A Letter from Trooper Perreau.
— , * We are in receipt of a letter from Trooper R. G. Perreau. dated the 6th July, and written from Pretoria, In it he gives the cheering news that he was safe and well, but as he concludes his letter with the remark " we expect the Boers to attack the camp to-night, word has just come in that they are advancing, some of the heavy guns are getting into position, and we are just ordered to saddle up, there is something wrong," it may be that it was after the skirmish he was invalided as reported the other day. We trust, however, he is as he reports. Mr Perreau says they are camped 12 miles from Pretoria, and within two miles there is another large camp, and as there is not much to do they frequently walk over and have "a talk with their ' neighbours. Though there has not 1 been much fighting lately, they have had to go patrolling every morning,
ust to " have a look at the Boers and :hen come back," Sometimes they, ired but it was seldom returned. He mentions that "yesterday morning iheir patrol waited for us, they were :>n a small rough copje, they let our 3couts pass, and waited for the rest of us, 25 in all. When we got witnin 80 yards they opened fire and shot two horses and wounded another, and wounded two men. We scattered and galloped away, and as we were turning we fired a tew shots at them. Somebody looked round when we had gone about 300 yards and said the Boers were following us, and were firing all the time. We got orders to turn round on them, and it was quickly done, we wheeled around and at them, firing from our horses. The Boers were quite taken aback and we saw that there was only 14 of them. A horseback fight lasted then for about five minutes when three Boers were plugged, four were slightly wounded, and one horse was shot. Two of our horses were wounded. Then the Boers threw down their rifles and waved their handkerchiefs, and we took the lot, less one Boer who made a bolt and got away." " Most of our chaps have left the Contingent and joined the police in Pretoria. I think it is a jolly shame of these chaps to leave before the war is over, especially the Third Contingent, as they were sent out here by their friends who will be very disappointed when the boat comes in without them. Out of the three contingents there are only 140 left, the others are goodness knows where, dead, lost, or in the police. Ido not intend to leave the contingent as long as I am able to stick to it. If I have luck enongh to get through safe I will come back to Foxton."
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Manawatu Herald, 20 September 1900, Page 2
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567A Letter from Trooper Perreau. Manawatu Herald, 20 September 1900, Page 2
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