Chasing Boer Commandoes in Thunder and Lightning.

Manawatu Herald, 10 May 1902, Page 3

Chasing Boer Commandoes in Thunder and Lightning.

Some idea of the severe strain which the men at the front are put to in working with the various columns is given in a letter from Sergeant Cole, 92nd Company I.Y. (Sharpshooters), who formerly held the same rank in the fith V.B.M.R. The writer was engaged with Colonel Weston in chasing a Boer commando across Griqualaad, and in addition to the great discomfort of drenching rain, with the accompaniment of thunder and lightning, such as he had never seen before, the men had to travel almost night and day for weeks together. Sleep was obtained at rare intervals, and then it was often on the bare ground, and the men were in the saddle again after little more than 11 forty winks,” The Boers were found near the Beit River by the advance guard, of which the writer was a member. They crossed the river, and were driven hurriedly over the banking by the fire of their pursuers. Only a few prisoners were caught, however, and the hones were so done up that the ethers could only be followed a short distance. The operations were conducted in a heavy thunderstorm, and the men were drenched. Borne laden mules were captured, and the writer and four others bad a good feed. During the engagement Cole was trying to bring down the field cornet in a bad light at 1,200 yards. The men slept und*r cover, the first time for twenty days, at Koffyfontein, where they had to wait for remounts, the horses having, in the words of the letter, “ tumbled to pieces ” after the great strain of the preceding four weeks. Out of forty men, however, in the Sharpshooters, only two were eiok, in spite of the hardships they had .gone through. Ou one day fifty miles were covered iu eleven hours, with three-quarters of an hour’s sleep in between on the bare ground.