Gifford's fight in the Shiloh Hills—Strength of the patrol—First
skirmish with the Matabele—Form a laager—March resumed—Second
skirmish—Patrol reach Fonseca's farm—Fight at Fonseca's
farm—Death of a witch-doctor—Colonel Gifford wounded—Messengers
sent to Bulawayo for assistance—Laager strengthened—Fighting
renewed—Captain Lumsden wounded—Matabele retire—Relief column
arrives—Return to Bulawayo—Death of Captain Lumsden—Colonel
Gifford's arm amputated.
For the following narrative of what is now known as Gifford's fight in
the Shiloh Hills, I am indebted to an officer in Gifford's Horse, who
has done very good service throughout the campaign, but who however has
modestly asked me not to mention his name.
"The patrol under Lieutenant-Colonel Gifford—now commonly known as the
Shiloh Patrol—consisted of Gifford's Horse, with thirty-one men of
F troop under Captain Dawson, and eleven men of Grey's Scouts under
Lieutenant F. Crewe—one hundred and eighteen Europeans in all, with one
Maxim gun and forty-nine Colonial Boys under Captain Bisset. Captain J.
W. Lumsden accompanied the patrol as chief of the Staff and second in
command.
"We left Bulawayo about one o'clock on Saturday morning, 4th April. It
was bright moonlight, and we travelled on without any delay or anything
exciting happening till the sun rose, when we outspanned at M'Kisa's
kraal, about twelve miles from Bulawayo. I believe we had a sort of
roving commission to go down to the Khami river, break up an impi or
two there, then to go over to Inyati, do the same there, and finally to
come out on the Salisbury road at the Bembisi.
"At our first outspan however Colonel Gifford obtained information
that there was an impi encamped down the Umguza, on Holm's farm, about
fourteen miles to the north of us, and he determined to have a go at
them. We therefore broke camp about two o'clock and trekked on through
very bad country, heavy sand and thick bush.
"We had just got into better and more open country when continuous
firing was heard on our right, in which direction a few of our scouts
were out, and shortly afterwards a party of two or three hundred
Matabele were seen coming down from a ridge on our right, and the
rear-guard—B troop, under Captain Fynn—were soon engaged with them. At
this juncture Colonel Gifford sent back Captain Dawson's troop and the
Colonial Boys to support Captain Fynn, and after about an hour's heavy
firing the Matabele withdrew into the hills close by.
"In the meantime, the rest of the column had drawn out into an open
space and laagered up. The scouts turned up just before the Matabele
attacked, having narrowly escaped being cut off. We passed a quiet
night as the enemy made no move, though we could see them in the hills,
and they fired occasional shots at the laager before it got dark. Next
morning we started again after breakfast, but had not gone more than
a couple of miles, when the wily Matabele showed himself again, and
in stronger force. Our advance guard, A troop, under Captain Meikle,
were attacked, and at the same time a party of two or three hundred
came down on our right and attacked the column. They did not come on
very close—to do this they would have had to cross the Umguza river,
and this they did not seem to care about doing, but kept on the other
side of the river firing at the column and showing themselves in pretty
strong force. Colonel Gifford then opened on them with the Maxim at
about 600 yards, and this quite quenched their military ardour. It was
funny to see the way in which they all immediately lay down in the
grass and then spread out, and finally strutted off into the bush,
bending down and hiding themselves as much as they could in the grass
all the time.
"During this time A troop had beaten off the attack on the advance, and
Captain Bisset's boys who were on the left advance fell on the already
defeated party and did some damage, killing twenty or thirty of them.
As the enemy appeared to be all round us, we outspanned again, and, the
men remaining at their posts, a biscuit each was served out all round,
and the horses were allowed to graze. No further attack was made, and
we trekked on again to Fonseca's farm without any further hindrance
from our enemy, though we could see an impi on our right keeping along
with us all the way, though at a safe distance.
"We camped and laagered behind our saddles in an open glade. Behind us
was a ridge of kopjes, on one of which was the homestead, on our left
was thick bush, and on our right was a dry river-bed. Just beyond, and
parallel to it, ran a stream in which were some deep pools of water.
These riverbeds afterwards proved to be our salvation, or at any rate
of great assistance in our defence.
"We passed another quiet night, and next morning, Easter Monday, at
daybreak, the men made the fires and were soon brewing their coffee, as
it was bitterly cold. The usual patrol of five or six men was sent out
to scout round, and the Colonial Boys were sent out to look for cattle,
as we had so far only had "bully" to eat, and a change was desirable.
They had not been out long when Lieutenant Rorke, who was in command
of the morning patrol, came across the impi holding an "indaba" in a
kraal. He and his patrol opened fire on them, to which they promptly
replied by rushing our men. Lieutenant Rorke had a very narrow escape;
his horse broke away from him, and he was compelled to retire as best
he could on foot. The Colonial Boys, who were not far behind, and his
own few men, however, checked the enemy, and saved his life.
"This opened the ball; as soon as the firing was heard in camp,
Colonel Gifford ordered Dawson's troop out in support, and B troop
under Captain Fynn were ordered up into the kopjes where Fonseca's
homestead stood. The battle soon became general, and there was heavy
firing through the bush on our left, which was occupied by the Colonial
Boys, Captains Dawson's and Fynn's troops. Colonel Gifford then gave
the order for the men in laager to take cover in the bed of the stream
to which I have already referred. The two small waggons, one of which
carried ammunition, and the other our provisions, and on which the
Maxim was standing on its tripod, were quickly drawn up alongside of
the gully, and the men took up their positions and manned the banks
of both streams, which formed a natural laager. Colonel Gifford then
sent out the gallopers to call the troops in to laager, not a minute
too soon. Captain Fynn's troop, with whom was Captain Lumsden, were
fairly rushed by the enemy, who poured a fire into them at close range.
Here Trooper Kenneth M'Kenzie was shot through the head and dropped
dead from his horse. Trooper Fielding was wounded in the leg, and his
horse shot under him, and Captain Lumsden's horse also fell shot under
him. Captain Fynn, however, brought his men into laager in good order,
returning the enemy's fire. Captain Dawson and the Colonial Boys also
retired in good order into laager.
"The Matabele came on close behind, and our men were hardly in laager
when they rushed out into the open from the bush, with the evident
intention of charging the laager. The steady fire from the men,
however, soon checked them, and a few shots from the Maxim made them
retire into the bush again. A few of their bravest, having taken cover
behind some stumps and dead trees which were lying in the open, kept up
a galling fire on the laager, but these were soon picked off by some of
our good shots.
"One man, however, came on in the open and appeared to bear a charmed
life, as no bullets touched him; he had no gun or assegai, but came on
alone down the valley towards us. He must have got to within about 150
yards of the laager when he fell shot in the leg. He rose again, and
only then turned to fly, but the charm seemed to be broken, and he fell
dead, shot through with several bullets.
"In the afternoon, when we were able to go out to where he lay, we
found he had in his hands a skin-bag full of fat, and some of the
usual witch-doctor's throwing bones—no arms of any sort. Apparently
he was a witch-doctor, or one of the priests of the much-talked-of
'Umlimo,' who thought he'd do for the white man by means of his bones
and incantations and that the white man's bullets were to turn to water
before him as had been predicted. The Matabele lined the bush all down
our front and took to the kopjes, from where, at about 600 yards, they
kept up a continuous fire.
"Colonel Gifford had all the time been standing on the waggon alongside
of the Maxim directing the fire, and giving his orders to the men. The
enemy on our front were not more than 200 yards away, and were making
good shooting, aiming especially at the waggon and Maxim. Here poor
Reynolds was mortally wounded, having been shot through the arm and
lungs, and dying within a brief space. Soon afterwards Colonel Gifford
was wounded in the shoulder. The men saw he had been hit; but he called
out, "It's all right, boys, don't mind me—give it to them—give it to
them." He had soon, however, to be lifted down from the waggon and
carried into the bed of the stream, at the same time calling on Captain
Lumsden to take command. Troopers J. Walker (Gifford's Horse) and
Eatwell (Dawson's) were wounded shortly afterwards.
"The fire from the enemy slackened soon after this, but they kept up a
desultory fire till about twelve o'clock, when they finally drew off
and left us in peace, though we could see them every now and then in
the bush.
"Shortly after Colonel Gifford was wounded Captain Lumsden, after
consulting the officers, sent in to Bulawayo a despatch by two of
Captain Bisset's boys on horseback, reporting that Colonel Gifford was
wounded, and asking for assistance, as both ammunition and food were
running short.
"As soon as the natives drew off the horses were let out to graze, and
we spent the afternoon, as far as we could, strengthening our position.
As the sun went down we could see smoke from what we judged to be the
enemy's camp behind the kopjes, and on the top of one of these, against
the sky, we saw what was evidently their sentry carefully watching us.
We passed a quiet night, and next day had a repetition of our Monday's
experience.
"After an early breakfast of one biscuit per man all round, some of
the Colonial Boys were sent up on to the kopjes to see where our enemy
had got to. This was soon very evident, as the Matabele came up from
beyond the kopjes and chased our boys down and back into camp. They
came out into the open again exactly as on the previous day, but this
time from the kopje side. The fire from our men soon checked them and
drove them back into the bush, and they then spread right round us and
opened fire from every side. Captain Lumsden was wounded in the leg
while walking about the laager, giving orders and directing the Maxim,
and immediately carried down into the donga, which was our place of
safety. Captain Bisset then took command. Lieutenant Hulbert was soon
afterwards wounded in the leg by a Lee-Metford bullet. After keeping
up a desultory fire till about mid-day, the enemy again retired, as we
afterwards found out having had quite enough of the white men in the
dongas. In the afternoon some of B troop and the Colonial Boys went out
and recovered poor M'Kenzie's body, which was lying where he fell. Both
he and Corporal Reynolds were buried by their comrades in the centre of
our laager, between the two dongas.
"At about two o'clock a despatch-rider arrived from Captain Macfarlane,
who, with the relief column, was about five miles off.
"Captain Macfarlane's column arrived soon afterwards, and we were very
glad to see them, as provisions were running short. We had about a
biscuit per man and seven tins of bully beef left, and not too much
ammunition for another fight. Our troubles were then over, except for
our poor wounded.
"We broke laager next morning, and carried them off on the waggons
as carefully as we could into town, arriving in Bulawayo that night
(Wednesday), late. It was, however, a long weary journey for them,
twenty-two miles over the stumps and stones of a South African road.
Captain Lumsden died next day in hospital, to the universal regret of
all who had met him and served under him. Our own brave Colonel had
to lose his arm, so our leaders suffered severely. Certainly they by
their coolness and daring behaviour inspired confidence in their men,
and helped to keep the fire steady. That the firing of our men was
exceptionally steady there is no doubt. After the first rush it was
impossible for a Matabele to show himself without receiving three or
four bullets most uncomfortably near him, if he did not receive his
quietus. It was estimated that the patrol killed at lowest 200 of the
enemy, and many more must have been wounded. The Maxim did not have
much chance, as after the first rush the Matabele spread themselves
out in the bush, and kept under very good cover, and it then became
a matter of sharpshooting. On the Monday, and the last day's fight,
the enemy must have been about 1500 strong. As we could see, they
increased every day, and we afterwards heard from native reports that
reinforcements were joining them all the time. We also heard that after
the failure of the last attack the impi retired and sent round the
country for still further reinforcements. When they arrived and the
impis came back to the scene of their flight, they found the dongas
empty—the white men had gone."