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THE MARION DAIL MIRROR, SATURDAY, DECEMBER 17, 1910.
PAGE SEVEN
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MAJORBURNHAM,
rWlttSQ
pJ CA'PfPRlTZ.DUQrU
HlHIS American
kuleu tilt nrc;n
and terrible
Matabcle God
Mlimo, thereby
ending a bloody
war, An Empire
was the British
Empire, when it
found ittclf hum
bled by the vic
torici of the
Boer over its
best t r o o d s in
South Africa
ioudescended to ask for his help, the
lilp of an American citizen because he
Assessed the kind of brains they lacked.
The man is Major Frederick Russel
Burnham, the story of whose deeds oil
Ihe Dark Continent, like the deeds of
many others there, reads like the in
entions of a romancer.
You .can count on your fingers, and
lllcn have some to spare, the men who
have become famous in two or more
countries on their real merits, who have
contributed to the world's history and
put the color of romance and the fire
fjf action into its matter bf fact pages.
I. do not mean those nrofessional wsr-
r)prs who were sent out by their re
spective countries at the head of legions,
jvlth the resources and wealth of Em
pires behind them, or men who were
made heroes by the inflated newspaper
hve.itions of copy manufacturers. Not
r.:cn who could not be anything but
heroes, for the mere fact that they were
tprtid huge sums by these nations who
rmplojcd them. The cry cowardice of
such tn en is cxtolcd into masterly re
treats and cool, calm courage in ad
versity in front of overwhelming num
bers. Ycti ell remember the Boer war,
Where O'tn stupid and disinterested
miles were blamed for the crushing
disasters of General Bullcr at the hands
Of General Louis Botha with a handful
oLJJoer burghers at C6lenso. This
l'uM no' a,J0,u " ,,ian w" could
lufPhelp being n hero, a man who was
a ftcro tn spite of hini'elf. It is about a
man ayIio "made good" as the Americans
jay, ever against prejudice in a foreign
fland. as well as in his own. A man like
i such men as Lafayette, Garabaldi, Paul
Jbiles Henry Stanley, and the few
others of their kind who have found
4lte routine of civilization commonplace
tr,rfd uninterestirg. 'nerve racking in its
monotony, like the clash of a cracked
'hell. Such a man is Major Frederick
Russel Burnham, known--everywherc,
from Melbourne to Port Arthur, from
Port Arthur to Paris, from Cape to
Cairo, front Cairo to New York, from
New York to 'Frisco, from Alaska's
tnowy "wastes to the parched plains of
Mexico. Jlurnham, who has not heard
of' him Had he been born with a hun
dred million behind him you would per
haps he not surprised that Frederick
Russel Burnham has made a world ac
quaintance, has put the seal of his
genius on the earth's annals. Burnham
had not this advantage. Instead of
being born with the proverbial gilded
spoon in his mouth he probably was
ivery satisfied with a galvanized iron
lone. He started his independent life
with a rifle and a few tounds of am
munition, and on such a" beginning laid
he foundation to world fame, and sees
iWmsclf. while he still lives, a man of
unquestioned note, a man to whom the
'Htlsh Empire is in debt,
lit is the habit of success, purchased
i the exercise of intelligent energy,
manly rectitude arid indomitable cour
age -that made Major Burnham re
spected and admired even by his ene
mies. L myself have tossed coins with
a brother scout for the nrivileee of hav
ing first sh6t at him, df splitting his body
Mb a.jiuilet. Had I. succeeded 1 would
FWyhad the lugubrious satisfaction of
.riilmr the malor's obihiarv notice.
which had my aim been true, would
lnve f'rad thus:
Killed. Major Frederick, Russel Burn
.ham, chief of Scouts of the British
-Army attached to the column of Hord
Roberts. Shot In a . skirmish fifteen
miles .northeast of Kroqnstad Instead
of being buried under the sod df the
A"frjcan veld, Major Burnham, eer
wlierc danger flaunts it's crimson flag.
If down in Mexico among the Ynkui
Indians whrre. with John Hays vllam
mond and Harry Payne Whitney he is
deye!pping a huge tract of land which
tie .expects will make a considerable ad
diuan (o his already comfortable for
tunn In a very short time That is what
Ihe is doing to-day, tn-morrow he might
fe standing with his .hack against 'a
rliff with half a dozen savages 'around
Hm thiVstimr for Vis blood, whilst he is
'VJolmr his "dunfdest" to continue "his
LcycntfuJ existence.
UHoVr .dM.it conif Mt an 'American,
r'td Amerieanf, after all are never really
liked bw the TmHIsIi. who ?re always
I'urejudicrd ap"iin anytl"'nc tint is not
ifoni' ijpder th 'Union Jack, became a
Jflrit'ih her", with a dozen jnllant dee''
to Jils credit, any one ot wnieii vnum
ivi jprJitljl bnr or nvnn e'se inie
'nw'V dRiirntiam enme to ne n rtca
Th? is the story of an -estraordinary
Btirbar onsned'Ms e'es In ad'er
Vif t"it 'orni of ''nr r.-"'e-Jk-ar'"nd
Ji jp--i lf wf kfjli In It's mother's
fc-tfTj; 'He saw New JJIiUi yffl(ch' iy".
j
rbitiqu. crn
rii-,i i iji 1 tin jvvi j
i fired by the Redskin Chief Red Cloud,
aiter nc nau massacred the women and
children of the town, go up in ilamcs.
On one occasion his mother fled before
the savage attack of the Indians and
knowing that the heavy child in her
ar(ms would sooner or later result in Iter
capture and be the death of them both.
Watching her chance she hid her
precious child under a shock of corn
and drew the pursuing redskins in an
opposite direction. She escaped and
when the Indians were at last driven off
she found her baby Fred sound asleep
unconscious of the terrible fighting that
had been raging around him. This bap
tl'm of fire lifted Frederick Russel
Burnham for the adventurous roll he
was to fill in after years.
He was living InfLos Angeles, Cali
fornia, when his father died, leaving him
a lad of twelve, to care for his mother.
For a time after the head of the house
passed away Mrs. Burnham and her boy
felt the pangs of poverty. The boy got
i job as mounted messenger, became the
breadwinner of the household. An
uncle in one of the eastern states hear
ing the family's plight offered to care
for Mrs, Burnham and her son. Here
young Fred Burnham's grit got a chance
to show itself, and it did. He refused
to become a burden and at the mature
age of thirteen, he took up his riile
"All around they could hiar Ihe Kaffirs preparing to rush them, and when
and went into the wilderness of the
Great Southwest to be a scout.
He fought Indians and highwaymen,
searched for gold with prospectors,
hunted big game to supply the camps
with meat, always doing more than a
man's share. At last he got his wish.
He became a scout. For fifteen years
he wandered, over that wilderness.-' of
canyon and desert that runs from the
Qrcat Divide to Mexico. Fighting 'the
fierce Apache, huriting Mexican thieves,
doing everything that waa part of the
daily life of a scout in those days.
Everyone throughout the West, knew,
or knew of Fred Burnham, .1 brave
man. a wonderful scout, a splendid shot,
and a fine horseman.
. What - better training could a man
Have to fit him for the position of chief
of the Britisji Scouts in South Africa.
His selection by the British was one 6f
(he clever acts of the campaign, which
stands out like an incandescent light
on u dark road of blunders.
Major Burnham In anpearance is of
muscular, tight-knit build, a little un
der medium heicht. lias a snldicrlv
bearing m dresses like a'busincssj
limn, nis ince, me conspicuous p-ri
of him, carries the story of his 1'fc
an.d nuts the s"eal of the deed donu
on an tie tells; it is strong without
being tourh. a peculiar and noticeable
characteristic of the African pioneers
0 all races, win Africa it is not the
BUn-carrylngrpnJfrsmnivho liaa
only brute courage and a carelessness
.ibout the continuance of his own ex-
ist.'IIICC that succeeds in the rmltintin
ask of inflicting civilization on the under the command of Major Wilson,
and. It requires the thinker as well; i was practically in the hands of Burn
hcrcforc the scholar and scientist ate liiam, who, with his brother-in-law,
i-H tiff 11ff n Unliiintill.i !...:. 4l. ...ll If , t
found more frctiucntlv than tlip nrdl
nary adventurer waiting for the main
chance. Burnham during his many
duties in the Southwest, found time to
study and become a proficient natur
alist, geologistand miucrologist. This,
witli his scouting experience and his
all-round ,gcncral knowledge gained
in the school of hard experience,
make him a valuable man for any new
country.
In 1803, longing for new fields of
adventure and fresh openings for his
energy, Burnham packed up, and ac
companied by his wife and brother-in-law,
set sail for South Africa, the
land of diamonds, gold, Kaffirs, Boers
and war, and lit got what he wanted.
Primarily his idea was to prospect for
gold and precious stones in German
East Africa, and pick up a fight where
he could.
Het no sooner reached the Dark
Continent than the news of the firs
Matabcle war reached his ears. There
was nothing else to do no choice ti
make. In his eagerness to fight be
forgot the quest for gold, and lured
s
by his love for danger, offered his
services to the British South Africa
Company, which was conducting a
private war against King Lobcngula
and his Kaffir warriors.
It did not take Burnham long to
get into the swing of African cam
paigning and his ability was soon rec
ognized by the British, even with
their prejudices against all Americans.
The destruction of Major Allen
Wilson and his men at the hands of
Lobengula's warriors and the dating
work of Frederick Russel Burnhani
were the two conspicuous events in
the campaign. Burnham's gallant
effort to save Wilson's party made
him a hero where practically every
one had an heroic deed to his credit.
Major Forbes, with about three
hundred men who were all tried and
true, was out 'o give battle to K tig
Lobcngula and his warrior liosis.
While Forbes' force was pursuing the
king and his warriors, lie in turn "is
being followed by an army of warlike
Matabcle who were operating the
well-known surrounding movement
practiced In fill campaign-. In- the Af
rican races related tn the Zulus, and
which has cost the British mire than
one defeqt at the hands of the Kaffirs.
"s the fighting was coMy nnd the
results in battle even at th host '"i
certain, the Brltlsh'cnnccived thp Idea
of eapturintr the ma'n cause nf thp
war. the Warrior King Lobengu!a.llKnowing wha4was before hint, Burn
t J rt. a .- .4 1 tt . 71 i1 VM ttfcrA ... l-..AiArY,ru-i
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ESNI
It was a daring plan and it required
a daring set to cari'y it oui The
wli.,l niT-.!.. .,!,. t. ,i.
iiigram, wcic to Do til
e SCrinl! nr
ouicrwisc. me eyes and intelligence of
the enturc.
With twelve men, besides Burnham
and Ingram, Major Wilson set out
at nightfall to ride through the Mata
bcle to Lobengula's camp, seize him
and fight their way oiit.
It was a terrible night just one
for such a deed a terrific thunder
storm raged. Rain fell, in torrents
like silver sheets on the vivid blue of
the flash and crash of the lightning.
The incessant .roll of the thunder
made it impossible to command, and
the earth became a lake of rushing
waters, N
1 hrcc thousand warriors were
camped around their king on the
Shangani river, and through these in
a wild ride galloped the daring little
band, their only hope lying in sudden
action. They rushed the trek wagon
which they thought Lobcngula was
using as his camp. The dizzy danc
ing of the lightning, which was suc
ceeded by the sudden inky blackness,
blinded and confused them and they
.1 . a . ... .
the lightning flashed they could tee the
found to their dismay that they had
rushed the wrong wagon As they
were riding through the Matabcle to
Lobcngula s laager, they alarmed the
whole host and it was now their turn
to make their escape before the fatal
surrounding movement which they
knew would! come if they delayed
hemmed them in to their doom. Al
ready they could hear the rush of the
enraged Kaffirs through the bush on
every side and shots from their rifles
ami Hying spears told them that there
had commenced a light to a finish, for"
there is no quarter where the Kaffirs
arc fighting. About a quarter of a
mile away there was a huge ant hill,
which the flashing lightning revealed
from time to tin" This, 011 account
of its dominating height, was selected
to make a stand 011. Fighting the
black figuresin the darkness as thev
rode over the torrent-covered ground,
exchanging shots with the savages as
the lightning revealed them. On
1 whlng the hill a count was made
and three were found to be missing.
Mainr W'lsnn ordered the scout to
find out their fate, to locate them if
Jbev n-fp doiil or guide them back
if fhev lived This was a hazardous
undfrtaMnir, for on account of the
darknei nf the niht, tb 'treams of
water, and the lurkinn Kaffir', it was
nccesarv for Burnham to keep on
.(...A n 4 n i .Jjl
wic moor. 10 ioii 11 iwinonnieci.
rm AMiitSBi
mSH H 'riiW'W HI xl. .L.B
mr 1
ham told Major Wilson he would re
quire some one to lead his horse. Ma
jor Wilson volunteered. Burnham of
ten traveled on his knees to keep the
'spoor" and before morning he was re
warded by finding the three troopers un
harmed but lost in the jungle. This
vm uatuuiisiltll IJ....IIL.U. 3 .C1JUW.I.U1I
with the British and made him a cri
terion.
Back at the hill atrain thev ioined
their anxious and waiting comrades and
then the watch for dawn and escape
commenced. Ml around they could
hear the Kaffirs preparing to rush them,
glistening naked bodies in the rain."
and when the lightning flashed, they could
sec the glistening naked bodies in the rain
Just before dawn they heard the unmis
takable sounds of marching cavalry.
They thought that the column of Major
Forbes had ridden to their rescue. In
stead, it was Captain Borrow who was
sent to their aid with twenty men. The
Kaffirs with splendid skill concealed the
fact that they had surrounded Wilson
(ind allowed Borrow with his troop to
join Wilson, preferring to concentrate
their attack on one place. A little later
dawn drove the" night from the jungle
and in the ashy gray of the wet morn
ing the Matabcle opened the attack from
every piece of cover they could find.
Assegais rained into the defense that
was made of the Carcasses of the dead
horses, and bullets flew from every tree,
tearing the flesh of the living and tbe
dead. One by one the defenders fell
and the Matabcle, encouraged by their
success, made a wild rush, howling In
the dcligjit of their blood lust, holding
their shields before them and swinging
their knonkcrries at the heads of the
whites who could see that unless a
miracle -happened they were fighting
over- their graves. A well-held volley
drovothem back, hurling death into
their ranks. They rallied and rushed,
and again the foilost fell before Wil
von's men. One by one the troopers
were picked off, and Major Wilson, see
ing that a desperate chance must be
taken to save the small remnant of his
force, asked Burnham to break through
the enemy's lines if possible, and bring
help from Forbes. Ingram and an in
experienced trooper named Gooding
were detailed to accompany Burnham.
"One of you might succeed," said Ma
jor Wilson, who saw a man drop at his
side as he spoke.
Taking the surviving horses. Burn-
iani and his two comrades, leaping the
breastwork of human bodies and horses'
carcasses, started their ride through the
line of incsting Kaffirs. No sooner
were they on the open than the fire of
the Kaffirs was concentrated upon them.
Spears were hurled from ccry bush,
and although they and their horses were
often grazed, they escaped serious hurt.
From one side to the other they were
dm en, Burnham using every wave of
his mental energy to save them from
destruction. Every hollow in the ground
had become a lake and every rift a
roaring torrent from the night rains.
It was ride around this, through that,
over the cliffs, into the waters, swim
ming and climbing with the continual
Mug-zip of the Kaffir bullets around
tluir heads. Every trick Burnham
1 anied in the Southwest amongst the
Indians he used and those, no doubt,
saved their lives. When he came in
view of Forbes' column he found them
urrounded like the party he had left.
Riding through the circle of attacking
natives he got into the ring of fighting
troopers, who had all they could do to
'.'Id their own against Oieir enemies.
Huniliam delivered liis mcsagc: "I
'ae been sent for re-cnforccments by
Major Wilson. I believe that we are
the only surviving members of his
pirty" Major Forbes could not move
and could not spare enough men with
out risking -the destruction'of his troop,
and Biii'i'iani and his companions, see
ing the sm-.r.ion, joined in the fight and
helped to drive off the Matabele.
,Six weeks later the bodies of Wil
son's troops were found lying in a cir
cle, where they fell, not one, with the
exception of Burnham and his daring
companions, having escaped the relent
less asagais of the Matabele
This would be enough bravery for
the average man, but not for Frederick
Russel Burnham. If there were any
thing of a dangerous nature to be ac
complished, Burnham generally was the
one to do it. So open did he volunteer
to do hair-raising deeds, and succeed in
doing them, that it became the habit in
Matabeleland for all eyes to turn his
way when death was to be defied in the
performance of some act that would
make the ordinary man stand and trem
ble. The next little service that Burnham
rendered the British Empire was the
killing of the notable "God" Mlimo.
This deed alone probably saved thou
sands of lives, millions of pounds and
prevented the likelihood of an uprising
of the blacks in South Africa, for there
was n general unrest amongst them, and
many had secured modern arms and
they got a general idea of military tac
tics as practiced by the British, through
experience in their previous campaign.
For these reasoris the 'second Matabele
war was much more serious than the
first. So serious, in fact, that the Char
tered Company could not cope with it
and they caljcd in Imperial troops. They
made very little difference as far as get
ting any results were concerned, and it
looked like a long and doubtful cam
paign. The leading spirit of the Matabele
was Mlimo,, a brave and patriotic priest,
who hated the whites who had tnvadtil
his country.' .Sona'gnetlc a personality,
had he that he was regarded by tlf rufl
tives as a god. And, like most men who
arc given credit for supernatural' powi
ers, he pretended to live up to', them
He told his tribesmen that no harrd
would ever come to them In a wa
against the whites, as he would turd
their bullets to water, blind them, an
leave their women and children at th
mercy of their spears. i
Things were certainly serious. Tm
gloom of uncertainty crept over thd
British, and visions of the bloody Zulu
war rose and were reflected by the Lon
don press. The war could be ended
only by sOmc sudden and masterful
coup, and the brains of the home tacti'
cians strained for ideas, but in vain, and
the prospect of a rainy season, which
would greatly favor the Matabcle war
riors, was before them. '
At this juncture the commissioner ol
the district, a young fellow named Arm
strong, suggested that Mlimo be capl
tured or destroyed. How? Had not
the army been breaking its neck to ao
complish that? It did not strike tli
punucrous mciicians tnat a couple 0!
men often do what is impossible for at
army. Armstrong told the commandei
that he knew where Mlimo made hii
retreat. The British commander called
for volunteers to capture the "god.
Burnham was a chronic volunteer, an!
he and Armstrong set out to captur
Mlimo. I
It was a terrible task, for the pries)
had selected a cave at the top of a
kopje as his headquarters, and sur
rounded himself with an army of two
thousand tried warriors, who were en
camped at the foot of the hill. Beside
this the scouts of the blacks kept the
country completely under their eyes.
What chance bad an enemy to pass these
brave and alert savages, especially a white
skinned one? One in a thousand. - Ycl
Burnham and his companion took tilt
chance. It was a nerve strainer. Mill
after mile they covered, crawling, ruiv
ning, riding, hiding, hardly daring t:
breathe when near the Kaffirs, soma
times covering half a mile an hour,
sometimes a little more. The last mill
they covered took them three hours. At
last, unpcrccivcd, they reached the fool
of Mlimo's kopje. Slowly from bush
to bush, from boulder to boulder, thej
crept like wounded lizards until tlu'
opening of the "god's" cave dwelling
showed black before them an hour aftet
they had started the ascent.
Burnham, being the better shot, way
to fire first, for they decided that under,
the circumstances Mlimo could not U
taken alic. And they also knew that
their shot would be the signal tc tin
thousands of warriors below to attacli
them and there would be little chanc
to escape, but that was a secondary con
sidcration.
Closer they crowded to the mouth o
the cave. They waited, but the "god
could not be seen. A little nearer anJ ,
nearer. Burnham was now in the en
trance and a cry came out of the darlc
ncss inside, and the giant, befeathered
Mlimo sprang at him. His rifle blazed
once and his bullet opened the heart oj
the savage. The shot echoed through
the hills and in a moment the Matabele
army was in arms and rushing toward
the cave and spreading in a search for
the shooters. Burnham and Armstrong"
flew over the ground like springboks,
dodging shots and spears. They reached
their mounts in safety and then rode likn
demons for their lives, being driven into
a corner half a dozen times from which,
they had to fight their way like bull
buffaloes. They ejeaped and reached
Bulwayo.
The Matabele, finding that their "god"
was a pretender as far as his divine
powers were concerned, ceased hostili
ties. Frederick Russel Burnham endedj
the war with one shot and added another
success to British arms. '
For his courage and devotion Burn
ham was greatly honored by the British
and he and Ingram, with the Honorablo,
Manuel Clifford, were jointly given af'
tract of land three hundred miles Ions
in appreciation of their services, '.
When the British were at war witli
the Boers Lord Roberts, knowing ,th
weakness of his army, which had" na
trained eyes, called on Burnham tobe-s
come his chief of scouts. Ills, excep
tional services to the British In the cam-
paign won him his military title Jand
made him a perpetual officer of Uhe,
British army on full pay, He was !sa
decorated with the Distinguished Serv-)
ice Order by King Edward. Beside
this, he wears on the breast oMhis.
uniform a number of other medals.h'a
insignia of his love for the lure of
peril. -y , .- g
Copyright, ioio, Vy Metropolitan Ntwf 1
1 . paper SytJicJtex il
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