LYDENBURG
1900-1901
On October 8th, 1900, the battalion moved out of Lydenburg to the
Mission Station, three miles north of the town on the Kruger's Post
road. The Mission Station was a collection of Kaffir houses, containing
some 500 Christian men, women, and children. The mission-house was taken
over as a post and fortified as soon as the German pastor, who was found
to be communicating with the Boers, had been sent to Pretoria to be
locked up.
[Illustration: Colonel C.W. Park, Mission Camp, Lydenburg]
The site of the camp having been chosen, it was immediately surrounded
by company forts consisting of ditches four feet deep and two feet wide
for protection against shell fire, which it was considered possible
would be brought to bear on the camp. This entrenchment was finished in
one afternoon.
Two guns of the 53rd Battery under Lieutenant Higgins, and one 5-inch
gun under Second Lieutenant McLellan, were added to the garrison.
The battalion stood to arms daily just before dawn.
On the 9th two companies under Captain Bartlett were moved to
Paardeplaats as a permanent garrison, whilst two companies under Captain
Travers were sent to Ben Tor.
On the 10th two companies of the Regiment, two guns, and one company
mounted infantry proceeded just before daylight to a farm some six miles
away, and burnt it. They encountered no opposition. This company of
mounted infantry was then added to the garrison for permanent duty.
The two following days were employed in collecting forage from different
farm-houses. Very few Boers were seen, and there was little or no
opposition.
On the 24th, it having been ordained that all the Boer women in the
various towns were to be sent out to their husbands in the laagers, two
companies and two guns under Captain Ravenshaw were ordered to escort
the ladies of Lydenburg over the Spekboom Bridge on the Kruger's Post
road, and there hand them over to their husbands and friends. Captain
Ravenshaw went out with a flag of truce and met the Boers, amongst whom
was Erasmus. They were most affable, and shook hands cordially. The
women reached Kruger's Post that evening.
The next day General Walter Kitchener started out at 2 a.m. with a
column of infantry (Devons), mounted infantry and guns towards Kruger's
Post for the purpose of shelling the farm. At dawn the column crossed
the Spekboom Bridge and mounted the hills in the face of slight
opposition. A 5-inch gun was then brought to the front and shells
dropped into Kruger's Post, after which the column returned to camp. A
patrol of four Boers was captured, and there were no casualties on the
British side.
Very shortly after this the order concerning the Boer women was
cancelled and a fresh order was issued, which ordained that all Boer
women who were captured or gave themselves up should be confined in
large concentration camps on the railway line.
On the evening of the 24th one company was ordered down from Ben Tor to
be posted on the hill overlooking the Spekboom Bridge. The company
proceeded there on the 25th escorted by two companies, two guns, and
some mounted infantry.
On the following day, as the Boers were threatening the Bridge Post
before the works were complete, one company and two guns were sent out
as a covering party.
The battalion was now split up; two companies under Lieutenant Tringham
proceeded to Witklip, two companies under Captain Bartlett were at
Paardeplaats, one company under Lieutenant Cowie was at Ben Tor, one
company under Captain Travers was at Bridge Post. Of the three remaining
companies one was holding the Mission House, and the two others with the
5-inch gun and the two field guns formed the garrison of the main camp.
On October 30th two companies from Mission Camp were ordered to march at
sunset through Lydenburg to the bank of the river. Here they halted and
had supper, being eventually joined by the Rifle Brigade. Starting again
at 9 p.m. and marching all through the night, they attacked some Boer
laagers at dawn. After some heavy firing the laagers, which had been
completely surprised, were captured with all their tents, etc. The
column returned at 5 p.m. the same day, when the companies redistributed
themselves to their various posts, having marched from 4 a.m. till 10.30
p.m. a distance of thirty-five miles. There were four casualties, one of
which was a Devon man slightly wounded.
November was spent rather quietly by the battalion, the men being
employed in strengthening the various posts and making them comfortable.
On November 7th one company was sent off to garrison Strathcona Hill on
the southern side of the town.
On the 8th General Walter Kitchener again attacked the Boers, this time
employing entirely mounted troops, He brought back with him 1000 sheep,
50 ponies, and 20 wagons. Five Boers were killed, and the mounted troops
had two casualties.
Colonel Park returned from sick leave on the 9th, when Major Davies
resumed his position as second in command. Lieutenants Hext and Kane
left shortly afterwards to join the mounted infantry at Pretoria, and at
the end of November Lieutenant Woollcombe rejoined the Regiment from
Maritzburg, Lieutenant Harris returned from Pretoria with a draft of
thirty-eight men, and Lieutenant Twiss rejoined from hospital at
Newcastle.
At the beginning of December the following was the distribution of the
companies of the Regiment:--
Two companies at Paardeplaats under Captain Bartlett.
One company at Bridge Post under Captain Travers.
One company at Strathcona Hill under Lieutenant Willis; and
Four companies at Mission Camp.
On December 9th and 10th a foraging expedition with three guns and four
companies of the Rifle Brigade went out towards Van Der Merves' Farm
under Colonel Park. These brought back twenty-eight wagon loads of
forage without experiencing any opposition.
It was reported on the 12th that Nelspruit had been cut off by the Boers
and required assistance. A column was immediately formed, composed of
one squadron 19th Hussars, four companies Devons under Major Davies, and
four companies Rifle Brigade with some guns; the whole proceeding under
General Kitchener _en route_ to the Mauchberg and Devil's Knuckles.
Three companies of the Regiment had been taken from Mission Camp and one
from Paardeplaats.
A blizzard blowing all night and the following morning, accompanied with
thunder and heavy rain, delayed the advance of the troops till noon,
when a start was effected, and the Mauchberg was occupied by the Devons
without opposition.
Further advance down Hell's Gate to the Devil's Knuckles was found
impracticable owing to the state of the road. Troops from Machadodorp
had been sent to Lydenburg to act as a garrison whilst the column was
out; but instructions were received from head-quarters on the 15th
ordering the immediate return of the column to Lydenburg, as well as of
the reinforcements back to Machadodorp. The Devons had been, however,
sent out from the Mauchberg previous to the receipt of the order to
retire. They skirmished down the road towards Devil's Knuckles, and in a
very thick fog Boers and British nearly walked into each other's arms.
There was a good deal of musketry fire, with the result to the British
side of one Devon wounded. As was usually said on such occasions,
"Boers' loss was probably very great." The three companies returned to
Mission Camp late on the evening of the 16th.
On the 18th Major Davies was ordered to Witklip to take command of the
forts; he took with him one company as a reinforcement to the garrison.
On Christmas Day the Regiment received a number of telegrams from
friends in England wishing them good luck. A race meeting was held in
the afternoon on the Lydenburg race-course. The public went armed, and
two field guns were brought into action on the course. These precautions
were necessary, for the Boers at this time were very busy, and on the
night of December 28th-29th attacked the post at Helvetia, near
Machadodorp, and captured it.
The post contained a 4.7 naval gun called "Lady Roberts," and this, with
the garrison of three companies of the Liverpool Regiment, was taken,
only one small fort manned by a small contingent of about fifteen men
holding out. General Walter Kitchener left at once with four companies
of the Rifle Brigade, two companies of the Regiment (from Witklip), two
guns, and the mounted troops, in the hope of intercepting the Boers and
recovering the gun. The Boers, however, had made good their retirement
to the hills, and General Kitchener returned to Lydenburg with the
column on the 31st.
The Liverpool Regiment lost at Helvetia 4 killed, 27 wounded, and 200
prisoners.
The Boers about this time attacked all along the line from Lydenburg to
Pretoria. The defences, except at Lydenburg, were of the most meagre
description. In fact, the works constructed by the Rifle Brigade and the
Devons at Lydenburg were the only works of any strength, and these were
as complete as possible. Witklip was being placed in a fortified
condition, but up to the time of the taking of Helvetia Post little had
been done anywhere, except at Lydenburg.
For the next few nights all posts round Lydenburg stood to arms at 1.30
a.m. owing to the activity of the Boers, but it was not till January 4th
that they attacked the Bridge Hill Post. They attempted to capture the
picquet on the bridge over the Spekboom River, but were beaten off.
About this time one company was ordered down from Paardeplaats to
Mission Camp, the garrison at Paardeplaats being thus reduced to one
company; and Witklip garrison was reinforced by the addition of one
company, which was sent there from Mission Camp.
On the early morning of January 8th the Boers made a simultaneous attack
on almost all posts on the line between Belfast and Lydenburg. The
following posts were attacked: Badfontein, Schwarzkop, Helvetia,
Machadodorp, Belfast, Pan, and Noitgedacht. The Badfontein Post was
shelled only, by a big gun mounted on the hills west of the fort, which
failed, however, to reach the post. The result of the general attack was
that two posts only, those at Belfast, were captured by the Boers. These
were not held, and the Boers retired, leaving twenty-four dead upon the
ground. The posts had been well prepared for defence after the disaster
at Helvetia.
A wire bridge over the Lydenburg River, constructed by Lieutenant Green
and the twelve men of the Maxim gun team, was completed about this time,
and as it attracted a good deal of attention a description of it may be
interesting.
The bridge had a span of sixty feet, and was constructed on the system
of the "jhula," or rope bridge, of Cashmere, out of telegraph wire. The
roadway, to admit of one person at a time, was made of two lengths of
twisted wire, each ten strands thick. These being stretched tightly
across the river, and the ends well worked into the ground and pegged
down, were joined together by small laths of wood two inches apart. Two
more lengths, each ten strands thick, were stretched from two uprights
on each bank, at a convenient height above the roadway, to form a
support for it. These were joined on to the roadway by stout sticks,
about one to two feet apart, on either side to give stability. The
bridge was then secured up and down stream by wires to keep it steady.
The height of the bridge above the stream was about twenty feet.
[Illustration: Wire Bridge, Lydenburg]
The chief cause of attraction and interest in the bridge to outsiders
was the fact that it had been constructed entirely by British infantry
without the aid of the Royal Engineers, and that the plan had been
thought out by them alone, and was not "in the book." The idea had been
taken from some photographs of a Cashmere "jhula," and the work had been
carried out from descriptions of the rope bridges furnished by an
officer of the Regiment who had crossed them. All previous bridges had
been washed away, but this bridge was still standing at the end of the
war, and was being utilized then by the Kaffirs at Mission Camp as an
easy access and short cut to their cultivated fields.
On January 12th, as a larger convoy than usual was coming through to
Lydenburg, a small force under Captain Jacson, consisting of two
companies Devons, one company mounted infantry and one gun went out from
Mission Camp to demonstrate towards Schoeman's Laager on the west. No
Boers, however, were seen, and the convoy came safely into Lydenburg
without opposition.
Several changes occurred in the disposition of the companies of the
Regiment during the latter half of January, 1901.
The head-quarters with three companies were stationed at Witklip under
Colonel Park. Two companies proceeded to Badfontein as a garrison under
Major Davies. One company held each of the posts at Bridge Hill and
Paardeplaats respectively. One company was in charge of the Mission
House, whilst one company was left at Mission Camp to commence the
construction of a new work south of the old camp.
[Illustration: Wire Bridge, Lydenburg (General Kitchener and Colonel
Park)]
These changes were made on account of some large convoys going and
coming to and from the railway line, larger escorts having to be
provided owing to the proximity and increased activity of the Boers on
the lines of communication. The convoys came through safely without any
trouble, and on January 30th Major Davies with his two companies
returned to Witklip. The head-quarters of the Regiment, with three
companies, left Witklip the following day and proceeded to Mission Camp.
Further changes were made during February, 1901, the post at
Paardeplaats being given up and the company posted there returning to
Mission Camp.
Towards the latter end of January a flying column was organized by
General Walter Kitchener. The objective of this column was the high
hills south of Lydenburg towards Witpoort and Belfast. It was under the
personal command of the General, and was composed of the following
troops:--
1 squadron 19th Hussars.
1 battery R.F.A.
1 naval 12-pounder.
1 pompom.
1 company Manchester Mounted Infantry.
3 companies Devons under Captain Travers.
The column set out at 1 a.m. in the direction of Elandskloof. It was a
bright night, although a thick white mist hung everywhere. The 19th
Hussars, who knew the difficult country, conducted the advance. After
marching for two hours the column found itself in the hills. A halt was
made whilst the three companies of the Regiment extended and occupied
the high ground which barred the advance, to drive off any Boers who
might be in possession. This manoeuvre was executed without opposition.
It was learnt, however, that a Boer picquet had been on the top, and had
galloped off on the approach of the infantry. Daylight found the column
in possession of Elandskloof, which was reached after a difficult climb
by steep and circuitous paths. Shortly after daylight several Boers were
observed to be driving their cattle into kloofs above the Badfontein
valley for safety. An advance was made shortly afterwards towards
Schwartz Kopjes, which place was reached without much opposition towards
dark. At Schwartz Kopjes camp was formed for the night, the infantry
entrenching themselves in the kopjes round the camp, with one company
posted in a farmhouse about 400 yards west of the main camp.
On the following day General Kitchener ordered the mounted troops and
guns to make a reconnaissance towards Dulstroom. Whilst the rest of the
force remained in camp, the baggage under escort was sent towards
Belfast. The reconnoitring force fared badly, for after advancing a few
miles Boers in large numbers were seen collecting on the high hills due
west, and approaching at a rapid pace. The reconnoitring force was
shortly afterwards heavily engaged, and compelled to retire on to the
camp.
The infantry were now ordered to retire as rapidly as possible to a
ridge in rear, distant about 2000 to 2500 yards. The cavalry retired
hard pressed on to Schwartz Kopjes, which they held until the infantry
had completed their movement, when the cavalry again retired back to the
neighbourhood of the infantry. Schwartz kopjes were immediately occupied
by the Boers, who collected there in large numbers and endeavoured to
get round the flanks of the column.
Followed hotly by the Boers, the column made a rapid retirement, units
covering each other until camp was reached. It was only then that the
Boers drew off. There was no further engagement that day or during the
night, and the column completed its advance next day to Belfast, where
it arrived about midday and camped to the south side of the railway.
The distribution of the garrison, carried out at the commencement of
February, continued more or less the same till the time the Regiment
left Lydenburg. Three companies were north of Lydenburg, and were
stationed at the Mission House, Mission Camp Fort, and Bridge Hill. One
company was at Strathcona Hill, south of the town, two companies under
the command of Major Davies were at Witklip, whilst the three companies
which had proceeded with General Kitchener to Belfast were quartered on
their return in Lydenburg.
During this time Colonel Park was commanding the Lydenburg district with
Captain Ravenshaw as Brigade Major.
On February 5th the Boers attacked all the Lydenburg posts. The attacks
were not heavily pressed. There were no casualties on the side of the
defenders, whilst the Boers lost, as far as could be ascertained, two
killed and seven wounded.
On February 16th two Boers surrendered at Mission Camp. These stated
that their friends in the laagers were badly off for meat and had hardly
any horses left, most of them having died of horse-sickness.
Early in March, 1901, Colonel Park decided on raiding Piet Schwartz's
laager, which was stationed on the ridge to the north of and overlooking
Kruger's Post. His force consisted of three companies Devons under
Captain Jacson, three companies Rifle Brigade, three companies Royal
Irish, one squadron 19th Hussars, three companies mounted infantry,
three guns 53rd Battery, one howitzer, and one pompom, and by the 12th
his arrangements were complete. The infantry were to make a night march
and to attack at dawn, whilst the mounted troops and guns were to be at
Kruger's Post just after dawn to assist.
Under cover of darkness, the column rendezvoused at the Spekboom Bridge,
one company having gone on ahead to seize any Boers who might be coming
down at nightfall, as was their wont, to form a picquet there.
A start was made from the bridge at about 9 p.m. Leaving the main road
on their left, the column proceeded in single file, Devons leading,
along a footpath which led them over a Nek in the hills and thence down
into a donga. An accident, which might have been attended with very
unfortunate results, occurred at the very commencement. The Royal Irish,
who were in the rear, instead of following and keeping in touch with the
remainder of the column missed connection, and went up the main road, on
which, about two miles ahead, was a Boer picquet. They were, however,
stopped just in time and turned back. This delayed the advance for about
an hour. Along the donga the march was continued for some six miles,
when a cross donga was met with, the sides of which were steep and about
fifteen feet high. The leading troops crossed and halted on the far side
till the rear closed up. The Maxim gun mules with difficulty negotiated
the obstacle, and the advance was, after one hour's halt, continued to
Kruger's Post.
The force kept to the donga almost the whole march, scarcely for a
moment leaving its shelter. Terribly rough going it was, with long high
grass soaking wet, and the men tumbling about into ruts and over rocks.
On they trudged, twisting and turning, up and down, falling about, with
every now and then a suppressed exclamation and an imprecation on rocks
and ruts in general and night marches in particular--no lights, no
smoking. No one except he who has done it knows what a strain it is
marching along through the dark night, without a word and without the
company of a pipe.
On emerging from the donga at Kruger's Post on to the open veldt a
further halt was made; the leading troops lay down in the soaking grass
and were fast asleep in a moment.
It was found that the column had opened out considerably, and must have
stretched for some four miles from lead to end. The rate of marching at
the head of the column had been about two miles per hour. This was
found, over the rough ground, to be too quick to allow of the rear
keeping closed up--the pace should not have exceeded one mile an hour.
The column having closed up and the sleeping men having with difficulty
been found and turned up out of the wet grass, a further advance was
made. But now the direction was to the right in order to avoid Kruger's
Post Farm, which was occupied by the Boers. This took the column over
some millraces, a biggish jump for the men. The mules, having been
relieved of their loads, were man-handled across. Once over these and
then a wade through a stream knee deep, the ghostly column again halted.
It was now 3.30 a.m. The foot of the low hills behind which was the
laager, had been reached, and the officers were busy getting their men
collected.
An intelligence officer reports that if there is the slightest delay
dawn will break before the positions are reached. The first streak of
dawn is 4.45 a.m.
"May we go off now on our own?" is the question asked.
"All right; off you go!" is the cheery answer from Colonel Park.
The Devons had the furthest to go, perhaps one and a half miles to reach
the far side of the laager. The Royal Irish were already at the foot of
the hill on the top of which was the position assigned to them.
Two of the Rifle Brigade companies had unfortunately missed connection
and had gone off into the "Ewigkeit" in the dark, but one company was
ready and handy to the Nek which they had to occupy, to fill up the gap
between the Devons and the Royal Irish.
The Devons, who by this time were well together, started off, Captain
Travers with a guide leading. He had orders to take on with him the two
first companies, the guide showing him where to place his men. On they
went, running and walking, walking and running, up the slippery road,
across the Nek and then down into the valley below. Two small groups of
men were posted in the ditch leading up to the Nek.
As the last man reached the knoll overlooking the Nek at the place where
the main road crossed it, and which was the right of the Devons'
allotment of position, the two leading companies could be heard down in
the valley below stumbling amongst the stones, getting into a position
that would entirely cut off the Boers' retreat down the main road
leading north.
[Illustration: Mission Camp Fort, Lydenburg]
Suddenly all was still: everything was ready. It was exactly 4.45 a.m.
All lay down and waited in breathless silence for the coming dawn. The
Devons had orders to withhold their fire as long as possible, to make
sure of the other units being in their places. "That's the position of
the laager, just behind that little knoll," whispered an intelligence
scout; "but it seems as if the bird has flown."
[Illustration: Mission Camp Fort, Lydenburg (Interior)]
For some ten minutes the silence continued, with not so much as the
crack of a twig to interrupt it. What's that? It's a cock crowing! There
it is again! There's another! The laager's there right enough, and we've
got them!
In the far distance, Lydenburg way, the faint noise of musketry fire
could be heard; it was the mounted troops advancing and driving in the
Boer picquets on the road above the Spekboom Bridge, eight miles back.
In about five minutes' time the laager was roused by a Boer, who
commenced swearing roundly at some one in a very loud voice. One man
came out and posted himself on a little rise of ground, and gazed,
listening, Kruger's Post way. He was joined by another, then another,
until there was a group of nine of them, two dressed in long white
robes. It was thought that these were women. Suddenly they all returned
into the laager out of sight, only to appear again in a few minutes on
horseback. Three of them came straight up to the high road just under
the knoll where the Devons were in readiness. They were allowed to go
on, and they continued their career down the road towards Kruger's Post.
Now the utility of posting the groups in the ditch by the side of the
road became manifest. Suddenly from their direction crack! went a single
rifle, then a burst of rifle fire, which was immediately taken up all
round the circle.
No, not quite round; there was silence from the hill which should have
been occupied by the Royal Irish. A party of some twenty Boers were seen
ascending this hill, the top of which was covered with big rocks. The
Devons' rifles as well as their Maxim gun were turned on to them. The
Boers, however, succeeded in reaching the safety of the rocks a few
moments before the ascending Irish.
Meanwhile the firing had become general, and in the dim light also a
trifle mixed. The Rifle Brigade fired into the two Devon companies down
in the valley and across the laager. The latter in their turn fired at
some Boers trying to escape through the gap left open by the Royal
Irish. These were striving with the Boers for the possession of the
rock-capped hill, and both were being fired into by the Devons across
the valley.
After some twenty minutes of sharp musketry fire the "cease fire"
sounded, and everything was again quiet; it was then found that the
whole laager had fallen into British hands. Two Boers were killed, three
wounded, and thirty-six captured, whilst the British casualties were two
killed and four wounded, all of them Royal Irish.
The distance from Lydenburg to Piet Schwartz's laager by road is about
eighteen miles; the distance marched by the column could not have been
under twenty miles, and this over very difficult ground. The column had
left Lydenburg at 7 p.m., and reached its destination at 4.45 a.m.
Unfortunately, Piet Schwartz himself escaped capture, as he was not in
the laager; he had left it the previous day.
The mounted troops and guns were very slow in coming out, with the
result that a large quantity of cattle located in the various kloofs
which should have been captured, escaped. Abel Erasmus was taken the
following day.
The force bivouacked at Kruger's Post for the night, and returned to
Lydenburg next day, bringing with it fifteen Boer families in addition
to the prisoners. On their return a wire was received by Colonel Park
from Lord Kitchener: "Highly appreciate successful operation of Colonel
Park and troops engaged."
The remainder of the month was spent mostly in convoy work between
Witklip and Lydenburg. Whilst returning to Lydenburg with one of these
convoys, General Walter Kitchener, who was riding ahead with a small
escort, suddenly came across some Boers lying concealed in the grass. He
lost two of his own personal escort killed, his own horse also being
shot. He himself narrowly escaped capture.
On April 10th an order was issued for the battalion to concentrate in
Lydenburg, preparatory to a general advance of three columns. The posts
at Bridge Hill, Mission Village, Strathcona, and Paardeplaats were
evacuated, and the company at Witklip withdrawn.
The destinations of the columns were as follows:--
One column under Colonel Park was to proceed in the Kruger's Post
direction and to scour the country towards the north, and later to join
hands with General Kitchener's column, which was to proceed in a
north-westerly direction, and the third column under Colonel Douglas was
to proceed from Witklip in a westerly direction.
On the 12th, Lieutenant-Colonel Park handed over the command of the
battalion to Major Davies, who had arrived from Witklip, and Captain
Jacson took over the duties of second in command.