GENERAL ELLIOT'S OPERATIONS FROM KROONSTAD
It will be remembered that during the middle of March Lord Kitchener
engaged himself with a new scheme of redistribution, and that General
Elliot's force was arranged to operate from Kroonstad in the northern
district of the Orange River Colony. By the 10th of April this force
was ready to take the field. In consequence of a seeming recrudescence
of activity of the enemy in the north-west of the Colony, and certain
signs of a possible junction between them and their confederates of
the south-west of the Transvaal, General Elliot directed his energies
to the sweeping of the district about Reitzburg and Parys. Here
supplies in some quantities served as an attraction to the hungry
commandos. These were satisfactorily disposed of by the 20th of April,
when the force returned to Kroonstad.
But it remained not long idle. General Elliot proceeded to scour the
districts beyond the Wilge River, where the Dutchmen were again
beginning to hoard their goods for further activity. Lord Kitchener's
plan was as follows:--A movement was to be made by parallel columns on
a wide front eastward beyond Heilbron; the left or northern column,
when past that point, was to halt, while the other columns wheeling to
the left should clear the country, the right passing east of
Frankfort. The whole division, moving north in line, was then to press
the Boers and their stock back on the Vaal River.
In order to drive as many dispersed Boers as possible into General
Elliot's net, General C. Knox, concurrently with General Elliot's
first move, was to send a column towards Reitz. A force was also
stationed on the north under Colonel Western, who had succeeded to the
command of Lieutenant-Colonel Williams' column on the lower drifts of
the Wilge River. At the same time the columns of Colonels E. Knox and
Rimington were to move from Heidelberg and Standerton respectively
towards the junction of the Vaal and Waterval Rivers.
In accordance with this scheme, General C. Knox occupied Senekal on
the 25th of April, sending, as directed, Colonel Pilcher (who had been
doing magnificent work at Clocolan, Mequatting's Nek, and the
Korannaberg) to Reitz on the 28th. The town was found to have been
evacuated on the previous evening, and report spoke to General
Elliot's presence on the north of it: consequently, Colonel Pilcher's
part in the scheme being accomplished, he rejoined General Knox at
Senekal, and with him moved to the railway.
General Elliot's force at this time was moving east, and by the 7th of
May the troops were disposed along the line Villiersdorp-Frankfort-Tafel
Kop. On the 9th the General, who was at Cornelia, despatched a force to
Vrede, and sent off forty prisoners, 5000 horses, and a large number of
waggons and cattle to Standerton. The Boers (since Colonel Western was
guarding the Wilge River Drift) were now threatened on all sides. Flying
in despair to the hilly cover south of Greylingstad, they jumped into
the open arms of Colonels E. Knox and Rimington, who were lying in wait
for them. Those who were smart enough to escape scurried across the
river, but 34 prisoners, 4000 cattle, 284 waggons and carts, and 5400
rounds of ammunition were secured, and the haul served as a successful
finale to the first phase of these well-directed operations.
Colonel Western's share in the movement being completed, he went from
the Wilge River Drifts to Heilbron. Here he became aware that
Steenkamp's laagers were situated some seventeen miles to north of
him. Quick as lightning he was off again, marching stealthily by night
in the direction of the quarry, and rushing the camp at dawn on the
9th of May. It was a splendidly conceived and splendidly executed
affair, and thirty-two prisoners, with horses, waggons, and carts,
were the prize of the undertaking.
June opened with more dexterous swoops, and after clearing the ground
from Vereeniging to Parys, and thoroughly sweeping Venterskroom and
Vredefort, the force returned eastward to the rail, bringing with them
nine prisoners, 16,000 rounds of ammunition, and many waggons. After
refitting at Rhenoster, Colonel Western scoured the country between
the junction of the Vaal and Rhenoster Rivers and Coal Mine Drift, but
the enemy vanished, having now every reason to reserve their
ammunition, or to spend it only on forces inferior to their own in
number. They were not in all cases successful in their disappearance,
for a convoy was caught on the 23rd of June, and the guerillas had to
fight for dear life; six prisoners and all the waggons and stock were
captured. Colonel Western then marched to Klerksdorp to replenish his
supplies, after which he co-operated with General Gilbert Hamilton and
Colonel Allenby--attacked the enemy in the mountain fastnesses of
Hartebeestefontein, and captured more prisoners, horses, and rifles.
He finished up the month by moving towards Hoopstad to meet Colonel
Henry's column, on its way from Christiana, hustling Boers wherever
he found them, and then returning to Klerksdorp, plus six prisoners,
thirteen rifles, seventy-one horses, fifteen waggons and carts. Two
Boers were killed.
GENERAL ELLIOT'S OPERATIONS--SECOND PHASE
General Elliot, his left column following the course of the Klip
River, his right extended to the south (beyond Vrede), meanwhile
marched towards the Natal border. At the same time Colonel Colville's
force moved up the right bank of the Klip River on General Elliot's
left, searching the country around Verzammelberg. Troops from General
Hildyard's force were posted to close Almond's (or Alleman's) Nek and
guard Botha's and Muller's Passes. Beyond an engagement with some 300
of the foe, who were found on his right flank some twenty miles below
Vrede, General Elliot met with slight opposition. He reached Botha's
Pass on the 19th of May, and forwarded to Natal some 2000 horses and
stock, the fruits of his labours since leaving the Vaal.
The Boers by this time had found for themselves a new and naturally
strong position some twenty-five miles to the south, and from this
rugged and honeycombed region it was imperative to rout them. On the
21st they were attacked and without much difficulty driven off, as
their resistance was mainly intended to cause a diversion while their
convoy got away in safety to the cover of the broken country along the
banks of the Wilge River. General Elliot, accompanied by Colonel De
Lisle's column, now marched to Harrismith, collecting nearly 2000
horses on the way, and returning afterwards to Vrede. There, at the
end of the month, he was met by Colonels Bethune and Lowe, who had
remained behind to operate north and west of Witkoppies--the position
south of Botha's Pass whence the Boers had been dislodged.
[Illustration: THE CAPTURE OF DE WET'S CONVOY AT REITZ, JUNE 6, 1901:
THE ATTACK UPON THE BOER WAGGONS BY COLONEL DE LISLE'S FORCE
Drawing by R. Caton Woodville]
On the 3rd of June General Elliot, having replenished his supplies
from Standerton, moved from Vrede towards Kroonstad _viâ_ Reitz and
Lindley. It was on the way to Reitz that one of the most exciting
conflicts of the march took place. A night swoop on Graspan had been
planned for the purpose of intercepting a Boer convoy (said to be De
Wet's), which had been located in the neighbourhood. Accordingly, in
the small hours of the 6th, Major Sladen, with 400 Mounted Infantry of
Colonel De Lisle's force, made his way to the laager. The movement was
executed with the utmost secrecy, and before they knew of the coming
of the troops the Boers in their slumbers found themselves surrounded.
All that could get away bolted precipitately, but forty-five prisoners
were secured. Then Major Sladen, after sending some forty of his party
to communicate with Colonel De Lisle, took up a defensive position and
awaited reinforcements. During the interval the fleeing Boers had a
chance to draw breath; they calculated the smallness of the British
party by which they had been attacked, and knew that, weighted with
prisoners and waggons, it would be impossible for them to move on.
They presently came on Fouché, who was marching in this direction with
500 men, and with him returned to the rescue of their comrades of the
laager, and made a vigorous struggle to regain the convoy. The small
and fatigued British party remained gallant as ever. Captain Finlay
(Bedford Regiment) and Captain Langley (South African Bushmen) and
their men met the attack with immense energy, but in the course of the
action the Boers succeeded in getting away some of the waggons which
were parked outside the position.
[Illustration: COLONEL DE LISLE
(Photo by J. Edwards, London)]
They nevertheless (though egged on by De Wet and Delarey, who chanced
to be on their way to the Transvaal) failed to make any impression on
Major Sladen's superb defence, which was doggedly sustained till 3
P.M. By this time the first reinforcement from De Lisle's force was
seen to be advancing, and the enemy in hot haste tore off, taking with
them such waggons as they had secured. But they were swiftly pursued.
Fighting recommenced with ferocity--hand-to-hand combats on all
sides--and the waggons, all but two, were recaptured. Among the deeds
of valour which were numerous on this memorable occasion, was the
dashing exploit of young Ashburner, who, at the head of a few men,
plunged into the thick of the fray, and at point of bayonet effected
the recapture of the leading waggons.
Poor Lieutenant Cameron of the Gordon Highlanders, who had many times
before been notable for conspicuous gallantry, was killed. A gallant
young officer, White of the Gordon Highlanders, escaped by a marvel.
He was taken prisoner during the first fight, and stripped by the
Boers; but when the second attack commenced he succeeded in escaping,
and, further, managed to run six miles and bring up reinforcements.
But such hard fighting was not carried on without heavy cost--that of
3 officers and 17 men killed, and 1 officer and 24 men wounded. The
enemy lost 14 dead, 6 wounded, and 45 taken prisoners, in addition to
a number of injured which were carried away in carts. The captures
included 10,000 rounds of ammunition, 114 waggons and carts, 4000
cattle, and a quantity of foodstuffs.
More captures were made later, near Lindley, and the force, heavily
weighted, arrived at Kroonstad on the 14th and 15th of June. From
thence, on the 22nd, they swept eastward, between Lindley and Senekal,
towards the line of the Wilge River. On the 2nd of July, at
Springfield Drift, some twenty miles north of Harrismith, they
received supplies sent out by General Rundle. This officer was now
preparing to co-operate with General Elliot, and to march north, on
his right, through the country east of the Wilge River, while General
Bullock should traverse the country from Standerton to Frankfort _viâ_
Villiersdorp, and thus serve as a stop for any Boers who might be
swept that way.