HOW HEROES DIE.
It is again stated, in regard to the death of Captain Wilson’s party, that “once between the attacks, when the Matabele had fallen back, the men all stood up and took off their hats and sang.” That the death-song was “God Save the Queen” must ever rest on conjecture, but the evidence is not slight that the song that was sung was the National Anthem. A strange echo through the centuries of “ Hail Caesar, those about to die salute thee.” The patrol (says a letter in the Times') only had about 50 rounds of ammunition per man, which they soon ran through, and then the firing stopped. The Matabele, thinking this to be a ruse, waited for nearly two hours, and at last crept up and looked over the dead horses, and there they saw the white men lying, all either dead or wounded. Those that were wounded pulled out their revolvers, and shot several Kaffirs, and with the last bullet they shot themselves. Those who had no revolvers put their hands over their eyes and lay so till they were killed—never spoke a word or asked for mercy. The natives said the white men died beautifully.
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Bibliographic details
Cromwell Argus, Volume XXVI, Issue 1323, 28 August 1894, Page 6
Word Count
200HOW HEROES DIE. Cromwell Argus, Volume XXVI, Issue 1323, 28 August 1894, Page 6
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