THE BOER GENERAL'S SUPERSTITIONS.
A few days after we had arrived before Ladysmith we joined an
expedition to reconnoitre the British entrenchments, and my commando
was ordered near some forts on the north-westerly side of the town.
Both small and large artillery were being fired from each side. We
approached within 800 paces of a fort; it was broad daylight and the
enemy could therefore see us distinctly, knew the exact range, and
received us with a perfect hailstorm of fire. Our only chance was to
seek cover behind kopjes and in ditches, for on any Boer showing his
head the bullets whistled round his ears. Here two of my burghers were
severely wounded, and we had some considerable trouble to get them
through the firing line to our ambulance. At last, late in the
afternoon, came the order to retire, and we retired after having
achieved nothing.
I fail to this day to see the use of this reconnoitring, but at
Ladysmith everything was equally mysterious and perplexing. It was
perhaps that my knowledge of military matters was too limited to
understand the subtle manoeuvres of those days. But I have made up my
mind not to criticise our leader's military strategy, though I must
say at this juncture that the whole siege of Ladysmith and the manner
in which the besieged garrison was ineffectually pounded at with our
big guns for several months, seem to me an unfathomable mystery,
which, owing to Joubert's untimely death, will never be explained
satisfactorily. But I venture to describe Joubert's policy outside
Ladysmith as stupid and primitive, and in another chapter I shall
again refer to it.
After another fortnight or so, we were ordered away to guard another
position to the south-west of Ladysmith, as the Free State commando
under Commandant Nel, and, unless I am mistaken, under Field-Cornet
Christian de Wet (afterwards the world-famous chief Commander of the
Orange Free State, and of whom all Afrikanders are justly proud), had
to go to Cape Colony.
Here I was under the command of Dijl Erasmus, who was then General and
a favourite of General Joubert. We had plenty of work given us.
Trenches had to be dug and forts had to be constructed and remodelled.
At this time an expedition ventured to Estcourt, under General Louis
Botha, who replaced General L. Meyer, sent home on sick leave. My
commando joined the expedition under Field-Cornet J. Kock, who
afterwards caused me a lot of trouble.
I can say but little of this expedition to Estcourt, save that the
Commander-in-Chief accompanied it. But for his being with us, I am
convinced that General Botha would have pushed on at least as far as
Pietermaritzburg, for the English were at that time quite unable to
stop our progress. But after we got to Estcourt, practically
unopposed, Joubert, though our burghers had been victorious in battle
after battle, ordered us to retreat. The only explanation General
Joubert ever vouchsafed about the recall of this expedition was that
in a heavy thunderstorm which had been raging for two nights near
Estcourt, two Boers had been struck by lightning, which, according to
his doctrine, was an infallible sign from the Almighty that the
commandos were to proceed no further. It seems incredible that in
these enlightened days we should find such a man in command of an
army; it is, nevertheless, a fact that the loss of two burghers
induced our Commandant-General to recall victorious commandos who were
carrying all before them. The English at Pietermaritzburg, and even at
Durban, were trembling lest we should push forward to the coast,
knowing full well that in no wise could they have arrested our
progress. And what an improvement in our position this would have
meant! As it was, our retirement encouraged the British to push
forward their fighting line so far as Chieveley Station, near the
Tugela river, and the commandos had to take up a position in the
"randjes," on the westerly banks of the Tugela.