THE CAMPAIGN ROUND COLESBERG
The Fog of War--A Perilous Situation--Damming "The Flowing
Tide"--Shows His Genius as a Commander--A Campaign in
Miniature--Hoisting Guns on Hilltops--The Fifty-mile
Front--Saving the Situation.
So far French had justified the tradition which called him lucky. Any
competent and experienced general _might_, with luck, have won the
battle of Elandslaagte. That victory did not mark French out as a
commander of genius. But what followed in the campaign round Colesberg
did.
It is very much to be regretted that the circumstances of the case
forced this campaign to be fought amid an unusually dense variety of
"the fog of war." Owing to the difficulty and danger of the operations
and the extended front on which they were carried out, any newspaper
correspondent present could hope to chronicle only a sub-section of
the action. The public, therefore, was without any complete record of
what happened.[11] To the man in the street the British general and his
forces seemed to spend three months in perpetual dodging in and about
some thirty square miles of kopjed veldt.
[Page Heading: THE "INEFFICIENT" GENERAL]
Yet French's column was the pivot on which the whole British plan
turned. This campaign in miniature gave French his chance finally to
disprove the fallacies of the critics at home. Before his appointment
in October, he had actually been described by some of his opponents as
"inefficient to command in the field." This is the tragedy of many a
brilliant cavalry leader--it is impossible for him to demonstrate his
ability save in actual warfare.
When French went down to Cape Town to consult with General Buller, he
found his Chief oppressed by serious misgivings. Sir George White and
his force were surrounded in Ladysmith; Mafeking and Kimberley were
both invested by the enemy; and a great invasion was threatened along
the whole northern boundary of Cape Colony. To deal with all these
difficulties Buller had only one army corps. One column, under Lord
Methuen, was advancing to the relief of Kimberley; another, under
General Gatacre, was attempting to stem the Boer invasion of Cape
Colony; while a third, to be led by Buller himself, was massing at
Chieveley, prior to advancing to the relief of Ladysmith. French was
given command of a fourth column with which he was to harass the Boers
around Colesberg. A Boer commando under Schoeman had seized a passage
on the Orange River at Norval's Pont on November 1. On the 14th the
Boers entered Colesberg; and a proclamation was issued declaring the
district to be a Free State territory.
[Page Heading: WORRYING TACTICS]
From the first no striking victories were anticipated for French's
little force. It was to act as a dam, rather than as a weapon of
destruction. It was a rather flimsy dam at that. Buller's
instructions, which at first spoke of a "flying column," soon declined
to suggestions of "a policy of worry without risking men." In
particular it was to stop raids on the railway line which might impede
Methuen's advance on Kimberley.
Collecting a part of his force at Cape Town, French left on November
18. On the following night he reached De Aar, where Major-General
Wauchope gave him another couple of companies of Mounted Infantry.
Acting on Wauchope's advice, he determined to make Naauwpoort his
base. Buller had suggested Hanover Road. But French on arrival found
that Wauchope was right. The country round Naauwpoort proved to be
much more level, was less closely laced with wire fences, and afforded
better means of communication both by road and rail.
No sooner had he arrived (on November 21) than he ordered a
reconnaissance to be made on the following morning. His cavalry came
within eight miles of Colesberg, without seeing the enemy. Accordingly
French determined to attack the town, and asked for reinforcements of
cavalry for that purpose. On November 23, however, further
reconnaissance supported by a trainload of infantry showed that the
situation had developed. It was found impossible to approach Arundel,
as the kopjes north of Arundel station were occupied by the Boers.
Reporting the state of affairs to headquarters, French said that, in
his opinion, the Boers should be pushed out of Colesberg immediately,
as they were being reinforced daily, and were spreading disaffection
throughout the Colony. But he was not in a position to do more than
worry the enemy for several days. However, his persistent
night-and-day fretting of Schoeman's forces achieved the desired
result. His ubiquitous patrols seriously alarmed the Boer general as
to the safety of his outposts at Arundel. A squadron of Lancers
discovered one day that the kopjes round Arundel had been evacuated.
After that a dash on the town followed. Here again the policy of nag
and bluster had frightened the Boers out of their position. There were
only a hundred men in it when the British force arrived; and they fled
precipitately at the mere sight of it. Next day, Colonel Porter struck
even farther north with his cavalry and mounted infantry, occupying a
kopje three miles north of the town.
There followed a brief lapse in active hostilities. The Boers heavily
entrenched themselves on the neighbouring hills; and a prisoner taken
by our men said that Schoeman had at least 3,000 men, with some useful
guns, and was waiting for further reinforcements.
French's position now became critical in more than one sense of the
word. For in mid-December news of the triple British disaster came
through to hearten Schoeman and his men. Cronje had inflicted a
crushing defeat on Methuen at Magersfontein; Botha had crippled Buller
at Colenso; and Gatacre's force had met with a reverse at Stormberg.
Elated by his colleagues' successes, Schoeman was spoiling for the
fray. Could he once gain a victory over French, the whole of Cape
Colony would probably join the rebellion. Both east and west the Dutch
population were simply waiting a sign to rise.
With the whole of South Africa in revolt, our position of "splendid
isolation" in Europe might well have induced Continental
complications. The foreign Press, indeed, was almost unanimous in its
jubilations over this series of disasters. The German papers in
particular, filled their pages with the most atrocious insults and
jibes. Such was the situation in "Black Week." There was much ominous
talk on the Continent about "the flowing tide." Only one obstacle
prevented these dire prophecies from coming true. French and his
little force possibly stayed the tide of a world conflict, through
checking the rebel torrent between Naauwpoort and Colesberg.
[Page Heading: A TIGHT CORNER]
It is typical of his perfect _sang froid_, that in this excessively
tight corner, French found time to send a cheering Christmas greeting
to friends at home. "We shall drink your health on Christmas Day," he
wired on behalf of himself and his staff, "and we hope you are well,
and having as good a time as we are."
French's use of Arundel was masterly. For him to attack was
impossible; about this time he was outnumbered by something like five
to one. His one aim, therefore, was to keep the Boers from the
railway line. The moment that his scouts discovered the Boers throwing
out detachments to defend a kopje, French would have an elaborate
attack, or a reconnaissance in force to drive the enemy in. At this
time scarcely a day passed without its "affair" of one sort or
another. If it was not a night attack, then it was a miniature siege,
or a flanking movement--or a piece of bluff! His men were in the
saddle night and day. One of those present has related how he
practically lived on his horse for two months.
Did Schoeman attempt to force a pitched battle, then French, by a
series of simultaneous flank and rear movements, would harass him out
of the possibility of a general action. It is doubtful, indeed,
whether during this lively period of his life the Boer commander ever
really had time to meet either his fellow commanders or his
lieutenants and discuss a concerted plan of action. No sooner was a
general movement visible in the Boer camps, than French and his men
swept out, or threatened to sweep out, on some dangerous design. Every
morning the General himself made a personal reconnaissance in the
neighbourhood.
[Page Heading: A BRILLIANT EXPLOIT]
During his reconnaissance on December 31, French came to the
conclusion that an offensive movement was at last possible. Colesberg
lies in a little plateau, ringed round by a quadrangle of kopjes, all
of which were strongly held by the enemy. Just beyond this quadrangle,
however, one or two kopjes projected from its western face. French
determined to seize one of these, from which he could push forward
along the enemy's flank, jeopardising his line of retreat.
As usual, the venture was brilliantly conceived and ably carried out.
During the day a squadron of Hussars was sent forward to Maeder's
Farm, some five miles on the line of march. There the men bivouacked
under arms, and at midnight set out on a silent march to the west.
Under the screen of darkness and perfect silence the advance was
speedy. Even the regimental carts were dispensed with, lest the
creaking of their wheels might betray the advance. Not until the
column was near its objective, McCracken's Hill, did the Boers suspect
its approach. An amazed shouting and some wild rifle-fire from the
outposts--and McCracken's Hill was in French's hands.
The cavalry now wound round the hill towards the road. But their
commander, Colonel Fisher, found it impossible to take the hills
commanding the road. As generally happened, a complicated engagement
ensued. The Boers attempted to retake McCracken's Hill next morning,
adding a counter-attack to the north-east and an enveloping movement
on the right to the already complex situation. But French checkmated
every move, although he finally thought it wise that Colonel Fisher
should evacuate the hill he had so cleverly won. That night both
French and Schoeman were wiring for reinforcements in the hope of
clearing up the situation.
[Page Heading: THE FATE OF THE SUFFOLKS]
Some days afterwards came the only reverse which French ever received
at the hands of the Boers. There has been endless argument as to who
was directly responsible for the disaster to the Suffolks. It seems
best simply to record the fact that the order was given by French as
the result of pressure brought to bear on him by the enthusiastic
colonel of the Suffolks. The key to the Boer stronghold lay in the
kopje of Grassy Hill. Lieutenant-Colonel A.J. Watson had frequently
reconnoitred the Boer position in company with General French. As a
result, he was confident that his battalion could rush the position.
On January 5 he begged for permission to attempt the feat. On the
following day French authorised him to make the attack should he see a
favourable opportunity, on condition that he first informed the
General of his plans and probable time of attack. This he failed to
do, and that night, without further warning, Watson and his men crept
noiselessly out of camp, walking either in canvas shoes or in
stocking-soles in order to deaden the noise of their footsteps.
The foremost ranks were scrambling breathlessly towards the summit,
when a withering Boer fire fell upon their panting lines. It was clear
that they were not only discovered but expected. Watson ordered a
withdrawal. But withdrawal from that stark boulder-strewn hill-side
was almost an impossibility. The column fell into disorder, some
advancing and some retreating, under a fierce fire from the enemy.
Watson himself gathered together the rear company and attempted, with
reckless gallantry, to lead it to the summit. He was among the first
to fall, riddled with bullets, and although his officers perished with
him almost to a man, the men beat a hasty retreat, in face of the
enemy's destructive fire. The affair accounted in all for eleven
officers and 150 men. No doubt the gallant Watson was largely to
blame. But the facts seemed to show that the enemy were in some way
apprised of his intentions. Against such a chance as this, strategy
and generalship are helpless. Certainly French would be the last man
in the world to deny any responsibility, had he been to blame for
that one mishap in a memorable campaign.
One fact was now clear beyond dispute. The enemy's right had been
strongly reinforced and was too alert to allow of much hope of
successful action against it. Nothing daunted, French therefore
directed his energies to the left. A few days later (January 11) he
accomplished the _tour de force_ of the campaign. In the plain to the
west of Colesberg there arose an isolated kopje, some six hundred feet
in height, called Coles Kop. This hill, which rises almost sheer from
the plain, taxes the wind of the unencumbered climber to the utmost.
Being higher than the surrounding kopjes, it commands both Colesberg
and the enemy's laager. The Boers had left it ungarrisoned, thinking
it useless either to themselves or to the enemy. They made a very
great mistake. For the mere hint that a thing is impossible fires
French to attempt it.
[Page Heading: PREPARING A SURPRISE]
One day Schoeman woke up to find shrapnel assailing him apparently
from nowhere. It was coming from a 15-pounder which Major E.E.A.
Butcher, R.F.A., had coaxed up to the top of Coles Kop in three and a
half hours by dint of much scientific haulage and more sinew. The
Boers themselves never equalled this extraordinary feat.
To hoist the guns on to the hilltop was the least part of the
undertaking. Guns without ammunition are useless. To get shells on to
the kopje without disaster was an infinitely more difficult
undertaking. He solved it by installing a hill lift. The veldt is not
a very promising engineering shop; but Butcher was not easily beaten.
Using steel rails for standards and anything worthy the name for
cable, he soon had the framework erected. To the uprights were fixed
snatchblocks over which he passed his carrying wires. On this mountain
lift he was able to send weights up to 30 lbs., thanks to an ingenious
system of pulleys. Nor was the lift altogether rustic, for a drum and
ratchet made it double-acting, so that as one load went up another was
automatically let down. It is only fair to say that the Boers
themselves were masters of the art of haulage. How they managed to get
their guns to the top of kopjes remained for long a mystery to our
men. Butcher, however, quickly taught his men to beat the enemy at
their own game, although nothing else quite so dramatic as the Coles
Kop incident is on record.
During this proceeding French had been distracting the enemy by a
demonstration to the south-east of Colesburg. Consequently the shells
from nowhere began to pour into their laager during breakfast
(January 12) with devastating results. The laager was instantly
abandoned, and a second, two thousand yards farther off, suffered the
same fate. When Butcher had finally been able to get a second
15-pounder up the hill, the Boers were compelled to shift every camp
they possessed into sheltered positions.
Most of these exploits show the resource and the daring which mark
French's tactics. But his caution is no less remarkable. One instance
of it will suffice. Shortly after the Coles Kop incident, it was
discovered that the Boers had left open a portion of the road from
Colesberg, where it goes through a narrow pass known as Plessis Poort.
Immediately French planned its capture. One detachment was sent to
occupy Bastard's Nek, another defile to the west of Plessis Poort.
Covered by a cross-fire from the artillery, the infantry were to move
forward and seize the road. In order to divert the Boers' attention
from these matters, a demonstration was ordered along the whole
British line. Advancing carefully the infantry met with little
opposition, a fact which made French suspicious. As the silence
continued he abruptly ordered the "Retire." The moment that his men
obeyed, a fierce fire broke out from the enemy, who were present in
force. French's caution was justified.
[Page Heading: MASTERS OF TACTICS]
During all this time the rival fronts had been gradually stretching
out, in the constant effort to parry outflanking movements, until they
reached the extraordinary length of fifty miles. Yet at the utmost
neither general could throw more than ten thousand men into the field!
During the last days of French's command, the fighting had become more
a matter of outpost skirmishes than anything else. The Boer generals,
who now included De Wet and Delarey, were entirely taken up with the
effort to out-manoeuvre the irrepressible French.
It was here that French first mastered the new problem of modern
warfare--the extended front. The ability of the rival generals
gradually gave the campaign the resemblance of a Mukden or a Mons in
miniature. That the British force was not entirely out-manoeuvred by
such masters of tactics as Delarey and De Wet says something for
French's extraordinary mastery of a new method of warfare in something
like six weeks' time.
Herein lies French's peculiar genius. Although he knows all the
methods of all the schoolmen, he is capable as one soldier expressed
it, "of making his own tactics brand new on the spot." To that fact
one may attribute his consistent superiority to the Boer. Where even
Kitchener and Roberts doubted, French invariably did the right thing.
During the following fortnight he had more brilliant opportunities of
demonstrating his unique abilities.
FOOTNOTES:
[11] To those interested enough to pursue the subject further, I
commend _With French and his Cavalry in South Africa_, by C.S.
Goldman. (Macmillan & Co.)