▁officer . ▁Although ▁he ▁did ▁not ▁name ▁him ▁in ▁the ▁letter ▁to ▁his ▁mother , ▁the ▁officer ▁was ▁later ▁identified ▁as ▁one ▁" Ser ge ant ▁Robinson ", ▁who ▁had ▁been ▁promoted ▁to ▁" Capt ain ▁Robinson ". ▁Con sequ ent ▁upon ▁matters ▁connected ▁with ▁the ▁Bush ▁V eld t ▁Car bine ers ▁and ▁" the ▁Hand cock - Mor ant ▁military ▁sc andal " ▁Robinson ▁was ▁rel ieved ▁of ▁his ▁command , ▁and ▁reduced ▁to ▁" Cor por al ▁Robinson ", ▁thus ▁effectively ▁ex on er ating ▁Re id , ▁and ▁ver ifying ▁that ▁his ▁priv ately ▁expressed ▁views ▁were ▁reliable . ▁The ▁West ▁Australian ▁newspaper ▁obtained ▁the ▁letter ▁from ▁his ▁mother , ▁and ▁not ing ▁that ▁" this ▁letter ▁gives ▁an ▁account ▁of ▁his ▁experiences ▁during ▁a ▁very ▁anxious ▁time " ▁( v iz ., ▁the ▁time ▁that ▁he ▁was ▁missing ), ▁published ▁it ▁on ▁ 1 1 ▁October ▁ 1 9 0 0 , ▁without ▁seeking ▁Re id ' s ▁permission ▁to ▁do ▁so . ▁ ▁As ▁soon ▁as ▁the ▁military ▁authorities ▁in ▁South ▁Africa ▁became ▁aware ▁of ▁the ▁letter ' s ▁publication , ▁Re id ▁was ▁arrested ▁and ▁rep atri ated ▁to ▁Australia ▁( he ▁reached ▁F rem ant le , ▁along ▁with ▁the ▁rest ▁of ▁the ▁Second ▁Western ▁Australian ▁( Mount ed ▁Infantry ) ▁Cont ing ent , ▁on ▁ 8 ▁December ▁ 1 9 0 0 ). ▁▁ ▁Ch arg es ▁dropped ▁ ▁Having ▁returned ▁to ▁Australia ▁under ▁arrest , ▁Re id ▁had ▁the ▁reasonable ▁expectation ▁that