"I wrote to your mother yesterday at Durban, and told her that I
intended to leave while it is still possible. Of course you have
written; but I told her of the flattering way in which General Yule had
spoken of the doings of you and your party, and said that I hoped she
would not be anxious, for it was quite evident that you were able to
take good care of yourselves. My letter was in answer to one she wrote
to me from Durban, begging me to keep you from undertaking what she
called 'mad-brained business', and expressing some regret that you and
the others had been allowed to form a separate corps, instead of being
under the command of an experienced officer like myself. I told her that
I thought that you would have less chance of coming to harm in scouting
work than if you had to work in a regular way as the general ordered. If
this sort of fighting--I mean, of attacking in front every position the
Boers choose to take--goes on, our numbers will very speedily dwindle
away.
"The fact is, as far as we colonials can see, the regulars do not as yet
understand fighting the Boers. Nothing could be more splendid than the
behaviour of the troops, both at Dundee and Elandslaagte, but in our
humble opinion neither fight was necessary; and if Talana was to be
attacked, it should have been done by marching the troops round the hill
and taking it in the rear.
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