LORD METHUEN'S FOUR BATTLES

Wanganui Herald, Volume XXXIV, Issue 9942, 19 January 1900, Page 2

LORD METHUEN'S FOUR BATTLES

LETTER FROM ONE OF THE WOUNDED. GRAPHIC NARRATIVE. A very interesting letter has been received (says the Melbourne Argus) from Private F. W. Stakes, formerly of Essondon (Vie), who nas severely bounded at the Modder River engagement, in which he fought with the 2nd Yoikshire Light Infantry. He is now lying in tho general hospital at Wynberg, having been shot through both legs. In lua communication, addiessed to his mother, he says. — I am thankful to say that, though badly wounded, it is no worse, considering so many poor fellows lost their lives. It is hard luck, though, after going through three of the hardest fights that aro recorded in British history, to get WOUNDED IN THE FOURTH. I thought I was going to have the pleasure of marching into Kiinberley, but I was doomed to disappointment. One bullet went through the calf of my leg; the other struck me behind the knee, and is stuck behind the bono. lam going under an operation as soon as I am a bit stronger. I do not expect serious results, but I shall be glad when it is over. Never till my dying day shall I forget THE SIGHTS I SAW THAT DAY. Yon can imagine what it is like, when our casualties were 78 killed outright, and 300 odd wounded, many since dead. We had to come 700 miles from Modder River to Capetown. Six died in the train, and a great many more under their operations. My regiment has been very unfortunate. Up to date we have had! threft officerß killed and six wounded, aud 41 privates killed and 67 wouuded. I don't know how it is we were always put in tho front of the fire. The Guards have lost very heavily, but they cannot stand what wo can, as they are never away from England. It was a common sight to see MEN LYING THERE WITHOUT THEIR HEADS OR LEGS. One shell of the enemy struck one of our guns, blowing six horses and seven men to pieces. T^lie saddest sight was when wo reached tho Boer trenches. They were lying three and four deep on top of one another, some of them boys only 14 years of age, who had been, forced to fight for tho Transvaal. It does seem dreadful that such young fellows should HAVE THEIB LIVES THROWN AWAY. You would bo surprised at the number of English and Irish they have fighting for them. We captured a lot of prisoners, among them ten Englishmen. They told us they had made their homes in the Transvaal, and they had the alternative to quit the country in twelve hours, losing their cattle and farms, or else fight. Some threw up their farms rather than fight against the Mother Country. Wo aro getting TREATED LIKE LORDS here with everything you can think of — jellies, strawberries, etc. Visitors came in thousands, bringing cigars, pipes, cigarettes, etc. Anything you like you can have, and I think we have earned it. At the last fight at Modder River wo had nothing to eat for two days; somo of us were dying for water. A water-cart came in Bight, and some dozen of our men rushed for a drink, right in tho midst of a heavy fire. iA shot was fired at them, killing the driver, most of the men, and smashed the cart to pieces. They also fired on our ambulance, wounding one of the medical orderlies. They are A TREACHEROUS LOT OF DEVILS, and cannot fight fair. If wo could only get them on the plains they would know it, but they get on the top of hills, and we have to cross the plains and climb the hills to drive them out. I can assure you I do not want any more 'fighting, but if the war is not ended when I get better, I will go back and try my luck onco more. I think I have been most fortunate in not losing some of mv limbs." * The writer of the foregoing, who is not yet 25 years of age, has had an adventurous career, having taken a fancy to sea-faring life whilst in his teens, and ho was tho only survi\or of 13 men who were on a yard that was carried away in a storm in mid-ocean about three years since. He concludes his letter by remarking that,, having pulled through shipwreck and war so far, he hopes to come safely over this experience.