The War in South Africa, Its Cause and Conduct

'The Boers have been the victims of a great deal of cheap slander in the press. The men who have seen most of the Boers in the field are the most generous in

Porter said: 'On a few occasions the white flag was abused, but in what large community would you not find a few miscreants?' General Lyttelton said: 'The Boers are

ch with a chivalrous feeling of respect for a knightly antagonist. But the Boers having appealed to the God of battles and heard the judgment, appealed once more

straightforward soldier to be cowardly and unfair. Individuals undoubtedly played the white-flag trick, and individuals were guilty of holding up their hands in order

up the hands in token of surrender, it is my duty to inform your Honour that if such abuse occurs

ening, and was witnessed by several of my own staff officers, as well as

ifferent kinds was found in Cronje's laager, and

s of war and of the Geneva Convention

of the leaders every slim trick of an unscrupulous burgher. Again, it was understood that a coward may hoist an unauthorised white flag and his braver companions may refuse to recognise it, as our own people mi

y be excused from this rule; but the Boers were the invaders at the outset of the war, and in view of their long and elaborate preparations it is absurd to say that they could not have furnished burghers on commando with some distinctive badge. When they made a change it was for the worse, for they finally dressed themselves in the khaki uniforms of our own soldiers, and by this means effected several surprises. It is

of the warfare, and for the difficulties of our enemies. We tried to think that they were playing the game as fairly as they could. A

rivate F. Ayling, 3rd B

so, Februar

rs, being too far in front of my company to retire. I was all

nd asking for water all the time, which was always refused. If any of the wounded moved they were shot at. Most of them died for want of assis

hers where kind-hearted burghers have shown commise

ey have held their hands and refused to punish a whole nation for the cruelty and treachery of a few. The first absolute murder in the war was that of Lieute

unarmed, in a cart yesterday, when he was "held up" by two Boers. He was taken prisoner,

terwards dragged the body to a sluit, where, later in the day it was discovered by the Cape Police and brought here. T

her side as soldiers. The British could with the greatest ease have swamped the whole Boer resistance at the beginning of the war by letting loose the Basutos, the Zulus, and the Swazis, all of whom have blood-feuds with the Boers. It is very certain t

but, incredible as it may seem, the Transvaal had actually sent five persons, headed by the notorious Karel Geere, to Moshesh, the Basuto chief, to prevail upon him to attack us, t

e asserts that Kruger told him that he relied upon the assistance of the Swazis and Zulus. As it was, however, beyond allowing natives to defend their own lives and prop

h the British. How many hundreds were done to death in this fashion it is impossible to compute. After a British defeat no mercy was shown to the drivers of the wagons and the native servants. Boer commandos covered their tracks by putting to death every Kaffir who might giv

vinia. There was no possible case of 'spying' here, since the man had not left his own town. The appended documents will show why the nation will not have done its duty until justice has been done upon the murderers.

s were buried. Inflammation of the kidneys set in; nevertheless he was again beaten through the village with sjambok

shooting of Esau by a Boer named Strydom, who stated that he acted in accordance with orders. No trial was

Reuter's telegram, confirmed subsequently by the report made to Cape Town by the district surgeon of Calvinia

that the name of the district surgeon who reported the mal-treatment of the coloured man is Foote. Sir A. Milner adds: "There is absolutely

Kaffirs who watch the railway line have also been employed in later phases of the war, the weapons to be used in self-defence. Considering how pressed the British were at one time, and considering that by a word they could have thrown a large and highly disciplined Indian army into the scales, I think that t

anger. Thus at a skirmish at Doorn River on July 27, 1901, the seven Kaffir scouts taken with the British were shot in cold blood, and

atton, 22nd Imperial Yeoman

man lying on the ground, wounded, between two natives. I saw a Boer go up to him and shoot him through the chest. I noti

W. Madams, having bee

nt to look for my hat, and after finding it I was passing the wounded man, Trooper Finch, when I saw a Boer, whose

have been raised by the pro-Boer press in England or the Continent, has reached terribl

boys employed by the Boers, but suspected of giving information. The witnesses in this case are now difficult to find, as they are all natives; but it appears that the natives were tried by an informa

natives on one side and shot them, throwing their bodies into a ditch. Corporal Sutton, of the Hampshire Regiment, saw, after the surrender, a Bo

six; one escaped, and is now with Major Damant. Corporal Willett, Damant's Horse, afterwards saw boys' bodies near farm, but so disfigured that they could not be recognised. Some Kaffirs were then sent out from Edenburg a

me to the kraal and told Klass to go with them. On his demurring they accused him of giving information to the British, and C. Laas s

ves were sleeping in a stable. He heard Van Reenan give his men an order to shoot the natives, which order was promptly carried out in his presence as regards one man, and he was told that the other had also been shot. The resident on the farm, A. G. Liebenberg,

oers surrounded Makran's house. Van der Walt told the boy to come out, and when he did so two men seized him. While two men held Makran's hands up Van der Walt stood five yards behind him and shot him

ers: Dirk Badenhorst, of Dassie Klip; Cornelius Erasmus, of Streepfontein; and C. Van der Merwe, of Rooi Draai. The witnesses in this case are all natives residing at Dassie Klip, who knew the assailants well. In one case a native called Karle was endeav

ed two natives, wounding three others, one of whom afterwards died. The witnesses state that on the morning of October 18, 1901, Pretorius came to a colliery near Waterval North and called for

ystematic has been this brutality. I

kly West, January 28, 1900.-Native

two natives were shot, being accused of s

aungs, December 4, 1900.-Three n

laats, eight miles south-west of Pretoria, by J.

ember 24, 1900.-Native shot by Boers at Pu

e, Herschel, January 6, 1901

vinia, January 29, 1901.-Esau case

n Pretoria and Johannesburg, charged with giving information

Cradock, March 21, 1901.-Murder

e, Taungs, May 8, 1901.-Nati

trate, Gordonia, May 23,

ive accused of laziness and insolence wa

h's Post three natives

th Colonel Plumer's column cap

with a patrol of Imperial Yeomanry nea

Colony, July 29, 1901.-Shooting

liwal North, July 30, 1901.-Shoo

th a private of the Black Watch nea

l Dawkins's column captured in Fauresmith d

September 4, 1901.-Brutal treatment of native

sdale, September 4, 1901.-Two colour

e Colony, September 18, 1901.-Nat

ond, September 23, 1901.-Two unarme

Prieska, September 26, 1901.-

ismith, October 1, 1901.-Shoot

Gaol was shot in his cell by two Boer

e to conciliate our enemies at the expense of justice will prevent a most thorough exami

emoralisation which it always does bring, and there was a rapid falling away from the ordinary humanity between civilised opponents. I do not mean by this to assert that the Boer guerillas behaved as did the Spanish guerillas in 1810, or the Mexican in 1866. S

intimation wa

a: Septe

Riversdraai, 25th September, to meet three Boers approaching under white flag, who, after short conversation,

how the Boers approached the fort waving a white flag, how a corporal went out to them, and w

es we saw the two walking back to the two Boers (who were standing a good two miles off from this fort of ours). When they reached the two Boers we saw the captain dismount, the group being barely visible owing to a rise in the ground. At the e

witness in that very action at Graspan on June 6, whic

less, we threw down our arms and held our hands up. Private Blunt, who was with me, shouted. "Don't shoot me, I have thrown down my rifle." The Boers then shot Private Blunt dead. He was holding his hands above his head at the time. Lieutenant Mair then shouted, "Have mercy, you cowards." The Boers then deliberately shot Lieutenan

; shortly afterwards they came back, and two men shouted, "Hands up." We said we were already prisoners, and that our arms had been collected. Private Blunt held up his hands, and at the same time said, "Don't shoot me, I am already hands up." The Boers then said, "Take that," and shot him through the stomach. Lieutenant Mair then stepped out from the wagons

murder of the wounded at V

states: 'Whilst lying on the ground wounded I saw a Boer shoot two of our wounded

e ground with two other wounded men four Boers came up to us, dismounted, and fired a volley at us. We were all hit again,

rn, states: 'While lying wounded behind a rock I saw a Boer sho

s: 'I saw a Boer, a short man with a dark beard, going round carrying his rifle u

'I heard a Boer call to one of our men to put up his hands, and when he did so

back to camp wounded, when I saw a Boer about seventeen years of age shoot at a wounded De

w a Boer take a rifle and bandolier from a wounded Derby man, and then shoot him; the Boer

e is what occurred at Brakenlaagte when

oer cruelty to the officers and men wounded in the action with Colonel Benson's column at Brakenl

o the charges of cruelty in accordance

y me fifty-four had not been in the hands of the Boers. Of the remainin

ment of a more or less serious nature; nearly all of these had been robbed

ing, hats, jackets, and socks, in some cases being

were fired on by Boers, who had already disarmed them, for a long per

was protected for some time by a man in authority; eventu

concluding his

ted, so simply were they made. There seems no doubt that though the Boer commandants have the wil

ber 25 in a rearguard action with Colonel Benson's force, near Kaffirstadt. The Boers came up and stripped m

The Boers came up. They took my greatcoat, gaiters, spurs, and helmet; they took the money and watches from the other wounded, but left them their clothes except the coat of one man. They then left us witho

or a little later, the ambulances came and picked me up; my ambulance went on some distance farther, and Colonel Benson and some men were put in it. There seemed to be a lot of delay, which annoyed the Colonel, and he asked to be allowed to get away. The del

ps, states the Boers took all his clothes except h

Boers came up and stripped me of my hat and coat, boots, 15s., and a metal wa

ing wounded round the guns. All were wounded at this time, and no one was firing. I saw the Boers there fire at the wounded. Captain Lloyd, a staff officer, was l

boots and they hurt his shattered arm in a terrible manner

ver a wounded man showed himself, they fired at him, in this way several were killed; one man who

ng leggings, whom I should be able to recognise again, shot my friend, Private F. Foster, 4th Batt. King's Royal Rifle Corps, by putting the muzzle of his rifle to his sid

mandant Grobelaar saying the wounded would be respected. Colonel Benson asked if he could see Grobelaar; they said they would fetch him, and brought up someone who was in authority, but I do not think it was Grobelaar. Colon

up, took away my carbine and revolver and asked me to put up my hands. I could not do this, being too weak with the loss of blood. He loaded m

When the Boers came up they took my boots off very roughly, hurting my wou

of our wounded, who were not firing. Every time one of our wounded attempted to move

and the latter told him that when he (Lieutenant Martin) was lying on the ground wounded the Boers took off his spurs and gaiters. In taking off his spurs they wrenc

came to, the Boers were stripping the men round me. A man, Private Foster, who was not five yards from me, put up his

y, and I am wounded in both legs"-this last was not true. He then said, "Give us your boots"-he took them and my mackintosh. He took what money was in my belt. One of our men, Bombardier Collins, got up t

e guns after the Boers had been up to them I tried to raise a white flag as our own

y, 'Are these the deeds of soldiers or of brigands? If they act as brigands, then, why must we for ever treat them as soldiers?' I have read letters from sol