A West Pointer with the Boers: $b personal narrative of Colonel J. Y. F. Blake, commander of the Irish brigadeBlake, John Y. Fillmore
History
A West Pointer with the Boers: $b personal narrative of Colonel J. Y. F. Blake, commander of the Irish brigade
Blake, John Y. Fillmore
South African War, 1899-1902
Some families became totally extinct during the war, and there is not
one in the land to-day that is not in mourning for the loss of one or
more relatives. Any one of the so-called great civilized nations of
the world may send an overwhelming army to a distant land and murder
and enslave a humane, God-fearing and noble race of people, and not
one murmur of disapproval will be heard from the others. But let some
interfering missionary go to China, stick his nose in other people's
religious affairs, and render himself so obnoxious as to lose his head,
then all the civilized nations will rise as one, denounce the act and
demand the immediate execution of the party who had probably done a
good service for his state and mankind. Yes, all civilized nations
might be sublimely humane if they were not so beastly savage.
Peace and Result.--Coronation
The Peace Terms being duly signed, all the commandos went to certain
specified places in their respective districts and surrendered their
arms. Of course, no one had any ammunition, but each one turned in a
gun of some kind, and some of the most antiquated guns I ever saw were
tendered, but they had a hole in them, and at some distant time in the
past had been fired; so no complaint was made by the receiving officer.
In General de la Rey's districts there were many who would not give
their guns in person to the English, but piled them up on the veldt and
told General de la Rey to do with them as he pleased. The receiving
officers, on arrival, asked where the burghers were, and on being
informed that they had gone, seemed very much put out because they were
most anxious to get every man's full name, his district, etc. Then
again, there are several who never surrendered any rifle at all, but
the English do not know who they are, and probably never will. Together
with the Johannesburg Commando, I surrendered my rifle at Potlood
Spruit, a short distance from Lydenburg.
After all was over, the English intended to put the boys of the Irish
Brigade over the border. I told the boys to tell them that they would
have to put a rifle at each one's back, to get him to obey. They did as
directed, and the English officers thought it best to drop the matter.
It was fifty miles to Machadadorp, the nearest railway station, and
having received our permits, Commandant Pinaar, Veldtcornet Young,
Captain Blignault, Lieutenant Malan and myself mounted our horses and
started for Pretoria. We camped at Klip River where there was a small
number of men in a fort commanded by a major.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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