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diff --git a/.gitattributes b/.gitattributes new file mode 100644 index 0000000..6833f05 --- /dev/null +++ b/.gitattributes @@ -0,0 +1,3 @@ +* text=auto +*.txt text +*.md text diff --git a/35061-8.txt b/35061-8.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..0335b10 --- /dev/null +++ b/35061-8.txt @@ -0,0 +1,11411 @@ +The Project Gutenberg eBook, Two Years on Trek, by Louis Eugène du Moulin, +et al, Edited by H. F. Bidder + + +This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with +almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org + + + + + +Title: Two Years on Trek + Being Some Account of the Royal Sussex Regiment in South Africa + + +Author: Louis Eugène du Moulin + +Editor: H. F. Bidder + +Release Date: January 24, 2011 [eBook #35061] + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1 + + +***START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK TWO YEARS ON TREK*** + + +E-text prepared by Jonathan Ingram, Martin Pettit, and the Online +Distributed Proofreading Team (http://www.pgdp.net) + + + +TWO YEARS ON TREK + +Being Some Account of the Royal Sussex Regiment in South Africa. + +By the Late LT.-COLONEL DU MOULIN. + +With a Preface by Col. J. G. Panton, C.M.G. +Commanding 2nd Battalion Royal Sussex Regiment, 1903-1907. + +Edited By_ H. F. Bidder, +Captain, 3rd Battalion Royal Sussex Regiment. + + + + + + + +Murray and Co., +The Middlesex Printing Works, +180, Brompton Road, S.W. +1907. + + + + +THIS BOOK WRITTEN FOR THE MOST PART BY THE LATE + +LT.-COL. DU MOULIN HAS BEEN COMPLETED AND PUBLISHED + +BY HIS COMRADES AS THE MOST FITTING MEMORIAL + +TO A GALLANT SOLDIER. + + +DULCE · ET · DECORUM · EST · PRO · PATRIA · MORI + + + + +CONTENTS. + + +Chap. Page. + + I. TO BLOEMFONTEIN. 1 + + II. THE 21ST BRIGADE. THE TREK BEGINS. 13 + + III. TO ZAND RIVER. 28 + + IV. THE FIGHT AT ZAND RIVER. 39 + + V. ACROSS THE VAAL. 50 + + VI. DOORNKOP. 60 + + VII. PRETORIA. 69 + + VIII. DIAMOND HILL, FIRST DAY. 79 + + IX. DIAMOND HILL, SECOND DAY. 84 + + X. TO SPRINGS. 95 + + XI. TO REITZ. 105 + + XII. TO MEYER'S KOP. 117 + + XIII. RETIEF'S NEK. 126 + + XIV. TO THE BOER LAAGER. 144 + + XV. TO WINBURG. 162 + + XVI. UP AND DOWN. 173 + + XVII. TO LINDLEY. 185 + + XVIII. THE RAILWAY NEEDS REPAIR. 202 + + XIX. TO BOTHAVILLE. 215 + + XX. VENTERSBURG ROAD. 225 + + XXI. BACK TO LINDLEY. 234 + + XXII. IN GARRISON. 247 + + XXIII. THE RAISING OF THE MOUNTED COLUMN. 257 + + XXIV. TWO DISTRICTS. 273 + + XXV. DE PUT. 282 + + XXVI. TO VLAKFONTEIN. 291 + + XXVII. ABRAHAM'S KRAAL. 301 + +XXVIII. NORTHWARDS--AND THE END. 308 + + XXIX. THE THIRD BATTALION. 319 + + APPENDICES. + + + + +_PREFACE._ + + +_Louis Eugène du Moulin was of French descent. By birth he was a New +Zealander. He passed through Sandhurst and entered the army in 1879, +joining the 107th Regiment--now the Second Battalion of the Royal Sussex +Regiment. With this battalion all his service was spent, until his +promotion in 1899 as second in command of the First Battalion Royal +Sussex Regiment (the old 35th)._ + +_He served in the Black Mountain Campaign of 1888, in the Chin-Lushai +and Manipur expeditions of 1889-91, and in the Tirah Campaign of +1897-98. Alike among the dark pine woods of the Himalayas, in the dense +jungle of Manipur, or on the bleak, stony ridges of the Hazara country +the name of du Moulin became a byword in the Regiment, and far beyond +the Regiment, for restless energy, never-failing resource and cool +daring. He became known all over India as a musketry expert. Many of his +ideas were adopted, and are in universal use by those who may never have +heard his name._ + +_Perhaps his real genius was for organization. This quality came +conspicuously into notice in South Africa during the war. Many men who +served in the 21st Brigade under General Bruce Hamilton had reason to +bless the forethought and unstinted labour of the man who carried out so +thoroughly the idea of the Brigade commander, and supplied the Brigade +with those welcome additions to bully beef and biscuit which were +obtainable at the Brigade Canteen. Often after a hard day's march and a +tough fight have I admired the unselfish spirit in which, disdaining +fatigue, he would set to work with his coat off to open stores and +arrange the wagons lighted with "dips," which served as a "coffee shop" +for famishing Tommy._ + +_A tall, spare man, with keen, dark eyes, a courageous nose and a +harsh-toned voice--such was the outward du Moulin. Feared not a little, +loved greatly by those under him, afraid of no one, despising precedent +and precaution, dependent only on his own iron will and keen intellect, +he had a brilliant career before him when he fell gloriously at +Abraham's Kraal on January 28th, 1902. He had gone through the campaign +from the advance to Pretoria of Lord Roberts' army, down to the pursuit +of De Wet and of the broken commandos after De Wet's time, without a +wound, and, as far as I can remember, without a day's sickness--and with +very few days' rest from marching and fighting._ + +_He always knew what it was he wanted and how to get it, and how to make +others help him to this end._ + +_One anecdote I may here relate:-- + +Worn out with much marching, ragged and hungry, the half battalion under +du Moulin halted at Kroonstad to refit. Supplies, and especially +clothing and boots, were hard to get. Some tired subaltern returned, +repulsed from the Ordnance Store, empty handed._ + +_The matter quickly reached du Moulin's ears, and he disappeared for +what seemed a few minutes. Presently out of a cloud of red dust emerged +a mule wagon at a hand gallop. Standing up, driving, cracking a long +whip and yelling at the Kaffirs to clear the road, came "Mullins," as +he was familiarly known to all. His grey regulation shirt was rolled up +to the elbow, showing a pair of red muscular arms like copper wire. He +shouted as he turned his team into the camp, and we hurried to his +wagon, to have bundles of new clothes, white shiny rolls of waterproof +sheets, and thick soft blankets rapidly allotted to our men; and to save +time (for we were moving next morning) "Mullins" himself hurled out the +bundles into our arms._ + +_At another time, when we were at Ventersburg Road Station in one of the +brief intervals of rest allowed by Boers who blew up the railway line +three times a week (this was in 1900), the siding leading to the dock +for entraining horses or cattle was completely blocked by the burnt +remains of a train of trucks, rusty and apparently immovable._ + +_The railway staff smiled incredulously when du Moulin offered to remove +the entire train of trucks. Without cranes or appliances they declared +it was impossible._ + +_Collecting all the spare rails, sleepers and fish-plates that could be +found about the station yard, du Moulin started work, and a branch +railway some 100 yards long was quickly laid leading into the veldt, +with proper points connecting it with the siding. A hundred willing +hands hauled at the ropes--the rusty axles, well greased, revolved. In +half a day the siding was clear, and the ruined trucks were standing on +the veldt, where they probably stand to this day!_ + +_Another picture of du Moulin under fire, and I have done._ + +_On the 12th of June, 1900, at Diamond Hill, "B" Company was sent to +support the three companies of the Royal Sussex under du Moulin, about +midday. These three companies were lying under the scanty shelter of a +few rocks at the edge of the flat-topped hill facing the main Boer +position, at a distance of about 900 yards. The hail of bullets was +incessant, the noise of guns and thousands of rifles deafening. As we +arrived breathless, having crossed the 200 yards of flat open ground +amid a "rush" of bullets, I sought du Moulin to ask where we were most +wanted. He was standing up, a conspicuous figure amidst a "feu +d'enfer"--pounding with the butt of a rifle a prostrate man, who would +not move from the imagined shelter of a stone about as big as a Dutch +cheese, and who could not see to fire from his position._ + +_I got a very curt, lurid rejoinder, and promptly subsided behind a very +inadequate rock myself._ + +_Colonel du Moulin was shot through the heart, leading a charge against +the Boers who had rushed his camp. Always in front--always the first to +face the foe. "Felix opportunitati mortis." May he rest in peace._ + +_J. G. PANTON._ + +_Crete,_ +_November, 1906._ + + + + +EXPLANATORY. + + +It was the design of Col. du Moulin to write an account of the doings of +the Royal Sussex Regiment in South Africa, which should both serve to +remind those of the Regiment who went through the campaign of the +incidents in which they took part, and should also put on record another +chapter of that Regimental History, made through many years in many +lands, of which all who serve in the Regiment may be so justly proud. + +During the months of November and December, 1900, he found, in the +comparative quiet of the occupation of Lindley, an opportunity of +completing his account up to date. His manuscript is typed (he managed +to obtain a machine from somewhere) upon the only paper available--the +backs of invoice sheets from a store in the town. + +From the evacuation of Lindley in January, 1901, to his death a year +later, Col. du Moulin was far too much occupied with his work in the +field to do more than make a few notes for his book. And it is from +these notes of his, and from the diaries, letters, and personal +reminiscences of other Officers, that the later chapters have been +compiled. + +It has been thought better to leave Col. du Moulin's work practically +untouched, although it was never subjected by him to a final revision, +and although he had no opportunity of modifying anything he wrote, in +the light of subsequent history. As it stands, it gives a vivid picture +of events that had only just occurred--drawn with a firm hand, while the +impression was fresh upon the author's mind. + +In compiling the subsequent chapters, the object has been merely to give +a slight sketch of the experiences of the Regiment during the latter +half of the war. It has not been attempted (nor would it have been +possible) to enter into detail to the same extent as was done by Col. du +Moulin, writing upon the spot. If one or two scenes are preserved, it is +the utmost that can be hoped. + +The Appendices contain the stories of the 13th and 21st M.I., on which +several officers and a number of men of the Regiment were serving. The +former is kindly contributed by Capt. G. P. Hunt, of the Royal Berkshire +Regiment. + +H. F. BIDDER. + +_December, 1906._ + + + + +CHAPTER I. + +TO BLOEMFONTEIN. + + Malta--Orders for South Africa--The Pavonia--Cape Town--Port + Elizabeth--Bloemfontein--Glen. + + +The senior regiment in the 1st Brigade in the 1st Army Corps at +Aldershot and the first regiment on the roster for foreign service at +the time war was declared in South Africa in 1899, we might fairly have +expected to be one of the earliest regiments to embark for active +service; but it was not to be. We saw our old friends in General FitzRoy +Hart's Brigade--The Black Watch, the Welsh, the Northamptons--and almost +every other regiment in Aldershot receive their orders to mobilise, and +with heavy hearts we proceeded to pack our kits for--Malta! + +Even in this festive island our ill luck seemed at first to follow us +unceasingly, and, notwithstanding all our field training at Mellieha and +the numerous occasions upon which we defended Naxaro against +overwhelming hordes of invaders, still we were not among the chosen. Our +old friends the Sherwood Foresters took themselves off also, via the +Suez Canal, for the seat of war, with a nice fat draft of seasoned +soldiers from their Second Battalion, and we were left lamenting, to +troop the Colour on the Palace Square, and to go on guard with five +nights in bed. + +The very bad news which arrived soon after the opening of the campaign +in Natal had a depressing effect on all of us, which soldiering in Malta +is not calculated to remove, and any fresh news issued by Bartolo, the +printer, was eagerly sought after. A glimmer of excitement was caused by +the offer of His Excellency the Governor to the Secretary of State to +provide a fully equipped company of Mounted Infantry from the troops in +garrison, of which company the Royal Sussex hoped to form a large part; +but in this again we were doomed to disappointment, as we were not even +asked to send in our names. + +Things were in this unhappy state--everyone with long faces and +villainous tempers--when the New Year was ushered in and found us at +Verdala Barracks. From there, towards the middle of the month, five +companies were sent to the new barracks at Imtarfa and the other three +were put out into various holes and corners at Zabbar, Salvatore and +other undesirable residences. We all thought this was putting the climax +on our misfortunes, but we little knew then that in another five days we +were to be raised to the seventh heaven of delight by the news that we +were at last selected to proceed to South Africa. + +This welcome news was hurriedly brought out to the exiles at Imtarfa by +Captain Aldridge, his face fairly beaming again, and shortly afterwards +we heard that we were to go home to be mobilised for active service, and +that we were to be relieved in Malta by the Royal Berkshire regiment. +Immediately everything was hurry and bustle, and we were all writing to +our friends and making our arrangements for a prolonged absence, except, +alas, some of the younger soldiers, who could not reasonably expect to +fulfil the conditions of being over 20 and having completed a year's +service. + +Shortly afterwards the glad tidings arrived that we were to mobilise in +Malta, that our reservemen would join us there, and that we should +proceed straight to the Cape. + +On one occasion, whilst at Imtarfa, when an unusually stirring account +of the battle of Colenso appeared in the _Daily Telegraph_, one of the +officers went down to the Recreation Room at night and read it to the +men. Mr. Bennett Burleigh, the writer of the vivid piece of word +painting, would have been flattered if he could have seen the great +crowd of men in the room, absolutely still and motionless, following +with breathless interest the splendid description of the gallant +behaviour of our gunners on this fatal day, when they bravely tried to +work their guns within 600 yards of the enemy's riflemen, and the +magnificent story of how young Roberts, Captain Congreve and others +endeavoured to save the guns. + +On the 16th of January after a prolonged field day over the rocks beyond +the Victoria Lines, which lasted from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., we marched off +to Pembroke to execute the annual course of musketry, which we succeeded +in doing in some of the most villainous weather which it has ever been a +soldier's lot to experience. This concluded, back the five companies +went to Imtarfa, being relieved by the other three from Headquarters; +and now a constant succession of field days and route marches of a more +or less interesting character opened for us and continued until the 12th +of February, when the whole regiment was collected together on the +Cottonera side of the water, and those who were not to go to the Cape +were definitely weeded out. + +Sir Francis Grenfell inspected the Battalion on parade at Zabbar Gate a +day or two before we embarked, and was good enough to make some very +complimentary remarks. The "Pavonia," a big Cunarder, which arrived +early on the morning of the 19th of February with our reservemen on +board and no end of our mobilisation stores, impressed us very +favourably, and our liking for her as a comfortable ship increased with +our acquaintance of her. + +She was crowded with old comrades and new friends, both officers and +men, and we gave each other a cheery reception--not quite so cheery, +however, as the send-off from Chichester, which we had all heard about +by the mail a few days previously, and regarding which a large amount of +good natured chaff continued to pass for a long time. Many is the time +since then that some of us have longed, and with some reason too, for +one of the Mayor's famous pork-pies! + +The reservemen, especially those of Section D, were a fine lot, and made +one's heart swell with pride to think that at last the reward of years +of parades and routine would be reaped, and that a battalion of +thoroughly seasoned soldiers, second to none serving Her Majesty, was to +have an opportunity of showing what it could do in the field. + +Major Scaife, who had been left at home on the sick list when the +battalion embarked for Malta, but who had succeeded in passing a medical +board, was on the "Pavonia," as well as Captain Gilbert and Lieut. +Wroughton, of the Second Battalion. Both these had been attached to this +Battalion for duty during the campaign; so also had Captain Blake of the +Third Battalion, who had volunteered for duty as a subaltern. Lieut. +Harden, who had been promoted into the regiment from a West India +Battalion and had already seen considerable service on the West Coast of +Africa, and Lieut. Gouldsmith from the Depôt, with four new officers, +2nd Lieuts. Paget, Anderson, Montgomerie and Leachman, had also come to +join. These latter young officers were to purchase their experience +somewhat dearly as after events proved, but luckily with no fatal +results to themselves. + +The send-off of the battalion from Malta, although not equalling in +magnificence that accorded to our reservemen by the generous citizens of +Chichester, was no less cordial. The battalion concentrated in +Margharita Square and marched to the Bakery Wharf, the scene of endless +similar departures, played down by the band of the 3rd Royal West Kent +regiment and by the civilian band of Cospicua. We embarked about +mid-day, but remained in harbour that night to complete the loading of +the mobilisation stores and also to embark the Malta Company of Mounted +Infantry, which some weeks before we had been so chagrined at our +inability to join. This company was commanded by Captain Pine-Coffin of +the Loyal North Lancashire regiment, and he had with him a fine lot of +men of the Derbyshire, North Lancashire and Warwickshire regiments. + +At half-past ten on the 20th of February the screw made its first +revolution on its long journey, and we were fairly moving at last. The +Baracca and the fortifications overlooking the harbour were crowded with +people to see us off, and there was a scene of great enthusiasm as we +slowly steamed past St. Elmo, the bluejackets on the ships in harbour +giving us cheer after cheer. + +Between Malta and Gibraltar a great many stowaways turned up, some of +them having succeeded in bringing their full kit on board. Unhappily for +them the "Pavonia" called in at Gibraltar in obedience to signals from +the shore, the Malta authorities having telegraphed ahead; so our +friends were hunted up and taken ashore, terribly dejected at their +ill-luck. One or two, however, were 'cute enough to hide again, and this +time succeeded in coming with us all the way. + +The voyage was a slow and uneventful one. Absolutely nothing occurred to +vary the monotony or to increase the speed. The "Pavonia," although an +Atlantic liner, was not by any means the flyer that we had anticipated, +and performed all her duties with deliberation even to coaling. This was +carried out in a slow and stately manner in two days at St. Vincent, +many of our men, who volunteered for the purpose, being utilised in +assisting, owing to the dearth of coolies. Crossing the line on the 8th +of March we had the usual visit from Father Neptune, who arrived on +board about 7 p.m., and proceeded to hold his court according to ancient +custom, when numbers of his young subjects were presented to His Majesty +in due form and greeted by him in proper sea style. + +During the voyage every endeavour was made to give the men exercise and +to keep them in condition, no easy matter with such a large number of +men on board and so little room. However parades were held every day, +and signalling and semaphore classes were kept going, which relieved the +monotony a little. When we could not think of anything else for the +moment it was always easy to have a round-up amongst the kit bags or a +worry around the helmets on the lower deck! The band played on deck +pretty often, and so the weary time passed slowly away until the 20th of +March, when Table Mountain was at last sighted. We should never have +believed it possible that it was to be our fate to remain six days at +anchor, but such was the fact. The number of ships--mostly with troops, +but many with horses, cattle and coal--lying in the harbour was +prodigious, and we had of course to wait our turn before going into the +docks. This we did on the 26th, and we were enabled to give the +battalion a run ashore in the shape of a route march. Passing through +the streets of Cape Town we excited a good deal of comment owing to our +strength, which was over 1,200 and caused people to think we were two +battalions. A certain amount of liberty was accorded the men to go +ashore which they were not slow to avail themselves of, though they took +no undue advantage of the permission. Numbers of men seized the +opportunity to remit various sums to their families at home, and a +draft, one amongst several, for over £242 was sent to the Depôt on +account of these small remittances. The Depôt authorities sent out +these sums to the families, but for some idea best known to themselves, +informed them that the money was part of a subscription from officers +and men, which led to endless correspondence, as the families +immediately with one accord wrote and demanded to know what had become +of their husbands! + +Cape Town is a fine city and contains some splendid public buildings, +whilst its situation at the foot of Table Mountain is magnificent. The +suburbs at Green Point and Wynburg are excellently laid out, and it is +very pleasing to see the way trees are planted in the streets, and how +open spaces are encouraged. The electric trams are splendid, and many of +the battalion amused themselves by riding on the top of a car as far as +it went and coming back again. There is no better way of seeing a town. + +The streets were crowded with soldiers of all sorts. Every kind of +corps, Horse, Foot and Artillery, was represented, not only of the +Regular Army but of Colonials also. Here were Canadians, Australians, +New Zealanders, men from India and Ceylon, men from Malta, men from the +West Indies, men from Natal and all parts of South Africa, and crowds of +adventurers and dare-devils from every quarter of the globe, who had +enlisted in various local corps. Not only the Army, but the whole +British nation, owe to Mr. Kruger a debt of gratitude that can never be +repaid, inasmuch as the South African war has brought about such a +reorganisation and betterment of the Army and such a magnificent +outburst of patriotic feeling among our vast colonies as could never +have been excited by any other means. The ordinary individual who +remains in England all his life or potters about the Continent cannot, +unless he is a man of an open mind and phenomenal intelligence, grasp +the enormous size and resources of our colonies such as India, +Australasia, the Cape Colonies and Canada, and it has remained for Mr. +Kruger to compel this fact to become startlingly patent to the minds of +many men, both at home and out in the Colonies, who had never given any +attention previously to the subject. + +On the 30th March orders were received to proceed to East London to +disembark there, as apparently the traffic on the Cape railways was +congested to a degree, and some of it must be diverted on to the East +London line. So we steamed out again, passing round the Cape of Good +Hope in the afternoon and arriving on the 2nd of April at East London, +where we lay off the harbour, as we drew too much water to pass over the +bar and enter the channel. + +Captain Pine-Coffin and his Mounted Infantry were the first to +disembark, and were followed by A, B, and C companies under Major +O'Grady. F, G, and H companies under Major du Moulin were the next to +land on the 3rd of April, and were followed by Headquarters and D and E +companies the same evening. Each of these parties were entrained on +successive days with their kits and rations and ammunition, and were +despatched up country, meeting with great demonstrations from the +residents along the line. Some ladies at Fort Jackson were kind enough +to turn out late at night and provide tea for us, than which nothing +could have been more acceptable. A run of about eighteen or nineteen +hours brought us to Bethulie Bridge, where the fact that we were +actually at the enemy's country became as evident as a slap in the face +when we saw the railway bridge with its piers destroyed and its enormous +arches blown into the river. The Railway Pioneer regiment, a local corps +composed mostly of railway men and miners, was hard at work making a +diversion over the road bridge, which, luckily for us, had been saved +from the enemy by Major Shaw and Lieut. Popham of the Sherwood +Foresters a short time previously. + +The road bridge had had a line of rails laid along it, and trucks were +pushed over one by one, as the bridge was not strong enough to bear the +weight of an engine. This method of procedure was slow, but the +advantages of a through line were enormous; and considerable precautions +had to be maintained to guard against the likelihood of any further +disaster, since it was possible at any time that the enemy might try and +blow up the sole remaining bridge over the river, and it was, therefore, +needful to take especial care. Each party of troops arriving detrained +in succession and marched over the river about a couple of miles to the +railway station, where, in due course, they were entrained and +despatched up country. + +Head Quarters and D and E companies, however, remained for some little +time at Bethulie, relieving the Royal Scots on picket, and performing +the usual garrison duties. Alarms were several times raised that the +advance of a party of Boers, bent on wrecking the bridge, was imminent, +and all the troops stood to arms and reinforced the pickets; but nothing +further was ever heard. + +At last, on the 20th April, these two companies started on their march +to join the remainder of the battalion, which about this time was +concentrating at Ferreira, a siding on the railway a few miles south of +Bloemfontein. However after marching about 60 miles, and reaching +Edenburg at the end of a long and trying tramp of fully 24 miles, orders +were received to go on by train to Bloemfontein; and on arriving there +the two companies were sent on at once to Glen, which they reached early +on the 27th of April. Headquarters had detrained at Ferreira in passing, +and had joined the remainder of the battalion. + +Meanwhile, A, B, and C companies had been having some adventures, B +company having been fetched out of the train at Edenburg and ordered to +place the little town in a state of defence, as the advent of the enemy +was hourly expected. The Boers, however, failed to turn up, and B +company was then, on the 6th of April, ordered off to Bethany, about 10 +miles distant, where the company entrained, reaching Ferreira Siding +late at night. They stayed here and took their share of picket duty +until the end of the month. + +A and C companies, under Major O'Grady, after dropping B at Edenburg, +went on by rail to Bloemfontein, arriving there on the 5th April, and +receiving orders next day to camp on a hill about 2 miles south-east of +the railway station. This was in a dangerous neighbourhood, as about +this time the Boers were threatening the Waterworks and Springfield, +which is not far to the East; so a defensive work was laid out on this +hill by the Royal Engineers, which these two companies amused themselves +by erecting. Lord Roberts visited the site on the 10th of April and +christened it "Sussex Hill." The usual picket precautions were taken by +day and night, and the men were kept busy with pick and shovel; but a +good deal of rain interfered with the work, which was not completed +until the 17th of April, when orders were received to move to Ferreira +and join the remainder of the battalion. + +F, G, and H companies arrived at Bloemfontein on the 5th of April, but +after waiting some hours were entrained and moved down the line about 6 +miles to Ferreira Siding, where the pickets of the Royal Scots on +Leeuberg and the surrounding kopjes were relieved, and a guard mounted +on the bridge. + +At Ferreira, close to our little camp, a brother of Mr. Steyn, the late +President of the Orange Free State, had a sort of country residence, +and we saw a good deal of him, as he and his wife were very civil in +allowing the men to purchase bread, butter, and other things from their +farm. + +Mr. Steyn was a typical Boer, a fine, big man, with a long, black beard; +he was a solicitor in Bloemfontein, and of course an educated man, who +had travelled over England and the continent. Both he and his charming +wife used to be astonished, or pretended to be astonished, at the never +ending succession of troops daily passing their house on their way up to +the front, and used to ask us where all the troops came from. We, +naturally, did not give the show away, and explained carefully that +there were lots more where they came from, and that there was our +magnificent Indian army behind them again, only waiting to be called on. + +Around the Steyns' farm French's cavalry had encamped during Lord +Roberts' dash on Bloemfontein, just before entering the town, and there +was ample evidence of the fact in the shape of dead animals and empty +biscuit tins strewn for miles over the veldt. + +Mr. Steyn had, of course, been made a prisoner by the first arrivals of +our cavalry, but had taken the oath of allegiance, and had been given a +special pass to enable him to reside peacefully on his farm and to +prosecute his business in the town. + +He was occasionally subjected to a good deal of annoyance, it is a pity +to relate, from our own troops, and had several times to send over to +our detachment and ask for a sentry to be posted on his house. The +intruders were usually men of the Colonial forces who apparently thought +they had a right to order meals to be prepared and fowls to be handed +over at any time, and that they could remove Mr. Steyn's horses and +wagons in defiance of the written permit to retain them which he used to +show. + +On the 7th of April B company arrived, and also a battalion of the +Scots Guards and a squadron of Mounted Infantry. G and H companies went +to Kaal Spruit during the night, and from that date to the end of the +month the outposts were furnished by the Scots Guards and ourselves. + +On the 21st of April A and C companies arrived from Sussex Hill, and a +new camp was formed and tents pitched in anticipation of the arrival of +the remainder of the battalion. The Volunteer company arrived somewhat +unexpectedly early on the 24th, and went off to take their turn on +picket the same evening. The Colonel and the regimental staff arrived +the next day, and the battalion was then almost complete. + +Orders were shortly afterwards received to proceed to Bloemfontein; at 3 +p.m. on the 27th of April the seven companies left by road, and on +arrival camped in the Highland Brigade camp just south of the town. The +men's blankets and baggage had been sent by rail, and, as no transport +could be procured until late, the blankets did not reach camp until +nearly midnight. However the men were in tents, and the bivouac poles +came in handy for making tea, no fuel of any kind being procurable in +camp. + +Lord Roberts, accompanied by Major General Kelly, who had served many +years in the battalion, inspected us on parade the next day at 10 a.m. +preparatory to marching off to Glen. This march, a long and tiresome +one, gave us our first experience of the veldt, and we were not sorry to +find ourselves at Glen after our 16 miles tramp. D and E companies were +already there, and had camp pitched for us; our baggage, however, did +not turn up until the early morning, so we had to put in the night the +best way we could, under bags and tent walls, in the absence of +blankets. The whole Brigade was camped here, and the next day we fairly +started on our travels. + + + + +CHAPTER II. + +THE 21ST BRIGADE. THE TREK BEGINS. + + Composition of the Brigade---Start from Glen--Transport + arrangements--To Jacobsrust--Rations--Halts--Pickets--Tobacco--Tea. + + +The 21st Brigade was composed of four regiments, of which the Royal +Sussex (under Col. Donne) was the senior. Next came the Sherwood +Foresters, under Major Gossett (commanding in place of Colonel +Smith-Dorrien, who was then in command of the 19th Brigade), who had +under him a splendid body of men, the majority having served in their +Second Battalion during the Tirah campaign. The experience gained in +this war against the Afridis was extremely valuable to the officers and +men, as the system of fighting adopted by the crafty Pathan bore many +points of similarity to that carried out by brother Boer. The next +regiment in the brigade in order of seniority was the Cameron +Highlanders, commanded by Lieut.-Colonel Kennedy. This regiment was +practically just off one campaign, as they had served in the last +Omdurman expedition and had not left Egypt until ordered to the Cape. +The men were in magnificent condition, hard as nails, and, throughout +the campaign, they amply justified the opinion formed of them at first +sight. The remaining battalion in the brigade was the famous regiment of +the City Imperial Volunteers. They were, of course, men of fine +physique, having been especially selected for their physical fitness and +their soldierly qualities, and I think it has been allowed by everyone +who has marched and worked in the field side by side with this battalion +of citizen soldiers that their conduct and bearing has at all times been +equal to that of the best infantry battalion in the Regular Army. + +They had a cyclist section with them, but this was too small to be of +any use except as orderlies, or despatch riders. + +I think there is a great future before the cyclist soldier, and I should +like to have seen a cyclist battalion, 1000 strong, employed in this +campaign with the Mounted Infantry Brigades. There is one point I am +quite positive about, and that is, that after having trekked over 1,500 +miles in all parts of the country, from Pretoria to Bethulie, and in all +weathers, I have seen no district, not even in the Caledon Valley, where +cyclists in large numbers could not have been utilised in place of or in +addition to Mounted Infantry. + +The Brigade was commanded by Colonel Bruce Hamilton of the East +Yorkshire regiment, who was promoted to Major-General before the +conclusion of the campaign. General Hamilton has a long record of active +and staff service, having taken part in the Afghan war, the Burma war, +and campaigns in Ashanti and on the West Coast of Africa; one of his +earliest experiences of active service being in the Boer War of 1881, +when he was A.D.C. to Sir George Colley and was present at the historic +fights of that campaign, Laings Nek and the Ingogo. He afterwards served +on the Staff at Bombay and at Simla, and, at the time our battalion was +at Aldershot in 1899, he was an A.G. to General Lyttleton's Brigade, +eventually going out to Natal as an A.G. when the war broke out, and +later receiving command of the 21st Brigade. + +Major Shaw, the Brigade Major, belonged to the Sherwood Foresters and +was in Malta with us in that regiment, with which he also served in the +early part of the campaign in the Orange Free State, distinguishing +himself at the capture of the bridge at Bethulie. The General's +Aide-de-Camp was Lieut. Fraser of the Cameron Highlanders, who was +afterwards assisted in his duties by Lieut. Clive Wilson of the +Yeomanry. The Brigade Transport Officer was Major Cardew of the Army +Service Corps, and the officer in charge of Supplies was Lieut. Lloyd of +the same corps, who had lately returned from active service on the West +Coast. + +Our medical officer was Major Dundon, R.A.M.C., who had accompanied us +from Malta, and who on board ship had inoculated a great many officers +and men of the battalion against enteric fever. Major Dundon's own +health, however, gave way, and he suffered so much from fever that he +had to be admitted to hospital and sent down country, so that he did not +afterwards return to the regiment. + +On the 29th of April we started from Glen on our travels, but we did not +move until one o'clock, as there was a good deal of work to be done +first, leaving extra kit behind and issuing rations, of which we carried +two days' supply in our haversacks and four days' on the wagons. Some of +us have often, on after days when we were hard up for a bit of +breakfast, looked back on this morning at Glen and wished we could lay +hands on the piles and piles of biscuits which were thrown away by the +men. + +At Glen our transport was issued to us; there were nine wagons +altogether, but as it was impossible to obtain mules, our four +ammunition carts, which we had brought out from home with us, and the +great casks of harness, had all to be left behind. We had no water-carts +either, except the one which had been lent to the detachment at +Ferreira, and which, under the circumstances, it was thought advisable +to retain. We should also have had led mules to carry ammunition, the +medical panniers and the signalling gear, but none were available for +this purpose; so all this gear had to be loaded on the nine wagons, +which were pretty full in consequence. + +One wagon was allowed to every two companies to carry blankets, +great-coats, cooking pots, ration baskets, etc. Our nine companies thus +took four and a half wagons, leaving the same number to carry all the +miscellaneous gear, the officers' kits, the ammunition, entrenching +tools, and two days' rations, besides the reserve ration of bully beef. + +It always struck us as being somewhat ironical having to carry a reserve +ration of bully beef while on the march, as the country was full of +cattle, which could have been driven in if required. If the worst had +come to the worst we could, in an emergency, have eaten the trek oxen, +which were quite as tender as the slaughter bullocks. + +The company wagons were terribly overloaded; each company was about 120 +strong, so the wagons had to carry 240 blankets and waterproof sheets +and 240 great-coats, besides the other impedimenta. + +As time went on, Major Cardew succeeded in getting us other wagons, and +some small carts were picked up at farms and utilised to carry our +reserve ammunition, the signalling gear, the doctors' boxes and the +tools; but the difficulty was to find animals to draw these carts. There +were plenty of carts at the farms, but the only beasts that we could get +were such stray mules as we encountered on the road, or which were found +in camp. They were mostly quite unfit for work and had been abandoned on +that account, but, anyhow, we had to put them in harness and get what +work we could out of them until we found better ones. + +Each large wagon was drawn by ten mules, and looked after by two black +boys as drivers, and one soldier as wagonman, who applied the brake +when necessary. The wagons were large and heavy, and the wheels too +light and spidery to stand much rough usage; and each wagon was cumbered +with a huge box or driving seat which must have weighed at least one +hundredweight, the use of which was not very obvious. + +All wagons, and indeed all the transport carts, and the guns too, were +fitted with the South African brake, which is applied or taken off by +means of a hand-wheel at the back of the cart. These powerful brakes are +very necessary owing to the steep descents sometimes met with, and the +erratic behaviour at all times of the mules. These animals gave much +trouble at first, but soon, with hard work and scanty feed, became more +docile. + +The native drivers had been enlisted evidently because they were +natives, not on account of what they knew about mules or oxen. Many of +them were quite ignorant of how to treat the mules, and flogged them all +day without cessation, until at last the use of long whips was +forbidden. + +The mules suffered a good deal from the want of water on the march. They +will not drink before about eight o'clock in the morning, and by that +time we were on the road usually, and there was no opportunity, until we +arrived at our destination, of watering the animals. This was a pity, as +they would have travelled much the better for it. Sometimes we had a +rest of a couple of hours in the middle of the day, when the animals +were allowed to water and graze; but more often the exigencies of the +campaign would not allow of our halting for long. + +Some of the artillery baggage wagons were of the old box pattern which, +it is understood, was condemned in 1881, after the first Boer war, as +being quite unsuitable; but now they appeared again. The artillery used +to mount a driver on the leading mule of the team and this plan seemed +to have many advantages. There is always much trouble in starting a team +of mules, as the natural perversity of the animals prevents them from +all pulling at once and together, until they are fairly started. + +To humour the wretched beasts it is sometimes necessary to get men to +give the van a shove along, so that the ten mules, when they find the +wagon moving, get at once into their collars and step out together in +the most docile fashion. Give a mule a slight ascent in the road in +front of him and the extraordinary creature is in his element at once, +and puts all his weight into his work; but on level ground or on a down +grade, a good deal of attention is necessary to keep the traces taut and +the mules from hanging back and getting their legs over them. + +We crossed the river by a footbridge and marched about eight miles to +Klein Ospruit. The baggage wagons had some adventures at the drifts and +did not arrive till fairly late, so that we had some trouble sorting out +our kits and other property in the dark. + +Next day we marched to Schanz Kraal, a short march over grassy veldt. +The Volunteer company had the honour of being the first to come under +the enemy's fire on this occasion, as they were plugged at by one of the +Boer guns whilst they were acting as escort to our battery. The shells, +however, dropped short and did no damage. The 1st of May saw us up at +6.30, and on the tramp on an exceptionally long march to Jacobsrust, or +Steynspruit as it is sometimes called. The weather was the most charming +that could be wished for, a true South African day, and, had the march +been 12 miles instead of the 18 or 19 that it actually was, we should +have been better pleased. Arriving on the top of a nek, or dip in the +hills, we saw a huge plain in front simply covered with troops, all +dismounted and resting. These were Broadwood's Cavalry and Ian +Hamilton's Mounted Infantry, and, after a while, they moved off in +advance of us, we following in an hour's time and reaching Jacobsrust +just before dusk. + +Our first business on arrival in camp each day was to see to the +provision of wood and water for cooking purposes, no easy matter in a +treeless country like the Orange Free State. When there were trees, wood +parties were sent out under an officer, and sometimes wooden fencing +posts were brought in from round the fields. Later on, when we moved +further North and wood became more scarce, men used to pick up these +fencing posts on their march home into camp, but, as they never knew +where camp was to be until they reached it, sometimes they were let in +to carry these logs of wood for miles. Occasionally, but very seldom, a +few small houses were ordered to be destroyed, and in that case the +troops were allowed to take the wood out of the doors and windows, +floors and ceilings. This did not often happen, though, as great +precautions were always being taken not to do any unnecessary damage or +to alarm the people of the country needlessly. A better substitute for +firewood was also found, under the guidance of stern necessity, to be +dried cowdung, and towards the close of the campaign the men used this +in preference to wood, as it was easier to get and lighter to carry. + +Whilst the wood and water parties were out, there was nothing more to be +done except to wait until the wagons arrived with the blankets. This was +a matter, sometimes of minutes, sometimes of hours, and it was in order +to guard against any possible delay in the movements of the wagons that +every man was ordered to carry, in addition to a blanket, two days' +rations of tea, sugar and biscuit, and one day's ration of meat in his +haversack and canteen, which were regularly replaced when consumed. +Thus every man had in his possession the wherewithal to make a meal, +either in the middle of the day when a halt took place with the +intention of allowing the men to cook, or on arrival in camp. + +The meat ration was driven with us in the form of slaughter oxen, and +immediately on arrival in camp the butchers, who rode on a wagon and did +not have to walk, set to work and killed sufficient oxen to supply the +Brigade. It is said that sometimes the butchers killed a tough old trek +ox by mistake for a young heifer, but this statement is, I am sure, a +libel. The butchers were allowed to sell the liver, heart, head, etc. of +the bullocks and sheep killed, at a certain fixed price; so, when the +slaughtering was going on, there was sure to be a small crowd of +would-be purchasers waiting. + +Sometimes when the Brigade arrived late in camp the issue of rations +would take place several hours after dark; but as every man had that +day's rations carried on his person in addition to the next day's +groceries and biscuit, there was not really anything to complain about, +except the inconvenience, which was unavoidable. Many men did not at +first, however, realise that they had two day's biscuit in their +haversacks, and used to eat it all, or most of it, on the first +opportunity. There came a time, also, when, without notice, _flour_ was +issued for the second day's ration, and our improvident friends were +fetched up with a round turn. + +Owing to the difficulties of transport and to the fact that every mortal +thing had to be carried with us--the country furnishing nothing but +cattle and forage--the ration question was always a troublesome one to +the regimental officer. No doubt it is an awkward thing issuing fresh +meat on the march, but what could be done? Preserved meat could not be +carried owing to the weight, and so the trek ox had to be cut up and +served out at no matter what hour. No doubt the pound-and-a-half of +meat, when cut up into portions, looked very small, and was often so +uninviting, that many of the men threw away their meat ration, such as +it was. Personally I do not think that the meat ration issued in this +way is nearly large enough, and it might with advantage be doubled at +the very least. By the time the bone, scraps, skin and dirty pieces are +cut away from a portion of meat representing the rations of a section +calculated at three pounds per man, and this again is subdivided into +each man's little chunk, it will be found that what was originally +considered as three pounds has dwindled to a pound-and-a-half or less. +The Boer prisoners, whom we rationed, laughed at the idea of existing on +the soldier's ration of a pound-and-a half of meat, and complained to +the General and got more. + +Whilst on the march it was impossible to make any other arrangement than +that each man should be responsible for his own cooking. This was +necessary in consequence of the liability of any man to go off on +picket, on guard, or on any duty where he might be detached from the +bulk of his comrades. The utmost that the company cooks could do to be +of benefit was to occasionally boil the water for the tea and let each +man make his own brew. Not that he could make many brews out of his +ration; far from it. In a laboratory, no doubt, carefully weighed +rations of tea will make a certain quantity of quite a respectable +drink, but in the field when the soldier has to carry his tea, tied up +in a bit of rag, it certainly does not go far enough, and the man has to +drink water, with every possibility of enteric supervening. Again, tea +made in bulk as in military kitchens at Aldershot is quite a different +matter to the same article made in a canteen out of the miserable pinch +which constitutes one man's ration for one day. Similar arguments apply +to the coffee and sugar; in fact the whole question of rations in the +field needs revision. What we would have done without the Brigade +Canteen which the General started, I do not know; but the quantity of +tea, sugar and foodstuffs generally sold in that institution was only +limited by the amount that could be purchased in the towns. + +On the march, the column usually halted at the regulation intervals of +time as prescribed in the drill books, of five minutes after the first +half-hour's marching and ten minutes on the completion of each +succeeding hour. There is some slight modification needed in this +regulation, as experience gained in marching, not only in South Africa, +has shown: the first halt is not long enough and should be at least ten +minutes or even longer, to enable men to fall out if they wish it. After +that, the halts should be for five minutes on the completion of each +half-hour's marching. + +A full hour is too long to continue moving, carrying the heavy weight +that men do on the march, and a few minutes rest after half an hour's +walking is better than a long spell after an hour's march. The weight of +the blanket and the other equipment on the shoulders, which may not +appear to be great on first putting it on, soon reminds one of its +presence, and the half-hourly halt enables the men to sit down and +relieve their aching shoulders. + +According to the regulations the proper place for the stretchers of a +battalion is for all of them, with their stretcher-bearers, to move in +rear under the medical officer, but common sense points to each +stretcher being always kept with its own company. + +In South Africa, movements were so extended and companies so far apart, +sometimes, that the stretchers would have been useless if kept +together; and it is much more reasonable for the two men to go with +their company, wherever it might be, on picket or baggage guard, or +escort to guns, or any similar duty. + +All regiments did not do this, however; and once during the mid-day +halt, we were much amused at the antics of a very military Volunteer +doctor, who was in charge of a squad of stretcher bearers, and was +trying to move them off with due decorum and a proper observance of +their importance. After falling-in and telling-off, they took up and +laid down their stretchers several times, just to wake things up a bit, +and then they received the order--"Stretcher party, r-r-right--form!" + +This not being satisfactory, the doctor exclaimed "As you were! Now on +the word 'Right'! the right hand man turns to the right, the remainder +at the same time making a half-turn in the same direction," etc., and he +delivered the order again; upon which, this intricate manoeuvre being +executed to his satisfaction, the whole party solemnly moved off, +followed by the smiles of our men and a few muttered remarks, such as +"'e must 'ave thought 'e were in 'Ide Park"! + +When our baggage wagons arrived in camp they were unloaded at once, and +the rolls of blankets and great-coats taken off to the sections that +owned them. The men then proceeded to erect their bivouacs, if they were +particular, or to spread their blankets on the ground, if they were +tired. + +Sometimes it was our duty to furnish the pickets to protect the camp +during a halt, and when this was the case the companies used to go off, +as soon as they arrived in camp, to the spots pointed out by the Brigade +Major, and make themselves comfortable there until daybreak the next +morning; when either they were relieved, or else the column marched off +and the pickets followed behind as a rear guard. The wagons used to go +out to the pickets, if they were any distance off, with their blankets +and great-coats; but if they were at all close to camp, as they +frequently were, then the men used to carry out their bundles +themselves. As a rule, we camped in a hollow close to water, which was +either in a dam or a spruit (small stream), and the pickets were posted +in prominent places on the surrounding hills. We had early learned to +consider these pickets as really defensive posts, put out to hold +certain prominent features, with a view to preventing the enemy from +occupying them with guns and riflemen and from annoying us in camp, and +not as outpost pickets with their visiting and reconnoitring patrols by +day and night. + +Cover from view was as much to be desired as protection from bullets and +possible shell fire, and every man was told off to his own little +position some distance away from the next man. Permanent objects like +sangars and walls in exposed positions might serve to draw the enemy's +fire more than was desirable, so, to deceive him, other positions were +whenever possible utilised. At early daybreak every man stood to his +arms for a while, watching especially points from which fire might be +opened by the enemy. Cordite being smokeless, we, of course, never knew +where the enemy actually was concealed, and could only fire at likely +places, in the hope that he _was_ there and that our bullets would make +him keep his head and rifle safe under cover. Double sentries, +especially at night, were of course an absolute necessity, and +signalling communication was invariably maintained between the pickets +and the camp, both by day and by night. + +In the field there ought to be a weekly issue of tobacco, which should +be considered as part of the rations: it is impossible, sometimes for +weeks on end, for the men to purchase tobacco for themselves, and the +loss or absence of this luxury is very severely felt. Tobacco is +certainly procurable at some of the Supply Depôts at the bases, on +payment, and twice during the nine months of our wanderings an issue was +made to those companies which had money on hand with which to pay for +it; the amounts which were due from the individual men were then charged +through their accounts and, after a good deal of clerical labour, the +transaction was concluded. + +Owing to the greater necessity for carrying food, our Supply wagons +usually had no room to carry tobacco; so that it was not often, in fact +only twice, as has been said, that it was procurable. + +The price was very inconvenient too; in a land where copper coins are +unknown and the smallest coin is a "tikky," or threepenny piece, to +charge 1s 4d. for an article means that there is always trouble over the +change, which is increased if only half the quantity is asked for. + +Smoking before food has been taken as productive of eventual thirst. It +is extraordinary how men will smoke at all hours of the night, in fact +whenever they are awake; but it is a practice which ought not to be +allowed on the march, as the effects are surely felt later in the day +when the heat and consequent thirst rapidly increase: this engenders +drinking, and the water bottles are soon emptied before there is any +chance of replenishing them. + +Undoubtedly, men require careful training and education in these little +matters, and, if they are properly attended to, as a result a long march +may be comfortably carried out and the men brought in to camp in good +physical form, not exhausted to the last stage, as they frequently are. + +Our water supply when we were on the march was usually procured from the +spruits or streams, but in the Orange River Colony we frequently had no +other water than that procured from pools, more or less stagnant, and of +a dirty yellow colour from the suspended impurities. The section of the +Royal Engineers with our Brigade had a couple of hand pumps in their +carts with the picks and shovels, explosives and other things that they +carry in the field; and these pumps, immediately on arrival in camp, +were fixed up at the water supply, and a sentry posted to keep off +cattle and to see that the water was not contaminated by men washing in +it. + +Whilst on the march there was very little sickness from bowel +complaints. No doubt the constant daily exercise in the magnificent +climate and the excitement combined to render the men somewhat innocuous +to the attentions of the enteric microbe, or, more probably, the water +that we drank had not, up to then, been poisoned with these germs, +although it was dirty enough in all conscience. + +What with the constant smoking and want of self control, men usually +drank a good deal of water on the march and during the day in camp or on +picket: were the ration of tea increased in the field, as it might well +be, to three times the present quantity, men would drink considerably +less water on service and would save themselves a good deal of sickness. +Men will not go to the trouble of preparing boiled water for their +bottles; but if they have sufficient tea to spare, they will often fill +up their bottles with it. + +There is nothing better to drink on the march than cold tea: it is an +excellent mild stimulant, it is a gentle aperient, and it is also a +febrifuge in a small way, besides being somewhat astringent: it clears +the brain, too, and leaves a clean taste in the mouth. Veldt water, on +the other hand, besides being a breeding establishment for the germs and +microbes of nearly all the diseases under the sun, is nasty to look at, +horrid to smell, and disgusting to drink: it invariably pours out in the +form of sweat if the weather is at all warm, and it clogs the mouth and +tongue with a mawkish taste which speedily requires more water to remove +it. + +Why the microscopic ration of tea should be increased on the same day by +equally minute portions of coffee and cocoa has always been a puzzle. +The advantage and necessity of varying the drink ration is understood, +but why issue three kinds in one day, instead of tea one day, coffee the +next, and cocoa the third? At the best of times the men had no place in +which to stow the small portions of each of these articles which +comprised the daily ration, and were, perforce, compelled to wrap each +lot up in bits of rag and carry them in their haversacks. + +Ration baskets were provided in which one day's groceries could have +been carried in bulk by each company, but, as an order had been issued +for each man to carry his own, these baskets proved to be useless +lumber. + + + + +CHAPTER III. + +TO ZAND RIVER. + + On the March--Formations--Protection--Necessity of Mounted + Troops--Engagement at Welkom Farm--Capture of Winburg--Soldiers and + their Boots--Naval Guns. + + +In order to enable the force to be concentrated, the 21st Brigade halted +on the 2nd of May at Jacobsrust, continuing their march the following +day to Isabellafontein. The names of some of the farms are very curious +and depend greatly on local conditions. The thick-skulled Boer farmer +when he first arrived and selected his farm lost no time in dubbing it +with a title, which, in after years, appears somewhat incongruous and +confusing, as numbers of farmers hit upon the same happy idea of naming +their locations Klipfontein, Doornberg, or Leeukop; and the result is +that there are hundreds of places in the Orange River Colony with the +same name--Doornkops are as common as dirt, whilst Deelfonteins, and +farms called Modderfontein, or Muddy Spring, are quite numerous. Then, +again, the settler, instead of naming his farm from the physical +properties of the land or the quality of the water, frequently called it +after his vrouw, so that one often came across farms called Ellensrust, +for instance. Many others are named after animals, such as +Hartebeestefontein, Wildebeeste Hoek, or Quaggafontein, while others are +called Welkom Rust or Wonderfontein, the meaning of which is apparent. + +The farms are all fenced with barbed wire, of generally three strands, +with posts of wood or, more usually, of big slabs of quarried stone. +These wire fences were of course a great hindrance to all mounted men +and had to be cut in all directions. + +On the march we used to move in column of fours, unless the veldt was +broad and open, when we still kept our fours but moved the companies +out to the right and left, so that we were really in a column of double +companies moving in fours to a flank. This was a very good and simple +formation, since the companies could open out or close in to the centre +without difficulty, and at any time they were all handy and ready to +move in any direction without the slightest delay. The battalion seldom +or never moved in column of companies, as it was found that this was the +most tiring formation of all in a long march, especially when the men +were carrying a full kit. This full kit consisted of rifle, with +magazine charged; haversack, with one day's complete rations and one +day's issue of tea, sugar and biscuit; canteen and water-bottle; +sidearms and equipment with 100 rounds of ammunition; and a blanket, +strapped on the waistbelt at the back. All this totals up a good load, +but there was nothing that could have been dispensed with, the blanket, +which was most cumbersome and unwieldy, being really as necessary as +anything. + +The officers wore equipment the same as the men, and nearly all of them +carried a rifle or a carbine. This was a most necessary precaution, as +there is no doubt the enemy invariably directed their fire on the +officers, and of course anyone seen to be dressed differently to the +men, or not carrying a rifle, would be immediately spotted by the Boers. +I asked some of the prisoners this question when we were escorting them +from the Golden Gate, and they said at once that they always +concentrated their fire on those who appeared to be the leaders. + +The advanced flank and rear guards were always found by the mounted +troops, who kept well away from us; as indeed they ought to, if they +intend to keep the column beyond rifle shot of the enemy, which may be +taken as fully 2,000 yards, or about a mile and a quarter. It will +easily be seen what a farce a flank guard of infantry must be, unless +it can move at such a distance from the column as will enable it +effectually to protect that column, without hampering it or checking its +progress. On the other hand, if the flank guard gets too far away from +the column, it is liable to be cut off itself, whilst if it remains too +close in, it does no good and merely masks the fire of the main body. It +is a difficult question to answer--how is a column to protect itself in +these days of long range rifle fire unless it has mounted men? + +I saw a column on the march once which consisted of an infantry +battalion with its full complement of transport and with a couple of +guns, with their wagons, and the way the flank guards were put out was a +study in how _not_ to do it. Imagine an enormous rectangle, stretching +along the road and extending about 200 yards on each side of it, the +ends and sides of this rectangle being composed of men moving in single +file and about three or four paces apart. Inside this rectangle was the +main body, the baggage and the guns; and it is easy to conceive that, +owing to so many men being used to form the ends and sides of the +rectangle, there were hardly any left to make up the main body or to act +as a reserve, while, from the formation adopted, nothing could be done +by the men forming the sides, except to lie down if they were attacked. +I never saw a more hopeless instance of slavish adherence to the drill +books and utter want of common sense and adaptability to the conditions +of service in this country. The commanding officer, who was a Staff +College man, has since been badly stellenbosched. + +A story is told of General Smith-Dorrien which is very characteristic of +that gallant officer and worth repeating. + +It seems that on one occasion, somewhere in South Africa, the officer +commanding a certain battery of artillery was somewhat chary of getting +too close to the enemy: perhaps he was thinking of his horses. + +Getting tired of finding the battery to be always out of effective +range, the General sent an order that the battery was to be brought up +to where the 19th Brigade flag was planted. So the Major limbered up and +advanced his battery up to the General, who promptly galloped on, flag +and all, another 600 yards nearer the enemy, where he stuck his +flagstaff into the ground and waited for the battery to carry out their +orders, to come "up to where the flag was!" + +On the 4th May, whilst on the march northwards, we had our first +experience, as a battalion, of shell fire at the engagement of Welkom +Farm, or Wellow as it is sometimes called. The brunt of the fighting was +borne by the Cavalry and Mounted Infantry, but the enemy dropped several +shells in our direction, two of which burst at the head of the +battalion, but luckily did no damage. The battalion had advanced in +column of companies, extended of course, in support of the mounted +troops, who were manoeuvring on our front and on our left. To our right +and left front the hills converged and were held by the enemy's +riflemen, who were, however, out of range. A couple of companies were +detached to guard our right flank, moving parallel with us and keeping +the enemy behind his cover, whilst a couple more advanced against the +hills on our left front, which had by this time been cleared by our +cavalry, not before they had come under shell and pom-pom fire and had +experienced a few losses. One of our men,[1] was severely wounded on +this occasion. + +After climbing the low hills on our left front, we sat and watched the +remainder of the Brigade coming along, and waited until the Cavalry had +scouted some miles to our front before we finally left our position. + +A very good view was obtainable from this hilltop, and it was disgusting +to have to sit still and watch the Boer convoy trekking away in a +north-easterly direction and about 4 miles off. We could see the wagons +and long lines of bullocks distinctly, and little specks, which were +probably mounted men, darting about up and down the road. However, +nothing could be done to stop them, and so they slowly passed out of +sight. + +It was very interesting to see, watching from the top of the hill, one +of the other regiments of the Brigade advancing in attack formation, in +column of companies extended about ten paces; and, even at the very +great distance they were away, it was curious to notice how the officers +and section commanders showed up in the intervals between the long +extended lines. They were, of course, in their proper places and only a +few paces in rear of their sections, but, even two miles away, one could +recognise the black speck in front of the centre of the company, and the +other tiny atoms moving along in rear of the half-companies and +sections. + +There is no doubt it is a sound principle that, when extended, officers, +supernumeraries and buglers should invariably march in the extended line +amongst the men, from whom, if this is done, they are practically +indistinguishable. The companies and sections can just as well be +controlled from the ranks as from any other position half a dozen paces +in rear, and the reduction in the size of the objective which the enemy +is looking at is worthy of consideration. + +During the afternoon we went on to the farm near the river and there +camped, but after this long day's work we still had the pickets to +furnish, and sent out several companies to the hills to the north and +west of the camp for this purpose. However, picket duty, except for the +slight extra marching entailed, is no great hardship on a fine night +when wood and water are plentiful, and one has always the consolation of +knowing that some other regiment will be on duty the day after. + +Winburg was reached on the evening of the next day after a long and +tiresome march. We camped near the railway station, and found the piles +of wooden sleepers very easily split and very useful for our fires. The +town is situated at the end of a branch railway which joins the main +line at Smaldeal Junction, about 20 miles off, and which will in time, +no doubt, be prolonged to the north-east and connect with Senekal, which +is distant about 34 miles. Winburg is a small town of the usual +description--Church in the middle of the market square, a couple of +small hotels, two or three decent-sized general stores and a few small +houses. The railway makes a curious curve when entering the town, and +runs round three parts of a circle before it finally pulls up at a tiny +station. + +The line and the station buildings were untouched when we arrived, but +no engines or rolling stock were left for us. The Boers had not long +been gone when our cavalry entered the town and demanded its surrender, +but our horses were too much done up for the mounted troops to continue +the pursuit. The Boer forces were so very mobile--as they naturally +would be when moving about in their own country and acting always on the +defensive--that to allow our mounted troops to get too far in front and +away from the infantry would have been a tactical error. It might have +resulted in the separation of our columns and their attack in detail by +the Boers, who would then have had a great advantage. + +The battalions in the Brigade were ordered to be weeded out of all men +unable to perform steady and continuous marching, and we accordingly had +to leave a goodly number of lame ducks behind in charge of Major +Panton.[2] Some of them had bad and worn-out boots, ruined, most likely, +by the salt water on board ship, and by the want of dubbing but the +large majority were suffering from sore feet, caused in nine cases out +of ten either by badly-fitting boots or by want of attention to the +feet. These had occurred in spite of orders and warnings without number, +but it seems impossible to get the soldier to pay any attention to his +feet. + +There is not a medical man or a pedestrian who will not say that it is +absolutely necessary to change the socks frequently and to wash the feet +invariably at the end of a march. There is not a soldier in the service +who will not insist that this practice softens the feet and leads to +blisters and subsequent falling out. + +Until some very drastic measures are introduced preventing men from +receiving boots too small for them, and legislating for their better +preservation and for proper cleanliness of the feet, our army will never +be able to march any better than it does at present. The man to blame is +the man who wears the boots, but he cannot be brought to see that, or to +listen to words of experienced men who were marching with soldiers when +he was in his cradle. The agonies which some men will endure from a +badly-fitting boot are beyond belief. I have seen, in Ireland, a man +draw out his foot, covered with blood, from his boot, after a 5 miles' +walk, and be unable to march for weeks afterwards. + +The pluck and endurance and indomitable perseverance shown by men with +ill-fitting boots proves devotion worthy of a better cause, but it has +been a marvel to me for the last twenty years, why bitter experience has +never taught the foot soldier to wear boots large enough for him. It is +a well-known fact that after some marching has been done, a larger size +in boots is required, as the feet swell and need more room; but the +soldier, with an 8-2 foot when he joins, will go on asking for 8-2 boots +until doomsday, and will have a grievance if he is compelled in the +field to wear a pair of 9-3's, as he should be. + +Whilst on the march we were compelled to resort to individual cooking, +since every man carried his own ration, and this practice worked well, +although a great deal of time was taken up by each individual which +might have been better employed in sleep or rest. The men seemed to be +always cooking; what with looking after the fires, collecting wood and +_mest_, or dried cow-dung, and fetching water, the whole camp seemed to +be perpetually moving round their camp fires, frying and boiling until a +very late hour at night. The issue of flour instead of biscuit was +responsible for a great deal of the time wasted in cooking. Some of the +companies used to arrange for the cooks to prepare, in the camp kettles, +hot water for the men to make their own tea, but it was impossible to +arrange to cook the meat in this way, as each man had his own portion +served out to him by his section commander. + +Many men cooked and ate their scrap of meat in the early morning, others +finished it off at the mid-day halt, whilst a great number threw away +their little bit of tough trek ox rather than carry it all day, steaming +and jostling about in a smelly canteen, or wrapped in a dirty piece of +rag and crammed into a haversack, cheek by jowl with some tobacco and a +pair of socks, perhaps. + +This canteen was the only cooking pot the men had, although in the +course of time many of them procured tin cans, the Australian "billy," +to assist in making their tea or coffee. The canteen is not an easy +thing to keep clean at the best of times when it is in constant use, and +we had no opportunity of replacing those which wore out by the constant +cooking. + +We had to thank De Wet for this. One of the trains which was wrecked by +him contained many thousands of new canteens which, months afterwards, +could be seen lying by the side of the line, reduced to their original +factor of sheet iron. + +After leaving Welkom Farm the rearguard was overtaken by the Highland +Brigade, who were following in support to our Brigade; with them were +two of the famous 4.7 naval guns, manned by a party of bluejackets--at +least the men wore straw hats, but the rest of their kit was the same as +ours. + +The guns had been rigged up on temporary field carriages, designed by +some bold man, which would have made an official in the Royal +Gun-carriage Factory turn ill with horror. + +First of all came bullocks--about forty of them--dragging an +absurd-looking gun, mounted on an equally curiously-made limber, with +enormously broad wheels. This was dragged muzzle first, contrary to all +precedent, with the gun pointing over the bullocks' backs. The trail was +supported on a little low carriage with a boom sticking out behind like +a tiller; and a tiller it was undoubtedly, for two bluejackets hung on +to it, and, by shoving it to port or starboard, guided the gun in the +proper direction. + +Whilst in Winburg the following order was issued by General Ian +Hamilton, commanding the entire force, which was henceforward called the +Winburg Column:-- + + _Extract from Brigade Orders. Winburg, + 5th May, 1900._ + +"The G.O.C. Winburg Column has much pleasure in informing the troops +under his command that he has received from the F.M. C.-in-C. in South +Africa a telegram, in which Lord Roberts expresses his high appreciation +of the good work recently performed by all ranks in the Winburg Column. +His lordship has yet to hear of the further success achieved by the +capture of Winburg. During the past thirteen days a portion of the +Winburg Column has marched over 100 miles, fighting the enemy on nine +separate occasions, and capturing two important towns. The other portion +of the column has borne at least its full share of the very successful +operations which have followed the battle of Houtnek. The G.O.C. cannot +therefore but feel that his column has fairly earned, not only the +praises of the F.M. C.-in-C., which are published separately, but also a +day or two of comparative rest. In the same message, however, in which +Lord Roberts expresses his high appreciation of the successes we have +achieved, he directs us not to slacken our efforts for several days to +come. The enemy is hurrying northwards to concentrate, and it is of +nothing less than national importance that his movements should be +impeded, and his guns and convoys if possible captured. Thanks to the +good work which has already been accomplished, this column now finds +itself better placed to carry out the Field-Marshal's wishes than any +other portion of the troops under his command. The opportunity is a +great one, and Gen. Ian Hamilton confidently appeals to the officers and +men of the Winburg Column to make the very best of it, regardless of the +fatigue and privation which will probably have to be undergone before +success is secured." + +The next day--the 6th of May--we made an afternoon march, together with +the 19th Brigade, Smith-Dorrien's, and the Cavalry and Mounted Infantry, +of about 9 miles, to a farm called Dankbarsfontein. The "fontein" in +this instance belied its name, and instead of being a gushing spring of +clear, sparkling water, which would have pleased the heart of Sir +Wilfred Lawson, it was a succession of dirty puddles which would have +created dismay among the ranks of the A.T.A. had there been any of their +members left! + +We remained a couple of days at this festive spot, but marched on the +9th of May to Bloomplaats. This was a well-to-do farm, with plenty of +water and good grazing, and with a herd of half-tame buck which careered +about all round the camp at 40 miles an hour, raising clouds of dust. Of +course some sportsmen went out and stalked these frolicsome animals, and +were followed by others, the result being that in a short time there was +a good deal of indiscriminate shooting going on, and life hardly became +worth living; so that these keen _shikaris_ had to be fetched back. The +amusing part of the show occurred later, when a Mounted Infantry picket, +who were lying about on the look-out a mile or so away, had a shell +dropped close to them by the Boers. They scattered with promptitude, and +a few more shells came over in the same place. We could not see the Boer +gun, which was fully two miles away, for a long time, but at last we +caught the flicker of the sun on the breech block as it was swung into +position. + +In addition to all the firing at the buck every time they raced round +our camp, there had been a good deal of desultory firing going on all +the afternoon between the Mounted Infantry, who were on our right, and +the Boers, who were holding some low hills some miles from us. We could +see a few mounted Boers riding about now and then, but their guns were +well concealed, and their men did not show themselves. + +FOOTNOTES: + +[1] Private D. Downer of A company. + +[2] Major Panton ultimately succeeded in marching these men (drawn from +all four battalions) up to Irene, where they rejoined the Brigade on the +9th of June, three days before Diamond Hill. They had covered 15 miles a +day, acting as escort to a large ammunition column. + + + + +CHAPTER IV. + +THE FIGHT AT ZAND RIVER. + + Description of the Action--The Final Charge--Necessity of + continuing to Advance--Prisoners--Their Impressions--Fire Tactics. + + +On the 10th of May we made an early start from Bloomplaats, leaving the +camp at 4.30 a.m. This means being up at three o'clock, and it was pitch +dark at that hour; but the General's object was to reach the drift, a +few miles away, before daybreak. This we did just before early dawn, and +found a company of the Derbyshire Regiment holding it on the far side. +There was water, about a couple of feet, in the drift proper, but +boldly--and like fools--we waded across and clambered up the other side, +and extended among the mimosa bushes. Fools we were, indeed, as a few +yards further up the sluit we could have crossed dry shod, and saved +ourselves the tender feet from which most of us suffered, brought about +by a long day's marching with wet socks--which resulted in our poor feet +being simply boiled in our boots. + +It was just after dawn and fairly cold, so that we were glad to see the +sun rise and to get on the move ourselves again. Bye-and-bye an order +came for us to pass on through mimosa bushes which were scattered about +on the north bank of the Zand stream, towards the hilly ground on the +east. Towards the north the ground was open and level and treeless for a +couple of miles; then it rose a little, and ended on the skyline with a +biggish kopje to the north west. To the east the ground also rose a +little, and about 2 miles away culminated in a ridge running across our +front from north-east down to east, gradually getting higher, and ending +in a confused jumble of black hills running down to the river; +somewhere among these black hills being the gun, which I have previously +mentioned as having dropped a shell or two into the Mounted Infantry +picket, near our camp at Bloomplaats. The whole of this ground was +treeless and grassy, but a few mimosa bushes were scattered about on the +hills to the east, and there was a good fringe of these prickly bushes +down on the river banks. + +Through these bushes, and past a couple of isolated houses, we were +working our way in column of companies, extended, towards a low hill, an +underfeature which jutted out towards us from the higher hills beyond. +Having gained the shelter of this, we closed in a bit, ascended the +slope, and lay down in quarter column, the leading company just below +the top of the hill, and the rear company at its foot. + +So far all had been peaceful and quiet, and some of the hungry ones had +already started on their biscuits, when phit, ping-boom, phit, phit, +came the Mausers, and we woke up to try and grasp the situation. The +General had sent forward a few men over the hill-top to the other side, +Captain Robinson and some of C company had gone, and the enemy, who, up +to now had lain low, had greeted them with every demonstration of +affection, and continued to do so for some little time. Our men could do +nothing but take cover and return the fire of the invisible Boers: they +had played their part, had drawn the fire of the enemy, and had induced +him to show his hand. + +Apparently expecting that a column of troops would soon advance against +them over the top of the hill, following on the track of our few men of +C company, the enemy now maintained a heavy rifle, shell and pom-pom +fire on the edge of the crest line, a few feet above us. We, sitting on +the ground close under the lee of the hill, were perfectly safe, and +could not be touched by any Boer shell so we had nothing to do but to +listen to the bursting of the shells and to watch for the fragments +striking the ground beyond. The noise was terrific, and at one time +there was a perfectly awful outburst of roars and screams and pounding, +as the pieces of shell went shrieking and whizzing over our heads, +while, throughout the fearful din, we could hear that infernal +pom-pom-pom-pom-pom, five times, which denoted that the Vicker's-Maxim, +belonging to the Boers, was hurling its disgusting little shells at us. + +The whirring and the shriek of these spiteful little beasts, as they +strike the ground and burst into hundreds of vicious, stinging +fragments, is, at first experience, the most disconcerting sound that I +know. Throughout the whole of this pandemonium--which lasted perhaps ten +minutes, and then settled down into the occasional dull roar of a +bursting shrapnel, and the whiz and flop of the fragments--the Mausers +were going ping-boom, ping-boom, and the enemy's Maxim was in full blast +at frequent intervals. + +Sitting under the side of the hill, we could see to our rear, most of +the other troops of the Division, all advancing to take their part in +the attack, and hastening lest they should be too late. Following in our +path through the mimosas, and in similar formation, came one of the +regiments of our Brigade; they had just reached an open space half a +mile in rear, when, being apparently spotted by the Boer gunners, plump +came a shell, close in front of the column. A little to the left it was, +so the bursting fragments flew harmlessly onward, while the onlookers +drew a deep breath of relief, and the regiment quickened its pace, well +knowing what was to be expected next. Soon it came, plunk-plunk, and we +held our breath; two shells, two clouds of dust, in rear of the +hastening battalion Luckily the Boer gunners had not allowed +sufficiently for the distance advanced by the regiment, while they were +laying the guns. + +Following in rear of this battalion came the Camerons, but they wisely +led off to their right, and got under shelter of the high banks of the +river--not, however, without being spotted and plugged at by the enemy, +harmlessly as it turned out; and so they passed on beyond us. + +Far away out in the open veldt dashed a battery of our Artillery: round +it swung and unlimbered: in a second or two off trotted the horses to +shelter, and the gunners began to drop their shells, at 3,000 yards, on +to the ridge held by the Boers--not, however, without reply, as the +enemy shelled that battery with vigour for some little time. Over and +over again did we, from our shelter, see a cloud of dust rise amongst +the guns, now in front, now between them, now in rear; and yet the +little black specks ran unconcernedly from the guns to the limbers and +back again, and every now and then, with a sheet of flame and a muffled +roar, did the gunners send back their defying answer to their hidden +enemies. + +A similar game was being played on the other side of the river, where, +miles away, came a battery in column of route, heading unostentatiously +for the drift: suddenly the enterprising Boers flopped a shell, followed +by another, first on this side of the battery, then over their heads. +"Action-right" was the yell, round wheeled the guns, and boom-boom, came +the answer to the Boers. A few shells exchanged places, and then the +battery limbered up and trekked on quietly to the drift. + +In the far distance, towards the south-west, came acres of troops, +clouds of cavalry, columns of infantry and the dense dust of great +baggage lines, while over the sky-line sailed peacefully a huge balloon, +looking unconcernedly down at us pigmies below, striving to oust each +other from tiny little kopjes. This was Tucker's Division, coming up +from the railway on our left rear, and by this movement causing the +Boers, in due course of time, automatically to fall back from their +right flank. + +About this time, we also began to move--half of B, the rear company, +being sent out to our left front, where a battery was coming into action +behind the hill by indirect laying, and the other half moving along +about a mile to our left, and slightly to the rear, to a point where the +ground rose gradually in a long gentle swell until it joined the ridge +above. This half company was sent by way of keeping an eye on the other +side of the grassy slope, and it soon reached the ground and lay down in +extended order. Letter A Company was then dribbled out, man by man, each +about ten yards apart, in the same direction, with orders to move +towards the end of the ridge: they came under some long range fire as +soon as they quitted the shelter of our hill, and, bearing off rather +too much to their left, eventually got round where B company was, lay +down and opened fire. The Volunteer company was then sent on in the same +way, and worked along to the spur, where A and B companies were +gradually creeping along, upwards towards the ridge. Meanwhile D and E +companies had moved out about a quarter of a mile to their left, and +then turned and advanced towards the ridge. C company remained where it +had halted earlier in the day, and was joined by F, both companies being +held in reserve. The Maxim gun had been sent to a low spur on our left, +where it came into action at 2,200 yards against a sangar on the top of +the ridge, so as to cover the advance of the other companies; and the +remaining two companies, G and H, were brought along behind the Maxim, +and then sent forward in front of it. + +This was the situation at about the middle of the morning. The +battalion was extended over about a mile and a half of front, facing a +ridge occupied by the enemy and distant some 1,500 yards, the companies +being, in order from right to left, thus: D, E, ½B, G, H, Vols., A, with +C and F and half B in reserve. Our right was on a spur rising up towards +the ridge, the centre was lined across a large open valley, and the left +was on another spur which also ran up the ridge. + +There was a round kraal on the summit of the ridge, at about the centre, +in which the enemy had a gun, and where one or two men could be seen +moving. The battery, over our heads, shelled this spot briskly, but +without much effect, and we, from a closer range of 2,200 yards, turned +our Maxim on to it, and searched the whole hillside in the +neighbourhood. After a while a man, shown up distinctly against the +sky-line, walked calmly out of this kraal, passed along and disappeared +over the hill. One or two more followed, and then a little clump with, +presumably, the gun in their midst, moved slowly out and away beyond +view. All this time a heavy fire was being kept up by all the companies +in the firing line, the Maxim was stuttering out bullets like mad, and +the guns were dropping shells along the ridge, whilst these plucky Boers +calmly and deliberately moved their gun clean away. + +The instant it was gone, our slow and cumbrous Maxim hitched in its +mules and advanced to a closer position, where, behind a wall at about +1,600 yards, its fire again searched out the slopes of the hill, +especially to the left of the circular kraal--the spot where the enemy's +gun had been--where a number of stone walls, rising in tiers, seemed to +point out a likely hiding-place for Boer sharpshooters. Meanwhile the +firing line had been gradually closing up nearer to the foot of the +hill, and we had spotted, at 600 yards, a Boer using black powder +behind one of these stone walls, and were making it warm for him. +Another advance or two, and we were nearer still to the ridge, when +suddenly, like a flock of pigeons, up rose a crowd of men from behind +the tiers of stone walls, and bolted up the hill. With a roar, our men +were on their feet and after the Boers, racing madly up the hill, +shouting, cheering, cursing the heavy blankets bumping at their backs, +yelling with delight, regardless of the shells from our battery in rear +screaming and whistling over their heads and plumping on the ridge. + +Panting and blowing, the heavy equipment dragging them back, our fellows +struggled on, and when close to the top of the ridge, with a final rush +(headed in the centre by Markwick, Treagus, and H. B. Mills), gained the +summit and paused to take breath. A few Boers had waited too long and +now remained for ever, one with Mobsby's bayonet in him, whilst the +others were trekking as fast as their ponies could carry them away from +the cursed rooineks. + +Numbers of loose ponies were about, and a few Boers opened fire on us +from a knoll about 600 yards to our right front; while many others could +be seen riding rapidly away. To hasten their departure, we fired a few +volleys at 1,100 yards at these gentry, the squad who fired at them +being rather a mixed one, consisting as it did of the Second in Command, +the Adjutant, a Second Lieutenant, and four or five men hastily +scratched together--the whole under command of Lieut. Ashworth, who had +only enough breath remaining to yell "Fire!" It is said that the oldest +soldier of this squad "pulled off" and spoiled a volley; but perhaps he +did not know very much about musketry! + +The advance was continued very shortly afterwards, as soon as the men +had got their breath; and soon all firing ceased, the Boers +disappeared, and we devoted ourselves to looking about us and wondering +where the Cavalry had got to. + +After a few minutes, by which time most of the battalion had come up, we +continued our advance as we were, without reforming, down the slope of +the hill, across the valley, and up the gentle slope of the opposite +hill, where we posted look-out men and reformed the companies. + +Those that were on the right originally had been pushed off slightly to +the right front, after occupying the hill we attacked, in order to +search a kopje some little way off. Coming down the hill, after the rout +of the Boers, everyone was on the look out for loot, as there were all +sorts of articles strewn about, such as rifles, saddles, bandoliers, +blankets, and great-coats; while there were numbers of loose ponies, +ready saddled and bridled, quietly cropping the herbage. Quite a dozen +of these were promptly annexed and mounted by the captors, who rode +along in great pride. Each had a great coat and a blanket rolled on the +pommel, with a horse blanket under the saddle, and a couple of +saddle-bags, usually containing a quantity of Mauser cartridges in +addition to some food. One man was lucky enough to find a bag of coffee +and a bag of sugar on one saddle, and others found Boer tobacco, dried +fruit and other small articles. Several dead Boers lay about on the +ridge, and a number of dead and wounded horses were on the reverse slope +of the hill, whilst our Volunteers, when they came in with A company +from the left flank, brought about a dozen prisoners, who had +surrendered. + +It was a fortunate thing for us that we did not remain on the top of the +ridge, but continued our rapid advance without delay, as this prevented +the Boers from collecting and opening fire on us. That they attempted to +do this is certain, as one man of ours was shot dead on the top of the +hill, and Second-Lieut. Paget was severely wounded, about the same time. +The sharpshooters, however, who caused us these casualties, fled and +left us in peace, when the companies on the right advanced towards them. + +The usual practice at a field day is for the operations to conclude when +the final charge has been delivered. Everyone then stands about, +preferably on the skyline, in full view of the supposed retreating +enemy, who may perhaps be merely removing to a better position in rear. + +To do this on active service is, I think, criminal. The advance should +certainly be continued by some, if not all, of the first line; or at any +rate the first arrivals should push on so as to cover the advance of +those behind them. There should be no stopping; the enemy should be kept +on the run, unless, of course, he has taken up another position in rear, +in which case a bold front should be shown and he should be attacked at +once while he is disorganised. There is always, however, the possibility +of a trap having been prepared, and it has been a favourite trick of the +Afridis to draw on our men to a position where they can be shot down at +known ranges; so that considerable caution is necessary. + +After forming up the whole battalion and calling the rolls, we joined +the rest of the Brigade, and moved on a few miles to Erasmus Spruit, a +nice little camp with good water and shade, and plenty of grass and +wood. Now that the excitement was over we all felt pretty tired, and +were glad to rest and get a meal. + +The next morning we had some conversation with the prisoners, one or two +of whom spoke English. They were the usual farm hand sort of type, some +of them being young lads, of about the stamp of the recruits whom we +get. They did not seem to mind having been captured, and were very +grateful for what tobacco, coffee and other little luxuries we could +give them. + +One of them told me that the Maxim fire was terrible--_they dared not +put their heads up to fire_. + +I have never forgotten that remark, since the man made it to me, and +there is a great deal in it to which the attention of company officers +and section leaders might with advantage be drawn. The main point is +that we Infantry do not fire nearly enough ammunition when delivering an +attack. Of course we see no enemy: we only hear the crack of his rifle +and the whiz of his bullets: but we sometimes see the splash of the +bullet on the ground, and can from that obtain some slight idea of his +position at the time. Having found that, a constant hail of bullets +should be directed at all parts of the position, high and low, at rocks, +at bushes and at all places likely to afford a hiding spot, with the +object always in view of making the enemy keep his head down behind his +cover. + +For this purpose volley firing is useless, and what should be adopted is +controlled individual firing, using the magazine _always_, and refilling +it behind cover when, and as often as, an opportunity occurs of so +doing. There should be no breaks or intervals, either in the firing or +in the advance: the latter should be continuous, as in the old +skirmishing days, until the last possible moment, when, if the men +cannot advance any further, they should take cover and employ themselves +in firing as rapidly as possible. + +The wretched system of false economy in the use of blank ammunition at +instructional field days, when a man carries perhaps five rounds in his +pouch and five in reserve, is responsible for the fact that men cannot +be got to fire fast enough in the field, and that they lie under cover +and husband their ammunition, firing only occasional shots, as they +have been taught in peace time. They forget that they are now more +widely extended than formerly and that one man now occupies as much +space as was formerly allotted to five, and that he should, therefore, +fire five times as fast as before. The present system of widely extended +lines is merely what was learned by the troops employed in the Chitral +and Tirah expeditions, two or three years ago; and the system of +fighting adopted by the Afridis is practically the same as that used by +the Boers in the Free State and the Transvaal. + +Owing to the widely extended lines adopted by us in our advance at Zand +River, and to the steady shelling by the batteries which the enemy +received during the attack, our casualties were not very heavy.[3] + + +The following order was published by the General on the day after the +battle:-- + + Twistniet, Zand River, + + The Major General Commanding desires to express his pleasure at the + behaviour of the brigade yesterday. The good leading of the + officers and the conduct of the men enabled a strong and numerously + held position to be captured with a slight loss. + +FOOTNOTES: + +[3] Our losses on this day were as follows:-- + + KILLED. + Private W. Webb D Company. + " G. Merritt H " + " W. Goodes E " + + WOUNDED. + Second Lieut. R. E. Paget + Corpl. W. Backshall B " + Private E. Cam B " + " W. Osborne G " + " P. O Connell H " + " G. Shepherd C " + " H. Overy E " + + + + +CHAPTER V. + +ACROSS THE VAAL. + + Kroonstad--The Road to Lindley--Drifts--Lindley--Heilbron-- + Elysium--The Vaal at last. + + +The day after the Zand River fight we had a long rest, and did not start +on the march again till after mid-day; and a terribly long march it was, +the Brigade not getting into camp till considerably after dark. It being +our turn to be advanced guard, we had to find the pickets as soon as we +arrived in camp. The worst part of all night marches is the slowness of +the pace; the troops creep along with frequent halts, either to rest or +to reconnoitre the road, and what appears to have been a twenty mile +march, has in reality not been more than half that distance. + +On the 12th May we started off after breakfast at about nine o'clock, +with another long march of 17 miles before us; but this one was done in +good style, as we halted for three hours in the middle of the day to +rest and cook a meal. Eventually we fetched up in our new camp, a few +miles outside Kroonstad, about six in the evening. + +This town is, after Bloemfontein, the largest and most important in the +Orange River Colony; it is well situated on the main line of railway, +and is a popular resort in the summer owing to the boating on the river. +There is one large hotel and several smaller ones, some large stores and +the usual public buildings--landrost's office, post and telegraph +office, bank, etc. The Boers had on their retreat done considerable +damage in this town by burning the goods shed at the railway station, +and by blowing up the railway bridge; but the latter was the most +serious by far, as the loss of the goods shed did not affect the +military situation in the least. The bridge was a fine lofty structure +with huge stone piers and enormous steel girders; two of the piers were +blown to pieces, and we found the girders hanging down into the water. +There is another large railway bridge about a mile away, but luckily the +Boers made no attempt to destroy it. + +Our engineers were soon on the spot, and at the end of a few days +(certainly under a week) had found and repaired the old deviation which +was in use before the bridge was built, had made a low bridge of +sleepers over the drift, and had trains running without any more +trouble. These old deviations exist at every river where there is now a +bridge, and were made years ago when the line was building; so that all +our engineers had to do when a bridge was blown up, as they were at +Glen, Vet River, and many other places, was to find the deviation, clear +out the weeds, lay the rails, and repair the line where it required it; +and trains were running again in, probably, a day or two. One great +drawback, however, was the want of engines and rolling stock, as the +Boers had removed all they could take away up country, and we could not +get nearly enough engines and wagons from the Cape railways to satisfy +our requirements. + +There were a few supplies left in the town, and a wagon load was bought +for the regimental canteen, most of the contents, milk, jam, tobacco, +matches, sugar and eatables generally, being sold out the same +afternoon. The Staff Officer for Supplies had been round the town before +our canteen people got in, and had collared nearly all the tea and +sugar; but we managed to get a good quantity. After having been on +three-quarter rations for the best part of a fortnight, our men were +quite ready to buy any amount of foodstuffs, especially tea and sugar. + +Two days did we halt here and enjoy our well earned rest, but on the +15th of May we were off again on the road to Lindley--and such a road! +Even now, after many months, one remembers as in a nightmare that cursed +road to Lindley, with its ever recurring drifts and its messages--"The +General wishes you to send a company to the drift to assist the +baggage," or to repair the road, or to pull wagons out of the mud. The +drifts were the steepest and the worst that we experienced in perhaps +all our trekking. The full distance to Lindley was about 48 miles, but, +the first march being only a short one, we made the last two average +over 15 miles each, both of which had more than their proper allowance +of drifts. + +It might be as well at this stage of the proceedings to describe what a +bad drift looks like to an unprejudiced and impartial mind. + +A drift is really a crossing place over a river, which latter is called +a sluit, if it has water in it, or a spruit if it is dry; and whether +the drift is easy or difficult for wagons to cross depends on the banks +and the bottom. Thus, a shallow drift gives no trouble at all; but if +the banks are steep, the mules and oxen go down one side with a run, +even if the brake be well screwed up on the wagons, and invariably get +mixed up at the bottom, getting their legs over the traces and pole +chain: or perhaps one is pulled down, when there is much confusion and +delay. If the bank is very steep on the other side, fatigue parties have +to come and push the wagons up by main force, or else a team of bullocks +is brought from another wagon and hitched on in front of the team which +is in difficulties. Even then there is more delay, as the business is to +get all the thirty or thirty-six oxen to pull simultaneously; and to +induce them to do this, half a dozen drivers with their enormous +two-handed whips, like huge fishing rods, flog the wretched animals +unmercifully, yelling and screaming all sorts of insults in Basuto at +the trembling beasts. + +If there is mud or water at the bottom of the drift, the difficulty is +increased enormously, as the banks become slippery. It is doubtful which +are the worst animals to have in your wagon when crossing a bad drift, +mules or bullocks. The mules generally get mixed up with the harness, +but on the other hand, when once they are started pulling all together, +they certainly do tug all they know, and need no more incentive than a +row of men on each side of the path yelling at them. Bullocks, however, +are faint-hearted and difficult to manage, as they will lie down when +they have had enough of it, and nothing will induce them to pull when +they think they cannot do any good. There is one good point about +bullocks, and that is that if they can only be induced to lean into +their yokes, all together, their enormous bulk and weight will move +anything. The greatest abomination of all in a drift or on a road is +sand, as that causes trouble with both mules and bullocks; and our worst +drawback has been the native drivers, as, owing to the enormous number +of wagons in use by the troops, the supply of good drivers ran short, +and any coolie was accepted. It was the same with the conductors, or +civilians in charge of wagons, who were all supposed to be experienced +transport riders; but one little man confided to me that he was nothing +more or less than a baker out of employment! + +The Boers, when trekking with their wagons under ordinary circumstances, +take things very leisurely at drifts, and hitch on an extra team at once +if there is the slightest sign of trouble; but this, although the best +plan, wastes a lot of time, and we never had any time to spare on the +march. + +Lindley, like most of the towns we visited, is situated in a hollow, and +on topping a rise in the ground we saw it at our feet. It is a small +town, but has[4] given more trouble than any other in the colony, as it +and the neighbourhood has been nothing more than a hotbed of rebellion +for months; in fact since we first entered it, when the majority of the +surrounding burghers took the oath of allegiance and surrendered what +old guns they had--of no use even to scare crows with. It is built on +the same river, the Valsch, that runs past Kroonstad, and in its most +palmy days contained only a few hundred inhabitants. + +On the 19th of May General Ian Hamilton issued the following information +in the Winburg Column Orders of that date:-- + +"With the occupation of Lindley, the provisional seat of the Free State +Government, the first part of the task allotted to the Winburg Column +has been accomplished to the satisfaction of the Field Marshal +Commanding in Chief. + +"The next task allotted to the Column is to lead the advance northwards +and to capture the important town of Heilbron." + +Our entry into Lindley was entirely unopposed, and we camped a mile +south-west of the town, about four o'clock in the afternoon of the 18th +of May. There was an immediate rush into the town of all those who could +get passes in search of bread, besides butter and other delicacies to +ameliorate the condition of the regulation biscuit, which by this time +had become harder than usual. However, the Canteen cart got private +information, and secured a cask of butter and several boxes of eggs, +which were duly sold to the men of the regiment early next morning. +There was nothing else procurable in the town, except a little fresh +bread. + +After a day's rest at Lindley, we trekked off again on the 20th of May, +starting at seven o'clock; and fortunate it was that we did start so +early, as there was a considerable amount of firing on the rear guard, +and a fairly lively action going on until about midday. We were with the +main column in front of the baggage, and had of course to regulate our +pace by the rear guard; but we heard afterwards that as they were +leaving the neighbourhood of the town they were followed up by a large +number of mounted Boers, whose presence was not expected by the Mounted +Infantry forming the screen in rear of our troops; these Boers pressed +our men rather closely, one or two of the Mounted Infantry, who found +themselves hung up at a barbed wire fence, being captured, and a few men +being wounded. There were some narrow escapes, Lieut. Lloyd, the Supply +officer, having to ride all he knew to get clear, and the mess cart +belonging to the Mounted Infantry being abandoned; the men in charge had +only just time to take out the ponies and bolt for their lives. + +We did not get into camp until after dark, and the baggage was later +still, as there was a nasty drift over a sluit at the entrance to the +camping ground; fires had to be lighted to show the wagons the way +across. The 19th Brigade and some of the Mounted Infantry camped a few +miles lower down, where there was another drift over the same stream. + +After a march of seventeen miles, on the 21st of May, we found Heilbron +in front of us; and the next day, after a short spell of ten miles, we +camped to the south-east of the town, such as it is. Heilbron comes +distinctly under the category of "one horse" towns, notwithstanding that +it is connected by rail with important cities, and hopes in due course +of time to have its railway prolonged to Bethlehem; but until that happy +occasion Heilbron is vegetating. It is a Mark IV town of the usual +pattern--Dutch Reformed Church in the middle of the square, one or two +melancholy streets stretching slowly away at right angles to each other, +a hotel, conspicuous for the entire absence of anything which, in +happier climes, constitutes refreshment for man and beast, a +despondent-looking shop or two with a large stock of lemons, medicines, +sheep dip and ironmongery, and some tired-looking inhabitants holding up +the door-posts of their houses. + +We headed off towards the railway main line on the 23rd of May, and +camped that afternoon at a place called Spitzkop. + +Next day, the Queen's Birthday, the band turned out at reveillé and +played "God Save the Queen," causing the greatest outbursts of cheering +from the other regiments, which was taken up and continued by the +Cavalry and Mounted Infantry. That day we marched to the railway and +struck it, and then trekked off, some miles north, to the neighbourhood +of Elysium, where we camped on a great rolling plain, extending for +miles in every direction. The march was an unpleasant and a lengthy one, +as the whole surrounding country was either a burning grass fire or a +place where there had been one, and we walked over dust and ashes, which +parched the mouth and interrupted the breathing. In many places on the +veldt the grass grows in small clumps, somewhat isolated from each +other, and although this looks pleasant enough to walk upon, you soon +find that these little grassy bunches put you out of your stride and +upset your balance time after time. This is, if anything, rather worse +than when the grass has been burnt off. + +The following Brigade Order was published on the 26th of May:-- + +"The G.O.C. wishes to express his appreciation of the fine spirit and +excellent marching shown by the troops composing the 21st Brigade since +it was formed at Glen on April 29th 1900. Since then the Brigade has +marched 250 miles, and the effect of this long and rapid march has been +that the enemy has been unable to complete his preparations for defence, +and has been repeatedly compelled to retreat in front of us after a weak +resistance. The force is now a few miles off the Vaal River and not 50 +miles from Johannesburg, and the Major-General is sure that every man of +the 21st Brigade wishes to share in the entry into that town, and that +every possible effort will be made by all ranks to attain that object." + +After starting on that day, the 26th of May, we halted for several hours +to enable a part of Lord Roberts' main column to pass us, so that our +baggage should not become intermingled. We were crossing their path, +which led them to the north, while we were heading north-west. + +The country is marvellously open between the the railway and the Vaal +River; not a tree was to be seen, hardly a farm--nothing but endless +rolling veldt as far as the eye could reach, covered with grass. There +was no view, nothing to rest the eye or give the fatigued brain a little +relief. As soon as a gentle rise was topped, the same expanse was to be +seen in front, with some slightly rising ground in the far distance, +from which the same view of interminable veldt would, in due time, be +procurable. + +After many, many miles of this sort of travelling, we at last saw, from +the top of a rolling down, a silvery streak winding in and out on our +left front, fringed with a few scattered green bushes. + +At once everyone's spirits rose, and we stepped out briskly, and, sure +sign that camp was near, all the men began to chatter; and with reason +too, for was not this silvery streak the great Vaal River, dividing us +from Paul Kruger's territory, and would not we be over it before we +halted? Certainly we would; we would get that far at any rate; no more +camping for us till we had secured a sound footing in the Transvaal, +which we had come so many thousand miles to see and conquer. + +A couple of hours afterwards, under a setting sun, we were at the drift, +and what a sight was there! We were fording a crossing at a shallow bend +of the river, and it had been necessary to cut down the banks and +improve the approaches, so that the wagons might have some chance of +getting over. Meantime the south bank was crowded with wagons and +vehicles of all kinds, guns, baggage-wagons, Cape carts, water-carts, +ox-wagons, ammunition-carts, mule-wagons, drawn up in long rows, +patiently waiting their turn to be dragged and pushed across. + +The infantry troubled themselves not the slightest about all this, but +passed stolidly down to the water's edge, stripped off their boots and +socks by companies, and stepped gingerly into the eighteen inches of +dirty water. On their left, within a few feet, was an endless succession +of wagons streaming across; a little further down was a wagon with ten +jibbing and obstinate mules, who had got into deep water and heeded not +the yells and whip cracks of their two black boys, themselves unwilling +to go further into the water than they could help. On the farther side +fires were being lit to show the drivers what was land and what was +water, and superhuman efforts were being made to keep the wagons moving +ahead up the steep, rocky bank so as not to block the road. + +Never was there a more weird military scene. Every nigger was yelling +like a fiend, and cracking his whip like mad over the flanks of his +wretched animals, soldiers were shoving at the wheels of every wagon, +Staff officers, cool and collected, were dispersed at intervals +directing operations, the worried baggage-master, dancing with rage, +was using the most dreadful language on a jutting bank, and the +infantry, with their boots slung round their necks and their socks in +their pockets, were trying to avoid the sharp stones of the bottom. + +So it continued without intermission till about midnight, by which time +nearly all had been got across. Our footing in the Transvaal was gained. + +FOOTNOTE: + +[4] December, 1900. + + + + +CHAPTER VI. + +DOORNKOP. + + On the way to Johannesburg--29th May--2 p.m.--Attack begins--The + advance--Checked by flanking fire from One Tree Hill--Attack of + this position--Through veldt fire--Final charge--Boer retreat-- + Gordons attack simultaneously--Main attack pushed home--Casualties. + + +On Sunday, the 27th of May, we started at 8.30 a.m., and marched some +sixteen miles before camping. Bitterly cold it was that night, and we +felt it a good deal the next day, when we started at 6.45 a.m. and +trekked 10 miles to a small hill a little south of Cypherfontein; here, +during most of the afternoon, we heard shells and pom-poms and other +indications of a brisk fight going on towards the north. Away to the +south we could see dimly Lord Roberts' troops, who had crossed the Vaal +at Vereeniging, higher up than we did, pressing on to the junction of +the railways at Elandsfontein. Our business, we now learned, was to push +off to the left and make an enveloping movement on the enemy's right, +whilst General French delivered his blow in front and Lord Roberts fell +on the Boer left. + +We therefore made an early start, and were under way at 6.30, despite +the severe cold, and, with the 19th Brigade leading, headed north-west, +so as to come up on the left of Johannesburg. We spent the earlier part +of the day marching and halting and moving on again, and watching the +cavalry on our right, and the shrapnel and pom-pom shells bursting; +until about two o'clock we were moved out from behind a hill, upon which +was a battery busily engaged in shelling the enemy's guns, one or two of +which were in position on some low hills about a mile and a half away. +We lay down in the open grass with big intervals between companies. At +the same time the City Imperial Volunteers had pushed on to the left of +the guns, and the Derbyshire had also gone out in companies in widely +extended order. And so we lay and watched and waited. + +We were at the end of a long grassy valley, with smooth, rolling hills +rising on our left and on our right, these latter separating us from +Smith-Dorrien's Brigade; in front of us and blocking the end of the +valley the hills swung round from the left and trended off to our right +front, leaving a sort of gap in what might be called the right top +corner of the picture; this we afterwards found to be the nearest way to +Johannesburg. The smooth hills on our right rose gradually and ended in +a cluster of rocks, surmounted by a solitary tree--an ideal position, in +which we afterwards found that the enemy had a field gun, a Maxim and +endless riflemen. + +In front of us, the low hills which seemed to close in the valley, and +indeed part of the valley itself, had suffered from a grass fire, and +only an occasional ant-hill showed up grey against the black soil. + +We had moved slightly to our right and had extended a little, and were +again lying down in the grass; suddenly the enemy's guns spotted us and +sent along a couple of shells, clear of us, luckily, but near enough to +the lagging water-cart to make it increase its pace somewhat abruptly. + +We had watched the C.I.V.'s pass out of sight along the ridge to the +left, and then we had seen the Derbyshire moving along in the same +direction. The enemy's gun, right in front of us, up the valley, we +could with difficulty locate, but it was carrying on a plucky duel with +our battery. + +At last we got orders to move: D company led off first, followed by E, +both in widely-extended lines, officers and all supernumeraries being in +the ranks; and, with intervals of some 80 or 100 yards between the +companies, after these followed F and G, and, behind them again, came H, +the Volunteers, A, B and C. The Maxim gun went with the leading company, +and, under charge of Captain Green, operated on its left. Soon after the +companies led off they began to come under the long range fire of the +Mausers, and the little spirts of dust were rapidly becoming more +numerous as the lines of skirmishers diminished the distance between +themselves and the enemy. At last it became necessary to subdue the +enemy's eagerness somewhat, and the leading lines dropped down on the +veldt and opened fire on the invisible Boers. After a while the +skirmishers rose to their feet and advanced, whereupon the enemy's fire +redoubled in intensity: regardless of the bullets, which were falling +pretty thickly by now, a few men having been hit, our men pushed on, +and, with the supporting lines which came up in rear, rapidly drew +nearer to the enemy's position. Soon shots were observed to be coming +from a new direction, from our right front, where, a long distance away, +was the cluster of rocks and the solitary tree, which we had previously +noticed as being a likely position for the enemy's sharpshooters. + +After a little while there was no possible doubt upon this question, +because, as our leading lines crept forward, the dropping shots from the +right front became vastly more numerous, while one or two more +casualties occurred. All this time the enemy on our front were keeping +up a brisk rattle of musketry, but as our men were fully seven to ten +paces apart this shooting had little effect upon them; not so however, +the cross fire from our right front, which caught us diagonally, as it +were, and caused a few more casualties. The machine-gun had come into +action on the left, but was soon spotted by the Boers, who concentrated +a pretty heavy fire on the unfortunate Maxim, which, with its big +wheels, and the huge shields to the limber boxes sticking up in the air, +provided the Boers with a target that they did not often get. Sergeant +Funnell was shot in the head almost immediately the gun came into +action, Archer and Hunnisett were knocked over, and only two men left to +work the gun, which ceased firing for some minutes until Corporal Weston +and two men from the nearest company, D, volunteered to assist. As it +was so palpable that the enemy's fire was being concentrated on the gun, +Captain Green ordered the detachment to lie down and use their rifles. + +The wheel mule, an acquisition of the battalion dating from Bethulie +(where the animal, a fine specimen of its kind, was found wandering in +an ownerless state), was hit in two places, while the lead mule was so +alarmed at this untoward accident to his stable companion, as to be +quite petrified with fear and unable to move. When the advance took +place he had to be abandoned, and the gun went on with "Bethulie" alone. + +The leading companies had by now been reinforced by some of the +supporting companies in rear, but had reached a limit from which further +advance would not have been possible without very serious loss, so they +lay down and blazed at the rocks and clumps of bushes which concealed +the enemy. For some little distance now the advance had been carried out +over the scene of the grass fire, which was even then still burning away +on our right, and the only cover the men had was an occasional ant heap; +but even this was but little protection from the stinging flanking fire +which was whistling over from the right. + +Noticing that the firing line seemed to be checked temporarily, and soon +discovering the cause, an officer from the rear succeeded in turning the +flank sections of F and G companies, together with some men of E +company, and making a demonstration against our friends on One Tree +Hill. These fellows, however, were quite wide awake, and made it hot for +this small party, who were attempting to create a diversion in the state +of affairs. + +Their firing increased in intensity; Corporal Hollington and one or two +others were shot, and our men, who were only about 800 yards from the +position, soon abandoned the drill-book style of advancing by alternate +sections (which only caused the enemy's fire to be doubled and redoubled +as they gleefully took aim at the full-length figures of our soldiers), +and continued their advance by crawling on their hands and knees through +the long grass, and by keeping up a continued dropping fire on the rocks +concealing our enemies. Not a single Boer had any of us seen since we +started, and, at this stage of the proceedings, none of the enemy were +likely to show themselves. Looking back, we could see heads behind us--a +long way, certainly, but they showed that the Colonel had observed our +flanking movement and had despatched a company to our support. + +Emboldened by this, we pressed on, but our crawling progress through the +grass was brought to a sudden end by our reaching the edge of a +rapidly-advancing grass fire, while before us stretched a waste of burnt +ground, with a few, a very few, grey ant heaps showing up. There was +only one thing to do, and that was done quickly; springing to their +feet, the two or three officers with this little party yelled to their +men, who dashed on with shouts and cheers, through the flickering fire +and the smoke, on to the bare ground beyond. They raced on rapidly, the +faster runners outpacing the others, until breath began to go and knees +to totter; and after a couple of hundred yards or so, we were glad to +drop into a schanz, or long trench, which we found suddenly at our +feet, and halt there to regain our breath. + +We still kept up our fire, and the enemy's began to slacken, and at last +almost ceased; there was no time to waste if we wanted to see a Boer, so +we jumped out of the schanz and dashed on as fast as our heavy equipment +and cumbrous roll of blanket would permit us towards the rocks, now +silent as the grave. + +Bearing off a little to the left to some slightly rising ground, we +found ourselves alone; but what a sight was in front of us! + +The ground dipped and rose again in a gentle slope of grassy fields with +a rocky patch on the summit, about 1,100 or 1,200 yards away; and these +grassy fields, about twenty or thirty acres in extent, were alive with +fugitives moving rapidly towards the rear. Among them (and this is a +curious circumstance which puzzled us not a little at the time and +afterwards) were a number of mounted men, dashing furiously amongst the +runaways. The sight of these riders careering wildly among a crowd of +flying Boers stayed our volleys for some moments, while we overhauled +the scene with our glasses. Could these mounted men be our cavalry +suddenly appearing from the right flank, where we had left them? + +No, they could surely not have travelled the distance in the time, so we +formed up what men we had at hand and poured several volleys at 1,200 +yards into the retreating enemy. After ten or a dozen volleys had been +fired, a Highlander appeared among the rocks on our right, and, holding +up his hand, shouted to us to stop firing. Wondering at this, +reluctantly we complied, and the enemy quickly dwindled away; we had +serious thoughts of following them rapidly, but, seeing how few men of +ours were actually on the spot, and in view of the possibility that the +Boers would hold the rocky patch on the summit, we decided against it, +and proceeded to overhaul the rocks on our right, which but a short time +before had been teeming with riflemen. + +In a cunningly-selected nook was the spot where the enemy's gun had been +at work; all round the ground was strewn with empty shell boxes, fifteen +or twenty of them, and the grass was thick with the little cardboard +boxes in which Mauser ammunition is issued. Several large tins still had +a quantity of rusk biscuit remaining in them, but these soon disappeared +into our fellows' haversacks; a few blankets were lying about, and the +usual camp litter and rubbish showed that a party of some strength had +had their head-quarters on that spot since the day before. Two or three +dead horses were in the vicinity, and a couple of wounded ones were put +out of their agony; while several others browsing on the short grass +were quickly collared. + +Ensconced among the rocks were two or three Boers, shot dead behind +their cover by the bullets of our little flanking attack, as was proved +conclusively by the attitudes of the bodies. All around, scattered in +the most ingenious clefts among the rocks, were heaps and heaps of +cartridge cases, Mauser, Lee-Metford, Steyr, and Martini, showing +exactly the well-chosen positions of their former owners, and convincing +us that thousands of our bullets might splash and splatter on the rocks +close by without disturbing the occupants, until the fixing of the +bayonets and the unrestrained advance of British soldiers caused that +cold feeling down the back which no Boer could afford to disregard. + +In a most ingeniously selected corner between several big rocks, +improved by the addition of a few stones into a bullet-proof sangar, had +been the enemy's Maxim, luckily for us not laid in our direction, but +pumping forth lead against the attack of the Gordons, which, unknown to +us, had been carried out on the other side of the ridge separating the +two regiments. Apparently the dashing 800 yards' charge of the Gordons, +in which they suffered such severe loss, had been taking place about the +same time as our advance from the schanz, across the burnt grass; but +whether it was our appearance so close to them, or the sight of the +Gordons, so gallantly pushing on, which caused the enemy to retreat in +such a hurry, none but the Boers themselves can decisively say. + +Anyhow, we claim for the Royal Sussex the honour of being the first to +reach One Tree Hill. When we originally rushed up to this spot, some few +minutes were wasted in searching with glasses the crowd of flying Boers, +one or two more minutes before men could be hastily gathered together on +the knee ready to fire, and about a dozen volleys had been hurriedly got +off before the Highlander, to whose appearance I have before alluded, +came out from among the rocks and waved to us to stop firing. + +Dusk was closing in, so we reformed the companies which had taken part +in this attack on One Tree Hill; they were principally the flank +sections of E, F, and G, with a few men of D and some of the rear +company, C, who were following in our support; and we moved off to join +the remainder of the battalion. + +We found that they had been at first checked by the cross fire from One +Tree Hill, and by a considerable fire directed on them from the front, +but had held their own, pouring in a constant fire, until the pressure +on the right weakened somewhat the intensity of the Boer musketry, and +enabled our men to continue their advance over the bare, level, burnt up +ground. + +The advance became quicker and quicker, the men came up with a livelier +step and at last could be restrained no longer, and, with cheers and +yells, which were taken up by the supports in rear, they dashed up the +slope. + +Here, amongst the rocks on the summit, they found the usual signs of +recent occupation, cartridge cases and so on, and traces of the gun, +which had evidently been removed some time earlier, besides a number of +loose ponies, whose owners had apparently been unable to ride or +unwilling to waste time in mounting. + +The companies then formed up and joined hands with those who had been +engaged on the right; the rolls were called,[5] and we moved off to find +the Brigade, eventually discovering that our camp was to be just beyond +One Tree Hill and practically on the field of action. Here in the dark +we sat and waited for our baggage: no water, no wood was procurable, and +we had eaten nothing except a scrap of biscuit since six o'clock that +morning. Those who had husbanded their water during the day now scored, +and, with what bits of wood they had secured from the Boer shell cases, +and had since carried on their backs, soon had their canteens boiling. + +Later, the baggage arrived, and the water carts, the contents of the +latter being divided among the companies; and the men soon settled down, +tired out and hungry, and dropped off to sleep among the piled arms. + +FOOTNOTE: + +[5] Our casualties were as follows:-- + + KILLED:-- + Private J. Simmonds, D Co. + " H. Braiden, G Co. + + DIED OF WOUNDS:-- + Corporal J. Hollington, E Co. + Private W. Lucas, F Co. + " G. White, G Co. + " H. Wells, Vol. Co. + + WOUNDED:-- + Sergeant W. Funnell, C Co. + Corporal W. Backshall B Co. + Private J. Archer, C Co. + " C. Ellis, D Co. + " E. Honeysett, " + " E. Cooper, E Co. + " T. Smith, F Co. + " G. Pelling, " + " E. Colwell, " + " G. Fuller, G Co. + " E. Young, " + " A. Vitler, H Co. + " H. Wells, Vol. Co. + + + + +CHAPTER VII. + +PRETORIA. + + Johannesburg--Pretoria--An abortive conference--The entry and march + past--The people--The town--Irene--Botha again fails to appear. + + +A few miles march on the 30th May cleared us from the scene of the +battle of the day before and brought us into one of the mining suburbs +of Johannesburg, Florida, where we camped in the midst of mining shafts +and engine houses. Some few of the pumps were going, clearing out the +water, but the majority of the mines were shut down and in charge of the +Kaffir Mines Police; no damage had been done to any of them that we +could see. + +On the 31st of May the following Divisional Order was published:-- + +The G.O.C. has much pleasure in publishing the following extract from a +letter just received from Lord Roberts:-- + +"I am delighted at your successes and grieved beyond measure at your +poor fellows being without proper rations; a trainful shall go on to you +to-day. I expect to get the notice that Johannesburg surrenders this +morning, and we shall then march into the town. I wish your column, +which has done so much to gain possession of it, could be with us." + +Two days we rested after our heavy day's work on the 29th, but we +changed our camp to a new spot, more to the north and closer to the +town. This was Bramfontein, and we were allowed to go into the town and +inspect it, and make such purchases as we could. + +Lord Roberts wired to the War Office on the 30th of May as follows:-- + +"The brunt of the fighting yesterday fell on Ian Hamilton's column. I +had sent him, as already mentioned, to work round to the west of +Johannesburg in support of French's cavalry, which was directed to go to +the north, near the road leading to Pretoria. I have not heard from +French yet, but Hamilton, in a report which has just reached me, states +that about one o'clock in the afternoon he found his way blocked by the +enemy strongly posted on some kopjes and ridges three miles south of the +Rand. They had two heavy guns, some held guns and Pom-poms. + +"Hamilton at once attacked. The right was led by the Gordons, who after +capturing one extremity of the ridge, wheeled round and worked along it +until after dark, clearing it of the enemy, who fought most obstinately. +The City Imperial Volunteers led on the other flank and would not be +denied, but the chief share in the action, as in the casualties, fell to +the Gordons, whose gallant advance excited the admiration of all. + +"Hamilton speaks in high terms of praise of the manner in which Bruce +Hamilton and Spens of the Shropshire Light Infantry handled the men +under Smith-Dorrien's direction." + +Johannesburg is a fine town, a long way superior to Pretoria or +Bloemfontein: it owes its sudden rise and wonderful growth to its +situation on the Witwatersrand and to the enormous development of the +mining industries within the last few years. + +No doubt when all the shops are open and the streets filled with the +usual well-dressed crowd, it must make a fine appearance. When we first +entered the town it looked quite desolate, with the magnificent plate +glass windows boarded up and the doors covered with corrugated iron, +evidently in anticipation of severe rioting and looting. Johannesburg +has a most magnificent town railway station at the Park, with waiting +rooms and offices, all of ornamental brick, mahogany and plate glass, +fitted up in the most gorgeous style with silk curtains, marble floors +and decorated ceilings. This is where the millionaires condescend to +embark on the train, when they think of honouring one or other of the +South African cities with their presence. The contrast between the +elaborate Park station and the hovels that serve for stations at +Elandsfontein and Bramfontein, is too absurd for words. + +On Sunday, the 2nd of June, we were off again at seven o'clock; and the +next day found us still heading off towards the north-west of Pretoria, +apparently with the intention of circling round, and descending on the +capital from the north or north-west. However, while we were on the +march, our direction was changed, and we came back on our tracks, having +received orders to march straight on Pretoria. When this order was +passed by the mounted officers, there was a certain amount of +excitement, naturally, as Pretoria was our goal and destination. The +band struck up a march and there was a scene of much enthusiasm, one +regiment in particular cheering madly, and some individuals producing +Union Jacks, which they flourished with all their might. + +So on we went, and about three o'clock reached the shelter of the hills +outside Pretoria. The 19th Brigade went up the hills a little way, and +the rest of us lay down and waited to see if we were wanted. Some of the +men fell out and wandered away to the reverse flank, but quickly came +running back, as bullets were dropping over the hills, apparently fired +at long range and considerable elevation. Indeed, a couple of the City +Imperial Volunteers were hit by these spent bullets. Later, the Brigade +camped close by, and in the dark, to our astonishment, we found, +alongside of us, some of the Sussex Yeomanry; and then we heard of the +unfortunate accident to the Duke of Norfolk, which precluded his taking +any further part in active operations, and which, unfortunately, +prevented our seeing him either. + +The 5th of June was the great day of the campaign, culminating in the +withdrawal of the enemy and the entry of the victorious troops into his +capital. + +Very early in the morning, De Lisle's Mounted Infantry had pushed on +into the town from the position gained by them the previous evening, +and, meeting with no opposition, had demanded its surrender, but were +received by Commandant Botha with a request for an armistice and a +conference. This was of course agreed to by Lord Roberts, and nine +o'clock was the hour fixed for the meeting. Towards that hour, +therefore, all the troops who had marched with the 19th and 21st +Brigades under General Ian Hamilton, were entering the pass which wound +through the hills into the valley of Pretoria. This pass was quite two +miles in length, and the surrounding country was composed of a +succession of low, broken hills, which, if they had been held by a +determined enemy, would have given us considerable trouble to capture. +It has always been a marvel why the Boers did not defend Pretoria, +surrounded, as it is, by a network of hills, topped by several strong +forts built, I suppose, for that purpose; but probably the fact was that +they would have been unable to get their big guns dragged up and mounted +in sufficient time to oppose our advance, and therefore thought it wise +not to risk them. Undoubtedly, Lord Roberts' rapid advance, or rather +his dash from Bloemfontein to Pretoria, will be recorded in history as +one of the remarkable military achievements of the century; and the +breathless rapidity with which his movements were planned and executed +had possibly paralysed the Boer commanders, and influenced their +decision to sacrifice Pretoria, and to fall back to the east on the +railway, as this would leave open a convenient line of retreat and an +easy means of departure, whenever necessary, for Mr. Kruger and the +foreign mercenaries, through Komati Poort and Delagoa Bay. + +About nine o'clock, the hills opened out, and a mass of buildings could +be seen in the dim distance: this was Pretoria, and, forming up on a low +hill, a mile or two closer in, we were enabled to have a long look at +the town about which we had heard so much of late years. + +Between us and the town, and among a multitude of iron-roofed houses, +was the famous race-course where so many of our unfortunate prisoners +had been confined: we could just distinguish with our glasses the big +enclosure with its high fence of corrugated iron, but it was too dim and +misty at that hour of the morning for us to make out much more. + +Nine o'clock came but no Commandant Botha, and no signs of him, or of +anyone else. We were all ready for a durbar or a conference, formed up +in three sides of a hollow square, and everyone who could raise a kodak +had produced it and pushed himself up into a prominent position, ready +to take snapshots of the celebrities. And so we waited for an hour, +speculating idly as to the cause of the commandant's non-appearance, and +inclining to the belief that he was merely bluffing, to gain time to get +his guns away; whether he was or not we have never heard, but it was a +very suspicious circumstance that he played a similar game on another +occasion, and caused us to wait two days, which would have been valuable +time to us had we been able to advance. + +Eventually the troops moved on, and camped to the west of the town and +just outside the notorious race-course, where merely a few sick +prisoners were now left, the majority having been moved some time +previously to Waterval; while the officers had been confined in the +Model School and other places in the town. On our approach, these +officers, over a hundred in number, had succeeded in bouncing the few of +their guards who still remained, and had effected their escape. They +came and reported themselves to Lord Roberts, who afterwards inspected +them on parade and congratulated them on obtaining their freedom. + +The Brigade paraded in the early afternoon and formed up to march +through the streets of the capital; the Derbyshire were leading, as it +was their turn, and, headed by their band, they moved off in column of +route; we followed, what was left of our band showing the way, and after +us came the Camerons and then the C.I.V. + +The streets were crammed with troops, as the Mounted Infantry and their +baggage were passing along with us, and moving to their camp on the +other side of the town; but when we approached the centre of the city +they branched off to the left. The Guards' Brigade had preceded us and +had left a number of men to keep the ground clear, as we entered on to +the square. There, facing the Union Jack, floating (never again to be +removed) proudly on the Town Hall, sat Lord Roberts on his charger, +surrounded by the officers of his staff; while on the other side of the +square, stood a dense, sullen mass of people--a few British subjects, +but mostly foreigners who had business interests in Pretoria, with many +women and children. What impressed us most was their silence: many of +the women were in tears, and most of the men glared at us with anything +but friendly glances. And so we passed on, saluting Lord Roberts, and +meeting General Kelly's friendly glance, and marched away down the +principal street, named Kerk or Church Street. + +In a prominent position behind Lord Roberts, and surrounded by a mass +of scaffolding, was a pedestal, where work had been carried on to erect +a statue of the President of the Transvaal Republic. That pedestal, +destined to remain unfilled, stood there, a monument of disappointed +ambition. + +Down Church Street we went for half a mile, swung off to the right, and +returned by a parallel road to our camping ground, passing the Electric +Lighting Company's tall chimney, where the enterprising mechanics had, +with much danger and trouble, hoisted the British flag at the summit, +and stood at their gate cheering us as we went by; one of the few marks +of enthusiasm with which we were greeted. + +The square in the centre of the town contains the most important +buildings, the Town Hall and the Raadzaal being large and lofty modern +erections; a large hotel, three banks and several minor buildings +complete the list. In Church Street are numerous splendid shops, which +then showed signs of trouble, most of them being blocked up with +corrugated iron, which, in compliment to the troops, as heralding the +approach of safety, the owners were commencing to remove as we went by. +The rest of the town, which is well laid out, with broad streets running +at right angles and planted with trees, consists of smaller shops and +native stores, or of private residences--many of the latter built in the +Indian style, with broad verandahs and large compounds, well planted and +laid out. Further out to the west of the town are the suburban +residences of the wealthier townspeople, in great contrast to the +humble-looking dwelling of the President, which we passed on our way +before we entered the square. Mrs. Kruger was still residing in the, to +her, now lonely house, upon which an officer's guard had been mounted to +ensure proper respect being paid to the old lady Cleanliness was not a +great point of the housekeeping, as may be understood from the fact that +the sergeant of the guard was compelled to go and buy a bottle of +Keating's Powder and some other disinfectant, the whole of which he had +to sprinkle in the room allotted to the men as a guardroom, before it +could be lived in. + +We only stayed a day and a half in Pretoria, as on the 6th of June we +were sent by half battalions to Irene, about 12 miles off, the first +party moving at three o'clock in the afternoon and the others some hours +later. The road winds for the first few miles, through a pass in the +hills, in and out among dusty rocks, and then opens out on to the usual +interminable veldt. Irene cannot be seen until the traveller is close +upon it, as it lies in a fold of the ground; but it is not much worth +seeing, anyhow, consisting merely of the railway station buildings, and +some cement works. There is, however, a very successful irrigation farm +in the neighbourhood. + +Captain Maguire joined us here from England, looking very cheery, and +full of keenness and eagerness to see some of the show before it was all +over. + +Lord Roberts issued a special Army Order in Pretoria which may be of +some interest; it ran as follows:-- + + Extract from Army Orders, 7th June, 1900. + + "In congratulating the British Army in South Africa on the + occupation of Johannesburg and Pretoria, the one being the + principal town and the other the capital of the Transvaal, and also + on the relief of Mafeking after an heroic defence of over 200 days, + the F.M.C. in chief desires to place on record his high + appreciation of the gallantry and endurance displayed by the + troops, both those who have taken part in the advance across the + Vaal River, and those who have been employed on the less arduous + duty of protecting the line of communication through the Orange + River Colony. After the force reached Bloemfontein on the 13th + March it was necessary to halt there for a certain period. Through + railway communication with Cape Colony had to be restored before + supplies and necessaries of all kinds could be got from the base. + The rapid advance from the Modder River, and the want of forage _en + route_, had told heavily on the horses of the Cavalry, Artillery + and Mounted Infantry, and the transport mules and oxen, and to + replace these casualties a considerable number of animals had to be + provided. Throughout the six weeks the Army halted at Bloemfontein, + the enemy showed considerable activity especially in the + south-eastern portion of the Orange River Colony; but by the + beginning of May, everything was in readiness for a further advance + into the enemy's country, and on the 2nd of that month active + operations again commenced. On the 12th May, Kroonstad, where Mr. + Steyn had established the so-called Government of the Orange Free + State, was entered. On the 17th May Mafeking was relieved. On the + 31st May Johannesburg was occupied, and on the 5th June the British + flag waved over Pretoria. During these thirty-five days the main + body of the force marched 300 miles, including fifteen days' halt, + and engaged the enemy on six different occasions. The column under + Lieut.-Gen. Ian Hamilton marched 400 miles in forty-five days, + including ten days' halt. It was engaged with the enemy + twenty-eight times. + + "The flying column under Colonel B. Mahon, which relieved Mafeking, + marched at the rate of 15 miles a day for fourteen consecutive + days, and successfully accomplished its object, despite the + determined opposition offered by the enemy. During the recent + operations, the sudden variations in temperature between the warm + sun in the daytime, and the bitter cold at night, have been + peculiarly trying to the troops, and owing to the necessity for + rapid movement, the soldiers have frequently had to bivouac after + long and trying marches without firewood and with scanty rations. + + "The cheerful spirit with which difficulties have been overcome and + hardships disregarded, are deserving of the highest praise, and in + thanking all ranks for their successful efforts to attain the + objects in view, Lord Roberts is proud to think that the soldiers + under his command have worthily upheld the traditions of Her + Majesty's Army, in fighting, in marching, and in the admirable + discipline which has been maintained through a period of no + ordinary trial and difficulty." + +We moved off, after a day's halt, in a north easterly direction, but +halted on the 9th and 10th of June, when it was said that Botha, the +Boer Commander in Chief, was arranging a Conference, which, however, +seemingly fell through.[6] + +FOOTNOTE: + +[6] As to these abortive conferences, it was subsequently learnt from +Boers on Gen. Ben Viljoen's staff that after the fall of Pretoria Botha +urgently advised President Kruger to make peace on any terms he could, +on the ground that the farms of the Transvaal had not yet suffered from +the war, the issue of which was no longer doubtful. Kruger was +persuaded, and the conference arranged; but at the critical moment De +Wet brought President Steyn up to Waterval, and they insisted that the +war, by which the Free State had already suffered so much, should be +continued.--ED. + + + + +CHAPTER VIII. + +DIAMOND HILL, FIRST DAY. + + The attack begins--Description of ground--Capture of Boer advanced + position--Night-fall. + + +On Monday, the 11th of June, began two days' heavy fighting; the +operations were on a large scale against a strong and well-found enemy, +posted, as we saw afterwards, in a position almost impregnable, along a +front of six or eight miles, with his line of retreat open. + +On the first day, the 11th of June, we were the leading battalion of the +column, the Camerons being on baggage and rear guard and the Derbyshire +and C.I.V's. with us. We marched at six o'clock and moved off towards +the west; after trekking for a few miles we halted for some time under +cover of a rise in the ground, from which we could see that the mounted +troops were pretty heavily engaged in our front, over a considerable +area. Away to our right front there was a plateau of great extent with a +kopje of some size rising out of it; this kopje was being shelled with +much spirit by the enemy, and on looking through our glasses we could +see a fairly large party of mounted troops, either cavalry or mounted +infantry, who were ensconced under cover of the kopje. To all appearance +they were hung up in a state of compulsory inaction, as they could +neither leave its cover nor take any offensive steps. They appeared to +be quite safe, however, as regards shell fire, for the shrapnel seemed +to burst beyond them or on the far side of the hill each time. + +After a time we were put in motion again, but now in extended order, +moving in columns of companies at wide intervals, G company, under +Lieut. Nelson, leading, followed by H under Captain Wisden and A under +Captain Blake (Major O'Grady being temporarily on the sick list), and +the remaining companies in the usual order. + +The three leading companies moved along towards a deep ravine, at the +head of which they halted in accordance with orders; but from there G +and H, under command of Captain Wisden, were directed to advance across +the open and occupy a kopje to the left front. On the left of this +ravine were some farm houses lying under the lee of two small hills, +from the summit of which a fairly extensive view would be obtained. The +ground in front of these two hills was quite open for about a mile, but +to their left a smooth grassy range of hills rose and extended back for +some considerable distance, swinging round, about a mile and a half +away, to the left and diminishing in elevation until the plain was +reached, and thus forming a deep re-entrant angle, the inside of which +was very fairly wooded and looked rocky on the top. + +On our left the ground remained open, though undulating; but a wooded +kopje rose out of the plain about a mile away, with two other kopjes of +a lesser elevation on its right, and bearing off towards the re-entrant +angle already mentioned. + +This wooded kopje was the one that Captain Wisden was ordered to seize, +and accordingly he sent off his companies in succession, in the usual +widely extended formation, while Captain Blake followed with A company +as a support, at a considerable interval. Captain Wisden met with a +pretty wide and deep donga when he had gone about half way, and, while +crossing this, a dropping fire was opened on him, but at a very +considerable range (perhaps, 1,200 or 1,500 yards), apparently from the +thickly wooded range of hills on his right. One or two sections were +promptly formed to the right and replied to this fire, being relieved by +A company, who came up very shortly and devoted themselves to pouring +in a steady fire on the enemy, thus leaving Captain Wisden's two +companies at liberty to continue their advance. + +Just about this time, five mounted men were seen to leave this kopje and +to move towards the range of hills, so G and H companies pushed on, +while our battery, from the rear, opened fire and shelled the kopje over +their heads. The companies led on steadily, and, when the guns had +finished shelling, they rushed the hill and climbed to the top, where +they remained, holding it for some little time. + +Directly they showed that they were in possession of the hill, a move +was made by A company towards the low kopjes on the right of that held +by Captain Wisden; in this they were supported by the advance of B, C, +and D companies under Major Panton, with Lieut. Nelson and Lieut. +Ashworth in command of the latter two companies; the machine gun under +Captain Green came along also. A company reached and occupied these +small hills, and, the other companies coming up, fire was opened on the +wooded and rocky hill beyond, which, it was now seen, was separated from +us by a grassy valley about half-a-mile in width. The Maxim came into +action also, and remained at this spot firing over our heads and +covering our advance for some little time, after which it followed us. A +consistently steady dropping fire was maintained on us all the time, and +nothing could be done except to rush across the open, gain the end of +the spur in front, and then, turning to the right, swarm up the hill in +the hopes of taking the Boers in flank. We moved down the valley and +across, and, when within a long run of the foot of the spur, the bugle +sounded and off we dashed, shoving on our bayonets as we went, yelling +and shouting like fiends. Breathless, we reached the foot of the hill, +turned to our right, and commenced to climb it; the enemy had gone, and +we were quite free from annoying Mauser bullets for a time; at least so +we thought, until someone went a little too far and showed himself on +the edge of the hill, facing the east, when one or two shots soon came +whistling over his head. + +Seemingly, the majority of the enemy were in position on an appalling +high and continuous range of hills, stretching to north and south, as +far as we could see. A deep and grassy valley about 1,500 to 2,000 yards +in width separated us, but we had no time to waste in looking about us, +as we had yet to reach the top of the spur, at whose foot we had only +just arrived; so, keeping on the lee side of the hill, we ascended the +spur until we reached the top, where we halted to await orders. In our +rush across the little valley three or four men had been wounded. + +While this little attack was being carried out, the Volunteer company +had moved out in support of G and H companies, then in occupation of the +wooded kopje, but had somehow left the kopje on their right and had gone +off in a north-easterly direction towards the tremendous range of hills +to which we found that the enemy had retired. The Volunteers met with +some firing on their way, but were allowed by the enemy to come within +about 800 yards, when suddenly a furious outburst of fire descended on +the unfortunate company, compelling it to retire somewhat precipitately, +until it got beyond range. The Boers must have watched their approach +and concentrated their fire in anticipation of the Volunteers coming +within medium range, for the number of rifles employed against the +Volunteers was very large: the ground all round and amongst the men was +covered with spirts of dust, while the noise was perfectly deafening and +reminded one of the last stage of the attack at a field-day when every +man is anxious to finish his ammunition. Wonderful to relate, only two +men were wounded; but this was doubtless due to the very extended line +maintained, both in the advance and the retirement. The enemy had a +pom-pom on the hill which also contributed its quota of noise and clouds +of deadly fragments and flying splinters.[7] + +The battalion, after remaining until dusk on the top of the hill, +received orders to march back to camp near the farm from which it had, +earlier in the day, advanced to the attack. Three companies, however, +had to remain on picket, including H company, which was to stay on the +kopje it had originally occupied. G company was therefore sent for and +posted on the top of the hill, and A was directed to remain about half +way down the spur, while the remaining companies made the best of their +way back to camp, which they reached about six o'clock. + +We had to wait some time for our baggage; E and F companies, who were +escort to the two five-inch guns, did not come into camp at all that +night, but joined us late the next morning. + +FOOTNOTE: + +[7] Our casualties during the day were as follows: + + WOUNDED. + Lce-Cpl. G. Washer, B Company. + Private A. Hobden, C " + " J. Clapshaw, B " + " E. Baker, Vol. " + " J. Caldwell, Vol. " + " J. Miles, G " + " T. Gainsford, A " + + MISSING. + " Ebsworth, F Company. + +This man of F Company seems to have wandered off, without permission, to +a farm, where he was promptly sniped by some Boers, wounded and taken +prisoner: a lesson to others: some men, however, will only learn by +bitter experience. + + + + +CHAPTER IX. + +DIAMOND HILL, SECOND DAY. + + Boer main position--Reconnaissance by Lieut. Morphett--Advance of + C.I.V.'s--General advance--Failure of Boers to occupy outer + ridge--They hold the second crest in force--No further advance + possible--Nightfall. + + +The following day, the 12th of June, we did not start very early, but +moved after breakfast up to the hill we had attacked and captured the +previous day, where A company was still on picket. Arrived there, we +waited for some time, until the afternoon in fact, before we moved +again. + +In front of us, across the valley, was a long ridge, steep of access on +our side and, apparently, flat on top; this ridge on our right ran down +into the valley in a grassy slope, becoming less and less steep as it +trended further away; but on our left it became more and more +precipitous, until, in the far distance, it appeared almost like a wall. +There were no signs of the enemy on it, but they were there all the +same. + +There was a farm in the valley below us surrounded by trees and +vegetation, said to belong to one Botha, and the road wound along from +our left rear past this farm, and disappeared in a cleft in the hills in +front of us. We all realised that the position held by the enemy was a +terribly strong one, and on the flanks it appeared, as far as we could +see with our glasses, to run for miles in a similar way; and there did +not seem to be any break or change in the surface of the ground opposite +to it, which continued to present the same grassy undulating slopes as +far as we could see. + +On our left, miles away, we could hear an occasional gun fired, and on +our right there had been a shot or two from the Artillery; but for the +moment all was still and peaceful, so we sat and nibbled our biscuits +and waited. + +About one o'clock the five-inch gun, from somewhere in our left rear, +began shelling Botha's farm and the ridge near it and beyond: they made +excellent practice, and searched the slopes of the hill thoroughly. Near +the farm there was a sort of cleft in the hills, into which the road +ran: we could trace its existence for some little way back into the hill +by the brushwood growing on the edge of the cleft, and just now we were +watching this place, some of us, with exceeding great interest. The +General had ordered two companies to proceed in a short time towards +this cleft, to move up it, and then to swing round to the right and take +the hill in flank, thus covering the advance of the remainder of the +Brigade, who were prolonging the line on our right, and were to attack +on the part of the hill previously mentioned, where the grassy slopes +were more gentle and ran easily up to the summit. + +Now, for all we knew, this cleft might have been full of Boers on all +sides, before and behind, and we were not looking forward to what was +evidently going to be a nasty piece of work; but the matter was settled, +we had got our orders, and we meant to carry them out to the best of our +ability, somehow or other. So we watched with renewed interest the +shells of a cow gun dropping about on the ridge and the slope of the +hill, experiencing feelings of much satisfaction when one or two, as +they occasionally did, fell plump into the cleft in the hill, where we +hoped crowds of the enemy were concealed. Although not visible, we knew +they were there, as shots occasionally came over and struck the ground +near us, when anyone incautiously went too far forward, to look at the +position. + +Towards two o'clock, the General wished a few men sent over in the +direction of the farm, to feel our way; so Lieut. Morphett and a +section of E company went out, widely extended, and with orders to go to +the Farm and signal back any information, and to occupy the walls and +hold out at the Farm until reinforcements arrived. + +Directly this small party showed themselves over the ridge behind which +we were lying, fire was opened on them by the enemy, who on this +occasion showed their stupidity in wasting their ammunition in firing at +extreme ranges. We could not, of course, see from what point of the hill +the firing was coming, but from the direction in which the bullets were +dropping and the way the dust flew up, we could see that those of the +enemy who were firing were somewhere on our left front. So we got some +men out and opened a steady dropping fire on the slopes of the hill to +our left, and especially on a row of poplar trees which looked a good +place in which to conceal sharpshooters. Our maxim gun came up too, and +rained a hail of bullets all over the hillside at varying ranges. This +is about all the good this machine gun is in the advance, because, when +the actual forward movement takes place, the gun cannot keep pace and is +left behind: of course a gun on a light field carriage could be brought +on by hand, but, during the campaign, the gun we were supplied with was +a huge, cumbrous affair, as big as a field gun and about as heavy. It +took two mules to draw it, and all sorts of manoeuvres and operations +had to be gone through before a single round could be fired. In this +respect the pattern of machine gun needs considerable improvement before +it will ever be of any sound practical use in the field, with infantry +and in the advance, at any rate. + +After a while the enemy's fire lessened, although it still continued to +some extent, and we could see Morphett and his few men working their way +through the trees, and up to and beyond the farm. Soon they signalled to +us that all was clear and no enemy at the farm, but reported some to be +on a ridge in front of the farm, and in the row of trees to the left, +which we had already searched with our fire. So we peppered this row of +trees again with the Maxim, but were unable to develope any rifle fire +on the ridge, as the distance was rather too great for us to fire over +the heads of our men in front--some of the shots might have dropped +short. + +During this little episode the Derbyshire had been sent miles away to +the right, and the City Imperial Volunteers had moved against the slopes +of the hill, some way to our right. It was pleasant to watch their +advance party skirmishing up the slopes, which became steeper near the +top. They did it very well, and we watched them with much interest, +pushing their way, well extended, moving slowly so as to keep their +breath, going steadily on advancing and gaining a firmer footing all the +time, although they must have been in momentary expectation of being +engulfed in a torrent of fire. We could see their advanced scouts out in +front creeping up to the crest line, and we waited, breathlessly, +fearing to hear at any instant the infernal din and clatter of a heavy +musketry fire opened on their column. Still they crept on and the +supports got closer up, and we were in dread that the Boers were waiting +only until the supports came closer up yet, before they opened a furious +and disorganising fire as they did at Magersfontein. + +At last the skirmishers gained the crest line, and we could see them run +forward and disappear over the ridge, followed by the supports and the +remainder of the regiment. Curiously enough, the ridge was not held by +the Boers, and the advance of the Brigade could take place at once. Our +little scheme of attack in the cleft was not, therefore, required, as +the C.I.V.'s had gained the summit; but the General sent forward two +companies to occupy the hill overlooking the farm. + +Why the Boers had neglected to occupy this long ridge and splendid +position, I have never been able to understand: there was every point in +their favour, except one, and we should have been compelled to make +frontal attacks all along the line, at very great loss, no doubt, before +we could have got a footing on the ridge. + +Once up there, the weak point was revealed: there was no line of retreat +for the Boers, except over open country, where we could have slated them +handsomely as they went. I think, all the same, that they should have +held this fine ridge all along its length, and eventually withdrawn to a +secondary position in rear, which they could have held for any length of +time. This secondary position, we found, they were actually occupying in +strength, but they neglected the primary position, and thus lost an +opportunity, to my mind, of checking our advance for, possibly, another +day, and doing us a lot of harm besides. However, the enemy's mistakes +are always our gain. + +Our two companies advanced in column of sections, in widely extended +order, with considerable distances between the sections, as we expected +to meet a heavy flanking fire going across the valley. As it happened, +however, only a dropping fire was opened on us, and we reached the farm +unscathed, scattered through it, and stretched away up the hill beyond. +A moment's glance sufficed to show that this hill was of no advantage to +us, and so we pushed on round it to the left, down the cleft, across the +road and up the other side. Nothing was to be seen from here but the +gently rising hill, with some rocks on our left front, so we lay down +and waited for further orders, as our original instructions to occupy +the ridge had been completed. + +On our right rear we could see the C.I.V.'s still coming over the ridge +and disappearing over the rising ground to the right, and, from their +movements, we could judge that they were coming under a hot fire as they +crossed the heights and came out on the open ground. From what we saw +afterwards, this view appeared correct, as the enemy, failing to occupy +the ridge itself, had retired to a strong position among rocks quite +1,500 yards to the right front, where, at his leisure and in perfect +safety himself, he could slate our troops as they advanced over the +open. + +Hearing all this firing on our right, while in front of us was absolute +peace and quietness, we became rather suspicious, and searched the +ground in front with our glasses; but, as is usually the case, no signs +of any enemy could be seen. The longer this stillness continued the more +suspicious it appeared; and we advanced cautiously when, shortly +afterwards, half of D company arrived with an order to move on and +occupy the rocky ridge to our left front. Another company was coming to +support us, and some guns were following: another Brigade was coming up +in rear, so, apparently, a general advance was being made. Still full of +suspicious feelings intensified by the stillness and inaction, we moved +on, but deployed into a wider front, so as to occupy as much of the +ridge as possible when we got there. The half of D company under Lieut. +Ashworth was on the right, then came E company under Captain Aldridge, +while F under Captain Gilbert was on the left: each being in column of +half companies and well extended. There were about 80 or 100 yards +between the two lines, which were now advancing over an open grassy +plateau, that rose gently to our front, where frowned the black rocks, +our objective. + +Slowly we went on, and a few shots dropped over, coming, seemingly, from +our right; later some more spirted up the dust at our feet, and we +quickened our pace slightly as we approached the rocky fringe which was +our destination. About 30 yards on our side of the edge, there was a +fringe of loose rocks and boulders, and, as we reached the first of +these and mounted the gradual slope which led upwards to the top, we +were enabled to look over the summit of the rocks, and our heads thus +became visible to the enemy beyond, who were evidently waiting for this. +Suddenly there was the most terrific outburst of rifle fire from our +front, and a perfect hailstorm of bullets rattled, whistled and shrieked +over our heads; luckily we were still too low down, or else the Boers +were just a moment too soon in delivering their fire, as but few men +were touched: instantly the officers yelled to their men to get under +cover, and down all hands dropped into perfect safety. Then up we crept +on hands and knees to the top, which was fringed with enormous rocks, +furnishing the most excellent cover: and through the interstices of +these we could open fire on the enemy; not that we actually saw any +enemy (during the whole of that eventful day I did not see one single +Boer), but we found out where they were. In front of us, and on the +other side of a deep valley covered with rocks, was another rocky ridge, +exactly similar to that upon which we were lying; and from this the +enemy's bullets were still shrieking and whistling over our heads, +fired, doubtless, from chinks and crevices between rocks similar to +those we were now using. + +About 800 yards was the range, and we pushed up every rifle into the +firing line, made head cover for ourselves, and kept up a furious fire +for some little time. The second line coming up behind us, composed of +the rear half companies, had some casualties, Lieut. Morphett being shot +in the thigh, and one or two of the men being wounded. Private Bowles +of F company was shot on the foot, through boot and all, by a dropping +bullet; he was much astonished and spun round and round several times. + +Soon afterwards B and C companies, under Major Panton and Capt. +Wroughton, came up to reinforce us, and they also were spread out behind +rocks and told to keep up a continual fire. Probably owing to the fact +that they could see nothing, the enemy gradually reduced their rifle +fire until it almost ceased; but they now opened on us with a couple of +pom-poms, fortunately for us not beginning until after we had reached +the rocks and had established ourselves under cover. Almost at the same +time, a heavy shell fire was commenced at us, but soon discontinued, as +we afforded the enemy's gunners no object to shoot at. This shell fire +was from our left front; we could not locate the gun, but wherever it +was, it remained there, and in action, all the afternoon, although we +were not afterwards troubled by it. The pom-poms came from the far +right, where we could just distinguish the rocky tops of some elevated +ground, and had they been closer would no doubt have done considerable +damage, as they were quite on our right flank. + +As though all this shell and rifle and pom-pom fire was not enough, we +were now treated to a shell from the rear, which struck close to a man +of B company and covered him with dust and dirt. Taking a man with me, I +ran down into a safe spot, and we both waved our helmets vigorously for +some minutes, when apparently we were observed from the battery which +was firing at us, as no more shells came over our way. + +The intensity of our firing had now somewhat dropped, as had that of the +enemy, neither of us giving the other much to fire at; but the Boers +were very watchful, and you could not look over your rock without one +or two shots whizzing past immediately. + +There was nothing more to be done but to sit and wait; it was impossible +to advance further, even if we had had orders to do so. + +About five o'clock there was a tremendous outburst of firing, but not +all in our direction; and then we saw, to our left rear, a battalion of +Guards, (Coldstreamers they were) coming up towards the rocks. They went +through precisely the same experience as we had, and after a while +commenced company volleys at the opposite side of the ravine, where the +Boers were concealed, and continued for some time to pour in consistent +volley firing. Meantime the Boer fire dropped to almost nothing, but +every now and then, whenever there was a longer interval than usual +between the volleys of the Guards, the rattle and whizz of the Mausers +developed suddenly into a furious hailstorm, and as quickly died away +again, showing that the Boers had some system of control of fire. + +General Bruce Hamilton came up to where I was and had a look at the +position, and I pointed out to him the direction from which the pom-pom +fire had come; he looked at the hills through his telescope, and said he +saw some of the Boers' horses collected at the base of a rock, and would +send a gun up to us to have a shot at them. The gun came up shortly +afterwards, but it was then too late to see any distance, and the shells +fell short. + +All the afternoon, a most interesting artillery duel had been going on +between the 82nd Battery and the enemy's gun to which I have alluded, as +being in position to our left front: our battery came into action near +the cleft in the hill through which the road past Botha's Farm runs, and +for some hours shelled the Boer position on all sides. The Boers +answered the fire pluckily, and shelled the battery consistently for +some time: we had a good view of the whole action, and it seemed +marvellous that our guns could be worked at all in the face of the +clouds of shrapnel which were hurtling through the air, all round the +battery; but although they lost heavily in men and horses, they kept +their guns going until it was too dark to see any longer. + +Just as it was getting dusk, orders were received to withdraw from the +position after dark, but to leave three companies on picket, and to send +the remainder to the camp, which was being formed at Botha's Farm, +behind the hill. B, C and E companies were therefore left on picket, and +F company and the half of D returned to camp. + +The remainder of the battalion had stayed in reserve behind the hill +near the farm, G company being in advance somewhat and on the left of +the 82nd Battery, and the others behind the hill, near the Farm. + +Sad to relate, Captain Maguire was shot through the head whilst +ascending the hill near the farm: he was not even in sight of the enemy, +and must have been killed by a dropping bullet fired at extreme range. +Poor Maguire, always so cheery and full of spirits; it was his first and +only action, and he was the only man of ours killed in the two days +fighting.[8] + +Lord Roberts wired to the War Office on the 12th of June as follows: + +"After surrendering the city (Pretoria) Botha retired to a place about +15 miles east on the Middleburg road: he had a small force at first, but +during the last few days the numbers increased, and his being so near +the town kept up excitement in the country, prevented burghers from +laying down their arms, and interfered with the collection of supplies. + +"It became necessary to attack them. This I did yesterday. + +"He held a very strong position (practically unassailable in front) +which enabled him to place the main portion of his troops on his flanks, +which he knew from former experience were his vulnerable parts. + +"I sent French, with Porter's and Dickson's Cavalry Brigades and +Hutton's Mounted Infantry round by our left: Ian Hamilton with +Broadwood's and Gordon's Cavalry Brigades, Ridley's Mounted Infantry, +and Bruce Hamilton's Infantry Brigade round by our right. + +"Both columns met with great opposition, but about three in the +afternoon I saw two of Hamilton's Infantry battalions advancing to what +appeared to be the key of the enemy's defence on their left flank. This +was almost gained before dark and I ordered the force to bivouac on the +ground they had won." + +FOOTNOTE: + +[8] Our Casualties on the 12th of June were:-- + + KILLED. + Captain C. Maguire. + + WOUNDED. + 2nd Lieut. G. Morphett. + Cr. Sergeant F. Akehurst, B Company. + Lce. Corporal A. Tester, G " (died of wounds) + Private R. Davis G " + " W. Miller D " + " C. Divall F " + " J. Bowles F " + " A. Dennett F " + " F. Needham B " + " F. Guntley D " + " G. Wadham Vol. " + + + + +CHAPTER X. + +TO SPRINGS. + + Boers retreat during the night--Elandsrivier station--Through the + Boer positions--To Pretoria--Off again--Irene---Bad state of + clothing and boots--Difficulty of repairing the latter--To + Springs--Clothing and stores obtained from Johannesburg. + + +During the night the Boers vacated their position absolutely, so on the +13th June we made an early start, and the Brigade moved round to the +south-east in a circular direction and then headed east to Elandsrivier +station. On the way we passed some low hills on the south which had been +held the day before by the enemy, and we saw the place, at the foot of +the hills, where their horses had been standing, apparently for many +hours. These were the horses which had been seen by the General, but +which it was too dark for our shells to reach. The ground was also +strewn with Mauser cartridge papers and boxes, showing that they must +have refilled their bandoliers at this place before starting. Their +final position at Diamond Hill was plainly visible, due north of this +spot, the intervening ground being flat and open veldt; and it was, +possibly, very wise of them to have retreated during the night, and not +exposed themselves to the risk of being caught with open country in +their rear and no cover for miles. + +Elandsrivier is a small roadside station, with no town or houses near. +The Boers had done all the damage they could, smashed the water-tank and +pump, broken into the booking-office, looked into the safe with the aid +of a hammer and cold chisel, and written a notice for us on a sheet of +paper which we found pinned to the wall. + +It was written in pencil and ran as follows: + + "Sorry not to have found here the price of a ticket to St Helena. + + DE VAN DER MERWE, + Lieut.-Colonel Commanding the Potchefstroom Infantry. + Elandsrivier, 12th June, 1900." + +Possibly Colonel De Van der Merwe has, ere this, been provided with a +free passage to the island he mentions! + +The Camerons rejoined us on the 14th, having been detained with their +baggage and the convoy all this time, and having to their great sorrow +missed all the fighting. + +On the next day, the 15th of June, the Brigade moved off towards +Pretoria, passing on the road the Diamond Mine, and entering the defile +which had formed part of the main Boer position on the 12th. This defile +had been, seemingly, held in great force by the enemy, and it was +somewhere on the right of the defile that they had had their gun in +position: the defile, which was the main road to Pretoria, wound in and +out, the track threading its way among the hills for some considerable +distance. + +About half way through we passed a farm with a large dam, and here there +were numerous indications of the recent presence of a large body of +Boers with their wagons, as the ground was covered for some space with +hoofmarks, remains of fires, cartridge papers, etc. This laager had been +immediately in rear of the final Boer position, which we passed, black +and frowning, on our left; from the front it was steep and impassable +and covered with huge rocks; on top, the hill sloped to the rear, and +the descent on the enemy's side was easy, so that the position presented +many points in favour of the Boers. + +On either side of the defile, or pass, at this point were huge ravines +covered with black rocks, running up into the hills: one of these +ravines on our left was recognised as being the one which had lain +between us and the enemy, and just beyond it was the hill which we had +occupied. + +We were now just clearing the defile, and the position revealed itself +to us in all its massive strength: on the right it ran back for miles, +a huge wall of rock, black and glistening, and rising almost sheer out +of the plain, but with a low glacis of grassy veldt in front; on the +left the position was more in the nature of a range of grass covered +hills, with some broken ground and a few isolated kopjes in front. This +was the ground that we had manoeuvred over on the two previous days, +and, having now passed through the Boer position in two places, we were +quite at a loss to understand why they did not make a better stand, and +we thought ourselves very fortunate in having escaped with the moderate +loss that we had experienced. + +The road to Pretoria wound off to the right, and passed for some miles +at the base of this precipitous range of rocks, which continued to run +in a northerly direction towards Pretoria. + +We camped at night at the foot of these hills, at a farm called Schwartz +Kopje; from here the range became lower and lower until it merged into +the hills round Pretoria. + +Around us were many farms, and some country houses belonging to Pretoria +people, whilst a few miles to the north lay the railway line, and a +large distillery at a spot called Eerstefabrieken. + +Lord Roberts wired to the War Office on the 14th of June as follows:-- + +"As I telegraphed yesterday from our outposts 15 miles east of Pretoria, +the Boers evacuated their position during the night of the 12th. They +had paid so much attention to strengthening their flanks that their +centre was weakly held, and as soon as this became evident on the 12th I +directed Ian Hamilton to attack. + +"He moved against Diamond Hill with the Sussex, Derby and City Imperial +Volunteers, supported on his left by the Guards' Brigade under Inigo +Jones. + +"It was grand seeing the way our men advanced over difficult ground and +under heavy fire. The casualties were, I am thankful to say, less than +100--a very small number considering the natural strength of the +position that had to be carried. Our seizure of Diamond Hill caused the +Boers to feel that they were practically surrounded, and this resulted +in their hasty retirement. They were being followed yesterday by some of +our mounted troops. + +"Hamilton speaks in high terms of the three battalions above mentioned, +and of the admirable manner in which the 82nd Field Battery covered the +advance, the good work performed by De Lisle's Mounted Infantry, and the +valuable assistance afforded by the Guards' Brigade." + +Next day we made our second entry into Pretoria, this time from the +East. The place was full of troops, the Guards' Brigade, 19th Brigade, +and others being camped close to us on the east of the town. On Sunday, +the 17th, and the next day, we remained in camp, but spent a good deal +of time roaming over the town, and buying bread and whatever else we +could find to eat. Although the first day was Sunday, the Canteen people +found out that the worthy shopkeepers of Pretoria were not averse to +turning an honest penny, and were mostly inside their shops, like +spiders in their webs, waiting for business--but only, of course, +through the back door. The Canteen laid in a good stock, although at +famine prices, but in the afternoon the District Commissioner ordered +the shops to be opened, so that the troops could buy what they wanted. +This thoughtful act was productive of much benefit to the rank and file. + +Too much rest, however, has always been an unknown quantity to the 21st +Brigade, so the next morning we trekked again, and, going through part +of the town, we were all pleased to find that Lord Roberts had come out +in the early morning to see us go by. The band struck up the march +past, and we all looked our best and strode onward as though we had only +just landed. There is one point about Lord Roberts which every man on +that column realised, and that is the power of the veteran +Commander-in-Chief to see more in a glance than most men in a prolonged +stare. There were few men in the battalion who did not catch the +Field-Marshal's piercing eye as we went past, and each felt that his +innermost thoughts were being ferreted out. General Kelly was by his +chief's side, and looked very pleased to see his old regiment, and to +hear the familiar old tune. + +We reached Irene in good time, and found there Captain Mackenzie and +about a hundred men, mostly lame ducks: they had been left at Irene when +we were there last in order to escort a battery by rail to Vereeniging, +and had now returned, having completed this duty. + +Unfortunately for them they had missed all the fighting of the 11th and +12th round Diamond Hill, but their turn was to come in good time. A +large number of soldiers of all regiments, released prisoners, were at +Irene employed in repairing the railway line. The Boers had blown up the +bridge some time previously, but it was an easy matter to make a +diversion, and the traffic was not stopped for long. + +From Irene, Captain Wroughton and myself were sent on by the General by +train to Johannesburg, with orders to buy canteen stores and some +clothing for the men, and to rejoin at Springs in two days time. As +regards clothing, the men were pretty well in rags, and their boots were +in tatters. The khaki serge, with which the reserve men had been +provided, was shoddy of the worst quality, and wore out with the +greatest rapidity: the City Imperial Volunteers, who were all dressed, +or rather undressed, in it, were a piteous sight: in fact they were so +badly off that many of them had bought themselves tweed and moleskin +trousers in Pretoria, to cover their nakedness. + +The khaki drill lasts much longer, and has the advantage of being +washable: besides, it keeps the dust out much better than the serge, or +rather shoddy, and it possesses the further advantage of being all of +one colour: it was a common sight to see men in serge with coats and +sleeves, or pockets, of quite different shades, while, as for trousers, +they were all the colours of the rainbow. Khaki drill is, of course, not +so warm as the shoddy, but the addition of cardigan jackets and drawers +enables men to suit themselves as to warmth. We had never received the +warm coats issued to many regiments; we could not have carried them if +we had, as we were so short of transport; but De Wet had collared all +our clothing, boots and mails at Rhenoster. By the way, the British +soldier, no matter how generous he may be to an enemy, will never +forgive De Wet for destroying all the mails on that occasion, as the +harm that was done and the uneasiness that was caused to thousands of +friends at home was inflicted on the unfortunate writers of the letters, +not on the soldiers to whom they were addressed. + +As regards boots, we were in a terribly bad way; the incessant marching +and want of grease, which we had no means of carrying, and the absence +of any means of executing slight repairs had played the deuce with them. +Our shoemakers were always at work in camp, whenever there was a halt +for a day; but leather and other materials were not easily procurable, +and we should have needed at least twenty-five men to cope with the work +in the time available: nor is any provision made for carrying tools and +leather in the wagons. On every march quite a number of men, who had no +boots, had to be carried on wagons, and I have often seen men walking +along with no boots at all, merely their putties twisted round their +feet. Nothing could be done, either, to improve matters: boots were not +to be had, although in every town a demand was at once made for all the +boots in the shops. Those produced were either Bond-street shoes, or +else miners' boots, which are not intended for walking in, as a number +of our officers and men, who tried them, found to their cost. + +It seems such a farce to establish shoemakers' shops in peace time, when +there are hundreds of civilian cobblers to be had, and then, immediately +a regiment goes on service and the shop would be of some benefit, to +close it. + +Another ridiculous anomaly, which will hardly be believed, is that in +the Artillery, the drivers, _who never walk_, carry two pairs of ankle +boots, one on their feet and one on their saddles; but, in the Infantry, +_who never ride_, only one pair of boots is allowed, those on their +feet! + +The advance on Pretoria had been so rapidly executed that the railway +was occupied, day and night, in bringing up food for the troops, and had +absolutely no room for stores, clothing, boots, or even, for some time, +for the mails. + +On the 20th of June the battalion left Irene, and marched about 14 miles +to Vlakfontein, bivouacing near the head quarters of the East Rand +Exploration Company: the evening was enlivened by the biggest veldt fire +experienced, as yet, during the campaign. With a strong wind blowing, it +came down on the Brigade camp at such a pace, that although steps were +taken to burn a fire guard along the hill above the camp, when the fire +was about a mile and a half away, yet the zone was completed only just +in time; indeed several carts had to be hurriedly removed to places of +security. + +Next day the march was continued through the usual undulating country; +on the way a vast pan, or depression in the ground more or less full of +water, was passed: it was fully a mile across, and, although at the time +nearly dried up, it gave us an idea (for it was the first that we had +come across in the course of our wanderings) of what these enormous +natural reservoirs must be in the rainy season. + +On the right flank, large numbers of tall chimneys and mining shafts +could be seen about eight miles off, which proved to belong to the coal +mines of Boksburg and Brakpan. These must be most prosperous centres in +times of peace, but just then only one or two gave signs of being at +work, and probably they were only pumping to keep the water within +limits. + +This 21st of June was eventful from the fact that it brought the first +rain which the battalion had experienced since leaving Glen; and as all +our notable events were heavily scored and immense successes, so was +this thunderstorm. Rain and hail came down in torrents, followed by a +fall of snow, which was more interesting than pleasant; and the +unfortunate battalion, which on this day was on baggage and rear guard, +reached its camp at Springs wet and wretched after a tramp of about +fourteen miles. + +Fortunately the weather cleared up, and this, with a plentiful supply of +coal procured from the railway station, completely altered the +complexion of affairs; and, as is usual with soldiers (particularly on +service), in half an hour all trouble was forgotten. + +The Royal Canadian Regiment of Infantry was in garrison at Springs: they +formed part of General Smith-Dorrien's Brigade, which was on the line of +communications between Pretoria, Johannesburg and the Vaal; they had +fixed themselves up in the large engine shed at the railway station, and +were quite settled down, with bugle calls and other camp comforts. + +Springs is purely a railway station, there being no town or village, or +anything of that kind; in course of time this little station will find +itself on the direct line, via Middleburg, to Delagoa Bay, as the branch +line, which already exists, to the coal mines at Springs is undoubtedly +on the direct road between Johannesburg and the main line at Middelburg; +this new line will save a considerable journey round by Pretoria, and +will enhance the importance of Johannesburg, bringing it into direct +communication with the sea. + +Captain Wroughton and I, when we left the battalion at Irene, had a long +journey to Johannesburg: we started at half past six in the evening and, +although the usual run by train is about two hours, the distance being +only 24 miles, yet we did not get into the Park station until 1.30 a.m. +Later in the day we went round to the larger shops, and bought stores +and tobacco for the Brigade canteen to the value of about £1,500. We +were lucky to be able to buy about £350 worth of English tobacco, at +such a price as enabled it to be sold retail at 8s. a pound, the usual +price in the shops in Johannesburg being 12s. a pound; but we had been +told of a Bonded Customs store in Johannesburg, in which was a large +quantity of tobacco belonging to Boer dealers, whose property had been +confiscated; this was being sold by our Government to the British +troops, so we decided to purchase a large quantity. + +We then went round to the wholesale clothing merchants to try and buy +shirts, trousers and socks for the men of the Brigade, and were +fortunate in finding a large quantity in a store owned by Lazarus and +Jacobson; we took all the shirts they had and all their stock of socks, +and that of another large firm close by. The trousers were very fancy +articles: they were mostly of moleskin and corduroy, cut in the approved +coster pattern "saucy over the trotters," and we took all that we could +find large enough to fit our men. We visited several other large +warehouses, but could find no more of the articles we wanted. At the +railway goods station we had some trouble with the stationmaster, who +was a new hand. He was a sergeant in an Infantry regiment, who, of +course, tried to introduce red tape into the matter, and kept back the +cases, two whole truck loads of them, saying that they were officers' +mess stores and that we must pay freight first; all this trouble with +the train starting in half an hour, and the Brigade leaving Springs, the +other end of the line, the next morning. However, this stationmaster +listened to reason eventually, and we got away at last, only two hours +late, and arrived at Springs during the night. Early the next morning +the stores were transferred to ox wagons, and went on with the Brigade. + + + + +CHAPTER XI. + +TO REITZ. + + Heidelberg--The ladies' flag--Surrenders--Useless rifles--A duck + hunt--Grass fires--Villiersdorp--Frankfort--Reitz--A Boer farm. + + +We left Springs on the 22nd of June, and had a march of about ten miles +before we reached our next camp, Grootfontein. This we found to be about +eight miles from Heidelberg, which we reached fairly early the next day, +the Cavalry and the Mounted Infantry having gone on in advance and +having come into contact with several strong parties of the enemy. + +Just outside the town we were met by some ladies in a carriage, who had +come out to meet the British troops, and who had brought a most gorgeous +banner, all worked in silk by hand, with a portrait of the Queen on one +side and the Union Jack on the other, together with an inscription, +embroidered in white silk, "Presented to the Royal Sussex Regiment by +the Ladies of Heidelberg, 23rd June, 1900." + +Of course, the name of the regiment was left blank at the time the +banner was presented, but the ladies stitched the name in that +afternoon. It seems that they had been working hard, embroidering this +flag in secret, for several months, and had determined to present it to +the first British regiment to enter the town after the Boers had been +driven out; and as luck would have it, it was our turn to lead the +Brigade that day. + +The ladies explained all this while the regiment halted by the roadside, +and then the colonel thanked them in the name of the regiment, saying we +would always keep the banner in the regiment in remembrance of the +loyalty of the ladies of Heidelberg. Then the band struck up and we +marched off to camp, the Sergeant-Major carrying the flag at the head of +the battalion, and we all cheering the ladies as we passed them. They +were greatly pleased at this, and stood and watched us go by, smiling +and waving their hands; while we, all in rags and tatters, with dirty, +hairy faces and worn out boots, grinned amiably in return. + +We remained four days at Heidelberg, most of us being accommodated in +the railway goods sheds, and in some tents which we found there; the +Derbyshire were in some small empty houses, and the Camerons in tents, +the C.I.V.'s being put up in the engine shed. There was now leisure to +issue the clothing which I had bought in Johannesburg, and which was +sadly needed; and we had time to wash ourselves and our clothes, and to +clean up a bit--not before it was needed. + + Extract from Divisional Orders, 25th June, 1900. + +"A telegram has been received from the F.-M. C. in C. heartily +congratulating Hamilton's force on the occupation by them of the +important town of Heidelberg and on the dispersal of the enemy from its +vicinity. In this telegram the F.-M. desires Lieut.-Gen. Ian Hamilton to +remain quiet in Heidelberg until his broken collar bone is set, when he +will rejoin his force. Meanwhile Lieut.-Gen. Sir Archibald Hunter is +ordered to take over temporary command, and Gen. Hamilton, much as he +regrets his enforced separation from his troops, cannot refrain from +congratulating them in passing under the orders of so distinguished a +leader as his friend Gen. Hunter." + +The Brigade Canteen opened at the railway station, and in three days +sold out the whole of the enormous stock brought from Johannesburg; the +profits of this canteen up to the date of leaving Heidelberg worked out +to £186 15s. 9d., which was divided among the battalions of the Brigade +and the battery, the former receiving £44 16s. 4d. each, and the latter +£7 10s. 5d. + +Heidelberg is the prettiest little town that we have seen in these +colonies, and the most English; there is quite a large population, and a +large colony of Hindustanis working on the railway, which is an +important line, as it connects Johannesburg with Natal. The bridges and +culverts had been destroyed by the Boers before leaving, so that trains +could not run up to the town just yet from the west, but had to wait +outside, some miles away. + +Quite a large number of Boers had come in to surrender their arms and to +take the oath of allegiance, but I am afraid that this was, in many +cases, merely an empty form; in this town, as in others, many of the +rifles brought in were old and valueless. The older rifles, which were +of all kinds and patterns (Westley Richards, Enfields, Martinis and many +bearing no maker's name, merely the seller's), must have been splendid +and costly weapons in their day. There were many quaint old shot guns, +besides several of the earlier patterns of breech loading rifles, such +as Whitworths, Spencers and Remingtons, many of which were rusty, +damaged and out of order. + +Every man over 16 and under 60 in the colony had been compelled to +purchase a Mauser rifle from the Boer Government at a cost of £3. 7s. +6d., so that if he did not return it to us when he surrendered, he must +have either disposed of it or hidden it for use on some future occasion, +by himself or his friends. + +General FitzRoy Hart, who had commanded the Brigade in which we served +when at Aldershot, marched in with his Brigade of Irish troops the day +after we arrived at Heidelberg, and encamped on the opposite side of the +hill to us. We were greatly interested at seeing them proceed to pitch +_tents_, when we poor wretches had been sleeping out on the veldt for +months, and had every prospect of continuing to do so for some time to +come--a prospect, I may as well say at once, which was realised to the +full, as we did not receive tents until the 13th of November. + +On the 26th of June the Brigade marched out of Heidelberg and trekked +away south, accompanied by an enormous convoy of about 180 wagons of +supplies, which retarded our progress considerably. We camped that +evening at Bierlaagte, a pleasant little farm belonging to an English +company and managed by an Englishman, where there was a large dam in the +centre of a big depression in the hills, which afforded plenty of water +to the transport animals. There were a few duck on this water, but what +with Major Cardew on one side and Capt. Gilbert on another, and a crowd +of men throwing stones on the other two sides, those duck had an unhappy +time, and had to bow to the inevitable. There were other amusements on +this occasion besides duck shooting; we were just seeking our bivouacs +when we got orders to turn out and protect the camp against another +enemy, which was approaching rapidly from the south east. This was an +enormous grass fire, which was roaring and flaming and throwing out +immense clouds of smoke about a mile away. Driven by a strong breeze, +the fire, which extended over a wide front, was travelling towards us at +an alarming rate; the whole Brigade turned out, formed line just beyond +the limits of the camp, and lit small fires in hundreds. By judicious +fanning and with the aid of the in-draught, these small fires soon +joined hands and roared away to meet their friend in front. When the two +fires _did_ meet there was a most tempestuous greeting, and then they +both disappeared and all was over. Our manoeuvre was most successful, +and we slept peacefully, without any fear of being burnt in our beds. + +It is astonishing what an amount of damage these grass fires can do when +they flash over a camp: rifles are charred, belts and clothes scorched, +harness destroyed, rations ruined, and animals severely burned; and all +by a wretched little flicker of flame running across the grass. + +Frequently these fires are caused by carelessness, and, as a rule, the +mounted scouts in our front got the credit of starting them; but the +result to the country was terrible at this time, July. There wasn't a +patch of grass, from Reitz to Winburg, for miles on each side of the +road, and the wretched transport animals suffered terribly from the want +of grazing. + +Villiersdorp was reached at seven in the evening on the 29th of June, +after a tiring march of 17 miles, during which the battalion was convoy +escort to the 180 wagons, which contained our supplies for 14 days. + +This escort duty is a wearisome business, as the ox wagons are always +the last to start; and although they travel at a good pace--quite as +fast as infantry want to march--yet even one drift is disastrous to +thoughts of getting into camp reasonably early. As a rule, the wagons +move four or even eight abreast on open country; but once a drift is +reached, single file is very often the only means of crossing, and this +means a long wait for the escort. If the drift is a bad one, and double +teams of bullocks have to be used to get each wagon across, the loss of +time is very great. + +Villiersdorp is a tiny little town on the banks of the Vaal, situated in +a hollow of the ground, where it is not seen until one is quite close +upon it. There are a few stone houses and a shop, but the town is, as +yet, quite in its infancy, although like Topsy, it will grow in time. +Anyhow the designers of the place have left lots of room, as the town is +well laid out, with wide streets and plenty of elbow room. I sincerely +trust that the very first job that the Town Council of Villiersdorp set +about, will be the construction, over the drift, of a first class, +man's size, doubled bottomed and copper fastened _bridge_ of the most +expensive quality, so that future generations of tired foot soldiers may +not have to lug heavy wagons up and down banks. + +On arrival we camped on the Transvaal side of the stream, as it was +late; but the ox wagons started crossing at daybreak, so that by mid-day +nearly all of them were over. They were followed by the Brigade baggage, +and at three o'clock in the afternoon the troops moved across the Vaal +once more, and led off to our camp, six miles out. The last time we +crossed the Vaal was on our entry into the Transvaal on the 26th of May; +now, just over a month later, we recrossed it and moved into a part of +the Orange Free State, or Orange River Colony, as it should be called, +which had not hitherto been traversed by our troops. + +Frankfort was reached next day, the 1st of July, and here we remained a +couple of days to rest the transport animals. It is a larger town than +Villiersdorp, but not nearly so important as Heidelberg, and apparently +does a trade with the surrounding farmers in wool and hides--as is the +way with most of the small towns in this colony, whose _raison d'être_ +is apparently exchange and barter. + +The farmers bring in the wool, mealies and hides, and the dealers take +them over at a price--not too high, you may depend--and serve out +clothes, agricultural implements and other things in exchange. The +dealer ships off his lot of wool down to the railway, and eventually to +the large firms at the coast, who send him consignments of stores in +exchange, and so the game goes on merrily. The ox wagons which take +the hides and wool down to the railway bring back stores, building +materials and so on; thus there are no empty wagons wasting their +time trekking about the country. Most of the shops in a town have the +inscription--"Wolkoper, Allgemene Handlaar"--which may be interpreted +as "Wool-broker, General Dealer,"--and most articles required on a farm +may be purchased there. On market day farm produce, bullocks, cows and +other animals are sold or exchanged: every town, however small, has its +market square, and its bell, and its day when the farmers come in and +sell their stuff and talk politics and drink too much whisky.--The +C.I.V.'s left the Brigade on the 4th of July and proceeded with a convoy +to Heilbron; they never rejoined the Brigade again. + +Leaving Frankfort on the 4th of July, the battalion had a terribly bad +time with the convoy, as we were on guard over it on that day, and there +was one of the worst sandy drifts in South Africa to be crossed, three +miles out of Frankfort. If there is one kind of drift which is worse +than another it is the sandy one; wet drifts are no trouble, except that +the mules stop in the middle to drink and take their own time in +starting again: rocky ones can be cleared: muddy ones can be repaired: +steep ones can be cut down, but for sandy drifts there is no cure except +brute force to haul the wagons out of the sticky, clinging sand. + +Although to the next camp we had only eight or nine miles to go, and we +started at eleven in the morning, yet we did not get into our bivouacs +at Rietfontein until exactly twelve hours later, and then it had been +freezing since seven o'clock that evening. However, that good old +soldier Pearce, the Quartermaster, who had got in fairly early, had +started fires and boiled water for the men's tea, although he had to +take all the wood off the biscuit boxes for fuel. We thought at the time +that that day's work was pretty well a record, but it was to be beaten +hollow by one or two days which we experienced afterwards. + +The next was also a long day's work, but good going over the veldt, +although there was lots of it, as we tramped a good twenty miles before +settling down for the night. Scarcity of water was the reason of this +long march: we had halted for a couple of hours at mid-day, and went on +again with the intention of reaching water, so we had to stick to it and +trek away until we did come to water. Major Shaw, the Brigade Major, did +a fair amount of galloping that day, looking for water, and no doubt his +pony, if he is still alive, has not forgotten the 5th of July. + +However, the next day compensated us for our hard work, as we had a +short march of merely ten or eleven miles, which, with a halt at mid-day +for a couple of hours, brought us into camp about four o'clock. There is +no doubt that, where troops are marching with a big convoy, it is a wise +thing to give the infantry a rest of a couple of hours in the middle of +the day, as it enables the convoy to close up, to water and feed, and to +get a short rest too. Transport animals travel all the better after +being watered and after having had a short rest, and it is a sound +policy to do this, as the column travels all the faster afterwards. The +Boers, when they are trekking, water their animals much more frequently +than we do, and they often made the remark to me that we were killing +our bullocks by not giving them a rest. On all marches the pace of the +column undoubtedly depends on the rate at which the slowest wagon +travels, and matters should, therefore, be arranged with regard to that +fact. Apart from considerations of safety, it is not sound to see the +troops trekking away into camp with the convoy sprawling along the road, +and with the rear guard clustering behind the last wagon. + +Another short march fetched us into Reitz, at mid-day on the 7th of +July: half the battalion and two guns were sent to occupy a farmhouse at +the foot of a hill, about a mile and a half away from the town--but +such a farm house! The doors and windows were gone, the ceilings and +floors had been wrenched away, part of the corrugated iron roof was +gone, and several of the rafters had been cut off short with saws, so +that the rest of the roof was in rather a dicky condition. This mass of +ruins rejoiced afterwards in the select name of "Joe Muggins' Farm." + +All Boer farms are more or less similar, and the buildings and outhouses +are practically identical in their shape and general appearance. First +of all there must be one or more dams which contain the water supply for +the cattle, and which are usually constituted so as to drain a +considerable area of watershed. A few trees are sometimes planted to +bind the embankment, but as a rule the burgher does not bother about +improving his property by arboriculture, but contents himself by growing +an orchard of peaches and apricots, and by planting a number of +eucalyptus trees round his homestead. This is indispensable in every +well-conducted farm. + +The buildings themselves are very ramshackle in design, the fact being +that the farmer on his first arrival builds himself a hut, which, as he +becomes a prosperous man, and his family increases with years, he adds +to whenever an opportunity occurs. There is always, however, a bit of +neglected garden in front of the house, with a step or two of stone +leading up to the verandah or _stoep_. As a rule, small rooms exist on +the sides of the verandah, whilst the _sitzkamer_ or drawing-room opens +on to it. This is a sealed-pattern room, and very funny to look into, as +all are alike, varying only in the quantity of furniture crammed into it +by the wealthy farmer. An American organ with perhaps a piano, of course +hopelessly out of tune, is flanked by the regulation two arm chairs and +six straight backed ditto, all carefully hung around with +antimacassars. On the walls are crayon enlargements of photos of the +master of the house and his _vrouw_, supported by lithographs of various +crowned heads, and enlivened by coloured pictures from the Christmas +numbers. The floor is covered with a carpet and a few skins, and a few +odd tables rest in fixed positions, supporting some china ornaments and +other little knick-knacks. The family Bible, containing the records of +births, deaths and marriages, occupies a prominent position in the room. + +The dining-room is close by, and is really the living room of the +family, and, like the _sitzkamer_, is conspicuous by its want of +ventilation. At meal times, the men of the family sit down first and are +waited on by the ladies of the family, and by Kaffir servants in various +stages of undress. After the biltong and stormbacks are finished, the +women folk are permitted to see what they can find left to satisfy their +appetites. Another prominent room in every Boer house is the guest +chamber. Here everything is spick and span, and the furniture is +complete in every detail, including a washing basin and a bath; but of +course no self-respecting Boer would dream of spoiling his record by +wasting such a lot of water. The kitchen usually contains an American +stove, and has a brick oven built outside one end of the room. Of +course, all baking has to be done on the farm, and lucky has been the +soldier who has reached a farm before his comrades, and has been enabled +to buy his loaf of bread. + +Outside in the compound, various animals of the usual farmyard type, +with a few guinea fowl, a peacock and perhaps an ostrich or two, roam at +large. A large wagon shed with a loft above, a woolshed and one or two +smaller storehouses comprise all the outbuildings. The ploughs and other +agricultural implements, which by the way are universally of American +manufacture, lie about everywhere. + +At Reitz we remained from the 7th to the 13th of July, being occupied +during the first two days in constructing some temporary defences on +both sides of the town, which was commanded by large hills of some +considerable elevation; these were held by our battalion, and upon them +earthworks were constructed in prominent positions. The town is a small +one of little importance, consisting of only a few houses: there were +hardly any residents left on our arrival, and nearly all the houses had +been emptied of their furniture, so our Head-Quarters companies were +enabled to occupy them as billets. + +The Highland Brigade, who had left the neighbourhood of Frankfort the +same day as we did, and who had marched parallel to us, but at some +considerable distance away, did not halt at Reitz, but continued on +through the town on their way to Bethlehem. + +The convoy wagons were emptied of their supplies, which were stored in +various buildings, and a column, consisting of the Derbyshire and some +Mounted Infantry, went off, under command of Col. Cunningham, to +Heilbron. The Derbyshire have not been seen since in the 21st Brigade, +as they shortly afterwards formed part of a Brigade of which Colonel +Cunningham was given the command; as they are to remain in South Africa +and as we are commencing a long tour of foreign service in India, +goodness knows when we shall see this fine old regiment again. + +At the Farm where A, E, F and G companies were stationed, we had a +company and a half on picket daily; their posts were rendered more +defensible, and huts were built with corrugated iron roofs for the +pickets to sleep in at night, as it was still very cold in the early +morning. Veldt fires were constantly blazing all round us, and one +night, at eleven o'clock, E company had to turn out to save our two +guns, which were established on the hill above us, from being burned +out. It took E the best part of an hour to put out the dangerous part of +this fire, and it had to be done by beating out the flames with +blankets. + +Continuous firing early one morning from one of the pickets turned us +all out in alarm: the regimental staff galloped off to see what the +enemy's strength was, and in what direction his attack was coming: the +battery hurriedly harnessed their horses and got ready to move up the +hill, when a message came down to the General to say that it was a false +alarm. It turned out that the picket had seen a herd of buck quietly +grazing, and thinking some venison would be a good thing for dinner in +place of the usual trek ox, had first let off a volley at 800 yards and +had then continued with independent firing for some little time! + +A considerable number of burghers came in every day and surrendered +their arms, taking the oath of allegiance also; but, as before, many of +the guns and rifles sent in were worthless: several were of very weird +patterns, with all sorts of curious backsights: one had flaps, sighted +to a number of distances, fitted along the barrel from the breech to the +muzzle; another had a hinged backsight leaf which ran in grooves from +one end of the barrel to the other. + + + + +CHAPTER XII. + +TO MEYER'S KOP. + + Leeuwspruit--Bethlehem--De Wet surrounded--Ridley goes to + Slabbert's Nek--De Wet already through--Meyer's Kop---Rifle + Positions--Inefficiency of shrapnel--Necessity of adapting tactics + to those of the enemy--A looted store. + + +We marched out of Reitz on the 13th of July, and camped at Hartebeeste +Hoek about dusk, experiencing an icy cold night with a very heavy frost: +the companies on picket suffered severely, as there was no wood to be +got in the neighbourhood. Our march the next day to Leeuwspruit, just +outside Bethlehem, was very trying indeed: there was a strong wind +blowing from our front, and clouds of dust gathered up from the burnt up +veldt stung our faces and filled our eyes and mouths. There was not a +patch of grass anywhere, nothing but black ground for miles: the battery +on this occasion, with unusual want of thought, persisted in marching on +the windward side, every now and then raising up great clouds of dust, +which came rolling over to us like black smoke from a huge fire. It is +difficult and trying for horses, which walk faster than men, to keep in +rear of a battalion of infantry, and for this reason a careful battery +commander tries to get on the flank of infantry; but when the wind is +blowing from that flank, it is very uncomfortable for the foot soldiers. + +We halted a day and a half at Leeuwspruit, and left that place at three +o'clock in the afternoon on the 16th of July for Bethlehem, reaching the +town at dusk and halting for orders on the outskirts. The Camerons +received orders to remain at Bethlehem with the G.O.C., the Headquarters +of the Brigade, the Supplies and the Field Hospital; but we were +directed to fill up our wagons with several days' rations and to +proceed with Major Simpson's battery, the 81st to a farm called +Sevastopol, lying somewhat to the south west. We waited a couple of +hours while our wagons went off to draw rations, which were all over the +place--biscuit in one camp, tea and sugar in the town--and eventually we +got away, at 8.30 p.m., in pitch darkness. We led out through the town +looking still and ghostly in the dark and up a steep and terribly sandy +road, which tried our overloaded wagons to the utmost, until at last we +reached the open veldt, where the road was hard, and clear from rocks +and sand. On the top of this hill we had a long wait, while the wagons +were closed up: we lay down and tried to keep warm, but the cold was too +intense, and finally the whole battalion had to stand up and move about +to keep their blood circulating. So we went on, halting every now and +then to allow the lagging wagons to close up, until at last at the top +of a sudden drop into a valley our advanced guard was challenged by a +picket, whom we found to belong to Ridley's Mounted Infantry, camped +about a mile further on. + +It seems that news had been received that De Wet, who was almost +surrounded by Hunter's and Rundle's Divisions and was shut up inside the +cordon of hills enclosing the Caledon Valley (access to which was only +to be obtained by certain passes which were watched by several +Brigades), was suspected of an intention to break out; and we had been +packed off in a hurry to guard Ridley's baggage and rations while he +dashed off towards Slabbert's Nek, one of these passes, to intercept De +Wet in case he tried to break out in that direction. + +At half past two in the morning we formed up in the valley, posted +pickets and got some sleep; but at half-past five we were on the move +again. Ridley had gone off at daybreak, taking his baggage with him, so +we started and marched about four miles, and then halted by the roadside +near Meyer's Kop, for further orders. In the distance, another four +miles on, rose the hills surrounding the Caledon Valley: we could just +distinguish the break in the range leading to the pass or Nek, which was +somewhat inside the fringe of low-lying hills. Four miles to the south +could be seen the camp and tents of General Paget's Brigade, with which +signalling communication was opened. A signal station was also +established on the top of Meyer's Kop, and communication opened with +Conical Hill, a sugar loaf peak about five miles south of Bethlehem. +Orders were received in the afternoon from General Hunter, who was then +in Bethlehem, directing us to remain at Meyer's Kop for the present; so +the Colonel selected a site for a camp, and we settled down in a valley +close under this kopje, bivouacing on a dirty piece of blackened, burnt +up ground, which was the cleanest that could be found. + +The force under Lieut.-Colonel Donne's command consisted of our +battalion, the 81st Battery, a few local irregulars of Prince Alfred's +Guards, and, later, some of the Lovat Scouts. + +We heard afterwards that De Wet had succeeded in breaking out of +Slabbert's Nek before we arrived, passing within a mile of where we were +then camped, and had gone off with 1,200 men and no wagons, only Cape +carts, in the direction of the railway. All our available Mounted +Infantry, under General Ridley, had hurried after him, and General +Broadwood, with his cavalry, had snatched up the Derbyshire regiment to +look after his baggage and had hastened off in the same direction. The +futility of chasing mounted men with a force dependent for their +supplies on wagons escorted by infantry was soon apparent, and, as is +now a matter of history, De Wet succeeded in making good his escape, +and led our troops a dance which lasted for months, and covered the +greater part of the Orange River Colony. + +Our energies were now concentrated on keeping the remainder of the Boer +commandos inside the Caledon Valley, exit from which could only be +obtained from the passes at Ficksburg, Slabbert's Nek, Retief's Nek, +Naauwpoort Nek and Golden Gate; these were watched--at Ficksburg by +Rundle, who was advancing up the Caledon Valley towards Fouriesburg; by +Paget's Brigade and ourselves at Slabbert's Nek; by Hector Macdonald's +Highland Brigade at Retief's Nek; and by Bruce Hamilton, who with the +remains of his Brigade was advancing towards Naauwpoort Nek; but, as +regards Golden Gate, which was not passable for wagons, it would appear +that this pass was not watched by any of our troops. + +Meyer's Kop was a rock of extraordinary shape. Imagine a huge sugar +loaf, which had been cut in half horizontally, so that the lower half +formed a great truncated cone, and then stick this up in the centre of a +level plain, and you have a fair idea of what this kopje, at whose base +we bivouacked for six days, looked like. There was a certain amount of +débris and many huge rocks scattered around the base of the kopje; its +sides were quite perpendicular except on the north, where there was a +winding path by which access might be had to the summit. The top was +almost flat, one enormous table-top of rock, about 80 yards across and +full of huge pot holes, which in ages gone by had been washed out by the +action of water. + +There were numerous other kopjes similar to this one in the +neighbourhood, and it is easy to conceive how, at one time, all the +surrounding country had been at the bottom of the sea, and how it had +risen gradually, the pinnacles of rock like Meyer's Kop, all scored and +washed clean by the rushing water, appearing first out of the sea. At +one corner of the rock, on the top, were piles and piles of cartridge +cases, Mauser, Lee-Metford and Martini, lying in little heaps in places +which showed us how each Boer marksman had taken up his position, +concealed behind most excellent cover, whence to shoot down from his +point of vantage our soldiers as they advanced across the open plain +beneath or showed themselves over the rising ground, at points of which +every Boer of course knew the range. To these men, each snug in his +little nook among the rocks, our rifle fire would have no terrors, as +our bullets would whizz harmlessly over their heads, even if aimed in +their direction--an unlikely event, for the chances would be hundreds to +one that the Boers would never be spotted as long as they used cordite. + +Shell fire also would cause no trepidation to a Boer well posted behind +cover; but I doubt if he would have been so happy, or would even have +remained so long behind his cover, had he been exposed to the old +fashioned shell fire from mortars, where the projectiles, fired at a +high angle with a varying charge of powder, sailed slowly and +gracefully, humming to themselves, through the air, their track marked +by a thin stream of blue smoke from the burning fuse; and then, dropping +quietly immediately in rear of the enemy's parapet or into his trenches, +burst into hundreds of fragments and spread devastation around. + +Something of that kind is what has been wanted in the class of warfare +which we have been carrying on lately with the Afridis and the Boers, +_i.e._ against a much scattered enemy, invisibly and securely posted +behind rocks, and armed with the latest development in small bore +rifles. + +Shrapnel is all very well when used against an enemy in a formation like +quarter-column, and its moral effect is at all times good; but its +killing powers against a thin line of skirmishers, say ten paces apart, +advancing across a plain or posted on a ridge are limited to the width +of front to which its 256 bullets will, on the explosion of the bursting +charge, extend, and are about equal to the damage which might be done +by, perhaps, two rifles. The trajectory of a shell is too flat to cause +any harm to a Boer or an Afridi behind a rock. + +At Meyer's Kop the rocks on the east had received a vigorous shelling on +one occasion from our guns, and it interested some of us to potter +about, looking at the marks on the rocks and ground that showed where +the shells had struck, picking up shrapnel bullets and fragments of +iron, trying to estimate the number of shells fired, and examining the +ground to see where the enemy's sharpshooters had been lying. + +On this particular occasion (I don't know when it occurred or what +troops of ours had been engaged), the ground on the slope of, and below +the eastern side of the kopje, was covered, over a large area, with +shrapnel bullets and bits of shell; and the large prominent boulders, +some of them as big as haystacks, bore marks where shells had struck in +numbers; _but_, away up on a corner of the kopje, fifty yards off, were +at least 500 cartridge cases, showing where some three or four men had +lain in perfect security and had kept up a harassing fire in spite of +our shrieking shell, and the whistling but inoffensive bullets from our +bursting shrapnel. + +They had played the Boer game, which the introduction of smokeless +cordite had rendered so easy; they had studiously avoided all the +prominent objects behind which one would naturally expect to find an +enemy, and had selected other places on the flanks, from which to pour +in, unobserved, their annoying and ceaseless fire, whilst our advancing +troops blazed away, and continued to blaze away, at the top of the +hills, at green bushes, and at any stone walls in the neighbourhood, +instead of impartially searching with their fire the slopes of all the +hills in their front, or watching the spirts of dust thrown up by the +Boer bullets and trying to discover from these indications the direction +whence the fire was coming and the probable location of the marksman. + +These are all points which, unfortunately, can only be learned when +bullets are flying around, but a very little instruction in this goes a +tremendously long way; and when skirmishing is again introduced, as it +must inevitably be, into the curriculum of instruction we give our +infantry soldiers in peace time, no doubt more attention will be paid to +the question of adapting your system of warfare to meet that of your +enemy. The invading force which enters an enemy's country is, to my +mind, entirely at the mercy of and eventually forced to adopt, any +system of warfare which may be thrust upon it by the owners of the +country; thus, a widely scattered enemy must be met by our thin clouds +of skirmishers: changes of position rapidly carried out by an enemy +entirely mounted must be checkmated by our strong bodies of mounted +infantry: the withdrawal, when pressed by us, of the enemy to a +previously selected position must be met by our timely flanking +movements: the invitation by the enemy to a frontal attack over a +suspiciously open piece of country must be met by an attack delivered +somewhere else. + +In fact, whatever the enemy obviously wishes us to do, must not be done, +lest we be drawn into a trap; and above all nothing must ever be taken +for granted. I am fully aware that these axioms are as old as the hills, +and that every soldier is supposed to absorb them with his military milk +in his infancy as a recruit; but I am afraid that he does not assimilate +enough of this particular kind of diet. + +Many are the instances, some of them microscopic, some of them serious, +which I have seen of the neglect of the golden rule--take nothing for +granted; and I might also add to this rule another, namely--never +despise your enemy--to which the attention of all amateur soldiers might +be drawn when they next race off in the direction of any campaign which +may be threatening. + +This queer Meyer's Kop made an excellent helio station from which +signalling communication was easily maintained to the north and south; +and it was also a first-rate observation post, from which the +surrounding country for miles round could be seen. One of the officers +was usually on watch up there from daylight to dark, and it was really a +very pleasant way of spending three or four hours on a fine day. +Sometimes we could see what we thought were Boers riding about on the +sky line, and we used to especially watch the entrance to Slabbert's +Nek, in the hopes of seeing some of the enemy moving about. Once or +twice we went out with a few men and some wagons to procure forage from +the farm of an Englishman named Passmore, a horsebreeder and trainer, +and a jockey well known at Johannesburg, who had a run near us, but who +had had to bolt when the Boers arrived in the neighbourhood. This man +had opened a small store on his property, but when we arrived we found +that it had been carefully looted. I never saw such confusion as there +was; nearly everything had been torn down or off the shelves and thrown +promiscuously on to the floor; things looked as though a whole troop of +monkeys had been allowed a free hand for half an hour or so. Only once +have I seen anything approaching such a state of matters, and that was +years ago, when Captain Farrell's pet monkey was accidentally shut up in +his master's quarters for a couple of hours; and the havoc that monkey, +who was of an enquiring turn of mind, played with writing table, +dressing table, chest of drawers, and tin uniform cases may be better +imagined than described. + +Passmore's store however had been visited, it was suspected, by Kaffirs +and not by Boers. It was a curious circumstance, noticed by one of our +officers with a Sherlock Holmes disposition, that all the tins, of which +there were a number containing mustard, medicines, pepper, linseed, +ginger and other things, had a small opening, roughly made, evidently to +enable the contents to be examined. Now, no white man would have gone to +the trouble of doing this, even if he couldn't have read the label, +which was plain enough in every case. + +G and H Companies were sent in with wagons, on the 20th of July, to +Bethlehem, to draw another supply of rations and to get the mails, +sixty-three bags of which were waiting for us. They returned the next +day in the afternoon, together with the Bedfordshire regiment, who +camped alongside of us, but left the next evening to join Paget's +Brigade, which was only a few miles away. + +The Bedfords, who had been equipped earlier in the campaign than we had, +when things were more plentiful, were very well provided as regards +transport. They had plenty of wagons, Scotch carts, ammunition carts and +water carts, while we were still limited to the one water cart with +which we originally started, and the two old Scotch carts, procured at a +farm, which we utilised to carry some of our reserve ammunition. The +four ammunition and other carts we had brought from home had been left +at Glen for want of mules to draw them. + + + + +CHAPTER XIII. + +RETIEF'S NEK. + + A bad night--Start for Relief's Nek--Description of ground--Orders + to attack--Leading companies take wrong direction--Remaining + companies advance against Nek--They close up to the Boer + position--Further advance impossible--Death of Sir Walter + Barttelot--Orders to retire at dusk--Difficulty of bringing in + wounded--A good Samaritan. + + +It was dark on Sunday evening, the 22nd of July, when the Bedfords +started from Meyer's Kop; and directly they had gone the wind rose and +the rain came down in torrents, splashing up the black soil, turning the +camp into a morass, and penetrating through everything--blankets, +waterproof sheets, canvas sheeting. The wind blew our blankets about and +the rain drenched everything for many hours without ceasing, all fires +were quenched by the downpour, and we sat and cursed and were wretched. +One or two of us were fortunate enough to get hold of some corrugated +iron, and I remember getting an hour or two's broken sleep by crawling, +all wet and muddy, under a long sheet of this iron, which I had +stretched over my blankets. + +To add to our troubles, one of the companies on picket fired a few shots +in the middle of all our discomfort, but, as the firing did not +continue, no further steps were taken: however, about half-past two, the +Volunteer company burst out into heavy firing which they continued for +some time. As they were on picket quite close to us, the Adjutant ran up +to see what was the matter, and found that they were firing at some +lights some distance in front of them: so the firing soon stopped, and +we huddled under our dripping blankets until three o'clock, when we were +routed out and told to pack our kits and load the wagons. Overnight the +Colonel had had confidential orders to move before daybreak towards +Retief's Nek, where we were to meet General Hunter and receive further +orders; so by four o'clock we were on the move. The night was pitch +dark, but luckily the rain had stopped: the whole camp and the ground +round it was a sea of mud, and it was with the greatest difficulty that +we could start the wagons, already fully loaded with rations and mails, +to which had been added the men's blankets, now trebled in weight owing +to the absorption of rain: in consequence of the compression, the water +was soon running out of the bottoms of the wagons, which will give an +idea how wet the blankets had been when loaded. + +As it was, after squelching and slipping along in slimy mud, we had to +wait at the top of the hill for the wagons to be hauled up to drier +ground; by that time it was dawn, and we were able to proceed at a +better pace across country towards Retief's Nek. + +There was one nasty drift on the way, muddy and slippery, which caused +considerable delay to our small column; but after this we trekked along +for some hours over grassy veldt, until we came in sight of Retief's +Nek, when the Colonel rode on to communicate with General Hunter, and +the battalion halted under the lee of a huge mass of rock, rising sheer +out of the plain. This was about eleven o'clock, so we seized the +opportunity to eat some biscuit and what cooked food we happened to have +in our haversacks, and to rest; for after our dreadful night and long +tramp, we were fairly well tired. + +After some little while, the Colonel came back, summoned the officers, +and told us the orders he had received from General Hector Macdonald, +who was in charge of the operations; we then went some little distance +aside, and the position was shown to us and the orders explained. + +In front, the ground, level and grassy, stretched away for about a mile +and a half to a low conical hill, which appeared to be of slaty rock, +and the top of which shone and glistened in the sun like white marble; +a little to the rear of this, and seemingly connected with it by a +narrow nek, rose another hill, very similar in appearance, but dark and +lowering. Separated from these hills on our right by a gap, perhaps 600 +or 700 yards wide, rose a spur with a knoll half way up, a little less +in height than the kopje (which we had now named Marble Kop), and from +this knoll the spur rose abruptly to a great height, broken and jagged, +the slopes covered with huge black rocks: this cliff bore round to our +right for perhaps a mile or more, very steep and precipitous, until it +was abreast of where we were standing, when the range of mountains swung +away to our right and was lost in the distance. Still to the front, but +a little to our right, rose a narrow grassy kopje, with a couple of +houses at its foot. This kopje was separated from the great range of +hills by a narrow, funnel shaped passage which seemed to be about 600 +yards wide at the entrance; but whether this narrow kopje, which ran +straight back, eventually joined the broken and jagged cliffs in the +distance, or whether it was an isolated hill and the passage ran round +behind it, could not be decided from the spot upon which we were then. + +Marble Kop was the position the battalion were to attack, and it was to +be supported in its advance by the battery, which would take up a +position on a hill which we could not then see, but which was +immediately in front of Marble Kop, and some considerable distance away +from it: no nearer position could be found for the guns. + +On the left of Marble Kop rose abruptly to a point a lofty range of +hills, looking quite inaccessible, and bearing round to our left in a +great sweep. Between this point and Marble Kop was another gap of some +considerable width, which was the pass of Retief's Nek; and down at the +bottom of this pass and hidden in a fold of ground, the road ran from +where guns were posted straight into and beyond the pass. + +Our orders from General Macdonald were to attack Marble Kop, and on +arrival there to open an enfilading fire on a trench which the enemy was +reported to have dug across the pass: there were to be no supports for +us, and there was no information as to the position of the enemy, or his +strength, or whether Marble Kop was occupied by him: a deadly stillness +was in the air, and the strongest telescope did not reveal the presence +of the enemy at any point which was visible. + +The companies now proceeded to move off in the following order:--G +company under Captain Mackenzie, then H under Captain Wisden; after them +A under Major O'Grady, followed by B with Major Panton in command, and C +under Captain Wroughton; E under Captain Aldridge bringing up the rear. +The remaining companies were on various duties; D under Lieut. Ashworth +was escorting the guns and took no part in the action, F under Captain +Gilbert, and the Volunteer company under Sir Walter Barttelot, were +baggage and rear guard respectively: they came up shortly after we had +advanced, when the wagons had been parked by Major Scaife, who was +baggage master--these two companies then proceeding to join in the +attack. + +The leading company, G, was directed to advance towards Marble Kop, +proceeding in a circuitous direction, and skirting the base of the +narrow kopje, then in front and lying at our feet. This kopje G should +have left on the right. The companies were to advance in column of +sections, each extended to ten paces, and with large intervals between +each line; all officers and supernumeraries were to be in among the men +in line, so as not to render themselves too conspicuous. The companies +were soon fairly launched and moving off across the grassy veldt in +great parallel lines, about a hundred or more yards apart, and +stretching well away to the right and left, so as not to afford to the +enemy a more extensive objective than was necessary. The leading company +was a long way off, and the men were appearing smaller and smaller as +they got further away to the front, when it was noticed that the column, +instead of skirting the narrow kopje in front and leaving it on their +_right_, had misunderstood these instructions and were entering the +funnel shaped passage, thus leaving the narrow kopje on their _left_. + +There was then no time or means of recalling them without considerable +delay, owing to the distance, fully a mile, which they had already +traversed, so it was considered advisable to allow them to continue +their advance in the direction which they had chosen; the point of +attack had been distinctly pointed out to every one concerned, and if, +as often happens in these widely extended movements, certain +contingencies had arisen which necessitated the direction of the attack +being changed, yet no further instruction could be given by the +commanding officer, and the execution of the attack must, perforce, be +left to the discretion of each company commander. + +Under the extended order system as carried out during this war, the +company commander becomes a far more important personage than he has +been during the last twenty years, with an immensely free hand, within +certain limits, directly active operations commence. + +The machine guns under Captain Green had gone along with H company, and +had by this time, with the three leading companies, gone quite out of +sight into the funnel shaped passage; C company, which was the fifth in +order of succession, was just inside the entrance, and E was following +in rear: the ammunition cart and water cart and the rest of the first +line were coming on behind. This was the situation about one o'clock, +and I was walking up the narrow kopje, intending to watch the progress +of events from its summit, when suddenly from inside the passage on the +right, into which the companies had gone, came, like a clap of thunder, +a most fearful outburst of firing, which continued for some time without +intermission, and which echoed and re-echoed among the ravines and rocky +hills, until one could hardly hear one's own voice. + +From the top of the kopje nothing could be seen, either of our men or +the enemy, and the infernal pandemonium still continued in the valley +below; but to the incessant ping-boom, ping-boom of the Mauser, +unmistakeable from its propinquity, was now added the ping, ping, ping +of the Lee Metford, and the continuous stutter of the Maxim, as this +highly strung machine, shaking and quivering with nervous energy, +stammered out whole belts full of ammunition without ceasing. +Undoubtedly, Captain Green had got hold of a soft thing and was taking +the utmost advantage of it, and squeezing the last ounce out of the +Maxim, which fired as it had never fired before and probably never will +again. The water in the casing fizzed and spluttered, but more was +handy; the empty belts littered the ground, but the ammunition cart was +not far off, and so the vastly important work of spattering with bullets +the hillside opposite, which a moment before had been as still as the +grave, was continued without intermission. The companies in front had +dropped into cover behind some huge rocks which fringed both sides of +the valley, immediately on the first shots being fired; and they had +ever since continued to fire at their invisible foe, who were lining the +hillside and the jagged crest line not 800 yards away. + +Captain Mackenzie had, at the outset, exposed himself somewhat +recklessly, and had been knocked over in the open with a bullet in his +ankle; his subaltern, Lieut. Hopkins, seeing this, shouted to a couple +of men to accompany him, and dashed out without a moment's thought +towards his captain, in the face of a murderous fire which covered the +ground around them with a cloud of dust spirts. Together with the two +men, who turned out to be Corporal Hoad and Lance-Corporal Neville, +Lieut. Hopkins raised Captain Mackenzie and bore him, groaning and +sweating with agony from his broken ankle, to safety. + +For this gallant act these three, the young officer and the two +Corporals (both young soldiers), were recommended for the Victoria +Cross, the highest distinction to which a soldier can aspire. However, +in lieu of this, Lieut. Hopkins was offered a company in the Manchester +regiment, and the two Corporals were each awarded the Distinguished +Conduct Medal. + +Nothing could be done to withdraw the companies in front, and the Maxim +had also to remain; but orders were sent to B, C, and E companies to +move to their left to the other side of the kopje. This they soon did, +and the attack was launched again at Marble Kop, but on this occasion +from the direction in which it had been originally intended to advance. +As matters turned out, however, it was perhaps as well that the mistake +had been made and the advance commenced in the wrong direction, as our +three companies, although useless to the battalion in continuing the +advance, were still of inestimable value where they were lying, as they +held a good number of the enemy in check and prevented them from leaving +their cover and proceeding to other positions, from which they could, +perhaps, have done more damage. While our three companies kept up a +dropping fire and while the Maxim rattled out its scattered shots at +intervals, no Boer would dare to leave his cover; and so matters +remained _in statu quo_ in this valley until dusk. + +Meanwhile, our battery had commenced shelling vigorously the slopes of +the hills on the right of Marble Kop, and B and C companies, with E +following, were moving over to the open ground directly in front of it; +from here they advanced in succession by half-companies and stretched +away out into the veldt, E company being meanwhile held in reserve. + +We sat and watched the companies diminishing in the distance, and, when +the leading half-company was about a thousand yards from us and about +the same distance from the foot of Marble Kop, we saw rifle fire opened +on them from their right front. They continued their advance like a +parade ground movement, halting, lying down to fire and then rising and +going on again, the lines in rear conforming to the movements of those +in front, and the men on the right of all the lines delivering their +fire against their hidden enemy among the hills on the right front. +Gradually the lines in rear decreased their distances, closing up to the +front and reinforcing and thickening the firing line: this manoeuvre +adds more rifles to the firing line and enables more fire to be brought +to bear on the enemy, but at the same time it increases the +vulnerability of the foremost line, rendering more men liable to be hit +owing to their proximity to each other, so, possibly, the advantages may +or may not outweigh the disadvantages. In this particular case, however, +where the enemy were behind perfect cover, the disadvantages of +thickening the firing line predominated, and the enemy's bullets fell +pretty thickly amongst our men. + +It appeared at this stage of the proceedings, that Marble Kop was +unoccupied, and that the bulk of the firing was coming from a concealed +party of sharpshooters at long range, stationed somewhere on the right +front, upon whom the shrapnel of our guns seemed to have little or no +effect: however our men, although hampered by having to fire half right, +continued to pour in a constant fire at ranges of from 600 to 800 yards, +and perhaps longer. + +About this time, also, F company and the Volunteer Company appeared, +coming up from the rear in similar formation (half company columns) to +that adopted by us: seeing that the firing line wanted a wider front +instead of a thicker formation, F company was directed by signal to +continue moving to the front, but to gradually edge off to the left, so +as eventually to come up on the left of the present firing line, +composed of B company. + +So F company trudged off and carried out this manoeuvre beautifully, +coming up into line with B company and lying down and opening fire about +half an hour later: meantime the Volunteer company had received similar +orders to move further off and to prolong the line to the left of F +company; this movement had used up all the companies at our disposal, +except E, who were now moved off to the left also, but were still to +remain as a reserve in rear of the centre, in view of possible +contingencies which might arise. There were one or two wounded being +brought in, so a dressing station was established under some cover, +formed by a few large rocks and a tree or two; and the doctor, who had +remained in the valley on the right attending to one or two men of G +company who had been hit, was sent for. The first line transport with +the ammunition carts, water cart and the medical officer's cart had, for +some inexplicable reason, remained in this valley, although the majority +of the battalion had been moved in another direction; they did not come +near us all the afternoon, men having to be sent over to get +ammunition, which, at a later stage of the fight, was running short +rapidly. + +For the second time that day I sat down and searched the hills +thoroughly with a telescope; not a sign of an enemy did I see, and yet +the jets and puffs of dust thrown up amongst the men spread all over the +veldt up to a thousand yards in front distinctly showed that the firing +was from the right front. Away on our right, the spur, which has been +alluded to as being separated from Marble Kop by a gap about six hundred +yards wide, was being steadily shelled by our battery all along its +length, and on its face where it joined the big jagged cliffs and +trended off to the right; but it was now seen that this spur continued +round to the left also, and forked out into another lofty range of +hills, which swung round with a semi-circular sweep, enclosing a valley +into which various underfeatures and knolls led out from the spur and +from the lofty range itself. The conclusion I came to at the time was +that the Boers were in position on these knolls and underfeatures, +rising in tiers, one above another, and that the majority of the firing +was directed on our men through and over the gap between the spur and +Marble Kop; this supposition was supported by information given by the +stretcher bearers, who were now coming in pretty frequently with wounded +men from the firing line, so I signalled information to this effect to +the officer commanding the battery; the distance, however, was too +great, and the enemy were too well posted for shrapnel to do any harm: +moreover, the gunners, from their long distance in the rear and because +of the intervening end of the spur, could not see any of the +underfeatures, behind which the enemy were situated. + +The advance was continued until the right of the firing line, B company, +was about 600 yards from the foot of Marble Kop; they could go no +further with any advantage, and were fully occupied, as was C company, +in keeping down the fire from their right front. Beyond them F company +was pushing forwards towards the left of Marble Kop where the pass +opened out, and were moving down into a fold of the ground, which hid +them from my sight; slightly behind them and on their left was the +Volunteer company, slowly pushing on, firing and advancing, and lying +down to fire again, and continuing this with the greatest coolness and +steadiness. + +I was watching them through my telescope for some little time, noticing +Sir Walter Barttelot running forward and the half-company following him, +and I thought how unmistakeable a leader he looked, with no equipment +and no rifle, standing and pointing with his stick to places which men +should occupy. Sir Walter did not know the meaning of fear or +nervousness, and the pluck and marvellous endurance he displayed during +the campaign was a constant wonder to all of us, and put to shame many a +soldier of half his age. + +Soon the Volunteer company disappeared, like F company, in the fold of +the ground, and I hoped that they would succeed in pushing on into the +pass and round by the left of Marble Kop, and so create a diversion in +the state of affairs. One or two wounded men being brought in from these +companies proved what I suspected--that the huge, black, conical hill, +rising on the left of the pass, was also occupied by the enemy's +marksmen, who were behind the rocks and ledges of the steep slopes. This +being so, things looked bad for our chance of being able to push round +the left side of Marble Kop, which was, like its front, a slippery mass +of smooth volcanic rock rising to a sharp pinnacle, and without an atom +of cover. Nothing was to be gained by rushing this rock and swarming up +its slippery sides (which we could easily have done), because, once +there and necessarily crowded, we should have been exposed without the +least protection to an overwhelming fire from the hills on the right and +left of the Kop, while we could have done little good by our rifle fire, +which would, of course, have to be directed up hill. + +However, half of E company, waiting patiently in reserve, was sent out +in support of F and the Volunteers, in case they should succeed in +gaining a footing, and I went out myself a little way to find out if I +could see what was beyond the fold in the ground into which these two +companies had disappeared. Soon I met a stretcher borne along with +difficulty by two men of F company, Privates Stewart and Biles, and upon +it I was shocked to see Sir Walter Barttelot; he was unconscious and +breathing heavily, and had been shot through the body by a bullet fired +from the lofty hill on our left front. Sadly the men continued on their +way to the dressing station, where Dr. Edwards immediately attended to +him; but the case was hopeless from the first, and he breathed his last, +still unconscious, soon after arrival. + +From the men I learned that Captain Gilbert with most of his Company had +brilliantly dashed into a Kaffir kraal under a severe fire from the +left, and were there doing their best to subdue the enemy's scathing +fire; several men had been wounded, Lieut. Anderson had been dangerously +shot in the neck, and more stretchers were wanted. On the way back, +therefore, volunteers were called for from E company to go out with +stretchers, and right gallantly they came forward, plenty of them; they +went out under the steady shower of bullets, right up to the firing +line, and brought back most of the wounded who could not walk. + +About four o'clock, a message was received from the Colonel that, if it +was impossible, without supports as we were, to carry the Nek, a +retirement should be made, and a reply was sent that the Nek could +certainly be carried, as the men were only waiting for the order to rush +Marble Kop; but that the advantage thus gained would be valueless, as no +troops could remain on the smooth pinnacle, with no cover and commanded +on both sides. + +Orders were therefore sent to each company commander to retire as +quickly as possible as soon as it was dusk. All this time the firing in +the valley on the right had been going on, and at intervals the Maxim +spluttered out a handful of rounds and kept the enemy from quitting, +and, possibly, from taking up other positions from which they could have +added their quota of fire to that already being showered on us. + +The stretchers were still coming in, and some of the men of E company +had once more volunteered to make another journey, although this work +was much more dangerous than lying behind an ant heap in the firing +line, and the men deserve all the credit that it is possible to give +them for their pluck and coolness. Four volunteers, when asked for, were +also easily forthcoming to carry to the four Company commanders the +orders to retire; one of these men, Hurrell, of E, had only just +returned with a stretcher, but off he went again, and, I am thankful to +say, safely returned. + +There were now a number of poor fellows lying on the grass, and the +doctor and Corporal Knapp and Private Gill were busy doing the best for +them that circumstances would allow; several others, who were only +slightly wounded and were able to walk, were sent off to camp, and the +stretchers were sent back to the firing line in anticipation of the +retirement at dusk. + +Although we had been in action since mid-day and it was now nearly five +o'clock, not an ambulance had arrived; but at last ours was seen slowly +approaching from the valley on our right where it had remained: the +labour of removing the groaning, wounded men--one of whom had been shot +in the body, another in the thigh, another in the chest--in the clumsy +old ambulance, which carried only two at a time, was commenced by the +doctor. + +It was now getting dusk, and a desultory fire was still being kept up by +the enemy, when suddenly this increased in intensity and became a +continuous clatter of musketry. The whole veldt between us and Marble +Kop became spattered with puffs of dust thrown up by the Mauser bullets, +some of the shots even reaching to the dressing station, which, +unfortunately, had no Red Cross flag raised, although the Boers must +have seen the ambulance wagon standing by with its white tilt and large +flag flying. + +The reason of this sudden outburst of musketry was the retirement of our +men, who were running back smartly to be clear of the heavy fire: +several little clumps of men were lagging somewhat in rear, carrying +their wounded with them, and the Boers kept up a furious fire directed +on these small parties. Several men were hit in this way, and the +remainder were furious at the conduct of the Boers; but their firing was +perhaps excusable, as, in the dusk, I doubt whether they could +distinguish the stretcher parties at that long distance. + +In contravention of the old-fashioned idea that all retirements should +be conducted slowly, and that it is a disgrace to move out of a slow +walk, is the common-sense feeling that, if troops are to withdraw under +a heavy fire, the quicker they carry out the movement the earlier they +will be beyond range, and the fewer casualties will occur: troops who +have served in India on any of the numerous hill expeditions which take +place in that country soon learn to act upon this plan. + +It was almost dark when the companies began to arrive at the dressing +station, and, as the bullets were still flying about, we formed up in a +hollow a little further back and waited for the remainder to come in: a +good many men, and almost all the officers, were still in rear bringing +along their wounded. Some of the companies, notably F and the +Volunteers, had a long way to come, and the former had to wait till +quite dark before they could rush out of the cover afforded by the kraal +and successfully carry in those who had been badly hit. Lieut. Anderson +had been very dangerously wounded in the throat, and the men had some +difficulty in moving him: his wound had been bound up under a dreadful +storm of bullets by a young soldier called Say of F company. Several +other men were especially noted in their care for wounded comrades and +their total disregard of danger: a large number of others showed the +possession of bravery in a marked degree by securing and issuing +ammunition, carrying orders, and assisting in other ways, under a heavy +and continuous fire. + +[9]Our casualties were severe, there being one officer killed and four +wounded, whilst three men were killed and thirty-two wounded. + +The three companies in the valley on our right retired about the same +time as we did, and we proceeded to camp, which lay behind the position +occupied by the battery and by D company, their escort: it must have +been nearly seven o'clock when we reached our bivouacs and the wagons +were brought up and unloaded of their wet and sopping blankets. However, +we were too dead tired (having worn our blankets and heavy equipment for +fifteen hours) and exhausted for want of sleep and food to think much of +discomfort; and first we had to look after our wounded. Volunteers were +soon forthcoming, and we managed to procure some tents, without any +pegs, which we at last succeeded in pitching: the wounded arrived, the +majority being able to walk, but some being brought in on stretchers, +and a few, two at a time, on the single wretched ambulance which was all +we had; and they were stowed away and made as comfortable as we could +manage in the tents. + +A real genuine Good Samaritan of a modern type appeared in the shape of +an acting Chaplain, Mr. Leary, a Colonial born and bred, who did right +good service in looking after our men--whom he had never seen before. He +went to and fro with the ambulance, and, after one or two trips, got the +men taken on a couple of miles further and put in the Field Hospital, +which was at Boshop Farm. He is a right good man, just the one for a +soldiers' padré, and he ought to be a Bishop: I hope he will be one +before long. + +We managed to rake up some Bovril, and gave the wounded that and some +tea: the padré took out a bucketful of soup to give to the men still +waiting at the dressing station to be removed. Our doctor, a civilian +named Edwards, and also a Colonial, from New South Wales, worked like a +horse: his labour and the padré's that night only began when ours was +finished. + +The following orders relating to the action were published a day or two +afterwards:-- + + Extract from Battalion Orders, 24th July, 1900. + +"It is with the deepest regret that Lieut.-Col. Donne records the death +in action yesterday of Sir Walter Barttelot, Bart., Commanding the +Volunteer Company. Sir Walter Barttelot served throughout the long and +arduous marches of the battalion, showing an example of fortitude and +devotion to duty unsurpassed in the annals of the regiment, and which +had deservedly won him the love of his comrades of all ranks. Sir Walter +Barttelot passed unharmed through the actions of Welkom, Zand River, +Doornkop, the Capture of Pretoria and the battle of Diamond Hill, in all +of which he led his volunteers to the attack. In the desperate assault +yesterday on the Boer position at Retief's Nek, he fell gallantly at the +head of his company, to be mourned both by the regiment and the county +of Sussex as one of the bravest soldiers and truest of men that have +given their lives for Queen and country." + + Extract from Battalion Orders, 26th July, 1900. + +"Lieut.-Gen. Sir A. Hunter, K.C.B., referred as follows to the conduct +of the battalion in the action of Retiefs Nek on 23rd July. + +"'Your men worked splendidly in the attack. They could not have done +more. I wish you to convey to them, please, my high admiration of the +dauntless way in which they advanced under such a fire. + +"'Nothing could have been finer, and I deeply deplore the heavy losses +incurred.' + +"Lieut.-Col. Donne feels proud to publish these remarks from such a +distinguished General as Sir A. Hunter, with whom he has often had the +honour of serving before. + +"Although the attack could not be pressed home, owing to darkness and +the cross-fire of the enemy, yet the losses of the battalion were not in +vain, and the boldness of the attack on the right justly contributed to +the success next morning of the turning movement on the left, which +resulted in the rout of the Boers. + +"The names of those who have fallen in this, as well as in all other +actions, will be recorded at no distant date on a monument to be +probably erected in the County Cathedral at home, or in such conspicuous +place as may be deemed worthy to commemorate their deeds of valour on +these South African battlefields."[10] + +Sir Walter Barttelot was buried the next day under a huge eucalyptus +growing by itself in a field to the east of Boshop Farm: two of the men +who had been killed were buried there, too; their names were Bennett and +Buck. + +A slab of timber was erected over Sir Walter's grave, upon which an +inscription had been cut by one of the Volunteer company. + +FOOTNOTES: + +[9] Our casualties during the day were as follows: + + KILLED. + Capt. Sir W. G. Barttelot, + Volunteer Company + Private E. Bennett, G " + Private C. Buck, B " + Private J. Mills, B " + + WOUNDED. + Capt. E. L. Mackenzie + 2nd Lieut. J. C. W. Anderson + 2nd Lieut. H. G. Montgomerie + 2nd Lieut. G. E. Leachman + Clr.-Sergt. A. Nye, F Company + Lce.-Corp. J. Butt, H Company + Lce.-Corp. A. King, F Company d + Lce.-Corp. F. Manser, C Company + Private A. Clarke, B Company + Private A. Perry, B Company + Private E. Brown, B Company + Private J. Leadbetter, B Company + Private L. Paddon, B Company + Private J. Hall, B Company + Private J. Nicholls, B Company + Private J. Hyde, B Company + Private A. Baker, F Company + Private G. Parsons, F Company + Private E. Coldwell, F Company + Private W. Croft, F Company + Private H. Smith, F Company + Private A. Holder, F Company d + Private H. Weeks, F Company + Private A. Thomas, C Company + Private F. Baker, C Company + Private M. Jeal, C Company + Private W. Brown, C Company + Private A. Winchester, C Company + Private G. Duke, C Company + Private P. Griffiths, H Company + Private W. Boniface, G Company + Private J. Hiscock, Vol. Company d + Private M. Weller, Vol. Company + Private P. Pilcher, Vol. Company + Private E. Gouldsmith, Vol. Company + Private R. Burtenshaw, E Company + + d Died of wounds. + +[10] They are inscribed upon the Memorial at Brighton.--ED. + + + + +CHAPTER XIV. + +TO THE BOER LAAGER. + + Bearer Companies--Retief's Nek--Artillery driving--Naauwpoort + Nek--White flags--Golden Gate--Orders to take over surrender of + five commandos--To Raats' Farm--The Boer laager--Surrender of arms + and horses--Organisation of prisoners--The Commandants--Basuto + visitors--Destruction of ammunition. + + +During all the time we were between Bethlehem and Retief's Nek we had +been away from the Bearer Company and the Field Hospital, and had only +one ambulance with us to perform the necessary duties of both of these +units. When leaving Bethlehem, our doctor, who was then a civilian of +the New South Wales Hospital, tried to get an ambulance to accompany the +regiment and the battery, then _en route_ to Meyers Kop; but he met with +considerable opposition to his request from the Bearer Company +authorities, who apparently did not mind a whole battalion and a battery +going off without transport for the sick or possible wounded, but hated +having to give up one of their ambulances. The doctor had, eventually, +to go to General Hunter and get an order from him before he could secure +the wagon which was required. + +The idea of separating or breaking up the unit was so distasteful that +the request for a wagon was, at the time, compared to that of a battery +commander being asked to break up the organization of his battery by +sending one gun away with troops. + +The comparison between a battery of the Royal Field Artillery and the +miserable collection of half-a-dozen old ambulance wagons was too +delicious for words, and will, no doubt, be appreciated by our gallant +gunners! There is no branch of the army in which such a sacred regard +for the everlasting red tape is evidenced in the field as in the +Hospitals and Bearer Companies: "At all costs keep your wagons empty," +should be their motto, which will be supported by many a footsore +soldier, with ragged clothes and worn-out boots, who has been refused +even a temporary ride in these vehicles. + +At the time when we were in such trouble with our boots, and had to wear +miners' highlows and anything that could be picked up in the shops, many +a man might have been saved days and days in hospital by a lift in a +wagon at the critical time: of course, the Bearer Company say at once, +"We are not here to carry men with bad boots, our duty is to take +wounded men from the scene of action to the Field Hospital," and decline +to receive him: the Field Hospital say "We cannot take you unless you +are handed over by the Bearer Company": the baggage master shouts at +once, "Come off that blank wagon, don't you know you musn't ride on +transport wagons?" and so the wretched man gets left behind by all. + +There are two sides to every question, however, and all soldiers know +that once a schemer obtains the slightest privilege from the hospital or +the doctor, his example is immediately followed by crowds of imitators. + +The practical advantages of the Bearer Company in the field are not very +apparent, and the general who ordered the Field Hospital and the Bearer +Company in his brigade to be amalgamated was a sensible man. + +On the 25th of July at five o'clock in the morning we moved across to +join the Highland Brigade camp, which was at Boshop Farm, a couple of +miles away. Most of the Highlanders were out on the hills on the left of +the pass, and only the Seaforth Highlanders were in camp: they also left +about eight o'clock as there was an action going on. It seems that the +Highland Light Infantry had attacked the hills on the left of Retief's +Nek the day before, while we were making our attack on the pass; but +the enemy were in great force, and resisted to the utmost the advance of +the regiment, who, however, succeeded in getting a footing on the end of +a ridge. In the early morning the pickets pushed on and occupied a +prominent knoll, from which, as soon as it was light, a further advance +was made along the ridge, which eventually led on to the range of hills +on the left of the pass; once this was reached, all opposition ceased, +and the Boers fled. + +In the afternoon we moved to a new camp at the Nek itself: there was an +enormous convoy to go before us, so we did not get into camp until dark: +the Highland Brigade and ourselves, not to mention the convoy, were all +jumbled together in the jaws of the pass. However in the morning the +Highlanders and the convoy and most of the other troops went back again, +and moved round by Boshop Farm towards Naauwport Nek, whilst we were +ordered to remain with a battery and some Yeomanry and guard the pass. +After the usual pickets had been posted, we moved to a new camp, +somewhat better sheltered from the bitter cold winds; and here we +remained in peace a couple of days. + +A very fine example of what our artillery can do in the way of driving +was seen during our short march from Boshop Farm to Retief's Nek, the +day after the battle. Two guns of Major Simpson's battery, the 81st, +were with the rear guard, and had moved to the summit of a hill, which +they vacated at dusk, then proceeding to camp; the guns were under a +young subaltern, and took a bee line from the hill to the camp in the +distance. The hill was very steep, and near the foot of the slope, which +they went down with all breaks on, was an outcrop of smooth rock, about +fifteen or eighteen feet wide, running round the hill like a belt, and +as steep as the roof of a house. Perfectly unconcerned, the young +officer rode at this slippery place, and, without an instant's +hesitation, shoved his horse across it, the intelligent animal sinking +on his haunches and sliding to the other end on his iron-shod hoofs. + +Steadily, the drivers followed in succession, the horses repeating the +example of their leader and sliding down with taut traces, the gunners +clutching on to the drag ropes in rear, slipping and cursing and falling +in a heap at the foot of the slope, the heavy weight of the limber +driving it forward and tearing the ropes out of their hands. And so they +all got down without mishap and continued on their way to camp. + +The ground behind the pass was very open for a considerable distance, +the hills enclosing a grassy fertile valley, with a farm at the upper +end and a spruit running across to the south: the farm was deserted, +although all the furniture and a good deal of wheat and oats had been +left. + +On the left of the pass and sheltered in several ravines, which ran deep +into the hills, the horses of the Boers had been kept waiting, +apparently about a day, while the owners were busy with their Mausers +amongst the hills; from the marks there must have been several hundred +men employed in defending Retief's Nek alone. On the second day of our +halt, a lame Boer with his rifle and bandolier crept up openly to a +picket at the farm and surrendered himself; it seems that he had been +fighting against us on the Nek, but had slipped among the rocks when +retiring and had sprained his ankle. + +Orders were received to move off towards Naauwpoort Nek, so we left on +the 27th of July and marched round past Boshop Farm, which was still +used as a hospital (there being one or two cases which could not be +moved to Bethlehem as the others had been), and along a very bad road +for some twelve miles to a place called Hebron. The Bedfords, who had +been at Slabbert's Nek, followed us up the same day and told us about +the fight at Slabbert's Nek, where they had had to storm the position, +meeting with some opposition, but eventually carrying the hill without +much loss to themselves. They had then remained to secure the pass, as +we did at Retief's Nek, and had camped on a hill, making with great +labour a road up the heights for the guns and the wagons. This had just +been finished when orders were received to join us and proceed to +Naauwpoort Nek; so the unfortunate Bedfords had to drag their wagons and +guns down again late in the evening, and march most of the night, so as +to arrive at Retief's Nek before we started; altogether, they had an +uncomfortable time for a few days. + +Continuing our march next day, we passed on the left Little Spitz Kop, +which we afterwards heard had been cleared in gallant style by the +Camerons who had passed that way some days previously, and were now busy +watching Naauwpoort Nek. We also passed the spot where the Highland +Brigade had bivouacked the day before, opposite the Nek; but our little +column still pushed on, over several bad drifts, until dusk, when we +camped at Groendraai, having trekked fully 15 miles. + +On the road we passed a deserted _winkel_, full of mealies and +sheepskins, which had been broken into by some of those who had preceded +us. A _winkel_ is a small roadside store, with a stock, mostly suitable +for Kaffirs, of clothes, cheap jewellery and rubbish generally, which +the owner of the _winkel_ disposes of in exchange for wool, sheepskins, +mealies and other things: we met the manager of this place the next day +coming back to look after his property. + +Next day, the 27th of July, we trekked off again, and about mid-day +joined General Bruce Hamilton, with whom were the Camerons; the +Highlanders had been clearing the hills with which we were surrounded, +and even then we could hear firing occasionally. After a while our +battalion was sent out to clear and occupy a large, flat-topped kopje, +which rose straight out of an extensive valley. This kopje turned out to +be unoccupied, and, leaving B company on picket there, the battalion +moved on to camp. + +The next day was a peaceful one; there was, however, a good deal of +excitement about, which we could not fathom: several flags of truce were +sent out by the General in various directions, and every one was +wondering what it all meant. The battalion went out also, and C company, +under Captain Wroughton, was despatched to climb to the top of, and +picket, a perfectly awful hill, a long distance away, and a fearful +climb. + +It took them a long time even to reach the foot of the hill, and longer +still to climb up the steep slope; we watched them through our glasses, +tiny specks moving slowly, very slowly, up and up, and then disappearing +over the sky line. As soon as they had reached the summit, A and D +companies, under Major O'Grady and Lieut. Ashworth, Major Scaife being +again baggage master, proceeded along the valley, protected on the right +by Captain Wroughton's presence up the hill, and on the left by B +company, still on picket on the kopje we had occupied the previous +night. A and D moved straight out about two-and-a-half miles to their +front, where there was an isolated, conical-shaped kopje with a flat, +straight spur running off to its right and joining it to the hills +further on. To this flat spur the two companies were directed to +proceed, and to remain there until ordered to withdraw. + +From their high elevation, both of our parties could see, in the valley +beyond, but at a very great distance, numbers of Boer wagons trekking in +all directions, evidently in a disorganised kind of way: they were, of +course, quite out of range, even of our cow gun, which had accompanied +the Camerons from Bethlehem, and was now in camp. + +In the afternoon, we withdrew our pickets and proceeded to camp, which +we did not reach until the late afternoon, the pickets having taken a +long time to withdraw. We found the camp had been moved about a mile to +a new site on the far side of the drift; the wagons and the convoy had +amused themselves during the day by crossing this drift, which was +fairly good but terribly steep on the ascending side, necessitating +double teams of oxen. Earlier in the day, before we started, we had sent +our empty wagons across the drift to a place opposite our camp, and just +on the other side of the spruit: we had carried our bundles of blankets +and other baggage across by hand, and loaded them on the wagons, so our +wretchedly weak and overworked mules had a rest that day. + +The next morning, the 31st of July, we marched off again towards Golden +Gate: the Mounted Infantry, who were in front, carried white flags, +which were also borne by those on our flanks, and it seemed as though an +armistice had been declared. However, no information was given to us, so +we trekked on steadily until the afternoon, when the General, who had +ridden on in front some miles, sent back word to the Colonel to say that +he wanted to see Major du Moulin. + +So I rode off, followed by the usual chaffing remarks about canteen jam +and other things, and found the General about 4 miles ahead at +Klerksvlei, with his staff and escort. There, he gave me orders to ride +on to Raats' Farm, about 4 miles further on, and to receive the +surrender of five commandos. This was news indeed, so accompanied by +Lieut. Bellamy, who was then assistant to the Provost Marshall, with a +few of his mounted Police, an orderly with a white flag, and one or two +other officers, I hurried off at once, as the sun was beginning to drop +towards the horizon, and there was an immense amount of work to be done, +and very little time to do it in. + +The General had told me some of the particulars of the surrender, which +was entirely unconditional, with the reservation, granted by General +Hunter, that private property should be respected, and that each burgher +should be allowed a horse to ride to his destination, wherever that +might be; and he instructed me to take over the arms and ammunition at +once and to remove the horses for the night. + +We rode on for some three or four miles over grassy veldt, huge ranges +of hills on the right and left closing in on us as we advanced further; +they appeared to meet in front of us, and, in fact, did close together +to within 600 or 800 yards, forming the redoubtable Golden Gate. Across +the mouth of this pass ran a deep spruit with steep banks; this was +Klerks Spruit, and it was crossed by a terribly steep and bad drift, +almost impassable for ox wagons, and entirely so for mule wagons, which +would have had to be unloaded. + +After almost meeting, the ranges of hills bore away again from each +other, enclosing broken and hilly ground, which formed the outskirts of +the mountains shutting in the famous Caledon Valley, at the northern +entrance to which we now found ourselves; just beyond the drift was a +farm, a substantial, well-to-do farm of considerable area, with a large +orchard and several outhouses. This was Klerksvlei, owned by Mr. Solomon +Raats, and it was around this farm in all directions, as far as one +could see in the fast fading light, that the Boers were encamped: the +whole neighbourhood was covered with men, horses, wagons and bullocks. + +It was with a distinctly weird feeling that I rode into the heart of the +enemy's laager and drew up on a slight rise of ground, just outside the +farm: a small party of Mounted Infantry had followed us, and these now +closed up behind and dismounted. + +I sent for the five commandants, who soon appeared, each surrounded by a +small crowd of retainers; and to them I gave instructions that each +commando was to be formed up immediately, in order that the arms and +bandoliers might be collected and that the horses might be counted. + +There were several officers present, who had accompanied me, either on +duty or as spectators with the General's permission, so that I was +enabled to provide an officer to attend to the surrender of the arms and +other matters of each commando. This was a business which took some +considerable time, as each commando mustered about 300 to 350 men, and +the rifles and bandoliers had to be brought up one by one and stacked in +wagons. After all had been given in, the horses and ponies, a wretched +lot of crocks, were handed over to men of the Mounted Infantry and led +to the other side of the drift, where Major Lean's corps of Mount +Infantry, the well-known 5th M.I., took over charge and formed a cordon +round them. + +Nearly the whole of the rifles with which the Boers were armed were +Mausers: there was an occasional Lee-Metford, captured from our troops +in Natal, usually, and perhaps a Martini or two. The ammunition was +carried in bandoliers of every imaginable shape and pattern, mostly home +made; but some of the burghers preferred cartridge bags of leather or +canvas. Many revolvers had been surrendered, but these were mostly +weapons taken from prisoners, such as R.A. drivers or A.S.C. men, and +were as a rule out of order. + +It was considerably after dark that evening before the horses had been +got away, and there remained several wagons piled up with rifles; there +were bullocks in plenty, so these wagons were soon on the move across +the drift and into the Mounted Infantry camp under a guard. The +commandants informed us that there were many Boers out in the hills to +whom information had been sent of the surrender, and who would come in +the following morning and give up their rifles. Meantime, there was +nothing further to be done that night, so a guard was mounted on the +farm, where Lieut. Bellamy and myself were remaining; and the other +officers and the Mounted Infantry went back to camp, taking to the +General a brief report from me of what had been done. + +Old Mr. Raats was very civil, providing a room and preparing supper for +us and looking after our horses; there were quite a number of Boers +staying at the farm also, among them being six or seven of the biggest +men that I had ever seen; they were very tall, enormously broad +shouldered and stout in proportion, and quite filled the dining room at +the farm when they all came in at once. + +The Boer laager was not all composed of fighting men by any means; there +were large numbers of non-combatants--women, children and Kaffirs, +hangers-on who attended to the feeding of the commandos or drove sheep +and cattle, and other nondescripts who did not belong to any commando, +but who accompanied the Boers, all the same. Then there were a number of +what they called "trek Boers;" these were Boers with their families, +cattle, wagons, horses and all their belongings, who had quitted their +farms and were moving or trekking with the commandos; these men had some +splendid wagons and teams of magnificent oxen with them. + +There were many Boers who spoke perfect English, and among them in +particular two wearing the Red Cross badge; these two stated that they +belonged to the Identity Department of the Red Cross Society, and +produced papers in proof of this. One of them, Mr. Nelson, informed me +that their duties were to remain with the commando to which they were +attached, and to keep a list of any men killed or wounded, forwarding a +copy to Pretoria when an occasion offered. + +This system appears to have been the only means by which any record was +kept of the casualties among the Boers, but the killed and wounded were +so few that no doubt it worked well enough. + +There was a parson, or predikant, also accompanying the commandos. He +was, of course, not a fighting man, but was very loyal to his own folk, +and, when we asked him what he would have done if any fighting had taken +place, he replied that under ordinary circumstances he helped to look +after the commissariat arrangements, but that if we had attacked the +camp he would have taken a rifle at once and assisted as well as he +could to defend his country. We assured him that his sentiments did him +credit. + +For several hours that night the Boers collected in groups round their +camp fires, singing hymns, and it was late before everything was quiet, +and we were able to sleep. Mr. Raats had provided us with the guest +chamber of his house, and this room was fully furnished in the most +elaborate style, including even a bath. Our first step had been to throw +up the narrow window and ventilate the room as much as possible; we +should have preferred to sleep in the open, but as we had no kit except +what we stood up in, this was not advisable. + +Soon after daybreak the next morning the collecting of rifles was +proceeded with: numbers of Boers came crowding in from the hills +around, eager to surrender their arms and ammunition, and in a few +hours we had accumulated a large heap on the ground. The ammunition we +filled into bags and loaded on wagons, but the rifles were placed in a +great pile and burned, as we had no means of carrying such a large +number: they were rendered quite useless, as the barrels were made soft +by the heat, and all the foresights, backsights and other attachments +were melted off. + +The Boers told us that they had left nine or ten wagons, mostly loaded +with rifle ammunition, on the road about 3 miles off; the bullocks had +been taken away by the Harrismith commando, and the wagons were left +there with a few Boers in charge; they also said the road was terrible, +and that it would take a long time to bring in the wagons, even if +bullocks were sent out for this purpose. + +A report to this effect being made to the General, the Engineer officer, +Lieut. Evans, was sent out to destroy the wagons. This was done during +the day by blowing them up; unfortunately, owing to some Kaffir putting +a bag of powder in close proximity to the fuse, a premature explosion +took place, and the old sergeant of the R.E. section, Sergeant Munn, was +somewhat seriously injured, while Lieut. Evans himself was cut about a +good deal. + +During the morning the officers whom the General had detailed to assist +me reported their arrival: they were, Captain Wroughton of our +battalion; and Captain Tufnell, Lieut. Lambton and Lieut. Key, all from +the Mounted Infantry; these, with Lieut. Bellamy, gave us one British +officer to each of the five commandos: but, as Lieut. Bellamy had to +return to his proper duty as assistant Provost Marshal, Lieut. Bond was +applied for in relief of him. + +As soon as the officers arrived we were able to get the Boers into some +sort of organization. Each commando had its Boer commandant, who had +under him his adjutant and secretary, both of whom usually spoke +English; and the remainder of the Boers were distributed under the +orders of a certain number of Field Cornets, corresponding to our +section commanders, who knew all about the men, and had rolls of them +and other information. + +The commandants themselves knew nothing about their men, their names or +other details, but left all that to the Field Cornets. + +The five officers were posted to the commandos as follows:-- + + To Du Plooy's Commando Lieut. Bond, vice + Lieut. Bellamy. + " Potgieter's " Captain Wroughton. + " Joubert's " Lieut. Lambton. + " Crowther's " Lieut. Key. + " Jonker's " Captain Tuffnell. + +Having thus a certain nucleus of organization to go upon, the officers +went off, each to his own commando, to make themselves acquainted with +their commandants and to ascertain the quantity of rations available, +besides obtaining other information, such as the numbers of men, horses, +wagons, Cape carts and bullocks, in each commando. + +Of these commandos, that of Potgieter was the most important and the +strongest in numbers, and the best looked after by the commandant and +his Field Cornets; nearly all the burghers came from the Smithfield +District, while those in the other commandos came from the districts of +Bethulie, Thaba N'Chu and Winburg. + +Jonker was not really a commandant, but, being the oldest Field Cornet, +he was selected by us to organise and look after the burghers of the +Harrismith commando, composed of those who had elected to surrender +instead of going off with Olivier. + +Commandant Du Plooy was the most respectable and reliable, as far as one +could observe in the fortnight the Boers were under our charge; but all +the commandants were men of standing and position, accustomed to be +treated, as could be seen, with a good deal of deference by the +burghers; they appeared to be all honourable men, and were most +courteous in their address and manner of speaking on all occasions. + +Commandant Joubert was a truculent old gentleman, who apparently failed +to thoroughly grasp his position, and, while not exactly objecting to +any orders which were given him, he showed his disapproval in other +ways, and usually had a good deal to say on any matter that came +forward. + +General Bruce Hamilton rode over that morning and had an interview with +the five commandants, and ascertained that they thoroughly understood +the conditions upon which their surrender was accepted; these were, that +each burgher was to be allowed a horse to ride to his destination, and +that all private property was to be respected. The Boers had a great +fear of being compelled to walk, and would have done anything sooner +than go on foot, a thing to which they have never been accustomed. They +were amazed at our infantry marching as they did every mile of the road, +and frankly admitted that the Boers could have done nothing of the sort. + +Lieut. Bellamy was busy all that day enquiring into the cases of the +trek Boers and such other non-combatants as were willing to take the +oath of allegiance to Her Majesty, or of neutrality, and to go quietly +back to their farms: to these passes were issued and the people allowed +to go off at once. This reduced the crowd of wagons very considerably, +as nearly all of these burghers had one, if not more, wagons, and +usually one or two vans or covered carts in which the womenfolk +travelled, if they were well-to-do people. + +Several of them had droves of cattle and flocks of sheep also. The +remainder of the wagons, which were almost entirely those that had been +captured from our convoys on different occasions, were loaded with the +burghers' kits and with their rations of meal and some coffee. They said +they had been out of tea and sugar for a long time, that the coffee was +merely roasted beans and mealies, and that tobacco was almost unknown. +However they had plenty of cattle, which largely made up for the absence +of other food; as the Boer is a great meat eater, and, unlike other +civilised people, can exist on meat alone for a considerable period. + +There was one field gun amongst the wagons: this had belonged to U +Battery, R.H.A., and had been captured by the Boers at Sanna's Post; +several artillery ammunition wagons were also found, which, with some of +the wagons which were loaded with gun and rifle ammunition, were all +sent away to the General's camp. + +The hills and ravines around Raats' farm were full of cattle and mules +grazing, so we sent a number of the Boers to bring them in and to inspan +them into the wagons and Cape carts, as it was now necessary to shift +our camp to a better site where the commandos could be separated +somewhat. There was plenty of space about a couple of miles outside the +Golden Gate, and in the afternoon each officer moved his commando and +encamped it in a new spot. + +Here the wagons, carts and horses were drawn up with some regularity, +and the officers were enabled to check the numbers previously given in +by the commandants, which were found to be substantially correct in +every case. + +Another important matter was the equalising of such rations as were in +the possession of the Boers: stock was therefore taken by each officer, +and Captain Wroughton arranged about the sharing of what flour and other +stuff there was, and saw that the fat oxen were collected and put into a +drove in charge of some of the burghers, until they were required for +slaughtering. + +During this day the battalion had been moved to the same spot upon which +the laager was encamped: several pickets were furnished round the +prisoners, and sentries placed on the roads leading in and out of the +pass. + +All the burghers paraded with their horses the next morning, so that +those which were fit for use by the mounted troops might be taken, and +others given in their place. An Artillery officer came down to select +these horses, and from the way he went about the business, carefully +examining each animal all round and passing his critical hand over +fetlocks and back sinews, it was plain that he did not realise that he +had about 1,200 horses to look through that morning. However, our time +was precious, and we had plenty to do without meddling in other people's +affairs, so the Artillery major was left to run his own show; it came to +a climax a few hours afterwards, as we received orders to move before he +had selected more than a few horses. + +From that time on we were beset with people who either wanted another +horse, or thought they saw their way to getting a better one. None of us +had any peace; there was always someone who wished to exchange his horse +for a better one, and on going down to the lines we were pretty certain +to see several strangers "looking round," as they called it--but we soon +knew what that meant. The Boer laager seemed to be considered a fair +field for anyone to exploit, one officer going so far as to send his +men down to take some of the Boers' blankets away from them! + +A party of Basutos from across the border, which was only three or four +miles away, came over to pay their respects to the General; they were a +chief and his interpreter and a retinue of sorts. A more motley crew has +never been seen; they were all mounted on ponies; the chief was an +enormously fat young man, bursting out of a slate coloured tweed suit, +and wearing a black pot hat; the interpreter was similarly rigged out in +a suit of dittoes; but the retinue were equipped mostly with a simple +tuft of feathers in their hair. Some of them had blankets, but, the day +being close, they carried them strapped on to their saddles. Whilst the +chief was making his salaams to the General the crowd of retainers +strolled about, and eventually became such a nuisance that after the +interview was concluded, the whole gang were requested to withdraw to +their own territory. + +The ammunition which could not be carried with us for want of the +necessary transport was handed over to the Mounted Infantry and to our +battalion to be destroyed. This was no easy matter, but some was burned +and exploded, some buried, and a quantity thrown into the pools of water +in the spruit. + +Major Lean was very successful with five or six wagon loads of powder +and ammunition which were given him to destroy; the powder was strewn +broadcast over the ground, but the boxes of ammunition and the wheels +and other woodwork of the wagons were piled, sandwich fashion, into a +huge heap and set fire to just before leaving the camp. As the boxes +burned the cartridges were exploded, and a terrific noise, like a +general engagement or the last stage of the attack as practised at +General's inspection, echoed and re-echoed among the hills for several +hours. No doubt, a good many cartridges escaped destruction, but it was +impossible in the time available to destroy the ammunition more +thoroughly. + +Amongst the Mauser ammunition which was given up in the bandoliers, +there were many clips containing cartridges whose bullets were covered +with bright green fat; this gave rise to the statement that the Boers +had wilfully used poisoned bullets. This theory was regularly harped +upon by some war correspondents in their letters, but a more disgraceful +insinuation against our enemies never existed, nor one more erroneous +from a musketry point of view. + +It is quite plain to any unbiassed person that any grease which might be +upon the bullet when it is placed in the chamber of the rifle would be +completely wiped off during the passage of the tightly-fitting +projectile through the barrel, from which it emerges as clean as when +made, and bearing the marks of the grooving. Enquiries among the better +class Boers regarding this rumour elicited the fact that many of them +were in the habit of dipping the cartridges in fat prepared from bucks +which they had killed, with a view to lubricating the chamber and barrel +of the rifle: the buck fat, after exposure to the air, turned green; the +Boers were much amused at the ridiculous conclusion at which these +correspondents had arrived. + + + + +CHAPTER XV. + +TO WINBURG. + + Escorting the prisoners--Authority of the Commandants--Strength of + the commandos--Biddulph's Berg--Senekal--Sardines--Winburg--Release + of old men and boys--Remainder of prisoners entrained. + + +The battalion camped on the 31st of July at Klerksvlei, but next day +moved about three miles further on with a view of forming a guard to the +prisoners, whose laager had then been established at Korfshoek. The +march was commenced on the 2nd of August, when the laager with the +battalion as escort, together with the Mounted Infantry and the guns, +returned to Klerksvlei, proceeding the next day to Weltevreden, a long +weary march of 15 miles. There was a halt of a couple of hours on the +road after we had gone about 5 or 6 miles, as we met the Highland +Brigade on their way to Harrismith. Some Mounted Infantry were also +encountered on the look-out for horses: and we smiled as we saw them +select some that had been handed over to us as useless the day before. +However, we said nothing. We got off again at last and marched back on +the road by which we had come from Naauwpoort Nek. We halted once for a +couple of hours to enable the wagons to cross a drift, and took the +opportunity to have some food, and to water and graze our animals. At +this spot, with a strongish breeze blowing, one of our companies, lying +on the grass, seized the occasion to start a grass fire, which spread +like a flash and necessitated our moving; endeavours were made to turn +the course of the fire or to put it out, but without avail, so we had to +inspan and trek pretty smartly. On our road we passed the site of our +former bivouacs, and marched on for another few miles before camping at +Weltevreden. Next day we were afoot at eight o'clock, but halted a good +many times during the day, principally at drifts, of which there were +several, and also on two occasions to allow the Eighth Division, under +General Rundle, to pass us on their way to Harrismith. The troops of the +Eighth Division were much interested at the sight of the Boer prisoners +riding along, a huge column of 1,500 men; and I think the burghers +themselves were also impressed at the sight of the numerous troops we +passed on our way, first the Highland Brigade and then the Eighth +Division. + +We bivouacked that night below Little Spitz Kop, a wretched place for a +camp--bad water out of a dirty sluit, and the whole neighbourhood as +black as your hat as the result of a grass fire. + +The 5th of August was a terribly long day; we started at seven o'clock +and trekked along steadily for mile after mile, halting at mid-day for a +couple of hours to refresh man and beast, and eventually reaching +Bethlehem at six in the evening, just after dark. + +Stringent orders had been issued by General Hunter with regard to the +safety of the prisoners, and these were read to commandants and +explained by them to their burghers; the prisoners, however, were quite +resigned to their fate, and I myself was sure that none would be missing +when we arrived at our destination; and in this I was quite correct, as +afterwards was proved. The burghers were at all times quite under the +thumb of their commandants, whom they looked up to with unswerving +fidelity and supported with implicit obedience; thus when they were +informed that the commandant himself would be held responsible in the +event of any man of his commando deserting, there was little doubt in my +mind as to their compliance. + +The battalion furnished a cordon of sentries round the Boer camp that +night; they were relieved next day by the Bedford regiment, whom we +found in camp next to us. There was a halt for the troops that day, but +there was not much rest for us in the Boer laager, as there was a good +deal of organising to do which there had been no opportunity of carrying +out before. Seeing that the five officers under me were all very busy, +the General decided to attach five more for duty, and they came and +reported themselves during the day. This was a great addition to our +administrative staff, as it enabled two officers to be apportioned to +each commando, one of whom paraded and rode with the mounted men on the +march daily, whilst the other rode with the wagons and superintended +everything connected with them: by this means we were enabled to get +things done with some regularity and precision, especially as Captain +Tufnell volunteered to look after the whole of the wagons and Cape carts +when in camp and on the march, while Captain Wroughton undertook the +duties of Quartermaster and superintended the ration question: of these +two tiresome jobs, I am not sure which was the most worrying. + +The five officers who joined us were Lieut. Willett, of our regiment, +and Lieuts. Greenwell and Veasey of the Bedfords, 2nd Lieut. Lord Murray +of the Camerons, and Lieut. Henderson of the City Imperial Volunteers. +The services of Sergeant Flynn and Drummer Briggs were also lent to us +to facilitate issuing orders and carrying messages. + +The first thing to do was to have a proper roll call of the commandos; +we had had no opportunity before then of doing this, although the +adjutants of each commando had prepared rolls of their men, so a careful +muster was taken by the officers, the numbers of the prisoners proving +to be as follows:-- + + Commandant Jonker 239 burghers. + " Crowther 379 " + " Joubert 190 " + " Du Plooy 227 " + " Potgieter 512 " + +To these had to be added four men who were sent down by the Provost +Marshal, and seven had to be deducted, who were admitted to hospital in +the town, making a net total of 1,544. + +After the roll call was concluded the burghers were directed to give up +all property belonging to the Free State or to the British Government, +and this order resulted in a most miscellaneous collection of articles +being made, comprising tents, waterproof sheets, entrenching tools, +bayonets, military clothing of all kinds which had been looted from the +Derby Militia, and from the trains which had been held up and wrecked by +De Wet; saddlery and telescopes taken from the Yeomanry who surrendered +at Lindley; and hundreds of smaller articles, Gladstone bags, tin +uniform cases, water bottles, haversacks, ration baskets, signalling +panniers, books, canteens and equipment, which had all at one time +belonged to the Derby Militia. + +There was very little property belonging to the Orange Free State, with +the exception of a few tents and some waterproof sheets; we were careful +not to receive anything which might be considered as the private +property of the burghers, and the whole day long numbers of these simple +minded men came to us, bringing all sorts of articles, and asking if +they could retain them. + +In any case each Boer was allowed to keep a blanket for himself and one +for his horse, a water bottle and a waterproof sheet; and we did not +interfere with the clothing they were wearing, much of which was our +khaki serge, with many overcoats and khaki warm coats. + +Some of the wagons, which were covered in and suitable for the purpose, +were sent over to the hospital to assist in carrying the sick and +wounded. + +During the afternoon the commandants were received by General Hunter at +his quarters in the town, where they drank coffee, and, with the +assistance of an interpreter, made the polite and cautious remarks usual +on such occasions. + +A few horses were exchanged for some in the Mounted Infantry, but all +those which were of the slightest use had already been taken. At night +our custom was for all horses, after watering, to be taken to the +Mounted Infantry lines, where they were fastened together in huge rings, +under a guard, the Boers going back to their lines and coming at +daybreak again to receive their animals. Any possibility of our friends +taking French leave during the night was thus precluded. + +The commandants were warned and directed to inform their men that any +insubordination would be severely punished, the offender being placed +under a guard and compelled to walk instead of riding; and the +commandants were held personally responsible that none of their men +attempted to escape. + +During our subsequent march to the railway, prisoners were constantly +being received in twos and threes from the Provost Marshal, and a large +number, some seventy-five, of the remainder of those who had surrendered +to General Hunter at Fouriesburg, were handed over to us on one +occasion. + +The morning of the 7th of August saw us out of Bethlehem for the second +time and tramping along the well-known road to Meyer's Kop, over which +some of us had already marched three times. + +Bethlehem looked better by daylight than it did when we left it in the +dark on the 16th of July; it is a large town and, as is usual, well +laid out with a fine church in the middle, but it would be a good deal +prettier if the indolent Boers could be persuaded to plant a few more +trees. It is a curious trait in the Boer character that, notwithstanding +their Dutch origin, they do not appear to care in the least for flowers, +or trees, or gardening of any kind. + +In the teeth of an icy cold wind, which raised clouds of dust, we +tramped along, past Sevastopol, and our old friend, Meyer's Kop, to +Bester's Farm, a few miles beyond the latter place, and continued our +march the next day and the next in similar fashion, halting at each +mid-day for a couple of hours. + +On the road we passed the redoubtable Biddulph's Berg, which had been +some time previously the scene of a severe action, where a battalion of +Guards was heavily engaged and suffered from a very large number of +casualties, over 150, I believe. They had a terrible experience in this +action which has happily seldom occurred in warfare before; the grass +was very long and dry, and there was a breeze blowing from the rear, +where a number of people were watching the fight; these individuals were +seen to drop matches on to the dry grass, and the consequent fire was +soon beyond their power to extinguish. Rapidly the flames grew and +spread to the right and left, and rushed, fanned by the breeze, straight +down upon the unfortunate Guardsmen, extended and carrying on the attack +upon the enemy in front: there was no escape, and the roaring flames +swept like a rolling torrent down upon the soldiers, scattering them in +all directions and scorching them severely: worse than this, the +wounded, of whom there were a considerable number lying in the long +grass, were badly burned and suffered terrible agony: it was a truly +dreadful experience. + +On the 9th of August we reached Senekal, crossed the drift, and camped +just beyond the town; the opportunity was here taken to buy what food +could be purchased, for the Brigade Canteen; but there was little to be +had, and that was at famine prices. + +Captain Wisden, however, struck what shopmen call a "line" of sardines, +in which he invested largely for the Officers' mess, and which proved to +be the worst possible kind of fish that had ever been put in a tin. How +the wretched animal had existed when it was alive was a marvel, as it +consisted, seemingly, of one huge backbone and little else; but no doubt +the bad oil, into which it was put when it was tinned, brought about a +speedy death and released the poor creature from its sufferings! Captain +Wisden will never hear the end of this, and all our officers will in +future beware of that particular brand of sardines. + +Senekal is a small and neat town at the foot of a huge kopje, and was +occupied, when we passed through, by the other half battalion of the +Bedfords: it is the scene of one of the mishaps to the Yeomanry when +Major D'Albiac was killed and a number of others killed, wounded, and +taken prisoners; through great negligence they had not searched or +occupied the kopje, which frowns over the little town at a distance of a +few hundred yards, and from here the Boers suddenly opened fire on the +men walking about down below, and shot Major D'Albiac, a well-known man, +who had been in the Royal Horse Artillery, as he rushed out of the +hotel. + +The next three days were occupied in moving towards Winburg, two marches +of 11 miles each, and the last of fifteen, into the town, which we +reached about three o'clock in the afternoon. Each day we had halted for +a mid-day rest, but the journey, although through open country, was not +a pleasant one owing to the wind and the dust; the camping grounds also +were filthy, as they had been used so frequently during the last few +months, no water being procurable elsewhere: they were surrounded by +dead mules, horses and bullocks: carcases littered each side of the road +as well, between one camp and another. + +So we were pleased to reach Winburg and to camp on the plain beyond the +railway station, with the possibility of a few days' rest, and the +chance of buying some bread--a commodity we had not seen in any quantity +since leaving Pretoria in the middle of June. I foresaw, however, a good +deal of work for myself and the ten officers with the Boer laager, as +the burghers were to be handed over and despatched by train to Cape +Town: they had not been told this or given any hint of their +destination, and even now we were careful to say nothing further than +that they were going off in the train; but, of course, the more +intelligent of them quickly grasped the facts and fully imagined that +they were bound for St. Helena: they had not, apparently, heard of +Ceylon. + +For the next three days there was very little rest in the Boer laager +for any of us: the very afternoon of our arrival round came Major +Maclaughlin and another officer of the Remount Department, who demanded +all the horses and ponies: Captain Camilleri, one of the Transport +Officers, also turned up and said he wanted all the Cape carts and most +of the wagons: Major Cardew said all the saddles and harness were to go +to the Ordnance Stores, and Major Orr, of the 18th Royal Irish, the +Railway Staff Officer, had his little say, too, about the probable +departure of the Boers, which was to take place as soon as trains could +be made up. + +We did not attempt to do much that afternoon, as the whole camp was +overrun with visitors from the town and idlers of all kinds who came to +stare at the Boers and ask us questions, which we had no time to answer. +The first thing was to get off the horses and ponies, which were sent in +batches to some cattle kraals near by; the animals belonging to the +Commandants and Field Cornets, which had not been taken from them or +exchanged during the journey, were collected together and sent +separately to the same place, and by a little after dark we had got rid +of all the horses and ponies, some 1,200 in number. + +Next morning, the 13th of August, we were early at our work, and got all +the saddles and harness together and laid out in rows, and collected any +more Government property, tents and other things, which had been used on +the march. + +The drinking water was a long distance away, and the Boers were much +amused at our forming some of them into water parties and marching them +off, under a guard, to fetch water for their messes; they tramped off in +fours, calling to each other and laughing, just like so many children. + +After breakfast there was a muster parade of each commando, when the +officers in charge called the rolls and ascertained that all their men +were actually present: this was a long business and took some hours. The +rest of the day was occupied in moving all the wagons and Cape carts to +the outskirts of the camp, and closing in the commandos a good deal, so +as to form a smaller circle for the sentries to guard; for, all this +time, and in fact ever since leaving Bethlehem, the Boer laager had been +surrounded by a cordon of sentries by day and night. + +The following morning, such wagons, oxen and Cape carts as were of any +use, were removed by the transport people, and the saddles and harness, +about four wagon loads, taken away to the Ordnance stores: the burghers +did not like this part of the performance as they had all written their +names on the saddles, with what object goodness only knows, and were not +at all pleased when some of them were called upon to come and load the +saddles on to the wagons. + +In the course of this day passes were given to the families, several of +whom were still with us, and they were permitted to go to their farms +with their wagons and oxen; the old men and the boys were also mustered, +and a selection made of those to whom passes might be issued with the +privilege of going to their farms and remaining there. A large number +turned up, most of the men being old and feeble, and some of the boys +being very young, so that we made a careful selection, rejecting all +those whose appearance gave the impression that they were able to carry +and use a rifle, and issuing passes to the remainder. + +Altogether, there were no less than 105 permitted to go away, and they +were sent off that afternoon: some of the boys and older men, who +belonged to the Bethulie District, and who had no wagons, were provided +with railway passes to enable them to get to their homes speedily. + +Had it been known that the disturbance and guerilla warfare in the +Orange River Colony would continue for so long after the dispersal of +what might be called the Boer army, it is probable that not a single +man, woman or child would have been permitted to go back to their farms; +which, although their occupants had taken the oath of allegiance to the +Queen, became centres whence horses, wagons and supplies of all kinds, +besides information as to our movements, were furnished to the nomadic +bands of insurgents who roamed the country. + +That afternoon we succeeded in despatching Potgieter's commando, 477 +strong, by train to Cape Town; the burghers fell in, with their +blankets and rations, and marched down to the train (which had steamed +up close to the camp), with all the regularity of soldiers; they were to +travel under a guard of militia, who were ready waiting, and to whom we +handed the Boers over as they got into the trucks. + +They all seemed happy enough, laughing and chatting, and many of them +waved their hands to us as the train steamed off. + +The next morning another batch, over 800 strong, was sent off, and the +remainder followed an hour later, bringing our connection with the Boer +laager to a close. + + + + +CHAPTER XVI. + +UP AND DOWN. + + Bloemfontein--Men and officers waiting there--Kroonstad--The + Brigade re-fitted--Wasted comforts--Shopping for the + canteen--Famine prices--Traders' profits--Ventersburg road--Half + battalion to Winburg--Winburg attacked--Capture of Commandant + Olivier--Bloemfontein--Ladybrand--Leeuw River Mills. + + +I went down in the train with the last batch of prisoners as far as +Bloemfontein, as the General wished me to go to the Ordnance stores, and +see what could be done about bringing up clothing, boots and other +stores for the men, who were now in rags again and very badly off for +boots. Several officers from the Brigade had been sent down at various +times for this purpose, and I, with these officers and what stuff we +could get, was to meet the Brigade at Kroonstad on the 20th of August. + +Leaving Winburg about mid-day, the train reached our destination about +half-past six, and there we quitted it, seeing the last of our friends, +the Boer prisoners: they were lively enough and, all the way down, had +looked with interest at the Militia battalions guarding the line and the +bridges, and at the various entrenchments thrown up by them, and at the +fortifications of biscuit boxes and barbed wire at each place. At +Brandfort they met plenty of friends and evident sympathisers, who had +apparently been allowed on the platform to see them, but at Bloemfontein +the train stopped outside the station, and then ran through without +stopping at the platform. + +I stayed a couple of days in Bloemfontein and found all the other +officers there; they had succeeded in getting all the ordnance stores +they wanted and were ready to return, but could not get permission to do +so; however, a visit to the D. A. A. G. soon settled that, and the next +trouble was to get all the trucks, which had been loaded at the +Ordnance siding, attached to a train and despatched. + +The Assistant Director of Railways, Captain Nathan, R.E., was an old +friend of mine, and arranged to have the trucks put on to a train on the +18th of August, by which we also arranged to leave. There was a most +serious congestion of traffic at that time: rows and rows of trucks were +waiting, and had been waiting for some time, for an opportunity to be +despatched up country; there were no less than fourteen trains of +remounts passing forward, and these, of course, had to receive +precedence over others; the mails also had been waiting for days. There +was the greatest strictness observed as to who travelled and why, and +the contents of each truck were carefully examined to see that no +private stores were loaded on it, and even the carriages were examined, +just before the trains started, by the Railway Staff Officers. I had +tried to get some Canteen stores shipped; four cases of tobacco, which +were urgently wanted by the men, I had even brought down to the station, +and I succeeded in smuggling one on to a truck. There was plenty of room +in the guard's van and lots of space upon several trucks upon which +troops were travelling, but the guard was a surly Dutchman, an uncivil +brute, who started the train as the three cases were actually being +loaded; so they had to be dropped on to the line and left behind, to be +eventually sent up by ox wagon, which cost the Brigade Canteen no less +than £5. + +The streets of Bloemfontein were a curious sight in the daytime, crowded +with soldiers of every imaginable regiment, and full of staff officers, +whose red tabs on their collars had procured for them the designation of +"rooineks," or red necks, which is the sneering nickname the Boers have +had for years for British soldiers. I saw more than one man of the +Royal Sussex, who seemed in no anxiety to rejoin; several others had got +hold of jobs which kept them away from the hard work and danger of +marching and fighting, and put extra pay in their pockets. + +The rest camp was crowded with soldiers, all perfectly well and fit for +duty, and waiting to go up country and rejoin their regiments; many of +them had been waiting for weeks; there were officers, too, in dozens, +and all had the same tale to tell--they had been stopped at Bloemfontein +on their way up country, and had been ordered to remain and do garrison +duty indefinitely. + +It is a severe blot on the administration of the Line of Communications +that such a state of matters should be allowed to exist; that regiments +at the front should have been kept short-handed of both officers and +men, while numbers of both ranks were loafing about the streets of +Bloemfontein, or spending hours picking up weeds and placing white +stones in rows in the Rest Camp. Not only did this happen in +Bloemfontein, but the larger towns, such as Winburg and Kroonstad, were +all full of unattached soldiers whose regiments were at the front. If +these men were required for purposes of defence, it seems curious that a +battalion or a half battalion could not have been detailed instead of an +incongruous mob. + +Towards the close of the campaign our battalion must have had several +hundred men scattered about in various places: many of them were +employed in hospitals and at offices and in all sorts of ways, but +directly any attempt was made to get them back, many men were reported +as "unfit to march." The conclusion I came to was, that these men must +either have been discharged before being fully recovered, or else their +detention at other than their proper duty was being winked at by certain +officers for their own convenience. + +Leaving Bloemfontein at six o'clock in the evening, our train had run +only about 15 miles before a truck succeeded in getting off the rails; +this was caused by a bale of blankets falling from a wagon on to the +line and getting under the guard rail of the axle and grease box, which +lifted the wheels and shoved them to one side: however, by the aid of +two iron slides carried on the engine for the purpose, we were soon up +again on the line and on our way to Kroonstad, which we reached the day +before the Brigade was due. There was still a good deal to be done in +getting the stores carted up to camp, but, with some trouble, this was +managed by the next morning, when the Brigade arrived. The stores were +unpacked, and the men were soon issued with some clean shirts, socks and +boots, while some cases of comforts, sent out by people at home, were +eagerly opened and their contents distributed. The articles which were +most appreciated were drawers, shirts, socks, handkerchiefs and writing +sets, which were all really useful; but, unfortunately, the contents of +many bales and boxes consisted largely of Tam o'Shanters and knitted +garments, which the men had no means of carrying, except on their backs; +and they had quite enough on them as it was with rifle, equipment, 100 +rounds of ammunition, blanket and two days' rations. After a man had +once been issued with a soft cap and a cardigan jacket, he did not want +another; and the quantity of these articles, in proportion to other +things, sent out by the kind and thoughtful donors at home was +unfortunately large. + +Among the bales of ordnance stores were many containing warm khaki +overcoats of the Indian pattern, but as our transport was so limited we +had to return these useful garments, having no means of carrying them. + +As the Brigade was likely to proceed on the trek again, it never having +been known to rest more than two or three days at a time, the +opportunity was taken to fill up the Brigade Canteen wagons with stores, +and a small party went shopping with a traction engine and three trucks +and bought all they could get; as usual the shopkeepers, some English, +some German, declined to part with any quantity of their stock, which +they were, of course, hanging on to in the hope of prices rising, and I +had to obtain an order from the District Commissioner to compel them to +sell, though at enormous prices--eighteenpence for a tin of milk or a +pot of jam, and other things in proportion. + +As luck would have it, I succeeded, at my next visit to the town, in +discovering the exact profit which these firms had made out of the +Brigade Canteen over this transaction, and as all this talk about stores +and prices serves to show how an English soldier is treated by his +affectionate countrymen on his arrival in a beleaguered town, this must +be my excuse for harping so long on one string. + +There was an enterprising man who had arrived from Bloemfontein with +several wagons full of stores, which he sold equally to the few +merchants in Kroonstad. On the very day and at the time delivery was +being made, I turned up with my traction engine and trucks and my order +from the District Commissioner, and purchased most of these stores, +nearly all the cases being handed over at the storehouse of the +enterprising man. The prices I was charged by the various storekeepers +were those fixed as the selling prices in the shops; the prices the +traders paid to the enterprising man I was afterwards fortunate enough +to drop upon, and I found that in every case the profits were enormous, +averaging over 36 per cent., and ranging from 75 per cent. for sardines +to 20 per cent. for jam and milk. + +Since our last stay in the town Kroonstad had developed strong breezes, +which fetched up clouds of dust and hordes of flies from the Remount +Depôt, and poured them both unceasingly into our camp. The 21st of +August was a particularly dusty day, and we were not so very sorry, +therefore, when in the evening orders were received for us to be off +again: some of us, this time, went by train, as one half battalion was +to proceed by rail and the other by road, marching with all the wagons +and carts of the Brigade, to Geneva Siding, about 15 miles down the +line. + +The first party to move was the right half battalion, composed of B, C, +D and E companies, under myself: they paraded at eleven o'clock in the +evening and marched to the station, and waited there for some time, +after loading the first line transport and some guns--the 76th Battery +of the Field Artillery; we eventually made a start about three o'clock +in the morning. On arrival at Geneva I found there the General and the +Camerons, who had proceeded by an earlier train, and was then directed +to proceed to Ventersburg Road in the same train, and to remain there +until the arrival of the General. So we steamed off again, enjoying, as +we knew the other half battalion would also do, the new experience of +sitting in a train and being dragged to our destination. + +On our way down we passed Holfontein, where were some troops guarding +the bridge, and, a few miles further on, we reached the spot where, some +weeks previously, a train had been held up at night by the Boers, an +officer and a few men who were in the train being taken prisoners and +the train looted and burned. The officer was bringing up some stores for +the General, which, of course, were looted; but a few of the Boers paid +for their recklessness, as they found some liquor, got drunk, and were +easily captured, about eight or a dozen of them, by the Mounted Infantry +from Ventersburg Road, who rode out on hearing the explosions of +dynamite. + +They were too late, however, to save the train, which was burning +fiercely; many wagons of biscuits, beef and other supplies were burned +clean out, only the iron frames of the wagons and thousands of blackened +and empty tins being left on the line. Some of the wagons, thrown off +the line, and tons of empty tins, showed us, as we passed, where the +incident had occurred. + +We reached Ventersburg Road about seven o'clock, and found some troops +there under command of Lieut.-Colonel White, R.A.; the permanent +garrison was composed of the Malta Company of Mounted Infantry, under +Captain Pine-Coffin, who had come out with us on the "Pavonia," and a +company of the Buffs Militia, under Captain O'Grady, a cousin of our +Major of the same name. We camped outside the station, and bye-and-bye +the General arrived, with the Camerons, followed about six o'clock by +our Head Quarters and the other half battalion. + +Ventersburg Road, a little roadside station, boasted only a couple of +sheds besides the usual station buildings, water tank and goods shed; +everything, however, was strongly entrenched and defended; a huge Supply +Depôt had been established, and the boxes and the bags were utilised to +form protection for the garrison, an interesting sight being a machine +gun mounted on a pyramid of sacks of oats. The Supply subordinates had +made themselves comfortable inside houses built of biscuit and beef +boxes and roofed with tarpaulins, but the valuable sacks of oats, bags +of mealies, sacks of sugar and other stores were pitched about anywhere, +and were rotting and mouldering away on all sides; four bags of costly +sugar were utilised to form steps up to a water tank, and were, of +course, ruined with wet and mud; the enormous goods shed, which would +have held the whole stock of the more valuable Supply stores then going +to waste in the open, was full of bales of wool belonging to Boer +farmers, of which the greatest care was apparently being taken by the +railway authorities, while valuable food supplies were being ruined. The +responsible man was a Corporal of the Army Service Corps, who was some +time afterwards placed under arrest for selling rum and stores to the +Boer residents and sympathisers in Ventersburg; they had run out of +supplies, and thus replenished their larder. On our next visit, some +time later, we brought with us the Brigade Supply officer, Lieut. Lloyd, +whose energy was only equalled by his capability; and he very soon had +things put shipshape, the wool bales fired out of the shed, and +everything done Bristol fashion, as they say at sea. + +The water supply of Ventersburg Road was its chief drawback: the Boers +had damaged the water tank and the pumping engine, and had blown up the +windmill pump, throwing it across the platform, where it remained for +weeks; the only other source of supply for water was a spruit, about 2 +miles away, to which water carts had to be despatched daily, and where +all animals had to be taken to water. + +The ground in the neighbourhood was level for a considerable distance to +the west and east, rising somewhat to the north and dropping to the +south. In the distance on the east were some hills about 7 miles away, +and beyond them about 2 miles lay Ventersburg town, a hotbed of Boers +and their friends, and a place of assembly for all the rebels in the +surrounding country; it was only equalled by Bothaville, another town on +the west side of the railway, and about sixty miles off. + +On the afternoon of the day we arrived, I accompanied the General on a +reconnaissance, carried out by all the mounted troops available towards +Ventersburg town; we rode out to the hills outside the town, and the +General went on with a small escort, returning in about an hour: there +was a nasty piece of country between the hills and the town, which, +however, the Mounted Infantry assured me, could easily be turned from +either flank. + +Our Head Quarters and A, F, G, H, and the Volunteer companies left +Ventersburg Road station at six o'clock in the evening on the 25th of +August by special train, arriving at Winburg a little after three +o'clock; they detrained at once, and received orders to move at five +o'clock with the Cameron Highlanders, the 39th Field Battery, and the +5th Mounted Infantry to relieve Colonel Ridley and the Queenstown +Volunteers, about 120 men, who for three days had been surrounded at +Helpmakaar Farm, some twelve miles to the north-east of Winburg. On +arrival there it was found that the Boers, after summoning the garrison +to surrender at seven o'clock that morning, had made off; so the force, +together with the beleaguered garrison, returned to Winburg, arriving +there about seven in the evening, and bivouacking to the east of the +railway station. + +About five o'clock the next morning the camp was alarmed by rifle shots, +and it soon became evident that an attack was being made upon the town: +so the garrison all stood to arms. The half battalion of the Bedfords, +who were at the station ready entrained to return to Ventersburg Road, +were moved out in the train to a point north of the town nearest to a +kopje upon which the main attack seemed to be directed by the enemy; two +companies of the Camerons went up the hills, to the south-east of the +town, to support the picket there, and A and F companies of our +battalion went to the south-west of the town; these companies were +sniped from some bushes on a small detached kopje to the south of the +town, but one man only was hit on the heel of his boot; a few shells +were also fired at the pickets east of the town by a gun, or a couple of +guns, of the enemy's posted to the north-east. Two guns of our battery +came into action between our bivouacs and the railway station, and +dispersed some Boers who were gathered on the top of the detached kopje; +and the firing then ceased as suddenly as it had begun. + +Some Mounted Infantry were shortly afterwards seen coming in from the +north escorting twenty-four prisoners, who were found to include +Commandant Olivier and his three sons. These four had, unknowingly and +unarmed, walked straight into the hands of three or four of our Mounted +Infantry, who had bluffed them by pretending that the rest of their +regiment was close at hand. The Commandant was in a furious rage when he +realised how neatly he had been trapped. + +It appeared that the Boers concerned in the advance upon the town were +under Commandant Fourie and included also Commandant Haasbruck; the +latter with his commando was to have made a simultaneous attack upon the +south end of the town, but, matters at the north part of the picket line +being brought to a head sooner than was anticipated, his attack was too +late to be of any use. The Boers, it was ascertained, had tapped the +telegraph wire, and intercepted an order to General Bruce Hamilton, to +withdraw his troops to Ventersburg Road; so, when three trains +containing Yeomanry, which had come in during the night of the 26th, +steamed out again in the early morning of the 27th, the Boers mistook +these for trains containing General Bruce Hamilton's force, and attacked +the town, expecting it to be held by only the usual small garrison. + +The column proceeded at noon on the 31st of August by train to +Bloemfontein, where they arrived at eight o'clock in the evening, +proceeding to the Rest Camp for the night, which they spent under canvas +for the first time during the campaign. The next day orders were +received to march at seven o'clock, the same troops as before being +required to make a forced march to Ladybrand to relieve the garrison +there, who had been shut up for three or four days; so the force marched +to the Waterworks, a good 20 miles, passing the scene of the disaster at +Sanna's Post. Next day the column marched to Thaba N'Chu, a long 19 +miles, and camped to the west of the town; they moved next day at five +in the evening, and, after a bad march at night, reached camp at +Andriesfontein at two o'clock in the morning. After resting until three +in the afternoon, the column proceeded to Zonderzorg, about 13 miles, +marching again the next day at seven o'clock in the morning towards +Ladybrand, where the Boers were found in position at Plat Kop on the +left of the road. + +But they retired discreetly before the fire of the 39th Field Battery +and one of our pom-poms, and signal messages were received about 11 a.m. +from Colonel White that he had reached Ladybrand with his Mounted +Infantry; so the infantry column was then halted, and eventually +returned to camp. + +On the 6th of September the column marched at three in the afternoon to +Leeuw River Mills. On parade, before marching off, the General addressed +the troops, thanking them for the way they had supported him in the +trying work of the past few days, during which they had borne fatigue +and hardship without complaint, showing that they had set out +determined, cost what it might, to do their best to relieve their +comrades, beleaguered in Ladybrand. He ended by saying that they had +travelled upwards of a thousand miles with him up to then, and that he +hoped soon all would get a prolonged rest, when he would try and get +tents for them; but he felt sure that, if circumstances demanded that +they should still go on, they would continue to give him the support +that they had all along cheerily given him, as long as their Queen +required them. + +On the 12th of September, a move northwards was made, the column halting +at Brand's Drift Farm, and continuing next day as far as Zamen Konst, +where they were joined by the right half battalion and the remainder of +the Brigade. The left half battalion, since leaving Thaba N'Chu on the +2nd of September, had been under the command of Major O'Grady, +Lieut.-Colonel Donne having remained at Thaba N'Chu in command of the +troops at that station. + + + + +CHAPTER XVII. + +TO LINDLEY. + + Right half battalion to Ventersburg town--Back to the + railway--Rain--Boers blow up the line and burn train---The armoured + train upon the scene--To Bloemfontein--Off again--To the + waterworks--An invasion of Kaffirs--Thaba + N'Chu--Zamenskornst--Meeting with the left half battalion--An + abortive round-up--Senekal--Lindley--Picket attacked. + + +On the 25th of August, when the left half battalion left Ventersburg +Road, I was directed by the General to proceed to Ventersburg town with +a miniature column consisting of our right half battalion, B, C, D, and +E companies: one company of the Derbyshire who had joined the Brigade at +Bethlehem, and had remained with us ever since in the hope of some day +rejoining their regiment: four guns of the 76th Field Battery, under +Captain Moloney, and some of the Malta company of Mounted Infantry, +under Lieut. Attfield, together with our baggage and seven days' +rations. + +Full of spirits at the prospect of getting a look-in at a fight on our +own, we marched off at two in the afternoon towards the range of hills +in the distance: having seen the ground before, it was easy to take the +ever necessary precautions of picketting the hills on the right and left +of the road by mounted men sent on in front, so as to cover our guns and +baggage from the fire of an overzealous enemy; when we had passed +safely, these pickets dropped down and formed our little rear guard, and +so we reached the town about seven o'clock and reported to Colonel +White. We camped in and around the school house, which a thoughtful +staff officer had got ready for our reception, sticking lighted candles +all round the large schoolrooms. + +Colonel White was going out in the direction of the enemy the next day +with all the troops in the town, so we had to take over the pickets and +hold the town until his return. Disappointed at losing our chance of a +fight, we consoled ourselves next day by moving into various empty +houses, as it was possible we might have to remain in Ventersburg. The +town was a small one, but was used as a halting place and rendezvous by +the Boers, who found many sympathisers among the residents. It was well +situated and easily protected, and would have made pleasant quarters for +a half battalion as a permanent garrison; it would have afforded the +Boers one town less in which to assemble and hatch plots and make +descents on the railway line at Holfontein, only 12 miles away. + +We were fated, however, to move again, and at eight o'clock next day, +the 27th of August, my small column returned to Ventersburg Road: in the +distance to the north, we espied a huge cloud of mounted men, wagons and +Cape carts, with whom we opened communication by helio, finding them to +be Colonel Le Gallais' force, bound for the town we had just left. + +On reaching the railway station about mid-day we found that General +Bruce Hamilton and the remainder of our Brigade had gone, and that most +of the other troops had also moved. Next day, Colonel Le Gallais' force, +and also Colonel White's, arrived and camped near the railway station, +so that Ventersburg Road was pretty well crowded, and with all the +horses, mules and bullocks was rapidly becoming anything but sanitary. + +We had a very unpleasant time on the 29th of August; all the afternoon +it rained steadily, and by night the place was a swamp and our camp a +wretched sight; as many men as could be stowed away in sheds and under +verandahs at the station were sent there, and the rest of us lay in our +dripping bivouacs and put up with the drenching rain and soaking water +under us as best we could. Fortunately, the rain stopped in the early +morning, but our camp was a sight: in the middle of a lake about two +feet deep was the bivouac of two men, my servant and my groom, who had +rigged up overnight an excellent shelter of fencing wire and blankets, +under which they were secure from rain, but not from the flowing stream +which soon surrounded them; numbers of mules and bullocks died during +the night, and their swollen carcases poisoned the air for some days, +until they were dragged off to their cemetery, where they were laid out +in rows, and reminded us, every time the wind blew, of the unfortunate +ending to their existence. + +During these days and the next four or five, a constant succession of +trains laden with remounts for the cavalry and Mounted Infantry, and +occasionally with enormous loads of supplies, passed up north, day and +night. + +Orders were received for all details of the 21st Brigade to proceed to +Bloemfontein, but White's and Le Gallais' troops had to go first, with +their horses and their transport of Cape carts: this took three days to +complete, and we were to follow when sufficient trains should arrive. + +On Saturday night just after midnight, or rather on Sunday morning, I +was awakened by hearing three dull explosions, evidently at some +distance; and in a few minutes, Lieut. Bellamy came running up to say he +thought the line had been blown up. As this might have been merely the +preliminary to an attack on the railway station, with its great piles of +stores, four patrols, each consisting of a section under an officer, +were sent out at once in the direction of the explosions, with orders to +communicate with the two pickets which we furnished to the north and +north-west, and then to move round in a circular direction and to return +to camp; when they came back other patrols were sent out and kept going +until dawn. Soon, reports began to come in: Lieut. Ashworth, who was on +picket well out to the north, reported that a train had passed him going +north; that he had heard the slow panting of the engine going up the +incline at Holfontein, about 5 miles off, followed by the explosions and +a few rifle shots, after which all was still; but that the glare in the +sky showed that the train had been set on fire. + +This glare increased in intensity, and soon the fireman of the engine +arrived, followed in a while by the guard and another railway employé, a +passenger, who were brought in by the pickets, and told us the whole +story. It seems that on the train reaching the top of the bank, there +was an explosion of dynamite in front of the engine, upon which the +driver applied the vacuum brake; he then tried to run back, but, after +climbing the hill, he had no steam left to blow off the vacuum and so +release the brakes, and then, hearing another explosion in rear, he and +the fireman jumped and ran, the former going north and the latter south. +The guard and the passenger told a similar story, and added that the +Boers fired a few shots at the engine and the guard's van, from a +distance of about 300 yards to the right of the line, apparently with +the intention of driving off the trainmen, in which they succeeded; and +they then set the train on fire. It was full of medical and Ordnance +stores and forage. + +Very fortunately, Captain Nanton, R.E., the Deputy-Assistant Director of +Railways in this district, happened to be in the station with his +armoured train, and dashed off as soon as the reports reached us, after +entraining some of the Derbyshire as escort. + +This armoured train, which usually lived at Kroonstad, but occasionally +rushed up and down the line, was a queer looking object; the engine was +in the middle, sheathed all over in boiler plating; at one end was a box +car, also covered in plating, with a Maxim gun in it and a crew of men +to work it; there were loopholes for the machine gun and for rifle fire. +There was another car behind the engine, upon which were mounted two +Naval quick-firing 12-prs., firing a huge brass cartridge. + +This weird-looking train puffed away rapidly, as Captain Nanton was +anxious to try and save some of the wagons, if possible, from the +wrecked train, and the platelayers from down the line, having come in on +their trolley, went off also. At early dawn, Captain Pine-Coffin with +all his available Mounted Infantry went out, and sent in reports later +to say that he was following on the tracks of about twenty mounted +Boers, who had ridden from the train in the direction of Ventersburg +town, which Colonel White's force had left only a couple of days before. +Pine-Coffin followed up these tracks until they separated, and led off +in many different directions, when, further pursuit being hopeless, and +the enemy having at least six hours start, he returned to camp. + +Later in the day, Captain Nanton returned with his armoured train, +dragging one truck full of half-burned rubbish, and the engine of the +defunct train, which was covered with a nice assortment of bullet holes, +but was unharmed, though technically "dead," as the fires were out. + +The stories of the fireman and the guard were correct, the line having +been blown up in two places, and practically the whole train destroyed +by fire, only one wagon being saved: the burning wagons had been dragged +into a convenient siding and the line repaired, so that the trains which +had accumulated at Ventersburg Road were enabled to go off in turn, but +only up till dusk, as, after this, it was not considered advisable to +run trains during the dark hours of the night. + +Some details of our regiment and some of the Camerons (nearly a +company), turned up on the 2nd of September and were attached to us, and +next day our trains arrived, and, after shipping off the battery, the +section of the R.E., the hospital wagons and the Derbyshire men, we +followed in the last train. The whole of the baggage wagons and the ox +wagons proceeded by road to Bloemfontein, under charge of Captain +Wroughton and Lieut. Pearce. + +Our train reached Smaldeal a little after six o'clock in the evening: +there we had to remain all night, but there was plenty of coal about, so +we made ourselves comfortable, sleeping by the side of the train. + +General Allen was at Smaldeal with a small garrison at the station, +which is the junction with the line running to Winburg. + +At daybreak, five o'clock the next morning, we continued our journey, +passing on the veldt our wagons trekking along. We stopped an hour at +Brandfort to cook our breakfast, after which we went on, passing Glen, +our original starting place several months before, and reaching +Bloemfontein about the middle of the day. + +Having wired to say we were coming, we were expected, and the A.D.R. and +the R.S.O., and various other officials with half-a-dozen letters after +their names, were waiting for us, and, best of all, had provided wagons; +so there was no delay in loading up our baggage, ammunition and rations, +as there had been on the first visit to Bloemfontein of our battalion. + +Now, we thought, at last we shall have a few days' peace in the +comfortable tents of the Rest Camp, and we all made plans how we were to +spend our days; many of the men were allowed passes that very afternoon +to go into the town, and it was as well they went when they had the +chance, as that night we were off again! + +At half-past seven that evening, I received orders for our half +battalion, the battery and the hospital wagons to move as soon as +possible to the Waterworks, about 22 miles. Nothing was said about +transport, so I had to race off and find General Kelly-Kenny, who told +me to apply to Colonel Long (at the other end of the town) for wagons. +The General also said that it was possible the Waterworks might be +attacked at dawn, and our assistance might be required, so that the +sooner we got there the better. The men of the Camerons were to go with +us, but not the details of the Derbyshire, who were to remain. + +After seeing Colonel Long and being passed on by him to the Divisional +Transport officer, I managed to get authority to procure wagons from the +Rest Camp; so I went off there, and asked for all they could spare and a +water cart, which, after some demur as to the number of wagons, they +promised to send up. About half-past ten these arrived at the Rest Camp +where we were quartered, and after loading up we started; luckily, there +were plenty of wagons, so we were able to relieve the men of the +blankets they carried on their backs, and also to load the wagons +lightly--the mules had a long march before them and had already done a +full day's work. + +There was a good moon, so we trekked along steadily until three o'clock +in the morning; when the moon disappeared, and we halted where we were, +posted pickets and got out our blankets, and had a couple of hours' +sleep. Up again at dawn, we loaded our wagons with the blankets and +moved off by half-past five; we reached a suitable spot near Bushman's +Kop about eight o'clock, when we halted a couple of hours for breakfast, +but were off again by ten o'clock, eventually reaching the Waterworks, +in very good style, after a long tramp of 22 miles, at half-past one in +the afternoon. + +The next day's march was a short one of merely 8 miles to a pan, filled +with very dirty water, which was all we had. Things looked lively that +night, as the pickets brought in a Boer prisoner, who turned out to be +one of our own wagon drivers; he had gone out of the lines to a farm, +without permission, and probably to give information. Naturally he +protested his innocence, but he was put in charge of a sentry, and +warned that on the first bullet being fired into camp by the enemy, he +would be shot dead by the sentry; luckily for him, the night was a +peaceful one, although our camp was invaded--not however by the enemy. +Soon after midnight we heard a sentry calling out repeatedly in a mild +sort of way "Guard, turn out!", and then we saw that he was one of the +picket sentries, who had found himself suddenly overwhelmed by an +advancing mass of Kaffirs, jabbering, chattering, and understanding no +known language, but steadily moving on with their bundles. + +In vain the sentry tried to stem the rushing tide of natives, but he +might as well have tried to stop a house, so he retreated backwards, +feebly yelling for assistance, and on arrival in camp the Kaffirs were +stopped. + +However, at cock crow the infernal jabber and chatter commenced again; +they were Basutos, who had been working on the railway and were now +going home, all with plenty of money to spend on wives and cows, which +they told us was their intention. + +Twice during the night mounted men had arrived with orders, the upshot +of it all being that we were to march as far as Israelspoort, about 6 +miles further on, and to remain there, holding that position, until +General Hunter and his escort, who were coming up behind, should have +passed; the baggage, however, was to go on into Thaba N'Chu. + +Israelspoort was the place where Ian Hamilton's column had their first +taste of fighting in April; a _poort_ is a spot where the road passes +over a neck or saddle in a ridge, and this particular one was commanded +by huge kopjes on either hand. These were occupied by Mounted Infantry +pickets, whom we relieved; and we sent on our baggage and waited for +General Hunter, who arrived just after mid-day, and, after chatting a +while, went on; we followed later, reaching Thaba N'Chu and camping at +the eastern end of the town about two o'clock in the afternoon. + +The town is a small one, situated in a recess among high hills which +shut it in, but at some distance, on three sides; like Ventersburg and +Bothaville, the surrounding district is a turbulent one, and there have +always been restless Boers in the neighbourhood, who have frequently +threatened the Waterworks and Bloemfontein. + +Our Colonel had been left in command of the town, while the other half +battalion marched to the relief of Ladybrand; the troops under him were +not numerous, consisting only of half a battalion of the Bedfords, a +battery and some Mounted Infantry. + +Our wagons and a huge convoy arrived on the 10th of September, and with +them, in addition to Captain Wroughton and Lieutenant Pearce, came +Lieut. Montgomerie, who had been shot in the leg at Retief's Nek, but +had since recovered, and now rejoined for duty. On the next day all the +wagons, except our proportion, went off by road to join the Brigade, and +we also received orders to march, at half-past nine that night, at which +hour the moon was expected to show up. + +It was a lovely night and the march was only a short one of about eight +miles, but it took us four hours, all the same, as we had to wait +occasionally to allow the lagging convoy to close up. Starting again at +half-past nine in the morning we marched until mid-day, when we halted +for an hour and a half, and eventually reached camp at Zamenskornst +about three p.m. after a tramp of 17 miles. + +All the troops which had marched to the relief of Ladybrand were camped +on the opposite side of the spruit, including our other half battalion, +who, of course, came and laughed at us for having missed all the hard +marching they had had into Ladybrand. There was a wide, sandy spruit +between the two camps, and the ox convoy started at early dawn, about +three o'clock, to cross this: after them went our mule wagons and the +battery and all the details, telegraph people and so on, so that the +battalion, which furnished the rear guard, did not have to move until +half-past seven. + +The mounted troops comprised men of the Mounted Infantry of several +Corps--Brabant's Horse, Rimington's Scouts, Kitchener's Horse--and there +were also representatives of many other regiments, both regular and +irregular, as General Hunter and his staff accompanied us, with +interpreters and servants, guides, escort and men in charge of their +baggage wagons. + +At the entrance to camp at Allendale, about 12 miles away, there was +another sandy drift, which tried the bullocks very much: two paths had +been made, but of course it is unnecessary to state that whenever the +drivers _could_ manage to cross their tracks and create a block or a +collision, they invariably did so to the great delight of the baggage +master, for whom, sometimes, the English language was not sufficiently +copious, and who had to fall back on Hindustani. + +However after much delay the last wagon was got across, and the rear +guard passed on into camp, which was not far off. We all turned in +early, as at midnight we were to start again: it appears that the enemy +were among the hills, which formed an excellent position at Doornberg, +lying in the centre of a triangle formed by the three towns of Winburg, +Ventersburg and Senekal, and was easily accessible from either, both +from our point of view and from that of the enemy. Winburg was occupied +by our troops, but the other two towns had not been consistently held +throughout the campaign, and the enemy were able, therefore, to use +these towns to some extent as bases. + +The operation upon which we were now engaged was an extensive "round +up," to use a Bush phrase, which exactly expresses what we were about to +do. There were columns, each preceded by clouds of mounted troops, +coming from the north, the east and the south, and we were in great +hopes that at last we had got the enemy properly cornered, as it did not +seem possible for him to escape anywhere, the country being open rolling +veldt all round the position which he was occupying at Doornberg. + +Having, therefore, a rough idea of the plans upon which we were working, +we were prepared for some long marches, and we were not disappointed. +Leaving Allendale at midnight, on a moonlight and starry night, we +marched off to the north: as bad luck would have it, we were following a +battery, which is an annoying thing on a night march, when, as everyone +knows, each unit has to keep touch with the troops in front so as not to +lose distance. + +All troops open out on the march to a certain extent, which is greater +than that fixed in the drill books, but which actual experience in +marching shows is quite necessary; when, therefore, the head of a column +of all arms on the march is halted for the usual ten minutes every hour, +those in rear do not stop dead in their tracks as they should, but +continue closing up until they have resumed their proper parade ground +intervals. + +This was exemplified on this occasion, when we tramped for two hours and +fifty minutes without a halt, the early part of the march being a +constant succession of checks, caused by the frequent "backing and +filling" of the battery in front of us. Nothing is more annoying on the +march than these checks, which throw you out of your stride and bring +you up all standing, and nothing is more easily avoided by the common +sense adoption of wider and more elastic intervals between units and +companies. + +About eight o'clock the column halted, as we were all staggering for +want of sleep; so we had breakfast and slept and rested until half past +two in the afternoon, when we continued on our way to Klein Saxony, +about 2 miles short of Winburg. + +With a couple of companies of the Composite Battalion, which had been +formed of all the details attached to the Brigade, and some Yeomanry and +two guns, I was detailed to look after the rear; and this small army of +mine did not reach camp until half-past seven. We had a long rest, +however, as we did not start the next day until the afternoon, at +half-past one, when we proceeded on our way, skirting Winburg on the +east and then marching in a straight line to Marais Farm, where we had +once before camped, when with the Boer laager. + +On the 17th of September, the Brigade moved off again, early in the +morning, towards Doornberg, camping at Rooikraal, about 13 miles +distant--very pleasant camp, with plenty of grass and good water, which +we enjoyed after all the miles and miles of burnt up veldt we had +trekked across since leaving Frankfort. The following morning we thought +that the great closing in movement was actually taking place around the +huge dark mass of flat topped mountain which we could see, lowering in +the distance, on the other side of a smiling grassy valley, as we moved +off at six o'clock, marching some 10 miles. We then halted under the lee +of a razor-backed ridge, being careful not to show ourselves over the +sky-line, and a few pickets and look-out men were posted. We could see, +or thought we could see, an occasional mounted man on the hills +opposite, but they must have been our own men; for we heard later that +the Boers had escaped during the night out of the net which had been so +carefully drawn round them, and had trekked off to the east. + +It was said at the time that their escape was due to the laxity of a +certain Brigade, operating from the east, who either did not move at +all, or else moved too late, to shut in the Boers at the only loophole +by which they could have cleared off. Finding a drift practically +unguarded, or rather held by a ridiculously small force, without the +support of the Brigade which it should have had, the Boers pushed +through during the night successfully, and were miles away when dawn +broke. + +Disappointed, we camped at the spruit near by, and marched the following +morning towards Senekal, camping about 11 miles from that town, on the +same spot upon which we had camped on the 10th of August, when with the +Boer laager. This was a disgusting camp, with remains of our dead +animals strewn about, and water like pea soup, drawn from a succession +of mud holes. During the march we had passed a Krupp ammunition wagon +which the Boers had abandoned; the wheels of it being the only part made +of wood had been burned by our Mounted Infantry, who were following up +on the enemy's tracks. + +Senekal was reached the next morning, the 20th of September, just as +General Rundle's Division, the Eighth, was leaving; we camped to the +east of the town and remained there for two days, making a long trek, +however, of 14 miles on the 23rd towards Lindley. Our bivouac the next +day was at Kruisfontein, which we reached after a march of about 12 +miles; this place was a couple of miles south of Wit Kop, a huge, +isolated flat topped kopje rising out of the plain and dominating the +surrounding country. Towards this kopje we marched the following day and +camped at its foot, the two companies remaining there until the next +day, when the Brigade moved at six o'clock into Lindley, camping to the +north of the town about a mile out on the Heilbron road and beyond the +drift. + +For two days we remained at Lindley, but the morning of the 28th saw us +on the road again, marching towards Heilbron, one half of our battalion +being baggage guard to the usual gigantic convoy and the other half +being rear guard. + +About two o'clock the advanced guard and the main body halted and +camped, the convoy and the baggage guard closed up and we all settled +down: and then we heard that we were all to return to Lindley the +following day, as General Hunter had received orders to garrison most of +the towns in his district, which comprised the north eastern portion of +the Orange River Colony, and that a beginning was to be made by leaving +the 21st Brigade at Lindley. + +So the next morning, the 29th of September, back we went to Lindley, +arriving about 11.15 a.m. The rear guard had marched back during the +night, escorting the baggage of Colonel Le Gallais' troops, and +experiencing great trouble with their wagons, three of which we found +derelict on the road; we succeeded in tinkering up two of them and +bringing them along with us. + +General Hunter and Colonel Le Gallais left the same afternoon, and our +Brigade took up its quarters on the east of the town, and threw out +pickets on the hills surrounding the hollow in which Lindley is +situated. In the afternoon about four o'clock, when A company, then on +picket to the south west, was about to be relieved by B and E +companies, who were then on their way out; a good deal of firing was +heard from that direction, and I was sent up by the General to see what +was the matter and to deal with it. Two guns and a pom-pom went out +also, and on reaching the hill it appeared that one of the sentries of A +company had been shot dead by some Boers who had ridden up within a few +hundred yards, fired at him, and then ridden off to take up a position +behind a rocky kopje (about 2,200 yards from one picket and 1,500 from +the other), from which they kept up an annoying fire. Our men had +occupied some trenches and sangars which had been made by our +predecessors, Paget's Brigade, I believe, some time previously, and +which were all of inferior construction and badly situated. Two of our +men were in consequence soon hit, but the remainder kept up a continuous +rifle fire on the enemy, invisible behind their kopje. + +The guns and the pom-pom soon came into action against this rocky hill, +and after a few shells the enemy's fire ceased. + +The General had now come up, and the Boers, seeing a little group on the +top of the hill, opened fire on us from a spur to our right front, which +ran down to meet the rocky kopje alluded to above, and which apparently +afforded the snipers a means of retreat secure from observation. + +At 2,000 yards B company replied to this fire, and the Boers, moving +further away, every now and then sent a few shots in our direction, +which, however, failed to reach us, and struck the ground in front. + +It was getting dusk, and the enemy were using black powder, so we were +able to locate them, and kept them moving by our fire delivered at +2,500, and then at 3,000 yards, beyond which the Lee-Metford is not +sighted. + +And so this little incident closed, but unfortunately it had caused us +three casualties.[11] + +Some time afterwards we discovered the reason of this attack; it +appeared that the Boers had seen the column of Colonel Le Gallais and +General Hunter's escort moving away from the town that afternoon, and +had jumped to the conclusion that nearly all the troops had left +Lindley; so they came on boldly, as they did on the occasion of our +first departure from the town in May--but to be disappointed this time. + +The Brigade now settled down in Lindley, the pickets entrenched their +posts, and everything was done according to Cocker. A large convoy of +those wretched ox wagons, after storing in the town all the rations they +had been carrying, went off to Kroonstad with an escort supplied by the +Camerons and the Bedfords; the sick and wounded were sent away by this +convoy, and all the mule wagons which could be spared, the whole being +in charge of Captain Wroughton. + +However, in a couple of days the escort returned, bringing with them a +five-inch gun, under Captain Massie, R.A., and we learned then that they +had met General Hector Macdonald's Highland Brigade at Kaalfontein +Bridge, about 20 miles out, and that he had taken on the convoy and sent +the escort back with the cow gun and some mails for our Brigade. + +A visit was also paid to Groonvlei, a farm about five miles to the north +along the Heilbron road, with an escort, and several wagon loads of wood +were brought in, there being none in the town. + +Finding an empty house which was suitable for the purpose, a Soldiers' +Club was started, under the management of Mr. Leary, the active and +energetic padré who will always be remembered in our battalion for the +way he looked after our casualties at Retief's Nek. Things were made as +comfortable as possible, and tea and such eatables as could be got +(except biscuit, which was studiously avoided) were sold in the +evenings. Open air concerts of a rough and ready kind were regularly +held on three evenings a week, cricket, football and hockey matches, and +games such as quoits were played as often as could be arranged with the +few materials, at hand, and preparations made to lighten the tedium of +what promised to be a long stay in Lindley. + +FOOTNOTE: + +[11] + + KILLED. + Private G. Latter, A Company. + + WOUNDED. + Lce.-Corp. A. White, A Company. + Private H. Beeney, A Company. + + + + +CHAPTER XVIII. + +THE RAILWAY NEEDS REPAIR. + + Wit Kop--Half the battalion goes on tour---Kaffir Kop--Clearing the + country--Necessity for it--Mobile columns required--Kaalfontein + Bridge--Rearguard attacked at Doornkop--The line blown up--A + repairing expedition. + + +Everything was quiet in Lindley for a few days, and then, on the 3rd of +October, the General sent for me at half-past nine at night and told me +that he had ordered two companies of ours, under me, to proceed at five +o'clock the next morning to Wit Kop, where, apparently, some of our +mounted troops were in difficulties, having been engaged with the Boers +most of the day. + +The General also told me in confidence that he and some more troops were +coming out to Wit Kop in the afternoon, and that we were to proceed on a +tour round to the south and the west, and should probably be absent a +week. + +So next morning, A and H companies, under Major O'Grady and Captain +Wisden, paraded at five o'clock and went out to Wit Kop, where we found +Captain Lloyd and some of the 8th M.I., and Captain Driscoll and some of +his Scouts. It appeared that a party of Driscoll's Scouts had gone out +towards Kaffir Kop but had not returned, and it was feared that they had +been cut off; during the previous day the few men remaining at Wit Kop +had been somewhat heavily fired on by a party of Boers, forty it was +estimated, who had crept up under shelter of a donga to within a few +hundred yards of our men, and had opened a considerable fire on them. +The party on the Kop were not strong enough to turn them out, but had +answered the fire and sent in a report to the General as soon as it was +dark enough for a messenger to travel. + +With our two companies we occupied the Kop, and spent the day watching +the surrounding country: Driscoll's Scouts went out and burned a farm, +from which the enemy had appeared the previous day, and we sat on the +Kop and stared through our field glasses at the open, undulating ground +to the south-west, over which we could see some Mounted Infantry moving. + +Idly we followed the movements of this little party, evidently a patrol, +and we watched five of them, out in front of a few others, riding in +extended order across a level space of grass, when suddenly we heard the +ping-boom of the Mauser: instantly the patrol wheeled about and galloped +back at speed, the firing of the enemy continuing for some moments. +After a while we saw some of the enemy riding away and disappearing +behind a rise in the ground, to reappear once more and ride off in the +distance, a little clump of men, say twenty-five at the outside. + +It seems that the Mounted Infantry patrol had noticed some men whom they +were approaching, but took them to be the party of Driscoll's Scouts +whose return we were all expecting, and so had unsuspectingly ridden +towards them; with the unfortunate result that their officer, Captain +Willsher, was killed, and one man wounded and taken prisoner. + +This incident is only one case among very many, I am afraid, where +similar occurrences have resulted in the death and capture of many men, +owing to the constant disregard of the saying, "take nothing for +granted," to which I have previously alluded; the reputation of the +Boers for "slimness," or 'cuteness, has been added to by each of these +incidents, which have really often been brought about by crass stupidity +on our parts, not always by any clever smartness on the part of our +enemies. + +It was very sad to sit on the hill-top and observe all this going on in +front of us, only about 2 miles away, and to know that we could do +nothing; we had insufficient mounted men to chase the Boers, even if +they had not already got a long start, and we had no guns with us. +Captain Driscoll had had information that his patrol was returning, and +had secured two prisoners, from whom information was extracted to the +effect that Haasbrook's commando was then about 16 miles away to the +south. + +About five o'clock we saw, from the cloud of dust approaching from the +north, that the remainder of the column was near at hand, and in about +an hour they were halted and cooking their tea a mile away from us; the +General had come up to the Kop just as the Mounted Infantry were burying +poor Captain Willsher, and had received our reports, and then directed +me to join the column with our two companies at seven o'clock. + +On reaching the camp we found F, G, and the Volunteers, under the +command respectively of Captain Gilbert, Lieut. Harden, and Captain +Blake busily engaged at their tea; they were very anxious to hear what +was going to happen, but all I knew was that we were to be ready to +start at a quarter past seven, at which hour we went off on another +night march. + +After a couple of hours walk, there was a long halt at the top of a +hill, whilst the country in front was reconnoitred by the mounted +troops; it was bitterly cold and we could not keep warm, until, at last +the men received permission to roll themselves up in the blankets which +they carried on their belts. + +Soon nothing was to be seen in the dim light but a long line of black +figures stretched out on the road; the Camerons were in front of us and +the battery in rear, so we were quite secure. After this long halt we +moved on again, eventually encamping, towards half past ten, near a farm +about 13 miles from Lindley. Out of this farm a Boer was pulled and made +prisoner: he was making ardent love to a blushing Basuto damsel, when he +was caught, and handed over to the guard. + +At five o'clock the next morning the column marched towards Kaffir Kop, +about 6 miles, where we halted until the next afternoon at three, the +mounted troops going out to clear the country. This step had become +necessary at this stage of the war, and was in accordance with Lord +Roberts' orders, in places where disturbances continued. It was +distasteful work, but entirely justified by the circumstances. + +It was probably never contemplated by anyone that, after occupying the +chief towns in the Transvaal and the Orange River Colony, after seizing +the railways, dispersing the enemy's forces and driving a large number +into Portuguese territory, after despatching over 16,000 prisoners to +far away islands, after visiting all the towns in each colony, taking +the surrender and receiving the allegiance of many thousands of +burghers, these same burghers, many of them, would rise again and carry +on a guerrilla warfare which could have but one ending. + +When Burma was captured and annexed in 1886, after the occupation of +Mandalay, a similar state of matters prevailed for several years, armed +bands of dacoits roaming the country in all directions; they were +eventually suppressed by the salutary process of quartering garrisons in +all parts of the country, and forming numbers of small, mobile, flying +columns, largely composed of mounted men, who moved, at a moment's +notice, against any Boh, or leader, who appeared in the neighbourhood, +and hunted him till he fled or was captured. + +By this means, combination was rendered impossible, and the appearance +of any force of the enemy was the signal for prompt action being taken +against it by every one of the mobile little columns which might be +within call, commanded, as these columns often were, by young and +dashing officers selected for their energy and zeal. It was for this +reason that the latter part of the campaign in Burma in 1885-6 has been +called the "Subalterns' War." + +Something similar to this procedure was about this time necessary in the +Orange River Colony, but the paucity either of mounted troops, or of +remounts, delayed the formation of such columns as would be necessary, +say for instance, in the case in point on the 4th of October, to recover +rapidly the 16 miles which separated us from Haasbrook's commando, and +to engage him. + +After despatching great droves of cattle and sheep to Lindley, we +proceeded in a circular sweep towards the west of that town, and cut the +Kroonstad road at Kaalfontein Bridge, which we crossed on the 9th of +October, moving beyond it a few miles and camping at Quaggafontein. This +place was only a couple of marches from Lindley, to which we expected to +return on the 11th of October; in fact we had to be somewhere by that +date, as we had only two days' rations left. + +Next morning, to our astonishment, the column headed off to the west +instead of to the east or north-east as we expected; there was only one +conclusion to draw--Kroonstad was our destination, and we were not sorry +either, as we wanted a new outfit of clothes, boots, and such other +articles as tobacco, matches and soap, which are sometimes almost as +necessary as a new pair of trousers. + +Our half battalion was on baggage and rear guard that day, H company +bringing up the rear of all; a couple of miles from camp the road +opened on to a great expanse of rolling veldt, which stretched away in +front of us for some miles, to a kopje covered with low trees standing +near a drift. + +After crossing the drift, there was a farm on the left with several +houses, which had been burnt by the Highland Brigade, but in which some +women and children were living, temporary roofs of corrugated iron +having been erected. Rounding the end of the kopje, which was called +Doornkop, we saw, shut away in a recess, another farm house which had +been similarly treated: H company had reason afterwards to remember this +farm house. + +The advanced guard passed over Doornkop, and the remainder of the troops +followed along the road and proceeded some distance, halting for the +usual ten minutes about a mile and a half beyond Doornkop, where the +veldt was level and open like that which we had left behind us. + +Whilst the main body was sitting about, resting, Colonel Kennedy, of the +Camerons, came up to me and said he thought he heard firing in the +direction of the rear guard. We listened, and I distinctly heard our old +friend the Mauser; so I rode back to see what was going on. Meeting a +breathless man with an incoherent message about Captain Wisden being +surrounded (which we found that officer had never sent), I shouted for +another company to come back, and rode on until Doornkop and the Valley +in which it stood came into view. + +The Volunteer company, under Captain Blake, came up in extended order +and opened fire on the kopje at a range of 2,000 yards, afterwards +advancing somewhat down the slope so as to get within closer range. +Captain Gilbert, whose company was marching just in front of Captain +Wisden's, had already sent one half-company off to rising ground on the +right, and had taken the other to a similar position on the left, so +that I had no apprehension as regarded our flanks. + +The kopje being rather beyond effective rifle fire, I sent Coleman, my +groom, riding back to the column to ask the senior officer to send me a +gun from the battery. Evidently not caring to assume the responsibility +of so weighty a matter, he sent Coleman on to the General, who was quite +two miles away, so that by the time the gun had arrived the opportunity +for its use had gone; as the Boers disappeared directly we showed that +we meant business. + +It might be as well to state here that after this little episode, and to +avoid the chance of any similar useless delays on future occasions, the +General invariably ordered one gun to accompany the rear guard so as to +be handy in case it was wanted. + +Advancing down the slope, and still keeping up a fire to keep the enemy +under his cover, we came shortly into view of H company. They had, upon +being suddenly greeted with a shower of bullets from their rear, +discreetly dropped into a donga which, fortunately, lay almost at their +feet, and, safe in the security of this cover, had opened a smart fire +upon the trees and rocks of the kopje. Not a man of the enemy could be +seen, but they could see our men, as a poor fellow of H company, moving +from one part of the donga to another, received a bullet in his head and +dropped immediately.[12] The Cape cart which carried the officers' mess +property stuck in the drift across the small donga, the ponies jibbed, +and no persuasion would induce them to move, so the cart was emptied, +the harness cut up, and the ponies turned loose--all this being done +under a dropping fire from the enemy. + +As soon as the shelling was over, H company withdrew, bringing their +dead with them, the companies resumed their former positions, and the +march was continued. We halted that night at Welgevreden, where the +Camerons, being on duty, threw out the usual pickets. + +Next morning, the 11th of October, we continued our march, starting at +eight o'clock. When about to withdraw, one of the pickets of the +Camerons was fired on by some snipers of the enemy. The few mounted men +with us who had been advanced guard the previous day had been kept back +to carry out the duties of rear guard on this occasion, and on their +approach the snipers fled, and we were annoyed no more that day. + +Kroonstad, about 11 miles distant, was reached about eleven o'clock, and +we camped just beyond No. 3 General Hospital and under Gun Hill. During +the day tents arrived for us, and we pitched these, hoping to remain a +few days to enjoy them, after having slept in the open for so long--some +of us since the 6th of April, but all of us since the 29th of that +month, when we left Glen--altogether about five and a half months. Many +of the men, however, preferred the fresh open air to the tents, and +rigged up their bivouacs as usual. + +Late on the night of the 11th of October I received orders to proceed to +the railway station at four o'clock the next morning, with a day's +rations, but without baggage. The Volunteer company was to remain in +camp, as it was expected that they would shortly receive orders to +proceed to Bloemfontein, at which place we had heard that all the +Volunteers were being concentrated previously to their departure for +England. + +At the station we were entrained in empty coal trucks, with our +water-cart, horses and mules, besides about twenty men of the Royal +Engineers, and a quantity of reconstruction material, tools, rails, +sleepers and such like, and a break-down gang of natives. + +Some reports had come in from down the line which the Staff Officer +showed me. The officer commanding at Holfontein reported the line was +blown up between the Gangers' Hut No. 60 and Ventersburg Road Station, +and that the enemy were too strong for our patrols to encounter them. +The officer commanding at Boschrand reported that a number of explosions +had been heard on his left, and that the cavalry had been sent out and +had fired one volley at the enemy. + +One of the hospital trains--full of patients--had been waiting all night +to proceed at dawn, but this was now impossible, and the sick men had to +spend another day cramped up in the train. + +We steamed off as soon as it was light enough--about half-past four--to +see our way, and proceeded down the deviation and past the Remount +Camp--full of Indian sowars and native syces, or horsekeepers, who waved +their hands to us as we went by--until we reached Boschrand Station. The +officers were all in the trucks with their companies, and all had been +warned to be on the look out for sudden orders, and to be mighty sharp +about jumping out of the trucks and at once extending and lying down, +should they be ordered to do so. It was quite possible that the train +might be attacked when winding along the broken country and numerous +kopjes near Boschrand. Luckily this was not necessary, and we steamed +along beyond the station to the top of a rise in the ground, where the +train pulled up. + +Here was the scene of the explosions heard during the night, and a nice +lot of damage had been done too. The line was blown up in no less than +seventeen places, at the junction of the rails, with heavy charges of +dynamite, the cardboard boxes in which this explosive had been carried +lying about in several places. + +The Boers had chosen the junction of the rails as the places at which +to deposit the charges of dynamite, as two rails would then be rendered +useless, their ends being blown up in a curve, in some cases to a right +angle, and the steel sleepers also destroyed. The railways in this +colony are laid on stamped steel sleepers with the chairs bolted on to +them, into which the rails are fixed by steel keys driven in from one +side, so that, although it may be an easy matter to lay the line, it is +a difficult job to remove a damaged rail, jammed in the chairs by an +explosion, in order to replace it by another. + +One company of our battalion was sent out on picket to the right and +left, up to the summit of the rising ground, from which a clear view +could be obtained for some miles, and the remainder were directed to +stay in the train, which might have to steam back at any moment. The men +of the Engineers were out of the train and at work, coolly and +deliberately, each man at his own particular job, before we had done +looking about us. + +The Engineer officer informed me that the damaged rails would all have +to be removed and replaced by new ones, and that all the broken +sleepers, a large number, would have to be dug up and others put in +their places; a gang of native labourers were already at work fetching +rails and sleepers from the trucks, while the Engineers were clearing +away the ballast and exposing the rails to another party, who prized up +the rails with crow-bars and burst them out of the chairs with sledge +hammers. + +This was all work which numbers of our reserve men, who had been +employed as platelayers on the railways at home, could well undertake, +so I asked for volunteers to come and work; as is always the case with +our men, no matter what they are asked to do, volunteers came forward in +large numbers; but only about fifty men were required, who set to work +forthwith. In four hours thirty-four damaged rails had been taken up and +replaced by new ones, and fifty-four new sleepers had been put in +position, and the line was safe enough for our train to pass, after +which the native gangs would complete the work. During this time our men +had been allowed out of the train by parties in succession to cook their +food for breakfast, the company on picket being relieved also for this +purpose. We had some telegraph men on board the train, but as they had +brought no instrument, the wire could not be tapped, and the railway +authorities in Kroonstad could not be informed of the progress of the +work until we reached a station. + +The damage had apparently been caused by quite a small party of Boers, +there being the spoor, or track, of one ox wagon, a couple of Cape +carts, and about twenty men on horseback; they had apparently gone off +in the direction of the hills lying to the west, towards Bothaville. +About eleven o'clock work was concluded, and we proceeded rapidly to the +next break, passing on the way the station at Geneva. + +The next break was found to be beyond Holfontein; here the damage +consisted in four pairs of rails with the sleepers attached having been +removed bodily, one pair having been turned over preparatory to being +removed, all the bolts and nuts of the fish plates for quite 600 yards +broken off, all the telegraph wires dragged away, and the posts, without +exception, dragged down and broken and the insulators smashed. + +This was the greatest damage that had, as yet, been carried out in this +neighbourhood, already famous for the numerous raids on the line. The +nuts of the fish plate bolts, four to each rail, had been smashed off +with heavy sledge hammers by men who were acquainted with the work, not +by ignorant farmers, and to execute this job by night and over an +extent of line 600 yards long meant the breaking of no less than 480 +bolts. The rails, thus capable of being disconnected, were lifted in +pairs with the sleepers, deeply embedded in ballast, still attached, and +were turned over on their backs, thus forming a sort of sledge; four +pairs had been dragged away by bullocks over a ditch and across the +veldt, one pair having been taken more than half a mile away, and the +others being about 200 yards from the line. To lift these rails, even +with the iron telegraph poles, which had seemingly been used as levers, +must have taken at least sixteen powerful men to each pair of rails; +apparently the Boers intended to remove more than the five pairs of +rails which they had shifted, or else they would not have smashed so +many of the fish plate bolts. This was the least damage that was done, +and although we could not then replace such a large number, it was of +little consequence; there were no expresses likely to thunder along at +forty miles an hour, and the track was quite safe for a day or so as it +was without bolts. + +Having seen the damage done, the next thing was to repair it, but this +did not take long; putting a company out on picket on each side of the +line, we got another company to work on the rails lying out on the +veldt, and, with a long and thick rope that was in the tool van, G +company, and afterwards A, soon towed the rails back again (although it +was a stiff pull even for 80 men), turned them over and lifted them into +their places, where the Engineers soon put them right. Some of the +sleepers had to be replaced by others, but as regards the telegraph line +and posts, we could do nothing; no less than eight wires, one of them a +copper telephone wire, had been removed bodily, and the posts smashed as +far as the eye could reach. + +It will be easily understood what an interruption this caused, not only +to the railway traffic but to the communications with Cape Town: +however, telegraph operators were at work everywhere, and a temporary +line was rigged up that day; but it was a long time before all the wires +could be renewed. + +The Engineers and our men were not long repairing the rails, and in +about half an hour we were on the move once more towards Ventersburg +Road, in full sight of which was the next, and luckily the last, break; +in this one the line had been blown up in two places, necessitating two +new rails being laid, but for fully 200 yards or more the fish plate +bolts had been broken off as before; for 120 yards the rails had been +disconnected and torn asunder, apparently with the intention of dragging +them away over the veldt, and for no less than a mile and a half all the +telegraph posts had been torn down (evidently by teams of bullocks) and +smashed, and the wires dragged away: every insulator was broken in +pieces. + +As all this 120 yards of line had to be relaid, the work took us longer +than at the last break; but in about an hour and a half it was done, and +away we steamed back again to clear off the line and let the trains +pass, which were by now jammed at Kroonstad and Ventersburg Road on both +sides of us. At about three o'clock we reached Geneva. + +After all, very little real damage had been done, and a very short +cessation of traffic caused, as by two o'clock that afternoon trains +were running again; and even in the case of a serious break to the line, +such as the destruction of an important bridge, there was always an +alternative line, that through Natal, by which supplies could be +procured. + +FOOTNOTE: + +[12] Private C. Shutton, H company. + + + + +CHAPTER XIX. + +TO BOTHAVILLE. + + Geneva--Kroonstad--New boots and sore feet--Bothaville--A strange + souvenir--The town destroyed--Kroonstad again--Home remittances. + + +At Geneva we received orders to detrain one company there, and to send +one to Boschrand, one to Holfontein, and one to Ventersburg Road; there +were plenty of trains running both ways by this time, so the companies +were quickly got off, H to Boschrand, A to Holfontein, and G to +Ventersburg Road, while F company remained at Geneva. In the orders it +was stated that our baggage and rations would be sent down, but we did +not expect to see them that day, and were not disappointed when they did +not arrive until the next morning. + +However, the men had all had their rations for that day issued to them, +and they also had a blanket each, and we at Geneva, or, rather those who +were not on picket, made ourselves snug under some tarpaulins: luckily, +it was rather a warm night. I am afraid many men that day had had +nothing much to eat after breakfast time; it is a curious thing that the +majority of soldiers never learn to economise their rations or to keep a +bit in hand. In this particular case, each man had been issued overnight +with a tin of Maconochie's rations, a particularly tasty kind of food, +and a relief after much trek ox; but, although we had started at the +early hour of half past four in the morning, yet numbers of rations had +been eaten and the tins thrown on the line, even inside the station; as +we steamed away the few men who had not already finished were busy at +their tins. + +Geneva was not really a station at all, only a siding, with not a drop +of water procurable, except that brought in a tank by the train daily, +which tank was not always full. There were a couple of empty tanks at +the station, which we filled and kept in reserve, as there was no +knowing when the line might again be blown up and communication +interrupted, and ourselves forced to drink water out of puddles. + +On the 13th of October the Volunteer company passed us in the train +going down to Bloemfontein, preparatory to being sent home. They were of +course in the highest of spirits, and there was great cheering as the +train left the station. They had done well while with the battalion, and +had throughout carried out their duties in the field excellently. There +were not many men left to go away, only forty-seven, but there were ten +more at Lindley, and many others in various hospitals in the country. +All day long trains were going down south, and on most of them were +Volunteers of many regiments--all in a great state of glee. On Sunday, +the 14th of October, we returned to Kroonstad, the train leaving +Ventersburg Road about two o'clock in the afternoon, and collecting the +companies as it came up the line. We went back to our old camp, and the +next day had an opportunity of fitting ourselves out with clothes and +boots from the Ordnance stores. No less than 180 pairs of new boots were +issued to men of our four companies, and other clothing, socks and +shirts to those who wanted them. + +It is a curious point in our military administration that on service +where boots and helmets, coats and trousers, are issued free, shirts, +socks, and drawers, which it is just as necessary to renew, are charged +for. This system causes a considerable amount of extra work in the +field, as the men have to be charged in their accounts--not to mention +that it is not a fair charge to make against a man who is wearing out +his clothes in the field and on duty of the severest nature. + +It was believed about this time that after a stay of a day or two at +Kroonstad, we should move back to Lindley, the convoy of 180 ox-wagons +having been loaded and ready for us for some time. Thus there would have +been an opportunity of breaking in, by wearing them in camp, the new +boots which we had just received, and the marches to Lindley, being +fairly short ones, could have been managed without serious disablement. + +When, however, the Brigade orders arrived that evening, it was +discovered that, far from going to Lindley, we were to proceed in the +opposite direction. Camp was to be quitted at half-past five next +morning, and the troops were to cross both spruits to the south, and to +be at a point on the Bloemfontein Road by seven o'clock, taking with us +four days' rations and two days' forage for the animals. It was a +terribly long march that day, and the unfortunate men with new boots, +thus unexpectedly called upon to march fully 20 miles, suffered +considerably, and many were unfit to march for several days, and had to +be carried on wagons. Next day was a shorter march of 12 miles to a +place called Nels Farm, where we pitched our tents and remained for +another day, whilst the cavalry and the mounted troops went out and +destroyed the farms in the neighbourhood, belonging to Boers out on +commando. There was an unfortunate occurrence that day, when one party +of Mounted Infantry fired at another party, thinking they were the +enemy, and shot a poor fellow through the body, wounding him +dangerously. + +There have been several cases of this sort of thing during the +campaign--due to one or two causes: the similarity in dress of our men +and the Boers, induced first by the absurd fondness in our troops for +wearing any headgear except that with which they are provided; and +secondly by the habit among the Boers of securing military clothing from +the trains they at times have looted. Another reason is the fondness our +men have--perhaps due to their over-eagerness and the want of experience +of young officers--for opening fire on the enemy, or what is thought to +be the enemy, at extreme ranges--any distance from 800 to 3,000 +yards--at which it is almost impossible to tell friend from foe. + +Field glasses being no part of the equipment even of the higher +non-commissioned ranks, how is a party of scouts to tell Mounted +Infantry from Boers, except by waiting until they come near enough to +distinguish? + +Our troops are not sufficiently acquainted with what may be called +advanced musketry to understand that a few scattered shots fired at a +widely spread target, such as a mounted patrol of five or six men, at +the extreme range of 2,000 yards, is worse than useless and a distinct +waste of ammunition. The theory of musketry, the curve of the +trajectory, and the power of the rifle generally, are points which are +far less understood than they might be in our service, and receive as +little attention as the important subject of estimating ranges or the no +less necessary matter of firing at extreme ranges. + +The weather was now becoming distinctly warmer, in fact at Nels Farm, +the day we rested there, it was quite warm enough for most of us, and we +were glad of the bit of protection afforded from the sun by the bell +tents. + +On the 19th of October, a warm, close day, we marched about 13 miles to +the drift at Tweefontein, two companies being rear guard with a gun and +250 cavalry, who were kept at a good reasonable distance away from the +main body, so as to afford us some protection from snipers. Many farms +were passed along the road, most of them being burned or blown up; we +were now in a local centre of rebellion, this district not having been +visited by our troops for some months, and the Boers having swarmed back +in crowds in consequence: they used the farms to lodge in, and obtained +from them food and information as to our movements. + +We camped that night on the near side of the drift, and at early dawn +the convoy started moving across and parking on the other side; it was +to remain there whilst the remainder of the column went on to +Bothaville. + +The Buffs Militia, four companies of whom had accompanied us from +Kroonstad, were also to remain, together with 40 men of ours and some of +the Camerons, as well as one gun from the battery and all the cavalry +details; naturally the men still suffering from the new boots were told +to remain, and Lieut. Thorne was instructed to take charge of our men. + +Bothaville was only 8 miles away, and we soon reached it, and camped on +a grassy slope, to the east of the town, running down to the river, +which, at this spot, passes through high banks; there were still a few +English people in the town, and a Nursing Sister, but most of the +residents had either gone or left only their wives and families to +represent them. + +It was quite a small town, but contained a very fine stone house, quite +out of keeping with the remainder, built by the late Government for the +use of the Dutch minister. These gentlemen usually seemed fairly +comfortable in every town which we had visited, with good houses and +gardens and no rent to pay. They were men of much influence; most of +them threw in their lot with their parishioners and went with them on +commando, for which they can hardly be blamed. The Nursing Sister was +very pleased to see us; she had been left behind with a patient by our +troops on their last visit, three months before, and had been unable to +leave the town since. A good deal of private property (including the +valuable telegraph instruments, out of the post office) was found stowed +away in the church in the hope that our troops would not touch +anything--nor did we. + +Two days we halted in this little town, and we enjoyed the rest very +much; there was capital bathing in the river, and Captain Gilbert, +Lieut. Boevey, and one or two more spent most of their time trying to +coax the fish out of the stream, with some success. + +As the Boers were still in the neighbourhood, and the mounted troops +were out all day destroying the farms of those burghers of whom a good +account could not be given, the picket duty was rather hard. Captain +Gilbert went out one pitch dark night with a few men to surround some +farms close by, which were occupied by pseudo-loyalists, and to try and +catch any visitors who might be staying the night; but after some bad +walking, falling over ant-heaps and into holes, they returned in the +early morning, having visited three farms and drawn blank in each case. + +There was a shop in the town with the usual miscellaneous collection of +articles, and I was told that such articles as would be of use to the +men might be removed; so a party from each company went round to look +over the stock, which, however, comprised nothing much worth having. +There were a few things, such as writing paper, penny note books, some +shovels and other tools, which were useful, and which the men were +allowed to take away: but most of the stock consisted of medicines, +ironmongery, and some cheap drapery. + +I saw one hairy old reserve man going out with a small bundle under his +arm, so I collared him and asked, "What's this?" + +He stammered a bit, got confused, and finally said: "Well, Sir, +it's--it's--its some calico!" + +"Let's have a look at it," said I, and it was slowly unfolded and held +up; it, or rather they, were not calico by any means, but the finest +linen, with lace frills. + +"What on earth are you going to do with these?" I asked him. He got very +red, and still more confused. + +"Well, I'd like them, Sir, I want to send them to my girl!" he replied. + +So he took them away, to despatch by parcel post, and I hope the young +woman was pleased with her present--rather a curious one to receive from +the scene of war. + +Early next morning, at five o'clock, we were sent to burn and destroy +certain houses in the town, which had been apportioned as our share of +the work, the remainder being looked after by the Camerons and the men +of the Royal Engineers. The church and manse, post office, Landdrost's +office and about five or six other houses were not destroyed, but the +mill was blown up by the Engineers. In several of the houses which were +burned numerous small explosions took place, showing that cartridges +were concealed somewhere; the principal house in the town, filled with +English furniture, belonged to the man who owned the shop, and who was +then fighting against us with his commando: so it was with no feelings +of compunction that we watched the destruction of his home. + +All the residents were provided with wagons to take themselves and their +property into Kroonstad, and the town was vacated by one o'clock, when +we all marched away to our new camp, about three miles distant. There we +were joined by the convoy and the men we had left at Tweefontein; on +the way we were sniped at, a few shots being fired at the cavalry rear +guard, but no harm was done to anyone. + +At six o'clock the next morning, on a lovely day, we marched off towards +Beeste Kraal, which we reached before noon; we had now a very large +convoy of wagons with us, in addition to the refugees' wagons and the +baggage of ourselves, the Cavalry and the Mounted Infantry, the total +making up a very long column. + +It was our bad fortune the next day to be rearguard to this huge +procession of wagons and carts, which was continually being added to as +refugees joined us along the road from the adjacent farms; the march was +a long one, 18 miles, and although we started at seven in the morning, +the convoy was so slow that it was past two o'clock when we reached our +camp at Driekopjes, or Three Hills. Numbers of farm houses had been +burned along the road on both sides; one farm which we passed belonged +to an Englishman, who was with us as a guide, and who had married a +Dutchwoman: he had been compelled to leave the country and go to Cape +Colony six months before, when the war broke out and all English +subjects received notice to quit, and had only now come with the troops, +to pack up what he could and bring it and his family along with us. + +Driekopjes is within a short distance of the famous Rhenoster Kop, a +favourite haunt of De Wet, who was very partial to the three hills which +gave the place its name, as they commanded the country for miles round, +and formed an excellent advanced position to the larger Rhenoster Kop, +rising black and forbidding about three miles to the north. There is a +diamond mine close to where we camped, with a couple of shafts and some +houses--apparently only a small mine. + +On the 26th of October we marched once more into Kroonstad, and a very +pleasant tramp it was after our long day's duty as rear guard on the +previous day; it was perfect weather and the road was good, and we were +leading battalion of the column, so we stepped along briskly in great +form. + +After about six hours' march we found ourselves in the outskirts of +Kroonstad and camping under Gun Hill, but to the west this time; many +were the speculations as to how long we should remain and where we +should next go to, as not one of us believed that we should go back to +Lindley just yet; we had been too often sold before, and had come to +look upon Kroonstad as the invariable forerunner of a dash somewhere +down the line; next time we should, perhaps, go north for a change, as a +commando was said to be assembling to the north of Rhenoster Kop. +Colonel Le Gallais' mounted force had left us at Driekopjes and gone off +to the north, and we fully expected to find ourselves next day in coal +trucks steaming up the line. + +For a wonder we did not move the next day or the next, and the men had a +good opportunity of visiting the town. More clothes and boots had been +issued to those who required them, and some pay served out also: it was +a long time since they had drawn any pay, so every man had about a +couple of sovereigns to spend in the shops, which were now all open, +crammed full of stock of all kinds, with the owners cutting each others +throats in their eagerness to sell to the soldiers; the price of +everything was down to the usual rates and was falling every day, as one +could see by the lists of prices outside each shop door. Very many of +the men, it was pleasing to hear, went to the Army Post Office at the +railway station, and bought largely of the postal orders for sale there, +to remit some of their pay to their families. + +It was a very great convenience to the men to be able to purchase these +Postal Orders and thus send their money home themselves, and it was a +great pity that the system was not introduced earlier in the campaign. +Another great improvement would be the possibility of buying their +postal orders on board the transports, as is done on the ships of the +navy. In the beginning of the campaign the men used to bring me their +money and ask me to send it home for them, as they could not do so +themselves, and at various times I have forwarded to England, through +the banks, drafts for over £500; this is a good record and reflects much +credit on the men, and shows their consideration for their families. + + + + +CHAPTER XX. + +VENTERSBURG ROAD. + + A midnight start--Column surprised from the flank--Stampede of the + animals--Attack of the Boer position--The charge--Boer retreat--The + Infantry follow--Final position--A gun comes up--The Cavalry do not + appear--The scene of action. + + +No one was astonished on the 29th of October when we found ourselves at +the station entraining again, and bound for our old destination, +Ventersburg Road; this time the mule wagons went with us, and several +trains were required to convey us all. The Camerons, half a battalion of +the Buffs Militia and half a battalion of the Argyll and Sutherland +Militia went off first; we followed at eight o'clock, and after us came +the battery and one of the five inch guns, of which there were two at +Kroonstad. The General and his staff came down also by this train, and +we camped once more to the west of the station. The Third Cavalry +Brigade was there too, and also Captain Pine-Coffin, with his company of +the Mounted Infantry from Malta; but not poor Lieut. Attfield, of the +Derbyshire, who, to the great loss of his regiment and the service +generally, had been killed in a skirmish with the Boers some time +previously: a smarter or cleverer officer of his standing could not have +been found. + +Reveillé came at the preposterous hour of eleven o'clock at night, when +we struck camp and loaded our wagons, marching off at midnight towards +Ventersburg town; it was a darkish night with no moon, but the stars did +their best to compensate for the absence of that luminary. + +We moved in the following order, preceded by the Third Cavalry Brigade, +who had gone out at eight o'clock that evening--first the Camerons, as +advanced guard, then the battery and the five inch gun, after that the +Buffs Militia, then the other Militia battalion, and lastly ourselves; +each of these units was of course followed by its first line +transport--ammunition carts, water carts, and so on, and the rear of all +was brought up by the ambulances of the 20th Field Artillery. General +Hunter was with us with his staff, but General Bruce Hamilton rode with +the Camerons, who were stretched out to some considerable distance in +front. + +After crossing the drift (which took some time, as there was water in it +and we had to get over by the stepping stones), we continued on our way +with the usual halts until about four o'clock or so in the morning. It +was then just commencing to get light, but it could hardly be called +dawn; and we could distinguish on our left front a dark mass of +rock-covered kopje, which lay broadside on to the road, but forming an +angle with it, and joining it about a mile further on. + +Thus from where we were to the top of the hill must have been at least a +thousand yards, but the head of the column could not have been further +off than six hundred yards or perhaps less: barring this ridge, which +rose steeply out of the plain, the ground around us for a considerable +distance was as flat as a table. + +The Camerons had gone on some distance, and evidently reached as far as +the place where the road dipped into a small valley among some broken +hills, and we were still halted, when a Staff officer from General +Hunter told me to send a company to occupy the kopje, which it appears +was not picketed by the cavalry of the Third Brigade (as it should have +been) or even by the Camerons; owing to a misunderstanding the flank on +that side had been left completely alone. + +So I nodded to Lieut. Hopkins, who was standing by me and had heard the +General's order, and off he went with A company, which was then leading +our half battalion; in rear of them, in order of march, came F company, +under Captain Gilbert, then G and H, under Major Panton and Captain +Wisden, and then a company of details, belonging to the other half +battalion, which was commanded by Captain Blake. + +We idly watched A company moving off in fours, a dark mass in the dim +light, and I was wondering why Lieut. Hopkins did not extend his men, +and was on the point of shouting to him to do so, when the thought came +into my mind that it would be better to leave the company alone, as the +officer knew quite well what he was doing, and would, no doubt, extend +as he got closer to the foot of the hill. + +They had gone about half way between us and the hill, and Lieut. +Hopkins, as he told me afterwards, was just turning round to give the +order to extend, when there was the sudden ping-boom of a solitary rifle +from the top of the kopje, evidently a signal, as it was followed by a +terrible outburst of musketry, somewhat similar to that at Reteif's Nek, +but not so heavy. + +I was watching A company at the time, and it was very curious to notice +how they behaved under this crash of musketry, which spattered the +ground all round them with bullets; at the distance it seemed as though +the whole company staggered and shook like a field of wheat under a +breeze; then instantly the whole were flat on the ground, and they +commenced firing without a moment's hesitation. Evidently the orders +given were prompt and to the point: the fluttering appearance, like a +flock of pigeons just settling down in a field, was caused by the men +moving outwards, some to the front, some to the back, to extend; the +whole business was over in an instant, but it was very pleasant to see +the men so prompt to do what they ought, and so smart in opening fire. + +All this passed in the twinkling of an eye, and then we had other +matters to attend to, in place of looking on; F company, now the leading +one, had already faced the enemy, and were lying down, waiting for +orders; and the remaining companies were soon doing the same, forming +across the veldt at an angle to the road, and, when in position, opening +fire over the heads of A company at the Boers on the sky line at about +1,100 yards range; there was nothing to be seen of the enemy, of course. + +There was terrible confusion in front of us. All I could see was a +confused mass of horses, bullocks, Cape carts and men moving swiftly and +silently, like a great black river, down upon us; in the middle of all +this was a water cart, tearing along with no drivers, and the six mules +going all they knew; there was a mad bullock charging, head down, tail +up, amongst the men, and there were loose horses everywhere. + +It seems the battery had dismounted during the halt, and the men were +lying down when the firing broke out. The Major of the battery was shot +dead at once by the first discharge, and several horses were killed and +wounded; instantly, however, one of the gun detachments unlimbered, +swung the gun round and got off a shot at the Boers; but by this time +there was a regular stampede going on amongst the animals, which were +all rushing back on us to get out of the dreadful fire, and the fearful +noise and echoing of rifle shots, which were incessant. + +In the battery, several men were run over and seriously injured by +bolting wagons, one of the latter travelling several miles before it was +brought back; the team of oxen had swung round with the heavy five inch +gun and had smashed the pole, two bullocks had been killed and several +injured; the escort to the battery were apparently men of the Argyll +and Sutherland Militia, and they lay down and opened fire. + +By this time (and all the foregoing happened in a few seconds), our +companies were all extended across the veldt, stretching away from the +road, and were parallel to and about a thousand yards from the hill +occupied by the enemy, at the skyline of which we were firing. + +It was still dark, but momentarily growing lighter and lighter, and our +men were blazing away steadily, when Captain Ross, the Divisional +Signalling officer, came down with an order from General Hunter for the +Royal Sussex to charge the hill. + +That was all the Royal Sussex were waiting for: the whistle blew, and +the whole line rose to their feet, and rushed wildly across the open +ground, a few bullets dropping in front of us; yelling, cheering and +cursing, and fixing bayonets as they ran, this wild mob kept on until +want of breath necessitated a halt. A moment or two to fill their lungs, +and on they dashed again, until checked by a wire fence, A company well +in front with the start they had got, and young Wadwicz leading the way; +but Cox, of F company, showing us that the reserve man was the best of +all. The enemy's fire had ceased as suddenly as it had begun; some of us +had our hearts in our mouths as, checked for a moment, we clambered over +the barbed wires, dreading momentarily that the Boers were only holding +their fire until we were mixed up in the fencing. + +Not so, however; the fixing of the bayonets and the sudden onslaught of +the long line was too much for their nerves, and they were off; panting +and blowing after our long run of a thousand yards, we saw them when we +reached the summit, going like smoke in the distance, in two directions; +our men did not stop on the summit, but pushed on to gain the next hill. + +There was a valley between, about a thousand yards wide, and, beyond, +the ridge rose in a smooth slope, extending a long way both to the right +and the left; on the left it continued, forking out into two spurs, +which ran outwards, that on the left culminating in a lofty, +round-topped hill, while that on the right continued round in a half +circle. Our party now divided, Major Panton going towards the round hill +on the left with two companies, while the remainder pushed on to the +smooth ridge straight to our front. + +We had opened fire at 800 and 1,000 yards from the top of the hill which +we had charged, on the small parties of the Boers, evidently lagging +behind the others; one of these men was dismounted, and our bullets +hastened his movements considerably, until he disappeared out of sight +over the ridge; and we had then pushed on in the hopes of catching him +and his friends on the other side. One party of the enemy had gone off +towards the round-topped hill on the left, and the horse of one of them, +hit at 900 yards, had collapsed in a cloud of dust, so Major Panton and +his two companies tore after his rider. + +While ascending the ridge in front, orders were received not to go any +further, so we crept up to the top of the hill and lined the crest; the +order was passed along to the companies, now a long way on our left, to +do likewise. + +Then we had leisure to look about us and fill up our ammunition pouches; +it was now about half-past four, and the sun was just thinking of +showing himself above the horizon; behind us, coming over the hill, were +some companies of the Buffs Militia; in front of us was a huge valley, +and beyond, on a small plateau, lay the town of Ventersburg; on our +right, a long way off, perhaps a mile and a half, was a small group of +mounted men and some infantry, with whom signalling communication was +opened, and who proved to be General Bruce Hamilton and his staff and +escort, and some of the Camerons. Information was sent to me that the +Third Cavalry Brigade was in Ventersburg town, right in rear of the +party of the enemy who had fired on us. This news filled us with +amazement; what were they doing there, and why had they not tried to cut +off the fleeing enemy, some of whom had bolted directly towards them? + +In a few minutes up dashed a gun of the 39th Field Battery, under the +gallant old sergeant-major; sharp and rapid were his orders, and quickly +he asked where to place his shells. I pointed out the range of hills to +the left front, right in the eye of the fast rising sun and well away +from the town (which I knew it was useless to shell even if the cavalry +had not been there), and the shrapnel rapidly began to burst along the +circular ridge 3,000 yards in front, searching the reverse slopes. Soon +a message, transmitted from the cavalry in the town, arrived, asking the +gun to stop firing as the shells had dropped near to them; and so our +little fight was all over. Evidently the cavalry were not in the town, +as they had said before--although, if they were outside, their conduct +in not pursuing the enemy was quite inexplicable. + +Our bag was small: three horses, two rifles, and a Boer's hat; but, Lord +knows, we ran hard enough and deserved more success. Our casualties were +_nil_, to my great wonder and thankfulness: how A company escaped was a +marvel, as the ground round them was covered with spirts of dust from +dropping bullets until the advance commenced. + +After a while, leaving a company on the top of the round hill, we +re-formed and moved down towards the General, camping shortly afterwards +close by. + +It seems the Camerons' advanced guard had crossed the drift and reached +the hill, in rear, but a long way to the right, of the enemy's position, +and had seen them in the dim light bolting like hares a long way off, +and had fired a few volleys at 2,500 yards; but the range was too great +and the light too dull to do any good. + +Lieut. Nelson, who was acting as Assistant Provost Marshal on the +General's staff, had had a narrow escape; he was riding towards the +column after the firing began with an order, when he was promptly fired +on by some of our troops, and, notwithstanding his shouts and the waving +of his helmet, the firing did not cease: so he had to bolt without +delivering his message. + +Walking over the scene of action the next day, it was interesting to +place oneself in the Boer positions, and to notice how admirably they +were selected, and what perfect protection from our fire was afforded by +the stone walls from behind which they had opened such a galling fire +upon the column. Their horses were well placed behind the hill, and, +from the traces on the ground, could not have been there more than a few +hours at the most; from twenty-five to thirty men must have been +employed, and these had posted themselves behind the stone walls (old +sheep and cattle kraals), with which the summit of the spur was entirely +covered. + +Their actual positions were revealed by the presence of their cartridge +cases, which showed that four kinds of rifles had been used--Mauser, +Lee-Metford, Martini and Stehr--and the Boers themselves were so +perfectly concealed and so widely distributed that our column might have +remained all day, firing with guns and rifles at the kopje, without +disabling more than one or two of the enemy. + +Apparently the enemy's picket on the hill could not see the Camerons +passing along (it was dark then, and they were well spread out), or else +the Boers intended to devote all their energies to stampeding the +battery and the five inch-gun. + +Going down into the plain, the positions taken up by the men of A +company, when they were suddenly fired upon, were revealed by the little +heaps of cartridge cases, showing that the men had thrown themselves +down from five to ten paces apart, in line, and with another line of men +some little distance in rear, evidently the rear half company. The +number of cases in each pile averaged about twenty or twenty-five, +several men having fired as many as thirty-two; but a weak point was +revealed by the number of unexpended cartridges lying about, as many as +thirty-one in one particular spot. This is accounted for partly by the +rounds falling out of the pouches when they are opened and the men are +lying down; but there is also another reason--the men have a habit, a +natural one too, of drawing out a handful of rounds and laying them on +the ground to be handy for use; and when a sudden advance is made these +rounds are forgotten. As the clip system of loading is pretty sure to be +adopted without delay, there is no reason for harping upon the +disadvantages of our pouches and our custom of single loading. + +There were a number of dead oxen lying about, and two dead horses, one +belonging to Major Hanwell, which had been shot at the same time as that +unfortunate officer, and the other belonging to an officer of General +Hunter's staff; while far away, more than half a mile off, were some +dead mules. + +Major Hanwell was buried the same afternoon in the little cemetery of +the town; he was a smart soldier, and well known in Poona and Bombay. + + + + +CHAPTER XXI. + +BACK TO LINDLEY. + + Ventersburg--Kroonstad--Boer guns captured at Bothaville--Story of + the action--To Lindley--Bad drifts and willing workers--Luxuries + for the garrison--Their doings during October. + + +We remained several days in camp, and on the 1st of November a party was +sent into Ventersburg to burn and destroy some of the houses; they were +wretched little shanties, most of the better class houses in the town +being left untouched. A number of prisoners were taken, and some of the +residents were deported and sent off to the railway in our wagons. + +It was our turn that day to find the pickets, some of which were a +considerable distance away: about dusk it began to rain, and continued +to do so, steadily and without intermission, for thirty-six hours, +during which time we were practically prisoners, as the roads were too +heavy for the wagons to travel. + +We were to have moved at seven o'clock in the morning, but as the +weather showed no prospect of clearing up, the General decided to +remain; our pickets therefore, after a horribly wet night, were not +relieved by the Camerons until about ten o'clock. The men must have had +a wretched time on picket, and looked miserable when they came in, wet +to the skin: however, an issue of rum, which was sanctioned by the +General, was made to them as they arrived, cold and hungry, and soon +everyone was cheery and making the best of it. The trouble was the +cooking, and wretched were the meals the poor fellows had that day: some +of them succeeded in making small fires inside the tents and boiling +their canteens on them, but wood was scarce and wet. + +By our inability to march on the 2nd we lost our chance of travelling +to Kroonstad by rail: three trains were waiting for us at Ventersburg +Road, but, owing to our non-arrival, they were ordered away by Lord +Kitchener, and the result was we had another thirty miles to tramp. + +The rain ceased early on the morning of the 3rd of November, and we were +able to strike our tents (still soaked through), load our wagons with +our sopping blankets, and move off towards the railway: as soon as we +reached the high ground the road was firm enough, but in the +neighbourhood of the camp, owing to the constant traffic and the +trampling of animals, it was nothing but a sea of mud. We reached the +station in good time, and camped, spreading out our blankets to dry +directly we got in. Several trains arrived at the station that afternoon +with supplies and troops on board: these latter were details and drafts +proceeding up country to join their regiments, and among them were about +a dozen of our men who had come up from Bloemfontein, and who eventually +joined us at Kroonstad; they said there were numbers of men of our +battalion still in the Rest Camp at Bloemfontein. + +A day or two later I mentioned this to the General, who wired to the +General at Bloemfontein, asking him to send up all officers and men of +the Royal Sussex; but the latter General replied that he was very sorry +he could not, as the men were urgently required for duty in the town; so +the regiment had to go short-handed, while a lot of fat fellows were +serving in Bloemfontein in the lap of luxury, getting every night in +bed, and, many of them, drawing extra pay as well. There were numbers of +civilian doctors, chaplains of all kinds, young staff officers, _et hoc +genus omne_ who each wanted a servant and a groom, or an orderly, and +who had only to ask at the Rest Camp to get them. + +It was said that General Kelly-Kenny once had a round up of all the +idlers and others in Bloemfontein, and the story goes that quite a large +number of soldiers were found in shops and hotels and bars, dressed in +civilian clothes, and drawing good pay as shopmen and waiters. + +On Sunday the 4th of November we marched out of Ventersburg Road once +more, at half-past six in the morning; it was a charming day, and our +march led us alongside the railway the whole time. All the parties of +Militia guarding the line had been relieved by men of the Coldstream +Guards who were on their way down country, but had been stopped to +relieve the Militia and to furnish one or two new defensive posts near +Holfontein. + +I was sorry to see that the Guards had adopted the felt hat, which no +doubt looks very nice and smart while it is new and retains its jaunty +shape; but, after it has been out in the rain once or twice and the +owner has slept in it on picket, the thing becomes a hideous shapeless +object, a most unsoldierlike head covering, which, to be thoroughly +appreciated at its worst, should be seen when worn in conjunction with a +kilt and a khaki apron, as in the battalions of the Highland Brigade. + +On our way we passed close to the spot where the train had been +destroyed at night when we were at Ventersburg Road: the débris was +still lying about, although, of course, the trucks had been removed. +Most of the contents of the train were Hospital and Ordnance stores, so +the ground was littered with the burnt fragments of iron bedsteads and +other hospital fittings, with camp kettles, canteens, water bottles, +drums which had contained rifle oil and dubbin, and all sorts of other +articles. No trace had been left, of course, of the bales of blankets, +clothing and boots, or of any of the Supply Stores such as biscuit, +beef, etc. + +Halting for the night at Geneva, we reached Kroonstad about half-past +eleven on the 5th of November, and camped on our old spot below Gun +Hill, where we remained no less than four days. + +Volunteers had been called for to serve on the Mounted Infantry, and +sixty of our men sent in their names, showing that the spirit of +enterprise and adventure had not been knocked out of them by the long +marching and the hardships that they had undergone; they went off by +train the same evening to Pretoria, where the new bodies of Mounted +Infantry were being organised. + +All day on the 8th and 9th of November, troops, mostly mounted, had been +coming in from the west, and on the latter date, to the great delight of +everyone, eight of the enemy's guns were brought in and parked in the +market square, together with a large number of prisoners, who were +handed over to a guard of the troops in garrison. These were the outcome +of a most successful surprise of a Boer commando carried out near +Bothaville on the 6th of November. + +The guns were a varied lot: there was a 12pr. belonging to U battery and +lost by them at Sanna's Post, many months before; there was a 15pr. +which had belonged to the 14th Field Battery; two Krupp 9prs. in +splendid condition; a Vickers-Maxim, or pom-pom; a one-pounder +quick-firing Krupp, a Maxim with a portable tripod stand, and a large +quantity of ammunition. + +The successful capture of all these guns, prisoners, ammunition and +wagons was largely due to our old friend, Major Lean, of the 5th M.I., +and after a good deal of questioning (for, like all good soldiers, he +was reluctant to talk about his own achievements), the story of the +fight was extracted from him. + +It seems that Le Gallais' force of Mounted troops, mostly Mounted +Infantry, with U Battery, R.H.A., were near Bothaville, when +intelligence was received of the presence of a Boer laager in the +neighbourhood; so Major Lean with a few men of his own corps, all +dismounted, went out one night to reconnoitre. They had to ford the +river, the water reaching up to their waists, and then went on for some +distance, until Major Lean observed some horses hobbled close to them: +thinking this very curious, he went on a little further, and then saw, +behind an ant heap, what looked like the head and shoulders of a man: +without an instant's hesitation he dashed forward and yelled to the man, +"Hands up!" + +To his astonishment several other men rose and put up their hands, and +he discovered that he had inadvertently held up an entire Boer picket. +Handing over the prisoners to his men, he and his party went on +cautiously, and on coming to the summit of a rise in the ground saw the +whole Boer laager at their feet. The party was discovered, and a heavy +fire opened on them at once; but the thirty men of the Mounted Infantry +spread out under cover, and devoted themselves to preventing the Boers +from inspanning their oxen into the guns and wagons. Word had been sent +back to Colonel Le Gallais, who came up rapidly and joined in, U battery +opening fire on the Boer guns at a range of 400 yards, but from the +other side of a ridge, firing by indirect laying. The Boers answered the +fire from their guns, and an artillery duel was in progress for some +little time. A message had been sent back to General Knox, who, however, +was out of reach, and also to Colonel De Lisle, who was some eight miles +away; and the latter with his men came up rapidly, travelling the whole +distance without drawing rein. They moved so as to envelope the flanks, +but on their approach the enemy fled, leaving a large number of killed +and wounded, and a considerable number of prisoners (114 in all), +twenty-eight of whom were dressed in the blue uniform of the Staats +Artillerie. + +Unfortunately our loss had been severe, the gallant and dashing Le +Gallais, Lieut.-Colonel Ross of the Durham Light Infantry, and two other +officers having been mortally wounded, and seven officers severely +wounded, while eight men were killed, and twenty-six wounded; but the +success was great, and the rout of the Boers complete. They left the +whole of their guns, wagons and Cape carts, and fled on their horses, +some not even waiting to saddle up first. The prisoners said that De Wet +and Steyn had both been with the laager, but that they had fled directly +the firing commenced. + +There is no false pride in the Boer commandants, nor any ridiculous +notions about sticking to the ship and remaining with their comrades, +who follow them so faithfully. Steyn possibly thought that it was time +to move the seat of Government to some other place, Hoopstad for +instance--probably the only town in the Free State which has not at some +time or other been honoured with the designation of the capital of the +Free State. + +General Knox returned with the troops to Kroonstad soon afterwards, and +received many congratulations on his success; at this time there were no +less than four Generals in the town--General Knox, General Charles Knox, +General Bruce Hamilton and Lieut.-General Kelly-Kenny, who was passing +through on his way to Natal, and was just in time to see the captured +guns. + +It had been at one time rumoured that De Wet was waiting in the +neighbourhood with the intention of making a dash at our convoy, while +on its way to Lindley; and it was known that many Boers had been seen +travelling north, while De Wet himself had been hanging about on the +west of the railway. This disaster to his force and the loss of all the +guns he had, not to mention his wagons and ammunition, completely upset +his little plan, and spoilt our prospects of a fight. + +We had been counting upon this, and had even settled that De Wet was to +attack us as we passed over Doornkloof; but now there was no chance, +unless the enemy round Lindley were to concentrate and give us a show +before we reached that town. + +The mail arrived just before we left, and we saw in the Gazette that +Lieut. Hopkins had been promoted Captain in the Manchester Regiment in +recognition of his gallantry at Retief's Nek, when he and two men were +recommended for the Victoria Cross. Lieut. Hopkins was now the youngest +Captain in the army, as he had hardly completed two years' service. + +We left Kroonstad early on the morning of the 10th of November, and +moved over to the other side of the drift to the north of the town, +about a couple of miles away, where we concentrated. + +The convoy, a large one as usual, of about 200 wagons, was waiting for +us; the column of troops was not a very large one, consisting only of +the Camerons and ourselves: but we had a considerable number of mounted +men under Lieut.-Colonel Rimington, besides three guns of the 39th Field +Battery, under Captain Brock, and one pom-pom; the Colonial Division was +to follow us up as soon as they arrived at Kroonstad. + +We camped at night at our old spot, Welgevrede, where H company took the +opportunity to erect a fence round and to turf over the grave of Private +Shutton, who was killed on the last occasion of our coming this way. + +The column moved the next morning at five o'clock, our half battalion +with a gun and some Yeomanry being rear guard; there was a long halt +just before reaching Doornkloof, while the mounted troops searched the +surrounding country: and then the convoy and the baggage were passed +over and parked on the open ground on the other side of the kloof. +Remembering how our rear guard had been sniped when passing through once +before, we took special precautions this time, keeping the pickets out +until the convoy had moved again, and giving the latter a good start +before our last company left the top of the kopje. Not a Boer was to be +seen, so we trekked on in peace, and camped once more at Quaggafontein, +leaving that place at five o'clock the next morning. There were three +bad drifts to cross on the way, and at one of them we had some hours' +hard work. We were advanced guard, and seeing how impassable in its then +state the drift was, our companies were set to work in reliefs making a +roadway across the mud and slush. There was a broken-down wagon at the +drift, the bottom of which we utilised, to the horror of Major Cardew, +the Brigade Transport Officer, filling in the space with stones and +earth. The Camerons came up soon, and some of them were told off to +bring more stones so as to make a solid roadway; yet in places the +terribly heavy, narrow-wheeled wagons sank to their axles each time, and +there was hard work getting them over, what with the bad driving of the +natives and the half wild state of the bullocks. + +It was wonderful how the men worked, and how willing they all were to do +their utmost to help matters on; there was no shirking or loafing about, +but real solid work going on. Of course, we all knew that the sooner the +job was got through and the wagons across, the earlier we would get into +camp; but, apart from that, the willing cheerfulness to follow the lead +of their officers has always been a prominent characteristic of Sussex +men. + +While we were busy, the Colonial Division overtook us and passed to the +front; they were only a small force, composed of the Cape Mounted +Riflemen and their four gun battery, but they were a fine smart lot of +men, looking splendid soldiers. + +We had a rest of an hour or so while the convoy was being got over, and +started again about mid-day. Alongside the road ran the field telegraph +wire, which had been dismantled for miles by the Boers, the wire being +carried off and the poles broken; with an eye to their camp fires, the +men soon began to pick up these poles and carry them along with them, so +that we reached camp more like a regiment of dismounted Lancers than +tired-out infantry: Birnam Wood coming to Dunsinane was nothing to it! + +Before reaching camp at Palmeitfontein we saw troops on the sky-line, +and eventually found that they were two companies of our other half +battalion, two of the Bedfords, and a gun, the whole under +Lieut.-Colonel Donne, who had come out to meet us in case of any +opposition among the hills between Quaggafontein and Lindley; there were +some Boers about, but a few shots from the pom-pom made them scurry off. + +The convoy got under weigh the next morning, at earliest dawn, and +trekked the six miles which separated us from the town; and the troops +followed a few hours later. Having got permission from the General, I +rode on ahead to make arrangements about opening the Brigade Canteen as +early as possible; the garrison of Lindley were very badly off for +luxuries such as milk, jam and the like, and there had not been a box of +matches or a bit of soap in the town for many days. Having secured five +wagons at Kroonstad, by the good nature of Captain Atcherly, of the +Divisional Staff, and other officers, it had been possible to load these +up and bring them along with us for the beleaguered garrison, starving +for cigarettes. A house had been secured and fitted up as a shop on our +last visit to Lindley, the pioneer sergeant having painted the words, +"Canteen, 21st Brigade," in enormous letters over the roof on both +sides; they will remain for years as a memorial of our visit. Here the +five wagons were off-loaded, the contents stacked inside the shop, and +sold in limited quantities all that day and all the next day to the long +queue of men at the door, patiently waiting their turn to get inside. +About £1,500 worth had been bought in Kroonstad, the traders this time, +all smiles and bows, tumbling over each other and quoting lower and +lower prices each day, in their eagerness to sell. Of this lot, quite +£1,000 worth was sold in three days--of course only to soldiers. + +Pay had been issued to our men and to the Camerons, so they all had lots +of money to spend: having managed to secure a safe in Bothaville, +advantage had been taken of the opportunity to bring out in it £1,000 in +gold for the use of the half battalion which had remained in Lindley. + +So now the whole battalion was together again, and we had a great deal +to talk about, and plenty of news to give: the departure of the +Volunteer company, the capture of the eight guns and the death of Le +Gallais, and our own adventures during the time we had been away, +forming topics of conversation for a long while. We had gone off for a +seven days' trek, and had returned at the end of six weeks; we had been +constantly on the move, we had been on six occasions under fire, and we +had marched 278 miles. + +The story of the garrison of Lindley showed that they must have had a +somewhat anxious time during our absence--ever on the look out, and +entirely ignorant of what was going on in the Orange River Colony, or of +what had become of the rest of the battalion and the Brigade. + +When General Bruce Hamilton marched out of Lindley, on the 4th of +October, he left Lieut.-Colonel Donne in command of the place, with the +following troops in addition to B, C, D and E companies of our +battalion: + + Driscoll's Scouts, 70 men, under Captain Driscoll, + + Three guns, 39th Battery, R.F.A., under Lieut. Maturin, + + Half Battalion Bedford Regiment, under Major Hammond, + + Half Battalion Cameron Highlanders, under Major Malcolm, + +and that most comforting and reassuring weapon, the Five-Inch Gun, under +Captain Massie, R.G.A. This gun, which has a range for shrapnel of 7,500 +yards and for Lyddite shell of 10,500, was ensconced in a gun pit on a +hill about 2 miles south of the town, from which it could, and did, +dominate the country for miles round, and formed a moral and tangible +support to reconnoitring, wood and foraging parties, who always knew +that they had behind them this friend in need, at the sound of whose +report even Boers would vanish like smoke. + +On the 5th the garrison was reinforced by the arrival of about thirty +men of the 7th M.I., under Captain Lloyd of the Lincolnshire Regiment, +and about fifteen men of Brabant's Horse, under Lieut. Inglis. + +Captain Garner, of Brabant's Horse, acted as Landrost, and Captain +Green, who had lately resigned the Adjutantcy of the battalion, acted as +Staff Officer during the period of Colonel Donne's command. + +The garrison settled down to a quiet existence; an Amusement Committee +had been formed, and various kinds of games were arranged for: football, +hockey, golf and tennis were all engaged in as far as the rather limited +supply of appliances at hand would allow. + +The chief elements of excitement were found in the weekly wood parties; +to get wood to any extent, it was necessary to go out to Groenvlei, or +Green Valley, about 5 miles to the north-east. This farm was a regular +oasis in the desert; it was in a pretty little valley, well wooded, +through which a running stream, quite unlike the conventional spruit, +wandered between old willows. Its situation, however, surrounded as it +was by hills, made it a rather dangerous trap, and latterly most +elaborate precautions had to be taken to ensure the safety of the wood +parties: one or two other sources were tried for the wood supply, but +other farms could furnish only two or three days' allowance, whereas +Groenvlei was practically inexhaustible. + +An occasional foray was made in a south-westerly direction to bring in +mealies; these expeditions, and indeed all movements of troops outside +the picket lines, brought to light small parties of Boers, who fired a +large amount of ammunition to very little purpose--the only casualty +being one man of Driscoll's Scouts, who was wounded on a wood party on +November the 8th. + +On October the 12th, 80 oxen were carried off by the enemy from in front +of No. 1 north picket; the Boers fired on the native boys, who promptly +bolted, and the enemy drove off the cattle before the picket could move +out to the rescue. The scarcity of grass, and the large number of oxen +left behind with the convoy, made the grazing of the cattle a very +difficult question. However, stringent orders were given that the cattle +were not to be allowed more than 800 yards outside the picket lines. +Mounted men were also detailed daily to be under the orders of several +of the picket commanders, to help the niggers with the cattle if +necessary. + +Yet in spite of these precautions another successful raid was made on +the cattle in front of No. 1 south picket on October the 28th, and 150 +head were carried off; in this case the boys and conductors were held to +blame, and were severely dealt with by the Commandant. + +From the 10th of October to the 8th of November native runners were sent +off weekly to Kroonstad with reports to the Officer commanding there, +but only two got through; two were known to have been captured by the +enemy, and the remainder returned, generally after having been out a day +and a night, declaring that they were unable to get past the Boer +patrols. On the other hand, several native runners succeeded in reaching +Lindley from Kroonstad; and returned there safely. + +On the 5th of November orders were received from Lord Roberts to vacate +the town, the troops to proceed to Kroonstad; but these orders were +cancelled by others received three hours later, a second lot of runners +having come through from Kroonstad in the one night, whereas the bearers +of the previous despatch had been upwards of 48 hours on the road. +Fortunately the second set of instructions were received before anything +had been done in the matter. + +On the 5th of November the Supply officer reported that he had +sufficient rations to last the garrison at full issues until the 15th; +but as no information had been received as to the probable date of the +General's return, it was considered advisable to put the troops on +three-quarter rations. + +On the 10th, runners arrived from Kroonstad with information that +General Bruce Hamilton would leave that day with a convoy, expecting to +arrive at Lindley on the 13th, and with orders for Colonel Donne to move +out on the 11th in the direction of Palmeitfontein, in order to lend the +convoy assistance if required. The two forces accordingly met, as has +before been said, and marched back to the town without incident. + + + + +CHAPTER XXII. + +IN GARRISON. + + A fruitless expedition--The Brigade goes off--The Volunteers with + them--The garrison--Residents--Defences--Communications--A + prisoner--A night attack--A complimentary order--No soap--Cordite + spills--A trap that failed. + + +On the 15th of November the General made a dash from Lindley at a Boer +laager, which was supposed to be about 7 miles out on the Reitz road, on +the other side of a huge kopje easily visible at a considerable +distance. + +B, C, D, E, and G companies of our battalion were engaged in the +operation: we paraded at half past two in the morning, and, with half a +battalion of the Camerons, two companies of the Bedfords, two guns, a +pom-pom and Rimington's mounted troops, moved cautiously forward and +occupied the hill about dawn--only to find the birds flown, and no signs +of their nest. It was particularly disappointing to us, as we were the +leading troops in the column, and were in hopes of being able to follow +the example of Major Lean's little force at Bothaville; but the enemy +had gone the night before, having got wind of our intentions. We +remained a few hours on the top of the large kopje, while the cavalry +reconnoitred out in front; there were a few scattered Boers about, but +not many. We marched back to the town about mid-day, pretty well tired +out; not with the distance, which was only 14 or 15 miles, but with want +of sleep--for we had been nearly eleven hours on our feet. + +The next morning the General and the Brigade went off, leaving us in +sole possession of that important town, and trade centre, Lindley: once, +but only for a short time during a somewhat hurried visit paid by Mr. +Steyn, the capital of the Free State. Unfortunately for the town, Mr. +Steyn's business was of such a peculiar character that he was compelled +to transfer the seat of Government to other and less important places +than Lindley. + +With the Brigade went Captain Hopkins, who, to the loss of the Royal +Sussex, was proceeding to join his new regiment. Our two young aspirants +for fame on the staff, Lieut. Villiers and Lieut. Nelson, also went off, +and with them the remainder of the Volunteer company, to whom the +following farewell order was issued by the Colonel. + + Extract from Battalion Orders, 16th of Nov., 1900. + +"In bidding farewell to Lieut. D'Olier and the Volunteer company of the +Royal Sussex Regiment, Lieut.-Colonel Donne wishes to express the +feelings of all ranks in the First Battalion at losing such good +comrades in many a long march and hard fought action. They will go home +to Sussex carrying with them the proudest insignia of this campaign--the +memories of Welkom Farm, Zand River, Doornkop, Capture of Johannesburg, +Capture of Pretoria, and the hard fought battle of Diamond Hill on the +11th and 12th of June; the subsequent march south to Heidelburg and +Bethlehem, the operations in the Caledon Valley, the brilliant action at +Retief's Nek, and the surrender of the Boer forces at Golden Gate--these +are records they can well consider as second to none of the Volunteer +companies in South Africa. + +"But these marches and victories have not been achieved without grievous +losses to mourn. Their best of leaders and bravest of men--Sir Walter +Barttelot--fell gallantly leading them to the attack on Retief's Nek. +His sterling worth as a soldier will live long in the records of the +regiment. He gloried in fighting for his country, and his death at the +head of his Volunteer company will serve not only as a pathetic incident +in the campaign, but as an illustrious example for all time to the +Volunteers of Sussex; it will knit more firmly together in the bond of +_esprit de corps_ all the battalions of the Royal Sussex as one great +county regiment. + +"Whilst the path of the Volunteer company is towards home, that of the +First Battalion is outward bound, far out into the British Empire for +many a long year; but we shall never forget the comradeship which has +been cemented on the fields of South Africa in 1900. All Sussex will +welcome her citizen soldiers who have shared our hardships, and added +fresh glory to our old flags, which will shortly find their resting +place in the County Cathedral. We wish them a speedy and safe return +home after work so well accomplished. We wish them the hearty reception +that we know awaits them in the old country, and long life to enjoy the +honour of having served in this memorable campaign." + +The garrison left in Lindley on the departure of the Brigade comprised +our battalion, two companies of the Bedfords under Captain Rowe, two +guns of the 39th Field Battery under Lieut. Harrison, the Five-Inch gun, +two companies of the 15th Battalion of Yeomanry under Lieut. +Shepherd-Crosse, and a few of Brabant's Horse under Lieut. Friedlander. +Lieut. Lloyd, the Supply Officer, had gone with the Brigade, but had +left his Sergeant-Major behind with an enormous mountain of stores of +all sorts, as we were rationed up to the 15th of the next month, +January. Lieut. Goodman had been left also to look after the transport: +the hospital and medical arrangements were supervised by Major Ritchie, +of the R.A.M.C., who had been some time in Lindley, and who had under +him Civil Surgeons Barr and Twigg, Captain Knapp, the medical officer of +the Cape Mounted Riflemen, and Lieut. Duncan of the R.A.M.C. There were +a good many men in hospital belonging to various corps, and the large +church in the centre of the market square, which from the first had been +used as a hospital, was nearly full; there had been one or two deaths +from enteric. + +There were a few civilians in the town: it seems the Boers allowed each +business house in the towns to leave either the owner or the manager in +charge, all the other assistants having either to go on commando or to +pay a heavy fine. Of course those of them who were British subjects +cleared out altogether; but the unfortunate owner of the shop, if he was +in possession of burgher rights, gained by long residence in the +country, was in rather a fix, and saw every prospect of losing his money +either way. One of the merchants in Heilbron provided a case in point: +he was an Englishman with burgher rights, and, when war was looming in +the distance, he went to Cape Colony, leaving his manager in charge of +the store. The Boers under their rule exempted the manager from service, +but sent the owner a notice to turn out and join his commando; no notice +being taken of this by the man, a fine of £500 was inflicted, which the +unfortunate trader had to pay, and did pay, because if he had not done +so the Boers would have distrained on the goods in his shop, and would +have probably taken several times the amount of the fine. + +There was a branch of the National Bank in Lindley, and the manager and +a clerk had remained throughout all the troubles, and the various +occupations and evacuations by our troops and the Boers: the Boers +always respected the Bank, and gave no annoyance whatever. + +Several families of doubtful loyalty had been removed by General Bruce +Hamilton, and taken away with the Brigade; their property in Lindley was +respected, however, in view of their return. One or two of those who +were left made themselves useful to us and added to their own income by +making up the men's rations of flour into loaves. It will hardly be +believed that the greater part of our bread ration was flour only, while +at Kroonstad thousands of boxes of biscuits were being used to form +houses for the supply subordinates to live in. + +The town and the vicinity were in a filthy state after so many mounted +troops, cattle and horses had been quartered there; but after a while it +was gradually cleared up, and the carcases of the dead bullocks and +mules left behind by the Brigade dragged away or buried. The river was a +disgusting sight, with dead bullocks strewn about from one end to the +other, half in the water: still some men did not mind, but bathed +frequently in the deeper pools. + +From its situation, in a hollow, surrounded by extensive hills, the town +needed a good many pickets to adequately protect it; there were three +permanent posts to the north and four to the south, each consisting of +an entire company, and some furnishing subsidiary posts in the +neighbourhood, on roads or prominent spurs. Each post was well defended, +and in some a reserve of rations and water sufficient for three days' +consumption was stored; there was, it need hardly be said, extra +ammunition kept by each, and all were defended by earthworks or stone +sangars on prominent points, the tents being pitched in each case so as +to be out of the line of fire, should the enemy take it into his head to +snipe at long range at the pickets. + +The remaining three companies of the infantry were quartered on the +three sides of the town to act as a reserve, and also as a second line +of defence, should the Boers penetrate the picket line and rush into the +town. The pickets were relieved every ten days or so, and their +positions changed, as the sentry work at some was harder than at +others. The men were allowed into the town to go to the Canteen or the +Soldiers' Club during the afternoon; it was quite 40 minutes' walk to +some of the pickets, so that most of the men usually remained at home. + +The two guns of the battery were quartered on the outskirts of the town, +but the five inch gun was kept in its gun pit on No. 2 picket to the +south, where it dominated a very large tract of country. On one occasion +it was taken at night to the opposite picket, about 4 miles away, whence +it very much astonished some Boers who were wandering about in front at +a distance of no less than 6 miles. + +The Yeomanry and a few men of Brabant's Scouts were utilised to furnish +a picket by day on the top of Tafelburg, a high square-crowned kopje, +about 3 miles to the north-west, from which an extensive view could be +obtained; and a couple of mounted men were kept by day at some of the +pickets, in case of necessity, to carry messages or go after suspicious +passers-by. All the pickets were in signalling communication with each +other and with headquarters in the town; sometimes helio messages were +received from Bethlehem, about 35 miles to the south-east, whose +garrison was apparently similarly situated to ourselves; and +occasionally, at long intervals, a runner arrived from Kroonstad with +microscopic messages--usually containing news, unimportant to us at all +events, such as the state of the Czar's health, but very little +information as to how things were going on with regard to our move to +India, about which we were most concerned. + +Occasionally a few of the mounted men would go out at night, and +surround a farm or two in hopes of catching a few Boers who might be +indulging in the unwonted luxury of a night's rest in a bed; but only +once did they meet with any success, and then they caught a solitary +Boer who gave us a deal of trouble to look after. Lieut. Harden and +Lieut. Montgomerie had the honour of catching this sportsman, who seemed +to have been a fighting Boer from the yarns he told with regard to the +fights in which he had taken part; but most of his stories had to be +taken _cum grano salis_. + +On the 3rd of December, however, the Boers treated us to an alarm about +half-past nine at night: they crawled up a donga which ended in a short +outcrop of rocks within four hundred yards of one of the detached posts +then occupied by B company. The rocks afforded splendid natural cover in +capital positions for firing from, and the Boers, about a dozen of them, +opened a smart fire at the eight men occupying the small defensive work, +who, nothing loath, replied with vigour, blazing away at the flashes of +the enemy's rifles. One Boer must have been hit, as some blood was found +on the grass the next day. The enemy fired about 500 rounds, judging +from the cartridge cases lying in little heaps behind the rocks, and our +men got rid of about the same number. One or two of the Boers had the +impertinence (it was nothing less!) to try and stalk the picket by +dodging up towards them from post to post of a line of fencing which ran +in their direction; but, coming to a gap where one or two posts were +missing, their hearts failed them, and they went no further. None of our +men were hit, but the stone loopholes and the parapet of the post were +splashed with bullet marks in five or six places. + +Firing commenced also against Captain Aldridge's picket, about a mile +further off, where bullets came plunging through the tents, to the +astonishment of the men there. These, however, quickly dropped into +their places in the various sangars, and replied briskly to the enemy's +fire, which, as could be seen by the flashes, was coming from a ridge +over 2,000 yards away. After half-an-hour or so the firing dropped on +both sides. + +The remainder of us had, of course, turned out at once and got into our +various positions. About half-past ten, everything being quiet, we +turned into bed again. In a few minutes there was a furious clatter of +about a dozen shots fired rapidly from the north-east, and later, two +more outbursts of firing from the north; and as none of our pickets on +that side had fired, we concluded the Boers were ending the evening's +amusement by firing at each other, an original idea, and one that we +hoped they would regularly carry out--if possible, without causing us to +turn out also in the dark. We never heard the cause of this firing, and +the only possible solution was that two parties of Boers must have met +in the dark. There was, however, a very good reason for the sudden +firing on the pickets to the east and north-east, as we found in the +morning, when Swannepool, a loyal farmer living to the north-west of the +town and some miles away, arrived in a furious passion, swearing +vengeance against all and every Boer; and, when he had cooled down +somewhat, announced that some Boers had held him up in the night, and +had driven off all his stock, his cows, his bullocks and horses, and had +taken away his Cape cart. _Hinc illae lachrymae_, he said, and we +sympathised with him. + +The few men of B company on the detached post were in a nasty corner for +some time, and fully deserved the complimentary remarks which the +Colonel made the next day, and which were published in battalion orders. +They were as follows:-- + + Extract from Battalion Orders, 6th of December, 1900-- + +"The Commanding Officer wishes to express to Lance-Sergeant Ockelford +and the eight men who defended the outpost of No. 1 picket, South, on +the night of the 3rd of December, his approbation of their soldierly +conduct in defending a small breastwork against a superior force of the +enemy. + +"An incident of this sort shows what a few men can do who are determined +to hold their own, and the Commanding Officer has made a report of their +creditable conduct to the General Officer commanding at Bloemfontein." + +Our humdrum existence continued now for some little time, our days +commencing by standing to arms at dawn (which was pretty early, usually +between three and four o'clock), and concluding by our going to bed +about eight o'clock in the evening. Almost every day there were cricket +matches, and there were _al fresco_ concerts three times a week. Beyond +this mild form of entertainment, it cannot be said that we lived in an +exciting whirl of constant pleasures. + +Soap was at a premium; there was not a scrap to be had anywhere. All +that the Brigade Canteen had brought had been commandeered by the Supply +people for the use of the hospital, and, beyond a meagre issue of one +ounce a man, the troops had had none for nearly two months. Matches were +also conspicuous by their absence. The soldier is always a large +consumer of this article, and spends a good deal of his time daily in +striking matches and lighting his pipe; he was not, however, to be +defeated by the absence of matches: some ingenious man had discovered +that the thin sticks of cordite out of the cartridges made an excellent +spill for lighting cigarettes or pipes at the fire, and, until the +practice was peremptorily stopped, it became quite a fashionable +pursuit. + +Some of the Boers must have developed quite an affection for Captain +Aldridge's picket, because, on the 8th of December, they fired a few +shots about half-past nine in the morning at the men of the picket +employed in repairing their sangars. To this fire E company disdained +even to reply, and the disgusted Boers, finding their overtures received +with apathy, rode off, six of them being observed passing through a gap +in the hills quite 2,500 yards away. + +On the night of the 9th, some of the mounted troops went out to lay a +trap for a Boer picket which was in the habit of coming to a kraal, +about three miles to the north and in full view of our pickets on that +side; and a field gun was sent out early next morning to No. 2 picket to +cover their retirement, if required. + +The little plan failed, owing to the too eager and inexperienced Yeomen +showing themselves just as the birds were entering the trap. There was a +certain amount of shooting, however, as towards breakfast time our men +withdrew; but it was all long range firing, which seldom harms anyone. + +In front of the picket where the gun was posted was a splendid expanse +of open country, with an occasional small kopje; and the whole panorama +was backed by a range of hills, which limited the view to about five +miles. Over this country were a few groups of Boers dotted, moving about +aimlessly. One small party riding towards a donga, whence possibly they +might have attempted to annoy our Yeomanry, were fired at by our gun at +4,500 yards: the shell sang through the still air and burst with a +"ping" some hundreds of yards short. With one accord the four or five +Boers mounted and spurred vigorously away, nor did they draw rein so +long as they remained in sight. + +(_End of Colonel du Moulin's manuscript._) + + + + +CHAPTER XXIII. + +THE RAISING OF THE MOUNTED COLUMN. + + Evacuation of Lindley--Regiment split up--Major du Moulin's + detachment--Men mounted at Bethulie--On convoy--The chase of De + Wet--Strydenburg--Colesberg--Edenburg--A vast convoy-- + Bloemfontein--Smithfield--Action at Commissie Bridge--the + Fighting Column--Raw Yeomen--Deep Dene Drift--Jammersberg + Bridge--Springfontein. + + +The wearisome stay of the Regiment in Lindley came to an end in January, +1901. On the 13th of that month the filling in of the entrenchments was +begun, and orders to evacuate the town were finally received on the +afternoon of the 20th. The piquets were sent out as usual, but by 9 p.m. +the town was cleared, and the force (consisting of the Royal Sussex, two +companies of the Bedfords, and Col. Munro's column) started for +Kroonstad. There was great confusion at the drift outside the town, +several lines of wagons converging on it in the dark; and by dawn only 3 +miles had been made. The secret, however, had been very well kept, and +the Boers had no inkling of the departure of the troops until well on +into the morning of the 21st. They then harassed the rear, but made no +other use of their considerable numbers, and the force reached Kroonstad +practically without incident. + +Here the regiment was split up, and B, E, and H companies were sent up +the railway to Heilbron. From Heilbron they trekked to Frankfort and +back with Col. Williams' Column, assisting in the evacuation of that +place; and they then railed with Head Quarters down to Norval's Pont, +where the railway from Cape Town crosses the Orange River, and enters +the Orange River Colony. They relieved the Essex Regiment there, taking +over the piquets on the hills north of the river; subsequently +detachments were sent to Donkerpoort, and to Providence Siding, further +up the line. + +On June 3rd these Companies were relieved by Militia, and sent to join +various columns, all men who would ride ultimately reaching the Sussex +column. Head Quarters remained at Norval's Pont till July, when they +were moved, first to Springfontein, and then (December 6th) to Bethulie, +on the Port Elizabeth line. Col. Donne had previously gone to Kroonstad +as Commandant of that place. + +To return to January, 1901--A, C, D, F, and G companies entrained at +Kroonstad on the 25th of that month, under Major du Moulin, for +Ventersburg Road; and from there they moved out as escort to an ox +convoy on the evening of the 27th. The weather was appalling--very heavy +rain lit by vivid flashes of lightning, that showed men and oxen in a +sea of mud. Progress soon became impossible, and the column halted, +waiting where it stood for dawn. The crossing of Zand River on the 29th +gave great trouble, the huge convoy taking fifteen hours to complete it. +Smaldeel was reached on the 30th, and there the convoy was left, the +five companies entraining for Bethulie, where a great concentration was +taking place in view of De Wet's intended raid into Cape Colony. On +reaching Bethulie, the kit was reduced to one blanket and one waterproof +sheet per man, great-coats and tents being returned to store. + +A bad railway accident involving several trains took place here on the +1st of February. The Sussex men turned out, and cleared the line after +the greatest exertions. Trucks had to be broken up, and great pieces of +them dragged out of the railway cutting by main force. + +Want of mounted men was being most keenly felt at this time, and General +Lyttleton (who was at Bethulie) suggested that the Regiment might +provide the mounted escort required for a convoy. The idea was +enthusiastically taken up; many more men volunteered than could be +mounted. By the 7th of February an M.I. Company of 120 men had been +organised under Lieut. Harden and 2nd Lieut. Leachman; and in addition +to these, a number of men of C, D and F companies were mounted, and left +under their own officers. + +The scenes that ensued during the two or three days, which were all that +could be allowed for training, had their humorous side. Many of the men +had never had anything to do with a horse before, and hardly knew one +end of it from the other. However, they stuck to their mounts nobly--as +long as they could. On one of the first treks, an officer, coming under +the eye of the authorities, and wishing to show off the accomplishments +of his men, gave the command "Trot!" The result was a surprise to all +parties. With a thundering of hoofs, a mob of galloping horsemen swept +past the officer, scattered the authorities, and disappeared in clouds +of dust. They knew how to start their horses--but had not yet learned +the art of stopping them. + +Great difficulty was experienced in getting saddlery. This had to be +obtained locally, and the stuff in the town turned out to be mere +rubbish. Some more serviceable equipment was got from the Mounted +Infantry, but, when the detachment moved out on February 9th in charge +of a convoy, many of the men were using blankets as saddles, and looped +putties as stirrups. + +The horses supplied were also very indifferent. A large proportion had +been cast by the columns for sore backs and wrung withers, from which +they had hardly recovered. However, all obstacles were surmounted, and +the convoy, consisting of some 300 ox wagons, crossed the main line at +Prior's siding on the 10th of February, and reached Philippolis on the +11th, after marching that day 24 miles. + +The total strength of the detachment under Major du Moulin at this time +was 12 officers and 558 rank and file. This included two companies of +the Royal Irish Rifles, which were attached. + +Striking down into the Colony, two days were taken up in crossing the +Orange River at Sand Drift, where many columns had collected, the river +being in flood. The water on the Drift was five feet deep in places, so +that the wagons were awash. The bottom was sandy, and the track had +constantly to be changed. A steep bank of heavy sand on the south side +added to the difficulties. The constant rain at this time was very +trying to the troops; the roads were knee-deep in slush, the camps +became marshes, and, as there were no tents, wet blankets were the order +of the day. + +By the 17th the line was again reached at De Aar. Here more men were +mounted, Lieut. Ashworth having brought up a further instalment of +saddlery, and on the next day a start was made with a full convoy for +Britstown, to the west of the railway line. + +At this time De Wet had crossed the Orange River with his raiders, had +reached Britstown, and had been headed off to the west in the +Strydenburg direction. A large number of columns had been thrown into +the Colony to deal with him, and the convoy under Major du Moulin was to +serve the Northern section of these. It reached Britstown on the 20th, +after some fighting; for it was actually ahead of the columns, and the +Boers only evacuated the town as the convoy came up. + +An average trek of 20 miles a day brought the convoy to Strydenburg (by +way of Prieska) on the 23rd of February, hot on the trail of the Boers, +whose recent camps were found at farms along the road. Maxwell's column +was already in the town, and Munro's arrived with the convoy. Bethune's +column was in rear. De Wet, who could not recross the Orange River on +account of the floods, lost on this day a 15 pr., a pom-pom and 100 men, +captured by Plumer.--The return journey of the convoy to Paau Pan, on +the railway, was completed on the 26th. + +The long marches to and from Strydenburg were wearisome and hot. Day +after day the convoy plodded on, while the Karoo country stretched all +round, brown, dusty, waterless, and quite flat. There was little sign of +life--a few sheep, perhaps, a few ostriches, and a very occasional farm. +The scrubby bush was most trying to the horses' legs. A "pan" here and +there promised relief to the thirsty men and beasts, but the water as +often as not turned out to be salt. + +De Wet managed to cross the River on the 28th of February, and the +column's next piece of convoy work consisted in taking 100 ox wagons and +19 mule wagons from Orange River Station to Colesberg, a distance of 100 +miles. This was done in the remarkably quick time of six days, making an +average of 17 miles a day in spite of bad weather. As 2½ miles an hour +is fast for an ox wagon, this entailed eight hours a day actually on the +move. The convoy reached Colesberg on the 8th of March, after a trek +that formed a delightful contrast to the preceding one. The road led +through a green and smiling country, lying among its hills by the Orange +River. It was the season of fruit, and there was a great abundance of +all kinds. Colesberg itself was a pleasant and friendly town, behind +which rose the towering sides of Coles Kop. It seemed impossible that a +gun should have been taken to its summit, but the feat had been +accomplished, and the gun was there. A signal station on the top +maintained helio communication within a radius of 30 or 40 miles, and +exchanged occasional messages at 70 miles or more. + +On the 10th of March the force under Major du Moulin started by rail for +Edenburg. The men were not yet very skilled at entraining horses, and +one company omitted to look to the bolts of the door on the far side of +its truck. A few miles from Colesberg, a telegram overtook the train to +say that horses were dropping out. The side of the truck had swung open, +the train was going slow, and, looking back, three or four horses could +be seen careering about the veldt. The door was quickly secured, and the +train went on. + +Soon after passing Norval's Pont, the train again came to a standstill. +A swarm of locusts was on the rails, and the wheels of the engine could +get no grip. The men had to turn out, and throw sand in front of the +engine till the swarm was passed. + +The country south of Dewetsdorp and east of Edenburg is intersected by a +series of long ridges from two to five hundred feet in height, between +which lie valleys and plains of irregular shape, often many miles +across. At this time these valleys were full of stock of all kinds, the +inhabitants were on their farms, and the local commandos, under +Commandant Brand and others, had lived undisturbed upon the fat of the +land. The size of the country, and the power of splitting up possessed +by the commandos, made it extremely difficult to get at the latter. An +effort was therefore made to cut off their supplies, and General +Lyttleton's columns were turned into the district to clear it. Major du +Moulin started from Edenburg with a convoy of 152 wagons for these +columns on the 13th of March, reached Dewetsdorp on the 16th after some +sniping, and on the 21st handed in at Bloemfontein 2,000 horses, 5,000 +cattle, and 80,000 sheep collected during the week. A number of refugees +were also brought in. The Boers had been engaged at Geluk on the 19th, +two of them being killed and three wounded. Some South African Light +Horse had been attached, to assist the escort of the convoy. + +This trek into Bloemfontein from Dewetsdorp was a truly remarkable one. +The convoy had grown so enormously in taking over the captures of the +various columns, that it was no less than 10 miles long. Sometimes the +rearguard did not leave one camping ground until two hours after the +advanced guard had reached the next. The rearguard had a very difficult +job. The great masses of sheep were very slow, and often a kopje had to +be held until it was difficult to get away in the face of the Boer +snipers, who constantly harassed the rear. This sniping continued right +up to the outposts of Bloemfontein. + +Here a great change was noticed in the look of the troops in the town. +Instead of the torn and dirty uniforms of Lord Roberts' advance, neat +new Khaki was to be seen all round, while at the Club starched collars +and red tabs seemed the rule. + +At Bloemfontein Capt. Montrésor joined the column, and there the Royal +Irish Rifles left it. The weather continued extremely bad, the heavy +rain causing the greatest discomfort to the troops. + +Entraining for Springfontein, the force started thence with another +convoy for the east of the line on the 27th of March. There were then +under Major du Moulin 12 officers and 375 men of the Royal Sussex, of +whom 250 were mounted; and a section each of the 39th and 85th batteries +R.F.A. + +The convoy was constantly sniped; but a trap laid by the Boers near +Leeuwfontein failed, the widely extended flank guards getting in their +rear without being conscious of the fact. The want of a pom-pom was very +much felt, as the guns could not leave the convoy. + +Smithfield was reached on the 30th, and some cycles found there formed +the nucleus of a cyclist section, subsequently elaborated under Lieut. +Crawley-Boevey. From Smithfield a four days' trek brought the convoy to +Bethulie, after destroying by the way a Boer supply depôt, with ovens +for the baking of bread, at Gryskop. Near the same place D company +(under Capt. Montrésor) found itself in a warm corner at a farm to which +it had been sent foraging, and lost four horses killed and three +wounded. The guns, however, galloped up, and the Boers retired under a +heavy fire. + +Smithfield was reached on the return journey on the 7th of April, and +Edenburg on the 10th. At the latter place, prisoners, refugees and stock +were handed in.[13] + +While trekking, the Mounted Infantry furnished the advanced and rear +screens, and the flank guards, the latter keeping well out. The order of +march of the remainder was as follows:-- + + Advanced Guard:-- + Section R.F.A. + 1 Coy. Infantry in wagons (when available). + + Main Body:-- + 1 Coy. Infantry in Cape Carts. + Baggage Column, R.A. leading. + Supply wagons (mule). + Ox wagons. + Refugee wagons and ambulances. + + Rear Guard:-- + Section R.F.A. + 1 Coy. Infantry in wagons (when available). + +The company of Infantry at the head of the main body was used as a +species of mounted (or rather carted) infantry; on the convoy being +threatened, the Cape carts were turned in the required direction, and +galloped across the veldt, disgorging their occupants at points of +vantage. All the mounted men were thus freed for more important duties +further afield. Each Cape cart contained one or two boxes of ammunition, +and thus acted as ammunition reserve for any other troops who came up. + +In April, General Lyttleton gave up command of the Southern District of +the Orange River Colony, and on doing so published the following +order:-- + + The Officer Commanding + 1st Royal Sussex Regt. + + Lieut. General Lyttleton desires me, before he leaves this command, + to convey to you his appreciation of the very efficient manner in + which the men of your Battalion, under Major du Moulin, have + carried out the arduous duties of escort to convoys, on which they + have been frequently employed. + + They have been admirably trained and handled by that Officer, who + has singular qualifications for that sort of work, and O.C.'s of + columns in the field have reported in high terms on them. + + General Lyttleton hopes that his good opinion may be conveyed to + all ranks, in Battalion Orders, or in whatever way the Commanding + Officer thinks best. + + A. J. M. MacAndrew, Capt. + Edenburg, for C.S.O. + April 12, 1901 Genl. Lyttleton's Force. + +A convoy of 120 wagons was again taken out to Dewetsdorp on the 11th of +April, 250 I.Y. and 50 South African Light Horse (all freshly raised) +being added to the escort. Dewetsdorp was cleared of inhabitants, and +also all the farms along the route; and a vast body of refugees was +brought in on the return to Edenburg, many having been handed over by +the columns.[14] There was a good deal of sniping during the trek, in +which one man[15] was severely wounded. A bicyclist of the advanced +guard had been captured, with his machine, on the first day out. The man +was of course set free: the bicycle was recovered months afterwards in a +farm some distance away. + +The force then set out for Smithfield with a convoy, reaching that place +on the 24th of April, after having had a brush with a party of Boers +near Rietput the day before. The town was cleared, and all the ovens and +cooking utensils found in the houses were destroyed. On the morning of +the 26th, when the convoy moved on, the Boers attempted to hold +Commissie Bridge over the Caledon River. A sharp engagement followed, +during which 2nd Lieut. Thorne collected men from among the wagons, +dashed across the bridge, and seized a kopje on the further side, +thereby gaining a mention in column orders. The Boers were driven off, +but followed the convoy almost to Rouxville, which was reached on the +27th of April; and from this date to the 20th of May the force under +Major du Moulin was occupied in escorting a convoy between Aliwal and +Rouxville, bringing out stores from the latter place, and returning with +refugees and stock taken over from the columns working the district. + +On the 20th of May orders were received from General Bruce Hamilton that +the column was to clear the country north of Smithfield as a fighting +column. The task of watching the trek ox plod slowly and gloomily +through the dust was over, to the great delight of all ranks, and, with +a roving commission, the column set out in a northerly direction. In +addition to men of the Royal Sussex (5 companies M.I. and an Infantry +escort), Major du Moulin had under him at this time a company of the +Connaught Rangers M.I. and a section of the 43rd Battery, R.F.A. + +On the 22nd a retreating Boer convoy was sighted--probably belonging to +Brand's Commando, then at Rietput. On the 24th the baggage of the column +was well sniped by some sixty Boers at Kopjeskraal, on the way to +Vaalbank. What followed was characteristic of Major du Moulin's methods. +The cooks and other duty men, together with the wagon escort in Cape +carts, were immediately set to charge round the flank of the hill at a +gallop, Cape carts and all. This was too much for the nerves of the +Boers, who streamed away. The guns came into action, without, however, +any luck, the retreating Boers having separated in all directions. + +The work of clearing farms continued, two companies of M.I. being sent +out daily on each flank for the purpose. In many cases the farms were +found empty, with every sign that the occupants had just hurriedly left. +Sometimes a room had been bricked up, in which a supply of grain or the +family treasures were stored. + +On the 3rd of June the line was again reached at Jagersfontein Road, in +cold and snow. A trek northwards along the line brought the column to +Edenburg, where a new batch of mounted men from the Regiment joined. The +30th and 31st Imperial Yeomanry were also attached, and the much-desired +pom-pom (under Capt. A. A. Montgomery, R.A.) was obtained. Two guns of +the 39th Field Battery were with the column. + +This batch of Yeomanry consisted of men utterly raw and untrained. They +knew nothing about the work, so that it was necessary to assign each +Yeoman to a Sussex man for instruction. As the pay of the latter was +only one shilling a day, while the Yeoman was receiving five shillings, +the position was rather absurd. On the first day out a spare wagon was +filled with stuff that the Yeomen had left in camp--saddles, blankets, +ammunition, etc. While on trek they were constantly losing horses and +rifles. A system of heavy fines, proportionate to their pay, was +instituted for these offences. In one case it was strongly suspected +that a horse had been shot and left, saddle and all, by its rider when +out on flank guard--presumably because he had no turn for mounted work, +and disliked his animal. + +No doubt some of these men developed into useful soldiers. Under the +circumstances, however, the process was an annoying and even dangerous +one for their instructors. + +On the 6th of June the column set out to the West of the line. Capt. +Gilbert raided the farm of Lokshoek on the night of the 6th, and Capt. +Montrésor that of Kranzhoek on the 7th, capturing 13 and 11 prisoners +respectively. At Lokshoek was a laager of women and children, with Cape +carts and wagons. During the following days this process was repeated +elsewhere, with the result that on the return of the column to Edenburg +on the 15th, 53 prisoners were handed in, besides many refugees and a +large amount of stock.[16] + +In Army Orders of the 4th of June, Major du Moulin was granted the local +rank of Lieut.-Colonel. He was subsequently awarded a brevet +Lieut.-Colonelcy. + +At Edenburg, Lieuts. Crawley-Boevey and Bond, and 2nd Lieut. Paget +joined the column--the latter with 50 mounted men, who had been raised +at Norval's Pont, and employed round Edenburg. + +On the 18th, the column set out to the East of the line, and worked once +more in the now familiar country south of Dewetsdorp. Parties were +constantly sent out to surround farms at night on the chance of finding +Boers. The enemy had, however, realised by this time the danger of +sleeping under a roof. + +The 25th of June provided a long day's work. The column was fired at in +the morning at Koetzee's Post, some 300 Boers being among the hills west +of that place. The troops turned into the hill, successfully forcing the +difficult nek to Klip Huis. Fourteen Cape carts and two wagons +containing women and children were captured, but the commando was in +flight, and the mounted troops chased them as far as Helvetia, 12 miles +off, getting back to camp at Klip Huis after eleven hours in the saddle +without food. A signal lamp stuck up in camp helped the tired companies +to find their way in. + +On the 28th of June some Boers successfully trapped a small flanking +party at Mooifontein. The column had gone by Hex River, a pass some +miles to the south; the baggage and escort were to cross the ridge by a +road running close to Mooifontein farm. While the baggage was crossing +the nek, a message was received by the Yeomanry Officer commanding the +left flanking party that a Boer woman at the farm wished to be brought +in to a refugee camp, and had asked for a wagon to take her and her +boxes, which were ready packed. The Officer accordingly rode up to the +farm, after passing the message on, and waited there with seven men of +the Yeomanry and G company till a wagon should be sent back. It seems +that the men paid more attention to catching chickens than to keeping a +look-out. At any rate, as soon as the baggage was out of sight over the +nek, some Boers, who were in hiding behind the farm, opened fire at the +party point blank, killing three in the first volley and wounding +two.[17] The bugler only escaped, and missing his way, arrived at the +camp of the column late at night. A party sent back of course found the +farm unoccupied. + +On the 29th of June a special company was organised under Capt. +Montrésor to perform scouting duties, raids, and surprise visits to +farms by day and night. The men were to receive a daily ration of rum, +with an extra issue to those engaged in night work; while they were to +be exempt from piquets and guards. One hundred men were easily obtained, +and the "Raiders" came into existence. + +On the 5th of July Lieut. Woodruffe was left with 14 men in ambush at +Weltevreden, the camp of the night before, to wait for Boers, who were +expected to visit the camp when the column had left, in the hope of +picking up food or ammunition. Three Boers came along, one to the farm +where the men were hidden. He would not surrender when challenged, but +turned and galloped away, and so was shot. + +Thirty Boers now opened fire upon the farm, and four of the horses of +Woodruffe's party broke loose, delaying his retirement. His difficulties +were further increased by one of the Yeomen with him, who became +panic-stricken, and refused to mount. The Boers surrounded the small +kopje upon which Woodruffe took up a position (not, however, before a +boy had been sent back with a note to the column), and, working among +the rocks, gradually closed in upon him. He was slightly wounded in the +head, and one of his men (Weston) was hit. Things were looking rather +black, when Lieut. Howes, I.Y., with 25 men of the rear guard, came back +to his support, and the Boers retired with two killed. + +On the 5th of July Dewetsdorp was raided in conjunction with Col. +Rochfort, but the Boers were not there. They sent a letter by a released +prisoner, saying they were sorry not to be at home. + +Moving down to the Caledon River, the column arrived at Deep Dene on the +7th of July. There was no drift over the river at this point, and Col. +du Moulin determined to make one. The banks, which were very steep, were +dynamited, and horses and oxen were put to trample down and harden the +loose deep sand of the river bed. + +Great care had to be taken to avoid the quick-sands. Five small donkeys +got involved in these, and sank lower and lower, in spite of all +attempts to haul them out by ropes. They made the most pitiable noise in +their terror, and ultimately had to be despatched, when little but their +heads remained visible. + +After enormous efforts, all the mule wagons were got across by 8 p.m., +but the drift was found impassable for ox wagons; these, accordingly, +moved on the following day up to Jammersberg Bridge, being shelled by +another column on the way, and joined the mule wagons again at Wepener. + +On the 10th of July, Col. Rochfort and Col. du Moulin, reconnoitring +over Jammersberg Bridge with the Raiders (under Capt. Montrésor) and the +pom-pom (under Capt. Montgomery), found seventy Boers holding the kopjes +on the further side. Attacking at once, the hills were stormed on foot, +and the Boers were turned out of their position and pursued for some +miles. One prisoner was taken, and four saddled horses. Serjt. +Nightingale was killed during the action, when very pluckily leading +his section over the bridge. + +The column was shortly ordered into Edenburg, and thence down the line +to Springfontein, in order to operate on the west of the line. Orders +had by this time been given that every man of the Regiment who was +willing should be mounted, and join Col. du Moulin; and accordingly +Major Church with the mounted men of H company, and Capt. Beale with +those of the second Volunteer company, were waiting for the column at +Springfontein. Major Church and the Volunteers had been trekking with +Williams' and Byng's columns respectively. + +FOOTNOTES: + +[13] 20 Prisoners, 9 Male Refugees, 41 Women, 124 Children, 6,179 Sheep, +337 Cattle, 136 Horses. + +[14] 100 prisoners, 30 male refugees, 300 women, 980 children, 400 black +refugees, 30,000 sheep, 6,000 cattle, 300 horses. + +[15] Pte. Pruce, E Company. + +[16] + + Prisoners of War 53 + Rifles 4 + Ammunition 500 rounds + Dynamite 10 lbs. + Horses 558 + Ox wagons 36 + Cape carts 30 + Cattle 2052 + Sheep 15000 + + Refugees. + White men 3 + " women 131 + " children 467 + Black men 2 + " women 7 + " children 70 + +[17] Pte. Boniface, of G Company, was killed there. On the same day Pte. +Shorney, of H Company, was mortally wounded at Hex River. + + + + +CHAPTER XXIV. + +TWO DISTRICTS. + + A derelict town--The district--Entertainments--British + "commandos"--Hertzog's Adjutant--Back to Springfontein-- + Vlakfontein--The scene of a disaster--Caledon River--Edenburg-- + Stranded traction engines--Ventershoek--"Commandos" again. + + +Col. du Moulin moved out of Springfontein on the 21st of July to take +over the district which had been assigned to him, and which lay west of +the line, and north of the Orange River, round about the town of +Philippolis. He had under him about 600 men of the Sussex, nearly all +mounted, and a section of the 7th Battery (Capt. Geoghegan and Lieut. +Chamier), besides the pom-pom. + +Philippolis, which for the next two months was used as the headquarters +and rendezvous of the column, lies at the head of a valley some 15 miles +west of the railway. The usual stone Church looks down the usual main +street of one-storied tin-roofed buildings. Two other parallel streets +and a few cross roads make up the town. It is surrounded by bare veldt; +a eucalyptus or two and a couple of rows of cypress down the main street +are the only trees to be seen for miles round. + +At this time there were still a few inhabitants remaining, although most +of the houses were quite empty. At first, here as elsewhere, the town +had been left undisturbed under authorities appointed by the British; +but, when the local commandos again took up arms, authorities and +townspeople had alike to be brought in to the line; and now the last of +them was to be removed, Lord Kitchener's order being not to leave a +living thing. For if inhabitants were left, food must be left too; and +what was food for the inhabitants was food also for the local +commandos--or the fragments of them that lurked in the hills round. +Besides this, information, more valuable even than food, would be +spread as to the movements of columns. The supreme object at this +juncture was to make life impossible for the Boers under arms. + +It was a strange sight, this derelict town. Doors were open, and it was +possible to turn out of the silent street into a house, where the very +music lay as it had been left upon the piano in the sitting room: to sit +down at the piano and try a few bars, momentarily expecting the owner to +appear and protest against such intrusion. Yet the only representative +of the owner would be perhaps the watch dog lying in the yard where it +had been necessary to shoot him, when the house was searched (very +likely with success) for ammunition. The town was placed out of bounds +for the troops of the column. + +The Boers of the neighbourhood were not in very high feather. Except for +bodies of men passing through from the surrounding districts, they +consisted only of small parties of a dozen or less, living precariously +upon the much-cleared country. They had established a certain number of +depôts to which they could come for grain, but beyond these there was +very little food to be found; and nearly all the farms were empty. + +Colonel du Moulin's task, therefore, consisted of netting as many stray +Boers as possible, and destroying all stock, grain, cooking utensils, +and anything else that would help to support life, besides being +prepared to meet any commando that should attempt to cross the district. + +For these purposes he divided the column into three sub-columns or +"commandos" of about 150 men each, under Major Church. Capt. Gilbert, +and Capt. Montrésor. Two of these were always in the field, while one +was usually resting in Philippolis. In order to enliven the time of the +resting "commando," he detailed a few men with a bent in that direction +as permanent entertainers, and these used to give nightly performances +in the Town Hall, with the help of one of the many pianos in which the +town abounded. Songs, dramatic sketches, and clog-dances used to form +items of the programme. + +During the first week (which was cold and snowy) a number of farms were +cleared. Twenty-five sacks of wheat were found by the Colonel, bricked +up at the farm Poortje. The dam there was destroyed, as was done in +other cases. On August the 4th the ox convoy bringing supplies from +Springfontein joined the three "commandos" at Brandkraal. Lieut. Bidder +and 2nd Lieut. Cole from the 3rd Battalion of the Regiment arrived with +it. + +For the next month the "commandos" worked up and down the district with +comparatively little incident, picking up a few prisoners here and +there, and sending in refugees. Captain (now Brevet-Major) Gilbert +searched the kloofs along the Orange River: there were several families +living there, who supplied food to the fighting Boers, and these were +transported to the line. In one place the Major was just leaving a +valley that he had searched in vain, when the strange behaviour of a +horse directed his attention to a large bush. Investigation followed, +and from the recesses of the bush emerged an entire family of three +generations. + +By surprise visits at night to likely places, Major Gilbert also +captured a number of armed Boers--on the 11th of August in particular +two raids resulted in the taking of thirteen prisoners. + +On the 16th Major Church's "commando" chased a party of twenty Boers, +who had come to unearth a store of boots they had buried near Tafelkop. +A signalling piquet on Tafelkop disturbed them as Major Church was +coming up, and the Boers got away through Otterspoort, after being +turned out of the farm there by the pom-pom. + +On the 17th of August, information was received that 200 Boers under +Kritzinger were at Buonapartfontein, on the east of the line, working +north with horses very done up. Orders were sent round at once to the +three "commandos" to hurl themselves across the line, and they +accordingly met at Driekuil Siding early on the 18th. Kritzinger had, +however, already moved north, pursued by Gorringe's column--the +information being twenty-four hours late. + +On the 25th of August Major Gilbert's "commando" captured Cronje, +Adjutant and Chief of Scouts to Hertzog, the local Commandant. The +actual capture was effected by Liliveld, a Colonial Scout attached to +the column, who did some brilliant work. + +That same evening, Major Gilbert, who had been talking to Cronje, told +him to follow him across the camp, wishing for some reason to shift his +quarters. The Major carried his hand in his pocket. The Boer, who looked +very white and anxious, suddenly said "Well, when are you going to do +it." He thought he was being taken out to be shot, and that the Major +had his hand on his revolver. It appeared that the Commandants had +persuaded their men that the Proclamations as to surrender, published at +this time, were only decoys, and that any man surrendering would be +shot. Cronje said that many would come in if they knew they would be +well treated. "We shall have a score to settle with the Commandants when +the War is over," he added. + +He was one of the men chased by Major Church a few days before. "They +had had nothing to eat for twenty-four hours," he said, "and had bolted +another 25 miles." He was offered good pay to act as guide to the +column, but to his credit he refused. + +On the 30th of August, Captain Montrésor and Lieut. Morphett, with +thirteen men, surrounded the Jansfontein Hills in the dusk, and crept up +just before dawn, by starlight. They captured four Boers with rifles on +the top without a shot being fired. Captain Montrésor's "commando" +returned to Philippolis on the 5th of September with twelve prisoners. + +On the 31st of August, two Boers with rifles came in to surrender to +Major Church at Osfontein. They had been living for a fortnight in a +cave near, that contained the household treasures of Ospoort +farm--clothes, dried fruit, a violin, pillows and a coffee machine. +There was also a little ammunition, the remains, perhaps, of a larger +supply. + +Later in the day Boers were reported on a neighbouring hill, which was +accordingly surrounded, Major Church taking one party, Captain +Montgomery and Lieut. Harden another. Eight men were captured and +seventeen rifles. They had no idea a British force was near, the camp +being very well hidden. They had orders from Herzog not to stay long in +the district, as there was no food. One of them was a Secret Agent of +the British. + +Two days afterwards, Major Church came upon and destroyed another Boer +supply depôt consisting of two large tin-lined boxes hidden among +bushes, and containing eight sacks of wheat and stores of all kind. +Round about were rough beds of heather and branches, and fire holes for +cooking. + +On the 17th of September orders were received for the whole column to +march in to Springfontein, and entrain for the North. Rain had been +falling heavily for a week, and the roads were almost impassable. The +oxen were weak with overwork, lung disease and inoculation; dead oxen +lay every few yards of the way. Relief wagons were sent to meet the +convoy, the end of which struggled painfully in to Springfontein at nine +o'clock on the night of the 19th. This convoy, which had been working +backwards and forwards between Philippolis and the line with supplies +for the column, was left at Springfontein when the column moved North. +Lieut. De La Pryme, A.S.C., who had admirably managed the supply +arrangements, accompanied the column. + +On the 19th September news arrived of the disaster at Vlakfontein, not +far from Thabanchu, in which two guns of U battery, and their escort of +newly-raised Mounted Infantry, were taken. General Bruce Hamilton's +troops were accordingly despatched into the district round the scene of +action. The Sussex column entrained during the 20th, and the work of +hauling and shoving recalcitrant mules and horses into trucks went on +all that night by the light of flares. There was a sharp frost at dawn; +the helmets of men who had slept upon the ground were white, and the +ditch by the railway was covered with ice. The sixth and last train +reached Bloemfontein on the evening of the 21st; the column marched for +Vlakfontein itself, after being inspected by General Tucker, and on the +23rd camped close to the scene of the fight. + +The Boers and their prisoners had of course gone, but there were many +traces of what had occurred. + +In a kloof in a long low kopje lay two dead gunhorses. The ground all +round was trampled down, probably by the horses of the escort, which had +perhaps been put there under cover when the action began. The guns had +come into action on the slope of the ridge against a kopje to the north, +as the marks made by the spades shewed. Boers had apparently crept up +from the direction of Slangfontein farm (which lay to the south), and +had taken the position in rear. + +On the top of the ridge were a number of bayonets, some artillery +harness, haversacks, canteens, bandages stained with blood and other +traces of the fight. Little heaps of cartridge cases behind stones here +and there shewed where men had made a stand. The graves of four soldiers +were found--so shallow that it was necessary to dig them afresh. The gun +tracks led away from the ridge towards Slangfontein farm. + +It was found afterwards that the officer in charge of the guns had +indeed made a fine stand. The escort, consisting of untried Mounted +Infantry, had not supported him. Attacked in front and rear, he fought +the guns till the last moment, and then died beside them. His gunners, +and a few of the escort who held out, were shot down almost to a man. +The officer was Lieut. Otter Barry, R.A., whose brother is now +(December, 1906) Adjutant of the 2nd Battn. of the Royal Sussex +Regiment. + +At this farm, a newly-made grave in the family burial ground aroused the +suspicions of Major Gilbert. It was opened in spite of the protests of +the inhabitants, and was found to contain nearly fifty rifles. Some more +rifles and gun harness were in the dam. The people of the farm were +removed, as well as a wounded Boer who was there. Most of the farms in +the district were occupied at the time. + +The tracks of the guns were followed for the next two days, without +however catching up the enemy. The Boers put their prisoners over the +Basuto border and dispersed; the column halted at Jammersberg Bridge on +the Caledon River. Its strength at this time was 800 Europeans, 220 +natives (drivers, etc.), 830 horses and 540 mules. + +The District was swept by various columns (those of Lowrie Cole, +Hamilton, Plumer and Williams) during the following week, without any +great result. Col. du Moulin's column arrived at Edenburg on the 6th of +October, and left the next day for the new district which had been +assigned to it, in the familiar ground south of Dewetsdorp and east of +Reddersburg. Before settling down to work, an expedition was made to the +North to protect a convoy of coal on its way from Bloemfontein to some +traction engines, which were stranded on the veldt for lack of fuel. The +escort to the convoy consisted of the mounted men of the Third Battalion +of the Royal Sussex Regiment under Capt. the Hon. J. S. R. Tufton. + +Ackerman's commando was met on the evening of the 9th, but did not wait. +A terrific rain storm that night covered his retreat. + +One of the guns lost at Vlakfontein had already been recovered, and the +second, with harness, was found on the 12th at Weltevreden. Reddersburg +was reached next day, and building materials were collected in the town, +with a view to establishing a fortified camp and depôt at a convenient +centre. + +During the expedition north, much stock had been collected, and the +inhabitants of farms brought in. At one of the farms, a mad woman who +objected to clothing was kept in the stable, and presented a difficult +problem to the officer sent to clear it. The people of the house refused +to assist in any way; some Kaffir women, however, dressed the poor +wretch, who proved, indeed, on the return journey, the only cheerful +member of the party. + +Colonel du Moulin decided to make his headquarters at Ventershoek, a +farm 11 miles S.E. of Reddersburg, surrounded on three sides by high +ridges. On each of these a permanent piquet was established, for which a +stone fort was constructed. Roads were made to these forts, and the two +guns were sent up. + +Two ranges of hills met at Ventershoek, one from the north-east and the +other from the north; and the Camp lay between them at their point of +junction. The piquets thus commanded the flat country to the south and +west, the ridges dropping abruptly down into wide plains. + +The column was again divided into "commandos," Major Gilbert and Captain +Montrésor being assigned 200 men each, and a pom-pom and maxim +respectively. On the 17th of October these "commandos" moved out--Major +Gilbert to Hardewater, Captain Montrésor to Mooifontein. At Hardewater, +a lofty hill (the end of the N. E. range) gave a magnificent view over +the surrounding country; and here Major Gilbert remained. The Boers were +said to be massing in the East of the Colony, and moving towards the +line; and a sharp look-out was kept from the top of Hardewater Hill, on +which the helio had some busy days. No one was seen, however, except men +of other columns, who answered the enquiring flash. + +Before leaving Hardewater, it was discovered that every drop of water +used in camp came first over the body of a sheep that had fallen into a +cutting some months before. No one appeared to be any the worse! + +In a farm near, a notice, of which the following is a translation, had +been left for the column:-- + + 11th October, 1901. + "Droogfontein. + + "May it herewith be notified to every British Officer and to all + men that the true Africanders, who are still under arms, are + determined to sacrifice themselves for the freedom of their + Country, and with God's help they will defend themselves till the + last man is killed or captured. + + "N. C. P. in the name of true Africanders." + + + + +CHAPTER XXV. + +DE PUT. + + New Boer tactics--The column goes to relieve Lean--A brush with the + enemy--Camp at Rietput--Brand appears at dawn--Start of the + column--De Put Ridges--Held by Ackerman--Engagement--The position + finally turned--Brand effects nothing--Casualties--The Boer + version. + + +As has been said, the Boers to the south and east of Bloemfontein had at +this time adopted new tactics. Hitherto they had roved the hills in +small bands, and even in twos and threes, and the British forces had +accordingly been split up into a number of small columns, in order the +more easily to sweep the country. It occurred to Commandant Brand of +Edenburg that, if he collected the scattered local commandos, he would +be sufficiently strong to deal with the average British column; he +therefore combined the Boers under Koetzee, Joubert, Ackerman and +others, and found himself with a force of 600 men and more at his +disposal. The first fruits of this policy was the capture of the two +guns at Vlakfontein: since then, Brand had surrounded and captured a +patrol of fifty yeomen at Snyman's Post: and on the 24th of October he +attacked Col. Lean at Klein Zevenfontein, about 20 miles S.E. of +Ventershoek. On the evening of the 24th Col. Rochfort ordered all +available columns to go to Col. Lean's relief--the latter being +considerably outnumbered. + +Col. du Moulin started at once from Ventershoek with Captain Montrésor's +200 men and the maxim, sending a runner to Major Gilbert with orders to +join him on the march. The two forces met soon after midnight at +Koetzee's Post, halting there till dawn. With the first light they +marched towards Klein Zevenfontein. In all they numbered about 400 +fighting men. + +The plains to the south of Ventershoek are divided by a lofty ridge (the +Ospoort Ridge) covered with large rocks and bushes, that runs generally +north and south. Of this Ridge the southern four miles form a horse +shoe, from the Dam Plaats Pass to De Put farm. Between these two points +there is no means of crossing the Ridge, except by the very rough and +stony track at Ospoort, where a narrow Kloof runs through the hill. +Through this it is just possible to lead a horse. + +At De Put a series of low foot hills meets the main Ridge. A road from +the south approaches the Ridge, and then divides, one branch crossing +these foot hills by De Put farm, the other running north-east, parallel +to the Ridge. + +At sunrise on the 25th of October, the Sussex column was moving south +parallel to the Ospoort Ridge and about 5 miles to the east of it. +Captain Montrésor, in charge of the advanced guard, saw at a farm on the +right front (Twyfelfontein) a group of horsemen in Khaki, with blue +cavalry cloaks and white haversacks. They appeared to be men of the +South African Constabulary who were expected in the neighbourhood, and +Montrésor rode over with four men and a signaller to speak to them. Two +of his men and the signaller (Sergt. Skeat) were on ahead, and passed +over a rise; they were immediately disarmed by Boers waiting on the +other side. As Montrésor rode up the rise, three men came into view less +than thirty yards off, and shouted "Hands up." Montrésor and the two +with him turned and galloped for it. A bullet through Montrésor's helmet +and a flesh wound in one of the horses was all the damage done. + +Firing now broke out, and two companies were sent to line the high +ground on the right, while the pom-pom came into action against the +farm. + +The Boers, however, had no intention of joining issue with the column +that day. Their main body, several hundred strong, retreated along the +foot of the Ospoort Ridge towards De Put; and the column proceeded in +the direction of Klein Zevenfontein. The three captured men returned +without their equipment: in Sergt. Skeat's case the Boers took, besides +his heliograph, a pair of presentation field glasses, which he +subsequently recovered in the successful raid of Christmas Eve in +another part of the country. + +Col. du Moulin camped that night at Rietput, having ascertained that +Klein Zevenfontein was untenanted. The graves of four men (two Boers and +two British) were found there. + +Early on the morning of the 26th of October Commandant Brand with about +300 men (including those under Joubert) and a machine gun worked round +the Sussex camp, expecting the column to continue its march in the same +direction as on the day before. If he had any intention of attacking the +camp, a very heavy rain storm put it out of the question. The piquets +opened fire on some of his men, and Major Gilbert with his company was +sent to investigate matters. He first met Brand's advanced guard, +driving them back: one Boer was wounded, but rescued by a comrade, and +some horses were captured. Then some 200 Boers came in sight. Major +Gilbert occupied a ridge behind the camp until the column had moved off, +when he retired, to successive positions. Brand did not attack, but +moved after the column on its right rear, Major Gilbert moving parallel +to him. + +There was no object now in going to Klein Zevenfontein, and Col. du +Moulin had decided to retrace his steps towards Ospoort, where the Boers +had been met the day before. Ten miles across the plain the blue Ridge +lay quiet in the sun, and for the Southern end of this the advanced +guard (H. Company) was ordered to make. A screen of ten double files was +spread out over a front of about two miles. Nearer and nearer they drew +to the Ridge, which showed no signs of life. Then, as they reached the +very foot of it, a heavy burst of firing broke out on the right. The +time was about 11 o'clock. + +A few horsemen had been seen through the Ospoort Kloof on the far side +of the Ridge, and Col. du Moulin had sent Lieut. Gouldsmith with C +company to reconnoitre the pass. He arrived there at the same time as +the right flankers of the advanced guard, who had been collected +together for the same purpose. White, the Intelligence Agent, had +galloped on in front of all with a few boys, and rode first into the +Kloof. Not a shot had then been fired from the Ridge. + +A large number of Boers under Ackerman were, however, waiting among the +stones on the hillside, and, as soon as White got far enough in to the +gully to see them, they were forced to open fire. When they did so, +Gouldsmith with some men of his company and of the advanced guard had +just come through a wire fence, and were within 100 yards of the ridge. +White was mortally wounded (he died the next day). Farrant of H company +was shot through the heart, and one or two horses were hit; but the +range was too short for the Boers, and the others got back over the wire +and took cover without further casualties. The pom-pom and maxim were +brought into action; in a short time the fire from the Ridge died down, +and the column moved on, working round towards De Put with a view to +crossing the foot hills there. The road runs over the latter close under +the western extension of the main Ridge. + +Meanwhile all had been quiet on the left. The left flankers and centre +of the advanced guard, who were holding some low rises facing the +western extremity of the Ridge, had not been fired upon, when Colonel du +Moulin joined them. A solitary post stuck up prominently on the +sky-line: and this was constantly being reported as a Boer. "The next +man who tells me of that," said the Colonel, "will have to go up and +have a closer look at it." No Boers were in fact to be seen among the +rocks and bushes of the lofty crest. + +The Colonel now sent on the advanced guard, and Captain Montrésor with +the "Raiders," to seize the foot hills at different points, first +searching them with the pom-pom. During the process, the baggage was +closing up on the left of the troops at what appeared to be a safe +distance from the Ridge. + +The advanced guard went off first, and galloped for a point some little +distance from the main Ridge. A stone wall ran along the crest of the +low hills, but the Boers had not had time to get round and hold it: and, +somewhat to their surprise, this party reached the wall without +opposition. Leaving a piquet there, they descended on the other side. + +As Montrésor, who was sent along the road, neared the foot hills, a very +heavy fire broke out from the crest of the Ridge above him. The road +runs by the side of a dam, and the water of this was lashed as if by a +hail storm. The baggage, which was really within 1,200 yards of the +Ridge, at once stampeded, the black drivers bolted, and for a few +minutes all was confusion. The Boers did not make good practice, +however, and the wagons were collected again at a safe distance, after +some mules had been killed and a few of the escort and drivers wounded. + +The pom-pom now came into action in the open against the crest line of +the Ridge at about 800 yards, and continued firing there for three +quarters of an hour--a feat which much impressed the Boers. "Three +times," they said afterwards, "we drove the gunners away from the gun, +and three times they came back." The companies who had not been +otherwise employed scattered and lay down in the open by the pom-pom, +and along the rising ground: and soon a heavy rifle fire was developed, +the horses having been sent back under cover. The Colonel had already +arranged for the supply of ammunition from the reserve in the wagons to +the men in the firing line, and this arrived before they began to run +short. He himself remained near the pom-pom. + +The pom-pom shield was hit in ten places, and Captain Montgomery was +wounded in the knee. He had the gun (which was steaming like a kettle) +moved back under cover of a hillock, and fired thence for another half +hour. He found that the greatest effect was produced by firing one or +two shots at a time--then pausing--then firing one or two more. This +kept the Boers behind their rocks. + +Captain Montrésor, with Lieut. Woodruffe and 2nd Lieuts. Paget and +Thorne, had safely reached the low hill above the dam: but he was here +too close under the end of the main Ridge (now held by the Boers) to +effect much. It was impossible to stir without attracting a shower of +bullets. One or two of his men were wounded there, Sergt. Finucane being +shot through the shoulder. + +The men of the advanced guard who had crossed the low hills turned and +rode towards the Boer position over the open; but they were met and +stopped by a heavy fire. There were only five or six of them, and they +waited in a donga for reinforcements. Meantime an attempt by the Boers +at Ospoort to work up the bed of a spruit in rear of the column had been +checked. Major Gilbert, with Brand on his right, had closed up. Brand, +finding no troops left between himself and the Ospoort Ridge (the whole +column having by now been moved to its left), turned northwards to +Twyfelfontein. Major Gilbert left his men as rearguard, and went to +find Col. du Moulin. It had been the Colonel's idea to turn the rear of +the Boers, but this had not yet been done; and he sent Major Gilbert +forward to try and accomplish it. + +The Major rode over the low hills in front, where the advanced guard had +already gone, and picked up some of G company by the way. With these and +the party in the donga he went on, making for the rear of the Boer +position, and keeping out of range of the Ridge. + +The ground in rear of the Ridge rises and falls in long swelling mounds. +As soon as the Boers realised that the British were making for one of +these, Field Cornet du Toit with 25 men left the Ridge and raced for it. +The Field Cornet and his men could not be seen by the advancing +soldiers; the latter, however, were galloping for all they were worth, +not knowing whether the mound were held or not. The two or three whose +horses were freshest drew ahead, and neared the top: at last they got +high enough to see over the crest. There, within 300 yards, was a +bearded Boer, galloping towards them; beyond him another two, and behind +them others again. + +The British jumped off their horses and lay down behind ant-heaps. The +nearest Boer raised his hand in signal to the others that the rise was +held; they stopped, fired from their saddles, turned their horses' heads +and galloped off, while their friends behind blazed away to cover their +retreat. The Field Cornet had lost. + +By this burst of firing one of the horses of those upon the rise was +killed, but no other damage was done. The rest of Major Gilbert's party +were coming up through it, and soon the rise was lined. The retreating +Boers were, however, quickly out of range. + +Ackerman and his men were now taken in rear. Not liking this, they +abandoned the whole position, and those on the rise watched them +streaming away through the Dam Plaats Pass. Ackerman had with him +between two and three hundred Boers. + +It was now 4.30 p.m. The baggage had been successfully passed over the +low hills, and the column moved forward to Wilgefontein, camping there +for the night. Major Gilbert and the men with him returned over the west +end of the Boer position. On the crest lay a man, hit in the head by a +pom-pom shell; a notice was pinned to his coat: "This is ---- of ----; +please let his father know that he is killed." + +To return to Commandant Brand: he had so far played a singularly +ineffective part in the day's proceedings. With a considerable force of +Boers under him, he had been out-manoeuvred and kept at a distance in +rear by Major Gilbert and his company, although the resources of the +column were fully employed against the Ridge in front, and, till that +Ridge was forced, a dashing charge of two or three hundred Boers from +the rear would have been at least a serious matter. + +It appears that Brand had not left Ackerman any orders to hold the +Ridge, as he did not expect the column to go that way. When firing broke +out in that direction, he did not know how many Boers were involved, or +which side was on the Ridge. He, therefore, sent round two men to find +out what was happening, and to tell Ackerman (if it was he) to hold the +Ridge as long as he could, and he (Brand) would attack the British in +rear. + +Ackerman got this message, and held on (which he had not intended to +do), momentarily expecting Brand to turn up: Brand waited for an answer +from Ackerman, which Ackerman omitted to send. So Brand lay, checked and +ineffective, until the Ridge was forced and the chance had gone. + +The retreating Ackerman became involved with a small column of S.A.C. +under Captain Malcolm. His Khaki clad Boers again deceived a squadron, +who rode up to them thinking they were Malcolm's main body. The Boers +opened fire at forty yards; luckily, however, the gun on the south +piquet at Ventershoek opened fire at the same time upon the real main +body of the British, driving them down upon the scene of action. The +forces became considerably mixed, but were eventually disentangled +without many casualties. + +After the fighting at De Put was over, two men with white flags left the +Ridge and came to surrender with their rifles. They said that they were +tired of fighting (one of them had a bullet through his hat): that they +were Transvaalers, and had only promised to fight for two years, which +were up: and that the camp was to be attacked that night. The column +accordingly lay ready and waiting; but the Boers thought better of it. + +The report of the action spread by the Boers was that they, with 150 men +and a machine gun, had surprised and routed a column of 400, with +pom-pom and maxim. The British losses they put at 150--in actual fact +they were two killed and nine wounded (including four natives).[18] It +was said that the Boers had three killed and six wounded; but the man +who lay upon the hillside provided the only certain piece of +information. + +The pom-pom fired 900 rounds; while over 30,000 rounds of small arm +ammunition were expended.[19] + +Civil-Surgeon Leach did very well during the action, riding with a large +red cross flag through heavy fire to assist the wounded. + +FOOTNOTES: + +[18] _Killed_: Intelligence Agent White; Pte. J. Farrant, H Co. + +_Wounded_: Sgt. Finucane, H Co.; Cpl. E. Manning, Vol.; Pte. F. Webb, C +Co.; Pte. C. Dymock, F Co.; Pte. M. Hunt, G Co. + +[19] The bulk of this ammunition was fired at the jagged crest-line of +the Ridge, and kept the Boers down under cover, checking their fire. The +Boers themselves remained invisible. + + + + +CHAPTER XXVI. + +TO VLAKFONTEIN. + + The King's Road--On the track of a commando--A stern chase--Wearing + out the Boers--Kritzinger appears--The column goes to meet + him--Kaffir's Kop--A mélée--A gallant death--Kritzinger gets + through--Moving westwards--Night march on Jagersfontein--Boers + surprised at dawn--Captures at Vlakfontein--Christmas + Day--Fauresmith--Vlakfontein again. + + +After the fight at De Put, the column again divided into two +"commandos," of which Major Gilbert's returned with Head Quarters to +Ventershoek. Very heavy rain on the 29th and 30th of October flooded the +camp there. + +Col. du Moulin had from the first determined to shorten the route from +this camp to Edenburg. The convoy, in bringing supplies from the line, +had to go round by Mooifontein, 6 miles north of Ventershoek, in order +to cross the ridge running in that direction. Close to the camp, this +ridge was cut by a small stream (Hex River) running through a stony +gorge. The gorge was of considerable length, and was strewn throughout +with great boulders of ironstone. Through this gorge the Colonel decided +to make a road, and the cyclists had been for some time employed in +preparing it. All the men in the camp were now turned on to the work. +Chains were fastened to the larger rocks, and they were hauled to one +side or rolled into the stream. Boulders were blasted and embankments +made, and by the 31st of October the convoy on its way to Edenburg was +able to pass along "King's Road." Frequent use was subsequently made of +this road when moving troops out to the west and south, and Boers of the +neighbourhood who were brought in by it, were considerably astonished. +The people of the district probably still find it a great convenience. + +The country round Ventershoek was constantly patrolled by parties of ten +or twelve men under an officer, who went out at night so as to reach +positions from which they could see the country round, by dawn. One of +these patrols under Lt. Bond located a Boer commando at Lakensvlei, to +the south-west, on November 7th; and on November 8th, a general move of +columns was begun with the object of surrounding it. Col. du Moulin +moved out with the whole of his force at 2 a.m. on the 9th, getting into +touch with the other columns that afternoon. A Boer hospital was found +among the hills, and the three ambulances with it were ordered to rejoin +their commando. + +On the 10th two Boers were captured by Liliveld at Lakensvlei, and +others were seen in the distance; and on the 11th, Ackerman's commando +was found in the middle of the circle of columns. Col. du Moulin had +made an early march from Lakensvlei to Parys (a farm some miles south of +Ventershoek) that morning; and while the column was breakfasting, a +helio message came from Ventershoek to say that a party of Boers were +being driven by Col. Hamilton towards Parys. The column was off in ten +minutes, and chased Ackerman for the remainder of the day, capturing his +Cape cart, eighty horses and twenty-five rifles. A halt was made that +night at Mooifontein, after a day's trek of 30 miles for the baggage and +40 for the mounted troops, the Boers being still ahead. Col. Hamilton +had taken seven prisoners. + +One hundred men under Lieut. Bond were sent out at midnight to a hill +(the Bulsberg) where the Boers were last seen. Silently they rode +through the darkness, and, nearing the hill, took one end of it at a +gallop; but the Boers had gone. This party was, during the morning, +itself attacked by another small column that had come on the same +mission. Fortunately the attack was stayed before any harm was done. The +Boers escaped out of the ring of columns--so harried, however, that +twelve went straight to Bloemfontein to surrender, five of whom were too +weak from want of food and sleep to reach the town, and had to be +fetched in in Cape carts. + +On the night of the 23rd November, Lieut. Crawley-Boevey was sent with +100 men (cyclists and mounted men) to search the hills at Parys for +stray Boers. At dawn he saw a couple of Boers watering their horses at a +dam near; he despatched a dozen men to cut them off, but these soon +returned, having found a commando of sixty on the other side of the +hill. The Boers at once moved off towards Ospoort, where Captain +Montrésor lay hidden; took fright at the smoke of some fires there and +moved north; were headed off by column after column, and lost twenty-six +prisoners before the day was over, four of them falling to +Crawley-Boevey. At dawn on the 26th Captain Montrésor was sent to +Lakensvlei, where the Boers were reported to have gone; but Col. Pilcher +was before him, and had captured twelve more. Thus the commando, which +was Joubert's, was practically wiped out. + +At this time Kritzinger with 300 men and a number of led horses was +making his way down to the Colony; and on the 27th of November Col. du +Moulin got orders to move out and try to intercept him, 150 South +African Constabulary under Major Vaughan and fifty Edenburg M.I. under +Lieut. Kentish (Royal Irish Fusiliers) being added to the column. By the +evening of the 28th he reached Roodepoort, 25 miles east of Ventershoek +as the crow flies and considerably more by road. The baggage, with which +were one of the guns (under Lt. Warren, R.F.A.) and the pom-pom (under +Capt. Harrington, R.G.A.) went by a different route from that taken by +the main body. On emerging from De Rand pass, fire was opened by both +gun and pom-pom upon Captain Montrésor's "commando," which was crossing +the front--fortunately without inflicting any damage. By the evening six +Boers had been captured, with four rifles. + +Kritzinger was known to be close to Roodepoort, and likely to break +west; Col. du Moulin therefore decided to occupy a line north and south, +and after dark sent Captain Montrésor with two companies two miles to +the north, and the S. A. C. the same distance to the south. + +The men, who were carrying Maconochie rations, were served out that +evening with a ration of raw meat. It was late however, and many did not +trouble to cook the meat, eating the tinned stew instead; as a result +they went short the next day. + +The column started again at four the next morning. The Colonel moved out +with the main body at a fast trot in a N.W. direction towards a long +high ridge called Kaffir's Kop. The S. A. C. were on his right; Captain +Montrésor was on the left, but the ground there was so broken that he +could not be seen. Owing to a misunderstanding, the advanced guard took +a wrong direction, and a second one had to be sent out somewhat +hurriedly. Shortly afterwards Boers were reported on the left. The +Colonel and his staff, the main body (in close order), the gun, pom-pom +and escort all turned on to a rise to the left of the road, and saw a +large body of Boers going west at the foot of Kaffir's Kop, a couple of +miles away. Almost at the same moment, a smart fire was opened from a +small kopje 1,000 yards in rear, which, owing to the pace and the change +of advanced guards, had not been searched. Colonel, staff, men and guns +all turned sharp to the right again and galloped under cover of the +rise, the crest of which was at once lined, while the guns opened fire. +The Boers in rear did not wait, however, and streamed away from the +other side of the kopje--to which gun, pom-pom, and troops followed +them. Their course lay directly over a ridge on which were half of +Captain Montrésor's men, and a general mélée ensued, the two sides +getting so involved that in one case a drummer and a Boer took shots at +each other at ten yards distance, and then threw down their rifles and +closed. Lieut. Woodruffe fired his revolver up at a Boer as he jumped +his horse over the depression in which Woodruffe was lying. + +Unfortunately the pom-pom had again opened on Captain Montrésor's men by +mistake--it being almost impossible to tell which of the scattered +parties were Boers and which not. Beset by friend and foe, they had a +bad quarter of an hour, losing two men killed by the Boers (Sergt. +Waters and Private Elphick) and one mortally wounded (Corporal +Robinson).[20] Elphick (whose horse had been shot) died splendidly: he +was found behind an ant-heap, his bayonet fixed, all the cartridges in +his bandolier used--killed by a shot from a Boer who had worked round +behind him. The Boers also lost two killed and one wounded. + +Another column was pressing the rear of the main body of the Boers, who +hurried west some miles to the north of Col. du Moulin, and then turned +south in a wide circle. The Colonel turned and followed them. On their +way the Boers picked up and looted one of the company kit wagons that +had broken down, taking the mules and a native guide away with them. The +latter they shot. + +The column followed the Boers till three in the afternoon without a +halt, and stopped then at Ganspoort, unable to go further. The first +meal of the day was at 4 p.m. Kritzinger's men, however, had got +through; the columns ahead were not in position to block them; and on +the following day they crossed the line to the west, shifting their +laager half a mile further from the railway when they found that the +gun on the armoured train could reach them. + +The local Boers were at this time finding the eastern district too hot +to hold them. They were harried by the columns and short of food; for +although a certain amount of grain was still left, hidden in broken down +sheds and under bushes, meat was getting scarce, and the few wild sheep +on the hills were growing wilder.[21] A general movement of the Boers +therefore set in to the west; and towards the end of December the +columns followed. + +Col. du Moulin's column moved into Edenburg on the 19th of December, and +down the line to Jagersfontein Road on the 22nd. Capt. Griffin had +joined it on the 12th.[22] + +On the evening of December 23rd, the column moved out of Jagersfontein +Road and made for Jagersfontein Town, 25 miles to the west. The camp was +not struck till dark, and the baggage was left to follow in the morning. + +It was known that the Commandants had been summoned by De Wet to a +conference in the North, and it was intended to attack the local +commandos (believed to be at Jagersfontein) during their absence. + +Col. du Moulin started at 7 p.m., having with him about 300 mounted men +of the Sussex and the pom-pom; and the column trekked along in bright +moonlight till midnight, and then halted and off-saddled for a couple of +hours under the black mass of Boomplaats Hill. Starting again at 2 a.m., +they went forward till the setting of the moon, which occurred shortly +before dawn. A halt was then made to wait for the light. + +The advanced guard (H. Company) were now on the edge of a broad plain +that stretched across to Jagersfontein and the hills behind it, 6 miles +away. Lt. Crawley-Boevey and his cyclists were to the left front of the +advanced guard. As the light grew stronger, two farms could be seen half +way across the plain, about a mile apart; and a number of horses were +made out grazing round them. The Colonel ordered the advanced guard, and +F Company under Major Gilbert, to gallop these farms. The two companies +spread out into a line nearly two miles long, and set off at a canter. +Other companies supported them in rear. + +The sun was just rising, shewing up a row of eucalyptus trees that stood +out between the farms like the teeth of a comb, and casting long shadows +in front of the galloping men. As H Company got nearer to the farm house +on the left (Vlakfontein) figures could be seen making for the horses. +Nearer still, and across a spruit, and they were in among the dazed +Boers, those who had not been able to jump on a horse and get away +throwing up their hands and surrendering. + +On the right Major Gilbert came upon a donga in which Field Cornet du +Toit and a number of Boers were sleeping. These rolled out of their +blankets, and started firing, wounding two men.[23] The advancing +Company was checked by a wire fence, and there was an awkward moment +till the wire was cut; then the donga was taken, and the Field Cornet +and his men surrendered. A desultory fire was kept up for a short time +from a kopje on the extreme right, but soon ceased. + +All the Boers had now either got away towards Jagersfontein, or been +taken prisoners. Two companies were sent on towards the Jagersfontein +hills; but there was no chance of stopping the retreating Boers, and +the companies soon returned to Vlakfontein. Heaps of rifles, saddles, +bandoliers and other equipment were brought in and piled against the +verandah of the farmhouse, the Colonel and the other officers assembled +on the verandah, the horses were picketed in lines in front of the +house, the men started to brew their coffee over little fires, and a +general air of cheerful satisfaction pervaded the place; for it had been +a very successful raid. Besides twenty-eight prisoners, the column had +taken 52 rifles, 78 bandoliers, 2,500 rounds of ammunition, 105 horses, +96 saddles, 130 blankets, 25 cloaks and 8 bags of wheat. + +One shadow however fell upon the day. One of the Boers taken was in a +complete suit of Khaki, regimental badges, slouch hat and all. Too many +British had been killed, deceived by a British uniform upon a Boer, for +it to be possible to be lenient: and he was accordingly tried by Court +Martial, and shot in the evening. + +Companies were sent out in the afternoon to search adjoining hills and +kloofs; no Boers however had remained within reach. In the afternoon the +explosion of Mauser cartridges which were being destroyed by burning +sounded to those who had not been warned like a counter-attack, and +caused a momentary sensation. + +It was thought very probable that the Boers would rally and try to take +their revenge, and with the first light of Christmas morning the column +stood to arms, and waited. Nothing occurred, however, until soon after +sunrise, when guns were heard from the south. Col. du Moulin started off +as soon as possible in that direction, and trekked through the long +midsummer morning. Very hot and dusty, the column arrived about mid-day +at Fauresmith, without, however, having come across anything more +aggressive than a swarm of locusts, many miles in length. + +The guns had been those of Col. Hamilton, who, with Major Driscoll, was +co-operating with Col. du Moulin. Col. Hamilton had surprised a commando +at dawn that morning, taken fifteen of them and chased the remainder, +but in turn got his own baggage cut off at Kok's Kraal by a party of 150 +who slipped behind him. A number of his wagons were looted and burned. + +Fauresmith was a deserted town (three streets of tin-roofed houses and a +market place) lying at the foot of a high, boldly-shaped hill: the +column camped outside, and soon parties were making their way in to +explore. + +At the entrance to the town was a spring running freely. The water was +clear, not muddy; cold, not tepid; it did not smell; there was plenty of +it. The explorers filled themselves, and passed on. + +There was not much to be said for the street. The doors of the houses +were open; here and there in front of a house was a bed, or a mattress, +half destroyed: for all bedding that could not be used for the Refugee +camps had to be burnt. But the gardens at the back were Paradise. What +if much of the fruit had not ripened, for want of water? There was still +enough and to spare for everyone: apricots, figs, mulberries, small +peaches. Men shook the trees or lay along the branches, and blessed +their luck. The padré attached to the column (the Rev. ---- Hood) had +given out that he would hold a service in the Dutch church, as there was +sure to be an organ there. There was: but it had been damaged--so had +that in the Anglican church. Then he decided to hold his service in the +street; a piano was found, and placed on the verandah of a house; chairs +and sofas were borrowed and arranged in the road, and the bell in the +market-place was rung. A small congregation collected, the men, of +course, all fully armed, and the service was carried out. "Oh, come, +all ye faithful," was lustily rendered; and the walls of the empty +houses echoed it back. + +One more excitement, and Christmas day was over. Late at night, a shot +from one of the piquets and a cry of "Stand to!" turned everybody out. +It was only Driscoll, however, riding in with his Scouts. The string of +tired men and horses made its way through the camp, and silence fell +again, this time unbroken. + +On Boxing Day Col. du Moulin moved to Jagersfontein, an absolutely +deserted town with a diamond mine like a vast quarry, the bottom of +which was full of emerald green water. The Boers in passing through had +been living in the schoolroom of the convent there, and they had chalked +on the black board their names and various messages. The hills round +were searched without result, and the column moved back to Vlakfontein. + +This place was made the Headquarters and depôt for the columns of the +district, and Col. Rochfort came out there on the 2nd of January, 1902. +On the 3rd, Col. du Moulin moved out with 350 mounted men, the cyclists +and pom-pom, at 8 p.m. It was the beginning of a combined move of all +Col. Rochfort's columns against the Boers, who had again collected +together in the west. + +The generous Christmas gifts from the County of Sussex, consisting of +pipes and other useful articles, besides luxuries in the way of food, +had been served out to the men while at Vlakfontein. + +FOOTNOTES: + +[20] Pte. L. Greenfield, E Co., was also wounded. + +[21] The report of Commandant Brand upon the District, at the +Vereeniging Meeting of Commandants in May, 1902, was that everything had +been carried off; there was, he said, not a sheep left. + +[22] Capt. Griffin had been sent from Malta to South Africa at the +beginning of the war on special service. He had been invalided home with +fever, and now returned to the Regiment. + +[23] These were Cpl. A. Palmer and Pte. R. Smith, of F. Co. + + + + +CHAPTER XXVII. + +ABRAHAM'S KRAAL. + + Ramah's Spring--Belmont--In touch with the + Boers--Jagersfontein--Nieuwoudt turns North--On his track--Camp at + Abraham's Kraal--Description of ground--Boers rush the piquet--The + defence of the camp--The Colonel's charge--The Boers retire--Next + morning. + + +The Sussex column, which was working in conjunction with Col. Western +and Major Driscoll, reached Luckhoff on the 11th of January without +having come across the Boers. It then crossed into Cape Colony, going by +Ramah's Spring to Witteput. The sight of a farm, cultivated, and +occupied by friendly people, was a strange one. The owner of Ramah's +Spring in particular was most hospitable. + +On the 15th the column camped at Belmont. A terrific thunderstorm in the +evening struck some trees in the camp, but did no damage. A patrol of +fifty men under Major Gilbert got into touch next day with 300 Boers +moving south: these Boers turned east, and the column accordingly +followed them back into the Orange River Colony, and reached Luckhoff on +the 18th, after a long trek. + +On the following day the Boers were only 10 miles off; but the horses of +the column were too done to move until the evening. At Liebenbergspan a +number of mules and horses, taken with Hamilton's transport, were +recovered. It was necessary now to draw fresh supplies; Col. du Moulin +accordingly went to Jagersfontein on the 22nd and drew supplies from +Vlakfontein. Over 10,000 rounds of mixed ammunition were destroyed, +which had been found in the town, sunk in a flooded mine. + +The Boers (three commandos under Nieuwoudt) had turned north, and the +column started after them on the 23rd. The Riet River was crossed at +Jagersfontein Drift on the 24th, and Witdam was reached on the 26th. On +the following day Col. du Moulin got again into touch with the Boers. +The column had started at 5 a.m., and, while it was halted for +breakfast, four men were seen by Capt. Beale, the Intelligence Officer, +leaving a farm some miles off. Capt. Griffin was sent out with his +company to reconnoitre, and came upon the spoor of a large party. +Mounting a high kopje, he saw the four join a large laager of some 400 +Boers, with spare horses, cattle and three Cape carts, which was on the +move. The column followed, passed through the Boers' camp at De Dam, and +by the evening arrived at a drift over the Riet River. This drift lay +under the farm of Abraham's Kraal, and here the column bivouacked. The +Boers, expecting them to take a different route, had crossed the River a +few miles lower down, and were waiting on the further bank. + +At Abraham's Kraal, the farm houses are at the open end of a semi-circle +some 200 yards in diameter, formed by a low ridge that rises here and +there into small kopjes covered with large stones. Beyond the buildings +and facing the semi-circle is a garden with a stone wall. Standing with +one's back to the garden and buildings, on the right is a large stone +kraal, divided into several compartments. In front is the highest part +of the ridge, beyond which the ground drops very quickly to the Riet +River. On the left, the ridge ends in a conical rocky mound, with a +small kraal at its foot. On the outside of this mound a donga leads up +from the river, and curls in towards the farm. + +The horse lines were placed across the semi-circle, parallel to the +garden wall. On the river side of them, the officers' valises were laid +out. The Colonel and his staff slept in the farm house, which was at the +end of the ridge near the largest Kraal. The pom-pom was at the foot of +the conical mound, on the road that here entered the semi-circle. The +transport was along the garden wall, to the right rear of the horse +lines. + +Three piquets were put out, one of them on the highest part of the +ridge, looking towards the river and drift. It will be convenient to +call this the camp piquet. The river could not be actually seen from +this piquet, owing to the rapid drop of the ground. The two other +piquets were placed upon small kopjes, one to the right of the camp +piquet outside the semi-circle, and one in rear of the garden. The men +in camp, done up with many days of continuous trekking, turned in. + +At about 1 a.m. a Sergeant got up to put the nose-bag on his horse, as a +patrol was to go across the river at 3. As he was walking back to his +place, he heard a shot fired on the piquet, and shouted "Stand to!" +Almost immediately a tremendous fire was opened upon the centre of the +camp. The men woke to hear shouts and yells of "Come on you +Bob-a-days"--"Vorwatz Burghers"--and to see through the misty moonlight +(for the night was cloudy) swarms of dark figures topping the crest of +the piquet within 200 yards of them, and rushing down the slope, firing +from their hips. Nieuwoudt, after being chased so far by the column, was +striking back at last. + +The Boers had been forced into action. Col. Western with his column was +closing in upon them from the west, Major Driscoll was coming up from +the south. If they were to avoid facing a combination of columns, it was +necessary to attack one of them at once. Col. du Moulin was close on +their heels, and his force was numerically inferior.[24] + +Nieuwoudt therefore planned this night attack, entrusting the execution +of it to Commandant Theunissen. + +The attacking Boers had crossed a drift, worked up the river bed (out +of sight) till they were below the camp piquet, crept up the steep +hillside, and then rushed the sentry and piquet, killing two men and +having two men killed--one of them the owner of the farm. They then +started firing down into the camp, while some rushed across the saddle +to their left and occupied a large kraal, and others began to work along +the ridge to their right. One or two ran straight down the slope. + +Major Gilbert, sleeping in the officers' line, woke up to see a dark +giant come bounding down the hill, shouting "Hands up." The Major dashed +across to the small kraal at the foot of the conical mound, and, finding +Lieut. Thorne there, sent him to the garden wall to get men who had +taken cover there up on to the mound. Colour-Sergt. Weston was already +going up, shouting "Come on, chaps, come on!"; he was killed on the top, +by a bullet in the head, before he could fire. Major Gilbert and Thorne, +with Lieuts. Crawley-Boevey, Bond, and Paget, continued working men up +onto this ridge, getting a steady fire to bear in the direction of the +Boers, and driving back those who were attempting to work along the +ridge. + +Captain Harrington, who, with his pom-pom, was at the foot of the mound, +hid the gun under a tarpaulin, and then disposed his men to check any +attempt to creep up the donga from the River. Thorne took a party to +search this donga, but the Boers made no flank attack. + +The men behind the garden wall had also by this time developed a steady +fire, aiming at the flashes on the ridge. Neither side realised how very +small the area of operations was, and the firing was mostly high; still +a hail of bullets swept the horse lines. In a small sheet of corrugated +iron found there afterwards, were seventeen bullet holes; ninety horses +were killed. + +The Colonel, sleeping in the farmhouse, woke at the first onset. +Shouting "My God, they're in the camp," he dashed up the ridge behind +the farm. + +Lieut. Ashworth, signalling officer to the column, and 2nd Lieut. +Leachman, staff officer, ran up there too, the Colonel calling out to +Ashworth "Look after this end." + +Men were worked up to the ridge from the garden wall, Captain Beale +bringing across several parties, and here too a steady fire was +gradually developed. The noise of the firing and the shouting and +yelling was infernal. + +The Colonel had collected a little knot of men, and with them had +cleared, with the bayonet, the compartments of the large Kraal, one +after the other. The Boers still clung to the further side of it. The +Colonel now determined on a charge along the lower edge of the kraal; +shouting "All who have boots follow me" (a shout that could only be +heard by the men close to him), he dashed along the lower wall of the +kraal. The moment he cleared the corner he fell, shot through the heart +and leg; two of the men following him were mortally wounded. + +This charge appears to have shaken the Boers' nerves. They were making +no progress; they held one side of the camp, and had certainly done a +great deal of damage to the horses; but the British were firmly +established on the other, and, far from being on the run, were taking +the offensive. At any rate, shortly after the Colonel's charge, a +whistle sounded loudly several times from the piquet which the Boers had +first rushed: it was then about 2 a.m. + +A curious hush fell on the camp; yells and firing ceased as if by common +consent, and for a moment their was absolute silence. Then a shout rose +from the British side--"They're off"--and heavy firing again broke out. +The whistle was Theunissen's signal for the Boers to retire. This they +did as suddenly and as quickly as they had come. Back from the Kraal +wall--back over the piquet--back down the hill and over the drift they +went: and in a few minutes the only Boers in camp were the two they had +left dead behind them. + +It was not at once realized that the Boers had altogether gone. The +survivors of the camp piquet shouted to the men below to stop firing. +Major Gilbert learned of Col. du Moulin's death, and assumed command. +Fresh piquets were sent out, and all prepared to meet another attack. +None, however, was made. The groans of the wounded horses had been +painful to hear during the night, and as soon as it got light these were +slaughtered with revolvers. When this task was finished, more than 120 +dead horses and mules lay about the camp. They were piled literally in +heaps. + +It was now possible to make up the list of casualties. Besides the +Colonel, two Sergeants (Col. Sergt. Weston and Sergt. Green) and four +men were dead, and nine men wounded, of whom one died very shortly.[25] + +At half past seven, all the available men paraded, Captain Montrésor +read the burial service, and the Last Post was sounded over the grave +of the man to whose initiative and energy the column owed its existence, +and who had died most gallantly in its defence. It sounded, too, over +the men who had followed him to his death, and over two of the enemy who +had paid the forfeit.[26] + +FOOTNOTES: + +[24] Nieuwoudt had three commandos with him, making a total of about 400 +men. Col. du Moulin had about 300, with a pom-pom. + +[25] The casualties were as follows:-- + + KILLED-- + Lt.-Col. du Moulin. + C.-Sgt. A. Weston. G Co. + Sgt. C. Green. B Co. + Pte. W. Covington. D Co. + " T. Hill. D Co. + " R. Pimm. E Co. + " G. Tomlin. F Co. + + DIED OF WOUNDS-- + Pte. A. Brackpool. A Co. + " J. Clarke. C Co. + Pte. B Gaston. E Co. + " T. Light. E Co. + + WOUNDED-- + Sgt. E. Simmins. Vol. + Pte. G. Langley. D Co. + Dr. S. Sproston. D Co. + Pte. T. Bostock. F Co. + " J. Coles. F Co. + " A. Cox. F Co. + +[26] It is interesting to notice that after this Nieuwoudt's opinion of +night attacks was that they were not worth while, and he declared +himself against them in the future. This was learned from prisoners, and +also from some correspondence between him and Cdt. Erasmus, which was +subsequently found. The latter was urging a night attack upon Nieuwoudt, +saying that although they had been unable to capture the camp at +Abraham's Kraal, still they had killed many horses. + + + + +CHAPTER XXVIII. + +NORTHWARDS--AND THE END. + + Vlakfontein--A circular tour--Northwards--Boshof--Baas Berg--A + pom-pom exhibition--A night march--The Boers overtaken--Action at + Scheer Pan--Charging the Ridge--Hoopstadt--Commando Drift--A + Delarey drive--Klerksdorp--The Drift again--The column broken + up--Last stage--Peace--India. + + +Major Gilbert and the column left Abraham's Kraal at 8.30 on the morning +of the fight. Before that, a white flag had come in with a request for +an ambulance to bring in a wounded Boer. It appeared that several of the +enemy had been hit. + +Half of the men being dismounted, the column made slow progress; the +Boers, however, had no intention of attacking by daylight, and +Jagersfontein Drift was reached after a trek of 30 miles. + +Several of the Kaffir drivers had bolted at the first alarm that +morning, two of them with nothing on at all. They had made a bee-line +through barbed wire, cactus hedges, and mud holes; and, during the +march, sorry figures came limping back to the column, and rejoined the +wagons. One Kaffir got right through to Vlakfontein, doing the 45 miles +in ten hours, and said the column had been wiped out. The garrison there +had an anxious time till runners arrived from Major Gilbert on the +following morning. + +The column reached Vlakfontein on the 29th, three of the wounded British +and the wounded Boer having died on the way. + +A convoy from Edenburg arrived on the 1st of February, bringing a few +remounts with it; and on the 4th Major Gilbert moved out with a force +consisting of 150 mounted men of the Sussex and the 90th I. Y., with the +pom-pom. A tour was made in the direction of Philippolis, but the Boers +were not met with. At Alwyn's Kop some Kaffir scouts from the Orange +River reported the column as a Boer commando; this piece of intelligence +was sent on to Vlakfontein, and Major Gilbert was stopped on the return +journey and sent, together with Major Driscoll and his Scouts, to chase +himself. + +As might have been expected, nothing resulted, and the column returned +to Vlakfontein on the 17th of February. A terrific hailstorm had done a +great deal of damage here a few days before, stampeding the horses. Some +dashed into the house, while others got away altogether, and were never +seen again. + +On the afternoon of the 21st Major Gilbert started again (the Yeomen had +been transferred to Col. Western), with supplies for Col. Rochfort, who +was on his way north. Calabas Bridge over the Riet River was reached +shortly before midnight, after a trek of 27 miles. Joining Col. Rochfort +the next day, the column took part in a general move to the north. They +marched 26 miles that night, and crossed the Modder River near +Paardeberg in the early morning. + +Boshof was reached on the 26th of February. It stood in the middle of +vast plains, covered with deep grass that reached up to the horses' +shoulders. An occasional kopje sticking up darkly here and there only +served to mark the great distances. + +The local commandos, under Commandants Badenhorst, Jacobs and Erasmus, +had been having things very much their own way in this district; Boshof +itself was garrisoned by the Scottish Rifles Militia, but they had +practically no mounted troops. The country had never been effectively +cleared; it contained plenty of stock and crops, and many of the farms +were occupied. + +Before reaching Boshof, Major Driscoll and his scouts had found and +rushed Jacob's laager, capturing six men, five wagons, and nine Cape +carts. Driscoll's men were many of them Boers (it was said that more +Dutch than English was to be heard in passing through his lines), and +one of the first to rush the laager was greeted by his grandmother with +a magnificent flow of abuse. + +The Boers were believed to be to the north of Boshof, and Col. +Rochfort's columns accordingly surrounded and attacked at dawn on the +1st of March a large hill, the Baas Berg, said to be their stronghold. +The Boers had, however, moved away, and, though they could be seen, it +was hopeless to chase them. + +On the night of the 1st a party of fifty Driscoll's scouts, who had been +sent to surround a farm, got entangled with 350 Boers; and half the +Sussex, with the rest of Driscoll's and the pom-pom, were sent out to +relieve them. The Boers retired, and the force returned, bringing with +it 150 sheep. As they reached camp, three men with five horses appeared +about a mile away, making for a farm. At first they were taken for +British scouts, but, when it was realised that they were dressed in +black, this seemed unlikely. A pom-pom shell was put over them, and they +immediately scattered, and made in the direction of the Boers. They had +mistaken the troops for a commando. + +They had two miles of open ground to cover, and the pom-pom made +beautiful practice. Shells burst just behind them, just in front, just +beyond and even (as it seemed) right under them, but they got away and +behind a ridge, uninjured. The effect of a pom-pom is more moral than +material. + +During the next few days several laagers were captured by the other +columns, and 6,000 sheep and 300 horses taken, besides some cattle. On +the evening of the 5th Col. Rochfort organized a night march of all +columns to the north in the hope of catching up the Boers, who had +retired in that direction. The Sussex column and Driscoll's Scouts were +now working together, and Col. Rochfort accompanied them. + +The horses were not saddled nor the wagons inspanned till after dusk. +Great fires were left burning in the camp when the combined column moved +out. During the night a Boer Hospital was met. The sick Boers had got +wind of the column's approach, and had not waited for it. After a trek +of 20 miles a halt was made at Scheerpan. The wagons were out-spanned, +hidden in the garden of the farm, and the men were allowed to snatch two +hours' sleep. + +The farm at Scheerpan looks across an open plain to a long ridge about 2 +miles off. This ridge (known as Busch Kop) is crossed at the right end +of it (as you look from the farm) by a road from the north-east. To the +left of the road the ridge is covered with very thick bush for some +distance. A sugar-loaf hill and a small kopje stand in front of the +ridge at about the centre. At the extreme left end a spur runs out from +the ridge into the plain. + +Behind Scheerpan farmhouse is a rocky hill, and on this Col. Rochfort, +Major Gilbert, and Major Driscoll waited for sunrise. + +All seemed quiet. As the light grew stronger, nothing could be seen +moving on the ridge opposite. Then twenty men came round the corner of +the ridge and down the road, and more behind them. + +Were they Boers or British? It was difficult to tell. Touch had been got +with Col. Western's column on the right; it seemed more likely that they +were a patrol of his.--They saw the wagons in the garden and turned +back. + +Even that was not conclusive; a patrol might well have done the same. +Major Driscoll went down and took out a few men to reconnoitre. From +the top of the kopje he could be seen going out; then a dozen men left +the ridge and went across to the sugar-loaf hill, opening fire from +there. The Scouts dismounted and returned their fire from the open. At +the same time thirty or forty men appeared round the extreme left end of +the ridge, working round to cut Driscoll off; and it was clear that he +could not see them. It was an anxious moment for those watching on the +kopje. + +There was no doubt now as to who was holding the ridge. Two squadrons of +Driscoll's were sent to clear the sugar-loaf hill. Driscoll's attention +was at length drawn to the men beyond him, and he retired on the camp. +The Boers followed him up, and, occupying a hillock, opened fire on the +camp at less than a mile. Capt. Griffin with his company was sent to +charge the hillock, and the pom-pom opened upon it. The Boers were +cleared off. Major Gilbert went out and took charge of this flank. + +Meanwhile the two squadrons had occupied the sugar-loaf hill and the +small kopje, which were about 1,000 yards from the main ridge. It was +thought that there were no Boers upon the left end of the latter, as the +heavy fire which had been opened came from its right end only. Col. +Rochfort and Major Driscoll had come up, and it was decided to charge +the ridge with a company of the Sussex and the two squadrons. + +A few men were left on the sugar-loaf hill to fire at the crest +opposite; the squadrons and the Sussex men were drawn up in lines under +cover. + +"Trot till you get into the open and then gallop," shouted Driscoll, and +off went the lines. The first line charged towards the centre of the +ridge, the second line (consisting largely of Sussex) followed 500 yards +behind, and rather to the left. + +As soon as the men got into the open, a heavy fire broke out from the +spur of the main ridge, at the foot of which the left hand men were +riding. At the same time the rest of the Boers (there were about 200 of +them among the bushes) turned their fire upon the charging lines. The +ridge is about 1½ miles long. + +Bullets fell very fast, and kicked up the dust among the horses' feet; +but the men were moving at a good pace, and very little damage was done. +One man of Driscoll's was killed and two were wounded. + +The first line reached the ridge at about the centre; the second line +turned to the left and charged up the spur, which was occupied by about +fifty Boers. These did not wait for the attack, and, as the leading men +reached the top, they saw the last Boer disappearing into the thick bush +500 yards down the other side. The British followed, but were soon +recalled, as pursuit would have been useless. + +The first line made their position good on the centre of the ridge; the +pom-pom was brought into action against the right half of it, and the +Boers evacuated the whole position, leaving one prisoner behind them. +They could be seen streaming away in batches northwards and westwards, +and they were followed with long range rifle fire, which, however, only +made them move a little quicker. + +During the next few days the other columns came into line, but the Boers +were not heard of again. + +The movement was continued northwards, and Major Gilbert with the Sussex +column, Driscoll's, and 100 I. Y., marched on Hoopstadt by a circuitous +route to the west. Two nights were spent in trekking, the column lying +up in farms in the daytime. + +At the end of the second night, Bornemansfontein was reached, a +well-wooded farm with stone-walled paddocks, in which the men were +disposed. Soon after dawn, some mounted men were seen bearing down upon +the camp at a gallop. As they came nearer cries of "Hands up!" were +heard, and it became evident that they were executing a gallant though +quite hopeless charge. The stone walls were lined, and a few shots +fired, killing one of the advancing horses. By this time it had been +realised that the men were South African Constabulary. The troops were +well hidden, and they had mistaken the encampment for a small Boer +family laager. + +Major Davis of Driscoll's very pluckily rode between the lines, blowing +his whistle. Firing ceased, and explanations followed. + +The farm was inhabited, and the wife of the owner said that her husband +was on commando, but that she had not seen him or the commando for two +months. Her little boy, however, was more communicative, and said he had +been there two nights before with five horses. + +Hoopstadt was reached on the 11th of March. It was a small town, the +inhabitants of which had been removed. The church was used as a +hospital, and most of the houses were occupied by troops, for the place +was one of the S. A. C. Headquarters. The only water supply was from the +Vet River, which ran a rich thick brown. It was said that, if a spoon +was placed upright in the middle of a cup of tea, it would stand there. + +In the past five weeks some of the horses of the column had done 500 +miles, practically trekking every day. + +The great combined movements in the north-east of the Orange River +Colony had at this time finally broken the power of De Wet, and he +crossed the railway line south of the Vaal on March 5th, with President +Steyn and about 200 men. + +Delarey was in considerable strength in the Western Transvaal, and it +was thought that he and De Wet might attempt to effect a combination. A +line was therefore held running along the Vaal and Valsch Rivers, and +the column, composed of the Sussex and Driscoll's Scouts under Major +Gilbert, moved on the 12th of March from Hoopstadt for Commando Drift. +After a mid-day halt at Wegdraai, an attempt was made to march on in the +evening; rain, however, fell in torrents, and the night was pitch-dark. +Having gone a few miles with the greatest difficulty, half the transport +(following in rear of the mounted troops) led off on to a wrong road, +and progress became impossible. Thoroughly wet and uncomfortable, the +column halted for the night, and before morning the lost wagons +returned. Commando Drift was reached on the 14th, and here the news was +made known of Delarey's successes: first, the capture of Col. Von +Donop's convoy, and then the taking of Lord Methuen and a number of men. +The column proceeded to Strydfontein, a drift 3 miles above Commando +Drift (which was occupied by S. A. C.), and held it during the following +week. It had been expected that Delarey with his successful commandos +might attempt to break south and join De Wet. The latter, however, +slipped across the Vaal with President Steyn by a little known bridle +drift on the night of the 15th, and joined Delarey. + +Meantime the troops that had been operating in the east were being +brought across the line, and by the 23rd of March there were collected +at Commando Drift under Colonel Rochfort the columns of Lord Basing and +of Cols. Bulfin, Sitwell, and Western, besides a force of South African +Constabulary. Major Gilbert and Major Driscoll having moved down to +Commando Drift, Col. Rochfort crossed into the Transvaal during the +evening of the 23rd with 3,000 men. No wheeled vehicle or gun was +taken, every man carrying two days' rations for himself and his horse. +Before starting, Lord Kitchener's message had been read out to the +troops, in which he said that the operations would tax their endurance, +but that he relied upon their using every effort, working with the +greatest dash and spirit, and utterly defeating any enemy they might +meet. + +The scheme provided that Col. Rochfort should come up at night from the +south, and get touch with the large bodies of troops that would be sent +westward from Klerksdorp, and that the whole should turn eastwards in +the morning, forming a gigantic net which would be drawn in upon the +Schoonspruit blockhouse line, specially reinforced. + +The moon was full, and Col. Rochfort's men marched through the night, +making Wolmaranstad by 3.30 a.m. There the black masses of troops closed +up and dismounted, till the whole slope by the townlet was covered with +horses and men. Then the columns separated out to take up their +positions in the line. + +Major Gilbert and Major Driscoll again worked together. At dawn, +Driscoll's, who were leading, captured twelve Boers asleep round their +wagons; they were an outpost of Delarey's, and they had no idea that any +British could be in the vicinity. They said that a commando of Delarey's +was ten miles ahead. This commando, however, managed to slip through +between two columns. Through the day the net was drawn tighter, and by +the evening of the 23rd Major Gilbert and his men had ridden over 60 +miles in twenty-one hours. At six o'clock they bivouacked in the rain in +some scrub at Matjespruit. There had been a heavy hailstorm during the +afternoon. + +On the next afternoon Klerksdorp was reached. Some hundreds of Boers had +been caught altogether, besides three 15-pounders, two pom-poms, and a +quantity of ammunition. Perhaps the greatest effect produced, however, +was upon the nerves of the Boers. They got into a state of "nervous +tension," as they never knew when or where the British would turn up +next. A district miles away from the nearest troops in the evening was +swarming with columns in the morning. The absolute abandonment of +transport by the British had been the key to the situation. + +On the evening of the following day Col. Rochfort's columns started to +return to Commando Drift. They marched 30 miles during the night, and +got to the Drift the next evening, having covered 150 miles in four +days. The lights of the camps that stretched along the river for a mile +or more shone through the trees like the lights of a town. + +On the way in, two Africander guides of the Intelligence Department had +ridden on ahead of the columns, and, coming up to a farm, were taken by +the woman there for Boers. She gave them seven rounds of ammunition (all +she had, she said) and told them they must not stay, as there were +thousands and thousands of Khakis on the river--more than she had ever +seen--with Lord Roberts and Lord Kitchener. Asked how she knew Lord +Roberts was there, she produced a photograph of him out of a packet of +cheap cigarettes, and said she recognised him as he rode through. + +On the 29th of March the Sussex column was finally broken up. It had +been ten months in existence not counting the months of convoy work; it +had covered thousands of miles. It had had its days of success, and it +had come through its black hour of tribulation. For some months it had +been dwindling in numbers, more and more men becoming dismounted and +being left at the various bases. The column had done its work. + +The remaining mounted men were turned into an M. I. Company under +Captain Montrésor, and attached to Col. Western's column, of which Major +Gilbert was made second in command. The dismounted men were sent to +Hoopstadt, at which place the officers, men and stores left behind at +Vlakfontein had arrived. + +From this time until the declaration of peace on June 1st, the +dismounted men worked between Hoopstadt, Bloemhof and the line, +sometimes as escort to convoys, sometimes as stops for drives. The +mounted company joined in the latter, of which the most important took +place on the 9th of June and following days. Col. Rochfort's columns +moved to Schweizer Renecke, where they surprised some Boers, capturing +sixty. They then formed, in conjunction with Gen. Ian Hamilton's columns +from the north, a line in single rank 50 miles long. For the next three +days this line moved west, the men sleeping in their positions at +nightfall. The sight, when an extended view could be got, was a strange +one. As far as the eye could reach the line of mounted men stretched +away, here dipping into a valley, there topping a rise. There were some +21,000 troops driving. + +The Kimberley railway was reached on the 11th of May. Nearly 400 Boers +were captured, and a great deal of stock. Severe sniping was experienced +on the way back to Bloemhof--several mules and horses, and one or two +men being hit. + +News of the declaration of peace was received on June 1st amidst general +rejoicings, and the scattered regiment was gradually collected at +Bloemfontein, to which place Headquarters moved up from Bethulie. From +Bloemfontein the time-expired men, the volunteers, and the reservists +(regular and militia), were sent home, leaving only a skeleton +Battalion, due for India, where fresh drafts would await it. + + + + +CHAPTER XXIX. + +THE THIRD BATTALION. + + +The Third Battalion of the Royal Sussex Regiment was embodied, under the +command of Col. the Earl of March, A.D.C., from December 11th, 1899, to +September 11th, 1902--probably the record embodiment for a Militia +Battalion during the war. The Battalion assembled at Preston Barracks, +Brighton, and, shortly before Christmas, 1899, volunteered as a whole +for service in South Africa. This offer was not, however, utilized until +early in 1901. + +On the 30th March, 1900, the Battalion was moved to the Shaft Barracks, +Dover. Both Line Battalions being abroad, line details were attached to +it, ultimately amounting to three Companies. + +The Battalion marched to Shorncliffe on the 30th April, and remained +there under canvas until the 18th October, forming part of a Militia +Brigade. On that date they moved into Napier Barracks. The latter part +of the time under canvas had been extremely wet and cold. + +On the 2nd February, 1901, the Battalion took part in the lining of the +streets for the funeral of Queen Victoria. They paraded with the Colours +at 2.15 a.m., and entrained for London, where they were stationed near +Apsley House. + +Early in February, orders were received for the Battalion to hold itself +in readiness to proceed on active service; and after many delays it +embarked on the "City of Cambridge," at the Albert Dock, on the 29th of +March. The numbers proceeding to South Africa were twenty-four officers +and 480 men. Already 123 men of the Battalion had been sent out to join +the 1st Battalion as Militia Reservists. One officer (Capt. Blake) had +also been attached to that Battalion for duty a year before. + +Capetown was reached on the 23rd April, and the Battalion was at once +entrained for Bloemfontein, arriving there five days later. On the way, +a call was made at the Headquarters of the 1st Battalion at Norval's +Pont, and a football match played with them. + +At Bloemfontein, the 3rd Battalion camped at Spitzkop, 4 miles west of +the town, and took over the "B" section of the outposts, which was +placed under the command of Col. the Earl of March. On the suggestion of +Col. Long, R.A., commanding the troops at Bloemfontein, a number of men +of the Battalion were trained as Mounted Infantry for local defence +purposes, first under Captain Papillon, and then (on his falling sick in +June) under Capt. the Hon. J. S. R. Tufton. By August, the 3rd Battalion +M. I. numbered eight officers and 225 N. C. O.'s and men. + +There must have been, at this time, over a thousand men, in all, of the +Royal Sussex Regiment, doing mounted work in South Africa. + +The mounted duties round Bloemfontein consisted of patrolling beyond the +outposts, and of escorting convoys to columns in the field. The men for +the most part knew nothing about horses to start with; they were, +however, very keen, and, under careful instruction, quickly learned the +rudiments of horsemastership, and finally constituted a really useful +body of M. I. + +Capt. Tufton took over the post at Fischer's Farm with fifty men, in +July; and in September another seventy-five of the M. I. were sent, +under Lieut. Wilson (4th Suffolk Regt., attached) and 2nd Lieut. +Nicholson, to occupy Warringham's, beyond Thabanchu. + +Although no opportunity is allowed for a militiaman to learn signalling, +yet the 3rd Battalion had taken this up on the voyage out; some +signalling equipment was obtained at Bloemfontein, and classes were +started, with the result that when, in July, the regular signallers at +Spitzkop had to be withdrawn, the 3rd Battalion signallers were able to +take over the station. + +Capt. Hankey and Lieut. Parkin, with 100 men, had been sent to the +Supply Depôt in Bloemfontein, in place of coming to Spitzkop. Shortly +afterwards Capt. Hankey went as A.D.C. to Col. Long. + +On November 23rd the M.I. was broken up. Col. Long wrote the following +letter upon the subject: + + The O. C. troops regrets to have to publish an order to-day for the + withdrawal of the ponies of the Sussex M.I. The Remount Department + have to furnish 600 horses for columns on the move in the next + week, and they are at present so short of fit horses that they are + obliged to call upon the Sussex to hand in the ponies they have so + well looked after and converted into serviceable animals. The + greatest credit is due to you and all concerned for the way you + have cared for these ponies. The G. O. C. regrets having to take + this step, but feels sure you will understand that this step has + only been taken owing to extreme pressure and the urgent + requirements of the service. + +In December the Battalion was moved down to Volksrust, on the Natal +border. The first detachment left under Lieut.-Col. Godman on the 7th, +escorting a batch of Boer prisoners as far as Ladysmith. + +On the 12th of December the following order was published at +Bloemfontein: + + The Third Royal Sussex Regt. having been ordered away from this + station, the O. C. troops wishes to take this opportunity of + expressing his appreciation of their uniform excellent conduct, and + of the cheerful and thorough manner of carrying out the duties in + garrison by all ranks of the Battalion during the eight months they + have been at Bloemfontein. + +Major Clarke, with seven officers and 181 N. C. O.'s and men, moved down +the line to Ingogo, in Natal, and took over a district and a line of +posts along the railway between that place and Mount Prospect; other +detachments were at Laing's Nek, Iketeni Nek (Majuba), and along the +line north of Volksrust. Col. the Earl of March took over command of +the troops at Volksrust, Capt. and Adjt. P. E. P. Crawfurd taking up the +duties of S. S. O. + +At Christmas time the county of Sussex sent out to the Battalion a +generous gift in the shape of good fare and useful presents. + +On January 5th, 1902, Capt. Aldridge came as Adjutant to the Battalion. +During the following months several attempts were made by Boers to cross +the railway at night; they were, however, frustrated by the heavy firing +of the block-houses. + +On the anniversary of the embarkation of the Battalion, three officers +and forty-nine men had been invalided home, fourteen men had died, two +officers and fifty-two N. C. O.'s and men were in hospital, and +twenty-three officers and 452 N. C. O.'s and men were doing duty. A +draft had been received from the depôt in February. + +In May, the Peace negotiations were on foot, and Boer delegates arrived +at Volksrust on their way to Vereeniging. In accordance with orders, +they were treated with lavish hospitality. + +Peace was declared on June 1st, and on the next day the Battalion +received orders to move to St. Helena for duty in guarding prisoners. +The various detachments collected at Ingogo, and moved down on the 9th +to Durban, where the "Wakool" was waiting for them; the weather was +however too rough to embark until the 14th, the intervening days being +spent at Umbilo Prison Camp. Major Clarke now commanded the Battalion, +Col. the Earl of March having returned for the Coronation. + +St. Helena was reached on the 24th June. As the "Wakool" steamed into +the Jamestown anchorage, the signallers on H.M.S. Dwarf gave the news of +the King's illness, and of the consequent postponement of the +coronation, which should have taken place next day. + +After five days quarantine the Battalion disembarked, and marched to +Broadbottom Camp, at the N.E. end of the Island, relieving the Buffs +Militia. Gen. Cronje watched the men go by from the house where he lived +apart; he was not very popular among the other prisoners--mostly +Paardebergers. + +There were about 2,000 Boers at Broadbottom, including Gen. Ben Viljoen. +They were at this time just trying to make up their minds to take the +oath of allegiance. They were too loyal to their old Government to do so +without orders--which, however, they ultimately received. Those who took +the oath beforehand did not have a pleasant time. + +The weather was extremely bad, and the camp a sea of mud. On July 19th, +a gloom was cast over the Battalion by the death of Colour Sergt. +Penfold, who was killed in trying to climb down a steep cliff. + +On August 9th, Coronation Day was celebrated. A _feu de joie_ was fired, +and the Battalion was inspected by Col. Wright, commandant of the camp. +In the evening an enormous bonfire was lit upon the hillside. In the +crowd round it, Boers and British mingled freely, the latter tanned from +exposure, the former pale from a year or more mostly spent in their +tents. After loyalty had been satisfied, Col. Wright called for three +cheers for "our friends and fellow subjects, our late gallant enemies," +which were heartily given. The Battalion embarked for England on board +the "Dominion" on August 11th, and arrived at Chichester a month later, +having travelled by way of Cape Town. At Chichester they were welcomed +by the Mayor and Corporation, and marched to barracks through decorated +streets. + +The medals earned by the men were presented to them by Mrs. Kilgour +(Col. Kilgour then commanded the Regimental District), and the +embodiment, which had lasted two years and nine months, was at an end. + + + + +APPENDIX A. + +THE 13TH M. I. + +By CAPT. G. P. HUNT, Royal Berkshire Regiment. + + +In November, 1900, four new Battalions of M. I. were assembled at +Pretoria: and of these the 13th M. I. was one. It was made up of +detachments from various regiments, and No. 1 Co. consisted of seventy +N. C. O.'s and men of the Royal Sussex, brought up by Lieut. J. S. +Cameron from Lindley, and fifty-five of the Royal Berkshire Regiment +under Lieut. G. P. Hunt. The Battalion was commanded by Capt. +(afterwards Brevet Maj.) Pratt, of the Durham Light Infantry. Early in +1901 Lt. Cameron took over command of No. 1 Co. + +December and January were mostly spent in training the men. Many of +these knew nothing about mounted work, and had first to learn to stick +on their horses (raw, untrained Argentines for the most part) somehow. +However, in a creditably short time a body of useful mounted men, if not +of expert horsemen, was turned out. + +The 13th M. I. were first under fire at Hekpoort on 19th December, with +General Alderson's column. Gen. Clements was then conducting a combined +movement westwards up the Magaliesberg Valley. The Boers were eventually +driven out of their Hekpoort position. The Company came under a smart +rifle fire, and their led horses were pom-pomed: but they sustained no +casualties and saw no Boers. + +From January to April, 1901, Gen. Alderson's column was engaged on the +operations under Gen. French in the eastern and south-eastern Transvaal. +This column consisted of the 13th and 14th M. I., the Canadian Scouts, +the Yorkshire Light Infantry, "J" Battery, R. H. A., and a pom-pom; it +trekked along the Swaziland border to Ermelo, encountering very few +Boers by the way. The column waited for supplies at Ermelo for ten days; +but continuous rain and flooded rivers prevented the convoys coming out +from Newcastle, and mutton and mealies were all that men and horses had +to live on. The horses suffered severely from the lack of food, and from +standing about in the wet camp. Full rations were not obtained till 26th +March, more than a month later. + +During April the column trekked through the difficult country between +Vryheid and Zululand, arriving at Newcastle on the 20th of that month. + +By this time more than half the 13th M. I. were dismounted, and the men +were in rags. Gen. French's operations had cost the Boers 1,000 +casualties, and the districts involved had been cleared, cattle being +driven in, and sheep used for rations or destroyed. The Boer families +were brought in to Refugee camps. + +The 13th and 14th M. I. were remounted, and joined Gen. Bullock's column +at Volksrust. The horses supplied to the Company were mostly large raw +Hungarians, quite unsuited to the work. + +Gen. Bullock's column, which was a large one, first trekked about the +Standerton and Wakkerstroom districts, and then worked in the northern +Free State, finishing up at Heidelberg in the end of July. There was no +serious fighting, although every day Boer skirmishers were encountered. +These would lie in wait for the scouts of the column, on the chance of +shooting them at short range, and then making off. Dogs proved very +useful to scouting parties: going on ahead, they would, by their +actions, give warning of concealed Boers. + +The men kept wonderfully fit and in very good spirits; they were just +the type that Kipling describes in his poem "M. I." The horses, however, +suffered severely from the cold, which was very severe, particularly at +night. + +At Heidelberg, Brig. Gen. Spens took over the column, which worked from +July to September in the N. E. Free State. This was a very eventful time +for the 13th M. I.; night marches were the rule rather than the +exception. Numbers of Boers were captured, wagons, cattle and horses +were brought in, and farms were destroyed. The column worked sometimes +by itself, and sometimes in conjunction with others; occasionally single +battalions went in different directions. The Boers had difficulty in +avoiding the troops, and were deprived of their wagons, spare horses, +shelters and means of subsistence, with a view to forcing them to +surrender. + +One occasion in particular may be mentioned. On the night of the 6th of +August the column divided into two, acting in conjunction with +Rimington. After a night march, a laager was surprised at dawn, many +prisoners being taken. + +The Company captured a number of Boers and wagons after a long gallop: +they only just avoided an engagement with Gough's M. I., which was +coming up from another direction. + +On the 15th August Lieut. J. M. Hulton joined the 13th M. I. at +Kroonstad from the 5th Bn. Royal Fusiliers, and was posted to No. 1 Co., +and given command of one of the Sussex sections. He had his horse killed +on the 18th, when on flank-guard, by some Boers who crept up a donga +just as the scouts were moving on. He fell under his horse, but one of +the section galloped back, helped him to get clear, and took the saddle +on to his own horse while Hulton ran by his side. + +On the 3rd September the column rode down a Boer convoy and 300 Boers. +Cameron was in command of the advanced guard. Nearly all the wagons were +captured, some falling into the hands of Rimington's and Wilson's +columns. Many Boers were taken, and a number killed and wounded. Many of +the horses of the column had subsequently to be destroyed: for the men +rode over 50 miles that day, and the horses were utterly done up. + +Towards the end of September Botha threatened to invade Natal, and Gen. +Spens' column, with others, entrained for that colony. Gough's M. I. had +suffered a serious reverse near Vryheid, the Boers being in superior +numbers. Botha had then attacked Major Chapman and his small force at +Fort Itala on the Zulu border, but had been repulsed after two days' +most severe fighting. He afterwards stated that it was here that his +power was finally broken. + +The 13th, 14th, and Gough's M. I. moved out of Dundee on September 22nd, +crossed Rorke's Drift, passed Isandhlwana, and hurried on to help +Chapman, leaving the convoy to follow. The columns of Spens, Pulteney, +and Allenby, under Major Gen. Bruce Hamilton, formed up along the +Zululand border, and worked northwards through the mountainous Vryheid +district; Gen. Clements coming in from Dundee. + +The main body of the Boers appeared to have gone, but a number of those +wounded at Itala were found in farms, and a number of fresh graves +showed that Botha's forces had suffered considerably in attempting to +capture Chapman with his small force and two guns. + +Wagons and carts were found in the most incredible places on the slopes +of mountains, and were destroyed. A good number of cattle also were +captured from the few Boers looking after them. In the meantime, the +convoy had such difficulty in getting up the roads that for three days +it could not reach the battalion, which had to do without rations; and +both men and horses felt rather done up and very empty after climbing up +and down the rugged hills in the rain. Several horses were unable to get +on and had to be shot, but fortunately only two of the Company's. + +Gen. Spens' column reached Vryheid on the 22nd October, and, returning +to Newcastle, got fresh supplies for a trek in the Orange River Colony. +Standerton was reached in November, after operations along the +Drakensberg. + +At the end of November began the series of captures by Gen. Bruce +Hamilton, made possible by the wonderful intelligence obtained by Col. +Wools-Sampson. Half of Spens' column and half of Col. Rawlinson's, with +the corps of surrendered Boers, made a night march of some 25 miles from +Ermelo on the 4th December. + +Led by Wools-Sampson's native boys, they came on a laager at dawn the +next morning. Unfortunately there was not time to surround it, and +another small laager beyond was warned by the firing, many of the Boers +jumping on to their ponies and galloping off. However, the columns +pursued and captured a good many, and all the wagons, etc., were +captured. The totals were ninety-one prisoners of the Bethel and +Standerton commandos, including the Landrost of Bethel, twenty wagons, +thirty Cape carts, 2,000 head of cattle, and 5,000 sheep, many rifles, +ammunition, etc. During the pursuit the Sussex section captured fifteen +Boers, and one man killed a native with the butt of his rifle, who had +just fired at and missed him. + +The column now camped at the head of the Standerton-Ermelo block-house +line, which was progressing at the rate of about two block-houses and +one mile of barbed wire fence a day. December was spent in clearing the +surrounding country. A number of Boers were brought in, and a great deal +of stock. + +On the 19th December, the 14th M. I. were surprised by Britz's commando +at Tweefontein, while searching farms; they lost two officers and +thirteen men killed, and several officers and men wounded. + +The Boers were dressed in khaki, having red cloth tabs with B.S. +(Britz's Scouts), and numbered some 300 or 400. It was noticed that +after the fight they destroyed their own rifles, taking away those they +captured, as they preferred ours. The remainder of the column, which +moved to join the 14th M. I. in the morning, did not hear of the attack +by the Boers in time to assist, but drove off the commando, inflicting +on the Boers some few more casualties. The column moved towards +Amersfort, where Christmas was spent, and then made two successive night +marches (27th, 28th December), towards Tweefontein and Standerton, in +which twenty-seven Boers, six armed natives and 600 cattle were +captured, and forty-four Boers were obliged to surrender on the +block-house lines. Some of the arms and equipment of the 14th M. I. +were recovered from the prisoners. + +For about six weeks the column had its headquarters at Ermelo, which +became an important station at the junction of three lines of +block-houses. Bruce Hamilton now had five or six columns under him, +which he sent out in any direction according to the Intelligence +obtained by Wools-Sampson's boys. + +The night marches that ensued resulted in the capture of a great many +Boers, including that of Grobelaar's laager and 100 men. The scattered +pursuits that followed the discovery of a laager became very like +hunting without hounds--with the added excitement that occasionally the +enemy would stop to fire. Only the fittest horses were taken out, and +the Boers were ridden down or driven onto lines of block-houses. The men +had to act by themselves in following up single or small parties of +Boers, as a column often got spread over many miles of country. + +From 23rd February to 8th April the column was detached, still under +Brigadier General Spens, and acted in the low veldt and the Vryheid +district, also going through Utrecht and Wakkerstroom. The principal +idea of this trek appears to have been to complete the clearing of those +districts of cattle, and for this purpose some 200 Zulus were called +for, under a chief of north-western Zululand, to assist in bringing in +the cattle. The majority of the natives in those districts with whom the +Boers had left their cattle were of Zulu origin, but it was difficult +for the troops to sort the Boer from the Zulu cattle. This, however, the +"impi" did with ease. Going out into the kraals at night, they would +persuade the natives to bring in the Boer cattle themselves, as they +were allowed to kill as many as they could eat; and the "impi" grew and +grew until it was more than ten times its original size. By day it would +trek along at a jog trot beside the convoy, the men singing their war +songs; for they were not allowed to carry rifles, but only carried +assegais for self-defence at night. When the column returned to the high +veldt, the Zulus, though loath to do so, had to return to their own +country. + +The final stage of the war was now reached. It was short. The Boers that +were left in the field were practically all enclosed in areas surrounded +by lines of block-houses and barbed wire fences, which they themselves +called "Kraals." Single men were known to have got through from one area +to another, but it was practically impossible for many to do so without +storming a block-house. It therefore only remained for us to sweep one +area after another, and this was done by an extended line of mounted +troops with its ends marching along block-houses. The block-house lines +on either flank and in front of the sweeping line were strengthened by +infantry trenches between the block-houses, which made them impassable +by day or night; and when either of these happened to be a railway line, +armoured trains patrolled the line to assist. The mounted troops +remained in their column organisation, and each column was bound to keep +in touch with the next by day and night, in order that every hiding +place should be searched and the Boers prevented from breaking through +as far as possible. By day a continuous chain of scouts advanced +supported by small bodies, at intervals in rear; and mule wagons +followed in rear of the centre of each column with supplies, blankets, +and entrenching tools. At night a continuous line of trenches about 50 +to 200 yards apart was formed, and as far as possible a continuous +obstacle of barbed wire was put up in front of the trenches. + +1ST DRIVE.--The 13th M. I. were always on the right of Spens' line, the +14th M. I. in the centre, and Gough's M. I. on the left. The Company +being No. 1 of the 13th was on the extreme right, and consequently on +them fell the onus of keeping touch with the next column through all the +drives. + +On 10th April the columns under Bruce-Hamilton lined up from Ermelo, +through Carolina, to the Middelburg-Belfast line, and in three days' +swept the area to the Standerton-Heidelberg line. + +On the last night of this drive some Boers made a determined effort to +get through the line, attacking Gough's M. I.; but not more than forty +were supposed to have succeeded, the remainder being beaten back. The +column picked up altogether ninety-five Boers out of a total of 134 +captured, and a good many Boers were killed in attacking the line. + +On 12th April some of the advanced scouts were ambushed by a party of +Boers, Pte. Leadbetter, of the Royal Sussex Regt., being killed and two +temporarily captured. + +2ND DRIVE.--From the 18th--20th April the columns swept the area from +the Vaal-Springs line to the Bronkhorst Spruit--Middelburg line. + +There were six columns extended, the Scots Greys joining in from +Springs; but the results were very small, the Boers having got through a +gap between two other columns on the left. + +3RD DRIVE.--On 26th--27th the line went back over the same ground, going +over forty miles on the second day. + +4TH DRIVE.--From the 3rd--5th May the columns swept the country from +Standerton--Heidelberg--Vereeniging southwards to Frankfort--Heilbron +and the main railway line, and then on in one day to the +Kroonstad-Lindley line; Elliot's columns holding the Liebensberg Vlei on +the left. The Boers made a great effort to break through the next +column, and some 200 succeeded; but the result of the whole drive was +294 prisoners and eleven killed, which was very satisfactory after the +long and arduous drive. The distance traversed on the 6th alone was over +forty miles, as the crow flies, which meant a good deal more for +everyone, if the unevenness of the land and the continual straining of a +line some sixty miles long be taken into account. But this told more on +the poor horses, which had to be sacrificed to accomplish the necessary +steps for finishing the war. Officers and men not only rode these long +distances, wearied by the monotony of trekking hour after hour at the +walk, on tired horses, but were hardly able to sleep at night during the +drives on account of the possibility of having a trench rushed at any +moment, and also on account of the continual firing all along the line, +everyone being ordered to fire on the slightest suspicion of Boers being +in front. By this time many of the horses were considered incapable of +keeping up with the line in a long day's drive, and were sent in to the +railway, leaving the Company only about half its original strength. +Everyone looked forward to the rest which Lord Kitchener promised us we +should soon have, but we had one more drive to accomplish--the return +drive to Heilbron and Frankfort, and this proved to be one of the most +eventful days for No. 1 Company. + +LAST DRIVE.--The drive took place on 9th May, 1902; the 13th M. I. +started from Lindley, and finished at a point about twelve miles out of +Heilbron towards Frankfort. Starting at dawn, No. 1 Company joined hands +with McKenzie's column at 7.30, and the line halted for an hour at +10.30. The units being so weak, about four scouts per Company were sent +about half-a-mile in front, and the remainder of the men extended to +keep touch. The guide on the left of McKenzie's column, at the time of +the halt, said he had already come a mile over his line of advance, and +refused to come further; meanwhile Garratt's column on the left had gone +off to their left, leaving several miles to be covered by Spens' column. +The columns on the left were evidently under the impression that the +majority of the Boers were opposite them, and some firing was heard in +that direction on moving on again. But the Boers had chosen their piece +of ground well, and it turned out to be just in the line of advance of +the Company, a very few of the Boers having attracted attention by +firing on the left. The scouts had just reached the top of a rise, when +they saw a number of Boers cantering towards them only about 150 yards +to their front. The Company was then extended to about fifty yards +between men. The scouts fired, and the Boers fired with their rifles +laid across their saddles; but there was no time to warn the line, in +fact a low rise divided the Company, so that only some twenty men could +see the Boers coming on, in a long disordered crowd, with natives +leading spare animals. About ten men, immediately in front of the Boers, +galloped together, forming a small group round a sergeant, and fired at +the column of Boers which was coming straight towards them. The +remainder of the Company came galloping in from the left one by one, and +formed another group which opened fire, but not until the Boers had +already passed through the line. They had steered off from the first +group and cantered on, and nothing remained to be done but to pick up +what they had left, as the long driving line was going further and +further away. Several horses and mules were found loose; some were +wounded and had to be destroyed. One man was captured with a dislocated +shoulder, having fallen off his horse, and another was found in the +grass, shot through the temple. About twelve rifles were picked up and +destroyed, and other signs were found indicating that men and horses had +been wounded. + +As the Company went on to join the line, two more Boers were captured in +a farm and taken on, the line arriving at its destination in driblets an +hour after dark. The number of Boers which passed through was estimated +at from 150-200, said to be under Mentz; they were evidently the same +party that had broken through McKenzie's column on the 6th. It seemed a +pity that they have got off so easily within a mile of the stronger line +of McKenzie's column, but doubtless these last two experiences, with the +prospect of more, influenced them in the peace meetings they were now +allowed to hold without molestation. + +The Column was ordered to make its way to Heidelberg, where it stayed +inactive until it was broken up. On 6th August, 1902, the horses were +taken to the remount depôt near Johannesburg. And on the 8th the two +detachments started to rejoin their regiments. + + + + +APPENDIX B. + +THE 21ST M. I. + +By LT. E. C. BEETON, Royal Sussex Regiment. + + +1901.--The two Companies of the 21st M. I., made up largely of men of +the Royal Sussex Regiment, were trained at Shorncliffe during March and +April, 1901. No. 2 Co., commanded by Major Anderson (late 60th Rifles), +was composed entirely of men of the Regiment, and was 130 strong, +though, with the exception of Lieut. Drinan, it was officered from other +regiments. No. 3. Co., commanded by Major Hearn, late 21st Lancers and +K. D. G.'s., was 136 strong, and was made up of a section of Royal +Sussex under Lieut. Beeton, a section of Dublin Fusiliers, a section of +Buffs and a mixed section of the West Kent and Loyal North Lanes. Regts. + +No. 2 Co. left England at the end of April, and was followed three weeks +later by No. 3 Co.; the latter Company disembarked at Durban on the 14th +June, proceeding to Elandsfontein for remounts, and thence by train to +Klerksdorp. Meanwhile No. 2 Co. had joined the 21st M. I. on Colonel +Williams' column in the Western Transvaal, where it took part in various +minor engagements against Potgeiter's and Vermas' commandos, and did +good work in the Orange River Colony, and on the Magaliesberg mountains, +assisting in the capture of several Boer convoys during July, August, +and September, 1901. During the latter part of September Col. Williams' +column succeeded in taking nearly 100 prisoners and over sixty wagons of +the enemy. About October 20th No. 2 Co. was sent into the base at +Klerksdorp for garrison duty, and was relieved by No. 3 Co., which had +been on almost continuous convoy-escort duty between Potchefstroom and +Ventersdorp, with headquarters at Potchefstroom. Though no serious +fighting had occurred, the convoys were frequently threatened and fired +at by small parties of Boers. No. 2 Co. had also been working with +General Wilson's column, assisting in the capture of Cdt. Holls. In six +weeks Gen. Wilson took 140 prisoners, and cleared a large stretch of +fertile country. + +In October, the 21st M. I. was operating on Col. Hickie's column in the +Western Transvaal. From Nov. 10th to Nov. 20th this column, then only +800 strong, was held up by the combined commandos of Generals Delarey, +Kemp, and Liebenberg, about 2,000 strong, at Brakspruit, 14 miles west +of Klerksdorp. The column was very strongly entrenched, and the entire +perimeter of the camp encircled with barbed wire. The enemy did not +attack, and the column was subsequently relieved by Lord Methuen's (1st +Division) column coming up from the south, and Col. Kekewich's from the +east. A squadron of the 11th Yeomanry, belonging to Col. Hickie's +column, were surprised and captured by Delarey on Nov. 12th, when on +reconnaissance. The 21st M. I. were sent out in relief, and met the +squadron of Yeomanry returning on foot, stripped of all rifles and +clothing. + +On Dec. 8th Major Hearn was relieved of command of No. 3 Co., and +appointed commandant of Col. Kekewich's Base Depôt. Lieut. Beeton took +over command of this Company. + +From Dec. 8th, 1901 to Jan. 23rd, 1902, Col. Hickie's column was +trekking through the Western Transvaal and down to the Vaal River +without much result; very few Boers were found owing to the very heavy +rains. Many small expeditions for mounted troops, with four days' +rations on the saddle, were undertaken. + +1902.--On Feb. 3rd an attack was made at dawn on Commandant Alberts' +commando by the 21st M. I., Scottish Horse, and 11th Co. I. Y., in which +General Alberts and fifty Boers were captured, together with a number of +wagons. The British casualties were one officer killed and two men, and +about twenty wounded. The Boer casualties were four killed and about +twenty or thirty wounded. + +At the end of February the 21st M. I. were transferred to Lord Methuen's +column, subsequently commanded by Col. von Donop. + +On Feb. 25th Col. von Donop's empty convoy of 160 mule wagons (2,000 +mules) was attacked and captured at daybreak 8 miles from Klerksdorp by +General Delarey and 1,500 Boers. The convoy was trekking from +Wolmeranstadt to Klerksdorp for supplies, under an escort of 360 men, +composed of Yeomanry and two or three companies Northumberland +Fusiliers, with two field guns and a pom-pom and a maxim---all of which +were taken by the Boers. Major Anderson, commanding the escort, sent in +to Klerksdorp for reinforcements, and Major Hearn, with Lieut. Beeton, +and about thirty men of the 21st M. I. (who had been sent in to +Klerksdorp for remounts) moved out of the town towards Wolmeranstadt +about 7.30 a.m., and were subsequently joined by two troops of Scottish +Horse, some men of No. 2 Co. 21st M. I., with Lieut. Drinan, and other +details, making up a total of perhaps 250 men. This force, commanded by +Col. Grenfell, 1st Life Guards, galloped 6 miles towards the scene of +the disaster, subsequently reaching high ground from which the captured +convoy could be seen, turned about and moving off in an opposite +direction. The woods on the right of the road were occupied by large +numbers of Boers, who could be clearly seen, as well as a great number +trekking away over the hills. Col. Grenfell's men dismounted and opened +fire at 1,000 yards. Part of the force charged down the hill in an +attempt to recapture half-a-dozen wagons, which had been blocked and +overturned in the Spruit; whereupon the Boers in large numbers formed up +and galloped, firing from their saddles, down the hill opposite, towards +the British, compelling them to retire, with a loss of several horses +killed and two men of the Scottish Horse wounded. The Boers did not +continue the pursuit, being satisfied with the capture of the entire +convoy, and the guns, with the exception of the maxim, which was +galloped into Klerksdorp on a pack horse. The casualties among the +convoy escort were over 200. Two officers of the Northumberland +Fusiliers were killed, and three severely wounded. + +On March 14th Lord Kitchener concentrated a large force in the vicinity +of Klerksdorp with the object of destroying Delarey's commandos. Col. +Grenfell, 1st Life Guards, took command of all mounted troops belonging +to the three columns (Col. von Donop's, Col. Kekewich's, and Col. +Grenfell's), together 1,500 strong. The first of the combined drives +began on March 16th and occupied five days, the enemy being driven from +S.-W. to N.-E., in the direction of Klerksdorp. Owing to a gap left by +General W. Kitchener's column, most of the Boers escaped over the hills, +near Brakspruit, 9 miles from Klerksdorp. The 21st M. I. came in touch +with a party of Boers quite unexpectedly at nightfall, and after +galloping a few miles in pursuit drove them in the direction of General +Kitchener's column, where sixteen subsequently were taken prisoners. + +From March 16th to April 1st, small three days' operations took place +from Vaalbank (50 miles W. of Klerksdorp), the men carrying rations on +their saddles. Many men had to be sent on to Klerksdorp for remounts, +owing to considerable losses in horses from exhaustion and +horse-sickness. + +On the evening of April 4th the mounted troops moved from Middlebult at +7 p.m., rationed for three days, in very heavy rain. The night was pitch +dark. At daybreak they attacked and captured a Boer convoy and large +herds of cattle and sheep, after a long gallop. + +On April 9th the mounted troops of the combined columns started from +Middlebult to join General Ian Hamilton's big drive and enveloping +movement against General Delarey's commandos. After two days' march they +arrived at Rooival, passing the scene of Col. Cookson's engagement, +which had occurred five days previously, when Delarey surrounded the +column, killing all Cookson's horses. Col. von Donop's troops finally +took up their position in the driving line on the extreme right, and +entrenched for the night. On the following morning, two hours before +daybreak, word was brought by the scouts that the combined commandos of +Delarey, Kemp, Liebenberg, and Potgeiter, 2,000 strong, with four field +guns and two pom-poms (those captured from Col. von Donop's convoy six +weeks previously) were halted 6 miles away on the right. Col. von +Donop's column, being on the extreme right, was the first to move, the +21st M. I. being ordered to furnish the screen and supports of the +advanced guard. At about 6 a.m. the screen came over a rise, and was at +once face to face with Delarey's commandos, who were partially concealed +in large mealie patches less than 4,000 yards away. Although apparently +surprised, the enemy quickly formed into two or three long lines, and +riding almost knee to knee, charged through the screen, shouting, and +firing from the saddle. The 21st M. I. dismounted, and those horses +which were not shot were galloped to the rear, the men lying in the +grass and firing at the Boers as they galloped through. Many of the +latter and of their horses were shot as they passed von Donop's main +body, which by this time had had sufficient warning, and received the +charge with a very heavy fire. At the same time Gen. Rawlinson, whose +column had come up, met and repulsed an attempted turning movement. The +Boers were now effectively stopped, their casualties being very large. +Col. von Donop's Scottish Horse were then ordered to charge the enemy, +who made a big wheel to the left towards some hills covered with scrub +and small trees. The British guns then opening fire caused the whole +force of Boers to break and scatter in all directions, though their guns +still replied in a desultory way. The British pursued throughout the +day, the Boers with their guns and wagons scattering in parties all over +the country. By 4 p.m. all their guns and many prisoners had been +captured. The 21st M. I. suffered more casualties than any other corps +in this engagement, losing two officers and a colour-sergeant killed, +and five out of nine officers dangerously or severely wounded, including +Major Roy, of the Sherwood Foresters, then in command. + +The Boer casualties were given as forty-five killed and many wounded, +Potgeiter being killed and Kemp badly wounded. The next day Col. von +Donop received the following message from General Ian Hamilton:--"My +best congratulations to you and your gallant troops. I shall have great +pleasure in telling Lord Kitchener of their steadiness when attacked and +their dashing pursuit." + +The combined columns moved rapidly back to Brakspruit (near Klerksdorp) +in order to rest horses and troops and procure remounts. Many of the +horses had been killed or had given out from exhaustion. + +On May 5th von Donop's column halted for a week at Rooijantjesfontein, +40 miles west of Klerksdorp. They started from here on the last big +drive into the Mafeking Line, which occupied five days, through an +almost waterless tract of country. The columns commanded by Col. +Kekewich were again posted on the extreme right of the driving line, +which extended southward 30 miles to Vryburg and beyond. Their right, at +the termination of the drive, rested on Saltpan Siding. During the last +two days they captured about forty or fifty Boers, the total bag for the +whole drive being 400. + +The 21st M.I. then returned to Klerksdorp, whence, after peace was +declared, it was sent out to bring in many of the surrendered parties of +Boers. + +During June and July, and up to the 24th August, the 21st M.I. were +camped 4 miles outside Klerksdorp, subsequently marching to +Bloemfontein, which town was reached on the 28th August. Here +Lieutenants Beeton and Drinan, together with all N.C.O.'s and men of the +Royal Sussex Regiment, rejoined the Regiment. + + + + +APPENDIX C. + + +Names of officers and numbers of men sent out to South Africa by the +Volunteer Battalions of the Royal Sussex Regiment. + +1st Volunteer Battalion:-- + Capt. S. W. G. Tamplin (1st Active Service Coy.), + Lieut. W. H. Findlay (2nd " " " ), + Lieut. J. G. Cockburn (2nd " " " ), + Lieut. T. O. B. Ruthven (3rd " " " ), + and 105 N.C.O.'s and men in all. + +2nd Volunteer Battalion:-- + Capt. and Hon. Maj. Sir W. G. Barttelot (1st Active Service Coy.), + Lieut. B. J. D'Olier (1st " " " ), + Capt. S. W. P. Beale (2nd " " " ), + and 81 N.C.O.'s and men in all. + +[N.B.--Col. the Duke of Norfolk, E.M., K.G., served in South Africa with +the Sussex Imperial Yeomanry; Capt. Lord Zouche served with the Rough +Riders; Surgeon-Capt. G. Black served with the R.A.M. Corps]. + +1st Cinque Ports:-- + Lieut. A. F. A. Howe (1st Active Service Coy.), + and 128 N.C.O.'s and men in all. + + + + +APPENDIX D. + + +Honours and rewards bestowed upon officers and men of the Royal Sussex +Regiment for the South African War:-- + + C.B. Col. the Earl of March, A.D.C., + (3rd Battn.) + Lt.-Col. B. D. A. Donne. + Brevet Lt.-Col. Major L. E. du Moulin. + Brevet Major Capt. A. R. Gilbert, + Capt. E. H. Montrésor, etc. + + D.S.O. Lieut. and Adjt. R. Bellamy, + Major A. R. Gilbert, + Capt. F. Robinson, + " E. L. Mackenzie, + Lieut. E. F. Villiers, + " C. E. Bond. + +Lieut. A. R. Hopkins was specially promoted for services in the field to +a Captaincy in the Manchester Regiment. + + _Medals for Distinguished Conduct in the field_:-- + Sergt.-Major S. S. Thwaits, Sergt. T. Gates, + Color-Sergt. T. Jones, Lc.-Sergt. A. Ockleford, + " A. Nye, Corpl. P. Hoad, + " A. Weston, Pte. J. Gill, + " H. Snaith, " T. Say, + Q.-M.-Sergt. C. Pittman, " C. Nevill, + Sergt. G. Weston, " T. Scrase. + + + +***END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK TWO YEARS ON TREK*** + + +******* This file should be named 35061-8.txt or 35061-8.zip ******* + + +This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: +http://www.gutenberg.org/dirs/3/5/0/6/35061 + + + +Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions +will be renamed. + +Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no +one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation +(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without +permission and without paying copyright royalties. Special rules, +set forth in the General Terms of Use part of this license, apply to +copying and distributing Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works to +protect the PROJECT GUTENBERG-tm concept and trademark. Project +Gutenberg is a registered trademark, and may not be used if you +charge for the eBooks, unless you receive specific permission. 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F. Bidder</h1> +<pre> +This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with +almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at <a href = "http://www.gutenberg.org">www.gutenberg.org</a></pre> +<p>Title: Two Years on Trek</p> +<p> Being Some Account of the Royal Sussex Regiment in South Africa</p> +<p>Author: Louis Eugène du Moulin</p> +<p>Editor: H. F. Bidder</p> +<p>Release Date: January 24, 2011 [eBook #35061]</p> +<p>Language: English</p> +<p>Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1</p> +<p>***START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK TWO YEARS ON TREK***</p> +<p> </p> +<h3>E-text prepared by Jonathan Ingram, Martin Pettit,<br /> + and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team<br /> + (http://www.pgdp.net)</h3> +<p> </p> +<hr class="full" /> +<p> </p> +<p> </p> +<p> </p> + +<h1><span>TWO YEARS ON TREK</span><br /><span class="smaller">BEING SOME ACCOUNT OF THE<br />ROYAL SUSSEX REGIMENT +<br />IN SOUTH AFRICA.</span><br /><span id="id1"><i>BY THE LATE</i></span> <span>LT.-COLONEL DU MOULIN.</span></h1> + +<p class="tbrk"> </p> + +<p class="center"><i>WITH A PREFACE BY</i></p> + +<p class="center"><i>COL. J. G. PANTON, C.M.G.</i></p> + +<p class="center"><i>Commanding 2nd Battalion Royal Sussex Regiment, 1903-1907.</i></p> + +<p class="tbrk"> </p> + +<p class="center"><i>EDITED BY</i></p> + +<p class="bold">H. F. BIDDER,</p> + +<p class="center"><i>Captain, 3rd Battalion Royal Sussex Regiment</i>.</p> + +<p class="tbrk"> </p> +<p> </p> + +<p class="center">MURRAY AND CO.,<br />THE MIDDLESEX PRINTING WORKS,<br /> +180, BROMPTON ROAD, S.W.<br />1907.</p> + +<hr /> + +<p class="center">THIS BOOK</p> + +<p class="center">WRITTEN FOR THE MOST PART BY THE LATE</p> + +<p class="center">LT.-COL. DU MOULIN</p> + +<p class="center">HAS BEEN COMPLETED AND PUBLISHED</p> + +<p class="center">BY HIS COMRADES</p> + +<p class="center">AS THE MOST FITTING MEMORIAL</p> + +<p class="center">TO A GALLANT SOLDIER.</p> + +<p class="tbrk"> </p> + +<p class="center">DULCE · ET · DECORUM · EST · PRO · PATRIA · MORI</p> + +<hr /> + +<p class="bold2">CONTENTS.</p> + +<table summary="CONTENTS"> + <tr> + <td colspan="2" class="left">Chap.</td> + <td>Page</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td>I.</td> + <td class="left"> <span class="smcap">To Bloemfontein.</span></td> + <td><a href="#Page_1">1</a></td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td>II.</td> + <td class="left"> <span class="smcap">The 21st Brigade. The Trek Begins.</span></td> + <td><a href="#Page_13">13</a></td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td>III.</td> + <td class="left"> <span class="smcap">To Zand River.</span></td> + <td><a href="#Page_28">28</a></td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td>IV.</td> + <td class="left"> <span class="smcap">The Fight at Zand River.</span></td> + <td><a href="#Page_39">39</a></td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td>V.</td> + <td class="left"> <span class="smcap">Across the Vaal.</span></td> + <td><a href="#Page_50">50</a></td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td>VI.</td> + <td class="left"> <span class="smcap">Doornkop.</span></td> + <td><a href="#Page_60">60</a></td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td>VII.</td> + <td class="left"> <span class="smcap">Pretoria.</span></td> + <td><a href="#Page_69">69</a></td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td>VIII.</td> + <td class="left"> <span class="smcap">Diamond Hill, First Day.</span></td> + <td><a href="#Page_79">79</a></td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td>IX.</td> + <td class="left"> <span class="smcap">Diamond Hill, Second Day.</span></td> + <td><a href="#Page_84">84</a></td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td>X.</td> + <td class="left"> <span class="smcap">To Springs.</span></td> + <td><a href="#Page_95">95</a></td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td>XI.</td> + <td class="left"> <span class="smcap">To Reitz.</span></td> + <td><a href="#Page_105">105</a></td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td>XII.</td> + <td class="left"> <span class="smcap">To Meyer's Kop.</span></td> + <td><a href="#Page_117">117</a></td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td>XIII.</td> + <td class="left"> <span class="smcap">Retief's Nek.</span></td> + <td><a href="#Page_126">126</a></td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td>XIV.</td> + <td class="left"> <span class="smcap">To the Boer Laager.</span></td> + <td><a href="#Page_144">144</a></td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td>XV.</td> + <td class="left"> <span class="smcap">To Winburg.</span></td> + <td><a href="#Page_162">162</a></td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td>XVI.</td> + <td class="left"> <span class="smcap">Up and Down.</span></td> + <td><a href="#Page_173">173</a></td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td>XVII.</td> + <td class="left"> <span class="smcap">To Lindley.</span></td> + <td><a href="#Page_185">185</a></td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td>XVIII.</td> + <td class="left"> <span class="smcap">The Railway Needs Repair.</span></td> + <td><a href="#Page_202">202</a></td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td>XIX.</td> + <td class="left"> <span class="smcap">To Bothaville.</span></td> + <td><a href="#Page_215">215</a></td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td>XX.</td> + <td class="left"> <span class="smcap">Ventersburg Road.</span></td> + <td><a href="#Page_225">225</a></td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td>XXI.</td> + <td class="left"> <span class="smcap">Back To Lindley.</span></td> + <td><a href="#Page_234">234</a></td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td>XXII.</td> + <td class="left"> <span class="smcap">In Garrison.</span></td> + <td><a href="#Page_247">247</a></td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td>XXIII.</td> + <td class="left"> <span class="smcap">The Raising of the Mounted Column.</span> </td> + <td><a href="#Page_257">257</a></td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td>XXIV.</td> + <td class="left"> <span class="smcap">Two Districts.</span></td> + <td><a href="#Page_273">273</a></td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td>XXV.</td> + <td class="left"> <span class="smcap">De Put.</span></td> + <td><a href="#Page_282">282</a></td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td>XXVI.</td> + <td class="left"> <span class="smcap">To Vlakfontein.</span></td> + <td><a href="#Page_291">291</a></td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td>XXVII.</td> + <td class="left"> <span class="smcap">Abraham's Kraal.</span></td> + <td><a href="#Page_301">301</a></td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td>XXVIII.</td> + <td class="left"> <span class="smcap">Northwards—and the End.</span></td> + <td><a href="#Page_308">308</a></td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td>XXIX.</td> + <td class="left"> <span class="smcap">The Third Battalion.</span></td> + <td><a href="#Page_319">319</a></td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td></td> + <td class="left"> <a href="#APPENDIX_A"><span class="smcap">Appendices.</span></a></td> + <td></td> + </tr> +</table> + +<hr /> + +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_i" id="Page_i">[Pg i]</a></span></p> + +<h2><span><i>PREFACE.</i></span></h2> + +<p><i>Louis Eugène du Moulin was of French descent. By birth he was a New +Zealander. He passed through Sandhurst and entered the army in 1879, +joining the 107th Regiment—now the Second Battalion of the Royal Sussex +Regiment. With this battalion all his service was spent, until his +promotion in 1899 as second in command of the First Battalion Royal +Sussex Regiment (the old 35th).</i></p> + +<p><i>He served in the Black Mountain Campaign of 1888, in the Chin-Lushai +and Manipur expeditions of 1889-91, and in the Tirah Campaign of +1897-98. Alike among the dark pine woods of the Himalayas, in the dense +jungle of Manipur, or on the bleak, stony ridges of the Hazara country +the name of du Moulin became a byword in the Regiment, and far beyond +the Regiment, for restless energy, never-failing resource and cool +daring. He became known all over India as a musketry expert. Many of his +ideas were adopted, and are in universal use by those who may never have +heard his name.</i></p> + +<p><i>Perhaps his real genius was for organization. This quality came +conspicuously into notice in South Africa during the war. Many men who +served in the 21st Brigade under General Bruce Hamilton had reason to +bless the forethought and unstinted labour of the man who carried out so +thoroughly the idea of the Brigade commander, and supplied the Brigade +with those welcome additions to bully beef and biscuit which were +obtainable at the Brigade Canteen. Often after a hard day's march and a +tough fight have I admired the</i><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_ii" id="Page_ii">[Pg ii]</a></span> <i>unselfish spirit in which, disdaining +fatigue, he would set to work with his coat off to open stores and +arrange the wagons lighted with "dips," which served as a "coffee shop" +for famishing Tommy.</i></p> + +<p><i>A tall, spare man, with keen, dark eyes, a courageous nose and a +harsh-toned voice—such was the outward du Moulin. Feared not a little, +loved greatly by those under him, afraid of no one, despising precedent +and precaution, dependent only on his own iron will and keen intellect, +he had a brilliant career before him when he fell gloriously at +Abraham's Kraal on January 28th, 1902. He had gone through the campaign +from the advance to Pretoria of Lord Roberts' army, down to the pursuit +of De Wet and of the broken commandos after De Wet's time, without a +wound, and, as far as I can remember, without a day's sickness—and with +very few days' rest from marching and fighting.</i></p> + +<p><i>He always knew what it was he wanted and how to get it, and how to make +others help him to this end.</i></p> + +<p><i>One anecdote I may here relate:—</i></p> + +<p><i>Worn out with much marching, ragged and hungry, the half battalion under +du Moulin halted at Kroonstad to refit. Supplies, and especially +clothing and boots, were hard to get. Some tired subaltern returned, +repulsed from the Ordnance Store, empty handed.</i></p> + +<p><i>The matter quickly reached du Moulin's ears, and he disappeared for +what seemed a few minutes. Presently out of a cloud of red dust emerged +a mule wagon at a hand gallop. Standing up, driving, cracking a long +whip and yelling at the Kaffirs to clear the road,</i><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_iii" id="Page_iii">[Pg iii]</a></span> <i>came "Mullins," as +he was familiarly known to all. His grey regulation shirt was rolled up +to the elbow, showing a pair of red muscular arms like copper wire. He +shouted as he turned his team into the camp, and we hurried to his +wagon, to have bundles of new clothes, white shiny rolls of waterproof +sheets, and thick soft blankets rapidly allotted to our men; and to save +time (for we were moving next morning) "Mullins" himself hurled out the +bundles into our arms.</i></p> + +<p><i>At another time, when we were at Ventersburg Road Station in one of the +brief intervals of rest allowed by Boers who blew up the railway line +three times a week (this was in 1900), the siding leading to the dock +for entraining horses or cattle was completely blocked by the burnt +remains of a train of trucks, rusty and apparently immovable.</i></p> + +<p><i>The railway staff smiled incredulously when du Moulin offered to remove +the entire train of trucks. Without cranes or appliances they declared +it was impossible.</i></p> + +<p><i>Collecting all the spare rails, sleepers and fish-plates that could be +found about the station yard, du Moulin started work, and a branch +railway some 100 yards long was quickly laid leading into the veldt, +with proper points connecting it with the siding. A hundred willing +hands hauled at the ropes—the rusty axles, well greased, revolved. In +half a day the siding was clear, and the ruined trucks were standing on +the veldt, where they probably stand to this day!</i></p> + +<p><i>Another picture of du Moulin under fire, and I have done.</i></p> + +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_iv" id="Page_iv">[Pg iv]</a></span></p><p><i>On the 12th of June, 1900, at Diamond Hill, "B" Company was sent to +support the three companies of the Royal Sussex under du Moulin, about +midday. These three companies were lying under the scanty shelter of a +few rocks at the edge of the flat-topped hill facing the main Boer +position, at a distance of about 900 yards. The hail of bullets was +incessant, the noise of guns and thousands of rifles deafening. As we +arrived breathless, having crossed the 200 yards of flat open ground +amid a "rush" of bullets, I sought du Moulin to ask where we were most +wanted. He was standing up, a conspicuous figure amidst a "feu +d'enfer"—pounding with the butt of a rifle a prostrate man, who would +not move from the imagined shelter of a stone about as big as a Dutch +cheese, and who could not see to fire from his position.</i></p> + +<p><i>I got a very curt, lurid rejoinder, and promptly subsided behind a very +inadequate rock myself.</i></p> + +<p><i>Colonel du Moulin was shot through the heart, leading a charge against +the Boers who had rushed his camp. Always in front—always the first to +face the foe. "Felix opportunitati mortis." May he rest in peace.</i></p> + +<p class="right"><i>J. G. PANTON.</i> </p> + +<p><i>Crete</i>,<br /> <i>November, 1906</i>.</p> + +<hr /> + +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_vi" id="Page_vi">[Pg vi]</a></span></p> + +<h2><span>EXPLANATORY.</span></h2> + +<p>It was the design of Col. du Moulin to write an account of the doings of +the Royal Sussex Regiment in South Africa, which should both serve to +remind those of the Regiment who went through the campaign of the +incidents in which they took part, and should also put on record another +chapter of that Regimental History, made through many years in many +lands, of which all who serve in the Regiment may be so justly proud.</p> + +<p>During the months of November and December, 1900, he found, in the +comparative quiet of the occupation of Lindley, an opportunity of +completing his account up to date. His manuscript is typed (he managed +to obtain a machine from somewhere) upon the only paper available—the +backs of invoice sheets from a store in the town.</p> + +<p>From the evacuation of Lindley in January, 1901, to his death a year +later, Col. du Moulin was far too much occupied with his work in the +field to do more than make a few notes for his book. And it is from +these notes of his, and from the diaries, letters, and personal +reminiscences of other Officers, that the later chapters have been compiled.</p> + +<p>It has been thought better to leave Col. du Moulin's work practically +untouched, although it was never subjected by him to a final revision, +and although he had no opportunity of modifying anything he wrote, in +the light of subsequent history. As it stands, it gives a vivid picture +of events that had only just occurred—drawn with a firm hand, while the +impression was fresh upon the author's mind.</p> + +<p>In compiling the subsequent chapters, the object has been merely to give +a slight sketch of the experiences of the Regiment during the latter +half of the war. It has not been attempted (nor would it have been +possible) to enter into detail to the same extent as was done by Col. du +Moulin, writing upon the spot. If one or two scenes are preserved, it is +the utmost that can be hoped.</p> + +<p>The Appendices contain the stories of the 13th and 21st M.I., on which +several officers and a number of men of the Regiment were serving. The +former is kindly contributed by Capt. G. P. Hunt, of the Royal Berkshire Regiment.</p> + +<p class="right"><span class="smcap">H. F. Bidder.</span></p> + +<p> <i>December, 1906.</i></p> + +<hr /> + +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_1" id="Page_1">[Pg 1]</a></span></p> + +<h2><span>CHAPTER I.</span> <span class="smaller">TO BLOEMFONTEIN.</span></h2> + +<blockquote><p class="center">Malta—Orders for South Africa—The Pavonia—Cape Town—Port +Elizabeth—Bloemfontein—Glen.</p></blockquote> + +<p>The senior regiment in the 1st Brigade in the 1st Army Corps at +Aldershot and the first regiment on the roster for foreign service at +the time war was declared in South Africa in 1899, we might fairly have +expected to be one of the earliest regiments to embark for active +service; but it was not to be. We saw our old friends in General FitzRoy +Hart's Brigade—The Black Watch, the Welsh, the Northamptons—and almost +every other regiment in Aldershot receive their orders to mobilise, and +with heavy hearts we proceeded to pack our kits for—Malta!</p> + +<p>Even in this festive island our ill luck seemed at first to follow us +unceasingly, and, notwithstanding all our field training at Mellieha and +the numerous occasions upon which we defended Naxaro against +overwhelming hordes of invaders, still we were not among the chosen. Our +old friends the Sherwood Foresters took themselves off also, via the +Suez Canal, for the seat of war, with a nice fat draft of seasoned +soldiers from their Second Battalion, and we were left lamenting, to +troop the Colour on the Palace Square, and to go on guard with five +nights in bed.</p> + +<p>The very bad news which arrived soon after the opening of the campaign +in Natal had a depressing effect on all of us, which soldiering in Malta +is not calculated to remove, and any fresh news issued by Bartolo, the +printer, was eagerly sought after. A glimmer of excitement was caused by +the offer of His Excellency the Governor to the<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_2" id="Page_2">[Pg 2]</a></span> Secretary of State to +provide a fully equipped company of Mounted Infantry from the troops in +garrison, of which company the Royal Sussex hoped to form a large part; +but in this again we were doomed to disappointment, as we were not even +asked to send in our names.</p> + +<p>Things were in this unhappy state—everyone with long faces and +villainous tempers—when the New Year was ushered in and found us at +Verdala Barracks. From there, towards the middle of the month, five +companies were sent to the new barracks at Imtarfa and the other three +were put out into various holes and corners at Zabbar, Salvatore and +other undesirable residences. We all thought this was putting the climax +on our misfortunes, but we little knew then that in another five days we +were to be raised to the seventh heaven of delight by the news that we +were at last selected to proceed to South Africa.</p> + +<p>This welcome news was hurriedly brought out to the exiles at Imtarfa by +Captain Aldridge, his face fairly beaming again, and shortly afterwards +we heard that we were to go home to be mobilised for active service, and +that we were to be relieved in Malta by the Royal Berkshire regiment. +Immediately everything was hurry and bustle, and we were all writing to +our friends and making our arrangements for a prolonged absence, except, +alas, some of the younger soldiers, who could not reasonably expect to +fulfil the conditions of being over 20 and having completed a year's service.</p> + +<p>Shortly afterwards the glad tidings arrived that we were to mobilise in +Malta, that our reservemen would join us there, and that we should +proceed straight to the Cape.</p> + +<p>On one occasion, whilst at Imtarfa, when an unusually stirring account +of the battle of Colenso appeared in the <i>Daily Telegraph</i>, one of the +officers went down to the Recreation Room at night and<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_3" id="Page_3">[Pg 3]</a></span> read it to the +men. Mr. Bennett Burleigh, the writer of the vivid piece of word +painting, would have been flattered if he could have seen the great +crowd of men in the room, absolutely still and motionless, following +with breathless interest the splendid description of the gallant +behaviour of our gunners on this fatal day, when they bravely tried to +work their guns within 600 yards of the enemy's riflemen, and the +magnificent story of how young Roberts, Captain Congreve and others +endeavoured to save the guns.</p> + +<p>On the 16th of January after a prolonged field day over the rocks beyond +the Victoria Lines, which lasted from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., we marched off +to Pembroke to execute the annual course of musketry, which we succeeded +in doing in some of the most villainous weather which it has ever been a +soldier's lot to experience. This concluded, back the five companies +went to Imtarfa, being relieved by the other three from Headquarters; +and now a constant succession of field days and route marches of a more +or less interesting character opened for us and continued until the 12th +of February, when the whole regiment was collected together on the +Cottonera side of the water, and those who were not to go to the Cape +were definitely weeded out.</p> + +<p>Sir Francis Grenfell inspected the Battalion on parade at Zabbar Gate a +day or two before we embarked, and was good enough to make some very +complimentary remarks. The "Pavonia," a big Cunarder, which arrived +early on the morning of the 19th of February with our reservemen on +board and no end of our mobilisation stores, impressed us very +favourably, and our liking for her as a comfortable ship increased with +our acquaintance of her.</p> + +<p>She was crowded with old comrades and new friends, both officers and +men, and we gave each other a cheery reception—not quite so cheery, +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_4" id="Page_4">[Pg 4]</a></span>however, as the send-off from Chichester, which we had all heard about +by the mail a few days previously, and regarding which a large amount of +good natured chaff continued to pass for a long time. Many is the time +since then that some of us have longed, and with some reason too, for +one of the Mayor's famous pork-pies!</p> + +<p>The reservemen, especially those of Section D, were a fine lot, and made +one's heart swell with pride to think that at last the reward of years +of parades and routine would be reaped, and that a battalion of +thoroughly seasoned soldiers, second to none serving Her Majesty, was to +have an opportunity of showing what it could do in the field.</p> + +<p>Major Scaife, who had been left at home on the sick list when the +battalion embarked for Malta, but who had succeeded in passing a medical +board, was on the "Pavonia," as well as Captain Gilbert and Lieut. +Wroughton, of the Second Battalion. Both these had been attached to this +Battalion for duty during the campaign; so also had Captain Blake of the +Third Battalion, who had volunteered for duty as a subaltern. Lieut. +Harden, who had been promoted into the regiment from a West India +Battalion and had already seen considerable service on the West Coast of +Africa, and Lieut. Gouldsmith from the Depôt, with four new officers, +2nd Lieuts. Paget, Anderson, Montgomerie and Leachman, had also come to +join. These latter young officers were to purchase their experience +somewhat dearly as after events proved, but luckily with no fatal +results to themselves.</p> + +<p>The send-off of the battalion from Malta, although not equalling in +magnificence that accorded to our reservemen by the generous citizens of +Chichester, was no less cordial. The battalion concentrated in +Margharita Square and marched to the Bakery Wharf, the scene of endless +similar<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_5" id="Page_5">[Pg 5]</a></span> departures, played down by the band of the 3rd Royal West Kent +regiment and by the civilian band of Cospicua. We embarked about +mid-day, but remained in harbour that night to complete the loading of +the mobilisation stores and also to embark the Malta Company of Mounted +Infantry, which some weeks before we had been so chagrined at our +inability to join. This company was commanded by Captain Pine-Coffin of +the Loyal North Lancashire regiment, and he had with him a fine lot of +men of the Derbyshire, North Lancashire and Warwickshire regiments.</p> + +<p>At half-past ten on the 20th of February the screw made its first +revolution on its long journey, and we were fairly moving at last. The +Baracca and the fortifications overlooking the harbour were crowded with +people to see us off, and there was a scene of great enthusiasm as we +slowly steamed past St. Elmo, the bluejackets on the ships in harbour +giving us cheer after cheer.</p> + +<p>Between Malta and Gibraltar a great many stowaways turned up, some of +them having succeeded in bringing their full kit on board. Unhappily for +them the "Pavonia" called in at Gibraltar in obedience to signals from +the shore, the Malta authorities having telegraphed ahead; so our +friends were hunted up and taken ashore, terribly dejected at their +ill-luck. One or two, however, were 'cute enough to hide again, and this +time succeeded in coming with us all the way.</p> + +<p>The voyage was a slow and uneventful one. Absolutely nothing occurred to +vary the monotony or to increase the speed. The "Pavonia," although an +Atlantic liner, was not by any means the flyer that we had anticipated, +and performed all her duties with deliberation even to coaling. This was +carried out in a slow and stately manner in two days at St. Vincent, +many of our men, who volunteered for the purpose, being utilised in +assisting,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_6" id="Page_6">[Pg 6]</a></span> owing to the dearth of coolies. Crossing the line on the 8th +of March we had the usual visit from Father Neptune, who arrived on +board about 7 p.m., and proceeded to hold his court according to ancient +custom, when numbers of his young subjects were presented to His Majesty +in due form and greeted by him in proper sea style.</p> + +<p>During the voyage every endeavour was made to give the men exercise and +to keep them in condition, no easy matter with such a large number of +men on board and so little room. However parades were held every day, +and signalling and semaphore classes were kept going, which relieved the +monotony a little. When we could not think of anything else for the +moment it was always easy to have a round-up amongst the kit bags or a +worry around the helmets on the lower deck! The band played on deck +pretty often, and so the weary time passed slowly away until the 20th of +March, when Table Mountain was at last sighted. We should never have +believed it possible that it was to be our fate to remain six days at +anchor, but such was the fact. The number of ships—mostly with troops, +but many with horses, cattle and coal—lying in the harbour was +prodigious, and we had of course to wait our turn before going into the +docks. This we did on the 26th, and we were enabled to give the +battalion a run ashore in the shape of a route march. Passing through +the streets of Cape Town we excited a good deal of comment owing to our +strength, which was over 1,200 and caused people to think we were two +battalions. A certain amount of liberty was accorded the men to go +ashore which they were not slow to avail themselves of, though they took +no undue advantage of the permission. Numbers of men seized the +opportunity to remit various sums to their families at home, and a +draft, one amongst several, for over £242 was sent to the Depôt on +account of these small remittances. The Depôt<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_7" id="Page_7">[Pg 7]</a></span> authorities sent out +these sums to the families, but for some idea best known to themselves, +informed them that the money was part of a subscription from officers +and men, which led to endless correspondence, as the families +immediately with one accord wrote and demanded to know what had become +of their husbands!</p> + +<p>Cape Town is a fine city and contains some splendid public buildings, +whilst its situation at the foot of Table Mountain is magnificent. The +suburbs at Green Point and Wynburg are excellently laid out, and it is +very pleasing to see the way trees are planted in the streets, and how +open spaces are encouraged. The electric trams are splendid, and many of +the battalion amused themselves by riding on the top of a car as far as +it went and coming back again. There is no better way of seeing a town.</p> + +<p>The streets were crowded with soldiers of all sorts. Every kind of +corps, Horse, Foot and Artillery, was represented, not only of the +Regular Army but of Colonials also. Here were Canadians, Australians, +New Zealanders, men from India and Ceylon, men from Malta, men from the +West Indies, men from Natal and all parts of South Africa, and crowds of +adventurers and dare-devils from every quarter of the globe, who had +enlisted in various local corps. Not only the Army, but the whole +British nation, owe to Mr. Kruger a debt of gratitude that can never be +repaid, inasmuch as the South African war has brought about such a +reorganisation and betterment of the Army and such a magnificent +outburst of patriotic feeling among our vast colonies as could never +have been excited by any other means. The ordinary individual who +remains in England all his life or potters about the Continent cannot, +unless he is a man of an open mind and phenomenal intelligence, grasp +the enormous size and resources of our<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_8" id="Page_8">[Pg 8]</a></span> colonies such as India, +Australasia, the Cape Colonies and Canada, and it has remained for Mr. +Kruger to compel this fact to become startlingly patent to the minds of +many men, both at home and out in the Colonies, who had never given any +attention previously to the subject.</p> + +<p>On the 30th March orders were received to proceed to East London to +disembark there, as apparently the traffic on the Cape railways was +congested to a degree, and some of it must be diverted on to the East +London line. So we steamed out again, passing round the Cape of Good +Hope in the afternoon and arriving on the 2nd of April at East London, +where we lay off the harbour, as we drew too much water to pass over the +bar and enter the channel.</p> + +<p>Captain Pine-Coffin and his Mounted Infantry were the first to +disembark, and were followed by A, B, and C companies under Major +O'Grady. F, G, and H companies under Major du Moulin were the next to +land on the 3rd of April, and were followed by Headquarters and D and E +companies the same evening. Each of these parties were entrained on +successive days with their kits and rations and ammunition, and were +despatched up country, meeting with great demonstrations from the +residents along the line. Some ladies at Fort Jackson were kind enough +to turn out late at night and provide tea for us, than which nothing +could have been more acceptable. A run of about eighteen or nineteen +hours brought us to Bethulie Bridge, where the fact that we were +actually at the enemy's country became as evident as a slap in the face +when we saw the railway bridge with its piers destroyed and its enormous +arches blown into the river. The Railway Pioneer regiment, a local corps +composed mostly of railway men and miners, was hard at work making a +diversion over the road bridge, which, luckily for us, had been saved +from<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_9" id="Page_9">[Pg 9]</a></span> the enemy by Major Shaw and Lieut. Popham of the Sherwood +Foresters a short time previously.</p> + +<p>The road bridge had had a line of rails laid along it, and trucks were +pushed over one by one, as the bridge was not strong enough to bear the +weight of an engine. This method of procedure was slow, but the +advantages of a through line were enormous; and considerable precautions +had to be maintained to guard against the likelihood of any further +disaster, since it was possible at any time that the enemy might try and +blow up the sole remaining bridge over the river, and it was, therefore, +needful to take especial care. Each party of troops arriving detrained +in succession and marched over the river about a couple of miles to the +railway station, where, in due course, they were entrained and +despatched up country.</p> + +<p>Head Quarters and D and E companies, however, remained for some little +time at Bethulie, relieving the Royal Scots on picket, and performing +the usual garrison duties. Alarms were several times raised that the +advance of a party of Boers, bent on wrecking the bridge, was imminent, +and all the troops stood to arms and reinforced the pickets; but nothing +further was ever heard.</p> + +<p>At last, on the 20th April, these two companies started on their march +to join the remainder of the battalion, which about this time was +concentrating at Ferreira, a siding on the railway a few miles south of +Bloemfontein. However after marching about 60 miles, and reaching +Edenburg at the end of a long and trying tramp of fully 24 miles, orders +were received to go on by train to Bloemfontein; and on arriving there +the two companies were sent on at once to Glen, which they reached early +on the 27th of April. Headquarters had detrained at Ferreira in passing, +and had joined the remainder of the battalion.</p> + +<p>Meanwhile, A, B, and C companies had been<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_10" id="Page_10">[Pg 10]</a></span> having some adventures, B +company having been fetched out of the train at Edenburg and ordered to +place the little town in a state of defence, as the advent of the enemy +was hourly expected. The Boers, however, failed to turn up, and B +company was then, on the 6th of April, ordered off to Bethany, about 10 +miles distant, where the company entrained, reaching Ferreira Siding +late at night. They stayed here and took their share of picket duty +until the end of the month.</p> + +<p>A and C companies, under Major O'Grady, after dropping B at Edenburg, +went on by rail to Bloemfontein, arriving there on the 5th April, and +receiving orders next day to camp on a hill about 2 miles south-east of +the railway station. This was in a dangerous neighbourhood, as about +this time the Boers were threatening the Waterworks and Springfield, +which is not far to the East; so a defensive work was laid out on this +hill by the Royal Engineers, which these two companies amused themselves +by erecting. Lord Roberts visited the site on the 10th of April and +christened it "Sussex Hill." The usual picket precautions were taken by +day and night, and the men were kept busy with pick and shovel; but a +good deal of rain interfered with the work, which was not completed +until the 17th of April, when orders were received to move to Ferreira +and join the remainder of the battalion.</p> + +<p>F, G, and H companies arrived at Bloemfontein on the 5th of April, but +after waiting some hours were entrained and moved down the line about 6 +miles to Ferreira Siding, where the pickets of the Royal Scots on +Leeuberg and the surrounding kopjes were relieved, and a guard mounted +on the bridge.</p> + +<p>At Ferreira, close to our little camp, a brother of Mr. Steyn, the late +President of the Orange Free State, had a sort of country residence, +and<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_11" id="Page_11">[Pg 11]</a></span> we saw a good deal of him, as he and his wife were very civil in +allowing the men to purchase bread, butter, and other things from their farm.</p> + +<p>Mr. Steyn was a typical Boer, a fine, big man, with a long, black beard; +he was a solicitor in Bloemfontein, and of course an educated man, who +had travelled over England and the continent. Both he and his charming +wife used to be astonished, or pretended to be astonished, at the never +ending succession of troops daily passing their house on their way up to +the front, and used to ask us where all the troops came from. We, +naturally, did not give the show away, and explained carefully that +there were lots more where they came from, and that there was our +magnificent Indian army behind them again, only waiting to be called on.</p> + +<p>Around the Steyns' farm French's cavalry had encamped during Lord +Roberts' dash on Bloemfontein, just before entering the town, and there +was ample evidence of the fact in the shape of dead animals and empty +biscuit tins strewn for miles over the veldt.</p> + +<p>Mr. Steyn had, of course, been made a prisoner by the first arrivals of +our cavalry, but had taken the oath of allegiance, and had been given a +special pass to enable him to reside peacefully on his farm and to +prosecute his business in the town.</p> + +<p>He was occasionally subjected to a good deal of annoyance, it is a pity +to relate, from our own troops, and had several times to send over to +our detachment and ask for a sentry to be posted on his house. The +intruders were usually men of the Colonial forces who apparently thought +they had a right to order meals to be prepared and fowls to be handed +over at any time, and that they could remove Mr. Steyn's horses and +wagons in defiance of the written permit to retain them which he used to show.</p> + +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_12" id="Page_12">[Pg 12]</a></span></p><p>On the 7th of April B company arrived, and also a battalion of the +Scots Guards and a squadron of Mounted Infantry. G and H companies went +to Kaal Spruit during the night, and from that date to the end of the +month the outposts were furnished by the Scots Guards and ourselves.</p> + +<p>On the 21st of April A and C companies arrived from Sussex Hill, and a +new camp was formed and tents pitched in anticipation of the arrival of +the remainder of the battalion. The Volunteer company arrived somewhat +unexpectedly early on the 24th, and went off to take their turn on +picket the same evening. The Colonel and the regimental staff arrived +the next day, and the battalion was then almost complete.</p> + +<p>Orders were shortly afterwards received to proceed to Bloemfontein; at 3 +p.m. on the 27th of April the seven companies left by road, and on +arrival camped in the Highland Brigade camp just south of the town. The +men's blankets and baggage had been sent by rail, and, as no transport +could be procured until late, the blankets did not reach camp until +nearly midnight. However the men were in tents, and the bivouac poles +came in handy for making tea, no fuel of any kind being procurable in camp.</p> + +<p>Lord Roberts, accompanied by Major General Kelly, who had served many +years in the battalion, inspected us on parade the next day at 10 a.m. +preparatory to marching off to Glen. This march, a long and tiresome +one, gave us our first experience of the veldt, and we were not sorry to +find ourselves at Glen after our 16 miles tramp. D and E companies were +already there, and had camp pitched for us; our baggage, however, did +not turn up until the early morning, so we had to put in the night the +best way we could, under bags and tent walls, in the absence of +blankets. The whole Brigade was camped here, and the next day we fairly +started on our travels.</p> + +<hr /> + +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_13" id="Page_13">[Pg 13]</a></span></p> + +<h2><span>CHAPTER II.</span> <span class="smaller">THE 21ST BRIGADE. THE TREK BEGINS.</span></h2> + +<blockquote><p class="center">Composition of the Brigade—-Start from Glen—Transport +arrangements—To Jacobsrust—Rations—Halts—Pickets—Tobacco—Tea.</p></blockquote> + +<p>The 21st Brigade was composed of four regiments, of which the Royal +Sussex (under Col. Donne) was the senior. Next came the Sherwood +Foresters, under Major Gossett (commanding in place of Colonel +Smith-Dorrien, who was then in command of the 19th Brigade), who had +under him a splendid body of men, the majority having served in their +Second Battalion during the Tirah campaign. The experience gained in +this war against the Afridis was extremely valuable to the officers and +men, as the system of fighting adopted by the crafty Pathan bore many +points of similarity to that carried out by brother Boer. The next +regiment in the brigade in order of seniority was the Cameron +Highlanders, commanded by Lieut.-Colonel Kennedy. This regiment was +practically just off one campaign, as they had served in the last +Omdurman expedition and had not left Egypt until ordered to the Cape. +The men were in magnificent condition, hard as nails, and, throughout +the campaign, they amply justified the opinion formed of them at first +sight. The remaining battalion in the brigade was the famous regiment of +the City Imperial Volunteers. They were, of course, men of fine +physique, having been especially selected for their physical fitness and +their soldierly qualities, and I think it has been allowed by everyone +who has marched and worked in the field side by side with this battalion +of citizen soldiers that their conduct and bearing has at all times been +equal to that of the best infantry battalion in the Regular Army.</p> + +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_14" id="Page_14">[Pg 14]</a></span></p><p>They had a cyclist section with them, but this was too small to be of +any use except as orderlies, or despatch riders.</p> + +<p>I think there is a great future before the cyclist soldier, and I should +like to have seen a cyclist battalion, 1000 strong, employed in this +campaign with the Mounted Infantry Brigades. There is one point I am +quite positive about, and that is, that after having trekked over 1,500 +miles in all parts of the country, from Pretoria to Bethulie, and in all +weathers, I have seen no district, not even in the Caledon Valley, where +cyclists in large numbers could not have been utilised in place of or in +addition to Mounted Infantry.</p> + +<p>The Brigade was commanded by Colonel Bruce Hamilton of the East +Yorkshire regiment, who was promoted to Major-General before the +conclusion of the campaign. General Hamilton has a long record of active +and staff service, having taken part in the Afghan war, the Burma war, +and campaigns in Ashanti and on the West Coast of Africa; one of his +earliest experiences of active service being in the Boer War of 1881, +when he was A.D.C. to Sir George Colley and was present at the historic +fights of that campaign, Laings Nek and the Ingogo. He afterwards served +on the Staff at Bombay and at Simla, and, at the time our battalion was +at Aldershot in 1899, he was an A.G. to General Lyttleton's Brigade, +eventually going out to Natal as an A.G. when the war broke out, and +later receiving command of the 21st Brigade.</p> + +<p>Major Shaw, the Brigade Major, belonged to the Sherwood Foresters and +was in Malta with us in that regiment, with which he also served in the +early part of the campaign in the Orange Free State, distinguishing +himself at the capture of the bridge at Bethulie. The General's +Aide-de-Camp<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_15" id="Page_15">[Pg 15]</a></span> was Lieut. Fraser of the Cameron Highlanders, who was +afterwards assisted in his duties by Lieut. Clive Wilson of the +Yeomanry. The Brigade Transport Officer was Major Cardew of the Army +Service Corps, and the officer in charge of Supplies was Lieut. Lloyd of +the same corps, who had lately returned from active service on the West Coast.</p> + +<p>Our medical officer was Major Dundon, R.A.M.C., who had accompanied us +from Malta, and who on board ship had inoculated a great many officers +and men of the battalion against enteric fever. Major Dundon's own +health, however, gave way, and he suffered so much from fever that he +had to be admitted to hospital and sent down country, so that he did not +afterwards return to the regiment.</p> + +<p>On the 29th of April we started from Glen on our travels, but we did not +move until one o'clock, as there was a good deal of work to be done +first, leaving extra kit behind and issuing rations, of which we carried +two days' supply in our haversacks and four days' on the wagons. Some of +us have often, on after days when we were hard up for a bit of +breakfast, looked back on this morning at Glen and wished we could lay +hands on the piles and piles of biscuits which were thrown away by the men.</p> + +<p>At Glen our transport was issued to us; there were nine wagons +altogether, but as it was impossible to obtain mules, our four +ammunition carts, which we had brought out from home with us, and the +great casks of harness, had all to be left behind. We had no water-carts +either, except the one which had been lent to the detachment at +Ferreira, and which, under the circumstances, it was thought advisable +to retain. We should also have had led mules to carry ammunition, the +medical panniers and the signalling gear, but none<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_16" id="Page_16">[Pg 16]</a></span> were available for +this purpose; so all this gear had to be loaded on the nine wagons, +which were pretty full in consequence.</p> + +<p>One wagon was allowed to every two companies to carry blankets, +great-coats, cooking pots, ration baskets, etc. Our nine companies thus +took four and a half wagons, leaving the same number to carry all the +miscellaneous gear, the officers' kits, the ammunition, entrenching +tools, and two days' rations, besides the reserve ration of bully beef.</p> + +<p>It always struck us as being somewhat ironical having to carry a reserve +ration of bully beef while on the march, as the country was full of +cattle, which could have been driven in if required. If the worst had +come to the worst we could, in an emergency, have eaten the trek oxen, +which were quite as tender as the slaughter bullocks.</p> + +<p>The company wagons were terribly overloaded; each company was about 120 +strong, so the wagons had to carry 240 blankets and waterproof sheets +and 240 great-coats, besides the other impedimenta.</p> + +<p>As time went on, Major Cardew succeeded in getting us other wagons, and +some small carts were picked up at farms and utilised to carry our +reserve ammunition, the signalling gear, the doctors' boxes and the +tools; but the difficulty was to find animals to draw these carts. There +were plenty of carts at the farms, but the only beasts that we could get +were such stray mules as we encountered on the road, or which were found +in camp. They were mostly quite unfit for work and had been abandoned on +that account, but, anyhow, we had to put them in harness and get what +work we could out of them until we found better ones.</p> + +<p>Each large wagon was drawn by ten mules, and looked after by two black +boys as drivers, and one soldier as wagonman, who applied the brake<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_17" id="Page_17">[Pg 17]</a></span> +when necessary. The wagons were large and heavy, and the wheels too +light and spidery to stand much rough usage; and each wagon was cumbered +with a huge box or driving seat which must have weighed at least one +hundredweight, the use of which was not very obvious.</p> + +<p>All wagons, and indeed all the transport carts, and the guns too, were +fitted with the South African brake, which is applied or taken off by +means of a hand-wheel at the back of the cart. These powerful brakes are +very necessary owing to the steep descents sometimes met with, and the +erratic behaviour at all times of the mules. These animals gave much +trouble at first, but soon, with hard work and scanty feed, became more docile.</p> + +<p>The native drivers had been enlisted evidently because they were +natives, not on account of what they knew about mules or oxen. Many of +them were quite ignorant of how to treat the mules, and flogged them all +day without cessation, until at last the use of long whips was forbidden.</p> + +<p>The mules suffered a good deal from the want of water on the march. They +will not drink before about eight o'clock in the morning, and by that +time we were on the road usually, and there was no opportunity, until we +arrived at our destination, of watering the animals. This was a pity, as +they would have travelled much the better for it. Sometimes we had a +rest of a couple of hours in the middle of the day, when the animals +were allowed to water and graze; but more often the exigencies of the +campaign would not allow of our halting for long.</p> + +<p>Some of the artillery baggage wagons were of the old box pattern which, +it is understood, was condemned in 1881, after the first Boer war, as +being quite unsuitable; but now they appeared again. The artillery used +to mount a driver on the leading mule of the team and this plan seemed<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_18" id="Page_18">[Pg 18]</a></span> +to have many advantages. There is always much trouble in starting a team +of mules, as the natural perversity of the animals prevents them from +all pulling at once and together, until they are fairly started.</p> + +<p>To humour the wretched beasts it is sometimes necessary to get men to +give the van a shove along, so that the ten mules, when they find the +wagon moving, get at once into their collars and step out together in +the most docile fashion. Give a mule a slight ascent in the road in +front of him and the extraordinary creature is in his element at once, +and puts all his weight into his work; but on level ground or on a down +grade, a good deal of attention is necessary to keep the traces taut and +the mules from hanging back and getting their legs over them.</p> + +<p>We crossed the river by a footbridge and marched about eight miles to +Klein Ospruit. The baggage wagons had some adventures at the drifts and +did not arrive till fairly late, so that we had some trouble sorting out +our kits and other property in the dark.</p> + +<p>Next day we marched to Schanz Kraal, a short march over grassy veldt. +The Volunteer company had the honour of being the first to come under +the enemy's fire on this occasion, as they were plugged at by one of the +Boer guns whilst they were acting as escort to our battery. The shells, +however, dropped short and did no damage. The 1st of May saw us up at +6.30, and on the tramp on an exceptionally long march to Jacobsrust, or +Steynspruit as it is sometimes called. The weather was the most charming +that could be wished for, a true South African day, and, had the march +been 12 miles instead of the 18 or 19 that it actually was, we should +have been better pleased. Arriving on the top of a nek, or dip in the +hills, we saw a huge plain in front simply covered with<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_19" id="Page_19">[Pg 19]</a></span> troops, all +dismounted and resting. These were Broadwood's Cavalry and Ian +Hamilton's Mounted Infantry, and, after a while, they moved off in +advance of us, we following in an hour's time and reaching Jacobsrust +just before dusk.</p> + +<p>Our first business on arrival in camp each day was to see to the +provision of wood and water for cooking purposes, no easy matter in a +treeless country like the Orange Free State. When there were trees, wood +parties were sent out under an officer, and sometimes wooden fencing +posts were brought in from round the fields. Later on, when we moved +further North and wood became more scarce, men used to pick up these +fencing posts on their march home into camp, but, as they never knew +where camp was to be until they reached it, sometimes they were let in +to carry these logs of wood for miles. Occasionally, but very seldom, a +few small houses were ordered to be destroyed, and in that case the +troops were allowed to take the wood out of the doors and windows, +floors and ceilings. This did not often happen, though, as great +precautions were always being taken not to do any unnecessary damage or +to alarm the people of the country needlessly. A better substitute for +firewood was also found, under the guidance of stern necessity, to be +dried cowdung, and towards the close of the campaign the men used this +in preference to wood, as it was easier to get and lighter to carry.</p> + +<p>Whilst the wood and water parties were out, there was nothing more to be +done except to wait until the wagons arrived with the blankets. This was +a matter, sometimes of minutes, sometimes of hours, and it was in order +to guard against any possible delay in the movements of the wagons that +every man was ordered to carry, in addition to a blanket, two days' +rations of tea, sugar and biscuit, and one day's ration of meat in his +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_20" id="Page_20">[Pg 20]</a></span>haversack and canteen, which were regularly replaced when consumed. +Thus every man had in his possession the wherewithal to make a meal, +either in the middle of the day when a halt took place with the +intention of allowing the men to cook, or on arrival in camp.</p> + +<p>The meat ration was driven with us in the form of slaughter oxen, and +immediately on arrival in camp the butchers, who rode on a wagon and did +not have to walk, set to work and killed sufficient oxen to supply the +Brigade. It is said that sometimes the butchers killed a tough old trek +ox by mistake for a young heifer, but this statement is, I am sure, a +libel. The butchers were allowed to sell the liver, heart, head, etc. of +the bullocks and sheep killed, at a certain fixed price; so, when the +slaughtering was going on, there was sure to be a small crowd of +would-be purchasers waiting.</p> + +<p>Sometimes when the Brigade arrived late in camp the issue of rations +would take place several hours after dark; but as every man had that +day's rations carried on his person in addition to the next day's +groceries and biscuit, there was not really anything to complain about, +except the inconvenience, which was unavoidable. Many men did not at +first, however, realise that they had two day's biscuit in their +haversacks, and used to eat it all, or most of it, on the first +opportunity. There came a time, also, when, without notice, <i>flour</i> was +issued for the second day's ration, and our improvident friends were +fetched up with a round turn.</p> + +<p>Owing to the difficulties of transport and to the fact that every mortal +thing had to be carried with us—the country furnishing nothing but +cattle and forage—the ration question was always a troublesome one to +the regimental officer. No doubt it is an awkward thing issuing fresh +meat on the march, but what could be done? Preserved<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_21" id="Page_21">[Pg 21]</a></span> meat could not be +carried owing to the weight, and so the trek ox had to be cut up and +served out at no matter what hour. No doubt the pound-and-a-half of +meat, when cut up into portions, looked very small, and was often so +uninviting, that many of the men threw away their meat ration, such as +it was. Personally I do not think that the meat ration issued in this +way is nearly large enough, and it might with advantage be doubled at +the very least. By the time the bone, scraps, skin and dirty pieces are +cut away from a portion of meat representing the rations of a section +calculated at three pounds per man, and this again is subdivided into +each man's little chunk, it will be found that what was originally +considered as three pounds has dwindled to a pound-and-a-half or less. +The Boer prisoners, whom we rationed, laughed at the idea of existing on +the soldier's ration of a pound-and-a half of meat, and complained to +the General and got more.</p> + +<p>Whilst on the march it was impossible to make any other arrangement than +that each man should be responsible for his own cooking. This was +necessary in consequence of the liability of any man to go off on +picket, on guard, or on any duty where he might be detached from the +bulk of his comrades. The utmost that the company cooks could do to be +of benefit was to occasionally boil the water for the tea and let each +man make his own brew. Not that he could make many brews out of his +ration; far from it. In a laboratory, no doubt, carefully weighed +rations of tea will make a certain quantity of quite a respectable +drink, but in the field when the soldier has to carry his tea, tied up +in a bit of rag, it certainly does not go far enough, and the man has to +drink water, with every possibility of enteric supervening. Again, tea +made in bulk as in military kitchens at Aldershot is quite a different +matter to the same article made in a<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_22" id="Page_22">[Pg 22]</a></span> canteen out of the miserable pinch +which constitutes one man's ration for one day. Similar arguments apply +to the coffee and sugar; in fact the whole question of rations in the +field needs revision. What we would have done without the Brigade +Canteen which the General started, I do not know; but the quantity of +tea, sugar and foodstuffs generally sold in that institution was only +limited by the amount that could be purchased in the towns.</p> + +<p>On the march, the column usually halted at the regulation intervals of +time as prescribed in the drill books, of five minutes after the first +half-hour's marching and ten minutes on the completion of each +succeeding hour. There is some slight modification needed in this +regulation, as experience gained in marching, not only in South Africa, +has shown: the first halt is not long enough and should be at least ten +minutes or even longer, to enable men to fall out if they wish it. After +that, the halts should be for five minutes on the completion of each +half-hour's marching.</p> + +<p>A full hour is too long to continue moving, carrying the heavy weight +that men do on the march, and a few minutes rest after half an hour's +walking is better than a long spell after an hour's march. The weight of +the blanket and the other equipment on the shoulders, which may not +appear to be great on first putting it on, soon reminds one of its +presence, and the half-hourly halt enables the men to sit down and +relieve their aching shoulders.</p> + +<p>According to the regulations the proper place for the stretchers of a +battalion is for all of them, with their stretcher-bearers, to move in +rear under the medical officer, but common sense points to each +stretcher being always kept with its own company.</p> + +<p>In South Africa, movements were so extended and companies so far apart, +sometimes, that the stretchers would have been useless if kept +together;<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_23" id="Page_23">[Pg 23]</a></span> and it is much more reasonable for the two men to go with +their company, wherever it might be, on picket or baggage guard, or +escort to guns, or any similar duty.</p> + +<p>All regiments did not do this, however; and once during the mid-day +halt, we were much amused at the antics of a very military Volunteer +doctor, who was in charge of a squad of stretcher bearers, and was +trying to move them off with due decorum and a proper observance of +their importance. After falling-in and telling-off, they took up and +laid down their stretchers several times, just to wake things up a bit, +and then they received the order—"Stretcher party, r-r-right—form!"</p> + +<p>This not being satisfactory, the doctor exclaimed "As you were! Now on +the word 'Right'! the right hand man turns to the right, the remainder +at the same time making a half-turn in the same direction," etc., and he +delivered the order again; upon which, this intricate manœuvre being +executed to his satisfaction, the whole party solemnly moved off, +followed by the smiles of our men and a few muttered remarks, such as +"'e must 'ave thought 'e were in 'Ide Park"!</p> + +<p>When our baggage wagons arrived in camp they were unloaded at once, and +the rolls of blankets and great-coats taken off to the sections that +owned them. The men then proceeded to erect their bivouacs, if they were +particular, or to spread their blankets on the ground, if they were tired.</p> + +<p>Sometimes it was our duty to furnish the pickets to protect the camp +during a halt, and when this was the case the companies used to go off, +as soon as they arrived in camp, to the spots pointed out by the Brigade +Major, and make themselves comfortable there until daybreak the next +morning; when either they were relieved, or else the column marched off +and the pickets followed behind as a rear guard. The wagons used to go<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_24" id="Page_24">[Pg 24]</a></span> +out to the pickets, if they were any distance off, with their blankets +and great-coats; but if they were at all close to camp, as they +frequently were, then the men used to carry out their bundles +themselves. As a rule, we camped in a hollow close to water, which was +either in a dam or a spruit (small stream), and the pickets were posted +in prominent places on the surrounding hills. We had early learned to +consider these pickets as really defensive posts, put out to hold +certain prominent features, with a view to preventing the enemy from +occupying them with guns and riflemen and from annoying us in camp, and +not as outpost pickets with their visiting and reconnoitring patrols by day and night.</p> + +<p>Cover from view was as much to be desired as protection from bullets and +possible shell fire, and every man was told off to his own little +position some distance away from the next man. Permanent objects like +sangars and walls in exposed positions might serve to draw the enemy's +fire more than was desirable, so, to deceive him, other positions were +whenever possible utilised. At early daybreak every man stood to his +arms for a while, watching especially points from which fire might be +opened by the enemy. Cordite being smokeless, we, of course, never knew +where the enemy actually was concealed, and could only fire at likely +places, in the hope that he <i>was</i> there and that our bullets would make +him keep his head and rifle safe under cover. Double sentries, +especially at night, were of course an absolute necessity, and +signalling communication was invariably maintained between the pickets +and the camp, both by day and by night.</p> + +<p>In the field there ought to be a weekly issue of tobacco, which should +be considered as part of the rations: it is impossible, sometimes for +weeks on end, for the men to purchase tobacco for themselves, and the +loss or absence of this luxury is very<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_25" id="Page_25">[Pg 25]</a></span> severely felt. Tobacco is +certainly procurable at some of the Supply Depôts at the bases, on +payment, and twice during the nine months of our wanderings an issue was +made to those companies which had money on hand with which to pay for +it; the amounts which were due from the individual men were then charged +through their accounts and, after a good deal of clerical labour, the +transaction was concluded.</p> + +<p>Owing to the greater necessity for carrying food, our Supply wagons +usually had no room to carry tobacco; so that it was not often, in fact +only twice, as has been said, that it was procurable.</p> + +<p>The price was very inconvenient too; in a land where copper coins are +unknown and the smallest coin is a "tikky," or threepenny piece, to +charge 1s 4d. for an article means that there is always trouble over the +change, which is increased if only half the quantity is asked for.</p> + +<p>Smoking before food has been taken as productive of eventual thirst. It +is extraordinary how men will smoke at all hours of the night, in fact +whenever they are awake; but it is a practice which ought not to be +allowed on the march, as the effects are surely felt later in the day +when the heat and consequent thirst rapidly increase: this engenders +drinking, and the water bottles are soon emptied before there is any +chance of replenishing them.</p> + +<p>Undoubtedly, men require careful training and education in these little +matters, and, if they are properly attended to, as a result a long march +may be comfortably carried out and the men brought in to camp in good +physical form, not exhausted to the last stage, as they frequently are.</p> + +<p>Our water supply when we were on the march was usually procured from the +spruits or streams, but in the Orange River Colony we frequently had no +other water than that procured from pools, more or less stagnant, and of +a dirty yellow colour from<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_26" id="Page_26">[Pg 26]</a></span> the suspended impurities. The section of the +Royal Engineers with our Brigade had a couple of hand pumps in their +carts with the picks and shovels, explosives and other things that they +carry in the field; and these pumps, immediately on arrival in camp, +were fixed up at the water supply, and a sentry posted to keep off +cattle and to see that the water was not contaminated by men washing in it.</p> + +<p>Whilst on the march there was very little sickness from bowel +complaints. No doubt the constant daily exercise in the magnificent +climate and the excitement combined to render the men somewhat innocuous +to the attentions of the enteric microbe, or, more probably, the water +that we drank had not, up to then, been poisoned with these germs, +although it was dirty enough in all conscience.</p> + +<p>What with the constant smoking and want of self control, men usually +drank a good deal of water on the march and during the day in camp or on +picket: were the ration of tea increased in the field, as it might well +be, to three times the present quantity, men would drink considerably +less water on service and would save themselves a good deal of sickness. +Men will not go to the trouble of preparing boiled water for their +bottles; but if they have sufficient tea to spare, they will often fill +up their bottles with it.</p> + +<p>There is nothing better to drink on the march than cold tea: it is an +excellent mild stimulant, it is a gentle aperient, and it is also a +febrifuge in a small way, besides being somewhat astringent: it clears +the brain, too, and leaves a clean taste in the mouth. Veldt water, on +the other hand, besides being a breeding establishment for the germs and +microbes of nearly all the diseases under the sun, is nasty to look at, +horrid to smell, and disgusting to drink: it invariably pours out in the +form of sweat if the weather is at all warm, and it clogs<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_27" id="Page_27">[Pg 27]</a></span> the mouth and +tongue with a mawkish taste which speedily requires more water to remove it.</p> + +<p>Why the microscopic ration of tea should be increased on the same day by +equally minute portions of coffee and cocoa has always been a puzzle. +The advantage and necessity of varying the drink ration is understood, +but why issue three kinds in one day, instead of tea one day, coffee the +next, and cocoa the third? At the best of times the men had no place in +which to stow the small portions of each of these articles which +comprised the daily ration, and were, perforce, compelled to wrap each +lot up in bits of rag and carry them in their haversacks.</p> + +<p>Ration baskets were provided in which one day's groceries could have +been carried in bulk by each company, but, as an order had been issued +for each man to carry his own, these baskets proved to be useless lumber.</p> + +<hr /> + +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_28" id="Page_28">[Pg 28]</a></span></p> + +<h2><span>CHAPTER III.</span> <span class="smaller">TO ZAND RIVER.</span></h2> + +<blockquote><p class="center">On the March—Formations—Protection—Necessity of Mounted +Troops—Engagement at Welkom Farm—Capture of Winburg—Soldiers and +their Boots—Naval Guns.</p></blockquote> + +<p>In order to enable the force to be concentrated, the 21st Brigade halted +on the 2nd of May at Jacobsrust, continuing their march the following +day to Isabellafontein. The names of some of the farms are very curious +and depend greatly on local conditions. The thick-skulled Boer farmer +when he first arrived and selected his farm lost no time in dubbing it +with a title, which, in after years, appears somewhat incongruous and +confusing, as numbers of farmers hit upon the same happy idea of naming +their locations Klipfontein, Doornberg, or Leeukop; and the result is +that there are hundreds of places in the Orange River Colony with the +same name—Doornkops are as common as dirt, whilst Deelfonteins, and +farms called Modderfontein, or Muddy Spring, are quite numerous. Then, +again, the settler, instead of naming his farm from the physical +properties of the land or the quality of the water, frequently called it +after his vrouw, so that one often came across farms called Ellensrust, +for instance. Many others are named after animals, such as +Hartebeestefontein, Wildebeeste Hoek, or Quaggafontein, while others are +called Welkom Rust or Wonderfontein, the meaning of which is apparent.</p> + +<p>The farms are all fenced with barbed wire, of generally three strands, +with posts of wood or, more usually, of big slabs of quarried stone. +These wire fences were of course a great hindrance to all mounted men +and had to be cut in all directions.</p> + +<p>On the march we used to move in column of fours, unless the veldt was +broad and open, when we<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_29" id="Page_29">[Pg 29]</a></span> still kept our fours but moved the companies +out to the right and left, so that we were really in a column of double +companies moving in fours to a flank. This was a very good and simple +formation, since the companies could open out or close in to the centre +without difficulty, and at any time they were all handy and ready to +move in any direction without the slightest delay. The battalion seldom +or never moved in column of companies, as it was found that this was the +most tiring formation of all in a long march, especially when the men +were carrying a full kit. This full kit consisted of rifle, with +magazine charged; haversack, with one day's complete rations and one +day's issue of tea, sugar and biscuit; canteen and water-bottle; +sidearms and equipment with 100 rounds of ammunition; and a blanket, +strapped on the waistbelt at the back. All this totals up a good load, +but there was nothing that could have been dispensed with, the blanket, +which was most cumbersome and unwieldy, being really as necessary as anything.</p> + +<p>The officers wore equipment the same as the men, and nearly all of them +carried a rifle or a carbine. This was a most necessary precaution, as +there is no doubt the enemy invariably directed their fire on the +officers, and of course anyone seen to be dressed differently to the +men, or not carrying a rifle, would be immediately spotted by the Boers. +I asked some of the prisoners this question when we were escorting them +from the Golden Gate, and they said at once that they always +concentrated their fire on those who appeared to be the leaders.</p> + +<p>The advanced flank and rear guards were always found by the mounted +troops, who kept well away from us; as indeed they ought to, if they +intend to keep the column beyond rifle shot of the enemy, which may be +taken as fully 2,000 yards, or about a mile and a quarter. It will +easily be seen<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_30" id="Page_30">[Pg 30]</a></span> what a farce a flank guard of infantry must be, unless +it can move at such a distance from the column as will enable it +effectually to protect that column, without hampering it or checking its +progress. On the other hand, if the flank guard gets too far away from +the column, it is liable to be cut off itself, whilst if it remains too +close in, it does no good and merely masks the fire of the main body. It +is a difficult question to answer—how is a column to protect itself in +these days of long range rifle fire unless it has mounted men?</p> + +<p>I saw a column on the march once which consisted of an infantry +battalion with its full complement of transport and with a couple of +guns, with their wagons, and the way the flank guards were put out was a +study in how <i>not</i> to do it. Imagine an enormous rectangle, stretching +along the road and extending about 200 yards on each side of it, the +ends and sides of this rectangle being composed of men moving in single +file and about three or four paces apart. Inside this rectangle was the +main body, the baggage and the guns; and it is easy to conceive that, +owing to so many men being used to form the ends and sides of the +rectangle, there were hardly any left to make up the main body or to act +as a reserve, while, from the formation adopted, nothing could be done +by the men forming the sides, except to lie down if they were attacked. +I never saw a more hopeless instance of slavish adherence to the drill +books and utter want of common sense and adaptability to the conditions +of service in this country. The commanding officer, who was a Staff +College man, has since been badly stellenbosched.</p> + +<p>A story is told of General Smith-Dorrien which is very characteristic of +that gallant officer and worth repeating.</p> + +<p>It seems that on one occasion, somewhere in South Africa, the officer +commanding a certain<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_31" id="Page_31">[Pg 31]</a></span> battery of artillery was somewhat chary of getting +too close to the enemy: perhaps he was thinking of his horses.</p> + +<p>Getting tired of finding the battery to be always out of effective +range, the General sent an order that the battery was to be brought up +to where the 19th Brigade flag was planted. So the Major limbered up and +advanced his battery up to the General, who promptly galloped on, flag +and all, another 600 yards nearer the enemy, where he stuck his +flagstaff into the ground and waited for the battery to carry out their +orders, to come "up to where the flag was!"</p> + +<p>On the 4th May, whilst on the march northwards, we had our first +experience, as a battalion, of shell fire at the engagement of Welkom +Farm, or Wellow as it is sometimes called. The brunt of the fighting was +borne by the Cavalry and Mounted Infantry, but the enemy dropped several +shells in our direction, two of which burst at the head of the +battalion, but luckily did no damage. The battalion had advanced in +column of companies, extended of course, in support of the mounted +troops, who were manœuvring on our front and on our left. To our +right and left front the hills converged and were held by the enemy's +riflemen, who were, however, out of range. A couple of companies were +detached to guard our right flank, moving parallel with us and keeping +the enemy behind his cover, whilst a couple more advanced against the +hills on our left front, which had by this time been cleared by our +cavalry, not before they had come under shell and pom-pom fire and had +experienced a few losses. One of our men,<a name="FNanchor_1_1" id="FNanchor_1_1"></a><a href="#Footnote_1_1" class="fnanchor">[1]</a> was severely wounded on +this occasion.</p> + +<p>After climbing the low hills on our left front, we sat and watched the +remainder of the Brigade<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_32" id="Page_32">[Pg 32]</a></span> coming along, and waited until the Cavalry had +scouted some miles to our front before we finally left our position.</p> + +<p>A very good view was obtainable from this hilltop, and it was disgusting +to have to sit still and watch the Boer convoy trekking away in a +north-easterly direction and about 4 miles off. We could see the wagons +and long lines of bullocks distinctly, and little specks, which were +probably mounted men, darting about up and down the road. However, +nothing could be done to stop them, and so they slowly passed out of sight.</p> + +<p>It was very interesting to see, watching from the top of the hill, one +of the other regiments of the Brigade advancing in attack formation, in +column of companies extended about ten paces; and, even at the very +great distance they were away, it was curious to notice how the officers +and section commanders showed up in the intervals between the long +extended lines. They were, of course, in their proper places and only a +few paces in rear of their sections, but, even two miles away, one could +recognise the black speck in front of the centre of the company, and the +other tiny atoms moving along in rear of the half-companies and sections.</p> + +<p>There is no doubt it is a sound principle that, when extended, officers, +supernumeraries and buglers should invariably march in the extended line +amongst the men, from whom, if this is done, they are practically +indistinguishable. The companies and sections can just as well be +controlled from the ranks as from any other position half a dozen paces +in rear, and the reduction in the size of the objective which the enemy +is looking at is worthy of consideration.</p> + +<p>During the afternoon we went on to the farm near the river and there +camped, but after this long day's work we still had the pickets to +furnish,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_33" id="Page_33">[Pg 33]</a></span> and sent out several companies to the hills to the north and +west of the camp for this purpose. However, picket duty, except for the +slight extra marching entailed, is no great hardship on a fine night +when wood and water are plentiful, and one has always the consolation of +knowing that some other regiment will be on duty the day after.</p> + +<p>Winburg was reached on the evening of the next day after a long and +tiresome march. We camped near the railway station, and found the piles +of wooden sleepers very easily split and very useful for our fires. The +town is situated at the end of a branch railway which joins the main +line at Smaldeal Junction, about 20 miles off, and which will in time, +no doubt, be prolonged to the north-east and connect with Senekal, which +is distant about 34 miles. Winburg is a small town of the usual +description—Church in the middle of the market square, a couple of +small hotels, two or three decent-sized general stores and a few small +houses. The railway makes a curious curve when entering the town, and +runs round three parts of a circle before it finally pulls up at a tiny station.</p> + +<p>The line and the station buildings were untouched when we arrived, but +no engines or rolling stock were left for us. The Boers had not long +been gone when our cavalry entered the town and demanded its surrender, +but our horses were too much done up for the mounted troops to continue +the pursuit. The Boer forces were so very mobile—as they naturally +would be when moving about in their own country and acting always on the +defensive—that to allow our mounted troops to get too far in front and +away from the infantry would have been a tactical error. It might have +resulted in the separation of our columns and their attack in detail by +the Boers, who would then have had a great advantage.</p> + +<p>The battalions in the Brigade were ordered to<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_34" id="Page_34">[Pg 34]</a></span> be weeded out of all men +unable to perform steady and continuous marching, and we accordingly had +to leave a goodly number of lame ducks behind in charge of Major +Panton.<a name="FNanchor_2_2" id="FNanchor_2_2"></a><a href="#Footnote_2_2" class="fnanchor">[2]</a> Some of them had bad and worn-out boots, ruined, most likely, +by the salt water on board ship, and by the want of dubbing but the +large majority were suffering from sore feet, caused in nine cases out +of ten either by badly-fitting boots or by want of attention to the +feet. These had occurred in spite of orders and warnings without number, +but it seems impossible to get the soldier to pay any attention to his feet.</p> + +<p>There is not a medical man or a pedestrian who will not say that it is +absolutely necessary to change the socks frequently and to wash the feet +invariably at the end of a march. There is not a soldier in the service +who will not insist that this practice softens the feet and leads to +blisters and subsequent falling out.</p> + +<p>Until some very drastic measures are introduced preventing men from +receiving boots too small for them, and legislating for their better +preservation and for proper cleanliness of the feet, our army will never +be able to march any better than it does at present. The man to blame is +the man who wears the boots, but he cannot be brought to see that, or to +listen to words of experienced men who were marching with soldiers when +he was in his cradle. The agonies which some men will endure from a +badly-fitting boot are beyond belief. I have seen, in Ireland, a man +draw out his foot, covered with blood, from his boot, after a 5 miles' +walk, and be unable to march for weeks afterwards.</p> + +<p>The pluck and endurance and indomitable perseverance shown by men with +ill-fitting boots<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_35" id="Page_35">[Pg 35]</a></span> proves devotion worthy of a better cause, but it has +been a marvel to me for the last twenty years, why bitter experience has +never taught the foot soldier to wear boots large enough for him. It is +a well-known fact that after some marching has been done, a larger size +in boots is required, as the feet swell and need more room; but the +soldier, with an 8-2 foot when he joins, will go on asking for 8-2 boots +until doomsday, and will have a grievance if he is compelled in the +field to wear a pair of 9-3's, as he should be.</p> + +<p>Whilst on the march we were compelled to resort to individual cooking, +since every man carried his own ration, and this practice worked well, +although a great deal of time was taken up by each individual which +might have been better employed in sleep or rest. The men seemed to be +always cooking; what with looking after the fires, collecting wood and +<i>mest</i>, or dried cow-dung, and fetching water, the whole camp seemed to +be perpetually moving round their camp fires, frying and boiling until a +very late hour at night. The issue of flour instead of biscuit was +responsible for a great deal of the time wasted in cooking. Some of the +companies used to arrange for the cooks to prepare, in the camp kettles, +hot water for the men to make their own tea, but it was impossible to +arrange to cook the meat in this way, as each man had his own portion +served out to him by his section commander.</p> + +<p>Many men cooked and ate their scrap of meat in the early morning, others +finished it off at the mid-day halt, whilst a great number threw away +their little bit of tough trek ox rather than carry it all day, steaming +and jostling about in a smelly canteen, or wrapped in a dirty piece of +rag and crammed into a haversack, cheek by jowl with some tobacco and a +pair of socks, perhaps.</p> + +<p>This canteen was the only cooking pot the<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_36" id="Page_36">[Pg 36]</a></span> men had, although in the +course of time many of them procured tin cans, the Australian "billy," +to assist in making their tea or coffee. The canteen is not an easy +thing to keep clean at the best of times when it is in constant use, and +we had no opportunity of replacing those which wore out by the constant cooking.</p> + +<p>We had to thank De Wet for this. One of the trains which was wrecked by +him contained many thousands of new canteens which, months afterwards, +could be seen lying by the side of the line, reduced to their original +factor of sheet iron.</p> + +<p>After leaving Welkom Farm the rearguard was overtaken by the Highland +Brigade, who were following in support to our Brigade; with them were +two of the famous 4.7 naval guns, manned by a party of bluejackets—at +least the men wore straw hats, but the rest of their kit was the same as ours.</p> + +<p>The guns had been rigged up on temporary field carriages, designed by +some bold man, which would have made an official in the Royal +Gun-carriage Factory turn ill with horror.</p> + +<p>First of all came bullocks—about forty of them—dragging an +absurd-looking gun, mounted on an equally curiously-made limber, with +enormously broad wheels. This was dragged muzzle first, contrary to all +precedent, with the gun pointing over the bullocks' backs. The trail was +supported on a little low carriage with a boom sticking out behind like +a tiller; and a tiller it was undoubtedly, for two bluejackets hung on +to it, and, by shoving it to port or starboard, guided the gun in the +proper direction.</p> + +<p>Whilst in Winburg the following order was issued by General Ian +Hamilton, commanding the entire force, which was henceforward called the +Winburg Column:—</p> + +<p class="center"><i>Extract from Brigade Orders. Winburg,<br />5th May, 1900.</i></p> + +<p>"The G.O.C. Winburg Column has much<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_37" id="Page_37">[Pg 37]</a></span> pleasure in informing the troops +under his command that he has received from the F.M. C.-in-C. in South +Africa a telegram, in which Lord Roberts expresses his high appreciation +of the good work recently performed by all ranks in the Winburg Column. +His lordship has yet to hear of the further success achieved by the +capture of Winburg. During the past thirteen days a portion of the +Winburg Column has marched over 100 miles, fighting the enemy on nine +separate occasions, and capturing two important towns. The other portion +of the column has borne at least its full share of the very successful +operations which have followed the battle of Houtnek. The G.O.C. cannot +therefore but feel that his column has fairly earned, not only the +praises of the F.M. C.-in-C., which are published separately, but also a +day or two of comparative rest. In the same message, however, in which +Lord Roberts expresses his high appreciation of the successes we have +achieved, he directs us not to slacken our efforts for several days to +come. The enemy is hurrying northwards to concentrate, and it is of +nothing less than national importance that his movements should be +impeded, and his guns and convoys if possible captured. Thanks to the +good work which has already been accomplished, this column now finds +itself better placed to carry out the Field-Marshal's wishes than any +other portion of the troops under his command. The opportunity is a +great one, and Gen. Ian Hamilton confidently appeals to the officers and +men of the Winburg Column to make the very best of it, regardless of the +fatigue and privation which will probably have to be undergone before +success is secured."</p> + +<p>The next day—the 6th of May—we made an<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_38" id="Page_38">[Pg 38]</a></span> afternoon march, together with +the 19th Brigade, Smith-Dorrien's, and the Cavalry and Mounted Infantry, +of about 9 miles, to a farm called Dankbarsfontein. The "fontein" in +this instance belied its name, and instead of being a gushing spring of +clear, sparkling water, which would have pleased the heart of Sir +Wilfred Lawson, it was a succession of dirty puddles which would have +created dismay among the ranks of the A.T.A. had there been any of their members left!</p> + +<p>We remained a couple of days at this festive spot, but marched on the +9th of May to Bloomplaats. This was a well-to-do farm, with plenty of +water and good grazing, and with a herd of half-tame buck which careered +about all round the camp at 40 miles an hour, raising clouds of dust. Of +course some sportsmen went out and stalked these frolicsome animals, and +were followed by others, the result being that in a short time there was +a good deal of indiscriminate shooting going on, and life hardly became +worth living; so that these keen <i>shikaris</i> had to be fetched back. The +amusing part of the show occurred later, when a Mounted Infantry picket, +who were lying about on the look-out a mile or so away, had a shell +dropped close to them by the Boers. They scattered with promptitude, and +a few more shells came over in the same place. We could not see the Boer +gun, which was fully two miles away, for a long time, but at last we +caught the flicker of the sun on the breech block as it was swung into position.</p> + +<p>In addition to all the firing at the buck every time they raced round +our camp, there had been a good deal of desultory firing going on all +the afternoon between the Mounted Infantry, who were on our right, and +the Boers, who were holding some low hills some miles from us. We could +see a few mounted Boers riding about now and then, but their guns were +well concealed, and their men did not show themselves.</p> + +<div class="footnotes"><h3>FOOTNOTES:</h3> + +<div class="footnote"><p><a name="Footnote_1_1" id="Footnote_1_1"></a><a href="#FNanchor_1_1"><span class="label">[1]</span></a> Private D. Downer of A company.</p></div> + +<div class="footnote"><p><a name="Footnote_2_2" id="Footnote_2_2"></a><a href="#FNanchor_2_2"><span class="label">[2]</span></a> Major Panton ultimately succeeded in marching these men +(drawn from all four battalions) up to Irene, where they rejoined the +Brigade on the 9th of June, three days before Diamond Hill. They had +covered 15 miles a day, acting as escort to a large ammunition column.</p></div></div> + +<hr /> + +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_39" id="Page_39">[Pg 39]</a></span></p> + +<h2><span>CHAPTER IV.</span> <span class="smaller">THE FIGHT AT ZAND RIVER.</span></h2> + +<blockquote><p class="center">Description of the Action—The Final Charge—Necessity of +continuing to Advance—Prisoners—Their Impressions—Fire Tactics.</p></blockquote> + +<p>On the 10th of May we made an early start from Bloomplaats, leaving the +camp at 4.30 a.m. This means being up at three o'clock, and it was pitch +dark at that hour; but the General's object was to reach the drift, a +few miles away, before daybreak. This we did just before early dawn, and +found a company of the Derbyshire Regiment holding it on the far side. +There was water, about a couple of feet, in the drift proper, but +boldly—and like fools—we waded across and clambered up the other side, +and extended among the mimosa bushes. Fools we were, indeed, as a few +yards further up the sluit we could have crossed dry shod, and saved +ourselves the tender feet from which most of us suffered, brought about +by a long day's marching with wet socks—which resulted in our poor feet +being simply boiled in our boots.</p> + +<p>It was just after dawn and fairly cold, so that we were glad to see the +sun rise and to get on the move ourselves again. Bye-and-bye an order +came for us to pass on through mimosa bushes which were scattered about +on the north bank of the Zand stream, towards the hilly ground on the +east. Towards the north the ground was open and level and treeless for a +couple of miles; then it rose a little, and ended on the skyline with a +biggish kopje to the north west. To the east the ground also rose a +little, and about 2 miles away culminated in a ridge running across our +front from north-east down to east, gradually getting higher, and ending +in a confused jumble of black hills<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_40" id="Page_40">[Pg 40]</a></span> running down to the river; +somewhere among these black hills being the gun, which I have previously +mentioned as having dropped a shell or two into the Mounted Infantry +picket, near our camp at Bloomplaats. The whole of this ground was +treeless and grassy, but a few mimosa bushes were scattered about on the +hills to the east, and there was a good fringe of these prickly bushes +down on the river banks.</p> + +<p>Through these bushes, and past a couple of isolated houses, we were +working our way in column of companies, extended, towards a low hill, an +underfeature which jutted out towards us from the higher hills beyond. +Having gained the shelter of this, we closed in a bit, ascended the +slope, and lay down in quarter column, the leading company just below +the top of the hill, and the rear company at its foot.</p> + +<p>So far all had been peaceful and quiet, and some of the hungry ones had +already started on their biscuits, when phit, ping-boom, phit, phit, +came the Mausers, and we woke up to try and grasp the situation. The +General had sent forward a few men over the hill-top to the other side, +Captain Robinson and some of C company had gone, and the enemy, who, up +to now had lain low, had greeted them with every demonstration of +affection, and continued to do so for some little time. Our men could do +nothing but take cover and return the fire of the invisible Boers: they +had played their part, had drawn the fire of the enemy, and had induced +him to show his hand.</p> + +<p>Apparently expecting that a column of troops would soon advance against +them over the top of the hill, following on the track of our few men of +C company, the enemy now maintained a heavy rifle, shell and pom-pom +fire on the edge of the crest line, a few feet above us. We, sitting on +the ground close under the lee of the hill, were perfectly<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_41" id="Page_41">[Pg 41]</a></span> safe, and +could not be touched by any Boer shell so we had nothing to do but to +listen to the bursting of the shells and to watch for the fragments +striking the ground beyond. The noise was terrific, and at one time +there was a perfectly awful outburst of roars and screams and pounding, +as the pieces of shell went shrieking and whizzing over our heads, +while, throughout the fearful din, we could hear that infernal +pom-pom-pom-pom-pom, five times, which denoted that the Vicker's-Maxim, +belonging to the Boers, was hurling its disgusting little shells at us.</p> + +<p>The whirring and the shriek of these spiteful little beasts, as they +strike the ground and burst into hundreds of vicious, stinging +fragments, is, at first experience, the most disconcerting sound that I +know. Throughout the whole of this pandemonium—which lasted perhaps ten +minutes, and then settled down into the occasional dull roar of a +bursting shrapnel, and the whiz and flop of the fragments—the Mausers +were going ping-boom, ping-boom, and the enemy's Maxim was in full blast +at frequent intervals.</p> + +<p>Sitting under the side of the hill, we could see to our rear, most of +the other troops of the Division, all advancing to take their part in +the attack, and hastening lest they should be too late. Following in our +path through the mimosas, and in similar formation, came one of the +regiments of our Brigade; they had just reached an open space half a +mile in rear, when, being apparently spotted by the Boer gunners, plump +came a shell, close in front of the column. A little to the left it was, +so the bursting fragments flew harmlessly onward, while the onlookers +drew a deep breath of relief, and the regiment quickened its pace, well +knowing what was to be expected next. Soon it came, plunk-plunk, and we +held our breath; two shells, two clouds of dust, in rear of the +hastening battalion<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_42" id="Page_42">[Pg 42]</a></span> Luckily the Boer gunners had not allowed +sufficiently for the distance advanced by the regiment, while they were +laying the guns.</p> + +<p>Following in rear of this battalion came the Camerons, but they wisely +led off to their right, and got under shelter of the high banks of the +river—not, however, without being spotted and plugged at by the enemy, +harmlessly as it turned out; and so they passed on beyond us.</p> + +<p>Far away out in the open veldt dashed a battery of our Artillery: round +it swung and unlimbered: in a second or two off trotted the horses to +shelter, and the gunners began to drop their shells, at 3,000 yards, on +to the ridge held by the Boers—not, however, without reply, as the +enemy shelled that battery with vigour for some little time. Over and +over again did we, from our shelter, see a cloud of dust rise amongst +the guns, now in front, now between them, now in rear; and yet the +little black specks ran unconcernedly from the guns to the limbers and +back again, and every now and then, with a sheet of flame and a muffled +roar, did the gunners send back their defying answer to their hidden enemies.</p> + +<p>A similar game was being played on the other side of the river, where, +miles away, came a battery in column of route, heading unostentatiously +for the drift: suddenly the enterprising Boers flopped a shell, followed +by another, first on this side of the battery, then over their heads. +"Action-right" was the yell, round wheeled the guns, and boom-boom, came +the answer to the Boers. A few shells exchanged places, and then the +battery limbered up and trekked on quietly to the drift.</p> + +<p>In the far distance, towards the south-west, came acres of troops, +clouds of cavalry, columns of infantry and the dense dust of great +baggage lines, while over the sky-line sailed peacefully a huge balloon, +looking unconcernedly down at us pigmies<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_43" id="Page_43">[Pg 43]</a></span> below, striving to oust each +other from tiny little kopjes. This was Tucker's Division, coming up +from the railway on our left rear, and by this movement causing the +Boers, in due course of time, automatically to fall back from their right flank.</p> + +<p>About this time, we also began to move—half of B, the rear company, +being sent out to our left front, where a battery was coming into action +behind the hill by indirect laying, and the other half moving along +about a mile to our left, and slightly to the rear, to a point where the +ground rose gradually in a long gentle swell until it joined the ridge +above. This half company was sent by way of keeping an eye on the other +side of the grassy slope, and it soon reached the ground and lay down in +extended order. Letter A Company was then dribbled out, man by man, each +about ten yards apart, in the same direction, with orders to move +towards the end of the ridge: they came under some long range fire as +soon as they quitted the shelter of our hill, and, bearing off rather +too much to their left, eventually got round where B company was, lay +down and opened fire. The Volunteer company was then sent on in the same +way, and worked along to the spur, where A and B companies were +gradually creeping along, upwards towards the ridge. Meanwhile D and E +companies had moved out about a quarter of a mile to their left, and +then turned and advanced towards the ridge. C company remained where it +had halted earlier in the day, and was joined by F, both companies being +held in reserve. The Maxim gun had been sent to a low spur on our left, +where it came into action at 2,200 yards against a sangar on the top of +the ridge, so as to cover the advance of the other companies; and the +remaining two companies, G and H, were brought along behind the Maxim, +and then sent forward in front of it.</p> + +<p>This was the situation at about the middle of<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_44" id="Page_44">[Pg 44]</a></span> the morning. The +battalion was extended over about a mile and a half of front, facing a +ridge occupied by the enemy and distant some 1,500 yards, the companies +being, in order from right to left, thus: D, E, ½B, G, H, Vols., A, +with C and F and half B in reserve. Our right was on a spur rising up +towards the ridge, the centre was lined across a large open valley, and +the left was on another spur which also ran up the ridge.</p> + +<p>There was a round kraal on the summit of the ridge, at about the centre, +in which the enemy had a gun, and where one or two men could be seen +moving. The battery, over our heads, shelled this spot briskly, but +without much effect, and we, from a closer range of 2,200 yards, turned +our Maxim on to it, and searched the whole hillside in the +neighbourhood. After a while a man, shown up distinctly against the +sky-line, walked calmly out of this kraal, passed along and disappeared +over the hill. One or two more followed, and then a little clump with, +presumably, the gun in their midst, moved slowly out and away beyond +view. All this time a heavy fire was being kept up by all the companies +in the firing line, the Maxim was stuttering out bullets like mad, and +the guns were dropping shells along the ridge, whilst these plucky Boers +calmly and deliberately moved their gun clean away.</p> + +<p>The instant it was gone, our slow and cumbrous Maxim hitched in its +mules and advanced to a closer position, where, behind a wall at about +1,600 yards, its fire again searched out the slopes of the hill, +especially to the left of the circular kraal—the spot where the enemy's +gun had been—where a number of stone walls, rising in tiers, seemed to +point out a likely hiding-place for Boer sharpshooters. Meanwhile the +firing line had been gradually closing up nearer to the foot of the +hill, and we had spotted, at 600 yards, a Boer using<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_45" id="Page_45">[Pg 45]</a></span> black powder +behind one of these stone walls, and were making it warm for him. +Another advance or two, and we were nearer still to the ridge, when +suddenly, like a flock of pigeons, up rose a crowd of men from behind +the tiers of stone walls, and bolted up the hill. With a roar, our men +were on their feet and after the Boers, racing madly up the hill, +shouting, cheering, cursing the heavy blankets bumping at their backs, +yelling with delight, regardless of the shells from our battery in rear +screaming and whistling over their heads and plumping on the ridge.</p> + +<p>Panting and blowing, the heavy equipment dragging them back, our fellows +struggled on, and when close to the top of the ridge, with a final rush +(headed in the centre by Markwick, Treagus, and H. B. Mills), gained the +summit and paused to take breath. A few Boers had waited too long and +now remained for ever, one with Mobsby's bayonet in him, whilst the +others were trekking as fast as their ponies could carry them away from +the cursed rooineks.</p> + +<p>Numbers of loose ponies were about, and a few Boers opened fire on us +from a knoll about 600 yards to our right front; while many others could +be seen riding rapidly away. To hasten their departure, we fired a few +volleys at 1,100 yards at these gentry, the squad who fired at them +being rather a mixed one, consisting as it did of the Second in Command, +the Adjutant, a Second Lieutenant, and four or five men hastily +scratched together—the whole under command of Lieut. Ashworth, who had +only enough breath remaining to yell "Fire!" It is said that the oldest +soldier of this squad "pulled off" and spoiled a volley; but perhaps he +did not know very much about musketry!</p> + +<p>The advance was continued very shortly afterwards, as soon as the men +had got their breath;<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_46" id="Page_46">[Pg 46]</a></span> and soon all firing ceased, the Boers +disappeared, and we devoted ourselves to looking about us and wondering +where the Cavalry had got to.</p> + +<p>After a few minutes, by which time most of the battalion had come up, we +continued our advance as we were, without reforming, down the slope of +the hill, across the valley, and up the gentle slope of the opposite +hill, where we posted look-out men and reformed the companies.</p> + +<p>Those that were on the right originally had been pushed off slightly to +the right front, after occupying the hill we attacked, in order to +search a kopje some little way off. Coming down the hill, after the rout +of the Boers, everyone was on the look out for loot, as there were all +sorts of articles strewn about, such as rifles, saddles, bandoliers, +blankets, and great-coats; while there were numbers of loose ponies, +ready saddled and bridled, quietly cropping the herbage. Quite a dozen +of these were promptly annexed and mounted by the captors, who rode +along in great pride. Each had a great coat and a blanket rolled on the +pommel, with a horse blanket under the saddle, and a couple of +saddle-bags, usually containing a quantity of Mauser cartridges in +addition to some food. One man was lucky enough to find a bag of coffee +and a bag of sugar on one saddle, and others found Boer tobacco, dried +fruit and other small articles. Several dead Boers lay about on the +ridge, and a number of dead and wounded horses were on the reverse slope +of the hill, whilst our Volunteers, when they came in with A company +from the left flank, brought about a dozen prisoners, who had surrendered.</p> + +<p>It was a fortunate thing for us that we did not remain on the top of the +ridge, but continued our rapid advance without delay, as this prevented +the Boers from collecting and opening fire on us. That they attempted to +do this is certain, as one<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_47" id="Page_47">[Pg 47]</a></span> man of ours was shot dead on the top of the +hill, and Second-Lieut. Paget was severely wounded, about the same time. +The sharpshooters, however, who caused us these casualties, fled and +left us in peace, when the companies on the right advanced towards them.</p> + +<p>The usual practice at a field day is for the operations to conclude when +the final charge has been delivered. Everyone then stands about, +preferably on the skyline, in full view of the supposed retreating +enemy, who may perhaps be merely removing to a better position in rear.</p> + +<p>To do this on active service is, I think, criminal. The advance should +certainly be continued by some, if not all, of the first line; or at any +rate the first arrivals should push on so as to cover the advance of +those behind them. There should be no stopping; the enemy should be kept +on the run, unless, of course, he has taken up another position in rear, +in which case a bold front should be shown and he should be attacked at +once while he is disorganised. There is always, however, the possibility +of a trap having been prepared, and it has been a favourite trick of the +Afridis to draw on our men to a position where they can be shot down at +known ranges; so that considerable caution is necessary.</p> + +<p>After forming up the whole battalion and calling the rolls, we joined +the rest of the Brigade, and moved on a few miles to Erasmus Spruit, a +nice little camp with good water and shade, and plenty of grass and +wood. Now that the excitement was over we all felt pretty tired, and +were glad to rest and get a meal.</p> + +<p>The next morning we had some conversation with the prisoners, one or two +of whom spoke English. They were the usual farm hand sort of type, some +of them being young lads, of about the stamp of the recruits whom we +get. They did not<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_48" id="Page_48">[Pg 48]</a></span> seem to mind having been captured, and were very +grateful for what tobacco, coffee and other little luxuries we could give them.</p> + +<p>One of them told me that the Maxim fire was terrible—<i>they dared not +put their heads up to fire</i>.</p> + +<p>I have never forgotten that remark, since the man made it to me, and +there is a great deal in it to which the attention of company officers +and section leaders might with advantage be drawn. The main point is +that we Infantry do not fire nearly enough ammunition when delivering an +attack. Of course we see no enemy: we only hear the crack of his rifle +and the whiz of his bullets: but we sometimes see the splash of the +bullet on the ground, and can from that obtain some slight idea of his +position at the time. Having found that, a constant hail of bullets +should be directed at all parts of the position, high and low, at rocks, +at bushes and at all places likely to afford a hiding spot, with the +object always in view of making the enemy keep his head down behind his cover.</p> + +<p>For this purpose volley firing is useless, and what should be adopted is +controlled individual firing, using the magazine <i>always</i>, and refilling +it behind cover when, and as often as, an opportunity occurs of so +doing. There should be no breaks or intervals, either in the firing or +in the advance: the latter should be continuous, as in the old +skirmishing days, until the last possible moment, when, if the men +cannot advance any further, they should take cover and employ themselves +in firing as rapidly as possible.</p> + +<p>The wretched system of false economy in the use of blank ammunition at +instructional field days, when a man carries perhaps five rounds in his +pouch and five in reserve, is responsible for the fact that men cannot +be got to fire fast enough in the field, and that they lie under cover +and husband their ammunition, firing only occasional shots, as<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_49" id="Page_49">[Pg 49]</a></span> they +have been taught in peace time. They forget that they are now more +widely extended than formerly and that one man now occupies as much +space as was formerly allotted to five, and that he should, therefore, +fire five times as fast as before. The present system of widely extended +lines is merely what was learned by the troops employed in the Chitral +and Tirah expeditions, two or three years ago; and the system of +fighting adopted by the Afridis is practically the same as that used by +the Boers in the Free State and the Transvaal.</p> + +<p>Owing to the widely extended lines adopted by us in our advance at Zand +River, and to the steady shelling by the batteries which the enemy +received during the attack, our casualties were not very heavy.<a name="FNanchor_3_3" id="FNanchor_3_3"></a><a href="#Footnote_3_3" class="fnanchor">[3]</a></p> + +<p class="tbrk"> </p> + +<p>The following order was published by the General on the day after the +battle:—</p> + +<p class="right">Twistniet, Zand River,</p> + +<p>The Major General Commanding desires to express his pleasure at the +behaviour of the brigade yesterday. The good leading of the +officers and the conduct of the men enabled a strong and numerously +held position to be captured with a slight loss.</p> + +<div class="footnotes"><h3>FOOTNOTE:</h3> + +<div class="footnote"><p><a name="Footnote_3_3" id="Footnote_3_3"></a><a href="#FNanchor_3_3"><span class="label">[3]</span></a> Our losses on this day were as follows:—</p> + +<table summary="losses"> + <tr> + <td colspan="3" class="center">KILLED.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td>Private </td> + <td class="left">W. Webb</td> + <td class="left">D Company.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td>Private </td> + <td class="left">G. Merritt</td> + <td class="left">H Company.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td>Private </td> + <td class="left">W. Goodes</td> + <td class="left">E Company.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td colspan="3" class="center"> </td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td colspan="3" class="center">WOUNDED.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td>Second Lieut. </td> + <td class="left">R. E. Paget</td> + <td class="left"></td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td>Corpl. </td> + <td class="left">W. Backshall </td> + <td class="left">B Company.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td>Private </td> + <td class="left">E. Cam</td> + <td class="left">B Company.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td>Private </td> + <td class="left">W. Osborne</td> + <td class="left">G Company.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td>Private </td> + <td class="left">P. O'Connell</td> + <td class="left">H Company.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td>Private </td> + <td class="left">G. Shepherd</td> + <td class="left">C Company.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td>Private </td> + <td class="left">H. Overy</td> + <td class="left">E Company.</td> + </tr> +</table> +</div> +</div> + +<hr /> + +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_50" id="Page_50">[Pg 50]</a></span></p> + +<h2><span>CHAPTER V.</span> <span class="smaller">ACROSS THE VAAL.</span></h2> + +<blockquote><p class="center">Kroonstad—The Road to +Lindley—Drifts—Lindley—Heilbron—Elysium—The Vaal at last.</p></blockquote> + +<p>The day after the Zand River fight we had a long rest, and did not start +on the march again till after mid-day; and a terribly long march it was, +the Brigade not getting into camp till considerably after dark. It being +our turn to be advanced guard, we had to find the pickets as soon as we +arrived in camp. The worst part of all night marches is the slowness of +the pace; the troops creep along with frequent halts, either to rest or +to reconnoitre the road, and what appears to have been a twenty mile +march, has in reality not been more than half that distance.</p> + +<p>On the 12th May we started off after breakfast at about nine o'clock, +with another long march of 17 miles before us; but this one was done in +good style, as we halted for three hours in the middle of the day to +rest and cook a meal. Eventually we fetched up in our new camp, a few +miles outside Kroonstad, about six in the evening.</p> + +<p>This town is, after Bloemfontein, the largest and most important in the +Orange River Colony; it is well situated on the main line of railway, +and is a popular resort in the summer owing to the boating on the river. +There is one large hotel and several smaller ones, some large stores and +the usual public buildings—landrost's office, post and telegraph +office, bank, etc. The Boers had on their retreat done considerable +damage in this town by burning the goods shed at the railway station, +and by blowing up the railway bridge; but the latter was the most +serious by far,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_51" id="Page_51">[Pg 51]</a></span> as the loss of the goods shed did not affect the +military situation in the least. The bridge was a fine lofty structure +with huge stone piers and enormous steel girders; two of the piers were +blown to pieces, and we found the girders hanging down into the water. +There is another large railway bridge about a mile away, but luckily the +Boers made no attempt to destroy it.</p> + +<p>Our engineers were soon on the spot, and at the end of a few days +(certainly under a week) had found and repaired the old deviation which +was in use before the bridge was built, had made a low bridge of +sleepers over the drift, and had trains running without any more +trouble. These old deviations exist at every river where there is now a +bridge, and were made years ago when the line was building; so that all +our engineers had to do when a bridge was blown up, as they were at +Glen, Vet River, and many other places, was to find the deviation, clear +out the weeds, lay the rails, and repair the line where it required it; +and trains were running again in, probably, a day or two. One great +drawback, however, was the want of engines and rolling stock, as the +Boers had removed all they could take away up country, and we could not +get nearly enough engines and wagons from the Cape railways to satisfy +our requirements.</p> + +<p>There were a few supplies left in the town, and a wagon load was bought +for the regimental canteen, most of the contents, milk, jam, tobacco, +matches, sugar and eatables generally, being sold out the same +afternoon. The Staff Officer for Supplies had been round the town before +our canteen people got in, and had collared nearly all the tea and +sugar; but we managed to get a good quantity. After having been on +three-quarter rations for the best part of a fortnight, our men were +quite ready to buy any amount of foodstuffs, especially tea and sugar.</p> + +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_52" id="Page_52">[Pg 52]</a></span></p><p>Two days did we halt here and enjoy our well earned rest, but on the +15th of May we were off again on the road to Lindley—and such a road! +Even now, after many months, one remembers as in a nightmare that cursed +road to Lindley, with its ever recurring drifts and its messages—"The +General wishes you to send a company to the drift to assist the +baggage," or to repair the road, or to pull wagons out of the mud. The +drifts were the steepest and the worst that we experienced in perhaps +all our trekking. The full distance to Lindley was about 48 miles, but, +the first march being only a short one, we made the last two average +over 15 miles each, both of which had more than their proper allowance of drifts.</p> + +<p>It might be as well at this stage of the proceedings to describe what a +bad drift looks like to an unprejudiced and impartial mind.</p> + +<p>A drift is really a crossing place over a river, which latter is called +a sluit, if it has water in it, or a spruit if it is dry; and whether +the drift is easy or difficult for wagons to cross depends on the banks +and the bottom. Thus, a shallow drift gives no trouble at all; but if +the banks are steep, the mules and oxen go down one side with a run, +even if the brake be well screwed up on the wagons, and invariably get +mixed up at the bottom, getting their legs over the traces and pole +chain: or perhaps one is pulled down, when there is much confusion and +delay. If the bank is very steep on the other side, fatigue parties have +to come and push the wagons up by main force, or else a team of bullocks +is brought from another wagon and hitched on in front of the team which +is in difficulties. Even then there is more delay, as the business is to +get all the thirty or thirty-six oxen to pull simultaneously; and to +induce them to do this, half a dozen drivers with their enormous +two-handed whips, like huge fishing rods, flog the wretched animals<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_53" id="Page_53">[Pg 53]</a></span> +unmercifully, yelling and screaming all sorts of insults in Basuto at +the trembling beasts.</p> + +<p>If there is mud or water at the bottom of the drift, the difficulty is +increased enormously, as the banks become slippery. It is doubtful which +are the worst animals to have in your wagon when crossing a bad drift, +mules or bullocks. The mules generally get mixed up with the harness, +but on the other hand, when once they are started pulling all together, +they certainly do tug all they know, and need no more incentive than a +row of men on each side of the path yelling at them. Bullocks, however, +are faint-hearted and difficult to manage, as they will lie down when +they have had enough of it, and nothing will induce them to pull when +they think they cannot do any good. There is one good point about +bullocks, and that is that if they can only be induced to lean into +their yokes, all together, their enormous bulk and weight will move +anything. The greatest abomination of all in a drift or on a road is +sand, as that causes trouble with both mules and bullocks; and our worst +drawback has been the native drivers, as, owing to the enormous number +of wagons in use by the troops, the supply of good drivers ran short, +and any coolie was accepted. It was the same with the conductors, or +civilians in charge of wagons, who were all supposed to be experienced +transport riders; but one little man confided to me that he was nothing +more or less than a baker out of employment!</p> + +<p>The Boers, when trekking with their wagons under ordinary circumstances, +take things very leisurely at drifts, and hitch on an extra team at once +if there is the slightest sign of trouble; but this, although the best +plan, wastes a lot of time, and we never had any time to spare on the march.</p> + +<p>Lindley, like most of the towns we visited, is situated in a hollow, and +on topping a rise in the<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_54" id="Page_54">[Pg 54]</a></span> ground we saw it at our feet. It is a small +town, but has<a name="FNanchor_4_4" id="FNanchor_4_4"></a><a href="#Footnote_4_4" class="fnanchor">[4]</a> given more trouble than any other in the colony, as it +and the neighbourhood has been nothing more than a hotbed of rebellion +for months; in fact since we first entered it, when the majority of the +surrounding burghers took the oath of allegiance and surrendered what +old guns they had—of no use even to scare crows with. It is built on +the same river, the Valsch, that runs past Kroonstad, and in its most +palmy days contained only a few hundred inhabitants.</p> + +<p>On the 19th of May General Ian Hamilton issued the following information +in the Winburg Column Orders of that date:—</p> + +<p>"With the occupation of Lindley, the provisional seat of the Free State +Government, the first part of the task allotted to the Winburg Column +has been accomplished to the satisfaction of the Field Marshal +Commanding in Chief.</p> + +<p>"The next task allotted to the Column is to lead the advance northwards +and to capture the important town of Heilbron."</p> + +<p>Our entry into Lindley was entirely unopposed, and we camped a mile +south-west of the town, about four o'clock in the afternoon of the 18th +of May. There was an immediate rush into the town of all those who could +get passes in search of bread, besides butter and other delicacies to +ameliorate the condition of the regulation biscuit, which by this time +had become harder than usual. However, the Canteen cart got private +information, and secured a cask of butter and several boxes of eggs, +which were duly sold to the men of the regiment early next morning. +There was nothing else procurable in the town, except a little fresh bread.</p> + +<p>After a day's rest at Lindley, we trekked off again on the 20th of May, +starting at<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_55" id="Page_55">[Pg 55]</a></span> seven o'clock; and fortunate it was that we did start so +early, as there was a considerable amount of firing on the rear guard, +and a fairly lively action going on until about midday. We were with the +main column in front of the baggage, and had of course to regulate our +pace by the rear guard; but we heard afterwards that as they were +leaving the neighbourhood of the town they were followed up by a large +number of mounted Boers, whose presence was not expected by the Mounted +Infantry forming the screen in rear of our troops; these Boers pressed +our men rather closely, one or two of the Mounted Infantry, who found +themselves hung up at a barbed wire fence, being captured, and a few men +being wounded. There were some narrow escapes, Lieut. Lloyd, the Supply +officer, having to ride all he knew to get clear, and the mess cart +belonging to the Mounted Infantry being abandoned; the men in charge had +only just time to take out the ponies and bolt for their lives.</p> + +<p>We did not get into camp until after dark, and the baggage was later +still, as there was a nasty drift over a sluit at the entrance to the +camping ground; fires had to be lighted to show the wagons the way +across. The 19th Brigade and some of the Mounted Infantry camped a few +miles lower down, where there was another drift over the same stream.</p> + +<p>After a march of seventeen miles, on the 21st of May, we found Heilbron +in front of us; and the next day, after a short spell of ten miles, we +camped to the south-east of the town, such as it is. Heilbron comes +distinctly under the category of "one horse" towns, notwithstanding that +it is connected by rail with important cities, and hopes in due course +of time to have its railway prolonged to Bethlehem; but until that happy +occasion Heilbron is vegetating. It is a Mark IV town of the usual +pattern<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_56" id="Page_56">[Pg 56]</a></span>—Dutch Reformed Church in the middle of the square, one or two +melancholy streets stretching slowly away at right angles to each other, +a hotel, conspicuous for the entire absence of anything which, in +happier climes, constitutes refreshment for man and beast, a +despondent-looking shop or two with a large stock of lemons, medicines, +sheep dip and ironmongery, and some tired-looking inhabitants holding up +the door-posts of their houses.</p> + +<p>We headed off towards the railway main line on the 23rd of May, and +camped that afternoon at a place called Spitzkop.</p> + +<p>Next day, the Queen's Birthday, the band turned out at reveillé and +played "God Save the Queen," causing the greatest outbursts of cheering +from the other regiments, which was taken up and continued by the +Cavalry and Mounted Infantry. That day we marched to the railway and +struck it, and then trekked off, some miles north, to the neighbourhood +of Elysium, where we camped on a great rolling plain, extending for +miles in every direction. The march was an unpleasant and a lengthy one, +as the whole surrounding country was either a burning grass fire or a +place where there had been one, and we walked over dust and ashes, which +parched the mouth and interrupted the breathing. In many places on the +veldt the grass grows in small clumps, somewhat isolated from each +other, and although this looks pleasant enough to walk upon, you soon +find that these little grassy bunches put you out of your stride and +upset your balance time after time. This is, if anything, rather worse +than when the grass has been burnt off.</p> + +<p>The following Brigade Order was published on the 26th of May:—</p> + +<p>"The G.O.C. wishes to express his appreciation of the fine spirit and +excellent marching<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_57" id="Page_57">[Pg 57]</a></span> shown by the troops composing the 21st Brigade since +it was formed at Glen on April 29th 1900. Since then the Brigade has +marched 250 miles, and the effect of this long and rapid march has been +that the enemy has been unable to complete his preparations for defence, +and has been repeatedly compelled to retreat in front of us after a weak +resistance. The force is now a few miles off the Vaal River and not 50 +miles from Johannesburg, and the Major-General is sure that every man of +the 21st Brigade wishes to share in the entry into that town, and that +every possible effort will be made by all ranks to attain that object."</p> + +<p>After starting on that day, the 26th of May, we halted for several hours +to enable a part of Lord Roberts' main column to pass us, so that our +baggage should not become intermingled. We were crossing their path, +which led them to the north, while we were heading north-west.</p> + +<p>The country is marvellously open between the the railway and the Vaal +River; not a tree was to be seen, hardly a farm—nothing but endless +rolling veldt as far as the eye could reach, covered with grass. There +was no view, nothing to rest the eye or give the fatigued brain a little +relief. As soon as a gentle rise was topped, the same expanse was to be +seen in front, with some slightly rising ground in the far distance, +from which the same view of interminable veldt would, in due time, be procurable.</p> + +<p>After many, many miles of this sort of travelling, we at last saw, from +the top of a rolling down, a silvery streak winding in and out on our +left front, fringed with a few scattered green bushes.</p> + +<p>At once everyone's spirits rose, and we stepped out briskly, and, sure +sign that camp was near, all the men began to chatter; and with reason +too, for was not this silvery streak the great Vaal River, dividing us +from Paul Kruger's territory, and would not we be over it before we +halted? Certainly we<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_58" id="Page_58">[Pg 58]</a></span> would; we would get that far at any rate; no more +camping for us till we had secured a sound footing in the Transvaal, +which we had come so many thousand miles to see and conquer.</p> + +<p>A couple of hours afterwards, under a setting sun, we were at the drift, +and what a sight was there! We were fording a crossing at a shallow bend +of the river, and it had been necessary to cut down the banks and +improve the approaches, so that the wagons might have some chance of +getting over. Meantime the south bank was crowded with wagons and +vehicles of all kinds, guns, baggage-wagons, Cape carts, water-carts, +ox-wagons, ammunition-carts, mule-wagons, drawn up in long rows, +patiently waiting their turn to be dragged and pushed across.</p> + +<p>The infantry troubled themselves not the slightest about all this, but +passed stolidly down to the water's edge, stripped off their boots and +socks by companies, and stepped gingerly into the eighteen inches of +dirty water. On their left, within a few feet, was an endless succession +of wagons streaming across; a little further down was a wagon with ten +jibbing and obstinate mules, who had got into deep water and heeded not +the yells and whip cracks of their two black boys, themselves unwilling +to go further into the water than they could help. On the farther side +fires were being lit to show the drivers what was land and what was +water, and superhuman efforts were being made to keep the wagons moving +ahead up the steep, rocky bank so as not to block the road.</p> + +<p>Never was there a more weird military scene. Every nigger was yelling +like a fiend, and cracking his whip like mad over the flanks of his +wretched animals, soldiers were shoving at the wheels of every wagon, +Staff officers, cool and collected, were dispersed at intervals +directing operations, the worried baggage-master, dancing with rage, +was<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_59" id="Page_59">[Pg 59]</a></span> using the most dreadful language on a jutting bank, and the +infantry, with their boots slung round their necks and their socks in +their pockets, were trying to avoid the sharp stones of the bottom.</p> + +<p>So it continued without intermission till about midnight, by which time +nearly all had been got across. Our footing in the Transvaal was gained.</p> + +<div class="footnotes"><h3>FOOTNOTE:</h3> + +<div class="footnote"><p><a name="Footnote_4_4" id="Footnote_4_4"></a><a href="#FNanchor_4_4"><span class="label">[4]</span></a> December, 1900.</p></div></div> + +<hr /> + +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_60" id="Page_60">[Pg 60]</a></span></p> + +<h2><span>CHAPTER VI.</span> <span class="smaller">DOORNKOP.</span></h2> + +<blockquote><p class="center">On the way to Johannesburg—29th May—2 p.m.—Attack begins—The +advance—Checked by flanking fire from One Tree Hill—Attack of +this position—Through veldt fire—Final charge—Boer +retreat—Gordons attack simultaneously—Main attack pushed +home—Casualties.</p></blockquote> + +<p>On Sunday, the 27th of May, we started at 8.30 a.m., and marched some +sixteen miles before camping. Bitterly cold it was that night, and we +felt it a good deal the next day, when we started at 6.45 a.m. and +trekked 10 miles to a small hill a little south of Cypherfontein; here, +during most of the afternoon, we heard shells and pom-poms and other +indications of a brisk fight going on towards the north. Away to the +south we could see dimly Lord Roberts' troops, who had crossed the Vaal +at Vereeniging, higher up than we did, pressing on to the junction of +the railways at Elandsfontein. Our business, we now learned, was to push +off to the left and make an enveloping movement on the enemy's right, +whilst General French delivered his blow in front and Lord Roberts fell +on the Boer left.</p> + +<p>We therefore made an early start, and were under way at 6.30, despite +the severe cold, and, with the 19th Brigade leading, headed north-west, +so as to come up on the left of Johannesburg. We spent the earlier part +of the day marching and halting and moving on again, and watching the +cavalry on our right, and the shrapnel and pom-pom shells bursting; +until about two o'clock we were moved out from behind a hill, upon which +was a battery busily engaged in shelling the enemy's guns, one or two of +which were in position on some low hills about a mile and a half away. +We lay down in the open grass with big intervals between companies. At +the same time the City Imperial Volunteers had<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_61" id="Page_61">[Pg 61]</a></span> pushed on to the left of +the guns, and the Derbyshire had also gone out in companies in widely +extended order. And so we lay and watched and waited.</p> + +<p>We were at the end of a long grassy valley, with smooth, rolling hills +rising on our left and on our right, these latter separating us from +Smith-Dorrien's Brigade; in front of us and blocking the end of the +valley the hills swung round from the left and trended off to our right +front, leaving a sort of gap in what might be called the right top +corner of the picture; this we afterwards found to be the nearest way to +Johannesburg. The smooth hills on our right rose gradually and ended in +a cluster of rocks, surmounted by a solitary tree—an ideal position, in +which we afterwards found that the enemy had a field gun, a Maxim and endless riflemen.</p> + +<p>In front of us, the low hills which seemed to close in the valley, and +indeed part of the valley itself, had suffered from a grass fire, and +only an occasional ant-hill showed up grey against the black soil.</p> + +<p>We had moved slightly to our right and had extended a little, and were +again lying down in the grass; suddenly the enemy's guns spotted us and +sent along a couple of shells, clear of us, luckily, but near enough to +the lagging water-cart to make it increase its pace somewhat abruptly.</p> + +<p>We had watched the C.I.V.'s pass out of sight along the ridge to the +left, and then we had seen the Derbyshire moving along in the same +direction. The enemy's gun, right in front of us, up the valley, we +could with difficulty locate, but it was carrying on a plucky duel with our battery.</p> + +<p>At last we got orders to move: D company led off first, followed by E, +both in widely-extended lines, officers and all supernumeraries being in +the ranks; and, with intervals of some 80 or 100 yards<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_62" id="Page_62">[Pg 62]</a></span> between the +companies, after these followed F and G, and, behind them again, came H, +the Volunteers, A, B and C. The Maxim gun went with the leading company, +and, under charge of Captain Green, operated on its left. Soon after the +companies led off they began to come under the long range fire of the +Mausers, and the little spirts of dust were rapidly becoming more +numerous as the lines of skirmishers diminished the distance between +themselves and the enemy. At last it became necessary to subdue the +enemy's eagerness somewhat, and the leading lines dropped down on the +veldt and opened fire on the invisible Boers. After a while the +skirmishers rose to their feet and advanced, whereupon the enemy's fire +redoubled in intensity: regardless of the bullets, which were falling +pretty thickly by now, a few men having been hit, our men pushed on, +and, with the supporting lines which came up in rear, rapidly drew +nearer to the enemy's position. Soon shots were observed to be coming +from a new direction, from our right front, where, a long distance away, +was the cluster of rocks and the solitary tree, which we had previously +noticed as being a likely position for the enemy's sharpshooters.</p> + +<p>After a little while there was no possible doubt upon this question, +because, as our leading lines crept forward, the dropping shots from the +right front became vastly more numerous, while one or two more +casualties occurred. All this time the enemy on our front were keeping +up a brisk rattle of musketry, but as our men were fully seven to ten +paces apart this shooting had little effect upon them; not so however, +the cross fire from our right front, which caught us diagonally, as it +were, and caused a few more casualties. The machine-gun had come into +action on the left, but was soon spotted by the Boers, who concentrated +a<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_63" id="Page_63">[Pg 63]</a></span> pretty heavy fire on the unfortunate Maxim, which, with its big +wheels, and the huge shields to the limber boxes sticking up in the air, +provided the Boers with a target that they did not often get. Sergeant +Funnell was shot in the head almost immediately the gun came into +action, Archer and Hunnisett were knocked over, and only two men left to +work the gun, which ceased firing for some minutes until Corporal Weston +and two men from the nearest company, D, volunteered to assist. As it +was so palpable that the enemy's fire was being concentrated on the gun, +Captain Green ordered the detachment to lie down and use their rifles.</p> + +<p>The wheel mule, an acquisition of the battalion dating from Bethulie +(where the animal, a fine specimen of its kind, was found wandering in +an ownerless state), was hit in two places, while the lead mule was so +alarmed at this untoward accident to his stable companion, as to be +quite petrified with fear and unable to move. When the advance took +place he had to be abandoned, and the gun went on with "Bethulie" alone.</p> + +<p>The leading companies had by now been reinforced by some of the +supporting companies in rear, but had reached a limit from which further +advance would not have been possible without very serious loss, so they +lay down and blazed at the rocks and clumps of bushes which concealed +the enemy. For some little distance now the advance had been carried out +over the scene of the grass fire, which was even then still burning away +on our right, and the only cover the men had was an occasional ant heap; +but even this was but little protection from the stinging flanking fire +which was whistling over from the right.</p> + +<p>Noticing that the firing line seemed to be checked temporarily, and soon +discovering the cause, an officer from the rear succeeded in turning the +flank sections of F and G companies, <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_64" id="Page_64">[Pg 64]</a></span>together with some men of E +company, and making a demonstration against our friends on One Tree +Hill. These fellows, however, were quite wide awake, and made it hot for +this small party, who were attempting to create a diversion in the state of affairs.</p> + +<p>Their firing increased in intensity; Corporal Hollington and one or two +others were shot, and our men, who were only about 800 yards from the +position, soon abandoned the drill-book style of advancing by alternate +sections (which only caused the enemy's fire to be doubled and redoubled +as they gleefully took aim at the full-length figures of our soldiers), +and continued their advance by crawling on their hands and knees through +the long grass, and by keeping up a continued dropping fire on the rocks +concealing our enemies. Not a single Boer had any of us seen since we +started, and, at this stage of the proceedings, none of the enemy were +likely to show themselves. Looking back, we could see heads behind us—a +long way, certainly, but they showed that the Colonel had observed our +flanking movement and had despatched a company to our support.</p> + +<p>Emboldened by this, we pressed on, but our crawling progress through the +grass was brought to a sudden end by our reaching the edge of a +rapidly-advancing grass fire, while before us stretched a waste of burnt +ground, with a few, a very few, grey ant heaps showing up. There was +only one thing to do, and that was done quickly; springing to their +feet, the two or three officers with this little party yelled to their +men, who dashed on with shouts and cheers, through the flickering fire +and the smoke, on to the bare ground beyond. They raced on rapidly, the +faster runners outpacing the others, until breath began to go and knees +to totter; and after a couple of hundred yards or so, we were glad to +drop into a schanz, or long trench, which we<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_65" id="Page_65">[Pg 65]</a></span> found suddenly at our +feet, and halt there to regain our breath.</p> + +<p>We still kept up our fire, and the enemy's began to slacken, and at last +almost ceased; there was no time to waste if we wanted to see a Boer, so +we jumped out of the schanz and dashed on as fast as our heavy equipment +and cumbrous roll of blanket would permit us towards the rocks, now +silent as the grave.</p> + +<p>Bearing off a little to the left to some slightly rising ground, we +found ourselves alone; but what a sight was in front of us!</p> + +<p>The ground dipped and rose again in a gentle slope of grassy fields with +a rocky patch on the summit, about 1,100 or 1,200 yards away; and these +grassy fields, about twenty or thirty acres in extent, were alive with +fugitives moving rapidly towards the rear. Among them (and this is a +curious circumstance which puzzled us not a little at the time and +afterwards) were a number of mounted men, dashing furiously amongst the +runaways. The sight of these riders careering wildly among a crowd of +flying Boers stayed our volleys for some moments, while we overhauled +the scene with our glasses. Could these mounted men be our cavalry +suddenly appearing from the right flank, where we had left them?</p> + +<p>No, they could surely not have travelled the distance in the time, so we +formed up what men we had at hand and poured several volleys at 1,200 +yards into the retreating enemy. After ten or a dozen volleys had been +fired, a Highlander appeared among the rocks on our right, and, holding +up his hand, shouted to us to stop firing. Wondering at this, +reluctantly we complied, and the enemy quickly dwindled away; we had +serious thoughts of following them rapidly, but, seeing how few men of +ours were actually on the spot, and in view of the possibility that the +Boers would hold the rocky<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_66" id="Page_66">[Pg 66]</a></span> patch on the summit, we decided against it, +and proceeded to overhaul the rocks on our right, which but a short time +before had been teeming with riflemen.</p> + +<p>In a cunningly-selected nook was the spot where the enemy's gun had been +at work; all round the ground was strewn with empty shell boxes, fifteen +or twenty of them, and the grass was thick with the little cardboard +boxes in which Mauser ammunition is issued. Several large tins still had +a quantity of rusk biscuit remaining in them, but these soon disappeared +into our fellows' haversacks; a few blankets were lying about, and the +usual camp litter and rubbish showed that a party of some strength had +had their head-quarters on that spot since the day before. Two or three +dead horses were in the vicinity, and a couple of wounded ones were put +out of their agony; while several others browsing on the short grass +were quickly collared.</p> + +<p>Ensconced among the rocks were two or three Boers, shot dead behind +their cover by the bullets of our little flanking attack, as was proved +conclusively by the attitudes of the bodies. All around, scattered in +the most ingenious clefts among the rocks, were heaps and heaps of +cartridge cases, Mauser, Lee-Metford, Steyr, and Martini, showing +exactly the well-chosen positions of their former owners, and convincing +us that thousands of our bullets might splash and splatter on the rocks +close by without disturbing the occupants, until the fixing of the +bayonets and the unrestrained advance of British soldiers caused that +cold feeling down the back which no Boer could afford to disregard.</p> + +<p>In a most ingeniously selected corner between several big rocks, +improved by the addition of a few stones into a bullet-proof sangar, had +been the enemy's Maxim, luckily for us not laid in our direction, but +pumping forth lead against the<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_67" id="Page_67">[Pg 67]</a></span> attack of the Gordons, which, unknown to +us, had been carried out on the other side of the ridge separating the +two regiments. Apparently the dashing 800 yards' charge of the Gordons, +in which they suffered such severe loss, had been taking place about the +same time as our advance from the schanz, across the burnt grass; but +whether it was our appearance so close to them, or the sight of the +Gordons, so gallantly pushing on, which caused the enemy to retreat in +such a hurry, none but the Boers themselves can decisively say.</p> + +<p>Anyhow, we claim for the Royal Sussex the honour of being the first to +reach One Tree Hill. When we originally rushed up to this spot, some few +minutes were wasted in searching with glasses the crowd of flying Boers, +one or two more minutes before men could be hastily gathered together on +the knee ready to fire, and about a dozen volleys had been hurriedly got +off before the Highlander, to whose appearance I have before alluded, +came out from among the rocks and waved to us to stop firing.</p> + +<p>Dusk was closing in, so we reformed the companies which had taken part +in this attack on One Tree Hill; they were principally the flank +sections of E, F, and G, with a few men of D and some of the rear +company, C, who were following in our support; and we moved off to join +the remainder of the battalion.</p> + +<p>We found that they had been at first checked by the cross fire from One +Tree Hill, and by a considerable fire directed on them from the front, +but had held their own, pouring in a constant fire, until the pressure +on the right weakened somewhat the intensity of the Boer musketry, and +enabled our men to continue their advance over the bare, level, burnt up ground.</p> + +<p>The advance became quicker and quicker, the men came up with a livelier +step and at last could<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_68" id="Page_68">[Pg 68]</a></span> be restrained no longer, and, with cheers and +yells, which were taken up by the supports in rear, they dashed up the slope.</p> + +<p>Here, amongst the rocks on the summit, they found the usual signs of +recent occupation, cartridge cases and so on, and traces of the gun, +which had evidently been removed some time earlier, besides a number of +loose ponies, whose owners had apparently been unable to ride or +unwilling to waste time in mounting.</p> + +<p>The companies then formed up and joined hands with those who had been +engaged on the right; the rolls were called,<a name="FNanchor_5_5" id="FNanchor_5_5"></a><a href="#Footnote_5_5" class="fnanchor">[5]</a> and we moved off to find +the Brigade, eventually discovering that our camp was to be just beyond +One Tree Hill and practically on the field of action. Here in the dark +we sat and waited for our baggage: no water, no wood was procurable, and +we had eaten nothing except a scrap of biscuit since six o'clock that +morning. Those who had husbanded their water during the day now scored, +and, with what bits of wood they had secured from the Boer shell cases, +and had since carried on their backs, soon had their canteens boiling.</p> + +<p>Later, the baggage arrived, and the water carts, the contents of the +latter being divided among the companies; and the men soon settled down, +tired out and hungry, and dropped off to sleep among the piled arms.</p> + +<div class="footnotes"><h3>FOOTNOTE:</h3> + +<div class="footnote"><p><a name="Footnote_5_5" id="Footnote_5_5"></a><a href="#FNanchor_5_5"><span class="label">[5]</span></a> Our casualties were as follows:—</p> + +<table summary="losses"> + <tr> + <td colspan="3" class="center">KILLED:—</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td>Private </td> + <td class="left">J. Simmonds,</td> + <td class="left">D Co.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td>Private </td> + <td class="left">H. Braiden,</td> + <td class="left">G Co.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td colspan="3" class="center"> </td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td colspan="3" class="center">DIED OF WOUNDS:—</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td>Corporal </td> + <td class="left">J. Hollington,</td> + <td class="left">E Co.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td>Private </td> + <td class="left">W. Lucas,</td> + <td class="left">F Co.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td>Private </td> + <td class="left">G. White,</td> + <td class="left">G Co.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td>Private </td> + <td class="left">H. Wells,</td> + <td class="left">Vol. Co.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td colspan="3" class="center"> </td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td colspan="3" class="center">WOUNDED:—</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td>Sergeant </td> + <td class="left">W. Funnell,</td> + <td class="left">C Co.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td>Corporal </td> + <td class="left">W. Backshall, </td> + <td class="left">B Co.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td>Private </td> + <td class="left">J. Archer,</td> + <td class="left">C Co.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td>Private </td> + <td class="left">C. Ellis,</td> + <td class="left">D Co.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td>Private </td> + <td class="left">E. Honeysett,</td> + <td class="left">D Co.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td>Private </td> + <td class="left">E. Cooper,</td> + <td class="left">E Co.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td>Private </td> + <td class="left">T. Smith,</td> + <td class="left">F Co.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td>Private </td> + <td class="left">G. Pelling,</td> + <td class="left">F Co.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td>Private </td> + <td class="left">E. Colwell,</td> + <td class="left">F Co.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td>Private </td> + <td class="left">G. Fuller,</td> + <td class="left">G Co.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td>Private </td> + <td class="left">E. Young,</td> + <td class="left">G Co.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td>Private </td> + <td class="left">A. Vitler,</td> + <td class="left">H Co.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td>Private </td> + <td class="left">H. Wells,</td> + <td class="left">Vol. Co.</td> + </tr> +</table> +</div> +</div> + +<hr /> + +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_69" id="Page_69">[Pg 69]</a></span></p> + +<h2><span>CHAPTER VII.</span> <span class="smaller">PRETORIA.</span></h2> + +<blockquote><p class="center">Johannesburg—Pretoria—An abortive conference—The entry and march +past—The people—The town—Irene—Botha again fails to appear.</p></blockquote> + +<p>A few miles march on the 30th May cleared us from the scene of the +battle of the day before and brought us into one of the mining suburbs +of Johannesburg, Florida, where we camped in the midst of mining shafts +and engine houses. Some few of the pumps were going, clearing out the +water, but the majority of the mines were shut down and in charge of the +Kaffir Mines Police; no damage had been done to any of them that we could see.</p> + +<p>On the 31st of May the following Divisional Order was published:—</p> + +<p>The G.O.C. has much pleasure in publishing the following extract from a +letter just received from Lord Roberts:—</p> + +<p>"I am delighted at your successes and grieved beyond measure at your +poor fellows being without proper rations; a trainful shall go on to you +to-day. I expect to get the notice that Johannesburg surrenders this +morning, and we shall then march into the town. I wish your column, +which has done so much to gain possession of it, could be with us."</p> + +<p>Two days we rested after our heavy day's work on the 29th, but we +changed our camp to a new spot, more to the north and closer to the +town. This was Bramfontein, and we were allowed to go into the town and +inspect it, and make such purchases as we could.</p> + +<p>Lord Roberts wired to the War Office on the 30th of May as follows:—</p> + +<p>"The brunt of the fighting yesterday fell on<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_70" id="Page_70">[Pg 70]</a></span> Ian Hamilton's column. I +had sent him, as already mentioned, to work round to the west of +Johannesburg in support of French's cavalry, which was directed to go to +the north, near the road leading to Pretoria. I have not heard from +French yet, but Hamilton, in a report which has just reached me, states +that about one o'clock in the afternoon he found his way blocked by the +enemy strongly posted on some kopjes and ridges three miles south of the +Rand. They had two heavy guns, some held guns and Pom-poms.</p> + +<p>"Hamilton at once attacked. The right was led by the Gordons, who after +capturing one extremity of the ridge, wheeled round and worked along it +until after dark, clearing it of the enemy, who fought most obstinately. +The City Imperial Volunteers led on the other flank and would not be +denied, but the chief share in the action, as in the casualties, fell to +the Gordons, whose gallant advance excited the admiration of all.</p> + +<p>"Hamilton speaks in high terms of praise of the manner in which Bruce +Hamilton and Spens of the Shropshire Light Infantry handled the men +under Smith-Dorrien's direction."</p> + +<p>Johannesburg is a fine town, a long way superior to Pretoria or +Bloemfontein: it owes its sudden rise and wonderful growth to its +situation on the Witwatersrand and to the enormous development of the +mining industries within the last few years.</p> + +<p>No doubt when all the shops are open and the streets filled with the +usual well-dressed crowd, it must make a fine appearance. When we first +entered the town it looked quite desolate, with the magnificent plate +glass windows boarded up and the doors covered with corrugated iron, +evidently in anticipation of severe rioting and looting. Johannesburg +has a most magnificent town railway station at the Park, with waiting<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_71" id="Page_71">[Pg 71]</a></span> +rooms and offices, all of ornamental brick, mahogany and plate glass, +fitted up in the most gorgeous style with silk curtains, marble floors +and decorated ceilings. This is where the millionaires condescend to +embark on the train, when they think of honouring one or other of the +South African cities with their presence. The contrast between the +elaborate Park station and the hovels that serve for stations at +Elandsfontein and Bramfontein, is too absurd for words.</p> + +<p>On Sunday, the 2nd of June, we were off again at seven o'clock; and the +next day found us still heading off towards the north-west of Pretoria, +apparently with the intention of circling round, and descending on the +capital from the north or north-west. However, while we were on the +march, our direction was changed, and we came back on our tracks, having +received orders to march straight on Pretoria. When this order was +passed by the mounted officers, there was a certain amount of +excitement, naturally, as Pretoria was our goal and destination. The +band struck up a march and there was a scene of much enthusiasm, one +regiment in particular cheering madly, and some individuals producing +Union Jacks, which they flourished with all their might.</p> + +<p>So on we went, and about three o'clock reached the shelter of the hills +outside Pretoria. The 19th Brigade went up the hills a little way, and +the rest of us lay down and waited to see if we were wanted. Some of the +men fell out and wandered away to the reverse flank, but quickly came +running back, as bullets were dropping over the hills, apparently fired +at long range and considerable elevation. Indeed, a couple of the City +Imperial Volunteers were hit by these spent bullets. Later, the Brigade +camped close by, and in the dark, to our astonishment, we found, +alongside of us, some of the Sussex Yeomanry; and then we<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_72" id="Page_72">[Pg 72]</a></span> heard of the +unfortunate accident to the Duke of Norfolk, which precluded his taking +any further part in active operations, and which, unfortunately, +prevented our seeing him either.</p> + +<p>The 5th of June was the great day of the campaign, culminating in the +withdrawal of the enemy and the entry of the victorious troops into his capital.</p> + +<p>Very early in the morning, De Lisle's Mounted Infantry had pushed on +into the town from the position gained by them the previous evening, +and, meeting with no opposition, had demanded its surrender, but were +received by Commandant Botha with a request for an armistice and a +conference. This was of course agreed to by Lord Roberts, and nine +o'clock was the hour fixed for the meeting. Towards that hour, +therefore, all the troops who had marched with the 19th and 21st +Brigades under General Ian Hamilton, were entering the pass which wound +through the hills into the valley of Pretoria. This pass was quite two +miles in length, and the surrounding country was composed of a +succession of low, broken hills, which, if they had been held by a +determined enemy, would have given us considerable trouble to capture. +It has always been a marvel why the Boers did not defend Pretoria, +surrounded, as it is, by a network of hills, topped by several strong +forts built, I suppose, for that purpose; but probably the fact was that +they would have been unable to get their big guns dragged up and mounted +in sufficient time to oppose our advance, and therefore thought it wise +not to risk them. Undoubtedly, Lord Roberts' rapid advance, or rather +his dash from Bloemfontein to Pretoria, will be recorded in history as +one of the remarkable military achievements of the century; and the +breathless rapidity with which his movements were planned and executed +had possibly paralysed the Boer commanders,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_73" id="Page_73">[Pg 73]</a></span> and influenced their +decision to sacrifice Pretoria, and to fall back to the east on the +railway, as this would leave open a convenient line of retreat and an +easy means of departure, whenever necessary, for Mr. Kruger and the +foreign mercenaries, through Komati Poort and Delagoa Bay.</p> + +<p>About nine o'clock, the hills opened out, and a mass of buildings could +be seen in the dim distance: this was Pretoria, and, forming up on a low +hill, a mile or two closer in, we were enabled to have a long look at +the town about which we had heard so much of late years.</p> + +<p>Between us and the town, and among a multitude of iron-roofed houses, +was the famous race-course where so many of our unfortunate prisoners +had been confined: we could just distinguish with our glasses the big +enclosure with its high fence of corrugated iron, but it was too dim and +misty at that hour of the morning for us to make out much more.</p> + +<p>Nine o'clock came but no Commandant Botha, and no signs of him, or of +anyone else. We were all ready for a durbar or a conference, formed up +in three sides of a hollow square, and everyone who could raise a kodak +had produced it and pushed himself up into a prominent position, ready +to take snapshots of the celebrities. And so we waited for an hour, +speculating idly as to the cause of the commandant's non-appearance, and +inclining to the belief that he was merely bluffing, to gain time to get +his guns away; whether he was or not we have never heard, but it was a +very suspicious circumstance that he played a similar game on another +occasion, and caused us to wait two days, which would have been valuable +time to us had we been able to advance.</p> + +<p>Eventually the troops moved on, and camped to the west of the town and +just outside the notorious race-course, where merely a few sick +prisoners<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_74" id="Page_74">[Pg 74]</a></span> were now left, the majority having been moved some time +previously to Waterval; while the officers had been confined in the +Model School and other places in the town. On our approach, these +officers, over a hundred in number, had succeeded in bouncing the few of +their guards who still remained, and had effected their escape. They +came and reported themselves to Lord Roberts, who afterwards inspected +them on parade and congratulated them on obtaining their freedom.</p> + +<p>The Brigade paraded in the early afternoon and formed up to march +through the streets of the capital; the Derbyshire were leading, as it +was their turn, and, headed by their band, they moved off in column of +route; we followed, what was left of our band showing the way, and after +us came the Camerons and then the C.I.V.</p> + +<p>The streets were crammed with troops, as the Mounted Infantry and their +baggage were passing along with us, and moving to their camp on the +other side of the town; but when we approached the centre of the city +they branched off to the left. The Guards' Brigade had preceded us and +had left a number of men to keep the ground clear, as we entered on to +the square. There, facing the Union Jack, floating (never again to be +removed) proudly on the Town Hall, sat Lord Roberts on his charger, +surrounded by the officers of his staff; while on the other side of the +square, stood a dense, sullen mass of people—a few British subjects, +but mostly foreigners who had business interests in Pretoria, with many +women and children. What impressed us most was their silence: many of +the women were in tears, and most of the men glared at us with anything +but friendly glances. And so we passed on, saluting Lord Roberts, and +meeting General Kelly's friendly glance, and marched away down the +principal street, named Kerk or Church Street.</p> + +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_75" id="Page_75">[Pg 75]</a></span></p><p>In a prominent position behind Lord Roberts, and surrounded by a mass +of scaffolding, was a pedestal, where work had been carried on to erect +a statue of the President of the Transvaal Republic. That pedestal, +destined to remain unfilled, stood there, a monument of disappointed ambition.</p> + +<p>Down Church Street we went for half a mile, swung off to the right, and +returned by a parallel road to our camping ground, passing the Electric +Lighting Company's tall chimney, where the enterprising mechanics had, +with much danger and trouble, hoisted the British flag at the summit, +and stood at their gate cheering us as we went by; one of the few marks +of enthusiasm with which we were greeted.</p> + +<p>The square in the centre of the town contains the most important +buildings, the Town Hall and the Raadzaal being large and lofty modern +erections; a large hotel, three banks and several minor buildings +complete the list. In Church Street are numerous splendid shops, which +then showed signs of trouble, most of them being blocked up with +corrugated iron, which, in compliment to the troops, as heralding the +approach of safety, the owners were commencing to remove as we went by. +The rest of the town, which is well laid out, with broad streets running +at right angles and planted with trees, consists of smaller shops and +native stores, or of private residences—many of the latter built in the +Indian style, with broad verandahs and large compounds, well planted and +laid out. Further out to the west of the town are the suburban +residences of the wealthier townspeople, in great contrast to the +humble-looking dwelling of the President, which we passed on our way +before we entered the square. Mrs. Kruger was still residing in the, to +her, now lonely house, upon which an officer's guard had been mounted to +ensure proper respect being paid to the old lady<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_76" id="Page_76">[Pg 76]</a></span> Cleanliness was not a +great point of the housekeeping, as may be understood from the fact that +the sergeant of the guard was compelled to go and buy a bottle of +Keating's Powder and some other disinfectant, the whole of which he had +to sprinkle in the room allotted to the men as a guardroom, before it could be lived in.</p> + +<p>We only stayed a day and a half in Pretoria, as on the 6th of June we +were sent by half battalions to Irene, about 12 miles off, the first +party moving at three o'clock in the afternoon and the others some hours +later. The road winds for the first few miles, through a pass in the +hills, in and out among dusty rocks, and then opens out on to the usual +interminable veldt. Irene cannot be seen until the traveller is close +upon it, as it lies in a fold of the ground; but it is not much worth +seeing, anyhow, consisting merely of the railway station buildings, and +some cement works. There is, however, a very successful irrigation farm +in the neighbourhood.</p> + +<p>Captain Maguire joined us here from England, looking very cheery, and +full of keenness and eagerness to see some of the show before it was all over.</p> + +<p>Lord Roberts issued a special Army Order in Pretoria which may be of +some interest; it ran as follows:—</p> + +<blockquote><p class="center">Extract from Army Orders, 7th June, 1900.</p> + +<p>"In congratulating the British Army in South Africa on the +occupation of Johannesburg and Pretoria, the one being the +principal town and the other the capital of the Transvaal, and also +on the relief of Mafeking after an heroic defence of over 200 days, +the F.M.C. in chief desires to place on record his high +appreciation of the gallantry and endurance displayed by the +troops, both those who have taken part in the advance across the +Vaal River, and those who have been employed on<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_77" id="Page_77">[Pg 77]</a></span> the less arduous +duty of protecting the line of communication through the Orange +River Colony. After the force reached Bloemfontein on the 13th +March it was necessary to halt there for a certain period. Through +railway communication with Cape Colony had to be restored before +supplies and necessaries of all kinds could be got from the base. +The rapid advance from the Modder River, and the want of forage <i>en +route</i>, had told heavily on the horses of the Cavalry, Artillery +and Mounted Infantry, and the transport mules and oxen, and to +replace these casualties a considerable number of animals had to be +provided. Throughout the six weeks the Army halted at Bloemfontein, +the enemy showed considerable activity especially in the +south-eastern portion of the Orange River Colony; but by the +beginning of May, everything was in readiness for a further advance +into the enemy's country, and on the 2nd of that month active +operations again commenced. On the 12th May, Kroonstad, where Mr. +Steyn had established the so-called Government of the Orange Free +State, was entered. On the 17th May Mafeking was relieved. On the +31st May Johannesburg was occupied, and on the 5th June the British +flag waved over Pretoria. During these thirty-five days the main +body of the force marched 300 miles, including fifteen days' halt, +and engaged the enemy on six different occasions. The column under +Lieut.-Gen. Ian Hamilton marched 400 miles in forty-five days, +including ten days' halt. It was engaged with the enemy twenty-eight times.</p> + +<p>"The flying column under Colonel B. Mahon, which relieved Mafeking, +marched at the rate of 15 miles a day for fourteen consecutive +days, and successfully accomplished its object, despite the +determined opposition offered by the enemy. During the recent +operations, the sudden variations in temperature between the warm +sun in the daytime, and the bitter cold at night, have been +peculiarly trying to the troops, and owing to the necessity for +rapid movement, the soldiers have frequently had to bivouac after +long and trying marches without firewood and with scanty rations.</p> + +<p>"The cheerful spirit with which difficulties have been overcome and +hardships disregarded, are deserving of the highest praise, and in +thanking all ranks for their successful efforts to attain the +objects in view, Lord Roberts is proud to think that the soldiers +under his command have worthily upheld the traditions of Her +Majesty's Army, in fighting, in marching, and in the admirable +discipline which has been maintained through a period of no +ordinary trial and difficulty."</p></blockquote> + +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_78" id="Page_78">[Pg 78]</a></span></p><p>We moved off, after a day's halt, in a north easterly direction, but +halted on the 9th and 10th of June, when it was said that Botha, the +Boer Commander in Chief, was arranging a Conference, which, however, +seemingly fell through.<a name="FNanchor_6_6" id="FNanchor_6_6"></a><a href="#Footnote_6_6" class="fnanchor">[6]</a></p> + +<div class="footnotes"><h3>FOOTNOTE:</h3> + +<div class="footnote"><p><a name="Footnote_6_6" id="Footnote_6_6"></a><a href="#FNanchor_6_6"><span class="label">[6]</span></a> As to these abortive conferences, it was subsequently +learnt from Boers on Gen. Ben Viljoen's staff that after the fall of +Pretoria Botha urgently advised President Kruger to make peace on any +terms he could, on the ground that the farms of the Transvaal had not +yet suffered from the war, the issue of which was no longer doubtful. +Kruger was persuaded, and the conference arranged; but at the critical +moment De Wet brought President Steyn up to Waterval, and they insisted +that the war, by which the Free State had already suffered so much, +should be continued.—<span class="smcap">Ed.</span></p></div> </div> + +<hr /> + +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_79" id="Page_79">[Pg 79]</a></span></p> + +<h2><span>CHAPTER VIII.</span> <span class="smaller">DIAMOND HILL, FIRST DAY.</span></h2> + +<blockquote><p class="center">The attack begins—Description of ground—Capture of Boer advanced +position—Night-fall.</p></blockquote> + +<p>On Monday, the 11th of June, began two days' heavy fighting; the +operations were on a large scale against a strong and well-found enemy, +posted, as we saw afterwards, in a position almost impregnable, along a +front of six or eight miles, with his line of retreat open.</p> + +<p>On the first day, the 11th of June, we were the leading battalion of the +column, the Camerons being on baggage and rear guard and the Derbyshire +and C.I.V's. with us. We marched at six o'clock and moved off towards +the west; after trekking for a few miles we halted for some time under +cover of a rise in the ground, from which we could see that the mounted +troops were pretty heavily engaged in our front, over a considerable +area. Away to our right front there was a plateau of great extent with a +kopje of some size rising out of it; this kopje was being shelled with +much spirit by the enemy, and on looking through our glasses we could +see a fairly large party of mounted troops, either cavalry or mounted +infantry, who were ensconced under cover of the kopje. To all appearance +they were hung up in a state of compulsory inaction, as they could +neither leave its cover nor take any offensive steps. They appeared to +be quite safe, however, as regards shell fire, for the shrapnel seemed +to burst beyond them or on the far side of the hill each time.</p> + +<p>After a time we were put in motion again, but now in extended order, +moving in columns of companies at wide intervals, G company, under +Lieut. Nelson, leading, followed by H under Captain<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_80" id="Page_80">[Pg 80]</a></span> Wisden and A under +Captain Blake (Major O'Grady being temporarily on the sick list), and +the remaining companies in the usual order.</p> + +<p>The three leading companies moved along towards a deep ravine, at the +head of which they halted in accordance with orders; but from there G +and H, under command of Captain Wisden, were directed to advance across +the open and occupy a kopje to the left front. On the left of this +ravine were some farm houses lying under the lee of two small hills, +from the summit of which a fairly extensive view would be obtained. The +ground in front of these two hills was quite open for about a mile, but +to their left a smooth grassy range of hills rose and extended back for +some considerable distance, swinging round, about a mile and a half +away, to the left and diminishing in elevation until the plain was +reached, and thus forming a deep re-entrant angle, the inside of which +was very fairly wooded and looked rocky on the top.</p> + +<p>On our left the ground remained open, though undulating; but a wooded +kopje rose out of the plain about a mile away, with two other kopjes of +a lesser elevation on its right, and bearing off towards the re-entrant +angle already mentioned.</p> + +<p>This wooded kopje was the one that Captain Wisden was ordered to seize, +and accordingly he sent off his companies in succession, in the usual +widely extended formation, while Captain Blake followed with A company +as a support, at a considerable interval. Captain Wisden met with a +pretty wide and deep donga when he had gone about half way, and, while +crossing this, a dropping fire was opened on him, but at a very +considerable range (perhaps, 1,200 or 1,500 yards), apparently from the +thickly wooded range of hills on his right. One or two sections were +promptly formed to the right and replied to this fire, being relieved by +A company, who came<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_81" id="Page_81">[Pg 81]</a></span> up very shortly and devoted themselves to pouring +in a steady fire on the enemy, thus leaving Captain Wisden's two +companies at liberty to continue their advance.</p> + +<p>Just about this time, five mounted men were seen to leave this kopje and +to move towards the range of hills, so G and H companies pushed on, +while our battery, from the rear, opened fire and shelled the kopje over +their heads. The companies led on steadily, and, when the guns had +finished shelling, they rushed the hill and climbed to the top, where +they remained, holding it for some little time.</p> + +<p>Directly they showed that they were in possession of the hill, a move +was made by A company towards the low kopjes on the right of that held +by Captain Wisden; in this they were supported by the advance of B, C, +and D companies under Major Panton, with Lieut. Nelson and Lieut. +Ashworth in command of the latter two companies; the machine gun under +Captain Green came along also. A company reached and occupied these +small hills, and, the other companies coming up, fire was opened on the +wooded and rocky hill beyond, which, it was now seen, was separated from +us by a grassy valley about half-a-mile in width. The Maxim came into +action also, and remained at this spot firing over our heads and +covering our advance for some little time, after which it followed us. A +consistently steady dropping fire was maintained on us all the time, and +nothing could be done except to rush across the open, gain the end of +the spur in front, and then, turning to the right, swarm up the hill in +the hopes of taking the Boers in flank. We moved down the valley and +across, and, when within a long run of the foot of the spur, the bugle +sounded and off we dashed, shoving on our bayonets as we went, yelling +and shouting like fiends. Breathless, we reached the foot of<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_82" id="Page_82">[Pg 82]</a></span> the hill, +turned to our right, and commenced to climb it; the enemy had gone, and +we were quite free from annoying Mauser bullets for a time; at least so +we thought, until someone went a little too far and showed himself on +the edge of the hill, facing the east, when one or two shots soon came +whistling over his head.</p> + +<p>Seemingly, the majority of the enemy were in position on an appalling +high and continuous range of hills, stretching to north and south, as +far as we could see. A deep and grassy valley about 1,500 to 2,000 yards +in width separated us, but we had no time to waste in looking about us, +as we had yet to reach the top of the spur, at whose foot we had only +just arrived; so, keeping on the lee side of the hill, we ascended the +spur until we reached the top, where we halted to await orders. In our +rush across the little valley three or four men had been wounded.</p> + +<p>While this little attack was being carried out, the Volunteer company +had moved out in support of G and H companies, then in occupation of the +wooded kopje, but had somehow left the kopje on their right and had gone +off in a north-easterly direction towards the tremendous range of hills +to which we found that the enemy had retired. The Volunteers met with +some firing on their way, but were allowed by the enemy to come within +about 800 yards, when suddenly a furious outburst of fire descended on +the unfortunate company, compelling it to retire somewhat precipitately, +until it got beyond range. The Boers must have watched their approach +and concentrated their fire in anticipation of the Volunteers coming +within medium range, for the number of rifles employed against the +Volunteers was very large: the ground all round and amongst the men was +covered with spirts of dust, while the noise was perfectly deafening and +reminded one of the<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_83" id="Page_83">[Pg 83]</a></span> last stage of the attack at a field-day when every +man is anxious to finish his ammunition. Wonderful to relate, only two +men were wounded; but this was doubtless due to the very extended line +maintained, both in the advance and the retirement. The enemy had a +pom-pom on the hill which also contributed its quota of noise and clouds +of deadly fragments and flying splinters.<a name="FNanchor_7_7" id="FNanchor_7_7"></a><a href="#Footnote_7_7" class="fnanchor">[7]</a></p> + +<p>The battalion, after remaining until dusk on the top of the hill, +received orders to march back to camp near the farm from which it had, +earlier in the day, advanced to the attack. Three companies, however, +had to remain on picket, including H company, which was to stay on the +kopje it had originally occupied. G company was therefore sent for and +posted on the top of the hill, and A was directed to remain about half +way down the spur, while the remaining companies made the best of their +way back to camp, which they reached about six o'clock.</p> + +<p>We had to wait some time for our baggage; E and F companies, who were +escort to the two five-inch guns, did not come into camp at all that +night, but joined us late the next morning.</p> + +<div class="footnotes"><h3>FOOTNOTE:</h3> + +<div class="footnote"><p><a name="Footnote_7_7" id="Footnote_7_7"></a><a href="#FNanchor_7_7"><span class="label">[7]</span></a> Our casualties during the day were as follows:</p> + +<table summary="losses"> + <tr> + <td colspan="3" class="center">WOUNDED.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td>Lce-Cpl. </td> + <td class="left">G. Washer,</td> + <td class="left">B Company.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td>Private </td> + <td class="left">A. Hobden,</td> + <td class="left">B Company.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td>Private </td> + <td class="left">J. Clapshaw,</td> + <td class="left">B Company.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td>Private </td> + <td class="left">E. Baker,</td> + <td class="left">Vol. Company.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td>Private </td> + <td class="left">J. Caldwell,</td> + <td class="left">Vol. Company.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td>Private </td> + <td class="left">J. Miles,</td> + <td class="left">G Company.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td>Private </td> + <td class="left">T. Gainsford,</td> + <td class="left">A Company.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td colspan="3" class="center"> </td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td colspan="3" class="center">MISSING.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td>Private </td> + <td class="left">Ebsworth,</td> + <td class="left">F Company.</td> + </tr> +</table> +</div> +</div> + +<hr /><p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_84" id="Page_84">[Pg 84]</a></span></p> + +<h2><span>CHAPTER IX.</span> <span class="smaller">DIAMOND HILL, SECOND DAY.</span></h2> + +<blockquote><p class="center">Boer main position—Reconnaissance by Lieut. Morphett—Advance of +C.I.V.'s—General advance—Failure of Boers to occupy outer +ridge—They hold the second crest in force—No further advance +possible—Nightfall.</p></blockquote> + +<p>The following day, the 12th of June, we did not start very early, but +moved after breakfast up to the hill we had attacked and captured the +previous day, where A company was still on picket. Arrived there, we +waited for some time, until the afternoon in fact, before we moved again.</p> + +<p>In front of us, across the valley, was a long ridge, steep of access on +our side and, apparently, flat on top; this ridge on our right ran down +into the valley in a grassy slope, becoming less and less steep as it +trended further away; but on our left it became more and more +precipitous, until, in the far distance, it appeared almost like a wall. +There were no signs of the enemy on it, but they were there all the same.</p> + +<p>There was a farm in the valley below us surrounded by trees and +vegetation, said to belong to one Botha, and the road wound along from +our left rear past this farm, and disappeared in a cleft in the hills in +front of us. We all realised that the position held by the enemy was a +terribly strong one, and on the flanks it appeared, as far as we could +see with our glasses, to run for miles in a similar way; and there did +not seem to be any break or change in the surface of the ground opposite +to it, which continued to present the same grassy undulating slopes as +far as we could see.</p> + +<p>On our left, miles away, we could hear an occasional gun fired, and on +our right there had been<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_85" id="Page_85">[Pg 85]</a></span> a shot or two from the Artillery; but for the +moment all was still and peaceful, so we sat and nibbled our biscuits and waited.</p> + +<p>About one o'clock the five-inch gun, from somewhere in our left rear, +began shelling Botha's farm and the ridge near it and beyond: they made +excellent practice, and searched the slopes of the hill thoroughly. Near +the farm there was a sort of cleft in the hills, into which the road +ran: we could trace its existence for some little way back into the hill +by the brushwood growing on the edge of the cleft, and just now we were +watching this place, some of us, with exceeding great interest. The +General had ordered two companies to proceed in a short time towards +this cleft, to move up it, and then to swing round to the right and take +the hill in flank, thus covering the advance of the remainder of the +Brigade, who were prolonging the line on our right, and were to attack +on the part of the hill previously mentioned, where the grassy slopes +were more gentle and ran easily up to the summit.</p> + +<p>Now, for all we knew, this cleft might have been full of Boers on all +sides, before and behind, and we were not looking forward to what was +evidently going to be a nasty piece of work; but the matter was settled, +we had got our orders, and we meant to carry them out to the best of our +ability, somehow or other. So we watched with renewed interest the +shells of a cow gun dropping about on the ridge and the slope of the +hill, experiencing feelings of much satisfaction when one or two, as +they occasionally did, fell plump into the cleft in the hill, where we +hoped crowds of the enemy were concealed. Although not visible, we knew +they were there, as shots occasionally came over and struck the ground +near us, when anyone incautiously went too far forward, to look at the position.</p> + +<p>Towards two o'clock, the General wished a few men sent over in the +direction of the farm, to feel<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_86" id="Page_86">[Pg 86]</a></span> our way; so Lieut. Morphett and a +section of E company went out, widely extended, and with orders to go to +the Farm and signal back any information, and to occupy the walls and +hold out at the Farm until reinforcements arrived.</p> + +<p>Directly this small party showed themselves over the ridge behind which +we were lying, fire was opened on them by the enemy, who on this +occasion showed their stupidity in wasting their ammunition in firing at +extreme ranges. We could not, of course, see from what point of the hill +the firing was coming, but from the direction in which the bullets were +dropping and the way the dust flew up, we could see that those of the +enemy who were firing were somewhere on our left front. So we got some +men out and opened a steady dropping fire on the slopes of the hill to +our left, and especially on a row of poplar trees which looked a good +place in which to conceal sharpshooters. Our maxim gun came up too, and +rained a hail of bullets all over the hillside at varying ranges. This +is about all the good this machine gun is in the advance, because, when +the actual forward movement takes place, the gun cannot keep pace and is +left behind: of course a gun on a light field carriage could be brought +on by hand, but, during the campaign, the gun we were supplied with was +a huge, cumbrous affair, as big as a field gun and about as heavy. It +took two mules to draw it, and all sorts of manœuvres and operations +had to be gone through before a single round could be fired. In this +respect the pattern of machine gun needs considerable improvement before +it will ever be of any sound practical use in the field, with infantry +and in the advance, at any rate.</p> + +<p>After a while the enemy's fire lessened, although it still continued to +some extent, and we could see Morphett and his few men working their way +through the trees, and up to and beyond the farm. Soon they signalled to +us that all was<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_87" id="Page_87">[Pg 87]</a></span> clear and no enemy at the farm, but reported some to be +on a ridge in front of the farm, and in the row of trees to the left, +which we had already searched with our fire. So we peppered this row of +trees again with the Maxim, but were unable to develope any rifle fire +on the ridge, as the distance was rather too great for us to fire over +the heads of our men in front—some of the shots might have dropped short.</p> + +<p>During this little episode the Derbyshire had been sent miles away to +the right, and the City Imperial Volunteers had moved against the slopes +of the hill, some way to our right. It was pleasant to watch their +advance party skirmishing up the slopes, which became steeper near the +top. They did it very well, and we watched them with much interest, +pushing their way, well extended, moving slowly so as to keep their +breath, going steadily on advancing and gaining a firmer footing all the +time, although they must have been in momentary expectation of being +engulfed in a torrent of fire. We could see their advanced scouts out in +front creeping up to the crest line, and we waited, breathlessly, +fearing to hear at any instant the infernal din and clatter of a heavy +musketry fire opened on their column. Still they crept on and the +supports got closer up, and we were in dread that the Boers were waiting +only until the supports came closer up yet, before they opened a furious +and disorganising fire as they did at Magersfontein.</p> + +<p>At last the skirmishers gained the crest line, and we could see them run +forward and disappear over the ridge, followed by the supports and the +remainder of the regiment. Curiously enough, the ridge was not held by +the Boers, and the advance of the Brigade could take place at once. Our +little scheme of attack in the cleft was not, therefore, required, as +the C.I.V.'s had gained the summit;<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_88" id="Page_88">[Pg 88]</a></span> but the General sent forward two +companies to occupy the hill overlooking the farm.</p> + +<p>Why the Boers had neglected to occupy this long ridge and splendid +position, I have never been able to understand: there was every point in +their favour, except one, and we should have been compelled to make +frontal attacks all along the line, at very great loss, no doubt, before +we could have got a footing on the ridge.</p> + +<p>Once up there, the weak point was revealed: there was no line of retreat +for the Boers, except over open country, where we could have slated them +handsomely as they went. I think, all the same, that they should have +held this fine ridge all along its length, and eventually withdrawn to a +secondary position in rear, which they could have held for any length of +time. This secondary position, we found, they were actually occupying in +strength, but they neglected the primary position, and thus lost an +opportunity, to my mind, of checking our advance for, possibly, another +day, and doing us a lot of harm besides. However, the enemy's mistakes +are always our gain.</p> + +<p>Our two companies advanced in column of sections, in widely extended +order, with considerable distances between the sections, as we expected +to meet a heavy flanking fire going across the valley. As it happened, +however, only a dropping fire was opened on us, and we reached the farm +unscathed, scattered through it, and stretched away up the hill beyond. +A moment's glance sufficed to show that this hill was of no advantage to +us, and so we pushed on round it to the left, down the cleft, across the +road and up the other side. Nothing was to be seen from here but the +gently rising hill, with some rocks on our left front, so we lay down +and waited for further orders, as our original instructions to occupy +the ridge had been completed.</p> + +<p>On our right rear we could see the C.I.V.'s still<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_89" id="Page_89">[Pg 89]</a></span> coming over the ridge +and disappearing over the rising ground to the right, and, from their +movements, we could judge that they were coming under a hot fire as they +crossed the heights and came out on the open ground. From what we saw +afterwards, this view appeared correct, as the enemy, failing to occupy +the ridge itself, had retired to a strong position among rocks quite +1,500 yards to the right front, where, at his leisure and in perfect +safety himself, he could slate our troops as they advanced over the open.</p> + +<p>Hearing all this firing on our right, while in front of us was absolute +peace and quietness, we became rather suspicious, and searched the +ground in front with our glasses; but, as is usually the case, no signs +of any enemy could be seen. The longer this stillness continued the more +suspicious it appeared; and we advanced cautiously when, shortly +afterwards, half of D company arrived with an order to move on and +occupy the rocky ridge to our left front. Another company was coming to +support us, and some guns were following: another Brigade was coming up +in rear, so, apparently, a general advance was being made. Still full of +suspicious feelings intensified by the stillness and inaction, we moved +on, but deployed into a wider front, so as to occupy as much of the +ridge as possible when we got there. The half of D company under Lieut. +Ashworth was on the right, then came E company under Captain Aldridge, +while F under Captain Gilbert was on the left: each being in column of +half companies and well extended. There were about 80 or 100 yards +between the two lines, which were now advancing over an open grassy +plateau, that rose gently to our front, where frowned the black rocks, our objective.</p> + +<p>Slowly we went on, and a few shots dropped over, coming, seemingly, from +our right; later some more<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_90" id="Page_90">[Pg 90]</a></span> spirted up the dust at our feet, and we +quickened our pace slightly as we approached the rocky fringe which was +our destination. About 30 yards on our side of the edge, there was a +fringe of loose rocks and boulders, and, as we reached the first of +these and mounted the gradual slope which led upwards to the top, we +were enabled to look over the summit of the rocks, and our heads thus +became visible to the enemy beyond, who were evidently waiting for this. +Suddenly there was the most terrific outburst of rifle fire from our +front, and a perfect hailstorm of bullets rattled, whistled and shrieked +over our heads; luckily we were still too low down, or else the Boers +were just a moment too soon in delivering their fire, as but few men +were touched: instantly the officers yelled to their men to get under +cover, and down all hands dropped into perfect safety. Then up we crept +on hands and knees to the top, which was fringed with enormous rocks, +furnishing the most excellent cover: and through the interstices of +these we could open fire on the enemy; not that we actually saw any +enemy (during the whole of that eventful day I did not see one single +Boer), but we found out where they were. In front of us, and on the +other side of a deep valley covered with rocks, was another rocky ridge, +exactly similar to that upon which we were lying; and from this the +enemy's bullets were still shrieking and whistling over our heads, +fired, doubtless, from chinks and crevices between rocks similar to +those we were now using.</p> + +<p>About 800 yards was the range, and we pushed up every rifle into the +firing line, made head cover for ourselves, and kept up a furious fire +for some little time. The second line coming up behind us, composed of +the rear half companies, had some casualties, Lieut. Morphett being shot +in the thigh, and one or two of the men being wounded.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_91" id="Page_91">[Pg 91]</a></span> Private Bowles +of F company was shot on the foot, through boot and all, by a dropping +bullet; he was much astonished and spun round and round several times.</p> + +<p>Soon afterwards B and C companies, under Major Panton and Capt. +Wroughton, came up to reinforce us, and they also were spread out behind +rocks and told to keep up a continual fire. Probably owing to the fact +that they could see nothing, the enemy gradually reduced their rifle +fire until it almost ceased; but they now opened on us with a couple of +pom-poms, fortunately for us not beginning until after we had reached +the rocks and had established ourselves under cover. Almost at the same +time, a heavy shell fire was commenced at us, but soon discontinued, as +we afforded the enemy's gunners no object to shoot at. This shell fire +was from our left front; we could not locate the gun, but wherever it +was, it remained there, and in action, all the afternoon, although we +were not afterwards troubled by it. The pom-poms came from the far +right, where we could just distinguish the rocky tops of some elevated +ground, and had they been closer would no doubt have done considerable +damage, as they were quite on our right flank.</p> + +<p>As though all this shell and rifle and pom-pom fire was not enough, we +were now treated to a shell from the rear, which struck close to a man +of B company and covered him with dust and dirt. Taking a man with me, I +ran down into a safe spot, and we both waved our helmets vigorously for +some minutes, when apparently we were observed from the battery which +was firing at us, as no more shells came over our way.</p> + +<p>The intensity of our firing had now somewhat dropped, as had that of the +enemy, neither of us giving the other much to fire at; but the Boers +were very watchful, and you could not look over your<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_92" id="Page_92">[Pg 92]</a></span> rock without one +or two shots whizzing past immediately.</p> + +<p>There was nothing more to be done but to sit and wait; it was impossible +to advance further, even if we had had orders to do so.</p> + +<p>About five o'clock there was a tremendous outburst of firing, but not +all in our direction; and then we saw, to our left rear, a battalion of +Guards, (Coldstreamers they were) coming up towards the rocks. They went +through precisely the same experience as we had, and after a while +commenced company volleys at the opposite side of the ravine, where the +Boers were concealed, and continued for some time to pour in consistent +volley firing. Meantime the Boer fire dropped to almost nothing, but +every now and then, whenever there was a longer interval than usual +between the volleys of the Guards, the rattle and whizz of the Mausers +developed suddenly into a furious hailstorm, and as quickly died away +again, showing that the Boers had some system of control of fire.</p> + +<p>General Bruce Hamilton came up to where I was and had a look at the +position, and I pointed out to him the direction from which the pom-pom +fire had come; he looked at the hills through his telescope, and said he +saw some of the Boers' horses collected at the base of a rock, and would +send a gun up to us to have a shot at them. The gun came up shortly +afterwards, but it was then too late to see any distance, and the shells fell short.</p> + +<p>All the afternoon, a most interesting artillery duel had been going on +between the 82nd Battery and the enemy's gun to which I have alluded, as +being in position to our left front: our battery came into action near +the cleft in the hill through which the road past Botha's Farm runs, and +for some hours shelled the Boer position on all sides. The Boers +answered the fire pluckily, and shelled the battery consistently for +some time: we had a<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_93" id="Page_93">[Pg 93]</a></span> good view of the whole action, and it seemed +marvellous that our guns could be worked at all in the face of the +clouds of shrapnel which were hurtling through the air, all round the +battery; but although they lost heavily in men and horses, they kept +their guns going until it was too dark to see any longer.</p> + +<p>Just as it was getting dusk, orders were received to withdraw from the +position after dark, but to leave three companies on picket, and to send +the remainder to the camp, which was being formed at Botha's Farm, +behind the hill. B, C and E companies were therefore left on picket, and +F company and the half of D returned to camp.</p> + +<p>The remainder of the battalion had stayed in reserve behind the hill +near the farm, G company being in advance somewhat and on the left of +the 82nd Battery, and the others behind the hill, near the Farm.</p> + +<p>Sad to relate, Captain Maguire was shot through the head whilst +ascending the hill near the farm: he was not even in sight of the enemy, +and must have been killed by a dropping bullet fired at extreme range. +Poor Maguire, always so cheery and full of spirits; it was his first and +only action, and he was the only man of ours killed in the two days +fighting.<a name="FNanchor_8_8" id="FNanchor_8_8"></a><a href="#Footnote_8_8" class="fnanchor">[8]</a></p> + +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_94" id="Page_94">[Pg 94]</a></span></p><p>Lord Roberts wired to the War Office on the 12th of June as follows:</p> + +<p>"After surrendering the city (Pretoria) Botha retired to a place about +15 miles east on the Middleburg road: he had a small force at first, but +during the last few days the numbers increased, and his being so near +the town kept up excitement in the country, prevented burghers from +laying down their arms, and interfered with the collection of supplies.</p> + +<p>"It became necessary to attack them. This I did yesterday.</p> + +<p>"He held a very strong position (practically unassailable in front) +which enabled him to place the main portion of his troops on his flanks, +which he knew from former experience were his vulnerable parts.</p> + +<p>"I sent French, with Porter's and Dickson's Cavalry Brigades and +Hutton's Mounted Infantry round by our left: Ian Hamilton with +Broadwood's and Gordon's Cavalry Brigades, Ridley's Mounted Infantry, +and Bruce Hamilton's Infantry Brigade round by our right.</p> + +<p>"Both columns met with great opposition, but about three in the +afternoon I saw two of Hamilton's Infantry battalions advancing to what +appeared to be the key of the enemy's defence on their left flank. This +was almost gained before dark and I ordered the force to bivouac on the +ground they had won."</p> + +<div class="footnotes"><h3>FOOTNOTE:</h3> + +<div class="footnote"><p><a name="Footnote_8_8" id="Footnote_8_8"></a><a href="#FNanchor_8_8"><span class="label">[8]</span></a> Our Casualties on the 12th of June were:—</p> + +<table summary="losses"> + <tr> + <td colspan="3" class="center">KILLED.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td>Captain </td> + <td class="left">C. Maguire.</td> + <td class="left"></td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td colspan="3" class="center"> </td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td colspan="3" class="center">WOUNDED.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td>2nd Lieut. </td> + <td class="left">G. Morphett.</td> + <td class="left"></td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td>Cr. Sergeant </td> + <td class="left">F. Akehurst,</td> + <td class="left">B Company.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td>Lce. Corporal </td> + <td class="left">A. Tester,</td> + <td class="left">G Company. (died of wounds)</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td>Private </td> + <td class="left">R. Davis</td> + <td class="left">G Company.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td>Private </td> + <td class="left">W. Miller</td> + <td class="left">D Company.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td>Private </td> + <td class="left">C. Divall</td> + <td class="left">F Company.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td>Private </td> + <td class="left">J. Bowles</td> + <td class="left">F Company.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td>Private </td> + <td class="left">A. Dennett</td> + <td class="left">F Company.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td>Private </td> + <td class="left">F. Needham</td> + <td class="left">B Company.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td>Private </td> + <td class="left">F. Guntley</td> + <td class="left">D Company.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td>Private </td> + <td class="left">G. Wadham</td> + <td class="left">Vol. Company.</td> + </tr> +</table> +</div> +</div> + +<hr /> + +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_95" id="Page_95">[Pg 95]</a></span></p> + +<h2><span>CHAPTER X.</span> <span class="smaller">TO SPRINGS.</span></h2> + +<blockquote><p class="center">Boers retreat during the night—Elandsrivier station—Through the +Boer positions—To Pretoria—Off again—Irene—-Bad state of +clothing and boots—Difficulty of repairing the latter—To +Springs—Clothing and stores obtained from Johannesburg.</p></blockquote> + +<p>During the night the Boers vacated their position absolutely, so on the +13th June we made an early start, and the Brigade moved round to the +south-east in a circular direction and then headed east to Elandsrivier +station. On the way we passed some low hills on the south which had been +held the day before by the enemy, and we saw the place, at the foot of +the hills, where their horses had been standing, apparently for many +hours. These were the horses which had been seen by the General, but +which it was too dark for our shells to reach. The ground was also +strewn with Mauser cartridge papers and boxes, showing that they must +have refilled their bandoliers at this place before starting. Their +final position at Diamond Hill was plainly visible, due north of this +spot, the intervening ground being flat and open veldt; and it was, +possibly, very wise of them to have retreated during the night, and not +exposed themselves to the risk of being caught with open country in +their rear and no cover for miles.</p> + +<p>Elandsrivier is a small roadside station, with no town or houses near. +The Boers had done all the damage they could, smashed the water-tank and +pump, broken into the booking-office, looked into the safe with the aid +of a hammer and cold chisel, and written a notice for us on a sheet of +paper which we found pinned to the wall.</p> + +<p>It was written in pencil and ran as follows:</p> + +<blockquote><p>"Sorry not to have found here the price of a ticket to St Helena.</p> + +<p class="right"><span class="smcap">De Van der Merwe</span>,<br /> +Lieut.-Colonel Commanding the Potchefstroom +Infantry.<br />Elandsrivier, 12th June, 1900."</p></blockquote> + +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_96" id="Page_96">[Pg 96]</a></span></p><p>Possibly Colonel De Van der Merwe has, ere this, been provided with a +free passage to the island he mentions!</p> + +<p>The Camerons rejoined us on the 14th, having been detained with their +baggage and the convoy all this time, and having to their great sorrow +missed all the fighting.</p> + +<p>On the next day, the 15th of June, the Brigade moved off towards +Pretoria, passing on the road the Diamond Mine, and entering the defile +which had formed part of the main Boer position on the 12th. This defile +had been, seemingly, held in great force by the enemy, and it was +somewhere on the right of the defile that they had had their gun in +position: the defile, which was the main road to Pretoria, wound in and +out, the track threading its way among the hills for some considerable distance.</p> + +<p>About half way through we passed a farm with a large dam, and here there +were numerous indications of the recent presence of a large body of +Boers with their wagons, as the ground was covered for some space with +hoofmarks, remains of fires, cartridge papers, etc. This laager had been +immediately in rear of the final Boer position, which we passed, black +and frowning, on our left; from the front it was steep and impassable +and covered with huge rocks; on top, the hill sloped to the rear, and +the descent on the enemy's side was easy, so that the position presented +many points in favour of the Boers.</p> + +<p>On either side of the defile, or pass, at this point were huge ravines +covered with black rocks, running up into the hills: one of these +ravines on our left was recognised as being the one which had lain +between us and the enemy, and just beyond it was the hill which we had occupied.</p> + +<p>We were now just clearing the defile, and the position revealed itself +to us in all its massive<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_97" id="Page_97">[Pg 97]</a></span> strength: on the right it ran back for miles, +a huge wall of rock, black and glistening, and rising almost sheer out +of the plain, but with a low glacis of grassy veldt in front; on the +left the position was more in the nature of a range of grass covered +hills, with some broken ground and a few isolated kopjes in front. This +was the ground that we had manœuvred over on the two previous days, +and, having now passed through the Boer position in two places, we were +quite at a loss to understand why they did not make a better stand, and +we thought ourselves very fortunate in having escaped with the moderate +loss that we had experienced.</p> + +<p>The road to Pretoria wound off to the right, and passed for some miles +at the base of this precipitous range of rocks, which continued to run +in a northerly direction towards Pretoria.</p> + +<p>We camped at night at the foot of these hills, at a farm called Schwartz +Kopje; from here the range became lower and lower until it merged into +the hills round Pretoria.</p> + +<p>Around us were many farms, and some country houses belonging to Pretoria +people, whilst a few miles to the north lay the railway line, and a +large distillery at a spot called Eerstefabrieken.</p> + +<p>Lord Roberts wired to the War Office on the 14th of June as follows:—</p> + +<p>"As I telegraphed yesterday from our outposts 15 miles east of Pretoria, +the Boers evacuated their position during the night of the 12th. They +had paid so much attention to strengthening their flanks that their +centre was weakly held, and as soon as this became evident on the 12th I +directed Ian Hamilton to attack.</p> + +<p>"He moved against Diamond Hill with the Sussex, Derby and City Imperial +Volunteers, supported on his left by the Guards' Brigade under Inigo Jones.</p> + +<p>"It was grand seeing the way our men advanced<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_98" id="Page_98">[Pg 98]</a></span> over difficult ground and +under heavy fire. The casualties were, I am thankful to say, less than +100—a very small number considering the natural strength of the +position that had to be carried. Our seizure of Diamond Hill caused the +Boers to feel that they were practically surrounded, and this resulted +in their hasty retirement. They were being followed yesterday by some of +our mounted troops.</p> + +<p>"Hamilton speaks in high terms of the three battalions above mentioned, +and of the admirable manner in which the 82nd Field Battery covered the +advance, the good work performed by De Lisle's Mounted Infantry, and the +valuable assistance afforded by the Guards' Brigade."</p> + +<p>Next day we made our second entry into Pretoria, this time from the +East. The place was full of troops, the Guards' Brigade, 19th Brigade, +and others being camped close to us on the east of the town. On Sunday, +the 17th, and the next day, we remained in camp, but spent a good deal +of time roaming over the town, and buying bread and whatever else we +could find to eat. Although the first day was Sunday, the Canteen people +found out that the worthy shopkeepers of Pretoria were not averse to +turning an honest penny, and were mostly inside their shops, like +spiders in their webs, waiting for business—but only, of course, +through the back door. The Canteen laid in a good stock, although at +famine prices, but in the afternoon the District Commissioner ordered +the shops to be opened, so that the troops could buy what they wanted. +This thoughtful act was productive of much benefit to the rank and file.</p> + +<p>Too much rest, however, has always been an unknown quantity to the 21st +Brigade, so the next morning we trekked again, and, going through part +of the town, we were all pleased to find that Lord Roberts had come out +in the early morning to see<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_99" id="Page_99">[Pg 99]</a></span> us go by. The band struck up the march +past, and we all looked our best and strode onward as though we had only +just landed. There is one point about Lord Roberts which every man on +that column realised, and that is the power of the veteran +Commander-in-Chief to see more in a glance than most men in a prolonged +stare. There were few men in the battalion who did not catch the +Field-Marshal's piercing eye as we went past, and each felt that his +innermost thoughts were being ferreted out. General Kelly was by his +chief's side, and looked very pleased to see his old regiment, and to +hear the familiar old tune.</p> + +<p>We reached Irene in good time, and found there Captain Mackenzie and +about a hundred men, mostly lame ducks: they had been left at Irene when +we were there last in order to escort a battery by rail to Vereeniging, +and had now returned, having completed this duty.</p> + +<p>Unfortunately for them they had missed all the fighting of the 11th and +12th round Diamond Hill, but their turn was to come in good time. A +large number of soldiers of all regiments, released prisoners, were at +Irene employed in repairing the railway line. The Boers had blown up the +bridge some time previously, but it was an easy matter to make a +diversion, and the traffic was not stopped for long.</p> + +<p>From Irene, Captain Wroughton and myself were sent on by the General by +train to Johannesburg, with orders to buy canteen stores and some +clothing for the men, and to rejoin at Springs in two days time. As +regards clothing, the men were pretty well in rags, and their boots were +in tatters. The khaki serge, with which the reserve men had been +provided, was shoddy of the worst quality, and wore out with the +greatest rapidity: the City Imperial Volunteers, who were all dressed, +or rather undressed, in it, were a piteous sight: in<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_100" id="Page_100">[Pg 100]</a></span> fact they were so +badly off that many of them had bought themselves tweed and moleskin +trousers in Pretoria, to cover their nakedness.</p> + +<p>The khaki drill lasts much longer, and has the advantage of being +washable: besides, it keeps the dust out much better than the serge, or +rather shoddy, and it possesses the further advantage of being all of +one colour: it was a common sight to see men in serge with coats and +sleeves, or pockets, of quite different shades, while, as for trousers, +they were all the colours of the rainbow. Khaki drill is, of course, not +so warm as the shoddy, but the addition of cardigan jackets and drawers +enables men to suit themselves as to warmth. We had never received the +warm coats issued to many regiments; we could not have carried them if +we had, as we were so short of transport; but De Wet had collared all +our clothing, boots and mails at Rhenoster. By the way, the British +soldier, no matter how generous he may be to an enemy, will never +forgive De Wet for destroying all the mails on that occasion, as the +harm that was done and the uneasiness that was caused to thousands of +friends at home was inflicted on the unfortunate writers of the letters, +not on the soldiers to whom they were addressed.</p> + +<p>As regards boots, we were in a terribly bad way; the incessant marching +and want of grease, which we had no means of carrying, and the absence +of any means of executing slight repairs had played the deuce with them. +Our shoemakers were always at work in camp, whenever there was a halt +for a day; but leather and other materials were not easily procurable, +and we should have needed at least twenty-five men to cope with the work +in the time available: nor is any provision made for carrying tools and +leather in the wagons. On every march quite a number of men, who had no +boots, had to be carried on wagons, and I have often seen<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_101" id="Page_101">[Pg 101]</a></span> men walking +along with no boots at all, merely their putties twisted round their +feet. Nothing could be done, either, to improve matters: boots were not +to be had, although in every town a demand was at once made for all the +boots in the shops. Those produced were either Bond-street shoes, or +else miners' boots, which are not intended for walking in, as a number +of our officers and men, who tried them, found to their cost.</p> + +<p>It seems such a farce to establish shoemakers' shops in peace time, when +there are hundreds of civilian cobblers to be had, and then, immediately +a regiment goes on service and the shop would be of some benefit, to close it.</p> + +<p>Another ridiculous anomaly, which will hardly be believed, is that in +the Artillery, the drivers, <i>who never walk</i>, carry two pairs of ankle +boots, one on their feet and one on their saddles; but, in the Infantry, +<i>who never ride</i>, only one pair of boots is allowed, those on their feet!</p> + +<p>The advance on Pretoria had been so rapidly executed that the railway +was occupied, day and night, in bringing up food for the troops, and had +absolutely no room for stores, clothing, boots, or even, for some time, for the mails.</p> + +<p>On the 20th of June the battalion left Irene, and marched about 14 miles +to Vlakfontein, bivouacing near the head quarters of the East Rand +Exploration Company: the evening was enlivened by the biggest veldt fire +experienced, as yet, during the campaign. With a strong wind blowing, it +came down on the Brigade camp at such a pace, that although steps were +taken to burn a fire guard along the hill above the camp, when the fire +was about a mile and a half away, yet the zone was completed only just +in time; indeed several carts had to be hurriedly removed to places of security.</p> + +<p>Next day the march was continued through the usual undulating country; +on the way a vast pan,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_102" id="Page_102">[Pg 102]</a></span> or depression in the ground more or less full of +water, was passed: it was fully a mile across, and, although at the time +nearly dried up, it gave us an idea (for it was the first that we had +come across in the course of our wanderings) of what these enormous +natural reservoirs must be in the rainy season.</p> + +<p>On the right flank, large numbers of tall chimneys and mining shafts +could be seen about eight miles off, which proved to belong to the coal +mines of Boksburg and Brakpan. These must be most prosperous centres in +times of peace, but just then only one or two gave signs of being at +work, and probably they were only pumping to keep the water within limits.</p> + +<p>This 21st of June was eventful from the fact that it brought the first +rain which the battalion had experienced since leaving Glen; and as all +our notable events were heavily scored and immense successes, so was +this thunderstorm. Rain and hail came down in torrents, followed by a +fall of snow, which was more interesting than pleasant; and the +unfortunate battalion, which on this day was on baggage and rear guard, +reached its camp at Springs wet and wretched after a tramp of about fourteen miles.</p> + +<p>Fortunately the weather cleared up, and this, with a plentiful supply of +coal procured from the railway station, completely altered the +complexion of affairs; and, as is usual with soldiers (particularly on +service), in half an hour all trouble was forgotten.</p> + +<p>The Royal Canadian Regiment of Infantry was in garrison at Springs: they +formed part of General Smith-Dorrien's Brigade, which was on the line of +communications between Pretoria, Johannesburg and the Vaal; they had +fixed themselves up in the large engine shed at the railway station, and +were quite settled down, with bugle calls and other camp comforts.</p> + +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_103" id="Page_103">[Pg 103]</a></span></p><p>Springs is purely a railway station, there being no town or village, or +anything of that kind; in course of time this little station will find +itself on the direct line, via Middleburg, to Delagoa Bay, as the branch +line, which already exists, to the coal mines at Springs is undoubtedly +on the direct road between Johannesburg and the main line at Middelburg; +this new line will save a considerable journey round by Pretoria, and +will enhance the importance of Johannesburg, bringing it into direct +communication with the sea.</p> + +<p>Captain Wroughton and I, when we left the battalion at Irene, had a long +journey to Johannesburg: we started at half past six in the evening and, +although the usual run by train is about two hours, the distance being +only 24 miles, yet we did not get into the Park station until 1.30 a.m. +Later in the day we went round to the larger shops, and bought stores +and tobacco for the Brigade canteen to the value of about £1,500. We +were lucky to be able to buy about £350 worth of English tobacco, at +such a price as enabled it to be sold retail at 8s. a pound, the usual +price in the shops in Johannesburg being 12s. a pound; but we had been +told of a Bonded Customs store in Johannesburg, in which was a large +quantity of tobacco belonging to Boer dealers, whose property had been +confiscated; this was being sold by our Government to the British +troops, so we decided to purchase a large quantity.</p> + +<p>We then went round to the wholesale clothing merchants to try and buy +shirts, trousers and socks for the men of the Brigade, and were +fortunate in finding a large quantity in a store owned by Lazarus and +Jacobson; we took all the shirts they had and all their stock of socks, +and that of another large firm close by. The trousers were very fancy +articles: they were mostly of moleskin and corduroy, cut in the approved +coster pattern "saucy over the<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_104" id="Page_104">[Pg 104]</a></span> trotters," and we took all that we could +find large enough to fit our men. We visited several other large +warehouses, but could find no more of the articles we wanted. At the +railway goods station we had some trouble with the stationmaster, who +was a new hand. He was a sergeant in an Infantry regiment, who, of +course, tried to introduce red tape into the matter, and kept back the +cases, two whole truck loads of them, saying that they were officers' +mess stores and that we must pay freight first; all this trouble with +the train starting in half an hour, and the Brigade leaving Springs, the +other end of the line, the next morning. However, this stationmaster +listened to reason eventually, and we got away at last, only two hours +late, and arrived at Springs during the night. Early the next morning +the stores were transferred to ox wagons, and went on with the Brigade.</p> + +<hr /> + +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_105" id="Page_105">[Pg 105]</a></span></p> + +<h2><span>CHAPTER XI.</span> <span class="smaller">TO REITZ.</span></h2> + +<blockquote><p class="center">Heidelberg—The ladies' flag—Surrenders—Useless rifles—A duck +hunt—Grass fires—Villiersdorp—Frankfort—Reitz—A Boer farm.</p></blockquote> + +<p>We left Springs on the 22nd of June, and had a march of about ten miles +before we reached our next camp, Grootfontein. This we found to be about +eight miles from Heidelberg, which we reached fairly early the next day, +the Cavalry and the Mounted Infantry having gone on in advance and +having come into contact with several strong parties of the enemy.</p> + +<p>Just outside the town we were met by some ladies in a carriage, who had +come out to meet the British troops, and who had brought a most gorgeous +banner, all worked in silk by hand, with a portrait of the Queen on one +side and the Union Jack on the other, together with an inscription, +embroidered in white silk, "Presented to the Royal Sussex Regiment by +the Ladies of Heidelberg, 23rd June, 1900."</p> + +<p>Of course, the name of the regiment was left blank at the time the +banner was presented, but the ladies stitched the name in that +afternoon. It seems that they had been working hard, embroidering this +flag in secret, for several months, and had determined to present it to +the first British regiment to enter the town after the Boers had been +driven out; and as luck would have it, it was our turn to lead the Brigade that day.</p> + +<p>The ladies explained all this while the regiment halted by the roadside, +and then the colonel thanked them in the name of the regiment, saying we +would always keep the banner in the regiment in remembrance of the +loyalty of the ladies of Heidelberg. Then the band struck up and we +marched off to camp, the Sergeant-Major carrying the flag at the head of +the battalion, and we all<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_106" id="Page_106">[Pg 106]</a></span> cheering the ladies as we passed them. They +were greatly pleased at this, and stood and watched us go by, smiling +and waving their hands; while we, all in rags and tatters, with dirty, +hairy faces and worn out boots, grinned amiably in return.</p> + +<p>We remained four days at Heidelberg, most of us being accommodated in +the railway goods sheds, and in some tents which we found there; the +Derbyshire were in some small empty houses, and the Camerons in tents, +the C.I.V.'s being put up in the engine shed. There was now leisure to +issue the clothing which I had bought in Johannesburg, and which was +sadly needed; and we had time to wash ourselves and our clothes, and to +clean up a bit—not before it was needed.</p> + +<p class="center">Extract from Divisional Orders, 25th June, 1900.</p> + +<p>"A telegram has been received from the F.-M. C. in C. heartily +congratulating Hamilton's force on the occupation by them of the +important town of Heidelberg and on the dispersal of the enemy from its +vicinity. In this telegram the F.-M. desires Lieut.-Gen. Ian Hamilton to +remain quiet in Heidelberg until his broken collar bone is set, when he +will rejoin his force. Meanwhile Lieut.-Gen. Sir Archibald Hunter is +ordered to take over temporary command, and Gen. Hamilton, much as he +regrets his enforced separation from his troops, cannot refrain from +congratulating them in passing under the orders of so distinguished a +leader as his friend Gen. Hunter."</p> + +<p>The Brigade Canteen opened at the railway station, and in three days +sold out the whole of the enormous stock brought from Johannesburg; the +profits of this canteen up to the date of leaving Heidelberg worked out +to £186 15s. 9d., which was divided among the battalions of the Brigade +and the battery, the former receiving £44 16s. 4d. each, and the latter +£7 10s. 5d.</p> + +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_107" id="Page_107">[Pg 107]</a></span></p><p>Heidelberg is the prettiest little town that we have seen in these +colonies, and the most English; there is quite a large population, and a +large colony of Hindustanis working on the railway, which is an +important line, as it connects Johannesburg with Natal. The bridges and +culverts had been destroyed by the Boers before leaving, so that trains +could not run up to the town just yet from the west, but had to wait +outside, some miles away.</p> + +<p>Quite a large number of Boers had come in to surrender their arms and to +take the oath of allegiance, but I am afraid that this was, in many +cases, merely an empty form; in this town, as in others, many of the +rifles brought in were old and valueless. The older rifles, which were +of all kinds and patterns (Westley Richards, Enfields, Martinis and many +bearing no maker's name, merely the seller's), must have been splendid +and costly weapons in their day. There were many quaint old shot guns, +besides several of the earlier patterns of breech loading rifles, such +as Whitworths, Spencers and Remingtons, many of which were rusty, +damaged and out of order.</p> + +<p>Every man over 16 and under 60 in the colony had been compelled to +purchase a Mauser rifle from the Boer Government at a cost of £3. 7s. +6d., so that if he did not return it to us when he surrendered, he must +have either disposed of it or hidden it for use on some future occasion, +by himself or his friends.</p> + +<p>General FitzRoy Hart, who had commanded the Brigade in which we served +when at Aldershot, marched in with his Brigade of Irish troops the day +after we arrived at Heidelberg, and encamped on the opposite side of the +hill to us. We were greatly interested at seeing them proceed to pitch +<i>tents</i>, when we poor wretches had been sleeping out on the veldt for +months, and had every prospect of continuing to do so for some time to +come—a<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_108" id="Page_108">[Pg 108]</a></span> prospect, I may as well say at once, which was realised to the +full, as we did not receive tents until the 13th of November.</p> + +<p>On the 26th of June the Brigade marched out of Heidelberg and trekked +away south, accompanied by an enormous convoy of about 180 wagons of +supplies, which retarded our progress considerably. We camped that +evening at Bierlaagte, a pleasant little farm belonging to an English +company and managed by an Englishman, where there was a large dam in the +centre of a big depression in the hills, which afforded plenty of water +to the transport animals. There were a few duck on this water, but what +with Major Cardew on one side and Capt. Gilbert on another, and a crowd +of men throwing stones on the other two sides, those duck had an unhappy +time, and had to bow to the inevitable. There were other amusements on +this occasion besides duck shooting; we were just seeking our bivouacs +when we got orders to turn out and protect the camp against another +enemy, which was approaching rapidly from the south east. This was an +enormous grass fire, which was roaring and flaming and throwing out +immense clouds of smoke about a mile away. Driven by a strong breeze, +the fire, which extended over a wide front, was travelling towards us at +an alarming rate; the whole Brigade turned out, formed line just beyond +the limits of the camp, and lit small fires in hundreds. By judicious +fanning and with the aid of the in-draught, these small fires soon +joined hands and roared away to meet their friend in front. When the two +fires <i>did</i> meet there was a most tempestuous greeting, and then they +both disappeared and all was over. Our manœuvre was most successful, +and we slept peacefully, without any fear of being burnt in our beds.</p> + +<p>It is astonishing what an amount of damage these grass fires can do when +they flash over a camp:<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_109" id="Page_109">[Pg 109]</a></span> rifles are charred, belts and clothes scorched, +harness destroyed, rations ruined, and animals severely burned; and all +by a wretched little flicker of flame running across the grass.</p> + +<p>Frequently these fires are caused by carelessness, and, as a rule, the +mounted scouts in our front got the credit of starting them; but the +result to the country was terrible at this time, July. There wasn't a +patch of grass, from Reitz to Winburg, for miles on each side of the +road, and the wretched transport animals suffered terribly from the want of grazing.</p> + +<p>Villiersdorp was reached at seven in the evening on the 29th of June, +after a tiring march of 17 miles, during which the battalion was convoy +escort to the 180 wagons, which contained our supplies for 14 days.</p> + +<p>This escort duty is a wearisome business, as the ox wagons are always +the last to start; and although they travel at a good pace—quite as +fast as infantry want to march—yet even one drift is disastrous to +thoughts of getting into camp reasonably early. As a rule, the wagons +move four or even eight abreast on open country; but once a drift is +reached, single file is very often the only means of crossing, and this +means a long wait for the escort. If the drift is a bad one, and double +teams of bullocks have to be used to get each wagon across, the loss of +time is very great.</p> + +<p>Villiersdorp is a tiny little town on the banks of the Vaal, situated in +a hollow of the ground, where it is not seen until one is quite close +upon it. There are a few stone houses and a shop, but the town is, as +yet, quite in its infancy, although like Topsy, it will grow in time. +Anyhow the designers of the place have left lots of room, as the town is +well laid out, with wide streets and plenty of elbow room. I sincerely +trust that the very first job that the Town Council of Villiersdorp set +about, will be the<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_110" id="Page_110">[Pg 110]</a></span> construction, over the drift, of a first class, +man's size, doubled bottomed and copper fastened <i>bridge</i> of the most +expensive quality, so that future generations of tired foot soldiers may +not have to lug heavy wagons up and down banks.</p> + +<p>On arrival we camped on the Transvaal side of the stream, as it was +late; but the ox wagons started crossing at daybreak, so that by mid-day +nearly all of them were over. They were followed by the Brigade baggage, +and at three o'clock in the afternoon the troops moved across the Vaal +once more, and led off to our camp, six miles out. The last time we +crossed the Vaal was on our entry into the Transvaal on the 26th of May; +now, just over a month later, we recrossed it and moved into a part of +the Orange Free State, or Orange River Colony, as it should be called, +which had not hitherto been traversed by our troops.</p> + +<p>Frankfort was reached next day, the 1st of July, and here we remained a +couple of days to rest the transport animals. It is a larger town than +Villiersdorp, but not nearly so important as Heidelberg, and apparently +does a trade with the surrounding farmers in wool and hides—as is the +way with most of the small towns in this colony, whose <i>raison d'être</i> +is apparently exchange and barter.</p> + +<p>The farmers bring in the wool, mealies and hides, and the dealers take +them over at a price—not too high, you may depend—and serve out +clothes, agricultural implements and other things in exchange. The +dealer ships off his lot of wool down to the railway, and eventually to +the large firms at the coast, who send him consignments of stores in +exchange, and so the game goes on merrily. The ox wagons which take the +hides and wool down to the railway bring back stores, building materials +and so on; thus there are no empty wagons wasting their time trekking +about the country. Most of the shops in a town have the +inscription<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_111" id="Page_111">[Pg 111]</a></span>—"Wolkoper, Allgemene Handlaar"—which may be interpreted +as "Wool-broker, General Dealer,"—and most articles required on a farm +may be purchased there. On market day farm produce, bullocks, cows and +other animals are sold or exchanged: every town, however small, has its +market square, and its bell, and its day when the farmers come in and +sell their stuff and talk politics and drink too much whisky.—The +C.I.V.'s left the Brigade on the 4th of July and proceeded with a convoy +to Heilbron; they never rejoined the Brigade again.</p> + +<p>Leaving Frankfort on the 4th of July, the battalion had a terribly bad +time with the convoy, as we were on guard over it on that day, and there +was one of the worst sandy drifts in South Africa to be crossed, three +miles out of Frankfort. If there is one kind of drift which is worse +than another it is the sandy one; wet drifts are no trouble, except that +the mules stop in the middle to drink and take their own time in +starting again: rocky ones can be cleared: muddy ones can be repaired: +steep ones can be cut down, but for sandy drifts there is no cure except +brute force to haul the wagons out of the sticky, clinging sand.</p> + +<p>Although to the next camp we had only eight or nine miles to go, and we +started at eleven in the morning, yet we did not get into our bivouacs +at Rietfontein until exactly twelve hours later, and then it had been +freezing since seven o'clock that evening. However, that good old +soldier Pearce, the Quartermaster, who had got in fairly early, had +started fires and boiled water for the men's tea, although he had to +take all the wood off the biscuit boxes for fuel. We thought at the time +that that day's work was pretty well a record, but it was to be beaten +hollow by one or two days which we experienced afterwards.</p> + +<p>The next was also a long day's work, but good<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_112" id="Page_112">[Pg 112]</a></span> going over the veldt, +although there was lots of it, as we tramped a good twenty miles before +settling down for the night. Scarcity of water was the reason of this +long march: we had halted for a couple of hours at mid-day, and went on +again with the intention of reaching water, so we had to stick to it and +trek away until we did come to water. Major Shaw, the Brigade Major, did +a fair amount of galloping that day, looking for water, and no doubt his +pony, if he is still alive, has not forgotten the 5th of July.</p> + +<p>However, the next day compensated us for our hard work, as we had a +short march of merely ten or eleven miles, which, with a halt at mid-day +for a couple of hours, brought us into camp about four o'clock. There is +no doubt that, where troops are marching with a big convoy, it is a wise +thing to give the infantry a rest of a couple of hours in the middle of +the day, as it enables the convoy to close up, to water and feed, and to +get a short rest too. Transport animals travel all the better after +being watered and after having had a short rest, and it is a sound +policy to do this, as the column travels all the faster afterwards. The +Boers, when they are trekking, water their animals much more frequently +than we do, and they often made the remark to me that we were killing +our bullocks by not giving them a rest. On all marches the pace of the +column undoubtedly depends on the rate at which the slowest wagon +travels, and matters should, therefore, be arranged with regard to that +fact. Apart from considerations of safety, it is not sound to see the +troops trekking away into camp with the convoy sprawling along the road, +and with the rear guard clustering behind the last wagon.</p> + +<p>Another short march fetched us into Reitz, at mid-day on the 7th of +July: half the battalion and two guns were sent to occupy a farmhouse at +the foot of a hill, about a mile and a half away from<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_113" id="Page_113">[Pg 113]</a></span> the town—but +such a farm house! The doors and windows were gone, the ceilings and +floors had been wrenched away, part of the corrugated iron roof was +gone, and several of the rafters had been cut off short with saws, so +that the rest of the roof was in rather a dicky condition. This mass of +ruins rejoiced afterwards in the select name of "Joe Muggins' Farm."</p> + +<p>All Boer farms are more or less similar, and the buildings and outhouses +are practically identical in their shape and general appearance. First +of all there must be one or more dams which contain the water supply for +the cattle, and which are usually constituted so as to drain a +considerable area of watershed. A few trees are sometimes planted to +bind the embankment, but as a rule the burgher does not bother about +improving his property by arboriculture, but contents himself by growing +an orchard of peaches and apricots, and by planting a number of +eucalyptus trees round his homestead. This is indispensable in every +well-conducted farm.</p> + +<p>The buildings themselves are very ramshackle in design, the fact being +that the farmer on his first arrival builds himself a hut, which, as he +becomes a prosperous man, and his family increases with years, he adds +to whenever an opportunity occurs. There is always, however, a bit of +neglected garden in front of the house, with a step or two of stone +leading up to the verandah or <i>stoep</i>. As a rule, small rooms exist on +the sides of the verandah, whilst the <i>sitzkamer</i> or drawing-room opens +on to it. This is a sealed-pattern room, and very funny to look into, as +all are alike, varying only in the quantity of furniture crammed into it +by the wealthy farmer. An American organ with perhaps a piano, of course +hopelessly out of tune, is flanked by the regulation two arm chairs and +six straight backed ditto, all carefully hung around with +antimacassars.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_114" id="Page_114">[Pg 114]</a></span> On the walls are crayon enlargements of photos of the +master of the house and his <i>vrouw</i>, supported by lithographs of various +crowned heads, and enlivened by coloured pictures from the Christmas +numbers. The floor is covered with a carpet and a few skins, and a few +odd tables rest in fixed positions, supporting some china ornaments and +other little knick-knacks. The family Bible, containing the records of +births, deaths and marriages, occupies a prominent position in the room.</p> + +<p>The dining-room is close by, and is really the living room of the +family, and, like the <i>sitzkamer</i>, is conspicuous by its want of +ventilation. At meal times, the men of the family sit down first and are +waited on by the ladies of the family, and by Kaffir servants in various +stages of undress. After the biltong and stormbacks are finished, the +women folk are permitted to see what they can find left to satisfy their +appetites. Another prominent room in every Boer house is the guest +chamber. Here everything is spick and span, and the furniture is +complete in every detail, including a washing basin and a bath; but of +course no self-respecting Boer would dream of spoiling his record by +wasting such a lot of water. The kitchen usually contains an American +stove, and has a brick oven built outside one end of the room. Of +course, all baking has to be done on the farm, and lucky has been the +soldier who has reached a farm before his comrades, and has been enabled +to buy his loaf of bread.</p> + +<p>Outside in the compound, various animals of the usual farmyard type, +with a few guinea fowl, a peacock and perhaps an ostrich or two, roam at +large. A large wagon shed with a loft above, a woolshed and one or two +smaller storehouses comprise all the outbuildings. The ploughs and other +agricultural implements, which by the way are universally of American +manufacture, lie about everywhere.</p> + +<p>At Reitz we remained from the 7th to the<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_115" id="Page_115">[Pg 115]</a></span> 13th of July, being occupied +during the first two days in constructing some temporary defences on +both sides of the town, which was commanded by large hills of some +considerable elevation; these were held by our battalion, and upon them +earthworks were constructed in prominent positions. The town is a small +one of little importance, consisting of only a few houses: there were +hardly any residents left on our arrival, and nearly all the houses had +been emptied of their furniture, so our Head-Quarters companies were +enabled to occupy them as billets.</p> + +<p>The Highland Brigade, who had left the neighbourhood of Frankfort the +same day as we did, and who had marched parallel to us, but at some +considerable distance away, did not halt at Reitz, but continued on +through the town on their way to Bethlehem.</p> + +<p>The convoy wagons were emptied of their supplies, which were stored in +various buildings, and a column, consisting of the Derbyshire and some +Mounted Infantry, went off, under command of Col. Cunningham, to +Heilbron. The Derbyshire have not been seen since in the 21st Brigade, +as they shortly afterwards formed part of a Brigade of which Colonel +Cunningham was given the command; as they are to remain in South Africa +and as we are commencing a long tour of foreign service in India, +goodness knows when we shall see this fine old regiment again.</p> + +<p>At the Farm where A, E, F and G companies were stationed, we had a +company and a half on picket daily; their posts were rendered more +defensible, and huts were built with corrugated iron roofs for the +pickets to sleep in at night, as it was still very cold in the early +morning. Veldt fires were constantly blazing all round us, and one +night, at eleven o'clock, E company had to turn out to save our two +guns, which were established on the<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_116" id="Page_116">[Pg 116]</a></span> hill above us, from being burned +out. It took E the best part of an hour to put out the dangerous part of +this fire, and it had to be done by beating out the flames with blankets.</p> + +<p>Continuous firing early one morning from one of the pickets turned us +all out in alarm: the regimental staff galloped off to see what the +enemy's strength was, and in what direction his attack was coming: the +battery hurriedly harnessed their horses and got ready to move up the +hill, when a message came down to the General to say that it was a false +alarm. It turned out that the picket had seen a herd of buck quietly +grazing, and thinking some venison would be a good thing for dinner in +place of the usual trek ox, had first let off a volley at 800 yards and +had then continued with independent firing for some little time!</p> + +<p>A considerable number of burghers came in every day and surrendered +their arms, taking the oath of allegiance also; but, as before, many of +the guns and rifles sent in were worthless: several were of very weird +patterns, with all sorts of curious backsights: one had flaps, sighted +to a number of distances, fitted along the barrel from the breech to the +muzzle; another had a hinged backsight leaf which ran in grooves from +one end of the barrel to the other.</p> + +<hr /> + +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_117" id="Page_117">[Pg 117]</a></span></p> + +<h2><span>CHAPTER XII.</span> <span class="smaller">TO MEYER'S KOP.</span></h2> + +<blockquote><p class="center">Leeuwspruit—Bethlehem—De Wet surrounded—Ridley goes to +Slabbert's Nek—De Wet already through—Meyer's Kop—-Rifle +Positions—Inefficiency of shrapnel—Necessity of adapting tactics +to those of the enemy—A looted store.</p></blockquote> + +<p>We marched out of Reitz on the 13th of July, and camped at Hartebeeste +Hoek about dusk, experiencing an icy cold night with a very heavy frost: +the companies on picket suffered severely, as there was no wood to be +got in the neighbourhood. Our march the next day to Leeuwspruit, just +outside Bethlehem, was very trying indeed: there was a strong wind +blowing from our front, and clouds of dust gathered up from the burnt up +veldt stung our faces and filled our eyes and mouths. There was not a +patch of grass anywhere, nothing but black ground for miles: the battery +on this occasion, with unusual want of thought, persisted in marching on +the windward side, every now and then raising up great clouds of dust, +which came rolling over to us like black smoke from a huge fire. It is +difficult and trying for horses, which walk faster than men, to keep in +rear of a battalion of infantry, and for this reason a careful battery +commander tries to get on the flank of infantry; but when the wind is +blowing from that flank, it is very uncomfortable for the foot soldiers.</p> + +<p>We halted a day and a half at Leeuwspruit, and left that place at three +o'clock in the afternoon on the 16th of July for Bethlehem, reaching the +town at dusk and halting for orders on the outskirts. The Camerons +received orders to remain at Bethlehem with the G.O.C., the Headquarters +of the Brigade, the Supplies and the Field Hospital; but we were +directed to fill up our wagons with several days'<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_118" id="Page_118">[Pg 118]</a></span> rations and to +proceed with Major Simpson's battery, the 81st to a farm called +Sevastopol, lying somewhat to the south west. We waited a couple of +hours while our wagons went off to draw rations, which were all over the +place—biscuit in one camp, tea and sugar in the town—and eventually we +got away, at 8.30 p.m., in pitch darkness. We led out through the town +looking still and ghostly in the dark and up a steep and terribly sandy +road, which tried our overloaded wagons to the utmost, until at last we +reached the open veldt, where the road was hard, and clear from rocks +and sand. On the top of this hill we had a long wait, while the wagons +were closed up: we lay down and tried to keep warm, but the cold was too +intense, and finally the whole battalion had to stand up and move about +to keep their blood circulating. So we went on, halting every now and +then to allow the lagging wagons to close up, until at last at the top +of a sudden drop into a valley our advanced guard was challenged by a +picket, whom we found to belong to Ridley's Mounted Infantry, camped +about a mile further on.</p> + +<p>It seems that news had been received that De Wet, who was almost +surrounded by Hunter's and Rundle's Divisions and was shut up inside the +cordon of hills enclosing the Caledon Valley (access to which was only +to be obtained by certain passes which were watched by several +Brigades), was suspected of an intention to break out; and we had been +packed off in a hurry to guard Ridley's baggage and rations while he +dashed off towards Slabbert's Nek, one of these passes, to intercept De +Wet in case he tried to break out in that direction.</p> + +<p>At half past two in the morning we formed up in the valley, posted +pickets and got some sleep; but at half-past five we were on the move +again. Ridley had gone off at daybreak, taking his baggage<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_119" id="Page_119">[Pg 119]</a></span> with him, so +we started and marched about four miles, and then halted by the roadside +near Meyer's Kop, for further orders. In the distance, another four +miles on, rose the hills surrounding the Caledon Valley: we could just +distinguish the break in the range leading to the pass or Nek, which was +somewhat inside the fringe of low-lying hills. Four miles to the south +could be seen the camp and tents of General Paget's Brigade, with which +signalling communication was opened. A signal station was also +established on the top of Meyer's Kop, and communication opened with +Conical Hill, a sugar loaf peak about five miles south of Bethlehem. +Orders were received in the afternoon from General Hunter, who was then +in Bethlehem, directing us to remain at Meyer's Kop for the present; so +the Colonel selected a site for a camp, and we settled down in a valley +close under this kopje, bivouacing on a dirty piece of blackened, burnt +up ground, which was the cleanest that could be found.</p> + +<p>The force under Lieut.-Colonel Donne's command consisted of our +battalion, the 81st Battery, a few local irregulars of Prince Alfred's +Guards, and, later, some of the Lovat Scouts.</p> + +<p>We heard afterwards that De Wet had succeeded in breaking out of +Slabbert's Nek before we arrived, passing within a mile of where we were +then camped, and had gone off with 1,200 men and no wagons, only Cape +carts, in the direction of the railway. All our available Mounted +Infantry, under General Ridley, had hurried after him, and General +Broadwood, with his cavalry, had snatched up the Derbyshire regiment to +look after his baggage and had hastened off in the same direction. The +futility of chasing mounted men with a force dependent for their +supplies on wagons escorted by infantry was soon apparent, and, as is +now a matter of history, De Wet succeeded in making good his escape, +and<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_120" id="Page_120">[Pg 120]</a></span> led our troops a dance which lasted for months, and covered the +greater part of the Orange River Colony.</p> + +<p>Our energies were now concentrated on keeping the remainder of the Boer +commandos inside the Caledon Valley, exit from which could only be +obtained from the passes at Ficksburg, Slabbert's Nek, Retief's Nek, +Naauwpoort Nek and Golden Gate; these were watched—at Ficksburg by +Rundle, who was advancing up the Caledon Valley towards Fouriesburg; by +Paget's Brigade and ourselves at Slabbert's Nek; by Hector Macdonald's +Highland Brigade at Retief's Nek; and by Bruce Hamilton, who with the +remains of his Brigade was advancing towards Naauwpoort Nek; but, as +regards Golden Gate, which was not passable for wagons, it would appear +that this pass was not watched by any of our troops.</p> + +<p>Meyer's Kop was a rock of extraordinary shape. Imagine a huge sugar +loaf, which had been cut in half horizontally, so that the lower half +formed a great truncated cone, and then stick this up in the centre of a +level plain, and you have a fair idea of what this kopje, at whose base +we bivouacked for six days, looked like. There was a certain amount of +débris and many huge rocks scattered around the base of the kopje; its +sides were quite perpendicular except on the north, where there was a +winding path by which access might be had to the summit. The top was +almost flat, one enormous table-top of rock, about 80 yards across and +full of huge pot holes, which in ages gone by had been washed out by the +action of water.</p> + +<p>There were numerous other kopjes similar to this one in the +neighbourhood, and it is easy to conceive how, at one time, all the +surrounding country had been at the bottom of the sea, and how it had +risen gradually, the pinnacles of rock like Meyer's Kop, all scored and +washed clean by the rushing<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_121" id="Page_121">[Pg 121]</a></span> water, appearing first out of the sea. At +one corner of the rock, on the top, were piles and piles of cartridge +cases, Mauser, Lee-Metford and Martini, lying in little heaps in places +which showed us how each Boer marksman had taken up his position, +concealed behind most excellent cover, whence to shoot down from his +point of vantage our soldiers as they advanced across the open plain +beneath or showed themselves over the rising ground, at points of which +every Boer of course knew the range. To these men, each snug in his +little nook among the rocks, our rifle fire would have no terrors, as +our bullets would whizz harmlessly over their heads, even if aimed in +their direction—an unlikely event, for the chances would be hundreds to +one that the Boers would never be spotted as long as they used cordite.</p> + +<p>Shell fire also would cause no trepidation to a Boer well posted behind +cover; but I doubt if he would have been so happy, or would even have +remained so long behind his cover, had he been exposed to the old +fashioned shell fire from mortars, where the projectiles, fired at a +high angle with a varying charge of powder, sailed slowly and +gracefully, humming to themselves, through the air, their track marked +by a thin stream of blue smoke from the burning fuse; and then, dropping +quietly immediately in rear of the enemy's parapet or into his trenches, +burst into hundreds of fragments and spread devastation around.</p> + +<p>Something of that kind is what has been wanted in the class of warfare +which we have been carrying on lately with the Afridis and the Boers, +<i>i.e.</i> against a much scattered enemy, invisibly and securely posted +behind rocks, and armed with the latest development in small bore rifles.</p> + +<p>Shrapnel is all very well when used against an enemy in a formation like +quarter-column, and its moral effect is at all times good; but its +killing powers<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_122" id="Page_122">[Pg 122]</a></span> against a thin line of skirmishers, say ten paces apart, +advancing across a plain or posted on a ridge are limited to the width +of front to which its 256 bullets will, on the explosion of the bursting +charge, extend, and are about equal to the damage which might be done +by, perhaps, two rifles. The trajectory of a shell is too flat to cause +any harm to a Boer or an Afridi behind a rock.</p> + +<p>At Meyer's Kop the rocks on the east had received a vigorous shelling on +one occasion from our guns, and it interested some of us to potter +about, looking at the marks on the rocks and ground that showed where +the shells had struck, picking up shrapnel bullets and fragments of +iron, trying to estimate the number of shells fired, and examining the +ground to see where the enemy's sharpshooters had been lying.</p> + +<p>On this particular occasion (I don't know when it occurred or what +troops of ours had been engaged), the ground on the slope of, and below +the eastern side of the kopje, was covered, over a large area, with +shrapnel bullets and bits of shell; and the large prominent boulders, +some of them as big as haystacks, bore marks where shells had struck in +numbers; <i>but</i>, away up on a corner of the kopje, fifty yards off, were +at least 500 cartridge cases, showing where some three or four men had +lain in perfect security and had kept up a harassing fire in spite of +our shrieking shell, and the whistling but inoffensive bullets from our +bursting shrapnel.</p> + +<p>They had played the Boer game, which the introduction of smokeless +cordite had rendered so easy; they had studiously avoided all the +prominent objects behind which one would naturally expect to find an +enemy, and had selected other places on the flanks, from which to pour +in, unobserved, their annoying and ceaseless fire, whilst our advancing +troops blazed away, and continued to blaze away, at the top of the +hills, at green bushes, and at any<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_123" id="Page_123">[Pg 123]</a></span> stone walls in the neighbourhood, +instead of impartially searching with their fire the slopes of all the +hills in their front, or watching the spirts of dust thrown up by the +Boer bullets and trying to discover from these indications the direction +whence the fire was coming and the probable location of the marksman.</p> + +<p>These are all points which, unfortunately, can only be learned when +bullets are flying around, but a very little instruction in this goes a +tremendously long way; and when skirmishing is again introduced, as it +must inevitably be, into the curriculum of instruction we give our +infantry soldiers in peace time, no doubt more attention will be paid to +the question of adapting your system of warfare to meet that of your +enemy. The invading force which enters an enemy's country is, to my +mind, entirely at the mercy of and eventually forced to adopt, any +system of warfare which may be thrust upon it by the owners of the +country; thus, a widely scattered enemy must be met by our thin clouds +of skirmishers: changes of position rapidly carried out by an enemy +entirely mounted must be checkmated by our strong bodies of mounted +infantry: the withdrawal, when pressed by us, of the enemy to a +previously selected position must be met by our timely flanking +movements: the invitation by the enemy to a frontal attack over a +suspiciously open piece of country must be met by an attack delivered +somewhere else.</p> + +<p>In fact, whatever the enemy obviously wishes us to do, must not be done, +lest we be drawn into a trap; and above all nothing must ever be taken +for granted. I am fully aware that these axioms are as old as the hills, +and that every soldier is supposed to absorb them with his military milk +in his infancy as a recruit; but I am afraid that he does not assimilate +enough of this particular kind of diet.</p> + +<p>Many are the instances, some of them <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_124" id="Page_124">[Pg 124]</a></span>microscopic, some of them serious, +which I have seen of the neglect of the golden rule—take nothing for +granted; and I might also add to this rule another, namely—never +despise your enemy—to which the attention of all amateur soldiers might +be drawn when they next race off in the direction of any campaign which +may be threatening.</p> + +<p>This queer Meyer's Kop made an excellent helio station from which +signalling communication was easily maintained to the north and south; +and it was also a first-rate observation post, from which the +surrounding country for miles round could be seen. One of the officers +was usually on watch up there from daylight to dark, and it was really a +very pleasant way of spending three or four hours on a fine day. +Sometimes we could see what we thought were Boers riding about on the +sky line, and we used to especially watch the entrance to Slabbert's +Nek, in the hopes of seeing some of the enemy moving about. Once or +twice we went out with a few men and some wagons to procure forage from +the farm of an Englishman named Passmore, a horsebreeder and trainer, +and a jockey well known at Johannesburg, who had a run near us, but who +had had to bolt when the Boers arrived in the neighbourhood. This man +had opened a small store on his property, but when we arrived we found +that it had been carefully looted. I never saw such confusion as there +was; nearly everything had been torn down or off the shelves and thrown +promiscuously on to the floor; things looked as though a whole troop of +monkeys had been allowed a free hand for half an hour or so. Only once +have I seen anything approaching such a state of matters, and that was +years ago, when Captain Farrell's pet monkey was accidentally shut up in +his master's quarters for a couple of hours; and the havoc that monkey, +who was of an enquiring turn of mind, played with writing table, +dressing table,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_125" id="Page_125">[Pg 125]</a></span> chest of drawers, and tin uniform cases may be better +imagined than described.</p> + +<p>Passmore's store however had been visited, it was suspected, by Kaffirs +and not by Boers. It was a curious circumstance, noticed by one of our +officers with a Sherlock Holmes disposition, that all the tins, of which +there were a number containing mustard, medicines, pepper, linseed, +ginger and other things, had a small opening, roughly made, evidently to +enable the contents to be examined. Now, no white man would have gone to +the trouble of doing this, even if he couldn't have read the label, +which was plain enough in every case.</p> + +<p>G and H Companies were sent in with wagons, on the 20th of July, to +Bethlehem, to draw another supply of rations and to get the mails, +sixty-three bags of which were waiting for us. They returned the next +day in the afternoon, together with the Bedfordshire regiment, who +camped alongside of us, but left the next evening to join Paget's +Brigade, which was only a few miles away.</p> + +<p>The Bedfords, who had been equipped earlier in the campaign than we had, +when things were more plentiful, were very well provided as regards +transport. They had plenty of wagons, Scotch carts, ammunition carts and +water carts, while we were still limited to the one water cart with +which we originally started, and the two old Scotch carts, procured at a +farm, which we utilised to carry some of our reserve ammunition. The +four ammunition and other carts we had brought from home had been left +at Glen for want of mules to draw them.</p> + +<hr /> + +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_126" id="Page_126">[Pg 126]</a></span></p> + +<h2><span>CHAPTER XIII.</span> <span class="smaller">RETIEF'S NEK.</span></h2> + +<blockquote><p class="center">A bad night—Start for Relief's Nek—Description of ground—Orders +to attack—Leading companies take wrong direction—Remaining +companies advance against Nek—They close up to the Boer +position—Further advance impossible—Death of Sir Walter +Barttelot—Orders to retire at dusk—Difficulty of bringing in +wounded—A good Samaritan.</p></blockquote> + +<p>It was dark on Sunday evening, the 22nd of July, when the Bedfords +started from Meyer's Kop; and directly they had gone the wind rose and +the rain came down in torrents, splashing up the black soil, turning the +camp into a morass, and penetrating through everything—blankets, +waterproof sheets, canvas sheeting. The wind blew our blankets about and +the rain drenched everything for many hours without ceasing, all fires +were quenched by the downpour, and we sat and cursed and were wretched. +One or two of us were fortunate enough to get hold of some corrugated +iron, and I remember getting an hour or two's broken sleep by crawling, +all wet and muddy, under a long sheet of this iron, which I had +stretched over my blankets.</p> + +<p>To add to our troubles, one of the companies on picket fired a few shots +in the middle of all our discomfort, but, as the firing did not +continue, no further steps were taken: however, about half-past two, the +Volunteer company burst out into heavy firing which they continued for +some time. As they were on picket quite close to us, the Adjutant ran up +to see what was the matter, and found that they were firing at some +lights some distance in front of them: so the firing soon stopped, and +we huddled under our dripping blankets until three o'clock, when we were +routed out and told to pack our kits and load the wagons. Overnight the +Colonel had had confidential orders to move before daybreak towards +Retief's Nek, where we were to meet General Hunter and receive further +orders; so by four o'clock we were on the move. The night<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_127" id="Page_127">[Pg 127]</a></span> was pitch +dark, but luckily the rain had stopped: the whole camp and the ground +round it was a sea of mud, and it was with the greatest difficulty that +we could start the wagons, already fully loaded with rations and mails, +to which had been added the men's blankets, now trebled in weight owing +to the absorption of rain: in consequence of the compression, the water +was soon running out of the bottoms of the wagons, which will give an +idea how wet the blankets had been when loaded.</p> + +<p>As it was, after squelching and slipping along in slimy mud, we had to +wait at the top of the hill for the wagons to be hauled up to drier +ground; by that time it was dawn, and we were able to proceed at a +better pace across country towards Retief's Nek.</p> + +<p>There was one nasty drift on the way, muddy and slippery, which caused +considerable delay to our small column; but after this we trekked along +for some hours over grassy veldt, until we came in sight of Retief's +Nek, when the Colonel rode on to communicate with General Hunter, and +the battalion halted under the lee of a huge mass of rock, rising sheer +out of the plain. This was about eleven o'clock, so we seized the +opportunity to eat some biscuit and what cooked food we happened to have +in our haversacks, and to rest; for after our dreadful night and long +tramp, we were fairly well tired.</p> + +<p>After some little while, the Colonel came back, summoned the officers, +and told us the orders he had received from General Hector Macdonald, +who was in charge of the operations; we then went some little distance +aside, and the position was shown to us and the orders explained.</p> + +<p>In front, the ground, level and grassy, stretched away for about a mile +and a half to a low conical hill, which appeared to be of slaty rock, +and the top of which shone and glistened in<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_128" id="Page_128">[Pg 128]</a></span> the sun like white marble; +a little to the rear of this, and seemingly connected with it by a +narrow nek, rose another hill, very similar in appearance, but dark and +lowering. Separated from these hills on our right by a gap, perhaps 600 +or 700 yards wide, rose a spur with a knoll half way up, a little less +in height than the kopje (which we had now named Marble Kop), and from +this knoll the spur rose abruptly to a great height, broken and jagged, +the slopes covered with huge black rocks: this cliff bore round to our +right for perhaps a mile or more, very steep and precipitous, until it +was abreast of where we were standing, when the range of mountains swung +away to our right and was lost in the distance. Still to the front, but +a little to our right, rose a narrow grassy kopje, with a couple of +houses at its foot. This kopje was separated from the great range of +hills by a narrow, funnel shaped passage which seemed to be about 600 +yards wide at the entrance; but whether this narrow kopje, which ran +straight back, eventually joined the broken and jagged cliffs in the +distance, or whether it was an isolated hill and the passage ran round +behind it, could not be decided from the spot upon which we were then.</p> + +<p>Marble Kop was the position the battalion were to attack, and it was to +be supported in its advance by the battery, which would take up a +position on a hill which we could not then see, but which was +immediately in front of Marble Kop, and some considerable distance away +from it: no nearer position could be found for the guns.</p> + +<p>On the left of Marble Kop rose abruptly to a point a lofty range of +hills, looking quite inaccessible, and bearing round to our left in a +great sweep. Between this point and Marble Kop was another gap of some +considerable width, which was the pass of Retief's Nek; and down at the +bottom of this pass and hidden in a fold of ground, the road<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_129" id="Page_129">[Pg 129]</a></span> ran from +where guns were posted straight into and beyond the pass.</p> + +<p>Our orders from General Macdonald were to attack Marble Kop, and on +arrival there to open an enfilading fire on a trench which the enemy was +reported to have dug across the pass: there were to be no supports for +us, and there was no information as to the position of the enemy, or his +strength, or whether Marble Kop was occupied by him: a deadly stillness +was in the air, and the strongest telescope did not reveal the presence +of the enemy at any point which was visible.</p> + +<p>The companies now proceeded to move off in the following order:—G +company under Captain Mackenzie, then H under Captain Wisden; after them +A under Major O'Grady, followed by B with Major Panton in command, and C +under Captain Wroughton; E under Captain Aldridge bringing up the rear. +The remaining companies were on various duties; D under Lieut. Ashworth +was escorting the guns and took no part in the action, F under Captain +Gilbert, and the Volunteer company under Sir Walter Barttelot, were +baggage and rear guard respectively: they came up shortly after we had +advanced, when the wagons had been parked by Major Scaife, who was +baggage master—these two companies then proceeding to join in the attack.</p> + +<p>The leading company, G, was directed to advance towards Marble Kop, +proceeding in a circuitous direction, and skirting the base of the +narrow kopje, then in front and lying at our feet. This kopje G should +have left on the right. The companies were to advance in column of +sections, each extended to ten paces, and with large intervals between +each line; all officers and supernumeraries were to be in among the men +in line, so as not to render themselves too conspicuous. The companies<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_130" id="Page_130">[Pg 130]</a></span> +were soon fairly launched and moving off across the grassy veldt in +great parallel lines, about a hundred or more yards apart, and +stretching well away to the right and left, so as not to afford to the +enemy a more extensive objective than was necessary. The leading company +was a long way off, and the men were appearing smaller and smaller as +they got further away to the front, when it was noticed that the column, +instead of skirting the narrow kopje in front and leaving it on their +<i>right</i>, had misunderstood these instructions and were entering the +funnel shaped passage, thus leaving the narrow kopje on their <i>left</i>.</p> + +<p>There was then no time or means of recalling them without considerable +delay, owing to the distance, fully a mile, which they had already +traversed, so it was considered advisable to allow them to continue +their advance in the direction which they had chosen; the point of +attack had been distinctly pointed out to every one concerned, and if, +as often happens in these widely extended movements, certain +contingencies had arisen which necessitated the direction of the attack +being changed, yet no further instruction could be given by the +commanding officer, and the execution of the attack must, perforce, be +left to the discretion of each company commander.</p> + +<p>Under the extended order system as carried out during this war, the +company commander becomes a far more important personage than he has +been during the last twenty years, with an immensely free hand, within +certain limits, directly active operations commence.</p> + +<p>The machine guns under Captain Green had gone along with H company, and +had by this time, with the three leading companies, gone quite out of +sight into the funnel shaped passage; C company, which was the fifth in +order of succession, was just inside the entrance, and E was following +in rear:<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_131" id="Page_131">[Pg 131]</a></span> the ammunition cart and water cart and the rest of the first +line were coming on behind. This was the situation about one o'clock, +and I was walking up the narrow kopje, intending to watch the progress +of events from its summit, when suddenly from inside the passage on the +right, into which the companies had gone, came, like a clap of thunder, +a most fearful outburst of firing, which continued for some time without +intermission, and which echoed and re-echoed among the ravines and rocky +hills, until one could hardly hear one's own voice.</p> + +<p>From the top of the kopje nothing could be seen, either of our men or +the enemy, and the infernal pandemonium still continued in the valley +below; but to the incessant ping-boom, ping-boom of the Mauser, +unmistakeable from its propinquity, was now added the ping, ping, ping +of the Lee Metford, and the continuous stutter of the Maxim, as this +highly strung machine, shaking and quivering with nervous energy, +stammered out whole belts full of ammunition without ceasing. +Undoubtedly, Captain Green had got hold of a soft thing and was taking +the utmost advantage of it, and squeezing the last ounce out of the +Maxim, which fired as it had never fired before and probably never will +again. The water in the casing fizzed and spluttered, but more was +handy; the empty belts littered the ground, but the ammunition cart was +not far off, and so the vastly important work of spattering with bullets +the hillside opposite, which a moment before had been as still as the +grave, was continued without intermission. The companies in front had +dropped into cover behind some huge rocks which fringed both sides of +the valley, immediately on the first shots being fired; and they had +ever since continued to fire at their invisible foe, who were lining the +hillside and the jagged crest line not 800 yards away.</p> + +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_132" id="Page_132">[Pg 132]</a></span></p><p>Captain Mackenzie had, at the outset, exposed himself somewhat +recklessly, and had been knocked over in the open with a bullet in his +ankle; his subaltern, Lieut. Hopkins, seeing this, shouted to a couple +of men to accompany him, and dashed out without a moment's thought +towards his captain, in the face of a murderous fire which covered the +ground around them with a cloud of dust spirts. Together with the two +men, who turned out to be Corporal Hoad and Lance-Corporal Neville, +Lieut. Hopkins raised Captain Mackenzie and bore him, groaning and +sweating with agony from his broken ankle, to safety.</p> + +<p>For this gallant act these three, the young officer and the two +Corporals (both young soldiers), were recommended for the Victoria +Cross, the highest distinction to which a soldier can aspire. However, +in lieu of this, Lieut. Hopkins was offered a company in the Manchester +regiment, and the two Corporals were each awarded the Distinguished Conduct Medal.</p> + +<p>Nothing could be done to withdraw the companies in front, and the Maxim +had also to remain; but orders were sent to B, C, and E companies to +move to their left to the other side of the kopje. This they soon did, +and the attack was launched again at Marble Kop, but on this occasion +from the direction in which it had been originally intended to advance. +As matters turned out, however, it was perhaps as well that the mistake +had been made and the advance commenced in the wrong direction, as our +three companies, although useless to the battalion in continuing the +advance, were still of inestimable value where they were lying, as they +held a good number of the enemy in check and prevented them from leaving +their cover and proceeding to other positions, from which they could, +perhaps, have done more damage. While our three companies kept up a +dropping fire and<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_133" id="Page_133">[Pg 133]</a></span> while the Maxim rattled out its scattered shots at +intervals, no Boer would dare to leave his cover; and so matters +remained <i>in statu quo</i> in this valley until dusk.</p> + +<p>Meanwhile, our battery had commenced shelling vigorously the slopes of +the hills on the right of Marble Kop, and B and C companies, with E +following, were moving over to the open ground directly in front of it; +from here they advanced in succession by half-companies and stretched +away out into the veldt, E company being meanwhile held in reserve.</p> + +<p>We sat and watched the companies diminishing in the distance, and, when +the leading half-company was about a thousand yards from us and about +the same distance from the foot of Marble Kop, we saw rifle fire opened +on them from their right front. They continued their advance like a +parade ground movement, halting, lying down to fire and then rising and +going on again, the lines in rear conforming to the movements of those +in front, and the men on the right of all the lines delivering their +fire against their hidden enemy among the hills on the right front. +Gradually the lines in rear decreased their distances, closing up to the +front and reinforcing and thickening the firing line: this manœuvre +adds more rifles to the firing line and enables more fire to be brought +to bear on the enemy, but at the same time it increases the +vulnerability of the foremost line, rendering more men liable to be hit +owing to their proximity to each other, so, possibly, the advantages may +or may not outweigh the disadvantages. In this particular case, however, +where the enemy were behind perfect cover, the disadvantages of +thickening the firing line predominated, and the enemy's bullets fell +pretty thickly amongst our men.</p> + +<p>It appeared at this stage of the proceedings, that Marble Kop was +unoccupied, and that the bulk<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_134" id="Page_134">[Pg 134]</a></span> of the firing was coming from a concealed +party of sharpshooters at long range, stationed somewhere on the right +front, upon whom the shrapnel of our guns seemed to have little or no +effect: however our men, although hampered by having to fire half right, +continued to pour in a constant fire at ranges of from 600 to 800 yards, +and perhaps longer.</p> + +<p>About this time, also, F company and the Volunteer Company appeared, +coming up from the rear in similar formation (half company columns) to +that adopted by us: seeing that the firing line wanted a wider front +instead of a thicker formation, F company was directed by signal to +continue moving to the front, but to gradually edge off to the left, so +as eventually to come up on the left of the present firing line, +composed of B company.</p> + +<p>So F company trudged off and carried out this manœuvre beautifully, +coming up into line with B company and lying down and opening fire about +half an hour later: meantime the Volunteer company had received similar +orders to move further off and to prolong the line to the left of F +company; this movement had used up all the companies at our disposal, +except E, who were now moved off to the left also, but were still to +remain as a reserve in rear of the centre, in view of possible +contingencies which might arise. There were one or two wounded being +brought in, so a dressing station was established under some cover, +formed by a few large rocks and a tree or two; and the doctor, who had +remained in the valley on the right attending to one or two men of G +company who had been hit, was sent for. The first line transport with +the ammunition carts, water cart and the medical officer's cart had, for +some inexplicable reason, remained in this valley, although the majority +of the battalion had been moved in another direction; they did not come +near us all the afternoon, men having to be<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_135" id="Page_135">[Pg 135]</a></span> sent over to get +ammunition, which, at a later stage of the fight, was running short rapidly.</p> + +<p>For the second time that day I sat down and searched the hills +thoroughly with a telescope; not a sign of an enemy did I see, and yet +the jets and puffs of dust thrown up amongst the men spread all over the +veldt up to a thousand yards in front distinctly showed that the firing +was from the right front. Away on our right, the spur, which has been +alluded to as being separated from Marble Kop by a gap about six hundred +yards wide, was being steadily shelled by our battery all along its +length, and on its face where it joined the big jagged cliffs and +trended off to the right; but it was now seen that this spur continued +round to the left also, and forked out into another lofty range of +hills, which swung round with a semi-circular sweep, enclosing a valley +into which various underfeatures and knolls led out from the spur and +from the lofty range itself. The conclusion I came to at the time was +that the Boers were in position on these knolls and underfeatures, +rising in tiers, one above another, and that the majority of the firing +was directed on our men through and over the gap between the spur and +Marble Kop; this supposition was supported by information given by the +stretcher bearers, who were now coming in pretty frequently with wounded +men from the firing line, so I signalled information to this effect to +the officer commanding the battery; the distance, however, was too +great, and the enemy were too well posted for shrapnel to do any harm: +moreover, the gunners, from their long distance in the rear and because +of the intervening end of the spur, could not see any of the +underfeatures, behind which the enemy were situated.</p> + +<p>The advance was continued until the right of the firing line, B company, +was about 600 yards from the foot of Marble Kop; they could go no<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_136" id="Page_136">[Pg 136]</a></span> +further with any advantage, and were fully occupied, as was C company, +in keeping down the fire from their right front. Beyond them F company +was pushing forwards towards the left of Marble Kop where the pass +opened out, and were moving down into a fold of the ground, which hid +them from my sight; slightly behind them and on their left was the +Volunteer company, slowly pushing on, firing and advancing, and lying +down to fire again, and continuing this with the greatest coolness and steadiness.</p> + +<p>I was watching them through my telescope for some little time, noticing +Sir Walter Barttelot running forward and the half-company following him, +and I thought how unmistakeable a leader he looked, with no equipment +and no rifle, standing and pointing with his stick to places which men +should occupy. Sir Walter did not know the meaning of fear or +nervousness, and the pluck and marvellous endurance he displayed during +the campaign was a constant wonder to all of us, and put to shame many a +soldier of half his age.</p> + +<p>Soon the Volunteer company disappeared, like F company, in the fold of +the ground, and I hoped that they would succeed in pushing on into the +pass and round by the left of Marble Kop, and so create a diversion in +the state of affairs. One or two wounded men being brought in from these +companies proved what I suspected—that the huge, black, conical hill, +rising on the left of the pass, was also occupied by the enemy's +marksmen, who were behind the rocks and ledges of the steep slopes. This +being so, things looked bad for our chance of being able to push round +the left side of Marble Kop, which was, like its front, a slippery mass +of smooth volcanic rock rising to a sharp pinnacle, and without an atom +of cover. Nothing was to be gained by rushing this rock and swarming up +its slippery sides (which we could easily have done),<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_137" id="Page_137">[Pg 137]</a></span> because, once +there and necessarily crowded, we should have been exposed without the +least protection to an overwhelming fire from the hills on the right and +left of the Kop, while we could have done little good by our rifle fire, +which would, of course, have to be directed up hill.</p> + +<p>However, half of E company, waiting patiently in reserve, was sent out +in support of F and the Volunteers, in case they should succeed in +gaining a footing, and I went out myself a little way to find out if I +could see what was beyond the fold in the ground into which these two +companies had disappeared. Soon I met a stretcher borne along with +difficulty by two men of F company, Privates Stewart and Biles, and upon +it I was shocked to see Sir Walter Barttelot; he was unconscious and +breathing heavily, and had been shot through the body by a bullet fired +from the lofty hill on our left front. Sadly the men continued on their +way to the dressing station, where Dr. Edwards immediately attended to +him; but the case was hopeless from the first, and he breathed his last, +still unconscious, soon after arrival.</p> + +<p>From the men I learned that Captain Gilbert with most of his Company had +brilliantly dashed into a Kaffir kraal under a severe fire from the +left, and were there doing their best to subdue the enemy's scathing +fire; several men had been wounded, Lieut. Anderson had been dangerously +shot in the neck, and more stretchers were wanted. On the way back, +therefore, volunteers were called for from E company to go out with +stretchers, and right gallantly they came forward, plenty of them; they +went out under the steady shower of bullets, right up to the firing +line, and brought back most of the wounded who could not walk.</p> + +<p>About four o'clock, a message was received from the Colonel that, if it +was impossible, without<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_138" id="Page_138">[Pg 138]</a></span> supports as we were, to carry the Nek, a +retirement should be made, and a reply was sent that the Nek could +certainly be carried, as the men were only waiting for the order to rush +Marble Kop; but that the advantage thus gained would be valueless, as no +troops could remain on the smooth pinnacle, with no cover and commanded on both sides.</p> + +<p>Orders were therefore sent to each company commander to retire as +quickly as possible as soon as it was dusk. All this time the firing in +the valley on the right had been going on, and at intervals the Maxim +spluttered out a handful of rounds and kept the enemy from quitting, +and, possibly, from taking up other positions from which they could have +added their quota of fire to that already being showered on us.</p> + +<p>The stretchers were still coming in, and some of the men of E company +had once more volunteered to make another journey, although this work +was much more dangerous than lying behind an ant heap in the firing +line, and the men deserve all the credit that it is possible to give +them for their pluck and coolness. Four volunteers, when asked for, were +also easily forthcoming to carry to the four Company commanders the +orders to retire; one of these men, Hurrell, of E, had only just +returned with a stretcher, but off he went again, and, I am thankful to +say, safely returned.</p> + +<p>There were now a number of poor fellows lying on the grass, and the +doctor and Corporal Knapp and Private Gill were busy doing the best for +them that circumstances would allow; several others, who were only +slightly wounded and were able to walk, were sent off to camp, and the +stretchers were sent back to the firing line in anticipation of the +retirement at dusk.</p> + +<p>Although we had been in action since mid-day and it was now nearly five +o'clock, not an ambulance had arrived; but at last ours was seen slowly<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_139" id="Page_139">[Pg 139]</a></span> +approaching from the valley on our right where it had remained: the +labour of removing the groaning, wounded men—one of whom had been shot +in the body, another in the thigh, another in the chest—in the clumsy +old ambulance, which carried only two at a time, was commenced by the doctor.</p> + +<p>It was now getting dusk, and a desultory fire was still being kept up by +the enemy, when suddenly this increased in intensity and became a +continuous clatter of musketry. The whole veldt between us and Marble +Kop became spattered with puffs of dust thrown up by the Mauser bullets, +some of the shots even reaching to the dressing station, which, +unfortunately, had no Red Cross flag raised, although the Boers must +have seen the ambulance wagon standing by with its white tilt and large flag flying.</p> + +<p>The reason of this sudden outburst of musketry was the retirement of our +men, who were running back smartly to be clear of the heavy fire: +several little clumps of men were lagging somewhat in rear, carrying +their wounded with them, and the Boers kept up a furious fire directed +on these small parties. Several men were hit in this way, and the +remainder were furious at the conduct of the Boers; but their firing was +perhaps excusable, as, in the dusk, I doubt whether they could +distinguish the stretcher parties at that long distance.</p> + +<p>In contravention of the old-fashioned idea that all retirements should +be conducted slowly, and that it is a disgrace to move out of a slow +walk, is the common-sense feeling that, if troops are to withdraw under +a heavy fire, the quicker they carry out the movement the earlier they +will be beyond range, and the fewer casualties will occur: troops who +have served in India on any of the numerous hill expeditions which take +place in that country soon learn to act upon this plan.</p> + +<p>It was almost dark when the companies began to arrive at the dressing +station, and, as the bullets<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_140" id="Page_140">[Pg 140]</a></span> were still flying about, we formed up in a +hollow a little further back and waited for the remainder to come in: a +good many men, and almost all the officers, were still in rear bringing +along their wounded. Some of the companies, notably F and the +Volunteers, had a long way to come, and the former had to wait till +quite dark before they could rush out of the cover afforded by the kraal +and successfully carry in those who had been badly hit. Lieut. Anderson +had been very dangerously wounded in the throat, and the men had some +difficulty in moving him: his wound had been bound up under a dreadful +storm of bullets by a young soldier called Say of F company. Several +other men were especially noted in their care for wounded comrades and +their total disregard of danger: a large number of others showed the +possession of bravery in a marked degree by securing and issuing +ammunition, carrying orders, and assisting in other ways, under a heavy +and continuous fire.</p> + +<p><a name="FNanchor_9_9" id="FNanchor_9_9"></a><a href="#Footnote_9_9" class="fnanchor">[9]</a>Our casualties were severe, there being one<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_141" id="Page_141">[Pg 141]</a></span> officer killed and four +wounded, whilst three men were killed and thirty-two wounded.</p> + +<p>The three companies in the valley on our right retired about the same +time as we did, and we proceeded to camp, which lay behind the position +occupied by the battery and by D company, their escort: it must have +been nearly seven o'clock when we reached our bivouacs and the wagons +were brought up and unloaded of their wet and sopping blankets. However, +we were too dead tired (having worn our blankets and heavy equipment for +fifteen hours) and exhausted for want of sleep and food to think much of +discomfort; and first we had to look after our wounded. Volunteers were +soon forthcoming, and we managed to procure some tents, without any +pegs, which we at last succeeded in pitching: the wounded arrived, the +majority being able to walk, but some being brought in on stretchers, +and a few, two at a time, on the single wretched ambulance which was all +we had; and they were stowed away and made as comfortable as we could +manage in the tents.</p> + +<p>A real genuine Good Samaritan of a modern type appeared in the shape of +an acting Chaplain, Mr. Leary, a Colonial born and bred, who did right +good service in looking after our men—whom he had never seen before. He +went to and fro with the ambulance, and, after one or two trips, got the +men taken on a couple of miles further and put in the Field Hospital, +which was at Boshop Farm. He is a right good man, just the one for a +soldiers' padré, and he ought to be a Bishop: I hope he will be one +before long.</p> + +<p>We managed to rake up some Bovril, and gave the wounded that and some +tea: the padré took out a bucketful of soup to give to the men still +waiting at the dressing station to be removed. Our doctor, a civilian +named Edwards, and also a<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_142" id="Page_142">[Pg 142]</a></span> Colonial, from New South Wales, worked like a +horse: his labour and the padré's that night only began when ours was +finished.</p> + +<p>The following orders relating to the action were published a day or two +afterwards:—</p> + +<p class="center">Extract from Battalion Orders, 24th July, 1900.</p> + +<p>"It is with the deepest regret that Lieut.-Col. Donne records the death +in action yesterday of Sir Walter Barttelot, Bart., Commanding the +Volunteer Company. Sir Walter Barttelot served throughout the long and +arduous marches of the battalion, showing an example of fortitude and +devotion to duty unsurpassed in the annals of the regiment, and which +had deservedly won him the love of his comrades of all ranks. Sir Walter +Barttelot passed unharmed through the actions of Welkom, Zand River, +Doornkop, the Capture of Pretoria and the battle of Diamond Hill, in all +of which he led his volunteers to the attack. In the desperate assault +yesterday on the Boer position at Retief's Nek, he fell gallantly at the +head of his company, to be mourned both by the regiment and the county +of Sussex as one of the bravest soldiers and truest of men that have +given their lives for Queen and country."</p> + +<p class="center">Extract from Battalion Orders, 26th July, 1900.</p> + +<p>"Lieut.-Gen. Sir A. Hunter, K.C.B., referred as follows to the conduct +of the battalion in the action of Retiefs Nek on 23rd July.</p> + +<p>"'Your men worked splendidly in the attack. They could not have done +more. I wish you to convey to them, please, my high admiration of the +dauntless way in which they advanced under such a fire.</p> + +<p>"'Nothing could have been finer, and I deeply deplore the heavy losses incurred.'</p> + +<p>"Lieut.-Col. Donne feels proud to publish these remarks from such a +distinguished General as<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_143" id="Page_143">[Pg 143]</a></span> Sir A. Hunter, with whom he has often had the +honour of serving before.</p> + +<p>"Although the attack could not be pressed home, owing to darkness and +the cross-fire of the enemy, yet the losses of the battalion were not in +vain, and the boldness of the attack on the right justly contributed to +the success next morning of the turning movement on the left, which +resulted in the rout of the Boers.</p> + +<p>"The names of those who have fallen in this, as well as in all other +actions, will be recorded at no distant date on a monument to be +probably erected in the County Cathedral at home, or in such conspicuous +place as may be deemed worthy to commemorate their deeds of valour on +these South African battlefields."<a name="FNanchor_10_10" id="FNanchor_10_10"></a><a href="#Footnote_10_10" class="fnanchor">[10]</a></p> + +<p>Sir Walter Barttelot was buried the next day under a huge eucalyptus +growing by itself in a field to the east of Boshop Farm: two of the men +who had been killed were buried there, too; their names were Bennett and Buck.</p> + +<p>A slab of timber was erected over Sir Walter's grave, upon which an +inscription had been cut by one of the Volunteer company.</p> + +<div class="footnotes"><h3>FOOTNOTES:</h3> + +<div class="footnote"><p><a name="Footnote_9_9" id="Footnote_9_9"></a><a href="#FNanchor_9_9"><span class="label">[9]</span></a> Our casualties during the day were as follows:</p> + +<table summary="losses"> + <tr> + <td colspan="3" class="center">KILLED.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td>Capt. </td> + <td class="left">Sir W. G. Barttelot,</td> + <td class="left">Volunteer Company</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td>Private </td> + <td class="left">E. Bennett,</td> + <td class="left">G Company</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td>Private </td> + <td class="left">C. Buck,</td> + <td class="left">B Company</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td>Private </td> + <td class="left">J. Mills,</td> + <td class="left">B Company</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td colspan="3" class="center"> </td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td colspan="3" class="center">WOUNDED.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td>Capt. </td> + <td class="left">E. L. Mackenzie</td> + <td class="left"></td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td>2nd Lieut. </td> + <td class="left">J. C. W. Anderson</td> + <td class="left"></td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td>2nd Lieut. </td> + <td class="left">H. G. Montgomerie</td> + <td class="left"></td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td>2nd Lieut. </td> + <td class="left">G. E. Leachman</td> + <td class="left"></td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td>Clr.-Sergt. </td> + <td class="left">A. Nye,</td> + <td class="left">F Company</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td>Lce.-Corp. </td> + <td class="left">J. Butt,</td> + <td class="left">H Company</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td>Lce.-Corp. </td> + <td class="left">A. King,</td> + <td class="left">F Company d</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td>Lce.-Corp. </td> + <td class="left">F. Manser,</td> + <td class="left">C Company</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td>Private </td> + <td class="left">A. Clarke,</td> + <td class="left">B Company</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td>Private </td> + <td class="left">A. Perry,</td> + <td class="left">B Company</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td>Private </td> + <td class="left">E. Brown,</td> + <td class="left">B Company</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td>Private </td> + <td class="left">J. Leadbetter,</td> + <td class="left">B Company</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td>Private </td> + <td class="left">L. Paddon,</td> + <td class="left">B Company</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td>Private </td> + <td class="left">J. Hall,</td> + <td class="left">B Company</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td>Private </td> + <td class="left">J. Nicholls,</td> + <td class="left">B Company</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td>Private </td> + <td class="left">J. Hyde,</td> + <td class="left">B Company</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td>Private </td> + <td class="left">A. Baker,</td> + <td class="left">F Company</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td>Private </td> + <td class="left">G. Parsons,</td> + <td class="left">F Company</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td>Private </td> + <td class="left">E. Coldwell,</td> + <td class="left">F Company</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td>Private </td> + <td class="left">W. Croft,</td> + <td class="left">F Company</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td>Private </td> + <td class="left">H. Smith,</td> + <td class="left">F Company</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td>Private </td> + <td class="left">A. Holder,</td> + <td class="left">F Company d</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td>Private </td> + <td class="left">H. Weeks,</td> + <td class="left">F Company</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td>Private </td> + <td class="left">A. Thomas,</td> + <td class="left">C Company</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td>Private </td> + <td class="left">F. Baker,</td> + <td class="left">C Company</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td>Private </td> + <td class="left">M. Jeal,</td> + <td class="left">C Company</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td>Private </td> + <td class="left">W. Brown,</td> + <td class="left">C Company</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td>Private </td> + <td class="left">A. Winchester,</td> + <td class="left">C Company</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td>Private </td> + <td class="left">G. Duke,</td> + <td class="left">C Company</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td>Private </td> + <td class="left">P. Griffiths,</td> + <td class="left">H Company</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td>Private </td> + <td class="left">W. Boniface,</td> + <td class="left">G Company</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td>Private </td> + <td class="left">J. Hiscock,</td> + <td class="left">Vol. Company d</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td>Private </td> + <td class="left">M. Weller,</td> + <td class="left">Vol. Company</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td>Private </td> + <td class="left">P. Pilcher,</td> + <td class="left">Vol. Company</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td>Private </td> + <td class="left">E. Gouldsmith,</td> + <td class="left">Vol. Company</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td>Private </td> + <td class="left">R. Burtenshaw,</td> + <td class="left">E Company</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td colspan="3" class="center">d Died of wounds.</td> + </tr> +</table> +</div> + +<div class="footnote"><p><a name="Footnote_10_10" id="Footnote_10_10"></a><a href="#FNanchor_10_10"><span class="label">[10]</span></a> They are inscribed upon the Memorial at Brighton.—<span class="smcap">Ed.</span></p></div></div> + +<hr /> + +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_144" id="Page_144">[Pg 144]</a></span></p> + +<h2><span>CHAPTER XIV.</span> <span class="smaller">TO THE BOER LAAGER.</span></h2> + +<blockquote><p class="center">Bearer Companies—Retief's Nek—Artillery driving—Naauwpoort +Nek—White flags—Golden Gate—Orders to take over surrender of +five commandos—To Raats' Farm—The Boer laager—Surrender of arms +and horses—Organisation of prisoners—The Commandants—Basuto +visitors—Destruction of ammunition.</p></blockquote> + +<p>During all the time we were between Bethlehem and Retief's Nek we had +been away from the Bearer Company and the Field Hospital, and had only +one ambulance with us to perform the necessary duties of both of these +units. When leaving Bethlehem, our doctor, who was then a civilian of +the New South Wales Hospital, tried to get an ambulance to accompany the +regiment and the battery, then <i>en route</i> to Meyers Kop; but he met with +considerable opposition to his request from the Bearer Company +authorities, who apparently did not mind a whole battalion and a battery +going off without transport for the sick or possible wounded, but hated +having to give up one of their ambulances. The doctor had, eventually, +to go to General Hunter and get an order from him before he could secure +the wagon which was required.</p> + +<p>The idea of separating or breaking up the unit was so distasteful that +the request for a wagon was, at the time, compared to that of a battery +commander being asked to break up the organization of his battery by +sending one gun away with troops.</p> + +<p>The comparison between a battery of the Royal Field Artillery and the +miserable collection of half-a-dozen old ambulance wagons was too +delicious for words, and will, no doubt, be appreciated by our gallant +gunners! There is no branch of the army in which such a sacred regard +for the everlasting red tape is evidenced in the field as in the +Hospitals and Bearer Companies: "At all costs<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_145" id="Page_145">[Pg 145]</a></span> keep your wagons empty," +should be their motto, which will be supported by many a footsore +soldier, with ragged clothes and worn-out boots, who has been refused +even a temporary ride in these vehicles.</p> + +<p>At the time when we were in such trouble with our boots, and had to wear +miners' highlows and anything that could be picked up in the shops, many +a man might have been saved days and days in hospital by a lift in a +wagon at the critical time: of course, the Bearer Company say at once, +"We are not here to carry men with bad boots, our duty is to take +wounded men from the scene of action to the Field Hospital," and decline +to receive him: the Field Hospital say "We cannot take you unless you +are handed over by the Bearer Company": the baggage master shouts at +once, "Come off that blank wagon, don't you know you musn't ride on +transport wagons?" and so the wretched man gets left behind by all.</p> + +<p>There are two sides to every question, however, and all soldiers know +that once a schemer obtains the slightest privilege from the hospital or +the doctor, his example is immediately followed by crowds of imitators.</p> + +<p>The practical advantages of the Bearer Company in the field are not very +apparent, and the general who ordered the Field Hospital and the Bearer +Company in his brigade to be amalgamated was a sensible man.</p> + +<p>On the 25th of July at five o'clock in the morning we moved across to +join the Highland Brigade camp, which was at Boshop Farm, a couple of +miles away. Most of the Highlanders were out on the hills on the left of +the pass, and only the Seaforth Highlanders were in camp: they also left +about eight o'clock as there was an action going on. It seems that the +Highland Light Infantry had attacked the hills on the left of Retief's +Nek the<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_146" id="Page_146">[Pg 146]</a></span> day before, while we were making our attack on the pass; but +the enemy were in great force, and resisted to the utmost the advance of +the regiment, who, however, succeeded in getting a footing on the end of +a ridge. In the early morning the pickets pushed on and occupied a +prominent knoll, from which, as soon as it was light, a further advance +was made along the ridge, which eventually led on to the range of hills +on the left of the pass; once this was reached, all opposition ceased, +and the Boers fled.</p> + +<p>In the afternoon we moved to a new camp at the Nek itself: there was an +enormous convoy to go before us, so we did not get into camp until dark: +the Highland Brigade and ourselves, not to mention the convoy, were all +jumbled together in the jaws of the pass. However in the morning the +Highlanders and the convoy and most of the other troops went back again, +and moved round by Boshop Farm towards Naauwport Nek, whilst we were +ordered to remain with a battery and some Yeomanry and guard the pass. +After the usual pickets had been posted, we moved to a new camp, +somewhat better sheltered from the bitter cold winds; and here we +remained in peace a couple of days.</p> + +<p>A very fine example of what our artillery can do in the way of driving +was seen during our short march from Boshop Farm to Retief's Nek, the +day after the battle. Two guns of Major Simpson's battery, the 81st, +were with the rear guard, and had moved to the summit of a hill, which +they vacated at dusk, then proceeding to camp; the guns were under a +young subaltern, and took a bee line from the hill to the camp in the +distance. The hill was very steep, and near the foot of the slope, which +they went down with all breaks on, was an outcrop of smooth rock, about +fifteen or eighteen feet wide, running round the hill like a belt, and +as<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_147" id="Page_147">[Pg 147]</a></span> steep as the roof of a house. Perfectly unconcerned, the young +officer rode at this slippery place, and, without an instant's +hesitation, shoved his horse across it, the intelligent animal sinking +on his haunches and sliding to the other end on his iron-shod hoofs.</p> + +<p>Steadily, the drivers followed in succession, the horses repeating the +example of their leader and sliding down with taut traces, the gunners +clutching on to the drag ropes in rear, slipping and cursing and falling +in a heap at the foot of the slope, the heavy weight of the limber +driving it forward and tearing the ropes out of their hands. And so they +all got down without mishap and continued on their way to camp.</p> + +<p>The ground behind the pass was very open for a considerable distance, +the hills enclosing a grassy fertile valley, with a farm at the upper +end and a spruit running across to the south: the farm was deserted, +although all the furniture and a good deal of wheat and oats had been left.</p> + +<p>On the left of the pass and sheltered in several ravines, which ran deep +into the hills, the horses of the Boers had been kept waiting, +apparently about a day, while the owners were busy with their Mausers +amongst the hills; from the marks there must have been several hundred +men employed in defending Retief's Nek alone. On the second day of our +halt, a lame Boer with his rifle and bandolier crept up openly to a +picket at the farm and surrendered himself; it seems that he had been +fighting against us on the Nek, but had slipped among the rocks when +retiring and had sprained his ankle.</p> + +<p>Orders were received to move off towards Naauwpoort Nek, so we left on +the 27th of July and marched round past Boshop Farm, which was still +used as a hospital (there being one or two cases which could not be +moved to Bethlehem as the<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_148" id="Page_148">[Pg 148]</a></span> others had been), and along a very bad road +for some twelve miles to a place called Hebron. The Bedfords, who had +been at Slabbert's Nek, followed us up the same day and told us about +the fight at Slabbert's Nek, where they had had to storm the position, +meeting with some opposition, but eventually carrying the hill without +much loss to themselves. They had then remained to secure the pass, as +we did at Retief's Nek, and had camped on a hill, making with great +labour a road up the heights for the guns and the wagons. This had just +been finished when orders were received to join us and proceed to +Naauwpoort Nek; so the unfortunate Bedfords had to drag their wagons and +guns down again late in the evening, and march most of the night, so as +to arrive at Retief's Nek before we started; altogether, they had an +uncomfortable time for a few days.</p> + +<p>Continuing our march next day, we passed on the left Little Spitz Kop, +which we afterwards heard had been cleared in gallant style by the +Camerons who had passed that way some days previously, and were now busy +watching Naauwpoort Nek. We also passed the spot where the Highland +Brigade had bivouacked the day before, opposite the Nek; but our little +column still pushed on, over several bad drifts, until dusk, when we +camped at Groendraai, having trekked fully 15 miles.</p> + +<p>On the road we passed a deserted <i>winkel</i>, full of mealies and +sheepskins, which had been broken into by some of those who had preceded +us. A <i>winkel</i> is a small roadside store, with a stock, mostly suitable +for Kaffirs, of clothes, cheap jewellery and rubbish generally, which +the owner of the <i>winkel</i> disposes of in exchange for wool, sheepskins, +mealies and other things: we met the manager of this place the next day +coming back to look after his property.</p> + +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_149" id="Page_149">[Pg 149]</a></span></p><p>Next day, the 27th of July, we trekked off again, and about mid-day +joined General Bruce Hamilton, with whom were the Camerons; the +Highlanders had been clearing the hills with which we were surrounded, +and even then we could hear firing occasionally. After a while our +battalion was sent out to clear and occupy a large, flat-topped kopje, +which rose straight out of an extensive valley. This kopje turned out to +be unoccupied, and, leaving B company on picket there, the battalion +moved on to camp.</p> + +<p>The next day was a peaceful one; there was, however, a good deal of +excitement about, which we could not fathom: several flags of truce were +sent out by the General in various directions, and every one was +wondering what it all meant. The battalion went out also, and C company, +under Captain Wroughton, was despatched to climb to the top of, and +picket, a perfectly awful hill, a long distance away, and a fearful climb.</p> + +<p>It took them a long time even to reach the foot of the hill, and longer +still to climb up the steep slope; we watched them through our glasses, +tiny specks moving slowly, very slowly, up and up, and then disappearing +over the sky line. As soon as they had reached the summit, A and D +companies, under Major O'Grady and Lieut. Ashworth, Major Scaife being +again baggage master, proceeded along the valley, protected on the right +by Captain Wroughton's presence up the hill, and on the left by B +company, still on picket on the kopje we had occupied the previous +night. A and D moved straight out about two-and-a-half miles to their +front, where there was an isolated, conical-shaped kopje with a flat, +straight spur running off to its right and joining it to the hills +further on. To this flat spur the two companies were directed to +proceed, and to remain there until ordered to withdraw.</p> + +<p>From their high elevation, both of our parties<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_150" id="Page_150">[Pg 150]</a></span> could see, in the valley +beyond, but at a very great distance, numbers of Boer wagons trekking in +all directions, evidently in a disorganised kind of way: they were, of +course, quite out of range, even of our cow gun, which had accompanied +the Camerons from Bethlehem, and was now in camp.</p> + +<p>In the afternoon, we withdrew our pickets and proceeded to camp, which +we did not reach until the late afternoon, the pickets having taken a +long time to withdraw. We found the camp had been moved about a mile to +a new site on the far side of the drift; the wagons and the convoy had +amused themselves during the day by crossing this drift, which was +fairly good but terribly steep on the ascending side, necessitating +double teams of oxen. Earlier in the day, before we started, we had sent +our empty wagons across the drift to a place opposite our camp, and just +on the other side of the spruit: we had carried our bundles of blankets +and other baggage across by hand, and loaded them on the wagons, so our +wretchedly weak and overworked mules had a rest that day.</p> + +<p>The next morning, the 31st of July, we marched off again towards Golden +Gate: the Mounted Infantry, who were in front, carried white flags, +which were also borne by those on our flanks, and it seemed as though an +armistice had been declared. However, no information was given to us, so +we trekked on steadily until the afternoon, when the General, who had +ridden on in front some miles, sent back word to the Colonel to say that +he wanted to see Major du Moulin.</p> + +<p>So I rode off, followed by the usual chaffing remarks about canteen jam +and other things, and found the General about 4 miles ahead at +Klerksvlei, with his staff and escort. There, he gave me orders to ride +on to Raats' Farm, about 4 miles further on, and to receive the +surrender of five commandos. This was news indeed, so<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_151" id="Page_151">[Pg 151]</a></span> accompanied by +Lieut. Bellamy, who was then assistant to the Provost Marshall, with a +few of his mounted Police, an orderly with a white flag, and one or two +other officers, I hurried off at once, as the sun was beginning to drop +towards the horizon, and there was an immense amount of work to be done, +and very little time to do it in.</p> + +<p>The General had told me some of the particulars of the surrender, which +was entirely unconditional, with the reservation, granted by General +Hunter, that private property should be respected, and that each burgher +should be allowed a horse to ride to his destination, wherever that +might be; and he instructed me to take over the arms and ammunition at +once and to remove the horses for the night.</p> + +<p>We rode on for some three or four miles over grassy veldt, huge ranges +of hills on the right and left closing in on us as we advanced further; +they appeared to meet in front of us, and, in fact, did close together +to within 600 or 800 yards, forming the redoubtable Golden Gate. Across +the mouth of this pass ran a deep spruit with steep banks; this was +Klerks Spruit, and it was crossed by a terribly steep and bad drift, +almost impassable for ox wagons, and entirely so for mule wagons, which +would have had to be unloaded.</p> + +<p>After almost meeting, the ranges of hills bore away again from each +other, enclosing broken and hilly ground, which formed the outskirts of +the mountains shutting in the famous Caledon Valley, at the northern +entrance to which we now found ourselves; just beyond the drift was a +farm, a substantial, well-to-do farm of considerable area, with a large +orchard and several outhouses. This was Klerksvlei, owned by Mr. Solomon +Raats, and it was around this farm in all directions, as far as one +could see in the fast fading light, that the Boers were encamped: the +whole neighbourhood<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_152" id="Page_152">[Pg 152]</a></span> was covered with men, horses, wagons and bullocks.</p> + +<p>It was with a distinctly weird feeling that I rode into the heart of the +enemy's laager and drew up on a slight rise of ground, just outside the +farm: a small party of Mounted Infantry had followed us, and these now +closed up behind and dismounted.</p> + +<p>I sent for the five commandants, who soon appeared, each surrounded by a +small crowd of retainers; and to them I gave instructions that each +commando was to be formed up immediately, in order that the arms and +bandoliers might be collected and that the horses might be counted.</p> + +<p>There were several officers present, who had accompanied me, either on +duty or as spectators with the General's permission, so that I was +enabled to provide an officer to attend to the surrender of the arms and +other matters of each commando. This was a business which took some +considerable time, as each commando mustered about 300 to 350 men, and +the rifles and bandoliers had to be brought up one by one and stacked in +wagons. After all had been given in, the horses and ponies, a wretched +lot of crocks, were handed over to men of the Mounted Infantry and led +to the other side of the drift, where Major Lean's corps of Mount +Infantry, the well-known 5th M.I., took over charge and formed a cordon round them.</p> + +<p>Nearly the whole of the rifles with which the Boers were armed were +Mausers: there was an occasional Lee-Metford, captured from our troops +in Natal, usually, and perhaps a Martini or two. The ammunition was +carried in bandoliers of every imaginable shape and pattern, mostly home +made; but some of the burghers preferred cartridge bags of leather or +canvas. Many revolvers had been surrendered, but these were mostly +weapons taken from prisoners, such as R.A. drivers or A.S.C. men, and +were as a rule out of order.</p> + +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_153" id="Page_153">[Pg 153]</a></span></p><p>It was considerably after dark that evening before the horses had been +got away, and there remained several wagons piled up with rifles; there +were bullocks in plenty, so these wagons were soon on the move across +the drift and into the Mounted Infantry camp under a guard. The +commandants informed us that there were many Boers out in the hills to +whom information had been sent of the surrender, and who would come in +the following morning and give up their rifles. Meantime, there was +nothing further to be done that night, so a guard was mounted on the +farm, where Lieut. Bellamy and myself were remaining; and the other +officers and the Mounted Infantry went back to camp, taking to the +General a brief report from me of what had been done.</p> + +<p>Old Mr. Raats was very civil, providing a room and preparing supper for +us and looking after our horses; there were quite a number of Boers +staying at the farm also, among them being six or seven of the biggest +men that I had ever seen; they were very tall, enormously broad +shouldered and stout in proportion, and quite filled the dining room at +the farm when they all came in at once.</p> + +<p>The Boer laager was not all composed of fighting men by any means; there +were large numbers of non-combatants—women, children and Kaffirs, +hangers-on who attended to the feeding of the commandos or drove sheep +and cattle, and other nondescripts who did not belong to any commando, +but who accompanied the Boers, all the same. Then there were a number of +what they called "trek Boers;" these were Boers with their families, +cattle, wagons, horses and all their belongings, who had quitted their +farms and were moving or trekking with the commandos; these men had some +splendid wagons and teams of magnificent oxen with them.</p> + +<p>There were many Boers who spoke perfect<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_154" id="Page_154">[Pg 154]</a></span> English, and among them in +particular two wearing the Red Cross badge; these two stated that they +belonged to the Identity Department of the Red Cross Society, and +produced papers in proof of this. One of them, Mr. Nelson, informed me +that their duties were to remain with the commando to which they were +attached, and to keep a list of any men killed or wounded, forwarding a +copy to Pretoria when an occasion offered.</p> + +<p>This system appears to have been the only means by which any record was +kept of the casualties among the Boers, but the killed and wounded were +so few that no doubt it worked well enough.</p> + +<p>There was a parson, or predikant, also accompanying the commandos. He +was, of course, not a fighting man, but was very loyal to his own folk, +and, when we asked him what he would have done if any fighting had taken +place, he replied that under ordinary circumstances he helped to look +after the commissariat arrangements, but that if we had attacked the +camp he would have taken a rifle at once and assisted as well as he +could to defend his country. We assured him that his sentiments did him credit.</p> + +<p>For several hours that night the Boers collected in groups round their +camp fires, singing hymns, and it was late before everything was quiet, +and we were able to sleep. Mr. Raats had provided us with the guest +chamber of his house, and this room was fully furnished in the most +elaborate style, including even a bath. Our first step had been to throw +up the narrow window and ventilate the room as much as possible; we +should have preferred to sleep in the open, but as we had no kit except +what we stood up in, this was not advisable.</p> + +<p>Soon after daybreak the next morning the collecting of rifles was +proceeded with: numbers of Boers came crowding in from the hills +around,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_155" id="Page_155">[Pg 155]</a></span> eager to surrender their arms and ammunition, and in a few +hours we had accumulated a large heap on the ground. The ammunition we +filled into bags and loaded on wagons, but the rifles were placed in a +great pile and burned, as we had no means of carrying such a large +number: they were rendered quite useless, as the barrels were made soft +by the heat, and all the foresights, backsights and other attachments were melted off.</p> + +<p>The Boers told us that they had left nine or ten wagons, mostly loaded +with rifle ammunition, on the road about 3 miles off; the bullocks had +been taken away by the Harrismith commando, and the wagons were left +there with a few Boers in charge; they also said the road was terrible, +and that it would take a long time to bring in the wagons, even if +bullocks were sent out for this purpose.</p> + +<p>A report to this effect being made to the General, the Engineer officer, +Lieut. Evans, was sent out to destroy the wagons. This was done during +the day by blowing them up; unfortunately, owing to some Kaffir putting +a bag of powder in close proximity to the fuse, a premature explosion +took place, and the old sergeant of the R.E. section, Sergeant Munn, was +somewhat seriously injured, while Lieut. Evans himself was cut about a good deal.</p> + +<p>During the morning the officers whom the General had detailed to assist +me reported their arrival: they were, Captain Wroughton of our +battalion; and Captain Tufnell, Lieut. Lambton and Lieut. Key, all from +the Mounted Infantry; these, with Lieut. Bellamy, gave us one British +officer to each of the five commandos: but, as Lieut. Bellamy had to +return to his proper duty as assistant Provost Marshal, Lieut. Bond was +applied for in relief of him.</p> + +<p>As soon as the officers arrived we were able to get the Boers into some +sort of organization. Each<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_156" id="Page_156">[Pg 156]</a></span> commando had its Boer commandant, who had +under him his adjutant and secretary, both of whom usually spoke +English; and the remainder of the Boers were distributed under the +orders of a certain number of Field Cornets, corresponding to our +section commanders, who knew all about the men, and had rolls of them +and other information.</p> + +<p>The commandants themselves knew nothing about their men, their names or +other details, but left all that to the Field Cornets.</p> + +<p>The five officers were posted to the commandos as follows:—</p> + +<table summary="posted to commandos"> + <tr> + <td class="left">To Du Plooy's Commando</td> + <td class="left"> . . . Lieut. Bond, vice Lieut. Bellamy.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td class="left">To Potgieter's Commando</td> + <td class="left"> . . . Captain Wroughton.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td class="left">To Joubert's Commando</td> + <td class="left"> . . . Lieut. Lambton.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td class="left">To Crowther's Commando</td> + <td class="left"> . . . Lieut. Key.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td class="left">To Jonker's Commando</td> + <td class="left"> . . . Captain Tuffnell.</td> + </tr> +</table> + +<p>Having thus a certain nucleus of organization to go upon, the officers +went off, each to his own commando, to make themselves acquainted with +their commandants and to ascertain the quantity of rations available, +besides obtaining other information, such as the numbers of men, horses, +wagons, Cape carts and bullocks, in each commando.</p> + +<p>Of these commandos, that of Potgieter was the most important and the +strongest in numbers, and the best looked after by the commandant and +his Field Cornets; nearly all the burghers came from the Smithfield +District, while those in the other commandos came from the districts of +Bethulie, Thaba N'Chu and Winburg.</p> + +<p>Jonker was not really a commandant, but, being the oldest Field Cornet, +he was selected by us to organise and look after the burghers of the +Harrismith commando, composed of those who had<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_157" id="Page_157">[Pg 157]</a></span> elected to surrender +instead of going off with Olivier.</p> + +<p>Commandant Du Plooy was the most respectable and reliable, as far as one +could observe in the fortnight the Boers were under our charge; but all +the commandants were men of standing and position, accustomed to be +treated, as could be seen, with a good deal of deference by the +burghers; they appeared to be all honourable men, and were most +courteous in their address and manner of speaking on all occasions.</p> + +<p>Commandant Joubert was a truculent old gentleman, who apparently failed +to thoroughly grasp his position, and, while not exactly objecting to +any orders which were given him, he showed his disapproval in other +ways, and usually had a good deal to say on any matter that came forward.</p> + +<p>General Bruce Hamilton rode over that morning and had an interview with +the five commandants, and ascertained that they thoroughly understood +the conditions upon which their surrender was accepted; these were, that +each burgher was to be allowed a horse to ride to his destination, and +that all private property was to be respected. The Boers had a great +fear of being compelled to walk, and would have done anything sooner +than go on foot, a thing to which they have never been accustomed. They +were amazed at our infantry marching as they did every mile of the road, +and frankly admitted that the Boers could have done nothing of the sort.</p> + +<p>Lieut. Bellamy was busy all that day enquiring into the cases of the +trek Boers and such other non-combatants as were willing to take the +oath of allegiance to Her Majesty, or of neutrality, and to go quietly +back to their farms: to these passes were issued and the people allowed +to go off at once. This reduced the crowd of wagons very<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_158" id="Page_158">[Pg 158]</a></span> considerably, +as nearly all of these burghers had one, if not more, wagons, and +usually one or two vans or covered carts in which the womenfolk +travelled, if they were well-to-do people.</p> + +<p>Several of them had droves of cattle and flocks of sheep also. The +remainder of the wagons, which were almost entirely those that had been +captured from our convoys on different occasions, were loaded with the +burghers' kits and with their rations of meal and some coffee. They said +they had been out of tea and sugar for a long time, that the coffee was +merely roasted beans and mealies, and that tobacco was almost unknown. +However they had plenty of cattle, which largely made up for the absence +of other food; as the Boer is a great meat eater, and, unlike other +civilised people, can exist on meat alone for a considerable period.</p> + +<p>There was one field gun amongst the wagons: this had belonged to U +Battery, R.H.A., and had been captured by the Boers at Sanna's Post; +several artillery ammunition wagons were also found, which, with some of +the wagons which were loaded with gun and rifle ammunition, were all +sent away to the General's camp.</p> + +<p>The hills and ravines around Raats' farm were full of cattle and mules +grazing, so we sent a number of the Boers to bring them in and to inspan +them into the wagons and Cape carts, as it was now necessary to shift +our camp to a better site where the commandos could be separated +somewhat. There was plenty of space about a couple of miles outside the +Golden Gate, and in the afternoon each officer moved his commando and +encamped it in a new spot.</p> + +<p>Here the wagons, carts and horses were drawn up with some regularity, +and the officers were enabled to check the numbers previously given in +by the commandants, which were found to be substantially correct in every case.</p> + +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_159" id="Page_159">[Pg 159]</a></span></p><p>Another important matter was the equalising of such rations as were in +the possession of the Boers: stock was therefore taken by each officer, +and Captain Wroughton arranged about the sharing of what flour and other +stuff there was, and saw that the fat oxen were collected and put into a +drove in charge of some of the burghers, until they were required for slaughtering.</p> + +<p>During this day the battalion had been moved to the same spot upon which +the laager was encamped: several pickets were furnished round the +prisoners, and sentries placed on the roads leading in and out of the pass.</p> + +<p>All the burghers paraded with their horses the next morning, so that +those which were fit for use by the mounted troops might be taken, and +others given in their place. An Artillery officer came down to select +these horses, and from the way he went about the business, carefully +examining each animal all round and passing his critical hand over +fetlocks and back sinews, it was plain that he did not realise that he +had about 1,200 horses to look through that morning. However, our time +was precious, and we had plenty to do without meddling in other people's +affairs, so the Artillery major was left to run his own show; it came to +a climax a few hours afterwards, as we received orders to move before he +had selected more than a few horses.</p> + +<p>From that time on we were beset with people who either wanted another +horse, or thought they saw their way to getting a better one. None of us +had any peace; there was always someone who wished to exchange his horse +for a better one, and on going down to the lines we were pretty certain +to see several strangers "looking round," as they called it—but we soon +knew what that meant. The Boer laager seemed to be considered a fair +field for anyone to exploit, one officer going so far<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_160" id="Page_160">[Pg 160]</a></span> as to send his +men down to take some of the Boers' blankets away from them!</p> + +<p>A party of Basutos from across the border, which was only three or four +miles away, came over to pay their respects to the General; they were a +chief and his interpreter and a retinue of sorts. A more motley crew has +never been seen; they were all mounted on ponies; the chief was an +enormously fat young man, bursting out of a slate coloured tweed suit, +and wearing a black pot hat; the interpreter was similarly rigged out in +a suit of dittoes; but the retinue were equipped mostly with a simple +tuft of feathers in their hair. Some of them had blankets, but, the day +being close, they carried them strapped on to their saddles. Whilst the +chief was making his salaams to the General the crowd of retainers +strolled about, and eventually became such a nuisance that after the +interview was concluded, the whole gang were requested to withdraw to +their own territory.</p> + +<p>The ammunition which could not be carried with us for want of the +necessary transport was handed over to the Mounted Infantry and to our +battalion to be destroyed. This was no easy matter, but some was burned +and exploded, some buried, and a quantity thrown into the pools of water in the spruit.</p> + +<p>Major Lean was very successful with five or six wagon loads of powder +and ammunition which were given him to destroy; the powder was strewn +broadcast over the ground, but the boxes of ammunition and the wheels +and other woodwork of the wagons were piled, sandwich fashion, into a +huge heap and set fire to just before leaving the camp. As the boxes +burned the cartridges were exploded, and a terrific noise, like a +general engagement or the last stage of the attack as practised at +General's inspection, echoed and re-echoed among the hills for several +hours. No doubt, a good many<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_161" id="Page_161">[Pg 161]</a></span> cartridges escaped destruction, but it was +impossible in the time available to destroy the ammunition more thoroughly.</p> + +<p>Amongst the Mauser ammunition which was given up in the bandoliers, +there were many clips containing cartridges whose bullets were covered +with bright green fat; this gave rise to the statement that the Boers +had wilfully used poisoned bullets. This theory was regularly harped +upon by some war correspondents in their letters, but a more disgraceful +insinuation against our enemies never existed, nor one more erroneous +from a musketry point of view.</p> + +<p>It is quite plain to any unbiassed person that any grease which might be +upon the bullet when it is placed in the chamber of the rifle would be +completely wiped off during the passage of the tightly-fitting +projectile through the barrel, from which it emerges as clean as when +made, and bearing the marks of the grooving. Enquiries among the better +class Boers regarding this rumour elicited the fact that many of them +were in the habit of dipping the cartridges in fat prepared from bucks +which they had killed, with a view to lubricating the chamber and barrel +of the rifle: the buck fat, after exposure to the air, turned green; the +Boers were much amused at the ridiculous conclusion at which these +correspondents had arrived.</p> + +<hr /> + +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_162" id="Page_162">[Pg 162]</a></span></p> + +<h2><span>CHAPTER XV.</span> <span class="smaller">TO WINBURG.</span></h2> + +<blockquote><p class="center">Escorting the prisoners—Authority of the Commandants—Strength of +the commandos—Biddulph's Berg—Senekal—Sardines—Winburg—Release +of old men and boys—Remainder of prisoners entrained.</p></blockquote> + +<p>The battalion camped on the 31st of July at Klerksvlei, but next day +moved about three miles further on with a view of forming a guard to the +prisoners, whose laager had then been established at Korfshoek. The +march was commenced on the 2nd of August, when the laager with the +battalion as escort, together with the Mounted Infantry and the guns, +returned to Klerksvlei, proceeding the next day to Weltevreden, a long +weary march of 15 miles. There was a halt of a couple of hours on the +road after we had gone about 5 or 6 miles, as we met the Highland +Brigade on their way to Harrismith. Some Mounted Infantry were also +encountered on the look-out for horses: and we smiled as we saw them +select some that had been handed over to us as useless the day before. +However, we said nothing. We got off again at last and marched back on +the road by which we had come from Naauwpoort Nek. We halted once for a +couple of hours to enable the wagons to cross a drift, and took the +opportunity to have some food, and to water and graze our animals. At +this spot, with a strongish breeze blowing, one of our companies, lying +on the grass, seized the occasion to start a grass fire, which spread +like a flash and necessitated our moving; endeavours were made to turn +the course of the fire or to put it out, but without avail, so we had to +inspan and trek pretty smartly. On our road we passed the site of our +former bivouacs, and<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_163" id="Page_163">[Pg 163]</a></span> marched on for another few miles before camping at +Weltevreden. Next day we were afoot at eight o'clock, but halted a good +many times during the day, principally at drifts, of which there were +several, and also on two occasions to allow the Eighth Division, under +General Rundle, to pass us on their way to Harrismith. The troops of the +Eighth Division were much interested at the sight of the Boer prisoners +riding along, a huge column of 1,500 men; and I think the burghers +themselves were also impressed at the sight of the numerous troops we +passed on our way, first the Highland Brigade and then the Eighth Division.</p> + +<p>We bivouacked that night below Little Spitz Kop, a wretched place for a +camp—bad water out of a dirty sluit, and the whole neighbourhood as +black as your hat as the result of a grass fire.</p> + +<p>The 5th of August was a terribly long day; we started at seven o'clock +and trekked along steadily for mile after mile, halting at mid-day for a +couple of hours to refresh man and beast, and eventually reaching +Bethlehem at six in the evening, just after dark.</p> + +<p>Stringent orders had been issued by General Hunter with regard to the +safety of the prisoners, and these were read to commandants and +explained by them to their burghers; the prisoners, however, were quite +resigned to their fate, and I myself was sure that none would be missing +when we arrived at our destination; and in this I was quite correct, as +afterwards was proved. The burghers were at all times quite under the +thumb of their commandants, whom they looked up to with unswerving +fidelity and supported with implicit obedience; thus when they were +informed that the commandant himself would be held responsible in the +event of any man of his commando deserting, there was little doubt in my +mind as to their compliance.</p> + +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_164" id="Page_164">[Pg 164]</a></span></p><p>The battalion furnished a cordon of sentries round the Boer camp that +night; they were relieved next day by the Bedford regiment, whom we +found in camp next to us. There was a halt for the troops that day, but +there was not much rest for us in the Boer laager, as there was a good +deal of organising to do which there had been no opportunity of carrying +out before. Seeing that the five officers under me were all very busy, +the General decided to attach five more for duty, and they came and +reported themselves during the day. This was a great addition to our +administrative staff, as it enabled two officers to be apportioned to +each commando, one of whom paraded and rode with the mounted men on the +march daily, whilst the other rode with the wagons and superintended +everything connected with them: by this means we were enabled to get +things done with some regularity and precision, especially as Captain +Tufnell volunteered to look after the whole of the wagons and Cape carts +when in camp and on the march, while Captain Wroughton undertook the +duties of Quartermaster and superintended the ration question: of these +two tiresome jobs, I am not sure which was the most worrying.</p> + +<p>The five officers who joined us were Lieut. Willett, of our regiment, +and Lieuts. Greenwell and Veasey of the Bedfords, 2nd Lieut. Lord Murray +of the Camerons, and Lieut. Henderson of the City Imperial Volunteers. +The services of Sergeant Flynn and Drummer Briggs were also lent to us +to facilitate issuing orders and carrying messages.</p> + +<p>The first thing to do was to have a proper roll call of the commandos; +we had had no opportunity before then of doing this, although the +adjutants of each commando had prepared rolls of their men, so a careful +muster was taken by the officers, the numbers of the prisoners proving +to be as follows:—<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_165" id="Page_165">[Pg 165]</a></span></p> + +<table summary="numbers of prisoners"> + <tr> + <td class="left">Commandant Jonker</td> + <td class="left"> . . . 239 burghers.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td class="left">Commandant Crowther</td> + <td class="left"> . . . 379 burghers.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td class="left">Commandant Joubert</td> + <td class="left"> . . . 190 burghers.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td class="left">Commandant Du Plooy</td> + <td class="left"> . . . 227 burghers.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td class="left">Commandant Potgieter</td> + <td class="left"> . . . 512 burghers.</td> + </tr> +</table> + +<p>To these had to be added four men who were sent down by the Provost +Marshal, and seven had to be deducted, who were admitted to hospital in +the town, making a net total of 1,544.</p> + +<p>After the roll call was concluded the burghers were directed to give up +all property belonging to the Free State or to the British Government, +and this order resulted in a most miscellaneous collection of articles +being made, comprising tents, waterproof sheets, entrenching tools, +bayonets, military clothing of all kinds which had been looted from the +Derby Militia, and from the trains which had been held up and wrecked by +De Wet; saddlery and telescopes taken from the Yeomanry who surrendered +at Lindley; and hundreds of smaller articles, Gladstone bags, tin +uniform cases, water bottles, haversacks, ration baskets, signalling +panniers, books, canteens and equipment, which had all at one time +belonged to the Derby Militia.</p> + +<p>There was very little property belonging to the Orange Free State, with +the exception of a few tents and some waterproof sheets; we were careful +not to receive anything which might be considered as the private +property of the burghers, and the whole day long numbers of these simple +minded men came to us, bringing all sorts of articles, and asking if +they could retain them.</p> + +<p>In any case each Boer was allowed to keep a blanket for himself and one +for his horse, a water bottle and a waterproof sheet; and we did not +interfere with the clothing they were wearing, much of which was our +khaki serge, with many overcoats and khaki warm coats.</p> + +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_166" id="Page_166">[Pg 166]</a></span></p><p>Some of the wagons, which were covered in and suitable for the purpose, +were sent over to the hospital to assist in carrying the sick and wounded.</p> + +<p>During the afternoon the commandants were received by General Hunter at +his quarters in the town, where they drank coffee, and, with the +assistance of an interpreter, made the polite and cautious remarks usual +on such occasions.</p> + +<p>A few horses were exchanged for some in the Mounted Infantry, but all +those which were of the slightest use had already been taken. At night +our custom was for all horses, after watering, to be taken to the +Mounted Infantry lines, where they were fastened together in huge rings, +under a guard, the Boers going back to their lines and coming at +daybreak again to receive their animals. Any possibility of our friends +taking French leave during the night was thus precluded.</p> + +<p>The commandants were warned and directed to inform their men that any +insubordination would be severely punished, the offender being placed +under a guard and compelled to walk instead of riding; and the +commandants were held personally responsible that none of their men +attempted to escape.</p> + +<p>During our subsequent march to the railway, prisoners were constantly +being received in twos and threes from the Provost Marshal, and a large +number, some seventy-five, of the remainder of those who had surrendered +to General Hunter at Fouriesburg, were handed over to us on one occasion.</p> + +<p>The morning of the 7th of August saw us out of Bethlehem for the second +time and tramping along the well-known road to Meyer's Kop, over which +some of us had already marched three times.</p> + +<p>Bethlehem looked better by daylight than it did when we left it in the +dark on the 16th of July; it<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_167" id="Page_167">[Pg 167]</a></span> is a large town and, as is usual, well +laid out with a fine church in the middle, but it would be a good deal +prettier if the indolent Boers could be persuaded to plant a few more +trees. It is a curious trait in the Boer character that, notwithstanding +their Dutch origin, they do not appear to care in the least for flowers, +or trees, or gardening of any kind.</p> + +<p>In the teeth of an icy cold wind, which raised clouds of dust, we +tramped along, past Sevastopol, and our old friend, Meyer's Kop, to +Bester's Farm, a few miles beyond the latter place, and continued our +march the next day and the next in similar fashion, halting at each +mid-day for a couple of hours.</p> + +<p>On the road we passed the redoubtable Biddulph's Berg, which had been +some time previously the scene of a severe action, where a battalion of +Guards was heavily engaged and suffered from a very large number of +casualties, over 150, I believe. They had a terrible experience in this +action which has happily seldom occurred in warfare before; the grass +was very long and dry, and there was a breeze blowing from the rear, +where a number of people were watching the fight; these individuals were +seen to drop matches on to the dry grass, and the consequent fire was +soon beyond their power to extinguish. Rapidly the flames grew and +spread to the right and left, and rushed, fanned by the breeze, straight +down upon the unfortunate Guardsmen, extended and carrying on the attack +upon the enemy in front: there was no escape, and the roaring flames +swept like a rolling torrent down upon the soldiers, scattering them in +all directions and scorching them severely: worse than this, the +wounded, of whom there were a considerable number lying in the long +grass, were badly burned and suffered terrible agony: it was a truly +dreadful experience.</p> + +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_168" id="Page_168">[Pg 168]</a></span></p><p>On the 9th of August we reached Senekal, crossed the drift, and camped +just beyond the town; the opportunity was here taken to buy what food +could be purchased, for the Brigade Canteen; but there was little to be +had, and that was at famine prices.</p> + +<p>Captain Wisden, however, struck what shopmen call a "line" of sardines, +in which he invested largely for the Officers' mess, and which proved to +be the worst possible kind of fish that had ever been put in a tin. How +the wretched animal had existed when it was alive was a marvel, as it +consisted, seemingly, of one huge backbone and little else; but no doubt +the bad oil, into which it was put when it was tinned, brought about a +speedy death and released the poor creature from its sufferings! Captain +Wisden will never hear the end of this, and all our officers will in +future beware of that particular brand of sardines.</p> + +<p>Senekal is a small and neat town at the foot of a huge kopje, and was +occupied, when we passed through, by the other half battalion of the +Bedfords: it is the scene of one of the mishaps to the Yeomanry when +Major D'Albiac was killed and a number of others killed, wounded, and +taken prisoners; through great negligence they had not searched or +occupied the kopje, which frowns over the little town at a distance of a +few hundred yards, and from here the Boers suddenly opened fire on the +men walking about down below, and shot Major D'Albiac, a well-known man, +who had been in the Royal Horse Artillery, as he rushed out of the hotel.</p> + +<p>The next three days were occupied in moving towards Winburg, two marches +of 11 miles each, and the last of fifteen, into the town, which we +reached about three o'clock in the afternoon. Each day we had halted for +a mid-day rest, but the journey, although through open country, was not +a<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_169" id="Page_169">[Pg 169]</a></span> pleasant one owing to the wind and the dust; the camping grounds also +were filthy, as they had been used so frequently during the last few +months, no water being procurable elsewhere: they were surrounded by +dead mules, horses and bullocks: carcases littered each side of the road +as well, between one camp and another.</p> + +<p>So we were pleased to reach Winburg and to camp on the plain beyond the +railway station, with the possibility of a few days' rest, and the +chance of buying some bread—a commodity we had not seen in any quantity +since leaving Pretoria in the middle of June. I foresaw, however, a good +deal of work for myself and the ten officers with the Boer laager, as +the burghers were to be handed over and despatched by train to Cape +Town: they had not been told this or given any hint of their +destination, and even now we were careful to say nothing further than +that they were going off in the train; but, of course, the more +intelligent of them quickly grasped the facts and fully imagined that +they were bound for St. Helena: they had not, apparently, heard of Ceylon.</p> + +<p>For the next three days there was very little rest in the Boer laager +for any of us: the very afternoon of our arrival round came Major +Maclaughlin and another officer of the Remount Department, who demanded +all the horses and ponies: Captain Camilleri, one of the Transport +Officers, also turned up and said he wanted all the Cape carts and most +of the wagons: Major Cardew said all the saddles and harness were to go +to the Ordnance Stores, and Major Orr, of the 18th Royal Irish, the +Railway Staff Officer, had his little say, too, about the probable +departure of the Boers, which was to take place as soon as trains could be made up.</p> + +<p>We did not attempt to do much that afternoon, as the whole camp was +overrun with visitors from<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_170" id="Page_170">[Pg 170]</a></span> the town and idlers of all kinds who came to +stare at the Boers and ask us questions, which we had no time to answer. +The first thing was to get off the horses and ponies, which were sent in +batches to some cattle kraals near by; the animals belonging to the +Commandants and Field Cornets, which had not been taken from them or +exchanged during the journey, were collected together and sent +separately to the same place, and by a little after dark we had got rid +of all the horses and ponies, some 1,200 in number.</p> + +<p>Next morning, the 13th of August, we were early at our work, and got all +the saddles and harness together and laid out in rows, and collected any +more Government property, tents and other things, which had been used on the march.</p> + +<p>The drinking water was a long distance away, and the Boers were much +amused at our forming some of them into water parties and marching them +off, under a guard, to fetch water for their messes; they tramped off in +fours, calling to each other and laughing, just like so many children.</p> + +<p>After breakfast there was a muster parade of each commando, when the +officers in charge called the rolls and ascertained that all their men +were actually present: this was a long business and took some hours. The +rest of the day was occupied in moving all the wagons and Cape carts to +the outskirts of the camp, and closing in the commandos a good deal, so +as to form a smaller circle for the sentries to guard; for, all this +time, and in fact ever since leaving Bethlehem, the Boer laager had been +surrounded by a cordon of sentries by day and night.</p> + +<p>The following morning, such wagons, oxen and Cape carts as were of any +use, were removed by the transport people, and the saddles and harness, +about four wagon loads, taken away to the Ordnance stores: the burghers +did not like this<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_171" id="Page_171">[Pg 171]</a></span> part of the performance as they had all written their +names on the saddles, with what object goodness only knows, and were not +at all pleased when some of them were called upon to come and load the +saddles on to the wagons.</p> + +<p>In the course of this day passes were given to the families, several of +whom were still with us, and they were permitted to go to their farms +with their wagons and oxen; the old men and the boys were also mustered, +and a selection made of those to whom passes might be issued with the +privilege of going to their farms and remaining there. A large number +turned up, most of the men being old and feeble, and some of the boys +being very young, so that we made a careful selection, rejecting all +those whose appearance gave the impression that they were able to carry +and use a rifle, and issuing passes to the remainder.</p> + +<p>Altogether, there were no less than 105 permitted to go away, and they +were sent off that afternoon: some of the boys and older men, who +belonged to the Bethulie District, and who had no wagons, were provided +with railway passes to enable them to get to their homes speedily.</p> + +<p>Had it been known that the disturbance and guerilla warfare in the +Orange River Colony would continue for so long after the dispersal of +what might be called the Boer army, it is probable that not a single +man, woman or child would have been permitted to go back to their farms; +which, although their occupants had taken the oath of allegiance to the +Queen, became centres whence horses, wagons and supplies of all kinds, +besides information as to our movements, were furnished to the nomadic +bands of insurgents who roamed the country.</p> + +<p>That afternoon we succeeded in despatching Potgieter's commando, 477 +strong, by train to Cape Town; the burghers fell in, with their<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_172" id="Page_172">[Pg 172]</a></span> +blankets and rations, and marched down to the train (which had steamed +up close to the camp), with all the regularity of soldiers; they were to +travel under a guard of militia, who were ready waiting, and to whom we +handed the Boers over as they got into the trucks.</p> + +<p>They all seemed happy enough, laughing and chatting, and many of them +waved their hands to us as the train steamed off.</p> + +<p>The next morning another batch, over 800 strong, was sent off, and the +remainder followed an hour later, bringing our connection with the Boer laager to a close.</p> + +<hr /> + +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_173" id="Page_173">[Pg 173]</a></span></p> + +<h2><span>CHAPTER XVI.</span> <span class="smaller">UP AND DOWN.</span></h2> + +<blockquote><p class="center">Bloemfontein—Men and officers waiting there—Kroonstad—The +Brigade re-fitted—Wasted comforts—Shopping for the +canteen—Famine prices—Traders' profits—Ventersburg road—Half +battalion to Winburg—Winburg attacked—Capture of Commandant +Olivier—Bloemfontein—Ladybrand—Leeuw River Mills.</p></blockquote> + +<p>I went down in the train with the last batch of prisoners as far as +Bloemfontein, as the General wished me to go to the Ordnance stores, and +see what could be done about bringing up clothing, boots and other +stores for the men, who were now in rags again and very badly off for +boots. Several officers from the Brigade had been sent down at various +times for this purpose, and I, with these officers and what stuff we +could get, was to meet the Brigade at Kroonstad on the 20th of August.</p> + +<p>Leaving Winburg about mid-day, the train reached our destination about +half-past six, and there we quitted it, seeing the last of our friends, +the Boer prisoners: they were lively enough and, all the way down, had +looked with interest at the Militia battalions guarding the line and the +bridges, and at the various entrenchments thrown up by them, and at the +fortifications of biscuit boxes and barbed wire at each place. At +Brandfort they met plenty of friends and evident sympathisers, who had +apparently been allowed on the platform to see them, but at Bloemfontein +the train stopped outside the station, and then ran through without +stopping at the platform.</p> + +<p>I stayed a couple of days in Bloemfontein and found all the other +officers there; they had succeeded in getting all the ordnance stores +they wanted and were ready to return, but could not get permission to do +so; however, a visit to the D. A. A. G. soon settled that, and the next +trouble<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_174" id="Page_174">[Pg 174]</a></span> was to get all the trucks, which had been loaded at the +Ordnance siding, attached to a train and despatched.</p> + +<p>The Assistant Director of Railways, Captain Nathan, R.E., was an old +friend of mine, and arranged to have the trucks put on to a train on the +18th of August, by which we also arranged to leave. There was a most +serious congestion of traffic at that time: rows and rows of trucks were +waiting, and had been waiting for some time, for an opportunity to be +despatched up country; there were no less than fourteen trains of +remounts passing forward, and these, of course, had to receive +precedence over others; the mails also had been waiting for days. There +was the greatest strictness observed as to who travelled and why, and +the contents of each truck were carefully examined to see that no +private stores were loaded on it, and even the carriages were examined, +just before the trains started, by the Railway Staff Officers. I had +tried to get some Canteen stores shipped; four cases of tobacco, which +were urgently wanted by the men, I had even brought down to the station, +and I succeeded in smuggling one on to a truck. There was plenty of room +in the guard's van and lots of space upon several trucks upon which +troops were travelling, but the guard was a surly Dutchman, an uncivil +brute, who started the train as the three cases were actually being +loaded; so they had to be dropped on to the line and left behind, to be +eventually sent up by ox wagon, which cost the Brigade Canteen no less than £5.</p> + +<p>The streets of Bloemfontein were a curious sight in the daytime, crowded +with soldiers of every imaginable regiment, and full of staff officers, +whose red tabs on their collars had procured for them the designation of +"rooineks," or red necks, which is the sneering nickname the Boers have +had for years for British soldiers. I saw more<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_175" id="Page_175">[Pg 175]</a></span> than one man of the +Royal Sussex, who seemed in no anxiety to rejoin; several others had got +hold of jobs which kept them away from the hard work and danger of +marching and fighting, and put extra pay in their pockets.</p> + +<p>The rest camp was crowded with soldiers, all perfectly well and fit for +duty, and waiting to go up country and rejoin their regiments; many of +them had been waiting for weeks; there were officers, too, in dozens, +and all had the same tale to tell—they had been stopped at Bloemfontein +on their way up country, and had been ordered to remain and do garrison +duty indefinitely.</p> + +<p>It is a severe blot on the administration of the Line of Communications +that such a state of matters should be allowed to exist; that regiments +at the front should have been kept short-handed of both officers and +men, while numbers of both ranks were loafing about the streets of +Bloemfontein, or spending hours picking up weeds and placing white +stones in rows in the Rest Camp. Not only did this happen in +Bloemfontein, but the larger towns, such as Winburg and Kroonstad, were +all full of unattached soldiers whose regiments were at the front. If +these men were required for purposes of defence, it seems curious that a +battalion or a half battalion could not have been detailed instead of an +incongruous mob.</p> + +<p>Towards the close of the campaign our battalion must have had several +hundred men scattered about in various places: many of them were +employed in hospitals and at offices and in all sorts of ways, but +directly any attempt was made to get them back, many men were reported +as "unfit to march." The conclusion I came to was, that these men must +either have been discharged before being fully recovered, or else their +detention at other than their proper duty was being winked at by certain +officers for their own convenience.</p> + +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_176" id="Page_176">[Pg 176]</a></span></p><p>Leaving Bloemfontein at six o'clock in the evening, our train had run +only about 15 miles before a truck succeeded in getting off the rails; +this was caused by a bale of blankets falling from a wagon on to the +line and getting under the guard rail of the axle and grease box, which +lifted the wheels and shoved them to one side: however, by the aid of +two iron slides carried on the engine for the purpose, we were soon up +again on the line and on our way to Kroonstad, which we reached the day +before the Brigade was due. There was still a good deal to be done in +getting the stores carted up to camp, but, with some trouble, this was +managed by the next morning, when the Brigade arrived. The stores were +unpacked, and the men were soon issued with some clean shirts, socks and +boots, while some cases of comforts, sent out by people at home, were +eagerly opened and their contents distributed. The articles which were +most appreciated were drawers, shirts, socks, handkerchiefs and writing +sets, which were all really useful; but, unfortunately, the contents of +many bales and boxes consisted largely of Tam o'Shanters and knitted +garments, which the men had no means of carrying, except on their backs; +and they had quite enough on them as it was with rifle, equipment, 100 +rounds of ammunition, blanket and two days' rations. After a man had +once been issued with a soft cap and a cardigan jacket, he did not want +another; and the quantity of these articles, in proportion to other +things, sent out by the kind and thoughtful donors at home was +unfortunately large.</p> + +<p>Among the bales of ordnance stores were many containing warm khaki +overcoats of the Indian pattern, but as our transport was so limited we +had to return these useful garments, having no means of carrying them.</p> + +<p>As the Brigade was likely to proceed on the trek again, it never having +been known to rest more<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_177" id="Page_177">[Pg 177]</a></span> than two or three days at a time, the +opportunity was taken to fill up the Brigade Canteen wagons with stores, +and a small party went shopping with a traction engine and three trucks +and bought all they could get; as usual the shopkeepers, some English, +some German, declined to part with any quantity of their stock, which +they were, of course, hanging on to in the hope of prices rising, and I +had to obtain an order from the District Commissioner to compel them to +sell, though at enormous prices—eighteenpence for a tin of milk or a +pot of jam, and other things in proportion.</p> + +<p>As luck would have it, I succeeded, at my next visit to the town, in +discovering the exact profit which these firms had made out of the +Brigade Canteen over this transaction, and as all this talk about stores +and prices serves to show how an English soldier is treated by his +affectionate countrymen on his arrival in a beleaguered town, this must +be my excuse for harping so long on one string.</p> + +<p>There was an enterprising man who had arrived from Bloemfontein with +several wagons full of stores, which he sold equally to the few +merchants in Kroonstad. On the very day and at the time delivery was +being made, I turned up with my traction engine and trucks and my order +from the District Commissioner, and purchased most of these stores, +nearly all the cases being handed over at the storehouse of the +enterprising man. The prices I was charged by the various storekeepers +were those fixed as the selling prices in the shops; the prices the +traders paid to the enterprising man I was afterwards fortunate enough +to drop upon, and I found that in every case the profits were enormous, +averaging over 36 per cent., and ranging from 75 per cent. for sardines +to 20 per cent. for jam and milk.</p> + +<p>Since our last stay in the town Kroonstad had developed strong breezes, +which fetched up clouds<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_178" id="Page_178">[Pg 178]</a></span> of dust and hordes of flies from the Remount +Depôt, and poured them both unceasingly into our camp. The 21st of +August was a particularly dusty day, and we were not so very sorry, +therefore, when in the evening orders were received for us to be off +again: some of us, this time, went by train, as one half battalion was +to proceed by rail and the other by road, marching with all the wagons +and carts of the Brigade, to Geneva Siding, about 15 miles down the line.</p> + +<p>The first party to move was the right half battalion, composed of B, C, +D and E companies, under myself: they paraded at eleven o'clock in the +evening and marched to the station, and waited there for some time, +after loading the first line transport and some guns—the 76th Battery +of the Field Artillery; we eventually made a start about three o'clock +in the morning. On arrival at Geneva I found there the General and the +Camerons, who had proceeded by an earlier train, and was then directed +to proceed to Ventersburg Road in the same train, and to remain there +until the arrival of the General. So we steamed off again, enjoying, as +we knew the other half battalion would also do, the new experience of +sitting in a train and being dragged to our destination.</p> + +<p>On our way down we passed Holfontein, where were some troops guarding +the bridge, and, a few miles further on, we reached the spot where, some +weeks previously, a train had been held up at night by the Boers, an +officer and a few men who were in the train being taken prisoners and +the train looted and burned. The officer was bringing up some stores for +the General, which, of course, were looted; but a few of the Boers paid +for their recklessness, as they found some liquor, got drunk, and were +easily captured, about eight or a dozen of them, by the Mounted Infantry +from Ventersburg Road, who rode out on hearing the explosions of dynamite.</p> + +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_179" id="Page_179">[Pg 179]</a></span></p><p>They were too late, however, to save the train, which was burning +fiercely; many wagons of biscuits, beef and other supplies were burned +clean out, only the iron frames of the wagons and thousands of blackened +and empty tins being left on the line. Some of the wagons, thrown off +the line, and tons of empty tins, showed us, as we passed, where the +incident had occurred.</p> + +<p>We reached Ventersburg Road about seven o'clock, and found some troops +there under command of Lieut.-Colonel White, R.A.; the permanent +garrison was composed of the Malta Company of Mounted Infantry, under +Captain Pine-Coffin, who had come out with us on the "Pavonia," and a +company of the Buffs Militia, under Captain O'Grady, a cousin of our +Major of the same name. We camped outside the station, and bye-and-bye +the General arrived, with the Camerons, followed about six o'clock by +our Head Quarters and the other half battalion.</p> + +<p>Ventersburg Road, a little roadside station, boasted only a couple of +sheds besides the usual station buildings, water tank and goods shed; +everything, however, was strongly entrenched and defended; a huge Supply +Depôt had been established, and the boxes and the bags were utilised to +form protection for the garrison, an interesting sight being a machine +gun mounted on a pyramid of sacks of oats. The Supply subordinates had +made themselves comfortable inside houses built of biscuit and beef +boxes and roofed with tarpaulins, but the valuable sacks of oats, bags +of mealies, sacks of sugar and other stores were pitched about anywhere, +and were rotting and mouldering away on all sides; four bags of costly +sugar were utilised to form steps up to a water tank, and were, of +course, ruined with wet and mud; the enormous goods shed, which would +have held the whole stock of the more valuable Supply stores then going +to<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_180" id="Page_180">[Pg 180]</a></span> waste in the open, was full of bales of wool belonging to Boer +farmers, of which the greatest care was apparently being taken by the +railway authorities, while valuable food supplies were being ruined. The +responsible man was a Corporal of the Army Service Corps, who was some +time afterwards placed under arrest for selling rum and stores to the +Boer residents and sympathisers in Ventersburg; they had run out of +supplies, and thus replenished their larder. On our next visit, some +time later, we brought with us the Brigade Supply officer, Lieut. Lloyd, +whose energy was only equalled by his capability; and he very soon had +things put shipshape, the wool bales fired out of the shed, and +everything done Bristol fashion, as they say at sea.</p> + +<p>The water supply of Ventersburg Road was its chief drawback: the Boers +had damaged the water tank and the pumping engine, and had blown up the +windmill pump, throwing it across the platform, where it remained for +weeks; the only other source of supply for water was a spruit, about 2 +miles away, to which water carts had to be despatched daily, and where +all animals had to be taken to water.</p> + +<p>The ground in the neighbourhood was level for a considerable distance to +the west and east, rising somewhat to the north and dropping to the +south. In the distance on the east were some hills about 7 miles away, +and beyond them about 2 miles lay Ventersburg town, a hotbed of Boers +and their friends, and a place of assembly for all the rebels in the +surrounding country; it was only equalled by Bothaville, another town on +the west side of the railway, and about sixty miles off.</p> + +<p>On the afternoon of the day we arrived, I accompanied the General on a +reconnaissance, carried out by all the mounted troops available towards +Ventersburg town; we rode out to the<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_181" id="Page_181">[Pg 181]</a></span> hills outside the town, and the +General went on with a small escort, returning in about an hour: there +was a nasty piece of country between the hills and the town, which, +however, the Mounted Infantry assured me, could easily be turned from either flank.</p> + +<p>Our Head Quarters and A, F, G, H, and the Volunteer companies left +Ventersburg Road station at six o'clock in the evening on the 25th of +August by special train, arriving at Winburg a little after three +o'clock; they detrained at once, and received orders to move at five +o'clock with the Cameron Highlanders, the 39th Field Battery, and the +5th Mounted Infantry to relieve Colonel Ridley and the Queenstown +Volunteers, about 120 men, who for three days had been surrounded at +Helpmakaar Farm, some twelve miles to the north-east of Winburg. On +arrival there it was found that the Boers, after summoning the garrison +to surrender at seven o'clock that morning, had made off; so the force, +together with the beleaguered garrison, returned to Winburg, arriving +there about seven in the evening, and bivouacking to the east of the railway station.</p> + +<p>About five o'clock the next morning the camp was alarmed by rifle shots, +and it soon became evident that an attack was being made upon the town: +so the garrison all stood to arms. The half battalion of the Bedfords, +who were at the station ready entrained to return to Ventersburg Road, +were moved out in the train to a point north of the town nearest to a +kopje upon which the main attack seemed to be directed by the enemy; two +companies of the Camerons went up the hills, to the south-east of the +town, to support the picket there, and A and F companies of our +battalion went to the south-west of the town; these companies were +sniped from some bushes on a small detached kopje to the south of the +town, but one<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_182" id="Page_182">[Pg 182]</a></span> man only was hit on the heel of his boot; a few shells +were also fired at the pickets east of the town by a gun, or a couple of +guns, of the enemy's posted to the north-east. Two guns of our battery +came into action between our bivouacs and the railway station, and +dispersed some Boers who were gathered on the top of the detached kopje; +and the firing then ceased as suddenly as it had begun.</p> + +<p>Some Mounted Infantry were shortly afterwards seen coming in from the +north escorting twenty-four prisoners, who were found to include +Commandant Olivier and his three sons. These four had, unknowingly and +unarmed, walked straight into the hands of three or four of our Mounted +Infantry, who had bluffed them by pretending that the rest of their +regiment was close at hand. The Commandant was in a furious rage when he +realised how neatly he had been trapped.</p> + +<p>It appeared that the Boers concerned in the advance upon the town were +under Commandant Fourie and included also Commandant Haasbruck; the +latter with his commando was to have made a simultaneous attack upon the +south end of the town, but, matters at the north part of the picket line +being brought to a head sooner than was anticipated, his attack was too +late to be of any use. The Boers, it was ascertained, had tapped the +telegraph wire, and intercepted an order to General Bruce Hamilton, to +withdraw his troops to Ventersburg Road; so, when three trains +containing Yeomanry, which had come in during the night of the 26th, +steamed out again in the early morning of the 27th, the Boers mistook +these for trains containing General Bruce Hamilton's force, and attacked +the town, expecting it to be held by only the usual small garrison.</p> + +<p>The column proceeded at noon on the 31st of August by train to +Bloemfontein, where they<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_183" id="Page_183">[Pg 183]</a></span> arrived at eight o'clock in the evening, +proceeding to the Rest Camp for the night, which they spent under canvas +for the first time during the campaign. The next day orders were +received to march at seven o'clock, the same troops as before being +required to make a forced march to Ladybrand to relieve the garrison +there, who had been shut up for three or four days; so the force marched +to the Waterworks, a good 20 miles, passing the scene of the disaster at +Sanna's Post. Next day the column marched to Thaba N'Chu, a long 19 +miles, and camped to the west of the town; they moved next day at five +in the evening, and, after a bad march at night, reached camp at +Andriesfontein at two o'clock in the morning. After resting until three +in the afternoon, the column proceeded to Zonderzorg, about 13 miles, +marching again the next day at seven o'clock in the morning towards +Ladybrand, where the Boers were found in position at Plat Kop on the +left of the road.</p> + +<p>But they retired discreetly before the fire of the 39th Field Battery +and one of our pom-poms, and signal messages were received about 11 a.m. +from Colonel White that he had reached Ladybrand with his Mounted +Infantry; so the infantry column was then halted, and eventually +returned to camp.</p> + +<p>On the 6th of September the column marched at three in the afternoon to +Leeuw River Mills. On parade, before marching off, the General addressed +the troops, thanking them for the way they had supported him in the +trying work of the past few days, during which they had borne fatigue +and hardship without complaint, showing that they had set out +determined, cost what it might, to do their best to relieve their +comrades, beleaguered in Ladybrand. He ended by saying that they had +travelled upwards of a thousand miles with him up to then, and that he +hoped soon all would get<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_184" id="Page_184">[Pg 184]</a></span> a prolonged rest, when he would try and get +tents for them; but he felt sure that, if circumstances demanded that +they should still go on, they would continue to give him the support +that they had all along cheerily given him, as long as their Queen required them.</p> + +<p>On the 12th of September, a move northwards was made, the column halting +at Brand's Drift Farm, and continuing next day as far as Zamen Konst, +where they were joined by the right half battalion and the remainder of +the Brigade. The left half battalion, since leaving Thaba N'Chu on the +2nd of September, had been under the command of Major O'Grady, +Lieut.-Colonel Donne having remained at Thaba N'Chu in command of the +troops at that station.</p> + +<hr /> + +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_185" id="Page_185">[Pg 185]</a></span></p> + +<h2><span>CHAPTER XVII.</span> <span class="smaller">TO LINDLEY.</span></h2> + +<blockquote><p class="center">Right half battalion to Ventersburg town—Back to the +railway—Rain—Boers blow up the line and burn train—-The armoured +train upon the scene—To Bloemfontein—Off again—To the +waterworks—An invasion of Kaffirs—Thaba +N'Chu—Zamenskornst—Meeting with the left half battalion—An +abortive round-up—Senekal—Lindley—Picket attacked.</p></blockquote> + +<p>On the 25th of August, when the left half battalion left Ventersburg +Road, I was directed by the General to proceed to Ventersburg town with +a miniature column consisting of our right half battalion, B, C, D, and +E companies: one company of the Derbyshire who had joined the Brigade at +Bethlehem, and had remained with us ever since in the hope of some day +rejoining their regiment: four guns of the 76th Field Battery, under +Captain Moloney, and some of the Malta company of Mounted Infantry, +under Lieut. Attfield, together with our baggage and seven days' rations.</p> + +<p>Full of spirits at the prospect of getting a look-in at a fight on our +own, we marched off at two in the afternoon towards the range of hills +in the distance: having seen the ground before, it was easy to take the +ever necessary precautions of picketting the hills on the right and left +of the road by mounted men sent on in front, so as to cover our guns and +baggage from the fire of an overzealous enemy; when we had passed +safely, these pickets dropped down and formed our little rear guard, and +so we reached the town about seven o'clock and reported to Colonel +White. We camped in and around the school house, which a thoughtful +staff officer had got ready for our reception, sticking lighted candles +all round the large schoolrooms.</p> + +<p>Colonel White was going out in the direction of the enemy the next day +with all the troops in the town, so we had to take over the pickets and +hold the town until his return. Disappointed at losing<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_186" id="Page_186">[Pg 186]</a></span> our chance of a +fight, we consoled ourselves next day by moving into various empty +houses, as it was possible we might have to remain in Ventersburg. The +town was a small one, but was used as a halting place and rendezvous by +the Boers, who found many sympathisers among the residents. It was well +situated and easily protected, and would have made pleasant quarters for +a half battalion as a permanent garrison; it would have afforded the +Boers one town less in which to assemble and hatch plots and make +descents on the railway line at Holfontein, only 12 miles away.</p> + +<p>We were fated, however, to move again, and at eight o'clock next day, +the 27th of August, my small column returned to Ventersburg Road: in the +distance to the north, we espied a huge cloud of mounted men, wagons and +Cape carts, with whom we opened communication by helio, finding them to +be Colonel Le Gallais' force, bound for the town we had just left.</p> + +<p>On reaching the railway station about mid-day we found that General +Bruce Hamilton and the remainder of our Brigade had gone, and that most +of the other troops had also moved. Next day, Colonel Le Gallais' force, +and also Colonel White's, arrived and camped near the railway station, +so that Ventersburg Road was pretty well crowded, and with all the +horses, mules and bullocks was rapidly becoming anything but sanitary.</p> + +<p>We had a very unpleasant time on the 29th of August; all the afternoon +it rained steadily, and by night the place was a swamp and our camp a +wretched sight; as many men as could be stowed away in sheds and under +verandahs at the station were sent there, and the rest of us lay in our +dripping bivouacs and put up with the drenching rain and soaking water +under us as best we could. Fortunately, the rain stopped in the early +morning,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_187" id="Page_187">[Pg 187]</a></span> but our camp was a sight: in the middle of a lake about two +feet deep was the bivouac of two men, my servant and my groom, who had +rigged up overnight an excellent shelter of fencing wire and blankets, +under which they were secure from rain, but not from the flowing stream +which soon surrounded them; numbers of mules and bullocks died during +the night, and their swollen carcases poisoned the air for some days, +until they were dragged off to their cemetery, where they were laid out +in rows, and reminded us, every time the wind blew, of the unfortunate +ending to their existence.</p> + +<p>During these days and the next four or five, a constant succession of +trains laden with remounts for the cavalry and Mounted Infantry, and +occasionally with enormous loads of supplies, passed up north, day and night.</p> + +<p>Orders were received for all details of the 21st Brigade to proceed to +Bloemfontein, but White's and Le Gallais' troops had to go first, with +their horses and their transport of Cape carts: this took three days to +complete, and we were to follow when sufficient trains should arrive.</p> + +<p>On Saturday night just after midnight, or rather on Sunday morning, I +was awakened by hearing three dull explosions, evidently at some +distance; and in a few minutes, Lieut. Bellamy came running up to say he +thought the line had been blown up. As this might have been merely the +preliminary to an attack on the railway station, with its great piles of +stores, four patrols, each consisting of a section under an officer, +were sent out at once in the direction of the explosions, with orders to +communicate with the two pickets which we furnished to the north and +north-west, and then to move round in a circular direction and to return +to camp; when they came back other patrols were sent out and kept going +until dawn. Soon, reports began to come in: Lieut. Ashworth, who was on<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_188" id="Page_188">[Pg 188]</a></span> +picket well out to the north, reported that a train had passed him going +north; that he had heard the slow panting of the engine going up the +incline at Holfontein, about 5 miles off, followed by the explosions and +a few rifle shots, after which all was still; but that the glare in the +sky showed that the train had been set on fire.</p> + +<p>This glare increased in intensity, and soon the fireman of the engine +arrived, followed in a while by the guard and another railway employé, a +passenger, who were brought in by the pickets, and told us the whole +story. It seems that on the train reaching the top of the bank, there +was an explosion of dynamite in front of the engine, upon which the +driver applied the vacuum brake; he then tried to run back, but, after +climbing the hill, he had no steam left to blow off the vacuum and so +release the brakes, and then, hearing another explosion in rear, he and +the fireman jumped and ran, the former going north and the latter south. +The guard and the passenger told a similar story, and added that the +Boers fired a few shots at the engine and the guard's van, from a +distance of about 300 yards to the right of the line, apparently with +the intention of driving off the trainmen, in which they succeeded; and +they then set the train on fire. It was full of medical and Ordnance stores and forage.</p> + +<p>Very fortunately, Captain Nanton, R.E., the Deputy-Assistant Director of +Railways in this district, happened to be in the station with his +armoured train, and dashed off as soon as the reports reached us, after +entraining some of the Derbyshire as escort.</p> + +<p>This armoured train, which usually lived at Kroonstad, but occasionally +rushed up and down the line, was a queer looking object; the engine was +in the middle, sheathed all over in boiler plating; at one end was a box +car, also covered in<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_189" id="Page_189">[Pg 189]</a></span> plating, with a Maxim gun in it and a crew of men +to work it; there were loopholes for the machine gun and for rifle fire. +There was another car behind the engine, upon which were mounted two +Naval quick-firing 12-prs., firing a huge brass cartridge.</p> + +<p>This weird-looking train puffed away rapidly, as Captain Nanton was +anxious to try and save some of the wagons, if possible, from the +wrecked train, and the platelayers from down the line, having come in on +their trolley, went off also. At early dawn, Captain Pine-Coffin with +all his available Mounted Infantry went out, and sent in reports later +to say that he was following on the tracks of about twenty mounted +Boers, who had ridden from the train in the direction of Ventersburg +town, which Colonel White's force had left only a couple of days before. +Pine-Coffin followed up these tracks until they separated, and led off +in many different directions, when, further pursuit being hopeless, and +the enemy having at least six hours start, he returned to camp.</p> + +<p>Later in the day, Captain Nanton returned with his armoured train, +dragging one truck full of half-burned rubbish, and the engine of the +defunct train, which was covered with a nice assortment of bullet holes, +but was unharmed, though technically "dead," as the fires were out.</p> + +<p>The stories of the fireman and the guard were correct, the line having +been blown up in two places, and practically the whole train destroyed +by fire, only one wagon being saved: the burning wagons had been dragged +into a convenient siding and the line repaired, so that the trains which +had accumulated at Ventersburg Road were enabled to go off in turn, but +only up till dusk, as, after this, it was not considered advisable to +run trains during the dark hours of the night.</p> + +<p>Some details of our regiment and some of<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_190" id="Page_190">[Pg 190]</a></span> the Camerons (nearly a +company), turned up on the 2nd of September and were attached to us, and +next day our trains arrived, and, after shipping off the battery, the +section of the R.E., the hospital wagons and the Derbyshire men, we +followed in the last train. The whole of the baggage wagons and the ox +wagons proceeded by road to Bloemfontein, under charge of Captain +Wroughton and Lieut. Pearce.</p> + +<p>Our train reached Smaldeal a little after six o'clock in the evening: +there we had to remain all night, but there was plenty of coal about, so +we made ourselves comfortable, sleeping by the side of the train.</p> + +<p>General Allen was at Smaldeal with a small garrison at the station, +which is the junction with the line running to Winburg.</p> + +<p>At daybreak, five o'clock the next morning, we continued our journey, +passing on the veldt our wagons trekking along. We stopped an hour at +Brandfort to cook our breakfast, after which we went on, passing Glen, +our original starting place several months before, and reaching +Bloemfontein about the middle of the day.</p> + +<p>Having wired to say we were coming, we were expected, and the A.D.R. and +the R.S.O., and various other officials with half-a-dozen letters after +their names, were waiting for us, and, best of all, had provided wagons; +so there was no delay in loading up our baggage, ammunition and rations, +as there had been on the first visit to Bloemfontein of our battalion.</p> + +<p>Now, we thought, at last we shall have a few days' peace in the +comfortable tents of the Rest Camp, and we all made plans how we were to +spend our days; many of the men were allowed passes that very afternoon +to go into the town, and it was as well they went when they had the +chance, as that night we were off again!</p> + +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_191" id="Page_191">[Pg 191]</a></span></p><p>At half-past seven that evening, I received orders for our half +battalion, the battery and the hospital wagons to move as soon as +possible to the Waterworks, about 22 miles. Nothing was said about +transport, so I had to race off and find General Kelly-Kenny, who told +me to apply to Colonel Long (at the other end of the town) for wagons. +The General also said that it was possible the Waterworks might be +attacked at dawn, and our assistance might be required, so that the +sooner we got there the better. The men of the Camerons were to go with +us, but not the details of the Derbyshire, who were to remain.</p> + +<p>After seeing Colonel Long and being passed on by him to the Divisional +Transport officer, I managed to get authority to procure wagons from the +Rest Camp; so I went off there, and asked for all they could spare and a +water cart, which, after some demur as to the number of wagons, they +promised to send up. About half-past ten these arrived at the Rest Camp +where we were quartered, and after loading up we started; luckily, there +were plenty of wagons, so we were able to relieve the men of the +blankets they carried on their backs, and also to load the wagons +lightly—the mules had a long march before them and had already done a +full day's work.</p> + +<p>There was a good moon, so we trekked along steadily until three o'clock +in the morning; when the moon disappeared, and we halted where we were, +posted pickets and got out our blankets, and had a couple of hours' +sleep. Up again at dawn, we loaded our wagons with the blankets and +moved off by half-past five; we reached a suitable spot near Bushman's +Kop about eight o'clock, when we halted a couple of hours for breakfast, +but were off again by ten o'clock, eventually reaching the Waterworks, +in very good style, after a long tramp of 22 miles, at half-past one in the afternoon.</p> + +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_192" id="Page_192">[Pg 192]</a></span></p><p>The next day's march was a short one of merely 8 miles to a pan, filled +with very dirty water, which was all we had. Things looked lively that +night, as the pickets brought in a Boer prisoner, who turned out to be +one of our own wagon drivers; he had gone out of the lines to a farm, +without permission, and probably to give information. Naturally he +protested his innocence, but he was put in charge of a sentry, and +warned that on the first bullet being fired into camp by the enemy, he +would be shot dead by the sentry; luckily for him, the night was a +peaceful one, although our camp was invaded—not however by the enemy. +Soon after midnight we heard a sentry calling out repeatedly in a mild +sort of way "Guard, turn out!", and then we saw that he was one of the +picket sentries, who had found himself suddenly overwhelmed by an +advancing mass of Kaffirs, jabbering, chattering, and understanding no +known language, but steadily moving on with their bundles.</p> + +<p>In vain the sentry tried to stem the rushing tide of natives, but he +might as well have tried to stop a house, so he retreated backwards, +feebly yelling for assistance, and on arrival in camp the Kaffirs were stopped.</p> + +<p>However, at cock crow the infernal jabber and chatter commenced again; +they were Basutos, who had been working on the railway and were now +going home, all with plenty of money to spend on wives and cows, which +they told us was their intention.</p> + +<p>Twice during the night mounted men had arrived with orders, the upshot +of it all being that we were to march as far as Israelspoort, about 6 +miles further on, and to remain there, holding that position, until +General Hunter and his escort, who were coming up behind, should have +passed; the baggage, however, was to go on into Thaba N'Chu.</p> + +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_193" id="Page_193">[Pg 193]</a></span></p><p>Israelspoort was the place where Ian Hamilton's column had their first +taste of fighting in April; a <i>poort</i> is a spot where the road passes +over a neck or saddle in a ridge, and this particular one was commanded +by huge kopjes on either hand. These were occupied by Mounted Infantry +pickets, whom we relieved; and we sent on our baggage and waited for +General Hunter, who arrived just after mid-day, and, after chatting a +while, went on; we followed later, reaching Thaba N'Chu and camping at +the eastern end of the town about two o'clock in the afternoon.</p> + +<p>The town is a small one, situated in a recess among high hills which +shut it in, but at some distance, on three sides; like Ventersburg and +Bothaville, the surrounding district is a turbulent one, and there have +always been restless Boers in the neighbourhood, who have frequently +threatened the Waterworks and Bloemfontein.</p> + +<p>Our Colonel had been left in command of the town, while the other half +battalion marched to the relief of Ladybrand; the troops under him were +not numerous, consisting only of half a battalion of the Bedfords, a +battery and some Mounted Infantry.</p> + +<p>Our wagons and a huge convoy arrived on the 10th of September, and with +them, in addition to Captain Wroughton and Lieutenant Pearce, came +Lieut. Montgomerie, who had been shot in the leg at Retief's Nek, but +had since recovered, and now rejoined for duty. On the next day all the +wagons, except our proportion, went off by road to join the Brigade, and +we also received orders to march, at half-past nine that night, at which +hour the moon was expected to show up.</p> + +<p>It was a lovely night and the march was only a short one of about eight +miles, but it took us four hours, all the same, as we had to wait +occasionally to allow the lagging convoy to close up. Starting again at +half-past nine in the morning we marched<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_194" id="Page_194">[Pg 194]</a></span> until mid-day, when we halted +for an hour and a half, and eventually reached camp at Zamenskornst +about three p.m. after a tramp of 17 miles.</p> + +<p>All the troops which had marched to the relief of Ladybrand were camped +on the opposite side of the spruit, including our other half battalion, +who, of course, came and laughed at us for having missed all the hard +marching they had had into Ladybrand. There was a wide, sandy spruit +between the two camps, and the ox convoy started at early dawn, about +three o'clock, to cross this: after them went our mule wagons and the +battery and all the details, telegraph people and so on, so that the +battalion, which furnished the rear guard, did not have to move until half-past seven.</p> + +<p>The mounted troops comprised men of the Mounted Infantry of several +Corps—Brabant's Horse, Rimington's Scouts, Kitchener's Horse—and there +were also representatives of many other regiments, both regular and +irregular, as General Hunter and his staff accompanied us, with +interpreters and servants, guides, escort and men in charge of their baggage wagons.</p> + +<p>At the entrance to camp at Allendale, about 12 miles away, there was +another sandy drift, which tried the bullocks very much: two paths had +been made, but of course it is unnecessary to state that whenever the +drivers <i>could</i> manage to cross their tracks and create a block or a +collision, they invariably did so to the great delight of the baggage +master, for whom, sometimes, the English language was not sufficiently +copious, and who had to fall back on Hindustani.</p> + +<p>However after much delay the last wagon was got across, and the rear +guard passed on into camp, which was not far off. We all turned in +early, as at midnight we were to start again: it appears that the enemy +were among the hills, which formed an excellent position at Doornberg, +lying in the centre<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_195" id="Page_195">[Pg 195]</a></span> of a triangle formed by the three towns of Winburg, +Ventersburg and Senekal, and was easily accessible from either, both +from our point of view and from that of the enemy. Winburg was occupied +by our troops, but the other two towns had not been consistently held +throughout the campaign, and the enemy were able, therefore, to use +these towns to some extent as bases.</p> + +<p>The operation upon which we were now engaged was an extensive "round +up," to use a Bush phrase, which exactly expresses what we were about to +do. There were columns, each preceded by clouds of mounted troops, +coming from the north, the east and the south, and we were in great +hopes that at last we had got the enemy properly cornered, as it did not +seem possible for him to escape anywhere, the country being open rolling +veldt all round the position which he was occupying at Doornberg.</p> + +<p>Having, therefore, a rough idea of the plans upon which we were working, +we were prepared for some long marches, and we were not disappointed. +Leaving Allendale at midnight, on a moonlight and starry night, we +marched off to the north: as bad luck would have it, we were following a +battery, which is an annoying thing on a night march, when, as everyone +knows, each unit has to keep touch with the troops in front so as not to lose distance.</p> + +<p>All troops open out on the march to a certain extent, which is greater +than that fixed in the drill books, but which actual experience in +marching shows is quite necessary; when, therefore, the head of a column +of all arms on the march is halted for the usual ten minutes every hour, +those in rear do not stop dead in their tracks as they should, but +continue closing up until they have resumed their proper parade ground +intervals.</p> + +<p>This was exemplified on this occasion, when we tramped for two hours and +fifty minutes without<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_196" id="Page_196">[Pg 196]</a></span> a halt, the early part of the march being a +constant succession of checks, caused by the frequent "backing and +filling" of the battery in front of us. Nothing is more annoying on the +march than these checks, which throw you out of your stride and bring +you up all standing, and nothing is more easily avoided by the common +sense adoption of wider and more elastic intervals between units and companies.</p> + +<p>About eight o'clock the column halted, as we were all staggering for +want of sleep; so we had breakfast and slept and rested until half past +two in the afternoon, when we continued on our way to Klein Saxony, +about 2 miles short of Winburg.</p> + +<p>With a couple of companies of the Composite Battalion, which had been +formed of all the details attached to the Brigade, and some Yeomanry and +two guns, I was detailed to look after the rear; and this small army of +mine did not reach camp until half-past seven. We had a long rest, +however, as we did not start the next day until the afternoon, at +half-past one, when we proceeded on our way, skirting Winburg on the +east and then marching in a straight line to Marais Farm, where we had +once before camped, when with the Boer laager.</p> + +<p>On the 17th of September, the Brigade moved off again, early in the +morning, towards Doornberg, camping at Rooikraal, about 13 miles +distant—very pleasant camp, with plenty of grass and good water, which +we enjoyed after all the miles and miles of burnt up veldt we had +trekked across since leaving Frankfort. The following morning we thought +that the great closing in movement was actually taking place around the +huge dark mass of flat topped mountain which we could see, lowering in +the distance, on the other side of a smiling grassy valley, as we moved +off at six o'clock, marching some 10 miles. We then halted under the lee +of a razor-backed ridge, being careful not to show<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_197" id="Page_197">[Pg 197]</a></span> ourselves over the +sky-line, and a few pickets and look-out men were posted. We could see, +or thought we could see, an occasional mounted man on the hills +opposite, but they must have been our own men; for we heard later that +the Boers had escaped during the night out of the net which had been so +carefully drawn round them, and had trekked off to the east.</p> + +<p>It was said at the time that their escape was due to the laxity of a +certain Brigade, operating from the east, who either did not move at +all, or else moved too late, to shut in the Boers at the only loophole +by which they could have cleared off. Finding a drift practically +unguarded, or rather held by a ridiculously small force, without the +support of the Brigade which it should have had, the Boers pushed +through during the night successfully, and were miles away when dawn broke.</p> + +<p>Disappointed, we camped at the spruit near by, and marched the following +morning towards Senekal, camping about 11 miles from that town, on the +same spot upon which we had camped on the 10th of August, when with the +Boer laager. This was a disgusting camp, with remains of our dead +animals strewn about, and water like pea soup, drawn from a succession +of mud holes. During the march we had passed a Krupp ammunition wagon +which the Boers had abandoned; the wheels of it being the only part made +of wood had been burned by our Mounted Infantry, who were following up +on the enemy's tracks.</p> + +<p>Senekal was reached the next morning, the 20th of September, just as +General Rundle's Division, the Eighth, was leaving; we camped to the +east of the town and remained there for two days, making a long trek, +however, of 14 miles on the 23rd towards Lindley. Our bivouac the next +day was at Kruisfontein, which we reached<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_198" id="Page_198">[Pg 198]</a></span> after a march of about 12 +miles; this place was a couple of miles south of Wit Kop, a huge, +isolated flat topped kopje rising out of the plain and dominating the +surrounding country. Towards this kopje we marched the following day and +camped at its foot, the two companies remaining there until the next +day, when the Brigade moved at six o'clock into Lindley, camping to the +north of the town about a mile out on the Heilbron road and beyond the drift.</p> + +<p>For two days we remained at Lindley, but the morning of the 28th saw us +on the road again, marching towards Heilbron, one half of our battalion +being baggage guard to the usual gigantic convoy and the other half being rear guard.</p> + +<p>About two o'clock the advanced guard and the main body halted and +camped, the convoy and the baggage guard closed up and we all settled +down: and then we heard that we were all to return to Lindley the +following day, as General Hunter had received orders to garrison most of +the towns in his district, which comprised the north eastern portion of +the Orange River Colony, and that a beginning was to be made by leaving +the 21st Brigade at Lindley.</p> + +<p>So the next morning, the 29th of September, back we went to Lindley, +arriving about 11.15 a.m. The rear guard had marched back during the +night, escorting the baggage of Colonel Le Gallais' troops, and +experiencing great trouble with their wagons, three of which we found +derelict on the road; we succeeded in tinkering up two of them and +bringing them along with us.</p> + +<p>General Hunter and Colonel Le Gallais left the same afternoon, and our +Brigade took up its quarters on the east of the town, and threw out +pickets on the hills surrounding the hollow in which Lindley is +situated. In the afternoon about four o'clock, when A company, then on +picket to the south west,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_199" id="Page_199">[Pg 199]</a></span> was about to be relieved by B and E +companies, who were then on their way out; a good deal of firing was +heard from that direction, and I was sent up by the General to see what +was the matter and to deal with it. Two guns and a pom-pom went out +also, and on reaching the hill it appeared that one of the sentries of A +company had been shot dead by some Boers who had ridden up within a few +hundred yards, fired at him, and then ridden off to take up a position +behind a rocky kopje (about 2,200 yards from one picket and 1,500 from +the other), from which they kept up an annoying fire. Our men had +occupied some trenches and sangars which had been made by our +predecessors, Paget's Brigade, I believe, some time previously, and +which were all of inferior construction and badly situated. Two of our +men were in consequence soon hit, but the remainder kept up a continuous +rifle fire on the enemy, invisible behind their kopje.</p> + +<p>The guns and the pom-pom soon came into action against this rocky hill, +and after a few shells the enemy's fire ceased.</p> + +<p>The General had now come up, and the Boers, seeing a little group on the +top of the hill, opened fire on us from a spur to our right front, which +ran down to meet the rocky kopje alluded to above, and which apparently +afforded the snipers a means of retreat secure from observation.</p> + +<p>At 2,000 yards B company replied to this fire, and the Boers, moving +further away, every now and then sent a few shots in our direction, +which, however, failed to reach us, and struck the ground in front.</p> + +<p>It was getting dusk, and the enemy were using black powder, so we were +able to locate them, and kept them moving by our fire delivered at +2,500, and then at 3,000 yards, beyond which the Lee-Metford is not sighted.</p> + +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_200" id="Page_200">[Pg 200]</a></span></p><p>And so this little incident closed, but unfortunately it had caused us +three casualties.<a name="FNanchor_11_11" id="FNanchor_11_11"></a><a href="#Footnote_11_11" class="fnanchor">[11]</a></p> + +<p>Some time afterwards we discovered the reason of this attack; it +appeared that the Boers had seen the column of Colonel Le Gallais and +General Hunter's escort moving away from the town that afternoon, and +had jumped to the conclusion that nearly all the troops had left +Lindley; so they came on boldly, as they did on the occasion of our +first departure from the town in May—but to be disappointed this time.</p> + +<p>The Brigade now settled down in Lindley, the pickets entrenched their +posts, and everything was done according to Cocker. A large convoy of +those wretched ox wagons, after storing in the town all the rations they +had been carrying, went off to Kroonstad with an escort supplied by the +Camerons and the Bedfords; the sick and wounded were sent away by this +convoy, and all the mule wagons which could be spared, the whole being +in charge of Captain Wroughton.</p> + +<p>However, in a couple of days the escort returned, bringing with them a +five-inch gun, under Captain Massie, R.A., and we learned then that they +had met General Hector Macdonald's Highland Brigade at Kaalfontein +Bridge, about 20 miles out, and that he had taken on the convoy and sent +the escort back with the cow gun and some mails for our Brigade.</p> + +<p>A visit was also paid to Groonvlei, a farm about five miles to the north +along the Heilbron road, with an escort, and several wagon loads of wood +were brought in, there being none in the town.</p> + +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_201" id="Page_201">[Pg 201]</a></span></p><p>Finding an empty house which was suitable for the purpose, a Soldiers' +Club was started, under the management of Mr. Leary, the active and +energetic padré who will always be remembered in our battalion for the +way he looked after our casualties at Retief's Nek. Things were made as +comfortable as possible, and tea and such eatables as could be got +(except biscuit, which was studiously avoided) were sold in the +evenings. Open air concerts of a rough and ready kind were regularly +held on three evenings a week, cricket, football and hockey matches, and +games such as quoits were played as often as could be arranged with the +few materials, at hand, and preparations made to lighten the tedium of +what promised to be a long stay in Lindley.</p> + +<div class="footnotes"><h3>FOOTNOTE:</h3> + +<div class="footnote"><p><a name="Footnote_11_11" id="Footnote_11_11"></a><a href="#FNanchor_11_11"><span class="label">[11]</span></a></p> + +<table summary="losses"> + <tr> + <td colspan="3" class="center">KILLED.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td>Private </td> + <td class="left">G. Latter,</td> + <td class="left">A Company.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td colspan="3" class="center"> </td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td colspan="3" class="center">WOUNDED.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td>Lce.-Corp. </td> + <td class="left">A. White,</td> + <td class="left">A Company.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td>Private </td> + <td class="left">H. Beeney, </td> + <td class="left">A Company.</td> + </tr> +</table> +</div> +</div> + +<hr /> + +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_202" id="Page_202">[Pg 202]</a></span></p> + +<h2><span>CHAPTER XVIII.</span> <span class="smaller">THE RAILWAY NEEDS REPAIR.</span></h2> + +<blockquote><p class="center">Wit Kop—Half the battalion goes on tour—-Kaffir Kop—Clearing the +country—Necessity for it—Mobile columns required—Kaalfontein +Bridge—Rearguard attacked at Doornkop—The line blown up—A +repairing expedition.</p></blockquote> + +<p>Everything was quiet in Lindley for a few days, and then, on the 3rd of +October, the General sent for me at half-past nine at night and told me +that he had ordered two companies of ours, under me, to proceed at five +o'clock the next morning to Wit Kop, where, apparently, some of our +mounted troops were in difficulties, having been engaged with the Boers +most of the day.</p> + +<p>The General also told me in confidence that he and some more troops were +coming out to Wit Kop in the afternoon, and that we were to proceed on a +tour round to the south and the west, and should probably be absent a week.</p> + +<p>So next morning, A and H companies, under Major O'Grady and Captain +Wisden, paraded at five o'clock and went out to Wit Kop, where we found +Captain Lloyd and some of the 8th M.I., and Captain Driscoll and some of +his Scouts. It appeared that a party of Driscoll's Scouts had gone out +towards Kaffir Kop but had not returned, and it was feared that they had +been cut off; during the previous day the few men remaining at Wit Kop +had been somewhat heavily fired on by a party of Boers, forty it was +estimated, who had crept up under shelter of a donga to within a few +hundred yards of our men, and had opened a considerable fire on them. +The party on the Kop were not strong enough to turn them out, but had +answered the fire and sent in a report to the General as soon as it was +dark enough for a messenger to travel.</p> + +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_203" id="Page_203">[Pg 203]</a></span></p><p>With our two companies we occupied the Kop, and spent the day watching +the surrounding country: Driscoll's Scouts went out and burned a farm, +from which the enemy had appeared the previous day, and we sat on the +Kop and stared through our field glasses at the open, undulating ground +to the south-west, over which we could see some Mounted Infantry moving.</p> + +<p>Idly we followed the movements of this little party, evidently a patrol, +and we watched five of them, out in front of a few others, riding in +extended order across a level space of grass, when suddenly we heard the +ping-boom of the Mauser: instantly the patrol wheeled about and galloped +back at speed, the firing of the enemy continuing for some moments. +After a while we saw some of the enemy riding away and disappearing +behind a rise in the ground, to reappear once more and ride off in the +distance, a little clump of men, say twenty-five at the outside.</p> + +<p>It seems that the Mounted Infantry patrol had noticed some men whom they +were approaching, but took them to be the party of Driscoll's Scouts +whose return we were all expecting, and so had unsuspectingly ridden +towards them; with the unfortunate result that their officer, Captain +Willsher, was killed, and one man wounded and taken prisoner.</p> + +<p>This incident is only one case among very many, I am afraid, where +similar occurrences have resulted in the death and capture of many men, +owing to the constant disregard of the saying, "take nothing for +granted," to which I have previously alluded; the reputation of the +Boers for "slimness," or 'cuteness, has been added to by each of these +incidents, which have really often been brought about by crass stupidity +on our parts, not always by any clever smartness on the part of our enemies.</p> + +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_204" id="Page_204">[Pg 204]</a></span></p><p>It was very sad to sit on the hill-top and observe all this going on in +front of us, only about 2 miles away, and to know that we could do +nothing; we had insufficient mounted men to chase the Boers, even if +they had not already got a long start, and we had no guns with us. +Captain Driscoll had had information that his patrol was returning, and +had secured two prisoners, from whom information was extracted to the +effect that Haasbrook's commando was then about 16 miles away to the south.</p> + +<p>About five o'clock we saw, from the cloud of dust approaching from the +north, that the remainder of the column was near at hand, and in about +an hour they were halted and cooking their tea a mile away from us; the +General had come up to the Kop just as the Mounted Infantry were burying +poor Captain Willsher, and had received our reports, and then directed +me to join the column with our two companies at seven o'clock.</p> + +<p>On reaching the camp we found F, G, and the Volunteers, under the +command respectively of Captain Gilbert, Lieut. Harden, and Captain +Blake busily engaged at their tea; they were very anxious to hear what +was going to happen, but all I knew was that we were to be ready to +start at a quarter past seven, at which hour we went off on another night march.</p> + +<p>After a couple of hours walk, there was a long halt at the top of a +hill, whilst the country in front was reconnoitred by the mounted +troops; it was bitterly cold and we could not keep warm, until, at last +the men received permission to roll themselves up in the blankets which +they carried on their belts.</p> + +<p>Soon nothing was to be seen in the dim light but a long line of black +figures stretched out on the road; the Camerons were in front of us and +the battery in rear, so we were quite secure. After this<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_205" id="Page_205">[Pg 205]</a></span> long halt we +moved on again, eventually encamping, towards half past ten, near a farm +about 13 miles from Lindley. Out of this farm a Boer was pulled and made +prisoner: he was making ardent love to a blushing Basuto damsel, when he +was caught, and handed over to the guard.</p> + +<p>At five o'clock the next morning the column marched towards Kaffir Kop, +about 6 miles, where we halted until the next afternoon at three, the +mounted troops going out to clear the country. This step had become +necessary at this stage of the war, and was in accordance with Lord +Roberts' orders, in places where disturbances continued. It was +distasteful work, but entirely justified by the circumstances.</p> + +<p>It was probably never contemplated by anyone that, after occupying the +chief towns in the Transvaal and the Orange River Colony, after seizing +the railways, dispersing the enemy's forces and driving a large number +into Portuguese territory, after despatching over 16,000 prisoners to +far away islands, after visiting all the towns in each colony, taking +the surrender and receiving the allegiance of many thousands of +burghers, these same burghers, many of them, would rise again and carry +on a guerrilla warfare which could have but one ending.</p> + +<p>When Burma was captured and annexed in 1886, after the occupation of +Mandalay, a similar state of matters prevailed for several years, armed +bands of dacoits roaming the country in all directions; they were +eventually suppressed by the salutary process of quartering garrisons in +all parts of the country, and forming numbers of small, mobile, flying +columns, largely composed of mounted men, who moved, at a moment's +notice, against any Boh, or leader, who appeared in the neighbourhood, +and hunted him till he fled or was captured.</p> + +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_206" id="Page_206">[Pg 206]</a></span></p><p>By this means, combination was rendered impossible, and the appearance +of any force of the enemy was the signal for prompt action being taken +against it by every one of the mobile little columns which might be +within call, commanded, as these columns often were, by young and +dashing officers selected for their energy and zeal. It was for this +reason that the latter part of the campaign in Burma in 1885-6 has been +called the "Subalterns' War."</p> + +<p>Something similar to this procedure was about this time necessary in the +Orange River Colony, but the paucity either of mounted troops, or of +remounts, delayed the formation of such columns as would be necessary, +say for instance, in the case in point on the 4th of October, to recover +rapidly the 16 miles which separated us from Haasbrook's commando, and to engage him.</p> + +<p>After despatching great droves of cattle and sheep to Lindley, we +proceeded in a circular sweep towards the west of that town, and cut the +Kroonstad road at Kaalfontein Bridge, which we crossed on the 9th of +October, moving beyond it a few miles and camping at Quaggafontein. This +place was only a couple of marches from Lindley, to which we expected to +return on the 11th of October; in fact we had to be somewhere by that +date, as we had only two days' rations left.</p> + +<p>Next morning, to our astonishment, the column headed off to the west +instead of to the east or north-east as we expected; there was only one +conclusion to draw—Kroonstad was our destination, and we were not sorry +either, as we wanted a new outfit of clothes, boots, and such other +articles as tobacco, matches and soap, which are sometimes almost as +necessary as a new pair of trousers.</p> + +<p>Our half battalion was on baggage and rear guard that day, H company +bringing up the rear of all; a couple of miles from camp the road +opened<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_207" id="Page_207">[Pg 207]</a></span> on to a great expanse of rolling veldt, which stretched away in +front of us for some miles, to a kopje covered with low trees standing near a drift.</p> + +<p>After crossing the drift, there was a farm on the left with several +houses, which had been burnt by the Highland Brigade, but in which some +women and children were living, temporary roofs of corrugated iron +having been erected. Rounding the end of the kopje, which was called +Doornkop, we saw, shut away in a recess, another farm house which had +been similarly treated: H company had reason afterwards to remember this farm house.</p> + +<p>The advanced guard passed over Doornkop, and the remainder of the troops +followed along the road and proceeded some distance, halting for the +usual ten minutes about a mile and a half beyond Doornkop, where the +veldt was level and open like that which we had left behind us.</p> + +<p>Whilst the main body was sitting about, resting, Colonel Kennedy, of the +Camerons, came up to me and said he thought he heard firing in the +direction of the rear guard. We listened, and I distinctly heard our old +friend the Mauser; so I rode back to see what was going on. Meeting a +breathless man with an incoherent message about Captain Wisden being +surrounded (which we found that officer had never sent), I shouted for +another company to come back, and rode on until Doornkop and the Valley +in which it stood came into view.</p> + +<p>The Volunteer company, under Captain Blake, came up in extended order +and opened fire on the kopje at a range of 2,000 yards, afterwards +advancing somewhat down the slope so as to get within closer range. +Captain Gilbert, whose company was marching just in front of Captain +Wisden's, had already sent one half-company off to rising ground on the +right, and had taken the other to a similar position on the left, so +that I had no apprehension as regarded our flanks.</p> + +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_208" id="Page_208">[Pg 208]</a></span></p><p>The kopje being rather beyond effective rifle fire, I sent Coleman, my +groom, riding back to the column to ask the senior officer to send me a +gun from the battery. Evidently not caring to assume the responsibility +of so weighty a matter, he sent Coleman on to the General, who was quite +two miles away, so that by the time the gun had arrived the opportunity +for its use had gone; as the Boers disappeared directly we showed that we meant business.</p> + +<p>It might be as well to state here that after this little episode, and to +avoid the chance of any similar useless delays on future occasions, the +General invariably ordered one gun to accompany the rear guard so as to +be handy in case it was wanted.</p> + +<p>Advancing down the slope, and still keeping up a fire to keep the enemy +under his cover, we came shortly into view of H company. They had, upon +being suddenly greeted with a shower of bullets from their rear, +discreetly dropped into a donga which, fortunately, lay almost at their +feet, and, safe in the security of this cover, had opened a smart fire +upon the trees and rocks of the kopje. Not a man of the enemy could be +seen, but they could see our men, as a poor fellow of H company, moving +from one part of the donga to another, received a bullet in his head and +dropped immediately.<a name="FNanchor_12_12" id="FNanchor_12_12"></a><a href="#Footnote_12_12" class="fnanchor">[12]</a> The Cape cart which carried the officers' mess +property stuck in the drift across the small donga, the ponies jibbed, +and no persuasion would induce them to move, so the cart was emptied, +the harness cut up, and the ponies turned loose—all this being done +under a dropping fire from the enemy.</p> + +<p>As soon as the shelling was over, H company withdrew, bringing their +dead with them, the<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_209" id="Page_209">[Pg 209]</a></span> companies resumed their former positions, and the +march was continued. We halted that night at Welgevreden, where the +Camerons, being on duty, threw out the usual pickets.</p> + +<p>Next morning, the 11th of October, we continued our march, starting at +eight o'clock. When about to withdraw, one of the pickets of the +Camerons was fired on by some snipers of the enemy. The few mounted men +with us who had been advanced guard the previous day had been kept back +to carry out the duties of rear guard on this occasion, and on their +approach the snipers fled, and we were annoyed no more that day.</p> + +<p>Kroonstad, about 11 miles distant, was reached about eleven o'clock, and +we camped just beyond No. 3 General Hospital and under Gun Hill. During +the day tents arrived for us, and we pitched these, hoping to remain a +few days to enjoy them, after having slept in the open for so long—some +of us since the 6th of April, but all of us since the 29th of that +month, when we left Glen—altogether about five and a half months. Many +of the men, however, preferred the fresh open air to the tents, and +rigged up their bivouacs as usual.</p> + +<p>Late on the night of the 11th of October I received orders to proceed to +the railway station at four o'clock the next morning, with a day's +rations, but without baggage. The Volunteer company was to remain in +camp, as it was expected that they would shortly receive orders to +proceed to Bloemfontein, at which place we had heard that all the +Volunteers were being concentrated previously to their departure for England.</p> + +<p>At the station we were entrained in empty coal trucks, with our +water-cart, horses and mules, besides about twenty men of the Royal +Engineers, and a quantity of reconstruction material, tools, rails, +sleepers and such like, and a break-down gang of natives.</p> + +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_210" id="Page_210">[Pg 210]</a></span></p><p>Some reports had come in from down the line which the Staff Officer +showed me. The officer commanding at Holfontein reported the line was +blown up between the Gangers' Hut No. 60 and Ventersburg Road Station, +and that the enemy were too strong for our patrols to encounter them. +The officer commanding at Boschrand reported that a number of explosions +had been heard on his left, and that the cavalry had been sent out and +had fired one volley at the enemy.</p> + +<p>One of the hospital trains—full of patients—had been waiting all night +to proceed at dawn, but this was now impossible, and the sick men had to +spend another day cramped up in the train.</p> + +<p>We steamed off as soon as it was light enough—about half-past four—to +see our way, and proceeded down the deviation and past the Remount +Camp—full of Indian sowars and native syces, or horsekeepers, who waved +their hands to us as we went by—until we reached Boschrand Station. The +officers were all in the trucks with their companies, and all had been +warned to be on the look out for sudden orders, and to be mighty sharp +about jumping out of the trucks and at once extending and lying down, +should they be ordered to do so. It was quite possible that the train +might be attacked when winding along the broken country and numerous +kopjes near Boschrand. Luckily this was not necessary, and we steamed +along beyond the station to the top of a rise in the ground, where the train pulled up.</p> + +<p>Here was the scene of the explosions heard during the night, and a nice +lot of damage had been done too. The line was blown up in no less than +seventeen places, at the junction of the rails, with heavy charges of +dynamite, the cardboard boxes in which this explosive had been carried +lying about in several places.</p> + +<p>The Boers had chosen the junction of the<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_211" id="Page_211">[Pg 211]</a></span> rails as the places at which +to deposit the charges of dynamite, as two rails would then be rendered +useless, their ends being blown up in a curve, in some cases to a right +angle, and the steel sleepers also destroyed. The railways in this +colony are laid on stamped steel sleepers with the chairs bolted on to +them, into which the rails are fixed by steel keys driven in from one +side, so that, although it may be an easy matter to lay the line, it is +a difficult job to remove a damaged rail, jammed in the chairs by an +explosion, in order to replace it by another.</p> + +<p>One company of our battalion was sent out on picket to the right and +left, up to the summit of the rising ground, from which a clear view +could be obtained for some miles, and the remainder were directed to +stay in the train, which might have to steam back at any moment. The men +of the Engineers were out of the train and at work, coolly and +deliberately, each man at his own particular job, before we had done looking about us.</p> + +<p>The Engineer officer informed me that the damaged rails would all have +to be removed and replaced by new ones, and that all the broken +sleepers, a large number, would have to be dug up and others put in +their places; a gang of native labourers were already at work fetching +rails and sleepers from the trucks, while the Engineers were clearing +away the ballast and exposing the rails to another party, who prized up +the rails with crow-bars and burst them out of the chairs with sledge hammers.</p> + +<p>This was all work which numbers of our reserve men, who had been +employed as platelayers on the railways at home, could well undertake, +so I asked for volunteers to come and work; as is always the case with +our men, no matter what they are asked to do, volunteers came forward in +large numbers; but only about fifty men were required,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_212" id="Page_212">[Pg 212]</a></span> who set to work +forthwith. In four hours thirty-four damaged rails had been taken up and +replaced by new ones, and fifty-four new sleepers had been put in +position, and the line was safe enough for our train to pass, after +which the native gangs would complete the work. During this time our men +had been allowed out of the train by parties in succession to cook their +food for breakfast, the company on picket being relieved also for this +purpose. We had some telegraph men on board the train, but as they had +brought no instrument, the wire could not be tapped, and the railway +authorities in Kroonstad could not be informed of the progress of the +work until we reached a station.</p> + +<p>The damage had apparently been caused by quite a small party of Boers, +there being the spoor, or track, of one ox wagon, a couple of Cape +carts, and about twenty men on horseback; they had apparently gone off +in the direction of the hills lying to the west, towards Bothaville. +About eleven o'clock work was concluded, and we proceeded rapidly to the +next break, passing on the way the station at Geneva.</p> + +<p>The next break was found to be beyond Holfontein; here the damage +consisted in four pairs of rails with the sleepers attached having been +removed bodily, one pair having been turned over preparatory to being +removed, all the bolts and nuts of the fish plates for quite 600 yards +broken off, all the telegraph wires dragged away, and the posts, without +exception, dragged down and broken and the insulators smashed.</p> + +<p>This was the greatest damage that had, as yet, been carried out in this +neighbourhood, already famous for the numerous raids on the line. The +nuts of the fish plate bolts, four to each rail, had been smashed off +with heavy sledge hammers by men who were acquainted with the work, not +by<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_213" id="Page_213">[Pg 213]</a></span> ignorant farmers, and to execute this job by night and over an +extent of line 600 yards long meant the breaking of no less than 480 +bolts. The rails, thus capable of being disconnected, were lifted in +pairs with the sleepers, deeply embedded in ballast, still attached, and +were turned over on their backs, thus forming a sort of sledge; four +pairs had been dragged away by bullocks over a ditch and across the +veldt, one pair having been taken more than half a mile away, and the +others being about 200 yards from the line. To lift these rails, even +with the iron telegraph poles, which had seemingly been used as levers, +must have taken at least sixteen powerful men to each pair of rails; +apparently the Boers intended to remove more than the five pairs of +rails which they had shifted, or else they would not have smashed so +many of the fish plate bolts. This was the least damage that was done, +and although we could not then replace such a large number, it was of +little consequence; there were no expresses likely to thunder along at +forty miles an hour, and the track was quite safe for a day or so as it was without bolts.</p> + +<p>Having seen the damage done, the next thing was to repair it, but this +did not take long; putting a company out on picket on each side of the +line, we got another company to work on the rails lying out on the +veldt, and, with a long and thick rope that was in the tool van, G +company, and afterwards A, soon towed the rails back again (although it +was a stiff pull even for 80 men), turned them over and lifted them into +their places, where the Engineers soon put them right. Some of the +sleepers had to be replaced by others, but as regards the telegraph line +and posts, we could do nothing; no less than eight wires, one of them a +copper telephone wire, had been removed bodily, and the posts smashed as +far as the eye could reach.</p> + +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_214" id="Page_214">[Pg 214]</a></span></p><p>It will be easily understood what an interruption this caused, not only +to the railway traffic but to the communications with Cape Town: +however, telegraph operators were at work everywhere, and a temporary +line was rigged up that day; but it was a long time before all the wires could be renewed.</p> + +<p>The Engineers and our men were not long repairing the rails, and in +about half an hour we were on the move once more towards Ventersburg +Road, in full sight of which was the next, and luckily the last, break; +in this one the line had been blown up in two places, necessitating two +new rails being laid, but for fully 200 yards or more the fish plate +bolts had been broken off as before; for 120 yards the rails had been +disconnected and torn asunder, apparently with the intention of dragging +them away over the veldt, and for no less than a mile and a half all the +telegraph posts had been torn down (evidently by teams of bullocks) and +smashed, and the wires dragged away: every insulator was broken in pieces.</p> + +<p>As all this 120 yards of line had to be relaid, the work took us longer +than at the last break; but in about an hour and a half it was done, and +away we steamed back again to clear off the line and let the trains +pass, which were by now jammed at Kroonstad and Ventersburg Road on both +sides of us. At about three o'clock we reached Geneva.</p> + +<p>After all, very little real damage had been done, and a very short +cessation of traffic caused, as by two o'clock that afternoon trains +were running again; and even in the case of a serious break to the line, +such as the destruction of an important bridge, there was always an +alternative line, that through Natal, by which supplies could be procured.</p> + +<div class="footnotes"><h3>FOOTNOTE:</h3> + +<div class="footnote"><p><a name="Footnote_12_12" id="Footnote_12_12"></a><a href="#FNanchor_12_12"><span class="label">[12]</span></a> Private C. Shutton, H company.</p></div></div> + +<hr /> + +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_215" id="Page_215">[Pg 215]</a></span></p> + +<h2><span>CHAPTER XIX.</span> <span class="smaller">TO BOTHAVILLE.</span></h2> + +<blockquote><p class="center">Geneva—Kroonstad—New boots and sore feet—Bothaville—A strange +souvenir—The town destroyed—Kroonstad again—Home remittances.</p></blockquote> + +<p>At Geneva we received orders to detrain one company there, and to send +one to Boschrand, one to Holfontein, and one to Ventersburg Road; there +were plenty of trains running both ways by this time, so the companies +were quickly got off, H to Boschrand, A to Holfontein, and G to +Ventersburg Road, while F company remained at Geneva. In the orders it +was stated that our baggage and rations would be sent down, but we did +not expect to see them that day, and were not disappointed when they did +not arrive until the next morning.</p> + +<p>However, the men had all had their rations for that day issued to them, +and they also had a blanket each, and we at Geneva, or, rather those who +were not on picket, made ourselves snug under some tarpaulins: luckily, +it was rather a warm night. I am afraid many men that day had had +nothing much to eat after breakfast time; it is a curious thing that the +majority of soldiers never learn to economise their rations or to keep a +bit in hand. In this particular case, each man had been issued overnight +with a tin of Maconochie's rations, a particularly tasty kind of food, +and a relief after much trek ox; but, although we had started at the +early hour of half past four in the morning, yet numbers of rations had +been eaten and the tins thrown on the line, even inside the station; as +we steamed away the few men who had not already finished were busy at their tins.</p> + +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_216" id="Page_216">[Pg 216]</a></span></p><p>Geneva was not really a station at all, only a siding, with not a drop +of water procurable, except that brought in a tank by the train daily, +which tank was not always full. There were a couple of empty tanks at +the station, which we filled and kept in reserve, as there was no +knowing when the line might again be blown up and communication +interrupted, and ourselves forced to drink water out of puddles.</p> + +<p>On the 13th of October the Volunteer company passed us in the train +going down to Bloemfontein, preparatory to being sent home. They were of +course in the highest of spirits, and there was great cheering as the +train left the station. They had done well while with the battalion, and +had throughout carried out their duties in the field excellently. There +were not many men left to go away, only forty-seven, but there were ten +more at Lindley, and many others in various hospitals in the country. +All day long trains were going down south, and on most of them were +Volunteers of many regiments—all in a great state of glee. On Sunday, +the 14th of October, we returned to Kroonstad, the train leaving +Ventersburg Road about two o'clock in the afternoon, and collecting the +companies as it came up the line. We went back to our old camp, and the +next day had an opportunity of fitting ourselves out with clothes and +boots from the Ordnance stores. No less than 180 pairs of new boots were +issued to men of our four companies, and other clothing, socks and +shirts to those who wanted them.</p> + +<p>It is a curious point in our military administration that on service +where boots and helmets, coats and trousers, are issued free, shirts, +socks, and drawers, which it is just as necessary to renew, are charged +for. This system causes a considerable amount of extra work in the +field, as the men have to be charged in their accounts—not to mention<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_217" id="Page_217">[Pg 217]</a></span> +that it is not a fair charge to make against a man who is wearing out +his clothes in the field and on duty of the severest nature.</p> + +<p>It was believed about this time that after a stay of a day or two at +Kroonstad, we should move back to Lindley, the convoy of 180 ox-wagons +having been loaded and ready for us for some time. Thus there would have +been an opportunity of breaking in, by wearing them in camp, the new +boots which we had just received, and the marches to Lindley, being +fairly short ones, could have been managed without serious disablement.</p> + +<p>When, however, the Brigade orders arrived that evening, it was +discovered that, far from going to Lindley, we were to proceed in the +opposite direction. Camp was to be quitted at half-past five next +morning, and the troops were to cross both spruits to the south, and to +be at a point on the Bloemfontein Road by seven o'clock, taking with us +four days' rations and two days' forage for the animals. It was a +terribly long march that day, and the unfortunate men with new boots, +thus unexpectedly called upon to march fully 20 miles, suffered +considerably, and many were unfit to march for several days, and had to +be carried on wagons. Next day was a shorter march of 12 miles to a +place called Nels Farm, where we pitched our tents and remained for +another day, whilst the cavalry and the mounted troops went out and +destroyed the farms in the neighbourhood, belonging to Boers out on +commando. There was an unfortunate occurrence that day, when one party +of Mounted Infantry fired at another party, thinking they were the +enemy, and shot a poor fellow through the body, wounding him dangerously.</p> + +<p>There have been several cases of this sort of thing during the +campaign—due to one or two causes: the similarity in dress of our men +and the<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_218" id="Page_218">[Pg 218]</a></span> Boers, induced first by the absurd fondness in our troops for +wearing any headgear except that with which they are provided; and +secondly by the habit among the Boers of securing military clothing from +the trains they at times have looted. Another reason is the fondness our +men have—perhaps due to their over-eagerness and the want of experience +of young officers—for opening fire on the enemy, or what is thought to +be the enemy, at extreme ranges—any distance from 800 to 3,000 +yards—at which it is almost impossible to tell friend from foe.</p> + +<p>Field glasses being no part of the equipment even of the higher +non-commissioned ranks, how is a party of scouts to tell Mounted +Infantry from Boers, except by waiting until they come near enough to distinguish?</p> + +<p>Our troops are not sufficiently acquainted with what may be called +advanced musketry to understand that a few scattered shots fired at a +widely spread target, such as a mounted patrol of five or six men, at +the extreme range of 2,000 yards, is worse than useless and a distinct +waste of ammunition. The theory of musketry, the curve of the +trajectory, and the power of the rifle generally, are points which are +far less understood than they might be in our service, and receive as +little attention as the important subject of estimating ranges or the no +less necessary matter of firing at extreme ranges.</p> + +<p>The weather was now becoming distinctly warmer, in fact at Nels Farm, +the day we rested there, it was quite warm enough for most of us, and we +were glad of the bit of protection afforded from the sun by the bell tents.</p> + +<p>On the 19th of October, a warm, close day, we marched about 13 miles to +the drift at Tweefontein, two companies being rear guard with a gun and +250 cavalry, who were kept at a good reasonable distance away from the +main body, so<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_219" id="Page_219">[Pg 219]</a></span> as to afford us some protection from snipers. Many farms +were passed along the road, most of them being burned or blown up; we +were now in a local centre of rebellion, this district not having been +visited by our troops for some months, and the Boers having swarmed back +in crowds in consequence: they used the farms to lodge in, and obtained +from them food and information as to our movements.</p> + +<p>We camped that night on the near side of the drift, and at early dawn +the convoy started moving across and parking on the other side; it was +to remain there whilst the remainder of the column went on to Bothaville.</p> + +<p>The Buffs Militia, four companies of whom had accompanied us from +Kroonstad, were also to remain, together with 40 men of ours and some of +the Camerons, as well as one gun from the battery and all the cavalry +details; naturally the men still suffering from the new boots were told +to remain, and Lieut. Thorne was instructed to take charge of our men.</p> + +<p>Bothaville was only 8 miles away, and we soon reached it, and camped on +a grassy slope, to the east of the town, running down to the river, +which, at this spot, passes through high banks; there were still a few +English people in the town, and a Nursing Sister, but most of the +residents had either gone or left only their wives and families to represent them.</p> + +<p>It was quite a small town, but contained a very fine stone house, quite +out of keeping with the remainder, built by the late Government for the +use of the Dutch minister. These gentlemen usually seemed fairly +comfortable in every town which we had visited, with good houses and +gardens and no rent to pay. They were men of much influence; most of +them threw in their lot with their parishioners and went with them on +commando,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_220" id="Page_220">[Pg 220]</a></span> for which they can hardly be blamed. The Nursing Sister was +very pleased to see us; she had been left behind with a patient by our +troops on their last visit, three months before, and had been unable to +leave the town since. A good deal of private property (including the +valuable telegraph instruments, out of the post office) was found stowed +away in the church in the hope that our troops would not touch +anything—nor did we.</p> + +<p>Two days we halted in this little town, and we enjoyed the rest very +much; there was capital bathing in the river, and Captain Gilbert, +Lieut. Boevey, and one or two more spent most of their time trying to +coax the fish out of the stream, with some success.</p> + +<p>As the Boers were still in the neighbourhood, and the mounted troops +were out all day destroying the farms of those burghers of whom a good +account could not be given, the picket duty was rather hard. Captain +Gilbert went out one pitch dark night with a few men to surround some +farms close by, which were occupied by pseudo-loyalists, and to try and +catch any visitors who might be staying the night; but after some bad +walking, falling over ant-heaps and into holes, they returned in the +early morning, having visited three farms and drawn blank in each case.</p> + +<p>There was a shop in the town with the usual miscellaneous collection of +articles, and I was told that such articles as would be of use to the +men might be removed; so a party from each company went round to look +over the stock, which, however, comprised nothing much worth having. +There were a few things, such as writing paper, penny note books, some +shovels and other tools, which were useful, and which the men were +allowed to take away: but most of the stock consisted of medicines, +ironmongery, and some cheap drapery.</p> + +<p>I saw one hairy old reserve man going out<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_221" id="Page_221">[Pg 221]</a></span> with a small bundle under his +arm, so I collared him and asked, "What's this?"</p> + +<p>He stammered a bit, got confused, and finally said: "Well, Sir, +it's—it's—its some calico!"</p> + +<p>"Let's have a look at it," said I, and it was slowly unfolded and held +up; it, or rather they, were not calico by any means, but the finest +linen, with lace frills.</p> + +<p>"What on earth are you going to do with these?" I asked him. He got very +red, and still more confused.</p> + +<p>"Well, I'd like them, Sir, I want to send them to my girl!" he replied.</p> + +<p>So he took them away, to despatch by parcel post, and I hope the young +woman was pleased with her present—rather a curious one to receive from +the scene of war.</p> + +<p>Early next morning, at five o'clock, we were sent to burn and destroy +certain houses in the town, which had been apportioned as our share of +the work, the remainder being looked after by the Camerons and the men +of the Royal Engineers. The church and manse, post office, Landdrost's +office and about five or six other houses were not destroyed, but the +mill was blown up by the Engineers. In several of the houses which were +burned numerous small explosions took place, showing that cartridges +were concealed somewhere; the principal house in the town, filled with +English furniture, belonged to the man who owned the shop, and who was +then fighting against us with his commando: so it was with no feelings +of compunction that we watched the destruction of his home.</p> + +<p>All the residents were provided with wagons to take themselves and their +property into Kroonstad, and the town was vacated by one o'clock, when +we all marched away to our new camp, about three miles distant. There we +were joined by the convoy<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_222" id="Page_222">[Pg 222]</a></span> and the men we had left at Tweefontein; on +the way we were sniped at, a few shots being fired at the cavalry rear +guard, but no harm was done to anyone.</p> + +<p>At six o'clock the next morning, on a lovely day, we marched off towards +Beeste Kraal, which we reached before noon; we had now a very large +convoy of wagons with us, in addition to the refugees' wagons and the +baggage of ourselves, the Cavalry and the Mounted Infantry, the total +making up a very long column.</p> + +<p>It was our bad fortune the next day to be rearguard to this huge +procession of wagons and carts, which was continually being added to as +refugees joined us along the road from the adjacent farms; the march was +a long one, 18 miles, and although we started at seven in the morning, +the convoy was so slow that it was past two o'clock when we reached our +camp at Driekopjes, or Three Hills. Numbers of farm houses had been +burned along the road on both sides; one farm which we passed belonged +to an Englishman, who was with us as a guide, and who had married a +Dutchwoman: he had been compelled to leave the country and go to Cape +Colony six months before, when the war broke out and all English +subjects received notice to quit, and had only now come with the troops, +to pack up what he could and bring it and his family along with us.</p> + +<p>Driekopjes is within a short distance of the famous Rhenoster Kop, a +favourite haunt of De Wet, who was very partial to the three hills which +gave the place its name, as they commanded the country for miles round, +and formed an excellent advanced position to the larger Rhenoster Kop, +rising black and forbidding about three miles to the north. There is a +diamond mine close to where we camped, with a couple of shafts and some +houses—apparently only a small mine.</p> + +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_223" id="Page_223">[Pg 223]</a></span></p><p>On the 26th of October we marched once more into Kroonstad, and a very +pleasant tramp it was after our long day's duty as rear guard on the +previous day; it was perfect weather and the road was good, and we were +leading battalion of the column, so we stepped along briskly in great form.</p> + +<p>After about six hours' march we found ourselves in the outskirts of +Kroonstad and camping under Gun Hill, but to the west this time; many +were the speculations as to how long we should remain and where we +should next go to, as not one of us believed that we should go back to +Lindley just yet; we had been too often sold before, and had come to +look upon Kroonstad as the invariable forerunner of a dash somewhere +down the line; next time we should, perhaps, go north for a change, as a +commando was said to be assembling to the north of Rhenoster Kop. +Colonel Le Gallais' mounted force had left us at Driekopjes and gone off +to the north, and we fully expected to find ourselves next day in coal +trucks steaming up the line.</p> + +<p>For a wonder we did not move the next day or the next, and the men had a +good opportunity of visiting the town. More clothes and boots had been +issued to those who required them, and some pay served out also: it was +a long time since they had drawn any pay, so every man had about a +couple of sovereigns to spend in the shops, which were now all open, +crammed full of stock of all kinds, with the owners cutting each others +throats in their eagerness to sell to the soldiers; the price of +everything was down to the usual rates and was falling every day, as one +could see by the lists of prices outside each shop door. Very many of +the men, it was pleasing to hear, went to the Army Post Office at the +railway station, and bought largely of the postal orders for sale there, +to remit some of their pay to their families.</p> + +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_224" id="Page_224">[Pg 224]</a></span></p><p>It was a very great convenience to the men to be able to purchase these +Postal Orders and thus send their money home themselves, and it was a +great pity that the system was not introduced earlier in the campaign. +Another great improvement would be the possibility of buying their +postal orders on board the transports, as is done on the ships of the +navy. In the beginning of the campaign the men used to bring me their +money and ask me to send it home for them, as they could not do so +themselves, and at various times I have forwarded to England, through +the banks, drafts for over £500; this is a good record and reflects much +credit on the men, and shows their consideration for their families.</p> + +<hr /> + +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_225" id="Page_225">[Pg 225]</a></span></p> + +<h2><span>CHAPTER XX.</span> <span class="smaller">VENTERSBURG ROAD.</span></h2> + +<blockquote><p class="center">A midnight start—Column surprised from the flank—Stampede of the +animals—Attack of the Boer position—The charge—Boer retreat—The +Infantry follow—Final position—A gun comes up—The Cavalry do not +appear—The scene of action.</p></blockquote> + +<p>No one was astonished on the 29th of October when we found ourselves at +the station entraining again, and bound for our old destination, +Ventersburg Road; this time the mule wagons went with us, and several +trains were required to convey us all. The Camerons, half a battalion of +the Buffs Militia and half a battalion of the Argyll and Sutherland +Militia went off first; we followed at eight o'clock, and after us came +the battery and one of the five inch guns, of which there were two at +Kroonstad. The General and his staff came down also by this train, and +we camped once more to the west of the station. The Third Cavalry +Brigade was there too, and also Captain Pine-Coffin, with his company of +the Mounted Infantry from Malta; but not poor Lieut. Attfield, of the +Derbyshire, who, to the great loss of his regiment and the service +generally, had been killed in a skirmish with the Boers some time +previously: a smarter or cleverer officer of his standing could not have been found.</p> + +<p>Reveillé came at the preposterous hour of eleven o'clock at night, when +we struck camp and loaded our wagons, marching off at midnight towards +Ventersburg town; it was a darkish night with no moon, but the stars did +their best to compensate for the absence of that luminary.</p> + +<p>We moved in the following order, preceded by the Third Cavalry Brigade, +who had gone out at eight o'clock that evening—first the Camerons, as +advanced guard, then the battery and the five inch gun, after that the +Buffs Militia, then the<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_226" id="Page_226">[Pg 226]</a></span> other Militia battalion, and lastly ourselves; +each of these units was of course followed by its first line +transport—ammunition carts, water carts, and so on, and the rear of all +was brought up by the ambulances of the 20th Field Artillery. General +Hunter was with us with his staff, but General Bruce Hamilton rode with +the Camerons, who were stretched out to some considerable distance in front.</p> + +<p>After crossing the drift (which took some time, as there was water in it +and we had to get over by the stepping stones), we continued on our way +with the usual halts until about four o'clock or so in the morning. It +was then just commencing to get light, but it could hardly be called +dawn; and we could distinguish on our left front a dark mass of +rock-covered kopje, which lay broadside on to the road, but forming an +angle with it, and joining it about a mile further on.</p> + +<p>Thus from where we were to the top of the hill must have been at least a +thousand yards, but the head of the column could not have been further +off than six hundred yards or perhaps less: barring this ridge, which +rose steeply out of the plain, the ground around us for a considerable +distance was as flat as a table.</p> + +<p>The Camerons had gone on some distance, and evidently reached as far as +the place where the road dipped into a small valley among some broken +hills, and we were still halted, when a Staff officer from General +Hunter told me to send a company to occupy the kopje, which it appears +was not picketed by the cavalry of the Third Brigade (as it should have +been) or even by the Camerons; owing to a misunderstanding the flank on +that side had been left completely alone.</p> + +<p>So I nodded to Lieut. Hopkins, who was standing by me and had heard the +General's order, and off he went with A company, which was then leading<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_227" id="Page_227">[Pg 227]</a></span> +our half battalion; in rear of them, in order of march, came F company, +under Captain Gilbert, then G and H, under Major Panton and Captain +Wisden, and then a company of details, belonging to the other half +battalion, which was commanded by Captain Blake.</p> + +<p>We idly watched A company moving off in fours, a dark mass in the dim +light, and I was wondering why Lieut. Hopkins did not extend his men, +and was on the point of shouting to him to do so, when the thought came +into my mind that it would be better to leave the company alone, as the +officer knew quite well what he was doing, and would, no doubt, extend +as he got closer to the foot of the hill.</p> + +<p>They had gone about half way between us and the hill, and Lieut. +Hopkins, as he told me afterwards, was just turning round to give the +order to extend, when there was the sudden ping-boom of a solitary rifle +from the top of the kopje, evidently a signal, as it was followed by a +terrible outburst of musketry, somewhat similar to that at Reteif's Nek, +but not so heavy.</p> + +<p>I was watching A company at the time, and it was very curious to notice +how they behaved under this crash of musketry, which spattered the +ground all round them with bullets; at the distance it seemed as though +the whole company staggered and shook like a field of wheat under a +breeze; then instantly the whole were flat on the ground, and they +commenced firing without a moment's hesitation. Evidently the orders +given were prompt and to the point: the fluttering appearance, like a +flock of pigeons just settling down in a field, was caused by the men +moving outwards, some to the front, some to the back, to extend; the +whole business was over in an instant, but it was very pleasant to see +the men so prompt to do what they ought, and so smart in opening fire.</p> + +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_228" id="Page_228">[Pg 228]</a></span></p><p>All this passed in the twinkling of an eye, and then we had other +matters to attend to, in place of looking on; F company, now the leading +one, had already faced the enemy, and were lying down, waiting for +orders; and the remaining companies were soon doing the same, forming +across the veldt at an angle to the road, and, when in position, opening +fire over the heads of A company at the Boers on the sky line at about +1,100 yards range; there was nothing to be seen of the enemy, of course.</p> + +<p>There was terrible confusion in front of us. All I could see was a +confused mass of horses, bullocks, Cape carts and men moving swiftly and +silently, like a great black river, down upon us; in the middle of all +this was a water cart, tearing along with no drivers, and the six mules +going all they knew; there was a mad bullock charging, head down, tail +up, amongst the men, and there were loose horses everywhere.</p> + +<p>It seems the battery had dismounted during the halt, and the men were +lying down when the firing broke out. The Major of the battery was shot +dead at once by the first discharge, and several horses were killed and +wounded; instantly, however, one of the gun detachments unlimbered, +swung the gun round and got off a shot at the Boers; but by this time +there was a regular stampede going on amongst the animals, which were +all rushing back on us to get out of the dreadful fire, and the fearful +noise and echoing of rifle shots, which were incessant.</p> + +<p>In the battery, several men were run over and seriously injured by +bolting wagons, one of the latter travelling several miles before it was +brought back; the team of oxen had swung round with the heavy five inch +gun and had smashed the pole, two bullocks had been killed and several +injured; the escort to the battery were apparently men of<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_229" id="Page_229">[Pg 229]</a></span> the Argyll +and Sutherland Militia, and they lay down and opened fire.</p> + +<p>By this time (and all the foregoing happened in a few seconds), our +companies were all extended across the veldt, stretching away from the +road, and were parallel to and about a thousand yards from the hill +occupied by the enemy, at the skyline of which we were firing.</p> + +<p>It was still dark, but momentarily growing lighter and lighter, and our +men were blazing away steadily, when Captain Ross, the Divisional +Signalling officer, came down with an order from General Hunter for the +Royal Sussex to charge the hill.</p> + +<p>That was all the Royal Sussex were waiting for: the whistle blew, and +the whole line rose to their feet, and rushed wildly across the open +ground, a few bullets dropping in front of us; yelling, cheering and +cursing, and fixing bayonets as they ran, this wild mob kept on until +want of breath necessitated a halt. A moment or two to fill their lungs, +and on they dashed again, until checked by a wire fence, A company well +in front with the start they had got, and young Wadwicz leading the way; +but Cox, of F company, showing us that the reserve man was the best of +all. The enemy's fire had ceased as suddenly as it had begun; some of us +had our hearts in our mouths as, checked for a moment, we clambered over +the barbed wires, dreading momentarily that the Boers were only holding +their fire until we were mixed up in the fencing.</p> + +<p>Not so, however; the fixing of the bayonets and the sudden onslaught of +the long line was too much for their nerves, and they were off; panting +and blowing after our long run of a thousand yards, we saw them when we +reached the summit, going like smoke in the distance, in two directions; +our men did not stop on the summit, but pushed on to gain the next hill.</p> + +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_230" id="Page_230">[Pg 230]</a></span></p><p>There was a valley between, about a thousand yards wide, and, beyond, +the ridge rose in a smooth slope, extending a long way both to the right +and the left; on the left it continued, forking out into two spurs, +which ran outwards, that on the left culminating in a lofty, +round-topped hill, while that on the right continued round in a half +circle. Our party now divided, Major Panton going towards the round hill +on the left with two companies, while the remainder pushed on to the +smooth ridge straight to our front.</p> + +<p>We had opened fire at 800 and 1,000 yards from the top of the hill which +we had charged, on the small parties of the Boers, evidently lagging +behind the others; one of these men was dismounted, and our bullets +hastened his movements considerably, until he disappeared out of sight +over the ridge; and we had then pushed on in the hopes of catching him +and his friends on the other side. One party of the enemy had gone off +towards the round-topped hill on the left, and the horse of one of them, +hit at 900 yards, had collapsed in a cloud of dust, so Major Panton and +his two companies tore after his rider.</p> + +<p>While ascending the ridge in front, orders were received not to go any +further, so we crept up to the top of the hill and lined the crest; the +order was passed along to the companies, now a long way on our left, to do likewise.</p> + +<p>Then we had leisure to look about us and fill up our ammunition pouches; +it was now about half-past four, and the sun was just thinking of +showing himself above the horizon; behind us, coming over the hill, were +some companies of the Buffs Militia; in front of us was a huge valley, +and beyond, on a small plateau, lay the town of Ventersburg; on our +right, a long way off, perhaps a mile and a half, was a small group of +mounted men and some infantry, with whom signalling communication was<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_231" id="Page_231">[Pg 231]</a></span> +opened, and who proved to be General Bruce Hamilton and his staff and +escort, and some of the Camerons. Information was sent to me that the +Third Cavalry Brigade was in Ventersburg town, right in rear of the +party of the enemy who had fired on us. This news filled us with +amazement; what were they doing there, and why had they not tried to cut +off the fleeing enemy, some of whom had bolted directly towards them?</p> + +<p>In a few minutes up dashed a gun of the 39th Field Battery, under the +gallant old sergeant-major; sharp and rapid were his orders, and quickly +he asked where to place his shells. I pointed out the range of hills to +the left front, right in the eye of the fast rising sun and well away +from the town (which I knew it was useless to shell even if the cavalry +had not been there), and the shrapnel rapidly began to burst along the +circular ridge 3,000 yards in front, searching the reverse slopes. Soon +a message, transmitted from the cavalry in the town, arrived, asking the +gun to stop firing as the shells had dropped near to them; and so our +little fight was all over. Evidently the cavalry were not in the town, +as they had said before—although, if they were outside, their conduct +in not pursuing the enemy was quite inexplicable.</p> + +<p>Our bag was small: three horses, two rifles, and a Boer's hat; but, Lord +knows, we ran hard enough and deserved more success. Our casualties were +<i>nil</i>, to my great wonder and thankfulness: how A company escaped was a +marvel, as the ground round them was covered with spirts of dust from +dropping bullets until the advance commenced.</p> + +<p>After a while, leaving a company on the top of the round hill, we +re-formed and moved down towards the General, camping shortly afterwards close by.</p> + +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_232" id="Page_232">[Pg 232]</a></span></p><p>It seems the Camerons' advanced guard had crossed the drift and reached +the hill, in rear, but a long way to the right, of the enemy's position, +and had seen them in the dim light bolting like hares a long way off, +and had fired a few volleys at 2,500 yards; but the range was too great +and the light too dull to do any good.</p> + +<p>Lieut. Nelson, who was acting as Assistant Provost Marshal on the +General's staff, had had a narrow escape; he was riding towards the +column after the firing began with an order, when he was promptly fired +on by some of our troops, and, notwithstanding his shouts and the waving +of his helmet, the firing did not cease: so he had to bolt without +delivering his message.</p> + +<p>Walking over the scene of action the next day, it was interesting to +place oneself in the Boer positions, and to notice how admirably they +were selected, and what perfect protection from our fire was afforded by +the stone walls from behind which they had opened such a galling fire +upon the column. Their horses were well placed behind the hill, and, +from the traces on the ground, could not have been there more than a few +hours at the most; from twenty-five to thirty men must have been +employed, and these had posted themselves behind the stone walls (old +sheep and cattle kraals), with which the summit of the spur was entirely covered.</p> + +<p>Their actual positions were revealed by the presence of their cartridge +cases, which showed that four kinds of rifles had been used—Mauser, +Lee-Metford, Martini and Stehr—and the Boers themselves were so +perfectly concealed and so widely distributed that our column might have +remained all day, firing with guns and rifles at the kopje, without +disabling more than one or two of the enemy.</p> + +<p>Apparently the enemy's picket on the hill could<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_233" id="Page_233">[Pg 233]</a></span> not see the Camerons +passing along (it was dark then, and they were well spread out), or else +the Boers intended to devote all their energies to stampeding the +battery and the five inch-gun.</p> + +<p>Going down into the plain, the positions taken up by the men of A +company, when they were suddenly fired upon, were revealed by the little +heaps of cartridge cases, showing that the men had thrown themselves +down from five to ten paces apart, in line, and with another line of men +some little distance in rear, evidently the rear half company. The +number of cases in each pile averaged about twenty or twenty-five, +several men having fired as many as thirty-two; but a weak point was +revealed by the number of unexpended cartridges lying about, as many as +thirty-one in one particular spot. This is accounted for partly by the +rounds falling out of the pouches when they are opened and the men are +lying down; but there is also another reason—the men have a habit, a +natural one too, of drawing out a handful of rounds and laying them on +the ground to be handy for use; and when a sudden advance is made these +rounds are forgotten. As the clip system of loading is pretty sure to be +adopted without delay, there is no reason for harping upon the +disadvantages of our pouches and our custom of single loading.</p> + +<p>There were a number of dead oxen lying about, and two dead horses, one +belonging to Major Hanwell, which had been shot at the same time as that +unfortunate officer, and the other belonging to an officer of General +Hunter's staff; while far away, more than half a mile off, were some dead mules.</p> + +<p>Major Hanwell was buried the same afternoon in the little cemetery of +the town; he was a smart soldier, and well known in Poona and Bombay.</p> + +<hr /> + +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_234" id="Page_234">[Pg 234]</a></span></p> + +<h2><span>CHAPTER XXI.</span> <span class="smaller">BACK TO LINDLEY.</span></h2> + +<blockquote><p class="center">Ventersburg—Kroonstad—Boer guns captured at Bothaville—Story of +the action—To Lindley—Bad drifts and willing workers—Luxuries +for the garrison—Their doings during October.</p></blockquote> + +<p>We remained several days in camp, and on the 1st of November a party was +sent into Ventersburg to burn and destroy some of the houses; they were +wretched little shanties, most of the better class houses in the town +being left untouched. A number of prisoners were taken, and some of the +residents were deported and sent off to the railway in our wagons.</p> + +<p>It was our turn that day to find the pickets, some of which were a +considerable distance away: about dusk it began to rain, and continued +to do so, steadily and without intermission, for thirty-six hours, +during which time we were practically prisoners, as the roads were too +heavy for the wagons to travel.</p> + +<p>We were to have moved at seven o'clock in the morning, but as the +weather showed no prospect of clearing up, the General decided to +remain; our pickets therefore, after a horribly wet night, were not +relieved by the Camerons until about ten o'clock. The men must have had +a wretched time on picket, and looked miserable when they came in, wet +to the skin: however, an issue of rum, which was sanctioned by the +General, was made to them as they arrived, cold and hungry, and soon +everyone was cheery and making the best of it. The trouble was the +cooking, and wretched were the meals the poor fellows had that day: some +of them succeeded in making small fires inside the tents and boiling +their canteens on them, but wood was scarce and wet.</p> + +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_235" id="Page_235">[Pg 235]</a></span></p><p>By our inability to march on the 2nd we lost our chance of travelling +to Kroonstad by rail: three trains were waiting for us at Ventersburg +Road, but, owing to our non-arrival, they were ordered away by Lord +Kitchener, and the result was we had another thirty miles to tramp.</p> + +<p>The rain ceased early on the morning of the 3rd of November, and we were +able to strike our tents (still soaked through), load our wagons with +our sopping blankets, and move off towards the railway: as soon as we +reached the high ground the road was firm enough, but in the +neighbourhood of the camp, owing to the constant traffic and the +trampling of animals, it was nothing but a sea of mud. We reached the +station in good time, and camped, spreading out our blankets to dry +directly we got in. Several trains arrived at the station that afternoon +with supplies and troops on board: these latter were details and drafts +proceeding up country to join their regiments, and among them were about +a dozen of our men who had come up from Bloemfontein, and who eventually +joined us at Kroonstad; they said there were numbers of men of our +battalion still in the Rest Camp at Bloemfontein.</p> + +<p>A day or two later I mentioned this to the General, who wired to the +General at Bloemfontein, asking him to send up all officers and men of +the Royal Sussex; but the latter General replied that he was very sorry +he could not, as the men were urgently required for duty in the town; so +the regiment had to go short-handed, while a lot of fat fellows were +serving in Bloemfontein in the lap of luxury, getting every night in +bed, and, many of them, drawing extra pay as well. There were numbers of +civilian doctors, chaplains of all kinds, young staff officers, <i>et hoc +genus omne</i> who each wanted a servant and a groom, or an orderly, and +who had only to ask at the Rest Camp to get them.</p> + +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_236" id="Page_236">[Pg 236]</a></span></p><p>It was said that General Kelly-Kenny once had a round up of all the +idlers and others in Bloemfontein, and the story goes that quite a large +number of soldiers were found in shops and hotels and bars, dressed in +civilian clothes, and drawing good pay as shopmen and waiters.</p> + +<p>On Sunday the 4th of November we marched out of Ventersburg Road once +more, at half-past six in the morning; it was a charming day, and our +march led us alongside the railway the whole time. All the parties of +Militia guarding the line had been relieved by men of the Coldstream +Guards who were on their way down country, but had been stopped to +relieve the Militia and to furnish one or two new defensive posts near Holfontein.</p> + +<p>I was sorry to see that the Guards had adopted the felt hat, which no +doubt looks very nice and smart while it is new and retains its jaunty +shape; but, after it has been out in the rain once or twice and the +owner has slept in it on picket, the thing becomes a hideous shapeless +object, a most unsoldierlike head covering, which, to be thoroughly +appreciated at its worst, should be seen when worn in conjunction with a +kilt and a khaki apron, as in the battalions of the Highland Brigade.</p> + +<p>On our way we passed close to the spot where the train had been +destroyed at night when we were at Ventersburg Road: the débris was +still lying about, although, of course, the trucks had been removed. +Most of the contents of the train were Hospital and Ordnance stores, so +the ground was littered with the burnt fragments of iron bedsteads and +other hospital fittings, with camp kettles, canteens, water bottles, +drums which had contained rifle oil and dubbin, and all sorts of other +articles. No trace had been left, of course, of the bales of blankets, +clothing and boots, or of any of the Supply Stores such as biscuit, beef, etc.</p> + +<p>Halting for the night at Geneva, we reached<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_237" id="Page_237">[Pg 237]</a></span> Kroonstad about half-past +eleven on the 5th of November, and camped on our old spot below Gun +Hill, where we remained no less than four days.</p> + +<p>Volunteers had been called for to serve on the Mounted Infantry, and +sixty of our men sent in their names, showing that the spirit of +enterprise and adventure had not been knocked out of them by the long +marching and the hardships that they had undergone; they went off by +train the same evening to Pretoria, where the new bodies of Mounted +Infantry were being organised.</p> + +<p>All day on the 8th and 9th of November, troops, mostly mounted, had been +coming in from the west, and on the latter date, to the great delight of +everyone, eight of the enemy's guns were brought in and parked in the +market square, together with a large number of prisoners, who were +handed over to a guard of the troops in garrison. These were the outcome +of a most successful surprise of a Boer commando carried out near +Bothaville on the 6th of November.</p> + +<p>The guns were a varied lot: there was a 12pr. belonging to U battery and +lost by them at Sanna's Post, many months before; there was a 15pr. +which had belonged to the 14th Field Battery; two Krupp 9prs. in +splendid condition; a Vickers-Maxim, or pom-pom; a one-pounder +quick-firing Krupp, a Maxim with a portable tripod stand, and a large +quantity of ammunition.</p> + +<p>The successful capture of all these guns, prisoners, ammunition and +wagons was largely due to our old friend, Major Lean, of the 5th M.I., +and after a good deal of questioning (for, like all good soldiers, he +was reluctant to talk about his own achievements), the story of the +fight was extracted from him.</p> + +<p>It seems that Le Gallais' force of Mounted troops, mostly Mounted +Infantry, with U Battery, R.H.A., were near Bothaville, when +intelligence<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_238" id="Page_238">[Pg 238]</a></span> was received of the presence of a Boer laager in the +neighbourhood; so Major Lean with a few men of his own corps, all +dismounted, went out one night to reconnoitre. They had to ford the +river, the water reaching up to their waists, and then went on for some +distance, until Major Lean observed some horses hobbled close to them: +thinking this very curious, he went on a little further, and then saw, +behind an ant heap, what looked like the head and shoulders of a man: +without an instant's hesitation he dashed forward and yelled to the man, "Hands up!"</p> + +<p>To his astonishment several other men rose and put up their hands, and +he discovered that he had inadvertently held up an entire Boer picket. +Handing over the prisoners to his men, he and his party went on +cautiously, and on coming to the summit of a rise in the ground saw the +whole Boer laager at their feet. The party was discovered, and a heavy +fire opened on them at once; but the thirty men of the Mounted Infantry +spread out under cover, and devoted themselves to preventing the Boers +from inspanning their oxen into the guns and wagons. Word had been sent +back to Colonel Le Gallais, who came up rapidly and joined in, U battery +opening fire on the Boer guns at a range of 400 yards, but from the +other side of a ridge, firing by indirect laying. The Boers answered the +fire from their guns, and an artillery duel was in progress for some +little time. A message had been sent back to General Knox, who, however, +was out of reach, and also to Colonel De Lisle, who was some eight miles +away; and the latter with his men came up rapidly, travelling the whole +distance without drawing rein. They moved so as to envelope the flanks, +but on their approach the enemy fled, leaving a large number of killed +and wounded, and a considerable number of prisoners (114 in all), +twenty-eight of whom were dressed in the blue uniform of the Staats Artillerie.</p> + +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_239" id="Page_239">[Pg 239]</a></span></p><p>Unfortunately our loss had been severe, the gallant and dashing Le +Gallais, Lieut.-Colonel Ross of the Durham Light Infantry, and two other +officers having been mortally wounded, and seven officers severely +wounded, while eight men were killed, and twenty-six wounded; but the +success was great, and the rout of the Boers complete. They left the +whole of their guns, wagons and Cape carts, and fled on their horses, +some not even waiting to saddle up first. The prisoners said that De Wet +and Steyn had both been with the laager, but that they had fled directly +the firing commenced.</p> + +<p>There is no false pride in the Boer commandants, nor any ridiculous +notions about sticking to the ship and remaining with their comrades, +who follow them so faithfully. Steyn possibly thought that it was time +to move the seat of Government to some other place, Hoopstad for +instance—probably the only town in the Free State which has not at some +time or other been honoured with the designation of the capital of the Free State.</p> + +<p>General Knox returned with the troops to Kroonstad soon afterwards, and +received many congratulations on his success; at this time there were no +less than four Generals in the town—General Knox, General Charles Knox, +General Bruce Hamilton and Lieut.-General Kelly-Kenny, who was passing +through on his way to Natal, and was just in time to see the captured guns.</p> + +<p>It had been at one time rumoured that De Wet was waiting in the +neighbourhood with the intention of making a dash at our convoy, while +on its way to Lindley; and it was known that many Boers had been seen +travelling north, while De Wet himself had been hanging about on the +west of the railway. This disaster to his force and the loss of all the +guns he had, not to mention his wagons and ammunition, completely upset +his little plan, and spoilt our prospects of a fight.</p> + +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_240" id="Page_240">[Pg 240]</a></span></p><p>We had been counting upon this, and had even settled that De Wet was to +attack us as we passed over Doornkloof; but now there was no chance, +unless the enemy round Lindley were to concentrate and give us a show +before we reached that town.</p> + +<p>The mail arrived just before we left, and we saw in the Gazette that +Lieut. Hopkins had been promoted Captain in the Manchester Regiment in +recognition of his gallantry at Retief's Nek, when he and two men were +recommended for the Victoria Cross. Lieut. Hopkins was now the youngest +Captain in the army, as he had hardly completed two years' service.</p> + +<p>We left Kroonstad early on the morning of the 10th of November, and +moved over to the other side of the drift to the north of the town, +about a couple of miles away, where we concentrated.</p> + +<p>The convoy, a large one as usual, of about 200 wagons, was waiting for +us; the column of troops was not a very large one, consisting only of +the Camerons and ourselves: but we had a considerable number of mounted +men under Lieut.-Colonel Rimington, besides three guns of the 39th Field +Battery, under Captain Brock, and one pom-pom; the Colonial Division was +to follow us up as soon as they arrived at Kroonstad.</p> + +<p>We camped at night at our old spot, Welgevrede, where H company took the +opportunity to erect a fence round and to turf over the grave of Private +Shutton, who was killed on the last occasion of our coming this way.</p> + +<p>The column moved the next morning at five o'clock, our half battalion +with a gun and some Yeomanry being rear guard; there was a long halt +just before reaching Doornkloof, while the mounted troops searched the +surrounding country: and then the convoy and the baggage were passed +over and<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_241" id="Page_241">[Pg 241]</a></span> parked on the open ground on the other side of the kloof. +Remembering how our rear guard had been sniped when passing through once +before, we took special precautions this time, keeping the pickets out +until the convoy had moved again, and giving the latter a good start +before our last company left the top of the kopje. Not a Boer was to be +seen, so we trekked on in peace, and camped once more at Quaggafontein, +leaving that place at five o'clock the next morning. There were three +bad drifts to cross on the way, and at one of them we had some hours' +hard work. We were advanced guard, and seeing how impassable in its then +state the drift was, our companies were set to work in reliefs making a +roadway across the mud and slush. There was a broken-down wagon at the +drift, the bottom of which we utilised, to the horror of Major Cardew, +the Brigade Transport Officer, filling in the space with stones and +earth. The Camerons came up soon, and some of them were told off to +bring more stones so as to make a solid roadway; yet in places the +terribly heavy, narrow-wheeled wagons sank to their axles each time, and +there was hard work getting them over, what with the bad driving of the +natives and the half wild state of the bullocks.</p> + +<p>It was wonderful how the men worked, and how willing they all were to do +their utmost to help matters on; there was no shirking or loafing about, +but real solid work going on. Of course, we all knew that the sooner the +job was got through and the wagons across, the earlier we would get into +camp; but, apart from that, the willing cheerfulness to follow the lead +of their officers has always been a prominent characteristic of Sussex men.</p> + +<p>While we were busy, the Colonial Division overtook us and passed to the +front; they were only a small force, composed of the Cape Mounted<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_242" id="Page_242">[Pg 242]</a></span> +Riflemen and their four gun battery, but they were a fine smart lot of +men, looking splendid soldiers.</p> + +<p>We had a rest of an hour or so while the convoy was being got over, and +started again about mid-day. Alongside the road ran the field telegraph +wire, which had been dismantled for miles by the Boers, the wire being +carried off and the poles broken; with an eye to their camp fires, the +men soon began to pick up these poles and carry them along with them, so +that we reached camp more like a regiment of dismounted Lancers than +tired-out infantry: Birnam Wood coming to Dunsinane was nothing to it!</p> + +<p>Before reaching camp at Palmeitfontein we saw troops on the sky-line, +and eventually found that they were two companies of our other half +battalion, two of the Bedfords, and a gun, the whole under +Lieut.-Colonel Donne, who had come out to meet us in case of any +opposition among the hills between Quaggafontein and Lindley; there were +some Boers about, but a few shots from the pom-pom made them scurry off.</p> + +<p>The convoy got under weigh the next morning, at earliest dawn, and +trekked the six miles which separated us from the town; and the troops +followed a few hours later. Having got permission from the General, I +rode on ahead to make arrangements about opening the Brigade Canteen as +early as possible; the garrison of Lindley were very badly off for +luxuries such as milk, jam and the like, and there had not been a box of +matches or a bit of soap in the town for many days. Having secured five +wagons at Kroonstad, by the good nature of Captain Atcherly, of the +Divisional Staff, and other officers, it had been possible to load these +up and bring them along with us for the beleaguered garrison, starving +for cigarettes. A house had been secured and fitted up as a shop on our +last visit to Lindley, the<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_243" id="Page_243">[Pg 243]</a></span> pioneer sergeant having painted the words, +"Canteen, 21st Brigade," in enormous letters over the roof on both +sides; they will remain for years as a memorial of our visit. Here the +five wagons were off-loaded, the contents stacked inside the shop, and +sold in limited quantities all that day and all the next day to the long +queue of men at the door, patiently waiting their turn to get inside. +About £1,500 worth had been bought in Kroonstad, the traders this time, +all smiles and bows, tumbling over each other and quoting lower and +lower prices each day, in their eagerness to sell. Of this lot, quite +£1,000 worth was sold in three days—of course only to soldiers.</p> + +<p>Pay had been issued to our men and to the Camerons, so they all had lots +of money to spend: having managed to secure a safe in Bothaville, +advantage had been taken of the opportunity to bring out in it £1,000 in +gold for the use of the half battalion which had remained in Lindley.</p> + +<p>So now the whole battalion was together again, and we had a great deal +to talk about, and plenty of news to give: the departure of the +Volunteer company, the capture of the eight guns and the death of Le +Gallais, and our own adventures during the time we had been away, +forming topics of conversation for a long while. We had gone off for a +seven days' trek, and had returned at the end of six weeks; we had been +constantly on the move, we had been on six occasions under fire, and we +had marched 278 miles.</p> + +<p>The story of the garrison of Lindley showed that they must have had a +somewhat anxious time during our absence—ever on the look out, and +entirely ignorant of what was going on in the Orange River Colony, or of +what had become of the rest of the battalion and the Brigade.</p> + +<p>When General Bruce Hamilton marched out of Lindley, on the 4th of +October, he left <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_244" id="Page_244">[Pg 244]</a></span>Lieut.-Colonel Donne in command of the place, with the +following troops in addition to B, C, D and E companies of our +battalion:</p> + +<blockquote><p>Driscoll's Scouts, 70 men, under Captain Driscoll,</p> + +<p>Three guns, 39th Battery, R.F.A., under Lieut. Maturin,</p> + +<p>Half Battalion Bedford Regiment, under Major Hammond,</p> + +<p>Half Battalion Cameron Highlanders, under Major Malcolm,</p></blockquote> + +<p>and that most comforting and reassuring weapon, the Five-Inch Gun, under +Captain Massie, R.G.A. This gun, which has a range for shrapnel of 7,500 +yards and for Lyddite shell of 10,500, was ensconced in a gun pit on a +hill about 2 miles south of the town, from which it could, and did, +dominate the country for miles round, and formed a moral and tangible +support to reconnoitring, wood and foraging parties, who always knew +that they had behind them this friend in need, at the sound of whose +report even Boers would vanish like smoke.</p> + +<p>On the 5th the garrison was reinforced by the arrival of about thirty +men of the 7th M.I., under Captain Lloyd of the Lincolnshire Regiment, +and about fifteen men of Brabant's Horse, under Lieut. Inglis.</p> + +<p>Captain Garner, of Brabant's Horse, acted as Landrost, and Captain +Green, who had lately resigned the Adjutantcy of the battalion, acted as +Staff Officer during the period of Colonel Donne's command.</p> + +<p>The garrison settled down to a quiet existence; an Amusement Committee +had been formed, and various kinds of games were arranged for: football, +hockey, golf and tennis were all engaged in as far as the rather limited +supply of appliances at hand would allow.</p> + +<p>The chief elements of excitement were found in the weekly wood parties; +to get wood to<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_245" id="Page_245">[Pg 245]</a></span> any extent, it was necessary to go out to Groenvlei, or +Green Valley, about 5 miles to the north-east. This farm was a regular +oasis in the desert; it was in a pretty little valley, well wooded, +through which a running stream, quite unlike the conventional spruit, +wandered between old willows. Its situation, however, surrounded as it +was by hills, made it a rather dangerous trap, and latterly most +elaborate precautions had to be taken to ensure the safety of the wood +parties: one or two other sources were tried for the wood supply, but +other farms could furnish only two or three days' allowance, whereas +Groenvlei was practically inexhaustible.</p> + +<p>An occasional foray was made in a south-westerly direction to bring in +mealies; these expeditions, and indeed all movements of troops outside +the picket lines, brought to light small parties of Boers, who fired a +large amount of ammunition to very little purpose—the only casualty +being one man of Driscoll's Scouts, who was wounded on a wood party on +November the 8th.</p> + +<p>On October the 12th, 80 oxen were carried off by the enemy from in front +of No. 1 north picket; the Boers fired on the native boys, who promptly +bolted, and the enemy drove off the cattle before the picket could move +out to the rescue. The scarcity of grass, and the large number of oxen +left behind with the convoy, made the grazing of the cattle a very +difficult question. However, stringent orders were given that the cattle +were not to be allowed more than 800 yards outside the picket lines. +Mounted men were also detailed daily to be under the orders of several +of the picket commanders, to help the niggers with the cattle if necessary.</p> + +<p>Yet in spite of these precautions another successful raid was made on +the cattle in front of<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_246" id="Page_246">[Pg 246]</a></span> No. 1 south picket on October the 28th, and 150 +head were carried off; in this case the boys and conductors were held to +blame, and were severely dealt with by the Commandant.</p> + +<p>From the 10th of October to the 8th of November native runners were sent +off weekly to Kroonstad with reports to the Officer commanding there, +but only two got through; two were known to have been captured by the +enemy, and the remainder returned, generally after having been out a day +and a night, declaring that they were unable to get past the Boer +patrols. On the other hand, several native runners succeeded in reaching +Lindley from Kroonstad; and returned there safely.</p> + +<p>On the 5th of November orders were received from Lord Roberts to vacate +the town, the troops to proceed to Kroonstad; but these orders were +cancelled by others received three hours later, a second lot of runners +having come through from Kroonstad in the one night, whereas the bearers +of the previous despatch had been upwards of 48 hours on the road. +Fortunately the second set of instructions were received before anything +had been done in the matter.</p> + +<p>On the 5th of November the Supply officer reported that he had +sufficient rations to last the garrison at full issues until the 15th; +but as no information had been received as to the probable date of the +General's return, it was considered advisable to put the troops on +three-quarter rations.</p> + +<p>On the 10th, runners arrived from Kroonstad with information that +General Bruce Hamilton would leave that day with a convoy, expecting to +arrive at Lindley on the 13th, and with orders for Colonel Donne to move +out on the 11th in the direction of Palmeitfontein, in order to lend the +convoy assistance if required. The two forces accordingly met, as has +before been said, and marched back to the town without incident.</p> + +<hr /> + +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_247" id="Page_247">[Pg 247]</a></span></p> + +<h2><span>CHAPTER XXII.</span> <span class="smaller">IN GARRISON.</span></h2> + +<blockquote><p class="center">A fruitless expedition—The Brigade goes off—The Volunteers with +them—The garrison—Residents—Defences—Communications—A +prisoner—A night attack—A complimentary order—No soap—Cordite +spills—A trap that failed.</p></blockquote> + +<p>On the 15th of November the General made a dash from Lindley at a Boer +laager, which was supposed to be about 7 miles out on the Reitz road, on +the other side of a huge kopje easily visible at a considerable distance.</p> + +<p>B, C, D, E, and G companies of our battalion were engaged in the +operation: we paraded at half past two in the morning, and, with half a +battalion of the Camerons, two companies of the Bedfords, two guns, a +pom-pom and Rimington's mounted troops, moved cautiously forward and +occupied the hill about dawn—only to find the birds flown, and no signs +of their nest. It was particularly disappointing to us, as we were the +leading troops in the column, and were in hopes of being able to follow +the example of Major Lean's little force at Bothaville; but the enemy +had gone the night before, having got wind of our intentions. We +remained a few hours on the top of the large kopje, while the cavalry +reconnoitred out in front; there were a few scattered Boers about, but +not many. We marched back to the town about mid-day, pretty well tired +out; not with the distance, which was only 14 or 15 miles, but with want +of sleep—for we had been nearly eleven hours on our feet.</p> + +<p>The next morning the General and the Brigade went off, leaving us in +sole possession of that important town, and trade centre, Lindley: once, +but only for a short time during a somewhat hurried visit paid by Mr. +Steyn, the capital of the Free State. Unfortunately for the town, Mr. +Steyn's business was of such a peculiar character that he<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_248" id="Page_248">[Pg 248]</a></span> was compelled +to transfer the seat of Government to other and less important places than Lindley.</p> + +<p>With the Brigade went Captain Hopkins, who, to the loss of the Royal +Sussex, was proceeding to join his new regiment. Our two young aspirants +for fame on the staff, Lieut. Villiers and Lieut. Nelson, also went off, +and with them the remainder of the Volunteer company, to whom the +following farewell order was issued by the Colonel.</p> + +<p class="center">Extract from Battalion Orders, 16th of Nov., 1900.</p> + +<p>"In bidding farewell to Lieut. D'Olier and the Volunteer company of the +Royal Sussex Regiment, Lieut.-Colonel Donne wishes to express the +feelings of all ranks in the First Battalion at losing such good +comrades in many a long march and hard fought action. They will go home +to Sussex carrying with them the proudest insignia of this campaign—the +memories of Welkom Farm, Zand River, Doornkop, Capture of Johannesburg, +Capture of Pretoria, and the hard fought battle of Diamond Hill on the +11th and 12th of June; the subsequent march south to Heidelburg and +Bethlehem, the operations in the Caledon Valley, the brilliant action at +Retief's Nek, and the surrender of the Boer forces at Golden Gate—these +are records they can well consider as second to none of the Volunteer +companies in South Africa.</p> + +<p>"But these marches and victories have not been achieved without grievous +losses to mourn. Their best of leaders and bravest of men—Sir Walter +Barttelot—fell gallantly leading them to the attack on Retief's Nek. +His sterling worth as a soldier will live long in the records of the +regiment. He gloried in fighting for his country, and his death at the +head of his Volunteer company will serve not only as a pathetic incident +in the campaign, but as an illustrious example for all time to the +Volunteers of Sussex; it will knit more<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_249" id="Page_249">[Pg 249]</a></span> firmly together in the bond of +<i>esprit de corps</i> all the battalions of the Royal Sussex as one great county regiment.</p> + +<p>"Whilst the path of the Volunteer company is towards home, that of the +First Battalion is outward bound, far out into the British Empire for +many a long year; but we shall never forget the comradeship which has +been cemented on the fields of South Africa in 1900. All Sussex will +welcome her citizen soldiers who have shared our hardships, and added +fresh glory to our old flags, which will shortly find their resting +place in the County Cathedral. We wish them a speedy and safe return +home after work so well accomplished. We wish them the hearty reception +that we know awaits them in the old country, and long life to enjoy the +honour of having served in this memorable campaign."</p> + +<p>The garrison left in Lindley on the departure of the Brigade comprised +our battalion, two companies of the Bedfords under Captain Rowe, two +guns of the 39th Field Battery under Lieut. Harrison, the Five-Inch gun, +two companies of the 15th Battalion of Yeomanry under Lieut. +Shepherd-Crosse, and a few of Brabant's Horse under Lieut. Friedlander. +Lieut. Lloyd, the Supply Officer, had gone with the Brigade, but had +left his Sergeant-Major behind with an enormous mountain of stores of +all sorts, as we were rationed up to the 15th of the next month, +January. Lieut. Goodman had been left also to look after the transport: +the hospital and medical arrangements were supervised by Major Ritchie, +of the R.A.M.C., who had been some time in Lindley, and who had under +him Civil Surgeons Barr and Twigg, Captain Knapp, the medical officer of +the Cape Mounted Riflemen, and Lieut. Duncan of the R.A.M.C. There were +a good many men in hospital belonging to various corps,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_250" id="Page_250">[Pg 250]</a></span> and the large +church in the centre of the market square, which from the first had been +used as a hospital, was nearly full; there had been one or two deaths from enteric.</p> + +<p>There were a few civilians in the town: it seems the Boers allowed each +business house in the towns to leave either the owner or the manager in +charge, all the other assistants having either to go on commando or to +pay a heavy fine. Of course those of them who were British subjects +cleared out altogether; but the unfortunate owner of the shop, if he was +in possession of burgher rights, gained by long residence in the +country, was in rather a fix, and saw every prospect of losing his money +either way. One of the merchants in Heilbron provided a case in point: +he was an Englishman with burgher rights, and, when war was looming in +the distance, he went to Cape Colony, leaving his manager in charge of +the store. The Boers under their rule exempted the manager from service, +but sent the owner a notice to turn out and join his commando; no notice +being taken of this by the man, a fine of £500 was inflicted, which the +unfortunate trader had to pay, and did pay, because if he had not done +so the Boers would have distrained on the goods in his shop, and would +have probably taken several times the amount of the fine.</p> + +<p>There was a branch of the National Bank in Lindley, and the manager and +a clerk had remained throughout all the troubles, and the various +occupations and evacuations by our troops and the Boers: the Boers +always respected the Bank, and gave no annoyance whatever.</p> + +<p>Several families of doubtful loyalty had been removed by General Bruce +Hamilton, and taken away with the Brigade; their property in Lindley was +respected, however, in view of their return. One or two of those who +were left made themselves<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_251" id="Page_251">[Pg 251]</a></span> useful to us and added to their own income by +making up the men's rations of flour into loaves. It will hardly be +believed that the greater part of our bread ration was flour only, while +at Kroonstad thousands of boxes of biscuits were being used to form +houses for the supply subordinates to live in.</p> + +<p>The town and the vicinity were in a filthy state after so many mounted +troops, cattle and horses had been quartered there; but after a while it +was gradually cleared up, and the carcases of the dead bullocks and +mules left behind by the Brigade dragged away or buried. The river was a +disgusting sight, with dead bullocks strewn about from one end to the +other, half in the water: still some men did not mind, but bathed +frequently in the deeper pools.</p> + +<p>From its situation, in a hollow, surrounded by extensive hills, the town +needed a good many pickets to adequately protect it; there were three +permanent posts to the north and four to the south, each consisting of +an entire company, and some furnishing subsidiary posts in the +neighbourhood, on roads or prominent spurs. Each post was well defended, +and in some a reserve of rations and water sufficient for three days' +consumption was stored; there was, it need hardly be said, extra +ammunition kept by each, and all were defended by earthworks or stone +sangars on prominent points, the tents being pitched in each case so as +to be out of the line of fire, should the enemy take it into his head to +snipe at long range at the pickets.</p> + +<p>The remaining three companies of the infantry were quartered on the +three sides of the town to act as a reserve, and also as a second line +of defence, should the Boers penetrate the picket line and rush into the +town. The pickets were relieved every ten days or so, and their +positions changed, as the sentry work at some was harder<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_252" id="Page_252">[Pg 252]</a></span> than at +others. The men were allowed into the town to go to the Canteen or the +Soldiers' Club during the afternoon; it was quite 40 minutes' walk to +some of the pickets, so that most of the men usually remained at home.</p> + +<p>The two guns of the battery were quartered on the outskirts of the town, +but the five inch gun was kept in its gun pit on No. 2 picket to the +south, where it dominated a very large tract of country. On one occasion +it was taken at night to the opposite picket, about 4 miles away, whence +it very much astonished some Boers who were wandering about in front at +a distance of no less than 6 miles.</p> + +<p>The Yeomanry and a few men of Brabant's Scouts were utilised to furnish +a picket by day on the top of Tafelburg, a high square-crowned kopje, +about 3 miles to the north-west, from which an extensive view could be +obtained; and a couple of mounted men were kept by day at some of the +pickets, in case of necessity, to carry messages or go after suspicious +passers-by. All the pickets were in signalling communication with each +other and with headquarters in the town; sometimes helio messages were +received from Bethlehem, about 35 miles to the south-east, whose +garrison was apparently similarly situated to ourselves; and +occasionally, at long intervals, a runner arrived from Kroonstad with +microscopic messages—usually containing news, unimportant to us at all +events, such as the state of the Czar's health, but very little +information as to how things were going on with regard to our move to +India, about which we were most concerned.</p> + +<p>Occasionally a few of the mounted men would go out at night, and +surround a farm or two in hopes of catching a few Boers who might be +indulging in the unwonted luxury of a night's rest in a bed; but only +once did they meet with any success, and then they caught a solitary +Boer who gave us<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_253" id="Page_253">[Pg 253]</a></span> a deal of trouble to look after. Lieut. Harden and +Lieut. Montgomerie had the honour of catching this sportsman, who seemed +to have been a fighting Boer from the yarns he told with regard to the +fights in which he had taken part; but most of his stories had to be +taken <i>cum grano salis</i>.</p> + +<p>On the 3rd of December, however, the Boers treated us to an alarm about +half-past nine at night: they crawled up a donga which ended in a short +outcrop of rocks within four hundred yards of one of the detached posts +then occupied by B company. The rocks afforded splendid natural cover in +capital positions for firing from, and the Boers, about a dozen of them, +opened a smart fire at the eight men occupying the small defensive work, +who, nothing loath, replied with vigour, blazing away at the flashes of +the enemy's rifles. One Boer must have been hit, as some blood was found +on the grass the next day. The enemy fired about 500 rounds, judging +from the cartridge cases lying in little heaps behind the rocks, and our +men got rid of about the same number. One or two of the Boers had the +impertinence (it was nothing less!) to try and stalk the picket by +dodging up towards them from post to post of a line of fencing which ran +in their direction; but, coming to a gap where one or two posts were +missing, their hearts failed them, and they went no further. None of our +men were hit, but the stone loopholes and the parapet of the post were +splashed with bullet marks in five or six places.</p> + +<p>Firing commenced also against Captain Aldridge's picket, about a mile +further off, where bullets came plunging through the tents, to the +astonishment of the men there. These, however, quickly dropped into +their places in the various sangars, and replied briskly to the enemy's +fire, which, as could be seen by the flashes, was<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_254" id="Page_254">[Pg 254]</a></span> coming from a ridge +over 2,000 yards away. After half-an-hour or so the firing dropped on both sides.</p> + +<p>The remainder of us had, of course, turned out at once and got into our +various positions. About half-past ten, everything being quiet, we +turned into bed again. In a few minutes there was a furious clatter of +about a dozen shots fired rapidly from the north-east, and later, two +more outbursts of firing from the north; and as none of our pickets on +that side had fired, we concluded the Boers were ending the evening's +amusement by firing at each other, an original idea, and one that we +hoped they would regularly carry out—if possible, without causing us to +turn out also in the dark. We never heard the cause of this firing, and +the only possible solution was that two parties of Boers must have met +in the dark. There was, however, a very good reason for the sudden +firing on the pickets to the east and north-east, as we found in the +morning, when Swannepool, a loyal farmer living to the north-west of the +town and some miles away, arrived in a furious passion, swearing +vengeance against all and every Boer; and, when he had cooled down +somewhat, announced that some Boers had held him up in the night, and +had driven off all his stock, his cows, his bullocks and horses, and had +taken away his Cape cart. <i>Hinc illae lachrymae</i>, he said, and we +sympathised with him.</p> + +<p>The few men of B company on the detached post were in a nasty corner for +some time, and fully deserved the complimentary remarks which the +Colonel made the next day, and which were published in battalion orders. +They were as follows:—</p> + +<p class="center">Extract from Battalion Orders, 6th of December, 1900—</p> + +<p>"The Commanding Officer wishes to express<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_255" id="Page_255">[Pg 255]</a></span> to Lance-Sergeant Ockelford +and the eight men who defended the outpost of No. 1 picket, South, on +the night of the 3rd of December, his approbation of their soldierly +conduct in defending a small breastwork against a superior force of the enemy.</p> + +<p>"An incident of this sort shows what a few men can do who are determined +to hold their own, and the Commanding Officer has made a report of their +creditable conduct to the General Officer commanding at Bloemfontein."</p> + +<p>Our humdrum existence continued now for some little time, our days +commencing by standing to arms at dawn (which was pretty early, usually +between three and four o'clock), and concluding by our going to bed +about eight o'clock in the evening. Almost every day there were cricket +matches, and there were <i>al fresco</i> concerts three times a week. Beyond +this mild form of entertainment, it cannot be said that we lived in an +exciting whirl of constant pleasures.</p> + +<p>Soap was at a premium; there was not a scrap to be had anywhere. All +that the Brigade Canteen had brought had been commandeered by the Supply +people for the use of the hospital, and, beyond a meagre issue of one +ounce a man, the troops had had none for nearly two months. Matches were +also conspicuous by their absence. The soldier is always a large +consumer of this article, and spends a good deal of his time daily in +striking matches and lighting his pipe; he was not, however, to be +defeated by the absence of matches: some ingenious man had discovered +that the thin sticks of cordite out of the cartridges made an excellent +spill for lighting cigarettes or pipes at the fire, and, until the +practice was peremptorily stopped, it became quite a fashionable pursuit.</p> + +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_256" id="Page_256">[Pg 256]</a></span></p><p>Some of the Boers must have developed quite an affection for Captain +Aldridge's picket, because, on the 8th of December, they fired a few +shots about half-past nine in the morning at the men of the picket +employed in repairing their sangars. To this fire E company disdained +even to reply, and the disgusted Boers, finding their overtures received +with apathy, rode off, six of them being observed passing through a gap +in the hills quite 2,500 yards away.</p> + +<p>On the night of the 9th, some of the mounted troops went out to lay a +trap for a Boer picket which was in the habit of coming to a kraal, +about three miles to the north and in full view of our pickets on that +side; and a field gun was sent out early next morning to No. 2 picket to +cover their retirement, if required.</p> + +<p>The little plan failed, owing to the too eager and inexperienced Yeomen +showing themselves just as the birds were entering the trap. There was a +certain amount of shooting, however, as towards breakfast time our men +withdrew; but it was all long range firing, which seldom harms anyone.</p> + +<p>In front of the picket where the gun was posted was a splendid expanse +of open country, with an occasional small kopje; and the whole panorama +was backed by a range of hills, which limited the view to about five +miles. Over this country were a few groups of Boers dotted, moving about +aimlessly. One small party riding towards a donga, whence possibly they +might have attempted to annoy our Yeomanry, were fired at by our gun at +4,500 yards: the shell sang through the still air and burst with a +"ping" some hundreds of yards short. With one accord the four or five +Boers mounted and spurred vigorously away, nor did they draw rein so +long as they remained in sight.</p> + +<p class="center">(<i>End of Colonel du Moulin's manuscript.</i>)</p> + +<hr /> + +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_257" id="Page_257">[Pg 257]</a></span></p> + +<h2><span>CHAPTER XXIII.</span> <span class="smaller">THE RAISING OF THE MOUNTED COLUMN.</span></h2> + +<blockquote><p class="center">Evacuation of Lindley—Regiment split up—Major du Moulin's +detachment—Men mounted at Bethulie—On convoy—The chase of De +Wet—Strydenburg—Colesberg—Edenburg—A vast +convoy—Bloemfontein—Smithfield—Action at Commissie Bridge—the +Fighting Column—Raw Yeomen—Deep Dene Drift—Jammersberg +Bridge—Springfontein.</p></blockquote> + +<p>The wearisome stay of the Regiment in Lindley came to an end in January, +1901. On the 13th of that month the filling in of the entrenchments was +begun, and orders to evacuate the town were finally received on the +afternoon of the 20th. The piquets were sent out as usual, but by 9 p.m. +the town was cleared, and the force (consisting of the Royal Sussex, two +companies of the Bedfords, and Col. Munro's column) started for +Kroonstad. There was great confusion at the drift outside the town, +several lines of wagons converging on it in the dark; and by dawn only 3 +miles had been made. The secret, however, had been very well kept, and +the Boers had no inkling of the departure of the troops until well on +into the morning of the 21st. They then harassed the rear, but made no +other use of their considerable numbers, and the force reached Kroonstad +practically without incident.</p> + +<p>Here the regiment was split up, and B, E, and H companies were sent up +the railway to Heilbron. From Heilbron they trekked to Frankfort and +back with Col. Williams' Column, assisting in the evacuation of that +place; and they then railed with Head Quarters down to Norval's Pont, +where the railway from Cape Town crosses the Orange River, and enters +the Orange River Colony. They relieved the Essex Regiment there, taking +over the piquets on the hills north of the river; subsequently +detachments were sent to Donkerpoort, and to Providence Siding, further up the line.</p> + +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_258" id="Page_258">[Pg 258]</a></span></p><p>On June 3rd these Companies were relieved by Militia, and sent to join +various columns, all men who would ride ultimately reaching the Sussex +column. Head Quarters remained at Norval's Pont till July, when they +were moved, first to Springfontein, and then (December 6th) to Bethulie, +on the Port Elizabeth line. Col. Donne had previously gone to Kroonstad +as Commandant of that place.</p> + +<p>To return to January, 1901—A, C, D, F, and G companies entrained at +Kroonstad on the 25th of that month, under Major du Moulin, for +Ventersburg Road; and from there they moved out as escort to an ox +convoy on the evening of the 27th. The weather was appalling—very heavy +rain lit by vivid flashes of lightning, that showed men and oxen in a +sea of mud. Progress soon became impossible, and the column halted, +waiting where it stood for dawn. The crossing of Zand River on the 29th +gave great trouble, the huge convoy taking fifteen hours to complete it. +Smaldeel was reached on the 30th, and there the convoy was left, the +five companies entraining for Bethulie, where a great concentration was +taking place in view of De Wet's intended raid into Cape Colony. On +reaching Bethulie, the kit was reduced to one blanket and one waterproof +sheet per man, great-coats and tents being returned to store.</p> + +<p>A bad railway accident involving several trains took place here on the +1st of February. The Sussex men turned out, and cleared the line after +the greatest exertions. Trucks had to be broken up, and great pieces of +them dragged out of the railway cutting by main force.</p> + +<p>Want of mounted men was being most keenly felt at this time, and General +Lyttleton (who was at Bethulie) suggested that the Regiment might +provide the mounted escort required for a convoy. The idea was +enthusiastically taken<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_259" id="Page_259">[Pg 259]</a></span> up; many more men volunteered than could be +mounted. By the 7th of February an M.I. Company of 120 men had been +organised under Lieut. Harden and 2nd Lieut. Leachman; and in addition +to these, a number of men of C, D and F companies were mounted, and left +under their own officers.</p> + +<p>The scenes that ensued during the two or three days, which were all that +could be allowed for training, had their humorous side. Many of the men +had never had anything to do with a horse before, and hardly knew one +end of it from the other. However, they stuck to their mounts nobly—as +long as they could. On one of the first treks, an officer, coming under +the eye of the authorities, and wishing to show off the accomplishments +of his men, gave the command "Trot!" The result was a surprise to all +parties. With a thundering of hoofs, a mob of galloping horsemen swept +past the officer, scattered the authorities, and disappeared in clouds +of dust. They knew how to start their horses—but had not yet learned +the art of stopping them.</p> + +<p>Great difficulty was experienced in getting saddlery. This had to be +obtained locally, and the stuff in the town turned out to be mere +rubbish. Some more serviceable equipment was got from the Mounted +Infantry, but, when the detachment moved out on February 9th in charge +of a convoy, many of the men were using blankets as saddles, and looped +putties as stirrups.</p> + +<p>The horses supplied were also very indifferent. A large proportion had +been cast by the columns for sore backs and wrung withers, from which +they had hardly recovered. However, all obstacles were surmounted, and +the convoy, consisting of some 300 ox wagons, crossed the main line at +Prior's siding on the 10th of February, and reached Philippolis on the +11th, after marching that day 24 miles.</p> + +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_260" id="Page_260">[Pg 260]</a></span></p><p>The total strength of the detachment under Major du Moulin at this time +was 12 officers and 558 rank and file. This included two companies of +the Royal Irish Rifles, which were attached.</p> + +<p>Striking down into the Colony, two days were taken up in crossing the +Orange River at Sand Drift, where many columns had collected, the river +being in flood. The water on the Drift was five feet deep in places, so +that the wagons were awash. The bottom was sandy, and the track had +constantly to be changed. A steep bank of heavy sand on the south side +added to the difficulties. The constant rain at this time was very +trying to the troops; the roads were knee-deep in slush, the camps +became marshes, and, as there were no tents, wet blankets were the order of the day.</p> + +<p>By the 17th the line was again reached at De Aar. Here more men were +mounted, Lieut. Ashworth having brought up a further instalment of +saddlery, and on the next day a start was made with a full convoy for +Britstown, to the west of the railway line.</p> + +<p>At this time De Wet had crossed the Orange River with his raiders, had +reached Britstown, and had been headed off to the west in the +Strydenburg direction. A large number of columns had been thrown into +the Colony to deal with him, and the convoy under Major du Moulin was to +serve the Northern section of these. It reached Britstown on the 20th, +after some fighting; for it was actually ahead of the columns, and the +Boers only evacuated the town as the convoy came up.</p> + +<p>An average trek of 20 miles a day brought the convoy to Strydenburg (by +way of Prieska) on the 23rd of February, hot on the trail of the Boers, +whose recent camps were found at farms along the road. Maxwell's column +was already in the town, and Munro's arrived with the convoy. Bethune's +column was in rear. De Wet, who could not <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_261" id="Page_261">[Pg 261]</a></span>recross the Orange River on +account of the floods, lost on this day a 15 pr., a pom-pom and 100 men, +captured by Plumer.—The return journey of the convoy to Paau Pan, on +the railway, was completed on the 26th.</p> + +<p>The long marches to and from Strydenburg were wearisome and hot. Day +after day the convoy plodded on, while the Karoo country stretched all +round, brown, dusty, waterless, and quite flat. There was little sign of +life—a few sheep, perhaps, a few ostriches, and a very occasional farm. +The scrubby bush was most trying to the horses' legs. A "pan" here and +there promised relief to the thirsty men and beasts, but the water as +often as not turned out to be salt.</p> + +<p>De Wet managed to cross the River on the 28th of February, and the +column's next piece of convoy work consisted in taking 100 ox wagons and +19 mule wagons from Orange River Station to Colesberg, a distance of 100 +miles. This was done in the remarkably quick time of six days, making an +average of 17 miles a day in spite of bad weather. As 2½ miles an +hour is fast for an ox wagon, this entailed eight hours a day actually +on the move. The convoy reached Colesberg on the 8th of March, after a +trek that formed a delightful contrast to the preceding one. The road +led through a green and smiling country, lying among its hills by the +Orange River. It was the season of fruit, and there was a great +abundance of all kinds. Colesberg itself was a pleasant and friendly +town, behind which rose the towering sides of Coles Kop. It seemed +impossible that a gun should have been taken to its summit, but the feat +had been accomplished, and the gun was there. A signal station on the +top maintained helio communication within a radius of 30 or 40 miles, +and exchanged occasional messages at 70 miles or more.</p> + +<p>On the 10th of March the force under Major du Moulin started by rail for +Edenburg. The men<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_262" id="Page_262">[Pg 262]</a></span> were not yet very skilled at entraining horses, and +one company omitted to look to the bolts of the door on the far side of +its truck. A few miles from Colesberg, a telegram overtook the train to +say that horses were dropping out. The side of the truck had swung open, +the train was going slow, and, looking back, three or four horses could +be seen careering about the veldt. The door was quickly secured, and the train went on.</p> + +<p>Soon after passing Norval's Pont, the train again came to a standstill. +A swarm of locusts was on the rails, and the wheels of the engine could +get no grip. The men had to turn out, and throw sand in front of the +engine till the swarm was passed.</p> + +<p>The country south of Dewetsdorp and east of Edenburg is intersected by a +series of long ridges from two to five hundred feet in height, between +which lie valleys and plains of irregular shape, often many miles +across. At this time these valleys were full of stock of all kinds, the +inhabitants were on their farms, and the local commandos, under +Commandant Brand and others, had lived undisturbed upon the fat of the +land. The size of the country, and the power of splitting up possessed +by the commandos, made it extremely difficult to get at the latter. An +effort was therefore made to cut off their supplies, and General +Lyttleton's columns were turned into the district to clear it. Major du +Moulin started from Edenburg with a convoy of 152 wagons for these +columns on the 13th of March, reached Dewetsdorp on the 16th after some +sniping, and on the 21st handed in at Bloemfontein 2,000 horses, 5,000 +cattle, and 80,000 sheep collected during the week. A number of refugees +were also brought in. The Boers had been engaged at Geluk on the 19th, +two of them being killed and three wounded. Some South African Light +Horse had been attached, to assist the escort of the convoy.</p> + +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_263" id="Page_263">[Pg 263]</a></span></p><p>This trek into Bloemfontein from Dewetsdorp was a truly remarkable one. +The convoy had grown so enormously in taking over the captures of the +various columns, that it was no less than 10 miles long. Sometimes the +rearguard did not leave one camping ground until two hours after the +advanced guard had reached the next. The rearguard had a very difficult +job. The great masses of sheep were very slow, and often a kopje had to +be held until it was difficult to get away in the face of the Boer +snipers, who constantly harassed the rear. This sniping continued right +up to the outposts of Bloemfontein.</p> + +<p>Here a great change was noticed in the look of the troops in the town. +Instead of the torn and dirty uniforms of Lord Roberts' advance, neat +new Khaki was to be seen all round, while at the Club starched collars +and red tabs seemed the rule.</p> + +<p>At Bloemfontein Capt. Montrésor joined the column, and there the Royal +Irish Rifles left it. The weather continued extremely bad, the heavy +rain causing the greatest discomfort to the troops.</p> + +<p>Entraining for Springfontein, the force started thence with another +convoy for the east of the line on the 27th of March. There were then +under Major du Moulin 12 officers and 375 men of the Royal Sussex, of +whom 250 were mounted; and a section each of the 39th and 85th batteries R.F.A.</p> + +<p>The convoy was constantly sniped; but a trap laid by the Boers near +Leeuwfontein failed, the widely extended flank guards getting in their +rear without being conscious of the fact. The want of a pom-pom was very +much felt, as the guns could not leave the convoy.</p> + +<p>Smithfield was reached on the 30th, and some cycles found there formed +the nucleus of a cyclist section, subsequently elaborated under Lieut. +Crawley-Boevey. From Smithfield a four days' trek brought the convoy to +Bethulie, after <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_264" id="Page_264">[Pg 264]</a></span>destroying by the way a Boer supply depôt, with ovens +for the baking of bread, at Gryskop. Near the same place D company +(under Capt. Montrésor) found itself in a warm corner at a farm to which +it had been sent foraging, and lost four horses killed and three +wounded. The guns, however, galloped up, and the Boers retired under a heavy fire.</p> + +<p>Smithfield was reached on the return journey on the 7th of April, and +Edenburg on the 10th. At the latter place, prisoners, refugees and stock +were handed in.<a name="FNanchor_13_13" id="FNanchor_13_13"></a><a href="#Footnote_13_13" class="fnanchor">[13]</a></p> + +<p>While trekking, the Mounted Infantry furnished the advanced and rear +screens, and the flank guards, the latter keeping well out. The order of +march of the remainder was as follows:—</p> + +<blockquote><p>Advanced Guard:—</p> + +<blockquote><p>Section R.F.A.<br />1 Coy. Infantry in wagons (when available).</p></blockquote> + +<p>Main Body:—</p> + +<blockquote><p>1 Coy. Infantry in Cape Carts.<br /> +Baggage Column, R.A. leading.<br />Supply wagons (mule).<br /> +Ox wagons.<br />Refugee wagons and ambulances.</p></blockquote> + +<p>Rear Guard:—</p> + +<blockquote><p>Section R.F.A.<br /> +1 Coy. Infantry in wagons (when available).</p></blockquote></blockquote> + +<p>The company of Infantry at the head of the main body was used as a +species of mounted (or rather carted) infantry; on the convoy being +threatened, the Cape carts were turned in the required<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_265" id="Page_265">[Pg 265]</a></span> direction, and +galloped across the veldt, disgorging their occupants at points of +vantage. All the mounted men were thus freed for more important duties +further afield. Each Cape cart contained one or two boxes of ammunition, +and thus acted as ammunition reserve for any other troops who came up.</p> + +<p>In April, General Lyttleton gave up command of the Southern District of +the Orange River Colony, and on doing so published the following order:—</p> + +<blockquote><p class="right">The Officer Commanding +<br />1st Royal Sussex Regt.</p></blockquote> + +<p>Lieut. General Lyttleton desires me, before he leaves this command, +to convey to you his appreciation of the very efficient manner in +which the men of your Battalion, under Major du Moulin, have +carried out the arduous duties of escort to convoys, on which they +have been frequently employed.</p> + +<p>They have been admirably trained and handled by that Officer, who +has singular qualifications for that sort of work, and O.C.'s of +columns in the field have reported in high terms on them.</p> + +<p>General Lyttleton hopes that his good opinion may be conveyed to +all ranks, in Battalion Orders, or in whatever way the Commanding +Officer thinks best.</p> + +<blockquote><p class="right">A. J. M. MacAndrew, Capt.<br /> +for C.S.O. <br /> Genl. Lyttleton's Force.</p> + +<p>Edenburg,<br /> April 12, 1901</p></blockquote> + +<p>A convoy of 120 wagons was again taken out to Dewetsdorp on the 11th of +April, 250 I.Y. and 50 South African Light Horse (all freshly raised) +being added to the escort. Dewetsdorp was cleared of inhabitants, and +also all the farms along the route; and a vast body of refugees was +brought in on the return to Edenburg, many<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_266" id="Page_266">[Pg 266]</a></span> having been handed over by +the columns.<a name="FNanchor_14_14" id="FNanchor_14_14"></a><a href="#Footnote_14_14" class="fnanchor">[14]</a> There was a good deal of sniping during the trek, in +which one man<a name="FNanchor_15_15" id="FNanchor_15_15"></a><a href="#Footnote_15_15" class="fnanchor">[15]</a> was severely wounded. A bicyclist of the advanced +guard had been captured, with his machine, on the first day out. The man +was of course set free: the bicycle was recovered months afterwards in a +farm some distance away.</p> + +<p>The force then set out for Smithfield with a convoy, reaching that place +on the 24th of April, after having had a brush with a party of Boers +near Rietput the day before. The town was cleared, and all the ovens and +cooking utensils found in the houses were destroyed. On the morning of +the 26th, when the convoy moved on, the Boers attempted to hold +Commissie Bridge over the Caledon River. A sharp engagement followed, +during which 2nd Lieut. Thorne collected men from among the wagons, +dashed across the bridge, and seized a kopje on the further side, +thereby gaining a mention in column orders. The Boers were driven off, +but followed the convoy almost to Rouxville, which was reached on the +27th of April; and from this date to the 20th of May the force under +Major du Moulin was occupied in escorting a convoy between Aliwal and +Rouxville, bringing out stores from the latter place, and returning with +refugees and stock taken over from the columns working the district.</p> + +<p>On the 20th of May orders were received from General Bruce Hamilton that +the column was to clear the country north of Smithfield as a fighting +column. The task of watching the trek ox plod slowly and gloomily +through the dust was over, to the great delight of all ranks, and, with +a roving commission, the column set out in a northerly direction. In +addition to men of the Royal Sussex<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_267" id="Page_267">[Pg 267]</a></span> (5 companies M.I. and an Infantry +escort), Major du Moulin had under him at this time a company of the +Connaught Rangers M.I. and a section of the 43rd Battery, R.F.A.</p> + +<p>On the 22nd a retreating Boer convoy was sighted—probably belonging to +Brand's Commando, then at Rietput. On the 24th the baggage of the column +was well sniped by some sixty Boers at Kopjeskraal, on the way to +Vaalbank. What followed was characteristic of Major du Moulin's methods. +The cooks and other duty men, together with the wagon escort in Cape +carts, were immediately set to charge round the flank of the hill at a +gallop, Cape carts and all. This was too much for the nerves of the +Boers, who streamed away. The guns came into action, without, however, +any luck, the retreating Boers having separated in all directions.</p> + +<p>The work of clearing farms continued, two companies of M.I. being sent +out daily on each flank for the purpose. In many cases the farms were +found empty, with every sign that the occupants had just hurriedly left. +Sometimes a room had been bricked up, in which a supply of grain or the +family treasures were stored.</p> + +<p>On the 3rd of June the line was again reached at Jagersfontein Road, in +cold and snow. A trek northwards along the line brought the column to +Edenburg, where a new batch of mounted men from the Regiment joined. The +30th and 31st Imperial Yeomanry were also attached, and the much-desired +pom-pom (under Capt. A. A. Montgomery, R.A.) was obtained. Two guns of +the 39th Field Battery were with the column.</p> + +<p>This batch of Yeomanry consisted of men utterly raw and untrained. They +knew nothing about the work, so that it was necessary to assign each +Yeoman to a Sussex man for instruction. As the pay of the latter was +only one shilling a day,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_268" id="Page_268">[Pg 268]</a></span> while the Yeoman was receiving five shillings, +the position was rather absurd. On the first day out a spare wagon was +filled with stuff that the Yeomen had left in camp—saddles, blankets, +ammunition, etc. While on trek they were constantly losing horses and +rifles. A system of heavy fines, proportionate to their pay, was +instituted for these offences. In one case it was strongly suspected +that a horse had been shot and left, saddle and all, by its rider when +out on flank guard—presumably because he had no turn for mounted work, +and disliked his animal.</p> + +<p>No doubt some of these men developed into useful soldiers. Under the +circumstances, however, the process was an annoying and even dangerous +one for their instructors.</p> + +<p>On the 6th of June the column set out to the West of the line. Capt. +Gilbert raided the farm of Lokshoek on the night of the 6th, and Capt. +Montrésor that of Kranzhoek on the 7th, capturing 13 and 11 prisoners +respectively. At Lokshoek was a laager of women and children, with Cape +carts and wagons. During the following days this process was repeated +elsewhere, with the result that on the return of the column to Edenburg +on the 15th, 53 prisoners were handed in, besides many refugees and a +large amount of stock.<a name="FNanchor_16_16" id="FNanchor_16_16"></a><a href="#Footnote_16_16" class="fnanchor">[16]</a></p> + +<p>In Army Orders of the 4th of June, Major du Moulin was granted the local +rank of Lieut.-Colonel. He was subsequently awarded a brevet Lieut.-Colonelcy.</p> + +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_269" id="Page_269">[Pg 269]</a></span></p><p>At Edenburg, Lieuts. Crawley-Boevey and Bond, and 2nd Lieut. Paget +joined the column—the latter with 50 mounted men, who had been raised +at Norval's Pont, and employed round Edenburg.</p> + +<p>On the 18th, the column set out to the East of the line, and worked once +more in the now familiar country south of Dewetsdorp. Parties were +constantly sent out to surround farms at night on the chance of finding +Boers. The enemy had, however, realised by this time the danger of +sleeping under a roof.</p> + +<p>The 25th of June provided a long day's work. The column was fired at in +the morning at Koetzee's Post, some 300 Boers being among the hills west +of that place. The troops turned into the hill, successfully forcing the +difficult nek to Klip Huis. Fourteen Cape carts and two wagons +containing women and children were captured, but the commando was in +flight, and the mounted troops chased them as far as Helvetia, 12 miles +off, getting back to camp at Klip Huis after eleven hours in the saddle +without food. A signal lamp stuck up in camp helped the tired companies +to find their way in.</p> + +<p>On the 28th of June some Boers successfully trapped a small flanking +party at Mooifontein. The column had gone by Hex River, a pass some +miles to the south; the baggage and escort were to cross the ridge by a +road running close to Mooifontein farm. While the baggage was crossing +the nek, a message was received by the Yeomanry Officer commanding the +left flanking party that a Boer woman at the farm wished to be brought +in to a refugee camp, and had asked for a wagon to take her and her +boxes, which were ready packed. The Officer accordingly rode up to the +farm, after passing the message on, and waited there with seven men of +the Yeomanry and G company till a wagon<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_270" id="Page_270">[Pg 270]</a></span> should be sent back. It seems +that the men paid more attention to catching chickens than to keeping a +look-out. At any rate, as soon as the baggage was out of sight over the +nek, some Boers, who were in hiding behind the farm, opened fire at the +party point blank, killing three in the first volley and wounding +two.<a name="FNanchor_17_17" id="FNanchor_17_17"></a><a href="#Footnote_17_17" class="fnanchor">[17]</a> The bugler only escaped, and missing his way, arrived at the +camp of the column late at night. A party sent back of course found the farm unoccupied.</p> + +<p>On the 29th of June a special company was organised under Capt. +Montrésor to perform scouting duties, raids, and surprise visits to +farms by day and night. The men were to receive a daily ration of rum, +with an extra issue to those engaged in night work; while they were to +be exempt from piquets and guards. One hundred men were easily obtained, +and the "Raiders" came into existence.</p> + +<p>On the 5th of July Lieut. Woodruffe was left with 14 men in ambush at +Weltevreden, the camp of the night before, to wait for Boers, who were +expected to visit the camp when the column had left, in the hope of +picking up food or ammunition. Three Boers came along, one to the farm +where the men were hidden. He would not surrender when challenged, but +turned and galloped away, and so was shot.</p> + +<p>Thirty Boers now opened fire upon the farm, and four of the horses of +Woodruffe's party broke loose, delaying his retirement. His difficulties +were further increased by one of the Yeomen with him, who became +panic-stricken, and refused to mount. The Boers surrounded the small +kopje upon which Woodruffe took up a position (not, however, before a +boy had been sent back with a note to the column), and, working among +the rocks, gradually closed in upon him. He was slightly<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_271" id="Page_271">[Pg 271]</a></span> wounded in the +head, and one of his men (Weston) was hit. Things were looking rather +black, when Lieut. Howes, I.Y., with 25 men of the rear guard, came back +to his support, and the Boers retired with two killed.</p> + +<p>On the 5th of July Dewetsdorp was raided in conjunction with Col. +Rochfort, but the Boers were not there. They sent a letter by a released +prisoner, saying they were sorry not to be at home.</p> + +<p>Moving down to the Caledon River, the column arrived at Deep Dene on the +7th of July. There was no drift over the river at this point, and Col. +du Moulin determined to make one. The banks, which were very steep, were +dynamited, and horses and oxen were put to trample down and harden the +loose deep sand of the river bed.</p> + +<p>Great care had to be taken to avoid the quick-sands. Five small donkeys +got involved in these, and sank lower and lower, in spite of all +attempts to haul them out by ropes. They made the most pitiable noise in +their terror, and ultimately had to be despatched, when little but their +heads remained visible.</p> + +<p>After enormous efforts, all the mule wagons were got across by 8 p.m., +but the drift was found impassable for ox wagons; these, accordingly, +moved on the following day up to Jammersberg Bridge, being shelled by +another column on the way, and joined the mule wagons again at Wepener.</p> + +<p>On the 10th of July, Col. Rochfort and Col. du Moulin, reconnoitring +over Jammersberg Bridge with the Raiders (under Capt. Montrésor) and the +pom-pom (under Capt. Montgomery), found seventy Boers holding the kopjes +on the further side. Attacking at once, the hills were stormed on foot, +and the Boers were turned out of their position and pursued for some +miles. One prisoner was taken, and four saddled horses. Serjt. +Nightingale was<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_272" id="Page_272">[Pg 272]</a></span> killed during the action, when very pluckily leading +his section over the bridge.</p> + +<p>The column was shortly ordered into Edenburg, and thence down the line +to Springfontein, in order to operate on the west of the line. Orders +had by this time been given that every man of the Regiment who was +willing should be mounted, and join Col. du Moulin; and accordingly +Major Church with the mounted men of H company, and Capt. Beale with +those of the second Volunteer company, were waiting for the column at +Springfontein. Major Church and the Volunteers had been trekking with +Williams' and Byng's columns respectively.</p> + +<div class="footnotes"><h3>FOOTNOTES:</h3> + +<div class="footnote"><p><a name="Footnote_13_13" id="Footnote_13_13"></a><a href="#FNanchor_13_13"><span class="label">[13]</span></a> 20 Prisoners, 9 Male Refugees, 41 Women, 124 Children, +6,179 Sheep, 337 Cattle, 136 Horses.</p></div> + +<div class="footnote"><p><a name="Footnote_14_14" id="Footnote_14_14"></a><a href="#FNanchor_14_14"><span class="label">[14]</span></a> 100 prisoners, 30 male refugees, 300 women, 980 children, +400 black refugees, 30,000 sheep, 6,000 cattle, 300 horses.</p></div> + +<div class="footnote"><p><a name="Footnote_15_15" id="Footnote_15_15"></a><a href="#FNanchor_15_15"><span class="label">[15]</span></a> Pte. Pruce, E Company.</p></div> + +<div class="footnote"><p><a name="Footnote_16_16" id="Footnote_16_16"></a><a href="#FNanchor_16_16"><span class="label">[16]</span></a></p> + +<table summary="stock"> + <tr> + <td class="left">Prisoners of War</td> + <td>53</td> + <td class="left"></td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td class="left">Rifles</td> + <td>4</td> + <td class="left"></td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td class="left">Ammunition</td> + <td>500</td> + <td class="left"> rounds</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td class="left">Dynamite</td> + <td>10</td> + <td class="left"> lbs.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td class="left">Horses</td> + <td>558</td> + <td class="left"></td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td class="left">Ox wagons</td> + <td>36</td> + <td class="left"></td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td class="left">Cape carts</td> + <td>30</td> + <td class="left"></td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td class="left">Cattle</td> + <td>2052</td> + <td class="left"></td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td class="left">Sheep</td> + <td>15000</td> + <td class="left"></td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td colspan="3" class="center">Refugees.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td class="left">White men</td> + <td>3</td> + <td class="left"></td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td class="left">White women</td> + <td>131</td> + <td class="left"></td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td class="left">White children</td> + <td>467</td> + <td class="left"></td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td class="left">Black men</td> + <td>2</td> + <td class="left"></td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td class="left">Black women</td> + <td>7</td> + <td class="left"></td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td class="left">Black children</td> + <td>70</td> + <td class="left"></td> + </tr> +</table></div> + +<div class="footnote"><p><a name="Footnote_17_17" id="Footnote_17_17"></a><a href="#FNanchor_17_17"><span class="label">[17]</span></a> Pte. Boniface, of G Company, was killed there. On the same +day Pte. Shorney, of H Company, was mortally wounded at Hex River.</p></div></div> + +<hr /> + +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_273" id="Page_273">[Pg 273]</a></span></p> + +<h2><span>CHAPTER XXIV.</span> <span class="smaller">TWO DISTRICTS.</span></h2> + +<blockquote><p class="center">A derelict town—The district—Entertainments—British +"commandos"—Hertzog's Adjutant—Back to +Springfontein—Vlakfontein—The scene of a disaster—Caledon +River—Edenburg—Stranded traction +engines—Ventershoek—"Commandos" again.</p></blockquote> + +<p>Col. du Moulin moved out of Springfontein on the 21st of July to take +over the district which had been assigned to him, and which lay west of +the line, and north of the Orange River, round about the town of +Philippolis. He had under him about 600 men of the Sussex, nearly all +mounted, and a section of the 7th Battery (Capt. Geoghegan and Lieut. +Chamier), besides the pom-pom.</p> + +<p>Philippolis, which for the next two months was used as the headquarters +and rendezvous of the column, lies at the head of a valley some 15 miles +west of the railway. The usual stone Church looks down the usual main +street of one-storied tin-roofed buildings. Two other parallel streets +and a few cross roads make up the town. It is surrounded by bare veldt; +a eucalyptus or two and a couple of rows of cypress down the main street +are the only trees to be seen for miles round.</p> + +<p>At this time there were still a few inhabitants remaining, although most +of the houses were quite empty. At first, here as elsewhere, the town +had been left undisturbed under authorities appointed by the British; +but, when the local commandos again took up arms, authorities and +townspeople had alike to be brought in to the line; and now the last of +them was to be removed, Lord Kitchener's order being not to leave a +living thing. For if inhabitants were left, food must be left too; and +what was food for the inhabitants was food also for the local +commandos—or the fragments of them that lurked in the hills round. +Besides this, information,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_274" id="Page_274">[Pg 274]</a></span> more valuable even than food, would be +spread as to the movements of columns. The supreme object at this +juncture was to make life impossible for the Boers under arms.</p> + +<p>It was a strange sight, this derelict town. Doors were open, and it was +possible to turn out of the silent street into a house, where the very +music lay as it had been left upon the piano in the sitting room: to sit +down at the piano and try a few bars, momentarily expecting the owner to +appear and protest against such intrusion. Yet the only representative +of the owner would be perhaps the watch dog lying in the yard where it +had been necessary to shoot him, when the house was searched (very +likely with success) for ammunition. The town was placed out of bounds +for the troops of the column.</p> + +<p>The Boers of the neighbourhood were not in very high feather. Except for +bodies of men passing through from the surrounding districts, they +consisted only of small parties of a dozen or less, living precariously +upon the much-cleared country. They had established a certain number of +depôts to which they could come for grain, but beyond these there was +very little food to be found; and nearly all the farms were empty.</p> + +<p>Colonel du Moulin's task, therefore, consisted of netting as many stray +Boers as possible, and destroying all stock, grain, cooking utensils, +and anything else that would help to support life, besides being +prepared to meet any commando that should attempt to cross the district.</p> + +<p>For these purposes he divided the column into three sub-columns or +"commandos" of about 150 men each, under Major Church. Capt. Gilbert, +and Capt. Montrésor. Two of these were always in the field, while one +was usually resting in Philippolis. In order to enliven the time of the +resting "commando," he detailed a few men with a bent<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_275" id="Page_275">[Pg 275]</a></span> in that direction +as permanent entertainers, and these used to give nightly performances +in the Town Hall, with the help of one of the many pianos in which the +town abounded. Songs, dramatic sketches, and clog-dances used to form +items of the programme.</p> + +<p>During the first week (which was cold and snowy) a number of farms were +cleared. Twenty-five sacks of wheat were found by the Colonel, bricked +up at the farm Poortje. The dam there was destroyed, as was done in +other cases. On August the 4th the ox convoy bringing supplies from +Springfontein joined the three "commandos" at Brandkraal. Lieut. Bidder +and 2nd Lieut. Cole from the 3rd Battalion of the Regiment arrived with it.</p> + +<p>For the next month the "commandos" worked up and down the district with +comparatively little incident, picking up a few prisoners here and +there, and sending in refugees. Captain (now Brevet-Major) Gilbert +searched the kloofs along the Orange River: there were several families +living there, who supplied food to the fighting Boers, and these were +transported to the line. In one place the Major was just leaving a +valley that he had searched in vain, when the strange behaviour of a +horse directed his attention to a large bush. Investigation followed, +and from the recesses of the bush emerged an entire family of three generations.</p> + +<p>By surprise visits at night to likely places, Major Gilbert also +captured a number of armed Boers—on the 11th of August in particular +two raids resulted in the taking of thirteen prisoners.</p> + +<p>On the 16th Major Church's "commando" chased a party of twenty Boers, +who had come to unearth a store of boots they had buried near Tafelkop. +A signalling piquet on Tafelkop disturbed them as Major Church was +coming up, and the Boers got away through Otterspoort,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_276" id="Page_276">[Pg 276]</a></span> after being +turned out of the farm there by the pom-pom.</p> + +<p>On the 17th of August, information was received that 200 Boers under +Kritzinger were at Buonapartfontein, on the east of the line, working +north with horses very done up. Orders were sent round at once to the +three "commandos" to hurl themselves across the line, and they +accordingly met at Driekuil Siding early on the 18th. Kritzinger had, +however, already moved north, pursued by Gorringe's column—the +information being twenty-four hours late.</p> + +<p>On the 25th of August Major Gilbert's "commando" captured Cronje, +Adjutant and Chief of Scouts to Hertzog, the local Commandant. The +actual capture was effected by Liliveld, a Colonial Scout attached to +the column, who did some brilliant work.</p> + +<p>That same evening, Major Gilbert, who had been talking to Cronje, told +him to follow him across the camp, wishing for some reason to shift his +quarters. The Major carried his hand in his pocket. The Boer, who looked +very white and anxious, suddenly said "Well, when are you going to do +it." He thought he was being taken out to be shot, and that the Major +had his hand on his revolver. It appeared that the Commandants had +persuaded their men that the Proclamations as to surrender, published at +this time, were only decoys, and that any man surrendering would be +shot. Cronje said that many would come in if they knew they would be +well treated. "We shall have a score to settle with the Commandants when +the War is over," he added.</p> + +<p>He was one of the men chased by Major Church a few days before. "They +had had nothing to eat for twenty-four hours," he said, "and had bolted +another 25 miles." He was offered good pay to act as guide to the +column, but to his credit he refused.</p> + +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_277" id="Page_277">[Pg 277]</a></span></p><p>On the 30th of August, Captain Montrésor and Lieut. Morphett, with +thirteen men, surrounded the Jansfontein Hills in the dusk, and crept up +just before dawn, by starlight. They captured four Boers with rifles on +the top without a shot being fired. Captain Montrésor's "commando" +returned to Philippolis on the 5th of September with twelve prisoners.</p> + +<p>On the 31st of August, two Boers with rifles came in to surrender to +Major Church at Osfontein. They had been living for a fortnight in a +cave near, that contained the household treasures of Ospoort +farm—clothes, dried fruit, a violin, pillows and a coffee machine. +There was also a little ammunition, the remains, perhaps, of a larger supply.</p> + +<p>Later in the day Boers were reported on a neighbouring hill, which was +accordingly surrounded, Major Church taking one party, Captain +Montgomery and Lieut. Harden another. Eight men were captured and +seventeen rifles. They had no idea a British force was near, the camp +being very well hidden. They had orders from Herzog not to stay long in +the district, as there was no food. One of them was a Secret Agent of the British.</p> + +<p>Two days afterwards, Major Church came upon and destroyed another Boer +supply depôt consisting of two large tin-lined boxes hidden among +bushes, and containing eight sacks of wheat and stores of all kind. +Round about were rough beds of heather and branches, and fire holes for cooking.</p> + +<p>On the 17th of September orders were received for the whole column to +march in to Springfontein, and entrain for the North. Rain had been +falling heavily for a week, and the roads were almost impassable. The +oxen were weak with overwork, lung disease and inoculation; dead oxen +lay every few yards of the way. Relief wagons were sent to<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_278" id="Page_278">[Pg 278]</a></span> meet the +convoy, the end of which struggled painfully in to Springfontein at nine +o'clock on the night of the 19th. This convoy, which had been working +backwards and forwards between Philippolis and the line with supplies +for the column, was left at Springfontein when the column moved North. +Lieut. De La Pryme, A.S.C., who had admirably managed the supply +arrangements, accompanied the column.</p> + +<p>On the 19th September news arrived of the disaster at Vlakfontein, not +far from Thabanchu, in which two guns of U battery, and their escort of +newly-raised Mounted Infantry, were taken. General Bruce Hamilton's +troops were accordingly despatched into the district round the scene of +action. The Sussex column entrained during the 20th, and the work of +hauling and shoving recalcitrant mules and horses into trucks went on +all that night by the light of flares. There was a sharp frost at dawn; +the helmets of men who had slept upon the ground were white, and the +ditch by the railway was covered with ice. The sixth and last train +reached Bloemfontein on the evening of the 21st; the column marched for +Vlakfontein itself, after being inspected by General Tucker, and on the +23rd camped close to the scene of the fight.</p> + +<p>The Boers and their prisoners had of course gone, but there were many +traces of what had occurred.</p> + +<p>In a kloof in a long low kopje lay two dead gunhorses. The ground all +round was trampled down, probably by the horses of the escort, which had +perhaps been put there under cover when the action began. The guns had +come into action on the slope of the ridge against a kopje to the north, +as the marks made by the spades shewed. Boers had apparently crept up +from the direction of Slangfontein farm (which lay to the south), and +had taken the position in rear.</p> + +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_279" id="Page_279">[Pg 279]</a></span></p><p>On the top of the ridge were a number of bayonets, some artillery +harness, haversacks, canteens, bandages stained with blood and other +traces of the fight. Little heaps of cartridge cases behind stones here +and there shewed where men had made a stand. The graves of four soldiers +were found—so shallow that it was necessary to dig them afresh. The gun +tracks led away from the ridge towards Slangfontein farm.</p> + +<p>It was found afterwards that the officer in charge of the guns had +indeed made a fine stand. The escort, consisting of untried Mounted +Infantry, had not supported him. Attacked in front and rear, he fought +the guns till the last moment, and then died beside them. His gunners, +and a few of the escort who held out, were shot down almost to a man. +The officer was Lieut. Otter Barry, R.A., whose brother is now +(December, 1906) Adjutant of the 2nd Battn. of the Royal Sussex Regiment.</p> + +<p>At this farm, a newly-made grave in the family burial ground aroused the +suspicions of Major Gilbert. It was opened in spite of the protests of +the inhabitants, and was found to contain nearly fifty rifles. Some more +rifles and gun harness were in the dam. The people of the farm were +removed, as well as a wounded Boer who was there. Most of the farms in +the district were occupied at the time.</p> + +<p>The tracks of the guns were followed for the next two days, without +however catching up the enemy. The Boers put their prisoners over the +Basuto border and dispersed; the column halted at Jammersberg Bridge on +the Caledon River. Its strength at this time was 800 Europeans, 220 +natives (drivers, etc.), 830 horses and 540 mules.</p> + +<p>The District was swept by various columns (those of Lowrie Cole, +Hamilton, Plumer and Williams) during the following week, without any +great result. Col. du Moulin's column arrived at<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_280" id="Page_280">[Pg 280]</a></span> Edenburg on the 6th of +October, and left the next day for the new district which had been +assigned to it, in the familiar ground south of Dewetsdorp and east of +Reddersburg. Before settling down to work, an expedition was made to the +North to protect a convoy of coal on its way from Bloemfontein to some +traction engines, which were stranded on the veldt for lack of fuel. The +escort to the convoy consisted of the mounted men of the Third Battalion +of the Royal Sussex Regiment under Capt. the Hon. J. S. R. Tufton.</p> + +<p>Ackerman's commando was met on the evening of the 9th, but did not wait. +A terrific rain storm that night covered his retreat.</p> + +<p>One of the guns lost at Vlakfontein had already been recovered, and the +second, with harness, was found on the 12th at Weltevreden. Reddersburg +was reached next day, and building materials were collected in the town, +with a view to establishing a fortified camp and depôt at a convenient centre.</p> + +<p>During the expedition north, much stock had been collected, and the +inhabitants of farms brought in. At one of the farms, a mad woman who +objected to clothing was kept in the stable, and presented a difficult +problem to the officer sent to clear it. The people of the house refused +to assist in any way; some Kaffir women, however, dressed the poor +wretch, who proved, indeed, on the return journey, the only cheerful +member of the party.</p> + +<p>Colonel du Moulin decided to make his headquarters at Ventershoek, a +farm 11 miles S.E. of Reddersburg, surrounded on three sides by high +ridges. On each of these a permanent piquet was established, for which a +stone fort was constructed. Roads were made to these forts, and the two +guns were sent up.</p> + +<p>Two ranges of hills met at Ventershoek, one from the north-east and the +other from the north;<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_281" id="Page_281">[Pg 281]</a></span> and the Camp lay between them at their point of +junction. The piquets thus commanded the flat country to the south and +west, the ridges dropping abruptly down into wide plains.</p> + +<p>The column was again divided into "commandos," Major Gilbert and Captain +Montrésor being assigned 200 men each, and a pom-pom and maxim +respectively. On the 17th of October these "commandos" moved out—Major +Gilbert to Hardewater, Captain Montrésor to Mooifontein. At Hardewater, +a lofty hill (the end of the N. E. range) gave a magnificent view over +the surrounding country; and here Major Gilbert remained. The Boers were +said to be massing in the East of the Colony, and moving towards the +line; and a sharp look-out was kept from the top of Hardewater Hill, on +which the helio had some busy days. No one was seen, however, except men +of other columns, who answered the enquiring flash.</p> + +<p>Before leaving Hardewater, it was discovered that every drop of water +used in camp came first over the body of a sheep that had fallen into a +cutting some months before. No one appeared to be any the worse!</p> + +<p>In a farm near, a notice, of which the following is a translation, had +been left for the column:—</p> + +<blockquote><p class="right">11th October, 1901.</p> + +<p>"Droogfontein.</p> + +<p>"May it herewith be notified to every British Officer and to all +men that the true Africanders, who are still under arms, are +determined to sacrifice themselves for the freedom of their +Country, and with God's help they will defend themselves till the +last man is killed or captured.</p> + +<p>"N. C. P. in the name of true Africanders."</p></blockquote> + +<hr /> + +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_282" id="Page_282">[Pg 282]</a></span></p> + +<h2><span>CHAPTER XXV.</span> <span class="smaller">DE PUT.</span></h2> + +<blockquote><p class="center">New Boer tactics—The column goes to relieve Lean—A brush with the +enemy—Camp at Rietput—Brand appears at dawn—Start of the +column—De Put Ridges—Held by Ackerman—Engagement—The position +finally turned—Brand effects nothing—Casualties—The Boer +version.</p></blockquote> + +<p>As has been said, the Boers to the south and east of Bloemfontein had at +this time adopted new tactics. Hitherto they had roved the hills in +small bands, and even in twos and threes, and the British forces had +accordingly been split up into a number of small columns, in order the +more easily to sweep the country. It occurred to Commandant Brand of +Edenburg that, if he collected the scattered local commandos, he would +be sufficiently strong to deal with the average British column; he +therefore combined the Boers under Koetzee, Joubert, Ackerman and +others, and found himself with a force of 600 men and more at his +disposal. The first fruits of this policy was the capture of the two +guns at Vlakfontein: since then, Brand had surrounded and captured a +patrol of fifty yeomen at Snyman's Post: and on the 24th of October he +attacked Col. Lean at Klein Zevenfontein, about 20 miles S.E. of +Ventershoek. On the evening of the 24th Col. Rochfort ordered all +available columns to go to Col. Lean's relief—the latter being +considerably outnumbered.</p> + +<p>Col. du Moulin started at once from Ventershoek with Captain Montrésor's +200 men and the maxim, sending a runner to Major Gilbert with orders to +join him on the march. The two forces met soon after midnight at +Koetzee's Post, halting there till dawn. With the first light they +marched towards Klein Zevenfontein. In all they numbered about 400 fighting men.</p> + +<p>The plains to the south of Ventershoek are divided by a lofty ridge (the +Ospoort Ridge) covered<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_283" id="Page_283">[Pg 283]</a></span> with large rocks and bushes, that runs generally +north and south. Of this Ridge the southern four miles form a horse +shoe, from the Dam Plaats Pass to De Put farm. Between these two points +there is no means of crossing the Ridge, except by the very rough and +stony track at Ospoort, where a narrow Kloof runs through the hill. +Through this it is just possible to lead a horse.</p> + +<p>At De Put a series of low foot hills meets the main Ridge. A road from +the south approaches the Ridge, and then divides, one branch crossing +these foot hills by De Put farm, the other running north-east, parallel to the Ridge.</p> + +<p>At sunrise on the 25th of October, the Sussex column was moving south +parallel to the Ospoort Ridge and about 5 miles to the east of it. +Captain Montrésor, in charge of the advanced guard, saw at a farm on the +right front (Twyfelfontein) a group of horsemen in Khaki, with blue +cavalry cloaks and white haversacks. They appeared to be men of the +South African Constabulary who were expected in the neighbourhood, and +Montrésor rode over with four men and a signaller to speak to them. Two +of his men and the signaller (Sergt. Skeat) were on ahead, and passed +over a rise; they were immediately disarmed by Boers waiting on the +other side. As Montrésor rode up the rise, three men came into view less +than thirty yards off, and shouted "Hands up." Montrésor and the two +with him turned and galloped for it. A bullet through Montrésor's helmet +and a flesh wound in one of the horses was all the damage done.</p> + +<p>Firing now broke out, and two companies were sent to line the high +ground on the right, while the pom-pom came into action against the farm.</p> + +<p>The Boers, however, had no intention of joining issue with the column +that day. Their main body, several hundred strong, retreated along the +foot of the Ospoort Ridge towards De Put; and<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_284" id="Page_284">[Pg 284]</a></span> the column proceeded in +the direction of Klein Zevenfontein. The three captured men returned +without their equipment: in Sergt. Skeat's case the Boers took, besides +his heliograph, a pair of presentation field glasses, which he +subsequently recovered in the successful raid of Christmas Eve in +another part of the country.</p> + +<p>Col. du Moulin camped that night at Rietput, having ascertained that +Klein Zevenfontein was untenanted. The graves of four men (two Boers and +two British) were found there.</p> + +<p>Early on the morning of the 26th of October Commandant Brand with about +300 men (including those under Joubert) and a machine gun worked round +the Sussex camp, expecting the column to continue its march in the same +direction as on the day before. If he had any intention of attacking the +camp, a very heavy rain storm put it out of the question. The piquets +opened fire on some of his men, and Major Gilbert with his company was +sent to investigate matters. He first met Brand's advanced guard, +driving them back: one Boer was wounded, but rescued by a comrade, and +some horses were captured. Then some 200 Boers came in sight. Major +Gilbert occupied a ridge behind the camp until the column had moved off, +when he retired, to successive positions. Brand did not attack, but +moved after the column on its right rear, Major Gilbert moving parallel to him.</p> + +<p>There was no object now in going to Klein Zevenfontein, and Col. du +Moulin had decided to retrace his steps towards Ospoort, where the Boers +had been met the day before. Ten miles across the plain the blue Ridge +lay quiet in the sun, and for the Southern end of this the advanced +guard (H. Company) was ordered to make. A screen of ten double files was +spread out over a front of about two miles. Nearer and nearer they drew +to the Ridge, which showed no signs of life. Then, as<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_285" id="Page_285">[Pg 285]</a></span> they reached the +very foot of it, a heavy burst of firing broke out on the right. The +time was about 11 o'clock.</p> + +<p>A few horsemen had been seen through the Ospoort Kloof on the far side +of the Ridge, and Col. du Moulin had sent Lieut. Gouldsmith with C +company to reconnoitre the pass. He arrived there at the same time as +the right flankers of the advanced guard, who had been collected +together for the same purpose. White, the Intelligence Agent, had +galloped on in front of all with a few boys, and rode first into the +Kloof. Not a shot had then been fired from the Ridge.</p> + +<p>A large number of Boers under Ackerman were, however, waiting among the +stones on the hillside, and, as soon as White got far enough in to the +gully to see them, they were forced to open fire. When they did so, +Gouldsmith with some men of his company and of the advanced guard had +just come through a wire fence, and were within 100 yards of the ridge. +White was mortally wounded (he died the next day). Farrant of H company +was shot through the heart, and one or two horses were hit; but the +range was too short for the Boers, and the others got back over the wire +and took cover without further casualties. The pom-pom and maxim were +brought into action; in a short time the fire from the Ridge died down, +and the column moved on, working round towards De Put with a view to +crossing the foot hills there. The road runs over the latter close under +the western extension of the main Ridge.</p> + +<p>Meanwhile all had been quiet on the left. The left flankers and centre +of the advanced guard, who were holding some low rises facing the +western extremity of the Ridge, had not been fired upon, when Colonel du +Moulin joined them. A solitary post stuck up prominently on the +sky-line: and this was constantly being reported as a Boer.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_286" id="Page_286">[Pg 286]</a></span> "The next +man who tells me of that," said the Colonel, "will have to go up and +have a closer look at it." No Boers were in fact to be seen among the +rocks and bushes of the lofty crest.</p> + +<p>The Colonel now sent on the advanced guard, and Captain Montrésor with +the "Raiders," to seize the foot hills at different points, first +searching them with the pom-pom. During the process, the baggage was +closing up on the left of the troops at what appeared to be a safe +distance from the Ridge.</p> + +<p>The advanced guard went off first, and galloped for a point some little +distance from the main Ridge. A stone wall ran along the crest of the +low hills, but the Boers had not had time to get round and hold it: and, +somewhat to their surprise, this party reached the wall without +opposition. Leaving a piquet there, they descended on the other side.</p> + +<p>As Montrésor, who was sent along the road, neared the foot hills, a very +heavy fire broke out from the crest of the Ridge above him. The road +runs by the side of a dam, and the water of this was lashed as if by a +hail storm. The baggage, which was really within 1,200 yards of the +Ridge, at once stampeded, the black drivers bolted, and for a few +minutes all was confusion. The Boers did not make good practice, +however, and the wagons were collected again at a safe distance, after +some mules had been killed and a few of the escort and drivers wounded.</p> + +<p>The pom-pom now came into action in the open against the crest line of +the Ridge at about 800 yards, and continued firing there for three +quarters of an hour—a feat which much impressed the Boers. "Three +times," they said afterwards, "we drove the gunners away from the gun, +and three times they came back." The companies who had not been +otherwise employed scattered and lay<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_287" id="Page_287">[Pg 287]</a></span> down in the open by the pom-pom, +and along the rising ground: and soon a heavy rifle fire was developed, +the horses having been sent back under cover. The Colonel had already +arranged for the supply of ammunition from the reserve in the wagons to +the men in the firing line, and this arrived before they began to run +short. He himself remained near the pom-pom.</p> + +<p>The pom-pom shield was hit in ten places, and Captain Montgomery was +wounded in the knee. He had the gun (which was steaming like a kettle) +moved back under cover of a hillock, and fired thence for another half +hour. He found that the greatest effect was produced by firing one or +two shots at a time—then pausing—then firing one or two more. This +kept the Boers behind their rocks.</p> + +<p>Captain Montrésor, with Lieut. Woodruffe and 2nd Lieuts. Paget and +Thorne, had safely reached the low hill above the dam: but he was here +too close under the end of the main Ridge (now held by the Boers) to +effect much. It was impossible to stir without attracting a shower of +bullets. One or two of his men were wounded there, Sergt. Finucane being +shot through the shoulder.</p> + +<p>The men of the advanced guard who had crossed the low hills turned and +rode towards the Boer position over the open; but they were met and +stopped by a heavy fire. There were only five or six of them, and they +waited in a donga for reinforcements. Meantime an attempt by the Boers +at Ospoort to work up the bed of a spruit in rear of the column had been +checked. Major Gilbert, with Brand on his right, had closed up. Brand, +finding no troops left between himself and the Ospoort Ridge (the whole +column having by now been moved to its left), turned northwards to +Twyfelfontein. Major Gilbert left his men as <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_288" id="Page_288">[Pg 288]</a></span>rearguard, and went to +find Col. du Moulin. It had been the Colonel's idea to turn the rear of +the Boers, but this had not yet been done; and he sent Major Gilbert +forward to try and accomplish it.</p> + +<p>The Major rode over the low hills in front, where the advanced guard had +already gone, and picked up some of G company by the way. With these and +the party in the donga he went on, making for the rear of the Boer +position, and keeping out of range of the Ridge.</p> + +<p>The ground in rear of the Ridge rises and falls in long swelling mounds. +As soon as the Boers realised that the British were making for one of +these, Field Cornet du Toit with 25 men left the Ridge and raced for it. +The Field Cornet and his men could not be seen by the advancing +soldiers; the latter, however, were galloping for all they were worth, +not knowing whether the mound were held or not. The two or three whose +horses were freshest drew ahead, and neared the top: at last they got +high enough to see over the crest. There, within 300 yards, was a +bearded Boer, galloping towards them; beyond him another two, and behind +them others again.</p> + +<p>The British jumped off their horses and lay down behind ant-heaps. The +nearest Boer raised his hand in signal to the others that the rise was +held; they stopped, fired from their saddles, turned their horses' heads +and galloped off, while their friends behind blazed away to cover their +retreat. The Field Cornet had lost.</p> + +<p>By this burst of firing one of the horses of those upon the rise was +killed, but no other damage was done. The rest of Major Gilbert's party +were coming up through it, and soon the rise was lined. The retreating +Boers were, however, quickly out of range.</p> + +<p>Ackerman and his men were now taken in rear. Not liking this, they +abandoned the whole position,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_289" id="Page_289">[Pg 289]</a></span> and those on the rise watched them +streaming away through the Dam Plaats Pass. Ackerman had with him +between two and three hundred Boers.</p> + +<p>It was now 4.30 p.m. The baggage had been successfully passed over the +low hills, and the column moved forward to Wilgefontein, camping there +for the night. Major Gilbert and the men with him returned over the west +end of the Boer position. On the crest lay a man, hit in the head by a +pom-pom shell; a notice was pinned to his coat: "This is —— of ——; +please let his father know that he is killed."</p> + +<p>To return to Commandant Brand: he had so far played a singularly +ineffective part in the day's proceedings. With a considerable force of +Boers under him, he had been out-manœuvred and kept at a distance in +rear by Major Gilbert and his company, although the resources of the +column were fully employed against the Ridge in front, and, till that +Ridge was forced, a dashing charge of two or three hundred Boers from +the rear would have been at least a serious matter.</p> + +<p>It appears that Brand had not left Ackerman any orders to hold the +Ridge, as he did not expect the column to go that way. When firing broke +out in that direction, he did not know how many Boers were involved, or +which side was on the Ridge. He, therefore, sent round two men to find +out what was happening, and to tell Ackerman (if it was he) to hold the +Ridge as long as he could, and he (Brand) would attack the British in rear.</p> + +<p>Ackerman got this message, and held on (which he had not intended to +do), momentarily expecting Brand to turn up: Brand waited for an answer +from Ackerman, which Ackerman omitted to send. So Brand lay, checked and +ineffective, until the Ridge was forced and the chance had gone.</p> + +<p>The retreating Ackerman became involved<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_290" id="Page_290">[Pg 290]</a></span> with a small column of S.A.C. +under Captain Malcolm. His Khaki clad Boers again deceived a squadron, +who rode up to them thinking they were Malcolm's main body. The Boers +opened fire at forty yards; luckily, however, the gun on the south +piquet at Ventershoek opened fire at the same time upon the real main +body of the British, driving them down upon the scene of action. The +forces became considerably mixed, but were eventually disentangled +without many casualties.</p> + +<p>After the fighting at De Put was over, two men with white flags left the +Ridge and came to surrender with their rifles. They said that they were +tired of fighting (one of them had a bullet through his hat): that they +were Transvaalers, and had only promised to fight for two years, which +were up: and that the camp was to be attacked that night. The column +accordingly lay ready and waiting; but the Boers thought better of it.</p> + +<p>The report of the action spread by the Boers was that they, with 150 men +and a machine gun, had surprised and routed a column of 400, with +pom-pom and maxim. The British losses they put at 150—in actual fact +they were two killed and nine wounded (including four natives).<a name="FNanchor_18_18" id="FNanchor_18_18"></a><a href="#Footnote_18_18" class="fnanchor">[18]</a> It +was said that the Boers had three killed and six wounded; but the man +who lay upon the hillside provided the only certain piece of information.</p> + +<p>The pom-pom fired 900 rounds; while over 30,000 rounds of small arm +ammunition were expended.<a name="FNanchor_19_19" id="FNanchor_19_19"></a><a href="#Footnote_19_19" class="fnanchor">[19]</a></p> + +<p>Civil-Surgeon Leach did very well during the action, riding with a large +red cross flag through heavy fire to assist the wounded.</p> + +<div class="footnotes"><h3>FOOTNOTES:</h3> + +<div class="footnote"><p><a name="Footnote_18_18" id="Footnote_18_18"></a><a href="#FNanchor_18_18"><span class="label">[18]</span></a> <i>Killed</i>: Intelligence Agent White; Pte. J. Farrant, H Co. +</p><p> +<i>Wounded</i>: Sgt. Finucane, H Co.; Cpl. E. Manning, Vol.; Pte. F. Webb, C +Co.; Pte. C. Dymock, F Co.; Pte. M. Hunt, G Co.</p></div> + +<div class="footnote"><p><a name="Footnote_19_19" id="Footnote_19_19"></a><a href="#FNanchor_19_19"><span class="label">[19]</span></a> The bulk of this ammunition was fired at the jagged +crest-line of the Ridge, and kept the Boers down under cover, checking +their fire. The Boers themselves remained invisible.</p></div> +</div> + +<hr /> + +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_291" id="Page_291">[Pg 291]</a></span></p> + +<h2><span>CHAPTER XXVI.</span> <span class="smaller">TO VLAKFONTEIN.</span></h2> + +<blockquote><p class="center">The King's Road—On the track of a commando—A stern chase—Wearing +out the Boers—Kritzinger appears—The column goes to meet +him—Kaffir's Kop—A mélée—A gallant death—Kritzinger gets +through—Moving westwards—Night march on Jagersfontein—Boers +surprised at dawn—Captures at Vlakfontein—Christmas +Day—Fauresmith—Vlakfontein again.</p></blockquote> + +<p>After the fight at De Put, the column again divided into two +"commandos," of which Major Gilbert's returned with Head Quarters to +Ventershoek. Very heavy rain on the 29th and 30th of October flooded the camp there.</p> + +<p>Col. du Moulin had from the first determined to shorten the route from +this camp to Edenburg. The convoy, in bringing supplies from the line, +had to go round by Mooifontein, 6 miles north of Ventershoek, in order +to cross the ridge running in that direction. Close to the camp, this +ridge was cut by a small stream (Hex River) running through a stony +gorge. The gorge was of considerable length, and was strewn throughout +with great boulders of ironstone. Through this gorge the Colonel decided +to make a road, and the cyclists had been for some time employed in +preparing it. All the men in the camp were now turned on to the work. +Chains were fastened to the larger rocks, and they were hauled to one +side or rolled into the stream. Boulders were blasted and embankments +made, and by the 31st of October the convoy on its way to Edenburg was +able to pass along "King's Road." Frequent use was subsequently made of +this road when moving troops out to the west and south, and Boers of the +neighbourhood who were brought in by it, were considerably astonished. +The people of the district probably still find it a great convenience.</p> + +<p>The country round Ventershoek was constantly patrolled by parties of ten +or twelve men<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_292" id="Page_292">[Pg 292]</a></span> under an officer, who went out at night so as to reach +positions from which they could see the country round, by dawn. One of +these patrols under Lt. Bond located a Boer commando at Lakensvlei, to +the south-west, on November 7th; and on November 8th, a general move of +columns was begun with the object of surrounding it. Col. du Moulin +moved out with the whole of his force at 2 a.m. on the 9th, getting into +touch with the other columns that afternoon. A Boer hospital was found +among the hills, and the three ambulances with it were ordered to rejoin their commando.</p> + +<p>On the 10th two Boers were captured by Liliveld at Lakensvlei, and +others were seen in the distance; and on the 11th, Ackerman's commando +was found in the middle of the circle of columns. Col. du Moulin had +made an early march from Lakensvlei to Parys (a farm some miles south of +Ventershoek) that morning; and while the column was breakfasting, a +helio message came from Ventershoek to say that a party of Boers were +being driven by Col. Hamilton towards Parys. The column was off in ten +minutes, and chased Ackerman for the remainder of the day, capturing his +Cape cart, eighty horses and twenty-five rifles. A halt was made that +night at Mooifontein, after a day's trek of 30 miles for the baggage and +40 for the mounted troops, the Boers being still ahead. Col. Hamilton +had taken seven prisoners.</p> + +<p>One hundred men under Lieut. Bond were sent out at midnight to a hill +(the Bulsberg) where the Boers were last seen. Silently they rode +through the darkness, and, nearing the hill, took one end of it at a +gallop; but the Boers had gone. This party was, during the morning, +itself attacked by another small column that had come on the same +mission. Fortunately the attack was stayed before any harm was done. The +Boers escaped<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_293" id="Page_293">[Pg 293]</a></span> out of the ring of columns—so harried, however, that +twelve went straight to Bloemfontein to surrender, five of whom were too +weak from want of food and sleep to reach the town, and had to be +fetched in in Cape carts.</p> + +<p>On the night of the 23rd November, Lieut. Crawley-Boevey was sent with +100 men (cyclists and mounted men) to search the hills at Parys for +stray Boers. At dawn he saw a couple of Boers watering their horses at a +dam near; he despatched a dozen men to cut them off, but these soon +returned, having found a commando of sixty on the other side of the +hill. The Boers at once moved off towards Ospoort, where Captain +Montrésor lay hidden; took fright at the smoke of some fires there and +moved north; were headed off by column after column, and lost twenty-six +prisoners before the day was over, four of them falling to +Crawley-Boevey. At dawn on the 26th Captain Montrésor was sent to +Lakensvlei, where the Boers were reported to have gone; but Col. Pilcher +was before him, and had captured twelve more. Thus the commando, which +was Joubert's, was practically wiped out.</p> + +<p>At this time Kritzinger with 300 men and a number of led horses was +making his way down to the Colony; and on the 27th of November Col. du +Moulin got orders to move out and try to intercept him, 150 South +African Constabulary under Major Vaughan and fifty Edenburg M.I. under +Lieut. Kentish (Royal Irish Fusiliers) being added to the column. By the +evening of the 28th he reached Roodepoort, 25 miles east of Ventershoek +as the crow flies and considerably more by road. The baggage, with which +were one of the guns (under Lt. Warren, R.F.A.) and the pom-pom (under +Capt. Harrington, R.G.A.) went by a different route from that taken by +the main body. On emerging from De Rand pass, fire was opened by both +gun and<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_294" id="Page_294">[Pg 294]</a></span> pom-pom upon Captain Montrésor's "commando," which was crossing +the front—fortunately without inflicting any damage. By the evening six +Boers had been captured, with four rifles.</p> + +<p>Kritzinger was known to be close to Roodepoort, and likely to break +west; Col. du Moulin therefore decided to occupy a line north and south, +and after dark sent Captain Montrésor with two companies two miles to +the north, and the S. A. C. the same distance to the south.</p> + +<p>The men, who were carrying Maconochie rations, were served out that +evening with a ration of raw meat. It was late however, and many did not +trouble to cook the meat, eating the tinned stew instead; as a result +they went short the next day.</p> + +<p>The column started again at four the next morning. The Colonel moved out +with the main body at a fast trot in a N.W. direction towards a long +high ridge called Kaffir's Kop. The S. A. C. were on his right; Captain +Montrésor was on the left, but the ground there was so broken that he +could not be seen. Owing to a misunderstanding, the advanced guard took +a wrong direction, and a second one had to be sent out somewhat +hurriedly. Shortly afterwards Boers were reported on the left. The +Colonel and his staff, the main body (in close order), the gun, pom-pom +and escort all turned on to a rise to the left of the road, and saw a +large body of Boers going west at the foot of Kaffir's Kop, a couple of +miles away. Almost at the same moment, a smart fire was opened from a +small kopje 1,000 yards in rear, which, owing to the pace and the change +of advanced guards, had not been searched. Colonel, staff, men and guns +all turned sharp to the right again and galloped under cover of the +rise, the crest of which was at once lined, while the guns opened fire. +The Boers in rear did not wait, however, and streamed away from the +other side of the kopje—to which gun,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_295" id="Page_295">[Pg 295]</a></span> pom-pom, and troops followed +them. Their course lay directly over a ridge on which were half of +Captain Montrésor's men, and a general mélée ensued, the two sides +getting so involved that in one case a drummer and a Boer took shots at +each other at ten yards distance, and then threw down their rifles and +closed. Lieut. Woodruffe fired his revolver up at a Boer as he jumped +his horse over the depression in which Woodruffe was lying.</p> + +<p>Unfortunately the pom-pom had again opened on Captain Montrésor's men by +mistake—it being almost impossible to tell which of the scattered +parties were Boers and which not. Beset by friend and foe, they had a +bad quarter of an hour, losing two men killed by the Boers (Sergt. +Waters and Private Elphick) and one mortally wounded (Corporal +Robinson).<a name="FNanchor_20_20" id="FNanchor_20_20"></a><a href="#Footnote_20_20" class="fnanchor">[20]</a> Elphick (whose horse had been shot) died splendidly: he +was found behind an ant-heap, his bayonet fixed, all the cartridges in +his bandolier used—killed by a shot from a Boer who had worked round +behind him. The Boers also lost two killed and one wounded.</p> + +<p>Another column was pressing the rear of the main body of the Boers, who +hurried west some miles to the north of Col. du Moulin, and then turned +south in a wide circle. The Colonel turned and followed them. On their +way the Boers picked up and looted one of the company kit wagons that +had broken down, taking the mules and a native guide away with them. The +latter they shot.</p> + +<p>The column followed the Boers till three in the afternoon without a +halt, and stopped then at Ganspoort, unable to go further. The first +meal of the day was at 4 p.m. Kritzinger's men, however, had got +through; the columns ahead were not in position to block them; and on +the following day they crossed the line to the west, shifting their +laager half a mile further from the railway<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_296" id="Page_296">[Pg 296]</a></span> when they found that the +gun on the armoured train could reach them.</p> + +<p>The local Boers were at this time finding the eastern district too hot +to hold them. They were harried by the columns and short of food; for +although a certain amount of grain was still left, hidden in broken down +sheds and under bushes, meat was getting scarce, and the few wild sheep +on the hills were growing wilder.<a name="FNanchor_21_21" id="FNanchor_21_21"></a><a href="#Footnote_21_21" class="fnanchor">[21]</a> A general movement of the Boers +therefore set in to the west; and towards the end of December the columns followed.</p> + +<p>Col. du Moulin's column moved into Edenburg on the 19th of December, and +down the line to Jagersfontein Road on the 22nd. Capt. Griffin had +joined it on the 12th.<a name="FNanchor_22_22" id="FNanchor_22_22"></a><a href="#Footnote_22_22" class="fnanchor">[22]</a></p> + +<p>On the evening of December 23rd, the column moved out of Jagersfontein +Road and made for Jagersfontein Town, 25 miles to the west. The camp was +not struck till dark, and the baggage was left to follow in the morning.</p> + +<p>It was known that the Commandants had been summoned by De Wet to a +conference in the North, and it was intended to attack the local +commandos (believed to be at Jagersfontein) during their absence.</p> + +<p>Col. du Moulin started at 7 p.m., having with him about 300 mounted men +of the Sussex and the pom-pom; and the column trekked along in bright +moonlight till midnight, and then halted and off-saddled for a couple of +hours under the black mass of Boomplaats Hill. Starting again at 2 a.m., +they went forward till the setting of the moon, which occurred shortly +before dawn. A halt was then made to wait for the light.</p> + +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_297" id="Page_297">[Pg 297]</a></span></p><p>The advanced guard (H. Company) were now on the edge of a broad plain +that stretched across to Jagersfontein and the hills behind it, 6 miles +away. Lt. Crawley-Boevey and his cyclists were to the left front of the +advanced guard. As the light grew stronger, two farms could be seen half +way across the plain, about a mile apart; and a number of horses were +made out grazing round them. The Colonel ordered the advanced guard, and +F Company under Major Gilbert, to gallop these farms. The two companies +spread out into a line nearly two miles long, and set off at a canter. +Other companies supported them in rear.</p> + +<p>The sun was just rising, shewing up a row of eucalyptus trees that stood +out between the farms like the teeth of a comb, and casting long shadows +in front of the galloping men. As H Company got nearer to the farm house +on the left (Vlakfontein) figures could be seen making for the horses. +Nearer still, and across a spruit, and they were in among the dazed +Boers, those who had not been able to jump on a horse and get away +throwing up their hands and surrendering.</p> + +<p>On the right Major Gilbert came upon a donga in which Field Cornet du +Toit and a number of Boers were sleeping. These rolled out of their +blankets, and started firing, wounding two men.<a name="FNanchor_23_23" id="FNanchor_23_23"></a><a href="#Footnote_23_23" class="fnanchor">[23]</a> The advancing +Company was checked by a wire fence, and there was an awkward moment +till the wire was cut; then the donga was taken, and the Field Cornet +and his men surrendered. A desultory fire was kept up for a short time +from a kopje on the extreme right, but soon ceased.</p> + +<p>All the Boers had now either got away towards Jagersfontein, or been +taken prisoners. Two companies were sent on towards the Jagersfontein +hills; but there was no chance of stopping the retreating<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_298" id="Page_298">[Pg 298]</a></span> Boers, and +the companies soon returned to Vlakfontein. Heaps of rifles, saddles, +bandoliers and other equipment were brought in and piled against the +verandah of the farmhouse, the Colonel and the other officers assembled +on the verandah, the horses were picketed in lines in front of the +house, the men started to brew their coffee over little fires, and a +general air of cheerful satisfaction pervaded the place; for it had been +a very successful raid. Besides twenty-eight prisoners, the column had +taken 52 rifles, 78 bandoliers, 2,500 rounds of ammunition, 105 horses, +96 saddles, 130 blankets, 25 cloaks and 8 bags of wheat.</p> + +<p>One shadow however fell upon the day. One of the Boers taken was in a +complete suit of Khaki, regimental badges, slouch hat and all. Too many +British had been killed, deceived by a British uniform upon a Boer, for +it to be possible to be lenient: and he was accordingly tried by Court +Martial, and shot in the evening.</p> + +<p>Companies were sent out in the afternoon to search adjoining hills and +kloofs; no Boers however had remained within reach. In the afternoon the +explosion of Mauser cartridges which were being destroyed by burning +sounded to those who had not been warned like a counter-attack, and +caused a momentary sensation.</p> + +<p>It was thought very probable that the Boers would rally and try to take +their revenge, and with the first light of Christmas morning the column +stood to arms, and waited. Nothing occurred, however, until soon after +sunrise, when guns were heard from the south. Col. du Moulin started off +as soon as possible in that direction, and trekked through the long +midsummer morning. Very hot and dusty, the column arrived about mid-day +at Fauresmith, without, however, having come across anything more +aggressive than a swarm of locusts, many miles in length.</p> + +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_299" id="Page_299">[Pg 299]</a></span></p><p>The guns had been those of Col. Hamilton, who, with Major Driscoll, was +co-operating with Col. du Moulin. Col. Hamilton had surprised a commando +at dawn that morning, taken fifteen of them and chased the remainder, +but in turn got his own baggage cut off at Kok's Kraal by a party of 150 +who slipped behind him. A number of his wagons were looted and burned.</p> + +<p>Fauresmith was a deserted town (three streets of tin-roofed houses and a +market place) lying at the foot of a high, boldly-shaped hill: the +column camped outside, and soon parties were making their way in to explore.</p> + +<p>At the entrance to the town was a spring running freely. The water was +clear, not muddy; cold, not tepid; it did not smell; there was plenty of +it. The explorers filled themselves, and passed on.</p> + +<p>There was not much to be said for the street. The doors of the houses +were open; here and there in front of a house was a bed, or a mattress, +half destroyed: for all bedding that could not be used for the Refugee +camps had to be burnt. But the gardens at the back were Paradise. What +if much of the fruit had not ripened, for want of water? There was still +enough and to spare for everyone: apricots, figs, mulberries, small +peaches. Men shook the trees or lay along the branches, and blessed +their luck. The padré attached to the column (the Rev. —— Hood) had +given out that he would hold a service in the Dutch church, as there was +sure to be an organ there. There was: but it had been damaged—so had +that in the Anglican church. Then he decided to hold his service in the +street; a piano was found, and placed on the verandah of a house; chairs +and sofas were borrowed and arranged in the road, and the bell in the +market-place was rung. A small congregation collected, the men, of +course, all fully armed, and<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_300" id="Page_300">[Pg 300]</a></span> the service was carried out. "Oh, come, +all ye faithful," was lustily rendered; and the walls of the empty houses echoed it back.</p> + +<p>One more excitement, and Christmas day was over. Late at night, a shot +from one of the piquets and a cry of "Stand to!" turned everybody out. +It was only Driscoll, however, riding in with his Scouts. The string of +tired men and horses made its way through the camp, and silence fell +again, this time unbroken.</p> + +<p>On Boxing Day Col. du Moulin moved to Jagersfontein, an absolutely +deserted town with a diamond mine like a vast quarry, the bottom of +which was full of emerald green water. The Boers in passing through had +been living in the schoolroom of the convent there, and they had chalked +on the black board their names and various messages. The hills round +were searched without result, and the column moved back to Vlakfontein.</p> + +<p>This place was made the Headquarters and depôt for the columns of the +district, and Col. Rochfort came out there on the 2nd of January, 1902. +On the 3rd, Col. du Moulin moved out with 350 mounted men, the cyclists +and pom-pom, at 8 p.m. It was the beginning of a combined move of all +Col. Rochfort's columns against the Boers, who had again collected +together in the west.</p> + +<p>The generous Christmas gifts from the County of Sussex, consisting of +pipes and other useful articles, besides luxuries in the way of food, +had been served out to the men while at Vlakfontein.</p> + +<div class="footnotes"><h3>FOOTNOTES:</h3> + +<div class="footnote"><p><a name="Footnote_20_20" id="Footnote_20_20"></a><a href="#FNanchor_20_20"><span class="label">[20]</span></a> Pte. L. Greenfield, E Co., was also wounded.</p></div> + +<div class="footnote"><p><a name="Footnote_21_21" id="Footnote_21_21"></a><a href="#FNanchor_21_21"><span class="label">[21]</span></a> The report of Commandant Brand upon the District, at the +Vereeniging Meeting of Commandants in May, 1902, was that everything had +been carried off; there was, he said, not a sheep left.</p></div> + +<div class="footnote"><p><a name="Footnote_22_22" id="Footnote_22_22"></a><a href="#FNanchor_22_22"><span class="label">[22]</span></a> Capt. Griffin had been sent from Malta to South Africa at +the beginning of the war on special service. He had been invalided home +with fever, and now returned to the Regiment.</p></div> + +<div class="footnote"><p><a name="Footnote_23_23" id="Footnote_23_23"></a><a href="#FNanchor_23_23"><span class="label">[23]</span></a> These were Cpl. A. Palmer and Pte. R. Smith, of F. Co.</p></div> +</div> + +<hr /> + +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_301" id="Page_301">[Pg 301]</a></span></p> + +<h2><span>CHAPTER XXVII.</span> <span class="smaller">ABRAHAM'S KRAAL.</span></h2> + +<blockquote><p class="center">Ramah's Spring—Belmont—In touch with the +Boers—Jagersfontein—Nieuwoudt turns North—On his track—Camp at +Abraham's Kraal—Description of ground—Boers rush the piquet—The +defence of the camp—The Colonel's charge—The Boers retire—Next +morning.</p></blockquote> + +<p>The Sussex column, which was working in conjunction with Col. Western +and Major Driscoll, reached Luckhoff on the 11th of January without +having come across the Boers. It then crossed into Cape Colony, going by +Ramah's Spring to Witteput. The sight of a farm, cultivated, and +occupied by friendly people, was a strange one. The owner of Ramah's +Spring in particular was most hospitable.</p> + +<p>On the 15th the column camped at Belmont. A terrific thunderstorm in the +evening struck some trees in the camp, but did no damage. A patrol of +fifty men under Major Gilbert got into touch next day with 300 Boers +moving south: these Boers turned east, and the column accordingly +followed them back into the Orange River Colony, and reached Luckhoff on +the 18th, after a long trek.</p> + +<p>On the following day the Boers were only 10 miles off; but the horses of +the column were too done to move until the evening. At Liebenbergspan a +number of mules and horses, taken with Hamilton's transport, were +recovered. It was necessary now to draw fresh supplies; Col. du Moulin +accordingly went to Jagersfontein on the 22nd and drew supplies from +Vlakfontein. Over 10,000 rounds of mixed ammunition were destroyed, +which had been found in the town, sunk in a flooded mine.</p> + +<p>The Boers (three commandos under Nieuwoudt) had turned north, and the +column started after them on the 23rd. The Riet River was<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_302" id="Page_302">[Pg 302]</a></span> crossed at +Jagersfontein Drift on the 24th, and Witdam was reached on the 26th. On +the following day Col. du Moulin got again into touch with the Boers. +The column had started at 5 a.m., and, while it was halted for +breakfast, four men were seen by Capt. Beale, the Intelligence Officer, +leaving a farm some miles off. Capt. Griffin was sent out with his +company to reconnoitre, and came upon the spoor of a large party. +Mounting a high kopje, he saw the four join a large laager of some 400 +Boers, with spare horses, cattle and three Cape carts, which was on the +move. The column followed, passed through the Boers' camp at De Dam, and +by the evening arrived at a drift over the Riet River. This drift lay +under the farm of Abraham's Kraal, and here the column bivouacked. The +Boers, expecting them to take a different route, had crossed the River a +few miles lower down, and were waiting on the further bank.</p> + +<p>At Abraham's Kraal, the farm houses are at the open end of a semi-circle +some 200 yards in diameter, formed by a low ridge that rises here and +there into small kopjes covered with large stones. Beyond the buildings +and facing the semi-circle is a garden with a stone wall. Standing with +one's back to the garden and buildings, on the right is a large stone +kraal, divided into several compartments. In front is the highest part +of the ridge, beyond which the ground drops very quickly to the Riet +River. On the left, the ridge ends in a conical rocky mound, with a +small kraal at its foot. On the outside of this mound a donga leads up +from the river, and curls in towards the farm.</p> + +<p>The horse lines were placed across the semi-circle, parallel to the +garden wall. On the river side of them, the officers' valises were laid +out. The Colonel and his staff slept in the farm house, which was at the +end of the ridge near the largest Kraal. The pom-pom was at the foot of +the <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_303" id="Page_303">[Pg 303]</a></span>conical mound, on the road that here entered the semi-circle. The +transport was along the garden wall, to the right rear of the horse lines.</p> + +<p>Three piquets were put out, one of them on the highest part of the +ridge, looking towards the river and drift. It will be convenient to +call this the camp piquet. The river could not be actually seen from +this piquet, owing to the rapid drop of the ground. The two other +piquets were placed upon small kopjes, one to the right of the camp +piquet outside the semi-circle, and one in rear of the garden. The men +in camp, done up with many days of continuous trekking, turned in.</p> + +<p>At about 1 a.m. a Sergeant got up to put the nose-bag on his horse, as a +patrol was to go across the river at 3. As he was walking back to his +place, he heard a shot fired on the piquet, and shouted "Stand to!" +Almost immediately a tremendous fire was opened upon the centre of the +camp. The men woke to hear shouts and yells of "Come on you +Bob-a-days"—"Vorwatz Burghers"—and to see through the misty moonlight +(for the night was cloudy) swarms of dark figures topping the crest of +the piquet within 200 yards of them, and rushing down the slope, firing +from their hips. Nieuwoudt, after being chased so far by the column, was +striking back at last.</p> + +<p>The Boers had been forced into action. Col. Western with his column was +closing in upon them from the west, Major Driscoll was coming up from +the south. If they were to avoid facing a combination of columns, it was +necessary to attack one of them at once. Col. du Moulin was close on +their heels, and his force was numerically inferior.<a name="FNanchor_24_24" id="FNanchor_24_24"></a><a href="#Footnote_24_24" class="fnanchor">[24]</a></p> + +<p>Nieuwoudt therefore planned this night attack, entrusting the execution +of it to Commandant Theunissen.</p> + +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_304" id="Page_304">[Pg 304]</a></span></p><p>The attacking Boers had crossed a drift, worked up the river bed (out +of sight) till they were below the camp piquet, crept up the steep +hillside, and then rushed the sentry and piquet, killing two men and +having two men killed—one of them the owner of the farm. They then +started firing down into the camp, while some rushed across the saddle +to their left and occupied a large kraal, and others began to work along +the ridge to their right. One or two ran straight down the slope.</p> + +<p>Major Gilbert, sleeping in the officers' line, woke up to see a dark +giant come bounding down the hill, shouting "Hands up." The Major dashed +across to the small kraal at the foot of the conical mound, and, finding +Lieut. Thorne there, sent him to the garden wall to get men who had +taken cover there up on to the mound. Colour-Sergt. Weston was already +going up, shouting "Come on, chaps, come on!"; he was killed on the top, +by a bullet in the head, before he could fire. Major Gilbert and Thorne, +with Lieuts. Crawley-Boevey, Bond, and Paget, continued working men up +onto this ridge, getting a steady fire to bear in the direction of the +Boers, and driving back those who were attempting to work along the ridge.</p> + +<p>Captain Harrington, who, with his pom-pom, was at the foot of the mound, +hid the gun under a tarpaulin, and then disposed his men to check any +attempt to creep up the donga from the River. Thorne took a party to +search this donga, but the Boers made no flank attack.</p> + +<p>The men behind the garden wall had also by this time developed a steady +fire, aiming at the flashes on the ridge. Neither side realised how very +small the area of operations was, and the firing was mostly high; still +a hail of bullets swept the horse lines. In a small sheet of corrugated +iron found there afterwards, were seventeen bullet holes; ninety horses were killed.</p> + +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_305" id="Page_305">[Pg 305]</a></span></p><p>The Colonel, sleeping in the farmhouse, woke at the first onset. +Shouting "My God, they're in the camp," he dashed up the ridge behind the farm.</p> + +<p>Lieut. Ashworth, signalling officer to the column, and 2nd Lieut. +Leachman, staff officer, ran up there too, the Colonel calling out to +Ashworth "Look after this end."</p> + +<p>Men were worked up to the ridge from the garden wall, Captain Beale +bringing across several parties, and here too a steady fire was +gradually developed. The noise of the firing and the shouting and +yelling was infernal.</p> + +<p>The Colonel had collected a little knot of men, and with them had +cleared, with the bayonet, the compartments of the large Kraal, one +after the other. The Boers still clung to the further side of it. The +Colonel now determined on a charge along the lower edge of the kraal; +shouting "All who have boots follow me" (a shout that could only be +heard by the men close to him), he dashed along the lower wall of the +kraal. The moment he cleared the corner he fell, shot through the heart +and leg; two of the men following him were mortally wounded.</p> + +<p>This charge appears to have shaken the Boers' nerves. They were making +no progress; they held one side of the camp, and had certainly done a +great deal of damage to the horses; but the British were firmly +established on the other, and, far from being on the run, were taking +the offensive. At any rate, shortly after the Colonel's charge, a +whistle sounded loudly several times from the piquet which the Boers had +first rushed: it was then about 2 a.m.</p> + +<p>A curious hush fell on the camp; yells and firing ceased as if by common +consent, and for a moment their was absolute silence. Then a shout rose +from the British side—"They're off"—and<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_306" id="Page_306">[Pg 306]</a></span> heavy firing again broke out. +The whistle was Theunissen's signal for the Boers to retire. This they +did as suddenly and as quickly as they had come. Back from the Kraal +wall—back over the piquet—back down the hill and over the drift they +went: and in a few minutes the only Boers in camp were the two they had +left dead behind them.</p> + +<p>It was not at once realized that the Boers had altogether gone. The +survivors of the camp piquet shouted to the men below to stop firing. +Major Gilbert learned of Col. du Moulin's death, and assumed command. +Fresh piquets were sent out, and all prepared to meet another attack. +None, however, was made. The groans of the wounded horses had been +painful to hear during the night, and as soon as it got light these were +slaughtered with revolvers. When this task was finished, more than 120 +dead horses and mules lay about the camp. They were piled literally in heaps.</p> + +<p>It was now possible to make up the list of casualties. Besides the +Colonel, two Sergeants (Col. Sergt. Weston and Sergt. Green) and four +men were dead, and nine men wounded, of whom one died very shortly.<a name="FNanchor_25_25" id="FNanchor_25_25"></a><a href="#Footnote_25_25" class="fnanchor">[25]</a></p> + +<p>At half past seven, all the available men paraded, Captain Montrésor +read the burial service, and the Last Post was sounded over the<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_307" id="Page_307">[Pg 307]</a></span> grave +of the man to whose initiative and energy the column owed its existence, +and who had died most gallantly in its defence. It sounded, too, over +the men who had followed him to his death, and over two of the enemy who +had paid the forfeit.<a name="FNanchor_26_26" id="FNanchor_26_26"></a><a href="#Footnote_26_26" class="fnanchor">[26]</a></p> + +<div class="footnotes"><h3>FOOTNOTES:</h3> + +<div class="footnote"><p><a name="Footnote_24_24" id="Footnote_24_24"></a><a href="#FNanchor_24_24"><span class="label">[24]</span></a> Nieuwoudt had three commandos with him, making a total of +about 400 men. Col. du Moulin had about 300, with a pom-pom.</p></div> + +<div class="footnote"><p><a name="Footnote_25_25" id="Footnote_25_25"></a><a href="#FNanchor_25_25"><span class="label">[25]</span></a> The casualties were as follows:—</p> + +<table summary="losses"> + <tr> + <td colspan="3" class="left"><span class="smcap">Killed</span>—</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> Lt.-Col. </td> + <td class="left">du Moulin.</td> + <td class="left"></td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td>C.-Sgt. </td> + <td class="left">A. Weston.</td> + <td class="left">G Co.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td>Sgt. </td> + <td class="left">C. Green.</td> + <td class="left">B Co.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td>Pte. </td> + <td class="left">W. Covington. </td> + <td class="left">D Co.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td>Pte. </td> + <td class="left">T. Hill.</td> + <td class="left">D Co.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td>Pte. </td> + <td class="left">R. Pimm.</td> + <td class="left">E Co.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td>Pte. </td> + <td class="left">G. Tomlin.</td> + <td class="left">F Co.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td colspan="3" class="left"> </td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td colspan="3" class="left"><span class="smcap">Died of Wounds</span>—</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td>Pte. </td> + <td class="left">A. Brackpool.</td> + <td class="left">A Co.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td>Pte. </td> + <td class="left">J. Clarke.</td> + <td class="left">C Co.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td>Pte. </td> + <td class="left">B Gaston.</td> + <td class="left">E Co.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td>Pte. </td> + <td class="left">T. Light.</td> + <td class="left">E Co.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td colspan="3" class="left"> </td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td colspan="3" class="left"><span class="smcap">Wounded</span>—</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td>Sgt. </td> + <td class="left">E. Simmins.</td> + <td class="left">Vol.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td>Pte. </td> + <td class="left">G. Langley.</td> + <td class="left">D Co.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td>Dr. </td> + <td class="left">S. Sproston.</td> + <td class="left">D Co.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td>Pte. </td> + <td class="left">T. Bostock.</td> + <td class="left">F Co.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td>Pte. </td> + <td class="left">J. Coles.</td> + <td class="left">F Co.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td>Pte. </td> + <td class="left">A. Cox.</td> + <td class="left">F Co.</td> + </tr> +</table></div> + +<div class="footnote"><p><a name="Footnote_26_26" id="Footnote_26_26"></a><a href="#FNanchor_26_26"><span class="label">[26]</span></a> It is interesting to notice that after this Nieuwoudt's +opinion of night attacks was that they were not worth while, and he +declared himself against them in the future. This was learned from +prisoners, and also from some correspondence between him and Cdt. +Erasmus, which was subsequently found. The latter was urging a night +attack upon Nieuwoudt, saying that although they had been unable to +capture the camp at Abraham's Kraal, still they had killed many horses.</p></div></div> + +<hr /> + +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_308" id="Page_308">[Pg 308]</a></span></p> + +<h2><span>CHAPTER XXVIII.</span> <span class="smaller">NORTHWARDS—AND THE END.</span></h2> + +<blockquote><p class="center">Vlakfontein—A circular tour—Northwards—Boshof—Baas Berg—A +pom-pom exhibition—A night march—The Boers overtaken—Action at +Scheer Pan—Charging the Ridge—Hoopstadt—Commando Drift—A +Delarey drive—Klerksdorp—The Drift again—The column broken +up—Last stage—Peace—India.</p></blockquote> + +<p>Major Gilbert and the column left Abraham's Kraal at 8.30 on the morning +of the fight. Before that, a white flag had come in with a request for +an ambulance to bring in a wounded Boer. It appeared that several of the +enemy had been hit.</p> + +<p>Half of the men being dismounted, the column made slow progress; the +Boers, however, had no intention of attacking by daylight, and +Jagersfontein Drift was reached after a trek of 30 miles.</p> + +<p>Several of the Kaffir drivers had bolted at the first alarm that +morning, two of them with nothing on at all. They had made a bee-line +through barbed wire, cactus hedges, and mud holes; and, during the +march, sorry figures came limping back to the column, and rejoined the +wagons. One Kaffir got right through to Vlakfontein, doing the 45 miles +in ten hours, and said the column had been wiped out. The garrison there +had an anxious time till runners arrived from Major Gilbert on the following morning.</p> + +<p>The column reached Vlakfontein on the 29th, three of the wounded British +and the wounded Boer having died on the way.</p> + +<p>A convoy from Edenburg arrived on the 1st of February, bringing a few +remounts with it; and on the 4th Major Gilbert moved out with a force +consisting of 150 mounted men of the Sussex and the 90th I. Y., with the +pom-pom. A tour was made in the direction of Philippolis, but the<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_309" id="Page_309">[Pg 309]</a></span> Boers +were not met with. At Alwyn's Kop some Kaffir scouts from the Orange +River reported the column as a Boer commando; this piece of intelligence +was sent on to Vlakfontein, and Major Gilbert was stopped on the return +journey and sent, together with Major Driscoll and his Scouts, to chase himself.</p> + +<p>As might have been expected, nothing resulted, and the column returned +to Vlakfontein on the 17th of February. A terrific hailstorm had done a +great deal of damage here a few days before, stampeding the horses. Some +dashed into the house, while others got away altogether, and were never seen again.</p> + +<p>On the afternoon of the 21st Major Gilbert started again (the Yeomen had +been transferred to Col. Western), with supplies for Col. Rochfort, who +was on his way north. Calabas Bridge over the Riet River was reached +shortly before midnight, after a trek of 27 miles. Joining Col. Rochfort +the next day, the column took part in a general move to the north. They +marched 26 miles that night, and crossed the Modder River near +Paardeberg in the early morning.</p> + +<p>Boshof was reached on the 26th of February. It stood in the middle of +vast plains, covered with deep grass that reached up to the horses' +shoulders. An occasional kopje sticking up darkly here and there only +served to mark the great distances.</p> + +<p>The local commandos, under Commandants Badenhorst, Jacobs and Erasmus, +had been having things very much their own way in this district; Boshof +itself was garrisoned by the Scottish Rifles Militia, but they had +practically no mounted troops. The country had never been effectively +cleared; it contained plenty of stock and crops, and many of the farms were occupied.</p> + +<p>Before reaching Boshof, Major Driscoll and<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_310" id="Page_310">[Pg 310]</a></span> his scouts had found and +rushed Jacob's laager, capturing six men, five wagons, and nine Cape +carts. Driscoll's men were many of them Boers (it was said that more +Dutch than English was to be heard in passing through his lines), and +one of the first to rush the laager was greeted by his grandmother with +a magnificent flow of abuse.</p> + +<p>The Boers were believed to be to the north of Boshof, and Col. +Rochfort's columns accordingly surrounded and attacked at dawn on the +1st of March a large hill, the Baas Berg, said to be their stronghold. +The Boers had, however, moved away, and, though they could be seen, it +was hopeless to chase them.</p> + +<p>On the night of the 1st a party of fifty Driscoll's scouts, who had been +sent to surround a farm, got entangled with 350 Boers; and half the +Sussex, with the rest of Driscoll's and the pom-pom, were sent out to +relieve them. The Boers retired, and the force returned, bringing with +it 150 sheep. As they reached camp, three men with five horses appeared +about a mile away, making for a farm. At first they were taken for +British scouts, but, when it was realised that they were dressed in +black, this seemed unlikely. A pom-pom shell was put over them, and they +immediately scattered, and made in the direction of the Boers. They had +mistaken the troops for a commando.</p> + +<p>They had two miles of open ground to cover, and the pom-pom made +beautiful practice. Shells burst just behind them, just in front, just +beyond and even (as it seemed) right under them, but they got away and +behind a ridge, uninjured. The effect of a pom-pom is more moral than material.</p> + +<p>During the next few days several laagers were captured by the other +columns, and 6,000 sheep and 300 horses taken, besides some cattle. On +the evening of the 5th Col. Rochfort organized a night march of all +columns to the north in the hope<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_311" id="Page_311">[Pg 311]</a></span> of catching up the Boers, who had +retired in that direction. The Sussex column and Driscoll's Scouts were +now working together, and Col. Rochfort accompanied them.</p> + +<p>The horses were not saddled nor the wagons inspanned till after dusk. +Great fires were left burning in the camp when the combined column moved +out. During the night a Boer Hospital was met. The sick Boers had got +wind of the column's approach, and had not waited for it. After a trek +of 20 miles a halt was made at Scheerpan. The wagons were out-spanned, +hidden in the garden of the farm, and the men were allowed to snatch two hours' sleep.</p> + +<p>The farm at Scheerpan looks across an open plain to a long ridge about 2 +miles off. This ridge (known as Busch Kop) is crossed at the right end +of it (as you look from the farm) by a road from the north-east. To the +left of the road the ridge is covered with very thick bush for some +distance. A sugar-loaf hill and a small kopje stand in front of the +ridge at about the centre. At the extreme left end a spur runs out from +the ridge into the plain.</p> + +<p>Behind Scheerpan farmhouse is a rocky hill, and on this Col. Rochfort, +Major Gilbert, and Major Driscoll waited for sunrise.</p> + +<p>All seemed quiet. As the light grew stronger, nothing could be seen +moving on the ridge opposite. Then twenty men came round the corner of +the ridge and down the road, and more behind them.</p> + +<p>Were they Boers or British? It was difficult to tell. Touch had been got +with Col. Western's column on the right; it seemed more likely that they +were a patrol of his.—They saw the wagons in the garden and turned back.</p> + +<p>Even that was not conclusive; a patrol might well have done the same. +Major Driscoll went<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_312" id="Page_312">[Pg 312]</a></span> down and took out a few men to reconnoitre. From +the top of the kopje he could be seen going out; then a dozen men left +the ridge and went across to the sugar-loaf hill, opening fire from +there. The Scouts dismounted and returned their fire from the open. At +the same time thirty or forty men appeared round the extreme left end of +the ridge, working round to cut Driscoll off; and it was clear that he +could not see them. It was an anxious moment for those watching on the kopje.</p> + +<p>There was no doubt now as to who was holding the ridge. Two squadrons of +Driscoll's were sent to clear the sugar-loaf hill. Driscoll's attention +was at length drawn to the men beyond him, and he retired on the camp. +The Boers followed him up, and, occupying a hillock, opened fire on the +camp at less than a mile. Capt. Griffin with his company was sent to +charge the hillock, and the pom-pom opened upon it. The Boers were +cleared off. Major Gilbert went out and took charge of this flank.</p> + +<p>Meanwhile the two squadrons had occupied the sugar-loaf hill and the +small kopje, which were about 1,000 yards from the main ridge. It was +thought that there were no Boers upon the left end of the latter, as the +heavy fire which had been opened came from its right end only. Col. +Rochfort and Major Driscoll had come up, and it was decided to charge +the ridge with a company of the Sussex and the two squadrons.</p> + +<p>A few men were left on the sugar-loaf hill to fire at the crest +opposite; the squadrons and the Sussex men were drawn up in lines under cover.</p> + +<p>"Trot till you get into the open and then gallop," shouted Driscoll, and +off went the lines. The first line charged towards the centre of the +ridge, the second line (consisting largely of Sussex) followed 500 yards +behind, and rather to the left.</p> + +<p>As soon as the men got into the open, a heavy<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_313" id="Page_313">[Pg 313]</a></span> fire broke out from the +spur of the main ridge, at the foot of which the left hand men were +riding. At the same time the rest of the Boers (there were about 200 of +them among the bushes) turned their fire upon the charging lines. The +ridge is about 1½ miles long.</p> + +<p>Bullets fell very fast, and kicked up the dust among the horses' feet; +but the men were moving at a good pace, and very little damage was done. +One man of Driscoll's was killed and two were wounded.</p> + +<p>The first line reached the ridge at about the centre; the second line +turned to the left and charged up the spur, which was occupied by about +fifty Boers. These did not wait for the attack, and, as the leading men +reached the top, they saw the last Boer disappearing into the thick bush +500 yards down the other side. The British followed, but were soon +recalled, as pursuit would have been useless.</p> + +<p>The first line made their position good on the centre of the ridge; the +pom-pom was brought into action against the right half of it, and the +Boers evacuated the whole position, leaving one prisoner behind them. +They could be seen streaming away in batches northwards and westwards, +and they were followed with long range rifle fire, which, however, only +made them move a little quicker.</p> + +<p>During the next few days the other columns came into line, but the Boers +were not heard of again.</p> + +<p>The movement was continued northwards, and Major Gilbert with the Sussex +column, Driscoll's, and 100 I. Y., marched on Hoopstadt by a circuitous +route to the west. Two nights were spent in trekking, the column lying +up in farms in the daytime.</p> + +<p>At the end of the second night, Bornemansfontein was reached, a +well-wooded farm with<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_314" id="Page_314">[Pg 314]</a></span> stone-walled paddocks, in which the men were +disposed. Soon after dawn, some mounted men were seen bearing down upon +the camp at a gallop. As they came nearer cries of "Hands up!" were +heard, and it became evident that they were executing a gallant though +quite hopeless charge. The stone walls were lined, and a few shots +fired, killing one of the advancing horses. By this time it had been +realised that the men were South African Constabulary. The troops were +well hidden, and they had mistaken the encampment for a small Boer family laager.</p> + +<p>Major Davis of Driscoll's very pluckily rode between the lines, blowing +his whistle. Firing ceased, and explanations followed.</p> + +<p>The farm was inhabited, and the wife of the owner said that her husband +was on commando, but that she had not seen him or the commando for two +months. Her little boy, however, was more communicative, and said he had +been there two nights before with five horses.</p> + +<p>Hoopstadt was reached on the 11th of March. It was a small town, the +inhabitants of which had been removed. The church was used as a +hospital, and most of the houses were occupied by troops, for the place +was one of the S. A. C. Headquarters. The only water supply was from the +Vet River, which ran a rich thick brown. It was said that, if a spoon +was placed upright in the middle of a cup of tea, it would stand there.</p> + +<p>In the past five weeks some of the horses of the column had done 500 +miles, practically trekking every day.</p> + +<p>The great combined movements in the north-east of the Orange River +Colony had at this time finally broken the power of De Wet, and he +crossed the railway line south of the Vaal on March 5th, with President +Steyn and about 200 men.</p> + +<p>Delarey was in considerable strength in the<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_315" id="Page_315">[Pg 315]</a></span> Western Transvaal, and it +was thought that he and De Wet might attempt to effect a combination. A +line was therefore held running along the Vaal and Valsch Rivers, and +the column, composed of the Sussex and Driscoll's Scouts under Major +Gilbert, moved on the 12th of March from Hoopstadt for Commando Drift. +After a mid-day halt at Wegdraai, an attempt was made to march on in the +evening; rain, however, fell in torrents, and the night was pitch-dark. +Having gone a few miles with the greatest difficulty, half the transport +(following in rear of the mounted troops) led off on to a wrong road, +and progress became impossible. Thoroughly wet and uncomfortable, the +column halted for the night, and before morning the lost wagons +returned. Commando Drift was reached on the 14th, and here the news was +made known of Delarey's successes: first, the capture of Col. Von +Donop's convoy, and then the taking of Lord Methuen and a number of men. +The column proceeded to Strydfontein, a drift 3 miles above Commando +Drift (which was occupied by S. A. C.), and held it during the following +week. It had been expected that Delarey with his successful commandos +might attempt to break south and join De Wet. The latter, however, +slipped across the Vaal with President Steyn by a little known bridle +drift on the night of the 15th, and joined Delarey.</p> + +<p>Meantime the troops that had been operating in the east were being +brought across the line, and by the 23rd of March there were collected +at Commando Drift under Colonel Rochfort the columns of Lord Basing and +of Cols. Bulfin, Sitwell, and Western, besides a force of South African +Constabulary. Major Gilbert and Major Driscoll having moved down to +Commando Drift, Col. Rochfort crossed into the Transvaal during the +evening of the 23rd with 3,000 men. No<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_316" id="Page_316">[Pg 316]</a></span> wheeled vehicle or gun was +taken, every man carrying two days' rations for himself and his horse. +Before starting, Lord Kitchener's message had been read out to the +troops, in which he said that the operations would tax their endurance, +but that he relied upon their using every effort, working with the +greatest dash and spirit, and utterly defeating any enemy they might meet.</p> + +<p>The scheme provided that Col. Rochfort should come up at night from the +south, and get touch with the large bodies of troops that would be sent +westward from Klerksdorp, and that the whole should turn eastwards in +the morning, forming a gigantic net which would be drawn in upon the +Schoonspruit blockhouse line, specially reinforced.</p> + +<p>The moon was full, and Col. Rochfort's men marched through the night, +making Wolmaranstad by 3.30 a.m. There the black masses of troops closed +up and dismounted, till the whole slope by the townlet was covered with +horses and men. Then the columns separated out to take up their +positions in the line.</p> + +<p>Major Gilbert and Major Driscoll again worked together. At dawn, +Driscoll's, who were leading, captured twelve Boers asleep round their +wagons; they were an outpost of Delarey's, and they had no idea that any +British could be in the vicinity. They said that a commando of Delarey's +was ten miles ahead. This commando, however, managed to slip through +between two columns. Through the day the net was drawn tighter, and by +the evening of the 23rd Major Gilbert and his men had ridden over 60 +miles in twenty-one hours. At six o'clock they bivouacked in the rain in +some scrub at Matjespruit. There had been a heavy hailstorm during the afternoon.</p> + +<p>On the next afternoon Klerksdorp was reached. Some hundreds of Boers had +been caught <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_317" id="Page_317">[Pg 317]</a></span>altogether, besides three 15-pounders, two pom-poms, and a +quantity of ammunition. Perhaps the greatest effect produced, however, +was upon the nerves of the Boers. They got into a state of "nervous +tension," as they never knew when or where the British would turn up +next. A district miles away from the nearest troops in the evening was +swarming with columns in the morning. The absolute abandonment of +transport by the British had been the key to the situation.</p> + +<p>On the evening of the following day Col. Rochfort's columns started to +return to Commando Drift. They marched 30 miles during the night, and +got to the Drift the next evening, having covered 150 miles in four +days. The lights of the camps that stretched along the river for a mile +or more shone through the trees like the lights of a town.</p> + +<p>On the way in, two Africander guides of the Intelligence Department had +ridden on ahead of the columns, and, coming up to a farm, were taken by +the woman there for Boers. She gave them seven rounds of ammunition (all +she had, she said) and told them they must not stay, as there were +thousands and thousands of Khakis on the river—more than she had ever +seen—with Lord Roberts and Lord Kitchener. Asked how she knew Lord +Roberts was there, she produced a photograph of him out of a packet of +cheap cigarettes, and said she recognised him as he rode through.</p> + +<p>On the 29th of March the Sussex column was finally broken up. It had +been ten months in existence not counting the months of convoy work; it +had covered thousands of miles. It had had its days of success, and it +had come through its black hour of tribulation. For some months it had +been dwindling in numbers, more and more men becoming dismounted and +being left at the various bases. The column had done its work.</p> + +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_318" id="Page_318">[Pg 318]</a></span></p><p>The remaining mounted men were turned into an M. I. Company under +Captain Montrésor, and attached to Col. Western's column, of which Major +Gilbert was made second in command. The dismounted men were sent to +Hoopstadt, at which place the officers, men and stores left behind at +Vlakfontein had arrived.</p> + +<p>From this time until the declaration of peace on June 1st, the +dismounted men worked between Hoopstadt, Bloemhof and the line, +sometimes as escort to convoys, sometimes as stops for drives. The +mounted company joined in the latter, of which the most important took +place on the 9th of June and following days. Col. Rochfort's columns +moved to Schweizer Renecke, where they surprised some Boers, capturing +sixty. They then formed, in conjunction with Gen. Ian Hamilton's columns +from the north, a line in single rank 50 miles long. For the next three +days this line moved west, the men sleeping in their positions at +nightfall. The sight, when an extended view could be got, was a strange +one. As far as the eye could reach the line of mounted men stretched +away, here dipping into a valley, there topping a rise. There were some +21,000 troops driving.</p> + +<p>The Kimberley railway was reached on the 11th of May. Nearly 400 Boers +were captured, and a great deal of stock. Severe sniping was experienced +on the way back to Bloemhof—several mules and horses, and one or two men being hit.</p> + +<p>News of the declaration of peace was received on June 1st amidst general +rejoicings, and the scattered regiment was gradually collected at +Bloemfontein, to which place Headquarters moved up from Bethulie. From +Bloemfontein the time-expired men, the volunteers, and the reservists +(regular and militia), were sent home, leaving only a skeleton +Battalion, due for India, where fresh drafts would await it.</p> + +<hr /> + +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_319" id="Page_319">[Pg 319]</a></span></p> + +<h2><span>CHAPTER XXIX.</span> <span class="smaller">THE THIRD BATTALION.</span></h2> + +<p>The Third Battalion of the Royal Sussex Regiment was embodied, under the +command of Col. the Earl of March, A.D.C., from December 11th, 1899, to +September 11th, 1902—probably the record embodiment for a Militia +Battalion during the war. The Battalion assembled at Preston Barracks, +Brighton, and, shortly before Christmas, 1899, volunteered as a whole +for service in South Africa. This offer was not, however, utilized until +early in 1901.</p> + +<p>On the 30th March, 1900, the Battalion was moved to the Shaft Barracks, +Dover. Both Line Battalions being abroad, line details were attached to +it, ultimately amounting to three Companies.</p> + +<p>The Battalion marched to Shorncliffe on the 30th April, and remained +there under canvas until the 18th October, forming part of a Militia +Brigade. On that date they moved into Napier Barracks. The latter part +of the time under canvas had been extremely wet and cold.</p> + +<p>On the 2nd February, 1901, the Battalion took part in the lining of the +streets for the funeral of Queen Victoria. They paraded with the Colours +at 2.15 a.m., and entrained for London, where they were stationed near Apsley House.</p> + +<p>Early in February, orders were received for the Battalion to hold itself +in readiness to proceed on active service; and after many delays it +embarked on the "City of Cambridge," at the Albert Dock, on the 29th of +March. The numbers proceeding to South Africa were twenty-four officers +and 480 men. Already 123 men of the Battalion had been sent out to join +the 1st Battalion as Militia Reservists. One officer (Capt. Blake) had +also been attached to that Battalion for duty a year before.</p> + +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_320" id="Page_320">[Pg 320]</a></span></p><p>Capetown was reached on the 23rd April, and the Battalion was at once +entrained for Bloemfontein, arriving there five days later. On the way, +a call was made at the Headquarters of the 1st Battalion at Norval's +Pont, and a football match played with them.</p> + +<p>At Bloemfontein, the 3rd Battalion camped at Spitzkop, 4 miles west of +the town, and took over the "B" section of the outposts, which was +placed under the command of Col. the Earl of March. On the suggestion of +Col. Long, R.A., commanding the troops at Bloemfontein, a number of men +of the Battalion were trained as Mounted Infantry for local defence +purposes, first under Captain Papillon, and then (on his falling sick in +June) under Capt. the Hon. J. S. R. Tufton. By August, the 3rd Battalion +M. I. numbered eight officers and 225 N. C. O.'s and men.</p> + +<p>There must have been, at this time, over a thousand men, in all, of the +Royal Sussex Regiment, doing mounted work in South Africa.</p> + +<p>The mounted duties round Bloemfontein consisted of patrolling beyond the +outposts, and of escorting convoys to columns in the field. The men for +the most part knew nothing about horses to start with; they were, +however, very keen, and, under careful instruction, quickly learned the +rudiments of horsemastership, and finally constituted a really useful body of M. I.</p> + +<p>Capt. Tufton took over the post at Fischer's Farm with fifty men, in +July; and in September another seventy-five of the M. I. were sent, +under Lieut. Wilson (4th Suffolk Regt., attached) and 2nd Lieut. +Nicholson, to occupy Warringham's, beyond Thabanchu.</p> + +<p>Although no opportunity is allowed for a militiaman to learn signalling, +yet the 3rd Battalion had taken this up on the voyage out; some +signalling equipment was obtained at Bloemfontein, and<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_321" id="Page_321">[Pg 321]</a></span> classes were +started, with the result that when, in July, the regular signallers at +Spitzkop had to be withdrawn, the 3rd Battalion signallers were able to +take over the station.</p> + +<p>Capt. Hankey and Lieut. Parkin, with 100 men, had been sent to the +Supply Depôt in Bloemfontein, in place of coming to Spitzkop. Shortly +afterwards Capt. Hankey went as A.D.C. to Col. Long.</p> + +<p>On November 23rd the M.I. was broken up. Col. Long wrote the following +letter upon the subject:</p> + +<blockquote><p>The O. C. troops regrets to have to publish an order to-day for the +withdrawal of the ponies of the Sussex M.I. The Remount Department +have to furnish 600 horses for columns on the move in the next +week, and they are at present so short of fit horses that they are +obliged to call upon the Sussex to hand in the ponies they have so +well looked after and converted into serviceable animals. The +greatest credit is due to you and all concerned for the way you +have cared for these ponies. The G. O. C. regrets having to take +this step, but feels sure you will understand that this step has +only been taken owing to extreme pressure and the urgent +requirements of the service.</p></blockquote> + +<p>In December the Battalion was moved down to Volksrust, on the Natal +border. The first detachment left under Lieut.-Col. Godman on the 7th, +escorting a batch of Boer prisoners as far as Ladysmith.</p> + +<p>On the 12th of December the following order was published at Bloemfontein:</p> + +<blockquote><p>The Third Royal Sussex Regt. having been ordered away from this +station, the O. C. troops wishes to take this opportunity of +expressing his appreciation of their uniform excellent conduct, and +of the cheerful and thorough manner of carrying out the duties in +garrison by all ranks of the Battalion during the eight months they +have been at Bloemfontein.</p></blockquote> + +<p>Major Clarke, with seven officers and 181 N. C. O.'s and men, moved down +the line to Ingogo, in Natal, and took over a district and a line of +posts along the railway between that place and Mount Prospect; other +detachments were at Laing's Nek, Iketeni Nek (Majuba), and along the +line north of Volksrust. Col. the Earl of March took over<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_322" id="Page_322">[Pg 322]</a></span> command of +the troops at Volksrust, Capt. and Adjt. P. E. P. Crawfurd taking up the +duties of S. S. O.</p> + +<p>At Christmas time the county of Sussex sent out to the Battalion a +generous gift in the shape of good fare and useful presents.</p> + +<p>On January 5th, 1902, Capt. Aldridge came as Adjutant to the Battalion. +During the following months several attempts were made by Boers to cross +the railway at night; they were, however, frustrated by the heavy firing +of the block-houses.</p> + +<p>On the anniversary of the embarkation of the Battalion, three officers +and forty-nine men had been invalided home, fourteen men had died, two +officers and fifty-two N. C. O.'s and men were in hospital, and +twenty-three officers and 452 N. C. O.'s and men were doing duty. A +draft had been received from the depôt in February.</p> + +<p>In May, the Peace negotiations were on foot, and Boer delegates arrived +at Volksrust on their way to Vereeniging. In accordance with orders, +they were treated with lavish hospitality.</p> + +<p>Peace was declared on June 1st, and on the next day the Battalion +received orders to move to St. Helena for duty in guarding prisoners. +The various detachments collected at Ingogo, and moved down on the 9th +to Durban, where the "Wakool" was waiting for them; the weather was +however too rough to embark until the 14th, the intervening days being +spent at Umbilo Prison Camp. Major Clarke now commanded the Battalion, +Col. the Earl of March having returned for the Coronation.</p> + +<p>St. Helena was reached on the 24th June. As the "Wakool" steamed into +the Jamestown anchorage, the signallers on H.M.S. Dwarf gave the news of +the King's illness, and of the consequent postponement of the +coronation, which should have taken place next day.</p> + +<p>After five days quarantine the Battalion disembarked, and marched to +Broadbottom Camp, at<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_323" id="Page_323">[Pg 323]</a></span> the N.E. end of the Island, relieving the Buffs +Militia. Gen. Cronje watched the men go by from the house where he lived +apart; he was not very popular among the other prisoners—mostly Paardebergers.</p> + +<p>There were about 2,000 Boers at Broadbottom, including Gen. Ben Viljoen. +They were at this time just trying to make up their minds to take the +oath of allegiance. They were too loyal to their old Government to do so +without orders—which, however, they ultimately received. Those who took +the oath beforehand did not have a pleasant time.</p> + +<p>The weather was extremely bad, and the camp a sea of mud. On July 19th, +a gloom was cast over the Battalion by the death of Colour Sergt. +Penfold, who was killed in trying to climb down a steep cliff.</p> + +<p>On August 9th, Coronation Day was celebrated. A <i>feu de joie</i> was fired, +and the Battalion was inspected by Col. Wright, commandant of the camp. +In the evening an enormous bonfire was lit upon the hillside. In the +crowd round it, Boers and British mingled freely, the latter tanned from +exposure, the former pale from a year or more mostly spent in their +tents. After loyalty had been satisfied, Col. Wright called for three +cheers for "our friends and fellow subjects, our late gallant enemies," +which were heartily given. The Battalion embarked for England on board +the "Dominion" on August 11th, and arrived at Chichester a month later, +having travelled by way of Cape Town. At Chichester they were welcomed +by the Mayor and Corporation, and marched to barracks through decorated streets.</p> + +<p>The medals earned by the men were presented to them by Mrs. Kilgour +(Col. Kilgour then commanded the Regimental District), and the +embodiment, which had lasted two years and nine months, was at an end.</p> + +<hr /> + +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_ai" id="Page_ai">[Pg i]</a></span></p> + +<h2><span><a name="APPENDIX_A" id="APPENDIX_A"></a>APPENDIX A.</span> <span class="smaller">THE 13TH M. I.</span></h2> + +<p class="bold">By <span class="smcap">Capt. G. P. Hunt</span>, Royal Berkshire Regiment.</p> + +<p>In November, 1900, four new Battalions of M. I. were assembled at +Pretoria: and of these the 13th M. I. was one. It was made up of +detachments from various regiments, and No. 1 Co. consisted of seventy +N. C. O.'s and men of the Royal Sussex, brought up by Lieut. J. S. +Cameron from Lindley, and fifty-five of the Royal Berkshire Regiment +under Lieut. G. P. Hunt. The Battalion was commanded by Capt. +(afterwards Brevet Maj.) Pratt, of the Durham Light Infantry. Early in +1901 Lt. Cameron took over command of No. 1 Co.</p> + +<p>December and January were mostly spent in training the men. Many of +these knew nothing about mounted work, and had first to learn to stick +on their horses (raw, untrained Argentines for the most part) somehow. +However, in a creditably short time a body of useful mounted men, if not +of expert horsemen, was turned out.</p> + +<p>The 13th M. I. were first under fire at Hekpoort on 19th December, with +General Alderson's column. Gen. Clements was then conducting a combined +movement westwards up the Magaliesberg Valley. The Boers were eventually +driven out of their Hekpoort position. The Company came under a smart +rifle fire, and their led horses were pom-pomed: but they sustained no +casualties and saw no Boers.</p> + +<p>From January to April, 1901, Gen. Alderson's column was engaged on the +operations under Gen. French in the eastern and south-eastern Transvaal. +This column consisted of the 13th and 14th M. I., the Canadian Scouts, +the Yorkshire Light Infantry, "J" Battery, R. H. A., and a pom-pom; it +trekked along the Swaziland border to Ermelo, encountering very few +Boers by the way. The column waited for supplies at Ermelo for ten days; +but continuous rain and flooded rivers prevented the convoys coming out +from Newcastle, and mutton and mealies were all that men and horses had +to live on. The horses suffered severely from the lack of food, and from +standing about in the wet camp. Full rations were not obtained till 26th +March, more than a month later.</p> + +<p>During April the column trekked through the difficult country between +Vryheid and Zululand, arriving at Newcastle on the 20th of that month.</p> + +<p>By this time more than half the 13th M. I. were dismounted, and the men +were in rags. Gen. French's operations had cost the Boers 1,000 +casualties, and the districts involved had been cleared, cattle being +driven in, and sheep used for rations or destroyed. The Boer families +were brought in to Refugee camps.</p> + +<p>The 13th and 14th M. I. were remounted, and joined Gen. Bullock's column +at Volksrust. The horses supplied to the Company were mostly large raw +Hungarians, quite unsuited to the work.</p> + +<p>Gen. Bullock's column, which was a large one, first trekked about the +Standerton and Wakkerstroom districts, and then worked in the northern +Free State, finishing up at Heidelberg in the end of July. There was no +serious fighting, although every day Boer skirmishers were encountered. +These would lie in wait for the<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_aii" id="Page_aii">[Pg ii]</a></span> scouts of the column, on the chance of +shooting them at short range, and then making off. Dogs proved very +useful to scouting parties: going on ahead, they would, by their +actions, give warning of concealed Boers.</p> + +<p>The men kept wonderfully fit and in very good spirits; they were just +the type that Kipling describes in his poem "M. I." The horses, however, +suffered severely from the cold, which was very severe, particularly at night.</p> + +<p>At Heidelberg, Brig. Gen. Spens took over the column, which worked from +July to September in the N. E. Free State. This was a very eventful time +for the 13th M. I.; night marches were the rule rather than the +exception. Numbers of Boers were captured, wagons, cattle and horses +were brought in, and farms were destroyed. The column worked sometimes +by itself, and sometimes in conjunction with others; occasionally single +battalions went in different directions. The Boers had difficulty in +avoiding the troops, and were deprived of their wagons, spare horses, +shelters and means of subsistence, with a view to forcing them to surrender.</p> + +<p>One occasion in particular may be mentioned. On the night of the 6th of +August the column divided into two, acting in conjunction with +Rimington. After a night march, a laager was surprised at dawn, many +prisoners being taken.</p> + +<p>The Company captured a number of Boers and wagons after a long gallop: +they only just avoided an engagement with Gough's M. I., which was +coming up from another direction.</p> + +<p>On the 15th August Lieut. J. M. Hulton joined the 13th M. I. at +Kroonstad from the 5th Bn. Royal Fusiliers, and was posted to No. 1 Co., +and given command of one of the Sussex sections. He had his horse killed +on the 18th, when on flank-guard, by some Boers who crept up a donga +just as the scouts were moving on. He fell under his horse, but one of +the section galloped back, helped him to get clear, and took the saddle +on to his own horse while Hulton ran by his side.</p> + +<p>On the 3rd September the column rode down a Boer convoy and 300 Boers. +Cameron was in command of the advanced guard. Nearly all the wagons were +captured, some falling into the hands of Rimington's and Wilson's +columns. Many Boers were taken, and a number killed and wounded. Many of +the horses of the column had subsequently to be destroyed: for the men +rode over 50 miles that day, and the horses were utterly done up.</p> + +<p>Towards the end of September Botha threatened to invade Natal, and Gen. +Spens' column, with others, entrained for that colony. Gough's M. I. had +suffered a serious reverse near Vryheid, the Boers being in superior +numbers. Botha had then attacked Major Chapman and his small force at +Fort Itala on the Zulu border, but had been repulsed after two days' +most severe fighting. He afterwards stated that it was here that his +power was finally broken.</p> + +<p>The 13th, 14th, and Gough's M. I. moved out of Dundee on September 22nd, +crossed Rorke's Drift, passed Isandhlwana, and hurried on to help +Chapman, leaving the convoy to follow. The columns of Spens, Pulteney, +and Allenby, under Major Gen. Bruce Hamilton, formed up along the +Zululand border, and worked northwards through the mountainous Vryheid +district; Gen. Clements coming in from Dundee.</p> + +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_aiii" id="Page_aiii">[Pg iii]</a></span></p><p>The main body of the Boers appeared to have gone, but a number of those +wounded at Itala were found in farms, and a number of fresh graves +showed that Botha's forces had suffered considerably in attempting to +capture Chapman with his small force and two guns.</p> + +<p>Wagons and carts were found in the most incredible places on the slopes +of mountains, and were destroyed. A good number of cattle also were +captured from the few Boers looking after them. In the meantime, the +convoy had such difficulty in getting up the roads that for three days +it could not reach the battalion, which had to do without rations; and +both men and horses felt rather done up and very empty after climbing up +and down the rugged hills in the rain. Several horses were unable to get +on and had to be shot, but fortunately only two of the Company's.</p> + +<p>Gen. Spens' column reached Vryheid on the 22nd October, and, returning +to Newcastle, got fresh supplies for a trek in the Orange River Colony. +Standerton was reached in November, after operations along the Drakensberg.</p> + +<p>At the end of November began the series of captures by Gen. Bruce +Hamilton, made possible by the wonderful intelligence obtained by Col. +Wools-Sampson. Half of Spens' column and half of Col. Rawlinson's, with +the corps of surrendered Boers, made a night march of some 25 miles from +Ermelo on the 4th December.</p> + +<p>Led by Wools-Sampson's native boys, they came on a laager at dawn the +next morning. Unfortunately there was not time to surround it, and +another small laager beyond was warned by the firing, many of the Boers +jumping on to their ponies and galloping off. However, the columns +pursued and captured a good many, and all the wagons, etc., were +captured. The totals were ninety-one prisoners of the Bethel and +Standerton commandos, including the Landrost of Bethel, twenty wagons, +thirty Cape carts, 2,000 head of cattle, and 5,000 sheep, many rifles, +ammunition, etc. During the pursuit the Sussex section captured fifteen +Boers, and one man killed a native with the butt of his rifle, who had +just fired at and missed him.</p> + +<p>The column now camped at the head of the Standerton-Ermelo block-house +line, which was progressing at the rate of about two block-houses and +one mile of barbed wire fence a day. December was spent in clearing the +surrounding country. A number of Boers were brought in, and a great deal of stock.</p> + +<p>On the 19th December, the 14th M. I. were surprised by Britz's commando +at Tweefontein, while searching farms; they lost two officers and +thirteen men killed, and several officers and men wounded.</p> + +<p>The Boers were dressed in khaki, having red cloth tabs with B.S. +(Britz's Scouts), and numbered some 300 or 400. It was noticed that +after the fight they destroyed their own rifles, taking away those they +captured, as they preferred ours. The remainder of the column, which +moved to join the 14th M. I. in the morning, did not hear of the attack +by the Boers in time to assist, but drove off the commando, inflicting +on the Boers some few more casualties. The column moved towards +Amersfort, where Christmas was spent, and then made two successive night +marches (27th, 28th December), towards Tweefontein and Standerton, in +which twenty-seven Boers, six armed natives and 600 cattle were +captured, and forty-four Boers were obliged to surrender on the +block-house lines. Some of the<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_aiv" id="Page_aiv">[Pg iv]</a></span> arms and equipment of the 14th M. I. +were recovered from the prisoners.</p> + +<p>For about six weeks the column had its headquarters at Ermelo, which +became an important station at the junction of three lines of +block-houses. Bruce Hamilton now had five or six columns under him, +which he sent out in any direction according to the Intelligence +obtained by Wools-Sampson's boys.</p> + +<p>The night marches that ensued resulted in the capture of a great many +Boers, including that of Grobelaar's laager and 100 men. The scattered +pursuits that followed the discovery of a laager became very like +hunting without hounds—with the added excitement that occasionally the +enemy would stop to fire. Only the fittest horses were taken out, and +the Boers were ridden down or driven onto lines of block-houses. The men +had to act by themselves in following up single or small parties of +Boers, as a column often got spread over many miles of country.</p> + +<p>From 23rd February to 8th April the column was detached, still under +Brigadier General Spens, and acted in the low veldt and the Vryheid +district, also going through Utrecht and Wakkerstroom. The principal +idea of this trek appears to have been to complete the clearing of those +districts of cattle, and for this purpose some 200 Zulus were called +for, under a chief of north-western Zululand, to assist in bringing in +the cattle. The majority of the natives in those districts with whom the +Boers had left their cattle were of Zulu origin, but it was difficult +for the troops to sort the Boer from the Zulu cattle. This, however, the +"impi" did with ease. Going out into the kraals at night, they would +persuade the natives to bring in the Boer cattle themselves, as they +were allowed to kill as many as they could eat; and the "impi" grew and +grew until it was more than ten times its original size. By day it would +trek along at a jog trot beside the convoy, the men singing their war +songs; for they were not allowed to carry rifles, but only carried +assegais for self-defence at night. When the column returned to the high +veldt, the Zulus, though loath to do so, had to return to their own country.</p> + +<p>The final stage of the war was now reached. It was short. The Boers that +were left in the field were practically all enclosed in areas surrounded +by lines of block-houses and barbed wire fences, which they themselves +called "Kraals." Single men were known to have got through from one area +to another, but it was practically impossible for many to do so without +storming a block-house. It therefore only remained for us to sweep one +area after another, and this was done by an extended line of mounted +troops with its ends marching along block-houses. The block-house lines +on either flank and in front of the sweeping line were strengthened by +infantry trenches between the block-houses, which made them impassable +by day or night; and when either of these happened to be a railway line, +armoured trains patrolled the line to assist. The mounted troops +remained in their column organisation, and each column was bound to keep +in touch with the next by day and night, in order that every hiding +place should be searched and the Boers prevented from breaking through +as far as possible. By day a continuous chain of scouts advanced +supported by small bodies, at intervals in rear; and mule wagons +followed in rear of the centre of each column with supplies, blankets, +and entrenching tools. At night a continuous line of trenches about 50 +to 200 yards apart was formed, and as far<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_av" id="Page_av">[Pg v]</a></span> as possible a continuous +obstacle of barbed wire was put up in front of the trenches.</p> + +<p><span class="smcap">1st Drive.</span>—The 13th M. I. were always on the right of Spens' line, the +14th M. I. in the centre, and Gough's M. I. on the left. The Company +being No. 1 of the 13th was on the extreme right, and consequently on +them fell the onus of keeping touch with the next column through all the drives.</p> + +<p>On 10th April the columns under Bruce-Hamilton lined up from Ermelo, +through Carolina, to the Middelburg-Belfast line, and in three days' +swept the area to the Standerton-Heidelberg line.</p> + +<p>On the last night of this drive some Boers made a determined effort to +get through the line, attacking Gough's M. I.; but not more than forty +were supposed to have succeeded, the remainder being beaten back. The +column picked up altogether ninety-five Boers out of a total of 134 +captured, and a good many Boers were killed in attacking the line.</p> + +<p>On 12th April some of the advanced scouts were ambushed by a party of +Boers, Pte. Leadbetter, of the Royal Sussex Regt., being killed and two +temporarily captured.</p> + +<p><span class="smcap">2nd Drive.</span>—From the 18th—20th April the columns swept the area from +the Vaal-Springs line to the Bronkhorst Spruit—Middelburg line.</p> + +<p>There were six columns extended, the Scots Greys joining in from +Springs; but the results were very small, the Boers having got through a +gap between two other columns on the left.</p> + +<p><span class="smcap">3rd Drive.</span>—On 26th—27th the line went back over the same ground, going +over forty miles on the second day.</p> + +<p><span class="smcap">4th Drive.</span>—From the 3rd—5th May the columns swept the country from +Standerton—Heidelberg—Vereeniging southwards to Frankfort—Heilbron +and the main railway line, and then on in one day to the +Kroonstad-Lindley line; Elliot's columns holding the Liebensberg Vlei on +the left. The Boers made a great effort to break through the next +column, and some 200 succeeded; but the result of the whole drive was +294 prisoners and eleven killed, which was very satisfactory after the +long and arduous drive. The distance traversed on the 6th alone was over +forty miles, as the crow flies, which meant a good deal more for +everyone, if the unevenness of the land and the continual straining of a +line some sixty miles long be taken into account. But this told more on +the poor horses, which had to be sacrificed to accomplish the necessary +steps for finishing the war. Officers and men not only rode these long +distances, wearied by the monotony of trekking hour after hour at the +walk, on tired horses, but were hardly able to sleep at night during the +drives on account of the possibility of having a trench rushed at any +moment, and also on account of the continual firing all along the line, +everyone being ordered to fire on the slightest suspicion of Boers being +in front. By this time many of the horses were considered incapable of +keeping up with the line in a long day's drive, and were sent in to the +railway, leaving the Company only about half its original strength. +Everyone looked forward to the rest which Lord Kitchener promised us we +should soon have, but we had one more drive to accomplish—the return +drive to Heilbron and Frankfort, and this proved to be one of the most +eventful days for No. 1 Company.</p> + +<p><span class="smcap">Last Drive.</span>—The drive took place on 9th May, 1902; the 13th M. I. +started from Lindley, and finished at a point about twelve<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_avi" id="Page_avi">[Pg vi]</a></span> miles out of +Heilbron towards Frankfort. Starting at dawn, No. 1 Company joined hands +with McKenzie's column at 7.30, and the line halted for an hour at +10.30. The units being so weak, about four scouts per Company were sent +about half-a-mile in front, and the remainder of the men extended to +keep touch. The guide on the left of McKenzie's column, at the time of +the halt, said he had already come a mile over his line of advance, and +refused to come further; meanwhile Garratt's column on the left had gone +off to their left, leaving several miles to be covered by Spens' column. +The columns on the left were evidently under the impression that the +majority of the Boers were opposite them, and some firing was heard in +that direction on moving on again. But the Boers had chosen their piece +of ground well, and it turned out to be just in the line of advance of +the Company, a very few of the Boers having attracted attention by +firing on the left. The scouts had just reached the top of a rise, when +they saw a number of Boers cantering towards them only about 150 yards +to their front. The Company was then extended to about fifty yards +between men. The scouts fired, and the Boers fired with their rifles +laid across their saddles; but there was no time to warn the line, in +fact a low rise divided the Company, so that only some twenty men could +see the Boers coming on, in a long disordered crowd, with natives +leading spare animals. About ten men, immediately in front of the Boers, +galloped together, forming a small group round a sergeant, and fired at +the column of Boers which was coming straight towards them. The +remainder of the Company came galloping in from the left one by one, and +formed another group which opened fire, but not until the Boers had +already passed through the line. They had steered off from the first +group and cantered on, and nothing remained to be done but to pick up +what they had left, as the long driving line was going further and +further away. Several horses and mules were found loose; some were +wounded and had to be destroyed. One man was captured with a dislocated +shoulder, having fallen off his horse, and another was found in the +grass, shot through the temple. About twelve rifles were picked up and +destroyed, and other signs were found indicating that men and horses had been wounded.</p> + +<p>As the Company went on to join the line, two more Boers were captured in +a farm and taken on, the line arriving at its destination in driblets an +hour after dark. The number of Boers which passed through was estimated +at from 150-200, said to be under Mentz; they were evidently the same +party that had broken through McKenzie's column on the 6th. It seemed a +pity that they have got off so easily within a mile of the stronger line +of McKenzie's column, but doubtless these last two experiences, with the +prospect of more, influenced them in the peace meetings they were now +allowed to hold without molestation.</p> + +<p>The Column was ordered to make its way to Heidelberg, where it stayed +inactive until it was broken up. On 6th August, 1902, the horses were +taken to the remount depôt near Johannesburg. And on the 8th the two +detachments started to rejoin their regiments.</p> + +<hr /> + +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_vii" id="Page_vii">[Pg vii]</a></span></p> + +<h2><span>APPENDIX B.</span> <span class="smaller">THE 21ST M. I.</span></h2> + +<p class="bold">By <span class="smcap">Lt. E. C. Beeton</span>, Royal Sussex Regiment.</p> + +<p>1901.—The two Companies of the 21st M. I., made up largely of men of +the Royal Sussex Regiment, were trained at Shorncliffe during March and +April, 1901. No. 2 Co., commanded by Major Anderson (late 60th Rifles), +was composed entirely of men of the Regiment, and was 130 strong, +though, with the exception of Lieut. Drinan, it was officered from other +regiments. No. 3. Co., commanded by Major Hearn, late 21st Lancers and +K. D. G.'s., was 136 strong, and was made up of a section of Royal +Sussex under Lieut. Beeton, a section of Dublin Fusiliers, a section of +Buffs and a mixed section of the West Kent and Loyal North Lanes. Regts.</p> + +<p>No. 2 Co. left England at the end of April, and was followed three weeks +later by No. 3 Co.; the latter Company disembarked at Durban on the 14th +June, proceeding to Elandsfontein for remounts, and thence by train to +Klerksdorp. Meanwhile No. 2 Co. had joined the 21st M. I. on Colonel +Williams' column in the Western Transvaal, where it took part in various +minor engagements against Potgeiter's and Vermas' commandos, and did +good work in the Orange River Colony, and on the Magaliesberg mountains, +assisting in the capture of several Boer convoys during July, August, +and September, 1901. During the latter part of September Col. Williams' +column succeeded in taking nearly 100 prisoners and over sixty wagons of +the enemy. About October 20th No. 2 Co. was sent into the base at +Klerksdorp for garrison duty, and was relieved by No. 3 Co., which had +been on almost continuous convoy-escort duty between Potchefstroom and +Ventersdorp, with headquarters at Potchefstroom. Though no serious +fighting had occurred, the convoys were frequently threatened and fired +at by small parties of Boers. No. 2 Co. had also been working with +General Wilson's column, assisting in the capture of Cdt. Holls. In six +weeks Gen. Wilson took 140 prisoners, and cleared a large stretch of fertile country.</p> + +<p>In October, the 21st M. I. was operating on Col. Hickie's column in the +Western Transvaal. From Nov. 10th to Nov. 20th this column, then only +800 strong, was held up by the combined commandos of Generals Delarey, +Kemp, and Liebenberg, about 2,000 strong, at Brakspruit, 14 miles west +of Klerksdorp. The column was very strongly entrenched, and the entire +perimeter of the camp encircled with barbed wire. The enemy did not +attack, and the column was subsequently relieved by Lord Methuen's (1st +Division) column coming up from the south, and Col. Kekewich's from the +east. A squadron of the 11th Yeomanry, belonging to Col. Hickie's +column, were surprised and captured by Delarey on Nov. 12th, when on +reconnaissance. The 21st M. I. were sent out in relief, and met the +squadron of Yeomanry returning on foot, stripped of all rifles and clothing.</p> + +<p>On Dec. 8th Major Hearn was relieved of command of No. 3 Co., and +appointed commandant of Col. Kekewich's Base Depôt. Lieut. Beeton took +over command of this Company.</p> + +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_viii" id="Page_viii">[Pg viii]</a></span></p><p>From Dec. 8th, 1901 to Jan. 23rd, 1902, Col. Hickie's column was +trekking through the Western Transvaal and down to the Vaal River +without much result; very few Boers were found owing to the very heavy +rains. Many small expeditions for mounted troops, with four days' +rations on the saddle, were undertaken.</p> + +<p>1902.—On Feb. 3rd an attack was made at dawn on Commandant Alberts' +commando by the 21st M. I., Scottish Horse, and 11th Co. I. Y., in which +General Alberts and fifty Boers were captured, together with a number of +wagons. The British casualties were one officer killed and two men, and +about twenty wounded. The Boer casualties were four killed and about +twenty or thirty wounded.</p> + +<p>At the end of February the 21st M. I. were transferred to Lord Methuen's +column, subsequently commanded by Col. von Donop.</p> + +<p>On Feb. 25th Col. von Donop's empty convoy of 160 mule wagons (2,000 +mules) was attacked and captured at daybreak 8 miles from Klerksdorp by +General Delarey and 1,500 Boers. The convoy was trekking from +Wolmeranstadt to Klerksdorp for supplies, under an escort of 360 men, +composed of Yeomanry and two or three companies Northumberland +Fusiliers, with two field guns and a pom-pom and a maxim—-all of which +were taken by the Boers. Major Anderson, commanding the escort, sent in +to Klerksdorp for reinforcements, and Major Hearn, with Lieut. Beeton, +and about thirty men of the 21st M. I. (who had been sent in to +Klerksdorp for remounts) moved out of the town towards Wolmeranstadt +about 7.30 a.m., and were subsequently joined by two troops of Scottish +Horse, some men of No. 2 Co. 21st M. I., with Lieut. Drinan, and other +details, making up a total of perhaps 250 men. This force, commanded by +Col. Grenfell, 1st Life Guards, galloped 6 miles towards the scene of +the disaster, subsequently reaching high ground from which the captured +convoy could be seen, turned about and moving off in an opposite +direction. The woods on the right of the road were occupied by large +numbers of Boers, who could be clearly seen, as well as a great number +trekking away over the hills. Col. Grenfell's men dismounted and opened +fire at 1,000 yards. Part of the force charged down the hill in an +attempt to recapture half-a-dozen wagons, which had been blocked and +overturned in the Spruit; whereupon the Boers in large numbers formed up +and galloped, firing from their saddles, down the hill opposite, towards +the British, compelling them to retire, with a loss of several horses +killed and two men of the Scottish Horse wounded. The Boers did not +continue the pursuit, being satisfied with the capture of the entire +convoy, and the guns, with the exception of the maxim, which was +galloped into Klerksdorp on a pack horse. The casualties among the +convoy escort were over 200. Two officers of the Northumberland +Fusiliers were killed, and three severely wounded.</p> + +<p>On March 14th Lord Kitchener concentrated a large force in the vicinity +of Klerksdorp with the object of destroying Delarey's commandos. Col. +Grenfell, 1st Life Guards, took command of all mounted troops belonging +to the three columns (Col. von Donop's, Col. Kekewich's, and Col. +Grenfell's), together 1,500 strong. The first of the combined drives +began on March 16th and occupied five days, the enemy being driven from +S.-W. to N.-E., in the direction of Klerksdorp. Owing to a gap left by +General W. Kitchener's column, most of the Boers escaped over the hills, +near Brakspruit,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_ix" id="Page_ix">[Pg ix]</a></span> 9 miles from Klerksdorp. The 21st M. I. came in touch +with a party of Boers quite unexpectedly at nightfall, and after +galloping a few miles in pursuit drove them in the direction of General +Kitchener's column, where sixteen subsequently were taken prisoners.</p> + +<p>From March 16th to April 1st, small three days' operations took place +from Vaalbank (50 miles W. of Klerksdorp), the men carrying rations on +their saddles. Many men had to be sent on to Klerksdorp for remounts, +owing to considerable losses in horses from exhaustion and horse-sickness.</p> + +<p>On the evening of April 4th the mounted troops moved from Middlebult at +7 p.m., rationed for three days, in very heavy rain. The night was pitch +dark. At daybreak they attacked and captured a Boer convoy and large +herds of cattle and sheep, after a long gallop.</p> + +<p>On April 9th the mounted troops of the combined columns started from +Middlebult to join General Ian Hamilton's big drive and enveloping +movement against General Delarey's commandos. After two days' march they +arrived at Rooival, passing the scene of Col. Cookson's engagement, +which had occurred five days previously, when Delarey surrounded the +column, killing all Cookson's horses. Col. von Donop's troops finally +took up their position in the driving line on the extreme right, and +entrenched for the night. On the following morning, two hours before +daybreak, word was brought by the scouts that the combined commandos of +Delarey, Kemp, Liebenberg, and Potgeiter, 2,000 strong, with four field +guns and two pom-poms (those captured from Col. von Donop's convoy six +weeks previously) were halted 6 miles away on the right. Col. von +Donop's column, being on the extreme right, was the first to move, the +21st M. I. being ordered to furnish the screen and supports of the +advanced guard. At about 6 a.m. the screen came over a rise, and was at +once face to face with Delarey's commandos, who were partially concealed +in large mealie patches less than 4,000 yards away. Although apparently +surprised, the enemy quickly formed into two or three long lines, and +riding almost knee to knee, charged through the screen, shouting, and +firing from the saddle. The 21st M. I. dismounted, and those horses +which were not shot were galloped to the rear, the men lying in the +grass and firing at the Boers as they galloped through. Many of the +latter and of their horses were shot as they passed von Donop's main +body, which by this time had had sufficient warning, and received the +charge with a very heavy fire. At the same time Gen. Rawlinson, whose +column had come up, met and repulsed an attempted turning movement. The +Boers were now effectively stopped, their casualties being very large. +Col. von Donop's Scottish Horse were then ordered to charge the enemy, +who made a big wheel to the left towards some hills covered with scrub +and small trees. The British guns then opening fire caused the whole +force of Boers to break and scatter in all directions, though their guns +still replied in a desultory way. The British pursued throughout the +day, the Boers with their guns and wagons scattering in parties all over +the country. By 4 p.m. all their guns and many prisoners had been +captured. The 21st M. I. suffered more casualties than any other corps +in this engagement, losing two officers and a colour-sergeant killed, +and five out of nine officers dangerously or severely wounded, including +Major Roy, of the Sherwood Foresters, then in command.</p> + +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_x" id="Page_x">[Pg x]</a></span></p><p>The Boer casualties were given as forty-five killed and many wounded, +Potgeiter being killed and Kemp badly wounded. The next day Col. von +Donop received the following message from General Ian Hamilton:—"My +best congratulations to you and your gallant troops. I shall have great +pleasure in telling Lord Kitchener of their steadiness when attacked and +their dashing pursuit."</p> + +<p>The combined columns moved rapidly back to Brakspruit (near Klerksdorp) +in order to rest horses and troops and procure remounts. Many of the +horses had been killed or had given out from exhaustion.</p> + +<p>On May 5th von Donop's column halted for a week at Rooijantjesfontein, +40 miles west of Klerksdorp. They started from here on the last big +drive into the Mafeking Line, which occupied five days, through an +almost waterless tract of country. The columns commanded by Col. +Kekewich were again posted on the extreme right of the driving line, +which extended southward 30 miles to Vryburg and beyond. Their right, at +the termination of the drive, rested on Saltpan Siding. During the last +two days they captured about forty or fifty Boers, the total bag for the +whole drive being 400.</p> + +<p>The 21st M.I. then returned to Klerksdorp, whence, after peace was +declared, it was sent out to bring in many of the surrendered parties of Boers.</p> + +<p>During June and July, and up to the 24th August, the 21st M.I. were +camped 4 miles outside Klerksdorp, subsequently marching to +Bloemfontein, which town was reached on the 28th August. Here +Lieutenants Beeton and Drinan, together with all N.C.O.'s and men of the +Royal Sussex Regiment, rejoined the Regiment.</p> + +<hr /> + + +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_xi" id="Page_xi">[Pg xi]</a></span></p> + +<h2><span>APPENDIX C.</span></h2> + +<hr class="smler" /> + +<p>Names of officers and numbers of men sent out to South Africa by the +Volunteer Battalions of the Royal Sussex Regiment.</p> + +<table summary="volunteers"> + <tr> + <td colspan="3" class="left">1st Volunteer Battalion:—</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> Capt. </td> + <td class="left">S. W. G. Tamplin</td> + <td class="left"> . . . (1st Active Service Coy.),</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td>Lieut. </td> + <td class="left">W. H. Findlay</td> + <td class="left"> . . . (2nd Active Service Coy.),</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td>Lieut. </td> + <td class="left">J. G. Cockburn</td> + <td class="left"> . . . (2nd Active Service Coy.),</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td>Lieut. </td> + <td class="left">T. O. B. Ruthven</td> + <td class="left"> . . . (3rd Active Service Coy.),</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td colspan="3" class="center">and 105 N.C.O.'s and men in all.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td colspan="3" class="center"> </td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td colspan="3" class="left">2nd Volunteer Battalion:—</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td>Capt. and Hon. Maj. </td> + <td class="left">Sir W. G. Barttelot</td> + <td class="left"> . . . (1st Active Service Coy.),</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td>Lieut. </td> + <td class="left">B. J. D'Olier</td> + <td class="left"> . . . (1st Active Service Coy.),</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td>Capt. </td> + <td class="left">S. W. P. Beale</td> + <td class="left"> . . . (2nd Active Service Coy.),</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td colspan="3" class="center">and 81 N.C.O.'s and men in all.</td> + </tr> +</table> + +<p>[N.B.—Col. the Duke of Norfolk, E.M., K.G., served in South Africa with +the Sussex Imperial Yeomanry; Capt. Lord Zouche served with the Rough +Riders; Surgeon-Capt. G. Black served with the R.A.M. Corps].</p> + +<table summary="volunteers"> + <tr> + <td colspan="3" class="left">1st Cinque Ports:—</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> Lieut. </td> + <td class="left">A. F. A. Howe</td> + <td class="left"> . . . (1st Active Service Coy.),</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td colspan="3" class="center">and 128 N.C.O.'s and men in all.</td> + </tr> +</table> + +<hr /> + +<h2><span>APPENDIX D.</span></h2> + +<hr class="smler" /> + +<p>Honours and rewards bestowed upon officers and men of the Royal Sussex +Regiment for the South African War:—</p> + +<table summary="honours"> + <tr> + <td class="left">C.B.</td> + <td class="left"> . . . Col. the Earl of March, A.D.C., (3rd Battn.)</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td class="left"></td> + <td class="left"> . . . Lt.-Col. B. D. A. Donne.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td class="left">Brevet Lt.-Col.</td> + <td class="left"> . . . Major L. E. du Moulin.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td class="left">Brevet Major</td> + <td class="left"> . . . Capt. A. R. Gilbert,</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td class="left"></td> + <td class="left"> . . . Capt. E. H. Montrésor, etc.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td class="left">D.S.O.</td> + <td class="left"> . . . Lieut. and Adjt. R. Bellamy,</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td class="left"></td> + <td class="left"> . . . Major A. R. Gilbert,</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td class="left"></td> + <td class="left"> . . . Capt. F. Robinson,</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td class="left"></td> + <td class="left"> . . . Capt. E. L. Mackenzie,</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td class="left"></td> + <td class="left"> . . . Lieut. E. F. Villiers,</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td class="left"></td> + <td class="left"> . . . Lieut. C. E. Bond.</td> + </tr> +</table> + +<p>Lieut. A. R. Hopkins was specially promoted for services in the field to +a Captaincy in the Manchester Regiment.</p> + +<table summary="medals"> + <tr> + <td colspan="2" class="center"><i>Medals for Distinguished Conduct in the field</i>:—</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td>Sergt.-Major </td> + <td class="left">S. S. Thwaits,</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td>Color-Sergt. </td> + <td class="left">T. Jones,</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td>Color-Sergt. </td> + <td class="left">A. Nye,</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td>Color-Sergt. </td> + <td class="left">A. Weston,</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td>Color-Sergt. </td> + <td class="left">H. Snaith,</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td>Q.-M.-Sergt. </td> + <td class="left">C. Pittman,</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td>Sergt. </td> + <td class="left">G. Weston,</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td>Sergt. </td> + <td class="left">T. Gates,</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td>Lc.-Sergt. </td> + <td class="left">A. Ockleford,</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td>Corpl. </td> + <td class="left">P. Hoad,</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td>Pte. </td> + <td class="left">J. Gill,</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td>Pte. </td> + <td class="left">T. Say,</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td>Pte. </td> + <td class="left">C. Nevill,</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td>Pte. </td> + <td class="left">T. Scrase.</td> + </tr> +</table> + +<p> </p> +<p> </p> +<hr class="full" /> +<p>***END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK TWO YEARS ON TREK***</p> +<p>******* This file should be named 35061-h.txt or 35061-h.zip *******</p> +<p>This and all associated files of various formats will be found in:<br /> +<a href="http://www.gutenberg.org/dirs/3/5/0/6/35061">http://www.gutenberg.org/3/5/0/6/35061</a></p> +<p>Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions +will be renamed.</p> + +<p>Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no +one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation +(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without +permission and without paying copyright royalties. Special rules, +set forth in the General Terms of Use part of this license, apply to +copying and distributing Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works to +protect the PROJECT GUTENBERG-tm concept and trademark. 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You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org + + + + + +Title: Two Years on Trek + Being Some Account of the Royal Sussex Regiment in South Africa + + +Author: Louis Eugène du Moulin + +Editor: H. F. Bidder + +Release Date: January 24, 2011 [eBook #35061] + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ISO-646-US (US-ASCII) + + +***START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK TWO YEARS ON TREK*** + + +E-text prepared by Jonathan Ingram, Martin Pettit, and the Online +Distributed Proofreading Team (http://www.pgdp.net) + + + +TWO YEARS ON TREK + +Being Some Account of the Royal Sussex Regiment in South Africa. + +By the Late LT.-COLONEL DU MOULIN. + +With a Preface by Col. J. G. Panton, C.M.G. +Commanding 2nd Battalion Royal Sussex Regiment, 1903-1907. + +Edited By_ H. F. Bidder, +Captain, 3rd Battalion Royal Sussex Regiment. + + + + + + + +Murray and Co., +The Middlesex Printing Works, +180, Brompton Road, S.W. +1907. + + + + +THIS BOOK WRITTEN FOR THE MOST PART BY THE LATE + +LT.-COL. DU MOULIN HAS BEEN COMPLETED AND PUBLISHED + +BY HIS COMRADES AS THE MOST FITTING MEMORIAL + +TO A GALLANT SOLDIER. + + +DULCE . ET . DECORUM . EST . PRO . PATRIA . MORI + + + + +CONTENTS. + + +Chap. Page. + + I. TO BLOEMFONTEIN. 1 + + II. THE 21ST BRIGADE. THE TREK BEGINS. 13 + + III. TO ZAND RIVER. 28 + + IV. THE FIGHT AT ZAND RIVER. 39 + + V. ACROSS THE VAAL. 50 + + VI. DOORNKOP. 60 + + VII. PRETORIA. 69 + + VIII. DIAMOND HILL, FIRST DAY. 79 + + IX. DIAMOND HILL, SECOND DAY. 84 + + X. TO SPRINGS. 95 + + XI. TO REITZ. 105 + + XII. TO MEYER'S KOP. 117 + + XIII. RETIEF'S NEK. 126 + + XIV. TO THE BOER LAAGER. 144 + + XV. TO WINBURG. 162 + + XVI. UP AND DOWN. 173 + + XVII. TO LINDLEY. 185 + + XVIII. THE RAILWAY NEEDS REPAIR. 202 + + XIX. TO BOTHAVILLE. 215 + + XX. VENTERSBURG ROAD. 225 + + XXI. BACK TO LINDLEY. 234 + + XXII. IN GARRISON. 247 + + XXIII. THE RAISING OF THE MOUNTED COLUMN. 257 + + XXIV. TWO DISTRICTS. 273 + + XXV. DE PUT. 282 + + XXVI. TO VLAKFONTEIN. 291 + + XXVII. ABRAHAM'S KRAAL. 301 + +XXVIII. NORTHWARDS--AND THE END. 308 + + XXIX. THE THIRD BATTALION. 319 + + APPENDICES. + + + + +_PREFACE._ + + +_Louis Eugene du Moulin was of French descent. By birth he was a New +Zealander. He passed through Sandhurst and entered the army in 1879, +joining the 107th Regiment--now the Second Battalion of the Royal Sussex +Regiment. With this battalion all his service was spent, until his +promotion in 1899 as second in command of the First Battalion Royal +Sussex Regiment (the old 35th)._ + +_He served in the Black Mountain Campaign of 1888, in the Chin-Lushai +and Manipur expeditions of 1889-91, and in the Tirah Campaign of +1897-98. Alike among the dark pine woods of the Himalayas, in the dense +jungle of Manipur, or on the bleak, stony ridges of the Hazara country +the name of du Moulin became a byword in the Regiment, and far beyond +the Regiment, for restless energy, never-failing resource and cool +daring. He became known all over India as a musketry expert. Many of his +ideas were adopted, and are in universal use by those who may never have +heard his name._ + +_Perhaps his real genius was for organization. This quality came +conspicuously into notice in South Africa during the war. Many men who +served in the 21st Brigade under General Bruce Hamilton had reason to +bless the forethought and unstinted labour of the man who carried out so +thoroughly the idea of the Brigade commander, and supplied the Brigade +with those welcome additions to bully beef and biscuit which were +obtainable at the Brigade Canteen. Often after a hard day's march and a +tough fight have I admired the unselfish spirit in which, disdaining +fatigue, he would set to work with his coat off to open stores and +arrange the wagons lighted with "dips," which served as a "coffee shop" +for famishing Tommy._ + +_A tall, spare man, with keen, dark eyes, a courageous nose and a +harsh-toned voice--such was the outward du Moulin. Feared not a little, +loved greatly by those under him, afraid of no one, despising precedent +and precaution, dependent only on his own iron will and keen intellect, +he had a brilliant career before him when he fell gloriously at +Abraham's Kraal on January 28th, 1902. He had gone through the campaign +from the advance to Pretoria of Lord Roberts' army, down to the pursuit +of De Wet and of the broken commandos after De Wet's time, without a +wound, and, as far as I can remember, without a day's sickness--and with +very few days' rest from marching and fighting._ + +_He always knew what it was he wanted and how to get it, and how to make +others help him to this end._ + +_One anecdote I may here relate:-- + +Worn out with much marching, ragged and hungry, the half battalion under +du Moulin halted at Kroonstad to refit. Supplies, and especially +clothing and boots, were hard to get. Some tired subaltern returned, +repulsed from the Ordnance Store, empty handed._ + +_The matter quickly reached du Moulin's ears, and he disappeared for +what seemed a few minutes. Presently out of a cloud of red dust emerged +a mule wagon at a hand gallop. Standing up, driving, cracking a long +whip and yelling at the Kaffirs to clear the road, came "Mullins," as +he was familiarly known to all. His grey regulation shirt was rolled up +to the elbow, showing a pair of red muscular arms like copper wire. He +shouted as he turned his team into the camp, and we hurried to his +wagon, to have bundles of new clothes, white shiny rolls of waterproof +sheets, and thick soft blankets rapidly allotted to our men; and to save +time (for we were moving next morning) "Mullins" himself hurled out the +bundles into our arms._ + +_At another time, when we were at Ventersburg Road Station in one of the +brief intervals of rest allowed by Boers who blew up the railway line +three times a week (this was in 1900), the siding leading to the dock +for entraining horses or cattle was completely blocked by the burnt +remains of a train of trucks, rusty and apparently immovable._ + +_The railway staff smiled incredulously when du Moulin offered to remove +the entire train of trucks. Without cranes or appliances they declared +it was impossible._ + +_Collecting all the spare rails, sleepers and fish-plates that could be +found about the station yard, du Moulin started work, and a branch +railway some 100 yards long was quickly laid leading into the veldt, +with proper points connecting it with the siding. A hundred willing +hands hauled at the ropes--the rusty axles, well greased, revolved. In +half a day the siding was clear, and the ruined trucks were standing on +the veldt, where they probably stand to this day!_ + +_Another picture of du Moulin under fire, and I have done._ + +_On the 12th of June, 1900, at Diamond Hill, "B" Company was sent to +support the three companies of the Royal Sussex under du Moulin, about +midday. These three companies were lying under the scanty shelter of a +few rocks at the edge of the flat-topped hill facing the main Boer +position, at a distance of about 900 yards. The hail of bullets was +incessant, the noise of guns and thousands of rifles deafening. As we +arrived breathless, having crossed the 200 yards of flat open ground +amid a "rush" of bullets, I sought du Moulin to ask where we were most +wanted. He was standing up, a conspicuous figure amidst a "feu +d'enfer"--pounding with the butt of a rifle a prostrate man, who would +not move from the imagined shelter of a stone about as big as a Dutch +cheese, and who could not see to fire from his position._ + +_I got a very curt, lurid rejoinder, and promptly subsided behind a very +inadequate rock myself._ + +_Colonel du Moulin was shot through the heart, leading a charge against +the Boers who had rushed his camp. Always in front--always the first to +face the foe. "Felix opportunitati mortis." May he rest in peace._ + +_J. G. PANTON._ + +_Crete,_ +_November, 1906._ + + + + +EXPLANATORY. + + +It was the design of Col. du Moulin to write an account of the doings of +the Royal Sussex Regiment in South Africa, which should both serve to +remind those of the Regiment who went through the campaign of the +incidents in which they took part, and should also put on record another +chapter of that Regimental History, made through many years in many +lands, of which all who serve in the Regiment may be so justly proud. + +During the months of November and December, 1900, he found, in the +comparative quiet of the occupation of Lindley, an opportunity of +completing his account up to date. His manuscript is typed (he managed +to obtain a machine from somewhere) upon the only paper available--the +backs of invoice sheets from a store in the town. + +From the evacuation of Lindley in January, 1901, to his death a year +later, Col. du Moulin was far too much occupied with his work in the +field to do more than make a few notes for his book. And it is from +these notes of his, and from the diaries, letters, and personal +reminiscences of other Officers, that the later chapters have been +compiled. + +It has been thought better to leave Col. du Moulin's work practically +untouched, although it was never subjected by him to a final revision, +and although he had no opportunity of modifying anything he wrote, in +the light of subsequent history. As it stands, it gives a vivid picture +of events that had only just occurred--drawn with a firm hand, while the +impression was fresh upon the author's mind. + +In compiling the subsequent chapters, the object has been merely to give +a slight sketch of the experiences of the Regiment during the latter +half of the war. It has not been attempted (nor would it have been +possible) to enter into detail to the same extent as was done by Col. du +Moulin, writing upon the spot. If one or two scenes are preserved, it is +the utmost that can be hoped. + +The Appendices contain the stories of the 13th and 21st M.I., on which +several officers and a number of men of the Regiment were serving. The +former is kindly contributed by Capt. G. P. Hunt, of the Royal Berkshire +Regiment. + +H. F. BIDDER. + +_December, 1906._ + + + + +CHAPTER I. + +TO BLOEMFONTEIN. + + Malta--Orders for South Africa--The Pavonia--Cape Town--Port + Elizabeth--Bloemfontein--Glen. + + +The senior regiment in the 1st Brigade in the 1st Army Corps at +Aldershot and the first regiment on the roster for foreign service at +the time war was declared in South Africa in 1899, we might fairly have +expected to be one of the earliest regiments to embark for active +service; but it was not to be. We saw our old friends in General FitzRoy +Hart's Brigade--The Black Watch, the Welsh, the Northamptons--and almost +every other regiment in Aldershot receive their orders to mobilise, and +with heavy hearts we proceeded to pack our kits for--Malta! + +Even in this festive island our ill luck seemed at first to follow us +unceasingly, and, notwithstanding all our field training at Mellieha and +the numerous occasions upon which we defended Naxaro against +overwhelming hordes of invaders, still we were not among the chosen. Our +old friends the Sherwood Foresters took themselves off also, via the +Suez Canal, for the seat of war, with a nice fat draft of seasoned +soldiers from their Second Battalion, and we were left lamenting, to +troop the Colour on the Palace Square, and to go on guard with five +nights in bed. + +The very bad news which arrived soon after the opening of the campaign +in Natal had a depressing effect on all of us, which soldiering in Malta +is not calculated to remove, and any fresh news issued by Bartolo, the +printer, was eagerly sought after. A glimmer of excitement was caused by +the offer of His Excellency the Governor to the Secretary of State to +provide a fully equipped company of Mounted Infantry from the troops in +garrison, of which company the Royal Sussex hoped to form a large part; +but in this again we were doomed to disappointment, as we were not even +asked to send in our names. + +Things were in this unhappy state--everyone with long faces and +villainous tempers--when the New Year was ushered in and found us at +Verdala Barracks. From there, towards the middle of the month, five +companies were sent to the new barracks at Imtarfa and the other three +were put out into various holes and corners at Zabbar, Salvatore and +other undesirable residences. We all thought this was putting the climax +on our misfortunes, but we little knew then that in another five days we +were to be raised to the seventh heaven of delight by the news that we +were at last selected to proceed to South Africa. + +This welcome news was hurriedly brought out to the exiles at Imtarfa by +Captain Aldridge, his face fairly beaming again, and shortly afterwards +we heard that we were to go home to be mobilised for active service, and +that we were to be relieved in Malta by the Royal Berkshire regiment. +Immediately everything was hurry and bustle, and we were all writing to +our friends and making our arrangements for a prolonged absence, except, +alas, some of the younger soldiers, who could not reasonably expect to +fulfil the conditions of being over 20 and having completed a year's +service. + +Shortly afterwards the glad tidings arrived that we were to mobilise in +Malta, that our reservemen would join us there, and that we should +proceed straight to the Cape. + +On one occasion, whilst at Imtarfa, when an unusually stirring account +of the battle of Colenso appeared in the _Daily Telegraph_, one of the +officers went down to the Recreation Room at night and read it to the +men. Mr. Bennett Burleigh, the writer of the vivid piece of word +painting, would have been flattered if he could have seen the great +crowd of men in the room, absolutely still and motionless, following +with breathless interest the splendid description of the gallant +behaviour of our gunners on this fatal day, when they bravely tried to +work their guns within 600 yards of the enemy's riflemen, and the +magnificent story of how young Roberts, Captain Congreve and others +endeavoured to save the guns. + +On the 16th of January after a prolonged field day over the rocks beyond +the Victoria Lines, which lasted from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., we marched off +to Pembroke to execute the annual course of musketry, which we succeeded +in doing in some of the most villainous weather which it has ever been a +soldier's lot to experience. This concluded, back the five companies +went to Imtarfa, being relieved by the other three from Headquarters; +and now a constant succession of field days and route marches of a more +or less interesting character opened for us and continued until the 12th +of February, when the whole regiment was collected together on the +Cottonera side of the water, and those who were not to go to the Cape +were definitely weeded out. + +Sir Francis Grenfell inspected the Battalion on parade at Zabbar Gate a +day or two before we embarked, and was good enough to make some very +complimentary remarks. The "Pavonia," a big Cunarder, which arrived +early on the morning of the 19th of February with our reservemen on +board and no end of our mobilisation stores, impressed us very +favourably, and our liking for her as a comfortable ship increased with +our acquaintance of her. + +She was crowded with old comrades and new friends, both officers and +men, and we gave each other a cheery reception--not quite so cheery, +however, as the send-off from Chichester, which we had all heard about +by the mail a few days previously, and regarding which a large amount of +good natured chaff continued to pass for a long time. Many is the time +since then that some of us have longed, and with some reason too, for +one of the Mayor's famous pork-pies! + +The reservemen, especially those of Section D, were a fine lot, and made +one's heart swell with pride to think that at last the reward of years +of parades and routine would be reaped, and that a battalion of +thoroughly seasoned soldiers, second to none serving Her Majesty, was to +have an opportunity of showing what it could do in the field. + +Major Scaife, who had been left at home on the sick list when the +battalion embarked for Malta, but who had succeeded in passing a medical +board, was on the "Pavonia," as well as Captain Gilbert and Lieut. +Wroughton, of the Second Battalion. Both these had been attached to this +Battalion for duty during the campaign; so also had Captain Blake of the +Third Battalion, who had volunteered for duty as a subaltern. Lieut. +Harden, who had been promoted into the regiment from a West India +Battalion and had already seen considerable service on the West Coast of +Africa, and Lieut. Gouldsmith from the Depot, with four new officers, +2nd Lieuts. Paget, Anderson, Montgomerie and Leachman, had also come to +join. These latter young officers were to purchase their experience +somewhat dearly as after events proved, but luckily with no fatal +results to themselves. + +The send-off of the battalion from Malta, although not equalling in +magnificence that accorded to our reservemen by the generous citizens of +Chichester, was no less cordial. The battalion concentrated in +Margharita Square and marched to the Bakery Wharf, the scene of endless +similar departures, played down by the band of the 3rd Royal West Kent +regiment and by the civilian band of Cospicua. We embarked about +mid-day, but remained in harbour that night to complete the loading of +the mobilisation stores and also to embark the Malta Company of Mounted +Infantry, which some weeks before we had been so chagrined at our +inability to join. This company was commanded by Captain Pine-Coffin of +the Loyal North Lancashire regiment, and he had with him a fine lot of +men of the Derbyshire, North Lancashire and Warwickshire regiments. + +At half-past ten on the 20th of February the screw made its first +revolution on its long journey, and we were fairly moving at last. The +Baracca and the fortifications overlooking the harbour were crowded with +people to see us off, and there was a scene of great enthusiasm as we +slowly steamed past St. Elmo, the bluejackets on the ships in harbour +giving us cheer after cheer. + +Between Malta and Gibraltar a great many stowaways turned up, some of +them having succeeded in bringing their full kit on board. Unhappily for +them the "Pavonia" called in at Gibraltar in obedience to signals from +the shore, the Malta authorities having telegraphed ahead; so our +friends were hunted up and taken ashore, terribly dejected at their +ill-luck. One or two, however, were 'cute enough to hide again, and this +time succeeded in coming with us all the way. + +The voyage was a slow and uneventful one. Absolutely nothing occurred to +vary the monotony or to increase the speed. The "Pavonia," although an +Atlantic liner, was not by any means the flyer that we had anticipated, +and performed all her duties with deliberation even to coaling. This was +carried out in a slow and stately manner in two days at St. Vincent, +many of our men, who volunteered for the purpose, being utilised in +assisting, owing to the dearth of coolies. Crossing the line on the 8th +of March we had the usual visit from Father Neptune, who arrived on +board about 7 p.m., and proceeded to hold his court according to ancient +custom, when numbers of his young subjects were presented to His Majesty +in due form and greeted by him in proper sea style. + +During the voyage every endeavour was made to give the men exercise and +to keep them in condition, no easy matter with such a large number of +men on board and so little room. However parades were held every day, +and signalling and semaphore classes were kept going, which relieved the +monotony a little. When we could not think of anything else for the +moment it was always easy to have a round-up amongst the kit bags or a +worry around the helmets on the lower deck! The band played on deck +pretty often, and so the weary time passed slowly away until the 20th of +March, when Table Mountain was at last sighted. We should never have +believed it possible that it was to be our fate to remain six days at +anchor, but such was the fact. The number of ships--mostly with troops, +but many with horses, cattle and coal--lying in the harbour was +prodigious, and we had of course to wait our turn before going into the +docks. This we did on the 26th, and we were enabled to give the +battalion a run ashore in the shape of a route march. Passing through +the streets of Cape Town we excited a good deal of comment owing to our +strength, which was over 1,200 and caused people to think we were two +battalions. A certain amount of liberty was accorded the men to go +ashore which they were not slow to avail themselves of, though they took +no undue advantage of the permission. Numbers of men seized the +opportunity to remit various sums to their families at home, and a +draft, one amongst several, for over L242 was sent to the Depot on +account of these small remittances. The Depot authorities sent out +these sums to the families, but for some idea best known to themselves, +informed them that the money was part of a subscription from officers +and men, which led to endless correspondence, as the families +immediately with one accord wrote and demanded to know what had become +of their husbands! + +Cape Town is a fine city and contains some splendid public buildings, +whilst its situation at the foot of Table Mountain is magnificent. The +suburbs at Green Point and Wynburg are excellently laid out, and it is +very pleasing to see the way trees are planted in the streets, and how +open spaces are encouraged. The electric trams are splendid, and many of +the battalion amused themselves by riding on the top of a car as far as +it went and coming back again. There is no better way of seeing a town. + +The streets were crowded with soldiers of all sorts. Every kind of +corps, Horse, Foot and Artillery, was represented, not only of the +Regular Army but of Colonials also. Here were Canadians, Australians, +New Zealanders, men from India and Ceylon, men from Malta, men from the +West Indies, men from Natal and all parts of South Africa, and crowds of +adventurers and dare-devils from every quarter of the globe, who had +enlisted in various local corps. Not only the Army, but the whole +British nation, owe to Mr. Kruger a debt of gratitude that can never be +repaid, inasmuch as the South African war has brought about such a +reorganisation and betterment of the Army and such a magnificent +outburst of patriotic feeling among our vast colonies as could never +have been excited by any other means. The ordinary individual who +remains in England all his life or potters about the Continent cannot, +unless he is a man of an open mind and phenomenal intelligence, grasp +the enormous size and resources of our colonies such as India, +Australasia, the Cape Colonies and Canada, and it has remained for Mr. +Kruger to compel this fact to become startlingly patent to the minds of +many men, both at home and out in the Colonies, who had never given any +attention previously to the subject. + +On the 30th March orders were received to proceed to East London to +disembark there, as apparently the traffic on the Cape railways was +congested to a degree, and some of it must be diverted on to the East +London line. So we steamed out again, passing round the Cape of Good +Hope in the afternoon and arriving on the 2nd of April at East London, +where we lay off the harbour, as we drew too much water to pass over the +bar and enter the channel. + +Captain Pine-Coffin and his Mounted Infantry were the first to +disembark, and were followed by A, B, and C companies under Major +O'Grady. F, G, and H companies under Major du Moulin were the next to +land on the 3rd of April, and were followed by Headquarters and D and E +companies the same evening. Each of these parties were entrained on +successive days with their kits and rations and ammunition, and were +despatched up country, meeting with great demonstrations from the +residents along the line. Some ladies at Fort Jackson were kind enough +to turn out late at night and provide tea for us, than which nothing +could have been more acceptable. A run of about eighteen or nineteen +hours brought us to Bethulie Bridge, where the fact that we were +actually at the enemy's country became as evident as a slap in the face +when we saw the railway bridge with its piers destroyed and its enormous +arches blown into the river. The Railway Pioneer regiment, a local corps +composed mostly of railway men and miners, was hard at work making a +diversion over the road bridge, which, luckily for us, had been saved +from the enemy by Major Shaw and Lieut. Popham of the Sherwood +Foresters a short time previously. + +The road bridge had had a line of rails laid along it, and trucks were +pushed over one by one, as the bridge was not strong enough to bear the +weight of an engine. This method of procedure was slow, but the +advantages of a through line were enormous; and considerable precautions +had to be maintained to guard against the likelihood of any further +disaster, since it was possible at any time that the enemy might try and +blow up the sole remaining bridge over the river, and it was, therefore, +needful to take especial care. Each party of troops arriving detrained +in succession and marched over the river about a couple of miles to the +railway station, where, in due course, they were entrained and +despatched up country. + +Head Quarters and D and E companies, however, remained for some little +time at Bethulie, relieving the Royal Scots on picket, and performing +the usual garrison duties. Alarms were several times raised that the +advance of a party of Boers, bent on wrecking the bridge, was imminent, +and all the troops stood to arms and reinforced the pickets; but nothing +further was ever heard. + +At last, on the 20th April, these two companies started on their march +to join the remainder of the battalion, which about this time was +concentrating at Ferreira, a siding on the railway a few miles south of +Bloemfontein. However after marching about 60 miles, and reaching +Edenburg at the end of a long and trying tramp of fully 24 miles, orders +were received to go on by train to Bloemfontein; and on arriving there +the two companies were sent on at once to Glen, which they reached early +on the 27th of April. Headquarters had detrained at Ferreira in passing, +and had joined the remainder of the battalion. + +Meanwhile, A, B, and C companies had been having some adventures, B +company having been fetched out of the train at Edenburg and ordered to +place the little town in a state of defence, as the advent of the enemy +was hourly expected. The Boers, however, failed to turn up, and B +company was then, on the 6th of April, ordered off to Bethany, about 10 +miles distant, where the company entrained, reaching Ferreira Siding +late at night. They stayed here and took their share of picket duty +until the end of the month. + +A and C companies, under Major O'Grady, after dropping B at Edenburg, +went on by rail to Bloemfontein, arriving there on the 5th April, and +receiving orders next day to camp on a hill about 2 miles south-east of +the railway station. This was in a dangerous neighbourhood, as about +this time the Boers were threatening the Waterworks and Springfield, +which is not far to the East; so a defensive work was laid out on this +hill by the Royal Engineers, which these two companies amused themselves +by erecting. Lord Roberts visited the site on the 10th of April and +christened it "Sussex Hill." The usual picket precautions were taken by +day and night, and the men were kept busy with pick and shovel; but a +good deal of rain interfered with the work, which was not completed +until the 17th of April, when orders were received to move to Ferreira +and join the remainder of the battalion. + +F, G, and H companies arrived at Bloemfontein on the 5th of April, but +after waiting some hours were entrained and moved down the line about 6 +miles to Ferreira Siding, where the pickets of the Royal Scots on +Leeuberg and the surrounding kopjes were relieved, and a guard mounted +on the bridge. + +At Ferreira, close to our little camp, a brother of Mr. Steyn, the late +President of the Orange Free State, had a sort of country residence, +and we saw a good deal of him, as he and his wife were very civil in +allowing the men to purchase bread, butter, and other things from their +farm. + +Mr. Steyn was a typical Boer, a fine, big man, with a long, black beard; +he was a solicitor in Bloemfontein, and of course an educated man, who +had travelled over England and the continent. Both he and his charming +wife used to be astonished, or pretended to be astonished, at the never +ending succession of troops daily passing their house on their way up to +the front, and used to ask us where all the troops came from. We, +naturally, did not give the show away, and explained carefully that +there were lots more where they came from, and that there was our +magnificent Indian army behind them again, only waiting to be called on. + +Around the Steyns' farm French's cavalry had encamped during Lord +Roberts' dash on Bloemfontein, just before entering the town, and there +was ample evidence of the fact in the shape of dead animals and empty +biscuit tins strewn for miles over the veldt. + +Mr. Steyn had, of course, been made a prisoner by the first arrivals of +our cavalry, but had taken the oath of allegiance, and had been given a +special pass to enable him to reside peacefully on his farm and to +prosecute his business in the town. + +He was occasionally subjected to a good deal of annoyance, it is a pity +to relate, from our own troops, and had several times to send over to +our detachment and ask for a sentry to be posted on his house. The +intruders were usually men of the Colonial forces who apparently thought +they had a right to order meals to be prepared and fowls to be handed +over at any time, and that they could remove Mr. Steyn's horses and +wagons in defiance of the written permit to retain them which he used to +show. + +On the 7th of April B company arrived, and also a battalion of the +Scots Guards and a squadron of Mounted Infantry. G and H companies went +to Kaal Spruit during the night, and from that date to the end of the +month the outposts were furnished by the Scots Guards and ourselves. + +On the 21st of April A and C companies arrived from Sussex Hill, and a +new camp was formed and tents pitched in anticipation of the arrival of +the remainder of the battalion. The Volunteer company arrived somewhat +unexpectedly early on the 24th, and went off to take their turn on +picket the same evening. The Colonel and the regimental staff arrived +the next day, and the battalion was then almost complete. + +Orders were shortly afterwards received to proceed to Bloemfontein; at 3 +p.m. on the 27th of April the seven companies left by road, and on +arrival camped in the Highland Brigade camp just south of the town. The +men's blankets and baggage had been sent by rail, and, as no transport +could be procured until late, the blankets did not reach camp until +nearly midnight. However the men were in tents, and the bivouac poles +came in handy for making tea, no fuel of any kind being procurable in +camp. + +Lord Roberts, accompanied by Major General Kelly, who had served many +years in the battalion, inspected us on parade the next day at 10 a.m. +preparatory to marching off to Glen. This march, a long and tiresome +one, gave us our first experience of the veldt, and we were not sorry to +find ourselves at Glen after our 16 miles tramp. D and E companies were +already there, and had camp pitched for us; our baggage, however, did +not turn up until the early morning, so we had to put in the night the +best way we could, under bags and tent walls, in the absence of +blankets. The whole Brigade was camped here, and the next day we fairly +started on our travels. + + + + +CHAPTER II. + +THE 21ST BRIGADE. THE TREK BEGINS. + + Composition of the Brigade---Start from Glen--Transport + arrangements--To Jacobsrust--Rations--Halts--Pickets--Tobacco--Tea. + + +The 21st Brigade was composed of four regiments, of which the Royal +Sussex (under Col. Donne) was the senior. Next came the Sherwood +Foresters, under Major Gossett (commanding in place of Colonel +Smith-Dorrien, who was then in command of the 19th Brigade), who had +under him a splendid body of men, the majority having served in their +Second Battalion during the Tirah campaign. The experience gained in +this war against the Afridis was extremely valuable to the officers and +men, as the system of fighting adopted by the crafty Pathan bore many +points of similarity to that carried out by brother Boer. The next +regiment in the brigade in order of seniority was the Cameron +Highlanders, commanded by Lieut.-Colonel Kennedy. This regiment was +practically just off one campaign, as they had served in the last +Omdurman expedition and had not left Egypt until ordered to the Cape. +The men were in magnificent condition, hard as nails, and, throughout +the campaign, they amply justified the opinion formed of them at first +sight. The remaining battalion in the brigade was the famous regiment of +the City Imperial Volunteers. They were, of course, men of fine +physique, having been especially selected for their physical fitness and +their soldierly qualities, and I think it has been allowed by everyone +who has marched and worked in the field side by side with this battalion +of citizen soldiers that their conduct and bearing has at all times been +equal to that of the best infantry battalion in the Regular Army. + +They had a cyclist section with them, but this was too small to be of +any use except as orderlies, or despatch riders. + +I think there is a great future before the cyclist soldier, and I should +like to have seen a cyclist battalion, 1000 strong, employed in this +campaign with the Mounted Infantry Brigades. There is one point I am +quite positive about, and that is, that after having trekked over 1,500 +miles in all parts of the country, from Pretoria to Bethulie, and in all +weathers, I have seen no district, not even in the Caledon Valley, where +cyclists in large numbers could not have been utilised in place of or in +addition to Mounted Infantry. + +The Brigade was commanded by Colonel Bruce Hamilton of the East +Yorkshire regiment, who was promoted to Major-General before the +conclusion of the campaign. General Hamilton has a long record of active +and staff service, having taken part in the Afghan war, the Burma war, +and campaigns in Ashanti and on the West Coast of Africa; one of his +earliest experiences of active service being in the Boer War of 1881, +when he was A.D.C. to Sir George Colley and was present at the historic +fights of that campaign, Laings Nek and the Ingogo. He afterwards served +on the Staff at Bombay and at Simla, and, at the time our battalion was +at Aldershot in 1899, he was an A.G. to General Lyttleton's Brigade, +eventually going out to Natal as an A.G. when the war broke out, and +later receiving command of the 21st Brigade. + +Major Shaw, the Brigade Major, belonged to the Sherwood Foresters and +was in Malta with us in that regiment, with which he also served in the +early part of the campaign in the Orange Free State, distinguishing +himself at the capture of the bridge at Bethulie. The General's +Aide-de-Camp was Lieut. Fraser of the Cameron Highlanders, who was +afterwards assisted in his duties by Lieut. Clive Wilson of the +Yeomanry. The Brigade Transport Officer was Major Cardew of the Army +Service Corps, and the officer in charge of Supplies was Lieut. Lloyd of +the same corps, who had lately returned from active service on the West +Coast. + +Our medical officer was Major Dundon, R.A.M.C., who had accompanied us +from Malta, and who on board ship had inoculated a great many officers +and men of the battalion against enteric fever. Major Dundon's own +health, however, gave way, and he suffered so much from fever that he +had to be admitted to hospital and sent down country, so that he did not +afterwards return to the regiment. + +On the 29th of April we started from Glen on our travels, but we did not +move until one o'clock, as there was a good deal of work to be done +first, leaving extra kit behind and issuing rations, of which we carried +two days' supply in our haversacks and four days' on the wagons. Some of +us have often, on after days when we were hard up for a bit of +breakfast, looked back on this morning at Glen and wished we could lay +hands on the piles and piles of biscuits which were thrown away by the +men. + +At Glen our transport was issued to us; there were nine wagons +altogether, but as it was impossible to obtain mules, our four +ammunition carts, which we had brought out from home with us, and the +great casks of harness, had all to be left behind. We had no water-carts +either, except the one which had been lent to the detachment at +Ferreira, and which, under the circumstances, it was thought advisable +to retain. We should also have had led mules to carry ammunition, the +medical panniers and the signalling gear, but none were available for +this purpose; so all this gear had to be loaded on the nine wagons, +which were pretty full in consequence. + +One wagon was allowed to every two companies to carry blankets, +great-coats, cooking pots, ration baskets, etc. Our nine companies thus +took four and a half wagons, leaving the same number to carry all the +miscellaneous gear, the officers' kits, the ammunition, entrenching +tools, and two days' rations, besides the reserve ration of bully beef. + +It always struck us as being somewhat ironical having to carry a reserve +ration of bully beef while on the march, as the country was full of +cattle, which could have been driven in if required. If the worst had +come to the worst we could, in an emergency, have eaten the trek oxen, +which were quite as tender as the slaughter bullocks. + +The company wagons were terribly overloaded; each company was about 120 +strong, so the wagons had to carry 240 blankets and waterproof sheets +and 240 great-coats, besides the other impedimenta. + +As time went on, Major Cardew succeeded in getting us other wagons, and +some small carts were picked up at farms and utilised to carry our +reserve ammunition, the signalling gear, the doctors' boxes and the +tools; but the difficulty was to find animals to draw these carts. There +were plenty of carts at the farms, but the only beasts that we could get +were such stray mules as we encountered on the road, or which were found +in camp. They were mostly quite unfit for work and had been abandoned on +that account, but, anyhow, we had to put them in harness and get what +work we could out of them until we found better ones. + +Each large wagon was drawn by ten mules, and looked after by two black +boys as drivers, and one soldier as wagonman, who applied the brake +when necessary. The wagons were large and heavy, and the wheels too +light and spidery to stand much rough usage; and each wagon was cumbered +with a huge box or driving seat which must have weighed at least one +hundredweight, the use of which was not very obvious. + +All wagons, and indeed all the transport carts, and the guns too, were +fitted with the South African brake, which is applied or taken off by +means of a hand-wheel at the back of the cart. These powerful brakes are +very necessary owing to the steep descents sometimes met with, and the +erratic behaviour at all times of the mules. These animals gave much +trouble at first, but soon, with hard work and scanty feed, became more +docile. + +The native drivers had been enlisted evidently because they were +natives, not on account of what they knew about mules or oxen. Many of +them were quite ignorant of how to treat the mules, and flogged them all +day without cessation, until at last the use of long whips was +forbidden. + +The mules suffered a good deal from the want of water on the march. They +will not drink before about eight o'clock in the morning, and by that +time we were on the road usually, and there was no opportunity, until we +arrived at our destination, of watering the animals. This was a pity, as +they would have travelled much the better for it. Sometimes we had a +rest of a couple of hours in the middle of the day, when the animals +were allowed to water and graze; but more often the exigencies of the +campaign would not allow of our halting for long. + +Some of the artillery baggage wagons were of the old box pattern which, +it is understood, was condemned in 1881, after the first Boer war, as +being quite unsuitable; but now they appeared again. The artillery used +to mount a driver on the leading mule of the team and this plan seemed +to have many advantages. There is always much trouble in starting a team +of mules, as the natural perversity of the animals prevents them from +all pulling at once and together, until they are fairly started. + +To humour the wretched beasts it is sometimes necessary to get men to +give the van a shove along, so that the ten mules, when they find the +wagon moving, get at once into their collars and step out together in +the most docile fashion. Give a mule a slight ascent in the road in +front of him and the extraordinary creature is in his element at once, +and puts all his weight into his work; but on level ground or on a down +grade, a good deal of attention is necessary to keep the traces taut and +the mules from hanging back and getting their legs over them. + +We crossed the river by a footbridge and marched about eight miles to +Klein Ospruit. The baggage wagons had some adventures at the drifts and +did not arrive till fairly late, so that we had some trouble sorting out +our kits and other property in the dark. + +Next day we marched to Schanz Kraal, a short march over grassy veldt. +The Volunteer company had the honour of being the first to come under +the enemy's fire on this occasion, as they were plugged at by one of the +Boer guns whilst they were acting as escort to our battery. The shells, +however, dropped short and did no damage. The 1st of May saw us up at +6.30, and on the tramp on an exceptionally long march to Jacobsrust, or +Steynspruit as it is sometimes called. The weather was the most charming +that could be wished for, a true South African day, and, had the march +been 12 miles instead of the 18 or 19 that it actually was, we should +have been better pleased. Arriving on the top of a nek, or dip in the +hills, we saw a huge plain in front simply covered with troops, all +dismounted and resting. These were Broadwood's Cavalry and Ian +Hamilton's Mounted Infantry, and, after a while, they moved off in +advance of us, we following in an hour's time and reaching Jacobsrust +just before dusk. + +Our first business on arrival in camp each day was to see to the +provision of wood and water for cooking purposes, no easy matter in a +treeless country like the Orange Free State. When there were trees, wood +parties were sent out under an officer, and sometimes wooden fencing +posts were brought in from round the fields. Later on, when we moved +further North and wood became more scarce, men used to pick up these +fencing posts on their march home into camp, but, as they never knew +where camp was to be until they reached it, sometimes they were let in +to carry these logs of wood for miles. Occasionally, but very seldom, a +few small houses were ordered to be destroyed, and in that case the +troops were allowed to take the wood out of the doors and windows, +floors and ceilings. This did not often happen, though, as great +precautions were always being taken not to do any unnecessary damage or +to alarm the people of the country needlessly. A better substitute for +firewood was also found, under the guidance of stern necessity, to be +dried cowdung, and towards the close of the campaign the men used this +in preference to wood, as it was easier to get and lighter to carry. + +Whilst the wood and water parties were out, there was nothing more to be +done except to wait until the wagons arrived with the blankets. This was +a matter, sometimes of minutes, sometimes of hours, and it was in order +to guard against any possible delay in the movements of the wagons that +every man was ordered to carry, in addition to a blanket, two days' +rations of tea, sugar and biscuit, and one day's ration of meat in his +haversack and canteen, which were regularly replaced when consumed. +Thus every man had in his possession the wherewithal to make a meal, +either in the middle of the day when a halt took place with the +intention of allowing the men to cook, or on arrival in camp. + +The meat ration was driven with us in the form of slaughter oxen, and +immediately on arrival in camp the butchers, who rode on a wagon and did +not have to walk, set to work and killed sufficient oxen to supply the +Brigade. It is said that sometimes the butchers killed a tough old trek +ox by mistake for a young heifer, but this statement is, I am sure, a +libel. The butchers were allowed to sell the liver, heart, head, etc. of +the bullocks and sheep killed, at a certain fixed price; so, when the +slaughtering was going on, there was sure to be a small crowd of +would-be purchasers waiting. + +Sometimes when the Brigade arrived late in camp the issue of rations +would take place several hours after dark; but as every man had that +day's rations carried on his person in addition to the next day's +groceries and biscuit, there was not really anything to complain about, +except the inconvenience, which was unavoidable. Many men did not at +first, however, realise that they had two day's biscuit in their +haversacks, and used to eat it all, or most of it, on the first +opportunity. There came a time, also, when, without notice, _flour_ was +issued for the second day's ration, and our improvident friends were +fetched up with a round turn. + +Owing to the difficulties of transport and to the fact that every mortal +thing had to be carried with us--the country furnishing nothing but +cattle and forage--the ration question was always a troublesome one to +the regimental officer. No doubt it is an awkward thing issuing fresh +meat on the march, but what could be done? Preserved meat could not be +carried owing to the weight, and so the trek ox had to be cut up and +served out at no matter what hour. No doubt the pound-and-a-half of +meat, when cut up into portions, looked very small, and was often so +uninviting, that many of the men threw away their meat ration, such as +it was. Personally I do not think that the meat ration issued in this +way is nearly large enough, and it might with advantage be doubled at +the very least. By the time the bone, scraps, skin and dirty pieces are +cut away from a portion of meat representing the rations of a section +calculated at three pounds per man, and this again is subdivided into +each man's little chunk, it will be found that what was originally +considered as three pounds has dwindled to a pound-and-a-half or less. +The Boer prisoners, whom we rationed, laughed at the idea of existing on +the soldier's ration of a pound-and-a half of meat, and complained to +the General and got more. + +Whilst on the march it was impossible to make any other arrangement than +that each man should be responsible for his own cooking. This was +necessary in consequence of the liability of any man to go off on +picket, on guard, or on any duty where he might be detached from the +bulk of his comrades. The utmost that the company cooks could do to be +of benefit was to occasionally boil the water for the tea and let each +man make his own brew. Not that he could make many brews out of his +ration; far from it. In a laboratory, no doubt, carefully weighed +rations of tea will make a certain quantity of quite a respectable +drink, but in the field when the soldier has to carry his tea, tied up +in a bit of rag, it certainly does not go far enough, and the man has to +drink water, with every possibility of enteric supervening. Again, tea +made in bulk as in military kitchens at Aldershot is quite a different +matter to the same article made in a canteen out of the miserable pinch +which constitutes one man's ration for one day. Similar arguments apply +to the coffee and sugar; in fact the whole question of rations in the +field needs revision. What we would have done without the Brigade +Canteen which the General started, I do not know; but the quantity of +tea, sugar and foodstuffs generally sold in that institution was only +limited by the amount that could be purchased in the towns. + +On the march, the column usually halted at the regulation intervals of +time as prescribed in the drill books, of five minutes after the first +half-hour's marching and ten minutes on the completion of each +succeeding hour. There is some slight modification needed in this +regulation, as experience gained in marching, not only in South Africa, +has shown: the first halt is not long enough and should be at least ten +minutes or even longer, to enable men to fall out if they wish it. After +that, the halts should be for five minutes on the completion of each +half-hour's marching. + +A full hour is too long to continue moving, carrying the heavy weight +that men do on the march, and a few minutes rest after half an hour's +walking is better than a long spell after an hour's march. The weight of +the blanket and the other equipment on the shoulders, which may not +appear to be great on first putting it on, soon reminds one of its +presence, and the half-hourly halt enables the men to sit down and +relieve their aching shoulders. + +According to the regulations the proper place for the stretchers of a +battalion is for all of them, with their stretcher-bearers, to move in +rear under the medical officer, but common sense points to each +stretcher being always kept with its own company. + +In South Africa, movements were so extended and companies so far apart, +sometimes, that the stretchers would have been useless if kept +together; and it is much more reasonable for the two men to go with +their company, wherever it might be, on picket or baggage guard, or +escort to guns, or any similar duty. + +All regiments did not do this, however; and once during the mid-day +halt, we were much amused at the antics of a very military Volunteer +doctor, who was in charge of a squad of stretcher bearers, and was +trying to move them off with due decorum and a proper observance of +their importance. After falling-in and telling-off, they took up and +laid down their stretchers several times, just to wake things up a bit, +and then they received the order--"Stretcher party, r-r-right--form!" + +This not being satisfactory, the doctor exclaimed "As you were! Now on +the word 'Right'! the right hand man turns to the right, the remainder +at the same time making a half-turn in the same direction," etc., and he +delivered the order again; upon which, this intricate manoeuvre being +executed to his satisfaction, the whole party solemnly moved off, +followed by the smiles of our men and a few muttered remarks, such as +"'e must 'ave thought 'e were in 'Ide Park"! + +When our baggage wagons arrived in camp they were unloaded at once, and +the rolls of blankets and great-coats taken off to the sections that +owned them. The men then proceeded to erect their bivouacs, if they were +particular, or to spread their blankets on the ground, if they were +tired. + +Sometimes it was our duty to furnish the pickets to protect the camp +during a halt, and when this was the case the companies used to go off, +as soon as they arrived in camp, to the spots pointed out by the Brigade +Major, and make themselves comfortable there until daybreak the next +morning; when either they were relieved, or else the column marched off +and the pickets followed behind as a rear guard. The wagons used to go +out to the pickets, if they were any distance off, with their blankets +and great-coats; but if they were at all close to camp, as they +frequently were, then the men used to carry out their bundles +themselves. As a rule, we camped in a hollow close to water, which was +either in a dam or a spruit (small stream), and the pickets were posted +in prominent places on the surrounding hills. We had early learned to +consider these pickets as really defensive posts, put out to hold +certain prominent features, with a view to preventing the enemy from +occupying them with guns and riflemen and from annoying us in camp, and +not as outpost pickets with their visiting and reconnoitring patrols by +day and night. + +Cover from view was as much to be desired as protection from bullets and +possible shell fire, and every man was told off to his own little +position some distance away from the next man. Permanent objects like +sangars and walls in exposed positions might serve to draw the enemy's +fire more than was desirable, so, to deceive him, other positions were +whenever possible utilised. At early daybreak every man stood to his +arms for a while, watching especially points from which fire might be +opened by the enemy. Cordite being smokeless, we, of course, never knew +where the enemy actually was concealed, and could only fire at likely +places, in the hope that he _was_ there and that our bullets would make +him keep his head and rifle safe under cover. Double sentries, +especially at night, were of course an absolute necessity, and +signalling communication was invariably maintained between the pickets +and the camp, both by day and by night. + +In the field there ought to be a weekly issue of tobacco, which should +be considered as part of the rations: it is impossible, sometimes for +weeks on end, for the men to purchase tobacco for themselves, and the +loss or absence of this luxury is very severely felt. Tobacco is +certainly procurable at some of the Supply Depots at the bases, on +payment, and twice during the nine months of our wanderings an issue was +made to those companies which had money on hand with which to pay for +it; the amounts which were due from the individual men were then charged +through their accounts and, after a good deal of clerical labour, the +transaction was concluded. + +Owing to the greater necessity for carrying food, our Supply wagons +usually had no room to carry tobacco; so that it was not often, in fact +only twice, as has been said, that it was procurable. + +The price was very inconvenient too; in a land where copper coins are +unknown and the smallest coin is a "tikky," or threepenny piece, to +charge 1s 4d. for an article means that there is always trouble over the +change, which is increased if only half the quantity is asked for. + +Smoking before food has been taken as productive of eventual thirst. It +is extraordinary how men will smoke at all hours of the night, in fact +whenever they are awake; but it is a practice which ought not to be +allowed on the march, as the effects are surely felt later in the day +when the heat and consequent thirst rapidly increase: this engenders +drinking, and the water bottles are soon emptied before there is any +chance of replenishing them. + +Undoubtedly, men require careful training and education in these little +matters, and, if they are properly attended to, as a result a long march +may be comfortably carried out and the men brought in to camp in good +physical form, not exhausted to the last stage, as they frequently are. + +Our water supply when we were on the march was usually procured from the +spruits or streams, but in the Orange River Colony we frequently had no +other water than that procured from pools, more or less stagnant, and of +a dirty yellow colour from the suspended impurities. The section of the +Royal Engineers with our Brigade had a couple of hand pumps in their +carts with the picks and shovels, explosives and other things that they +carry in the field; and these pumps, immediately on arrival in camp, +were fixed up at the water supply, and a sentry posted to keep off +cattle and to see that the water was not contaminated by men washing in +it. + +Whilst on the march there was very little sickness from bowel +complaints. No doubt the constant daily exercise in the magnificent +climate and the excitement combined to render the men somewhat innocuous +to the attentions of the enteric microbe, or, more probably, the water +that we drank had not, up to then, been poisoned with these germs, +although it was dirty enough in all conscience. + +What with the constant smoking and want of self control, men usually +drank a good deal of water on the march and during the day in camp or on +picket: were the ration of tea increased in the field, as it might well +be, to three times the present quantity, men would drink considerably +less water on service and would save themselves a good deal of sickness. +Men will not go to the trouble of preparing boiled water for their +bottles; but if they have sufficient tea to spare, they will often fill +up their bottles with it. + +There is nothing better to drink on the march than cold tea: it is an +excellent mild stimulant, it is a gentle aperient, and it is also a +febrifuge in a small way, besides being somewhat astringent: it clears +the brain, too, and leaves a clean taste in the mouth. Veldt water, on +the other hand, besides being a breeding establishment for the germs and +microbes of nearly all the diseases under the sun, is nasty to look at, +horrid to smell, and disgusting to drink: it invariably pours out in the +form of sweat if the weather is at all warm, and it clogs the mouth and +tongue with a mawkish taste which speedily requires more water to remove +it. + +Why the microscopic ration of tea should be increased on the same day by +equally minute portions of coffee and cocoa has always been a puzzle. +The advantage and necessity of varying the drink ration is understood, +but why issue three kinds in one day, instead of tea one day, coffee the +next, and cocoa the third? At the best of times the men had no place in +which to stow the small portions of each of these articles which +comprised the daily ration, and were, perforce, compelled to wrap each +lot up in bits of rag and carry them in their haversacks. + +Ration baskets were provided in which one day's groceries could have +been carried in bulk by each company, but, as an order had been issued +for each man to carry his own, these baskets proved to be useless +lumber. + + + + +CHAPTER III. + +TO ZAND RIVER. + + On the March--Formations--Protection--Necessity of Mounted + Troops--Engagement at Welkom Farm--Capture of Winburg--Soldiers and + their Boots--Naval Guns. + + +In order to enable the force to be concentrated, the 21st Brigade halted +on the 2nd of May at Jacobsrust, continuing their march the following +day to Isabellafontein. The names of some of the farms are very curious +and depend greatly on local conditions. The thick-skulled Boer farmer +when he first arrived and selected his farm lost no time in dubbing it +with a title, which, in after years, appears somewhat incongruous and +confusing, as numbers of farmers hit upon the same happy idea of naming +their locations Klipfontein, Doornberg, or Leeukop; and the result is +that there are hundreds of places in the Orange River Colony with the +same name--Doornkops are as common as dirt, whilst Deelfonteins, and +farms called Modderfontein, or Muddy Spring, are quite numerous. Then, +again, the settler, instead of naming his farm from the physical +properties of the land or the quality of the water, frequently called it +after his vrouw, so that one often came across farms called Ellensrust, +for instance. Many others are named after animals, such as +Hartebeestefontein, Wildebeeste Hoek, or Quaggafontein, while others are +called Welkom Rust or Wonderfontein, the meaning of which is apparent. + +The farms are all fenced with barbed wire, of generally three strands, +with posts of wood or, more usually, of big slabs of quarried stone. +These wire fences were of course a great hindrance to all mounted men +and had to be cut in all directions. + +On the march we used to move in column of fours, unless the veldt was +broad and open, when we still kept our fours but moved the companies +out to the right and left, so that we were really in a column of double +companies moving in fours to a flank. This was a very good and simple +formation, since the companies could open out or close in to the centre +without difficulty, and at any time they were all handy and ready to +move in any direction without the slightest delay. The battalion seldom +or never moved in column of companies, as it was found that this was the +most tiring formation of all in a long march, especially when the men +were carrying a full kit. This full kit consisted of rifle, with +magazine charged; haversack, with one day's complete rations and one +day's issue of tea, sugar and biscuit; canteen and water-bottle; +sidearms and equipment with 100 rounds of ammunition; and a blanket, +strapped on the waistbelt at the back. All this totals up a good load, +but there was nothing that could have been dispensed with, the blanket, +which was most cumbersome and unwieldy, being really as necessary as +anything. + +The officers wore equipment the same as the men, and nearly all of them +carried a rifle or a carbine. This was a most necessary precaution, as +there is no doubt the enemy invariably directed their fire on the +officers, and of course anyone seen to be dressed differently to the +men, or not carrying a rifle, would be immediately spotted by the Boers. +I asked some of the prisoners this question when we were escorting them +from the Golden Gate, and they said at once that they always +concentrated their fire on those who appeared to be the leaders. + +The advanced flank and rear guards were always found by the mounted +troops, who kept well away from us; as indeed they ought to, if they +intend to keep the column beyond rifle shot of the enemy, which may be +taken as fully 2,000 yards, or about a mile and a quarter. It will +easily be seen what a farce a flank guard of infantry must be, unless +it can move at such a distance from the column as will enable it +effectually to protect that column, without hampering it or checking its +progress. On the other hand, if the flank guard gets too far away from +the column, it is liable to be cut off itself, whilst if it remains too +close in, it does no good and merely masks the fire of the main body. It +is a difficult question to answer--how is a column to protect itself in +these days of long range rifle fire unless it has mounted men? + +I saw a column on the march once which consisted of an infantry +battalion with its full complement of transport and with a couple of +guns, with their wagons, and the way the flank guards were put out was a +study in how _not_ to do it. Imagine an enormous rectangle, stretching +along the road and extending about 200 yards on each side of it, the +ends and sides of this rectangle being composed of men moving in single +file and about three or four paces apart. Inside this rectangle was the +main body, the baggage and the guns; and it is easy to conceive that, +owing to so many men being used to form the ends and sides of the +rectangle, there were hardly any left to make up the main body or to act +as a reserve, while, from the formation adopted, nothing could be done +by the men forming the sides, except to lie down if they were attacked. +I never saw a more hopeless instance of slavish adherence to the drill +books and utter want of common sense and adaptability to the conditions +of service in this country. The commanding officer, who was a Staff +College man, has since been badly stellenbosched. + +A story is told of General Smith-Dorrien which is very characteristic of +that gallant officer and worth repeating. + +It seems that on one occasion, somewhere in South Africa, the officer +commanding a certain battery of artillery was somewhat chary of getting +too close to the enemy: perhaps he was thinking of his horses. + +Getting tired of finding the battery to be always out of effective +range, the General sent an order that the battery was to be brought up +to where the 19th Brigade flag was planted. So the Major limbered up and +advanced his battery up to the General, who promptly galloped on, flag +and all, another 600 yards nearer the enemy, where he stuck his +flagstaff into the ground and waited for the battery to carry out their +orders, to come "up to where the flag was!" + +On the 4th May, whilst on the march northwards, we had our first +experience, as a battalion, of shell fire at the engagement of Welkom +Farm, or Wellow as it is sometimes called. The brunt of the fighting was +borne by the Cavalry and Mounted Infantry, but the enemy dropped several +shells in our direction, two of which burst at the head of the +battalion, but luckily did no damage. The battalion had advanced in +column of companies, extended of course, in support of the mounted +troops, who were manoeuvring on our front and on our left. To our right +and left front the hills converged and were held by the enemy's +riflemen, who were, however, out of range. A couple of companies were +detached to guard our right flank, moving parallel with us and keeping +the enemy behind his cover, whilst a couple more advanced against the +hills on our left front, which had by this time been cleared by our +cavalry, not before they had come under shell and pom-pom fire and had +experienced a few losses. One of our men,[1] was severely wounded on +this occasion. + +After climbing the low hills on our left front, we sat and watched the +remainder of the Brigade coming along, and waited until the Cavalry had +scouted some miles to our front before we finally left our position. + +A very good view was obtainable from this hilltop, and it was disgusting +to have to sit still and watch the Boer convoy trekking away in a +north-easterly direction and about 4 miles off. We could see the wagons +and long lines of bullocks distinctly, and little specks, which were +probably mounted men, darting about up and down the road. However, +nothing could be done to stop them, and so they slowly passed out of +sight. + +It was very interesting to see, watching from the top of the hill, one +of the other regiments of the Brigade advancing in attack formation, in +column of companies extended about ten paces; and, even at the very +great distance they were away, it was curious to notice how the officers +and section commanders showed up in the intervals between the long +extended lines. They were, of course, in their proper places and only a +few paces in rear of their sections, but, even two miles away, one could +recognise the black speck in front of the centre of the company, and the +other tiny atoms moving along in rear of the half-companies and +sections. + +There is no doubt it is a sound principle that, when extended, officers, +supernumeraries and buglers should invariably march in the extended line +amongst the men, from whom, if this is done, they are practically +indistinguishable. The companies and sections can just as well be +controlled from the ranks as from any other position half a dozen paces +in rear, and the reduction in the size of the objective which the enemy +is looking at is worthy of consideration. + +During the afternoon we went on to the farm near the river and there +camped, but after this long day's work we still had the pickets to +furnish, and sent out several companies to the hills to the north and +west of the camp for this purpose. However, picket duty, except for the +slight extra marching entailed, is no great hardship on a fine night +when wood and water are plentiful, and one has always the consolation of +knowing that some other regiment will be on duty the day after. + +Winburg was reached on the evening of the next day after a long and +tiresome march. We camped near the railway station, and found the piles +of wooden sleepers very easily split and very useful for our fires. The +town is situated at the end of a branch railway which joins the main +line at Smaldeal Junction, about 20 miles off, and which will in time, +no doubt, be prolonged to the north-east and connect with Senekal, which +is distant about 34 miles. Winburg is a small town of the usual +description--Church in the middle of the market square, a couple of +small hotels, two or three decent-sized general stores and a few small +houses. The railway makes a curious curve when entering the town, and +runs round three parts of a circle before it finally pulls up at a tiny +station. + +The line and the station buildings were untouched when we arrived, but +no engines or rolling stock were left for us. The Boers had not long +been gone when our cavalry entered the town and demanded its surrender, +but our horses were too much done up for the mounted troops to continue +the pursuit. The Boer forces were so very mobile--as they naturally +would be when moving about in their own country and acting always on the +defensive--that to allow our mounted troops to get too far in front and +away from the infantry would have been a tactical error. It might have +resulted in the separation of our columns and their attack in detail by +the Boers, who would then have had a great advantage. + +The battalions in the Brigade were ordered to be weeded out of all men +unable to perform steady and continuous marching, and we accordingly had +to leave a goodly number of lame ducks behind in charge of Major +Panton.[2] Some of them had bad and worn-out boots, ruined, most likely, +by the salt water on board ship, and by the want of dubbing but the +large majority were suffering from sore feet, caused in nine cases out +of ten either by badly-fitting boots or by want of attention to the +feet. These had occurred in spite of orders and warnings without number, +but it seems impossible to get the soldier to pay any attention to his +feet. + +There is not a medical man or a pedestrian who will not say that it is +absolutely necessary to change the socks frequently and to wash the feet +invariably at the end of a march. There is not a soldier in the service +who will not insist that this practice softens the feet and leads to +blisters and subsequent falling out. + +Until some very drastic measures are introduced preventing men from +receiving boots too small for them, and legislating for their better +preservation and for proper cleanliness of the feet, our army will never +be able to march any better than it does at present. The man to blame is +the man who wears the boots, but he cannot be brought to see that, or to +listen to words of experienced men who were marching with soldiers when +he was in his cradle. The agonies which some men will endure from a +badly-fitting boot are beyond belief. I have seen, in Ireland, a man +draw out his foot, covered with blood, from his boot, after a 5 miles' +walk, and be unable to march for weeks afterwards. + +The pluck and endurance and indomitable perseverance shown by men with +ill-fitting boots proves devotion worthy of a better cause, but it has +been a marvel to me for the last twenty years, why bitter experience has +never taught the foot soldier to wear boots large enough for him. It is +a well-known fact that after some marching has been done, a larger size +in boots is required, as the feet swell and need more room; but the +soldier, with an 8-2 foot when he joins, will go on asking for 8-2 boots +until doomsday, and will have a grievance if he is compelled in the +field to wear a pair of 9-3's, as he should be. + +Whilst on the march we were compelled to resort to individual cooking, +since every man carried his own ration, and this practice worked well, +although a great deal of time was taken up by each individual which +might have been better employed in sleep or rest. The men seemed to be +always cooking; what with looking after the fires, collecting wood and +_mest_, or dried cow-dung, and fetching water, the whole camp seemed to +be perpetually moving round their camp fires, frying and boiling until a +very late hour at night. The issue of flour instead of biscuit was +responsible for a great deal of the time wasted in cooking. Some of the +companies used to arrange for the cooks to prepare, in the camp kettles, +hot water for the men to make their own tea, but it was impossible to +arrange to cook the meat in this way, as each man had his own portion +served out to him by his section commander. + +Many men cooked and ate their scrap of meat in the early morning, others +finished it off at the mid-day halt, whilst a great number threw away +their little bit of tough trek ox rather than carry it all day, steaming +and jostling about in a smelly canteen, or wrapped in a dirty piece of +rag and crammed into a haversack, cheek by jowl with some tobacco and a +pair of socks, perhaps. + +This canteen was the only cooking pot the men had, although in the +course of time many of them procured tin cans, the Australian "billy," +to assist in making their tea or coffee. The canteen is not an easy +thing to keep clean at the best of times when it is in constant use, and +we had no opportunity of replacing those which wore out by the constant +cooking. + +We had to thank De Wet for this. One of the trains which was wrecked by +him contained many thousands of new canteens which, months afterwards, +could be seen lying by the side of the line, reduced to their original +factor of sheet iron. + +After leaving Welkom Farm the rearguard was overtaken by the Highland +Brigade, who were following in support to our Brigade; with them were +two of the famous 4.7 naval guns, manned by a party of bluejackets--at +least the men wore straw hats, but the rest of their kit was the same as +ours. + +The guns had been rigged up on temporary field carriages, designed by +some bold man, which would have made an official in the Royal +Gun-carriage Factory turn ill with horror. + +First of all came bullocks--about forty of them--dragging an +absurd-looking gun, mounted on an equally curiously-made limber, with +enormously broad wheels. This was dragged muzzle first, contrary to all +precedent, with the gun pointing over the bullocks' backs. The trail was +supported on a little low carriage with a boom sticking out behind like +a tiller; and a tiller it was undoubtedly, for two bluejackets hung on +to it, and, by shoving it to port or starboard, guided the gun in the +proper direction. + +Whilst in Winburg the following order was issued by General Ian +Hamilton, commanding the entire force, which was henceforward called the +Winburg Column:-- + + _Extract from Brigade Orders. Winburg, + 5th May, 1900._ + +"The G.O.C. Winburg Column has much pleasure in informing the troops +under his command that he has received from the F.M. C.-in-C. in South +Africa a telegram, in which Lord Roberts expresses his high appreciation +of the good work recently performed by all ranks in the Winburg Column. +His lordship has yet to hear of the further success achieved by the +capture of Winburg. During the past thirteen days a portion of the +Winburg Column has marched over 100 miles, fighting the enemy on nine +separate occasions, and capturing two important towns. The other portion +of the column has borne at least its full share of the very successful +operations which have followed the battle of Houtnek. The G.O.C. cannot +therefore but feel that his column has fairly earned, not only the +praises of the F.M. C.-in-C., which are published separately, but also a +day or two of comparative rest. In the same message, however, in which +Lord Roberts expresses his high appreciation of the successes we have +achieved, he directs us not to slacken our efforts for several days to +come. The enemy is hurrying northwards to concentrate, and it is of +nothing less than national importance that his movements should be +impeded, and his guns and convoys if possible captured. Thanks to the +good work which has already been accomplished, this column now finds +itself better placed to carry out the Field-Marshal's wishes than any +other portion of the troops under his command. The opportunity is a +great one, and Gen. Ian Hamilton confidently appeals to the officers and +men of the Winburg Column to make the very best of it, regardless of the +fatigue and privation which will probably have to be undergone before +success is secured." + +The next day--the 6th of May--we made an afternoon march, together with +the 19th Brigade, Smith-Dorrien's, and the Cavalry and Mounted Infantry, +of about 9 miles, to a farm called Dankbarsfontein. The "fontein" in +this instance belied its name, and instead of being a gushing spring of +clear, sparkling water, which would have pleased the heart of Sir +Wilfred Lawson, it was a succession of dirty puddles which would have +created dismay among the ranks of the A.T.A. had there been any of their +members left! + +We remained a couple of days at this festive spot, but marched on the +9th of May to Bloomplaats. This was a well-to-do farm, with plenty of +water and good grazing, and with a herd of half-tame buck which careered +about all round the camp at 40 miles an hour, raising clouds of dust. Of +course some sportsmen went out and stalked these frolicsome animals, and +were followed by others, the result being that in a short time there was +a good deal of indiscriminate shooting going on, and life hardly became +worth living; so that these keen _shikaris_ had to be fetched back. The +amusing part of the show occurred later, when a Mounted Infantry picket, +who were lying about on the look-out a mile or so away, had a shell +dropped close to them by the Boers. They scattered with promptitude, and +a few more shells came over in the same place. We could not see the Boer +gun, which was fully two miles away, for a long time, but at last we +caught the flicker of the sun on the breech block as it was swung into +position. + +In addition to all the firing at the buck every time they raced round +our camp, there had been a good deal of desultory firing going on all +the afternoon between the Mounted Infantry, who were on our right, and +the Boers, who were holding some low hills some miles from us. We could +see a few mounted Boers riding about now and then, but their guns were +well concealed, and their men did not show themselves. + +FOOTNOTES: + +[1] Private D. Downer of A company. + +[2] Major Panton ultimately succeeded in marching these men (drawn from +all four battalions) up to Irene, where they rejoined the Brigade on the +9th of June, three days before Diamond Hill. They had covered 15 miles a +day, acting as escort to a large ammunition column. + + + + +CHAPTER IV. + +THE FIGHT AT ZAND RIVER. + + Description of the Action--The Final Charge--Necessity of + continuing to Advance--Prisoners--Their Impressions--Fire Tactics. + + +On the 10th of May we made an early start from Bloomplaats, leaving the +camp at 4.30 a.m. This means being up at three o'clock, and it was pitch +dark at that hour; but the General's object was to reach the drift, a +few miles away, before daybreak. This we did just before early dawn, and +found a company of the Derbyshire Regiment holding it on the far side. +There was water, about a couple of feet, in the drift proper, but +boldly--and like fools--we waded across and clambered up the other side, +and extended among the mimosa bushes. Fools we were, indeed, as a few +yards further up the sluit we could have crossed dry shod, and saved +ourselves the tender feet from which most of us suffered, brought about +by a long day's marching with wet socks--which resulted in our poor feet +being simply boiled in our boots. + +It was just after dawn and fairly cold, so that we were glad to see the +sun rise and to get on the move ourselves again. Bye-and-bye an order +came for us to pass on through mimosa bushes which were scattered about +on the north bank of the Zand stream, towards the hilly ground on the +east. Towards the north the ground was open and level and treeless for a +couple of miles; then it rose a little, and ended on the skyline with a +biggish kopje to the north west. To the east the ground also rose a +little, and about 2 miles away culminated in a ridge running across our +front from north-east down to east, gradually getting higher, and ending +in a confused jumble of black hills running down to the river; +somewhere among these black hills being the gun, which I have previously +mentioned as having dropped a shell or two into the Mounted Infantry +picket, near our camp at Bloomplaats. The whole of this ground was +treeless and grassy, but a few mimosa bushes were scattered about on the +hills to the east, and there was a good fringe of these prickly bushes +down on the river banks. + +Through these bushes, and past a couple of isolated houses, we were +working our way in column of companies, extended, towards a low hill, an +underfeature which jutted out towards us from the higher hills beyond. +Having gained the shelter of this, we closed in a bit, ascended the +slope, and lay down in quarter column, the leading company just below +the top of the hill, and the rear company at its foot. + +So far all had been peaceful and quiet, and some of the hungry ones had +already started on their biscuits, when phit, ping-boom, phit, phit, +came the Mausers, and we woke up to try and grasp the situation. The +General had sent forward a few men over the hill-top to the other side, +Captain Robinson and some of C company had gone, and the enemy, who, up +to now had lain low, had greeted them with every demonstration of +affection, and continued to do so for some little time. Our men could do +nothing but take cover and return the fire of the invisible Boers: they +had played their part, had drawn the fire of the enemy, and had induced +him to show his hand. + +Apparently expecting that a column of troops would soon advance against +them over the top of the hill, following on the track of our few men of +C company, the enemy now maintained a heavy rifle, shell and pom-pom +fire on the edge of the crest line, a few feet above us. We, sitting on +the ground close under the lee of the hill, were perfectly safe, and +could not be touched by any Boer shell so we had nothing to do but to +listen to the bursting of the shells and to watch for the fragments +striking the ground beyond. The noise was terrific, and at one time +there was a perfectly awful outburst of roars and screams and pounding, +as the pieces of shell went shrieking and whizzing over our heads, +while, throughout the fearful din, we could hear that infernal +pom-pom-pom-pom-pom, five times, which denoted that the Vicker's-Maxim, +belonging to the Boers, was hurling its disgusting little shells at us. + +The whirring and the shriek of these spiteful little beasts, as they +strike the ground and burst into hundreds of vicious, stinging +fragments, is, at first experience, the most disconcerting sound that I +know. Throughout the whole of this pandemonium--which lasted perhaps ten +minutes, and then settled down into the occasional dull roar of a +bursting shrapnel, and the whiz and flop of the fragments--the Mausers +were going ping-boom, ping-boom, and the enemy's Maxim was in full blast +at frequent intervals. + +Sitting under the side of the hill, we could see to our rear, most of +the other troops of the Division, all advancing to take their part in +the attack, and hastening lest they should be too late. Following in our +path through the mimosas, and in similar formation, came one of the +regiments of our Brigade; they had just reached an open space half a +mile in rear, when, being apparently spotted by the Boer gunners, plump +came a shell, close in front of the column. A little to the left it was, +so the bursting fragments flew harmlessly onward, while the onlookers +drew a deep breath of relief, and the regiment quickened its pace, well +knowing what was to be expected next. Soon it came, plunk-plunk, and we +held our breath; two shells, two clouds of dust, in rear of the +hastening battalion Luckily the Boer gunners had not allowed +sufficiently for the distance advanced by the regiment, while they were +laying the guns. + +Following in rear of this battalion came the Camerons, but they wisely +led off to their right, and got under shelter of the high banks of the +river--not, however, without being spotted and plugged at by the enemy, +harmlessly as it turned out; and so they passed on beyond us. + +Far away out in the open veldt dashed a battery of our Artillery: round +it swung and unlimbered: in a second or two off trotted the horses to +shelter, and the gunners began to drop their shells, at 3,000 yards, on +to the ridge held by the Boers--not, however, without reply, as the +enemy shelled that battery with vigour for some little time. Over and +over again did we, from our shelter, see a cloud of dust rise amongst +the guns, now in front, now between them, now in rear; and yet the +little black specks ran unconcernedly from the guns to the limbers and +back again, and every now and then, with a sheet of flame and a muffled +roar, did the gunners send back their defying answer to their hidden +enemies. + +A similar game was being played on the other side of the river, where, +miles away, came a battery in column of route, heading unostentatiously +for the drift: suddenly the enterprising Boers flopped a shell, followed +by another, first on this side of the battery, then over their heads. +"Action-right" was the yell, round wheeled the guns, and boom-boom, came +the answer to the Boers. A few shells exchanged places, and then the +battery limbered up and trekked on quietly to the drift. + +In the far distance, towards the south-west, came acres of troops, +clouds of cavalry, columns of infantry and the dense dust of great +baggage lines, while over the sky-line sailed peacefully a huge balloon, +looking unconcernedly down at us pigmies below, striving to oust each +other from tiny little kopjes. This was Tucker's Division, coming up +from the railway on our left rear, and by this movement causing the +Boers, in due course of time, automatically to fall back from their +right flank. + +About this time, we also began to move--half of B, the rear company, +being sent out to our left front, where a battery was coming into action +behind the hill by indirect laying, and the other half moving along +about a mile to our left, and slightly to the rear, to a point where the +ground rose gradually in a long gentle swell until it joined the ridge +above. This half company was sent by way of keeping an eye on the other +side of the grassy slope, and it soon reached the ground and lay down in +extended order. Letter A Company was then dribbled out, man by man, each +about ten yards apart, in the same direction, with orders to move +towards the end of the ridge: they came under some long range fire as +soon as they quitted the shelter of our hill, and, bearing off rather +too much to their left, eventually got round where B company was, lay +down and opened fire. The Volunteer company was then sent on in the same +way, and worked along to the spur, where A and B companies were +gradually creeping along, upwards towards the ridge. Meanwhile D and E +companies had moved out about a quarter of a mile to their left, and +then turned and advanced towards the ridge. C company remained where it +had halted earlier in the day, and was joined by F, both companies being +held in reserve. The Maxim gun had been sent to a low spur on our left, +where it came into action at 2,200 yards against a sangar on the top of +the ridge, so as to cover the advance of the other companies; and the +remaining two companies, G and H, were brought along behind the Maxim, +and then sent forward in front of it. + +This was the situation at about the middle of the morning. The +battalion was extended over about a mile and a half of front, facing a +ridge occupied by the enemy and distant some 1,500 yards, the companies +being, in order from right to left, thus: D, E, 1/2 B, G, H, Vols., A, +with C and F and half B in reserve. Our right was on a spur rising up +towards the ridge, the centre was lined across a large open valley, and +the left was on another spur which also ran up the ridge. + +There was a round kraal on the summit of the ridge, at about the centre, +in which the enemy had a gun, and where one or two men could be seen +moving. The battery, over our heads, shelled this spot briskly, but +without much effect, and we, from a closer range of 2,200 yards, turned +our Maxim on to it, and searched the whole hillside in the +neighbourhood. After a while a man, shown up distinctly against the +sky-line, walked calmly out of this kraal, passed along and disappeared +over the hill. One or two more followed, and then a little clump with, +presumably, the gun in their midst, moved slowly out and away beyond +view. All this time a heavy fire was being kept up by all the companies +in the firing line, the Maxim was stuttering out bullets like mad, and +the guns were dropping shells along the ridge, whilst these plucky Boers +calmly and deliberately moved their gun clean away. + +The instant it was gone, our slow and cumbrous Maxim hitched in its +mules and advanced to a closer position, where, behind a wall at about +1,600 yards, its fire again searched out the slopes of the hill, +especially to the left of the circular kraal--the spot where the enemy's +gun had been--where a number of stone walls, rising in tiers, seemed to +point out a likely hiding-place for Boer sharpshooters. Meanwhile the +firing line had been gradually closing up nearer to the foot of the +hill, and we had spotted, at 600 yards, a Boer using black powder +behind one of these stone walls, and were making it warm for him. +Another advance or two, and we were nearer still to the ridge, when +suddenly, like a flock of pigeons, up rose a crowd of men from behind +the tiers of stone walls, and bolted up the hill. With a roar, our men +were on their feet and after the Boers, racing madly up the hill, +shouting, cheering, cursing the heavy blankets bumping at their backs, +yelling with delight, regardless of the shells from our battery in rear +screaming and whistling over their heads and plumping on the ridge. + +Panting and blowing, the heavy equipment dragging them back, our fellows +struggled on, and when close to the top of the ridge, with a final rush +(headed in the centre by Markwick, Treagus, and H. B. Mills), gained the +summit and paused to take breath. A few Boers had waited too long and +now remained for ever, one with Mobsby's bayonet in him, whilst the +others were trekking as fast as their ponies could carry them away from +the cursed rooineks. + +Numbers of loose ponies were about, and a few Boers opened fire on us +from a knoll about 600 yards to our right front; while many others could +be seen riding rapidly away. To hasten their departure, we fired a few +volleys at 1,100 yards at these gentry, the squad who fired at them +being rather a mixed one, consisting as it did of the Second in Command, +the Adjutant, a Second Lieutenant, and four or five men hastily +scratched together--the whole under command of Lieut. Ashworth, who had +only enough breath remaining to yell "Fire!" It is said that the oldest +soldier of this squad "pulled off" and spoiled a volley; but perhaps he +did not know very much about musketry! + +The advance was continued very shortly afterwards, as soon as the men +had got their breath; and soon all firing ceased, the Boers +disappeared, and we devoted ourselves to looking about us and wondering +where the Cavalry had got to. + +After a few minutes, by which time most of the battalion had come up, we +continued our advance as we were, without reforming, down the slope of +the hill, across the valley, and up the gentle slope of the opposite +hill, where we posted look-out men and reformed the companies. + +Those that were on the right originally had been pushed off slightly to +the right front, after occupying the hill we attacked, in order to +search a kopje some little way off. Coming down the hill, after the rout +of the Boers, everyone was on the look out for loot, as there were all +sorts of articles strewn about, such as rifles, saddles, bandoliers, +blankets, and great-coats; while there were numbers of loose ponies, +ready saddled and bridled, quietly cropping the herbage. Quite a dozen +of these were promptly annexed and mounted by the captors, who rode +along in great pride. Each had a great coat and a blanket rolled on the +pommel, with a horse blanket under the saddle, and a couple of +saddle-bags, usually containing a quantity of Mauser cartridges in +addition to some food. One man was lucky enough to find a bag of coffee +and a bag of sugar on one saddle, and others found Boer tobacco, dried +fruit and other small articles. Several dead Boers lay about on the +ridge, and a number of dead and wounded horses were on the reverse slope +of the hill, whilst our Volunteers, when they came in with A company +from the left flank, brought about a dozen prisoners, who had +surrendered. + +It was a fortunate thing for us that we did not remain on the top of the +ridge, but continued our rapid advance without delay, as this prevented +the Boers from collecting and opening fire on us. That they attempted to +do this is certain, as one man of ours was shot dead on the top of the +hill, and Second-Lieut. Paget was severely wounded, about the same time. +The sharpshooters, however, who caused us these casualties, fled and +left us in peace, when the companies on the right advanced towards them. + +The usual practice at a field day is for the operations to conclude when +the final charge has been delivered. Everyone then stands about, +preferably on the skyline, in full view of the supposed retreating +enemy, who may perhaps be merely removing to a better position in rear. + +To do this on active service is, I think, criminal. The advance should +certainly be continued by some, if not all, of the first line; or at any +rate the first arrivals should push on so as to cover the advance of +those behind them. There should be no stopping; the enemy should be kept +on the run, unless, of course, he has taken up another position in rear, +in which case a bold front should be shown and he should be attacked at +once while he is disorganised. There is always, however, the possibility +of a trap having been prepared, and it has been a favourite trick of the +Afridis to draw on our men to a position where they can be shot down at +known ranges; so that considerable caution is necessary. + +After forming up the whole battalion and calling the rolls, we joined +the rest of the Brigade, and moved on a few miles to Erasmus Spruit, a +nice little camp with good water and shade, and plenty of grass and +wood. Now that the excitement was over we all felt pretty tired, and +were glad to rest and get a meal. + +The next morning we had some conversation with the prisoners, one or two +of whom spoke English. They were the usual farm hand sort of type, some +of them being young lads, of about the stamp of the recruits whom we +get. They did not seem to mind having been captured, and were very +grateful for what tobacco, coffee and other little luxuries we could +give them. + +One of them told me that the Maxim fire was terrible--_they dared not +put their heads up to fire_. + +I have never forgotten that remark, since the man made it to me, and +there is a great deal in it to which the attention of company officers +and section leaders might with advantage be drawn. The main point is +that we Infantry do not fire nearly enough ammunition when delivering an +attack. Of course we see no enemy: we only hear the crack of his rifle +and the whiz of his bullets: but we sometimes see the splash of the +bullet on the ground, and can from that obtain some slight idea of his +position at the time. Having found that, a constant hail of bullets +should be directed at all parts of the position, high and low, at rocks, +at bushes and at all places likely to afford a hiding spot, with the +object always in view of making the enemy keep his head down behind his +cover. + +For this purpose volley firing is useless, and what should be adopted is +controlled individual firing, using the magazine _always_, and refilling +it behind cover when, and as often as, an opportunity occurs of so +doing. There should be no breaks or intervals, either in the firing or +in the advance: the latter should be continuous, as in the old +skirmishing days, until the last possible moment, when, if the men +cannot advance any further, they should take cover and employ themselves +in firing as rapidly as possible. + +The wretched system of false economy in the use of blank ammunition at +instructional field days, when a man carries perhaps five rounds in his +pouch and five in reserve, is responsible for the fact that men cannot +be got to fire fast enough in the field, and that they lie under cover +and husband their ammunition, firing only occasional shots, as they +have been taught in peace time. They forget that they are now more +widely extended than formerly and that one man now occupies as much +space as was formerly allotted to five, and that he should, therefore, +fire five times as fast as before. The present system of widely extended +lines is merely what was learned by the troops employed in the Chitral +and Tirah expeditions, two or three years ago; and the system of +fighting adopted by the Afridis is practically the same as that used by +the Boers in the Free State and the Transvaal. + +Owing to the widely extended lines adopted by us in our advance at Zand +River, and to the steady shelling by the batteries which the enemy +received during the attack, our casualties were not very heavy.[3] + + +The following order was published by the General on the day after the +battle:-- + + Twistniet, Zand River, + + The Major General Commanding desires to express his pleasure at the + behaviour of the brigade yesterday. The good leading of the + officers and the conduct of the men enabled a strong and numerously + held position to be captured with a slight loss. + +FOOTNOTES: + +[3] Our losses on this day were as follows:-- + + KILLED. + Private W. Webb D Company. + " G. Merritt H " + " W. Goodes E " + + WOUNDED. + Second Lieut. R. E. Paget + Corpl. W. Backshall B " + Private E. Cam B " + " W. Osborne G " + " P. O Connell H " + " G. Shepherd C " + " H. Overy E " + + + + +CHAPTER V. + +ACROSS THE VAAL. + + Kroonstad--The Road to Lindley--Drifts--Lindley--Heilbron-- + Elysium--The Vaal at last. + + +The day after the Zand River fight we had a long rest, and did not start +on the march again till after mid-day; and a terribly long march it was, +the Brigade not getting into camp till considerably after dark. It being +our turn to be advanced guard, we had to find the pickets as soon as we +arrived in camp. The worst part of all night marches is the slowness of +the pace; the troops creep along with frequent halts, either to rest or +to reconnoitre the road, and what appears to have been a twenty mile +march, has in reality not been more than half that distance. + +On the 12th May we started off after breakfast at about nine o'clock, +with another long march of 17 miles before us; but this one was done in +good style, as we halted for three hours in the middle of the day to +rest and cook a meal. Eventually we fetched up in our new camp, a few +miles outside Kroonstad, about six in the evening. + +This town is, after Bloemfontein, the largest and most important in the +Orange River Colony; it is well situated on the main line of railway, +and is a popular resort in the summer owing to the boating on the river. +There is one large hotel and several smaller ones, some large stores and +the usual public buildings--landrost's office, post and telegraph +office, bank, etc. The Boers had on their retreat done considerable +damage in this town by burning the goods shed at the railway station, +and by blowing up the railway bridge; but the latter was the most +serious by far, as the loss of the goods shed did not affect the +military situation in the least. The bridge was a fine lofty structure +with huge stone piers and enormous steel girders; two of the piers were +blown to pieces, and we found the girders hanging down into the water. +There is another large railway bridge about a mile away, but luckily the +Boers made no attempt to destroy it. + +Our engineers were soon on the spot, and at the end of a few days +(certainly under a week) had found and repaired the old deviation which +was in use before the bridge was built, had made a low bridge of +sleepers over the drift, and had trains running without any more +trouble. These old deviations exist at every river where there is now a +bridge, and were made years ago when the line was building; so that all +our engineers had to do when a bridge was blown up, as they were at +Glen, Vet River, and many other places, was to find the deviation, clear +out the weeds, lay the rails, and repair the line where it required it; +and trains were running again in, probably, a day or two. One great +drawback, however, was the want of engines and rolling stock, as the +Boers had removed all they could take away up country, and we could not +get nearly enough engines and wagons from the Cape railways to satisfy +our requirements. + +There were a few supplies left in the town, and a wagon load was bought +for the regimental canteen, most of the contents, milk, jam, tobacco, +matches, sugar and eatables generally, being sold out the same +afternoon. The Staff Officer for Supplies had been round the town before +our canteen people got in, and had collared nearly all the tea and +sugar; but we managed to get a good quantity. After having been on +three-quarter rations for the best part of a fortnight, our men were +quite ready to buy any amount of foodstuffs, especially tea and sugar. + +Two days did we halt here and enjoy our well earned rest, but on the +15th of May we were off again on the road to Lindley--and such a road! +Even now, after many months, one remembers as in a nightmare that cursed +road to Lindley, with its ever recurring drifts and its messages--"The +General wishes you to send a company to the drift to assist the +baggage," or to repair the road, or to pull wagons out of the mud. The +drifts were the steepest and the worst that we experienced in perhaps +all our trekking. The full distance to Lindley was about 48 miles, but, +the first march being only a short one, we made the last two average +over 15 miles each, both of which had more than their proper allowance +of drifts. + +It might be as well at this stage of the proceedings to describe what a +bad drift looks like to an unprejudiced and impartial mind. + +A drift is really a crossing place over a river, which latter is called +a sluit, if it has water in it, or a spruit if it is dry; and whether +the drift is easy or difficult for wagons to cross depends on the banks +and the bottom. Thus, a shallow drift gives no trouble at all; but if +the banks are steep, the mules and oxen go down one side with a run, +even if the brake be well screwed up on the wagons, and invariably get +mixed up at the bottom, getting their legs over the traces and pole +chain: or perhaps one is pulled down, when there is much confusion and +delay. If the bank is very steep on the other side, fatigue parties have +to come and push the wagons up by main force, or else a team of bullocks +is brought from another wagon and hitched on in front of the team which +is in difficulties. Even then there is more delay, as the business is to +get all the thirty or thirty-six oxen to pull simultaneously; and to +induce them to do this, half a dozen drivers with their enormous +two-handed whips, like huge fishing rods, flog the wretched animals +unmercifully, yelling and screaming all sorts of insults in Basuto at +the trembling beasts. + +If there is mud or water at the bottom of the drift, the difficulty is +increased enormously, as the banks become slippery. It is doubtful which +are the worst animals to have in your wagon when crossing a bad drift, +mules or bullocks. The mules generally get mixed up with the harness, +but on the other hand, when once they are started pulling all together, +they certainly do tug all they know, and need no more incentive than a +row of men on each side of the path yelling at them. Bullocks, however, +are faint-hearted and difficult to manage, as they will lie down when +they have had enough of it, and nothing will induce them to pull when +they think they cannot do any good. There is one good point about +bullocks, and that is that if they can only be induced to lean into +their yokes, all together, their enormous bulk and weight will move +anything. The greatest abomination of all in a drift or on a road is +sand, as that causes trouble with both mules and bullocks; and our worst +drawback has been the native drivers, as, owing to the enormous number +of wagons in use by the troops, the supply of good drivers ran short, +and any coolie was accepted. It was the same with the conductors, or +civilians in charge of wagons, who were all supposed to be experienced +transport riders; but one little man confided to me that he was nothing +more or less than a baker out of employment! + +The Boers, when trekking with their wagons under ordinary circumstances, +take things very leisurely at drifts, and hitch on an extra team at once +if there is the slightest sign of trouble; but this, although the best +plan, wastes a lot of time, and we never had any time to spare on the +march. + +Lindley, like most of the towns we visited, is situated in a hollow, and +on topping a rise in the ground we saw it at our feet. It is a small +town, but has[4] given more trouble than any other in the colony, as it +and the neighbourhood has been nothing more than a hotbed of rebellion +for months; in fact since we first entered it, when the majority of the +surrounding burghers took the oath of allegiance and surrendered what +old guns they had--of no use even to scare crows with. It is built on +the same river, the Valsch, that runs past Kroonstad, and in its most +palmy days contained only a few hundred inhabitants. + +On the 19th of May General Ian Hamilton issued the following information +in the Winburg Column Orders of that date:-- + +"With the occupation of Lindley, the provisional seat of the Free State +Government, the first part of the task allotted to the Winburg Column +has been accomplished to the satisfaction of the Field Marshal +Commanding in Chief. + +"The next task allotted to the Column is to lead the advance northwards +and to capture the important town of Heilbron." + +Our entry into Lindley was entirely unopposed, and we camped a mile +south-west of the town, about four o'clock in the afternoon of the 18th +of May. There was an immediate rush into the town of all those who could +get passes in search of bread, besides butter and other delicacies to +ameliorate the condition of the regulation biscuit, which by this time +had become harder than usual. However, the Canteen cart got private +information, and secured a cask of butter and several boxes of eggs, +which were duly sold to the men of the regiment early next morning. +There was nothing else procurable in the town, except a little fresh +bread. + +After a day's rest at Lindley, we trekked off again on the 20th of May, +starting at seven o'clock; and fortunate it was that we did start so +early, as there was a considerable amount of firing on the rear guard, +and a fairly lively action going on until about midday. We were with the +main column in front of the baggage, and had of course to regulate our +pace by the rear guard; but we heard afterwards that as they were +leaving the neighbourhood of the town they were followed up by a large +number of mounted Boers, whose presence was not expected by the Mounted +Infantry forming the screen in rear of our troops; these Boers pressed +our men rather closely, one or two of the Mounted Infantry, who found +themselves hung up at a barbed wire fence, being captured, and a few men +being wounded. There were some narrow escapes, Lieut. Lloyd, the Supply +officer, having to ride all he knew to get clear, and the mess cart +belonging to the Mounted Infantry being abandoned; the men in charge had +only just time to take out the ponies and bolt for their lives. + +We did not get into camp until after dark, and the baggage was later +still, as there was a nasty drift over a sluit at the entrance to the +camping ground; fires had to be lighted to show the wagons the way +across. The 19th Brigade and some of the Mounted Infantry camped a few +miles lower down, where there was another drift over the same stream. + +After a march of seventeen miles, on the 21st of May, we found Heilbron +in front of us; and the next day, after a short spell of ten miles, we +camped to the south-east of the town, such as it is. Heilbron comes +distinctly under the category of "one horse" towns, notwithstanding that +it is connected by rail with important cities, and hopes in due course +of time to have its railway prolonged to Bethlehem; but until that happy +occasion Heilbron is vegetating. It is a Mark IV town of the usual +pattern--Dutch Reformed Church in the middle of the square, one or two +melancholy streets stretching slowly away at right angles to each other, +a hotel, conspicuous for the entire absence of anything which, in +happier climes, constitutes refreshment for man and beast, a +despondent-looking shop or two with a large stock of lemons, medicines, +sheep dip and ironmongery, and some tired-looking inhabitants holding up +the door-posts of their houses. + +We headed off towards the railway main line on the 23rd of May, and +camped that afternoon at a place called Spitzkop. + +Next day, the Queen's Birthday, the band turned out at reveille and +played "God Save the Queen," causing the greatest outbursts of cheering +from the other regiments, which was taken up and continued by the +Cavalry and Mounted Infantry. That day we marched to the railway and +struck it, and then trekked off, some miles north, to the neighbourhood +of Elysium, where we camped on a great rolling plain, extending for +miles in every direction. The march was an unpleasant and a lengthy one, +as the whole surrounding country was either a burning grass fire or a +place where there had been one, and we walked over dust and ashes, which +parched the mouth and interrupted the breathing. In many places on the +veldt the grass grows in small clumps, somewhat isolated from each +other, and although this looks pleasant enough to walk upon, you soon +find that these little grassy bunches put you out of your stride and +upset your balance time after time. This is, if anything, rather worse +than when the grass has been burnt off. + +The following Brigade Order was published on the 26th of May:-- + +"The G.O.C. wishes to express his appreciation of the fine spirit and +excellent marching shown by the troops composing the 21st Brigade since +it was formed at Glen on April 29th 1900. Since then the Brigade has +marched 250 miles, and the effect of this long and rapid march has been +that the enemy has been unable to complete his preparations for defence, +and has been repeatedly compelled to retreat in front of us after a weak +resistance. The force is now a few miles off the Vaal River and not 50 +miles from Johannesburg, and the Major-General is sure that every man of +the 21st Brigade wishes to share in the entry into that town, and that +every possible effort will be made by all ranks to attain that object." + +After starting on that day, the 26th of May, we halted for several hours +to enable a part of Lord Roberts' main column to pass us, so that our +baggage should not become intermingled. We were crossing their path, +which led them to the north, while we were heading north-west. + +The country is marvellously open between the the railway and the Vaal +River; not a tree was to be seen, hardly a farm--nothing but endless +rolling veldt as far as the eye could reach, covered with grass. There +was no view, nothing to rest the eye or give the fatigued brain a little +relief. As soon as a gentle rise was topped, the same expanse was to be +seen in front, with some slightly rising ground in the far distance, +from which the same view of interminable veldt would, in due time, be +procurable. + +After many, many miles of this sort of travelling, we at last saw, from +the top of a rolling down, a silvery streak winding in and out on our +left front, fringed with a few scattered green bushes. + +At once everyone's spirits rose, and we stepped out briskly, and, sure +sign that camp was near, all the men began to chatter; and with reason +too, for was not this silvery streak the great Vaal River, dividing us +from Paul Kruger's territory, and would not we be over it before we +halted? Certainly we would; we would get that far at any rate; no more +camping for us till we had secured a sound footing in the Transvaal, +which we had come so many thousand miles to see and conquer. + +A couple of hours afterwards, under a setting sun, we were at the drift, +and what a sight was there! We were fording a crossing at a shallow bend +of the river, and it had been necessary to cut down the banks and +improve the approaches, so that the wagons might have some chance of +getting over. Meantime the south bank was crowded with wagons and +vehicles of all kinds, guns, baggage-wagons, Cape carts, water-carts, +ox-wagons, ammunition-carts, mule-wagons, drawn up in long rows, +patiently waiting their turn to be dragged and pushed across. + +The infantry troubled themselves not the slightest about all this, but +passed stolidly down to the water's edge, stripped off their boots and +socks by companies, and stepped gingerly into the eighteen inches of +dirty water. On their left, within a few feet, was an endless succession +of wagons streaming across; a little further down was a wagon with ten +jibbing and obstinate mules, who had got into deep water and heeded not +the yells and whip cracks of their two black boys, themselves unwilling +to go further into the water than they could help. On the farther side +fires were being lit to show the drivers what was land and what was +water, and superhuman efforts were being made to keep the wagons moving +ahead up the steep, rocky bank so as not to block the road. + +Never was there a more weird military scene. Every nigger was yelling +like a fiend, and cracking his whip like mad over the flanks of his +wretched animals, soldiers were shoving at the wheels of every wagon, +Staff officers, cool and collected, were dispersed at intervals +directing operations, the worried baggage-master, dancing with rage, +was using the most dreadful language on a jutting bank, and the +infantry, with their boots slung round their necks and their socks in +their pockets, were trying to avoid the sharp stones of the bottom. + +So it continued without intermission till about midnight, by which time +nearly all had been got across. Our footing in the Transvaal was gained. + +FOOTNOTE: + +[4] December, 1900. + + + + +CHAPTER VI. + +DOORNKOP. + + On the way to Johannesburg--29th May--2 p.m.--Attack begins--The + advance--Checked by flanking fire from One Tree Hill--Attack of + this position--Through veldt fire--Final charge--Boer retreat-- + Gordons attack simultaneously--Main attack pushed home--Casualties. + + +On Sunday, the 27th of May, we started at 8.30 a.m., and marched some +sixteen miles before camping. Bitterly cold it was that night, and we +felt it a good deal the next day, when we started at 6.45 a.m. and +trekked 10 miles to a small hill a little south of Cypherfontein; here, +during most of the afternoon, we heard shells and pom-poms and other +indications of a brisk fight going on towards the north. Away to the +south we could see dimly Lord Roberts' troops, who had crossed the Vaal +at Vereeniging, higher up than we did, pressing on to the junction of +the railways at Elandsfontein. Our business, we now learned, was to push +off to the left and make an enveloping movement on the enemy's right, +whilst General French delivered his blow in front and Lord Roberts fell +on the Boer left. + +We therefore made an early start, and were under way at 6.30, despite +the severe cold, and, with the 19th Brigade leading, headed north-west, +so as to come up on the left of Johannesburg. We spent the earlier part +of the day marching and halting and moving on again, and watching the +cavalry on our right, and the shrapnel and pom-pom shells bursting; +until about two o'clock we were moved out from behind a hill, upon which +was a battery busily engaged in shelling the enemy's guns, one or two of +which were in position on some low hills about a mile and a half away. +We lay down in the open grass with big intervals between companies. At +the same time the City Imperial Volunteers had pushed on to the left of +the guns, and the Derbyshire had also gone out in companies in widely +extended order. And so we lay and watched and waited. + +We were at the end of a long grassy valley, with smooth, rolling hills +rising on our left and on our right, these latter separating us from +Smith-Dorrien's Brigade; in front of us and blocking the end of the +valley the hills swung round from the left and trended off to our right +front, leaving a sort of gap in what might be called the right top +corner of the picture; this we afterwards found to be the nearest way to +Johannesburg. The smooth hills on our right rose gradually and ended in +a cluster of rocks, surmounted by a solitary tree--an ideal position, in +which we afterwards found that the enemy had a field gun, a Maxim and +endless riflemen. + +In front of us, the low hills which seemed to close in the valley, and +indeed part of the valley itself, had suffered from a grass fire, and +only an occasional ant-hill showed up grey against the black soil. + +We had moved slightly to our right and had extended a little, and were +again lying down in the grass; suddenly the enemy's guns spotted us and +sent along a couple of shells, clear of us, luckily, but near enough to +the lagging water-cart to make it increase its pace somewhat abruptly. + +We had watched the C.I.V.'s pass out of sight along the ridge to the +left, and then we had seen the Derbyshire moving along in the same +direction. The enemy's gun, right in front of us, up the valley, we +could with difficulty locate, but it was carrying on a plucky duel with +our battery. + +At last we got orders to move: D company led off first, followed by E, +both in widely-extended lines, officers and all supernumeraries being in +the ranks; and, with intervals of some 80 or 100 yards between the +companies, after these followed F and G, and, behind them again, came H, +the Volunteers, A, B and C. The Maxim gun went with the leading company, +and, under charge of Captain Green, operated on its left. Soon after the +companies led off they began to come under the long range fire of the +Mausers, and the little spirts of dust were rapidly becoming more +numerous as the lines of skirmishers diminished the distance between +themselves and the enemy. At last it became necessary to subdue the +enemy's eagerness somewhat, and the leading lines dropped down on the +veldt and opened fire on the invisible Boers. After a while the +skirmishers rose to their feet and advanced, whereupon the enemy's fire +redoubled in intensity: regardless of the bullets, which were falling +pretty thickly by now, a few men having been hit, our men pushed on, +and, with the supporting lines which came up in rear, rapidly drew +nearer to the enemy's position. Soon shots were observed to be coming +from a new direction, from our right front, where, a long distance away, +was the cluster of rocks and the solitary tree, which we had previously +noticed as being a likely position for the enemy's sharpshooters. + +After a little while there was no possible doubt upon this question, +because, as our leading lines crept forward, the dropping shots from the +right front became vastly more numerous, while one or two more +casualties occurred. All this time the enemy on our front were keeping +up a brisk rattle of musketry, but as our men were fully seven to ten +paces apart this shooting had little effect upon them; not so however, +the cross fire from our right front, which caught us diagonally, as it +were, and caused a few more casualties. The machine-gun had come into +action on the left, but was soon spotted by the Boers, who concentrated +a pretty heavy fire on the unfortunate Maxim, which, with its big +wheels, and the huge shields to the limber boxes sticking up in the air, +provided the Boers with a target that they did not often get. Sergeant +Funnell was shot in the head almost immediately the gun came into +action, Archer and Hunnisett were knocked over, and only two men left to +work the gun, which ceased firing for some minutes until Corporal Weston +and two men from the nearest company, D, volunteered to assist. As it +was so palpable that the enemy's fire was being concentrated on the gun, +Captain Green ordered the detachment to lie down and use their rifles. + +The wheel mule, an acquisition of the battalion dating from Bethulie +(where the animal, a fine specimen of its kind, was found wandering in +an ownerless state), was hit in two places, while the lead mule was so +alarmed at this untoward accident to his stable companion, as to be +quite petrified with fear and unable to move. When the advance took +place he had to be abandoned, and the gun went on with "Bethulie" alone. + +The leading companies had by now been reinforced by some of the +supporting companies in rear, but had reached a limit from which further +advance would not have been possible without very serious loss, so they +lay down and blazed at the rocks and clumps of bushes which concealed +the enemy. For some little distance now the advance had been carried out +over the scene of the grass fire, which was even then still burning away +on our right, and the only cover the men had was an occasional ant heap; +but even this was but little protection from the stinging flanking fire +which was whistling over from the right. + +Noticing that the firing line seemed to be checked temporarily, and soon +discovering the cause, an officer from the rear succeeded in turning the +flank sections of F and G companies, together with some men of E +company, and making a demonstration against our friends on One Tree +Hill. These fellows, however, were quite wide awake, and made it hot for +this small party, who were attempting to create a diversion in the state +of affairs. + +Their firing increased in intensity; Corporal Hollington and one or two +others were shot, and our men, who were only about 800 yards from the +position, soon abandoned the drill-book style of advancing by alternate +sections (which only caused the enemy's fire to be doubled and redoubled +as they gleefully took aim at the full-length figures of our soldiers), +and continued their advance by crawling on their hands and knees through +the long grass, and by keeping up a continued dropping fire on the rocks +concealing our enemies. Not a single Boer had any of us seen since we +started, and, at this stage of the proceedings, none of the enemy were +likely to show themselves. Looking back, we could see heads behind us--a +long way, certainly, but they showed that the Colonel had observed our +flanking movement and had despatched a company to our support. + +Emboldened by this, we pressed on, but our crawling progress through the +grass was brought to a sudden end by our reaching the edge of a +rapidly-advancing grass fire, while before us stretched a waste of burnt +ground, with a few, a very few, grey ant heaps showing up. There was +only one thing to do, and that was done quickly; springing to their +feet, the two or three officers with this little party yelled to their +men, who dashed on with shouts and cheers, through the flickering fire +and the smoke, on to the bare ground beyond. They raced on rapidly, the +faster runners outpacing the others, until breath began to go and knees +to totter; and after a couple of hundred yards or so, we were glad to +drop into a schanz, or long trench, which we found suddenly at our +feet, and halt there to regain our breath. + +We still kept up our fire, and the enemy's began to slacken, and at last +almost ceased; there was no time to waste if we wanted to see a Boer, so +we jumped out of the schanz and dashed on as fast as our heavy equipment +and cumbrous roll of blanket would permit us towards the rocks, now +silent as the grave. + +Bearing off a little to the left to some slightly rising ground, we +found ourselves alone; but what a sight was in front of us! + +The ground dipped and rose again in a gentle slope of grassy fields with +a rocky patch on the summit, about 1,100 or 1,200 yards away; and these +grassy fields, about twenty or thirty acres in extent, were alive with +fugitives moving rapidly towards the rear. Among them (and this is a +curious circumstance which puzzled us not a little at the time and +afterwards) were a number of mounted men, dashing furiously amongst the +runaways. The sight of these riders careering wildly among a crowd of +flying Boers stayed our volleys for some moments, while we overhauled +the scene with our glasses. Could these mounted men be our cavalry +suddenly appearing from the right flank, where we had left them? + +No, they could surely not have travelled the distance in the time, so we +formed up what men we had at hand and poured several volleys at 1,200 +yards into the retreating enemy. After ten or a dozen volleys had been +fired, a Highlander appeared among the rocks on our right, and, holding +up his hand, shouted to us to stop firing. Wondering at this, +reluctantly we complied, and the enemy quickly dwindled away; we had +serious thoughts of following them rapidly, but, seeing how few men of +ours were actually on the spot, and in view of the possibility that the +Boers would hold the rocky patch on the summit, we decided against it, +and proceeded to overhaul the rocks on our right, which but a short time +before had been teeming with riflemen. + +In a cunningly-selected nook was the spot where the enemy's gun had been +at work; all round the ground was strewn with empty shell boxes, fifteen +or twenty of them, and the grass was thick with the little cardboard +boxes in which Mauser ammunition is issued. Several large tins still had +a quantity of rusk biscuit remaining in them, but these soon disappeared +into our fellows' haversacks; a few blankets were lying about, and the +usual camp litter and rubbish showed that a party of some strength had +had their head-quarters on that spot since the day before. Two or three +dead horses were in the vicinity, and a couple of wounded ones were put +out of their agony; while several others browsing on the short grass +were quickly collared. + +Ensconced among the rocks were two or three Boers, shot dead behind +their cover by the bullets of our little flanking attack, as was proved +conclusively by the attitudes of the bodies. All around, scattered in +the most ingenious clefts among the rocks, were heaps and heaps of +cartridge cases, Mauser, Lee-Metford, Steyr, and Martini, showing +exactly the well-chosen positions of their former owners, and convincing +us that thousands of our bullets might splash and splatter on the rocks +close by without disturbing the occupants, until the fixing of the +bayonets and the unrestrained advance of British soldiers caused that +cold feeling down the back which no Boer could afford to disregard. + +In a most ingeniously selected corner between several big rocks, +improved by the addition of a few stones into a bullet-proof sangar, had +been the enemy's Maxim, luckily for us not laid in our direction, but +pumping forth lead against the attack of the Gordons, which, unknown to +us, had been carried out on the other side of the ridge separating the +two regiments. Apparently the dashing 800 yards' charge of the Gordons, +in which they suffered such severe loss, had been taking place about the +same time as our advance from the schanz, across the burnt grass; but +whether it was our appearance so close to them, or the sight of the +Gordons, so gallantly pushing on, which caused the enemy to retreat in +such a hurry, none but the Boers themselves can decisively say. + +Anyhow, we claim for the Royal Sussex the honour of being the first to +reach One Tree Hill. When we originally rushed up to this spot, some few +minutes were wasted in searching with glasses the crowd of flying Boers, +one or two more minutes before men could be hastily gathered together on +the knee ready to fire, and about a dozen volleys had been hurriedly got +off before the Highlander, to whose appearance I have before alluded, +came out from among the rocks and waved to us to stop firing. + +Dusk was closing in, so we reformed the companies which had taken part +in this attack on One Tree Hill; they were principally the flank +sections of E, F, and G, with a few men of D and some of the rear +company, C, who were following in our support; and we moved off to join +the remainder of the battalion. + +We found that they had been at first checked by the cross fire from One +Tree Hill, and by a considerable fire directed on them from the front, +but had held their own, pouring in a constant fire, until the pressure +on the right weakened somewhat the intensity of the Boer musketry, and +enabled our men to continue their advance over the bare, level, burnt up +ground. + +The advance became quicker and quicker, the men came up with a livelier +step and at last could be restrained no longer, and, with cheers and +yells, which were taken up by the supports in rear, they dashed up the +slope. + +Here, amongst the rocks on the summit, they found the usual signs of +recent occupation, cartridge cases and so on, and traces of the gun, +which had evidently been removed some time earlier, besides a number of +loose ponies, whose owners had apparently been unable to ride or +unwilling to waste time in mounting. + +The companies then formed up and joined hands with those who had been +engaged on the right; the rolls were called,[5] and we moved off to find +the Brigade, eventually discovering that our camp was to be just beyond +One Tree Hill and practically on the field of action. Here in the dark +we sat and waited for our baggage: no water, no wood was procurable, and +we had eaten nothing except a scrap of biscuit since six o'clock that +morning. Those who had husbanded their water during the day now scored, +and, with what bits of wood they had secured from the Boer shell cases, +and had since carried on their backs, soon had their canteens boiling. + +Later, the baggage arrived, and the water carts, the contents of the +latter being divided among the companies; and the men soon settled down, +tired out and hungry, and dropped off to sleep among the piled arms. + +FOOTNOTE: + +[5] Our casualties were as follows:-- + + KILLED:-- + Private J. Simmonds, D Co. + " H. Braiden, G Co. + + DIED OF WOUNDS:-- + Corporal J. Hollington, E Co. + Private W. Lucas, F Co. + " G. White, G Co. + " H. Wells, Vol. Co. + + WOUNDED:-- + Sergeant W. Funnell, C Co. + Corporal W. Backshall B Co. + Private J. Archer, C Co. + " C. Ellis, D Co. + " E. Honeysett, " + " E. Cooper, E Co. + " T. Smith, F Co. + " G. Pelling, " + " E. Colwell, " + " G. Fuller, G Co. + " E. Young, " + " A. Vitler, H Co. + " H. Wells, Vol. Co. + + + + +CHAPTER VII. + +PRETORIA. + + Johannesburg--Pretoria--An abortive conference--The entry and march + past--The people--The town--Irene--Botha again fails to appear. + + +A few miles march on the 30th May cleared us from the scene of the +battle of the day before and brought us into one of the mining suburbs +of Johannesburg, Florida, where we camped in the midst of mining shafts +and engine houses. Some few of the pumps were going, clearing out the +water, but the majority of the mines were shut down and in charge of the +Kaffir Mines Police; no damage had been done to any of them that we +could see. + +On the 31st of May the following Divisional Order was published:-- + +The G.O.C. has much pleasure in publishing the following extract from a +letter just received from Lord Roberts:-- + +"I am delighted at your successes and grieved beyond measure at your +poor fellows being without proper rations; a trainful shall go on to you +to-day. I expect to get the notice that Johannesburg surrenders this +morning, and we shall then march into the town. I wish your column, +which has done so much to gain possession of it, could be with us." + +Two days we rested after our heavy day's work on the 29th, but we +changed our camp to a new spot, more to the north and closer to the +town. This was Bramfontein, and we were allowed to go into the town and +inspect it, and make such purchases as we could. + +Lord Roberts wired to the War Office on the 30th of May as follows:-- + +"The brunt of the fighting yesterday fell on Ian Hamilton's column. I +had sent him, as already mentioned, to work round to the west of +Johannesburg in support of French's cavalry, which was directed to go to +the north, near the road leading to Pretoria. I have not heard from +French yet, but Hamilton, in a report which has just reached me, states +that about one o'clock in the afternoon he found his way blocked by the +enemy strongly posted on some kopjes and ridges three miles south of the +Rand. They had two heavy guns, some held guns and Pom-poms. + +"Hamilton at once attacked. The right was led by the Gordons, who after +capturing one extremity of the ridge, wheeled round and worked along it +until after dark, clearing it of the enemy, who fought most obstinately. +The City Imperial Volunteers led on the other flank and would not be +denied, but the chief share in the action, as in the casualties, fell to +the Gordons, whose gallant advance excited the admiration of all. + +"Hamilton speaks in high terms of praise of the manner in which Bruce +Hamilton and Spens of the Shropshire Light Infantry handled the men +under Smith-Dorrien's direction." + +Johannesburg is a fine town, a long way superior to Pretoria or +Bloemfontein: it owes its sudden rise and wonderful growth to its +situation on the Witwatersrand and to the enormous development of the +mining industries within the last few years. + +No doubt when all the shops are open and the streets filled with the +usual well-dressed crowd, it must make a fine appearance. When we first +entered the town it looked quite desolate, with the magnificent plate +glass windows boarded up and the doors covered with corrugated iron, +evidently in anticipation of severe rioting and looting. Johannesburg +has a most magnificent town railway station at the Park, with waiting +rooms and offices, all of ornamental brick, mahogany and plate glass, +fitted up in the most gorgeous style with silk curtains, marble floors +and decorated ceilings. This is where the millionaires condescend to +embark on the train, when they think of honouring one or other of the +South African cities with their presence. The contrast between the +elaborate Park station and the hovels that serve for stations at +Elandsfontein and Bramfontein, is too absurd for words. + +On Sunday, the 2nd of June, we were off again at seven o'clock; and the +next day found us still heading off towards the north-west of Pretoria, +apparently with the intention of circling round, and descending on the +capital from the north or north-west. However, while we were on the +march, our direction was changed, and we came back on our tracks, having +received orders to march straight on Pretoria. When this order was +passed by the mounted officers, there was a certain amount of +excitement, naturally, as Pretoria was our goal and destination. The +band struck up a march and there was a scene of much enthusiasm, one +regiment in particular cheering madly, and some individuals producing +Union Jacks, which they flourished with all their might. + +So on we went, and about three o'clock reached the shelter of the hills +outside Pretoria. The 19th Brigade went up the hills a little way, and +the rest of us lay down and waited to see if we were wanted. Some of the +men fell out and wandered away to the reverse flank, but quickly came +running back, as bullets were dropping over the hills, apparently fired +at long range and considerable elevation. Indeed, a couple of the City +Imperial Volunteers were hit by these spent bullets. Later, the Brigade +camped close by, and in the dark, to our astonishment, we found, +alongside of us, some of the Sussex Yeomanry; and then we heard of the +unfortunate accident to the Duke of Norfolk, which precluded his taking +any further part in active operations, and which, unfortunately, +prevented our seeing him either. + +The 5th of June was the great day of the campaign, culminating in the +withdrawal of the enemy and the entry of the victorious troops into his +capital. + +Very early in the morning, De Lisle's Mounted Infantry had pushed on +into the town from the position gained by them the previous evening, +and, meeting with no opposition, had demanded its surrender, but were +received by Commandant Botha with a request for an armistice and a +conference. This was of course agreed to by Lord Roberts, and nine +o'clock was the hour fixed for the meeting. Towards that hour, +therefore, all the troops who had marched with the 19th and 21st +Brigades under General Ian Hamilton, were entering the pass which wound +through the hills into the valley of Pretoria. This pass was quite two +miles in length, and the surrounding country was composed of a +succession of low, broken hills, which, if they had been held by a +determined enemy, would have given us considerable trouble to capture. +It has always been a marvel why the Boers did not defend Pretoria, +surrounded, as it is, by a network of hills, topped by several strong +forts built, I suppose, for that purpose; but probably the fact was that +they would have been unable to get their big guns dragged up and mounted +in sufficient time to oppose our advance, and therefore thought it wise +not to risk them. Undoubtedly, Lord Roberts' rapid advance, or rather +his dash from Bloemfontein to Pretoria, will be recorded in history as +one of the remarkable military achievements of the century; and the +breathless rapidity with which his movements were planned and executed +had possibly paralysed the Boer commanders, and influenced their +decision to sacrifice Pretoria, and to fall back to the east on the +railway, as this would leave open a convenient line of retreat and an +easy means of departure, whenever necessary, for Mr. Kruger and the +foreign mercenaries, through Komati Poort and Delagoa Bay. + +About nine o'clock, the hills opened out, and a mass of buildings could +be seen in the dim distance: this was Pretoria, and, forming up on a low +hill, a mile or two closer in, we were enabled to have a long look at +the town about which we had heard so much of late years. + +Between us and the town, and among a multitude of iron-roofed houses, +was the famous race-course where so many of our unfortunate prisoners +had been confined: we could just distinguish with our glasses the big +enclosure with its high fence of corrugated iron, but it was too dim and +misty at that hour of the morning for us to make out much more. + +Nine o'clock came but no Commandant Botha, and no signs of him, or of +anyone else. We were all ready for a durbar or a conference, formed up +in three sides of a hollow square, and everyone who could raise a kodak +had produced it and pushed himself up into a prominent position, ready +to take snapshots of the celebrities. And so we waited for an hour, +speculating idly as to the cause of the commandant's non-appearance, and +inclining to the belief that he was merely bluffing, to gain time to get +his guns away; whether he was or not we have never heard, but it was a +very suspicious circumstance that he played a similar game on another +occasion, and caused us to wait two days, which would have been valuable +time to us had we been able to advance. + +Eventually the troops moved on, and camped to the west of the town and +just outside the notorious race-course, where merely a few sick +prisoners were now left, the majority having been moved some time +previously to Waterval; while the officers had been confined in the +Model School and other places in the town. On our approach, these +officers, over a hundred in number, had succeeded in bouncing the few of +their guards who still remained, and had effected their escape. They +came and reported themselves to Lord Roberts, who afterwards inspected +them on parade and congratulated them on obtaining their freedom. + +The Brigade paraded in the early afternoon and formed up to march +through the streets of the capital; the Derbyshire were leading, as it +was their turn, and, headed by their band, they moved off in column of +route; we followed, what was left of our band showing the way, and after +us came the Camerons and then the C.I.V. + +The streets were crammed with troops, as the Mounted Infantry and their +baggage were passing along with us, and moving to their camp on the +other side of the town; but when we approached the centre of the city +they branched off to the left. The Guards' Brigade had preceded us and +had left a number of men to keep the ground clear, as we entered on to +the square. There, facing the Union Jack, floating (never again to be +removed) proudly on the Town Hall, sat Lord Roberts on his charger, +surrounded by the officers of his staff; while on the other side of the +square, stood a dense, sullen mass of people--a few British subjects, +but mostly foreigners who had business interests in Pretoria, with many +women and children. What impressed us most was their silence: many of +the women were in tears, and most of the men glared at us with anything +but friendly glances. And so we passed on, saluting Lord Roberts, and +meeting General Kelly's friendly glance, and marched away down the +principal street, named Kerk or Church Street. + +In a prominent position behind Lord Roberts, and surrounded by a mass +of scaffolding, was a pedestal, where work had been carried on to erect +a statue of the President of the Transvaal Republic. That pedestal, +destined to remain unfilled, stood there, a monument of disappointed +ambition. + +Down Church Street we went for half a mile, swung off to the right, and +returned by a parallel road to our camping ground, passing the Electric +Lighting Company's tall chimney, where the enterprising mechanics had, +with much danger and trouble, hoisted the British flag at the summit, +and stood at their gate cheering us as we went by; one of the few marks +of enthusiasm with which we were greeted. + +The square in the centre of the town contains the most important +buildings, the Town Hall and the Raadzaal being large and lofty modern +erections; a large hotel, three banks and several minor buildings +complete the list. In Church Street are numerous splendid shops, which +then showed signs of trouble, most of them being blocked up with +corrugated iron, which, in compliment to the troops, as heralding the +approach of safety, the owners were commencing to remove as we went by. +The rest of the town, which is well laid out, with broad streets running +at right angles and planted with trees, consists of smaller shops and +native stores, or of private residences--many of the latter built in the +Indian style, with broad verandahs and large compounds, well planted and +laid out. Further out to the west of the town are the suburban +residences of the wealthier townspeople, in great contrast to the +humble-looking dwelling of the President, which we passed on our way +before we entered the square. Mrs. Kruger was still residing in the, to +her, now lonely house, upon which an officer's guard had been mounted to +ensure proper respect being paid to the old lady Cleanliness was not a +great point of the housekeeping, as may be understood from the fact that +the sergeant of the guard was compelled to go and buy a bottle of +Keating's Powder and some other disinfectant, the whole of which he had +to sprinkle in the room allotted to the men as a guardroom, before it +could be lived in. + +We only stayed a day and a half in Pretoria, as on the 6th of June we +were sent by half battalions to Irene, about 12 miles off, the first +party moving at three o'clock in the afternoon and the others some hours +later. The road winds for the first few miles, through a pass in the +hills, in and out among dusty rocks, and then opens out on to the usual +interminable veldt. Irene cannot be seen until the traveller is close +upon it, as it lies in a fold of the ground; but it is not much worth +seeing, anyhow, consisting merely of the railway station buildings, and +some cement works. There is, however, a very successful irrigation farm +in the neighbourhood. + +Captain Maguire joined us here from England, looking very cheery, and +full of keenness and eagerness to see some of the show before it was all +over. + +Lord Roberts issued a special Army Order in Pretoria which may be of +some interest; it ran as follows:-- + + Extract from Army Orders, 7th June, 1900. + + "In congratulating the British Army in South Africa on the + occupation of Johannesburg and Pretoria, the one being the + principal town and the other the capital of the Transvaal, and also + on the relief of Mafeking after an heroic defence of over 200 days, + the F.M.C. in chief desires to place on record his high + appreciation of the gallantry and endurance displayed by the + troops, both those who have taken part in the advance across the + Vaal River, and those who have been employed on the less arduous + duty of protecting the line of communication through the Orange + River Colony. After the force reached Bloemfontein on the 13th + March it was necessary to halt there for a certain period. Through + railway communication with Cape Colony had to be restored before + supplies and necessaries of all kinds could be got from the base. + The rapid advance from the Modder River, and the want of forage _en + route_, had told heavily on the horses of the Cavalry, Artillery + and Mounted Infantry, and the transport mules and oxen, and to + replace these casualties a considerable number of animals had to be + provided. Throughout the six weeks the Army halted at Bloemfontein, + the enemy showed considerable activity especially in the + south-eastern portion of the Orange River Colony; but by the + beginning of May, everything was in readiness for a further advance + into the enemy's country, and on the 2nd of that month active + operations again commenced. On the 12th May, Kroonstad, where Mr. + Steyn had established the so-called Government of the Orange Free + State, was entered. On the 17th May Mafeking was relieved. On the + 31st May Johannesburg was occupied, and on the 5th June the British + flag waved over Pretoria. During these thirty-five days the main + body of the force marched 300 miles, including fifteen days' halt, + and engaged the enemy on six different occasions. The column under + Lieut.-Gen. Ian Hamilton marched 400 miles in forty-five days, + including ten days' halt. It was engaged with the enemy + twenty-eight times. + + "The flying column under Colonel B. Mahon, which relieved Mafeking, + marched at the rate of 15 miles a day for fourteen consecutive + days, and successfully accomplished its object, despite the + determined opposition offered by the enemy. During the recent + operations, the sudden variations in temperature between the warm + sun in the daytime, and the bitter cold at night, have been + peculiarly trying to the troops, and owing to the necessity for + rapid movement, the soldiers have frequently had to bivouac after + long and trying marches without firewood and with scanty rations. + + "The cheerful spirit with which difficulties have been overcome and + hardships disregarded, are deserving of the highest praise, and in + thanking all ranks for their successful efforts to attain the + objects in view, Lord Roberts is proud to think that the soldiers + under his command have worthily upheld the traditions of Her + Majesty's Army, in fighting, in marching, and in the admirable + discipline which has been maintained through a period of no + ordinary trial and difficulty." + +We moved off, after a day's halt, in a north easterly direction, but +halted on the 9th and 10th of June, when it was said that Botha, the +Boer Commander in Chief, was arranging a Conference, which, however, +seemingly fell through.[6] + +FOOTNOTE: + +[6] As to these abortive conferences, it was subsequently learnt from +Boers on Gen. Ben Viljoen's staff that after the fall of Pretoria Botha +urgently advised President Kruger to make peace on any terms he could, +on the ground that the farms of the Transvaal had not yet suffered from +the war, the issue of which was no longer doubtful. Kruger was +persuaded, and the conference arranged; but at the critical moment De +Wet brought President Steyn up to Waterval, and they insisted that the +war, by which the Free State had already suffered so much, should be +continued.--ED. + + + + +CHAPTER VIII. + +DIAMOND HILL, FIRST DAY. + + The attack begins--Description of ground--Capture of Boer advanced + position--Night-fall. + + +On Monday, the 11th of June, began two days' heavy fighting; the +operations were on a large scale against a strong and well-found enemy, +posted, as we saw afterwards, in a position almost impregnable, along a +front of six or eight miles, with his line of retreat open. + +On the first day, the 11th of June, we were the leading battalion of the +column, the Camerons being on baggage and rear guard and the Derbyshire +and C.I.V's. with us. We marched at six o'clock and moved off towards +the west; after trekking for a few miles we halted for some time under +cover of a rise in the ground, from which we could see that the mounted +troops were pretty heavily engaged in our front, over a considerable +area. Away to our right front there was a plateau of great extent with a +kopje of some size rising out of it; this kopje was being shelled with +much spirit by the enemy, and on looking through our glasses we could +see a fairly large party of mounted troops, either cavalry or mounted +infantry, who were ensconced under cover of the kopje. To all appearance +they were hung up in a state of compulsory inaction, as they could +neither leave its cover nor take any offensive steps. They appeared to +be quite safe, however, as regards shell fire, for the shrapnel seemed +to burst beyond them or on the far side of the hill each time. + +After a time we were put in motion again, but now in extended order, +moving in columns of companies at wide intervals, G company, under +Lieut. Nelson, leading, followed by H under Captain Wisden and A under +Captain Blake (Major O'Grady being temporarily on the sick list), and +the remaining companies in the usual order. + +The three leading companies moved along towards a deep ravine, at the +head of which they halted in accordance with orders; but from there G +and H, under command of Captain Wisden, were directed to advance across +the open and occupy a kopje to the left front. On the left of this +ravine were some farm houses lying under the lee of two small hills, +from the summit of which a fairly extensive view would be obtained. The +ground in front of these two hills was quite open for about a mile, but +to their left a smooth grassy range of hills rose and extended back for +some considerable distance, swinging round, about a mile and a half +away, to the left and diminishing in elevation until the plain was +reached, and thus forming a deep re-entrant angle, the inside of which +was very fairly wooded and looked rocky on the top. + +On our left the ground remained open, though undulating; but a wooded +kopje rose out of the plain about a mile away, with two other kopjes of +a lesser elevation on its right, and bearing off towards the re-entrant +angle already mentioned. + +This wooded kopje was the one that Captain Wisden was ordered to seize, +and accordingly he sent off his companies in succession, in the usual +widely extended formation, while Captain Blake followed with A company +as a support, at a considerable interval. Captain Wisden met with a +pretty wide and deep donga when he had gone about half way, and, while +crossing this, a dropping fire was opened on him, but at a very +considerable range (perhaps, 1,200 or 1,500 yards), apparently from the +thickly wooded range of hills on his right. One or two sections were +promptly formed to the right and replied to this fire, being relieved by +A company, who came up very shortly and devoted themselves to pouring +in a steady fire on the enemy, thus leaving Captain Wisden's two +companies at liberty to continue their advance. + +Just about this time, five mounted men were seen to leave this kopje and +to move towards the range of hills, so G and H companies pushed on, +while our battery, from the rear, opened fire and shelled the kopje over +their heads. The companies led on steadily, and, when the guns had +finished shelling, they rushed the hill and climbed to the top, where +they remained, holding it for some little time. + +Directly they showed that they were in possession of the hill, a move +was made by A company towards the low kopjes on the right of that held +by Captain Wisden; in this they were supported by the advance of B, C, +and D companies under Major Panton, with Lieut. Nelson and Lieut. +Ashworth in command of the latter two companies; the machine gun under +Captain Green came along also. A company reached and occupied these +small hills, and, the other companies coming up, fire was opened on the +wooded and rocky hill beyond, which, it was now seen, was separated from +us by a grassy valley about half-a-mile in width. The Maxim came into +action also, and remained at this spot firing over our heads and +covering our advance for some little time, after which it followed us. A +consistently steady dropping fire was maintained on us all the time, and +nothing could be done except to rush across the open, gain the end of +the spur in front, and then, turning to the right, swarm up the hill in +the hopes of taking the Boers in flank. We moved down the valley and +across, and, when within a long run of the foot of the spur, the bugle +sounded and off we dashed, shoving on our bayonets as we went, yelling +and shouting like fiends. Breathless, we reached the foot of the hill, +turned to our right, and commenced to climb it; the enemy had gone, and +we were quite free from annoying Mauser bullets for a time; at least so +we thought, until someone went a little too far and showed himself on +the edge of the hill, facing the east, when one or two shots soon came +whistling over his head. + +Seemingly, the majority of the enemy were in position on an appalling +high and continuous range of hills, stretching to north and south, as +far as we could see. A deep and grassy valley about 1,500 to 2,000 yards +in width separated us, but we had no time to waste in looking about us, +as we had yet to reach the top of the spur, at whose foot we had only +just arrived; so, keeping on the lee side of the hill, we ascended the +spur until we reached the top, where we halted to await orders. In our +rush across the little valley three or four men had been wounded. + +While this little attack was being carried out, the Volunteer company +had moved out in support of G and H companies, then in occupation of the +wooded kopje, but had somehow left the kopje on their right and had gone +off in a north-easterly direction towards the tremendous range of hills +to which we found that the enemy had retired. The Volunteers met with +some firing on their way, but were allowed by the enemy to come within +about 800 yards, when suddenly a furious outburst of fire descended on +the unfortunate company, compelling it to retire somewhat precipitately, +until it got beyond range. The Boers must have watched their approach +and concentrated their fire in anticipation of the Volunteers coming +within medium range, for the number of rifles employed against the +Volunteers was very large: the ground all round and amongst the men was +covered with spirts of dust, while the noise was perfectly deafening and +reminded one of the last stage of the attack at a field-day when every +man is anxious to finish his ammunition. Wonderful to relate, only two +men were wounded; but this was doubtless due to the very extended line +maintained, both in the advance and the retirement. The enemy had a +pom-pom on the hill which also contributed its quota of noise and clouds +of deadly fragments and flying splinters.[7] + +The battalion, after remaining until dusk on the top of the hill, +received orders to march back to camp near the farm from which it had, +earlier in the day, advanced to the attack. Three companies, however, +had to remain on picket, including H company, which was to stay on the +kopje it had originally occupied. G company was therefore sent for and +posted on the top of the hill, and A was directed to remain about half +way down the spur, while the remaining companies made the best of their +way back to camp, which they reached about six o'clock. + +We had to wait some time for our baggage; E and F companies, who were +escort to the two five-inch guns, did not come into camp at all that +night, but joined us late the next morning. + +FOOTNOTE: + +[7] Our casualties during the day were as follows: + + WOUNDED. + Lce-Cpl. G. Washer, B Company. + Private A. Hobden, C " + " J. Clapshaw, B " + " E. Baker, Vol. " + " J. Caldwell, Vol. " + " J. Miles, G " + " T. Gainsford, A " + + MISSING. + " Ebsworth, F Company. + +This man of F Company seems to have wandered off, without permission, to +a farm, where he was promptly sniped by some Boers, wounded and taken +prisoner: a lesson to others: some men, however, will only learn by +bitter experience. + + + + +CHAPTER IX. + +DIAMOND HILL, SECOND DAY. + + Boer main position--Reconnaissance by Lieut. Morphett--Advance of + C.I.V.'s--General advance--Failure of Boers to occupy outer + ridge--They hold the second crest in force--No further advance + possible--Nightfall. + + +The following day, the 12th of June, we did not start very early, but +moved after breakfast up to the hill we had attacked and captured the +previous day, where A company was still on picket. Arrived there, we +waited for some time, until the afternoon in fact, before we moved +again. + +In front of us, across the valley, was a long ridge, steep of access on +our side and, apparently, flat on top; this ridge on our right ran down +into the valley in a grassy slope, becoming less and less steep as it +trended further away; but on our left it became more and more +precipitous, until, in the far distance, it appeared almost like a wall. +There were no signs of the enemy on it, but they were there all the +same. + +There was a farm in the valley below us surrounded by trees and +vegetation, said to belong to one Botha, and the road wound along from +our left rear past this farm, and disappeared in a cleft in the hills in +front of us. We all realised that the position held by the enemy was a +terribly strong one, and on the flanks it appeared, as far as we could +see with our glasses, to run for miles in a similar way; and there did +not seem to be any break or change in the surface of the ground opposite +to it, which continued to present the same grassy undulating slopes as +far as we could see. + +On our left, miles away, we could hear an occasional gun fired, and on +our right there had been a shot or two from the Artillery; but for the +moment all was still and peaceful, so we sat and nibbled our biscuits +and waited. + +About one o'clock the five-inch gun, from somewhere in our left rear, +began shelling Botha's farm and the ridge near it and beyond: they made +excellent practice, and searched the slopes of the hill thoroughly. Near +the farm there was a sort of cleft in the hills, into which the road +ran: we could trace its existence for some little way back into the hill +by the brushwood growing on the edge of the cleft, and just now we were +watching this place, some of us, with exceeding great interest. The +General had ordered two companies to proceed in a short time towards +this cleft, to move up it, and then to swing round to the right and take +the hill in flank, thus covering the advance of the remainder of the +Brigade, who were prolonging the line on our right, and were to attack +on the part of the hill previously mentioned, where the grassy slopes +were more gentle and ran easily up to the summit. + +Now, for all we knew, this cleft might have been full of Boers on all +sides, before and behind, and we were not looking forward to what was +evidently going to be a nasty piece of work; but the matter was settled, +we had got our orders, and we meant to carry them out to the best of our +ability, somehow or other. So we watched with renewed interest the +shells of a cow gun dropping about on the ridge and the slope of the +hill, experiencing feelings of much satisfaction when one or two, as +they occasionally did, fell plump into the cleft in the hill, where we +hoped crowds of the enemy were concealed. Although not visible, we knew +they were there, as shots occasionally came over and struck the ground +near us, when anyone incautiously went too far forward, to look at the +position. + +Towards two o'clock, the General wished a few men sent over in the +direction of the farm, to feel our way; so Lieut. Morphett and a +section of E company went out, widely extended, and with orders to go to +the Farm and signal back any information, and to occupy the walls and +hold out at the Farm until reinforcements arrived. + +Directly this small party showed themselves over the ridge behind which +we were lying, fire was opened on them by the enemy, who on this +occasion showed their stupidity in wasting their ammunition in firing at +extreme ranges. We could not, of course, see from what point of the hill +the firing was coming, but from the direction in which the bullets were +dropping and the way the dust flew up, we could see that those of the +enemy who were firing were somewhere on our left front. So we got some +men out and opened a steady dropping fire on the slopes of the hill to +our left, and especially on a row of poplar trees which looked a good +place in which to conceal sharpshooters. Our maxim gun came up too, and +rained a hail of bullets all over the hillside at varying ranges. This +is about all the good this machine gun is in the advance, because, when +the actual forward movement takes place, the gun cannot keep pace and is +left behind: of course a gun on a light field carriage could be brought +on by hand, but, during the campaign, the gun we were supplied with was +a huge, cumbrous affair, as big as a field gun and about as heavy. It +took two mules to draw it, and all sorts of manoeuvres and operations +had to be gone through before a single round could be fired. In this +respect the pattern of machine gun needs considerable improvement before +it will ever be of any sound practical use in the field, with infantry +and in the advance, at any rate. + +After a while the enemy's fire lessened, although it still continued to +some extent, and we could see Morphett and his few men working their way +through the trees, and up to and beyond the farm. Soon they signalled to +us that all was clear and no enemy at the farm, but reported some to be +on a ridge in front of the farm, and in the row of trees to the left, +which we had already searched with our fire. So we peppered this row of +trees again with the Maxim, but were unable to develope any rifle fire +on the ridge, as the distance was rather too great for us to fire over +the heads of our men in front--some of the shots might have dropped +short. + +During this little episode the Derbyshire had been sent miles away to +the right, and the City Imperial Volunteers had moved against the slopes +of the hill, some way to our right. It was pleasant to watch their +advance party skirmishing up the slopes, which became steeper near the +top. They did it very well, and we watched them with much interest, +pushing their way, well extended, moving slowly so as to keep their +breath, going steadily on advancing and gaining a firmer footing all the +time, although they must have been in momentary expectation of being +engulfed in a torrent of fire. We could see their advanced scouts out in +front creeping up to the crest line, and we waited, breathlessly, +fearing to hear at any instant the infernal din and clatter of a heavy +musketry fire opened on their column. Still they crept on and the +supports got closer up, and we were in dread that the Boers were waiting +only until the supports came closer up yet, before they opened a furious +and disorganising fire as they did at Magersfontein. + +At last the skirmishers gained the crest line, and we could see them run +forward and disappear over the ridge, followed by the supports and the +remainder of the regiment. Curiously enough, the ridge was not held by +the Boers, and the advance of the Brigade could take place at once. Our +little scheme of attack in the cleft was not, therefore, required, as +the C.I.V.'s had gained the summit; but the General sent forward two +companies to occupy the hill overlooking the farm. + +Why the Boers had neglected to occupy this long ridge and splendid +position, I have never been able to understand: there was every point in +their favour, except one, and we should have been compelled to make +frontal attacks all along the line, at very great loss, no doubt, before +we could have got a footing on the ridge. + +Once up there, the weak point was revealed: there was no line of retreat +for the Boers, except over open country, where we could have slated them +handsomely as they went. I think, all the same, that they should have +held this fine ridge all along its length, and eventually withdrawn to a +secondary position in rear, which they could have held for any length of +time. This secondary position, we found, they were actually occupying in +strength, but they neglected the primary position, and thus lost an +opportunity, to my mind, of checking our advance for, possibly, another +day, and doing us a lot of harm besides. However, the enemy's mistakes +are always our gain. + +Our two companies advanced in column of sections, in widely extended +order, with considerable distances between the sections, as we expected +to meet a heavy flanking fire going across the valley. As it happened, +however, only a dropping fire was opened on us, and we reached the farm +unscathed, scattered through it, and stretched away up the hill beyond. +A moment's glance sufficed to show that this hill was of no advantage to +us, and so we pushed on round it to the left, down the cleft, across the +road and up the other side. Nothing was to be seen from here but the +gently rising hill, with some rocks on our left front, so we lay down +and waited for further orders, as our original instructions to occupy +the ridge had been completed. + +On our right rear we could see the C.I.V.'s still coming over the ridge +and disappearing over the rising ground to the right, and, from their +movements, we could judge that they were coming under a hot fire as they +crossed the heights and came out on the open ground. From what we saw +afterwards, this view appeared correct, as the enemy, failing to occupy +the ridge itself, had retired to a strong position among rocks quite +1,500 yards to the right front, where, at his leisure and in perfect +safety himself, he could slate our troops as they advanced over the +open. + +Hearing all this firing on our right, while in front of us was absolute +peace and quietness, we became rather suspicious, and searched the +ground in front with our glasses; but, as is usually the case, no signs +of any enemy could be seen. The longer this stillness continued the more +suspicious it appeared; and we advanced cautiously when, shortly +afterwards, half of D company arrived with an order to move on and +occupy the rocky ridge to our left front. Another company was coming to +support us, and some guns were following: another Brigade was coming up +in rear, so, apparently, a general advance was being made. Still full of +suspicious feelings intensified by the stillness and inaction, we moved +on, but deployed into a wider front, so as to occupy as much of the +ridge as possible when we got there. The half of D company under Lieut. +Ashworth was on the right, then came E company under Captain Aldridge, +while F under Captain Gilbert was on the left: each being in column of +half companies and well extended. There were about 80 or 100 yards +between the two lines, which were now advancing over an open grassy +plateau, that rose gently to our front, where frowned the black rocks, +our objective. + +Slowly we went on, and a few shots dropped over, coming, seemingly, from +our right; later some more spirted up the dust at our feet, and we +quickened our pace slightly as we approached the rocky fringe which was +our destination. About 30 yards on our side of the edge, there was a +fringe of loose rocks and boulders, and, as we reached the first of +these and mounted the gradual slope which led upwards to the top, we +were enabled to look over the summit of the rocks, and our heads thus +became visible to the enemy beyond, who were evidently waiting for this. +Suddenly there was the most terrific outburst of rifle fire from our +front, and a perfect hailstorm of bullets rattled, whistled and shrieked +over our heads; luckily we were still too low down, or else the Boers +were just a moment too soon in delivering their fire, as but few men +were touched: instantly the officers yelled to their men to get under +cover, and down all hands dropped into perfect safety. Then up we crept +on hands and knees to the top, which was fringed with enormous rocks, +furnishing the most excellent cover: and through the interstices of +these we could open fire on the enemy; not that we actually saw any +enemy (during the whole of that eventful day I did not see one single +Boer), but we found out where they were. In front of us, and on the +other side of a deep valley covered with rocks, was another rocky ridge, +exactly similar to that upon which we were lying; and from this the +enemy's bullets were still shrieking and whistling over our heads, +fired, doubtless, from chinks and crevices between rocks similar to +those we were now using. + +About 800 yards was the range, and we pushed up every rifle into the +firing line, made head cover for ourselves, and kept up a furious fire +for some little time. The second line coming up behind us, composed of +the rear half companies, had some casualties, Lieut. Morphett being shot +in the thigh, and one or two of the men being wounded. Private Bowles +of F company was shot on the foot, through boot and all, by a dropping +bullet; he was much astonished and spun round and round several times. + +Soon afterwards B and C companies, under Major Panton and Capt. +Wroughton, came up to reinforce us, and they also were spread out behind +rocks and told to keep up a continual fire. Probably owing to the fact +that they could see nothing, the enemy gradually reduced their rifle +fire until it almost ceased; but they now opened on us with a couple of +pom-poms, fortunately for us not beginning until after we had reached +the rocks and had established ourselves under cover. Almost at the same +time, a heavy shell fire was commenced at us, but soon discontinued, as +we afforded the enemy's gunners no object to shoot at. This shell fire +was from our left front; we could not locate the gun, but wherever it +was, it remained there, and in action, all the afternoon, although we +were not afterwards troubled by it. The pom-poms came from the far +right, where we could just distinguish the rocky tops of some elevated +ground, and had they been closer would no doubt have done considerable +damage, as they were quite on our right flank. + +As though all this shell and rifle and pom-pom fire was not enough, we +were now treated to a shell from the rear, which struck close to a man +of B company and covered him with dust and dirt. Taking a man with me, I +ran down into a safe spot, and we both waved our helmets vigorously for +some minutes, when apparently we were observed from the battery which +was firing at us, as no more shells came over our way. + +The intensity of our firing had now somewhat dropped, as had that of the +enemy, neither of us giving the other much to fire at; but the Boers +were very watchful, and you could not look over your rock without one +or two shots whizzing past immediately. + +There was nothing more to be done but to sit and wait; it was impossible +to advance further, even if we had had orders to do so. + +About five o'clock there was a tremendous outburst of firing, but not +all in our direction; and then we saw, to our left rear, a battalion of +Guards, (Coldstreamers they were) coming up towards the rocks. They went +through precisely the same experience as we had, and after a while +commenced company volleys at the opposite side of the ravine, where the +Boers were concealed, and continued for some time to pour in consistent +volley firing. Meantime the Boer fire dropped to almost nothing, but +every now and then, whenever there was a longer interval than usual +between the volleys of the Guards, the rattle and whizz of the Mausers +developed suddenly into a furious hailstorm, and as quickly died away +again, showing that the Boers had some system of control of fire. + +General Bruce Hamilton came up to where I was and had a look at the +position, and I pointed out to him the direction from which the pom-pom +fire had come; he looked at the hills through his telescope, and said he +saw some of the Boers' horses collected at the base of a rock, and would +send a gun up to us to have a shot at them. The gun came up shortly +afterwards, but it was then too late to see any distance, and the shells +fell short. + +All the afternoon, a most interesting artillery duel had been going on +between the 82nd Battery and the enemy's gun to which I have alluded, as +being in position to our left front: our battery came into action near +the cleft in the hill through which the road past Botha's Farm runs, and +for some hours shelled the Boer position on all sides. The Boers +answered the fire pluckily, and shelled the battery consistently for +some time: we had a good view of the whole action, and it seemed +marvellous that our guns could be worked at all in the face of the +clouds of shrapnel which were hurtling through the air, all round the +battery; but although they lost heavily in men and horses, they kept +their guns going until it was too dark to see any longer. + +Just as it was getting dusk, orders were received to withdraw from the +position after dark, but to leave three companies on picket, and to send +the remainder to the camp, which was being formed at Botha's Farm, +behind the hill. B, C and E companies were therefore left on picket, and +F company and the half of D returned to camp. + +The remainder of the battalion had stayed in reserve behind the hill +near the farm, G company being in advance somewhat and on the left of +the 82nd Battery, and the others behind the hill, near the Farm. + +Sad to relate, Captain Maguire was shot through the head whilst +ascending the hill near the farm: he was not even in sight of the enemy, +and must have been killed by a dropping bullet fired at extreme range. +Poor Maguire, always so cheery and full of spirits; it was his first and +only action, and he was the only man of ours killed in the two days +fighting.[8] + +Lord Roberts wired to the War Office on the 12th of June as follows: + +"After surrendering the city (Pretoria) Botha retired to a place about +15 miles east on the Middleburg road: he had a small force at first, but +during the last few days the numbers increased, and his being so near +the town kept up excitement in the country, prevented burghers from +laying down their arms, and interfered with the collection of supplies. + +"It became necessary to attack them. This I did yesterday. + +"He held a very strong position (practically unassailable in front) +which enabled him to place the main portion of his troops on his flanks, +which he knew from former experience were his vulnerable parts. + +"I sent French, with Porter's and Dickson's Cavalry Brigades and +Hutton's Mounted Infantry round by our left: Ian Hamilton with +Broadwood's and Gordon's Cavalry Brigades, Ridley's Mounted Infantry, +and Bruce Hamilton's Infantry Brigade round by our right. + +"Both columns met with great opposition, but about three in the +afternoon I saw two of Hamilton's Infantry battalions advancing to what +appeared to be the key of the enemy's defence on their left flank. This +was almost gained before dark and I ordered the force to bivouac on the +ground they had won." + +FOOTNOTE: + +[8] Our Casualties on the 12th of June were:-- + + KILLED. + Captain C. Maguire. + + WOUNDED. + 2nd Lieut. G. Morphett. + Cr. Sergeant F. Akehurst, B Company. + Lce. Corporal A. Tester, G " (died of wounds) + Private R. Davis G " + " W. Miller D " + " C. Divall F " + " J. Bowles F " + " A. Dennett F " + " F. Needham B " + " F. Guntley D " + " G. Wadham Vol. " + + + + +CHAPTER X. + +TO SPRINGS. + + Boers retreat during the night--Elandsrivier station--Through the + Boer positions--To Pretoria--Off again--Irene---Bad state of + clothing and boots--Difficulty of repairing the latter--To + Springs--Clothing and stores obtained from Johannesburg. + + +During the night the Boers vacated their position absolutely, so on the +13th June we made an early start, and the Brigade moved round to the +south-east in a circular direction and then headed east to Elandsrivier +station. On the way we passed some low hills on the south which had been +held the day before by the enemy, and we saw the place, at the foot of +the hills, where their horses had been standing, apparently for many +hours. These were the horses which had been seen by the General, but +which it was too dark for our shells to reach. The ground was also +strewn with Mauser cartridge papers and boxes, showing that they must +have refilled their bandoliers at this place before starting. Their +final position at Diamond Hill was plainly visible, due north of this +spot, the intervening ground being flat and open veldt; and it was, +possibly, very wise of them to have retreated during the night, and not +exposed themselves to the risk of being caught with open country in +their rear and no cover for miles. + +Elandsrivier is a small roadside station, with no town or houses near. +The Boers had done all the damage they could, smashed the water-tank and +pump, broken into the booking-office, looked into the safe with the aid +of a hammer and cold chisel, and written a notice for us on a sheet of +paper which we found pinned to the wall. + +It was written in pencil and ran as follows: + + "Sorry not to have found here the price of a ticket to St Helena. + + DE VAN DER MERWE, + Lieut.-Colonel Commanding the Potchefstroom Infantry. + Elandsrivier, 12th June, 1900." + +Possibly Colonel De Van der Merwe has, ere this, been provided with a +free passage to the island he mentions! + +The Camerons rejoined us on the 14th, having been detained with their +baggage and the convoy all this time, and having to their great sorrow +missed all the fighting. + +On the next day, the 15th of June, the Brigade moved off towards +Pretoria, passing on the road the Diamond Mine, and entering the defile +which had formed part of the main Boer position on the 12th. This defile +had been, seemingly, held in great force by the enemy, and it was +somewhere on the right of the defile that they had had their gun in +position: the defile, which was the main road to Pretoria, wound in and +out, the track threading its way among the hills for some considerable +distance. + +About half way through we passed a farm with a large dam, and here there +were numerous indications of the recent presence of a large body of +Boers with their wagons, as the ground was covered for some space with +hoofmarks, remains of fires, cartridge papers, etc. This laager had been +immediately in rear of the final Boer position, which we passed, black +and frowning, on our left; from the front it was steep and impassable +and covered with huge rocks; on top, the hill sloped to the rear, and +the descent on the enemy's side was easy, so that the position presented +many points in favour of the Boers. + +On either side of the defile, or pass, at this point were huge ravines +covered with black rocks, running up into the hills: one of these +ravines on our left was recognised as being the one which had lain +between us and the enemy, and just beyond it was the hill which we had +occupied. + +We were now just clearing the defile, and the position revealed itself +to us in all its massive strength: on the right it ran back for miles, +a huge wall of rock, black and glistening, and rising almost sheer out +of the plain, but with a low glacis of grassy veldt in front; on the +left the position was more in the nature of a range of grass covered +hills, with some broken ground and a few isolated kopjes in front. This +was the ground that we had manoeuvred over on the two previous days, +and, having now passed through the Boer position in two places, we were +quite at a loss to understand why they did not make a better stand, and +we thought ourselves very fortunate in having escaped with the moderate +loss that we had experienced. + +The road to Pretoria wound off to the right, and passed for some miles +at the base of this precipitous range of rocks, which continued to run +in a northerly direction towards Pretoria. + +We camped at night at the foot of these hills, at a farm called Schwartz +Kopje; from here the range became lower and lower until it merged into +the hills round Pretoria. + +Around us were many farms, and some country houses belonging to Pretoria +people, whilst a few miles to the north lay the railway line, and a +large distillery at a spot called Eerstefabrieken. + +Lord Roberts wired to the War Office on the 14th of June as follows:-- + +"As I telegraphed yesterday from our outposts 15 miles east of Pretoria, +the Boers evacuated their position during the night of the 12th. They +had paid so much attention to strengthening their flanks that their +centre was weakly held, and as soon as this became evident on the 12th I +directed Ian Hamilton to attack. + +"He moved against Diamond Hill with the Sussex, Derby and City Imperial +Volunteers, supported on his left by the Guards' Brigade under Inigo +Jones. + +"It was grand seeing the way our men advanced over difficult ground and +under heavy fire. The casualties were, I am thankful to say, less than +100--a very small number considering the natural strength of the +position that had to be carried. Our seizure of Diamond Hill caused the +Boers to feel that they were practically surrounded, and this resulted +in their hasty retirement. They were being followed yesterday by some of +our mounted troops. + +"Hamilton speaks in high terms of the three battalions above mentioned, +and of the admirable manner in which the 82nd Field Battery covered the +advance, the good work performed by De Lisle's Mounted Infantry, and the +valuable assistance afforded by the Guards' Brigade." + +Next day we made our second entry into Pretoria, this time from the +East. The place was full of troops, the Guards' Brigade, 19th Brigade, +and others being camped close to us on the east of the town. On Sunday, +the 17th, and the next day, we remained in camp, but spent a good deal +of time roaming over the town, and buying bread and whatever else we +could find to eat. Although the first day was Sunday, the Canteen people +found out that the worthy shopkeepers of Pretoria were not averse to +turning an honest penny, and were mostly inside their shops, like +spiders in their webs, waiting for business--but only, of course, +through the back door. The Canteen laid in a good stock, although at +famine prices, but in the afternoon the District Commissioner ordered +the shops to be opened, so that the troops could buy what they wanted. +This thoughtful act was productive of much benefit to the rank and file. + +Too much rest, however, has always been an unknown quantity to the 21st +Brigade, so the next morning we trekked again, and, going through part +of the town, we were all pleased to find that Lord Roberts had come out +in the early morning to see us go by. The band struck up the march +past, and we all looked our best and strode onward as though we had only +just landed. There is one point about Lord Roberts which every man on +that column realised, and that is the power of the veteran +Commander-in-Chief to see more in a glance than most men in a prolonged +stare. There were few men in the battalion who did not catch the +Field-Marshal's piercing eye as we went past, and each felt that his +innermost thoughts were being ferreted out. General Kelly was by his +chief's side, and looked very pleased to see his old regiment, and to +hear the familiar old tune. + +We reached Irene in good time, and found there Captain Mackenzie and +about a hundred men, mostly lame ducks: they had been left at Irene when +we were there last in order to escort a battery by rail to Vereeniging, +and had now returned, having completed this duty. + +Unfortunately for them they had missed all the fighting of the 11th and +12th round Diamond Hill, but their turn was to come in good time. A +large number of soldiers of all regiments, released prisoners, were at +Irene employed in repairing the railway line. The Boers had blown up the +bridge some time previously, but it was an easy matter to make a +diversion, and the traffic was not stopped for long. + +From Irene, Captain Wroughton and myself were sent on by the General by +train to Johannesburg, with orders to buy canteen stores and some +clothing for the men, and to rejoin at Springs in two days time. As +regards clothing, the men were pretty well in rags, and their boots were +in tatters. The khaki serge, with which the reserve men had been +provided, was shoddy of the worst quality, and wore out with the +greatest rapidity: the City Imperial Volunteers, who were all dressed, +or rather undressed, in it, were a piteous sight: in fact they were so +badly off that many of them had bought themselves tweed and moleskin +trousers in Pretoria, to cover their nakedness. + +The khaki drill lasts much longer, and has the advantage of being +washable: besides, it keeps the dust out much better than the serge, or +rather shoddy, and it possesses the further advantage of being all of +one colour: it was a common sight to see men in serge with coats and +sleeves, or pockets, of quite different shades, while, as for trousers, +they were all the colours of the rainbow. Khaki drill is, of course, not +so warm as the shoddy, but the addition of cardigan jackets and drawers +enables men to suit themselves as to warmth. We had never received the +warm coats issued to many regiments; we could not have carried them if +we had, as we were so short of transport; but De Wet had collared all +our clothing, boots and mails at Rhenoster. By the way, the British +soldier, no matter how generous he may be to an enemy, will never +forgive De Wet for destroying all the mails on that occasion, as the +harm that was done and the uneasiness that was caused to thousands of +friends at home was inflicted on the unfortunate writers of the letters, +not on the soldiers to whom they were addressed. + +As regards boots, we were in a terribly bad way; the incessant marching +and want of grease, which we had no means of carrying, and the absence +of any means of executing slight repairs had played the deuce with them. +Our shoemakers were always at work in camp, whenever there was a halt +for a day; but leather and other materials were not easily procurable, +and we should have needed at least twenty-five men to cope with the work +in the time available: nor is any provision made for carrying tools and +leather in the wagons. On every march quite a number of men, who had no +boots, had to be carried on wagons, and I have often seen men walking +along with no boots at all, merely their putties twisted round their +feet. Nothing could be done, either, to improve matters: boots were not +to be had, although in every town a demand was at once made for all the +boots in the shops. Those produced were either Bond-street shoes, or +else miners' boots, which are not intended for walking in, as a number +of our officers and men, who tried them, found to their cost. + +It seems such a farce to establish shoemakers' shops in peace time, when +there are hundreds of civilian cobblers to be had, and then, immediately +a regiment goes on service and the shop would be of some benefit, to +close it. + +Another ridiculous anomaly, which will hardly be believed, is that in +the Artillery, the drivers, _who never walk_, carry two pairs of ankle +boots, one on their feet and one on their saddles; but, in the Infantry, +_who never ride_, only one pair of boots is allowed, those on their +feet! + +The advance on Pretoria had been so rapidly executed that the railway +was occupied, day and night, in bringing up food for the troops, and had +absolutely no room for stores, clothing, boots, or even, for some time, +for the mails. + +On the 20th of June the battalion left Irene, and marched about 14 miles +to Vlakfontein, bivouacing near the head quarters of the East Rand +Exploration Company: the evening was enlivened by the biggest veldt fire +experienced, as yet, during the campaign. With a strong wind blowing, it +came down on the Brigade camp at such a pace, that although steps were +taken to burn a fire guard along the hill above the camp, when the fire +was about a mile and a half away, yet the zone was completed only just +in time; indeed several carts had to be hurriedly removed to places of +security. + +Next day the march was continued through the usual undulating country; +on the way a vast pan, or depression in the ground more or less full of +water, was passed: it was fully a mile across, and, although at the time +nearly dried up, it gave us an idea (for it was the first that we had +come across in the course of our wanderings) of what these enormous +natural reservoirs must be in the rainy season. + +On the right flank, large numbers of tall chimneys and mining shafts +could be seen about eight miles off, which proved to belong to the coal +mines of Boksburg and Brakpan. These must be most prosperous centres in +times of peace, but just then only one or two gave signs of being at +work, and probably they were only pumping to keep the water within +limits. + +This 21st of June was eventful from the fact that it brought the first +rain which the battalion had experienced since leaving Glen; and as all +our notable events were heavily scored and immense successes, so was +this thunderstorm. Rain and hail came down in torrents, followed by a +fall of snow, which was more interesting than pleasant; and the +unfortunate battalion, which on this day was on baggage and rear guard, +reached its camp at Springs wet and wretched after a tramp of about +fourteen miles. + +Fortunately the weather cleared up, and this, with a plentiful supply of +coal procured from the railway station, completely altered the +complexion of affairs; and, as is usual with soldiers (particularly on +service), in half an hour all trouble was forgotten. + +The Royal Canadian Regiment of Infantry was in garrison at Springs: they +formed part of General Smith-Dorrien's Brigade, which was on the line of +communications between Pretoria, Johannesburg and the Vaal; they had +fixed themselves up in the large engine shed at the railway station, and +were quite settled down, with bugle calls and other camp comforts. + +Springs is purely a railway station, there being no town or village, or +anything of that kind; in course of time this little station will find +itself on the direct line, via Middleburg, to Delagoa Bay, as the branch +line, which already exists, to the coal mines at Springs is undoubtedly +on the direct road between Johannesburg and the main line at Middelburg; +this new line will save a considerable journey round by Pretoria, and +will enhance the importance of Johannesburg, bringing it into direct +communication with the sea. + +Captain Wroughton and I, when we left the battalion at Irene, had a long +journey to Johannesburg: we started at half past six in the evening and, +although the usual run by train is about two hours, the distance being +only 24 miles, yet we did not get into the Park station until 1.30 a.m. +Later in the day we went round to the larger shops, and bought stores +and tobacco for the Brigade canteen to the value of about L1,500. We +were lucky to be able to buy about L350 worth of English tobacco, at +such a price as enabled it to be sold retail at 8s. a pound, the usual +price in the shops in Johannesburg being 12s. a pound; but we had been +told of a Bonded Customs store in Johannesburg, in which was a large +quantity of tobacco belonging to Boer dealers, whose property had been +confiscated; this was being sold by our Government to the British +troops, so we decided to purchase a large quantity. + +We then went round to the wholesale clothing merchants to try and buy +shirts, trousers and socks for the men of the Brigade, and were +fortunate in finding a large quantity in a store owned by Lazarus and +Jacobson; we took all the shirts they had and all their stock of socks, +and that of another large firm close by. The trousers were very fancy +articles: they were mostly of moleskin and corduroy, cut in the approved +coster pattern "saucy over the trotters," and we took all that we could +find large enough to fit our men. We visited several other large +warehouses, but could find no more of the articles we wanted. At the +railway goods station we had some trouble with the stationmaster, who +was a new hand. He was a sergeant in an Infantry regiment, who, of +course, tried to introduce red tape into the matter, and kept back the +cases, two whole truck loads of them, saying that they were officers' +mess stores and that we must pay freight first; all this trouble with +the train starting in half an hour, and the Brigade leaving Springs, the +other end of the line, the next morning. However, this stationmaster +listened to reason eventually, and we got away at last, only two hours +late, and arrived at Springs during the night. Early the next morning +the stores were transferred to ox wagons, and went on with the Brigade. + + + + +CHAPTER XI. + +TO REITZ. + + Heidelberg--The ladies' flag--Surrenders--Useless rifles--A duck + hunt--Grass fires--Villiersdorp--Frankfort--Reitz--A Boer farm. + + +We left Springs on the 22nd of June, and had a march of about ten miles +before we reached our next camp, Grootfontein. This we found to be about +eight miles from Heidelberg, which we reached fairly early the next day, +the Cavalry and the Mounted Infantry having gone on in advance and +having come into contact with several strong parties of the enemy. + +Just outside the town we were met by some ladies in a carriage, who had +come out to meet the British troops, and who had brought a most gorgeous +banner, all worked in silk by hand, with a portrait of the Queen on one +side and the Union Jack on the other, together with an inscription, +embroidered in white silk, "Presented to the Royal Sussex Regiment by +the Ladies of Heidelberg, 23rd June, 1900." + +Of course, the name of the regiment was left blank at the time the +banner was presented, but the ladies stitched the name in that +afternoon. It seems that they had been working hard, embroidering this +flag in secret, for several months, and had determined to present it to +the first British regiment to enter the town after the Boers had been +driven out; and as luck would have it, it was our turn to lead the +Brigade that day. + +The ladies explained all this while the regiment halted by the roadside, +and then the colonel thanked them in the name of the regiment, saying we +would always keep the banner in the regiment in remembrance of the +loyalty of the ladies of Heidelberg. Then the band struck up and we +marched off to camp, the Sergeant-Major carrying the flag at the head of +the battalion, and we all cheering the ladies as we passed them. They +were greatly pleased at this, and stood and watched us go by, smiling +and waving their hands; while we, all in rags and tatters, with dirty, +hairy faces and worn out boots, grinned amiably in return. + +We remained four days at Heidelberg, most of us being accommodated in +the railway goods sheds, and in some tents which we found there; the +Derbyshire were in some small empty houses, and the Camerons in tents, +the C.I.V.'s being put up in the engine shed. There was now leisure to +issue the clothing which I had bought in Johannesburg, and which was +sadly needed; and we had time to wash ourselves and our clothes, and to +clean up a bit--not before it was needed. + + Extract from Divisional Orders, 25th June, 1900. + +"A telegram has been received from the F.-M. C. in C. heartily +congratulating Hamilton's force on the occupation by them of the +important town of Heidelberg and on the dispersal of the enemy from its +vicinity. In this telegram the F.-M. desires Lieut.-Gen. Ian Hamilton to +remain quiet in Heidelberg until his broken collar bone is set, when he +will rejoin his force. Meanwhile Lieut.-Gen. Sir Archibald Hunter is +ordered to take over temporary command, and Gen. Hamilton, much as he +regrets his enforced separation from his troops, cannot refrain from +congratulating them in passing under the orders of so distinguished a +leader as his friend Gen. Hunter." + +The Brigade Canteen opened at the railway station, and in three days +sold out the whole of the enormous stock brought from Johannesburg; the +profits of this canteen up to the date of leaving Heidelberg worked out +to L186 15s. 9d., which was divided among the battalions of the Brigade +and the battery, the former receiving L44 16s. 4d. each, and the latter +L7 10s. 5d. + +Heidelberg is the prettiest little town that we have seen in these +colonies, and the most English; there is quite a large population, and a +large colony of Hindustanis working on the railway, which is an +important line, as it connects Johannesburg with Natal. The bridges and +culverts had been destroyed by the Boers before leaving, so that trains +could not run up to the town just yet from the west, but had to wait +outside, some miles away. + +Quite a large number of Boers had come in to surrender their arms and to +take the oath of allegiance, but I am afraid that this was, in many +cases, merely an empty form; in this town, as in others, many of the +rifles brought in were old and valueless. The older rifles, which were +of all kinds and patterns (Westley Richards, Enfields, Martinis and many +bearing no maker's name, merely the seller's), must have been splendid +and costly weapons in their day. There were many quaint old shot guns, +besides several of the earlier patterns of breech loading rifles, such +as Whitworths, Spencers and Remingtons, many of which were rusty, +damaged and out of order. + +Every man over 16 and under 60 in the colony had been compelled to +purchase a Mauser rifle from the Boer Government at a cost of L3. 7s. +6d., so that if he did not return it to us when he surrendered, he must +have either disposed of it or hidden it for use on some future occasion, +by himself or his friends. + +General FitzRoy Hart, who had commanded the Brigade in which we served +when at Aldershot, marched in with his Brigade of Irish troops the day +after we arrived at Heidelberg, and encamped on the opposite side of the +hill to us. We were greatly interested at seeing them proceed to pitch +_tents_, when we poor wretches had been sleeping out on the veldt for +months, and had every prospect of continuing to do so for some time to +come--a prospect, I may as well say at once, which was realised to the +full, as we did not receive tents until the 13th of November. + +On the 26th of June the Brigade marched out of Heidelberg and trekked +away south, accompanied by an enormous convoy of about 180 wagons of +supplies, which retarded our progress considerably. We camped that +evening at Bierlaagte, a pleasant little farm belonging to an English +company and managed by an Englishman, where there was a large dam in the +centre of a big depression in the hills, which afforded plenty of water +to the transport animals. There were a few duck on this water, but what +with Major Cardew on one side and Capt. Gilbert on another, and a crowd +of men throwing stones on the other two sides, those duck had an unhappy +time, and had to bow to the inevitable. There were other amusements on +this occasion besides duck shooting; we were just seeking our bivouacs +when we got orders to turn out and protect the camp against another +enemy, which was approaching rapidly from the south east. This was an +enormous grass fire, which was roaring and flaming and throwing out +immense clouds of smoke about a mile away. Driven by a strong breeze, +the fire, which extended over a wide front, was travelling towards us at +an alarming rate; the whole Brigade turned out, formed line just beyond +the limits of the camp, and lit small fires in hundreds. By judicious +fanning and with the aid of the in-draught, these small fires soon +joined hands and roared away to meet their friend in front. When the two +fires _did_ meet there was a most tempestuous greeting, and then they +both disappeared and all was over. Our manoeuvre was most successful, +and we slept peacefully, without any fear of being burnt in our beds. + +It is astonishing what an amount of damage these grass fires can do when +they flash over a camp: rifles are charred, belts and clothes scorched, +harness destroyed, rations ruined, and animals severely burned; and all +by a wretched little flicker of flame running across the grass. + +Frequently these fires are caused by carelessness, and, as a rule, the +mounted scouts in our front got the credit of starting them; but the +result to the country was terrible at this time, July. There wasn't a +patch of grass, from Reitz to Winburg, for miles on each side of the +road, and the wretched transport animals suffered terribly from the want +of grazing. + +Villiersdorp was reached at seven in the evening on the 29th of June, +after a tiring march of 17 miles, during which the battalion was convoy +escort to the 180 wagons, which contained our supplies for 14 days. + +This escort duty is a wearisome business, as the ox wagons are always +the last to start; and although they travel at a good pace--quite as +fast as infantry want to march--yet even one drift is disastrous to +thoughts of getting into camp reasonably early. As a rule, the wagons +move four or even eight abreast on open country; but once a drift is +reached, single file is very often the only means of crossing, and this +means a long wait for the escort. If the drift is a bad one, and double +teams of bullocks have to be used to get each wagon across, the loss of +time is very great. + +Villiersdorp is a tiny little town on the banks of the Vaal, situated in +a hollow of the ground, where it is not seen until one is quite close +upon it. There are a few stone houses and a shop, but the town is, as +yet, quite in its infancy, although like Topsy, it will grow in time. +Anyhow the designers of the place have left lots of room, as the town is +well laid out, with wide streets and plenty of elbow room. I sincerely +trust that the very first job that the Town Council of Villiersdorp set +about, will be the construction, over the drift, of a first class, +man's size, doubled bottomed and copper fastened _bridge_ of the most +expensive quality, so that future generations of tired foot soldiers may +not have to lug heavy wagons up and down banks. + +On arrival we camped on the Transvaal side of the stream, as it was +late; but the ox wagons started crossing at daybreak, so that by mid-day +nearly all of them were over. They were followed by the Brigade baggage, +and at three o'clock in the afternoon the troops moved across the Vaal +once more, and led off to our camp, six miles out. The last time we +crossed the Vaal was on our entry into the Transvaal on the 26th of May; +now, just over a month later, we recrossed it and moved into a part of +the Orange Free State, or Orange River Colony, as it should be called, +which had not hitherto been traversed by our troops. + +Frankfort was reached next day, the 1st of July, and here we remained a +couple of days to rest the transport animals. It is a larger town than +Villiersdorp, but not nearly so important as Heidelberg, and apparently +does a trade with the surrounding farmers in wool and hides--as is the +way with most of the small towns in this colony, whose _raison d'etre_ +is apparently exchange and barter. + +The farmers bring in the wool, mealies and hides, and the dealers take +them over at a price--not too high, you may depend--and serve out +clothes, agricultural implements and other things in exchange. The +dealer ships off his lot of wool down to the railway, and eventually to +the large firms at the coast, who send him consignments of stores in +exchange, and so the game goes on merrily. The ox wagons which take +the hides and wool down to the railway bring back stores, building +materials and so on; thus there are no empty wagons wasting their +time trekking about the country. Most of the shops in a town have the +inscription--"Wolkoper, Allgemene Handlaar"--which may be interpreted +as "Wool-broker, General Dealer,"--and most articles required on a farm +may be purchased there. On market day farm produce, bullocks, cows and +other animals are sold or exchanged: every town, however small, has its +market square, and its bell, and its day when the farmers come in and +sell their stuff and talk politics and drink too much whisky.--The +C.I.V.'s left the Brigade on the 4th of July and proceeded with a convoy +to Heilbron; they never rejoined the Brigade again. + +Leaving Frankfort on the 4th of July, the battalion had a terribly bad +time with the convoy, as we were on guard over it on that day, and there +was one of the worst sandy drifts in South Africa to be crossed, three +miles out of Frankfort. If there is one kind of drift which is worse +than another it is the sandy one; wet drifts are no trouble, except that +the mules stop in the middle to drink and take their own time in +starting again: rocky ones can be cleared: muddy ones can be repaired: +steep ones can be cut down, but for sandy drifts there is no cure except +brute force to haul the wagons out of the sticky, clinging sand. + +Although to the next camp we had only eight or nine miles to go, and we +started at eleven in the morning, yet we did not get into our bivouacs +at Rietfontein until exactly twelve hours later, and then it had been +freezing since seven o'clock that evening. However, that good old +soldier Pearce, the Quartermaster, who had got in fairly early, had +started fires and boiled water for the men's tea, although he had to +take all the wood off the biscuit boxes for fuel. We thought at the time +that that day's work was pretty well a record, but it was to be beaten +hollow by one or two days which we experienced afterwards. + +The next was also a long day's work, but good going over the veldt, +although there was lots of it, as we tramped a good twenty miles before +settling down for the night. Scarcity of water was the reason of this +long march: we had halted for a couple of hours at mid-day, and went on +again with the intention of reaching water, so we had to stick to it and +trek away until we did come to water. Major Shaw, the Brigade Major, did +a fair amount of galloping that day, looking for water, and no doubt his +pony, if he is still alive, has not forgotten the 5th of July. + +However, the next day compensated us for our hard work, as we had a +short march of merely ten or eleven miles, which, with a halt at mid-day +for a couple of hours, brought us into camp about four o'clock. There is +no doubt that, where troops are marching with a big convoy, it is a wise +thing to give the infantry a rest of a couple of hours in the middle of +the day, as it enables the convoy to close up, to water and feed, and to +get a short rest too. Transport animals travel all the better after +being watered and after having had a short rest, and it is a sound +policy to do this, as the column travels all the faster afterwards. The +Boers, when they are trekking, water their animals much more frequently +than we do, and they often made the remark to me that we were killing +our bullocks by not giving them a rest. On all marches the pace of the +column undoubtedly depends on the rate at which the slowest wagon +travels, and matters should, therefore, be arranged with regard to that +fact. Apart from considerations of safety, it is not sound to see the +troops trekking away into camp with the convoy sprawling along the road, +and with the rear guard clustering behind the last wagon. + +Another short march fetched us into Reitz, at mid-day on the 7th of +July: half the battalion and two guns were sent to occupy a farmhouse at +the foot of a hill, about a mile and a half away from the town--but +such a farm house! The doors and windows were gone, the ceilings and +floors had been wrenched away, part of the corrugated iron roof was +gone, and several of the rafters had been cut off short with saws, so +that the rest of the roof was in rather a dicky condition. This mass of +ruins rejoiced afterwards in the select name of "Joe Muggins' Farm." + +All Boer farms are more or less similar, and the buildings and outhouses +are practically identical in their shape and general appearance. First +of all there must be one or more dams which contain the water supply for +the cattle, and which are usually constituted so as to drain a +considerable area of watershed. A few trees are sometimes planted to +bind the embankment, but as a rule the burgher does not bother about +improving his property by arboriculture, but contents himself by growing +an orchard of peaches and apricots, and by planting a number of +eucalyptus trees round his homestead. This is indispensable in every +well-conducted farm. + +The buildings themselves are very ramshackle in design, the fact being +that the farmer on his first arrival builds himself a hut, which, as he +becomes a prosperous man, and his family increases with years, he adds +to whenever an opportunity occurs. There is always, however, a bit of +neglected garden in front of the house, with a step or two of stone +leading up to the verandah or _stoep_. As a rule, small rooms exist on +the sides of the verandah, whilst the _sitzkamer_ or drawing-room opens +on to it. This is a sealed-pattern room, and very funny to look into, as +all are alike, varying only in the quantity of furniture crammed into it +by the wealthy farmer. An American organ with perhaps a piano, of course +hopelessly out of tune, is flanked by the regulation two arm chairs and +six straight backed ditto, all carefully hung around with +antimacassars. On the walls are crayon enlargements of photos of the +master of the house and his _vrouw_, supported by lithographs of various +crowned heads, and enlivened by coloured pictures from the Christmas +numbers. The floor is covered with a carpet and a few skins, and a few +odd tables rest in fixed positions, supporting some china ornaments and +other little knick-knacks. The family Bible, containing the records of +births, deaths and marriages, occupies a prominent position in the room. + +The dining-room is close by, and is really the living room of the +family, and, like the _sitzkamer_, is conspicuous by its want of +ventilation. At meal times, the men of the family sit down first and are +waited on by the ladies of the family, and by Kaffir servants in various +stages of undress. After the biltong and stormbacks are finished, the +women folk are permitted to see what they can find left to satisfy their +appetites. Another prominent room in every Boer house is the guest +chamber. Here everything is spick and span, and the furniture is +complete in every detail, including a washing basin and a bath; but of +course no self-respecting Boer would dream of spoiling his record by +wasting such a lot of water. The kitchen usually contains an American +stove, and has a brick oven built outside one end of the room. Of +course, all baking has to be done on the farm, and lucky has been the +soldier who has reached a farm before his comrades, and has been enabled +to buy his loaf of bread. + +Outside in the compound, various animals of the usual farmyard type, +with a few guinea fowl, a peacock and perhaps an ostrich or two, roam at +large. A large wagon shed with a loft above, a woolshed and one or two +smaller storehouses comprise all the outbuildings. The ploughs and other +agricultural implements, which by the way are universally of American +manufacture, lie about everywhere. + +At Reitz we remained from the 7th to the 13th of July, being occupied +during the first two days in constructing some temporary defences on +both sides of the town, which was commanded by large hills of some +considerable elevation; these were held by our battalion, and upon them +earthworks were constructed in prominent positions. The town is a small +one of little importance, consisting of only a few houses: there were +hardly any residents left on our arrival, and nearly all the houses had +been emptied of their furniture, so our Head-Quarters companies were +enabled to occupy them as billets. + +The Highland Brigade, who had left the neighbourhood of Frankfort the +same day as we did, and who had marched parallel to us, but at some +considerable distance away, did not halt at Reitz, but continued on +through the town on their way to Bethlehem. + +The convoy wagons were emptied of their supplies, which were stored in +various buildings, and a column, consisting of the Derbyshire and some +Mounted Infantry, went off, under command of Col. Cunningham, to +Heilbron. The Derbyshire have not been seen since in the 21st Brigade, +as they shortly afterwards formed part of a Brigade of which Colonel +Cunningham was given the command; as they are to remain in South Africa +and as we are commencing a long tour of foreign service in India, +goodness knows when we shall see this fine old regiment again. + +At the Farm where A, E, F and G companies were stationed, we had a +company and a half on picket daily; their posts were rendered more +defensible, and huts were built with corrugated iron roofs for the +pickets to sleep in at night, as it was still very cold in the early +morning. Veldt fires were constantly blazing all round us, and one +night, at eleven o'clock, E company had to turn out to save our two +guns, which were established on the hill above us, from being burned +out. It took E the best part of an hour to put out the dangerous part of +this fire, and it had to be done by beating out the flames with +blankets. + +Continuous firing early one morning from one of the pickets turned us +all out in alarm: the regimental staff galloped off to see what the +enemy's strength was, and in what direction his attack was coming: the +battery hurriedly harnessed their horses and got ready to move up the +hill, when a message came down to the General to say that it was a false +alarm. It turned out that the picket had seen a herd of buck quietly +grazing, and thinking some venison would be a good thing for dinner in +place of the usual trek ox, had first let off a volley at 800 yards and +had then continued with independent firing for some little time! + +A considerable number of burghers came in every day and surrendered +their arms, taking the oath of allegiance also; but, as before, many of +the guns and rifles sent in were worthless: several were of very weird +patterns, with all sorts of curious backsights: one had flaps, sighted +to a number of distances, fitted along the barrel from the breech to the +muzzle; another had a hinged backsight leaf which ran in grooves from +one end of the barrel to the other. + + + + +CHAPTER XII. + +TO MEYER'S KOP. + + Leeuwspruit--Bethlehem--De Wet surrounded--Ridley goes to + Slabbert's Nek--De Wet already through--Meyer's Kop---Rifle + Positions--Inefficiency of shrapnel--Necessity of adapting tactics + to those of the enemy--A looted store. + + +We marched out of Reitz on the 13th of July, and camped at Hartebeeste +Hoek about dusk, experiencing an icy cold night with a very heavy frost: +the companies on picket suffered severely, as there was no wood to be +got in the neighbourhood. Our march the next day to Leeuwspruit, just +outside Bethlehem, was very trying indeed: there was a strong wind +blowing from our front, and clouds of dust gathered up from the burnt up +veldt stung our faces and filled our eyes and mouths. There was not a +patch of grass anywhere, nothing but black ground for miles: the battery +on this occasion, with unusual want of thought, persisted in marching on +the windward side, every now and then raising up great clouds of dust, +which came rolling over to us like black smoke from a huge fire. It is +difficult and trying for horses, which walk faster than men, to keep in +rear of a battalion of infantry, and for this reason a careful battery +commander tries to get on the flank of infantry; but when the wind is +blowing from that flank, it is very uncomfortable for the foot soldiers. + +We halted a day and a half at Leeuwspruit, and left that place at three +o'clock in the afternoon on the 16th of July for Bethlehem, reaching the +town at dusk and halting for orders on the outskirts. The Camerons +received orders to remain at Bethlehem with the G.O.C., the Headquarters +of the Brigade, the Supplies and the Field Hospital; but we were +directed to fill up our wagons with several days' rations and to +proceed with Major Simpson's battery, the 81st to a farm called +Sevastopol, lying somewhat to the south west. We waited a couple of +hours while our wagons went off to draw rations, which were all over the +place--biscuit in one camp, tea and sugar in the town--and eventually we +got away, at 8.30 p.m., in pitch darkness. We led out through the town +looking still and ghostly in the dark and up a steep and terribly sandy +road, which tried our overloaded wagons to the utmost, until at last we +reached the open veldt, where the road was hard, and clear from rocks +and sand. On the top of this hill we had a long wait, while the wagons +were closed up: we lay down and tried to keep warm, but the cold was too +intense, and finally the whole battalion had to stand up and move about +to keep their blood circulating. So we went on, halting every now and +then to allow the lagging wagons to close up, until at last at the top +of a sudden drop into a valley our advanced guard was challenged by a +picket, whom we found to belong to Ridley's Mounted Infantry, camped +about a mile further on. + +It seems that news had been received that De Wet, who was almost +surrounded by Hunter's and Rundle's Divisions and was shut up inside the +cordon of hills enclosing the Caledon Valley (access to which was only +to be obtained by certain passes which were watched by several +Brigades), was suspected of an intention to break out; and we had been +packed off in a hurry to guard Ridley's baggage and rations while he +dashed off towards Slabbert's Nek, one of these passes, to intercept De +Wet in case he tried to break out in that direction. + +At half past two in the morning we formed up in the valley, posted +pickets and got some sleep; but at half-past five we were on the move +again. Ridley had gone off at daybreak, taking his baggage with him, so +we started and marched about four miles, and then halted by the roadside +near Meyer's Kop, for further orders. In the distance, another four +miles on, rose the hills surrounding the Caledon Valley: we could just +distinguish the break in the range leading to the pass or Nek, which was +somewhat inside the fringe of low-lying hills. Four miles to the south +could be seen the camp and tents of General Paget's Brigade, with which +signalling communication was opened. A signal station was also +established on the top of Meyer's Kop, and communication opened with +Conical Hill, a sugar loaf peak about five miles south of Bethlehem. +Orders were received in the afternoon from General Hunter, who was then +in Bethlehem, directing us to remain at Meyer's Kop for the present; so +the Colonel selected a site for a camp, and we settled down in a valley +close under this kopje, bivouacing on a dirty piece of blackened, burnt +up ground, which was the cleanest that could be found. + +The force under Lieut.-Colonel Donne's command consisted of our +battalion, the 81st Battery, a few local irregulars of Prince Alfred's +Guards, and, later, some of the Lovat Scouts. + +We heard afterwards that De Wet had succeeded in breaking out of +Slabbert's Nek before we arrived, passing within a mile of where we were +then camped, and had gone off with 1,200 men and no wagons, only Cape +carts, in the direction of the railway. All our available Mounted +Infantry, under General Ridley, had hurried after him, and General +Broadwood, with his cavalry, had snatched up the Derbyshire regiment to +look after his baggage and had hastened off in the same direction. The +futility of chasing mounted men with a force dependent for their +supplies on wagons escorted by infantry was soon apparent, and, as is +now a matter of history, De Wet succeeded in making good his escape, +and led our troops a dance which lasted for months, and covered the +greater part of the Orange River Colony. + +Our energies were now concentrated on keeping the remainder of the Boer +commandos inside the Caledon Valley, exit from which could only be +obtained from the passes at Ficksburg, Slabbert's Nek, Retief's Nek, +Naauwpoort Nek and Golden Gate; these were watched--at Ficksburg by +Rundle, who was advancing up the Caledon Valley towards Fouriesburg; by +Paget's Brigade and ourselves at Slabbert's Nek; by Hector Macdonald's +Highland Brigade at Retief's Nek; and by Bruce Hamilton, who with the +remains of his Brigade was advancing towards Naauwpoort Nek; but, as +regards Golden Gate, which was not passable for wagons, it would appear +that this pass was not watched by any of our troops. + +Meyer's Kop was a rock of extraordinary shape. Imagine a huge sugar +loaf, which had been cut in half horizontally, so that the lower half +formed a great truncated cone, and then stick this up in the centre of a +level plain, and you have a fair idea of what this kopje, at whose base +we bivouacked for six days, looked like. There was a certain amount of +debris and many huge rocks scattered around the base of the kopje; its +sides were quite perpendicular except on the north, where there was a +winding path by which access might be had to the summit. The top was +almost flat, one enormous table-top of rock, about 80 yards across and +full of huge pot holes, which in ages gone by had been washed out by the +action of water. + +There were numerous other kopjes similar to this one in the +neighbourhood, and it is easy to conceive how, at one time, all the +surrounding country had been at the bottom of the sea, and how it had +risen gradually, the pinnacles of rock like Meyer's Kop, all scored and +washed clean by the rushing water, appearing first out of the sea. At +one corner of the rock, on the top, were piles and piles of cartridge +cases, Mauser, Lee-Metford and Martini, lying in little heaps in places +which showed us how each Boer marksman had taken up his position, +concealed behind most excellent cover, whence to shoot down from his +point of vantage our soldiers as they advanced across the open plain +beneath or showed themselves over the rising ground, at points of which +every Boer of course knew the range. To these men, each snug in his +little nook among the rocks, our rifle fire would have no terrors, as +our bullets would whizz harmlessly over their heads, even if aimed in +their direction--an unlikely event, for the chances would be hundreds to +one that the Boers would never be spotted as long as they used cordite. + +Shell fire also would cause no trepidation to a Boer well posted behind +cover; but I doubt if he would have been so happy, or would even have +remained so long behind his cover, had he been exposed to the old +fashioned shell fire from mortars, where the projectiles, fired at a +high angle with a varying charge of powder, sailed slowly and +gracefully, humming to themselves, through the air, their track marked +by a thin stream of blue smoke from the burning fuse; and then, dropping +quietly immediately in rear of the enemy's parapet or into his trenches, +burst into hundreds of fragments and spread devastation around. + +Something of that kind is what has been wanted in the class of warfare +which we have been carrying on lately with the Afridis and the Boers, +_i.e._ against a much scattered enemy, invisibly and securely posted +behind rocks, and armed with the latest development in small bore +rifles. + +Shrapnel is all very well when used against an enemy in a formation like +quarter-column, and its moral effect is at all times good; but its +killing powers against a thin line of skirmishers, say ten paces apart, +advancing across a plain or posted on a ridge are limited to the width +of front to which its 256 bullets will, on the explosion of the bursting +charge, extend, and are about equal to the damage which might be done +by, perhaps, two rifles. The trajectory of a shell is too flat to cause +any harm to a Boer or an Afridi behind a rock. + +At Meyer's Kop the rocks on the east had received a vigorous shelling on +one occasion from our guns, and it interested some of us to potter +about, looking at the marks on the rocks and ground that showed where +the shells had struck, picking up shrapnel bullets and fragments of +iron, trying to estimate the number of shells fired, and examining the +ground to see where the enemy's sharpshooters had been lying. + +On this particular occasion (I don't know when it occurred or what +troops of ours had been engaged), the ground on the slope of, and below +the eastern side of the kopje, was covered, over a large area, with +shrapnel bullets and bits of shell; and the large prominent boulders, +some of them as big as haystacks, bore marks where shells had struck in +numbers; _but_, away up on a corner of the kopje, fifty yards off, were +at least 500 cartridge cases, showing where some three or four men had +lain in perfect security and had kept up a harassing fire in spite of +our shrieking shell, and the whistling but inoffensive bullets from our +bursting shrapnel. + +They had played the Boer game, which the introduction of smokeless +cordite had rendered so easy; they had studiously avoided all the +prominent objects behind which one would naturally expect to find an +enemy, and had selected other places on the flanks, from which to pour +in, unobserved, their annoying and ceaseless fire, whilst our advancing +troops blazed away, and continued to blaze away, at the top of the +hills, at green bushes, and at any stone walls in the neighbourhood, +instead of impartially searching with their fire the slopes of all the +hills in their front, or watching the spirts of dust thrown up by the +Boer bullets and trying to discover from these indications the direction +whence the fire was coming and the probable location of the marksman. + +These are all points which, unfortunately, can only be learned when +bullets are flying around, but a very little instruction in this goes a +tremendously long way; and when skirmishing is again introduced, as it +must inevitably be, into the curriculum of instruction we give our +infantry soldiers in peace time, no doubt more attention will be paid to +the question of adapting your system of warfare to meet that of your +enemy. The invading force which enters an enemy's country is, to my +mind, entirely at the mercy of and eventually forced to adopt, any +system of warfare which may be thrust upon it by the owners of the +country; thus, a widely scattered enemy must be met by our thin clouds +of skirmishers: changes of position rapidly carried out by an enemy +entirely mounted must be checkmated by our strong bodies of mounted +infantry: the withdrawal, when pressed by us, of the enemy to a +previously selected position must be met by our timely flanking +movements: the invitation by the enemy to a frontal attack over a +suspiciously open piece of country must be met by an attack delivered +somewhere else. + +In fact, whatever the enemy obviously wishes us to do, must not be done, +lest we be drawn into a trap; and above all nothing must ever be taken +for granted. I am fully aware that these axioms are as old as the hills, +and that every soldier is supposed to absorb them with his military milk +in his infancy as a recruit; but I am afraid that he does not assimilate +enough of this particular kind of diet. + +Many are the instances, some of them microscopic, some of them serious, +which I have seen of the neglect of the golden rule--take nothing for +granted; and I might also add to this rule another, namely--never +despise your enemy--to which the attention of all amateur soldiers might +be drawn when they next race off in the direction of any campaign which +may be threatening. + +This queer Meyer's Kop made an excellent helio station from which +signalling communication was easily maintained to the north and south; +and it was also a first-rate observation post, from which the +surrounding country for miles round could be seen. One of the officers +was usually on watch up there from daylight to dark, and it was really a +very pleasant way of spending three or four hours on a fine day. +Sometimes we could see what we thought were Boers riding about on the +sky line, and we used to especially watch the entrance to Slabbert's +Nek, in the hopes of seeing some of the enemy moving about. Once or +twice we went out with a few men and some wagons to procure forage from +the farm of an Englishman named Passmore, a horsebreeder and trainer, +and a jockey well known at Johannesburg, who had a run near us, but who +had had to bolt when the Boers arrived in the neighbourhood. This man +had opened a small store on his property, but when we arrived we found +that it had been carefully looted. I never saw such confusion as there +was; nearly everything had been torn down or off the shelves and thrown +promiscuously on to the floor; things looked as though a whole troop of +monkeys had been allowed a free hand for half an hour or so. Only once +have I seen anything approaching such a state of matters, and that was +years ago, when Captain Farrell's pet monkey was accidentally shut up in +his master's quarters for a couple of hours; and the havoc that monkey, +who was of an enquiring turn of mind, played with writing table, +dressing table, chest of drawers, and tin uniform cases may be better +imagined than described. + +Passmore's store however had been visited, it was suspected, by Kaffirs +and not by Boers. It was a curious circumstance, noticed by one of our +officers with a Sherlock Holmes disposition, that all the tins, of which +there were a number containing mustard, medicines, pepper, linseed, +ginger and other things, had a small opening, roughly made, evidently to +enable the contents to be examined. Now, no white man would have gone to +the trouble of doing this, even if he couldn't have read the label, +which was plain enough in every case. + +G and H Companies were sent in with wagons, on the 20th of July, to +Bethlehem, to draw another supply of rations and to get the mails, +sixty-three bags of which were waiting for us. They returned the next +day in the afternoon, together with the Bedfordshire regiment, who +camped alongside of us, but left the next evening to join Paget's +Brigade, which was only a few miles away. + +The Bedfords, who had been equipped earlier in the campaign than we had, +when things were more plentiful, were very well provided as regards +transport. They had plenty of wagons, Scotch carts, ammunition carts and +water carts, while we were still limited to the one water cart with +which we originally started, and the two old Scotch carts, procured at a +farm, which we utilised to carry some of our reserve ammunition. The +four ammunition and other carts we had brought from home had been left +at Glen for want of mules to draw them. + + + + +CHAPTER XIII. + +RETIEF'S NEK. + + A bad night--Start for Relief's Nek--Description of ground--Orders + to attack--Leading companies take wrong direction--Remaining + companies advance against Nek--They close up to the Boer + position--Further advance impossible--Death of Sir Walter + Barttelot--Orders to retire at dusk--Difficulty of bringing in + wounded--A good Samaritan. + + +It was dark on Sunday evening, the 22nd of July, when the Bedfords +started from Meyer's Kop; and directly they had gone the wind rose and +the rain came down in torrents, splashing up the black soil, turning the +camp into a morass, and penetrating through everything--blankets, +waterproof sheets, canvas sheeting. The wind blew our blankets about and +the rain drenched everything for many hours without ceasing, all fires +were quenched by the downpour, and we sat and cursed and were wretched. +One or two of us were fortunate enough to get hold of some corrugated +iron, and I remember getting an hour or two's broken sleep by crawling, +all wet and muddy, under a long sheet of this iron, which I had +stretched over my blankets. + +To add to our troubles, one of the companies on picket fired a few shots +in the middle of all our discomfort, but, as the firing did not +continue, no further steps were taken: however, about half-past two, the +Volunteer company burst out into heavy firing which they continued for +some time. As they were on picket quite close to us, the Adjutant ran up +to see what was the matter, and found that they were firing at some +lights some distance in front of them: so the firing soon stopped, and +we huddled under our dripping blankets until three o'clock, when we were +routed out and told to pack our kits and load the wagons. Overnight the +Colonel had had confidential orders to move before daybreak towards +Retief's Nek, where we were to meet General Hunter and receive further +orders; so by four o'clock we were on the move. The night was pitch +dark, but luckily the rain had stopped: the whole camp and the ground +round it was a sea of mud, and it was with the greatest difficulty that +we could start the wagons, already fully loaded with rations and mails, +to which had been added the men's blankets, now trebled in weight owing +to the absorption of rain: in consequence of the compression, the water +was soon running out of the bottoms of the wagons, which will give an +idea how wet the blankets had been when loaded. + +As it was, after squelching and slipping along in slimy mud, we had to +wait at the top of the hill for the wagons to be hauled up to drier +ground; by that time it was dawn, and we were able to proceed at a +better pace across country towards Retief's Nek. + +There was one nasty drift on the way, muddy and slippery, which caused +considerable delay to our small column; but after this we trekked along +for some hours over grassy veldt, until we came in sight of Retief's +Nek, when the Colonel rode on to communicate with General Hunter, and +the battalion halted under the lee of a huge mass of rock, rising sheer +out of the plain. This was about eleven o'clock, so we seized the +opportunity to eat some biscuit and what cooked food we happened to have +in our haversacks, and to rest; for after our dreadful night and long +tramp, we were fairly well tired. + +After some little while, the Colonel came back, summoned the officers, +and told us the orders he had received from General Hector Macdonald, +who was in charge of the operations; we then went some little distance +aside, and the position was shown to us and the orders explained. + +In front, the ground, level and grassy, stretched away for about a mile +and a half to a low conical hill, which appeared to be of slaty rock, +and the top of which shone and glistened in the sun like white marble; +a little to the rear of this, and seemingly connected with it by a +narrow nek, rose another hill, very similar in appearance, but dark and +lowering. Separated from these hills on our right by a gap, perhaps 600 +or 700 yards wide, rose a spur with a knoll half way up, a little less +in height than the kopje (which we had now named Marble Kop), and from +this knoll the spur rose abruptly to a great height, broken and jagged, +the slopes covered with huge black rocks: this cliff bore round to our +right for perhaps a mile or more, very steep and precipitous, until it +was abreast of where we were standing, when the range of mountains swung +away to our right and was lost in the distance. Still to the front, but +a little to our right, rose a narrow grassy kopje, with a couple of +houses at its foot. This kopje was separated from the great range of +hills by a narrow, funnel shaped passage which seemed to be about 600 +yards wide at the entrance; but whether this narrow kopje, which ran +straight back, eventually joined the broken and jagged cliffs in the +distance, or whether it was an isolated hill and the passage ran round +behind it, could not be decided from the spot upon which we were then. + +Marble Kop was the position the battalion were to attack, and it was to +be supported in its advance by the battery, which would take up a +position on a hill which we could not then see, but which was +immediately in front of Marble Kop, and some considerable distance away +from it: no nearer position could be found for the guns. + +On the left of Marble Kop rose abruptly to a point a lofty range of +hills, looking quite inaccessible, and bearing round to our left in a +great sweep. Between this point and Marble Kop was another gap of some +considerable width, which was the pass of Retief's Nek; and down at the +bottom of this pass and hidden in a fold of ground, the road ran from +where guns were posted straight into and beyond the pass. + +Our orders from General Macdonald were to attack Marble Kop, and on +arrival there to open an enfilading fire on a trench which the enemy was +reported to have dug across the pass: there were to be no supports for +us, and there was no information as to the position of the enemy, or his +strength, or whether Marble Kop was occupied by him: a deadly stillness +was in the air, and the strongest telescope did not reveal the presence +of the enemy at any point which was visible. + +The companies now proceeded to move off in the following order:--G +company under Captain Mackenzie, then H under Captain Wisden; after them +A under Major O'Grady, followed by B with Major Panton in command, and C +under Captain Wroughton; E under Captain Aldridge bringing up the rear. +The remaining companies were on various duties; D under Lieut. Ashworth +was escorting the guns and took no part in the action, F under Captain +Gilbert, and the Volunteer company under Sir Walter Barttelot, were +baggage and rear guard respectively: they came up shortly after we had +advanced, when the wagons had been parked by Major Scaife, who was +baggage master--these two companies then proceeding to join in the +attack. + +The leading company, G, was directed to advance towards Marble Kop, +proceeding in a circuitous direction, and skirting the base of the +narrow kopje, then in front and lying at our feet. This kopje G should +have left on the right. The companies were to advance in column of +sections, each extended to ten paces, and with large intervals between +each line; all officers and supernumeraries were to be in among the men +in line, so as not to render themselves too conspicuous. The companies +were soon fairly launched and moving off across the grassy veldt in +great parallel lines, about a hundred or more yards apart, and +stretching well away to the right and left, so as not to afford to the +enemy a more extensive objective than was necessary. The leading company +was a long way off, and the men were appearing smaller and smaller as +they got further away to the front, when it was noticed that the column, +instead of skirting the narrow kopje in front and leaving it on their +_right_, had misunderstood these instructions and were entering the +funnel shaped passage, thus leaving the narrow kopje on their _left_. + +There was then no time or means of recalling them without considerable +delay, owing to the distance, fully a mile, which they had already +traversed, so it was considered advisable to allow them to continue +their advance in the direction which they had chosen; the point of +attack had been distinctly pointed out to every one concerned, and if, +as often happens in these widely extended movements, certain +contingencies had arisen which necessitated the direction of the attack +being changed, yet no further instruction could be given by the +commanding officer, and the execution of the attack must, perforce, be +left to the discretion of each company commander. + +Under the extended order system as carried out during this war, the +company commander becomes a far more important personage than he has +been during the last twenty years, with an immensely free hand, within +certain limits, directly active operations commence. + +The machine guns under Captain Green had gone along with H company, and +had by this time, with the three leading companies, gone quite out of +sight into the funnel shaped passage; C company, which was the fifth in +order of succession, was just inside the entrance, and E was following +in rear: the ammunition cart and water cart and the rest of the first +line were coming on behind. This was the situation about one o'clock, +and I was walking up the narrow kopje, intending to watch the progress +of events from its summit, when suddenly from inside the passage on the +right, into which the companies had gone, came, like a clap of thunder, +a most fearful outburst of firing, which continued for some time without +intermission, and which echoed and re-echoed among the ravines and rocky +hills, until one could hardly hear one's own voice. + +From the top of the kopje nothing could be seen, either of our men or +the enemy, and the infernal pandemonium still continued in the valley +below; but to the incessant ping-boom, ping-boom of the Mauser, +unmistakeable from its propinquity, was now added the ping, ping, ping +of the Lee Metford, and the continuous stutter of the Maxim, as this +highly strung machine, shaking and quivering with nervous energy, +stammered out whole belts full of ammunition without ceasing. +Undoubtedly, Captain Green had got hold of a soft thing and was taking +the utmost advantage of it, and squeezing the last ounce out of the +Maxim, which fired as it had never fired before and probably never will +again. The water in the casing fizzed and spluttered, but more was +handy; the empty belts littered the ground, but the ammunition cart was +not far off, and so the vastly important work of spattering with bullets +the hillside opposite, which a moment before had been as still as the +grave, was continued without intermission. The companies in front had +dropped into cover behind some huge rocks which fringed both sides of +the valley, immediately on the first shots being fired; and they had +ever since continued to fire at their invisible foe, who were lining the +hillside and the jagged crest line not 800 yards away. + +Captain Mackenzie had, at the outset, exposed himself somewhat +recklessly, and had been knocked over in the open with a bullet in his +ankle; his subaltern, Lieut. Hopkins, seeing this, shouted to a couple +of men to accompany him, and dashed out without a moment's thought +towards his captain, in the face of a murderous fire which covered the +ground around them with a cloud of dust spirts. Together with the two +men, who turned out to be Corporal Hoad and Lance-Corporal Neville, +Lieut. Hopkins raised Captain Mackenzie and bore him, groaning and +sweating with agony from his broken ankle, to safety. + +For this gallant act these three, the young officer and the two +Corporals (both young soldiers), were recommended for the Victoria +Cross, the highest distinction to which a soldier can aspire. However, +in lieu of this, Lieut. Hopkins was offered a company in the Manchester +regiment, and the two Corporals were each awarded the Distinguished +Conduct Medal. + +Nothing could be done to withdraw the companies in front, and the Maxim +had also to remain; but orders were sent to B, C, and E companies to +move to their left to the other side of the kopje. This they soon did, +and the attack was launched again at Marble Kop, but on this occasion +from the direction in which it had been originally intended to advance. +As matters turned out, however, it was perhaps as well that the mistake +had been made and the advance commenced in the wrong direction, as our +three companies, although useless to the battalion in continuing the +advance, were still of inestimable value where they were lying, as they +held a good number of the enemy in check and prevented them from leaving +their cover and proceeding to other positions, from which they could, +perhaps, have done more damage. While our three companies kept up a +dropping fire and while the Maxim rattled out its scattered shots at +intervals, no Boer would dare to leave his cover; and so matters +remained _in statu quo_ in this valley until dusk. + +Meanwhile, our battery had commenced shelling vigorously the slopes of +the hills on the right of Marble Kop, and B and C companies, with E +following, were moving over to the open ground directly in front of it; +from here they advanced in succession by half-companies and stretched +away out into the veldt, E company being meanwhile held in reserve. + +We sat and watched the companies diminishing in the distance, and, when +the leading half-company was about a thousand yards from us and about +the same distance from the foot of Marble Kop, we saw rifle fire opened +on them from their right front. They continued their advance like a +parade ground movement, halting, lying down to fire and then rising and +going on again, the lines in rear conforming to the movements of those +in front, and the men on the right of all the lines delivering their +fire against their hidden enemy among the hills on the right front. +Gradually the lines in rear decreased their distances, closing up to the +front and reinforcing and thickening the firing line: this manoeuvre +adds more rifles to the firing line and enables more fire to be brought +to bear on the enemy, but at the same time it increases the +vulnerability of the foremost line, rendering more men liable to be hit +owing to their proximity to each other, so, possibly, the advantages may +or may not outweigh the disadvantages. In this particular case, however, +where the enemy were behind perfect cover, the disadvantages of +thickening the firing line predominated, and the enemy's bullets fell +pretty thickly amongst our men. + +It appeared at this stage of the proceedings, that Marble Kop was +unoccupied, and that the bulk of the firing was coming from a concealed +party of sharpshooters at long range, stationed somewhere on the right +front, upon whom the shrapnel of our guns seemed to have little or no +effect: however our men, although hampered by having to fire half right, +continued to pour in a constant fire at ranges of from 600 to 800 yards, +and perhaps longer. + +About this time, also, F company and the Volunteer Company appeared, +coming up from the rear in similar formation (half company columns) to +that adopted by us: seeing that the firing line wanted a wider front +instead of a thicker formation, F company was directed by signal to +continue moving to the front, but to gradually edge off to the left, so +as eventually to come up on the left of the present firing line, +composed of B company. + +So F company trudged off and carried out this manoeuvre beautifully, +coming up into line with B company and lying down and opening fire about +half an hour later: meantime the Volunteer company had received similar +orders to move further off and to prolong the line to the left of F +company; this movement had used up all the companies at our disposal, +except E, who were now moved off to the left also, but were still to +remain as a reserve in rear of the centre, in view of possible +contingencies which might arise. There were one or two wounded being +brought in, so a dressing station was established under some cover, +formed by a few large rocks and a tree or two; and the doctor, who had +remained in the valley on the right attending to one or two men of G +company who had been hit, was sent for. The first line transport with +the ammunition carts, water cart and the medical officer's cart had, for +some inexplicable reason, remained in this valley, although the majority +of the battalion had been moved in another direction; they did not come +near us all the afternoon, men having to be sent over to get +ammunition, which, at a later stage of the fight, was running short +rapidly. + +For the second time that day I sat down and searched the hills +thoroughly with a telescope; not a sign of an enemy did I see, and yet +the jets and puffs of dust thrown up amongst the men spread all over the +veldt up to a thousand yards in front distinctly showed that the firing +was from the right front. Away on our right, the spur, which has been +alluded to as being separated from Marble Kop by a gap about six hundred +yards wide, was being steadily shelled by our battery all along its +length, and on its face where it joined the big jagged cliffs and +trended off to the right; but it was now seen that this spur continued +round to the left also, and forked out into another lofty range of +hills, which swung round with a semi-circular sweep, enclosing a valley +into which various underfeatures and knolls led out from the spur and +from the lofty range itself. The conclusion I came to at the time was +that the Boers were in position on these knolls and underfeatures, +rising in tiers, one above another, and that the majority of the firing +was directed on our men through and over the gap between the spur and +Marble Kop; this supposition was supported by information given by the +stretcher bearers, who were now coming in pretty frequently with wounded +men from the firing line, so I signalled information to this effect to +the officer commanding the battery; the distance, however, was too +great, and the enemy were too well posted for shrapnel to do any harm: +moreover, the gunners, from their long distance in the rear and because +of the intervening end of the spur, could not see any of the +underfeatures, behind which the enemy were situated. + +The advance was continued until the right of the firing line, B company, +was about 600 yards from the foot of Marble Kop; they could go no +further with any advantage, and were fully occupied, as was C company, +in keeping down the fire from their right front. Beyond them F company +was pushing forwards towards the left of Marble Kop where the pass +opened out, and were moving down into a fold of the ground, which hid +them from my sight; slightly behind them and on their left was the +Volunteer company, slowly pushing on, firing and advancing, and lying +down to fire again, and continuing this with the greatest coolness and +steadiness. + +I was watching them through my telescope for some little time, noticing +Sir Walter Barttelot running forward and the half-company following him, +and I thought how unmistakeable a leader he looked, with no equipment +and no rifle, standing and pointing with his stick to places which men +should occupy. Sir Walter did not know the meaning of fear or +nervousness, and the pluck and marvellous endurance he displayed during +the campaign was a constant wonder to all of us, and put to shame many a +soldier of half his age. + +Soon the Volunteer company disappeared, like F company, in the fold of +the ground, and I hoped that they would succeed in pushing on into the +pass and round by the left of Marble Kop, and so create a diversion in +the state of affairs. One or two wounded men being brought in from these +companies proved what I suspected--that the huge, black, conical hill, +rising on the left of the pass, was also occupied by the enemy's +marksmen, who were behind the rocks and ledges of the steep slopes. This +being so, things looked bad for our chance of being able to push round +the left side of Marble Kop, which was, like its front, a slippery mass +of smooth volcanic rock rising to a sharp pinnacle, and without an atom +of cover. Nothing was to be gained by rushing this rock and swarming up +its slippery sides (which we could easily have done), because, once +there and necessarily crowded, we should have been exposed without the +least protection to an overwhelming fire from the hills on the right and +left of the Kop, while we could have done little good by our rifle fire, +which would, of course, have to be directed up hill. + +However, half of E company, waiting patiently in reserve, was sent out +in support of F and the Volunteers, in case they should succeed in +gaining a footing, and I went out myself a little way to find out if I +could see what was beyond the fold in the ground into which these two +companies had disappeared. Soon I met a stretcher borne along with +difficulty by two men of F company, Privates Stewart and Biles, and upon +it I was shocked to see Sir Walter Barttelot; he was unconscious and +breathing heavily, and had been shot through the body by a bullet fired +from the lofty hill on our left front. Sadly the men continued on their +way to the dressing station, where Dr. Edwards immediately attended to +him; but the case was hopeless from the first, and he breathed his last, +still unconscious, soon after arrival. + +From the men I learned that Captain Gilbert with most of his Company had +brilliantly dashed into a Kaffir kraal under a severe fire from the +left, and were there doing their best to subdue the enemy's scathing +fire; several men had been wounded, Lieut. Anderson had been dangerously +shot in the neck, and more stretchers were wanted. On the way back, +therefore, volunteers were called for from E company to go out with +stretchers, and right gallantly they came forward, plenty of them; they +went out under the steady shower of bullets, right up to the firing +line, and brought back most of the wounded who could not walk. + +About four o'clock, a message was received from the Colonel that, if it +was impossible, without supports as we were, to carry the Nek, a +retirement should be made, and a reply was sent that the Nek could +certainly be carried, as the men were only waiting for the order to rush +Marble Kop; but that the advantage thus gained would be valueless, as no +troops could remain on the smooth pinnacle, with no cover and commanded +on both sides. + +Orders were therefore sent to each company commander to retire as +quickly as possible as soon as it was dusk. All this time the firing in +the valley on the right had been going on, and at intervals the Maxim +spluttered out a handful of rounds and kept the enemy from quitting, +and, possibly, from taking up other positions from which they could have +added their quota of fire to that already being showered on us. + +The stretchers were still coming in, and some of the men of E company +had once more volunteered to make another journey, although this work +was much more dangerous than lying behind an ant heap in the firing +line, and the men deserve all the credit that it is possible to give +them for their pluck and coolness. Four volunteers, when asked for, were +also easily forthcoming to carry to the four Company commanders the +orders to retire; one of these men, Hurrell, of E, had only just +returned with a stretcher, but off he went again, and, I am thankful to +say, safely returned. + +There were now a number of poor fellows lying on the grass, and the +doctor and Corporal Knapp and Private Gill were busy doing the best for +them that circumstances would allow; several others, who were only +slightly wounded and were able to walk, were sent off to camp, and the +stretchers were sent back to the firing line in anticipation of the +retirement at dusk. + +Although we had been in action since mid-day and it was now nearly five +o'clock, not an ambulance had arrived; but at last ours was seen slowly +approaching from the valley on our right where it had remained: the +labour of removing the groaning, wounded men--one of whom had been shot +in the body, another in the thigh, another in the chest--in the clumsy +old ambulance, which carried only two at a time, was commenced by the +doctor. + +It was now getting dusk, and a desultory fire was still being kept up by +the enemy, when suddenly this increased in intensity and became a +continuous clatter of musketry. The whole veldt between us and Marble +Kop became spattered with puffs of dust thrown up by the Mauser bullets, +some of the shots even reaching to the dressing station, which, +unfortunately, had no Red Cross flag raised, although the Boers must +have seen the ambulance wagon standing by with its white tilt and large +flag flying. + +The reason of this sudden outburst of musketry was the retirement of our +men, who were running back smartly to be clear of the heavy fire: +several little clumps of men were lagging somewhat in rear, carrying +their wounded with them, and the Boers kept up a furious fire directed +on these small parties. Several men were hit in this way, and the +remainder were furious at the conduct of the Boers; but their firing was +perhaps excusable, as, in the dusk, I doubt whether they could +distinguish the stretcher parties at that long distance. + +In contravention of the old-fashioned idea that all retirements should +be conducted slowly, and that it is a disgrace to move out of a slow +walk, is the common-sense feeling that, if troops are to withdraw under +a heavy fire, the quicker they carry out the movement the earlier they +will be beyond range, and the fewer casualties will occur: troops who +have served in India on any of the numerous hill expeditions which take +place in that country soon learn to act upon this plan. + +It was almost dark when the companies began to arrive at the dressing +station, and, as the bullets were still flying about, we formed up in a +hollow a little further back and waited for the remainder to come in: a +good many men, and almost all the officers, were still in rear bringing +along their wounded. Some of the companies, notably F and the +Volunteers, had a long way to come, and the former had to wait till +quite dark before they could rush out of the cover afforded by the kraal +and successfully carry in those who had been badly hit. Lieut. Anderson +had been very dangerously wounded in the throat, and the men had some +difficulty in moving him: his wound had been bound up under a dreadful +storm of bullets by a young soldier called Say of F company. Several +other men were especially noted in their care for wounded comrades and +their total disregard of danger: a large number of others showed the +possession of bravery in a marked degree by securing and issuing +ammunition, carrying orders, and assisting in other ways, under a heavy +and continuous fire. + +[9]Our casualties were severe, there being one officer killed and four +wounded, whilst three men were killed and thirty-two wounded. + +The three companies in the valley on our right retired about the same +time as we did, and we proceeded to camp, which lay behind the position +occupied by the battery and by D company, their escort: it must have +been nearly seven o'clock when we reached our bivouacs and the wagons +were brought up and unloaded of their wet and sopping blankets. However, +we were too dead tired (having worn our blankets and heavy equipment for +fifteen hours) and exhausted for want of sleep and food to think much of +discomfort; and first we had to look after our wounded. Volunteers were +soon forthcoming, and we managed to procure some tents, without any +pegs, which we at last succeeded in pitching: the wounded arrived, the +majority being able to walk, but some being brought in on stretchers, +and a few, two at a time, on the single wretched ambulance which was all +we had; and they were stowed away and made as comfortable as we could +manage in the tents. + +A real genuine Good Samaritan of a modern type appeared in the shape of +an acting Chaplain, Mr. Leary, a Colonial born and bred, who did right +good service in looking after our men--whom he had never seen before. He +went to and fro with the ambulance, and, after one or two trips, got the +men taken on a couple of miles further and put in the Field Hospital, +which was at Boshop Farm. He is a right good man, just the one for a +soldiers' padre, and he ought to be a Bishop: I hope he will be one +before long. + +We managed to rake up some Bovril, and gave the wounded that and some +tea: the padre took out a bucketful of soup to give to the men still +waiting at the dressing station to be removed. Our doctor, a civilian +named Edwards, and also a Colonial, from New South Wales, worked like a +horse: his labour and the padre's that night only began when ours was +finished. + +The following orders relating to the action were published a day or two +afterwards:-- + + Extract from Battalion Orders, 24th July, 1900. + +"It is with the deepest regret that Lieut.-Col. Donne records the death +in action yesterday of Sir Walter Barttelot, Bart., Commanding the +Volunteer Company. Sir Walter Barttelot served throughout the long and +arduous marches of the battalion, showing an example of fortitude and +devotion to duty unsurpassed in the annals of the regiment, and which +had deservedly won him the love of his comrades of all ranks. Sir Walter +Barttelot passed unharmed through the actions of Welkom, Zand River, +Doornkop, the Capture of Pretoria and the battle of Diamond Hill, in all +of which he led his volunteers to the attack. In the desperate assault +yesterday on the Boer position at Retief's Nek, he fell gallantly at the +head of his company, to be mourned both by the regiment and the county +of Sussex as one of the bravest soldiers and truest of men that have +given their lives for Queen and country." + + Extract from Battalion Orders, 26th July, 1900. + +"Lieut.-Gen. Sir A. Hunter, K.C.B., referred as follows to the conduct +of the battalion in the action of Retiefs Nek on 23rd July. + +"'Your men worked splendidly in the attack. They could not have done +more. I wish you to convey to them, please, my high admiration of the +dauntless way in which they advanced under such a fire. + +"'Nothing could have been finer, and I deeply deplore the heavy losses +incurred.' + +"Lieut.-Col. Donne feels proud to publish these remarks from such a +distinguished General as Sir A. Hunter, with whom he has often had the +honour of serving before. + +"Although the attack could not be pressed home, owing to darkness and +the cross-fire of the enemy, yet the losses of the battalion were not in +vain, and the boldness of the attack on the right justly contributed to +the success next morning of the turning movement on the left, which +resulted in the rout of the Boers. + +"The names of those who have fallen in this, as well as in all other +actions, will be recorded at no distant date on a monument to be +probably erected in the County Cathedral at home, or in such conspicuous +place as may be deemed worthy to commemorate their deeds of valour on +these South African battlefields."[10] + +Sir Walter Barttelot was buried the next day under a huge eucalyptus +growing by itself in a field to the east of Boshop Farm: two of the men +who had been killed were buried there, too; their names were Bennett and +Buck. + +A slab of timber was erected over Sir Walter's grave, upon which an +inscription had been cut by one of the Volunteer company. + +FOOTNOTES: + +[9] Our casualties during the day were as follows: + + KILLED. + Capt. Sir W. G. Barttelot, + Volunteer Company + Private E. Bennett, G " + Private C. Buck, B " + Private J. Mills, B " + + WOUNDED. + Capt. E. L. Mackenzie + 2nd Lieut. J. C. W. Anderson + 2nd Lieut. H. G. Montgomerie + 2nd Lieut. G. E. Leachman + Clr.-Sergt. A. Nye, F Company + Lce.-Corp. J. Butt, H Company + Lce.-Corp. A. King, F Company d + Lce.-Corp. F. Manser, C Company + Private A. Clarke, B Company + Private A. Perry, B Company + Private E. Brown, B Company + Private J. Leadbetter, B Company + Private L. Paddon, B Company + Private J. Hall, B Company + Private J. Nicholls, B Company + Private J. Hyde, B Company + Private A. Baker, F Company + Private G. Parsons, F Company + Private E. Coldwell, F Company + Private W. Croft, F Company + Private H. Smith, F Company + Private A. Holder, F Company d + Private H. Weeks, F Company + Private A. Thomas, C Company + Private F. Baker, C Company + Private M. Jeal, C Company + Private W. Brown, C Company + Private A. Winchester, C Company + Private G. Duke, C Company + Private P. Griffiths, H Company + Private W. Boniface, G Company + Private J. Hiscock, Vol. Company d + Private M. Weller, Vol. Company + Private P. Pilcher, Vol. Company + Private E. Gouldsmith, Vol. Company + Private R. Burtenshaw, E Company + + d Died of wounds. + +[10] They are inscribed upon the Memorial at Brighton.--ED. + + + + +CHAPTER XIV. + +TO THE BOER LAAGER. + + Bearer Companies--Retief's Nek--Artillery driving--Naauwpoort + Nek--White flags--Golden Gate--Orders to take over surrender of + five commandos--To Raats' Farm--The Boer laager--Surrender of arms + and horses--Organisation of prisoners--The Commandants--Basuto + visitors--Destruction of ammunition. + + +During all the time we were between Bethlehem and Retief's Nek we had +been away from the Bearer Company and the Field Hospital, and had only +one ambulance with us to perform the necessary duties of both of these +units. When leaving Bethlehem, our doctor, who was then a civilian of +the New South Wales Hospital, tried to get an ambulance to accompany the +regiment and the battery, then _en route_ to Meyers Kop; but he met with +considerable opposition to his request from the Bearer Company +authorities, who apparently did not mind a whole battalion and a battery +going off without transport for the sick or possible wounded, but hated +having to give up one of their ambulances. The doctor had, eventually, +to go to General Hunter and get an order from him before he could secure +the wagon which was required. + +The idea of separating or breaking up the unit was so distasteful that +the request for a wagon was, at the time, compared to that of a battery +commander being asked to break up the organization of his battery by +sending one gun away with troops. + +The comparison between a battery of the Royal Field Artillery and the +miserable collection of half-a-dozen old ambulance wagons was too +delicious for words, and will, no doubt, be appreciated by our gallant +gunners! There is no branch of the army in which such a sacred regard +for the everlasting red tape is evidenced in the field as in the +Hospitals and Bearer Companies: "At all costs keep your wagons empty," +should be their motto, which will be supported by many a footsore +soldier, with ragged clothes and worn-out boots, who has been refused +even a temporary ride in these vehicles. + +At the time when we were in such trouble with our boots, and had to wear +miners' highlows and anything that could be picked up in the shops, many +a man might have been saved days and days in hospital by a lift in a +wagon at the critical time: of course, the Bearer Company say at once, +"We are not here to carry men with bad boots, our duty is to take +wounded men from the scene of action to the Field Hospital," and decline +to receive him: the Field Hospital say "We cannot take you unless you +are handed over by the Bearer Company": the baggage master shouts at +once, "Come off that blank wagon, don't you know you musn't ride on +transport wagons?" and so the wretched man gets left behind by all. + +There are two sides to every question, however, and all soldiers know +that once a schemer obtains the slightest privilege from the hospital or +the doctor, his example is immediately followed by crowds of imitators. + +The practical advantages of the Bearer Company in the field are not very +apparent, and the general who ordered the Field Hospital and the Bearer +Company in his brigade to be amalgamated was a sensible man. + +On the 25th of July at five o'clock in the morning we moved across to +join the Highland Brigade camp, which was at Boshop Farm, a couple of +miles away. Most of the Highlanders were out on the hills on the left of +the pass, and only the Seaforth Highlanders were in camp: they also left +about eight o'clock as there was an action going on. It seems that the +Highland Light Infantry had attacked the hills on the left of Retief's +Nek the day before, while we were making our attack on the pass; but +the enemy were in great force, and resisted to the utmost the advance of +the regiment, who, however, succeeded in getting a footing on the end of +a ridge. In the early morning the pickets pushed on and occupied a +prominent knoll, from which, as soon as it was light, a further advance +was made along the ridge, which eventually led on to the range of hills +on the left of the pass; once this was reached, all opposition ceased, +and the Boers fled. + +In the afternoon we moved to a new camp at the Nek itself: there was an +enormous convoy to go before us, so we did not get into camp until dark: +the Highland Brigade and ourselves, not to mention the convoy, were all +jumbled together in the jaws of the pass. However in the morning the +Highlanders and the convoy and most of the other troops went back again, +and moved round by Boshop Farm towards Naauwport Nek, whilst we were +ordered to remain with a battery and some Yeomanry and guard the pass. +After the usual pickets had been posted, we moved to a new camp, +somewhat better sheltered from the bitter cold winds; and here we +remained in peace a couple of days. + +A very fine example of what our artillery can do in the way of driving +was seen during our short march from Boshop Farm to Retief's Nek, the +day after the battle. Two guns of Major Simpson's battery, the 81st, +were with the rear guard, and had moved to the summit of a hill, which +they vacated at dusk, then proceeding to camp; the guns were under a +young subaltern, and took a bee line from the hill to the camp in the +distance. The hill was very steep, and near the foot of the slope, which +they went down with all breaks on, was an outcrop of smooth rock, about +fifteen or eighteen feet wide, running round the hill like a belt, and +as steep as the roof of a house. Perfectly unconcerned, the young +officer rode at this slippery place, and, without an instant's +hesitation, shoved his horse across it, the intelligent animal sinking +on his haunches and sliding to the other end on his iron-shod hoofs. + +Steadily, the drivers followed in succession, the horses repeating the +example of their leader and sliding down with taut traces, the gunners +clutching on to the drag ropes in rear, slipping and cursing and falling +in a heap at the foot of the slope, the heavy weight of the limber +driving it forward and tearing the ropes out of their hands. And so they +all got down without mishap and continued on their way to camp. + +The ground behind the pass was very open for a considerable distance, +the hills enclosing a grassy fertile valley, with a farm at the upper +end and a spruit running across to the south: the farm was deserted, +although all the furniture and a good deal of wheat and oats had been +left. + +On the left of the pass and sheltered in several ravines, which ran deep +into the hills, the horses of the Boers had been kept waiting, +apparently about a day, while the owners were busy with their Mausers +amongst the hills; from the marks there must have been several hundred +men employed in defending Retief's Nek alone. On the second day of our +halt, a lame Boer with his rifle and bandolier crept up openly to a +picket at the farm and surrendered himself; it seems that he had been +fighting against us on the Nek, but had slipped among the rocks when +retiring and had sprained his ankle. + +Orders were received to move off towards Naauwpoort Nek, so we left on +the 27th of July and marched round past Boshop Farm, which was still +used as a hospital (there being one or two cases which could not be +moved to Bethlehem as the others had been), and along a very bad road +for some twelve miles to a place called Hebron. The Bedfords, who had +been at Slabbert's Nek, followed us up the same day and told us about +the fight at Slabbert's Nek, where they had had to storm the position, +meeting with some opposition, but eventually carrying the hill without +much loss to themselves. They had then remained to secure the pass, as +we did at Retief's Nek, and had camped on a hill, making with great +labour a road up the heights for the guns and the wagons. This had just +been finished when orders were received to join us and proceed to +Naauwpoort Nek; so the unfortunate Bedfords had to drag their wagons and +guns down again late in the evening, and march most of the night, so as +to arrive at Retief's Nek before we started; altogether, they had an +uncomfortable time for a few days. + +Continuing our march next day, we passed on the left Little Spitz Kop, +which we afterwards heard had been cleared in gallant style by the +Camerons who had passed that way some days previously, and were now busy +watching Naauwpoort Nek. We also passed the spot where the Highland +Brigade had bivouacked the day before, opposite the Nek; but our little +column still pushed on, over several bad drifts, until dusk, when we +camped at Groendraai, having trekked fully 15 miles. + +On the road we passed a deserted _winkel_, full of mealies and +sheepskins, which had been broken into by some of those who had preceded +us. A _winkel_ is a small roadside store, with a stock, mostly suitable +for Kaffirs, of clothes, cheap jewellery and rubbish generally, which +the owner of the _winkel_ disposes of in exchange for wool, sheepskins, +mealies and other things: we met the manager of this place the next day +coming back to look after his property. + +Next day, the 27th of July, we trekked off again, and about mid-day +joined General Bruce Hamilton, with whom were the Camerons; the +Highlanders had been clearing the hills with which we were surrounded, +and even then we could hear firing occasionally. After a while our +battalion was sent out to clear and occupy a large, flat-topped kopje, +which rose straight out of an extensive valley. This kopje turned out to +be unoccupied, and, leaving B company on picket there, the battalion +moved on to camp. + +The next day was a peaceful one; there was, however, a good deal of +excitement about, which we could not fathom: several flags of truce were +sent out by the General in various directions, and every one was +wondering what it all meant. The battalion went out also, and C company, +under Captain Wroughton, was despatched to climb to the top of, and +picket, a perfectly awful hill, a long distance away, and a fearful +climb. + +It took them a long time even to reach the foot of the hill, and longer +still to climb up the steep slope; we watched them through our glasses, +tiny specks moving slowly, very slowly, up and up, and then disappearing +over the sky line. As soon as they had reached the summit, A and D +companies, under Major O'Grady and Lieut. Ashworth, Major Scaife being +again baggage master, proceeded along the valley, protected on the right +by Captain Wroughton's presence up the hill, and on the left by B +company, still on picket on the kopje we had occupied the previous +night. A and D moved straight out about two-and-a-half miles to their +front, where there was an isolated, conical-shaped kopje with a flat, +straight spur running off to its right and joining it to the hills +further on. To this flat spur the two companies were directed to +proceed, and to remain there until ordered to withdraw. + +From their high elevation, both of our parties could see, in the valley +beyond, but at a very great distance, numbers of Boer wagons trekking in +all directions, evidently in a disorganised kind of way: they were, of +course, quite out of range, even of our cow gun, which had accompanied +the Camerons from Bethlehem, and was now in camp. + +In the afternoon, we withdrew our pickets and proceeded to camp, which +we did not reach until the late afternoon, the pickets having taken a +long time to withdraw. We found the camp had been moved about a mile to +a new site on the far side of the drift; the wagons and the convoy had +amused themselves during the day by crossing this drift, which was +fairly good but terribly steep on the ascending side, necessitating +double teams of oxen. Earlier in the day, before we started, we had sent +our empty wagons across the drift to a place opposite our camp, and just +on the other side of the spruit: we had carried our bundles of blankets +and other baggage across by hand, and loaded them on the wagons, so our +wretchedly weak and overworked mules had a rest that day. + +The next morning, the 31st of July, we marched off again towards Golden +Gate: the Mounted Infantry, who were in front, carried white flags, +which were also borne by those on our flanks, and it seemed as though an +armistice had been declared. However, no information was given to us, so +we trekked on steadily until the afternoon, when the General, who had +ridden on in front some miles, sent back word to the Colonel to say that +he wanted to see Major du Moulin. + +So I rode off, followed by the usual chaffing remarks about canteen jam +and other things, and found the General about 4 miles ahead at +Klerksvlei, with his staff and escort. There, he gave me orders to ride +on to Raats' Farm, about 4 miles further on, and to receive the +surrender of five commandos. This was news indeed, so accompanied by +Lieut. Bellamy, who was then assistant to the Provost Marshall, with a +few of his mounted Police, an orderly with a white flag, and one or two +other officers, I hurried off at once, as the sun was beginning to drop +towards the horizon, and there was an immense amount of work to be done, +and very little time to do it in. + +The General had told me some of the particulars of the surrender, which +was entirely unconditional, with the reservation, granted by General +Hunter, that private property should be respected, and that each burgher +should be allowed a horse to ride to his destination, wherever that +might be; and he instructed me to take over the arms and ammunition at +once and to remove the horses for the night. + +We rode on for some three or four miles over grassy veldt, huge ranges +of hills on the right and left closing in on us as we advanced further; +they appeared to meet in front of us, and, in fact, did close together +to within 600 or 800 yards, forming the redoubtable Golden Gate. Across +the mouth of this pass ran a deep spruit with steep banks; this was +Klerks Spruit, and it was crossed by a terribly steep and bad drift, +almost impassable for ox wagons, and entirely so for mule wagons, which +would have had to be unloaded. + +After almost meeting, the ranges of hills bore away again from each +other, enclosing broken and hilly ground, which formed the outskirts of +the mountains shutting in the famous Caledon Valley, at the northern +entrance to which we now found ourselves; just beyond the drift was a +farm, a substantial, well-to-do farm of considerable area, with a large +orchard and several outhouses. This was Klerksvlei, owned by Mr. Solomon +Raats, and it was around this farm in all directions, as far as one +could see in the fast fading light, that the Boers were encamped: the +whole neighbourhood was covered with men, horses, wagons and bullocks. + +It was with a distinctly weird feeling that I rode into the heart of the +enemy's laager and drew up on a slight rise of ground, just outside the +farm: a small party of Mounted Infantry had followed us, and these now +closed up behind and dismounted. + +I sent for the five commandants, who soon appeared, each surrounded by a +small crowd of retainers; and to them I gave instructions that each +commando was to be formed up immediately, in order that the arms and +bandoliers might be collected and that the horses might be counted. + +There were several officers present, who had accompanied me, either on +duty or as spectators with the General's permission, so that I was +enabled to provide an officer to attend to the surrender of the arms and +other matters of each commando. This was a business which took some +considerable time, as each commando mustered about 300 to 350 men, and +the rifles and bandoliers had to be brought up one by one and stacked in +wagons. After all had been given in, the horses and ponies, a wretched +lot of crocks, were handed over to men of the Mounted Infantry and led +to the other side of the drift, where Major Lean's corps of Mount +Infantry, the well-known 5th M.I., took over charge and formed a cordon +round them. + +Nearly the whole of the rifles with which the Boers were armed were +Mausers: there was an occasional Lee-Metford, captured from our troops +in Natal, usually, and perhaps a Martini or two. The ammunition was +carried in bandoliers of every imaginable shape and pattern, mostly home +made; but some of the burghers preferred cartridge bags of leather or +canvas. Many revolvers had been surrendered, but these were mostly +weapons taken from prisoners, such as R.A. drivers or A.S.C. men, and +were as a rule out of order. + +It was considerably after dark that evening before the horses had been +got away, and there remained several wagons piled up with rifles; there +were bullocks in plenty, so these wagons were soon on the move across +the drift and into the Mounted Infantry camp under a guard. The +commandants informed us that there were many Boers out in the hills to +whom information had been sent of the surrender, and who would come in +the following morning and give up their rifles. Meantime, there was +nothing further to be done that night, so a guard was mounted on the +farm, where Lieut. Bellamy and myself were remaining; and the other +officers and the Mounted Infantry went back to camp, taking to the +General a brief report from me of what had been done. + +Old Mr. Raats was very civil, providing a room and preparing supper for +us and looking after our horses; there were quite a number of Boers +staying at the farm also, among them being six or seven of the biggest +men that I had ever seen; they were very tall, enormously broad +shouldered and stout in proportion, and quite filled the dining room at +the farm when they all came in at once. + +The Boer laager was not all composed of fighting men by any means; there +were large numbers of non-combatants--women, children and Kaffirs, +hangers-on who attended to the feeding of the commandos or drove sheep +and cattle, and other nondescripts who did not belong to any commando, +but who accompanied the Boers, all the same. Then there were a number of +what they called "trek Boers;" these were Boers with their families, +cattle, wagons, horses and all their belongings, who had quitted their +farms and were moving or trekking with the commandos; these men had some +splendid wagons and teams of magnificent oxen with them. + +There were many Boers who spoke perfect English, and among them in +particular two wearing the Red Cross badge; these two stated that they +belonged to the Identity Department of the Red Cross Society, and +produced papers in proof of this. One of them, Mr. Nelson, informed me +that their duties were to remain with the commando to which they were +attached, and to keep a list of any men killed or wounded, forwarding a +copy to Pretoria when an occasion offered. + +This system appears to have been the only means by which any record was +kept of the casualties among the Boers, but the killed and wounded were +so few that no doubt it worked well enough. + +There was a parson, or predikant, also accompanying the commandos. He +was, of course, not a fighting man, but was very loyal to his own folk, +and, when we asked him what he would have done if any fighting had taken +place, he replied that under ordinary circumstances he helped to look +after the commissariat arrangements, but that if we had attacked the +camp he would have taken a rifle at once and assisted as well as he +could to defend his country. We assured him that his sentiments did him +credit. + +For several hours that night the Boers collected in groups round their +camp fires, singing hymns, and it was late before everything was quiet, +and we were able to sleep. Mr. Raats had provided us with the guest +chamber of his house, and this room was fully furnished in the most +elaborate style, including even a bath. Our first step had been to throw +up the narrow window and ventilate the room as much as possible; we +should have preferred to sleep in the open, but as we had no kit except +what we stood up in, this was not advisable. + +Soon after daybreak the next morning the collecting of rifles was +proceeded with: numbers of Boers came crowding in from the hills +around, eager to surrender their arms and ammunition, and in a few +hours we had accumulated a large heap on the ground. The ammunition we +filled into bags and loaded on wagons, but the rifles were placed in a +great pile and burned, as we had no means of carrying such a large +number: they were rendered quite useless, as the barrels were made soft +by the heat, and all the foresights, backsights and other attachments +were melted off. + +The Boers told us that they had left nine or ten wagons, mostly loaded +with rifle ammunition, on the road about 3 miles off; the bullocks had +been taken away by the Harrismith commando, and the wagons were left +there with a few Boers in charge; they also said the road was terrible, +and that it would take a long time to bring in the wagons, even if +bullocks were sent out for this purpose. + +A report to this effect being made to the General, the Engineer officer, +Lieut. Evans, was sent out to destroy the wagons. This was done during +the day by blowing them up; unfortunately, owing to some Kaffir putting +a bag of powder in close proximity to the fuse, a premature explosion +took place, and the old sergeant of the R.E. section, Sergeant Munn, was +somewhat seriously injured, while Lieut. Evans himself was cut about a +good deal. + +During the morning the officers whom the General had detailed to assist +me reported their arrival: they were, Captain Wroughton of our +battalion; and Captain Tufnell, Lieut. Lambton and Lieut. Key, all from +the Mounted Infantry; these, with Lieut. Bellamy, gave us one British +officer to each of the five commandos: but, as Lieut. Bellamy had to +return to his proper duty as assistant Provost Marshal, Lieut. Bond was +applied for in relief of him. + +As soon as the officers arrived we were able to get the Boers into some +sort of organization. Each commando had its Boer commandant, who had +under him his adjutant and secretary, both of whom usually spoke +English; and the remainder of the Boers were distributed under the +orders of a certain number of Field Cornets, corresponding to our +section commanders, who knew all about the men, and had rolls of them +and other information. + +The commandants themselves knew nothing about their men, their names or +other details, but left all that to the Field Cornets. + +The five officers were posted to the commandos as follows:-- + + To Du Plooy's Commando Lieut. Bond, vice + Lieut. Bellamy. + " Potgieter's " Captain Wroughton. + " Joubert's " Lieut. Lambton. + " Crowther's " Lieut. Key. + " Jonker's " Captain Tuffnell. + +Having thus a certain nucleus of organization to go upon, the officers +went off, each to his own commando, to make themselves acquainted with +their commandants and to ascertain the quantity of rations available, +besides obtaining other information, such as the numbers of men, horses, +wagons, Cape carts and bullocks, in each commando. + +Of these commandos, that of Potgieter was the most important and the +strongest in numbers, and the best looked after by the commandant and +his Field Cornets; nearly all the burghers came from the Smithfield +District, while those in the other commandos came from the districts of +Bethulie, Thaba N'Chu and Winburg. + +Jonker was not really a commandant, but, being the oldest Field Cornet, +he was selected by us to organise and look after the burghers of the +Harrismith commando, composed of those who had elected to surrender +instead of going off with Olivier. + +Commandant Du Plooy was the most respectable and reliable, as far as one +could observe in the fortnight the Boers were under our charge; but all +the commandants were men of standing and position, accustomed to be +treated, as could be seen, with a good deal of deference by the +burghers; they appeared to be all honourable men, and were most +courteous in their address and manner of speaking on all occasions. + +Commandant Joubert was a truculent old gentleman, who apparently failed +to thoroughly grasp his position, and, while not exactly objecting to +any orders which were given him, he showed his disapproval in other +ways, and usually had a good deal to say on any matter that came +forward. + +General Bruce Hamilton rode over that morning and had an interview with +the five commandants, and ascertained that they thoroughly understood +the conditions upon which their surrender was accepted; these were, that +each burgher was to be allowed a horse to ride to his destination, and +that all private property was to be respected. The Boers had a great +fear of being compelled to walk, and would have done anything sooner +than go on foot, a thing to which they have never been accustomed. They +were amazed at our infantry marching as they did every mile of the road, +and frankly admitted that the Boers could have done nothing of the sort. + +Lieut. Bellamy was busy all that day enquiring into the cases of the +trek Boers and such other non-combatants as were willing to take the +oath of allegiance to Her Majesty, or of neutrality, and to go quietly +back to their farms: to these passes were issued and the people allowed +to go off at once. This reduced the crowd of wagons very considerably, +as nearly all of these burghers had one, if not more, wagons, and +usually one or two vans or covered carts in which the womenfolk +travelled, if they were well-to-do people. + +Several of them had droves of cattle and flocks of sheep also. The +remainder of the wagons, which were almost entirely those that had been +captured from our convoys on different occasions, were loaded with the +burghers' kits and with their rations of meal and some coffee. They said +they had been out of tea and sugar for a long time, that the coffee was +merely roasted beans and mealies, and that tobacco was almost unknown. +However they had plenty of cattle, which largely made up for the absence +of other food; as the Boer is a great meat eater, and, unlike other +civilised people, can exist on meat alone for a considerable period. + +There was one field gun amongst the wagons: this had belonged to U +Battery, R.H.A., and had been captured by the Boers at Sanna's Post; +several artillery ammunition wagons were also found, which, with some of +the wagons which were loaded with gun and rifle ammunition, were all +sent away to the General's camp. + +The hills and ravines around Raats' farm were full of cattle and mules +grazing, so we sent a number of the Boers to bring them in and to inspan +them into the wagons and Cape carts, as it was now necessary to shift +our camp to a better site where the commandos could be separated +somewhat. There was plenty of space about a couple of miles outside the +Golden Gate, and in the afternoon each officer moved his commando and +encamped it in a new spot. + +Here the wagons, carts and horses were drawn up with some regularity, +and the officers were enabled to check the numbers previously given in +by the commandants, which were found to be substantially correct in +every case. + +Another important matter was the equalising of such rations as were in +the possession of the Boers: stock was therefore taken by each officer, +and Captain Wroughton arranged about the sharing of what flour and other +stuff there was, and saw that the fat oxen were collected and put into a +drove in charge of some of the burghers, until they were required for +slaughtering. + +During this day the battalion had been moved to the same spot upon which +the laager was encamped: several pickets were furnished round the +prisoners, and sentries placed on the roads leading in and out of the +pass. + +All the burghers paraded with their horses the next morning, so that +those which were fit for use by the mounted troops might be taken, and +others given in their place. An Artillery officer came down to select +these horses, and from the way he went about the business, carefully +examining each animal all round and passing his critical hand over +fetlocks and back sinews, it was plain that he did not realise that he +had about 1,200 horses to look through that morning. However, our time +was precious, and we had plenty to do without meddling in other people's +affairs, so the Artillery major was left to run his own show; it came to +a climax a few hours afterwards, as we received orders to move before he +had selected more than a few horses. + +From that time on we were beset with people who either wanted another +horse, or thought they saw their way to getting a better one. None of us +had any peace; there was always someone who wished to exchange his horse +for a better one, and on going down to the lines we were pretty certain +to see several strangers "looking round," as they called it--but we soon +knew what that meant. The Boer laager seemed to be considered a fair +field for anyone to exploit, one officer going so far as to send his +men down to take some of the Boers' blankets away from them! + +A party of Basutos from across the border, which was only three or four +miles away, came over to pay their respects to the General; they were a +chief and his interpreter and a retinue of sorts. A more motley crew has +never been seen; they were all mounted on ponies; the chief was an +enormously fat young man, bursting out of a slate coloured tweed suit, +and wearing a black pot hat; the interpreter was similarly rigged out in +a suit of dittoes; but the retinue were equipped mostly with a simple +tuft of feathers in their hair. Some of them had blankets, but, the day +being close, they carried them strapped on to their saddles. Whilst the +chief was making his salaams to the General the crowd of retainers +strolled about, and eventually became such a nuisance that after the +interview was concluded, the whole gang were requested to withdraw to +their own territory. + +The ammunition which could not be carried with us for want of the +necessary transport was handed over to the Mounted Infantry and to our +battalion to be destroyed. This was no easy matter, but some was burned +and exploded, some buried, and a quantity thrown into the pools of water +in the spruit. + +Major Lean was very successful with five or six wagon loads of powder +and ammunition which were given him to destroy; the powder was strewn +broadcast over the ground, but the boxes of ammunition and the wheels +and other woodwork of the wagons were piled, sandwich fashion, into a +huge heap and set fire to just before leaving the camp. As the boxes +burned the cartridges were exploded, and a terrific noise, like a +general engagement or the last stage of the attack as practised at +General's inspection, echoed and re-echoed among the hills for several +hours. No doubt, a good many cartridges escaped destruction, but it was +impossible in the time available to destroy the ammunition more +thoroughly. + +Amongst the Mauser ammunition which was given up in the bandoliers, +there were many clips containing cartridges whose bullets were covered +with bright green fat; this gave rise to the statement that the Boers +had wilfully used poisoned bullets. This theory was regularly harped +upon by some war correspondents in their letters, but a more disgraceful +insinuation against our enemies never existed, nor one more erroneous +from a musketry point of view. + +It is quite plain to any unbiassed person that any grease which might be +upon the bullet when it is placed in the chamber of the rifle would be +completely wiped off during the passage of the tightly-fitting +projectile through the barrel, from which it emerges as clean as when +made, and bearing the marks of the grooving. Enquiries among the better +class Boers regarding this rumour elicited the fact that many of them +were in the habit of dipping the cartridges in fat prepared from bucks +which they had killed, with a view to lubricating the chamber and barrel +of the rifle: the buck fat, after exposure to the air, turned green; the +Boers were much amused at the ridiculous conclusion at which these +correspondents had arrived. + + + + +CHAPTER XV. + +TO WINBURG. + + Escorting the prisoners--Authority of the Commandants--Strength of + the commandos--Biddulph's Berg--Senekal--Sardines--Winburg--Release + of old men and boys--Remainder of prisoners entrained. + + +The battalion camped on the 31st of July at Klerksvlei, but next day +moved about three miles further on with a view of forming a guard to the +prisoners, whose laager had then been established at Korfshoek. The +march was commenced on the 2nd of August, when the laager with the +battalion as escort, together with the Mounted Infantry and the guns, +returned to Klerksvlei, proceeding the next day to Weltevreden, a long +weary march of 15 miles. There was a halt of a couple of hours on the +road after we had gone about 5 or 6 miles, as we met the Highland +Brigade on their way to Harrismith. Some Mounted Infantry were also +encountered on the look-out for horses: and we smiled as we saw them +select some that had been handed over to us as useless the day before. +However, we said nothing. We got off again at last and marched back on +the road by which we had come from Naauwpoort Nek. We halted once for a +couple of hours to enable the wagons to cross a drift, and took the +opportunity to have some food, and to water and graze our animals. At +this spot, with a strongish breeze blowing, one of our companies, lying +on the grass, seized the occasion to start a grass fire, which spread +like a flash and necessitated our moving; endeavours were made to turn +the course of the fire or to put it out, but without avail, so we had to +inspan and trek pretty smartly. On our road we passed the site of our +former bivouacs, and marched on for another few miles before camping at +Weltevreden. Next day we were afoot at eight o'clock, but halted a good +many times during the day, principally at drifts, of which there were +several, and also on two occasions to allow the Eighth Division, under +General Rundle, to pass us on their way to Harrismith. The troops of the +Eighth Division were much interested at the sight of the Boer prisoners +riding along, a huge column of 1,500 men; and I think the burghers +themselves were also impressed at the sight of the numerous troops we +passed on our way, first the Highland Brigade and then the Eighth +Division. + +We bivouacked that night below Little Spitz Kop, a wretched place for a +camp--bad water out of a dirty sluit, and the whole neighbourhood as +black as your hat as the result of a grass fire. + +The 5th of August was a terribly long day; we started at seven o'clock +and trekked along steadily for mile after mile, halting at mid-day for a +couple of hours to refresh man and beast, and eventually reaching +Bethlehem at six in the evening, just after dark. + +Stringent orders had been issued by General Hunter with regard to the +safety of the prisoners, and these were read to commandants and +explained by them to their burghers; the prisoners, however, were quite +resigned to their fate, and I myself was sure that none would be missing +when we arrived at our destination; and in this I was quite correct, as +afterwards was proved. The burghers were at all times quite under the +thumb of their commandants, whom they looked up to with unswerving +fidelity and supported with implicit obedience; thus when they were +informed that the commandant himself would be held responsible in the +event of any man of his commando deserting, there was little doubt in my +mind as to their compliance. + +The battalion furnished a cordon of sentries round the Boer camp that +night; they were relieved next day by the Bedford regiment, whom we +found in camp next to us. There was a halt for the troops that day, but +there was not much rest for us in the Boer laager, as there was a good +deal of organising to do which there had been no opportunity of carrying +out before. Seeing that the five officers under me were all very busy, +the General decided to attach five more for duty, and they came and +reported themselves during the day. This was a great addition to our +administrative staff, as it enabled two officers to be apportioned to +each commando, one of whom paraded and rode with the mounted men on the +march daily, whilst the other rode with the wagons and superintended +everything connected with them: by this means we were enabled to get +things done with some regularity and precision, especially as Captain +Tufnell volunteered to look after the whole of the wagons and Cape carts +when in camp and on the march, while Captain Wroughton undertook the +duties of Quartermaster and superintended the ration question: of these +two tiresome jobs, I am not sure which was the most worrying. + +The five officers who joined us were Lieut. Willett, of our regiment, +and Lieuts. Greenwell and Veasey of the Bedfords, 2nd Lieut. Lord Murray +of the Camerons, and Lieut. Henderson of the City Imperial Volunteers. +The services of Sergeant Flynn and Drummer Briggs were also lent to us +to facilitate issuing orders and carrying messages. + +The first thing to do was to have a proper roll call of the commandos; +we had had no opportunity before then of doing this, although the +adjutants of each commando had prepared rolls of their men, so a careful +muster was taken by the officers, the numbers of the prisoners proving +to be as follows:-- + + Commandant Jonker 239 burghers. + " Crowther 379 " + " Joubert 190 " + " Du Plooy 227 " + " Potgieter 512 " + +To these had to be added four men who were sent down by the Provost +Marshal, and seven had to be deducted, who were admitted to hospital in +the town, making a net total of 1,544. + +After the roll call was concluded the burghers were directed to give up +all property belonging to the Free State or to the British Government, +and this order resulted in a most miscellaneous collection of articles +being made, comprising tents, waterproof sheets, entrenching tools, +bayonets, military clothing of all kinds which had been looted from the +Derby Militia, and from the trains which had been held up and wrecked by +De Wet; saddlery and telescopes taken from the Yeomanry who surrendered +at Lindley; and hundreds of smaller articles, Gladstone bags, tin +uniform cases, water bottles, haversacks, ration baskets, signalling +panniers, books, canteens and equipment, which had all at one time +belonged to the Derby Militia. + +There was very little property belonging to the Orange Free State, with +the exception of a few tents and some waterproof sheets; we were careful +not to receive anything which might be considered as the private +property of the burghers, and the whole day long numbers of these simple +minded men came to us, bringing all sorts of articles, and asking if +they could retain them. + +In any case each Boer was allowed to keep a blanket for himself and one +for his horse, a water bottle and a waterproof sheet; and we did not +interfere with the clothing they were wearing, much of which was our +khaki serge, with many overcoats and khaki warm coats. + +Some of the wagons, which were covered in and suitable for the purpose, +were sent over to the hospital to assist in carrying the sick and +wounded. + +During the afternoon the commandants were received by General Hunter at +his quarters in the town, where they drank coffee, and, with the +assistance of an interpreter, made the polite and cautious remarks usual +on such occasions. + +A few horses were exchanged for some in the Mounted Infantry, but all +those which were of the slightest use had already been taken. At night +our custom was for all horses, after watering, to be taken to the +Mounted Infantry lines, where they were fastened together in huge rings, +under a guard, the Boers going back to their lines and coming at +daybreak again to receive their animals. Any possibility of our friends +taking French leave during the night was thus precluded. + +The commandants were warned and directed to inform their men that any +insubordination would be severely punished, the offender being placed +under a guard and compelled to walk instead of riding; and the +commandants were held personally responsible that none of their men +attempted to escape. + +During our subsequent march to the railway, prisoners were constantly +being received in twos and threes from the Provost Marshal, and a large +number, some seventy-five, of the remainder of those who had surrendered +to General Hunter at Fouriesburg, were handed over to us on one +occasion. + +The morning of the 7th of August saw us out of Bethlehem for the second +time and tramping along the well-known road to Meyer's Kop, over which +some of us had already marched three times. + +Bethlehem looked better by daylight than it did when we left it in the +dark on the 16th of July; it is a large town and, as is usual, well +laid out with a fine church in the middle, but it would be a good deal +prettier if the indolent Boers could be persuaded to plant a few more +trees. It is a curious trait in the Boer character that, notwithstanding +their Dutch origin, they do not appear to care in the least for flowers, +or trees, or gardening of any kind. + +In the teeth of an icy cold wind, which raised clouds of dust, we +tramped along, past Sevastopol, and our old friend, Meyer's Kop, to +Bester's Farm, a few miles beyond the latter place, and continued our +march the next day and the next in similar fashion, halting at each +mid-day for a couple of hours. + +On the road we passed the redoubtable Biddulph's Berg, which had been +some time previously the scene of a severe action, where a battalion of +Guards was heavily engaged and suffered from a very large number of +casualties, over 150, I believe. They had a terrible experience in this +action which has happily seldom occurred in warfare before; the grass +was very long and dry, and there was a breeze blowing from the rear, +where a number of people were watching the fight; these individuals were +seen to drop matches on to the dry grass, and the consequent fire was +soon beyond their power to extinguish. Rapidly the flames grew and +spread to the right and left, and rushed, fanned by the breeze, straight +down upon the unfortunate Guardsmen, extended and carrying on the attack +upon the enemy in front: there was no escape, and the roaring flames +swept like a rolling torrent down upon the soldiers, scattering them in +all directions and scorching them severely: worse than this, the +wounded, of whom there were a considerable number lying in the long +grass, were badly burned and suffered terrible agony: it was a truly +dreadful experience. + +On the 9th of August we reached Senekal, crossed the drift, and camped +just beyond the town; the opportunity was here taken to buy what food +could be purchased, for the Brigade Canteen; but there was little to be +had, and that was at famine prices. + +Captain Wisden, however, struck what shopmen call a "line" of sardines, +in which he invested largely for the Officers' mess, and which proved to +be the worst possible kind of fish that had ever been put in a tin. How +the wretched animal had existed when it was alive was a marvel, as it +consisted, seemingly, of one huge backbone and little else; but no doubt +the bad oil, into which it was put when it was tinned, brought about a +speedy death and released the poor creature from its sufferings! Captain +Wisden will never hear the end of this, and all our officers will in +future beware of that particular brand of sardines. + +Senekal is a small and neat town at the foot of a huge kopje, and was +occupied, when we passed through, by the other half battalion of the +Bedfords: it is the scene of one of the mishaps to the Yeomanry when +Major D'Albiac was killed and a number of others killed, wounded, and +taken prisoners; through great negligence they had not searched or +occupied the kopje, which frowns over the little town at a distance of a +few hundred yards, and from here the Boers suddenly opened fire on the +men walking about down below, and shot Major D'Albiac, a well-known man, +who had been in the Royal Horse Artillery, as he rushed out of the +hotel. + +The next three days were occupied in moving towards Winburg, two marches +of 11 miles each, and the last of fifteen, into the town, which we +reached about three o'clock in the afternoon. Each day we had halted for +a mid-day rest, but the journey, although through open country, was not +a pleasant one owing to the wind and the dust; the camping grounds also +were filthy, as they had been used so frequently during the last few +months, no water being procurable elsewhere: they were surrounded by +dead mules, horses and bullocks: carcases littered each side of the road +as well, between one camp and another. + +So we were pleased to reach Winburg and to camp on the plain beyond the +railway station, with the possibility of a few days' rest, and the +chance of buying some bread--a commodity we had not seen in any quantity +since leaving Pretoria in the middle of June. I foresaw, however, a good +deal of work for myself and the ten officers with the Boer laager, as +the burghers were to be handed over and despatched by train to Cape +Town: they had not been told this or given any hint of their +destination, and even now we were careful to say nothing further than +that they were going off in the train; but, of course, the more +intelligent of them quickly grasped the facts and fully imagined that +they were bound for St. Helena: they had not, apparently, heard of +Ceylon. + +For the next three days there was very little rest in the Boer laager +for any of us: the very afternoon of our arrival round came Major +Maclaughlin and another officer of the Remount Department, who demanded +all the horses and ponies: Captain Camilleri, one of the Transport +Officers, also turned up and said he wanted all the Cape carts and most +of the wagons: Major Cardew said all the saddles and harness were to go +to the Ordnance Stores, and Major Orr, of the 18th Royal Irish, the +Railway Staff Officer, had his little say, too, about the probable +departure of the Boers, which was to take place as soon as trains could +be made up. + +We did not attempt to do much that afternoon, as the whole camp was +overrun with visitors from the town and idlers of all kinds who came to +stare at the Boers and ask us questions, which we had no time to answer. +The first thing was to get off the horses and ponies, which were sent in +batches to some cattle kraals near by; the animals belonging to the +Commandants and Field Cornets, which had not been taken from them or +exchanged during the journey, were collected together and sent +separately to the same place, and by a little after dark we had got rid +of all the horses and ponies, some 1,200 in number. + +Next morning, the 13th of August, we were early at our work, and got all +the saddles and harness together and laid out in rows, and collected any +more Government property, tents and other things, which had been used on +the march. + +The drinking water was a long distance away, and the Boers were much +amused at our forming some of them into water parties and marching them +off, under a guard, to fetch water for their messes; they tramped off in +fours, calling to each other and laughing, just like so many children. + +After breakfast there was a muster parade of each commando, when the +officers in charge called the rolls and ascertained that all their men +were actually present: this was a long business and took some hours. The +rest of the day was occupied in moving all the wagons and Cape carts to +the outskirts of the camp, and closing in the commandos a good deal, so +as to form a smaller circle for the sentries to guard; for, all this +time, and in fact ever since leaving Bethlehem, the Boer laager had been +surrounded by a cordon of sentries by day and night. + +The following morning, such wagons, oxen and Cape carts as were of any +use, were removed by the transport people, and the saddles and harness, +about four wagon loads, taken away to the Ordnance stores: the burghers +did not like this part of the performance as they had all written their +names on the saddles, with what object goodness only knows, and were not +at all pleased when some of them were called upon to come and load the +saddles on to the wagons. + +In the course of this day passes were given to the families, several of +whom were still with us, and they were permitted to go to their farms +with their wagons and oxen; the old men and the boys were also mustered, +and a selection made of those to whom passes might be issued with the +privilege of going to their farms and remaining there. A large number +turned up, most of the men being old and feeble, and some of the boys +being very young, so that we made a careful selection, rejecting all +those whose appearance gave the impression that they were able to carry +and use a rifle, and issuing passes to the remainder. + +Altogether, there were no less than 105 permitted to go away, and they +were sent off that afternoon: some of the boys and older men, who +belonged to the Bethulie District, and who had no wagons, were provided +with railway passes to enable them to get to their homes speedily. + +Had it been known that the disturbance and guerilla warfare in the +Orange River Colony would continue for so long after the dispersal of +what might be called the Boer army, it is probable that not a single +man, woman or child would have been permitted to go back to their farms; +which, although their occupants had taken the oath of allegiance to the +Queen, became centres whence horses, wagons and supplies of all kinds, +besides information as to our movements, were furnished to the nomadic +bands of insurgents who roamed the country. + +That afternoon we succeeded in despatching Potgieter's commando, 477 +strong, by train to Cape Town; the burghers fell in, with their +blankets and rations, and marched down to the train (which had steamed +up close to the camp), with all the regularity of soldiers; they were to +travel under a guard of militia, who were ready waiting, and to whom we +handed the Boers over as they got into the trucks. + +They all seemed happy enough, laughing and chatting, and many of them +waved their hands to us as the train steamed off. + +The next morning another batch, over 800 strong, was sent off, and the +remainder followed an hour later, bringing our connection with the Boer +laager to a close. + + + + +CHAPTER XVI. + +UP AND DOWN. + + Bloemfontein--Men and officers waiting there--Kroonstad--The + Brigade re-fitted--Wasted comforts--Shopping for the + canteen--Famine prices--Traders' profits--Ventersburg road--Half + battalion to Winburg--Winburg attacked--Capture of Commandant + Olivier--Bloemfontein--Ladybrand--Leeuw River Mills. + + +I went down in the train with the last batch of prisoners as far as +Bloemfontein, as the General wished me to go to the Ordnance stores, and +see what could be done about bringing up clothing, boots and other +stores for the men, who were now in rags again and very badly off for +boots. Several officers from the Brigade had been sent down at various +times for this purpose, and I, with these officers and what stuff we +could get, was to meet the Brigade at Kroonstad on the 20th of August. + +Leaving Winburg about mid-day, the train reached our destination about +half-past six, and there we quitted it, seeing the last of our friends, +the Boer prisoners: they were lively enough and, all the way down, had +looked with interest at the Militia battalions guarding the line and the +bridges, and at the various entrenchments thrown up by them, and at the +fortifications of biscuit boxes and barbed wire at each place. At +Brandfort they met plenty of friends and evident sympathisers, who had +apparently been allowed on the platform to see them, but at Bloemfontein +the train stopped outside the station, and then ran through without +stopping at the platform. + +I stayed a couple of days in Bloemfontein and found all the other +officers there; they had succeeded in getting all the ordnance stores +they wanted and were ready to return, but could not get permission to do +so; however, a visit to the D. A. A. G. soon settled that, and the next +trouble was to get all the trucks, which had been loaded at the +Ordnance siding, attached to a train and despatched. + +The Assistant Director of Railways, Captain Nathan, R.E., was an old +friend of mine, and arranged to have the trucks put on to a train on the +18th of August, by which we also arranged to leave. There was a most +serious congestion of traffic at that time: rows and rows of trucks were +waiting, and had been waiting for some time, for an opportunity to be +despatched up country; there were no less than fourteen trains of +remounts passing forward, and these, of course, had to receive +precedence over others; the mails also had been waiting for days. There +was the greatest strictness observed as to who travelled and why, and +the contents of each truck were carefully examined to see that no +private stores were loaded on it, and even the carriages were examined, +just before the trains started, by the Railway Staff Officers. I had +tried to get some Canteen stores shipped; four cases of tobacco, which +were urgently wanted by the men, I had even brought down to the station, +and I succeeded in smuggling one on to a truck. There was plenty of room +in the guard's van and lots of space upon several trucks upon which +troops were travelling, but the guard was a surly Dutchman, an uncivil +brute, who started the train as the three cases were actually being +loaded; so they had to be dropped on to the line and left behind, to be +eventually sent up by ox wagon, which cost the Brigade Canteen no less +than L5. + +The streets of Bloemfontein were a curious sight in the daytime, crowded +with soldiers of every imaginable regiment, and full of staff officers, +whose red tabs on their collars had procured for them the designation of +"rooineks," or red necks, which is the sneering nickname the Boers have +had for years for British soldiers. I saw more than one man of the +Royal Sussex, who seemed in no anxiety to rejoin; several others had got +hold of jobs which kept them away from the hard work and danger of +marching and fighting, and put extra pay in their pockets. + +The rest camp was crowded with soldiers, all perfectly well and fit for +duty, and waiting to go up country and rejoin their regiments; many of +them had been waiting for weeks; there were officers, too, in dozens, +and all had the same tale to tell--they had been stopped at Bloemfontein +on their way up country, and had been ordered to remain and do garrison +duty indefinitely. + +It is a severe blot on the administration of the Line of Communications +that such a state of matters should be allowed to exist; that regiments +at the front should have been kept short-handed of both officers and +men, while numbers of both ranks were loafing about the streets of +Bloemfontein, or spending hours picking up weeds and placing white +stones in rows in the Rest Camp. Not only did this happen in +Bloemfontein, but the larger towns, such as Winburg and Kroonstad, were +all full of unattached soldiers whose regiments were at the front. If +these men were required for purposes of defence, it seems curious that a +battalion or a half battalion could not have been detailed instead of an +incongruous mob. + +Towards the close of the campaign our battalion must have had several +hundred men scattered about in various places: many of them were +employed in hospitals and at offices and in all sorts of ways, but +directly any attempt was made to get them back, many men were reported +as "unfit to march." The conclusion I came to was, that these men must +either have been discharged before being fully recovered, or else their +detention at other than their proper duty was being winked at by certain +officers for their own convenience. + +Leaving Bloemfontein at six o'clock in the evening, our train had run +only about 15 miles before a truck succeeded in getting off the rails; +this was caused by a bale of blankets falling from a wagon on to the +line and getting under the guard rail of the axle and grease box, which +lifted the wheels and shoved them to one side: however, by the aid of +two iron slides carried on the engine for the purpose, we were soon up +again on the line and on our way to Kroonstad, which we reached the day +before the Brigade was due. There was still a good deal to be done in +getting the stores carted up to camp, but, with some trouble, this was +managed by the next morning, when the Brigade arrived. The stores were +unpacked, and the men were soon issued with some clean shirts, socks and +boots, while some cases of comforts, sent out by people at home, were +eagerly opened and their contents distributed. The articles which were +most appreciated were drawers, shirts, socks, handkerchiefs and writing +sets, which were all really useful; but, unfortunately, the contents of +many bales and boxes consisted largely of Tam o'Shanters and knitted +garments, which the men had no means of carrying, except on their backs; +and they had quite enough on them as it was with rifle, equipment, 100 +rounds of ammunition, blanket and two days' rations. After a man had +once been issued with a soft cap and a cardigan jacket, he did not want +another; and the quantity of these articles, in proportion to other +things, sent out by the kind and thoughtful donors at home was +unfortunately large. + +Among the bales of ordnance stores were many containing warm khaki +overcoats of the Indian pattern, but as our transport was so limited we +had to return these useful garments, having no means of carrying them. + +As the Brigade was likely to proceed on the trek again, it never having +been known to rest more than two or three days at a time, the +opportunity was taken to fill up the Brigade Canteen wagons with stores, +and a small party went shopping with a traction engine and three trucks +and bought all they could get; as usual the shopkeepers, some English, +some German, declined to part with any quantity of their stock, which +they were, of course, hanging on to in the hope of prices rising, and I +had to obtain an order from the District Commissioner to compel them to +sell, though at enormous prices--eighteenpence for a tin of milk or a +pot of jam, and other things in proportion. + +As luck would have it, I succeeded, at my next visit to the town, in +discovering the exact profit which these firms had made out of the +Brigade Canteen over this transaction, and as all this talk about stores +and prices serves to show how an English soldier is treated by his +affectionate countrymen on his arrival in a beleaguered town, this must +be my excuse for harping so long on one string. + +There was an enterprising man who had arrived from Bloemfontein with +several wagons full of stores, which he sold equally to the few +merchants in Kroonstad. On the very day and at the time delivery was +being made, I turned up with my traction engine and trucks and my order +from the District Commissioner, and purchased most of these stores, +nearly all the cases being handed over at the storehouse of the +enterprising man. The prices I was charged by the various storekeepers +were those fixed as the selling prices in the shops; the prices the +traders paid to the enterprising man I was afterwards fortunate enough +to drop upon, and I found that in every case the profits were enormous, +averaging over 36 per cent., and ranging from 75 per cent. for sardines +to 20 per cent. for jam and milk. + +Since our last stay in the town Kroonstad had developed strong breezes, +which fetched up clouds of dust and hordes of flies from the Remount +Depot, and poured them both unceasingly into our camp. The 21st of +August was a particularly dusty day, and we were not so very sorry, +therefore, when in the evening orders were received for us to be off +again: some of us, this time, went by train, as one half battalion was +to proceed by rail and the other by road, marching with all the wagons +and carts of the Brigade, to Geneva Siding, about 15 miles down the +line. + +The first party to move was the right half battalion, composed of B, C, +D and E companies, under myself: they paraded at eleven o'clock in the +evening and marched to the station, and waited there for some time, +after loading the first line transport and some guns--the 76th Battery +of the Field Artillery; we eventually made a start about three o'clock +in the morning. On arrival at Geneva I found there the General and the +Camerons, who had proceeded by an earlier train, and was then directed +to proceed to Ventersburg Road in the same train, and to remain there +until the arrival of the General. So we steamed off again, enjoying, as +we knew the other half battalion would also do, the new experience of +sitting in a train and being dragged to our destination. + +On our way down we passed Holfontein, where were some troops guarding +the bridge, and, a few miles further on, we reached the spot where, some +weeks previously, a train had been held up at night by the Boers, an +officer and a few men who were in the train being taken prisoners and +the train looted and burned. The officer was bringing up some stores for +the General, which, of course, were looted; but a few of the Boers paid +for their recklessness, as they found some liquor, got drunk, and were +easily captured, about eight or a dozen of them, by the Mounted Infantry +from Ventersburg Road, who rode out on hearing the explosions of +dynamite. + +They were too late, however, to save the train, which was burning +fiercely; many wagons of biscuits, beef and other supplies were burned +clean out, only the iron frames of the wagons and thousands of blackened +and empty tins being left on the line. Some of the wagons, thrown off +the line, and tons of empty tins, showed us, as we passed, where the +incident had occurred. + +We reached Ventersburg Road about seven o'clock, and found some troops +there under command of Lieut.-Colonel White, R.A.; the permanent +garrison was composed of the Malta Company of Mounted Infantry, under +Captain Pine-Coffin, who had come out with us on the "Pavonia," and a +company of the Buffs Militia, under Captain O'Grady, a cousin of our +Major of the same name. We camped outside the station, and bye-and-bye +the General arrived, with the Camerons, followed about six o'clock by +our Head Quarters and the other half battalion. + +Ventersburg Road, a little roadside station, boasted only a couple of +sheds besides the usual station buildings, water tank and goods shed; +everything, however, was strongly entrenched and defended; a huge Supply +Depot had been established, and the boxes and the bags were utilised to +form protection for the garrison, an interesting sight being a machine +gun mounted on a pyramid of sacks of oats. The Supply subordinates had +made themselves comfortable inside houses built of biscuit and beef +boxes and roofed with tarpaulins, but the valuable sacks of oats, bags +of mealies, sacks of sugar and other stores were pitched about anywhere, +and were rotting and mouldering away on all sides; four bags of costly +sugar were utilised to form steps up to a water tank, and were, of +course, ruined with wet and mud; the enormous goods shed, which would +have held the whole stock of the more valuable Supply stores then going +to waste in the open, was full of bales of wool belonging to Boer +farmers, of which the greatest care was apparently being taken by the +railway authorities, while valuable food supplies were being ruined. The +responsible man was a Corporal of the Army Service Corps, who was some +time afterwards placed under arrest for selling rum and stores to the +Boer residents and sympathisers in Ventersburg; they had run out of +supplies, and thus replenished their larder. On our next visit, some +time later, we brought with us the Brigade Supply officer, Lieut. Lloyd, +whose energy was only equalled by his capability; and he very soon had +things put shipshape, the wool bales fired out of the shed, and +everything done Bristol fashion, as they say at sea. + +The water supply of Ventersburg Road was its chief drawback: the Boers +had damaged the water tank and the pumping engine, and had blown up the +windmill pump, throwing it across the platform, where it remained for +weeks; the only other source of supply for water was a spruit, about 2 +miles away, to which water carts had to be despatched daily, and where +all animals had to be taken to water. + +The ground in the neighbourhood was level for a considerable distance to +the west and east, rising somewhat to the north and dropping to the +south. In the distance on the east were some hills about 7 miles away, +and beyond them about 2 miles lay Ventersburg town, a hotbed of Boers +and their friends, and a place of assembly for all the rebels in the +surrounding country; it was only equalled by Bothaville, another town on +the west side of the railway, and about sixty miles off. + +On the afternoon of the day we arrived, I accompanied the General on a +reconnaissance, carried out by all the mounted troops available towards +Ventersburg town; we rode out to the hills outside the town, and the +General went on with a small escort, returning in about an hour: there +was a nasty piece of country between the hills and the town, which, +however, the Mounted Infantry assured me, could easily be turned from +either flank. + +Our Head Quarters and A, F, G, H, and the Volunteer companies left +Ventersburg Road station at six o'clock in the evening on the 25th of +August by special train, arriving at Winburg a little after three +o'clock; they detrained at once, and received orders to move at five +o'clock with the Cameron Highlanders, the 39th Field Battery, and the +5th Mounted Infantry to relieve Colonel Ridley and the Queenstown +Volunteers, about 120 men, who for three days had been surrounded at +Helpmakaar Farm, some twelve miles to the north-east of Winburg. On +arrival there it was found that the Boers, after summoning the garrison +to surrender at seven o'clock that morning, had made off; so the force, +together with the beleaguered garrison, returned to Winburg, arriving +there about seven in the evening, and bivouacking to the east of the +railway station. + +About five o'clock the next morning the camp was alarmed by rifle shots, +and it soon became evident that an attack was being made upon the town: +so the garrison all stood to arms. The half battalion of the Bedfords, +who were at the station ready entrained to return to Ventersburg Road, +were moved out in the train to a point north of the town nearest to a +kopje upon which the main attack seemed to be directed by the enemy; two +companies of the Camerons went up the hills, to the south-east of the +town, to support the picket there, and A and F companies of our +battalion went to the south-west of the town; these companies were +sniped from some bushes on a small detached kopje to the south of the +town, but one man only was hit on the heel of his boot; a few shells +were also fired at the pickets east of the town by a gun, or a couple of +guns, of the enemy's posted to the north-east. Two guns of our battery +came into action between our bivouacs and the railway station, and +dispersed some Boers who were gathered on the top of the detached kopje; +and the firing then ceased as suddenly as it had begun. + +Some Mounted Infantry were shortly afterwards seen coming in from the +north escorting twenty-four prisoners, who were found to include +Commandant Olivier and his three sons. These four had, unknowingly and +unarmed, walked straight into the hands of three or four of our Mounted +Infantry, who had bluffed them by pretending that the rest of their +regiment was close at hand. The Commandant was in a furious rage when he +realised how neatly he had been trapped. + +It appeared that the Boers concerned in the advance upon the town were +under Commandant Fourie and included also Commandant Haasbruck; the +latter with his commando was to have made a simultaneous attack upon the +south end of the town, but, matters at the north part of the picket line +being brought to a head sooner than was anticipated, his attack was too +late to be of any use. The Boers, it was ascertained, had tapped the +telegraph wire, and intercepted an order to General Bruce Hamilton, to +withdraw his troops to Ventersburg Road; so, when three trains +containing Yeomanry, which had come in during the night of the 26th, +steamed out again in the early morning of the 27th, the Boers mistook +these for trains containing General Bruce Hamilton's force, and attacked +the town, expecting it to be held by only the usual small garrison. + +The column proceeded at noon on the 31st of August by train to +Bloemfontein, where they arrived at eight o'clock in the evening, +proceeding to the Rest Camp for the night, which they spent under canvas +for the first time during the campaign. The next day orders were +received to march at seven o'clock, the same troops as before being +required to make a forced march to Ladybrand to relieve the garrison +there, who had been shut up for three or four days; so the force marched +to the Waterworks, a good 20 miles, passing the scene of the disaster at +Sanna's Post. Next day the column marched to Thaba N'Chu, a long 19 +miles, and camped to the west of the town; they moved next day at five +in the evening, and, after a bad march at night, reached camp at +Andriesfontein at two o'clock in the morning. After resting until three +in the afternoon, the column proceeded to Zonderzorg, about 13 miles, +marching again the next day at seven o'clock in the morning towards +Ladybrand, where the Boers were found in position at Plat Kop on the +left of the road. + +But they retired discreetly before the fire of the 39th Field Battery +and one of our pom-poms, and signal messages were received about 11 a.m. +from Colonel White that he had reached Ladybrand with his Mounted +Infantry; so the infantry column was then halted, and eventually +returned to camp. + +On the 6th of September the column marched at three in the afternoon to +Leeuw River Mills. On parade, before marching off, the General addressed +the troops, thanking them for the way they had supported him in the +trying work of the past few days, during which they had borne fatigue +and hardship without complaint, showing that they had set out +determined, cost what it might, to do their best to relieve their +comrades, beleaguered in Ladybrand. He ended by saying that they had +travelled upwards of a thousand miles with him up to then, and that he +hoped soon all would get a prolonged rest, when he would try and get +tents for them; but he felt sure that, if circumstances demanded that +they should still go on, they would continue to give him the support +that they had all along cheerily given him, as long as their Queen +required them. + +On the 12th of September, a move northwards was made, the column halting +at Brand's Drift Farm, and continuing next day as far as Zamen Konst, +where they were joined by the right half battalion and the remainder of +the Brigade. The left half battalion, since leaving Thaba N'Chu on the +2nd of September, had been under the command of Major O'Grady, +Lieut.-Colonel Donne having remained at Thaba N'Chu in command of the +troops at that station. + + + + +CHAPTER XVII. + +TO LINDLEY. + + Right half battalion to Ventersburg town--Back to the + railway--Rain--Boers blow up the line and burn train---The armoured + train upon the scene--To Bloemfontein--Off again--To the + waterworks--An invasion of Kaffirs--Thaba + N'Chu--Zamenskornst--Meeting with the left half battalion--An + abortive round-up--Senekal--Lindley--Picket attacked. + + +On the 25th of August, when the left half battalion left Ventersburg +Road, I was directed by the General to proceed to Ventersburg town with +a miniature column consisting of our right half battalion, B, C, D, and +E companies: one company of the Derbyshire who had joined the Brigade at +Bethlehem, and had remained with us ever since in the hope of some day +rejoining their regiment: four guns of the 76th Field Battery, under +Captain Moloney, and some of the Malta company of Mounted Infantry, +under Lieut. Attfield, together with our baggage and seven days' +rations. + +Full of spirits at the prospect of getting a look-in at a fight on our +own, we marched off at two in the afternoon towards the range of hills +in the distance: having seen the ground before, it was easy to take the +ever necessary precautions of picketting the hills on the right and left +of the road by mounted men sent on in front, so as to cover our guns and +baggage from the fire of an overzealous enemy; when we had passed +safely, these pickets dropped down and formed our little rear guard, and +so we reached the town about seven o'clock and reported to Colonel +White. We camped in and around the school house, which a thoughtful +staff officer had got ready for our reception, sticking lighted candles +all round the large schoolrooms. + +Colonel White was going out in the direction of the enemy the next day +with all the troops in the town, so we had to take over the pickets and +hold the town until his return. Disappointed at losing our chance of a +fight, we consoled ourselves next day by moving into various empty +houses, as it was possible we might have to remain in Ventersburg. The +town was a small one, but was used as a halting place and rendezvous by +the Boers, who found many sympathisers among the residents. It was well +situated and easily protected, and would have made pleasant quarters for +a half battalion as a permanent garrison; it would have afforded the +Boers one town less in which to assemble and hatch plots and make +descents on the railway line at Holfontein, only 12 miles away. + +We were fated, however, to move again, and at eight o'clock next day, +the 27th of August, my small column returned to Ventersburg Road: in the +distance to the north, we espied a huge cloud of mounted men, wagons and +Cape carts, with whom we opened communication by helio, finding them to +be Colonel Le Gallais' force, bound for the town we had just left. + +On reaching the railway station about mid-day we found that General +Bruce Hamilton and the remainder of our Brigade had gone, and that most +of the other troops had also moved. Next day, Colonel Le Gallais' force, +and also Colonel White's, arrived and camped near the railway station, +so that Ventersburg Road was pretty well crowded, and with all the +horses, mules and bullocks was rapidly becoming anything but sanitary. + +We had a very unpleasant time on the 29th of August; all the afternoon +it rained steadily, and by night the place was a swamp and our camp a +wretched sight; as many men as could be stowed away in sheds and under +verandahs at the station were sent there, and the rest of us lay in our +dripping bivouacs and put up with the drenching rain and soaking water +under us as best we could. Fortunately, the rain stopped in the early +morning, but our camp was a sight: in the middle of a lake about two +feet deep was the bivouac of two men, my servant and my groom, who had +rigged up overnight an excellent shelter of fencing wire and blankets, +under which they were secure from rain, but not from the flowing stream +which soon surrounded them; numbers of mules and bullocks died during +the night, and their swollen carcases poisoned the air for some days, +until they were dragged off to their cemetery, where they were laid out +in rows, and reminded us, every time the wind blew, of the unfortunate +ending to their existence. + +During these days and the next four or five, a constant succession of +trains laden with remounts for the cavalry and Mounted Infantry, and +occasionally with enormous loads of supplies, passed up north, day and +night. + +Orders were received for all details of the 21st Brigade to proceed to +Bloemfontein, but White's and Le Gallais' troops had to go first, with +their horses and their transport of Cape carts: this took three days to +complete, and we were to follow when sufficient trains should arrive. + +On Saturday night just after midnight, or rather on Sunday morning, I +was awakened by hearing three dull explosions, evidently at some +distance; and in a few minutes, Lieut. Bellamy came running up to say he +thought the line had been blown up. As this might have been merely the +preliminary to an attack on the railway station, with its great piles of +stores, four patrols, each consisting of a section under an officer, +were sent out at once in the direction of the explosions, with orders to +communicate with the two pickets which we furnished to the north and +north-west, and then to move round in a circular direction and to return +to camp; when they came back other patrols were sent out and kept going +until dawn. Soon, reports began to come in: Lieut. Ashworth, who was on +picket well out to the north, reported that a train had passed him going +north; that he had heard the slow panting of the engine going up the +incline at Holfontein, about 5 miles off, followed by the explosions and +a few rifle shots, after which all was still; but that the glare in the +sky showed that the train had been set on fire. + +This glare increased in intensity, and soon the fireman of the engine +arrived, followed in a while by the guard and another railway employe, a +passenger, who were brought in by the pickets, and told us the whole +story. It seems that on the train reaching the top of the bank, there +was an explosion of dynamite in front of the engine, upon which the +driver applied the vacuum brake; he then tried to run back, but, after +climbing the hill, he had no steam left to blow off the vacuum and so +release the brakes, and then, hearing another explosion in rear, he and +the fireman jumped and ran, the former going north and the latter south. +The guard and the passenger told a similar story, and added that the +Boers fired a few shots at the engine and the guard's van, from a +distance of about 300 yards to the right of the line, apparently with +the intention of driving off the trainmen, in which they succeeded; and +they then set the train on fire. It was full of medical and Ordnance +stores and forage. + +Very fortunately, Captain Nanton, R.E., the Deputy-Assistant Director of +Railways in this district, happened to be in the station with his +armoured train, and dashed off as soon as the reports reached us, after +entraining some of the Derbyshire as escort. + +This armoured train, which usually lived at Kroonstad, but occasionally +rushed up and down the line, was a queer looking object; the engine was +in the middle, sheathed all over in boiler plating; at one end was a box +car, also covered in plating, with a Maxim gun in it and a crew of men +to work it; there were loopholes for the machine gun and for rifle fire. +There was another car behind the engine, upon which were mounted two +Naval quick-firing 12-prs., firing a huge brass cartridge. + +This weird-looking train puffed away rapidly, as Captain Nanton was +anxious to try and save some of the wagons, if possible, from the +wrecked train, and the platelayers from down the line, having come in on +their trolley, went off also. At early dawn, Captain Pine-Coffin with +all his available Mounted Infantry went out, and sent in reports later +to say that he was following on the tracks of about twenty mounted +Boers, who had ridden from the train in the direction of Ventersburg +town, which Colonel White's force had left only a couple of days before. +Pine-Coffin followed up these tracks until they separated, and led off +in many different directions, when, further pursuit being hopeless, and +the enemy having at least six hours start, he returned to camp. + +Later in the day, Captain Nanton returned with his armoured train, +dragging one truck full of half-burned rubbish, and the engine of the +defunct train, which was covered with a nice assortment of bullet holes, +but was unharmed, though technically "dead," as the fires were out. + +The stories of the fireman and the guard were correct, the line having +been blown up in two places, and practically the whole train destroyed +by fire, only one wagon being saved: the burning wagons had been dragged +into a convenient siding and the line repaired, so that the trains which +had accumulated at Ventersburg Road were enabled to go off in turn, but +only up till dusk, as, after this, it was not considered advisable to +run trains during the dark hours of the night. + +Some details of our regiment and some of the Camerons (nearly a +company), turned up on the 2nd of September and were attached to us, and +next day our trains arrived, and, after shipping off the battery, the +section of the R.E., the hospital wagons and the Derbyshire men, we +followed in the last train. The whole of the baggage wagons and the ox +wagons proceeded by road to Bloemfontein, under charge of Captain +Wroughton and Lieut. Pearce. + +Our train reached Smaldeal a little after six o'clock in the evening: +there we had to remain all night, but there was plenty of coal about, so +we made ourselves comfortable, sleeping by the side of the train. + +General Allen was at Smaldeal with a small garrison at the station, +which is the junction with the line running to Winburg. + +At daybreak, five o'clock the next morning, we continued our journey, +passing on the veldt our wagons trekking along. We stopped an hour at +Brandfort to cook our breakfast, after which we went on, passing Glen, +our original starting place several months before, and reaching +Bloemfontein about the middle of the day. + +Having wired to say we were coming, we were expected, and the A.D.R. and +the R.S.O., and various other officials with half-a-dozen letters after +their names, were waiting for us, and, best of all, had provided wagons; +so there was no delay in loading up our baggage, ammunition and rations, +as there had been on the first visit to Bloemfontein of our battalion. + +Now, we thought, at last we shall have a few days' peace in the +comfortable tents of the Rest Camp, and we all made plans how we were to +spend our days; many of the men were allowed passes that very afternoon +to go into the town, and it was as well they went when they had the +chance, as that night we were off again! + +At half-past seven that evening, I received orders for our half +battalion, the battery and the hospital wagons to move as soon as +possible to the Waterworks, about 22 miles. Nothing was said about +transport, so I had to race off and find General Kelly-Kenny, who told +me to apply to Colonel Long (at the other end of the town) for wagons. +The General also said that it was possible the Waterworks might be +attacked at dawn, and our assistance might be required, so that the +sooner we got there the better. The men of the Camerons were to go with +us, but not the details of the Derbyshire, who were to remain. + +After seeing Colonel Long and being passed on by him to the Divisional +Transport officer, I managed to get authority to procure wagons from the +Rest Camp; so I went off there, and asked for all they could spare and a +water cart, which, after some demur as to the number of wagons, they +promised to send up. About half-past ten these arrived at the Rest Camp +where we were quartered, and after loading up we started; luckily, there +were plenty of wagons, so we were able to relieve the men of the +blankets they carried on their backs, and also to load the wagons +lightly--the mules had a long march before them and had already done a +full day's work. + +There was a good moon, so we trekked along steadily until three o'clock +in the morning; when the moon disappeared, and we halted where we were, +posted pickets and got out our blankets, and had a couple of hours' +sleep. Up again at dawn, we loaded our wagons with the blankets and +moved off by half-past five; we reached a suitable spot near Bushman's +Kop about eight o'clock, when we halted a couple of hours for breakfast, +but were off again by ten o'clock, eventually reaching the Waterworks, +in very good style, after a long tramp of 22 miles, at half-past one in +the afternoon. + +The next day's march was a short one of merely 8 miles to a pan, filled +with very dirty water, which was all we had. Things looked lively that +night, as the pickets brought in a Boer prisoner, who turned out to be +one of our own wagon drivers; he had gone out of the lines to a farm, +without permission, and probably to give information. Naturally he +protested his innocence, but he was put in charge of a sentry, and +warned that on the first bullet being fired into camp by the enemy, he +would be shot dead by the sentry; luckily for him, the night was a +peaceful one, although our camp was invaded--not however by the enemy. +Soon after midnight we heard a sentry calling out repeatedly in a mild +sort of way "Guard, turn out!", and then we saw that he was one of the +picket sentries, who had found himself suddenly overwhelmed by an +advancing mass of Kaffirs, jabbering, chattering, and understanding no +known language, but steadily moving on with their bundles. + +In vain the sentry tried to stem the rushing tide of natives, but he +might as well have tried to stop a house, so he retreated backwards, +feebly yelling for assistance, and on arrival in camp the Kaffirs were +stopped. + +However, at cock crow the infernal jabber and chatter commenced again; +they were Basutos, who had been working on the railway and were now +going home, all with plenty of money to spend on wives and cows, which +they told us was their intention. + +Twice during the night mounted men had arrived with orders, the upshot +of it all being that we were to march as far as Israelspoort, about 6 +miles further on, and to remain there, holding that position, until +General Hunter and his escort, who were coming up behind, should have +passed; the baggage, however, was to go on into Thaba N'Chu. + +Israelspoort was the place where Ian Hamilton's column had their first +taste of fighting in April; a _poort_ is a spot where the road passes +over a neck or saddle in a ridge, and this particular one was commanded +by huge kopjes on either hand. These were occupied by Mounted Infantry +pickets, whom we relieved; and we sent on our baggage and waited for +General Hunter, who arrived just after mid-day, and, after chatting a +while, went on; we followed later, reaching Thaba N'Chu and camping at +the eastern end of the town about two o'clock in the afternoon. + +The town is a small one, situated in a recess among high hills which +shut it in, but at some distance, on three sides; like Ventersburg and +Bothaville, the surrounding district is a turbulent one, and there have +always been restless Boers in the neighbourhood, who have frequently +threatened the Waterworks and Bloemfontein. + +Our Colonel had been left in command of the town, while the other half +battalion marched to the relief of Ladybrand; the troops under him were +not numerous, consisting only of half a battalion of the Bedfords, a +battery and some Mounted Infantry. + +Our wagons and a huge convoy arrived on the 10th of September, and with +them, in addition to Captain Wroughton and Lieutenant Pearce, came +Lieut. Montgomerie, who had been shot in the leg at Retief's Nek, but +had since recovered, and now rejoined for duty. On the next day all the +wagons, except our proportion, went off by road to join the Brigade, and +we also received orders to march, at half-past nine that night, at which +hour the moon was expected to show up. + +It was a lovely night and the march was only a short one of about eight +miles, but it took us four hours, all the same, as we had to wait +occasionally to allow the lagging convoy to close up. Starting again at +half-past nine in the morning we marched until mid-day, when we halted +for an hour and a half, and eventually reached camp at Zamenskornst +about three p.m. after a tramp of 17 miles. + +All the troops which had marched to the relief of Ladybrand were camped +on the opposite side of the spruit, including our other half battalion, +who, of course, came and laughed at us for having missed all the hard +marching they had had into Ladybrand. There was a wide, sandy spruit +between the two camps, and the ox convoy started at early dawn, about +three o'clock, to cross this: after them went our mule wagons and the +battery and all the details, telegraph people and so on, so that the +battalion, which furnished the rear guard, did not have to move until +half-past seven. + +The mounted troops comprised men of the Mounted Infantry of several +Corps--Brabant's Horse, Rimington's Scouts, Kitchener's Horse--and there +were also representatives of many other regiments, both regular and +irregular, as General Hunter and his staff accompanied us, with +interpreters and servants, guides, escort and men in charge of their +baggage wagons. + +At the entrance to camp at Allendale, about 12 miles away, there was +another sandy drift, which tried the bullocks very much: two paths had +been made, but of course it is unnecessary to state that whenever the +drivers _could_ manage to cross their tracks and create a block or a +collision, they invariably did so to the great delight of the baggage +master, for whom, sometimes, the English language was not sufficiently +copious, and who had to fall back on Hindustani. + +However after much delay the last wagon was got across, and the rear +guard passed on into camp, which was not far off. We all turned in +early, as at midnight we were to start again: it appears that the enemy +were among the hills, which formed an excellent position at Doornberg, +lying in the centre of a triangle formed by the three towns of Winburg, +Ventersburg and Senekal, and was easily accessible from either, both +from our point of view and from that of the enemy. Winburg was occupied +by our troops, but the other two towns had not been consistently held +throughout the campaign, and the enemy were able, therefore, to use +these towns to some extent as bases. + +The operation upon which we were now engaged was an extensive "round +up," to use a Bush phrase, which exactly expresses what we were about to +do. There were columns, each preceded by clouds of mounted troops, +coming from the north, the east and the south, and we were in great +hopes that at last we had got the enemy properly cornered, as it did not +seem possible for him to escape anywhere, the country being open rolling +veldt all round the position which he was occupying at Doornberg. + +Having, therefore, a rough idea of the plans upon which we were working, +we were prepared for some long marches, and we were not disappointed. +Leaving Allendale at midnight, on a moonlight and starry night, we +marched off to the north: as bad luck would have it, we were following a +battery, which is an annoying thing on a night march, when, as everyone +knows, each unit has to keep touch with the troops in front so as not to +lose distance. + +All troops open out on the march to a certain extent, which is greater +than that fixed in the drill books, but which actual experience in +marching shows is quite necessary; when, therefore, the head of a column +of all arms on the march is halted for the usual ten minutes every hour, +those in rear do not stop dead in their tracks as they should, but +continue closing up until they have resumed their proper parade ground +intervals. + +This was exemplified on this occasion, when we tramped for two hours and +fifty minutes without a halt, the early part of the march being a +constant succession of checks, caused by the frequent "backing and +filling" of the battery in front of us. Nothing is more annoying on the +march than these checks, which throw you out of your stride and bring +you up all standing, and nothing is more easily avoided by the common +sense adoption of wider and more elastic intervals between units and +companies. + +About eight o'clock the column halted, as we were all staggering for +want of sleep; so we had breakfast and slept and rested until half past +two in the afternoon, when we continued on our way to Klein Saxony, +about 2 miles short of Winburg. + +With a couple of companies of the Composite Battalion, which had been +formed of all the details attached to the Brigade, and some Yeomanry and +two guns, I was detailed to look after the rear; and this small army of +mine did not reach camp until half-past seven. We had a long rest, +however, as we did not start the next day until the afternoon, at +half-past one, when we proceeded on our way, skirting Winburg on the +east and then marching in a straight line to Marais Farm, where we had +once before camped, when with the Boer laager. + +On the 17th of September, the Brigade moved off again, early in the +morning, towards Doornberg, camping at Rooikraal, about 13 miles +distant--very pleasant camp, with plenty of grass and good water, which +we enjoyed after all the miles and miles of burnt up veldt we had +trekked across since leaving Frankfort. The following morning we thought +that the great closing in movement was actually taking place around the +huge dark mass of flat topped mountain which we could see, lowering in +the distance, on the other side of a smiling grassy valley, as we moved +off at six o'clock, marching some 10 miles. We then halted under the lee +of a razor-backed ridge, being careful not to show ourselves over the +sky-line, and a few pickets and look-out men were posted. We could see, +or thought we could see, an occasional mounted man on the hills +opposite, but they must have been our own men; for we heard later that +the Boers had escaped during the night out of the net which had been so +carefully drawn round them, and had trekked off to the east. + +It was said at the time that their escape was due to the laxity of a +certain Brigade, operating from the east, who either did not move at +all, or else moved too late, to shut in the Boers at the only loophole +by which they could have cleared off. Finding a drift practically +unguarded, or rather held by a ridiculously small force, without the +support of the Brigade which it should have had, the Boers pushed +through during the night successfully, and were miles away when dawn +broke. + +Disappointed, we camped at the spruit near by, and marched the following +morning towards Senekal, camping about 11 miles from that town, on the +same spot upon which we had camped on the 10th of August, when with the +Boer laager. This was a disgusting camp, with remains of our dead +animals strewn about, and water like pea soup, drawn from a succession +of mud holes. During the march we had passed a Krupp ammunition wagon +which the Boers had abandoned; the wheels of it being the only part made +of wood had been burned by our Mounted Infantry, who were following up +on the enemy's tracks. + +Senekal was reached the next morning, the 20th of September, just as +General Rundle's Division, the Eighth, was leaving; we camped to the +east of the town and remained there for two days, making a long trek, +however, of 14 miles on the 23rd towards Lindley. Our bivouac the next +day was at Kruisfontein, which we reached after a march of about 12 +miles; this place was a couple of miles south of Wit Kop, a huge, +isolated flat topped kopje rising out of the plain and dominating the +surrounding country. Towards this kopje we marched the following day and +camped at its foot, the two companies remaining there until the next +day, when the Brigade moved at six o'clock into Lindley, camping to the +north of the town about a mile out on the Heilbron road and beyond the +drift. + +For two days we remained at Lindley, but the morning of the 28th saw us +on the road again, marching towards Heilbron, one half of our battalion +being baggage guard to the usual gigantic convoy and the other half +being rear guard. + +About two o'clock the advanced guard and the main body halted and +camped, the convoy and the baggage guard closed up and we all settled +down: and then we heard that we were all to return to Lindley the +following day, as General Hunter had received orders to garrison most of +the towns in his district, which comprised the north eastern portion of +the Orange River Colony, and that a beginning was to be made by leaving +the 21st Brigade at Lindley. + +So the next morning, the 29th of September, back we went to Lindley, +arriving about 11.15 a.m. The rear guard had marched back during the +night, escorting the baggage of Colonel Le Gallais' troops, and +experiencing great trouble with their wagons, three of which we found +derelict on the road; we succeeded in tinkering up two of them and +bringing them along with us. + +General Hunter and Colonel Le Gallais left the same afternoon, and our +Brigade took up its quarters on the east of the town, and threw out +pickets on the hills surrounding the hollow in which Lindley is +situated. In the afternoon about four o'clock, when A company, then on +picket to the south west, was about to be relieved by B and E +companies, who were then on their way out; a good deal of firing was +heard from that direction, and I was sent up by the General to see what +was the matter and to deal with it. Two guns and a pom-pom went out +also, and on reaching the hill it appeared that one of the sentries of A +company had been shot dead by some Boers who had ridden up within a few +hundred yards, fired at him, and then ridden off to take up a position +behind a rocky kopje (about 2,200 yards from one picket and 1,500 from +the other), from which they kept up an annoying fire. Our men had +occupied some trenches and sangars which had been made by our +predecessors, Paget's Brigade, I believe, some time previously, and +which were all of inferior construction and badly situated. Two of our +men were in consequence soon hit, but the remainder kept up a continuous +rifle fire on the enemy, invisible behind their kopje. + +The guns and the pom-pom soon came into action against this rocky hill, +and after a few shells the enemy's fire ceased. + +The General had now come up, and the Boers, seeing a little group on the +top of the hill, opened fire on us from a spur to our right front, which +ran down to meet the rocky kopje alluded to above, and which apparently +afforded the snipers a means of retreat secure from observation. + +At 2,000 yards B company replied to this fire, and the Boers, moving +further away, every now and then sent a few shots in our direction, +which, however, failed to reach us, and struck the ground in front. + +It was getting dusk, and the enemy were using black powder, so we were +able to locate them, and kept them moving by our fire delivered at +2,500, and then at 3,000 yards, beyond which the Lee-Metford is not +sighted. + +And so this little incident closed, but unfortunately it had caused us +three casualties.[11] + +Some time afterwards we discovered the reason of this attack; it +appeared that the Boers had seen the column of Colonel Le Gallais and +General Hunter's escort moving away from the town that afternoon, and +had jumped to the conclusion that nearly all the troops had left +Lindley; so they came on boldly, as they did on the occasion of our +first departure from the town in May--but to be disappointed this time. + +The Brigade now settled down in Lindley, the pickets entrenched their +posts, and everything was done according to Cocker. A large convoy of +those wretched ox wagons, after storing in the town all the rations they +had been carrying, went off to Kroonstad with an escort supplied by the +Camerons and the Bedfords; the sick and wounded were sent away by this +convoy, and all the mule wagons which could be spared, the whole being +in charge of Captain Wroughton. + +However, in a couple of days the escort returned, bringing with them a +five-inch gun, under Captain Massie, R.A., and we learned then that they +had met General Hector Macdonald's Highland Brigade at Kaalfontein +Bridge, about 20 miles out, and that he had taken on the convoy and sent +the escort back with the cow gun and some mails for our Brigade. + +A visit was also paid to Groonvlei, a farm about five miles to the north +along the Heilbron road, with an escort, and several wagon loads of wood +were brought in, there being none in the town. + +Finding an empty house which was suitable for the purpose, a Soldiers' +Club was started, under the management of Mr. Leary, the active and +energetic padre who will always be remembered in our battalion for the +way he looked after our casualties at Retief's Nek. Things were made as +comfortable as possible, and tea and such eatables as could be got +(except biscuit, which was studiously avoided) were sold in the +evenings. Open air concerts of a rough and ready kind were regularly +held on three evenings a week, cricket, football and hockey matches, and +games such as quoits were played as often as could be arranged with the +few materials, at hand, and preparations made to lighten the tedium of +what promised to be a long stay in Lindley. + +FOOTNOTE: + +[11] + + KILLED. + Private G. Latter, A Company. + + WOUNDED. + Lce.-Corp. A. White, A Company. + Private H. Beeney, A Company. + + + + +CHAPTER XVIII. + +THE RAILWAY NEEDS REPAIR. + + Wit Kop--Half the battalion goes on tour---Kaffir Kop--Clearing the + country--Necessity for it--Mobile columns required--Kaalfontein + Bridge--Rearguard attacked at Doornkop--The line blown up--A + repairing expedition. + + +Everything was quiet in Lindley for a few days, and then, on the 3rd of +October, the General sent for me at half-past nine at night and told me +that he had ordered two companies of ours, under me, to proceed at five +o'clock the next morning to Wit Kop, where, apparently, some of our +mounted troops were in difficulties, having been engaged with the Boers +most of the day. + +The General also told me in confidence that he and some more troops were +coming out to Wit Kop in the afternoon, and that we were to proceed on a +tour round to the south and the west, and should probably be absent a +week. + +So next morning, A and H companies, under Major O'Grady and Captain +Wisden, paraded at five o'clock and went out to Wit Kop, where we found +Captain Lloyd and some of the 8th M.I., and Captain Driscoll and some of +his Scouts. It appeared that a party of Driscoll's Scouts had gone out +towards Kaffir Kop but had not returned, and it was feared that they had +been cut off; during the previous day the few men remaining at Wit Kop +had been somewhat heavily fired on by a party of Boers, forty it was +estimated, who had crept up under shelter of a donga to within a few +hundred yards of our men, and had opened a considerable fire on them. +The party on the Kop were not strong enough to turn them out, but had +answered the fire and sent in a report to the General as soon as it was +dark enough for a messenger to travel. + +With our two companies we occupied the Kop, and spent the day watching +the surrounding country: Driscoll's Scouts went out and burned a farm, +from which the enemy had appeared the previous day, and we sat on the +Kop and stared through our field glasses at the open, undulating ground +to the south-west, over which we could see some Mounted Infantry moving. + +Idly we followed the movements of this little party, evidently a patrol, +and we watched five of them, out in front of a few others, riding in +extended order across a level space of grass, when suddenly we heard the +ping-boom of the Mauser: instantly the patrol wheeled about and galloped +back at speed, the firing of the enemy continuing for some moments. +After a while we saw some of the enemy riding away and disappearing +behind a rise in the ground, to reappear once more and ride off in the +distance, a little clump of men, say twenty-five at the outside. + +It seems that the Mounted Infantry patrol had noticed some men whom they +were approaching, but took them to be the party of Driscoll's Scouts +whose return we were all expecting, and so had unsuspectingly ridden +towards them; with the unfortunate result that their officer, Captain +Willsher, was killed, and one man wounded and taken prisoner. + +This incident is only one case among very many, I am afraid, where +similar occurrences have resulted in the death and capture of many men, +owing to the constant disregard of the saying, "take nothing for +granted," to which I have previously alluded; the reputation of the +Boers for "slimness," or 'cuteness, has been added to by each of these +incidents, which have really often been brought about by crass stupidity +on our parts, not always by any clever smartness on the part of our +enemies. + +It was very sad to sit on the hill-top and observe all this going on in +front of us, only about 2 miles away, and to know that we could do +nothing; we had insufficient mounted men to chase the Boers, even if +they had not already got a long start, and we had no guns with us. +Captain Driscoll had had information that his patrol was returning, and +had secured two prisoners, from whom information was extracted to the +effect that Haasbrook's commando was then about 16 miles away to the +south. + +About five o'clock we saw, from the cloud of dust approaching from the +north, that the remainder of the column was near at hand, and in about +an hour they were halted and cooking their tea a mile away from us; the +General had come up to the Kop just as the Mounted Infantry were burying +poor Captain Willsher, and had received our reports, and then directed +me to join the column with our two companies at seven o'clock. + +On reaching the camp we found F, G, and the Volunteers, under the +command respectively of Captain Gilbert, Lieut. Harden, and Captain +Blake busily engaged at their tea; they were very anxious to hear what +was going to happen, but all I knew was that we were to be ready to +start at a quarter past seven, at which hour we went off on another +night march. + +After a couple of hours walk, there was a long halt at the top of a +hill, whilst the country in front was reconnoitred by the mounted +troops; it was bitterly cold and we could not keep warm, until, at last +the men received permission to roll themselves up in the blankets which +they carried on their belts. + +Soon nothing was to be seen in the dim light but a long line of black +figures stretched out on the road; the Camerons were in front of us and +the battery in rear, so we were quite secure. After this long halt we +moved on again, eventually encamping, towards half past ten, near a farm +about 13 miles from Lindley. Out of this farm a Boer was pulled and made +prisoner: he was making ardent love to a blushing Basuto damsel, when he +was caught, and handed over to the guard. + +At five o'clock the next morning the column marched towards Kaffir Kop, +about 6 miles, where we halted until the next afternoon at three, the +mounted troops going out to clear the country. This step had become +necessary at this stage of the war, and was in accordance with Lord +Roberts' orders, in places where disturbances continued. It was +distasteful work, but entirely justified by the circumstances. + +It was probably never contemplated by anyone that, after occupying the +chief towns in the Transvaal and the Orange River Colony, after seizing +the railways, dispersing the enemy's forces and driving a large number +into Portuguese territory, after despatching over 16,000 prisoners to +far away islands, after visiting all the towns in each colony, taking +the surrender and receiving the allegiance of many thousands of +burghers, these same burghers, many of them, would rise again and carry +on a guerrilla warfare which could have but one ending. + +When Burma was captured and annexed in 1886, after the occupation of +Mandalay, a similar state of matters prevailed for several years, armed +bands of dacoits roaming the country in all directions; they were +eventually suppressed by the salutary process of quartering garrisons in +all parts of the country, and forming numbers of small, mobile, flying +columns, largely composed of mounted men, who moved, at a moment's +notice, against any Boh, or leader, who appeared in the neighbourhood, +and hunted him till he fled or was captured. + +By this means, combination was rendered impossible, and the appearance +of any force of the enemy was the signal for prompt action being taken +against it by every one of the mobile little columns which might be +within call, commanded, as these columns often were, by young and +dashing officers selected for their energy and zeal. It was for this +reason that the latter part of the campaign in Burma in 1885-6 has been +called the "Subalterns' War." + +Something similar to this procedure was about this time necessary in the +Orange River Colony, but the paucity either of mounted troops, or of +remounts, delayed the formation of such columns as would be necessary, +say for instance, in the case in point on the 4th of October, to recover +rapidly the 16 miles which separated us from Haasbrook's commando, and +to engage him. + +After despatching great droves of cattle and sheep to Lindley, we +proceeded in a circular sweep towards the west of that town, and cut the +Kroonstad road at Kaalfontein Bridge, which we crossed on the 9th of +October, moving beyond it a few miles and camping at Quaggafontein. This +place was only a couple of marches from Lindley, to which we expected to +return on the 11th of October; in fact we had to be somewhere by that +date, as we had only two days' rations left. + +Next morning, to our astonishment, the column headed off to the west +instead of to the east or north-east as we expected; there was only one +conclusion to draw--Kroonstad was our destination, and we were not sorry +either, as we wanted a new outfit of clothes, boots, and such other +articles as tobacco, matches and soap, which are sometimes almost as +necessary as a new pair of trousers. + +Our half battalion was on baggage and rear guard that day, H company +bringing up the rear of all; a couple of miles from camp the road +opened on to a great expanse of rolling veldt, which stretched away in +front of us for some miles, to a kopje covered with low trees standing +near a drift. + +After crossing the drift, there was a farm on the left with several +houses, which had been burnt by the Highland Brigade, but in which some +women and children were living, temporary roofs of corrugated iron +having been erected. Rounding the end of the kopje, which was called +Doornkop, we saw, shut away in a recess, another farm house which had +been similarly treated: H company had reason afterwards to remember this +farm house. + +The advanced guard passed over Doornkop, and the remainder of the troops +followed along the road and proceeded some distance, halting for the +usual ten minutes about a mile and a half beyond Doornkop, where the +veldt was level and open like that which we had left behind us. + +Whilst the main body was sitting about, resting, Colonel Kennedy, of the +Camerons, came up to me and said he thought he heard firing in the +direction of the rear guard. We listened, and I distinctly heard our old +friend the Mauser; so I rode back to see what was going on. Meeting a +breathless man with an incoherent message about Captain Wisden being +surrounded (which we found that officer had never sent), I shouted for +another company to come back, and rode on until Doornkop and the Valley +in which it stood came into view. + +The Volunteer company, under Captain Blake, came up in extended order +and opened fire on the kopje at a range of 2,000 yards, afterwards +advancing somewhat down the slope so as to get within closer range. +Captain Gilbert, whose company was marching just in front of Captain +Wisden's, had already sent one half-company off to rising ground on the +right, and had taken the other to a similar position on the left, so +that I had no apprehension as regarded our flanks. + +The kopje being rather beyond effective rifle fire, I sent Coleman, my +groom, riding back to the column to ask the senior officer to send me a +gun from the battery. Evidently not caring to assume the responsibility +of so weighty a matter, he sent Coleman on to the General, who was quite +two miles away, so that by the time the gun had arrived the opportunity +for its use had gone; as the Boers disappeared directly we showed that +we meant business. + +It might be as well to state here that after this little episode, and to +avoid the chance of any similar useless delays on future occasions, the +General invariably ordered one gun to accompany the rear guard so as to +be handy in case it was wanted. + +Advancing down the slope, and still keeping up a fire to keep the enemy +under his cover, we came shortly into view of H company. They had, upon +being suddenly greeted with a shower of bullets from their rear, +discreetly dropped into a donga which, fortunately, lay almost at their +feet, and, safe in the security of this cover, had opened a smart fire +upon the trees and rocks of the kopje. Not a man of the enemy could be +seen, but they could see our men, as a poor fellow of H company, moving +from one part of the donga to another, received a bullet in his head and +dropped immediately.[12] The Cape cart which carried the officers' mess +property stuck in the drift across the small donga, the ponies jibbed, +and no persuasion would induce them to move, so the cart was emptied, +the harness cut up, and the ponies turned loose--all this being done +under a dropping fire from the enemy. + +As soon as the shelling was over, H company withdrew, bringing their +dead with them, the companies resumed their former positions, and the +march was continued. We halted that night at Welgevreden, where the +Camerons, being on duty, threw out the usual pickets. + +Next morning, the 11th of October, we continued our march, starting at +eight o'clock. When about to withdraw, one of the pickets of the +Camerons was fired on by some snipers of the enemy. The few mounted men +with us who had been advanced guard the previous day had been kept back +to carry out the duties of rear guard on this occasion, and on their +approach the snipers fled, and we were annoyed no more that day. + +Kroonstad, about 11 miles distant, was reached about eleven o'clock, and +we camped just beyond No. 3 General Hospital and under Gun Hill. During +the day tents arrived for us, and we pitched these, hoping to remain a +few days to enjoy them, after having slept in the open for so long--some +of us since the 6th of April, but all of us since the 29th of that +month, when we left Glen--altogether about five and a half months. Many +of the men, however, preferred the fresh open air to the tents, and +rigged up their bivouacs as usual. + +Late on the night of the 11th of October I received orders to proceed to +the railway station at four o'clock the next morning, with a day's +rations, but without baggage. The Volunteer company was to remain in +camp, as it was expected that they would shortly receive orders to +proceed to Bloemfontein, at which place we had heard that all the +Volunteers were being concentrated previously to their departure for +England. + +At the station we were entrained in empty coal trucks, with our +water-cart, horses and mules, besides about twenty men of the Royal +Engineers, and a quantity of reconstruction material, tools, rails, +sleepers and such like, and a break-down gang of natives. + +Some reports had come in from down the line which the Staff Officer +showed me. The officer commanding at Holfontein reported the line was +blown up between the Gangers' Hut No. 60 and Ventersburg Road Station, +and that the enemy were too strong for our patrols to encounter them. +The officer commanding at Boschrand reported that a number of explosions +had been heard on his left, and that the cavalry had been sent out and +had fired one volley at the enemy. + +One of the hospital trains--full of patients--had been waiting all night +to proceed at dawn, but this was now impossible, and the sick men had to +spend another day cramped up in the train. + +We steamed off as soon as it was light enough--about half-past four--to +see our way, and proceeded down the deviation and past the Remount +Camp--full of Indian sowars and native syces, or horsekeepers, who waved +their hands to us as we went by--until we reached Boschrand Station. The +officers were all in the trucks with their companies, and all had been +warned to be on the look out for sudden orders, and to be mighty sharp +about jumping out of the trucks and at once extending and lying down, +should they be ordered to do so. It was quite possible that the train +might be attacked when winding along the broken country and numerous +kopjes near Boschrand. Luckily this was not necessary, and we steamed +along beyond the station to the top of a rise in the ground, where the +train pulled up. + +Here was the scene of the explosions heard during the night, and a nice +lot of damage had been done too. The line was blown up in no less than +seventeen places, at the junction of the rails, with heavy charges of +dynamite, the cardboard boxes in which this explosive had been carried +lying about in several places. + +The Boers had chosen the junction of the rails as the places at which +to deposit the charges of dynamite, as two rails would then be rendered +useless, their ends being blown up in a curve, in some cases to a right +angle, and the steel sleepers also destroyed. The railways in this +colony are laid on stamped steel sleepers with the chairs bolted on to +them, into which the rails are fixed by steel keys driven in from one +side, so that, although it may be an easy matter to lay the line, it is +a difficult job to remove a damaged rail, jammed in the chairs by an +explosion, in order to replace it by another. + +One company of our battalion was sent out on picket to the right and +left, up to the summit of the rising ground, from which a clear view +could be obtained for some miles, and the remainder were directed to +stay in the train, which might have to steam back at any moment. The men +of the Engineers were out of the train and at work, coolly and +deliberately, each man at his own particular job, before we had done +looking about us. + +The Engineer officer informed me that the damaged rails would all have +to be removed and replaced by new ones, and that all the broken +sleepers, a large number, would have to be dug up and others put in +their places; a gang of native labourers were already at work fetching +rails and sleepers from the trucks, while the Engineers were clearing +away the ballast and exposing the rails to another party, who prized up +the rails with crow-bars and burst them out of the chairs with sledge +hammers. + +This was all work which numbers of our reserve men, who had been +employed as platelayers on the railways at home, could well undertake, +so I asked for volunteers to come and work; as is always the case with +our men, no matter what they are asked to do, volunteers came forward in +large numbers; but only about fifty men were required, who set to work +forthwith. In four hours thirty-four damaged rails had been taken up and +replaced by new ones, and fifty-four new sleepers had been put in +position, and the line was safe enough for our train to pass, after +which the native gangs would complete the work. During this time our men +had been allowed out of the train by parties in succession to cook their +food for breakfast, the company on picket being relieved also for this +purpose. We had some telegraph men on board the train, but as they had +brought no instrument, the wire could not be tapped, and the railway +authorities in Kroonstad could not be informed of the progress of the +work until we reached a station. + +The damage had apparently been caused by quite a small party of Boers, +there being the spoor, or track, of one ox wagon, a couple of Cape +carts, and about twenty men on horseback; they had apparently gone off +in the direction of the hills lying to the west, towards Bothaville. +About eleven o'clock work was concluded, and we proceeded rapidly to the +next break, passing on the way the station at Geneva. + +The next break was found to be beyond Holfontein; here the damage +consisted in four pairs of rails with the sleepers attached having been +removed bodily, one pair having been turned over preparatory to being +removed, all the bolts and nuts of the fish plates for quite 600 yards +broken off, all the telegraph wires dragged away, and the posts, without +exception, dragged down and broken and the insulators smashed. + +This was the greatest damage that had, as yet, been carried out in this +neighbourhood, already famous for the numerous raids on the line. The +nuts of the fish plate bolts, four to each rail, had been smashed off +with heavy sledge hammers by men who were acquainted with the work, not +by ignorant farmers, and to execute this job by night and over an +extent of line 600 yards long meant the breaking of no less than 480 +bolts. The rails, thus capable of being disconnected, were lifted in +pairs with the sleepers, deeply embedded in ballast, still attached, and +were turned over on their backs, thus forming a sort of sledge; four +pairs had been dragged away by bullocks over a ditch and across the +veldt, one pair having been taken more than half a mile away, and the +others being about 200 yards from the line. To lift these rails, even +with the iron telegraph poles, which had seemingly been used as levers, +must have taken at least sixteen powerful men to each pair of rails; +apparently the Boers intended to remove more than the five pairs of +rails which they had shifted, or else they would not have smashed so +many of the fish plate bolts. This was the least damage that was done, +and although we could not then replace such a large number, it was of +little consequence; there were no expresses likely to thunder along at +forty miles an hour, and the track was quite safe for a day or so as it +was without bolts. + +Having seen the damage done, the next thing was to repair it, but this +did not take long; putting a company out on picket on each side of the +line, we got another company to work on the rails lying out on the +veldt, and, with a long and thick rope that was in the tool van, G +company, and afterwards A, soon towed the rails back again (although it +was a stiff pull even for 80 men), turned them over and lifted them into +their places, where the Engineers soon put them right. Some of the +sleepers had to be replaced by others, but as regards the telegraph line +and posts, we could do nothing; no less than eight wires, one of them a +copper telephone wire, had been removed bodily, and the posts smashed as +far as the eye could reach. + +It will be easily understood what an interruption this caused, not only +to the railway traffic but to the communications with Cape Town: +however, telegraph operators were at work everywhere, and a temporary +line was rigged up that day; but it was a long time before all the wires +could be renewed. + +The Engineers and our men were not long repairing the rails, and in +about half an hour we were on the move once more towards Ventersburg +Road, in full sight of which was the next, and luckily the last, break; +in this one the line had been blown up in two places, necessitating two +new rails being laid, but for fully 200 yards or more the fish plate +bolts had been broken off as before; for 120 yards the rails had been +disconnected and torn asunder, apparently with the intention of dragging +them away over the veldt, and for no less than a mile and a half all the +telegraph posts had been torn down (evidently by teams of bullocks) and +smashed, and the wires dragged away: every insulator was broken in +pieces. + +As all this 120 yards of line had to be relaid, the work took us longer +than at the last break; but in about an hour and a half it was done, and +away we steamed back again to clear off the line and let the trains +pass, which were by now jammed at Kroonstad and Ventersburg Road on both +sides of us. At about three o'clock we reached Geneva. + +After all, very little real damage had been done, and a very short +cessation of traffic caused, as by two o'clock that afternoon trains +were running again; and even in the case of a serious break to the line, +such as the destruction of an important bridge, there was always an +alternative line, that through Natal, by which supplies could be +procured. + +FOOTNOTE: + +[12] Private C. Shutton, H company. + + + + +CHAPTER XIX. + +TO BOTHAVILLE. + + Geneva--Kroonstad--New boots and sore feet--Bothaville--A strange + souvenir--The town destroyed--Kroonstad again--Home remittances. + + +At Geneva we received orders to detrain one company there, and to send +one to Boschrand, one to Holfontein, and one to Ventersburg Road; there +were plenty of trains running both ways by this time, so the companies +were quickly got off, H to Boschrand, A to Holfontein, and G to +Ventersburg Road, while F company remained at Geneva. In the orders it +was stated that our baggage and rations would be sent down, but we did +not expect to see them that day, and were not disappointed when they did +not arrive until the next morning. + +However, the men had all had their rations for that day issued to them, +and they also had a blanket each, and we at Geneva, or, rather those who +were not on picket, made ourselves snug under some tarpaulins: luckily, +it was rather a warm night. I am afraid many men that day had had +nothing much to eat after breakfast time; it is a curious thing that the +majority of soldiers never learn to economise their rations or to keep a +bit in hand. In this particular case, each man had been issued overnight +with a tin of Maconochie's rations, a particularly tasty kind of food, +and a relief after much trek ox; but, although we had started at the +early hour of half past four in the morning, yet numbers of rations had +been eaten and the tins thrown on the line, even inside the station; as +we steamed away the few men who had not already finished were busy at +their tins. + +Geneva was not really a station at all, only a siding, with not a drop +of water procurable, except that brought in a tank by the train daily, +which tank was not always full. There were a couple of empty tanks at +the station, which we filled and kept in reserve, as there was no +knowing when the line might again be blown up and communication +interrupted, and ourselves forced to drink water out of puddles. + +On the 13th of October the Volunteer company passed us in the train +going down to Bloemfontein, preparatory to being sent home. They were of +course in the highest of spirits, and there was great cheering as the +train left the station. They had done well while with the battalion, and +had throughout carried out their duties in the field excellently. There +were not many men left to go away, only forty-seven, but there were ten +more at Lindley, and many others in various hospitals in the country. +All day long trains were going down south, and on most of them were +Volunteers of many regiments--all in a great state of glee. On Sunday, +the 14th of October, we returned to Kroonstad, the train leaving +Ventersburg Road about two o'clock in the afternoon, and collecting the +companies as it came up the line. We went back to our old camp, and the +next day had an opportunity of fitting ourselves out with clothes and +boots from the Ordnance stores. No less than 180 pairs of new boots were +issued to men of our four companies, and other clothing, socks and +shirts to those who wanted them. + +It is a curious point in our military administration that on service +where boots and helmets, coats and trousers, are issued free, shirts, +socks, and drawers, which it is just as necessary to renew, are charged +for. This system causes a considerable amount of extra work in the +field, as the men have to be charged in their accounts--not to mention +that it is not a fair charge to make against a man who is wearing out +his clothes in the field and on duty of the severest nature. + +It was believed about this time that after a stay of a day or two at +Kroonstad, we should move back to Lindley, the convoy of 180 ox-wagons +having been loaded and ready for us for some time. Thus there would have +been an opportunity of breaking in, by wearing them in camp, the new +boots which we had just received, and the marches to Lindley, being +fairly short ones, could have been managed without serious disablement. + +When, however, the Brigade orders arrived that evening, it was +discovered that, far from going to Lindley, we were to proceed in the +opposite direction. Camp was to be quitted at half-past five next +morning, and the troops were to cross both spruits to the south, and to +be at a point on the Bloemfontein Road by seven o'clock, taking with us +four days' rations and two days' forage for the animals. It was a +terribly long march that day, and the unfortunate men with new boots, +thus unexpectedly called upon to march fully 20 miles, suffered +considerably, and many were unfit to march for several days, and had to +be carried on wagons. Next day was a shorter march of 12 miles to a +place called Nels Farm, where we pitched our tents and remained for +another day, whilst the cavalry and the mounted troops went out and +destroyed the farms in the neighbourhood, belonging to Boers out on +commando. There was an unfortunate occurrence that day, when one party +of Mounted Infantry fired at another party, thinking they were the +enemy, and shot a poor fellow through the body, wounding him +dangerously. + +There have been several cases of this sort of thing during the +campaign--due to one or two causes: the similarity in dress of our men +and the Boers, induced first by the absurd fondness in our troops for +wearing any headgear except that with which they are provided; and +secondly by the habit among the Boers of securing military clothing from +the trains they at times have looted. Another reason is the fondness our +men have--perhaps due to their over-eagerness and the want of experience +of young officers--for opening fire on the enemy, or what is thought to +be the enemy, at extreme ranges--any distance from 800 to 3,000 +yards--at which it is almost impossible to tell friend from foe. + +Field glasses being no part of the equipment even of the higher +non-commissioned ranks, how is a party of scouts to tell Mounted +Infantry from Boers, except by waiting until they come near enough to +distinguish? + +Our troops are not sufficiently acquainted with what may be called +advanced musketry to understand that a few scattered shots fired at a +widely spread target, such as a mounted patrol of five or six men, at +the extreme range of 2,000 yards, is worse than useless and a distinct +waste of ammunition. The theory of musketry, the curve of the +trajectory, and the power of the rifle generally, are points which are +far less understood than they might be in our service, and receive as +little attention as the important subject of estimating ranges or the no +less necessary matter of firing at extreme ranges. + +The weather was now becoming distinctly warmer, in fact at Nels Farm, +the day we rested there, it was quite warm enough for most of us, and we +were glad of the bit of protection afforded from the sun by the bell +tents. + +On the 19th of October, a warm, close day, we marched about 13 miles to +the drift at Tweefontein, two companies being rear guard with a gun and +250 cavalry, who were kept at a good reasonable distance away from the +main body, so as to afford us some protection from snipers. Many farms +were passed along the road, most of them being burned or blown up; we +were now in a local centre of rebellion, this district not having been +visited by our troops for some months, and the Boers having swarmed back +in crowds in consequence: they used the farms to lodge in, and obtained +from them food and information as to our movements. + +We camped that night on the near side of the drift, and at early dawn +the convoy started moving across and parking on the other side; it was +to remain there whilst the remainder of the column went on to +Bothaville. + +The Buffs Militia, four companies of whom had accompanied us from +Kroonstad, were also to remain, together with 40 men of ours and some of +the Camerons, as well as one gun from the battery and all the cavalry +details; naturally the men still suffering from the new boots were told +to remain, and Lieut. Thorne was instructed to take charge of our men. + +Bothaville was only 8 miles away, and we soon reached it, and camped on +a grassy slope, to the east of the town, running down to the river, +which, at this spot, passes through high banks; there were still a few +English people in the town, and a Nursing Sister, but most of the +residents had either gone or left only their wives and families to +represent them. + +It was quite a small town, but contained a very fine stone house, quite +out of keeping with the remainder, built by the late Government for the +use of the Dutch minister. These gentlemen usually seemed fairly +comfortable in every town which we had visited, with good houses and +gardens and no rent to pay. They were men of much influence; most of +them threw in their lot with their parishioners and went with them on +commando, for which they can hardly be blamed. The Nursing Sister was +very pleased to see us; she had been left behind with a patient by our +troops on their last visit, three months before, and had been unable to +leave the town since. A good deal of private property (including the +valuable telegraph instruments, out of the post office) was found stowed +away in the church in the hope that our troops would not touch +anything--nor did we. + +Two days we halted in this little town, and we enjoyed the rest very +much; there was capital bathing in the river, and Captain Gilbert, +Lieut. Boevey, and one or two more spent most of their time trying to +coax the fish out of the stream, with some success. + +As the Boers were still in the neighbourhood, and the mounted troops +were out all day destroying the farms of those burghers of whom a good +account could not be given, the picket duty was rather hard. Captain +Gilbert went out one pitch dark night with a few men to surround some +farms close by, which were occupied by pseudo-loyalists, and to try and +catch any visitors who might be staying the night; but after some bad +walking, falling over ant-heaps and into holes, they returned in the +early morning, having visited three farms and drawn blank in each case. + +There was a shop in the town with the usual miscellaneous collection of +articles, and I was told that such articles as would be of use to the +men might be removed; so a party from each company went round to look +over the stock, which, however, comprised nothing much worth having. +There were a few things, such as writing paper, penny note books, some +shovels and other tools, which were useful, and which the men were +allowed to take away: but most of the stock consisted of medicines, +ironmongery, and some cheap drapery. + +I saw one hairy old reserve man going out with a small bundle under his +arm, so I collared him and asked, "What's this?" + +He stammered a bit, got confused, and finally said: "Well, Sir, +it's--it's--its some calico!" + +"Let's have a look at it," said I, and it was slowly unfolded and held +up; it, or rather they, were not calico by any means, but the finest +linen, with lace frills. + +"What on earth are you going to do with these?" I asked him. He got very +red, and still more confused. + +"Well, I'd like them, Sir, I want to send them to my girl!" he replied. + +So he took them away, to despatch by parcel post, and I hope the young +woman was pleased with her present--rather a curious one to receive from +the scene of war. + +Early next morning, at five o'clock, we were sent to burn and destroy +certain houses in the town, which had been apportioned as our share of +the work, the remainder being looked after by the Camerons and the men +of the Royal Engineers. The church and manse, post office, Landdrost's +office and about five or six other houses were not destroyed, but the +mill was blown up by the Engineers. In several of the houses which were +burned numerous small explosions took place, showing that cartridges +were concealed somewhere; the principal house in the town, filled with +English furniture, belonged to the man who owned the shop, and who was +then fighting against us with his commando: so it was with no feelings +of compunction that we watched the destruction of his home. + +All the residents were provided with wagons to take themselves and their +property into Kroonstad, and the town was vacated by one o'clock, when +we all marched away to our new camp, about three miles distant. There we +were joined by the convoy and the men we had left at Tweefontein; on +the way we were sniped at, a few shots being fired at the cavalry rear +guard, but no harm was done to anyone. + +At six o'clock the next morning, on a lovely day, we marched off towards +Beeste Kraal, which we reached before noon; we had now a very large +convoy of wagons with us, in addition to the refugees' wagons and the +baggage of ourselves, the Cavalry and the Mounted Infantry, the total +making up a very long column. + +It was our bad fortune the next day to be rearguard to this huge +procession of wagons and carts, which was continually being added to as +refugees joined us along the road from the adjacent farms; the march was +a long one, 18 miles, and although we started at seven in the morning, +the convoy was so slow that it was past two o'clock when we reached our +camp at Driekopjes, or Three Hills. Numbers of farm houses had been +burned along the road on both sides; one farm which we passed belonged +to an Englishman, who was with us as a guide, and who had married a +Dutchwoman: he had been compelled to leave the country and go to Cape +Colony six months before, when the war broke out and all English +subjects received notice to quit, and had only now come with the troops, +to pack up what he could and bring it and his family along with us. + +Driekopjes is within a short distance of the famous Rhenoster Kop, a +favourite haunt of De Wet, who was very partial to the three hills which +gave the place its name, as they commanded the country for miles round, +and formed an excellent advanced position to the larger Rhenoster Kop, +rising black and forbidding about three miles to the north. There is a +diamond mine close to where we camped, with a couple of shafts and some +houses--apparently only a small mine. + +On the 26th of October we marched once more into Kroonstad, and a very +pleasant tramp it was after our long day's duty as rear guard on the +previous day; it was perfect weather and the road was good, and we were +leading battalion of the column, so we stepped along briskly in great +form. + +After about six hours' march we found ourselves in the outskirts of +Kroonstad and camping under Gun Hill, but to the west this time; many +were the speculations as to how long we should remain and where we +should next go to, as not one of us believed that we should go back to +Lindley just yet; we had been too often sold before, and had come to +look upon Kroonstad as the invariable forerunner of a dash somewhere +down the line; next time we should, perhaps, go north for a change, as a +commando was said to be assembling to the north of Rhenoster Kop. +Colonel Le Gallais' mounted force had left us at Driekopjes and gone off +to the north, and we fully expected to find ourselves next day in coal +trucks steaming up the line. + +For a wonder we did not move the next day or the next, and the men had a +good opportunity of visiting the town. More clothes and boots had been +issued to those who required them, and some pay served out also: it was +a long time since they had drawn any pay, so every man had about a +couple of sovereigns to spend in the shops, which were now all open, +crammed full of stock of all kinds, with the owners cutting each others +throats in their eagerness to sell to the soldiers; the price of +everything was down to the usual rates and was falling every day, as one +could see by the lists of prices outside each shop door. Very many of +the men, it was pleasing to hear, went to the Army Post Office at the +railway station, and bought largely of the postal orders for sale there, +to remit some of their pay to their families. + +It was a very great convenience to the men to be able to purchase these +Postal Orders and thus send their money home themselves, and it was a +great pity that the system was not introduced earlier in the campaign. +Another great improvement would be the possibility of buying their +postal orders on board the transports, as is done on the ships of the +navy. In the beginning of the campaign the men used to bring me their +money and ask me to send it home for them, as they could not do so +themselves, and at various times I have forwarded to England, through +the banks, drafts for over L500; this is a good record and reflects much +credit on the men, and shows their consideration for their families. + + + + +CHAPTER XX. + +VENTERSBURG ROAD. + + A midnight start--Column surprised from the flank--Stampede of the + animals--Attack of the Boer position--The charge--Boer retreat--The + Infantry follow--Final position--A gun comes up--The Cavalry do not + appear--The scene of action. + + +No one was astonished on the 29th of October when we found ourselves at +the station entraining again, and bound for our old destination, +Ventersburg Road; this time the mule wagons went with us, and several +trains were required to convey us all. The Camerons, half a battalion of +the Buffs Militia and half a battalion of the Argyll and Sutherland +Militia went off first; we followed at eight o'clock, and after us came +the battery and one of the five inch guns, of which there were two at +Kroonstad. The General and his staff came down also by this train, and +we camped once more to the west of the station. The Third Cavalry +Brigade was there too, and also Captain Pine-Coffin, with his company of +the Mounted Infantry from Malta; but not poor Lieut. Attfield, of the +Derbyshire, who, to the great loss of his regiment and the service +generally, had been killed in a skirmish with the Boers some time +previously: a smarter or cleverer officer of his standing could not have +been found. + +Reveille came at the preposterous hour of eleven o'clock at night, when +we struck camp and loaded our wagons, marching off at midnight towards +Ventersburg town; it was a darkish night with no moon, but the stars did +their best to compensate for the absence of that luminary. + +We moved in the following order, preceded by the Third Cavalry Brigade, +who had gone out at eight o'clock that evening--first the Camerons, as +advanced guard, then the battery and the five inch gun, after that the +Buffs Militia, then the other Militia battalion, and lastly ourselves; +each of these units was of course followed by its first line +transport--ammunition carts, water carts, and so on, and the rear of all +was brought up by the ambulances of the 20th Field Artillery. General +Hunter was with us with his staff, but General Bruce Hamilton rode with +the Camerons, who were stretched out to some considerable distance in +front. + +After crossing the drift (which took some time, as there was water in it +and we had to get over by the stepping stones), we continued on our way +with the usual halts until about four o'clock or so in the morning. It +was then just commencing to get light, but it could hardly be called +dawn; and we could distinguish on our left front a dark mass of +rock-covered kopje, which lay broadside on to the road, but forming an +angle with it, and joining it about a mile further on. + +Thus from where we were to the top of the hill must have been at least a +thousand yards, but the head of the column could not have been further +off than six hundred yards or perhaps less: barring this ridge, which +rose steeply out of the plain, the ground around us for a considerable +distance was as flat as a table. + +The Camerons had gone on some distance, and evidently reached as far as +the place where the road dipped into a small valley among some broken +hills, and we were still halted, when a Staff officer from General +Hunter told me to send a company to occupy the kopje, which it appears +was not picketed by the cavalry of the Third Brigade (as it should have +been) or even by the Camerons; owing to a misunderstanding the flank on +that side had been left completely alone. + +So I nodded to Lieut. Hopkins, who was standing by me and had heard the +General's order, and off he went with A company, which was then leading +our half battalion; in rear of them, in order of march, came F company, +under Captain Gilbert, then G and H, under Major Panton and Captain +Wisden, and then a company of details, belonging to the other half +battalion, which was commanded by Captain Blake. + +We idly watched A company moving off in fours, a dark mass in the dim +light, and I was wondering why Lieut. Hopkins did not extend his men, +and was on the point of shouting to him to do so, when the thought came +into my mind that it would be better to leave the company alone, as the +officer knew quite well what he was doing, and would, no doubt, extend +as he got closer to the foot of the hill. + +They had gone about half way between us and the hill, and Lieut. +Hopkins, as he told me afterwards, was just turning round to give the +order to extend, when there was the sudden ping-boom of a solitary rifle +from the top of the kopje, evidently a signal, as it was followed by a +terrible outburst of musketry, somewhat similar to that at Reteif's Nek, +but not so heavy. + +I was watching A company at the time, and it was very curious to notice +how they behaved under this crash of musketry, which spattered the +ground all round them with bullets; at the distance it seemed as though +the whole company staggered and shook like a field of wheat under a +breeze; then instantly the whole were flat on the ground, and they +commenced firing without a moment's hesitation. Evidently the orders +given were prompt and to the point: the fluttering appearance, like a +flock of pigeons just settling down in a field, was caused by the men +moving outwards, some to the front, some to the back, to extend; the +whole business was over in an instant, but it was very pleasant to see +the men so prompt to do what they ought, and so smart in opening fire. + +All this passed in the twinkling of an eye, and then we had other +matters to attend to, in place of looking on; F company, now the leading +one, had already faced the enemy, and were lying down, waiting for +orders; and the remaining companies were soon doing the same, forming +across the veldt at an angle to the road, and, when in position, opening +fire over the heads of A company at the Boers on the sky line at about +1,100 yards range; there was nothing to be seen of the enemy, of course. + +There was terrible confusion in front of us. All I could see was a +confused mass of horses, bullocks, Cape carts and men moving swiftly and +silently, like a great black river, down upon us; in the middle of all +this was a water cart, tearing along with no drivers, and the six mules +going all they knew; there was a mad bullock charging, head down, tail +up, amongst the men, and there were loose horses everywhere. + +It seems the battery had dismounted during the halt, and the men were +lying down when the firing broke out. The Major of the battery was shot +dead at once by the first discharge, and several horses were killed and +wounded; instantly, however, one of the gun detachments unlimbered, +swung the gun round and got off a shot at the Boers; but by this time +there was a regular stampede going on amongst the animals, which were +all rushing back on us to get out of the dreadful fire, and the fearful +noise and echoing of rifle shots, which were incessant. + +In the battery, several men were run over and seriously injured by +bolting wagons, one of the latter travelling several miles before it was +brought back; the team of oxen had swung round with the heavy five inch +gun and had smashed the pole, two bullocks had been killed and several +injured; the escort to the battery were apparently men of the Argyll +and Sutherland Militia, and they lay down and opened fire. + +By this time (and all the foregoing happened in a few seconds), our +companies were all extended across the veldt, stretching away from the +road, and were parallel to and about a thousand yards from the hill +occupied by the enemy, at the skyline of which we were firing. + +It was still dark, but momentarily growing lighter and lighter, and our +men were blazing away steadily, when Captain Ross, the Divisional +Signalling officer, came down with an order from General Hunter for the +Royal Sussex to charge the hill. + +That was all the Royal Sussex were waiting for: the whistle blew, and +the whole line rose to their feet, and rushed wildly across the open +ground, a few bullets dropping in front of us; yelling, cheering and +cursing, and fixing bayonets as they ran, this wild mob kept on until +want of breath necessitated a halt. A moment or two to fill their lungs, +and on they dashed again, until checked by a wire fence, A company well +in front with the start they had got, and young Wadwicz leading the way; +but Cox, of F company, showing us that the reserve man was the best of +all. The enemy's fire had ceased as suddenly as it had begun; some of us +had our hearts in our mouths as, checked for a moment, we clambered over +the barbed wires, dreading momentarily that the Boers were only holding +their fire until we were mixed up in the fencing. + +Not so, however; the fixing of the bayonets and the sudden onslaught of +the long line was too much for their nerves, and they were off; panting +and blowing after our long run of a thousand yards, we saw them when we +reached the summit, going like smoke in the distance, in two directions; +our men did not stop on the summit, but pushed on to gain the next hill. + +There was a valley between, about a thousand yards wide, and, beyond, +the ridge rose in a smooth slope, extending a long way both to the right +and the left; on the left it continued, forking out into two spurs, +which ran outwards, that on the left culminating in a lofty, +round-topped hill, while that on the right continued round in a half +circle. Our party now divided, Major Panton going towards the round hill +on the left with two companies, while the remainder pushed on to the +smooth ridge straight to our front. + +We had opened fire at 800 and 1,000 yards from the top of the hill which +we had charged, on the small parties of the Boers, evidently lagging +behind the others; one of these men was dismounted, and our bullets +hastened his movements considerably, until he disappeared out of sight +over the ridge; and we had then pushed on in the hopes of catching him +and his friends on the other side. One party of the enemy had gone off +towards the round-topped hill on the left, and the horse of one of them, +hit at 900 yards, had collapsed in a cloud of dust, so Major Panton and +his two companies tore after his rider. + +While ascending the ridge in front, orders were received not to go any +further, so we crept up to the top of the hill and lined the crest; the +order was passed along to the companies, now a long way on our left, to +do likewise. + +Then we had leisure to look about us and fill up our ammunition pouches; +it was now about half-past four, and the sun was just thinking of +showing himself above the horizon; behind us, coming over the hill, were +some companies of the Buffs Militia; in front of us was a huge valley, +and beyond, on a small plateau, lay the town of Ventersburg; on our +right, a long way off, perhaps a mile and a half, was a small group of +mounted men and some infantry, with whom signalling communication was +opened, and who proved to be General Bruce Hamilton and his staff and +escort, and some of the Camerons. Information was sent to me that the +Third Cavalry Brigade was in Ventersburg town, right in rear of the +party of the enemy who had fired on us. This news filled us with +amazement; what were they doing there, and why had they not tried to cut +off the fleeing enemy, some of whom had bolted directly towards them? + +In a few minutes up dashed a gun of the 39th Field Battery, under the +gallant old sergeant-major; sharp and rapid were his orders, and quickly +he asked where to place his shells. I pointed out the range of hills to +the left front, right in the eye of the fast rising sun and well away +from the town (which I knew it was useless to shell even if the cavalry +had not been there), and the shrapnel rapidly began to burst along the +circular ridge 3,000 yards in front, searching the reverse slopes. Soon +a message, transmitted from the cavalry in the town, arrived, asking the +gun to stop firing as the shells had dropped near to them; and so our +little fight was all over. Evidently the cavalry were not in the town, +as they had said before--although, if they were outside, their conduct +in not pursuing the enemy was quite inexplicable. + +Our bag was small: three horses, two rifles, and a Boer's hat; but, Lord +knows, we ran hard enough and deserved more success. Our casualties were +_nil_, to my great wonder and thankfulness: how A company escaped was a +marvel, as the ground round them was covered with spirts of dust from +dropping bullets until the advance commenced. + +After a while, leaving a company on the top of the round hill, we +re-formed and moved down towards the General, camping shortly afterwards +close by. + +It seems the Camerons' advanced guard had crossed the drift and reached +the hill, in rear, but a long way to the right, of the enemy's position, +and had seen them in the dim light bolting like hares a long way off, +and had fired a few volleys at 2,500 yards; but the range was too great +and the light too dull to do any good. + +Lieut. Nelson, who was acting as Assistant Provost Marshal on the +General's staff, had had a narrow escape; he was riding towards the +column after the firing began with an order, when he was promptly fired +on by some of our troops, and, notwithstanding his shouts and the waving +of his helmet, the firing did not cease: so he had to bolt without +delivering his message. + +Walking over the scene of action the next day, it was interesting to +place oneself in the Boer positions, and to notice how admirably they +were selected, and what perfect protection from our fire was afforded by +the stone walls from behind which they had opened such a galling fire +upon the column. Their horses were well placed behind the hill, and, +from the traces on the ground, could not have been there more than a few +hours at the most; from twenty-five to thirty men must have been +employed, and these had posted themselves behind the stone walls (old +sheep and cattle kraals), with which the summit of the spur was entirely +covered. + +Their actual positions were revealed by the presence of their cartridge +cases, which showed that four kinds of rifles had been used--Mauser, +Lee-Metford, Martini and Stehr--and the Boers themselves were so +perfectly concealed and so widely distributed that our column might have +remained all day, firing with guns and rifles at the kopje, without +disabling more than one or two of the enemy. + +Apparently the enemy's picket on the hill could not see the Camerons +passing along (it was dark then, and they were well spread out), or else +the Boers intended to devote all their energies to stampeding the +battery and the five inch-gun. + +Going down into the plain, the positions taken up by the men of A +company, when they were suddenly fired upon, were revealed by the little +heaps of cartridge cases, showing that the men had thrown themselves +down from five to ten paces apart, in line, and with another line of men +some little distance in rear, evidently the rear half company. The +number of cases in each pile averaged about twenty or twenty-five, +several men having fired as many as thirty-two; but a weak point was +revealed by the number of unexpended cartridges lying about, as many as +thirty-one in one particular spot. This is accounted for partly by the +rounds falling out of the pouches when they are opened and the men are +lying down; but there is also another reason--the men have a habit, a +natural one too, of drawing out a handful of rounds and laying them on +the ground to be handy for use; and when a sudden advance is made these +rounds are forgotten. As the clip system of loading is pretty sure to be +adopted without delay, there is no reason for harping upon the +disadvantages of our pouches and our custom of single loading. + +There were a number of dead oxen lying about, and two dead horses, one +belonging to Major Hanwell, which had been shot at the same time as that +unfortunate officer, and the other belonging to an officer of General +Hunter's staff; while far away, more than half a mile off, were some +dead mules. + +Major Hanwell was buried the same afternoon in the little cemetery of +the town; he was a smart soldier, and well known in Poona and Bombay. + + + + +CHAPTER XXI. + +BACK TO LINDLEY. + + Ventersburg--Kroonstad--Boer guns captured at Bothaville--Story of + the action--To Lindley--Bad drifts and willing workers--Luxuries + for the garrison--Their doings during October. + + +We remained several days in camp, and on the 1st of November a party was +sent into Ventersburg to burn and destroy some of the houses; they were +wretched little shanties, most of the better class houses in the town +being left untouched. A number of prisoners were taken, and some of the +residents were deported and sent off to the railway in our wagons. + +It was our turn that day to find the pickets, some of which were a +considerable distance away: about dusk it began to rain, and continued +to do so, steadily and without intermission, for thirty-six hours, +during which time we were practically prisoners, as the roads were too +heavy for the wagons to travel. + +We were to have moved at seven o'clock in the morning, but as the +weather showed no prospect of clearing up, the General decided to +remain; our pickets therefore, after a horribly wet night, were not +relieved by the Camerons until about ten o'clock. The men must have had +a wretched time on picket, and looked miserable when they came in, wet +to the skin: however, an issue of rum, which was sanctioned by the +General, was made to them as they arrived, cold and hungry, and soon +everyone was cheery and making the best of it. The trouble was the +cooking, and wretched were the meals the poor fellows had that day: some +of them succeeded in making small fires inside the tents and boiling +their canteens on them, but wood was scarce and wet. + +By our inability to march on the 2nd we lost our chance of travelling +to Kroonstad by rail: three trains were waiting for us at Ventersburg +Road, but, owing to our non-arrival, they were ordered away by Lord +Kitchener, and the result was we had another thirty miles to tramp. + +The rain ceased early on the morning of the 3rd of November, and we were +able to strike our tents (still soaked through), load our wagons with +our sopping blankets, and move off towards the railway: as soon as we +reached the high ground the road was firm enough, but in the +neighbourhood of the camp, owing to the constant traffic and the +trampling of animals, it was nothing but a sea of mud. We reached the +station in good time, and camped, spreading out our blankets to dry +directly we got in. Several trains arrived at the station that afternoon +with supplies and troops on board: these latter were details and drafts +proceeding up country to join their regiments, and among them were about +a dozen of our men who had come up from Bloemfontein, and who eventually +joined us at Kroonstad; they said there were numbers of men of our +battalion still in the Rest Camp at Bloemfontein. + +A day or two later I mentioned this to the General, who wired to the +General at Bloemfontein, asking him to send up all officers and men of +the Royal Sussex; but the latter General replied that he was very sorry +he could not, as the men were urgently required for duty in the town; so +the regiment had to go short-handed, while a lot of fat fellows were +serving in Bloemfontein in the lap of luxury, getting every night in +bed, and, many of them, drawing extra pay as well. There were numbers of +civilian doctors, chaplains of all kinds, young staff officers, _et hoc +genus omne_ who each wanted a servant and a groom, or an orderly, and +who had only to ask at the Rest Camp to get them. + +It was said that General Kelly-Kenny once had a round up of all the +idlers and others in Bloemfontein, and the story goes that quite a large +number of soldiers were found in shops and hotels and bars, dressed in +civilian clothes, and drawing good pay as shopmen and waiters. + +On Sunday the 4th of November we marched out of Ventersburg Road once +more, at half-past six in the morning; it was a charming day, and our +march led us alongside the railway the whole time. All the parties of +Militia guarding the line had been relieved by men of the Coldstream +Guards who were on their way down country, but had been stopped to +relieve the Militia and to furnish one or two new defensive posts near +Holfontein. + +I was sorry to see that the Guards had adopted the felt hat, which no +doubt looks very nice and smart while it is new and retains its jaunty +shape; but, after it has been out in the rain once or twice and the +owner has slept in it on picket, the thing becomes a hideous shapeless +object, a most unsoldierlike head covering, which, to be thoroughly +appreciated at its worst, should be seen when worn in conjunction with a +kilt and a khaki apron, as in the battalions of the Highland Brigade. + +On our way we passed close to the spot where the train had been +destroyed at night when we were at Ventersburg Road: the debris was +still lying about, although, of course, the trucks had been removed. +Most of the contents of the train were Hospital and Ordnance stores, so +the ground was littered with the burnt fragments of iron bedsteads and +other hospital fittings, with camp kettles, canteens, water bottles, +drums which had contained rifle oil and dubbin, and all sorts of other +articles. No trace had been left, of course, of the bales of blankets, +clothing and boots, or of any of the Supply Stores such as biscuit, +beef, etc. + +Halting for the night at Geneva, we reached Kroonstad about half-past +eleven on the 5th of November, and camped on our old spot below Gun +Hill, where we remained no less than four days. + +Volunteers had been called for to serve on the Mounted Infantry, and +sixty of our men sent in their names, showing that the spirit of +enterprise and adventure had not been knocked out of them by the long +marching and the hardships that they had undergone; they went off by +train the same evening to Pretoria, where the new bodies of Mounted +Infantry were being organised. + +All day on the 8th and 9th of November, troops, mostly mounted, had been +coming in from the west, and on the latter date, to the great delight of +everyone, eight of the enemy's guns were brought in and parked in the +market square, together with a large number of prisoners, who were +handed over to a guard of the troops in garrison. These were the outcome +of a most successful surprise of a Boer commando carried out near +Bothaville on the 6th of November. + +The guns were a varied lot: there was a 12pr. belonging to U battery and +lost by them at Sanna's Post, many months before; there was a 15pr. +which had belonged to the 14th Field Battery; two Krupp 9prs. in +splendid condition; a Vickers-Maxim, or pom-pom; a one-pounder +quick-firing Krupp, a Maxim with a portable tripod stand, and a large +quantity of ammunition. + +The successful capture of all these guns, prisoners, ammunition and +wagons was largely due to our old friend, Major Lean, of the 5th M.I., +and after a good deal of questioning (for, like all good soldiers, he +was reluctant to talk about his own achievements), the story of the +fight was extracted from him. + +It seems that Le Gallais' force of Mounted troops, mostly Mounted +Infantry, with U Battery, R.H.A., were near Bothaville, when +intelligence was received of the presence of a Boer laager in the +neighbourhood; so Major Lean with a few men of his own corps, all +dismounted, went out one night to reconnoitre. They had to ford the +river, the water reaching up to their waists, and then went on for some +distance, until Major Lean observed some horses hobbled close to them: +thinking this very curious, he went on a little further, and then saw, +behind an ant heap, what looked like the head and shoulders of a man: +without an instant's hesitation he dashed forward and yelled to the man, +"Hands up!" + +To his astonishment several other men rose and put up their hands, and +he discovered that he had inadvertently held up an entire Boer picket. +Handing over the prisoners to his men, he and his party went on +cautiously, and on coming to the summit of a rise in the ground saw the +whole Boer laager at their feet. The party was discovered, and a heavy +fire opened on them at once; but the thirty men of the Mounted Infantry +spread out under cover, and devoted themselves to preventing the Boers +from inspanning their oxen into the guns and wagons. Word had been sent +back to Colonel Le Gallais, who came up rapidly and joined in, U battery +opening fire on the Boer guns at a range of 400 yards, but from the +other side of a ridge, firing by indirect laying. The Boers answered the +fire from their guns, and an artillery duel was in progress for some +little time. A message had been sent back to General Knox, who, however, +was out of reach, and also to Colonel De Lisle, who was some eight miles +away; and the latter with his men came up rapidly, travelling the whole +distance without drawing rein. They moved so as to envelope the flanks, +but on their approach the enemy fled, leaving a large number of killed +and wounded, and a considerable number of prisoners (114 in all), +twenty-eight of whom were dressed in the blue uniform of the Staats +Artillerie. + +Unfortunately our loss had been severe, the gallant and dashing Le +Gallais, Lieut.-Colonel Ross of the Durham Light Infantry, and two other +officers having been mortally wounded, and seven officers severely +wounded, while eight men were killed, and twenty-six wounded; but the +success was great, and the rout of the Boers complete. They left the +whole of their guns, wagons and Cape carts, and fled on their horses, +some not even waiting to saddle up first. The prisoners said that De Wet +and Steyn had both been with the laager, but that they had fled directly +the firing commenced. + +There is no false pride in the Boer commandants, nor any ridiculous +notions about sticking to the ship and remaining with their comrades, +who follow them so faithfully. Steyn possibly thought that it was time +to move the seat of Government to some other place, Hoopstad for +instance--probably the only town in the Free State which has not at some +time or other been honoured with the designation of the capital of the +Free State. + +General Knox returned with the troops to Kroonstad soon afterwards, and +received many congratulations on his success; at this time there were no +less than four Generals in the town--General Knox, General Charles Knox, +General Bruce Hamilton and Lieut.-General Kelly-Kenny, who was passing +through on his way to Natal, and was just in time to see the captured +guns. + +It had been at one time rumoured that De Wet was waiting in the +neighbourhood with the intention of making a dash at our convoy, while +on its way to Lindley; and it was known that many Boers had been seen +travelling north, while De Wet himself had been hanging about on the +west of the railway. This disaster to his force and the loss of all the +guns he had, not to mention his wagons and ammunition, completely upset +his little plan, and spoilt our prospects of a fight. + +We had been counting upon this, and had even settled that De Wet was to +attack us as we passed over Doornkloof; but now there was no chance, +unless the enemy round Lindley were to concentrate and give us a show +before we reached that town. + +The mail arrived just before we left, and we saw in the Gazette that +Lieut. Hopkins had been promoted Captain in the Manchester Regiment in +recognition of his gallantry at Retief's Nek, when he and two men were +recommended for the Victoria Cross. Lieut. Hopkins was now the youngest +Captain in the army, as he had hardly completed two years' service. + +We left Kroonstad early on the morning of the 10th of November, and +moved over to the other side of the drift to the north of the town, +about a couple of miles away, where we concentrated. + +The convoy, a large one as usual, of about 200 wagons, was waiting for +us; the column of troops was not a very large one, consisting only of +the Camerons and ourselves: but we had a considerable number of mounted +men under Lieut.-Colonel Rimington, besides three guns of the 39th Field +Battery, under Captain Brock, and one pom-pom; the Colonial Division was +to follow us up as soon as they arrived at Kroonstad. + +We camped at night at our old spot, Welgevrede, where H company took the +opportunity to erect a fence round and to turf over the grave of Private +Shutton, who was killed on the last occasion of our coming this way. + +The column moved the next morning at five o'clock, our half battalion +with a gun and some Yeomanry being rear guard; there was a long halt +just before reaching Doornkloof, while the mounted troops searched the +surrounding country: and then the convoy and the baggage were passed +over and parked on the open ground on the other side of the kloof. +Remembering how our rear guard had been sniped when passing through once +before, we took special precautions this time, keeping the pickets out +until the convoy had moved again, and giving the latter a good start +before our last company left the top of the kopje. Not a Boer was to be +seen, so we trekked on in peace, and camped once more at Quaggafontein, +leaving that place at five o'clock the next morning. There were three +bad drifts to cross on the way, and at one of them we had some hours' +hard work. We were advanced guard, and seeing how impassable in its then +state the drift was, our companies were set to work in reliefs making a +roadway across the mud and slush. There was a broken-down wagon at the +drift, the bottom of which we utilised, to the horror of Major Cardew, +the Brigade Transport Officer, filling in the space with stones and +earth. The Camerons came up soon, and some of them were told off to +bring more stones so as to make a solid roadway; yet in places the +terribly heavy, narrow-wheeled wagons sank to their axles each time, and +there was hard work getting them over, what with the bad driving of the +natives and the half wild state of the bullocks. + +It was wonderful how the men worked, and how willing they all were to do +their utmost to help matters on; there was no shirking or loafing about, +but real solid work going on. Of course, we all knew that the sooner the +job was got through and the wagons across, the earlier we would get into +camp; but, apart from that, the willing cheerfulness to follow the lead +of their officers has always been a prominent characteristic of Sussex +men. + +While we were busy, the Colonial Division overtook us and passed to the +front; they were only a small force, composed of the Cape Mounted +Riflemen and their four gun battery, but they were a fine smart lot of +men, looking splendid soldiers. + +We had a rest of an hour or so while the convoy was being got over, and +started again about mid-day. Alongside the road ran the field telegraph +wire, which had been dismantled for miles by the Boers, the wire being +carried off and the poles broken; with an eye to their camp fires, the +men soon began to pick up these poles and carry them along with them, so +that we reached camp more like a regiment of dismounted Lancers than +tired-out infantry: Birnam Wood coming to Dunsinane was nothing to it! + +Before reaching camp at Palmeitfontein we saw troops on the sky-line, +and eventually found that they were two companies of our other half +battalion, two of the Bedfords, and a gun, the whole under +Lieut.-Colonel Donne, who had come out to meet us in case of any +opposition among the hills between Quaggafontein and Lindley; there were +some Boers about, but a few shots from the pom-pom made them scurry off. + +The convoy got under weigh the next morning, at earliest dawn, and +trekked the six miles which separated us from the town; and the troops +followed a few hours later. Having got permission from the General, I +rode on ahead to make arrangements about opening the Brigade Canteen as +early as possible; the garrison of Lindley were very badly off for +luxuries such as milk, jam and the like, and there had not been a box of +matches or a bit of soap in the town for many days. Having secured five +wagons at Kroonstad, by the good nature of Captain Atcherly, of the +Divisional Staff, and other officers, it had been possible to load these +up and bring them along with us for the beleaguered garrison, starving +for cigarettes. A house had been secured and fitted up as a shop on our +last visit to Lindley, the pioneer sergeant having painted the words, +"Canteen, 21st Brigade," in enormous letters over the roof on both +sides; they will remain for years as a memorial of our visit. Here the +five wagons were off-loaded, the contents stacked inside the shop, and +sold in limited quantities all that day and all the next day to the long +queue of men at the door, patiently waiting their turn to get inside. +About L1,500 worth had been bought in Kroonstad, the traders this time, +all smiles and bows, tumbling over each other and quoting lower and +lower prices each day, in their eagerness to sell. Of this lot, quite +L1,000 worth was sold in three days--of course only to soldiers. + +Pay had been issued to our men and to the Camerons, so they all had lots +of money to spend: having managed to secure a safe in Bothaville, +advantage had been taken of the opportunity to bring out in it L1,000 in +gold for the use of the half battalion which had remained in Lindley. + +So now the whole battalion was together again, and we had a great deal +to talk about, and plenty of news to give: the departure of the +Volunteer company, the capture of the eight guns and the death of Le +Gallais, and our own adventures during the time we had been away, +forming topics of conversation for a long while. We had gone off for a +seven days' trek, and had returned at the end of six weeks; we had been +constantly on the move, we had been on six occasions under fire, and we +had marched 278 miles. + +The story of the garrison of Lindley showed that they must have had a +somewhat anxious time during our absence--ever on the look out, and +entirely ignorant of what was going on in the Orange River Colony, or of +what had become of the rest of the battalion and the Brigade. + +When General Bruce Hamilton marched out of Lindley, on the 4th of +October, he left Lieut.-Colonel Donne in command of the place, with the +following troops in addition to B, C, D and E companies of our +battalion: + + Driscoll's Scouts, 70 men, under Captain Driscoll, + + Three guns, 39th Battery, R.F.A., under Lieut. Maturin, + + Half Battalion Bedford Regiment, under Major Hammond, + + Half Battalion Cameron Highlanders, under Major Malcolm, + +and that most comforting and reassuring weapon, the Five-Inch Gun, under +Captain Massie, R.G.A. This gun, which has a range for shrapnel of 7,500 +yards and for Lyddite shell of 10,500, was ensconced in a gun pit on a +hill about 2 miles south of the town, from which it could, and did, +dominate the country for miles round, and formed a moral and tangible +support to reconnoitring, wood and foraging parties, who always knew +that they had behind them this friend in need, at the sound of whose +report even Boers would vanish like smoke. + +On the 5th the garrison was reinforced by the arrival of about thirty +men of the 7th M.I., under Captain Lloyd of the Lincolnshire Regiment, +and about fifteen men of Brabant's Horse, under Lieut. Inglis. + +Captain Garner, of Brabant's Horse, acted as Landrost, and Captain +Green, who had lately resigned the Adjutantcy of the battalion, acted as +Staff Officer during the period of Colonel Donne's command. + +The garrison settled down to a quiet existence; an Amusement Committee +had been formed, and various kinds of games were arranged for: football, +hockey, golf and tennis were all engaged in as far as the rather limited +supply of appliances at hand would allow. + +The chief elements of excitement were found in the weekly wood parties; +to get wood to any extent, it was necessary to go out to Groenvlei, or +Green Valley, about 5 miles to the north-east. This farm was a regular +oasis in the desert; it was in a pretty little valley, well wooded, +through which a running stream, quite unlike the conventional spruit, +wandered between old willows. Its situation, however, surrounded as it +was by hills, made it a rather dangerous trap, and latterly most +elaborate precautions had to be taken to ensure the safety of the wood +parties: one or two other sources were tried for the wood supply, but +other farms could furnish only two or three days' allowance, whereas +Groenvlei was practically inexhaustible. + +An occasional foray was made in a south-westerly direction to bring in +mealies; these expeditions, and indeed all movements of troops outside +the picket lines, brought to light small parties of Boers, who fired a +large amount of ammunition to very little purpose--the only casualty +being one man of Driscoll's Scouts, who was wounded on a wood party on +November the 8th. + +On October the 12th, 80 oxen were carried off by the enemy from in front +of No. 1 north picket; the Boers fired on the native boys, who promptly +bolted, and the enemy drove off the cattle before the picket could move +out to the rescue. The scarcity of grass, and the large number of oxen +left behind with the convoy, made the grazing of the cattle a very +difficult question. However, stringent orders were given that the cattle +were not to be allowed more than 800 yards outside the picket lines. +Mounted men were also detailed daily to be under the orders of several +of the picket commanders, to help the niggers with the cattle if +necessary. + +Yet in spite of these precautions another successful raid was made on +the cattle in front of No. 1 south picket on October the 28th, and 150 +head were carried off; in this case the boys and conductors were held to +blame, and were severely dealt with by the Commandant. + +From the 10th of October to the 8th of November native runners were sent +off weekly to Kroonstad with reports to the Officer commanding there, +but only two got through; two were known to have been captured by the +enemy, and the remainder returned, generally after having been out a day +and a night, declaring that they were unable to get past the Boer +patrols. On the other hand, several native runners succeeded in reaching +Lindley from Kroonstad; and returned there safely. + +On the 5th of November orders were received from Lord Roberts to vacate +the town, the troops to proceed to Kroonstad; but these orders were +cancelled by others received three hours later, a second lot of runners +having come through from Kroonstad in the one night, whereas the bearers +of the previous despatch had been upwards of 48 hours on the road. +Fortunately the second set of instructions were received before anything +had been done in the matter. + +On the 5th of November the Supply officer reported that he had +sufficient rations to last the garrison at full issues until the 15th; +but as no information had been received as to the probable date of the +General's return, it was considered advisable to put the troops on +three-quarter rations. + +On the 10th, runners arrived from Kroonstad with information that +General Bruce Hamilton would leave that day with a convoy, expecting to +arrive at Lindley on the 13th, and with orders for Colonel Donne to move +out on the 11th in the direction of Palmeitfontein, in order to lend the +convoy assistance if required. The two forces accordingly met, as has +before been said, and marched back to the town without incident. + + + + +CHAPTER XXII. + +IN GARRISON. + + A fruitless expedition--The Brigade goes off--The Volunteers with + them--The garrison--Residents--Defences--Communications--A + prisoner--A night attack--A complimentary order--No soap--Cordite + spills--A trap that failed. + + +On the 15th of November the General made a dash from Lindley at a Boer +laager, which was supposed to be about 7 miles out on the Reitz road, on +the other side of a huge kopje easily visible at a considerable +distance. + +B, C, D, E, and G companies of our battalion were engaged in the +operation: we paraded at half past two in the morning, and, with half a +battalion of the Camerons, two companies of the Bedfords, two guns, a +pom-pom and Rimington's mounted troops, moved cautiously forward and +occupied the hill about dawn--only to find the birds flown, and no signs +of their nest. It was particularly disappointing to us, as we were the +leading troops in the column, and were in hopes of being able to follow +the example of Major Lean's little force at Bothaville; but the enemy +had gone the night before, having got wind of our intentions. We +remained a few hours on the top of the large kopje, while the cavalry +reconnoitred out in front; there were a few scattered Boers about, but +not many. We marched back to the town about mid-day, pretty well tired +out; not with the distance, which was only 14 or 15 miles, but with want +of sleep--for we had been nearly eleven hours on our feet. + +The next morning the General and the Brigade went off, leaving us in +sole possession of that important town, and trade centre, Lindley: once, +but only for a short time during a somewhat hurried visit paid by Mr. +Steyn, the capital of the Free State. Unfortunately for the town, Mr. +Steyn's business was of such a peculiar character that he was compelled +to transfer the seat of Government to other and less important places +than Lindley. + +With the Brigade went Captain Hopkins, who, to the loss of the Royal +Sussex, was proceeding to join his new regiment. Our two young aspirants +for fame on the staff, Lieut. Villiers and Lieut. Nelson, also went off, +and with them the remainder of the Volunteer company, to whom the +following farewell order was issued by the Colonel. + + Extract from Battalion Orders, 16th of Nov., 1900. + +"In bidding farewell to Lieut. D'Olier and the Volunteer company of the +Royal Sussex Regiment, Lieut.-Colonel Donne wishes to express the +feelings of all ranks in the First Battalion at losing such good +comrades in many a long march and hard fought action. They will go home +to Sussex carrying with them the proudest insignia of this campaign--the +memories of Welkom Farm, Zand River, Doornkop, Capture of Johannesburg, +Capture of Pretoria, and the hard fought battle of Diamond Hill on the +11th and 12th of June; the subsequent march south to Heidelburg and +Bethlehem, the operations in the Caledon Valley, the brilliant action at +Retief's Nek, and the surrender of the Boer forces at Golden Gate--these +are records they can well consider as second to none of the Volunteer +companies in South Africa. + +"But these marches and victories have not been achieved without grievous +losses to mourn. Their best of leaders and bravest of men--Sir Walter +Barttelot--fell gallantly leading them to the attack on Retief's Nek. +His sterling worth as a soldier will live long in the records of the +regiment. He gloried in fighting for his country, and his death at the +head of his Volunteer company will serve not only as a pathetic incident +in the campaign, but as an illustrious example for all time to the +Volunteers of Sussex; it will knit more firmly together in the bond of +_esprit de corps_ all the battalions of the Royal Sussex as one great +county regiment. + +"Whilst the path of the Volunteer company is towards home, that of the +First Battalion is outward bound, far out into the British Empire for +many a long year; but we shall never forget the comradeship which has +been cemented on the fields of South Africa in 1900. All Sussex will +welcome her citizen soldiers who have shared our hardships, and added +fresh glory to our old flags, which will shortly find their resting +place in the County Cathedral. We wish them a speedy and safe return +home after work so well accomplished. We wish them the hearty reception +that we know awaits them in the old country, and long life to enjoy the +honour of having served in this memorable campaign." + +The garrison left in Lindley on the departure of the Brigade comprised +our battalion, two companies of the Bedfords under Captain Rowe, two +guns of the 39th Field Battery under Lieut. Harrison, the Five-Inch gun, +two companies of the 15th Battalion of Yeomanry under Lieut. +Shepherd-Crosse, and a few of Brabant's Horse under Lieut. Friedlander. +Lieut. Lloyd, the Supply Officer, had gone with the Brigade, but had +left his Sergeant-Major behind with an enormous mountain of stores of +all sorts, as we were rationed up to the 15th of the next month, +January. Lieut. Goodman had been left also to look after the transport: +the hospital and medical arrangements were supervised by Major Ritchie, +of the R.A.M.C., who had been some time in Lindley, and who had under +him Civil Surgeons Barr and Twigg, Captain Knapp, the medical officer of +the Cape Mounted Riflemen, and Lieut. Duncan of the R.A.M.C. There were +a good many men in hospital belonging to various corps, and the large +church in the centre of the market square, which from the first had been +used as a hospital, was nearly full; there had been one or two deaths +from enteric. + +There were a few civilians in the town: it seems the Boers allowed each +business house in the towns to leave either the owner or the manager in +charge, all the other assistants having either to go on commando or to +pay a heavy fine. Of course those of them who were British subjects +cleared out altogether; but the unfortunate owner of the shop, if he was +in possession of burgher rights, gained by long residence in the +country, was in rather a fix, and saw every prospect of losing his money +either way. One of the merchants in Heilbron provided a case in point: +he was an Englishman with burgher rights, and, when war was looming in +the distance, he went to Cape Colony, leaving his manager in charge of +the store. The Boers under their rule exempted the manager from service, +but sent the owner a notice to turn out and join his commando; no notice +being taken of this by the man, a fine of L500 was inflicted, which the +unfortunate trader had to pay, and did pay, because if he had not done +so the Boers would have distrained on the goods in his shop, and would +have probably taken several times the amount of the fine. + +There was a branch of the National Bank in Lindley, and the manager and +a clerk had remained throughout all the troubles, and the various +occupations and evacuations by our troops and the Boers: the Boers +always respected the Bank, and gave no annoyance whatever. + +Several families of doubtful loyalty had been removed by General Bruce +Hamilton, and taken away with the Brigade; their property in Lindley was +respected, however, in view of their return. One or two of those who +were left made themselves useful to us and added to their own income by +making up the men's rations of flour into loaves. It will hardly be +believed that the greater part of our bread ration was flour only, while +at Kroonstad thousands of boxes of biscuits were being used to form +houses for the supply subordinates to live in. + +The town and the vicinity were in a filthy state after so many mounted +troops, cattle and horses had been quartered there; but after a while it +was gradually cleared up, and the carcases of the dead bullocks and +mules left behind by the Brigade dragged away or buried. The river was a +disgusting sight, with dead bullocks strewn about from one end to the +other, half in the water: still some men did not mind, but bathed +frequently in the deeper pools. + +From its situation, in a hollow, surrounded by extensive hills, the town +needed a good many pickets to adequately protect it; there were three +permanent posts to the north and four to the south, each consisting of +an entire company, and some furnishing subsidiary posts in the +neighbourhood, on roads or prominent spurs. Each post was well defended, +and in some a reserve of rations and water sufficient for three days' +consumption was stored; there was, it need hardly be said, extra +ammunition kept by each, and all were defended by earthworks or stone +sangars on prominent points, the tents being pitched in each case so as +to be out of the line of fire, should the enemy take it into his head to +snipe at long range at the pickets. + +The remaining three companies of the infantry were quartered on the +three sides of the town to act as a reserve, and also as a second line +of defence, should the Boers penetrate the picket line and rush into the +town. The pickets were relieved every ten days or so, and their +positions changed, as the sentry work at some was harder than at +others. The men were allowed into the town to go to the Canteen or the +Soldiers' Club during the afternoon; it was quite 40 minutes' walk to +some of the pickets, so that most of the men usually remained at home. + +The two guns of the battery were quartered on the outskirts of the town, +but the five inch gun was kept in its gun pit on No. 2 picket to the +south, where it dominated a very large tract of country. On one occasion +it was taken at night to the opposite picket, about 4 miles away, whence +it very much astonished some Boers who were wandering about in front at +a distance of no less than 6 miles. + +The Yeomanry and a few men of Brabant's Scouts were utilised to furnish +a picket by day on the top of Tafelburg, a high square-crowned kopje, +about 3 miles to the north-west, from which an extensive view could be +obtained; and a couple of mounted men were kept by day at some of the +pickets, in case of necessity, to carry messages or go after suspicious +passers-by. All the pickets were in signalling communication with each +other and with headquarters in the town; sometimes helio messages were +received from Bethlehem, about 35 miles to the south-east, whose +garrison was apparently similarly situated to ourselves; and +occasionally, at long intervals, a runner arrived from Kroonstad with +microscopic messages--usually containing news, unimportant to us at all +events, such as the state of the Czar's health, but very little +information as to how things were going on with regard to our move to +India, about which we were most concerned. + +Occasionally a few of the mounted men would go out at night, and +surround a farm or two in hopes of catching a few Boers who might be +indulging in the unwonted luxury of a night's rest in a bed; but only +once did they meet with any success, and then they caught a solitary +Boer who gave us a deal of trouble to look after. Lieut. Harden and +Lieut. Montgomerie had the honour of catching this sportsman, who seemed +to have been a fighting Boer from the yarns he told with regard to the +fights in which he had taken part; but most of his stories had to be +taken _cum grano salis_. + +On the 3rd of December, however, the Boers treated us to an alarm about +half-past nine at night: they crawled up a donga which ended in a short +outcrop of rocks within four hundred yards of one of the detached posts +then occupied by B company. The rocks afforded splendid natural cover in +capital positions for firing from, and the Boers, about a dozen of them, +opened a smart fire at the eight men occupying the small defensive work, +who, nothing loath, replied with vigour, blazing away at the flashes of +the enemy's rifles. One Boer must have been hit, as some blood was found +on the grass the next day. The enemy fired about 500 rounds, judging +from the cartridge cases lying in little heaps behind the rocks, and our +men got rid of about the same number. One or two of the Boers had the +impertinence (it was nothing less!) to try and stalk the picket by +dodging up towards them from post to post of a line of fencing which ran +in their direction; but, coming to a gap where one or two posts were +missing, their hearts failed them, and they went no further. None of our +men were hit, but the stone loopholes and the parapet of the post were +splashed with bullet marks in five or six places. + +Firing commenced also against Captain Aldridge's picket, about a mile +further off, where bullets came plunging through the tents, to the +astonishment of the men there. These, however, quickly dropped into +their places in the various sangars, and replied briskly to the enemy's +fire, which, as could be seen by the flashes, was coming from a ridge +over 2,000 yards away. After half-an-hour or so the firing dropped on +both sides. + +The remainder of us had, of course, turned out at once and got into our +various positions. About half-past ten, everything being quiet, we +turned into bed again. In a few minutes there was a furious clatter of +about a dozen shots fired rapidly from the north-east, and later, two +more outbursts of firing from the north; and as none of our pickets on +that side had fired, we concluded the Boers were ending the evening's +amusement by firing at each other, an original idea, and one that we +hoped they would regularly carry out--if possible, without causing us to +turn out also in the dark. We never heard the cause of this firing, and +the only possible solution was that two parties of Boers must have met +in the dark. There was, however, a very good reason for the sudden +firing on the pickets to the east and north-east, as we found in the +morning, when Swannepool, a loyal farmer living to the north-west of the +town and some miles away, arrived in a furious passion, swearing +vengeance against all and every Boer; and, when he had cooled down +somewhat, announced that some Boers had held him up in the night, and +had driven off all his stock, his cows, his bullocks and horses, and had +taken away his Cape cart. _Hinc illae lachrymae_, he said, and we +sympathised with him. + +The few men of B company on the detached post were in a nasty corner for +some time, and fully deserved the complimentary remarks which the +Colonel made the next day, and which were published in battalion orders. +They were as follows:-- + + Extract from Battalion Orders, 6th of December, 1900-- + +"The Commanding Officer wishes to express to Lance-Sergeant Ockelford +and the eight men who defended the outpost of No. 1 picket, South, on +the night of the 3rd of December, his approbation of their soldierly +conduct in defending a small breastwork against a superior force of the +enemy. + +"An incident of this sort shows what a few men can do who are determined +to hold their own, and the Commanding Officer has made a report of their +creditable conduct to the General Officer commanding at Bloemfontein." + +Our humdrum existence continued now for some little time, our days +commencing by standing to arms at dawn (which was pretty early, usually +between three and four o'clock), and concluding by our going to bed +about eight o'clock in the evening. Almost every day there were cricket +matches, and there were _al fresco_ concerts three times a week. Beyond +this mild form of entertainment, it cannot be said that we lived in an +exciting whirl of constant pleasures. + +Soap was at a premium; there was not a scrap to be had anywhere. All +that the Brigade Canteen had brought had been commandeered by the Supply +people for the use of the hospital, and, beyond a meagre issue of one +ounce a man, the troops had had none for nearly two months. Matches were +also conspicuous by their absence. The soldier is always a large +consumer of this article, and spends a good deal of his time daily in +striking matches and lighting his pipe; he was not, however, to be +defeated by the absence of matches: some ingenious man had discovered +that the thin sticks of cordite out of the cartridges made an excellent +spill for lighting cigarettes or pipes at the fire, and, until the +practice was peremptorily stopped, it became quite a fashionable +pursuit. + +Some of the Boers must have developed quite an affection for Captain +Aldridge's picket, because, on the 8th of December, they fired a few +shots about half-past nine in the morning at the men of the picket +employed in repairing their sangars. To this fire E company disdained +even to reply, and the disgusted Boers, finding their overtures received +with apathy, rode off, six of them being observed passing through a gap +in the hills quite 2,500 yards away. + +On the night of the 9th, some of the mounted troops went out to lay a +trap for a Boer picket which was in the habit of coming to a kraal, +about three miles to the north and in full view of our pickets on that +side; and a field gun was sent out early next morning to No. 2 picket to +cover their retirement, if required. + +The little plan failed, owing to the too eager and inexperienced Yeomen +showing themselves just as the birds were entering the trap. There was a +certain amount of shooting, however, as towards breakfast time our men +withdrew; but it was all long range firing, which seldom harms anyone. + +In front of the picket where the gun was posted was a splendid expanse +of open country, with an occasional small kopje; and the whole panorama +was backed by a range of hills, which limited the view to about five +miles. Over this country were a few groups of Boers dotted, moving about +aimlessly. One small party riding towards a donga, whence possibly they +might have attempted to annoy our Yeomanry, were fired at by our gun at +4,500 yards: the shell sang through the still air and burst with a +"ping" some hundreds of yards short. With one accord the four or five +Boers mounted and spurred vigorously away, nor did they draw rein so +long as they remained in sight. + +(_End of Colonel du Moulin's manuscript._) + + + + +CHAPTER XXIII. + +THE RAISING OF THE MOUNTED COLUMN. + + Evacuation of Lindley--Regiment split up--Major du Moulin's + detachment--Men mounted at Bethulie--On convoy--The chase of De + Wet--Strydenburg--Colesberg--Edenburg--A vast convoy-- + Bloemfontein--Smithfield--Action at Commissie Bridge--the + Fighting Column--Raw Yeomen--Deep Dene Drift--Jammersberg + Bridge--Springfontein. + + +The wearisome stay of the Regiment in Lindley came to an end in January, +1901. On the 13th of that month the filling in of the entrenchments was +begun, and orders to evacuate the town were finally received on the +afternoon of the 20th. The piquets were sent out as usual, but by 9 p.m. +the town was cleared, and the force (consisting of the Royal Sussex, two +companies of the Bedfords, and Col. Munro's column) started for +Kroonstad. There was great confusion at the drift outside the town, +several lines of wagons converging on it in the dark; and by dawn only 3 +miles had been made. The secret, however, had been very well kept, and +the Boers had no inkling of the departure of the troops until well on +into the morning of the 21st. They then harassed the rear, but made no +other use of their considerable numbers, and the force reached Kroonstad +practically without incident. + +Here the regiment was split up, and B, E, and H companies were sent up +the railway to Heilbron. From Heilbron they trekked to Frankfort and +back with Col. Williams' Column, assisting in the evacuation of that +place; and they then railed with Head Quarters down to Norval's Pont, +where the railway from Cape Town crosses the Orange River, and enters +the Orange River Colony. They relieved the Essex Regiment there, taking +over the piquets on the hills north of the river; subsequently +detachments were sent to Donkerpoort, and to Providence Siding, further +up the line. + +On June 3rd these Companies were relieved by Militia, and sent to join +various columns, all men who would ride ultimately reaching the Sussex +column. Head Quarters remained at Norval's Pont till July, when they +were moved, first to Springfontein, and then (December 6th) to Bethulie, +on the Port Elizabeth line. Col. Donne had previously gone to Kroonstad +as Commandant of that place. + +To return to January, 1901--A, C, D, F, and G companies entrained at +Kroonstad on the 25th of that month, under Major du Moulin, for +Ventersburg Road; and from there they moved out as escort to an ox +convoy on the evening of the 27th. The weather was appalling--very heavy +rain lit by vivid flashes of lightning, that showed men and oxen in a +sea of mud. Progress soon became impossible, and the column halted, +waiting where it stood for dawn. The crossing of Zand River on the 29th +gave great trouble, the huge convoy taking fifteen hours to complete it. +Smaldeel was reached on the 30th, and there the convoy was left, the +five companies entraining for Bethulie, where a great concentration was +taking place in view of De Wet's intended raid into Cape Colony. On +reaching Bethulie, the kit was reduced to one blanket and one waterproof +sheet per man, great-coats and tents being returned to store. + +A bad railway accident involving several trains took place here on the +1st of February. The Sussex men turned out, and cleared the line after +the greatest exertions. Trucks had to be broken up, and great pieces of +them dragged out of the railway cutting by main force. + +Want of mounted men was being most keenly felt at this time, and General +Lyttleton (who was at Bethulie) suggested that the Regiment might +provide the mounted escort required for a convoy. The idea was +enthusiastically taken up; many more men volunteered than could be +mounted. By the 7th of February an M.I. Company of 120 men had been +organised under Lieut. Harden and 2nd Lieut. Leachman; and in addition +to these, a number of men of C, D and F companies were mounted, and left +under their own officers. + +The scenes that ensued during the two or three days, which were all that +could be allowed for training, had their humorous side. Many of the men +had never had anything to do with a horse before, and hardly knew one +end of it from the other. However, they stuck to their mounts nobly--as +long as they could. On one of the first treks, an officer, coming under +the eye of the authorities, and wishing to show off the accomplishments +of his men, gave the command "Trot!" The result was a surprise to all +parties. With a thundering of hoofs, a mob of galloping horsemen swept +past the officer, scattered the authorities, and disappeared in clouds +of dust. They knew how to start their horses--but had not yet learned +the art of stopping them. + +Great difficulty was experienced in getting saddlery. This had to be +obtained locally, and the stuff in the town turned out to be mere +rubbish. Some more serviceable equipment was got from the Mounted +Infantry, but, when the detachment moved out on February 9th in charge +of a convoy, many of the men were using blankets as saddles, and looped +putties as stirrups. + +The horses supplied were also very indifferent. A large proportion had +been cast by the columns for sore backs and wrung withers, from which +they had hardly recovered. However, all obstacles were surmounted, and +the convoy, consisting of some 300 ox wagons, crossed the main line at +Prior's siding on the 10th of February, and reached Philippolis on the +11th, after marching that day 24 miles. + +The total strength of the detachment under Major du Moulin at this time +was 12 officers and 558 rank and file. This included two companies of +the Royal Irish Rifles, which were attached. + +Striking down into the Colony, two days were taken up in crossing the +Orange River at Sand Drift, where many columns had collected, the river +being in flood. The water on the Drift was five feet deep in places, so +that the wagons were awash. The bottom was sandy, and the track had +constantly to be changed. A steep bank of heavy sand on the south side +added to the difficulties. The constant rain at this time was very +trying to the troops; the roads were knee-deep in slush, the camps +became marshes, and, as there were no tents, wet blankets were the order +of the day. + +By the 17th the line was again reached at De Aar. Here more men were +mounted, Lieut. Ashworth having brought up a further instalment of +saddlery, and on the next day a start was made with a full convoy for +Britstown, to the west of the railway line. + +At this time De Wet had crossed the Orange River with his raiders, had +reached Britstown, and had been headed off to the west in the +Strydenburg direction. A large number of columns had been thrown into +the Colony to deal with him, and the convoy under Major du Moulin was to +serve the Northern section of these. It reached Britstown on the 20th, +after some fighting; for it was actually ahead of the columns, and the +Boers only evacuated the town as the convoy came up. + +An average trek of 20 miles a day brought the convoy to Strydenburg (by +way of Prieska) on the 23rd of February, hot on the trail of the Boers, +whose recent camps were found at farms along the road. Maxwell's column +was already in the town, and Munro's arrived with the convoy. Bethune's +column was in rear. De Wet, who could not recross the Orange River on +account of the floods, lost on this day a 15 pr., a pom-pom and 100 men, +captured by Plumer.--The return journey of the convoy to Paau Pan, on +the railway, was completed on the 26th. + +The long marches to and from Strydenburg were wearisome and hot. Day +after day the convoy plodded on, while the Karoo country stretched all +round, brown, dusty, waterless, and quite flat. There was little sign of +life--a few sheep, perhaps, a few ostriches, and a very occasional farm. +The scrubby bush was most trying to the horses' legs. A "pan" here and +there promised relief to the thirsty men and beasts, but the water as +often as not turned out to be salt. + +De Wet managed to cross the River on the 28th of February, and the +column's next piece of convoy work consisted in taking 100 ox wagons and +19 mule wagons from Orange River Station to Colesberg, a distance of 100 +miles. This was done in the remarkably quick time of six days, making an +average of 17 miles a day in spite of bad weather. As 2-1/2 miles an hour +is fast for an ox wagon, this entailed eight hours a day actually on the +move. The convoy reached Colesberg on the 8th of March, after a trek +that formed a delightful contrast to the preceding one. The road led +through a green and smiling country, lying among its hills by the Orange +River. It was the season of fruit, and there was a great abundance of +all kinds. Colesberg itself was a pleasant and friendly town, behind +which rose the towering sides of Coles Kop. It seemed impossible that a +gun should have been taken to its summit, but the feat had been +accomplished, and the gun was there. A signal station on the top +maintained helio communication within a radius of 30 or 40 miles, and +exchanged occasional messages at 70 miles or more. + +On the 10th of March the force under Major du Moulin started by rail for +Edenburg. The men were not yet very skilled at entraining horses, and +one company omitted to look to the bolts of the door on the far side of +its truck. A few miles from Colesberg, a telegram overtook the train to +say that horses were dropping out. The side of the truck had swung open, +the train was going slow, and, looking back, three or four horses could +be seen careering about the veldt. The door was quickly secured, and the +train went on. + +Soon after passing Norval's Pont, the train again came to a standstill. +A swarm of locusts was on the rails, and the wheels of the engine could +get no grip. The men had to turn out, and throw sand in front of the +engine till the swarm was passed. + +The country south of Dewetsdorp and east of Edenburg is intersected by a +series of long ridges from two to five hundred feet in height, between +which lie valleys and plains of irregular shape, often many miles +across. At this time these valleys were full of stock of all kinds, the +inhabitants were on their farms, and the local commandos, under +Commandant Brand and others, had lived undisturbed upon the fat of the +land. The size of the country, and the power of splitting up possessed +by the commandos, made it extremely difficult to get at the latter. An +effort was therefore made to cut off their supplies, and General +Lyttleton's columns were turned into the district to clear it. Major du +Moulin started from Edenburg with a convoy of 152 wagons for these +columns on the 13th of March, reached Dewetsdorp on the 16th after some +sniping, and on the 21st handed in at Bloemfontein 2,000 horses, 5,000 +cattle, and 80,000 sheep collected during the week. A number of refugees +were also brought in. The Boers had been engaged at Geluk on the 19th, +two of them being killed and three wounded. Some South African Light +Horse had been attached, to assist the escort of the convoy. + +This trek into Bloemfontein from Dewetsdorp was a truly remarkable one. +The convoy had grown so enormously in taking over the captures of the +various columns, that it was no less than 10 miles long. Sometimes the +rearguard did not leave one camping ground until two hours after the +advanced guard had reached the next. The rearguard had a very difficult +job. The great masses of sheep were very slow, and often a kopje had to +be held until it was difficult to get away in the face of the Boer +snipers, who constantly harassed the rear. This sniping continued right +up to the outposts of Bloemfontein. + +Here a great change was noticed in the look of the troops in the town. +Instead of the torn and dirty uniforms of Lord Roberts' advance, neat +new Khaki was to be seen all round, while at the Club starched collars +and red tabs seemed the rule. + +At Bloemfontein Capt. Montresor joined the column, and there the Royal +Irish Rifles left it. The weather continued extremely bad, the heavy +rain causing the greatest discomfort to the troops. + +Entraining for Springfontein, the force started thence with another +convoy for the east of the line on the 27th of March. There were then +under Major du Moulin 12 officers and 375 men of the Royal Sussex, of +whom 250 were mounted; and a section each of the 39th and 85th batteries +R.F.A. + +The convoy was constantly sniped; but a trap laid by the Boers near +Leeuwfontein failed, the widely extended flank guards getting in their +rear without being conscious of the fact. The want of a pom-pom was very +much felt, as the guns could not leave the convoy. + +Smithfield was reached on the 30th, and some cycles found there formed +the nucleus of a cyclist section, subsequently elaborated under Lieut. +Crawley-Boevey. From Smithfield a four days' trek brought the convoy to +Bethulie, after destroying by the way a Boer supply depot, with ovens +for the baking of bread, at Gryskop. Near the same place D company +(under Capt. Montresor) found itself in a warm corner at a farm to which +it had been sent foraging, and lost four horses killed and three +wounded. The guns, however, galloped up, and the Boers retired under a +heavy fire. + +Smithfield was reached on the return journey on the 7th of April, and +Edenburg on the 10th. At the latter place, prisoners, refugees and stock +were handed in.[13] + +While trekking, the Mounted Infantry furnished the advanced and rear +screens, and the flank guards, the latter keeping well out. The order of +march of the remainder was as follows:-- + + Advanced Guard:-- + Section R.F.A. + 1 Coy. Infantry in wagons (when available). + + Main Body:-- + 1 Coy. Infantry in Cape Carts. + Baggage Column, R.A. leading. + Supply wagons (mule). + Ox wagons. + Refugee wagons and ambulances. + + Rear Guard:-- + Section R.F.A. + 1 Coy. Infantry in wagons (when available). + +The company of Infantry at the head of the main body was used as a +species of mounted (or rather carted) infantry; on the convoy being +threatened, the Cape carts were turned in the required direction, and +galloped across the veldt, disgorging their occupants at points of +vantage. All the mounted men were thus freed for more important duties +further afield. Each Cape cart contained one or two boxes of ammunition, +and thus acted as ammunition reserve for any other troops who came up. + +In April, General Lyttleton gave up command of the Southern District of +the Orange River Colony, and on doing so published the following +order:-- + + The Officer Commanding + 1st Royal Sussex Regt. + + Lieut. General Lyttleton desires me, before he leaves this command, + to convey to you his appreciation of the very efficient manner in + which the men of your Battalion, under Major du Moulin, have + carried out the arduous duties of escort to convoys, on which they + have been frequently employed. + + They have been admirably trained and handled by that Officer, who + has singular qualifications for that sort of work, and O.C.'s of + columns in the field have reported in high terms on them. + + General Lyttleton hopes that his good opinion may be conveyed to + all ranks, in Battalion Orders, or in whatever way the Commanding + Officer thinks best. + + A. J. M. MacAndrew, Capt. + Edenburg, for C.S.O. + April 12, 1901 Genl. Lyttleton's Force. + +A convoy of 120 wagons was again taken out to Dewetsdorp on the 11th of +April, 250 I.Y. and 50 South African Light Horse (all freshly raised) +being added to the escort. Dewetsdorp was cleared of inhabitants, and +also all the farms along the route; and a vast body of refugees was +brought in on the return to Edenburg, many having been handed over by +the columns.[14] There was a good deal of sniping during the trek, in +which one man[15] was severely wounded. A bicyclist of the advanced +guard had been captured, with his machine, on the first day out. The man +was of course set free: the bicycle was recovered months afterwards in a +farm some distance away. + +The force then set out for Smithfield with a convoy, reaching that place +on the 24th of April, after having had a brush with a party of Boers +near Rietput the day before. The town was cleared, and all the ovens and +cooking utensils found in the houses were destroyed. On the morning of +the 26th, when the convoy moved on, the Boers attempted to hold +Commissie Bridge over the Caledon River. A sharp engagement followed, +during which 2nd Lieut. Thorne collected men from among the wagons, +dashed across the bridge, and seized a kopje on the further side, +thereby gaining a mention in column orders. The Boers were driven off, +but followed the convoy almost to Rouxville, which was reached on the +27th of April; and from this date to the 20th of May the force under +Major du Moulin was occupied in escorting a convoy between Aliwal and +Rouxville, bringing out stores from the latter place, and returning with +refugees and stock taken over from the columns working the district. + +On the 20th of May orders were received from General Bruce Hamilton that +the column was to clear the country north of Smithfield as a fighting +column. The task of watching the trek ox plod slowly and gloomily +through the dust was over, to the great delight of all ranks, and, with +a roving commission, the column set out in a northerly direction. In +addition to men of the Royal Sussex (5 companies M.I. and an Infantry +escort), Major du Moulin had under him at this time a company of the +Connaught Rangers M.I. and a section of the 43rd Battery, R.F.A. + +On the 22nd a retreating Boer convoy was sighted--probably belonging to +Brand's Commando, then at Rietput. On the 24th the baggage of the column +was well sniped by some sixty Boers at Kopjeskraal, on the way to +Vaalbank. What followed was characteristic of Major du Moulin's methods. +The cooks and other duty men, together with the wagon escort in Cape +carts, were immediately set to charge round the flank of the hill at a +gallop, Cape carts and all. This was too much for the nerves of the +Boers, who streamed away. The guns came into action, without, however, +any luck, the retreating Boers having separated in all directions. + +The work of clearing farms continued, two companies of M.I. being sent +out daily on each flank for the purpose. In many cases the farms were +found empty, with every sign that the occupants had just hurriedly left. +Sometimes a room had been bricked up, in which a supply of grain or the +family treasures were stored. + +On the 3rd of June the line was again reached at Jagersfontein Road, in +cold and snow. A trek northwards along the line brought the column to +Edenburg, where a new batch of mounted men from the Regiment joined. The +30th and 31st Imperial Yeomanry were also attached, and the much-desired +pom-pom (under Capt. A. A. Montgomery, R.A.) was obtained. Two guns of +the 39th Field Battery were with the column. + +This batch of Yeomanry consisted of men utterly raw and untrained. They +knew nothing about the work, so that it was necessary to assign each +Yeoman to a Sussex man for instruction. As the pay of the latter was +only one shilling a day, while the Yeoman was receiving five shillings, +the position was rather absurd. On the first day out a spare wagon was +filled with stuff that the Yeomen had left in camp--saddles, blankets, +ammunition, etc. While on trek they were constantly losing horses and +rifles. A system of heavy fines, proportionate to their pay, was +instituted for these offences. In one case it was strongly suspected +that a horse had been shot and left, saddle and all, by its rider when +out on flank guard--presumably because he had no turn for mounted work, +and disliked his animal. + +No doubt some of these men developed into useful soldiers. Under the +circumstances, however, the process was an annoying and even dangerous +one for their instructors. + +On the 6th of June the column set out to the West of the line. Capt. +Gilbert raided the farm of Lokshoek on the night of the 6th, and Capt. +Montresor that of Kranzhoek on the 7th, capturing 13 and 11 prisoners +respectively. At Lokshoek was a laager of women and children, with Cape +carts and wagons. During the following days this process was repeated +elsewhere, with the result that on the return of the column to Edenburg +on the 15th, 53 prisoners were handed in, besides many refugees and a +large amount of stock.[16] + +In Army Orders of the 4th of June, Major du Moulin was granted the local +rank of Lieut.-Colonel. He was subsequently awarded a brevet +Lieut.-Colonelcy. + +At Edenburg, Lieuts. Crawley-Boevey and Bond, and 2nd Lieut. Paget +joined the column--the latter with 50 mounted men, who had been raised +at Norval's Pont, and employed round Edenburg. + +On the 18th, the column set out to the East of the line, and worked once +more in the now familiar country south of Dewetsdorp. Parties were +constantly sent out to surround farms at night on the chance of finding +Boers. The enemy had, however, realised by this time the danger of +sleeping under a roof. + +The 25th of June provided a long day's work. The column was fired at in +the morning at Koetzee's Post, some 300 Boers being among the hills west +of that place. The troops turned into the hill, successfully forcing the +difficult nek to Klip Huis. Fourteen Cape carts and two wagons +containing women and children were captured, but the commando was in +flight, and the mounted troops chased them as far as Helvetia, 12 miles +off, getting back to camp at Klip Huis after eleven hours in the saddle +without food. A signal lamp stuck up in camp helped the tired companies +to find their way in. + +On the 28th of June some Boers successfully trapped a small flanking +party at Mooifontein. The column had gone by Hex River, a pass some +miles to the south; the baggage and escort were to cross the ridge by a +road running close to Mooifontein farm. While the baggage was crossing +the nek, a message was received by the Yeomanry Officer commanding the +left flanking party that a Boer woman at the farm wished to be brought +in to a refugee camp, and had asked for a wagon to take her and her +boxes, which were ready packed. The Officer accordingly rode up to the +farm, after passing the message on, and waited there with seven men of +the Yeomanry and G company till a wagon should be sent back. It seems +that the men paid more attention to catching chickens than to keeping a +look-out. At any rate, as soon as the baggage was out of sight over the +nek, some Boers, who were in hiding behind the farm, opened fire at the +party point blank, killing three in the first volley and wounding +two.[17] The bugler only escaped, and missing his way, arrived at the +camp of the column late at night. A party sent back of course found the +farm unoccupied. + +On the 29th of June a special company was organised under Capt. +Montresor to perform scouting duties, raids, and surprise visits to +farms by day and night. The men were to receive a daily ration of rum, +with an extra issue to those engaged in night work; while they were to +be exempt from piquets and guards. One hundred men were easily obtained, +and the "Raiders" came into existence. + +On the 5th of July Lieut. Woodruffe was left with 14 men in ambush at +Weltevreden, the camp of the night before, to wait for Boers, who were +expected to visit the camp when the column had left, in the hope of +picking up food or ammunition. Three Boers came along, one to the farm +where the men were hidden. He would not surrender when challenged, but +turned and galloped away, and so was shot. + +Thirty Boers now opened fire upon the farm, and four of the horses of +Woodruffe's party broke loose, delaying his retirement. His difficulties +were further increased by one of the Yeomen with him, who became +panic-stricken, and refused to mount. The Boers surrounded the small +kopje upon which Woodruffe took up a position (not, however, before a +boy had been sent back with a note to the column), and, working among +the rocks, gradually closed in upon him. He was slightly wounded in the +head, and one of his men (Weston) was hit. Things were looking rather +black, when Lieut. Howes, I.Y., with 25 men of the rear guard, came back +to his support, and the Boers retired with two killed. + +On the 5th of July Dewetsdorp was raided in conjunction with Col. +Rochfort, but the Boers were not there. They sent a letter by a released +prisoner, saying they were sorry not to be at home. + +Moving down to the Caledon River, the column arrived at Deep Dene on the +7th of July. There was no drift over the river at this point, and Col. +du Moulin determined to make one. The banks, which were very steep, were +dynamited, and horses and oxen were put to trample down and harden the +loose deep sand of the river bed. + +Great care had to be taken to avoid the quick-sands. Five small donkeys +got involved in these, and sank lower and lower, in spite of all +attempts to haul them out by ropes. They made the most pitiable noise in +their terror, and ultimately had to be despatched, when little but their +heads remained visible. + +After enormous efforts, all the mule wagons were got across by 8 p.m., +but the drift was found impassable for ox wagons; these, accordingly, +moved on the following day up to Jammersberg Bridge, being shelled by +another column on the way, and joined the mule wagons again at Wepener. + +On the 10th of July, Col. Rochfort and Col. du Moulin, reconnoitring +over Jammersberg Bridge with the Raiders (under Capt. Montresor) and the +pom-pom (under Capt. Montgomery), found seventy Boers holding the kopjes +on the further side. Attacking at once, the hills were stormed on foot, +and the Boers were turned out of their position and pursued for some +miles. One prisoner was taken, and four saddled horses. Serjt. +Nightingale was killed during the action, when very pluckily leading +his section over the bridge. + +The column was shortly ordered into Edenburg, and thence down the line +to Springfontein, in order to operate on the west of the line. Orders +had by this time been given that every man of the Regiment who was +willing should be mounted, and join Col. du Moulin; and accordingly +Major Church with the mounted men of H company, and Capt. Beale with +those of the second Volunteer company, were waiting for the column at +Springfontein. Major Church and the Volunteers had been trekking with +Williams' and Byng's columns respectively. + +FOOTNOTES: + +[13] 20 Prisoners, 9 Male Refugees, 41 Women, 124 Children, 6,179 Sheep, +337 Cattle, 136 Horses. + +[14] 100 prisoners, 30 male refugees, 300 women, 980 children, 400 black +refugees, 30,000 sheep, 6,000 cattle, 300 horses. + +[15] Pte. Pruce, E Company. + +[16] + + Prisoners of War 53 + Rifles 4 + Ammunition 500 rounds + Dynamite 10 lbs. + Horses 558 + Ox wagons 36 + Cape carts 30 + Cattle 2052 + Sheep 15000 + + Refugees. + White men 3 + " women 131 + " children 467 + Black men 2 + " women 7 + " children 70 + +[17] Pte. Boniface, of G Company, was killed there. On the same day Pte. +Shorney, of H Company, was mortally wounded at Hex River. + + + + +CHAPTER XXIV. + +TWO DISTRICTS. + + A derelict town--The district--Entertainments--British + "commandos"--Hertzog's Adjutant--Back to Springfontein-- + Vlakfontein--The scene of a disaster--Caledon River--Edenburg-- + Stranded traction engines--Ventershoek--"Commandos" again. + + +Col. du Moulin moved out of Springfontein on the 21st of July to take +over the district which had been assigned to him, and which lay west of +the line, and north of the Orange River, round about the town of +Philippolis. He had under him about 600 men of the Sussex, nearly all +mounted, and a section of the 7th Battery (Capt. Geoghegan and Lieut. +Chamier), besides the pom-pom. + +Philippolis, which for the next two months was used as the headquarters +and rendezvous of the column, lies at the head of a valley some 15 miles +west of the railway. The usual stone Church looks down the usual main +street of one-storied tin-roofed buildings. Two other parallel streets +and a few cross roads make up the town. It is surrounded by bare veldt; +a eucalyptus or two and a couple of rows of cypress down the main street +are the only trees to be seen for miles round. + +At this time there were still a few inhabitants remaining, although most +of the houses were quite empty. At first, here as elsewhere, the town +had been left undisturbed under authorities appointed by the British; +but, when the local commandos again took up arms, authorities and +townspeople had alike to be brought in to the line; and now the last of +them was to be removed, Lord Kitchener's order being not to leave a +living thing. For if inhabitants were left, food must be left too; and +what was food for the inhabitants was food also for the local +commandos--or the fragments of them that lurked in the hills round. +Besides this, information, more valuable even than food, would be +spread as to the movements of columns. The supreme object at this +juncture was to make life impossible for the Boers under arms. + +It was a strange sight, this derelict town. Doors were open, and it was +possible to turn out of the silent street into a house, where the very +music lay as it had been left upon the piano in the sitting room: to sit +down at the piano and try a few bars, momentarily expecting the owner to +appear and protest against such intrusion. Yet the only representative +of the owner would be perhaps the watch dog lying in the yard where it +had been necessary to shoot him, when the house was searched (very +likely with success) for ammunition. The town was placed out of bounds +for the troops of the column. + +The Boers of the neighbourhood were not in very high feather. Except for +bodies of men passing through from the surrounding districts, they +consisted only of small parties of a dozen or less, living precariously +upon the much-cleared country. They had established a certain number of +depots to which they could come for grain, but beyond these there was +very little food to be found; and nearly all the farms were empty. + +Colonel du Moulin's task, therefore, consisted of netting as many stray +Boers as possible, and destroying all stock, grain, cooking utensils, +and anything else that would help to support life, besides being +prepared to meet any commando that should attempt to cross the district. + +For these purposes he divided the column into three sub-columns or +"commandos" of about 150 men each, under Major Church. Capt. Gilbert, +and Capt. Montresor. Two of these were always in the field, while one +was usually resting in Philippolis. In order to enliven the time of the +resting "commando," he detailed a few men with a bent in that direction +as permanent entertainers, and these used to give nightly performances +in the Town Hall, with the help of one of the many pianos in which the +town abounded. Songs, dramatic sketches, and clog-dances used to form +items of the programme. + +During the first week (which was cold and snowy) a number of farms were +cleared. Twenty-five sacks of wheat were found by the Colonel, bricked +up at the farm Poortje. The dam there was destroyed, as was done in +other cases. On August the 4th the ox convoy bringing supplies from +Springfontein joined the three "commandos" at Brandkraal. Lieut. Bidder +and 2nd Lieut. Cole from the 3rd Battalion of the Regiment arrived with +it. + +For the next month the "commandos" worked up and down the district with +comparatively little incident, picking up a few prisoners here and +there, and sending in refugees. Captain (now Brevet-Major) Gilbert +searched the kloofs along the Orange River: there were several families +living there, who supplied food to the fighting Boers, and these were +transported to the line. In one place the Major was just leaving a +valley that he had searched in vain, when the strange behaviour of a +horse directed his attention to a large bush. Investigation followed, +and from the recesses of the bush emerged an entire family of three +generations. + +By surprise visits at night to likely places, Major Gilbert also +captured a number of armed Boers--on the 11th of August in particular +two raids resulted in the taking of thirteen prisoners. + +On the 16th Major Church's "commando" chased a party of twenty Boers, +who had come to unearth a store of boots they had buried near Tafelkop. +A signalling piquet on Tafelkop disturbed them as Major Church was +coming up, and the Boers got away through Otterspoort, after being +turned out of the farm there by the pom-pom. + +On the 17th of August, information was received that 200 Boers under +Kritzinger were at Buonapartfontein, on the east of the line, working +north with horses very done up. Orders were sent round at once to the +three "commandos" to hurl themselves across the line, and they +accordingly met at Driekuil Siding early on the 18th. Kritzinger had, +however, already moved north, pursued by Gorringe's column--the +information being twenty-four hours late. + +On the 25th of August Major Gilbert's "commando" captured Cronje, +Adjutant and Chief of Scouts to Hertzog, the local Commandant. The +actual capture was effected by Liliveld, a Colonial Scout attached to +the column, who did some brilliant work. + +That same evening, Major Gilbert, who had been talking to Cronje, told +him to follow him across the camp, wishing for some reason to shift his +quarters. The Major carried his hand in his pocket. The Boer, who looked +very white and anxious, suddenly said "Well, when are you going to do +it." He thought he was being taken out to be shot, and that the Major +had his hand on his revolver. It appeared that the Commandants had +persuaded their men that the Proclamations as to surrender, published at +this time, were only decoys, and that any man surrendering would be +shot. Cronje said that many would come in if they knew they would be +well treated. "We shall have a score to settle with the Commandants when +the War is over," he added. + +He was one of the men chased by Major Church a few days before. "They +had had nothing to eat for twenty-four hours," he said, "and had bolted +another 25 miles." He was offered good pay to act as guide to the +column, but to his credit he refused. + +On the 30th of August, Captain Montresor and Lieut. Morphett, with +thirteen men, surrounded the Jansfontein Hills in the dusk, and crept up +just before dawn, by starlight. They captured four Boers with rifles on +the top without a shot being fired. Captain Montresor's "commando" +returned to Philippolis on the 5th of September with twelve prisoners. + +On the 31st of August, two Boers with rifles came in to surrender to +Major Church at Osfontein. They had been living for a fortnight in a +cave near, that contained the household treasures of Ospoort +farm--clothes, dried fruit, a violin, pillows and a coffee machine. +There was also a little ammunition, the remains, perhaps, of a larger +supply. + +Later in the day Boers were reported on a neighbouring hill, which was +accordingly surrounded, Major Church taking one party, Captain +Montgomery and Lieut. Harden another. Eight men were captured and +seventeen rifles. They had no idea a British force was near, the camp +being very well hidden. They had orders from Herzog not to stay long in +the district, as there was no food. One of them was a Secret Agent of +the British. + +Two days afterwards, Major Church came upon and destroyed another Boer +supply depot consisting of two large tin-lined boxes hidden among +bushes, and containing eight sacks of wheat and stores of all kind. +Round about were rough beds of heather and branches, and fire holes for +cooking. + +On the 17th of September orders were received for the whole column to +march in to Springfontein, and entrain for the North. Rain had been +falling heavily for a week, and the roads were almost impassable. The +oxen were weak with overwork, lung disease and inoculation; dead oxen +lay every few yards of the way. Relief wagons were sent to meet the +convoy, the end of which struggled painfully in to Springfontein at nine +o'clock on the night of the 19th. This convoy, which had been working +backwards and forwards between Philippolis and the line with supplies +for the column, was left at Springfontein when the column moved North. +Lieut. De La Pryme, A.S.C., who had admirably managed the supply +arrangements, accompanied the column. + +On the 19th September news arrived of the disaster at Vlakfontein, not +far from Thabanchu, in which two guns of U battery, and their escort of +newly-raised Mounted Infantry, were taken. General Bruce Hamilton's +troops were accordingly despatched into the district round the scene of +action. The Sussex column entrained during the 20th, and the work of +hauling and shoving recalcitrant mules and horses into trucks went on +all that night by the light of flares. There was a sharp frost at dawn; +the helmets of men who had slept upon the ground were white, and the +ditch by the railway was covered with ice. The sixth and last train +reached Bloemfontein on the evening of the 21st; the column marched for +Vlakfontein itself, after being inspected by General Tucker, and on the +23rd camped close to the scene of the fight. + +The Boers and their prisoners had of course gone, but there were many +traces of what had occurred. + +In a kloof in a long low kopje lay two dead gunhorses. The ground all +round was trampled down, probably by the horses of the escort, which had +perhaps been put there under cover when the action began. The guns had +come into action on the slope of the ridge against a kopje to the north, +as the marks made by the spades shewed. Boers had apparently crept up +from the direction of Slangfontein farm (which lay to the south), and +had taken the position in rear. + +On the top of the ridge were a number of bayonets, some artillery +harness, haversacks, canteens, bandages stained with blood and other +traces of the fight. Little heaps of cartridge cases behind stones here +and there shewed where men had made a stand. The graves of four soldiers +were found--so shallow that it was necessary to dig them afresh. The gun +tracks led away from the ridge towards Slangfontein farm. + +It was found afterwards that the officer in charge of the guns had +indeed made a fine stand. The escort, consisting of untried Mounted +Infantry, had not supported him. Attacked in front and rear, he fought +the guns till the last moment, and then died beside them. His gunners, +and a few of the escort who held out, were shot down almost to a man. +The officer was Lieut. Otter Barry, R.A., whose brother is now +(December, 1906) Adjutant of the 2nd Battn. of the Royal Sussex +Regiment. + +At this farm, a newly-made grave in the family burial ground aroused the +suspicions of Major Gilbert. It was opened in spite of the protests of +the inhabitants, and was found to contain nearly fifty rifles. Some more +rifles and gun harness were in the dam. The people of the farm were +removed, as well as a wounded Boer who was there. Most of the farms in +the district were occupied at the time. + +The tracks of the guns were followed for the next two days, without +however catching up the enemy. The Boers put their prisoners over the +Basuto border and dispersed; the column halted at Jammersberg Bridge on +the Caledon River. Its strength at this time was 800 Europeans, 220 +natives (drivers, etc.), 830 horses and 540 mules. + +The District was swept by various columns (those of Lowrie Cole, +Hamilton, Plumer and Williams) during the following week, without any +great result. Col. du Moulin's column arrived at Edenburg on the 6th of +October, and left the next day for the new district which had been +assigned to it, in the familiar ground south of Dewetsdorp and east of +Reddersburg. Before settling down to work, an expedition was made to the +North to protect a convoy of coal on its way from Bloemfontein to some +traction engines, which were stranded on the veldt for lack of fuel. The +escort to the convoy consisted of the mounted men of the Third Battalion +of the Royal Sussex Regiment under Capt. the Hon. J. S. R. Tufton. + +Ackerman's commando was met on the evening of the 9th, but did not wait. +A terrific rain storm that night covered his retreat. + +One of the guns lost at Vlakfontein had already been recovered, and the +second, with harness, was found on the 12th at Weltevreden. Reddersburg +was reached next day, and building materials were collected in the town, +with a view to establishing a fortified camp and depot at a convenient +centre. + +During the expedition north, much stock had been collected, and the +inhabitants of farms brought in. At one of the farms, a mad woman who +objected to clothing was kept in the stable, and presented a difficult +problem to the officer sent to clear it. The people of the house refused +to assist in any way; some Kaffir women, however, dressed the poor +wretch, who proved, indeed, on the return journey, the only cheerful +member of the party. + +Colonel du Moulin decided to make his headquarters at Ventershoek, a +farm 11 miles S.E. of Reddersburg, surrounded on three sides by high +ridges. On each of these a permanent piquet was established, for which a +stone fort was constructed. Roads were made to these forts, and the two +guns were sent up. + +Two ranges of hills met at Ventershoek, one from the north-east and the +other from the north; and the Camp lay between them at their point of +junction. The piquets thus commanded the flat country to the south and +west, the ridges dropping abruptly down into wide plains. + +The column was again divided into "commandos," Major Gilbert and Captain +Montresor being assigned 200 men each, and a pom-pom and maxim +respectively. On the 17th of October these "commandos" moved out--Major +Gilbert to Hardewater, Captain Montresor to Mooifontein. At Hardewater, +a lofty hill (the end of the N. E. range) gave a magnificent view over +the surrounding country; and here Major Gilbert remained. The Boers were +said to be massing in the East of the Colony, and moving towards the +line; and a sharp look-out was kept from the top of Hardewater Hill, on +which the helio had some busy days. No one was seen, however, except men +of other columns, who answered the enquiring flash. + +Before leaving Hardewater, it was discovered that every drop of water +used in camp came first over the body of a sheep that had fallen into a +cutting some months before. No one appeared to be any the worse! + +In a farm near, a notice, of which the following is a translation, had +been left for the column:-- + + 11th October, 1901. + "Droogfontein. + + "May it herewith be notified to every British Officer and to all + men that the true Africanders, who are still under arms, are + determined to sacrifice themselves for the freedom of their + Country, and with God's help they will defend themselves till the + last man is killed or captured. + + "N. C. P. in the name of true Africanders." + + + + +CHAPTER XXV. + +DE PUT. + + New Boer tactics--The column goes to relieve Lean--A brush with the + enemy--Camp at Rietput--Brand appears at dawn--Start of the + column--De Put Ridges--Held by Ackerman--Engagement--The position + finally turned--Brand effects nothing--Casualties--The Boer + version. + + +As has been said, the Boers to the south and east of Bloemfontein had at +this time adopted new tactics. Hitherto they had roved the hills in +small bands, and even in twos and threes, and the British forces had +accordingly been split up into a number of small columns, in order the +more easily to sweep the country. It occurred to Commandant Brand of +Edenburg that, if he collected the scattered local commandos, he would +be sufficiently strong to deal with the average British column; he +therefore combined the Boers under Koetzee, Joubert, Ackerman and +others, and found himself with a force of 600 men and more at his +disposal. The first fruits of this policy was the capture of the two +guns at Vlakfontein: since then, Brand had surrounded and captured a +patrol of fifty yeomen at Snyman's Post: and on the 24th of October he +attacked Col. Lean at Klein Zevenfontein, about 20 miles S.E. of +Ventershoek. On the evening of the 24th Col. Rochfort ordered all +available columns to go to Col. Lean's relief--the latter being +considerably outnumbered. + +Col. du Moulin started at once from Ventershoek with Captain Montresor's +200 men and the maxim, sending a runner to Major Gilbert with orders to +join him on the march. The two forces met soon after midnight at +Koetzee's Post, halting there till dawn. With the first light they +marched towards Klein Zevenfontein. In all they numbered about 400 +fighting men. + +The plains to the south of Ventershoek are divided by a lofty ridge (the +Ospoort Ridge) covered with large rocks and bushes, that runs generally +north and south. Of this Ridge the southern four miles form a horse +shoe, from the Dam Plaats Pass to De Put farm. Between these two points +there is no means of crossing the Ridge, except by the very rough and +stony track at Ospoort, where a narrow Kloof runs through the hill. +Through this it is just possible to lead a horse. + +At De Put a series of low foot hills meets the main Ridge. A road from +the south approaches the Ridge, and then divides, one branch crossing +these foot hills by De Put farm, the other running north-east, parallel +to the Ridge. + +At sunrise on the 25th of October, the Sussex column was moving south +parallel to the Ospoort Ridge and about 5 miles to the east of it. +Captain Montresor, in charge of the advanced guard, saw at a farm on the +right front (Twyfelfontein) a group of horsemen in Khaki, with blue +cavalry cloaks and white haversacks. They appeared to be men of the +South African Constabulary who were expected in the neighbourhood, and +Montresor rode over with four men and a signaller to speak to them. Two +of his men and the signaller (Sergt. Skeat) were on ahead, and passed +over a rise; they were immediately disarmed by Boers waiting on the +other side. As Montresor rode up the rise, three men came into view less +than thirty yards off, and shouted "Hands up." Montresor and the two +with him turned and galloped for it. A bullet through Montresor's helmet +and a flesh wound in one of the horses was all the damage done. + +Firing now broke out, and two companies were sent to line the high +ground on the right, while the pom-pom came into action against the +farm. + +The Boers, however, had no intention of joining issue with the column +that day. Their main body, several hundred strong, retreated along the +foot of the Ospoort Ridge towards De Put; and the column proceeded in +the direction of Klein Zevenfontein. The three captured men returned +without their equipment: in Sergt. Skeat's case the Boers took, besides +his heliograph, a pair of presentation field glasses, which he +subsequently recovered in the successful raid of Christmas Eve in +another part of the country. + +Col. du Moulin camped that night at Rietput, having ascertained that +Klein Zevenfontein was untenanted. The graves of four men (two Boers and +two British) were found there. + +Early on the morning of the 26th of October Commandant Brand with about +300 men (including those under Joubert) and a machine gun worked round +the Sussex camp, expecting the column to continue its march in the same +direction as on the day before. If he had any intention of attacking the +camp, a very heavy rain storm put it out of the question. The piquets +opened fire on some of his men, and Major Gilbert with his company was +sent to investigate matters. He first met Brand's advanced guard, +driving them back: one Boer was wounded, but rescued by a comrade, and +some horses were captured. Then some 200 Boers came in sight. Major +Gilbert occupied a ridge behind the camp until the column had moved off, +when he retired, to successive positions. Brand did not attack, but +moved after the column on its right rear, Major Gilbert moving parallel +to him. + +There was no object now in going to Klein Zevenfontein, and Col. du +Moulin had decided to retrace his steps towards Ospoort, where the Boers +had been met the day before. Ten miles across the plain the blue Ridge +lay quiet in the sun, and for the Southern end of this the advanced +guard (H. Company) was ordered to make. A screen of ten double files was +spread out over a front of about two miles. Nearer and nearer they drew +to the Ridge, which showed no signs of life. Then, as they reached the +very foot of it, a heavy burst of firing broke out on the right. The +time was about 11 o'clock. + +A few horsemen had been seen through the Ospoort Kloof on the far side +of the Ridge, and Col. du Moulin had sent Lieut. Gouldsmith with C +company to reconnoitre the pass. He arrived there at the same time as +the right flankers of the advanced guard, who had been collected +together for the same purpose. White, the Intelligence Agent, had +galloped on in front of all with a few boys, and rode first into the +Kloof. Not a shot had then been fired from the Ridge. + +A large number of Boers under Ackerman were, however, waiting among the +stones on the hillside, and, as soon as White got far enough in to the +gully to see them, they were forced to open fire. When they did so, +Gouldsmith with some men of his company and of the advanced guard had +just come through a wire fence, and were within 100 yards of the ridge. +White was mortally wounded (he died the next day). Farrant of H company +was shot through the heart, and one or two horses were hit; but the +range was too short for the Boers, and the others got back over the wire +and took cover without further casualties. The pom-pom and maxim were +brought into action; in a short time the fire from the Ridge died down, +and the column moved on, working round towards De Put with a view to +crossing the foot hills there. The road runs over the latter close under +the western extension of the main Ridge. + +Meanwhile all had been quiet on the left. The left flankers and centre +of the advanced guard, who were holding some low rises facing the +western extremity of the Ridge, had not been fired upon, when Colonel du +Moulin joined them. A solitary post stuck up prominently on the +sky-line: and this was constantly being reported as a Boer. "The next +man who tells me of that," said the Colonel, "will have to go up and +have a closer look at it." No Boers were in fact to be seen among the +rocks and bushes of the lofty crest. + +The Colonel now sent on the advanced guard, and Captain Montresor with +the "Raiders," to seize the foot hills at different points, first +searching them with the pom-pom. During the process, the baggage was +closing up on the left of the troops at what appeared to be a safe +distance from the Ridge. + +The advanced guard went off first, and galloped for a point some little +distance from the main Ridge. A stone wall ran along the crest of the +low hills, but the Boers had not had time to get round and hold it: and, +somewhat to their surprise, this party reached the wall without +opposition. Leaving a piquet there, they descended on the other side. + +As Montresor, who was sent along the road, neared the foot hills, a very +heavy fire broke out from the crest of the Ridge above him. The road +runs by the side of a dam, and the water of this was lashed as if by a +hail storm. The baggage, which was really within 1,200 yards of the +Ridge, at once stampeded, the black drivers bolted, and for a few +minutes all was confusion. The Boers did not make good practice, +however, and the wagons were collected again at a safe distance, after +some mules had been killed and a few of the escort and drivers wounded. + +The pom-pom now came into action in the open against the crest line of +the Ridge at about 800 yards, and continued firing there for three +quarters of an hour--a feat which much impressed the Boers. "Three +times," they said afterwards, "we drove the gunners away from the gun, +and three times they came back." The companies who had not been +otherwise employed scattered and lay down in the open by the pom-pom, +and along the rising ground: and soon a heavy rifle fire was developed, +the horses having been sent back under cover. The Colonel had already +arranged for the supply of ammunition from the reserve in the wagons to +the men in the firing line, and this arrived before they began to run +short. He himself remained near the pom-pom. + +The pom-pom shield was hit in ten places, and Captain Montgomery was +wounded in the knee. He had the gun (which was steaming like a kettle) +moved back under cover of a hillock, and fired thence for another half +hour. He found that the greatest effect was produced by firing one or +two shots at a time--then pausing--then firing one or two more. This +kept the Boers behind their rocks. + +Captain Montresor, with Lieut. Woodruffe and 2nd Lieuts. Paget and +Thorne, had safely reached the low hill above the dam: but he was here +too close under the end of the main Ridge (now held by the Boers) to +effect much. It was impossible to stir without attracting a shower of +bullets. One or two of his men were wounded there, Sergt. Finucane being +shot through the shoulder. + +The men of the advanced guard who had crossed the low hills turned and +rode towards the Boer position over the open; but they were met and +stopped by a heavy fire. There were only five or six of them, and they +waited in a donga for reinforcements. Meantime an attempt by the Boers +at Ospoort to work up the bed of a spruit in rear of the column had been +checked. Major Gilbert, with Brand on his right, had closed up. Brand, +finding no troops left between himself and the Ospoort Ridge (the whole +column having by now been moved to its left), turned northwards to +Twyfelfontein. Major Gilbert left his men as rearguard, and went to +find Col. du Moulin. It had been the Colonel's idea to turn the rear of +the Boers, but this had not yet been done; and he sent Major Gilbert +forward to try and accomplish it. + +The Major rode over the low hills in front, where the advanced guard had +already gone, and picked up some of G company by the way. With these and +the party in the donga he went on, making for the rear of the Boer +position, and keeping out of range of the Ridge. + +The ground in rear of the Ridge rises and falls in long swelling mounds. +As soon as the Boers realised that the British were making for one of +these, Field Cornet du Toit with 25 men left the Ridge and raced for it. +The Field Cornet and his men could not be seen by the advancing +soldiers; the latter, however, were galloping for all they were worth, +not knowing whether the mound were held or not. The two or three whose +horses were freshest drew ahead, and neared the top: at last they got +high enough to see over the crest. There, within 300 yards, was a +bearded Boer, galloping towards them; beyond him another two, and behind +them others again. + +The British jumped off their horses and lay down behind ant-heaps. The +nearest Boer raised his hand in signal to the others that the rise was +held; they stopped, fired from their saddles, turned their horses' heads +and galloped off, while their friends behind blazed away to cover their +retreat. The Field Cornet had lost. + +By this burst of firing one of the horses of those upon the rise was +killed, but no other damage was done. The rest of Major Gilbert's party +were coming up through it, and soon the rise was lined. The retreating +Boers were, however, quickly out of range. + +Ackerman and his men were now taken in rear. Not liking this, they +abandoned the whole position, and those on the rise watched them +streaming away through the Dam Plaats Pass. Ackerman had with him +between two and three hundred Boers. + +It was now 4.30 p.m. The baggage had been successfully passed over the +low hills, and the column moved forward to Wilgefontein, camping there +for the night. Major Gilbert and the men with him returned over the west +end of the Boer position. On the crest lay a man, hit in the head by a +pom-pom shell; a notice was pinned to his coat: "This is ---- of ----; +please let his father know that he is killed." + +To return to Commandant Brand: he had so far played a singularly +ineffective part in the day's proceedings. With a considerable force of +Boers under him, he had been out-manoeuvred and kept at a distance in +rear by Major Gilbert and his company, although the resources of the +column were fully employed against the Ridge in front, and, till that +Ridge was forced, a dashing charge of two or three hundred Boers from +the rear would have been at least a serious matter. + +It appears that Brand had not left Ackerman any orders to hold the +Ridge, as he did not expect the column to go that way. When firing broke +out in that direction, he did not know how many Boers were involved, or +which side was on the Ridge. He, therefore, sent round two men to find +out what was happening, and to tell Ackerman (if it was he) to hold the +Ridge as long as he could, and he (Brand) would attack the British in +rear. + +Ackerman got this message, and held on (which he had not intended to +do), momentarily expecting Brand to turn up: Brand waited for an answer +from Ackerman, which Ackerman omitted to send. So Brand lay, checked and +ineffective, until the Ridge was forced and the chance had gone. + +The retreating Ackerman became involved with a small column of S.A.C. +under Captain Malcolm. His Khaki clad Boers again deceived a squadron, +who rode up to them thinking they were Malcolm's main body. The Boers +opened fire at forty yards; luckily, however, the gun on the south +piquet at Ventershoek opened fire at the same time upon the real main +body of the British, driving them down upon the scene of action. The +forces became considerably mixed, but were eventually disentangled +without many casualties. + +After the fighting at De Put was over, two men with white flags left the +Ridge and came to surrender with their rifles. They said that they were +tired of fighting (one of them had a bullet through his hat): that they +were Transvaalers, and had only promised to fight for two years, which +were up: and that the camp was to be attacked that night. The column +accordingly lay ready and waiting; but the Boers thought better of it. + +The report of the action spread by the Boers was that they, with 150 men +and a machine gun, had surprised and routed a column of 400, with +pom-pom and maxim. The British losses they put at 150--in actual fact +they were two killed and nine wounded (including four natives).[18] It +was said that the Boers had three killed and six wounded; but the man +who lay upon the hillside provided the only certain piece of +information. + +The pom-pom fired 900 rounds; while over 30,000 rounds of small arm +ammunition were expended.[19] + +Civil-Surgeon Leach did very well during the action, riding with a large +red cross flag through heavy fire to assist the wounded. + +FOOTNOTES: + +[18] _Killed_: Intelligence Agent White; Pte. J. Farrant, H Co. + +_Wounded_: Sgt. Finucane, H Co.; Cpl. E. Manning, Vol.; Pte. F. Webb, C +Co.; Pte. C. Dymock, F Co.; Pte. M. Hunt, G Co. + +[19] The bulk of this ammunition was fired at the jagged crest-line of +the Ridge, and kept the Boers down under cover, checking their fire. The +Boers themselves remained invisible. + + + + +CHAPTER XXVI. + +TO VLAKFONTEIN. + + The King's Road--On the track of a commando--A stern chase--Wearing + out the Boers--Kritzinger appears--The column goes to meet + him--Kaffir's Kop--A melee--A gallant death--Kritzinger gets + through--Moving westwards--Night march on Jagersfontein--Boers + surprised at dawn--Captures at Vlakfontein--Christmas + Day--Fauresmith--Vlakfontein again. + + +After the fight at De Put, the column again divided into two +"commandos," of which Major Gilbert's returned with Head Quarters to +Ventershoek. Very heavy rain on the 29th and 30th of October flooded the +camp there. + +Col. du Moulin had from the first determined to shorten the route from +this camp to Edenburg. The convoy, in bringing supplies from the line, +had to go round by Mooifontein, 6 miles north of Ventershoek, in order +to cross the ridge running in that direction. Close to the camp, this +ridge was cut by a small stream (Hex River) running through a stony +gorge. The gorge was of considerable length, and was strewn throughout +with great boulders of ironstone. Through this gorge the Colonel decided +to make a road, and the cyclists had been for some time employed in +preparing it. All the men in the camp were now turned on to the work. +Chains were fastened to the larger rocks, and they were hauled to one +side or rolled into the stream. Boulders were blasted and embankments +made, and by the 31st of October the convoy on its way to Edenburg was +able to pass along "King's Road." Frequent use was subsequently made of +this road when moving troops out to the west and south, and Boers of the +neighbourhood who were brought in by it, were considerably astonished. +The people of the district probably still find it a great convenience. + +The country round Ventershoek was constantly patrolled by parties of ten +or twelve men under an officer, who went out at night so as to reach +positions from which they could see the country round, by dawn. One of +these patrols under Lt. Bond located a Boer commando at Lakensvlei, to +the south-west, on November 7th; and on November 8th, a general move of +columns was begun with the object of surrounding it. Col. du Moulin +moved out with the whole of his force at 2 a.m. on the 9th, getting into +touch with the other columns that afternoon. A Boer hospital was found +among the hills, and the three ambulances with it were ordered to rejoin +their commando. + +On the 10th two Boers were captured by Liliveld at Lakensvlei, and +others were seen in the distance; and on the 11th, Ackerman's commando +was found in the middle of the circle of columns. Col. du Moulin had +made an early march from Lakensvlei to Parys (a farm some miles south of +Ventershoek) that morning; and while the column was breakfasting, a +helio message came from Ventershoek to say that a party of Boers were +being driven by Col. Hamilton towards Parys. The column was off in ten +minutes, and chased Ackerman for the remainder of the day, capturing his +Cape cart, eighty horses and twenty-five rifles. A halt was made that +night at Mooifontein, after a day's trek of 30 miles for the baggage and +40 for the mounted troops, the Boers being still ahead. Col. Hamilton +had taken seven prisoners. + +One hundred men under Lieut. Bond were sent out at midnight to a hill +(the Bulsberg) where the Boers were last seen. Silently they rode +through the darkness, and, nearing the hill, took one end of it at a +gallop; but the Boers had gone. This party was, during the morning, +itself attacked by another small column that had come on the same +mission. Fortunately the attack was stayed before any harm was done. The +Boers escaped out of the ring of columns--so harried, however, that +twelve went straight to Bloemfontein to surrender, five of whom were too +weak from want of food and sleep to reach the town, and had to be +fetched in in Cape carts. + +On the night of the 23rd November, Lieut. Crawley-Boevey was sent with +100 men (cyclists and mounted men) to search the hills at Parys for +stray Boers. At dawn he saw a couple of Boers watering their horses at a +dam near; he despatched a dozen men to cut them off, but these soon +returned, having found a commando of sixty on the other side of the +hill. The Boers at once moved off towards Ospoort, where Captain +Montresor lay hidden; took fright at the smoke of some fires there and +moved north; were headed off by column after column, and lost twenty-six +prisoners before the day was over, four of them falling to +Crawley-Boevey. At dawn on the 26th Captain Montresor was sent to +Lakensvlei, where the Boers were reported to have gone; but Col. Pilcher +was before him, and had captured twelve more. Thus the commando, which +was Joubert's, was practically wiped out. + +At this time Kritzinger with 300 men and a number of led horses was +making his way down to the Colony; and on the 27th of November Col. du +Moulin got orders to move out and try to intercept him, 150 South +African Constabulary under Major Vaughan and fifty Edenburg M.I. under +Lieut. Kentish (Royal Irish Fusiliers) being added to the column. By the +evening of the 28th he reached Roodepoort, 25 miles east of Ventershoek +as the crow flies and considerably more by road. The baggage, with which +were one of the guns (under Lt. Warren, R.F.A.) and the pom-pom (under +Capt. Harrington, R.G.A.) went by a different route from that taken by +the main body. On emerging from De Rand pass, fire was opened by both +gun and pom-pom upon Captain Montresor's "commando," which was crossing +the front--fortunately without inflicting any damage. By the evening six +Boers had been captured, with four rifles. + +Kritzinger was known to be close to Roodepoort, and likely to break +west; Col. du Moulin therefore decided to occupy a line north and south, +and after dark sent Captain Montresor with two companies two miles to +the north, and the S. A. C. the same distance to the south. + +The men, who were carrying Maconochie rations, were served out that +evening with a ration of raw meat. It was late however, and many did not +trouble to cook the meat, eating the tinned stew instead; as a result +they went short the next day. + +The column started again at four the next morning. The Colonel moved out +with the main body at a fast trot in a N.W. direction towards a long +high ridge called Kaffir's Kop. The S. A. C. were on his right; Captain +Montresor was on the left, but the ground there was so broken that he +could not be seen. Owing to a misunderstanding, the advanced guard took +a wrong direction, and a second one had to be sent out somewhat +hurriedly. Shortly afterwards Boers were reported on the left. The +Colonel and his staff, the main body (in close order), the gun, pom-pom +and escort all turned on to a rise to the left of the road, and saw a +large body of Boers going west at the foot of Kaffir's Kop, a couple of +miles away. Almost at the same moment, a smart fire was opened from a +small kopje 1,000 yards in rear, which, owing to the pace and the change +of advanced guards, had not been searched. Colonel, staff, men and guns +all turned sharp to the right again and galloped under cover of the +rise, the crest of which was at once lined, while the guns opened fire. +The Boers in rear did not wait, however, and streamed away from the +other side of the kopje--to which gun, pom-pom, and troops followed +them. Their course lay directly over a ridge on which were half of +Captain Montresor's men, and a general melee ensued, the two sides +getting so involved that in one case a drummer and a Boer took shots at +each other at ten yards distance, and then threw down their rifles and +closed. Lieut. Woodruffe fired his revolver up at a Boer as he jumped +his horse over the depression in which Woodruffe was lying. + +Unfortunately the pom-pom had again opened on Captain Montresor's men by +mistake--it being almost impossible to tell which of the scattered +parties were Boers and which not. Beset by friend and foe, they had a +bad quarter of an hour, losing two men killed by the Boers (Sergt. +Waters and Private Elphick) and one mortally wounded (Corporal +Robinson).[20] Elphick (whose horse had been shot) died splendidly: he +was found behind an ant-heap, his bayonet fixed, all the cartridges in +his bandolier used--killed by a shot from a Boer who had worked round +behind him. The Boers also lost two killed and one wounded. + +Another column was pressing the rear of the main body of the Boers, who +hurried west some miles to the north of Col. du Moulin, and then turned +south in a wide circle. The Colonel turned and followed them. On their +way the Boers picked up and looted one of the company kit wagons that +had broken down, taking the mules and a native guide away with them. The +latter they shot. + +The column followed the Boers till three in the afternoon without a +halt, and stopped then at Ganspoort, unable to go further. The first +meal of the day was at 4 p.m. Kritzinger's men, however, had got +through; the columns ahead were not in position to block them; and on +the following day they crossed the line to the west, shifting their +laager half a mile further from the railway when they found that the +gun on the armoured train could reach them. + +The local Boers were at this time finding the eastern district too hot +to hold them. They were harried by the columns and short of food; for +although a certain amount of grain was still left, hidden in broken down +sheds and under bushes, meat was getting scarce, and the few wild sheep +on the hills were growing wilder.[21] A general movement of the Boers +therefore set in to the west; and towards the end of December the +columns followed. + +Col. du Moulin's column moved into Edenburg on the 19th of December, and +down the line to Jagersfontein Road on the 22nd. Capt. Griffin had +joined it on the 12th.[22] + +On the evening of December 23rd, the column moved out of Jagersfontein +Road and made for Jagersfontein Town, 25 miles to the west. The camp was +not struck till dark, and the baggage was left to follow in the morning. + +It was known that the Commandants had been summoned by De Wet to a +conference in the North, and it was intended to attack the local +commandos (believed to be at Jagersfontein) during their absence. + +Col. du Moulin started at 7 p.m., having with him about 300 mounted men +of the Sussex and the pom-pom; and the column trekked along in bright +moonlight till midnight, and then halted and off-saddled for a couple of +hours under the black mass of Boomplaats Hill. Starting again at 2 a.m., +they went forward till the setting of the moon, which occurred shortly +before dawn. A halt was then made to wait for the light. + +The advanced guard (H. Company) were now on the edge of a broad plain +that stretched across to Jagersfontein and the hills behind it, 6 miles +away. Lt. Crawley-Boevey and his cyclists were to the left front of the +advanced guard. As the light grew stronger, two farms could be seen half +way across the plain, about a mile apart; and a number of horses were +made out grazing round them. The Colonel ordered the advanced guard, and +F Company under Major Gilbert, to gallop these farms. The two companies +spread out into a line nearly two miles long, and set off at a canter. +Other companies supported them in rear. + +The sun was just rising, shewing up a row of eucalyptus trees that stood +out between the farms like the teeth of a comb, and casting long shadows +in front of the galloping men. As H Company got nearer to the farm house +on the left (Vlakfontein) figures could be seen making for the horses. +Nearer still, and across a spruit, and they were in among the dazed +Boers, those who had not been able to jump on a horse and get away +throwing up their hands and surrendering. + +On the right Major Gilbert came upon a donga in which Field Cornet du +Toit and a number of Boers were sleeping. These rolled out of their +blankets, and started firing, wounding two men.[23] The advancing +Company was checked by a wire fence, and there was an awkward moment +till the wire was cut; then the donga was taken, and the Field Cornet +and his men surrendered. A desultory fire was kept up for a short time +from a kopje on the extreme right, but soon ceased. + +All the Boers had now either got away towards Jagersfontein, or been +taken prisoners. Two companies were sent on towards the Jagersfontein +hills; but there was no chance of stopping the retreating Boers, and +the companies soon returned to Vlakfontein. Heaps of rifles, saddles, +bandoliers and other equipment were brought in and piled against the +verandah of the farmhouse, the Colonel and the other officers assembled +on the verandah, the horses were picketed in lines in front of the +house, the men started to brew their coffee over little fires, and a +general air of cheerful satisfaction pervaded the place; for it had been +a very successful raid. Besides twenty-eight prisoners, the column had +taken 52 rifles, 78 bandoliers, 2,500 rounds of ammunition, 105 horses, +96 saddles, 130 blankets, 25 cloaks and 8 bags of wheat. + +One shadow however fell upon the day. One of the Boers taken was in a +complete suit of Khaki, regimental badges, slouch hat and all. Too many +British had been killed, deceived by a British uniform upon a Boer, for +it to be possible to be lenient: and he was accordingly tried by Court +Martial, and shot in the evening. + +Companies were sent out in the afternoon to search adjoining hills and +kloofs; no Boers however had remained within reach. In the afternoon the +explosion of Mauser cartridges which were being destroyed by burning +sounded to those who had not been warned like a counter-attack, and +caused a momentary sensation. + +It was thought very probable that the Boers would rally and try to take +their revenge, and with the first light of Christmas morning the column +stood to arms, and waited. Nothing occurred, however, until soon after +sunrise, when guns were heard from the south. Col. du Moulin started off +as soon as possible in that direction, and trekked through the long +midsummer morning. Very hot and dusty, the column arrived about mid-day +at Fauresmith, without, however, having come across anything more +aggressive than a swarm of locusts, many miles in length. + +The guns had been those of Col. Hamilton, who, with Major Driscoll, was +co-operating with Col. du Moulin. Col. Hamilton had surprised a commando +at dawn that morning, taken fifteen of them and chased the remainder, +but in turn got his own baggage cut off at Kok's Kraal by a party of 150 +who slipped behind him. A number of his wagons were looted and burned. + +Fauresmith was a deserted town (three streets of tin-roofed houses and a +market place) lying at the foot of a high, boldly-shaped hill: the +column camped outside, and soon parties were making their way in to +explore. + +At the entrance to the town was a spring running freely. The water was +clear, not muddy; cold, not tepid; it did not smell; there was plenty of +it. The explorers filled themselves, and passed on. + +There was not much to be said for the street. The doors of the houses +were open; here and there in front of a house was a bed, or a mattress, +half destroyed: for all bedding that could not be used for the Refugee +camps had to be burnt. But the gardens at the back were Paradise. What +if much of the fruit had not ripened, for want of water? There was still +enough and to spare for everyone: apricots, figs, mulberries, small +peaches. Men shook the trees or lay along the branches, and blessed +their luck. The padre attached to the column (the Rev. ---- Hood) had +given out that he would hold a service in the Dutch church, as there was +sure to be an organ there. There was: but it had been damaged--so had +that in the Anglican church. Then he decided to hold his service in the +street; a piano was found, and placed on the verandah of a house; chairs +and sofas were borrowed and arranged in the road, and the bell in the +market-place was rung. A small congregation collected, the men, of +course, all fully armed, and the service was carried out. "Oh, come, +all ye faithful," was lustily rendered; and the walls of the empty +houses echoed it back. + +One more excitement, and Christmas day was over. Late at night, a shot +from one of the piquets and a cry of "Stand to!" turned everybody out. +It was only Driscoll, however, riding in with his Scouts. The string of +tired men and horses made its way through the camp, and silence fell +again, this time unbroken. + +On Boxing Day Col. du Moulin moved to Jagersfontein, an absolutely +deserted town with a diamond mine like a vast quarry, the bottom of +which was full of emerald green water. The Boers in passing through had +been living in the schoolroom of the convent there, and they had chalked +on the black board their names and various messages. The hills round +were searched without result, and the column moved back to Vlakfontein. + +This place was made the Headquarters and depot for the columns of the +district, and Col. Rochfort came out there on the 2nd of January, 1902. +On the 3rd, Col. du Moulin moved out with 350 mounted men, the cyclists +and pom-pom, at 8 p.m. It was the beginning of a combined move of all +Col. Rochfort's columns against the Boers, who had again collected +together in the west. + +The generous Christmas gifts from the County of Sussex, consisting of +pipes and other useful articles, besides luxuries in the way of food, +had been served out to the men while at Vlakfontein. + +FOOTNOTES: + +[20] Pte. L. Greenfield, E Co., was also wounded. + +[21] The report of Commandant Brand upon the District, at the +Vereeniging Meeting of Commandants in May, 1902, was that everything had +been carried off; there was, he said, not a sheep left. + +[22] Capt. Griffin had been sent from Malta to South Africa at the +beginning of the war on special service. He had been invalided home with +fever, and now returned to the Regiment. + +[23] These were Cpl. A. Palmer and Pte. R. Smith, of F. Co. + + + + +CHAPTER XXVII. + +ABRAHAM'S KRAAL. + + Ramah's Spring--Belmont--In touch with the + Boers--Jagersfontein--Nieuwoudt turns North--On his track--Camp at + Abraham's Kraal--Description of ground--Boers rush the piquet--The + defence of the camp--The Colonel's charge--The Boers retire--Next + morning. + + +The Sussex column, which was working in conjunction with Col. Western +and Major Driscoll, reached Luckhoff on the 11th of January without +having come across the Boers. It then crossed into Cape Colony, going by +Ramah's Spring to Witteput. The sight of a farm, cultivated, and +occupied by friendly people, was a strange one. The owner of Ramah's +Spring in particular was most hospitable. + +On the 15th the column camped at Belmont. A terrific thunderstorm in the +evening struck some trees in the camp, but did no damage. A patrol of +fifty men under Major Gilbert got into touch next day with 300 Boers +moving south: these Boers turned east, and the column accordingly +followed them back into the Orange River Colony, and reached Luckhoff on +the 18th, after a long trek. + +On the following day the Boers were only 10 miles off; but the horses of +the column were too done to move until the evening. At Liebenbergspan a +number of mules and horses, taken with Hamilton's transport, were +recovered. It was necessary now to draw fresh supplies; Col. du Moulin +accordingly went to Jagersfontein on the 22nd and drew supplies from +Vlakfontein. Over 10,000 rounds of mixed ammunition were destroyed, +which had been found in the town, sunk in a flooded mine. + +The Boers (three commandos under Nieuwoudt) had turned north, and the +column started after them on the 23rd. The Riet River was crossed at +Jagersfontein Drift on the 24th, and Witdam was reached on the 26th. On +the following day Col. du Moulin got again into touch with the Boers. +The column had started at 5 a.m., and, while it was halted for +breakfast, four men were seen by Capt. Beale, the Intelligence Officer, +leaving a farm some miles off. Capt. Griffin was sent out with his +company to reconnoitre, and came upon the spoor of a large party. +Mounting a high kopje, he saw the four join a large laager of some 400 +Boers, with spare horses, cattle and three Cape carts, which was on the +move. The column followed, passed through the Boers' camp at De Dam, and +by the evening arrived at a drift over the Riet River. This drift lay +under the farm of Abraham's Kraal, and here the column bivouacked. The +Boers, expecting them to take a different route, had crossed the River a +few miles lower down, and were waiting on the further bank. + +At Abraham's Kraal, the farm houses are at the open end of a semi-circle +some 200 yards in diameter, formed by a low ridge that rises here and +there into small kopjes covered with large stones. Beyond the buildings +and facing the semi-circle is a garden with a stone wall. Standing with +one's back to the garden and buildings, on the right is a large stone +kraal, divided into several compartments. In front is the highest part +of the ridge, beyond which the ground drops very quickly to the Riet +River. On the left, the ridge ends in a conical rocky mound, with a +small kraal at its foot. On the outside of this mound a donga leads up +from the river, and curls in towards the farm. + +The horse lines were placed across the semi-circle, parallel to the +garden wall. On the river side of them, the officers' valises were laid +out. The Colonel and his staff slept in the farm house, which was at the +end of the ridge near the largest Kraal. The pom-pom was at the foot of +the conical mound, on the road that here entered the semi-circle. The +transport was along the garden wall, to the right rear of the horse +lines. + +Three piquets were put out, one of them on the highest part of the +ridge, looking towards the river and drift. It will be convenient to +call this the camp piquet. The river could not be actually seen from +this piquet, owing to the rapid drop of the ground. The two other +piquets were placed upon small kopjes, one to the right of the camp +piquet outside the semi-circle, and one in rear of the garden. The men +in camp, done up with many days of continuous trekking, turned in. + +At about 1 a.m. a Sergeant got up to put the nose-bag on his horse, as a +patrol was to go across the river at 3. As he was walking back to his +place, he heard a shot fired on the piquet, and shouted "Stand to!" +Almost immediately a tremendous fire was opened upon the centre of the +camp. The men woke to hear shouts and yells of "Come on you +Bob-a-days"--"Vorwatz Burghers"--and to see through the misty moonlight +(for the night was cloudy) swarms of dark figures topping the crest of +the piquet within 200 yards of them, and rushing down the slope, firing +from their hips. Nieuwoudt, after being chased so far by the column, was +striking back at last. + +The Boers had been forced into action. Col. Western with his column was +closing in upon them from the west, Major Driscoll was coming up from +the south. If they were to avoid facing a combination of columns, it was +necessary to attack one of them at once. Col. du Moulin was close on +their heels, and his force was numerically inferior.[24] + +Nieuwoudt therefore planned this night attack, entrusting the execution +of it to Commandant Theunissen. + +The attacking Boers had crossed a drift, worked up the river bed (out +of sight) till they were below the camp piquet, crept up the steep +hillside, and then rushed the sentry and piquet, killing two men and +having two men killed--one of them the owner of the farm. They then +started firing down into the camp, while some rushed across the saddle +to their left and occupied a large kraal, and others began to work along +the ridge to their right. One or two ran straight down the slope. + +Major Gilbert, sleeping in the officers' line, woke up to see a dark +giant come bounding down the hill, shouting "Hands up." The Major dashed +across to the small kraal at the foot of the conical mound, and, finding +Lieut. Thorne there, sent him to the garden wall to get men who had +taken cover there up on to the mound. Colour-Sergt. Weston was already +going up, shouting "Come on, chaps, come on!"; he was killed on the top, +by a bullet in the head, before he could fire. Major Gilbert and Thorne, +with Lieuts. Crawley-Boevey, Bond, and Paget, continued working men up +onto this ridge, getting a steady fire to bear in the direction of the +Boers, and driving back those who were attempting to work along the +ridge. + +Captain Harrington, who, with his pom-pom, was at the foot of the mound, +hid the gun under a tarpaulin, and then disposed his men to check any +attempt to creep up the donga from the River. Thorne took a party to +search this donga, but the Boers made no flank attack. + +The men behind the garden wall had also by this time developed a steady +fire, aiming at the flashes on the ridge. Neither side realised how very +small the area of operations was, and the firing was mostly high; still +a hail of bullets swept the horse lines. In a small sheet of corrugated +iron found there afterwards, were seventeen bullet holes; ninety horses +were killed. + +The Colonel, sleeping in the farmhouse, woke at the first onset. +Shouting "My God, they're in the camp," he dashed up the ridge behind +the farm. + +Lieut. Ashworth, signalling officer to the column, and 2nd Lieut. +Leachman, staff officer, ran up there too, the Colonel calling out to +Ashworth "Look after this end." + +Men were worked up to the ridge from the garden wall, Captain Beale +bringing across several parties, and here too a steady fire was +gradually developed. The noise of the firing and the shouting and +yelling was infernal. + +The Colonel had collected a little knot of men, and with them had +cleared, with the bayonet, the compartments of the large Kraal, one +after the other. The Boers still clung to the further side of it. The +Colonel now determined on a charge along the lower edge of the kraal; +shouting "All who have boots follow me" (a shout that could only be +heard by the men close to him), he dashed along the lower wall of the +kraal. The moment he cleared the corner he fell, shot through the heart +and leg; two of the men following him were mortally wounded. + +This charge appears to have shaken the Boers' nerves. They were making +no progress; they held one side of the camp, and had certainly done a +great deal of damage to the horses; but the British were firmly +established on the other, and, far from being on the run, were taking +the offensive. At any rate, shortly after the Colonel's charge, a +whistle sounded loudly several times from the piquet which the Boers had +first rushed: it was then about 2 a.m. + +A curious hush fell on the camp; yells and firing ceased as if by common +consent, and for a moment their was absolute silence. Then a shout rose +from the British side--"They're off"--and heavy firing again broke out. +The whistle was Theunissen's signal for the Boers to retire. This they +did as suddenly and as quickly as they had come. Back from the Kraal +wall--back over the piquet--back down the hill and over the drift they +went: and in a few minutes the only Boers in camp were the two they had +left dead behind them. + +It was not at once realized that the Boers had altogether gone. The +survivors of the camp piquet shouted to the men below to stop firing. +Major Gilbert learned of Col. du Moulin's death, and assumed command. +Fresh piquets were sent out, and all prepared to meet another attack. +None, however, was made. The groans of the wounded horses had been +painful to hear during the night, and as soon as it got light these were +slaughtered with revolvers. When this task was finished, more than 120 +dead horses and mules lay about the camp. They were piled literally in +heaps. + +It was now possible to make up the list of casualties. Besides the +Colonel, two Sergeants (Col. Sergt. Weston and Sergt. Green) and four +men were dead, and nine men wounded, of whom one died very shortly.[25] + +At half past seven, all the available men paraded, Captain Montresor +read the burial service, and the Last Post was sounded over the grave +of the man to whose initiative and energy the column owed its existence, +and who had died most gallantly in its defence. It sounded, too, over +the men who had followed him to his death, and over two of the enemy who +had paid the forfeit.[26] + +FOOTNOTES: + +[24] Nieuwoudt had three commandos with him, making a total of about 400 +men. Col. du Moulin had about 300, with a pom-pom. + +[25] The casualties were as follows:-- + + KILLED-- + Lt.-Col. du Moulin. + C.-Sgt. A. Weston. G Co. + Sgt. C. Green. B Co. + Pte. W. Covington. D Co. + " T. Hill. D Co. + " R. Pimm. E Co. + " G. Tomlin. F Co. + + DIED OF WOUNDS-- + Pte. A. Brackpool. A Co. + " J. Clarke. C Co. + Pte. B Gaston. E Co. + " T. Light. E Co. + + WOUNDED-- + Sgt. E. Simmins. Vol. + Pte. G. Langley. D Co. + Dr. S. Sproston. D Co. + Pte. T. Bostock. F Co. + " J. Coles. F Co. + " A. Cox. F Co. + +[26] It is interesting to notice that after this Nieuwoudt's opinion of +night attacks was that they were not worth while, and he declared +himself against them in the future. This was learned from prisoners, and +also from some correspondence between him and Cdt. Erasmus, which was +subsequently found. The latter was urging a night attack upon Nieuwoudt, +saying that although they had been unable to capture the camp at +Abraham's Kraal, still they had killed many horses. + + + + +CHAPTER XXVIII. + +NORTHWARDS--AND THE END. + + Vlakfontein--A circular tour--Northwards--Boshof--Baas Berg--A + pom-pom exhibition--A night march--The Boers overtaken--Action at + Scheer Pan--Charging the Ridge--Hoopstadt--Commando Drift--A + Delarey drive--Klerksdorp--The Drift again--The column broken + up--Last stage--Peace--India. + + +Major Gilbert and the column left Abraham's Kraal at 8.30 on the morning +of the fight. Before that, a white flag had come in with a request for +an ambulance to bring in a wounded Boer. It appeared that several of the +enemy had been hit. + +Half of the men being dismounted, the column made slow progress; the +Boers, however, had no intention of attacking by daylight, and +Jagersfontein Drift was reached after a trek of 30 miles. + +Several of the Kaffir drivers had bolted at the first alarm that +morning, two of them with nothing on at all. They had made a bee-line +through barbed wire, cactus hedges, and mud holes; and, during the +march, sorry figures came limping back to the column, and rejoined the +wagons. One Kaffir got right through to Vlakfontein, doing the 45 miles +in ten hours, and said the column had been wiped out. The garrison there +had an anxious time till runners arrived from Major Gilbert on the +following morning. + +The column reached Vlakfontein on the 29th, three of the wounded British +and the wounded Boer having died on the way. + +A convoy from Edenburg arrived on the 1st of February, bringing a few +remounts with it; and on the 4th Major Gilbert moved out with a force +consisting of 150 mounted men of the Sussex and the 90th I. Y., with the +pom-pom. A tour was made in the direction of Philippolis, but the Boers +were not met with. At Alwyn's Kop some Kaffir scouts from the Orange +River reported the column as a Boer commando; this piece of intelligence +was sent on to Vlakfontein, and Major Gilbert was stopped on the return +journey and sent, together with Major Driscoll and his Scouts, to chase +himself. + +As might have been expected, nothing resulted, and the column returned +to Vlakfontein on the 17th of February. A terrific hailstorm had done a +great deal of damage here a few days before, stampeding the horses. Some +dashed into the house, while others got away altogether, and were never +seen again. + +On the afternoon of the 21st Major Gilbert started again (the Yeomen had +been transferred to Col. Western), with supplies for Col. Rochfort, who +was on his way north. Calabas Bridge over the Riet River was reached +shortly before midnight, after a trek of 27 miles. Joining Col. Rochfort +the next day, the column took part in a general move to the north. They +marched 26 miles that night, and crossed the Modder River near +Paardeberg in the early morning. + +Boshof was reached on the 26th of February. It stood in the middle of +vast plains, covered with deep grass that reached up to the horses' +shoulders. An occasional kopje sticking up darkly here and there only +served to mark the great distances. + +The local commandos, under Commandants Badenhorst, Jacobs and Erasmus, +had been having things very much their own way in this district; Boshof +itself was garrisoned by the Scottish Rifles Militia, but they had +practically no mounted troops. The country had never been effectively +cleared; it contained plenty of stock and crops, and many of the farms +were occupied. + +Before reaching Boshof, Major Driscoll and his scouts had found and +rushed Jacob's laager, capturing six men, five wagons, and nine Cape +carts. Driscoll's men were many of them Boers (it was said that more +Dutch than English was to be heard in passing through his lines), and +one of the first to rush the laager was greeted by his grandmother with +a magnificent flow of abuse. + +The Boers were believed to be to the north of Boshof, and Col. +Rochfort's columns accordingly surrounded and attacked at dawn on the +1st of March a large hill, the Baas Berg, said to be their stronghold. +The Boers had, however, moved away, and, though they could be seen, it +was hopeless to chase them. + +On the night of the 1st a party of fifty Driscoll's scouts, who had been +sent to surround a farm, got entangled with 350 Boers; and half the +Sussex, with the rest of Driscoll's and the pom-pom, were sent out to +relieve them. The Boers retired, and the force returned, bringing with +it 150 sheep. As they reached camp, three men with five horses appeared +about a mile away, making for a farm. At first they were taken for +British scouts, but, when it was realised that they were dressed in +black, this seemed unlikely. A pom-pom shell was put over them, and they +immediately scattered, and made in the direction of the Boers. They had +mistaken the troops for a commando. + +They had two miles of open ground to cover, and the pom-pom made +beautiful practice. Shells burst just behind them, just in front, just +beyond and even (as it seemed) right under them, but they got away and +behind a ridge, uninjured. The effect of a pom-pom is more moral than +material. + +During the next few days several laagers were captured by the other +columns, and 6,000 sheep and 300 horses taken, besides some cattle. On +the evening of the 5th Col. Rochfort organized a night march of all +columns to the north in the hope of catching up the Boers, who had +retired in that direction. The Sussex column and Driscoll's Scouts were +now working together, and Col. Rochfort accompanied them. + +The horses were not saddled nor the wagons inspanned till after dusk. +Great fires were left burning in the camp when the combined column moved +out. During the night a Boer Hospital was met. The sick Boers had got +wind of the column's approach, and had not waited for it. After a trek +of 20 miles a halt was made at Scheerpan. The wagons were out-spanned, +hidden in the garden of the farm, and the men were allowed to snatch two +hours' sleep. + +The farm at Scheerpan looks across an open plain to a long ridge about 2 +miles off. This ridge (known as Busch Kop) is crossed at the right end +of it (as you look from the farm) by a road from the north-east. To the +left of the road the ridge is covered with very thick bush for some +distance. A sugar-loaf hill and a small kopje stand in front of the +ridge at about the centre. At the extreme left end a spur runs out from +the ridge into the plain. + +Behind Scheerpan farmhouse is a rocky hill, and on this Col. Rochfort, +Major Gilbert, and Major Driscoll waited for sunrise. + +All seemed quiet. As the light grew stronger, nothing could be seen +moving on the ridge opposite. Then twenty men came round the corner of +the ridge and down the road, and more behind them. + +Were they Boers or British? It was difficult to tell. Touch had been got +with Col. Western's column on the right; it seemed more likely that they +were a patrol of his.--They saw the wagons in the garden and turned +back. + +Even that was not conclusive; a patrol might well have done the same. +Major Driscoll went down and took out a few men to reconnoitre. From +the top of the kopje he could be seen going out; then a dozen men left +the ridge and went across to the sugar-loaf hill, opening fire from +there. The Scouts dismounted and returned their fire from the open. At +the same time thirty or forty men appeared round the extreme left end of +the ridge, working round to cut Driscoll off; and it was clear that he +could not see them. It was an anxious moment for those watching on the +kopje. + +There was no doubt now as to who was holding the ridge. Two squadrons of +Driscoll's were sent to clear the sugar-loaf hill. Driscoll's attention +was at length drawn to the men beyond him, and he retired on the camp. +The Boers followed him up, and, occupying a hillock, opened fire on the +camp at less than a mile. Capt. Griffin with his company was sent to +charge the hillock, and the pom-pom opened upon it. The Boers were +cleared off. Major Gilbert went out and took charge of this flank. + +Meanwhile the two squadrons had occupied the sugar-loaf hill and the +small kopje, which were about 1,000 yards from the main ridge. It was +thought that there were no Boers upon the left end of the latter, as the +heavy fire which had been opened came from its right end only. Col. +Rochfort and Major Driscoll had come up, and it was decided to charge +the ridge with a company of the Sussex and the two squadrons. + +A few men were left on the sugar-loaf hill to fire at the crest +opposite; the squadrons and the Sussex men were drawn up in lines under +cover. + +"Trot till you get into the open and then gallop," shouted Driscoll, and +off went the lines. The first line charged towards the centre of the +ridge, the second line (consisting largely of Sussex) followed 500 yards +behind, and rather to the left. + +As soon as the men got into the open, a heavy fire broke out from the +spur of the main ridge, at the foot of which the left hand men were +riding. At the same time the rest of the Boers (there were about 200 of +them among the bushes) turned their fire upon the charging lines. The +ridge is about 1-1/2 miles long. + +Bullets fell very fast, and kicked up the dust among the horses' feet; +but the men were moving at a good pace, and very little damage was done. +One man of Driscoll's was killed and two were wounded. + +The first line reached the ridge at about the centre; the second line +turned to the left and charged up the spur, which was occupied by about +fifty Boers. These did not wait for the attack, and, as the leading men +reached the top, they saw the last Boer disappearing into the thick bush +500 yards down the other side. The British followed, but were soon +recalled, as pursuit would have been useless. + +The first line made their position good on the centre of the ridge; the +pom-pom was brought into action against the right half of it, and the +Boers evacuated the whole position, leaving one prisoner behind them. +They could be seen streaming away in batches northwards and westwards, +and they were followed with long range rifle fire, which, however, only +made them move a little quicker. + +During the next few days the other columns came into line, but the Boers +were not heard of again. + +The movement was continued northwards, and Major Gilbert with the Sussex +column, Driscoll's, and 100 I. Y., marched on Hoopstadt by a circuitous +route to the west. Two nights were spent in trekking, the column lying +up in farms in the daytime. + +At the end of the second night, Bornemansfontein was reached, a +well-wooded farm with stone-walled paddocks, in which the men were +disposed. Soon after dawn, some mounted men were seen bearing down upon +the camp at a gallop. As they came nearer cries of "Hands up!" were +heard, and it became evident that they were executing a gallant though +quite hopeless charge. The stone walls were lined, and a few shots +fired, killing one of the advancing horses. By this time it had been +realised that the men were South African Constabulary. The troops were +well hidden, and they had mistaken the encampment for a small Boer +family laager. + +Major Davis of Driscoll's very pluckily rode between the lines, blowing +his whistle. Firing ceased, and explanations followed. + +The farm was inhabited, and the wife of the owner said that her husband +was on commando, but that she had not seen him or the commando for two +months. Her little boy, however, was more communicative, and said he had +been there two nights before with five horses. + +Hoopstadt was reached on the 11th of March. It was a small town, the +inhabitants of which had been removed. The church was used as a +hospital, and most of the houses were occupied by troops, for the place +was one of the S. A. C. Headquarters. The only water supply was from the +Vet River, which ran a rich thick brown. It was said that, if a spoon +was placed upright in the middle of a cup of tea, it would stand there. + +In the past five weeks some of the horses of the column had done 500 +miles, practically trekking every day. + +The great combined movements in the north-east of the Orange River +Colony had at this time finally broken the power of De Wet, and he +crossed the railway line south of the Vaal on March 5th, with President +Steyn and about 200 men. + +Delarey was in considerable strength in the Western Transvaal, and it +was thought that he and De Wet might attempt to effect a combination. A +line was therefore held running along the Vaal and Valsch Rivers, and +the column, composed of the Sussex and Driscoll's Scouts under Major +Gilbert, moved on the 12th of March from Hoopstadt for Commando Drift. +After a mid-day halt at Wegdraai, an attempt was made to march on in the +evening; rain, however, fell in torrents, and the night was pitch-dark. +Having gone a few miles with the greatest difficulty, half the transport +(following in rear of the mounted troops) led off on to a wrong road, +and progress became impossible. Thoroughly wet and uncomfortable, the +column halted for the night, and before morning the lost wagons +returned. Commando Drift was reached on the 14th, and here the news was +made known of Delarey's successes: first, the capture of Col. Von +Donop's convoy, and then the taking of Lord Methuen and a number of men. +The column proceeded to Strydfontein, a drift 3 miles above Commando +Drift (which was occupied by S. A. C.), and held it during the following +week. It had been expected that Delarey with his successful commandos +might attempt to break south and join De Wet. The latter, however, +slipped across the Vaal with President Steyn by a little known bridle +drift on the night of the 15th, and joined Delarey. + +Meantime the troops that had been operating in the east were being +brought across the line, and by the 23rd of March there were collected +at Commando Drift under Colonel Rochfort the columns of Lord Basing and +of Cols. Bulfin, Sitwell, and Western, besides a force of South African +Constabulary. Major Gilbert and Major Driscoll having moved down to +Commando Drift, Col. Rochfort crossed into the Transvaal during the +evening of the 23rd with 3,000 men. No wheeled vehicle or gun was +taken, every man carrying two days' rations for himself and his horse. +Before starting, Lord Kitchener's message had been read out to the +troops, in which he said that the operations would tax their endurance, +but that he relied upon their using every effort, working with the +greatest dash and spirit, and utterly defeating any enemy they might +meet. + +The scheme provided that Col. Rochfort should come up at night from the +south, and get touch with the large bodies of troops that would be sent +westward from Klerksdorp, and that the whole should turn eastwards in +the morning, forming a gigantic net which would be drawn in upon the +Schoonspruit blockhouse line, specially reinforced. + +The moon was full, and Col. Rochfort's men marched through the night, +making Wolmaranstad by 3.30 a.m. There the black masses of troops closed +up and dismounted, till the whole slope by the townlet was covered with +horses and men. Then the columns separated out to take up their +positions in the line. + +Major Gilbert and Major Driscoll again worked together. At dawn, +Driscoll's, who were leading, captured twelve Boers asleep round their +wagons; they were an outpost of Delarey's, and they had no idea that any +British could be in the vicinity. They said that a commando of Delarey's +was ten miles ahead. This commando, however, managed to slip through +between two columns. Through the day the net was drawn tighter, and by +the evening of the 23rd Major Gilbert and his men had ridden over 60 +miles in twenty-one hours. At six o'clock they bivouacked in the rain in +some scrub at Matjespruit. There had been a heavy hailstorm during the +afternoon. + +On the next afternoon Klerksdorp was reached. Some hundreds of Boers had +been caught altogether, besides three 15-pounders, two pom-poms, and a +quantity of ammunition. Perhaps the greatest effect produced, however, +was upon the nerves of the Boers. They got into a state of "nervous +tension," as they never knew when or where the British would turn up +next. A district miles away from the nearest troops in the evening was +swarming with columns in the morning. The absolute abandonment of +transport by the British had been the key to the situation. + +On the evening of the following day Col. Rochfort's columns started to +return to Commando Drift. They marched 30 miles during the night, and +got to the Drift the next evening, having covered 150 miles in four +days. The lights of the camps that stretched along the river for a mile +or more shone through the trees like the lights of a town. + +On the way in, two Africander guides of the Intelligence Department had +ridden on ahead of the columns, and, coming up to a farm, were taken by +the woman there for Boers. She gave them seven rounds of ammunition (all +she had, she said) and told them they must not stay, as there were +thousands and thousands of Khakis on the river--more than she had ever +seen--with Lord Roberts and Lord Kitchener. Asked how she knew Lord +Roberts was there, she produced a photograph of him out of a packet of +cheap cigarettes, and said she recognised him as he rode through. + +On the 29th of March the Sussex column was finally broken up. It had +been ten months in existence not counting the months of convoy work; it +had covered thousands of miles. It had had its days of success, and it +had come through its black hour of tribulation. For some months it had +been dwindling in numbers, more and more men becoming dismounted and +being left at the various bases. The column had done its work. + +The remaining mounted men were turned into an M. I. Company under +Captain Montresor, and attached to Col. Western's column, of which Major +Gilbert was made second in command. The dismounted men were sent to +Hoopstadt, at which place the officers, men and stores left behind at +Vlakfontein had arrived. + +From this time until the declaration of peace on June 1st, the +dismounted men worked between Hoopstadt, Bloemhof and the line, +sometimes as escort to convoys, sometimes as stops for drives. The +mounted company joined in the latter, of which the most important took +place on the 9th of June and following days. Col. Rochfort's columns +moved to Schweizer Renecke, where they surprised some Boers, capturing +sixty. They then formed, in conjunction with Gen. Ian Hamilton's columns +from the north, a line in single rank 50 miles long. For the next three +days this line moved west, the men sleeping in their positions at +nightfall. The sight, when an extended view could be got, was a strange +one. As far as the eye could reach the line of mounted men stretched +away, here dipping into a valley, there topping a rise. There were some +21,000 troops driving. + +The Kimberley railway was reached on the 11th of May. Nearly 400 Boers +were captured, and a great deal of stock. Severe sniping was experienced +on the way back to Bloemhof--several mules and horses, and one or two +men being hit. + +News of the declaration of peace was received on June 1st amidst general +rejoicings, and the scattered regiment was gradually collected at +Bloemfontein, to which place Headquarters moved up from Bethulie. From +Bloemfontein the time-expired men, the volunteers, and the reservists +(regular and militia), were sent home, leaving only a skeleton +Battalion, due for India, where fresh drafts would await it. + + + + +CHAPTER XXIX. + +THE THIRD BATTALION. + + +The Third Battalion of the Royal Sussex Regiment was embodied, under the +command of Col. the Earl of March, A.D.C., from December 11th, 1899, to +September 11th, 1902--probably the record embodiment for a Militia +Battalion during the war. The Battalion assembled at Preston Barracks, +Brighton, and, shortly before Christmas, 1899, volunteered as a whole +for service in South Africa. This offer was not, however, utilized until +early in 1901. + +On the 30th March, 1900, the Battalion was moved to the Shaft Barracks, +Dover. Both Line Battalions being abroad, line details were attached to +it, ultimately amounting to three Companies. + +The Battalion marched to Shorncliffe on the 30th April, and remained +there under canvas until the 18th October, forming part of a Militia +Brigade. On that date they moved into Napier Barracks. The latter part +of the time under canvas had been extremely wet and cold. + +On the 2nd February, 1901, the Battalion took part in the lining of the +streets for the funeral of Queen Victoria. They paraded with the Colours +at 2.15 a.m., and entrained for London, where they were stationed near +Apsley House. + +Early in February, orders were received for the Battalion to hold itself +in readiness to proceed on active service; and after many delays it +embarked on the "City of Cambridge," at the Albert Dock, on the 29th of +March. The numbers proceeding to South Africa were twenty-four officers +and 480 men. Already 123 men of the Battalion had been sent out to join +the 1st Battalion as Militia Reservists. One officer (Capt. Blake) had +also been attached to that Battalion for duty a year before. + +Capetown was reached on the 23rd April, and the Battalion was at once +entrained for Bloemfontein, arriving there five days later. On the way, +a call was made at the Headquarters of the 1st Battalion at Norval's +Pont, and a football match played with them. + +At Bloemfontein, the 3rd Battalion camped at Spitzkop, 4 miles west of +the town, and took over the "B" section of the outposts, which was +placed under the command of Col. the Earl of March. On the suggestion of +Col. Long, R.A., commanding the troops at Bloemfontein, a number of men +of the Battalion were trained as Mounted Infantry for local defence +purposes, first under Captain Papillon, and then (on his falling sick in +June) under Capt. the Hon. J. S. R. Tufton. By August, the 3rd Battalion +M. I. numbered eight officers and 225 N. C. O.'s and men. + +There must have been, at this time, over a thousand men, in all, of the +Royal Sussex Regiment, doing mounted work in South Africa. + +The mounted duties round Bloemfontein consisted of patrolling beyond the +outposts, and of escorting convoys to columns in the field. The men for +the most part knew nothing about horses to start with; they were, +however, very keen, and, under careful instruction, quickly learned the +rudiments of horsemastership, and finally constituted a really useful +body of M. I. + +Capt. Tufton took over the post at Fischer's Farm with fifty men, in +July; and in September another seventy-five of the M. I. were sent, +under Lieut. Wilson (4th Suffolk Regt., attached) and 2nd Lieut. +Nicholson, to occupy Warringham's, beyond Thabanchu. + +Although no opportunity is allowed for a militiaman to learn signalling, +yet the 3rd Battalion had taken this up on the voyage out; some +signalling equipment was obtained at Bloemfontein, and classes were +started, with the result that when, in July, the regular signallers at +Spitzkop had to be withdrawn, the 3rd Battalion signallers were able to +take over the station. + +Capt. Hankey and Lieut. Parkin, with 100 men, had been sent to the +Supply Depot in Bloemfontein, in place of coming to Spitzkop. Shortly +afterwards Capt. Hankey went as A.D.C. to Col. Long. + +On November 23rd the M.I. was broken up. Col. Long wrote the following +letter upon the subject: + + The O. C. troops regrets to have to publish an order to-day for the + withdrawal of the ponies of the Sussex M.I. The Remount Department + have to furnish 600 horses for columns on the move in the next + week, and they are at present so short of fit horses that they are + obliged to call upon the Sussex to hand in the ponies they have so + well looked after and converted into serviceable animals. The + greatest credit is due to you and all concerned for the way you + have cared for these ponies. The G. O. C. regrets having to take + this step, but feels sure you will understand that this step has + only been taken owing to extreme pressure and the urgent + requirements of the service. + +In December the Battalion was moved down to Volksrust, on the Natal +border. The first detachment left under Lieut.-Col. Godman on the 7th, +escorting a batch of Boer prisoners as far as Ladysmith. + +On the 12th of December the following order was published at +Bloemfontein: + + The Third Royal Sussex Regt. having been ordered away from this + station, the O. C. troops wishes to take this opportunity of + expressing his appreciation of their uniform excellent conduct, and + of the cheerful and thorough manner of carrying out the duties in + garrison by all ranks of the Battalion during the eight months they + have been at Bloemfontein. + +Major Clarke, with seven officers and 181 N. C. O.'s and men, moved down +the line to Ingogo, in Natal, and took over a district and a line of +posts along the railway between that place and Mount Prospect; other +detachments were at Laing's Nek, Iketeni Nek (Majuba), and along the +line north of Volksrust. Col. the Earl of March took over command of +the troops at Volksrust, Capt. and Adjt. P. E. P. Crawfurd taking up the +duties of S. S. O. + +At Christmas time the county of Sussex sent out to the Battalion a +generous gift in the shape of good fare and useful presents. + +On January 5th, 1902, Capt. Aldridge came as Adjutant to the Battalion. +During the following months several attempts were made by Boers to cross +the railway at night; they were, however, frustrated by the heavy firing +of the block-houses. + +On the anniversary of the embarkation of the Battalion, three officers +and forty-nine men had been invalided home, fourteen men had died, two +officers and fifty-two N. C. O.'s and men were in hospital, and +twenty-three officers and 452 N. C. O.'s and men were doing duty. A +draft had been received from the depot in February. + +In May, the Peace negotiations were on foot, and Boer delegates arrived +at Volksrust on their way to Vereeniging. In accordance with orders, +they were treated with lavish hospitality. + +Peace was declared on June 1st, and on the next day the Battalion +received orders to move to St. Helena for duty in guarding prisoners. +The various detachments collected at Ingogo, and moved down on the 9th +to Durban, where the "Wakool" was waiting for them; the weather was +however too rough to embark until the 14th, the intervening days being +spent at Umbilo Prison Camp. Major Clarke now commanded the Battalion, +Col. the Earl of March having returned for the Coronation. + +St. Helena was reached on the 24th June. As the "Wakool" steamed into +the Jamestown anchorage, the signallers on H.M.S. Dwarf gave the news of +the King's illness, and of the consequent postponement of the +coronation, which should have taken place next day. + +After five days quarantine the Battalion disembarked, and marched to +Broadbottom Camp, at the N.E. end of the Island, relieving the Buffs +Militia. Gen. Cronje watched the men go by from the house where he lived +apart; he was not very popular among the other prisoners--mostly +Paardebergers. + +There were about 2,000 Boers at Broadbottom, including Gen. Ben Viljoen. +They were at this time just trying to make up their minds to take the +oath of allegiance. They were too loyal to their old Government to do so +without orders--which, however, they ultimately received. Those who took +the oath beforehand did not have a pleasant time. + +The weather was extremely bad, and the camp a sea of mud. On July 19th, +a gloom was cast over the Battalion by the death of Colour Sergt. +Penfold, who was killed in trying to climb down a steep cliff. + +On August 9th, Coronation Day was celebrated. A _feu de joie_ was fired, +and the Battalion was inspected by Col. Wright, commandant of the camp. +In the evening an enormous bonfire was lit upon the hillside. In the +crowd round it, Boers and British mingled freely, the latter tanned from +exposure, the former pale from a year or more mostly spent in their +tents. After loyalty had been satisfied, Col. Wright called for three +cheers for "our friends and fellow subjects, our late gallant enemies," +which were heartily given. The Battalion embarked for England on board +the "Dominion" on August 11th, and arrived at Chichester a month later, +having travelled by way of Cape Town. At Chichester they were welcomed +by the Mayor and Corporation, and marched to barracks through decorated +streets. + +The medals earned by the men were presented to them by Mrs. Kilgour +(Col. Kilgour then commanded the Regimental District), and the +embodiment, which had lasted two years and nine months, was at an end. + + + + +APPENDIX A. + +THE 13TH M. I. + +By CAPT. G. P. HUNT, Royal Berkshire Regiment. + + +In November, 1900, four new Battalions of M. I. were assembled at +Pretoria: and of these the 13th M. I. was one. It was made up of +detachments from various regiments, and No. 1 Co. consisted of seventy +N. C. O.'s and men of the Royal Sussex, brought up by Lieut. J. S. +Cameron from Lindley, and fifty-five of the Royal Berkshire Regiment +under Lieut. G. P. Hunt. The Battalion was commanded by Capt. +(afterwards Brevet Maj.) Pratt, of the Durham Light Infantry. Early in +1901 Lt. Cameron took over command of No. 1 Co. + +December and January were mostly spent in training the men. Many of +these knew nothing about mounted work, and had first to learn to stick +on their horses (raw, untrained Argentines for the most part) somehow. +However, in a creditably short time a body of useful mounted men, if not +of expert horsemen, was turned out. + +The 13th M. I. were first under fire at Hekpoort on 19th December, with +General Alderson's column. Gen. Clements was then conducting a combined +movement westwards up the Magaliesberg Valley. The Boers were eventually +driven out of their Hekpoort position. The Company came under a smart +rifle fire, and their led horses were pom-pomed: but they sustained no +casualties and saw no Boers. + +From January to April, 1901, Gen. Alderson's column was engaged on the +operations under Gen. French in the eastern and south-eastern Transvaal. +This column consisted of the 13th and 14th M. I., the Canadian Scouts, +the Yorkshire Light Infantry, "J" Battery, R. H. A., and a pom-pom; it +trekked along the Swaziland border to Ermelo, encountering very few +Boers by the way. The column waited for supplies at Ermelo for ten days; +but continuous rain and flooded rivers prevented the convoys coming out +from Newcastle, and mutton and mealies were all that men and horses had +to live on. The horses suffered severely from the lack of food, and from +standing about in the wet camp. Full rations were not obtained till 26th +March, more than a month later. + +During April the column trekked through the difficult country between +Vryheid and Zululand, arriving at Newcastle on the 20th of that month. + +By this time more than half the 13th M. I. were dismounted, and the men +were in rags. Gen. French's operations had cost the Boers 1,000 +casualties, and the districts involved had been cleared, cattle being +driven in, and sheep used for rations or destroyed. The Boer families +were brought in to Refugee camps. + +The 13th and 14th M. I. were remounted, and joined Gen. Bullock's column +at Volksrust. The horses supplied to the Company were mostly large raw +Hungarians, quite unsuited to the work. + +Gen. Bullock's column, which was a large one, first trekked about the +Standerton and Wakkerstroom districts, and then worked in the northern +Free State, finishing up at Heidelberg in the end of July. There was no +serious fighting, although every day Boer skirmishers were encountered. +These would lie in wait for the scouts of the column, on the chance of +shooting them at short range, and then making off. Dogs proved very +useful to scouting parties: going on ahead, they would, by their +actions, give warning of concealed Boers. + +The men kept wonderfully fit and in very good spirits; they were just +the type that Kipling describes in his poem "M. I." The horses, however, +suffered severely from the cold, which was very severe, particularly at +night. + +At Heidelberg, Brig. Gen. Spens took over the column, which worked from +July to September in the N. E. Free State. This was a very eventful time +for the 13th M. I.; night marches were the rule rather than the +exception. Numbers of Boers were captured, wagons, cattle and horses +were brought in, and farms were destroyed. The column worked sometimes +by itself, and sometimes in conjunction with others; occasionally single +battalions went in different directions. The Boers had difficulty in +avoiding the troops, and were deprived of their wagons, spare horses, +shelters and means of subsistence, with a view to forcing them to +surrender. + +One occasion in particular may be mentioned. On the night of the 6th of +August the column divided into two, acting in conjunction with +Rimington. After a night march, a laager was surprised at dawn, many +prisoners being taken. + +The Company captured a number of Boers and wagons after a long gallop: +they only just avoided an engagement with Gough's M. I., which was +coming up from another direction. + +On the 15th August Lieut. J. M. Hulton joined the 13th M. I. at +Kroonstad from the 5th Bn. Royal Fusiliers, and was posted to No. 1 Co., +and given command of one of the Sussex sections. He had his horse killed +on the 18th, when on flank-guard, by some Boers who crept up a donga +just as the scouts were moving on. He fell under his horse, but one of +the section galloped back, helped him to get clear, and took the saddle +on to his own horse while Hulton ran by his side. + +On the 3rd September the column rode down a Boer convoy and 300 Boers. +Cameron was in command of the advanced guard. Nearly all the wagons were +captured, some falling into the hands of Rimington's and Wilson's +columns. Many Boers were taken, and a number killed and wounded. Many of +the horses of the column had subsequently to be destroyed: for the men +rode over 50 miles that day, and the horses were utterly done up. + +Towards the end of September Botha threatened to invade Natal, and Gen. +Spens' column, with others, entrained for that colony. Gough's M. I. had +suffered a serious reverse near Vryheid, the Boers being in superior +numbers. Botha had then attacked Major Chapman and his small force at +Fort Itala on the Zulu border, but had been repulsed after two days' +most severe fighting. He afterwards stated that it was here that his +power was finally broken. + +The 13th, 14th, and Gough's M. I. moved out of Dundee on September 22nd, +crossed Rorke's Drift, passed Isandhlwana, and hurried on to help +Chapman, leaving the convoy to follow. The columns of Spens, Pulteney, +and Allenby, under Major Gen. Bruce Hamilton, formed up along the +Zululand border, and worked northwards through the mountainous Vryheid +district; Gen. Clements coming in from Dundee. + +The main body of the Boers appeared to have gone, but a number of those +wounded at Itala were found in farms, and a number of fresh graves +showed that Botha's forces had suffered considerably in attempting to +capture Chapman with his small force and two guns. + +Wagons and carts were found in the most incredible places on the slopes +of mountains, and were destroyed. A good number of cattle also were +captured from the few Boers looking after them. In the meantime, the +convoy had such difficulty in getting up the roads that for three days +it could not reach the battalion, which had to do without rations; and +both men and horses felt rather done up and very empty after climbing up +and down the rugged hills in the rain. Several horses were unable to get +on and had to be shot, but fortunately only two of the Company's. + +Gen. Spens' column reached Vryheid on the 22nd October, and, returning +to Newcastle, got fresh supplies for a trek in the Orange River Colony. +Standerton was reached in November, after operations along the +Drakensberg. + +At the end of November began the series of captures by Gen. Bruce +Hamilton, made possible by the wonderful intelligence obtained by Col. +Wools-Sampson. Half of Spens' column and half of Col. Rawlinson's, with +the corps of surrendered Boers, made a night march of some 25 miles from +Ermelo on the 4th December. + +Led by Wools-Sampson's native boys, they came on a laager at dawn the +next morning. Unfortunately there was not time to surround it, and +another small laager beyond was warned by the firing, many of the Boers +jumping on to their ponies and galloping off. However, the columns +pursued and captured a good many, and all the wagons, etc., were +captured. The totals were ninety-one prisoners of the Bethel and +Standerton commandos, including the Landrost of Bethel, twenty wagons, +thirty Cape carts, 2,000 head of cattle, and 5,000 sheep, many rifles, +ammunition, etc. During the pursuit the Sussex section captured fifteen +Boers, and one man killed a native with the butt of his rifle, who had +just fired at and missed him. + +The column now camped at the head of the Standerton-Ermelo block-house +line, which was progressing at the rate of about two block-houses and +one mile of barbed wire fence a day. December was spent in clearing the +surrounding country. A number of Boers were brought in, and a great deal +of stock. + +On the 19th December, the 14th M. I. were surprised by Britz's commando +at Tweefontein, while searching farms; they lost two officers and +thirteen men killed, and several officers and men wounded. + +The Boers were dressed in khaki, having red cloth tabs with B.S. +(Britz's Scouts), and numbered some 300 or 400. It was noticed that +after the fight they destroyed their own rifles, taking away those they +captured, as they preferred ours. The remainder of the column, which +moved to join the 14th M. I. in the morning, did not hear of the attack +by the Boers in time to assist, but drove off the commando, inflicting +on the Boers some few more casualties. The column moved towards +Amersfort, where Christmas was spent, and then made two successive night +marches (27th, 28th December), towards Tweefontein and Standerton, in +which twenty-seven Boers, six armed natives and 600 cattle were +captured, and forty-four Boers were obliged to surrender on the +block-house lines. Some of the arms and equipment of the 14th M. I. +were recovered from the prisoners. + +For about six weeks the column had its headquarters at Ermelo, which +became an important station at the junction of three lines of +block-houses. Bruce Hamilton now had five or six columns under him, +which he sent out in any direction according to the Intelligence +obtained by Wools-Sampson's boys. + +The night marches that ensued resulted in the capture of a great many +Boers, including that of Grobelaar's laager and 100 men. The scattered +pursuits that followed the discovery of a laager became very like +hunting without hounds--with the added excitement that occasionally the +enemy would stop to fire. Only the fittest horses were taken out, and +the Boers were ridden down or driven onto lines of block-houses. The men +had to act by themselves in following up single or small parties of +Boers, as a column often got spread over many miles of country. + +From 23rd February to 8th April the column was detached, still under +Brigadier General Spens, and acted in the low veldt and the Vryheid +district, also going through Utrecht and Wakkerstroom. The principal +idea of this trek appears to have been to complete the clearing of those +districts of cattle, and for this purpose some 200 Zulus were called +for, under a chief of north-western Zululand, to assist in bringing in +the cattle. The majority of the natives in those districts with whom the +Boers had left their cattle were of Zulu origin, but it was difficult +for the troops to sort the Boer from the Zulu cattle. This, however, the +"impi" did with ease. Going out into the kraals at night, they would +persuade the natives to bring in the Boer cattle themselves, as they +were allowed to kill as many as they could eat; and the "impi" grew and +grew until it was more than ten times its original size. By day it would +trek along at a jog trot beside the convoy, the men singing their war +songs; for they were not allowed to carry rifles, but only carried +assegais for self-defence at night. When the column returned to the high +veldt, the Zulus, though loath to do so, had to return to their own +country. + +The final stage of the war was now reached. It was short. The Boers that +were left in the field were practically all enclosed in areas surrounded +by lines of block-houses and barbed wire fences, which they themselves +called "Kraals." Single men were known to have got through from one area +to another, but it was practically impossible for many to do so without +storming a block-house. It therefore only remained for us to sweep one +area after another, and this was done by an extended line of mounted +troops with its ends marching along block-houses. The block-house lines +on either flank and in front of the sweeping line were strengthened by +infantry trenches between the block-houses, which made them impassable +by day or night; and when either of these happened to be a railway line, +armoured trains patrolled the line to assist. The mounted troops +remained in their column organisation, and each column was bound to keep +in touch with the next by day and night, in order that every hiding +place should be searched and the Boers prevented from breaking through +as far as possible. By day a continuous chain of scouts advanced +supported by small bodies, at intervals in rear; and mule wagons +followed in rear of the centre of each column with supplies, blankets, +and entrenching tools. At night a continuous line of trenches about 50 +to 200 yards apart was formed, and as far as possible a continuous +obstacle of barbed wire was put up in front of the trenches. + +1ST DRIVE.--The 13th M. I. were always on the right of Spens' line, the +14th M. I. in the centre, and Gough's M. I. on the left. The Company +being No. 1 of the 13th was on the extreme right, and consequently on +them fell the onus of keeping touch with the next column through all the +drives. + +On 10th April the columns under Bruce-Hamilton lined up from Ermelo, +through Carolina, to the Middelburg-Belfast line, and in three days' +swept the area to the Standerton-Heidelberg line. + +On the last night of this drive some Boers made a determined effort to +get through the line, attacking Gough's M. I.; but not more than forty +were supposed to have succeeded, the remainder being beaten back. The +column picked up altogether ninety-five Boers out of a total of 134 +captured, and a good many Boers were killed in attacking the line. + +On 12th April some of the advanced scouts were ambushed by a party of +Boers, Pte. Leadbetter, of the Royal Sussex Regt., being killed and two +temporarily captured. + +2ND DRIVE.--From the 18th--20th April the columns swept the area from +the Vaal-Springs line to the Bronkhorst Spruit--Middelburg line. + +There were six columns extended, the Scots Greys joining in from +Springs; but the results were very small, the Boers having got through a +gap between two other columns on the left. + +3RD DRIVE.--On 26th--27th the line went back over the same ground, going +over forty miles on the second day. + +4TH DRIVE.--From the 3rd--5th May the columns swept the country from +Standerton--Heidelberg--Vereeniging southwards to Frankfort--Heilbron +and the main railway line, and then on in one day to the +Kroonstad-Lindley line; Elliot's columns holding the Liebensberg Vlei on +the left. The Boers made a great effort to break through the next +column, and some 200 succeeded; but the result of the whole drive was +294 prisoners and eleven killed, which was very satisfactory after the +long and arduous drive. The distance traversed on the 6th alone was over +forty miles, as the crow flies, which meant a good deal more for +everyone, if the unevenness of the land and the continual straining of a +line some sixty miles long be taken into account. But this told more on +the poor horses, which had to be sacrificed to accomplish the necessary +steps for finishing the war. Officers and men not only rode these long +distances, wearied by the monotony of trekking hour after hour at the +walk, on tired horses, but were hardly able to sleep at night during the +drives on account of the possibility of having a trench rushed at any +moment, and also on account of the continual firing all along the line, +everyone being ordered to fire on the slightest suspicion of Boers being +in front. By this time many of the horses were considered incapable of +keeping up with the line in a long day's drive, and were sent in to the +railway, leaving the Company only about half its original strength. +Everyone looked forward to the rest which Lord Kitchener promised us we +should soon have, but we had one more drive to accomplish--the return +drive to Heilbron and Frankfort, and this proved to be one of the most +eventful days for No. 1 Company. + +LAST DRIVE.--The drive took place on 9th May, 1902; the 13th M. I. +started from Lindley, and finished at a point about twelve miles out of +Heilbron towards Frankfort. Starting at dawn, No. 1 Company joined hands +with McKenzie's column at 7.30, and the line halted for an hour at +10.30. The units being so weak, about four scouts per Company were sent +about half-a-mile in front, and the remainder of the men extended to +keep touch. The guide on the left of McKenzie's column, at the time of +the halt, said he had already come a mile over his line of advance, and +refused to come further; meanwhile Garratt's column on the left had gone +off to their left, leaving several miles to be covered by Spens' column. +The columns on the left were evidently under the impression that the +majority of the Boers were opposite them, and some firing was heard in +that direction on moving on again. But the Boers had chosen their piece +of ground well, and it turned out to be just in the line of advance of +the Company, a very few of the Boers having attracted attention by +firing on the left. The scouts had just reached the top of a rise, when +they saw a number of Boers cantering towards them only about 150 yards +to their front. The Company was then extended to about fifty yards +between men. The scouts fired, and the Boers fired with their rifles +laid across their saddles; but there was no time to warn the line, in +fact a low rise divided the Company, so that only some twenty men could +see the Boers coming on, in a long disordered crowd, with natives +leading spare animals. About ten men, immediately in front of the Boers, +galloped together, forming a small group round a sergeant, and fired at +the column of Boers which was coming straight towards them. The +remainder of the Company came galloping in from the left one by one, and +formed another group which opened fire, but not until the Boers had +already passed through the line. They had steered off from the first +group and cantered on, and nothing remained to be done but to pick up +what they had left, as the long driving line was going further and +further away. Several horses and mules were found loose; some were +wounded and had to be destroyed. One man was captured with a dislocated +shoulder, having fallen off his horse, and another was found in the +grass, shot through the temple. About twelve rifles were picked up and +destroyed, and other signs were found indicating that men and horses had +been wounded. + +As the Company went on to join the line, two more Boers were captured in +a farm and taken on, the line arriving at its destination in driblets an +hour after dark. The number of Boers which passed through was estimated +at from 150-200, said to be under Mentz; they were evidently the same +party that had broken through McKenzie's column on the 6th. It seemed a +pity that they have got off so easily within a mile of the stronger line +of McKenzie's column, but doubtless these last two experiences, with the +prospect of more, influenced them in the peace meetings they were now +allowed to hold without molestation. + +The Column was ordered to make its way to Heidelberg, where it stayed +inactive until it was broken up. On 6th August, 1902, the horses were +taken to the remount depot near Johannesburg. And on the 8th the two +detachments started to rejoin their regiments. + + + + +APPENDIX B. + +THE 21ST M. I. + +By LT. E. C. BEETON, Royal Sussex Regiment. + + +1901.--The two Companies of the 21st M. I., made up largely of men of +the Royal Sussex Regiment, were trained at Shorncliffe during March and +April, 1901. No. 2 Co., commanded by Major Anderson (late 60th Rifles), +was composed entirely of men of the Regiment, and was 130 strong, +though, with the exception of Lieut. Drinan, it was officered from other +regiments. No. 3. Co., commanded by Major Hearn, late 21st Lancers and +K. D. G.'s., was 136 strong, and was made up of a section of Royal +Sussex under Lieut. Beeton, a section of Dublin Fusiliers, a section of +Buffs and a mixed section of the West Kent and Loyal North Lanes. Regts. + +No. 2 Co. left England at the end of April, and was followed three weeks +later by No. 3 Co.; the latter Company disembarked at Durban on the 14th +June, proceeding to Elandsfontein for remounts, and thence by train to +Klerksdorp. Meanwhile No. 2 Co. had joined the 21st M. I. on Colonel +Williams' column in the Western Transvaal, where it took part in various +minor engagements against Potgeiter's and Vermas' commandos, and did +good work in the Orange River Colony, and on the Magaliesberg mountains, +assisting in the capture of several Boer convoys during July, August, +and September, 1901. During the latter part of September Col. Williams' +column succeeded in taking nearly 100 prisoners and over sixty wagons of +the enemy. About October 20th No. 2 Co. was sent into the base at +Klerksdorp for garrison duty, and was relieved by No. 3 Co., which had +been on almost continuous convoy-escort duty between Potchefstroom and +Ventersdorp, with headquarters at Potchefstroom. Though no serious +fighting had occurred, the convoys were frequently threatened and fired +at by small parties of Boers. No. 2 Co. had also been working with +General Wilson's column, assisting in the capture of Cdt. Holls. In six +weeks Gen. Wilson took 140 prisoners, and cleared a large stretch of +fertile country. + +In October, the 21st M. I. was operating on Col. Hickie's column in the +Western Transvaal. From Nov. 10th to Nov. 20th this column, then only +800 strong, was held up by the combined commandos of Generals Delarey, +Kemp, and Liebenberg, about 2,000 strong, at Brakspruit, 14 miles west +of Klerksdorp. The column was very strongly entrenched, and the entire +perimeter of the camp encircled with barbed wire. The enemy did not +attack, and the column was subsequently relieved by Lord Methuen's (1st +Division) column coming up from the south, and Col. Kekewich's from the +east. A squadron of the 11th Yeomanry, belonging to Col. Hickie's +column, were surprised and captured by Delarey on Nov. 12th, when on +reconnaissance. The 21st M. I. were sent out in relief, and met the +squadron of Yeomanry returning on foot, stripped of all rifles and +clothing. + +On Dec. 8th Major Hearn was relieved of command of No. 3 Co., and +appointed commandant of Col. Kekewich's Base Depot. Lieut. Beeton took +over command of this Company. + +From Dec. 8th, 1901 to Jan. 23rd, 1902, Col. Hickie's column was +trekking through the Western Transvaal and down to the Vaal River +without much result; very few Boers were found owing to the very heavy +rains. Many small expeditions for mounted troops, with four days' +rations on the saddle, were undertaken. + +1902.--On Feb. 3rd an attack was made at dawn on Commandant Alberts' +commando by the 21st M. I., Scottish Horse, and 11th Co. I. Y., in which +General Alberts and fifty Boers were captured, together with a number of +wagons. The British casualties were one officer killed and two men, and +about twenty wounded. The Boer casualties were four killed and about +twenty or thirty wounded. + +At the end of February the 21st M. I. were transferred to Lord Methuen's +column, subsequently commanded by Col. von Donop. + +On Feb. 25th Col. von Donop's empty convoy of 160 mule wagons (2,000 +mules) was attacked and captured at daybreak 8 miles from Klerksdorp by +General Delarey and 1,500 Boers. The convoy was trekking from +Wolmeranstadt to Klerksdorp for supplies, under an escort of 360 men, +composed of Yeomanry and two or three companies Northumberland +Fusiliers, with two field guns and a pom-pom and a maxim---all of which +were taken by the Boers. Major Anderson, commanding the escort, sent in +to Klerksdorp for reinforcements, and Major Hearn, with Lieut. Beeton, +and about thirty men of the 21st M. I. (who had been sent in to +Klerksdorp for remounts) moved out of the town towards Wolmeranstadt +about 7.30 a.m., and were subsequently joined by two troops of Scottish +Horse, some men of No. 2 Co. 21st M. I., with Lieut. Drinan, and other +details, making up a total of perhaps 250 men. This force, commanded by +Col. Grenfell, 1st Life Guards, galloped 6 miles towards the scene of +the disaster, subsequently reaching high ground from which the captured +convoy could be seen, turned about and moving off in an opposite +direction. The woods on the right of the road were occupied by large +numbers of Boers, who could be clearly seen, as well as a great number +trekking away over the hills. Col. Grenfell's men dismounted and opened +fire at 1,000 yards. Part of the force charged down the hill in an +attempt to recapture half-a-dozen wagons, which had been blocked and +overturned in the Spruit; whereupon the Boers in large numbers formed up +and galloped, firing from their saddles, down the hill opposite, towards +the British, compelling them to retire, with a loss of several horses +killed and two men of the Scottish Horse wounded. The Boers did not +continue the pursuit, being satisfied with the capture of the entire +convoy, and the guns, with the exception of the maxim, which was +galloped into Klerksdorp on a pack horse. The casualties among the +convoy escort were over 200. Two officers of the Northumberland +Fusiliers were killed, and three severely wounded. + +On March 14th Lord Kitchener concentrated a large force in the vicinity +of Klerksdorp with the object of destroying Delarey's commandos. Col. +Grenfell, 1st Life Guards, took command of all mounted troops belonging +to the three columns (Col. von Donop's, Col. Kekewich's, and Col. +Grenfell's), together 1,500 strong. The first of the combined drives +began on March 16th and occupied five days, the enemy being driven from +S.-W. to N.-E., in the direction of Klerksdorp. Owing to a gap left by +General W. Kitchener's column, most of the Boers escaped over the hills, +near Brakspruit, 9 miles from Klerksdorp. The 21st M. I. came in touch +with a party of Boers quite unexpectedly at nightfall, and after +galloping a few miles in pursuit drove them in the direction of General +Kitchener's column, where sixteen subsequently were taken prisoners. + +From March 16th to April 1st, small three days' operations took place +from Vaalbank (50 miles W. of Klerksdorp), the men carrying rations on +their saddles. Many men had to be sent on to Klerksdorp for remounts, +owing to considerable losses in horses from exhaustion and +horse-sickness. + +On the evening of April 4th the mounted troops moved from Middlebult at +7 p.m., rationed for three days, in very heavy rain. The night was pitch +dark. At daybreak they attacked and captured a Boer convoy and large +herds of cattle and sheep, after a long gallop. + +On April 9th the mounted troops of the combined columns started from +Middlebult to join General Ian Hamilton's big drive and enveloping +movement against General Delarey's commandos. After two days' march they +arrived at Rooival, passing the scene of Col. Cookson's engagement, +which had occurred five days previously, when Delarey surrounded the +column, killing all Cookson's horses. Col. von Donop's troops finally +took up their position in the driving line on the extreme right, and +entrenched for the night. On the following morning, two hours before +daybreak, word was brought by the scouts that the combined commandos of +Delarey, Kemp, Liebenberg, and Potgeiter, 2,000 strong, with four field +guns and two pom-poms (those captured from Col. von Donop's convoy six +weeks previously) were halted 6 miles away on the right. Col. von +Donop's column, being on the extreme right, was the first to move, the +21st M. I. being ordered to furnish the screen and supports of the +advanced guard. At about 6 a.m. the screen came over a rise, and was at +once face to face with Delarey's commandos, who were partially concealed +in large mealie patches less than 4,000 yards away. Although apparently +surprised, the enemy quickly formed into two or three long lines, and +riding almost knee to knee, charged through the screen, shouting, and +firing from the saddle. The 21st M. I. dismounted, and those horses +which were not shot were galloped to the rear, the men lying in the +grass and firing at the Boers as they galloped through. Many of the +latter and of their horses were shot as they passed von Donop's main +body, which by this time had had sufficient warning, and received the +charge with a very heavy fire. At the same time Gen. Rawlinson, whose +column had come up, met and repulsed an attempted turning movement. The +Boers were now effectively stopped, their casualties being very large. +Col. von Donop's Scottish Horse were then ordered to charge the enemy, +who made a big wheel to the left towards some hills covered with scrub +and small trees. The British guns then opening fire caused the whole +force of Boers to break and scatter in all directions, though their guns +still replied in a desultory way. The British pursued throughout the +day, the Boers with their guns and wagons scattering in parties all over +the country. By 4 p.m. all their guns and many prisoners had been +captured. The 21st M. I. suffered more casualties than any other corps +in this engagement, losing two officers and a colour-sergeant killed, +and five out of nine officers dangerously or severely wounded, including +Major Roy, of the Sherwood Foresters, then in command. + +The Boer casualties were given as forty-five killed and many wounded, +Potgeiter being killed and Kemp badly wounded. The next day Col. von +Donop received the following message from General Ian Hamilton:--"My +best congratulations to you and your gallant troops. I shall have great +pleasure in telling Lord Kitchener of their steadiness when attacked and +their dashing pursuit." + +The combined columns moved rapidly back to Brakspruit (near Klerksdorp) +in order to rest horses and troops and procure remounts. Many of the +horses had been killed or had given out from exhaustion. + +On May 5th von Donop's column halted for a week at Rooijantjesfontein, +40 miles west of Klerksdorp. They started from here on the last big +drive into the Mafeking Line, which occupied five days, through an +almost waterless tract of country. The columns commanded by Col. +Kekewich were again posted on the extreme right of the driving line, +which extended southward 30 miles to Vryburg and beyond. Their right, at +the termination of the drive, rested on Saltpan Siding. During the last +two days they captured about forty or fifty Boers, the total bag for the +whole drive being 400. + +The 21st M.I. then returned to Klerksdorp, whence, after peace was +declared, it was sent out to bring in many of the surrendered parties of +Boers. + +During June and July, and up to the 24th August, the 21st M.I. were +camped 4 miles outside Klerksdorp, subsequently marching to +Bloemfontein, which town was reached on the 28th August. Here +Lieutenants Beeton and Drinan, together with all N.C.O.'s and men of the +Royal Sussex Regiment, rejoined the Regiment. + + + + +APPENDIX C. + + +Names of officers and numbers of men sent out to South Africa by the +Volunteer Battalions of the Royal Sussex Regiment. + +1st Volunteer Battalion:-- + Capt. S. W. G. Tamplin (1st Active Service Coy.), + Lieut. W. H. Findlay (2nd " " " ), + Lieut. J. G. Cockburn (2nd " " " ), + Lieut. T. O. B. Ruthven (3rd " " " ), + and 105 N.C.O.'s and men in all. + +2nd Volunteer Battalion:-- + Capt. and Hon. Maj. Sir W. G. Barttelot (1st Active Service Coy.), + Lieut. B. J. D'Olier (1st " " " ), + Capt. S. W. P. Beale (2nd " " " ), + and 81 N.C.O.'s and men in all. + +[N.B.--Col. the Duke of Norfolk, E.M., K.G., served in South Africa with +the Sussex Imperial Yeomanry; Capt. Lord Zouche served with the Rough +Riders; Surgeon-Capt. G. Black served with the R.A.M. Corps]. + +1st Cinque Ports:-- + Lieut. A. F. A. Howe (1st Active Service Coy.), + and 128 N.C.O.'s and men in all. + + + + +APPENDIX D. + + +Honours and rewards bestowed upon officers and men of the Royal Sussex +Regiment for the South African War:-- + + C.B. Col. the Earl of March, A.D.C., + (3rd Battn.) + Lt.-Col. B. D. A. Donne. + Brevet Lt.-Col. Major L. E. du Moulin. + Brevet Major Capt. A. R. Gilbert, + Capt. E. H. Montresor, etc. + + D.S.O. Lieut. and Adjt. R. Bellamy, + Major A. R. Gilbert, + Capt. F. Robinson, + " E. L. Mackenzie, + Lieut. E. F. Villiers, + " C. E. Bond. + +Lieut. A. R. Hopkins was specially promoted for services in the field to +a Captaincy in the Manchester Regiment. + + _Medals for Distinguished Conduct in the field_:-- + Sergt.-Major S. S. Thwaits, Sergt. T. Gates, + Color-Sergt. T. Jones, Lc.-Sergt. A. Ockleford, + " A. Nye, Corpl. P. Hoad, + " A. Weston, Pte. J. Gill, + " H. Snaith, " T. Say, + Q.-M.-Sergt. C. Pittman, " C. Nevill, + Sergt. G. Weston, " T. Scrase. + + + +***END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK TWO YEARS ON TREK*** + + +******* This file should be named 35061.txt or 35061.zip ******* + + +This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: +http://www.gutenberg.org/dirs/3/5/0/6/35061 + + + +Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions +will be renamed. + +Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no +one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation +(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without +permission and without paying copyright royalties. Special rules, +set forth in the General Terms of Use part of this license, apply to +copying and distributing Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works to +protect the PROJECT GUTENBERG-tm concept and trademark. Project +Gutenberg is a registered trademark, and may not be used if you +charge for the eBooks, unless you receive specific permission. 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