Produced by Brownfox and the Online Distributed Proofreading
Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from
images generously made available by The Internet Archive)
[Illustration: Photo by Russell and Sons, London.]
SOUTH AFRICA
AND THE
TRANSVAAL WAR
BY
LOUIS CRESWICKE
AUTHOR OF "ROXANE," ETC.
WITH NUMEROUS ILLUSTRATIONS AND MAPS
IN SIX VOLUMES
VOL. III.--FROM THE BATTLE OF COLENSO,
15TH DEC. 1899, TO LORD ROBERTS'S ADVANCE INTO
THE FREE STATE, 12TH FEB. 1900
EDINBURGH: T. C. & E. C. JACK
MANCHESTER: KENNETH MACLENNAN, 75 PICCADILLY
1900
CONTENTS--VOL. III.
PAGE
CHRONOLOGICAL TABLE vii
CHAPTER I
PAGE
THE SITUATION 1
DOINGS AT CHIEVELEY 8
CHRISTMAS AT THE CAPE AND NATAL 14
CHAPTER II
PAGE
MAFEKING 19
KURUMAN AND ELSEWHERE 25
MAFEKING, NOVEMBER 31
KIMBERLEY 39
CHAPTER III
PAGE
LIFE WITH GENERAL GATACRE 47
WITH GENERAL FRENCH 52
CHAPTER IV
PAGE
THE COLONIALS AT BELMONT 60
COLONEL PILCHER'S RAID 61
ACTIVITIES AND SURPRISES 68
AT MODDER RIVER 72
CHAPTER V
PAGE
CHRISTMAS AT LADYSMITH 79
THE ATTACK ON WAGON HILL 81
CHAPTER VI
PAGE
BULLER'S SECOND ADVANCE 92
THE FLANK MOVEMENT 97
THE BATTLE OF SPION KOP 104
THE THIRD GREAT EFFORT--VAAL KRANTZ 117
DISAPPOINTMENT AT LADYSMITH 125
LORD ROBERTS AT THE CAPE 131
CHAPTER VII
PAGE
THE WONDER OF THE WORLD 136
FIRST CANADIAN CONTINGENT 138
THE SECOND CANADIAN CONTINGENT 144
STRATHCONA'S HORSE 146
NEW SOUTH WALES 148
VICTORIA 150
NEW ZEALAND 151
QUEENSLAND 153
SOUTH AUSTRALIA 154
WEST AUSTRALIA 157
TASMANIA 157
THE BUSHMEN'S CORPS 158
INDIA'S CONTINGENTS 159
THE SOUTH AFRICAN VOLUNTEERS--
CAPE COLONY 161
NATAL 166
THE IMPERIAL YEOMANRY 167
THE CITY IMPERIAL VOLUNTEERS 171
CHAPTER VIII
PAGE
AT COLESBERG 174
LORD ROBERTS'S ADVANCE 183
"FIGHTING MAC" AT KOODOESBERG 186
PAGE
APPENDIX 190
THE STORY OF SPION KOP 190
LIST OF STAFF 199
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS--VOL. III.
BIRD'S-EYE VIEW OF THE GROUND COVERED BY GENERAL
BULLER'S OPERATIONS _At Front_
1. _COLOURED PLATES_
PAGE
FIELD-MARSHAL LORD ROBERTS OF KANDAHAR,
V.C. &c. _Frontispiece_
SERGEANT-MAJOR--IMPERIAL LIGHT HORSE 24
ARMY SERVICE CORPS 40
HOUSEHOLD CAVALRY--CAPTAIN, 2ND LIFE GUARDS 80
ROYAL FIELD ARTILLERY (ACTION FRONT) 100
CYCLISTS--LANCASHIRE FUSILIERS 120
PRIVATE, DRUMMERS, PIPER, AND BUGLER--THE BLACK WATCH 134
OFFICERS--CITY OF LONDON IMPERIAL VOLUNTEERS 176
2. _FULL-PAGE PLATES_
PAGE
A PICKET OF 13TH HUSSARS SURPRISED NEAR THE TUGELA RIVER 8
A RECONNAISSANCE IN FORCE WITH GENERAL FRENCH'S
CAVALRY NEAR COLESBERG 56
COLONEL PILCHER'S ATTACK ON SUNNYSIDE KOPJE 64
H.M.S. "POWERFUL" 84
THE GREAT ASSAULT ON LADYSMITH 88
PIETERMARITZBURG FROM THE EAST 92
THE CROSSING OF POTGIETER'S DRIFT, JANUARY 16 96
TAKING THE 4.7 NAVAL GUN ACROSS THE TUGELA 104
GOING OUT TO THE ATTACK ON SPION KOP 112
THE SCENE ON SPION KOP 116
FALLS ON THE TUGELA RIVER 124
ARRIVAL AT CAPE TOWN OF WOUNDED FROM NATAL 132
LADY MINTO PRESENTING COLOURS TO HERCHMER'S HORSE 144
THE CITY IMPERIAL VOLUNTEERS CROSSING WESTMINSTER BRIDGE 168
NEW ZEALANDERS SAVING A PICKET OF THE YORKSHIRE
REGIMENT NEAR SLINGERSFONTEIN 184
"FIGHTING MAC" AND THE HIGHLAND BRIGADE IN ACTION
AT KOODOESBERG 188
3. _FULL-PAGE PORTRAITS_
PAGE
LIEUT.-GENERAL FORESTIER WALKER, K.C.B. 16
MAJOR-GENERAL LORD KITCHENER OF KHARTOUM 32
MAJOR-GENERAL SIR W. F. GATACRE, K.C.B. 48
MAJOR-GENERAL HECTOR A. MACDONALD, C.B. 72
LIEUT.-GENERAL SIR CHARLES WARREN, G.C.M.G. 128
COLONEL W. D. OTTER 136
HON. W. P. SCHREINER, C.M.G. 152
GENERAL BRABANT, C.M.G. 160
4. _MAPS AND ENGRAVINGS IN THE TEXT_
PAGE
MAP--THE SEAT OF WAR 9
SKETCH OF POSITIONS AT MAFEKING 20
OUTPOST AND INTRENCHMENT AT MAFEKING 24
FACSIMILE OF HANDWRITING OF COL. BADEN POWELL 32
PLAN OF KIMBERLEY 40
SPLINTER PROOF SHELTER AT KIMBERLEY 43
MAP OF MOVEMENTS OF GATACRE AND FRENCH 51
MAP OF COLONEL PILCHER'S RAID 62
LORD DUNDONALD'S GALLOPING GUN CARRIAGE 70
MAXIM AUTOMATIC GUN OR POM-POM 75
MAP OF LADYSMITH 87
MOUNTAIN BATTERY 97
SKETCH, &C., OF SPION KOP 107
PLAN OF ENGAGEMENT OF SPION KOP 111
PLAN OF ENGAGEMENT OF VAAL KRANTZ 120
BRITISH 7-POUNDER FIELD GUN 126
SIEGE OF LADYSMITH 128
NAVAL 12-POUNDER FIELD GUN 132
MR. KRUGER'S AUTOGRAPH 134
SOUTH AFRICAN SCOUT 163
12-1/2-POUNDER FIELD GUN (C.I.V.) 172
MAP OF POSITION AT COLESBERG 179
SKETCH OF POSITION AT COLESBERG 181
MAP ILLUSTRATING MOVEMENT TO KOODOESBERG 187
CHRONOLOGICAL TABLE--VOL. III.
DECEMBER 1899.
17.--Field-Marshal Lord Roberts, K.P., G.C.B., V.C., &c., appointed
Commander-in-Chief in South Africa, with Lord Kitchener of
Khartoum as his Chief of the Staff.
War Office issued orders under which the remaining portion of
the Army A Reserve were called up; and large reinforcements
were to proceed to South Africa without delay.
General Gatacre advanced from Sterkstroom to Putters Kraal.
General French established his headquarters at Arundel.
Offers of Second Contingents by the Colonies accepted.
18.--Additional Battalions of Militia embodied. There were now
fifty-four Battalions of Militia embodied.
Sir Charles Warren and the Staff of the Fifth Division left
Cape Town.
Reconnaissance by General French. Sortie from Ladysmith.
19.--Important order issued from the War Office, announcing that
the Government had decided to raise for service in South
Africa a Mounted Infantry force, to be called "The Imperial
Yeomanry." The force to be recruited from the Yeomanry.
21.--Mr. Winston Churchill arrived at Lourenco Marques after an
adventurous journey.
23.--Departure of Lord Roberts from London and Southampton for the
Cape.
24.--Dordrecht occupied by General Gatacre.
Sortie from Mafeking.
Two British officers captured by Boers near Chieveley.
25.--Bluejackets blew up Tugela Road bridge, and cut off Boers with
their guns.
Colonel Dalgety with Mounted Police and Colonial troops held
Dordrecht. (Gatacre's Division.)
26.--Sir Charles Warren arrived at the Natal front.
Boers appeared at Victoria West.
Mafeking force attacked a Boer fort.
27.--Boers unsuccessfully bombarded Ladysmith.
28.--H.M.S. _Magicienne_ captured German liner _Bundesrath_, near
Delagoa Bay, with contraband of war on board.
30.--Skirmish near Dordrecht. Boers defeated with loss. Two British
officers captured through mistaking Boers for New Zealanders.
JANUARY 1900.
1.--Enrolment of the first draft of the City Imperial Volunteers.
Surrender of Kuruman, after a stout resistance, to the Boers.
Twelve officers and 120 police captured.
General French occupied a kopje overlooking Colesberg. Flight
of Boers, leaving their wrecked guns and quantities of stores.
Brilliant manoeuvre by Lieutenant-Colonel Pilcher at
Sunnyside. Captured the entire Boer camp, made forty prisoners,
advanced and occupied Douglas on Vaal River.
Colonel Plumer and Colonel Holdsworth from Rhodesia continued
their march to the relief of Mafeking.
2.--Loyal inhabitants of Douglas escorted to Belmont.
General French still engaged with enemy at Colesberg.
3.--General French reinforced from De Aar. Boers being surrounded;
fighting in the hills.
General Gatacre repulsed Boer attack on position commanding
Molteno.
Colonel Pilcher, for "military reasons," evacuated Douglas.
4.--General Gatacre occupied Molteno; Boers retreated to Stormberg
with loss.
General French manoeuvring to enclose Colesberg; further
fighting.
5.--General Gatacre hotly engaged at Molteno by Boers from
Stormberg; drove them off, inflicting heavy losses.
6.--Great battle at Ladysmith. Boers repulsed on every side with
heavy loss.
General Buller made a demonstration in force to aid General
White.
General French inflicted severe defeat on Boers at Colesberg. A
Company of the 1st Suffolk Regiment captured.
9.--British troops invaded Free State territory near Jacobsdal. The
Queensland and Canadian Volunteers cleared a large belt across
the Free State border.
10.--Lord Roberts and Lord Kitchener arrived at Cape Town.
Forward movement for the relief of Ladysmith from Chieveley
and Frere.
11.--Sir Redvers Buller crossed the Little Tugela, and occupied the
south bank of the Tugela at Potgieter's Drift.
Lord Dundonald and Mounted Brigade crossed the Tugela at
Potgieter's Drift.
General Gatacre made a reconnaissance in force towards
Stormberg.
13.--The City Imperial Volunteers left London for South Africa.
15.--Boers attacked General French and were repulsed at Colesberg.
16.--General Lyttleton and Mounted Brigade crossed the Tugela at
Potgieter's Drift.
17.--Sir Charles Warren crossed, with his Division, at Trichardt's
Drift.
Lord Dundonald had an action with the Boers near Acton Homes.
18.--Tugela bridged and crossed by a Brigade and battery.
20.--Sir Charles Warren moved towards Spion Kop.
Reconnaissance by Lord Dundonald.
21.--Heavy fighting by Clery's force; they attacked the Boers and
captured ridge after ridge for three miles.
22--Sir Charles Warren's entire army engaged.
23.--Spion Kop captured by Sir Charles Warren; General Woodgate
wounded.
25-27.--Abandonment of Spion Kop. Sir Charles Warren's force
withdrew to south of Tugela.
27.--Brigadier-General Brabant, commanding a Brigade of Colonial
forces, joined General Gatacre.
28.--General Kelly-Kenny occupied Thebus.
30.--British force reoccupied Prieska.
FEBRUARY 1900.
3.--Telegraphic communication restored between Mafeking and
Gaberones.
4.--General Macdonald occupied Koodoe's Drift.
5.--General Buller crossed the Tugela at Manger's Drift.
6.--General Buller captured Vaal Krantz Hill.
7.--Vaal Krantz Hill abandoned, and British force withdrew south of
the Tugela.
9.--General Macdonald retired to Modder River.
Lord Roberts arrived at Modder River.
10.--Colonel Hannay's force moved to Ramdam.
12.--General French with Cavalry Division, proceeding to the Relief
of Kimberley, seized Dekiel's Drift.
[Illustration: BIRD'S-EYE VIEW OF THE COUNTRY COVERED BY GENERAL
BULLER'S OPERATIONS FOR THE RELIEF OF LADYSMITH.
EDINBURGH AND LONDON: T. C. & E. C. JACK]
SOUTH AFRICA AND THE
TRANSVAAL WAR
CHAPTER I
THE SITUATION
"The wave that breaks against a forward stroke
Beats not the swimmer back, but thrills him through
With joyous trust to win his way anew
Through stronger seas than first upon him broke
And triumphed. England's iron-tempered oak
Shrank not when Europe's might against her grew
Full, and her sun drunk up her foes like dew,
And lion-like from sleep her strength awoke.
As bold in fight as bold in breach of trust
We find our foes and wonder not to find,
Nor grudge them praise whom honour may not bind:
But loathing more intense than speaks disgust
Heaves England's heart, when scorn is bound to greet
Hunters and hounds whose tongues would lick their feet."
--ALGERNON CHARLES SWINBURNE.
A week of disaster had terminated woefully. Three British Generals in
succession--Sir William Gatacre, Lord Methuen, and Sir Redvers
Buller--had advanced against strongly fortified Boer positions and
suffered repulse. The hearts of the miserable loyalists, who hung in
dire suspense on the result of British action, sank in despair--their
dismay and their grief were pitiful. Great Britain echoed their
sentiment. Disappointment was universal. General Gatacre had failed
through lack of caution and mischance; the other Generals had come to
grief owing to the circumstances which forced them willy nilly to hurry
to the assistance of beleaguered towns in the face of overwhelming
disadvantages, notably the lack of cavalry and the inefficiency of the
guns. Lord Methuen had been unable to bring home his early victories
owing to the absence of mounted men. Sir Redvers Buller had failed to
dislodge the enemy from his strong, naturally fortified positions owing
to the weakness of his artillery in comparison to that of the enemy, who
had Nordenfeldt and Hotchkiss quick-firing guns in every available
position. He had made a glorious attempt--owned to be magnificent; but
it was not war, and in his failure he recognised that it was not the
game of derring-do, but the game of "slim" warfare as played by his
brother Boer which must claim his attention. Now was verified the
prophecy of the Polish apocalypse: "The war of the future will be a war
of sieges and entrenched positions. In the war of the future the
advantage will always rest with the defensive. In the war of the future,
frontal attacks, without immense superiority in numbers, will be
impossible."
Every campaign, they say, has its lessons. This one we now find to be
full of them, so full indeed that it has necessarily taken our Generals
some time to become acquainted even with their grammar. When the war was
forced upon us by the Pretoria oligarchy for the long-cherished purpose
of ousting Great Britain from South Africa, many of the authorities were
of opinion that a rabble of undisciplined farmers would be incapable of
offering any formidable resistance to the superior military system of
Great Britain. Not a hint of doubt as to the success of our arms and the
effectiveness of our war apparatus was entertained. When Colonials in
the summer of '99 volunteered their services, the Government received
the offers with a sniff. Later they accepted them with grateful thanks.
It was never imagined that colonists could know anything of the art of
war, or that they might teach a lesson or two even to that august
institution the Staff College. Those who knew ventured to suggest that
in South Africa the same cast-iron principles that existed in European
warfare would be valueless, and that the lessons of Ingogo and Majuba in
'81 might be repeated in '99 in all their dire and dismal reality. But
these pessimists were scoffed at. They therefore waited, and hoped
against hope. Now and then they feebly wondered by what process
infantry, arriving two months late, when the enemy had had time to
entrench the whole country at various naturally strong strategic points,
would be able to overcome the disadvantages attendant on immobility. But
they were silenced by a look. British pluck and endurance might be
calculated upon to surmount everything and anything--some said! No one
seemed to care to tackle the problem of how men on foot would be enabled
to compete creditably, in anything like equal numbers, with a mounted
enemy possessing more than ordinary mobility.
A mounted enemy has many advantages in his favour. He can select his own
position, he can place all his force _en masse_ into the fighting line,
he can so pick his positions that one man on the defensive can make
himself the equal of three men of the attacking force; and, besides, he
can occupy a length of position which must extend his flanks far beyond
those of the attackers on foot. These in consequence are either forced
to extend to equal length, at almost certain risk of being unable to
reinforce any weak point developed during the attack, and thereby cause
the attack to be broken at points; or they have to "contain" only a
portion of the enemy in position, and perhaps leave his wings--or one
wing--free to execute an outflanking movement. It is impossible when a
line extends for miles, and the enemy's strength is not discoverable
before the heat of the engagement, for infantry to come from a great
distance to the assistance of weak points; and by reason of this
immobility it is equally impossible for infantry in the heat of action,
and when the front is extended for miles, to suddenly change a plan of
attack in time to save a situation.
The task set before our Generals was, therefore, almost superhuman: they
were expected to make up for want of mobility with superior strategical
qualifications; but, as has been said, no committee of Generals could at
this juncture have decided on a strategy applicable to the complicated
situation. That the Boer was a born strategist, and had able advisers,
was amply proved. The amalgam of Boer methods, with Zulu theories and
modern German tactics, was sufficient to try the most ingenious
intelligence. For instance, the Boers in early days selected positions
on the sides and tops of kopjes, and at the commencement of the
campaign, at Talana Hill and at Elandslaagte, they were so perched, in
accordance with the primitive principles of their race. They ignored the
fact that such positions were the worst they could select against
artillery fire with percussion fuses. Even for their own rifle practice
such positions were also the worst, as, firing down at an angle, their
bullets as a rule ran the chance of ploughing the earth without
ricocheting, and served only to hit the one man aimed at. They worked,
and still work, on the old Zulu principle of putting their whole
strength into the fighting line, acting on the Zulu axiom, "Let it
thunder--and pass." A sound principle this, no doubt, but one which our
ponderous military machinery would not allow us to adopt. To these early
methods, and to his native "slimness" and cunning, the Boer now added
some German erudition. The influence of German officers and German
tactics began to work changes curious and inexplicable. The Boers built
scientific entrenchments, no longer on the kopjes alone but also below
them, thus reducing the effect of hostile artillery, save that of
howitzers, and permitting their sharpshooters to sweep the plain with a
hurricane from their Mausers. In addition to this they built long
castellated trenches, perfect underground avenues, to allow of the
invisible massing of troops at any given point. They were also provided
with ingenious gun-trenches, quite hidden, along which their Nordenfeldt
gun, that pumped five shells in rapid succession, could be removed
swiftly from one spot to another, and thereby defeat the efforts of the
British gunners to locate it.
Thus it will be seen a new complexion was put upon Boer affairs. Novel
and trying conditions were imposed on those who already had to cope
with the problem of how to match in mobility a rival who brought to his
support six legs, while the British only brought two. Whole armies
consisting merely of mounted infantry and artillery had never before
come into action, and it began to be understood that a war against
bushwhackers, guerillas, and sharpshooters, plus the most expensive guns
modernity could provide, was a matter more serious than any with which
the nineteenth century had hitherto had to deal. We had to learn that
sheer pluck, endurance, and brute force were unavailing, and that
strategy of the hard and fast kind--the red-tape strategy of the Staff
College--was about as unpractical as a knowledge of the classics to one
who goes a-marketing. There is no finality in the art of war, and
nations, be they ever so old and wise and important, must go on
learning.
One of the newer questions was, how far personal intelligence might be
distributed among a body of men? The General as a head, the Staff
Officers as nerves that convey volition to the different members, we had
accepted, but how far individual acumen was needed to insure success now
began to be argued. Certain it was that in this campaign we had
opportunities for studying the comparative value of individual
discretion _versus_ "fighting to order." The Boers, every one of them,
were working for themselves, absolutely for hearth and home, though
perhaps under a general plan which certainly served to harass and annoy
and keep the British army in a dilemma; while we laboured on a
consolidated system which, if not obsolete, was certainly inappropriate.
However, as there was no use in bemoaning our reverses, we began to
congratulate ourselves on having discovered the cause of them. It was
decided that first there must be more troops sent out to meet the
extended nature of our operations, and that these troops must be
accompanied by a sufficient number of horses to insure the necessary
mobility, without which even the brute force of our numbers would be
useless.
Of the successful issue of future proceedings none had a doubt. All knew
that the finest strategy in the world must be useless when tools were
wanting, and all felt certain that the admirable abilities of our
Generals, when once the means of playing their war game came to hand,
were bound to rise to the prodigious task still in store.
But for the dire necessity of the three gallant towns--Mafeking,
Kimberley, and Ladysmith--a waiting game would have been possible and
wise. The Boer stores of food and ammunition would eventually have run
out, and the guns gone the way of much-used guns. Trek-oxen, instead of
dragging the waggons of their masters, would have had to go to feed the
hungry commandoes, and the history of slow exhaustion would have had to
be told. But--again there was the great But!--those three valiant towns
were holding out their hands, they were crying for help, they were
standing in their hourly peril hopeful and brave because they
believed--they were certain--that we should never desert them!
At home the grievous news of the reverse was digested by the public with
dumb, almost paralysed resignation. At first it was scarcely possible to
believe that the great, the long-anticipated move for the relief of
Ladysmith had proved a failure, and that the Boers were still masters of
the situation, and moreover the richer by eleven of our much-needed
guns. By degrees the terrible truth began to be accepted by us. By
degrees the Government awakened to the fact that the fighting of the
Dutchmen within the region of Natal meant more than the pitting of one
Briton against two Boers, that it meant the dashing of a whole Army
Corps against Nature's strongholds, our own by right of purchase and
blood, and captured from us merely by reason of neglect and delay!
To awake, however, was to act. In our misfortune it was pleasant to
recall the words of Jomini, when speaking of Frederick the Great and his
defeats in Silesia. "A series of fortunate events," he said, "may dull
the greatest minds, deprive them of their natural vigour, and level them
with common beings. But adversity is a tonic capable of bringing back
energy and elasticity to those who have lost it." The tonic was sipped.
Jomini's theories were proved! Though Great Britain through a series of
fortunate events--a long reign of comparative peace--had become
lethargic and money-grubbing, she, at the first shock of adversity,
regained all her elasticity, vigour, and natural spirit of chivalry.
Promptly the entire nation nerved itself to prove that, as of old, it
was equal to any struggle, any sacrifice. The whole country seemed with
one consent to leap to arms.
The Militia, nine battalions of Infantry, was now permitted to volunteer
for service in any part of the Queen's dominions where such services
might be wanted, while it was arranged that specially selected
contingents of Yeomanry and Volunteers would start for the Front as soon
as there were found ships sufficient to carry them.
Noble as amazing was the hurried response of the Volunteers to the
intimation that their services would be accepted for the war. Hastily
they pressed forward in crowds to enrol themselves. Their promptitude
was goodly to look upon and to read of, for it showed that, in spite of
the theories of Tolstoi and the influence of the spirit of modernity,
patriotism is inherent and not a mere exotic or cultivated sentiment in
the British race. We now found that though many traditions may be worn
to rags, those of the British army had grown, like old tapestry, the
more precious for the passage of time.
Still the military position was pregnant with anxieties. A horse that is
left at the post may perhaps win in the end, but his chances of success
are remote. An army that lands in driblets three months after time is
scarcely calculated to succeed against a rival army which has spent that
interval in equipping itself for the fray. We were forced to remember
that at the onset our officers were placed in the most dangerous
positions, with inadequate support and no prospect of reinforcement,
until their energies, mental and physical, had been sapped by undue and
prolonged strain. On the north Tuli had but a handful of troops to
resist an enormous and powerful enemy; Mafeking was surrounded,
isolated, and able only to resist to the death the persistent attacks of
shot and shell; Vryburg was allowed to be treacherously given away to
the enemy; and Kimberley was left in the lurch as it were, to fight or
fall according to the pluck of those who were ready to exhaust their
vitality in loyalty to the Queen. On the Natal side things were still
worse. The country, every inch of which is familiar to the Boer, had
almost invited invasion. The whole strength of Boers and Free Staters
was permitted to launch itself against an army which was entirely
without reserves, and which could not be reinforced under a month. That
brave and unfortunate soldier, Sir George Colley, had a theory that
small, well-organised troops were worth as much again as large and
desultory ones; but he took no account of peculiar facilities which are
almost inherent to armies fighting on their own soil, as it were, and
habits of warfare which have, so to speak, become ancestral with the
Boer. From old time the Dutchman has employed his mountain fastnesses,
his boulders, and his tambookie grass as screens and shelters, till in
war the "tricks of the trade" have become a second nature to him, and
serve in place of more complicated European methods. The small Natal
army was, on Sir George Colley's principle, allowed to pit itself
against a fighting mass, dense and desultory it may be, but a fighting
mass of enormous dimensions, which, whatever their failings, had weight,
equipment, courage, obstinacy, and intimacy with their surroundings
entirely in their favour. That the enemy was first in the field they had
to thank the original promoters of war, the Peace party--the
humanitarian persons who so long hampered reason by loud outcries
against the shedding of blood that their own countrymen in the Transvaal
were condemned to all the tortures of suspense, to be aggravated later
by all the agonies of famine and disease. Their own countrywomen and
their babes were saved from shot and shell to be sent defenceless and
homeless to wander the world till the charity of strangers or the relief
of death should overtake them, while the loyal natives were left in a
state of trepidation and suspense, without protection, yet forbidden to
raise a hand in their own defence.
Reason now had its way. But remedies cannot be applied in a moment, and
the public, which is always wise after the event, vented its anguish and
its feelings of suspense by indulging in criticism, or in asking
questions which, of course, could not be answered till the principal
persons concerned were able to take part in the catechism. For instance,
some of the riddles buzzed about in club and railway carriage were: Why
did Sir Redvers Buller make a frontal attack across an open plain
against an enemy admirably entrenched, and posted in a position not only
made strong by art but by nature? Why was it that the Government, in
spite of the warnings given by Sir Alfred Milner while he was in England
in May '99, neglected to take such precautions as would have prevented
the enemy from being entirely in advance of us in the matter of time?
Why, also, were the Boers permitted to arm themselves with the most
expensive modern weapons, to be used against us, under the very eye of
our representative in Pretoria, without our being warned of the inferior
quality of our own guns, and of the impossibility of making ourselves a
match for the enemy so long as the cheese-paring policy of the
authorities at home was countenanced? Why, with an Intelligence
Department in working order, was it never discovered that united Free
State and Transvaal Dutchmen would vastly outnumber all the troops we
were prepared--or, rather, unprepared--to put in the field, the troops
we strove to make sufficient till the strain of reverse forced from us
the acceptance of help from the Colonies, the Militia, and the
Volunteers?
The great question of reinforcements filled all minds. Nothing indeed
could be looked for till they should reach the Cape. Fifteen huge
transports were due to arrive between the end of December and the
beginning of January, bringing on the scene some 15,000 troops of all
arms. The Fifth Division, under Sir Charles Warren, consisting of eight
battalions of Infantry and its complement of Artillery and Engineers was
expected, also the Household Cavalry Composite Regiment, the 14th
Hussars, a siege train, a draft of Marines, and various odd branches of
the service. Later on more troops would follow, but pending the arrival
of the warrior cargoes it was impossible for our Generals to do more
than act on the defensive, and consider themselves fortunate if they
could prevent the further advance of the enemy to the south.
But the most momentous move of the closing year was the departure of
Lord Roberts for the seat of war. Here was this gallant officer, whose
life had been devoted to the service of his country, and who was at an
age when many other men would have elected to stay by hearth and home,
suddenly called on to act in the most difficult and trying crisis. And,
in the very hour that he was asked to rouse himself to meet the call of
Queen and country, he was dealt a crushing blow. His gallant son, the
only one, and one well worthy to have worn the laurels of his noble
father, besides adding to them by his own splendid acts, was carried
off, a victim to the severe wound he received at Colenso. Here was a
supreme trial, so supreme indeed that none dared touch it. All, even
Lord Roberts's sincerest friends, shrunk from dwelling on the agony of
mind that must have been endured by this great hero when at the same
moment the voice of duty and the cry of domestic love jarred in
conflict. On the one side he was called upon to brace himself to meet a
political situation fraught with all manner of indescribable
complications, while on the other, human nature with a thousand clinging
tendrils drew him towards the numbness of mute woe or the consolation of
private tears. But, like the great warrior he is, he got into harness
and started off, leaving his misery in the hands of the great British
people, who held it as their own. The "send off" they gave him at
Waterloo Station was one of the most remarkable outbursts of public
feeling on record, and this was not only due to admiration for the
conqueror of Kandahar, but to profound sympathy for the man and the
father who was thus laying aside his private self and placing all his
magnificent ability at the service of the Empire.
DOINGS AT CHIEVELEY
It was now found desirable to remove part of the camp about ten and a
half miles to the south, to get out of range of the Boer big guns which
commanded the position. The wounded were daily being sent off in
train-loads to Maritzburg, many of them, in spite of being shot in two
or three places, cheerful and anxious to return quickly "to be in at the
death," as they sportingly described it. The funeral of Lord Roberts's
gallant son caused a sense of deep depression to prevail in all ranks,
for he was not only regretted by those who held his brilliant qualities
in esteem, but in sympathy with the sore affliction which had befallen
the veteran "Bobs," whose name, wherever Tommy goes, is one to conjure
with. The ceremony was a most impressive one, and the pall-bearers were
all men of young Roberts's corps. These were Major Prince Christian
Victor, Colonels Buchanan-Riddell and Bewicke-Copley, and Major
Stuart-Wortley.
The graves of all the unfortunate slain were marked round, covered with
flowers, and temporary tablets arranged till suitable memorials should
be prepared.
[Illustration: A PICKET OF 13th HUSSARS SURPRISED NEAR THE TUGELA RIVER
(HUSSAR HILL).
Drawing by John Charlton.]
Meanwhile the Naval guns were unceasing in their activity, and made an
appalling accompaniment to the afternoon siestas in which many,
owing to the excessive heat, were inclined to indulge. For strategical
reasons it was now found necessary to blow up the road-bridge over the
Tugela, and thus prevent the Boers from advancing further to the south
or spying upon our positions.
[Illustration: MAP OF THE SEAT OF WAR. Scale 1 inch=86 miles.]
Extra precautions were taken in regard to the white flag. It began to be
believed at last that the Boer would take an unfair advantage of the
Briton whenever he should get a chance. Strangely enough, our officers
seemed to have forgotten or disregarded the object-lesson of the tragic
affair of Bronker's Spruit. Yet Boer "slimness" was then well enough
established. The unfortunate Colonel Anstruther caused to be printed in
the Transvaal Government _Gazette_ a bi-lingual proclamation, informing
the Boers that, in consequence of the many treacherous uses to which the
white flag had been put, he would in future recognise the emblem only
under the following conditions: two Boers accompanied by an officer, and
all unarmed, must approach the lines bearing the white flag aloft. The
British soldiers were also advised to keep well under cover whenever the
flag was displayed. This showed that reliance on Boer honour would in no
case be attempted. At the present date Boer morality had not improved,
and it was even declared that the Free Staters had made their women boil
down their national flag, so that in its pallid state it might at a
little distance be mistaken for the white flag, and come in handy in
case of need.
On the 20th of December a picket, consisting of seven men belonging to
the 13th Hussars, was surprised some five miles from camp, in the
direction of Weenen, by a party of sixty Boers. These cautiously crept
round some kopjes to where the outpost was stationed. A smart tussle
ensued. Two men were killed and seven horses were lost. No sooner had
information of the fight reached camp than some of Bethune's and
Thorneycroft's Mounted Infantry were despatched to the rescue, but the
Boers, on perceiving these reinforcements, quickly fled and thus escaped
punishment.
At this time the second advance for the relief of Ladysmith was very
secretly being organised, but no one knew exactly when Sir Redvers
Buller meant to move, or whether he intended to give up the idea of a
frontal attack altogether. Our Generals were criticised for making
frontal attacks, but Clausewitz declares that the attempt to turn the
flank of the enemy can only be justified by a great superiority; this
superiority may be either actual superiority of numbers, or it may
follow from the way in which the lines of communication are placed.
Unfortunately we had no favouring strength; the Boers outnumbered us
everywhere, and not only did they exceed us numerically, but their
mobility enabled them so quickly to move from front to flank positions
that they were, on desire, facing us at any moment. In fact the Boer
army had no flank, and therefore the vast amount of after-the-event
wisdom which was gratuitously handed about by "the man in the street"
was absolutely wasted.
An unfortunate incident now occurred. Capt. James Rutherford and Mr.
Grenfell, S.A.L.H., while visiting the pickets, disappeared. They
apparently rode into the midst of the enemy's scouts, who were
everywhere prowling about, and were forced to surrender. The report of
the capture was brought to the camp by native runners, who stated that
the officers had been removed to Pretoria. However, for two gallant
Britons lost there was one gained, for at the very time Mr. Winston
Churchill had almost miraculously made himself free of his captors.
The story of his escape reads like a novel; but truth is stranger than
fiction. When removed to Pretoria after the disaster to the armoured
train at Chieveley, he almost gave up hope of escape; indeed he had every
reason so to do, for on the 12th of December he was informed by the
Transvaal Government's Secretary for War that there was little chance of
his release. Whereupon, with many doubts and misgivings, he discussed
with himself the best means of struggling for freedom. The State Schools
Prison was well guarded; it was surrounded by a high wall, and the
sentries were vigilant in the extreme. He formed for himself a plan,
however, and once when the back of the sentry was momentarily turned he
took his courage in both hands as the French say, rushed at the six-foot
wall, scaled it, and let himself down into a neighbouring garden before
his movement could be detected. The garden was the garden of an inhabited
house. There were lights in the windows; more, there were visitors on the
verandah, and presently, ramblers among the paths! Moments of horror as
the escaped hid in the trees seemed to become years, discovery appeared
to be merely a matter of moments. But evidently the Fates decided that so
useful a member of creation--warrior, writer, and politician--could not
be spared by society or his country, and in a little while Mr. Churchill
found himself wandering, undisguised and unrecognised, through the
streets of the town. Burghers passed him, passengers brushed his
shoulders. Nobody asked his business. It was evident that Fate wanted
him. The stars said so, and following their direction he struck out
towards the Delagoa Railroad. He knew that he dared ask his way of none;
he was aware that he must make the most of the cloak of night; he was
intimate enough with Boer customs to be certain that in a few hours his
description would be posted throughout the two Republics. The present,
and only the present, was his. He walked along the line, evading the
watchers on bridges and culverts, and determining to stick to the rails,
without which he might find himself lost or wandering back in the teeth
of the enemy. Once free of the town, he bided his time cautiously in the
neighbourhood of an adjacent station. There he watched the coming of a
train, and just as it steamed past him, with an alacrity and agility born
of sheer despair, he made a leap towards a truck, grabbed at a hook on
the edge, boarded it, and was soon burrowing deep in a cargo of
coal-sacks. There he lay, grimy, exhausted, and almost distraught, but
happy. He was free. Every minute the anxiety for freedom had grown within
him, till now, fighting his way towards it, it had become an almost
savage passion. He had decided he would never go back. No one should
capture him. But this was easier to swear than to accomplish. To escape
detection it was necessary again to risk his life--to leap off the train
as he had leapt on it, while the machinery was in full swing and the
driver ignorant of the existence of his distinguished passenger. Before
dawn, therefore, he emerged from the coal-heap, and with a flying leap
landed flat on the railroad. He gathered himself together, and by sunrise
was concealed in a wood, his only companion for some time being a
vulture. The sojourn in the cool boskage of the Transvaal was fraught
with good luck, and at dusk when the fugitive emerged he was another man.
At last he was able to gather his forces together for another trip on a
passing train. There was always danger though--danger because it was
necessary to hug the line, and where the line was, there also were
railway guards, or at least humanity--inimical humanity, who most
probably were plotting his ruin. Plod, plod, plod; so passed the hours,
scrambling along in the dead of night through sluits and dongas in the
effort to avoid the direct neighbourhood of huts, bridges, stations, and
yet keep in touch with the winding iron track that led to the longed-for
sea. For five days and nights he persevered, tramping after dark and
sneaking under cover all day, and dimly conscious that the hue and cry
had gone forth, and that every man's hand in the enemy's country was now
turned against him. On the sixth day he managed again with amazing good
fortune to safely board a train, and this time it was one going from
Middleburg to Delagoa Bay. Again he burrowed among sacks and carefully
hid himself, so carefully, indeed, that owing to his extreme precaution
discovery was evaded. The train was searched, the sacks were prodded.
Deep down, scarcely daring to breathe, lay the man they were seeking--an
inch or two off--just an inch or two off. He drew a long breath and
praised God for his escape. After that he passed some sixty hours in all
the agonies of suspense. Famine and thirst preyed on him, and active
horror lest all his exertions should be in vain, lest, at the very last
moment, the whole struggle of hope and wretchedness would end in dire and
fatal disaster. But he was preserved. He arrived at Lourenco Marques on
the 21st of December, and from there proceeded to Natal. "I am very
weak, but I am free." Such were the words of his telegram; no wired
words ever meant more. "I have lost many pounds in weight, but I am
lighter in heart; and I avail myself of this moment, which is a witness
to my earnestness, to urge an unflinching and uncompromising prosecution
of the war." In regard to Mr. Winston Churchill's arrival among his
friends in Natal, an eye-witness wrote:--
"The 23rd of December last was a memorable day at Durban,
perhaps the most memorable since that on which the Boers'
ultimatum was published. From Lourenco Marques had come the
exciting intelligence that young Winston Churchill, a
distinguished member of a world-renowned race, had succeeded in
evading his jailers at Pretoria, and, after a series of
thrilling adventures, had arrived safely at Delagoa Bay. The
telegrams had further announced that the hero had immediately
shipped on board the Rennie liner _Induna_ and would land at
Durban that very afternoon. The fame of Mr. Churchill as a
soldier and an author was already established. The history of
his gallantry both in India and at Omdurman was already well
known to every good Natalian before he first stepped ashore
there as one of the war correspondents of the _Morning Post_.
His subsequent courageous conduct at Chieveley at the
unfortunate incident of the armoured train and his capture by
the Boers, now capped by his marvellous escape from Pretoria,
had set Durban agog with excitement, and filled all and sundry
with hearty desires to afford him a right royal welcome on his
landing again on British soil.
"The brilliant summer sunshine, tempered by a fresh sea-breeze
which sent a soft ripple across the deep blue surface of the
magnificent harbour; the bold headland of the bluff contrasting
vividly against the streets of iron-roofed dwellings in the
township; the large numbers of ocean-going steamers and sailing
craft, gay with bunting; the eager, expectant crowd of every
class of society, from gaily-dressed ladies to wharf labourers,
refugees, and Kaffirs in but shirts and trousers, all
contributed to the completion of a picturesque panorama never
to be forgotten. Long before midday did we assemble in our
thousands. When it was whispered about that the _Induna_ would
berth alongside the steamer _Inchanga_, and that Mr. Churchill
must cross the decks of the _Inchanga_ before stepping ashore,
a rush was made for her, and, in spite of all the efforts of
the officers and crew, the crowd swarmed like bees on her. They
took possession of every available point of vantage; they
invaded the sacred precincts of the captain's bridge; they
braved the perils of the rigging; they huddled together on the
'fo'cas'le'; they filled every boat; and, heedless of fresh
paint, they clung affectionately to the ventilators and the
funnel.
"After having been several times reported the _Induna_ rounded
the point at half-past two. Amid breathless expectation she
steamed slowly across the harbour. Standing beside the captain
on the bridge a smallish, clean-shaven man was descried, and
the crowd at once recognised him as the hero whom they had
assembled to honour. A thousand good British cheers broke the
silence, a thousand lusty throats shouted a heartfelt welcome.
But this was not all. The sturdy Natalians did not stop at
shouting. The moment the _Induna_ was moored Mr. Churchill,
smiling, was seized bodily by twenty pairs of brawny arms, was
patted and thumped on the back by hundreds of applauding hands,
and finally, after being nearly strangled by over-zealous
admirers who were waving hats and handkerchiefs and crying
'Bravo!' and 'Well done!' he was carried shoulder-high across
the decks of the _Inchanga_ and deposited in a ricksha, whence
a speech was demanded. In a few modest sentences Mr. Churchill
good-humouredly narrated some of the more prominent episodes of
his exploit, and a start was made for his hotel, the
ricksha-boy being assisted more or less by some fifty amateur
ricksha-men and escorted by a majority of the crowd. After
picking up the editor of the _Natal Mercury_ on the way, and
installing him in state by the side of Mr. Churchill, the hotel
was at last reached, and the demand for another speech having
been acceded to, Mr. Churchill was permitted at four o'clock to
retire from the public gaze. The same night he left Durban for
the front."
The following is a copy of the letter written by Mr. Winston Churchill
to Mr. de Souza prior to escaping from prison:--
"STATE SCHOOLS PRISON, PRETORIA.
"DEAR MR. DE SOUZA,--I do not consider that your Government was
justified in holding me, a press correspondent and a
non-combatant, as a prisoner, and I have consequently resolved
to escape. The arrangements I have succeeded in making with my
friends outside are such as to give me every confidence. But I
wish, in leaving you thus hastily and unceremoniously, to once
more place on record my appreciation of the kindness which has
been shown me and the other prisoners by you, by the
commandant, and by Dr. Gunning, and my admiration of the
chivalrous and humane character of the Republican forces. My
views on the general question of the war remain unchanged, but
I shall always retain a feeling of high respect for the several
classes of the Burghers I have met, and on reaching the British
lines I will set forth a truthful and impartial account of my
experiences in Pretoria. In conclusion, I desire to express my
obligations to you, and to hope that when this most grievous
and unhappy war shall have come to an end, a state of affairs
may be created which shall preserve the national pride of the
Boers and the security of the British, and put a final stop to
the rivalry and enmity of both races. Regretting that
circumstances have not permitted me to bid you a personal
farewell, believe me, yours very sincerely,
"WINSTON CHURCHILL.
"_December 11, 1899._"
CHRISTMAS AT THE CAPE AND NATAL
We had arrived at what might be termed a breathing spell. There was no
serious movement in the direction of the Modder River, and Lord Methuen
was evidently biding his time. General Gatacre felt himself too weak to
take up any very active or offensive step, while General French
contented himself with such harassing and cleverly annoying operations
as kept the enemy, like a man with a mosquito round his nose, from
napping. There was great hope of better things, however, for it was
known that the _Dunottar Castle_ had left England and was conveying to
the Cape--in addition to Lord Roberts--Lord Kitchener and Major-General
T. Kelly-Kenny, the Commander of the Sixth Division. Besides these were
the following officers of Lord Roberts's Staff:--Major-General G. T.
Pretyman; Colonel Viscount Downe, C.I.E.; Major H. V. Cowan; Captain A.
C. M. Waterfield; Major J. F. R. Henderson; Major C. V. Hume;
Brevet-Major G. F. Gorringe, D.S.O.; Colonel Lord Erroll; Commander the
Hon. S. J. Fortescue (Naval Adviser to Lord Roberts); Captain Lord
Herbert Scott; Captain Lord Settrington.
This showed that when at last we set to work we did so with a will. The
forces in South Africa before the war had amounted to 25,000, which
number was augmented by 55,000 on the arrival of the First Army Corps.
Late in December came the Fifth Division of about 11,000, under Sir
Charles Warren, followed by the Sixth Division of 10,000 men. The
Seventh and Eighth Divisions of 10,000 men respectively were shortly to
increase the forces at the disposal of Lord Roberts, together with some
2000 additional Cavalry, 10,000 Yeomanry, 9000 Volunteers, seven
battalions of Militia, drafts for regiments at the front amounting to
10,000, and about 20,000 local forces. The first Colonial contingents
consisted of about 2500 men, and these were to be followed by second
contingents of like strength. The Naval Brigade was composed of about
1000; so that in all, roughly estimated, we were on the eve of putting
184,000 men into the field.
Christmas day at the Cape was solemnised with much speechifying, both
from Dutch pulpits and Dutch partisans, and not a few peacefully
disposed persons in this time of general goodwill lugged in Sir Henry
Campbell-Bannerman by the ears and quoted him to suit their purpose.
That amiable worthy had said the war could have been avoided, and that
cheap and incontrovertible statement the Bond got hold of and chewed and
rolled on the tongue as an accompaniment to its plum-pudding and
mince-pies. Of course, the war could have been avoided. Of course, it
would have been quite possible to voluntarily retire from the Cape and
allow South Africa to become entirely Dutch. In the same way we could
give up governing India and hand it over to Russia and confine our
expenses and our energies to Great Britain, the water supply, the
development of national cookery, and the propagation of cabbages. But
peace with dishonour was fortunately not to the taste of the British
public, and those who spent their Yuletide in active service were far
too devoted to the sacred duty of maintaining the prestige of the Empire
to sigh for the domestic hearth and regal sirloin that might have been
theirs had the Government extended its accommodating apathy a few months
longer.
There were no holly decorations and displays of bunting, no rubbings of
hands and vigorous snow-balling, because the South African sun blazed
with the glare of beaten brass, and the thermometer stood to the height
of some 100 degrees at midday. But there was a vast amount of
joke-making and hearty goodwill nevertheless, and many prayers for
friends and family and Queen.
In Natal there were lively doings in honour of the festal season. At a
time when even cracker manufacturers wax poetic, the journalistic poets
thought it their duty to burst into rhyme. The Natal papers indulged in
some jocose doggerel, which would have been comic had it not been deeply
tragic. The lines ran thus: "To Ladysmith"--the only lines, by-the-bye,
that did run there--
"'Hold the Fort, for I am coming,'
Says the helio--
Quick as light the answer flashes,
'Ain't you coming slow?'"
But Tommy was pleased and thought the stanza a capital joke. He meant to
get there directly, and merely quoted the proverb about "slow and
shure"--there were so many Irishmen about, fine fellows, who believed in
themselves and they were shure about everything. They had nothing to do
with doubt, for doubt, after all, is the mother of diffidence!
And some of these rollicking youngsters managed to retain their native
good-humour in most distressing circumstances. A good story was told of
one gallant private in hospital who had lost his leg but persisted in
apostrophising the missing limb whenever it ached. "Be aisy wid ye.
Can't ye be quiet? Ye'll niver take me into the foight again. Ohovo!"
Other examples of amazing good-temper and pluck on the part of the
wounded filled all eye-witnesses with pathetic admiration. One man, a
quondam music-hall singer, carried his jocose art into his sick-bed. A
Boer prisoner had lost his arms, and the poor fellow helplessly shook
his head when offered tobacco. But the music-hall singer saw the shake
of the head and tearful eye that accompanied it. In a moment, with
gymnastic dexterity, he had placed his arms round the Boer and performed
the office of the missing ones, giving the fellow the advantage of a
good smoke. Another of our men who had lost his right arm co-operated
with a Boer who had lost his left, and between them they rolled
cigarettes to the great satisfaction of both. While they were in
hospital another sufferer pretended to be in no way depressed by the
loss of his arm, and ventured on mild whimsicalities regarding the
economy of being able to share a single pair of gloves with any
right-handed man who might also have lost a limb!
[Illustration: LIEUT.-GENERAL FORRESTIER WALKER, K.C.B.
Commanding the Lines of Communication.
Photo by Elliott & Fry, London.]
On the whole, well or ill, Tommy was temporarily in clover. The fat of
the land was being sent out by fervent admirers at home. Indeed he was
getting somewhat inundated with worsted goods which the fair hands of
his countrywomen had been devotedly manufacturing. Jack Tar, despite his
magnificent work, was not so highly distinguished, at least so he
thought, and occasionally vented his disgust into private ears. But,
as one of them said, they'd had a treat for Christmas--the treat of a
wash! It was bathing under difficulties, however, for one half of the
men had to keep guard with loaded rifles while the other half wallowed
in water that, in harmony with the general scheme of things in camp, was
also of kharki hue!
Tommy at the front was externally scarcely the Tommy of our
acquaintance. His bright spick and span exterior was gone. Kharki had
sobered him and planed down his individuality. His uniform no longer sat
without a crease. It was washed and worn and shrunken from hard and
honourable usage, and his carriage was no longer the carriage of Tommy
on parade. He seemed to have taken a leaf out of Jack's book, and the
slight slouch became him well. It gave him the air of a workman and an
individual, and seemed to point to the fact that there was no longer
occasion for him to be judged by appearances. We knew the inner man now.
He did his duty grandly, and his splendid courage and perseverance had
made him independent of the pomp and panoply of war. In the matter of
"grit" they were all alike. But in externals they had curious
differences, their characteristics varying considerably according to the
regiment to which they belonged. Some were dapper still--the newly
arrived ones--with hair clipped to an eighth of an inch for head and
half an inch for moustache; others had succumbed to circumstances, and
had grown beards of odd sizes and shapes and colours (scumbled in all
cases with dust), while the youngsters displayed an unhappy medium,
styled by an officer "pieces of unexpected wool," on promiscuous parts
of their faces! Still, when all was said, joviality and "grit" put an
identical veneer on them all!
The officers too were transmogrified. They were dressed exactly like the
men. Tan brown belts, swords, and revolvers were no longer in evidence.
When going off to war, or any other duty at all under arms, each officer
arrayed himself in his servant's belt and equipment--stained with clay
paste to the prevalent dust or kharki colour--and took with him his
servant's rifle and one hundred rounds of ammunition. There was a
difference without a distinction. The officer carried a field-glass, and
this when not in use was concealed in a coat-pocket. Every precaution
was now adopted to prevent them from inviting an undue share of
attention. The mounted officers had carbines--neat, handy weapons, which
slipped into a leather carbine bucket in the saddle, on the other side
of which went the very necessary wire-cutters. Barbed wire entanglements
were so much a part of the Boer programme--"to cheer you up in crossing
the drifts," some one said--that the cutters became an essential part of
warlike gear. A strange innovation this; very small but very full of
meaning. The Boers were teaching us a great deal. We were beginning to
understand, almost to admire, their curious modes of warfare--their
strange ability to "sit tight," wire themselves in, and yet to fly away!
Years ago, when some tactician ventured to say that the war of the
future embraced only the question of long-range rifles and
wire-entangled trenches, we were inclined to pooh-pooh! Now we were
beginning to see wisdom in this stubborn and persistent, and yet
skittishly mobile foe! When we looked at our wire nippers and their
strong entrenchments we began to formulate the war motto of the future,
which resolves itself into five words: "Six legs and a spade!" The
sword, the bayonet, the cavalry charge were passing away for ever. Here
the dignified charger was ill-matched with the nimble steed of the
country, and many officers were only too glad to supplement their
English horses with Basuto ponies--to secure four serviceable and sure
legs, as the climate and other circumstances contrived to wear out those
of their British beasts. Fortunately there was still a plentiful choice
in horse-flesh, what with British and Australian and Argentine
specimens, but the Basuto ponies were the most knowing and handy for the
purposes required. The imported horse, it was discovered, needed a long
and probationary period to make him at home on the South African veldt.
Like other aristocratical creatures, he was unequal to the hand-to-mouth
existence of the African-born animal, who, by habit and instinct, could
shift for himself. He was neither knowing nor cautious, having been
unaccustomed to ground honeycombed with mole-holes, sluits, and other
obstacles, or to the trick of rolling on the veldt and picking up his
meals haphazard from the first bush he came across. Hence it became
evident that horses in plenty must be forthcoming if we were ever to
remedy our deficiencies and make our progress something other than the
steam-roller style of progress to which we had been accustomed.