In 1901, Lord Kitchener, British commander in the Boer War, sent to the king the following telegram.
As Colonel-in-Chief of the Gordon Highlanders, your Majesty might be pleased to know that Commandant De Villiers, who was present and has just surrendered, informs me that on the attack on the train on 4th July, at Naboomspruit, the guard of Gordon Highlanders behaved with the utmost gallantry after the train had been captured by 150 Beers. The last four men, though completely surrounded, and with no cover, continued to fight until three were killed and the fourth wounded. The Boers asked the survivor the reason they had not surrendered. He replied, "Why, man, we are Gordon Highlanders!"
一九零一年，波爾戰爭中的英軍司令基欽納勳爵給國王寄上電報一通：
陛下為戈登高地軍團名譽團長，當樂聞以下一事。德維萊爾司令官剛投降，告訴我說，七月四日火車在納布姆斯普雷特遇襲時，他也在場，看見火車落入一百五十名波爾人手上之後，戈登高地軍團的衞隊表現英勇。戰到最後的四人，雖然被完全包圍，也沒有地方可供掩護，還是繼續戰鬥，最後三人陣亡，另一人則受傷。波爾人問他們為什麼不投降，那傷兵回答說：「啊，老兄，我們是戈登高地軍人！」