Majuba Hill in 1900 -- We march on Wakkerstroom and occupy
Sandspruit -- Withdrawal of H.M.S. _Forte's_ men and Naval
Volunteers from the front -- Action under General Brocklehurst at
Sandspruit -- I go to hospital and Durban for a short time --
Recover and proceed to the front again -- Take command of my guns
at Grass Kop -- Kruger flies from Africa in a Dutch man-of-war --
Many rumours of peace.
_Saturday, 16th June._--Starting about 10 a.m. I rode over to Laing's
Nek with Captain Jones and Lieutenants Hunt and Steel, taking
Charlestown on our way and getting up to the railway tunnel where
Clery's Division is encamped. The Boer scoundrels have blown down both
ends of the tunnel, blocking up the egress, and putting a dead horse
at each end! We found also a deep boring they had made over the top of
the nek through the slate with the object of reaching the roof of the
tunnel and exploding it; but this having failed, from our friends not
getting deep enough, the damage is insignificant and the rail will be
cleared by the Engineers within a few days. We rode along the top of
Laing's Nek and looked at the trench, some three to four miles long,
which the Boers had made there; it completely defends the nek from
every point of attack and gives the defender, by its zigzag direction,
many points for enfilading any assaulting party. In fact, the work is
marvellous; the Boers must have had 10,000 men employed on it, the
trench being some five feet deep on stone and slate, with clever gun
positions, stretching from Pougwana, to the east of the nek, to
Amajuba on the west, as we saw plainly later on from Majuba and
elsewhere. We rode up Majuba Hill as far as we could, finding it a
great upstanding hill with a flat top overlooking the nek. On the way
we passed many small trenches and sniping pits evidently made for
enfilading fire. From the top of the grassy slope (when it became too
steep for the horses to climb) we commenced the ascent of the actual
hill on foot, climbing, one might say, in the footsteps of the Boers
of 1881 when they made the wonderful attack on Colley and turned his
men off the top. Right well can we now understand how they did it; it
is almost too clear to be credible to us, and one cannot but regret
the omission of the English force to hold the spurs of the mountain
when occupying the top, seeing that any attacking party, safe from
fire from the top of the hill on account of the projecting spurs,
could get up untouched to within a few feet of the top of this
northern face; this is what the Boers did while holding poor Sir
George Colley's attention by long-range fire from the valley below. We
saw what must have been the very paths up which the Boers crept, and
when it came to the point where they had to emerge the slope was
precipitous but short; here, so records tell us, by a heavy rifle-fire
while lying flat on their stomachs, they drove our men off the
sky-line, and once at the top the whole affair became a slaughter.
Climbing this last steep bit as best we could, we reached the flat top
quite blown and found it about 300 yards wide with the well-known,
cup-shaped hollow, in the centre of which lie our poor fellows buried
in a wire enclosure--sad to say twenty-two bluejackets among them,
beside Gordons, King's Royal Rifles, and others. An insignificant
stone heap marks the place where poor Colley was shot, and on one
stone is put in black-lead "Here Colley fell." The sky-line which our
men held had only a few small rocks behind which they tried to shelter
themselves but no other defence at all in the shape of a wall or
trench. All the east and south faces overlooking the nek have now
(nineteen years later) been very heavily trenched by the Boers at
great expense of labour; they were evidently expecting we should
attack and perhaps turn them out of Majuba, although the slope of the
hill on the south side is quite too precipitous for such an operation.
I picked up some fern and plants near where Colley fell, as a memento.
We took an hour and a half to get down again, meeting General Buller
and his Staff walking up to inspect the hill, and I rode back ten
miles to Volksrust blessed with a headache from the steep climb and
strong air. The view from the top of Majuba, showing the Boer trenches
on Laing's Nek, was wonderful; well might they think their position
impregnable and well might we be satisfied to have marched through
Botha's Pass and forced the enemy to evacuate such an impregnable
place with so little loss to ourselves.
_Sunday, 17th June._--Left Volksrust early to march on Wakkerstroom,
news having come in that General Lyttelton was somewhat pressed and
was unable to get on. Our march was uneventful, as we only passed the
usual farms with white flags and batches of Dutch women--as
mischievous as they pretend to be friendly. Bivouacking for one night
we got to Wakkerstroom--a march of twenty-eight miles--on the 18th,
bivouacking outside the usual style of town, very cold and gray
looking, one or two tall buildings, and situated in a treeless valley
at the foot of some high hills. Very cold and wet.
_Wednesday, 20th June._--Moved away from this spot the same way we
came, and had no incident except hard marching; we passed Sandspruit
on the Pretoria line, which we found undefended. Lees, the Naval
A.D.C., here came up and told Captain Jones that the General wanted
him. He rode off in a great hurry, first asking self and Halsey
whether our small commandos wanted to stop or go off. We both replied
"Stop, and see it out." Captain Jones came back to say that the
_Forte_ men and the Natal Naval Volunteers were to be withdrawn, and
the 4.7 guns to be turned over to the military; we are to remain. He
did not seem to know whether to be glad or sorry but told us that
Admiral Harris had wired to the Commander-in-Chief that he wanted the
_Forte_ men for an expedition up the Gambia on the west coast. Such is
the Naval Service, here one day and off the next.
_Friday, 22nd June._--The 11th Brigade and Naval guns marched off at 9
a.m., leaving myself with the 18th Hussars, Dorsets, 13th Battery R.A.
and so on, to defend Sandspruit Bridge. I was very sorry to say
good-bye to Captain Jones and all, especially Hunt, Steel and
Anderton, after our seven months' campaigning and hardships together,
and I feel quite lonely. General Hildyard introduced me to General
Brocklehurst who commands here. We selected gun positions and got the
37th Company R.E. to make two emplacements for my guns. I had a look
at the bridge at which the Boers had fired gun shots to carry an
important trestle away, but they did but slight damage.
_Saturday, 23rd June._--Rode about all day looking at the defences
with our Brigade Major (Wyndham), selecting positions and giving my
opinion on some of them. Was asked to lunch with General Brocklehurst
and Staff (Wyndham of the Lancers, Corbett of the 2nd Life Guards, and
Crichton of the Blues) and had tea with them as well--all a very nice
lot. Trains are running through to Standerton where the
Commander-in-Chief and General Clery are at present.
_Sunday, 24th June._--A quiet and cold day. Called on the Dorsets and
found that Colonel Cecil Law is a cousin, and very nice and kind.
_Monday, 25th June._--A hard frost and heavy mist. General
Brocklehurst moved out with the 11th Hussars, two guns of the 13th
Battery, my own guns, and a Company of the Dorsets, against some Boers
who had been often sniping us and our guides from the Amersfoort Road.
We got into position about 2 p.m., and had a small action lasting till
dark; my guns clearing the ridges on the right at 4,500 yards with
shrapnel, while the Hussars and guns advanced over a high ridge in
front. Here the Boers resisted and retired, but on our drawing off
into camp later on, to save the daylight, they came after us in full
force and we had a small sort of action with lots of firing; we gave
them fifty shrapnel. The General seemed pleased with our shooting.
Trekked back to camp and dined with Colonel Law and the Dorsets who
fed us up right well. Sent General Brocklehurst and his A.D.C. some
damaged and fired brass cartridge cases which they wanted as a
memento.
_Thursday, 28th June._--About 2 p.m. a Flying Column from Volksrust
passed through here to follow up the Boers at Amersfoort. This war
certainly seems likely to last a long time.
_Friday, 29th June._--To-day General Talbot Coke with a Flying Column
moved out at 8 a.m. supported by the 18th Hussars and some of our
guns, but he had to fall back in face of a superior force of 2,000
Boers and 6 guns against him. We had some twenty casualties.
_Saturday, 30th June._--I have been for some days sick and ill with
jaundice, arising from exposure and hard work, but am anxious not to
give in. To-day I am advised however to do so, and to-morrow may see
the last of me here as I go into hospital, and here I may say I
remained till the 5th July when I was able to get up although as weak
as a rat. I was advised by the doctor to run down to Durban to the
warmer climate, so as I felt too weak to do anything else I had to ask
the General for sixteen days' leave which he gave me. Thus on the 6th
July after giving over my guns to Lieutenant Clutterbuck, I left
Sandspruit in an empty open truck at 4 p.m., got down to Volksrust at
dark, and met Reeves, R.S.O., who had had jaundice and who offered me
a bed in his office, which I was delighted to have; also met again
Captain Patch, R.A. We all dined together at the station and wasn't I
ravenous! We all came to the conclusion that we were rather sick of
campaigning if accompanied by jaundice and other ills of the flesh.
_Saturday, 7th July._--At 8.30 a.m. went on by train to Ladysmith
which I reached at 8 p.m., and got into Durban the next morning at 9
a.m. A lovely morning and a nice country covered with pretty gardens
and flowers--such a change from that awfully dried up Northern Natal.
I secured a room at the Marine Hotel, feeling ill and glad to get
sleep and oblivion for a time.
_Wednesday, 11th July._--The weather at Durban is lovely and I am
already feeling better. Have met Nugent of the _Thetis_ and Major
Brazier Creagh, also down with jaundice. My letters have lately all
gone wrong, but to-day I received a batch to my great delight.
And now I must perforce close this record of personal experiences,
written perhaps more to amuse and satisfy myself than for the perusal
of others; more especially as this being a personal Diary I have been
obliged by force of circumstances to use the pronoun "I" more than I
would otherwise wish. The war seems played out so far as one can
judge. It appears to be becoming now a guerilla warfare of small
actions and runaway fights at long ranges; these furnish of course no
new experiences or discoveries to Naval gunners; in fact, the sameness
of them is depressing, and what with marching, fighting, poor living,
dysentery, and jaundice, I humbly confess that my martial zeal is at a
much lower ebb than it was a year ago. Yet time may produce many
changes and surprises, and I may yet find myself again at the front;
who knows!
* * * * *
_Thursday, 26th July._--The quick return to health which the change to
the warmth of Durban effected made me only too glad to get back to the
front again with the object of "being in at the death." I travelled up
as far as Ingogo with Captain Reed, R.A. (now a V.C.); thence on to
Sandspruit, and on again in a Scotch cart, which Major Carney, R.A.,
M.C., lent me, to Grass Kop, a hill six miles off the station and some
6,000 feet high. Ugh! I shall never forget the drive and the jolting,
and the sudden cold after Durban weather. Still I was able to rejoin
my guns before dark, and to receive them over from Lieutenant
Clutterbuck who had been sent to relieve me when I was obliged to
leave the front. He fortunately had a share in taking this hill with
the Dorsets when in command of my guns. With a whole battalion at
first of Dorsets under Colonel Law (who had dug marvellous good
trenches), and later on with three Companies of the South Lancashires,
and after that two Companies of the Queen's (note the descending scale
of numbers), we defend this position, monarchs of all we survey, and
therefore bagging all we can get, not only of the numerous guinea
fowl, partridge, and spring buck dwelling on its sides and in its
ravines, but also, it must be confessed, of the tamer and tougher
bipeds from surrounding farms that were nearly all deserted by their
owners. For many weeks we had a great deal of fun in our little
shooting expeditions. Major Adams of the Lancashires, a keen
sportsman, was always sighting game through his binoculars as he was
going on his constant patrols round the defences, and he allowed the
rest of us to shoot when able. Thus in the midst of our work we had
many a jolly hour in those occasional expeditions close to our lines;
one day we made a large bag of geese and started a farmyard just in
front of our guns on a small nek, giving our friends the geese a
chance of emulating the deeds of their ancestors at the Roman Capitol;
for who can tell whether they may not yet save Grass Kop if our
friends the Boers are game enough to attack.
_Sunday, 12th August._--The gales of wind up here are something awful.
This evening as we were toasting the "Grouse" at home, a furious blast
blew down and split up my own tent and that of others, although
fortunately we had a refuge in the mess-house which the Dorsets had
made by digging a deep hole roofed over with tin; here we are fairly
comfortable and have stocked this splendid apartment with Boer
furniture, including a small organ. Our evenings with the South
Lancashires in this mess-house have been as merry as we could make
them, and our president, Major Adams, whom we all like, occasionally
fires off a tune on the organ which he plays beautifully such as it
is. The Volunteers with us are to be seen at all times sitting on the
side of the hill surveying the country through their binoculars and
watching the movements of the enemy. Marking the interest which this
being "able to see" gives men, I sincerely hope that in future wars
each company of a regiment or of a battleship may be always supplied
with a certain proportion of binoculars, or with small hand
telescopes, for possible outpost duty.
_Monday, 13th August._--General Hildyard rode up here and expressed
himself much pleased with our trenches and defences. I had a talk with
him about matters and he does not seem to anticipate a further advance
of the 5th Division just yet. However, here we are, and the kop "has a
fine healthy air," as the General who was quite blue with cold
remarked. Neither my men nor self have had any letters for weeks,
which is rather dreary for us; our mails are, no doubt, chasing the
Commander-in-Chief at Ermelo. One feels a certain amount of pity for
these Boers; they are, owing to their reckless and cunning leaders, in
the position of a conquered race, and this position to such a people
who are naturally proud, cunning and overbearing must be awful. One
notices this much even among the few old men, boys and women who are
left on the farms; they display a certain air of dejection and are
even cringing till they see that they are not going to be robbed or
hurt when their self-confidence soon reasserts itself. There is a
typical old Boer farmer and his family living at the foot of Grass
Kop; a few presents of coffee and sugar have made this family grateful
and quite glad to see us; still one detects the cunning in their
nature, and they don't hide for a moment that they wish the English
anywhere but in their country. Poor people, they have one good point
in their characters which is that they won't hear of anyone running
down their President even although he has terribly sold them.
_Wednesday, 15th August._--We have now watched two fights round the
town of Amersfoort, about eighteen miles north of us. On the 7th
General Buller occupied the place and we were all in readiness to
defend our right flank if need be, but our friends the Boers bolted
to Ermelo instead of coming our way. We were all rather annoyed at
Grass Kop, however, to see a Boer laager with a dozen wagons, guns and
ambulances inspan at almost the last moment and slip off under the
very noses of our Cavalry who were drawn up in force under a long
ridge, doing nothing for an hour at least. This is all the more vexing
because for a fortnight or more we had sent in accurate reports as to
this very laager which a single flank movement of the Cavalry would
have easily taken _en bloc_, instead of which they paid no attention
to our heliograph from Major Adams to "hurry up and at them." These
frontal attacks on towns without flanking movements seem to be absurd,
as the enemy and his guns invariably get away under our noses. To-day
General Buller occupied Ermelo, but as ill-luck will have it the
commandos which split up before him have come south-east and are
giving trouble on the Natal border.
_Friday, 24th August._--The winter is slipping away, and to-day I am
writing in one of those horrible north-west gales of wind which knock
our tents into shreds and whirl round us dust as thick as pea-soup.
Our kop life is becoming a little monotonous but we manage to get on.
[Illustration: Bringing in a Boer prisoner.]
[Illustration: In Camp at Grass Kop.]
[Illustration: One of Lieut. Halsey's Naval 12-pounders.]
_Monday, 27th August._--The Boers have again cut the line and are
shelling Ingogo, so we must evidently march on their laager. Down
comes the rain in a perfect deluge for three days which is most
depressing, more especially as our poor mess-house is full of water
from a leaky roof and we have to take our meals with feet cocked up on
tin sheets. The South Lancashires have suddenly got the order to move
for which we are all very sorry. I presented Major Adams with two old
brass cases and two blind 12-pounder shells for the regiment from the
Navy detachment, as a memento of our pleasant time with them. We
have been very busy making our positions secure from attack in case of
accidents with barbed wire, besides sangars and trenches.
_Wednesday, 5th September._--Very thick mists up here, and as we hear
rumours of attack we have very alert and wakeful nights. A great many
movements in our front which only succeed in dispersing the Boer
commandos without capturing them. We hear of Lord Roberts'
proclamation of the 1st September annexing the Transvaal, and we give
three cheers![4]
[Footnote 4: The following is a copy of a telegram which the
Governor received from Lord Roberts, dated 13th September,
1900:
"I have ordered the following proclamation to be printed and
widely circulated in English and Dutch.
"The late President, with Mr. Reitz, and the archives of the
South African Republic, have crossed the Portuguese frontier
and arrived at Lourenso Marques, with a view of sailing for
Europe at an early date. Mr. Kruger has formally resigned the
position he held as President of the South African Republic,
thus severing his official connection with the Transvaal.
"Mr. Kruger's action shows how hopeless, in his opinion, is
the war which has now been carried on for nearly a year, and
his desertion of the Boer cause should make it clear to his
fellow-burghers that it is useless for them to continue the
struggle any longer.
"It is probably unknown to the inhabitants of the Transvaal
and Orange River Colony that nearly 15,000 of their
fellow-subjects are now prisoners of war, not one of whom
will be released until those now in arms against us surrender
unconditionally.
"The burghers must now by this time be cognisant of the fact
that no intervention on their behalf will come from any of
the Great Powers, and, further, that the British Empire is
determined to complete the work which has already cost so
many valuable lives, and to carry to its conclusion the war
declared against her by the late Governments of the Transvaal
and Orange Free State--a war to which there can be but one
ending.
"If any further doubts remain in the minds of the burghers as
to Her Britannic Majesty's intentions, they should be
dispelled by the permanent manner in which the country is
gradually being occupied by Her Majesty's forces, and by the
issue of the proclamations signed by me on the 24th May and
the 1st September, 1900, annexing the Orange Free State and
the South African Republic respectively, in the name of Her
Majesty.
"I take this opportunity of pointing out that, except in the
small area occupied by the Boer army under the personal
command of Commandant General Botha, the war is degenerating
into operations carried on in an irregular and irresponsible
manner by small, and, in very many cases, insignificant
bodies of men.
"I should be failing in my duty to Her Majesty's Government
and to Her Majesty's Army in South Africa, if I neglected to
use every means in my power to bring such irregular warfare
to an early conclusion.
"The means which I am compelled to adopt are those which the
customs of war prescribe as being applicable to such cases.
"They are ruinous to the country, entail endless suffering on
the burghers and their families, and the longer this guerilla
warfare continues the more vigorously must they be
enforced."]
_Wednesday, 12th September._--Not much to record. Lieutenant Halsey,
R.N., looking very fit, came to see me yesterday from Standerton, and
from what he says we are likely to remain on here for some time longer
defending the position which is no doubt an important one. My oxen are
well, but some of the men are getting enteric. We have to be on the
alert against Kaffirs who prowl up the hill with a view, as we think,
of taking a look round on the defences.
_Friday, 14th September._--Engaged in writing details of the graves of
two of the _Tartar_ men who, as the Admiral said in a memo, on the
subject, had given their lives for their Queen and country. Apparently
the Guild of Loyal Women of South Africa have engaged to look after
all the graves of H.M. sailors and soldiers in this country and have
written to ask for their position. What a kindness this is, and what a
comfort to the poor families in England who cannot come out to do so!
The two services must be ever in debt for it. We are all glad to hear
that Kruger has bolted from the country via Delagoa Bay. But why let
him escape?
_Sunday, 23rd September._--Still here, with all sorts of news and
rumours constantly coming up; Kruger sailing to Europe in a Dutch
man-of-war; Botha said to be on the point of surrendering; some 15,000
Boer prisoners in our hands and so on; while at Volksrust the burghers
are surrendering at the rate of fifty a day, and here at Sandspruit
they are dribbling in by half-dozens for what it is worth. But from
now up to 1st October at Grass Kop we have to record "Nothing,
nothing, always nothing," although in the outer world we hear of great
doings, and of C.I.V.'s, Canadians, Guards, Natal Volunteers, and
others all preparing to go home for a well-deserved rest. Our turn
must soon come, and I am busy preparing my Ordnance and Transport
accounts in view of sudden orders to leave the front. The following
circular may be of interest as showing the gifts given for the troops
in Natal during these operations by native chiefs and others in that
colony.
CIRCULAR WITH LINES OF COMMUNICATION ORDERS.
No. A 23.
The following gifts of money have been sent from native chiefs,
committees, and others in Natal for the benefit of the troops in
Natal. The amounts received for the sick and wounded have been
handed over to the principal medical officer, lines of
communication, and the other gifts to the officers commanding
concerned:
_Date_
_From whom received._ _received._ _Amount._ _On what account._
L s. d.
Ngeeda (of Chief
Ndguna's tribe) 7/3/00 7 0 0 1st Manchester Regiment.
Chief Xemuhenm 22/3/00 10 0 0 For troops who defended
Ladysmith.
Berlin Mission (New
Germany) 22/3/00 8 0 0 For sick and wounded.
Native Christian
Communities 28/3/00 15 0 0 For war funds.
Chief Umzingelwa 28/3/00 5 0 0 For relief purposes.
Chief Laduma 30/3/00 8 0 0 For sick and wounded.
Members of Free
Church of Scotland
Mission (natives) 30/3/00 9 5 6-1/2 " "
Natives of Alexandra
Division 3/4/00 7 15 3 For Royal Artillery who
fought at Colenso.
Free Church of
Scotland (Impolweni
natives) 6/4/00 3 17 4 For sick and wounded.
Loyal Dutch round
Tugela district 12/4/00 41 7 6 " "
J. H. Kumolo (Lion's
River District) 13/4/00 3 18 0 " "
P. M. Majozi 16/5/00 3 0 0 " "
Chief Gayede
(Amakabela Tribe) 19/5/00 6 0 0 " "
Chief Ndgungazwe 26/5/00 8 9 10-1/2 " "
Headman Umnxinwa 26/5/00 3 0 0 { For Sergeant who led
Headman Umnxinwa 15/7/00 0 17 0 { East Surreys at
{ Pieter's Hill.
Chief Bambata, of
Umvoti Division 3/6/00 3 0 0 For sick and wounded.
Chief Christian Lutayi,
and Mr. Bryant Cole 5/6/00 9 1 0 For sick and wounded.
Chief Ncwadi 9/6/00 219 6 0 " "
Chief Ncwadi 15/7/00 147 1 6 " "
Chief Mqolombeni 10/6/00 5 0 0 " "
Native Chiefs
(Timothy Ogle and
Ntemba Ogle) 15/6/00 20 0 0 " "
Chief Mahlube 21/6/00 15 0 0 " "
Chief Nyakana
(Mampula Division) 28/6/00 2 0 0 " "
Chief Xegwana 7/7/00 1 10 0 " "
NEWCASTLE, H. HEATH (_Lieut.-Colonel_),
_30th July, 1900._ _C.S.O., Lines of Communication._