THE ACTION OF HOUTNEK
Winburg: May 8
Ian Hamilton's orders were to march north from Thabanchu on Winburg by
the Jacobsrust road, and he was expected, if no opposition was
encountered, to reach his destination by the 7th of May. The column
with which he started from Thabanchu was composed of Smith-Dorrien's
19th Infantry Brigade, Ridley's Mounted Infantry Brigade, and two
batteries of artillery; but at Jacobsrust he would receive a strong
reinforcement, consisting of Bruce-Hamilton's 21st Brigade of Infantry,
Broadwood's Cavalry Brigade, two batteries of field and one of horse
artillery, and two 5-in. guns. This accession would raise his force to
a total of 7,500 Infantry, 4,000 mounted men, and thirty-two guns--an
imposing command for an officer who had not yet had time to take the
badges of a colonel off his shoulders. The first thing, however, was to
reach Jacobsrust, and effect the junction with Bruce-Hamilton's force.
The Thabanchu column started at daybreak on the 30th of April, and when
it was within three or four miles of Houtnek Poorte the enemy suddenly
unmasked field guns and 'pom-poms,' and opened a long range fire with
them from the east on the right flank of the marching troops. Colonel
Bainbridge, with the 7th Corps of Mounted Infantry, wheeled up to
contain this force of the enemy, and at the same time De Lisle--of polo
fame--pushed forward boldly at a gallop with the 6th Corps and the New
Zealanders, and seized a commanding position about 2,000 yards south of
the actual nek. Colonel Legge, meanwhile advancing on the left front,
noticed that Thoba Mountain was weakly held by the enemy, and thereupon
ordered Kitchener's Horse to attack it, thus anticipating the order
which the General was himself about to send. These dispositions, which
were made on their own initiative by the various Mounted Infantry
officers, enabled a deliberate view of the situation to be taken.
The pass of Houtnek consists of two parallel grassy ridges separated by
a smooth shallow valley a little more than a mile across, and devoid of
cover. On the east the pass runs up into sharp rocky kopjes,
strengthened by successive lines of stone walls trailing away towards
the main laagers of the enemy. Both the centre and the left flank of
the Boer position refused all opportunity of attack. The Dutch right
was scarcely more encouraging. On the west of the pass rose the great
mountain of Thoba, an uneven battlefield, better suited to Boers than to
British troops. Yet as it was on Hamilton's safer flank, dominated the
rest of the enemy's position, could be turned by mounted troops making a
very wide detour, and being, moreover, the only way, the General
resolved to attack it.
[Illustration: Diagram Explaining the Action of Houtnek]
At 9.30 the Infantry began to come up, and at ten o'clock the approaches
to the Boer position were strongly occupied. As soon as Kitchener's
Horse were seen to have made good their footing on Thoba Mountain,
Hamilton ordered General Smith-Dorrien to support them with part of his
brigade, which was accordingly done, two companies of the Shropshires,
the Gordon Highlanders, and four companies of the Canadians being
successively worked up on to the hill under a heavy shell fire from the
enemy. This practically disposed of the whole force, which was soon
engaged all along the line, the Mounted Infantry holding the enemy off
the right and right rear, the Cornwalls guarding the baggage, one-half
Smith-Dorrien's Brigade containing the front, and the other half with
Kitchener's Horse pushing the flank attack on Thoba Mountain. As soon
as the Boers understood the designs of the British on Thoba they made a
strong effort to regain and hold that important feature. At first the
troops made good progress; but as the enemy received continual
reinforcements the resistance became more severe, until, presently, far
from gaining ground, they began to lose it. At last, about two o'clock,
some one hundred and fifty of the German corps of the Boer force
advanced from the northern point of Thoba in four lines across the table
top to drive the British off the hill. So regular was their order that
it was not until their levelled rifles were seen pointing south that
they were recognised as foes, and artillery opened on them. In spite of
an accurate shell fire they continued to advance boldly against the
highest part of the hill, and, meanwhile, cloaked by a swell of the
ground, Captain Towse, of the Gordon Highlanders, with twelve men of his
own regiment and ten of Kitchener's Horse, was steadily moving towards
them. The scene on the broad stage of the Thoba plateau was intensely
dramatic. The whole army were the witnesses.
The two forces, strangely disproportioned, drew near to each other.
Neither was visible to the other. The unexpected collision impended.
From every point field glasses were turned on the spectacle, and even
hardened soldiers held their breath. At last, with suddenness, both
parties came face to face at fifty yards' distance. The Germans, who
had already made six prisoners, called loudly on Captain Towse and his
little band to surrender. What verbal answer was returned is not
recorded; but a furious splutter of musketry broke out at once, and in
less than a minute the long lines of the enemy recoiled in confusion,
and the top of the hill was secured to the British. Among the
foreigners wounded in this encounter, was Colonel Maximoff.
Captain Towse, for his conspicuous gallantry, and for the extraordinary
results which attended it, has been awarded the Victoria Cross; but, in
gaining what is above all things precious to a soldier, he lost what is
necessary to a happy life, for in the moment when his military career
was assured by a brilliant feat of arms, it was terminated by a bullet
which, striking him sideways, blinded him in both eyes. Thus do Misery
and Joy walk hand in hand on the field of war.
All this time the rifle and gun fire along the whole front had been
continuous, and as the day wore on without the British making good their
hold on Thoba Mountain the enemy gathered in a more and more threatening
attitude on the right of the column, and by four o'clock at least 1,500
men were collected, with guns and 'pom-poms,' which threw shell into the
rear guard and transport. Hamilton, however, was determined to fight
the matter out. He therefore directed that all troops should post
guards on their front, lie down wherever darkness found them, and
prepare to renew the action at daybreak. He then telegraphed to General
French for some assistance, the need of more mounted troops being
painfully felt.
At dawn on May-day fighting recommenced, and soon after six o'clock
parties of the Gordons and Canadians succeeded in gaining possession of
the two peaks of Thoba Mountain. Besides this, half a company of the
Shropshires, under Colour-sergeant Sconse, managed to seize the nek
between them, and though subjected to a severe cross fire, which caused
in this small party ten casualties out of forty, maintained themselves
stubbornly for four hours. The points which dominate the flat top of
the mountain were thus gained.
Meanwhile reinforcements, consisting of the 8th Hussars, a composite
Lancer regiment, the East Yorkshire, and a field battery, had arrived
from Thabanchu, and the approach of Bruce-Hamilton's force from the
direction of Kranz Kraal was also felt. General Ian Hamilton now ordered
Colonel Clowes, commanding the Cavalry, to move right round Thoba
Mountain and threaten the Boer line of retreat as a preliminary and
accompaniment of the main Infantry assault, which had now become
inevitable. Clowes's force was strengthened by the addition of a horse
battery. The newly-arrived Infantry and the field battery had to be
diverted to support the right and right rear, where the pressure was now
very strong.
At about eight A.M. General Smith-Dorrien had himself gone up to the top
of Thoba Mountain to direct personally the decisive movement when the
time should come. A little before one o'clock, the progress of the
Cavalry being satisfactory, he determined to settle the matter, so that
if successful the force might get its baggage over the pass before dark.
He therefore formed a line of Infantry right across the plateau, two
companies of the Shropshires in the centre, and one and a half company
of the Gordons on either flank. The advance was sounded.
The troops moved forward with alacrity. For a few moments the fire was
heavy, but the Boers knew themselves bested, and on the soldiers raising
the cheer that precedes the actual assault they rushed to their horses,
and the whole of Thoba Mountain was won. The rest of the position now
became untenable, and the enemy, to the number of 4,000, promptly
evacuated it, galloping swiftly back in the direction of Jacobsrust.
A few troops of the 8th Hussars alone got near enough to charge;
half-a-dozen Dutchmen were sabred, and one was shot dead by an officer,
Lieutenant Wylam. The Boers who were making the attack on the right
retreated at the same time as their comrades, and the transport, no
longer molested, passed safely over the pass and parked for the night on
the northern side. No trustworthy estimate can be formed of the enemy's
loss; but a score of prisoners were taken, and an equal number of bodies
were found on the position.
The British casualties were fortunately slight considering the fire and
its duration, and did not exceed a hundred officers and men.
The next day the junction between the columns was effected, and Ian
Hamilton's force formed, with reference to the main advance, the Army of
the Right Flank, and was composed as follows:[#]
Infantry. { 19th Brigade } Smith-Dorrien
{ 21st Brigade } Bruce-Hamilton
Mounted { 1st M. I. } Ridley
Infantry. { Brigade }
Cavalry. { 2nd Cavalry } Broadwood
{ Brigade }
{ 3 Batteries F.A. }
Artillery. { 2 Batteries H.A. } Waldron
{ 2 5-in. Guns. }
[#] For full composition see Appendix.
This force was supported by the Highland Brigade and two 4.7 naval guns,
under General Colvile, who was directed to follow the leading column at
a distance of ten miles. Hamilton proposed to march forward on the 2nd
of May, but an order from headquarters enjoined a halt; nor was it until
the afternoon of the 3rd that the force reached Jacobsrust, as it is
called by the inhabitants; Isabellasfontein, as our maps record. A
little cavalry skirmishing in the neighbourhood of the camp resulted in
the death of one Lancer.
On the 4th of May the whole army moved forward again, Lord Roberts
passing through Brandfort towards Smaldeel, Hamilton continuing his
march on Winburg. This day did not pass without fighting, for scarcely
had the troops left camp when a patter of musketry warned the General
that his Cavalry had become engaged. Riding forward, he was the witness
of a very dashing cavalry exploit. Across the line of advance was drawn
up a strong force of the enemy, estimated at 4,000 men and thirteen
guns. These, in a good position along a range of wooded bluffs, promised
a sufficient task for the troops during the day. But now, suddenly,
from the direction of Brandfort, a new army of Boers began to appear,
riding swiftly down to join hands with their comrades athwart the road,
and fall on the left flank of the column.
The thing was urgent, and perhaps vital. But between the fast converging
Boer forces, at the angle where they would meet, ran a long ridge of
indefinite extent. General Broadwood at once, without a moment's delay,
galloped forward, and with two squadrons of the Guards' Cavalry and two
of the 10th Hussars seized it. The Boers were already scrambling up its
lower slopes. A sharp fight immediately opened. Kitchener's Horse,
hurrying up in support, occupied a further point of the ridge, and the
Dutch, after a determined but futile attempt to clear the hill, fell
back. The junction of the two Boer columns was prevented. It seems
that the whole of their plan for the day was based on this first
condition, and in an army where every individual soldier must have the
details of any plan explained to him it is not easy to make fresh
dispositions on the field.
Indeed, a sort of panic seems to have taken hold of the enemy, for
without waiting for the Infantry attack to develop they fled forthwith
at great speed, galloping madly across the drift--as the British
proprietor of Welcome Farm told me--horsemen and guns, pell-mell, in
downright rout, pursued, so swift was their departure, only by the
shells of the Horse Artillery.
The losses in this brief affair were not large, and almost entirely
among the Cavalry. In those few minutes of firing on the ridge about a
dozen troopers had been hit. Lord Airlie was slightly wounded in the
arm, and Lieutenant Rose, Royal Horse Guards, was killed. He had bee
sent forward to see what lay beyond the further crest of the hill, and
found that deadly riflemen lay there waiting for a certain victim. He
fell pierced by several bullets, and lived only for half an hour.
This officer was a most zealous soldier. Though possessed of private
means which would have enabled him to lead a life of ease and pleasure,
he had for several years devoted himself assiduously to the military
profession. He went to India as a volunteer during the Tirah Campaign,
and served with distinction on Sir Penn Symons' staff--general and
aide-de-camp both vanished now, as the foam fades in the wake of a fast
ship! From India he hastened to West Africa, and in that vile and
pestilential region won a considerable reputation; indeed, he was to
have received the Distinguished Service Order for his part in recent
operations there had not another war intervened. He arrived at the
Cape, scarcely a month ago, full of hope and energy. This is the end;
and while it is one which a soldier must be ready to meet, deep sympathy
will be felt for the father, from whom the public necessities have now
required two gallant sons.
Though the disorderly and demoralised nature of the Boer flight through
Welcome Farm was known throughout the British Army, it was not expected
that so strong a position as the bluffs behind the Vet River would be
yielded without a shot fired. This, nevertheless, proved to be the
case, for when, on the morning of the 6th, Hamilton resumed his advance,
he found that no force of the enemy stood between him and Winburg.
He therefore sent, shortly after noon, a staff officer, Captain Balfour
to wit, under flag of truce, with a letter to the mayor of the town
summoning him forthwith to surrender the town and all stores therein,
and promising that if this were done he would use every effort to
protect private property, and that whatever foodstuffs were required by
the troops should be paid for. This message, which was duly heralded by
the sound of a trumpet, concluded by saying that unless an acceptance
was received within two hours the General would understand that his
offer had been declined.
Thus accredited, Captain Balfour made his way into the town and was soon
the centre of an anxious and excited crowd of burghers and others who
filled the market square. The mayor, the landdrost, and other prominent
persons--indeed, all the inhabitants--were eager to avail themselves of
the good terms, and a satisfactory settlement was almost arranged when,
arriving swiftly from the northeast, Philip Botha and a commando of 500
men, mostly Germans and Hollanders, all very truculent since they were
as yet unbeaten, entered the town.
A violent and passionate scene ensued. Botha declared he would never
surrender Winburg without a fight. Dissatisfied with the attentions
paid him by Captain Balfour, he turned furiously on him and rated him
soundly. Several of the Free Staters had asked what would be done to
them if they laid down their arms. Balfour had replied that they would
be permitted to return to their farms, unless actually captured on the
field. This Botha held to be a breach of the laws of war, and he
thereupon charged the officer with attempting to suborn his burghers.
What had he to say that he should not be made a prisoner? 'I ask
favours of no Dutchman,' replied Balfour, sternly.
'Arrest that man!' shouted Botha, in a fury; 'I shall begin shooting
soon.' At these shameful words a great commotion arose. The women
screamed, the mayor and landdrost rushed forward in the hopes of
averting bloodshed. The Boers raised their rifles in menace, and the
unarmed British envoy flourished his white flag indignantly.
For several minutes it seemed that an actual scuffle, possibly a
tragedy, would occur. But the influence of the townsfolk, who knew that
their liberty and property lay in the hands of the Imperial General, and
that the great siege guns were even then being dragged into effective
range, prevailed, and Philip Botha, followed by his men, galloped
furiously from the square towards the north.
That afternoon General Ian Hamilton entered Winburg at the head of his
troops. Under a shady tree outside the town the mayor and landdrost
tendered their submission and two large silver keys. The Union Jack was
hoisted in the market-place amid the cheers of the British section of
the inhabitants, and, as each battalion marching through the streets saw
the famous emblem of pride and power, bright in the rays of the setting
sun, these feeble or interested plaudits were drowned in the loud
acclamations of the victorious invaders.
Hamilton was expected to arrive on the 7th, if no opposition was
encountered, He had fought nearly every day, and reached the town on the
evening of the 5th.