The History of Lumsden's Horse: A Complete Record of the Corps from Its Formation to Its Disbandment
History
The History of Lumsden's Horse: A Complete Record of the Corps from Its Formation to Its Disbandment
Great Britain. Army. Lumsden's Horse; South African War, 1899-1902 -- Regimental histories -- Great Britain
All the time officers and men of the Army Medical Corps were covering
themselves with honour by brilliant services rendered to stricken
soldiers, who lay helpless where the ground was torn by bullets. The
coolest deed of all, however, was done by an American named Todd, a
trooper in Roberts’s Horse. With a comrade he had first volunteered to
go out and bring in some stray horses for the disabled guns. Before they
had ridden fifty yards the second trooper was shot dead, but Todd
galloped on straight towards the Boers, rounded up both horses, and had
nearly brought them back when one was killed. When he rejoined his
detachment Todd heard an officer asking for volunteers to go out in
search of their doctor, who was lying wounded in a donga. Without
waiting to hear more the trooper turned his horse’s head towards the
Boer lines again and galloped off. Twenty minutes later he rode back
slowly, bearing a heavy burden on his arms. ‘I couldn’t see the doctor
anywhere,’ he said, ‘but I have brought back the only wounded man that I
found alive there.’ If ever a man earned the right to wear the grim
badge of Roberts’s Horse it is Trooper Todd. Deeds of heroism, however,
were not rare that day. They could not avert disaster, but they shed a
light upon it that dispels the shadow of humiliation.
Our men had still hard fighting to do before they could hope to
extricate themselves. Brigadier-General Broadwood’s retirement upon the
station buildings was not effected without difficulty, and it is
wonderful that he should have been able to keep the remnants of so many
broken squadrons in hand, while they were weakened by further losses
every minute, and the on-coming enemy gathered strength. Several
horsemen, escaping, got away across the veldt, and then, forming groups,
headed towards Boesman’s Kop, Boers pursuing for some distance. But the
main body made a stand at the station buildings, and fought it out for
two weary hours, so fiercely that the enemy did not dare to come to
closer quarters. The company of Burmese Mounted Infantry that had been
on outpost duty west of Koorn Spruit, when they found themselves cut off
by Boers in ambush, made an attempt to rejoin the main body, but were in
turn surrounded. Having some advantage of ground, though outnumbered,
they were enabled to hold their assailants off until 7 o’clock.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account