ALLEGED BOLTING OF THE 60th AT MAJUBA.
I Military men of an enquiring turn of mind will be asking how it was that, at the battle of Majuba Hill the 3rd-6Ofch came off almost without a scratch — one private wounded and eleven taken prisoners. According to the special correspondents who seem to know rather more than the military observers about the fight, the 60th, two companies 130 strong all told, were left, to guard the plateau from which main body of the force under poor 'Sir George Colley climbed to the top J of. the hill. One of the eye-witnesses off the Press relates how the 60th made a rush for it and managed to escape. This may be so or not ; but, at any fate,' it is a point of some military interest to know how it was that the. 3id-60th lost their plateau with one mm wounded. It is ridiculous to" let dißasters—defeats'is rather the wprdrr-. happen and pretend that everything .came off in the best (manner that; the best troops in the world , could mafce it. It pii'ght to be ' known for the sake; of tlije reputation of Sir tJeorge. Colley, as w&ll as for those brave men-whd stood jtheir ground so nobly against suclr jtromendous odds, whether this plateau was! relied- upon jfn the plan of attack. If itwas-n-and I conclude, that ifc was, as Colley put about his force in., charge of it- — it should have been fought for as bravely .as Jbhe other positions <
defended by the 58th, the 92nd, and the Naval Brigade. If the Brd-60th really bolted in fright at the sight of the Boers and their murderous repeating rifles, let it come out, and let the anathema of the whole world fall upon them. I can't believe such a thing, but ifc is for them to clear themselves, and if they can't there ought to be no longer a 3rd-60th in the British Army. lam sorry to say it, but if my memory serves me correctly, this is not the first time the conduct of the 60th has been open to suspicion. Extraordinary tales were told of their valour during the Ashantee war. —Truth.
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Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XVI, Issue 119, 20 May 1881, Page 4
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363ALLEGED BOLTING OF THE 60th AT MAJUBA. Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XVI, Issue 119, 20 May 1881, Page 4
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