THE WAR IN SOUTH AFRICA.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 7296, 8 January 1902, Page 1

THE WAR IN SOUTH AFRICA.

: -♦— BOER BARBARITIES. A correspondent forwards to the "Standard" a letter, which gives a painful account of the Boer attack, on August 3, on an armoured train — the affair in which Colonel Vandeleur was killed. The. writer of the letter was a private soldier in South Africa (No. 7 General Hospital, Pretoria). It is dated Oct. 18, and addressed to his mother in England. The following extracts are made:— "We^ere ordered to escort a very large provision train from Pretoria to all the stations along the line, up to Pienaars River. . . . . The train slowed down for a bit, so I had a look outside the truck, and presently I saw a Kaffir running along by the side bf the train waving a large stick, evidently trying to warn us of the danger; but it was 'too late, for about two minutes after there was an awful explosion, and the trucks were sent flying in- the air, and %ome of the poor fellows were thrown oufc of the trucks killed, and quite unrecognisable, and I was blinded with the dust and smoke, and half unconscious with the shock, and wounded through both / thighs, with another wound through the fleshy part of the back, and then I heard someone shouting 1 out, 'Will you surrender?' and then they fired 'on us again, and I saw some of my comrades get hit again, and some of them were killed. After firing was over, the Boers came and dragged us out of the trucks, and 'tore off our bandoliers, our boots, our clothes, and in some oases even our shirts, without the least bit of mercy. I was dragged out of the broken truck, ahd they took away my boots, socks, putties, and shirt, and they pulled off my trousers, but they were full of blood, jo they threw them away again. " There were two ladies with babies and a nurse ; the Boers took all their money and valuables and their clothes, and even the little babies' clothing, and left them nearly naked. Then, as I lay. wounded, I saw a young Boer go up to the nurse, and tell her to hand over her money, which she hesitated to do, as I expected she was too frightened to know what to do; the Boer then deliberately shot her through the body. I shall never forgeb that woman's screams. • It has been running in my ears ever since ; and how I longed to get vp and knock the brute down, but my wounds would not allow me. The other poor women were lying over their babies, so that they should not gefc hit. The poor nurse has since died, and poor Colonel Vandeleur was shot dead 1 as soon as he set a foot outside the carriage door. Another officer was stripped of all his clothing, and they even took a photo, of his wife and children away from him, which he begged of them to leave ; and two pf the officers of my own regiment were sorely wounded. After they had finished their work of murdering, they set fire to the train, and burnt everything they could nob fake away with them."