A NOTED GENERAL.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLV, Issue 13767, 4 June 1908, Page 5

A NOTED GENERAL.

SIR REDVEKS BULLEIt DEAD. BOER LEADERS' TRIBUTES'. By Telegraph—Press Association.—Copyright LoXDOX, June 2. The death is announced of Genera! Sir Redvers Buller, commander of the forces in Natal during the Boer war. ■ (Received Jane <?, 12.9 %.ni.3 Pretoria, June 3. Ex-General Botha (Premier of the Transvaal) has sent a message of condolence to the family of the late General Sir Redvers Builer. ExGeneral Smuts stated, in the course of an interview, that he regarded Sir Redvers Builer as one of the hardest, fighters., and considered that the criticisms that were made at the time concerning his campaign against the Boers were not justified.

General Sir Redvers Builer was in his 69th yea., and there are few officers in the army" who have seen so much active service" Joining the army on May 23, 1858, Lieutenant Buller had "not been with his regiment— 60th Rifle*.—two yew.* before he was actively employed. Bo served with the 2nd Battalion throughout the China campaign, 1860. Ten fear* late,. as a captain, lie served with the Ist Battalion ot the 60th Rifles in the Red River campaign, and it whs here that he first became associated with Lord Wolseley, and until the war in South Africa the careers \>f both moved much Or the same plane ; in fact, it was but by a narrow margin that Sir Redvers Buller missed being selected instead of his senior to the highest command in the army. During the 10 years which followed the Red River campaign, Sir Redvers saw constant service—and service which gave him every opportunity-of rising- into prominence in his profession. Nor was he slow to take advantage of the opportunities which came in his way, for at the end of those 10 years lie had served on the staff in three campaigns, had earned the most coveted order in the services, was •a brevet lieutenant-colonel, and aide-de-camp to the Queen. The campaigns which had brought him this advancement were -lie Gold Coast, 1873, the Acbrtnti war, 1873-4, the Kaffir and Zulu wars of 1878 and 1879. As a. youug man Sir Redvers showed great capacity as a staff officer, and built up a reputation for courage and dogged determination, which gave him a popularity amongst l!*> rank and file, which outlived even the disasters of his Natal campaign. In 1882 he was head of the Field intelligence Department- in tire Egyptian campaign, was present- at Kaseassin and Tel-el-Kebir, and was knighted for his services. Two years later ho commanded an infantry brigade in the Soudan undo. Sir Gerald Graham, when he was present at the. actions of El Teb and Tamai, and was promoted major-general for distinguished service in the field.. At the close of the 1885 campaign Sir Redvers was created a K.C.8., and lie saw no further active service until tie was called upon to command tho British forces in the field in South Africa in 1899. He served in South Africa, first as -general commanding the forces, and afterwards as general officer commanding in Natal, and conducted the relief of Lady smith after an investment of 118 days.. Subsequently ,be conducted operations which resulted -in the expulsion of the Boer army from Natal. . From 1901 to 1906 he was in. command of the First Army Corps at Aldershot, retiring in 1906.