ORANGE RIVER COLONY--AUGUST
At this time, as we know, the troops of Generals Bruce-Hamilton and C.
Knox were engaged in clearing operations to the south of the Riet
River, but, in consequence of a recrudescence of activity in the
south-eastern districts of the Orange Colony, the operations were
somewhat curtailed, and attention was directed to the offending
quarter. The activity showed itself firstly on the 12th of August,
when some 250 Boers under Boshoff, fleeing from the trap that Elliot
had prepared for them, burst through the line of blockhouses near
Sanna's Post. Secondly, another marauding gang of the same size, under
Kruitzinger, in evading French's hunters, east of Norval's Pont, had
penetrated the Springfontein-Bethulie line near Providence Siding, on
their way to Boesmans Kop--an old and favourite haunt. Finally, a
similar party under Smuts and Dreyer, on the 15th, had succeeded in
squeezing past the line of police posts on the Modder, to the north of
Petrusburg. These three movements suggested the possible concentration
of the raiders in the now clear area between Wepener, Rouxville, and
Smithfield, and consequently General Knox at once directed his
attention to this quarter, in order to prevent any fresh junction of
forces, and the entry of swelled commandos into Cape Colony. He
therefore moved his troops from west to east of the railway, so as to
interpose them between the enemy and the river line. Major Damant's
column was detached from General Bruce-Hamilton's command, and the
Royal Dragoons, under Lord Basing, were brought by rail from the
Transvaal to Springfontein, while Colonel Western moved from
Bloemfontein to Bethulie to join General Hart, who with Col. the Hon.
H. D. Murray's column, the Connaught Rangers, was guarding the river
west and east of Aliwal North.
Nor was this all. Colonel Sir Henry Rawlinson was ordered to pursue
Boshoff's guerillas, who were scurrying through the Bloemfontein-Ladybrand
line, but these nimble ones, bent rather on flight than fight, knowingly
avoided contact with the pursuers. Kruitzinger, gathering the bedraggled
remnants of commandos as he went, veered towards the Basuto border, hugged
it gingerly, and stealthily crept towards the river, so that, on the
morning of the 4th of September, he succeeded with 300 men, despite the
vigilance of our troops, in effecting a crossing into Cape Colony at Kiba
Drift. The Boers did not, however, escape Major Damant, who was hunting
for them in the neighbourhood of Spitzkop. He scented them out at Oudam,
to the west of Boesmanskop, and was off with 300 mounted men, 2 guns, and
a pom-pom to attack them. The marauders were on the alert, and they, on
the 14th, galloped off as fast as their mounts would carry them. For a
good ten miles galloped hunters and hunted, till at last the quarry,
dispersing, sought almost inaccessible refuge in the Marsfontein Hills.
But 4 prisoners, 20 horses, 6 mules, 5 rifles, a heliograph, and the
Commandant's despatch-box fell into Major Damant's hands. From the
prisoners it was discovered that they formed part of Delarey's gang, who
were moving under Dreyer to reinforce Kruitzinger at the Cape. Meanwhile,
Lord Basing was hunting around Boesmanskop, and Colonel Thorneycroft's two
columns, under Colonel Minchin and Major Copeman, were working their way
(from Reddersburg and Smithfield respectively) towards Zandfontein, twelve
miles east of Rouxville, where they met at the end of August. The enemy,
ensconced in the kloofs, crannies, and kopjes between Zastron and the
Orange River, succeeded in evading them, not a very marvellous feat
considering their intimate acquaintanceship with the geographical features
of this locality.
Colonel Pilcher's two columns of General Knox's force, under Colonel
Taylor and Major Lean, now marched from the west into Bloemfontein and
Edenburg, and from thence south to Bethulie, while Colonel Pilcher
pushed up the valley of the Caledon towards Smithfield, thus freeing
the troops of Colonel Thorneycroft and Lord Basing, who were able to
scour further east. About this time, 25th of August, Colonel Sir Henry
Rawlinson, marching south from Dewetsdorp, encountered a detached
bunch of Smuts' men scuttling east of Reddersburg. A brilliant chase
to the north-east followed, the mounted troops under Major Gosset
pursuing with such dash that 25 prisoners out of the party of 120 were
secured, and 30 of their horses captured. In September, after the
column had obtained supplies at Edenburg, further activities all along
the Basuto border were engaged in, and, on the 8th the mischievous
hordes were driven north from a position they had taken up in the
vicinity of Elandsberg. But Smuts and his following, despite the close
proximity of Colonel Thorneycroft, were successful in finding a
loophole at Kiba Drift, and escaped into Cape Colony on the 4th. There
he was quickly "spotted" by General Hart, who pursued him towards
Ladygrey. Both General Hart and General French had now their hands
full. Kruitzinger's and Smuts' men, who had effected a crossing,
required to be dealt with, so, in order to reinforce General French,
Colonel Pilcher moved from the Caledon Valley to Burghersdorp on the
7th of September.
ORANGE RIVER COLONY, S.--BRIGADIER-GENERAL PLUMER
We left General Plumer, on the 11th of August, surrounded by the
prizes won during his expedition to block the exits to the west during
General Elliot's sweep from the Vaal to the Modder River (see Map, p.
89). These prizes included 32 prisoners, 346 horses, 566 cattle, 28
waggons, and 39 carts. Four days later he was off again on fresh
Boer-hunting adventures. On his right moved Colonel Colvin, _viâ_
Doornhoek and Roodepan to Zoutpans Drift on the Orange River; on his
left marched Colonel Sir J. Jarvis through Koffyfontein and Luckhoff.
The place between the Kimberley-Luckhoff line was a desert. Not a Boer
showed his nose. Only some cattle, which were captured, betrayed his
recent haunts. General Plumer concentrated his force at Zoutpans Drift
on the 21st, and on the 23rd began a new move. The Orange River Valley
to the east and all its mysterious kloofs were thoroughly searched,
and the loopholes, whence the hunted might evade the vigilance of
General French's troops on the other side, were watched with lynx
eyes. But the Boers were not to be caught napping in this way. At
last, however, a commando under Lategan, which had been forced to run
from the Cape Colony before Colonel Byng's men, came plump upon
Plumer, who was then on the look-out, south of Philippolis. A spirited
chase ensued, and the fugitive band was relieved of 8 comrades, 4
rifles, 46 horses, and 11 vehicles. General Plumer's force reached
Prior's Siding and Springfontein on the night of the 30th of August,
and, one may almost say, without waiting to draw breath, was off again
to join in the hunt for Kruitzinger.
ORANGE RIVER COLONY, E.--MAJOR-GENERAL ELLIOT--AUGUST
After a brief rest at Glen, General Elliot, on the 18th, spread his
troops on the line Glen, Sanna's Post, Ladybrand, with the intention
of making a sweep to the north-east and a final wheel towards the
Wittebergen Mountains. The object of this wheel was to drive such
Boers as might be lurking about into the arms of General Campbell,
who, it may be remembered, was waiting at the Brandwater Basin to mop
them up. On General Elliot's left were Colonel Barker and Major Pine
Coffin, working from Winburg to co-operate towards the Tabaksberg and
Doornberg; while in the Senekal district was an outstretched
net--composed of the troops of General Spens, Colonel Rimington, and
Colonel Wilson--ready to haul in any interlopers that might be driven
north by General Elliot's activities.
Haasbroek, whose laager was reported to be somewhere in the vicinity,
was now the main object of the hunt. Report said that he, with 300
men, was on the Korannaberg; consequently this eminence was surrounded
on three sides by the Mounted Infantry from Thabanchu and Ladybrand
working one way, while Colonel Baker and Major Pine Coffin so disposed
themselves that the enemy, retreating toward Doornberg, would meet
with a warm welcome. But Haasbroek had bolted. When, after a long and
weary night march, Colonel Lowe's doughty men scaled the ridges, they
found on the summit only some twenty Boers, two of whom were killed
and one wounded. This was especially disappointing, as on the 22nd a
commando, said to be under De Wet, cropped up most unexpectedly, and
pounced upon a small party of the Black Watch Mounted Infantry, which
had been detached from Ladybrand to Modderpoort for the purpose of
driving such Boers as they might find towards General Elliot's right
front. And this commando--their superiors in numbers and in point of
position--was not to be overpowered, and eventually, after a fierce
tussle, in which five of the enemy were killed, including the field
cornet, the party was captured. Hearing of the disaster, General
Broadwood, who was on General Elliot's right at Maquatlings Nek,
rushed at once to the rescue, making a forced march throughout the
night of the 22nd, but without avail. The enemy and their British
prize had disappeared. The prisoners were afterwards released--the
Boers having already too many mouths to feed and no means of securing
their haul. From this time to the 26th the Division halted in the
region of the Korannaberg, and the time spent in awaiting supplies was
occupied in completely scouring the surrounding country. On the 26th
the march towards Wittebergen was resumed. Of course, Haasbroek and
his friends Froneman, Koen, and Hermanns Steyn were soon aware of the
direction taken by the troops, and were not slow in vacating the
position that they had taken up at Wonderkop, and moving north. By the
30th the columns were spreading out on a line--Retief's Nek, Commando
Nek--hunting as they went in valley and kloof, in ridge and ravine,
for signs of the marauders. Tiring and fatiguing were the
explorations, and often unremunerative; indeed, as a total, the
results of so much energy were disappointing. Horses, cattle, and
waggons were found in good quantities, but only 13 Boers were killed,
11 wounded, and 21 prisoners taken after numerous exciting
expeditions. The rest of the guerillas were driven either in the
direction of General Campbell's troops or towards the north. General
Elliot moved to Winburg on the 6th, where he was joined later by
Colonel Barker and Major Pine Coffin, who pursued their investigations
of the country some days longer.
SWEEPING THE KROONSTAD DISTRICT--BRIGADIER-GENERAL SPENS--AUGUST
The columns of General Spens, moving from Heilbron to Kroonstad
between the 6th and the 12th of August, performed a prodigious amount
of work, Major Gough and his Mounted Infantry alone securing 12
prisoners, 900 cattle, 30 carts, 2 waggons, and 186 horses.
On the 16th the General again made a grand effort, which, however, was
not crowned with brilliant results such as those just chronicled. The
mounted troops of Colonel Jenner and Major Gough, with four R.H.A.
guns, made a laborious night march of 35 miles from a farm north of
Welvart, in order to surround Lindley before dawn. The thing was
splendidly managed, but to no purpose. The town was vacated. The
"slim" ones had slunk off in a manner as disappointing to us as it was
commendable in them. So, on the 18th, General Spens was joined six
miles north-west of Lindley by his worn and disgusted band. Little
rest did they get. On the 20th they were again on the move, for it was
necessary that the rolling stone of the Boers should not be allowed
anywhere to pause and gather moss in the form of recruits and roving
raiders. The country north of the Lindley-Reitz road, as far as
Lovedale, was diligently searched. From Stryfontein on the 21st
Colonel Jenner and Major Gough were despatched in the direction of two
farms on the Lindley-Bethlehem road, which were known to be hotbeds of
hostility. A brilliant night march brought the troops to their
destination, but the Boers were on the alert, and in the grey of the
morning put spurs to their horses, and fled wildly in the direction of
the valley of the Valsch River, followed by salvoes from the pursuing
force. General Spens continued his sweep, and at last at
Olievenfontein (on the Lindley-Kroonstad road) came in touch with the
enemy. Here, his left flank guard had 200 to tackle--a desperate band
who came, for a wonder, to close quarters, and fought with dogged
valour.
It was with no little difficulty that the foe were eventually driven
off, and that with the loss of gallant young Wallis (Royal Irish
Fusiliers) and 2 men, while 13 of the men were wounded. The force
neared Kroonstad by the 29th August, about which time a splendid
officer, Captain Dick (Royal Irish Fusiliers), succumbed to wounds
incurred while gallantly leading his men.
Colonel Rimington meanwhile had relaxed none of his efforts. A smart
little affair on the 15th, in which he caught a Boer convoy trailing
along near Doornkloof, some seventeen miles north-west of Lindley,
helped to swell his "bag." Then on the 17th, at Vechtkop, he dashed
into a knot of 200 Boers under Waude, Mentz, and Boshoff, and sent
them spinning, following hot foot for full eight miles till they
dispersed in the mists of the south-east. That done he turned his
attention to Trommel, near Reitz. Here he pounced on a small
laager--secured 16 prisoners and some fat cart-loads of provisions,
beside waggons and horses. He was back again at Kroonstad by the 28th.
But two days later, he was to the fore taking his place in the scheme
of General Elliot's operations, which have been described, and, later,
co-operating with General Spens and Colonel Wilson in their endeavours
to intercept the roving bands. His activities were unending. On the
31st of August he "spotted" the commandos of De Vos and Lategan,
chased and dispersed them, and secured the best part of their
belongings; later, near Senekal, he made a dash on another convoy,
chased it, and, after a good ten miles' rush and a smart fight, killed
4 Boers and took 10 whole, together with 61 loaded waggons, 25 carts,
horses, mules, and 2000 cattle. This with the loss of only 4 men
wounded. On the 6th of September, after reconnoitring towards
Blitzberg, Colonel Rimington returned, heavy with the spoils of war,
to Kroonstad.
[Illustration: GENERAL ELLIOT]
Here he was followed two days later by Colonel Wilson, who had been
following an identical plan of pounce and pursuit on the right. He too
had skirmished with good effort, first engaging some of De Vos' men
and sending them to the right-about, and secondly attacking
Haasbroek's commando, midway between Senekal and Ventersburg, and
handling it somewhat roughly. Seven Boers were killed, 3 prisoners
were taken, together with carts innumerable, full and empty, and
cattle to the tune of 2000. The central column under General Spens,
which all this time was moving direct on Senekal, worked brilliantly
and scored some success, the total result being 5 Boers killed, 3
voluntarily surrendered, 11 prisoners, 34 Cape carts, and 1800 cattle
captured.
OPERATIONS NEAR HONING SPRUIT AND THE LOSBERG--LIEUTENANT-COLONEL
GARRATT
In August, Colonel Garratt, who was following in rear of General
Elliot's movement on the Modder (see p. 89), marched from the junction
of the Vet and Zand Rivers to Bultfontein. Here, on the 12th, he
encountered a band of guerillas, took two and killed two, and pursued
the rest as far as the banks of the Zand River. Here he lost them, for
horse flesh could do no more. Turning, he veered north towards Honing
Spruit. In this direction, near the junction of the Rhenoster and
Honing Spruit, was said to be the laager of Spanneberg, and
consequently a force under Colonel the Hon. H. White (300 mounted men
and 30 Burgher Police) was detached to deal with him. Through the
night of the 18th the troops marched warily yet rapidly towards their
prey, fearing that at any moment rumour of their approach might render
the expedition--as these expeditions were so likely to be--futile. But
no; by dawn the sleeping gang was surrounded; they opened their eyes
to the consciousness that a small forest of British rifles had grown
up around them, and that efforts of defence were useless. They had to
deal with men who were more than their match--Simpson of the New
Zealand Regiment, Quintal of the New South Wales Bushmen, and other
splendid fellows before whom they were only too glad to run! One Boer
lost his life in the scrimmage, twenty-five were made prisoners, and
Steyn, late Landdrost of Vredefort, was among them. Carts, waggons,
horses, cattle too, were taken possession of, and the smart little
force, after having covered 56 miles in 36 hours, returned to
headquarters, duly elated with their prize. It was now necessary to
search in the region of the Losberg for fugitive bands, and to this
end Colonel Garratt on the 21st crossed the Vaal at Lindique Drift.
The mounted troops were eternally spying and scouring hither and
thither, and their activity was not in vain. In the distance on the
morning of the 24th loomed what appeared to be a convoy--a convoy
moving towards Buffelshoek. In an instant the trackers were after it,
and before long the hostile gang was caught, dispersed, their precious
freight taken, and with it eight prisoners, carts, oxen, cattle, and
horses. With this extra burden on their hands, the party, fatigued
after the chase, were, as may be imagined, almost at the mercy of
fate. Fate, as it happened, was capricious. Such of the Boers as had
contrived to escape gave warning of the perilous position of the
British force, and at noon returned with a party of 300 of their
fellows, who had been collected from the skirts of the Gatsrand. A
vigorous fight ensued. The Boers, doughty always, were now grown
dashing, the spur of famine driving them to the valour of despair.
Between both was the prize--the prize to be held by those who had won
it; by now, infinitely more precious than in the winning--the prize to
be recaptured by those who had all the calls of the flesh to prompt
the spirit to battle and retaliation. This was indeed a tug of war.
Till five of the afternoon--from noon till five--fought those men. The
Boers, fresh from the hills, hungering with a mighty hunger for their
precious convoy--the British, worn with the long rush since daylight
and the previous fight, but holding on, like the never-say-die fellows
they are, till the desperadoes were at length driven off in the
direction of the Vaal. But this engagement was costly, for one officer
and one man were killed, and two men were wounded.
This brilliant little force, which was covering the establishment of
posts by the South African Constabulary, two days later made another
successful night march from the Losberg to Leeuwpoort. More prizes of
horses, mules, cattle, and prisoners--numbering thirteen--were the
fruit of their pluck and perseverance, and in the net they had the
satisfaction of discovering a nephew of General Delarey, a person who
counted for considerably more than the poor tramps who had joined the
guerilla proceedings for reasons of mere bellicose vagrancy.
On the 2nd of September Colonel Garratt marched to Meyerton and
Vereening, and from thence moved by rail to Paardekop Station on the
Standerton line. This was a precautionary measure, for rumour now
pointed to possible raids on the Natal border, and to frustrate any
concentration of hostile bodies Colonel Garratt was to commence
working from Paardekop towards Wakkerstroom.
SCOURING THE MAGALIESBERG--COLONELS ALLENBY AND KEKEWICH
We left Colonel Allenby in the occupation of Breedt's Nek, which the
Boers had evacuated.
[Illustration: NIGHT ATTACK ON A BOER CONVOY BY MOUNTED INFANTRY UNDER
COLONEL WILLIAMS
Drawing by John Charlton from a Sketch by a British Officer]
On the 7th of August a movement was made to obtain possession of the
Damhoek and Pampoen Kraal Passes. At the latter place a gang of forty
Boers was effectively tackled by the Volunteer Service Company and the
King's Own Scottish Borderers under Major Mayne. The whole bunch was
most skilfully surrounded and secured, and with them Mr. F. Wolmarans,
chairman of the late Volksraad. The passes were occupied, and from the
10th to the 12th of August stray Boers were unearthed by Colonel
Allenby in the southern slopes of the Magaliesberg, between
Nooitgedacht and Grobelaar's Pass. Nine Boers were brought in,
fourteen rifles, some waggons, carts, and dynamite. About this time
Major Butler (in command of the Carabineers) was detached from Colonel
Allenby's column to co-operate with General Gilbert Hamilton, who had
been engaging in the incessant harrying of Liebenberg's commando and
other raiders east of Lichtenburg. Marching by night and by day, he
had hunted and tracked, worried and pursued, but had never
succeeded in bringing the enemy to open fight. Now, on his return to
Ventersdorp on the 11th, he arranged, with the assistance of Major
Butler's men from the north, for a simultaneous attack upon
Koperfontein and Basfontein. The attack was splendidly managed, and on
the morning of the 14th, after some vigorous fighting, in which
Lieutenant Till (6th Dragoon Guards) and one man lost their lives and
5 men were wounded, 10 prisoners, 27 waggons, and 100 cattle were
captured. Three Boers were killed.
Major Butler and the Carabineers rejoined Colonel Allenby at Damhoek,
while General Hamilton reconnoitred towards Tafel Kop and made more
prisoners.
General Barton now watched the establishment of posts eastwards over
the hill from Breedt's Nek, while Colonels Kekewich and Allenby,
having completely effected their sweeping operations, moved to
Commando Nek for supplies. But of course the dispersed Boers were
forced to hide somewhere, so, going north, they chose Zwartkopies,
whence after some skirmishing they were driven by Colonel Allenby.
Meanwhile Colonel Kekewich, moving at the same date (19th) from
Commando Nek, ferreted along the bed of the Crocodile River and
effected the capture of fourteen of the enemy together with their
horses. So vigorous were the operations of both these officers that
the Boers in the district began to feel that their days were numbered,
and that they had better surrender with a good grace. This twenty-nine
of them did at Beestekraal, where Colonel Allenby was operating, on
the 23rd, while on the 25th sixteen more (including T. Kruger, a
nephew of the ex-President) surrendered to Colonel Kekewich, who was
then at the junction of the Crocodile and Elands Rivers. As most of
the remaining raiders had now betaken themselves to the rugged and
almost inaccessible country on the north, where pursuit would have
been useless, Colonel Kekewich veered south, while Colonel Allenby
moved west, with a view to watching the west of Magaliesberg in the
direction of Rustenburg. September found them posted at points where
they might work in combination against Kemp's commando--Colonel
Allenby at Bashoek (a northern fringe of the Magaliesberg) and Colonel
Kekewich near Magato Pass.
At this date, owing to the unceasing exertions of General Barton,
Colonels Kekewich and Allenby, and Lord Basing, together with the
extension of the system of Constabulary posts, excellent results had
been obtained in the area bounded on the north by the Magaliesberg, on
the south by the Vaal, on the east by the Pretoria line, and on the
west by the Frederikstad-Breedt's Nek line of blockhouses. Scarcely a
Boer was to be seen. The raiders were forced to the extreme limits,
east and west, north and south, and against their safety in these
outskirts, further operations were soon to be directed.
TRANSVAAL, S.W.
Their work over in the Marokani range and the valley of the Harts
River, Lord Methuen and General Fetherstonhaugh by parallel routes
moved to Klerksdorp. General Fetherstonhaugh marched (on the 9th) his
two columns along the right bank of the Vaal, searching in every hole
and cranny for nests of marauders and destroying such supplies as he
found. Colonel Hickie unearthed few Boers; but Colonel Williams, by a
knowing dodge worthy of De Wet himself, set a trap which enclosed a
whole convoy plus eighteen prisoners, cattle, and vehicles. His
manoeuvre was this. Report spoke to the fact that the convoy of
Commandant Vermaas on the 19th was trekking towards Katdoornplaats,
north of Wolmaranstad. Accordingly, he sent off his convoy under
escort towards Leeuwfontein, thus giving the effect that he was on the
march in that direction. Meanwhile he reserved his alert Colonials
(the New South Wales Mounted Rifles and Bushmen) for an enterprise
after their own heart. In the dead of night they were ordered to
proceed towards their goal, and at early dawn when they reached
Katdoornplaats they traced the tale of Boer departure and the
direction of it by the wheel-tracks in the soil. Not a moment did they
lose. Off on a gallop of twelve miles they went, lessening, as they
plunged onward, the distance between themselves and the lumbering
convoy. At last they were even with it; the ping of bullets told the
Boers that their flight was a failure and that they had met their
match. And so it came to pass that this mettlesome force, after an
expedition during which they covered sixty miles in twenty-seven
hours, returned to headquarters with the spoil before named, every one
of the captured vehicles being brought away with them. Among the
prisoners was the late Landdrost of Bloemhof and a telegraphist with
complete tapping apparatus.
While these columns were moving on Klerksdorp, which they reached on
22nd and 23rd of August, Lord Methuen, on the left, had been
skirmishing his way along, fighting both with the gang of Delarey and
with that of Vermaas, fights of no limp nature, for he came into
Klerksdorp on the 22nd with 13 prisoners, 23 voluntarily surrendered
Boers, 400 trek oxen, 1848 cattle, 43 waggons, 19 carts, 76 horses,
and 8 mules. He had lost one man, and one officer and eight men had
been wounded in the various frays. In addition to these commandos
which were trounced on the journey, report said that General Kemp with
some 800 followers was flitting between the kopjes and crevices on the
south-west of Olifant's Nek. An effort therefore had to be made to
meet this hostile multitude, and to this end the various troops moved
by the 1st of September to situations which were supposed to enclose
the marauders and afford them no loopholes of escape. Unfortunately,
Lord Methuen's men were covering a wide expanse of ground, and were
forced to move to block a reported attempt to escape towards Lindley
Poort; and through the gap thus created between the columns of Lord
Methuen and those of Colonel Hickie, the Dutch leader contrived to
bolt. But in his dashing feat only his mounted men could follow him,
and consequently a large body of Boers with waggons, carts,
ammunition, indeed all his effects, were left behind, and by degrees
were unearthed from their burial-places in the kloofs and taken
possession of.
Lord Methuen, on the 2nd of September, marched from Brakfontein to
Roodival (on his return journey to Zeerust), and while proceeding to
the north-west he suddenly espied a convoy in the distance. A mad
chase ensued, followed by a brisk fight, in which 6 Boers were left
dead on the field. Of prisoners 22 were taken, together with waggons,
carts, cattle, and ammunition in enormous quantities. Passing on, Lord
Methuen spent the following days in capturing more vagrants; but on
the 5th his troops came in for stiff work. They were now in the
country of scrub and jungle in the Marico Valley, and round them on
their right were Delarey and Field-Cornet Van Tonder, whose convoy had
been captured, while on the left were Commandants Botha and
Liebenberg. In addition to these was the Marico commando under
Commandant Lemmer and Field-Cornet Louw, who attacked the rearguard. A
stirring action followed, the brunt of which was sustained by the 5th
Imperial Yeomanry and the Welsh Squadrons. Eleven Boers were killed, 8
wounded, and 11 prisoners, while 10 waggons and 5 carts were captured.
This haul was somewhat increased by the contributions of Colonel Von
Donop, who with his detached column had taken a more southerly route
through Quaggashoek and the lead mines, where he collected 3 Boers, 39
vehicles, and some cattle. The total British casualties on the march
between Brakfontein and Zeerust were 1 officer and 12 men killed, and
2 officers and 28 men wounded.
While Lord Methuen returned to Zeerust and General Hamilton marched to
Kaffir's Kraal (fifteen miles north-west of Klerksdorp), General
Fetherstonhaugh remained for a few days trapping the stragglers from
Kemp's force, in which operation he was assisted by Colonel Kekewich,
who afterwards (on the 7th) retraced his steps _viâ_ Middelfontein
towards Naauwpoort. Colonel Allenby on the 9th got back _viâ_
Rustenburg to Commando Nek, having indulged, as he went, in various
exciting exploits. At Schaapkraal he scented out a Boer laager and by
night surrounded it so cautiously and so cleverly that the Boers,
though they made an effort at fight, had not the ghost of a chance.
Unfortunately in the skirmish two men of the Scots Greys fell. Of the
enemy, 22 were made prisoners and 2 were killed. Rifles, carts, loaded
waggons, and ammunition swelled the total.
THE PIETERSBURG LINE--LIEUT.-COLONEL GRENFELL
Colonel Grenfell spent July and the better part of August in operating
against General Beyer's gang, which still hovered around the west of
the Pietersburg line. These marauders in small numbers were captured
occasionally, but they were more inclined for manslaughter than for
war, and seldom came out into the open, contenting themselves merely
with train-wrecking. On the 4th of July, taking advantage of the thick
cover that surrounded the line north of Naboom Spruit Station,
Commandant Lys and his party lay in wait for a train for which a mine
had been previously prepared. The mine exploded to time and the train
with its escort of Gordon Highlanders was brought to a standstill.
Then from their comfortable ambush the enemy proceeded to fire,
killing Lieutenant Best and 9 Gordon Highlanders, an artillery-man, 2
Engineers, the driver, fireman, guard, and 4 natives. The success of
this scheme so delighted the ruffians that they tried the same game
again and again, and on the 31st of August a still more tragic affair
took place. The train was travelling between Waterval and Hamanskraal
Stations, and had descended a deep cutting when an explosion occurred.
Before the victims could recover the shock of derailment the Boers
hiding on the banks rained bullets among their number, killing and
wounding at their pleasure. Colonel Vandeleur (Irish Guards), a
valuable young officer of great promise, fell; with him among the dead
lay 13 men, 1 traveller, and 2 natives. Four officers were wounded,
besides 20 men and a woman. The mail-bags were seized by the
marauders, who were well pleased with their murderous success.
To effect their chastisement and secure the line in future from
further assaults, General Barton quickly despatched from the Hekpoort
Valley, by Zilikat's Nek, to Waterval, a flying column. The force (250
men and two R.H.A. guns), under Colonel Hacket Thompson, pursued the
enemy, and near Wagon Drift caught them. A brisk fight ensued, four of
the gang were killed and a portion of the captured mails was
recovered, after which the column moved back to Eerste Fabriken, and
from thence to Waterval by the 8th of September.
THE TRANSVAAL (NORTH-EAST)--GENERAL BLOOD'S OPERATIONS
The first exploit of General Walter Kitchener in August was the
surprise of a convoy near Diepkloof, some thirty-five miles north of
Middelburg, where he was encamped. Colonel Park meanwhile searched for
the remnants of Viljoen raiders in the rugged region of the
Tautesberg, and that done, marched to Paardekloof. A week later, as a
larger and more rapid swoop upon the enemy was contemplated, General
Kitchener from his own, Colonel Campbell's, and Colonel Park's columns
organised a flying column consisting of the 18th and 19th Hussars, 4th
Mounted Infantry Battalion, two guns of the 81st Battery R.F.A., a
pom-pom, and sixty "Devons," who were to be carried in carts. With
this column he left Diepkloof at 4 A.M. on the 10th for Krokodil Drift
on the Olifants River, while Colonels Campbell and Park, with the
remainder of the infantry (in waggons), proceeded to Rooikraal and
Holnek.
General Kitchener now scoured the valley of the Blood River, and
finding it clear of guerillas, and hearing that Viljoen's horde had
betaken itself to the banks of the Moos stream, he pushed thither with
his cavalry, over the stream and on towards the valley of Elands
River, leaving the Mounted Infantry with the pom-pom to guard Krokodil
Drift. Up to this time no vestige of the quarry had been sighted. But
now from the low banks fringing Elands River, dust in the distance,
some seven miles off, seemed to hint of a moving convoy. The vision
was tantalising. But an almost impregnable jungle stretched between
the dust-cloud and the British troops, and the General decided that a
cut across country would be futile. From his observations he
calculated that this convoy moving down the left bank of the river
towards Commissie Drift might be headed off at that point; therefore
the column was soon pushing along the right bank towards the drift in
expectation of a fight. But the Boers were wary. By the time the
British force gained the drift, they discovered to their dismay that
the enemy had retraced their steps and were off to the south-west.
After this disappointment the column moved to Uyskraal, and from
thence on the 16th they pushed up the Elands Valley to Vrieskrall. The
19th Hussars, who were in advance, soon found to their cost that the
dense jungle in that region was populated with Boers, and at midday
the officer commanding sent back word that he was being hard pressed.
The Boers, indeed, were on all sides, and as fast as the officers
advanced, they found themselves surrounded. The predicament threatened
to be disastrous, for four of the officers and nineteen of the
troopers had been seized when the 18th Hussars and guns, which had
been pushed forward in support, turned the scale of events. Fighting,
fast and furious, in the thick of a dense mass of scrub and tangle was
carried on, the enemy sticking to the bush with fierce tenacity, the
Hussars steadily pushing them back and back to the region of some
kopjes where, in the shadow of the night, they sought refuge.
Fortunately, during the scrimmage the foe were forced to let loose
the officers and men whom they had captured, but five gallant troopers
were lost. The Boers made use of the darkness to effect their escape,
and by the morning the whole of their position was evacuated. General
Kitchener now rejoined Colonel Campbell at Roorikraal, the flying
column was broken up, and the 4th Mounted Infantry returned to Colonel
Park.
From this date till the end of the month the columns moved slowly down
to the railway, those of General Kitchener and Campbell by Blinkwater
to Wonderfontein (which was reached on the 4th September), and that of
Colonel Park by Roosenekal and Welpoort to Bankfontein (five miles
north-east of Middelburg), which was reached on the 8th. The combined
"bag" contained 53 prisoners, 22 voluntarily surrendered burghers,
2072 cattle, 76 horses, 60 waggons, and 24 carts. Sixteen Boers were
killed. A 15-pounder gun and three Maxims were found by Colonel Park,
the enemy having first taken care to destroy them.
Colonel Benson meanwhile had been untiringly sweeping the district
between Carolina and Ermelo, causing the Boers to live in a state of
sleepless anxiety lest he, in one of his midnight swoops, should catch
them snoring. On the 15th he arranged another of these expeditions,
the direction being Warmbaths, some thirty-four miles north-east of
Carolina, where he then was. He moved first to Nooitgedacht. Here he
dropped his encumbrance in the form of waggons, &c.; and thus
lightened, he stole with his brilliant little band, Colonel
Wools-Sampson leading them, across the pitch-black veldt towards the
enemy's camp. For thirty-four miles they crept on their errand of
surprise. The stratagem was successful. A good number of Boers
escaped, but they went horseless and cattleless. Fifty-two prisoners
were taken, the majority of whom were captured in a dashing rush by
the Eastern Transvaal Scouts under Major Young. Among the captives was
a captain of scouts for the Carolina districts, and also the
father-in-law of Mr. Schalk Burger. Colonel Benson now returned to
Carolina, where he remained till the 21st of August.
Of the activities of Colonel Benson's force the correspondent of the
_Morning Post_ reported enthusiastically. He said:--
"The intelligence officers of the column, for some time under
Colonel Wools Sampson, did their work in a most efficient
manner. By various clever tactics they would locate bodies of
the enemy, perhaps twenty and sometimes even fifty miles away
from the camp. On their information a sudden swoop would be
planned, and carried out, as a rule, successfully. On occasion
the whole column would march several miles in the opposite
direction to that of the object of attack. Then after the camp
was formed, the horses fed, and the men about to turn in for
the night, sudden orders would be given for the mounted men to
march. The plans were not known generally, even by the
officers, till within an hour of marching. Then the camp would
be left in charge of the infantry, and the mounted men would
proceed as silently as possible on their night march of from
twenty to fifty miles. If guns were taken the wheels would be
muffled, and every possible precaution would be taken to keep
the movement secret. Through the intelligence officers knowing
the roads thoroughly very few mishaps have occurred. The march
was usually done in column of fours until the point was reached
whence the attack was to be made. Even on the darkest nights,
when it was difficult for a trooper to see his horse's head,
only very rarely has a man got off the road and lost the
column. After a couple of months' practice the men became
adepts at the work.
"When the point was reached from which the attack was to be
made the force would be divided into several independent
squadrons and sent round the position occupied by the enemy,
each squadron leader being carefully instructed about what he
had to do, whether his part in the plan was to hold a nek over
which the enemy would probably attempt to escape, or whether it
was to rush the position at a given time. The usual plan was to
make the attack just as daylight began to appear. The leading
squadrons detailed for the work, as a rule with Colonel Benson
at their head, would gallop for the farmhouse or laager and be
right among the Boers before they were properly awake. Latterly
the Boers have been taking greater precautions, and some of the
commandants have made it a rule to be saddled up by three
o'clock every morning. The districts operated in--Carolina,
Ermelo, Middelburg, and Lydenburg--have become noted during the
war for the stubborn resistance they have made. In these
districts there are still considerable numbers of the enemy
about, mostly split up into small lots of ten, twenty, or
perhaps fifty men. There are many farms which have not been
visited by any column. These are situated away from the main
roads, and hidden in kloofs and valleys among the hill ranges.
These contain stores of food and serve as resting-places for
the enemy. The work of destroying these food depôts is steadily
prosecuted, but is necessarily a slow process. The Boers,
however, obtain abundant supplies from the Kaffir kraals,
mealies, meat, and salt being the principal food, and, judging
from the condition of the prisoners taken, the Boers thrive on
it."
While the Eastern Transvaal Scouts, under Major Young, were making
their reputation for dash in this district, the South African
Constabulary and Morley's Scouts, under Captain Wood, had been doing
splendid service patrolling the region of Bronkers Spruit. Boers were
known to be in the valley, and the Constabulary posts were threatened
by the dangerous contiguity of snipers sheltered in networks of dongas
beyond them, but the strength of the Boers was not determined till the
17th, when the small British force came suddenly upon a gang of some
800 marauders which had halted at Middelburg. There was nothing to be
done but to attack, and that with rapidity, and before the sudden and
really splendid rush of Constabulary and Scouts the great Boer mass
gave way--their horses stampeded--and many were wounded, while 11 were
taken prisoners. But alas for the tide in the affairs of men! It
turned at the most critical moment. The Boers, becoming suddenly aware
of the small number of their assailants, made haste to rally their
forces and boldly lunged back on the British party. Hand-to-hand
fighting, ferocious and sustained, followed, during which Captain
Morley of the Scouts was dangerously wounded. Back and back went the
Constabulary, on and on came the Boers, till they had recovered the 11
prisoners that had been taken from them and secured 14 of the British
to boot. In the fierce fray five of our men were wounded and one
killed. On the following day an effort was made by Colonel Bewicke
Copley to catch the guerillas and punish them, but without avail. He
made a forced march from Springs towards Middelburg, but the commando
which had wrought such havoc among Captain Wood's men was nowhere to
be seen. Report said it had disappeared towards the south-east, so
after dispersing such stragglers as were found hanging about the line
of march preparing to locate themselves in the comfortable
sniping-places of spruit and donga, he proceeded to Olifantsfontein,
whence he sent for further supplies from Springs. At Olifantsfontein
he stayed a week, then went to Springs for the purpose of co-operating
with Colonel Benson. This officer, owing to some misunderstanding
regarding the urgency of the orders calling him west, and being
ignorant of the Boer concentration that had been effected on the 17th,
moved from Carolina only on the 21st of August. He marched by Vaalbank
to Middelkraal; from thence he veered northwards; drew supplies from
Middelburg, and again proceeded on his course towards Brakfontein,
near the sources of the Wilge River. Here Colonel Bewicke Copley,
after a twenty-mile march, had arrived, and here at dawn on the 31st
he came in collision with 450 Boers; fought them; wounded Lieutenant
Roos of the Staats Artillery and some others; took 7 prisoners, some
horses, cattle, and waggons, and sent the rest scattering to the
south.
Colonel Benson, too, was doing his share of the Boer-hunting. Hearing
that the enemy had gone south towards the upper part of the Waterval
Valley, he decided on another of his night marches for the surprise of
the foe. Leaving his waggons in charge of the infantry, he led his
mounted troops towards the laager at Kroomdraai (west of Ermelo). The
pickets were "rushed," and before the startled Boers could reach their
horses, the gallant Scottish Horse plunged in among them. Fourteen
prisoners were taken. The late Landdrost of Heidelberg, and Brink, a
member of the Special Government Court for the trial of prisoners,
were of the number.
At the conclusion of the adventure--in which he captured 12 waggons,
17 Cape carts, 80 horses, 514 cattle, 11 mules, and some supplies--and
in consequence of the Boers having escaped beyond pursuit to the
south-east, Colonel Benson proceeded early in September to the Delagoa
line (Witbank Station), while Colonel Bewicke Copley returned to
Springs.
[Illustration: BULLOCK WAGGON CROSSING A DRIFT ON THE UMBELOSI RIVER,
SWAZILAND.
Drawing by Donald E. M'Cracken.]
LIEUTENANT-COLONEL COLVILLE'S OPERATIONS
In August Colonels Colville and Stewart, who had been operating north
of Greylingstad, moved to Standerton. On the 10th the last officer
entrained for Dundee to reinforce the troops on the north-east
frontier of Natal, while Colonel Colville crossed the Klip and
established an entrenched camp at Brakpan. He now, with mounted
troops and guns, scoured the Upper Klip Valley, penetrated Natal by
Muller's Pass in the Drakensberg, and deposited at Newcastle his stock
and prisoners captured during the march. This march was by no means a
triumphal progress, for the district was fringed with Boers who sniped
by day and brewed mischief by night. The dongas, spruits, and hills
afforded them excellent cover, and the men needed nerves of iron to
play a livelong game of hide-and-seek with death, which peeped
cunningly from every nook and cranny.
Colonel Colville returned _viâ_ Botha's Pass to De Lange Drift minus
many of his gallant men who were wounded in the course of the ordeal,
and proceeded to Standerton on the 6th of September.
NATAL--LIEUTENANT-GENERAL SIR H. HILDYARD
On the Natal frontier affairs had become somewhat unsettled. The Boers
who had been swept off from the Standerton line were dribbling across
the frontier, and others round about Vryheid and Utrecht seemed to be
waiting an opportunity to effect a concentration. At the end of July
it became certain that the foe was gathering in good numbers to the
east of Nqutu, and that many more might be creeping through the long
grass to other parts of the country which had become more or less
settled. On the 28th of July things came to a climax. Major F. A.
Henderson (8th Hussars), who with 200 mounted men (8th Hussars and
Natal Volunteer Composite Regiment) was scouring the locality around
Nqutu, came on the foe and engaged them. The marauders were more than
usually strong and more than usually tenacious. They launched
themselves, in a mass of 400, with great dash against the small
British force, in the hope to intercept the troops if possible during
their retirement to Nondweni; but through the skill of the commanding
officer and the dash of 20 men of the Natal Volunteers, who raced them
for a kopje and won, the Boers were frustrated. The fighting lasted
the whole day, and the Boers made frantic efforts to capture a gun of
the 67th Battery R.F.A., but with great energy the piece of contention
was galloped off under a brisk fusillade from the foe till it was
safely out of their range.
Doggedly both parties battled together, with the result that Major
Jervis-Edwards, a gallant officer whose loss was much deplored, and
three men were killed, and five were wounded. Soon after this, the
Boers becoming still more obstreperous, it was arranged that
Lieut.-General Sir H. Hildyard's command should be strengthened by the
addition of the column of Colonel Stewart, whose departure for Dundee
we may remember, and another under Colonel Pulteney. This column
consisted of the Victorian Mounted Rifles (moved from the Delagoa
line), a squadron of the 8th Hussars, the Dublin Fusiliers Mounted
Infantry, and two guns. While this mobile column was sweeping from
Utrecht to Kambuladraai, Colonel Stewart was marching from Dundee
through Vryheid towards the same destination. A junction was effected
on the 23rd of August, on which date a brisk encounter took place
between Colonel Pulteney's men and the Boers who were sneaking in the
west of the Schurveberg. In the engagement two of the Victorians were
killed and five wounded.
On the following days both columns retraced their steps to Vryheid and
then, united under the command of Colonel Blomfield, moved to the
junction of the Pivaan and Manzaan Rivers. The march over rugged and
tormenting ground was one trying to the patience of man and beast,
particularly as gangs of Boers under Scholtz at intervals prevented
any chance of monotony by variations in the art of sniping and
"potting." The force returned to Vryheid on the 31st, little having
been accomplished owing to the impracticable nature of the country.
But two Boers were killed. Early in September Colonel Blomfield began
a new scouring expedition, moving down the valley of the Umvalosi on
to Bethel and Brakfontein. Here again, on the 4th September, he had a
smart tussle with the enemy, and having dispersed them, moved to
Nondweni and thence to Dundee.
CAPE COLONY--LIEUTENANT-GENERAL SIR J. FRENCH
Early in August the troops of General French were found on the line
Beaufort West, Pearston, Drennan Station-Cameron Glen-Cathcart. They
now began pushing steadily northwards, sweeping the enemy before them.
Kruitzinger, thus pressed, was forced to retire in the direction of
Middelburg and Steynsburg. His gang--dispersed by various frays with
the British columns, and divided in desultory knots which succeeded in
passing through the line of British blockhouses--reassembled north of
the Zuursberg at Langedrift (fifteen miles north-west of Steynsburg).
Here their number was swelled by bands under Erasmus, Wessels, and
Pypers. There was now a somewhat formidable army of guerillas, and
these on the 13th were encountered by Colonel Gorringe at Rooifontein.
The gang were attacked, driven back past Venterstad into the Orange
River, and in their retreat were so effectively hustled by Captains
Nickalls and Sandeman, that they lost many of their number, among them
Commandant Cachet, while the redoubtable Erasmus, together with
Kruitzinger's secretary, were captured. Colonel Hunter Weston about
this time had also been engaged with Theron and had driven him and his
to the right-about with characteristic despatch. While these frays
were going forward, Lategan's raiders, who had been pressed into the
Orange River Colony, were there being forcibly tackled by Colonel Byng
and General Plumer. So far so good. But there were other gangs that
buzzed mosquito-like in a circle; and these, under Lotter and Botha,
after being flicked northward from the Rhenosterberg (south-west of
Middelburg), veered round and contrived to break through the pursuing
columns and re-establish themselves in the hilly region of Spitzkop
(thirty miles south of Middelburg). Smit's gang, after being routed
from the Rhenosterberg, scurried across the rail towards the
north-west of Deelfontein, afterwards infesting the country between
Carnarvon and Fraserburg; Lotter and Botha shifted to the Cradock
district, while another troop of marauders under Theron created havoc
and consternation between Aberdeen and Willowmore. Still, though the
mosquitos continued to draw good British blood occasionally, they paid
a fair price for it, and in the series of attacks which whisked them
north 19 of the number were killed, 43 wounded, and 17 captured.
[Illustration: LIEUT.-COL. GORRINGE]
It must here be noted that on the 17th of August, at Graaff Reinet,
three of the rebel leaders, Van Rensburg, Fourie, and Pfeifer, who
were captured at Camdeboo in July, were executed. Ten others were
sentenced to penal servitude for life in the Bermudas. It was
impossible to feel commiseration for these men, in view of the numbers
of British homes they had robbed by the insane folly of resistance
after the annexation of the Boer territories, and it was felt that
unless some severe measures were adopted the system of lawlessness
would continue for ever in the Colony.
It was now necessary to make new dispositions in order to guard
against the return of the raiders who had been driven north, and to
pursue those who had succeeded in scuttling to the south. Accordingly
Colonel Wyndham followed the tracks of Smit to the west, and Colonels
Crabbe and Hunter-Weston and Captain Lund converted themselves into a
three-headed Cerberus to guard the Zand Drift (west of Colesberg)
against the reappearance of Lategan. Colonel Gorringe's column, with
the 17th Lancers, kept a vigilant watch on the Orange between Norval's
Pont and Bethulie, while Colonels Doran, Scobel, and Kavanagh, working
to the south, followed the spoor of Lotter, Botha, and Theron. So
stood affairs towards the end of August. Then a rumour came to the
effect that Smit and Scheepers were brewing mischief, the first at
Fraserburg, the latter near Laingsburg. Therefore, most promptly, the
column of Colonel Crabbe was shifted to Matjesfontein.
Two days later, on the 5th of September, Colonel Scobell, who was
chasing Lotter, scored the biggest success of the guerilla campaign.
At Petersburg, some forty miles west of Cradock, he succeeded in
surrounding his man and in capturing not only him and his whole
commando, but an additional gang under Breedt! The whole affair was
most brilliantly conceived, and reflected credit on so many for their
pluck and gallantry, that some of the names of the heroes who
contributed to the success of the affair are scarcely known. Firstly,
much of the kudos is due to a party of Midland Mounted Rifles, who, on
the 2nd of September, held with such tenacity a pass that Lotter hoped
to push through, that the career of the Boer leader was arrested and
it became possible for Colonel Scobell to effect his checkmate!
Among the splendid supporters of the Colonel who were notable for
exceptional gallantry were Captain Lord Douglas Compton, 2nd
Lieutenants Wynn and Neilson, Captain Purcell (9th Lancers), and
Lieutenant Bowers, Cape Mounted Rifles; while all the men of the 9th
Lancers so distinguished themselves that it is impossible to cite the
names and the deeds done by those glorious fellows without devoting
pages to the task. Unfortunately Lieutenant Theobald, who had been
killed earlier in the month, lost the finale, to which he, with his
comrades, had so perseveringly and so gallantly contributed.
The list of prisoners included Commandant Lotter and Field-Cornets J.
Kruger, W. Kruger, and Schoeman, and among the dead were two notorious
rebels named Voster. The booty consisted of 200 horses, 29,000 rounds
of ammunition, and all the vehicles and supplies of the commandos. Our
casualties included Lieutenant Burgess, Cape Mounted Rifles.
In other parts of the Colony the columns were almost equally active,
if not equally successful. The remnant of Fouché's party, after his
departure across the Orange, gathered themselves under the banner of
Myburg and took up positions in the triangle Ladygrey, Dordrecht, and
Burghersdorp. Colonel Munro spent his time in hustling them, and on
the 29th of August had a spirited engagement some twenty miles
north-east of Dordrecht, which resulted in the defeat of the hordes,
who were driven over the Drakensberg into Transkei territory. His
columns, together with the local troops, then took up positions in the
defiles and passes, so as to block them effectually and prevent a
chance of the return of the marauders.
General Beatson, who was now assisting in General French's operations,
was actively chasing Scheepers in the south--first below Willowmore,
then to Aventour, then to the west in the direction of Klip Drift;
thence to Oudtshoorn and Ladysmith. Here the young Boer leader was set
on by the local troops, whereupon he shifted his course to Barrydale.
This rush took him till the 31st of August, during which time the hunt
was vigorously carried on by Colonel Alexander and the 10th Hussars.
Scheepers made an attempt on Montague, and was baulked by a detachment
of the Berkshire Regiment. He then made various plucky but futile
efforts to get across the rail, his object being to effect a junction
with Smit, who was on the other side of Matjesfontein. He came in
collision several times with the troops of Colonel Alexander, who, in
the course of their gallant efforts to frustrate the Boer designs, had
2 officers and 10 men wounded, and lost 4 men. In the south-west,
Maritz was meanwhile being hunted by Colonel Capper, who kept the
raiders perpetually on the move, and forced them to break into an
aimless, rudderless gang, glad of hiding-places in the Roggeveld
Mountains.
While all this ferreting and hunting was going forward in the south,
some brilliant deeds were taking place in the Kimberley district. De
Villiers and Conroy, with a strong force, made a lunge upon
Griquatown, the garrison of the place being only 100 in number. The
force, though small, was determined, and the aggressors were sent to
the right-about. This was on the 12th of August. On the 24th the
hostile hordes made a vigorous dash on a convoy, for which they
doubtless hungered with a hunger that lent heroism to their attack.
Certain it is that they came to very close quarters, and that fighting
between them and the escort (74th (Irish) Squadron, Imperial
Yeomanry), under Captain Humby, was carried on more stubbornly and
fiercely than usual. The Boers--400 of them--surrounded the convoy,
and it seemed at one moment as though they must inevitably annihilate
the little British force; but the men stood their ground like rocks,
or, rather, like fervid volcanoes spouting fire, and fighting with
such daring and determination that eventually, at nightfall, the enemy
were forced to withdraw. The gallantry of the officers and men of the
Yeomanry was superb--Lieutenant Despard and Lieutenant Kidd (Diamond
Fields Artillery) performed splendid work, and the magnificent manner
in which Captain Humby extricated his convoy from the hellish vortex
and succeeded in getting to his destination without the loss of a
waggon is a tale that needs pages to tell. Nine men of the escort,
however, paid with their lives for their grand tenacity, and 2
officers and 21 men were wounded.
The captures from and losses of the enemy during August were 186
killed, 75 wounded, 1384 prisoners, 529 voluntary surrenders, 930
rifles, 90,958 rounds of ammunition, 1332 waggons, 13,570 horses, and
65,879 cattle--a sum-total which makes a really wonderful and
practical testimonial to the ceaseless energy and zeal of the British
troops.
Before closing the record of the events of August 1901, reference must
be made to the visit paid by the Duke and Duchess of Cornwall and York
to the Cape. Their Royal Highnesses, who had been on a tour round the
world, landed at Simonstown on the 19th of August, and thence
proceeded to Capetown. The demonstration made by the Cape loyalists
was enthusiastic beyond words, the weather was superb, and the
scene--the brilliant decorations, the British cheers, the massed
bands, the Kaffir war-dances and whoops--was one never to be forgotten
by those who took part in it. The Prince, in his reply to the loyal
addresses, made this memorable allusion to the heartiness of the
Colony's reception:--
"We are glad to have this opportunity to give public and
grateful expression to our feelings of profound satisfaction at
the very enthusiastic and hearty welcome accorded us on our
arrival here to-day. The fact that during the last two years
you have been passing through such troublous times, and that in
addition to your other trials the Colony has suffered from an
outbreak of plague, from which it is not yet entirely free,
might well have detracted from the warmth of your greeting,
but, in despite of all your trials and sufferings, you have
offered us a welcome the warmth and cordiality of which we
shall never forget. I should also like to express our
admiration of the appearance the city of Capetown presents
to-day. Apart from their tasteful decoration, the principal
streets through which we have passed offer an aspect very
different from that which they possessed twenty years ago when
I visited your Colony. I congratulate you on the abundant
evidence of the progress achieved during that time, and notably
on your trade and commerce and the development of your harbours
and railways. I greatly deplore the continuance of the
lamentable struggle which has so long prevailed within South
Africa, and for the speedy termination of which the whole
community fervently prays. During this time you have had to
make grievous sacrifices. Numbers have personally suffered
trials and privations, while many of the flower of your manhood
have fallen in the service of their King and country. To all
who have been bereaved of their dear ones by the war we offer
our heartfelt sympathy and condolence. May time, the great
healer, bring consolation. That South Africa may soon be
delivered from the troubles which beset her is our earnest
prayer, and that ere long the only struggle she knows will be
eager rivalry in the arts of peace and in striving to promote
good government and the well-being of the community."