THE INTERREGNUM AT PRETORIA
While tremendous excitement was convulsing Johannesburg, Pretoria was
simmering. The populace was trekking away towards the Lydenburg
Mountains, their ox-carts rumbling incessantly along the streets, while
a stream of Dutchmen, motley of habit and of mien, moved out before the
rumour of the advancing army. They had decided that, though they might
no longer be able to resist, they could still retain the ability to
annoy! Mr. Kruger, with his Executive, amid the lamentations of his
admirers, also fled. He hurried to the Middleburg Railway, leaving
behind him a committee of citizens who were deputed to surrender the
town to the British. He fled not empty-handed. In the dead of night gold
in bars was piled recklessly into whatever vehicles could be found to
hold it, and the spoil was shipped on board the train which bore the
President from the scene of his really amazing career. With him went a
good many of the British prisoners, though many more stoutly resisted
the order for removal and showed fight. Their attitude betokened a
general uproar, the story of which may be gleaned from the accounts of
various officers who lived through days of tension which, coming atop of
a long experience of incarceration, seemed to them like some hideous
nightmare of the senses.
An officer, who had been captured by the Boers while in the hospital at
Dundee after the retreat of General Yule, described the circumstances
connected with the threatened commotion:--
"We were all at dinner, when Wood, of Standard Bank, and Hay, the
American Consul, came in with two Hollanders. Their object in coming was
to get us to send officers to the 5000 odd men out at Waterval, who were
threatening to break out. It transpired that Kruger and the Government
were 'clearing' (the report said in ambulance carts). The town was in a
state of chaos, looting and drinking, and the British were expected next
morning. The commandant--a Hollander, and not a bad chap in spite of
it--then came in and announced that the British scouts were within six
miles of Pretoria, and that he expected them in on the following
morning. He appealed to us as soldiers, and asked us not to make it
difficult for him to carry out his duty till the end. Well, we were in
such good spirits that we gave him three cheers. Then Colonel H---- got
up and called for three cheers for Wood and Hay, who have done so much
for our men at Waterval. If it had not been for these two, and for
subscriptions in the town and from us, the men would have been
absolutely neglected. For though the Boer authorities took all the
credit for what was done, they did nothing, discouraging all efforts,
and treating with suspicion any one who stirred in the matter. At one
time the hospital almost broke down for want of funds. Well, we gave
them a tremendous ovation, and then sang 'For he's a jolly good fellow'
over and over again. Then we struck up 'God save the Queen.' You never
heard it sung as it was! It had been forbidden for nearly eight months.
For the first Sunday when it was sung they took away the organ, and made
themselves objectionable in many small ways. We had only once before
sung it--on the Queen's birthday....
"About twenty-five officers went off after dinner to keep the men in
order. Waterval is about ten miles from here. If this step had not been
taken there is no saying what might have happened. The men had heard the
booming of guns all day, in the direction of Johannesburg, and it is not
to be wondered at that when the Boers tried to move them they flatly
refused to budge. There are Maxims at each corner, and the loss of life
would have been very great. But the Boers gave in. What might have
happened if the men got loose in the town, after so much privation and
such hardships, can be imagined, but the sending of officers should
alter all things."
Naturally, at this time, the officers, who were prisoners, were bursting
with excitement. On the 3rd, guns, about ten or twelve miles to south
and south-west, were heard, and on the 4th, early, shells from British
guns crashed on the ridge of hills south of the town--the first shots
being fired at a redoubt behind the Artillery Barracks in Pretoria.
Soon, to their delight, this was cleared of Boers, and subsequently two
big forts on either side of the gorge in which is the railway then
received attention. Three lyddite shells from the howitzer batteries
were placed in the western fort, and a fierce and continuous fire from
the 4.7 naval gun was concentrated on the railway station, and though
the place remained intact the moral effect of the attack was sufficient
to clear the course. Before dusk, more lyddite and shrapnel were
concentrated on the huge hill south of Pretoria, and on part of the main
ridge which had been shelled all day. The prisoners, acutely listening
in their "bird cage," fancied they heard in the distance a British
cheer, and confidently went to rest calculating on the morrow's freedom.
At 1 A.M., however, they were awakened. The commandant declared that he
had received orders from Botha, and they must at once pack and trek
outside the town--as the town was to be defended, and was therefore
unsafe. Waggons were prepared to receive the kit; and the guard, usually
numbering about forty-eight, had been more than doubled; and over one
hundred armed Boers and Hollanders were waiting to escort 125
defenceless officers.
Colonel Hunt, Royal Artillery, the senior prisoner, was consulted. It
was known that once moved, chance of release would be uncertain; and the
colonel with his brother officers decided to adopt a policy of passive
resistance. They parleyed; they argued the impossibility of removal at
so short notice. They demanded what mounts were provided. The commandant
declared they must walk. This the officers refused to do. Colonels never
walked, they said. Cavalry and field officers must be provided with
horses to ride. And again in the matter of food--how about that? Thus
arguing, the commandant was detained about an hour and a half; but still
he declared he had come to do a duty, and do it he must. The policy of
passive resistance having run to its extreme limits, the colonels
decided to place the commandant under arrest--to detain him in the
building and trust to luck. The assistant-commandant, who arrived to
"put in his oar," was promptly "bagged" also. At 2.45 A.M. more
wrangling took place. The commandant was reminded that an agreement had
been practically entered into with the Transvaal Government that the men
at Waterval should be kept quiet on condition that they were not moved,
and that the Transvaal Government could not move the prisoners without a
breach of faith. The commandant seemed impressed, and offered his word
of honour that if released he would telephone to say there could be no
removal--and countermand waggons and cancel arrangements. His word of
honour was accepted. The commandant retired from the prison, and the
officers went to bed fearing the worst.
The remainder of the story is soon told. At 9 A.M. the Duke of
Marlborough, accompanied by his irrepressible kinsman, Winston
Churchill, galloped to the prison and told the prisoners they were free.
The prisoners cheered and shouted themselves hoarse. The guard was
disarmed without a murmur, and the prisoners' servants placed to do duty
in their stead, an arrangement which afforded them much merriment and
infinite satisfaction. The whole situation was the result of a most
successful piece of bluff, and the officers were not a little gratified
with the exercise of diplomacy which had brought about delay at a most
critical moment. They had been unable, however, to prevent the
departure, on the 4th, of some 1000 prisoners, which removal was a
distinct breach of faith, considering the negotiations before alluded
to.
An officer related his experiences on the momentous 4th and 5th of
June:--
"On Monday morning, 9 A.M., guns were heard quite close. We knew the
Boers, 15,000 strong, had taken up a position about six miles out, and
it was said they had solemnly sworn to die or win. About 10 A.M. we saw
a shell burst over the hill to the south close to one of the forts. Then
shrapnel after shrapnel was landed just over the fort and all along the
crest line, about four miles away from us. Then some larger gun placed a
lyddite close to the big fort, sending up an enormous column of red dust
and making a huge report. It was a grand sight. It went on all day, and
we sat there in deck chairs watching. We could see very few Boers about.
About 3 P.M. we saw the balloon, about fifteen miles off, I should
think. Later in the afternoon the railway was shelled near the suburbs,
and just before dark, away to the west, we saw clouds of dust and what
we took to be fleeing commandos. After such a day we all went to bed in
excellent spirits. Our long depressing wait was very near its end, and
we should now escape the terrible prospect of being moved away to the
east. About 1 A.M. we were wakened up by the commandant, who turned on
the electric light and walked along the line of beds, saying, 'Pack up,
gentlemen, you have got to start at 3 P.M. and march six miles.' 'Why?'
'I don't know why; those are my orders.' 'Which direction?' 'To the
railway, to the east.' Well, I knew what that meant at once, for I had
expected the move for the last month, and many a very depressed hour had
I spent thinking of the possibility of being carted about for six months
in the cold--no food--no news--and every chance of being shot down. I
lay in bed thinking what I should do--what we ought all to do. Some got
up at once and dressed, quite ready to move, saying they were only going
to move us out of range of the firing. But Colonel H---- luckily was not
of that opinion, and nearly every one felt what it meant. We knew
nothing for certain, but we thought our people were only six miles off.
Outside the Hollanders' guard had been trebled--about 200--and there
were about twenty armed and mounted Boers. It was soon agreed that no
one should move unless a rifle was pointed at his head. The Hollanders
are only half-hearted, and the Boers don't act without leaders. So the
commandant and sub-commandant, who were alone inside, and only armed
with revolvers, were made prisoners. They were told we refused to move;
that they would have to shoot; and that, if they did shoot, every one of
them would be hung by Bobs, who, we knew, was only seven miles off.
Well, the commandant was talked round and fairly bluffed. He undertook
not to move us, and to become a prisoner of the Boers if they insisted.
He went out and had a talk with the Boer commandant; they had words,
and the Boers galloped off to the town, calling him a ---- Hollander,
and saying they would have to get a Maxim. We had delayed the thing
anyway for a time, and the railway might be cut any time by French. It
was frightfully cold; I did not turn in again. Many went and hid in the
roof, in ditches, and all sorts of places, where they were bound to be
found. I got a bread-knife and cut a hole in the rabbit wire, which is
only a small part of the obstacle, and asked the Hollander sentry to
look the other way if I tried to get out when the commander came. But
there were so many of them that one was afraid of the other. He only
hesitated, and said he would see. We waited on till daylight and no one
came. We looked anxiously at the hills all round in hopes of seeing our
troops on the hills, but could see nothing. We waited and watched
anxiously, and thought we should have a day of suspense. About 8 A.M. on
Tuesday, 5th June, large bodies of men were visible to the west, about
seven miles off, but it was impossible to say whether they were our men
or Boers. Even if they were our men, it was possible that we should be
hustled off under their noses. About 9 A.M. two men in felt hats and
kharki and a civilian galloped up. Even till they were 100 feet off I
feared they might be Boers. Then they took off their hats and waved
them; there was a yell, and we all rushed through the gate. They were
Marlborough and Winston Churchill, and we were free!"
Some of the late prisoners rushed out of the enclosure down hill into
the town, scampering and yelling. It was so good to be free! It was so
grand to feel that the scene of their incarceration had already almost
become British soil! One climbed up the flagstaff with the Union Jack in
his mouth and fastened it at the top (the great emblem, manufactured
from a Transvaal flag, had been held in readiness for many months).
There, in the town, were British sentries over all the Government
buildings, over the house of the President--where Mrs. Kruger still
remained--and over all the banks, and in the square. But the smart
guardsman of Pall Mall was nowadays strangely transmogrified. Battered
and travel-stained in his shabby kharki and worn helmet--the latter
perhaps adorned, in lieu of plume, with tooth-brush, spoon, or other
useful article--and equipped with loaf or cook-pot, or like practical
paraphernalia not laid down in the regulations, he made a quaint, yet
inspiriting picture of martial vagabondage. But to the eyes of his
long-expecting fellow-countrymen he was none the less refreshing, almost
adorable, and in a perfect frenzy of rejoicing the prisoners laughed and
threw up their hats and waved their arms like very lunatics freed from
strait-waistcoats, or the thrall of the padded room.
The chief was not timed to arrive till two, but long before that hour
the prisoners of war were drawn up in the square to feast their eyes
with a sight for which they had hungered wearily, some of them since the
grievous autumn days when they had found themselves in Dundee hospital
at the mercy of the Boers. And sure enough the spectacle that then
followed was worth waiting a lifetime to see, and one which none who
witnessed it will ever forget.
To return, however, to Johannesburg, and to those who, during this time
of terrific suspense, were marching as fast as legs would carry them to
take possession of the Boer capital.
FROM JOHANNESBURG TO PRETORIA
June had opened more than propitiously. It found Lord Roberts with the
British flag hoisted in Johannesburg, and within appreciable distance of
seizing the capital, while in the southern portion of the Free State,
rebellion was known to be nearing its conclusion. General Brabant--after
some exciting experiences at Hammonia, in which Lieutenant Langmore
(Border Horse) was severely wounded, and Lieutenants Boyes and Budler
were made prisoners--had just joined hands with General Rundle. The
former was engaged in watching the passes around the Basuto border,
while the latter, with his usual vigilance and animation, mounted guard
over the region between Ficksburg and Senekal. Here (at Senekal) General
Clements caught up the chain and made his Brigade into a connecting link
with the forces of Lord Methuen, which were at Lindley, forty miles to
the north, which latter place was within communicable distance of
Heilbron, where General Sir H. Colvile with the Highland Brigade kept
clear the passage to the north. Thus it will be seen a complete cordon
of communications was maintained, which formed a barrier to further
inroads by the Free Staters, and forced them little by little to take
their choice between surrender or flight.
At the same time a change had been wrought in the condition of affairs,
and the Orange Free State had been rechristened the Orange River Colony.
[Illustration: SCENE IN PRETORIA SQUARE, JUNE 5: WAITING FOR THE ENTRY
OF LORD ROBERTS AND HIS ARMY
Drawing by A. Pearse, after a Photograph by the Earl of Rosslyn]
At noon, on the 28th of May, an interesting ceremony had taken place in
the Market Square at Bloemfontein and the Royal Standard had been
hoisted. General Pretyman (Military Governor), surrounded with a vast
concourse of persons, both British and Dutch, had read in an impressive
voice for the benefit of all concerned, Lord Roberts's proclamation
annexing the Orange Free State--which had been conquered by Her
Majesty's Forces--to the Queen's dominions. He had then declared that
henceforth the State would be recognised as the Orange River Colony,
after which the troops presented arms and a salute of twenty-one guns
was fired by the Naval Brigade and Royal Artillery, followed by lusty
cheers for the Queen. At the same time a very different scene had been
enacted in Pretoria. By the order of President Kruger, the day had been
observed as one of humiliation throughout the country; humiliation and
prayer for relief from oppression and preservation of the independence
of the country--the country whose independence had been wrecked entirely
by the ignorant and careless pilotage of the President himself.
In Johannesburg itself quietness soon began to reign, the people coming
in resignedly to give up arms. On the whole there seemed to prevail a
general sentiment of surprised relief at the peaceful mode of British
occupation, and a dawning hope that before long hostilities would come
to an end, and life resume its workaday habit. For the first two days of
June the chief remained encamped at Orange Grove in order that all the
troops, rested from their fatigues, might be gradually moved up so as to
surround Pretoria, north, west, and south. But meanwhile the cavalry
made a reconnaissance, and in course of the operations Lieutenants
Durrand, Sadleir, Jackson, and Pollock, 9th Lancers, were wounded. The
latter officer was missing, as was also Lieutenant the Hon. C. M.
Evans-Freke, 16th Lancers.
[Illustration: MAP SHOWING DISTRICT BETWEEN JOHANNESBURG AND PRETORIA,
AND THE POSITION OF THE BRITISH FORCES ROUND THE LATTER.]
From Johannesburg to Pretoria the distance is about thirty miles by
road. East and west of Johannesburg for some 100 miles runs the
Witwatersrand ridge, which commands the town and offers a strong
position against any enemy advancing from the south. At Boksburg, on the
east, are various natural redoubts of rubbish heaps thrown up from the
mines, whose hideous chimneys rise clear against the cloudy atmosphere
of the swarming city. Further on comes a species of desert, dotted now
and then with a green oasis, and sliced with valleys wrinkled with
undulating ridges, and beyond that, Pretoria. The town sits, so to
speak, in the lap of hills, each hill crowned with forts, of which the
two most formidable faced south, as menace to all invaders. The natural
disposition of the surrounding heights makes it possible for a small
force to resist a strong one with comparative ease. On the north a
girdle of eminences, each a rocky and frowning fortress, renders
approach in face of the enemy well-nigh impossible. Beyond Six-Mile
Spruit, which lies some twenty-six miles from the Rand, and six from the
capital, are three more frowning ridges, natural strongholds. And these
it was necessary to assail. Both Schanzkop to west and Klapperkop to
east of the line looked gaunt and ominous, the very fire and sword of
the cherubim, and the approaches were charred black by intentional veldt
fires so as to serve as blackboards to throw up any demonstrations in
chalk-grey kharki. It was here, nevertheless, that the chief had decided
to make his entry to Pretoria, keeping the direct Johannesburg road, and
avoiding if possible the more dangerous of the fortified positions.
On the 3rd of June the great march was resumed. The army moved in three
columns--the Cavalry Division under General French on the left, General
Ian Hamilton's force in the centre, the main column, consisting of
Pole-Carew's Division and Maxwell's Brigade of Tucker's Division
(General Wavell's Brigade was left to hold Johannesburg), Gordon's
Cavalry Brigade (covering the eastern flank) and the corps troops under
the chief's direct command bearing towards the line of rail as described.
Colonel Henry, with Ross's Mounted Infantry, Compton's Horse, the Sussex
Yeomanry, the Victorian Rifles, the Colt Battery, and J Horse Battery,
formed the advance guard of the main column, while Colonel de Lisle's
6th Mounted Infantry formed the advance guard of General Ian Hamilton's
Division.
At dawn, on the 4th of June, Colonel Henry came in touch with the enemy
at Six-Mile Spruit. Report had hinted that the Boers could not decide to
offer opposition to the entry of the troops, and it was hoped that no
serious fighting was intended. But there was tough work to come. The
enemy opened fire and forced the troops to take cover for a time; but,
afterwards, holding their own, they pushed on in view of Schanzkop and
Klapperkop, the forts which yet suggested horrible possibilities. The
enemy was also ensconced in sangars on other ridges round about, and
assiduously plied their magazines. Then followed an artillery contest
between J Battery and the guns of the Dutchmen, while Ross's Mounted
Infantry, hastening to the left, secured a position from which another
battery was enabled to join in the thunderous chorus.
No sooner was it found that Colonel Henry was definitely engaged, than
General Ian Hamilton, who was somewhat west of the main army, was
ordered to combine and assist the now warming operations--and presently
his mounted troops had reinforced the advanced line, while the artillery
of the main column came vigorously into play. A big gun from Schantz
Fort sounded; a reply from the blue-jackets spat out. Lyddite burst over
the feebly demonstrating Boers and damaged them, and showed them, that
if they asked for it, there was more to come. At three, fifty guns
threatened in concert--an argument that was well-nigh conclusive.
Meanwhile up came the infantry, grandly steady in their advance. To
right went the Guards' Brigade over the blackboard prepared for them,
while Stephenson's Brigade, with Maxwell's Brigade on its left, forged
straight ahead. There were kindly boulders which presently covered them,
and allowed them to open a warning fire with rifles and Maxims. The
Boers by this knew what to expect. They knew that their hours in their
commanding kops were numbered; they knew by this time that the bayonet's
gleam might follow, and then----
They had little time to consider. General Broadwood's troopers were
making for their right flank, debouching in the distant plain on the
left, circling them round, menacing their retreat. Up the kopjes swarmed
the infantry, away towards the enemy's flank galloped the cavalry--bang
and boom and boom roared the heavy artillery, addressing the forts that
had seemed to play the cherubim to British advance. These were mute. The
projectiles battered them or passed on into the town itself whence rifle
fire burst out in fitful cascades, but resistance was no longer in the
Dutchmen.... It was now growing dusk. Colonel de Lisle's sprightly
Australians, cutting across country, were chasing Boers and guns almost
into the town, while the infantry with sunset, were occupying the
coveted positions--were handling the key of Pretoria!
But the Australians, darkness or no darkness, were on the
war-path--nothing could stop them. They captured the flying Maxim of the
flying Dutchmen, pursued them till they were within rifle fire of the
streets--the streets where scurrying and panic-stricken forms were to be
seen like ants disturbed, running hither and thither. Then Colonel de
Lisle, equal to the occasion, profited by the general dismay and the
demoralisation to send in an officer under a flag of truce to demand the
surrender of the town.
An account of this momentous episode was given by Lieutenant W. W.
Russell Watson, a Sydney officer, who was the most prominent actor in
the proceedings:--
"Colonel de Lisle came up, beaming with delight, and said, 'Now, lad,
you have done so well, are you fit to take the white flag into the city
and demand the surrender of the city in the name of Lord Roberts and the
British army?' 'Rather!' said I. So we tied a handkerchief on to a whip,
and after saying good-bye to Holmes and the others, I started for the
Landdrost of the capital with the white flag in the air alone and
unarmed.
"I had not gone far when I was stopped by an artilleryman, so requested
him to take me into town. He did so; but the Landdrost (chief
magistrate), the Burgomaster (mayor), the Commandant-General, were still
fighting on the hills about the city, so the Secretary of State was
found, and he conducted me to Commandant-General Botha's private
residence. He then telephoned to the Secretary for War, and they then
despatched messages to their Generals to come at once to a council of
war. First, General Botha himself came; then Generals Meyer and
Walthusein and the military governors of the city. By this time I had
been there two hours, during which time Mrs. Botha kindly gave me coffee
and sandwiches, which, as I had not had a square meal for thirty-six
hours, were most acceptable.
"Now came the discussion of the council. The General asked my mission,
and this I told him with as much dignity as I could muster. He looked me
up and down, and told me to be seated. They all spoke in Dutch, and some
of the Generals were very excited. However, after an hour's chat, they
drew up a letter, and Botha informed me that if I would conduct the
Governor of the city to Lord Roberts, terms and conditions would be
arranged. So they all shook hands with me, and said that I ought to be
pleased at meeting their greatest statesmen and Generals.
"Off I went with the Governor and General Walthusein to Colonel de
Lisle, who was waiting on the outskirts of the city for my return. The
Colonel then joined us, and away we went to Lord Roberts, who was six
miles off; so we did not arrive until 10.45 P.M. He was in bed, so just
sat up and said, 'How do you do? If General Botha wishes to discuss with
me the unconditional surrender of the town, I will meet him at Colonel
de Lisle's camp at 9 A.M. to-morrow. In the meantime, I will not fire a
shot. Good-night!'"
So unconditional surrender it was, and that at the cost of little more
than seventy killed and wounded.
The report of the chief was as follows:--
"Shortly before midnight I was awoke by the officials of the South
African Republic, Sandburg, Military Secretary to Commander-General
Botha, and a general officer of the Boer army, who brought me a letter
from Botha, proposing an armistice for the purpose of settling terms of
surrender.
"I replied that I would gladly meet the Commander-General the next
morning, but that I was not prepared to discuss any terms, as the
surrender of the town must be unconditional.
"I asked for a reply by daybreak, as I had ordered the troops to march
on the town as soon as it was light.
"In his reply, Botha told me that he had decided not to defend Pretoria,
and that he trusted that the women, children, and property would be
protected."
The next morning the main army moved on towards the railway station,
while General Ian Hamilton's troops wound their way to the west of the
town. (General French, it may be noted, had made his way to the north,
and had skirmished himself into possession of an enveloping area.)
Pretoria was now in sight. But even as the troops neared the railway
station, trains--trains bearing away the surrendering Hollanders--were
seen to be steaming forth. A chase followed, but barbed wire, gardens,
houses, made pursuit impossible, and one train escaped. Others which
were still in the station, however, were arrested, but not before a
scrimmage of a bellicose kind had taken place between Major Shute, the
advance guard, and the would-be fugitives. Then followed the release of
the British prisoners and the excited rushing of the emancipated ones
through the town. Meanwhile Major Maude and his party moved along amid
the expectant populace, placing sentries at important points in the
road, to the tune of the roars and cheers from the British prisoners,
who--many of them--were almost wild with enthusiasm. After having
secured the government buildings, the officers of the Staff attached to
the Guards' Brigade paid their respects to Mrs. Kruger, who, attired in
black silk and a white cap, received them with her usual Dutch calm, in
the cottage where the old statesman was wont to live in almost
peasant-like simplicity. Here, not many days ago, the most interesting,
if not the most admired, figure of latter-day history had smoked the
cavernous pipe which was his invariable companion. Here, not many days
ago, sitting in the shady verandah and guarded by two policemen, and the
white marble lions given him by Mr. Barnato, he had plotted and schemed
behind the impenetrable mask that served him for a face. Now he was
gone; and the great marble lions, massive and obdurate as ever, had
become as the emblems of British majesty. The commanding officer
informed the wife of the late President that the burghers guarding the
Presidency would now be replaced by British soldiers, whereupon the
Dutch guard placed pistols and ammunition on the pavement by the side of
the marble monsters; and their occupation, now and henceforth, was
ended!
At two o'clock, on the 5th of June, came the grand finale. Lord Roberts,
Lord Kitchener, the Staff, and foreign attachés, numbering nearly 300,
formed up in the main square in the centre of the magnificent official
buildings, and there, once more, was hoisted the British flag amid the
cheers--sincere and insincere--of the populace. Then followed the great
spectacle--a pageant wherein was asserted the majesty of Great
Britain--in the form of an unending host of muscular and disciplined
heroes. The roll of drums, the flow of kharki, the clank and clang of
armed men, began and continued for hours and hours, while the amazed
inhabitants, arrayed in their bucolic best, wide-mouthed, wide-eyed,
stood watching the vast procession, the like of which the little town
had never before beheld.
Particularly remarkable among the vast cortège of seasoned warriors were
the patriotic C.I.V.'s, whose soldierly bearing drew forth eulogies from
the chief himself. All were agreed that they were the finest body of men
that had ever been seen, and every one declared that their actions had
been as excellent as their appearance.
A not less attractive feature of the great day was the march past of the
Naval Brigade, its smart amphibians, its jolly blue-jackets so square
and brawny and brave, and its big guns on improved gun-carriages, all of
which had done such good work from beginning to end. The roar that
greeted them as they swung along the streets of the conquered town was a
sound to echo in the memory for many a year to come.
* * * * *
At such an imposing spectacle in so primitive an arena our enemies--real
or subsidised--of course, took the opportunity to scoff. True, the
ceremonial was scarcely as impressive as might have been the occupation
of some less primitive capital; but its significance was twofold, and
had ramifications far beneath the surface. The importance of the event
to the British nation, and indeed to the whole European audience of
critics, could not be overestimated. For, not a spectacle, but a symbol
was intended. Great Britain came, not to conquer new territories, nor to
acquire new power. She came to assert herself, and maintain her prestige
in the face of the whole world, and meant, by the occupation of
Pretoria, to mark the new epoch, drawing a line between the old era of
maladministration, chicanery, and despotism, and a fresh one of law and
order, and equal rights for white men. The great object of the war,
therefore, had been achieved.
In October 1899, the Government of the South African Republic had sent
an ultimatum to the Government of the British Empire. To this there
could be but one answer, and that answer was given. Lord Roberts, in the
month of March 1900, seized the capital of the Orange Free State, and in
June took possession of the capital of the Transvaal, and from that time
the two South African Republics virtually ceased to exist. Within
appreciable distance we now saw before us a vast British Empire
stretching from the Cape to the Zambesi, and a huge population--a mixed
population consisting of a majority of Kaffirs and a minority of Dutch
and English-speaking Europeans--cemented together by the most just and
fair of all laws--British law. If the principles that guide this law had
been followed by the two extinct Republics, which had owed their very
existence to British toleration and British magnanimity, they would have
continued to live and to prosper, and to develop in harmony with their
own interests and those of the Mother Power which, so to speak, had
afforded them the protection to promote their own growth. But, having
grown, having battened on the advantages of their position in relation
to the British, they became inflated with the idea of their own
importance, and denied to the English-speaking settlers in the Transvaal
that liberality of treatment which was extended to their own countrymen
in the British colonies. The arrogance of this denial, and the success
in maintaining it for many years, gave birth to more arrogance still.
The British at last were not only to be trodden down, but were to be
driven into the sea!
That Mr. Kruger should have so far lost his sound common sense as to
dream of an ascendency of the Dutch in South Africa, was due partly to
the misleading representations of needy foreigners and _chevaliers
d'industrie_, who endeavoured to convert the President into a figurehead
for their own piratical cruiser, and also to the folly of certain
self-seeking British politicians, who tried to persuade the shrewd
Dutchman into a belief in Boer arms and Boer diplomacy, and actually
deceived him with the notion that their sympathetic bleats represented
the trumpet voice of the British nation! It became necessary to teach
him his mistake, and the lesson was taught. Thus it came to pass that,
at the end of a long and really remarkable career, the despot was
fleeing as fast as steam would carry him from the scene of his life's
labours, while Lord Roberts, crowned with years and honour, reigned in
his stead!
[Illustration: THE ENTRY OF LORD ROBERTS AND STAFF INTO PRETORIA
After a Photograph by the Earl of Rosslyn]
APPENDIX
REARRANGEMENT OF STAFF
The following rearrangement of divisional and brigade commands in South
Africa took place during the month of April:--
CAVALRY DIVISION.
Lieutenant-General J. D. P. French commanding.
1st Brigade (Cape)--Colonel (Brigadier-General) T. C. Porter, 6th
Dragoon Guards.
1st Brigade (Natal)--Lieutenant-Colonel (Brigadier-General) J. F.
Burn-Murdoch, 1st Dragoons.
2nd Brigade (Cape)--Colonel (Brigadier-General) R. G. Broadwood,
12th Lancers.
2nd Brigade (Natal)--Colonel (Major-General) J. F. Brocklehurst.
3rd Brigade (Cape)--Colonel (Brigadier-General) J. R. P. Gordon,
17th Lancers.
3rd Brigade (Natal)--Colonel (Major-General) Lord Dundonald.
4th Brigade (Cape)--Colonel (Major-General) J. B. B. Dickson, C.B.
MOUNTED INFANTRY.
Colonel (Major-General) I. S. M. Hamilton, C.B., commanding.
1st Brigade--Colonel (Major-General) E. T. H. Hutton, C.B.
2nd Brigade--Colonel (Brigadier-General) C. P. Ridley.
1ST INFANTRY DIVISION (CAPE).
Lieutenant-General Lord Methuen commanding.
1st Brigade--Colonel (Major-General) C. W. H. Douglas.
20th Brigade--Colonel (Major-General) A. H. Paget, Scots Guards.
2ND DIVISION (NATAL).
Lieutenant-General Sir F. Clery commanding.
2nd Brigade--Major-General H. J. T. Hildyard, C.B.
4th Brigade--Colonel (Brigadier-General) C. D. Cooper, Royal Dublin
Fusiliers.
3RD DIVISION (CAPE).
Major-General Sir Herbert Chermside, commanding.
22nd Brigade--Colonel (Major-General) R. E. Allen.
23rd Brigade--Colonel (Major-General) W. G. Knox, C.B.
4TH DIVISION (NATAL).
Lieutenant-General Hon. N. G. Lyttelton, C.B., commanding.
7th Brigade--Colonel (Brigadier-General) W. F. Kitchener, West
Yorkshire Regiment.
8th Brigade--Colonel (Major-General) F. Howard, C.B., C.M.G.
5TH DIVISION (NATAL).
Lieutenant-General Sir Charles Warren commanding.
10th Brigade--Colonel (Major-General) J. T. Coke.
11th Brigade--Colonel (Major-General) A. S. Wynne, C.B.
6TH DIVISION.
Lieutenant-General T. Kelly-Kenny, C.B., commanding.
12th Brigade--Colonel (Major-General) R. A. P. Clements.
13th Brigade--Colonel (Major-General) A. G. Wavell.
7TH DIVISION (CAPE).
Lieutenant-General C. Tucker, C.B., commanding.
14th Brigade--Colonel (Major-General) J. G. Maxwell.
15th Brigade--Colonel (Major-General) C. E. Knox.
8TH DIVISION.
Lieutenant-General Sir Leslie Rundle commanding.
16th Brigade--Major-General B. B. D. Campbell.
17th Brigade--Major-General J. E. Boyes.
9TH DIVISION (CAPE).
Lieutenant-General Sir Henry Colvile commanding.
3rd (Highland) Brigade--Colonel (Major-General) H. A. MacDonald,
C.B.
19th Brigade--Colonel (Major-General) H. L. Smith-Dorrien, Sherwood
Foresters.
10TH DIVISION (NATAL).
Lieutenant-General Sir Archibald Hunter commanding.
5th Brigade--Major-General A. F. Hart, C.B.
6th Brigade--Major-General G. Barton, C.B.
11TH DIVISION (CAPE).
Lieutenant-General R. Pole-Carew, C.B., commanding.
Guards Brigade--Colonel (Major-General) I. R. Jones, Scots Guards.
18th Brigade--Colonel (Brigadier-General) T. E. Stephenson, Essex
Regiment.
DEATHS IN ACTION AND FROM DISEASE
The following is a list of the officers who died in South Africa between
January and June:--
JANUARY 1900
=4.=--In action at Colesberg: Major C. Bateson Harvey,
Lieutenant A. V. West.
=5.=--Disease: Major C. P. Walker, Lieutenant C. P. Russell,
Lieutenant C. S. Platt.
=6.=--In action at Rensburg: Lieutenant-Colonel A. J. Watson,
Lieutenant F. A. P. Wilkins, Lieutenant S. J. Carey, Lieutenant
C. A. White. Action at Ladysmith: Lieutenant-Colonel
Dick-Cunyngham, V.C., Major Miller-Wallnutt, Major R. S. Bowen,
Major F. Mackworth, Captain W. B. Lafone, Lieutenant C. E. M.
Walker, Lieutenant L. D. Hall, Lieutenant R. J. T. Digby-Jones,
Lieutenant H. N. Field, Lieutenant W. F. Adams, Lieutenant J.
E. Pakeman, Lieutenant Noel M. Tod, Second Lieutenant W. H. T.
Hill, Second Lieutenant F. H. Raikes, Second Lieutenant G. B.
B. Denniss. Wounds received at Colesberg: Captain A. W. Brown.
=11.=--Wounds received at Ladysmith: Captain the Earl of Ava.
=13.=--Fever: Lieutenant W. Dixon Smith.
=15.=--Fever at Pietermaritzburg: Lieutenant E. Stabb, R.N.R.
=16.=--Dysentery at Pietermaritzburg: Major F. F. Crawford.
=19.=--Fever at Mooi River: Second Lieutenant D. B. Gore-Booth.
=20.=--Wounds received at Venters Spruit: Captain C. A.
Hensley. Action at Potgieters: Major C. B. Childe.
=21.=--In action at Potgieters: Captain C. Ryall. Wounds:
Captain A. D. Raitt. In action: Lieutenant-Colonel
Buchanan-Riddell, Capt. F. Murray, Captain C. Walters,
Lieutenant R. Grant, Lieutenant J. W. Osborne, Second
Lieutenant H. G. French-Brewster.
=23.=--In action at Chieveley: Captain H. W. de Rougemont.
=24.=--Fever at De Aar: Captain C. G. Mackenzie. In action at
Spion Kop: Major H. H. Massy, Major A. J. J. Ross, Captain N.
H. Vertue, Captain G. M. Stewart, Captain C. L. Muriel, Captain
M. W. Kirk, Captain C. G. F. G. Birch, Captain the Hon. J. H.
L. Petre, Captain C. S. Knox-Gore, Captain C. H. Hicks,
Lieutenant J. J. R. Mallock, Lieutenant E. Fraser, Lieutenant
A. P. C. H. Wade, Lieutenant H. F. Pipe-Wolferstan, Lieutenant
F. M. Raphael, Lieutenant H. W. Garvey, Lieutenant C. G.
Grenfell, Lieutenant P. F. Newnham, Lieutenant T. F.
Flower-Ellis, Lieutenant H. S. M'Corquodale, Lieutenant V. H.
A. Awdry, Lieutenant the Hon. N. W. Hill-Trevor, Lieutenant A.
Rudall, Lieutenant K. Shand, Lieutenant F. A. Galbraith, Second
Lieutenant W. G. H. Lawley, Second Lieutenant H. A. C. Wilson.
Wounds received at Spion Kop: Major S. P. Strong.
=28.=--Fever at De Aar: Captain W. A. Hebden.
=29.=--Wounds received at Ladysmith: Lieutenant W. R. P.
Stapleton-Cotton.
FEBRUARY 1900
=1.=--Wounds received at Venters Spruit: Captain D. Maclachlan.
=2.=--Disease at Ladysmith: Second Lieutenant F. O. Barker.
=4.=--Disease at Ladysmith: Captain K. L. Tupman
=6.=--In action at Potgieters Drift: Major T. R. Johnson-Smyth,
Second Lieutenant C. D. Shafto.
=6.=--Sunstroke at Wynberg: Captain E. Dillon. In action at
Koodoesberg: Captain H. M. Blair.
=8.=--Wounds received at Koodoesberg: Captain C. Eykyn,
Lieutenant F. G. Tait.
=10.=--In action: Lieutenant Buchanan, Lieutenant Carstens.
=11.=--Fever at De Aar: Lieutenant R. W. Bell. In action at
Rensburg: Major G. R. Eddy.
=12.=--In action at Rensburg: Major A. K. Stubbs, Lieutenant J.
Powell. Wounds received at Rensburg: Lieutenant-Colonel C.
Cunningham, Lieutenant J. C. Roberts. Wounds received at
Dekiels Drift: Captain H. G. Majendie.
=13.=--Wounds received at Rensburg: Lieutenant-Colonel H. A.
Eager. In action at Gaberones: Captain J. G. French. In action
at Waterval Drift: Second Lieutenant H. W. Ritchie. Wounds
received at Ladysmith: Major D. E. Doveton. Disease: Captain H.
W. Foster. Fever at Pretoria: Lieutenant C. A. P. Tarbutt.
=14.=--Wounds received at Mafeking: Captain R. H. Girdwood.
=15.=--In action at Waterval: Lieutenant C. P. M. C. Halkett.
Wounds received at Rensburg: Major F. R. Macmullen.
=16.=--Wounds received at Kimberley: Second Lieutenant Hon. W.
M'Clintock-Bunbury. Action at Monte Christo: Captain T. H.
Berney. Action at Bird's River: Captain E. C. H. Crallan,
Lieutenant Chandler. Action near Kimberley: Lieutenant A. E.
Hesketh, Lieutenant E. G. Carbutt, Second Lieutenant P. F.
Brassy.
=17.=--Fever at Ladysmith: Second Lieutenant W. A. Orlebar.
=18.=--Fever at Sterkstroom: Captain T. S. C. W. Broadley. In
action at Paardeberg: Lieutenant-Colonel W. Aldworth, Captain
E. P. Wardlaw, Captain B. A. Newbury, Captain A. M. A. Lennox,
Lieutenant J. C. Angell, Lieutenant G. E. Courtenay, Lieutenant
H. G. Selous, Lieutenant F. J. Siordet, Lieutenant A. R.
Bright, Colonel O. C. Hannay, Lieutenant E. Perceval,
Lieutenant H. M. A. Hankey, Second Lieutenant R. H. M'Clure,
Second Lieutenant A. C. Nieve, Second Lieutenant V. A.
Ball-Acton.
=19.=--Dysentery at Wynberg: Captain R. A. E. Benson. In action
at Hlangwane Hill: Captain W. L. Thorburn.
=20.=--Wounds received at Paardeberg: Major C. R. Day, Captain
E. J. Dewar, Lieutenant J. C. Hylton-Jolliffe, Second
Lieutenant D. B. Monypenny, Captain Waldy. Wounds received at
Rondebosch: Captain C. H. Thomas. In action at the Tugela
River: Captain S. L. V. Crealock, Lieutenant V. F. A.
Keith-Falconer, Second Lieutenant J. C. Parr. Fever at
Ladysmith: Lieutenant G. W. G. Jones.
=21.=--Wounds received near Ladysmith: Captain R. E. Holt.
Dysentery at Kimberley: Lieutenant Grant.
=22.=--In action at Arundel: Captain A. F. Wallis. In action at
Pieters Drift: Lieutenant R. H. C. Coë. In action at Ladysmith:
Lieutenant R. W. Pearson, Lieutenant the Hon. R. Cathcart, and
Second Lieutenant N. J. Parker.
=23.=--Dysentery at Wynberg: Major C. H. Blount. Fever at
Ladysmith: Captain G. S. Walker. Wounds: Captain H. M. Arnold.
Wounds received at Groblers Kloof: Lieutenant F. C. D.
Davidson. In action at Railway Hill: Lieutenant-Colonel C. C.
H. Thorold and Lieutenant-Colonel T. M. G. Thackeray. In action
at Pieters Hill: Brevet Lieutenant-Colonel C. G. H. Sitwell. In
action at Railway Hill: Major F. A. Sanders and Lieutenant W.
O. Stuart. In action at Colenso: Captain S. C. Maitland. In
action near Ladysmith: Lieutenant B. H. Hastie and Lieutenant
C. H. Hinton.
=24.=--In action at Stormberg: Lieutenant-Colonel F. H. Hoskier
and Captain the Hon. R. H. J. L. de Montmorency. Fever at
Sterkstroom: Captain A. T. England. In action near Ladysmith:
Lieutenant F. A. Stebbing.
=25.=--Fever at Modder River: Midshipman S. Robertson. Wounds
received at Spion Kop: Lieutenant H. V. Lockwood.
=26.=--Wounds received at Ladysmith: Major E. W. Yeatherd.
=27.=--In action at Pieters Hill: Lieutenant-Colonel W. M.
O'Leary, Major V. Lewis, Captain H. S. Sykes, Lieutenant H. L.
Mourilyan, Lieutenant H. B. Onraët, Second Lieutenant F. J. T.
U. Simpson, and Second Lieutenant C. J. Daly.
MARCH 1900
=3.=--Blood-poisoning at Modder River: Captain R. Price.
=5.=--Fever at Naauwpoort: Lieutenant J. W. C. Walding.
=7.=--In action at Poplars Drift: Lieutenant D. J. Keswick.
Wounds received near Ladysmith: Lieutenant E. A. P. Vaughan.
=8.=--Fever at Ladysmith: Lieutenant R. E. Meyricke. Fever at
Modder River: Lieutenant S. D. Barrow.
=9.=--Fever at Ladysmith: Captain A. W. Curtis and Lieutenant
C. Arkwright.
=10.=--In action at Driefontein: Captain A. R. Eustace, Captain
D. A. N. Lomax, Lieutenant F. N. Parsons, V.C., and Second
Lieutenant A. B. Coddington. Fever at Wynberg: Captain E. E. D.
Thornton.
=11.=--Wounds: Lieutenant-Colonel C. E. E. Umphelby.
=12.=--Fever at Wynberg: Dr. W. C. Grigg. Wounds received at
Driefontein: Lieutenant C. F. L. Wimberley. Fever on transport
_Sumatra_: Lieutenant T. D. Whittington.
=13.=--Drowned at Norvals Pont: Second Lieutenant F. N. Dent.
=16.=--Fever at Pietermaritzburg: Major H. E. Buchanan-Riddell.
Fever at Naauwpoort: Captain R. W. Salmon. Fever at Ladysmith:
Lieutenant R. H. Kinnear.
=17.=--Fever at Ladysmith: Major J. Minniece.
=19.=--Dysentery at Ladysmith: Captain W. L. P. Gibton.
=20.=--Fever at Mooi River: Lieutenant A. W. Hall.
=22.=--Fever at Kimberley: Major H. J. Massy.
=23.=--Wounds received at Spion Kop: Major-General Sir E. R. P.
Woodgate. In action near Bloemfontein: Lieutenant Hon. E. H.
Lygon.
=26.=--Fever on her Majesty's ship _Powerful_: Fleet-Paymaster
W. H. F. Kay.
=27.=--Fever at Naauwpoort: Captain F. W. Hopkins.
=28.=--In action at Norvals Pont: Colonel the Hon. G. Gough.
=29.=--Fever at Bloemfontein: Captain C. M. Kemble. Wounds
received at Karee Siding: Lieutenant E. M. Young.
=30.=--In action at Brandfort: Captain A. C. Going. Fever at
Ladysmith: Lieutenant B. T. Rose. In action at Lobatsi: Captain
A. J. Tyler.
=31.=--In action near Bloemfontein: Major A. W. C. Booth and
Lieutenant P. H. S. Crowle. In action at Sanna's Post:
Lieutenant G. H. Irvine. Wounds: Lieutenant P. C. Grover.
Wounds received at Ramathlabama: Captain F. Crewe. In action at
Ramathlabama: Lieutenant F. Milligan. Meningitis: Lieutenant
Whittington.
APRIL 1900
=2.=--Wounds at Pietermaritzburg: Lieutenant C. B. du Buisson.
=3.=--In action at Reddersburg: Captain F. G. Casson and Second
Lieutenant C. R. Barclay. Wounds received at Karee: Captain W.
M. Marter. Fever at Ladysmith: Lieutenant G. E. S. Salt.
=4.=--Wounds received near Bloemfontein: Lieutenant F.
Russell-Brown. Wounds received at Reddersburg: Captain W. P.
Dimsdale.
=5.=--In action at Rietfontein: Captain C. Boyle and Lieutenant
A. C. Williams.
=9.=--In action at Wepener: Major C. F. Sprenger.
=10.=--Fever at Mooi River: Lieutenant G. H. Morley. In action
at Wepener: Lieutenant H. F. B. Taplin and Lieutenant A. H.
Thornton.
=15.=--Fever at sea on his way home: Lieutenant T. B. Ely.
Fever at Ladysmith: Second Lieutenant S. H. Hutton. Fever at
Pietermaritzburg: Second Lieutenant E. O. N. O. Leggett.
=16.=--Fever at Bloemfontein: Captain R. Peel, Captain B. C. C.
S. Meeking, and Lieutenant C. O. Bache.
=18.=--Dysentery at Ladysmith: Captain S. Laurence. Disease at
Kimberley: Captain E. M. Litkie.
=21.=--Dysentery at Pretoria: Assistant-Surgeon Jackson. Fever
at Gaberones: Lieutenant Wallis. Fever at Bloemfontein:
Lieutenant H. W. Prickard.
=23.=--Dysentery at Naauwpoort: Second Lieutenant R. J.
Gibson-Craig.
=24.=--Wounds at Karreefontein: Captain F. L. Prothero.
=25.=--In action at Dewetsdorp: Captain P. R. Denny. In action
at Israel's Poort: Captain H. Gethin. Wounds received at
Sanna's Post: Lieutenant J. D. Murch.
=26.=--Fever at Queenstown: Captain C. Biddulph. Wounds at
Eirstelaagte: Captain G. P. Brasier-Creagh.
=27.=--Fever at Bloemfontein: Major H. T. Hawley. In action at
Thabanchu: Lieutenant F. S. Geary. Peritonitis at Bloemfontein:
Captain A. B. Bennett.
=28.=--Wounds at Bloemfontein: Captain H. F. W. Stanley. Fever
at Kimberley: Midshipman L. G. E. Lloyd.
=30.=--In action at Thabanchu: Major E. C. Showers, Lieutenant
J. H. Parker, and Lieutenant Munro.
MAY 1900
=1.=--Pneumonia on board the _Dilwara_: Lieutenant C. Martin.
=2.=--Fever at Aliwal North: Lieutenant J. T. Dennis.
Tuberculosis at Port Elizabeth: Lieutenant Holt.
=4.=--In action at Welkom: Captain C. E. Rose.
=5.=--Fever at Bloemfontein: Captain H. E. Dowse.
=6.=--Wounds at Callerberg: Captain Lovett. Wounds at
Thabanchu: Captain E. G. Verschoyle. Wounds at Winburg:
Lieutenant P. Cameron.
=7.=--Fever at Bloemfontein: Captain R. Fawssett and Lieutenant
E. H. St. L. Chamier.
=8.=--Dysentery at Estcourt: Lieutenant S. Oglesby. Dysentery
at Modder Spruit: Captain Warren.
=9.=--Wounds received at Warrenton: Major H. S. le M. Guille.
Fever at Deelfontein: Lieutenant B. Cumming.
=10.=--Dysentery at Bloemfontein: Chaplain the Rev. C. F.
O'Reilly. Pneumonia in Bloemfontein: Captain T. W. Milward.
Wounds received at Zand River: Captain L. Head and Captain C.
K. Elworthy.
=11.=--Fever at Naauwpoort: Second Lieutenant A. C. FitzG.
Homan.
=12.=--Fever at Bloemfontein: Captain H. S. Prickard.
=13.=--Fever at Bloemfontein: Lieutenant H. P. Rogers.
=14.=--Disease at Capetown: Captain D. G. Seagrim.
=16.=--Fever at Naauwpoort: Lieutenant G. B. Guthrie. Disease
at Naauwpoort: Lieutenant A. Lascelles. In action near
Mafeking: Lieutenant Wilfred. In action at Mafeking: Lieutenant
E. Harland.
=18.=--Fever at Bloemfontein: Lieutenant G. G. Moir and
Midshipman J. Menzies.
=20.=--In action near Vryheid: Captain W. E. D. Goff,
Lieutenant H. W. Lanham, and Lieutenant W. M'Lachlan. Fever at
Bloemfontein: Lieutenant E. W. M. Noel.
=21.=--Died at Gaberones: Lieutenant H. Wallis. Fever at
Bloemfontein: Captain G. C. Fordyce-Buchan.
=22.=--Fever at Deelfontein: Major P. Marsh. Fever at
Kroonstad: Lieutenant the Hon. J. D. Hamilton. Fever at
Springfontein: Lieutenant F. G. Peel.
=23.=--Fever at Bloemfontein: Major H. M. Browne. Fever at
Boshof: Lieutenant E. L. Munn.
=24.=--Fever at Bloemfontein: Second Lieutenant Fletcher.
=25.=--In action at Senekal: Major H. S. Dalbiac. Fever at
Wynberg: Captain N. G. H. Turner. Fever at Bloemfontein:
Captain L. Livingstone-Learmonth. Fever at Mooi River: Major
Cooper. Fever at Boshof: Second Lieutenant W. H. Amedroz.
=26.=--Fever at Kroonstad: Major A. S. Ralli and Captain W. H.
Trow. Fever at Bloemfontein: Lieutenant R. S. Bree and
Lieutenant J. D. Dalrymple-Hay.
=27.=--Pneumonia at Wynberg: Captain R. N. Fane.
=28.=--Fever at Bloemfontein: Lieutenant P. C. Shaw. Fever at
Pietermaritzburg: Lieutenant A. Wylde-Brown. In action at
Kheis: Major J. A. Orr-Ewing. In action at Kwisa: Lieutenant C.
Slater.
=29.=--In action at Fabers Spruit: Colonel W. A. Spence. In
action near Kroonstad: Captain C. S. Keith. Wounds received at
Kheis: Lieutenant G. H. Matthews and Captain A. H. U. Tindall.
Wounds received at Senekal: Second Lieutenant A. H. Murray.
=30.=--In action near Johannesburg: Captain St. J. Meyrick and
Lieutenant H. W. Fife. Dysentery at Pinetown Bridge: Captain J.
W. J. Hardman.
=31.=--Wounds received at Elandslaagte: Lieutenant C. G. Danks.
JUNE 1900
=1.=--Fever at Kroonstad: Captain S. Robertson. Fever at
Florida: Lieutenant G. F. Nethercole. Wounds at Lindley:
Lieutenant Sir J. E. C. Power, Bart. Dysentery at Bloemfontein:
Second Lieutenant F. S. Firth.
=2.=--Fever at Bloemfontein: Lieutenant L. O. F. Mellish and
Lieutenant C. H. B. Adams-Wylie. Wounds at Bappisfontein:
Lieutenant J. F. Pollock. At sea on board the _Dilwara_:
Lieutenant R. J. Jelf.
=4.=--Fever at Kroonstad: Lieutenant C. E. Eaton.
=5.=--Fever at Kimberley: Captain E. G. Young. In action at
Schippens Farm: Lieutenant R. L. C. Hobson.
END OF VOLUME V.
Printed by BALLANTYNE, HANSON & CO. Edinburgh & London
TRANSCRIBERS' NOTES
Page v: Re-arrangement standardised to rearrangement
Pages vi, 8: Koornspruit all one word in original. Left as is, as the
title of a picture
Page vi: Blomfontein standardised to Bloemfontein
Page 2: Llanddrost corrected to Landdrost
Page 4: Variable hyphenation of sky(-)line as in the original
Pages 16, 128: Variable hyphenation of dare(-)devilry as in the
original
Page 19: Variable spelling of Hock (in Mosterts Hock) as in original
Page 31: musquitoes as in the original
Pages 36, 176: Variable spelling of Van Reenan's Pass/Van Reenen's
Pass as in the original
Page 44: Variable hyphenation of out-spanned as in the original
Page 45: Fusileers standardised to Fusiliers
Page 46: beleagured as in the original text
Page 54: strategetical as in the original
Page 55: skurry as in the original
Page 59: caldron as in the original
Page 70: Sqadrons corrected to Squadrons
Page 74: Variable presence of acute accent on échelon as in the
original
Page 75: screeened corrected to screened
Page 99: ariving corrected to arriving
Page 100: franctically corrected to frantically
Page 102: 7 P.M. as in the original. Should perhaps be A.M.
Page 108: strategetic as in the original
Page 109: Buluwayo corrected to Bulawayo
Page 119: Barkly as in the original
Pages 121, 148, 158: Variable spelling of Roodepoort/Roodepoorte/
Roodeport as in the original
Page 133: "and did about other six" as in the original
Page 149: Johannesberg corrected to Johannesburg
Page 155: Landrost standardised to Landdrost
Page 157: Variable spelling of horse(-)shoe as in the original
Page 164: fusilade corrected to fusillade
Page 169: Variable circumflex accent on depôt as in the original
Page 172: Nordenfelts corrected to Nordenfeldts
Page 176: Variable hyphenation of battle(-)field as in the original
Page 180: duplicate "had" removed from "If this step had had not been
taken"
Page 191: Zambesi as in the original
Page 192: ascendency as in the original text
General: Variable spelling of khaki/kharki as in the original text
General: Variable spelling of Valshe/Valsch/Valsche as in the original
text
General: Variable hyphenation of head(-)quarters as in the original
text
General: Variable hyphenation of mid(-)day as in the original text
General: Variable hyphenation of rear(-)guard as in the original text
General: Variable circumflex accent on viâ as in the original text