THE TRANSVAAL WAR.

New Zealand Times, Volume LXXI, Issue 4332, 16 April 1901, Page 7

THE TRANSVAAL WAR.

I K'(, CI /AT It )S < »i<’ PiETERSB DUG. LONDON, April Tl. I'iclt I'.'.burg, which was captured liy .Major-General Plumcr’s force last week, ;i in I t Sic railway to the town, have hcon 1 1; ■;iiiI to Ik; uninjured. Tim residents ham 'men removed to Pretoria. Th rec Ihi ml red Boers, under Comuutiidavit Burgher-,, iiave retired to I Lienort-burg, thirty-two miles cast of Pieter-,burg. (Received April IT 1.9 a.ui.) LONDON. April to. A i’.euter despatch states that General (’miner's advance on Pietershurg lolled preparation;-; for another invasion el (lie Cape. ‘ i The gaol-, in the Northern Transvaal are tilled with -ccidcitrant Bocr.s. ’j'/ie rsern-mdrnt of I he “Daily Tcle-i-r.iplT’ (ales that General Tinnier dcI’l royed the oliicn s used for the production' ni postage stamps and hide hooks, hnt (ho hand press used in printin'; them hud gone. A. NEW LEADER. (Bceeived April 10, 1 a.III.) LONDON. April 15. <‘oinmaiidaiit Vorster has been appointed Chi'd-Cominandant. Ho has pone to Spclonkcn, eastward of Middelhurg.

STEYN AND SHALE BURGER. (Received April Ki, 1.9 a.m.) LONDON, April 15. .Mr Stc.vu is at Eahakfiherg in broken health, ft is believed that he advised the commandoes to surrender. General Shalk Burger was last heard’ of at Totcshnrg, near Middlohurg. MISCELLANEOUS. LONDON. April id. Private; H. Robinson, of the New Zealand Rough Riders, was severely wounded at Lieinvfnntoin. [Private Robinson was a member of the Fourth Contingent, and came from Auckland.] LONDON, April 14. Lord Kitchener is developing a big movement, with the object of driving the Boers into the inhospitable district uerlh of Pietershurg. In that region supplies will he Msiree in the winter. WASHINGTON, April 11.

The' application for an to prevent the shipment of mules from New , Orleans to Capetown has been refused. ' (In- Court holding that the neutrality oi { the United States had not been Jnfringed. (Received April 10, Id) a.m.) LONDON, April to. > Commandant Beyers has mustered a I lumsaiul Boors and mounted a Long Tom at Hawertsburg. I IK >drI.TAL TREATMENT. HE ATI I OE PRIVATE SAXON. AN OFFICIAL EXPLANATION^ VVi: have received the following communication tiom Colonel A. P. I’cnton. Commandant of the .forces : ~ pt'he , Editor, “*N.Z ( Times. ) Sir —in an issue of “Now Zealand Time's” dated Orel October, an allude appeared concerning the death ot the late IT.vate J. E. 11. Saxon at Beau on tilth June, 1900. Lieiiteiuint-OMoiicl Snmmorvillc, who was in command of the Fourth New Zealand Contingent, to which the late Private Saxon belonged, lias forwarded mo a statement showing what was done for 1 nveto Saxon he A; re Ida death. .l shall be glad if you will publish the statement. , Wanganui, January oth, 1901. The Coiniinandant New ''Zealand Forces. . yir,—With reference to the death of No . 1;1J5 Trooper J. E. H. Saxon, at Beira on) the 19th June, 1900, and the statement. made by a correspondent in outs of our I New Zealand newspapers, saying tha'; Trooper Saxon was neglected, -and left alone, in our hospital for 2-1 hours, after the contingent had left Beira. My recollection is as follows: The young follow had felt the fever comingon a day or two before wo left, but i would not report himself on the sick list being -afraid that be would bo left behind bin company. On the evening before wr, Jr ft Saxon went into hospital, and Cap-tain-Surgeon Watt reported to me that lie would not he able to go with the contingent to Marainlclhis. I. imulo mv usual rouiiu ol tno nl, 7 a.in. on the morning wo lett. tuul ton. bmxcm that it would have been better ii lie had gone into hospital when lie iiruj felt ill, that I wo-nld now have to sono him on hoard the hospital ship, but tha! alter four nr live days lie would pick no, and join us at Marandellas. Saxon at that time was not very ill, but Ida face was flushed, and ho was down-hearted, because his comrades were going away. The hospital orderly was at that, time in the hospital, and I saw a case of lemonade and some bananas close to Saxon. 1 I arranged with Captain-Surgeon nan to send Saxon to the hospital ship, and m detailed someone to remain with him, am. sec him ou board. f think that it was one of the farriers that was left behind, but I am not certain. I also arranged with Captain ITaslor, stall' officer, or his second in command, tc send a trolly and four niggers to lake Saxon down to the wharf, and from my personal knowledge of the staff officer, I am sure tills was done. I am perfectly satisfied that poor Saxon was not neglected in any way. and that he was seat to the hospital ship a shortTimc after the contingent left the camp. There was no doubt that the temporary hospital was -not as comfortable as t should have liked, but it was built on piles live feet above the ground, had twe large doors opening out on H spacious verandah. and in all respects was much superior to the ordinary bell tent. The flics were indeed bad, and when the hospital was crowded. 1 put on some nigger hoys with palm leaves to try and drive them awav, but the tusk was hopeless. It is a libel to say that the officers did not go over to see their men in the hospital; 1 saw them repeatedly visiting the hospital and taking fruit to the sick men. Versonally, I visited the hospital every morning at 7 a.in., and had a chat with the men that were getting convalescent, end T saw that they got every comfort that the doctor thought good for the men. I have the honour to be, sir, Vour obedient servant, (Signed) JOE REGINALD SUMMERVILLE, Lieutenant-Colonel, Commanding Fourth Contingent. The Premier has received a cablegram from Lieutenant-Colonel Banks, of the Sixth Contingent, staling that he and his men arrived at Pietersburg ou the Bth instant, all well.