LORD METHUEN'S REVERSE.
To THE EDITOR OF TILE SPECTATOR.1
SIR,—Surely your question as to the value of disciplined troops over half-trained levies has been answered with a vengeance by the late reverse to Lord Methuen at Tweebosch. Had he had but one Regular cavalry regiment with him, armed with the horse soldier's real but now rejected weapon, the sword, he would have launched it at the critical moment on the enemy ; and five hundred disciplined sabres, bearing down with irresistible shock on the charging Boers, would have broken them like reeds, the day would have been ours, and defeht a victory. Where are the brilliant regiments of our cavalry ? Broken up into detachments of mounted rifle- men all over South Africa. Has not the time come, now that Delarey's horsemen charge boldly up to our very guns, when a few cavalry regiments might be spared for their legitimate purpose, and be attached to some of the columns, which otherwise may again fall a prey to the Boer leader's
[We cannot admit that the reverse at Tweebosch in any way settles the question of the value of untrained men. The greater portion of the new Yeomanry behaved with a heroism equal to that of the gunners. Nor will we judge the South African Colonial force too harshly when we remember that in this war even our best Regular cavalry have shown themselves liable to panic.—ED. Spectator.]
Previous page
