Deseret Evening News | 1900-03-03 | Page 20 | "Little Bobs," the Hope of Britain

I v LITTLE BOBS THE OF BRITAIN I t Personality of the Military Leader Who Is Cone on ducting the British Operations Against I the Boers In I n South Africa I A SINCERE FRIEND OF OC iY ATKINS I HERE Is fa one man In whom the tho THERE T arm army That men man manIs menU U Is Lord or of r otherwise known ns ae General Dobl Bobs Dobs or noba According to 10 Tomm Tommy Atkin you OU oem can tak take I same me General lobe and anel eland him on ide hll head and a quart ot of lead out of 0 him t so oars tar h has hashe he ben been accumulating battlefield ou oui i See St tuft rt red f heed Cf 1 maD mi 1 a ItaN i I Ule Ilea bt be taD taDI I Vt Hotel t 1111 11 It Ludt a II a In as nose I E m aft I rests IU a null 1 1111 flU eat n bs i III if I hit tet II 1 ti plus tt by Do Il If I a ruG gun M as lie true trac track Ook k on l lE trod E e eyes T In up III I Ii nod cat catAn An ArIa a In I ii An you will not ply the eoa goat t tUlU UlU hole IWI holeSo to So sang of at the Idolized d little told This Thle le Is the man who II fa relied upon by the or of tho ho lehere to retrieve the honor of at England i In South Africa this fills Is II the man whom the next to tobye hi bye God When the London war omee cent ent Lord Roberts to Africa Ida his woe II R a one Defeat woe was 1 a word Un Unknown unknown known In his hie vocabulary Ills career had been marked by almost alma It halt a century ten cen tenI I tUr tury or of military sUc Aloro than once he had upheld the honor or of th em pyre when the moment I arrived It woe no wonder when some Bomo someone one had blundered that he suddenly became the man or of the hour once more and on him England hung all aft her hopes Ird Roberts le Is a sort of Irish terrIer Ills personality le Is an Inter Interesting sUng one He la Is n a man ratan who does doe things In tile the army ermy they call 11 him Chain Lightning When he stepped ot at Cape Town General DUller Buller was pounding away at atthe atthe the back door I of the South African lit alt nabs Bobs r zed up the matter matler In r about two days day Ife HI saw that that back I door was useless before him lay he be way to the rant front door of Pretoria tn In a fortnight or two he had men across the border of the tho Orange Free FreeState FreeState State and the war ar suddenly entered upon a ne new phase The tactics of this British field marshal lire are on land much what those tholo 0 of Nelson Nellon were on sea IU lie He believe In going at an enemy hammer hammerand and tongs lie He does not spare re men when men must be paid for or victory lilt hit as al hard os as you can but hit at once a rood good law withal but under certain as 88 we have seen lIeen III hu the present campaign n a law having Its pe pecullar cutler cullar at limos If Rob Hob Roberte erts has hns waded to a field through blood It must be remembered that one cannot fight battles from ones boyhood till one ones year and still have lily Illy white hands No o living general has hils seen lIeen more warfare than has Lord Roberts Hobert Ue He woe wal n a at atIt It 9 He fie has haa medals enough to armor nn an Ironclad ne lie has enough honorary de degrees degrees grees to 10 exhaust a type font London Edinburgh h Glasgow and many lj another British town have presented him with the tree freedom lom of at the city Yet t Bobs Is lathe the most modest Cir of little men lie JIo rays las hi his success I is due to 10 just two j knows know how to move an army urmy and lore hol to feed e s a Tommy Tomm Atkins i These lessons hn he pained when he wu was wua wasa a young and unknown man eating out i t his heart as on an obscure Junior In Inthe Inthe the quartermaster department of the J Anglo army But Dut teed a 11 sot diet and mote moe 1 a soldier as you OU Ought t to sage Lord and you ou will ay al i WI ways b be the Wellington ot of your our little Waterloo I There Thre U III one ene thIns thing In all 1111 this earth rth that la II ot of and that la II a 11 cat t A black cat In I uSar h he cannot Such ouch a SIr Arnold has bal said laid Roberts would jO go n five mil mu tu to avoid i The Th trait in 10 the character or of ut thet lifts litis him load and shoulders above his military or of whom I I n lr lrA j f 1 A J 1 J Jc Jt Jf c I t Y f tJ tT Y y yr yF J F r I t iIi 7 I i N Nr NI I r Y i 1 7 a t I bf j C s I Vi i p pc I 1 c I i oIO H J t C PL r rry Irry I I y I I o Tilt huts fum at Cape Town the dl la w Iha tb of the two gnat ifft tn dirks Lord lard It h hu t t tall ud and Lord lard Is II abort wiry and Ind serious arc aro also his hll military hIs In Ills blurt bluff honesty has allm always made him the b bete te noire of the aristocratic pats ot of the war office omee This trait honestly 1 ltd 1 him blip to oppose most moat bitterly the rheme of his superior lord for the reorganization or of the imperial army on what war al ts med the short service lItem Roberta struggled struggled very cry long and strenuously for the thelong long ions a selam t fc o advocated 1 merit as l the mans of cr promotion and not bIrth or This lid did not elicit the unbounded affection of Wol Icy IllY who vho has hils always looked upon the little Irish general with a 11 jealous eye CO COl l and ond untirIng and acro he heas as Is 19 Uoti he I fa III as tender tenderhearted hearted at times nN as a girl Irl lie He never forgets the man 0 of the rank and file lie Jre always treats the native born with I velvet velet handed considerateness In Ills his family circle he Is the gentlest 0 of fa a there and husbands Meandering about Dublin on his hll bicycle ho is 18 the most malt peaceful and quIet looking of at citizens Yet Yet this le II the man th the hlll hill tribal of at Afghanistan called the White Demon and the o mothers about still lUll tell ot of to theIr babes when they wall tn In the night Perhaps nothing will III give a 11 bot better tel lien Idea or of the tho man than the story or of how he won the Victoria goer Jt It was at In Inthe Inthe the sweltering C core lre ot of the blood drench drenched ed cd Indian mutiny mOUn There Thero had been beon a short sharp fight on the N d or of Januar January at a Illace called The enemy were tailing failing back baek In after aUer the battle of If on with Hope Grant tI heit nJ on their firsts and pressing I Ithem them hard A little rod red faced young i lieutenant of artillery 5 feet 5 0 of i irY nerve rY and grit arlt acting as a deputy as j shunt quartermaster general wee 41 In I division n He had been I pared for or six Ix long years Irl with the Iho I mountain battery of the anti ler At and he was al looking for or blood ne lle got It Coming u up with Ith the enemy at he caught I sight or of two tO tall laII making g oft off w th a British standard This did not suit the young oung lieutenant lie ed spurs spars to his hll hone went I after aCtor the two and cane tip up with them Nit just ns as they were wrt about to enter n a village It was wa a 11 thing to do but n a standard t Is a stand standard ard ani The lieutenant dk did not draw tein until he had alt all but run down the two tiro opo the tint or of whom coolly aimed hb musket and pulled the get et In the audacious young Oung lace The C cap P snapped and It was a 11 miracle but a happy one next moment the standard bearer felt elt eight inches or of euld steel att through his hilt tight right lun lung The other turned and ned fled Young lOUD for It was seized the m a s standard as 41 It was 81 failing ailing from the dYo dy Ing Ilag m mans n hand For this grail of courage Fred Fre crick SleiGh Roberta r received the tho covet coveted ell ed cress that precious lit little lie bit of at medal which l is given only for or deeds 0 of valor on the battlefield battle fie But Dut this was ns not the only occasion lon on which Roberta displayed dash duh nail fearlessness during the great mutiny So Sn often oCten did he distinguish himself that Hope Grant wrote that his hll gallantry has on ever every occasion been marked Wherever bullets were flying young Roberts Roberta was sure to be lie JIt be aide Neville Chamberlain when the tho tat lilt tatters arm was as shattered with grope shot while a bullet lodged In the cap pouch or of himself tanking n a severe bruise r the spine Had It not been for the tho cap pouch he would ha have 8 been killed But Dut Roberta seems always to have hao borne borno a 11 charmed life In fact act before ho was 1111 25 years enu he had had fio horses shot hot under him I Even Ven when wounded lie be always quickly recovered tram from his Injures Injun At the siege of at Namur he hall had hada p a charger shot under him At Delhi Deihl he hall had many thrilling e escapee On the march to as 88 a staff with he distinguished himself In the thc at h he himself to the lances lancers end and while passing paulg through h a gateway light lightIng ht Ing III as usual In advance of the line II lie a tepa took attn nt at him Roberts elO d but his hll horse horae fell Cell un under del der him Every tery one Iw has hoard heard or of the relief ot of Lucknow Speaking In his modest WRY way of how his hll avenging column started I i i iI r I H HI J out from written Gf et one little incident In that long lOAg and march 1 was WAI sent by SIr Grant Orant to Hiett We t ground for tor a 11 anew new camp While we e w re waiting and talking to what appeared d tt to be pit gums glim we were re shot at at and on looking i round FIl raw a number or of the enemy between u us and oUr fortS force Jt t slight light though iloh errs erts speaks of If tt it as a mote more bagatelle The They had to cut CUI their way Y bark bank tl to their I own oln lines and tn in II a stream horse was wound wounded and fell rIL rILIn fellIn In the tall gall the young lung officer Will was ed In n the hand band by b hili h own sword but succeeded In making his escape c cIn In the advance from the tho to reconnoitered the road read and had the honor of ct loading leading the army arm to the relief of the garrison At Jt It was vas a rare fore foretaste taste or of Just as Lucknow had been It was here In what Is now known a as the Incident that Roberts again dl himself and all his hll previous cool feats Cea ts ot of bravery lie Jle himself Cella ot of the tho inch Inti dent with characteristic modesty I I took the flag or of tho S Second ond Punjab In infantry fantry by Sir C Campbell Campbells orders and placed It on the to shot r Outram and Havelock where we were Roberts does not speak 0 of the r t bravery or of thus revealing his petition n and drawing the fire of the enemy The enemy wrote Roberts d the flagstaff down three limos I IS the pole onto But ut every corY time that lie S nag came down It again stuck u uby p b by the Intrepid Roberts Tine This was done don each time amid a hall of at bullets bullet Jt It Is sell ell worth while considering the th e I estimate of Roberta by two men In vel ve velI ry different conditions condition of life lICe Roberts I one once wrote Admiral Oliver Jones Jonel Is a s good as he is 13 brave lie Jie Is II one of 0 thos e I rare men who to braver y I and daring In the field and g discharge tI ot of duty In the camp adds add the lh S il charm of cheering and unaffected kind n noes and hospitality In the tent lent and ami lit hIs s and aid friendship are hIgh h prix to those thOle who obtain them The other estimate Ihnate Is by d Forbes the tb English war con cor respondent and describes the Robert s ot of ten years Ars age ng Short and slight square 0 of shoulder and or of a distinctly military carriage hi his who Whole le aspect and amI a 11 WIry y endurance lIe had the air ot of of command one sometimes discerns In I Imen n men who ho ha have ten seen much service n as yet ret the they have bavo not attained high big h leadership Ifs JUs Loch was wae almost almot asset Ic In Its attenuation hollow t In 1 n dented and narrow the lofty loCI forehead ad that rose rOle above the keen quick et ey eythe es the lower section or of the face tace was ton lon g gaunt and sallow allo endIng In a chin e ev ever v er cry line and contour of at which betokened betoken ed force of cr resolution Since Forbes drew this pen en picture a 11 cha change e hu has crept over Oer the the little tittle India n fighter Leas IulI strenuous home life lICe su c cession to his hll long delayed leadership Iea er and some final of power pow er and apprecIation have havu caused the old o Id I soldiers face raco to lose Its attenuation A touch of the thc portliness or of Anglican old o oage M i age has 1111 filled 1 out ot the hollow temple e the sallow cheeks and exaggerated exa 6 Berated just a trifle the shortness of the t U I nervous little n figure ure nut But great as Is II as n a fighte r I he la Is over and above n a sul sui dier With nil all his hi aggressive energy and blurt bluff honesty and outspokenness l there is fa n a touch 0 of the Iho Irish blarney about enough to make him the Ideal diplomat Combined with the experience of the old soldier he has the sagacity of the statesman This was wa demonstrated wIlen In ass 1693 Lord TArd nub flub errs erts was rae taken from the command ot of the army and glen given the post of commander In titter In India That meant a good up In in dlan attaIn far tor no sooner did Roberts step late his ne new of office co than he set Bet to work with his Indomitable on orgy ergy and absolute thoroughness to car carry r ry out a complete completo plan of at arm army reform Besides this thill hI he did a thin thing oven oon moro more I valuable Ile He saW that the tho northwest frontier ot of the Indian empire urea 11 at any tune open t to on an on the part of the soldiers 0 of the Croat Orent White Czar So Bo he bo built a 11 seder serle of fortresses I a verItable chain of o on an this which it Ie today are not would at leant vendor nn an Invasion from the north n a arduous i task Now India swarms find teems with diminutive kinglets who Vho have more pride end arrogance arno to the square inch than any an other stiff necked heathens In th f e wide world It was no maY enlY matter to gt get along wIth little handmade Yet Roberts knew how hoe to handle them and handle thorn them he did SUave when necessary stern when sternness w OS as needed and complainant when the occasion called for It A thorough knowledge Qt cf taneo has been a great rent help to him This wa was not d U up In n day To learn that tongue he shut hut himself up With the bOlt bat native t teachers ho he coul could secure and to It until he i CJ J Ur j I r Marhal I t 1 could converse easily with the humblest bearer In his hll tines lines In fact this strange little man likes nothing better than putting on clothes and ond gOing unrecognized among amon his hll men passing the time Ume ot at day with Ith them finding out their likes and n dislikes and ond ascertaining just how the they are treated by their cm am amr errs r ThIs consideration for or the man 0 of the rank and tile file U II one of at the secrete 0 of why h Tommy Atkins rel regards Bobs GS as GSa asa a demigod Men have hae a 11 weakness for roro fora o a general who will not sit alt down to his dinner Iq his hll milS mesa tent until he know lain hili hungry mon men are being red fed I Roberts attitude toward his men Is revealed In an appreciation 0 of General I Ulysses S Grant which the British gen general genend end eral once penned General Grants un consideration for his hll men the de aeries HrU tit the highest praise pralle It t l a un true that when hen an ImportAnt object was to be gained he wu not sparing of at their lives but lie he never wasted them and the ar arrangements for tor the will well being or of his troops were so 0 carefully thought out that they never neer wanted far tor supplies Isle sick and wounded wart vere hi his constant rare care although their necessitIes were never allowed to stand In tM the way or of vigorous action It Cranes Orant cart about supple must moat have hac particularly