’WINBURG, May 7th, 1900.

     ’From the warrant officers, non-commissioned officers, and men of
     the Highland Brigade, to the Moderator of the General Assembly,
     Church of Scotland.

’Sir,—­We, the undersigned, as representatives of the regiments now forming the Highland Brigade at present serving in South Africa under General Hector Macdonald, do hereby desire to express our appreciation of the untiring energy and praise-worthy zeal of Major J. Robertson, our chaplain, not only in camp, but also on the field.  He is invariably among the first to succour our wounded, and many a Scottish mother’s heart will be gladdened by the knowledge that her lad’s last moments were brightened by our chaplain’s kind administrations.  At Magersfontein, Paardeberg, and other engagements, he was always to be found in the firing line, with a cheerful word or a kindly nod of encouragement, and on many occasions has acted as A.D.C. to our generals.  Sir, soldiers are proverbially bad speakers, but we venture to request that this short note may be read aloud on the occasion of the meeting of the General Assembly at Edinburgh during May, 1900.’

The letter bore twenty-five signatures, including that of the sergeant-major and sergeants and corporals in the Black Watch, the Highland Light Infantry, the Seaforths, and the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders.

[Footnote 3:  St. Andrew.]

=Mr. Lowry at Magersfontein.=

Such was the man whom General Wauchope chose for his companion on that fateful day.  Rumour says that the General had a presentiment that he would be killed, and certainly he asked Mr. Robertson to keep near him, perhaps longing for Christian society at the last.  What really happened, perhaps we shall never know with any degree of certainty.  All seems to have been confusion.  Perhaps the best and most connected account that has come to us is from the pen of the Rev. E.P.  Lowry, who was present during the battle.  We quote from the Methodist Times:—­

[Illustration:  REV.  E.P.  LOWRY.

(From a photograph by Neale, of Bloemfontein.)]

’Our second Sunday on the Modder River commenced so peacefully that we were actually able to carry out in detail the various arrangements for voluntary parade services in different parts of this wide camp.  Just a little this side of the great railway bridge, that lies shattered by dynamite, is an excellent day-school building, which Messrs. Huskisson and Darroll, of the South African General Mission, succeeded in requisitioning for the purposes of a Soldiers’ Home, and excellent work is being done in it, though necessarily on a small scale.  Here, at seven o’clock in the morning, my first service was held and was gracious in its influence as well as cheering, by reason of the numbers present, including not a few whose faces had grown familiar to me in the homeland long, long ago.