OUR YOUNGEST GENERAL.

Timaru Herald, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 12904, 15 February 1906, Page 2

OUR YOUNGEST GENERAL.

Lieutenant-General Sir Archibald Hunier. the commander of the Madras Army, ban been promoted to the laufc.oj a tali general, thus establishing a record in the service. He was sub-licuten.uit iGiA. Heui«n»ni 1874. captain 1882. major IBSS. Heutej-.snJ-colonel 1889. colone. 1534. niajw-s;e?.e;,!i 1896, lieutenant-general I&2C. U*u». General Hunter, who is only fatty-nine. w,(s appointed three ye.irs \a u'.e Madras Army. He hay c>»-.rded iu;o thirtv years' service a record of service second u» none. He went thrush Ji:c Soudaa expeditions of 1884-5-6-3. the Dongohi C;»hipaign. the Nile expeditio;*. and" the South African war. so tint from 1884 until ISGI he was almost entirely on active service. He has fought with Lord Kitchener in maav campaigns, and is one of that officer's most trusted lieutenants. He was jhe hero of one of the most sensational episodes of Uie South African war—the raid on fiar Hill from Ladysmith. which ended in the blowing up of the damaging gun "the Stinker." Ho only obtained Sir George Whites ha'.fhearted consent to the venture aft«r a long' argnment. and went out in iskv darkness' with 20C men. As the Hide *forc« sto!e along a wild fire broke out iratn above. Hunter realised that the moment had come when success and failure were balanced on a razor's edge. Ho seized a trumpet, and sounded the "Cease fire." The firing dropped. The hill was rushed, and Sir Archibald Hunter returned to Ladysmith. his men carrying the breech of the-ebnoxi-ons gun slung on a pole.