"BANJO" PATERSON

Gisborne Times, Volume V, Issue 4, 5 January 1901, Page 3

"BANJO" PATERSON

« OUR IMPERIAL BROTHERS IN ARMS.’

Tub above was the subject of the interesting lecture delivered at the Theatre Royal by Mr A. B. Paterson (the author of .“The Man from Snowy River” and other verses) last night, there being again a large attendance. The famous war correspondent dealt with the work done by the leading Generals in South Africa, referring en passant to the Field Marshal Lord Roberts, the Chief of Stail Lord Kitchener, Lord Methuen, Generals Buller, Warren, Hunter, French, Brabant, Kelly-Kenny, lan and Bruce Hamilton, Gatacre, and Baden-Powell, the defender of Mafeking. The difficulties under which these leaders had to work; the guarding of long lines of communication from Capetown to Pretoria cn one side, and from Durban to the Transvaal capital on the other; the miles nud miles ofjconvoys to be protected; the guarding of the rails from the base of supplies to the lighting line; and the peculiar guerillalike, harassing tactics adopted by the Boers were in turn referred to; and the interested listeners gleaned valuable information as to the hard task set the Generals, and fully appreciated the arduous and. trying work so successfully accomplished by the Generals

mentioned, their immediate subordinates, and the men under their command. Of Sir Archibald Hunter, to whose efforts the surrounding and subsequent surrender of the Boer General Prinsloo and 4000 men were due, Mr Paterson spoke very highly. To those who knew anything of the marvellous mobility of the Boers, and their power of trekking rapidly from dangerous positions to the safety and seclusion of high bergs and sheltering kopjes, the work performed by General Hunter was very highly appreciated and could not be praised enough. For days the English General arranged his plans to circumvent and capture the Boer leader and his men, and when at last success was ours, and in the Northern ipart of the Free State the burghers (representing no less than eight district commandos) sullenly surrendered and threw down their arms, it was recognised that General Hunter had displayed courago, dash, and military tact of the highest possible order. It was a fitting conclusion lO the work of |a clever general and a dashing leader. Mr Paterson perhaps saw more of the particular movements planned by General Hunter than any other war correspondent—he left Pretoria hurriedly; for the Free State for the purpose, to quote his own words “ of seeing whether Hunter’s men or Prinsloo’s commando would provide the most fun ” and until the Boer leader was cornered and saw that it was surrender or death, the Australian ■ war correspondent closely followed the British forces, and was rewarded by witnessing one of the most important captures of the campaign. Under these circumstances it was but natural he should dwell almost lovingly, on the splendid work performed by General Hunter and his officers and men. Of the soldiers representing the shamrock, the thistle, and of the Tommy Atkins of whose praises poets and journalists have loudly sung, Mr Paterson spoke at considerable length. The Irish representatives, the Royal Irish, Irish Fusiliers, Munster Fusiliers, and King’s Ownwell had not their brave deeds been spoken of again and again ? Of the Highlanders, • could aught but praise bo spoken or written of their fortitude, their patience, and their bravery? At Magersfontein, at Belmont, Graspan, and Modder River, where the Highland Brigade suffered severely—these brave men rushed position after position, and the improvised graveyards, standing solitary and alone on the veldt, with rough wooden crosses marking the spots where our heroes had fallen, was sufficient proof, if such were wanted, of tho dash and indomitable pluck of our brothers in arms, the Highland regiments of Great Britain. (Applause.) Mr Paterson referred to the disaster at Magersfontein, and to the splendid work (though their labors were on that occasion unsuccessful) performed by the Black Watch, the Gordons, the Seaforths, and the Argyles and Sutherlands, and spoke feelingly of how these heroes; had fought and fallen for the country we all loved so dearly. Of tho Imperial Tommy he related many pathetic and anon laughable incidents, and showed that either on the battlefield, with a hail of leaden missives of death whistling through the air, or in camp singing the rollicking songs so loved by the boys in khaki, Tommy was equally at home. Singing, laughing, chatting one day; the next, when grim-visaged war strode across tho veldt, he was fighting, firing, cutting, slashing, wounded, dying, but at all times the Tommy, soldiers of the Queen, the bone and sinews of Britain’s great military power. The lecturer was frequently applauded, and the biograph views and photo illustrations shown at the conclusion of the lecture were also highly appreciated.