean that General Botha was going to surrender at once, and -that his wife was going to influence him to do so. On the contrary, -Mrs. Botha told me that if he did surrender as long as there was a -possible chance to fight, she would never speak to him again. Her -eyes flashed and her manner was very far from that of a woman who -was weakening because she had dined with the commander-in-chief. She -obviously had her reasons for doing it, and there is no doubt that -General Botha heard all that went on from herself the next morning. The -system of communication between the burghers in the field and their -families was facile and well conducted, and the women kept the men -informed of every move of the British. - -One afternoon I was riding along the streets of Pretoria with an -English officer, and we passed General Botha’s little son. I pointed -him out to my companion, who pulled up to talk with him. He was a boy -of seven or eight, bright and good looking. The officer asked him what -he thought of the British soldiers now that he had seen them. - -“Oh, they’re all right,” he answered evasively. - -“Well, from now on you will live under the British flag,” said the -officer, trying to tease him in a good-natured way. - -“Perhaps,” he replied, shrugging his shoulders. - -“And you will become just as much an Englishman as any of us, and like -it,” continued the officer. - -In an instant all the boy’s evasiveness was gone; his fists clenched -and his head came up sharply. - -“I never will be English!” he exclaimed vehemently. “I hate you all! -You may make us live under that flag, but you’ll never make us like -it--never!” And he stamped his foot to emphasize his tirade against the -enemies who had driven his father away. This is the spirit shown on -every side in the Transvaal, the Orange Free State, and even in Cape -Colony itself. The people seem contented enough until they are stirred, -and then their liberty-loving blood makes them speak their real feeling. - -[Illustration: Lord Kitchener bidding good-by to the foreign attachés -after the capture of Pretoria.] - -A few days after the occupation a pretty young woman, tastefully -dressed in a white summer gown, appeared on the street with a large -bow of the national colors, red, white, blue, and green, pinned on -her shoulder. An officer stopped her and told her to take it off, -but she looked at him contemptuously and turned away. He stopped her -again, and finally removed the colors himself. The young lady made no -resistance, but passed on. Within half an hour she was out with another -equally large bow of the colors. Again it was taken away from her, and -again she put on another knot of ribbons. The matter was brought to -the attention of the military governor, and she was told that if it -happened again she would be put in jail; but it did happen again just -as fast as she could get the ribbon to put on. Whether she was arrested -or not I never knew, but I saw her on the street several days later -still wearing the colors of her country. - -For some days before the British arrived, the prices in Pretoria -for provisions of all kinds had advanced to unheard-of figures. -There seemed to be a sufficient quantity of everything, except white -flour; but those who had stock on hand were making the best of their -opportunity. The flour seemed to have been “cornered” by the bakers, -for they were all furnishing bread regularly, and were charging from -fifteen to twenty-five cents a loaf, according to the size. This was -considered very cheap in comparison with the price asked for a sack -of flour a few days before, the lowest price then being five pounds. -“Mealies,” or common corn, sold at thirty to sixty shillings unground, -the regular price being six or eight shillings. As this corn was used -only to feed animals it made the expense of keeping a horse rather -high. Up to this time the English have not discovered the value of -Indian corn as a food product, although many attempts have been made -to introduce it into England. There was an abundance of canned goods -that sold at a fairly reasonable price, and also plenty of fresh beef, -although it was of the trek-ox variety, and almost impossible to eat. - -When the British army entered the capital, with over forty thousand -hungry men, looking for anything as a change from the regular ration, -prices jumped higher still, and the stocks in the various stores -speedily vanished. One of the first official acts of the new government -was to place a guard over the various provision stores, allowing no one -to buy without an order from one in authority. This was done to prevent -some of the officers’ messes from buying up everything in sight. - -Fresh vegetables were exceedingly scarce, although very early in the -mornings some came in from the country, and it was always a case of the -“early bird” as to who was fortunate enough to get hold of them. Butter -was a greater luxury than champagne, and if any was secured a dinner -party was sure to follow. - -“Come up and dine with me to-night; I’ve got some butter,” was the -strongest invitation that could be issued, and one that was never -refused. - -Consul Hay kept many men and women from going hungry, for he had laid -in a large stock of provisions against the expected siege of Pretoria; -consequently he had plenty of food stuffs to spare, and any one who -was known to be needy was welcome to a share. He also stabled several -horses for their owners when there was absolutely no forage to be -bought at any price. - -When prices had reached an impossible mark, Lord Roberts took the -matter in hand and issued a proclamation giving a list of all necessary -articles and the legal prices to be charged for them, and any one -asking more was liable to severe punishment. Some found a way to evade -the order by giving short weight; but a few days later the first supply -train came in from the southern base of supplies, and then prices -resumed their natural scale. - -It was an irremediable military blunder for the retreating burghers not -to destroy all supplies and forage in Pretoria. Even as it was, Lord -Roberts had made three attempts to advance his main force, and each -time was compelled to retire, not because of the force of the Boers -opposing him, but because of his inability to get rations up to his -troops. - -It was not a glorious entry, and the occupation was not so satisfactory -to the British themselves that the word “Pretoria” on the regimental -standards will stir a soldier’s throb for many years to come. Some -day the blunders will be forgotten, the human wrongs will grow dim in -distance, and only the glory of effort and the benefit to civilization -will be thought of; but not until then will the British be proud of -their conquest. - -The burghers in this the first city of their fair land are -conscientious and honest; they know they have the right on their side, -and they are willing to pray and die for it. The English do not -understand these plain folk as we would, for we have the same sort of -men and women. Instead of trying to understand them, the English are -prone to ridicule them. - -Their devotion to the faith in which they believe has been a special -target for this ridicule, although I never saw the time when they made -that devotion obnoxious to even the lowest unbeliever. They worship in -their own way, believe in their own creed, which is very like that of -the great majority of the people of the United States. When I listened -to the Dutch pastor preach that last sermon before the British entered -Pretoria, I heard nothing that could offend any one; and yet, less -than two weeks later, at my own table, in the presence of half a dozen -British officers, an English chaplain told us as a great joke, over -his brandy and soda, that he had heard of a sermon that was preached -exhorting the Boers to fight, and that he had informed the provost -marshal and had the Dutch pastor thrown into jail. After a moment’s -pause he added, “I occupied his pulpit myself last Sunday.” - -“Well,” said one of the British officers, “that is a method of getting -a pulpit that I never heard of before.” - - - - -Transcriber’s Notes - - -Punctuation, hyphenation, and spelling were made consistent when a -predominant preference was found in this book; otherwise they were not -changed. - -Simple typographical errors were corrected; occasional unbalanced -quotation marks retained. - -Ambiguous hyphens at the ends of lines were retained. - -The captions of illustrations were printed in italics. To improve -readability, those italics are not indicated in the Plain Text version -of this eBook. Italics elsewhere are indicated by _underscores_. - - - - - -End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of Blue Shirt and Khaki a Comparison, by -James F. J. 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