OPERATIONS BETWEEN THE DELAGOA AND NATAL LINES
General Bullock, early in May, engaged in the task of chasing Boers
who had been dispersed by the operations of General Blood. Round
Ermelo and Bethel the scattered commandos of Botha attempted to
collect, but General Bullock, advancing through Amersfoort, attacked
and drove them from Ermelo on the 9th of May. At this time General
Blood's columns under General W. Kitchener and Colonel W. Pulteney
were approaching Ermelo from the north, therefore General Bullock
disposed his troops along the line Ermelo-Lake Chrissie, closed the
road leading north-east, and connected his right with General Blood's
force. Simultaneously Colonel Rimington marched to join hands with
General Plumer, who was approaching Bethel from the west.
General Plumer, who had left Silverton, near Pretoria, on the 14th of
May, to work in conjunction with Colonel Allenby (from Whitbank) and
Colonel E. Knox (from Greylingstad) against Boer laagers near the
source of the Wilge River, joined hands with both the above-named
officers at Krondraai, on the 16th and 17th of May. At the rumour of
British approach, the Boer laagers at once broke up, their occupants
dispersing towards south and east. Colonel Allenby, on his way to
Springs, encountered the Boer rabble near Leeuwkop, and drove them
south-east, while General Plumer and Colonel E. Knox proceeded to join
Colonel Rimington at Bethel. Considerable opposition was met with _en
route_, but large numbers of prisoners were taken, together with a
goodly amount of stock, and gradually the Boers, who had made this
district a centre for their operations, found themselves empty and
shelterless.
General Plumer now extended the three columns at his disposal on the
line Bethel-Middelplaats, for the purpose of sweeping the country down
to the Vaal, and clearing the region between Leeuwspruit and Kaffir
Spruit.
The Boers at this period managed to collect in sufficient quantity to
make a violent lunge at a convoy proceeding between Whitbank and
Mooifontein, on its way to Standerton. The escort under Colonel
Gallway, consisting of detachments of Somerset and Munster Fusiliers,
10th Hussars, and Queenslanders, suddenly found themselves attacked
by 400 desperadoes, who made violent rushes to get to close quarters.
The resistance of the British band was fierce as it was valiant, and,
after a running fight lasting six hours, the Boers were routed, with a
loss to them of six killed and thirty wounded. One British officer
lost his life, and one was wounded. Five men were killed and
twenty-four wounded.
[Illustration: MAP ILLUSTRATING THE OPERATIONS BETWEEN DELAGOA BAY AND
NATAL LINES, MAY AND JUNE, 1901]
General Plumer and Colonel Knox halted near Standerton, and Colonel
Rimington at Platrand, their columns, since leaving Bethel, having
secured 37 prisoners and 650 horses.
General Bullock, who on the 25th of May was joined by Colonel Grey (from
Standerton), now commenced a series of night raids on various farmhouses
along the banks of the Vaal, south-east of Ermelo--excursions which were
full of dash and daring, and resulted in the capture of many armed
burghers.
June found both columns at Standerton. Five days later Colonel Grey
started on an adventurous hunt for a Boer gun, said to be with a
commando at Kaffir Spruit. On the 11th the force surprised a Boer
laager at Rietvlei, and after a vigorous fight nine prisoners were
secured. One Boer was killed and two wounded. Colonel Grey, having
thoroughly searched the district between Ermelo and Bethel without
finding a trace of the required gun, returned to Standerton. From the
10th of June to the 4th of July, General Bullock continued his
clearance of the country, dispersing Boer gangs east of Elandsberg
down to the valley of the Assegai River. He was then called in to the
railway and returned to Standerton.
BRIGADIER-GENERAL PLUMER IN THE EASTERN TRANSVAAL
General Plumer, as soon as he had refitted his troops at
Standerton, was again off to engage in further sweeping operations
against Boer knots in the region between Amersfoort and Piet
Retief. General Plumer, with Colonel Rimington on his right flank
and Colonel Knox on his left, advanced on the 1st of June on the
line Platrand-Springbokfontein-Uitkyk. By the 8th, all three
columns had reached the line Driefontein-Breda-Waterval Drift, and
thus, on the following day, the columns of Plumer (centre) and
Knox (left) were able to swoop from the north upon Piet Retief,
while that of Rimington (right), making a night détour, wheeled
round the south of the town and blocked all southerly exits
therefrom. But, warily, the Boers had made off, and the place was
deserted. Colonel Rimington, however, contrived to cut off a Boer
convoy which was hastily lumbering along towards the Vryheid Road,
accompanied by the escaping Landdrost of Piet Retief and William
Emmett, who were forthwith taken prisoners together with
twenty-eight more of their compatriots. Twelve waggons and 100
horses were also secured. Colonel Rimington then stationed himself
south-east of the difficult peaks of the Slangapiesberg, while
they were traversed by Colonel Plumer's troops, who, having moved
from Piet Retief towards Wakkerstroom to meet a convoy, were now
proceeding over the dangerous heights. The whole force having
cleared "as far as practicable" this gibbose and frowning region,
moved to Paul Pietersburg, which was also found deserted. Near
Elandsberg Nek, however, Colonel Gallway, with some 300 Bushmen,
two companies of Munster Fusiliers, and some Sharpshooters, with
two guns of Q Battery, were assailed by 300 Boers, who were
strongly entrenched there. The enemy were speedily dispersed, but
Lieutenant Rudkin, R.H.A., was wounded in both knees, and
narrowly escaped death, as a Boer bullet passed through the litter
while the wounded man was being carried from the field of action.
The columns finally converged on Utrecht. The prize of their
labours after leaving Piet Retief amounted to 21 prisoners, 232
horses, and 100 waggons. Twenty-six Burghers surrendered.
[Illustration: BRIGADIER-GENERAL THE EARL OF ERROLL.
Photo Elliott & Fry, London.]
Action was now taken by Colonels Rimington and Wing against the enemy
to north of Utrecht, in the valley of the Pongola River. Colonel
Rimington, on the night of the 26th of June, marched towards Tiverton,
while Colonel Wing made a détour over the Elandsberg Pass to
Schuilhoek. There, the latter attacked the wandering hordes, driving
them before him up the valley, where they soon found themselves
unpleasantly warmed and welcomed by Colonel Rimington's guns, which
took them in the rear. Away they went helter-skelter, leaving behind
them nine vehicles, 6500 rounds of ammunition, horses and cattle in
plenty, and six dead Boers. Three were captured. Colonel Rimington,
after immense activity around Wakkerstroom, returned independently to
Platrand, while General Plumer and Colonel Knox from Utrecht marched
towards Amsterdam and Carolina, reaching Bothwell, near Lake Chrissie,
on the 7th of July.
In the meantime, on June 20, the Boers published the following notice,
dated Waterval, Standerton District, signed S. Burger and Steyn, which
showed they were still truculent:--
"As his Honour the State President Kruger and the Deputation in Europe
have not heard anything direct from our Government since the
conference between Commandant-General Botha and Lord Kitchener at
Middelburg, and as the Government of the South African Republic deemed
it advisable that they should be acquainted with the state of affairs
here, therefore, at request of the Commandant-General, and with the
kind compliance [?] of Lord Kitchener, a private telegram was sent to
them, in which the entire state of affairs was fully described and
intentionally put in the worst light, for the means of making the
advice of his Honour and the Deputation the more weighty. On this his
Honour informed us that he and the Deputation have still great hopes
of a satisfactory end of the long struggle, that after material and
personal sacrifice we should continue the struggle, and that on their
part all steps are already taken and will still be taken for proper
provision for the captive women and children and prisoners of war. For
discussing and considering this answer of his Honour a conference of
the Governments of both Republics was arranged, at which were present
Chief Commandant C. R. de Wet, Commandant-General L. Botha, and
Assistant-Commandant J. H. Delarey. After a full revision of the
condition of military affairs represented by these chief officers,
and thorough discussion of our whole cause by both Governments, the
following resolution was taken by both Governments, with the advice of
the said chief officers:--
"The Governments of the South African Republic and Orange Free State,
with the advice of the said chief officers, and taking into
consideration the satisfactory report of his Honour State President
Kruger and the Deputation in the foreign country, and considering the
good progress of our cause in the Colonies, where our brothers oppose
the cruel injustice done to the Republics more and more in depriving
them of their independence, considering further the invaluable
personal and material sacrifices they have made for our cause, which
would all be worthless and vain with a peace whereby the independence
of the Republics is given up, and further considering the certainty
that the losing of our independence after the destruction already done
and losses suffered will drag with it the national and material
annihilation [?] of the entire people, and especially considering the
spirit of unbending persistence with which the great majority of our
men, women, and children are still possessed, and in which we see with
thankful acknowledgment the hand of the Almighty Protector, resolve
that no peace will be made and no peace conditions accepted by which
our independence and national existence, or the interests of our
colonial brothers, shall be the price paid, and that the war will be
vigorously prosecuted by taking all measures necessary for maintenance
of independence and interests."
MAJOR-GENERAL BEATSON'S OPERATIONS
While General Plumer was at Bethel, General Beatson, who had been
watching the Middelburg-Bronkers Spruit line, moved to Brugspruit. He
then (with Colonel Allenby's column from Springs) marched south, on
the 25th of May, towards the junction of Olifants River and Steenkool
Spruit in order to catch such Boers as had escaped General Plumer.
(Major Garratt, with a few of Allenby's men, during the advance from
Springs, made good use of his time, and secured, besides rifles and
ammunition, eight prisoners and waggons, a Colt gun, and forty mules.)
General Beatson, on the right bank of Olifants River, soon came in
contact with Trichard's commando, which was strongly entrenched on
Vaalkrans. The Boers were hard pressed, and had to run for it, leaving
behind them, as usual, waggons and stock. After this Allenby's column,
temporarily commanded by Colonel Hippisley, searched the region of
Brugspruit, found no signs of the foe, and consequently returned _viâ_
Wilge River Station to Pretoria. General Beatson continued his
operations in the direction of Bethel. A small force of the enemy was
reported to be at Boschmansfontein, consequently the General, then
encamped at Van Dycks Drift, detached a force to deal with them. Major
Morris, with four companies of Victorian Mounted Rifles and two
pom-poms, marched towards the laager and found it deserted. On the
12th of June he was instructed to combine with the General in an
attack on the marauders to be made on the 13th at Elandsfontein.
Therefore the detachment the night before bivouacked at Wilmansrust.
No sooner had darkness fallen than the enemy, evading the outposts,
crept up to the bivouac, and within very short range poured a deadly
fire in on the astonished force. A scene of turmoil followed. Rifles
blazed, horses stampeded, and soon the guerillas had rushed the camp
and captured the pom-poms. The struggle was desperate, and two
officers and sixteen men were slain, four officers and thirty-eight
men wounded, while many men were made prisoners. Only two officers and
fifty men escaped to General Beatson's camp, though such as had been
made prisoners were afterwards released. Promptly to the rescue rushed
the General, leaving his baggage under guard of his infantry, but
though he arrived soon after daybreak on the 13th, the desperadoes had
made off, and not a vestige of them was to be seen. He therefore
concentrated his force at Koornfontein. The column later, sweeping
east, came in touch with General Blood's force north of Ermelo on the
19th, and from thence proceeded, clearing the ground as they went, to
Middelburg to refit. The total result of the operations were, 16 Boers
killed and wounded; prisoners, 23; rifles, 160; ammunition, 10,850
rounds; 58 vehicles, and some stock.
LIEUTENANT-GENERAL SIR BINDON BLOOD. EASTERN TRANSVAAL
In the middle of May General Bullock, as we are aware, was holding a
line from Lake Chrissie southwards. To co-operate with him came
General Blood on the conclusion of his operations north of the Delagoa
line.
By the 17th of May the columns of General W. Kitchener and Colonel
Pulteney were in touch with General Bullock near Ermelo, and General
Blood occupied Carolina with his cavalry. Finding the enemy had
scampered, operations were set on foot to clear the country towards
the East. Colonel Benson, marching south from Belfast, crossed the
Komati Valley, while Colonel Douglas, moving from Machadodorp, _viâ_
Uitkomst, operated between Komati River and the railway. To stop the
guerillas from fleeing north, and also to check them attempting to fly
south from the column of Colonel Park (which was scouring from
Lydenburg and the difficult ruggedness of the Mauchberg towards
Nelspruit), General Spens kept a watchful eye at Nelspruit. General
Blood at this time had accounted for four Boers killed, eighteen
captured, and nine burghers surrendered, and the number was greatly
augmented by the combined movement which followed.
General Spens then proceeded (on the 10th of June) to operate in the
mountainous districts surrounding Machadodorp, Lydenburg, and
Nelspruit. He and Colonel Park swept north-west of Nelspruit, while
Colonels Benson and Douglas cleared the country north-east from
Machadodorp. The reward of the combined efforts, which were quite
herculean in view of the region traversed, was 17 Boers killed, 48
prisoners captured, 107 rifles, 38,700 rounds of ammunition, 266
vehicles. Large quantities of stock were seized.
In consequence of the attack before mentioned on Major Morris and the
Victorians at Wilmansrust on the 12th, General Blood moved west from
Carolina with all available troops. He formed two columns, composed of
General Babington's cavalry and the 1st King's Royal Rifles under
Colonel Campbell, and directed General W. Kitchener and Colonel
Pulteney, who by this time were at Amsterdam, to follow in all haste.
General Blood made his headquarters a few miles north of Ermelo, and
established signalling communication with General W. Kitchener and
General Beatson. On the 19th of June General Beatson reached
headquarters, and the column, accompanied by General Blood, from
thence proceeded to Middelburg (which was reached on the 25th) to be
reorganised. Meanwhile the column of Colonel Pulteney went to Carolina
to draw supplies, following afterwards in the wake of General
Babington, Colonel Campbell, and General W. Kitchener, who were moving
west to the line Middelkraal-Uitgedacht, north of Bethel. These
columns were soon joined by General Blood with a convoy.
On the 31st the troops moved from Middelkraal towards Springs in the
following positions: Campbell on the right marched on Kleinkoppie,
Babington on Roodepoort, and Kitchener on Grootpan. The last officer
on the 3rd of July opened up communication with the columns of
Colville and Garratt (the last had relieved Colonel Grey), which were
moving up from Standerton and Greylingstad respectively.
Vigorous measures were being taken to prevent Viljoen and other Boer
leaders from escaping to the east. The dispersed hordes were
collecting in their numbers near Middelburg, and to be beforehand with
them Colonel Benson hurried from Machadodorp to Dullstroom, Colonel
Park from Lydenburg turned westwards so as to hem in the enemy from
the north, while General Spens' column hovered at Wonderfontein ready
to pounce as circumstances might suggest.
[Illustration: THE MISHAP TO THE VICTORIANS AT WILMANSRUST, JUNE 12,
1901
Drawing by R. Caton Woodville]
On the north-west of Machadodorp Colonel Benson soon came in touch
with the foe; caught him at Vlakfontein, twelve miles out, handled him
vigorously, and killed six of his band. One prisoner was taken. The
British lost three men, and eight wounded. This was on the 3rd of
July. On the 7th Viljoen, with the Johannesburg and Middelburg
commandos, again attacked the column at Dullstroom, but got the worst
of it, and had to flee, followed up hill and down dale, through ravine
and bush, by the dashing little force. General Spens from
Wonderfontein now took up the chase, but Viljoen, intimately
acquainted with the country, contrived to become as slippery an eel as
De Wet, and to make off on the now proverbial Boer principle of those
who fight and run away live to fight another day.
ACTIVITIES AROUND STANDERTON AND HEIDELBERG
May in the district between Standerton and Ermelo was opened by a
smart affair which resulted in the capture of eight prisoners, a Maxim
Nordenfeldt machine gun, fifteen rifles, twelve waggons, and fifteen
horses. The force under General Clements had for some little time been
engaged in Boer-hunting in the region north-east of Standerton on the
right bank of the Vaal. On the 4th May a laager was located, and while
troops detached from Standerton and Platrand blocked the roads leading
south from the river, Colonel Colville with his column made a night
march towards it, along the Standerton-Ermelo road. The surprise was
complete, and the Boers opened their eyes to dawn and desperation at
one and the same moment. Those who were sufficiently nimble scattered
to the four winds, the remainder were seized. Pursuit was impossible,
owing to the already fatigued state of Colonel Colville's men. This
column, which was composed of 2nd Division Mounted Infantry, 2nd
Johannesburg Mounted Rifles, 63rd Battery R.F.A. (4 guns), "O" Section
pom-poms, 2nd East Surrey, 1st Auxiliary Company A.S.C., 2nd Brigade
Field Hospital, and 2nd Brigade Bearer Company, was now strengthened
by four squadrons of regular cavalry. Colonel Colville, commanding
this entire force, then spent the remainder of May in operations in
conjunction with General Elliot, who was moving through Vrede to the
Natal Border. Colonel Colville's route lay from De Lange's Drift up
the right bank of the Klip River through the Verzammelberg. On nearing
the junction of the Klip and Ganzvlei, Colonel Colville crossed into
Orange River Colony, fought more Boers, captured more stock, and
after having made an enormous haul, retraced his steps to his
starting-point, De Lange's Drift.
The early part of June was spent in sweeping down the right bank of
the Vaal towards Villiersdorp, clearing farms and denuding the
district of supplies. On the 22nd Colonel Colville marched north from
Val Station to act on the left flank of Colonel Grey's column, which
was operating against the enemy between Standerton and the west of
Bethel. Towards Watervalshoek the two forces converged, and from here,
on the 25th, Colonel Grey's Queenslanders and New Zealanders drove off
some 400 of the enemy. After this dashing exploit Colonel Grey moved
to Greylingstad to fill up with supplies, and Colonel Garratt (as has
been said in the narrative of General Blood's movements) took over
command from Colonel Grey. Colonel Colville remained near the scene of
the fight, so as to connect with General Blood's columns which were
due from the north-east. Colonel Garratt, keeping west of Colonel
Colville, and in communication with him, moved north viâ Boschmankop
to Springs. Colonel Colville at Watervalshoek got in touch with
General W. Kitchener, who, as we know, reached Grootpan on the 3rd of
July.