“The Bayard of the Boers.”

Manawatu Herald, 27 March 1902, Page 3

“The Bayard of the Boers.”

The following extract from a letter which appeared in the Cape Times last July over the signature, “ W.1.D., late head of General Delarey’s Ambulance,” pays a remarkable tribute to the Boer General’s humanity:— “ When I was in charge of Delarey’s ambulance my orders were to do everything that was possible for the English wounded. It was also part of my duty to examine the prisoners, and to relieve those who were suffering even though it were only from sore feet. Delarey had a habit of visiting the prisoners himself, and seeing that they had been properly attended to. The day after Moselikatze Nek affair I had a wounded Lincoln at my ambulance. He had been taken early in the day, and banded over to me. Delarey saw him, and spoke to him, asking him whether he was being well attended to, and was satisfied on hia replying yes. Delarey said a few kind words to him, and hoped he would soon recover. He then pulled hia tobacco pouch out, and, after giving the man a handful of tobacco, walked away. When he was some ' distance off the man—whose name, I think, was Broadley—said, ‘ Who s that old Johnnie ?’ I replied, ‘ lhat Coos Delarey.’ ‘ What Delarey, said Broadley. ‘ Delarey from Lichtenberg,’ I replied. ‘ Oh, he's a parson, I suppose?’ next asked the man.j ‘ A parson 1’ I exclaimed. ‘ Certainly not. That’sGeneralDelarey.’ ‘ Good Gawd T said Broadley, ‘ is that the great De arey ?' I replied. ‘ Well, I don’t know about him being ‘ the great Delarey; but he’s the ‘My word 1’ said Broadley, l if Id| only known he was a General I d have given him a salute if I’d had toi crawl on any hands and knees to do) it.’ I told him Delarey would have thought nothing of hia salute; that, having thanked him for the attention] he had received, Delarey neither ex-j peoted nor wished for anything more. That night, when sitting around the camp fires. I told 4 Com Coos ’ about his being called ‘ the great Delarey. He smiled, and in his quiet, gentle manner, said, ‘ Well, it is something to be called “great” by one’s enemies; but it is something greater to be acknowledged good by them. And this is what wo should all strive for, a subject upon which he enlarged in such a manner that we who heard him could not help feeling what an earnest, thorough Christian gentleman he is.