The war in South Africa, its cause & conduct; by A. Conan Doyle ...

126 THE' WAR: ITS CAUSE AND CONDUCT
Report of Resident Magistrate, Prieska, September 26, 19oI.Murder of two unarmed natives.
Report of Colonel Hickman, Ladysmith, October I, I90o.Shooting of two natives by Scheepers.
Date uncertain.-A native in Petrusburg Gaol was shot in his
cell by two Boers on the approach of the British troops.
So much for the Kaffir murders. It is to be earnestly hoped
that no opportunism or desire to conciliate our enemies at the
expense of justice, will prevent a most thorough examination into
every one of these black deeds, and a most ster punishment for
the criminals.
I return, however, to the question of the conduct of the Boers
to their white opponents. So long as they were fighting as an
army under the eyes of the honourable men who led them, their
conduct was on the whole good, but guerilla warfare brought
with it the demoralisation which it always does bring, and there
was a rapid falling away from the ordinary humanity between
civilised opponents. I do not mean by this to assert that the
Boer guerillas behaved as did the Spanish guerillas in I8Io,
or the Mexican in I866. Such an assertion would be absurd.
The Boers gave quarter and they received it. But several isolated instances, and several general cases have shown the demoralisation of their ranks. Of the former I might quote the
circumstances of the death of Lieutenant Miers.
The official intimation was as follows:
'Pretoria: September 27.
'Lieutenant Miers, Somerset' Light Infantry, employed with
South African Constabulary, went out from his post at Riversdraai, 25th September, to meet three Boers approaching under
white flag, who, after short conversation, were seen to shoot
Lieutenant Miers dead and immediately gallop away. Inquiry
being made and evidence recorded.'
A more detailed account was sent by the non-commissioned
officer who was present. He described how the Boers approached the 'fort waving a white flag, how a corporal went out
to them, and was told that they wished to speak with an officer,
how Captain Miers rode out alone, and then:
' As soon as the officer had gone but a short distance on the
far side of the spruit, the Boer with the white flag advanced to
meet him; the officer also continued to advance till he came up
with the blackguard. At the end of three or four minutes we
saw the two walking back to the two Boers (who were standing
a good two miles off from this fort of ours). When they reached