PRETORIA.
Johannesburg--Pretoria--An abortive conference--The entry and march
past--The people--The town--Irene--Botha again fails to appear.
A few miles march on the 30th May cleared us from the scene of the
battle of the day before and brought us into one of the mining suburbs
of Johannesburg, Florida, where we camped in the midst of mining shafts
and engine houses. Some few of the pumps were going, clearing out the
water, but the majority of the mines were shut down and in charge of the
Kaffir Mines Police; no damage had been done to any of them that we
could see.
On the 31st of May the following Divisional Order was published:--
The G.O.C. has much pleasure in publishing the following extract from a
letter just received from Lord Roberts:--
"I am delighted at your successes and grieved beyond measure at your
poor fellows being without proper rations; a trainful shall go on to you
to-day. I expect to get the notice that Johannesburg surrenders this
morning, and we shall then march into the town. I wish your column,
which has done so much to gain possession of it, could be with us."
Two days we rested after our heavy day's work on the 29th, but we
changed our camp to a new spot, more to the north and closer to the
town. This was Bramfontein, and we were allowed to go into the town and
inspect it, and make such purchases as we could.
Lord Roberts wired to the War Office on the 30th of May as follows:--
"The brunt of the fighting yesterday fell on Ian Hamilton's column. I
had sent him, as already mentioned, to work round to the west of
Johannesburg in support of French's cavalry, which was directed to go to
the north, near the road leading to Pretoria. I have not heard from
French yet, but Hamilton, in a report which has just reached me, states
that about one o'clock in the afternoon he found his way blocked by the
enemy strongly posted on some kopjes and ridges three miles south of the
Rand. They had two heavy guns, some held guns and Pom-poms.
"Hamilton at once attacked. The right was led by the Gordons, who after
capturing one extremity of the ridge, wheeled round and worked along it
until after dark, clearing it of the enemy, who fought most obstinately.
The City Imperial Volunteers led on the other flank and would not be
denied, but the chief share in the action, as in the casualties, fell to
the Gordons, whose gallant advance excited the admiration of all.
"Hamilton speaks in high terms of praise of the manner in which Bruce
Hamilton and Spens of the Shropshire Light Infantry handled the men
under Smith-Dorrien's direction."
Johannesburg is a fine town, a long way superior to Pretoria or
Bloemfontein: it owes its sudden rise and wonderful growth to its
situation on the Witwatersrand and to the enormous development of the
mining industries within the last few years.
No doubt when all the shops are open and the streets filled with the
usual well-dressed crowd, it must make a fine appearance. When we first
entered the town it looked quite desolate, with the magnificent plate
glass windows boarded up and the doors covered with corrugated iron,
evidently in anticipation of severe rioting and looting. Johannesburg
has a most magnificent town railway station at the Park, with waiting
rooms and offices, all of ornamental brick, mahogany and plate glass,
fitted up in the most gorgeous style with silk curtains, marble floors
and decorated ceilings. This is where the millionaires condescend to
embark on the train, when they think of honouring one or other of the
South African cities with their presence. The contrast between the
elaborate Park station and the hovels that serve for stations at
Elandsfontein and Bramfontein, is too absurd for words.
On Sunday, the 2nd of June, we were off again at seven o'clock; and the
next day found us still heading off towards the north-west of Pretoria,
apparently with the intention of circling round, and descending on the
capital from the north or north-west. However, while we were on the
march, our direction was changed, and we came back on our tracks, having
received orders to march straight on Pretoria. When this order was
passed by the mounted officers, there was a certain amount of
excitement, naturally, as Pretoria was our goal and destination. The
band struck up a march and there was a scene of much enthusiasm, one
regiment in particular cheering madly, and some individuals producing
Union Jacks, which they flourished with all their might.
So on we went, and about three o'clock reached the shelter of the hills
outside Pretoria. The 19th Brigade went up the hills a little way, and
the rest of us lay down and waited to see if we were wanted. Some of the
men fell out and wandered away to the reverse flank, but quickly came
running back, as bullets were dropping over the hills, apparently fired
at long range and considerable elevation. Indeed, a couple of the City
Imperial Volunteers were hit by these spent bullets. Later, the Brigade
camped close by, and in the dark, to our astonishment, we found,
alongside of us, some of the Sussex Yeomanry; and then we heard of the
unfortunate accident to the Duke of Norfolk, which precluded his taking
any further part in active operations, and which, unfortunately,
prevented our seeing him either.
The 5th of June was the great day of the campaign, culminating in the
withdrawal of the enemy and the entry of the victorious troops into his
capital.
Very early in the morning, De Lisle's Mounted Infantry had pushed on
into the town from the position gained by them the previous evening,
and, meeting with no opposition, had demanded its surrender, but were
received by Commandant Botha with a request for an armistice and a
conference. This was of course agreed to by Lord Roberts, and nine
o'clock was the hour fixed for the meeting. Towards that hour,
therefore, all the troops who had marched with the 19th and 21st
Brigades under General Ian Hamilton, were entering the pass which wound
through the hills into the valley of Pretoria. This pass was quite two
miles in length, and the surrounding country was composed of a
succession of low, broken hills, which, if they had been held by a
determined enemy, would have given us considerable trouble to capture.
It has always been a marvel why the Boers did not defend Pretoria,
surrounded, as it is, by a network of hills, topped by several strong
forts built, I suppose, for that purpose; but probably the fact was that
they would have been unable to get their big guns dragged up and mounted
in sufficient time to oppose our advance, and therefore thought it wise
not to risk them. Undoubtedly, Lord Roberts' rapid advance, or rather
his dash from Bloemfontein to Pretoria, will be recorded in history as
one of the remarkable military achievements of the century; and the
breathless rapidity with which his movements were planned and executed
had possibly paralysed the Boer commanders, and influenced their
decision to sacrifice Pretoria, and to fall back to the east on the
railway, as this would leave open a convenient line of retreat and an
easy means of departure, whenever necessary, for Mr. Kruger and the
foreign mercenaries, through Komati Poort and Delagoa Bay.
About nine o'clock, the hills opened out, and a mass of buildings could
be seen in the dim distance: this was Pretoria, and, forming up on a low
hill, a mile or two closer in, we were enabled to have a long look at
the town about which we had heard so much of late years.
Between us and the town, and among a multitude of iron-roofed houses,
was the famous race-course where so many of our unfortunate prisoners
had been confined: we could just distinguish with our glasses the big
enclosure with its high fence of corrugated iron, but it was too dim and
misty at that hour of the morning for us to make out much more.
Nine o'clock came but no Commandant Botha, and no signs of him, or of
anyone else. We were all ready for a durbar or a conference, formed up
in three sides of a hollow square, and everyone who could raise a kodak
had produced it and pushed himself up into a prominent position, ready
to take snapshots of the celebrities. And so we waited for an hour,
speculating idly as to the cause of the commandant's non-appearance, and
inclining to the belief that he was merely bluffing, to gain time to get
his guns away; whether he was or not we have never heard, but it was a
very suspicious circumstance that he played a similar game on another
occasion, and caused us to wait two days, which would have been valuable
time to us had we been able to advance.
Eventually the troops moved on, and camped to the west of the town and
just outside the notorious race-course, where merely a few sick
prisoners were now left, the majority having been moved some time
previously to Waterval; while the officers had been confined in the
Model School and other places in the town. On our approach, these
officers, over a hundred in number, had succeeded in bouncing the few of
their guards who still remained, and had effected their escape. They
came and reported themselves to Lord Roberts, who afterwards inspected
them on parade and congratulated them on obtaining their freedom.
The Brigade paraded in the early afternoon and formed up to march
through the streets of the capital; the Derbyshire were leading, as it
was their turn, and, headed by their band, they moved off in column of
route; we followed, what was left of our band showing the way, and after
us came the Camerons and then the C.I.V.
The streets were crammed with troops, as the Mounted Infantry and their
baggage were passing along with us, and moving to their camp on the
other side of the town; but when we approached the centre of the city
they branched off to the left. The Guards' Brigade had preceded us and
had left a number of men to keep the ground clear, as we entered on to
the square. There, facing the Union Jack, floating (never again to be
removed) proudly on the Town Hall, sat Lord Roberts on his charger,
surrounded by the officers of his staff; while on the other side of the
square, stood a dense, sullen mass of people--a few British subjects,
but mostly foreigners who had business interests in Pretoria, with many
women and children. What impressed us most was their silence: many of
the women were in tears, and most of the men glared at us with anything
but friendly glances. And so we passed on, saluting Lord Roberts, and
meeting General Kelly's friendly glance, and marched away down the
principal street, named Kerk or Church Street.
In a prominent position behind Lord Roberts, and surrounded by a mass
of scaffolding, was a pedestal, where work had been carried on to erect
a statue of the President of the Transvaal Republic. That pedestal,
destined to remain unfilled, stood there, a monument of disappointed
ambition.
Down Church Street we went for half a mile, swung off to the right, and
returned by a parallel road to our camping ground, passing the Electric
Lighting Company's tall chimney, where the enterprising mechanics had,
with much danger and trouble, hoisted the British flag at the summit,
and stood at their gate cheering us as we went by; one of the few marks
of enthusiasm with which we were greeted.
The square in the centre of the town contains the most important
buildings, the Town Hall and the Raadzaal being large and lofty modern
erections; a large hotel, three banks and several minor buildings
complete the list. In Church Street are numerous splendid shops, which
then showed signs of trouble, most of them being blocked up with
corrugated iron, which, in compliment to the troops, as heralding the
approach of safety, the owners were commencing to remove as we went by.
The rest of the town, which is well laid out, with broad streets running
at right angles and planted with trees, consists of smaller shops and
native stores, or of private residences--many of the latter built in the
Indian style, with broad verandahs and large compounds, well planted and
laid out. Further out to the west of the town are the suburban
residences of the wealthier townspeople, in great contrast to the
humble-looking dwelling of the President, which we passed on our way
before we entered the square. Mrs. Kruger was still residing in the, to
her, now lonely house, upon which an officer's guard had been mounted to
ensure proper respect being paid to the old lady Cleanliness was not a
great point of the housekeeping, as may be understood from the fact that
the sergeant of the guard was compelled to go and buy a bottle of
Keating's Powder and some other disinfectant, the whole of which he had
to sprinkle in the room allotted to the men as a guardroom, before it
could be lived in.
We only stayed a day and a half in Pretoria, as on the 6th of June we
were sent by half battalions to Irene, about 12 miles off, the first
party moving at three o'clock in the afternoon and the others some hours
later. The road winds for the first few miles, through a pass in the
hills, in and out among dusty rocks, and then opens out on to the usual
interminable veldt. Irene cannot be seen until the traveller is close
upon it, as it lies in a fold of the ground; but it is not much worth
seeing, anyhow, consisting merely of the railway station buildings, and
some cement works. There is, however, a very successful irrigation farm
in the neighbourhood.
Captain Maguire joined us here from England, looking very cheery, and
full of keenness and eagerness to see some of the show before it was all
over.
Lord Roberts issued a special Army Order in Pretoria which may be of
some interest; it ran as follows:--
Extract from Army Orders, 7th June, 1900.
"In congratulating the British Army in South Africa on the
occupation of Johannesburg and Pretoria, the one being the
principal town and the other the capital of the Transvaal, and also
on the relief of Mafeking after an heroic defence of over 200 days,
the F.M.C. in chief desires to place on record his high
appreciation of the gallantry and endurance displayed by the
troops, both those who have taken part in the advance across the
Vaal River, and those who have been employed on the less arduous
duty of protecting the line of communication through the Orange
River Colony. After the force reached Bloemfontein on the 13th
March it was necessary to halt there for a certain period. Through
railway communication with Cape Colony had to be restored before
supplies and necessaries of all kinds could be got from the base.
The rapid advance from the Modder River, and the want of forage _en
route_, had told heavily on the horses of the Cavalry, Artillery
and Mounted Infantry, and the transport mules and oxen, and to
replace these casualties a considerable number of animals had to be
provided. Throughout the six weeks the Army halted at Bloemfontein,
the enemy showed considerable activity especially in the
south-eastern portion of the Orange River Colony; but by the
beginning of May, everything was in readiness for a further advance
into the enemy's country, and on the 2nd of that month active
operations again commenced. On the 12th May, Kroonstad, where Mr.
Steyn had established the so-called Government of the Orange Free
State, was entered. On the 17th May Mafeking was relieved. On the
31st May Johannesburg was occupied, and on the 5th June the British
flag waved over Pretoria. During these thirty-five days the main
body of the force marched 300 miles, including fifteen days' halt,
and engaged the enemy on six different occasions. The column under
Lieut.-Gen. Ian Hamilton marched 400 miles in forty-five days,
including ten days' halt. It was engaged with the enemy
twenty-eight times.
"The flying column under Colonel B. Mahon, which relieved Mafeking,
marched at the rate of 15 miles a day for fourteen consecutive
days, and successfully accomplished its object, despite the
determined opposition offered by the enemy. During the recent
operations, the sudden variations in temperature between the warm
sun in the daytime, and the bitter cold at night, have been
peculiarly trying to the troops, and owing to the necessity for
rapid movement, the soldiers have frequently had to bivouac after
long and trying marches without firewood and with scanty rations.
"The cheerful spirit with which difficulties have been overcome and
hardships disregarded, are deserving of the highest praise, and in
thanking all ranks for their successful efforts to attain the
objects in view, Lord Roberts is proud to think that the soldiers
under his command have worthily upheld the traditions of Her
Majesty's Army, in fighting, in marching, and in the admirable
discipline which has been maintained through a period of no
ordinary trial and difficulty."
We moved off, after a day's halt, in a north easterly direction, but
halted on the 9th and 10th of June, when it was said that Botha, the
Boer Commander in Chief, was arranging a Conference, which, however,
seemingly fell through.[6]
FOOTNOTE:
[6] As to these abortive conferences, it was subsequently learnt from
Boers on Gen. Ben Viljoen's staff that after the fall of Pretoria Botha
urgently advised President Kruger to make peace on any terms he could,
on the ground that the farms of the Transvaal had not yet suffered from
the war, the issue of which was no longer doubtful. Kruger was
persuaded, and the conference arranged; but at the critical moment De
Wet brought President Steyn up to Waterval, and they insisted that the
war, by which the Free State had already suffered so much, should be
continued.--ED.