South Africa and the Transvaal War, Vol. 2 (of 8): From the Commencement of the War to the Battle of Colenso, 15th Dec. 1899 — John Shaqi
South Africa and the Transvaal War, Vol. 2 (of 8): From the Commencement of the War to the Battle of Colenso, 15th Dec. 1899Creswicke, Louis
History
South Africa and the Transvaal War, Vol. 2 (of 8): From the Commencement of the War to the Battle of Colenso, 15th Dec. 1899
Creswicke, Louis
South African War, 1899-1902; Transvaal (South Africa) -- History
"During the fight he only took cover once or twice, going from troop to
troop, praising and encouraging the men in words that were always well
chosen, for no man could phrase his blame or praise more aptly. At the
last ridge he stopped to tie up the leg of a wounded trooper, and was
shot himself in the leg. Two of his men went to his assistance, but he
waved them off, telling them to go on with their fighting and to leave
him alone. Then he was shot in one of the lungs, and the men went to his
help, but while they were trying to get him to cover, a bullet lodged in
his head and killed him. The last words he was heard to say were, 'My
fellows are doing well.' His fellows will always remember that.
"I may be allowed to recall one or two interesting recollections of the
Colonel. One is the speech he delivered when the Maritzburg Club dined
him and his officers. Both he and General Symons spoke. Neither man was
an orator, and yet each was more convincing than many orators, speaking
simple, soldierly, purposeful words, words whose simplicity drove them
home. Almost a week before the battle I saw the Colonel arranging his
camp. He had taken off his tunic and helmet, and did twice as much
direction as any other officer, and he worked as hard as any of the men.
It was then, when I saw his vigour in full activity, that I realised his
wonderful capacity for work--a capacity of which I had often heard, but
which I had not been able to comprehend before.
"The last time I saw him was at the outspan before the battle began. He
came to a group of us and gave one or two orders in such pleasant words
that one knew that to obey him must in itself be a real delight. Then he
sat down and gossiped with us, first about his luck in the morning, when
a shell that hit the ground between his horse's feet had failed to
burst, and afterwards about luck in general. He advised the officers to
tell their men to sleep while they could, and then he said, 'Now I'll go
and get half-an-hour's sleep myself.' But at that moment an aide-de-camp
came saying that General French wanted to see him. When the Colonel
returned, it was to order his regiment to saddle up and prepare to
mount. In half-an-hour he was leading the attack on the first kopje.
"I like to think that before death smote him he knew that the battle was
won, and that his fellows had done well, as he expected that they would,
as he had helped them to do by example and generous encouragement."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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