A LETTER FROM SOUTH AFRICA.

Clutha Leader, Volume XXVIII, Issue 1536, 18 July 1902, Page 6

A LETTER FROM SOUTH AFRICA.

THE nm-IVELDT CARBINEERS

The member of the Bushveldt Carbineers from whose letters we were enabled to publish some interesting,particulars of the tragedies that led up to the arrest and execution of ihe officers of the regiment, in a letr ter to a member of our stall received on Monday, dated Brandfort, May 29, says : 1 just got to Coles berg from Upington jn time to intercept \ pu t letters and papers with account's of " The Australian Sensation." As usual, there has been a lot of untiulh in the accounts. " There were no extenuating circumstances ' is the real truth. If Lord Kitchener issues a proclamation that all who come in I before a certain date are to be protected, and on the strength of that numbers trek in arid some officers meet them and " blot them out ' after being disarmed, how could any other course be open to him but to do what was done—make an example 01 ihose > who violated Ins oiders '! 1 Vv as not" exactly a " prominent " witness at the court-martial; the delinquints confessed to what was done, their defence being justification. Even ray evidence at the Court of Inquiry was used for the defence, inasmuch as both Hancock and Morant, when i spoke to them about what was tjeijiji done at the time, argued that liiey naa oiders to do it. But tiie defence fell to the ground, as their reports to headquarters classified ail these murders as engagement, and lit the c..si: of the wounded Boer who was shot the reports stated: "■ 1 regret to say that the wounded Boer, captured by us, died of his wounus tire following days." Captain Hunt and Sergt. Eland were the only two of our men shot in action, and neither was maltreated. Captain Hunt, though stripped had a silk khaki handkerchief round his neck, also a gold chain and locket, when I picked him up. Moraat's report on Hunt's death was, " The body of Captain Hunt when recovered was stripped, the face bashed in, the neck broken, the ankles slit, etc. This information is based on the statement of-his native boy and the kev. Mr Renter, who performed the last sad offices over the body of Captain Hunt." This was read over to me by the president and of course was not true. I was the first who examined Hunt's body and put him into the conveyance which took him- to the place where he was buried. When I left Pietersburg, both Morant and Handcock expressed to a visitor who knew me well, the highest admiration for iny courage in speaking out and objecting to be mixed up with what was done ; and that in my statements at the Court of Enquiry there was nothing set down in malice, but rather otherwise- softened down. After the first blush of feeling at.ainst them, when the business was going on, I ie!t nothing but the sinicrest, pity when I used to see llandcock walking round his fort inside the barb wire surroundings with a guard over him. 1 felt that surely he must feel lonely and miserable -durii,g the months he was there. V,e were under orders not to hold communication with either of them, but personally I was told they had no feeling against any who gave evidence against any of them, except two who were " King's evidence " men and had put it rather stronger than there was any necessity for. One thing i can say, the men on the whole—Australians particularly— were dead against what was done, and the men who "did help the officers in then work were not Colonials, except in one instance, and Morant was not mixed up in it. Altogether,'counting the three children, Van Burin ta u.v'.G. man), and the missionary, 'ii'h white persons were " done in " and the natives, I don't know how many. The " business " was started before Captain Hunt.and Morant we„t to apeion.ven, and none occurred in Captain Hunt's, time. Far from bea " scally-wag " crowd, the v'.u wasiontEjaf t'Bo Highest! paid regiments in South Africa. Its commercial management was, however, not good, and in Major ihey had a dui'ier as officer commanding. u comprised a grand body of men in the aggregater— oi course there were a few " wasters' "—but it was baa'iy olucered.. Australia was perhaps not more largely represented in it than any other country, but tl.e Australian members were dead against any violation of the laws of warfare. So were the South African men, and as you know the New Zealanders.

I was never in fear of my life with them, even alter my first outburst. They were civil to me, and I ditto 10 them, and any concession 1 asked was granted. Still there were statements that this one and that one were shot at. If the two (shots '.'j or particularly the one, while I was on guard at midnight, were meantfor me, 1 couldn't find anything to .shoot back at. I always had Use feeling— I'll be on the alert, anu if they catch me napping, good luck tothein ! Vet at that time, if I had been shot at by someone I saw, and missed, 1 woulu surely have put him " out of mess " if I could, .there and then. It is impossible to (understand the strained feeling Ihat was amongst us. 'lhose wno Knew the darker secrets of the officers were in great fear, particularly aEter the missionary was shot ; so they confessed to the Court. Everyone of them who had to do withthe " blowings out " were useless as soldiers after. Their nerve was gone. Carry it off as they liked, all iheir desire was to get away from (he fort. The officer responsible for the shooting of the children got oil after four, months' coniii:ement. The fact that the Boers v.eie not- disarmed saved him, and he was not tried by court martial. When the papers came back from the law advisers his case was struck out. Major says he was not t net! or sentenced ; anyway he did his four months under guard lii-.e iiie rest awaiting the final court. Lieut. \<hitton ha b s any pity. He had onlygot his ciomm ission—an overgrown sort of lad'. He was the tool of the others. Lieut. Picton was only present when the wounded lad was shot,

! and cleared out soon after. The deputy commandant got off clear, I Uelieve, also the sergt-major, a time expired Imperial man. The latter was released just before the court martial sat. The first news of the business came to Lord Kitchener through the German Consul, after the German missionary was shot, and then the whole ghastly business was unfolded. I was told the condemned officers met their death very stoically.