Murcti 3, 1001.
What the British
Think of Dewet
Ik
i
1
(Copyright, 1901, by .lames llarnos.)
It wan uarly In the month of May, lt0.
that Christian Dowel first began to Impress
tho force of his ehnraeter upon the Knglisli
ijillltary minds, writes James Harnes, spe
cial correspondent In South Afrlcu of the
London Dally Mall. The great army under
Lord Uober.B was In full sweep of Its north,
ward pilgrimage. Along the lino of the
railway (hero was little opposition, hut to
tho eastward the dogged and determined
Uoer lighter wns hanging on the rear of
Oenerat Hamilton's division, engaging him
In nlmost dally actions, harassing trans
P"rt and rear guard. Somehow he had
rllppcd through from tho front, and had
adopted tho very tactics
hest suited to the coun
try, and hitherto dis
dained by tho rest of
tho lloer generals.
Uotha and his army
were lleelng for the
Tnuil, leaving u trail of
dynamite, llro and de
struction behind him.
Ou Thursday, tho LMth,
which was tho queen's
birthday, 1 dined with a
young captain in the
mounted Infantry at
Vmlefort road, nations
of rum were issued on
mis day, and at o
o'clock tho bugles of the
vurluus divisions were
ordered to sound the
keynote of D, and, be
ginning at the right,
'Ood Savo the Queen
swept down the sixteen
miles of front, sung by
nearly Cu.uou Urltlsh
throats. Cheers rolled
upon cheers; tho Hroii
blazed until long after
tho usual hour for
"taps." Tho Australians
held a smoking concert
that, lasted until nearly
midnight. "When Johiui)
Comes Marching Home"
was one of tho choruses.
"That's all very well,"
observed Cnptaln Col
vlllo to mo, "but I wish
we did not have that
chap Dewet In our rear.
I'll bo down hero some
day chivvying him about
tho country with a lot
of sick horses. You
mark my words."
Ills prophecy was
true. Ho Is down thero
Ht this present moment,
but ho Is n captain no
longer, nnd has more
than a thousand men at
his back.
Gradually D e w o t ' s
name and his exploits
ceased to cause aston
ishment. Ho became so
serious that he was
joked about. A soldier
scrlbbled on tho side of
a railway carriage leav
ing Pretoria an nddeuda
to the sign "For Cape
Town," reading: "By
permission of C. Dowet
trallle manager," and no
ono got angry. They
nil laughed appre
ciatively, which showed
that it was no light Jest Photo by Townsend.
THE ILLUSTRATED 1U3.IS.
down upon a heavily guarded pass. Then another small party of Uoers hail crossed ' nquattcd about a lire near by. fryin
tho nolso would chango again, ns If tho tho main lino heading north, and the post ' ''' beef In a skillet,
direction of march had been altered. Tho at Natal Spruit had been captured at da- III Matt Included In lin Italian.
Doers nppeared to be confused nnd It wns break and tho bridge blown up. Willi u Uns Ceneral Dewet's headquarters
whispered about that they had lost their which party was General Dewet It would mi.8i, ull,i uno of the Kngllshuion at onco
way nnd might stumble upon thu outposts bo heard to state. 1 think myself he was w,,nl ovor ,i MHked tho general If he
at any minute. The ndvanco lines stood with the one to tho eastward, for tho simple would not come over and lunch with them
with their rifles cocked. Kveryone was reason that he had led the Kngllsh to be- At first ho declined, but. upon his staff being
ready for a midnight nttack and supposed Uuvo ho was with the one to tho west. Included In the Invitation he accepted and
at least that tho action would begin at the WhBM 1)uwL,t caIurC(, a of 10 HUlJ,,uL.s Joined them.
crack of dawn. lU)(l t))o nUBo lUmtllg ()( nmniunlllon and Strange to say. the conversation wns nut
I)im-i llml KmoihxmI. clothing at Vredefort Weg, ho said to his about war. but i f farming and tho possl
Uut when the sun rose, what did they prisoners; "Now wo havo got more than bllltles of Irrigation. Utter, however, he
llml 7 About forty empty wagons, draggod wo want turn to and help yourselves." expressed some of his views to ono of his
by a few played-out oxen, had been driven And soon Dutch nnd British were busy prisoners, lie cnld that he knew the lloeis
nnd thumped nround In a circle all night! looting Indiscriminately, taking everything had no chance of being victorious, but ho
wheels were making. I have heard this A score of black boys and a half-dozen white thoy could get. A burgher and n "Tommy intended to do Ills best "to make It the
tale denied, but I tell It as It was told to men were nil tho prisoners tnken. Dowel nlmost enmu to blows ovor the pos.-osslon most expensive war Knglnnd ever nt-
mo (I got It from a lloer source), and from hnd escaped and had managed to take most f n camera that was being sent to nn tempted." He has pretty well fullllled his
what 1 have myself observed of tho callous- of his light carts with him along the top olllccr through tho post. The mall pnueliiN threat by this time.
ness of the Urltlsh olllcers at times to their of the Hanking rldgo and had actually were all ripped open, nnd tho veldt for Dewet put little restrictions upon his
Immediate surroundings. I dare vouch for rounded the end of the Urltlsh Hue nnd was miles mound wns covered with letters and prisoners, knowing that their unfamlllarliy
Its probability The campn were sur some twenty tulles nwny, retracing his steps newspapers Somo of these were after- with the enuntry and the feni of getting
lllMt U'ltM Hill lriMI t (Ml
5even iNcorasua governors
approach the camp after dark, following
the main road, and he drove his wagons
straight through the nun l Ho was hailed,
but Inquired for some dotu'iiincnt of the
Diitlsh that was farther on, ami was al
lowed to pass. The only objection that
was made to his progress was one made
by a group of olllcers dining near the road
way, who did not like the dust his wagdi
3
M W
mm
mm
re
Wllllnin A. Poynter.
Ixrenzo Crounse.
Charles Dietrich.
John M. Thayer.
Silas A. llolcomb,
James 10 lloyd,
Itobort W Furnas
safeguard against i 1 1
attempt to escape. If
they hud been cotonlals
the case would havo
been very different, but
as It was, they marched
along like lambs until
they were turned loose
on the Natal border, to
Hnd their way after
weary suffering miles
to the Urltlsh lines.
All those are reasons
for Dowel's popularity
among his enemies, and
'hey llml It hard. I
dare say, to bellovo the
stories that are now
circulated about his
treatment of the peace
eiivovs. Desperation
must have changed his
"hararier to cause liltn
to act In such n cruel
and reckless fashion,
forfaiting If the reports
are true, all claims to
consideration U u t
brigand, guerrilla, out
law, patriot, or what
you wish to call hint,
ho Is now the backbone
nf tho nrmed resistance
to the Urltlsh efforts to
establish peace. He Is
tho one great stumbling
block In tho way of
fliinl settlement. Al
though tho Irrcconcll
nblcs may consider him
a greator leader than
Nnpoleon or Washing
ton there nre thou
sands of his country
men who cnuiplaln Hint
his nnn-acceptanco of
tho Innvllablo Is eniiR
Ing needless suffering
nnd useless ruin. Some
of thorn, to my cortnln
knowledge, have offered
their services toward
running him to enrth.
hut so far they havo
been declined. Woo be
tide nny of these men,
for ir they should fall
Into Dewol's hands
they would get short
shrift It Is said that
ho has prepared a
blacklist, and on It nre
some of his own rela
tions and nn undo or
Louis Unthn. tho nom
inal head of tho Uoer
, tnrces In the Held. I
wonder how ho would
' treat tho Uoer ladles
who havo contributed
m) much to tho soclnl
Ull
life In conquered towns
Many Fish, Few Mermaids
New York Sun: The colonel oucnsioually
luoke forth In language not exactly suited
to the drawing room. Tho colonel was well
on In the fiOs and hail not married. Not
Hint ho couldn't, ho wns wont to explain,
but because so few women struck his fancy.
One uveuing the colonel attended a little
"at home," nnd taking the hostess, a very
at all
Dowet became a public personage. I rc- rounded at night by llounderlug transport toward tho Vaal. At least, that Is what wards authored up und reached thu proper
member seeing In an English comic papor wagons, lost and Inquiring their way to ho wns actually doing at the time, but tho authorities. Strange to sny, among thcui
a cartoon representing tho eluslvo Doer various divisions, and apparently no one Kngllsh did not 11 nd It out quickly enough was ono of my own, which was lied up
general ns a will-o'-the-wisp, and that Is ablo to put them on tho right road. to pursue him. Ho got almost twenty-four carefully and forwarded several weeks later
exactly what ho was, and Is now. Tho It was tho easiest thing in tho world to hours' start! with tho following remarks: "Found on tho
Kngllsh Intelligence department which, so ride In and out of an Kngllsh cump after Two nights after, a watchninn on guard veldt anil forwarded to destination."
far ns I could see, was not so Intelligent darkness without attempting nny secrecy, at a rallwuy crossing, about twelve miles , .
as to threaten tho peace of the world and I havo dono It a score of times. When west of Johannesburg, on the Krugersdorp '"liorn mm inpiiveH i.ui.k .uikc
never knew whero ho was. Sometimes ho onco Inside the lines, one could wander at line, wus surprised by tho appearance, of u When tho lloeis marched away It was
was reported south of tho Vaal, somotlmos will, and nover havo a question asked as trooper In a holmot and tho uniform of u hard to loll captors from cuptlves, for thoy
north of It; ho wns to tho west of tho rail- to one's business. A shred of khaki, an mounted Infantryman, who asked his way all woro brand now winter suits of Itliakl
way, ho was to tho cast of It. Ho wns here air of assurance, and an appearance of to tho Florida station. The sentry turned sorgo and n sort of poajaoket of yellowish dear friend of his, aside, poured Into hor our
consulting with General notha; he was being Kngllsh were all that were required, to point down tho Hue, when ho was con- dun cloth called "Urltlsh warms." In tho the story of his rejection by a charming
down south, threatening to punish his The Uoers wero Informed of everything fronted by a cocked revolver. mcuntlmo, IL',000 troops ut Pretoria shlv- young woman whom ho had asked to bo his
elder brother, Plot, If ho did not do better that went on, and, I Hrmly bollove, of every "Keep quiet," said tho supposed Tommy, ercd In tho cold, for what he and his prls- wife. The hostess thought tho colonel needed
nghtlng, Occasionally somebody got on his anticipated movement. "and you will not bo touched." With that onors loft bohlnd Dowet had burned. It sympathy and, beckoning a charming dinner
ho relieved tho astonished man of Ills rlllo, was at Vredefort Weg, by thu way, mat companion to her, said:
and, In truo story-paper fashion, gave threo the station master opened a bottlo of "Colonel - has been tolling me that ho
low whistles. Immediately somo men up- chainpngno when tho troops arrived on their has not been fortunate In winning thu hand
tonburg road west of Pretoria, he was peurcd from bohlnd a nearby shed, and a nortliom innrcli, nnd no anil His daughters of Miss . Now, I think tho colonel
headed off nbout eighteen miles north at fow minutes lator tho head of a column drnnk with tho olllcers n toast to the queen ought to remember the old adago: 'Thero
tho Warm naths. I do not suppose that of mounted men, followed by a long train and to hopes of a speedy conclusion of the nro Just as good fish In tho sea as over
ho was ovor so near bolng captured bo- of Capo carts and led horses, camo down war. were cniight.' "
foro, and, except for his wonderful dash tho road and crossed tho railway. It took Captain Corbolls, who was In charge of "Yes, madam, lots of flhh, but thero are
for llborty In December, I do not think that them almost half an hour to go by. The tho big transport trnln which was captured so few . mermaids," Interrupted tho
ho ovor mndo so remarkable nn escape sentry Judged they must havo been In the enrouto to tho relief of tho Highland colonel.
Tho ovenlng before, tho army was Jubl- neighborhood of 2,000, with at least elghtv brigade under General MacDonald, told mo
lant, for It wns supposed that thoy had tho carts, When all had passed, tho watch- something of Dowet's personality. Ac-
wily Uoer on tho hip. Thoy had effectually man's guardian said to him pleasantly:
provonted him Joining forces with Uothn. M(.HNI,K(. (P (, rl IhIi Cnniiniiiiiler.
Thoy hnd, so thoy supposed, cut off his
escopo southward, and thero was nothing
track. It was rumored that tho scouts had
caught sight of htm, but, as they had has
tened back with tho nows, thoy had lost
tho place, and when tho army moved after
hi m ho wns somcwhero else.
SiieecNH MiiUch Mini Popular.
Now, with the Urltlsh, who aro a sport
ing peoplo, success nt nny sort of gamo
makes a man popular. I heard ono of tho
wealthiest men In Knglnud, nnd Its young
est duke, mako tho following romark:
"Well," exclaimed ho, slapping his thigh,
"Dowot Is n soldier nnd n gentleman, 1
would bo proud to bo shot by Dowot."
If I havo heard ono Kngllsh ofllcor, I havo
heard a scoro oxpress tho hope that Chris-
Wonderful DiinIi for I.lliertr.
When General Dowet had mado that re
markable march of his and crossed tho Hus-
Not What it Was
tian Dowet would cotno out of tho war for him but to stand and Hght or to break
"Your rollof will como to you In about an
hour,
cording to tho cnptaln, ho was most kindly
and Just. Ho hnd his men well In hnnd nnd
they respected nnd feared him. Tho olllcers,
liu una r.Mol,,ir ...111, II, ., Ili-lllul, ....,
,, . , . . ... ' ...... v...., .......... t.ii mi- iii man .iiuij,
If you stir from whero you aro until Ilfl.H(,HIIP1, , ,.' u.,lnl wna ,.,
Detroit Journal: Illtterly tho farmer
communed with himself, In the darkness,
thero.
"Coming to Now York," he oxoluliuc.i
In fair dialect, "is not what It was! 1
havo this day tried to post a lotter In
n llro alarm nox, una havo not called
out tho department! 1 havo given my
ho did It." "You would hnvo to got Hold ueniy to nrms, nnu tnoy sioou in rnnR p,,,:Hnn nn.,,t nnil nrmv nnHmi iv "(""1(;l(,H not. uown on tno ration list. ab watcu to a uarit swinger to Keep, only
of him first," laughed anothor oHlcor. "Ho until daybreak. "r' ; , " mlHHeu "y tho Hoors woro examining their 'capture, to find that he was a detective In plain
seoms to hnvo a delicacy about leaving his From tho direction of Dowet's laager t. which was somo fifty or sixty wagons, they clothes! Now I have blown nut tho gas,
J n... ..t,i i, ,,,i ,,,, .luin,. Tho man. whoso rlflo was taken from h in. on,,,.. ,, n,i ,.i..i.i ... ., i.,,. ,.i
v lllllircbu. lliu ui-iii nimuiin ii iwuwi n.iiiuih ' . 9 i 111 ... wi.n utio ittiuiiiiiu ii i.v , iiiil ujltill uui 1 uuillltJl mi'Ui;
ft "1 -i And now for tho stories of him that I nnd movement, tho continual rattlo cf ueciures mui uoruy uoioro mo umo nu learning that It bolonged to tho olllcors nnd
1 havo hoard from Uoer Bources: wheels nnd tho Bhouts of tho Kaffir drivers, the- rollof camo, ho heard a man gallop wns their prlvato possession, General Do-
Between Natal Spruit and Standerton, Do- Something wns up; what It wns no ono could awftV from tno 8,10,1 nearby. Upon that, ho WPt put n guard ovor It and not n thing was
wet, whllo endeavoring to movo north- toll. At ono tlmo It nppeared as If Dowot walkod Into tho camp, distant about a mllo, touched. That vory day, ns tho officers
! ward, found his transport headed by a largo must be trying to come boldly out along "n(1 Kavo 1,10 nlnrm. woro lunching on Jum and pickles nnd pate
2 body of nrltlsh troops; what did ho do but ono of tho mnln roads; at anothor to move Tho same ovenlng It wns roported that do fols graB, they obsorvod ono or two
mm wunui nuuiu tumu uui in um mi .. ..- " i ... . lmfnrn Hint tlmn vnu nro a ' .......... ..n
!!., 1 T 1 .1 l 1 .!. If InlA a,nll nnrllna nn.l ,llo. 11 0 11111111108 IJOlOrO 11101 UIUO, yOU nTO II .. i,,,!,, ,.. , ,., l, .,
U11VU, illlll 1 llftll .1 U UIIUIIUI BU VUilt II ' ...... ......... u ...... ..... , , . ,, ...Ill, .. ...... . ..t.,.... ... i,Mi-,,,MLi,
i. . ii... i. i, in- - i., n. i,ai, ai .ni.inii,i ''Pn'l r thero Is a suro sunt with a , ,,, , i ,
lit- lltlll lliu upimi lllllll III) HIIIIIU lllu lu .viM.i-.ii in... iikj ...ion ....... ..v ...... .. k ... .,,n((,llt.. vm. -. it. , rnrnnP nf llw, !"'' .....ji.ih o..i..u U nu,un it
glvo him a big dinner nnd nsk him "how nil of tho Kngllsh troops wero called slid- "" wn'CI , , nr ninLl . u, """''rcl pounds, and usually laden with 01
ho did It." "You would havo to got hold denly to nrms, and thoy Btood In rnnks Xristlan nowot nnd l is nrmv nnssoil t v ,1(,"(,,,C;I(,H not down on tho ration IJst. Ab w
And iib ho rose from his restless cniiih
nnd went forth to pace tho deserted streets
of the metropolis ho quoted Goethe:
"Gib melne Jiigend nilr zureiiek!"
Which Is to say, bolng Interpreted, tlii ie'.s
no fool lllii) nn old fool.
1
