IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) III 1.0 I.I U4 13. 116 14.0 L25 Hlu ■ 2.2 ■ 2.0 1.8 1.6 150mm V

w 5 "^ 1^ T( ^^f. South Africa AND THE Transvaal War ■V LOUIS CRESWICKE AUTHOR OF "rOXANE," etc. WITH NUMEROUS ILLUSTRATIONS AND MAPS IN SIX VOLUMES VOL. II.-FROM THE COMMENOBMBNT OP THE WAR TO THE BATTLE OP OOLENSO, 16TH dEO. 1899 TORONTO: THE PUBLISHERS' SYNDICATE (LIMITED) EDINBURGH: T. C. & E. C. JACK 1900 22439C ^. v> Ir Ti Ti T^ Af Es Ac Wi Ch Fa< CONTENTS— Vol. II. CHRONOLOGICAL TABLE PACE vii CHAPTER I The Crisis at Home . In South Africa The Occupation of Dundee The Batti.k of Gi.encoe . Ei.andsi.aagte The Retreat from Dundee PACiK I 2 7 '4 20 32 Sir W. Penn Symons— Gi.encok The Battle of Reitfoniein Lady>mith .... The Battle of Lomdard's Kop The Disaster of Nicholson's Nkk The Siegk of Ladysmith . .15 38 41 45 SI CHAPTER II The Siege of Mafeking . 55 I Kimberley CHAPTER III Natal The Invasion of Cape Colony The Battle of Belmont . PACK 76 86 The Battle of Graspan . The Battle of Modder River After the Fight 64 PA(iK 97 108 CHAPTER IV The Investment of Ladysmith . Estcourt . . . . . Armoured Train Disaster at Chieveley .... Estcourt PAGE no 119 121 126 The Fight on Beacon Hill Ladysmith .... Estcourt and Frere . Surprises at Ladysmith . Frere Camp . . PAtiE 132 135 139 145 151 Activity at the Cape With General G.\tacre . The Reverse at Stormberg CHAPTER V 154 •59 163 At the Modder River The B.vttle of Majesfontein PAGE 168 171 Chieveley Camp. CHAPTER VI PAGE . 187 I The Battle of Colenso . 188 Facsimilh of MS. Absent-Minded of Mr. Beggar " RuDYARD Kipling's War Poem "The 203 LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS— Vol. II. Chart Showing Stakf Appointmknts madi: at thk Commkncement OF THE War I. COLOURED PLATES Affront "All that was Left of Them." The Black Watch after the Battle of Majesfontein. By R. Caton Woodville . . . I'ronthpicce OFFICEli OF the 9TH LANCERS . 38 Sergeant, King's Royal Rifles . 80 Private and Corporal of the Gordon Highlanders ... 96 Sergeant and Private of the DuuLiN Fusiliers . . .102 Sighting a Naval Field Gun . 128 Sergeants of 'ihe Roval Horse Artillery with a i2-poundi.r . ^4 Sergeant - Major of the New South Wales Lancers . .154 FULL-PAGE PLATES The Outbreak of War — The Drakenijerg Mountains . The Outbreak of the War- Transport Leaving England for the Cape The Battle of Elandslaagtk Before Ladysmith — Horse ArtiL' LERY Galloping to take up a New Position Ladysmith, Natal . Night Sortie from Mafeking The Battle of Belmont The Battle of Modder River Scene on the Tugela . PACK 6 16 26 I i 64 90 106 ! 112 Repelling an Attack from the Trenches around Ladysmith . 138 From Frere to Chieveley . .150 Stormberg Pass . . .160 The Modder River. . . .172 The Battle of Colenso— Queen's (Royal West Surrey) Regiment Leading the Central Attack . 188 The Battle of Colenso— The Dublin Fusiliers Attempt to Ford the Tugela. . . .192 The Battle of Colenso— The Last Desperate Attempt to Save the Guns 198 3. FVLL-PAGE PORTRAITS Lieut.-General J. D. P. French . Major - General Sir W. Penn Symons, K.C.B General Jouhert . . . . Colonel Robert S. S. Baden- Powell, the Defender of Mafeking Right Hon. Sir Redvers Henry Bui.LER, K.C.B., V.C. . PAGE 2'> 32 48 74 Lieut.-General Lord Methuen, C.B 86 General Sir George Stewart White, V.C, G.C.B., the Defender of Ladysmith 118 Major-General Andrew G. Wau- chope, C.B 176 4. MAPS AND ENGRAHNGS IN THE TEXT PACE Coloured Mai> ok Skat ok War . At Front Map ok Nortiikrn Natal. ... 9 POSITI ' T OK FoKCliS UliKOKE THE BAm.E OK OLENCOK 15 The Batti.k ok Glencoe .... 17 Position ok Forces bekore the Battle OK Elandslaagtk, Noon. . . . ai Plan ok Battle ok Elandslaagte . . 25 Map ok Ladysmith and Surrounding Heights 43 The Ckeusot Quick-Firing Field Gun, or "Long Tom" 44 4.7-Inch Naval Gun on Improvised Mounting 5a la-PouNDER Naval Gun on Improvised CAiM THK MITH . «38 . 150 ^ , 160 . , 172 )UEEN'3 UIMKNT rXACK . 18S )— The IPT TO , , 192 IE Last IVETHK . 198 THUEN, rEWART )cfender ;. Wau- 86 118 176 rAGK ST . 90 R RiVKR. 10 1 HMKNT OK , Ii3 Gun 127 I'KK PUH- rilB SlKGK 137 'AL ENGI- , 144 V Scott's 154 TIONS ON VKR 164 17+ lAJKSFON- 176 LKNSO 191 Passagk L'l.LKR ON CHRONOLOGICAL TABLE—Vol. H. 194. OCTOBER. 11.— Hoer Ultimatum time-limit expired. Great Uritain commenced to be at war with Transvaal and Orange Free State. 12.— Text of Great Britain's reply to Boer Ultimatum issued. It slated that the conditions demanded were such as her Majesty's Govern- ment deemed it impossible to discuss. Mr. Conyngham Greene recalled. Armoured train captured by Boers near Mafeking. Colonel Baden-Powell moved a large force outside Mafeking, and took up a strong defensive position. 13. — Newcastle abandoned. 14.— Sir R. Bullerand Staff left England. 15. — Boers occupied Newcastle. 16. — Dundee evacuated. 17. — Parliament opened. Successful sortie by Colonel Baden- Powell from Mafeking. Armoured train in action near Kim- berley during reconnaissance. 18. — Mr. Balfour announced that the Militia and Militia Reserves were to be called out. 19 — 'i'ransvaal flag hoisted at Vryburg. 20.— Boers repulsed by British at Talana Hill (Glencoe). 21.— General French, with about 2000 men, attacked a Boer force under General Kock at Elandslaagte. 22 — General Symons promoted to be Major-General. General Yule retired from Dundee on Ladysmith. 23.— Death of General Symons. Mafeking bombarded. Transvaal National Bank seized at Durban. 24.— Sir George White engaged Boers at Reitfontein, Services accepted of Sir William M'Cormac, President of the Royal College of Surgeons, to attend the wounded. 26— (ienerals Yule and White joined forces at Ladysmith. Bombardment of Mafeking Loni- menced. 28.— Boers were closing round Lady- smith. Proclamation issued declaring the Boer "commandeering" of cer- tain portions of Cape Colony null. —Engagement at Lombard's Kop. Sir George White sent out from Lady- sqiith to Nicholson's Nek a Moun- tain Battery, with the Irish Fusiliers and the Gloucesters, to turn the enemy's right ilank. Mules, with guns and reserve ammunition, stampeded into enemy's lines. After gallantly defending their position for six hours, men's am- munition was exhausted, and about 800 were captured. Naval Brigade did excellent work. —Sir Redvers Bulier landed at Cape Town. 30 31. 1.- 2.- NOVEMBER. •Boers invaded Cape Colony. ■Free Staters' position at Besters brilliantly taken by cavalry. Boers lost heavily; our casualties slight Boers treacherously used whiti- flag. 2.— Colenso evacuated by the British. Arrangements for a supplementary Naval Brigade completed. Orders issued for mobilising the Militia. 3.— Naauwpoort and Stormberg evacu ated by the British garrisons. vu The Transvaal War I 5. — Death of Commander Egerton, of Poiverful. 6. — Ladysmith isolated. 9. — Boers attacked 1-adysmith, and re- pulsed with heavy loss. Orders issued for mobilisation of a Fifth Division. 10. — Engagement of Belmont. Colonel Keith Falconer killed. 11.— Captain Percy Scott, of H.M.S. Terrible^ appointed commandant of the forces defending Durban. 12. — Lord Methuen arrived at Orange River. 14. — Lieutenant -General Sir Charles Warren appointed to command the Fifth Division for service in South Africa. 15. — Armoured train wrecked by Boers near Frere. Mr. Winston Churchill and a number of Dublin Fusiliers and Volunteers captured. Boers defeated at Estcourt. 16. — Fighting near Orange River. 17-22. — Transports arrived at Cape Town with 22,ooo troops. 20. — Lord Methuen's force reached Witte- putts. 23. — Lord Methuen attacked Boers at Belmont. Boers routed at Willow Grange. 25. — Lord Methuen engaged the Boers at Graspan (Enslin), and after four hours' hard fighting carried posi- tion. 26. — Mooi River Column joined at Frere by General Hildyard. 28. — Lord Methuen engaged enemy, 8ooo strong, at Modder River, and after ten hours' desperate fighting, drove them back. SO.— Sixth Division for South Africa notified. DECEMBER. 2. — General Clery reached FVere. 3. — Transport Isinore wrecked 1 8o miles north of Cape Town — all troops landed. 6. — Sortie from Kimberley. Major Scott Turner killed. 7. — Arundel occupied by British. 8. — British sortie from Ladysmith, Lom- bard's Kop being carried. 9. — General Gatacre sustained serious reverse at Stormberg, having been misled by guides. Lieutenant -Colonel Metcalfe, znd Rifle Brigade, with 500 men from Ladysmith, captured Surprise Hill, destroying a howitzer. 10. — General French drove the enemy from Vaal Kop. 11. — Lord Methuen attacked 12,000 Boers entrenched at Majes- fontein, but attack failed, although British troops held their position. Major-General Wauchope, Major Lord Winchester, and Colonel Downman killed. 13. — General French defeated 1800 Boers between Arundel and Naauw- poort. British loss, i killed, 8 wounded. 14. — Orders given for the mobilisation of a Sixth Division, and a Seventh in reserve. Sir Charles Warren and Staff arrived at the Cape. 15. — General BuUer suffered a serious reverse at Colenso, troops having to retire to Chieveley, leaving behind 1 1 guns. General Hector Macdonald ap- pointed to succeed General Wauchope. vui ISSUED BY THE WaR OfFICE, 7TH OCTOBER 1899. R. :d Frere. ;cked.i8o miles )wii — all troops lerley. Major i. British. adysmith, Lom- carried. stained serious irg, having been Metcalfe, 2nd I 500 men from ;d Surprise Hill, zer. )ve the enemy tacked 1 2,000 d at Majes- failed, although i their position, luchope, Major , and Colonel ited 1800 Boers and Naauw- iss, I killed, 8 mobilisation of ind a Seventh in ,nd Staff arrived ered a serious ), troops having ieveley, leaving ilacdonald ap- :ceed General 1ST Ahmv Com'a— 18T Division— Cmi/inha/, Staff Position. Names of Officer! Sclccted, I Divisi'jnal Signalling Officer Lieut. Hon. E. D. Loch, D.S.O., 1st Bn. Grenadier Guards, 1ST Hriuade. - Major-General Sii- H. E. Colvile, K.C.M.G.,C.B. • Captain G. C. Nugent, Grenadier Guards. • Captain H. CJ. Ruggles- Brise, p.s.c, Grenadier Guards. 3NU Brigaue. • Major.General H. J Hildyard.C.B., p.s.c. • Lieut. A. Blair, King's Own Scottish Borderers. • Major L. Munro, p.s.c., Hampshire Regt. '* Graded as Deputy-Assistant Adjutant-General. Major-General I .Mde-de-Camp Brigade-Major Major-General Aide-de-Camp Brigade-Major 1ST Abmv Corps-jrd Division— Con/iHued. Staff Position. Names of Officers Selected. Chaplains (») ... Rgy. g. Rj,,^ (r j. j D ■ . t ,, ,. , , Kev. K. Armitage, M.A. Principal Medical Officer - Lieut.-Colonel J. D. Kdffc ., .. ,„_ M.D., R.A.M.C. Medical Officer - . . Maj. G. K. Twiss, R.A.M.C. Divisional Signalling Officer Captain S. Fin (!. Cox, ind Bn. Lincolnshire Kegt. STH BhICADE. T. 1ST ARMY CORPS-aND DIVISION. Staff Position. General Officer Commanding (Lieut.-General on Staff) Aides-de-Cainp (2) Assistant Adjutant-General 3Uty-As reneial Deputy-Assistant AdjuUnt- Ger -• Assistant Provost-Marshal** Chaplains (3) Principal Medical Officer - Medical Officer ■ Divisional Signalling Officer Names of Officers Selected. Major-General(Local Lieut.- General) Sir C. V. Clery, K.C.B., p.».c. Major F. E. Cooper, Royal Artillery, p.s.c. Captain L. Parke, Durham Light Infantry. .Major and Bt. - Colonel B. M. Hamilton, p.s.c. East Yorkshire Regiment, (a) Captain H. E. Gogarty, p.s.c, Royal Scots Fusi- hen. (*) Captain W. G. B. Boyce, Army Service Corps, Major G. F. EllLson, p s.c. Royal Warwickshire Regt. Rev. A. A. L. Gedge, B.A, Rev. J. Robertson (P.X Colonel T. J. Gallwey, M.D„ C.B., R.A.M.C. Major W. Babtie, M.B„ C.M.G., R.A.M.d Lieut. J. S. Cavendish, ist Life Guards. Major-General Aide-de-Camp Brigade-Major Major-General A. Fiizroy Hart, C.B., p.s.c ■ Captain Hon. St L. H Jervis, King's Royal Rifle Corps, • Major C, R. R. MacGrigor, p.s.c. King's Royal Rifle Corps. 6tii Briuadb. - Major-General G. Barton. C.B., p.s.c - Captain J. A. E. MacBean, Dublin Fusiliers. *• Graded as a Deputy-Assistant Adjutant-General, STAFF OF CAVALRY DIVISION. Major-General Aide-de-Camp Brigade-Major Staff Position, Names of Officers Selected. General Officer Commanding Col.(Lieut,-General) l,D P (Lieut.-General nn .<;iiiiri I1V.....I. '•' (Lieut.-General on Staff) Aides-de-camp (2) French. Lieutenant J. P. Milhanke, loth Hussars. Colonel Hon, G, H, Goiigh, C,B., p.s,c. («) Major D. Haig, p,s.c, 7th Hussars. (i) Major G. O. Welch, no: /-. J. „ Army Service Corps. Officer Coinmanding, Royal Lieut. -Colonel F. I. W Hnrci. Artillj>t.u !?.._. n tr • ■' Assistant Adjutant-General - Deputy-Assistant Adjutant- Generals Miyor-General Aide-de-Camp Brigade-Major Major-General Aide-de-Camp Brigade-Major 3RD Brigade. • Maj.-Oen. A. G. Wauchope, C.B,, C.M.G. - Captain J. G, Rennie, R.H. - Major and Bt,-Lieut.-Col. J. S, Ewart, p,s,c., Came- ron Highlanders. 4TH Brigade. - Major-General Hon, N, G, Lyttelton, C.B. - Captain Hon. H. Yarde- Buller, Rifle Brigade. - Captain H. H, Wilson, p.s.c. Rifle Brigade. Graded as a Deputy-Assistant Adjutant-General. 1ST ARMY CORPS-3RD DIVISION. Staff Position. Names of Officers Selected. General Officer Commanding MaJor-General (local Lieut.- (Lieut,-General on Staff) den.li Sir W. F. Gatacre, K,C.B., D.S.O., P.S.C Lieutenant A. J. M'Neill, ist Bn. Sealorth High- landers. Colonel R. E. Allen, p,s,c. (a) Lieut.-Colonel W. H. H. Waters, M.V.O., p.s.c. ie) Major F. E. F. Hobbs, Army Service Corps. Captain J. R. F. Sladen, p,s.c., East Yorkshire Rgt. Horse Artillery Adjutant, R.H.A, Chaplain (i)t Principal Medical Officer Medical Officer ■ Assistant Provost-Marshal" Major-General Aide-de-Camp Brigade-Major Eustace, R.H,A. Capt. A. D'A. King, R.H.A. Rev. W. C. Haines. Lieut.-Colonel W. Donovan, Royal Army Medical Corps. Mtdor H. G. Hathaway, Royal Army Med. Corps. Captain P. A. Kenna, V.C, , . ,,. „ aist Lancers, Intelligence Department— Deputy-.\ssistant Adjutant- Captain Hon. H. A. Uw- ^"""■l rence, p,s,c. , 1 7th Lancers. 1ST Brigade. - Col. (local Major-General) J. M. Babington. - Lieutenant F. W. Wormald, 7th Hussars. • Captain C. J. Briggs, ist „„ _ ... Dragoon (iuards. Officer Commanding Mounted Major and Brevet- Lieut. < Infnnfrv* rv.1 i ■.- > ■* ... Aides-de-Camp (a) Assistant Adjutant-C^eneral - Deputy-Assistant Adjutant- Generals Assistant Provost-Marshal** Infantry" Adjutant, tantry*' Colonel E. A. H. Alder- son, P.S.C., Royal West . . '^*"' R«8'- Mounted In- Captain H. M'Micking, Royal Scots. aND Brigade. Major-General - . Colonel (local Major - Gen.) J. P. Brabazon, C.B., A-j J /- A.D.C. Aide-de-Camp . . . Major Hon. C. E. Bingham, „..,,. «st Life Guards, Bngade-Major - - . Captain Hon. T. W. Brand, __ _ „ loth Hus-'ars, Officer Commanding Mounted Captain and Brevet-Lieut. - Infantry* Colonel R. J, Tudway, . ,, ., ... >nd Bn, B.ssex Regt. Adjutant Mounted Infantrj** Captain H, L, Ruclc-Keene, (Jxford. Light Infantry, * Graded as Assistant Adjutant-General, t Will act for both Brigades. ** Graded as Deputy-Assistant Adjutant-General. . - , , . CouiRiDr.E Grovb, M.S. and OeMtr 1899. CHART OF STAFF APPOINTMENTS MADE AT THE COMMENCEMENT OF LINES OF COMMUNICATION The Lines of Communiaiiion will be under the aeneral command and dirrction of Lieat.-General Sir F. W? E F Korestier-Walker, K.C.B., C.M.G. The ^Hewing Officeni will be employed and will have »ne htan poaition shown opposite their names :— Names of Officers Selected. Colo»el H. H Settle, C.B., D.s.o^p.s.c. . . : Captain F. A. Motony, p.5.c. Colonel J. W. Murray, p.s.c Suff Position. Colonel on Staff. Staff Officer to Colonel on Staff. Colonel on Staff. __. . .. ,...,.«..■,, p,3.»,. i^uiunei on .lean. Colonel W. D. Richardwn, Deputy AdjuUnt-General for Lieut..Colonel F. F. Johnson, Stafl^ffi«*to De'mt'^'dju Armv service Corns > . »an».n..«.....i r-^ c n.. tant-General for Supplies and Transport. Deputy Adjutant Gene alfor Tran.sport. Director of Railways.* Brevet-Colonel C. H. Bridge, C.B., Army Service Corps Brevet-Major (local Lieut.- Colonel)E. P. C. Girouard, D.S ORE Captain fl G. Joly de Lot- Staff Officer to Director of binitre, R.E. Railways. Captain (local Major) J. H. \ r.j}:'',;^\ .'. • ■> ..•I'^ssis'Mit Directors of Hail- Captain (local Major) V. [ ways •* Murray, R.E. - . -) Major J. E. Capper, R.E. - ) „ . Captain H. C. Nfanton, R.E. } Deputy Capt. W. D. Waghorn, R.E. ) °f Major_ (local Lieut.-Colonel) ,, -Assistant Directors r Railways. A. E. Wrottesleyi R.E. Colonel R. S. R. Fethersion- ] naugb, h.p. Brevet-Colonel C. P. Ridley, md Bn. Manchester Rest. I Brevet-Lieut.-Colonel P. T. ' Rivctl -Carnac, ist Bn. ( We,st Riding Regt. Brevet-Lieul.-Colonel H. 1'. Shekleton, p.s.c, ist Hn. I South Lancashire Regt. / Capt. J. G. Baldwin, Royal i Garrison Artillery I Captain A. E. Lascelles, and I Bn. Norfolk Regt. Captain C. R. Ballard, isi Bn, Norfolk Regt. '^'.?'?'!J> C- V- C. Hobart, D.S.O., ami Bn. Grenadier! Guards < Brevet-Colonel E. W. D. Ward, C.B., Army Service Corps Col. J. K. Trotter, C.M.G Lieut.-Col. F. W. Bennet, K.E. Brevet-Lieut.-Colonel H. M Lawson, p.s.c., R.E. Lieut.-ColonelS. H. Winter, Army Service Corps Lieul.-ColonelW.R. Winter, Army Service Corps Lieut. -Col. R. B. M'Comb Army Service Corps Brevet-Lieut.-Colonel F. W. B. Landon, Army Service Corps Major J. H. Poett, p.s.c, and Bn. Dorsetshire Regt. Major C. Rawnsley, Army Service Corps Major R. B. Gaisford, p.s.c, Royal Scots Fusiliers Brevet-Major E. G. T. Bain- bridge, and Bn. East Kent Regt. Major R. C. B. Haking, P;S.c., Hampshire Regt. Major A. W. Thomeycroft, and !!„, Royal S„J r usiliers ' Director of Telegraphs.' Station Commandants.* Staff OtTicers to Station Commandants.'** Assistant Adjutant-Generals. Deputy-Assistant Adjutant- Generals. Links of Communication— Cim/imwt/. Names of Offirirs Selected. Staff Position. Captain E. \ Hughes, '\ p.8.c, ist Bi and I r.. . . . Lancaster Reg. I Deputy-Assistant Adiutant- Captain C;. S. St vn, | Generals. King's Royal Rifle .urps / Brevet - Lieut. • Colonel J.\ Adye, p.s.c. Royal Gir-\ rison Artillery Major H. N. C. Heath, f.s.c, Yorkshire Light nfantry Brevet-Major C. J. Mac- kenzie, 1st Bd. Seaforth Highlanders Malor R. L. Walter, 7th Hus.sars Major E. F. Gosset, p.s.c, and Bn. East Yorkshire Regt. Brevet-Major A. G. Hunter- Weston, R.E. M«yor G. D. Baker, p.s.c., Royal Garrison Artillery \,^ , „ Maiof E. S. C. Kennedy, /0«"«™'D'")'- West India Regt. Captain A. W. Elles, and Bn. Yorkshire Light Infantry Captain E. St G. Pratt, ist Bn. Durham Light In- fantry Capt. C. B. Jervis-Edwards, ist Bn. Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry Captain F. B. Maurice, Derbyshire Regt. Lieutenant W. M7C. Vande- leur, and Bn. Essex Regt. Lieutenant G. P. Appleby, 1st Bn. Bedfordshire Regt. I Lieutenant F. S. Reeves ist/ Bn. East Kent Regt. / CoLURiiKitt Grove, M.S. War Office, 4/A October 1899. nn'S^ffx^l" "'".l' '."•' on'? shows the Officers employed on Staff duties on the Lines of Communication. It does not fS!i « ' employed on medical, ordnance, clerical, supply, I)ay, &c., services. — C. G. » • fk j» *, 5;rad«d as Assistant Adjutant-Generals. ... J: J I *" P«R«'y*»»'*iant AdjuUnt- (a) Captain H. E. Gogarty, General Assistant Provosi-Marshal"* Chaplains (2) ... Principal .Medical Officer - .Medical Officer ■ Divisional Signalling Officer P." lie .S.C., Royal Scots Fusi- liers. (i) Capuin W. G. B. Boyce, Army Service Corps. Major G. F. Ellison, ps.c. Royal Warwickshire Regt. Rev. A. A. L. Gedge, B.A. Rev. J. Robertson (P.). ColonelT. J. Gallwey, M.D., C.B., R.A.M.C. Major W. Babtie, M.B., C.M.G., R.A.M.c!:. Lieut. J. S. Cavendish, ist Life Guards. Major-General Aide^le-Cainp Brigade-Major 3iiD Bricaok, - Maj.-Gen. A. G. Wauchope, C.B., C.M.G. - Captain }. G. Rennie, R.H. - Major and Bt.-Lieut.-Col. J. S. Ewart, p.s.c, Came- ron Highlanders, 4TI1 Brigade. JIajor-General - - Major-General Hon. N. G. ... , „ Lyltelton, C.B. Aide-de-camp - . . Captain Hon. H. Yarde- „ Buller, Rifle Brigade. Bngade.Major - . Captain H. H. Wilson, P.S.C., Rifle Brigade. " Graded as a Deputy. AssisUnt Adjutant-General. 1ST ARMY CORPS-3RD DIVISION. Staff Position. Gener.-il Officer Commanding (Lieut.-General on Suff) Aides-de.Camp (a) Assistant Adjutant-«neral Aide-de-^mp Brigade-M^jor Major-General Aide-de-Camp Brigade-Major Lieut. .Colonel J. D. Edge, M.D., R.A.M.C. Maj. G. E. Twists, R.A.M.C. Captain S. Fin G. Cox, and Bn. Lincolnshire Regt. STH Brioadk. - Maior-Gciieral A. Fitrroy Hart, C.B., p.s.c. - Captain Hon. St L. H. Tervis, King's Royal Rifle Corps. - Major C. R. R. MacGrigor, p.s.c. King's Royal Rifle Corps. 6tii Briuaub. • Major-General G. Barton, C.B., p.s.c Captain J. A. E. MacBean, D.S.O., p.s.c. Royal Dublin Fusiliers. •• Graded as a Deputy- Assistant AdjuUnt-General. STAFF OF CAVALRY DIVISION. Staff Position. Names of Officers Selected. (General Officer Commanding Col. (Lieut.-General) J. D. P. (Lieul..Generalon StaflT) " '- Aides-de-Camp (a) Assistant AdjuUnt-General • DeputyAuistant Adjutant- (Generals Officer Commanding, Royal Horse Artillery Adjuunt, R.H.A. Chaplain (i)t Principal Medical Officer - Medical Officer - As.sistant Provost- Marshal" French. Lieutenant J. P. Milbanke, loth Hussars. Colonel Hon. G. H. Cough, C.B..P.S.C (a) Major D. Haig, p.s.c, 7th Hussars. (*) Major G. O. Welch, Army Service Corps. Lieut.-Colonel F. J. W. Eustace, R.H.A. Capt. A. D'A. King, R.H.A. Rev. W. C. Haines Lieut.-Colonel W. Donovan, Royal Army Medical Corps. Msdor H. G. Hathaway, Royal Army Med. Ck)rps. Captain P. A. Kerna, V.C, aist Lancers. Intelligence Department- Deputy-AssisUnt Adjutant- Capuin Hon. H. A. Law- General rence, p.«.c., 17th Lancers. 1ST Brigade, - Col. (local MiOor - (General) J. M. Babington, Lieutenant F. W. Wormald, Major-General Aide-de.Camp Brigade- Major 7th Hussars. Captain C. J. Briggs, ist Dragoon Guards, Officer Commanding Mounted Major and Brevet - Lieut.- Infantty* Colonel E. A. H. Alder- son, P.S.C., Royal West Kent Rest. AdjuUnt, Mounted In- Captain H, M'Micking, fantry** Royal Scots. aND Brigade. Major-General - - Colonel (local Major - Gen.) J. P. Brabaion, C.B., A.D.C. Aide-de-Camp - - Major Hon. C. E. Bingham, 1st Life (Juards. Bngade-Major - - . Captain Hon. T. W. Brand, loth Hussars. Officer Commanding Mounted Captain and Brevet-Lieut.- Infantry* Colonel R. J. Tudway, and Bn. Essex Regt. Adjutant Mounted Infantry** Captain H. L. Ruck-Keene, (Jxford. Light Infantry. * Gr«d~i as Assistaat Adjatant-General. t Will act for both Brigades. ** Graded as Deputy-Assisunt Adjutant-General. . „ . CouiRiOGB Grovb, M.S. 2miOeMirit9f = ?■ ■>i-v.< \J S-, -^ vfyf-' ■.T J, Y H ( a n V aloudjor a chance to uphold Great Britain's prestige, and the War aiV}IO.l.->:H J, OH,! EISllIUH s aloud for a chance to uphold Great Bi VOL. II ritains prestige, and^ the War II SOUTH AFRICA AND THE TRANSVAAL WAR CHAPTER I THE CRISIS AT HOME "Patience, long sick to dcatii, is dead. Too long Have sloth and doubt and treason bidden us be What Cromwell's England was not, when t.ie sea To him bore witness, given of Blake, how strong She stood, a commonweal that brooked no wrong From foes less vile than men like wolves set free, Whose war is waged where none may fight or flee With women and with weanlings. Speech and song I^ck utterance now for loathing. Scarce we hear Foul tongues, that blacken (Jod's dishonoured name With prayers turned curses and with praise found shame, Defy the truth whose witness now draws near To scourge these dogs, agape with jaws afoam, Down out of life. Strike, England, and strike home." — Algernon Charles Swinburne. IN the face of the insolent Ultimatum which had been address^ d to Great Britain by the South African Repubhc, the natic n closed Its ranks and relegated party controversy to a mor-i appropriate season. The British people were temporarily i.- ifccord A wave of indignation surged over the country anc united men of different shades of politics and of varying religious creeds, making them forget their private feuds, and remember only the paramount fact that they were sons of the Empire. There were some, It IS true, who remained afar off— a few exceptions to prove the rule ol unanimity, beings with souls so dead that never to them- selves had said, "This is my own, my native land." and who yet looked upon the Boer as an object of commiseration. But these were, first, men linked either by birth or family ties with the Afrikander cause; second, fractious Irishmen and political obstruction- ists who posed for notoriety at any price ; and. third, eccentrics and originals, whose sense of opposition forbade them from floafincr at any time with tlie tide ot public opinion. Every one else c'ried aloud for a chance to uphold Great Britain's prestige, and the War VOL. II. » A The Transvaal War Office was so beset with applications from volunteers for the front that was found almost impossible even to consider them Nor was the excitement confined to officers alone. Recru t^ went on apace, and not only did recruits pour in. but deserters, who had slunk away from regimental duty, now returned and gave t^iem selves up. praying to be allowed to suffer any penalty Ind then march out to battle as soldiers of the Oueen ! Tvvo Rot J Procl- m "^^^'Zl'Tr^'r'"' one directing thelVti^lceTn r; service, until discharged or transferred to the reserve, of soldiers whose term of service had expired or was about to expir^ he od er ordering the army reserve to be called out on perma^ieni servTce- some 25,000 men received notice to rejoin the^olou s l^e e in large numbers promptly appeared. The New South Wales Lancers vvho had been going through a course of cnvalry traininrat AJdershot at once volunteered their services and sLtJd of the Cape am.dst scenes of great enthusiasm. Other colonial troops HerM-^T'^A J^'"' ^"^ ^'^^ ^P'"' ^^ "^'^^'^'^'V rivalry throughou Onpl'? ^t"l'"J:^"f was both amazing and inspiriting. " gueensand had the honour of opening the ball. Her svmoathv with the policy of Great Britain and her loyalty to the nVother^cTuntrT was shown in practical form. She intimated, in the even of hosl times, her willingness to send 250 mounted infantry and a machJne- gun to the front New Zealand followed suit; she also offered wo companies of mounted rifles fully equipped at the cost of he Colony^ These offers were gratefully accepred. Not to be bd ind- Maitt^'f''" ^"'"■"'•^ri'^"^'"^"'^'^ "^^^^ ^''"iJ-'- offers, and Her trom each The Parliament of Victoria voted the despatch 71 Ne"wTo"u hlv.r '"'3 ? ^ri ''''\'^' ^"^ ^'- Gover'nments of measures Thk ^°"'^ ^"f '■^^''> ^^^'^^'^ ^'"^^"^^^l «''"^ilar Ts it dTdrlJ , PT'°" °i ^°'^"'^^ P"^'''^ «Pi"io". embodying fnfl aI '"^^P^"^^"t judgments of so many free juries, un- influenced by persona or direct interests, had a significaice which He M ^"?^' P^'"-^'^ important, was eminently satisfactory. Al Her Majesty s dominions, on which the sun never sets, were at this earth and Thf '"f '"^ ^".'"^ '" "".r^^^ '^'^'^ ^^at enc;mpaL;d the earth, and the picture of the small mother country with all her bi^ children gathered around her in her hour of need was not one tS the romance of history can afford to disregard. IN SOUTH AFRICA Before hostilities had actually begun, refugees from Johannes- burg began to pour down to Natal and the Cape, and there were daily reports of insults received by the Uitlanders at the hinds for the front ■ them. Nor cruiting went ters, who had gave them- ilty and then ^•al Proclama- Jance in army 2, of soldiers re ; the other, ent service — s. These in ales Lancers, training at irted for the lonial troops y throughout ting. er sympathy )ther country vent of hos- d a machine- also offered : cost of the be behind- irs, and Her of 125 men ispatch of a ernments of ssed similar embodying : juries, un- ance which, ictory. All were at this npassed the 1 all her big ot one that Johannes- there were the hands In South Africa of the Boers Ladies were spat upon, and passengers suffered md.gn,t.es sufficient to make an Englishman's blood boil S troops began to arnve from India, and Sir George White in chorus of farewell shouts, "Remember Majuba,"\ent off rom Durban to P.etermantzburg This was on the 7th of October 180^ At that time the troops were thus distributed :-- ^^" At Pietermaritzburg-ist Battalion Manchester Regiment and Monnf.H Infantry Company ; 2nd Battalion King's Royal Rifle CofpT ^°""''^ M^^'Z^-SSC'n^.^!!^-^' ^°^""'^^-^ ^-' ^^y^' '^'"-■ pany, Royal Engineers; ist Battalion 'DevLsSrS^^.tint^^tRi^r' At GIencoe-i8th Hussars ; Brigade Division, Royal Artillery • 1st Bnff;,i;nn made energetic efforts to appoint General Vilieon a raWd ".'l Tra„°sr, Fotr' ^'"^^'" J""'^-' - Con,n,anV'in-cSo;'r stroll: Sce™';;a^m,r ^^' 1 1"/ '■r'^'} Mafeking and i„ tl^ expectation 'of S'th" , wn 'TTuJy Krugers birthday was kept at Pretoria with genera rejofcnrr and on the followmg day a teletrram w-.<: Q^n^ k.fp -i '^*^J°'^'"8:' ana the New York World saying^-!^^ "' ^^ ^r^^^^^nt Kruger to for ;i,ST;fpaty.^T2t' SavT.n'''^ ""l^^ ^'"'^^ ^'^'^ --' -'n-rely hours' notice withh^. which to ^ive^hli? ' m " ^"''^ ^'"^^' ^'■''^'" forty-eight dispute would bneuled bv arh;?rnr ^^''i" "" assurance that the presint troops would be removed ft-om the hnrd ^^ ° xt' P'''^'^"''"' "^^""^' ^"^^ ^^at the British Agent has been re iTef wS' "ceSin '^ThTp' ""V"-^''- , ^'^ mined, fthey must belono-fr^rr^^f n •? • f^™'"- The Republics are dctcr- wiU stagger hlanitvTLev I?. vl, *■''"' "^'r ^.P/'"" ^'" ^^^^ '° ^^ P^''^ which arise in^louth A^H^l^as iTaSstTn 'Nrh7mS"i?'''- '''^ ^"" °^ "'^^'^ ^^'" The Transvaal War From this letter it was patent tiiat Mr. Kruger was either pur- suing his pohcy of b uff or had made long and elaborate preparations nli;Xr\l^^^''''''r-n ^" ^'^" ^"'"^ ^^^^ -^ announcement was published in the town of Pretoria : — "Government Hoi:iiK, OcMcni. in,, "r^^' Majesty's Agent at Pretoria was to-day instructed to make the follow- TL^rTr ""^ '°, '^^ Government of the South African Republic : • The Impenal Government have received with great regret the peremptory demands of he Government of the South African Republic conveyed in the telegram of October 9. You will inform the Government of the South Afrkan Republt^ that the conditions demanded by the Government of the South African Republ c ?h'^ Z? '' "^'■Majesty's Government deem it impossible to d scuss With the delivery of the above,' the Imperial Government add, 'as the Transvaal Government stated in their Note that a refusal to comply 'with their demands tT^^k' t hrsirrt:.''"™^' '^^'^^^^'°" °^ ^^^' ^'^ ^^^'^ ^^-^ '^ ^'^^^^'^ Of course, this news caused intense excitement, and all who had PrTlZt r^"'""" i P^^'^ r.^' -^^^ "P hope. At Bloemfontein 1 resident Steyn simultaneously issued a Proclamation to the Burghers of the Free State. He said that " the sister Republic is about To be attacked by an unscrupulous enemy, who has long looked for a pretext to annihilate the Afrikanders." ^ He went on to say that the people of the Orange Free State t'^e'.tv 3 T '^' T'^/'^T' ^y, "^""y ^•^^' ^^ ^^'^-^ ^y formal treaty, and solemnly declared, in the presence of the Almighty, that ?o7ertrerkithlrd^i^f ^ ^^^^^^-^ ^-^'-^ ^^'-^^ ^^ ^'^^ "-j--- . ,^j'^f,"'"T?^h*-'"'""'' ^0"tinued the Proclamation, have not pro- tected the Iransvaal against an annexation conspiracy. When its independence ceases, the existence of the Orange Free State as an mdependent State will be meaningless. Experience in the past has shown that no reliance can be placed on the solemn promises and obligations of Great Britain when the Administration at the helm is prepared to tread treaties under foot. 1, ^^^''"'5''''"^ a historical sketch of the wrongs which he alleged had been done to the Transvaal, President Steyn said : " The original Conventions have been twisted and turned by Great Britain into a means of exercising tyranny against the Transvaal, which has not returned the injustice done to it in the past. No gratitude has been shown for the indulgence which was granted to British subjects, who according to law. had forfeited their lives and property. Compliance with the British demands would be equivalent to the loss of our in- dependence, which has been gained by our blood and tears. For many years British troops have been concentrating on the borders ot the Iransvaal in order to compel it by terrorism to comply with 4 -i# .s either pur- preparations incement was :sE, October ii. ake the follow- epublic : ' The ptory demands he telegram of rican Republic rican Republic iiscuss. With the Transvaal their demands nt is instructed all who had Bloemfontein :he Burghers ! about to be for a pretext Free State Ls by formal mighty, that the injustice ve not pro- When its State as an the past has romises and the helm is 1 he alleged rhe original ritain into a ich has not de has been bjects, who, Compliance > of our in- tears. For the borders omply with In South Africa British claims. The crafty plans of those with whom love of rrold is the mot.ve are now being realised. While acknowledging the Cur of thousands of Enghshmen who abhor deeds of robbefy and vidence stlue^m"^' ^"^ '''''' "'^"^^^^ '''' "'•^"Srul deeds of ^ BrS After expressing confidence that the Almighty would help and lid hem, and counselhngthe Burghers to do nothing unworty of ChHs t.ans and Burghers of the Free State, the President co eluded with the followmg words : " Burghers of the Free State, s3 up as one man agamst the oppressor and violator of ri<.ht " ^ Meanwhile Sir George White, accompanied by Colonel Ian Hamil ton (Assistant Adjutant-General), Colonel Duff ^ AsSs^Inr VkiI Secretary), Lieutenant-Colonel Sir Henry Kawlinson Ind c'r^P Brooke and Lyon, aides-de-camp, was proceecSron'hl^tuS'o Ladysmith. The principal British camps were situated nt-^rpT^ Junction and Ladysmith'and around tLre some twelve" ""fi^e" thousand Boers were reported to be stationed Tetween S.nd spru. , Volksrust, and Wakkerstroom, while on the western side the Natal border was threatened by the Orange Free State's fnrril which were posted in the neighbourhood of Van Reenen's'pL ' Britain was to deprive ,1^ TrTnsv'^V hV M'" ""f- "''■''';' "^ C''^'" on account of the Un^inln^ TndX onThe'L" d"' '"'''P^"''="^= alterlati ":"?fi:eT;:Pfrc'L>: """ ^"^' ?"•»'"''-'' of-^-d two difference betweerthf L Gove- m" "^'"''r '"""'' °"' """ *' riglit. «lnuanders that God would assuredly defend the Stat? •' "h "cr'SdTnSf"'' ", '''''"'°" ^^'"'<^"' '"^'"■- S-retary of printed in DuS Id Ti^^u"'' ■='"•-«">"• -'' " ■""""n copies Ir. printed in Dutch and English By this time Gener " "" copies iljoen, in command of the Free State The Transvaal War I artillery, was marching towards Alb(Ttina, and a party of Boers was encroaching on the Natal border near Berg. Newcastle was warned that a state of war had begun. It was abandoned by the British, and taken possession of by the Boers, while Mafeking held itself in readiness to withstand the enemy. At Sandspruit the Boers were scattered in various camps over a wide area, and on the Portuguese border the Barberton and Lydenburg commandoes were concentrat- ing. Terrified refugees were still fleeing to the Cape in such large numbers that it was almost impossible to find accommodation for them, and large sums of money were being subscribed both there and in Great Britain for the relief of the unhappy exiles. Mr. Rhodes, as usual, gave munificently in aid of the sufferers, and Sir Alfred Milner exerted himself to save the unhappy victims of British and Boer disagreement from destitution. The treatment that these poor persons received from the Boers in the course of their journey caused intense indignation, and profound sympathy was felt for the home- less ones who thus suddenly had been cast adrift from domestic comfort to complete poverty. It was now believed that, following the precedent of 1881, an attempt would be made to isolate Mafeking and Kimberley, and carry on irregular sieges at these places. The enemy's forces on the northern frontier of Natal were estimated at some 13,000 men, while at Mafeking and Kimberley they were supposed to number some three thousand each. On the east, the seaport of Lorenzo Marques now sprung into great importance, and the supposed neutralisation of the harbour was effected. On the I ith of October Mr. Coningham Greene, the British Agent in Pretoria, left that place for Cape Town ; and on the 14th General Sir Redvers Buller, as Commander-in-chief of the British forces en- gaged against the Boer Republics, started from England. The state of war had commenced in earnest, The Boers in hot haste began to issue further Proclamations, and President Steyn continued to call on his Burghers to " stand up as one man against the oppressor and violator of rights." Twenty-four hours later they were over the border, tearing up railway lines and severing telegraph wires, and thus cutting off communication between Mafeking, Vryburg, Rhodesia, and Cape Colony. The investment of Kimberley was imminent, but it was generally believed that the Diamond City was strong enough to hold its own till our troops should come to the rescue. The First Brigade of the Army Service Corps started on the 20th of October from Southampton, the second left on the following day, and the third sailed on Sunday the 22nd. About the same time the Canadian Government decided to contribute 1000 men for service in South Africa, and the New Zealand Contingent sailed for the Cape. In spite of the energetic movements that were suddenly set on 6 w of Boers was e was warned s British, and leld itself in e Boers were e Portuguese e concentrat- in such large modation for 3th there and Mr. Rhodes, d Sir Alfred r British and at these poor urney caused or the home- om domestic of 1 88 1, an mberley, and forces on the KD men, while lumber some nzo Marques Jtralisation of British Agent 14th General ish forces en- 1. The state haste began itinued to call ppressor and er the border, es, and thus g, Rhodesia, mminent, but trong enough :. The First :h of October day, and the the Canadian ice in South Cape. Idenly set on THE OUTBREAK OF WAR-THE DRAKENBERG MOUNTAINS BOERS WERE LAAGERED. WHERE THE o w ai in sr It of W th of tb it an th as on Sy The Occupation of Dundee foot, a few pessimists ventured to declare that we would be bound to reap the results of our previous unpreparedness, and that in conse- quence of our procrastination and the weakness of the Government in not havmg taken the initiative and allowed us to mobilise earlier f ,^°^''^^°"'^ S^^ ^ good six weeks' start-a loss ii would be hard lor the best tacticians or the finest fighting men in the world to retrieve. But the mouths of the grumblers were silenced. Every one was convinced that the fate of the nation was perfectly safe in the hands of Sir Redvers Buller and Mr. Thomas Atkins, and so convinced thousands upon thousands flocked to see them off ^nd Sus h"ar?s "^"' "'' '^'^"^ ^"^'^^ '""^«' ^^^^'^ -•^" -d and THE OCCUPATION OF DUNDEE Late in September a force consisting of two battalions of in- antry a regiment of cavalry, and two field-batteries was hurriedly pushed forward to occupy Dundee. Affairs between the British and h^ .K^'n'^'^r "^^""^ ^ ^"'''- ^' ^^« beginning to be believed hat the Dutchmen meant to take the initiative and strike a bbw still shirv"sh"r'^"'^i" ^"^^'^ ^^''r' ^h^"g^^ «°"^- -' home were still shilly-shallying with sentimental arguments as to the proprietv of fighting our " brother Boer" at all. As we now know! Hanted head LTn I"' """' T '^' P^" ^' l^^ ^^'^''^h to bring Ihinls to a head Large commandoes were gathered together wiFh a rapidity which would have been marvellous had the Boers not designed v brought about the issue of war, and the frontier of the i S"he m angle of Natal was threatened. Dundee is an importanrcoaT sn"h^ Wh" it'""'''l ^°"' '"">^-^'^^' "^"- north-e'a" of Lady, smith. Why It was chosen as our advance post is hard to decide fl n^nTr theXhl of "^rf ^^"''^ ^^'^ °P^" '^ attacllromluht nanK, ana, in the light of after events, we see that the position there of a detached force was highly precarious. GenerarSir George White in an ofticia despatch thus describes his actionTn he maUer -f! the ev 7^ ""■" "^^^ V" l^^ ^^^°"y I had been much impressed "by the exposed situation of the garrison of Glencoe ^r^A r^n tK • ^ of October :o I had an interview ^n tL ub^ect whh hV ExcXc? he Governor at which I laid before him my^easons for consfdeS •t expedient, from a military point of view, to withdraw thar^arrison^ and to concentrate all my available troops at Ladysmlth Afte TuH discussion his Excellency recorded his opinion that^sS a step would nvolve grave political results and possibilities of so serious a natue tha I determined to accept the military risk of hoTdrna Dundee onO^t rer,r'srin7o- /• ^^^^^^'1 '" Person l^LZn'nt Syn.onstrtaye::mtyi ^'^ William^enn 7 The Transvaal War nJ2^'^ ^°^'3 "■°''^'' ^'f '''■°"^'^'' ^°^h on the north and west on October 12. ;ind next day the Transvaal flag was hoisted at Qnrles own. My great inferiority in numbers necessarily confine me stra eg,cally to the defensive, but tactically my intention was andTs to strike vigorously whenever opportunity offers " Lverythmg at this juncture depended on the rapidity with which our army at home could be mobilised and sent to the Cape and though we took to ourselves some credit for the energv dis^Ed bv all concerned, we were really scarcely up to date in tl e muter of activity For instance, in 1859 it tok^only tl irt ^even ^i^y^ Wance to collect on the river Po a force of 104.000 men v^^'t 7' 000 more m Italy, while m 1866 the Prussian army, numbering 20 Z men, were placed on the frontiers of Saxony and Silesia in afortn^X But more expeditious still was Germany i^ 1870. Tie da s^sh' was able to mobilise her forces, and in eight more to send t\' he French frontier an army of 400,000 soldiers and 1200 c^sl We buf ' withr.'' '° y "^u°"'' ''■^°P^ ^ ^'^^^"^^ °f ^-"- 8ooo"mi es orh^re 'T"""^ '^'T'' "^^^"'■^' disadvantage-there were Thrc~ r^"y °'\Tm' ''^^ "P^^^^ ""^ red-tapism-to be contended w^ h This Sir George White was beginning to feel but his suffering n regard to the initial delay were Threefold later on ^' '" 1 o return to Dundee. It was maintained both by the Govern- ment and the people of Natal that the valuable coaKsuppIy shouTd be protected, and an attempt -as therefore made to guaTcf i^ The misfortune was that from the urst Lieutenant-GenenU S W Penn N^rZrh ^fr -t ^"''^•^' "i ^'^ ^^^^°^Se White, commanded Wrr iTk ^^ ,'" acquainted with the enormous forces that the not at that timf h' ^'"; "^''"^^ ^'"- ^' "^^ '^'^^ '^^^^ ^^- -dd not at that time be certain, any more than appeared to be the Government at home, that the Free Staters would join the Re- publiams ; but to any one acquainted with the subject, the fac! that President Steyn had pulled the strings of the Boemfontein affair was sufficient evidence of a contemphTted alliance. wX the Free and Dundee ' '\l TT "^•f"'''^ "^'^ht have been entire y ELged! As it wa. The ^fy^''^' '^ ^"PP^'-t ". might have held its o^wn General Symons, on the arrival of Sir George White in Natal pok command of the forces in Dundee, and begin active preoara tions for the reception of the Dutchmen prepara- The latter, immediately after the declaration of war. took posses- sion of Newcastle, and our patrols soon came in touch wi^h the however s"ir l^P^' %''' ^"'"^^^^.-^ ^-^^-ssive movements! nowever. Sir W. Penn Symons was disinclined to believe that the enemy meant a serious attack upon Dundee, and though full^ 8 I and west on :d at Cliarles- confined me 1 was, and is, y with which e Cape, and displayed by be matter of /en days for , with 1 2,000 ring 220,000 n a fortnight, ine days she send to the guns ! We 15000 miles, -there were tended with, lufferings in he Govern- pply should rd it. The ir W. Penn nmanded in •ces that the It he could to be the in the Re- le fact that ntein affair :h the Free ly changed, lid its own. 1 the most e in Natal, e prepara- ok posses- i with the lovements, s that the )ugh fully Map of Northf.rx Natal. Scalp. .5 Statute Rtn.Es ro t„e Inch .The Transvaal War prepart-d for host.ht.es he was somewhat amazed whe.i really informed of the rap.d advance of the u.iited RepuWicans. But he lost no t.me. He made inquiries, and satisfied himself that he was •ictio.r'TT" of so.ne danger a.Kl that he must promptly leap to action. The chief difficulty of the situation lay in the number of passes through which the Boers with their easily mobilised forces could manage to pour in bodies of men, a.id the limited number of ^ftl Tr^'P'v ' ^'T^? Symonss disposal. From the movements 1, 1 A "'f ,°^^'0"s ^hat the plan of attack had long been cleverly and carefully arranged. The Free State Boers Sn the I2th of October seized Albertina Station, near the Natal frontier and took possession of the key, the stationmaster having to make his way on a trolley to Ladysmith. There, as yet. all was externally peaceful, as though no enemy were near, but a suppress--! anxiety to be "up and at "em" prevailed amo.ig the troopf Th.^Jr ardour was .n nowise damped by the incessant rain that fell, aud converted the surrounujng country into a wide morass, nor by the snow that followed. wh.ch gave the Drakenberg Mountains an additionally forbidding '''^''' ^^ "^ '''""' ""' ^"'"^ picturesque and A .steady increase of the commandoes in the neighbourhood of Doornberg cont.nued, and ah attack within a few days seemed imminent. ^ accmcu Thereupon a large number of troops let. Ladysmith for ^cton Homes, where a Boer commando of four miles long was reported o be aagered. But the Boers retreated, and the tfoops remained some ten miles from Ladysm th, the Dublin Fusiliers alone moving back to Glencoe, whence they had come by train by order of General Symons. / lu--! saidlh!; r".'n? T^rf' "l^f"'^ ''^'^^' '^'"^ 40oo men. but report said that General Viljeon had an enormous force, nearly double ours in number, which was lying at the foot of Botha's Pass, one and a half miles on the Natal side of the Border. Besides this. General Kock had a commando at Newcastle. The invasion of Natal by the Boers m three columns was formally announced by an official statement from the Governor :— ^ "PlETER.\IARITZBURG, OcMet l6. " Natal was invaded from the Transvaal early on the morning of the 1 2th inst.. an advance being made by the enemy in three columns. On the right a mixed column of Transvaal and Free State Burghers with Hollander Volunteers marched through Botha's i-ass. n the centre the main column, under General Joubert's personal command crossed Lang's Nek and moved forward v^'d ingogo. On the left a large commando advanced from Wakker- lO ^ rt* when really lis. But he that he was ptly leap to number of lisetl forces I number of movements 1 long been )ers on the tal frontier, ^g to make s externally i^A anxiety hi'jr ardour i converted : snow that additionally -esque and ourhood of ys seemed for i^cton IS reported s remained ne moving / order of but report louble ours one and a s, General ■ Natal by an official October i6. Homing of in three and Free fh Botha's Joubert's rward via Wakker- The Occupation of Dundee stroom via Moirs Nek and Wool's Drift. The object of all three columns was i\ewcastle, which was occupied on the night of the 14th. the central column having slept the previous night at Mount Prospect, General Colleys old camping - place. On Sunday a advance party of 1500 Boers, with artillery, pushed south of Ini-a- gane, but the greater portion of this commando retired later in the cay on Newcastle. A Boer force which had been concentra ing n great numbers were waiting to entrap him. Major 1 he I)utchmen now advanced. An armoured train, sent by Sir George White to bring in wounded from Besters Farm, etu ned di rperti ^:? ,? 't "^"'•*;'^^ ""r'F 'r '"''^^ ''' Ladysmitirh^d be ." e^ Fer Tn Thi 1 fo""^ .that a farm, which had been deser. earlier m the day was now in the occupation of the Boers but tl iTta Se tSf 'nT'ir '^? ^^"^'^ ^'^'^ '' ^'^ ^'-' made no ko to attack the train and allowed it to return unmolested Rumnnrc; o fightnjg were in the air, and skirmishes between Advance prtL who delivered a heavy fire, but fortunately without resuk T 1 h most probaby was due to the ^wJff -.r.^ J "luiuui result. 1 liis Hussars '^^^'" "ia»«--i'vring of the fatl^^.p thrv WPK- • ,? saddle Considering the excitement and 13 The Transvaal War under cover, made incipient rushes at certain points. They gave way, however, before the pressing attentions of the Maxims, and fled helter-skelter to cover again ; but their departure was on the principle of "those who fight and run away live to fight another day." They reserved themselves for a more decisive effort. At midday on the 19th a mixed train running from Lady- smith to Dundee was captured by the enemy about a mile off Elandslaagte Station, which stands about fifteen miles from Lady- smith, and is the first station from thence on the line. A war cor- respondent was taken prisoner, four Carabineers were wounded, and some horses and cattle seized. Telegraphic communication in the north was cut ofif, and four trucks of stores in the Elandslaagte Station were captured. ri" THE BATTLE OF GLENCOE On the night of the 19th, Sir W. Penn Symons discovered that he was surrounded by the enemy. Three of their columns were con- verging on his position— one from the north-west under General Erasmus by the Dannhauser-Hattingspruit road ; one from Utrecht and Vryheid by Landsman's Drift from the east, under Commandant Lucas Meyer ; and a third under General Viljoen from Waschbank on the south, this latter being the force which cut through the Ladysmith-Dundee railway. The Boer plan was to deliver simultaneously different attacks from all sides of the Glencoe camp. The column under Erasmus was to open the attack from the north-west, and falling back, was to draw Symons in pursuit away from his camp. Then Viljoen and Meyer were to close on the pursuers from either flank and annihilate them. Fortunately this skilfully-devised programme was not fulfilled. For this reason: The force under Lucas Meyer was the first to arrive, and its leader, impatient to secure the glories of war, decided on an independent course of action. Before the other columns could put in an appearance he opened the attack. On the hills round Glencoe the Boers had posted cannon, and from thence at daybreak on the 20th of October Meyer's gunners began to fire plugged shells into the camp. A flash— a puff of smoke— a whizz and a crash ! Hostilities had begun ! By 5 a.m. all General Symons's troops were under arms. It was evident that the enemy were in force, and that their guns were some half-a-dozen in number. Their range was 50CX) yards, but, fortunately, their shots, though well directed, flew screaming overhead and buried themselves in the soft earth, doing no damage whatever. A few tents fell, a few mar- quees were torn up. That was all. Our artillery soon came into 14 They gave :ims, and fled was on the ight another ifort. from Lady- It a mile off from Lady- A war cor- ounded, and ration in the Elandslaaete '^ered that he s were con- Jer General •cm Utrecht ommandant Waschbank through the rent attacks Erasmus was was to draw and Meyer lilate them, lot fulfilled, the first to ies of war, 2 the other i. On the Tom thence gan to fire :e — a whizz il Symons's ny were in in number, though well ves in the a few mar- i came into The Battle of Glencoe action, at first at too long a range, but afterwards— from a position south of Dundee— with greater success. They then replied to the enemy s challenge with considerable warmth and excellent effbct • and, since our batteries numbered some three to one by ii -o o clock the enem/s Krupps were silenced. In the me'antime the infantry the ist Kings Royal Rifles and the 2nd Dublin Fusiliers formed for attack opposite the enemy's position, which was situated some two miles off at the top of an almost impregnable hill. Hujre boulders margined the sides of it, and half-way up an encircling wall added to the impassability of the position. But the word impo'.- sible IS not to be found in the dictionary of a soldier, and General Symons gave an order. The hill was to be taken. The bucrles rang out ; the infantry fixed bayonets. Then was enacted another, only a grander, Majuba, but now with the position of the contending forces inverted. Doubt- *> less the memory of that historic defeat inspired our men, for they evi- dently decided that what the Boer had done, the Briton also could do, and, spurred by tlieir officers, who showed an absolute dis- regard of the possibili- ties of danger, went ahead and carried the rrest in magnificent style. No such brilliant achievement of British Position of Forces before the Battle of Glencoe. infantry has been recorded since Albuera. But this, as we shall see, was not accomplished in a moment. It involved tremendous tTr'rific firi"fnir'"f k" T" P'^'"„'"tersected with nullahs under a hanfand Sr ^^ ^ '^"^^ r" of dogged climbing, finally on ZL J-' i"''^'" "'"'■^ '^^" "" "^iJe of broken sometimes tZL SSe.'^"'"' -^^°""'' ^"' '" '^^ -'^'^^ «^- incessant rd aun^rld'Vr'l''^^ head of the Hattingspruit column appeared; 7'^uu ^"^ vanish— for it was at once saluted bv The 67th ifattentio?'mTd' f"""-^ "T^^^^^^ ^^^ ^'^'^ somewhL boift'Jr ous attention, made haste to beat a retreat. At 8. so the infantrv ^5 The Transvaal War n and from another south of the road, the ever-active shells con- tinued their grim music, while all around was the dense curtain of fine rain that drizzled down like wet needles from an opaque sky, making a screen between the opposing forces. But on and on, led by their gallant officers, our infantry continued to toil, their advance ever covered by the 13th and 67th Field Batteries— under the command respectively of Major Dawkins and Major Wing— while the enemy from above poured upon them volley after volley as hard as rilles would let them. When half-way up, where the kopje was girded by a flat terrace and a stone wall, the troops, scattered by the terrific fire, hot, drenched, and panting with their climb, made a halt. There, under the lea of the hill, it was necessary to get "a breather," and to gather themselves together for the supreme effort. The scene was not exhilarating. The grey mist falling— the scat- tered earth and mud rising and spluttering, the shrieking shells rending the air, already vibrant with the whirr of bullets— the closer sounds and sights of death and destruction— all these things were sufficient to stem the courage of stoutest hearts. Still the British band remained undaunted, still they prepared boldly for the final rush. Presently, with renewed energy the three gallant regi- ments, steadily and determinedly as ever, started off, scaled the wall, clambered up the steep acclivity, and finally, with a rush and a roar as of released pandemonium, charged the crest. The rout of the enemy was complete. At the glint of the steel they turned and ran— ran like panic-stricken sheep, helter-skelter over the hill, in the direction of Landmann's and Vant's Drills. Their retreat was harried by cavalry and mounted infantry, and, so far as it was possible, in view of the inaccessible position, by the field artillery. At this juncture the enemy displayed a white fiag — without any intention of surrender, it appears — but our firing was stopped by order of the artillery commander. Two guns and several prisoners were captured, together with horses and various boxes of shells for Maxim, Nordenfeldt, and Krupp quick-firing guns. Our wounded were many, and some companies looked woefully attenuated as the remnant, when all was over, whistled themselves back to camp. Their gallant leader. General Penn Symons, who had taken no precautions to keep under cover, but, on the contrary, had made himself conspicuous in being accompanied by a lancer with a red flag, fell early in the fight, mortally wounded. His place was taken by Brigadier-General Yule, whose position at that time was far from enviable. A message had been brought in by scouts, stating that some 9000 Boers were marching with the intention of attacking tlie British in the rear, and that at the very moment the advancing multitude might be cloaked in a dark mist that was gathering round the hills 16 Fortunately the hovering hordes ^e shells coii- nse curtain of 1 opaque sky, )n and on, led their advance :s — under the Wing — while volley as hard the kopje was scattered by :limb, made a ary to get "a ipreme effort, ng — the scat- rieking shells bullets — the 1 these things ts. Still the boldly for the gallant regi- :aled the wall, sh and a roar It of the steel helter-skelter /ant's Drills, antry, and, so n, by the field white Hag — ur firing was vo guns and i and various 1 quick-firing •anies looked >ver, whistled ieneral Penn ir cover, but, accompanied illy wounded, je position at :n brought in ling with the t at the very I a dark mist /ering hordes (li < u u X h K o ll. Q z ID O r .2 > a < 2 u ^ 73 h on o a, w n I Ul X h u. o OS CQ H D O U) s f- u V tl g 1 n ej w w sc w hi W( The Battle of Glencoe failed to appear, and the first big encrajTement of the wnr t^rm ,.♦ a in a glorious victory for British arms terminated .nl'"'"] ^" ''"''''""'' '^'.^ '"^^ '^°''''^ ^«'""^"s numbered respectively 4000 and 9000 men, and against these forces Sir Penn Symons had at h.s command m all about 4000. Among these were the nth^ tlntll'te^'^^ 7Tr t ^''' ""^^'^^' ^^- ^^^^' ^' --d vojunteers, the 8th Battalion Leicester Regiment, the ist Kinfr's Royal Rifles, the 2nd Dublin Fusiliers, and several comn\des^of mounted infantry. But on the Dublin Fusiliei^y the S^j?s Roval Rifles and the Royal Irish Fusiliers fell the brunt of the work the task of capturing the Boer position, and the magnificent das^and ouragt with vvhich the almost impossible feat was accomplished brought a thrill to the heart of all who had the good fortune to witness^"^ occuTre7 T?e'z8tf h"" " Tr^'"? T^' ^ ^"— '"-^ent occurred. Ihe 18th Hussars had received orders at c.40 am to get round the enemy s right flank and be ready to cut off ffs re reat They were accompanied by a portion of the mounted infantry and a machme-gun. Making a wide turning movement, they gained the we?:Tent'tn lrLt"^r T ^"' ^here%alted. while tw'oTqualron was heard at inT t^^^ u^^ ^T""^' ^'""^ ^"^^^ time, though firing squadron of 1 " 7^ " ^'■°"^''°"' '^^ ^^^^ Colonel Moeller, with f wTs lost tf. L i^u""''.^''^ ^"^ ^""•- ^^'^^^■^"^ of mounted infantry. Ss and ;r ^^^\ J^^ Tl ^^^ '"^'•e^^-d and the mist covered the would retl'''^'T'',!^^^'" ^^""-^^ °f t™^ this missing party VOL Tr ^ ^^"^^ ^^' ^^'"- ^" ^ '■^^ days it was ^7 B p ; ■» The Transvaal War discovered that they were made prisoners and had been removed to Pretoria. The following is a list of the gallant officers who were so unluckily captured : — Colonel Moeller, i8th Hussars; Major Greville, i8th Hussars; Captain Pollok, i8th Hussars; Captain Lonsdale, 2nd Battalion Dublin Fusiliers- Lieutenant Le Mesurier, and Battalion Dublin Fusiliers; Lieutenant Garvice' 2nd Battalion Dublin Fusiliers; Lieutenant Grimshaw, 2nd Battalion Dublin Fusiliers; Lieutenant Majendie, 1st , Battalion King's Royal Rifle Corps-, Lieutenant Shore, Army Veterinary Department, attached to iSth Hussars. ' An official account of the circumstances which led to the capture was supplied by Captain Hardy, R.A.M.C, who said: "After the battle, three squadrons of the i8th Hussars, with one Maxim, a company of the Dublin Fusiliers, a section of the 6oth Rifles and Mounted Infantry, Colonel Moeller commanding, kept under cover of the ridge to the north of the camp, and at 6.30 moved down the Sand Spruit. On reaching the open the force was shelled by the enemy, but there were no casualties. "Colonel Moeller took his men round Talana Hill in a south- easterly direction, crossed the Vant's Drift road, captured several Boers, and saw the Boer ambulances retiring. Colonel Moeller, with the B Squadron of the Hussars, a Maxim, and mounted infantry, crossed the Dundee- Vryheid railway, and got near a big force of the enemy, who opened a hot fire, and Lieutenant M'Lachlan was hit, "The cavalry retired across Vant's Drift, 150x3 Boers following. Colonel Moeller held the ridge for some time, but the enemy enveloping his right, he ordered the force to fall back across the Spruit. The Maxim got fixed in a donga (water-hole). Lieutenant Cape was wounded, three of his detachment were killed, and the horses of Major Greville and Captain Pollok were shot. " The force re-formed on a ridge north of the Sand Spruit, and held it for a short time. While Captain Hardy was attending to Lieutenant Crum, who was wounded, Colonel Moeller retired his force into a defile, apparently with the intention of returning to camp round the Impati Mountain, and was not seen afterwards." The folio .ving list of casualties shows how hardly the glory of victories may be earned : — Divisional Staff". — General Sir William Penn Symons, mortally wounded in stomach; Colonel C. E. Beckett, A.A.G., seriously wounded, right shoulder; Major Frederick Hammersley, D.A.A.G., seriously wounded, leg. Brigade Staff. — Colonel John Shcrston,i D.S.O., Brigade Major, killed; Captain Colonel Sherston, D..S.O., of the Rifle Brigade, in which he held the rank of Major was a son of the late Captain Sherston, of Evercreech House, Somerset, and a nephew of Lord Roberts. He entered the army on February 12, 1876, and on the Afj-han War breaking out two years later was appointed aide-de-camp to his uncle, then Sir Frederick 18 The Battle of Glencoe slightly hand. ist B^Ua on' r^afS' Fui^- '' ^i ^^''°"' ^^^-^^^ A. H. M. Hill, killed; Major VV P Sviln ^"^'^'"-s-- Second Lieutenant F. H. B. Connor, w;undid (since 'dead /^""'^a? ',^?P'""^* ^"^ Adjman Lieutenant C. C Southey wounded K ' TV" ^- ^- ^- P'^e, wounded wounded dangerouslyrface'a'd shoulder ^"'^ Lieutenant M. B. C. Carbe,y' tham, wound^ed se/e'rely, borh Sf' Ro';",' tVm^'"'^' "' ^- ^- W^r^ George Anthony Weldon, killed ; Cap ta' n iLllt f"^^'"^ Fusiliers.-Captain ously, left leg; Captain Athe;stone SbW l^Tf 'J' ""^""^^^ '^^"g^ Lieutenant Charles Noel Perreau^ wounded if. . ^^"g^rously, head; Genge, wounded (since dead) ist B^nSn v- ^'^"'^"^"' Charles Jervis Lieutenant-Colonel R. H. Snn n^i C p al S"!? kT' Rife^-Kinedt J. Taylor, Lieutenant R. C Barnen ^r ^ t"- " ^- Pechell, Lieutenant Wounded: Major C. A T bSk^ "^ Lieutenant N. J.' Hambro - p. S. W. Nugent, Captain A. R M'§u.r[''wor!^''T .^^"^^^^"^Jy ; Captain issn^.^ai?a?:;-eriy''^€ir"^^^ Three of their guns wire lerdis^tld on T^l" ' m? P^'''^""^'-^- was no opportunity of bringing them aiS. "'""^ "'"' ^"^ ^^ere Uur own losses were ^fM;^.-^ • Roberta Tj_ *^^'i" Burmese Expedition b 'ssli;' as 'Ia A and o'^r''^ '^^"'P^"^ He served wi""7he again mentioned in desoatrliPs nlJ • , ^■^■- o" '^e HeadauarfPrT^f^ft- i ^ marragf with Isih^l!^ "t r- Conservative Party in Mid Mn«j, ""i^'o? House, and thrown from his horse, to the hospital, where he by our troops. His health The Transvaal War commissioned officers and men wounded, and 9 officers and 211 non-commissioned officers and men missing. Though General Symons was known to be at the point of death, his promotion was speedily gazetted, and it was some consola- tion to feel that the gallant and popular officer lasted long enough to read of the recognition of his worth by an appreciative country. The following is an extract from the Gazelle: — " The Queen has been pleased to approve of the promotion of Colonel (local Lieutenant-General) Sir W. P. Symons, K.C.B., com- manding 4th Division Natal Field Force, to be Major-General, super- numerary to the establishment, for distinguished service in the field." An officer who was taken prisoner by the enemy, writing home soon after this engagement, made touching reference to some of the killed and wounded : " Poor Jack Sherston ! Several of the officers here saw him lying dead m the hill at Dundee. When he left with the message entrusted to hin: he said to me, ' I shall never return.' Poor Captain Pechell ! He had a bullet through the neck. General Symons was wounded but he remounted and was conducted learnt that the height had been taken improved a little, but he died on the following Tuesday. What a list of losses already! It is terrible to think that our own cannon were fired by mistake on our men, killing a large number. I saw M'Lachlan when he was wounded with a bullet in his leg. He went about on horseback saying that it did not hurt him, but at last he had to go to the hospital. My bugler, such a pleasant fellow, was hit in the head, the body, and the throat, and kil'ed on the spot. . . . From a wounded officer, who is a prisoner, I hear that poor Cape had a bullet in the throat and another in the leg. He emptied his revolver twice ere falling. He is progressing towards recovery. ... He had the command of our Maxim gun which fell into the hands of the enemy. The entire detachment which worked the gun was killed or wounded. At that moment bullets were whistling all round us. Cape, I think, has been ex- changed for one of the enemy's wounded. I suppose that he will be sent home invalided. I wonder what the future has in store for us? It is really heart-breaking to think that we are penned in here without being able to do anything but wait." ELANDSLAAGTE Amongst other things, it was known in Ladysmith on the 18th of October that General Koch's commando was moving to the Biggarsberg Pass on the way to Elandslaagte. The advanced guard of the Boers finding a train at the Elandslaagte station, 20 Jp iLlandslaagte aitempted to seize it, but the driver with remarkable pluck turned on steam, and. though pelted with bullets, got safely to Dundee The second train was captured, however, and with it its vaSle cargo o live stock, and two newspaper correspondents who we e made prisoners Finding that the enemy was gaSered" i^force rS Dundee, and that an attack there was hourl^ to be expected and moreover that several Free State commandoes were sWftnl about round Ladysmith, the inhabitants of that town had an unS time Major-General French, who had but recently arrived from Slnd" was directed by Sir George White to make a^reconnaissance in force m the neighbourhood of Elandslaagte. He moved hiTcavalrv in the pouring rain some twelve milef along the Dundee road bi^ ill-disposed to be made prisoners, little was done. On the following day, Saturday, another recon- naissance was made. General French with Lieutenant Colonel Scott Chisholme and the Im- perial Light Horse, the Natal Volunteer Artil- lery with six guns, sup- ported by half a battalion of the Manchesters, with railway and telegraph construction companies, Geneml Frenrh^.'"'5" °''"P'"^. ^y '^^ ^"^"^y «" ^h^ Preceding day proceeded along a low ta'bleland wl^Tch term nated ?n H^ weri fireTon Tv^our vS; S"^ ""^'^ '"f!?^'"^^ '" ^^e station M^^lorS :^^^^^^^^^^ ^^-^- under the Dutchmen'rut'the!f w'"''^ considerable consternation among tne yellow flash of the guns in the purple shadow of the hT These 21 Position of Forces Before the Battle of Elandslaagte, Noon n t: The Transvaal War guns were worked with marvellous accuracy, but, fortunately, many of the shells — fired with percussion fuses — dug deep into the sand before bursting. The X^olunteer Hattery found their own guns so inferior to those of the enemy that there was little chance of silencing them, and General French, seeing there was no question of occupy- ing Elandslaagte with the small force at his disposal, moved his guns back towards his armoured train, telephoned to Sir George White, and withdrew in the direction of Moddcr's Spruit. There he awaited reinforcements from Ladysmith. These eit 1 1 o'clock began to appear : One squadron of the 5th Dragoon Guards, one squadron of the 5th Lancers under Colonel King, and two batteries of artillery, the latter having come out at a gallop with double teams. Then the infantry arrived under Colonel Ian Hamilton, the second half-battalion of the Manchester Regiment, a battalion of the Devon- shire Regiment under Major Park, and five companies of the Gordon Highlanders under Lieutenant-Colonel Dick-Cunyngham, V.C. At 3.30 P.M. General White arrived on the scene, but the executive command of the troops engaged remained in the hands of General French. The Boers were discovered to be magnifi- cently posted on a horseshoe-shaped ridge about 800 feet above the level of the riiilway to north of the Ladysmith-Dundee road, standing almost at a right angle from the permanent way, though some 2000 yards removed from it. On the side nearing the rail- road the ridge was crowned with a peaked kopje, which hill was connected by a nek with another eminence of the same kind. These hills were held by the enemy, while their laager was situated on the connecting ridge. The position was strewn on both flanks by very rough boulders which afforded excellent cover. On the main hill were three big guns strongly posted at three different points so as to command a wide expanse of country and leave a retreat open over the hills in the direction of Wessel's Nek, Facing the ridge was a wide expanse of veldt rising upwards in the direction of Ladysmith. At four — an unusually late hour for the commencement of hostilities — the first gun boomed out ; the range was 4400 yards. A few moments of furious cannonading, then the enemy's guns ceased to reply. The silence enabled the artillerymen to turn their attention on a party of the foe who were annoying them with a persistent rifle-fire on the right flank at a range of 2000 yards. It was an admirable corrective, and the Boer sharpshooters retired discomfited. Meanwhile the infantry had been brought up in preparatory battle formation of small columns covered by scouts. The position of the infantry was then as follows : — The first battalion Devonshire Regiment, with a frontage of 500 yards and a depth of 1300 yards, was halted on the western 22 lately, many nto the sand )wn guns so : of silencing 1 of occupy- , moved his Sir George uit. There t 1 1 o'clock Guards, one wo batteries )uble teams. the second the Devon- the Gordon n, V.C. ne, but the 1 the hands be magnifi- feet above undee road, t-ay, though ng the rail- ich hill was same kind, laager was strown on ;llent cover. =d at three country and essel's Nek. vards in the ncement of 4400 yards, emy's guns 3 turn their lem with a ) yards. It ters retired ught up in by scouts. LIEUT.-GENERAL J. D. P. FRENCH. Kioto hj U.ulwrt HMt..n * B„n. Kulk.iil„n.. frontage of the western Elandslaagte extromity of a horseshoc-sliapcd ridge. The opposite end of this ndge, which was extremely rugged and broken, was held by tlie enemy ,n force 1 he hrst battahon Manchester Regiment had struck the ridge fully looo yards to the south-east, just at the point where 't beg.ns to bend round northwards. The second battalion Gordon Highlanders were one mile in rear. Now, no sooner had the Devonshire Regiment commenced to move forward than they attracted the shell of the enemy, but owin- to he loose formation adopted, the loss at this time was slight. In spite of the furious fire, the regiment still pushed on to within 900 frnnVnf^t. ^''nl'T' ^"^^ i'?^" ^P^"'"!? fi^e. held the enemy in front of them till 6 p.m. The batteries also advanced and took up a position on a ndge between the Devonshire and Manchester Regiments, about 3200 yards from the enemy. Then becran an animated artillery duel, the roar of guns mingling with die thunder of heaven, which at this juncture seemed to have attunJd tseif to suit the stormy state of the human tempest that was raginjr cinh^lf ^'a" P'"°^ considerable damage was done. Captain ^^ampbtll, K.A., was wounded, an ammunition waggon overturned and many men and horses were killed or injured. For some time the interchange of deadly projectiles was pursued with vi-our, then the 42nd Field Batt..,v came into action. The Imi. nal Ligl Horse now mov^ 1 kit of the enemy's position; some mounfed c?,?nrfrnn,°"r i^"'^'^^'^. ""'/P^ engaged them. Soon after this the guns from a! nn^e ceasing firing, our gunners turned their attention to the mounted Boers, who rapidly fell back. Then, as the sun was setting and dark clouds were rolling over the heavens and screen .ng the little light that remained, the infantry pressed forward. The a"ck"the M-mt'^f 'p Devonshire Re^i'ment made a frontal attack, the Manchester Regiment, supported by the Gordons with It nin7'T^ ^'^^' ^""''^ °" '^^ ^'gh' -^^^ to\.dvance alonVtl e marLs'itSn 'Tv''^' '"'"^y'^ ^''^"'^ '-^"^ ^"^^^ him back on his main position. 1 his movement was to be supported by the artil- lery which was to close in as the attack developed. ^ The Devons, under Major Park, marched out, as said, leadintr the way across the plateau and into the valle>- coolly and deliberatek? though under a terrific fire from above. The Boer guns which were served with great courage, invariably gave tonfue on he smallest provocation, and the |round was ploughed ul in every direction with bursting shell. But fortunately L of the gaS bullets whirred like swai^ms of-be"es arou^nd th t^ds of'the^uX fellows, who. heedless of them, dauntlessly advanced to within^ som^ 23 The Transvaal War 350 yards of the summit of the hill. There they awaited the de- velopment of the flank attack. Meanwhile the Manchesters, with the Imperial Light Horse and the Gordons, were winding round the lower steeps, the Gordons bearmg to the right through a cutting in the hills. Here, ascend- ing, they came under the artillery fire of the enemy, the Boers having moved their guns. Shells, and not only shells but huge boulders, dropped among the advancing troops, crushing and mutilatmg, and leaving behind a streak of mangled bodies. But though the ordeal was terrible, and the sound and sight of wounded and bleedmg were enough to paralyse the stoutest heart, the ever "gay Gordons plodded on, passing higher and higher, while their oncers leading, cheered and roared them up the precipitous ascent. 1 hus they clambered and plodded, with men dropping dead at their elbows, with torn and fainting comrades by their sides. A storm of rain from the gathering thunderclouds drenched them through to the skin, but they heeded it not. A storm of bullets from the Boers sensibly diminished their numbers, but they never swerved u u ^^^''" ^^^^^"^ commander fell. Colonel Dick-Cunyngham, the honoured and beloved, was shot in two places. Several other- dashing Scottish officers were wounded, but many still heroically stumbled and reeled over the boulders, some even waving their helmets to pretend they were unhurt, and to encourage their com- panions to the great, the final move. . . . At last the signal for the charge was sounded. The bugle blared out and was echoed and re-echoed. Then came flash of bayonet and sound of cheering throats, the rush of Devons, Man- chesters, Gordons, and dismounted Imperials— a wild, shouting mass making straight for the enemy's position. ^ To account for the presence of the Devons in the grand mel^e It is necessary to go back somewhat, as the great assault was not accomplished in a moment. Our men were advancing in short rushes of about fifty yards, the Boers all the while lying under cover and shooting till the troops were within some twenty or thirty yards of them. Then the Dutchmen, as suited their convenience, either bolted or sur- rendered. When the end ridge was gained and the guns captured, the enemy's laager was close in sight. A white flag was shown from the centre of the camps. At this Colonel Hamilton gave an order. The "Cease fire " was sounded. There was a lull in the action, some of our men commencing to walk slowly down-hill towards the camp. Suddenly, without warning, the crackle of musketry was heard, and a deadly fire poured from a small sugar-loaf shaped kopje to cast of the camp. For one short moment our men, staggered by the dastardly action 24 f f ElandsJaagte i.f R^n'r'" 'n^ "^^'u^. ^^•^"'"^ ^"^ ^h^''- triumph short-lived The lodfn.thr ^^^°"^h"-^ ^^g'n^^nt, who. as we know, had been attacrand hTr-^ '" ^1°"' ^"^^ '^^ commencement of he infantry '^ ooitaoMs V cfffi l„rfi!*»' '*P<»(ni.« Plan of Battle of Elandslaagte to their laager on the Nek, and frimlence to other Ser' 0^' ^ wet ;r, unTtreTlTr^^- fl .°^ con^™ ^hi^ty hung over he ?ee« the 4 T '''"■'^"'^f ' '*'= " S^'^''""e pall charled the fly ^ enemy charred' '■""f"^ ""^ ="' '^™S°™ Guards 25 The Transvaal War The despised worms — the miserable Rooineks— had at last turned, and, as one of them afterwards described it, they had " come on horses galloping, and with long sticks with spikes at the end of them, picked us up like bundles of hay ! " The cost of victory, however, was heavy. Roughly estimated, we lost 4 officers and 57 men killed; 31 officers and 175 men wounded. Ten men were missing. The Boers lost over 300 Burghers killed and wounded, besides several hundred horses. Their hospital with wounded prisoners was placed under the care of the British hospital, they having only one doctor, who, with his primitive staff, was quite unable to cope with the arduous work of attending the multitude of sufferers. Numbers of the enemy of all nationalities — Germans, Hollanders, Irish, and others — were made prisoners, and among them were General de Koch and Piet Joubert, nephew of General Joubert. General Viljoen was killed. The mongrel force, estimated at about 1 200 strong, was commanded by Colonel Schiel, to whom it doubt- less owed its excellent tactical disposition. This officer was wounded and taken prisoner. The Twies gave somewhat interesting char- acter sketches of prominent Boers who were killed or wounded on this occasion : — " General Koch was Minute-Keeper to '.he Executive, and was President Kruger's most influential supporter. His son, Judge Koch, was appointed to a seat on the Bench, but was not popular, and was regarded as a puppet. The fighting Koch is not to be confounded with the General Koch, who belongs to Vryheid, and is a sterling warrior. "Advocate Coster was State Attorney at the time of the Reform trials, but resigned owing to President Kruger having insulted him at a meeting of the Executive. He was an accomplished man, a member of the Inner Temple, and was very popular with the Dutch Bar. " General Ben Viljoen was responsible for most of the fire-eating articles which appeared in the Haitcl Post. "Colonel Schiel was court-martialled in past days for shooting four natives whom he accused of insubordination." The courage of the Boers during this battle was immense. About two thousand were engaged, and these, though certainly aided by the strength of their position, fought valiantly, facing doggedly the heavy consummately well-directed fire of the British artillery, and returning it with undiminished coolness. An interesting incident is mentioned in connection with the battle. When the fire of the British guns became overwhelming, eight plucky Boers dashed forward from cover, and, standing together, steadily opened fire on the men of the Imperial Light Horse, with the evi- dent purpose of drawing their fire, while their comrades should change position. Out of this gallant little band, only one man was left to tell the tale ! 26 t last turned, d "come on t the end of y estimated, id 175 men 5t over 300 Ired horses, r the care of ho, with his lous work of Hollanders, them were :ral Joubert. ted at about 3m it doubt- vas wounded esting char- wounded on ivas President appointed to a puppet. The ho belongs to jrni trials, but leeting of the r Temple, and mating articles g four natives ise. About lided by the ly the heavy id returning h the battle. light plucky ler, steadily ith the evi- ides should le man was (A 0( ID U < t Ui X h (I. o (1) o Oi < X •J I h o Q O u i: X h •8 I It u i a Q -•■MpaiMaiMnai ol C( Elandslaagte I of ETandSgTe :-'' '^' ''''"''^'^ '^^ °^ ^"'^'"•■' ^'""^ ^' '^'^ ^^"^^ Imperial Light Horse.-Colonel Scott Chisholme,i commander killed • Major Wools Sampson, bullet wound, thigh, severei;; CapTaIn John Orr' bullet wound, neck, severely; Lieutenant William Curr;, bullet wound W severely ; Lieutenant Arthur Shore, bullet wound chest sev^rHv 1^^,,L^ I and Adjutant R. W. Barnes, wounded seveTelyT LieSenanrLa^hlan S wounded severely; Captain MuUins, wounded jlieut^ntrcLpbell wounded ! rlr!!S K^J)?""^' '!,°"",^'^- ^''' ^^"'^••y Field Artillery.-Icapt^n A M Campbel, bullet wound, chest, severe; Lieutenant W. G. H. Manley shell wound, head severe. Staff.-Captain Ronald G. Brooke, 7th HuSaS bu Ik Stetnf'S 'r' Gulir"" '1 ""Tir ^^^°"^^'- RegimenSec^o" d tenants ""h^vSv ^' T^u^T,' ^""^' ^""'^'^ '" "^^^'^ > Second Lieu- tenant b . Hayley, severely, bullet wounds in hand and leg • Second ne,!;pn?n/r i^ .^\''"u''';j'°""^- '"' ^^"^''°" Manchester Regiment - mS K , . ^"^' '^"^"' ^"'"'■^"' ''""^^ ^^°""d' shoulder; Captai? Chares Melvill, buhet wound, arm, severe ; Captain William Newbieeine bulS wound, eft shoulder, severe; Captain Donald Paton, buller w?und' thth severe; Lieutenant Cyril Danks, bullet wound, scalp, slight Ind Battafon Gordon Highlanders-Killed: Major H. W. D. Denne, Lieuterfant C G Wordi'^T"'^ Lieutenant J G. D. Murray, Lieutenant L. B Bradbury Wounded: Lieutenant-Colonel Dick-Cunyngham, bullet wound, arm severe ^ Major Harry \ynght, bullet wound, right foot, severe; Captai^ j Haldane' bullet wound leg, severe; Captain Arthur Buchanan bullet wound rS C%'TV L'^^fr^"' M. Meikiejohn, fractured humerus, severeTStenfn C. W Fjndlay, bullet wound, arm and thigh, severe; Lieutenant IB rm^ (attached from Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders ^'stondDeutenfnt? A £?S\ k"?i r°""^' ^'t^^ f d ^hest, dangerous ; Lieutenant AfRHenness; (3.d Batt.), bullet wound, head and chest, severe. ncnnessy t^JJtnt^ui^ u'^T '° '^^ "'^'"°'y °^ ^°^°"^> Scott Chisholme is taken from Mr. John Stuart's correspondence to the A/ornwP- Posi :- «,.= o f "^ ^^^" "'"'■^ severely felt than the Colonel's. He was a good man and a good soldier, brave to the point of reckless- ness, a wonderfully-mspiriting leader, and, as I judged from about 5th (£tnys°h^llre%'r S^^^^^^^ Elandslaagte, belonged to the of an old Scottish family, the ChisLTmes of Stfr. W T u 'f'-'-*' '".South Africa, came situate at the latter pLice He wasT nnlv i. > ^i, '''^"'■^''^'i'"'^' ^'^ <^^"^">' ^^^^ ^^'"^g (who assumed the name of Scott Tn isf.i^nU.V^ -n^ l'*,5 ^'•- J°hn Scott Chisholme Whitehaugh), by his mLikge w tl^^MarLret ll, W h!. t^'' "ncle, Mr. James Scott of Robert Walker of MumrSkStTrlin^^^^.i^ daughter and co-heir of the Jate Mr. January '8l5,"hiSTe^^i 'ef b hTS ?T^'' ^ --V i" in March 1878. From that veir 1 1 1 sZ ^» c a -^t , '^eached the rank of capta colonel i„ AugoM ,8«, .„d .harofrXn.fon MgM "'.^ """'^'■ 27 The Transvaal War a month's knowledge of him, single-minded, fervent in all his work, passionately in earnest. His regiment almost worshipped him. On the day of the fight their keenness was increased because he was keen, and they ignored the hardships they had gone through be- cause he shared them and took them lightly, and did his best to improve matters. " During the fight he only took cover once or twice, going from troop to troop, praisi ig and encouraging the men in words that were always well chosen, for no man could phrase his blame or praise more aptly. At the last ridge he stopped to tie up the leg of a wounded trooper, and was shot himself in the leg. Two of his men went to his assistance, but he waved them off, telling them to go on with their fighting and to leave him alone. Then he was shot in one of the lungs, and the men went to his help, but while they were trying to get him to cover, a bullet lodged in his head and killed him. The last words he was heard to say were, ' My fellows are doing well.' His fellows will always remember that. " I may he allowed to recall one or two interesting recollections of the Colonel. One is the speech he delivered when the M^ritz- burg Club dined him and his officers. Both he and General Symons spoke. Neither man was an orator, and yet each was more con- vincing than many orators, speaking simple, soldierly, purposeful words, words whose simplicity drove them home. Almost a week before the battle I saw the Colonel arranging his camp rie had taken off his tunic and helmet, and did twice as much direction as any other officer, and he worked a hard as any of the men. It was then, when I saw his vigour in lull activity, that I realised his wonderful capacity for work— a capacity of which I had often heard, but which I had not been able to comprehend before. "The last time I saw him was at the ouispan before the battle began. He came to a group of us and gave one or two orders in such pleasant words that one knew that to obey him must in itself be a real delight. Then he sat down and gossiped with us, first about his luck in the morning, when a shell that hit the ground between his horse's feet had failed to burst, and afterwards about luck in general. He advised the officers to tell their men to sleep while they could, and then he said, ' Now I'll go and get half-an- hour's sleep myself.' But at that moment an aide-de-camp came saying that General French wanted to see him. When the Colonel returned, it was to order his regiment to saddle up and prepare to mount. In half-an-hour he was leading the attack on the first kopje. " I like to think that before death smote him he knew that the battle was won, and that his fellows had done well, as he expected that they would, as he had helped them to do by example and generous encouragement." 28 I ) his work, him. On je he was rough be- is best to oing from that were or praise : leg of a wo of his J them to n he was but while his head ■ere, 'My that. :ollections le Mcritz- 1 Symons nore con- )urposeful it a week He had •ection as rnen. It alised his en heard, ;he battle orders in t in itself 1 us, first z ground ■ds about to sleep t half-an- mp came 2 Colonel repare to -St kopje. that the expected nple and Elandslaagte A private of the Gordon Highlanders, in a letter dated Lady- smith, Noveniber 2 gave a vivid account of the charge of the Gordons at Elandslaagte, and described how Lieutenant-Colonel Dick-Cunyngham was wounded when leading his men, and that ofticers chagrin at his being rendered impotent. He said- "We charged three times with the bayonet, and my gun was covered with whiskers and blood, though I don't remember striking anybody but I was nearly mad with excitement, shells bursting and bullets whizzing round like hail. I was close behind the "commanding officer when he was wounded. He was shot and had to sit down but he cheered on nis men. 'Forward, Gordons,' he cried, 'the world IS looking at you. Brave lads, give it to the begrars ex- terminate the vermin-charge.' He then started crying because he could no longer lead his battalion, and he would not retire from the held until the day was won. He is a fine man to lead a battalion —as brave as a l,on. The Gordons were the last line, and we raced through the Manchesters and the Devons and the Licrht Horse Volunteers, all charging together." " _ Here we have a proof hew much the morale of soldiers may be mfluenced oy their immediate chief. ^ The Natal Advertiser in its account of the final scene said •— By a quarter past six the Devonshire Regiment, the Gordon Highlanders, and the Manchester Regiment, with the Imperial Light Horse, were in a position to storm the Boer camp from the enemy s front and left flank, and the signal for the bayonet charge was sounded. 1 hen was witnessed one of the most splendid pieces of storming imaginable the Devons taking the lead, closely followed by the Gordons, the Manchesters, and the Light Horse, in the face of a tremendous, killing fire, the rattle and roar of which betokened frightful carnage. . A bugler boy of the 5th Lancers shot three amfd'cheers '•' ^^ ' ^^' ^^erw.rds carried round the camp h. r^? J'T^\^''-^ .°'' g^"?"t'-y ^^ere performed that they cannot all be related. It ,s impossible, however, to allow the wondrous pluck of Sergeant Kenneth M'Leod to go unrecorded. During the charge this gaUant Scot was twice struck, once in the arm and once in the t'lTv: • fi however continued to pipe and advance with the Gordons to their final rush Presently came more bullets, smashing his drones, ive in" ' windbag, whereupon the splendid fellow had to Perhaps the most heart-rending period was that following the las gleam of daylight, when the Medical Staff went forth to do their melancholy duty. All were nrmed with lanterns, which, shining lokf ?-,f V°'"''' ^''^'' ^^^ ^^"^^ g'oo'" ^™""d more impene- trable still. Yet, groping and shivering through the black horror of 29 w The Transvaal War the night, they patiently pursued their ghastly task with zeal that was truly magnificent. Dead, dying, wounded, were dotted all over the veldt. There, bearded old Boers, boys, Britons in their prime, were indiscriminately counted, collected, tended, the Field Hos- pital men and Indian stretcher-bearers working incessantly and ungrudgingly till dawn. Gruesome and heart-rending were the sights and scenes around the camp-fires when such wounded as could crawl dragged themselves towards their comnides. Pitiable the faces of the survivors as news came in of gallant hearts that had ceased to beat. A pathetic incident was witni ised in the grey gloom of the small hours. One of the bearers chanced on an ancient hoary-headed Boer, who was lying behind a rock supporting himself on his elbows. The bearer approached warily, as many of the enemy were known to have turned on those who went to their succour. This man, however, was too weak from loss of blood to attempt to raise his rifle. Between his dying gasps he begged a favour — would some one find his son, a boy of thirteen, who had been fighting by his side when he fell. The request was obeyed. The little lad, stone- dead, was discovered. He was placed in the failing arms of his father. The unhappy old fellow clasp°d the clay-cold form, and hugged it despairingly to himself, and ihen, merciful Providence pitied him in his misery — his stricken spirit went out to join his son. An officer who was wounded, and who spent the night in the terrible scene, thus described his own awful experiences : " I lay where I fell for about three-quarters of an hour, when a doctor came and put a field-dressing on my wound, gave me some brandy, put my helmet under my head as a pillow, covered me with a Boer blanket which he had taken from a dead man, and then went to look after some other poor beggar. I shall never forget the horrors of that night as long as I live. In addition to the agony which my wound gave me, I had two sharp stones running into my back ; I was soaked to the skin and bitterly cold, but had an awful thirst ; the torrents f rain never stopped. On one side of me was a Gordon Highlander in raving delirium, and on the other a Boer who had his leg shaf ered by a shell, and who gave vent to the most heart- rending cries and groans. War is a lunny game, and no one can realise what its grim horrors are till they see it in all its barbarous reality. I lay out in the rain the whole of the night, and at daybreak was put into a doolie by a doctor, and some natives carried me down to the station. The ground was awfully rough, and they dropped me twice ; I fainted both times. I was sent down to Ladysmith in the hospital train ; from the station I was conveyed to the chapel (officers' hospital) in a bullock-cart, the jolting of which made me faint again. I was the last officer taken in. I was then put to bcd> and my wound was dressed just seventeen hours after I was hit. 30 I Elandslaagte They then gave me some beef-tea, which was the first food I had had for twenty-seven hours." The amazing spirit of chivalry that animated all classes, gene- ral officers, medical officers, chaplains, and even stretcher-bearers m this campaign has been the subject of much commen.t. It was diought that modernity had rendered effete some of the sons of Great Britain, and the war, if it should have done no other good has served to prove that times may have changed, but not the tough and dauntless character of the men who hate made the EnW wnat It IS. ^ The following, from a Congregational minister of Durban, who had volunteered to go to the front as honorary chaplain to the Natal Mounted Rides, in which corps many of^is congregat on enrolled, is of immense interest. It gives us an insight'into he inner core of valour-the valour of those who, unarmed, share the dangers without the intoxications of the fight. It runs :~ r.r "J^^^ ^''r'f,''^? '"^'^ '^'^'■'^ mistaken by the Boers in the growing darkness for a body of their own men, fell upon them and turned a rout i^to a wS flight Commander Schiel was very furious at losing t",e batUe and said le would hke to kill every man, woman, and child in Natal. In this he was , e e.xception to the rule, for the eaptives whom we liberated said le Boers 1 Id treated them with great kindness. After the battle Dr. Bonnybrook and I spent the night on the field of battle, and also followed the retreldng Boe'ffor a distance of six or seven miles, searching for and tending the wounded and di'ing In the early hours of the morning we came to a Boer Lld-hosDital and shouting out, Doctor and Predicant,' we entered and rested and s em Dr 'Bonnvh • l'' ';'^'"''^ ""' ^'^^ °"^ ^^ain. About six mHes 'from eanfp Dr. Bonnybrook rode up to twenty-five mounted and armed Boers and"o d them they were his prisoners. Ordering two to take the wSipon's of their comrades he marched them into camp prisoners. For an unarmed nan to accomphsh alone, this was an exceedingly brave thing to do AfteTtte battle one of the captured held up his gun and said, ' Look through this I lave not fired a shot. I am a Britisher. They forced me to come.' " nf ft^r^ Other heroes of Elandslaagte was Lieutenant Meiklejohn the nSr te Q P'"^ "'!. ^^'""^^ '" ^" endeavour to embarrass narrative Kl • ^"PP°"^1 ^>' "^ P^'^Y «f Gordons, so runs the narrative, Meiklejohn waved his sword and cried out to his partv hastily gathered round him. But the Boer ranks were alert and poured in a deadly fire on the gallant band. LieuTe' ant Meikle^ the"rLT.t"fo' ''"' ' r"^^^ '""T^"' '''' ""^^'^ "^^'^^ --' -^ ^hro'gh the right forearm, a finger blown away, a bullet through the left high, two bullets through the helmet, a " snick " in the neck while h.s sword and scabbard were literallv shot to pieces. He h.rbv now lost h.s right arm. but. happily,' being left-handed, it is hoped he may remain in the profession he is so well calculated to adorn The Transvaal War A private soldier in the 2nd Battalion Gordon Highlanders recounted an extraordinary personal experience. He said T— " Wc, the Dcvons, Imperial Light Horse, and others, had a fight at Elands- laagte with tiie Boers, and I never enjoyed myself so much hefore. You first have to get christened to fire, and then you think nothing of the shells bursting about you, and the bullets which go wiiistling past like bees. We went forward by fifty-yard rushes, and at every rush you could hear a groa.i, and down would go one of our comrades, either killed or wounded, poor chap. When we were miles from the enemy they opeiuJ fire on us with shell, and as we were going along in mass, one of the shells burst on the loft of the company, and one of our men of my section— Bobby Hall— got shot dead with a piece of the shell going straight through his head. That was what made more t'lan one wish to turn and run. But what would Britain do if her soldiers ran from the enemy ? At last we got to where we could get a shot at the Boers with our rifies, and you may bet we gave them more than one, as perhaps the papers have told you. I got through the rifle-fire down to the bayonet charge on the hillside when I felt a sting in the left arm, and looking down, found I was shot in the wrist. In changing my position I got shot in the centre of the forehead. The bullet did not go straight through. It glanced off my nose-bone, and came out above my right temple. ... On looking round, I was just in time to see the blood squirt from the first wound. I shifted my position in quick time, for I did not want another from the same rifle. I lay still after doing this for a while, when the thought came to me to get my wrist bandaged and try to shoot again. On changing my position I got a bullet right in the 'napper.' I was out of action then, for all was dark. I heard the officer I was going to get the bandages from say, ' Poor chap ! he's gone.' But no, I am still kicking." THE RETREAT FROM DUNDEE Owing to the Boers having posted their 15-centimetre gun on tiie Impati for the purpose of shelling the camp and town, the troops and mhabitants removed to a position some three miles south of Dundee village. The movement was fraught with many discom- forts. Ram fell in torrents, making the roads a mass of slush and enveloping everything in a thick mist, while provisions, which had been hastily gathered together, were scarce. On the following day, Sunday, an attempt was made to return to camp, but the Boer firing contmued so active that the project had to be abandoned. There- upon, on Sunday night the whole column, having first loaded four days supplies from their old camp and set there lighted candles sufificient to cause such an illumination as would suggest to the Boers an idea of occupation, quietly stole away. No one exactly knew their destination. At nine of the clock the Army Service Corps waggons moved to the camp, were loaded, and by midnight com- menced rumbling along in the damp obscurity. The advance column, after passing through Dundee, where it was joined by transport and rear-guard, proceeded along the Helpmakaar road on the way to Ladysmith. 32 -Highlanders id:— lit at Elands- e. You first hells bursting went forward i down would Hicn we were e were going ', and one of of the shell I one wish to 1 the enemy ? ur rifles, and ;rs have told the hillside, i shot in the ehead. The ind came out e to see the k time, for I ig this for a I try to shoot >per.' I was ng to get the :king." ;re gun on the troops s south of ly discom- slush and which had swing day, Boer firing I. There- Jaded four id candles t the Boers ictly knew ^ice Corps light com- : advance joined by ar road on MAJOR-GENERAL SIR W. PENN SYMONS, K.C.B. 'Iiutu liy 11. si;.i,ley * fo,, Uucluji. The Retreat from Dund ee ■ft t I On iMonday afternoon the first halt was called, but the re- t was of short duration, for at ten the column was a«ain pluddinjr ,,ioiur through the miry roads in hourly dread lest the whole- scheme should be spoi t. and the Boers .suddenly arrest the course of the two-mile long column. "- And they had Indeed good reason for alarm. They were forced to plod through a narrow pass in the Higgarsberg rantre of moim tains, so narrow indeed that a hundred BoTrs miglu havt JffeS^ l la red their way. Here, through this perilous black cvlinder of the h II , hey marched at dou! ,.; night. It took them between the hours of half-past eleven t.l. three, .tumbling and scjuelching in the nii'e o e o"r'oin"or.f T ' r"^*^ ' ""^y appear, ^should H.ey but shooi t! e cramoed Xfdl 11 ''^'"^ " 'F°" '-'^ '^'^ ^""^'"> ' ^"^'^'^"^ ^lock tlie cramped defile, all .^ana of getting safely throu"h to Ladv- rell ctioTl' fill '' •■" ^'•'•, ^""^ "^^ '^>' "° -^-- " ^W raiection to fill mens minds m the Jripping, almost nalpab e darkness of the night, and the resolute spirit of he gallant Slows who unmurmuringly stowed away all personal wretchedne s and stuck manfully to their grim duty is for eler to be marvelleel a and admired. Fortunately the Dutchmen, "slim" as they were Id no counted on the possibility of this march being executed 'it aU still less of Its being e.xecuted in pitch darkness. They were aLln napping, and the party, who had left kit. provisions (c^xcept fS the four days), and everything behind them, who were now drenched to IW in safet;."^ '^'°''"' ^''^^ P°"^^^^'^' '' '^'' reached Sunday Here they eagerly awaited an escort of the 5th Lancers which them Th''''^'^.^>^^" G^^'-g- White from Ldysmi h o mm nn W 1 T' '°r '^^ "'^^^ J^y °^ '^^ ^^"'■"-o"t travellers. appeTred on Wednesday afternoon. On that evening the column ag.in S' off for a lasfJong wearisome tramp, the men, who had not been ou of their clothes for a week, being now ready to drop from sSess rSumble"' Alf h" 1 ^"7^>-"'y ?ey h^ld on. ^Not a S not a grumble. All had confidence m General Yule and his officer.; who shared with the men every hardship and every fattue each realised his individual duty to make the very best ofVvery MdTob and pluckily kept heart till the last moment Torrents of r^in feH making the night nto one vast immensity of slough and poo) hut Ihe excitement of arrival was almost to- m„rh f... *u exhausted, fainting troops, but the cheeTs hat went up ^om ^ thousand ^throats brought light to their slee;-srarved\erand S3 c The Transvaal War warmth to their chilled frames. There was rest at last-rest and safety, food and warm covering, though of a more practic il th^n art.st.c kmd. The Devons-who had just come ^-andK oth d fight at Elandslaagte and looted the lioer camp of innumerTl le sale able odds and ends-out of their newly-gained wealth "Strea'' the gallant Dub m Tusiliers, the heroes of Glencoe who al un washed and unshorn, now looked like chimney-sweeps rather than he vvarnors they were, were invited to a fine "square meal " h s difficult to imagine the condition of those battered brTves afte their week of hardship, fighting, and privation, and stealers for S? h "^"^'^.^^'^ ^T" '^""'^'^ ^' ^^^c --^"-^^ -nd cu torn en fo ced by warlike conditions. One who dined with the Dundee re^r--^'" ''" '^""""^^^ ^''^'"'^ ^--'P^'- of the luxurious n,.."^'' begin with, there was no sort of furniture either in the sTon "Jhe'fl"' ^'^^f,"^-'-«r- ^[ y°^ ^^"'-d to sit down, yoC Td so on the floor We each got hold of a large tin mug, a^d dipped ing. A large lump of salt was passed round, and every one broke off a piece with his fingers. Next you clawed hold of T piece of bread and a chunk of tongue, and gnawed first one and then the other- km ves and forks there were none. This finished te dmner Add to this two or three tallow-candles stuck on a cocoa tin, and the fact that none of the officers had shaved or had Imd heir clothes off for a week, and had walked some for^y five Ji^^s through rivers and inud, and you will have some idea^of how he o fice s mess of one of the smartest of Her Majestv's foot regh^ents to be hSrd" '" ""' '^ "^'■- ^°^ ^ '""^^'-'^^ complamT was r.J^f' T^t "'"'^ fertainly have been pitiable, for it will be remembered that on the retirement from Dundee rations f^r four officers" Jnd'mL'rk'r'' "n ^^^^"'^"^ '^' '^^ --^'-' besides al officers and mens kit and hospital equipment, were left behind. And, sad to say so also were the wounded. It was necessary for their future well-being to desert them. The men who had Z gloriously led to victory now found themselves st^a^ided and In a MoTJrTr'^''u'''''^'''t''' ^^ '^' "^^'^y -^ the vanquTsl^dl Most melancholy of all must have been the plight of those unhaoDV sufferers when they first learnt that their cJmfades were n3g must be^'l^ft t;' r ""Y- "."^ 'Y '^""y^ ^" ^" 'heir helplessness^ he enpmi '/^"^'y-""!'^^^^ and perhaps untended-in charge of thp rj; ^"' rT' T ?'".^ °^ '^^ ^g°"'^^ °f those sad souls -the nation s mvahds-bereft of kindly words and kindred smiles • o:v. cannot linger without a sense of emasculating weakness ^n the 34 t — rest and Lctlcal than hroijgh the eraLle sale- :ood treat." pence, and ho, all un- ather than meal." It -aves after icklers for istoms en- e Dundee luxurious ler in the 1, you did nd dipped not exist- 3ne broke I piece of then the ished the ti a cocoa ' had had five miles f how the regiments )laint was t will be i for four esides all lind. necessary had so and in a iquished ! unhappy narching )lessness, :harge of >ad souls 1 smiles ; s on the Sir W. Penn Symons — Glencoe sad side-picture of battle that, in its dumb wretchedness, seems so much more paralysing than the active horror of facing shot and shell m company with glorious comrades in arms. Let us hope there was some one to whisper to them, to persuade them that all was for the best ; that the safety of their sick selves and their sound mates de- pended on this retreat, this wondrous retreat which, when the tale of the war m its entirety shall be told, will shine like a dazzlincr light among records whose brilliancy in the history of British achievements cannot be excelled. Perhaps, too, they had faith to inspire them with the certainty that all that they had suhcred in that dark hour for their country and for the weal of their fellows, would be re- membered to their glory in the good times to come. While the retreat was going forward Glencoe's gallant hero was breathing his lar. After hopelessly lingering for three days. General Sir W. Penn Symons passed a ay. He expired in the hands of the enemy at Dundee hospital on Monday the 23rd o October. The next day he was quietly buried with profound siens 01 mourning. ° SIR W. PENN SYMONS-GLENCOE By the death of Major-General Sir William Penn Symons, the British army lost a brilliant and distinguished soldier, and a man of great valour and courage. He came of a Cornish family, the founder of which was a Norman knight who came over with VVilham the Conqueror. The eldest son of the late William Symons Recorder of Saltash, he was born in 1843, and in 1863 joined the South Wales Borderers-the old 24th Regiment He became lieutenant in 1866, captain in 1878, major in 1881, lieutenant-colonel in 1886, and colonel in 1887. His first experience of active service was in 1877, when the Borderers took the field against the Galekas. In the Zulu War of 1879 he served with distinction, but was not present at the ba tie of Isandlwana, being away from his regiment on special duty In 1885 he served as Deputy-Assistant- Adjutant and Quarter- Master-General, organising and commanding the Mounted Infantrv in the Burmese Expedition. Being honourably mentioned in dis- patches for h.s services with the Chin Field Force, he received a brevet-colonelcy In 1889-90 he was given a brigade in the Chin-Lusha Expedition, was again mentioned in despatches, made a C.B.. and received the thanks of the Government of India. He commanded a brigade of the Waziristan Field Force in 1894-QC with like distinction, but he will best be remembered in connection with the campaign on the North- West Frontier of India in 1897-98 after which he was made a K.C.B. In 189S he gave up his 35 fj The Transvaal War m NlmT^"* '" '"'^'^ ^""^ ^°°^ command of the British troops He was one of the best shots in the army, his military hobby in fact being musketry though he was also a great authority on the sub- ject of mounted infantry. He was a keen sportsman, an excellent linguist. He was highly respected by all who knew him. As an evidence of how he was regarded by his brother officers, one may ^^r ri'^"^ ^^^ telegram which was sent from Sir G. White to the War Office on the morrow of the battle of Glencoe. The com- munication said: "The important success is due to his crreat courage, fine generalship, and gallant example, and the confid^ence he gave to the troops under him." .. .f '' )y'"'^°" ^r"''^'' <^hu/chiirs remarks about him, in a letter to the A/ormn^ Pos(, show how fully he was appreciated for his social as well as for his military qualities. 1 -j"/" ^i""- ?.^r"" ^y"iO"s is killed! Well, no one would have aid down his life more gladly in such a cause. Twenty years ago the merest chance saved him from the massacre at Isandhlwana, and Death promoted him in an afternoon from subaltern to senior captain Thenceforward his rise was rapid. He commanded the hirst Division of the Tirah Expeditionary Force among the mountains with prudent skill. His brigades had no misforfunes ; his rearguards came safely into camp. In the spring of 1898 when the army ay around Fort Jumrood, looking forwa- -: to a fresh campaign, I used often to meet him. Every one talked of bymons, of his energy, of his jokes, of his enthusiasm. It was bymons who had built a racecourse on the stony plain; who had organised the Jumrood Spring Meeting; who won the principal event himself, to the delight of the private soldiers, with whom he was intensely popular ; who, moreover, was to be first and foremost If the war with the tribes broke out again ; and who was ent ,sted with much of the negotiations with their jiWas. Dinn r with Symons in the mud tower of Jumrood Fort was an experience. 1 he memory of many tales of sport and war remains. At the end 'V^ ^^ ^^"'"^ ^""^ ^^^ °^d Peninsular toasts : ' Our Men ' Our Women ' ( .r Religions,' ' Our Swords,' ' Ourselves,' ' Sweet- hearts and Wives,' and 'Absent Friends '-one for every ni^ht in the week. The night I dined it was 'Our Men.' May the State in her necessities find others like him ! " THE BATTLE OF REITFONTEIN On the morning of the 23rd, thirty men of the i8th Hussars rode into camp at Ladysmith, after having had some exciting adventures. The facts were these. On the arrival at Glencoe 36 ish troops ' hobby in )n the sub- i excellent 1. As an one may lite to the rhe his :onfidence corn- great n a letter :d for his luld have ^ears ago idhhvana, to senior nded the long the fortunes ; of 1898, ai '■ to a talked of It was who had principal vhom he foremost intrusted ner with perience. the end r Men,' ' Sweet- night in le State Hussars exciting Glencoe The Battle of Reinfontein camp of the news of the Boer defeat at Elandslaagte, General Yule had detached a force to cut off the flying Boers. Unfor- tunately, the Hussars who were sent out for this purpose were themselves cut off, but at last, with the enemy at their heels cue- ceeded in fighting their way down a dangerous pass, and even- tually effecting their escape. This, too. without the loss of a man ' 1 o return to the great retreat. While General Vule was fallin?r back to effect a junction with General White, the latter office? conceived a brilliant plan to ensure the safety of the returning force He was aware that Yule's column was marching via the Helo- makaar road, Beith, and the Waschbank and Sunday River Vallevs and therefore to coyer tlie movement, he sent out a strong force to the west of the road. The force consisted of the 21st, 42nd, and 53rd Field Batteries ist Devons, ist Liverpools, ist Gloucesters, 2nd Kings Royal Rifles (just arrived from Maritzburg), loth Hussars, 5th Lancers, Natal Carabiniers. Border Mounted Rifles, and Imperial Li^ht Horse. .n^^^ tfir^ ^^^ f'^^^^ ^^r''^^"^ P°'^^^ °" the kopjes a mile M^aI f r'' ?^ '.^ '^'^^^y ^"^ t^° '"i'es soSh-east of Modder Spruit station, in all, some seven miles from Ladysmith It was necessary, therefore, to keep him well occupied, and divert his attention from the Dundee column. On both sides firing soon commenced but our guns were promptly silenced. Then the liritish took up a position three-quarters of a mile west of the railway, and for some twenty minutes kept up a heavy artillery fire supplemented by sharp volleys from the infantry. Before lon^ comd?S!S ""%! '''^'■'^ u^"/ '^^ ,°^J""' °f t'^« British attack ac? comphshed. 1 he mam body of the Boers retired in the direction of Besters, a point to the south of Ladysmith, where, in the circumstances, ,t was more advisable for them to be. In this battle a great deal of sharpshooting, especially at officers took place on the part of the foe, whS also resLed to their oW tactics of discharging their guns and running away, again dis fon7J•'^^•^';? T''' '•"""•"g-^ trick they had b;en^might fy Wd I V^^'" ^'1'"^'. "^''^ ^^^ 2"'"^' ^"d which was ?aS he ist riZ T ^h^^^^test antagonists. Colonel Wilford of Wh; I. i ^^ ^^g^""^"t was mortally wounded. Sir George t^ Staffing Th'T '"^P^- ^' '^'^ Boers' turned their artillery T the Staff, and their first shell came screaming within fifteen vards of sc\S"hS'hoSr"-''°".^'^^' 4-d Batter?, had also'a malis escape, his horse having been wounded and his haversack riooe 1 K^offid^ "Sen/" ^d^ -"^^i^ ^"^^^^^'"^"^' ^^ ^'^ ^-^?^ ^^^ occuDvIno^ L "' ^^u'^''^^' ':^"'" ^'^^ ^^"fi"^d its efforts to occupying the enemy and hitting him hard enouah to prevent his taking action against General Yale's column." The maSc^uvJe as Z7 The Transvaal War we know, was eminently successful, but was not executed without cost to those who assisted in it. The following was the official list of the officers killed and wounded : — 1st Battalion Gloucestershire Regiment. — Killed : Lieutenant-Colonel and Colonel Edmund Percival Wilford. 42nd Battery Field Artillery.--Wounded : Lieutenant S. W. Douglas, shell-graze of abdomen, slight. 53rd Battery Field Artillery. — Major Anthony J. Abdy, shell-graze of right knee, slight ; Lieu- tenant Arthur Montague Perreau, bullet wound, right leg, severe ; Lieutenant George Herbert Stobart (from 34th Battery), bullet wound, finger, slight. 19th Hussars. — 2nd Lieutenant A. Holford, bullet wound, slight, ist Battalion Gloucestershire Regiment. — Lieutenant Carlos Joseph Hickie, slightly. The Boers, triumphant, entered Dundee about the same time as General Yule and his worn-out troops were being enthusiastically greeted in Ladysmith. They attacked the Dundee Town Guard, putting it to flight, and turned many civilians out of their houses. Later, they mounted two big guns at Intintanyone, some 4500 yards from the Ladysmith camp, and their energies pointed to further activities. LADYSMITH Here it may be as well to review the geographical position of this now famous place. Ladysmith, as a position for purposes of defence, is very badly situated. It lies in the cup of the hills, and stony eminences command it almost in a circle.. Towards the north is Pepworth's Ridge, a flat-headed hill fringed at the base with mimosa bushes. North-east is Lombard's Kop, which is flanked by a family of smaller kopjes. South of this hill and east of Ladysmith is a table-headed hill called Umbulwana. South of this eminence runs the railway through the smaller stations of Nel- thorpe and Pieters towards Colenso. To the west of Pepworth's Ridge is Surprise Hill, and other irregular hills which rise from four to five hundred feet on all sides. The place is watered by the Klip River, which enters the valley between the hills on the west, twists gracefully in front of the town, and turns away among the eastern hills before making its way to the south. The position, commanded as it was on every hand, was not an enviable one, but the glorious fellows who had fought in two brilliant engagements were in no wise disconcerted. Yet all were on the alert, for the Boers hid now closed in round the town, and an engagement was hourly expected. A little de- sultory fighting took place, but when the British troops advanced, those of the Orange Free State at once retired towards the border. The town, however, was somewhat harassed for want of water, owing to the Boers having cut off the main pipes. The incon- venience was merely temporary, as the Klip River, which runs 38 1 scuted without VELS the officici] lant-Colonel and ery.— Wounded : jrd Battery Field ee, slight ; Lieu- rere ; Lieutenant d, finger, slight. It. 1st Battalion slightly. i same time as enthusiastically Town Guard, f their houses. e, some 4500 es pointed to )hical position "or purposes of the hills, and Towards the d at the base [op, which is s hill and east na. South of ations of Nel- of Pepworth's ^lich rise from is watered by 2 hills on the 3 away among The position, nable one, but engagements osed in round A litde dc- ops advanced, is the border. ant of water, The incon- , which runs OFFICER OF THE NINTH LANCERS. I'liol.. l.y llivs.iiy * (■..., [,.iiul„ii. ! Lac^ysmith through the main position, was fairly pure, and there were wells which could be made serviceable. A captive balloon was inflated by the Royal Engineers, and was used for the purpose of making observations, much to the annoyance of the Dutchmen, who had securely perched themselves at points of vantage on the surround- ing hills. They were at this time on the north and east, having laagered south-east of Modder Spruit and Vlaak Plaats, some seven rniles from Ladysmith, and were preparing to arrange a cloeely- 1 inked chain of earthworks that should effectually surround the garrison. An exchange of shots now and then, however, was all that took place for a while between the contending pr.rties, though both sides were evidently gathering themselves together for some definite move. The situation was thus described by a captive in Ladysmith : — Saturday and Sunday have passed without any demonstration being made by the enemy. The camp has again assumed its con- dition of readiness and watchfulness. On Saturday afternoon it was rumoured that General Joubert, with the commando encamped at Sunday River, was experiencing difficulty in transporting the 40-pounders across the spruit, which was swollen after the heavy rains. Small parties of Boers are constantly on the alert, and are harassing the British outposts. " Scarcely a day passes without the outlying pickets being fired upon. The latest reports say that the enemy are gathered in con- siderable force on Dewdrop Farm. " Great excitement has been caused in the Artillery camp by the capture of a supposed spy, who was caught in the act of tampering with the guns. The man had eluded the vigilance of the sentry, and had opened the breech of one of the 15-pounders when he was noticed. He was promptly arrested. When asked what he was doing, he said he was a lieutenant in the i8th Battery. Questioned further, he contradicted himself, and said that it was quite by accident that he opened the breech. He admitted that he belonged to Johannesburg. He was marched off in custody of the guard. The sequel of the story has not been made public. " No camp followers are allowed, and all here have been ordered to A 7^' ^^^ enemy are now undoubtedly closing round Ladysmith. A large commando is reported to be on the Helpmakaar road, and a large camp has been formed between the Harrismith Railway Bridge and Potgieter's Farm. The camp on Dewdrop Farm extends for four miles. The enemy have an exceptional number of waggons. The Boer patrols are very venturesome ; they have approached withm three and a half miles of the town, and one party actually removed carcasses ready dressed for consumption from within the slaughtering lines." 39 The Transvaal War .,,, T^e prospect was far from cheerino-, narticuhrlv -,<= c;,v r thtn hX nr I ''"'"^ "'t amounted to some ro.ooo men more man Halt of whom were infantrv Tlio r„„ i i ' "'"'^ General Joubert now expressed his opinions on the causes of the only be averted bv a™an»^«'™ . , '"""'. ''«"■ ""' ""is "fer couW thai the im^lndZ war oTa,^f,ibto,"r '1?''''" T ''■ ^^ ""^ »"»i«"° on the part of the Xr Euron«„ p" k '"?!' "'= "•"l^" MniJemnation one of fheae Po»eS woiS be rlLT, '• ."' ^'^""? ■""" ""Kht ns that not circum^tanee, „e had t^S ^^ Z^^'ir/tr '" "" '"""•"■ '" ""^' ip.-er.rs'm^stob.'^'"' ,"' »»-^«^ - a T^^^^^^^^^^^^ s: & imposing force, onrhalf wm tlj?'^f'^^\ '°.?°"''' ^f""" Of this 5iiter„"rri"— '""^^^^ Sir RfdTr/B„trTnd'bULSd°',„'''',-''"""'r i' ■"'' ""<">' ''"'P' """^r oon.tr°uSera?r: irst:™: 'ir.r;^i,sir- T'r ™'^ - necessary to cover them Pvr^l InM °"^f"'°"s, and barely 500 men are established bet^en them \.nd?ar^^^^^^^^^ communications have been stores if rescue be in^po^sibt-wXe^d^^t'r:':™ '' "''""^'^ '''''''''^'' '^« resortfnrrr;' lot^tit 7o'tmZ!° f '•^■\ - .-ed not think, however, of us than ofiensU oLSions wSTl'i'"""^''' 7''^ ^'^ ^''''''' advantape^ to of tactics. In Natafan J tie ..oS t h "cTo deS^? ''T t ' '^ ' ^'^^"^^ On the high Plains of the Transvaaran'rtL'oSgXrsr^^raJ.t':; 40 The Battle of Lombard's Kop home, and the Britisli will meet opposition from us and from Nature at everv steo of the way, and at all times be prepared for action on two or three fronts. In this way will be developed a guerilla warfare of a most inconceivably bloodv chiractPr such as the British will be unable to endure for more than a few months." General Joiibert then protested that the Boers were fi^htine merely for the freedom of their own "narrower" Fatherland and not with a view to the destruction of British preponderancy in South Africa. He acknowledged the bravery of the British soldiers, but imagined that hardships and deprivations would so demoralise them numbers^ ^° ''"''^ """' ''^'''"^' ^" ^"^""^ superior in ..hl\"f"'?f ^''■'^"'"stances," he continued, "do not accuse me of boastine when I frankly say that victory will be ours. Every one of us is filled whh to usTn'thU ''"'•^"r""^ unshakeable faith in God, that He will remain as True o us in this as in former wars, and that He will not allow the blood shed and and':ur'Slldre'." '"■"'"''' ^'^^ "'" ^^"'^'''^ '''' ^'^ ' y-"' ^° -tingulsirus THE BATTLE OF LOMBARD'S KOP Towards the end of October Sir George White decided that tir'soudf Thl^p'^^"" '" P'*°^^^' J^ ^'"^ «^ communication with the south. The Boers were spreadmg out in crescent form and drawing gradual^ nearer to the town On the north were Trc^^m commanded by General Joubert. On the west was a Tree State commando, and on the east was General Lucas Meyer, who owed us a grudge after the events of Talana Hill. Reinforced by troops from General Erasmus, he now desired to press towards the m iZ with a view to seizing ,t at some point south of the town. It was necessary at all costs to put a stop to this scheme. Colonel Tan Hamilton with an Infentry Brigade was therefore despatched on he 27th to Lombard s Kop, a hill some five miles east of Ladysmith There he bivouacked for the night, with a view to clearing the^enemy out at the point of the bayonet on the morrow. He never hroS his plan into execution, however, for Sir George White, hav nrfe„ nformed of the sue of Meyer's force, ordered him to fJl back on the town. On Sunday the 29th it was discovered that he Boers were mtrenched in lines that extended over twenty mi es, w^il e Long Tom, their six-inch gun, was perched on Pepworth HiH s LaVySr Tnltd V '"^. 'T'f '"^-T. ^^^ X-^^ "o the north ^f Ladysmith In addition to this formidable weapon, field-o-uns with poS.^'Frthe°°°r:'^ "r ^r^' ^^^'^ •" wenfconcel^ S Ss^ary ^^:rn^:^::^ ZJ^^^s^^'^'^T S -^T force, should be dispersed. anrtrarnigS;rhaS^aTtn^ Colonel Hamilton again set out with three battalions the Devont' 41 The Transvaal War the Gordons, tl • Manchesters, and a Hrij^ade Division of Artillery. The night .-, darV '.. dear, and the "troops marched along the Newcastle Road to Limit Hill, a strong kopje some three miles north of L.iiysmith, and half-way between that town and Pepworth Hill. There they bivouacked for the night. While this party was moving as described, a small force under Colonel Carleton, composed Map of Lady; AN' URROUNDING HeK of four and a half compani- of u, Gloucestershire Regiment and six companies of the Royal Irish Fusiliers and ^ lo Mountain Battery, was moving towards Nicholson's Nek with a vie w of seizing it. But of Colonel Carleton's column anon. On Colonel Ian Hanilltun's right nank, towards Lombard's Kop, was Colonel Grimwood, with the ist and 2nd King's Royal Rifles, 42 of Artillery, d along the three miles d Pepworth s party was 1, composed rtOP NA [iment and Mountain / of seizing ard's Kop, yal Rifles, z o o a. UJ 2 a, D a". H O H O Z OU o J < o >« Oi p < II] in q: o X I s H s >• Q < ui O u o 5 fl The Battle of Lombard's Kop the LiverpooLs, Leicesters, and Dublin I-usilicrs, three Field-Batteries and the Natal Volunteer Artillery. On the extreme right, when day broke, was (.eneral I-rench with a Cavalry Brigade and some volun- teers. I he idea was, that while Colonel Grimwood was shellin'-r the Boer position to the north of Lombard's Kop, General I'rench should prevent any attempt to turn his right ; the enemy's artillery silenced. Colonel Grimwood was to drive him along the ridge running to Pepworth, and, under co^•er of the British guns, press the Boers towards their centre. Meanwhile our centre, under Colonel Hamilton, was to attack a hill where the enemy was in force, rout him and join in the general scheme, while Colonel Carlet > orot'ected the centre from a flank movement. Unfortunately "thv, jest laid schemes o' mice and men gang aft agley," and General White's admir- able scheme failed, as we shall learn. An artillery duel began opera- tions, and this continued for two long hours, while the w.irm spring niorning developed, and the Boers, who had been warned of our plans and had changed their position during the night, were Iaughin'« onH m ' pany were cut off from the rest altogether, and S we ^'tthem L sSeTr^ of oi^der, we had quite lost the rest of the column. TiJoIZTJLT:;!^ ^■n, wo- macter wnat Happened, and every one left to look "out" for' hlm'self. 48 M gained. From I was reached it m busied them- companies, with companies being ay on the south tnd about eight to the cover at r mounted men iiopje from the lis and opened ir men made a r were under a lanies of Glou- shelter, a. .j as I, the men fall- themselves, but npanies of the e plateau, and • reverse of the le western hill y on the slope, as a skirmish issed round — 'here was the fire ' sounded, iccept the call, )nal surrender 2cl the affair , 9/11/1899. Fusiliers and 1 through the of the troops ned out, they 2d, luckily for about 2 A.Rr. 5.A.A. mules, up the hill — nid clouds of A. mules, the egiment, and nd the stores e hurt, some ind my com- in some sort ^ere to nuF.h for himself. GENERAL JOUBERT. -•hoti. by eiliDtt t Fij, Loniiini. The Disaster of Nicholson's Nek After some time trying to find the patii, we came across a straggler, who told us which way tiie regiment had gone, and eventually we found them on the top ot a hill. We were ordered, as soon as we got on the hill, to put up sangars, which we worked at by the light of a very small moon till daylight. Ilien the Boers began on us all round, not very maiiv, till about half-past eigiit. iTom then till 2.30 the fire was hot, and hottest at 2.30, when our ammunition being almost down and the fire devilish from all sides, we had to give in. " I got a grazing shot on my left hand and a bullet in my right forearm early (about S.30 A.M., and two more grazers— right thigh and left elbow)— later, finally, a bullet from behind through the right shoulder about a quarter of an hour before the end. I don't know who gave the order to ' Cease fire,' The firing could not have gone on five minutes more on our side for want of ammunition, and the Boer fire was tremendous from all round. It was like 'magazine independent ' at the end of field-firing. 'I'he astonishing thing is so few were hit. If we had had our guns and ammunition, I think we could have held on until night and then got off, but there were 1200 of them, they said, to our 800, not counting gunners, and you could not till the very end see a dozen of them. The way they take cover is simply wonderful. All the prisoners were marched off at once and sent by rail to Pretoria. It was a terribly hot day, and no shade or water except what the Boers gave us. They were very good about water, giving us all they had, and fetching more from the bottom of the hill, one and a half mile away." An officer of the Royal Irish Fusiliers, writing from Staatsmodel Schule, Pretoria, said : — "We were all taken prisoners, together with the Gloucester Regiment and a Battery of Mounted Artillery, which accounts for us being in Pretoria so soon As we were going up the hill in the dark, a small party of Boers dashed through our ammunition mules, causing them to stampede. By this move we lost all our mules, 200 in all, and with them all our ammunition and artillery . . . You don t know what it means shooting a Boer; he is behind a rock and all you can ever see is his rifle sticking out. For the last hour of the fight I had a rifle and ammunition which I took from a dead man, and blazed away for all I was worth. Then we fixed bayonets and prepared for a rush, when the Ceasefire sounded. Our senior Captain has told me that my name has been mentioned to our Colonel, who was commanding the force, as having caused a lot of men to rally. We were all then taken prisoners, except two officers killed and eight wounded, and marched to the Boer laager, and sent off that night to a station twenty miles distant in waggons. While we were in their laager they treated us extremely well, and gave us food and tobacco. All you read about the Boers in England is absolutely untrue. They are most kind to the wounded and prisoners, looking after them as well as their own wounded, and anything they've got they will give you if you ask them, even if they deprive themselves. We came up to Pretoria in first-class sleeping. carriages, and the way they treated us was most considerate, feeding us and giving us coffee every time we stopped. The day we arrived we took ud quarters on the racecourse, but we have been moved into a fine brick building with baths, electric light, &c. They provide us with evcrythinir. from clothe! down to tooth-brushes. They also feed us, and we are constancy geUinrpre- sents of vegetables and cigars from private people. In fact, we can have VOL. II. 49 ^ ,1/ , i U < 3 I t .ii: ! ! i ^ i The Transvaal War everything we like except our libertv • f.. were worth ! However, it ," but ifi ,5 " I""'"/"'' ">«' 'l'<=y and Boers For /nstan«, i, 1, a fact ,L, r "■" *='^ *'='•'= "^^ Boers was wounded in the ankle and unable to n^^'"'? ^T"^ '<'<^=' »!"> sovereign to carry him off the field Th^ ' '"^"?'' ^ l^"" ''='lf-a- was captJre'-d atSLtfc "oVScti"^^' '■•'*/-"-^. who released, gave the following verSn of?he drsX"- ^"''^^i^-^y We had one hour's slppn ir,v u J^r some time, but the Boers' crep?''rLnT"-iK" ''^'^' ^"^^'"ght. It was slack ''"':,'^^^;;"f^^f breastwork oSes"'- ^''" '""^ fi""^: became furioi the battery mender S 'oT'mrrnd fffi'^^^ ^°°°> ^ '^'"'^ that many of The Boers did not seem to be inTrLrn j£ ' ^'u' ^"""'""^ ^^ surrenderfnf the mam body had galloped off ^ ' """"'''"^ °" ^he spot, but I heard thS ^ant SteenTk-an^;:^ ' Tror^terorderldlbf ^^''^ ^T ^^ ^ ^^-n- were taken away from the men and sent to Ger ern^r u ^"" '"• ^l^e officers the officers went in mule-waggons and slen^ .? ^''''^^'^- °" '^e same day ttat d .n?' ""f'u" '' W-^Sbank for'Setoia Thf ^''^ ''''''> '^^ "^^^ treated, and so, I have heard, are the men tI u ^ "^'^^'"^ ^''e very well in Pretoria. The officers are in the ftSdei Jk T ^^l ''""" "° ""pleasantness they please in the grounds. ^°'^'' ^'^*=°'' ^"^ ^^e allowed to walk as 1 think that the t!iirr/»n^<... .mder.,a„di„g. UniTMylZf mS"' ''.'°"''"' '"" "»» '""^d by a mis- ho,s>ed by the Irish FusiS' """" P" ""'• ^h. whi.e flag 4s „,, the ff^il^Z^ et;el:te™'S'^he 'T^-°^*= °«-- <'< «ag that th,v set to work and si^^^d 1^^:^:^^ ^^^-^ 50 ; they won't at here are close 'It of wounded officers at any lands of the ' what they e are Boers d Rice, who Boer half-a- the money, siliers, who ibsequently •eventing the rht, marched he mountain led up again he ammuni- i me down. ft was slack me furious. tt direction, ifirmed tlie ingar there ho thought It many of Tendering, heard that ' Comman- le officers same day and next very well asantness 3 walk as by a mis- was not ficers of le white an give The Siege of Ladysmith The final fic^. ., s of the losses sustained at Nifhnlc;r,n'c. m i as lo lows : The total of missing of the ctucestLrs .nd Rot^I T''? and 100 of the men escaped and got back to camp. "^^^*^e" 70 THE SIEGE OF LADYSMITH s4-tin;t!:n':^s-^^^^^ ^olnUn^T'^^^^^^^^ -^ efficienrcom^eted^h: of the ^ace and thf SS^:?t bTsreg^ ''on tt f? storms. Lord VVoSv w 1 ?' "P'?.^'" ?^ ^'"'■"^' ^^under- artilleryfire is Tr mo^al h^aa^^^^^^^^ "^^^ f-' «f its appalling noise the wpJ ,V f j ' '^ '""^ ^"' ^^'^V ^^w. but small piece!. aTd mutiTa'es tt^'h ""^ f'^''' ^""^^^ ^°"^^^ '"^^ strikes'terro; into alTbu The Lutes7he"ar^'"%r''" t '°^^^•^• that the early davs nf th;.\ • ' . '' "^^V ^^ 'magined embarrasW^Sh ate on Po"'r Tl' ^"^" ^^^" ^^'"^^'hat of women, tha thef enaaLS in °hn^^^ "^'•^^^' -^-" ment, quite unmoved ^ ^^'"^ '" '^^ '"'^'^ °^ bomSard- witl^'Lrysn^lrrslme^up^e^d^" Boers had got sufficientlv f^r S' .h . ' undecided whether the whether thf wiref Cd Len cut bv 0^°^' the interruption or scouting parties of the enemy. Tht foers aooKV^*"'' °'' ?"^.^" with a view to burying- their deJfl, • W ^d for an armistice being, as in many p "Sot ^afes of^'? 'f ''^^^'' '"^^^ P'-«^^bly for refitting their Lrvy mms Thi "■ "^'"'■^' ^° «b^^'" time were permitted to bury fhel . Jn *J^""^^7^^« •"^^^sed, but they while. General Joubert's force rece"v."H"f'' ^ ^-^r °^ ^'•"'^^' ^ean- State burghers under he cor^manJnf ^'^^ '"^.'"forcements of Free commandSes from the MiddEw"h t^^T^'.^T'' ""^ ^^^^t'°"^J Schalkburget were expecied ^ Leydenburg districts under Tor^''^^ ^^' V^^ "'^^^ °^ Ladysmith began in real earnest «< T Tom. though temporarily incapaci.ated.'soon"rrsl?d"hr^^^ r i I I II 1 li The Transvaal War l-, e„. l.r»ler.ck Egcn on. of the k^o.r}„TX .„, wounded ''ynmm^i-^r^nr TVPKS or AuM.-...,.o.Ku.K X.v.. ..u, ON Improvise. Cakk.a.e J^» TVPES OP AKMS-4.7-INCH Naval gun on improvised .Mountxno forces in South Africa Rnf M • 'P'"^' '^''^'^^^ ^^^^ the expired afterrn.fhrrs of s^ffednr""'" ""' '"° ^^^^^ "^ ^ The Boers by now had established batteries on Grobler's Kloof EI,es,ner'H?;^r ^o^oAret A!,:ii^,?£ ^J '^T"-"- -^ "^ '•'e first Ear. of s lim Piet." 'Hs a com- be Ion j>-in(r ive of tile bombard- wounded ETSS -*, .rth and Colenso on the south, \\-omen and ch Idren vacated the place, and the trains comin.^ in and out had to rn the gantlet of the lioer l,re both Nordenfelt quick-firing gurand Mauser nlles bemg brougiu to bear on the refugees. ^1^ Bocts however contmued to salute the town without much effect whik; the naval gunners replied with telling emphasis. They succJe ed .ouii:ir1^.^Sl.^:n:|"Xh ^ .STsll^X^frUur: b Captam Percy Scott of the cruiser YernS/,. In re-ard to this I'S^orrrntlr :^'= ^""" -"— " "■' °"i-" ^-^ " Captam Percy Scott, of the Ternd/c; came to the rescue adding, o^ie more to the numerous instances in which this country £ owed invited by the incompetence of the War Office. There is no need to mquire just now into the balance of political and mHtay consider.^ It is enough tha tha policy was definitely adopted in ample time to allow of providmg Ladysmith with the long-range aunfwh ich Ttc Ke's^der' wirr^'^^^^^ r^'-'^'y' ^°'^'"^' ^ afit^""b;hnis z nrce sides. Why were such guns not provided ? Why was it left vith^tl^'i^e^.^stf^de'^^^^ "^•""f ".^^^ '""^ very last momm wiin tne inea i.s of defence.? The conclusions of German milit-irv a ou"; ofV"''' ''"' ^^^" "°^^^. "^y ^" ^h^ --1 tllnte e in^ account of German manoeuvres which we published vesterda nr'p al m favour of saving the lives of the infantry by a v Jry frettse of b t7th VcafisTS f ^'^ ^°""">' ^^?'"^ Udysmill/'^^enis' t°o si" -"- - f onr;i^^^rg.\G^2-s irtnierv gi't^'thft r^'^' ''^S^ """' ^°° ^^"" ^'^^'^^^^^ ^vith fidd- fmp ov^;e out ortheToM. ":i^P- T"' ^^f ^^^'^' J"^^ >" ^--- ^o At ^^^- SSr ::--- ->-srtJ:^^^^^ gunL'rv'Xcer KeTuis"'/'''^-'.'"/^ ^. "^"'^"^"* '",'89'. and in .807 he w..s .pno^nteH sessed honorary certific'ates>rom'7he Rm^lVN^ 'i'^r'' '/ ^"t"''^^ '? f?"""ery. He pos- expenenceofwarser\-ice. ^ ^''*' College, but he had had no previous S3 n^ IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-S) 1.0 I.I ■ U US u u ■ 4.0 L25 iu 1.8 I 1.6 150mm V. e^. :> > ^> /; / / /^PPLIED^- IN/MGE . Inc j^ 1653 East Main street .s^ ^ Rochester, NY 14609 USA -SS*^ Phone: 716/482-0300 •i:='.=B Fax: 716/2S6-5989 1993. Applied Image. Inc.. All Rights Reseived %S^ l\ ^\' is^ k % v\ '^ S'" ! The Transvaal War moved farther south, and Hoer armies continued to close round Ladysmith. Isimbulwana Hill, lying east of Ladysmith, was taken possession of, and a force advancing from Dewdrop, on the west o The town, moved south towards Colenso, and there on high ground posted its guns. Yet, in spite of this, the town showed itself to be "all alive and kicking." Though cut off from the telegraph, it sent out pigeon-posts; though engirdled b- ^oe^rs, it made sorties of the most animated description, and literally laughed at the hint of surrender. On the 2nd, Colonel Brocklehurst made an attack on the enemy's laagers with a force of cavalry, mounted infantry, and mounted volunteers, surprising the Dutchmen and driving them back with comparatively small loss, and on the following day hght- ing lasted for some hours between the British cavalry, supported by field-artillery. Imperial Light Horse, and Natal Mounted Volunteers, and the Republicans. Many shells were pitched into the town, and an artillery duel rampaged with such relentless vigour that the general sensation to those who remained enclosed in the town was as though a thunderstorm with earthquake was passing over the place. Nothing worse happened, and the enemy for a while were driven back to their camp and some thirty or more prisoners were taken. Major Charles Kincaid, ist Royal Irish Fusiliers, with nine wounded prisoners, was exchanged by the Boers for eight of their countrymen in similar plight. Others of them were not fit to travel. The enemy continued active, replacing disabled guns with new ones and dragging fresh powerful weapons to bear on the situation. On the 4th of November they announced their annexation of Upper Tugela, and a counter-proclamation of the nature already quoted was issued by the Governor. , 1 u u j » A large commando of the enemy commenced the bombardment of Colenso, and the troops forming the garrison of that place fell back on Estcourt, where was stationed a force of considerable strencTth. By " considerable strength" it must be understood that the force was sufficiently strong for purposes of defence, though not for purposes of offence. As a matter of fact, the force in Natal was not, and has not since been, sufficiently strong for attack of a toe in such powerfully intrenched positions. From beginning to end our military commanders on that side of the theatre of war were sorely handicapped by the tardy recognition by the Home Govern- ment of the gravity of the situation. But here it is now desirable that something should be said of the early history of the towns of Mafeking and Kimberley, which, like Ladysmith, were by this time almost completely isolated, rails and telegraph wires having been cut around both places respectively. 54 ' close round th, was taken n the west of high ground zd itself to be graph, it sent sorties of the ; the hint of an attack on infantry, and driving them ing day fight- supported by 2d Volunteers, the town, and ^our that the the town was sing over the a while were prisoners were iers, with nine eight of their ot fit to travel, with new ones situation. On tion of Upper ilready quoted : bombardment that place fell )f considerable nderstood that ice, though not ;e in Natal was attack of a foe ginning to end re of war were Home Govern- 3 now desirable if the towns of ;re by this time es having been J je, which was viewed as the key of the position and promptly rendered impregnable. In the north-west corner of the t-own was the railway station, now useless ; on the north-east the convent ; on the south-east, Ellis House ; and south-west, the Pound near which were the quarters of the British South African Police 1 he population ot the town consisted of some 2000 whites, while in the Stadt, owing to the presence of native refugees, there were about 7000 blacks. On the outbreak of hostilities. Colonel Baden-Powell, who had been sent out on special service to South Africa to report on the defences of Rhodesia, applied himself at once to face a situation which made demands on all his extensive capabilities. In the very early days of the investment he got guns into position and made dashing sorties, determining to show the besiegers that they would not have what in popular phrase is known as "a walk over." So 55 The Transvaal War great was the versatility of this officer, that, while these enemetic measures for the protection of those around him were going forward acoutinj^, a work at the moment most interesting and preciwjs to arth^'i'^^ruVe^o^^^^^^^^^^ -tiir' ^-V^^ Major Lord Edward Ce'cnlG;L"dtrGuards^^^ son of tile Pnme Mmister-whose activity and energy w^re remark ab e. even m a comniun ty where tliose qualities were ubiquTtr- and Captain Gordon VV.lson (Royal Horse Guards). witlX vv fe Lady Sarah VV.lson. a lady of much enterprise, to ^hose enereies HorfTsouth sTalrTl-' "//'" ""T"/ «^'-«^here were cSd nore (bouth Staffordshire Regiment), Major Godlev moval n..lilin Fus.l,ers) Captain Marsh (Royal VVest Kent iSment) C^ ta n Sr^rs/'^Lor^VhT' ?'"«-)•, Captain FitSence Vko^LT J^us.liers), Lord Charles Cavendish- Bentinck (oth Lancers) the ton"m^;hl"';^"'^;^Ty. ^^^7^' "^--^^ GuarS). Lieut Snc^le' Z^R^f J't^'^i' "'^'"'.'■y- ^^P^^'" ^'^« Hon. D. Marsham (4th Bedfordshire Regiment . Captain Pechell (3rd King's Rova severl' clnT^'l^'T" ^^'^f "C-)- The^e'were Cf .ndS notllv r I • ^^' ''5'' P'*'''^^ themselves the soul of activity -notably Captain Goodyear. Captain Nesbitt. V.C Lieuts Paton and Murch.son. and several others. Colonel Vyvyen a^d Major Panzera also worked like Trojans to secure the safetv of n\veTv caS ^f 7 °' \''r'"^ fos^ rn.,1 himsdfuTefu in every capacity. Later on he forwarded a description of tho Lannon Kopjc was emrusted lo Colonel Walford and the B S A P roT™ .1 mtrcnched with a Maxim, and 500' yards to the wesf/ronro^Sptrrn'MaS 56 I energetic g forward, Vlanual on recimis to d reading ■ was also he fourth e remark- quitous — I his wife, : energies e Colonel a! Dublin , Captain : (Royal :ers), the ■ Single- Marsham fs Royal addition f activity Lieuts. ^en and safety of ilf useful n of the anisation trown and ian, wiiile Colonel IS reserve sequently by shell- f the close It corner, rrny, who wn to the advance the line. ■; to the mth Fort he stndt, distance, ice Were Marsli's I The Siege of Mafeking post lay Limestone Fort, commanding the valley, on the other side of wh.Vh ln„ the Boer laager and intrenchments. At the south-western corner and on he .dge of he stadt Captain Marsh's fort was situated. The wi°olc of 'he edU ^f he stadt was furnished with loopholes and trenches, and w^s garrisoned bf the No den?o d?"""l'^ ^'''' 'i' '''^'''' ""''' ^""^'^'^ '^- arn,ou?2d tn,cks wit a Nordenfc dt, and Cannon Kopje with two Maxims and a 7.pounder lav ^ he south-east. And now to the immediate defences of the town. At the sou western corner is the Pound, garrisoned by Cape Police under C^Dtain M.r.l ' then eastwards is Earlys Fort, Dixon's Redan, Dall'^Fort.EliSCnef^^ Max.m and Cape Police, under Captain Brown. On the eastern front ^e Lliitson's Kraal, Musson's Fort, De Kock's Fort with Mnvim R /^ Ground Fnrt T,^ ti,» i^f» „f ti ivutK & rort witn Maxim, KecrcaUon orounu i-ort. lo the left of the convent lies the Hospital Fort All tb^*. unless otherwise mentioned, are defended by the Town Guard '° ' to b^^SL«en^^?^" °" '^^ '"'^ '"'!'' t" "P'^^^^ '^at cannot afford v.. • ^f • ' ""'f discovered that two trucks of dynamite were in the station yard, and it was at once decided for the s-rfm of the population that they must be removed. An en^L was therefore, despatched in charge of a plucky driver (Perry for the purpose of conveying the trucks into the open, where they miVM explode without danger to the town. While he was engacr^in the work of deporting the destructive material, the enemy fudden J ^ippeared and commenced to fire. Perry, with the utS coolness a coolness which in the circumstances was nothing less than heroism uncoupled his engine, and leaving the trucks to their Se sZZ2 tt sh'od- Vf'""- Vn '^ ^""'' ••^'^^h ^'^ destination%o::vet he shock of an awful detonation greeted his ears. The Boers had again fired on the trucks, believing them to be full of painters and as a natural consequence, the dynamite had exploded l^ h.J f "''"' ''T^^"'}S f'-o"^ 800 to 1000. now began 'to furbish Itself up, to arm and practise with the rifle. The old forts round the ?^H . 'y '"/"r \T '■"P"'"'' ^"^ '^^ ^'■•^^"'•-d train, with a Max"m\un and a .\ ordenfeldt. was made ready for coming excursions Nmh!n" was neglected. It was well known that the Boers looked upon hf the Protectorate Regim^nran^^t' e Mo^nTerP^^ :e^;:rmo:; glrrSn iXi^ 'd^Tif ^ ^PP^"^' — "'^^ts weJe^ t^ZA^^t 57 ^ iii The Transvaal War all, save the engine-driver, being made prisoners. Lieutenant Nesbitt was wountled and the driver lost five fingers. The latter escaped through hiding himself in the sand and thus avoiding observation. In Mafeking itself the Sisters of the Roman Catholic Convent busied themselves. These noble women refused to leave the place, electing to remain face to face with danger in order to nurse the sick. Many of the houses were converted into hospitals, all the streets were barred with waggons, and even the inhabitants of the town were supplied with riHes and taught the use of them. The telegraph wires were now cut at Maribogo, some forty miles south of Mafeking. The bridge that crossed the Molopo River above Mafeking was next blown up by the Boers with tremendous uproar. Still the inhabitants were not dismayed. They had implicit confidence in their commander and worked incessantly. As a defensive position, Kimberley, whose history will be told later, had the advantage of Mafeking. The refuse heaps from the mines at the former place served as natural fortifications. But Mafeking was in one way fairly secure : its troops, though few, were efficient, and owing to its not being the abode of Mr. Rhodes, it was no longer looked upon by the Boers as the most attractive prize of the war. Besides this, Colonel Baden-Powell's plans of defence were very complete. The town was divided into sections, each one of which had its separate arrangements for defence. The perimeter was about six miles in circumference. Huge earthworks were thrown up. Shelters were built, with panellings and roofings of corrugated iron. Colonel Baden- Powell had decided to hold the town, and declared that if he should hold it at all, his grip should be a firm one. For himself, he constructed a bomb-proof bureau, where his literary work could safely be pursued, if need be, to the accompaniment of a score of guns, and round him were telephonic communications with each of his outposts. He had also a private signaller placed with telescope on the watch to inform him of outside doings and forewarn the garrison in case of assault. Wire communications were arranged so that each discharge of a shell might be reported by an alarum, in order that inhabitants of the threatened quarter might have time to burrow in places of safety. During the daytime the bell of the signaller was actively employed, but at night the Boers seldom bombarded the place, and its inhabitants were free to emerge from their hiding-places and breathe the fresh air. Fortunately in the matter of food much foresight had been exercised. With everything against him, Colonel Baden-Powell had succeeded in making provision for, if necessary, a prolonged state of siege. At daylight on the 14th, the whole garrison was on the alert. Reports declared the Boers to be advancing on the south. Firing 58 i^ ;nant Nesbitt itter escaped observation, invent busied (lace, electing sick. Many streets were e town were he telegraph of Mafeking. [afeking was ir. Still the :onfidence in jive position, advantage of former place me way fairly [\g to its not ked upon by Besides this, iplete. vhich had its i^as about six up. Shelters on. Colonel •ed that if he 3r himself, he i could safely : of guns, and " his outposts. Dn the watch son in case of ach discharge It inhabitants in places of was actively he place, and ig-places and ht had been :n- Powell had olonged state on the alert. Duth. Firing COLONEL ROBERT S. S. BADEN-POWELL, THE DEFENDER OF MAFEKING. I'lDto by KMIolt It Fry, Irtuilon, i ni / The Siege of Mafeking was at the same time lieird from the north, and Lord Charles Caven- dish-Hentmck was reported to be in action. While the firing con- tinued the armoured train was hurriedly got in readiness, and started with the object of engaging the enemy. The crew of the leading truck, " Firelly," consisted of a detach- ment of the British South African Police and Railway Volunteers, Captain Ashley Williams himself being in command, Mr. Gwayne being the driver of the engine, and Mr. A. Moffat acting as stoker. The second truck was in charge of Lieutenant More, an engineer on the Bechuanaland Railway. No. i truck was armed with a Maxim and Its crew mostly with Lee-Metfords. Truck No. 2, which carried another Maxim, rejoiced in the name of "Wasp." A third truck the " Gun," carried a Hotchkiss. The crew of the trucks numbered barely hfteen in each. The train, after passing Lord Charles Ben- tinck s squadron, who hailed it with a cheer and various humorous sallies, came on the enemy, about 5CX) strong, to right front of the trucks. A fierce interchange of bullets followed, the Mafeking party firing with such success that the enemy cautiously withdrew into the dis- tance ; still they kept up a rattling fire against the armour of the train, which careered up and down the line for iome time with imperturbable yet cheerful activity. Presently, however. Colonel Baden-Powell despatched Captain FitzClarence with a squadron of men to cover its retreat, but before this could be effected the Boers agciin appeared, and a determined engagement ensued. Some sharp fighting took place, and Captain FitzClarence, though ordered to return to Mafeking, was unable to do so without reinforcements on account of the number of his wounded. The phonophore having been connected with th. • , (way line, a telegraph message to this effect was sent to headquarters. Thereupon Lord Charles Bentinck was ordered to take his squadron to the relief of Captain FitzClarence. Meanwhile Captain Ashley Williams and a party of the South African Police alighted from the train, and went unarmed to the assistance of the wounded. Among these was Lieutenant Brady of gueenstown. Soon, the helpless were removed into the trucks and the train was steaming on its return to Mafeking after having done great execution among the enemy. Travelling in an armoured train, even when you are not wounded, is scarcely an enjoyable experience ; indeed, it may be described as one of the most superb tests of warrior qualities. The machine itself re- sembles a species of tank-truck, boxed round with seven-feet high walls of iron or steel, without doors or windows, and with no covering for the occupants save the dome of heaven. Yon rlimb in an^l you climb out as you would into a bath, by hanging on to the loopholes made lor the riHes, and planting your feet on the exterior ridges that act as 59 The Transvaal War colour to make it less observable to the encmv ..wll . m.i. „ut from hi, h.L: he Ly find r rail crbahi.dl.im'^^ r or 1: tz:yp^:':s:7'J:::xr^ that the mann.n^r of the town was assisted by vvon en some of whom refused to ^o into laager, but elected to^hanX the'r Lee Mc fords for the protection of then,selves and their cornpanios In the engagement of this day. Lord Charles CavendiTKinck and L.eutenant Brady were both slightly woimded. Ma or lie had a narrow escape, his horse having been shot under hm w lo his water-bottle was also struck bv a bnllef In .1, ""*^'^^'^'"1; Y . ij,, i„„ I, n • 1 •^'•'"i-^ uy A Duiiet. In the evenmp' Colonel Baden- Powell issued a general order congratulating the A and L squadrons, commanded by Captain FitzClarence and Lord Ch\rles Bentnick. and the crew of the armoured train under C-^.it .?n VV;'^ "^'aCIX" t '^^^"' ''' !!^^'^ ""I'^'y ^^^^^^^:^^ ""' th-> fact h .t vv !;"^ r^""' chscomfort and anxiety was occasioned by th. fact that water became scarce m the town, owing to the Boers trLpS ' Stiir'Tl ^ fT?'" ^"^ ^""^^ fhe inhabit: were supplied. Still, as^ Colonel Baden-Powell is an officer of genius full of resource and infinite capacity for taking pains, all 1 ad conl fidence that he would not allow himself to be ov^rc me bv a eniporary difficulty, and that he and his would emege from all he oXd 'of p'h'"' Pearson and his gallant party enferged'o^ Under M.i H ^^^ , .^° '''^ ^^'"'" ^^'^^^^''^V was soon settled Under Major Hepworth's supervision all the wells were cleaned 6o fcty. i'rom 8 down-hill :s of bulk:ts lUcd kliarki the distinc- i of modern •ticiilarly in )VLTed with pc less ob- !ire nothing It may find las been a d him ; he 2 blown up I trap," for : this time "eking rose ith all its II felt that especially began to n was the >h phrase, , some of heir Lee- nions. -Hentinck ior Haillie n"m, while g Colonel A and L d Charles Williams ces. lioned by he Boers habitants )f genius, had con- ne by a from all ^ed from I settled, cleaned The Siege of Mafeking out. and Sir Charles Warren's oKl well n-opencd. On the i6th ot October Commandant Cronje's commandoes took up a |)ositioii amnng tlie thorns above th<' racecourse and opened fire on the town. liien a Ho.t party bearing a Hag of truce was sent by Cronje to demand surremler to avoid further 1)1. )odshed. " CertainK i)ut when will l)Iooilshed begin?" askeil Colon.l Haden-l'owell wh.')' aive to all the Iitili- dodges of his enemies, knowingly kept the liurgher messenger blindfolded while he formulated hi's reply Of course he meant to hold out. and he said so in round terms, and the lUirghcir departed discomfited ami witliout having secured a plan of the fortifications! Subsequently some Boer Krupp batteries Tvim;s of Arms— is-l'oiiNDFR Fiki.d-Gun. I'iioto bv Crirb, Soutiiska, were brought up to cover the town, to impress those concerned and to show that the enemy meant business. But the bombardment so far was not fraught with much damage, for Colonel Baden- Powell telegraphing on the 2ist, thus comically described the situation: " All well. Four hours' bombardment. One dog killed." _ The Boers had now begun to penetrate to Tuli "in Rhodesia. Tuli IS the nearest post on the north to Transvaal territory. It stands on a river that comes down from the Matopo Hills, and joins t'-o Limpopo about twenty miles beyond the town, which commands the cross-roads from the Transvaal to Buluwayo and from Mafeking to V ictona. The troops here were under the command of Colonel 1 lumer, who, from the time that Mafeking was besieged, was un- 6i The Transvaal War Maclaren (13th HCssarsWh; ??,^ ^ '/'^" ^"^ ^'•"d, Captain burn (CanieLiansr cll' Rolf fySH^P'^r;' ^^P^^'" ^^ ment. Lieutenant Ranldn/'rth A s''"'l Lancashire Regi- (Hoyal Irish Regi..ent?tLi've'al'^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ ^'^"^^-^ ^--h on ^R^&'s^^l:^^l^^^^^y was suddenly n.et Dutchmen fired on the D-itrnI Z I- '^^^"""o'^nng patrol. The went off for the purpo^^^^^^^ ^ ^'""^P-'-- Captain Glynn presence of a Bo?r cZj LhhlJJh^^^^^ ^h^ a sn.art skirmish took nhce between? tron'^nl* , ^T ^'^^ ^^'^^ who was encountered at RhodS Dri^ ^.fu"' ^"'^ '^'^ ^"^"^X. troopers were killed and two wounded T^ 'T^' '^'f ^^° up a strong position on a kopje tpoml DnT^ f!?^:^''^^ ^^^^^ tardly manner on Major Pilsen SertrennrQ? ' ^'^"^ '" ^ ^^s- wh.le they were removing dead and^w^ fhepstone. and his party a cart brought for the furnnl 7''^"'^^'^ ^° ^" ambulance and be carried on under the^mor; ^^^ '^T ^^""^ °^ "^^^-^y had to There were also some kirmrshesarc^roTod.'f"^^^'^ ^°"^'^-- tram got within about 1 5 ™vards oV.S 1^ '^^'i ^" armoured of Crocodile Poort. CapS/ Blackburn ^r' ^'^"■- '^''f " "^'^^^ «°"^h wounded and died on the road to T.K (^^^^^'•^"V^ns^was seriously by Colonel Plumer's orders It L c . ' r '^^''^^' '^^ ^"^'^h retired Shepstone. who gallan y cam' LT^'-^'V.'' ?f^ '^^' Sergeant received his commissLn^ ^ ^^P'^'" Blackburn's assistance. r^"urg„x';?8tit:ev:r-IF^^^^^^^ npitred a kopje at Pont^ Drift T.'T' Wh.te and Glynn recon- dififerent side^whereupon a bri^r 1' ^PP''«^'=hing the hill on a their men were shot^b" the enemv ""^r""'"'^' ^^^^ ^^^ °f on, after his reconnaissance L^,^^ P'^ ^°".'' mounded. Later Colonel Plumer returned to T^Rn ^'°"^ ^'^^ Crocodile River, time supposed to have retired fn^?' "°'?T^"^°"^ "^^'^ ^' ^ha Pietersburg or MafekTg. 'cotn d Wkl?'''^"''^^^^ °^ ^'^^^^ by the enemy on the ^rd of Mn, ^P'^^^^'^f X « camp was shelled belonging to^he squU^'n ^rom^^s^l^p^ed'ed^^ ""'^^ ^"^ ^-- To return to Mafeking. The Boer. h.M act.vit.es. and miniature artillerv dn.N: """^ ^^^nn their place between the British and hpL ^^^ continually taking to bear upon the pos t on bv Cronir""^^ .^^°'"" ^^""^ were brough? work to 5o as m£cirrma^e''aTi:sll''Vrf^ ^"^ '"^^y 4'^ but no one was iniur-H f; 1J P"f °'^- ^ ne Convent was h t. «njurv.d. Finally^ after several days of bombard- / lonel Plumer ird, Captain ptaiiT Black- ish ire Regi- ant French Jddenly met atrol. The ptain Glynn :overed the > days later the enemy, It that two wards took in a das- i his party ulance and rcy had to conditions. I armoured niles south s seriously ish retired • Sergeant issistance, 2I Plumer the river. It serious in recon- hill on a 1 five of Later le River, e at that )f either i shelled i horses un their taking brought :y set to was hit, )mbard- / The Siege of Mafeking and on the .;4 of Oc.otrL'n os't\olro"u';^tirL;rcf'="^ made on the Boer trenches by Captain FiuCIarere ^'T , f hoU w,th fixed bayonets, creeping like cats along the veUt Sh on ™,^H ^T™" ™=I«"''ed lest a sound should putZ'enemv Safe"n^c^L.h?'r "dLfrroS'-:, t:'t^^^^^^^ s:n to— iSK xt-a&Sr ■""— - of hostile bullets from the rear of fe Sks ^swine,!?'" ' CeaTfi'e"^ ^"r,' 't^^ ^J,. CaptatatScbr: ce-r'^l^histT Uease hre. Scatter homeward." Under a wlth^r.-^^ c !' nf::^'',t- ""r'f? '^ "'ey wentrrnlne'ce and in^darkness' of Ae LTer a'ntrufne , ^''^ "'^ >''"l''r""'' "-<>" wounded bui ui uie latter all returned, none bemp- eft on thp fi^lrl u may read Colonel Baden-Powells genlral order !- ^"'^ ""^ dash Sh ?hrlhra""c\"Sih:S:^^?s 7:1 ''^ '^'^•^ ^pp"--'^''- °f ^^^ by D squadron of the Protectorate SLn^' ;?'^' 'i^'""^^ °"* '^s' "'ght ported V the Cape PoSTnS St'ra^t^tra'^P^^hf'f 'f""^^' ^"P" was executed exactly as was wint^H =.n^ *t ^"""^y*, ^"e whole operation of several gallant 1 ves we^ent relV "^SS ^"'"^^ ^^''^^ <=°«t action the intention of the enemv to n,?«h fh ?"'* °^^''"^' ^^'"^- ^^y this distance of the town has been cKed^and tSe hr'^'^'^'^l"'' *° ^''*''" ^'"^ tained has given them a whoLome fear "f th. H. ^^r '°'' ^^^' '^^^ ^^^« «"^- had an introduction to cold steersuch as 'm -?^ ""^ ""^ '"""' ^"^ '^^y have face it again. The steadiness of Zr^f n I encourage them willingly to able late? in the nigh rwhen ?he fne J^^H n"'""^ °" ''.' t''' ^'■°"' ^«« "°tice- towhichtheguardiaderep^l'lSTri^/^^^^^^^^ and'^bLTeJtafat^aTstat^^^^^^^ s' ''^ ^", ^°^^^ - ^^« P-'^-". of sixteen shdls onlyTne struck This"!'^^ /''"'" '^' ^°^"- ^^^ huge weapon evident^proveTfwhite dep^^^^^^^^^ '^t^ bes.egers, much to the £v of the besieged ppI a^u-'^ '""^ ^^^ work it. •* ' Desieged, ceased their attempts to attact?trLw„™rom''Xr:Lldes r' "'^^^ ^"^ ''<'" "-'= pulsed by the liritishTaxim? A AhlugrthrteTk'cron" '"^ "■ Powell J, ^^^si^^:s^:^f^j's^-,,^^,'^ 03 The Transvaal War tion, that the Boers, discomlited, declared that the place contained *' not men, but devils ! " On Tuesday, the 31st of October, in the early hours of the morning, some hard fighting again took place. Colonel Walford and his detaciiment of the British South African Police held the fort called Cannon Kopje against an advance of the enemy, made under cover of four heavy guns and one lOO-pounder. The affair ended in an entire defeat of the Dutchmen, but not before some gallant lives were sacrificed. The following order, issued the same day by Colonel Baden-Powell, describes the action :— " Tlie detachment of Britisli Soutli African Police forming tiie garrison at Cannon Kopje under the command of Colonel Walford, have this day per- formed a brilliant service by the gallant and determined stand made by them on their post in the face of a very hot shell-fire from tiie enemy. The intention of the Boers had been, after getting their guns and attacking force into position during tlie niglit, to storm Cannon Kopje at daybreak, and thence to bombard the south-east position of the town and carry it with a large force. They collected in the Moiopo Valley. Tlieir wliolc scheme has been defeated by tiie gallant resistance made by the garrison at Cannon Kopje, who not only refused to budge from their position under a cross-fire of artillery, but succeeded in inflicting such losses on the enemy as compelled them to retreat. In this way they were assisted by the timely and well-directed fire of a seven-pounder, under Lieutenant Murchison. The Colonel Commanding deplores the loss of the gallant officers and men who fell this day. By the death of the Hon. Douglas Henry Marsham and Captain Ciiarles Alexander Kerr Pecliell, Her Majesty loses two officers of exceptional promise and soldier-like qualifications. The Colonel Commanding believes he is giving voice to the feeling of the whole Mafeking garrison in expressing the deepest sympatiiy with the British South African Police in their loss. At the same time he congratulates Colonel Walford and his men on their brilliant achievement." A pathetic funeral followed, the honoured dead being wrapped in the Union Jack, and buried by the grim light of a lantern, while the Rector and Roman Catholic Chaplain each said over the graves the last solemn words according to the rites of his Church. There was no Dead March, nor were any volleys fired, but the dumb grief of the community told its own tale of mourning. KIMBERLEY Kimberley, as has been said, is by no means a picturesque place. On first acquaintance it appears to be surrounded by redoubts or forts, being dotted with mounds of greyish slag, technically called " tailings," which represent the refuse soil from which the diamondi- ferous ore has been extracted. The buildings are somewhat formal and unpleasing, being for the most part of corrugated iron, and conveying the impression that they are constructed with a view to being carried off at any moment. There are a few private residences, 64 :e contained lOurs of the iiel Walford ice held the nemy, made The affair before some ed the same he garrison at this day per- made by tlieni The intention i into position e to bombard force. They ;feated by the t only refused succeeded in In this way 2ven-pounder, 2s the loss of of the Hon. Pechell, Her qualifications, 5 of the whole British South ilates Colonel ng wrapped ntern, while r the graves •ch. There dumb grief ssque place, redoubts or ically called e diamondi- what formal d iron, and h a view to ; residences, t I i-r I Kimberley naJInrinte^.°:c^^^^ all eyes turned Diamond City, under the direction Tr i ^i' t""^ ^^ naturally the to defend itself. The nL£n ,. K °"'' Kekewich, prepared 33.000. of whom 9.0C& Cre Elacks ^''^'^""'"'^^'-^^ ^^"^^ 4000 women. At that Vimelr w. ? V r^T^l^^ *^^'^ '^tter were and Basutos wefe to b^tr^sted and c^ot'^ ^^'^ ?"'"'' Matabeles. Colonel in supreme comSw."f ^^"^^^"^"tly the position of the tunately the placTwas sTocked wi.h"^ ^'^^l responsibility. For- the number of the r^^ulars was I.nl, /T'- ^"? ammunition, though ments of so large an fr^ absolutely madequate to the requi?e- 7-pounder mountain guns 7aio^Ch?ml^'''"'°" ^•''^'"^'■y' -i^h /^ of the 7th Field Commnv Rnv.l ^ ^^'""land.ng ; one section M'Clintock: CaptainToHe a^7 thrpJ"^'""^^^^ ""^''' lieutenant and men of the Army Serv ce cLs ^ndTTT'^''^"^^ ''^'''' companies of the Loyal Nmh Lancashfre L •'''^^"^""'■1 ^"^ ^°"'- Murray ; in all, 564 officers and men Th. .^^^•""f "]' ""^^•' ^ajor Colonel Kekewich North LTn2\-^^^^^ '"'^^"^^^ Lieutenant- Major Scott-Turner Cal H.Vhl ? ^^g'^S^nt. commanding ; O'Meara, Royal Ensin^Jrf (InS^^^ Captain Maclnnes. Royal Fleers Thf"'^ ^^''1' ^"^ Lieutenant called out for active fervLe Jnl/^''T^' ^f^^^' ^^^^ ^rst Fields Artillery, six ^-pound^r fief °^ m"^ ^f '"'^ ^'^^^^ond .4 o^^-^fst-r^^^^^^ Finlfys^n' at Be'atot&rdTrTe^SL^^^^^^^^^ formed Harris commanded the vSunteTs " o.f ^T' l'^'^'- Colonel of the De Beers mines P eS '^T '^"'"^ employees Mr. Cecil Rhodes, who was hShia T^^K "''''^^ '^^ '^^ ^"-"^al of w.rk, and for whose bodT alive oTd^eaS t ''""^ °^ '^'^ ^^^^^ ^'^e- voL. r. ^' ^"^^ °J ^^ad, It was reported the Boers 1^ i ! The Transvaal War offer of ^5000. Tl. -Mllerv wa exercised had sent out defences were erected on au .lues. x.aa. xncl children made haste M.^"" • ^ ^ ^""^-^ T'X^u""' ^"^ '^'^y ^'^ "°^^' ^he Hon. Mrs. Rochfort Magu.re. remained. The Commandant of Kimberley gave orders that trees should be felled and the bush cleared, in order to open a fine field for firing, the garrison to a man exerting themselves so as to give a warm reception to the enemy directly he should show a head above the kopje. On the 12th of October Mr. Cecil Rhodes arrived His entry was somewhat melodramatic, as his train was delayed and spies were actually on the platform lying in wait for him. ^Tr? 'l^ ^^ ""^^ u°' '•^^°g"'-^^d. The magnetism of his presence added fresh zest to the proceedings in the tovvn, while the calm con! fidence of his bearing became absolutely infectious. In fact, he soon delighted every one by stating that he considered Kimberley to be every bit 'as safe as Piccadilly." At this time the town was well provisioned and the mines were kept working. Most of the garrison occupied the brigade grounds, while the detachment of regukrs and the Kimberley regiments were stationed at the Sanatorium. The 1 own-Lruard soon numbered 2000. fh. ^-^11'*"' •''''"? ^°f P'^''^ °" ^"''^y' ^'^^ Hth of October, and on the following day there were more encounters. One squadron in an armoured train was held up by the Boers, and their attack was supported by a second force. The second squadron of the pTo! tectorate regiment grandly repelled the attack. The train, in which were several mperial officers, was uninjured. The Boer artXrv f^sTainTd^Lytr' ^'^ ''''''' -''''''-' ^^'^ "^ ^^^^^ ^^'"^ On the 15th a proclamation was made establishing martial law he d J'^""^ 7^'' ^"^ Bechuanaland. Persons not member of the aefending forces were ordered to register their firearms, and no one was allowed to ^ave their houses between nine at night and SIX m the morning. The canteens without permits were opened only for a few hours during the day. Death was to be the pS- ment for acts contrary to civilised warfare. Fourteen Streams and S"o?Se"rl™^'^'' ^'^ P°''^^ '^^^^'^'"^"^^ -^'-^ ^-- the ^own'^^Tn^o" ,"^^'"^^'" j."^^H order, Colonel Kekewich divided Ip-ainrhoM- s"b-d'stncts, and the people were cautioned against holding communication with the Queen's enemies. The con- sumption of meat was regulated, each man being allowed i lb. dailv while the exports of foodstuffs and forage were prohibited. Roadl were closed, and no one without authority or a permit was allowed to pass m or out. The defences everywhere were strengthened. Un the 2 1 St of October, an armoured train that went nut to reconnoitre discovered the enemy in the pplrrhbonrhnorl r.f c;„„_ 66 cercised and made haste rs. Rochfort gave orders er to open a selves so as )uld show a ecil Rhodes s train was vak for him. lis presence e calm con- ict, he soon erley to be n was well he garrison igulars and ium. The 3er, and on ^uadron in attack was f the Pro- 1, in which sr artillery )re having nartial law lembers of arms, and 2 at night ire opened le punish- reams and iring from :h divided cautioned The coii- : lb. daily, 1. Roads, s allowed lened. nt out to Kimberley .he Queen's enemS woSld be !"mm Jlv ^Zl '""'it "'^'1''"^ and Bechuanalan'd wfLld^eSn unLfe ref fcr,e?r''Hand agam engaged on this date, but only one man w™s knld" V .he railway ilnlttog'c^t noTfh anTsoX. """ ^"""""^'^ '=°"«=* had°a "frtVafd L"n extXrira";,r"?J?r ■■ ^' "■'" '"'"'^"'^^ <--, Colonf.1 ^rr^t, T ^^^^^^'^S^y animated encounter w th the enemv totrcLfSs^Frm: ^ TtVe^thr "ff ' i^tz^ ^^^^i^^^^ LT^ISTnot^yt^^^^^^ guns, two Maxims, and 70 mounted men "^ Murray-wuh two P^r^^^n^^t'l^^^^^ --^^ - - off the found himself in the thick of a Sn! fi l^Vl ^°'°"^^ burner wall 500 yards on his left "°"' ^'^ ^^'^^ ^"''^t ^o"^ a dam ve^'b^rlsk^^tUTd^rf^^^^^^^^^^^ '^^ - '^^ — y' -ho fall back. At thirfuncture tL T u^^'''*^iy^^''^^°'"P^"edto terity were magnifiS ^^°^5 P^^^^k and dex- fixed bayonets, and SnlvZvr^.if''''^ °'^"P'^^ ^^e position, to make^ a stand ^The fi^t rh?I '"""^ ''''"""^"'' '^^ ^"''"^^ success, lasted four long S; Th. ^v'. ^^'^ ^^^ ^ '^""'^"^ and twenty-one woundelwhSthlt of ?£Ir ' '"^' '^'^^ "^'"^^ Commandant Botha was s^d to hf ^''^f^n'^^^ considerable. engagement KiSw as mav h °"^ • ''^.'''""^- during this frantic excitemenT and ^t'he reZn of T^^'"^^' ^^^ in a stite of swarms of people includincr S ?^ ^'^^P' ^^^ ^^^^ed for by received the^^S "dS^J^'j;^"' ^^^ ^''^^ded the trenches and afterward- \<^Tl^ ■ "" S*"^^^ enthusiasm. Mr. Rhodes ment^d themontheirToS!^'^''^'^ to the Volunteers, comph' one man wlTom the Boes wished '^ ^"^ '^P'"'"^^ *^^' ^^^"-^ ^^^ himself Owing to the effidencv of th"" .'^P'^'^l ^"^ '^^^ '"^^ ^^ that he rejoiced in a sense of Tnnfnl f ''''^'- ^°'''^^*-'''' ^^ ^^'^'^'-ed ror the Qieen, the Governor! rterS^He^trerfoT^^^ 67 il i Mi The Transvaal War corps After this things were fairly quiet, though the garrison re- fTomfhro^'^'^'p- ^"•'^ ^[ethuen/it becamelcnown, Smarted from the Orange River on the 22nd. and was daily decreasin/the distance between his relieving force and the town ; ^and in order to meet h.s energetic advance, the Boers were unable to afford a suffi^ cient number of troops to force the town into surrender So K^m- berley kept up us spirits-it viewed life with "one auspicious and TrnfrZeXr l^r"^'"^.^'^ '^•^^^^^ °f ^"- witf thrchfme 01 marriage-bells. This is no figure of speech, for there was actually Tn £"fo7e'7mrf • 1 '''"''' ^^'"/^-"^ ^i- to be romanS in their Jove amid the storm and stress of war. A dance and a concert also took place. Indeed, things were conducted wkh An Armoured Train such high spirit and m so convivial a manner that it micrht have been imagined that the Boers were commissioned to sunnlv the fireworks, and that a species of " Brock's benefit " was So^ cTmoutTdT •'"'"'• "r •"'^'•"^^ '^ "- monoSnou . Repo^r? computed the investing force at 4000. and it was further stated that General Cronje's commando would be reinforced by the arriva of :rsali^Trmory?h'''^^^>.'. ^'?'^, ^°^" smilL witWnTt el ana said Ihe more the merrier." Colonel Scott Turner made a reconnaissance on the ist of November, found the enemv nosTed on for'cTfn Tf^tv^trthe .t' f^^" t\'^' rTtSwfh h^s SdCntn M' I • u 4th °f November Commandant Wessels mvited Colonel Ivekewich to hand over the troops and town on pain 68 garrison re- had started creasing the , in order to fiford a suffi- So Kim- picious and li the chime vas actually be romantic dance and lucted with Kimberley ight have :o Supply- was got Reports tated that arrival of :hin itself :r made a posted on 1 with his Wessels 1 on pain of bombardment. The exact terms of the invitation are not known but some portions of the communication were as follows :— "In case your Honour should determine not to comply with tin's demand I hereby request your Honour to allow all women aSd child en fo e"ve Kimberley, so that they may be placed out of danger, and for this pur^se your Honour is granted time from noon on Saturday, November T fsoTfn tit^'l ^H ^^°"d-y' November 6, ,899. I further give^otice That dur nfth t frn^ K-f ^^ '^^^y^° """""'^^ ^" Afrikander families who wish to remove The Boers soon began to receive the reinforcements which have been ment.oned. These came from the direction of Mafek ng that place havmg proved too much a "spitfire" for their liking ^ As a last resource, they directed their attention to Kimberley and bv s'oLd in T'"k' 'TT ^°"^ ^'"^ "°"h of dynamUe ^'hkh was stored m some huts belongmg to the De Beers Company. While the e exctmg events were taking place, and with the roar of in te! mittent explosions in his ears. Mr. Rhodes pursued a placid way ii .t 'r"^^'^ eminently horticultural-at least so they appeared which hrrfi?H"'-r^'?^ ^'""'^^^ ^' Kenilworth, the^sEb which he may be said to have created, in planting an avenue a mile long with orange-trees, espalier vines, and peppef-trees It was "enf and fKli^r""? ^""^ "^^ -^^-tio'n'in the arrange! ment, and the mind instinctively con ured up visions of mvsterv— Eg7indTr:^nSn^.^^'°"^^' ^"' ^^^"^^"^' '^^^ ^P- °^ ' ^u- h.-n.^^^K !'T ^^u ^'^"S^^ ^'^^••' ^J^'^h came in by fits and starts hinted that after the evacuation of Colesberg would come the aban donmen of Stormberg. Stormberg was infended toTe the dep6t' the ThtTn-"- '• ^'"•^""r"' ^"d a" the commissariat details of tLI I '"°" ""'^^'" ^^"^'■^' Gatacre would be accumulated These stores, owing to the Boer advance from Bethulie aj AHwal dZn'ZIL':""' '""^ ""°"^^ ^° Queenstown. some sixty mHei 69 CHAPTER III 1^ ) i NATAL IN consequence of the incursion of about 3000 refugees— some of them most undesirable in character— :t was deemed expedient to issue a proclamation of martial law in Natal. This was followed by the seizure of the Transvaal National Bank at Durban, a most exciting episode, which caused quite a ferment m the town. All around the offices a curious and somewhat rowdy rabble congregated, and it was found necessary to guard the premises with Bluejackets and marines. However, after the place had been searched, the men, looking strangely transmogrified in their kharki, returned to Her Majesty's ship Tar/ar, and affairs went on as usual At the Cape, owing to widespread rumours of disloyalty. Sir Alfred Milner issued the following proclamation, dated October 28 :— " Whereas it has been reported to me that a proclamation has been made by or on behalf of the Government of the South African Republic purporting to declare as part of the territory of the Republic certain portions of that part of this Colony situated north of the Orange River, and which have been invaded by the forces of the said Government ; and whereas it is necessary to warn all Her Majesty's subjects, especially those resident in the aforesaid portions of this Colony, of the invalidity of such proclamation : "Now therefore, in virtue of the authority committed to me as Governor of this Colony, I do hereby proclaim and make known that any such proclama- tion, if made, is null and void and of no effect, and I do hereby further warn and admonish all Her Majesty's subjects, especially those resident in the afore- said portions of this Colony, that they do, in accordance with their duty and allegiance, disregard such proclamation, as being of no force and effect whatso- ever, and observe their obligations to her Majesty, her Crown and Government, and in no way voluntarily accept or recognise the Government of the South African Republic in any part of this Colony which may have been proclaimed territory of that Republic. "And I do further warn that any one failing, in contravention of the law, to obey the terms of this proclamation, will render himself liable to be prose- cuted for the crime of high treason." To Mr. Chamberlain he wrote on the subject on the same date : — " It is impossible accurately to find out what has happened as regards the alleged annexation by the Government of the South African Republic or Orange Free State of portions of the Cape Colony. " No copies of any proclamation by either Government to that effect have 70 «4- Natal es — some of d expedient This was lal Bank at :e a ferment what rowdy he premises e had been heir kharki, on as usual Sir Alfred 28:— IS been made purporting to that part of jeen invaded r to warn all 1 portions of Governor of :h proclama- further warn in the afore- eir duty and fleet whatso* Government, )f the South 1 proclaimed of the law, to be prose- the same regards the c or Orange effect have •&r reached me !.erc but news coming from various parts of districts west and nonh of K.mbcrlcy clearly show that the people there credit the annexation " It seems, however more probable on the whole that it is the Government VadRiver "'" ^ ""*"'"'' *""' '"'""''"'^ "'" '^'''"'^' "^"'' °f '^'^ "With the consent of Ministers, I issued yesterday the proclamation con- tamed in my previous message, m order to check the mischief which this wide- spread report is causmg." Apropos of Sir Alfred Milners letter, it must be mentioned that several of the Bechuaiialand Dutch had openly joined the Boers • and on the occasion of the hoisting of the Transvaal flag in Vrv- burg, Commandant Delarcy took occasion to deliver himtelf of an effective speech, m which he said that the flag of the country was now floatuig over the whole Orange River, and that the flag o*" Britain would never again do so unless it were hoisted over the dead bodies of the Burghers. At Klipdam also the Boers put in an appearance, and celebrated their incursion by holdinjr at homes in the Magistrates' Court; but hearing of the British successes at Kimberley. and judging discretion to be the better behind '''' ' ^^^^""Ped northwards, leaving food and stores The disaffection of the Dutch was as yet almost confined to the western border. On the eastern side the inhabitants for the most part were staunch. Indeed, in the history of the war the splendid loyalty of Natal as a whole will ever be remembered. Her trials were niany and her faith almost sublime. Weekly the Times of Natal had poured forth its plaint on the dilatoriness or insouciance of the Imperial Government, yet nothing was done till those who put their trust in the good faith of the mother country were de- prived of home and fortune, and in their bitterness were tempted to declare that British protection was as Dead-Sea fruit~a profitless show, that was apt to turn to ashes in the mouth. The followincr letters serve to show the attitude of a staunch loyalist under the severe strain put upon him, and they are quoted because they are tlinHf^he rf "'j"'r' ^""^'^X ^"^ ^•'^--' '^"^ -' ^he geLral feeling of the Colony m those months of supreme trial. One letter, dated October 27. began :— l..nr7i°^^ '""^''^ '^"°'^^ ".P ^^ Ladysmith have been fighting all day. We heard their cannon even after dusk. What is the resull, I wonder' I fear we shall not hear till to-morrow. That essential but mos ag^ravat ng censor ^rr,? f K^'' ^"^ ^'"^^^ "P ^"'^'^ e^bled accounts of^fheactufl facts h^llTtl^r^'''' ''"°^/^ ^'■"'^- • • • There is little chance of ol; or surrender and^^tlnT *" .^'^'"^ ^^is place. It simply mean, evacuation E^Tandf retr?rm^^^^^^^ ^'^ ^^^"^^^^' «^^ ^° "P"' « ^^^'-^ ' 71 i h i '■ I ; ; 1. The Transvaal War The next letter, dated Oe- ber 31, said •— knows into wLsc handstfe's let er nnv ?,n 'Y '°° "'"'^^' •'''' °'"= "^^'^•• are as severe in suppressing the knowi",!^ '?' | """^ °"/ ^^" "oble defenders movements of the forSs as ."1 ene^!^^^^^^^ the true facts of the battles and is with the English Si ^If n^^ Tn^ P°'f' ^'^ ^- Ilovvever, the game This shocking Sght of wome^anS^XiM^^^^^^^^^ " '"=''''""= Colony is safe, to witn. ss. Shame on the^Sri, r '^'°'" '°^" "'^'^'' '°«" '« '0° awful of this bloody struggle and IcTve th^T.S?' r° "1^^' °"'- ^^'^^^ "'« ««"« ported. unpre^red-u^prepareTas us a^ °/ ' "f ''.^' °"' "" ""^"P" little overcrowded, ovcr-coEabL U nn7 j"r^ ""^ self-confident in the which unfortunare'coEstrarrefpo^e'fa^rt: tJet^^^^ ^^ ^'^'^ '^°'-^°" ^° wro;^^?:;;-^^,!^^,^!!;^ P^^- ^^^^'- ^--y. Natal, of hVu'eTnStmTl^^h: cTrseS'BoerV^ °"i.'^^'"^ ^-" '--'^ -t to Pietcrmaritzburg I and foifr oth^rr ^''^^ '"^i'" '"^^ ninety-one miles our posts till the last We had L rideTr"'"'"l°'"'^'H^ '^"'^ '° '■^'"«'" «' these times. We waited a^Lsft.!^ 1 7 ""^ ''''"• ^ "^^^'^ shall forget have a shot at VheXLIuu rd of J:;:°"^ enough for the five of us to them to the Volunteer camDe1^hSnn,^T we captured two, and rode with felt like shooting any one bef°l"-^^ P?"'^'-°y. ^t Tugela. I never myself and the magistrate." commando of about 400 came down for a v&fo pa;ti:iPetrthe Si^ 7T'' Y''''' ^"P^^-^^' there stated th JttlF raisi.ng of the volunteer regiments meaner : u.ou^ „o" os^fe Zer "^JZn """ *'"' °^'""»^'' ""^ hund'K „. V, oflhem N,>, , , or bellowing gun was within a specimens of w'^SL decided .^ rSn wlraTh'"^ '"''' ""."^ .han accept the dubious shelter ofeJXT b^^e Bo% g^jr*" f Ml !l joy with the :li divide us pain. I am lity. ... I rm.ition, for rtcd by the one never 2 defenders battles and r, the game )ny is safe, s too awful Y the scene all unsup- ient in the horrors to y, Natal, turned out -one miles remain at lall forget : of us to rode with I never down for )remacy, igiments I, three- the rate 'rps of IS com- e place, worthy, service, ne eye- air and -calmly iry de- k'ithin a anifest. h noble ; rather sral. Natal member^d in Ibis coi^Lt bn.' Fi X the "S ts'h'iv '^ h".'^' "' «.< I nes with th«« Mnf.rc TU 1 ^^' ^"^5"'^""'^^ "'i^' had many and intrenched; Newcastle harhlln'nK 5 ^ J r? , '"^ 'opholed are ca m and orderly the Pr^.. a- -l j , . ^ "^ tow nsfolk pay. The Volunteers and Tn r'^T ^u'^^ ^'" ^^''^^ ^'-'^^t men." Of the eSence ofTh?" •^•"^'''^^. ^.^^' '^^''' Parts !ike deal remains to be sa d A^ nr.l'?7h'' °^ '''" ^^^^^'"^"^ ^ S 'eat The arrival of ^Tr%. l ^ I n^ '^^ ^^"""^ "^"^^ proceed. October waTa signarfo^l;^^^^^^ Cape Town^n the 31st of to overflowing. aS cheer afrer.J-'^V ^^l '^'^""'^ ^^''^ ^^'-^ As the Genemf drove to Sver^^^^ criesof-'AvengeEL-'and^r ^"°"'^,^ ^^^ ^^''^^ted by of emotion expanded and" th? • 7' ^^"^""^^ ' ^"^ ^y the amount it was plabXleCattlon!^^^^^^^^ prepared "to bet thdr^ bo«Z H^^^^^^ Red^ers Duller a^d Mn Thorn's SiL ^ ^'^ ^°"''"^^'°" °^ ^'^ divilV'oVNltal^^te^FrL^S^^^^ ^'^^ ^PP- Angela Colesberg Bridge. somrei^tPPn' ^^'•7^°7. ^nd they seized berg, whfre the^r;ad Tetv een that^H.."°"^ vi-r^ T"" ^^ ^'^^^'^ Orange River. However. I" ^ttTv'-!:'^''^^.'''' -^K '^' ana Stromberg were still held by our ' force. th.1''t l:.f^'^^'S> mamed confident. Yet reoorts of fh« R J ^ inhabitants re- et reports of the Boer advance on Colesberg ,, i The Transvaal War were scarcely reassuring, and rumours of increased disaffection among the Dutch farmers in this region were rife. It was a curious fact that some of the Boers started from Johannesburg for the frontier wearing in their hats the national colours, red, white, and blue — and green, with above them a yellow band, thus completing the insignia of the United South Africa for which they were to fight. It would be interesting to know how the red, white, and blue became associated with the green, and whether Aylward, the agitator, and his Fenian friends introduced it for the purpose of giving prominence to the sympathy of the Anti-English brotherhood in the Emerald Isle. The disloyal Natal Dutch, such of them as there then were, were distinguished by a red rose badge. These signs were of no consequence in themselves, but they served to demonstrate the preconcerted nature of Boer actions, which were supposed by certain persons to have been a sudden and spontaneous outcome of British oppression. Racial feeling grew stronger and fiercer day by day, and Mr. Kruger's threat to "stagger humanity" was by some declared to be within an ace of being fulfilled. The Boer is inherently as tough as the Briton, and as obstinate : he was now well equipped for warfare, well led, and the chances of a terrific and bloody struggle seemed hourly to become more and more certain. Fortunately, each day brought our troops nearer to the Cape, and after the 9th of November they began to disembark — a total, so far, of 1 1,000 in all. At first sight this military multitude seemed an imposing addition to our force, but, in view of the losses we had sustained and the general complications of the position, some 100,000 was nearer the figure required. However, the Home authorities chose to send out their help in driblets, and the same Home authorities were supposed to know how the driblets might be adequately disposed. It was only to the ignorant " man in the street " that the problem of how to meet the massed armies of the Boers with diffused handfuls of troops became incomprehensible. Among the misfortunes with which the British had to contend was the unfit state of the horses after prolonged travel. Horses are intensely liable to sea-sickness ; they also suffer much from being cribbed, cabined, and confined for any length of time ; and the difference between the state of the Australian and the British animals on landing was very marked. The former were in good working fettle, while the latter had swollen and stiff joints, and were generally below par. The New Zealand chargers were all that could be desired, and they made an exs-ellent show when compared with those of some of the other mounted regiments. Horse-sickness had also to be contended with, and It was with great difficulty averted. Some of the officers, however, discovered that by keeping the horses 74 ^ d disaffection started from ; the national ;hem a yellow Lith Africa for know how the , and whether iced it for the Anti-Ensjlish 1 Dutch, such ;d rose badge. It they served s, which were d spontaneous day, and Mr. declared to be :ntly as tough equipped for oody struggle tunately, each ;er the 9th of f 11,000 in all. ng addition to nd the general rer the figure send out their : supposed to It was only )f how to meet fuls of troops id to contend Horses are h from being me ; and the British animals 2^ood working A'ere generally :hat could be red with those :-sickness had culty averted, ing the horses Rt. Hon. SIR REDVERS HENRY, BULLER, K.C.B., V.C. Pilot, l,y Ki.lsl.t, A ,.,|,„t. I i 5 I. I :i, , Natal protected by their nosebags during tiie dewy hours of early morning the liability to the complaint was lessened. The question of horses was a serious one, almost as important as the question of o-uns The exceeding mobility of the Boer army for long had been a mlitter of surprise, it not to the initiated, at least to the general public and as it later appeared, to the Government itself. They had sent out miportant generals and learned tacticians, and a fairly large and unwieldy mass of men, who were bound by their healthy appetites to stick to their base and hug the railway lines, while the enemy shifted about with the most annoying and confoundino- velocity delighting to deceive as to their position, and in their deception being for the most part eminently successful. There is a passage in the Scriptures that mentions that "the king of Israel is come out to seek a Ilea as when one doth hunt a partridge in the mountain " and this quotation on the approach of our weighty military machine, the Boers, ever Biblical, must have been inclined to remember and to appreciate. The opinion seemed prevalent, particularly in Colonial circles, that iinghsh generals, in consequence of their European or Indian ex- periences were unequal to a struggle with the "slim" and shifty Boers. Laings Nek, Ingogo, and Majuba had all proved that some extraordinary weakness, either tactically or mentally, seemed to possess the bravest warriors in the face of this incomprehensible foe. bmce the date of Majuba the ways of the Boers had become still niore of a conundrum. They had kept up their habit of sharp- shooting, and had acquired an insight into German tactics. For all that, on occasion certain of their old commanders resorted to the primitive tricks of the Zulus, and advanced in horn fashion, keeping one horn in ambush as long as possible, so as to create a surprise fo> an unprepared enemy Even to eminent tacticians like General Uery and others, the blend of modern German and antique Zulu in the ordering of war must have been confounding, and it is scarcely surprising that they took some little time to master the subject. 1 he landing, on the 8th November, of the Naval Brigade with twen y guns for the defence of Durban was a move in the right direction, and the arrival and marching in of the brigade was an inspiri ing sight. The streets swarmed with an enthusiastic multi- ude that welcomed the jolly Jack Tar with delight, and cheered f^lJlT'^^i'-u""?' drowning the vigorous strains of the band of the Terrt6/e. which played outs.de the Town-Hall. Captain Percy Scott of the Terrid/e, inventor of the now celebrated gun-carriages, replaced Major Bethune as commandant of the force! defending he port while the Uuter officer rpturnprl t^ tl - ^- *' V*^ F"f^» Uitlander corps ''" ^''"'^ command of the The tide of reinforcement now began to flow evenly into Cape 75 \ < s The Transvaal War Colony and Natal, and there was great excitement owin^ to the arrival of the Afcor which left Southampton on October fhe 2 st Among those on board were Lieutenant-General Lord Methuen commandmg the F.rst Division of the Field Force ; Majo -General General Sir W^fT^"^'"^ '^^ ^.^^"^"^ ^'^•^•°" = ^"^ Major- t^eneral Sir W. F. Gatacre, commanding the Third Division • and a large number of officers for service on the Staff. '^''^'^'''" ' ^"^ THE INVASION OF CAPE COLONY The position of affairs in the direction of the Orange River was at first somewhat stationary. The British were awaiting thL aS of troops and keeping on the alert ; the Boers were mal^ina procla mations and annexing adjacent villages "WKin^ procia- A column from Cape Colony had started, and more trooos were pushing up as fast as train could carry them in thH rec foTof De stT r^i"""" ^T ^ ^^''''^ officer from that place describes the state of affairs on the 20th of October. He said •— "'"''""^^ ^"^ Tn^*"" F'^''^ '' ^u ^^ t ^'^ ^^^^ ^^^"^ 'he British troops arrive- 10.CXX) are to come here, but are not expected for at least a month' At present we are the only regiment here^ and have to keep the Hne have not foTh.rf" '^' V ^°"'"f "? ^^'^ '^' ^°'°°° 'roTp We have not got half enough men, as the front of our position is neariv five miles, and we cannot watch it properiy. Our position s strong as long as we can hold the hills ; but if the Boers^c^n Tet art lerf near us. they will wipe us out in a few hours without gefthg^th J rifle range at all, as we have no guns ourselves. We keep on tele graphing for them, but the officials at home and at Cape Town do not seem to understand the position. The worst of this placeTs tha^ onirj%"°' ? '"y"' "!^'"^ "'^^•" '^'^'y '"iJes of us and they are only waiting for a good opportunity to rise. We can onlv be readv for them-that is. we cannot attack them, as they Save7ot vet de^ dared openly for the Transvaal, though they are^all spies andVivJ the Boers information on all our dispositions." ^ ^ fro.itc T^'' ^^"f' "^^ ,^"^ '^^ ^^y^^'^ of all our subsequent troubles. The complete and almost absurd confidence of the Bridsh <"vT?-^ ^A '' V' ^y ^"^°"^ ^'^h°"' ^'^dom or act vity was a words were writtnT "'"• ''^^P'>^ ^^'^^ "^ ^^^-^^ sin'c'eXs^ r rpnX Z f/' ?" arrogant under-estimation of the enemy syste^of c'rrvinS I? P'P^'''"^^ 'P' ^'^^' ^"^ ^ parsimonS ever T^ Z ''''^^"S^ °"' '^ose preparations when attempted. How- ever^ it is useless to cry over spilt milk. c.r,, . thoroughly appreciate the situation at this period it is neces- sary to understand the direction in which our troops wei^e moving. 76 I )wing to the 3er the 21st. rd Methuen, ajor-General and Major- ivision; and River was the arrival procla- king troops were ction of De escribes the )ops arrive ; St a month, eep the line ■oops. We 3n is nearly 'n is strong yet artillery- ting within ep on tele- 2 Town do ilace is that id they are 'y be ready lot yet de- s, and give subsequent he British, ity, was a ince those he enemy, rsimonious ;d. How- t is neces- e moving. The Invasion of Cape Colony Modder River, Hope Town, and Orange River are situated on the railway between Kimberiey and the junction of the lines which run south to Cape Town and Port Elizabeth respectively. De Aar of which we began to hear so much, is an important station at the apex of Ihl ll^?^f\r' ^^^••Soo miles from Cape Town, and here towards the end of the month of October many troops were congregating. Here, though no hostilities were actually taking place, there was a good deal of simmering activity ; for it must be remembered that De Aar Junction was our advanced supply base in the Colony, and owed hVSrijrP^""' t'""' this critical period to the fact'that it was the junction of Cape Town and Port Elizabeth railways. It is situ- ated about sixty miles from the Orange River and Free State border Ihe contrast at this time between camps British and camps Dutch in the neighbourhood of the bo der was curious. The Boll were prepared, taking their ease. The British were in suspense! Disaffection was visible on all sides, and yet inaction, irritating sand storm'^'hl °^^'^^'°7- ^^^'"'"§^' "°°"' ^"'^ "'ght a perennial sand-storm blew; overhead, the sun grilled and scorched. Meals ed bles, and liquid, were diluted with 10 per cent, of grit, and when perchance Tommy strove to strain his hardly-earned bee;-to make a filter of a butter-cloth-phut! would come a gust of w nd and bring the experiment to a melancholy conclusion.^ Poor Thomas's temper was much tried! He was, of necessity, an exceernSv temperate fellow in those days, but when he goVa pot of bee? he preferred it to be beer, and not porridge. He did not rel sh in his mouth the same thing that the wind was distributingbpariaHy into Z"r T'"^ Tt- n"- '"'^ tf ^°"'^ '^^^ '"-^t the p^ores-eZgh of that to suit his hking. But he was no grumble?, as a rule He worked hard and incessantly. Colonel Bafter determ nfng to keen ? wrne°cest:vT:tkr "^'^'^ '""''"^''y ^"'^^ "P toThe mark' 11 was necessary to take every precaution against surprise and for TnZTrt^ °^'"''' '^'""^^'" ^t^^"^"y °" ^he ^«/S It needed considerable tact to order sufficient work, and only suffic ent iV 77 I 111 The Transvaal War But the Boers were not far off. They were encamped close to the border. One adventurous individual, for his personal satisfac- tion, performed the feat of travelling north and swimming across the Urange River to reconnoitre. In the darkness of the night he stole out, plunged cautiously into the river, clothes and all, and swam safe y to the other side. Then striking out in a north-easterly direction, he made for a small kopje overlooking the Boer camp Meanwhile the moon had sailed out, and began to throw a sheet of silver over the panorama. Below, the three lines of tents were outlined, and these were flanked and interspersed with multitudinous waggons, which formed a chain almost along the entire length of the valley. In the early dawn more objects became discernible, the flickei- ing red tongues of the camp-fires, the winking eye of a lantern that hung from a pole. By this illumination it was possible to note the general scene of disorder. Scattered garments and goods in promis- cuous array— ammunition and provisions, harness, saddles, biltong and gin-bottles— a multifarious, slovenly litter, shed here, there, and everywhere. Only two sentries were visible, and these our friend stealthily evaded. One Cerberus sat on the ground with his back planted against a waggon wheel yawning dolefully, and farther on slouched another, hands in pockets, head on chest, walking back and forwards with the air of an automaton. The individual creep- ing past them, close under their noses, smiled softly to himself. How simple to sweep off a dozen or two of the inmates of the camp before these so-called sentries recovered from their dozing. Fifty men and fifty bayonets could have got in without difficulty, and the rout of the rebels would have been an affair of moments. Now per- haps befo-e nightfall the whole commando would have melted away ' Presently at the bottom of the kopje came horsemen— some five of them— galloping along, and the adventurous one made haste to hide. The Boer patrol passed within some two hundred yards of him, and he was safe. It was now time to hurry off. The day was breaking. Again a plunge into the icy river, again a fight with the racing current, again a safe landing, ihis time on the British bank. bo the escapade ended, but it enabled those interested to form a fair Idea of the lack of organisation among the Dutch, and to argue that It once they should leave their naturally strong fortifications "and mtrenchments, the first united and sustained attack on the part of the British would mean their certain discomfiture. At the end of October the Border Regiment arrived upon the scene. The Yorks almost immediately struck camp and prepared to entrain for Orange River ; but presently a counter-order arrived, and, much to their regret, the regiment again resumed its former routine. 1 he place at this time was under military law, and precautions were rigorously taken against spies. The railway stations were 78 nped close to anal satisfac- r>g across the :he night he and all, and lorth-easterly Boer camp. )w a sheet of tents were aultitudJnous length of the e, the flicker- lantern that ; to note the Is in promis- lles, biltong, 2, there, and s our friend ith his back i farther on alking back idual creep- to himself, of the camp zing. Fifty Ity, and the Now, per- lelted away ! — some five de haste to 2d yards of he day was ht with the ritish bank, form a fair • argue that :ations "and the part of d upon the prepared to rrived, and, ler routine, precautions tions were t '# The Invasion of Cape Colony place. Tremendous labour came on the hands of lS -Ge L S ^p" Forestier Walker, who took trips aloncr the lin..c V^f '^^"^'^-^l^"^,^^- to ascertain .hat all arrangemen';: we^halbfX '°"'"'""''''"°" ..on began to assume an air of ^o 'deXl ll^^otn'if Irn^Te' TYPES OF Arms-The Maxim Gun. Photo bv Gregory. London mnoyations was a branch of the Standard Bank adjoining Fried- gigantic military operations. The outlying farms werf im Jn f 79 r.) ! I The Transvaal War tude. Their sole obvious desire was that patrols should not omit to close the gates after them whenever they chanced to pass through their domains. The Border Regiment soon after its arrival moved to Naauwpoort, and a battery and a half of artillery swelled the little garrison. The development of the place now went on more rapidly. Mr. E. F. Knight, the brilliant correspondent of the Morning Post, wrote an interesting description of thi"^ now important loca- lity only a few days before he had the misfortune to lose his arm through the treachery of the Boers. He said : — " The township, which surrounds the railway station, is merely a congrega- tion of a few houses belonging to people connected with the railway. It stands in the midst of a desert — a dusty, treeless plain covered with sparse low sage brush and enclosed by rocky ridges. The camp is ever increasing in size, but, as I write, it consists of two encampments, one to the north and one to the south of the township, all the troops being under canvas. In the North Camp are the 2nd Battalion of the King's Own Yorkshire Light Infantry, eight hun- dred strong, and a field-battery and a half-battery (15-pounders), and in the South Camp, in which I have pitched my tent, is the remount camp, with a company of the Army Service Cr- ^, a supply detachment of the same corps, with a field-bakery, two half-seciions of the Royal Engineers, a company of the Army Ordnance Corps, and a detachment of the Volunteer Medical Staff Corps. A wing of the Berkshire Regiment has also just come in from Naauw- poort, which we have abandoned as being untenable by the small force which could at present be spared to defend it. There are at De Aar now about two thousand men all told, including Major Rimington's two hundred scouts. More artillery is expected from Cape Town, and by the time this letter reaches England we shall probably be largely reinforced. Several redoubts, lines of intrenchments, and sangars on the heights protect the camps, and a few small guns have been posted on the neighbouring kopjes. The surrounding country is being well patrolled, and we cannot well be taken by surprise. ... In short, one sees here all that skilled, laborious, indispensable preparation for the cam- paign of which the British public knows so little, and which never receives its due credit at home. " It is wonderful, indeed, that the Boers did not attempt to seize this valuable prize a week or so ago, when the camp was practically undefended, and when our officers, momentarily expecting attack, were sleeping in their boots. Our position is far from secure even now ; our force here is insignificant, and it seems that the Boers are getting nearer. They have crossed the river at various points. " Our scouts have been in touch with their commandoes. We have had some false alarms since I have been here ; it is rumoured to-day that they are close to, and that the attack on De Aar is but a question of hours. But still the heavily-laden trains come in with their valuable freight and the military stores accumulate. It is to be hoped that we shall have the men, too, without delay." In the above words we have, repeated, the story of suspense and anxiety that was told by one and all who had the misfortune to spend October and November on the Transvaal border, a story of brave Britons, practically unarmed — heroically valorous but im- 80 1 jld not omit to ) pass through arrival moved veiled the little 1 more rapidly. ' the Morning mportant loca- D lose his arm srely a congrega- lilway. It stands sparse low sage sing in size, but, 1 and one to the the North Camp intry, eight hun- lers), and in the mt camp, with a the same corps, rs, a company of ;er Medical StafT : in from Naauw- small force which r now about two ed scouts. More lis letter reaches edoubts, lines of and a few small ounding country e. ... In short, tion for the cam- ever receives its ipt to seize this r undefended, and g in their boots, insignificant, and ssed the river at . We have had Jay that they are jrs. But still the le military stores ), without delay." if suspense and misfortune to "der, a story of 3rous but im- SERGEANT OF THE KING'S ROYAL RIFLES. '■''"'" '■)■ ' 188^. He was promoted C.-iptain in 1892 and passed through the Staff College with 'honours. He served with the 13th Soudanese 15attalion in the Dongola Expeditionary force under Lord Kitchener in 1896, and acted as Brigade-Major to Colonel H. ^L^cdonald at the eng.igements of Abu Hamed, Rerbor, Atbara, and finally at the battle of Omdurman. In recognition of these services he was three times mentioned in despatches, promoted as Brevet- Major in March 1898, and Brevet Lieutenant- Colonel in November 1898, and received the Khedive's medal with four clasps. He acted as A.D.C. to Lord Loch when Governor and Commander-in-Chief of Victoria from 1887 to 1889, and subsequently at the Cape of Good Hope from 1889 to 1890. Colonel Keith- Falconer was the eldest son of the late Major the Hon. Charles J. Keith-Falconer, son of the seventh Earl of Kintore. 82 The recon- ul' the 9th i Northiiin- With these ;ry of field- north side ; daybreak, ilry formiiitj J and j^uns. reached at The troops miles back, went east, e object cf enemy, and nense force 5ome smart eld artillery of mounted his laager, lich Colonel Lieutenant e head, and siliers were id attracted Ti of bullets n were dis- )locked the sments was of culverts troops, and in. ant ofificers le powerful :onnaisance oljer i860, was jtecl Captain in 15th Soudanese j, and acted as Berber, Atbara, las tlirce times vet Lieiitenant- sps. He acted ia from 1887 to Colonel Keitli- 'alconer, son of The Invasion of Cape Colony had a narrow escape, and experiences m..re excitin- than pleasur- able Larly m the mornmjr h.- had j^one on ahead of the column for the purpose o makm^^ a route sketch. This done, he sent it back y h.s orderly, and wh.Ie continuinjr his investi-^^ttions found hmself confronted w.th the enemy. A shower of bullets greeted h.m. t ,s horse was shot and he was brought to the ground It was neck or notiung now, and he ran for dear life pursued by a v?d tedt Ty ""^ ""■'• l'"«^'-^-'y l^-' ^-^""e to a wire dc., ,u t o o ; i y?f n '" "'°'"'"', ^'^^''' '^'^^ ^"^'">''« P""i«« could not follow Hu the lioers sent shots after his retreating f<,r,„. shots of the mh ;^ '"'^-^ him. and he was enabled to reach two roop of the 9th Lancers which galloped up to the rescue. ' Un the 1 2th Lord Methuen arrived, and there was general satis- fac ,on among the- troops. They were now in f.ne fighting con 1 on and. hax.ng iiad one taste of battle, were longing^o adva c u d get m touch with the enemy. ^ aiuance ana aff.i!?"'h^m,rf7"'^ °^ Lord Methuen's column was no simple De A J is c^ be remembered that from Cape Town to the base, MxfekL Vr n.;r • ''\ \^"^'"''-'?' 591. to Kimberley 647. and to Mafeking 870 miles, and the railway from place to place ne. M^.h ? "^ P°"'^", ""^ ''^^ ^"^^h community resided. „.. Me huen s route, too, lay across a species of dusty Sahara "v boulder-strewn plains with scarcely a^ree to offer^sha le thougii dotted about now and then with some ancient kopjes to ^ary he monotony of the South African scene. On these kipjes it was as hkely as not that Boer sharpshooters might already be hidden f the affluent Dutchmen forced their poortr countrymen to nSta n eyne-hke positions-padded with blankets and hedged in w t^i bSer" ^r'ivedtsh'' ^^'i ^'^^^PP'-^-ch of an army, whL they themse vl arrived fresh, spick and span, only on the rumour of battle. ioviaiJv %Z ^^'■"^,^' however, life in camp was not without its joviality, rhe Naval Brigade prepared for action lauehincr and smging, and Jack Tar indulged in promiscuous hornpipes be"?ween News^^A^'''"''"' °^ ^" ^'S^ S^"^- ^ correspondent of^he Centnd tt milUr^^^HrsIiS"-"""'"'"^ ^^^°""^ ^' ""^ -i-"^ — S wS7^T^ ^'^' "[ ''°"'''^' pleasantries and pleasantries. The other mght a correspondent was returning to camp when he was met with tlTr ' 1 f "f • ' ^^"^ ^^^^ '^""'^ ■ ' -shrieked tlie sentTy < A friend, replied the correspondent. 'Stand, friend and P-ive the IZTTy: P""P^'^ .^^"^"^'^^ ^he wat^hfuT guarS an^ of the ^:'^P,:-J.^l'^"'^P^^^-^^ had forgotten the cSuntersicm He ^ne.v it idatcd to \ai-niuuth. As a matter of fact, it was Yarmouth So he made a desperate bid for bed, and replied ' Bloaters' The 83 The Transvaal War sen ry replied ' Advance, friend.' and the scene closed You doubt th.s -^ ben trovato. Well, do not doubt any Wer when ? plead conviction in personal guilt. I was ' Bloaters ' Nevertheless to an active sentrydom, as well as to vigilant curfew we were becoirnng cheerfully accustomed. It is martial law, and' the cimp m.rti.llw ?f.> ^r'^T /"y^hing. indeed. Is welcome. ev"n martial law, if t relieves boredom at the same time " H- Vr ^'?^,/4th of November General VVauchope, commanding, the Highland Brigade, arrived on the Orange River, follS a di or two ater by Major-General Sir H. Coh^le, who 'assumed comnTand of the Guards Brigade and camp north of the river The S Division was composed of two brigades. The N nth was an Fu^E "^^^^tf^f^-h °^ ^^^ NoXmSand" Chester? thJ V.f 1 ^ " Lancash.res, portions of the Man- The r.'nrS ^''^^Y^^^ ^"d the Northamptonshire Regiment. Stnlionrof .h^'l-^'n .''■^' '^'^S^'^^ °^ the Scots Guards, two battal ons of the Coldstreams. and one of the Grenadiers To thi^ ^!^ "ti'""'^'' '^ ""^'^^ ^'••■^^^^ (Captain Prothe o, H.M S Z^^m) There were also two squadrons of the 9th Lancers "b ts" whou' f'^'^'^'^^'X «f th- A.S.C. and the Army Medical Sps- he Nvhole force numbering some 9000 men. The transport arr in ^e men s having been completed, the advance was ?oTe mal^n the course of the week. Officers and men were to weL m:^form as similar as possible, in order not to give the shaT^ooters^ chance of distinguishing them. The men covered thei futtonl with mud and sand in order to make them more of a piece widi t^beir kharki. and their haversacks in the same way wer'e darCed to orde"^ of sfr r"" 1 ^'^^"^f^^'-t ^"^ Stormberg were evacuated by order of Sir Redvers Buller, on the ground that our frontier line was SL^ec De^Tth^f T'^'- , '?^ ^^°°P^ ^^°- th:r;er";E rcimorctcl Ue Aar those from the latter strengthened Queenstown The enemy, though he left De Aar in peace, was active elsewhere' f.th N '^'"^"l^''^ ^^.°° '^ -^°°° ^^••°"g ^"t^'-^d Colesbe g on the 15th November before dawn, and planted itself on the ko^'es sur rounding the town, much to the surprise of the inhabitant^ Tlie invaders possessed themselves of the keys of the town .id endeavoured with great parade to hoist the Free State flw The ceremony was a fiasco, however, as before the fl^Sied the^on of the staff, the halyard, which had been secretly cut partly throueh m sTTo rndthe':!l"'r-^'^; ^'" '^^' ^>''"^^ little ab'otS UltimateKM?. ^ be h^.^ted properly nor hauled down again. Ultimately the Boers tied another flag on to the end of a Inn^- ^ ^-s mander. He addressed thrcrovvd with '^ ^^' '^'^ ^^^^'^ ^^"'- on all to join the Reoub Imn ^ S^''^'*^ ^'^''^o^"'- and called England, whose tvSvco",-,^'" '''-^'''''" '^ '^'' ^'"^^ ' ^ declared, had beenVor ec upon thTm "^h '' '"'""^'- ^^-'■-" ^e I'berty. and it was the will 7 God He sJidT/"" W^'"^ ^- v^uu. rte said It depended on the ■■ I The Transvaal War Afrikanders themselves whether they would for ever continue to be ruled from Downing Street or become an independent nation. So far, he added, their arms had been victorious, and God had been with them. Meanwhile Lord Methuen and his troops were preparing to march to the relief of Kimberley via Witteputs, and in expecta- tion of his arrival (of which they were duly informed by their many spies and the disloyal Dutch in the neighbourhood), the Boers, rein- forced, posted a cannon at Belmont Station, and again took up a powerful position on the Kaffir's Kop range of hills. THE BATTLE OF BELMONT On the morning of Tuesday, the 21st of November, at three o'clock. Lord Methuen's march to the relief of Kimberley definitely be!-red by batterv on right plus Naval Brigade; 9th Brigade on west side of Table Mountain ; at same hour, bearing already taken, supported by battery on left, 9th Lancers, two 86 U continue to be It nation. So jod had been preparing to id in expecta- by their many lie Boers, rein- ain took up a niber, at three erley definitely le 9th Brigade ; under General igton's Guides, ncham's Farm, d, and whence a reconnoitring "he Boers were ey were espied, ith the evident , and with such They went on or the purpose that there were the tired beasts jed-for draught sides, and the incham's. But e safd Thomas's 'Just by way of mptly silenced. jt about twelve Dve. se A.M. Guards •ailway on Gun il Brigade ; 9th e hour, bearing 1 Lancers, two i LIEUT.-GENERAL LORD METHUEN, C.B. Phuto V.y Elll.ilt i Kiy, Liiuami. i I i I i>:: 1 1: The Battle of Belmont squadrons, one company Mounted Infantry, marching north of Bel- mont Station, keeping one to two miles on left flank and advanced • Kimmgton s Guides, one squadron Lancers, one company Mounted Infantry from Witte Putt to east of Sugar Loaf ; one com- pany Mounted Infantry on rigiit of Naval Brigade, pro- tecting right ; the foVce having got over open ground should arrive at daybreak on enemy ; 9th Brigade having secured Table Mountain to swing round left and keep on high ground, and then advance east to west on A (on plan ; not printed) ; Guards Brigade conform, being pivot ; then Guards advance on east edge of Mount Blanc, guns clear- ing entire advance with shrap- nel ; cavalry to get round rear of enemy, securing horses and laager." This carefully - arranged programme, however, was not followed in its entirety. In the grim blackness of the small hours the Grenadiers lost direction, and Lord Methuen was committed to a frontal attack. But still the attack was a brilliant success. The Boers were caught napping, for they were in the happy belief that the troops were still at Witte Putt at the very hour when they were marching steadily upon thtm. The infantry tramped four miles in pitch darkness and ^°^° Methue.n's line of .Vdvance took up their position on a long low hill facing the enemy The Boers occupied a magnihcent horseshoe-shaped position on a series of kopjes and ndges eastward of Belmont railway station. As usual thev had utilised the boulders as screens, behind which they could 87 The Transvaal War safely blaze away at the advancing ranks. Near daybreak-the hot summer morning dawned about four o'clock-fiHng beL^n The Guards had opened out for the attack, and the Boers. ^suddenly espymg them from the heights, thereupon commenced tc^ pelt and batter them. The Scots and Grenadiers nevertheless proceeded Their position was far from comfortable, as it was necessary to cross sc.T.r hundred yards of arid open veldt with no cover at all Se he enemy, ensconced behind tremendous rocks some 500 feet above bZ/rl'- •'' "°''''"v? '^^° ^^' ^° P°'"^ ^'^-■'- •••fl^« ''"d send the^V bul ets whiz2n:g at the advancing mass. But the Guards stoutly held their own. lying down and returning volley after volley for a full half-hour. Meanwhile the 9th Briglide advanced across the plain in extended order, and at half-past^four two bat ertsTos ted near the railway commenced shelling the enemy's position. ^ Now the Guards began to proceed. Steadily forward they went £;ttl them"^"''' '"' "°^^' ^^ °" P'-^^^^^' - supports\ei?g of iSdoIhIJ''"^ '^"""Y J^'" ^"'" °^ ''^" ^'" than a fierce storm ot lead poured like a cascade from guns and rifles. It was useless rJnn fTF' '° 'T"" the fire-the Boers were invisible. There best ''c^/lul ', j'^P ""T ^.^ °"'y ^° •"^^^ «" -nd trust to their best cold Sheffield and their warm, gallant hearts. They fixed I^Tow'bo ^'^^""'"^f^^'^ g-- the wo^rd to his men to ad'vance Now. boys, as hard as you can go!" he sang out. The other officers shouted their orders; all were dashing along like Ions oar:r'blood V'-"" /'"f" ""^ f'",^''-' ^""^^^ buzzed, cannon roared, blood streamed and spouted, plucky men and brave boys dropped dead on every side. Yet on went the infantry bricradel' The first kopje was stormed ! The Boers had vanished I " the thr?^ '"- ''^^' '5 '''"*" 'h^ b^°°^' ^° '"^'^^ the heart leap to the throat— so grand, so awful, so reminiscent of all the ereat traditions of British history. The enemy went helter-skelte^r o ntrln.r; m''^"'' T '^' '''"^'' r^'^'^ ^"°ther force was strongly intrenched. Here they were sheltered by a number of "schantz^ or trenches built of boulders and arranged in gallery form and Guard^ n'T^'T ^ ter them-Colds^reams. Grenadiers. Sc"s Guards, Northumberlands, Northamptons. and 2nd Kina's Own Yorkshires, now steadily advancing without excitement and with stern determination, and through a horrible cross-fire from the death- dealing rifles of the enemy. ^ Their advance was grand-a feat of heroism-with the Boer missiles flying about their heads and the track of blood seeming to tinge the very atmosphere with red. On and on they pushed cheering loudly up the steep incline and over the boulders, nimble as goats, determined as giants, on and on, and. with a miahty roar 88 ^ 7 ' The Battle of Belmont treak — the ig began. , suddenly ) pelt and )roceeded. y to cross all, while eet above send their Is stoutly lley for a cross the ?s posted hey went rts being ■ce storm s useless There t to their ley fixed advance, he other ke lions cannons ve boys rigades ! leap to e great elter to strongly chantz," "m, and s, Scots s Own id with 2 death- e Boer eeming pushed, nimble ty roar, mass, ag.ln\iZtd to .he a Ua k The^Nil? T •'^="1""? "" i" was wSn. The whf ie of H,. T "" the battle of Belmont dothing, hundred^ of horset andTulirF^""'' """' '^'"' ^""^ °' of ammunition were des°royed ' '""" "'P'"""'' ""'' '""" and"whi*\vS'"ov*1ntss't^ ? t" ^ ""= i° "-"■>-. the Boers werf S>„stantlv cam nl offT, ''"!'''■ ''"""S "1^'* many of our officers ^^ Sdfj "a^dlh ee^t^ TiS ^o7 — Lieutenant Frver of thp r^^r.^^- A , Killed. One gallantly leading llS If'La'' ::X'^ ^Z'^^^^^^^ ot'" ."'"^ foll^lradd^^^^^^^^^^^^ .^^'^ L^rdtett'en^n^an': on the compee success 3v l^,^"''^'^^''^. congratulate you ground over wSchwXd 4 Ihrn ^ TT '^'^ ?"°''"'"8- The and we had as an enemv fn S P'^^^^n ed e.xceptional difficulties, infantry. With Croons Tuch .f^^"'^''^' '" ^'^^ ^^-^tics of mounted fear of the result 7herefs tJT T' ^ ^'""^^"der can have no as much of those who hive dLr 'it' u"""^ ^^^ ^'^"^ ' ^"-^ ^h'nking ofthose who arl sTfes'^l aTe fhlntTo^Ju^r^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ ^^ under cover of the wMt.- fln^ • o n i , , • '"^""^ ^" ambush left hand murde ed Lieutenaift'BH,fr''-^v'"? I ""'^''^ ^^'^ in his Blundell-Hollinshead-Slu, de iT C. d B^a^ C "^\'' '"^ lieutenant shot in the merciful act o tendinf f uoundeSc" 'l ^T.'^'K''''' alter the fight sent a remonstrn1:e toT Rn ' ^""'^ ^^^'^"^" "Acting ,uite fairly with ;T? £Z^:'i^s!::^-y!:;s^ 89 The Transvaal War who know the country, because their parole cannot be accepted. I must ask you to warn your wounded not to shoot our officers. I must warn you not to use Dum-Dum bullets, or use the "^g of truce treacherously. Such action is cowardly in the extreme, and I cannot countenance it." ,1 . j The Boer losses were reported as very small, but no credence can be placed on their statements, for the very good reason that it has been President Kruger's policy to conceal from outsiders, and even from his own country, the extent of his losses. Whenever the Boer dies in battle, his body is weighted and cast into a river, or ^iUR LOKF OPEN COUNTRV /Railway Plan ok the Battle of Belmoni. into a trench as quickly as possible. His family are left in igno- rance as to his fate, and their only conclusion is to assume that he is dead. But Mr. Kruger's methods and his ruthless military oligarchy were disapproved even by his own countrymen, and more especially by his own countrywomen, who now began to mistrust the continual story of Boer victory, and asked pitifully for per- mission themselves to seek for fathers, sons, and brothers from whom they never heard. In some cases many of these were lying not an inch below their feet, for a British search party came upon a portion of the veldt that was literally mosaicked with dead Dutch- men whose bodies were scarcely more than peppered with earth ! Mr. Knight, the correspondent of the Morning Post who was a 90 le accepted. our officers. the flag of reme, and I ID credence :ason that it itsiders, and 'henever the ) a river, or OPS ROUINB COUNTRY \ left in igno- assume that Kless military en, and more n to mistrust fully for per- jrothers from se were lying ' came upon a dead Dutch- kfith earth ! )s^. who was a i (A Q K < D O Ot Ul Q U) 06 O (0 H O U V) (I) X H >< a u ID n I I & h" 2 O S ID CQ iu O ID n4 H n ID Q I The Battle of Belmont general favourite, was wounded in a singularly treacherous manner. He was in the firing line of the Northamptons, who were then attacking the Hoers. S(jme of the enemy suddenly emerged from behind rocks and displayed a handkerchief attached to a rifle. On this sign Mr. Knight with two others rose, and all three were instantly shot with Dum-Dum bullets. Mr. Knight's sufferings were great, and the arm was amputated. The use of Dum-Dum bullets had been proscribed, as, after hitting the mark, they expand and cause wounds as large as a five-shilling piece. The Boers, besides using them on occasion, so manteuvred the Mauser bullets that they could act in identical fashion. Another treacherous Boer device was the wearing of the red cross upon their sleeves — an action on a par with the display of the white Hag— for convenience' sake. However, it must always be remembered that the Boer armies were commandeered and cosmopolitan armies, and not disciplined troops. During the heat of the fray Colonel Crabbe, commanding the Grenadier Guards, became detached from his regiment. He was instantly surrounded by Boers, and being wounded, might probably have been killed had not a private suddenly rushed to the rescue. The plucky fellow shot two of the enemy, silenced a third with his bayonet, and finally, amid a shower of bullets, carried off the Colonel to the shelter of an ambulance waggon. Colonel Crabbe sustained injuries to wrist and thigh, but was not dangerously wounded. A curious experience befell the Hon. George Peel, who was trying to reach Kimberley, where his sister, the Hon. Mrs. Rochfort Maguire, was imprisoned. Roaming about after the battle of Belmont, he came by accident on a Boer camp. A Dutchman promptly emerged, and when he was preparing to meet a grim fate, deciding that all hope was lost, he found himself accosted and handed a Bible. He was in the very act of congratulating him- self on his kicky escape when on the scene came two grenadiers, who seeing his battered condition and his Bible, mistook him for a Boer spy and carried him off as a prize. Fortunately he was recognised by a member of Lord Methuen's camp and liberated. Very interesting are the following official particulars given by the General Officer Comanding the gth Brigade to the Chief Staff Officer of the I St Division : — "Belmont, Nov. 23, 1899. ' Sir, — I have the honour to submit the following report of the part taken by the brigade under my command in the action which took place to-day. The rendezvous was left at 3.7 a.m. in the following formation : Northumberland Fu.siliers, in colum.n of companies, on the left, directing, and fifty paces from them moved the Northamptonshire Regiment in similar formation, and parallel 91 The Transvaal War FcaAerstonhaugh arntinu"^ '' Tl^; ntv 7?*'""' ^^^y^-^-'-'^' dislodged at t^e point of thn ^ ^ ''^^''*' "-""^"^^ ^''^s fi"''lly pourcctintothem a a^Hstancoof th.T'^ '"^ ' '"^'^P^-ndcnt fire^ hoisted by the oirtv nl? ^ y'""''^' ^'^^" ^ ^'^'t^' lla/ai„, Bnsade Major, C)th Bngadc " battl'o'f Bettf.-i ^'^ ''-' °' "^-- ^'"^^ -^cl wounded at the nolfi;lh?a7£^47,^^^^^^^^ killed; Lieutenant BIundelN Vauyhan. wounded; LieutKan?s LTl" t'l' ^"^"l ^-'eutenants Leslie and and in addition the follow nroffice.rrepoS^^^ ^J^T') ^'*e'^''>' ^^°""^^^; and Cameron, and JJeuteLnT-Crner Q abbe ^st'^ii ^'^"'^"-"ts Lygon Guards—Lieutenant Grant, wounded ^nli n i ,.'«' battalion Coldstream Lieutenant the Hon. Claude WuEfhhv ^"'', ,^^"^''0" Coldstream Guards- Burton, severely woS ,s^Bttat^S.^.^°r"^1 ' Second Lieutenant North Dalrymple Hamilton, severd/fouLed 'se ''?'t-"^^'J°'' "^« "°"- and Alexander, wounded mt Rlf/ni- m ,' ^5«^ond Lieutenants Bulklev Eagar and Lieutenant Brine, k lied Malor mi"™'';''"? Fusiliers-Capta!^ dangerously wounded; Captain Sa^te in i ?tr°'' ""^^ Lieutenant Testing, General Featherstonhaugh Cantai? Fr.i a^'^TI'- F'shbourne, Brigadier- Barton, 2nd NorthamptXWvSely wfunted ' ' ^°«^^'"P'-. L-'eu'tenant THE BATTLE OF GRASPAN the lext Tir ntthttn;Lrhe':i^^^^^ iJ^-" ^""f "p°" ^-p-. Methuen decided they sLtl^noUorg^r Llr^He^/h '"'if" ^^''^ his own words, "that it wo..M h^? ! . He thought, to use once to Swink Pan whcirwonW nl '"^ march the division at enemy's position, and that H w^l^I-^r T °" '^^ '"^^ '"''^"^ ^^ ^^e sent my cavalry knd mounted infamrv weH f''''^ rT^ ^ach flank. of the cavalry being on the eastern sTdl J u '^' ^'^''''' P""'' eastern force. The Nav-d JlTrZl / u "^^''^ '° ^''^P^^''^ ^^e protecting the guns or alu^t '? and 9th Brigade I left for Guards Brigade^! feft with ^ehi P'''"''" '^, "^^^^^^^ry. The my iH ramp. The brigade could al wnere 92 ways give a hand if The Battle of Graspan lioers and a gun, so it w s sai'd thr 7 ' T.'"" ^'^^''^ ^'^'''^ 500 mv divisional battle nwclh stt ^'r^' ^'"'/rr' ' '"'''^^ ^'^'« Tf.e armoured train wriSrvw-^ "' ^^"''"""' ^^' I''"«''"- line." Thus the Gen; d X^^c^l^U^r """ ''^ ^"''^^ '''■"•" ''^^" On the day followin.Mh. but e of t^^^^ with the sun ghiring pitilessly tUh >)''/' ^'; ^''^t.ring day. burnished brats, th^ Sivi" h^ i 1 the Yorkshr'^^ '^^i ^^'"'^'^ ^' advance guard, moved o towarc c/r.s.> n7 Th ' ^^''' "''"'''■>' '^^ called Graspan because it isTi , r.. . ' r • ^ 'V'' I'^"'^^' '« Probably kopjes, whi^h. ri^^'ou of tT'th whr^'^P^''^^ ^'" '-^- near at hand snjkini^n ,1, ''?°"'", ""« ''><= <:nen.y was las, .wo m les' were coTei^d i fiZr"f''""*^ •'«'"»■ "''^'-rfore .he ment and the sth fS , W„,? "'"^^ format,™, the Naval Jaach- Infantry and .L K "iL^'^tl^^'JEr "' "" ''°^'^*- ^'Sl" Runs, one^H^or^Ksf^ndri MaS/Tr'' '."' ^'°°' "'"> ^- hve kopjes „v.r .00 feet in Wght JoTnedT Slll'^f \'''r "' z zz .terstir-t'td :!:i:^^'^'^^^^t:::^ British plan Of action ^ ^ ""'" '"'^"''"^^^^ regarding the matiu;nr:^;l;:]:h^r^r^,^ r^^'^'- ' ^'^'"' ^ p-^^^- and was saluted by the sltinrwr "h^ ?\'.^""^ °^ ^^^ ^'^^"•^"■ it appeared. It retired can fn X '^'*'5\.°f ^'S g"ns as soon as of marines to he p in hand n^''^'^"^ '^'f^"''^''^ ''' ^^"^"^ ^'^^ deployed the cava ?v on h. fl ^. u"f''^ '^^"'- ^ord Methuen tions i front of S Bo r trt'Ss"^ M m'''^;:>' ^°f "P P^'" went forward in sklrmSin' 0^^" tV?"""^'''" '^'^ ^th Brigade thumberland FusiheJs 2nd R.^tnl J '1 '^°"^'^^ed of the Nor- Loyal North Lancashires fnd bT. Northamptons. half-Battalion Light Infantry. With the oh w.^^ ^ '"#? ^^" Vorksliire by Captain Prothero At s?^ n'T i^ ^^^-""^ ^"^^^^' commanded t|guL of the fcngl^^^^^^^^^^^^ ^be.an. -aid, careiuily ca culated iMip.V 'cCiio k 7 ""V '^'^"S^- ^^ before- over ou. JteHe, but^he' t«vl''^',t,'i"- :„t T^ "l^^:? 93 The Transvaal War 1 i They gave the Boers some smart and telling replies, and presently, on withdrawing their guns to a new position, quite defeated the calculations of the enemy, whose shells now began to fall wide of the mark. The rifle-fire of the Dutchmen was not so accurate as usual, and was evidently under no control, though there were sharp- shooters who crept under cover for the purpose of sniping at any prominent person who might be taken for an officer. As has been stated, there was now no outward or visible sign of rank, so for the time being the enemy's efforts were unsuccessful. They were more deadly— grievously deadly — however, when the gallant Naval' Brigade, the officers of which were distinguishable by their swords, came to the foot of the hill. The fire from the kopjes was terrific, and every moment men threw up their arms and fell. They had advanced in extended order, but in converging upon the position to be taken, found themselves closed in, and in that formation attempted the ascent. Meanwhile the rest of the infantry was moving forward in preparation for attack. The Northamptons worked from the left round to the right, where they were joined by the Yorkshires and Northumberlands. All this time a scene of terrific slaughter was taking place, a tremendous and unceasing fire being poured from the Boer positions upon our steadily advancing men. But these were undefeatable, the 2nd Yorkshire Light Infantry, the Marines, and the ist North Lancashire acquitting themselves nobly in a most perilous situation. One after another of their numbers dropped. Stones and sand were heaped with the mutilated and fainting, and dyed with the life-blood of trusty comrades that a moment ago had been hearty and hale ; but on they went, these gallant lads, while a storm of shrapnel bellowed overhead, and bullets whisded past their ears, and dust and dirt blinded their eyes. With a ringing cheer the Yorkshire men directed a fusilade towards the crest of the enemy's sangar, and then the whole mass crawled up with splendid effort, neared the summit, and prepared to charge. The Boers, however, began discreedy to remove themselves to*a second position still better intrenched, from whence they could fire on the British as they gained the top. At this time the British guns were forced to be almost inactive, as the storming line was now so near the crest that the shrapnel could only be directed on the enemy by enfilading the position from the ridge of the kopje on the left, and it was during the lull that Lieutenant Taylor, Yorkshire Light Infantry, and Lieutenant Jones, of the Marines, scaled the sangan The next instant there was a roar and a rush, and all were leaping forward to clear the second position. This was only accom- „i,^u.-.j „r...„ .. ___ '-spcratcly hard work and a quarter of an hour's y — an eternity it seemed to those engaged — for 94 some Light The Battle of Graspan the kopje was stubbornly held. But even Boer pluck of which in of'tl^B vT-r^"^ '^'^^ ^°"'^ "«^ '•^^'^^ ^J^e impetus ad' ne of the British infantry, and at last, when the hill-top was one cHmscm crown of blood and half the gallant number were^struck down e Boers bolted one after another down the back of the ill pu Lued by our artillery fire, and made for their horses. Finally ^ s thev were retreating in hot haste across the plain, the 9 h' Lancers charged them, and succeeded in catching up their rear close to n kopje where they were sheltering. Bu? hL the pkce Titer ^v swarmed with Dutchmen, and the Lancers, who e Tmbe w ^ small and whose horses were exhausted, were forced to retire btill the object of the fight was magnificently accomplished The rout of the enemy was complete. The gallant Na'S Bria de Yorkshire Light Infantry, and Loyal North Lancashiresreimined "hei Thdtert. T"'' "" ^- ""''''' ^^ ^"^^^ ^^^ had rushed Zn New South Vf.le?f ''''■' '"tf '^^Pt^d by the detachment of the theiV Wdinip^^^^^^ '^'"""' "^^^' ^'^^^^^'"§^' ^--^ them back to The amazing gallantry of the Marines, who bore the brunt of the desperate fight, was the subject of general eulocrv M mv of these splendid lellows had three wounds, whleonfe h.d four Sixty per cent, of the officers and serge;nts were t. Nothing could have been more heroic than the conduct of poor Huddar whf so gloriously fell in doing his duty. ^ "Udciart, who Captain Le Marchant, Royal Marine Light Infantry who wis IfL'tiraHo'lfafr'^' ^""^ Brigade with lord Meth'uen's fo ^^ after tlie a^.ion at Graspan, reported as follows : " It is with deen regret that I have to report the death of Midshipman Huddm who behaved magnificently, and still advanced after he had been t,^ce wounded, until he was finally ...ruck down mortally wounded "A brother naval officer also wrote : " At the bottom of d J hUl Auddm was hit in the arn^ and half-way up he was shot in the leg bu sS he pressed on. On reaching the top of the kopje he vis sho through the stomach and f^l." Captain Le Ma'^d.ant wi en W senior officers w^re killed or wounded, led the remnan tof the NavS Brigade up the kopje with splendid pluck and ability But magnificent deeds were numerous. Lieuten-mt W I r S%ed°I,t """"= Light Infantry, though helad^'bul t' ii iS thigh, led his men up the kopje, and only after the day was won consented to have his wound dressed. Colour-Serg; „t Wa er" Wr hise kI." Ow? YorSr"1'."h^?- f'*'' C^-Sergeant -!i._-..-,c, i^'ing, s wv\n \orkshire Light Infantry, who at a critical moment acted with great coolness in shooting down an enemy who had been doing great execution on our men at 1 150 yards." 95 The Transvaal War conl^lfnTrlre^T/ff/gl^^^ ^JH^S^^ clisp,a,ed great coolness in Mo.a..,, laid their guns ^^^t^"^ LlZcTulZ if''' """"''' ^"^ ^""-' TovvnLs""AtT;ir?rat'° ;t ;t?'°"^' t^^"'^-'"^ p°-- °f C°^o-l ambulances having been used foV"^ak,nf^t """' '"'^''T"^ *'^"'' °^'"g *« «" the I had scarcely f fkrhospharmou.^J, ffi''°""^','' '° "^" '"'" ^' 2^^'"°"^ three stretchers I knew I hid^o fiiS nSf ' °"^-^ "''■'" ambulances and blankets in order to carry wounl^wifhdn.r^"'"^' 1'°,^°' '''^^'^^' «% Townsend to make arLTments ^ wlded^S / f° -f to Colonel having to ride seven miles to him u» vvuunaea Dy 3 A.M., a messenger of ambulances, and I never saw an;thSj T "V',°" '^^ ^^^^ ^'''^ '""" ^^PP'y he had a train ready for Sem h^S^ ?- ^ of h,m or the wounded, because plaint is that there is not ^ of hL" ulTs ^e?. '"' 1'^'"°"^- "'« ^^'^ ^°'"- equally to men and animals." '^'' ""^ ^^^^''v^t.on which applies . cuTLtrcilTt o?TS„ie'^t=. '^"t.T^? "-^ ""»"• were released. It was subsequent y discovered that- ^LoJ iShfd' : attack" ■£:™?;ti:i* v'lt;'^ ^-t '^^^^ '■''-«- estimitpH .,f rnl • , ^. ^^'^^'O"- -Ihe total British casua ties were fl^.^:ctetS^^^^ ^ehav,W, an. ^e^^^^ Capum Se„.„r, R.M.A., .foW,, C.4. k hS" Mi'/s'hip.t^k^:~'' The following were severely wounded :— Flag-Captain Prothero, Don's, and Lieutenant Jones, R.M.L.I., Dons at tl'fT"ot^.?a':;^t^jSfd''tSr^^^^^^^ ->;o was a.on, the klHed man. In 1882 he attained the AnL-^f c. i- ^/' '^"^^ >''^''*''s 'ater became a midshio- •885,andwasmade'cl:;;man "rirtLleS^^^^^^^^ '° ^ lieutenancyTn .e took part in the naval and militarv ^Sfon in' he^I^'fe;'"'^^^ ». -.'4-05 for which lie received the FLrvminn mpHnl Za n i-u ]" '^""^an at Suakini in mander Ethelston was appointed to th'eK.>/tJo;e'.rslgo '''''' '"°"^' ''''■ ^°"^- 96 'e and horse fruits of his 1 this much- handicapped :ntion to the He said : — at coolness in '■s, and Fuller, er of Colonel ving to all the n at Belmont, bulances and together fifty mt to Colonel a messenger ;Ii full supply ided, because lis only com- vhich applies -re known, men were g" unarmed hese same details re- force was ilties were gf. At the embers of expressed id missing A. L. Yate, Brigade. — .1., Icon's; Don's. hn's. ng the killed e a midship- utenancy in the Helicon ■ Suakiiu in star. Com- PRIVATE AND CORPORAL OF THE GORDON HIGHLANDERS. I'li.itil liy liiwi.iy ,V; t',.., I^iiiil.ili. The Battle of Modder River Lord Methuen addressed his division in stirring words con- gratuatmg his men on the work they had done and the hardships they had surmounted The work, he said, was the severest accom! phshed by the British army for many a long day Not Vsim"ll pomt. he added, could they afford to gL to thf enemy Th^ bS tac.cs nad been proved excellent and their courage admirable. The gallant General added that when called on to fijht for his country he preferred to fight against a foe worthy of his steel rather S hS':r/ri;°''' r^^'^ ^°'f recommendation was b avery He hoped that he and his men had gained each others confidence, and that they would all do their duty to their country as EnglSmen should. Lord Methuen described as dastardly the fi.in? by he enemy on a.nbulance waggons, the shooting of a B Ssh officer refused to beneve that these acts were characteristic of the enemy he would give them credit until he was convinced to the contmrv that they wished to fight fair and square. Addressing the Scots The troops rested well on the night of the 27th ind on th>. ttaTa?e'5K"^'^' ^°Tf ^^'^^^ ^'^^^^^^^Se t^e'cTner'a Bv fhll r P f'^^f i ^^^ "^^'' ^°"'^ '"^olve a bloody fi.-^ht By this time General Pole-Carew had taken command of the oh Brigade, m place of General Featherstonhaugh. who was bounded! THE BATTLE OF MODDER RIVER This battle, to use Lord Methuen's words, was one of the hardest and most trying fights in the annals of the British arr^vS might also have truly said that it was one of tL most SiousW fought engagements that has been known in moderT^rtre On reconnoitring the enemy's position, the Boers were Tound to be strongly entrenched and concealed behind a fringe of Turze and fohage and m front of trees in the neighbourhood of Sodder River From native sources it was learnt that the river and the VOL [f y ^^y" ''^' °^"''-'" '^'^ sweltering, merciless 97 G The Transvaal War sun with the thermometer at no degrees in the shade-men felt as though they would stake their whole chance of existence fo one half-bottle of the reviving fluid. But this is a digression The horror of that days thirst had barely set in at fhe t me reated of_4 to 8 a.m. At that hour there was no suspicion hat the enemy strong m numbers, would continue to fight, and be strengthened by some 8000 more Dutchmen. He apnea ed to be retirmg and there were no signs that the village wSd be held But at 8.10 a fierce roar of guns multifarious declared that the conTeaTed. ^^ ^^ '^' '"''">'• ^"^ '^''' ^^^ ^^' -^" -"^ sSfully Parallel to the river on the north side the Boers had constructed with their wonted cunning, long sandbag trenches and various cornl plicated breastworks, which afforded them splendid cover The hne extended over some five miles, and they were discovered to be posted on both sides of the water. Where the stream of the Riet joins the Modder there is a small and picturesque island sorne two acres m extent. It has shelving banks all fringed with willows and thus forms an excellent natural cov.r for troop! Till now this spot had been the resort of picnickers and pleasure-seekers from hnll ^^Tm'' k'T, ^" '^'^ "^"-^^^ '^^"'^ ^^^^ farmhouses and hotels, which had been evacuated by their owners and had been taken posses^s.on of by the Boers. Here they had posted guns of every available kind, in every available spot. They had HoThkiss guns and Max.m guns, and the deadly, much-abhorred V eke s- Max.m quick-firer, a machine which, by ihe way, was offered some time ago to the British Goyernment-and refused ! This obLt^n! B^n^'-T'l """" '^^"'""''^ 1^^ '^""^ : I^""-P""," by others '< Boi^- Bong, and one officer styled it "the Great Moirul," because its presence was invariably greeted with profound salaams and Chinese prostrations. With these guns the enemy began to show tha he meant business, as will be seen. Q 2^f '^l u"-"","; ^^';'^ ^'^ •'^^" strengthened by the Argyll and f "a M h "^ High anders. had moved out from Wittekopslaag^er about 5 A.M., breakfastless. because it was thought that 0.1 reaching The rive , which was but a short march of five miles off. there woufd be ample time for a meal. But by seven o'clock the fighting had begun The General had arranged with the officer .commanding the iwi W .h 7 r" ^'?T ?'r '"^^"\''>^ ^"^^^ ^•^'^ both batterils from t^he right flank, and the Infantry Division being still some miles distant hrilT ^^'^^"^.t^^.d'^t'n'^^ points to march on. which allowed of the brigades keeping m extended order and covering a very wide front The Guards Brigade had orders to develop their attack first which they did with the ist Battalion Scots cSards on the rieh ' With directions to swing their right well round in order to take the 98 I i> -men felt itence for igression. the time icion that , and be red to be be held. that the i skilfully istructed, ous com- er. The )vered to m of the nd some willows, now this ers from ises and lad been guns of [otchkiss Vickers- ed some bjection- " Bong- :ause its Chinese that he jyll and er about ling the ould be I begun, e Royal :om the distant, 1 of the le front. :k first, i: right, ake the The Battle of Modder River enemy in flank, the 2nd Battalion Coldstreams and the 3rd Battalion Grenadiers makmg the frontal attack, the former on the left to keep touch with the 9th Brigade ; the ist Battalion Coldstreams in reserve in the right rear. Well, before they could look about them and settle down into their positions, the whole force found itself tacing the Boer commando 8000 strong, two large guns, Krupp guns &c. I he Scots Guards on the extreme right marched through the old reservoir and directly they emerged from cover a shower of bullets greeted them. Soon after their Maxim gun was disabled by the Hotchkiss gin of the enemy, and presently their whole detach- ment was completely wiped out. First the sergeant in charge was killed, then an officer was wounded, then Colonel Stopford of the v^oldstreani Guards was hit in the neck and killed, and the horse M. K^i i '"'^f ""'"' ^^""^ '" fi^^ P'^'^^s ^"^1 d'-oPPed dead. Meanwhile the 75th xiattery in return launched some magnificent shots in the dir.xt.on of the Dutchmen. The third of these struck a farmhouse in which the Boers and a gun were posted, and set the whole place ma blaze. Not till the roof was bunit about their ears, however, did die Boers budge. They clung with ferocious tenacit^ to every position, and the fight at all times of the day was one of great stubbornness. The ist Battalion of the Coldstream Guards had extended, and, swinging their right round, had prolonged the line til - ^ '1?' ""^f '° '^^ '■'-^- ^"^^"'^^^ ^^^^"^^ ^v^^ checked by n .1! . Z^'' V]^ 'r°P' '^"" '^y ^«^"' b^'"g '■^''•ly "nder cover m that position The heat was scorching, and in the plain occupied by our troops Mauser bullets swept the field in thousands. There was absolutely no coyer save the shelving bank of the river, which served no purpose directly they rose on elbow from the ground IZtT^ T "'^" iY ""^ 'Y'' '"^'^^ ""^'^'^ t« ^how a head Without mS I U- °^ 'l"^~'^>^ °" '^^ '^^'^^^""g «'^"d with the hot African sun grilling them, some of the Highlanders having their legs veritably toasted, their mouths parched and full of sand^wS tonat onT^'r ^n^ '" death-song in the air, and the thunderous de- tonations of the big guns seemed to be raking the very bowels of Xrt'- S^'" t'^^I^«^'•^«t"^I< to their polts. For^oursthey kern un on\Th^'•^"^"^" ?^ exhaustion. A terrific fire was kept up on both sides for a long-a seemingly interminable— time, but without any appreciable advance in the state of affairs It was felt that nothing could be done on the right flank tJll he guns had cleared the position. The 1 8th Battery^ however came vigorously into play, and so brilliantly acquitted itself that finally tT^e enemy was forced to evacuate their ferociously-contested poskions Zn^%i?h''l- ^^"' '° ^^'>' ^^^^ '^^y constructed the 1^1^^ ments hat from these it was impossible to dislodge them MeanXile the 9th Brigade had advanced the Northumbedand FusiSrabi^ 99 ^ The Transvaal War [he ASvli'^'and S^h' l"'r '•f.^'J^PP^^^^ by half a battalion of cne Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders. The YorkshirP 1 icrhi Infantry moved along the west^ide of the raH way supported tv a.:der"Triht'h'^n'*°"T^'^!^^ ^^^y" -^ Su^herZd High^ Hne r. ;i..T r? i ''^'i^^'°" ^^^^^^ ^""''^ Lancashire prolonged fl e enL'y' ^1 ',^ '- -«- the river anJ threaten th^ Til^Kg^uard '" '°"'^"'" ^^"hamptons acted as Fe> d.ng of the ist Coldstreams. with Captain Selhet of t e Q^Ten " land Permanent Force with some two dozen men, forded tl^rTver The water was almost chin deep, and while they cossed the Hotchl k.s gun directed an appalling fire on them. Though kden ^^t^.lI the.r gear and 150 rounds of ammunition, they |S succeeded in T^A^ 'a" °'^'■ ''^"' ^'^^'•^ '^'^y ^°""d th^^selves^a most swamped in mud. As they were not supported they had to reth^e B ut t^i h was easier said than done. On the return passage two men were almost drowned, and had it not been for the ingedfus d^vicTof ^e r comrades, who. by joining hands and slingingtheir putties toee he managed to drag them ashore, they would^ceLinly CHerifhed Soon after this the General, who had been moving about sur veying and commanding, was shot through theTgh^ Then fd" lowed some confusion, as the two brigades, in the absence of order had to act independently of each othe?. and there was some fea that the 9th Brigade would fire on the ist. Command of Te fiefd was now assumed by Major-General Sir H. E. Col vile, whose held quarters were on the right close to the river. It had been Lord Methuen's Idea to take the position at nightfall at the point of the bayonet, but owing to the tremendous day's work tfe heat he absence of food, and the general fatigue that^ll Tad undergone this project was abandoned. There was\nother reason for tfeThang: work^nfTh!? ?' beginning to grow late some of the most brilliant work of the day commenced. As the trenches were found to be utterly impregnable to rifle-fire, it was felt that only desperate measures woud rout the Dutchmen from their stronghold CoS Barter (K.ng's Own Yorkshire Light Infantry) fnd Lieutenan ZlTH-'^'p '•"'" '""" °^ '^'^ A'-gy" ^"d Sutheriand and North Lancashire Regiments, started off. and. much to the surpSe of tl e JnTSfT^'^ ^^^ "^^""^'y "°' ^^^^"^^ted upon such daunSess ag I tv got safely across the river. The wonderful way in whi^h thif S ofTe'Sf '' "^^ '"^"'^^^ ^^ ^" ^>'^--'--' a correspondent " That it could even be attempted to cross the river sliding side- 100 ittalion of ire Light Dorted by id High- )nged the ■eaten the acted as 2me right Captain Queens- he river. e Hotch- 1 with all eeded in swamped But this len were i of their ogether, rished. out sur- hen fol- r orders, "ear that leld was e head- in Lord : of the Jat, the •ne, this change brilliant d to be sperate Colonel utenant North of the agility, lis feat ondent s;' side- ,1 i The Battle of Modder River ways through the rush of water over the paddles along a rickety iron b ir one by one, clinging to the short supports in full view of the (opposite shore, was an act of reckless heroism against which even the wary Cronje had not provided. This, however, is what was actually done, and it would be difficult to find a parallel for the stubborn pluck of the men who accompanied Colonel Barter across the 300 yards of dam and weir. One by one some 400 of them crossed. 1 hen a detachment of the Royal Engineers, showing how we 1 they could take their part in the forefront of the fightinj Ime, followed them, after that some more of the Yorkshire Light ADVANCE org? BRIGADE ADVANCE OP GUARDS BRITISH CUNS Plan of the Battle of Modder River Infantry. Little by little a force was collected which cleared several of the nearest houses on the right and effected an occupation of an irrigation patch from which they were never dislodged." It was quite wonderful to note the effect of the gallant British cheer which rang out from General Pole-Carew's men as they burst from de nver, bayonet m hand. The Boers were startled and aid, with our men closely m pursuit. At the rousing, ringing, menacing sound, their hopes had failed-they thought That the^uniour of vicory was already m the air. "The thunder growl edged with melodious ire in alt," as C.rlyle called it, never die! better w^ork. It demoralised and brought about the end Shortly after, a battery of Royal Artillery came upon the scene. lOI The Transvaal War but before it had time to uiilimber, more Boers took to their heels faUincr over each other in their haste to be off and catch their horses'. 1 he sound of British lungs in their rear and tile sight of the ffuns was too much for them. Thus after twelve hours' fighting the day was practically won, for, when morning came, it was found that the enemy had entirely cleared out, and removed to fresh intrenchments halt-way between the river and Spyfontein. It was a brilliant but a hardly-earned victory. It is stated that the Naval guns fired over 500 rounds, and the i8th Battery more than iioo. The 75th fired 000 rounds, the 62rid (who came to the rescue from the Orange River late in the day), 500 rounds. Ihe glorious gunners vied with one another in the display of gallantry and proficiency. A vivid story of the energetic march of the 62nd Battery was told by an officer, who must have had an even more tryine time than most. ' *• "We had orders to reinforce the main body at once; marched twenty miles the first day, had a few hours' rest, and started at the first streak of dawn again. We did about twenty-five miles, and were just going to have a well-earned rest when an orderly came galloping up with the order to go at once (I am talking of the 62nd now), as the battle was going against our troops. We started off again at a trot, and kept it up for about five miles, when our horses were just done up. We had to take four out of our gun-teams, as they dropped dead of exhaustion. The sergeants hooked their own horses in, and off we went again. We lost more horses, and had to walk after we had done about eight miles. We were only able to just make the horses drag the guns into action. 1 shall never forget it. I was feeling very queer. I don't think any of us were afraid, but we were all of us expecting to be shot every minute, as the bullets came in showers. . . . We were in action in this place about two hours. Our troops were being shot down in heaps, and things were looking very black, when Lord Methuen came up to our Colonel and asked him to send his batteries up closer (we were then 1500 yards from the Boer trenches, and you must understand that a rifle carries 2500 yards). Our Colonel did. We then advanced up past our own infantry and came into action about 900 yards closer than artillery had ever taken up position before. After ^vere loss on our side we managed to silence the Boer guns. The order was then given to retire. We got out of range, and were on the point of congratulating ourselves on being so lucky, when up rode an orderly giving us instructions to go and relieve the Guards. Our Major advanced. ... We took up our position 800 vards from the Boer trenches, and, by Jove! the Boers let us have a fearful reception. Before I got my horses out they shot one of my drivers 102 1 to their heels, h their horses. It of the guns hting the clay bund that the intrenchments is stated that 1 8th Battery- id (who came , 500 rounds, e display of Battery was : trying time ice ; marched tarted at the e miles, and orderly came of the 62nd e started off m our horses jun-teams, as ;ed their own s, and had to re only able 1 shall never y of us were •y minute, as in this place n heaps, and came up to ser (we were : understand en advanced It 900 yards ore. After Boer guns, je, and were ky, when up the Guards. ) yards fmm ve a fearful ' my drivers SERGEANT AND PRIVATE OF THE DUBLIN FUSILIERS. Photo l>y Oregory St Co., Loiul.m. Ill f The Battle of Modder River and two horses ... and brought down my own horse. V\ c then got my gun round on the enemy, when one of my gunners was shot through the brain and fell at my feet. Another of my gunners was shot whilst bringing up shell, and I began to feel queer At last we had a look in ; our shells began to tell. We were firinir SI.K rounds a minute, and were at it until it was too dark to fire any more. I he Boer firmg had ceased, and the Guards were able to get up and retire. 1 hty blessed the artillery that day We had to keep our position -.,. ul^ht, with not a soul near us and nothinir to eat and drink. Our onn rg were to open fire as soon as it was i-ht enough, and f le mfentr, were to take the place at the point of the bayonet. , ''u, in th. morning the Boers had fledf The field presented a terrl.].^ .i^nt ^t daybreak; there were dead and dying in every directiL:.. I couldn't describe it ; it was awful We lost heavily on our side but the Boer losses must have been heavier. 1 he Boers bury their dead in the trenches as soon as they drop so that one cannot gauge their loss, but we counted hundreds." It is pleasant to remember that this hurried march and its trials were fully appreciated by Lord Methuen, who reported that the 62nd Battery was of great service. It must be noted that it came mto action between three and four o'clock in the afternoon. The gunners had made a splendid forced march from Orange River in some twenty-three hours, yet there and then, with worn-out horses and jaded frames, joined in the fight. ^.Kl"^-1'*'-^''','''"A'^^''^,f° ^^""dant that they made quite a formi- dabe hs m the General's despatch, but they 'afford such inspirith^g reltlZ ' -^^^ ''?"°"'' ^'^^' Britain's heroes, that tlJ listb reproduced in its entirety. " From the Lieut.- General Commanding the First Division to the Chief Staff Officer. "Modder River, Dec. i, 1899. officer?an7 rTk^^'^'n"'^ 1" ''J'"?''"^ ^VT' "°*"*=*-' '^^ names of the following omcers and rank an, hie who distinguished themselves during the dav •— " Major Count Gleichen, C.M.G.. for the coolness shown by h.m throughout "S^erirn?V'P'"'"^.'"n'"^"^'"^ '° '^' ^°""^^d under^a heavy firf whoh'er4?h"L"rre"h^oth's^r^ ^^^'^"' ''' ^^^'^ Grenadief Guards, coolnfsYSr" Sr ''"''' ^^' ^^"^"°" ^r.n.^^rs, displayed remarkable n.:p:r;;i,sr.^L^it.fiSSd^^-:t-^^ -°>- - -^^- ^^e ,.,H.VH^.'i°I:?[?T"' ^'"''^' Coldstream Guards, in volunteering to find a fnrd \,'"~ "I" '" aangcrous mud and a strong river " ' during tKay"' "^'^"''"^ ^'^^'^' ^°''^^^'-^^'» Guards, for excellent service 103 The Transvaal War a critical time. ^ ^^' ^"° ^^^ of great value at Modd?;Ri;:.'re';tr:Sel"nt^^^^^^^^^^ ""^'l-'' ^' ^^^^-^ -^ at "Drill and Colour-SeSant SXtT C I w'^'"'"^ men, and helped the ml, Rr L!il '• ''','''''^''"' ^"^'"'^S' collected 150 Newtown Butler ^ ^''^^ ''^'"'"^ "'^ '■'^^'- ""^er Captain Lord go int^o"he'oj,;nrb^^^^^^^^^^^ G,"-^^' twice asked leave to succeeded in his object ^ "" Grenadier; under a heavy f5re he in. a^St SSSSSSllSJJS-S-S -^- ^" -"- nnder\;frosr;U;rsutJn°diS°"^' '''-'' ^■^-'"^"- -^ intelligence although tTnYed t' the1,a?d''Sd'!rr' ^^^ ^^"'^ ^^^'^^ ^orps, who, lie draws attemion to thi 1^^ °"""^^ """^ continued his duties. Also Guards Th Suable servifes of c'lS N ''' ""TI °' ^"^hven, Scots Ruggies-Brise are again nolid 'P"'" ^"^""'' ^'^e-de-camp, and Captain and' Major ThrHon'c'f°'Tf^ Bartei- King's Own Yorkshire Light Infantry for hSg rtde^eTinUrbfe'Ts^iS;^^ ^""f^'^' ^ '"^"'^-'^ Yorkshire Regiment, did his duty aS"bly ' ^'"^''''''- "^^P'^'" ^"^fi"' cultyt;\"Sbt,rhSS^^^^ -'h ^-t diffi. whic^h.byl.sjudgre^Tand'llne'^s^^^V^^^^^^^^ enemy, many of his small party being killed ^ ""^ '^'^ °^ ^he f^^^^^:^ri::^S^Z^i;^;^^;;-^^ ^-^,4563. Pnvate and cSnued ?n comS of iS b'T; ^^'"^ r^-"""''^' 'S"°'"^^ ^ P^'"f"' ^°"nd, suddenly placed" in Command of hfs Siery'^TedTand''?'"' t^^'- ^"'"^'•^' witli great coolness wttery, led it and brought it into action and drivers continued at their duty carnages. Wounded gunners and Ma 7sS;;;i'| ^"vijfi.f L"?= f "™-C<-»«' ^Ses. service .he ;i::rK;2;f„?'LxrrHV^.rot^i -y^rssar^'^^ ^ There were some miraculous escapes, one sergeant in the Cold- 104 1 The Battle of Modder River TihZ^hTsiid]-''^ ^'^ ""^"^ "^'^y experiences. In an account tr« ",^"'"'"|- ^''^ aftenioon some one seemed to have spotted me from the fZnfTf- r' %fv°' ''''''^ '^'^ ''^^ °f '"y boot and struck my riSst in front of my face, filhng my eyes with dirt and splinters. I rose ud a^fttle wlien another shot strucic the middle finger of my left hand T lf^H^.^ ' breakin"' t^h '""? T''' '"^ ^^"^ '" ' '^ chest o'n'theCkle of my ZeTsl' breaking it through the centre and causing a slig;,-. puncture of the skTn and brt'tXl"" ''"' "^^^ '"" congratulatelas befng L luclSsf be^frTn mj The terrible nature of the fighting was described by an officer in the Guards, who n-ust have had a charmed life He wrote :— "We had no cover except little scrub bushes about six inches hi^h and the ground sloped gently down to the Boers from about 2cic^ yards dS tSr/''°°Pl''''V"^''' '^^^^ '" ^ '"^'•^ damnable posi?S^ Tsat up occa s onally to see how things were going, but only for a moment, as t was alwavs tie signal for a perfect storm of bullets. My ammunition-bearer Lrd hi, 3 blown to bits by a i-lb. shell from a 37.miilimetr» Maxim fm.=f^ m have ever spent in my life. Twelve hours under a constant aSdhlvvfireVf Maxims, 12-pounders, and other quick-firing -uns and riflprn if^^^ cover, no water, and no food is mo're than eLligh for yours 'truly """jZ C h^.l?'"''^ K°"^'« magnificently, and I believe firedTore rounds per gJn than have ever been fiied in a battle before \A/« i,,^ „ •^""us> per gun morning., i cashed shirt and d;a:eS,%l;ideVmTi 1-l'wal'dT' Mv clothes have not been off since we left the Orange Riv^er on November ' i ^ Cronje and Steyn are said to have both been present at the batUeT onl J hn?'l ^f '^ '^^ hardships of warfare were accumulated. Not only had .he troops to display active but passive heroism. Though the longmg for water e.xceeded the craving for food and repose the unfortunate fellows were very near the verge of faminT The r position at tm.es must have savoured of the tortures of Tan alu for many of the men were groping after the enemy in a doutJed up fashion and under a shower of lead, along farms and gardens whHe hens clacked, p.gs grunted, goats offered milk, and%otato;s and other edibles smiled a mute invitation. Wh;n the ^B?ers were routed, however, these delicacies at last became the reward of Their to sneTk Ou tl "rn-^ f ?^ '""^'"^'y °P^-^'°- " ''best no to speak Our gallant Highlanders needed the services of no Vatel —an old can and a wood fire right rovallv served thp?r ?, The crossing of the river, which ^as so 'spl^ndTd^lfflcSd 'paTticu" larly by the Argyll and Sutherland Higlj;anders.^as fraugrwUh 105 The Transvaal War ^''Mi " unlooked-for dangers, as the following quotation from a letter of a private in the regiment will show. Talking of the enemy he said : — " They held their position for five or six hours, and it was with great diffi- culty that we managed to shift them. Our regiment was the first to. cross the river on the left flank, and my company was the first to get over. We advanced along the river and drove the Boers before us; but, unfortunately, our big guns dropped two or three shells uncomfortably close to us, entirely by mistake. When the first of these shells fell, I was only about ten yards past the spot. About twenty of our men were killed by the Boer bullets ; and our regiment, I think, sustained the heaviest loss of any that took part in the fight. I felt a bit frightened when I first went into battle, but as the day advanced 1 got myself again. My legs are badly burned by the sun, and are very sore, but I am rapidly getting all right again. We expect to have another fight this week, and it will be even worse than the last, so one never knows the hour when he may fall." Indeed they did not, and it was a pathetically common experience to wish a man good luck one morning and on the next to find that his helmet and belongings were being gathered together — all that was left oi him — to be sent home to his friends. For in- stance, there was the case of poor Colour-Sergeant Christian of the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders, a hero who did magnificent work, but who never lived to receive the decorations he deserved. An extract from one of his last letters is full of pathetic int^ rest : — " We have been fairly roughing it since we came out here. I have lost everything, and have nothing but what I stand up in. I haven't had the kilt off since we landed from the boat three weeks ago, and we consider it very lucky if we can manage to get a wash once a week. Just now we are all right, as the river is close at hand. You wouldn't know the regiment now if you saw us ; we are brown all over. They have taken our sporrans away and covered our kilts with khaki cloth ; in fact, I believe they will be making s dye our whiskers khaki colour next. Not a man has shaved since we let . Dublin, so you can imagine what we are like. I haven't said anything about me battle, as I am sure you will know more about it at home than we do here. It may seem strange, but it is true. The people at home know more about what is going on than we do he We have been receiving congratulatory telegrams from every one connected with the regiment, giving us great praise for our share in the battle, and really I must say the regiment did very well, considering we have so many youngsters in the ranks. The most trying part was lying down so long under fire without seeing any one to fire at. I was rather luckier, hav- ing to retire at first, and tlien chase some Boers out of the house with the bayonet, and then we had to ford the river and clear the north bank of the river. We were clearing them beautifully with the bayonet when a shell from our own guns burst among us. This seemed to demoralise every one, and they all commenced to retire. But, seeing this was my first fight, I couldn't see my way to retire without seeing who I was retiring from, and besides there was a lot of wounded lying about ; sn a m.ijo'- of the North Lancashire P.egiment and myself succeeded in rallying ten men of different corps and held an enclosure. We were soon tackled by the Boers, but after we killed half-a-dozen of them 106 i ^ a letter of a ; he said : — •ith great diffi- st to. cross the We advanced ately, our big 3, entirely by ten yards past illets ; and our irt in tlie fight, lay advanced I are very sore, Dther fight this lows the hour in experience next to find together — all ds. For in- ristian of the magnificent he deserved, int^ rest : — ;. I have lost had the kilt off ;r it very lucky ire all right, as low if you saw ly and covered ing H dye our left Dublin, so t the battle, as It may seem bat is going on elegrams from Dr our share in ronsidering we /as lying down ;r luckier, hav- th the bayonet, the river. We from our own =, and they all juldn't see my les there was a R.esinient and i an enclosure, ■dozen of them h (I. 06 Q (I) X h O Z U) m o u w K (D Q < X o Q < OS u X H D W Q <; o < X h I Oi U) > OS u Q Q O S u. o (D h < ID a ~#' The Battle of Modder River they appeared to get tired of it and cleared off, and we managed to get all the mT.? ^"^ \/ ' "'^' I have got recommended for the Distinguished Conduct Medal and the Victoria Cross for my share in this, but of course it is one thing being recommended and quite another thing ^-?n'ng it." Boer treachery, of which we had many examples, had hitherto been practised with monotonous regulanty. They had fired on the white Hag and disregarded the sacred sign of the red cross. They had shot the hand that tended them, they had used Dum-Dum and explosive bul ets, but on this occasion the triumph of originality in treacherous trickery was achieved. On the principle of "all is fair in love and war, die enemy u.ihsed their ambulance for the purpose of removing their Hotchkiss gun from the field, and that too when the precious weapon was not even invalided ! Tales of many plucky actions which were recorded would fill a volume in itself. Private Anderson, Scots Guard-' over and over again traversed the fire zone and carried off the wounded to a place 1' ?!,• t-f"^^"^."^ F^'^; Yorkshire Light Infantry, was seriously sZn. no V '' \^ l^"*>yj^f '"g -" assault against the enemy's strong position When the horses approached to take the guns out o^ action, the Boers at once commenced to aim at them, and for the moment it seemed r 3 though the work of removing the jruns could not be persisted in. Twenty-five horses were killed, but the chargers of several officers were next utilised, and the officers themselves some of them wounded, walked or crawled off the field in order that the valuable weapons should be borne off in safety. A driver was also heroically self-abnegating. Though shot through the lungs, he refused to leave his post, and valiantly drove his gun out of action. ' » The list of killed and wounded was a grievously long one :— Killed: Staff-Lieutenant-Colonel H. P. Northcote.^ 2nd Coldstream M lnm:rT"Eo?w1 -"h S'T'^'J'V^^P'^'" S. EarS Wounded" nnnln i {r T ^' ^'^^^ay, hand; Captain Farrell, foot; Lieutenant Dunlop, shoulder; Lieutenant Furse. 3rd Grenadier Guards-Major Coun Gle.chen, severely; Lieutenant Hon. E. Lygon, slight. 2nd CoTdsU-eam Gu^stMoo^T'^KSiy ".°"; V^l"^^"- T ?^°y^'Army Ldical CorpJ-Cap a™ G^irse Moore. Killed: 2nd York^^ Ught Infantry, Second Lieutenant L. Til .^^'u ^°""°^'' = Staff- Lieutenant-General Lord Methuen sliehtlv ■ bullet flesh wound in thigh. Royal Engineers-Captain N. G V^n Hu^f].' In 1888 he served in the operSs^n/X.L.fn''';^^ '"'^^ afterwards created a C.B. 107 The Transvaal War Baker-Carr, Second LifSenani W a S'sc!;^^;' "''''-"-'^""^^^^ "• ^- F' M'\rf /iFTER THE FIGHT could reach tb<,r „ ,!,„ mom in " h^, ^ f '"='^°''= °"'' "•°°Ps ief.w„.„,ea, .^..■o.,; ^.r/^S^^flSSd Sr' "'^^''^'' After .he ujj-oar of tae conflict and the nieht ol -i-^r.-ifnl ™„ fo7"L"'*edl;are ^""1^4^! Sm'-^-^'"'!^ '" ""r^ bodies ^f .he sMrB-^f^^i^^^^S^'i^ZftrZ^l^:^^^^^^ nedly been cast away and hidden, so that the full tale nf t .rre'r^' ^/•"'TPt'' '"^-°" whTchtTri iJ "! fc o"sS tne river. And m the hearts of the conquerors thp.. " ™sea some measure) a reflection of these com?asts^. her *, • °-^'" -er animal comfbr. .stored, tlj Sm t^''"' T tS^r t? remove boots, to eat •..: to smoke after an over - •- soell ofSnU yet at the same time, deep down, ther« lurked -, '^ ^f °^T V feeling of regret for the go^d f^oJ^ZiJZ^^g^ruir^X:^^ io8 <--rs, slight.'y, 'Utcnant W. i'lttSlig! ily. ', Licuirnant int H. B. F. After the Fight ice Corps vided and " attended I number. >ur troops they had ful repose rs. The contrasts ;rywhere, itness to blistered in which 1 lay the had hur- of loss I acacias -d green -the riff- II. The hedges, ted iron sh lead, 'h poles ver the e been things crossed also (in yoicing irst, to battle ; i dumb kno .vn . L'tltdy^nL^ '^"'"'^' ^"' ''' '""'''-'^ --y °^ ^hem!-who ^olI!>7cf'"'?'^^"^^^'■>^ '''^, ^"^^ impressive was the funeral of Colonel Stopford, who was shot early in the fight the day before His grave was made m a peaceful spot beside one of the gardens of the village, and garlands gathered by his men of the 2nd Co Idst e^n Guards were placed all over it. Major the Marquis of WinchesteT- so soon to jom h.s lost comrade-acted as chief mourner. He to^ but shaken hands and passed on. horsls^'wtch h^H r" ^°""- I? ^' ^""^^^^^ ^^'^h dead men and norses, which had been hurriedly consigned to the mercv of fh^ waters, and arrangements had to be made for encampment farther up the stream Quantities of Boer spies still lingSeT about til camp, some of them pretending to be aLulance Ss in order o get nearer and closer inspection of British movements For^unaLv these wily folk somewhat overreached themselves, and theTr furtht^ activities were interrupted by arrest lurtner with great celerity and brought into working orde^; LieTnant pa3'7u V Northumberland Fusiliers was w^ounded whHe ouTon patrol duty. Fortunately the injury sustained by Lord Methuen was slight, and there was every hope that he wJuld be equal to active duty in the course of a very few days ^ We must now leave this division in the enjoyment of its well thTcteXo'rnf "'""n^^ '^^'>^-^'"^^'^' -^^^^h' Ts ?ast b omfng tne cage ot 9000 of our gallant troops. ^ 109 B CHAPTER IV THE INVESTMENT OF LADYSMITH EFORE going farther it may be interesting to inspect a rough table showing approximately the^omposiC and total strength of the British and Boer fo^rce a" the various pomts mentioned :— LADYSiMITH British 2ist, 42nd, and 53rd Field natterics ; Bat- talion of Natal Artillery; two truns of the Natal Naval Reserve ; Natal Mounted Volunteers; 5th Lancers; 19th Hussars ; ist Battalion Liverpool Regiment ; 2nd Battalion Gordon High- landers ; 1st Battalion Devonshire Regi, ment ; ist AL-inchesters ; several com- panies of Mounted Infantry ; Medical Corps ; Veterinary Corps ; 23rd Com- pany Royal Engineers ; reinforcements from Mantzburg ; Naval Brigade (750) Boer Following from Glencoc :— lath, 67th, and 6gth Field Batteries ; i8th Hussars : Natal Mounted Volunteers ; ist Uattahon Leicestershire Regiment • 1st and 2nd Battalions King's Royal Rifles ; 2nd Battalion Dublin Fusiliers • several companies of Mounted Infantry; Field Hospital Corps 13.550 Combined Free State and Trans\aal forces '] 30,500 Four companies of the Loyal North Lan- cashire Regiment ; Battery of Royal Garrison Artilleiy, consisting of six 7 -pounder mountain -guns ; a large l' party of Royal Engineers ; detachment 01 the Annv MpHk-qI r^, I KIMBERLEV 2500 of the Anny Medical Corps Free Staters, and probably -v some Transvaal Boers, with four field-guns, 3500 ; on Orange River, 2coo ; f "5oo Reinforcements from Mafeking, 1000 ) Colonel Baden-Powell, with 500 Cavalry ^ 200 Cape Mounted Police and B.Sa' Company's Mounted Police, 60 Volun- teers, 6 machine-guns, two 7-pounders, 200 to 300 townsmen used to arms MAFEKING i^oo 1000 Transvaal Boers under Commandant Cronje; SCO Boers at Maritzani 1500 At Tuli or moving towards Mafeking, was Colonel Plumers column, which ''on s"-fpd nf a KrvMt t^^^ ^yji^nci riumers an equal force 0} Boers °^^ """"' ^"'^ ^"' °PP°^^^ ^^ no 3o,soo 6500 1500 The Investment of Ladysmith At Palapye there was a British force of 700. which was watched by a Burgher force of about 1000. Kom^ IW ^''^ ''" ' ^^'''^ '''''"'"'''^ ^^ 3000 in laager near r ^^ ^tir^'T^r^^'^ "^^^ ^ considerable force under Brifradier- Genera VVolfe-Murray and at Pietermaritzburg other troops^ ro r p c^'^ ""^^"^ ^'''-" "O'-thern border of Cape Colony were some 50oo^Free State Boers and about 1000 or 150S British^roops anJ The Natal Field Force was now confronted with the bulk of thp a urwhT"'"^""' ^^""'^ ^^'■^"^^'^ "^^ --^'y -P-ior to its own Thl n ?t ?.°"''^'^^ ^""^ ^""^'■^"y acknowledged to be splenL The Dutch have ever a stoical stolidity which serves themiT the re^° h^e who'r '"' '""'°^ ''^r'y °^ ^he Briton and tier" ore those who knew were not without apprehension in re-ard to he upshot of hostilities. It was plain to all who were Tn any w.v famihar with previous history and with local condufons S ^he struggle was likely to be both prolonged and bloody and thev ur^ed on the attention of those at ho^me thi need of re' Lcenien Yet he soldiers particularly those who had recently arrived were lilt hearted and confident, full of satisfaction to be let loos; from t^e hencoops in the ships, and keen to try conclusions w° h he Bo";' At Ladysmith the state of affairs was becoming more and mor^ complicated, and the invasion of the Free Staters into Cape CoTonv was now an accomplished fact. The enemy's tactL every wherl srcletd^'th^BoeTdod ^^'t^''^^ -^/re tacticT fSTric" TsSlld'hy'^the rmerS^^^^^^^^^ -'^ht be prising officer of the Trara:irrtili:rTconcX:dS::'orutnr; llnf^ '^ f- '" 'I " "^^ ""^ °'-'/"^' f-^hion. Disgursed as an ambulance driver, he arrived at Ladysmith. and improved The occa sion by observing the effects of Boer artillery fireT'he to ' be St'rus'd for'd'ir' ^^T ^' the enem/was now begS.;;fng to De distrusted, for daily evidences of treachery were forthcoming As one correspondent said in writing home of The sub ect^' f^ Ill The ^ransvaal War south was cut. They tiiergetically commenced the building of em- placements for their guns of position, which were fast being for- warded fr-iHi the Transvaal. Reinforcements from the Free State were also pouring in. and a Boer commando was creeping towards Colenso. In spite of threatened serious Inconveniences, hopes were high and spirits cheery, esp'vl.u; ; .ong the newspaper corre- spondents, wlio, regardless (n danger, drove lour-in-hand round the camp and fortifications, and helped to maintain a devil-may-care attitude that was certainly reassuring. Ammunition was plentiful, but water— Klip water — was somewhat inclined to cause colic, and, in consequence, to be generally suspected. It was no uncommon sight to see at the Royal Hotel ladies heating their kettles prior to drinking their doubtful contents. Flies were so numerous as to make another persistent inconvenience. They destroyed such repose as the inhabitants might otherwise have enjo\ ed. Added to these petty discomforts were night-alarms of various kinds, and curious and disconcerting discoveries. For example, one young man— an immaculate_ young man— well turned out and apparently plentifully endowed with ready money, was discovered to be a B j./ spy, and was promptly arrested. An account of the last days of a British sojourner in Ladysmith serves to give an example of the trials and anxieties through which hundreds had to pass : — " Since my last note to you we have had some lively times of it at Ladysmith. I always had a liking to see a real battle, but never thought that it would be my luck. However, 1 have now seen four battles, and I think that I am satisfied. I can assure you that it is anything but pleasai •: to go on t' e field after battle. The sights of the wounded <-• d dead are horr- le, and y-t the soldiers are always laughing and j. ng wiicn they are going out to fight, and the "oor fellows are getting very little rest. They never have a chance to get their boots off They have to be always ready to move at a moment's i, tice, .uu diey do it ^■ th light hcirt. Your heart would have ached to see the lot thai came down to ladysmith from Dundee. They were not strong enri-gh for the Boers, so :hey made a forced march of it, and they n- d terribly bad weadier. It was raining all the time, and wh thev .ame into Ladysmiti they \ ere mud all over and in rags. !; ne them were ca lying their boots in their hands aud could h, ly wl. Mrs. V. .md myself made some buckets of coffee and let them iiave a pull at • and were not they thankful for it ? A word about how we are going on here. I don't know whether you are getting any news at home about the war, but we can't get to know anything here, as the whole country is under martial law, and they won't let the papers publish any news concerning the war. . . . Now the Boers are all round Ladysmith, and our troops can only defend the town. I don't think for a 112 lilding of em- ist being for- e Free State ping towards B, hopes were ipapcr corre- nd round the evil-may-care was plentiful, se colic, and, D uncommon ittles prior to Tierous as to I such repose ded to these and curious ng man — an ly plentifully (j'jr spy, and of a British he trials and y times of it le, but never ow seen four ou that it is 'he sights of s are always md the '>nor a chance to ) move at a heart would ^smith from o they made lier. It was -.]' they ^ ere r their boots Tiyself made nd were not ng on here, le about the lole country sh any news Ladysmith, think for a u o H Ul X h o Ul z u u tn .■^', H The Investment of Ladysmith moment that the Hocrs will take Ladysmith unless they j-et stronirlv reinforced, and I don't think that will happen. 1 iowe^r the sooner that troops arrive for the relief of the garrisons that are here and hemmed in by the IJoers the better it will be for Britain. There is no doubt :ibout it that the Hoers have got our trooi)s in a tiuht corner, and I ritain is a bit slow, not having her troops here be- lore now. I hear that troops are likely to land next week, and 1 hope that It is true. I had to leave Lad\ smith on November •^ • the military authorities would nut grant me a permit to si v. so thev g.ive me my free pass to Durban, where I intend to stop ,ntil the trouble IS over. You would have laughed to see some of the men running out into the street with no clothes on when the Boers sent their first shell into Ladysmith. It came into the town at s i =i \ M I was up and partly dressed, as I had heard the firing, and was going to have a look at the battle, when in came the shell ritdit over the house I was staying in and dropped on the road. I was sure that it was going to hit the house. The shell makes a terrific whistling as It travels through the air. . . . The Bluejackets did some very good vvork. They arrived by train about eleven o'clock, and by twelve o clock they had off-loaded their guns and got them into action, and their third shot silenced the Boers' 40-poundcr " Our cavalry while reconnoitring discovered a large force of tlie Boers which was manoeuvring to the south of the town. The troopers charged and succeeded in cutting their way through the enemy. Meanwhile at Grobler's Kloof the X'olunteer Light In- fantry a corps that had been doing splendid work throughout met the enemy, and a sharp encounter was maintained, bu^ they were outnumbered by their assailants. An armoured train brou-ht troops to their assistance, and these enabled them to return saiVlv to headquarters. The naval gunners were active, and scored as usual, for they finally succeeded in putting the big gun on Hepworth Hill out of action. " Long Tom," an objectionable weapon and a great favourite with the enemy, was now posted on Mount Umbul- wana, whence at intervals it spat viciously upon the town, but without causing serious damage. The enemy, as we know, made a move towards Colenso, and the officer commanding at that place decided to fall back with ^len and horses on Estcourt. The move over some twenty miles of hilly country was admirably executed, and all stores, huts, kit, &c., were preserved. Meanwhile Sir George White sent out a strong force under the comniand of Colonel Brocklehurst, reinforced by the 5th Dragoon Guards, Royston s Horse, and two batteries, for the purpose of mak- ing a flank attack on the Boer commando that was advancing on i^olenso. Splendid work was done, the Boers being routed from all their positions and three guns silenced. The Imperial Liaht \0L. If. 113 jj * The Transvaal War Horse pressed too far ;««-« n wa.cmical, bu.Xf; rexSdT'^ ^"™ ""^^ Position were made, and o,fer a thousand h^''^' ^"^"^'"'^^ of pSrI m fact, the veldt was a con "let. ^^^''■' ""'^'^ ^^'^ ^o be^ slaTnl Lieutenant the Hon R p *^°"'P'^^e parquet of dead Hm^^k tinguished himseX piuckr^; '^^ "^T^^^" ^-'^t i^el fy"!^' trooper and carrying^^^out of fl e^fi '° '^'^ '^''^^ of a fisntounted had succe'edSn hildng the'hoS"''^ Peace after the enemv's fire was .njured. All were moumTnTthi T ^ r°.'f '" ^^""nately no one Knapp, and Lieutenant Braban? wh fl""^ ^'.^J^'' Taunton, Captain previous day. General French 'bfwh'- '" ''^" ^"^agemem on^ the succeeded in getting out of Ladysni^'th and" '"■"'' "^ "^ '^"^" ^'^^^^' Wo fe-Murray at Estcourt Zhh ^^""""^'y brigade, and General m the direction of CoTnso f/ ."'^""^"^ ^^"ery. reconnoitred mun.cation with LadysSh hn> • ' • ""^'^ "^^^e to restorrcom "P a cheerful attitude^'and . ronV" ''^'^ ' >^^' '^^ troops w d L lent between besiegers aiKf^fsi^ged '""'"^ ^"'"^'■>^ ^"^' 'as carded! by the"i:::t^Lt't^^fbr"no Jr' '>• '''^^ ^-^ ^egun to be studied messengers of death ' H^rdro'^ ""^^ '^'"^ f-'om these screeching Sfs dug in ,,, ^.^^^^ -adwa were rent in twain anTd^ became a scene of upheaval and dM ' •?"'" ""^'"ff ^rim and ne^t as though endeavourinrtrmake .rr°''''^''^^^d^he4evesup hopmg to lessen their own obstruct:"" P^'^'-'^^'f °f themselves o? d-vhsh mvader; some would Cen^^.'^'^''^^ P^^^^ge of the make pancakes of themselvl iu^ ''^^l'* ^^'^^ against a wal -! <^arth. and there grovel trntS'"" ""^^''^ would fall prone to ™lcl rush helte?.sTeI e "towarr?r' °' P^*"'' ^^^ Past^ Many refuge that had been dug into X 1 .'•'rT^^^ves. vast places of of the Klip, and there. fntt^ritP?!!^'"^^ ^''-^^ ^"d san^^^^^^^ and await the inevitable L as hartn^J'l^S^-P^'-^^^^' breathe freeS coast was clear. These caves 3 hi '^"^' temporarily, that the began to be deeply interesting t^^hrcSr" °' ^-^^^^--^^^tion %,4 ^ community, and daily the their position 'goon Guards, i were shelled hey retreated, of prisoners to be slain — d Dutchmen. s, greatly dis- a dismounted I Knapp and enemy's fire lately no one ton, Captain ment on the :lose shave," Cape Town ncl General econnoitred istore com- within kept ' carried on be studied screeching 1 and deep and neat, veldt was their posi- - work of ments the Iding their re ; others iselves up selves, or re of the a wall — prone to . Many places of tndbanks le freely that the nodation aily the sold The Investment of Ladysmith lers new were set to work constructi apprehensive. The places varied in si;e micrqukHtj^iTo;^,;";; to' the demands of the.r tenants. Some would acionin odate a dozen people standmg upright in them, and even admitted of furmW of a rough kmd-beddmg, seats, eatables, and cooking-pots- just enough to enable nervous folks to go "out of town ^ for a C or two dunng a period of bombardment. Others were mere fox^ holes, as u were, a coves scooped out of the bank to eer^e as a screen for the more hardy souls who were content to breathe fhe air ostrich falhL 7l • "1^ '"'^' r^P''^ ^'^^''- '^-^1^ ""der cover in ostrich fashion when danger threatened. The banks thus became honeycombed, and it was not unusual to find a whole family perched eltl J"^ ""i- '^ '^'r ^""'^'^ ""S^"'"' ^h- protecting wall and their In the early days of the sico-e a o-rpnr dpil r^f o^^^ • i excavating „e„. on, Ld you r.ig,^L^^:Z fllf^SX ot the sou providino- cover for -i ln,l,r „.u:i i ^ ",'^*"- luicr shaded ga?de„-sears fo°;:.;nt„? S kn^l^/^i^t: Sehd!.' of three mass.ve Gordons in their l- "-- -f con,-™;;: itn tul he outer world was now by p.geon-post, and there was therefore much "5 ft.r il iUii The Transvaal War excitement when Lieutenant Hooper (5th Lancers) arrived on the witliout accomphshine Us m ss on In Qnlff. ,^^ ^k.v .u " "-"^Y""^" of a hotel in fadysnti.h ve^rde^erl^r I/ed' o^ rav dTo^r beleaguered town to Estcourt without bein- ?aptured bv thl hL!1 po^trrMiL'tn^it,""" 'T"^^P=^"'^ '" -S-'oeWe'L'Boe^^o't At h',f ,i5 *^ u "'"' '^'■'■'""S =" '"'^ destination unharmed ^l„^ ; "' "'!?:,'"= ■"'^Si-'ed. the investment of Ladysmithlvas noX a,°d'S- ../'"= '"n°'">'>'"S 8""^ dominated theTo"™ elst? .■:.r'vo:lr::ith ]:z^z. ^z:-' t^T-^^t^i Ttfn..n ""'"'f.^J^ shops, in default of customers, were closed 'el trie betont ? ' 1 ^^'^'^^ ^''^'°"' '"■'"'■>' ^^ '^^ ■'""^^tes. The neijtrals betook themselves to' a camp under Mount Umbulwam which some uaventive person appropriately christened 'FunT^umdorf^' to c- ;"' ^r?^P^-'r>: -r- and children refused to go, p^^^^^^^^ to cast m their lot with the valiant defenders of the litde t^wn a! 1 e millf P"P ' r^ '^"•■^^^ ^^"-^ ^^'" '" g°°d condi i^n and spirit^' hon^h . J inhabitants amused themselves with polo and cricke as though there was no chance of being bowled out by " Lonct Tom" while the lad.es gave little concerts for the amusemeL of th^e^dect ed?tl;i ^''^^ T IH P^"^"^ "^ ^^'^ ^'"'^ community, that they even edt?n:f7.:/rwll^^^f^^""'' ^^'■'' ^ ^^^^^ ^^ TSs^a" AnL;nJ/' ^'''^'^'/"ot ''r^. was certainly ieu trovaio. A new instance of the Boers' treachery soon took place Thev sen in under a flag of truce a number of refugees from the T ans^ yaal. They were met outside the pickets by\ flag of truce fmm tV^ te"['' ''"u"^ •^r"u^'' '^^"^ the%arties ^separafed and befor^ the British could reach the pickets, than the Boers fired uoon them lo^^:::s:t t "^^'"^ t \ '^^^ °^ civiiiserwa&nti "i tHedi:TpL\^^;iTsr;ef ^' "'^"^^^^ ^^^^^ -"^^ ^ ^^--' — ">^ On the 9th November, the King's Royal Rifles and the Rifle Brigade m the north, and the Manchester Regiment in the sou h succeeded in repelling two simultaneous attack !nSi?ing on the Boers a loss roughly estimated at about 700 o loSo^A deen retirement, to bring forward horses, was promptly raptured bv the R.ile Brigade, trom thence, when the Boers retum^ed, Ihey were Ii6 ived on the sneak un- ip in safety. 1 her doom, rpose of re- id to return proprietor -1 from the the Boers. e Boer out- unharmed, ^smith was town east, d disquiet- eople had ves before :re closed. ! wounded, ites. The nbulwana, kumdorf," preferring- own. At id spirits ; cricket, as ng Tom," the select they even Fransvaal to. e. They le Trans- uce from id before ion them. :ontinued naturally :he Rifle le south, ■ on the A deep mporary ley were The Investment of Ladysmith briskly fired on, with the result that they retreated in hot haste across open ground Taking advantage of this opportunity, the artillery commenced an effective fire, inflicting on the Dutch considerable loss. _ I he Manchester Regiment, which occupied a position at Caesar s Camp, for the purpose of protecting the south- western side of the town caught several hundred Boers hidino- from shells in a ditch. They poured on them several volleys^ hrfli n>T^ ^uffered severely. Unfortunately, Lieutenant Leth- bndge (Rifle Brigade) was mortally wounded, and Lieutenant Fisher, of the Manchesters, received a slight wound in the shoulder About noon, after seven hours' continuous fighting, the combined attack upon the town failed and the Boers reW. T ei in honour of the Pnnce of Wales's birthday, the big guns in 'the Naval redoubts commenced a salute of twenty-one cruns each shot in stately procession following the other and bu?stini over the Boer positions. Outside the battery, on King Kop. stoT,d Sir George White surrounded by his Staff. The General led the 1^1 ^irT^ """^^ cheers for the Prince, and then Captain Lamb- ton and the gunners on the top of the breastwork took up the roar and passed it on to the Rifle Brigade, lying in their saLars with loud and prolonged cheering. In the evening the trooos drank home^eJe'f \'' ''^ Royal . Highness, and succ'eetd in^sendinl home telegraphic congratulations. On that day the townspeople, for greater safety, went into laager on the racecoirse, and the miHtary lines were removed some three miles out. so as to avoid the ner- :rsen'5ll^irs'ay"^'"^- ^^^^"^ ^^^^ ^•^- ^^ -""^ed Efforts were made to establish heliographic communication between Estcourt and Ladysmith, but the atmospheric conSns were entirely agamst the success of the operation^ Bombardment continued, and life was pursued to the continuous thunder of the Naval guns firing yddite and the " Long Toms " of the Boers now revXratfor'^B : T^^' "^'^"^ ^''\ P^^^'^^-^ and "'eadi; reverberation. But the community in Ladysmith were not so depressed by their incarceration as to lose the spirit of fun alto gether. In default_ of other entertainment, they beguiled the tin^e by indulging in various practical jokes at the expense of the Boers The greatest achievement was the preparation of a smart dummv ^mnrunitn^ThreS"'''"^" "^^^/ ^^ considerable tmount^f ammunition. The effigy was manufactured of straw and ittlred m the uniform of the Lancers, by whom it was modeHed Its imposing form, nlarprl near ^h« P-— -r-W--.- l ' . ' -9.'- ./" realty, and naturally "the en.n'iy V^^^^t^:^ S'^^J^^ vcuuresome a foe. Away whistled Mauser bullet/round tte KeaS I 1*7 The Transvaal War of the supposed courageous Lancer, who budged never a bit. Shot failing — the big gun was turned on. Bang, bang ! Boom, boom ! Still was the warrior unperturbed. After considerable expenditure of both shot and shell, the truth, much to the disgust of the assail- ants, dawned upon them ! So pleasing was the success of this manceuvre, that the Liver- pools, for further recreation, got up a miniature Tussaud's. They arrayed a row of martial effigies, and waited with the glee of school- boys while the artillery from the neighbouring hills pounded away Complete Machine Gun Detachment of Mounted Infantry. I'HOTO BY ELDRIDGE, COLCHESTKR at what they imagined to be some dauntless Britons who dared to defy them. Efforts to signal to Ladysmith by heliograph still continued to fail, at least to reach those for whom the display was intended, though the Boer heliograph graciously acknowledged the com- munication. It answered jocosely, "Will be with you to-morrow." The British reply was monosyllabic! The pigeon-post medium was resorted to, and by this means those outsiders struggling for its relief were informed that with Ladysmith all was well. The process of pigeon postal communication was exceedingly interesting. Mr. Arthur Hirst, who at the onset of the war had started a loft of the best Yorkshire racinaf nin-eons at Durban, settled himself at the Intelligence Department Headquarters, Ladysmith, and fxcm thence sent out his intelligent birds. Of these he had ii8 ■■M ■ a bit. Shot Boom, boom ! i expenditure of the assail- at the Liver- aud's. They ;lee of school- lounded away i^iisfeji ,vho dared to continued to vas intended, ed the com- 1 to-morrow." post medium struggling for ill. ; exceedingly the war had urban, settled ;, Ladysmith, ihese he had GENERAL SIR GEORGt STEWART WHITE, V.C, G.C.B., THE DEFENDER OF LADYSMITH, I'li.il.. l,j •,Vii,.|.,M A lii„i,.. I ,1,,||, Estcourt some 200, all of which were trained by himself and his assistants. His early experiments were most successful. He despatched thirteen pigeons to Durban a distance of 200 miles, yet they arrived safely with messages within five hours. The birds were returned from thence for more work. After that time Mr. Hirst continued train- ing a hundred young birds to travel from the seat of war to Ladv- sm.th, and great interest was taken by all who began to understand that news of the outer world would shortly be very limited indeed. 1.0.^" K '"^ the Free State troops took up a position on a small kopje whence a British battery strove to rout them. There was some smart cannonading, till the British were forced to fall back on the town. Their day assault over, the Boers tried a new experi- men, that of a midnight attack. All the Afrikander cannons'Ll- taneously opened fire on the town, turning the sleeping scene into a Sk-"''Tn ^'- ^"' ^""^•"P ^^"^'^^ ^-' -d ^he whisX; and of the ni|ht ^' '"^ ' terrifying music in the weird silence ESTCOURT Opinions regarding Estcourt differ. Some consider it a pictur- esque and verdant little village, placed in the bosom of the hills and very similar to a Sussex hamlet on the Downs. Others have de- scribed It as well deserving the name of being the hottest and most unpleasant region in the high veldt of Natal. It is in the thorn country, and is surrounded with rough irregular kopjes The railwav bridge over the Bushman's River fs an imposing Tucture,ai^ the Ime leads from Durban to Maritzburg. Colenso, and Ladysmith and thence to the Orange Free State lud the TmnsvaaL a1 tfe fZ ?T r^ " v' '• ^ ^"bstantial bridge that runs across f om Lstcourt to Fort Napier, a quaint-looking structure, neither orT mental nor useful, for hills behind and rouSd it command the s' u^- tion. Thus commanded it is utterly indefensible, and would need an army corps to hold it. The garrison, under Brigadier-General Wolfe-Murray, at this time consisted of the Roval Dublin Fuslhers the Border Regiment, one squadron of Imperial Light Horse S Field Artillery, and some scouts. This small forcelould have been attacked rteT'" '" 1 1^^"^^ "^ '^'' P'^^ ^ ^ad it been seriously m n= l-l i p •'.'" ^°''^'^' ^'^'^ supported at Colenso by heavy guns, while the British troops that had to evacuate that villaVe S but one obsolete nine-pounder manned by volunteers. The absence of good guns was everywhere deplored. At Ladvsmith the no JtJ.n was mere ysaveu by the hasty arrival at the very last moment of the Naval Brigade with their formidable weapons' and at Colenso the regrettable evacuation was obligatory soldy on account of ?he 119 ill The Transvaal War n cdLi»T!,o hld^he^s/fr'.he ttu °".*= -''^ Jmajrined. ^^ '" ^'^^ neighbourhood may be was distinctly to be heard fdeen 3 vss'S m"''''"'^^^ °' H^y^^'"^'^ upon the air, while the heivv IvTrXn r u ^'"'^f lorn booming up the diabolical dueT I mens; n^ °^ '^' 4-7 Naval guns kepi besieged prevailed, but it^lrZ^^ T T ''^^ ^"'"'^-^ ^' ^'^ up some of the highest hills anrM^^i ° '''' "'"''^ ^^an mount where Ladysmith'-w^s knL'f, ^ 'rth^r^r^'^ •'^"^ f ^'^^^^^^ presented the air of an -ictlLlr.? , direction the hollow upwards and spread^g Th ,' m Sa"; ;tb"%^' ?"^^^^ ^^^^'"^ sistance far and vvide But nnth^^^ ^- bombardment and re- garrison, it was true was rrcife^'r '"'^^ "^^ ^°"^^- ^he tiny m by driblets. General Wolfe M?^ reinforcements, but these came defences which shouW at I'even'tf '"f ^ r^ ^'"^'^^^ '" P^^^^^l nut to crack, and caused redoubts '.nS'ttr/l''""" '"^'^^ ^ar^ structed so that the place mi^hrK r '"^^<^"chments to be con- Boers would make The tS werel' ?•'"'' '''?!' ^''^'^ -' ^hl to the"sL'f: tti unXt^fl^foTtrT 'T^' '^^'^^^^^ --^ from Dundee. The officers S^onP- Z' ""^ "'"^^^-^'ght wounded the Natal Field Force MaiorH? ^, ''^? ^°'°"^' Beckett of Captain Adam. A.DX:. Stl T5 'n ^""^'^'''^ F^^'Jiers King's Royal Rifles ; Li;utenantC Np'^""' ^^^^"^ ^^"J^bee Dublin Fusiliers ; and UeutTnTnt B de w" w"',/'P'"> ^'^ly cesters. There wn<; nlc^ ^^"'int i^. de VV. Weldon of the I ei that were broughTTn S Tl^"'"^ ■ 'T''''^ '" h^-ing report had suffered seVrei"y. and htt'^B^^errFrrm^r' °" ^^^^-''^ had been turned by them into . ? •. i^p,^° ""^^^ 'be strain. pfthelong-looked-f^dlviirwasnTw ^^^!, ^^-^^ ^^tachmen^ r^^^:'^i:::^sl7r^^:^' .?- ^^e ,th. how. stood to arms. Colonel SrUn 7 r'^'''"/ 'T^ ^ooo men. troops, at once started off in tL "l" 'r'"''^"d of the mounted of musketry proceeded The Boers ,rsn°" f'""'^ " "^'^'^^'^^^ on the summit of a hill firing .? """'^ ^^'*^^' "^^^^ located Two guns of the Natnl p""? ArtHWv '""''' "'^" ^"'^'^'>^ '•^^'-d tbe. arrival was a signal fb^ ^^t?^;-: ^ J-- |or. l.t !_ fie unhappy id may be id blowing, Ladysmith booming guns kept i"gs of the han mount of shadow the hollow "^'"'te. or some con^S^^:^:,t;t ';|^ '^^.^^^^t- P---s. was now 'ng the whereabouts of the enemv "l 'T ^^''^^^^ °'" ^'^^"^er- an. exciting and disastrous voya^' wi m"/'^' ^^th of Novcnber as It was called. The trooos TT. . ^"^ '" ^^^ "death-trap," to Frere, and beyond if po^siWe to ^ '? •^''^^'^'^ ^''""^ ^stcou t prac^tu:able for thjpassage^orin!;^^^''^'^'^'" ^°" ^^' '^e line was %hi::cSb^t.;:;:;:;d^Tt:!.r^sr "^^'^^-^ ^^^^^- officers and p.x-a of the Dublin Ft t^^ non-commissioned Captain Wyiie and L.eutena Al 'v ? ^'^^^^'^^^^^ FranUand. commissioned .>rn.:ers and ^ of !he D ' l"'''' fiT^'' """" and five i;;uc,ackets under Tpetty leer 't\^'^^' ^2^'"''^' <-hurchill, who was actincr •,.,., ^^^^er. Mr. Winston Spencer ^os^, also accompLfed t1.e pl^lv ZT^''''t"-'- ^° '^' '"'^^"^^ certam railway eniployees o S T '" ^''I't''^" ^^ '^'"^ ^vert tram got to Frere and^ tele 'aphed < aTTn- ^ '°""^'- ^^^^ the It started to go still farther fZard in " L if H ^ ^""'.^'^ ^^•^^"• were seen gesticulating warninas On f . ^^'^/?'^ ^'^^^ "stives •t was found that there" were B^ei-s whn 7"^ K-'u^^'^^^^^^ Station, ambush, eagerly looking out for them The^ '"''^'"^ ^"^" ^>'"&^ '» numbers on either side^f the line Of - """u^ ^""'^"^ '" ^^''^^ once to steam back, but even as irdfd Sf 'tf ' '''^ ''*^'" began It from the enemy. With hirl^-! t ° ;'' ''°"^y ^^^ poured on it iron a„d several canl^'^ar r::;ce"t '""r ''''''' -"^e machme. Then, to add to its m?sfor\,?n u^^^^ °" '^'^ ""'"^ky of any kind, the trucks sudSlvkr.' T'^°? P''^"^^ ^'^ ^•^"""•n? the a •. They, at least appeared to do ^.'o '"^ ' '':^^^^' '^^P' '"to and shootmg their cont^nrheTterietr'.. hFeT^^ " ^'^ f ^' sack. The words are quoted (ran^ thl' i • Potatoes out of a who himself expen\ ced die uno^nn. ^"'S"Pt'on of a sufferer men were mortally iniured TP i ,^ sensation. Several of the The cause of the d sister w.^ ^^""'f^y^'^^' billed on the spot The Boers had laidTtrfp for UeT'' """i'^^^ ^^ ^^ ^^P^'^^^^^ on the rails behind ^To that^'oV r;etrl£t '" ^^'^r^ J 2, retreatmg journey it should Armoured Train Disaster at Chieveley mtrcy And their ingenious machinations succeeded 1 he enemy, truimphant, then opened tire with a Maxim and two ' htT T T •' '\°PJ^ '"""'■"^ ^■•''^ brushwood, while Boer sharp^ shooters hidden in dongas and behind bould.rs also assisted. The Dubhns and Volunteers fought gallantly ^hrice they drove the enenw back, but he brave fellows, already suff. from the shock of having been shot with great force on the i were from the first la disadvantage, and unable at once to gainer themselves tc.gethJ^o meet the instantaneous fire of the Dutchmen. All they "could do was to scramble to their feet-some were too securely jammed under he trucks to be freed-take up a position as firm as barked knees and bruised spines would allow, and defend themselves agains the sudden attack. Mr. Churchill and Lieutenant Frankland i^i mediately called for yo untecrs to help in clearing the line. Manv bune.4 T7' '■^fP«"^^5l- Wildly they worked amid a hailstorm ^f bullets to free the engine and remove the wreckage. Mr. Churchill be ween he screams of the injured and the rattling of the r i les a lying the men and helping them, though every moment volley a er volley picked off some of their numbers and sensiblv thinned them. Some of these men were not only men but marvels- t ev worked with the zeal of giants and the pluck of heroes. V^omus - Uie Dh ,ms and Durhams continued to fire at the unseen^enemy while the rest of the party by sheer main force got the eng"i e mto working order, smashing everything in its way, and packing and 'crfp". J^ ' • ^^f '''''' ^^ '^^ ^'^^^^'^ creatures whose^go^S and cries were in themselves enough to make the blood of the stou est hearts run cold. Every m\n seemed bent on eclips <' the courage of his comrade and following the example set by he gallant war correspondent. Sergeant Bassett of the Dublins roared wfth' rairo} ^'"l ''"'^ '''''^' T''' S'-"g his men the range with ui air of cool unconcern that was truly reassurinn- whHe the tuln I'f' ^"'Jr Light Infantry was also conspicuous ''b^Hng calmTd coll'/'f ''v f'^'^JV" '^^ ''S''^-"' P°^'^'°"' ^^"d was a! calm and co lected as if he had been at a ritle-ranae. With each shot he cracked a joke and kept his comrades from ^^ttii g excked All this time the poor fellow was wounded, half his rfght ef r havfnc; been shot away. Private Kavanagh, the wag of the Dublins chaffed his comrades, telling them the Boe^r shells were I Lless tl ;rcod hit nothing "at all at all! "and Corporal Dickie, though wounded and lying on his back, continued to bellow to his mates -'Give thou^r"'" 7' ' ^'"-^T '^^^"^ ' " '^"J meanwhile Mr. ChurchiH though ramed on with lead and almost stunned by the note was coolly giving directions for the lifting of the wounded Tnd for the movmg of the engine. Finally. \e had the Ltisfaction of 123 .a$- ^, ^.■ IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) 4^ e ^ ^ !.0 1.1 Urn tii til IB lit |37 1*0 125 lyiu 2.2 1.6 150mm /^PPLIED_^ IIVMGE . Inc .^a 1653 East Main Street .ss r^ Rochester. NY 14609 USA .aa r^ Phone: 716/482-0300 .i=r.;^S Fax: 716/286-5989 1993, Applied Image, Inc.. All Rights Reseived |\^ i\ 'i^ '% :\' ^^' The Transvaal War the train steamed otprot^^^^^^^^ Swiftly and as it did so. Alk^SSi wh. ^'■^°^ P"blms and Durhams. who had stoutly refused all rei^^^^ T"' "^'^^ '' ^ ''"'^ ^^X- bu to the help of s^uch o the lE^^^ 'l 7"^'""^ farther, returned noble self-Lcrifice. however was of no^"'^ ^'"n "'^^ f^'^'"^' "'« he was set on by he enemv and n?! 1 ""•'• ^''.^""'^y ^^erwards two brave officer^Cap irHaWanT^^^^^ in company with Hfty-eightofthev^ounded Thfunfortli-r'^"''"' Frankland. and in the pouring rain to Colenso O r ?,''"^ ^^' '"^^^ "^^rched were taken to thrBoer imn I ? ^'rl°""W'ng morning they Modder Spruit t%^reToHri'^':^,^4'T;Le' '^"^ ''^'^^ ^' concourse of persons crowded to Zl fi . journey a great the Boers it must be saidThat there w^i 'f '"'■^^' ^"^ '" J"«^''^^ ^o the rule that courtesy ^n al^sidt'^rolited" ^'^^P''"^ ^^ ^'^'^ wel,^3estS:dr;iol^i^^/e;r[ha^^ ^^^''7^ ^'^'-^^X - version was quoted eveTby war corrL"""? P"''^°!r'"^^ ^'^^^ ^is reproduced here. ^ correspondents. It is therefore vele;ltra'pIrt\TSt'?ci'#r^ °" P^^' ^^^^ ^«--^« Chie- their horses. After watchiLS^mf ^^"^ '^^" ^^''^^"^'^ ^^^^nng and went back at a f^r speed On - '''?" '""^ ''^^ ^'•^•" ''^^^'•^^d. taining men of the Durham LiS./rr"'^'"^ ^ '"':^^' ^ ^'""^'^ ^°"- buryin^g the inmates. F^t^na^ef the ml'^h'T''^ °^^'-' ^'"^^^^ out. although three or four hln 1^ . \ ^^f" '"^"^ *« scramble got free. In he meantime ^he t^^ '° ^ ^"-8^ °"^ '^^^^^ they the train, and we^e wS^ thS bir'' P^""!!^.^. "'^^-fi''^ '"^^ as it was possible for t^Lm to load aS f "' ^^"u ^^'^'"^ ^« '"^^^ Fusiliers) in the truck b what was now the^'reaJof .^"'^^ ^^"^"" finng as hard as thev could inri fhl iS t ^^ ^^ ^^^ t""^'" were at the.rear opened le'wjfh tKl-\l^rJerburaft" °T "^^^°" shots It was put out of iction cl in 1. , ' ^"^'' ^^out three the overturned tructlfeekin^ri^^lf '> '""" ^°t «"' of the Boer fire, but tt; enemv wa^f .n .^^''""^ ^^/8^°"^' '•^^"'•"ed man could be seen It^n^n^K ° '''^" protected that hardly a overwhelming force md DrovlSfr-^.T^''""' '"^^^ ^'^^ ^^^ being^n was to endea^ourTo ge't S S' '^^^^ ^"'"^^^' ^^^ ^^^ ^^ing that LieTeSLnrfcoVc^^^^^^^^^^ .'1 T. ^^ ^'^'^ P^""' the greatest coolness hrsuoerintpLt/.f'"^"''''^^ '^''"^^"■- ^.th trucks free of the line He^en"" , '^ op^i-ation of getting the about in the op:n ^%h "bul e r ^^^t d'^him "t '^^ workmg party not to mind .1.. -nllT^J''^''t '''!"= ^"^ mind the Boer fire, as the 124 aim was bad. sir mutilated ley. Swiftly id Durhams, tie way, but er, returned ehind. His f afterwards 'mpany with mkland, and len marched )rning they thence via ley a great n justice to on to prove hieveley so d that his 5 therefore ards Chie- y watering 1 reversed, truck con- er, almost > scramble 2fore they e-fire into m as fast s (Dublin rain were n waggon out three 3t out of returned hardly a being in est thing his point r. With ting the walking ling the Armoured Train Disaster at Chieveley "7"he engine was backed and then pushed against the trucks on the line, and it was when this operation was going on that another truck, behind which the men were firing to cover the working party, fell over and injured one or two D.L.I, seriously. They had been ordered to stand back while the engine butted against the derailed trucks, but they evidently did not hear the order, "After nearly an hour's hard work and harder fighting, the line was clear enough for the engine to go forward, but the waggons behmd had to be uncoupled and left. The Dubs who were in them and the Naval men, however, had got out, and had gone away in extended order, and the engine had moved on just when the line was clear. " Captain Wyllie was shot in the thigh and dropped. Sergeant Tod, who had also been injured in the hand, went to the Captain's assistance and built up a cover of stones as a protection against ritle- fire. Just as he was lying down a shell burst right in front, scatter- ing the stones in all directions, and some of the pieces struck Tod in the hip, inflicting an ugly but not a serious wound. in the meantime had gone forward, and was he engine brought by Lieutenant Churchill to pick up as many wounded as could be found. Captain Wyllie and Tod were taken up on the tender, and the engine went on some distance farther, when Captain Haldane of the Gordons and Lieutenant Churchill jumped off and joined the men fighting their way back ; but the Boers were now closing all round, and the engine barely got through." The Echo, in a leading article, spoke warmlv of Mr, Churchill's exploit. It said : " In this affair Mr. Churchill though a non-com- batant, displayed the courage of his stock, and cheered the men in the work of rescuing the wounded and the bodies of the dead, crying, ' Come on, men ! ' with all the courage that his fatht'r showed in political warfare or his great ancestor on the fields of Blenheim or Malplaquet. When the engine steamed off, J\Ir. Churchill remained behind to help. Every one will hope that he is noi. killed." It IS somewhat interesting here to note Mr. Churchill's soliloquy on his journey in an armoured train, published in the Morning Post at tne very time the noble fellow was suffering for his bra\ery on an identical trip. " This armoured train," he said, " is a very puny specimen having neither gun nor Maxims, with no roof to its trucks and no shutters to its loopholes, and being in every way inferior to the powerful machines I saw working along the southern frontier. Nevertheless it is a useful means of reconnaissance, nor is a jour- ney in It devoid of interest. An armoured train ! The very name sounds strange; a locomotive disguised as a knight-errant— the agent of civilisation in the habiliments of chivalry? Mr. Morley attired as Sir Lancelot would seem scarcely more incongruous. The 125 The Transvaal War possibilities of attack added to the keenness of .1- started at one o'clock. A comnanv ofT' i? . •*" ^.^P^'-'^nce. Vv^e the garrison. Half were inX L in f? ^"^ '"J^"'''''^''-^ '"^^^^ that behind. Three empty t rucks whl^. ^V'l" ^^"^'""' ^'^^^ "' spare rails to mend the^ hne fo Jo^J ■ft^'^^'y^'S gang and bstcourt and Colenso is ooen unrl,? r ,^^^ *'''""*''y between which occur every fou orT^ mH^ ^e^'h "V'-'-^'s^- -^^^ ^^^^^^'on^- a-dozen corrugated iron housertm „.rh "'' ^°"sisting of half- trees. These little specl-s of h.hf/ ^- '^ 'P', "" ^''''''' <^<" blue gum feature of the landscape whfelon'T,:?^""^'^'^^^^ ^^e only mar^ked monotonous slopes of green The m' 'P''^^'^-' '" P'^^^^^"^ but and. though It stoDDP;- r^t ^ J """ "^^'ntained a good Speed • folk, and ?o cLrSe'S^t rycll'sttd ^'f ^^ °^ ^-"'>' were scouring the country on the flTnl 1 ""l^'^', P^'''«'« ^bi rniles from Colenso. by aU"t thre. nt ' f ''''""^ Chieveley. five Ladysmith balloon, i bfowrsneck fl ^ S= '""^ '^^"'^ ^ere the distant hills, was plainly vi^?ble^ ^ ^"^ '^''^"^ '"^"^ ^ey.nd the The^'|,rd"ta';'r:d.tV'tr "^^^--y ^- observe more caution officiair scanned he tr^cf md Tffen\7'''' "r'>'- '^^e railway traversed we disembarl^ed a"7evzmtd1^'r'"'''r "'" ^'■'^^^ ^'^^ other times long halts were m L.t^ ^ './'■°"' ^'^^ ground. At and the distani ms\tk'l^lt:j^''^^^^^^^^^ country was clear and the 1 ne un hmn„^ te escopes. But the slow advance." undamaged, and we continued our w bSn^;L ' in 'rL^^s iri^^^ffr. p^^^ '^-^^^ '- School of Pretoria, a prisoner f'r from l^t '''"?'^ • ' ^'^^ ^tate tarn whether or not he IiIp nA, • , "",''' '''"'' '^'"' "^"d uncer- gorowski. who vvou d r-d-e °i •"■'' t'^'^' '^^ ^'"'"'^ b>' J^^S^ Gre- of the Uitlanders..^sen;ncnfllP ''?'■'•, '^^ A^ ^^'^ '" ^^e case anxiety was felt qnd ;,^ ; ^"'''"S: hnn to death. On this score o-rent men. whethe friends Lstran'ci^f^^''''^,^ "'^>' ^'^^^ ^^ coVn jl' loss. ,^nd deeply anxious iTofhrr 7^'t ^" ^^[^^^"j' '^Sretful at h s descendant of a^rea rL ^'^ '^'"' "^'^^^ ^^'■^" «« gallant a ESTCOURT manS^Sn^'^ -^S:? ClS; ^?^ ^^T ^^ ^^^^^ -- guns, took up a threateni,;; pis tion nC.^. p"^^'" T^ '^° ^''^^'^b to attacking Estcourt at an'eK dL Z."""''''^'''^' ^'^^^ ^ view that the place would be surrounlfed ' ' " ^'"^ '""'"^^ ^^^"^^ in gooTSt fo;:t'& -ported themselves some of them having iaken refuge during the day! rience. We 'iers formed gine, half in ? gang and ry between he stations, ing of half- f blue gum nly marked >Ieasant but ood speed ; or country atrols who :ve)ey, five » here the 'ey-nd the e caution, le railway •ridge was )und. At le horizon But the inued our s- his ough he State d uncer- %e Gre- the case 3re great country- ul at his gallant a :lo corn- French a view chance Tiselves le day- Estcourt tl"5e!"D''' T^f ^\ 'Ir '•'^■^•-^!^"'<' '•^^"••"'ng to their homes only to sleep. I he war-balloon continued to attract a great deal of the Z"?n"W""°"' r^ ^'^-y. --M^-Hled a vast quantity oamnu„i' ton m takmg pot-shots at its tranquil form as it floated on t I LiS;rc"l "^^ 'j;" ^^'^'"^ ^'^^' '^'^'''^^- <"--" which iwasen" t wWea^otmUi,':.""'''^' Kawiinson of the headquarters starti wnile aott makuig a reconnaissance had a narrow e^caoe A shrapnel shell pierced the balloon, came out on the o^her side -ind tt'Ur. 'th^Tll ''^""'i • ""''' '^ ^-^'^'^^'-^ whit'tr^versing the gas-bag, the balloon and its occupant would have been done Types of arms-Th-..; 5., • „ Howh.lk ok Silgk Gun. l>„oio BV CkIHB, SOUTIISEA for; as it was. the balloon made a gentle and dignified descent and the sole casualty reported was "one balloon woJnded " Various commandoes were now seen advancing towards the railway bridge, which is half a mile north-west of Estcourt and also from a northerly direction. Upon this Gener^HNdy^^^^^^ iorce stood to arms. The outpost fired on the enemy, and one shel at 8000 yards range was launched from the Naval guns The ef?ec was good, for the enemy with all celerity retired At the lame time around Ladysmith the Boers were continuing their bombard! ment from four strong positions : the first nt Wonona. the secbrid on L L>o"bK%n''V'^''^'^' °? Umbulwana Hill, and the fourth at Groblers kloof Sorties from time to time took place, thus frustrating the intention of the enemy to make the investmen? 127 :! ( i ' u I B The Transvaal War closer. Sir George White's lyddite shells were discovered to be more effective than those of the Boers, many of which were charged with sand, and jocosely said to be "made in Germany." As a matter of fact, tile shells were charged with cordite which had probably grown stale and ineffective from over-keeping. It may be rememljered that they were stored for use against the British iifter the Jameson Raid. On the 19th November General Ilildyard 'found that it was necessary either to reinforce the mounted troops that were posted at Willow Grange, thus dividing the forces at his disposal, or to evacuate the place. He decided on the latter alternative, and there- upon the Boers, with delighted e.xpedition, commenced to make pre- paration for a triumphant progress to Maritzburg. The weather now grew intensely hot, and at^ight the fall in the thermometer became almost dangerously pronounced. In fact, the troops had all the discomforts of India without the conveni- ences commonly at hand in that country for the amelioration of Its conditions. The railway between Maritzburg and Estcourt was cut, and further aggressive action seemed to be brewing. All news from Ladysmith came out either by pigeon-post or by Kaffir runners, who, in a manner peculiar to themselves, managed to get through the enemy'.s lines. Food in the beleaguered town was still moderate in price, meat being tenpence a pound and bread three- pence. A good deal of concern prevailed because the country between Ladysmith and the south was fast being taken possession of by tlie enemy, and the peaceful farmers and loyalists in the vicinity were shaking in their shoes, spending days and nights in an agony of suspense as to their future and the safety of their belongings. The people in the neighbourhood of Willow Grange at this time had some exciting and alarming exjieriences. The Boers bound for Maritzburg, of course, made their way into such farms as suited them. They had encamped themselves on the sur- rounding kopjes, and these soon became living hives, moving hills, of horses, cattle, and human beings, dotted with some fourteen or fifteen ambulances carrying red-cross flags. They endeavoured to make themselves agreeable to such of the inhabitants as remained, assuring them that they did not intend to hurt those who sat quietly on their farms, though they meant to loot and raid every- thing from deserted homesteads. Here is a description given at the time by an owner of a farm who entertained Field-Cornet Joubert to breakfast— a plucky lady who determined to show that the Boers had no terrors for her. "We hurried breakfiist, and had hardly finished when the vard was full of men, galloping all through the trees. I went out.'and 12S :d to be more :har<;ecl with a matter of bably grown remembered the Jameson that it was were posted posal, or to :, and there- make pre- le fall in the In fact, he conveni- ^lioration of id Kstcourt ewing. All )r by Kaffir iged to get wn was still )read three- ;he country 1 possession lists in the d nights in ity of their ngc at this The Boers such farms 11 the sur- loving hills, fourteen or savoured to s remained, >e who sat raid every- n given at ield-Cornet I show that :n the yard nt out, and 2 D O Q < u H s o 1 Estcourt was fiercely greeted with, 'Where are the other two men? We twrai^e^'ere''""'' '"■"°""'' C^'horneycrofts scouts) out of five, and "They rode into the stable, looked through my outside bed- ''0° delr'' '' ^""^'^ conceivable place. Luckily, the men "Shortly afterwards the Boers began to pass, cutting fences and ndmg m all directions, anywhere through the homestead; no d.sc.plme whatever, just hke a pack of hounds when the fox is lost. EstTourr Thlv ''■'n ?^^'-^°°'^'"g ^^'i"«^^ Grange. Weston, and Lstcourt. They could hear the cannon at Ladysmith. and were not more than a mile from the house. But as scouts our boys are not in It. No stranger would have believed that stony hills were full of men and horses. I don't think that there were more than 400 or 500. evidently the advance-guard. We were kept lively the whole time, as almost every man and horse came into The S h°;i r'r* ""^"'^ "-'"u^ Y"'^ ^^'y >'^'-^« '■•■^"^ ^^e front door, and had to be got out m buckets. They asked for anything and everything except meat. We gave as long as we could, thinking discretion the better part of valour. They invariably ofTert-d to pa? but our answer was, ' We are under martial law.' ^' "On Monday three men came to commandeer our carriage horses one nding-horse, and my youngest boy's pony. We 'fT^i u' K°', J^^y. '""'^ '^^^ ^'^^"^' ^^« they were^big and fat My husband had almost given it up, being tired out. When they entered the stable. I stood by my favourite and slated them! The rnen were not Boers, but some of the scum who h e joined One. as ugly as sin. replied. 'Well, we will ai. V> . the lady to keep her trap-horses, but we will take the two riding-horses We want this flat-backed, nice-looking pony for a stout man.' 1 hen followed a scene. My son, aged eleven rushed and M'lHhn". Tl '";•;' 'f P°"r "^^'^' -^b-^- and 'shouting out ' . Wh.\ "' I^"/^hman that touches him ' (the boy is a ctde" What a of a row, mates ; let's clear.' ^ " It was too much even for that scoundrel "Within an hour they brought down the troop branded N G put them in the kraal, caught unbroken mares with foals-anyVhing the wretches could lay hands on. '"i>i.ning orvaLbonds^'rif f ^'^r^ r" ^^"^^ ^^^'''^^^^) 'ike ourselves or vagabonds ? I II put a fire in the grass for you.' 'A genuine Boer remonstrated with them, but it was of no use • " I wrote explaining matters, and received a courteous reolv saymg they had no authority from him. He called later on and VOL. II. 129 J The Transvaal War camp a,Kl pick out all the horses U J T^^ -'' '"^" ^'^^ pipe; j^zm^^^ s'^s ts- 'r -' - ^■•' — «♦ I sh™lf-'i; T'"P ■r'^'.'/^^^"- Commandant-General ' " He re, Her^lV'"- T'^'l ' ^^"'."'"^^"^ant who ? ' ' other ^ '"^' ^""^ J""'^^'-^ = '-•« -ly ''^ second-cousin of the also"i;^^S ^^^ret's^l^'^'hi^ri^^'Tlr' ^"^'^-^'^- He not keep order. ^ " ^"^ ''^'"^ "'^" "^ '»" "''ti""S and could " But it's funny to watch them TU,,„ or stand at attention ; they ta k ^id cl^2 -T" "^^"'^ T" °«'"='^'- when ready, My, q^etCSo n^ tJI ■ J't ' '■°""'' """'• ■'"J •■ They shot our ",eep ^ ^' ^"' """''' '^ ™^n '" ™nn.and. which they eventua" 7cau^h. Wn"^ 1^,°"' '! """'"■•'• °f '""'•ses, the ugly fellow who wanted „!;, '!"'' *'"'"'' "'*• ""= Wtec wanted to take my horse .nd .of '"" .<"">'■ ■•'"'' °'"«I o"'. ' Vou ;;The o.hfXhed-rd'j^^l'eTtJirfel^' '"'^^' *= f''«'"' are the TnjS pLrs%^'s"C'sr ?-"^ "^' '> ""= '=»"«'- at one a„diou/ht i^'^dL^t I "^anTed"'.:' s^lt^^ ^°"" "' »•"" chiseftr;rthTL?:ret;";'t ^■■"' '^''°^'^' '^"' ^'h- - <•« ,.•.„. swa^^/Z^wTll^fiiTfr.hdfcol.''''^"''^,; "^ "'^>' •"'- ■■' 'bi'ter -^^i^P^-^i&JSL'-'"'' son was Willow Gltr^nYoiTrLl""^ ""^ "="'•'' '" "^= *■'<="-" of knowin, nothftTg^f'the" o«st^ 3, Tp.^T, a"n!tt"-k ^^d put food and wraos readv fnr fh« J' ^^^P^cica a night attack, and British shells com;Sgo;1o^hIhol:.'^'"• " *= ""-^ ^'■™^ °f 'h« refused,' 7o;tiirwe"car:°y atl 0^%"''^ "^i' ""' ^ ^'-^'^ left the house foia huS yarS "' "' "''>' '^'''"'^- " «= ■v-ould write, i^o into the necl, sjiying tiiiii^r to do fi his horse, 'usin of the >ardt. He and could an officer them, and command. sked after ' crowded began to of horses, te spotted out, ' Vou 2 fright.' ; balloons h of shot old Fran- it 'bitter y believe I have a son was action of rt. We, ack, and d of the steadily d, if we Estcourt "One man came for dry firewood, and tried to be agreeable- gave a v.ry v.v.d description of our balloons, and f.nisi ed u f bv' saymg. '^ou w;,uld have laughed last night (Friday ni.' t The Dutch and In.s.hers got mixed up. When they found 'l out o e ran one way and one the other. The Fusiliers shot one of 0^'^" ts rr^^^'as'tS^a^:- '''''' ^""^^^' '-- '-'--^ ^^-y - "-b^ "One had a big lump out of his leg. his hand blown off and i uu\ . h n, ', J I'us'I'^s can f.ght: we fought them seven .md a half hours before we took 1 200 prisoners. They fouL'ht Inrd and would not g.ve in.' He evidently admired them.^ ^ ' 1 he Dutch troopers carry all they have with them on horse back (no transport) ; they have one bknket. one mack n^osh L hve prmcpally on meat (grilled) ; each cooks for himse tI ev sleep out m the open veldt- -no tents excent fnr thr ri; i ^ one Boer s^d he £d never had hrs'^cbth^ o ' r'"^ tJ"' water he.r horses, and then swill their faces in the dregs ^ Our neighbour had deserted his home. They turned his house into a hospital, hoisted the red-cross flag on his chimn^T u d have broken and destroyed everything about his place' kirdoffl is sheep &c eaten bottles of fruit, and broken the bot.les heart enHIn?'"?'"" ^'V^^, themselves gave of wrecked homes was heart-rendmg. Some of them sported all sorts of loot and were dressed m clothes that were never bought by them. ' h.f. ^"^••ed (through a trooper) to exchange I'ield-Cornet Joubert doubt he had placed .1 r a stone as a target. I was told he hid I don t know if he would have exchJnfied, as I onlv niadp-^h^ oto the „,orn,„g they retreated. I thoCghi of sendtgTtt t On the 2oth of November some 700 Boers from WePn^n t..«i ::{ii:s"c^?:srvTf ^^"'^'-^f ^ ^-P^^ s:mnhirre:n Mooi TiZr n }i 7n ^ .occupied two farms north-east of the waslttZted and th/f 'r""\^"^ communication with Estcourt was nterrupted and the telegraph wires south of the olace were rnt and later on the lines were torn up That dnnP t).? n 1! ' to shell the Mooi River village Thev were Z; H ' ?^'' '''^^" positions, but their fire, thougf accL'a trdirnKmLr rS"e? looting was briskly continued, the enemy varying the monotonJhv firing at intervals. In this district alone W Ie?t loL tHrCl 131 The Transvaal War was observed in the camp as it w-,« "J '^^''^'''S:, '»• , <^reat caution entirely captured the rai waJ ine u d tllT" "'"' "l" ^'"*='"y '^^'^ the.r next tactics, or rather d^dge^: ^^^ht dL^ to^be""""^^ "'^^ THE FIGHT ON BEACON HILL cally complete. The eneniv sor^.^ "^ • ? "^ t"^*'""'"' ^'''« P'-^^ti- by the Co'mniandantZnenil S iS/un "f ^' "^'^ ^"""^ ''"^ '«' S.X miles south of Willow Gnnit Tlf ' " '"■">' P"^'^'°" ''^bout him and Manuburj. b the for^ce .t MooiT ""''^'"f ^^^ '^^'^^^n was no knowing how soon he r^i,rL ^'''^': ^"^' '" '"^'^t. there Natal. ^ " "'' ""S^'^' overrun the whole colony of would have afforded therenterttrnt^ T^^^^^ md.tary war game could be appS r?he situation ' f- "^ '^"^^" ness was a matter as incomprehensible tn^^' '^"•'^ '^^ ""'^"e- .gnoramus. For instance. fS Ma ritlS o'l ';?"'•". ''' ^° '^^ alternated with the other at intPrv^.^^ . ^^y^n^'th one side British troops at AlariLburg. Bo^rs ^ li-'J^ "'' ''"'n • •''"^''^ ^^'^ River. Boers at Willow Gnm J? iIVm ^ ""^'^ = British at Mooi Ennersdale; British wUhin .fl'= ^ ''' f Estcourt. Boers at the Commander this c^mpL^ed^''^' '^ 1""^ ^^"""^ ^"'^°"^- To have been most confounTnrand the r^''^ ""^ ^'^1"^ ^"^ ^°^ "^"^^ experts could no longertlp^^fuli;.!:^" °' ''' ^^^' ^-" ^^^ at EsL';:rfnd'\;terT^^^^^^^^ Hildyard able, after detach^^ng droops suffid^nrL^r''' ""l^ ^'^^B^^--^ seemed ing in all of about 17 o^mentTul ? ^'"''}' '^'^^ ^""'^^^^ consist- odd towards the sea ' ^° ^^ 8^°'"^^ onward with 7000 out of tg^p'rnlhTdTection 'o^Se ^' ^^I^T^^^ ^ ^'-^ ^-ed advance. L sooner SX^.t^rted "than" '^ ''^''!^ '^' ^^'^ pour of rain accompanied bv heavv 1 -? \ ^••^"^^"dous down- the whole earth in^o one huge m^orlss"^ N^^,? ^°, ^'■^?''°'''" heavy task of n.archin^ was m-frfe Ttl Naturally the already '"Tommies" nevertheliHlodded stead;,f '^-^ ^P^^"'^'^ dulating ground, always steep in rjartsiL^^'' ^""^ Ti'"' °^ """ from slush. Torrents continued t-^fS' °''-Tu''^>^ ^''^^^^ uHunuea t^. ia!l, uccorapanied by large hail- liot artillery n the west "cat caution enemy had Dwiny what ar after the was practi- ins and led tion about w between Tact, there colony of this time interested, no known s unique- as to the one side 'lere were I at Mooi Boers at out. To foe must even by Hildyard s seemed consist- ith 7000 1 moved le Boer 3 down- ansform already splendid of un- slippery ge hail- The Fight on Beacon Hill «umblM ov, r '^ Th T^' »»''";i« "«^«<«i««l. and massive b.,uklc' s c<.mpa„ic.s .„d Ua„ii„;rKu« Surrey KoKt" « °a„?r ?^ "T'' base^^T"co,f ym' "■"'''';■ "'^"^ "!'''"S "P 'I'eir position a. the Sit XTier fei H>^-^^^^^^^^^ and rocky ground. !.>„„, .'hrS^o' le'h :':„",'i;r,',r?hnro''f .ask .ddLionaSy ! duot H„tever''bv ^.i^^ ""i' "''""'>' ^""^ the crest of tlie hill was -.t U^.^Z,^ patience and perseverance cheer, cleared ou some , '^ if ™'''' ""i ''"= """V- "''h " '""X Thesi witlwema kauVn Uv flXo"'. t' '" '" "■'■"" '">'""" the bulk of their force Us Led V """''• P"""""' "" "''''='' that thirty horses were left bT, ^", I'^-^'P'tate was the (light saddlery and c™p"n Hpml^ Til u- '"e'^r* ."=«"''" "'"> positbn^n the hiirbelSrCricSe „"s:f„er°^'^ '"" '°°'' ""^ ' and""d wl«:;l:S* ot"/- «''^,''f'-."<'°" and night of the ..„d supposed by .SIduS fe ?„? f "^'""Tl'- ''''"= ^aval gun, had been transponed over fh, '",'?"''>'•,"',"'' 'h^ greatest difficulty muscle up the a°mostTna..^Kf ■ ""'' '"S^S"" ""y ^''•="='- f""-" °f s.rugg.ers^ly^iS'r.'crrT^:''^: oTTcrLd 7he= h"^'' "^ ""^ exhilarating. The jth B-itterJ nf P;,n f ■„ "" , = '=''°"^<= "''^ n"' in bringing^ns up the steeTmcline ^"'""y^'^ '»'«<• """fully 133 The Transvaal War with unabated zeal though our guns warmly returned the fire. tle% ?'l ^'^""^f'^ pracfcally no damage, while our shots from the Naval gun failed to reach the hostile quarters, its ran^e beino- shorter than that of the Boer weapons. Holever, he oSt of he reconna.ssance was attained, namely, to prevent the enimy from a^mg up certam positions overlooking Hstcourt and from spread- mg for her to the south. The mounted troops, under Lieut - Colonel Martyr were directed toco-operate at daylight by a move- ment towards Willow Grange Station, and subslquentlV to patrol towards Highlands. Bethune's Mounted Infantry RegimenrwTs directed to operate on Colonel Kitchener's right flank. The troops under Lieut.-Colonel Martyr, after holding "a party of some ,00 Boers south of Willow Grange, moved to%he ^upp^ort of Colone^ Kitcheners left flank, where they did valuable service in helpinc! W^<=^ V i'"!'? ^ u"""S^ '^ ?^' '^^ ^°""^^^ «f the 2nd Battalion West Yorkshire Regiment down the hill. The troops, after bein" under arms from 2 r m. on Wednesday 22nd to 5,30 i,M. of Thurs"- day 23rd of November, gradually returned into camp. The "nd Battalion West Yorkshire Regiment was the last to retire. During N.tnTp^"'?"p-fl'^ ?Z^^^ Regiment, Durham Light Infantry, and ^f ArVn^ R'fles held Beacon Hill, supported by the 7th Battery and Kin'-rM ^^:r?'?'^ Light Horse. Carabineers. Natal Police^ ment Vh. v"? ^? ^"^^"''^ ?^^ conspicuous parts in the engage: ment. The Volun eers. by their well-directed volleys, compelled the enemy to remain at a respectful distance. Gener;i Hildyard SITr^M 1' ^'"^ ?t"'.! ^tP^^^^^' Lieut.-Colonel Marty .^and kUueoTth^TZ '^"^ ^f ^5'"^^? did yeoman service. A curious teature of the fight was the foct that Boer women must have been engaged on the hill, as some of their side-saddles were ciptured among the guns ammunition, blankets, &c.. seized by the West Yorks when the Boers were routed from the hill-top Many acts of gallantry and devotion were performed, especially Private Montgoniery, though shot through the thigh, went on firini, re.rirf ^'^^V'^rough the other thigh, refused ^o be taken to tlfe rear tor fear of exposing the stretcher-bearers. Major Hobbs was made prisoner while attending to a wounded man. General Hild- Dwipf M ^.'?T?"''^ ""J^ '^^ ''^^°'"°"^ behaviour of Lieutenant Uavies, Mounted Infantry Company. King's Royal Rifles. This young officer, under a heavy fire, dismounted, disentangled the reins men Ihnl H 7^^\'■'^•"S^ '" ^^'^^^ "^ him. and assisted one of his Ro ;,rM u " '^°''-^^t«,'"°""t and escape. Lieutenant James, Sf^ ;;• 5 ^°'"'^^"ded the Naval gun, greatly distinguished h.msef m his efforts to reach the enemy's potition. in .^pitlof the persistent attentions of a Creusot gun which had the range of him Ladysmith 1 the fire, shots from mge being ject of the lemy from m spread- er Lieut.- r a move- to patrol ment was he troops some 300 if Colonel n helping Battalion fter being of Thurs- The 2nd During ntry, and 1 Battery al Police, - engage- ompelled Hildyard tyr, and \ curious ave been captured lie West specially tgomery. )n firing, :n to the )bbs was al Hild- eutenant . This :he reins ie of his t James, iguished e of the of him. •1 Captain Bottomley, Imperial Light Horse, rescued several of the wounded under a heavy fire, and Lieutenant Palmer, R.A.M.C, while attending the sufferers, was taken prisoner. He was subse- quently released. An amusing story was told of a trooper who was found to have shot a very smart Boer, dressed in the re' ^ of w°rfa*: 'ZtS^:SS **TotrHM\^ orfinart programme hospital for sick and S K Hall had been turned into a tower with the red fllflvin^ 1,"='"°'? °' "/ ^n'Picuous clock- for the shotrof^riet"^ til-,;'- T'l ' """"""' "'"J^ Boer commandant proceeded to Ue^h'e f laceT.rS^^t'er T ?o 136 Ladysmith spense irbablc i Boer house i, aye ! THE LADYSMITH LYRE. "IM bim Li».* -OU Sang. Vol. I:- So. 1. 27th NOVEMBER, 1899. Pbice— 6d. PBOSPECTX78: -Tfc» IjidimmM lym ii pulilulwd lu tupply > long hit wiDt. What 70(1 w»nt in > bMic^ town, cut oB (roir lh« worid, i» mwi which yon o*n •htolutely mir on u Mm. lb* rumture thmt pM« fran tongUB to taogiw mtj, (or til jou know, bt ooontiouUr true. Our nawt wo giurantM to be (iIm. la Ibo aoUoetion md prepttmtion of faUaboodj we •b>U ipwe BO effort ud no eipenne. It is enooRh for ne that Udjimith wnsti itoriee ; it ihnU bsie LATEST LTBES. Fioii ovB owit SiooinnnTS. (SI wmLne niMsuvT). . . „ , . _ London, Norenbtr 6. A tbell frao Long Toa bunt ia the War OOeo thie afternoon. Oeneial Bnckecbur;, Director Oenenl of Ordnaaoe, aomptwl ito arrini with naignation. Benral reputation! were aetiouilT dtmaced. Unfoftunalelj the Ordnance Committee waa Bot eitting. A epUnter broke into tbe Fonlni OSea and diatnrbed Oie eieita of tbe Prime Miniater. .iK ■*• \ "^T ■?• CT'*™' • "■'"' ««*'<» <* "PWloeophw Doubt." Tbe work eontaina a new eteoter oa the doubta entertained br the Cabinet aa tofta probebilitiee o( war with tbe Tranaiaal. Tbe Jr? '***.°','^'^?"T ■« dedicated tbe edition lo ha ancle. Lord SdBbvir. i^!"^."??!"**?^?""* <»'i>««» 'B South Africa wiU be deenaleked aa aooa aa the neceaiarr nunoBitioB hae bewi noaited fno the Oeman iMtonaa. The LoidMaTor haa appointed a Mauios Houae OoBunitteafortlienlietorUdjtmitb. u^i- Hi^rl^,'!^ '^- ^"«'' "'• Dillon and Mr. Bwift MoNciU ban aanounoed their intention of jrtniBf the Iriab Briaade. The Houae of Coromor.., withpot demur, ralad a gnnt in aid. Tbe 8eoond Anir Co™ hae been diaconnd in tbe pitw« holee of the War Offloe. TV- wi_i L I. Oodurman, Norenbar 1& Nu P^u^ relumed to hie palace on tbe Hila. Lord Eitcbeiwr la at Faahoda. He u mttcfa- iBg a6ntb to tBiae the aiege of Udjimitb. „ . „ ^ , , •P»™. Notember 10. "»)orMarch*Bd ha. orsaniMd an eipedition to the aonnea of the Ebp Bi«r U ia ramound that hie object la to rrewnt the jaudion of I be BrilUb SI^jJjJSllSSu''^ '''^^ TbeGcera- DOBt of the Bepublic baa been warned that tbia will ■a regarded aa "aa anfriendl/ act." •v'SL?'"'''**" ***"" P°» 0" ""t"! '- ^''^^ ''^'"lost worse showed' si<± ^r'^" '""' ^"^ «" the %th of ^? ^°°f ^^'^^ «" flip/,,1 '^ °^ sixinous iocositv 'pL'^ • November, even iiies very numerous hut ri ^^' -^ "^ witer said '• Sh,Jio i «'^ pathetic ring in "he II tl 1 ''"'^'" "^°''^ annoyin. '• t1.p '""'' •^i-iciigcn, some loonn tu l . " ocemecl to remain m- «•!,„• r m me 29th. mucJi to the iov nf ^l a/rcady murderous chorus the Pnnce nf \\^,T J ^ °' ^"e communifi^ -, ^"orus. 9oOO m Ladysmith. would wS'. '" .^''^'' "^'^'^ ^ir George \\E' Off of tlie hall on another, a patients were n this way cf lents were not ould be taken lave been vir- refore he was the unhappy '■ere helpless, §■ of bursting 'ilmost worse t-'rything, the ood face on ember, even "Shells and There v\as ih'ant Lady- •pe deferred ic, and cases ts becoming at their full »ty head of Id not, un- : valuables, 5 this date t for night- hite, being ig himself ultl arrive. 'ii'^e," now :re said to Js chorus, 'age from men for irding to : General 'lunteers) White's d arrive, rs. But npatient 2ir little Schalk- 3 cramp 1 Estcourt and Frere Sir George White, the Dutcli .treneral sent to him a crowd of some 400 coohes, on the score that they were British subjects wjiom he could not feed. As it was impossible to receive any addition to the numerous mouths already inside the place. Sir Georee supstcd their being sent on to Estcourt; so the little ruse was cleieated. ESTCOURT AND FRERE Tugela Drift was next attacked by the enemy. Some 300 Boers advancing from He pmakaar were met by Umvoti Mounted Rifles under Major Leuchars and some Natal Police under Sub- Inspector Maxwell. Two good hours of fighting ensued, after which the Boers turned tail and made off. Here^we must note that every one spoke highly of the Natal MountecJ Police The members of the force, mostly gentlemen, were fine horsemen and crack shots. Being Colonial bred, they were conversant with every inch of the country, having done splendid service in Zululand. Pondoland, and the outlymg districts. Their experience was, there- tore, mvaluablc. At this time two important events took place, the Tuo-da River rose, and became impassable save for boats and punts, Ind the long-looked-for arrival of Sir Redvers Buller at Maritzbur^ was the signal for general rejoicing. He now began the direction ol operations. * _ So many are the minor yet exciting incidents of war, that it is impossible to recount them; yet in these minor incidents many glorious lives have been heroically hazarded, and indeed sacrificed with scarce any recognition from the country in whose service the daring deeds were done. Some idea of the adventures of scoutina parties may be obtained from an account given by the correspondent ot the Natal Times on the 25th of November. ''A patrol party of sixty members of the Rifle Association went out to-day under Captains Gough and D. E. Simmons to locate the enemy on the Berg side of the railway. " They found the enemy encamped on Simmon's farm, and com- missariat waggons on Blak sr's farm, about twenty-two miles from here and seven and a half west of Mooi River. "On leaching the swollen river nearNourse Varty's farm, eicrht \^n^^ ^^"^^ ^"""^^^ °" horseback to scale the kopje " While ' ng so, the scouts, who had been sent along the river- bank gave the alarm, and reported that the Boers were closing round ilie kopje to cut them ofif. ^ .. l''I^^^^^'^^u"f "i^treated and crossed the river, but the horses could not climb the bank and returned riderless to the other side. 139 The Transvaal War draggLg^he::h^u:tJ" "^ brought them back, and succeeded in had'^e^ th: vSfro'f rf;E':,a?;„^'^" ^^^^ ^'^ d that they clothes behind""^' '^" ^'"^ ^^"'" ^''"^^^'^ the river. leaving their n.ii:cS;'trL:wr'c: £& i^r ^^^^^^t' ^° ^ ^^-^'^ - Ulundi Road. i^reaking up camp, and moving towards the news, leaving Goutrh to rennrr th. ^""^J" ^? '^"^P t« '"eport Here it muit be mldnn?) . '^^^'*^"'y « ^"rther movements." highly of the members of he Ririe A '""■'" ""^>'"'''^ ^P^"^^' '"^^t able scouting dre by them H. ^■TT'"'^ ^"^^ ^^ 'he admir- due to Captains sZonds and Ro^i 't"" '^''' ^1^^ "^^^' ^'^^ wonderful Efficiency irh'the^lJSSpi:;^^^ ^^'^^^^ '^' ^'- that their lad es were brou^ J ^'^^r'"'"'' '^''^'^ ^he Boers suggest white flags? for certalnlvTn^ll^?" "^^ ''^"1 '" ^'^t in the place of officers ceasfd to Se t,^^^^^^^^ «^^^^<^^" Hill one of our Others declared that thevTr ^^ '' confronted with a woman, come to implore he BtT/rell'to^'""" t^ " ^'"^'^ "^ich had know, the Boer women Tn ancienfh'? '"'^ 't^ ^■^'■- ^^ ^^ ^» the trekkers have-eggei tS husba'^^^^^^^ '''''"'■>' "^ loading their guns foffhem nn^ ^ ''"''/^^^^'■■'' °" to warfare, ful ; therefore^ the Tdef oT'the.V 'hi'" ^T^- '^^""'^^^^^ ^vhen need: probable. It is possSe thev 1 m"^ '^^'"'°"' °^ P^^^^ ^^^ ini- response. The Boers con/rntnlTS cannonadmg. it evoked no Ladysmith were numbered ?E.^^. '^^""'t^' that the days of possession of ?he pTace 'nd th'"^'^'' ^""'^ ^7^^' ^^^ them in indulged in mild wittiril T^.n/^/, Captain Percy Scot tL^ nffi -^ '' mountings invented by Limpus. Li^u'te'nams ll 1 art^WildernTtSd^T""'^' Lomas accompanied them imgland. Surgeon timJ^LVeTnTr't'irt ^^'^""r '^ ""'^P'"'" ''^'^y ^-tt at this invention is a spade^wE elf Sdftr'^^"^ ^^'^^. -^^^^"^ ^^ ^^e recoil is absorbed by tl e comDrtss on T •/" PJ^'"'"-"' ^^'^''" ^^e strain is thus placed^on the s3e -^nd J '-^"^ ^Pnngs. Great pends ,a^,y L the ci^^Se^^of ^ "0^.^^^^^^^^^^^^ ^- NatS"sa'd :-"'^^^^ ' correspondent writing to the 7^;."f from havlTomert'e^roIuTutll -md^m^t'''^ ^'^"^ ^'^ ^'^'^^^' -'^- first it would seerthat wSr w.f ""^i emergency. From the which could sXheenrnvaTa Tf '^ ^''"^ long-range guns their Mauser rifles, and 'rcapuin of h."r °"^,f ^^'^%'-ange of poseda field-mountinp^ for the N.vnfl ^^^''^^^^^h^refore. pro- which ha.; n mn^Ki ^ ,'^^^' ^°"ff i2-pounder of 12 cwt service. Captain Scott fh^n 1 • '"■P^""^^'- ^^s ready for land the kind happ;ned exc e-^? ,hn f. . ^^" ',' '°°.'' P'^"^^' "^^^ing of shell went 9SS y^rds Tnd th^^ 12-pounder yards. CapS? W wr, .fc t^''""'' ^'>'^^''^) P'-^J^^^''*^ ^2,000 four i2-poundSs S^re firt? f'^' ^"^^"'■^ged to go ahead, and />.e.../rand aLo two 4 fnchlnT' p""",' ^° P"^'^^" '" ^^e guns s4ved the situaTion^'L LXmJth T ^"^ ^-'^^^ to me from the camp savs • ' Th J R^ ^aval friend writing "playing the gamT" • Xv It ' ""T^^^"' '^''' ^^ ^'^ ^ot sailors who use ^ns th. Z ° ^ ^""^^T"^ '"^ ^-^'' ^°«'"eks, not back to ourP""^(^t^7rr?ySe"^tlir.^^^^^^^^^^^^ T"" ^^ their camp, killed fourteen men and wounded thirtv r '^ rT description are not. according t ^eToer fdet '^r;,,^;^^^^^^^ f^J The Transvaal War fore end, wh[ch .r. ca% r li:ts'"ll1,e"S:;," ''"'l^-^^- f ^''- higher angle of'Srur; L™ .S'.'.'li, ;e'i-'„:T "xi ,:"" ""i of ou,y„„, p„ i,^„j, ^^^ „^^ ,^ ^^, A er;V: „u. o us fo :h:''s5irar,7;^rrLr.^^^^^^^^^^^^ every one admits, quite changed tlJsSon ' "" "'"'"•" '""' devil of a Io„g■spoo^• another "ForTvr,"' ™ ""' ■"">"•'' ^ ceive .„,»Lo^„, n,af u°:'T;uIy\ha„k[;L^S=„^pf^^rn;: ou of stlft ""=, "": ""'' '?"'! ""= '«ht, the Boers w, soon be :4f ap-pi"^t r ^- ™^"^C-=^^^^^^ tXtereveVbo t anTS 'Sl^ ^ ■'"''" ™ '«''""•'■"% ''- It is in every way credSTble^I .I^'"''"^ «» proportionate share. ine vvrcckage of the machine. The trucks were still lyina on 142 ^ * Escourt and Frcre the line, a most lamentable evidence of sh,.rL- -,,,1 n armoured truck w,. off ,I,c ."cuds^u™ 1^ our." ■„ fc„.< '" weigh it clow,, and ke°e|, it f„™ W„ " , , ed k ^ "ill 1 ",' '" apparently looted and left behind them ^ "^'■' ^^'' .he rai.t'yT;ste;;;'a„d'fed'' ,e"Cri„'^.inirroVti;* ""^ 'S was too active in bringing up his advanre to ^H r 'he world before lone the nrotinf^rfc r^r c^ ,u Ar- ner wncei, and that and ..,e r^.^r^^'J^^^-^^Z'^ J^,^^^^ i' 1 1 The Transvaal War effort » ,„IU U:\.,Ji TXont t Si^ ^ '^"' ''"=™"«<' 1 ugela. ' "*- "r"'s>" from crossinjr the back -.^S th^Hv^S^l^:';'''"^^"''"" '" ^•^-'"^ ^'- '^- was too great to auf/w of our 1 rin in^^^ ^"' ''''^'''' '^^ thc^istance iu time to save the bridl fron 1^.^^.^ ^'"u ''".^ '•^''"^"'•cements Frere to Colenso was con Tr bl n ""• /^"' ''^*^ ^'''^''"^^'^ f*--" the dragging of ffuns from ni' ''"'' '""^'''^ were so heavy that a stiff 'd?y-? IT There w^sT:;; ''^^"''^^•' "«"'^' '^■■^-^ "^ean ^Hd.e heing ^^oken/lt^^t^t r ^Sy'lZ^^H^^cI^ T.UOK..H SKCX.O. OP XH, Rov.. E^o...... ;.o,o .V Eu.,ox;7;;:; StHtn toot^ rd^i, ^in'JTa: r ^^'^^"^ ''-' '- --y would be disputed inch bv"nch H ^ P""''^^^ °^ ^'»^ '' '^'-'a believed that'when the gr'eartug.o"C;^:Sur' ""' di.mayedrHll equal and more than equal, to ?he o^cas on \nT'',''''^ ^^"^^ ^^ forward movement of the troooT h^H t .^"^'^ ""^' ^'^^^ ^he -"T:-/ ?'™?gri::: ^ilS- f F-'- ^""^ '" This force .v., nt de un nfl. ""' ^^nj-nua ly being demonstrated '44 •re concen- f Crobkr's determined ossiny^ the fig tlie foe le distance forcements :ance from leavy that ave meant the p'rere L» Colenso Kky le enemy iVec! : ;vll >vould be that the mp was literally come to : at this Their istrated. e under 56, 6oth uj Q Z D O > 06 Hi »J . h J Oi i < : w ? (ft i ft! i O i X i J - o Oi Ul X h u. o tfl z o a: UJ Surprises at Ladysmith Rifles Company of Thorneycroft's Mounted Infantry, Mackenzie's Carabineers, and the 7th Battery of field-guns. The Boers were now energetically preparing a warm reception for General Buller. Small parties were found in the neighbourhood of Chieveley, and these were endeavouring to post their long-range guns in convenient positions for the defence of the river. They were not destined to have things entirely their own way, however, and were promptly engaged by the Imperial Light Horse and forced to retire. This they did to the tune of a tremendous explosion, which could be heard for miles off. It was caused by the blowing up of the Colenso bridge, for the purpose of impeding our possible advance. The iron bridge over the Tugela River had previously been rendered a hopeless wreck. The number of Boers round Colenso at this time was said to be about 15,000, with some 15 guns. At Frere camj) our troops numbered about 3500, and at Estcourt there were about the same number, but reinforcements were expected. SURPRISES AT LADYSMITH At Ladysmith, St. Andrew's Day was duly kept by the Gordon Highlanders, and Scottish compliments, appropriately seasoned with whisky — now getting tragically scarce— were passed round. Sir George White dined with the gallant regiment. Now that the town was in heliographic communication with Sir Redvers Buller, and military intelligence was received regarding the movements of the relieving force, there was a general sense of security among those who had been incarcerated so long. The Ladysmith force under General White's command amounted to a total of some 12,500 troops, and these, could they once get free and join the force, numbering about 20,000, at Sir Redvers Buller's dis- posal, would have made a sensible difference on the fortunes of Natal. At this time provisions were fairly moderate in price, meat being one shilling a pound and bread fourpence a pound, but luxuries, liquors, &c., were growing scarce. For instance, a tin of milk— the last in Ladysmith— fetched three shillings, and eggs were purchasable for six shillings a dozen. The military authorities had comandeered all eatables, arranging that bread and meat should be sold at prices fixed for all. The health of the troops was kept up by athletic exercises, and the officers at times played polo. The bars at the hotels were closed, but mineral waters were obtainable. Horses began to look lean, though oats and mealies, bran and hay were forthcoming in sufficient quantity ; but of pasturage there was little, The Boers made great effoits to shoot the cattle, thinking that though they might not storm the garrison they might starve it to surrender. Very few newspapers VOL. II. 145 K The Transvaal War were smuggled into the town, and these were rapturously seized and devoured. Life was monotonous and a litde sickness beo-an to of tEvl?' '"''"^ ""^^^^ """^'"^ ^'■°"' "^'"^ ^^^ muddy water th ^UZ^t i"T ^•^'^^^ered that the fashionable entertainment of the Dutch ladies was to take special weekly trains from Pretoria tor the purpose of joining the Boers on the hills outside Ladysmith and inspecting the unhappy town. The forces surroundino- the place were commanded by Schalk-Burger and Louis Bothaf who doubtless, with Pretorian dames, were the heroes of the hour. 1 i^?i ^""'^^y^ D'y'"e Service took place in the Church of Eng- and, the Congregational minister's house, and in the Convent all these religious devotions partaking of a particularly solemn and earnest character. Every man stood, as it were, with his life in his hands before his God. and week after week it was impossible to say which of the devout flock might be missing, and have gone out into the invisible to solve the ^raua peut-Stre. There was a pathetic atmosphere surrounding these religious meetings that none who joined in them will ever forget. , On the Sth of December a very brilliant operation took place at Lombards Kop. General Hunter, with a hundred picked men ot the Imperial Light Horse under Colonel Edwards (5th Dragoon Guards), and five hundred Natal Carabineers under Colonel Royston started from Ladysmith camp about nine o'clock on the pre^ vious night. Four abreast they marched from the outpost and Jaded in the gloom. The march lay across a stony, rugged plain, through the scrub of mimosa bush and among dongas deep and shallow. Close on the heels of Major Henderson and several of the Corps of Guides the troops pressed on. About ten o'clock they reached the base of the hill under Lombard's Kop, and there took up a position. While still pitch dark— two o'clock in the morning— they began to advance on their perilous enterprise, climbing up steep and slippery slopes, and stumbling over boulders, and trippine on loosened stones. The stars blinked, the sky seemed slumbering in one vast dream of blue. Stealthily they moved with the footfalls of tigers stalking their prey. Not a word was spoken. Scarcely a breath drawn. ^ Above, on the flat top of the hills, were the objects of British desire— the Boer guns. A 6-inch Creusot, throwing a 94-lb. shell, and a 4.7-inch howitzer, firing a 40.1b. shot. More anxious than sweetheart for the sight of his lady-love were these gallant fellows lor the touch of these treasures. Up they went, each outracincr the other, straining every nerve and muscle to gain the summit of the nilJ, to be hrst to handle the prize ! At last, when about half the distance had been cleared, they 146 t )usly seized iss began to luddy water tainment of 'm Pretoria Ladysmith jnding the iiotha, who lour. :h of Eng- onvent, all olemn and his life in impossible have gone lere was a that none took place icked men 1 Dragoon 1 Royston, the pre- tpost and ged plain, deep and sral of the :lock they e took up lorning — f up steep ipping on ibering in ootfalls of carcely a )f British -lb. shell, ious than It fellows acing the lit of the red, they Surprises at Ladysmith were challenged by the picket. "Wie gaat daar.?"— " Who goes there ? he sang out in alarm. It was a thrilling moment. To the challenge there could be but one reply. That reply they gave Shots rang out in the darkness. There was now no more creep- ing. 1 ongues of flame darted from every side. The troops pushed forward ui the grey mysterious gloom to the ping of bullels that whizzed in shoals swiftly past their ears. Major Henderson dropped. More bullets rained down. A Guide fell wounded by c>'cle bearing-balls shot from a rifle-so it was subsequently said One gallant fellow after another threw up his arms dying or dead._ But still the troops pressed on, Colonel Edwards in ad^nce shouting them on to victory. " Fix bayonets," he called with a voice of thunder, knowing there were but four bayonets among the lot. nnH^h.r ""k- ' i'^'^^l^ T?""^ ""^ ^^'^ ^'^h delirious rapture, and the Carabineers and Light Horse, with scarce a bayonet to their name, cheered and charged ! But the Boers delayed not to find out if there were steel or no steel. They fled in dismay, leaving behind them their cherished guns. So swift indeed was their fliVht, that hats, boots, letters, everything— were scattered to the winds 1 hereupon Captain Fowke and Lieutenant Turner, R.E., with great skill destroyed a 6-inch gun and a 4.7-inch howitzer with gun- cotton. They also captured a Maxim. This magnificent piece of work, counting from the moment the order to charge was given was performed in three-quarters of an hour, with the loss to our troops of only seven men. The conduct of the Imperial Light Horse was xT'^n^"^ Major Edwards was the first man in the embrasure. 1 he following is an account of the destruction of the guns given bv the war correspondent of the Stariciard :~ & s ^ VA " ^A °'"1,^'" *° ^'"[^ 'i!?^ ""^^^ °^ ^^^ ^""""^ ^'■"'e to complete its work, Major Edwards, who was the first man to set foot on the summit, led his men of he Impenal Light Horse to the far side of the hill, and poured volleys in he TTu f.u^^ ^°'' '^.''^^'- S°"^^ °f '^^''' ^^d;ttes could be seen^hover ng abou , but they were evidently too demoralised to approach us closely. ^ for th^^r ' ^•^S. Volunteers and Sappers were making a hurried search for the big guns. For a moment the horrible thought seized us that there kf h»H r T' '' ^"-'i^';''^ ^"-'"y- -- has so often been the case of itn^nn 1 r f""!,-^."' "^''"^^"^ "'^ P^'^j"'^^ ««ack, and had removed the ^n^^^iir '^^^^''^'^'^l- But at last, to the delight of everybody, 'Long Es than ,x feefth^'r^'^k'""^'^ T^''^ ^^^'"^ « P^^^P^' of sandbags no ess than 31 feet thick. A 4.7-inch howitzer was found in an emplacement hardly less strong, with a Maxim gun between the two _ poTted there acTu'^ri'eiiv'red '"''°'' °' ''^'"'"^ '"^ '''''' ^^^^"'' ^^ ^''^ °- ^^ ^S r.r..^'!:'TV^ "^TA'"' "^'^K^ P^^'y °^ '^° ^^PP^'-s and six artillerymen, at Sa^mlr T^l t°"^u^°'"' ""^' «^"'"g ^° ^°'-'< with crowbars and hammers, smashed the breach and elevating gear. Two charges of gun-cotton were then placed m the breech and muzzle and connected with fuses. While '47 m i The Transvaal War burning ends of tl.e ofiicers' cigars. Ever7bodv feirhn.t Wu'° "^'"^ ^^^ of Captain Fowke, who remained midtayietween 'he b^ j i an^^ff '"" coup e of m mutes' susnpniiri .-^^ J' "^^vvccn ine Dig guns, and, after a carriage as well as the gun!" ^^ ' ""^ ^^P^°«'0" having wrecked the The force under General Hunter was composed of a hundrpH ^H.'^r'^'^R^ r°"^ ^^''11 ^^"^^^'•^"^ «f ^he Irr^peral Lght Hor e louadr'on F ' T '^/"" t?^"^"' : Squadron E, (?aptain &lington " M^ Edwards oF;r ^7^ n = Commanding Offic^er. Colonel I H M. Jidwards^ of the 5th Dragoon Guards, with Major "Karri" Davis and Captain Fitzgerald, Adjutant of the Regi'ment tL second hundred men were chosen from the Natal vSteers and were led by Major Addison. The flunking parties under Colonel Royston were composed of Natal Mountfd\ifle. under S Evans ; Border Mounted Rifles, under Major Rethma^ Carabineers under Colonel Greene; and Natal Mourned Police" under Inspec: n cW ;f^he"r ^/^''°?.'" ^°'""]""^- M^J- HendersonTas mort Jf ^"''^''- ^"' ^"^""'^'^^ ''^'^ "'"^ wounded, one r^\'^ ^l^i^ '""^^'-f ^''^ '^''y ^ ^'"^•■t skirmish commenced between onX^^oZ^nm ^'\Ve^"^^-" of the .9th Hussars and the B^rs been enea?ed to he.Wl? ^"T^^ '^'"^'"^r '^'^' ^" ^^e troops had rh.Ttl3^ i , V'^"^,^'s^omfiture, near Lombard's Kop. arran^red hat they would seize the opportunity to approach the town Xaln hey were somewhat surprised to find Colonel Knox and his pfrtv m readiness for them. Some brisk fighting ensued but alf was over by SIX o'clock, and the net result of the morning's w^rk was consi dered highly sat.sactory. The voice of '< Long Tom '' was cSete v teWr h'r^ Ladysmith had got a Maxim tf the good The S e legraph lines were cut and their kraals burnt.^ On the whole the troops were well pleased with themselves, and returned To re' ce ve an enthusiastic reception from those within the town The only regret was that Major Henderson D A A C Z A n j Sutherland Highlanders, ^should hatb^^n wt^d^d in w^^o^f e^"' th-.. r K^ "^K ^^' '^' ^''' ^'"^^' '■'^ ^he history of SK^s that guns have been stormed by Mounted Infantryf and the comole^e success of the movement reflected the utmost cred t, not onlv^on the 3; ledThf "' b-t on Major-General Hunter, 'whrs^magnifi- cently led the assault. After the men returned to camp. General 14S bestowed on the men to to with the he exception and, after a ct had been d found that adly bulged, ice of repair, wrecked the a hundred ht Horse: Ddrington ; »nd A. H. • "Karri" ent. The teers, and r Colonel ler Major rabineers, ;r Inspec- erson was nded, one between the Boers oops had arranged . Again his party t all was vas consi- )mpletely rhe Boer e whole, id to re- n. The gyll and places, sh arms :omplete y rin the magnifi- General Surprises at Ladysmith }heZr^^ '^A y^'TT.' ^^''-^^ Horsemen, and otiier portions of the force paraded, and addressed them as follows :— " Colonel Royston, officers and men of the Natal Mounted Vnh,nf.... officers and men of the Imperial Lieht Hor=;P nnT ^fr ^ Volunteers, rate:,,?. s^i*i,t™t„r,L^rS'^^^^ know I have the help of S men .= l' k r " ^ ^•"^''^ g'-'-'^'fi'^^'ion to me to General White also addressed the Royal Encrineers and Artillprv statmg that all praise was due to the of?.cer in" harge ?or^he ab£ manner m which he had performed his duty, and to fhe men for the steadiness with which they had assisted individually. Genera White visited the I.L.H. camp, inspectino- the corn^ on rcliut;:"'^^^^^^^^^'^'"^^^^^- ''"''^' t?;msrtKt:dT;re .mn??"''^'^'' the success of the last midnight sortie roused a spirit of emulation m the breast of the gallant besieged, for another daHnJ manceuvre was secretly planned. It was decided thalm effort should now be made to destroy an inconveniently active 4 yTnd p^r Hnr'wheTth'T'. °" f 't'l^ appropriat'ely termeV Su. of the rL R • ^5 '^^"^^^ °l"'S^' ^^-^^" ^« ^'^"- five companies for Hero and Leander, not for deeds dark and deadly For th s reason they halted at the base of Observation HilS such t mc as It was possible to proceed in safety. Presently the moon sink behind clouds and they moved on. At half-past one thTy crossed 149 The Transvaal War ii! hilt ™feoX^rand?hrrai',:r''''v^ t- '° --" ">= "uliuh near the railway Th L=„^ half company was posted in a Metcalfe, deployed Tm'o lin^a^rs^ fcied w '"sf/? '=' '^ '^°'°"^' arms, the enemy fired sever-il <=I-.nfc n- ^ T r ' ^^^ ^ ^eap to " Fix bayonets ■' was TvZ Thf ' w^'? 1^ ^^'^ST"'"''^^' ^^e order to and the rush of our m"en wildlv rh. • ^^""r^>y the ch'ck of steel echoes rang with weTrd r^ve Lm,Tons"^~Tt''"^ ^"l- ^'^^ '"'^"'gh^ carried! The Boers afferXin ? L ^^^ ^""^^^ ^^ the hill was After some Sen s of aT,?^^^^^^^ ^f ^'-hed in:o spJce the British operations-was found T^ '^^ ^"V^'^^ ^'^J^^^ ^^ and the breech-block and muzSe were iT" PJ'^"^'^''^ =^urrounded, Lieutenant Digby Jones R E Th' f 'T''. V'^' ^^"-cotton by to ignite, causing he delay of sJm^ ^ ""^"'•'^'^y ^"'^^'"^^ ^' «•"«' interval the Boers, rehiforSd LT T\ '"'""'^^' ^"""g ^^hich sandwiched themsdves betweenihe .f '?"''' 'r^"^ '^^ ^^PJ^ ^n^ downhill and the reserves The conff '^'^'S^ ^""''^ ^^ they retired able, as the fighting h'ne were for. 1 ." '^ u' 5"^"^^ was lament- the bayonet, but this w"th extreme - ^° '"' -^'^^ '^'°"^'' ^"'^ difficult to distinguish between frLn^^^^ '' 'V^^ ''^'"'^""^^ '^ ^^« enhanced the difficuky of The nnl" k'' ^°^- • ^'^^ ^^^"--^ cunningly British, and repea3our elf a 7" > ^'^'^"^ themselves o/as Rifle Bricrade ? " &c On ''"'^^''^"'^ ""^^^rs, and calling " Is that the our reserve beingtabb to S"ri" ''^"'"^^ ^^^^^ P^-P^'X ^-d! our own force. The Boer ' lo'Ls wer^l^^^^^^ ^ ^^^ ^^ '"J-ing tenant Fergusson, 2nd Rifle BhZJ^ ^ f 0"^own were : Lieu- • Captain Patey Second I U . ^ ^^ """"^ ^^" ''^"'^ ^"d file killed • heliograph. ^ '-^ayzer ol the Dragoons worked the -enTg^el'trvier!'" T"r:'u:nin'T'"'/'''.^."^^ '"^^ Boer bombard- Hood ^f Colenso caused itero'^sSn'h '"? '" the neighbour- siege life, suspense, sickness and^h 'll t^^' '''°"> '^^^ P'"^^ of felt. However. owinLto fL l ■ Lf '^r "^^'^ beginning to be Ward. Army SerWce (foros the J^^^^l^-^^le forethought of Lionel drain upon i[ P ' ^^^ ^"^'^ ^"PP'^ was still equal to the 150 ascend the nd one com- s posted in a :d by Colonel ;autious step. ^ was never ' of the hill, nd a leap to 1 the order to click of steel he midnight the hill was i in'co space, 'le object of surrounded, in-cotton by ined at first Jring which : kopje and they retired ^as lament- rough with ness it was s cunningly Ives off as Is that the iptly fired, if injuring 2re : Lieu- file killed ; lieutenant le Brigade lers. ■ purposes ;re Camp, nkolanda, 3rked the bombard- :'ighbour- pinch of ng to be Colonel al to the o Q. W 2 < h Vu o w Ul h b. g Q (3 >« Ul (D > (I) S u o h bl 06 Id K a, s o K I Mil Frere Camp FRERE CAMP General Sir h. C. Clery arrived at Frere on the 2nd of De- cember, and assumed command of the Second Division. He took up h.s quarters at the shattered house of the stationmaster Pre parat.ons were set on foot to repair Frere bridge, which had beai ent.re y wrecked and a mounted force under Lord Dundon^d wa actively engaged m chasu^g large parties of Boers on their return to Colenso. Great mterest was caused by the arrival in camn of another of the inventions of Captain Scott of Z TerriT/"^ h consisted of a search-light apparatus for signalling to L^dysmiti LadvsS\''"K r^""'""v: ""^''■^^y armouredf" Communicatl w th Ladysm.th by heho^vaph was soon successfully established much to tVr''"}fon of the Boers at Colenso, who tried their best to mterfere with messages. The camp was daily increasing h size, and remforcements, with their baggage, horses^ ^^^ons and fnTn^^^^H 'IP^""" 'Vr"" Maritzburrwhile the DuXn I igk Infantry and a battery of iNatal Field Artillery were posted to protm ^s:^i:!^X^^r^' ^-•' ^"- '-- -^'- -^ -^s conc^entra'tion'of fro?n "'•■'•' K^""'*" ""^ ^^^^y ^"^ '^^ '"^'•easing concentration of troops now began to presage an important and it held SV :i;^^""TS^ ""''4 -mmunicX" was beig quife SL It u"r'' ^^h.te and a combined action seemed quite possible. It was recognised, however, that the Boer oosi .on at Colenso could not be taken by direct f onta attack and that some arrangement to turn the left of [he enemy must simStaneousfv STVv r;"^^"^'°". '" ''^°"^- Mounted troops Sn'w joined the British forces, and there was every hope that the Du^cT men once routed, could be pursued and kef't on^ the run Bu so InV^^ -^'a r'f- ""concerned ; they seenied to be in fine fettle t^y repHed .Ts^"''%r'''°"'^ 't" '"T>' " ^'^ y°" Boers.P" 3„ ? '■ J u , ^^^y ^^'■^ then asked, " Where are vou The "orture of JL;? '■"'^^°" r ^"P°^" ^^^ ^ beautiful name, ine torture of sleeping on a valise on the ground for weeks at a 151 The Transvaal War ''N I have to .^^et up and take a rest ' ^ "^ '^°^'" ^""^ ^°"^^ ^iurs. you th.rty mer, of the Natal Caabineers.^dff'M' ''"''f''' '^'^ ^'"''^ the purpose of arrestinij three coloni^^ r'"'' ^'"^''^^ f^-- enemy. They left camn for H, ''ji^"'''^^ suspected of aiding the and^rchedtLoughff^^^^^ at about s^a.m.! berg Mountains some fifty SsTh. "'^"r-^apped Drakens- esque and beautiful as any h NataP bu't h'- ^"''i'''^'' '^ ^''''^'^ admire scenery, but to pursue traitSs a\ n'^r' ^""^ "*^' "'^ upon the objects of their search Th. • '"'''" ^^'™ they came seized, together with ^heir 100?" "recreants were promptly these the party sTarted to rl. ' T"" '^o head of cattle. Wuh from a neigPhbo'ur?i7do„S o a ^ ^y six Boers forward part of his troop^wit^[ I e tisor,-'"'' ^^'?^^'^'- ^^en o-'dered the rest of his men held'^he enemv^n h ' 'I" ^^■''[S^' ^^He he and m which five of the enenVyV p^'fel we7e kid"' --'"ade ensued. Boers were shot. The n-irfv r./ 1 ^^'' '^"'^ several of the accomplished the object of the?r''-° '^•"'P '''^^^" after having three hours. ^ °^ ^^^'^ expedition in the sp.ce of twenty? began lo'run 'ov^e'r'^f Fre^e' BriZ' "'''' completed, and trains Railway, some twenty miles fromP^ °" ^ ^'''''^ Government membered. the first to be blown up bv^Z^'^R ^''' '' ^y ^^ ^- from Estcourt to Colenso ^ ^ ^^^ ^"^""^ °" their retreat f^^s'^^^^::S^J^^^ the force under General Sir Hddyard, and Majo-GeneS Barton wV 1 ^'''■^' ^ajor-General towards Ladysmith from Durban hl^' r^'t "^^^ "°^ advancing River, Estcoirt, and Senso :- ^ ^^' '''^ P'etermaritzburg, Mooi ^nd'JLfstr^y^td W^sttrl^"'!. ^"^"" ^"^'"■-«' "^"^ West Yorkshire Scottish Rifles, 3;.d t^rA-fi i:;/^:"d'Rt^^^^^^ FusS td Fusihers, ist Royal Dragoons istDnl^?- u''°l^ ^""'^'^''S' 2nd Royal Irish Connaught Rangers, is?K in Fus^llrs i.V^'^'i"'''"^!'^' '^'^ Hussars ft k.lhng Fusiliers, 2nd Somersetshire lS \'V'^°'"^°" Highlanders, ist Innis- B Squadron 6th Dragoon Guards o"-'^ jn'^^ntry, 3rd King's Royal Rifles L.ght Infantry, varioL Lo^a Se aLSS^T N^^^rA' "-'X^' ""''''' I^^"- Cavalry and Infantry, Uitlander rnrn. ,i '.i^^''^' Detachments, Volunteer 64th, 66th, 73rd Field Ba ttert Jeveral^rn"" ^^J^"- Thorneycroft,'.7th, ^h, Companies R.A.M.C., Field Hospitals! ^'''"P^"'^^ R°3'al Engineers, several enlivtld'by'm^tt^rlrl"^ T"^"^^' ^-P ''^^ at Frere was - paid .L -;r&-:t;i---a.^ lat produced ; hours, you 'rere Camp, ted off with 1 Police for aiding the lout 5 A.M., d Drakens- - is pictur- was not Vi they canie i promptly tie. With six Boers en ordered ile he and de ensued, iral of the er having jf twenty- md trains vernment ly be re- :ir retreat neral Sir •-General dvancing rg, Mooi i'orkshire, iliers, 2nd oyal Irish ssars, 1st 1st Innis- ■al Rifles, ;, Durban k^olunteer th, 14th, i, several ere was )hiches- ■s were Frere Camp beef, occasional mutton, and beer were iv ,il M I, 1 • "S' ^ ''"■ hand and the enemv in fmnt '^nr\.u.\ ''' '7'''^.'^'- -'"^ with thc-sc at guns plus the bayone • T^mmv • w .^ '" f ''''''''''''■'^^ ^y heaxy court was twenty-four miles over frP>;h ..n?l 1 ^° ^'■''* ;!«y proceeded ^^^':t^\^^''Zr::jrit^r;' ?"" tion, the troops off-saddled -itf^nrl^rl V^ .u u "^"^ destina- and performed other can pdut"^^^^ horses, pitched tents, coffee, sometimes meat a^nd Xtatoef VVSt'°"''''"' ^ ^''^'^' ''^' and gun weighincr ten pounds m.T ^'^^>^,'^^'-t'-'dges, waistbelt k; :^:fi rSS' £= s s^.-;- camp-fires tents were stmrL- U, ? j u " ^'^^ ^^^"""^ S^^^ of andkemen brLkSed Fn ^^"^'''^' ^?'.'''' ^"^ ""^^ ^^^ered, moved ourfrc^ tt eamn fo /'^T™''- °^ '"^^^"^'■y "^^" '" " ^"^^ The processiormetur^TsC dcThfn^i^^^^ ^^^er arms, of variegated obiects sMrhnc ^'^nt miles long, and was composed numerabl oxen mule and donk^ ^"'"u^^^^^'^"^ '^'''Sg^^ by in- field-batteries, c;"^ and infant'^ Z\\')' ''Tu^ ''^"^ ^^"^ °^ ^'"^ looking very shiD-shinP 1^ ^" ^"^ J^^^^ ^"^ hearty Jack Tars. though^he7wernS'aXr ^11^'^"'"^,?' ^"^. T^^^ - fident that the bifr move LTl ^ere equally jovial, all con- was in store ^ ^^" ^^^""' ^"^ ^ ^'S: and glorious ending 153 j I The Transvaal War I he entire force rnrinit^.wi .1 to north-west of dS^^ttl^ ^^^.IT" ''^^J^^^'^ ^^-er on the extreme front. vvliHe the Cav^; m''"''>' PV^'''^^'-'« being Artillery were nearer to Chieveiey Soon "r"'"'', "'"^""'"y- ""^ guns set to wori< to search »l„. ; 7* , " '^^^""^ ^'I's the N-.v-iI enemy north of Colen o "tj^. ^ ^^^"''"'^ -^1 P-itions ol he four I .-pounders, were posted omr^^oov'''^' ^' 'r ^^^ ^'"^'^ -^1 about three miles from Colenso vMI-u?, ^TJ' -^"''^ ''^ ^'^^ '^'^k^^la. wards discovered to be the 1 W t ii ' ''"'' ^^IT^ ^^^'^ ^"^ a^ter: oyer the kopjes for miles, thwh.r?"- • '^'"■, ^'''^ •■^««""ded wh.ch resembled mam.no h nCs rtol^'.f n^'V'"^'^"'"'^ ^'^"P^i""^. r s It'' '?,' ^'1'"^' ''-■ '--'« of lI^Z ^^^; t; y ^Pnnging t'o life! result. I he Boers were silent so silem in i ^1 ^^*-'>' P'^oduced no 5 ?^^' tHey had vacated their poskions , 'f h'^ 't'' ''^'"^' ''"^'Sined lugela would after all be quite ? f. 1; ^^^ ^^^ P^'^^'^S^ of the a few crackers thrown L' Ali w^ rr'-P'T''^' "'''^ P-^^^anc^ acquamted with lioer tricks and duplic v ^'~,r^'" '^""'^ ^^H he enemy had fallen back. possiZ f V"' ^" ""^^"'"^'^ ^hat Ladysmith. ^ ""^^"^'X '^r the closer protection of But before ffoincf furthf-r h ;.. other brave defenders oflhei^plre "'"''>' '° '^'^^P '" '"""^h with "- » "-^^^^^^i^&^SS^^ '54 Tuejria River 'ngfaclcs bein^' Infantry, aiul "■'; the Naval '-sitions of the 'M- 7-inch and jf the 'I'ujrela, lat was after- rk resounded flic eruptions, "gink' to life. produced no ime imagined ssage of the th perchance 1 those well lagined that )rotection of I touch with CY Scott II ""'*»^T" j >"— tiait SERGEANT-MAJOR OF THF MPtxr c OF THE NEW SOUTH WALES LANCERS, I'M.. I.y cJreg,>ry & Co.. Lu..,i „,. ii! I v' B CHAPTER V ACTIVITY AT THE CAPE ^fh^ ?.'^"^-^^t'0"s continued with insolent persistency, and have U«„pH p'^f ^oyemder-Havmg been informed that Orange Free State - werf :-'"' '""^ '^^ ^"'''^ reinforcements arriving in Cape Colony the emment surgeon, had also volunteered his servLs IS followmg regiments arrived at Cape Town on the 20th of Nov„n,i and went on to reinforce the advance columns or Lpr^s^v" the W^Er'F?TorsS;^"alUe"r''ri*= '°"""^"'' °f '--•-gS •s'-ir .3. RoyalTuStrFTiHe™" r""" ""'"'■^ """ ^"""""berland Fusilier,, p.a.'^SrT-lt.lrsT— ^^„dtklt' ttf -flii ^55 f 1 m The Transvaal War of XThe„l7rse'/ri''^r" -cubced an?Ts.ea. deal to the peopk of Cape Colo„y.""l^t. J^ said'" "'""'" ^'"'""^ abro.d ,ta, .he Dutch a^ ,„ E^'^ri^d of"'iS.i tl'rS, 1" """ ""'^^ n,e„t?/s?e" L'trStTSl'VS ""^^''""'- 7"= '"P-a. Govern- alike, and ,l,e ex„L1orLMheTur°ai f ^ T?hTK '" ^Tj' ""•> ""I"' can solely l» endangered b, reMion ' ""■ ^'" '^"""i'ulion dom"S:„'"„S CoSr""" """'"^ "'■'"'y '» ">= ■>"-'>'« «f ^l-al f..e- pro:;rS *not'„^?r„S3e -rrce'Trbr "" ^'T ■"""■"-"' allegations to the contrary aremade eiihtV' "''"^° ?' """'""'■• All intention of shaking the "oyahv of a secUon ^f Fh""'''"''' ""'"' »>= deliberate ings olv,:; s wit^'kTnsref ii'f :;;ri.'?,eS; 'b' •" -»"" "-'■ iraTJo^biS""'"' '' ''""' '° '^' ^"S:L?^'rhe?j;i;?SoSgt ..tit;def a'niVr^lV of'tS SSes"sTthe Tfid"'™"'" ° '»"-'™'"« But the statements which continue to hf.™/ »"fi*nce reposed in then,. plorable effect in somlquartS an| Uherefo™ l^ "'' "? P"''™'"« ' ■^- being misled into defecHon & ?heiVSanc. .,,Vr''L'^™™ "" ''S«'"s' selves to grave consequences allegiance, and thereby exposing them- in suppoT.''„?Zctra?dTa„SP °' "'°""' '"^' '° ='"^ '°S«^- s^rSs of fca"„" t"' •^"''S^ ,*"= ^'""'"e <=f Decemter. The every h°le and Jn7A ""■' l"''^"^. '^"""8 ""''h "*"»!asm of the mother country, came troopin| to do battle in her cause Each success.ve arrival of the Colonists was t e cue for Tesh moTtrs .' Fro "' '"^^^.^ ''?P'^.>^ °^ '^SS and banners ling Td thtlike a^d'hv ?h ^^P"^' ^Welcome. Brother Colonists5 f^^v uf • , , y '"^ *'"^^ 'he Canadians had landed oatrint r feehng had reached its climax. Then public enthusiasm Call^ 156 ^ -ape from ed on the rreat deal Jn of the iddressed e Imperial ;en spread al Govern- nd British institution :qual free- lumerable ther. All deliberate ling many iw at war. vert feel- ■nting the orting its v-abiding I in them, ing a de- ll against ng them- together cts, the lere are old as The usiasm, to wel- gallant lefence cause. ' fresh Jearing )nists," itn'ntic iterally Activity at the Cape were nt't ^^^ f •'°""^^ ^^^^ '''^^''' ^'"^ows. Verandahs roofs Canadians about looo strong, were «' a sicht for sa r e'en ' as^ e Scots would say, a hale, well-grown, muscular set of men win evidently appreciated the magnificent reception that was accorded them and who as ev dently meant to earn laurels i^the service ren arkfble fo^Th " ^^''^^n^' ^"^^^^' ^" '^'^ Colonial tip we" remarkable for their excellent appearance, and the sicrht of them presVi;:? i^ZeT' ■'''"''' °' ^^ ' ^^'^ '^ support th^^onou a .d prestige of the Empire was vastly inspiriting. One may safelv asserr that such an exhibition of patriotic solidarity and Twer was wth out precedent in the world's history ^ """ st.ll Umentably weak ; we could not compete with our ^LZZs tie ac "tlS^fhe''™'^.!" ''''%^r «"°^-« "'■ orapatJe™ to; !,fill J • . '"P^nditure of the Transvaal Government S artillery durmg the previous four years had been enormrs ThI rcoJnr *n T '"'!^ll'>"- Department shouTd have tal n no cognisance of these gigantic preparations, or that if it had the Sed'ovtr rruoo°„"f'r '"''"^n J" -894 /oo,S^'w .^r " i ^"™ °^ f ;«n;r/unst .t = ::;^^ additrof ;n fu ^'^ '""?^y P''^^''^^^ ^'th ammunition, which in gs j^f/biiK- frlrs Set' orjith^e: tt£ Tnd m^easLd Th '^^«"^'-'- kopjes fortified, and distances ma ked cL?Zll A ^"J "^^i:^ ^°"-^^ forty-eight rapid-fire Schneider- be fired tiSZ'" "' ^'^'^^ ^ ^'^'•"P"^' '^^"^-■"'"? ^34 buC to De nred 200 times per minute, with a range of ith mi es Maxims n fo reir;js;'"^3lhe'Br'°1 •" ""^"^^ '"^ LSysmlth^Tew lu meir cost, and the Boers also secured four batteries of 12-lb 157 ( J The Transvaal War between hills gu.i„T .^ i^Sbtg^^^^^-T '^f^'^ rretona. ^ucig passes, Ladysniith, and ternble havoc with the poor beasts 1 hJ '^^^^^^^S^ played for on the 4th of December eHevous new. '^'T^f '^ P^-rsue us. with the loth Hussars and a ba «albn on^Y'^^^ '^^ "^^ ^^'»'^^^ ashore at St. Helena, some iSomTles ^0^^ fV" ^"^''^^ ^^^ ^^°"- the men were rescued from the rans^oT^ ?"" l"" •'"• ^^""nately all lost. This was a terrible blow fo T L^"' '^''' '^^'''S^'' ^^'- a nul hty, and operations were somewhnV '""^.'^^^^^'-y ^as almost cnppled, owing to the lack of tSlrm '?Pf "^^^^^ '^ "ot entirely bnlhant operations on the Orange R^.K i"1?l'^' ^""'^ Methuen's capped owing to the imposs^St^v o^n -.• ^"^ t^ ''^"" heavily handi- at this time the one cryTth' cL1P"^^'"§^ -^'^ .^'"^'-'^^ home, and a Cavalry Brigade!" xLre wasTenJ^'p" '^T' ^^«' "Oh for comn,ander, minus mounted troLs-Cpn^^^^^ ^ '^°'-" ^^^valry d.stnbuted in fragments ev™heV^.ToH^^^^^^^ before described, all because the nation ^^11^"''^"^" hampered as and dnf, and put its hand L the hTm to^t^r ' '^^^'^ '^ ^^^^er be as^Su^^X^^r;^^^^^^^^^ situation, it may =nt3:ns^^£!S had between them sometT^o 11 '-^T'^^' Bullerand Clery tack Stormberg was GeLral Gatacfe whhT^ ^'^"^ Queenstown toat^ 3000-cavalry and infantry-werrw^L' r?°"^^^^^ poort /"^hewest.advancWfro^trModTp-^'""'^^ N^^"" Kimberley. Lord Methuon hfd leS than «oo ^^ '''^' '^ '^^ '^^'^^ ""^ of communications at Grasoan Or.n p°° "'^"' ^"^ °" ^he line some 8000 more. At S i u^^ ^'''^'■' ^"d De Aar were while with Colonel Baden ^'wduVM 7 J'" '-^^^^ ^°°° ^-"p" in Rhodesia were about ron^ Mafekmg and Colonel Plumer Canadian continJntrm^b°e°rirsreTSfmt- "^'^ "-'y-rived ^actm concert with the Black W.?.,?c' "^.^'^'^"'^"the front Quantities of soldiers and voTunte^^s wer^H r^""''^- "'ghlanders. 'n h.gh spirits at a chanclof seeinaJ • ^ ^ T^'"§^' ^^ °^ them passengers who landed on the utT?f n '^ k ^'"""^ ^^^ "^^^X ?ealous determination to serve his counL^^'"^' ^^^ °"^ ^hose •n those who heard his story He was 7^"''- "?f '""'^ ^"^°t'°" Seaforth Highlanders, who waV absent w^^'^'l, ^"'°"g^^"? ^° ^^^ been m France, and only arnVed in Fml ^ '^^H "P" "^ had the troopship which bro^ht - hl^ ^S SS^^^^i;:^- 158 Activity at the Cape are .horS whiirn^gH/rolS' 'S'"" '" '"'^' ^' ^^ their palaces from thf. it!, r .^^°™^^,- ^IiHionaires rushed from kharki: with 'all r accoLlnLTenr^rhV K "7 ^";^"^>^ '"^« -^Tr bridegrooms tore theSS fr^m wlt^h^?^ '"^/ ^^^^^'•J the altar-rails to sacrifice treiTeriati^ """"''^ ^'''"' than at any other time— for 1 J if ^hat moment more precious " Dukes' sons." but a Duke ndeeST' °/ • '^^ u^"'^'''- ^ot only who clamoured to fight fo he giirct^ ^i?.." •^"''""^- "^°^ gallantry had even its comic Jdf fX ? '^'^ impetuosity of ready to face shot and s^ I rafh^r th T'^'' ''^^ ^^^"^ hiding tried spurious dodges to briL thel I ' ^"' °^,"= ^"^'-^^ ^oyt and many fibbed rl^VrovauL^tTrt^' '° "regulation" height; rejected, were found toS^^,^'J°,^,^';,^g^^ ' ^^me even, when sea! "Trifles thp^P " c^^ ^ ^"^'^ ^'^^ transports had put to but to others sucrtn-flesm^ "'" ^^•"^^'^- P-"'bly that the martial mSy o^ our ^Jt"''"" '>'''°"8^ '' ^oly writ " grandly evident than^h Vdecl ing ? 2^s o? vTctoTSs "'^" , "°^^ Ihe glorious work ,^r^r^^ u r- * ^^ , victorias reign may be fppreciatrd Tn vie^inj ?u^'f n^'°">^ '" ^'^ °^ the^ Empire that nearly 6000 South Afen^v^f ."'"'"'"^ ^S"^^^' ^^ich show during the month of Decembe^ volunteers were called out for service ^^^^^Z%''^^^^^^ Cape Garrison Artillery, Town Highlanders, Cape Town 00 Prinr. A f'';..^'^^^ ^°^"' '°°°' Cape 600; Uitenhage Rifles, UitenLV 2^ S '^•^''^I^.Cuard, P°« Elizabeth, 1st City Volunteers, Gr^hamsS 'c??^.'n ^^'^"^" ^'"^«' East London, 400^ town, 300; Kimberley ReSen"' KS,WSr'"r^"T?'"^ Volunteers, Quetns-' K.mberley, ,20; Froj:tier Kuld ^^/s ^^^^^^^^ Artiller^, Mounted RiHe Clubl^^^^'c^^e-MSSSSSlo^i^^^^^^^^ paid ir;:g"ul?;e;i^l^„,rt^^^^^^ -^ ^^^ - take in the there we?e seveS^th^ai J^'ol ^V""^ "^'^'^ ^°^'^«' «^^hich the Colonial levies in Cane r-' ' ' " ^""^ estimated that 1899. about 12.000 men ^ °'°"^ ^^°"" numbered, at the end of fo Ju^derTr Wgfw^hl^rwt^e^^^^^^^ December, apart from the n. ^ vvnice, were approximate y the followino- • Infantry An.munit;o./coiu„.t' No TfT^M S""''^.'', ^^^'^ ""^^'''i ^oS General Brabazon)_0 Battery R k A !st R°'^! n '"^ ^"^^^^ (Major- -d Dragoons, Ammunition cJumn^No! I3 CoXy'^ffM^C ''' ^"^'^"^' 159 The Transvaal War KiMBERLEY RELIEF COLUMN (Lord Methuen's Command).— Major- General Sir H. E. Colvile's Brigade — ist Scots Guards, ist Coldstream Guards, 2nd Coldstream Guards, 3rd Grenadier Guards. Major-General Pole-Carew's Brigade — 1st Northumberland Fusiliers, 2nd Northamptonshire Regiment, 2nd Yorkshire Light Infantry, 2nd Loyal North Lancashire Regiment (half-bat- talion). Major-General Wauchope's Brigade— ist Highland Light Infantry, 1st A—vU and Sutherland Highlanders, 2nd Royal Highlanders, 2nd Seaforth Higi... Jers, No. 8 Field Hospital. Naval Brigade, G and P Batteries R.H.A., 1 8th, 37th (howitzer), 62nd, and 75th Royal Field Artillery, 9th and 12th Lancers, 7th Field Company Royal Engineers, Ammunition Column, No. 19 Field Hospital. Colonial Force.S (in support of Lord Methuen). — Canadian Contingent, New South Wales Lancers, New Zealand, South and West Australian, Tas- manian, and Victorian Contingents. Troops in South Natal (Lieut.-General Sir C. F. Clery's Command).— Major-General Hildyard's Brigade— 2nd Royal West Surrey, 2nd West York- shire, 2nd East Surrey, 2nd Devonshire. Major-General Lyttleton's Brigade — 2nd Scottish Rifles, ist Durham Light Infantry, ist Rifle Brigade, 3rd King's Royal Rifles, No. 14 Field Hospital. Major-General Barton's Brigade — ist Royal Welsh Fusiliers, 2nd Royal Irish Fusiliers, 2nd Royal Scots Fusiliers, 2nd Royal Fusiliers, Field Hospital. Major-General Fitzroy Hart's Brigade — 1st Connaught Rangers, ist Royal Dublin Fusiliers, ist Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers, No. 10 Field Hospital Company, No. 16 Bearer Company, 2nd Somerset Light Infantry, ist Borderers, 2nd King's Royal Rifles, ist Gordon Highlanders, 7th, 14th, 64th, 66th, and 73rd Batteries R.F.A., 12th Field Company R.E., Ammunition Column, No. 3 Field Hospital. In Cape Colony (Lieut-General Gatacre's Command). — 1st Welsh Regi- ment, 1st Royal Scots, 2nd Northumberland Fusiliers, 2nd Royal Berkshire, 2nd Royal Irish Rifles, ist Rifle Brigade, ist Royal Munster Fusiliers, 2nd Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry, 2nd Shropshire Light Infantry, 74th, 77th, and 79th Batteries R.F.A., Two Station Hospitals. Corps Troops.— 4th, 38th, 6ist, 6sth, and 78th Batteries R.F.A., 4th Mountain Battery, 13th Hussars, ist Telegraph Division R.E., loth Railway Company R.E., 26th Field Company R.E., ist Field Park R.E., Pontoon Troop R.E., Balloon Section R.E., No. 5 Field Hospital. Unattached.— 1st SufiTolks, ist Essex. i i WITH GENERAL GATACRE By the end of November two British forces were advancing' from East London by way of Queenstown to the Stormberg and Colcs- berg districts in the north of Cape Colony. With General French's advance we must deal anon : that of Major-General Sir W. F. Gatacre calls for immediate attention. The General had under his command what was by courtesy termed the 3rd Division, namely, 2nd Royal Irish Rifles, four companies of the ist Royal Berkshire Regiment, a troop of the New South Wales Lancers, some com- panies of Army Medical Corps, Field Hospital, and Volunteer Mounted Infantry. The total was about 5000 men. On the 28th of November he was reinforced by the 2nd Northum- 160 land). — Major- itreatn Guards, I Pole-Care w's Regiment, 2nd nent (half-bat- .ight Infantry, , 2nd Seaforth :teries R.H.A., 9th and 12th )lumn, No. 19 in Contingent, ustralian, Tas- Command). — d West York- iton's Brigade de, 3rd King's Brigade — ist cots Fusiliers, rt's Brigade — U Inniskilling 'ompany, 2nd ;s, 1st Gordon i., 1 2th Field : Welsh Regi- yal Berkshire, Fusiliers, 2nd ■y, 74th, 77th, 5 R.F.A., 4th loth Railway 'ontoon Troop ancingf from f and Colcs- ral French's Sir W. F. d under his on, namely, l1 Berkshire some com- 1 Volunteer d Northum- J ! fl With General Gatacre berUnd Fus.l.ers His force, as we see. was none too lame for he was proceeding through country where it may be said that everv hand was either openly or stealthily turned again t h m For strategical reasons, and for the purpose of reissTr nL r) u • • u fection. T:'e Sme of wn '" "" ?''"'' ^^^^lH^d with disaf- empires are he^stXs a^d nee/"\^'^r •TP"^^''^". ^"-n^ies. and but'with biuff.%td';rcoir:^^^^^^^ posed of Napoleon thp AJhA\ ^J.S^^^'rals, not even one corn- have laid down anv fixed thl. ^t'^^'' ^"'^ Wellington, could the TransvaTatth^at moment ^°n ' %' °^ ^^ "^ P""^"''^^^ '" way the wind blew and T^^^ 1' • •?"'' °^^^.''' ^^^ ^^ ^^^^^^ which Gaiacre Tudged 'hat it wouW hr "^^ ^^^^'T^ingly ; and Sir William berg until cfrcumsJlnLrseeml 'Z ^f ^^^" ^"^^"^ °" Storm- ColLial Boers reredailvToTnii.h' ''''^^"•''>' ^''^P'^^^"^" '^^e be^^Uish su^ec^st^;^-;^.^ ^TZ^l^l^J^ The Transvaal War tyZuT 'cT^ ",V' '"^P^'-^ti^^ to make some strong move which, .f successful, would immediately arrest the threatened tide of rebelhon. 1 he worst of it was that everything depended on the strength of the move, and it was exactly this stren^nh tha was wantmg. The Third Division was broken up and distributed h various parts of the co.mtry, and General Gatacre was forced to make a hazardous venture with only such forces as he could muster Un all sides the same unfortunate tale of weakness could be told' Our force was so divided up that each general was crippled with the consciousness that he had no hope of getting reinforcements for some time to come. Lord Methuen, now on the extreme west while struggling for the relief of Kimberley, had kept the Free Staters at bay with great loss to himself, and was suffering from the weakness consequent on violent strain to his resources. General French, his eye fixed on Colesberg, with a diminutive and totally inadequate force had dodged about from town to town, keeping the enemy ever on the alert and allowing him no time to snore behind his intrenchnients, and no opportunity to proceed farther in his invasion of the Colony; while General Gatacre was now about to do his best in the midst of a swarming enemy to capture Stormber^ 1 hus we see that at one and the same time four different battles in the most trying circumstances, were taking place in the Transvaal, and that the flower of our army was being exposed on all sides to the murderous shells of an overwhelming foe powerfully posted in places of his own choosing-at M odder River, at Arundel, at btormberg at Colenso-in each of these regions the continuous thunder of guns, the gallant advance of heroes, the stubborn and courageous defence of a preponderating enemy. It is some satis- faction to think that, though from the first the British suffered from mferionty in numbers, though they were out-fought by sheer weight of the Boer commandoes and guns, still they displayed an undis- mayed front, and those superb fighting qualities which tradition has taught us to look for in the British race, and which the enemy, misled or self-deceived, had chosen to under-estimate. It was also a matter for congratulation that the foe, with all the natural advan- tages of the situation, his knowledge of every inch of the ground his great mobility and advanced preparations, merely succeeded in repelling the British attack, and never took the initiative in attempt- ing one single forward movement in the face of the British arnn- But It must be allowed our own forward moves were so stubbornly resisted, that General Sir William Gatacre, while attempting to advance, recognised that in some bold and well-conceived plan of action lay his only chance of success. Such a plan he attempted to carry out, but with deplorable results, as we shall see. 162 ong move ed tide of :d on the that was ibuted in forced to d muster. be told. I with the nents for me west, the Free ing from General id totally ping the e behind T in his about to armberg. attles, in ransvaal, sides to y posted indel, at ntinuous lorn and ne satis- ■ed from r weight n undis- tion has enemy, IS also a advan- ground, eded in ittempt- h army, bbornly )ting to plan of ipted to The Reverse at Stormberg THE REVERSE AT STORMBERG General Gatacre left Putter's Kraal and concentrated at Molteno the 2nd Northumberland, 2nd Ruyal Irish Rides, and Nos. 74 and 77 Batteries of Field Artillery, with Mounted Infantry, Cape Mounted Rifles, the 12th Company of Engineers, and details— in all about 2500 men. At 9 p.m. on December 9th, began the march that was destined to be so ill fated. The night was black, the ground was rocky, and the guide, a local policeman, from ignorance, under- estimated the distance and led the troops by a circuitous route absolutely into the teeth of the enemy. Instead of going north-east for nine miles, the men were led north-west, a detour of twenty miles. A terrible night-march this, which none who undertook it can ever forget. Tramp, tramp, through the long midnight hours, over hills and down nullahs, through rivers and stumbling over stony kopjes with bayonets fixed, in grim silence, with scarce a whisper allowed, and with never a pipe as consolation lest the scent should betray the stealthy advance. For seven long hours the force, like a phantom procession, trudged and stumbled until they came to a small V-shaped plateau surrounded by kopjes, which, unknown to them, was fronting the enemy's position. This was on a high unscal- able eminence called Rooi Kop, that jutted black against the clear grey of early morning. From here the Boers, chuckling doubtless at their own cunning, were slyly watching the approach of the party ; for It was now dawn. On nearing the plateau below this eminence, the Irish Rifles, with General Gatacre and his staff at the head of the column, were greeted, to their astonishment, by a fierce tornado which was suddenly opened by the enemy on the right. Though the column was marching in fours and utterly unsuspicious of the posi- tion of the enemy, they gathered themselves together with marvel- lous rapidity. Following the Rifles were over a hundred of the Northumberland Fusiliers, and in the rear the artillery. In a very short space of time General Gatacre got his column into line for action, and a hot fight ensued, in which the Rifles— all honour to them !— distinguished themselves in distressing circumstances. It was not possible to recover easily from the surprise, and it was evident that the General and his men were totally unprepared to meet, and unequal to crushing, a powerful enemy in an intrenched position. Naturally the casualties were many. However, the artillery were soon climbing a small kopje on the left, while the Rifles and Northumberland Fusiliers, in skirmishing order, mounted the hill held by the Republicans. Footsore and weary with their long midnight march, they toiled up the steeps amidst a cruel hail- storm from the enemy's fire, which came pouring at the same time 163 I The Transvaal War from three separate quarters in (lank and rear. One of the almost .mpregnable Lll-tops was gained at tlic point of the bayone bu so fur.ous became the storm of bullets that the British.^iow out .umjbcred at the rate of seven to one. were forced to retire Mean- while the art.llery were drawing the fire of the enemy's guns and launchmg the.r shr.eking shells into the fort that the B^rs^had con structed at the corner of the kopje. But the position was unassaH- MaP ILLUSTRATINO THB O..ERAT.O.NS ON THE SoUTH OK THE OrANOE R.VER able. The Boers had expected the attack, and by an elaborate sys em they had measured and marked off distances from their bat enes-a system which could not be .pset in a moment. The Dutchmen swarmed m hundreds behind excellent cover and were r whnf ''"'''^- ^^^ "'?• •^^^' "^^"y °^ ^hem. had been occupied ?rl^- \P '°f u^^' '". {^'^S^^-^ork, were numb from exhaustion, dropping here and there fainting or asleep, in the very face of death The 'nfantry WKh the M.^xim deta.-^hment, were then ordered to retire towards Molteno. while the artillery remained to cover the 164 The Reverse at Stormberg retreat. But the retirement was not so easy. The tnuninhtnt Boers now brought their guns to the tops of \he ko^es an t valley. Many of the shells burst with terrific force, plouj^h f^/ n the roadway around our men, and shooting clouds of b h din .1, s mtoeyes and ears and throats, but fortunately dointHifd.Lae i he Boers also brought their rifles to bear on the Tit tie fore S our worn-out troops suffered the horrible experlnce of SinXn cd hooeuilTt'V"/ r^'^- 'i!'?^^ "h'^h they^K.d so abori^^^^^^^^^^^ hopefully, toiled the night before, tramping the weary ten m k's to ab?e ooinTs'of''^' enemy taking long sh'ots^.t them /romin umer- "ain 31? ^h'n"^ '\'''^ ^'?f °^ ^°"^^- Afterwards they wou d ise .igam still holdmg their hfe in their hands, and plod on in the expectation that every step would be their ast For ek"h Inn.r ;tr^fSir rp&f r " v^^ Tr "-^- numb^fT of' tS: and from The effects?''- -v f' T^l/''^'" ^^""ds. exhausi.on. wau patiently ull .hey could crawFa .ho^Xan"^ , .^o^]^^™: '"f fire and swoop down on them and bear them liastilv wav ThL wt^re'iiiSr z: ,r,-r-'y wounded " TJirs ti'o niivj were Kiuea, nad to be eft where th^v ffU v^^ j: i ..i betrforth""'""^. ^T°^^^ - the'a^buLce wagX far much she fs nnTb .•''^' ^'■"'^Z" continually, but luckilv owing t^ the shells not bursting caused more horror than harm. ' ^ fully ttiLedvth^nnr 1 '"^•" -^^/^^y* ^^' "'^h numbers woe- sileLe nrarklowerthe''cJ^?Tt"P ^V^' ^'^""^"' '^' ^'"'"°- trajric nLma.; ki u J ^^ "^"^^ ^^^^"^ "a"ie was more than dead! Where too ».„,>,•■ ^^^Y '^"' ™issmg, perhaps Irish Rifle !l;om^\r;of*lr''''""S. ■^h«ry boys of Ihe Royal was sp^ke". r^th-e?^ to g e^uTthf ^S"' ^^" ^ "^""^ m,ss,„g perhaps dead ! In fhis hour of m'^rrelL 2% X I'-e em-bk ord^af fnd" i-^"* ^^ "^'^ '""■ "™e%ai-eIyX: gVt e .hatL°5utdTol?;o"'i:;lrand"^iys'iT ""^■■-^^ '^ ^^"= 165 ■'II The Transvaal War Naturally enough after a disaster so great, all had something to say of the mistakes which brought it about. Reuters correspon- dent declared that " the primary and greatest mistake made on the loth inst. was that what was to have been at the utmost a four hours' night-march lengthened out to over seven hours, and landed us right into the enemy's position in broad daylight. Of course, the guides went wrong, took the force a roundabout way, and are accord- ingly blamed. But how is it that our leaders, knowing that four hours should sufifice to take them to their objective, should have wandered on for seven without suspecting that something was radi- cally wrong ? Then, also, at the end of that time our troops walked, in daylight, in a column four deep, right under the enemy's nose. No scouts or skirmishers were out, and it was here that we lost so heavily, the Boers from covered positions firing volley after volley right into the mass of men below. Again, the men, most of whom had been on duty since 4 a.m. the previous (Saturday) morning, were tired and hungry, and yet were asked to storm the position without rest immediately after a long and tiring night- march." The Times correspondent attributed some of the misfortune to the fact that "the Berkshire Regiment, by whom the redoubts now occupied by the Boers at Stormberg had been built, and to whom every inch of the ground was familiar, were left at Queenstown, instead of being employed to recapture the works which they had so unwillingly evacuated about a month previously. The consequence of no one knowing where he was going or what he had to attack or when proximity to the enemy had been reached, was that the Infantry, marching in fours, were suddenly fired into at a point where, after ascending but a few feet, their further advance against the enemy was precluded by an unclimbable precipice The moment that the first shots were fired companies doubled straight at the points whence the firing seemed to have proceeded, and com- menced to scale the hill. Soon, however, they came upon a perpendicular wall of rock, from the summit of which the Boers were plying their rifles at half-a-dozen yards' distance. Here fell Lieutenant-Colonel Eager, and close to him Major Setcn of the Royal Irish Rifles. Colonel Eager was the man who reached the highest point attained by any of the attackers, and was then shot down, where many another British officer has fallen before now, at the head of his battalion, gallantly leading them as in the days of old, when long-range weapons had not been invented." Others hinted that it was the habit of the General to overwork his trocps — a habit so well known that it had earned for him in Egypt the title of "General Backacher." Further comments were made by those who always find the art of criticism, so much easier 166 The Reverse at Stormberg than the art of performance, but to repeat them at a time when the principal actors in the sorry affair are unable to defend them- selves would be unjust and ungenerous. Our Generals, besides treachery, had from the first unusual ignorance to deal with. One of our misfortunes has been the necessity to rely for information on friendly Kaffirs, or those who affected to be friendly. Now, as all know, the Kaffirs, even when honest, are scarcely reliable. Their notions of size, for instance, are on a par with those of the man who described the dimensions of a bump by saying it was about the size of a piece of chalk. To the Kaffir an impi is an army, whether small or large, and it is almost impossible to bring home to him the value of exactness. In fact, in the matter of ambiguity the Kaffir has the makings of a politician, and therefore it was no wonder that so many of the well-organised military schemes in this unlucky war came to grief. But in the case at Stormberg there were other difficulties to contend with. The map of the ground was utterly unreliable. The configuration of the hills was incorrectly presented and the distances badly judged. The general knowledge of the direction was so im- perfect that none was sufficiently well informed to put a check upon the movements of the guide, nor had the position been reconnoitered by any of those engaged against it. In this way the winding and circuitous route more than doubled the march, knocked up the troops, and ruined the effect of the night assault ; for it was full daybreak before the British approached the point of attack. One of the sufferers from the disaste.' declared that the British were so worn out that after the engagement they threw themselves down and did not mind whether they were taken prisoners or not. He himself crawled to withm three miles of the base camp, and then lay down on the veldt and fell asleep. How long he remained asleep he did not know. Most of the prisoners, he believed, were taken by the Boers while the men were asleep. A report was circulated that General Gatacre had shot with his own hands the guide who led him astray, but this statement was entirely incorrect. The military authorities thoroughly sifted the case of the sergeant of the Cape Police who acted as guide on the occasion, and it was allowed that he erred genuinely in mistaking the enemy s position. • The following officers were wounded in the engagement at 2nd Royal Irish Rifles— Lieutenant-Colonel Eager (since dead), Major Seton, Captain Bell, Captain Kelly, Lieutenant Stephens, Lieutenant Barnard- stone. Suffolk Regiment— Second Lieutenant Maynard. Missing: Captain Weir, Lieutenant Christie, Second Lieutenant Rodney. 74th Field Battery- Lieutenant Lewis 77th Field Battery— Major Percival. 2nd Northumber- land tusiliers— Missing: Major Stevens, Captain Fletcher, Captain Morley, 167 The Transvaal War were also missing. """ared and s.x non-commissioned ofificers and men London .through Q„eens.tZ Mohe^, anlT^ r^sTofpTB.o''"* engage the enemy fn the centre '^ndt F'"'' '' """^ d^irabll to fron,ining in .0^0 greatsTr^'gA^^'n LoTM«hue°% Z^T'"^^ munications. Secondiv frnm »k^ •. • ^^^^^,""e" s line of corn- possible also t^effecra rction h "''^ ■[ '^^ P^^^^ '^ ^^« Thirdly, a victory gSned n the centre "o the ':i-''^"^"i ?^"^^- would have been a feather in tL.".f f .the disaffected districts have drawn to him such \,Zerl.^U the General, for it must daily growing dangerous The ^hlhT ^"^'"^^'"g '^X^lty was from' ^any pointsT'ew to be SteJ TT ^'l' '^''^^''''' achieved one object It forced fho£ .1 Perhaps, however, it sity for sending more than snrl -r r'""""^ '° '^^^'^^ '^^ "^^^s- cou'rageous. anf wen-:qu^^^^^^^^ °' ^^°^P^ ^° ^^^ a strong. that'!;: S^rltt'^S"?^^^^^^^ f- .-verse, declared under the promise of complete succelsPv J? T ^^l^tarted guide however, the distance was under^L'S ^He d^l'°"' consider that the euide wa<; auih.r ''"^''^^^"'^ated. He did not tional error. However t^s mavV/v T""^' "^^'^^^ °^ ""'"t^"" British plans were Intirelv 27 l. been it ,s certain that the had ample timT o rrepa ^e f^rth "''''"' ^"^'^^^^ '^^ ^"^'"^ ^^<^ :rti ^^f^?-^^ ^^ r;r:i?af o^tTf th^^::.^ silence. Certainly there wac; n^ eo u ^'^^PP^^ '" mysterious advance on S ormber^ rnd ^he m7 ^^°"' ''^^ '^""^^^^y °^ the General trusted t7thf gufdace ?f"a lo" r^oT" " "''^^^ ^^^ mented on none too generouslv bv thi h1 P"'"!""^" 7^' ^°'"- disappointment was too are^. . 7 , ^'^tressed public, whose Cyphergat, two positions to t^e souih of Mollr"L' "f'' "I? awa„ the reinforcement, which TuSS ^ho^J^'rcht^^ ^^ tt 1 68 At Modder River AT MODDER RIVER At dawn on the day following the battle the ^uns onenprl fir« wuh a view to effecting the clearance of the enemy!^ but Twas soon discovered that the Boers had made themselves scarce nTeLwn^ to march through the long midnight hours to remaTnTn/ where ! ttTa't fi sfr^'r^d- "•^''- K^^^T^ them"Th"efr tSll^ tney at hrst 1- t, but discovermg that the British had not cro<;<5Pd move f. < 'eg before the other— these guns mirrht have been cTZ " When it comes to slaughter You'll do your work on water, And lick the bloomin' boots of him that's got it." But the water everywhere was bad, and for safety boilintr wis enteric had not se zed upon the troons A n„i^J, i y"*^^*^'"' ^,"»t she had ^PPn fr.,,^ ^^ J n ne troops. A IJutch Jady stated that fnto Ihp ^ u t^"^ ^"^'^ ^"^ ^^°"es round their necks thrown into the river by their comrades, but when the bed of the streZ came to be investigated, at least seventeen corpses were hauled ouT The enemy's loss was estimated at 500, and doubt^ss those of T^ Meanwhile the rest of the Highland Brigade was on its way up The Transvaal War to join Lord Methuen at headquarters. Some went by train and others marched, as the line — a single one — was frightfully congested with traffic. Stores and ammunition and baggage of all kinds were being sent up, while the wounded, in " emptied " trains, were being sent down. The march was a trying one, even for hardy men who could well have managed twenty-five to thirty miles a day on their native heath. Now, they were supposed to carry 35 lbs. each, without counting clothes, and twelve miles a day in the broiling heat of a South African midsummer was counted remarkably good going. What with rifle, 100 rounds of ammunition, a big coat, a two-quart water-bottle, field-glasses, and haversack, officers and men were nearly as heavily weighted as itinerant peddlers. They carried their warlike pack over sandy reads that threw off clouds of dust which caked hair and skin, and made the whole outer man a complete study in kharki. What failed to go down their throats went into their eyes, blinding or worrying, while overhead a merci- less sun blazed and tortured. There was no shade ; there was little water. The night was cold as the day was hot. In the small hours the men were thankful for the single blanket which was allowed each of them, and which was carried in mule and bullock waggons for their use. Luxuries for the toilet were no longer in vogue. A sponge, a shirt, a pair of socks — these made the sim total of the Highland officers' wardrobe. Some still stuck to their razors, and others had succumbed to necessity and wore nature's hirsute decorations, plus a peppering of ochreous dust. But they were in the best of tempers, and looked forward to some reviving dips in the Modder on their arrival there. Lord Methuen resumed command of the troops on the 6th cf December, and all were glad to find that the injury to their gallant commander had been slight. It was now clear that the Beers in- tended to make a stand at Spyfontein, for they were preparing for themselves fortified positions such as their souls delighted in — deep, and long, and reeky. They had time at their disposal, for a long halt at Modder River was imperative for the purpose of replenishing the ammunition of the artillery batteries and for bringing up relays of stores and food. Our expenditure of ammunition in the fi^.aon the 28th was said to have been 200 rounds per gun, and consequently an extra supply was necessary before pursuing aggressive operations. Having deserted thfe river, the Boers were now planted in front of and on the British right flank, so close indeed that daily passages at arms took place between our patrols and those of the enemy. Several of Rimington's Scouts were wounded, and wild rumours of approaching attack were afloat. During the night of the 6th and the morning of the 7th the communications by rail and telegraph at Enslin were cut. 170 At Modder River ; coat, a :ers and . They :louds of On this occasion the 2nd Northamptonshire Regiment had a narrow escape. They had been left by Lord Methuen to guard the line of communications at Enslin, and there they were attacked by a Boor force 1000 strong. Fortunately the General, hearing the news, despatched in hot haste to the assistance of the regiment the 1 2th Lancers and the Seaforth Highlanders, who had just arrived at the camp, under Brigadier-General Wauchope, together with the 62nd Field Battery. The attack commenced at 4,30, and con- tinued till eleven, at which time the Lancers and Seaforths appeared. The Boers thereupon retired with all speed, the Lancers following closely in pursuit. The British loss was one killed and six wounded. On the same day the first train ran over the temporary bridge which had been rapidly constructed by the Engineers, whose smart work- manship elicited general admiration. An interesting affair took place on the 9th of December. At night one of the Naval 4.7-inch guns, which had been fitted with a field-carriage and dignified with the name of " Joe Chamberlain," was hauled by a team of thirty-two oxen to a ridge on the north side of the town. At an early hour in the morning the Naval detachment manned the gun and opened fire on a Boer position that had been previously located by Colonel Rhodes. More than a dozen shells were scattered among the enemy, causing frightful consternation. The Boers at the time were busily engaged in constructing an emplacement for one of their 40-pounders, but when " Joe Chamber- lain" made himself not only heard but felt, there was a stampede. The lyddite ploughed up the hills with terrific uproar, and the sur- rounding atmosphere appeared as though a sirocco of red sand had swept over the district. The force now massing on the Orange River, with Lieutenant- General Lord Methuen in command, consisted of : — 2nd Yorkshire Light Infantry, 2nd Northamptonshire, ist Loyal North Lancashire (Mounted Infantry), 1st Loyal North Lancashire, ist Northumber- land Fusiliers, 3rd Grenadier Guards, tst Coldstream Guards, 2nd Coldstream Guards, ist Scots Guards, 9th Lancers, ist Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders, 1st Highland Light Infantry, 2nd Seaforth Highlanders, Part of 2nd Royal Highlanders (Black Watch), several Companies of Royal Engineers, i8th, 62nd, and 65th Field Batteries, one or two Horse-Artillery Batteries, part of Kimberiey Light Horse, part of Diamond Fields Horse, Naval Brigade, Contingents from Australia, several Companies of Army Medical Corps, Field Hospitals, Colonial Mounted irregulars, Rimington's Scouts, South African Reserve. The total was about 14,00c men. The number of Boers prepared to meet the British advance was supposed to be between 15,000 and 18,000, but, in spite of this, it was decided that some onward move must soon be made. The 171 The Transvaal War Jacobsdal. and tt extent rcu^dTv^? ^'''"' ,'^' ^''•^^^'°" ^^ Lord Methuen. if he m ^1^10 ES to kST T' ^'^?^y enormous, attempt to do so by fronta" at?a?k l^ ^'"^^^'^^y ^' ?"- ^as forced to was so great that^noXr means of^ ""l? ""''T'"^ ^^'^^ ^"^^'^ Still the troops were Tn excHlTn? • • ^^^',"^ '''^"^ ^^« ^^^^'ble. relieving a bes^'e Jd mukltnX " • • '^'?''' '^^^ P''°«P^^t ^^ shortly for theif fatigue ^"'"^ '^^""^ ^""''^g^ ^o compensate day-nighfs order w^as gtrn^whlVst^at^d b^^^^^^ it^TP'u" ^^^"•- must go washed. Church of EnihnT • 1 ^ ^^""^ Presbyterians question of abhi ions diH n.V England might go unwashed! The heartily joined irr si t-nTo?tmnt^^^^^^^^^^ °i ''^'"'"y' ^^o' more than anything else of home!^ '''''^ remmded him THE BATTLE OF MAJESFONTEIN fight, whic?, wis 7oto^Xd°M^'\CrTlTl>'' !!'T"="r-' determhe the attitndp nf fi,^ "^ciae tne late of Kimberley, but there were now very manv ThrR? ''"'"^ ^^^ ^"^^'^' °^ ^hich shaped front, extSn^somP .^v ^.f ^ °^^"P'ed a wide crescent- of the railway ft SpyffneTtoh.'^ln'-''""' 'l^ ^^'"^ "" ^^^ ^^^^ berley road at MajSfontein P^'' °" '^^ "^^' ^'^ ^^e Kim- threl'miir/ong" an^Z^^sole^nt^d" r '"' f -^ ^^^^'^^ ^'^^^ which was looked upon as t^e lev 't '^^^^^^^^^ ^ high hill rugged kopjes the veldt sloped^^^^^^^^^ ^^ese distance of five miles and tLnn-h f ^ upwards from the river a face the ridge of hills ;nread„rf^ "" ^^^' '^'^ P'^'" '^^"^^^ to inch, pkyedove- koDi;f •,„■?;#""'• ■";'''"''"? '''= Naval 4.;- ;'s£b ptSS !f --T ^^™^c- ■ d vi: hue „„ r.^'^'S^^Zl^l^'^^^^ ^er preparations le Boers held, if been attacked, he direction of eady enormous. II, was forced to -d by the Boers n was feasible, pect of shortly to compensate jntary Church camp, a Satur- Presbyterians washed ! The Tommy, who reminded him I, having com- le momentous imberley, but Jtch, of which t'ide crescent- ' on the west of the Kim- 1 kopje about 1 a high hill owards these the river a n seemed to reality pene- •ne described le cul de sac, le jaws of a bombarded, Naval 4.7- and, it was ed on with light lasted, refully con- u > ., K I a -J U) ^ Q ! a ^ o >. S i W i S h The Battle of Majesfontein cealed their very existence. At night a tremendous downpour of rain descended and saturated the troops, who were bivouacking: where they were some 4000 yards in front of the Majesfontein uZT'^' luf '■^"?^""Sf '^^}' ^''•^^dy uncomfortable situation more uncomfortable st.ll But this was merely an item in the misfortunes they were shortly destmed to endure. „„ J';^ ^'''"^ u' uP'^" "^f ^°'' '^^ Highland Brigade, supported by guns, to assault the southern end of the kopje, their right and rear being protected by the Guards Brigade.^' According to Lord Methuens despatch, it seems that before moving off Major-General Wauchope explained all that was to be done, and thJ particular part each battalion was to play in the scheme: namely, that they were o march direct on the south-west spur of the kopje, and on mnv. ."';r '^^ «bj^"'^- before daybreak the Black WaSh were^o move to the east of the kopje, where he believed the enemy to be posted under shelter while the Seaforth Highlanders were to^iarch stra^ht to the south-east point of the kopje, with the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders prolonging the line to the left ; thf High- land Light Infantry to be in reserve until the action was developed h.tMlW'^ ""•"' '° "V^'-'^h Jn mass of quarter columns, the four battalions keeping touch, and, if necessary, ropes were to be used for the left guides. The three battalions were fo extend just before daybreak, two companies in firing line, two companies in support 'hem '^^'"P^"'"^ '" '^'^'^^' ^" ^t five paces interval beK two^aTd" fZr'"^-f'^^'' 'h ""u"'^, ^"^""- 'The distance was only two and a half miles, and daybreak was due about 3.25 a.m. But low^'^R^i;;' night rendered the progress of the troops unusually sow. Rain came down in torrents, thunder growled, lightning P 2es hZhth M '■ ^^T'^ °" ''^''' ^"^ ^--ganised tlfe com^ passes by which Major Benson was steering his course. Towards dawn the gloom of Erebus seemed to deepen rather than lift, and in the obscurity they must have been quite unaware of the exceed"na y close proximity of the enemy, for the Highland Brigade-in thl Ind° Hifhknd ""i -^ ?'l r^'^'^' ^^^'°"^^' ^'•^y" -^ S'^hedand! and Highland Light Infantry— continued to approach in quarter column though within some two hundred yards^f the Boer en trenchments It was imagined that the Dutchmen were in force on a kopje on the other side of the veldt, and not a soul suspected the ex^tence of the formidable line of intrenchments on which our soldiers were gaily advancing. Before they could discover thSr mistake they were greeted by the Dutchmen^who had Xwed the fir?:f thdrXX' "th"^'^ f -in^ any signs of life-with a rakLg nre on their flanks. The whole hill seemed on the instant to be- come ahve with the roar of musketry. Fire vomited Ls from a Hve ^73 The Transvaal War volcano at their very feet. A moment before they had seen only a dark barrier of bush and shrub, and then, Hash ! the earth yawned, crackled, and emitted the Hame of hell. So seemed to them the sudden conflagration in that first, nwful moment. They started back— a confused, congested mass, with death in their midst. Their Colonel ihen ordered the Seaforths to lix bayonets and charge. The officers commanding other battalions followed suit. At this moment, darkness still reigning, some one called " Retire." There was a rush, many liurrying and hustling off to obey one order, while others were still charging forwards to obey the other. The confusion was intense, dead men dropping Batixb of Majesfontein thick as autumn leaves, bullets whirring, shouts, orders— conflicting orders— ringing out on every side. For some seconds the rout of the gallant Highlanders seemed to be imminent. Their retire- ment, however, was due mainly to sudden panic, the consternation and amazement at the murderous outburst, blazing as it did in the dim deceitful dusk, from the unsuspected trenches. These, it must be owned, were most skilfully concealed at the foot of a series of kopjes. They were screened from sight by a tangle of brushwood and scrub, while round the glacis of the trenches was crinkled a triple line of barbed wire. When, therefore, a deadly furnace broke from this tangle, the troops were aghast. 174 :;en only a b yawned, irst, iwful lass, with jaforths to battalions some one i hustling forwards dropping .w* onflicting e rout of :ir retire- iternation it did in These, e foot of a tangle trenches refore, a 2 aghast. The Battle of Majesfontein For the first moment the superb crowd, unduly huddled together and helpless, threatened to become disorganised, but it was only for a moment. The Highlanders retired some 200 yards, and then they instantly formed up, such as were left of them, for out of two companies of the Black Watch only fifty men escaped. A more tragic scene than that at the onset of the battle cannot be conceived. From all directions came an avalanche of lead, sweeping south and east and west in the gloaming, and flecking the whole visible universe with red. Cries and groans and curses and shouts intermingled with orders innumerable. " Advance," shouted some one ; " Retire," called another ; " Fix bayonets," cried a third ; " Charge," roared a fourth. Meanwhile Seaforths and Black Watch, scrambling and tripping over the bodies of fallen comrades, were pressing on through the high wire entanglements, tearing their already excoriated legs, and struggling for the enemy's trenches. Here fell their gallant leader, dauntless Wauchope — fell never to rise again. But dying he cheered on the men of the Black \yatch by his side. "Good-bye, men," he called to them with his last breath ; " fight for yoursehcs — it is man to man now." And they did fight, struggling over and over again to make their way to the trenches in spite of the menace of almost certain death. Valiantly they held their ground, availing themselves of such cover as there was, bushes and scrub that were dotted here and there, and returning to the deadly greetings of the Mausers no mean reply. At this time the avalanche of buzzing, whirring, death-dealing lead was enough to make the stoutest heart quail, but the officers were seen marching boldly forward, and where they led — veritably into the jaws of death— there their loyal Highlamlers followed. Mean- while, so soon as it was light enough to see, the artillery had come to the rescue, and so remarkable were its performances that even the enemy confessed that on this day they had suffered greater loss than at any other time during the war. The howitzer battery was placed directly in front of the position, and poured forth a terrible fire over the whole face of the hill. Lyddite shells sped snorting into the trenches, and, with a terrific detonation, shot up the earth in clouds. One destroyed a laager on the kopje, others did fearful execution, striking the hard rocks and boulders, and spreading devastation far and wide. But still the enemy failed to budge from their strong entrenchments. The 62nd and i8th Field liatteries, under Majors Grant and Scott respectively, took up a position behind the Highlanders, sending shell after shell into the enemy's position with such amazing accuracy that the Boer numbers were considerably thinned. During this feat they were assailed with a scourging storm of lead from the whole line of intrenchments. The Boers displayed more than their ordinary courage, standing 175 The Transvaal War warriors, though .t other tim,??!.' '"' ',''">', "^'"^^ '^'^ lilted and fired wildlf in consenuencc of fe """J^^.^'^'y '^'"^ themselves of their heads/ The SX neverrS^' ''''7 ^'"""^ ''^'^^^^ '^^ ^^^^^ yards of the enemy! X^ they oLS ^^.^'^'^'" 30O teeth of galling fire for some ho.fr. 7.^ u ''"="■ P°''^'"" '" ^he dashwerc^stoSndingTorrvorsof^hi '"" '^'"^^'^y ^"^ their persistent, and suffic ently deX ,n , ^"V.^'y^'-^ accurate and troops in the world n'^W^lZ-^T^^^^ '^^ '""•"t veteran engagement, their number arnorZmtl^^ i n^orced during the tye-witnesses have descrlheH ile mounted to some iS.ooo men. stiffeston Lord Metht nl recor ^^^ Wh fight, as quite the nate resistance of the S 'hS BrI.n i*^"^^ ^'^^''^''-'d that the obsti- ness and daring of its officer^ ouS ' ''"n t^'^^'J^^nif'cent cool- deeds of British histoy Tir'BKl T''"'^ '^^^ """'' «P'^"^'d y- ^ ''"^ i^ngade about noon was reinforced OUN OPEN VELOT MIOHLANO ■HIOAOt •TrACK BRinSH OUNS Sketch Mai- or Tosit IONS AT .AlAJESFONltlN enemy, their route havin? taken -h ""^^ "S"'''^'^ f™™ ^^^'^^5P«hooters who persons as appeared in afv «f.,. ^^^^^-g^asses and picking off such the officers, however. ZaTLTLTT'^'T ■ '^^^ Prominence o they having discarded swoTds'"evolv?rs"and'^ their uniforms, khark. aprons over their kilts One of ;h q f^'\ ^."^ ^^oP^^d wrote pathetically of the awful dayrworkHe'sSf_"'^^^""^^'-^ .•ng a^XlnT^VsarTCrrd?" "d'^-^'P^"^ '" ""— ^^at is, we were offer ranks, were cimp^^ afte^ eornanv'Tth '" h^"?*^'"""^' ^^"owingTn doub e men. Suddenly the whoe hS ^ ^^^ Highland Brigade, of s-v °»eon leading, received rdTscharg' of riSY"%'"''' °' '^'"^' ^"^ thi'Sfb S awful. Talk about ' hell '-the h;nS '■°" °''^'" ^^'OO^ Boers. It S immediately scattered and s^Stif in^ hn^' T^'""""^ ""« ^^ fi'"- We work was a huge blunder, anVwhoT to bla'/l^5' and left. . . . Monday's no doubt the Highland Brigade wereledS^ l I "°' '^"°^ ' I'"' there is were led more as if we were oravln^^. '"''•' *° '^'^ ^'^"ghter. We InH K '""i^^l"' J^'' °" "Tuesday ^ightwiT./^T^,,^* "^^^ Park. We thus^dS'cr^dT^-llf^:^^^^^^^^^^^ -m hospital stood^glon^^^^^ against the ttSc ^h^^^el ^tZ^^^^^^^ !ts place I could see the dim ouuL^of the hm' '"r ''^''' "^^ '^^'^P^"^ &«' ^o ;n a very dangerous place if the enemy as th"., T!"*' '"^ .^'^^"S'^' ^^^'^''e he extreme left of their position, and {herefLi.T^'''' °"T'"^ ''' ^^'^ '' ^^s ''Old the flank. However, the br eade form/n ^^^ Y^'^ ''^""^ '° ^trorgly and a lamp that was shining onlSriefton"^ "''''^ °" '^^ "P''' ^'<>^d, Simultaneously the whole of the hillside wT« v P"^"""".?' spur was put out discharge of rifles, &c., that any one cln ^os Jh, "? """-'^ '^^ "°^t damnable be formed up in tiers all up the hSde an^d ^ ^ ""'^'"''- ^^^y ^^^™ed to Jis at a terrific rate. Then came S s^rts o^T T"?F- '"^^^^'"^ ^''^ "^-to 'Extend,' &c, and of the whole briiJ^f^ shouts-' Lie down,' 'Charge ' Company of ours that coufdWusKirrf^^^^ """' °"'^.^''^ ^'•°"' '•^"k of A =^srLcr^ii-~PF»^ -ly Shot down. Othe. -^^J^e^S^^,- ^Ij J remarkable - The Boers, moving sn.arth he, ^l J 7^ '^-l '^^^''^''" ^^^^'^ sunrise, bowled over. I wSkeTrio'ng n te trallv "hn""/' '""''^' ^"^ "^^"^ ^^'- take cover and keep cool, and I was onc^tt ?"k"^ '° °"^ ^"'^ ^"^^her to accompaniment of bulle s I shmdd SI ^h T? ^^"S^oo yards by quite an they were evidently ainSg at °„^ef „'o^e hirLe If 'T'''"^ ■'' "P' ""'' ^ any amount dropping, I lost s eht eventf.nVi ' Au ^"''^ ^^"'"^ ^^"^ ^ith when another Zm^ame from a fresh d^^c^LjTh^T''""'"^ .-ntlemen, some of our own troops, i lay down behinr^nT^. Thinking possibly it was loaded my rifle, and waited to'^bfcmab ieLe fiS^^'T,?,""^. ?' f '^'•°"' as at that moment somebody hit me on th^ hlT^V .1 ^ "P' ^'^' 'however, iron weighing two tons and a ha f fZ 1 / ^ °^ ^^^ "^'^'^ ^ith a bar of for a few%ec?nds° rnd%'"chap wf ; td ,1'T''^ u ""!' '"' ^"'^^ """'^^^ »"« shot and began to howl UDon whiHw ^f'",^°^," ^^side me shouted he was it bandaged,\nd I then'S awavto'^find ^f'^l'^ ^'"1 '° ^'^"' "P ^"^ get After half an hour my equrpmen?V° S,"^°"S"^^^^ fo™ing "P- stretcher-bearer he took it onndh-d-.^ heavy for me, and meeting a the left side of my neck, and ?akin^ a dol""' ."^^ ^''" '^""^' ^ad entefed neck and out at the back of the ri^h^t shourderl '°"''tf' P"'""'^ '^^'^"^'^ ^^^ ambulance and away to hosnUa anT " - - '^^"^"cted to the marching up from the baggage to' take a nn7- ^f^^^^^ '^^ '^^ Gordons working away for two or thfef hours then " ' ''"' '^'^ "'"''"''■^ '^^'^ ^^«» whennoe'nrm7wasTear'lnd';iT°"^'" the middle of the night, most warlike 'rZ^:'':^.:^'^^^^^^^^^ shock to the magination thS " tL ^"^ '"'u T". ''^^ ^^''^^ °^ ^he by the strong bSr The HeL Jv K T'J^^^ ^^^ "°^ "^^^^ shopped fire of the fnemv sta '^^ered^^^^^^^ the high walls, and the deadly own raising." Tf^h sSt can h ^^^f "^ ^l^ ^'^''"^'•^ ^f their how then could anythin?dse heJ^^r S'k" ^^^Tt "^^ ^ ^^imera, shock, such as the SS RrL^ ^^Pjcted by a real shock, a tangible and d^spafr? It I difficul ^-or'thf ''f •!;' '^^'- 1'^ ^^^'^ °^ ^^^'^^ walls of home to r'all ^ the " v' '^^' ^L^'^'" '^^ protecting through which these Spin '^°'^J''' ^^^h long as a lifetime, 18 I I \' The Transvaal War battle was at its loudest, when no voice of officer could be heard and the stricken Highlanders were groanintr in heaos upou the Histering vekit, Corporal M'Kay, of the ArtrvU and S^Jtherland Highlanders, standing in the midst c f the cycl/M- of lead, struck up Ihe Lampbells are coming" in order to rally the unfortunate men. 1 hese, jaded and broken as they were, drew taut fhei' achm -; limbs and, rcvivmg with the heartening strain,, once more c* ragged tupj7i~ selves towards the whirlwind of lead, determining once lA.re either to au or to die. The desperat. skurtlon in which the Highlanders were placed may also be pictured i.-on descriptions given by two more of their ill-starrcd number. The first wrote :— • "At twelve o'cbc); >vs started to advance. Well, we got to witi:iii 500 yards of the position, and if ever a man was led into a death-trap 1, , regiment was. We led the brigade. Our general must have been under the u; pression that the Boers had left the hill, for he had us up in mass of quarter column. When we got within 500 yards they opened fire at us. My God, I shall never forget It m my lite. It was terrible, fearful ; we were shot down like dogs, with- out a chance to return their fire. The groans of those hit sound in my ears ^^Kun ^° '^'' "^"y y^^*"^ *° ^°"^^- "^^"' ^s soon as they opened fire we fell flat, and got the order to fix bayonets and charge. We did so. The black Watch only got into their trenches, and I am happy to tell you my bayonet has still got on it the stain of a Boer's blood. Not having any support from any other regiment, we got the order to retire to 400 yards, and I can tell you there were not many who got into the trenches who ever left them There IS hardly any man in the regiment that has any part of his equipment left whole. I have three holes in my kilt." The second corroborated the above statement : — " The Black Watch in front made an attempt to charge the position, but we had to retire and simply run for it, the enemy blazing at us all the way and dropping our fellows like skittles from their splendid positions. There was nothing for it but to lie down and pretend to be dead, and this I did about 5.30 A.M. till I suppose 6 P.M., the sun pouring down on me all the time, and not a drink of water all day, and dare not stir hand or foot, and expecting every instant to be my last. I could hear nothing but the cries, moans, and prayers of the wounded all round me, but I daren't so much as look up to see -vbo they were. Shots and shells were going over me all day from the eneir d our side, and plenty of them striking within a yard of me— I mean 1 not shells— and yet they never hit me. I believe some of the fellows w< • iti their heads and walked right up to .' ■ r^nemy's place, singing till tuf ^ -j,>ed them One youngster lying close to r .: - dd he would make a dart for .'; ai >.(t 3 P.M I tried my best to persuade iiii» liot to, but he would go. A c i • ie of seconds after I could hear them pitting at him, and then his groans for aV>;.. 3 minute, and then he was quiet. About this time the sun began to get fe.- u!: , ':.>t, and I began to feci it in the legs, which are now very painful and swolk i. besides was paiciied with thirst. Most of the wounded round me had ceasr-* -caning by this time. As it began to get dark, I managed to wriggle my bt i/ough 182 be heard, upon the. Sijtherland , struck up unate men. lin^ limbs, ped tiieiii- ^ ire eith'.T ere placed ■e of their witi:in 500 r,_v regiment : Hjipression rter column, shall never doga, with- in my ears opened fire id so. The :ell you my any support id I can tell em. There lipment left ;ion, but we he way and There was 1 about 5.30 ;, and not a cting every ind prayers e 'vbo they tr,\ 'i our hi}^-'-. not ■■. '• nft chair oiK'd them, i j'.it 3 P.M. of seconds I, a minute, Uy h It, and el. besides 'd f^ronning vj th/ough The Battle of Majesfontein the shrub farther back, and after 1 had been at it some time, on looking up found myself right in front of another intrenchment of the enemy. They sent a few rounds at me, but they struck just in front and ricochetted over my head. After a bit, it getting darker, I got up and walked back, and there was nothing but dead Highlanders all over the place." Can anything be more pathetic than these rough outlines of the tragic scene where so many valiant souls sacrificed their lives with- out a chance to win for themselves even the shroud of glory.? Truly in. this surprisingly-fought yet disastrous battle — " A thousand glorious actions that might claim Triumphant laurels and immortal fame, Confused in crowds of gallant actions lie, And troops of heroes undistinguished lie." Dim, as the dawn of that dire December morning, is our know- ledge of the real agony of those appalling moments, the absolute magnificence of these human souls who were ordered to march to the grave as surely as was the Light Brigade at Balaclava. For though Balaclava was a scene of triumph and Majesfontein was one of misery, both brigades started gloriously forth, and both were martyrs to a mistake. If ever monument should be erected to the brave Scottish dead who were sacrificed at Majesfontein, these four words should be carved thereon, that all who hereafter may read of their high failure may remember also, that this failure was entirely due to the tragic fact that "Some one had blundered." The picture of disaster given by the Dat/y News was heart- breaking : — "General Wauchope was down, riddled with bullets; yet gasping, dying, bleeding from every vein, the Highland chieftain raised himself on his hands and knees and cheered his men forward. Men and officers fell in heaps to- gether. The Black Watch charged, and the Gordons and the Seaforths, with a yell that stirred the British camp below, rushed onward— onward to death or disaster. The accursed wires caught them round the legs until they floundered like trapped wolves, and all the time the rifles of the foe sang the song of death in their ears Then they fell back, broken and beaten, leaving nearly i ^00 dead and wounded." = ./ j Yes ; dead and wounded — for many of the latter even remained there till morning. Among these was poor young Wauchope, the soul of gallantry. He was hit in four places, and lay for hours in the bitterly cold night glued to the ground in his own gore. He was not picked up till dawn. But gruesome as was his position, he was in the company of heroes. Round and about were the most splendid fellows that had ever worn kilt ; Colonel Coode, and brave brilliant MacFarlan, the Adjutant of the Black Watch, who, times and again, rallied not only his men, but any stragglers who could be 183 m The Transvaal War got to follow his dauntless leifl Am i i , „ . teeth of the enemy. Ts he Iriou" 02;°"^ ' ' '^'■''^' ^^°^^ '" ^^e who, after distineuishinfr him Jlf^ General, the intrepid warrior of Majesfontein^-fctnLt firhei'gTe^ ''"'^'^^'^' '" ''^ ^^"^^^ natio. Tf C X"canTe^f/'aT'^ '^'T.'''^ — "^ of the Coruna. " If dory be a dkMn?' c^""^ '^'.'^ °^ S''' J^hn Moore at leveller!" N^ehh'er for s^TZnl ^^^ ' '"^^l ^^^^'^ '^ "«' ^ his dust may mingle with he rJ? ? l''^'''-' f"^ ^^^^^ ! Though stand out for all f^^e "nd remhS t '^^ ''^^'' ^'^ ^^^•o"^ '""^t glorious, i„,memorial dust the Ssh v" '^"'T^T'' '^^' ^f such . General Wauchope was bor" ^ ^^^^^"^ 5' ^"''' "' •n 1865 ; was Lieutenant L 1867 C \^ '■ ^""^ ^"'^""^^ '^^ army Brevet-Lieutenant-CoTone the sLe'^^^^^^^^ - :878, Major in ,884' Major-General in 1898. He served I rU A°t"^^ i" '^^^^ ^"d was slightly wounded in the advnn. ^^ '^'^^"'' ^^'^ '" ^873. bah, and severely wounded irthl^h'^^^T^^"' °^ J^^^^"- was^n^entioned in^despat/h^ T^d tas^^l^^rdel tt^t^. .^^ and\"o^t%^a?t^^frhe^Ci:;^^^ ^.^^ Black Watch, clasp and the Khedives Star Tw: ' ''f^^'^'"Sr "^edal with Soudan Expedition under ^r GerJdV^T ^^'^' t ^^^ '" ^^^ was severely; wounded at El ?:hLj:tTtS' P'"^-"^-^" ^"^ Lieutenant-Colonel and two clasns fnr ?• # '^^ ^'^""^^ '"^"'^ "^ Expedition of 1884-8^ Colonel w/k ' ^'^""^'y- ^" ^^^ Nile General Earle's river column Ld in th?' ^'' ^''^'^^^ ^° ^ajor- was again wpunded-this time very e^erX'^' A^Ju^^ ^^h^ of the campaign he was awarded VwV^ If ^'t ^^ ^^^ conclusion in the Soudan Expedition under T - ^^^^''u ^" '^^8 he took part British brigade into^acl ^artfe bat?L 0^.7'''' '"^ 1?^ '^' ^^^ vices he was made Maior-Gen.li Gmdurman. For his ser- Khedive's medal with dr^ps and 'e^-' Tl'^"? '^^ ""^^^^ ^"^ the When the present war in^^u^h Afr^rh '^' '^.'"^' of Parliament. himself also'lough t nev^^^^^^^^^^^ ^auchope distinguished ever, Mr. Gladstone's opponent t the T^"'' ."" ^^^' ^^^w- m 1892. It was a fight wWchexdtedth^'lf '''"°". ^^'^ Midlothian Great Britain, and was conducted by CoLnefw' 'T''' ^" °^^'- tinng energy. The result was that he reduced t^e'p ^°P"i ^"^ """ from the 4631 of the previous election [of i88rW J^^'^^^L^^ajority 184 close in the pid warrior, le shambles ■ning of the n Moore at th is not a •' Though tions must at of such Jilt ! ihe army >r in 1884, 1888, and r in 1873. of Jarbin- ihu. He ledal and k Watch, edal with as in the ^.G., and : rank of the Nile Major- ^erbekan onclusion took part the first r his ser- and the rl lament. >inted to iguished IS, how- dlothian all over vith un- najority e would :e more 1 South lews of The Battle of Majesfontein The followmg ,s the list of officers killed and wounded :- wouS^LieS: SPolfSR^'r^-'L^"^-^^^ ^^-^^P*^- Seriously tenant Wauchope (2nd SrHiiSeSl t"^ Regiment). Wounded: Lieu- Lancaster Regiment) sliS tlv ,nH r^' ^'f"',^'?\"! ^^"^han (ist York and Colonel Coode,^aptL Ehon^iiefuen.ST^^^ Highlanders-Killed: Lieut.- nruce. Captain MacFarlanLrenten»nT ^'^'"""ds. Captain Hon. Gumming Captain Cameron iSen^ St f hIZT, Wounded: Major Cuthbertson! Tait, Second Lieutenant Bullock ^^.7'^'^"'*'"^"* Berthon, Lieutenant Lieutenant Innes. sS Jv wounL^ M n'^'?/"' Drun,mond, Second J. Harvey. 2nd SeafSh H^St s S ^rt^%'' ^'^"'^"^"' nant Cox, Second Lieutenan Cowk cTnSi R ^■^'''"iJ- ^' ^^"'^'' ^'^''''^ Mackenzie. Wounded •CantahrrS?* ^u°'^"'; Missing: Major K. R. Second Lieutenant Wateri^oSe fdani?o?Jvf ^"'''"!^ .Lieutenant Chamley, Lieutenant Wilson, Sec^nT ITeutenant Sv^ ?'°"5 L.'"''"""' "^"' Second Highland Light Infamrv -Killed" ^^^"^"'' ^'^"^^^^^^ ^st Wounded: Lit ut-ColonelKelham fsli^htfvT r \ ^Tr'"' ?P'"'" ^ambton. Wolfe Murray (slightly) CaDtafnRicL^nrJ^^' ^|P'^'" N°yes (severely), Captain Second LieutLant KnSu Sd T Sf. "; r"*""^ Lieutenant A. J. Martin, land Highlanders-Knied- lSi Co onel"r ff^" w' 'i' /'■^>'" ^"^ Suther-' (since dfed). Lieutenant G^ai'mS^e^ondL^eu^enan ^°''"^°" Scott (seriously). Captain Camnh,-!! Ai: ^' ,"',^"^"' ^'»g. Second Lieutenant Died of wounds Captain WnSti ^ofnii'^' /'' ^°'^°'' Highlanders- Downman,^ Captain WE GoS%.? / t ■ "''^ wounded: Lieut.-Colonel piain w. i,. oordon, Second Lieutenant Campbell. Seriously .89o,and lieutemint-colonel in jJne ,898 ' From 188] oTsZI? '" '^^''7'*^ ""^J"^ '" Auxiliary Forces, but until the present camr,iUnh./JJ ^ he was an adjutant of the 2 Lieutenant-Colonel Geral/Lionel W^w^ had seen no active service, landers, was the eldest LSng son of tSteS fo enh r Wn""'^ '"'''^^'^"^ High- by his marriage with Lady Adelaide Henrt fi t • ^ IP^ ^°^' '^^ ^""o" Grange, Herts, Earl of Ranfurly. He wL S on March 8 \ITJ,'"^T^'^'' ^u'*"^^'" "^ the'second 1875, from the Militia, being posted as a lienf'.nJnh l^"*^'^!'''^ ^^""y O" March 10, Sutherland Highlanders) He oh.^Tn!^ a lieutenant to the 91st Foot (now the Arjjyll and the.st VoluntVerBatTiiio„"of the North 'st^^^^^^^^ "'?' ^"'^ """^ ^^"^"'"f to January i, 1893. He reached the rank nf^- ^''S'ment from January 2, 188S, lieutenant-colonel on July 23?i898. Th.Twas JoTh^iffiriJ September 2, ,892, and that of taken part with the 91st Highlanders in the Zu?u w.rnf ,«,"'"' V" South Africa, he having action of Gingindhlovo and%he rel ef of Ekowe for whii^^' \^^" \^ '"^^ P^«^«"' ^' "'^ He was a magistrate for Hants and Wittf and r^.^H^H .^^^^ the mecTal with clasp, married in .894 Ellen, the youngest daughter of SiJ Robert nnL"^'" /l"'^' Salisbur)-. He who survives him. "«»usnier 01 sir Kobert Dundas, of Arniston, Midlothian HighUnd^r wJS°S' ;S diTof lou^"" °?^r^"' ^f ">« '^' Battalion Gordon twenty-three years ago, CaL captain b '" '^^ "^f''^. J°ined the army appointed second in command of his regimLan;i"^^^^^ m ,891. In 1896 he was m May 1898. He first saw service in thTsnnHrn '^"^'"^'^ ^ '"'^et lieutenant-colonelcy EI Teb and Tamai, receiving thTmrdalwifhclLnTdPtrvll.^^^"'' ^'^^ P^"^"* at Expedition which followed he was She Rive r^l.^n the Khedive's star. In the Nile was awarded a clasp. In ,895 he was with h is loSfi . ""^l' Major-General Earle, and •-mdtook part in i- storming of he EakandpL«.L!" Chitra under Sir Rohm Low, receiving the medal .vith clasp^ Then b iKr hf ' '^'"?/"^ntioned in despatches and West Frontier under oir William Lockhart an^L, nr ' T^ ^l' ''^"^"°" '"'^^ North- am i^ockJiart and was present m the engagement at Dargai I i I i i I i. The Transvaal War wounded: Captain Macnb. Guards Brigade.— ist Coldstream Guards— Wounded : Lieut.-Coloaei Codrington, Major Hon. W. Lainbton, Captain J. Sterling, Second Lieutenant W. Beckwitli, Second Lieutenant G. Follett 2nd Coldstream Guards— Killed : Major the Marquis of Winchester.' Cavalry Brigade (Staff)— Wounded : Captain Briggs (■ Guards), Brigade- Major. Mounted Infantry -Killed : Major Ai.iton, Major Kay (ii.t Northum- berland Fusiliers). Wounded : Lieut.-Colonel Bigron (Australian Artillery) (attached), and Lieutenant Cowie. Royal Horse Artillery— Wounded : Lieu- tenant Tudor (Cy Battery) and Major Maberley. Royal Army Medical Corps- Wounded : Lieutenant Douglas. Taken prisoner : Major C. H. Burtchaell. and at the subsec,uent storming of the Dargiii heights, being mentioned again in despatches. He was present also at the capture of the Sanipagha and .-Xrhanga Passes, and went through th s:,cceedmg operations in the Maidan, Waran, and Bara Valleys. His name was mentir./ied also in these despatches, and his services secured for him, besides his brevet of lieutenant col inel, two clasps. He was forty-four years of age, and was gazetted to the lieutenant-colonulcy of his regiment in July 1899. "Augustus John Henry licaumont Paulet, Marquis of Winchester, Premier Marquis of 00^ ?.?" '"5 fifteenth hearer of the title, wa-. horn in 1858, and succeeded his father in I887. Educated at Eton, he entered the Coldstream (Guards in 1879, was lieutenant in 1881, captain in 1890, and received his majority in April ' Kg;. He served in the expedition to the boudan in 1885 as aide-de-c.imp to Sir John M'Ncill, and was present in the en a -. • ments at Hasheen and the Tofreck Zereba, and af the destruction of Taniai, receiving ihe medal with two clasps and Khedive's star. He went out to the Cape with his regiment in the Gascon, arriving there just a month ago. It was only on the previous Saturday that his appoiniiiient as seconu in command of the regiment was notified, the vacancy having been caused by the death of Lieutenant-Colonel Stopford at the battle of Belmont. Lord \Vinchester was the hereditary bearer of the Cap of Maintenance— a cap of dignity carried before the Sovereigns of England at their coronation. He was a D.L. for the county of Southampton, was unmarried, and is succeeded by his brother, Lor, I Ht-nry William Montagu Paulet, formerly a lieutenant of the 3rd Battalion Hampshire Regiment, who has just attained his 37th year. 186 I Guards — Captain J. oUett. 2nd ■.' Cavalry 3), Brigade- t Noithum- n Artillery) ided : Lieu- cal Corps — rtchaell. n despatches, es, and went i. His name lies his brevet azetted to the ;r Marquis of 1 his father in lieutenant in he expedition r» the engari - receiving the s regiment in Saturday that cancy having hnont. Lord ignity carried the county of ■nry William tent, who has CHAPTER VI CHIEVELEY CAMP DEEPLY to be deplored, yet (generally recognised, was the fact that so far 10 decisive defeat had been inflicted on the Boers. We had fought gloriously, sometimes successfully ; great men and brave had written their names in blood on the roll of heroes and had passed away, but nothing decisive had been done. It was true that the eiiemy had been routed time after time, but he had got away without chastisement, and in most cases with his guns. The main reason for his safe flight was our lack of ca\alry, and also the fact, that such horses as we had were not of the same nimble build as ihose — inferior, yet smart — which were possesst-d by the Boers, fhese, thoroughly acclimatised and also educated to the curious ns-'. re of the boulder-strewn country, were able to career into space bsifote our heavier chargers could get even with them. Lor' lethuen had fought three glorious battles successfully, and a f(. , equally glorious though productive of no result, inso- much as tne distance of his troops from Kimberley remained the the same, while their numbers were very materially attenuated. It was reasonably to be supposed that a general who had come vic- toriously through three engaf,fement — all accomplished within a week — should, in a measure, have exhausted some of his fighting material, and that such unequalled feats of arms as nad hi dis- played must be paid for. The morale and stamina of the uoops had been tried in every way. They had faced shot and shell at Belmont, at Enslin, and at Modder River. They had marched many miles under a torrid sun and slept many nights exposed to contrastuig cold. Yet, at Majesfontein they had risen to the occasion, and flung themselves into the hurlyburly of battle as though a hint of fatigue were unknown. And their ill-success, it was discovered, was mainly due to treachery, against which it was almost impossible to be entirely guarded. The one compliment th t can bt paid to a Boer is to call him "slim" or sly, and th.s siimness in warfare has helped the foe to circumvent the broader and more open tactics of the Briton. There was, indeed, no knowing how far or how ingeniously the ramifications of "siimness" had extended, and, to be even with them at all, our warriors have needed to idd to the courage of 187 The Transvaal War ;!li'' fii lions the astuteness of v asck I < worked surreptitiously lor the L- T °^ '^^ ^^P^ i^'-^ch had ".^utrah-ty. more danX-rous tbJ^' '''^'''' ^^^'^'^^ ^n att tude of e.ther from f.ar of bdr'„ade Jn" ""^S:^"'^'" .• while Kaffirs themselves to delude an^ tri^k the B ^h ' "" ^'"' ^'''^''' ^^d S anx.ously to 1,. ar a decisive note in fhl "''' ^^'^''y «"« waited to hope lor the best. Lord M Jh, u -^""^ "^^s- and continued to the snappmg-point. In eflirr /fl u ! '^'^ bnngmg patience with bated breath'^for the Irreat tl 'e ''^°'' "^^'^" ''^^ «ta dfnlr world looked to Colenso that hithe oTnT"' '"'''^'' ^"^ ^'^^ ""t rg for one of the biggest baules of fc^,^^^^^^^^ «Pot In the Empir^^ THE BATTLE OF COLENSO unde?r,fr"RSvers' Bult ^ttSed'th'^' ^^^''>''^"^''h relief column Dutchmen held very strnnor r. v ^^^ ^"^"^X ^n full force T^« and laagers being^nVed w.fh'^^^^ thdr" camp: I^adysm.th, while to the south nf^l°""'''"^' ^'^^ southern side of dable and commanding posrAbo,/?!? ''""V^^y ^'^° held a form^ Plam. with i,ardly a ^S^ ofcTetT^"^'. '" ^''^"^ ^^^ -" o^en was a crescent-shaped conltel^tion of h?.h if ^-'^''T' ^" ^roJ"" Hlangwane. on the left flank of the enemv ^h^^"\ -^^^ ^""^^^ h'" of at the onset, was strongly fortified ZT^' ^°"^'' '^ ^^« "ot known pns on the extreme r|ht we e nos^eH ''"''' '" '^^ Hlangwane two emmences was the nlain ^f^ 4"'°':^ fi^""^- Between th«e reached to the terribly st^eTb^^ks'^of^H"""'^ ""^ dongls whFch intrenchments. From For- W? r 't^ "^^'•' ^here were moro the Boers commande"d\hejitt^^v;rC^^^^^ f ^'^^ ^ortifierkoSe" of country through which Sir Redvef. g^f«'^"so and the expanse to Ladysmith. The Tugela wide .nH ^ "^^ P'^P^^^^ to advanci except on the left of iheB^^nnl" "^^7' '■^" ^^^^^en the foes both banks of the riven P°''''°"' ^^^''^ ^he Dutchmen held Upon their defensive works the R^^ u , of labour. Besides rows of trencL^ ' had spent a vast amount and scrub upon the flats on hnrh-/"""r"S:'y conce led byTrass enranglemenrs compli a ^ ^he sila'tt'' f f" ''''''' -rbe^ X unuer the water at the river fords Th" ^°'^ ^' '^^ ^'"^nches Ind deepened by means nf n\ ? \ , ^^^ ^ater of the r—r w->- i y means of cleverly-made dams, in nrAH-Vll "T ''^=* ^^^o i88 'n order that any troops ^e Dutch had an attitude of while Kaffirs, 'bes, had lent lian one occii- y one waited md continued part, all eyes dvers Duller, as becoming y to become ring patience •vas standing nd the entire the Empire, :lief column 'orce. The their camps ^ern side of :Id a formi- 'as an open All around rreat hill of not known ilangwane veen these gas which vere more ed kopjes, e expanse ) advance the foes, men held t amount by grass bed wire :hes and was also ly troops / The Battle of Colenso a great deal of afteMhe-even, wisdom wLSoSn.aid ,he Ignorance of all concerned reeardintr the mf,™ TTi^' • • .0 be attacked was severely cfltTtefupr"lt°l "saTttat no satisfactory reconnaissance of the enemv'^ nn<=;H-,.\l j and that accurate knowledge of theTaTu'r T , e ^J J/^o be passed over was not forthcoming. It was also avirred t h .? neither subordinate officers nor men were ^formed of wW wi?vrd t hf ab„!?;r:i';ce' i:%'^ ?r7fr'T '-i tee ^S^^ SS%o' bTe^^LtL^' - TS^ nianaged to return to positions tempomril/vrcafed "^ "^""^ n.™„ J '°r ".■" "J*^ g^"*^"'"' •"•''^■•s of the day will show the much o^ ^^^ °^ '"'""■ ""'' "-"'P 'o =>" undersLXg of how campaign :-.'' "'>' P^P"^*^ '"' *= °"- *=?<>- '"a Idern General Orders. NataS Ws":""''"'"' '^'^"^"^ ^''^ ^^^"'^'^ C'^^' co.nmanding the South 'Chievfley, Dec. 14, 1899 (10 p.m.). sent ctmpiny.tunraf ^^ aT'^^^^ ""'^"^'^) ""' "^^^ f-- its pre- groundTNoTand No ^ -^^ ^"^' . P^^^«'"g south of the present camping- of the iron h?^L'"?r^;^;,lf']'ll'"7'°"^'.''-°T' ^'" '''''''' ^^ ^^^ ^'--^'ti^n possession or thTkopies';:;S,:nhriroX1d^^^ '^"" '' '''' P°'"' ^"^ ^^^ The 4th Brigade (Major-Generkr the 189 Hon. N. G. Lytteiton's) will I i I il;H! The Transvaal War advance at 4.30 A.M. to the point between Bridle Drift and the railway south, and can support either the 5th or the 2nd Brigade. " 6. The 6th Brigade (Major-General Barton's), less half a battalion as escort to the baggage, will move at 4 A.M. east of the railway in the direction of Hlangwane Hill to a position where it can protect the right flank of the 2nd Brigade, and, if necessary, support it or the mounted troops referred to later as moving towards Hlangwane Hill. " 7. The officer commanding the mounted brigade (the Earl of Dundonald) will move, at 4 A.M. with a force of 1000 men and one battery, No. i brigade division, in the direction of Hlangwane Hill. He will cover the right flank of tlie general movement, and will endeavour to take up a position on Hlangwane Hill, where he will enfilade the kopjes north of the iron bridge. The officer commanding the mounted troops will also detail two forces of 300 and 500 men, to cover the right and left flanks respectively and protect the baggage. " 8. The Second Brigade Division of the Royal Field Artillery will move, at 4.30 AM., following the Fourth Brigade, and will take up a position whence it can enfilade the kopjes north of the iron bridge. The Sixth Brigade (Majoi- General Barton's) will act on any orders it receives from Major-General Hart. The six Naval guns, twelve-pounders, now in position north of the Fourth Brigade, will advance on the right of the Second Brigade Division Royal Field Artillery. No. i Division Royal Field Artillery, less one battery detached to the mounted brigade, will move at 3.30 A.M. east of the railway, and proceed, under cover of the Sixth Brigade, to a point from which it can prepare a cross- ing for the Second Brigade. The six Naval guns will accompany and act with the Brigade Division." It must be remembered that the railway bridge had been blown up, but a footbridge still existed. Before dawn Lord Dundonald with a mounted brigade and a battery of artillery moved to the east, while General Hart and his brigade started to try and cross Brindle Drift. The field-guns came next with cavalry— the ist Royals and 13th Hussars— to pro- tect either flank. Major-General Hildyard's brigade advanced to occupy the post of honour in the centre of the theatre of war. On the right were the West Surrey with the West Yorks in support. On the left marched the Devons with the East Surrey in rear. At 6 A.M. the Naval Contingent opened the proceedings. Their 12- pounders began to snort and to roar, and lyddite whizzed and shrieked over to Grobler's Hill and in the neighbourhood of Fort Wylie. But it whizzed and shrieked in vain. The Boers were " mum." They were " lying low," and had determined to keep their position masked as long as possible. They adopted the same tactics which had so confounded us at Majesfontein. The infantry now advanced, while Colonels Long and Hunt made haste — undue haste, as lamentable experience proved — to come into line with their field-batteries. At this moment, when all seemed to be going well, when Hart's, Hildyard's. and Barton's brigades were moving to their several positions, the sudden com- bined roar of Boer artillery and musketry was heard, coming not, 190 railway south, a battalion as a the direction it flank of the )ps referred to of Oundonald) No. I brigade e right flank of on HIangwane 2. The officer 300 and 500 le baggage. lery will move, osition whence •rigade (Majoi- -General Hart, of the Fourth Division Royal ittery detached y, and proceed, repare a cross- y and act with been blown igade and a iart and his le field-guns sars — to pro- advanced to of vv^ar. On ; in support, in rear. At Their 12- ivhizzed and ood of Fort Boers were to keep their d the same rhe infantry ade haste — come into all seemed id Barton's iudden com- coming not, The Battle of Colenso as might have been sup- posed, from the distance, but /rom the immediate front, and apparently from all sides. A very cyclone of Mauser bullets swept all around, rattling and bark- ing from the river bank, from trenches north and south of the Tugela, from Fort Wylie, and from every available point of vantage. Flame in tongues and forks belched out as from a crack- ling bush. The advancing infantry — the Devons and the West Surrey — found themselves almost carried off their feet ; leaden hail beat the dust around, dig- ging deep into the earth and sending up spurts of blinding dust, or whistling a warning of death to the heart of many an honest lad and true. So deadly, so awful was this fusillade, that it seemed impossible to do aught but flee. Yet the gunners stood tight to their guns, and the infantry with set faces like masks of bronze, regardless of the companions that dropped thick and fast around and upon them, stared Death straight in the face— -stared at and recognised and knew hini, and still maintained their ground ! More — they advanced ; nearer and ever nearer to the invisible enemj^ they came, after- wards lying down and re- turning the fire with inte- 191 m 11 '• ^Hi ' The Transvaal War rest while the guns of Long's and Hunt's field-batteries boomed and bellowed and vomited fire like Inferno released. Fort Wylie and Its neighbourhood were swept with shrapnel and almost silenced, but only for a moment. Disaster was in the air The concealed sharpshooters of the enemy, who crowded the Boer lines had applied themselves to making a concentrated attack on the guns, picking off horses and officers and men, and finally reducing the snorting weapons which had been galloped too quickly into action and were within 700 yards of the enemy's trenches, to a condition of pitiable impotence. Only the third field-battery and the Naval battery could move, and these were quickly drawn off to a place of safety. Amidst this scene of tragedy and uproar the Devons and VVest Surrey were steadily pursuing their way with a heroism that absolutely defies description. The enemy was driven out of the platelayers and surrounding houses, and Colenso village was cleared What the guns failed to do the bayonet accomplished, and before the glint ot the steel— the cold, stern steel they so much dread— the Boers had bolted. But all around them Krupps and Maxims and Hotchkiss guns were still working hard, spouting and shriekino- and tearing earth and men and horses, and throwing them together in one horrible, hideous heap. *' Certainly the advance of Hildyard's men was a noble achievement. Iheir effort to capture the road bridge and hold the village of Colenso in face of a scene of carnage was an act of splendid courage and determination ; but they were assailed with so deadly a storm of shot and shell that they had no choice but to retire 1 hough they had imagined the village to be evacuated, the place had been swarming with Boers, they evidently having expected to be attacked in this quarter. Not only were they strongly in- trenched, but the guns on the surrounding hills commanded the position, and when the Boers were temporarily routed the f^uns still continued to sweep the whole place with such unerring accuracy and fierceness that the ground was thickly strewn with the bodies of the mangled. Until those guns could be silenced, efforts of the infantry were so much waste of valiant flesh and blood ; but our povyer to silence them was at an end. The guns of the 14th and 66th Batteries were doomed. They had, as before said, been approached too close to the river, and thus been exposed to the unerring rifie-fire of the Boer mercenaries. The attack was im- mediately returned, but before long the whole partv, officers gunners, and horses, were simply mown down. As fast as more horses were brought up they were annihilated. In addition to this the gunners ran short of ammunition. To await the .-irrival of this such survivors as there were doubled back to the sheit-r' of a donga twenty yards in their rear. At that time there was no 192 M :ries boomed Fort Wylie and almost le air. The e Boer lines, tack on the reducing the into action, 3 a condition d the Naval a place of Devons and leroism that 1 out of the was cleared. !, and before I dread — the Maxims and i shrieking, em together chievement. e village of of splendid h so deadly Lit to retire, d, the place expected to ;trongly in- tnanded the d the guns ng accuracy I the bodies nforts of the d ; but our le 14th and said, been 3sed to the :k was im- y, officers, st as more tion to this ival of this, helter of a re was no .J o D h u X h Q K O u. o H h ou S u H H < brigade, like Hart's and Hildvards. failed to HlanVwL"e''Hin i- r' '""""^ [^possible to obtain possession of ttlangwane Hill, which was much more strongly held than it was 194 •H«ltWA»J HOAOS Map showing the Attempted Passage of the River BV General Duller on December 15. 2ry in reply; r the plung- ter in their )r dear life, appreciable id manage- 1 in heaps ; veldt; the leave, too the action division — — up at a 1 700 yards 3 trenches, still have he valiant still have risky ad- s declared of proper the whole It all the ih Brigade heroism had no tive to the f the place by them, ion of the Dpposition : to meet, ir to have )osition of lich they hat point, 1 into the dy begun Artillery, midst of rving be- layed the y, failed to session of in it was The Battle of Colenso believed to be. The troops were assailed from thence by such galling shell and rifle fire that they were eventually forced to retire. On the extreme right, the mounted troops, under Lord Dun- donald, made a vigorous attack at the Hlangwane Hill, on which was posted the Boer pieces which had wrought such devastation among the British batteries. However, in advancing up the valley they were outflanked by the Boers, and had eventually to retire under '^ru^^**!^ °^ bullets. The irregulars, for their part, worked splendidly. 1 he South African Horse advanced on the front under a heavy shell fire. Thorneycroft's Horse, the Natal Carabineers, the Im- perial Light Horse, and the Mounted Infantry at the same time attempted the flanking attack ; but the Boer lines, which ran along some high ground to the right of the flanking party, defeated their best efforts. Owing to the bad light, and to the fact that the Boers used smokeless powder, their fire failed to reveal their position, and the discomfort of the attacking party was considerable. Meanwhile the 7th Battery, which was with Lord Dundonald, kept shelling Hlangwane and Fort Wylie in turns, the latter being done in order to assist the general advance. About noon Lord Uundonald was ordered to retire. This, however, was immediately impossible. So soon as the men began to move they became tar- gets for the foe. Many of the men were reluctant to retire at all and were pressing in their desire to still '< have a go " at the enemy. The retirement at last, after a two hours' struggle, was accomplished without undue loss. The 7th Battery, under command of Major Henshaw, made splendid practice. During the engagement Lord Dundonald sent a team of gun and waggon horses, under Captain Reed, to assist the 14th and 66th Batteries to recover their guns Captain Reed returned to the 7th Battery, and though he came back with a bullet in his leg, he insisted on remaining with it until he was ordered back to camp. Generals Buller and Clery were ubiquitous, riding coolly about and directing where the hurricane of lead was thickest, and running risks which rendered all who saw theni anxious for their safety. Indeed, as some one remarked, one would have thought they were lieutenants trying to make a name, and not generals with the re- sponsibility of an army on their minds. The loss of either of these prominent officers would have been counted by the Boers as a sign of victory, and therefore, when one was hit in the side and another m the arm by glancing bullets, there was considerable alarm among those who were near enough to oL>serve what had taken place. Captain Hughes,^ R. A.M. C, was killrd, and others of the Staff were wouiided. Lord Gerard twice hati narrow escapes, his horse being twice wounded. A squadron of the Imperial Horse had an exciting experience. 195 If fi i 1 i 1 , 1 t 1 ' I ' • I if The Transvaal War The men, who haH dismounted to move in extended order across level country, were beginning to cross a ploughed field. Suddenly a rifle volley was opened upon them, and they were forced to lie down for cover. But the enemy, though on a kopje not 500 yai Js distant at this time, was quite invisible ; and on this clear, hot day, though the song of the Mauser went on persistently, there was no smoke to betray the enemy's position. The Imperial Horse lay quiet, and the enemy thinking they "ere perhaps annihilated ceased firing. Presently, however, when cue troopers ventured out, the firing was renewed, and many were killed and wounded. It is invidious to mention special regiments when all fought so resolutely. The behaviour of the irregular forces, however, was the subject of general remark. They held their position under a heavy cross- fire, refusing to retire without their wounded. And when they did retire, the movement was executed without flurry, with precision and composure, as 'f the battlefield were one vast manoeuvring ground. Meanwhile U..;; Boers still struggled to outflank our right, and the 13th Hur~;,'.'s had a lively time. Colonel Blagrove having his charger shot uua ;r him ; but there were few serious calamities, only two of the trope: rs being killed. Many instances ol heroism were recorded on the part of men and officers belonging to all the regiments engaged in the battle. Lieutenant Ponsonby, of Thorneycroft's Horse, while endeavour- ing to save a wounded man, was fired at, the shot striking his un- happy burden and mortally wounding him. The young officer was slightly wounded himself, but managed to escape after shooting his assailant dead at very close quarters. The conduct of the Dublins was the subject of universal praise. They lost heavily ; some 216 out of 900 men, When ordered to retire, although the crossing of the Tugela Drift was a sufficiently fearful experience, they were intensely disgusted. "Let us only see the beggars!" they asked. "Give us a chance with the bayonet!" said these gallant fellows, who had already passed through a hurricane of shot and shell. The Scottish Fusiliers lost 75 out of 301, but they were still ready, still bent, if allowed, upon carrying the bridge at all costs. Their enterprise was badly rewarded. They got left in an untenable position and were surrounded. Captain Herbert, Stan Officer to Colonel Long, had his horse killed under him, while the Colonel himself was severely wounded by a bullet from a shrapnel shell. Captain White-Thomas, while on his way back to the limbers to get blankets for the injured, received a nasty wound. Colonel Brook (Connaught Rangers) was shot, and while being carried off the field by some of his men, one of these was wounded. The Colonel insisted on being put down, but Pat also insisted that .he was equal to carrying his burden to a placi of 196 rder across Suddenly' )rced to lie t 500 yards ir, hot day, ere was no Horse lay ited ceased id out, the led. It is I resolutely, the subject eavy cross- in they did h precision lanoeuvring : our right, 3ve having calamities, art of men the battle, endeavour- ing his un- officer was r shooting uct of the 5t heavily ; ihough the experience, beggars ! " said these me of shot they were idge at all yot left in his horse y wounded s, while on d, received s shot, and i" these was t Pat also a plact of The Battle of Colenso safety, .': id did so, though a shot had pierced his neck and passed clean out on the other side. So many valiant deeds w( re performed that space will not admit of all buing recounted. The irregulars and r< ' \rs seemed deter- mined to out-distance each other in feats ivalry. Private Farmer, of the Carabineers, struggled to s, a comrade at the risk of his own life. Colour-Sergeant Byrne, in a storm of bullets, gallantly saved three of his comrades who were drowning, though he and they were heavily weighted with ammunition and equip- ment. Major Gordon, wounded as he was, fiercely and nobly led on his mci till he dropped from exhaustion. The conduct of some of the drivers was simply amazing, and their daring was repeated and reflected in the achievements of the infantry. Quite wonderful was the bearing of these men, mere private soldiers, in their magnificent nobility of sacrifice, their utter regardlessness of self Each strove to set an example to the other of steadfast, almost reckless devotion to duty. The circumstances attending the capture of the guns were deeply tragic. Late in the terrible afternoon, when the red sun was sending horizontal rays across the blocd-dyed field, a strong party of Boers swan the river for the purpose of seizing the guns and forcing the wounded, who were huddled together in the donga, to surrender. It was a fearful moment. Our worn-out, fainting, and dying men were lying about drenched in their own gore, helpless, and none could move to save the precious guns from falling into alien hands. Some raged, some wept with mortification at their powerlessness to stay the inevitable. Three Boers approached them for the purpose of demanding their instant surrender, and were shot at from the donga. A larger body then arrived, and though Colonel Bullock doggedly refused to surrender, and was struck down by their leader, they eventually forced the party to submit. It is said — let us hope it was mere report — that they threatened to shoot the wounded if they did not ! However, the fact was mentioned by Sir Redvers Buller, who doubtless had been well informed on the subject. The following is the list of casualties in the engagement at Colenso : — Royal Field Artillery— Killed : Captain A. H. Goldie, Lieutenant C. B. Schreiber. Royal Dublin Fusiliers— Killed : Captain A. H. Bacon, Lieutenant P. C. Henry. Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers— Killed : Captain Frank C. Loftus. Devon Regiment— Wounded : Captain M. J. Goodwyn (b). Captain J. F. Radcliffe (b), Captain P. U. W. Vigor (c), Lieutenant H. B. W. Gardiner (c). Second Lieutenant H. J. Storey (c). Rifle Brigade— Wounded : Second Lieutenant R. G. Graham (b). Captain W. N. Congreve (c). Fifth Brigade Staff —Wounded : Captain Hon. St. Leger Jervis (b). Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers —Died of wounds: Major G. F. W. Charley. Wounded: Captain A. G. 197 IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) 1.0 1.1 u I US I lil I u ■lUu 12^ 1^ |Z2 ■ 3j2 US 1 2.0 L25 iu — 150mm I 1.8 1.6 V] ^^'> ^ # /^PPLIED_^ IIVMGE . Inc J=S 1653 East Main Street .^as *. Rochester, NY 14609 USA .SSS-jS Phone: 716/482-0300 -=^.=5 Fax. 716/288-5989 1993, Applied Image Irw., All Rights Reserved ^V |\ ^\ <^ % i.\^ O^ p^t- 4" '^> /^ ^ The Transvaal War Hi lliitj.i Best (b), Lieutenant WW Son I^^ BordeJ Regiment-Wounded •■ S K ^2' g'T^'. ''/..^U ^evenish (b). Probyn (c). Lieutenant G T S^h Tm r "^^fate (b), Captain J. E. S. Colo.^1 L. G. BrookeTa) Lieutenan? r ^f R ^°""r8'^' Rangers-Wounded : -Wounded : Maror A.' W gS ^bf Cantl' ^H^' T ^°V^' ^"'^"" ^"^'"^•■^• Lieutenant M'Le^d (b) Royal Irisi/Fus.S?!w . .'"';J'^" <''>' ^^'^^"d Brush rh\ R^w I u < .„"^" '^"^'''^'^s— Wounded: Captain T E R ?ield' 1 ii,ery!^Wo"nT^^S^^^^^^^ ^-^ (") Royai Wiute-Thomso'n S CapL Ht^S^.^^^-M^^. Captain H^ ^^^^ t^rS^g H^gts"°°run2d. e t4 r^' ^^^^^^^^^^ Thorneycrof?s ^^unteT Jntnlrv-^K lied j^'"^r«'°" (?Brannigan) (c). Wounded: Lieutenan W Otto T^f t 1 . ^^ n^"' ^- ^^- J"="'^'"«- Lieutenant Holfordr 9th Hussari kttaSHT'^''^ P^r"?^.^'^)' ^"""d Wounded: D W Mackavrh^r If, t ^ d .,1 I'i^- ^"^^' Carabiniers — Ligbt Horse-Wounded f L L-^nant"" B J' ^'IT f > ^°"'" ^'"'•'-" Ro? M • ^'J^ '^^^'^^ lS:-Wou'nde^dT' L^Lt It^-'^n"^ li ^• ltr<^: Sr 5^'l^S"'-y-PV-ers: SeS' Ll^^tena'nt R.' ;?; i« \j>.iuin, major a. l. Bailward, Lieutenant A r r.VoI c J Lieutenant C. D. HoJford Miior W v ir„7; i^ ;, ^* ^"^'^"' Second Lieut-Colonel G Bunock I M°M W I' T-^'' ^^''^" Regiment-Prisoners: Essex Reg?ment-P sot;/- Deut!^'InTw^'p p"'"J ^^ \^' Sn^yth-Osbourne. --Prisoners : CaptarO H. A dS C^PtL H 'S"'N'^?r' t-°'^ ^"^""^^^ Christian, Lieutenant F F H » ^^? r • * "' Worthy, Lieutenant E. Second LieuTen::; a^E. Brig"gs ^rova^'Ar^Uler:" M" "^^ "^^ .^^'C-^ghey. T. Butler. Connaught Ranger?-MS 2apS~G ' h"^^ ^.'T"l"' ^• Second Lieutenant E V. Jones. '"'^^""^ ' ^^P'^'" G. H. Ford-Hutchison, (a) dangerously wounded; (b) seriously; (c) slightly. wounded, 36 officers and 634 men ; missing and prisoners 26 officers and 311 men-a terrible list for one day's work ' «hnll f n° ^^T' ''"'' .^nibulances were designedly fired" upon Five These men. though fired at by the enemy and injured continued zealous y to carry on their humane work^ and assisted in saW many l.ves which mi,,ht otherwise have be;n sacHfi ed Therrcf of the enemy opposed to us was estimated at 12,000 to 14 0^0 taaes 'K'r ''r^P^'"^ '^^ ^^^•••'^ ^'^'^ overwhelming adZ: !f-^?"j • ""' """^bers were immense, and the dann-erous hi^h banked river, which they themselves had carefulFv f^^'^.d fnd filled wuh Wire entanglements, made a formidable^ shield for the -98 ;ley (b), Lieutenant I, Lieutenant A. D. G. Devenisli (b), •)» Captain J. E. S. ngers— Wounded : al Dublin Fusiliers. :ewan (b), Second Captain T. E. R. Long (a). Royal Captain H. D. A. G. Elton (b), ps— Killed : Cap- (?Brannigan) (c). C. M. Jenkins, tiby (c), Second il Carabinicrs — ). South African ieutenant J. W. Hon. F. H. S, Lieutenant R. W. Birch, Second ment — Prisoners : Smyth-Osbourne. al Scots Fusiliers yi Lieutenant E. E. M'Conaghey, J : Lieutenant S. Ford-Hutchison, and 1 60 men ; prisoners, 26 i. i upon. Five vith wounded, ! to abandon •itais were no lie men were •nduct of the t of remark, ed, continued :ed in saving I. The force )0 to 14,000. ming advan- gerous high- dammed and bield for the f f The Battle of Colenso defensive party. In addition to this, they had constructed long, highly scientifically-arranged trenches, along which their Nordenfeldt gun could quickly travel, and thus defy any attempt of our gunners to get the range. Still the Naval guns were wonderfully worked, and wrought considerable havoc among the Boers in the over- hanging kopjes. Though their loss could not be accurately esti- mated, it was declared to be about 2000. The trenches were said to be choked with dead Dutchmen. On the 1 6th of December an armistice was agreed upon, to last from noon till midnight, to enable both sides to collect and bury their dead. The following "recommendations to notice" illuminated the somewhat sad nature of the General's despatch : — " From the General Commanding-in-Chief the Forces in South Africa to the Secretary of State for War. "Chie' K; ■ V Camp, Dec. 16, 1899. "Sir, — I have tlie honour to bring the following cases of Distinguished Service in the Field to your notice. "At Colenso, on December 15, the detachments serving the guns of the 14th and 66th Batteries, Royal Field Artillery, had all been either killed, wounded, or driven from their guns by infantry fire at close range, and the guns were deserted. "About 500 yards behind the guns was a donga, in which some of the few horses and drivers left a!ive were sheltered. The intervening space was swept with shell and rifle fire. "Captain Congreve, Rifle Brigade, who was in the donga, assisted to hook a t;.am into a limber, went out and assisted to limber up a gun ; being wounded, he took shelter, but seeing Lieutenant Roberts fall badly wounded, he went out again and brought him in. Some idea of the nature of the fire may be gathered from the fact that Captain Congr ve was shot through the leg, through the toe of his boot, grazed on the elbow and the shoulder, and his horse shot in three places. "Lieutenant the Honourable F. Roberts, King's Royal Rifles, assisted Captain Congreve. He was wounded in three places. "Corporal Nurse, Royal Field Artillery, 66th Battery, also assisted. I recommend the above three for the Victoria Cross. " Drivers H. Tayloi, Young, Petts, Rockall, Lucas, and Williams, all of the 66th Battery, Royal Field Artillery, rode the teams, each team brought in a gun. I recommend all six for the Medal for Distinguished Conduct in the Field. " Shortly afterwards Captain H. L Reed, 7th Battery, Royal Field Artillery, who had heard of the difficulty, brought down three teams from his battery to see if he could be of any use. He was wounded, as were five of the thirteen men who rode with him ; one was killed, his body was found on the field, and thirteen out of twenty-one horses were killed before he got half-way to the guns, and he was obliged to retire. " I recommend Captain Reed for the Victoria Cro5,s. and the followinp non- commissioned officers and men, 7th Battery, Royal Field Artillery, for the Medal for Distinguished Service in the Field : — 199 The Transvaal War " 86,208 Corporal A. Clark, wounded ; 87,652 Corporal R. J. Money ; 82,210 Acting-Bombardier J. 11. Reeve ; 28,286 Driver C.J. Woodward ; 22,054 Driver Wni. Robertson, wounded; 22,061 Driver Wm. Wriglit, wounded; 22,051 Driver A. C. Hawkins ; 26,688 Driver John Patrick Lennox ; 22,094 Driver Albert Nugent, killed ; 23,294 Driver Jamcb Warden ; 32,087 Driver Arthur Felton, wounded ; 83,276 Driver Thomas Musgrove ; 26,523 Trumpeter William W. Ayles, wounded. "I have differentiated in my recommendations, because I tliought that a recommendation for the Victoria Cross required proof of initiative, something more, In fact, than mere obedience to orders, and for tiiis reason I have not recommended Captain Schofield, Royal Artillery, who was acting under orders, though I desire to record his conduct as most gallant. " Several other gallant drivers tried, but were all killed, and I cannot get their names.— I have, &c., Redvers Duller, General." Appended is an account of the battle given by Captain Walter Norris Congreve, one of the heroes of the day. It is deeply inter- esting, though it makes little reference to his own gallant action for which he gained the Victoria Cross : — " Our big Naval guns shelled the enemy's position off and on all day, but could get no response. We could see very few Boers about, and it was a horrid position to attack. ... I don't believe any troops could have taken it. However, we tried yesterday and failed. We bombarded every place that looked like holding Boers for two hours, without response and without a sign of a Boer. To see the shells bursting, you would have thought nothing could have been left alive in the vicinity. After this, infantry, which had already got into position, advanced line after line and extended widely. Instantly thousands of bullets began pattering about, and their guns pitched shells all over the place. Where they came from no one could see till the end. Sir Redvers Buller rode all along the I'ne, and came in for a good deal of atten- tion from bullets and shells. " My first experience was my stick being knocked out of my hand by a bullet ; then a horse beside me was killed by a shell. About 10 o'clock two batteries which had advanced far too close ran short of ammunition. Tl;eir waggons were about 800 yards behind, the horses and men sheltering in a deep narrow nullah. General Buller told them to take the waggons up to the battery, but instantly they emerged a stream of bullets and shells fell all round, and most of the men got into the nullah again. Generals Buller and Cleary stood out in it and said, • Some of you go and help Schofield.' A.D.C. Roberts, my- self, and two or three others went to the waggons, and we got two waggons horsed with the help of a corporal and six gunners. I have never seen even at field-firing the bullets fly thicker. All one could see were little tufts of dust all over the ground accompanied by a whistlini; noise, ' phut,' where they hit, and an increasing rattle of musketry somewhere in front. " My first bullet went through my left sleeve and just made the point of my elbow bleed. Next a clod of earth caught me a smack on the other arm ; then my horse got one ; then my right leg one, and my horse another. That settled us, for he plunged, and I fell about lOO yards short of the guns we were going to. A littlr ni'llnh was by, and into that I hobbled and sat down. I had not been in a minute before another bullet hit the toe of my boot, went into the welt, travelled up, and came out at the toe-cap, two inches from the end of tiie 3CX) Money; 82,210 ; 22,054 t>"ver uncled; 22,051 22,094 t)river Driver Arthur iipeter William thought that a Live, something on I have not 5 under orders, 1 I cannot get :r, General." plain Walter deeply inter- int action for on all day, but and it was a have taken it. ery place that without a sign nothing could h had already :ly. Instantly :ched shells all the end. Sir deal of atten- my hand by a 10 o'clock two mition. Their :ring in a deep to the battery, all round, and i Cleary stood . Roberts, my- : two waggons T seen even at ufts of dust all ! they hit, and he point of my her arm ; then , That settled we were going m. I had not went into the the end of the The Battle of Colenso toe. It did not even scratch me, but I shifted my quarters pretty quickly to a better place, where I found Colonels Hunt and Long, R.A., and a dozen or so wounded gunners ; a doctor, Colonel Bullock, and about fifteen men of his regiment — ail that were left of the escort and two batteries. " At about 1 1 o'clock the fire slackened, and I went out, finding poor Roberts badly wounded, and with help got him into tiie nullah. There we hy from 1 1 till 4.30: no water, not a breath of air, no particle of shade, and a sun which I have never felt hotter even in India. My jacket was taken to shade Robert's head, and what with blood and dirt I was a pretty object by the time I got out. At 4.30 the Boers rode up a.id asked us to surrender, or they would shoot us all. Colonel Bullock was the senior unwounded officer, and had, perhaps, twenty rifles all told. He refused, and they at once began a fusillade from fifty yards distant, and our people returned it. It was unpleasant, and only a question of minutes before they enfiladed our trenches and bagged the lot. Bullock s men knocked over two, and they then put up a white flag, parleyed, said we might remove our wounded, and the remainder either be taken prisoners or fight It out. However, while we were talking 100 or so crept round us. We found loaded rifles at every armed man's head, and we were forced to give in. One of our ambulances came up, and we were gradually collected at one spot, and a colour-sergeant of the Devon Regiment carried me upon his back." END OF VOLUME II. Printed by Ballantvne, Hanson &• Co. Edinburgh 6* London Facsimile of MS. of Mr. Rudvakd Kipi.in(;'s IFar Poem "T»K AbSENT-MinDKD Br.GGAR" 7U fr'i^.tmJ-.yU^.^tM^ I. ^2*-^ •; *^ -t. *>^ /U^ <.^l^ e^ ^Mti a ^.^ ^^ • '^ ^'-^ -R^ *^ ,t^ /*^. ^>^i 'r^- ^^'^ t^. Sr^^, U^^£^^_ "The Absent-Minded Beggar" III." -^ »- a^^ .^UU ^^^ ^ ^ ^j^^^ ^ ^^^^^^^^ ^^, . .IV ^^ ^^W~^ (jw.-^'^-'^^C^Srg^^^v^ 77;« above Jacsimih is pr.'nied by arrangement with the "Daily SXail •Publishing Co., Ijindon ir n I ^ Co., London