been permitted to hold services for you in connection with the
Church of England, which services I have felt it a privilege on
my part to conduct. After what has recently occurred--viz. the
escape of Mr. Churchill from confinement--I exceedingly regret
that, in consideration of my duty to the Government, I must
discontinue such regular ministrations, as I desire to maintain
the honour due to my position. Of course I shall always be glad
to minister to you in any emergency, with the special
permission of the authorities, who will, with their usual
kindness, duly inform me.--With my best wishes, I am,
gentlemen, yours sincerely, ----.'
"Out of charity, I do not publish the reverend gentleman's
name,[2] but I can add that 'the emergency' referred to never
presented itself. Since that time, I had the pleasure and
honour of conducting the services every Sunday, and they were
the pleasantest hours I spent in prison. Our singing was so
hearty and good, that many of the townsfolk strolled up of a
Sunday morning to hear us."
[Illustration: BRITISH PRISONERS ON THEIR WAY TO PRETORIA: THE FIRST
HALT
Drawing by S. Begg]
As may be imagined, all manner of devices were invented for the purpose
of securing news, the only intelligence of outside events coming to the
unhappy prisoners through the _Standard and Diggers' News_, which
journal, of course, dwelt gloatingly on British disasters. But the
authorities were suspicious. One day a harmonium was removed, owing to
the treasonable practice of performing "God save the Queen"; on another,
a cherished terrier was banished, as he was declared to be a smuggler,
and charged with the crime of carrying notes in his tail! But at last,
an ingenious ruse was successfully perpetrated. A man, accompanied by a
dog, came to the railings and there engaged in a private dialogue, which
savoured of the maniacal, till the eagerly listening officers discovered
that there might be method in the strange man's madness. A sample of the
scene was given by the correspondent of the _Standard_:--
"'Would you like a swim?' asked the master, and the dog, with a wag of
his tail, answered 'Yes.' 'Ladysmith is all right,' continued the man,
and the tail wagged assent. 'We will come again,' said the master, and
the dog agreed. For a time the prisoners thought him mad, this man with
the dog who talked in his beard, and mixed his dog talk with such names
as 'Ladysmith,' 'Mafeking,' 'Cronje,' 'Roberts.' Then the truth dawned
on them, and the 'Dog Man' became a hero, whose coming was watched with
longing, and whose mutterings in his beard were 'as cool waters to the
thirsty soul,' or as 'good news from a far country.' One day the 'Dog
Man' was missing, and there was lamentation, until, looking towards the
house opposite, the prisoners saw him standing well back in the passage,
at the entrance to which two girls kept watch. The 'Dog Man' was waving
his hat in eccentric fashion, and the waving was found to be legible to
those who understand signalling. Next morning a tiny flag was
substituted for the hat, and communication between the officers and the
Director of Telegraphs was established by flag signal."
The prisoners endeavoured to keep up an air of jocosity, though, as
one confessed, their tempers were "very short and inclined to be
captious." Naturally their occupations were limited, and it was not
unusual to see gallant commanders engaged in darning their socks, or
washing their clothes under the pump. Their attire, too, was not of the
choicest, some of them having been accommodated when sick with suits
technically known as "slops," purchased for a low price in Johannesburg.
Hence one officer disported himself in choice pea-green, while another
figured in rich yellow. These prison suits were scarcely becoming,
particularly as many of the smartest of the smart were growing beards,
or, if not beards, the ungainly chin tuft or "Charley," which destroyed
their martial aspect. Sometimes they engaged in games, bumble puppy and
the like, and occasionally expanded to other sports. A letter from a
sprightly member of the band to the _Eton College Chronicle_ described
the humorous side of their daily life:--
"MODEL SCHOOL, PRETORIA.
"DEAR MR. EDITOR,--Whilst following the fortunes of old
Etonians in South Africa, perhaps it may have escaped your
notice that a small and unhappy band has already reached
Pretoria. Mr. Rawlins's House is represented by Captain Ricardo
(Royal Horse Guards), and H. A. Chandos-Pole-Gell (Coldstream
Guards); Mr. Carter's by Major Foster (Royal Artillery); the
late Mr. Dalton's, Mr. Ainger's, and Mr. Luxmore's respectively
by M. Tristram (12th Lancers), G. Smyth-Osbourne (Devonshire
Regiment), and G. L. Butler (Royal Artillery); and Mr.
Cornish's by G. R. Wake (Northumberland Fusiliers). The
histories of their separate captures would take up too much of
your valuable space. Some have been here but a short time, some
many weeks; and during their captivity their thoughts turned to
old Eton days, and the game of fives recommended itself to them
as a means of passing some of the many weary hours. There was
no "pepper-box," or "dead man's hole"; but a room, two of whose
walls mainly consisted of windows, with the aid of three
cupboards and a piece of chalk, was quickly converted into a
fives court. Entries for a Public Schools' tournament were
numerous, Eton sending three pairs. Tristram and Gell
unanimously elected themselves to represent Eton's first pair,
closely followed by Eton II., Ricardo and Osbourne, Eton III.
being Wake and Butler. The facts that Tristram had recently
been perforated with Mauser bullets, and Gell had spent
Christmas and the three preceding weeks in the various jails
between Modder River and Bloemfontein, were no doubt
responsible for their not carrying off the coveted trophy.
Alas! they were badly beaten in the first round by Marlborough.
Not so Eton II. and III., who carried the Light Blue
successfully into the second round, both having drawn byes.
This good fortune could not last, and they fell heavily at the
second venture, being beaten by Wellington and Rugby
respectively. The ultimate winners proved to be Wellington,
after a desperate encounter with Charterhouse.
"So much for our pleasures; our troubles are legion, but we
will not burden you with them. We daily expect to hear of the
E.C.R.V. sharing the hardships of the campaign, and covering
themselves with glory to the tune of
"FLOREAT ETONA.
"_P.S._--We all hope to be at Eton on the 4th of June.
"_Feb. 14, 1900._"
(Curiously enough, the 4th of June brought to a close the deadly period
of durance vile. On that date the gallant crew spent their last night as
prisoners!)
To return to Captain Haldane and his partners in adventure. Ever since
Mr. Churchill's escape he had racked his brains to discover a means of
escape, and had made multifarious plans, many of which were rejected as
absolutely hopeless, while many others failed after efforts which
testified to the perseverance and ingenuity of their inventors. It was
no easy matter after Mr. Churchill's exploit to hit on a means of
evading the wily and now alert Boer.
The guard were armed with rifles, revolvers, and whistles, and as these
consisted of some thirty men, who furnished nine sentries in reliefs of
four hours, there was little hope of escaping their vigilance.
Fortunately the prisoners, such as had plain clothes in their
possession, were permitted to wear them, otherwise the dream of freedom
could scarcely have been indulged in. Bribery was not to be thought of,
and a repetition of Mr. Churchill's desperate dash for freedom was
impossible. It remained, therefore, for Captain Haldane and his
colleagues to invent a new and ingenious method of bursting their bonds.
An effort to cut the electric wires to throw the place in darkness while
they scaled the walls, proved a sorry failure, and at last, having tried
the roof and other points of egress and found them wanting, the
companions hit on the happy idea of burrowing a subterranean place of
concealment. Here they thought to scrape on and on till they bored a
tunnel into the open! The discovery of a trap-door in the planks under
one of the beds lent impetus to their designs, and they arranged to
excavate a route diagonally under the street, and so pass into the
gardens of the neighbouring houses. Marvellous was the patience and
perseverance with which they, almost toolless--with only scraps of
biscuit tins and screwdrivers--toiled daily in the accomplishment of
their plan, and pathetic their dismay when their tunnel finished up by
landing them in several feet of water with a promise of more to come.
But they were indefatigable. Captain Haldane, like the great Napoleon,
argued that the word impossible was only to be found in the dictionary
of fools. Rumours that the prisoners were to be removed to a new
building in two or three days only contrived to render the conspirators
more desperate in their craving to be at large, and again the trap-door
system was discussed. The young men determined on revised operations,
and hit on the plan of living underground in the cave they should dig,
thus disappearing from Boer ken and conveying the idea that they had
already bolted, leaving as evidence of flight their three empty beds!
Here they proposed to wait till, the hue-and-cry after them having
ceased, and the prison doors having been opened for the removal of the
other officers, they could slink forth at their leisure. But the change
of prison did not come to pass as soon as expected. The empty beds told
their tale; the place was searched, the crouching creatures in their
burrow heard the tramp of armed men above them, voices in close
conference, and afterwards the departing footsteps of the discomfited
Boer detectives. It was decided that the prisoners were gone, and
further report, amplified by Kaffir imagination, declared that they were
already on their way to Mafeking! Still, though safe from discovery, the
plotters were far from comfortable. Food in very meagre quantities was
smuggled through the trap-door, till at last, famine being the mother of
resource, by a process of what they called "signalgrams," their wants
and intentions were conveyed to those above. Then when the appointed
raps gave notice of the opening of the mysterious portal, potted meats
and other luxuries were liberally passed down. And here, in this
ventilationless, miry hole, in darkness and dank-smelling atmosphere,
they groped a weary existence, daring neither to cough, nor sneeze, nor
whisper, lest discovery should rob them of success. They were
unwashed--so grimy as to be unrecognisable even to themselves--they were
cramped and covered with bruises, brought about by bumping their heads
against the dome of their low dwelling; they were often hungry and
sleepless, but they were buoyed up with a vast amount of hope and pluck.
Day after day sped on with unvarying monotony, and gradually hope began
to exude at the pores. Six days passed, and they thought patience had
come to the end of her tether. They longed to hold themselves upright,
to see daylight, to eat their quantum of food, and, above all, to hear
the sound of their own voices. But still they held on--longer, longer.
Every day they knew made their chance of escape more secure, for the
authorities in Pretoria, assured of their departure, had now ceased even
from the habitual nine days of wonderment regarding their fate. Then
they began to dig and burrow still further, this time with the
assistance of a bayonet and a skewer, and for days and days pursued
their silent, secret work, in hope to dig a channel some thirty feet
long to reach the hospital yard beyond the Model School. Meanwhile they
stored food in preparation for the great journey, and listened acutely
for news of the proposed transfer of the prisoners to other quarters. At
last they had their reward. A note was passed down to say that the
officers were to be removed on the morrow. Then all was excitement. The
curtain was drawing up on the play of which the prologue had promised so
much. The trap-door was carefully fastened down, false screws being put
into the screwholes so as to render the hiding-place as inconspicuous as
possible.
At last came the looked-for hour. Sounds of packing-up and the shuffling
passage of footsteps betokened activities. The commandant went his
rounds, and then a cheery voice was heard to say, "All's well.
Good-bye." They knew that was a signal--_the end had come_! So in time
the whole party of prisoners disappeared, and with them their
custodians! The coast was clear. Peeping forth from their ventilator the
joyous hidden trio could view the street, the moving of baggage, and all
the bustling preparations for a general exodus. Their rapture knew no
bounds. But escape was even then deferred. Sightseers and police tramped
through the vacated rooms all day, moving perilously near the trap-door,
and laughing and jesting, unsuspicious of the precious haul that might
have been theirs. It was late in the afternoon before the last visitors
departed. Then, after collecting maps of their proposed route, taking a
final meal, packing their meat lozenges, chocolate, &c., and money, they
dressed and waited anxiously for the kindly cloak of night....
Meanwhile the other prisoners were removed to a camp from which escape
was almost impossible. The place was enclosed with barbed wire fencing
standing as high as a man. It measured about one hundred and fifty yards
in length, and in width at the ends might have measured fifty yards.
From this pen it was possible to gaze out over the hills to see life
with the eye of Tantalus, so near and yet so far--men and women passing,
trees and houses and cattle, all giving pictures of the free life
without, that it was impossible for them to share. No efforts now to
evade the guard could be made, for the enclosure was dotted thickly with
electric lights, and was so thoroughly illuminated in every corner that
there was no spot where a man could not have read. The dwelling-house
was walled, and roofed with zinc, bare within and comfortless, and in
the dormitory one hundred and forty cots were ranged side by side. A few
screens, as in the Model School, were arranged at some of the bedheads,
but of privacy there was none. The exchange was a sorry one, and Captain
Haldane and his companions, Mr. Le Mesurier and Mr. Brockie, were wise
in making a vigorous bid to get clear of the fate that overtook their
comrades.
* * * * *
Already a whiff of coming liberty seemed to reward these conspirators
for their dark days of anticipation. Their meal and their preparations
completed, they reconnoitred and discovered that all was clear. Then,
joyously, the intending fugitives emerged from their terrible lair. With
some difficulty they stood upright, their limbs refused their office,
they felt old, rheumatic stricken, incapable of movement. But at last,
boots in hand, creeping, as the French say, on _pattes de velours_, they
dragged themselves to a broken window, and, passing through the gap made
by the shattered pane, gained the yard. Climbing over the
railings--luckily unnoticed in spite of the brilliant rays of the full
moon--they made for the nearest road leading to the Delagoa Bay Railway.
Fortunately for them young Brockie, who was a Colonial and up to the
"tricks of the trade," donned the Transvaal colours round his hat. Added
to this he wore his arm in a sling, to give the impression that he was a
wounded Boer. Thus they got through the somewhat deserted street to the
outskirts of the town unchallenged. Once a policeman almost spoke to
them, his suspicion was on the eve of being aroused, but the solitary
myrmidon of the law, inquisitive yet discreet, found himself face to
face with three desperate men whose expression was not reassuring! He
wisely slunk off. Towards the railway line they now went, experiencing a
series of hairbreadth 'scapes, for there were orders to shoot any one
seen wandering on the railway track. But they dodged in holes and round
corners, in rank grass and in ditches and dongas, traversing river and
spruit, and plodding along the highway, now losing their bearings, now
retracing their steps, ever striving to reach Elands River station,
twenty miles east of Pretoria.
[Illustration: NEW CAMP FOR BRITISH PRISONERS AT PRETORIA.
(Drawing by J. Schönberg.)]
On the left of the railway line ran the river, and as they toiled
on--the silver of the stream and the glint of the railway lines
shimmering in the ray of the moon--they descried tents, heard voices,
and, worse still, a dog's bark, inquisitive, suspicious. Quickly to
earth they went, hiding and dodging in the long grass between river and
line. This, the critical moment of their journey, forms one of the most
exciting phases of Captain Haldane's altogether interesting narrative.
"After lying in the grass about twenty minutes, for we did not care to
move so long as the dogs remained on the alert, we heard voices coming
in our direction, and the barking of the dogs became more distinct. A
whispered conference was held, and then we dragged ourselves like snakes
diagonally back towards the river. Reaching a ditch, Le Mesurier, who
was following me, came alongside and asked me if I had seen Brockie, who
had been following him. I had not, so we waited a few moments; but
seeing nothing of him, and the enemy drawing near, we crossed the
obstacle, and found ourselves at the edge of the stream. Again we
paused, this time for several minutes, and the searchers came in view,
following our track.
"The crisis had come: to stay where we were meant probably recapture. I
whispered to Le Mesurier to follow me quietly, and not to splash. The
next minute I was in the river, which was out of my depth, and Le
Mesurier dropped in beside me. Holding on to the roots of the reeds
which lined the bank, we carefully pulled ourselves some distance
down-stream, and then paused. The searchers and their dogs were
evidently now at fault, and showed no signs of coming our way, so we
continued our downward course, and ultimately swam across and into a
ditch on the other side.
"We had been a good half-hour in the stream, which seemed to us
intensely cold, and our teeth were chattering so that we could scarcely
speak. My wrist-watch had stopped; but Le Mesurier's, a Waterbury, was
still going, for it had been provided by his care with a waterproof
case. We now crept along the ditch up-stream again, and then turned off
towards the hillside, which was dotted with large boulders. Coming round
the corner of one of these, we found a tent in front of us, and not
caring to pass it, we tried to climb up the steep face of the hill.
Failing at one point, we found a kind of "chimney," up which we climbed,
pulling and pushing each other till the top was gained. A few minutes'
rest was necessary, for our clothes were heavy with water and the climb
had made us breathless. Le Mesurier had done wonders with his ankle--the
cold water had been most efficacious. Next we walked along the rocky
face of the hill, parallel to the direction we had followed below, and
gradually descended to the level and struck a path. Brockie was
irretrievably lost, and it was useless to attempt to find him. He had
with him a water-bottle and sufficient food, and knew both the Dutch and
the Kaffir languages. Following the path, we passed several clumps of
bracken, one of which we selected as a suitable hiding-place. To have
walked farther in our wet and clinging garments might have been wiser,
but we decided that we had had sufficient excitement for one night
without trying to add to it."
So there they remained--wet, frigid, excited, aching--all through the
long sleepless hours, with nothing to vary the monotony save the nip of
the musquitoes. When morning came, their jaded limbs, like the joints of
wooden dolls, almost threatened to creak; and only with the warmth of
sunrise did they regain some of their pristine elasticity. For food they
now became anxious; their supplies were waterlogged, their chocolate was
a thirst-creating mash, and their precious whisky bottle in the course
of recent adventures had lost cork and contents. A miserable day passed
hiding in a swamp, and crouching out of the light of day till again at
night, and in a thunder-storm, they thought it advisable to resume their
journey. Then, by the mercy of Providence, footsore, throatsore,
heartsore, and hungry they came on a field of water melons. Though
ravenously they took their fill, their joy was not of long duration. The
inevitable bark of the Boer dog warned them to be off. After this they
again lost their bearings, making needless detours, and only reaching
Elands River station--worn, weary, and down-hearted--before daybreak.
Then making their way to some gum trees that offered welcome shelter,
they again sought to sleep, but it was not to be. Imagination had made
molehills into mountains and footsteps into cracks of doom. A Dutch
youth passed by, his dog growled and sniffed; discovery seemed imminent,
but the hand of fate intervened, they remained safe. Two nights, three
nights were passed on the veldt in anticipation of a train that might be
on its way to Balmoral. Their sufferings, their anxieties, and risks
make many a tale with a tale. Hiding continued during the day, now in an
antbear hole, now among grasses sodden with dew, the fugitives, from
caution, fatigue, and other causes, covering to that time only
thirty-six miles in four days. Finally, to make a long story short, the
unhappy wayfarers, their spirits and constitutions at the lowest ebb,
were led by the kindness of a Kaffir into the safe keeping of a British
subject, the manager of the Douglas Colliery Store, who then nourished
them and helped them to repair the terrible havoc wrought by the past
days of anxiety and starvation, and assisted them to make plans for
getting over the border. Here, newly arrayed in decent clothing, washed
and trimmed--for they had originally presented the effect of veritable
scarecrows--they began to regain energy and hope. They were then
initiated in the first moves of a scheme to carry them to safety. With
the assistance of Dr. Gillespie, the doctor of the miners--a "rare guid"
fellow from all accounts--they got, on the 24th of March, to the
Transvaal Delagoa Bay Colliery; and here for some days following a
conspiracy was set on foot to buy some bales of wool, sufficient to
make a truck load, and forward the bales, plus the escaped prisoners, to
a firm at Lorenço Marques. The scheme succeeded, though only after some
smart and sympathetic manoeuvring on the part of the newly found
British friends, and many hours of terrible risk and suspense. Finally,
to the intense joy of the two adventurous ones, they found themselves on
Portuguese territory. On Sunday the 1st of April they were free men!
From that time their ways were fairly smooth. They were the heroes of
the hour, for every one had heard of their story and was expecting them,
Sergeant Brockie having preceded them after some equally exciting
experiences.
On the 6th of April the gallant pair left Lorenço Marques for Durban,
Captain Aylmer Haldane hastening to rejoin his regiment, the 2nd
Battalion Gordon Highlanders, at Ladysmith, and Mr. Le Mesurier (Dublin
Fusiliers) going round to join General Hunter's Division in the Free
State. Thus the two enterprising officers, after enduring almost
unequalled tortures of body and mind, found themselves free to return to
duty and fight again for the honour and glory of the Empire.
PREPARATIONS FOR ACTION
Bloemfontein meanwhile was a strange mixture of pastoral simplicity and
martial magnificence, and curious, almost wonderful, was the view from a
distance of the landscape in the vicinity. The whole earth, as though
blossoming, seemed to have thrown up mushrooms far and wide--mushrooms
grey, and white, and green. Dotted among them were strange forms, like
the shapes of antediluvian reptiles--grasshoppers, locusts of mammoth
size. Coming nearer the town it was possible to recognise both mushrooms
and reptiles for what they really were, namely, the tents and the guns
of the largest army that England has put into one camp since the Crimea!
In and out and round about wandered horses and mules innumerable, so
numberless, indeed, that the casual onlooker wondered at the outcry for
equine reinforcements. Yet these were urgently needed, and none but
those "in the know" could comprehend how much the strategical problem
relied for solution on their arrival, and how paralysed were the
movements of the generals for want of them. Some people opined that the
Commander-in-chief would start off for Pretoria at express speed, others
hinted that his plan of campaign would be altered to meet the
complications that had arisen owing to the renewed activity of the Boers
in the south-eastern corner of the Free State. But Lord Roberts was
unmoved by either impatience or disaster. He evidently determined to
fritter his resources on no operations that could not be concerted and
rapidly effective.
[Illustration: LIEUT.-GENERAL SIR ARCHIBALD HUNTER, K.C.B.
Photo by Bassano, London]
Meanwhile stores, ammunition, warm clothing (for the wintry weather was
setting in), and boots were being brought in enormous quantities from
the Cape. The wardrobes of the hard-fighting multitude were in sad need
of repair, and some wag declared that certain tatterdemalions could only
venture abroad after dark, for fear of shocking the Mother Grundys of
Bloemfontein. Horses, too, were being gradually collected, for it was
felt that until there was a sufficiency of remounts, General French's
dashing evolutions would be too costly to be appreciable. The great
gallop to Kimberley had cost an immense amount in horse-flesh--about
1500 out of 5000, some said--and, in consequence, the splendid cavalry
was again reduced to impotence, just when the Boers, though demoralised
by the surrender of Cronje, might have been pursued and punished as they
deserved. According to later computation, it was decided that the army
must wear out at the rate of 5000 horses a month, and therefore no move
could be set on foot till the incoming supply was organised to meet the
demand.
But for the state of horses and men the Field-Marshal could have stuck
to his well-known principle, one acquired from the great Napoleon
himself, namely, that a commander-in-chief should never give rest either
to the victor or to the vanquished. As it was, he was stuck fast, and
the Boers were not slow to take advantage of the opportunity thus given
them to recuperate.
Up to the time of the Koorn Spruit and Reddersburg disasters things
seemed to be ranging themselves satisfactorily, but little by little the
authorities began to discover that the entire attitude of the apparently
pacified burghers was decidedly false. By degrees they learnt that,
instead of disturbing a hornet's nest and clearing it, they had, as it
were, got into the midst of it themselves. It became evident that within
the town there existed a conspiracy for the purpose not only of
supplying the enemy with information, but keeping him ready equipped for
hostility. Under the mask of neutrality, certain Germans and others
incited the burghers who had laid down their arms to take them up again.
This, in the true sense of the word, for it was found that upwards of
some 3000 weapons had been buried for use in emergency. But once General
Pretyman obtained a true grasp of the situation, and could prove the
duplicit nature of the persons with whom he had to deal, the work of
weeding and deportation of the obnoxious element of Bloemfontein society
was taken in hand.
Early in the month a prominent figure was removed from the fighting
scene. The death was announced of Colonel the Hon. G. H. Gough[3] at
Norval's Pont. This distinguished officer till the time of his death
had been acting as Assistant Adjutant-General to General French's
Cavalry Division. His services had been many and brilliant, and his loss
was deeply deplored.
The occupation of pacifying the disturbed western districts continued.
General Settle and his forces had been operating between De Aar,
Prieska, Kenhardt, and Upington, and General Parsons had occupied
Kenhardt, and in a few days all traces of rebellion in the district
between Van Wyks Vlei and Kenhardt had disappeared. As a matter of fact,
it was discovered that many of the rebels were ignorant of why they were
fighting at all. Some one addressed them and said, "What are you
fighting for?" and they answered, "Equal rights for all white men in
South Africa." "Then," said the speaker, "go and fight Paul Kruger. He
alone refuses white men equal rights!" Still more ignorant were many of
the subsidised sympathisers, while other foreigners who were forced to
fight were evidently apathetic regarding the issue of the struggle. The
following story was told of a Pole, who was not sorry when taken
prisoner. When asked why he fought, he said, "Vat could I do? Dey give
me musket and bandolier, and say, 'You must fight.' The captain say to
me, 'You take that mountain,' and I ask, 'Vare shall I take it?'" If the
tale was not absolutely accurate, it was still typical of the
nonchalance of many who were engaged in the Transvaal cause.
Of changes there were many. On the 10th, it was announced in general
orders that Major-General Sir H. Chermside had been appointed to the
command of the Third Division _vice_ Lieutenant-General Sir W. F.
Gatacre "ordered to England." There was a good deal of sympathy
expressed by all who knew the difficulties with which General Gatacre
had had to contend. But, as an old campaigner remarked, luck counts for
as much as merit in actual warfare. "Give me a man who is lucky, and I
ask nothing more." Luck was at the bottom of it all, and luck is
all-important where multitudes of men have to follow, heart in hand,
blindly rushing to glory in the footsteps of faith. General Gatacre's
name now spelt disaster, and as men had to be marched to ticklish work
that wanted nerve and confidence of the best, a luckier commander was
chosen. Accordingly, a much-tried officer--a soldier to the marrow--was
sacrificed on the altar of necessity.
An Infantry Division from the Natal side was formed under the command of
Sir Archibald Hunter, and called the Tenth Division, while the Eleventh
Division was commanded by General Pole-Carew. General Ian Hamilton
commanded a division of mounted infantry, ten thousand strong, formed of
South African and other mounted Colonial contingents, and divided into
two brigades under Generals Hutton and Ridley. As this division came in
for a considerable amount of exercise in course of Lord Roberts's great
advance, it is particularly interesting to examine and remember its
component parts.
General Hutton's brigade comprised the Canadians, the New Zealanders,
and all the Australians except the cavalry. The staff was as follows:--
Colonel Martyr, Chief Staff Officer; Lord Rosmead,
Aide-de-Camp; Colonel Hoad (Victoria), Assistant
Adjutant-General; Major Bridges (New South Wales), Deputy
Assistant Adjutant-General; Major Cartwright (Canada), Deputy
Assistant Adjutant-General; Colonel Gordon (Adelaide), officer
on the line of communication; Major Rankin (Queensland), Staff
Officer; Major Vandeleur (Scots Guards), advanced base
transport officer; Captain Lex, Army Service Corps, supply
officer.
The brigade consisted of four corps of mounted infantry, under Colonels
Alderson, De Lisle, Pilcher, and Henry.
The first corps consisted of a 1st Battalion of Canadians, under Colonel
Lessard; a 2nd Battalion, under Colonel Herchmer; and Strathcona's
Horse, under Colonel Steel.
The second corps consisted of the New South Wales Mounted Infantry,
under Colonel Knight, and the West Australians, under Captain Moor.
The third corps was formed of the Queenslanders, under Colonel Ricardo,
and the New Zealanders, under Major Robin.
The fourth corps consisted of the Victorians, under Colonel Price; the
South Australians, under Captain Reade; and the Tasmanians, under
Captain Cameron.
Each corps had a battalion of Imperial Mounted Infantry attached to it,
except the New South Wales Corps. A battery joined the division, as well
as the Canadian Battery and a number of Vickers-Maxims. The New South
Wales Army Medical Corps, under Colonel Williams, were the medical
troops of the division.
General Ridley's brigade consisted entirely of South African troops.
Lord Roberts, always appreciative of the Colonials, ordered the body of
Colonel Umphelby of the Victorian Contingent, who was killed at
Driefontein, to be removed to Bloemfontein, there to be buried with
honours appropriate to the distinction of that gallant officer's
services.
Rearrangements of all kinds were taking place, the better to meet the
peculiarities of the situation. Sir Redvers Buller was asked to
co-operate by forcing Van Reenen's Pass, and threatening the enemy's
line of retreat; but the task was one bristling with difficulties, as
until Northern Natal should be cleared of the enemy he considered it
unsafe to move westward. Accordingly, to meet the necessity for strong
action in the east of the Free State, it was decided the Natal Field
Army should continue its work in its own ground, minus the Tenth
Division (Hunter's), which should be moved by sea to East London, one
brigade (Barton's) to replace the Eighth Division (Rundle's), diverted
from Kimberley to Springfontein, and one brigade (Hart's) to operate in
the neighbourhood of Bethulie. It must here be noted that the country
south of a line drawn from Kimberley to Bloemfontein seemed to be almost
under control, but the pacification of the angle south-east of
Bloemfontein had, as yet, to be accomplished.
Meanwhile, President Kruger made a tour of the positions of his army, in
order to stimulate the Free Staters to further efforts; but very many of
these began to show symptoms of unbelief, and refused any longer to
swallow the assertions that Russia had taken London and that America was
coming to the aid of the Boers, which the President and other kinsmen of
Ananias in the Transvaal took the trouble to repeat. Daily, various Free
Staters surrendered--some of them genuinely, while others merely gave up
an old rifle for convenience' sake, burying some four others for use in
emergency--took to their farms, and there developed from fine
fighting-men into mean and despicable spies. With these slippery fish it
was difficult to cope, and the problem of how to manage them took some
little time to solve. Still, the task of remodelling and improving the
army continued, all working to bring the long halt to a conclusion as
speedily as possible.
Efforts wonderful and successful were made to increase the mobility,
particularly of the mounted portions of the troops. One section of the
Vickers-Maxim guns (1-inch guns) was attached to each cavalry brigade,
and two sections to each brigade of mounted infantry. To add to the
mobility of the horse artillery the waggons of each battery were reduced
to three, spare teams being allowed for each gun.
The Eighth Division (Rundle) which, as we know, had been diverted from
Kimberley to Springfontein, and the Third Division (Gatacre's, now
Chermside's) which was concentrated at Bethanie, were fulfilling a
part of Lord Roberts's scheme for sweeping the right-hand bottom corner
of the Free State clear of the enemy. Assisting them was General Hart,
with a brigade of Hunter's Division, and engaged also in the operation
were the mounted infantry, under General Brabazon, and part of the
Colonial Brigade under General Brabant. Another part of this Brigade,
which had moved towards Wepener at the beginning of the month, had there
been blockaded by the enemy, and though their position was not regarded
as serious, Lord Roberts was forming plans for a general converging
movement which would have the effect of routing the Boers from the end
of the Free State altogether.
Energetic measures of every kind were adopted for the control of the
Free State. General Pretyman, who had been appointed Military Governor
of Bloemfontein, developed a scheme for the protection of those who had
taken the oaths of submission, and who were hourly in dread of the
reprisals of the Boers. Though some of the Free Staters for long had
been entirely sick of the war, and were only forced into fighting in
fear of ill-treatment by the Boers, others, as we are aware, had merely
hidden their arms in the determination to take up fighting whenever a
good chance offered. In order to secure the interests of the pacific,
and keep an eye on the treacherous, General Pretyman began to organise a
corps of Mounted Police for service in the Free State, at the same time
dividing the conquered radius into sections. Each section was to be
administered by a Commissioner chosen for his experience in Colonial
matters. Colonel Girouard, R.E., also formed a railway corps, employing
some ten volunteers from each regiment to help in the enormous
operations now being set on foot. A change was also made in the postage
stamp of the country. The existing issues of stamps of President Steyn's
Republic were marked V.R.I. in black ink, and also with figures denoting
their value as recognised by the Imperial Government. The threepenny
stamps were marked with the nominal value of 2½d., to agree with the
twenty-five centimes of the Postal Union. Naturally the philatelists
were all on the alert, and stamps as well as trophies were fetching
absurd prices in the town.
Of recreation there was also a little. On the 18th of April a somewhat
original concert was organised by the war correspondents, on behalf of
the Widows' and Orphans' Funds of London and Bloemfontein. The
originality of the scheme and the interest thereof lay in the fact that
conquerors and conquered met together on the common ground of charity,
and mutually contributed to make the undertaking a success. £300 were
realised. Mr. Rudyard Kipling put forth his quota. He did honour to the
Colonials in verse, and this ditty, to the tune of "Auld Lang Syne," was
sung by Miss Fraser, the daughter of Mr. Steyn's former opponent for
the Presidency. Among the marketables were portraits of Lord Roberts and
Mr. Kruger. These were the work of some of the artist journalists.
"Bobs" was "knocked down" for a big figure, and became the property of
Lord Stanley, a valuable trophy that may well become an historical
heirloom. This concert was only one of the many efforts at harmony made
by Lord Roberts, who, as diplomatist and statesman as much as soldier
and conqueror, foresaw a future wherein the people of the Free State,
originally actuated by no animosity towards the British, would become
reconciled to the beneficent rule of the British Empire, as contrasting
with the despotic rule of the Boer Republics, and live side by side with
us in the true spirit of liberty, fraternity, and equality enjoyed by
British subjects.
WITH LORD METHUEN--THE BATTLE OF BOSHOF
Against the misfortunes of Koorn Spruit and Reddersburg we would place
one brilliant victory--a victory gained by Lord Methuen at Boshof,
mainly through the smartness, bravery, and unspeakable steadiness of the
Imperial Yeomanry, who were under fire for the first time, and the
splendid dash of the Kimberley Corps, whose experiences during the siege
had lifted them almost to the rank of veterans.
It may be remembered that Lord Methuen at the end of February took up
the post of Administrator of the Kimberley district, which extends as
far south as the Orange River, subsequently leaving Colonel Kekewich in
command of the local forces. The General commenced active operations on
the western frontier, for the purpose of clearing the country of
rebellious obstructions, and protecting the lines of communication with
the north.
At Boshof there was concentrated a comparatively large army, composed of
two batteries of artillery, about 6000 infantry, and 1000 mounted
infantry, which were massing together to march to Kroonstadt, where they
expected eventually to take their place as the left wing of the main
army. The town itself presented a desolate aspect, all the Dutchmen
being absent on commando under Commandant Duplessis, and being in force
on the Vaal River, some miles distant.
Lord Methuen hearing that a detachment of the enemy was moving along the
Jacobsdal road, and threatening his communications, ordered Colonel
Peakman to effect its capture. As a result of this order a most
successful fight took place, some five miles east of Boshof, on the 5th
of April.
Taking part in the action were two companies of the Bucks Yeomanry, one
of the Berks Yeomanry, one of the Oxford Yeomanry, one company of the
Sherwood Rangers, one of the Yorkshire Yeomanry, and also the Kimberley
Mounted Volunteers. With these was the Fourth Battery R.F.A.
[Illustration: TYPES OF ARMS.--12-lb. Field Gun of the Elswick
(Northumberland Service) Battery. By permission of Messrs. Armstrong,
Whitworth & Co., the makers.]
The Imperial Yeomanry under Lord Chesham on this occasion had their
first chance of distinguishing themselves and seized it, behaving, as
some one who looked on said, "like veteran troops." The affair began in
haste. A Yeomanry patrol suddenly discovered the enemy and announced his
near approach. There was a rush. "To horse! to horse!" sang out the
troopers keen for action. Their steeds were grazing, but in less than
thirty minutes every man was careering off to duty. The Boers, some
sixty-eight in number, were tenanting a kopje, and round their lair the
troops disposed themselves, Lord Scarborough's Squadron of Yeomanry to
left, and the Kimberley Mounted Corps to right. The rest of the Yeomanry
attacked from the front, occupying two small kopjes some fourteen
hundred yards distant from the enemy. These promptly greeted them with a
persistent fusillade. Then the right flank slowly began to creep up,
taking advantage of cover as nature had provided, while the front
marched across the open. This advance of the troops was masterly, though
no cover was available till the base of the kopje occupied by the enemy
was reached. Method and coolness were displayed to a great extent, and
to these qualities was due the day's success. For three and a half hours
the operations lasted, the men closing gradually in, and finally
surrounding the kopje and storming it. The surrounding process, both by
the Yeomanry and the Kimberley force, was carried on with amazing skill
and coolness till the moment came for which all were panting. The
Yeomanry then fixed bayonets and charged. A rush, a flash of steel, and
then--surrender. The Boers hoisted a white flag! but even as they did so
their comrades poured deadly bullets on our advancing men. Captain
Williams of the "Imperials," who was gallantly in advance of his
comrades, dropped, shot dead in the very hour of victory. There was
small consolation in the fact that the murderer was instantly slain by
an avenging hand.
At this time the men had gained the hill and were within seventy yards
of the Boer trenches. But the Boers, notwithstanding their display of
the white flag, continued to blaze with their rifles till a Yeomanry
officer shouted that he would continue to fire unless the enemy threw
down their rifles and put up their hands. This threat brought the
cowards to their senses. They obeyed, and the position was gained with a
rousing, ringing cheer. Then came the sad part of triumph, the
collection of the gallant dead and the succour of the wounded. Among the
first were three, Captains Williams and Boyle, and Sergeant Patrick
Campbell. The enemy's dead and wounded numbered fourteen, while our
wounded numbered seven.
Captain Cecil Boyle was shot through the temple within eighty yards of
the Boer position while gallantly leading his men. He was a soldier to
the core, one who, merely from a sense of patriotic responsibility, was
among the first to leap to his country's call, and who threw into his
work so much energy, zeal, and grave purpose that the atmosphere of the
camp made him feel at the end of a week as if, to use his own words, "I
had done nothing but soldiering all my life." He, at the invitation of
his old chum, Colonel Douglas Haig, began work at Colesberg "to watch
the cavalry operations." There he had what he thought the supreme good
luck to be appointed galloper to General French. After the relief of
Kimberley and the capture of Cronje he went to the Cape to meet the
Oxfordshire Yeomanry, and with them gallantly advanced to meet his
fate--the first Yeomanry officer in this history of ours to fall in
action.
[Illustration: COLONEL LORD CHESHAM, Imperial Yeomanry
Photo by Russell & Sons, London]
At the close of the fight the clouds which had been lowering over the
position like a pall of purple suddenly burst. Torrents descended,
saturating the heated troops and sopping the ground whereon lay the
maimed and slain. With thunder bellowing and lightning splitting the
skies, with an accompaniment of deluge and darkness, the troops and
their prisoners found their way to camp. Under cover of the
obscurity some of the latter made a wild endeavour to escape, but the
Yeomanry were too proud of their "bag" to allow a single one to get
free, and finally had the satisfaction of seeing their bedraggled prize
lodged in jail.
Lord Methuen commanded, and expressed himself much gratified with the
success of the operations, with the courage and coolness and method with
which all his orders were carried out. Colonel Peakman, of Kimberley
fame, who had already accomplished a quite unusual record of fighting,
displayed an immense amount of talent in the field, and his corps, in
every way worthy of him, cut off the enemy's retreat with remarkable
skill. So much indeed, that the Boers complained of the slimness of the
troops who, by apparently retiring hurriedly, drew them within range of
the British volleys! Our troops were pitting themselves now against no
unruly or uninitiated barbarians, for the hostile force was under the
command of the notable Frenchman, Colonel de Villebois-Mareuil. This
gallant officer was killed by shrapnel from the 4th Field Battery Royal
Field Artillery before the display of the white flag by the Boers. He
was accompanied by many of his compatriots, who were taken prisoners.
The force indeed was mainly cosmopolitan, it being composed of
Hollanders, Frenchmen, Germans, and Russians, three Boers only belonging
to the commando. Not a man of the enemy escaped. Eight were killed, six
wounded, and fifty-four polyglot prisoners, with sixty horses and their
baggage, were brought into camp. Two guns were also captured.
The courage and dash of the Imperial Yeomanry was eulogised on all
sides, even by the Colonials, who hitherto had been somewhat disposed to
look down on their brother Volunteers from civilised and inexperienced
England. The magnificent spirit which inspired one and all, the grit
displayed by the wounded, and their self-abnegation were the subject of
much comment. A Colonial trooper, writing home his applause, said:
"Where all behaved so well it is almost invidious to mention any one in
particular, but as an instance of the fine spirit which animated them, I
would mention two whose names I have ascertained, Sergeant-Major Coles,
of the Bucks Yeomanry, and Throgmorton, a trooper in the Oxfords. These
two continued in action after being wounded, the former with a bullet
through the shoulder, and the latter with a gunshot wound in the head,
and sooner than crowd the ambulance they rode in afterwards, twelve
miles in the darkness, through one of the worst thunder-storms it has
been my lot to witness. What they must have suffered in the state they
were in they alone know."
From all accounts the French colonel who fell was entirely confident of
success. Before the engagements he sent an invitation to his compatriots
to join his force. He thought he had discovered the flaws in the Boer
armour, and was bent on giving the Federals an object lesson in how to
defeat and scatter the British. He also issued a manifesto addressed to
the French legions, the translation of which ran thus:--
"To the Legionaries, who have known me as their
comrade.--Officers, Non-commissioned Officers, and Men,--I know
that you have not forgotten me, and we understand each other,
and therefore I appeal to you. There is here in front of the
Vaal a people whom it is desired to rob of its rights, its
properties, and its liberty in order to satisfy some
capitalists by its downfall. The blood that runs in the veins
of this people is in part French blood. France, therefore, owes
to it some striking manifestation of help. Ah, well! You are
the men whom a soldier's temperament, apart from all the great
obligations of nationality, has gathered under this people's
flag, and may that flag bring with it the best of fortune! To
me you are the finished type of a troop that attacks and knows
not retreat."
He also wrote to the Parisians:--
"The Dutch are splendid at defence, but they cannot follow up a
defeat and crush the enemy, which the French legionaries would
be able to do.... Come and I will receive you here; and I
promise you that very few days shall elapse before we will show
the world the mettle of which the French legionaries are made."
The display to unprejudiced onlookers was distinctly poor, however, and
the example of strategy set by the gallant Gaul scarcely served to
demonstrate astounding military genius.
The Colonel's plan of campaign was nevertheless most carefully made out,
as a document which subsequently fell into Lord Methuen's hands served
to show. Very dramatic sounds the orders for the movements on April 4,
as translated by the correspondent of the _Daily Telegraph_:--
"To-night the detachment of the raid will attack Boshof and
follow its route, under the favour of a surprise and the
prevailing darkness. For this purpose, the following
dispositions will be observed: The column will set off at four
o'clock in the afternoon, with the detachment of Boers under
Field-Cornet Daniell, in such a manner as just to reach Boshof
by night. At a certain point the detachment will divide, and
will reach their respective places of assembly to the east and
west of the town. Boshof is situated in a plain, and is flanked
by certain kopjes, of which the importance and distance from
the town are reported as follows: to the north, two naked
kopjes, weakly guarded, and a good distance from the town.
Between them passes the Hoopstadt-Boshof road. To the east, on
the road to Kimberley, which it commands, one kopje, which is
not guarded by the enemy. Upon this the Boers will take up
their position. Finally, to the south-east of the town, and
exactly opposite to it, there is a kopje, where the English
have an outpost of fifty men. On the summit of this is formed a
small parapet of stones, about half the height of a man. This
will form part of the attack reserved for the detachment of the
raid.
"The Hoopstadt and Kimberley roads cross in the interior of the
town.
"The plan of attack will be carried out under the following
conditions: At eleven o'clock in the evening, the Boers under
Field-Cornet Daniell will be in position on the Kopje C, and
the telegraph wire on the Kimberley road will be cut by them.
At the same time, the raiding party will assemble behind the
Kopje E, situated two kilometres from the town. The horses and
the Scotch cart will there await the final operations, as well
as the native servants, if there are any. One man will be left
behind with each team of six horses. Commandant Saeremburg and
Lieutenant de Breda will, before the departure, choose these
men, the importance of whose mission will be readily
understood, since upon their vigilance will depend the safety
of the expedition in the event of retreat. The group left
behind will be under the orders of Nicollet. The men will
remain standing at the head of the horses, which will be
saddled and bridled, the cart boys at the head of the mules,
all ready harnessed.
"At half-past eleven, the attacking party will march in three
échelons, twenty mètres apart, the centre in the van. The
centre échelon, under the special direction of the General,
will be formed by the French platoon. The centre échelon,
commanded by Commandant Saeremburg, will consist of one-half of
the Dutch, and the left, under Lieutenant Bock, of the other
half. Furthermore, the men who have been in the habit of
messing together in groups will appoint a leader, from whom
they will on no account separate nor get out of touch. When
these groups do not exist, or exceed ten in number, the leaders
of the party will break them up and form parties of six or
eight, and appoint a head of the group. The General will see
these heads of groups at three o'clock in his camp, to give
them instructions further than can be detailed here.
"In the approaching march the commandants will give their
orders in a low voice, and the men will be ranged in line, so
that they can see the heads of groups and lie down instantly.
It is of importance, also, to watch the investigations of the
search-light, if the English have one at Boshof, which has not
yet been ascertained. The moment the ray is turned towards the
échelon, the leader will make his group lie down, and the march
will not be resumed until the light is turned away. At the rise
of Kopje D, a halt will be made behind the cemetery, and the
Saeremburg échelon will carry the kopje by assault and will
occupy it. From there it will hold ... the two kraals Z Z,
where the English encamped in the market-place in Boshof itself
could make the first attempt at resistance. In no case, for an
easily understood reason, will it fire upon the town. Firing,
moreover, can only be carried out by volleys discharged by word
of command given by the head of each group.
"Continuing their march, the two other échelons will pass a
well behind the kraals, and will attack the English camp
outside the town. In this effect, the French échelon, after
firing two volleys, will advance at the charge, with the cry,
'Transvaal and Free State!' and will thus complete the panic.
As there are no bayonets, the rifles will be kept loaded and
carried under the arms at the position of the charge. After
having crossed the camp from the east to the south, the rout
will be accomplished by firing. Lieutenant Bock's échelon will
remain under the orders of the General, as a reserve, should
the Boers placed on the Kimberley road on the Kopje C have to
deal with the fugitives. He could also render assistance, if
the enemy issuing from Boshof should endeavour to turn the
attack. He would then be informed of this eventuality by
Field-Cornet Coleman, who will cover the left of the attack in
such a manner as to observe all that may be menaced. For this
purpose, the Afrikanders will conform to the general movement
of the march of approach, and retire as soon as the attack
begins on the west of the English camp to a distance suitable
for observation.
"To facilitate recognition the brim of the hats will be covered
with a white handkerchief.
"The meagreness of our information does not permit of even an
approximate estimate of the English force. The forces in Boshof
seem, however, to be between 300 and 400 men. Whatever happens,
the assailants should remember that their moral superiority is
overwhelming, and even in the event of retreat, they can
easily, covered by the darkness, regain their horses and retire
from Boshof without risk."
In view of these magnificent preliminaries, one may look without vanity
at the celerity and completeness of the British operations which were
rewarded with victory. The Frenchman's _programme_ makes a quaint
contrast to the terse description of a quartermaster-sergeant of the
Imperial Yeomanry, who thus sketched the events of the 5th of April:--
"We received orders to turn out as soon as possible; we were
soon all bustle, caught and saddled our horses, and off we went
post-haste. One of our patrols had been shot in the night by a
foraging party of Boers. We trotted off for about two hours,
and then caught them out-spanned at the bottom of a kopje. We
dismounted and got on some more kopjes close by and began
exchanging shots. Then we mounted again, and half of us went
round to their right and half to the left to cut off their
retreat; and our artillery, of which three guns had followed
us, began to shell them in front. When we had got well round
them we dismounted again and advanced to the attack, taking
cover. Then, after a few volleys, ran up about twenty yards;
then a few more volleys, and up again until we were within
about a hundred and fifty yards, when we made a rush for it
with fixed bayonets. About seventy yards from the top there was
a large wire fence. We had to clamber through, and then, when
we were about fifty yards away, they came out and surrendered.
There were thirteen of them killed, and we had fifty-four
prisoners, amongst them General de Villebois-Mareuil and four
or five more Frenchmen. They had a cart with them full of
ammunition and dynamite, so they were evidently on some foray
to blow some bridge or other up. They were stationed on two
kopjes. The one our own lot went against was on the right. Most
of their bullets fell short whilst we were advancing, and when
we made our final rush they went over us. About twenty of them
escaped before we reached them. It was about five o'clock when
the fight was over, and we commenced a twelve-mile march to
camp about 5.45. After going about two miles it came on dark,
and we had a very heavy thunder-storm all the way to camp,
which we reached about ten o'clock last night, wet to the
skin."
The blow so deftly and quickly struck at the marauding parties of the
Boers was valuable from many points of view. It served to restore
confidence in Lord Methuen's leadership--confidence which had been
considerably shattered by the disaster of Majersfontein--and it helped
to suppress a tendency to raiding in the west of Cape Colony. So
complete a success could not but have a sobering effect on the rebels,
and give them pause in their mad career of hostility.
On the 7th of April, at dawn, Lord Methuen marched ten miles on the
Hoopstadt Road to Zwartkopjesfontein Farm without opposition. On the 8th
he proceeded further, but finally, by Lord Roberts's orders, retraced
his steps to Zwartkopjes. On the 10th, at daybreak, two flying columns
started forth--General Douglas to south-east and east of the camp,
Colonel Mahon (commanding Kimberley Mounted Corps) from Boshof towards
Kimberley. Colonel Mahon's movements, on which the relief of Mafeking
was depending, must be taken in detail later on. Lord Methuen operated
in this district till the 17th of May, when he moved to Hoopstadt and
brought his force within the zone of the main operations. On the 21st he
proceeded to Kroonstadt.
In the Kimberley district the First Division had been rearranged as
follows:--
Lieutenant-General Lord Methuen. 9th Brigade (Major-General C.
W. H. Douglas).--1st Northumberland Fusiliers, 1st Loyal North
Lancashire, 2nd Northamptonshire, 2nd Yorkshire Light Infantry.
20th Brigade (Major-General A. H. Paget).--Composed of Militia
Battalions, 4th, 20th, and 44th Field Batteries; 37th Howitzer
Battery. Brigade Imperial Yeomanry (Colonel Lord Chesham).--1st
Battalion, 3rd Battalion, 5th Battalion, 10th Battalion. Cape
Police, Diamond Fields Horse, Part Kimberley Light Horse,
Diamond Fields Artillery.
FOOTNOTES:
[1] From "The Handy Man, and other Verses" (Grant Richards).
[2] The Rev. J. Godfrey.
[3] Colonel the Hon. George Hugh Gough commenced his military career in
1871, when he took a commission as cornet in the 14th Hussars, of which
he held the adjutancy for nearly four years until 1879, when he was
promoted captain. In 1882 he obtained the brevet rank of major, and in
1885 he was promoted major and brevet lieutenant-colonel, and four years
later he obtained his colonelcy. Colonel Gough passed through the Staff
College in 1883, after serving as A.D.C. to the Lieutenant-General
commanding the expeditionary force in Egypt in 1882. Among his staff
appointments was that of private secretary to the Commander-in-chief
(Lord Wolseley), which he attained in 1897, and again in 1898, after
holding the post of assistant military secretary at the head-quarters of
the army. Colonel Gough's war services included the Boer War of 1881,
when he was aide-de-camp to the officer commanding the base and the
lines of communication; the Egyptian campaign of 1882; and the Soudan
Expedition of 1884-85. In the former his horse was killed under him at
Tel-el-Kebir, and he was mentioned in despatches. He received the order
of the Mejidieh (4th class), the bronze star, and the medal with clasp.
In the Soudan Expedition, where he was in command of the Mounted
Infantry, Colonel Gough was again mentioned in despatches, greatly
distinguishing himself at the battle of Abu Klea, where he was wounded.