In an interview with a representative of the Daily Mail
printed in Wednesday's issue, General Botha pays a striking tribute to the bravery of the British soldier. Describing the battle of Colenso, General Botha states that at the first point of conflict the Imperial Light Horse and British Regulars on the right wing came within sixty yards of the Boers and their guns. At Bridle Drift on the left the Boers allowed them to come within two hundred yards before opening fire. Here General Botha adds, "I must say that I never saw anything more magnificent than their charges at this point their bravery was astounding." He also gives an interesting account of the operations which culminated in the occupation and evacuation of Spion Kop, as to the strategic value of which position he entertained no doubt. Here the Carolina burghers greatly distinguished themselves, though at heavy loss. "To give you some idea of the sanguinary nature of the affair, when the mist that hung over the mountain during the ascent lifted, the burghers found themselves close on the enemy's schanzes, and many of them seized the soldiers' rifles as they were preparing to fire, on the alarm being sounded. So close were the combatants that the smoke from their rifles inter- mingled, and for some time there was confusion." With regard to Colenso, General Botha declares that he fully ex- pected his position to be assailed in three places, and that he accordingly strengthened these points, keeping " the inten- tion foremost that nothing should be seen by the other side of these defensive arrangements." It is at least a melancholy satisfaction to be assured that General Botha admitted that our men were splendid.
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