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diff --git a/15972.txt b/15972.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..c082eac --- /dev/null +++ b/15972.txt @@ -0,0 +1,5309 @@ +Project Gutenberg's The Record of a Regiment of the Line, by M. Jacson + +This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with +almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org + + +Title: The Record of a Regiment of the Line + Being a Regimental History of the 1st Battalion Devonshire + Regiment during the Boer War 1899-1902 + +Author: M. Jacson + +Release Date: June 3, 2005 [EBook #15972] + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ASCII + +*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK RECORD OF A REGIMENT *** + + + + +Produced by Jonathan Ingram, David King, and the Online +Distributed Proofreading Team + + + + + +THE RECORD + +OF + +A REGIMENT OF THE LINE + +BEING + +A REGIMENTAL HISTORY OF +THE 1ST BATTALION DEVONSHIRE +REGIMENT DURING THE +BOER WAR +1899-1902 + +BY +COLONEL M. JACSON + + +London: HUTCHINSON & CO. +Paternoster Row 1908 + + + + +CONTENTS + +CHAPTER PAGE + + I. EVENTS LEADING UP TO THE SIEGE OF + LADYSMITH 1 + + II. SIEGE OF LADYSMITH 30 + +III. EVENTS FOLLOWING THE SIEGE OF LADYSMITH, + AND THE ADVANCE NORTH + UNDER. SIR REDVERS BULLER 104 + + IV. LYDENBURG 149 + + V. TREKKING IN THE NORTH-EAST TRANSVAAL 176 + + + + +LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS + + +MONUMENT ERECTED TO OFFICERS AND MEN OF THE +DEVONSHIRE REGIMENT WHO FELL ON JANUARY 6TH +ON WAGON HILL, SIEGE OF LADYSMITH. _Frontispiece_ + + FACE PAGE + +EN ROUTE TO LADYSMITH 5 + +IN THE TRENCHES, LADYSMITH 36 + +TOWN HALL, LADYSMITH, CLOCK-TOWER DAMAGED BY +SHELL FIRE 44 + +AFTER A WET NIGHT IN THE TRAVERSES, LADYSMITH 56 + +THE RAILWAY BRIDGE, WITH CAESAR'S CAMP IN +DISTANCE, LADYSMITH 62 + +LIEUT.-COLONEL C.W. PARK 66 + +NAVAL BATTERY HILL, LADYSMITH } + } +MONUMENT ERECTED TO DEVONS ON WAGON HILL, } 70 +ON SPOT WHERE THE CHARGE TOOK PLACE, LADYSMITH } + +A PEACEFUL SUNDAY 80 + +DEVON OFFICERS REMAINING FIT FOR DUTY AT THE +END OF THE SIEGE 102 + +BRIGADIER-GENERAL WALTER KITCHENER 104 + +RAILWAY BRIDGE DESTROYED BY BOERS, INGAGANE 108 + +MAKING BARBED-WIRE ENTANGLEMENT, INGAGANE 110 + +THE BAGGAGE OF GENERAL BULLER'S ARMY CROSSING +BEGINDERLYN BRIDGE 116 + +TREKKING WITH GENERAL BULLER 124 + +DEVONS CROSSING THE SABI RIVER 140 + +COLONEL C.W. PARK, MISSION CAMP, LYDENBURG 148 + +WIRE BRIDGE, LYDENBURG 160 + +MISSION CAMP FORT, LYDENBURG (INTERIOR) 170 + +REMAINS OF BOER BIG GUN, WATERVAL 180 + +CROSSING THE STEELPORT RIVER 182 + +DAWN--AFTER A NIGHT MARCH, TRICHARDTSFONTEIN 200 + +DEVONS EN ROUTE TO DURBAN 208 + +MONUMENT ERECTED IN LADYSMITH CEMETERY 218 + + +MAPS + +SIEGE OF LADYSMITH + +NATAL AND S.E. TRANSVAAL + + + + +PREFACE + +BY LIEUT.-GENERAL W. KITCHENER + + +Experience we all know to be a valuable asset, and experience in war is +the most costly of its kind. To enable those coming after us to +reconstruct the picture of war, Regimental Histories have proved of +infinite value. That such a record fills a sentimental want hardly +requires assertion. + +My first feelings on being honoured with a request from the Devonshire +Regiment to write a preface to the account of their "Work in South +Africa, 1899-1902," were, I confess, How could I refuse so difficult a +task gracefully? However, on further consideration it seemed to me that +undoubtedly such a preface should be written by some one outside the +corps itself. Onlookers, as the saying goes, often see most of the game, +and, being free from personal bias, can often add something to what +those engrossed in the meshes of life's details can only appreciate from +a narrower point of view. + +From this standpoint, and as I was the General under whom the 1st Devons +served longest in South Africa, it seemed obviously my duty to attempt +the task. + +The "Work of the 1st Battalion of the Devonshire Regiment" is portrayed +in these pages. It therefore only remains for me to add, for the benefit +of coming generations, what manner of men these were, who by their +dogged devotion to duty helped to overcome the Boer. Associated as one +was with many corps in the close intimacy of veldt life, it was a study +of the deepest interest to note the individuality that characterized +each, and which was often as clearly and as well defined as that of the +men with whom one daily came in contact. + +During the many months of our intimate association, and in the varied +situations that presented themselves, I cannot call to mind any single +occasion on which the Devons were ever flurried or even hurried. Their +imperturbability of temper, even under the most trying conditions, could +not be surpassed. + +Another characteristic of the corps was its inherent thrift. They were, +in fact, essentially a "self-help" corps. When a flood came and washed +away the bridge leading to the picket line, no sapper was required to +show them how to throw a suspension bridge above the flood from tree to +cliff. It was characteristic of the Regiment that they carried out in +war their peace training, never allowing the atmosphere of excitement to +distort their actions. + +If we take Elandslaagte, Wagon Hill, or any of the hundred and one +ticklish night operations in which they took part, this trait will be +ever noteworthy, that they acted as was to be expected of them, and made +no fuss of having done so. + +We have all read realistic descriptions of troops on the march in South +Africa, the writer using all his cunning to depict the war-worn dirty +condition of his heroes, seeming to glean satisfaction from their +grease-stained khaki. It must be admitted that the South African War is +responsible for a somewhat changed condition of thought as regards +cleanliness and its relation to smartness. No such abstraction disturbed +the Devons; a Devon man was always clean. Individuals of some corps +could be readily identified by their battered helmets or split boots; +not so the Devons. No helmet badge was necessary for their +identification, and the veriest tyro could not fail to recognize at any +time the crisply washed Indian helmet cover. + +It may be open to question whether it is for good or for evil that we +should broaden our views of what goes to make a smart and useful +fighting man, but the regimental system of the Devons was for no +innovation of a careless go-as-you-please style. I thus lay stress on +the individuality of the Devons in South Africa, because it was this +individuality of theirs, born of their regimental system, which enabled +them to claim so full a share in the success of that long-drawn-out +campaign. + +No one can quite appreciatively follow the story of the work of the +Devons, unless he realizes the intense feeling of comradeship that +animates these West-country men. To work with Devonshire men is to +realize in the flesh the intensity of the local county loyalty so +graphically depicted by Charles Kingsley in his _Westward Ho!_ and other +novels. + +In conclusion, let me add, a more determined crew I never wish to see, +and a better regiment to back his orders a General can never hope to +have. + +[Illustration: [Signature - Walter Kitchener]] + +DALHOUSIE, _May_, 1906. + + + + +PREFACE + +BY THE AUTHOR + + +The story as told is an everyday account and a record of the work of the +men of the 1st Battalion Devonshire Regiment during the South African +War. + +It exemplifies the devotion to duty, the stubbornness in adversity, and +the great fighting qualities of the West-country man, which qualities +existed in the time of Drake, and which still exist. + +A repeating of their history of the past, a record of the present, and +an example for the generation to come. + + + + +CHAPTER I + +EVENTS LEADING UP TO THE SIEGE OF LADYSMITH + +1899 + + +On returning from the North-West Frontier of India at the close of the +Tirah Expedition, 1897-8, the 1st Battalion Devonshire Regiment, which +had served with distinction under the command of Colonel J.H. Yule in +the campaign against the Afridi clans, was ordered to proceed from +Peshawar to Jullunder, at which place it was quartered in 1898 and in +the summer months of 1899, during which time certain companies and +detachments were furnished for duty at Dalhousie, Kasauli, and Ghora +Dakka (Murree Hills), and located during the hot weather at these +places. + +Towards the latter end of August, 1899, news from South Africa appeared +ominous, and war seemed likely to break out between England and the +Transvaal. + +On the 8th September, 1899, confidential instructions were received from +army head-quarters at Simla ordering the Regiment to get ready to move +at short notice to South Africa, and a few days later further orders +were received to entrain on the 16th September for Bombay _en route_ to +the Transvaal, which country the Regiment was destined not to reach for +some months, and then only after severe fighting. + +The companies quartered at Dalhousie and Ghora Dakka with difficulty +joined the head-quarters at Jullunder before the 16th, and the following +marches are worthy of record:-- + +The Dalhousie detachment marched to Pathankote, a distance of 54-1/4 +miles, in two days. Major Curry, who was in command, gave each man a +coolie for his baggage, and ordered the men to get to Duneera the first +day the best way they could. At Duneera they halted for the night, and +the next day pushed on in the same manner to Pathankote, where they +immediately entrained and proceeded to Jullunder. + +The Ghora Dakka detachment under Lieutenant Emerson marched to Rawal +Pindi, a distance of fifty-four miles, in two days, and then entrained +for Jullunder. + +No men fell out in either party, and considering the time of year and +the intense heat, they were fine performances. + +Some officers were on leave in Cashmere, and only arrived at Jullunder +as the Regiment was entraining. + +On September 16th, 1899, the 1st Battalion Devonshire Regiment, under +the command of Major C.W. Park, left Jullunder by rail for Bombay with a +strength as under:-- + +25 officers, 1 warrant officer, and 842 sergeants, rank and file. + +The following officers accompanied the battalion:-- + +Major C.W. Park, commanding. +Major M.C. Curry, second in command. +Captain M.G. Jacson. +Captain J.O. Travers. +Captain E.C. Wren. +Captain E.M. Morris. +Lieutenant P.H. Price-Dent. +Lieutenant J.E.I. Masterson. +Lieutenant A.F. Dalzel. +Lieutenant N.Z. Emerson. +Lieutenant G.H.I. Graham. +Lieutenant T.B. Harris. +2nd Lieutenant G.I. Watts. +2nd Lieutenant D.H. Blunt. +2nd Lieutenant H.R. Gunning. +2nd Lieutenant S.T. Hayley. +2nd Lieutenant H.W.F. Twiss. +Captain and Adjutant H.S.L. Ravenshaw. +Captain and Quartermaster H. Honner. +Warrant Officer Sergeant-Major G.E. Mitchell. + +The following officers were attached for duty to the battalion:-- + +Major Burnside, R.A.M.C., in medical charge. +Lieutenant E.G. Caffin, Yorkshire Regiment. +Lieutenant H.W.R. Cowie, Dorset Regiment. +Lieutenant A.M. Tringham, The Queen's West Surrey Regiment. +Lieutenant J.A. Byrne, Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers. +Lieutenant E.E.M. Walker, Somersetshire Light Infantry. + +[Illustration: En Route to Ladysmith] + +The following officers were absent from the battalion on leave in +England:-- + +Captain W.B. Lafone. +Captain G.M. Gloster. +Lieutenant H.N. Field. + +Colonel J.H. Yule, commanding the battalion, was appointed to the +command of the Indian Infantry Brigade, South Africa, with the temporary +rank of brigadier-general. Major A.G. Spratt was placed in charge of the +depot and details left at Jullunder. + +The Regiment arrived without incident on September 21st at Bombay, +having halted, for a few hours only, at the following places:-- + +On September 17th at Aligarh. +" " 18th at Jhansi. +" " 19th at Hoshangabad. +" " 20th at Deolali. + +Embarkation took place immediately on arrival, the transport _Sutlej_ +taking five companies, head-quarters, band and drums, under Major C.W. +Park; and the transport _City of London_ taking three companies under +Major M.C. Curry. + +On the latter vessel sailed also Sir George White's Staff and the Staff +of the Indian Infantry Brigade. + +The _Sutlej_ sailed at noon on September 21st, and it was reported that +the ship was under sealed orders, and that her destination was Delagoa +Bay. + +The days on board were occupied in keeping the men fit with physical +drill, free gymnastics, etc., and with instruction in first-aid to the +wounded and the use of the field-dressing and the method of adjusting +it. + +On September 28th Agalega Island was sighted, and on the 30th the ship +was off the east coast of Madagascar. + +On the 2nd October the S.S. _Purnea_ with the 60th Rifles on board was +spoken, and communication by flag signal established, both vessels +inquiring for news. The _Sutlej_ was the last to leave port, but had +nothing new to communicate. + +At 7 a.m. on October 5th, in rough and foggy weather, the _Sutlej_ +arrived off the coast of Africa, and the fog lifting about midday, she +ran down the coastline for two hours, and arrived outside the bar at +Durban. + +The ships conveying the 60th Rifles and the 53rd Battery arrived an hour +later. The _Sutlej_ waited till 2 p.m. to enter the harbour, and arrived +alongside the quay at 4 p.m., when disembarkation commenced at once in +torrents of rain and heavy wind squalls. + +A deputation of the Durban "West of England" Association met the +Regiment on arrival and presented an address. + +The first news received on landing was that war had not yet been +declared, but that it was inevitable, that President Kruger had seized +half a million of money on its way from Johannesburg to the Cape, and +that orders had been given by him to shoot any one crossing the +frontier. This may or may not have been true; a good deal of _perfectly +reliable_ information was being circulated about this time. + +On the night of October 5th-6th the Regiment left in three trains for +Ladysmith. The rain and cold caused some inconvenience to the men, as +they were packed into open trucks, and obtained neither shelter nor +sleep. They were new to the game then, but they saw the inside of many a +coal truck later. + +The journey to Pietermaritzburg was in the nature of a triumphal +procession, for at various points along the line small knots of old men +women and children, waving Union Jacks, cheered the troops most lustily +as the trains passed. + +A remark frequently heard was "How glad they are to see us," and it was +evident that these people at least, who were interested and possessed +homes in Natal, had not underrated the power and intentions of the +Transvaal. The Regiment had an enthusiastic reception, as indeed did all +troops passing to the front, flags and handkerchiefs being waved from +every house farm and village. At some stations where a short stop was +made to allow of other trains getting on ahead, tea and refreshments +were given out free, by willing hands, to the soldiers in the trucks. + +Trains were running with about 500 to 600 yards distance between them. + +On October 6th between 7 and 8 a.m. the trains conveying the Regiment +reached Pietermaritzburg, and here the men had breakfast. Pushing on +again with as little delay as possible and passing Estcourt at about 3 +p.m., and Colenso about 4 p.m., Ladysmith was reached at 6 p.m. + +Detraining took place at once, and the Regiment marched off to Tin Town, +about two miles distant, where camp was pitched in the dark. + +The infantry at this time in Ladysmith consisted of:-- + +The Gordon Highlanders. +The Devonshire Regiment. +The Gloucester Regiment. +The Liverpool Regiment. + +Rumours of war and warlike preparation on the part of the Boers were +continually being circulated, and at daybreak on October 11th the +Transvaal Boers crossed the frontier of Natal 18,000 strong with +fourteen guns. + +On October 12th, at 2 p.m., orders were received for the Regiment to +prepare at once to go out as part of a flying column towards Acton +Holmes to check the advance of the Free State Boers, who were reported +to be crossing the Biggarsberg by Vanreenen's Pass; and at 2 a.m. a +force consisting of four regiments of cavalry, four batteries R.A., and +three regiments of infantry (Liverpools, Gordons, and Devons) left +Ladysmith, and after great delay reached Dewdrop at 9 a.m. + +The cavalry having been sent on to gain touch, failed however to do so, +and the column returned at once to Ladysmith. The information turned out +to be incorrect. + +On the return march the Regiment was joined by Captain W.B. Lafone and +Lieutenants Field and Green, who had arrived from England. + +On Sunday, October 15th, the Royal Irish Fusiliers, who had arrived +about two days previously, marched out of the Tin Camp Ladysmith to +entrain for Dundee, which place it was reported the Transvaal Boers were +threatening; and on the same day the news was confirmed that the +armoured train at Mafeking had been twice attacked. + +It was said that our khaki uniform had completely nonplussed the Boers, +and that they had expected to meet us coming on in red, as in the days +gone by, and that they were consequently rather surprised and annoyed. + +The Liverpool Regiment, 18th Hussars, and one battery left Ladysmith by +road for Colenso on October 18th, the Manchester Regiment, the Devons, +and Natal mounted troops covering their march from the direction of +Vanreenen's Pass. Refugees continually coming through into Ladysmith +from Acton Holmes during the day, reported fighting going on between +Boers and Natal Carbineers. + +On its return to Ladysmith the same day, the Regiment moved from the Tin +Town Camp and encamped on the football ground under the convent hill, +and towards sunset the whole army marched out of Ladysmith into +strategical positions outside the town. The Regiment at this time was +reserve battalion. + +On October 19th the Boers cut the telegraph wire between Dundee and +Ladysmith, and captured near Elandslaagte Station a train containing +forty tons of flour consigned to the force at Dundee, and the following +morning the Devons, Gordons, one battery, 5th Lancers, and some Colonial +mounted infantry, moved out towards Modder Station on the +Ladysmith-Newcastle road. + +At about 11 a.m. news was received that a fierce battle was being fought +at Dundee, and that a large force of Free State Boers was advancing +towards Ladysmith from Bester's Station, having crossed the Vanreenen's +Pass. The column was halted about four miles out of Ladysmith, and three +companies of the Devons under Captain Travers were sent to hold Pepworth +Hill on the flank threatened by the Free State Boers. But at 4 p.m. Sir +George White came out and joined the force, and he ordered the column +back into Ladysmith. + +He gave an account of the fighting at Dundee, which he had just +received. Dundee Camp was aroused in the morning by shells being pitched +into its midst. The artillery came into action, and the 60th Rifles and +Dublin Fusiliers were then sent to capture the position, which was +occupied by 4000 Boers. This was gallantly carried. Another column of +Boers was then turned on to, and at 1.30 p.m. the enemy broke. +Major-General Penn-Symons was mortally wounded, and Major-General Yule +had taken over command at Dundee. + +By next day a detachment of Boers had reached the neighbourhood of +Modder Station and had taken up a position near Elandslaagte. + +This detachment consisted of some 650 Boers, with two guns, under the +leadership of General Koch, who was charged with the task of cutting off +the retreat of the forces at Glencoe and Dundee, and who had been sent +forward for that purpose. General Koch had at the same time practically +joined hands with the Free State Boers, who were in the neighbourhood of +Bester's Station on the Ladysmith-Harrismith line. + +In order to reoccupy Elandslaagte and to secure General Yule's line of +retreat, Sir George White ordered out a force consisting of infantry, +cavalry, and artillery, of which four companies of the Regiment formed a +part, under the command of General French. These companies went out in +the morning by train under Major Curry, and detrained near Modder +Station. + +One company and a Maxim gun under Captain Jacson and a squadron 5th +Lancers were sent at 11 a.m. by road to Pepworth Hill to guard the left +flank of General French's force against the Free State Army, which might +seriously threaten General French's communications with Ladysmith. + +At 1 p.m. further reinforcements were sent out to General French, and +the three remaining companies of the Regiment were ordered to proceed by +train to Modder Station to join the wing under Major Curry. The seven +companies were then under the command of Major Park. + +The Boers occupied two cones of some low hills overlooking Elandslaagte +railway station. General French's artillery came into action on some +high ground 4400 yards distant from the Boer position, and between the +two forces was an open undulating plain affording little or no cover, +and across which the attack had to be delivered. + +The Gordon Highlanders and Manchesters were to attack round the Boers' +left flank, whilst the Devons were to make a frontal attack. + +From the nature of the position which they had taken up, no commanding +positions affording flanking fire and protection to their flanks were +obtainable by the Boers. These were open and could be easily threatened +by the cavalry and the mounted infantry. + +The Boers had two guns in position on one of the two cones, and with +these guns they did good execution, knocking over a limber of one of +French's batteries at the second shot, and practically before his guns +came into action. + +General French's force, now considerably augmented, marched off at 2.30 +p.m. The 1st Devon Regiment was formed in company column at fifty paces +as a reserve to the Manchester Regiment. After proceeding about a mile +heavy firing was heard on the right front, direction was changed +half-right, and the Regiment was then ordered to form for attack on the +left of the Manchesters, and to take up a front of 500 yards. + +Three companies were placed in the firing-line and supports under Major +Park, and four companies in reserve under Major Curry. At about 3.15 +p.m. the firing-line reached the top of a low hill, and came in sight of +the enemy's position distant about 4400 yards. Here a halt of a quarter +of an hour was made, and at 3.30 p.m. orders were received by the +Regiment to make a frontal attack on the position, to advance to within +effective rifle range, and to then hold on till a flank attack by the +Manchesters and Gordons came in on the right. The ground between the +Regiment and the position sloped slightly up to the foot of the low +rocky hills, on which the enemy was posted. There was no cover of any +kind, except a few ant-heaps, in the first half of the distance. + +The firing-line advanced keeping intervals and covering a front of about +600 yards, the centre being directed on to a conical hill at the back of +the enemy's camp. The reserve followed in column of companies, in single +rank, at fifty paces distance between companies. The enemy's guns opened +on the Regiment at once with shrapnel, but most of the shells went high, +only one striking the reserve companies. + +A steady advance to about 1200 to 1300 yards from the position was made, +when, the rifle fire becoming rather heavy, fire was opened by section +volleys. The light was bad, and it was very difficult to see the enemy +or estimate the distances. In a few minutes the supports reinforced, and +the firing-line then pushed on to the foot of the slope, and established +itself in a shallow ditch 800 to 900 yards from the position. Here it +held on, firing sectional volleys, till the flank attack appeared on the +hill, apparently about 500 yards from the position. + +An advance by companies from the right was then ordered, and, the +reserve reinforcing, a further 200 yards was gained. Some bugling and +shouting was then heard on the hill. A rush to 350 yards was now made, +and, after a short pause to allow the men to get breath, bayonets were +fixed and the position charged, four companies assaulting the detached +hill on the left, the remaining three companies assaulting the hill on +which the enemy's guns were. F and G Companies were the first to reach +and take possession of the guns, the Gordon Highlanders coming up on the +right shortly afterwards. The companies then moved on down the reverse +slope and opened fire on the retiring enemy. On the detached hill only +five of the enemy were found alive, and they showed a white flag as the +hill was charged. + +The Regiment was then re-formed, and held the detached hill during the +night. + +During the three hours it was under fire, the battalion kept line and +intervals carefully throughout, and adjusted sights and fired as +steadily as if on parade. It is to the perfect steadiness of the men and +the absence of all crowding that the very small losses from the enemy's +fire, which at all times was heavy, can be attributed. + +The battalion's losses were:-- + +Captain W.B. Lafone, slightly wounded. +2nd Lieutenants Gunning, Hailey, and Green, severely wounded. +Twenty-nine non-commissioned officers and men wounded. + +Parties of men were busy during the night collecting the Boer wounded +and taking them down to the laager. Among them was General Koch, who was +badly hit in several places. He died of his wounds a few days afterwards +in Ladysmith. + +The losses of the Boers were estimated at 62 killed, 150 wounded, and +184 prisoners. + +The force was moved back into Ladysmith early on the 22nd morning, the +infantry by rail, and cavalry by road. The company of the Regiment and +Maxim gun, which had been on Pepworth Hill during the day and the +following night, got back to camp the same afternoon. + +The 23rd was given up to rejoicings and congratulations over the +victory, and the two Boer flags which were captured were displayed +outside the officers' mess tent. + +The Free State Army had by now come across to the east, and were in the +neighbourhood of Modder Station, and on October 24th a column was again +ordered out with the object of assisting General Yule's force in from +Dundee. + +This column consisted of the 5th Lancers, 19th Hussars, Natal +Carbineers, Border Mounted Rifles, Imperial Light Horse, Devons, +Liverpools, Gloucesters, 60th Rifles, and twenty guns, in all about 5500 +men. + +The enemy was found posted on Tinta Inyoni Mountain, on the summit of +which they brought a gun into action and fired on to the head of Sir G. +White's force, which was in column of route on the road, but without +doing any damage. The action began at 8.30 a.m. + +At the commencement of the action the battalion was in reserve, and was +ordered to extend and lie down at the foot of the first slope facing the +enemy's position, and some 300 yards north-west of the railway line, +sending scouts to the crest of the ridge to watch the front. Four +companies were shortly afterwards ordered to advance in attack +formation, forming their own supports, and to place themselves on the +left of the Gloucester Regiment, which was in front of the Regiment at +the time. The Regiment was then on the extreme left of the firing-line. +The four companies of the reserve worked round under cover to a small +nullah about 300 yards on the left and then advanced up it. The +firing-line advanced, under slight rifle fire, across a rocky plateau +till they gained a small ridge overlooking the front, and opened fire by +section volleys on to a ridge about 800 yards in front, from which a +rather heavy fire was coming. + +The Maxim gun under Lieutenant Price-Dent came into action in rear of +the left of the line and fired at the enemy to the left front. + +The enemy's fire from this ridge was soon silenced, and from that time +the only objective the line had was a few scattered Boers and their +horses on the rear slope of the high hill to the left front, some 2000 +yards distant. + +The reserve was deployed into two lines of double companies on and below +a small ridge of rocks some 250 yards in rear of the firing-line. At +about 2 p.m. the retirement commenced, and the battalion gradually +followed the Liverpool Regiment and became rearguard. Ladysmith was +reached about 3.30 p.m., after a sixteen-mile march in torrents of rain. + +The casualties of the battalion during the day were:-- + +1 private killed.[1] +25 privates wounded, none dangerously. + +[Footnote 1: This private, the first man of the Regiment killed in the +war, was Private Winsor. He was shot dead through the heart by a stray +bullet.] + +This action was known as the action of Reitfontein. + +On October 26th General Yule's force marched into Ladysmith. They had +had a bad time, having marched in drenching rain, day and night, from +Sunday till Wednesday. The garrison of Ladysmith gave them food on +arrival, the Regiment supplying the Dublin Fusiliers (officers and men) +with refreshments. + +On October 27th it was reported that the Boers were nearing Ladysmith +and attempting to surround the place, and a large force was ordered out +by Sir George White to reconnoitre. + +This reconnaissance was under the command of Colonel Ian Hamilton, and +his column consisted of three cavalry regiments, three batteries, and +four infantry battalions, to which was added later one infantry +battalion and one battery. + +Having advanced beyond the Nek between Lombards Kop and Bulwana, and +having crossed the Modder Spruit on the Helpmakaar road, the Regiment +was sent on outpost duty to the left front, whilst the main body of the +force halted on the bank of the stream. + +From the outpost line large bodies of the enemy were observed advancing +over Long Hill. Boers were also seen very busy on the kopjes south of +Long Hill, entrenching. + +At 8 p.m. orders were received from the officer commanding the column, +in which it was explained that the force was to make a night march and +attack, the infantry to advance at 2 a.m. + +The Boer position as seen by the Regiment on the outpost line was some +three miles in length, and the point of attack was to be the extreme +left of their position, viz. Farquhar's Farm. + +In the opinion of some the attack would have succeeded and the evil days +of the siege put back; in the opinion of others the attack could not +possibly have succeeded on account of the length of the Boer position, +which they had had time to strengthen and entrench, and which had not +been definitely reconnoitred. + +At midnight fresh orders were received from Sir George White in +Ladysmith. The whole force was ordered to retire and to proceed back at +once into their positions in and about the town. + +It was reported that the Boers were in great numbers, some 17,000 under +Joubert, and that they had their big guns with them. + +The Regiment commenced their retirement as rearguard to the force at 4 +a.m., and reached camp at 6.30 a.m. on October 28th. + +October 29th was a Sunday, and except for rumours, which were prolific, +a quiet day was spent. + +The Boers were reported to be entrenching themselves a mile and a half +out on the Dundee road, and at the same time the Ladysmith defences were +being prepared, and blasting operations were being carried out for the +construction of military roads. + +The battle of Farquhar's Farm was fought on October 30th, 1899. + +The whole army was ordered out at 3 a.m. + +The battalion formed part of the reserve brigade under Colonel Ian +Hamilton. This reserve brigade took up a position under Limit Hill, and +facing Pepworth Hill from the south. + +The plan of the day was to have been as follows, had everything gone as +it was proposed:-- + +Five regiments of infantry, all the mounted troops, and four batteries +of artillery were to move round the enemy's left up the Helpmakaar road +towards Farquhar's Farm (the direction of the proposed night attack on +the night 27th-28th) to attack and drive in his left. + +Two regiments of infantry with one mountain battery were to move off to +the left of the British position to hold the enemy's right (which +comprised the whole of the Free State Army), and prevent him from +getting into Ladysmith. + +The main attack was to be made in the centre by Colonel Ian Hamilton's +Brigade by an assault on Pepworth Hill, where the Boer big guns were +located, and which was the key of the position. + +The above was the plan; the result and the way in which it was carried +out is told in a few words. + +The two infantry battalions and mountain battery, detailed to guard the +left flank, knocked up against the Free State Army under Cronje (which +was seen in the forenoon by the main body of General White's force, +coming over Walker's Hoek) on what is known now as Surprise Hill, and +which place is situated a little above and nearer Ladysmith than +Nicholson's Nek. Cronje attacked them in the dark, scattered the gun +mules which stampeded, and after some hours of hard fighting captured +the lot. + +The force on the right, under Sir George White's personal command, ran +prematurely into Joubert's Transvaal Army, which had advanced from its +previous and partly reconnoitred position, and which had formed up ready +to receive them in a position somewhat nearer Ladysmith. It received a +very heavy cross fire from big guns, field guns, machine guns, and +musketry, and was put to confusion, the artillery and the cavalry having +some difficulty in extricating themselves. General White took the +Manchester Regiment and the Gordon Highlanders from Hamilton's Brigade +to cover the retirement, and his force came back into Ladysmith fired +into with wonderful accuracy, at a range of about 7000 yards, by the big +gun on Pepworth. Of the remainder of Hamilton's Brigade, the Rifle +Brigade (which had only arrived in Ladysmith that day) and a half +battalion Devon Regiment were told off to bring up the rear, whilst the +other half battalion of the Devons was left on Limit Hill, two miles +outside Ladysmith, to act as a covering force. + + * * * * * + +The Naval Brigade under Lambton arrived at Limit Hill with three naval +12-pounders just as the retirement was taking place, and they were at +once ordered back into the town. They returned without coming into +action. As they were retiring down the road past the Piggery by the +Orange Free State Junction Station, a well-aimed shell from Pepworth +Hill upset one of their guns, killing some of the ox-team and a gunner +who was being carried back wounded in an ambulance. + +The half battalion of the regiment under Major Curry was ordered to take +up a defensive position on Limit Hill and to stay there for the night. + +The Boer force was within 1000 yards, and it was thought probable that +they would follow up their defeated foe. Their patrols were continually +coming to within 300-500 yards of the Devons' outpost line. + +As the half battalion was well covered from view, it was deemed +expedient and prudent not to expose their position and weakness by +firing, but rather by lying quiet to trust to the Boer imagination, +allowing them to think there was a larger force in position at Limit +Hill than there really was. This plan was eminently successful, for +except for Boer patrols the position was not threatened. + +Orders were received by this half battalion at 9 a.m. on November 2nd to +retire on to Ladysmith. The defenders of Ladysmith being unaware of the +fact that any of their own troops were in front of them, and mistaking +friend for foe, got down on their knees to fire as the companies of the +Devons appeared in sight. + +The half battalion which had retired with the rest of the force into +Ladysmith on October 30th received orders at 10 a.m. on the 31st to +strike camp, move off and form part of the garrison of section "A" of +the defences of Ladysmith, under the command of Colonel W.G. Knox, C.B. +The second half battalion followed them. + + + + +CHAPTER II + +SIEGE OF LADYSMITH + +1899-1900 + + +The siege of Ladysmith had now commenced; communication to the south was +interrupted on November 2nd, and on the same day the Boers had their +guns in action on Bulwana Mountain and were shelling the works and town +freely. + +The perimeter of Ladysmith was divided into four sections, A, B, C, D, +under Colonel W.G. Knox, General Howard, Colonel Hamilton, and Colonel +Royston respectively. Section A extended from Devon Post to Cove +Redoubt; on the west of this was section B, extending as far as Range +Post on the Klip River. Section C included Maiden Castle, Wagon Hill, +and Caesar's Camp, whilst the plain between Caesar's Camp and Devon Post +was held by the Natal Volunteers under Colonel Royston. + +The battalion was ordered to take up the two posts of Cemetery Hill and +Helpmakaar Hill. These were the most eastern kopjes of the defences. +They skirted the Helpmakaar road and were immediately under Bulwana and +Gun Hill. These were distant only some five thousand yards, and +dominated Devon Post. + +The battalion was distributed: three companies on Helpmakaar Hill, two +companies on Cemetery Hill, with three companies in reserve near the +road and river-bed immediately beneath Cemetery Hill. + +Devon Post received its first shells on the morning of the 3rd. These +were aimed at the tents of the reserve companies, which were rather +ostentatiously pitched on the plain by the river-bed under Cemetery +Hill. The shells were fired from a high-velocity 3-inch gun on Bulwana. +The tents were immediately moved closer under the hill, where they were +out of sight from Bulwana. The Boer guns were then trained on to the +working parties, and some fifty shells were burst in the works (just +commenced and affording little cover) on Helpmakaar and Cemetery Hill +posts, but without doing much damage. After this, owing to shell fire, +it was impossible to work except at night, or when Bulwana was obscured +by fog. The fortifications and defences were, however, hastily pushed +forward, and the platforms for the two large and ancient howitzers known +as "Castor" and "Pollux" were soon completed. + +Shortly after the commencement of the siege one of the few shells fired +into Ladysmith which did any damage, burst amongst a party of Natal +Carbineers on the road under Cemetery Hill, killing five men and seven +horses. + +On November 5th the Intombi Camp was formed, and all the wounded and +most of the women and children, with a few of the able-bodied male +civilian inhabitants of Ladysmith, were moved into the neutral camp. + +On November 6th and 7th, with the exception of a shell or two, things +were quiet on Devon Post, but on the evening of the 7th a furious +bombardment began at four o'clock, the Boer guns all round firing into +the town and at anything they could see moving. No damage was done. + +In addition to the works on Devon Post, which were manned by the +Regiment, a half-company picquet was told off nightly. This picquet +extended and lay down across the main road at the foot of the forward +work. It mounted after dark and was relieved before daylight in the +morning. Many will remember the spot where this picquet was posted as +the most ill-chosen, inconvenient, and hard platform for a bed on a +rainy night. + +The nights of the 6th, 7th, and 8th were occupied in making the works +stronger and building additional works. + +On November 9th the Boers made their first attempt against Ladysmith. +The attack commenced at 6 a.m. with heavy musketry fire directed on to +the northern defences; and three hours later the attack developed on +Helpmakaar Post and Caesar's Camp. Shells came very thickly from two +howitzers and three high-velocity Creusot guns into Devon Post. This +lasted till about 2 p.m., when the action was concluded with a royal +salute from the naval batteries and three hearty cheers, which, started +by the Naval Brigade, were taken up all round the defences in honour of +the birthday of H.R.H. the Prince of Wales. A curious ending to a +battle. + +During the action a well-directed shell from one of Christie's ancient +howitzers, which were now located on Helpmakaar Hill, pitched with good +effect into the middle of a large group of Boers who were entrenching +themselves on a small rise of ground underneath Gun Hill. + +Helpmakaar, which had always been a single-day post, was now turned into +a three days' post, companies remaining in the fort for three days +before being relieved. + +On the 11th three companies of the Regiment were sent out under Captain +Lafone to blow up a farm building under Bulwana, about one and half +miles distant from Devon Post. After a long delay, owing to the blasting +materials having been forgotten, the operation was successfully carried +out, and the party returned with only some slight annoyance from the +enemy's pompom and a few shots from a high-velocity gun stationed on +Bulwana. + +The Boer artillery on Bulwana and Gun Hill was well served, and their +shooting was excellent. One morning they opened with a 40-pounder +howitzer, known under the name of "Weary Willy," on to the main work at +Devon Post, at a portion of the work occupied by "Walker's Hotchkiss Gun +Detachment." About twelve consecutive shots pitched within a five yards' +radius, and one crashed into and nearly breached the parapet, which was +here about six feet thick and built of large stones. + +The men worked on the 11th from dark till 1 a.m., when the works were +practically completed and sufficiently strengthened to answer all +purposes, although building was being carried on till the last day of +the siege, and the men were still building at the actual moment when the +relief cavalry were marching across the plain into Ladysmith. + +The willingness and the cheery manner in which the men of the battalion +worked at these defences are worthy of record. On pitch-dark nights in +pouring rain the men, wet to the skin, covered with mud and filth, +without a smoke, groping about in the dark to find a likely stone, +carried on the work in silence; and when the word was passed along to +knock off work, they "turned in" without a grumble into a wet bivouac. +There was no complaining, and the men were never required by their +officers to bring along the stones faster. The only noise that broke the +stillness of the night was the incessant "click, click, click" of the +picks at work loosening the stones, and the men, in spite of the +conditions under which the work was being carried on, joked among +themselves in an undertone. + +Work was nightly carried on from dark till midnight and sometimes till 2 +a.m., and the men turned out again to stand to arms at 3.30 a.m. + +By the middle of November the works at Devon Post were from 4-1/2 to 10 +feet high, from 8 to 10 feet thick at the top (the whole built roughly +of stone), with the superior slope nearly flat, exterior slope about +1/1, interior slope nearly upright. The front work had a thickness at +the bottom of about 18 feet, owing to the work being constructed on the +slope of the hill. + +[Illustration: In the trenches, Ladysmith] + +Things passed quietly with intermittent shell fire till the afternoon of +the 14th, when General Brocklehurst took out the Cavalry Brigade and two +batteries of artillery, with the intention of turning the Boers off +Rifleman's Ridge. This they failed to do, and returned to their lines +about 5 p.m. well peppered by the Boer big guns, one shell from the big +gun on Pepworth pitching into the centre of the road just short of a +battery of artillery which was coming back into Ladysmith, near the +defences on the north-west front held by a detachment of the Dublin +Fusiliers--an accurate shot, and the distance measured on the map 10,500 +yards. Shortly afterwards the Naval Brigade in their turn did some good +shooting, pitching a shell on to the muzzle of the big gun on Pepworth, +and a few moments after this shot, another on to his parapet. Boers were +afterwards seen carrying litters away from the work. This big gun never +fired again during the siege, but the Boers patched him up and he lived +to do good work for them against General Buller in his advance north to +Lydenburg, and the Boers finally blew him up in front of the battalion +near Waterval, in the Lydenburg district, when engaged with a column +under General Walter Kitchener. + +For the next few days nothing of consequence occurred beyond the usual +shell fire, varied at intervals from day to night time. It rained in +torrents most of the time, and the men were continually wet through. +They however kept very fit, and there were very few in hospital. + +An amusing incident occurred on the 17th. Good targets being scarce the +Boers continually fired shell at any moving or stationary object they +could catch sight of--sometimes at a single scout. They often fired +their pompom at a range of about 5000 yards at the vultures feeding on +the dead horses under Devon Post. On this day they sent three 40-lb. +shells at an old man named Brown who contracted for the dead horses. +Brown used to take these out into the open in full view of the Boers, to +some flat ground under the Post, and there skin them at his leisure. The +old man would take his load out once a day in a four-horsed cart. If he +was seen by the Boers he would come back at a gallop pursued by Boer +shells. This time he came back on three wheels, much to the amusement of +Section A of the defences; the fourth wheel had come off and he was in +too great a hurry to readjust it, and it was in consequence left behind. +The old man was never hit. + +On November 20th the Boers mounted some more guns on Bulwana and also on +Umbrella Tree Hill, which lay in the Nek between Bulwana and Gun Hill. +Colonel Knox ordered a dummy battery to be made at night on the further +side of the Klip River and out in the open. Wooden imitation guns and +imitation gunners were erected, and these were worked with a string by a +gunner concealed in the bank of the river. + +Captain Kincaid-Smith, with the two Maxim-Nordenfeldt guns captured at +Elandslaagte, of which he was now in charge, was to open fire from Devon +Post on to the Boer guns newly placed on Umbrella Tree Hill, and as he +was perfectly concealed and fired smokeless powder, it was supposed that +the Boers would imagine that the firing came from the new dummy battery +just erected. + +Kincaid-Smith began firing at about six o'clock on the following +morning. He fired some five shells in perfect silence unanswered by the +Boers. He was then suddenly located by them, and shells were hurled on +to him from all sides and from all descriptions of guns. This continued +for a quarter of an hour and then slackened off. The Boers burst their +shrapnel better than usual, and in the evening just before dark one +shrapnel got into a working party on Devon Post, killing one man and +severely wounding another. + +There was some heavy musketry fire during the night at a reconnaissance +party sent out from Ladysmith towards Umbrella Tree Hill. The party had +orders to disturb the Boers and draw their fire. This they very +successfully accomplished. On the 22nd night another "disturbing party" +was sent out under Captain Jacson, consisting of one company of the +Regiment and a party of cavalry, to "stir up" the Boers on Flag Hill. It +was pitch-dark, pouring with rain, and the ground was covered with +boulders of rocks. The cavalry were obliged to leave their horses behind +and proceed on foot in front of the infantry; so little was gained by +the enterprise and no "stirring up" was effected. + +Up to this date there had been very little news from the outside world, +but now the Regiment was informed that General French had fought a +successful engagement at Estcourt and had got in with the cavalry. They +were also told that the garrison might expect to be relieved by the 13th +December by one division which was coming up from Durban. + +About November 22nd the news was received that the armoured train at +Colenso had been attacked, derailed, and captured. + +On the 23rd Kincaid-Smith received orders to proceed with one of his +guns during the following night down to the river-bed near the dummy +battery and open fire if the Boers fired at it in the morning. This they +had done the previous day, much to every one's amusement. At daybreak he +opened fire from the river-bed. After his second shot the Boers found +him and made wonderful practice, bursting shrapnel all over him. No +damage, however, was done as he was well dug into the bank. They +continued their shelling for an hour, after which they turned their big +guns on to Tunnel Hill for a short time. This hill was held by the +Liverpool Regiment, who lost two killed and twelve wounded, of whom five +died of their wounds next day. + +The works on Devon Post and Cemetery Hill were strengthened during the +next few nights until the front walls were from twelve to fifteen feet +thick. Most of this work was carried on in heavy rain, which greatly +added to the general discomfort of the men. + +On November 28th the garrison was encouraged by the information that the +Boers had been badly beaten near Estcourt, that 3000 of them had gone +off (it was not reported where to!), and that General Clery was at +Colenso. + +On November 30th General Clery opened up signalling communication with +Ladysmith by flashing his message with his searchlight at night on to +the clouds. The message, which was in cipher, could be easily read by +every one, but the garrison was unable to reply as they had no +searchlight. + +In the early days of December, in order to keep the men as far as +possible in a condition for any eventualities, the Regiment evacuated +their works twice a week at dusk and went for a march twice round the +town. Starting at nightfall the works were regained about 10 p.m. The +exercise was good for the men's limbs and the change of scene +undoubtedly nourishment for their minds, but it is doubtful if it +conduced to the health of the men, as during the march they were +smothered in their own dust, and also in that kicked up by the artillery +horses exercising at the same time and on the same roads. It certainly +gave the men something to think about besides rocks and stones and +building, and the walking stretched their legs. + +On December 2nd Colonel Knox, desirous of carrying on the work of +building in the daytime as well as by night, ordered some canvas screens +to be put up in the Post, behind which the men could work concealed from +view. But although stained the colour of the surroundings, the screens +were seen at once by the Boers, and the battalion was much troubled by a +new gun stationed near Pepworth Hill, which opened fire shortly after +they were erected. One shell from this howitzer topping the hill pitched +within a yard of the guard tent underneath, which was full of men. No +damage was done, however, beyond scattering the ammunition boxes and +covering the men with mud. The screens were then taken down, and on the +disappearance of the noxious objects the firing ceased, and the Boers +appeared pacified. At 10 p.m., whilst the Regiment was at work building +on Cemetery Hill, an order came to parade at once and march to a +rendezvous down in the town in Lyle Street. It was given out "for +operations near Limit Hill." On reaching the rendezvous it was learnt +that the force consisted of two brigades of infantry, some batteries, +and all the mounted troops. After half an hour's wait, a staff officer +rode up to say that the operations were cancelled. + +About this time the siege newspaper, the _Ladysmith Lyre_, came into +existence. There were only four issues, on account of want of paper. + +Shelling continued daily with but little or no result. The Boers were +apparently much incensed with the Town Hall, upon which the Geneva red +cross flag was flying, and which was being used as a hospital, for they +continually fired at it till the flag was taken down early in December, +when they scarcely ever fired at it again. + +[Illustration: Town Hall, Ladysmith, Clock-tower damaged by shell fire] + +On December 7th General Hunter made his sortie to Gun Hill. The secret +was well kept. In the evening, at dark, the battalion was sent to +Abattis Hill with orders to entrench, the scheme ostensibly being that a +force was to go out and stir up the Boers round Pepworth Hill whilst the +Regiment threatened to attack the Boers on the other flank. + +At 11 p.m. a letter was received telling the officer commanding the +Devon Regiment to meet General Hunter under Devon Post at 11.30 p.m. +Shortly after this hour a force of Colonial mounted infantry, with +General Hunter at their head, passed the post to assault Gun Hill. This +they found but sparsely guarded, and, dispersing the small picquet, they +succeeded in blowing up the two big guns and a Maxim located there. The +Regiment remained out till the operation was over. It had been placed in +this position on Abattis Hill to act as a flank guard, with the object +of preventing the Boers attacking from the left round General Hunter's +rear, which was very open, and to act as a support upon which General +Hunter could fall back in case his surprise failed and he was driven in. + +This successful operation was accomplished with the loss of seven men +wounded. + +The operation that followed was not, however, so successful. Colonel +Knox reported that his mounted troops had gone out eight miles up the +Newcastle road past Limit Hill, and had not met or seen a single Boer. +He suggested that the Cavalry Brigade should go out and capture and burn +the Boer stores at Elandslaagte Station. They proceeded to carry out the +suggestion, starting at 7 a.m., but they fell in with a large force of +Boers under Pepworth Hill who had been in their laagers when the +reconnaissance was made and had thus escaped detection. They came under +heavy musketry fire as well as shell fire, and retired back to Ladysmith +with a loss of three killed and fifteen wounded. + +On December 10th an attack on Devon Post was expected, and precautions +taken accordingly. The attack, however, did not come off. + +On the night of December 10th the Rifle Brigade made a sortie and blew +up a Boer big gun on Surprise Hill. This attack was admirably planned +and carried out, but the losses sustained by the Rifle Brigade were +heavy, being fourteen killed and fifty wounded out of the five companies +employed. The Boers attacked them as they were retiring; there was a +good deal of indiscriminate firing, and the bayonet was freely used. The +Boers lost considerably, partly in the general mix-up, from their own +fire, and partly owing to the close-quarter combat with the Rifle +Brigade. + +The Regiment, with other troops, was ordered out with all baggage on the +night of the 12th, the rendezvous being the iron bridge on the +Vanreenen's Pass road. On arrival there the order was received to go +home. This was supposed to be a rehearsal for a sortie. On December 13th +General Buller's guns were heard for the first time due south from +Ladysmith, and at 8 p.m. the Regiment and transport were inspected by +Colonel Knox to see if everything was complete and in readiness to move +out, and on the 14th the Regiment was placed with other troops in a +flying column formed under the personal command of Sir George White. + +It was expected by all that General Buller would relieve the Ladysmith +garrison on December 15th. + +The following day, December 15th, a very heavy cannonade commenced at 6 +a.m. in the direction of Colenso; and at 7 a.m. a heliograph message was +sent into Ladysmith which told the garrison that "the Boers are +suffering terribly from our thirty guns and 23,000 men." The cannonade +ceased at about 1 p.m. + +This day the meat ration was reduced to 9 oz. per man, but 1-1/4 lb. of +bread per man was still being issued. + +December 16th being Dingaan's Day, the garrison of Ladysmith was treated +to heavy shell fire at daybreak. + +On December 17th the Regiment and the Gordon Highlanders were told off +as reserve battalions under the immediate orders of Sir George White. + +It was officially given out that Sir R. Buller had been unable to make +good his advance at Colenso, and that the garrison must be prepared to +hold on for another two weeks. The orders publishing this news stated +that the "Lieutenant-General regrets to have to announce that the +Lieutenant-General Commanding-in-Chief in South Africa failed to make +good his first attack on Colenso; reinforcements will therefore not +arrive as early as expected." + +On the evening of December 18th the Regiment gave over the good works +they had completed on Devon Post and Cemetery Hill to the Liverpool +Regiment, and moved into the latter's camp at Tunnel Hill, or, as it was +otherwise known, Railway Cutting Camp. + + * * * * * + +Helpmakaar Hill, on account of being so exposed, had, at the +commencement of the siege, been considered indefensible and untenable. + +Under the vigorous superintendence of Colonel Knox, the commandant of +the section who planned the defences, the works on this hill had by now +been almost completed by the officers and men of the Battalion. + +The defences were as complete as possible--flanking works, covered ways, +splinter and shell-proof covers were dug or erected, and the main +trenches had been turned into defensible barracks with head cover to +keep off the rain. + +It was possible to proceed from the reserve under Cemetery Hill up to +and round the front and main works, and round the other side of the hill +back to the reserve again, without once coming into view from the Boer +positions on Gun Hill, Bulwana, or elsewhere, a six-feet covering wall +having been built for this purpose. It was thus possible to send +reinforcements to any part of the works without exposure to fire or +view. + +During the siege this post was never attacked or seriously threatened. + +The Regiment, being now in the general reserve, was ordered to be ready +to jump into mule wagons, and be carted at a gallop to any place where +they might be required, at any moment, and on the 20th the manoeuvre was +put into execution. + +It was not altogether a success. + +At dusk the Regiment proceeded to the railway station and the men were +duly loaded up in the wagons. A start was then made, but as the second +wagon nearly took the whole station with it in its endeavours to +negotiate the first corner of the galvanized iron goods shed, no great +speed was effected, for this wagon and the demolished corner of the shed +blocked all further egress from the station till the road was cleared. +Shortly afterwards the wagons, at last let loose, came into contact with +the two city filth carts, the "Powerful" and "Terrible," which were +parading about the streets on their own. These exceedingly powerful +ironclads completed the defeat of the mule wagons, upset finally their +order of going, and the retirement was effected in detachments. The +manoeuvre was never repeated. + +Wonderful tales and reports were continually being circulated from day +to day. On one day there would perhaps be no news of any value, followed +on the next day by the most woeful tidings; but on the third day, as if +ashamed of themselves for furnishing such bad news the previous day, the +tale-bearers would turn the winter of its discontent into the most +glorious summer, by sending forth to the garrison shaves bubbling over +with pleasing items. + +On the evening of the 21st a heliograph message was received from the +2nd Battalion, which was with Sir Redvers Buller, stating that at the +Colenso fight on the 15th December Colonel Bullock, Major Walter, and +Lieutenant Smyth-Osbourne had been taken prisoners, and Captains +Goodwyn, Vigors, and Radcliffe and Lieutenants Gardiner and Storey +wounded. + +After standing to arms daily at 4.15 a.m. till daylight, the Regiment +was employed in building long stone traverses, behind which the men were +to live, and this work was carried on again in the evening after dark by +the light of candles. The dimensions of the traverses were sixty yards +long, eight feet high, six feet (of stonework) thick at the top, and +nine feet of stonework at the base, the earth from a ditch in front +being thrown up at an angle of 1/1. They had a topping of sand-bags, +with intervals for air passage; and a tent, stretched lengthways from +the top down to ground, afforded the men shelter and accommodation. + +On December 22nd a serious catastrophe happened to a party of the +Gloucester Regiment, who were quartered in a small traverse near those +occupied by the Regiment. A shell caught the whole party of twelve men +as they were sitting away from the cover of the traverse. Five were +killed, four died of their wounds almost immediately, and three were +severely wounded. + +A man with a telescope was now placed on the look-out, with orders to +blow a whistle if he saw the big gun on Bulwana turned towards the lines +when firing; and as the shell took about thirty seconds from the time of +the discharge to reach its mark, the warning gave the men time to get +under cover. + +There were frequently some very amusing incidents when the look-out man +blew his whistle. One morning whilst the business at the orderly-room +was being conducted, and a culprit being told off, the whistle gave +warning that the gun on Bulwana had fired, and in the direction of +Tunnel Hill. As all could not get inside the orderly-room shelter, which +was merely a hole dug into the side of the hill, there was a general +scuttle and _sauve qui peut_. One officer, trying to get into the +orderly-room from outside, ran into another who was escaping from it to +get into the first traverse, and each tumbled over the other. The +Quartermaster, trying to crawl on his hands and knees under the tenting +of the second traverse, got blocked out, and at the same time shut out +another officer flying for safety. At the same moment a man jumped from +above on the Quartermaster's back, and he, fancying that it was the +shell and that his end had come, gave himself up for lost. All, however, +ended happily for the immediate neighbourhood, for the look-out man had +made a mistake, and the shell, instead of arriving at Tunnel Hill, +crashed into the town. + +All these incidents and accidents, individually very serious at the +time, were always amusing in the telling as soon as the tyranny was +overpast, and, resulting in a hearty laugh, helped to relieve the +strain. + +The London _Gazette_ of October 9th was signalled into Ladysmith by the +2nd Battalion. This stated: "Major Park to be Lieutenant-Colonel; +Davies, 2nd-in-Command; Ellicombe, Major; Radcliffe, Captain." + +A list of prices at this time in Ladysmith at the public auction is of +interest:-- + +Eggs per dozen, 11s. 6d. +Small vegetable marrow, 1s. 6d. +Twelve small carrots, 2s. 6d. +Small water melon (worth 1d.), 6s. 6d. +Condensed milk per tin, 5s. 6d. +Fifty-two small potatoes, L1 10s. +Chickens, each, 8s. +Ducks, 13s. 6d. +Dutch butter in tins, 6s. 6d. per lb. +1/2d. Manilla cigars, 1s. + +There was no English smoking tobacco obtainable, and one bottle of +whisky changed hands at L5 10s. + +December 25th, Christmas Day. + +"Hark, the herald angels sing!" was forcibly brought to notice by the +whistling of shells passing overhead at daylight. No Divine Service was +therefore held. The garrison received the following message from Her +Majesty the Queen: "I wish you and all my brave soldiers and sailors a +happy Christmas. God protect and bless you all.--V.R.I." In the evening +there was a soldiers' sing-song in the lines, which was finished off by +three most hearty cheers for Her Majesty. Christmas Day completed the +eighth week of the siege. + +The losses which the 2nd Battalion sustained at Colenso were +heliographed into Ladysmith. These were 15 N.C.O.'s and 10 men killed, +72 wounded, and 33 taken prisoners. This was in addition to the officers +wounded and taken prisoners already mentioned. + +On December 27th, shortly after breakfast, a shell from the big gun from +Bulwana pitched and burst in the officers' mess shelter, where fourteen +officers had taken cover on the whistle being blown. Lieutenant A.F. +Dalzel was killed and the following were wounded:-- + +Lieutenant P.H. Price-Dent, dangerously in the head. +Lieutenant Caffin, dangerously in arm and shoulder. +Lieutenant Byrne, slightly. +Lieutenant Tringham, slightly. +Lieutenant Kane, slightly. +Lieutenant Scafe, slightly. +Lieutenant Twiss, slightly. +Lieutenant Blunt, slightly. +Captain Lafone, slightly. +Private Laycock, mess waiter, slightly. + +The wounded were taken into the Railway Cutting and there cared for. +They were then sent down to hospital in a church in the town. Lieutenant +Dalzel was buried that night in the cemetery after dark during a heavy +thunderstorm and in torrents of rain. + +The men had a bad experience on the night of the 29th. The rain flooded +their bivouacs, and the morning found blankets and clothes floating +about in the water in the trenches. Later on, however, the weather +cleared, the sun came out, and everything was soon dried. + +[Illustration: After a Wet Night in the Traverses, Ladysmith] + +At the latter end of December marksmen were sent out daily to the +hill-tops some 1000 yards in front of the line of forts to act as +countersnipers to the Boers, who continually fired at the grazing +guards. One man was hit twice in one day by a Boer sniper, but only +slightly wounded. It would appear from a letter written by a Boer that +these marksmen made it very uncomfortable for the Boer snipers. In the +letter, which was afterwards published in a Boer newspaper, the +correspondent, writing to a friend in Pretoria, said: "I and my two +comrades went out this morning to fire into the English position. We had +only just got to our hiding-place when one of my comrades was shot dead; +shortly after, my other comrade was badly wounded, and I lay down and +hid the whole day till dark, when I got back to the laager." This would +go to prove that, comparing him with the Boer, the British infantry +soldier is not such a duffer with his weapon as some of those in +authority were in the habit of asserting. + +There was a good deal of musketry fire whilst the scouts were out, and +it was supposed that shots were being exchanged with the Boer snipers; +but when the marksmen, who were posted on the hills near the Orange Free +State Junction Station and just above the abandoned piggery, came back +with portions of the carcasses of pigs, it was evident that all the +firing had not been at Transvaal Boers. + +Lieutenant Price-Dent died at 6 a.m. on the 31st December in the Intombi +Hospital. It was found that a piece of shell had penetrated his brain +and lodged there. He was buried in the Intombi cemetery. + +Up to the end of December things had been going fairly well with the +besieged. The Regiment had had plenty of hard work to keep them fit, +although they had been exposed to the elements and had had to rough it +considerably. But nothing in the way of disease had troubled them. With +the advent of January, however, whether it was from want of exercise or +from the surroundings of their new camp, disease in the form of fever +and dysentery became rife. They had been situated formerly for the most +part on a well-drained kopje, whereas now they were down on the flat, +and in a position that was not altogether healthy. There were no longer +any comforts in the shape of tobacco, etc., and the news given to them +from the outside world in the place of food was of so poor a quality +that the men's minds as well as their bodies were becoming affected. + +The Regiment kept heart under the depressing circumstances in a +wonderful manner, and when Sir Redvers Buller kept putting off his +arrival from day to day and week to week, the news that he was coming at +last was generally received with a smile as if it was rather a joke. + +The Boers were very busy on New Year's Day, 1900. It was supposed that a +number of excursion trains filled with the youth and beauty of the +Transvaal had arrived, and consequently the young Boer blood was all for +showing off. The big gun on Bulwana threw in the aggregate during the +day 1-1/2 tons of iron into the town, with the result that two men were +killed. There was likewise a good deal of sniping, chiefly at the Indian +"grass cuts." + +One shell thrown into Ladysmith on New Year's Day had engraved on it +"Compliments of the season," and contained a bursting charge of +liquorice in the place of melinite, and a paper on which was written:-- + + "Good morning Mr. Franchise, don't be so + cowardly to stay in holes, ye brave hero. + + "Your faithfully, + "SMALL LONG TOM." + +Another blind shell picked up was full of sweetmeats. + +Messages of good wishes to the garrison were received from Her Majesty, +from Sir Redvers Buller, and from the soldiers, sailors, and civilians +of Hong Kong. + +Sir George White came round to see the Regiment in the evening, and +informed the officers that Sir Redvers Buller would make no move for a +fortnight. This was definite news, at any rate. + +At dawn on January 3rd most of the naval guns fired off a large amount +of shell, and there was considerable guessing amongst the uninitiated as +to what was or were the targets. Shells fell at the foot of Bulwana, +near the searchlight on the top, and also near the big gun. It was +afterwards learnt that all the shells were meant for one particular spot +on Bulwana, viz. the big gun. + +On occasions it was the duty of the Regiment to send one company to +dismount the 4.7 gun known as "Lady Anne" and place it on carts +preparatory to its being shifted elsewhere. This was easily accomplished +at the commencement of the siege in one night by 100 men. At the end of +the siege, however, owing to the weakness of the men, the task was never +completed under two nights, and then by 200 men. + +About this time one company of the Regiment was ordered down to the +railway station as a station and bridge guard. This was a three-days' +post, and was much appreciated, as the men, being quite concealed +amongst trees, had more freedom, and the officer in command had a +railway carriage to sleep in. + +On January 5th the following moves took place, and as the position of +companies is important, they are given in full. + +Three companies proceeded under Major Curry to Observation Hill to +relieve the companies of the 60th Rifles ordered to Caesar's Camp. One +company was ordered to the railway station as bridge guard. A half +company was sent to form the Bell's Spruit picquet, the other half +remaining at the Railway Cutting. In the early hours of January 6th +three fresh companies relieved those on Observation Hill, the latter +returning to the Railway Cutting; the two companies at the railway +bridge and at Bell's Spruit stood fast in their positions of the +previous day. + +The Boer attack of January 6th on the positions round Ladysmith +commenced on Wagon Hill at about 2.45 a.m., and the Boers were not +finally repulsed till after dark on the evening of the same day. + +As the great attack has been so ably described by various authors, it +will suffice here to give a rough outline of what took place on Caesar's +Camp and Wagon Hill prior to the companies of the Regiment reaching the +latter place. + +The Boers attacked Wagon Hill at about 2.45 a.m., and amidst a good deal +of confusion on the top, where 4:7 gun was in the act of being mounted, +gained possession of the front crest. Their attempt to take Wagon Hill +itself failed. Reinforcements consisting of two companies Gordon +Highlanders and three squadrons of I.L.H. were sent to assist the 60th +Rifles, the men of the I.L.H., and the detachment of Sappers already +engaged with the Boers. + +[Illustration: The Railway Bridge, with Caesar's Camp in Distance, +Ladysmith] + +An hour later the attack on Caesar's Camp developed. The Manchesters were +prepared for them, and one company Gordon Highlanders was sent to +reinforce. The Boers, unable to advance against the front crest of +Caesar's Camp, attempted to turn the flank of the Manchesters along the +northern slopes. This attempt was foiled by the advance of the one +company Gordon Highlanders, assisted by the 53rd Battery which had come +into action on the plain below. The Rifle Brigade reinforced Caesar's +Camp at about 7 a.m., and two more companies of the Gordons were sent +there at about 2 p.m. By 10 a.m. the Boers had been pushed back off +Caesar's Camp, and Wagon Hill was reported nearly clear. + +Wagon Hill was further reinforced by the 18th Hussars at 10 a.m. + +At 1 p.m. the Boers, who had always hung on to their crest line, again +attempted to rush Wagon Hill point, and though they gained a temporary +advantage failed to establish themselves. + +Sir George White ordered that the hill should be cleared of Boers at all +costs before nightfall, and he sent the 5th Lancers and 19th Hussars to +support the troops already at Wagon Hill, and at the same time three +companies of the Devons were ordered to proceed there with all dispatch. + +At 10 a.m. the three companies of the Devons, which were in camp, +commanded respectively by Captain W.B. Lafone, Lieutenant Masterson with +Lieutenant Walker, and Lieutenant Field, the whole commanded by +Lieutenant-Colonel Park, had been ordered to proceed to the camp near +Iron Bridge vacated that morning by the Gordon Highlanders, to be ready +as a reserve if wanted. + +At about 3.30 p.m. these three companies received orders to proceed at +once to Wagon Hill to reinforce Colonel Ian Hamilton's command and to +push on, as help was urgently required. The Adjutant, Captain H.S.L. +Ravenshaw, was sent back to camp to order rations and water to be sent +out. Wagon Hill was reached at 4.45 p.m., and it was then ascertained +that the 5th Lancers and 19th Hussars had already been merged into the +firing line, and that a party of forty or fifty Boers were still in +possession of the hill some 100 yards in front of the ridge held by the +Imperial Light Horse, and directly in front of where the three companies +were then halted under cover, that these Boers had been holding on all +day there and inflicting great loss, and that our troops had been unable +to dislodge them. Colonel Park was asked if he could turn them out by +rushing them with the bayonet. He answered, "We will try." After the +three companies had been formed up in column with bayonets fixed and +magazines charged, Colonel Park gave the order to advance at fifty paces +interval in quick time, and when the top of the ridge was reached to +charge the position occupied by the Boers. + +The charge took place in a blinding hail-storm, a time well chosen, as +the hail was beating into the faces of the Boers. The men, before +reaching the place where they formed up for the charge, were wet +through, and had put on their warm coats which they had carried strapped +on to their belts. + +When the storm was at its height, Colonel Park gave the order to charge. +Lieutenant Field, who commanded the leading company, rushed forward up +the slope, shouting, "Company, double charge!" He was immediately +followed at a distance of about ten yards by Masterson's company, which +was immediately followed by Lafone's. As they got to the top of the +crest they came in view of the sangar of rocks held by the I.L.H. At the +corner of this they had to change direction half right, and the moment +they reached it came under fire from the Boers. There was necessarily +some crowding at this corner, owing to the change of direction, and the +fact that the companies in their eagerness had followed so soon the one +behind the other. There was, however, no halting, no dwelling here. On +they went to reach their goal, 130 yards away, over perfectly flat open +ground, fired into at short range from right, left, and front. +Three-parts of the way across Park directed the rear company more to the +right, the position the Boers occupied being in a semicircle. + +[Illustration: Lieut.-Colonel C.W. Park] + +The enemy held on, firing most heavily, until the charging lines were +within fifteen yards of them, and then ran down the slope and +disappeared behind a ridge of rocks some forty yards ahead, beyond which +the ground was dead and fell steeply away to the front. Almost before +the men could be secured in the position they had won, bullets began to +come in quickly from the right and left, and the cover of the rocks had +to be sought as several men were hit. A few of the Boers who had been +dislodged also crept back to the low ridge of rocks in front and began +firing, and it was at this time that Captain Lafone and Lieutenant Field +were hit. Lieutenant Walker, Somerset Light Infantry, and about +thirty-five men were hit during the charge. Colonel Park was then the +only officer left, the three companies being commanded by +non-commissioned officers. + +Lieutenant Walker was one of the last shot dead in the charge. He was +shot through the head (as were most of the killed) within fifteen yards +of the kopje held by the Boers. + +Lieutenant Field rushed forward beyond this kopje and lay down in the +open and commenced firing at the Boers at the crest just in front. He +was very shortly afterwards shot through the head. + +Captain Lafone was shot shortly before Lieutenant Field. He was in the +act of firing at the time, taking aim, and was shot by a Boer lying in +the grass some twenty-five yards away on his right rear. Before he was +killed he had suggested to Lieutenant Masterton that some one should go +back to the I.L.H. sangar to ask them to direct their fire on to some +Boers on the left front; these were firing into the dead and wounded who +had been hit during the charge and left out in the open. + +Lieutenant Masterton at once volunteered, and started to run back over +the 130 yards. He got most of the way across when he was hit in the legs +by a bullet, but he continued his course, and being struck again fell, +and was dragged behind cover by the I.L.H. He delivered his message. + +The position won was held until the Boers retired under cover of +darkness. The men were then placed in defensive positions, and picquets +told off. + +The wounded were subsequently cared for, and the dead left where they +had fallen till daylight. + +Colonel Park described the fire of the Boers as like the crackle of a +piece of gorse in a blazing fire. Colour-Sergeant Palmer, who so greatly +distinguished himself both during and after the charge, said the air was +hot with bullets. His rifle was shot in two at the lower band as he was +taking aim, splinters grazing his face and hands. Half the survivors had +their clothing shot through, and the majority of the killed were found +to have been hit two or three times. + +The strength of the force was 5 officers and 184 non-commissioned +officers and men, of whom 3 officers and 14 men were killed and 1 +officer and 34 men were wounded. + +Although the loss was great, viz. nearly one-third of the total number, +it is a matter of surprise that more were not hit during the run of 130 +yards, exposed as they were for about three minutes to magazine fire at +a point-blank range. It can be accounted for by the fact that the Boers +crouching behind the rocks were rather below than above the level of the +men, and their fire being consequently directed upwards, the bullets +passed high and over the heads of the charging companies. This would +explain why the majority of the killed were shot through the head. +Lieutenant Walker was hit in the chin, the bullet cutting his chin-strap +and passing out at the back and top of his head. + +The following morning, as the men were collecting and parading +preparatory to marching back to the railway cutting, Sir George White +rode up and addressed them. Shaking Colonel Park by the hand he said: "I +congratulate and thank you for the splendid work you and your men did +yesterday. It was magnificently done. I am afraid you suffered very +heavily, but you must remember that such work as that cannot be done for +the Empire without loss." + +Whilst the three companies were performing such gallant deeds on the +southern defences, the three companies under Major Curry were holding +their own on the north-west defences at Observation Hill. + +The Boers attacked this post heavily in the morning, and were supported +by six field-guns, which were supposed to have been the Colenso guns of +General Buller's army, shrapnel being continually burst with excellent +precision over the defences. + +[Illustration: Naval Battery Hill, Ladysmith] + +[Illustration: Monument Erected to Devons on Wagon Hill, on Spot Where +the Charge Took Place, Ladysmith] + +The account of the fighting which took place is told in Major Curry's +own words:-- + +"The battle of Ladysmith commenced between 2 and 3 a.m. on Caesar's Camp +and soon we were engaged all round. The three companies which had +proceeded to Observation Hill originally had just been relieved by three +fresh companies. At about 4 a.m. Lieutenant Emerson reported to me that +there was a party of Boers to his front, that he had fired on them, and +that they had retired. I thought it was the usual picquet and that they +had gone right back (it was too dark to see much); but such was not the +case, for they had concealed themselves in a fold in the ground about +300 yards to our front. Their strength must have been between seventy +and eighty. + +"The enemy brought fire to bear on us from a 40-pounder howitzer, a +field-gun, and a hotchkiss on Surprise Hill, and from one or two +field-guns on the hill to our right over Hyde's Farm. They pounded away +all the morning, and brought a continuous rifle fire on our position as +well. At about 9.30 a.m. I heard a rattle of musketry from our centre +work, and when I went up there I found that the enemy, who had concealed +themselves in the fold in the ground in the early morning, had advanced +right up the hill and had got within a few yards of our sangars before +being seen. We killed nine and wounded twelve. They retired again to +their cover, where they remained for the greater part of the day, +slipping away by ones and twos back to their position. At about 4 p.m. a +tremendous thunder and hail storm came on, which blotted out everything. +The fire, which had ceased as the storm came on, was not renewed. Our +loss was two killed by rifle fire, when the Boers made their attack. Our +sangars were frequently breached by the 40-lb. shell during the day, but +there was no loss from shell fire." + +These three companies were relieved by the Leicesters the next evening. + +Lieutenant Masterson was rewarded with the Victoria Cross, and the +following is the official account of his gallant deed:-- + +"During the action at Wagon Hill, on the 6th January, 1900, Lieutenant +Masterson commanded with the greatest gallantry and dash one of the +three companies of his regiment, which charged a ridge held by the +enemy, and captured the position. + +"The companies were then exposed to a most heavy and galling fire from +the right and left front. Lieutenant Masterson undertook to give a +message to the Imperial Light Horse, who were holding a ridge some +hundred yards behind, to fire to the left front and endeavour to check +the enemy's fire. + +"In taking this message he crossed an open space of a hundred yards, +which was swept by a most heavy cross fire, and although badly wounded +in both thighs managed to crawl in and deliver his message before +falling exhausted into the Imperial Light Horse trench. His unselfish +heroism was undoubtedly the means of saving several lives." + +The gallant conduct of Colour-Sergeant Palmer was brought to notice +under the following circumstances: When three companies of the Regiment +were ordered to charge the ridge held by the enemy on Wagon Hill on +January 6th, 1900, Colour-Sergeant Gilbert Palmer was with the leading +company, and he at once dashed out to the front with most conspicuous +bravery, and went straight for the point from which the heaviest fire +was coming. The enemy ran before they were reached, but the three +companies were exposed to a galling fire from the right, left, and +front. Colour-Sergeant Palmer got behind a rock and shot several of the +enemy, at the same time keeping a constant eye upon his own men, telling +them when and where to fire, and when to take cover. When all the +company officers were either killed or wounded, he at once recognized +his position as senior non-commissioned officer, and was invaluable in +getting orders passed to the other companies, and in superintending the +men till dark, when the enemy retired. He then, acting under orders, +personally placed the outpost line, saw to the collection of the dead +and wounded, and, in fact, rendered invaluable assistance in every way. + +His dash and pluck during the bayonet charge, his coolness and steady +courage under a heavy cross fire, and the power of command and of quick +and correct judgment displayed by him were most brilliant. +Colour-Sergeant Palmer's name was previously brought to notice for +gallant conduct at the battle of Elandslaagte on October 21st, 1899, so +that this made the second occasion on which he conspicuously +distinguished himself. + +The names of the following non-commissioned officers and men were also +brought to notice for gallantry on the occasion:-- + +Lance-Corporal Gilbert Young. + " " Frank John Rowe. +Private Henry Brimmicombe. + " R.G. Hansford. + " E. Norman. + " H. Cox. + +The following message from Her Majesty the Queen was received by Sir +George White for promulgation:-- + +"To Sir George White, + +"Ladysmith. + +"Warmly congratulate you and all under your command on your brilliant +success. Greatly admire conduct of Devonshire Regiment. + +V.R.I." + +The following telegram was also received:-- + +"O/C Devon Regiment, + +"Railway Cutting. + +"G.O.C. directs me to convey direct to you the following message from +Sir R. Buller:-- + +"'Congratulate all troops on gallant defence, especially Devon +Regiment.'" + +The losses sustained by the garrison of Ladysmith on the 6th January +were:-- + + Killed. Wounded. +Officers 18 25 + +Men 150 224 + +Total killed and wounded, 417. + +By the death of Captain Lafone the Regiment lost one of the +kindest-hearted and best officers that ever led a company. + +The Boers' losses are estimated at 64 killed and 119 wounded. This +estimate may be considered low, for the _Standard and Diggers' News_, +copies of which were found later on in the war, gave six full-length +columns of killed and wounded amongst the various commandos. + +A large donga was utilized by the Boers as a dressing station. The +violent storm on the afternoon of the 6th filled all the dry dongas and +turned them at once into mountain torrents. It is said that all the +wounded Boers in this donga were swept out into the Klip River and +drowned. The dead of the Regiment were buried with those of other +regiments, in a grave under Wagon Hill. Captain Lafone and Lieutenant +Field were buried in the cemetery in Ladysmith. + +On the morning of January 8th all the wounded were sent by train to +Intombi Camp, including Lieutenant Masterson, who was doing well. + +On January 9th the Regiment was concentrated at the railway cutting, the +company at the railway station having been permanently relieved from the +post by a company of the Liverpool Regiment. The battalion was thus +ready to be moved to any portion of the defences requiring assistance, +in case of attack. + +The estimation in which the battalion was held at this time by the +Ladysmith garrison was well borne out by a remark made by Sir George +White. "The Devons," he said, "have never failed me yet. On the 6th they +held one place and took another." + +A scare in the evening that the Boers were to attack again in the +morning caused various preparations to be made for their advent. The +garrison stood to arms at 3.15 a.m. awaiting the attack. + +It is a curious fact that the Regiment was never ordered to stand to +arms in the morning before three o'clock at any time previous to or +after the 6th January, and the only time the Boers made a night attack +they did so at 2.15 a.m. This was on January 6th, on which day the +Regiment was ordered to stand to arms at 4.15 a.m. + +During the night of January 9th-10th the naval guns fired in the +direction of Surprise Hill, and whilst this was proceeding the mountain +battery's two remaining guns also threw some star shell in the same +direction. The Boers were hugely elated at the sight of the star shell. +This was probably the first time they had seen them. They turned their +searchlight on to the stars when they fell on the ground, and cheered +lustily. They evidently considered that it was a performance got up for +their special entertainment by Messrs. Brock and Co., direct from the +Crystal Palace. + +The cause of all this shell fire was not known, but it would appear as +if information had been received that the Boers had been collecting at +the back of Surprise Hill the evening before, with a view to a renewed +attack. Nothing, however, in the shape of an attack occurred, and at 3 +a.m. firing ceased, and the sun rose in the morning in tranquillity. + +On the 11th three messages were received by the garrison congratulating +them on their good work of January 6th: one from the Governor of Natal, +one from Valparaiso, and one from General Buller. The last named stated +in his telegram that he would relieve Ladysmith as soon as possible. + +It was stated that Sir George White had heliographed to Sir Redvers +Buller informing him that there were over 2000 sick and wounded in +Intombi Hospital Camp, that he could not hold out for much longer, and +that he must not expect any assistance from him when he made his effort. +Sir Redvers Buller had replied that he was sparing no effort to push +forward, and that he hoped to be ready soon. + +The number of patients in the Intombi Hospital Camp had increased by +January 10th to-- + +Over 400 cases of dysentery; + " 600 cases of enteric fever; + " 200 cases not yet diagnosed, but probably enteric fever; + " 800 cases wounded and various. + +The daily rations of the garrison now consisted of 1/2 lb. of tinned +meat and 1 lb. of bread per man. + +Had it not been for the Indian Contingent there would have been no flour +at all in Ladysmith. All the flour, all the rum, in fact almost +everything that the garrison lived upon with the exception of meat, was +brought from India with the Indian Contingent, which carried with it six +months' supply of every description. + +From January 12th, another duty assigned to the Regiment was the sending +of two companies every morning at two o'clock to the examining guard on +the Newcastle road, which was situated just under the 4.7 naval gun +"Lady Anne." They had orders to stop there till 4.30 a.m. to check any +rush of Boers into Ladysmith down the Newcastle road. Later on, the +ground in front of this post was covered with barbed wire entanglement, +but up to this time there was nothing at this point to prevent the Boers +galloping right into the town. + +[Illustration: A Peaceful Sunday] + +[Illustration: Klip River and Camp of the Imperial Light Horse, +Ladysmith] + +As these two companies went to their places on the 12th, the Boer +searchlight on Bulwana was flashing everywhere, and the mountain guns +throwing star shell. It looked as if both sides expected an attack. The +officer commanding the two companies had orders to operate on the flank +of any attack made on the northern defences. + +On the following morning the garrison was told that General Buller was +moving round by Springfield; in the evening it was given out that he was +moving west of Chieveley and Colenso, and was twelve miles from +Ladysmith; and on the 14th the news came in that he was at Potgieter's +Drift, and that General Warren was across the Tugela River; and in +confirmation of this last information heavy gun fire was heard on the +17th in the direction of Potgieters, and the relieving army's balloon +was seen on the following day in the same direction. + +As an attack was expected on the night of the 19th on Observation Hill, +three companies of the Regiment under Major Curry proceeded there in the +evening and bivouacked, the remainder of the Regiment being under orders +to hold themselves in readiness to proceed there at a moment's notice. +The night, however, passed quietly, and the companies returned to their +camp before dawn. + +On January 20th better news was received from Sir Redvers Buller; his +advance had been very satisfactory. Reports stated that he had reached +Acton Holmes, and that four brigades had crossed the Tugela. His shells +were seen falling thickly on Thabba Nyama mountain. + +The tea and sugar rations were, however, cut down to half. The health of +the men began now to generally improve, probably owing to better +drinking water which was obtainable from the condenser, recently +arranged for, at the railway station. + +Very heavy gun fire, night and day, was continually heard from the +direction of Spion Kop and Acton Holmes, and on the 23rd a demonstration +was made from Ladysmith, the mounted troops going out under cover of the +fire of all the guns. The Ladysmith guns on all the fronts opened, but +were answered only by the Boer guns on Gun Hill and Bulwana. There was +but little musketry fire from Pepworth direction, and Surprise Hill +seemed deserted. + +Still no relief appeared, and the rations were:-- + +12 oz. of beef, +1 lb. of bread. +Half ration of sugar. +Half ration of tea. + +An order published on the 23rd gave hope:-- + +"Sir George White has received further satisfactory news as to Sir R. +Buller's advance. The relief of Ladysmith may be said to be within +measurable distance." + +Very heavy gun fire was heard from 3 a.m. on the 24th till 2 p.m., and +in the evening further encouragement was circulated:-- + +"Reassuring news has been received from Sir R. Buller." + +No news from the relieving army was received on the 25th. Heavy firing +continued, and in the evening the Boers were seen trekking from the +direction of Spion Kop, all the laagers on the rear slopes of the +mountain clearing off and making for Vanreenen's Pass and Newcastle. In +fact, the whole country round Spion Kop seemed about to be hurriedly +abandoned by the Boers. Great excitement prevailed in Ladysmith. + +An investigation of the slopes of Spion Kop through the glasses at +daybreak on the following morning proved, however, disappointing, for +the laagers which had cleared off the night before were back again in +their places. Moreover, the Boers round Ladysmith were very truculent on +the morning of the 26th, which necessitated the garrison standing to +arms till 6 a.m. + +Prices at the weekly auction had gone up considerably. + +Two vegetable marrows were sold for 5s. 6d. + +Pumpkins fetched 2s. 6d. each. + +A small plate of potatoes reached 11s. + +Whilst four sticks (4 oz.) of black tobacco, "Fair-maid" brand, changed +hands at L5 10s. + +From now till the end of the siege two companies of the Regiment were +moved to a healthier spot, known as the "Convalescent Camp." It was +situated at the eastern end of Convent Hill. This post was relieved +weekly, and as the men were concealed and in a healthier position the +change was much appreciated. + +On the morning of January 27th a native runner brought in news. His +account was:-- + +"Boers lost heavily from artillery fire on Wednesday, and say that the +British artillery is too much for them. I saw six field cornets dead on +one wagon. Some English were taken prisoners, and they were from the +left flank attack. The English attacked Spion Kop and surrounded the +base of the hill, and the Boers lost heavily from the English shrapnel +fire. When the English got to the top of the hill the Boers ran down the +other side. The Boers are much disheartened by their losses." + +Judging from the above, the native must have then run away and not have +waited to see the finish, for in the evening the following news came +in:-- + +"Buller attacked Spion Kop, seized and occupied it, but was driven off +again the next night. Our loss is estimated at 200 killed and 300 +wounded." + +With the knowledge that history has given the world about the battle of +Spion Kop, further comment is needless. The news above is given as it +was received by the garrison of Ladysmith, who of course knew nothing +but what was sent in in scraps by Sir Redvers Buller, and what came in +to the Intelligence Department by native runners. + +On the 30th the daily ration was further cut down to 1/2 lb. of meat, 2 +biscuits, 1/6 oz. of tea, and 1/2 oz. of sugar per man. Horses, except +those belonging to the artillery, went rationless. + +On January 31st horse-flesh was issued for the first time as a ration. + +One dozen whisky was raffled in the town, and fetched L144--L1 10s. per +wineglass! + +The only news received from the outside world on February 2nd was that-- + +"Sir R. Buller has retired behind the Tugela to rearrange, and Sir John +Lubbock has been made a peer." + +The question asked is, Who is Lubbock, and is he connected in any way +with the evacuation of Spion Kop? + +Some say that the news is the wrong way about, and that Lubbock has +retired and Sir R. Buller been made a peer. Confirmation of the news was +anxiously awaited. + +Whichever way it was, in the face of the evacuation of Spion Kop it was +poor news to feed a half-starved and anxious garrison on. However, in +the meantime the big gun on Bulwana had fired his great shells into the +Railway Cutting Camp and killed the doctor's horse. + +About this time a decoction called "chevril" was issued to the men. It +was supplied by the 18th Hussars' horses, whose bodies were boiled down +for the purpose. It was nourishing and the men liked it, which was a +good thing. There was nothing else by which to recommend it. The men +were also allowed to go down to the chevril factory, which was close to +the station, and buy the flesh of the horse after it had passed through +the boiling process. This did not appear appetizing, but again the men +liked it, and when cooked up with wild spinach which grew about the +lines it was considered very tasty. + +Two items of news were received on February 4th, one being that General +Buller had again crossed the Tugela in three places and was to be +expected shortly, and the other that the garrison of Ladysmith was to be +attacked again next morning by 10,000 Boers. Arrangements were made to +meet the latter, the arrival of the former being considered +hypothetical. The garrison stood to arms at three o'clock the following +morning and anxiously awaited the dawn, but everything went off quietly, +and at 5.30 a.m. General Buller's guns commenced in three different +directions. The sound of the heavy gun fire increased in intensity, till +at 2.30 p.m. the noise could be compared to a heavy storm with incessant +thunder. + +The Regiment was now told off as part of a flying column. This was +hopeful, as it was supposed that arrangements were being made to +co-operate with the relieving army. + +At 5.15 a.m. on the 5th Buller's guns began firing again and continued +the whole day. + +For the next few days there was no news from the outside world. Buller's +guns were heard incessantly, and one Boer big gun was seen firing on +Dornkloof, south of Manger's Hill. A few of Buller's lyddite shells were +bursting near him, and one shell was seen to strike his magazine and +explode it. + +On the seventh night 100 men of the Regiment were again engaged in +shifting the 4.7 gun "Lady Anne." + +On the 9th nothing was heard of Buller's guns--perfect silence! + +This gave rise to all sorts of reports, one actually given out being +that Buller had taken his position and could come in at any time he +liked, but he had been stopped by a telegram from the Cape in order to +allow of Lord Roberts pushing up through the Free State; and then both +Buller and Roberts would relieve Ladysmith and take Bloemfontein +respectively on the same day. And this on the very day on which Buller +was retiring south of Tugela again from Vaal Krantz. + +It was now considered advisable to strengthen the defences held by the +Regiment by an additional work, and the men were kept hard at it from +7.15 p.m. till 10 p.m. A dish of chevril was served out to each man of +the working party before turning in. + +On February 13th information was received that Buller had taken two +positions on the north side of the Tugela with small loss--one Krantz +Kloof, and the other Vaal Krantz Spruit. This information seemed +somewhat belated. A message was also received from Lord Roberts in which +he stated that he had entered the Free State with a very large force, +chiefly of artillery and cavalry, and hoped that the pressure on +Ladysmith would shortly be reduced. Heavy gun fire commenced in the +Colenso direction on the night of February 14th, and continued with +slight interruption till the 18th; and on the 15th the Boer pompom was +heard in action, which went to show that the opposing forces were not +very far from each other. + +At the last public auction ever held in the town, i.e. on the 14th +evening, the prices were:-- + +Eggs, 48s. per dozen. +Vegetable marrows, 28s. each. +Mealies, 3s. 8d. each. +Pot of jam, 32s. 6d. +Crosse & Blackwell's piccalilli, 19s. 6d. +Tin of ox tongue, 20s. 6d. +2 oz. stick of cake tobacco, 22s. +Fifty cigars, 10 guineas. + +As much as 25s. per stick was paid about this time for two ounces of +cake tobacco. No Kaffir leaf tobacco was to be bought in the town, +although as much as L5 per leaf was offered. + +On the 15th the Railway Cutting Camp again received the attention of the +Long Tom gunners on Bulwana, who pitched some shells into the lines, but +without doing damage. + +The news of the relief of Kimberley was received by the garrison on +February 17th, and it was reported that General French had captured five +laagers. + +On Sunday, the 18th, the battalion and 13th Battery, the remains of the +Gloucester Regiment, and the Mountain Battery assembled as usual under +"Liverpool Castle" for Divine service. The Reverend J. Tuckey +officiated. The usual "extermination" service and prayers for the +"Right" were said, the hymns chosen being-- + + There is a blessed home + Beyond this land of woe; + +and + + There is a green hill far away, + +sung sadly to the accompaniment of Buller's guns. + +He appears to be nearer, and his shells have been bursting on a hill and +ridge in the distance, Colenso way. + +The following statistics are of interest:-- + +Early in November the garrison of Ladysmith numbered about 13,500 men. +During the siege there were over 10,500 admissions to hospital. + +Thirty-eight men had been killed by shell fire, and 430 men had died of +disease. Four shells only had accounted for nearly all the thirty-eight. + +On February 19th news was sent in that General Buller had captured +Cingolo Mountain and Monte Christo, and that excellent progress was +being made by him. The Boers were seen trekking north all day; and in +the evening Buller's heliographs were seen flashing from Monte Christo, +and two guns on the same hill firing at the Boers. With the exception of +Buller's heliograph and balloon this was the first occasion that the +relieving army was seen from Ladysmith. + +On February 22nd, with the intention of finding out whether there had +been any reduction in the investing force, the Regiment with some +mounted infantry were ordered to reconnoitre in the direction of Flag +Hill. A start was made at 3.30 a.m. Some sixty Boers were encountered, +and the Regiment was ordered back to camp at 6.15 a.m., fired at by the +sixty Boers. + +Buller's guns were heard firing incessantly all day and every day. His +shells were now seen bursting on a southern spur of Bulwana and near +Intombi Camp. + +During the siege the Boers conceived the idea of flooding the Ladysmith +plain and the town by damming the Klip River below Intombi Camp. This +dam was commenced towards the end of the siege, but was not completed +when Ladysmith was relieved. It was a good target for the naval +12-pounder guns on Caesar's Camp, which frequently fired at it. These in +their turn received on such occasions a good deal of attention from the +Boer big gun on Bulwana. + +On the night of the 24th the 4.7 gun "Lady Anne" was again moved; this +was for the fourth and the last time. On the same night very heavy rifle +and Maxim gun fire was heard on the hills south of Caesar's Camp. This +continued for about one hour, when the firing was taken up by the Boer +outposts all round Ladysmith, a few bullets reaching the Convalescent +Camp on Convent Hill. + +February 27th being Majuba Day, the garrison, expecting a demonstration +from the Boers, stood to arms at 4.15 a.m., but, much to the +astonishment of everybody, not a shot was fired. General Buller sent the +garrison in the following message:-- + +"Colenso rail bridge, which was totally destroyed, is under repair; road +bridge partially destroyed; am doing very well, but the country is +difficult and my progress is slow; hope to be with you soon." + +Official news was also received that Lord Roberts had surrounded Cronje, +who had surrendered with 4000 Boers, the English losses being given as +1700 killed and wounded. + +On the 28th rations were further cut down to one biscuit and three +ounces of mealies, with one pound of horse as before per man. This was +perhaps the most distressing circumstance connected with the siege, and +it had a most depressing effect. It was not so much the reduction of the +ration that was of consequence, as the reason for the reduction. This +could not be guessed at, and it gave rise to conjectures, the chief +being that Buller had again failed, and could not get through. His +shells had been seen bursting on the hills, and that had encouraged the +garrison; but the garrison had been encouraged before by the sight of +Buller's shells bursting on Thabba Nyama. Three days previously, owing +to the good news received from Buller, the garrison had been put on full +rations, but now, after further good news, the order was promulgated:-- + +"Highly satisfactory reports have been sent from General Buller as to +his advance, but the country is difficult and progress slow, therefore I +am obliged to reduce the ration, etc. etc." + +This sudden cancelling of the increase of the ration, and its still +further reduction in the face of the news received and in the sight of +Buller's shells, was disappointing. Having ascertained that the garrison +could exist till April 15th and not longer, and that then there would +not be a horse, ox, or mule left, Sir George White, much against his +will, but to make things certain in case General Buller was again +checked, gave the orders for the reduction on the day before the relief. + +During the day the big gun on Bulwana made an attempt to reach +Observation Hill Post, which were the furthest works from him in that +direction. His attempt succeeded, and he put many shells into the works. +His record for the siege was an attempt to reach Wagon Hill. He failed +in this, but his range, as measured on the map, was 11,560 yards, or 6 +miles and 1000 yards. + +February 28th, the last day of the siege, was very hot and oppressive; +everybody seemed depressed, trying to guess at some reason for the +ration reduction. At about 2 p.m., however, Major Riddel, brigade-major +to Colonel Knox, came up to the officers' mess smiling all over, and +said that excellent news, the very best, had come in, but that "_it is +confidential, and I am not allowed to say what it is_." He called for +volunteers who were willing and able to march seven miles and fight at +the end of it. The whole Regiment, officers and men, volunteered, but +after a medical examination had been made of the battalion, only one +hundred men were found to come up to requirements. + +At about 3.30 p.m. the news was distributed that General Buller had +gained a complete victory over the Boers, who were in full retreat. +Hundreds of wagons were seen going off north towards Modder Station and +Vanreenens, and at 4 p.m. a derrick was seen hoisted over the big gun on +Bulwana, and the naval guns opened fire on him. The Boers dismounted him +under a heavy fire from one 4.7 and two naval 12-pounders, and got him +away. + +At 6.20 p.m. a welcome sight greeted the eyes of the weary garrison, for +suddenly out of the bush appeared two squadrons of mounted men, riding +leisurely in across the plain from the direction of Intombi, and the +truth dawned on the garrison that Ladysmith was at last and in reality +relieved. + +The siege had lasted four calendar months to the day. + +Frantic cheering greeted them as they crossed the ford and reached the +town. + +On the following day a column, consisting of the Devons, Gordon +Highlanders, three batteries of artillery, all the cavalry who had +horses, and the two mounted colonial corps, the whole under the command +of Colonel W.G. Knox, sallied forth at 10 a.m. towards Modder Station to +pursue and to stop the Boers getting their big guns away by train. On +arriving abreast of Pepworth Hill, which the Boer rear-guard had +occupied, the advanced troops, consisting of Devons and the batteries, +came under rather a sharp fire. All further progress was stopped, and +the column returned to camp. The Devons had two men wounded. Camp was +reached at 4.30 p.m. The battalion was met on the way home by Major +Davies, Captains Bols and Vigors, Lieutenants Lafone and Munro, all of +the 2nd Battalion. These had ridden in from their camp, and brought with +them tobacco, whisky, rum, and milk. The companies of the 2nd Battalion +sent in to their corresponding companies tea, sugar, tobacco, matches, +etc. These were all most eagerly accepted. + +Sir Redvers Buller and his staff rode into Ladysmith in the afternoon. + +Explosions at Modder Station and on the railway could be heard, +signifying that the Boers were making good their retreat by blowing up +the bridges. + +On March 3rd General Buller made his public entry into Ladysmith at the +head of his army. The march of Buller's army through Ladysmith was a +pageant which those who took part in the siege will never forget. + +The garrison of Ladysmith lined the streets. Sir George White with his +staff took his stand mounted, under the damaged clock tower of the Town +Hall--the Gordons on the one hand, the Devons on the other--the Gordon +pipers facing him on the opposite side of the road. + +It was a great sight, and those who had been through the siege and had +heard the words of their leader at the end, "Thank God we have kept the +flag flying," knew it for a great sight. + +General Buller rode at the head of his army, and received an immense +ovation, as did all his regiments and artillery as they passed through +the lines of the weedy, sickly-looking garrison. These with their thin, +pale faces cheered to the full bent of their power, but after standing +in the sun for some time they became exhausted, and Sir Redvers sent +back word for them to sit down, which they gladly did, whilst the +relievers, as they passed along, chucked them bits of tobacco, ready cut +up, from their small store, small because they themselves were also hard +put for luxuries. + +The tramp! tramp! of these men, who to the weakly garrison appeared as +veritable giants, will never be forgotten, as they hurried past to the +strains of the Gordons' pipes, cheering with the utmost enthusiasm the +figure of Sir George White as they passed him. They were almost to a man +reservists, well covered, hard, and well set up. They were filthy, their +clothes were mended and patched, and most of them had scrubby beards. +Tied on to their belts in almost all cases was a Boer blanket, telling +that they had been busy in some Boer laager; on the top of this a small +bundle of sticks for each man to cook his own tea, and by his side, +attached to his belt, hung his black tin pot. But how well they +looked--the picture of vigour, health, and strength, as they "tramp, +tramp"--"tramp, tramp" through the town. + +A corps that came in for a good deal of notice was the Bearer Company. +They were at first taken for Boer prisoners, but when it became known +who they were they were much cheered. Clad in worn-out "slops" they +slouched along, in each man's hand a pot of sorts, enamel or china, and +a bundle of something over each man's shoulder. + +The meeting of the two battalions was not quite so emotional as has been +depicted by some authors. The 2nd Battalion, the relievers, came through +late at the rear of Buller's army, and by that time the 1st Battalion, +the relieved, had been in the sun, standing or sitting down on the +curbstone, for some hours, and a great many men had fallen out +exhausted. Still the meeting was very hearty, officers recognizing men +and men old comrades. There was little time to enact the scene so +graphically described by one author "which would make old men weep." +Buller's army was straggled out a good deal and the rear had to catch +up, so if a pal was seen he was gone next moment to give way to another +pal. Most of the reservists had been through the ranks of the 1st +Battalion, and with it through the Tirah Campaign; almost all were +hurriedly recognized, and a hearty and hasty shake of the hand was all +the greeting exchanged. Old jokes came to the fore, and were bandied +from one to the other as the 2nd Battalion hurried along. There was no +time for more--one battalion was in a hurry and the other exhausted. + +[Illustration: Devon Officers Remaining Fit For Duty At The End of the +Siege (Rajab--Regimental Barber)] + +It was well on in the day before the 1st Battalion got back to its camp +at the Railway Cutting. + +On Sunday, March 4th, a Thanksgiving Service was held on the flat ground +between the Convent Hill and the Naval Brigade Hill, which was attended +by Generals Buller and White, and on its conclusion the battalion moved +into tents outside the works and in front of Gloucester Post. + +It was a strange experience moving out into the open, away from the +protection of the works. The nerves of most had had a severe strain from +want of food and continual anxiety. + +It was the anxiety which killed. There is nothing more conducive to the +deterioration of men's minds than false alarms on an empty stomach. + + + + +CHAPTER III + +EVENTS FOLLOWING THE SIEGE OF LADYSMITH, AND THE ADVANCE NORTH UNDER SIR +REDVERS BULLER + +1900 + + +The first few days following the relief were employed in the sorting and +reading of four months' mails and the opening up of presents. Many +complimentary telegrams were received by the battalion from England. + +Major Davies, Captain Bartlett, and Lieutenant Willis, all of whom had +been doing duty with the 2nd Battalion during the relief operations, +joined the battalion on the 7th with some eighty-six men who had been +sent from Jullunder. + +The two battalions were together for a few days only, as the 2nd +Battalion after a short rest proceeded with Sir Redvers Buller's force +towards Modder Spruit. + +On March 10th the Ladysmith garrison was reorganized, the battalion +being placed in the 7th Brigade with the Gordon Highlanders, the +Manchester Regiment, and the 2nd Battalion Rifle Brigade. This brigade +was commanded by Colonel W.G. Knox, C.B. + +Colonel Park, unfortunately struck down with enteric fever on the last +day of the siege, was shortly afterwards invalided to England. In his +absence Major Davies took over command of the battalion, and Major Curry +having been appointed Commandant of Ladysmith, Captain Jacson took over +the duties of Second-in-Command. On March 14th the 7th Brigade marched +to Arcadia, seven miles out of Ladysmith on the Vanreenen's Pass road, +camping on a kopje overlooking Dewdrop Spruit. The men were then +occupied in route marching and generally getting fit. + +[Illustration: Brigadier-General Walter Kitchener] + +Brigadier-General Walter Kitchener arrived in camp on the 26th March and +took over the command of the 7th Brigade from Colonel Knox, and on April +2nd the battalion, accompanied by General W. Kitchener, marched to +Brakfontein, seventeen miles distant under Spion Kop, stopped there in +camp on the 3rd, when parties of men went off to view the Boer positions +on Spion Kop and Vaal-Krantz, and returned to Arcadia on the 4th. + +Innumerable presents were continually arriving from England for the +battalion, and the thanks of all are due especially to Mr. Young of +Torquay for the indefatigable manner in which he worked, and for the +numerous bundles and boxes of presents which he was instrumental in +collecting and dispatching both at this time and also afterwards. All +these presents were highly appreciated. + +A draft of 180 men, consisting of reservists, section "D" Militia +Reservists, and recruits joined the battalion on the 7th; amongst these +were 120 married men. + +At 11.30 a.m. on April 11th orders were received to move at once into +Ladysmith, which was to be reached at 2 p.m. The reason for the sudden +move was not explained. There was no transport. Out of six wagons, the +complement for a battalion on light field service scale, there were only +two in camp at the time. At Arcadia the battalion, in common with the +rest of the brigade, was allowed tents, and told that it could have +anything it liked to take with it. There was consequently a good deal +more than six carts could carry. + +Towards evening, after the tents had been struck, packed, and sent on +ahead, and the battalion was waiting in the open for more wagons, a most +violent thunderstorm came on, lasting about two hours. Ten men of one +company which was holding a work on Rifleman's Ridge, between Arcadia +and Ladysmith, were struck by lightning, none, however, being killed. +The battalion eventually reached camp at Star Hill, just above the iron +bridge outside Ladysmith, at 3 a.m. wet to the skin. It was found that +the tents had arrived. These were pitched and the men turned in. The +greater part of the brigade did not reach Star Hill till the following +day. + +On the 13th the Gordons and Devons moved camp to Hyde's Farm under +Surprise Hill, the Devons proceeding next day to a camp under +Thornhill's Kopje, throwing out picquets on that hill and also on +another kopje further out towards Nicholson's Nek known as Devon Kopje. + +From this time till May 15th the battalion remained quietly encamped +under Thornhill's Kopje. Route marching and field days occupied the men +most mornings, hockey and football most afternoons. The men suffered a +good deal at first from jaundice, which was chiefly the result of +over-eating after their long abstinence, but they got fit and recovered +their strength gradually; it was, however, fully six weeks to two months +before they were really ready to take the field. + +In the meantime General Buller had turned the Biggarsberg, and the Boers +had fallen back on Laing's Nek. + +The 7th Brigade now formed part of the 4th Division under the command of +Major-General Neville Lyttleton, and on May 16th the Regiment was +ordered to proceed north to Modder's Spruit. Here it remained till the +20th, on which day it continued its march to Elandslaagte, and encamped +near the railway station. On the 23rd, having handed in all tents and +excess baggage, the Regiment marched to Sunday's River, where it joined +up with the divisional head-quarters, and on the following day formed +the rear-guard on the march to Black Craig Farm. Here the division +encamped in the heart of the Biggarsberg. + +Halting at Kalabis on the 25th, the division reached Ingagane on the +26th. + +[Illustration: Railway Bridge Destroyed by Boers, Ingagane] + +The brigade was now split up and placed on the line of communications, +and it was thought probable that the Regiment would see no more fighting +and that the war would soon be brought to a conclusion. Of the four +regiments in the brigade, the Manchester Regiment had been left behind +to garrison Jonono's Kop and the railway line near Elandslaagte, the +Devons were left to garrison Ingagane on the railway, and the Rifle +Brigade was at Newcastle and between that place and Ingogo at the foot +of the Laing's Nek pass. The Gordon Highlanders were at Ingogo and +guarded the railway line still further north. + +The Regiment itself was also split up. A detachment of one company under +Captain Travers (increased afterwards to two companies) proceeded to +occupy Dannhauser, and two companies under Captain Bartlett were ordered +to Rooi Pint on the high ground between Ingagane and Newcastle. A +battery of artillery was also stationed at this place. + +The remaining companies of the Regiment, including a 9th or K company +which had been created shortly after the siege, were posted on the low +hill overlooking Ingagane railway station. + +On June 4th the 1st Cavalry Brigade arrived to form part of the garrison +of Ingagane. This brigade was commanded by Brigadier-General Burn +Murdoch, who was in charge of the line of communication +Newcastle-Dannhauser. + +At Ingagane Hill the Regiment found itself again employed in building +stone walls. Entrenchments against attack were considered necessary, for +it was thought probable that the Boers would attempt to break through +from the north-east of the Free State on the west and cross into Utrecht +and Vryheid districts. The real danger, however, lay on the east, for +the Vryheid district long remained a Boer stronghold, and parties of +Boers frequently raided to the Blood River in the immediate +neighbourhood of Dannhauser. + +It was owing to this that on June 15th a second company was sent to +reinforce Captain Travers at Dannhauser. The hill selected by Captain +Travers for defence overlooked Dannhauser railway station, and commanded +a large extent of ground to the east of the post. This hill was very +strongly fortified, and the works on it, designed and built by Captain +Travers and his men, were perhaps the best works for protection against +musketry fire constructed by the Regiment during the war. + +[Illustration: Making Barbed-Wire Entanglement, Ingagane] + +News was received daily that thousands of Boers with dozens of guns were +on the eastern flank, with every intention of raiding, cutting the line, +and attacking Dannhauser. Dundee also, according to the newspapers and +the evidence of native scouts, was in deadly peril from attack by Chris. +Botha. It was, perhaps, on account of these rumours that a column was +formed to reconnoitre Utrecht. In conjunction with another column which +moved out from Ingogo, three companies of the Regiment, with the Royal +Dragoons and the 5th Dragoon Guards and two field guns, moved out on the +afternoon of July 1st from Ingagane and camped at Tundega Farm. On the +following morning Tundega Hill was occupied by the infantry whilst the +cavalry reconnoitred over the Buffalo River to Utrecht, which was +distant twenty miles. This place was found occupied by about four +hundred Boers, and after some skirmishing and a good deal of firing the +cavalry returned with a loss of one Royal Dragoon taken prisoner. Next +morning the force returned to Ingagane. The operations were supposed to +have been very successful. + +By the end of July the Regiment had quite recovered tone and vigour, and +was well and fit for any work, and on August 2nd, 1900, orders were +received to pack up and proceed by rail the following day to Zandspruit. +On the afternoon of the 3rd the Regiment entrained in coal trucks for +the north. Majuba and Laing's Nek were passed next morning at dawn, and +at 7.30 a.m. Zandspruit was reached. + +The strength of the battalion was now 938 of all ranks. All tents and +excess baggage had been returned to store, and on the 6th the Regiment +marched to Meerzicht, where the remainder of General Lyttleton's 4th +Division was found in bivouac. The 4th Division was now complete and +ready to march north with Sir Redvers Buller. + +General Buller's force moved out from Meerzicht on August 7th. For some +days previously the Boers had been occupying in force some high ground +known as Rooi Kopjes, a few miles north of Meerzicht, and the Gordon +Highlanders had already twice been slightly engaged with them. The 7th +Brigade advanced out of their camp in attack formation, the Gordons +leading the advance, the Devons in support. Their objective was the Rooi +Kopjes. These were found unoccupied, and, having gained the summit, the +7th Brigade were ordered to make a sweep round to the right. + +The new objective was the high ground above Amersfoort. General Buller's +line now occupied some five miles of front. A very high wind was +blowing, and it was not for some time that the Head-quarter Staff, who +at the time were with the 7th Brigade, knew that the artillery of the +8th Brigade, which had marched direct on Amersfoort, were in action, +firing at some Boer guns mounted on the Amersfoort Hills. The Boers were +strongly entrenched on these hills to the number of about 3000 to 4000 +with fourteen guns under Chris. Botha and D. Joubert. The 7th Brigade +advanced across a large undulating plain, the Devons leading. The +Gordons had been sent round to the left to support Dundonald's Mounted +Brigade, who had been checked by some fifty Boers. About 6000 yards from +the position Boer shells began to fall among the companies of the +leading battalion. One half battalion under Major Davies thereupon +opened out and advanced, while the other half battalion was sent to the +left under Captain Jacson, with orders to proceed as rapidly as possible +to the assistance of the Gordon Highlanders, who, it was reported, were +being heavily threatened by the Boers on the extreme left. With the +exception of some shell fire the main advance was continued unopposed. +The left half battalion of the Regiment had to make a very long detour, +and on its arrival to the assistance of the Gordons it was found that +the Boer force, which was threatening the left flank, was simply +Dundonald's mounted troops drawing up stationary behind some rising +ground. + +After a stiff climb the summit of the Amersfoort Hills was reached just +before dark. + +It was found that the Boers had evacuated their position, on their left +flank and rear being threatened by the 8th Brigade. The leading +battalion of this brigade, the 60th Rifles, came under some heavy +musketry fire from the houses in the town, and after several casualties, +which included four officers, Major Campbell, commanding the 60th, +threatened to burn the town if the firing was not discontinued. The +firing then ceased, and the Boers retired to the hills north of the +town. + +The Boers had set fire to the long dry grass in every direction, and it +was chiefly by the light of these fires that regiments, companies, and +parties of mounted men found their way off the hill on a pitch-dark +night. + +No orders had been circulated as to where the force was to halt and +bivouac for the night, and from every direction various bodies of men +groped their way in the dark towards the town, in the hopes that when +once there some orders might be obtained. It was late when the half +battalion under Captain Jacson found its bivouac and joined hands again +with that of Major Davies just outside the town. One company came in +later, having unfortunately lost its way in the dark. + +Some of the leading wagons of the transport, which had been sent along +the direct road from Meerzicht to Amersfoort, broke down in a bad drift, +thus blocking the remainder. No wagons arrived in Amersfoort that night, +and the men after their long tramp, a continuous march without a halt +from 7.30 a.m. till about 8.30 at night, were without greatcoats or +blankets. The night was bitterly cold, with a hard frost. Gangs of men +went down to the town and brought back wood. Soon fires began to light +up in the Devons' and Gordons' bivouacs, which were adjoining, and for +the remainder of the night groups of men sat round them trying to keep +warm. The four companies of the Regiment on outpost duty suffered very +severely, as they were without fires, none being allowed in the outpost +line. + +The force halted at Amersfoort on the following day, owing firstly to +the fog which enveloped everything, and secondly to allow of the baggage +train coming up. This began to arrive at 10 a.m., having been detained +at the drift the whole night. + +During the fog a few Boers came down from the high ground above the +river and fired into the horses watering, at very close range. They +failed, however, to do any damage. + +On August 9th the army continued its advance. On leaving Amersfoort, a +bad drift with a steep climb of half a mile on the further side was met +with, and the baggage was formed into two columns. This was assisted up +the hill by two companies of the Regiment, Sir Redvers Buller personally +superintending. Klippaal Drift was reached late in the afternoon after a +difficult march of ten miles. + +General Buller's army was now on the high veldt in winter time. The cold +was intense, especially at night, when there were several degrees of +frost. Owing to the intense cold, two men of the Rifle Brigade died from +exposure during the night. + +[Illustration: The Baggage of General Buller's Army Crossing Beginderlyn +Bridge] + +On the following day the force continued its march to Beginderlyn +Bridge. This was found intact, and there was no opposition, and the +march was resumed on the 11th as far as Kleinfontein. On August 12th +Ermelo was occupied, and a few of the leading Boers belonging to the +place surrendered. + +So far, and until Twyfelaar was reached, Buller's army received little +or no opposition from the Boers. Chris. Botha, who had occupied +Amersfoort, had retired east after evacuating that place, and was +marching parallel to the British force and at a distance of about ten +miles on its right flank. They were evidently watching Buller, probably +thinking that he would turn east towards Piet Retief, where almost all +their stock, sheep, and cattle had been driven, the mountainous and +difficult country there being suitable for its concealment and +protection. + +The main body of the Boers was concentrated between Belfast and +Machadodorp, north-east of Twyfelaar, in a country eminently suited for +what was considered their final effort. The valley of the Komati River +was exceedingly difficult country for the British army to operate over. +The Boers to the end of the war were very fond of this country, and it +was there, or in the vicinity towards Lake Chrissie, that several +engagements took place later on, during the guerilla stage of the war, +not always in favour of the British. + +The town of Ermelo, which the Regiment was destined to see again on +several future occasions, was left on August 13th, on the evening of +which day the force reached Klipfontein. The Regiment, being rear-guard, +did not reach its bivouac till after dark. Witbank was reached the +following day, and communication was opened up with General French's +column, fifteen miles to the north-west. Carolina could be seen eight +miles away to the north-east. + +The force marched next day to Twyfelaar, and here a halt was made till +August 21st, in order to allow of Lord Roberts's army, which was +advancing east from Pretoria along the Lorenzo Marques railway, joining +hands with General Buller's army. + +The rear-guard of the force was attacked by the Boers on August 21st on +its march from Twyfelaar to Van Wycks Vlei. The Gordon Highlanders lost +nine killed and eight wounded, and the Liverpool Mounted Infantry eight +killed. + +On the following morning a force consisting of Devons, Manchesters, +Gordons, South African Light Horse, one field battery, and the +howitzers, advanced from Van Wycks Vlei under General W. Kitchener, for +the purpose of reconnoitring and driving some Boers off the hills east +of General Buller's camp, so that the road for the next day's march +might be cleared of the enemy. A large number of Boers was seen in the +direction of Carolina, and it was supposed that Chris. Botha's force was +opposed to the column. The Manchester Regiment led the advance, +supported by the Devon Regiment. The former, on crossing a nek to a low +underlying hill, came under a heavy rifle fire from the Boers below and +across the valley, and lost two killed and nine wounded. The force +returned to camp at 6 p.m. + +On the following day Buller's army advanced to Geluk, some five or six +miles, the battalion with the Gordons and mounted troops of Dundonald's +Brigade, acting as rear-guard. A very difficult spruit, with steep +sides, was crossed, and the high hills on the further side occupied. +These had been held by the Boers in strength, but they had retired on +Buller's approach. As soon as the infantry of the rear-guard had arrived +in camp, the mounted troops of the rear-guard were attacked rather +sharply, but they managed to hold their own and to beat off the Boers. +Two companies of the Liverpool Regiment, who formed part of the advance +guard, fell into an ambush and lost considerably, leaving, it was +reported, some eighty men either killed, wounded, or prisoners in the +hands of the Boers. Shortly after arrival in camp, five companies of the +Regiment were sent out on outpost duty, taking up a short line and +entrenching--two companies were entrenched in front and furnished +sentries, with three companies entrenched in rear in support. + +On August 24th and 25th the force stood fast, exchanging occasional big +gun and musketry fire with the Boers. Information was received that Lord +Roberts had entered Belfast on the 24th, thus practically joining hands +with Sir Redvers Buller. + +The position taken up by the Boers already referred to, an immensely +powerful one, straddled the Pretoria-Lorenzo railway east of Belfast and +west of Machadodorp. Botha had taken up a front of some fifty miles in +length, and his force numbered about 5000 men. His right rested on the +broken mountainous country of Elandskloof to the north, and his left on +the mountains overlooking the Komati to the south. His centre was at +Bergendal Farm and the rugged and precipitous hills in the rear of the +farm, through which wound the railway and road, his line of retreat, +quite concealed from the fire and view of the British force. On the +extreme left a big gun with two or three smaller pieces were mounted, +but these were useless to give much support to the centre, as they were +too distant. The line of retreat to Komati Poort, which, from the nature +of the country, could not be threatened except by an extended movement +round the north or south, lay along the Belfast-Machadodorp road and the +railway line. + +Briefly, the course of the two days' battle may be described as +follows:-- + +While Pole Carew threatened the centre at Belfast and the position north +of the railway, French was sent with his cavalry division still further +north to threaten the Boer line of retreat towards Pilgrim's Rest, and +their right flank. Buller attacked the Boers' left with the intention of +driving it in and getting behind their centre on their line of retreat. +He on the first day, however, could make no impression on them, and the +two forces held on to the position they were in for the night. On the +morning of the second day Buller, leaving a brigade of infantry and +Dundonald's mounted brigade to watch the Boers' left, moved across their +front under cover of the undulating slopes of ground, and made an attack +at Bergendal Farm and Kopje. After a sharp fight this was carried, and +the Boers retired all along their line in the direction of Machadodorp. + +It is necessary to state in detail the part played by the Regiment. + +On the morning of Sunday, August 26th, Buller's force was put in motion. +The Regiment was advance guard to the division. When about half a mile +from the camp, the four advanced and extended companies under Captain +Jacson came under fire from some high ground on their right flank, +losing two men. Major Davies, proceeding along this ridge of high ground +with the remainder of the Regiment, forced the Boers posted there off +the hills. The advance guard companies then continued their march with +orders to make Bergendal Farm their point, but not to go beyond it. + +When these companies had proceeded some four or five miles, it was found +that General Buller's main body had changed direction to the right and +had gone east. On retracing their steps, the companies with great +difficulty ascertained the whereabouts of Buller's force. Sir Redvers +was now attacking the Boer left within a mile or two of his former +camping ground. A message was then received stating that the Regiment +was at that time a left flank guard to Buller's army, and that the +former advance guard companies were to join the remainder of the +Regiment. + +The Boers, opposed to Buller in very considerable numbers, were sangared +on some low hills about 800 yards distant from and in front of and below +the high ridge over which his force had to advance. Buller made his +dispositions behind this high ridge. The reverse slope was completely +raked by the Boer fire, and no cover except that afforded by some +ant-hills was obtainable. The dropping bullets followed the form and +slope of the hill, so that neither front nor rear was secure. + +[Illustration: Trekking with General Buller; 5-Inch Guns on the March] + +As soon as the Regiment was formed up, an order was sent to advance. +Captain Emerson with fifteen men extended, rushed down the forward slope +under a heavy fire, and took cover behind some ant-hills. The moment the +men showed over the crest line they were met by a hail of bullets, and +further advance was impossible. + +Later, another order was sent to advance, but owing to the want of cover +it was found impossible for the line to make headway in the face of the +fire brought to bear upon it. It was not until the Howitzer Battery was +brought into action late in the day, to cover the retirement of the +advanced companies, that Captain Emerson and his men were able to get +back. This they did under a very heavy fire from rifles and machine +guns. + +One company under Lieutenant Harris, which had been moved off to the +right, had advanced and got into an exposed place. The men took cover +behind ant-hills, and remained there for the rest of the day. Three +companies had been moved to the neighbourhood of the guns. These came +under shell fire from the Boer guns and had some casualties, amongst +whom was Colour-Sergeant Burchell, who was shot through the shoulder. +Under General Buller's direct supervision one company was ordered +forward. Immediately their four scouts showed over the crest line a +storm of bullets met them, and they were all hit. The four scouts were +found dead on the second day afterwards by the Liverpool Mounted +Infantry. + +Dusk found the companies posted as under: Three companies extended on +the ridge on the left, with two companies extended in support on the +rear side of the hill. One company was extended on the ridge in the +centre, whilst three companies were near the guns, three-quarters of a +mile away on the right. One man was killed and one wounded just at dark +by unaimed fire and by the last shots fired. The companies on the ridge +retired to the crest of the hill after dark and took up an entrenched +outpost line for the night. Rations were then issued for the following +day. It was a pitch-black night, and two cooks' orderlies who had gone +to fetch their company's tea and sugar rations from their wagon, missed +their way in the dark when returning, and walked into the Boer position, +distant only a few hundred yards, and were made prisoners. These two men +were the first prisoners of war lost to the battalion up to this date; +and with the exception of one other prisoner, who was temporarily in the +hands of the Boers in the Badfontein valley in the following year, they +were the only men of the battalion taken prisoners during the war. The +casualties of the battalion for the day were 6 killed, 15 wounded, and 2 +prisoners. + +Early the following morning the 7th Brigade, with the exception of the +Manchester Regiment, moved off to the left, the Rifle Brigade, whose +turn it was to lead, being in front. The guns accompanied the brigade. + +There was little or no opposition till the scouts came under fire from +Bergendal Kopje, or Drie Kraal as it was otherwise known. This rocky +kopje was strongly fortified and held by the Boers. A Field Battery +opened fire on to the kopje at about 3000 yards' range from some rising +ground. Shortly afterwards the remaining guns--5-inch, 4.7's, naval +12-pounders, in all to the number of about thirty-nine--commenced +pouring shells on to this one spot in the Boer position. This shelling +continued for about three hours. + +Very early in the morning a train had been seen coming out from +Machadodorp with reinforcements. These, it was ascertained, were the +Johannesburg Police, to the number of about eighty, and they formed the +garrison of the kopje, about a hundred more being in the farm behind the +kopje. This kopje was a small hill covered with large boulders. The +rocks had been connected with large stones to form sangars, behind which +the garrison found cover. A pompom was included in the armament of the +position, which measured about eighty yards by forty yards only. It fell +away abruptly in the rear, the farm and outbuildings lying very close +under the steep rear side of the hill. + +The English shells fell with terrible accuracy into the sangars, and +there was an almost continuous explosion on the hill. Yet the Boers kept +up their fire till the Rifle Brigade were within ten yards of them, and +their pompom was in action, although partly jammed and firing single +shots, till the very end. This pompom was bravely served by one man, the +remainder of the gun team having been either killed or wounded. It is +not known whether this plucky fellow survived or not. + +General Walter Kitchener, who was commanding the infantry attack, +decided to attack with the Rifle Brigade along the ridge which ended in +the kopje, which was slightly above the level of the ridge. At the same +time he ordered the Inniskilling Fusiliers to attack over the low ground +on the Rifle Brigade's right, whilst the Gordon Highlanders and the +Devonshire Regiment were held in support. + +The Rifle Brigade started from the foot of the hills under which they +had taken cover, and which was about 1200 yards from the Boer position, +and almost immediately came under heavy musketry fire, being much +exposed on the high open ridge. + +They, however, continued their advance in perfect order and eventually +rushed the kopje, the British shells dropping and the Boers firing till +the assault had been delivered. The Inniskillings advanced across the +low ground underneath the Rifle Brigade. Their advance was slightly +delayed, and their delivery of the assault was consequently later than +that of the Rifle Brigade. Captain Emerson with one company of the +Regiment which had been told off as escort to the Maxim guns, advanced +with the leading company of the Inniskillings. + +The whole Boer position was evacuated as soon as their line had been +penetrated by the capture of the Bergendal Kopje. + +The casualties amongst the Rifle Brigade were severe, owing to the much +exposed ground over which it was necessary for the attack to be +delivered, and to the fact that, as the extended lines converged on to +the small kopje, the men naturally became crowded and formed a better +mark for the Boer rifles. They lost two officers and fourteen men killed +and five officers and fifty men wounded, of whom two officers died of +their wounds the following day. The Regiment had one man wounded. + +The position was soon made good, although the Boers held on tenaciously +to a long rocky ridge in their rear to which they had retired, till +nightfall. The force bivouacked for the night near the farm. + +This action was known officially as the battle of Belfast. + +A quiet night was passed, and next morning, August 28th, the force +occupied Machadodorp with slight opposition. The Boers were seen +retreating up the road leading to Lydenburg, and on the high ground +above the town they brought two big guns into action. + +The Gordon Highlanders, in support of Dundonald's Mounted Brigade, were +sent on through the town and occupied the high ground on the far side, +and the Boers retired before them. + +The Boers had made a very hurried retirement. In Machadodorp on the +evening of the day of the fight, guns and cartloads of ammunition were +parked in the big open space in the centre of the town. These were moved +off very hurriedly on the approach of the British force, and the guns +had only reached the top of the hills on the further side of Machadodorp +when General Buller's infantry came in view. General Buller brought some +long-range guns into action and shelled them as they ascended the hill, +but without result. + +From lack of efficient pursuit after the battle the evening before, and +a too cautious advance in the morning, an opportunity to do the Boer +forces considerable damage was apparently lost. A wagon containing +pompom ammunition was captured by Dundonald's Mounted Brigade, but the +pompom itself got away, notwithstanding the very slight opposition +offered by the Boers. + +The following day General Buller's forces reached Helvetia Farm, where +General French's column and General Pole Carew's division joined up. + +With the object of releasing the prisoners who had been sent by the +Boers from Pretoria to Noitgedacht down the railway line towards Komati +Poort, General Buller's force now turned eastwards and marched along the +heights on the north side of the railway. On the first day out from +Helvetia his cavalry saw some 2000 released English prisoners marching +up the line towards Waterval Onder from the direction of Noitgedacht, +and having been unable to obtain touch with the Boers, the force +retraced their steps, and encamped some six miles from Helvetia at +Vluchtfontein, and at this place a halt was made on the following day. + +From here General Buller turned north, and on September 1st, advancing +up the Lydenburg road, reached Badfontein on the Crocodile River. Here +the army bivouacked for the night, and an advance was made up the +Badfontein valley next morning, but coming into contact with the Boers +who were holding the northern end of the valley, his further progress +was checked. The Boer position extended along the high hills which +straddled the road in a semicircular position some eight miles from +Badfontein. + +The Regiment formed the infantry advance guard of the army, and on +reaching what was then named Redvers' Kopje and afterwards known as +Devon Kopje, came under shell fire from three big guns which the Boers +had brought into action on the hills above. At this place the Regiment +stopped for the day, taking cover from shell fire behind the large +boulders of rocks of which the kopje was composed. The remainder of Sir +Redvers Buller's force returned to its old encampment of the previous +night. + +The two mounted brigades and one battery R.H.A., which had advanced to +the foot of the hills occupied by the Boers, returned to camp at dusk. + +As soon as it was dark, four companies of the Regiment were left on +Devon Kopje as an advanced post, whilst the remainder of the Regiment +retired to the rear of the hill and bivouacked. The kopje was entrenched +and everything made comfortable for the following day. All the baggage +wagons were sent back to the main camp during the night. + +September 3rd, 4th, and 5th were spent quietly in position, the Boers on +the 5th firing over the heads of the Regiment into the brigade camp, but +doing very little damage. On the evening of the 5th a hill to the east +was shelled, and after some opposition from the Boers, when Strathcona's +Horse had some casualties, the hill was occupied by the 60th Rifles and +the Leicester Regiment. A battery of artillery was then hauled up the +steep incline to the top. + +On the 6th, General Ian Hamilton having brought up reinforcements +consisting of a brigade, from Belfast by way of Dullstrom, thus turning +the Boers' right, General Buller advanced the following day and found +that the Boers had evacuated their position. But, in ignorance of this +retirement, great preparations were made for a big fight. + +The Devonshire Regiment headed the advance of the infantry. It was +divided into two half battalions, one half battalion under Major Davies +proceeding up the road in support of the mounted troops, whilst five +companies under Captain Jacson were sent more to the left to attack the +large farm at the foot of the hill, with orders "to proceed as far as +possible without severe loss." These manoeuvres having been accomplished +in safety without a shot being fired, the force reached the top and +bivouacked some two miles further on for the night. Owing to the +steepness of the road the baggage did not arrive till after midnight. + +Lydenburg was occupied next day without opposition, the Boers having +retired to a position on Paardeplaats, a range of high and irregular +hills five miles distant from and overlooking Lydenburg on the +Mauchberg-Spitzkop road. From this position the Boers shelled the +baggage, bursting shrapnel over it as it defiled into the open in front +of the town. The train formed up and halted under cover behind a hill, +and came into camp at dusk. + +The following morning, September 8th, Sir Redvers Buller decided to +attack the Boer position on Paardeplaats, and for this purpose he +detailed General Walter Kitchener's brigade to advance up the spurs of +the hills against the Boers' right, whilst General Ian Hamilton's +brigade was to turn the Boers' left, the attack being covered by the +artillery which proceeded up the main road in the centre. + +General Kitchener's brigade moved out from Lydenburg on to the +race-course. The battalion being the leading regiment deployed and +advanced towards a hill jutting out into the plain, with the mounted +brigade of General Dundonald working round the left. This hill was +afterwards known to the Regiment as Ben Tor. As the Regiment deployed +into the open it came under shrapnel fire from two big guns posted on +Paardeplaats. The Regiment was, however, extended, and had only one man +wounded. + +The Gordon Highlanders, who were in support, marched across the Boers' +front, in rear of the extended Devons, in column of companies. Several +shells burst amongst them, and one shell, bursting thirty feet above +graze, took their volunteer company end on and killed and wounded +fifteen. + +With Dundonald's men on their left flank, four companies of the Regiment +under Captain Jacson advanced up the spurs without opposition, whilst +Major Davies, in command of the remaining companies, climbed the spurs +on Jacson's right. Little or no opposition was met with on this flank. +Jacson's companies were reinforced by four companies of the Gordon +Highlanders and the 60th Rifles, and at 4 p.m., when nearing the summit, +a thick mist came on, and the flanking brigade halted. Meanwhile Davies, +with two of his companies, had reached the top of the hill and was +proceeding down the far side when the fog lifted. It was then +ascertained that the Boers, under cover of the fog, had left the +position to which they had clung with great determination, and had +retired. The position had been turned by Ian Hamilton's right flank +attack. + +The thick mist saved the Boers, who would otherwise undoubtedly have +lost their big guns in their retirement. + +Just before dark the companies of the Regiment, which had become +scattered, were collected, and Captain Jacson received an order to +return with these to the old camp on the far side of Lydenburg; seven +companies were thus taken down the hills over very rough country to the +old camp, a distance of nearly six miles. On arrival there a message was +received which stated that the army was encamped half-way up the hill +towards Paardeplaats. The seven companies then returned, and finally +reached camp very late. They had been marching and climbing incessantly +from 7.30 a.m. till 10 p.m. + +The brigades had by this time become rather intermingled. Of General +Kitchener's brigade the Manchester Regiment had been left behind at +Witklip, at the north end of the Badfontein valley. A garrison had also +been left at Lydenburg under General Howard, consisting of the Rifle +Brigade and Leicesters, with General Brocklehurst's Cavalry Brigade. + +The Devonshire Regiment was now left behind at Paardeplaats, while +General Buller's force, consisting of the Gordon Highlanders and the +60th Rifles, with Dundonald's Mounted Brigade, two Field Batteries, and +the 5-inch guns, advanced on the 9th, the day following the capture of +Paardeplaats, in the direction of the Mauchberg. + +The country was extremely difficult, and the Boer guns and pompoms well +served, and considerable opposition was met with in the advance. + +General Buller's force reached the Mauchberg that evening and proceeded +on the following day to Devil's Knuckles, down the steep Mauchberg road +(known as Hell's Gate), where the two Boer big guns again narrowly +escaped capture, and so on to Spitzkop, just north of Nelspruit on the +Pretoria-Lorenzo Marques railway. + +On the 10th four companies and two guns under Captain Jacson were +ordered to the Mauchberg. The companies got off by midday, and after a +stiff climb occupied the mountain just before dark. The top of the +Mauchberg, 8720 feet high, was found to be very extended, and the +garrison was much split up. Company forts were erected on the main +features, and the place was held till the 20th, mostly in thick fog and +rain. + +The Mauchberg post was the terminus of the telegraph line, communication +thence with General Buller's head-quarters being continued by visual +signalling. The mountain was intersected by deep kloofs and ravines, +into most of which the Boers had collected their families and supplies, +in the hope that neither would be found. These were all disclosed from +the summit of the mountain, which commanded a view of a great extent of +country. General Buller succeeded in collecting a large amount of stores +from these "caches." + +The families of Boers who surrendered with their stock were sent into +Lydenburg, together with any prisoners that had been taken. + +On the 11th two of the Mauchberg companies with the two guns were +ordered to proceed to Devil's Knuckles, to supply picquets for +Dundonald's Mounted Brigade which was stationed there, and on September +20th the companies of the Regiment stationed at Paardeplaats marched to +the Mauchberg, being relieved at the former place by the Leicesters, the +remaining two Mauchberg companies proceeding to Devil's Knuckles. + +On the 21st the Regiment was again united and marched with Dundonald's +Brigade down the Sabi Valley, reaching Sabi Drift that evening, where +the force bivouacked. The column under General Dundonald remained at +Sabi Drift till the 26th awaiting the arrival of General Buller, who was +returning from Spitzkop. + +[Illustration: Devons Crossing the Sabi River] + +A story is told anent the positions out of which General Buller's +infantry had turned the Boers, which goes to show the estimation in +which the British infantry were held by their opponents. The words are +those of General Botha, and were told to an officer of the Head-quarter +Staff. "I shall give it up," he said. "I have taken up position after +position which I considered impregnable; I have always been turned off +by your infantry, who come along in great lines in their dirty clothes +with bags on their backs. Nothing can stop them. I shall give it up." + +On September 25th the remainder of General Buller's force marched into +Sabi Drift, and on the 26th the army, united again, advanced north for +Pilgrim's Rest. Burgher's Nek and Mac-Mac diggings were reached about +noon on that day. + +The pass over Burgher's Nek was held by the Boers under Gravett, Botha +and the State treasure with a small escort having crossed only a few +hours before, whilst a portion of their army under Viljoen retired at +the same time to the north towards Pietersburg. + +The infantry of the advance guard was composed of four companies of the +Regiment under Captain Jacson. On reaching the foot of the pass the +mounted troops were checked and the artillery came into action. The +position occupied by the Boers was formidable--a long stretch of high +rugged hills, with the forward slope ending precipitously. The pass lay +over a Nek between two high shoulders of hills. The Boers, exceedingly +well posted, occupied the hills on either side of the Nek, taking cover +behind the immense boulders on the summit. + +After the artillery had been bombarding the south side of the Nek for +some considerable time, the mounted infantry were sent forward to occupy +the hill known as Grass Kop, but were unable to proceed. In the +meantime, the four companies of the advance guard had been moved off to +the left and nearer to the hills. They now got the order to attack and +occupy the hill. Whilst these companies moved off under cover of the +undulating ground to the foot of the hills, two companies with the Maxim +gun took up a position in rear to cover the advance, firing with a range +of 1700 yards at the top of the hill. Most of the artillery came into +action at the same time and at the same objective. The foot of the hill +was reached by the attacking force with two casualties. One company was +then directed to the left to attack round the flank, and the ascent of +the precipitous side of the hill was commenced. Crawling up a goat's +track in single file, on hands and knees, through dense bush, the first +portion of the ascent was accomplished, and the little force formed up +under a spur to get breath before debouching into the open for the final +rush to the top. After a short halt the advance was continued to the +summit, the companies on their way coming under a smart shell fire from +their own guns (happily without casualties), which were bursting +shrapnel with wonderful precision between the two leading companies. +Just before reaching the top the flanking company, coming in from the +left with a well-timed advance, joined the general advance to the +summit. It was found that the Boers had retired, and fire was brought to +bear on them as they descended the rear slope of the hill. The high hill +on the left of the pass was then occupied, and the Nek over which the +road passed cleared of Boers. + +A heliograph message from Sir Redvers Buller was received on the summit, +"Well done Devons!" and in Lord Roberts' official dispatch for the day +it was notified that General Buller had occupied Burgher's Nek, and that +"the pass had been turned by a half battalion of the Devonshire +Regiment, well led by Captain Jacson." + +The four companies bivouacked on the top. Efforts were made by those +down below to get food and blankets up to them, but owing to the +steepness and difficulties of the climb and the darkness, it was found +impossible. + +The head-quarter companies of the Regiment were engaged on outpost duty +at the foot of the pass, where the army had bivouacked, almost all the +men being on duty. + +On the following day the march was resumed, the head-quarter companies +of the Regiment being rear-guard to the force. The companies on the hill +were relieved by two companies of the Regiment under Captain Wren. The +road was extremely bad and crossed by many drifts, which caused +considerable delay, and it was not till the early hours of morning that +the rear-guard companies got into camp. The bivouac was formed amongst +the hills, some five miles from Pilgrim's Rest, which had been occupied +the previous day by Strathcona's Horse. + +On the 28th the march was continued through Pilgrim's Rest to the foot +of Morgenzon Hill, the mounted troops surprising the Boers on the summit +and putting them to flight. + +The baggage was safely brought up the six miles of steep hill on the +following day. The road, which was the old coaching highway Pilgrim's +Rest-Lydenburg, was found in excellent condition, but it was heavy work +for the oxen, and all wagons were double spanned. The force camped on +the summit, and halted there on the 30th. + +A good number of Boers were reported in the vicinity to the west and +north, but they did not make their presence felt and Sunday was spent +quietly. + +On October 1st Morgenzon was left and the march continued towards +Kruger's Post and Lydenburg. It was a long, dusty road through narrow +valleys. Opposition was encountered at the bifurcation of the +Lydenburg-Morgenzon and Lydenburg-Ohrigstadt roads, which, however, was +soon overcome, the Boers retiring to the hills out of reach of the guns, +and Kruger's Post was reached at 2 p.m. + +Shortly after the Regiment had settled itself in its bivouac a Boer big +gun opened on to it from a hill about 6000 yards distant, and not very +far from the road. This gun also shelled the wagons as they came into +camp, necessitating their halting under cover and coming in later. In +the evening, about 6.30, the Boers brought another gun into action on a +hill due west of the camp, and shelled the cavalry and infantry bivouacs +for one and a half hours in the dark. After several shells had pitched +into their midst the Regiment moved out and formed up into two long +lines and entrenched. + +It was whilst marching out to take up this position in the dark that a +shell emptied itself into the head of one company, killing Lieutenant +Cumin and severely wounding Captain Luxmoore and one man. The South +African Light Horse and Strathcona's Horse had a number of casualties +amongst their men and horses. + +The Boers by a skilful manoeuvre had kept their guns concealed, ready to +be brought into action as soon as General Buller's army had settled +itself quietly in its bivouac. They expended some cartloads of +ammunition in this manner without interference. In the early hours of +the following morning a band of volunteers ascended the hill to capture +the guns. They had both been withdrawn and were not traced. + +On the morning of October 2nd Buller's army reached Lydenburg without +further opposition. Lieutenant Cumin was buried in the evening in +Lydenburg cemetery. + +On Saturday, October 6th, Sir Redvers Buller bade farewell to his army. +The troops lined the streets and roads and gave him a hearty send-off. +He was immensely popular with the men and they were sorry to see him go. + +General W. Kitchener took over command of the Lydenburg district and its +garrison, on Sir Redvers Buller's departure. + +On the writer asking Sir Redvers on the eve of the day of his departure +which was his best army--the one he commanded into Ladysmith or the one +with which he trekked north--he replied, "The army I went north with was +the best. I watched the Devons pass me at Burgher's Nek and it struck me +how wonderfully well they looked. I considered they were ready for +anything I asked them to do; but," he added, "they surprised me with the +pace they went up the hill at Burgher's Nek." + + + + +CHAPTER IV + +LYDENBURG + +1900-1901 + + +On October 8th, 1900, the battalion moved out of Lydenburg to the +Mission Station, three miles north of the town on the Kruger's Post +road. The Mission Station was a collection of Kaffir houses, containing +some 500 Christian men, women, and children. The mission-house was taken +over as a post and fortified as soon as the German pastor, who was found +to be communicating with the Boers, had been sent to Pretoria to be +locked up. + +[Illustration: Colonel C.W. Park, Mission Camp, Lydenburg] + +The site of the camp having been chosen, it was immediately surrounded +by company forts consisting of ditches four feet deep and two feet wide +for protection against shell fire, which it was considered possible +would be brought to bear on the camp. This entrenchment was finished in +one afternoon. + +Two guns of the 53rd Battery under Lieutenant Higgins, and one 5-inch +gun under Second Lieutenant McLellan, were added to the garrison. + +The battalion stood to arms daily just before dawn. + +On the 9th two companies under Captain Bartlett were moved to +Paardeplaats as a permanent garrison, whilst two companies under Captain +Travers were sent to Ben Tor. + +On the 10th two companies of the Regiment, two guns, and one company +mounted infantry proceeded just before daylight to a farm some six miles +away, and burnt it. They encountered no opposition. This company of +mounted infantry was then added to the garrison for permanent duty. + +The two following days were employed in collecting forage from different +farm-houses. Very few Boers were seen, and there was little or no +opposition. + +On the 24th, it having been ordained that all the Boer women in the +various towns were to be sent out to their husbands in the laagers, two +companies and two guns under Captain Ravenshaw were ordered to escort +the ladies of Lydenburg over the Spekboom Bridge on the Kruger's Post +road, and there hand them over to their husbands and friends. Captain +Ravenshaw went out with a flag of truce and met the Boers, amongst whom +was Erasmus. They were most affable, and shook hands cordially. The +women reached Kruger's Post that evening. + +The next day General Walter Kitchener started out at 2 a.m. with a +column of infantry (Devons), mounted infantry and guns towards Kruger's +Post for the purpose of shelling the farm. At dawn the column crossed +the Spekboom Bridge and mounted the hills in the face of slight +opposition. A 5-inch gun was then brought to the front and shells +dropped into Kruger's Post, after which the column returned to camp. A +patrol of four Boers was captured, and there were no casualties on the +British side. + +Very shortly after this the order concerning the Boer women was +cancelled and a fresh order was issued, which ordained that all Boer +women who were captured or gave themselves up should be confined in +large concentration camps on the railway line. + +On the evening of the 24th one company was ordered down from Ben Tor to +be posted on the hill overlooking the Spekboom Bridge. The company +proceeded there on the 25th escorted by two companies, two guns, and +some mounted infantry. + +On the following day, as the Boers were threatening the Bridge Post +before the works were complete, one company and two guns were sent out +as a covering party. + +The battalion was now split up; two companies under Lieutenant Tringham +proceeded to Witklip, two companies under Captain Bartlett were at +Paardeplaats, one company under Lieutenant Cowie was at Ben Tor, one +company under Captain Travers was at Bridge Post. Of the three remaining +companies one was holding the Mission House, and the two others with the +5-inch gun and the two field guns formed the garrison of the main camp. + +On October 30th two companies from Mission Camp were ordered to march at +sunset through Lydenburg to the bank of the river. Here they halted and +had supper, being eventually joined by the Rifle Brigade. Starting again +at 9 p.m. and marching all through the night, they attacked some Boer +laagers at dawn. After some heavy firing the laagers, which had been +completely surprised, were captured with all their tents, etc. The +column returned at 5 p.m. the same day, when the companies redistributed +themselves to their various posts, having marched from 4 a.m. till 10.30 +p.m. a distance of thirty-five miles. There were four casualties, one of +which was a Devon man slightly wounded. + +November was spent rather quietly by the battalion, the men being +employed in strengthening the various posts and making them comfortable. + +On November 7th one company was sent off to garrison Strathcona Hill on +the southern side of the town. + +On the 8th General Walter Kitchener again attacked the Boers, this time +employing entirely mounted troops, He brought back with him 1000 sheep, +50 ponies, and 20 wagons. Five Boers were killed, and the mounted troops +had two casualties. + +Colonel Park returned from sick leave on the 9th, when Major Davies +resumed his position as second in command. Lieutenants Hext and Kane +left shortly afterwards to join the mounted infantry at Pretoria, and at +the end of November Lieutenant Woollcombe rejoined the Regiment from +Maritzburg, Lieutenant Harris returned from Pretoria with a draft of +thirty-eight men, and Lieutenant Twiss rejoined from hospital at +Newcastle. + +At the beginning of December the following was the distribution of the +companies of the Regiment:-- + +Two companies at Paardeplaats under Captain Bartlett. +One company at Bridge Post under Captain Travers. +One company at Strathcona Hill under Lieutenant Willis; and +Four companies at Mission Camp. + +On December 9th and 10th a foraging expedition with three guns and four +companies of the Rifle Brigade went out towards Van Der Merves' Farm +under Colonel Park. These brought back twenty-eight wagon loads of +forage without experiencing any opposition. + +It was reported on the 12th that Nelspruit had been cut off by the Boers +and required assistance. A column was immediately formed, composed of +one squadron 19th Hussars, four companies Devons under Major Davies, and +four companies Rifle Brigade with some guns; the whole proceeding under +General Kitchener _en route_ to the Mauchberg and Devil's Knuckles. +Three companies of the Regiment had been taken from Mission Camp and one +from Paardeplaats. + +A blizzard blowing all night and the following morning, accompanied with +thunder and heavy rain, delayed the advance of the troops till noon, +when a start was effected, and the Mauchberg was occupied by the Devons +without opposition. + +Further advance down Hell's Gate to the Devil's Knuckles was found +impracticable owing to the state of the road. Troops from Machadodorp +had been sent to Lydenburg to act as a garrison whilst the column was +out; but instructions were received from head-quarters on the 15th +ordering the immediate return of the column to Lydenburg, as well as of +the reinforcements back to Machadodorp. The Devons had been, however, +sent out from the Mauchberg previous to the receipt of the order to +retire. They skirmished down the road towards Devil's Knuckles, and in a +very thick fog Boers and British nearly walked into each other's arms. +There was a good deal of musketry fire, with the result to the British +side of one Devon wounded. As was usually said on such occasions, +"Boers' loss was probably very great." The three companies returned to +Mission Camp late on the evening of the 16th. + +On the 18th Major Davies was ordered to Witklip to take command of the +forts; he took with him one company as a reinforcement to the garrison. + +On Christmas Day the Regiment received a number of telegrams from +friends in England wishing them good luck. A race meeting was held in +the afternoon on the Lydenburg race-course. The public went armed, and +two field guns were brought into action on the course. These precautions +were necessary, for the Boers at this time were very busy, and on the +night of December 28th-29th attacked the post at Helvetia, near +Machadodorp, and captured it. + +The post contained a 4.7 naval gun called "Lady Roberts," and this, with +the garrison of three companies of the Liverpool Regiment, was taken, +only one small fort manned by a small contingent of about fifteen men +holding out. General Walter Kitchener left at once with four companies +of the Rifle Brigade, two companies of the Regiment (from Witklip), two +guns, and the mounted troops, in the hope of intercepting the Boers and +recovering the gun. The Boers, however, had made good their retirement +to the hills, and General Kitchener returned to Lydenburg with the +column on the 31st. + +The Liverpool Regiment lost at Helvetia 4 killed, 27 wounded, and 200 +prisoners. + +The Boers about this time attacked all along the line from Lydenburg to +Pretoria. The defences, except at Lydenburg, were of the most meagre +description. In fact, the works constructed by the Rifle Brigade and the +Devons at Lydenburg were the only works of any strength, and these were +as complete as possible. Witklip was being placed in a fortified +condition, but up to the time of the taking of Helvetia Post little had +been done anywhere, except at Lydenburg. + +For the next few nights all posts round Lydenburg stood to arms at 1.30 +a.m. owing to the activity of the Boers, but it was not till January 4th +that they attacked the Bridge Hill Post. They attempted to capture the +picquet on the bridge over the Spekboom River, but were beaten off. + +About this time one company was ordered down from Paardeplaats to +Mission Camp, the garrison at Paardeplaats being thus reduced to one +company; and Witklip garrison was reinforced by the addition of one +company, which was sent there from Mission Camp. + +On the early morning of January 8th the Boers made a simultaneous attack +on almost all posts on the line between Belfast and Lydenburg. The +following posts were attacked: Badfontein, Schwarzkop, Helvetia, +Machadodorp, Belfast, Pan, and Noitgedacht. The Badfontein Post was +shelled only, by a big gun mounted on the hills west of the fort, which +failed, however, to reach the post. The result of the general attack was +that two posts only, those at Belfast, were captured by the Boers. These +were not held, and the Boers retired, leaving twenty-four dead upon the +ground. The posts had been well prepared for defence after the disaster +at Helvetia. + +A wire bridge over the Lydenburg River, constructed by Lieutenant Green +and the twelve men of the Maxim gun team, was completed about this time, +and as it attracted a good deal of attention a description of it may be +interesting. + +The bridge had a span of sixty feet, and was constructed on the system +of the "jhula," or rope bridge, of Cashmere, out of telegraph wire. The +roadway, to admit of one person at a time, was made of two lengths of +twisted wire, each ten strands thick. These being stretched tightly +across the river, and the ends well worked into the ground and pegged +down, were joined together by small laths of wood two inches apart. Two +more lengths, each ten strands thick, were stretched from two uprights +on each bank, at a convenient height above the roadway, to form a +support for it. These were joined on to the roadway by stout sticks, +about one to two feet apart, on either side to give stability. The +bridge was then secured up and down stream by wires to keep it steady. +The height of the bridge above the stream was about twenty feet. + +[Illustration: Wire Bridge, Lydenburg] + +The chief cause of attraction and interest in the bridge to outsiders +was the fact that it had been constructed entirely by British infantry +without the aid of the Royal Engineers, and that the plan had been +thought out by them alone, and was not "in the book." The idea had been +taken from some photographs of a Cashmere "jhula," and the work had been +carried out from descriptions of the rope bridges furnished by an +officer of the Regiment who had crossed them. All previous bridges had +been washed away, but this bridge was still standing at the end of the +war, and was being utilized then by the Kaffirs at Mission Camp as an +easy access and short cut to their cultivated fields. + +On January 12th, as a larger convoy than usual was coming through to +Lydenburg, a small force under Captain Jacson, consisting of two +companies Devons, one company mounted infantry and one gun went out from +Mission Camp to demonstrate towards Schoeman's Laager on the west. No +Boers, however, were seen, and the convoy came safely into Lydenburg +without opposition. + +Several changes occurred in the disposition of the companies of the +Regiment during the latter half of January, 1901. + +The head-quarters with three companies were stationed at Witklip under +Colonel Park. Two companies proceeded to Badfontein as a garrison under +Major Davies. One company held each of the posts at Bridge Hill and +Paardeplaats respectively. One company was in charge of the Mission +House, whilst one company was left at Mission Camp to commence the +construction of a new work south of the old camp. + +[Illustration: Wire Bridge, Lydenburg (General Kitchener and Colonel +Park)] + +These changes were made on account of some large convoys going and +coming to and from the railway line, larger escorts having to be +provided owing to the proximity and increased activity of the Boers on +the lines of communication. The convoys came through safely without any +trouble, and on January 30th Major Davies with his two companies +returned to Witklip. The head-quarters of the Regiment, with three +companies, left Witklip the following day and proceeded to Mission Camp. +Further changes were made during February, 1901, the post at +Paardeplaats being given up and the company posted there returning to +Mission Camp. + +Towards the latter end of January a flying column was organized by +General Walter Kitchener. The objective of this column was the high +hills south of Lydenburg towards Witpoort and Belfast. It was under the +personal command of the General, and was composed of the following +troops:-- + +1 squadron 19th Hussars. +1 battery R.F.A. +1 naval 12-pounder. +1 pompom. +1 company Manchester Mounted Infantry. +3 companies Devons under Captain Travers. + +The column set out at 1 a.m. in the direction of Elandskloof. It was a +bright night, although a thick white mist hung everywhere. The 19th +Hussars, who knew the difficult country, conducted the advance. After +marching for two hours the column found itself in the hills. A halt was +made whilst the three companies of the Regiment extended and occupied +the high ground which barred the advance, to drive off any Boers who +might be in possession. This manoeuvre was executed without opposition. +It was learnt, however, that a Boer picquet had been on the top, and had +galloped off on the approach of the infantry. Daylight found the column +in possession of Elandskloof, which was reached after a difficult climb +by steep and circuitous paths. Shortly after daylight several Boers were +observed to be driving their cattle into kloofs above the Badfontein +valley for safety. An advance was made shortly afterwards towards +Schwartz Kopjes, which place was reached without much opposition towards +dark. At Schwartz Kopjes camp was formed for the night, the infantry +entrenching themselves in the kopjes round the camp, with one company +posted in a farmhouse about 400 yards west of the main camp. + +On the following day General Kitchener ordered the mounted troops and +guns to make a reconnaissance towards Dulstroom. Whilst the rest of the +force remained in camp, the baggage under escort was sent towards +Belfast. The reconnoitring force fared badly, for after advancing a few +miles Boers in large numbers were seen collecting on the high hills due +west, and approaching at a rapid pace. The reconnoitring force was +shortly afterwards heavily engaged, and compelled to retire on to the +camp. + +The infantry were now ordered to retire as rapidly as possible to a +ridge in rear, distant about 2000 to 2500 yards. The cavalry retired +hard pressed on to Schwartz Kopjes, which they held until the infantry +had completed their movement, when the cavalry again retired back to the +neighbourhood of the infantry. Schwartz kopjes were immediately occupied +by the Boers, who collected there in large numbers and endeavoured to +get round the flanks of the column. + +Followed hotly by the Boers, the column made a rapid retirement, units +covering each other until camp was reached. It was only then that the +Boers drew off. There was no further engagement that day or during the +night, and the column completed its advance next day to Belfast, where +it arrived about midday and camped to the south side of the railway. + +The distribution of the garrison, carried out at the commencement of +February, continued more or less the same till the time the Regiment +left Lydenburg. Three companies were north of Lydenburg, and were +stationed at the Mission House, Mission Camp Fort, and Bridge Hill. One +company was at Strathcona Hill, south of the town, two companies under +the command of Major Davies were at Witklip, whilst the three companies +which had proceeded with General Kitchener to Belfast were quartered on +their return in Lydenburg. + +During this time Colonel Park was commanding the Lydenburg district with +Captain Ravenshaw as Brigade Major. + +On February 5th the Boers attacked all the Lydenburg posts. The attacks +were not heavily pressed. There were no casualties on the side of the +defenders, whilst the Boers lost, as far as could be ascertained, two +killed and seven wounded. + +On February 16th two Boers surrendered at Mission Camp. These stated +that their friends in the laagers were badly off for meat and had hardly +any horses left, most of them having died of horse-sickness. + +Early in March, 1901, Colonel Park decided on raiding Piet Schwartz's +laager, which was stationed on the ridge to the north of and overlooking +Kruger's Post. His force consisted of three companies Devons under +Captain Jacson, three companies Rifle Brigade, three companies Royal +Irish, one squadron 19th Hussars, three companies mounted infantry, +three guns 53rd Battery, one howitzer, and one pompom, and by the 12th +his arrangements were complete. The infantry were to make a night march +and to attack at dawn, whilst the mounted troops and guns were to be at +Kruger's Post just after dawn to assist. + +Under cover of darkness, the column rendezvoused at the Spekboom Bridge, +one company having gone on ahead to seize any Boers who might be coming +down at nightfall, as was their wont, to form a picquet there. + +A start was made from the bridge at about 9 p.m. Leaving the main road +on their left, the column proceeded in single file, Devons leading, +along a footpath which led them over a Nek in the hills and thence down +into a donga. An accident, which might have been attended with very +unfortunate results, occurred at the very commencement. The Royal Irish, +who were in the rear, instead of following and keeping in touch with the +remainder of the column missed connection, and went up the main road, on +which, about two miles ahead, was a Boer picquet. They were, however, +stopped just in time and turned back. This delayed the advance for about +an hour. Along the donga the march was continued for some six miles, +when a cross donga was met with, the sides of which were steep and about +fifteen feet high. The leading troops crossed and halted on the far side +till the rear closed up. The Maxim gun mules with difficulty negotiated +the obstacle, and the advance was, after one hour's halt, continued to +Kruger's Post. + +The force kept to the donga almost the whole march, scarcely for a +moment leaving its shelter. Terribly rough going it was, with long high +grass soaking wet, and the men tumbling about into ruts and over rocks. +On they trudged, twisting and turning, up and down, falling about, with +every now and then a suppressed exclamation and an imprecation on rocks +and ruts in general and night marches in particular--no lights, no +smoking. No one except he who has done it knows what a strain it is +marching along through the dark night, without a word and without the +company of a pipe. + +On emerging from the donga at Kruger's Post on to the open veldt a +further halt was made; the leading troops lay down in the soaking grass +and were fast asleep in a moment. + +It was found that the column had opened out considerably, and must have +stretched for some four miles from lead to end. The rate of marching at +the head of the column had been about two miles per hour. This was +found, over the rough ground, to be too quick to allow of the rear +keeping closed up--the pace should not have exceeded one mile an hour. + +The column having closed up and the sleeping men having with difficulty +been found and turned up out of the wet grass, a further advance was +made. But now the direction was to the right in order to avoid Kruger's +Post Farm, which was occupied by the Boers. This took the column over +some millraces, a biggish jump for the men. The mules, having been +relieved of their loads, were man-handled across. Once over these and +then a wade through a stream knee deep, the ghostly column again halted. +It was now 3.30 a.m. The foot of the low hills behind which was the +laager, had been reached, and the officers were busy getting their men +collected. + +An intelligence officer reports that if there is the slightest delay +dawn will break before the positions are reached. The first streak of +dawn is 4.45 a.m. + +"May we go off now on our own?" is the question asked. + +"All right; off you go!" is the cheery answer from Colonel Park. + +The Devons had the furthest to go, perhaps one and a half miles to reach +the far side of the laager. The Royal Irish were already at the foot of +the hill on the top of which was the position assigned to them. + +Two of the Rifle Brigade companies had unfortunately missed connection +and had gone off into the "Ewigkeit" in the dark, but one company was +ready and handy to the Nek which they had to occupy, to fill up the gap +between the Devons and the Royal Irish. + +The Devons, who by this time were well together, started off, Captain +Travers with a guide leading. He had orders to take on with him the two +first companies, the guide showing him where to place his men. On they +went, running and walking, walking and running, up the slippery road, +across the Nek and then down into the valley below. Two small groups of +men were posted in the ditch leading up to the Nek. + +As the last man reached the knoll overlooking the Nek at the place where +the main road crossed it, and which was the right of the Devons' +allotment of position, the two leading companies could be heard down in +the valley below stumbling amongst the stones, getting into a position +that would entirely cut off the Boers' retreat down the main road +leading north. + +[Illustration: Mission Camp Fort, Lydenburg] + +Suddenly all was still: everything was ready. It was exactly 4.45 a.m. + +All lay down and waited in breathless silence for the coming dawn. The +Devons had orders to withhold their fire as long as possible, to make +sure of the other units being in their places. "That's the position of +the laager, just behind that little knoll," whispered an intelligence +scout; "but it seems as if the bird has flown." + +[Illustration: Mission Camp Fort, Lydenburg (Interior)] + +For some ten minutes the silence continued, with not so much as the +crack of a twig to interrupt it. What's that? It's a cock crowing! There +it is again! There's another! The laager's there right enough, and we've +got them! + +In the far distance, Lydenburg way, the faint noise of musketry fire +could be heard; it was the mounted troops advancing and driving in the +Boer picquets on the road above the Spekboom Bridge, eight miles back. + +In about five minutes' time the laager was roused by a Boer, who +commenced swearing roundly at some one in a very loud voice. One man +came out and posted himself on a little rise of ground, and gazed, +listening, Kruger's Post way. He was joined by another, then another, +until there was a group of nine of them, two dressed in long white +robes. It was thought that these were women. Suddenly they all returned +into the laager out of sight, only to appear again in a few minutes on +horseback. Three of them came straight up to the high road just under +the knoll where the Devons were in readiness. They were allowed to go +on, and they continued their career down the road towards Kruger's Post. + +Now the utility of posting the groups in the ditch by the side of the +road became manifest. Suddenly from their direction crack! went a single +rifle, then a burst of rifle fire, which was immediately taken up all +round the circle. + +No, not quite round; there was silence from the hill which should have +been occupied by the Royal Irish. A party of some twenty Boers were seen +ascending this hill, the top of which was covered with big rocks. The +Devons' rifles as well as their Maxim gun were turned on to them. The +Boers, however, succeeded in reaching the safety of the rocks a few +moments before the ascending Irish. + +Meanwhile the firing had become general, and in the dim light also a +trifle mixed. The Rifle Brigade fired into the two Devon companies down +in the valley and across the laager. The latter in their turn fired at +some Boers trying to escape through the gap left open by the Royal +Irish. These were striving with the Boers for the possession of the +rock-capped hill, and both were being fired into by the Devons across +the valley. + +After some twenty minutes of sharp musketry fire the "cease fire" +sounded, and everything was again quiet; it was then found that the +whole laager had fallen into British hands. Two Boers were killed, three +wounded, and thirty-six captured, whilst the British casualties were two +killed and four wounded, all of them Royal Irish. + +The distance from Lydenburg to Piet Schwartz's laager by road is about +eighteen miles; the distance marched by the column could not have been +under twenty miles, and this over very difficult ground. The column had +left Lydenburg at 7 p.m., and reached its destination at 4.45 a.m. + +Unfortunately, Piet Schwartz himself escaped capture, as he was not in +the laager; he had left it the previous day. + +The mounted troops and guns were very slow in coming out, with the +result that a large quantity of cattle located in the various kloofs +which should have been captured, escaped. Abel Erasmus was taken the +following day. + +The force bivouacked at Kruger's Post for the night, and returned to +Lydenburg next day, bringing with it fifteen Boer families in addition +to the prisoners. On their return a wire was received by Colonel Park +from Lord Kitchener: "Highly appreciate successful operation of Colonel +Park and troops engaged." + +The remainder of the month was spent mostly in convoy work between +Witklip and Lydenburg. Whilst returning to Lydenburg with one of these +convoys, General Walter Kitchener, who was riding ahead with a small +escort, suddenly came across some Boers lying concealed in the grass. He +lost two of his own personal escort killed, his own horse also being +shot. He himself narrowly escaped capture. + +On April 10th an order was issued for the battalion to concentrate in +Lydenburg, preparatory to a general advance of three columns. The posts +at Bridge Hill, Mission Village, Strathcona, and Paardeplaats were +evacuated, and the company at Witklip withdrawn. + +The destinations of the columns were as follows:-- + +One column under Colonel Park was to proceed in the Kruger's Post +direction and to scour the country towards the north, and later to join +hands with General Kitchener's column, which was to proceed in a +north-westerly direction, and the third column under Colonel Douglas was +to proceed from Witklip in a westerly direction. + +On the 12th, Lieutenant-Colonel Park handed over the command of the +battalion to Major Davies, who had arrived from Witklip, and Captain +Jacson took over the duties of second in command. + + + + +CHAPTER V + +TREKKING IN THE NORTH-EAST TRANSVAAL + + +On April 13th, 1901, General Walter Kitchener commenced his long trek +with a night march. + +His force consisted of-- + +Two guns 53rd F.B.R.A. under Major Johnson and Captain Talbot-Ponsonby. +One 5-inch gun. +One 5-inch howitzer. +One naval 12-pounder. +One company mounted infantry. +1st Battalion Devonshire Regiment (20 officers and 900 men). +2nd Battalion Rifle Brigade. +The 6th Western Australians. + +General Walter Kitchener's column formed one of the many operating at +the time in a combined movement in the Northern Transvaal and bush +veldt, under the direction of General Sir Bindon Blood. + +Two columns were sent north to drive the bush veldt, forcing any Boers +that might be located there on to the other columns, who were acting as +stops near the Tautes Berg and Bothas Berg, immediately north of the +Pretoria-Lorenzo railway line. + +General Walter Kitchener decided to start his operations with an attack +on Schoeman's laager, and for this purpose the Regiment was ordered to +take up a position before dawn which would cut off the laager, situated +in the Steenkampsberg mountains, near the entrance of the Lydenburg road +into the hills, from the north. This entailed a night march of about +sixteen miles. The remainder of the column was to proceed by the main +road and attack the laager at daybreak. + +The Regiment rendezvoused on the west side of the river, clear of the +town, before dusk. Here the men had food, and a start was made at 7 p.m. +The going at first was fairly simple, but once the track was left the +ground became rough, stony, and intersected with dongas. The advance was +then made in single file. + +As an instance of how a small obstruction delays troops marching in the +dark, one small water-course 1-1/2 feet wide and about 1 foot deep +delayed the head of the column for some thirty-five minutes, till all +the men had crossed and were closed up again, and then in crossing one +in every ten fell into it. The top of the Steenkampsberg was reached at +about 1 a.m., after a steep climb over a rough track. The difficulty of +the march was increased by a thick fog. On the far side a steep cliff, +at the bottom of which was a deep donga and a mountain torrent, was +encountered, and this had to be negotiated on hands and knees. Slipping +and sliding down, the bottom of the donga was reached and the mountain +torrent waded, and then after a steep ascent the top of the plateau was +reached. + +It was here that the laager was supposed to be situated, and an +extension was made and the advance continued. Just as the dawn was +breaking some flying Boers, appearing and disappearing in the fog, were +fired at by the leading extended company. The Boers had been disturbed +prematurely and had escaped, taking with them their pompom, but the +wagon containing its ammunition fell into the hands of the Regiment. + +The actual position of the laager was found to be about one mile away +from where it had been previously located, and was very difficult to +find in the dark owing to the undulations of the ground at the top of +the ridge. Complete success under these circumstances was scarcely +probable, but as a test as to what a regiment could do when called upon, +the undertaking was effective and complete. + +After the Regiment had been engaged in long-range firing for some time, +the head of the main column appeared on the Lydenburg road, and the +force finally went into bivouac for the night at Boshhoek. About 400 +sheep and some cattle were picked up on the neighbouring farms. + +The following morning the column marched north down the Waterval valley, +and after the mounted troops had experienced some opposition in very +hilly and rough country, Boshfontein was reached. + +Shortly after the force had settled into camp heavy gun fire was heard +from the direction of Waterval. The Boers' shells exploded in the valley +immediately to the north of the camp and in the vicinity of a farm, +where it would appear the Boers considered the column should have +bivouacked. After the explosion of some twenty shells a louder report +than usual was heard, and the shelling ceased. + +The mounted troops reported that the Boers were in position above +Waterval, where there was a large women's laager. + +In the dark of the morning, at three o'clock, General Kitchener set his +column in motion: four companies, with a 12-pounder and two 5-inch guns, +under Major Davies, preceded the force, with the intention of capturing +the big Boer gun; four companies, with two field guns, under Captain +Jacson, made a flanking movement through scrub and dongas round the +left. Very little opposition was met with. The mounted troops captured a +few prisoners, and it was found that the Boers had blown up their big +gun. This was the gun that had been situated on Pepworth Hill, and which +had been disabled by one of the Naval Brigade's shells during the siege +of Ladysmith. Its muzzle had been shortened, showing that it had been +damaged. The Boers had blown the gun to pieces. The barrel of the gun +was blown about fifty yards in front of the emplacement, whilst the +breech-block was found afterwards 1-1/2 miles in rear. They had +destroyed also one pompom and one Maxim. Twenty-eight Boers were +captured, with about sixty head of cattle and thirteen wagons. The +Australians had one man killed and one man wounded. + +[Illustration: Remains of Boer Big Gun, Waterval] + +The Waterval valley was well watered and exceedingly rich in crops, and +the numerous farm-houses were full of families. These were collected +afterwards by Colonel Park's column and sent into Lydenburg. + +On the 16th the column set out from Waterval in a north-westerly +direction, the objective being Secoconi's country and Magnet Heights. +The first day found the force on the east bank of the Steelpoort River. +The Dwars River, which was found in full flood owing to a very violent +thunderstorm, had been forded on the way. The Regiment was rear-guard to +the column, and, owing to delay in passing the baggage over the river, +reached camp some considerable time after dark. The Australian mounted +troops did not halt at the Steelpoort, but, fording the river, pushed on +to Magnet Heights, which they occupied the same night. Park's column had +been in touch with Kitchener's in the morning. + +[Illustration: Crossing the Steelport River] + +On the banks of the Dwars River Secoconi's men were first met with. +These, armed with rifles of various patterns ancient and modern, were +out scouting for General Kitchener in all directions. + +At dawn on April 17th the crossing of the Steelpoort River was +commenced. One company of the Regiment was first sent across to occupy +the high ground on the far side and to cover the crossing. The river was +in flood owing to the heavy rain of the previous day, and the water +above the men's waist. The advanced company having got safely across and +having occupied the high ground, the remainder of the infantry were sent +over without casualty. The march was then continued towards Magnet +Heights, which was reached at dusk. Here camp was formed, and on the +following day the march was again resumed with mule transport only, +through Secoconi's land. + +Secoconi was at the time at war with a neighbouring tribe, and a fringe +of hills only, divided the combatant parties, but an interval was called +in their operations by mutual consent to allow of the passage of the +British through their respective countries. On leaving behind the +outposts of one, the outposts of the other were met with. + +Having reached this point to the north of the Transvaal, General +Kitchener's column was in a position to turn south, and, in conjunction +with other columns on his right and left hand, to sweep the bush veldt +and mountains southward towards the railway, near which another force +under the personal command of Sir Bindon Blood, who was in charge of the +entire operations, was drawn up ready to intercept any Boers who might +try to move across the railway from north to south. + +At Vergelegen, where the column halted for the night of the 18th, some +of Secoconi's headmen came into camp for an interview. They were much +impressed with what they saw, patted the 5-inch gun with friendly +concern, and having relieved the General of his tobacco-pouch and a box +of cigars, and offering their assistance when not busy with their +neighbours, returned to their kraals. + +The mounted troops were sent on ahead the same day to Pokwani town, +where it was supposed the Boers had collected a quantity of cattle. No +trace, however, of either Boers or cattle was found there. + +The columns comprising the drive southward were in constant +communication with each other by signalling. Plumer's column was +immediately on Kitchener's right, holding the line of the Oliphant's +River, thus preventing the Boers, who were scattered in small groups in +the bush veldt, from escaping in the direction of Pietersburg, whilst +Park's column was operating on Kitchener's left, thus preventing the +Boers breaking back towards Waterval and the Steenkampsberg mountains. + +Gradually Kitchener's column moved southward, driving the Boers off the +high ground and picking them up with their cattle and families in the +low or bush veldt. To do this with greater effect the column was +divided, one portion consisting of the battalion, one gun, the I.L.H. +and Australians under Colonel Davies proceeding in a north-westerly +direction to stop the Boers breaking back into the bush veldt in rear, +whilst General Kitchener with the remainder of the column marched over +the high ground overlooking the bush veldt, and on the direct road to +the south. On the 22nd Davies' column reached Enkeldedoorn, whilst +General Kitchener with the Rifle Brigade occupied Vaal Kop on the +morning of the 23rd. On the first day out the mounted troops of Davies' +force, scouring the bush in their advance, captured 23 prisoners, 8 +wagons, 450 head of cattle, and 4000 sheep. They also brought in a +number of families, some of whom had been hiding for months in kloofs +and dongas in great fear of the Kaffirs. One woman with her children was +seen weeping by the side of the track, and on being asked the reason, +she implored that she also might be taken into the railway and not left +behind. She was comforted by an assurance that the column would return +and that she would be taken in. + +Stores were now running short, and the biscuit and sugar rations were +reduced to half. + +In order to keep connection between the two portions of General +Kitchener's column, two companies were left at Enkeldedoorn under the +command of Captain Bartlett. These also formed a "stop" to prevent the +Boers breaking back, and a post to which prisoners' families and cattle +could be forwarded on their way to join the head-quarters at +Paardeplaats, whither General Kitchener had gone from Vaal Kop. + +The Regiment, with the Australian mounted troops, operating through +dense bush proceeded in the direction of the Oliphant's River, capturing +a considerable number of prisoners, cattle, wagons, and families, +amongst the prisoners being Commandant Fourie. + +Eight privates of the Regiment, who were escorting an ammunition cart, +and who had lost their way, captured six Boers with all their cattle and +brought them into camp. + +When within twelve miles of the Oliphant's River, Davies, hearing that +Commandant Schroeder with a small commando was directly between him and +Plumer's column on the Oliphant's River, split his force into two. The +infantry, comprising five companies of the Regiment, were sent back +under Captain Jacson, with all the prisoners wagons and families to +Enkeldedoorn, while Davies himself, with the Australians and one gun, +started in pursuit of Schroeder. On nearing the Oliphant's River it was +ascertained that Schroeder, with forty-one men and one Maxim gun and +several wagons, had been forced by Davies' mounted troops across the +river into the hands of Plumer, who had them in safe keeping. + +Jacson's train of prisoners reached Enkeldedoorn on April 26th, and on +the following day he received orders to proceed at once to +Zuikerboschplaats and to take with him Bartlett's two companies from +Enkeldedoorn. This place was reached at dusk, and shortly afterwards +Davies brought up his Australians to the same camp, his column being +then again united. The northern part of the bush veldt having been swept +clear of Boers, Davies then moved due south and scoured the country +round the Tafel Kop mountain, capturing a number of prisoners and +wagons. Haartebeestfontein was reached late in the evening of the 28th, +some of the companies of the Regiment having marched over hill and dale +through thick scrub more than twenty miles. Four men had lost their way +and were missing. + +Orders were received on the following day from General Kitchener for +Davies' force to rejoin head-quarters at Paardeplaats. An early start +was made at 6 a.m. Lackau, 12-1/2 miles, was reached at 11 a.m., and +here the column halted and the cattle outspanned till 2.30 p.m. The heat +in the bush veldt was excessive, and was very trying to the men and +cattle. At 2.30 p.m. the march was again resumed, and after another ten +miles Paardeplaats was reached at dusk. + +It had been a hot and dusty march of 22-1/2 miles, and the men and +cattle were rather "done up." On arrival it was found that the General +had moved on to Goedgedacht. + +As soon as it was dark rockets were fired to try and direct the four +missing men into camp, but without success. + +On the following day the battalion with the Australians marched down the +steep Zaaiplaats Pass to Buffelsvlei, bivouacking for the night on the +banks of the Buffelsvlei River. + +On arrival there it was again found that the General had moved on to +Rooi Plaats, and that the 2nd Rifle Brigade had proceeded by the +Tautesberg road with prisoners and families and cattle to Wonderfontein +on the railway line. + +May 1st found the force at Rooi Plaats, and here a halt was made on the +2nd. Two companies under Captain Bartlett were dispatched to Diepkloof +and two companies under Captain Wren to Waterval in order to block the +two roads to the north from the Botha's Berg, and to stop the Boers +breaking back. + +On May 3rd the Regiment with the Australian mounted infantry reached +Waterval, and on the following day proceeded to Blinkwater. Two +companies with two guns under Captain Ponsonby, R.A., were left behind +to cover the retirement of some mounted infantry, with orders to rejoin +in the evening. + +General Blood, with the whole of his personal command, had left +Blinkwater on the previous day for Middleburg, and on the 5th General +Kitchener received orders to follow him. The column marched that day to +Rooi Kop, twelve miles distant on the Middleburg road, and on the +following day two companies Devon Regiment, two companies Rifle Brigade, +five guns and one howitzer, with the sick, the whole under Captain +Jacson, left for Bankfontein, where they were joined next morning by the +remainder of General Kitchener's column. + +At Bankfontein a telegram was received which announced that Major Davies +had been promoted to the brevet rank of lieutenant-colonel, Major Curry +granted a D.S.O., and Captain Jacson was to be promoted to the brevet +rank of lieutenant-colonel on attaining the rank of major. + +A halt was made at Bankfontein from the 8th till the 11th, when the +force refitted, and on May the 12th the column marched to Rondebosch on +the outskirts of Middleburg. + +In the early part of May, 1901, a further drive on a large scale was +organized by head-quarters. This was intended to traverse the whole of +the Eastern Transvaal south of the railway. The columns were to be +extended from Middleburg through Carolina up to the Swazi border on the +east, and then, with a circling movement based on Middleburg, gradually +to sweep the country through Ermelo towards Bethel. Having rounded up +all this country, the drive, extending from Bethel on the south to the +Pretoria-Lorenzo railway on the north, was by a combined movement to the +westward, to push all the Boers remaining in this part of the country +with their cattle on to Johannesburg-Springs and the Pretoria-Standerton +railway lines, which were guarded. The movement was under the direction +of Sir Bindon Blood, and his forces consisted of eight columns. + +The battalion found itself again under the command of General Walter +Kitchener, forming part of his column, which was composed of the +following troops:-- + +1st Devonshire Regiment. +2nd Rifle Brigade. +6th West Australians (450 strong). +2nd I.L.H. (800 strong). +Four guns 53rd Field Battery R.A. +One 5-inch gun. +One naval 12-pounder. + +Its position in the drive was on the left or outside edge of the circle +of the operations. + +The forces were put in motion on the 13th May, on which day Kitchener, +advancing in the direction of the Swazi border, marched to Zaaiplaats +(12-1/2 miles), and thence without incident through Riet Kuil, reaching +Schoonora on the 15th. In the neighbourhood of Schoonora Commandant +Trichardt, with 170 of his followers, was surprised by the Australian +mounted infantry, who killed one Boer and captured 300 head of cattle. A +considerable number of Boers were reported to be in the neighbourhood. + +The drifts over which the column had to pass after leaving Riet Kuil +were bad, and only two companies reached Schoonora that night. The +remainder of the battalion, which was rear-guard to the column, +bivouacked with the baggage three miles out of camp near a branch of the +Klein Oliphants River, and joined up with the column next morning. The +following day Mooiplaats was reached, when a large number of cattle and +some families were taken. + +On May 16th the column moved to Grobellars Recht. Here the Boers were +found in large numbers under Botha. The 5th and 6th West Australians +whilst operating on the right flank of the column were ambushed, losing +one officer and six men killed and thirteen wounded. The Boers were very +truculent and gave considerable trouble, and the force was not in camp +till dark. It was not, however, disturbed during the night. + +The column left Grobellars Recht on the 16th with the 5th and 6th West +Australians as rear-guard, supported by the Devonshire Regiment. The +Boers followed up smartly for some hours, but there were no casualties, +and camp was reached at Kromkrans at about 4 p.m. Smutsoog was reached +the next day. On the march Pulteney's column, which was seen in the +distance, mistaking Kitchener's column for a commando of Boers, shelled +them with field guns. Their shooting was accurate, and it was not till +General Kitchener threatened to send a 5-inch shell at them that they +desisted. Fortunately no damage was done. From Smutsoog the column +proceeded to Goedevervachting, a few Boers sniping the column on the +march. + +Much inconvenience was experienced from the cold, as it froze hard every +night. + +On the 20th the column marched to Florence, passing Bothwell and Lake +Chrissie, and on the following day reached Veltevreden. Here the 2nd +Rifle Brigade and the West Australians left the column. On the march to +Veltevreden a few Boers were seen, and there was some firing at the +rear-guard. + +On the following day a short march brought the force to Uitkyk, where a +halt was made on the 23rd. + +On the 24th the column on its march to Schapenberg captured 800 cattle +and 4000 sheep, and five Boers surrendered. + +A halt was made on the 25th and 26th at Schapenberg. Here 16,000 sheep, +which were being driven along with the column, were slaughtered. These, +daily increasing in number, hampered the movements of the rearguard on +the march to such an extent, that it was found impossible to drive them +on to the railway; they were therefore slaughtered. + +Lekkerloop was reached on the 27th, on which day the I.L.H. captured +twenty-two prisoners. A halt was made at Lekkerloop from the 28th to +31st, during which time the I.L.H. under Colonel Mackenzie were busy +capturing prisoners and clearing the country. + +On June 1st the column marched to Bushman's Kop, proceeding on the +following day to Vierwonden, crossing the Theespruit _en route_. The +I.L.H. brought six prisoners into camp with them. The main column halted +at Vierwonden from the 3rd till the 8th, whilst Captain Bartlett left +for Hoilake on the 3rd in command of three companies as escort to a +convoy, and on the 4th Captain Wren was ordered with one company and +five guns to Bonnybraes. On the 9th the column marched to Bonnybraes, +Colonel Mackenzie and the I.L.H. bringing in eighteen Boers and about +400 cattle and some families. + +A halt was made at Bonnybraes on the 10th. The column was reunited on +the 11th at Fernyhaugh, and on the 12th marched to Busby, the march +being greatly delayed by a bad drift over the Umpolosi River. Ring Kink +was reached on the 13th, and Woodstock on the 14th. Thirty Boer rifles +were found on Woodstock Farm. + +The column was then divided. Seven companies of the Regiment under +Lieutenant-Colonel Davies, with the 2nd I.L.H. and the 5th and 6th West +Australians, left Woodstock at 1 a.m., the remainder of the column +proceeding, under General Kitchener's personal command, further south +towards Bank Kop to round up some Boers reported in that neighbourhood. + +Davies' mounted troops captured during the day fourteen Boers, some +families, 100 cattle, 1000 sheep, and six wagons. This column marched +twenty-two miles and camped for the night at Blaukrans, where Colonel +Davies rested his men on the 16th. + +Colbank was reached on the 17th, when all mounted troops left to join +Kitchener's column at Bank Kop. + +The following day the Regiment marched to Kranspan and joined up with +General Kitchener. The column captured that day several families and +twenty-two Boers. On the 19th the whole column marched in the direction +of Ermelo, and camped for the night on a hill overlooking the town. Camp +was reached at nightfall after a very long, dusty, and tiring march, the +rear-guard getting in after dark. + +On the 20th the force marched through Ermelo to Driehook. A number of +Boers followed up the rear-guard, and there was a good deal of firing, +but no casualties. The march was resumed on the following day and +Kranspoort was reached. On the 22nd the column marched to Witbank, the +rear-guard being engaged almost the whole march. A halt was made at +Witbank. The West Australians were here again ambushed, losing two men +killed, one officer and two men wounded, and five taken prisoners. + +Three hundred Boers were reported on the left flank at nightfall, and +preparations were made to receive a night attack, which, however, did +not come off. On the following day a dense fog delayed the march till 9 +a.m., and it was not till late that Vaal Bank was reached. The +rear-guard, consisting of the Devon Regiment and the 6th West +Australians, was engaged the whole day with the Boers, who followed the +column right up to the new camp. That night the whole Regiment was on +outpost duty. + +The rear-guard was engaged heavily the following day during the march to +Bankpan. + +Campbell's and Babington's columns were on the immediate right. The +Devons halted for the day at Bankpan, when the 5th and 6th West +Australians left to join Campbell's column at Middlekraal, the 18th +Hussars exchanging over to Kitchener's column. + +A night march was made on the 26th for the purpose of surrounding a farm +some eight miles distant. This was accomplished by midnight. No Boers +were taken. The column halted till daylight, when the march was again +resumed, and Erstegeluk reached in the afternoon. A number of Boers were +surprised in the neighbouring farms by the mounted troops; and shortly +after camp was formed, a body of Boers attempted to drive in the +outposts and to attack the camp, but without success. + +The following day Bethel was reached, and camp was formed close to +Colonel Babington's column. The 18th Hussars, reconnoitring to the +south-east of Bethel, were surprised by a large party of Boers. +Lieutenant Green, Devonshire Regiment, who was in charge of the Colt gun +attached to the 18th Hussars and which was manned by men of the +Devonshire Regiment, behaved very gallantly in bringing his gun at once +into action and engaging the Boers within a range of 500 yards, thus +covering the cavalry and giving them time to rally. + +On June 29th the march was resumed, and the column reached Schurvekop, +the rear-guard receiving a good deal of attention from the Boers. Camp +was formed at Middlekraal on the following day. Here Campbell's column +was again met with. + +Middlekraal was left on July 1st, and the column marched in the +direction of Springs. A number of Boers were in the vicinity of the +first camp, Witbank, and the camp was sniped during the night. The +following day the column marched to Bakenlaagte, the scene of the +disaster to Benson's column, the rear-guard being followed up by a few +Boers. + +After a short march the following day Grootpan was reached, and at 8 +p.m. three companies of the Regiment under Captain Bartlett, and the 5th +and 6th West Australians, made a night march to the south, capturing a +picquet of six Boers early next morning. The column, after a +twelve-miles' march, reached Sondagskraal on the 4th at 1 p.m. On +arrival there news was received that a Boer convoy, accompanied by Louis +Botha, was in the neighbourhood of Trichardtsfontein, about fifteen +miles from Sondagskraal. + +General Kitchener determined to intercept this convoy, and for this +reason the following force under his personal command, viz. two +squadrons 19th Hussars, 5th and 6th West Australians, and four companies +of the Devonshire Regiment under Captain Jacson, set out the same +evening. The mounted troops of Colville's column co-operated. +Trichardtsfontein was reached an hour before dawn, when the place was +found deserted. A halt was made there for the day, when Colville's +column left. + +[Illustration: Dawn--After a Night March, Trichardtsfontein] + +At nightfall several Boers were seen on the hills in the vicinity, and +there was every reason to suppose that a night attack was contemplated +by them. Preparations were made accordingly, but the night was passed +quietly. + +At dawn the return march was commenced. The Boers attacked the +rear-guard before it left camp and before it was formed up, and engaged +it the whole way back to Sondagskraal, until finally they came under +fire of the 5-inch gun in position in that camp. + +During the preceding thirty-one hours the four companies of the Regiment +had marched forty-two miles. + +Whilst this enterprise was being undertaken the remainder of the +battalion, with the transport of the column, had remained at +Sondagskraal under Colonel Davies. + +On the 7th the force marched to Goedehoop, and proceeding without +incident on the 8th to Brakfontein, on the 9th to Strypan, reached +Springs on the 10th. The last two marches were long and tiring, and what +little strength was left in the oxen was exhausted. The men likewise +required a rest and a refit after their long trek from Lydenburg, which +had extended through Secoconi's country in the Northern Transvaal, down +south to Middleburg, thence east to the Swazi border and over the +Eastern Transvaal, reaching as far south as Bethel, to Springs, near +Johannesburg. Eighty per cent of the men had on arrival at Springs +neither shirts nor socks, and the bitter cold of the high veldt pierced +keenly through the thin Indian khaki drill. The column required +generally doing up before again "taking the floor." It was expected by +all that the infantry at least would be relieved by a fresh battalion. + +But it was not to be, for General Walter Kitchener insisted on the +Devons accompanying him, and his column set out again from Springs on +the 14th on a trek to the north, and without much fighting or incident +reached Middleburg on July 22nd. The country through which the column +passed was cleared of everything living, including Kaffirs. + +Three days' halt was allowed the column at Middleburg, and on the 25th a +start was again made for the north. It was now composed as under:-- + +Four guns 81st Field Battery R.A., under Major Simpson. +One pompom. +19th Hussars. +5th and 6th West Australians. +Half company Scottish Horse. +Half company Mounted Infantry. +Seven companies Devonshire Regiment. + +Two companies under Captain Bartlett had left on the 24th July to +garrison Elands River station, on the Pretoria-Lorenzo railway. + +The seven companies with General Kitchener marched out 723 strong. + +Two other columns were operating with General Kitchener, one under +Colonel Park and the other under Colonel Campbell. The whole were under +the supreme command of General Walter Kitchener. + +On the first day out the 19th Hussars captured a pompom and about sixty +prisoners of Ben Viljoen's and Muller's commandos after a very gallant +little action in which five men of the 19th Hussars especially +distinguished themselves. A great number of cattle and many wagons were +also taken, and the Boers lost about twelve killed and twenty wounded. + +General Walter Kitchener's column encamped at Rooi Kraal for a few days +before moving to a camp at Diep Kloof, from which place convoys were +sent to the railway for stores for the three columns. + +The first of these convoys under Lieutenant-Colonel Jacson left on +August 1st, marched to Middleburg, by Blinkwater and Elandslaagte, and +reached Middleburg in three days; halted one day there to load up, and +returned via Elandslaagte and Noitgedacht to Diepkloof in three more +days, receiving on their return the congratulations of General Kitchener +on their performance. + +On the 10th another convoy, again under Lieutenant-Colonel Jacson, with +an escort composed of men of the Devons and Leicesters and some Scottish +mounted infantry and two field guns, started for Wonderfontein. + +This convoy consisted of all the wagons of the columns of Colonels Park +and Campbell and General Kitchener, which had to be filled up at the +railway line and brought back. + +Waterval was reached on the 10th, Rhenoster Hoek on the 11th, Sterkloop +on the 12th, Uitflucht on the 13th, and Wonderfontein on the 14th. +Slight opposition was met with, and three Boers were captured with +wagons containing a quantity of grain. + +The convoy having halted and loaded up on the 15th, started on its +return journey on the 16th. + +The journey to Wonderfontein had been up the Steelpoort valley, and the +road had been found difficult. It was very much intersected with +water-courses running off the high veldt, and these necessitated +frequent halts to allow of the passage of the wagons in single file, and +the reclosing up of the convoy after crossing. + +A different road over the high veldt, thus avoiding the water-courses, +was chosen for the return journey, and it was perhaps fortunate that +this new road was selected, as it was reported afterwards that Ben +Viljoen had taken up a position at the time in the Steelpoort valley to +intercept the return column. + +On the 16th the convoy marched to Panplaats; on the 17th to Roedekop +(where some of Viljoen's men were met with and some more of his grain +carts captured), Blinkwater on the 18th, and Diepkloof on the 19th. + +After a few days' scouring of the country round Diepkloof and the valley +towards the Oliphants River, the three columns concentrated at +Blinkwater. Here an entrenched camp was formed under the command of +Lieutenant-Colonel Jacson, consisting of the baggage of the three +columns, the hospitals, and most of the field guns, with a garrison +included amongst which were four companies of the Regiment. + +Park's and Campbell's columns marched east into the hills in the +Ohrigstadt direction, Park penetrating almost as far as Pilgrim's Rest, +while General Kitchener's column moved south towards Middleburg. On +September 3rd the force was broken up, Colonel Park's column being left +in the neighbourhood of Blinkwater, whilst General Kitchener's column +marched towards the railway at Wonderfontein, which was reached on +September 5th. + +On arrival at Wonderfontein it was found that trekking was for the time +being, finished. Orders were received for the Regiment to entrain for +Machadodorp for the purpose of garrisoning the railway blockhouses. + +The General's farewell order to the Regiment on its leaving the column +with which it had been so long associated was as follows:-- + +"COLUMN ORDER BY MAJOR-GENERAL F.W. KITCHENER + +"_Wonderfontein, September 5th, 1901._ + +"It has been the privilege of the Major-General to include the 1st Devon +Regiment in his command since the relief of Ladysmith, and it is with +great regret that he has now to part with the last fighting unit of the +7th Brigade. The reputation earned by the Regiment at Elandslaagte and +Ladysmith is a matter of history. Since that time this excellent corps +has fought and marched in summer rain and winter frost during many long +months, through the length and breadth of the Eastern Transvaal. + +"The face of the country will remain for many years scarred with the +trenches they have dug and the works they have made. They have proved on +all occasions what a sound regimental system worked by thoroughly sound +officers, N.C.O.s, and men can do. + +"The Major-General and all in number one column wish the Devons good +luck and a pleasant time in the near future." + +On September 6th the Regiment entrained. The General and his staff and +the whole column turned out to give the Regiment a hearty farewell. +Machadodorp was reached at about 2 p.m., and all the posts round the +town were taken over from the Royal Irish Fusiliers. The railway +blockhouses in the neighbourhood of Machadodorp were also taken over. +Colonel Davies was appointed commandant of the station, and Captain +Ravenshaw station staff officer. + +During September and October six companies were located on the Lydenburg +road as far as Witklip, holding the following posts:--Helvetia, +Schwartzkop, Schoeman's Kloof, Badfontein, and Witklip. Two companies +remained at Machadodorp with the battalion head-quarters. + +In October, one company under Captain Holland and Lieutenant Willis, +whilst acting as escort to a party erecting blockhouses in the +Badfontein valley, was attacked by Ben Viljoen and about three hundred +Boers. The Boers galloped down from the hills on to the extended +company. The men behaved with great gallantry, and finally, after a +sharp and mixed-up fight, drove off the Boers. One man of the company +fell into their hands and was stripped and left. Lieutenant Willis, for +gallantry on this occasion, was rewarded with the D.S.O., and +Lance-Corporal Cummings was promoted corporal by the Commander-in-Chief +for gallantry in the field. + +During the first week of November, orders were received for the 1st +Battalion to proceed to Standerton _en route_ to India. The 2nd +Battalion had been quartered there for a considerable time, and a +transfer of men was effected from one battalion to the other. The two +battalions spent Christmas together. + +[Illustration: Devons En Route to Durban] + +On January 1st (1902) the 1st Battalion entrained at daylight for +Durban. + +The battalion met with a great reception at Maritzburg, where a halt was +made for nine hours. Here each man was presented by the ladies of that +place with a pipe, half a pound of tobacco, and a pockethandkerchief. + +The battalion sailed from South Africa for India, with the following +officers and 922 rank and file:-- + +Bt. Lieutenant-Colonel T.A.H. Davies, D.S.O. +Bt. Lieutenant-Colonel M.G. Jacson. +Captain E.C. Wren. + " T.C.B. Holland. + " G.H.I. Graham. +Lieutenant T.B. Harries. + " G.I. Watts. + " D.H. Blunt. + " H.R. Gunning. + " S.T. Hailey. + " H.W.F. Twiss. + " E.S.C. Willis. + " W.E. Scafe. + " G.F.A. Kane. +2nd Lieutenant C. Edward-Collins. + " " M.D. Young. + " " C.W. Hext. + " " A.M. Mills. + " " R.C. Wrey. +Brevet-Major and Adjutant H.S.L. Ravenshaw. + +Of the above, it may be noted that the following left India with the +battalion in 1899:-- + +Bt. Lieut.-Colonel M.G. Jacson. +Captain E.C. Wren. + " G.H.I. Graham. +Lieutenant T.B. Harries. + " G.I. Watts. + " D.H. Blunt. + " H.R. Gunning. + " S.T. Hayley. + " H.W.F. Twiss. +Bt-Major and Adjutant H.S.L. Ravenshaw. + +The following officers of the battalion remained behind in South +Africa:-- + +Colonel C.W. Park, A.D.C., commanding a column. +Captain and Bt.-Major E.M. Morris, South African Constabulary. +Captain Bartlett, D.A.A.G. for Intelligence. + " Vyvyan, Provost Marshal, Barberton. + " Travers, South African Constabulary. + +Lieutenant-General Lyttleton met the battalion at Howick on its way to +Durban, and wished them "farewell." + +The following telegram was received at Durban from Lord Kitchener, +commanding the forces in South Africa:-- + +"To O.C. 1st Devon Regiment, +Durban. +"From Lord Kitchener, +Johannesburg. + +"Please express to officers and men of the Regiment under your command +my high appreciation of their services in South Africa during the war, +which has already enhanced the great reputation of the Regiment. In +bidding you good-bye, I associate myself with all your comrades +remaining in the country in hearty wishes for your future good luck." + +It should be added to the records of the battalion, which throughout two +years and three months had fought and marched incessantly in South +Africa, that it had never once experienced the slightest trace of an +"unfortunate incident," and had during that time lost only three +prisoners of war, two of whom lost their way in the dark at Geluk and +marched into enemy's lines, the third having been taken during the +company fight in the Badfontein valley against 300 of Ben Viljoen's men. +The miles traversed by the battalion in the long continuous treks during +the war are summarized as under. The miles are measured off the map +simply from place to place and from camp to camp, and they do not +include the distances marched in fighting, flanking, or other movements, +or in convoy work and expeditions in the Lydenburg district, which, if +included, would probably double the distance marched. + +_Trek under Sir Redvers Buller._ + +August 7th till October 2nd, 1900. + +Zandspruit to Lydenburg, 271 miles in 54 days, including all halts. + +_Trek under General Walter Kitchener._ + +April 13th till September 2nd, 1901. + +Lydenburg, Secoconi's country, Middleburg, Swazi Border, Bethel, +Springs, Middleburg, Bothas Berg, and country north of the railway line. +1006 miles in 141 days, including all halts. + +On the evening of January 1st the Regiment embarked on the s.s. +_Armenian_, and was followed by the 2nd battalion Gordon Highlanders, +who embarked on January 2nd. + +On January 3rd the ship conveying the two regiments sailed for Bombay, +which port was reached on January 18th. + +Lord Northcote, the Governor of Bombay, received the two regiments on +disembarkation and addressed them, congratulating them on their good +work in South Africa. + +The Devons entrained the same evening for Shahjehanpur in the United +Provinces. + +The honours gained by the officers and men of the battalion were as +follows:-- + +1. Colonel Yule to be C.B. +2. Lieutenant-Colonel Park to be Brevet-Colonel and Aide-de-Camp to the +King. +3. Major Davies, D.S.O., to be Brevet Lieutenant-Colonel. +4. Major Curry granted D.S.O. +5. Captain Jacson to be Brevet Lieutenant-Colonel on promotion to the +rank of Major. +6. Captain Norton Goodwyn, D.S.O., to be Brevet Lieutenant-Colonel on +promotion to the rank of Major. +7. Captain Travers granted D.S.O. +8. Captain and Adjutant Ravenshaw to be Brevet-Major. +9. Captain Masterson to be Brevet-Major and awarded the Victoria Cross. +10. Captain E.M. Morris to be Brevet-Major. +11. Lieutenant Emerson granted D.S.O. +12. " Willis granted D.S.O. + +_Attached Officers_. + +13. Lieutenant Tringham, the Queen's, granted D.S.O. +14. Lieutenant Cowie, Dorset Regiment, granted D.S.O. + +The following officers of the 1st Battalion were mentioned in +dispatches:-- + +Colonel Yule--once. +Brevet-Colonel Park, A.D.C.--twice. +Brevet Lieutenant-Colonel Davies, D.S.O.--twice. +Brevet Lieutenant-Colonel Jacson--twice. + " " Goodwyn--twice. +Major Curry, D.S.O.--twice. +Brevet-Major Ravenshaw--four times. + " Masterson, V.C.--twice. +Captain W.B. Lafone--twice. + " Bartlett--once. + " Travers, D.S.O.--once. + " Wren--once. + " Smyth-Osbourne--twice. + " Luxmore--once. +Lieutenant Field--twice. + " Emerson, D.S.O.--three times. + " Willis, D.S.O.--once. + " Tringham, D.S.O. (attached)--once. + " Cowie, D.S.O. (attached)--twice. + " Twiss--once. + " Harris--once. + " Green--once. + " Watts--once. + " Gardiner--once. + +_Non-commissioned Officers and Men._ + +The following were granted Distinguished Conduct Medals:-- + +Colour-Sergeant Payne. + " Horswell. + " Palmer. + " Burnell. + " Webb. + " Aplin. +Sergeant Pitt. + " Downing. + " Hudson. + " Williams. +Lance-Sergeant Poulter. + " Young. + " Rowe. +Corporal Hansford. +Private Boulton. + " Davies. + +The following non-commissioned officers and men were mentioned in +dispatches:-- + +Colour-Sergeant Palmer--four times. + " Payne--twice. + " Horswell--once. + " Burnell--once. + " Webb--once. + " Burchell--once. +Sergeant Hudson--once. + " Downing--once. + " Young--twice. + " Poulter--once. + " Curtis--once. +Lance-Sergeant Rowe--twice. +Corporal Hayes--once (promoted sergeant). +Lance-Corporal Cummings--once (promoted corporal). +Private Brimicombe--twice. + " Norman--three times. + " Cox--twice. + " Smith--once. + " Youlden--once. + " Clay--once. + " Edwards--once. + " Hayman--once. + " Davies--once. + " Hansford--twice. + " Boulton--once. + +[Illustration: Monument Erected in Ladysmith Cemetery] + +The following is a list of the killed and wounded and of those who died +of disease during the campaign:-- + +_Officers: Killed._ + +Captain W.B. Lafone. +Lieutenant Field. + " Dalzel. + " Price-Dent. +2nd Lieutenant Cumin. + " Carey. +Lieutenant Walker, Somerset Light Infantry (attached). + +_Wounded._ + +Captain Lafone--twice. + " Masterson. + " Luxmore. +2nd Lieutenant Twiss. + " " Scafe. + " Kane. +Lieutenant Caffin (attached). + " Tringham (attached). + " Byrne (attached). +2nd Lieutenant Gunning. + " Hayley. + " Green. + +_N.C.O.'s and Men._ + +_Killed and died of wounds and diseases._ + +Private Taylor, died of disease Ladysmith. + " Forman, killed Ladysmith. + " Salter " " + " Nolloth, died of disease Ladysmith. + " Richards " " " + " Edwards " " " + " Paddon " " Transvaal. + " Hayward " " " + " Morgan, died of wounds " + " Manley, died of disease " + " Goff, killed Transvaal. + " Brockett, killed Ladysmith. + " Cook, died of disease Ladysmith. + " Banfield, died of wounds Ladysmith. + " Sullivan, died of disease " + " Woolacott, died of disease Transvaal. + " Penfold " " " + " Silvester " " Ladysmith. + " Marsh " " " + " Nunn " " " +Lance-Corporal Leonard, died of disease + Ladysmith. +Private Evans, died of disease Ladysmith. + " Parrott, killed Transvaal. + " Arthur, died of disease Transvaal. + " Luck " " " + " Mathews " " " + " Clements " " Ladysmith. + " Seager, died of wounds " + " Connabeer, died of disease " + " Swannell " " " +Lance-Corporal Spear, died of disease. +Private Litton, killed Ladysmith. + " Vinnicombe, died of disease. + " Down " " + " Rowland " " +Lance-Corporal Pratt, killed Ladysmith. +Private Bibb, killed Ladysmith. + " Harvey " " + " Woods, died of wounds received Ladysmith. + " Hornsby, died of wounds received Ladysmith. +Private Milton, died of disease Ladysmith. + " Firminger " " " + " Vicary " " " + " Newbury " " " + " Lane " " " + " Sheridan " " " + " Horswell " " " +Lance-Corporal Vern, killed Ladysmith. +Private Bamsey, killed Ladysmith. + " Fair " " + " Roper " " + " Davidson " " + " Curtis " " + " Marden " " + " Brown " " + " Newcombe " " +Lance-Corporal Pigeon, died of wounds + received Ladysmith. +Private Bevan, died of wounds received + Ladysmith. +Private Page, died of wounds received + Ladysmith. +Private Vern, died of disease. + " Rosser died of disease. + " Clotworthy " " + " Turner " " + " Ponting " " + " Rawbone " " + " Jeffries, died of wounds. + " Young, died of disease. + " Davidson " " + " Cunningham " " +Lance-Corporal Murfin, died of disease. +Private Livermore " " +Corporal Wright " " +Private Humphrey, killed. + " Bowles, died of disease. + " Watts " " + " Meade " " + " Phillips " " + " Kingham " " + " Winsor, killed Reitfontein. + " Mayne, died of disease. + " Tayler " " + " Pike " " + " Trenchard " " + " Salter, killed Geluk. + " Cole " " + " Mcgrath " " + " Smith " " + " Lashbrook, died of wounds. + " Rowe, died of disease. + " Holmes " " + " Conian " " + +_N.C.O.'s and Men Wounded._ + +Private Bidwell. + " Turner. + " Pirouet. + " Spiller. + " Laycock. + " Wright. +Col.-Sergeant Webb. +Corporal Shapland. + " Bradford. +Lance-Corporal Millward. +Lance-Corporal Bennet. +Lance-Corporal Whitman. +Private Cox. + " Norman. + " Palmer. + " Webber. + " Lemon. +Private Lock. + " Hutchings. + " Bevan. + " Orchard. + " Spreadbury. + " Barnett. + " Cox. + " Hay. + " Page. + " King. + " Saunders. + " Wheaton. + " Stapley. + " Brazil. + " West. + " Onyett. + " Winson. + " Dudley. + " Lott. + " Hornsby. + " Fordham. + " Turner. + " Varndell. + " Mower. + " Taylor. +Colour-Sergeant Burchell. +Sergeant Williams. + " Hawkins. +Corporal Lovell. + " Saunders. +Private Lupton. + " Harford. + " Parrott. + " Mahoney. + " Allen. + " Curtiss. + " O'Brien. + " Brown. + " Gray. + " Anstey. + " Lucas. +Sergeant Leach. +Private Capp. + " Gander. +Private Gregory. + " Reynolds. + " Devitte. + " Osmonde. + " Burge. + " Newton. + " Reed. +Lance-Corporal Bromford--twice. +Private Rowe. + " Sussex. + " Ward. + " Smith. + " Easton. + " Legatt. +Col.-Sergeant Palmer. +Private Bray. +Lance-Corporal Spear. +Private Kean. + " Welch. + " Peckham. +Lance-Corpl. Quick. +Private Burns. + " Simmons. + " Palmer. + +Total number of killed and wounded and died of disease:-- + + Killed and died of disease. Wounded. + +Officers 7 12 +N.C.O.'s and men 91 85 + Total casualties 195 + +A large memorial is erected to the memory of those who fell on January +6th at Wagon Hill, Ladysmith, on the spot where the charge took place. +It bears the following inscription: + +To the glory of God, +and in memory of +the following Officers, Non-Commissioned Officers, +and Men of the +1st Battalion Devonshire Regiment, +who fell in the gallant and +successful charge made across this +place by three companies during the +fight on 6th January, 1900. +Siege of Ladysmith. + +Captain W.B. Lafone. +Lieutenant H.N. Field. +Lance-Corpl. J. Pigeon. + " " W.D. Pratt. + " " A. Vern. +Private T. Bamsey. + " A. Bevan. + " J. Bibb. + " W. Brown. + " A. Curtis. + " W. Davidson. +Private W. Fair. + " W. Harvey. + " E. Hornsby. + " T. Litton. + " H. Marden. + " W. Newcombe. + " F.W.J. Page. + " G. Roper. + " J. Seager. + " W. Woods. + +Lieutenant E.E.M. Walker, Somerset Light Infantry +(attached). + +"Semper Fidelis." + +A marble monument is erected in Ladysmith cemetery to those who were +killed or died of disease during the siege of Ladysmith, and their names +are recorded on it. A small iron cross was also placed at the head of +the grave of every man of the Regiment who was killed or who died of +disease during the war. + +These memorials were erected by the officers, non-commissioned officers, +and men of the 1st Battalion Devonshire Regiment, to the memory of their +gallant comrades. + + +WILLIAM BRENDON AND SON, LTD. PRINTERS, +PLYMOUTH + + + + + +End of Project Gutenberg's The Record of a Regiment of the Line, by M. 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