THE "GREAT POWERS" TO INTERVENE.
During the retreat of our army to the frontier of the Transvaal
Republic nothing of importance occurred. Here again confusion reigned
supreme, and none of the commandos were over-anxious to form
rearguards. Our Hollander Railway Company made a point of placing a
respectful distance between her rolling-stock and the enemy, and,
anxious to lose as few carriages as possible, raised innumerable
difficulties when asked to transport our men, provisions and
ammunition. Our generals had meantime proceeded to Laing's Nek by rail
to seek new positions, and there was no one to maintain order and
discipline.
About 150 Natal Afrikanders who had joined our commandos when these
under the late General Joubert occupied the districts about Newcastle
and Ladysmith, now found themselves in an awkward position. They
elected to come with us, accompanied by their families and live stock,
and they offered a most heartrending spectacle. Long rows of carts and
wagons wended their way wearily along the road to Laing's Nek. Women
in tears, with their children and infants in arms, cast reproachful
glances at us as being the cause of their misery. Others occupied
themselves more usefully in driving their cattle. Altogether it was a
scene the like of which I hope never to see again.
The Natal kaffirs now had an opportunity of displaying their hatred
towards the Boers. As soon as we had left a farm and its male
inhabitants had gone, they swooped down on the place and wrought havoc
and ruin, plundering and looting to their utmost carrying capacity.
Some even assaulted women and children, and the most awful atrocities
were committed. I attach more blame to the whites who encouraged these
plundering bands, especially some of the Imperial troops and Natal
men in military service. Not understanding the bestial nature of the
kaffirs, they used them to help carry out their work of destruction,
and although they gave them no actual orders to molest the people,
they took no proper steps of preventing this.
When our commando passed through Newcastle, we found the place almost
entirely deserted, excepting for a few British subjects who had taken
an oath of neutrality to the Boers.
I regret to have to state that during our retreat a number of
irresponsible persons set fire to the Government buildings in that
town. It is said that an Italian officer burned a public hall on no
reasonable pretext; certainly he never received orders to that effect.
As may be expected of an invading army, some of our burgher patrols
and other isolated bodies of troops looted and destroyed a number of
houses which had been temporarily deserted. But with the exception of
these few cases, I can state that no outrages were committed by us in
Natal, and no property was needlessly destroyed.
On our arrival at Laing's Nek a Council of War was immediately held to
decide our future plans.
We now found ourselves once more on the old battlefields of 1880 and
1881, where Boer and Briton had met 20 years before to decide by trial
of arms who should be master of the S. A. Republic. Traces of that
desperate struggle were still plainly visible, and the historic height
of Majuba stood there, an isolated sentinel, recalling to us the
battle in which the unfortunate Colley lost both the day and his life.
I was told off to take up a position in the Nek where the wagon-road
runs to the east across the railway-tunnel, and here we made
preparations for digging trenches and placing our guns. Soon after we
had completed our entrenchments we once more saw the enemy. They were
lying at Schuinshoogte on the Ingogo, and had sent a mounted corps
with two guns to the Nek. Although we had no idea of the enemy's
strength, we were fully prepared to meet the attack; the Pretoria,
Lydenburg and other laagers were posted to the left on the summit of
Majuba Hill, and other commandos held good positions on the east. But
the enemy evidently thought that we had fled all the way back to
Pretoria, and not expecting to find the Nek occupied, advanced quite
unconcerned. We fired a few volleys at them, which caused them to halt
in considerable surprise, and, replying with a little artillery fire,
they quickly returned to Schuinshoogte. We had, however, to be on our
guard both day and night. It was bitterly cold at the time and a
strong easterly wind was blowing.
Next day something occurred which afforded a change to the monotony of
our situation, namely, the arrival from Pretoria of Mr. John Lombaard,
member of the First Volksraad for Bethel. He asked permission to
address us and informed us that we need only hold out another
fortnight, for news from Europe had reached them to the effect that
the Great Powers had decided to put an end to the War. This
communication emanating from such a semi-official source was believed
by a certain number of our men, but I think it did very little to
brighten up the spirits of the majority, or arouse them from the
lethargy into which they seemed to have fallen. A fortnight passed,
and a month, without us hearing anything further of this expected
intervention, and I have never been able to discover on whose
authority and by whose orders Mr. Lombaard made to us that remarkable
communication.
Meantime, General Buller did not seem at all anxious to attack us,
perhaps fearing a repetition of the "accidents" on the Tugela; or
possibly he thought that our position was too strong. For some reason,
therefore, Laing's Nek was never attacked, and Buller afterwards,
having made a huge "detour," broke through Botha's Pass. Meanwhile,
Lord Roberts and his forces were marching without opposition through
the Orange Free State, and I was ordered to proceed to Vereeniging
with my commando. We left Laing's Nek on the 19th of May, and
proceeded to the Free State frontier by rail.