COLLECTIBLE BOOKS: Acts of chivalry in a time of war
Boer and Brit were bitter and brutal enemies in the SA War, but sometimes humanity shone through
Two notable acts of chivalry in the SA War involved a French count, an English lord, a horse and a Boer general’s wife. One of the incidents is reported in a recent edition of British publication The Oldie (theoldie.co.uk) in an article headlined "Where greyhounds may safely leap" by Lucinda Lambton. One of the acts took place at the Battle of Boshof in April 1900. It was at this battle where, for his incredible bravery, Count George de Villebois Mareuil, a French mercenary fighting for the Boers who had been promoted to the rank of general by president Paul Kruger, was given was given a full military funeral by Lt-Gen Lord Methuen. In "Good-Bye Dolly Gray", Rayne Kruger describes the French general as "a colourful character" who was formerly a commander in the French Foreign Legion. The Boers found his name impossible to pronounce and referred to him only as "The Colonel". According to The Oldie, the French general, with a force of 300 men (some sources say 150), kept Lord Methuen ...
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