BRUTAL KAFFIRS' MURDER TRAIL.
At Windhoek we were again attacked by an English column. The reader
will probably be getting weary of these continual attacks, and I
hasten to assure him that we were far more weary than he can ever
grow. On the first day of the fight we succeeded in forcing back the
enemy, but on the second day, the fortunes of war were changed and
after a fierce fight, in which I had the misfortune to lose a brave
young burgher named Botha, we gave up arguing the matter with our foes
and retired.
The enemy followed us up very closely, and although I used the sjambok
freely amongst my men I could not persuade them, not even by this
ungentle method, to make a stand against their foes, and as we passed
Witpoort the enemy's cavalry with two guns was close at our heels.
Not until the burghers had reached Maagschuur, between the Bothas and
Tautesbergen, would they condescend to make a stand and check the
enemy's advance. Here after a short but sharp engagement, we forced
them to return to Witpoort, where they pitched camp.
Our mill, which I have previously mentioned as being an important
source of our food supply, was again burned to the ground.
Our commandos returned to Olifant's River and at the cobalt mine near
there joined those who had remained behind under General Muller. The
enemy, however, who seemed determined, if possible, to obliterate us
from the earth's surface, discovered our whereabouts about the middle
of July, and attacked us in overwhelming numbers. We had taken up a
position on the "Randts," and offered as much resistance as we could.
The enemy poured into us a heavy shell fire from their howitzers and
15-pounders, while their infantry charged both our extreme flanks.
After losing many men, a battalion of Highlanders succeeded in
turning our left flank, and once having gained this advantage, and
aided by their superior numbers, the enemy were able to take up
position after position, and finally rendered it impossible to offer
any further resistance. Late in the afternoon, with a loss of five
wounded and one man killed--an Irish-American, named Wilson--we
retired through the Olifant's River, near Mazeppa Drift, the enemy
staying the night at Wagendrift, about three miles further up the
stream. The following morning they forded the river, and proceeded
through Poortjesnek and Donkerhoek, to Pretoria, thus allowing us a
little breathing space. I now despatched some reliable burghers to
report our various movements to the Commandant-General, and to bring
news of the other commandos. It was three weeks before these men
returned, for they had on several occasions been prevented from
crossing the railway line, and they finally only succeeded in doing so
under great difficulties. They reported that the English on the high
veldt were very active and numerous.
About the middle of July I left General Muller to take a rest with the
commando, and accompanied by half a score of adjutants and despatch
riders, proceeded to Pilgrimsrust in the Lydenburg district to visit
the commandos there, and allay as much as I could the dissatisfaction
caused by my reorganisation.
At Zwagerhoek, a kloof some 12 miles south of Lydenburg, through which
the waggon track leads from Lydenburg to Dullstroom, I found a
field-cornet with about 57 men. Having discussed the situation with
them and explained matters, they were all satisfied.
Here I appointed as field-cornet a young man of 23 years of age, a
certain J. S. Schoenman, who distinguished himself subsequently by his
gallant behaviour.
We had barely completed our arrangements when we were again attacked
by one of the enemy's columns from Lydenburg. At first we successfully
defended ourselves, but at last were compelled to give way.
I do not believe we caused the enemy any considerable losses, but we
had no casualties. The same night we proceeded through the enemy's
line to Houtboschloop, five miles east of Lydenburg, where a small
commando was situated, and having to proceed a very roundabout way, we
covered that night no less than 40 miles.
Another meeting of all burghers north of Lydenburg was now convened,
to be held at a ruined hotel some 12 miles west of Nelspruit Station,
which might have been considered the centre of all the commandos in
that district. I found that these were divided into two parties, one
of which was dissatisfied with the new order of things I had arranged
and desired to re-instate their old officers, while the other was
quite pleased with my arrangements. The latter party was commanded by
Mr. Piet Moll, whom I had appointed commandant instead of Mr. D.
Schoeman, who formerly used to occupy that position. At the gathering
I explained matters to them and tried to persuade the burghers to be
content with their new commandants. It was evident, however, that many
were not to be satisfied and that they were not to be expected to work
harmoniously together. I therefore decided to let both commandants
keep their positions and to let the men follow whichever one they
chose, and I took the first opportunity of making an attack on the
enemy so as to test the efficiency of these two bodies.
Taking the two commandos with their respective two commandants in an
easterly direction to Wit River, we camped there for a few days and
scouted for the enemy on the Delagoa Bay Railway, so as to find out
the best spot to attack. We had just decided to attack Crocodilpoort
Station in the evening of the 1st August, when our scouts reported
that the English, who had held the fort at M'pisana's Stad, between
our laager in Wit River and Leydsdorp, were moving in the direction of
Komati Poort with a great quantity of captured cattle.
Our first plan was therefore abandoned and I ordered 50 burghers of
each commando to attack this column at M'pisana's fort at once, as
they had done far too much harm to be allowed to get away unmolested.
They were a group of men called "Steinacker's Horse," a corps formed
of all the desperadoes and vagabonds to be scraped together from
isolated places in the north, including kaffir storekeepers,
smugglers, spies, and scoundrels of every description, the whole
commanded by a character of the name of ----. Who or what this
gentleman was I have never been able to discover, but judging by his
work and by the men under him, he must have been a second Musolino.
This corps had its headquarters at Komati Poort, under Major
Steinacker, to whom was probably entrusted the task of guarding the
Portuguese frontier, and he must have been given _carte blanche_ as
regards his mode of operation.
From all accounts the primary occupation of this corps appeared to be
looting, and the kaffirs attached to it were used for scouting,
fighting, and worse. Many families in the northern part of Lydenburg
had been attacked in lonely spots, and on one occasion the white men
on one of these marauding expeditions had allowed the kaffirs to
murder ten defenceless people with their assegais and hatchets,
capturing their cattle and other property. In like manner were
massacred the relatives of Commandants Lombard, Vermaak, Rudolf and
Stoltz, and doubtless many others who were not reported to me. The
reader will now understand my anxiety to put some check on these
lawless brigands. The instructions to the commando which I had sent
out, and which would reach M'pisana's in two days, were briefly to
take the fort and afterwards do as circumstances dictated. If my men
failed they would have the desperadoes pursue them on their swift
horses, and all the kaffir tribes would conspire against us, so that
none would escape on our side. A kaffir was generally understood to be
a neutral person in this War, and unless found armed within our lines,
with no reasonable excuse for his presence, we generally left him
alone. They were, however, largely used as spies against us, keeping
to their kraals in the daytime and issuing forth at night to ascertain
our position and strength. They also made good guides for the English
troops, who often had not the faintest idea of the country in which
they were. It must not be forgotten that when a kaffir is given a
rifle he at once falls a prey to his brutal instincts, and his only
amusement henceforth becomes to kill without distinction of age,
colour, or sex. Several hundreds of such natives, led by white men,
were roaming about in this district, and all that was captured,
plundered or stolen was equally divided among them, 25 per cent. being
first deducted for the British Government.
I have indulged in this digression in order to describe another phase
with which we had to contend in our struggle for existence. I have
reason to believe, however, that the British Commander-in-Chief, for
whom I have always had the greatest respect, was not at that time
aware of the remarkable character of these operations, carried on as
they were in the most remote parts of the country; and there is no
doubt that had he been aware of their true character he would have
speedily brought these miscreants to justice.