1879--THE PRINCE IMPERIAL
Collecting Supplies and Transport--Summary justice on a dishonest
trader--Mistaken identity--Fresh bread--Our system for
baking--A practical lesson to a young officer--The Flying
Column returns to Natal--An overworked Leader.
Five companies of the 80th Regiment now joined my column from Luneberg;
and, the evening before they marched in, Buller came to me and
asked if a protecting certificate might be given to his Regimental
Sergeant-Major. “What do you mean?” I asked. “Well, he is about the
best man in the Frontier Light Horse,” he replied, “but he has just
been to me to say that he is a deserter from the 80th, and as he is
sure to be recognised to-morrow, he intends to be off to-night, unless
you will condone his offence, and give him a protecting certificate.”
This I did, and the man served with credit until the end of the war.
I spent the next two months in collecting provisions, not only for
my own column, now numbering 2500 Europeans, but in anticipation of
the wants of others, as I knew insufficient steps were being taken at
Helpmakaar; and by the 15th May I had succeeded in collecting at Balte
Spruit 100 days’ food for 4000 Europeans, and a fortnight’s food for
the horses and animals of No. 4 Column.
In February, when the Column was encamped at Kambula, a trader, who
had a brother-in-law in the Volksraad at Pretoria, came into camp with
waggons, asking to be allowed to sell groceries to the troops. I saw
the man, and he assured me that he had no alcohol of any description;
but I would not allow him to unpack his waggons until he had given me
a certificate in writing that his verbal statement was accurate. In
the evening I received a report that a small raiding party of Zulus
was murdering natives to the north of Rorke’s Drift, and I ordered
Captain Maude to go with a few mounted men and two companies of Wood’s
Irregulars to the spot. At nine o’clock the party was still in camp,
waiting for some of the natives who had not finished cooking, and I
sent Ronald Campbell down to try and start them. He came on the trader,
who was selling trade gin at 1s. a glass to the soldiers, some of whom
were already drunk. Campbell had the man seized, and sent for me. There
was a full moon, and I executed summary justice by its light: ordering
the man to be tied up to the wheel of his own waggon, I sent for two
buglers, and gave him two dozen lashes on the spot, upset the whole
of his liquor (which must have been a considerable loss, for he had a
large quantity under the groceries), and informed him that unless he
trekked at daylight, I would impound his waggons and oxen for the rest
of the campaign.
I received, a few weeks later, various legal letters concerning an
action with Damages laid at £5000, to which I paid no attention, as I
was in an enemy’s country. The Administrator and I had interfered with
the sale of liquor at Utrecht, and the trader, who got summary justice,
also wished to “take the Law of me.”
In the month of May I was riding one morning into Utrecht, attended by
bugler Walkinshaw, when, a few miles to the north of Balte Spruit, we
met a horseman, who, stopping me, asked if he “was on the right track
to Colonel Wood’s Camp, and also whether the road was safe?” I told him
he was quite safe until he got to Balte Spruit, as there was a Company
there, but that after he turned out of the valley to the eastward,
there was a certain amount of risk, unarmed people travelling only
with an escort. “What sort of a man is this Colonel Wood?” he asked.
“Well,” I replied, “some people like him, and some dislike him.” “I
have been told that he is very rough.” “Yes, that is so, when he is
vexed.” “I am an officer of the High Court of the Transvaal, and I am
going to him with a writ. Do you think he will be violent with me?” “Oh
no, I’m certain he won’t.” “Then you think there is no risk as far as
he is concerned?” “None whatever; but you had better not mention your
business in the camp, as his own battalion is at Kambula Hill, and it
might be bad for you if the men got to know your errand.” “Why? What
do you think they would do to me--kill me?” “Oh no; the worst that
would happen to you would be to be tarred and feathered.” “I don’t like
this job that I am on. I think, if you’ll allow me, I’d like to turn
back and ride with you into Utrecht, and send the document by post.”
Accordingly we rode along together, and I showed him the post office in
the little town before I went about my business.
Lord Chelmsford came to visit me early in May, and stopped for several
days, bringing with him the Prince Imperial, who returned to me as a
guest a fortnight later. The young Prince impressed me much by his
soldier-like ideas and habits, and was unwearied in endeavouring to
acquire knowledge and Military experience. The Prince accompanied
Colonel Redvers Buller on some patrols, and on his return from one on
the 21st May I observed at dinner, “Well, you have not been assegaied,
as yet?” “No; but while I have no wish to be killed, if it were to be I
would rather fall by assegai than bullets, as that would show we were
at close quarters.”
I went out to the north side of the Inhlobane and buried Charles Potter
and Mr. Williams. Uhamus’ men had stood bravely by the white men. Many
dead Makulusi lay around, and Captain Potter’s body was alongside that
of a Chief of Uhamus’ tribe. I was obliged to postpone till later
the burial of Piet Uys, whose body lay on the lower plateau of the
mountain, 1000 feet above us, as Makulusi held the ground.
Though my relations with the Commissariat Departments were friendly, it
was, I thought, essential to write forcibly, and on the 25th April Lord
Chelmsford supported my views in a letter. “It is of no use, however,
thinking of Ulundi, until Commissariat and Transport are in better
order.”
I irritated the Heads of Departments--for there were “Heads” although
there were no bodies--by my plain speaking. I represented frequently
that an Ordnance Department scarcely existed, and that the Hospital
arrangements were totally inadequate. I pointed out that No. 4 Column
had been for a fortnight without castor-oil, in spite of the fact that
there was a daily post from Newcastle to the Column, and that from
Maritzburg up to Newcastle there were two mail carts weekly. I was
taken to task for having used the word “disgraceful,” but maintained
it, asserting that there was no other word which adequately expressed
the want of system.
Eventually, after much expenditure of time occupied in angry
correspondence with Civil authorities, showing that the natives sent
to me from the Wakkerstroom district who had deserted, carrying away
Government horses, guns, and blankets, had never been sent back, my
friend Mr. Rudolph, the Landdrost, was placed over the two districts
of Utrecht and Wakkerstroom, and then attention was paid to my
requisitions.
Lord Chelmsford consulted me at this time with reference to an
Expedition proposed against Sekukuni, although we were less prepared to
undertake such than we were when the previous attack was abandoned in
September. I wrote to his Lordship, “In my opinion we are not strong
enough, either in Generals, Troops, or Departmental officers, to
attempt more than we have on hand,” and he decided that the matter must
stand over until we had settled with Cetewayo.
No. 4 was now renamed “The Flying Column,” and I was told during the
month that I was to help General Newdigate by offering him the results
of my experiences, and also by supplying him with waggons. This I did
to the extent of 37, about the number I had then bought in the Free
State, Lord Chelmsford writing to me that the 2nd Division would be
unable to advance until I provided the waggons.
I had been cutting firewood and digging coal for General Newdigate,
and from the 19th of the month sent to the Second Division 40,000 lbs.
daily. By Rudolph’s exertions I got Zulus to act as drivers, and was
enabled to use the waggons which had been lying idle, and had already
cost us in a short time £4000. As the nominal strength of the 2nd
Division was only about 2500, we soon handed over as much coal as they
could carry; its great economy consisted in that 1 lb. was of better
value for cooking purposes than 3 lbs. of wood. I should have been
ready to advance by the middle of May had not I been obliged to lend
waggons, for I had collected sufficient to carry twenty-five days’ food
for men and ten days’ mealies for horses.
A draft of 80 men for the 13th Light Infantry landed early in May, but
only 45 came into the field, the others being invalided between Durban
and Utrecht, a march of about 250 miles.
On the 1st of June we encamped on the Umvunyana River within a short
distance of the 2nd Division, and I describe here the system by which
I kept the Flying Column supplied with fresh bread throughout our
advance, which was necessarily slow, to enable the cattle to graze.
I generally accompanied the Advance guard, and when satisfied there
were no considerable force of the enemy within striking distance, the
bakers with the ovens followed me in mule waggons. Having chosen the
site for the camp, I personally selected the site for the bakery, which
was at once dug out, and fires lighted. Although the weather was no
longer as wet as it had been, yet we seldom got the first batch of
bread out under eight hours, for if the “sponge” was put in before the
ground was thoroughly dry, the bread was not fit for consumption. The
bakers worked all night, and stopping behind the next day until the
Rear guard moved off, baked up to the last moment; sleeping that day
and the following night, they started again on the third day with the
Advance guard, and thus worked throughout alternate nights. The boon
to the Column was great. I sent a daily present to the Head Quarters
Staff, and to General Newdigate, under whom I had served at Aldershot.
I attribute the health of the Flying Column to some extent to the
fresh bread, but also to the fact that the men invariably had a meat
breakfast. Early in June the Commissariat wrote to me complaining that
I had overdrawn thousands of rations. This did not perturb me. Sending
for Colonel Buller, I told him my difficulty; and, going out himself
with a squadron, he returned in a few hours with enough cattle to repay
our overdraw, and to leave a handsome surplus in the hands of the
Commissariat.
Our difficulties may to some extent be realised by the statement
that on the 1st June it took us two hours and a half to start our ox
waggons, owing to the inexperience of the drivers; but in the evening
we encamped near the 2nd Division, from which the Prince Imperial, with
an escort of six Colonials, had gone out that morning on duty.
At sunset the British officer and four survivors of the party rode
into the 2nd Division camp, reporting that the Prince, who had been
sketching sites for camps, had been killed. Next morning we sent
forward a party of Basutos, who picked up the Prince’s body, shortly
before a squadron of the 17th Lancers, sent out from the 2nd Division,
arrived. I defer the story of his death, as I learned it from the
mouths of the attacking party, 17 of whom told me the facts on the spot
in the following year; but I may here state the body was unmutilated
except for wounds, for he had fought until the end, and was pierced by
eighteen assegais. Two White men were lying 50 yards from him.
The officer, arraigned before a Court-Martial for misbehaviour, alleged
the Prince was in command of the party, but I have had a strange and
convincing piece of evidence before me for many years, in the Prince’s
own hand-writing, that he was serving under the British officer, and
was therefore in no sense responsible for the disaster. Light rain
was falling early on the 1st June, and when the party started the
Prince was wearing a Pocket Siphonia.[197] He had been unusually well
taught; his plans submitted for redoubts to defend depôts showing not
only great natural talent, but that he had thoroughly assimilated the
sound instruction imparted at the Royal Military Academy at Woolwich.
On previous patrols he had taken full notes, and on the 1st June had
filled the sheet of a writing pad thus: “1st June.--Started from
Itilezi to find camping-ground for 2nd Division; party under Captain
----”; and then follows an itinerary with a panoramic sketch, the
last entry being dated 1.30 p.m. The Prince, tearing these notes off
the pad, had put the paper into the ticket pocket of the waterproof;
and when, after the war, various articles belonging to His Imperial
Highness were recovered, the coat, having been sent to Chislehurst, was
being sponged and straightened out, for the waterproofing had caused it
to stick together, a lump in the ticket pocket was noticed, which was
found to be the sheet of the writing pad. I was kept up very late that
night, many correspondents coming to me to furnish Natives to ride to
the nearest telegraph office with an account of the misfortune.
A young Transport officer appeared from the Base, and reported he
had lost three of his waggons; disregarding the remonstrances of his
superior officers, who wished me to send a conductor, I insisted on the
young man going back himself. Although he did not find the waggons,
which arrived safely next morning, yet the Transport officers realised
that it was useless to come into the Flying Column camp until they had
brought in all their party.
On the 5th June, when the two columns were encamped 20 miles from
Ibabanango, the Head Quarters Staff were having tea with me when my
orderly officer Lysons arrived with a message from Redvers Buller. He
was skirmishing with a large Zulu force, which was following him up. As
the Staff departed, they shook me warmly by the hand, wishing me good
luck. Taking out my watch, I laughed, saying “I am obliged to you, but
you are much mistaken if you think we are going to have a fight. It is
half-past three, and there are less than two hours of daylight; and,
with the Zulus 5 miles off us, there is no chance of our being engaged
to-night.” My forecast was correct.
On the 7th of June the Flying Column was sent back to Natal to bring
up more provisions, off-loading our food, and taking back the empty
waggons of both forces. Oxen make no difficulty in crossing any place
with an empty waggon, but as the rivers can only be entered and
traversed at certain places, especially the Nondweni,[198] the crossing
of such was a question of many hours, and gave rise to some anxiety.
Although we now knew that Umbiline was dead, and that renegade Swazi
had been our most active foe on the sources of the White Umvolosi, I
nevertheless kept two squadrons out 10 miles on the north, or danger
flank; and to ensure them being on the alert, always visited them
before daylight, which gave me little opportunity for sleep; but we
arrived without incident at Landtman’s Drift on the 9th of June. We
started back again on the 13th, and as I had just received a report
that our scouts covering the coal-cutting parties had been driven in,
considering that I had 660 vehicles to convoy, my position was one of
considerable anxiety. On the veldt they were able to travel fifteen
abreast; but when we crossed the Nondweni on the 16th there were
only three practical places, and each required repairing parties of
a hundred men with pick and shovel. The drivers all knew which was
the danger flank, and I foresaw that they would try to cut in as the
front of the Column became reduced from fifteen to three waggons, and
therefore placed officers on the top of the steep bank of the river to
ensure that the waggons had halted, and descended in regular rotation;
for once a collision occurred on a slope, the oxen telescoped, and it
took us a quarter of an hour to disentangle them.
I was in the river superintending a party digging out the egress on the
south side, when, looking round, I saw five waggon drivers racing for
the descent on the north side, while the officer on duty was sitting
with his back to them smoking, apparently quite unconcerned. The
water being up to the horse girths, and the bottom strewn with rocks,
rendered rapid movement impossible, which added to the irritation I
felt. I was overworked, had had no sleep while on the line of march,
and, forgetting manners and propriety, I lifted up my voice and cursed
him, saying, “You d----d infernal ---- idiot of an officer.” The words
were no sooner out of my mouth than I regretted the vulgarity and want
of dignity shown in losing my temper. It flashed across my mind that
the lazy officer belonged to another Corps. Regimental feeling would
allow me (a 90th man) great latitude in addressing one of my comrades,
but the fact of my nominally commanding the 90th would add to the
vexation of an officer of another Regiment on hearing such language
applied to him. My contrition was increased by the echo: in the deep
valley, seven times those vulgar swear words were repeated, gradually
becoming fainter in the distance. Suddenly I heard the cheery voice
of the lazy one’s[199] Commanding officer, “Ay, ay, sir, I’ll talk to
him;” and then followed a string of expletives in comparison to which
my language might be considered fit for a drawing-room.
My want of self-control was excusable, since I had come to the end
of my physical strength. From the 2nd of January, except to wash, I
had never undressed nor had my boots off, and had been sleeping like
a watch-dog! and, besides my military duties, I was still acting
as Political Agent, which took up a certain amount of time. When I
rejoined Lord Chelmsford on the Nondweni River, I was obliged to have
my face tied up for a week, suffering from continuous neuralgic pains
in the eyes, coupled with gastric neuralgia.