THE RETREAT FROM DUNDEE.
'I am ready to halt.'--_Ps._ xxxviii. 17.
On the morning of October 21st, Colonel Yule, who, as senior officer,
had taken over command of the brigade, received the news that a Boer
commando, under General Joubert, was advancing by the Newcastle road.
As the camp was within long-range artillery fire from Impati Mountain,
the brigade moved off at a moment's notice to the south and took up a
defensive position. The tents were left standing, but each man carried
a waterproof sheet, a blanket, and great-coat, while the waggons,
massed in rear, had three to four days' supplies. Soon after 4:30 p.m.
the enemy appeared on Impati, and at once opened fire with a big gun,
probably a forty-pounder. The shells at first fell in the vacated
camp, but the Boer artillerymen quickly discovered the brigade, and
made good practice, although they caused but slight damage. Our
batteries attempted to reply, but were outranged, their shells falling
far short. Luckily for us a mist came on, and the Boer gun ceased
firing.
As soon as night fell the troops began to entrench themselves, for the
situation of the brigade was sufficiently unpleasant. In front was an
enemy with superior numbers and heavier artillery, and in rear,
between Dundee and Ladysmith, another hostile force of unknown
strength. To make matters worse, it rained persistently and the night
was cold. About 3 a.m. the brigade retreated to Indumana Kopje, some
one and a half miles to the south-east of the camp. Here a new
position was taken up before dawn, the guns and transport being massed
behind the hill in order to be out of sight from Impati.
Early in the morning of the 22nd, the spirits of the small force were
raised by the news of the victory at Elandslaagte. This caused great
delight among the men: they were proud of their own victory at Talana,
and this further success roused them to a still higher pitch of
enthusiasm. The strategic side of the situation seldom appeals to the
rank and file, and the consequence was that when the retreat was
commenced they were under the impression that they were being led to
yet another victory. When they were undeceived, they were undoubtedly
very savage, especially so at, what seemed to them, the callous
desertion of their wounded comrades in Dundee.
Since it was possible that some of the defeated Boers might be
retreating through the Biggarsberg, a demonstration towards Glencoe
Junction was ordered, the troops detailed being the 2nd Royal Dublin
Fusiliers, the 60th Rifles, one battery, and some cavalry. No time was
given for breakfasts, but the detachment moved off at 8 a.m. with the
battalion as advance guard. On arriving within 1500 yards of the
Junction, the battery shelled a party of the enemy on a hill to the
west of the railway, a proceeding which promptly provoked an answer
from the Boer gun on Impati, but another timely mist and rain saved
the detachment from this unwelcome attention. No Boers were seen in
the pass, so the force, with the battalion as rearguard, returned to
Indumana Kopje at 12.30 p.m., when they were able to obtain dinners,
the majority of the men having been without food for twenty-four
hours.
At 9 p.m. that evening orders were issued for the reoccupation of
Talana Hill by the whole force, but the various commanding officers
were informed confidentially that Colonel Yule's real intention was a
retreat to Ladysmith by the Helpmakaar road. It was an extremely dark
night, and the battalion occupied nearly two hours in collecting the
companies and reaching the place of assembly at the foot of the
kopje. It was not until after 11 p.m. that the brigade actually
started on the retreat in the following order: 1st 60th Rifles
(advance-guard), 1st Royal Irish Fusiliers, 13th Battery, Mounted
Infantry, Transport, 67th and 69th Batteries, 2nd Royal Dublin
Fusiliers, 18th Hussars, 1st Leicestershire Regiment (rearguard). The
force occupied about four miles of road. The route was through Dundee,
over Sand Spruit, and down the Helpmakaar road through the Coalfields
village. It was impossible to find an opportunity for a return to the
camp, which was left standing. All the tents, stores, and baggage,
together with the wounded, were left to the enemy. The battalion thus
lost its band instruments and camp equipment, while the officers had
to sacrifice all their personal kit, and many articles belonging to
the mess. The waggons carried nothing but supplies, and no one in the
force was able to take away anything beyond what he carried on his
person.
[Illustration: Armourer-Sergeant Waite. 'Delenda Est Carthago.']
The column marched throughout the night, and far into the morning of
the 23rd, only halting at 10 a.m., when dinners were eaten on the
high ground south of Blesbok Pass, about fifteen miles from Dundee.
That the Boers were watching the retreat was proved by one of their
heliographs trying to 'pick up' the column. The march was resumed
after a two hours' rest, and continued to Beith (twenty-one miles from
Dundee), where, at 3 p.m., another halt was made. The men cooked their
teas, and had a chance of a brief sleep, but at 11 p.m. they had to
start again. The road, a very bad one, lay through the pass leading to
the Waschbank River. The battalion formed the advance-guard, with two
Natal mounted policemen as guides. It was a weary tramp, for, owing to
the wretched road, long halts were necessary in order to allow the
waggons to close up. At dawn, the 18th Hussars took over the duties of
advance-guard, and were supported by 'F' company, under Captain
Hensley.
During the night a mysterious heliograph was seen twinkling and
blinking away on the left flank. After some difficulty it was
ascertained that it was communicating with the farm of a man named
Potgieter, professedly a British subject. He was, in fact, caught _in
flagrante delicto_ in full communication with the unknown Boer
signaller, and paid for his crime with his life.
At 10 a.m. on the 24th, the head of the column reached the Waschbank
(thirty-six miles), crossed, and halted on the south side of the
river. The waggons were not over until 12.30 p.m. A welcome meal and a
bathe in the stream refreshed the men, some of whom had had no proper
sleep for three nights. Heavy firing was heard from the direction of
Ladysmith, and the mounted troops, with the artillery, were sent off
to reconnoitre and see if they could render any assistance to Sir
George White. They met with nothing, however, and returned before 5
p.m. Meanwhile the infantry had also been disturbed, for at 2 p.m.
they recrossed the river in order to occupy a better position to
oppose a rumoured pursuit of the Boers. As the latter did not appear,
the river was again forded at 4 p.m., and only just in time. A violent
thunderstorm burst, and the water rose ten feet in two hours. 'H'
company, under Lieutenant Shewan, and a patrol of the 18th Hussars
were left on the north bank, and were thus cut off from the main body
for several hours.
It rained in torrents until 11 p.m., and the battalion, formed in
quarter-column, had to lie down in pools of water, and get what sleep
it could. At 5 a.m. on the 25th, in bright sunshine, the retreat was
resumed. 'H' company crossed to the south bank a few minutes before
the column moved off, although the water was still up to the men's
waists. The Dublin Fusiliers formed the rearguard, and marched till
mid-day, when Sunday's River (forty-eight miles) was reached. 'A'
company remained on the north bank to cover the crossing of the
waggons, and at 2.30 p.m. the column went on, only halting at 4.30 for
tea. Everybody hoped to have a long rest here, but at 6.30 p.m. Major
Bird was sent for, and informed that, as the Boers were in close
pursuit, a night march was necessary.
The brigade accordingly started at 7 p.m., at the same moment that
heavy rain began to fall. The road quickly became inches deep in mud,
every one was soon wet to the skin, and the night was so dark that a
man in each section of fours had to hold on to the canteen strap of
the man in front in order to keep the proper direction. As an
additional evil, the battalion was still rearguard, which is generally
the most tiring position in a column. Halts were frequent, and the men
were so exhausted that many of them, when they stopped for a moment,
fell down in the mud and slept. Soon after midnight the 18th Hussars,
who were keeping connection between the Irish Fusiliers and the
rearguard, disappeared. It was so dark that the latter could have no
certainty of being on the right road, but was obliged to struggle on
blindly. Majors Bird and English established a code of signals by
whistle, in order to keep the companies closed up. Dawn still found
the battalion marching, dead tired, but luckily in its proper place
behind the column, and without a man missing. It was not until 8 a.m.
on the 26th that this wearisome march ended. Then Modderspruit, seven
miles north of Ladysmith, and sixty-five from Dundee, was reached, and
the men sank down, too weary to care about anything. After a brief
interval, however, they recovered sufficiently to eat their bully beef
and biscuits. It had been a trying march for all, although the column
had accomplished only twelve miles in eleven hours. As an instance of
the general weariness, it is recorded that a subaltern, during the
meal, was asked to pass the mustard, and fell asleep with his arm
outstretched and the mustard-pot in his hand.
But the brigade was still not allowed to rest. At 11 a.m. it was on
the 'trek' again, and marched till 2 p.m., when the long retreat came
to an end, and Ladysmith was entered. Here the Devonshire and
Gloucestershire Regiments earned the undying gratitude of the regiment
by providing officers and men with a meal, as well as by pitching a
camp for them.
On arriving at Ladysmith, tents, equipment, mules, and, in fact, all
that had been lost at Dundee, were issued, and the battalion went into
camp near the cemetery.
The column was fortunate in having Colonel (now General) Dartnell with
it. This officer, after serving with distinction for many years in the
regular army, had, on retirement, settled down in Natal, where he was,
previous to the war, in command of the Natal Police. A great hunter
and fisherman, he knew every inch of the country, knowledge which
proved of invaluable assistance in the trying march.