[To TEE EDITOR OF THR "SPECTATOR"] SIR,—In your issue of
October 16th "Pro Patrii," on behalf of a Bulgarian officer, asks for instances of specific acts of heroism, in which men, for the benefit of their country and not of individuals, performed some particular act of valour well knowing that whether they failed or succeeded in the attempt they would certainly lose their lives. The gallant deed for which the widow of No. 3,733, Private J. Barry, 1st Battalion Royal Irish Regiments was presented with the Victoria Cross which, had he survived, would have been awarded to her husband, appears to meet the requirements of the Bulgarian officer. During the war in South Africa, on the night of January 7t1-8th, 1901, a detachment of the Royal Irish Regiment, consisting of three officers and about ninety non-commissioned officers and men, was holding a hill near Belfast, a town on the railway between Johannesburg and Koomati Poort. Under cover of a heavy fog the Royal Irish were attacked by a body of Boers greatly superior to them in number, and after a stubborn defence, in which their officers were all killed and wounded, they were driven off the hill with very heavy loss. Private Barry was stationed near the Maxim gun, which in the course of the fight was " rushed " by the enemy, who closed in on it from every aide. The Boers threatened to kill him if he attempted to make it unservice- able, but well knowing that he was sacrificing his life in the cause of his country, Barry smashed the breech so completely as to render the Maxim useless, and was at once shot down by the enemy.—I am, Sir, &c., LIEUTENANT- COLONEL (retired).
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