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TWO YEARS ON TREK
Being Some Account of the Royal Sussex Regiment in South Africa.
By the Late LT.-COLONEL DU MOULIN.
With a Preface by Col. J. G. Panton, C.M.G.
Commanding 2nd Battalion Royal Sussex Regiment, 1903-1907.
Edited By_ H. F. Bidder,
Captain, 3rd Battalion Royal Sussex Regiment.
Murray and Co.,
The Middlesex Printing Works,
180, Brompton Road, S.W.
1907.
THIS BOOK WRITTEN FOR THE MOST PART BY THE LATE
LT.-COL. DU MOULIN HAS BEEN COMPLETED AND PUBLISHED
BY HIS COMRADES AS THE MOST FITTING MEMORIAL
TO A GALLANT SOLDIER.
DULCE . ET . DECORUM . EST . PRO . PATRIA . MORI
CONTENTS.
Chap. Page.
I. TO BLOEMFONTEIN. 1
II. THE 21ST BRIGADE. THE TREK BEGINS. 13
III. TO ZAND RIVER. 28
IV. THE FIGHT AT ZAND RIVER. 39
V. ACROSS THE VAAL. 50
VI. DOORNKOP. 60
VII. PRETORIA. 69
VIII. DIAMOND HILL, FIRST DAY. 79
IX. DIAMOND HILL, SECOND DAY. 84
X. TO SPRINGS. 95
XI. TO REITZ. 105
XII. TO MEYER'S KOP. 117
XIII. RETIEF'S NEK. 126
XIV. TO THE BOER LAAGER. 144
XV. TO WINBURG. 162
XVI. UP AND DOWN. 173
XVII. TO LINDLEY. 185
XVIII. THE RAILWAY NEEDS REPAIR. 202
XIX. TO BOTHAVILLE. 215
XX. VENTERSBURG ROAD. 225
XXI. BACK TO LINDLEY. 234
XXII. IN GARRISON. 247
XXIII. THE RAISING OF THE MOUNTED COLUMN. 257
XXIV. TWO DISTRICTS. 273
XXV. DE PUT. 282
XXVI. TO VLAKFONTEIN. 291
XXVII. ABRAHAM'S KRAAL. 301
XXVIII. NORTHWARDS--AND THE END. 308
XXIX. THE THIRD BATTALION. 319
APPENDICES.
_PREFACE._
_Louis Eugene du Moulin was of French descent. By birth he was a New
Zealander. He passed through Sandhurst and entered the army in 1879,
joining the 107th Regiment--now the Second Battalion of the Royal Sussex
Regiment. With this battalion all his service was spent, until his
promotion in 1899 as second in command of the First Battalion Royal
Sussex Regiment (the old 35th)._
_He served in the Black Mountain Campaign of 1888, in the Chin-Lushai
and Manipur expeditions of 1889-91, and in the Tirah Campaign of
1897-98. Alike among the dark pine woods of the Himalayas, in the dense
jungle of Manipur, or on the bleak, stony ridges of the Hazara country
the name of du Moulin became a byword in the Regiment, and far beyond
the Regiment, for restless energy, never-failing resource and cool
daring. He became known all over India as a musketry expert. Many of his
ideas were adopted, and are in universal use by those who may never have
heard his name._
_Perhaps his real genius was for organization. This quality came
conspicuously into notice in South Africa during the war. Many men who
served in the 21st Brigade under General Bruce Hamilton had reason to
bless the forethought and unstinted labour of the man who carried out so
thoroughly the idea of the Brigade commander, and supplied the Brigade
with those welcome additions to bully beef and biscuit which were
obtainable at the Brigade Canteen. Often after a hard day's march and a
tough fight have I admired the unselfish spirit in which, disdaining
fatigue, he would set to work with his coat off to open stores and
arrange the wagons lighted with "dips," which served as a "coffee shop"
for famishing Tommy._
_A tall, spare man, with keen, dark eyes, a courageous nose and a
harsh-toned voice--such was the outward du Moulin. Feared not a little,
loved greatly by those under him, afraid of no one, despising precedent
and precaution, dependent only on his own iron will and keen intellect,
he had a brilliant career before him when he fell gloriously at
Abraham's Kraal on January 28th, 1902. He had gone through the campaign
from the advance to Pretoria of Lord Roberts' army, down to the pursuit
of De Wet and of the broken commandos after De Wet's time, without a
wound, and, as far as I can remember, without a day's sickness--and with
very few days' rest from marching and fighting._
_He always knew what it was he wanted and how to get it, and how to make
others help him to this end._
_One anecdote I may here relate:--
Worn out with much marching, ragged and hungry, the half battalion under
du Moulin halted at Kroonstad to refit. Supplies, and especially
clothing and boots, were hard to get. Some tired subaltern returned,
repulsed from the Ordnance Store, empty handed._
_The matter quickly reached du Moulin's ears, and he disappeared for
what seemed a few minutes. Presently out of a cloud of red dust emerged
a mule wagon at a hand gallop. Standing up, driving, cracking a long
whip and yelling at the Kaffirs to clear the road, came "Mullins," as
he was familiarly known to all. His grey regulation shirt was rolled up
to the elbow, showing a pair of red muscular arms like copper wire. He
shouted as he turned his team into the camp, and we hurried to his
wagon, to have bundles of new clothes, white shiny rolls of waterproof
sheets, and thick soft blankets rapidly allotted to our men; and to save
time (for we were moving next morning) "Mullins" himself hurled out the
bundles into our arms._
_At another time, when we were at Ventersburg Road Station in one of the
brief intervals of rest allowed by Boers who blew up the railway line
three times a week (this was in 1900), the siding leading to the dock
for entraining horses or cattle was completely blocked by the burnt
remains of a train of trucks, rusty and apparently immovable._
_The railway staff smiled incredulously when du Moulin offered to remove
the entire train of trucks. Without cranes or appliances they declared
it was impossible._
_Collecting all the spare rails, sleepers and fish-plates that could be
found about the station yard, du Moulin started work, and a branch
railway some 100 yards long was quickly laid leading into the veldt,
with proper points connecting it with the siding. A hundred willing
hands hauled at the ropes--the rusty axles, well greased, revolved. In
half a day the siding was clear, and the ruined trucks were standing on
the veldt, where they probably stand to this day!_
_Another picture of du Moulin under fire, and I have done._
_On the 12th of June, 1900, at Diamond Hill, "B" Company was sent to
support the three companies of the Royal Sussex under du Moulin, about
midday. These three companies were lying under the scanty shelter of a
few rocks at the edge of the flat-topped hill facing the main Boer
position, at a distance of about 900 yards. The hail of bullets was
incessant, the noise of guns and thousands of rifles deafening. As we
arrived breathless, having crossed the 200 yards of flat open ground
amid a "rush" of bullets, I sought du Moulin to ask where we were most
wanted. He was standing up, a conspicuous figure amidst a "feu
d'enfer"--pounding with the butt of a rifle a prostrate man, who would
not move from the imagined shelter of a stone about as big as a Dutch
cheese, and who could not see to fire from his position._
_I got a very curt, lurid rejoinder, and promptly subsided behind a very
inadequate rock myself._
_Colonel du Moulin was shot through the heart, leading a charge against
the Boers who had rushed his camp. Always in front--always the first to
face the foe. "Felix opportunitati mortis." May he rest in peace._
_J. G. PANTON._
_Crete,_
_November, 1906._
EXPLANATORY.
It was the design of Col. du Moulin to write an account of the doings of
the Royal Sussex Regiment in South Africa, which should both serve to
remind those of the Regiment who went through the campaign of the
incidents in which they took part, and should also put on record another
chapter of that Regimental History, made through many years in many
lands, of which all who serve in the Regiment may be so justly proud.
During the months of November and December, 1900, he found, in the
comparative quiet of the occupation of Lindley, an opportunity of
completing his account up to date. His manuscript is typed (he managed
to obtain a machine from somewhere) upon the only paper available--the
backs of invoice sheets from a store in the town.
From the evacuation of Lindley in January, 1901, to his death a year
later, Col. du Moulin was far too much occupied with his work in the
field to do more than make a few notes for his book. And it is from
these notes of his, and from the diaries, letters, and personal
reminiscences of other Officers, that the later chapters have been
compiled.
It has been thought better to leave Col. du Moulin's work practically
untouched, although it was never subjected by him to a final revision,
and although he had no opportunity of modifying anything he wrote, in
the light of subsequent history. As it stands, it gives a vivid picture
of events that had only just occurred--drawn with a firm hand, while the
impression was fresh upon the author's mind.
In compiling the subsequent chapters, the object has been merely to give
a slight sketch of the experiences of the Regiment during the latter
half of the war. It has not been attempted (nor would it have been
possible) to enter into detail to the same extent as was done by Col. du
Moulin, writing upon the spot. If one or two scenes are preserved, it is
the utmost that can be hoped.
The Appendices contain the stories of the 13th and 21st M.I., on which
several officers and a number of men of the Regiment were serving. The
former is kindly contributed by Capt. G. P. Hunt, of the Royal Berkshire
Regiment.
H. F. BIDDER.
_December, 1906._
CHAPTER I.
TO BLOEMFONTEIN.
Malta--Orders for South Africa--The Pavonia--Cape Town--Port
Elizabeth--Bloemfontein--Glen.
The senior regiment in the 1st Brigade in the 1st Army Corps at
Aldershot and the first regiment on the roster for foreign service at
the time war was declared in South Africa in 1899, we might fairly have
expected to be one of the earliest regiments to embark for active
service; but it was not to be. We saw our old friends in General FitzRoy
Hart's Brigade--The Black Watch, the Welsh, the Northamptons--and almost
every other regiment in Aldershot receive their orders to mobilise, and
with heavy hearts we proceeded to pack our kits for--Malta!
Even in this festive island our ill luck seemed at first to follow us
unceasingly, and, notwithstanding all our field training at Mellieha and
the numerous occasions upon which we defended Naxaro against
overwhelming hordes of invaders, still we were not among the chosen. Our
old friends the Sherwood Foresters took themselves off also, via the
Suez Canal, for the seat of war, with a nice fat draft of seasoned
soldiers from their Second Battalion, and we were left lamenting, to
troop the Colour on the Palace Square, and to go on guard with five
nights in bed.
The very bad news which arrived soon after the opening of the campaign
in Natal had a depressing effect on all of us, which soldiering in Malta
is not calculated to remove, and any fresh news issued by Bartolo, the
printer, was eagerly sought after. A glimmer of excitement was caused by
the offer of His Excellency the Governor to the Secretary of State to
provide a fully equipped company of Mounted Infantry from the troops in
garrison, of which company the Royal Sussex hoped to form a large part;
but in this again we were doomed to disappointment, as we were not even
asked to send in our names.
Things were in this unhappy state--everyone with long faces and
villainous tempers--when the New Year was ushered in and found us at
Verdala Barracks. From there, towards the middle of the month, five
companies were sent to the new barracks at Imtarfa and the other three
were put out into various holes and corners at Zabbar, Salvatore and
other undesirable residences. We all thought this was putting the climax
on our misfortunes, but we little knew then that in another five days we
were to be raised to the seventh heaven of delight by the news that we
were at last selected to proceed to South Africa.
This welcome news was hurriedly brought out to the exiles at Imtarfa by
Captain Aldridge, his face fairly beaming again, and shortly afterwards
we heard that we were to go home to be mobilised for active service, and
that we were to be relieved in Malta by the Royal Berkshire regiment.
Immediately everything was hurry and bustle, and we were all writing to
our friends and making our arrangements for a prolonged absence, except,
alas, some of the younger soldiers, who could not reasonably expect to
fulfil the conditions of being over 20 and having completed a year's
service.
Shortly afterwards the glad tidings arrived that we were to mobilise in
Malta, that our reservemen would join us there, and that we should
proceed straight to the Cape.
On one occasion, whilst at Imtarfa, when an unusually stirring account
of the battle of Colenso appeared in the _Daily Telegraph_, one of the
officers went down to the Recreation Room at night and read it to the
men. Mr. Bennett Burleigh, the writer of the vivid piece of word
painting, would have been flattered if he could have seen the great
crowd of men in the room, absolutely still and motionless, following
with breathless interest the splendid description of the gallant
behaviour of our gunners on this fatal day, when they bravely tried to
work their guns within 600 yards of the enemy's riflemen, and the
magnificent story of how young Roberts, Captain Congreve and others
endeavoured to save the guns.
On the 16th of January after a prolonged field day over the rocks beyond
the Victoria Lines, which lasted from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., we marched off
to Pembroke to execute the annual course of musketry, which we succeeded
in doing in some of the most villainous weather which it has ever been a
soldier's lot to experience. This concluded, back the five companies
went to Imtarfa, being relieved by the other three from Headquarters;
and now a constant succession of field days and route marches of a more
or less interesting character opened for us and continued until the 12th
of February, when the whole regiment was collected together on the
Cottonera side of the water, and those who were not to go to the Cape
were definitely weeded out.
Sir Francis Grenfell inspected the Battalion on parade at Zabbar Gate a
day or two before we embarked, and was good enough to make some very
complimentary remarks. The "Pavonia," a big Cunarder, which arrived
early on the morning of the 19th of February with our reservemen on
board and no end of our mobilisation stores, impressed us very
favourably, and our liking for her as a comfortable ship increased with
our acquaintance of her.
She was crowded with old comrades and new friends, both officers and
men, and we gave each other a cheery reception--not quite so cheery,
however, as the send-off from Chichester, which we had all heard about
by the mail a few days previously, and regarding which a large amount of
good natured chaff continued to pass for a long time. Many is the time
since then that some of us have longed, and with some reason too, for
one of the Mayor's famous pork-pies!
The reservemen, especially those of Section D, were a fine lot, and made
one's heart swell with pride to think that at last the reward of years
of parades and routine would be reaped, and that a battalion of
thoroughly seasoned soldiers, second to none serving Her Majesty, was to
have an opportunity of showing what it could do in the field.
Major Scaife, who had been left at home on the sick list when the
battalion embarked for Malta, but who had succeeded in passing a medical
board, was on the "Pavonia," as well as Captain Gilbert and Lieut.
Wroughton, of the Second Battalion. Both these had been attached to this
Battalion for duty during the campaign; so also had Captain Blake of the
Third Battalion, who had volunteered for duty as a subaltern. Lieut.
Harden, who had been promoted into the regiment from a West India
Battalion and had already seen considerable service on the West Coast of
Africa, and Lieut. Gouldsmith from the Depot, with four new officers,
2nd Lieuts. Paget, Anderson, Montgomerie and Leachman, had also come to
join. These latter young officers were to purchase their experience
somewhat dearly as after events proved, but luckily with no fatal
results to themselves.
The send-off of the battalion from Malta, although not equalling in
magnificence that accorded to our reservemen by the generous citizens of
Chichester, was no less cordial. The battalion concentrated in
Margharita Square and marched to the Bakery Wharf, the scene of endless
similar departures, played down by the band of the 3rd Royal West Kent
regiment and by the civilian band of Cospicua. We embarked about
mid-day, but remained in harbour that night to complete the loading of
the mobilisation stores and also to embark the Malta Company of Mounted
Infantry, which some weeks before we had been so chagrined at our
inability to join. This company was commanded by Captain Pine-Coffin of
the Loyal North Lancashire regiment, and he had with him a fine lot of
men of the Derbyshire, North Lancashire and Warwickshire regiments.
At half-past ten on the 20th of February the screw made its first
revolution on its long journey, and we were fairly moving at last. The
Baracca and the fortifications overlooking the harbour were crowded with
people to see us off, and there was a scene of great enthusiasm as we
slowly steamed past St. Elmo, the bluejackets on the ships in harbour
giving us cheer after cheer.
Between Malta and Gibraltar a great many stowaways turned up, some of
them having succeeded in bringing their full kit on board. Unhappily for
them the "Pavonia" called in at Gibraltar in obedience to signals from
the shore, the Malta authorities having telegraphed ahead; so our
friends were hunted up and taken ashore, terribly dejected at their
ill-luck. One or two, however, were 'cute enough to hide again, and this
time succeeded in coming with us all the way.
The voyage was a slow and uneventful one. Absolutely nothing occurred to
vary the monotony or to increase the speed. The "Pavonia," although an
Atlantic liner, was not by any means the flyer that we had anticipated,
and performed all her duties with deliberation even to coaling. This was
carried out in a slow and stately manner in two days at St. Vincent,
many of our men, who volunteered for the purpose, being utilised in
assisting, owing to the dearth of coolies. Crossing the line on the 8th
of March we had the usual visit from Father Neptune, who arrived on
board about 7 p.m., and proceeded to hold his court according to ancient
custom, when numbers of his young subjects were presented to His Majesty
in due form and greeted by him in proper sea style.
During the voyage every endeavour was made to give the men exercise and
to keep them in condition, no easy matter with such a large number of
men on board and so little room. However parades were held every day,
and signalling and semaphore classes were kept going, which relieved the
monotony a little. When we could not think of anything else for the
moment it was always easy to have a round-up amongst the kit bags or a
worry around the helmets on the lower deck! The band played on deck
pretty often, and so the weary time passed slowly away until the 20th of
March, when Table Mountain was at last sighted. We should never have
believed it possible that it was to be our fate to remain six days at
anchor, but such was the fact. The number of ships--mostly with troops,
but many with horses, cattle and coal--lying in the harbour was
prodigious, and we had of course to wait our turn before going into the
docks. This we did on the 26th, and we were enabled to give the
battalion a run ashore in the shape of a route march. Passing through
the streets of Cape Town we excited a good deal of comment owing to our
strength, which was over 1,200 and caused people to think we were two
battalions. A certain amount of liberty was accorded the men to go
ashore which they were not slow to avail themselves of, though they took
no undue advantage of the permission. Numbers of men seized the
opportunity to remit various sums to their families at home, and a
draft, one amongst several, for over L242 was sent to the Depot on
account of these small remittances. The Depot authorities sent out
these sums to the families, but for some idea best known to themselves,
informed them that the money was part of a subscription from officers
and men, which led to endless correspondence, as the families
immediately with one accord wrote and demanded to know what had become
of their husbands!
Cape Town is a fine city and contains some splendid public buildings,
whilst its situation at the foot of Table Mountain is magnificent. The
suburbs at Green Point and Wynburg are excellently laid out, and it is
very pleasing to see the way trees are planted in the streets, and how
open spaces are encouraged. The electric trams are splendid, and many of
the battalion amused themselves by riding on the top of a car as far as
it went and coming back again. There is no better way of seeing a town.
The streets were crowded with soldiers of all sorts. Every kind of
corps, Horse, Foot and Artillery, was represented, not only of the
Regular Army but of Colonials also. Here were Canadians, Australians,
New Zealanders, men from India and Ceylon, men from Malta, men from the
West Indies, men from Natal and all parts of South Africa, and crowds of
adventurers and dare-devils from every quarter of the globe, who had
enlisted in various local corps. Not only the Army, but the whole
British nation, owe to Mr. Kruger a debt of gratitude that can never be
repaid, inasmuch as the South African war has brought about such a
reorganisation and betterment of the Army and such a magnificent
outburst of patriotic feeling among our vast colonies as could never
have been excited by any other means. The ordinary individual who
remains in England all his life or potters about the Continent cannot,
unless he is a man of an open mind and phenomenal intelligence, grasp
the enormous size and resources of our colonies such as India,
Australasia, the Cape Colonies and Canada, and it has remained for Mr.
Kruger to compel this fact to become startlingly patent to the minds of
many men, both at home and out in the Colonies, who had never given any
attention previously to the subject.
On the 30th March orders were received to proceed to East London to
disembark there, as apparently the traffic on the Cape railways was
congested to a degree, and some of it must be diverted on to the East
London line. So we steamed out again, passing round the Cape of Good
Hope in the afternoon and arriving on the 2nd of April at East London,
where we lay off the harbour, as we drew too much water to pass over the
bar and enter the channel.
Captain Pine-Coffin and his Mounted Infantry were the first to
disembark, and were followed by A, B, and C companies under Major
O'Grady. F, G, and H companies under Major du Moulin were the next to
land on the 3rd of April, and were followed by Headquarters and D and E
companies the same evening. Each of these parties were entrained on
successive days with their kits and rations and ammunition, and were
despatched up country, meeting with great demonstrations from the
residents along the line. Some ladies at Fort Jackson were kind enough
to turn out late at night and provide tea for us, than which nothing
could have been more acceptable. A run of about eighteen or nineteen
hours brought us to Bethulie Bridge, where the fact that we were
actually at the enemy's country became as evident as a slap in the face
when we saw the railway bridge with its piers destroyed and its enormous
arches blown into the river. The Railway Pioneer regiment, a local corps
composed mostly of railway men and miners, was hard at work making a
diversion over the road bridge, which, luckily for us, had been saved
from the enemy by Major Shaw and Lieut. Popham of the Sherwood
Foresters a short time previously.
The road bridge had had a line of rails laid along it, and trucks were
pushed over one by one, as the bridge was not strong enough to bear the
weight of an engine. This method of procedure was slow, but the
advantages of a through line were enormous; and considerable precautions
had to be maintained to guard against the likelihood of any further
disaster, since it was possible at any time that the enemy might try and
blow up the sole remaining bridge over the river, and it was, therefore,
needful to take especial care. Each party of troops arriving detrained
in succession and marched over the river about a couple of miles to the
railway station, where, in due course, they were entrained and
despatched up country.
Head Quarters and D and E companies, however, remained for some little
time at Bethulie, relieving the Royal Scots on picket, and performing
the usual garrison duties. Alarms were several times raised that the
advance of a party of Boers, bent on wrecking the bridge, was imminent,
and all the troops stood to arms and reinforced the pickets; but nothing
further was ever heard.
At last, on the 20th April, these two companies started on their march
to join the remainder of the battalion, which about this time was
concentrating at Ferreira, a siding on the railway a few miles south of
Bloemfontein. However after marching about 60 miles, and reaching
Edenburg at the end of a long and trying tramp of fully 24 miles, orders
were received to go on by train to Bloemfontein; and on arriving there
the two companies were sent on at once to Glen, which they reached early
on the 27th of April. Headquarters had detrained at Ferreira in passing,
and had joined the remainder of the battalion.
Meanwhile, A, B, and C companies had been having some adventures, B
company having been fetched out of the train at Edenburg and ordered to
place the little town in a state of defence, as the advent of the enemy
was hourly expected. The Boers, however, failed to turn up, and B
company was then, on the 6th of April, ordered off to Bethany, about 10
miles distant, where the company entrained, reaching Ferreira Siding
late at night. They stayed here and took their share of picket duty
until the end of the month.
A and C companies, under Major O'Grady, after dropping B at Edenburg,
went on by rail to Bloemfontein, arriving there on the 5th April, and
receiving orders next day to camp on a hill about 2 miles south-east of
the railway station. This was in a dangerous neighbourhood, as about
this time the Boers were threatening the Waterworks and Springfield,
which is not far to the East; so a defensive work was laid out on this
hill by the Royal Engineers, which these two companies amused themselves
by erecting. Lord Roberts visited the site on the 10th of April and
christened it "Sussex Hill." The usual picket precautions were taken by
day and night, and the men were kept busy with pick and shovel; but a
good deal of rain interfered with the work, which was not completed
until the 17th of April, when orders were received to move to Ferreira
and join the remainder of the battalion.
F, G, and H companies arrived at Bloemfontein on the 5th of April, but
after waiting some hours were entrained and moved down the line about 6
miles to Ferreira Siding, where the pickets of the Royal Scots on
Leeuberg and the surrounding kopjes were relieved, and a guard mounted
on the bridge.
At Ferreira, close to our little camp, a brother of Mr. Steyn, the late
President of the Orange Free State, had a sort of country residence,
and we saw a good deal of him, as he and his wife were very civil in
allowing the men to purchase bread, butter, and other things from their
farm.
Mr. Steyn was a typical Boer, a fine, big man, with a long, black beard;
he was a solicitor in Bloemfontein, and of course an educated man, who
had travelled over England and the continent. Both he and his charming
wife used to be astonished, or pretended to be astonished, at the never
ending succession of troops daily passing their house on their way up to
the front, and used to ask us where all the troops came from. We,
naturally, did not give the show away, and explained carefully that
there were lots more where they came from, and that there was our
magnificent Indian army behind them again, only waiting to be called on.
Around the Steyns' farm French's cavalry had encamped during Lord
Roberts' dash on Bloemfontein, just before entering the town, and there
was ample evidence of the fact in the shape of dead animals and empty
biscuit tins strewn for miles over the veldt.
Mr. Steyn had, of course, been made a prisoner by the first arrivals of
our cavalry, but had taken the oath of allegiance, and had been given a
special pass to enable him to reside peacefully on his farm and to
prosecute his business in the town.
He was occasionally subjected to a good deal of annoyance, it is a pity
to relate, from our own troops, and had several times to send over to
our detachment and ask for a sentry to be posted on his house. The
intruders were usually men of the Colonial forces who apparently thought
they had a right to order meals to be prepared and fowls to be handed
over at any time, and that they could remove Mr. Steyn's horses and
wagons in defiance of the written permit to retain them which he used to
show.
On the 7th of April B company arrived, and also a battalion of the
Scots Guards and a squadron of Mounted Infantry. G and H companies went
to Kaal Spruit during the night, and from that date to the end of the
month the outposts were furnished by the Scots Guards and ourselves.
On the 21st of April A and C companies arrived from Sussex Hill, and a
new camp was formed and tents pitched in anticipation of the arrival of
the remainder of the battalion. The Volunteer company arrived somewhat
unexpectedly early on the 24th, and went off to take their turn on
picket the same evening. The Colonel and the regimental staff arrived
the next day, and the battalion was then almost complete.
Orders were shortly afterwards received to proceed to Bloemfontein; at 3
p.m. on the 27th of April the seven companies left by road, and on
arrival camped in the Highland Brigade camp just south of the town. The
men's blankets and baggage had been sent by rail, and, as no transport
could be procured until late, the blankets did not reach camp until
nearly midnight. However the men were in tents, and the bivouac poles
came in handy for making tea, no fuel of any kind being procurable in
camp.
Lord Roberts, accompanied by Major General Kelly, who had served many
years in the battalion, inspected us on parade the next day at 10 a.m.
preparatory to marching off to Glen. This march, a long and tiresome
one, gave us our first experience of the veldt, and we were not sorry to
find ourselves at Glen after our 16 miles tramp. D and E companies were
already there, and had camp pitched for us; our baggage, however, did
not turn up until the early morning, so we had to put in the night the
best way we could, under bags and tent walls, in the absence of
blankets. The whole Brigade was camped here, and the next day we fairly
started on our travels.