Sra,—With reference to your very apposite remarks in your last
week's issue upon the letter of "Adjutant, Volunteer Artillery," who, if he really holds such appointment, is the last person who ought to have written such a letter, it is of interest to cull information from the Appendix to the Report of the Royal Commission on the War in South Africa, and to Answers 23,746.47 given to the Duke of Norfolk's Royal Commission. There were engaged from first to last in the war in South Africa 448,435 troops of all ranks and of all sorts. Of these, there were 3,678 officers and 97,257 non- commissioned officers and men of Militia, Yeomanry, and Volunteers from this country. As far as I can remember, about 229,000 Regular troops served in the war, the remainder being Colonials, " oversea " and South African. There were in all 225 surrenders to the Boers. Of these 66 were made by South African Irregulars, 131 by troops of the Regular Army, and only 28 by the Auxiliary troops from Great Britain and the °verse° Colonies. These are facts which should be studied by those who, like "Adjutant, Volunteer Artillery," love to decry the Auxiliary Forces of the country.—I am, Sir, &c.,
SENEX.
OUR INADEQUATE DEFENCES.
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