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Story
September 8, 1903
The Sun
New York, New York County, New York
What is this article about?
Five Boer POWs in Bermuda, stubborn holdouts among 1,500, finally swore allegiance to King Edward VII after family letters, ending their nearly two-year detention and enabling return to South Africa.
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OCR Quality
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Full Text
STUBBORN BOERS HOMEBOUND.
Five Prisoners of War Who Have Just Yielded Allegiance to England.
Five Boers, until a few days ago English prisoners of war, came in yesterday on the steamship Trinidad from Bermuda. Out of 1,500 Boer prisoners shipped by the British Government from Durban, South Africa, nearly two years ago, all except fifty-two took the oath of allegiance to King Edward and have been sent home.
"But these fifty-two would not hear of it for a long time," said one of them in a mixture of Dutch and Cape English. "We said take us to our country first, then we shall do what is needful. But the British Government said, allegiance first and home afterward. So we went on felling timber and building huts and setting up tents for the English soldiers."
"Did you get proper food and good treatment?" the Sun reporter asked the spokesman.
"Same rations as the men," put in an English scullion, who bunks with the Boers.
The Boers corroborated that statement. They said they had good food and plenty of it.
"The letters from home," said one of them, a greybeard of sixty, "proved stronger than principle. My wife and children write that they need us at home on the farm, me and my son here. So a few days ago we five took the oath of allegiance."
"What about the forty-seven who remained in the Bermudas--were they angry at your yielding?"
"Not at all," was the reply. It is understood that every man can do as he pleases in the matter."
After the traditional manner of prisoners of war, they showed a number of trinkets which they had made in their hours of idleness. They have beautifully carved cedar wood jewel boxes, canes, picture frames and tobacco jars. One of them made a handsome violin of dark cedar.
The British Government gave them passages to South Africa, and they sail in a day or two.
Five Prisoners of War Who Have Just Yielded Allegiance to England.
Five Boers, until a few days ago English prisoners of war, came in yesterday on the steamship Trinidad from Bermuda. Out of 1,500 Boer prisoners shipped by the British Government from Durban, South Africa, nearly two years ago, all except fifty-two took the oath of allegiance to King Edward and have been sent home.
"But these fifty-two would not hear of it for a long time," said one of them in a mixture of Dutch and Cape English. "We said take us to our country first, then we shall do what is needful. But the British Government said, allegiance first and home afterward. So we went on felling timber and building huts and setting up tents for the English soldiers."
"Did you get proper food and good treatment?" the Sun reporter asked the spokesman.
"Same rations as the men," put in an English scullion, who bunks with the Boers.
The Boers corroborated that statement. They said they had good food and plenty of it.
"The letters from home," said one of them, a greybeard of sixty, "proved stronger than principle. My wife and children write that they need us at home on the farm, me and my son here. So a few days ago we five took the oath of allegiance."
"What about the forty-seven who remained in the Bermudas--were they angry at your yielding?"
"Not at all," was the reply. It is understood that every man can do as he pleases in the matter."
After the traditional manner of prisoners of war, they showed a number of trinkets which they had made in their hours of idleness. They have beautifully carved cedar wood jewel boxes, canes, picture frames and tobacco jars. One of them made a handsome violin of dark cedar.
The British Government gave them passages to South Africa, and they sail in a day or two.
What sub-type of article is it?
Historical Event
Biography
What themes does it cover?
Family
Fortune Reversal
What keywords are associated?
Boer Prisoners
Oath Of Allegiance
Bermuda
South Africa
Family Letters
Where did it happen?
Bermuda And South Africa
Story Details
Location
Bermuda And South Africa
Event Date
Nearly Two Years Ago
Story Details
Five Boer prisoners of war held in Bermuda for nearly two years finally took the oath of allegiance to King Edward due to letters from home urging their return to the farm, allowing them to sail back to South Africa.