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+The Project Gutenberg EBook of South Africa and the Transvaal War, Vol. IV
+(of 6), by Louis Creswicke
+
+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: South Africa and the Transvaal War, Vol. IV (of 6)
+       From Lord Roberts' Entry into the Free State to the Battle of Karree
+
+Author: Louis Creswicke
+
+Release Date: February 4, 2012 [EBook #38768]
+
+Language: English
+
+Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1
+
+*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK SOUTH AFRICA, TRANSVAAL WAR, VOL IV ***
+
+
+
+
+Produced by Brownfox and the Online Distributed Proofreading
+Team at https://www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from
+images generously made available by The Internet Archive)
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+    SOUTH AFRICA AND THE
+    TRANSVAAL WAR
+
+[Illustration: THE QUEEN LISTENING TO A DISPATCH FROM THE FRONT.
+
+From the Picture by S. Begg]
+
+
+
+
+SOUTH AFRICA
+AND THE
+TRANSVAAL WAR
+
+BY
+
+LOUIS CRESWICKE
+
+AUTHOR OF "ROXANE," ETC.
+
+WITH NUMEROUS ILLUSTRATIONS AND MAPS
+
+IN SIX VOLUMES
+
+VOL. IV.--FROM LORD ROBERTS' ENTRY INTO THE FREE
+STATE TO THE BATTLE OF KARREE
+
+EDINBURGH: T. C. & E. C. JACK
+MANCHESTER: KENNETH MACLENNAN, 75 PICCADILLY
+1900
+
+
+
+
+Printed by BALLANTYNE, HANSON & CO.
+
+At the Ballantyne Press
+
+
+
+
+CONTENTS----VOL. IV.
+
+
+                                               PAGE
+
+CHRONOLOGICAL TABLE                            vii
+
+
+      CHAPTER I
+
+THE VOTE OF CENSURE                              1
+KIMBERLEY                                       14
+GENERAL FRENCH'S RIDE, FEBRUARY 12 TO 15        30
+STRATEGY _versus_ TACTICS                       37
+THE HERDING OF CRONJE, FEBRUARY 16 TO 18        49
+THE BATTLE OF PAARDEBERG, FEBRUARY 18           54
+TRAPPED                                         62
+THE SURRENDER OF CRONJE                         71
+
+
+      CHAPTER II
+
+MAFEKING, DECEMBER AND JANUARY                  80
+
+
+      CHAPTER III
+
+AT POPLAR GROVE                                 95
+THE FIGHT AT DRIEFONTEIN, MARCH 10             101
+AT BLOEMFONTEIN, MARCH 13                      108
+
+
+      CHAPTER IV
+
+MAFEKING, FEBRUARY                             112
+
+
+      CHAPTER V
+
+AT CHIEVELEY AGAIN                             121
+LADYSMITH, FEBRUARY 1 TO 26                    129
+THE BATTLE OF PIETERS, FEBRUARY 20 TO 27       134
+EXPECTATION                                    151
+THE RELIEF OF LADYSMITH, FEBRUARY 28           153
+THE FORMAL ENTRY, MARCH 3                      156
+
+
+      CHAPTER VI
+
+CHANGES IN CAPE COLONY, FEBRUARY AND MARCH     163
+AT BETHULIE, MARCH 12                          171
+
+
+      CHAPTER VII
+
+BLOEMFONTEIN UNDER BRITISH RULE                174
+THE BATTLE OF KARREE                           192
+
+
+      CHAPTER VIII
+
+MAFEKING IN MARCH                              194
+COLONEL PLUMER'S OPERATIONS                    204
+
+
+LIST OF STAFF                                  213
+
+
+APPENDIX                                       215
+
+
+
+
+LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS----VOL. IV.
+
+
+MAP ILLUSTRATING THE MOVEMENTS FOR THE RELIEF OF
+KIMBERLEY AND THE CAPTURE OF BLOEMFONTEIN             _At Front_
+
+
+1. _COLOURED PLATES_
+                                                         PAGE
+THE QUEEN LISTENING TO A DISPATCH FROM THE FRONT    _Frontispiece_
+
+THE IMPERIAL YEOMANRY                                     12
+
+THE ROYAL LANCASTERS                                      16
+
+WEST YORKSHIRE AND YORKSHIRE REGIMENTS                    88
+
+THE INNISKILLING DRAGOONS                                104
+
+SOUTH AFRICAN LIGHT HORSE, BRABANT'S HORSE, AND
+DUKE OF EDINBURGH'S VOLUNTEER RIFLES                     120
+
+STRATHCONA'S HORSE                                       184
+
+THE CAPE TOWN HIGHLANDERS                                200
+
+
+2. _FULL-PAGE PLATES_
+                                                         PAGE
+THE DASH FOR KIMBERLEY--THE 10TH HUSSARS CROSSING
+KLIP DRIFT                                                32
+
+THE LAST STAND MADE BY THE BOERS BEFORE KIMBERLEY         36
+
+CAPTURE OF A BOER CONVOY BY GENERAL FRENCH'S TROOPS       40
+
+THE BATTLE OF PAARDEBERG                                  56
+
+CRONJE'S STRONGHOLD                                       64
+
+CRONJE SURRENDERS TO LORD ROBERTS                         72
+
+CRONJE'S FORCE ON THEIR MARCH SOUTH                       80
+
+SHELL FROM THE NAVAL BRIGADE DISPERSING BOERS             96
+
+THE FORMAL SURRENDER OF BLOEMFONTEIN                     108
+
+SLEEPLESS MAFEKING                                       112
+
+THE RELIEF OF LADYSMITH--THE LAST RUSH AT HLANGWANE HILL 128
+
+IN BELEAGUERED LADYSMITH--WATCHING FOR BULLER FROM
+OBSERVATION HILL                                         152
+
+HINDOO REFUGEES FROM THE TRANSVAAL IN CAMP AT CAPE TOWN  168
+
+CONVEYING WOUNDED TO WYNBERG HOSPITAL CAMP               172
+
+THE BRITISH OCCUPATION OF BLOEMFONTEIN--AN EVENING CONCERT
+IN MARKET SQUARE BY THE PIPERS OF THE HIGHLAND BRIGADE   176
+
+COLONEL PLUMER'S GALLANT ATTEMPT TO RELIEVE MAFEKING
+FROM THE NORTH                                           208
+
+
+3. _FULL-PAGE PORTRAITS_
+                                                         PAGE
+THE MARQUIS OF SALISBURY, K.G.                             8
+
+LIEUT.-GENERAL THOMAS KELLY-KENNY, C.B.                   24
+
+GENERAL CRONJE                                            48
+
+MAJOR-GENERAL A. FITZROY HART, C.B.                      136
+
+MAJOR-GENERAL H. J. T. HILDYARD, C.B.                    144
+
+BRIGADIER-GENERAL THE EARL OF DUNDONALD, C.B.            156
+
+LIEUT.-GENERAL HON. N. G. LYTTELTON, C.B.                160
+
+MR. M. T. STEYN, LATE PRESIDENT ORANGE FREE STATE        192
+
+
+4. _MAPS AND ENGRAVINGS IN THE TEXT_
+                                                         PAGE
+SHELL PICKED UP IN KIMBERLEY STREETS                      15
+
+"LONG CECIL" MADE AT DE BEERS MINES                       21
+
+PLACARD ERECTED BY MR. RHODES                             27
+
+TYPICAL UNDERGROUND DWELLING AT KIMBERLEY                 36
+
+10TH HUSSARS WITH NORDENFELDT GUN                         46
+
+PLAN OF PAARDEBERG                                        57
+
+GUNS CAPTURED AT PAARDEBERG                               68
+
+BOER TRENCHES AT PAARDEBERG                               78
+
+MARKET SQUARE, MAFEKING                                   85
+
+GUN MADE IN MAFEKING                                      87
+
+DIRECTING AN ARMY FROM A MILITARY BALLOON                102
+
+FACSIMILE OF "THE MAFEKING MAIL"                         114
+
+SCENE OF FIGHTING AT MONTE CRISTO                        125
+
+BALLOON MAP--BATTLE OF PIETERS AND RELIEF OF LADYSMITH   135
+
+SIGNAL APPARATUS OF H.M.S. "FORTE"                       146
+
+KING'S POST, LADYSMITH                                   151
+
+MAP OF OPERATIONS ON ORANGE RIVER                        165
+
+SIGNAL STATION AT BLOEMFONTEIN                           182
+
+NATIVE CHURCH, MAFEKING                                  199
+
+MAP SHOWING ADVANCE TO MAFEKING                          205
+
+LOBATSI RAILWAY STATION                                  212
+
+
+
+
+CHRONOLOGICAL TABLE----VOL. IV.
+
+
+FEBRUARY 1900.
+
+12-13.--General French, following up Hannay's movement, crossed Riet
+River, and next day with a strong force marched twenty-five miles into
+the Free State, seized Klip Drift on the Modder River, occupied the
+hills to the north, and captured three of the enemy's laagers, with
+supplies.
+
+13-14.--6th (Kelly-Kenny's) Division on north bank of the Riet River at
+Waterfall Drift.
+
+14.--Lord Roberts advanced to Dekiel's Drift.
+
+15.--General French reached and relieved Kimberley, captured Boer laager
+and supplies, and forced the enemy to withdraw.
+
+The Boers evacuated Majersfontein and Spyfontein, retreating to
+Koodoosrand Drift.
+
+16.--General Kelly-Kenny, in pursuit of Cronje retiring east with 10,000
+men on Bloemfontein, captured 78 waggons with stores, 2 waggons with
+Mauser rifles, and 8 waggons with shell belonging to Cronje's column.
+
+Capture of Cingolo Hill by Sir Redvers Buller's force.
+
+Lord Roberts occupied Jacobsdal.
+
+Flight of Cronje's force and occupation of Majersfontein by the Guards.
+
+17.--Cronje's force overtaken and surrounded at Paardeberg. General
+Brabant engaged the enemy near Dordrecht.
+
+Successful reconnaissance by Colonel Henderson from Arundel.
+
+18.--Severe fighting at Paardeberg, where Cronje was being gradually
+surrounded.
+
+Capture of Monte Cristo. General Lyttelton's Division, by a brilliant
+converging movement, drove the Boers across the river.
+
+19.--Capture of Hlangwane by the Fusilier Brigade. The Boers evacuated
+the hill, and left a large camp behind them.
+
+Bombardment of Cronje's position began. Boer reinforcements driven back.
+
+Cronje asked for armistice, but Lord Kitchener demanded his surrender;
+Cronje refused, and was then bombarded heavily.
+
+Reoccupation of Dordrecht. General Brabant entered the town in the
+morning, the Boers taking to flight.
+
+20.--General Hart occupied Colenso.
+
+Lord Roberts defeated Boer reinforcements at Paardeberg.
+
+21.--5th Division crossed the Tugela at Colenso.
+
+23.--Advance on Ladysmith continued. The Boers' position at Grobler's
+Kloof attacked.
+
+The cordon round Cronje began to close in.
+
+Captain Hon. R. H. L. J. de Montmorency, V.C. (21st Hussars), killed
+while doing magnificent work with his Scouts near Stormberg.
+
+26.--Finding the passage of the river near Colenso commanded by strong
+entrenchments, Sir Redvers Buller sent his guns and baggage back to the
+south side of the Tugela, and found a new crossing.
+
+26-27.--Colesberg and Rensberg, having been evacuated by the Boers, were
+occupied by General Clements, while Jamestown was occupied by General
+Brabant.
+
+27 (on anniversary of Majuba, 1881).--Cronje, with 44 commandants and
+other officers of all grades, and over 3500 men, surrendered
+unconditionally to Lord Roberts.
+
+Sir Redvers Buller's force captured the Boer position at Pieters. This
+action opened the road to Ladysmith. Boers retired north to Ladysmith.
+
+28.--Relief of Ladysmith after 120 day's investment.
+
+
+MARCH 1900.
+
+1.--Lord Roberts and Lord Kitchener visited Kimberley and attended a
+meeting in the Town Hall.
+
+2.--Cronje and his staff, having been moved to Simonstown under a guard
+of City Imperial Volunteers, were put on board H.M.S. _Doris_, and sent
+to St. Helena.
+
+3.--General Buller formally entered Ladysmith.
+
+Skirmish near Osfontein. General French came in contact with a Boer
+force, who tried to get away, but were held to their position by the
+British force.
+
+4-5.--General Brabant advanced from Dordrecht against Labuschagne, and
+was completely successful.
+
+5.--General Gatacre occupied Stormberg without opposition.
+
+7.--Lord Roberts dispersed Boers near Poplar Grove.
+
+General Gatacre reached Burghersdorp.
+
+8.--General Clements occupied Norval's Pont.
+
+10.--The Boers dispersed near Driefontein, fifteen miles east of Poplar
+Grove.
+
+11.--Presidents Kruger and Steyn received reply from the Prime Minister
+refusing to entertain their absurd overtures for peace.
+
+12.--General French (with cavalry, R.H.A., and Mounted Infantry) arrived
+before Bloemfontein, and captured two hills which command the railway
+and town.
+
+General French captured the railway near Bloemfontein.
+
+General Gatacre approached Bethulie.
+
+13.--Lord Roberts occupied Bloemfontein. His despatch ran:--"The British
+flag now flies over the Presidency vacated last evening by Mr. Steyn,
+late President of the Orange Free State. The inhabitants gave the troops
+a cordial welcome."
+
+14.--General Pretyman, C.B., appointed Military Governor of
+Bloemfontein.
+
+15.--General Gatacre occupied Bethulie.
+
+Boers attacked Colonel Plumer's camp and were repulsed.
+
+16.--Fighting at Fourteen Streams.
+
+19.--Lord Kitchener occupied Prieska, and received the submission of
+rebels.
+
+20.--Rouxville occupied by Major Cumming.
+
+21.--Smithfield occupied by British troops.
+
+23.--Party of English officers shot near Bloemfontein.
+
+27.--General Clements occupied Fauresmith, and arrested the landrost.
+
+Death of General Joubert.
+
+29.--Action at Karree Siding. Boer position taken.
+
+Wepener occupied by Brabant's Horse under Colonel Dalgety.
+
+30.--Colonel Broadwood with Cavalry Brigade and two batteries Royal
+Horse Artillery at Thabanchu retired on waterworks pressed by the enemy.
+
+31.--Loss of convoy and six guns at Koorn Spruit.
+
+Action at Ramathlabama for the relief of Mafeking, and Colonel Plumer's
+small force repulsed by the Boers.
+
+[Illustration: MAP ILLUSTRATING THE MOVEMENTS FOR THE RELIEF OF
+KIMBERLEY AND THE CAPTURE OF BLOEMFONTEIN
+
+EDINBURGH AND LONDON T. C. & E. C. JACK.]
+
+
+
+
+SOUTH AFRICA AND THE TRANSVAAL WAR
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER I
+
+THE TURNING OF THE TIDE
+
+_February 27, 1900._
+
+    "Storm, strong with all the bitter heart of hate,
+      Smote England, now nineteen dark years ago,
+      As when the tide's full wrath in seaward flow
+    Smites and bears back the swimmer. Fraud and fate
+    Were leagued against her: fear was fain to prate
+      Of honour in dishonour, pride brought low,
+      And humbleness whence holiness must grow,
+    And greatness born of shame to be so great.
+
+    The winter day that withered hope and pride
+    Shines now triumphal on the turning tide
+      That sets once more our trust in freedom free,
+    That leaves a ruthless and a truthless foe
+    And all base hopes that hailed his cause laid low,
+      And England's name a light on land and sea."
+
+    --ALGERNON CHARLES SWINBURNE.
+
+
+THE VOTE OF CENSURE
+
+The terrible events of the month of December had produced a disquieting
+effect upon the public mind. Agitated questions were asked on all
+subjects connected with the series of catastrophes, and the replies were
+so unsatisfactory that one and all became sensible that the actions of
+those in power were not sufficiently in unison with public sentiment,
+and even the keenest supporters of the Government numbly experienced a
+loss of confidence in those at the helm. It was felt that some one must
+be to blame for the miserable condition of affairs, the hideous series
+of defeats that had made Great Britain an object of ridicule on the
+Continent. For the forwarding of our troops "in driblets," for the
+ineffectiveness of our guns in comparison with Boer weapons, for the
+uselessness of the carbine in competition with the Mauser, for the
+scarcity of horses, for the preparedness of the Boers, for the
+unpreparedness of the British, for the under-estimation of the strength
+of the enemy, and for many other things which tended to bring about the
+national disaster, various members of the Government were blamed.
+Charges of incapacity were levelled at the Secretary of State for War,
+the War Office, and the Committee of National Defence. Even the stoutest
+Tories were found declaiming against the attitude of lethargy--flippancy,
+some said--adopted by those in whose hands the fate of the nation rested.
+Mr. Balfour, in certain speeches somewhat ill-advisedly delivered at a
+critical moment, had contrived almost to wound people who were already
+deeply wounded by humiliation and anxiety. His mood had not been in
+sympathy with the public mood. He had endeavoured to brush away the stern
+problems facing him by minimising their seriousness, by affecting to
+believe that the Government was, like C�sar's wife, beyond reproach. His
+attitude implied that the Cabinet could do no wrong, and that the
+misfortunes and errors (if errors there were) were due to a concatenation
+of circumstances for which neither the Government at home nor the
+generals abroad could be held responsible. In consequence of this
+attitude, on one side Mr. Balfour was blamed, on another, Mr.
+Chamberlain. The Colonial Secretary was accused of the policy of
+"bluffing with a weak hand," while the Chancellor of the Exchequer, as
+was inevitable, came in for his share of obloquy. It was the cheeseparing
+principle that was at the bottom of it all; cheeseparing and red-tape
+were responsible for debility and delay of all kinds, and political
+inertia had undoubtedly spelt defeat. The clamour was reasonable and
+just. It was felt that prudence and energy should have served as fuel to
+stoke the engine of public affairs, not as a brake to be put on in the
+face of disaster. On all hands the public of one consent cried for a new
+broom and "a great co-ordinating guiding mind," and the universal clamour
+awoke the Government to a consciousness that there are times and seasons
+in the history of nations when party recriminations and crystallised
+party etiquette must give way before the stress of a great national
+need--the need to preserve at all costs the honour and the reputation of
+the Empire in face of the whole world.
+
+Accordingly, the opening debate of the Session was one which cannot be
+passed over. The Queen's Speech struck a note of decision that was at
+once comforting and in sympathy with her people. Thus it ran: "I have
+witnessed with pride and the heartiest gratification the patriotism,
+eagerness, and spontaneous loyalty with which my subjects in all parts
+of my dominions have come forward to share in the common defence of
+their Imperial interests. I am confident that I shall not look to them
+in vain when I exhort them to sustain and renew their exertions until
+they have brought this struggle for the maintenance of the Empire and
+the assertion of its supremacy in South Africa to a victorious
+conclusion."
+
+The Earl of Kimberley commented on the ignorance of the Government
+regarding the military preparations that for years had been going on in
+the Transvaal, and indulged in criticisms which might have been weighty
+had his hearers not been tickled by the strange irony of fate which
+converted into critic one of the authors of the humiliating drama which
+had been left to shape itself from the disastrous _scena_ of 1881.
+
+To these criticisms the Prime Minister--somewhat broken by domestic
+bereavement--offered but a weak and depressing reply. "How," he asked,
+in regard to the Boer preparations, "could the Government know what was
+going on?"
+
+     "I believe, as a matter of fact, though this must not be taken
+     as official, that the guns were generally introduced in the
+     boilers of locomotives, and that the munitions of war were
+     introduced in piano-cases and tubs. But we had no power of
+     search, we had no power of knowing what munitions of war were
+     sent out. We certainly had no power of supervising their
+     importation into the Transvaal. It is a very remarkable
+     peculiarity of the public opinion of this country that people
+     always desire to eat their cake and have it. They rejoice very
+     much with a spirit of complacency that we have a very small
+     Secret Service Fund. Information is a matter of money and
+     nothing else. If you want much information you must give much
+     money; if you give little money you will get little
+     information; and considering the enormous sums which are spent
+     by other Powers, not least by the Transvaal Republic, in secret
+     service--which I was told on high diplomatic authority has been
+     �800,000 in one year--and comparing this with the ludicrously
+     small sums which have for a great number of years been
+     habitually spent by English Governments, it is impossible for
+     us to have the omniscience which the noble Earl seems to regard
+     as a necessary attribute of Her Majesty's Government."
+
+Further on he said:
+
+     "We must all join together to exercise all the power that we
+     can give in order to extricate ourselves from a situation that
+     is full of humiliation and not free from danger, though I do
+     not say the danger may not be easily exaggerated. Many a
+     country has commenced a great war with difficulties of this
+     kind. We have only to look back at what the Northern States of
+     America went through at the opening of the Civil War to see how
+     easy it would be to draw a mistaken inference from the reverses
+     which we have met at the opening of this war. We have every
+     ground to think that if we set ourselves heartily to work and
+     exert all the instruments of power we possess we shall bring
+     this war to a satisfactory conclusion. I think we must defer
+     the pleasing task of quarrelling among ourselves until that
+     result has been obtained. We have a work that now appeals to us
+     as subjects of the Queen, as Englishmen, and it must throw into
+     shadow the ancient claims which party expediency has on the
+     action of all our statesmen."
+
+This speech concluded, Lord Rosebery suddenly sprang up, and delivered
+himself with thrilling emphasis of sentiments which went at once to the
+heart of the nation. Deeply he deplored the Prime Minister's speech,
+which made it hard for "the man in the street" to support the policy of
+the Government.
+
+The country, he insisted, had a right to know if there was adequate
+information given to the Government before the crisis of the Transvaal
+affair, or even sufficient to guide them in their diplomacy or their
+negotiation. "That is a point which the nation will insist on knowing,
+whether in this House or the other. If you had not sufficient
+information, dismiss your Intelligence Department, dismiss Mr. Conyngham
+Greene and your consular agents wherever they had touch with this
+matter--at Louren�o Marques or elsewhere. If you did know of it, you
+have a heavy responsibility to bear. The noble Marquis asks, 'How could
+we see through a deal board?' I suppose he meant by that to allude to
+the pianoforte cases in which, with more knowledge than he gave himself
+credit for, he unofficially states that the ammunition was brought into
+Pretoria."
+
+Passing on to the question of Secret Service money, he declared that the
+Government was in possession of a very commanding majority in the House,
+and that if they had the responsibility of Government they were bound to
+ask for what funds, whether Secret Service or other, which they might
+think necessary for the safety of the Empire.
+
+     "They cannot," he pursued, "devolve that responsibility on
+     others by speaking of the working of the British Constitution.
+     I ask noble Lords to analyse the speech of the noble Marquis,
+     which is still ringing in their ears. It is the speech of a
+     Minister explaining a disastrous position. He practically has
+     only given two explanations of that situation. They are, first,
+     that the Government had not enough Secret Service money to
+     obtain information, and, secondly, the mysterious working of
+     the British Constitution. I suppose that there are foreign
+     representatives in the gallery listening to this debate, and I
+     suppose that the speech of the Prime Minister will be flashed
+     to-night all over Europe, and Europe, which is watching with a
+     keen and not a benevolent interest the proceedings of our
+     armies in South Africa, will learn that the causes of our
+     disasters are one avoidable and the other inevitable. The
+     avoidable one is the inadequate amount of the Secret Service
+     Fund, and the inevitable one the secular working of the British
+     Constitution."
+
+Leaving the question of unpreparedness, he came to the great point, and
+asked what the Government intended to do.
+
+     "There is a paragraph in the Queen's Speech which I rejoice to
+     see, of a somewhat didactic character in its first sentence,
+     but not without interest in its second. 'The experience of a
+     great war must necessarily afford lessons of the greatest
+     importance to the military administration of the country. You
+     will not, I am convinced, shrink from any outlay that may be
+     required to place our defensive preparations on a level with
+     the responsibilities which the possession of so great an Empire
+     has laid on us.' The noble Marquis made no reference to that
+     paragraph, except to say that he does not think we shall see
+     compulsory service in the life of the youngest peer present. I
+     do not affirm or question that proposition, but I can say I do
+     not think it is so immeasurably remote as the noble Marquis
+     considers that some form of compulsory service may have to be
+     introduced to meet the growing exigencies of the Empire. I am
+     sure that neither from this nor from any other sacrifice will
+     the nation recoil to preserve the predominance of our Empire.
+     We have sent away from our island a vast mass of troops which
+     usually garrison it. Situated as we are in the centre of a
+     universe by no means friendly to us, that we should not have a
+     hint from the First Minister of the Crown what military
+     measures the Government propose to take in face of the
+     disasters we have met with, and what sacrifices we must
+     inevitably be called on to make to redress them, is one of the
+     most extraordinary features of the working of the British
+     Constitution on which the noble Marquis has laid such great
+     stress. I agree with him in saying that the country will carry
+     this thing through. It will carry it through in spite of all
+     the impediments, both of men and of methods, that have shackled
+     it in the past; but I venture to say that it will have to be
+     inspired by a loftier tone and by a truer patriotism than we
+     have heard from the Prime Minister to-night."
+
+Mr. Balfour, in the House of Commons, was as damping to popular hopes as
+the Prime Minister in the House of Lords. Regarding the all-important
+subject of the under-estimation of the Boer strength, he somewhat airily
+said:
+
+     "It will be asked, How comes it, then, that this great
+     under-estimate of the Boer strength was made if we knew
+     approximately what the Boer armaments were, and what Boers were
+     likely to take the field? I do not know that I have got any
+     very satisfactory answer to give to that question. It is a
+     purely and strictly military problem, and, as history shows, it
+     is a kind of problem very difficult to answer satisfactorily.
+     You can gauge the military strength of a European nation with a
+     fixed army, with all their modern military apparatus, and with
+     all their military statistics at your disposal; but when you
+     come to problems of States whose military organisation is not
+     of that elaborate kind, great mistakes have been made in the
+     past, and I doubt not great mistakes will be made in the
+     future. They certainly have been made by almost every military
+     nation of whom we have any record. But if this is regarded as
+     an attack upon the military experts of the War Office, it is
+     surely an unfair attack, because soldiers, who are not
+     especially given to agreeing with one another, were absolutely
+     unanimous upon this point. I do not believe you will be able to
+     quote the opinion of a single soldier of any position whatever,
+     or of no position, delivered before, say, July 31 or August 31
+     last, indicating any opinion which will show that the force
+     which we in the first instance sent out would not be amply
+     sufficient, or more than amply sufficient, for all purposes.
+     (Cries of "What about Butler?") The right hon. gentlemen put a
+     question to me about Sir W. Butler. We had not the slightest
+     trace at the War Office in any communication, public,
+     semi-public, or private--no communication of any sort, kind, or
+     description, which indicated that in Sir W. Butler's opinion
+     the force we sent out was not sufficient--I was going to say
+     doubly sufficient--for any work that it might be called upon to
+     perform."
+
+Indeed, the whole tenor of the speech was generally regarded as
+unsatisfactory and dispiriting. It was felt that, as Lord Rosebery
+expressed it, the Government must be left to "muddle through" somehow.
+People who hung anxiously on the lips of the Government for definite
+statements regarding future resolute action were disappointed, and
+waited wearily the conclusion of the debate.
+
+On February 1, Sir Charles Dilke drew vigorous comparisons between the
+present and former campaigns. In regard to our lack of artillery he
+said:
+
+     "All our generals had told us that direct artillery fire had
+     failed against the Boer entrenchments. It had been known for
+     years past that direct artillery fire would be likely to fail
+     against strong entrenchments; yet we sent twenty-one batteries
+     of field-artillery to South Africa before the first one of the
+     three howitzer batteries was despatched. It was one of the
+     strongest charges which he and others had brought against the
+     War Office for some years, that our army was more badly
+     supplied with field-artillery than any other army in the world.
+     It was not even comparable with the field-artillery of
+     Switzerland and Roumania. In regard to our guns, the Leader of
+     the House had stated in a speech at Manchester that we had guns
+     in South Africa sufficient for three army corps of regular
+     troops. He should like to know on whose authority the right
+     hon. gentleman made that statement. The first force sent to
+     South Africa from India was supplied with guns, not on that
+     scale, but still in fairly decent and respectable measure. The
+     forces of Lord Methuen and Sir Redvers Buller fell altogether
+     short of even the scale adopted for the Indian Contingent. Both
+     these generals had themselves called attention to their
+     deficiency in this respect. We had not even now got artillery
+     on anything like the scale laid down by the right hon.
+     gentleman, and we could not have it in South Africa, because we
+     had not got it in the world. In these circumstances he could
+     only characterise the statement of the Leader of the House as
+     entirely erroneous and misleading, and altogether a blunder.
+     With regard to the batteries which were even now being sent
+     out, many of them were manned by reservists and by garrison
+     artillerymen, who had had no experience in the handling of
+     modern field-guns."
+
+Proceeding to the question of lack of cavalry, he argued:
+
+     "With regard to cavalry as with regard to artillery, the first
+     force was well supplied, but the forces of Lord Methuen and
+     General Buller were very deficient in that respect. In that
+     connection the First Lord had made an attack on the critics of
+     the War Office. He said they had not seen, or if they had seen
+     had not insisted on, a novel fact in the present war, namely,
+     that for the first time in the history of the world they had
+     seen an army composed entirely of mounted infantry. The right
+     hon. gentleman had only to read Sir William Butler's 'Life of
+     General Colley,' where he would find very marked attention
+     drawn to that matter. As to the Defence Committee of the
+     Cabinet, of which the right hon. gentleman was a member, though
+     he himself had been spoken of as the author of that body, he
+     must admit that it had failed. It was instituted after a
+     correspondence in which he himself, his hon. friend (Mr. Arnold
+     Foster), and Mr. Spenser Wilkinson took part, and it was not
+     new to the present Government. It was instituted in the time of
+     Lord Rosebery's Government as a Committee of the Cabinet, but
+     it had been proclaimed to the world in the time of the present
+     Government. It had failed on account of the slackness of those
+     who attended the deliberations of the Committee. It had not
+     been worked as the authors of the proposal thought it might
+     have been worked in the interests of the Empire. The Committee
+     ought to have foreseen these difficulties with respect to
+     mounted men; they were foreseen by military men. Though
+     political differences occurred between Sir A. Milner and Sir W.
+     Butler, Sir A. Milner consulted General Butler on the military
+     aspect of the situation, and General Butler's opinions were
+     known to the Government, or should have been. They were known
+     to Sir A. Milner at any rate and were not concealed by him when
+     he was in this country a year ago. According to his (Sir C.
+     Dilke's) information, which reached him immediately after the
+     statement had been made to Sir A. Milner, General Sir W. Butler
+     declared that 60,000 men would be required in Cape Colony and
+     25,000 men in Natal. Leaving that, however, what was the
+     attitude of the Cabinet with regard to the need for cavalry?
+     They telegraphed to the Colonies to refuse mounted men. They
+     gave their reasons in the telegram of October 3: 'In view of
+     the numbers already available, infantry most and cavalry least
+     serviceable.' On December 16 they telegraphed to the Colonies,
+     'Mounted men preferred.' After all the loss of life that had
+     taken place, and the months of checks and reverses, they had
+     discovered what competent soldiers had discovered before the
+     war, and must have told them, that mounted men were essential
+     for a campaign of this kind."
+
+In reply, the Under-Secretary of State for War made the first telling
+and apposite statement which had been furnished for the Government
+during the course of the proceedings. His exposition was
+straightforwardness itself. Though merely the mouthpiece of the
+Government, Mr. Wyndham gave utterance to definite statements which
+created a very favourable impression throughout the country, and served
+at once to wipe away the taste of foregone pronouncements. He said:
+
+     "Every one to his dying day would look back with regret on the
+     great many disasters which had followed, but no one could ever
+     know what would have happened if the other course had been
+     adopted. It was very easy to conceive that if Sir G. White had
+     not stayed at Ladysmith and Sir R. Buller had not gone to his
+     relief disaster might have been developed in another line, and
+     that there might have been that universal rising of the Cape
+     Dutch which, thank Heaven, had not occurred. When it was stated
+     that Lord Methuen had not sufficient cavalry and artillery with
+     him, it must be remembered that Lord Methuen was hurried off to
+     the Orange River, and, as a matter of fact, he arrived on the
+     frontier in fewer days than the German army reached the French
+     frontier, and he had not with him the cavalry, which had been
+     diverted for the relief of Ladysmith and other purposes. On the
+     morrow after Nicholson's Nek three more battalions were sent
+     from home, though none had been asked for, and Lord Landsowne
+     offered a sixth division. In reply, he was told that
+     preparation was desirable, but that there was no immediate need
+     for its despatch. The situation was again changed by the
+     reverses at Stormberg and Magersfontein and the check at
+     Colenso. Thereupon the sixth division was ordered to embark
+     without any communication from South Africa, and at the same
+     time the seventh division was ordered to be mobilised. On
+     December 15, the day after his check at Colenso, Sir R. Buller
+     asked for the seventh division, the mobilisation of which had
+     already been ordered, and for 8000 mounted irregulars from
+     this country. Lord Landsowne replied that the seventh division
+     would embark on January 4, which it did. Next day the first
+     step was taken in connection with the raising of the Imperial
+     Yeomanry, and volunteers were invited to come forward in order
+     to fill the places left vacant by the raising from each
+     battalion of one company of mounted infantry. The patriotism of
+     the Militia was also appealed to, and fourteen battalions were
+     now serving in South Africa, while others were on the way. A
+     great military authority once said, 'When a battalion is asked
+     for, send a brigade.' That had been the course pursued by Lord
+     Landsowne."
+
+In regard to the number of our guns, Mr. Wyndham continued his argument
+in the following terms:--
+
+     "As the right hon. baronet had pressed for information with
+     regard to the number of guns which had been despatched to South
+     Africa, it would not be out of place to tell the House that we
+     had sent and were sending 36 siege train heavy guns; there were
+     already there 38 mobile naval guns, and in addition to these
+     there were 36 5-inch howitzers carrying a heavy shell charged
+     with 50 lbs. of lyddite, in all 110 guns, some of them with a
+     range of 10,000 yards, and all capable of throwing heavy
+     shells. Besides these there were 54 horse-artillery guns and
+     234 field-artillery guns, in all, counting the howitzers, 324
+     guns capable of accompanying troops in the field. Including the
+     two mountain batteries, there were altogether 410 guns in South
+     Africa, without reckoning the guns that were going out with the
+     Volunteers and the Colonials, which would bring the number up
+     to 452."
+
+[Illustration: THE MARQUIS OF SALISBURY, K.G.
+
+PRIME MINISTER AND FOREIGN SECRETARY.
+
+Photo by Russell & Sons, London.]
+
+Then taking the subject of mounted troops, he went on:--
+
+     "On the question of mounted troops, it had been said that the
+     Government announced to the world their conviction that
+     unmounted troops were the kind of troops most suitable to South
+     African warfare. The word 'mounted' was never used. However, he
+     would not insist on that, but he did think that those who had
+     quoted this opinion so often should consider when they were
+     used, because then they would see that they gave no indication
+     that the Government held the opinion attributed to them. As a
+     matter of fact, since the outbreak of the war the Government
+     had sent out a larger proportion of mounted troops than was
+     usually contemplated, because they believed that mounted troops
+     were especially suited to go to Africa. The time at which the
+     phrase was used that infantry was most wanted and cavalry least
+     wanted was on October 3, before the ultimatum was sent, before
+     the war began, and at a time when Sir R. Buller was satisfied
+     that an army corps, a cavalry division, and the necessary
+     troops for the line of communication, giving 50,000 men in
+     addition to the 25,000 already in South Africa, was an adequate
+     force. When the question of the Colonial Contingents was first
+     raised, Queensland offered 250 and New Zealand 200 mounted
+     infantry, and the 108 New South Wales Lancers then in this
+     country volunteered, making in all 558 mounted men. No specific
+     offer was received from the other Colonies, but they expressed
+     a wish that they might be allowed to take some part in the
+     campaign. He thereon consulted Sir R. Buller as to the number
+     that should be asked for in order that each Colony might be
+     represented more or less in proportion to their respective
+     populations. Sir Redvers stated that it would be easier to give
+     the Colonial troops an immediate place at the front if they
+     were invited to contribute manageable units of 125 men each. If
+     the original offers of the Colonies had been accepted, there
+     would have been 1375 more mounted men at the front at an
+     earlier date, when no one contemplated that the force sent out
+     would be insufficient for its task. The Colonial Legislatures
+     have not changed their note in consequence of the
+     disappointments and reverses which have been experienced, but
+     have made further offers--an example which might well have been
+     followed nearer home. Altogether there had been accepted from
+     the Colonies 2075 unmounted and 4678 mounted men. The
+     proportion of mounted to unmounted troops in South Africa at
+     four different periods were: In the original garrison, 7600
+     unmounted and 2000 mounted; on October 9, the day of the
+     ultimatum, 12,600 unmounted and 3400 mounted; on January 1,
+     83,600 unmounted and 19,800 mounted; while the total number of
+     troops in South Africa, not including the Fourth Cavalry
+     Brigade, were 142,800 unmounted and 37,800 mounted, and in the
+     next fortnight or three weeks there would be out there 180,600
+     of all arms."
+
+Sir Edward Grey said:--
+
+     "He was giving the right hon. gentleman some instances of the
+     value of the support from his side. The primary object of the
+     policy which had ended in the war was not to drive the Boers
+     from British territory, as they were not then on it. The
+     primary object was not to plant the British flag at Pretoria
+     and Johannesburg. These two things might be the result of the
+     war, but they were not the primary objects of the Government
+     policy. The objects which he wished to see attained, and which
+     he would pledge himself to give the utmost support to the
+     Government in attaining, were, first, equal rights between all
+     white men in South Africa, and by that he meant that never
+     again should a situation arise in any part of the British
+     sphere in which a modern industrial community should be placed
+     under the heel of an antiquated minority which was dominated by
+     prejudice and governed by corruption. The second object was
+     that never again in South Africa should it be possible for
+     arsenals to be formed or an accumulation of military material
+     under any control except British control. That was the end to
+     be attained, and to that end the Government would have
+     support."
+
+On the 3rd of February Mr. Bryce expressed his opinions. He affected to
+disbelieve that there had been any Dutch conspiracy to drive the British
+from South Africa, and considered that, owing to the menace of the
+Government in the arrangement of negotiations, the meek Boer had no
+resource but to prepare for war.
+
+Mr. Goschen admitted the gravity of the situation and the responsibility
+of the Government _en masse_. The Cabinet, he decided, must stand or
+fall together. The Admiralty, in acceptation of its responsibility, had
+assisted the army with heavy guns without weakening its resources.
+Lastly, he touched enthusiastically on the exhibition of Colonial
+loyalty:--
+
+     "Before concluding I must say a word with reference to the
+     Colonists. They have been supporting us with unstinted loyalty
+     and unstinted generosity. There has been a spirit shown by the
+     Colonies of affection to the mother country which has been the
+     admiration of the world. May we not suggest that that unstinted
+     loyalty and that unstinted generosity is to some extent a
+     reward for the consideration which has been shown the Colonies
+     for some time past; and is it not right to remember that for
+     years there has not been a Secretary for the Colonies who has
+     so endeavoured to win the affection of the Colonies as the
+     right hon. gentleman who now holds that office? You tax us with
+     not having shown foresight and judgment. At all events our
+     treatment of the Colonies has ensured, not their loyalty--that
+     will always be there--but the enthusiastic impulse of the
+     Colonies to come to the assistance of the mother country. We
+     have a great work to do; we want to do that work, and now hon.
+     gentlemen opposite move an amendment the only object of which
+     could be to damage and weaken the Government, who are the
+     instruments of the national will. If hon. gentlemen opposite do
+     not wish to take our places and to bear the burden which rests
+     on our shoulders, is it wise to endeavour to shake the
+     confidence of the country in the men who must continue this
+     war, and gather together all the forces of the Empire to bring
+     it to a successful conclusion? Supposing there should be a
+     division which could be called a bad division for the
+     Government, what would the cheers which would greet that
+     division mean? They would mean, 'We have succeeded in damaging
+     and weakening the Government.' The time may come when we will
+     be damaged. If the war is not successful, sweep us away as men
+     who have no judgment, but do not lame the arm of the Executive
+     Government when they have such a work on hand as we have got to
+     do. There has been patriotic co-operation between us and some
+     of the Liberal Party. We thank them for it. I believe this is a
+     Parliamentary bad dream--an interlude between the patriotic
+     attitude of these gentlemen a few weeks ago and the patriotic
+     attitude which I hope we may look forward to when this debate
+     closes. They have assured the country they will support us in
+     going forward. I thank them for that, for it is more important
+     than the petty criticisms to which we have been treated. We are
+     the trustees of the nation for the work that has to be done.
+     The nation will support us, I believe; and so long as we
+     receive that support, God willing, we will fulfil our task."
+
+Sir E. Clarke, among other things, said:--
+
+     "He did not believe the annexation of the Transvaal and the
+     Orange Free State would be of the slightest benefit to the
+     country. The annexation of the two Republics would compel us to
+     very greatly increase our already enormous military
+     expenditure, and it would not give us any advantage
+     commensurate with the difficulties of administration. He had no
+     desire to press his own views, which were singular, and
+     certainly not popular, on that side of the House. He only
+     pleaded that this question might be left open, and that
+     Ministers might not pledge themselves to a course which would
+     involve so great a sacrifice. While he agreed generally with
+     the doctrine of Cabinet responsibility, he considered that the
+     real responsibility for the war lay with the Colonial
+     Secretary. The Prime Minister, in whom all England put the
+     greatest confidence, having many other things to deal with, and
+     being distressed by domestic anxieties, might not have been
+     able to attend so closely as he otherwise would have done to
+     South African affairs; but it could not be gainsaid that there
+     were two men, one in this country and the other in South
+     Africa, who must be associated with the beginning of the war.
+     He wished that the highest sentiments of patriotism would
+     induce those two men to leave to others the positions they now
+     occupied. He believed that the difficulties involved in a
+     solution of the questions arising out of the war would be
+     increased by the fact that the lines of communication and
+     action in South Africa were in the hands of the Colonial
+     Secretary and Sir A. Milner. He had not a word to say about the
+     honesty of these two gentlemen; but if, for a few weeks or a
+     few months, in this grave national crisis and time of deep
+     anxiety, others could take their places--if the Prime Minister
+     himself would take under his own control the communications of
+     the Colonial Office with South Africa, and if Lord Rosebery
+     would give his services to the country, and go out to South
+     Africa to assist in a solution of the difficulties, it would be
+     a sacrifice not too great to ask even from the greatest men
+     among us, and one for which the country would be very grateful.
+     He had said that he was not going to make a controversial
+     speech. He did not think he had. If he had, it had been with no
+     intention of personal attack or party bitterness, but with the
+     deep conviction that in deciding on the great issues with which
+     Parliament had to deal we had to consider not only the things
+     of to-day but the things of the future."
+
+Mr. Chamberlain's speech on the 5th of February was an advance on former
+proceedings. Sir William Harcourt dilated on the indomitable energy of a
+free people fighting for their independence, praised the gallantry of
+the troops, and blamed the Government for being led by the opinions of
+the authors of the Jameson Raid, to which the Colonial Secretary made
+dignified reply. Finally he questioned--
+
+     "How do we meet the charge of mistakes? Not by denying the
+     mistakes, but by saying what we have done and what we are doing
+     to repair them. You say we sent too few troops. We are pouring
+     troops into South Africa, and, as you have been told, in a few
+     weeks you will have an army of 200,000. You said we were
+     forgetful of the need for mounted men. We have been increasing
+     the number of horse infantry until in a very short time the
+     number of mounted men in the British forces will be almost as
+     great, if not as great, as the total number of mounted men in
+     the Boer army. You say our artillery is deficient and not heavy
+     enough. We have sent battery after battery, until now you have
+     an unexampled force of that arm. We have at the same time added
+     a number of heavier guns. When the war began, no doubt the
+     needs of the war were under-estimated at that time; it is part
+     of the same mistake. We failed to respond as we ought to have
+     done to the splendid offers that came from our Colonies. We
+     accepted enough to show how much we valued their assistance,
+     but we hesitated to put on them any greater strain than
+     necessary. But what is happening now? They are multiplying
+     their forces, and every offer is gratefully and promptly
+     appreciated and accepted. And we shall have in this war before
+     it is over an army of Colonials called to the aid of Her
+     Majesty who will outnumber the British army at Waterloo and
+     nearly equal to the total British force in the Crimea."
+
+In conclusion he said:--
+
+     "In Africa these two races, so interesting, so admirable, each
+     in its own way, though different in some things, will now, at
+     any rate, have learned to respect one another. I hear a great
+     deal about the animosity which will remain after the war, but I
+     hope I am not too sanguine when I say that I do not believe in
+     it. When matters have settled down, when equal rights are
+     assured to both the white races, I believe that both will enjoy
+     the land together in settled peace and prosperity. Meanwhile,
+     we are finding out the weak spots in our armour, and trying to
+     remedy them. We are finding out the infinite potential
+     resources of the Empire; we are advancing steadily, if slowly,
+     to the realisation of that great federation of our race which
+     will inevitably make for peace, liberty, and justice."
+
+On the following night Mr. Asquith, on Talleyrand's principle--that
+speech is given us to hide our thoughts--dilated interestingly on the
+position, his sympathies oscillating between the Opposition, the
+Government, and Mr. Kruger. Sir Henry Campbell Bannerman declared it to
+be the duty of the Opposition to press Lord Edmond Fitzmaurice's
+amendment to a division. He inferred that the conspiracy of the Cape
+Dutch was a chimera, and went so far as to suggest that when our
+military supremacy was asserted in South Africa the question of
+settlement might be left to decide itself _sine die_! Said he: "Provided
+that our territories are free and our military supremacy asserted, what
+matters it at what time or what place a settlement is arrived at?"
+
+In his reply Mr. Balfour distinguished himself. He said that it was
+discovered that the War Office has more than fulfilled its promises, and
+appealed to the members of the Opposition who sympathised with the
+justice of the war to reflect before voting for the amendment. It was
+necessary to help the soldiers at the front by proving to them that they
+were supported by a united country, and that every hostile vote might
+induce or encourage our opponents to prolong the contest. He concluded
+by saying:--
+
+     "Can they contemplate with equanimity that their first action
+     in a session of Parliament meeting under such circumstances
+     should be a weakening of the Government, whose hands they
+     profess to desire to strengthen--whose hands I believe they
+     genuinely desire to strengthen--in every succeeding operation
+     connected with this war? Can they contemplate with equanimity
+     the reflection that possibly their votes may lengthen the war,
+     and, by lengthening it, may increase that tragic list of losses
+     with which we are already too familiar? If in giving their vote
+     they add one fraction to the chances of a European
+     complication, one fraction of a chance that an unnecessary life
+     may be lost or a family thrown into mourning, can they easily
+     reconcile that with their duty towards their own principles and
+     to that country of which they are, I believe, as devoted
+     servants as we on this side of the House? I think it is a
+     violation of every Parliamentary tradition that men who desire
+     to keep in office a Government should vote for an amendment
+     which, if carried, will turn out that Government, and that it
+     is contrary to every patriotic instinct to vote in a minority
+     against the Government. The size of that minority will affect
+     the whole course of European policy, the whole course of the
+     war. I have stated the problem as it presents itself to my
+     mind. I know that you are men of conscience and honour, and I
+     must leave it to you to decide the problem, each man in his own
+     case as his conscience and honour dictate. To the House at
+     large I can only make one appeal. It is that we, who are the
+     representatives of the country, may rise to the height reached
+     by those whom we represent. I ask no more, and I can ask no
+     more, of the House than that they should imitate, for they
+     cannot exceed, the courage, steadfastness, resolution, and
+     firmness under adversity, and the calmness of temper with
+     which our countrymen all over the world have dealt with the
+     situation in its entirety. If the House of Commons do, as no
+     doubt they will, imitate, for they cannot better, the conduct
+     of those who have sent them here, then who can doubt that the
+     clouds by which we are at present surrounded will in a short
+     time be dissipated and the Empire will issue from the struggle
+     in which it is now engaged stronger, not only in its own
+     consciousness of strength, but in the eyes of the civilised
+     world."
+
+[Illustration: SERGEANT OF THE IMPERIAL YEOMANRY.
+
+Photo by Gregory & Co., London.]
+
+In the end, by 352 to 139--a majority of 213--the vote of censure on the
+Government moved by Lord Edmond Fitzmaurice was defeated. The decision
+adequately expressed the feelings of the country. It must be remembered
+that many of the Government supporters were in South Africa,
+consequently a total poll of 491 represented a heavy vote. The following
+list serves to show the number of members of both Houses who had
+sacrificed party spirit to patriotic convictions, and had proceeded to
+the front:--
+
+     HOUSE OF LORDS.--Earl of Airlie, commanding 12th Lancers; Earl
+     of Albemarle, lieutenant-colonel, City of London Imperial
+     Volunteers; Lord Basing, major, 1st Dragoons; Lord Castletown,
+     special service, South Africa; Lord Chesham, commanding a
+     battalion of Imperial Yeomanry; Earl Cowley, lieutenant,
+     Imperial Yeomanry; Lord Denman, lieutenant, Imperial Yeomanry;
+     Earl of Dudley, D.A.A.G. for Imperial Yeomanry; Earl of
+     Dundonald, C.B., major-general, commanding 3rd Brigade (Natal)
+     Cavalry Division; Earl of Dunraven, captain, Imperial Yeomanry;
+     Earl of Erroll, special service, South Africa; Earl of Essex,
+     second in command of battalion of Imperial Yeomanry; Earl of
+     Fingal, lieutenant, Imperial Yeomanry; Lord Kitchener of
+     Khartoum, G.C.B., K.C.M.G., Chief of the Staff; Earl of
+     Leitrim, lieutenant, Imperial Yeomanry; Earl of Longford,
+     captain, Imperial Yeomanry; Lord Lovat, captain, Lord Lovat's
+     Corps; Duke of Marlborough, staff captain for Imperial
+     Yeomanry; Lord Methuen, K.C.V.O., C.B., commanding 1st Division
+     in South Africa; Duke of Norfolk, K.G., captain, Imperial
+     Yeomanry; Lord Roberts of Kandahar, K.P., G.C.B., G.C.I.E.,
+     G.C.S.I., V.C., Field Marshal Commanding-in-Chief; Lord
+     Romilly, special service, South Africa; Lord Rosmead, major,
+     6th Battalion Lancashire Fusiliers; Duke of Roxburghe,
+     lieutenant, Royal Horse Guards; Earl of Scarborough, second in
+     command of battalion of Imperial Yeomanry; Earl Sondes,
+     lieutenant, Imperial Yeomanry; Duke of Westminster, A.D.C. to
+     Governor; Lord Wolverton, second lieutenant, Somersetshire
+     Yeomanry Cavalry; Lord Zouche, lieutenant, Imperial Yeomanry.
+
+     HOUSE OF COMMONS.--Mr. W. Allen, trooper, Imperial Yeomanry;
+     Hon. A. B. Bathurst, captain, 4th Battalion Gloucester
+     Regiment; Colonel A. M. Brookfield, commanding battalion of
+     Imperial Yeomanry; Lieutenant-Colonel R. G. W. Chaloner,
+     commanding battalion of Imperial Yeomanry; Hon. T. H. Cochrane,
+     captain, 4th Battalion Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders; Lord
+     A. F. Compton, captain, Imperial Yeomanry; Viscount Cranborne,
+     commanding 4th Battalion Bedford Regiment; Mr. W.
+     Bromley-Davenport, captain, Imperial Yeomanry; Sir J.
+     Dickson-Poynder, lieutenant, Imperial Yeomanry; Viscount
+     Folkestone, major, 1st Wilts Volunteer Rifle Corps; Mr. W. R.
+     Greene, lieutenant, Imperial Yeomanry; Hon. J. Guest,
+     lieutenant, Imperial Yeomanry; Mr. G. Kemp, captain, Imperial
+     Yeomanry; Mr. E. H. Llewellyn, major, 4th battalion Somerset
+     Light Infantry; Mr. H. L. B. McCalmont, commanding 6th
+     battalion Royal Warwick Regiment; Mr. F. B. Mildmay,
+     lieutenant, Imperial Yeomanry; Viscount Milton, lieutenant,
+     Imperial Yeomanry; Mr. D. V. Pirie, with Remounts Department,
+     South Africa; Lord Stanley, special service, South Africa; Lord
+     Edmund Talbot, special service, South Africa; Viscount
+     Valentia, A.A.G. for Imperial Yeomanry; Major W. H.
+     Wyndham-Quin, captain, Imperial Yeomanry; Major the Hon. H. V.
+     Duncombe, adjutant, Imperial Yeomanry; Sir Elliott Lees,
+     captain, Imperial Yeomanry; Sir S. Scott, lieutenant, Imperial
+     Yeomanry.
+
+
+KIMBERLEY
+
+There was little bombardment after the 25th of November, and though not
+living on the fat of the land, the garrison was not short of provisions.
+Mr. Rhodes, with characteristic forethought, now caused the formation of
+a committee to inquire into the resources of those dependent on the men
+killed, with a view to compensating them for their loss, and in other
+ways exerted himself for the welfare of sufferers in the town.
+
+Considerable friction occurred between the civil and military
+authorities. The clashing of wills was inevitable in so small an area,
+for Colonel Kekewich represented military power, while Mr. Rhodes could
+be no other than he is, and ever has been--a power in himself. It was
+unfortunate that two such forces should have been placed in collision,
+but it remains to the credit of both that, in spite of the tension of
+the situation, they should have co-operated to the end to save the town
+from the common enemy, and protect the interests and lives of all who,
+but for this co-operation, might have suffered much more intensely than
+they did.
+
+Early on the morning of the 9th of December a force with a battery under
+Colonel Chamier--to whom the efficient and mobile condition of the
+artillery was due--made a reconnaissance to the north. The Lancashire's
+Mounted Infantry and two guns were posted on Otto's Kopje while the Cape
+Police protected the Dam Wall. The Kimberley Light Horse in the centre
+extemporised some rifle-pits out of some prospectors' huts in order to
+cover retreat when necessary.
+
+The enemy were screened by the debris of a wall at Kamfeens, but when
+the boom of the British gun burst out and a shell roared in their midst,
+they hurriedly sought cover in their foremost rifle-pits, whence with
+great energy they "sniped" in the direction of the officers who were
+superintending the operations. Meanwhile tremendous barking of cannon
+and pinging of rifles continued, the Boers having got the range of Otto
+Kopje to perfection. The troops had an exceedingly hard time, but
+continued their operations till dusk. They lost only one killed and four
+wounded.
+
+On the wise principle that it is safer to act early on the aggressive if
+you do not want to have to act late on the defensive, the smart little
+force indulged in more military movements.
+
+[Illustration: SHELL PICKED UP IN KIMBERLEY STREETS. Photo by Alf. S.
+Hosking, Cape Town.]
+
+Colonel Kekewich's general plan for the defence of Kimberley was based
+on the principle of always keeping the enemy on the move and constantly
+in fear of attack from an unexpected quarter, but the immediate object
+of the numerous sorties and demonstrations in force now made by the
+garrison was to assist the operations of Lord Methuen. The Colonel
+explained that, "when the advance of the Relief Column from the Orange
+River commenced, and I was put in possession of information concerning
+the probable date of its arrival at Kimberley, I adopted such measures
+as I hoped would cause the retention of a large force of the enemy in my
+immediate neighbourhood, and thus enable the Relief Column to deal with
+the Boer force in detail." As the portions of mounted corps were
+continually employed, the work which fell on the detachment, 1st Batt.
+Loyal North Lancashire Regiment, Cape Police, Diamond Fields Horse,
+Kimberley Light Horse, and the Diamond Fields Artillery, was very
+arduous; but the bravery and dash of these troops was unending. Colonel
+Murray, of the Loyal North Lancashire, was invaluable in many
+capacities, and Captain O'Brien of the same regiment, in command of a
+section of the defences, was unfailing in energy and zeal. Cool as the
+proverbial cucumber were Major Rodger of the Diamond Fields Horse and
+Major May of the Diamond Fields Artillery. The motto of these officers
+was the reverse of that of the notable _gens d'armes_, for they were
+"always there when wanted," and generally in the fore-front. The
+officers of the Kimberley Regiment, too, were conspicuous for courage,
+coolness, and sagacity. They knew as by intuition what was wanted and
+did it. From Colonel Finlayson, who commanded the regiment, to
+Surgeon-Major Smith, who tended the wounded in the field, there was none
+who did not contribute to the stock of efficiency which was placed at
+the disposal of the Colonel.
+
+On the 20th of December, the mounted detachments under Colonel Peakman,
+with maxims and 7-pounders under Colonel May, started off in the pitch
+darkness of 2 A.M., and marched through Kenilworth in the direction of
+the wreck of Webster's Farm, and on towards Tollpan in the Free State.
+British cannonading then took place, the Kimberley guns shelling Tollpan
+Homestead at 2500 yards' range, and the Boer gun on Klippiespan ridge
+returning the compliment with interest. Fortunately the hostile shells
+burrowed deep in the sandy soil, and consequently little damage was
+done. The Boers were found to be very comfortably situated at the three
+corners of a six-mile triangle--at Coetgie, Scholtz, and
+Alexandersfontein--commanding three separate sources of water supply.
+This reconnaissance was of importance, as the positions of the enemy's
+guns and outposts were determined, and the garrison was enabled to be on
+guard against raiders and snipers, and to protect itself, its patrols,
+and cattle from the fire of the enemy. In the matter of protecting the
+cattle from the tricks of the Dutchmen, as in many other ways, Mr. Fynn,
+manager of the De Beers farms, did splendid service. This gentleman was
+Mr. Rhodes's right-hand man, and as a natural consequence of the honour
+he enjoyed rose to every occasion that offered, now managing a corps of
+scouts, now superintending the conveyance of food, now dealing with
+truculent natives, and always conducting his varied avocations with
+immense energy and tact.
+
+[Illustration: Lieutenant. Captain. Adjutant.
+
+THE ROYAL LANCASTERS.
+
+Photo by Gregory & Co., London.]
+
+On the 22nd of December a good deal of martial activity took place. At
+cockcrow a detachment of mounted forces, with artillery and infantry,
+went west for the purpose of reconnoitring Voornitzright and part of
+Weldermstkuil. On the right were the Diamond Fields Horse under Major
+Rodger, supported by a company of the North Lancashire Regiment under
+Lieutenant de Putron. Presently an animated cannonade began between the
+enemy's artillery from Kamferdam and the Diamond Fields Artillery guns
+on Otto's Kopje. In the centre Colonel Peakman, with the Kimberley Light
+Horse and Cape Police, proceeded along Lazaretto Ridge. There, before
+retreating, he made the necessary discoveries--firstly, that the Boer
+patrols were then the only occupants of the place, and secondly, that
+the enemy's reinforcements were advancing behind Wimbledon Ridge.
+Meanwhile Colonel Chamier on the left, with R.A. guns and an escort
+under Major Snow, was exchanging salutations with the Boer guns
+posted in the earthwork in the centre of Wimbledon Ridge. This
+occupation was pursued for some time, during which the enemy were found
+to be rapidly approaching. Directly the guns were limbered up some 500
+Boers came on the scene, and began to pour a fierce fire from the
+earthworks at the foot of the Ridge upon the Kimberley troops, who
+retired to cover. The object of the reconnaissance was gained, however,
+for it proved in what an inconceivably short space of time the enemy
+could summon his reinforcements, and, moreover, that three of his guns
+were yet in the neighbourhood of the town.
+
+On Christmas Eve congratulations were received by flashlight signals
+from the Military Secretary at Cape Town:--
+
+     "Convey to Colonel Kekewich and all the garrison and
+     inhabitants of Kimberley his Excellency's best wishes for their
+     good luck on Christmas Day and in the coming New Year."
+
+Colonel Kekewich replied:--
+
+     "Kindly inform the Military Secretary that I and the garrison
+     and inhabitants of Kimberley thank his Excellency for his kind
+     message. We also wish respectfully to offer our very best
+     wishes for Christmas and New Year."
+
+This little interchange of compliments caused infinite pleasure to those
+whose days were one unvarying round of trial and suspense. The weather
+was exceedingly hot; at times the thermometer registered 105� in the
+shade, and life without absolute necessities in torrid weather is trying
+even to the patience of the active. To those whose intercourse with the
+world was confined to flashlight signals, it was barren in the extreme.
+But with much pluck they thus announced their sentiments in a journal
+called the _Diamond Fields Advertiser_, which still maintained a
+languishing existence: "Excepting two or three of our inhabitants who
+shared the terrible privations of the siege of Paris, few of us have
+ever spent such a Christmas before, and few will ever care to spend such
+a Christmas again. The scarcity of turkeys and plum-pudding at this time
+of traditional plenty need only distress the gourmand. The majority of
+the people of Kimberley are happily made of sterner stuff, and do not
+look for luxuries in a time of siege." They were nevertheless not
+utterly plum-puddingless. Mr. Rhodes, with characteristic forethought,
+had caused to be cooked in the Sanatorium some two score of these
+bombshells to digestion, and had distributed them in each of the camps.
+Here they were devoured with much merrymaking and a general interchange
+of felicitations, which went on by telephone from one camp to another.
+From the Mounted Camp to the Royal Artillery: "Best wishes and longer
+range to your guns." From the gunners, in return, while they kept one
+ear open for movement in the direction of the Boers' "Susannah:" "May
+our range be always long enough for us to be guardian-angels to the
+Mounted Corps."
+
+On the following day the artillery was at work responding to the salutes
+of the Boers, who commenced to fire with great activity after their
+Christmas rest. They dropped some thirty-five shells in the direction of
+the fort, and received nineteen well-directed replies. Two of the mines
+were fired by the thunderstorm of the previous night, but no one was
+injured. Food now was becoming more and more scarce, and those connected
+with the distribution of provisions had to exercise much forethought and
+economy.
+
+The task of arranging for the victualling and supply of the garrison and
+40,000 people in the town was undertaken by Major Gorle, Army Service
+Corps, and the zeal and resource which he brought to bear on his onerous
+duties were applauded on all sides. Of course there were found persons
+who, on the take-everything-from-everybody-else-and-give-it-all-to-me
+principle, thought they were badly treated, but these were the exception
+rather than the rule. The arrangements for milk were made by a special
+civil committee, consisting of Mr. Oliver, the Mayor, whose courage and
+energy in keeping up the spirits of the people were wonderful, Mr.
+Judge, and four visiting surgeons of Kimberley Hospital, Doctors Ashe,
+Watkins, Mackenzie, and Stoney. These made themselves notable for the
+untiring energy with which they devoted themselves to their incessant
+duties. They kept a sharp eye on the milk, serving it out cautiously at
+the dep�t, and only to those who had a medical certificate that they
+required it. The Colonel was very appreciative of the help given by most
+of his civilian coadjutors, for, in reference to the difficulties of his
+position, he stated in his despatch: "It will be realised that, under
+the peculiar circumstances in which the defence of the scattered town,
+containing over 40,000 inhabitants and much valuable machinery, was
+entrusted in the first instance to a force consisting of about 570
+Imperial troops and 630 Colonial troops, my efforts would have been of
+no avail had it not been for the valuable assistance and advice which
+many citizens afforded me in a military as well as a civil capacity."
+
+Mr. Henderson, Captain Tyson of the Kimberley Club, and Dr. Smart
+collaborated with the ruling spirit of the place, organising relief
+committees, distributing thousands of pints of soup per diem, and
+apportioning such fruit and vegetables as were to be had for the good of
+those who were most sorely in need. That green stuffs were scarce may be
+gathered from the fact that the allowance for nine people for half a
+week was a bunch of five carrots, four liliputian parsnips, and several
+beets (duodecimo editions). The garrison, later on, were glad of
+mangel-wurzels, when quantity rather than quality came to be
+appreciated.
+
+The Boers were now beginning to build redoubts on Dronfield Kopjes,
+about a mile east of the railway and in a northerly direction, showing
+that whatever withdrawals might be going on from besieged places
+elsewhere, the City of Mines would receive its due of attention up to
+the last. The Boer prisoners inside the town presented quite a
+rejuvenated appearance, owing to the delicate attentions of Mr. Rhodes.
+Christmas saw them provided with new outfits, and a general air of
+cleanliness and health pervaded them. The invalids in hospital, both
+British and Boers, were visited frequently by the Colossus, whose
+generosity in the matter of delicacies, which were now very scarce, was
+highly appreciated.
+
+Much of the Kimberley news was obtained through the energy and
+acuteness, almost amounting to genius, of the despatch-runners. Of
+these, Mr. Lumming of Douglas succeeded in getting in and out of the
+town with missives for and from Mr. Rhodes, always at tremendous risk.
+The Boers had offered a large reward for his capture. On one occasion,
+so as to evade observation in a district swarming with the enemy, he had
+to travel quadruped fashion on hands and knees for some thirty miles.
+Tales of the despatch-runners' ingenuity in all parts of the Colony were
+many. One Kaffir boy, though caught by the Boers and stripped by them,
+carried his despatch safely, it having been packed in a quill and hid in
+his nostril, while another--a canny Scot--concealed his treasure in the
+inmost recesses of a hard-boiled egg.
+
+On the morning of the 27th of January the mounted troops under the
+indefatigable Colonel Peakman at an early hour reconnoitred the Boer
+position near the Premier mine. The Boers were indulging in a last
+little doze, when some shells were neatly dropped into their laager. The
+alarum was effective. They were up and doing in no time, and set to work
+firing with the utmost vigour, but their shots were not accurate and
+much waste of ammunition took place. It may be remembered that Colonel
+Peakman, Kimberley Light Horse, after the death of Colonel Turner was
+selected for the command of the mounted troops in Kimberley. A tower of
+strength of himself, he was surrounded by a gallant crew, among whom
+were Major Scott, V.C., Captains Ap-Bowen and Mahoney (both severely
+wounded on the 25th of November), Captains Robertson and Rickman. There
+were also in the corps several lieutenants conspicuous for dash and
+daring, notably Lieutenants Hawker (wounded 22nd November), Harris, and
+Chatfield. Of the Colonel an amusing tale was told, which, if not
+_vero_, was certainly _bentrovato_, and served to cheer up those who
+needed to salt the monotonous flavour of daily life. It fell to the duty
+of Colonel Peakman to introduce horse-flesh at the officers' mess, a
+ticklish task, and one that required considerable tact. When the dish
+was served, the Colonel said, "Gentlemen, as I was unable to get the
+whole of our ration in beef, a part of it had to be taken in
+horse-flesh. Here is the beef," said he, carving at the joint opposite
+him, "that at the other end of the table is the horse. Any one who
+prefers it may help himself." No one accepted the invitation, and after
+there had been a great run on the beef, the Colonel suddenly said, "By
+Jove, I'm mistaken; of course _this_ joint is the horse, the other is
+the beef!" Thus the palates of the heroes of the Kimberley Light Horse
+were educated to the fare that was shortly to become unvaried.
+
+Later on, a chunk of donkey occasionally replaced the equine morsel, and
+cats, it was noticed, began to be less in evidence. There were
+whispers--hints---- But to proceed to facts.
+
+On the 29th a tussle took place between the foe and a man named Sheppy,
+who, with twelve mounted natives, was herding a thousand De Beers horses
+and mules. The cattle-drivers were at work when out from the bushes
+rushed a hundred Boers. These at once opened fire, but the herdsmen
+managed to return it and effect their escape.
+
+The transformation of diamond-diggers into warriors was an entire
+novelty, of which Kimberley boasted not a little. The entire community
+of the De Beers Company were now soldiers of the Queen, receiving the
+same rate of pay as before, with food in addition. The total white
+population in the town was 14,000, and of these 6000 were employ�s of
+the mine, men from Natal. The Company worked wonders--of course under
+the auspices of the ruling genius of Kimberley. They stuck at nothing,
+from assisting with food supplies--distributing soup in gallons--to
+providing for the employment of upwards of 4000 natives in making
+improvements in the town. Sanitation too they undertook when contractors
+failed, and, when the supply of water was cut off at the main reservoir
+by the enemy, they came to the rescue by providing another source of
+water supply.
+
+Owing to the excellent management and regulation of stores, the
+community had hitherto been enabled to live at normal prices, and food
+had been within the reach of all. But now the pinch of the siege began
+to be felt. Luxuries such as eggs, vegetables, &c., were naturally
+scarce, but horse-flesh even grew to be limited, for there was little
+forage left. The tramcars ceased to work, and Dr. Ashe predicted that
+presently there would be "no carts save military ones and the doctors'
+and the hearse!"
+
+People had to take their meat allowance half in beef and half in
+horse-flesh, and the over-fastidious were but meagrely nourished. These,
+however, soon came to "take their whack" of horse-flesh gladly, and some
+even declared that horse, by any other name, would be quite appetising!
+Conversation largely consisted of speculations regarding food or its
+absence, and once or twice there was a rub with the military. Dr. Ashe
+expressed himself frankly when confronted with red-tape difficulties,
+addressed the Colonel--of course, minding p's and q's, for people had to
+look to the dotting of i's and crossing of t's in those days--and
+suggested that, "in matters which affected the health and feeding of the
+people," the doctors thought that, in virtue of their knowledge of town,
+climate, and people, they might be consulted. The objection to the
+red-tape difficulty being proved sound, the Colonel at once altered the
+routine, but, said Dr. Ashe, "he flatly declined to ask any opinion from
+the general body of doctors, as they might have ideas which would affect
+the military situation."
+
+[Illustration: "LONG CECIL," MADE AT THE DE BEERS MINES. Photo by D.
+Barnett, War Correspondent.]
+
+The new gun, "Long Cecil," manufactured in De Beers, was greatly prized.
+It distinguished itself on its d�but by plumping a shell in the centre
+of the Kamfersdam head-laager exactly over the position of the
+Dutchmen's gun. Bombardment continued spasmodically, sometimes at night,
+the shells entering several houses and "making hay" of the furniture;
+but wantonly barbarous was the attack on the laager containing the women
+and children, which took place on the 23rd of January. One of the little
+innocents was killed and another probably maimed for life. On the 24th
+more bombardment began as early as four in the morning, and firing
+continued all day. The worst feature in the affair was the
+attack--deliberate and premeditated it appeared--on the hospital, which
+caused general grief and indignation. There was no excuse for such
+inhumanity, as the place was distinguished by two Red Cross flags.
+
+Very lamentable was this habit of the Boers to violate the sacred rules
+of the Geneva Convention, for it alienated even those who were in
+sympathy with their cause. They could not plead ignorance of the rules
+of warfare, for at one time they ignored these rules to play the
+barbarian, while at another they utilised them to act the poltroon. The
+history of the Convention may not be generally known. It was promoted in
+1864 and subsequently signed by all the Continental Powers. It was
+decided that--
+
+1. Ambulances and military hospitals were to be recognised as neutral,
+and as such to be protected and respected by all belligerents.
+
+2. The _personnel_ of these hospitals and ambulances, including the
+_intendance_, the sanitary officers, officers of the administration, as
+well as military and civil chaplains, were to be benefited by the
+neutrality.
+
+3. The inhabitants of the country rendering help to the sick and wounded
+were to be respected and free from capture.
+
+4. The sick and wounded were to be attended to without distinction of
+nation.
+
+5. A flag and a uniform were to be adopted for the hospitals,
+ambulances, and convoys of invalids; an armlet or badge for the
+_personnel_ of the ambulances and hospitals.
+
+6. The badge was to consist of a red cross on a white ground.
+
+Committees were formed throughout Europe and America to carry out this
+convention, and the Society worked under the title of the "International
+Society of Aid for the Sick and Wounded." It played its first important
+part in 1870 in the Franco-German War, before which time battlefields
+had been scenes of almost inhuman torture.
+
+Now, in consequence of the brutal disregard of a world-appreciated
+agreement, the Boers--in many ways men of fine character--were placing
+themselves beneath contempt. Their conduct also to the loyalists and
+non-belligerents was also causing exasperation.
+
+The ministers of all denominations--Wesleyan, Presbyterian, Baptist,
+Congregational, and Jewish--all united in condemning the Boer Government
+and its methods. They were especially scandalised at the inhumanity of
+the Dutch commandoes, who intermittently poured shells not only into the
+heart of the town, but into the suburbs, where women and children were
+known to congregate, while leaving for the most part unmolested the
+forts occupied by the citizen-soldiers. Homes were destroyed mothers and
+children stricken down, and some killed. These might have been looked
+upon as the accidents of war had it not been confessed in Boer papers
+that such acts were deliberately committed and vaunted.
+
+Spasmodic bombardment took place during the evening of the 24th, and
+continued through the night, striking some buildings--the hospital and
+other defenceless positions--and maiming a woman and her child. Another
+child was killed. Profound admiration was expressed by all in the
+achievements of "Long Cecil," and the utility of the new long-range
+weapon was highly appreciated. Indeed, Mr. Rhodes viewed this Kimberley
+masterpiece with quite a paternal eye, and his pleasure in firing it was
+considerable.
+
+Enough could not be said of the splendid valour and pertinacity of the
+townspeople, who co-operated in the warlike proceedings as though they
+had been to the manner born. Though the fortification belt was some
+twelve miles in circumference, at all points it was protected by these
+amateurs of the sword, who, under no military obligations whatever till
+sworn in on the immediate emergency, rose to the occasion with a
+chivalric warmth that was as perfectly amazing as it was admirable.
+Devotion to the Sovereign Lady who rules the Empire was never more
+steadfastly shown and more ardently maintained.
+
+The zeal and the "go" of the Cape Police was notable. Among the most
+prominent of the corps were Colonel Robinson, gallant Major Elliot and
+Major Ayliff (wounded on December 3), who was brave as he was tactful.
+Perpetually useful and conspicuously gallant were Captains Colvin,
+Crozier, White, and Cummings. Their duties, most difficult, were almost
+interminable.
+
+Life was monotonous in the extreme. From the town it was possible on
+clear days to view the Modder River balloon, and the occasional sight of
+it afforded a stimulus to the drooping spirits of the inhabitants. Its
+rotund form floating so peacefully high in air seemed like a harbinger
+of hope promising and consoling, and teaching the lesson of patience and
+perseverance that overcome all things! Of course, it was only the
+sentimentalists of the community who thus interpreted the language of
+the a�rial monster, but these, like the people who find sermons in
+stones, promptly took heart, and bore their trials with renewed dignity
+and pluck. Both these qualities were in great demand, for the Boers and
+their tactics were exhausting to the patience of the most forbearing.
+Their pertinacity was great. At one moment they would pour shells into
+the town, making hearts palpitate or stand still in horror at the
+gruesome fracas; at others they would persistently "snipe" from hidden
+corners and bushes, and render movements in the open, to say the least
+of it--inconvenient.
+
+Sniping always continued, though, for a day or two, no serious
+bombardment took place. Indeed, there was reason to believe that a Boer
+gun was _hors de combat_. The report came in that "Susannah" had burst.
+There was general jubilation. Later on it filtered out that "Susannah"
+was "all serene," but this was doubted. The sanguine hoped against hope.
+We are ready enough to believe what we wish to be true, and finally, for
+want of something to discuss, the question of "Has she burst, or has she
+not burst?" was bandied about in the tone of a popular riddle.
+Unfortunately "Susannah" was intact, as subsequent experience proved.
+Not only was "Susannah" herself again, but it was reported that a
+considerable Boer reinforcement had arrived in the neighbourhood, and
+that three guns from Spyfontein were being ranged in attitude to defy
+"Long Cecil," whose prowess was more decided than pleasant. Still the
+inhabitants bore up very creditably, and enlivened themselves
+continually with concerts or entertainments of some kind. The
+programmes, it must be noted, were always marked "weather and Boers
+permitting"--a modern adaptation of the customary _D.V._
+
+The Boer spies took a lively interest in all that concerned Mr. Rhodes,
+and hopes were entertained that before long some one would receive the
+price of his capture. But this gentleman pursued his avocations in the
+town and its suburbs with unabated interest, arranging for the comfort
+of the refugees, and evincing paternal solicitude in the laying out of
+new suburbs, and the construction of a regular row of bomb-proof
+shelters, which were being excavated at Kenilworth. People now became
+great connoisseurs on the virtue of brick, old and new, and began to
+mistrust corrugated iron as affording less protection from the artillery
+fire of the enemy. They became judges also of shell--of the
+peculiarities of shrapnel and ring shells--and sapiently discussed the
+merits of time fuses and percussion fuses. Food, however, was the prime
+subject of conversation--a subject of "devouring" interest, some one
+said. The refugee fund now amounted to �3000, owing to the united
+subscriptions of Mr. Rhodes and the De Beers Company. It was none too
+much, as the demand on its resources was some �600 weekly.
+
+[Illustration: LIEUT.-GENERAL THOMAS KELLY-KENNY, C.B.
+
+Photo by C. Knight, Aldershot.]
+
+The Colossus, regardless of the fate that hung over the town, continued
+to make plans and projects for the development of the place. On a high
+plateau he purposed to create a new suburb, and the name will doubtless
+bear a relationship to the great events of 1900. A column was in course
+of erection to commemorate the siege, but the tale of bombardment, writ
+large on many of the buildings, is one that will scarcely be forgotten,
+and forms memorial enough. Some curious damage was done, a shrapnel
+shell electing to penetrate the wall of a draper's shop and wound a
+feminine dummy and smash a wax effigy of a boy used as a clothes model.
+Fortunately few human beings suffered. Great precautions were taken for
+the safety of the inhabitants, and a look-out was kept, so as to give
+warning by whistle whenever the smoke of the enemy's guns breathed a
+hint of coming destruction. A calculation was made as to the sum total
+expended by guns, British and Dutch, and it was discovered that
+Kimberley had fired 1005 shells, while the besiegers had spent three
+times that number. The total loss of life attributable to shell fire
+amounted at this date to about twelve killed.
+
+Affairs within the town were now growing almost as bellicose as affairs
+without it. Continued friction generates heat, and of this throughout
+the siege there had been more and more as time went on. It was quite
+evident that Kimberley was not sufficiently large to afford an arena for
+the combat of brains _versus_ military discipline, and that the patience
+of the besieged was nearing the snapping-point. Indeed there was doubt
+as to whether operations for the relief of Kimberley would be pursued,
+and it is averred that the Commander-in-Chief sent a message to Mr.
+Rhodes, saying, "Hope I shall not be compelled to leave you in the
+lurch." Naturally the Kimberley barometer fell to zero. Then came
+rumours of the coming of Lord Roberts, but these scarcely served to
+allay the general impatience.
+
+A curious incident occurred on the 29th. Some thirty-five Zulus took
+their departure. They had been ordered by their chief to leave the town,
+but when they obeyed they had promptly to return, as they encountered
+the Boers, who threatened to shoot them.
+
+At this time food was becoming more and more scarce; even horse-flesh
+was distributed with caution. Milk was obtainable only by the invalids,
+and some four hundred babes died for want of proper nourishment. It was
+pathetic to see people standing at the Town Hall waiting eagerly to take
+their turn for the scanty portion of meat that could be provided for
+them. The ceremony of the drawing of meat rations had an aspect almost
+comic in its desperate seriousness. Matutinally at 5.30 A.M. might be
+seen a vast concourse of persons scampering in hot haste to gain a front
+place. So animated was the early bird to catch its morning worm, that it
+was up and doing before the regulated hour, 5.30 (fixed by
+proclamation), before which time people were forbidden to leave their
+houses. The police put a stop to this superactivity, and hungry persons
+were seen from five to the half-hour waiting patiently at their gates
+till the exact moment should arrive when they could make a dash for a
+place in the tremendous crush which, two by two, gathered outside the
+market.
+
+Marvellous was the rapidity with which this vast crowd, at hint of a
+shell, would drop to earth. As by some mechanical process there would
+come a bang, and then, like a card castle, the whole procession would
+drop flat. The Boers, knowing, most probably, that this was an eventful
+period of the morning, would invariably start off about six with a
+boisterous "good-morrow."
+
+Gradually the rations grew shorter and shorter and shorter. They now
+consisted mainly of horse-meat, served out every second day, mealie
+meal, stamped mealies, with a sparse allowance of tea, coffee, and
+bread. For those who had children under three years of age one tin of
+milk was allowed. With this strong children could get along well, but
+there were many weakly ones, and these waned and waned till the baby
+funerals became pathetically frequent.
+
+The Dutchmen were exceedingly ingenious in the invention of tricks and
+traps. One of these was to move a waggon with sixteen fat oxen in charge
+of but two men into the open Vlei below Tarantaal Ridge, and there to
+leave it, apparently unguarded, for two hours. They thought that this
+bait would lure forth the cattle-guard, but they were disappointed, for
+the authorities were too acute to allow them to get "a bite." They knew
+that in rear of the Vlei was a deep sand-drift, behind which a large
+body of men might be comfortably concealed, and consequently left waggon
+and cattle severely alone.
+
+After this began the bombardment by a new Boer gun--a diabolical
+instrument, whose perfections were hymned by an artillery expert, who
+declared it to be one of the most perfect pieces of ordnance ever made!
+A correspondent in the _Daily Telegraph_ described the terrifying effect
+produced on the nerves of the sick and the weakly. He went on: "The
+shock caused by the firing of this gun was distinctly perceptible five
+feet under ground at a distance of five miles, and the miniature
+earthquake thus created was clearly registered by the new seismograph at
+Kenilworth, the pendulum of which remained perfectly stationary during
+the firing of the smaller guns, or the passage of the most heavily laden
+trains or vehicles at very close quarters."
+
+The 9th of February was a terrible day. There was crashing and booming
+from morning till night, and no one dared venture abroad. One inhabitant
+had his child killed under his very eyes and his wife mortally stricken
+down. Towards sundown a shell struck the Grand Hotel, killing Mr.
+Labram, the De Beers chief engineer, whose valuable brains had been the
+salvation of the place. He had constructed armoured engines, armoured
+trains, and had completed his ingenious labours by constructing the huge
+4.1-inch gun, with carriage and shells complete--a triumph of science
+considering the conditions under which the achievement was attempted.
+Now he was gone, and Kimberley was vastly the poorer.
+
+The bombardment was growing daily more severe. Each time the Boers fired
+their 100-pounder gun a bugle was blown from the conning tower and all
+ran to cover. There would be an interval of seven minutes between every
+shell, and the bombardment would last for about two hours. Then the
+Boers would take a rest, and, after a breathing spell, begin again. By
+the kindness of Mr. Rhodes the mines now became harbours of refuge for
+thousands of women and children, who, huddled together in the 1200-feet
+level, were thus protected from the shells which were launched in the
+midst of the town. Those days in dark diamondiferous caverns were full
+of strange experiences. There, over a thousand shrinking beings found
+asylum, bedding, food, and such comfort as could be secured for them.
+There, babes were born into the world--human diamonds brought into the
+daylight from the grottoes of the millionaires--babes which surely
+should take some strange part in the drama of the century. It was an
+underground village swarming with the weak and the distressed, a
+feminine populace, kept from panic and despair by the man who, large
+enough to make empires, yet proved himself capable of sympathy with the
+small sorrows and quakings of the sick and the fearful.
+
+[Illustration: PLACARD ERECTED BY MR. RHODES. Photo by F. H. Hancox,
+Kimberley.]
+
+The experiences of a lady who enjoyed the hospitality of the mine were
+scarcely exhilarating. She said: "We went down the mine, but only stayed
+one day. Of course, one felt safe, but it was so miserable; still, it
+was another siege experience, the crowds of people down there. On the
+1000-feet level were 500 persons alone, and the buzz of tongues, and
+the children crying, and the noises altogether, besides the damp, were
+horrible; although Mr. Rhodes and those working under him did all in
+their power to make things as comfortable as possible. Hot coffee, soup,
+bread, milk for the children, everything obtainable was sent down; and
+some thousands of people were fed free of charge from the Saturday night
+till the following Friday morning.... Those people who run down Mr.
+Rhodes should have been here during the four months of the siege. The
+soup-kitchen was another of his institutions, threepence a pint for good
+soup, and those who had no money got it free."
+
+Now that the nerve-destroying capabilities of the Boers' 100-pounder gun
+were proved, and Mr. Rhodes and other citizens were conscious of the
+immense amount of danger to town and life that must result from the
+bombardment, the Colossus, in conjunction with the Mayor and others,
+forwarded to Colonel Kekewich a letter which he begged might be
+heliographed to headquarters. The letter ran:--
+
+
+    "KIMBERLEY, _February 10_.
+
+     "On behalf of the inhabitants of this town, we respectfully
+     desire to be informed whether there is an intention on your
+     part to make an immediate effort for our relief. Your troops
+     have been for more than two months within a distance of little
+     over twenty miles from Kimberley, and if the Spytfontein hills
+     are too strong for them, there is an easy approach over a level
+     flat. This town, with a population of over 45,000 people, has
+     been besieged for 120 days, and a large portion of the
+     inhabitants has been enduring great hardships. Scurvy is
+     rampant among the natives; children, owing to lack of proper
+     food, are dying in great numbers, and dysentery and typhoid are
+     very prevalent. The chief food of the whites have been bread
+     and horse-flesh for a long time past, and of the blacks meal
+     and malt only. These hardships, we think you will agree, have
+     been borne patiently and without complaint by the people.
+     During the last few days the enemy have brought into action
+     from a position within three miles of us a 6-inch gun throwing
+     a 100-lb. shell, which is setting fire to our buildings and is
+     daily causing death among the population. As you are aware, the
+     military guns here are totally inadequate to cope with this new
+     gun. The only weapon which gives any help is one of local
+     manufacture. Under these circumstances, as representing this
+     community, we feel that we are justified in asking whether you
+     have any immediate intention of instructing your troops to
+     advance to our relief. We understand large reinforcements have
+     recently arrived in Cape Town, and we feel sure that your men
+     at Modder River have at the outside 10,000 Boers opposed to
+     them. You must be the judge as to what number of British troops
+     would be required to deal with this body of men, but it is
+     absolutely necessary that relief should be afforded to this
+     place."
+
+To this Lord Roberts replied:--
+
+     "I beg you represent to the Mayor and Mr. Rhodes as strongly as
+     you possibly can the disastrous and humiliating effect of
+     surrender after so prolonged and glorious a defence. Many days
+     cannot possibly pass before Kimberley will be relieved, as we
+     commence active operations to-morrow. Future military
+     operations depend in a large measure on your maintaining your
+     position a very short time longer."
+
+A great deal of gossip hung round the suppression of the _Diamond Fields
+Advertiser_, but the whole affair was merely a storm in the ink-pot
+resulting from the clashing of opinions civil and military. After the
+publication of a leading article on the 10th of February, an article
+with which Mr. Rhodes was entirely in accord, the military censor
+addressed the following letter to the editor:--
+
+"ARMY HEADQUARTERS, KIMBERLEY, _February 10, 1900_.
+
+     "Sir,--Since the _Diamond Fields Advertiser_ has now on two
+     occasions printed leading articles on the military situation
+     which are extremely injurious to the interests of the army and
+     the defence of this town, without previously submitting the
+     same to the military censor, I am directed to inform you that
+     from this date the proof of the _Diamond Fields Advertiser_
+     must be submitted to me before the copies of any daily number,
+     leaflet, or other form of publication is issued to the public.
+
+     "I am further requested to inform you, in your own interests,
+     that on the two occasions referred to you have committed the
+     most serious offences dealt with by the Army Act, under which
+     Act you are liable to be tried.--Yours faithfully, W. A.
+     O'MEARA, Major, Military Censor."
+
+The military censor was within his rights. The editor, after the manner
+of editors, did not care to be muzzled, so the _Diamond Fields
+Advertiser_ was temporarily suspended.
+
+The editorial chair at the time was not an enviable berth, owing to the
+invasion of shells from the 100-pounder gun, therefore the holiday may
+have been beneficial in more ways than one.
+
+The new gun, mounted on the kopje at Kamferdam, was determined to make
+life hideous, and so incessantly swept the neighbourhood that a state of
+panic began to prevail even among those who had hitherto borne
+themselves with unconcerned front. In addition to this perpetual tornado
+of horror the pinch of famine was becoming sharper, and the question of
+relief seemed to be growing into one of "now or never." Despair seized
+on many. They began to count the days, and wonder when it would all end,
+and whether indeed it would ever end at all! Two days--three days--five
+days--the 15th of February! Then, dramatically, as in a fairy tale or a
+stage play, came the rumour of help, the whisper that French, the
+gallant, the energetic, the invincible, was coming, as on the wings of
+the wind--coming to restore freedom to those who, in their tedious
+imprisonment, were fainting with hope deferred. In an instant all was
+changed. The rumour became reality. Colonel Kekewich and his staff rode
+forth, and it was as though the good fairy had waved a wand. In an
+instant the dismal streets seemed to grow gaudy with flags, to flutter
+and flare as with the hues of the butterfly. Panic ceased, and gave way
+to almost hysterical joy. People laughed, chaffed, threw up their hats.
+The mines disgorged their human wealth--some thousand of women and
+children, who came forth alacrious, with swinging step and loudly
+babbling--babbling like mountain torrents let loose from the ice of
+winter! It was a scene for painter, not for penman; for who shall
+describe wrinkles of anxiety swept suddenly away, pangs of hunger
+allayed by thrills of glad excitation, nervous exhaustion magically
+forgotten, and all this simply because there was dust in the
+distance--the dust of coming feet--the dust of the British cavalry
+sweeping nearer and nearer on a glorious errand of deliverance!
+
+Five minutes later the looked-for moment had arrived. Anticipation had
+given way to fact--the 124 days' siege was at an end. Yet there were
+some who could scarce believe their ears. A man, hearing that General
+French had arrived, approached a trooper who was holding a horse outside
+the Club, and asked if the good news was true. "Yes," was the reply;
+"I'm 'is horderly; this is 'is 'at, and over there is 'is 'orse!" And
+the Kimberley man stared at the three objects before him as though he
+could never take his fill of satisfaction.
+
+
+GENERAL FRENCH'S RIDE
+
+And now, as the conjuror says, to explain how it was all done. The
+object of the combined movements was to turn Cronje's position, which
+extended west and east from Majersfontein to Koodoesberg Drift on the
+one side towards Klip Drift on the Modder on the other, to relieve
+Kimberley, and, if possible, cut off the retreat of the Boers to
+Bloemfontein and invest the whole force. This stupendous programme was
+unfolded to General French and his A.A.G. Colonel Douglas Haig at the
+time already mentioned, when the great cavalry leader mysteriously ran
+down from Colesberg to the Cape. Here the plans for the future campaign
+were discussed, and here General French agreed to embark on an
+enterprise which had it failed in a single particular might have brought
+about "such a disaster as would have shaken England's dominion in South
+Africa to its very foundation." This is the opinion of Captain Cecil
+Boyle, a splendid young officer, who, when asked to join General
+French's staff as galloper, was almost overcome with joy. But the plan
+did not fail: indeed it succeeded beyond expectation, and the relief of
+Kimberley, accomplished solely by the mounted troops--said to be the
+largest force ever commanded by a British General--was a feat scarcely
+to be excelled in the annals of warfare. This feat was performed between
+the 11th and the 15th of February, during which the Division experienced
+hardships of every kind. Horses and men were worked incessantly,
+without a day's rest and in a broiling sun, which literally baked every
+portion of the human frame exposed to it, and grilled the eyeballs,
+causing the most acute suffering to man and beast. Supplies and forage
+ran short, and the horses were reduced to 1� lb. of corn a day, while
+the men lived finally from hand to mouth, killing and eating as they
+went along, now a sheep, now a goat, and presently nothing but boiled
+mealie cobs. Water was so scarce, and the sufferings of the animals so
+terrible, that when a stream was once encountered, the brutes, wild with
+an anguish of delight, tore towards it in their frantic career, becoming
+absolutely beyond control, and carrying their riders straight into the
+river. Some in this way were drowned. Many horses died of exhaustion. At
+the end, out of 8000, only 5400 remained. But all discomforts were
+forgotten in the success of the achievement, which from first to last
+was conducted with admirable _finesse_ and consummate dash. Indeed this
+marvellous ride is looked upon by those who could technically criticise
+the difficulty and daring of the enterprise as one of the finest
+achievements of British arms.
+
+On the 11th of February the great cavalry division under General French
+started. With marvellous rapidity, and with a vast amount of mystery,
+the troops had gathered together in the neighbourhood of Enslin or
+Graspan, and commenced to move south-east on the now celebrated march
+for the relief of Kimberley. So swiftly was everything planned, and so
+dexterously was it accomplished, that even the wary Cronje, whose spies
+were everywhere, was incapable of believing that the detested rooineks
+were advancing with the rapidity of a cyclone for the purpose of
+sweeping him and his burghers from their comfortable positions. But a
+clean sweep they made nevertheless. Before the British advance Dutchmen
+fled precipitately from their farms, leaving their sweet mealie pap _in
+statu quo_, and all their effects exactly as they had been using them.
+
+They carried to Cronje wild rumours of British multitudes approaching,
+and preparing to make a last frontal attack upon Majersfontein, rumours
+which exactly suited Lord Roberts' strategic plan. Cronje instantly
+primed himself for the reception of the British, strengthening his
+fortifications and keeping his eye on the west, where he knew the
+Highland Brigade was operating. This again was precisely what Lord
+Roberts had intended him to do.
+
+Meanwhile, in the light of the stars, the great cavalry division with
+its batteries of artillery was on the move, rumbling cautiously through
+the mysterious, Boer-haunted regions under the guidance of the Hon.
+Major Lawrence, Chief of the Intelligence Department, and travelling
+many miles before sunrise on its important journey to Ramdam. Here
+horses were watered, men rested, details and remounts from Orange River
+picked up. On the morning of Monday the 12th, the troops were again on
+the move, starting at 3 A.M., and endeavouring to cover as many miles as
+possible before the sun should rise and make the whole earth into a
+scorching, blistering wilderness. But now, in return for the cool night
+air, they had to contend with jetty obscurity. Very slow, therefore, was
+their progress. When helped by the dawn they got along faster, and soon
+the whole division reached Waterval. Here extra precautions were taken,
+for none knew how many Dutchmen might be ensconced in the surrounding
+kopjes or whether the drift might be swarming with Boers. But they were
+not long left in doubt. A Boer shell greeted the troops with such nicety
+of range that the General and his staff barely escaped. Colonel Eustace,
+R.H.A., immediately turned his attention to the hostile gun, and shortly
+silenced it, but the enemy still held on.
+
+Dekiel's Drift is commanded by kopjes, having on the bank an
+octopus-armed donga which cuts deeply into the soil. At this drift the
+Boers endeavoured to make a stand, but the Mounted Infantry and Roberts'
+Horse were too much for them. Unfortunately, Captain Majendie, second in
+command of the latter regiment, was shot from Drift Kopje, in the shadow
+of which his remains were interred. There was no time for expression of
+mourning and regret; the Boers had to be routed, and presently, finding
+their rear threatened, they went streaming away from their strong
+position, taking with them their guns. After this the drift was taken
+possession of, and in the rays of the setting sun the disciplined
+hosts--brigade after brigade--crossed the Riet River, keeping possession
+of both banks.
+
+Horses and men were wearied out, scorched, and famishing, and there was
+a general sense of relief when at last they were joined by Lord
+Kitchener and staff and the Sixth Division, with convoys of provisions
+and fodder. At dawn on Tuesday a great deal had to be done--breakfast
+finished, nose-bags filled, &c., before it was possible to order the
+advance. Day was well developed by the time the brigades had started,
+and now came the exceeding trials of their march. The level veldt was
+like a mirror to a brazen sky, and all through the sweltering hours when
+the sun blazed its strongest, men and horses, shadeless, parched, and
+sparsely fed, moved on mile after mile on their imperative errand
+without pause and without relief. Even a beautiful well of water, which
+tempted them to distraction, had to be passed by untouched. It was
+necessary to reserve it for the infantry, who were following on the
+morrow. So dry, dejected, yet determined, they went on and on, crossed
+the districts of Poortje, Zwart Kopjes, Kromkuil, and made a brief halt
+at Wegdraai. From thence they swung along past pans and kopjes and
+plains, due north to Klip Drift.
+
+[Illustration: THE DASH FOR KIMBERLEY--THE 10th HUSSARS CROSSING KLIP
+DRIFT.
+
+Drawing by John Charlton, from a Sketch by G. D. Giles, War Artist.]
+
+Captain Boyle, in the _Nineteenth Century_, gave a fresh and spirited
+account of their movements on this important and critical march.
+
+"The distance covered in extended order was great, and to save the
+artillery horses Major Lawrence directed the columns by a slight
+_d�tour_ north-easterly, leaving Jacobsdal some seven or eight miles to
+our left. The heat was now intense, and was further increased by the
+accidental burning of the veldt over a large area, thereby destroying
+our field-cable, as we learnt afterwards. From flank to flank the
+distance was so great that at times the General's gallopers could not
+move their horses out of a walk, though the message was important, and
+everywhere men and horses alike suffered from sun and thirst.
+
+"General Gordon's brigade, far away on the left, was ordered to bring up
+its left shoulders to meet what looked like an attack on the right, but
+the guns of the 1st Brigade put the enemy to flight, and the march was
+resumed in slightly different order. The left brigade, under General
+Gordon, was ordered to advance; the centre brigade, under General
+Broadwood, was deployed to the right; and the right brigade, under
+Colonel Alexander, was ordered to follow in the rear. From a little
+stone-covered knoll the General and his staff scanned the distant river
+and its banks eight miles off, and instantly determined to push on for
+the drift. 'Move up the whole division,' and the three gallopers started
+back with the order to the brigades, which had been halted meanwhile.
+General Gordon on the left, with the 9th and 16th Lancers and his guns,
+and General Broadwood on the right, with the 12th Lancers, Household
+Composite, and 10th Hussars, moved off at once; but Colonel Alexander's
+brigade was far in the rear--he had already lost sixty horses, and the
+rest could move but slowly. The artillery horses could scarcely drag
+their guns and waggons, but still the General determined to force the
+drift; and I believe this decision was one of the most critical in the
+relief of Kimberley, for, had we not gained the drift directly our
+presence was known, the enemy would most certainly have fortified a very
+strong natural position. But the General's mind was made up, and he was
+quick to act. Throwing Gordon on to the left to effect a crossing, and
+Broadwood some five miles away on his right, the advance to the river
+was made so swiftly that the enemy were absolutely surprised. After
+shelling for some time, Gordon crossed and went in pursuit. Only four
+guns out of twelve could come into action in the centre, but with such
+effect that the enemy shortly retreated over the hills. By this time
+General Broadwood had crossed on the right, and his brigade trumpeter
+sounded the 'pursue.' The general rout was now complete--camp, waggons,
+everything was in our hands. New bread was lying about on the veldt and
+dough-tins ready to be placed on the fire, with such haste had the Boers
+left their position.
+
+"My horse had died with my last message to the 1st Brigade, and I
+trudged on over the level veldt partly on foot, partly on ammunition
+waggons, over the last five miles, crossed the Modder River with the
+four guns of P and G Batteries, and went to congratulate the General,
+who was sitting on the north bank, on his splendid achievement; for by
+this last forced march of nearly ten miles he had won half his way to
+Kimberley. Little incidents after the rout were full of the humour that
+hangs around everything grave. One of the staff plunged into the river
+and caught some geese, but some one else ate them; a pig ran the
+gauntlet through the camp--amidst roars of laughter, even from the
+serious General--of lances, bayonets, knives, sticks, boots,
+water-bottles, anything to hand, and at length was caught by a lucky
+trooper, who shared his feast that night with his friends. A waggon of
+fresh fruit was taken, sufficient to make thirsty men's mouths water,
+but some thought the grapes were sour. Why the Boers retreated in such a
+hurry is difficult to understand, for the position and drift were very
+strong and easy to defend, especially against a spent foe; and, but for
+the quickness of the advance over the open veldt, which took the Boers
+completely by surprise, the division would have encountered a very nasty
+opposition."
+
+The Dutchmen were pursued with splendid animation by General Gordon's
+jaded brigade, who succeeded, worn out as they were, in capturing some
+ambulance waggons and some Boer doctors; while General Broadwood's
+brigade, also worn out, chased the Boers into the far distance till
+absolute exhaustion forced the abandonment of the pursuit. So at the
+drift the cavalry division enjoyed its terribly needed repose. They had
+gone through an appalling ordeal, but it had been wonderfully
+surmounted, and the command of river both at Klip Drift and Klip Kraal,
+some miles to the east, had been secured.
+
+On the 14th the Boers still continued to buzz about after the fashion of
+mosquitoes--now advancing, now retiring, worrying and annoying, but
+never coming boldly to the attack.
+
+They made strong efforts to fathom the movements and designs of the
+British, but without success. Colonel Gorringe, Chief of Lord
+Kitchener's Staff, now arrived, and announced that Lord Kitchener and
+General Kelly-Kenny were advancing by night from Dekiel Drift, whereupon
+Captain Laycock, A.D.C., rode out and succeeded by midnight in
+conducting these officers safely to camp. In the small hours the Sixth
+Division, after a hard and really glorious march, which must be
+described anon, arrived. Thus his left flank being secured, General
+French was free to pursue his impetuous ride. This he did after handing
+over to the infantry the positions he had gained. While the cavalry
+division moved out, Kelly-Kenny's division--as in the game of "general
+post"--quickly shifted to the vacant place, thus making any return of
+the fleeing Boers impossible.
+
+The three cavalry brigades then drew up in columns of brigade masses,
+with the seven batteries of horse-artillery on their left, where the
+strongest attack from the laager near Kimberley was expected. How far
+the Boers were aware and prepared for the British move was uncertain,
+but it was decided that at all costs the cavalry would cut through them.
+
+Operations began with the shelling and capture of two laagers on the
+north side of the river, and the way being thus cleared of the enemy,
+the division made its way to a point where it was met by the contingent
+from the Modder River. The force, now increased by Scots Greys,
+Household Cavalry, and two Lancer Regiments, numbered some 10,000 men,
+seven batteries of horse-artillery and three field-batteries.
+
+Scarcely had the brigades proceeded before the Boers opened fire, and
+soon men and gunners fell, and horses riderless and pairs devoid of
+drivers were seen rushing madly over the plain. From a kopje on the
+right came the rattle and roar of musketry, which was replied to by the
+guns of the horse-artillery. There was no doubt now that a horde of
+Boers were hiding in front, and that the way forward was only to be
+gained by a desperate plunge. There was no hesitation. General Gordon
+and his gallant men were ordered to charge and clear the right front,
+and the thing was done. Away went the 9th and 12th Lancers, galloping
+for all they were worth, on and on like a flash of avenging lightning.
+At sight of the human avalanche the Boers, who had been "raining hell"
+from their trenches, suddenly threw up Mausers and hands; but it was too
+late, the whirlwind was upon them, and over a hundred Dutchmen bit the
+dust. Others ran helter-skelter, a whimpering and shouting rabble!
+
+Now came the greatest sight that military men have witnessed for
+years--the rush of the legions across the great plain of
+Alexandersfontein. This vast area, about three to five miles square, is
+surrounded by menacing kopjes, which harboured Boers rendered desperate
+by surprise and consternation. Across the open the Lancer regiments and
+Scots Greys as advance guard, with the rest of the force deployed at ten
+yards' intervals, rushed like a hurricane, a sirocco in the desert.
+Boers still showered down their lead, but the cavalry, heedless,
+thundered along, throwing up a volume of dust, while kopje after kopje
+was swept by the mounted infantry. The enemy was dispersed on every
+side.
+
+Five long miles the race of the centaurs continued--centaurs galloping
+as if for dear life--Carabineers and Greys leading the main body, the
+12th Lancers on the left, the Household Composite Regiment with the 9th
+Lancers on the right--a regal show, and one worth a lifetime to have
+witnessed.
+
+[Illustration: TYPICAL UNDERGROUND DWELLING AT KIMBERLEY.]
+
+At De Villiers the exhausted warriors watered their horses and strove to
+gather together the poor brutes for a final effort. Many were
+sun-stricken, others had simply used themselves up. The speed that was
+to outwit Cronje had to be paid for in horse-flesh. But, owing to that
+speed, much loss of human life was spared. Lieutenant Sweet Escott (16th
+Lancers) had fallen early in the day, but considering the fire of the
+enemy it was a marvel that only one officer had been killed. One man was
+also slain, and there were about thirty wounded.
+
+[Illustration: THE LAST STAND MADE BY THE BOERS BEFORE KIMBERLEY--CHARGE
+OF BRITISH CAVALRY IN THE ENGAGEMENT AT KLIP DRIFT.
+
+Drawing by W. S. Small, from a Sketch by G. D. Giles, War Artist.]
+
+At two o'clock the troops were halted at the base of a small kopje, from
+the crown of which it was possible to descry the chimneys of Kimberley
+in the distance. It was as though they had sighted the Promised Land. Up
+went a mighty cheer from a thousand throats, ringing almost against the
+vault of the burnished heaven, and echoing far and wide among the
+threatening Boer-haunted kopjes! Kimberley was on the eve of relief.
+The trial, the trouble, the turmoil were over! The triumph was won! On
+went the Division, riding now with all their might, and at sight of them
+the enemy, hot-foot, commenced to gallop into space. Soon the Division
+was within sight of the suburbs, and their guns were addressing
+themselves to a Boer laager on the east of the town. The extra uproar
+struck fresh alarm in the people of Kimberley, who had been driven
+distraught by the Boer's 100-pounders, and a message was flashed out,
+"The Boers are shelling the town." Then came the answer--the glorious
+answer--"_It is General French coming to the relief of Kimberley_." The
+news to the imprisoned multitude seemed incredible. They dreaded lest it
+might be a new wile of the Dutchman, and, to make assurance doubly sure,
+flashed out a fresh query. But by sunset the British troops had
+appeared: the whole force, battered, bronzed, but jubilant, was
+galloping into Beaconsfield.
+
+
+STRATEGY _VERSUS_ TACTICS
+
+Some one has said that strategy is a permanent science whose principles
+are immutable, while tactics vary with the variations of weapons and
+modes of warfare. The first example of this permanent science was
+presented only when Lord Roberts came to South Africa, but so complete
+and skilful, and withal so subtle, was the initial demonstration, that
+its fruits within ten days of his arrival at the front were ready to
+drop to his hand. Looking back, the plan of Lord Roberts' operations
+appears simple in the extreme, but at the time only masterly conception
+and accuracy of execution could have ensured success for so complicated
+a programme. To appreciate its subtlety and its neat execution, it
+becomes necessary to follow the other portions of the programme,
+beginning from the entry into the Free State of the enormous army that
+was massed on its borders by Monday the 12th. On that day three
+divisions of infantry, the 6th, 7th, and 9th, General French's division,
+two brigades of mounted infantry under Colonels Hannay and Ridley
+respectively, the artillery under General Marshall, consisting of three
+brigade divisions of horse-artillery, two brigade divisions of
+field-artillery, one howitzer battery, and a Naval Contingent of four
+4.7-inch and four 12-pounders, marched from Graspan and Honeynest Kloof
+through Ramdam. The total field force amounted to 23,000 infantry and
+11,000 mounted men, with 98 guns, and a transport of over 700 waggons
+drawn by nearly 9000 mules and oxen. Later on the artillery was
+reinforced by the arrival of a battery of 6-inch howitzers, throwing
+100-lb. shells, and three Vickers-Maxim quick-firers and the Brigade of
+Guards, which had remained opposite the Boer trenches at Majersfontein.
+
+The following table serves to show roughly the disposition of the
+troops:--
+
+     FIELD-MARSHAL LORD ROBERTS' FORCE
+
+     FIRST DIVISION.--(Lieutenant-General Lord Methuen).--1st
+     (Pole-Carew's) Brigade--3rd Grenadier Guards; 1st Coldstream
+     Guards; 2nd Coldstream Guards; 1st Scots Guards. 9th
+     (Douglas's) Brigade--1st Northumberland Fusiliers; 1st Loyal
+     North Lancashire (half); 2nd Northamptonshire; 2nd Yorkshire
+     Light Infantry; 18th, 62nd, 75th Field Batteries.
+
+     SIXTH DIVISION.--(Lieutenant-General Kelly-Kenny).--12th
+     Brigade--2nd Worcestershire, 1st Royal Irish, 2nd Bedfordshire,
+     2nd Wiltshire (half battalions). 13th Brigade (Knox's)--2nd
+     East Kent; 1st Oxfordshire Light Infantry; 1st West Riding; 2nd
+     Gloucester; 76th, 81st, and 82nd Field Batteries; 38th Company
+     Royal Engineers.
+
+     SEVENTH DIVISION.--(Lieutenant-General Tucker).--14th
+     Brigade--2nd Norfolk; 2nd Lincoln; 1st King's Own Scottish
+     Borderers; 2nd Hants. 15th Brigade--2nd Cheshire; 1st East
+     Lancashire; 2nd South Wales Borderers; 2nd North Stafford;
+     83rd, 84th, and 85th Field Batteries; 9th Company Royal
+     Engineers.
+
+     NINTH DIVISION.--(Major-General Sir H. Colvile).--3rd
+     (Highland) Brigade (MacDonald's)--1st Argyll and Sutherland;
+     1st Highland Light Infantry; 2nd Seaforth Highlanders; 2nd
+     Royal Highlanders (Black Watch). 18th Brigade--1st Essex; 1st
+     Yorkshire; 1st Welsh; 2nd Royal Warwick.
+
+     CAVALRY DIVISION.--(Major-General (Local Lieutenant-General)
+     French).--1st Brigade (Broadwood)--10th Hussars; 12th Lancers;
+     Household Cavalry. 2nd Brigade (Porter)--6th Dragoon Guards;
+     6th Dragoons (two squadrons); 2nd Dragoons; New Zealanders;
+     Australians. 3rd Brigade (Gordon)--9th Lancers; 16th Lancers;
+     Horse Artillery; G, P, O, R, Q, T, U Batteries.
+
+     TROOPS WITH LORD ROBERTS.--Gordon Highlanders; 2nd Duke of
+     Cornwall's Light Infantry; 2nd Shropshire Light Infantry;
+     Canadian Regiment; Roberts' Horse; Kitchener's Horse; City of
+     London Imperial Volunteers (Mounted Infantry Company); 2nd,
+     38th, 39th, 44th, and 88th Field Batteries; A Battery R.H.A.;
+     37th and 65th Howitzer Batteries; three Naval 4.7-in. guns;
+     part of Siege Train.
+
+It will be seen by the above that General Colvile had been appointed to
+the command of the Ninth Division, while Colonel Pole-Carew was
+transferred from the command of the Ninth Brigade to that of the Guards
+Brigade, and was succeeded in the former post by Colonel Douglas, late
+Chief of the Staff to Lord Methuen.
+
+Having viewed this force, it becomes somewhat interesting to note how
+smoothly wheel turned within wheel. The movement began by the
+concentration of General French's division at Ramdam. On the morning of
+the 12th the infantry appeared, and General French moved on, crossed
+Dekiel's Drift on Tuesday the 13th, and captured Klip Drift and Drieput
+Drift, on the Modder River. Following him closely on the 12th came the
+divisions of General Tucker and General Kelly-Kenny. The latter division
+was accompanied by Lord Kitchener and his staff. The negotiation of the
+first drift, which was almost impassable for transport, next occupied
+the ingenuity and tested the perseverance of the troops. The drifts,
+like the kopjes, are the almost unconquerable bogies of South Africa.
+They are the natural defences of the country, offering obstruction on
+every hand, and, however boldly you may storm the kopje, you must with
+infinite patience negotiate the drift. This is no small undertaking, for
+drifts, in a way, partake of the paradoxical character of
+individuals--the weaker the person, the more difficult is he to manage;
+the more insignificant the river, the greater the perverseness of the
+drift. It resolves itself in both cases into a question of narrowness.
+Small streams and small minds are banked up too high to allow moving
+room in their midst. The result of an attempt to advance is congestion
+of a painful kind. At this particular drift it was found impossible for
+the team of mules to lug the formidable waggon-loads up the north bank,
+and at last the feat had to be accomplished by adding relays of oxen to
+assist in the tremendous labour. Finally, by 4 A.M. the next morning the
+troops got across, General Tucker's division marching to within some
+three miles of Jacobsdal, and hugging the river all the way, so as to
+run no risk of being without water. General Kelly-Kenny followed,
+marching from Waterval Drift to Wegdraai on the morning of the 14th, and
+proceeding thence at 5 P.M. on the same day to Klip Drift, which was
+reached in the middle of the night. The rapidity with which this rush on
+his heels was accomplished enabled General French, who had been awaiting
+the arrival of the infantry, to proceed on his flying swoop for the
+relief of Kimberley. This, as we know, was accomplished on Thursday the
+15th of February. Meanwhile the wheels of the strategic machinery were
+going round. A small cavalry patrol had entered Jacobsdal, which town
+was found to be full of wounded, including many of our own invalids from
+Rensburg. On the way back the mounted infantry were attacked, and
+Colonel Henry was fired on by a party of Dutchmen who were concealed in
+the vicinity of the river, and so sudden was the attack that nine men
+were wounded. Colonel Henry, Major Hatchell, and ten men were missing. A
+battery of artillery shelled the environs of the place, and put to
+flight such Boers as were hanging about, whereupon the British remained
+masters of the situation. Thus it will be seen that while the Dutchmen
+were fleeing from Jacobsdal, from Alexandersfontein, and from the
+neighbourhood of Kimberley, for fear of being cut off, they had
+surrounding them Lord Methuen at Majersfontein, General Tucker at
+Jacobsdal, General Kelly-Kenny at the Klip and Rondeval Drifts, General
+French on the north, and General Colvile wheeling around, ready to suit
+his movements to any emergency. In this manner Cronje found the teeth of
+a trap preparing to close on him, and recognised that there was no
+alternative but to "make a bolt for it."
+
+Thus the first part of the programme was accomplished. Kimberley was
+automatically relieved; Cronje was on the run. But his running was no
+easy matter. Since Lord Roberts' strategy had come into play, there was
+a prospect of a neck-and-neck race between the mobile Boer and the
+mobile Briton, and success depended on General French's ability not only
+to rout but to head off the retreat of the Dutchman. That the British
+cavalry commander should outmatch him in celerity was a contingency
+which had not occurred to Cronje; that he should advance independently
+of the rail, and start off across the Riet to trek to the Modder, was
+described by one of his countrymen as distinctly "un-British." Whether
+this epithet was used to denote admiration or contempt we cannot say.
+Certain it was that the wily persecutor of Mafeking and Kimberley
+thought that the secret of the art of trekking was confined to himself
+and his rabble, until he discovered, too late, that the equally wily
+French with his disciplined legions was ready to ride over him. On the
+16th of February the astonished commandant, with a horde of 10,000
+Boers, was scudding in full retreat towards Bloemfontein. On all sides
+were Boer laagers in a state of abandonment--stores, tents, food,
+Bibles, raiment--everything had been left by the amazed and
+panic-stricken Dutchmen. Dronfield, Saltpan, Scholtz Nek, and Spyfontein
+were now evacuated. Under cover of darkness the investing hordes had
+taken to their heels, leaving behind them even herds of cattle and
+ammunition, in their desire to gain a loophole of escape. But they soon
+found that, wherever they might go, there was the rumour of British
+opposition, an armed and avenging race advancing!
+
+The fact was that the trekking of the Boer hordes had been adroitly
+discovered by Lord Kitchener, who, having detected an unusual haze of
+dust in the distance, at once gave orders for the mounted infantry not
+to follow French, but to pursue the enemy. Accordingly, to quote the
+_Times_ correspondent, who was present:--
+
+"The mounted infantry rode in pursuit across the plain, endeavouring to
+get to the north of the convoy, while General Knox's Brigade was pushed
+along the north bank of the river, which makes a large bend to the north
+between Klip Drift and Klipkraal Drift, to strike the convoy on its
+southern flank. Cronje sent on his waggons to Drieputs Farm, at the
+north-eastern end of the bend, where they laagered at about eleven, and
+maintained a running fight with our troops all day. The skill with which
+the Boers conducted this rear-guard action extorted unqualified praise
+from all our officers. As the detachments on the extreme right of the
+Boer line were driven back by our mounted infantry, they rode round
+behind their centre and took up fresh positions on their left against
+the 81st Battery and Knox's Brigade, which were advancing along the
+north bank of the river. At midday the Boers attempted to hold three low
+kopjes two miles north-east of Klip Drift, but were driven back to a
+stronger position at Drieputs."
+
+[Illustration: CAPTURE OF A BOER CONVOY BY GENERAL FRENCH'S TROOPS NEAR
+KIMBERLEY.
+
+Drawing by Stanley L. Wood, from a Sketch by an Officer.]
+
+Fighting went on throughout the day. At seven o'clock on the evening of
+the 16th it became almost possible to see the end; the artillery had
+commenced the vigorous shelling of the laager, and all the divisions
+moving on the great axis were now aware that Lord Roberts' strategic
+plan was likely--how soon they knew not--to be crowned with success.
+
+But we must here break off to eulogise the wonderful activity of
+Kelly-Kenny's division, which acquitted itself so honourably. The march
+from Graspan to Brandvallei beyond Klip Drift, a distance 55� miles, was
+accomplished in five marching days. The Light Brigade on the eve of the
+battle of Talavera did sixty-two English miles in twenty-six hours,
+losing only seventeen stragglers by the way. They accomplished this feat
+by adopting the peculiar step invented by Sir John Moore, three paces
+walking alternating with three paces running, which enabled them, when
+tracks were suitable, to cover six miles an hour! No such evolutions as
+these were possible, owing to the torrid weather and the necessity to
+take precautions against exposure in the open veldt during midday. The
+temperature may be imagined when it is stated that in one day about
+sixty-six soldiers sun-stricken fell out of the ranks. On the morning of
+the 12th of February the infantry marched some nine and a half miles
+from Graspan to Ramdam, and from thence on the 13th moved to Waterval
+Drift. On the 14th they proceeded to Wegdraai, and on to Klip Drift,
+which was reached in the small hours of the 15th. Here, notwithstanding
+their fatigues, the 13th Brigade at once engaged with the enemy's
+rearguard, and exhibited splendid fighting qualities, which in the
+circumstances were remarkable even for Englishmen. The West Riding,
+Gloucesters, Buffs, and Oxfords had a warm time during the whole of the
+16th, as the enemy from kopjes beyond the river in the region of
+Klipkraal assailed them for nearly eight hours, assisted by a pom-pom
+which caused considerable loss. Though a furious sandstorm later on
+permitted the Boers under cover of night to get away, abandoning
+seventy-eight waggons, the next morning the invincible Sixth Division
+started in pursuit. Captain Trevor (1st East Kent Regiment), Lieutenant
+Shipway (2nd Gloucester Regiment), and Colonel M'Donnell, R.A., were
+wounded in the course of the engagement. Major Evelegh, Oxford Light
+Infantry, while proceeding to join his battalion in the Sixth Division
+with a small convoy and escort, was surrounded by a large party of
+Boers, and after a gallant defence was forced to surrender.
+
+Fighting and marching without ceasing, the infantry went to Brandvallei
+and thence to Paardeberg, where they arrived at 9.30 P.M. on the 17th,
+in time to take a brief rest prior to the operations which have yet to
+be described, and in which they took such a prominent part. The
+marching, considering the tremendous heat and the difficulty of
+obtaining water, was a feat of which General Kelly-Kenny might justly
+have felt proud. Though plodding along incessantly through the heavy
+burning sand under a sun which baked and frizzled even through their
+uniforms, these men maintained patience and cheerfulness in a rare
+degree. The whole force was animated by complete faith in their
+commander, and moved unanimously like some magnificent piece of
+machinery, scarce taking time to eat or sleep in the zest of their
+persistent pursuit of the enemy. And they were not alone in their
+zealous performance of their share in the great scheme. The nicety and
+precision of the transport arrangements may be imagined when we remember
+that at one time four divisions were moving independently of their base,
+making marches across the arid waterless tracks, and carrying with them
+the necessaries of life for a healthy working multitude. A new regime
+had begun, and the mobility of our columns had grown equal to that of
+the Boers, while the railway had been relegated to a subordinate place
+in the strategical plan.
+
+Colonel Graham, in his "Art of War," declares that "to organise the
+means of transport for an army acting at a long distance from its
+principal magazines, in a country where it is entirely dependent on its
+own supplies, is a problem difficult of solution." Now, the solution of
+this problem was due to the wonderful talent of Lord Kitchener, who was
+earning his right to be looked upon as the greatest military organiser
+of his generation. But his gigantic effort did not increase the
+popularity of the late Sirdar. He ran counter to too many private
+interests. The army is too intersected with grooves to be crossed
+without a few nasty jars, and it was scarcely possible for so young and
+successful a general and a peer--one possessed of almost criminal good
+luck and amazing moral as well as physical courage--to be looked upon by
+his contemporaries-in-arms with excessive approval. The secret of
+discord was given in a nutshell by Mr. Ralph of the _Daily Mail_. He
+wrote:--"His first conspicuous act when in South Africa was the
+withdrawal of the transport service from separated commands in order
+that it should be managed by the Army Service Corps. Thus it came about
+that every brigadier and colonel saw a certain amount of his power
+shifted to what he considered a subordinate branch of the service. A
+goodish degree of latitude in the enjoyment of comforts and extras,
+which had been made possible when these officers controlled the waggons,
+was also curtailed. The army wailed and gnashed its teeth, but I confess
+I always thought that reason and right were on Lord Kitchener's side in
+this matter. Lord Kitchener's plan was the only one by which an
+insufficient number of waggons and teams could be utilised for all that
+they were worth."
+
+The mobility of an army depends on the reduction of transport, and to
+the task of organising transport sufficient to ensure the mobility of
+100,000 men the hero of Omdurman applied himself with his customary
+thoroughness. He conceived the gigantic ambition of doing away with all
+distinctions of transport, regimental, departmental, ammunition, or
+ambulance, and merging them in an immense whole, thus creating a single
+general corps, and it was doubtless to this conception and the able way
+that the scheme--with the assistance of Colonel Richardson--was carried
+out, that Lord Roberts owed the expedition of his march to Bloemfontein
+and the further success which resulted from his sure and swift rushes
+onward. Ordinarily speaking, in the army each unit is allowed its own
+transport. For instance, colonel, adjutant, and orderly-room are
+allotted by regulation a tent apiece. Every three officers share a tent,
+every fourteen men another. Staff-sergeants, batmen, and other details
+are proportionately provided for. Mounted officers are allowed 80 lbs.
+baggage, double the amount allowed for "smaller fry." Without going into
+minute particulars, we may reckon that a brigade would move with 70
+waggons and a division with about 180. To reduce the huge encumbrance of
+say some 2000 waggons, with their complement of oxen and drivers, was a
+stupendous labour, from which, with its consequences, this military
+Hercules did not shrink. Each unit was taken in hand, and its
+excrescences--regulation excrescences, we may call them--were cut down,
+peeled of all superfluities, much to the disgust of the staff officers
+and various other personages who stickle for their rights, and resent
+any innovation that threatens to dock off an iota of the creature
+comforts that belong to them by the divine right of red-tape and
+red-book regulations.
+
+Not only were the rules of transport revised, but special hints tending
+to the development of the initiative of the private soldier were issued
+to the troops. Herewith is appended the notable document which may be
+said to have marked the beginning of the new era:--
+
+    CAPE TOWN, _February 5, 1900_.
+
+     The following notes by the Field-Marshal Commanding-in-Chief
+     are communicated for the guidance of all concerned.--By order,
+
+    KITCHENER OF KHARTOUM, _Chief of Staff_.
+
+
+NOTES FOR GUIDANCE IN SOUTH AFRICAN WARFARE
+
+     _Cavalry_
+
+     1. On reconnaissances or patrols not likely to be prolonged
+     beyond one day, the cavalry soldier's equipment should be
+     lightened as much as possible, nothing being taken that can
+     possibly be dispensed with.
+
+     2. It has been brought to my notice that our cavalry move too
+     slowly when on reconnaissance duty, and that unnecessary long
+     halts are made, the result being that the enemy, although
+     starting after the cavalry, are able to get ahead of it. I
+     could understand this if the country were close and difficult,
+     but between the Modder and the Orange Rivers its general
+     features are such as to admit of small parties of cavalry,
+     accompanied by field-guns, being employed with impunity.
+
+     _Artillery_
+
+     3. If the enemy's guns have, in some instances, the advantage
+     of ours in range, we have the advantage of theirs in mobility,
+     and we should make use of them by not remaining in position the
+     precise distance of which from the enemy's batteries has
+     evidently been fixed beforehand. Moreover, it has been proved
+     that the Boers' fire is far less accurate at unknown distances.
+     In taking up positions, compact battery formations should be
+     avoided, the guns should be opened out, or it may be desirable
+     to advance by sections or batteries. Similarly retirements
+     should be carried out, at considerably increased intervals, by
+     alternate batteries or sections, if necessary, and care should
+     be taken to travel quickly through the dangerous zone of
+     hostile artillery fire.
+
+     The following plan, frequently adopted by the Boers, has
+     succeeded in deceiving our artillery on several occasions.
+
+     Suppose A to be a gun emplacement, the gun firing smokeless
+     powder. Simultaneously with the discharge of the gun at A a
+     powder flash of black powder will be exploded at B, a hill in
+     rear, leading us to direct our projectile on B. Careful
+     calculation with a watch, however, will defeat this plan.
+
+     _Infantry_
+
+     4. The present open formation renders it difficult for officers
+     to exercise command over their men, except such as may be in
+     their immediate vicinity. A remedy for this would appear to be
+     a system of whistle calls, by which a company lying in extended
+     order could obey orders as readily as if in quarter column. I
+     invite suggestions for such a system of whistle calls as would
+     be useful.
+
+     5. It is difficult to recognise officers as equipped at
+     present, and it seems desirable they should wear a
+     distinguishing mark of some kind, either on the collar at the
+     back of the neck or on the back of the coat.
+
+     6. Soldiers, when under fire, do not take sufficient advantage
+     of the sandy nature of the soil to construct cover for
+     themselves. If such soil is scraped, even with a canteen tin, a
+     certain amount of cover from rifle fire can be obtained in a
+     short time.
+
+     7. The distribution of ammunition to the firing line is one of
+     the most difficult problems of modern warfare. One solution,
+     which has been suggested to me, is for a portion of the
+     supports gradually to creep forward until a regular chain of
+     men is established from the supports (where the ammunition
+     carts should be) right up to the firing line. The ammunition
+     could then be gradually worked up by hand till it reached the
+     firing line, where it could be passed along as required. This
+     would, no doubt, be a slow method of distributing ammunition,
+     but it appears to be an improvement on the present method,
+     which is almost impossible to carry out under fire.
+
+     8. Reports received suggest that the Boers are less likely to
+     hold entrenchments on the plain with the same tenacity and
+     courage as they display when defending kopjes, and it is stated
+     that this applies especially to night-time, if they know that
+     British infantry are within easy striking distance from them.
+     How far this is true time only can show.
+
+    ROBERTS, _Field-Marshal Commanding-in-Chief, South Africa_.
+
+To return, however, to the great advance. Much of the travelling was
+done by night, in order to save the oxen from the trying temperature of
+the day, though even during the night the heat was equal to that of an
+ordinary British midsummer. In addition to the painful toil of motion
+over the heavy, sandy, rugged leagues, there was the hourly danger of
+attack. Cronje had made known his need for reinforcements, and at the
+time, from the south, Andries Cronje was moving, and from the north,
+Commandants Snyman and Fournie, while from other quarters and in the
+direction of Ladysmith there was the belief that Boer hordes might be
+advancing. There was only one encounter with the Dutchmen, but it ended
+in a mishap that was a serious one, for the results were felt for days
+afterwards, and helped to try the heroism of the troops who engaged in
+the movement to the uttermost. A convoy of 180 waggons, one-quarter of
+the total transport, containing forage and provisions, was lost at
+Waterval Drift. An interesting picture of the terrible passage of the
+drift was given by a sapper who accompanied the convoy:--
+
+"It was a pitiful sight to see the poor infantry fellows played out,
+some dropping with a slight sunstroke, and the cattle dropping dead in
+all directions. We moved sometimes by day and sometimes by night.
+Night-time was the best on account of the oxen working much better in
+the cool of night. Nothing occurred of note with us--but our fellows
+were fighting every day in front on their way to Kimberley--till we got
+to Riet River or Drift, which was a terrible pass in the river. Miles
+and miles of transport had to pass through a narrow passage across the
+drift, and it took a terrible time for one waggon to pass over, let
+alone the hundreds that had to pass. We were lucky to get across and
+encamp below a hill for the night. Next day they still continued to pass
+the drift, in fact they had been at it all night, and still hundreds of
+waggons to come on. The Boers evidently knew of this obstacle, and a
+party came up from the south and had vengeance on the column, as they
+couldn't on the fighting line. It was a lucky thing for us we were
+clear, or else we might have found our baggage gone and ourselves put
+over the border (i.e. sent to Pretoria or shot). The Boers took up
+position in the hills and shelled the waggon convoy. The nigger drivers
+are terrible cowards, and all fled to the hills or kopjes near at hand,
+leaving the waggons and oxen to the mercy of the Boers. Some of the oxen
+we succeeded in driving back into our camp on the other side of the
+river. The good old New Zealanders (who have proved of great use and
+very daring in this campaign) rode over to where the nigger drivers
+were, and threatened to blow their brains out if they didn't return to
+the waggons, which they did after the Boers had left off shelling for a
+bit, after doing a terrible lot of damage. Lord Bobs came up just as
+they were going to try and get some of the waggons away, and said 'Let
+them go.' Our loss proved to be over �100,000, which I am glad to say we
+recovered later. The Boers thought this convoy was lost purposely, and
+when we arrived here we found the whole of it except what had been sent
+to our prisoners at Pretoria."
+
+[Illustration: TROOP OF THE 10TH HUSSARS WITH NORDENFELDT GUN. Photo by
+H. Johnston, London.]
+
+The unpleasant adventures of E Squadron of Kitchener's Light Horse, who
+were taken as prisoners to Pretoria, make a separate narrative of
+themselves, as they took place while the main body was moving on to the
+relief of Kimberley.
+
+The squadron was attached to General French's column, and took part in
+the engagement at Riet River. On its way to the relief of Kimberley, a
+halt was made at a farm a short distance from Modder River, and part of
+E squadron was detached to hold a well of water until the arrival of
+another column, expected in four hours, and then to advance along with
+them. The relieving column never arrived. Squadron E held the position
+for four days without food against a large force of Boers. They (E
+Squadron) occupied an old farmhouse. They loopholed the walls, and
+although continuously harassed by the Boer fire, they managed to
+maintain their position and the post they were placed in charge of.
+During that time they had to subsist on water only, and that brackish.
+Their horses were dying daily, as there was not a blade of grass on the
+veldt, and the stench was abominable. On the third day of the siege a
+poor goat that had wandered near the besieged was immediately captured
+and devoured. On the fourth day they commandeered one of the enemy's
+horses, which they intended to slaughter, their own being too emaciated
+for that purpose. But the Boers, having been reinforced, gave them no
+time to do the butchering. On the evening of the fourth day a messenger
+bearing a letter from General de Wet arrived, demanding surrender within
+ten minutes. The Boer force consisted of 500 men and two 12-pounders.
+The officers consulted together, and decided, in view of the hopeless
+condition of their little garrison of fifty all told, worn out and
+starving and their horses dead, to accept the inevitable.
+
+While all this was going on, and Cronje was making the discovery that he
+might be completely outflanked, and that the position of the Boer army
+at Spyfontein must become untenable, Lord Roberts was entering into
+Jacobsdal. The place was orderly and quiet. The three churches were full
+of patients, the town having been used mainly as an hospital. The
+invalids, for the most part, were sufferers from enteric, the result of
+too much Modder River. After a long and painful intimacy with the
+grilling veldt, the sight of houses and civilised dwellings struck
+gratefully on the eyes of the incoming troops. A store was hailed as a
+veritable godsend. Some one bought a tin of oatmeal, and walked off with
+it as one who had secured a prize; some one else gave a goodly price for
+a pot of pickles, and came away licking his lips like a modern
+Eliogabalus. The rejoicing was no mean emotion, for the unfortunate men,
+with the appetites of athletes, had been existing on lovers' fare. One
+of the famished but cheery fellows wrote: "We marched into Jacobsdal,
+and as soon as we arrived we thronged the stores for provisions. I made
+the following purchases for three of us:--
+
+                                                _s._ _d._
+    Three two-pound loaves at 1s. each           3    0
+    Three tins of condensed milk at 1s. each     3    0
+    Two tins of syrup at 1s. 3d. each            2    6
+    One small packet of cocoa                    0    9
+    One tin of Quaker oats                       1    3
+    One pound of sugar                           0    6
+                                                --------
+                                                11    0
+
+Then we gorged ourselves to make up for three weeks' semi-starvation.
+The most prominent building of Jacobsdal is the church, which stands in
+the centre of the town. The town itself lies in a hollow--Sleepy Hollow
+would be an apt title for the place just now. Most of the houses,
+including the church, are at present converted into hospitals, and the
+female population are acting as nurses. Most of them are in mourning for
+relatives lost during the campaign." Later, the troops moved on and
+encamped at a farm which had also been used as an hospital. Sights
+pathetic were only too common--our own sick and wounded in various
+stages of suffering, and outside, to use a "Tommy's" description, "some
+poor devils wrapped in sheets ready to be put to bed for the last time!"
+
+[Illustration: GENERAL CRONJE.
+
+From a Photo by M. Plumbe.]
+
+Lord Roberts visited the large German hospital, and expressed himself
+well pleased with the splendid cleanliness of the place and the general
+evidences of good management. Among the sufferers was found Colonel
+Henry, who had been taken prisoner on the 14th. Strangely enough, all
+the inhabitants of the place evinced satisfaction at the arrival of the
+British, particularly on making the discovery that it was not the habit
+of the British troops to loot and destroy, as they had been led by the
+Burghers to believe was the case. They were now made acquainted with the
+proclamation which Lord Roberts issued to the Burghers of the Orange
+Free State when his force invaded their territory. It was printed both
+in English and Dutch:--
+
+     "The British troops under my command having entered the Orange
+     Free State, I feel it my duty to make known to all Burghers the
+     cause of our coming, as well as to do all in my power to put an
+     end to the devastation caused by this war, so that, should they
+     continue the war, the inhabitants of the Orange Free State may
+     not do so ignorantly, but with full knowledge of their
+     responsibility before God for the lives lost in the campaign.
+
+     "Before the war began the British Government, which had always
+     desired and cultivated peace and friendship with the people of
+     the Orange Free State, gave a solemn assurance to President
+     Steyn that, if the Orange Free State remained neutral, its
+     territory would not be invaded, and its independence would be
+     at all times fully respected by Her Majesty's Government.
+
+     "In spite of that declaration, the Government of the Orange
+     Free State was guilty of a wanton and unjustifiable invasion of
+     British territory.
+
+     "The British Government believes that this act of aggression
+     was not committed with the general approval and free will of a
+     people with whom it has lived in complete amity for so many
+     years. It believes that the responsibility rests wholly with
+     the Government of the Orange Free State, acting, not in the
+     interests of the country, but under mischievous influences from
+     without. The British Government, therefore, wishes the people
+     of the Orange Free State to understand that it bears them no
+     ill-will, and, so far as is compatible with the successful
+     conduct of the war and the re-establishment of peace in South
+     Africa, it is anxious to preserve them from the evils brought
+     upon them by the wrongful action of their Government.
+
+     "I therefore warn all Burghers to desist from any further
+     hostility towards Her Majesty's Government and the troops
+     under my command, and I undertake that any of them who may so
+     desist, and who are found staying in their homes and quietly
+     pursuing their ordinary occupations, will not be made to suffer
+     in their persons or property on account of their having taken
+     up arms in obedience to the order of their Government. Those,
+     however, who oppose the forces under my command, or furnish the
+     enemy with supplies or information, will be dealt with
+     according to the customs of war.
+
+     "Requisitions for food, forage, fuel, or shelter made on the
+     authority of the officers in command of Her Majesty's troops,
+     must be at once complied with; but everything will be paid for
+     on the spot, prices being regulated by the local market rates.
+     If the inhabitants of any district refuse to comply with the
+     demands made on them, the supplies will be taken by force, a
+     full receipt being given.
+
+     "Should any inhabitant of the country consider that he or any
+     member of his household has been unjustly treated by any
+     officer, soldier, or civilian attached to the British army, he
+     should submit his complaint, either personally or in writing,
+     to my headquarters or to the headquarters of the nearest
+     general officer. Should the complaint on inquiry be
+     substantiated, redress will be given.
+
+     "Orders have been issued by me prohibiting soldiers from
+     entering private houses or molesting the civil population on
+     any pretext whatever, and every precaution has been taken
+     against injury to property on the part of any person belonging
+     to or connected with the army.
+
+    "ROBERTS, _Field-Marshal, Commanding-in-Chief, South Africa_."
+
+
+THE HERDING OF CRONJE
+
+To return to General French. The cavalry division bivouacked outside the
+town of Kimberley, but their repose was limited. At 3 A.M. on the
+morning of the 16th they were up and doing. The enemy in the north was
+giving trouble. Some sharp fighting took place, during which Lieutenants
+Brassey (9th Lancers) and P. Bunbury were killed. This early activity
+was tough work for the already weary troops, who had been fifteen hours
+without a meal. Indeed, it was generally remarked that the relievers
+looked sorrier specimens of humanity than the relieved. The Colonial
+troops, the Queensland and New Zealand Contingents, and the New South
+Wales Lancers, considering all things, were wonderfully fit after having
+played a conspicuous part in the operations. These troops had joined
+General French's column from the regions of the Orange and Modder
+Rivers. The New South Wales Lancers rode on the extreme right flank of
+the first brigade, and their ambulance corps, under Lieutenant Edwards,
+kept up with the column, and was complimented on being the first
+ambulance to cross the Modder River. Like the rest of the troops, they
+had taken their share of small rations, merely nominal rest,
+sun-scorching, and maddening thirst, and yet were full of zeal--"keen as
+mustard," as some one said--to engage in the herding of Cronje and
+effect his capture. Worn out as they were, they had sprung to attention
+on a rumour brought in by a despatch-rider to the effect that Cronje had
+evacuated Majersfontein and was in full retreat.
+
+At midnight on the 16th, no confirmation of this news had been received.
+The jaded troops, and still more jaded horses--mere skeletons in horse's
+skins--were preparing for real repose, when all was changed! A telegram
+arrived from Lord Kitchener saying that Cronje, with 10,000 men, was in
+full retreat from Majersfontein, with all his waggons and equipment and
+four guns, along the north bank of the Modder River towards
+Bloemfontein; that he had already fought a rearguard action with him;
+and that if French, with all available horses and guns, could head him
+and prevent his crossing the river, the infantry from Klip Drift would
+press on and annihilate or take the whole force prisoners.
+
+Here was a surprise! Pleasant yet unpleasant, for shattered men in the
+last stage of fatigue. But General French--whom some one has described
+as possessing the shape of a brick, with all the solid and excellent
+qualities of one--rose to the occasion. He was on the point of going to
+sleep, but there was no thought of rest now. Arrangements had to be
+made, horses weeded--out of a division of 5000 only one brigade was fit
+to move!--more borrowed from the Kimberley Light Horse, whose
+holiday-time had come, and other preparations hurriedly set on foot to
+ensure an immediate rush--a swoop that should be as swift and successful
+as it was startling!
+
+One may imagine the midnight picture. The dark immensity of veldt--the
+dust-driven, sweltering veldt--and Cronje, miles ahead with his horde,
+the remnant of his convoy, his women and children, fleeing along the
+north bank of the Modder, harassed by the Sixth Division, threatened by
+the Seventh and Ninth, and yet longing to cross the river, to get safely
+to Koodoosrand Drift, where he hourly expected reinforcements would come
+to his succour. French, dead beat after glorious work accomplished,
+rising from the first hospitable pillow he had seen for days--springing
+suddenly to action, ordering, organising, deciding how to effect the
+great swoop on Koodoosrand Drift and head off the fugitive. There was no
+time for the buckling on of mental and moral armour; only the warrior at
+soul could have been ready for such a situation. But such an one was
+here. He gave swift orders. In three hours' time General Broadwood and
+his brigade and three batteries of artillery--the only ones available
+out of seven--sallied forth towards the east, in the dusk of the
+morning. Their destination--Koodoosrand Drift--was some forty miles off,
+and once here Cronje's last loophole of escape would be gone! The
+General and his staff followed at 4.15 A.M., riding at full speed, and
+catching up the brigade about fifteen miles off.
+
+The whole nature of their errand and the proposed movement was a
+surprise, for this manoeuvre had not entered into General French's
+original calculations.
+
+When the General had seen the Sixth Division safely at Klip Drift and
+secured his left flank, he proceeded on his rush to Kimberley. Of other
+movements save his own he was ignorant. Even as he and the troops were
+riding into the town, Cronje, who had discovered the futility of his
+position at Majersfontein and the danger of it, was trekking madly across
+the front of the Sixth Division. On the morning of the 16th Lord
+Kitchener, hearing that the Majersfontein laager and the Modder River camp
+were deserted, and seeing a cloud of dust in the distance, had guessed
+what was happening, and immediately altered his plans to meet the
+emergency. As we are aware, he instantly gave orders for the mounted
+infantry not to follow French, but to pursue and attack the Boer convoy,
+while he telegraphed later to French, with the results just described.
+General French grasped the position at a glance. He knew no time was to be
+lost, and soon Broadwood's brigade, with horses that could barely move,
+was pushing on as fast as spurs could insist. The early morning dusk broke
+into the green and grey and gold of dawn; birds flew frightened hither and
+thither; foxes rushed to their holes; springbok and hares tempted the
+sportsmen, but never a glance to right or left was wasted. All eyes were
+strained to the east, to the momentous east, and the wooded banks of the
+distant river. Nearer and ever nearer they came--specks were seen on the
+horizon--men?--horses?--the enemy moving?--scudding away before he could
+be cornered? No--Yes? A moment of excitement, anguish--joy! The General
+had mounted a kopje, reconnoitred, and discovered the truth. It was
+Cronje's force--the remnants of his convoy some 4000 yards off--the convoy
+streaming down into the drifts that lead to Petrusberg and thence to
+Bloemfontein! They must never reach that destination! Kitchener's
+words--"Head him and prevent his crossing the river"--so simple in sound,
+so complex in execution, thrilled every heart. Quickly the guns were got
+into action--grandly--almost magically--the first shot plumped--bang! in
+front of the leading waggon just as the convoy was preparing to descend
+the drift! What a reveill�! Cronje, as we know, was rushing from the
+clutches of the Sixth Division at Drieputs. Breathless, he gathered
+himself together. Suddenly he found himself assailed by a new force--a new
+terror! He divined in a moment what had happened. It was French, the
+ubiquitous French--French redivivus, as it were--who was putting the
+finishing touch to the chapter of disaster. Poor Captain Boyle, in his
+letter to the _Nineteenth Century_, thus described the great Dutchman's
+plight:--
+
+"His only chance now was to sacrifice his guns and convoy, and cut his
+way across the river under the heavy fire of our guns. Immediately on
+the first shell bursting in the laager, about thirty Boers galloped out
+to seize a kopje on our right, afterwards called Roberts' Hill; but the
+10th Hussars in a neck-and-neck race had the legs of them, and seizing
+the hill in advance, beat them off with their carbine and Maxim fire.
+The Boers from their laager answered our shell fire for a short time
+with great accuracy from two or three guns. But these were quickly
+silenced, and shell after shell from Artillery Hill fell plump into the
+laager. Finally, our second battery was moved to a little distance from
+Roberts' Hill and opened fire from the southern slope on to a kopje to
+which the Boers had retired. All that afternoon at intervals our guns
+poured shells into the laager, but no response came, and we spent our
+time watching the Boers, now 3000 yards away, entrenching themselves in
+the open and along the river-bank. Their waggons caught fire and the
+ammunition exploded, and as they realised their position more and more,
+so must their hearts have sunk. Anxiously must they have waited for the
+first sign of the infantry gathering round, as anxiously as we did in
+our turn watching from the high kopjes.
+
+"The cavalry, worn out as they were and without food, had to hold the
+kopjes and water their horses in turn some five miles off. They got what
+grazing they could in the kopjes as they lay there, for no corn had come
+on from Kimberley, and neither men nor horses had had any food except
+the three days' rations with which they originally started from Klip
+Drift the Thursday before, a good deal of which had been shaken off the
+saddles or lost in the long gallop up the plain to Kimberley. The
+General, the men, the horses, all alike had to live on what was found at
+Kamilfontein--a few mealies, a few onions, and the crumbs of biscuits in
+our pockets were all we had until some Free Staters' sheep and cattle
+were rounded and killed. Had it not been for this plentiful supply of
+meat, the men must have fared very badly for the next three days. No
+transport came in until Monday night, and the horses had but 1� lb. of
+corn in three days. The men were put on half rations of biscuits even
+after the transport arrived.
+
+"Meanwhile, on Saturday afternoon about 5 P.M. Broadwood sent word to
+French that in the far distance he observed the dust rising, which he
+took for Kelly-Kenny's division. French returned to Roberts' Hill, and,
+until the sun set, anxiously awaited the arrival of the infantry--but
+they marched but slowly. From 6 P.M. till 7 P.M. we opened fire again
+from our batteries to show Lord Kitchener our exact positions." The
+splendid work done by the Royal Horse Artillery was described by another
+eye-witness. He said: "I will give you an idea of what good gunners we
+have in the Artillery. General French said to one of the gunners, 'See
+those three waggons over there? (a distance of about 3� miles); see what
+you can do with them.' The gunner fired three shell, and the waggons
+were no more."
+
+We must now watch the progress of the other portions of the force who
+were actively engaged in taking their share in the huge undertaking.
+Colonel Stephenson's brigade, on the night of the 16th (while General
+French was learning the great news), had re-crossed the river at Klip
+Drift, and on the morning of the 17th (at the same hour as Broadwood's
+brigade was moving from Kimberley) had marched to the south of the river
+with the same intention--that of heading off Cronje at Paardeberg and
+Koodoosrand Drift. Thus, with Broadwood's brigade on one side, and
+Stephenson's on the other, Cronje's prospects of escape were scarcely
+worth a dime. The _Times'_ correspondent, talking of Colonel
+Stephenson's troops on the morning of the fateful 17th, said:--
+
+"They were joined about ten at Klipkraal Drift by Knox's brigade, which
+marched along the northern bank. The mounted infantry, pushing on,
+reached Paardeberg Drift that evening, and encamped on rising ground
+close to the south bank. The infantry, leaving Klipkraal at six in the
+evening, made a night march for Paardeberg Drift, but, missing their
+way, slightly passed the Drift and bivouacked on some rising ground
+nearly two miles beyond, separated from the river by a smooth plain
+shelving gently down to it. The mistake was a fortunate one, as it
+brought the infantry almost opposite to the place where Cronje had
+determined to cross. Cronje had left Drieputs during the night after the
+battle, abandoning seventy-eight waggons, and pushed on along the north
+bank of the river during Saturday for Koodoosrand Drift. Soon after
+passing north of Paardeberg Drift he heard that French had already
+returned from Kimberley, and was holding a line of high kopjes running
+north-west from Koodoosrand Drift, and completely commanding the drift.
+Wheeling his waggons to the right across the plain, he laagered on the
+north bank of the river at Wolveskraal Farm. This was opposite to a
+drift of the same name, about half-way between Paardeberg and
+Koodoosrand Drifts, being about four miles in a straight line from each.
+Here he intended to cross on Sunday morning. But already, during the
+night, he became aware of the presence of the mounted infantry south of
+Paardeberg Drift, and decided that he could not get his convoy away
+without fighting. Probably Cronje did not realise that Kelly-Kenny's
+infantry could have already marched up and occupied the rising ground
+not three thousand yards south of Wolveskraal Drift; still less could he
+know that General Colvile's division (whose endurance had been
+extraordinary) was but a few miles behind, and was to reach Paardeberg
+Drift before daybreak. If Cronje had known this, there is little doubt
+that he would have promptly sacrificed all his transport and all his
+guns in order to get his men away and escape from the trap into which he
+was now caught. As it was, he sent a great part of his force to line the
+river-bed all the way down to Paardeberg Drift, in order to act as a
+rear-guard and check any attempt to interfere with his crossing
+Wolveskraal Drift at his leisure."
+
+Later on, the Ninth Division, with the Highland Brigade, who had made a
+forced march from Jacobsdal, arrived on the scene just in time to see
+the Boers sending up rockets to show their position to expected
+reinforcements. And there is little doubt that Cronje, unable to realise
+the expeditious advance of "lumbering Britons," mistook General
+Colvile's troops for the longed-for relief.
+
+Among the missing from near Paardeberg were Lieutenants Romilly (Duke of
+Cornwall's Light Infantry) and Metge (Welsh Regiment), and Captains
+Arnold and Vaughan of Kitchener's Horse.
+
+Here we have the position of affairs as they stood on the night of the
+17th and on the morning of the 18th, when the trap so ingeniously set
+for Cronje commenced to close little by little--north, south, east, and
+west. Everywhere he turned the detestable rooineks menaced him, and he
+who so lately had eaten his breakfast to the tune of his 100-pounder
+gun, that belched ruin and mutilation over the whole region of
+Kimberley, was now constrained to breakfast to a new and disagreeable
+inversion of an identical melody!
+
+
+THE BATTLE OF PAARDEBERG
+
+On Sunday, the 18th of February, the most exciting action of the war
+took place. It was costly as it was momentous, for it served to decide
+the fate of the fleeing Dutchman. The scene of the drama was not
+unpicturesque. From the Paardeberg to the Koodoosrand Drift the Modder
+flowed along a deep hollow from thirty to a hundred yards in depth. To
+either side the forks of small dongas radiated, while the high banks
+were fringed with the feathery foliage of the mimosa and willow. Donga
+and tree stump afforded excellent cover for the slim adversary, sniper
+or scout. The river travelled from Koodoosrand Drift west-south-west,
+deviating southwards on either side of the Wolveskraal Drift. A vast
+expanse of veldt, some two thousand yards wide, shelved down towards the
+south bank of the river, fringed by higher ground; and this grassy plain
+extending eastwards joined a circle of kopjes now known as Kitchener's
+Hill. On the opposite, the north bank of the river, was another similar
+plain, dotted with minor kopjes to within a thousand yards of the river,
+and beyond them was the higher hump of Paardeberg Hill.
+
+The action began at dawn. Firing grew hotter and hotter with the growth
+of the morning, and soon pandemonium was let loose. While part of the
+mounted infantry was forcing the rearguard up the river another part was
+manoeuvring on the right front and flank of the enemy. The Dutchmen
+meanwhile from King's Kop turned on a quick-firing Hotchkiss gun, which
+swept the flat country from the kop to the southern bank of the river.
+The antagonists had both posted themselves on the north bank of the
+river--both banks of which were level, and this expanse afforded no
+cover for movements. Over this expanse the Ninth Brigade had to move,
+struggling through a zone of fire towards the concealed enemy.
+
+Cronje by this time had realised that his position was critical--almost
+hopeless. Bringing his fine military qualities to bear on the situation,
+he decided to make the best of a bad job, and entrench himself with all
+the skill possible. He held about one square mile of the river-bed on
+either side of Wolveskraal Drift, and beyond that he knew were
+encircling kopjes, each one concealing its multitude of rooineks. On the
+east, slowly creeping up, were the menacing numbers of Tucker's
+Division; on the west the vast crowds of the mounted infantry and the
+Sixth Division; on the south were field-guns little more than a mile
+off, threatening to shower destruction from Gun Hill, while on the north
+were Naval guns and howitzers. Indeed, everywhere was fate frowning,
+obdurate, vengeful. But the Dutchman retained his pluck and his wits. He
+even believed that with everything against him he might yet employ the
+same tactics which had nonplussed Lord Methuen at Modder River. He still
+retained a poor opinion of his adversary, and his delusion lent him
+confidence. He hurriedly built trenches, that in themselves were
+masterpieces of defensive art, and took up his headquarters in the
+centre, in a red brick house--a species of travellers' hostelry, which
+may be found near all drifts in South Africa. Here at night Mrs. Cronje
+joined him. During the day she was placed in the women's shelter at the
+east side of the area, which shelter was protected by waggons and
+trenches all along the bed of the river. Talking of these trenches, the
+correspondent of the _Times_ declared that "the skill with which they
+were constructed as defences against both rifle and shell fire was
+worthy of the highest praise. All except those of the outer lines of
+pickets were made so narrow and deep that it seems as though they were
+in many cases entered from one end rather than the top, as any such
+ingress must even in a week's time have considerably widened the neck of
+the excavation. At the top they were perhaps eighteen inches wide, at
+the bottom about three feet, and by crouching down the most complete
+protection was afforded from bursting shell.
+
+"Every natural protection, such as the ramifications of the dongas
+which eat into the banks on both sides of the river, had been utilised,
+though the bombardment from both sides compelled them to abandon their
+first hasty breastworks cut into the actual top of the bank, which was
+here from about fifty to a hundred yards from the river itself, and
+thirty feet in height.
+
+"For the first time here the 'T' trenches, of which much has been said
+during the present campaign, were used. They did not seem to present the
+least advantage over the ordinary shapes, except that in an exposed
+angle they may have provided additional protection against an enfilading
+fire."
+
+Cronje's first object in entrenching himself in the bed of the river was
+to arrest the further advance of the mounted infantry, who had taken
+possession of the bed of the river west of his position. In this he was
+successful. Worn, harassed, and almost helpless, he determined to make a
+desperate stand, hoping against hope to gain time till some help from
+without should arrive. But this help never reached him. A grand
+enveloping movement commenced, and Cronje, brought to bay, found himself
+face to face with what proved to be his Sedan.
+
+By this time he and his followers were snugly ensconced in bush and
+donga and scrub round the laager, and from the trees around they
+vigorously sniped and poured volleys at the advancing troops. In the
+advance to the attack the Highland Brigade was on the left, General
+Knox's brigade in the centre and on the right, while General Smith
+Dorrien's brigade, after crossing the river by Paardeberg Drift, moved
+along the north bank. The Highland Brigade had a terrific duty. The
+Boers, from their position in the bed of the river and on both sides of
+it, commanded the left of the Brigade, and as the kilted mass moved
+forward in the open poured upon them a deadly fire, which forced them to
+lie prone for the rest of the day. Here at noon, when bullets were
+humming their loudest, General Hector Macdonald was wounded. He had
+dismounted, and was directing the movements of the brigade, when
+overtaken by a shot which penetrated thigh and foot. Despite this
+unlucky accident and a tremendous spell of hard fighting, the brigade
+exhibited splendid pluck and tenacity. They were destitute of cover, but
+maintained their position with astonishing fortitude, and this after the
+long forced march they had made from Jacobsdal, and while enduring the
+tortures of maddening thirst, which could not be assuaged. A heavy
+thunderstorm mercifully overtook them in the course of the afternoon and
+raindrops large as gooseberries clattered down their relieving moisture
+on the parched and exhausted troops.
+
+[Illustration: THE BATTLE OF PAARDEBERG.
+
+Drawing by Sidney Paget from a Sketch by W. B. Wollen, R.I.]
+
+On the north bank of the river was Cronje's laager, an environment of
+waggons, carts, ammunition, and stores. While General Smith Dorrien's
+force, among which were the Canadians, Gordons, and Shropshires,
+attempted to charge into the laager, they too were vigorously shelled by
+the enemy, who, undefeatable, held on valiantly to a kopje on the south
+bank of the river. Here they posted a Vickers-Maxim and other deadly
+weapons, and in a measure divided our force in two. The Seaforths and
+the Cornwall Regiment made a splendid charge with the bayonet, and drove
+the Boers from their cover round the drift, but in the glorious rush
+both the Colonel and Adjutant of the Cornwalls were stricken down.
+Ninety-six of the men were wounded, but they now held the north-west
+side of the enemy's position.
+
+[Illustration: PLAN OF THE BOER LAAGERS AND TRENCHES AND THE BRITISH
+POSITIONS AT PAARDEBERG. (By an Officer of the Royal Field Artillery.)]
+
+On the east the Sixth Division was hard at work tackling a horde of
+Boers, who made a last despairing lunge in order to burst through the
+entangling forces and push for the south bank of the river. The effort
+was stubborn as it was desperate, but they were defeated by the dash of
+the West Riding Regiment, who pressed forward with the bayonet and
+succeeded in seizing the drift. Many splendid fellows were wounded and
+slain in the collision. Meanwhile the artillery continued to direct
+their incessant thunder against the laager, pouring in a deluge of
+destruction from all quarters, and forcing the Dutchmen to shrink within
+the space, little more than a mile square, into which they had so
+hurriedly scrambled.
+
+General Kelly-Kenny having possessed himself of both Klip Drift and
+Koodoosrand Drift, the Boers were now enclosed east and west. But here,
+crunched in a veritable death-trap, they fought tenaciously. Worn,
+harassed, and weakened by their hurried march, they yet held a stubborn
+front to our assaulting troops, and from the cramped region of their
+laager did as much damage as it was possible to do. The Canadians, who
+had behaved with conspicuous gallantry in the attack on the laager, lost
+nineteen killed and sixty-three wounded. A description of the fight as
+seen from their point of view was given by a private in the 1st
+Contingent:--
+
+     "We left Klip Drift on the Modder River at 6 P.M. Saturday, and
+     marched all night until seven on Sunday morning, covering 23
+     miles. During the march we could hear the guns ahead. I was
+     orderly man for Sunday, so, removing my pack, I went to the
+     river for water. Just a little way up the river a brisk fire
+     opened up. When I got back to our lines I found them issuing a
+     ration of rum. I had mine, and it just braced me up.
+
+     "By this time the engagement was pretty brisk. Our brigade was
+     ordered on the left of the river, which we crossed at a ford
+     just in rear of the camp. The Shropshires crossed first, then
+     followed the Canadians and Gordons. The water was up to our
+     necks. Some went deeper and had to swim. We crossed in fours,
+     holding on to each other, formed up in column and advanced a
+     short distance, when we extended to seven paces in skirmishing
+     order. C Company formed to support A Company.
+
+     "By this time the bullets were coming pretty thickly, and we
+     had some very narrow squeaks. We reinforced A Company at 500
+     yards and opened fire. The Boer fire was heavy, and some of our
+     boys had been hit, but we soon subdued the fire. Their position
+     was in the river, and we were lying out in the open, no cover
+     of any kind except a few anthills. We could see very little to
+     fire at except the fire from their guns. Our line was in a
+     crescent shape, the right on the river, and the left extended
+     along about 500 yards. In the afternoon our troops were ordered
+     to cease fire. As soon as we stopped they started sniping,
+     which made us hug the ground.
+
+     "Shortly after joining the firing line Captain Arnold of A
+     Company was struck. The Boers started a murderous fire on the
+     stretcher-bearers who carried him away, a trick they did all
+     day long. Towards evening the left was ordered to reinforce the
+     right. It was a daring move, but we did it by running down in
+     threes and fours. At dark all the forces retired, and quite a
+     few men volunteered to search for the wounded. I was out all
+     night until four the next morning, when I laid down played out.
+     I never want to witness such terrible sights as I saw that
+     night again. Whenever we showed ourselves in the moonlight the
+     sharpshooters would fire at us. We were all up early next
+     morning, but the Boers had retired farther up the river. So we
+     collected our wounded and buried the dead. I was helping a
+     hospital sergeant, and he sent two of us up the river to search
+     for wounded. We found a few, and also came across a wounded
+     Boer, whom we bandaged and took back to camp. We also came
+     across a few dead. We questioned the Boer, and he said that
+     they had retired during the night, carrying their wounded and
+     throwing the dead into the river. After dinner, which we had
+     about four, we went out on outpost duty. During the night there
+     was quite a little firing going on. This morning we advanced
+     towards the position again, and about ten o'clock retired for
+     some breakfast and advanced again. Although under fire all day
+     we did not fire, but the artillery certainly played Cain with
+     them."
+
+Captain Arnold's wound was mortal, but Lieutenant Mason, who was also
+shot, was not dangerously hurt.
+
+A Colonial, writing from the front at Paardeberg, said that fighting
+"went on during the day until about five o'clock, when the Cornwalls
+arrived in support. The officer commanding this battalion seemed to
+think that too much time had already been spent in fighting the Boers,
+so ordered the charge. The result was fatal to the Cornwalls, as they
+had to retire. The Canadians, acting under the orders of the commanding
+officer of the Cornwalls as senior officer, also charged, and with a
+like result; but the Canadians, in place of retiring, simply lay down
+and remained. It was during this charge that most of the fatalities
+occurred. The unfortunate commanding officer of the Cornwalls was
+killed, and Captain Arnold and Lieutenant Mason of the Canadians
+wounded. The Brigadier subsequently expressed his regret that the charge
+took place, but at the same time warmly congratulated the Canadians on
+their behaviour, as did Lord Roberts also."
+
+Of gallantry and daring there was no end. From dawn till sunset raged a
+battle of appalling fierceness, of magnificent persistency. From drift
+to drift the hollows reverberated with the perpetual roll of musketry,
+the brawling of multifarious guns, the hoarse cheers of charging troops,
+the shouts of the unflinching enemy. Curling smoke burst in wreaths and
+garlands from the sides of the hills and rose against the purple of
+thunder-clouds; flaring tongues of vengeful flame danced and forked
+their reflections of heaven's lightnings; spouts and torrents of water
+poured from the sky, mingling with the heroical blood of Britain's best,
+that trickled in rivulets, north, south, east, and west of the scene,
+and traced far and wide the history of sacrifice on the now sacred
+ground. For all this, the position of the contending parties remained
+unchanged--Cronje defiant and enclosed, the British lion crouching,
+watching.
+
+At dusk the scene was weirdly, terrifically picturesque. From the south
+and north sides of the river shells hurtled through the air, falling and
+exploding along the river-bed, now setting fire to a waggon, now a cart,
+and filling the gloom with lurid panoramas of flame and an awe-striking,
+ceaseless din. Once an ammunition waggon was struck. Then the blaze and
+crackling which followed, intermingling as they did with the roar of
+artillery and the rattle of rifles, made a fitting concert for Hades.
+And to the tune of this demoniacal intermezzo the cordon round the enemy
+was gradually closing, his last chances of escape were one by one being
+sealed, the last links in Lord Roberts' strategical chain were being
+forged.
+
+At night there was peace. The Modder might have been the placid purling
+Thames winding along between fringed and sloping banks to the bosom of
+the sea. But there was none to admire the pretty scene. All were worn
+out, and glad to drop to sleep where they had fought, while the
+bearer-parties--"body-snatchers," as they were jocosely styled--picked
+their way in the darkness, doing their deeds of mercy with zealous,
+unflagging perseverance. During this time many deserters from the enemy
+came in. They had seen the hopelessness of their case, and had been
+urging, uselessly, the implacable Cronje to surrender.
+
+The following is the list of those who were killed and wounded during
+the fight:--
+
+     _Killed_:--Mounted Infantry--Colonel Hannay.[1] 2nd
+     Warwick--Lieutenant Hankay. Duke of Cornwall's Light
+     Infantry--Lieutenant-Colonel Aldworth,[2] Captain E. P.
+     Wardlaw, Captain Newbury. Seaforth Highlanders--Second
+     Lieutenant M'Clure. Argyll and Sutherland
+     Highlanders--Lieutenant Courtenay. West Riding
+     Regiment--Lieutenant Siordet. 1st Yorkshire--Second Lieutenant
+     Neave. Oxford Light Infantry--Lieutenant Bright, Second
+     Lieutenant Ball-Acton. _Wounded_:--Staff--Major-General Knox
+     (13th Brigade), Major-General Hector MacDonald (3rd Brigade).
+     Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry--Captain J. H. Maunder,
+     Lieutenant H. W. Fife, Second Lieutenant J. W. C. Fife, Second
+     Lieutenant R. M. Grigg. Seaforth Highlanders--Captain G. C.
+     Fielden, Captain E. A. Cowans, Captain G. M. Lumsden,
+     Lieutenant J. P. Grant, Second Lieutenant D. P. Monypenny (died
+     of wounds), Second Lieutenant A. R. Moncrieff. 1st Gordon
+     Highlanders--Second Lieutenant W. B. J. Nutford. Argyll and
+     Sutherland Highlanders--Lieutenant C. N. Macdonald, Lieutenant
+     G. Thorpe, Second Lieutenant G. A. Akers-Douglas, Second
+     Lieutenant F. G. S. Cunningham. Black Watch--Lieutenant-Colonel
+     A. M. Carthew-Yorkstoun, Major Hon. H. E. Maxwell, Major T. M.
+     N. Berkeley, Captain J. G. H. Hamilton, Lieutenant J. G. Grieve
+     (N.S.W. forces attached). West Riding Regiment--Captain F. J.
+     de Gex, Captain H. D. E. Greenwood. 1st
+     Yorkshire--Lieutenant-Colonel H. Bowles, Major Kirkpatrick,
+     Lieutenant C. V. Edwards, Captain A. C. Buckle (South Stafford
+     attached). Oxford Light Infantry--Major Day, Captain Watt,
+     Lieutenant Hammich. East Kent Regiment--Captain Geddes.
+     Shropshire Light Infantry--Captain Gubbins, Captain Smith,
+     Lieutenant English, Second Lieutenant Kettlewell.
+     Canadians--Captain H. M. Arnold (since died of wounds),
+     Lieutenant J. C. Mason, Lieutenant Armstrong. R.A.M.C.--Captain
+     J. E. C. Canter. Lieutenant G. H. Goddard. East Surrey--Captain
+     A. H. S. Hart. 2nd Lincoln--Second Lieutenant Dockray
+     Waterhouse. 1st Yorkshire--Second Lieutenant W. G. Turbet. 2nd
+     Oxford Light Infantry--Captain Fanshawe, Lieutenant Stapleton.
+     2nd Bedford--Captain R. W. Waldy, Lieutenant Selous. 2nd
+     Norfolk--Lieutenant Cramer-Roberts. 1st
+     Welsh--Lieutenant-Colonel Banfield, Major Ball. 2nd East
+     Kent--Captain Godfrey-Faussett, accidentally shot (died
+     February 21). 1st West Riding--Captain Taylor, Captain Harris.
+     Roberts' Horse--Lieutenant A. Grant. Argyll and
+     Sutherland--Captain N. Malcolm, D.S.O. 1st Gordon
+     Highlanders--Lieutenant Ingilby. 1st Welsh Regiment--Major
+     Harkness, Lieutenant F. A. Jones, Lieutenant Veal. Mounted
+     Infantry--Lieutenant-Colonel Tudway (1st Essex). 1st
+     Essex--Captain Milward, Second Lieutenant Thomson.
+     _Missing_:--Captain Lennox, 81st Field Battery R.A.
+
+The following table gives the distribution of the losses among
+officers:--
+
+                                        _Killed._ _Wounded._ _Missing._ _Total._
+ Staff                                     --         2         --         2
+ 2nd Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry      3         4         --         7
+ 2nd Seaforth Highlanders                   1         6         --         7
+ 1st Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders      1         4         --         5
+ 1st West Riding Regiment                   1         2         --         3
+ 1st Yorkshire Regiment                     1         4         --         5
+ 1st Oxfordshire Light Infantry             2         3         --         5
+ 2nd East Kent Regiment                    --         1         --         1
+ 1st Gordon Highlanders                    --         1         --         1
+ 2nd Royal Highlanders                     --         4         --         4
+ 2nd Shropshire Light Infantry             --         4         --         4
+ Royal Canadian Regiment                   --         2         --         2
+ Royal Army Medical Corps                  --         2         --         2
+ 81st Battery R.A.                         --        --          1         1
+
+                                         ---        ---        ---       ---
+    Total                                  9         39          1        49
+
+The heaviness of this list and the evenness with which the casualties
+were shared bear witness to the dash and daring displayed by all the
+battalions engaged.
+
+A good deal of comment subsequently took place regarding the methods
+adopted during this day's warfare, and many were of opinion that the
+attempt to take the position by assault was unnecessarily wasteful of
+life. Considering the positions of the various regiments on the morning
+of the battle, it seemed as though the encircling of the enemy and
+forcing him to submission by a slow process of pressure would have
+served equally well to bring about the inevitable end. But again it has
+been urged that there was at the time no knowing how soon reinforcements
+might come to the assistance of Cronje, or what results might accrue
+from permitting the Boers--at the time breathless and weary--to gather
+themselves together for fresh resistance. Delay was evidently the one
+thing that Cronje was playing for, and Lord Kitchener, on his side, was
+averse from risks which might bring about the failure of the vital
+undertaking.
+
+
+TRAPPED
+
+The enemy had little rest. The small hours were spent in constructing
+entrenchments round the laager. All owned that their stubborn energy was
+admirable, but further active resistance on the part of Cronje was now
+beginning to be regarded by all--even his own people--as an act of
+suicide and murder. "It was magnificent, but it was not war," as the
+Frenchman said. The Mounted Infantry and a battery of artillery next
+morning turned their attention to an offending kopje, whence the Boers
+could yet pour their equivalent for "cold water" on the British plans,
+and while circling round the position were accosted with a morning
+salutation from the rifles of the Federals on the summit of the hill.
+Fortunately the fusillade was launched with more vigour than accuracy,
+and there were no casualties. Pursuing their investigations, the troops
+discovered a good defensive position and seized it.
+
+Early in the morning Cronje sent a white flag, demanding twenty-four
+hours' armistice for the purpose of burying his dead. This most probably
+being part of a wary plot to gain time for reinforcements to come to the
+rescue, a reply was sent back from Lord Kitchener to the effect that it
+was impossible to grant the request, which must await the arrival of the
+Commander-in-Chief. Lord Roberts was then on his way from Jacobsdal, and
+when the matter was referred to him, he at once sent a message refusing
+to accede to the proposition. General Cronje's reply, being roughly
+translated, implied that he wished to surrender, but when Lord Kitchener
+requested him to surrender in person, it was discovered that he had no
+notion of capitulation--unconditional surrender being the terms offered.
+Lord Roberts then ordered the resumption of the bombardment.
+
+About midday came the rumour that French was at hand, and that he was
+taking his share of the great hemming-in movement, but the cavalry
+division was then nowhere in view. Lord Roberts arrived later, and
+addressed the troops, who welcomed him with cheers. Meanwhile the 18th,
+62nd, and 75th field-batteries and the 65th (howitzer) battery
+surrounded the laager, and commenced an avalanche of destruction, the
+howitzers battering the river-bed with an enfilading fire, the fumes of
+lyddite rendering the surrounding air green with noxious vapour. Waggon
+after waggon of ammunition exploded with infernal uproar, shrapnel and
+lyddite danced diabolically over the river-bed and laager, yet there
+were no signs of surrender--not the flutter of a white flag in the
+direction where remained the obdurate man who, his last chance gone,
+refused to bow to the inevitable. Prisoners now and then, worn out and
+disgusted, came in, their rifles slung, and gave themselves up. In the
+laager were sixty women and girls, they said, and Cronje, "disconsolate
+and defiant, sat holding Mrs. Cronje's hand and comforting her in the
+river-bed." Meanwhile Broadwood's brigade had appeared, exhausted and
+starving. The cavalry had come along the river-bank to Paardeberg in
+order to reach the forage and the convoy which was accompanying the
+infantry divisions from Klip Drift. Their state was lamentable, for it
+must be remembered that General Broadwood had galloped off during the
+night of the 16th almost provisionless. His brigade had borne the brunt
+of the fray, for General Gordon had only been able to follow later with
+some 120 horses out of his whole brigade. Colonel Porter's brigade
+marched later still, owing to some accident with the telegraph. The work
+of relieving Kimberley and heading Cronje had cost the cavalry some 990
+horses out of a total of 4800.
+
+The loss of life, however, had not been excessive considering the strain
+and the engagements that had taken place between the 14th and 16th, but
+some goodly young officers were missing. Lieutenant Carbutt (R.H.A.),
+Lieutenant Brassey (9th Lancers), Lieutenant Hesketh (16th Lancers), and
+Lieutenant the Hon. M'Clintock Banbury (Scots Greys), were among the
+killed. Among the wounded were Captain Humfreys (Q Battery), Lieutenant
+Houston (P Battery), Lieut. Barnes (Q Battery), Captain Gordon and
+Lieut. Durand (9th Lancers), Captain Tuson (16th Lancers), Lieut.
+Fordyce and Second Lieut. Long (Scots Greys), Lieut. Johnson
+(Inniskilling Dragoons), Lieut. Gray (Roberts' Horse). The fatigued
+remnant of the cavalry division now engaged in tackling the
+reinforcements that Cronje had so ardently expected.
+
+In consequence of the huge circumference of the British circle, it was
+almost impossible to chronicle the innumerable small but brilliant
+actions which were continually taking place, and which in the excitement
+of the investment were almost overlooked. On the night of the 19th the
+Gloucesters performed a dashing though futile feat. In the afternoon
+they neared a kopje in which the Dutchmen were ensconced. They bided
+their time, and just as the shades of night began to fall rushed on the
+enemy with bayonets and drove them off with considerable loss. The
+positions taken were evacuated, however, during the night.
+
+On the 20th the Boers before dawn were again hard at work increasing
+their entrenchments all round their laager, but their plucky labours
+were impeded by continual shells which were launched now and again to
+prevent the work from being carried to completion. Meanwhile from the
+east came the echo of artillery, a rumour of battle which proved that
+the untiring French was actively engaged in standing between the Boer
+reinforcements and Cronje, who still held out gallantly in the fond yet
+forlorn hope of their ultimate arrival. He was humanely offered many
+chances to give in, but since he stoutly refused them all, measures were
+taken by Lord Roberts to bring the fighting to a speedy conclusion.
+
+But the doggedly valiant attitude of the enemy was not lost on his
+assailants. It had been impossible to withhold from Cronje a certain
+admiration for the masterful manoeuvres which extricated him from his
+impossible position at Majersfontein, or for the stubborn resistance
+with which his force, outwitted, harassed by the mounted infantry, and
+fighting a skilful rearguard action, had succeeded in getting at least
+thirty-five miles to Koodoosrand Drift. It was now equally impossible to
+overlook the magnificent energy of the man, who, with his means of
+flight at an end, his 50,000 lbs. of ammunition sacrificed, his stores
+captured, his oxen exhausted to the death, with almost certain defeat
+staring him in the face, could turn and fight an action both ferocious
+and sanguinary. Moreover, by the sheer magnetism of his personality he
+forced his followers to show a bold front and maintain a desperate,
+almost fatuous, courage in the face of the most terrific shelling that
+the century has known.
+
+[Illustration: CRONJE'S STRONGHOLD ON THE MODDER RIVER.
+
+Drawing by H. C. Seppings Wright, from a Sketch by Frederic Villiers,
+War Artist.]
+
+Little by little the enclosing circle began to grow narrower. The
+infantry--the Cornwalls assisted by the Engineers--again set to work to
+push the enemy still farther back into the river, but otherwise little
+advance was made. The position was now sufficiently terrible for the
+enemy. Cronje's trap was about a mile square, while commanding it in
+every direction were guns multifarious; bushes and banks and ravines
+were swept by cataracts of shrapnel, while volumes of greenish-yellow
+smoke from bursting lyddite curved and twisted around the river-bed,
+then carried their noxious vapour to the serene sapphire of the heavens.
+In the clear atmosphere the reiterations of Maxims filled up the pauses
+between the steady booming of artillery, while now and again the
+impotent despairing splutter of rifles from the enemy's laager mingled
+with the stertorous rampage.
+
+On the fourth day of Cronje's resistance what might have been an
+unfortunate incident occurred. The Gloucester and Essex regiments by an
+accident had bivouacked on the north side of the river too close to the
+enemy's laager. The result was that on the first gleam of daylight they
+were discovered by the Dutchmen, who treated them to a volley by way of
+reveill�. Luckily the firing was not at all up to the Boer mark and the
+regiments came off scot-free.
+
+During the day General Smith Dorrien's force on the north worked towards
+the doomed laager while General Knox's brigade held the containing lines
+on the south side of the river. In the east General French was keeping
+an eye on a swarm of Boers who were hoping to come to the rescue of
+Cronje. These held a strong position on a kopje which seemed to be
+specially constructed by nature for defensive purposes. Still, when
+General Broadwood's brigade and a battery of horse-artillery turned
+their attention to the summit and scoured it thoroughly, the Dutchmen
+helter-skelter fled. Unluckily for them, their precipitate action took
+them straight into the arms of General French, who having headed them
+towards the drift, now gave them so warm a reception that numbers bit
+the dust. Some escaped, but fifty were taken prisoners. Forage,
+provisions, and equipment were also seized, though the corpses of the
+slain were carried off, so that the tale of loss could not be told.
+
+The capture of the kopje was an excellent move, as it was a useful
+position whence to watch for and intercept reinforcements that might be
+coming from Ladysmith or elsewhere to the succour of the doomed. A
+message was sent to the obdurate Commandant offering a safe conduct and
+a free pass anywhere for the women and children. Lord Roberts also
+proffered medical attendance and drugs. The offers were curtly rejected.
+Finding courteous overtures of no avail, the bombardment of the position
+was resumed, and the artillery continued to fire till dusk put an end to
+the operations. While the firing was taking place the mules of the 82nd
+Battery, while still hitched to the waggons, took it into their heads to
+stampede, causing a scene of the wildest confusion. The next day,
+however, all save one waggon were recovered.
+
+During the night the Shropshire Regiment accomplished a fine feat. They
+pressed forward some two hundred yards, captured new ground, and there
+entrenched themselves. It was an excellent finale to four days'
+incessant work under a withering fire, and by the 22nd they were fairly
+exhausted. They were then relieved by the Gordons. Here be it noticed
+that the Gordons were now incorporated with the Highland Brigade, which
+was thus composed of four kilted regiments. The Highland Light Infantry,
+who wear "trews," had joined General Smith Dorrien's force.
+
+The exchange of positions between the Shropshires and Gordons was
+effected in a manner worthy of the slim Boer himself, and showed that
+the Britons had speedily taken practical lessons from their adversaries.
+The Shropshires having, as said, seized 200 yards of new ground, they
+were relieved the following morning by the Gordons. The Highlanders,
+snake-like, wormed themselves forward to the trenches on their stomachs,
+while the Shropshire men in like manner crawled over the bodies of the
+relieving force. An officer who witnessed the evolution said, "I have
+often heard of walking on an empty stomach, but I'm hanged if I've ever
+seen the feat accomplished so well and so literally."
+
+Another tremendous thunderstorm broke over the position, causing
+considerable discomfort to the troops, but still more to the unhappy
+creatures who, through the stout resistance of Cronje, were held to all
+the horrors of the trap into which he had fallen. We were now closing in
+on every side.
+
+A grand attempt was made on the morning of the 23rd to bring help to the
+Dutchman. Commandant de Wet with a horde of some 1000 Boers, collected
+from the region of Ladysmith, appeared, and made a desperate effort to
+thrust himself through the British lines. Part of the force on its way
+towards its hoped-for destination was luckily accosted from a kopje
+occupied by the Scottish Borderers. The greeting, smart and accurate,
+was scarcely to the Dutchmen's liking, and they made off in another
+direction, but still with the same result. From position to position
+they were hunted, and in sheer despair they made for an unoccupied
+kopje, where they hoped at last to make a stand. But they were
+disappointed. The lively Scottish Borderers were "one too many for
+them." Seeing the Boers in act of seizing this point of vantage, the
+Borderers promptly hurled themselves in the coveted direction. There was
+an animated neck-and-neck race, and the Borderers, who won by a nose,
+promptly took possession of the hill and completely routed the Federals.
+
+Finally the Boers found shelter in a kopje which was _vis-�-vis_ to a
+like eminence held by the Yorkshires. A passage at arms followed, with
+the result that the fusillade of the enemy died a natural death. Then
+the Yorkshires, who had so strenuously brought about this result, were
+reinforced by the Buffs, lest some more of the Boer hosts from Ladysmith
+should put in an appearance. At this time the 75th and 62nd Batteries
+gave tongue from an adjacent farm, but their vociferous notes produced
+little effect upon the crown of the Boers' stronghold.
+
+So great was the silence that the Yorkshires moved on with a view to
+prodding the enemy in his lair, but, in the attempt, they were so
+furiously assailed by the shot of the enemy that they, in default of
+cover, were unable to proceed. Meanwhile the Buffs persevered, moving
+warily round the position till within 150 yards of the Dutchmen, who
+were eventually driven off. More than eighty--their horses having been
+shot--surrendered. On many of these were discovered explosive bullets,
+and it became evident that desperation was driving the Boers to
+disregard the rules of civilised warfare. Many of our wounded were found
+injured by these unholy missiles; and other tricks--barbarous
+tricks--were reported. On one occasion a Vickers-Maxim gun was directed
+at an ambulance, which at the time was fortunately unoccupied.
+
+During the week our losses were fewer than on the opening day. Captain
+Dewar and Lieutenant Percival, 4th King's Royal Rifles, and Lieutenant
+Angell, Welsh Regiment, were killed. Among the wounded were:--
+
+     2nd Gloucester--Lieutenant-Colonel R. F. Lindsell; 2nd
+     Derbyshire--Lieutenant C. D. M. Harrington; 9th
+     Lancers--Captain Campbell; P.R.H.A.--Lieutenant Houston; Royal
+     Engineers--Captain Crookshank; 1st Lincoln--Second Lieutenant
+     Wellesley; Argyll and Sutherland--Lieutenant and Adjutant
+     Glasford; 1st East Kent Regiment (attached 2nd
+     Battalion)--Lieutenant Hickman; 2nd Lincoln--Captain Gardner;
+     King's Own Scottish Borderers--Captain Pratt; East
+     Kent--Captain Marriott; Yorkshire--Captain Pearson, Lieutenant
+     Gunthorpe, 2nd Lieutenant Wardle.
+
+Lieutenant Metge (1st Welsh Regiment) was missing.
+
+Daily the enemy was squeezed into a smaller space. General Smith Dorrien
+had now pushed up the river-bed to within two hundred yards of Cronje's
+entrenchments. The object lesson in perseverance, both on the part of
+Boers and British, was becoming almost awe-inspiring--the tension was
+veritably appalling. Soaked with rain to the very skin--the fevered skin
+that had been scorched, and toasted, and begrimed with dust--our men,
+grim and fierce, with the storm-winds piping the pipe of death about
+their ears, held their ground. Rations had been intermittent till the
+convoys began to come in, and, almost fasting, they had been acutely
+conscious of the foul, the nauseating atmosphere that now enveloped them
+like a loathely vaporous entanglement. The river had swollen and bore
+upon its turbid breast horrific revelations--thousands of rotting
+carcases and festering loads of poisonous wreckage, that rendered the
+act even of drawing breath almost a heroism. All along the great march
+endurance had been put to supreme test, for the track had been margined
+with the dead bodies of exhausted oxen and horses. These lay littered
+about, unburied, disembowelled, and in various stages of putrefaction.
+Everywhere vultures and flies and other loathsome parasites of the
+veldt hovered and sidled and crawled, glutting themselves at veritable
+orgies of destruction, and contesting their prizes with the winds.
+These, taking their fill, hastened to diffuse the remains of the grisly
+banquet far and wide. Thus the foul dust, wantonly distributed, blew in
+the throats and eyes and ears of gallant men, and contributed death more
+liberally, more pitifully, than even the bullets of the Boers!
+
+[Illustration: GUNS CAPTURED AT PAARDEBERG. Photo by Alf. S. Hosking,
+Cape Town.]
+
+Plentiful rain had fallen, saturating humanity, and causing the heated
+ground to retract the fumes of a charnel-house. But in one way better
+times had come. There was fuller fare. Large convoys made a daily
+appearance, and the men were refreshed after their labours with the
+promise of plenty. Food of a substantial kind was indeed necessary, for
+it served to attune the stomach to the noxious vapours that hourly grew
+almost tangible. Cronje, though he knew it not, was sowing the seeds of
+a harvest of revenge! He was killing his thousands! For many days our
+troops had been enduring lenten fare; they had rung the changes on
+hardships, fatigues, and self-abnegations of all kinds. They had been
+battered on by storms. They had outstripped transport and supplies. They
+had kept the inner man appeased and working on quarter rations. They had
+marched like giants in ten-league boots, and meanwhile fed like fairies;
+yet withal had borne countenances cheery and noble, full of confidence
+and unquenchable pluck. But these splendid creatures were but mortal.
+The foul fiends of enteric and malaria were already sapping their
+buoyant constitutions, and marking them, one after another, with the
+deadly seal of possession.
+
+Every day of the Dutchman's resistance was therefore full of horror,
+full of anxiety. There were continual rumours that the Boer
+reinforcements were in view, that the Federals were massing for a
+desperate effort. Wearied and battered, the cavalry at Koodoosrand were
+perpetually speeding on wild-goose chases, in one of which both General
+French and Colonel Haig nearly lost their lives. A reconnaissance in
+force had been ordered. The drift, swollen by rains, was now a torrent,
+and in crossing the General and his A.D.C. were thrown by their restive
+horses into the river, whence they only emerged safe and sound in
+consequence of their being fine swimmers and pneumonia-proof Britons.
+
+Cronje, finding that the reinforcements failed to reach him, decided on
+the night of the 26th to cut his way out and seize a kopje before dawn.
+But his intention was frustrated by the Mounted Infantry, who, in spite
+of the darkness, kept a watchful eye on the slippery enemy.
+
+Quite early on the morning of the 27th of February, the anniversary of
+Majuba day, the splutter of musketry greeted the ears of the dozing
+camp. Some one was up and doing early. It was the Canadians. They were
+acting on the principle of the early bird that catches the morning worm.
+Supported by the Gordons, Cornwalls, and Shropshires, they were
+advancing, building a trench in the very teeth of the enemy, and at
+fifty yards' range were saluting him with such deadly warmth as to
+render his position untenable. How this energetic and gallant movement,
+the wonder and admiration of all, was brought about was described by the
+correspondent of the _Times_. "It appeared that Brigadier-General
+MacDonald sent from his bed a note to Lord Roberts, reminding him that
+Tuesday was the anniversary of that disaster which, we all remembered,
+he had by example, order, and threat himself done his best to avert,
+even while the panic had been at its height; Sir Henry Colvile submitted
+a suggested attack backed by the same unanswerable plea. For a moment
+Lord Roberts demurred to the plan; it seemed likely to cost too heavily,
+but the insistance of Canada broke down his reluctance, and the men of
+the oldest colony were sent out in the small hours of Tuesday morning to
+redeem the blot on the name of the mother-country.
+
+"From the existing trench, some 700 yards long, on the northern bank,
+held jointly by the Gordons and the Canadians, the latter were ordered
+to advance in two lines--each, of course, in extended order--thirty
+yards apart, the first with bayonets fixed, the second reinforced by
+fifty Royal Engineers under Colonel Kincaid and Captain Boileau.
+
+"In dead silence, and covered by a darkness only faintly illuminated by
+the merest rim of the dying moon, 'with the old moon in her lap,' the
+three companies of Canadians moved on over the bush-strewn ground. For
+over 400 yards the noiseless advance continued, and when within eighty
+yards of the Boer trench the trampling of the scrub betrayed the
+movement. Instantly the outer trench of the Boers burst into fire, which
+was kept up almost without intermission from five minutes to three
+o'clock to ten minutes past the hour. Under this fire the courage and
+discipline of the Canadians proved themselves. Flinging themselves on
+the ground, they kept up an incessant fire on the trenches, guided only
+by the flashes of their enemy's rifles; and the Boers admit that they
+quickly reduced them to the necessity of lifting their rifles over their
+heads to the edge of the earthwork and pulling their triggers at random.
+Behind this line the Engineers did magnificent work; careless of danger,
+the trench was dug from the inner edge of the bank to the crest, and
+then for fifty or sixty yards out through the scrub. The Canadians
+retired three yards to this protection and waited for dawn, confident in
+their new position, which had entered the protected angle of the Boer
+position, and commanded alike the rifle-pits of the banks and the
+trefoil-shaped embrasures on the north."
+
+For some time it seemed as though hostilities were suspended, and
+then--a sign, a flutter of white, a signal of surrender caught the
+straining eyes of the regiment nearest the crest of the hill. In an
+instant the plains and the hollows, the kopjes, and even the dome of
+heaven, seemed animated--lending themselves to repeat the ringing cheer,
+to reiterate the cry of an immense joyous heart splitting a little
+universe in twain. Ears languid, ears hard-working, ears occupied, ears
+expectant, all caught the sound, echoed it and knew that at last the
+looked-for hour had come, Cronje had surrendered! Many Boers threw up
+their hands and dashed unarmed across the intervening space; others
+waved white flags and exposed themselves carelessly on their
+entrenchments, but not a shot was fired. Colonel Otter and Colonel
+Kincaid held a hasty consultation, which was disturbed by the sight of
+Sir Henry Colvile (commanding the Ninth Division) quietly riding down
+within 500 yards of the northern Boer trenches to bring the news that at
+that very moment a horseman was hurrying in with a white flag and
+Cronje's unconditional surrender, to take effect at sunrise.
+
+
+THE SURRENDER OF CRONJE
+
+Then all was activity. A note was borne to Lord Roberts stating that
+Cronje had given in, and General Pretyman thereupon rode out to take his
+surrender. The scene was highly impressive. Lord Roberts, in front of
+the cart in which he slept, walked up and down awaiting his prisoner,
+while a guard of the Seaforth Highlanders with drawn bayonets formed a
+line to either side. In the distance a small group of horsemen was seen
+approaching, a silhouette which gradually grew clearer in the golden
+light of the morning. It was General Pretyman with the redoubtable
+Cronje riding a white pony on his right and the escort of the 12th
+Lancers following. The subsequent scene was a study in reserve. After
+all the tumultuous passions, the ferocity of bloodshed, the
+diamond-cut-diamond activities of death-dealing lyddite and
+Vickers-Maxims, the two leaders met without the smallest sign of
+emotion. To Lord Roberts, who stood with his staff awaiting him, Colonel
+Pretyman said, "Commandant Cronje, sir!" The two great men looked at
+each other, the Dutchman touched his hat, the Englishman returned the
+salute. The group dismounted, and then, regretfully be it noted, Lord
+Roberts, the blameless upright British soldier gave his hand to the
+tyrant of Potchefstroom. "You have made a gallant defence, sir," said
+the British Commander-in-Chief; "I am glad to see you. I am glad to get
+so brave a man!"
+
+The picture of the redoubtable Cronje as he approached our great little
+Field-Marshal was remarkable in its contrast. On the one side you saw a
+burly square-jawed agriculturist, grizzly of beard, tanned and battered
+of complexion, portly and cumbrous of form. On the other, you had the
+lithe figured aristocratical British soldier, trim in his kharki
+uniform, and wearing his sword with the air of nameless distinction
+which belongs to the born ruler of men. Cronje's aspect was that of a
+substantial farmer, his heavy cane, his slouch hat encircled by its
+orange leather band, his bottle-green overcoat and tan boots were
+distinctly bucolic, but his rigid implacable countenance, an utterly
+impenetrable fa�ade, betrayed the masterly and indomitable character of
+the man.
+
+There is no doubt that by his fierce, his masterly resistance to the
+British he won for himself the respect of all who trapped him. His
+undoubted pluck, a quality which has such unending fascination for the
+English, served in a great measure to wipe off the terrible remembrance
+of his atrocious deeds in other years. Cronje spoke scarcely a word. He
+said there were 3000 Boers in the laager--as a matter of fact, there
+were over 3700--and also requested that his wife, son, grandson, and
+secretary might be allowed to remain with him. This request was acceded
+to; arrangements were made that his relatives should accompany him into
+captivity. He then partook of refreshment in Lord Roberts' quarters with
+the staff. Though he smoked, he said little and remained gloomy and
+preoccupied.
+
+The prisoners trooped across the river like some patriarchal or gipsy
+horde, with trousers turned up so as not to damp them in the swollen
+drift. They splashed along, each armed with his household effects, pots
+and pans, blankets and rifles, some jesting and skipping in sheer
+exuberance of animal spirits that long had been subdued, some stolid and
+serious in the full comprehension of the grievous end of all their pluck
+and endurance. And they had endured! From the hundreds of wounded that
+were brought in the same tale of suspense, and misery, and horror was
+told in varying keys. Always they had awaited reinforcement; they had
+even invented a scheme for cutting a way out to meet the relieving force
+which never came. But volunteers for this deed of daring were few. About
+a hundred in all. This meagre array was not sufficient. Others had
+pressed on the relentless Cronje the philosophy of surrender. They urged
+that directly, if not annihilated by shell fire, they would be laid low
+by fever; already eighty-seven men were slain and a hundred and sixty
+wounded. These had no doctors even to attend them. The surgeons had been
+left behind on the Modder, and the offer of Lord Roberts of medicine and
+succour had been refused. The suffering had indeed been terrible and now
+was of no avail.
+
+It was not pleasing to the vanity of the British army to find themselves
+confronted with such a rabble of tatterdemalions, and to remember how
+this nondescript mob had so long held them in check. But there was no
+denying that the ruffians had qualities, and that they, unkempt and
+undisciplined as they were, had proved themselves foemen worthy of our
+steel and tacticians meriting study.
+
+[Illustration: "MAJUBA DAY"--CRONJE SURRENDERS TO LORD ROBERTS AT
+PAARDEBERG.
+
+Drawing by R. Caton Woodville, from a Sketch by Frederic Villiers, War
+Artist.]
+
+It was curious how much our troops had learnt both from the
+undisciplined Boers and the inexperienced Colonials. From the latter
+they picked up the art of taking cover, and from the former the art of
+obtaining it. The Boer was not content merely to crouch behind a stone
+and show a head only when about to shoot. He cunningly arranged his
+sangar so that he should expose no head at all. He built up his small
+stones to the necessary height, taking care to leave a central loophole
+through which he could take aim and yet remain invisible. An officer, in
+giving his opinion of the Boer as a fighter, showed the lessons that had
+been taught by him. "As a defender of defensive positions in a
+mountainous country he is unequalled. He digs good trenches and chooses
+good defensive positions, and he lies there quietly and waits for his
+enemy to advance across the open. But he never, hardly ever, dares to
+attack in the open, and if his flank is turned or his rear
+threatened, he gets nervous, and retires to a better position if he can.
+If our positions could be reversed--that is, if Tommy Atkins had to
+defend the kopjes, and if the Boers had to attack them in the open,
+there can be no doubt as to the result. Tommy, perhaps, would not be
+quite so good as the Boer in defence, but, on the other hand, the Boer
+would fail in the attack; indeed, he could not be brought to attempt it.
+As a shooter the Boer is no better than our own men. The only difference
+is that he attempts to shoot at far longer ranges. The Boer has taught
+us to dig big trenches and to use big guns as mobile artillery."
+
+The mobility of the big guns was at the moment more of a puzzle than
+ever. The Boers were in possession of some Vickers-Maxims in laager, two
+15-pounders, and some big guns. We captured the minor weapons, but the
+big ones were sedulously hidden, and how they had vanished became a
+problem that was never solved. It was supposed they were buried in the
+bed of the river, but search failed to unearth them.
+
+Trophies innumerable were picked up. Sir Howard Vincent succeeded in
+securing a quaint seventeenth-century Bible, and Roberts' Horse
+possessed themselves of Cronje's green bell-tent and ox-waggon. One
+cavalry officer thought himself lucky to secure a new pair of stays
+marked "11�, waist 28 inches," evidently the property of a capacious
+vrow. Letters multifarious were found, among them Cronje's commission,
+signed by President Steyn.
+
+Most of the prisoners, when interrogated, declared they were sick of the
+war, and confessed that but for their fear of Cronje they would long ago
+have surrendered. His was the powerful, the guiding hand. Some of them
+expressed queer notions of the causes of the trouble, giving forth at
+second and even third hand--and in a very garbled condition--the
+sentiments poured into them by "sympathisers."
+
+Said one, "The war is got up by the capitalists. The generals arrange a
+victory or a reverse to suit their own interests on the Stock Exchange!"
+
+A private remonstrated, "You don't include Lord Roberts? You'll admit
+that he is disinterested!"
+
+"Not a bit of it! He is a shareholder along with Chamberlain and Rhodes
+and the other millionaires. They all look after number one."
+
+Against such prejudice and ignorance it was useless to argue.
+
+Some of the Free Staters expressed their joy at being relieved of the
+company of the Boers. They had been on bad terms with them, and had
+scarcely dared to speak a word in English for fear of their lives. One
+declared that he was not permitted even to address his horse in the
+odious language!
+
+There were great and astonishing contrasts in the groups of prisoners
+that were gathered together. Many of them were youths of sixteen to
+eighteen years of age. Some seemed in a hopeless stage of sickness and
+despair, others attenuated by the amount of vinegar consumed to cure the
+stupefying effects of our lyddite. Endurance, it was plainly to be seen,
+had been carried to the last pitch. Some, on the other hand, appeared as
+though already reviving with the relaxation of the strain to which they
+had been subjected; some even delighted to find themselves in British
+hands, no longer tormented by "hell-scrapers," as they called the
+shrapnel, and already clamouring to partake of spirits and refreshment,
+for which they had longed in vain. The rapture at their deliverance
+overcame all other sentiments; they had no thought for the ups and downs
+of the war, and many, indeed, were still unaware of the causes that had
+led them to share in it. Cronje had evidently kept a tight hand on them,
+and but for his unique influence many would long before have
+surrendered. This peculiar despotism was marvellous when it is
+considered that none of the younger commanders could induce more than a
+portion of his commando to follow him from the Natal side to the scene
+of operations. Cronje had the privilege of being the most admired and
+well-detested person on the stage of the moment, and one Boer was seen
+clenching his fist in the direction of the vanquished tyrant and
+exclaiming, "You hard man! you deserve to be shot." There were many who
+heard him who endorsed the opinion.
+
+A great deal of undue attention seemed to be bestowed on the Dutch
+Commandant, and evidently it was his undisputed military genius that
+earned for him the admiration of his conquerors. Only to this final
+display of skill and pluck can be attributed the deference paid to a man
+whose Anglophobia had made itself prominent for many years, one who cut
+such a despicable figure in his relations with us at Potchefstroom, and
+who was responsible in particular for much of the brutality which has
+been accredited to the Boers in general. It was certainly a case of
+turning the other cheek to the smiter, for the captive was allowed to
+take with him his wife, and retain in his possession his favourite
+horse, Wolmarens!
+
+Accompanied by Mrs. Cronje, he was sent to Cape Town in a covered
+waggon, guarded by a special convoy under the command of Colonel
+Pretyman. There was considerable pathos in the scene of departure, for
+many of the other prisoners had gone through the ordeal of the
+bombardment with their wives by their sides, and these, less fortunate
+than Mrs. Cronje, had to be left behind!
+
+The majority of people, it must be owned, were horrorstruck at the
+consideration shown to one to whom the word consideration was an empty
+name. A Scottish Colonial, writing home, expressed his irritation at the
+mode in which warfare was conducted. He said: "Cronje is now a hero,
+housed in the Admiral's cabin on board the _Doris_. He is probably
+saying, 'What fools the British are.' For, give him a chance, and he
+would commit again the treacherous murders for which he has been
+responsible in the past with as little compunction as he would feel at
+putting his heel on a scorpion. I wonder if we may take this bit of
+foolishness as an indication of the way in which England is going to
+settle up finally with the Republics. Her policy has so often before
+ended in weakness that one cannot help feeling nervous."
+
+He was merely one of a thousand who argued that it was impossible to go
+to war with kid-gloves on, and who regretted the terms of the
+proclamation which had been made on the entry of Lord Roberts to the
+Free State. This proclamation, which will be discussed anon, was another
+of the nineteenth-century humanitarian movements which were mistakenly
+applied to seventeenth-century comprehension. To return to the events of
+Majuba day.
+
+Lord Roberts subsequently visited the Boer laager, and testified his
+admiration of the ingenuity and energy with which the position was made
+almost impregnable to assault. In spite of ten days' bombardment by over
+fifty guns and howitzers, the number of Boer wounded was said to amount
+to only 160--a fact which went to prove that the power of artillery can
+be broken by the ingenious use of the spade. The entrenchments, when
+examined, proved to be most skilfully contrived, with narrow mouths some
+eighteen inches wide, and wide bases, some quite three feet broad, which
+rendered them almost impregnable to shell fire.
+
+The effect of the bombardment was terrific. The laager presented an
+appearance of black chaos, varied only by streaks of yellow, which told
+of the gambols of lyddite. Waggons were wrecked with shrapnel; some had
+ceased to exist; rings and twists and girandoles of distorted metal were
+all that was left of them. Within the laager was a decaying, disordered
+mass of Boer belongings, saddles innumerable, karosses and panniers,
+coats and feminine apparel, fragments of old tin trunks, and 2,000,000
+rounds of ammunition; wreckage of all sorts, united by the
+super-evident, unavoidable, and persistent bonds of stench, which
+permeated everything, weaving visible and invisible in one noxious
+nightmare of the senses.
+
+Round this arena of pestilence sentries were posted. It was necessary to
+prevent loot, though little of value remained save munitions of war.
+Most of the Boer property had been left behind in the hurried rush from
+Majersfontein and Spyfontein. Still the locality had to be guarded, and
+the guards, as well as all who approached, had to pocket their
+sensibilities. Indeed, it was a marvel how the Boers had managed to
+exist in the pestilential atmosphere that pervaded the river-bed.
+Dotted everywhere, or collected in heaps, already rotting in the
+tropical heat, were the remains of horses, mules, and cattle, some of
+which had been driven to death, while others had been hurried there by
+the voice of our howitzers or the rain of our rifle fire. In the fringe
+of this atmosphere our troops had lived for some three days past, for
+nightly they had advanced some fifty to an hundred yards nearer the
+laager, and there dug trenches and located themselves, till, at the end,
+the last three nights were passed almost within pistol-shot of the enemy
+and in the thick of a stench whose opacity was well-nigh suffocating.
+
+An interesting account of his enforced stay in the laager was given by a
+trooper in Kitchener's Horse, who was taken prisoner on the day previous
+to the great battle which settled Cronje's fate. He had become separated
+from the rest of his troop while scouting along the Modder River. When
+he looked round for his friends, he found himself surrounded by a party
+of Boers, who, jumping from the bushes, fired upon him. His horse was
+shot and rolled over upon the young trooper, carrying him with him into
+the river. The Boers rescued him, relieved him of his bandolier, and
+made him prisoner. Together they went to the laager. "There," the
+trooper said, "I was taken before Commandant Cronje, who asked me our
+strength and movements. On my replying that I was only a trooper, and
+did not know, he said, 'Oh, never mind; if you don't want to tell me, I
+shall not try to make you.' A guard was placed over me, and we stayed
+the night in the laager. I should say there were about 6000 Dutchmen all
+told, and forty women and children. A great many among them were
+Irishmen, a few Scotchmen; in short, almost every nation was more or
+less numerously represented. All that night they were busy entrenching
+themselves, employing a great deal of native labour to help them."
+Through the whole of the 18th of February the young man endured the
+bombardment, which he described as so heavy that it was impossible to
+remain in the laager, and consequently all, even the women and children,
+took refuge in the trenches. The Boers' mode of firing he specially made
+a note of: "The Boers did not in the least mind our attack, and laughed
+amongst themselves as they saw the men advancing. They allowed them to
+come up to about 600 yards from the trenches, and then opened a
+tremendous fire from their rifles. It did not seem to be aimed at any
+particular man, but more at a certain fixed distance. At that they fired
+as fast as they could. The range was obtained by a few fixed shots, who
+fired, watched the dust caused by the strike of the bullets, and then
+gave out the range. Our men came up to within 150 yards and then
+retired. They fired volleys at the longer distances, but all their fire
+seemed to me to be short." Each day there were losses, but comparatively
+few, as the bottle-shaped trenches afforded excellent cover; those that
+fell, however, were buried where they lay. He went on to say that "The
+shelling of Monday night destroyed several waggons, two of which were on
+either side of Cronje's own. No one could have been braver than he was.
+He stood upon the waggon-step, field-glasses in hand, and did not seem
+to care in the least how thickly the shells and bullets fell. Many of
+the Free Staters, however, were quite the reverse, and were in a great
+state of terror when the bombardment began. The ammunition waggons blew
+up, and several of the provision waggons were burned. The shrapnel
+killed the majority of the horses and cattle, which had no shelter but
+the banks of the river. Beyond that the fire did little real damage."
+The prisoner declared his belief that "could they have kept their laager
+out of fire they would never have surrendered. The loss of the provision
+waggons was what caused them to give in. They had only four days' food
+left. Their ammunition was still plentiful. After the explosion of the
+ammunition waggons by shell-fire on February 19, all the remaining
+cartridges were distributed throughout the trenches, and on the south
+side every trench was still full of unused ammunition. Everything was
+done in the trenches, even the cooking, each individual having with him
+a box of provisions sunk into the ground. These boxes were replenished
+at night as there was no possibility of reaching the laager during the
+day."
+
+Lord Roberts addressed the Canadians, and expressed his satisfaction and
+appreciation of the splendid work they had done and the courage they had
+shown. To them he attributed the greater share in the Boer surrender.
+All were delighted at the attention shown the heroic Colonials, who had
+done splendid work, and at the exhibition of Lord Roberts' tact and
+kindliness in thus singling out the Canadians for the position of
+honour. In the Jubilee of 1897 the Field-Marshal had told the Colonial
+Bodyguard that he would like to have them with him if he were ever in
+another campaign, and now the Canadians felt that the Chief's cherished
+words had been no mere formula, and that they had been given the chance
+to distinguish themselves that they had so eagerly desired.
+
+To General Colvile was given the credit of inventing the order of attack
+which at last brought the Boers to their senses. He arranged that the
+first rank should advance, bayonets fixed, till the enemy opened fire.
+Then they were to lie down and continue to fire on the Boers, while
+Engineers and the second line dug a trench. The trench thus made was
+within eighty yards of those of the Boers, and owing to its trefoil
+shape, the troops were able to enfilade both the river and northern
+trenches of the enemy and make them untenable. From their point in the
+original trench the Gordon Highlanders kept up a brisk fire, while the
+Shropshire Light Infantry, who were posted over a thousand yards to the
+north-west of the position, co-operated.
+
+In the very successful attack on the enemy's trenches the Royal Canadian
+Contingent lost seven killed and twenty-nine wounded. Major Pelletier,
+who commanded the French company, foremost of the three companies, was
+wounded, and also Lieutenant Armstrong. It is interesting to note that
+few of this gallant company of Great Britain's defenders could speak
+English!
+
+[Illustration: BOER TRENCHES AT PAARDEBERG. Photo by Alf. S. Hosking,
+Cape Town.]
+
+Colonel Otter, in command of the Canadians, had distinguished himself on
+many occasions by rare coolness and display of great talent in the
+field, and he now took pleasure in reporting excellently of the various
+members of the battalion under his command who had especially
+distinguished themselves. Among these were:--
+
+     Captain H. B. Stairs, 66th P. L. Fusiliers, and Lieutenant and
+     Captain A. H. Macdonell, Royal Canadian Regiment. E Company,
+     No. 5130, Corporal T. E. Baugh, R.C.R. F Company, No. 7782,
+     Private O. Matheson, 12th Newcastle Field Battery; No. 7803,
+     Private A. Sutherland, D. of Y. R. C. Hrs.; No. 7868, Sergeant
+     W. Peppeatt, Royal Canadian Artillery; No. 7871, Corporal R. D.
+     M'Donald, Royal Canadian Artillery; No. 7822, Private C.
+     Harrison, 2nd Montreal Regiment C.A.; No. 7841, Private A.
+     Bagot, 65th Montreal Rifles; No. 7778, Private Sievert, 93rd
+     Cumberland Infantry; No. 7615, Private A. T. Seriault, 9th
+     Voltigeurs de Quebec.
+
+But these were only a select few among the number who were engaged in
+incomparable things done incomparably well.
+
+FOOTNOTES:
+
+[1] Colonel Ormelie Campbell Hannay was in his fifty-second year, having
+been born on December 23, 1848. He entered the army as an ensign in the
+93rd Foot (now the Princess Louise's Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders)
+on October 5, 1867, received his lieutenancy on the 28th of October
+1871, and from February to November 1878 was instructor of musketry.
+Obtaining his captaincy on November 17, 1878, he was employed on special
+service in South Africa during the latter part of the Zulu War, from
+June to October 1879, for which he had the medal with clasp. From April
+to September 1883 he was aide-de-camp to the brigadier-general at
+Aldershot, was gazetted a major in January 1884, and from September 1886
+to November 1887 was again employed on staff service, for the first
+portion of the period as an aide-de-camp in Bengal, and for the latter
+portion in Bombay. He became lieutenant-colonel in June 1893, and
+colonel in June 1897, and in June 1899 was placed on the half-pay list,
+from which he was removed last October in order to take up the temporary
+appointment of assistant-adjutant-general at Portsmouth. Not till
+December 30, 1899, was he chosen for special service in South Africa.
+
+[2] Lieutenant-Colonel William Aldworth, D.S.O., was forty-four years of
+age, having been born on October 3, 1855. He entered the army as a
+sub-lieutenant on June 13, 1874, and was gazetted to the 16th Foot, of
+which he was adjutant from October 17, 1877, to March 29, 1881. Gazetted
+a captain in the Bedfordshire Regiment on March 30, 1881, he served with
+the Burmese Expedition from January 14, 1885, to March 3, 1886, as
+aide-de-camp and acting military secretary to Sir Harry Prendergast,
+first as a major-general in Madras, and then as general officer
+commanding in Upper Burma, being mentioned in despatches and receiving
+the D.S.O. and the medal with clasp. He also took part in the Isazai
+Expedition in 1892, and in February 1893 was gazetted a major. In 1895
+he served with the Chitral Relief Force under Sir Robert Low with the
+1st battalion of his then regiment (the Bedfordshire), and took part in
+the storming of the Malakand Pass and the engagement near Khar, for
+which he had the medal with clasp. Again he was in active service in
+1897-98, under Sir William Lockhart, in the campaign on the North-West
+Frontier of India, with the Tirah Expeditionary Force as
+deputy-assistant-adjutant-general of the 2nd Brigade, and with the
+Khyber Force as deputy-assistant-adjutant-general, being present at the
+forcing of the Sampagha and Arhanga Passes, and the operations against
+the Chamkanis and in the Bazar Valley. He was mentioned in despatches,
+received the brevet of lieutenant-colonel (May 20, 1898), and two
+clasps. He obtained the substantive rank of lieutenant-colonel in the
+Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry on October 12, 1898.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER II
+
+MAFEKING IN DECEMBER AND JANUARY
+
+
+Christmas Day, in deference to warlike etiquette, was observed as a
+holiday; but, in spite of the pacific nature of the occasion, the man
+who was the brain of Mafeking was organising a plan by which the cordon
+around the town might be broken. He was deciding that there must be a
+big fight on the morrow, and that a desperate effort must be made to
+change the cramped vista of affairs. Waiting was a weary game, and it
+was felt that some one must make a move. The Boers certainly, had they
+chosen, might have carried the town by assault, but for such activity
+they had no appetite. This was no boy's job, and, as they themselves
+confessed, they went out to shoot, not to be shot. Not so the gentle
+civilians, who, while incarcerated in this little hamlet of the veldt,
+had developed into valiant campaigners. They were always ready to be up
+and doing, and gladly fell in with the Colonel's plans. Frequent
+reconnaissances had disclosed the fact that the enemy's position, though
+strong on the western face, was fairly vulnerable at a point on the
+east, and at this point it was decided an attack on the morning of the
+26th should be directed.
+
+The plan of attack was as follows:--Captain R. Vernon, King's Royal
+Rifles, with C Squadron, and Captain FitzClarence and D Squadron, to
+lead; Captain Lord Charles Bentinck, with A Squadron, to hold the
+reserve upon the left, which was under the command of Colonel Hore.
+Major Panzera and the artillery were to take up a position upon the
+extreme left of the line. The railway running to within a few hundred
+yards of Game Tree had been repaired, in order that the armoured train,
+under Captain Williams and twenty men of the British South Africa
+Police, with one-pounder Hotchkiss and Maxim, from a point parallel with
+Game Tree, might protect the right flank. This flank was to be further
+supported by Captain Cowan and seventy men of the Bechuanaland Rifles.
+The entire operations from this side were to be under the command of
+Major Godley, while Colonel Baden-Powell and his staff, Major Lord
+Edward Cecil (Chief Staff Officer), Captain Wilson, A.D.C., and
+Lieutenant Hanbury Tracy watched the direction of events from Dummie
+Fort.
+
+[Illustration: CRONJE'S FORCE ON THEIR MARCH SOUTH.
+
+Drawing by Sidney Paget, from a Sketch made 8 Miles South of Paardeberg
+by W. B. Wollen, R.I.]
+
+It must be remembered that at that time the character of the fort they
+intended to assail was barely known. In reality, it rose some seven
+feet above a ditch deep and wide, which almost defied assault. However,
+it was decided that Game Tree, from which had poured voluble rifle and
+artillery fire for many weeks, must at all hazards be silenced. It was
+most important that communication with the north should be, if possible,
+re-established, and there was every hope that a successful fight might
+make it easier for Colonel Plumer to eventually join hands with the
+besieged.
+
+The night passed. As the grey dawn broke over the veldt, a flash weirdly
+orange and a golden puff of smoke showed that the preconcerted plan had
+begun to be put in operation. Major Panzera with his seven-pounders had
+started the programme. Presently the Maxim rapped out in chorus, while
+on the right the great dusty crocodile, the armoured train, slunk along
+to its destination. Its whistle shrieked. It was Captain Vernon's signal
+for action. On the instant a thin line of moving kharki broke from
+cover, bayonets glittered among the scrub, cheers and the rattle of
+musketry filled the air. Officers and men were dashing, as only Britons
+can dash, each striving to outrush the other towards the lair of the
+enemy. Quick as thought they had plunged into the scrub that girdled the
+sandbags, and excitedly, jubilantly, some one on Dummie Fort sang out,
+"They are swarming over the bags--the position is ours!"
+
+All waited anxiously, almost breathlessly. The moments grew and grew,
+seconds became years. The sputtering of rifles continued, and swelled
+into a vast hum, and then some one--the same some one, only in a very
+different voice from that which spoke last, said hoarsely, "Our men are
+coming back!"... Yes. They were indeed coming back--the remnant--firing
+sullenly their parting shots ere they receded. The enemy's position had
+been proved impregnable! Their parapet was loopholed in triple tiers and
+roofed with a bomb-proof protection. It had but a single opening, large
+enough to admit one man at a time. It was in firing his revolver into
+one of the loopholes and endeavouring to pull out a sandbag with his
+left hand that Lieutenant Paton was killed. Captain FitzClarence, far
+ahead of his men, was shot in the thigh within 150 yards of the fort,
+and both Captains Sandford and Vernon were laid low almost within a
+stone's throw of the rifles of the enemy. Lieutenant Swinburne, who,
+directly Captain FitzClarence was wounded, led his men forward with
+dauntless energy, escaped unhurt. But few were equally lucky. Out of a
+storming party of eighty, twenty-one were killed and thirty-three
+wounded. It was when he saw this useless sacrifice of life that Major
+Godley sent a message to headquarters by the aide-de-camp. "Captain
+Vernon, sir, has been repulsed," he said, "and Major Godley does not
+think it worth while trying again." Nor was it. All that could be done
+was to send the ambulance to perform its grim duty.
+
+In describing the tragic affair, Mr. Angus Hamilton, in _Black and
+White_, said: "Indeed, from the armoured train it could be seen that the
+progress of the men towards the fort was like the Charge of the Six
+Hundred into the Valley of Death--a conviction which became more and
+more apparent as our men gallantly held to their course. Within 300
+yards of the fort it was almost impossible for any living thing to
+exist, and the rush of the bullets across the zone of fire was like the
+hum of myriads of locusts before the wind. The gallantry of the effort,
+the admirable steadiness and precision with which the attack was
+delivered, has been compared by our commanding officers to deeds which
+rank among the foremost of our martial chronicles."
+
+It was veritably a charge of heroes. Scarcely one man could be singled
+out as the bravest of the brave where all showed such magnificent
+courage. Captain Sandford, Indian Staff Corps, though wounded mortally
+by a bullet in the spine, with his last breath ordered his men to
+continue their advance and leave him to his fate. Captain FitzClarence,
+wounded in the leg, bleeding, exhausted, was seen sitting up and
+directing the charge. Elsewhere was Captain Vernon, with a bullet
+through him, rushing on and on in company with the heroic youth, Paton,
+whose effort to scale the inaccessible rampart brought about his death.
+This splendid fellow was shot through the heart; while Captain Vernon,
+who had again been hit, and still pursued his onward course into the
+teeth of the foe, was struck on the head and killed. The only other
+officer that escaped uninjured was Lieutenant Bridges, and he hurt his
+ankle while assisting a wounded comrade. The details of the killed and
+wounded were as follows:--Officers killed, three; wounded, one. Men
+killed, eighteen; wounded, thirty-two; missing, thirteen. Thus ended a
+superb effort, which, failure though it was, was vastly superior to many
+a meaner martial success.
+
+So the garrison had to go on in the old, old way, though many popular
+and beloved members were now missing, and the hospital was full of cases
+that threatened to end seriously. Owing to the commendable forethought
+of Lord Edward Cecil and the enterprise of Messrs. Julius Weil, the
+garrison was provided with the wherewithal to make what resistance they
+did. Lord Edward Cecil's work was ceaseless; as Chief Staff Officer he
+came in for both the external fights and the internal discords. He
+smoothed down quarrels, dispensed justice, allayed "siege fever" in all
+its intermittent phases, and in fact performed the tasks of ten men,
+with unfailing courtesy and inexhaustible patience. The pinch of the
+siege had gradually become more painful, and luxuries for some time had
+been commandeered for the use of the sick. Luckily, some Chinamen among
+the besieged contrived to grow vegetables in small quantities for the
+use of the inhabitants, and by force of good management in the disposal
+of the food supplies, which had been stocked by Messrs. Weil before the
+outbreak of the war, a fixed scale of rations for every man, woman, and
+child was secured. Conversation grew monotonous. It circled round the
+positions of the guns, the chance of relief, and question of stores,
+till it produced a mental giddiness that verged on the idiotic. Few
+grumbled, few swore. In this matter the Boers acted as a safety-valve.
+When people felt in the "something's too bad of somebody" mood, they
+could go out and snipe, and vent their spleen usefully and to the honour
+of their country! Sundays were more than ever flat. There was not the
+excitement attendant on dodging shells in the open. Speculation on the
+subject of food languished round the limitations of Hobson's choice. Mr.
+Neilly in the _Pall Mall Gazette_ gave a sorry outline of the scanty
+fare. "I will attempt to give you an idea of what this scarcity of diet
+means. You are in a trench. In the early morning you have handed to you
+a piece of bread as big as a breakfast roll and a little tin of 'bully'
+sufficient for one average meal. You have some of it for breakfast, and
+if you have not an iron will you will eat the lot there and then, and go
+hungry for the rest of the twenty-four hours. What you leave is kept in
+the broiling sun until luncheon-time, when you find the beef reduced to
+an oily mess that does not look very appetising. You eat more and
+tighten your belt a hole or two to delude yourself into the belief that
+you have had a satisfying meal. You roast away again until dinner-time,
+when you gather up the last crumb and sigh for a few hours in the
+Adelaide Gallery or even in an East-End cookshop. But this is not all;
+you are for guard duty from midnight until 3 A.M. You have no sleep
+before you go on, and the slumber you fall into when relieved is
+destroyed an hour after you have entered upon it by the morning order to
+stand to arms. You thus get a schoolboy's luncheon to keep you alive for
+twenty-four hours. It is made unpalatable by the sun, and if a Mafeking
+shower falls, the odds are that it will be flooded over and buried in
+the mud at the bottom of the trench."
+
+At this time Cronje, by way of recreation, returned to Mafeking, a
+fleeting visit, possibly to test some novel plans for the purpose of
+subduing the town. He came armed with incendiary shells, which were
+supposed to hit and blaze up and cause an inspiriting conflagration. But
+they did not succeed. They caused a conflagration certainly, but its
+duration was limited. At the end of it, Mafeking smiled still, but
+smiled with the curled lip of scorn. The convent, notwithstanding its
+symbol of the Red Cross, had been hit, and crushed, and wrecked; the
+hospital had been assailed; the sacred claim of humanity had been
+outraged; women and children had been subjected to terrors of fact and
+terrors of dread. These atrocities continued, and Her Majesty's
+long-suffering subjects looked on and waited; they believed that
+deliverance must soon come. If they had not had that belief to help
+them, they would have died or surrendered. They believed that a day of
+reckoning would arrive, and that then Cronje and his diabolical
+hirelings would come by their deserts. If only they could have skipped
+six weeks and looked into the mirror of Fate, the drama at Paardeberg
+Drift would have reassured them. As it was, they had to live in faith.
+The series of atrocities that marked the Boer assaults had scarcely a
+counterpart in modern history, and it grew doubtful, if ever their turn
+should come, whether the besieged would be prevailed upon to emit one
+spark of that "magnanimity" with which their countrymen had been so
+lavish, and which the Boer had grown to account as a natural weakness of
+these "verdomde rooineks."
+
+Siege life was now becoming painfully irksome. A blazing sun, a
+drenching rain, a gust of wind through the pepper trees, this was all
+the variety at hand. The inhabitants of the town began to feel like
+ghosts of themselves, ghouls walking the earth, yet out of touch with
+those who spoke of them as a memory, and nothing more. To them it was
+the quiet of the grave. They waited like some enchanted princess of a
+fairy tale for the time when the magic wand should wave and their pulses
+throb with joy and excitation, with laughter and zest for the good
+things of the hour. Now they walked as in a dream to the accompaniment
+of shot and shell, surrounded by devilish ogres and looters of the dead,
+while somewhere within a few miles of them, kith and kin, living and
+breathing kith and kin, seemed as phantoms in a nightmare to pass by and
+to ignore! A speechless, soundless asphyxia of the soul seemed to be
+creeping over these tired patient heroes! They still waited and hoped,
+but hoping and waiting had now grown monotonous, almost mechanical, as
+the tickings of an eight-day clock.
+
+Rumours many and fantastic were brought in by the natives. It was
+believed that a new year's gift of three waggon loads of ammunition had
+been received by the Boers from Pretoria, and also a new gun. This
+weapon it was afterwards discovered was provided with more combustible
+bombs, horrible missiles that disgorge a chemical liquid which ignites
+in contact with the air. Here was a continual horror, and one that was
+only combated by extreme precautions. Though Colonel Baden-Powell in his
+nook on the stoep of his house continued to whistle his insouciant
+notes, his busy brains needed to be Machiavellian in their ingenuity.
+Some declared he slept with one eye open; others, that he never slept at
+all. Certain it was that when all were hushed in slumber he was "on the
+prowl," either on the roof or in the open, reading from the heavens
+above or the earth beneath the enemy's approaching machinations. Some
+find sermons in stones; B.-P. found inspiration in sand and sky.
+
+[Illustration: THE MARKET SQUARE, MAFEKING.]
+
+The Boers continued their bombardment, the sun continued to blaze, to
+smite the tin roofs and glaring sandy roads. After persistently
+directing shells on the women's laager the ruffians succeeded in
+murdering three little children. These were of Dutch nationality, and it
+was hoped that their loss might possibly awaken a feeling of humanity
+and remorse in the breast of those who had prompted the assault on the
+defenceless position. But their conduct was rendering those within the
+town exasperated almost to madness. They panted for a chance to mete out
+annihilation to the blood-lusting rascals and untamed savages who were
+harassing them. They did their best, and sat down to the business of
+clearing off as many as possible of the polyglot horde who worked the
+guns.
+
+The work done by the Bechuanaland Rifles and the British South Africa
+Police was prodigious. They shrunk from no toil and no exposure so that
+they might reduce the number of the besiegers. Early in the New Year the
+Rifles entrenched themselves within 900 yards of the enemy's big guns,
+and spent days and nights in the trenches, relieved at intervals by the
+Police. From nine on one night till nine the next they would occupy
+their unenviable position, carrying with them their day's food and
+water, and employing themselves during the hours of light by keeping up
+a persistent fire on the Boer siege gun. On occasions their fire was so
+accurate that the Dutchmen had entirely to abandon the work of loading
+and training the gun. So smart, at last, grew the British sharpshooters,
+that during each Sabbath the gun was shifted farther and farther away.
+
+Colonel Baden-Powell's resourcefulness was again put to the test, and
+was again triumphant. The Boers were somewhat nonplussed by the
+discovery that he had a new weapon of defence. They put their heads
+together and concluded that the weapon must have sprung from the bowels
+of the earth. It so happened that in some long-forgotten stores in the
+town an old ship's gun was suddenly discovered. Quickly it was brought
+into action. But the ways of this old muzzle-loading 16-pounder were not
+as the ways of the modern "Long Toms," whose tricks were "understanded"
+of the Boer people. It had curious and distinctive virtues of its own.
+This gun threw solid shot, which, unlike a shell that bursts and is done
+with for better or for worse, gallivanted along the ground according to
+its own sweet will, and produced little surprises that caused the
+Colonel much amusement and not a little satisfaction.
+
+[Illustration: GUN MADE IN MAFEKING. Photo by D. Taylor, Mafeking.]
+
+The biography of the treasure-trove was written by Mr. Angus Hamilton
+of _Black and White_, who declared that there was quite a flutter of
+excitement at the appearance of the antiquated weapon. "It would seem,"
+he said, "to have been made about 1770, and is identical with those
+which up till very recently adorned the quay at Portsmouth. Its weight
+is 8 cwt. 2 qr. 10 lbs., and it was made by B. P. & Co. It is a naval
+gun, and is stamped 'No. 6 port.' How it came here is uncertain, and its
+origin unknown; but one gathers that it must have been intended more for
+privateering than for use in any Government ship of war, since it is
+wanting in all official superscription. This weapon, which we have now
+christened 'B. P.' out of a compliment to the Colonel, has been lying
+upon the farm of an Englishman whose interests are very closely united
+with the native tribe whose headquarters are in Mafeking Stadt. Mr.
+Rowlands can recall the gun passing this way in charge of two Germans
+nearly forty years ago. He remembers to have seen it in the possession
+of Linchwe's tribe, and upon his return to the Baralongs, after one of
+his trading journeys, he urged the old chief to secure it for use in
+defence of the Stadt against the attacks of Dutch freebooters. The chief
+then visited Linchwe and bought the gun for twenty-two oxen, bringing it
+down to Mafeking upon his waggon. In those days it had three hundred
+rounds of ammunition, which were utilised in tribal fights. With the
+exception of visits which the gun made to local tribes, it has remained
+here, and is now in the possession of Mr. Rowlands. It has recently
+been mounted, and is in active operation against our enemies. We have
+made balls for it, and are intending to manufacture shells, in the hope
+we shall at least be able to reach the emplacement of Big Ben. The first
+trial of 'B. P.' in its new career gave very satisfactory results. With
+two pounds of powder it threw a ball of ten pounds more than two
+thousand yards. The power of the charge was increased by half pounds
+until a charge of three pounds threw a ball of the same weight as the
+first rather more than two miles. We, therefore, have pinned our hopes
+upon it, and commend to the responsible authorities the reflections
+which may be derived from the fact that our chief and most efficient
+means of defence lie in such a weapon."
+
+The mosquito tactics of the wily Colonel proceeded as usual, but the
+Boer was hard to checkmate. On the 15th of January an attack was made by
+the sharpshooters against the enemy's big gun battery, with the pleasing
+result that on the following day the 94-pounder and high-velocity Krupp
+evacuated their positions, and retired to a more distant one on the east
+side of the town, whence their command of the place was comparatively
+limited. In this quarter, now that the foe was pushed out of rifle
+range, it was possible to open grazing for cattle, a very desirable
+movement, for the poor lean beasts were waning rapidly. At this time
+Captain FitzClarence was reported among the convalescents, the wound
+received on the 26th of December having almost healed.
+
+Preparations were set on foot for the purpose of routing the enemy with
+dynamite, failing all other means of ridding the town of his too
+intimate proximity. Colonel Baden-Powell's motto, unlike that of British
+Governments, was to take time by the forelock. He left nothing to
+chance. In order to avert any risk of running short of supplies, rations
+were reduced, and oats which had previously belonged to the beasts were
+promoted to the use of their owners. Very stringent laws existed for the
+economising of everything. Matches and tinned milk were commandeered,
+and the theft of a matchbox was now viewed as a heinous crime. Tobacco
+in small quantities remained, but wines and spirits were fast running
+out. There were pathetic leave-takings as each quart of whisky
+disappeared from the stores; there was no knowing when would arrive the
+hour for a fond and a last farewell. Conversation grew still more
+monotonous. It mostly consisted of how the inner man should be
+sustained, and of anecdotes of agility in avoiding shot and shell.
+
+[Illustration: WEST YORKSHIRE REGIMENT (Colour-Sergeant).
+
+YORKSHIRE REGIMENT (Sergeant).
+
+Photo by Gregory & Co., London.]
+
+Still, considerable interest was taken in the performances of the old
+16-pounder, which had been rigged up and christened by some "Skipping
+Polly," on account of its skittish habits and its propensity to
+ricochet. This, though erratic in its proceedings, did good work, and
+struck the parapet of the enemy's fort. On the 10th of January violent
+rains came down, and rendered most of the trenches in front of the town
+uninhabitable, and life in general almost unendurable. Never was there
+greater need for the inestimable virtues of pluck and patience, and if
+medals had been awarded for these united qualities, the inhabitants of
+Mafeking would all have possessed them.
+
+The pinch of siege life now became terribly evident, for the Kaffirs
+were reduced to eating mules. The British feared their turn at this diet
+would come directly. But the garrison was still cheery, and their
+entrenchments were considerably improved. In these Colonel Baden-Powell
+took a just pride, and his activity in promoting the safety and comfort
+of the inhabitants was boundless. They declared that they could feed
+themselves for another three months, but the nature of the form of
+provision was not divulged. Hardships and privations were endured by the
+little force with really amazing pluck. Beds they had scarcely enjoyed
+since the commencement of the siege; baths were almost as foreign, few
+had had a chance to remove their clothes; and news--the stimulus of the
+outside world--was entirely lacking. Letters now and then were passed
+out, but the real truth could never be trusted to black and white.
+
+The office of censor was undertaken by the Hon. A. H. Hanbury Tracy
+(Royal Horse Guards). His occupation was a hard and a thankless one, for
+constant vigilance had to be exercised lest reports concerning the inner
+state of Mafeking--reports most ardently craved by those interested at
+home--might fall into the hands of the enemy, and thus cramp the
+operations of Colonel Baden-Powell and those who helped him to present a
+bold and fearless front to the hovering hordes who were waiting smugly
+for what they believed to be the inevitable.
+
+On the 17th General Snyman bethought himself of a new way of starving
+the garrison into surrender. He sent a party of natives to enjoy the
+hospitality of the already sparsely fed town. It had not a mule to spare
+for extra Kaffirs, and Colonel Baden-Powell sternly though regretfully
+refused admittance to the new-comers. According to Boer usage, the
+officer and orderly who conveyed the message, notwithstanding the fact
+that they carried a white flag, were fired upon by the enemy while they
+were returning. A dastardly trick this, and the garrison resented it.
+
+At this time the news of the grand Ladysmith sortie was received with
+rejoicings, and the bellicose youngsters of the community began to rack
+fertile brains in hope to emulate the courage and dash of the sister
+garrison. On this day a shell hit the shelter occupied by Major Baillie
+and Mr. Stent, Reuter's correspondent, and portions crashed through
+Dixon's Hotel, but fortunately without injuring any one.
+
+News now reached the benighted villagers that Colonel Plumer, with three
+armoured trains, had actually reached Gaberones, some three hundred
+miles north of Mafeking. The troops had some sharp tussles with the
+Boers, and drove them out of rifle range while the railway operatives
+mended the line. Where Colonel Plumer's three trains came from was a
+mystery. He was known to have _one_, but there was no saying of what
+Rhodesia might not be capable in time of stress. Colonel Plumer had his
+work cut out for him, but he was not a man to sheer off difficult tasks,
+and there was intense hope that he might succeed. But there was always
+the Boer artillery--a terrible barrier between the relieving force and
+Mafeking--and in the face of this even the finest warriors, almost
+gunless, could scarcely be expected to advance alive.
+
+On the 19th of January the small community celebrated the 100th day of
+the siege. All the corners of the square had been knocked off by the
+ever-active Boers, but the village maintained a suitable air of
+liveliness. Exhibitions were arranged, and some smart fighting showed
+that the right arm of the British had lost none of its cunning.
+
+There were fat days and lean days in Mafeking. Though for the most part
+leanness prevailed, there was now and then to be found an oasis in the
+desert of the commissariat. Occasionally some successful raid made by
+the natives was productive of real meals--succulent beef _versus_ old
+mule and husks. In the course of one daring foray the natives secured
+two dozen head of cattle; in another they carried off prizes of fat kine
+to the tune of a score. The excursions took place under cover of
+darkness, and, like all raids, were pursued without the consent of the
+Government. The natives had a process peculiarly their own in seducing
+the fat kine to follow them home. Devoid of clothing, and crawling
+snake-like over the veldt, they would approach the grazing cattle and
+gradually draw off such beasts as appeared goodly in their eyes, and
+which had been previously marked down with the acuteness of hungry
+instinct. Noiselessly the animals were enticed on and on till they
+reached the precincts of the staadt, where the raiders were anxiously
+looked for by their Baralong friends. These famishing individuals
+greeted the successful capture of the wherewithal to maintain life with
+shouts and dances of joy.
+
+The garrison was soon put on a scale of still more reduced rations.
+These consisted of half a pound of meat and the same of bread daily. The
+luxuries of life--the people in England looked on them as
+necessaries!--tea, sugar, biscuits, jams, &c., were commandeered. In
+January the following housekeeper's notes were made by the correspondent
+of the _Times_:--"Meal and flour have jumped from 27s. per bag to 50s.;
+potatoes, where they exist at all, are �2 per cwt.; fowls are 7s. 6d.
+each; and eggs 12s. per dozen. Milk and vegetables can no longer be
+obtained, and rice has taken the place of the latter upon the menus.
+These figures mark the rise in the more important food-stuffs as sold
+across the counter, but the hotels have, in sympathy, followed the
+example, they upon their part attributing it to the increase which the
+wholesale merchants have decreed. A peg of whisky is 1s. 6d., dop brandy
+1s., gin 1s., large stout is 4s., small beer 2s. In ordinary times
+whisky retails at 5s. per bottle. This rate has now advanced to 18s. per
+bottle and 80s. per case. Dop, which is usually 1s. 4d., is now 12s. per
+bottle; the difference upon beer is almost 200 per cent., and inferior
+cigarettes are now 18s. per 100."
+
+On the good management of the contractors, Messrs. Weil & Co., every one
+depended for flesh and blood. On them rested the responsibility of
+issuing daily rations--bread and meat for the garrison, forage for
+horses, and food for natives--and very excellently they fulfilled their
+difficult task.
+
+On the 21st an unusual sort of show was held. The exhibits ranged from
+foals to babies, Mr. Minchin (Bechuanaland Rifles) securing first prize
+for the former, while Sergeant Brady, B.S.A.P., was the proud winner of
+the prize for the latter.
+
+Colonel Baden-Powell sent a despatch reporting his own doings at the end
+of January to Colonel Nicholson. It ran as follows:--
+
+     "Inform the Commanding Staff Officer that we are well here. On
+     January 23 the enemy moved their north-east supporting laager
+     to within 4500 yards of the town. We pushed our advance works
+     in that direction, and mounted Lord Nelson, an old naval
+     smooth-bore gun, in an emplacement 3100 yards from the enemy.
+     On the evening of January 29 we unmasked our guns and shelled
+     the enemy's camp with complete success. Next morning the Boer
+     laager was moved back two miles.
+
+     "On the 31st we were busy on all sides of the town. On the
+     south the men in our advance works had a skirmish with three of
+     the enemy's Krupp and Maxim guns, the firing being very heavy.
+     A bombardment of our front on Cannon Kopje by the Boer
+     94-pounder followed. On the east front our four guns replied to
+     this by a concentrated fire on the brickfield entrenchments,
+     where the enemy poured in a musketry and artillery fire.
+
+     "On the north the enemy's 5-pounders kept up a steady fire.
+     They dropped one shell through the roof of the hospital, but
+     luckily it did not explode. On the west the enemy, from their
+     advanced works, opened a heavy rifle and Maxim fire on Fort
+     Ayr, which our fort eventually silenced by the well-aimed fire
+     of its guns. The enemy sent three big shells into the town
+     after dark, but they gained nothing during the day.
+
+     "Our casualties during the past two days from the enemy's shell
+     fire have been three killed and three wounded. Mr. Kiddy, of
+     the Railway Department, has died of fever.
+
+     "On February 2 General Snyman, in reply to my letter with
+     regard to his deliberately shelling the women and children's
+     laagers on the 27th ult., offered no excuse or apology, and by
+     a transparent falsehood practically admits that he ordered it.
+     I have told him that I have now established temporary premises
+     for the Boer prisoners in the women's laager and in the
+     hospital, in order to protect these places from deliberate
+     shelling."
+
+General Snyman and Colonel Baden-Powell had also a correspondence
+regarding Snyman's arming and raising of natives. In reply the old
+commandant said that he had merely armed the natives as cattle-guards.
+In his turn he complained that the British had been seen making
+fortifications on Sunday. The Colonel, who only relaid some mine wires,
+informed him that he had himself been entertained by watching the
+building of new fortifications by the Boers on that day.
+
+On the 25th of January a shell burst through the convent, which was used
+as a convalescent hospital, and slightly wounded Lady Sarah Wilson, who
+had taken upon herself the care of the invalids. On the following day
+the women's laager was continuously shelled, but fortunately with small
+result. There was general jubilation at reports received regarding the
+success of Lord Roberts' operations. The news was an immense stimulus,
+and speculation as to the date of relief was freely indulged in. The
+besieged had learnt to gather hope from the smallest incidents. The
+disappearance from time to time of the 5-pounder Krupp, the 1-pounder
+Maxim, the 9-pounder quick-firing Creusot, which had a trick of making
+weekly excursions somewhere--caused them to conjecture whether Colonel
+Plumer had reached a point where these pieces could be made to come in
+handy. The 100-pounder Creusot, however, was untiring. It engaged only
+in shorter peregrinations, moving from one emplacement to another by way
+of variety, and keeping up a system of torture which acted badly on the
+nerves of the unhappy persons who were honoured with its attentions.
+
+The following telegram, forwarded by runner from the Mayor of Mafeking
+(Mr. Whiteley), was addressed to Queen Victoria: "Mafeking upon the
+hundredth day of siege sends loyal devotion to your Majesty, and
+assurance of continued resolve to maintain your Majesty's supremacy in
+this town." The splendid little garrison had indeed a right to be proud
+of itself for having for so long a period held at bay a puissant and
+spiteful foe. It had fought, it had schemed, it had set its wits against
+the wits of Cronje and his successors, and defied them magnificently.
+"No surrender" was its motto, and the reply from the enemy was stamped
+on every house of this minute town--so minute that it could have been
+"stowed within the railings of St. James' Park"--and scribbled in large
+black defacing lines wherever shot and shell could penetrate. Some idea
+of life's daily accompaniment of artillery may be arrived at by reading
+a description of his experiences recounted by Mr. Neilly of the _Pall
+Mall Gazette_. He said:--"When the enemy's artillery began to send us
+the heavy ration, those who knew most about the power of modern
+long-range high-velocity arms dreaded most the consequences. At the
+advice of our commander-in-chief, we went to earth, some into dug-outs,
+I, with others, into the wine-cellar of the hotel, which I consider was
+the most comfortable and luxurious place in the town. After breakfast a
+twelve-pounder on the heights went 'Boom!' Where had the shell gone? Had
+it struck a house? Had the building collapsed? Would the town be
+flattened and set on fire when the whole battery came into action? We
+speculated so until the second boom sounded, and the third quickly
+followed. Himmel! We had got it, and what a crash it was! Something had
+given way, and _d�bris_ and shrapnel scattered like a hailstorm across
+the dining-room floor overhead. While some calmed the ladies, others of
+us doubled up through the trapdoor, slid the panel that divides the bar
+from the dining-room, and looked in. The dense smoke of the bursting
+charge filled the place, but there was nothing to indicate that anything
+was aflame. When the air cleared slightly we entered, to find the floor
+and tables littered with brick-dust and scrap iron; but the area of
+destruction was confined to the brickwork at the side of the window.
+Nothing was stirred upon the tables, which were laid for luncheon. That
+was enough. Had the house been built of good tough English brick, its
+flank would have probably collapsed; the rottenness of the walls had
+saved them; the rottenness of all the houses would bring about
+comparative safety to the town. Solids struck by shell add to the
+destruction wrought by the projectile through flying splinters; but
+there is no use in trying to batter sand stuck together with water. The
+concussion sends off the detonator, the burst makes a hole in the wall,
+and the further results are an untidied room and a bad fright to anybody
+who may be in it."
+
+The writer, like the rest of the plucky crew, talked airily of the
+ordeal that all passed through, without a single boast of the splendid
+effect of the garrison's doughty resistance to the enemy in the early
+phases of the war.
+
+It is scarcely possible to exaggerate the full importance of this
+magnificent defence at that time. As an object-lesson in British pluck,
+and the marvellous celerity with which peace-loving citizens may become
+glorious fighters, the defence as a whole stands without parallel. But
+from a political point of view the initial stoutness of the resistance
+was a _coup_ which had far-reaching results.
+
+There is no doubt that at the outset of the war a conspiracy was on foot
+between the Cape Dutch and the Federals, and that the capture of certain
+towns was to be taken as a signal for the joining of the allies to drive
+the British from South Africa. It was thought that the apparently
+insignificant village of Mafeking would be among the first to fall, and
+the conspirators congratulated themselves that once the place went
+under, the door to Rhodesia would fly open. The gallant Cronje, with
+nothing better to occupy him, could have worked his way north, attacked
+Colonel Plumer and his small force, and without doubt defeated them. He
+would then have proceeded on a triumphal march. Having intimidated the
+natives, who invariably back the man with the visible biceps, and having
+armed the Matabele and Mashonas, he would have completely swept and
+devastated the fair country of the Colossus before our troops could have
+had time to save it from ruin. How far the ruin would have spread it is
+difficult to say. Like dynamite, it would have struck upwards and
+downwards, north and south. The capture of Mafeking would have unhinged
+the native population there, and forced them to side with the Boers; and
+once the natives got under arms the situation would have become so
+complicated that it might have taken years to unravel, if indeed the
+Government had the patience to unravel it at all.
+
+Then disaffection would have spread rapidly, even to Table Bay. Had
+Cronje at the outset not been kept tied to the place, occupied in trying
+to crack the nut which he eventually found too hard for his own teeth
+and for the sledge-hammer weapons of his mercenaries, he would have gone
+on from town to town gathering up adherents as he went, and causing
+intimidation of such a kind that even the loyally disposed would in
+sheer self-defence have thrown in their lot with him.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER III
+
+AT POPLAR GROVE
+
+
+Before going on, it must be noted that on the 19th Lord Roberts had
+issued a proclamation to the Burghers of the Free State in English and
+Dutch. He said that the British having entered the Free State, he felt
+it his duty to make known the cause, and to do his utmost to end the
+war. Should the Free Staters continue fighting, they would do so in full
+knowledge of their responsibility for the lives lost in the campaign.
+Before the war, the Imperial Government desired the friendship of the
+Free State, and solemnly assured President Steyn that if he remained
+neutral the Free State territory would not be invaded and its
+independence would be respected. Nevertheless, the Free Staters had
+wantonly and unjustifiably invaded British territory, though the
+Imperial Government believed that the Free State Government was wholly
+responsible, under mischievous outside influence, for this invasion.
+
+The Imperial Government bore the people no ill-will, and was anxious to
+preserve them from the evils which the action of their Government had
+caused. Lord Roberts warned the Burghers to desist from further
+hostilities, and he undertook that Burghers so desisting should not
+suffer in their persons or property. Requisitions of food, forage, fuel,
+and shelter must be complied with. Everything would be paid for on the
+spot, and if supplies were refused they would be taken, a receipt being
+given. Should the inhabitants consider that they had been unjustly
+treated, and should their complaint on inquiry be substantiated, redress
+would be given. In conclusion, Lord Roberts stated that British soldiers
+were prohibited from entering houses or molesting the civil population.
+
+By the terms of this proclamation it was necessary to abide, though, by
+degrees, as will be seen, it began to be discovered that generous
+concessions made to our enemies were misinterpreted and taken advantage
+of in ways which tended to prolong the war.
+
+Lords Roberts and Kitchener paid a flying visit to Kimberley on the 1st
+of March, and attended a crowded meeting in the Town Hall. Lord Roberts,
+with his usual grace, dwelt on the courage, endurance, and heroism
+exhibited by the troops and residents, not only in Kimberley, but in the
+other besieged towns.
+
+Cronje's fate being sealed, the Field-Marshal shifted his headquarters
+to Osfontein, seven miles up the Modder from Paardeberg. Near here it
+was rumoured that such Boers as had failed to come to the succour of
+Cronje had flocked. These, numbering some 10,000, had gathered at the
+summons of their chief from the regions round Stormberg, Colesberg, and
+Ladysmith, and were now busily entrenching a position some fifteen miles
+long. Of this the flanks rested on kopjes to the south of the river on a
+group called Seven Sisters, and to the north across the river on a
+flat-topped kopje, behind which were further fortified kopjes, forming a
+formidable position at Poplar Grove, a place so called because of a
+sparse display of poplar and Australian gum-trees in the vicinity.
+
+At this time the two Presidents of the Republics, finding things getting
+too hot to be comfortable, made magnanimous proposals for peace. The
+following is the text of their despatch.
+
+    "BLOEMFONTEIN, _March 5, 1900_.
+
+     "The blood and the tears of the thousands who have suffered by
+     this war, and the prospect of all the moral and economic ruin
+     with which South Africa is now threatened, make it necessary
+     for both belligerents to ask themselves dispassionately, and as
+     in the sight of the Triune God, for what they are fighting, and
+     whether the aim of each justifies all this appalling misery and
+     devastation.
+
+     "With this object, and in view of the assertions of various
+     British statesmen, to the effect that this war was begun and is
+     being carried on with the set purpose of undermining Her
+     Majesty's authority in South Africa, and of setting up an
+     Administration over all South Africa independent of Her
+     Majesty's Government, we consider it our duty solemnly to
+     declare that this war was undertaken solely as a defensive
+     measure to safeguard the threatened independence of the South
+     African Republic, and is only continued in order to secure and
+     safeguard the incontestable independence of both Republics as
+     sovereign international States, and to obtain the assurance
+     that those of Her Majesty's subjects who have taken part with
+     us in this war shall suffer no harm whatsoever in person or
+     property.
+
+     "On these conditions, but on these conditions alone, are we
+     now, as in the past, desirous of seeing peace re-established in
+     South Africa, and of putting an end to the evils now reigning
+     over South Africa; while, if Her Majesty's Government is
+     determined to destroy the independence of the Republics, there
+     is nothing left to us and to our people but to persevere to the
+     end in the course already begun, in spite of the overwhelming
+     pre-eminence of the British Empire, confident that that God who
+     lighted the unextinguishable fire of the love of freedom in the
+     hearts of ourselves and of our fathers will not forsake us, but
+     will accomplish His work in us and in our descendants.
+
+     "We hesitated to make this declaration earlier to your
+     Excellency, as we feared that as long as the advantage was
+     always on our side, and as long as our forces held defensive
+     positions far in Her Majesty's Colonies, such a declaration
+     might hurt the feelings of honour of the British people; but
+     now that the prestige of the British Empire may be considered
+     to be assured by the capture of one of our forces by Her
+     Majesty's troops, and that we are thereby forced to evacuate
+     other positions which our forces had occupied, that difficulty
+     is over, and we can no longer hesitate clearly to inform your
+     Government and people, in the sight of the whole civilised
+     world, why we are fighting, and on what conditions we are ready
+     to restore peace."
+
+[Illustration: SHELL FROM THE NAVAL BRIGADE DISPERSING BOERS FROM BEHIND
+THE SEVEN SISTERS KOPJES, DURING THE ACTION OF 7th MARCH AT LE GALLAIS
+KOPJE, NEAR OSFONTEIN.
+
+Drawing by Sidney Paget, from a Sketch by W. B. Wollen, R.I.]
+
+The answer to this effusion, addressed by Lord Salisbury on behalf of
+Her Majesty's Government to the Presidents, ran:--
+
+    "FOREIGN OFFICE, _March 11, 1900_.
+
+     "I have the honour to acknowledge your Honours' telegram, dated
+     March 5, from Bloemfontein, of which the purport is principally
+     to demand that Her Majesty's Government shall recognise the
+     'incontestable independence' of the South African Republic and
+     Orange Free State as 'sovereign international States,' and to
+     offer, on those terms, to bring the war to a conclusion.
+
+     "In the beginning of October last, peace existed between Her
+     Majesty and the two Republics under the Conventions which then
+     were in existence. A discussion had been proceeding for some
+     months between Her Majesty's Government and the South African
+     Republic, of which the object was to obtain redress for certain
+     very serious grievances under which British residents in the
+     South African Republic were suffering. In the course of these
+     negotiations, the South African Republic had, to the knowledge
+     of Her Majesty's Government, made considerable armaments, and
+     the latter had, consequently, taken steps to provide
+     corresponding reinforcements to the British garrisons of Cape
+     Town and Natal. No infringement of the rights guaranteed by the
+     Conventions had, up to that point, taken place on the British
+     side. Suddenly, at two days' notice, the South African
+     Republic, after issuing an insulting ultimatum, declared war
+     upon Her Majesty; and the Orange Free State, with whom there
+     had not even been any discussion, took a similar step. Her
+     Majesty's dominions were immediately invaded by the two
+     Republics, siege was laid to three towns within the British
+     frontier, a large portion of the two Colonies was overrun, with
+     great destruction to property and life, and the Republics
+     claimed to treat the inhabitants of extensive portions of Her
+     Majesty's dominions as if those dominions had been annexed to
+     one or other of them. In anticipation of these operations the
+     South African Republic had been accumulating for many years
+     past military stores on an enormous scale, which, by their
+     character, could only have been intended for use against Great
+     Britain.
+
+     "Your Honours make some observations of a negative character
+     upon the object with which these preparations were made. I do
+     not think it necessary to discuss the questions you have
+     raised. But the result of these preparations, carried on with
+     great secrecy, has been that the British Empire has been
+     compelled to confront an invasion which has entailed upon the
+     Empire a costly war and the loss of thousands of precious
+     lives. This great calamity has been the penalty which Great
+     Britain has suffered for having in recent years acquiesced in
+     the existence of the two Republics.
+
+     "In view of the use to which the two Republics have put the
+     position which was given to them, and the calamities which
+     their unprovoked attack has inflicted upon Her Majesty's
+     dominions, Her Majesty's Government can only answer your
+     Honours' telegram by saying that they are not prepared to
+     assent to the independence either of the South African Republic
+     or of the Orange Free State."
+
+To return to Osfontein. There was now a short and much-needed interval
+of repose, in which men and horses tried to recuperate. It was, however,
+necessary for the cavalry to be continually scouring the country to
+ascertain the whereabouts of the enemy.
+
+On the 6th of March Lord Roberts welcomed the Ceylon Mounted Infantry,
+and sent the following telegram to Sir West Ridgeway, Governor of
+Ceylon:--"I have just ridden out to meet Ceylon Mounted Infantry, and
+welcome them to this force. They look most workmanlike, and are a
+valuable addition to Her Majesty the Queen's army in South Africa."
+These troops were in excellent condition, so also were their handy Burma
+ponies, smart, knowing, and game little beasts, warranted to turn on a
+sixpence and stand any amount of wear and tear.
+
+On the same day the Colonials had a smart set-to with the Dutchmen, who
+were endeavouring to locate themselves in the vicinity, and the New
+Zealanders and Australians made themselves more than a match for the
+Boers, losing themselves only six wounded, while they put ten of the
+enemy out of action. The rest of the gang disappeared, on the principle
+of those who fight and run away live to fight another day. In fact, they
+moved to some strong eminences that commanded either side of the river,
+the centre of the position being at Poplar Grove Farm. Here the Federals
+thought to embarrass the British advance, but Lord Roberts decided to
+undeceive them. The Field-Marshal's plan was now to turn their left
+flank with the cavalry division, and then to meet their line of defence
+with the infantry divisions, and thus enclose them as Cronje had been
+enclosed.
+
+Accordingly the troops got themselves into battle array. The Naval
+Brigade brought their 4.7 guns four miles north-east of Osfontein, while
+the cavalry prepared to turn the Boer left, and started before daybreak
+of the 7th to accomplish this feat. On the north bank was left the Ninth
+Division with some handy Colonials and guns. Moving to the east were the
+Sixth and Seventh Divisions, with the Guards Brigade in the centre.
+
+The dawn grew. The Boers in the golden rays of morning were disclosed
+massed in the far front, and later was seen the glorious mass of
+French's cavalry sweeping south--a martial broom which the Boers began
+to know meant business.
+
+At eight o'clock the music of battle started, the Naval guns on one side
+and the batteries of General French on the other. Lyddite and shrapnel
+bounced and spluttered over all the small kopjes wherein the Dutchmen
+had made a lodgment. It was sufficient. The Boer guns spat
+impotently--the puling cry of dismay--then, knowingly, the Federals made
+preparations for a stampede. They saw in the distance the Sixth Division
+advancing, the Colonials cleaving the columns of dust, the Highland
+Brigade coming on and on, their dark kilts cutting a thin line across
+the atmosphere--they saw enough! To east they flew, speeding towards
+Bloemfontein--guns, waggons, horsemen--as arrows from the bow, and
+leaving behind them their well-constructed trenches, their ammunition,
+tents, and supplies. After them went the Colonials and City Imperial
+Volunteers, all keen sportsmen, exhilarated with the heat of the chase,
+but the Boers were uncatchable. No one has yet beaten them in the art of
+running away. Nevertheless, Lord Roberts was left in undisturbed
+possession of Poplar Grove. In the early afternoon the Boers certainly
+endeavoured to make one futile, feeble stand, but their effort was
+unavailing, and by sunset they were careering into space, while the
+cavalry vainly endeavoured to hem them in. Horse-flesh had come to the
+end of its tether; poor food and much galloping had reduced the noble
+steeds to helpless wrecks, and unfortunately the manoeuvres of
+Paardeberg could not be repeated. Curiously enough, though no Boers were
+caught, the military net was full of strange fish, a Russian, a
+Hollander, a German all being left in the lurch. It was a humorous
+episode. While the Boers were making off as fast as legs--the mounts of
+some had been shot--and horses could carry them, a dilapidated country
+cart, surmounted by a red flag, was seen to be approaching. From this
+cart presently emerged several forlorn personages, looking very sorry
+for themselves indeed. They accounted for their plight by saying that
+while the final fight was taking place their mule-waggon had broken
+down. The mules having been unloosed, promptly stampeded, and left them
+between two fires, that of the Boers (to whom they were attached) and
+the British. The name of one foreigner, in dark blue uniform, was
+Colonel Prince Gourko, of the Russian army; the other, attired in plain
+clothes, was Lieutenant Thomson, of the Netherlands (Military Attach� of
+the Boers). With them was a German servant in attendance on the Russian
+prince. Finding themselves in an uncomfortable quandary, one from which
+there was no escape, they decided to join the British. They were
+introduced to Lord Kitchener, and thereupon presented to the
+Commander-in-Chief, who received them with his usual courtesy.
+
+Lord Roberts, telegraphing home in the afternoon, thus described the
+day's work:--
+
+    "OSFONTEIN, _March 7_ (4.30 P.M.).
+
+     "March 7.--Our operations to-day promise to be a great success.
+
+     "The enemy occupied a position four miles north and eleven
+     miles south of Modder River.
+
+     "I placed Colvile's division on north bank; Kelly-Kenny's and
+     Tucker's, with cavalry division, on south bank.
+
+     "The cavalry division succeeded in turning the left flank,
+     opening the road for 6th Division, which is advancing without
+     having been obliged to fire a shot up to present time (twelve
+     noon).
+
+     "Enemy are in full retreat toward north and east, being closely
+     followed by cavalry, horse-artillery, and mounted infantry,
+     while the 7th (Tucker's) and 9th (Colvile's) divisions, and
+     Guards Brigade, under Pole-Carew, are making their way across
+     the river at Poplar's Drift, where I propose to place my
+     headquarters this evening."
+
+Later on the Commander-in-Chief wired from the said headquarters:--
+
+    "POPLAR GROVE, _March 7_ (7.35 P.M.).
+
+     "We have had a very successful day and completely routed the
+     enemy, who are in full retreat.
+
+     "The position they occupied was extremely strong, and cunningly
+     arranged with a second line of entrenchments, which would have
+     caused us heavy loss had a direct attack been made.
+
+     "The turning movement was necessarily wide owing to the nature
+     of the ground, and the cavalry and horse-artillery horses are
+     much done up.
+
+     "The fighting was practically confined to the cavalry division,
+     which, as usual, did exceedingly well, and French reports that
+     the horse-artillery batteries did a great deal of execution
+     amongst the enemy.
+
+     "Our casualties number about fifty.
+
+     "I regret to say that Lieutenant Keswick, 12th Lancers, was
+     killed, and Lieutenant Bailey, of the same regiment, severely
+     wounded. Lieutenant De Crespigny, 2nd Life Guards, also
+     severely wounded."
+
+Though the state of the cavalry was deplorable, it was thanks to the
+splendid execution of General French that the Boers showed so little
+fight, and there were so few casualties. The enemy saw the cavalry
+menacing their line of retreat, and pelted off from kopje to kopje, now
+and then sniping at the leading squadrons, and occasionally plumping a
+shell or two into the British midst. With the Dutchmen, Presidents Steyn
+and Kruger were said to be, and these worthies made a desperate attempt to
+rally the forces, but without success. Some say they even shed tears to
+encourage their countrymen, which tears had evidently a damping effect,
+for the Boers--some 14,000 of them--retreated all the faster. They were
+absolutely demoralised by Lord Roberts' tactics, and felt seriously
+injured that the trenches which had been prepared against a frontal attack
+should have been ignored. They had been so accustomed to be attacked in
+front that they began to look upon the Commander-in-Chief's "roundabout
+way of doing things" as distinctly unfair. They took themselves off, and
+when General French, who advanced ten miles ahead of the main body,
+scoured the front, he reported that not a Boer was to be seen. A vast
+amount of ammunition was left behind, and this, including several boxes of
+explosive bullets, labelled "Manufactured for the British Government," was
+promptly destroyed.
+
+Good news now arrived. The A and B squadrons of Kitchener's Horse,
+reported missing, suddenly returned to camp at Paardeberg. They, with E
+squadron, were cut off on the 13th of February, and given up for lost.
+Though E squadron was captured by the enemy, A and B squadrons succeeded
+in escaping, and, after losing their bearings on the veldt, and
+enduring three weeks' somewhat unpleasant experiences, found their way
+into safety.
+
+Quantities of the Transvaalers disbanded and returned to their farms. In
+other quarters, too, progress was announced. General Gatacre occupied
+Burghersdorp and General Clements had reached Norval's Pont, and thus
+the sporadic rebellion in Cape Colony was slowly beginning to die out.
+
+The army advanced and formed a fresh camp beyond Poplar Grove, where on
+the 8th and 9th more of the troops concentrated. The force was now
+moving through a fine grassy country, made additionally green and
+refreshing by plentiful rains, and the horses were improving in
+condition and spirits, while the men were in first-rate fettle.
+
+On the 10th of March the army proceeded onwards. By this time the Boers
+had posted themselves on the kopjes eight miles south of Abraham's
+Drift. It was imagined that they would be able to offer little
+resistance to the advancing force, but they, however, made a very
+determined stand.
+
+
+THE FIGHT AT DRIEFONTEIN
+
+On leaving Poplar Grove, Lord Roberts' force, rearranged and divided
+into three, advanced on Bloemfontein _via_ Driefontein, a place about
+six miles south-west of Abraham's Kraal and some forty miles from the
+capital of the Free State. Along the Petrusberg Road, to the right,
+moved General Tucker's division, with the Gordons and a cavalry brigade.
+The central column, composed of General Colvile's division, the Guards
+Brigade (General Pole-Carew), and Colonel Broadwood's brigade of
+cavalry, accompanied Lord Roberts, while on the left, advancing along
+the Modder River, was General French with Colonel Porter's cavalry
+brigade and General Kelly-Kenny's division. The ranks had been filled up
+by detachments from the Modder and Kimberley, which latter place had
+been converted into the advanced dep�t. Among the additional troops were
+the Ceylon Mounted Rifles, a soldierly lot and much admired by those who
+saw them. At 10 A.M. the brigade of cavalry under Colonel Broadwood,
+which was marching in advance of the central column, came in touch with
+the enemy. Their position was a strong one, an open, crescent-shaped
+group of kopjes, with the centre a plateau, dropping on all sides to
+flat ground. At the extreme end of the semicircle (on the crescent at
+the north-east) was posted a formidable gun, and this weapon, perched on
+a commanding kopje at Abraham's Kraal, protected the position from
+advance from the north-west. It also provided the Republicans with a
+loophole for escape. Colonel Broadwood had no sooner discovered the
+enemy in his snake-shaped array of kopjes than he commenced to shell
+him and drive him forth from the lower projections of the position. That
+done, he there planted his mounted infantry till reinforcements should
+come to his aid.
+
+[Illustration: DIRECTING AN ARMY FROM A MILITARY BALLOON.]
+
+On the right Colonel Porter had now come in contact with the foe.
+General French's orders were to avoid imbroglio with the enemy and to
+keep in touch with the centre. On a message being sent by Colonel Porter
+to inform General French of the presence of the Dutchmen, the infantry
+division changed its course. They now marched twenty miles to the south,
+reaching the position about one o'clock. The march was an achievement.
+Twenty miles across the blistering, blinding veldt, as a commencement to
+a fighting day six hours in length, was a feat of endurance of which the
+infantry division might well have been proud. The change of course had
+the effect of avoiding the necessity to attack Abraham's Kraal, though
+at the same time it unfortunately left open the enemy's line of retreat
+to the north, which, later on, he was not slow to make use of. With the
+arrival of General French's force, Colonel Broadwood was free to
+continue his movement to the left of the enemy's position, and working
+round it, found himself assailed by the 9-pounder of the enemy. He
+nevertheless pursued his course, gaining ground very slowly but surely,
+and by nightfall the brigade of cavalry had worked eight miles to the
+rear of the Dutchmen's position. This flanking movement, though not
+concluded at dusk, resulted in the eventual retirement of the enemy.
+
+Meanwhile in the centre of the plateau hot fighting was taking place,
+General Kelly-Kenny's division having made a bold attack on the north of
+the stronghold, whence the troops were greeted from behind a screen of
+boulders with a storm of shot and shell. The Dutchmen, safe and
+invisible, could not, however, succeed in arresting the dogged advance
+of the Welsh Regiment, who formed the first line of the attacking force.
+They went on and on despite the fierce fusillade of the Federals, their
+numbers growing momentarily thinner, but their nerve and perseverance
+showing no diminution. The Boers, ingenious as ever, offered a skilful
+and stubborn resistance, pouring a heavy enfilading fire from kopjes
+both east and south-west, while they plied two 12-pounders with intense
+vigour.
+
+From the south now came the artillery, T Battery R.H.A. sweeping the way
+for the infantry advance. But they had no easy task. Before they could
+get into action the Vickers-Maxim of the Federals commenced its deadly
+activities, and while the gunners were unlimbering killed first one man
+then another, and laid low several horses. But the brave artillerymen
+undauntedly pursued their work, and presently, with the loss of very few
+minutes, exchanged hearty greetings with the weapon which had wrought
+such havoc among their numbers. At this time U Battery, at the north of
+the Boer centre, was active, but later on, when the 76th Field Battery
+moved towards the enemy with a view to clearing a way for the rush of
+the infantry, U Battery joined T, and together they blazed away at the
+ridges held by the Dutchmen. But throughout the whole period they
+pursued their work under showers which unceasingly rained down from the
+rifles of the foe. Meanwhile the Welsh Regiment, supported by the Essex
+and Gloucesters, moved on and on till they reached the shelter of the
+crest of the ridge. Here, at 500 yards range, a crackling concert of
+musketry was heard, the Boers firing with great ferocity and
+stubbornness, the British with coolness and accuracy. From the centre of
+the position the Yorks, supported by the Buffs, did magnificent work,
+and they, together with the Essex Regiment, later on in the afternoon
+began doggedly to ascend towards the stone sangars of the enemy, which
+yet vomited forks of flame.
+
+Now they crawled and now they wormed themselves along through the grass,
+dripping with gore and covered with sweat, many of their officers gone,
+comrades dropping to right and to left of them, while the fire of the
+enemy continued to rattle down in their midst. Then, as the fusillade
+slackened, they leapt up and made for the ridge, taking it, going over
+the crest with glittering steel and ringing cheer, and finding not one
+single Boer had awaited their coming. The Dutchmen had vanished into
+thin air! It was a magnificent deed--the finest that had been witnessed
+for a long time--but it was dearly paid for. The way was paved to
+Bloemfontein, but with the corpses of the honoured dead. The brunt of
+the fighting fell on the Sixth Division, more particularly on the Welsh
+and Essex Regiments, the Ninth Division, with the Guards, arriving too
+late in the day to take part in the fight. A great number of officers
+were put out of action--so many, indeed, that some of the leading
+companies were led, and admirably led, by their colour-sergeants. A
+characteristic feature of the engagement was the Dutchmen's slim and
+ingenious mode of firing a big gun from amid a group of red houses, each
+floating a white flag, an arrangement which served to cover the
+retirement of the enemy, and on the success of which he doubtless
+complimented himself not a little.
+
+[Illustration: SERGEANT OF THE INNISKILLING DRAGOONS.
+
+Photo by Gregory & Co., London.]
+
+At dusk a splendid sight was visible. In the last glimmer of day Lord
+Roberts and his staff entered the central plateau, followed by degrees
+by all the troops--an imposing force, which evidently determined the
+Boers in their resolution to make themselves scarce. This they did, guns
+included, with really creditable and surprising rapidity. They were much
+disheartened by defeat, however, and though they had offered most
+stubborn resistance, the character of their defence was lacking in
+evidence of the determination which had hitherto been noticeable. Among
+the mortally wounded was the gallant officer commanding the Royal
+Australian Artillery, Colonel Umphelby.[3] The Boers lost over 100, but
+the list of our own killed and wounded was a long one. Amongst the
+killed were:--Captain Eustace, the Buffs; Lieutenant Parsons and Second
+Lieutenant Coddington, Essex Regiment; Captain Lomax, Welsh Regiment;
+Mr. McKartie, a retired Indian civilian attached to Kitchener's Horse.
+Wounded--Colonel Hickson, the Buffs, Lieutenant Ronald, the Buffs;
+Captain Jordan, Gloucesters; Second Lieutenant Torkington, Welsh
+Regiment; Second Lieutenant Pope, Welsh Regiment; Second Lieutenant
+Wimberley, Welsh Regiment; Captain Broadmead, Essex Regiment; Lieutenant
+Devenish, Royal Field Artillery; Major Waite, Royal Army Medical Corps;
+Lieutenant Berne, Royal Army Medical Corps; Colonel Umphelby, Royal
+Australian Artillery (since dead); Lieutenant C. Berkeley and Second
+Lieutenant Lloyd, Welsh Regiment; Second Lieutenant G. H. Raleigh, Essex
+Regiment.
+
+The Australians came in for a heavy share of the fighting. The 1st
+Australian Horse, brigaded with the Scots Greys, were fiercely fired on
+by the enemy as they advanced to within 800 yards of the wide bend of
+kopjes. The New South Wales Mounted Infantry, under Colonel Knight, and
+the Mounted Rifles, under Captain Antill, engaged in animated pursuit of
+the enemy as they fled towards the north, their fleet horses showing a
+marked contrast in condition to the jaded steeds of the English cavalry.
+
+Lord Roberts expressed his satisfaction at the brilliant work performed
+by the Welsh Regiment in the storming of Alexander Kopje, a feat in
+which they displayed consummate skill as well as amazing pluck. Some
+heroic actions took place during the day, particularly in connection
+with the supply of ammunition, which ran short owing to the necessity of
+relieving the infantry for their heavy march, of fifty rounds apiece.
+Some dastardly ones were also practised by the Boers, who, finding
+themselves in a perilous situation, the artillery in front and a
+squadron of mounted infantry hovering on their flank, hoisted a white
+flag and threw up their hands in token of surrender. Naturally the
+British accepted the sign, and, while they were approaching the
+Dutchmen, some others of their number hastened to pour a volley into the
+British ranks. Lord Roberts himself having been a witness of this
+treacherous act, remonstrated with the Boer leaders, and ordered that in
+future if such action were repeated the white flag should be utterly
+disregarded. The following protest was made by the Commander-in-Chief:--
+
+     "To their Honours the State Presidents of the Orange Free State
+     and South African Republic.
+
+     "Another instance having occurred of a gross abuse of the white
+     flag, and of the signal of holding up the hands in token of
+     surrender, it is my duty to inform your Honours that if such
+     abuse occurs again, I shall most reluctantly be compelled to
+     order my troops to disregard the white flag entirely.
+
+     "The instance occurred on the kopje east of Driefontein Farm
+     yesterday evening, and was witnessed by several of my own
+     staff-officers as well as by myself, and resulted in the
+     wounding of several of my officers and men.
+
+     "A large quantity of explosive bullets of three different kinds
+     was found in Cronje's laager, and after every engagement with
+     your Honours' troops.
+
+     "Such breaches of the recognised usages of war and of the
+     Geneva Convention are a disgrace to any civilised Power.
+
+     "A copy of this telegram has been sent to my Government, with a
+     request that it may be communicated to all neutral Powers."
+
+The Boers had now entirely disappeared. It was nevertheless hinted that
+they might be collecting in some new and unexpected region. The column,
+however, resumed its victorious march, proceeding twelve miles without
+coming upon the enemy. The beating of yesterday had produced a good
+effect, for the Dutchmen kept their distance, though in the kopjes all
+along the direct road to Bloemfontein, which lay due east, they were
+said to be swarming. It was also reported that Transvaalers and Free
+Staters had fallen out, and that the former, under Joubert, were
+determined to make a stand behind a magnificent entrenchment that they
+had built. The advance was supposed to come from the west, and
+consequently the Boer line of entrenchments extended some six or eight
+miles from the town facing towards Bam's Vlei. There were shelter
+trenches, made not on the kopjes, but about a hundred yards out on the
+plain beneath. They used sandbags, and had gun epaulements besides. In
+addition to all this, they had made sangars and piles of stones on the
+kopjes. Unfortunately for them, our troops made a cunning detour, which
+again dislocated the Dutchmen's programme, and forced them in their
+mountain fastnesses to sit inactive, while the cavalry was wheeling
+south to the outskirts of Bloemfontein! Here there were no
+fortifications and very few Boers.
+
+Mr. Steyn now secretly left Bloemfontein for Kroonstad, as, in spite of
+Mr. Kruger's representations, it had been decided to surrender the
+capital of the Free State. Lord Roberts, who had sent in a formal demand
+for surrender, received no reply. General Joubert made preparations,
+with some 3000 men, to avert the surrender, but his approach, veritably
+at the eleventh hour, was barred by the clever manoeuvres of the
+British. This splendid piece of work was executed by Major
+Hunter-Weston, R.E. He was sent by General French to cut the railway
+north of Bloemfontein, and thus preclude any chance of Boer interruption
+to the triumphal progress into the town. In the dead of night the Major,
+with seven men of the field-troop, all mounted on picked horses (a
+precaution that was very necessary considering the hard work done by the
+troops both before and after the relief of Kimberley), started on their
+hazardous expedition. Darkness cramped, though it cloaked their
+movements, and the ground over which they sped was seamed with dongas
+and many impediments; and, moreover, a wide sweep had to be made to
+avoid Boer pickets. Before the peep o' day they reached their
+destination. Then they began to search for a place suitable for
+demolition. They came on a culvert supported with iron girders, one of
+which was hastily but cautiously prepared by placing two 10-lb. charges
+of gun-cotton against the web, which was fired within twenty minutes.
+Then, with a detonation that seemed to shake the day into dawning, the
+line was completely wrecked and rendered impassable, and Joubert, whose
+"special" was timed to arrive at Bloemfontein at 8.10 A.M., lost his
+last chance of interfering with the proceedings! This in itself was an
+excellent _coup_, and particularly serviceable, since it secured to the
+British the use of twenty-six locomotives at a time when they were much
+needed.
+
+General French had also seized and destroyed some portions of the
+railway south of Bloemfontein. His headquarters were made at the house
+of Mr. Steyn's brother--who had tried unsuccessfully to get away, and
+was forced to remain at his farm--while the troops were now posted at
+different points outside the town, and were, in comparison with their
+former state, in clover.
+
+Early on the 13th the 1st Cavalry Brigade moved slowly towards some
+kopjes to the east of Bloemfontein and occupied them. All knew the great
+day was come when Lord Roberts with Kelly-Kenny's and Colvile's
+divisions, the Guards Brigade, and the Mounted Infantry would be
+presently marching into the Free State capital. Whereupon the
+adventurous journalist, determined there should be no pie without the
+impress of his finger, put his best leg foremost and decided to lead the
+way. The correspondents of the _Sydney Herald_, the _Daily News_, and
+the _Daily Telegraph_ were seen like madmen spurring over the plain.
+There was ten to one on the favourite, the Burleigh veteran, and the
+Colonial was only backed for a place, yet he it was who won! They were
+received in the Market Square with beams. There was a shade of relief
+even on the most surly countenances. Mr. Fraser, a member of the
+Executive, the Mayor of Bloemfontein, and others, "bigwigs of B.," as
+somebody called them, came out and did the honours. These gentlemen were
+invited to take carriages out to welcome the British force,
+which--diplomacy being the better part of hostility--they accordingly
+did. In starting they encountered the first of the British victors,
+Lieutenant Chester-Master, with three of Remington's scouts. At last
+they came to the Chief's halting-place, and the surrender of the town
+was made known. The medi�val ceremony of delivering up the keys of
+Parliament and Presidency was gone through. Formalities over, Lord
+Roberts made the gracious assurance that, provided no opposition was
+offered, the lives and properties of the Bloemfontein public were safe
+in his hands. Having notified his intention to enter the capital in
+state, the Mayor, Landrost, and others departed to acquaint the
+townspeople.
+
+
+AT BLOEMFONTEIN
+
+Bloemfontein! A name of milk and honey, of flowers and dew! Every vowel
+breathed of pastoral simplicity, of luscious grasses and lowing kine, of
+gambolling game and purling stream. A name for a poet to conjure with! a
+talisman to awaken the mellow music of a Herrick and recall the soul of
+Walton to benevolent rejoicings in the "sights and sounds of the open
+landscape." Unfortunately, the mellifluous name was not derived from the
+German for flowers or from the melody of fountains. It owed its origin
+to a Boer peasant who stood godfather to the hamlet and also to an
+adjacent stream. Here in other days the innocent Voertrekker unpacked
+his waggons and set out his little farmstead, choosing green rising
+ground, an oasis in the sandy veldt, and the neighbourhood of a
+refreshing rivulet for comfort's sake, and not because he foresaw that
+in fifty years this spot would be the central scene in one of the
+largest dramas of the world! In the year 1845 the Union Jack first waved
+its protective folds over the homestead. At that period it was converted
+into the official abode of a British Resident, and from that time, with
+an expansion which was truly British, the tiny village developed till it
+became a town, and finally passed over, through British apathy and
+dislike for responsibility, to the hands of the Free Staters. And there
+it might and would have remained had not President Steyn, who owed us no
+grudge, and with whom we were on the best of terms, decided to put his
+finger in the diplomatic pie, in the hope that some of the plums would
+fall to his share. Thus, in his greed for power and his contempt for the
+British, he embroiled his country, and being unable to defend his
+capital, was forced to scurry off to his birthplace, Winburg, some miles
+to the east, where, with the assistance of his foreign mercenaries, he
+yet hoped to save himself from the consequences of his ill-advised
+interference. So it came to pass that on the 13th of March 1900,
+thirty-nine days after the commencement of his great march, Lord
+Roberts, with the magnificent British army in his wake, moved unopposed
+towards the capital of the Free State.
+
+[Illustration: THE FORMAL SURRENDER OF BLOEMFONTEIN.
+
+Drawing by J. Finnemore, from a Sketch by W. B. Wollen, R.I.]
+
+The entry into the town was an imposing spectacle. The Mayor, Dr.
+Kellner, the Landrost, Mr. Papenfus, and Mr. Fraser, as we know, had
+driven out in a cart to meet Lord Roberts, and four miles outside the
+town the keys of the town were given up. Then the Field-Marshal, the
+most simply dressed man in his whole army, appeared at the head of a
+cavalcade a mile long. He was followed by his military secretary, his
+aides-de-camp, the general officers on his staff with their respective
+staffs. Then came the foreign attach�s, some war-correspondents, and
+Lord Roberts' Indian servants, who contributed a warm note of colour
+to the sombre files of kharki. After this came a serpentine train of
+cavalry and guns, which entered the city at one o'clock. It was the most
+wonderful military display that has been seen for years. A gigantic
+army--not a peace but a war army, not the crude army of Salisbury Plain
+but the perfected article, the army minus its raw recruits and plus its
+trained reserves, which owed its magnificent development to the man whom
+Lord Wolseley has called "the greatest War Minister we ever had."
+Looking at the splendid physique of the warrior multitude, it was
+impossible for military men, even those who had criticised most severely
+the short service system, to deny that to-day the triumph of Lord
+Cardwell's principle was complete!
+
+The crowds collected from far and wide, all business was suspended, and
+knots and cliques gathered together to witness the procession moving up
+the slopes towards the town itself. Cheer after cheer rang through the
+air, kerchiefs waved and blessings were prayed for, as the procession
+marched through the collected crowd and on into the market square. Lord
+Roberts then went to the Government Buildings, and took formal
+possession in the name of the sovereign. There was renewed cheering and
+singing of "God save the Queen," when, half-an-hour later, at twenty
+minutes to two, a small silken Union Jack, specially worked by Lady
+Roberts, was seen floating over the town.
+
+The day passed without notable incident. A public holiday was observed,
+and the kharki-clad crowds rejoiced themselves by singing "Tommy Atkins"
+and feasting right royally. They were quite undisturbed by the scarcely
+complimentary remarks of the Burghers, who compared them in number and
+colour and appetite to a swarm of locusts!
+
+Mr. Steyn's brother, who, it may be remembered, had failed to get away
+with his belongings in time, remained discreetly at his farm, where he
+entertained General French, and subsequently Lord Roberts. One of the
+curious features of the entry into the capital of the Free State was the
+extraordinary welcome given by the inhabitants to the conquerors.
+Regiment after regiment filed past to the tune of hearty cheers, and
+surprised pleasure at the orderly and humane entry of the enemy was
+visible on every face. While the public offices were taken over by Lord
+Roberts' staff, the banks were visited by Colonel Richardson. This
+officer was accounted one of the heroes of the hour, for sufficient
+praise could not be given to the achievements of the Army Corps or to
+Colonel Richardson, whose task of provisioning, foraging, and
+transporting 40,000 men and 18,000 horses savoured of the labours of
+Hercules. There were quibblers, of course; but, practically considered,
+all had gone off without a hitch, and the whole arrangements moved, as
+the phrase is, "on greased wheels," the influence over all of the
+beloved "Bobs" having been simply magical.
+
+The next day Lord Roberts inspected the Guards Brigade, complimented
+them on their splendid march, and expressed his regret that through a
+mistake he had been unable to enter Bloemfontein at the head of the
+Brigade. He consoled them by saying, "I will lead you into Pretoria!" In
+these gracious words the troops were rewarded for their disappointment,
+for the Chief, though he had promised them to lead them into the town,
+had finally decided that it was expedient to enter the capital without
+waiting for the infantry.
+
+The Guards Brigade had made a magnificent march of thirty-eight miles in
+twenty-eight hours, taking from 3 P.M. on the 12th to 1 P.M. on the
+13th, with an interval of only two and a half hours for sleep. Yet, in
+spite of this, and of having been in some of the toughest fights of the
+campaign, they were cheery and elated. One of their number (the Scots
+Guards) described their arrival:--"We waited three hours outside
+Bloemfontein for Lord Roberts, as we were told that the
+Commander-in-Chief wished to ride at the head of the Guards Brigade into
+the town. But he did not come, and our Colonel got orders to go in on
+his own. Our reception in Bloemfontein would have surprised you. It was
+quite funny in its way--not in the least like entering an enemy's town.
+The people simply came forth and cheered us as friends. A small group of
+nuns who came out to meet us wished us 'Good evening,' and said we were
+very welcome. To myself, as an Aberdonian, it was very home-like to pass
+by a shop with the inscription, 'Bon-Accord Restaurant.' The proprietor
+was standing at the door shouting himself hoarse. I was not surprised
+afterwards to learn that he was a pure Aberdonian. We camped outside the
+town, and next day Lord Roberts reviewed the Guards Brigade. His
+Lordship made a short speech, in which he complimented us on our rapid
+march, and said he was sorry he had not been able to lead us into
+Bloemfontein. 'But,' said his Lordship, 'I hope to be at your head when
+we go into Pretoria.' We all gave three very hearty cheers for the
+Commander-in-Chief, who has always been the soldier's friend. We would
+follow him anywhere."
+
+To return to the closing events of the momentous 13th. At 8 P.M. a
+telegram was sent home describing with simple brevity the entry into the
+capital:--"From Lord Roberts to the Secretary for War.--Bloemfontein,
+March 13, 8 P.M.--By the help of God and by the bravery of Her
+Majesty's soldiers, the troops under my command have taken possession of
+Bloemfontein. The British flag now flies over the Presidency, vacated
+last evening by Mr. Steyn, late President of the Orange Free State."
+
+An army order was issued on the 14th, in which the Chief said:--
+
+     "On February 12 this force crossed the boundary of the Free
+     State; three days later Kimberley was relieved; on the
+     fifteenth day the bulk of the Boer army under one of its most
+     trusted generals was made prisoner; on the seventeenth day news
+     came of the relief of Ladysmith; and on March 13, twenty-nine
+     days from the commencement of operations, the capital of the
+     Free State was occupied.
+
+     "This is a record of which any army would be proud--a record
+     which could not have been achieved except by earnest,
+     well-disciplined men, determined to do their duty, whatever the
+     difficulties and dangers.
+
+     "Exposed to the extreme heat of the day, bivouacking under
+     heavy rain, marching long distances often on reduced rations,
+     all ranks have displayed an endurance, cheerfulness, and
+     gallantry which is beyond all praise."
+
+Lord Roberts added that he desired especially to refer to the heroic
+spirit with which the wounded had borne their suffering. No word nor
+murmur of complaint had been uttered. The anxiety of all when succour
+came was that their comrades should be attended to first.
+
+So the great march was over--the hurry, the fatigue, the loss of life,
+the perpetual anxieties had brought about the desirable end--and the
+tremendous first act in the historic drama of the century was nearing
+its conclusion. Looking back on the difficulties that had been
+surmounted--the movement of some 40,000 men and 20,000 quadrupeds across
+over 100 miles of mostly dry veldt, where water was scarce and heat
+tropical, and where the enemy lurked in masses in kopje or donga, and
+had to be fought at intervals--the march appeared little short of
+miraculous. Now the curtain was shortly to go up on the first scene of
+the second act, an act which would have for its background the Orange
+River Colony, formerly known as the Orange Free State!
+
+FOOTNOTES:
+
+[3] Lieutenant-Colonel C. E. E. Umphelby, who died of the wounds which he
+received during the fight, was forty-six years of age. He commanded the
+Victorian portion of the Royal Australian Regiment of Artillery. He joined
+the Victorian Militia Garrison Artillery in 1884, and in the following
+year was appointed lieutenant in the Permanent Artillery. He was promoted
+to be captain in 1888, major in 1891, and lieutenant-colonel in 1897. Sent
+to England by the Victorian Government in 1889, he passed through various
+artillery courses, including the long course at Shoeburyness.
+Lieutenant-Colonel Umphelby was attached to the staff of Major-General M.
+Clarke at Aldershot from June to August 1890. See vol. iii., "Victoria."
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER IV
+
+MAFEKING IN FEBRUARY
+
+
+The investment was much less close than formerly. Owing to the
+increasing activity in other parts of the theatre of war, Colonel
+Baden-Powell was relieved of the pressing attentions that were
+previously bestowed on him. Now for the first time he found himself in
+touch with the outer world, for telegraphic communication was restored
+in the direction of Gaberones, about ninety miles north of Mafeking, and
+from thence a bi-weekly service of runners was instituted for the
+conveyance of letters and telegrams, of course at the owners' risk.
+There was delight all round, and "Old Bathing Towel," as contemporary
+Carthusians used irreverently to call him, made haste to rejoice the
+hearts of those at home with a report of his doings.
+
+[Illustration: SLEEPLESS MAFEKING--HOT WORK IN THE TRENCHES.
+
+Drawing by R. Caton Woodville.]
+
+On the 4th of February the etiquette of the Sabbath was broken by an
+accident. The machine-gun at Fort Ayr was fired, and the enemy was not
+slow to reply. Lieutenant Grenfell, unarmed and without a flag of truce,
+pluckily went out to tender apologies for the accident. He was met by
+the Boers, who exchanged for a flask of whisky two copies of the
+_Standard and Diggers' News_, containing glowing accounts of Boer
+victories on the Tugela! It needed more than the contents of the flask
+to correct the dismay occasioned by the lamentable, if exaggerated, news
+of the abandonment of Spion Kop, and the inhabitants could only console
+themselves by remembering what a stupendous and gratuitous liar the Boer
+could be. Luckily for them, they only accepted half of the Dutchmen's
+tales, and had learnt by experience that the art of editing Boer
+journals was dependent on imaginative rather than realistic talent. For
+instance, "one who knew" described the methods of _Volkstem_
+thus:--"When you knew it, something could be extracted. The key to the
+mystery was this: The paper always published the exact opposite of what
+had taken place. For instance, a few days before Cronje's capture it had
+a grand headline--'Cronje the Captor.' And underneath came the
+astounding statement that Cronje had cornered 900 British Lancers on the
+Koodoosrand. Alas! for Cronje and his Lancers! They existed only in the
+editor's fertile imagination." So, notwithstanding the report of
+reverses elsewhere, the large heart of Mafeking was still bent on
+bursting its cramped shell. If antiquated methods of warfare were
+carried on in other parts of South Africa, they were certainly not
+pursued here, for Colonel Baden-Powell was a modern of the moderns. The
+secrets of the enemy's tactics were at his fingers' ends, and where
+science failed to match them resource came in. He knew how to make
+dynamite spit and scream and threaten; he studied the problem of tension
+and the art of playing on the nerves of his adversary, and Cronje's
+remark, "Not men, but devils," made as that redoubtable one shook the
+dust of Mafeking off his shoes, must have been the dearest compliment
+the Colonel's heart could crave. The Colonel, in a despatch forwarded to
+Colonel Nicholson--an officer who, with a small column and armoured
+train, held Mangwe, Palapye, and other places on the rail--dated
+February 12, described his activities:--
+
+    "MAFEKING, _February 12_.
+
+     "On the 3rd inst. our Nordenfeldt was chiefly occupied in
+     preventing the enemy from completing their new work on the
+     northern slope of the south-eastern heights. Assistance was
+     rendered by our seven-pounder, emplaced in the bush to the east
+     of Cannon Kopje. The enemy's siege-gun replied vigorously.
+     During that night the enemy were nervous and restless, and kept
+     firing volleys at our working parties, being apparently
+     apprehensive of attack. Their firing continued until dawn, when
+     the work in our trenches ceased.
+
+     "There was a curious incident at Fort Ayr that Sunday. Our
+     machine-gun there was fired accidentally, and the enemy
+     replied. Lieutenant Grenfell went out and apologised for the
+     accident. Though the gun had been fired and the enemy had
+     replied, he did not take a flag of truce with him. The Boers
+     met him, and exchanged two copies of the _Standard and Diggers'
+     News_ for a flask of whisky.
+
+     "On Monday, the 5th, irregular shelling continued all day. In
+     the evening heavy rains fell, but the enemy kept up the
+     bombardment till midnight, firing a new incendiary shell,
+     which, however, failed to take effect.
+
+     "On the 7th there was a desultory bombardment, and the
+     sharpshooters were busy. On the 8th the enemy's siege-gun fired
+     one shell only.
+
+     "On the 11th the enemy were quiet, being engaged in fortifying
+     their big gun emplacement, and generally preparing to resist
+     attack from outside. A good deal of night-firing was exchanged
+     between our outlying positions and those of the enemy, volleys
+     being fired at short ranges.
+
+     "Next day the enemy were fairly quiet. Mr. Dall, a well-known
+     citizen, was killed, and two Cape boys were wounded, while two
+     natives in the town were killed and some four wounded."
+
+The circumstances of Mr. Dall's death were deeply tragic, for his wife,
+who was in the women's laager at the time, on hearing of the news was
+half-distracted by the shock. Owing to the grievous affair the dance
+that was to have taken place was postponed to the following day.
+
+[Illustration: FACSIMILE OF ISSUE OF 25TH JANUARY 1900 OF THE _Mafeking
+Mail_.]
+
+Colonel Baden-Powell issued an order which broke to the besieged the
+information that the Commander-in-Chief had requested them to hold on
+till May. Hearts dropped to zero! If properly conserved, it was believed
+that provisions might be eked out till the Queen's birthday, but the
+quality of the fare was bad enough without consideration of the
+quantity. The men were tough, they were game for anything; but the
+women--helpless, worn, unnerved, surrounded by children, and limited to
+the confines of an insanitary laager--they made an additional tangle to
+the already knotty situation. The townsfolk going to the posts in the
+trenches, with their own lives in their hands, had upon them the burden
+of thought for those, their weaklier belongings, who were waning with
+anxiety and disease--waning many of them into their graves. Still the
+garrison grumbled little. It set out as Sabbath decoration for the forts
+and trenches some smart Union Jacks which had been worked by the ladies
+in the town, and the dauntless ones engaged in a concert, the programme
+of which was vastly appreciated. Here "B.-P.'s" well-known talents came
+in handy, for he played the Chevalier of the entertainment and displayed
+all the versatility of that renowned performer. From the �sthetic
+Paderewski (with his hair on) to a Whitechapel Coster is a good jump,
+but the gallant Colonel, who had so long impersonated Job to order of
+the British Government, was not to be defeated by minor representations,
+however various. After this joviality a ball was attempted, but alas!
+with sorry success. Before the gaily attired guests were well under way
+the uproar of Maxims and Mausers had begun. They tried to dance. It
+would have been a case of Nero fiddling while Rome was burning. A staff
+officer arrived ordering all to fall in. Soon there was a general
+stampede, officers fled to their posts, orderlies rushed off to sound
+the alarm, the galloping Maxim tore through the blue obscurity from the
+western outposts to the town; the Bechuanaland Rifles and the
+Protectorate Regiment hurried to the brickfields, the Cape Police made
+for the eastern advance posts, while the ladies, charming, disconsolate,
+hied them precipitately to places of refuge. There, in the lambent beams
+of the moon, were seen excited shadows, all either rushing to their
+bomb-proof shelters or scudding to the sniping posts of the river.
+Showers of bullets flecked the sapphire air, and the exquisite serene
+night was changed into a long, wakeful, quaking anguish. The Boers kept
+up their firing operations throughout the small hours, but at dawn, when
+they received a _quid pro quo_ from the British quarter, they deemed it
+best to subdue their ardour for a brief space. Rest was short-lived. On
+the 13th the gunners again made themselves offensive by endeavouring to
+hit the flour-mill, and they succeeded in their efforts, though
+fortunately without destroying it. They pursued their murderous
+industries throughout the day, pouring bullets on any one who dared to
+show a nose in the open, and about noon succeeded in seriously wounding
+Captain Girdwood, who was returning to luncheon on his bicycle.
+
+The unfortunate officer--one of the most popular fellows and as gallant
+as he was jolly--never rallied after receiving the fatal wound and died
+on the following day. In the evening he was buried. The solemn rite was
+conducted with simplicity under the mild moonbeams which silvered the
+gloomy scene and softened the rigid faces of the bronzed warriors who
+hung in melancholy regret round the open grave.
+
+The Boers sometimes endeavoured to affect jocosity. From the advanced
+trench, which was some hundred and ten yards from the besiegers' main
+trench, their voices could be heard travelling on the breeze. The
+prelude to their attacks began not seldom with "Here's a good morning to
+you, Mafeking," or other remarks of cheery or personal nature. Then
+rattle, rattle, and one of the British band would drop. On one of these
+occasions an amusing if tragic ruse was perpetrated. The Boers were
+known to be fond of music, and some one of the tormented hit on the
+happy idea of performing for the benefit of the hostile audience. The
+savage breast was soothed. The Boers were "drawn." They stopped to
+listen. Enraptured, they advanced nearer, nearer. Finally, two
+enthusiastic, inquisitive heads protruded from cover--protruded never to
+protrude again!
+
+The Boers soon began to try the expedient of attacking Mafeking by
+proxy. Assaults were made, or rather attempted, by a mongrel force,
+composed largely of mercenaries--Germans, Scandinavians, Frenchmen, and
+renegade Irish (probably "returned empties" from the gallant Emerald
+Isle), ne'er-do-weel's, who felt it necessary at times to do something
+for their living. These were assisted by natives, who were pressed into
+their service to make a convenient padding for their front in advance,
+for their rear in retreat, as they took good care to save their own
+hides when retirement was obligatory.
+
+Fortunately their artillery practice, which was patiently kept up, was
+very inferior, otherwise Mafeking would soon have been in ruins. On one
+afternoon the enemy plied his siege-gun and another gun with great
+vigour. Out of eight rounds one shot besprinkled two of the besieged
+with dust; a 5-pounder gun from one quarter and a 1-pounder Maxim from
+another filled the air with deplorable detonations for two whole hours,
+yet happily no life was lost. To this hot fire the inhabitants replied
+only with their rifles. It was wonderful in what good stead their rifles
+had stood them, and it was thanks to them, and not to the Government,
+that the town had been saved at all.
+
+The difficulties both at Kimberley and Mafeking were the result of the
+obstructive policy adopted by the Colonial Government before the
+outbreak of hostilities. While the storm-cloud hung on the horizon,
+Kimberley had appealed to Mr. Schreiner for permission to send up from
+Port Elizabeth Maxims which had been ordered by the De Beers Company,
+and the licence was refused on the ground that there was no necessity to
+strengthen the defences of the town. The appeals from Mafeking were
+treated in much the same way, the authorities at the Cape suggesting
+that there was no reason to believe that the situation demanded extra
+precautions!
+
+Ingenuity and pluck had been the backbone of British defence, not
+British guns. An ordnance factory was established, and excellent shells
+were cast, and even powder manufactured. Thus the alarm lest ammunition
+should run out before the arrival of relief was allayed. The great
+ambition of the garrison was to complete a 5�-inch howitzer, and throw
+"home-made shells from a home-made gun with home-made powder."
+
+Major Baillie described with some pride the self-contained nature of the
+community: "We have our bank, our ordnance factory, and our police; and
+we flourish under a beneficent and remote autocracy. And now, as regards
+the ordnance factory, it was started for the manufacture of shells for
+our 7-pounder, for shot, brass and iron, for our antique cannon, and for
+the adaptation of 5-pounder shells (left here by Dr. Jameson) to our
+7-pounders by the addition of enlarged driving-bands. These have all
+proved a complete success, and too much praise cannot be given to
+Connely and Cloughlan of the Locomotive Department, who have organised
+and run the factory. As great a triumph has been the manufacture of
+powder and the invention of fuses by Lieutenant Daniels, British South
+Africa Police and the Glamorgan Artillery Militia, which render us
+secure against running short of ammunition. A gun also is being
+manufactured, and will shortly be used. This factory is of long
+standing, but the authorities had not allowed us to allude to its
+existence."
+
+Other manufactures, too, were commenced, for manufacture it must be
+called--the art of making the poor skeletons, at one time known as
+horses, into succulent meat. Some declared that the number of cats and
+dogs was visibly thinning, but none dared pry too closely into the
+workings of the wonderful machinery that fed them. A number of the
+Protectorate Regiment's horses were slaughtered, and any others that
+were shot by the enemy were passed on to the commissariat.
+
+A soup-kitchen, under the supervision of Captain Wilson, was opened for
+the purpose of supplying some 600 natives with nourishing food, and
+rendering them contented with the vicissitudes of fate. The compound was
+scarcely inviting, and resembled a third-rate haggis. In two great
+boilers scraps of such meat as could be gathered together were simmered
+down, and to this immense stockpot was added various meals, which gave
+the mess the necessary consistency. The natives bought it eagerly at 6d.
+a quart, and really rejoiced in it.
+
+The blacks, indeed, suffered less than the whites. The latter were
+paying a guinea a day for very scant fare, while the Baralongs, who were
+earning from 1s. to 2s. 6d. a day, were able to sustain life on half
+their wages, and save the rest to buy luxuries, a wife possibly, when
+the stress of the siege was over. The young children suffered most of
+all, for malaria and unsuitable food played havoc in the women's laager,
+and the graveyard was filled with small victims to the Imperial cause.
+
+About the middle of the month the Boers became abnormally active, and
+for several days sounds of digging and picking suggested that they were
+throwing out new trenches beyond those they already manned in the region
+of the brickfields. The full significance of the activity was discovered
+by Sergeant-Major Taylor, who--in charge of three pits which formed the
+most advanced post--suddenly espied, some fifty yards in advance of the
+limit of the Boer trenches, a hostile figure! The apparition wore a
+German uniform, and Sergeant-Major Taylor was soon aware that the enemy
+were intending to sap the British position. Colonel Baden-Powell was
+informed of the impending danger, and at night a counter-sap extending
+100 yards was thrown out, from which point it would be possible for the
+besieged to fire on the new work. The tension of the situation was
+extreme. Eighty yards only separated the combatants, and the enemy
+continued to burrow, approaching little by little, while the British
+continued to harass them in their labours by an active fusillade
+whenever a chance presented itself. But the operations continued, and
+every hour brought the Boers nearer. At last a night came when the enemy
+had almost reached his goal, and, moreover, had moved the Creusot gun to
+a position on the south-eastern heights so as to command the entire
+area. With due precaution the defenders tried to occupy the advanced
+posts, but the Boer firing was so correct and persistent that the
+position was rendered untenable. Sergeant-Major Taylor, a splendid
+fellow--who more than once had ventured eavesdropping to the edge of the
+Boer trenches--and four others were mown down in their gallant efforts
+to save the situation. The enemy, satisfied with his exertions in this
+direction, now began to turn his attention to the forts in the rear--a
+bad move, for while the Dutchmen hammered in that region the British
+rapidly seized the occasion to construct a traverse across the mouth of
+the sap. This, of course, was not carried forward without attracting the
+attention of the enemy, who fired fast and furiously. But the task was
+accomplished, after which the Boers and the British, worn out, rested
+from their hostilities. For a day and a night the Boers were in
+occupation of the advanced hole and the sap that had been carried from
+it, but it was soon recaptured, and the connection made with the Boer
+trenches blown up with dynamite.
+
+On the 20th the Protectorate Regiment gave a dinner, which turned out to
+be quite a luxurious repast. Invitations were supplemented by the
+request to bring their own bread! Some of the officers shot a few
+locust-birds, small as quail, which, when carved judiciously, went round
+among the guests. Added to this there was a sucking pig, obtained none
+knew whence, but nevertheless most welcome.
+
+On the 22nd, Sergeant-Major Looney of the Commissariat was sentenced to
+five years penal servitude for the misappropriation of comestibles and
+stores, which had been going on for some time. The Commissariat was
+reorganised by Captain Ryan (Army Service Corps) with untiring energy
+and economy. To the soup-kitchen went everything, scraps of meat, or
+hoof, meal, unsifted oats, bran, all were turned to account, and food of
+a sustaining, if not luxurious kind, was provided for every one. At this
+time the Boers were growing despondent, and began to doubt their chance
+of forcing the town to surrender. From a conversation overheard by some
+wary ones who had crept close to the enemy's trenches, it appeared that
+President Steyn had urged Commandant Snyman to carry the town by storm,
+and afterwards to come to the rescue of the Free Staters with his force,
+but the Burghers had expressed their opinion that it was now too late to
+take Mafeking--they should have done so the first week.
+
+The inhabitants were very pleased with their own ingenuity, and in their
+ordnance workshops the manufacture of shot and shell went on apace. The
+mechanics of the railway works, by a system which seemed to act on the
+lines of a conjuring trick, turned out from the shell-factory about
+fifty rounds a day. No waste was allowed. Even the fragments of the
+enemy's shells were utilised. These and scraps of cast iron were
+purchased at twopence a pound for smelting, and twopence, it must be
+remembered, was now a magnificent disbursement, as money was growing
+more and more scarce. Curiously enough, the present foreman, Conolly,
+was at one time manager of the shell department of the ordnance factory
+at Pretoria, where he personally supervised the manufacture of the
+larger shells. He now necessarily took a parental interest in the shells
+flung into Mafeking by the Boers' Creusot gun, and also in those new
+ones that were flung out of Mafeking as a result of his own and others'
+inventive genius! A good deal of shelling took place, and that on the
+23rd was said to be a salute in honour of Independence Day in the Orange
+Free State. The inhabitants of Mafeking would not have grudged their
+enemies the, to them, distressing attempt at festivity had they then
+known that four days later the death-blow of that independence would be
+struck, and the salute was destined to be the last in the history of the
+Republics!
+
+Fare was growing more and more meagre. Horse-flesh was diversified by
+bread made from horse forage; water, to say the least of it, was
+becoming interesting only to bacteriologists. The native population for
+the most part starved; they now and then indulged in a raid and brought
+back fat fare, which for a day or two had a visible effect upon their
+ebon skeletons, but they brought it at the risk of their lives.
+
+Uninterrupted deluges of rain made existence a perpetual misery, the
+trenches and also the bomb-proof shelters were flooded, and the hapless
+inhabitants, saturated, fled into the open, uncertain whether death by
+fire was not preferable to death by water. The first, at all events,
+promised to be expeditious, while the second offered prospects of
+prolonged sousing and exquisite tortures of enduring rheumatism. Daily
+the state of affairs became less tolerable. Typhoid and malaria stalked
+abroad, and in the children's and women's laager diphtheria had set in.
+
+On the 25th a message was received from the Queen. Its effect was
+electrical. It was vastly heartening to feel and to know that the great
+Sovereign herself knew and sympathised with the history of the struggles
+and privations, the loyalty and pluck of this little hamlet in a remote
+corner of Her Majesty's possessions. It seemed more possible now to
+starve patriotically, and, with every mouthful of nauseating mule or
+horse, to put aside personal discomfort and to remember the gracious
+fact that each individual was a symbol, a sorry and dilapidated one
+perhaps, but nevertheless a symbol of the majesty and might of Greater
+Britain. In addition to the royal message there came two days later the
+stimulating intelligence that Kimberley had been relieved, and that Lord
+Roberts was advancing on Bloemfontein!
+
+On Majuba Day, all made sure that some sort of attack might be expected,
+and they prepared to welcome it with a salute from the new howitzer gun
+which had engaged the genius of the siege arsenal. The Boers, however,
+were quiet. A good deal of psalm-singing took place in the Boer camp,
+while the besieged put the big gun through his paces.
+
+Ash Wednesday was observed without sackcloth and ashes. Mafeking had
+been enjoying Lenten abstinence for months past, and therefore when, at
+the service on the following Sabbath, the parson reminded them that it
+was the fast season, every one in the church enjoyed the joke so hugely
+that smiles were with difficulty suppressed. As one of the congregation
+afterwards suggested, they had had so much "Extra Special" fasting that
+they ought to be let off Lenten obligations for five years.
+
+[Illustration: SOUTH AFRICAN LIGHT HORSE (Trooper).
+
+BRABANT'S HORSE (Trooper).
+
+DUKE OF EDINBURGH'S VOLUNTEER RIFLES (Dispatch Rider).
+
+Photos by J. E. Bruton, Cape Town.]
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER V
+
+AT CHIEVELEY AGAIN
+
+
+On the 8th of February General Buller again retired across the Tugela.
+He realised that his whole flanking movement had been a failure, and
+though the ill-success has been attributed to many causes, we may safely
+say that the main cause of the fiasco was the insufficient rapidity with
+which the scheme was conducted. Napoleon declared that flank marches
+should be as short, and executed in as brief a time, as possible.
+Celerity and concealment in these cases must go hand in hand, and when
+celerity is overlooked concealment becomes impossible. Delay had given
+the Boers the opportunity to shift their positions and produce a new
+front even more powerful than that at Colenso. The General's idea had
+been, after taking Vaal Krantz, to entrench it as the pivot of further
+operations, but the experience of two days' hard fighting taught him
+that, owing to the nature of the ground, and the despatch of the
+Dutchmen, the plan was far from practicable. The position was found to
+be dominated in every direction by the enemy, and unless Vaal Krantz
+could be held securely during the advance to Ladysmith, it was thought
+advisable not to hold it at all. For this reason the Natal Field Force
+returned to Chieveley, the original scene of operations, where the "Red
+Bull," as the Boers called him, with indomitable energy, planned out a
+fourth scheme of attack. It was now to be directed against the Boer
+left. The battle of the 15th of December was mainly directed against the
+Boer right, as there were reasons to believe the right to be the weaker
+of the two flanks. That attack had failed for reasons we know.
+Circumstances having changed, and more guns and men being now at his
+disposal, the General determined to direct his energies to the Boer
+left. The task was a complicated one. Both river and hills twist
+themselves mysteriously, and seemingly in conspiracy with Boer notions
+of defence. For instance, the river after leaving Colenso (which may be
+looked upon as the Boer centre) twists invisibly into the shelter of the
+impregnable kopjes, and takes a direct turn towards the north, thereby
+passing in front of the Boer right and in rear of the Boer left. By
+taking to themselves possession of Hlangwane the enemy had made their
+position almost unassailable. This formidable left ran in a series of
+trenches, sangars, and rifle-pits from Colenso past the thorn-bushes by
+the river, and on to the powerfully fortified hill of Hlangwane. From
+thence it was extended over the ridge called Green Hill, and farther to
+the companion eminences of Cingolo and Monte Cristo, and the nek that
+united them. The first thing, therefore, to be done in a plan for
+turning this formidable position was to take possession of Hussar Hill,
+which was accomplished on the 14th of February, from which day and on
+till the 27th fighting without cessation took place. Some one called it
+the fighting march, for it was a series of ferociously contested moves
+from Chieveley to Hussar Hill, and thence _via_ Cingolo Nek and Monte
+Cristo Ridge till the Boer line had been turned and the British forces
+had placed themselves diagonally across the left of the Boer position.
+Having worked round in a species of hoop, which crumpled the Boer left
+before it, and having deposited men and guns to mark as milestones the
+victorious advance, a frontal advance was soon made on Green Hill, the
+adjacent slope some three miles from Hlangwane, which mountain became,
+as a natural consequence of the foregoing proceedings, a somewhat easy
+prize. The victory at Monte Cristo, which enabled us to acquire Green
+Hill, may be looked upon as the turning of the tide. From the hour that
+commanding point was occupied the future of the relieving army was
+practically secure, for the river was gained, and the Boers once on the
+run, there needed only the fine fighting quality of our troops--the A1
+quality of the world--to bring things to a satisfactory conclusion. But
+now to try to follow this complicated and well-considered march.
+
+On the 12th of February a force of mounted infantry, with a battalion of
+infantry, a field-battery, and a Colt battery, reconnoitred Hussar Hill
+(so called because it was the scene of the surprise to a picket of the
+13th Hussars), a long ridge situated at the south of Hlangwane, where
+General Buller subsequently established his headquarters. The South
+African Light Horse and another Colt battery were treated to some fierce
+volleys by the enemy, with the result that Lieutenant J. Churchill and
+another officer were wounded. Four men were injured and one was missing.
+The fight was a brisk one, though of but half-an-hour's duration, for
+the hill was not strongly held. The troops then moved forwards, winding
+through a series of wooded ridges to the right, till they reached an
+entrenched ridge connecting Hlangwane with higher hills on the east. As
+there were continual increases and changes in regard to the troops, it
+will be found advisable, before going further, to refer to a table of
+the distribution of the forces as far as they were then known:--
+
+     SIR REDVERS BULLER'S FORCE
+
+     SECOND DIVISION.--(Major-General Lyttelton).--2nd (Hildyard's)
+     Brigade--2nd East Surrey; 2nd West Yorks; 2nd Devons; 2nd West
+     Surrey. 4th (Norcott's Brigade)--1st Rifle Brigade; 1st Durham
+     Light Infantry; 3rd King's Royal Rifles; 2nd Scottish Rifles
+     (Cameronians); Squadron 13th Hussars; 7th, 14th, and 66th Field
+     Batteries.
+
+     THIRD DIVISION.--5th (Hart's) Brigade--1st Royal Inniskilling
+     Fusiliers; 1st Connaught Rangers; 2nd Royal Dublin Fusiliers;
+     1st Border. 6th (Barton's) Brigade--2nd Royal Fusiliers; 2nd
+     Royal Scots Fusiliers; 1st Royal Welsh Fusiliers; 2nd Royal
+     Irish Fusiliers; Squadron 13th Hussars; 63rd, 64th, and 73rd
+     Field Batteries.
+
+     FIFTH DIVISION.--(Lieutenant-General Sir Charles Warren).--10th
+     (Coke's) Brigade--2nd Dorset; 2nd Middlesex; 2nd Somerset Light
+     Infantry. 11th (Wynne's) Brigade--2nd Royal Lancaster; 2nd
+     Lancashire Fusiliers; 1st South Lancashire; 1st York and
+     Lancaster; Squadron 13th Hussars; 19th, 20th, and 28th Field
+     Batteries. Corps Troops--1st Royal Dublin Fusiliers; Imperial
+     Light Infantry; Thorneycroft's Mounted Infantry; 61st Field
+     Battery (Howitzers); 78th Field Battery; Natal Battery,
+     9-pounders; twelve Naval 12-pounder quick-firers; 4th Mountain
+     Battery; two 4.7 Naval guns, 1st Cavalry Brigade
+     (Burn-Murdoch)--1st Royal Dragoons; 14th Hussars; Gough's
+     Composite Regiment. 2nd Cavalry Brigade (Dundonald)--Natal
+     Carabineers (squadron); South African Light Horse (four
+     squadrons); Imperial Light Horse (squadron); Natal Police
+     (squadron).
+
+General Lyttelton succeeded General Clery (disabled by blood-poisoning)
+in command of the Second Division, while Colonel Norcott (Rifle Brigade)
+temporarily took command of the Fourth Brigade.
+
+On the 14th the army moved to occupy the new position on Hussar Hill. As
+we know, the irregular cavalry, the South African Horse, had secured the
+position, and some disappointed Boers who had thought to be beforehand
+with them had disappeared with much haste and not a little chagrin.
+After a short time Generals Wynne Coke, and Barton with their respective
+brigades joined Sir Charles Warren's division, and bivouacked on the new
+ground. There was some trouble about water, as Hussar Hill was arid and
+the nearest river was some miles away. However, necessity is the mother
+of invention, and necessity brought to light a system of water-waggons
+by which a small but appreciable amount of water was carried to the
+troops. While this was going on above, General Lyttelton was moving to
+the east of Chieveley round the eastern spur of Hussar Hill.
+
+Here during the afternoon a number of Boers hiding among the boulders
+and dense scrub made themselves obstreperous; but their fire was
+overcome by our artillery, and before long they were dislodged.
+
+Little happened for two days save some artillery duelling, then an
+appreciable advance was made. A wooded hill called Cingolo, part of the
+range east of Hlangwane, was the next to be seized by an adroit flanking
+movement of the infantry. They gained and kept the top of the hill with
+but few casualties owing to the dense cover.
+
+At dawn on the 17th a general advance was ordered. Consequently soon
+after midnight the business of movement began. At daybreak the cavalry
+under Lord Dundonald marched to discover the enemy's left flank through
+the tangled and rugged country to the east--country so broken and wooded
+that on occasions it was impossible to ride, and all that could be done
+was to lead the horses through thicket, and thorns, and over boulders by
+the light of intelligence rather than military regime. And while this
+was going on the artillery was performing a boisterous symphony on
+seventy instruments, an _aubade_ to awaken such Boers as might still be
+dozing in rock, ravine, or ridge in the regions of Hlangwane.
+
+At last the troopers had wormed and torn and scrambled their way up the
+ridge, where, on arriving, the Boers accosted them with the music of
+musketry in tolerably fast time. Bullets whizzed and commenced to send
+the now well-known cataracts over the advancing troops, and for the
+moment it seemed to be a toss up as to whether the toil of gaining the
+position would be in vain. However, the Boers were in small number, and
+very soon they fell back, leaving the top of the hill before the advance
+of the Imperial Light Horse and the Natal Carabineers, who slew or
+captured some Burghers and horses. In their attack they were supported
+by the Queen's, the right battalion of Hildyard's attack, who had taken
+a short cut and came up in the nick of time, so that the Boers promptly
+scurried off and left the troops in undisturbed possession of Cingolo
+Hill.
+
+[Illustration: THE SCENE OF THE FIGHTING AT MONTE CRISTO HILL ON
+FEBRUARY 19. (From sketches taken during the action by Captain P. U.
+Vigors, 2nd Devon Regiment.)]
+
+Further important movements took place on the 18th. Through the
+operations of the day before, the Boers had been hunted along towards
+Monte Cristo, and from thence at daylight they commenced to pour Creusot
+shells on the British troops. The Queen's, who had bivouacked on the
+northern slope of Cingolo, and came in for a good deal of fire,
+valiantly crossed the nek, and, supported by the rest of the 2nd Brigade
+under General Hildyard, assaulted and finally took the southern end of
+Monte Cristo. The 4th Brigade occupied the left or western slope.
+Operations were begun very early, and the long precipitous climb in a
+baking sun occupied till midday. The advance over country that is
+trellised with spruits, dongas, thorn-bush, and scrub at times was
+painfully slow, and the scrambling and stumbling, sometimes on all
+fours, to the roll and rattle of musketry and the banging of unseen and
+unlocatable guns occupied some hours. The words of the Scripture, "Eyes
+have they and see not," might have been applied to this nerve-trying
+assault against hidden men with smokeless weapons. No sooner had the
+troops reached the top of Monte Cristo than they were assailed by a
+well-directed artillery fire from the direction of the invisible foe,
+shrapnel, Maxim, and Nordenfeldt guns pouring over the men as they
+advanced. But they steadily pushed on and up till at last they entirely
+routed the Boers. These, finding themselves in a desperate situation,
+took to their heels, leaving tents, food, biltong, lard, potatoes,
+onions, clothing, bridles, blankets, and Bibles behind them in disarray.
+In their retreat they were fired on by the cavalry, but they made small
+reply. Quantities of ammunition were captured, and, unfortunately for
+those who still maintained their respect for the enemy, several forms of
+expanding bullets. The Royal Welsh Fusiliers, supported by the rest of
+the 6th Brigade, assailed the eastern flank of the enemy's position. The
+2nd Brigade of Cavalry on the extreme right watched the eastern slopes
+of Monte Cristo, and drove back those of the enemy who scurried there to
+escape the artillery fire. They had been completely taken by surprise;
+they had expected the British to begin a frontal attack on Green Hill, a
+smooth grassy eminence sliced with the gashes of Boer entrenchments,
+some of these six feet in depth, others blasted in the solid rock.
+Assaulted now by big guns in front and flank, attacked in flank and
+rear, the enemy, without offering much resistance, evacuated their
+strong positions and fled across the Tugela. That their flight was
+precipitate was testified by the fact that they even left letters
+behind. One of these was from General Joubert in answer to a request for
+supports, in which he said these could not be sent; the position was
+sufficiently garrisoned with the men they had.
+
+The crest of Monte Cristo gained, all at once took heart. This hill was
+the hinge on which all the subsequent movements turned. By means of it
+Green Hill and the frowning eminence of Hlangwane could become ours.
+From Hlangwane the whole western section of the great Colenso position
+could be rendered untenable by the enemy. This the Boers well knew, and
+this was the reason for their tough resistance on the dreadful 15th of
+December. Now, seeing us masters of Monte Cristo, they wisely decided to
+make themselves scarce. The British guns once mounted on Monte Cristo
+made a complete difference in the situation. It was now possible to
+enfilade many of the choice positions which for two months had been the
+snug hiding-places of the enemy. Now, in the distance, was visible--the
+subject of many dreams, many nightmares--Ladysmith. Around it, here and
+there, were dotted the enemy's camps and hospitals--only eight miles
+away--a comfortable walking distance--eight miles ahead of our advanced
+lines! Ladysmith--an austere queen to be wooed, a fainting beauty to be
+won--so she had seemed, with lives risked and sacrificed like mere
+handfuls of sand for the sake of her, for a few yards of approach near
+to that cestus which engirdled all the grand British blood that had
+palpitated for our coming, so long, so very long. It was glorious merely
+to know that Ladysmith was now in sight of the British picquets: there
+was a sense of exhilaration in the thought of real progress after the
+ghastly six days at Spion Kop, the fluctuating four at Vaal Krantz, the
+fourteen in and out and round about the precincts of fatal Colenso.
+Success was now almost within a stone's throw, and all hearts throbbed
+with expectation and confidence. All were in some way longing for the
+handclasp of those beleaguered men. There, in that cup of the hills were
+kindred; if not kindred, friends; if not friends, comrades in
+arms--comrades who had belonged to the same old regiments or "ground"
+with the same "crammers" at the same schools. And even for complete
+strangers there was a thrill of excitement, almost of exultation, at the
+prospect of coming in touch with these men, of grasping hands with
+renowned warriors, every one of whom had helped to illuminate one of the
+most sumptuous pages of the history of the nineteenth century.
+
+The intense heat, the terrific toil, the unparalleled hardships were
+forgotten. The energy and dash of the troops, hitherto unfailing, were
+now redoubled. They had now taken possession of the most important ridge
+which pointed towards the frowning guardian eminence of the beleaguered
+concave--Bulwana Hill--and hopes were high and spirits exuberant. There
+remained but Pieter's Hill between them and the imprisoned multitude.
+They now saw that the turn of the tide had arrived, and already they
+looked towards the distressed town, veiled in the haze of distance, and
+pictured the hour when their long spell of strain and turmoil should
+meet its reward. In this day's fight, the Queens, the Scots Fusiliers,
+the Rifle Brigade, and the irregular cavalry had especially
+distinguished themselves. It was the distinction of endurance rather
+than of display. The dogged perseverance with which they launched
+themselves at the positions to be taken, toiling through scrub and
+thorn, "potting away" at an invisible foe, was more to be applauded than
+more demonstrative feats of heroism. Colenso and Spion Kop had been
+showy in their tragedy, but the "fighting march," as it was called, was
+a feat of superb endurance, of obdurate pluck. A perpetual stumbling and
+tearing, an eternal pushing up and on against opposition the more
+terrifying because unseen; the sound of booming, smokeless murderous
+guns; the sight of maimed or mutilated human beings dropping suddenly
+under the serene and smiling sky were experiences to test the grit of
+the toughest and most stoical. A bolt from the blue! That was all. Yet
+presently there were dead men littered about, and far away, unconscious
+of their woe, were widows and orphans.
+
+On the 19th, Hlangwane Hill--the impregnable Gibraltar, as it has been
+called--was taken by the Fusilier Brigade. As this hill, which commanded
+Colenso, had been evacuated by the enemy--who had left three camps and
+all their paraphernalia, thousands of rounds of ammunition, and 2000
+Maxim automatic shells behind them--we were now free to cross the
+Tugela. Whether the enemy would continue to fight inch by inch was
+uncertain, but still there was one subject of rejoicing--the river was
+ours. The following officers were killed and wounded during this day's
+operations:--2nd Royal Fusiliers--Killed, Captain W. L. Thurburn;
+wounded, 2nd Lieutenant E. C. Packe. 2nd Scottish Rifles--Wounded, 2nd
+Lieutenant J. M. Colchester-Wemyss.
+
+On the 20th General Hart, after a slight resistance by a weak rearguard,
+occupied the village, and now the line of the Tugela on the south side
+from Colenso to Eagle's Nest was in British hands.
+
+Colenso was found to be a desolate ruin. The enemy had evidently tried
+to make matchwood of the place. Windows and doors told the tale of
+wanton destruction. They were wrecked past remedy. Houses everywhere
+were redolent of the Boer, the walls bore traces of his illiterate
+caligraphy, and his offensive remarks in many tongues amused without
+disturbing those who read them. They could afford to smile now. And
+while they went on their tour of investigation the hidden Boers could
+not resist some sniping shots from their trenches in Port Wylie, which
+were only silenced by the forcible arguments of the Naval gunners on
+Hussar Hill. On this day another trooper of the South African Light
+Horse (Walters) distinguished himself by swimming across the Tugela and
+bringing over the pontoon, thus repeating the gallant deed of his
+comrades at Potgieter's Drift. Thorneycroft's Mounted Infantry, though
+peppered by Boers who were ensconced on the kopjes on the opposite side,
+succeeded in fording the river, and proceeded to reconnoitre the kopjes
+on the other side. All the guns were gone, and the kopjes themselves
+seemed to be weakly held. In the distance small clusters of Boers were
+seen in the act of digging trenches, but it was generally believed that
+the enemy's tactics were now those of a rearguard action.
+
+[Illustration: THE RELIEF OF LADYSMITH--THE LAST RUSH AT HLANGWANE HILL.
+
+From a Sketch by Ren� Bull, War Artist.]
+
+Terrible reminiscences of the battle of Colenso greeted them wherever
+they turned. Fort Wylie was seamed with bombardment. The railway bridge
+remained a lamentable picture of upheaval. Outside the village, lying as
+they had dropped, were the rotted carcases of horses which had fallen
+victims to the enemy's volleys--fallen in tangled masses, all harnessed
+together, while making a futile effort to save the guns of the 14th
+and 66th Batteries. The trenches, beginning on the very brink of the
+river, with their protective layers of sandbags and their ingeniously
+arranged earthworks, told how comfortably and with what immunity from
+danger the Boers had set about their fell work on the fatal 15th of
+December. The labour in making Colenso and its surroundings impregnable
+must have been as immense as it was skilful.
+
+General Hart's advanced guard now proceeded to cross the Tugela, the
+Boers having vacated all their positions south of the river, and on the
+21st he was followed by the 5th Division, who drove back the enemy's
+rearguard. The enemy had moved north and turned into a strongly
+fortified line of kopjes midway between the river and Grobler's Kloof,
+and from thence there was some doubt whether he could ever be displaced.
+At the approach of the British, he, however, retired precipitately
+towards Grobler's Kloof.
+
+The crossing, on both days, of the magnificent infantry was apiece with
+all that had gone before. First came one shell, then another, but the
+troops steadily pursued their warlike course while the missiles hurtling
+over their heads exploded in the plain behind them. The great question
+had been as to where the river should be crossed. Now that the British
+were in possession of the whole area of Hlangwane and its connecting
+hills, it was possible to cross either where the river ran north and
+south, or where it ran east and west. The idea was to cross and get
+along the line of railroad, and follow a straight course up to
+Ladysmith. The enemy were believed to be in retreat, and therefore it
+seemed perfectly feasible to advance in the way attempted.
+
+On the 21st the gunners continued persistently at work, determining that
+the Dutchmen should have no spare time for the building of further
+entrenchments. The foe managed, however, to render themselves aggressive
+by firing on an ambulance train that was steaming out of Colenso
+station. Meanwhile the army was moving westward from Hlangwane plateau,
+with a view to marching up beyond the stream, and getting out of the
+valley of the river and beyond the kopjes that frowned over it.
+
+
+LADYSMITH
+
+The story of famine is an insidious story, a creeping horror that,
+scarcely visible, yet slowly and very gradually saps first the spirits,
+then the energies, then the blood, and finally all the little sparks of
+being that serve to divide us from the dead. The seal of hunger was set
+on every action, though there was no complaint. The cramped-up Tommy in
+his sangar was scarcely as conscious of his risk of danger from shot and
+shell as of the aching void that assured him how much nature abhorred a
+vacuum. When he marched, he marched now with the step of one who
+husbands his resources; when he whistled as of old, he ceased abrupt,
+the lung power being scant and short-lived. His eyes, plucky and
+Britishly dogged, grew large and wistful, as though looking for
+something that never came. Dysentery and fever caught him and left him,
+but left him still in charge of famine, which held him in
+leading-strings, allowing him his freedom to crawl so far and no
+farther. Yet daily routine went on as of yore. The shadow of the man
+went on picket or fatigue duty and met his fellow-shadows as often as
+not with a jest. In ordinary life you don't look upon cheek-bones as the
+features of a face. You take stock of eyes, nose, mouth, possibly ears.
+In Ladysmith a man's character betrayed itself in his cheek-bones and in
+the an�mic tone of the tanned parchment that was stretched across them.
+You could read of patience and heroism in the hard, distinct outlines,
+and comprehend the magnificent endurance of one who, expecting to fight
+like a devil, was condemned to feed like an anchorite.
+
+The men were very near the barbaric brink of starvation. On one occasion
+a shell plumped into the mule lines and killed a mule. There was a
+general rush. Shells followed on the first, crashing all around, but the
+famished racing throng heeded them not; their one desire was to get at
+the slain beast, to capture the wherewithal to stay their grievous
+cravings. Quickly with their clasp-knives they possessed themselves of
+great chunks of the flesh, and then, with death hurtling around them and
+over their heads, they proceeded to carry their prize to safer quarters.
+Here they determined to have a good "tuck-in." Fires were kindled, and
+the flesh was toasted and swallowed with lightning rapidity.
+
+For some weeks the inhabitants had been reduced to an essence of horse
+politely termed Chevril, which was declared to be both palatable and
+nourishing. The horses, with their ribs shining in painful high lights
+along their skins, dropped day after day from sheer famine, and were
+boiled down to meet the pressing demand. Their bones were gelatinous,
+however wizened their poor flesh.
+
+The horses that were used for food, like those that yet crawled, were
+mere skeletons. When the General, in view of making another sortie,
+inquired how many there were in camp that could still carry their rider
+for six miles, he was informed that there were only twelve equal to the
+task.
+
+The lack of fat and milk and vegetables was irremediable, but dainties,
+so called, were provided in curious ways. Blancmange was manufactured
+from ladies' violet-powder which had been "commandeered" for service in
+the kitchen, and biscuits were fried by the men in the axle-grease
+provided for the carts, in hope to make the task of biting them less
+like crunching ashes.
+
+The place itself appeared to be becoming the Abomination of Desolation.
+Many of the dwellings were unoccupied; the low bungalow-shaped villas
+were closed and barricaded; here and there were buildings cracked and
+seamed by shot and shell, with great gaps in their faces, reminding one
+of human beings without eyes and teeth. Melancholy and depression
+reigned everywhere--on the tangled, desolated gardens, as on the silent,
+listless men, who had almost ceased to converse, for there was nothing
+left to converse about. Buller's coming had been discussed threadbare;
+the prospect of the food holding out had been examined in all its
+hideous emptiness. Lassitude and weariness was the universal expression
+on the visages of the hollow-eyed spectres that were the remains of the
+dashing heroes of Glencoe and Elandslaagte. The land and riverbeds
+presented the appearance of a series of grottoes, shelters of wood,
+stone, and wire, the dens of wild animals, the caves of primitive man.
+Between the burrows and caves were sentry-paths and paths to the
+water-tanks, worn with the incessant traffic of weary feet.
+
+Though affairs were arriving at a sorry pass, there were still some
+wonderful recoveries. For instance, Captain Paley (Rifle Brigade), who
+was wounded in both hips, was getting on amazingly. Though the leg was
+badly shattered near the joint of the hip, there was every reason to
+hope that it might be saved. Captain Mills, too, was mending. To have a
+bullet pass through the lung and pierce the spinal column is not a
+common experience, and one that few recover from; yet the doctors gave
+hopeful reports. They had scarcely thought that Major Hoare would
+outlive a fractured skull--completely riddled they said it was--yet the
+Major was expected to be himself again shortly. These were marvellous
+cases, and probably the wounded owed their curious recovery to the
+nature of the weapon of offence. Missiles have peculiar characteristics,
+and differ in their capacity for deadliness. For instance, bullets of
+the most harmless kind are those having a high velocity, those that hit
+apex-first and do not "keyhole," and those possessing a hard, smooth
+sheath with a smooth, rounded surface. After these come missiles of more
+death-dealing or mutilating nature--the Dum-Dum bullets, with the nickel
+sheaths around the apex removed in order to expose the lead nucleus,
+Remington lead or brass bullets, shrapnel bullets, and fragments of
+shell. Each and all of these things had been endured by one or other of
+our gallant men during the course of the campaign, and the surgeons were
+able to make a profound study of causes and effects. One of the heroes
+of Ladysmith who went near to testing the efficacy of that most deadly
+thing, the shell, was Archdeacon Barker. With the utmost presence of
+mind, he picked up a shell in the act of exploding and plumped it into a
+tub of water, thus saving many lives. Numbers of officers who had been
+hit by Mausers or Lee-Metfords were now pronounced out of danger, among
+them Colonel C. E. Beckett (Staff), Major F. Hammersley (Staff), Captain
+W. B. Silver, Captain M. J. W. Pike, Major H. Mullaly, Lieutenants
+Crichton, S. C. Maitland, W. W. MacGregor (of the Gordons), and A. A. G.
+Bond. Captain Lowndes, who was wounded dangerously on Surprise Hill, was
+picking up wonderfully. Lieutenant Campbell, of the Imperial Light
+Horse, whose case at first seemed serious, was rapidly gaining ground.
+
+Very capricious sometimes was the action of bullets. Some of the injured
+would have as many as four or five wounds, all "outers," to use their
+musketry phrase, while others would suffer strange and wonderful things
+in consequence of the vagaries of a single shot. A strange chapter of
+accidents befell one officer. He was hit under the left eye, the bullet
+passing out of his cheek into his left shoulder, and then into his upper
+arm, which it broke. Not content with doing this damage, the shock of
+the blow knocked him down, and in falling the unfortunate man broke the
+other arm! On the other hand, there were some, reported doing well, and
+expecting to be fit for duty shortly, who were veritably perforated with
+bullets--"a perfect sieve" one man called himself, with a touch of
+excusable pride.
+
+The bravery of these men! The bravery of these women! Outside we knew
+only of the husk of their suffering; but the kernel of it, the bitter
+sickening taste of it, the taste that lived with them, that was there
+when they woke, and remained after they had closed their eyes in
+sleep--that, none but themselves could ever know. Boredom and flies,
+they jestingly said it was! Rather was it a slow petrifaction of the
+soul. Death to them had lost its sting, as life had lost its fire.
+Ladysmith was the grave of corpses that were not dead, forms in the
+cerements of burial now too weak to knock themselves against the
+coffin-lid and cry, "Save us! our last breath is not yet spent; we are
+living, loving men!" Yes, they were too weak. They made no sound, no
+cry. They who had so long resisted could resist no longer; they, who
+with their last effort on that fatal 6th of January had been a terror to
+their enemies, were now only a terror to themselves. Could they bear it
+longer? Was it possible? Might they not in some fit of madness, some
+palpitating moment of lust for dear life, begin to spell the letters of
+the unframable word, begin just to think how it might be
+spelt?--S--u--r--r-- No! They could not get to the end of it! It choked
+them. They could stand the fetid water, the foul air with its loathsome
+whispers, its hideous suggestions, which at eventide grew strong as
+phantoms from the nether world; they could face the sight of virulent
+disease and gaunt famine stalking up and down as the hyena slinks round
+and about his prey; they could gasp under the fierce heat; they could
+tune their ears to the racking, rending tortuous explosions of death
+dealing shells--they could do all this, but they could not get beyond.
+The first syllable of the crushing word could never pass their lips!
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+Food now was only interesting because of its mystery; it was beginning
+to have merely an ornamental value in the programme. Various
+"confections" made of violet-powder that had been impounded, strange
+brawns of mule-heel and suspicious "savouries" were the subject of
+speculation and awe. People pretended to be pleased and to put a good
+face on matters, and indeed they had every reason to be thankful; for,
+owing to the ingenuity of Lieutenant M'Nalty, A.S.C., under whose
+auspices potted meats, jellies, soups, were manufactured, the
+imagination if not the appetite was appeased with what, when not too
+closely investigated, appeared to be quite delectable fare.
+
+The following prices were realised at an auction on February
+21:--Fourteen lbs. of oatmeal, �2, 19s. 6d.; a tin of condensed milk,
+10s.; 1 lb. of fat beef, 11s.; a 1-lb. tin of coffee, 17s.; a 2-lb. tin
+of tongue, �1, 6s.; a sucking-pig, �1, 17s.; eggs, �2, 8s. per dozen; a
+fowl, 18s.; four small cucumbers, 15s.; green mealies, 3s. 8d. each; a
+small quantity of grapes, �1, 5s.; a plate of tomatoes, 18s.; one
+marrow, �1, 8s.; a plate of potatoes, 19s.; two small bunches of
+carrots, 9s.; a glass of jelly, 18s.; a 1-lb. bottle of jam, �1, 11s.; a
+1-lb. tin of marmalade, �1, 1s.; a dozen matches, 13s. 6d.; a packet of
+cigarettes, �1, 5s.; 50 cigars, �9, 5s.; a �-lb. cake of tobacco, �2,
+5s.; � lb. of tobacco, �3, 5s.
+
+A doctor, writing home about this time, said:--
+
+"Things are getting very trying here now. For two or three weeks we have
+had only half a pound of horseflesh and a quarter a pound of very bad
+mealie-meal bread, with one ounce of sugar. Sometimes a little mealie
+porridge is added or a little more bread. This is precious low fare, I
+can tell you, especially as the bread is so bad we can hardly eat it,
+and it makes us ill. Of course, drinks gave out after the first month,
+and tobacco followed suit some time ago, but, fortunately, they
+discovered a little Kaffir tobacco recently, which, vile as it is, we
+smoke eagerly. Alas! mine won't last long now. It is impossible to get
+proper food for patients, and not much of improper. Consequently men are
+beginning to die fast of scurvy, enteric, and dysentery. We have reduced
+the number of sick from two thousand to seventeen hundred here, of which
+I have about a hundred severe cases, and am allowed about two to three
+wineglasses of stimulants a day for the lot; so you can imagine what a
+farce that is. Drugs, too, are almost finished, and firewood for
+cooking is an endless difficulty; so you can imagine I am pretty tired
+of the daily duty in these terrible fever-tents. About half of our
+doctors and half the nurses are sick, and there were always few enough.
+One doctor has already died and a nurse."
+
+Among the severe cases alluded to was one especially to be deplored.
+Colonel Royston, whose name is intimately connected with Volunteering in
+Natal, was hopelessly ill. In spite of his iron constitution, he
+succumbed to the ravages of enteric fever, and was in reality marked by
+the finger of death at the very time when the relief force was pressing
+to deliver the town from the awful doom that hung like a miasma over the
+whole place. The gallant Colonel had done splendid service, and for two
+decades had worked energetically to promote the welfare of the Colony
+and stimulate interest in the Volunteer movement. As trumpeter in the
+Carabineers in 1872, the youth was found engaging in operations against
+Langalibalele, including the flying column in the Double Mountains and
+the capture of the chief; and in 1879, in command of a troop of
+Carabineers, he distinguished himself in the Zulu campaign. Later he
+accompanied Sir Bartle Frere to the Transvaal in command of the High
+Commissioner's escort. From 1881 to 1889 he commanded the regiment, and
+was appointed Commandant of Volunteers in 1898. When the call to arms
+came, the brave Volunteers of Natal were ready to a man, fully equipped
+to go to the front--a practical proof of the splendid ability and
+foresight of their chief. All agreed in deploring his illness, and
+declared that an officer more fitted to lead the gallant regiment, more
+trusted and more beloved, it would be hard to find.
+
+
+THE BATTLE OF PIETERS
+
+On Wednesday the 21st, as we know, our troops were back at Colenso. The
+day was mainly devoted to "sniping," to bringing up heavy guns, and to
+getting the troops across the Tugela. But the 12-pounder Naval guns on
+Hlangwane, and the 61st Howitzer Battery in the open, indulged in a
+stupendous concert addressed to the enemy's position, in which they were
+assisted from below Monte Cristo on the right by more Naval guns. The
+enemy was not inactive. No sooner had a pontoon been thrown across the
+river below Hlangwane than they began to drop shells in the
+neighbourhood of the troops who were attempting to cross. These,
+however, accomplished their intention without sustaining much loss.
+Meanwhile, Corporal Adams, of the Telegraph Brigade, distinguished
+himself by swimming across the Tugela, wire in mouth. The troops now
+advanced--General Coke's Brigade, followed by two battalions of General
+Wynne's and a field-battery. The Somersets, Dorsets, Middlesex, covered
+by shell-fire from two field-batteries and the heavy guns, moved across
+the plain to the foot of the hill, with the object of reconnoitring
+Grobler's Kloof. At first no signs of the enemy were visible, the
+Dutchmen, though not entrenched, being cunningly hidden in the dongas
+and thorn-bushes, which crowded the vicinity. But no sooner had the
+Somersets, who had been the first across the pontoon, approached the
+base of the hill, than a cataract from the rifles of the enemy suddenly
+burst over them. The Boers had withheld their fire till the troops were
+within point-blank range, and then rent the weird mystery of the dusk
+with jets of flame. Nearly a hundred of the gallant fellows dropped and
+three officers were killed. Some said that they were fighting the
+enemy's rearguard, but in reality a large portion of the whole Boer army
+was engaged. Though it was the first time the regiment had been under
+fire, the admirable behaviour of the men in the face of overwhelming
+hostile numbers was remarkable. Nevertheless, the unpleasant discovery
+of the enemy's strength at last involved the retreat of the troops, and
+decided the General that an advance in force must be made on the
+following day.
+
+[Illustration: BALLOON MAP ILLUSTRATING THE BATTLE OF PIETERS AND RELIEF
+OF LADYSMITH.]
+
+The following officers were killed and wounded in the operations of 20th
+and 21st February:--
+
+     1st Rifle Brigade--Wounded, Lieutenant W. R. Wingfield-Digby.
+     2nd Somersetshire Light Infantry--Killed, Captain S. L. V.
+     Crealock, Lieutenant V. F. A. Keith-Falconer, Second Lieutenant
+     J. C. Parr; wounded, Captain E. G. Elger. 2nd Dorsetshire
+     Regiment--Wounded, Second Lieutenant F. Middleton. 2nd Royal
+     Irish Fusiliers--Wounded, Colonel J. Reeves. Staff--Wounded,
+     Captain H. G. C. Phillips. Royal Army Medical Corps--Died of
+     wounds, Captain R. E. Holt.
+
+On Thursday the 22nd, part of General Wynne's Brigade began to advance.
+They were supported by Hildyard's Brigade from the region of Fort Wylie.
+(General Barton's Brigade and part of General Hart's were left on the
+south side of the river.) Progress was slow and painful. The country--a
+strip some two miles broad and stretching out between high hills and the
+river--was richly veined with irritating dongas and covered with bushes
+and scrub. The position was commanded by the wooded slopes of Grobler's
+Kloof, and enabled the Boers to worry the men in their advance with an
+enfilading fire. All around were steep kopjes such as the Boer soul
+delights in, and thorny tangles which afforded comfortable shelter for
+the enemy's guns. The movement, therefore, was costly, as it was
+difficult to locate the guns, and the sharpshooters of the enemy, well
+hidden in their rocky fastnesses, maintained a continuous fire on front
+and flanks of the advancing force. With their usual wiliness, the
+Dutchmen had evidently suspended their contemplated retreat, and had
+gathered together, crept up, and taken up a strong position on the left
+flank, whence they were enabled to hamper the troops considerably.
+Nevertheless the Royal Lancasters leading, the South Lancashire
+following, valiantly advanced towards their objective so resolutely that
+the Boers, who almost to the last stood their ground, pelted off to
+the sheltering nooks and dongas in the shadow of Grobler's Kloof. Only
+one remained to face the bayonet. But the losses consequent on this
+smart day's work were many. Brigadier-General Wynne while conducting
+operations was slightly wounded, and about a hundred and fifty more were
+put out of action.
+
+[Illustration: MAJOR-GENERAL A. FITZROY HART, C.B.
+
+Photo by Elliott & Fry, London.]
+
+The troops were now moving on a route along the line of river and rail
+to Ladysmith, half-way between Colenso and Pieters Hill, and with kopjes
+to be stormed at intervals during the onward course. They had performed
+a species of zigzag movement, pointing from Chieveley north-east to
+Cingolo and Monte Cristo, and coming back in an acute line north-west to
+the river. Now the forward march involved the capture of all the strong
+positions, beginning with the twin kopjes, Terrace and Railway Hill, and
+ending with the whole Pieters position, and possibly Bulwana.
+
+On the three hills--Terrace Hill, Railway Hill, and Pieters Hill--rested
+the Boers' second line of defence. The first hill, called Terrace Hill,
+lay about a mile and a half to north-east of the right flank. Farther
+east, divided by a valley, was Railway Hill, so called because on its
+east came the railway line, on the other side of which was Pieters Hill.
+Sir Redvers Buller's plan was to advance the infantry beyond the angle
+of the river, and then stretch round the enemy's left from Railway Hill,
+and so go straight to Ladysmith. The idea seemed a good one, as the
+Dutchmen were believed to be moving off; but it was afterwards
+discovered that they, seeing the assault was not to be made at once upon
+the weak, the left edge of their position, had gathered courage and
+returned, reinforced by commandos from Ladysmith, to their well-known
+hunting-ground on Grobler's Kloof and elsewhere, preparing to give
+battle so long as there was safety for their extreme left. Most of the
+night of the 22nd was spent in fighting of desperate character, the
+Howitzer Battery keeping up an incessant roar, explosion following
+explosion in the sombre blackness of midnight. The Boers, meanwhile,
+were attacking with rifle fire all along the line, and so persistent
+were the Dutchmen in their effort to get rid of the troops, that some
+even were only repulsed by the bayonet.
+
+Details of that dreadful night's work are scarce, but a faint, yet
+tragic, outline was given by an officer of the 60th Rifles, who was one
+of the survivors of the fatal fray. This regiment had moved on the left
+of Hildyard's Brigade, and were swinging along a boulder-strewn
+hillside, which, surmounted by a series of uneven and indefinite
+crest-lines, gave on to a plateau where they intended to take up a line
+of outposts for the night. It so happened that the Boers had ensconced
+themselves at the rear edge of the position which the troops, in the
+belief that it was evacuated, were so incautiously approaching.
+Accordingly, in the gathering gloom a collision of amazing violence
+occurred--amazing to both Britons and Burghers, for the former
+surprisedly plumped upon the Dutchmen, who as surprisedly gave way
+before them. In an instant the gallant 60th were after the fugitives,
+charging and cheering, but assailed now by fierce volleys from
+undreamed-of trenches. This sudden and furious attack forced them,
+unsupported as they were, to seek cover till reinforcements could
+arrive. But no help appeared. The plight of the unfortunate band, whose
+peril had been hidden in the grim density of the night, was entirely
+unsuspected by the companion forces that fringed the crests in the
+vicinity, and therefore the unhappy fellows lay all night clinging to
+the cover of the boulders, and rained on by showers of bullets that
+traced a tale of agony along the ground. At dawn on the 23rd, no
+supports having arrived, and under the same fervid fusillade, they began
+to retire. In twos and threes they commenced to go back, finally covered
+in their retreat by the East Surreys, who had grandly gone forward to
+the rescue. But the cost of splendid succour was dearly and almost
+instantaneously paid. Men fell thick and fast over the hilltop--the
+Colonel, second in command, and four officers of the East Surrey
+Regiment dropping one after another, some wounded in many places.
+Captain the Hon. R. Cathcart, "the rearmost of his command, as he had
+been foremost of the night before," dropped dead, and round him within a
+few moments fifty other noble fellows had passed to the Unknown!
+
+General Buller's orders on the 23rd were brief. Push for Ladysmith
+to-day, horse, foot, and artillery; both cavalry brigades to cross the
+river at once. The advance, which had hitherto been slow, was now
+hurried on. At midday it was in full swing, the cavalry having crossed
+the Tugela and massed at Fort Wylie. Meanwhile the Boers had taken up a
+formidable position on the right--on the well-entrenched height called
+by the gunners Three Knoll Hill, to describe the three hills, Terrace,
+Railway, and Pieters, that formed the entire position--while on the left
+they plied their activities from Grobler's Kloof. The artillery in front
+of Railway Hill concentrated a brisk fire upon the Boers therein
+entrenched, who returned some animated replies, assisted by other
+Dutchmen from a hidden vantage-point on the north-east of that eminence.
+General Hart's Brigade, to whose valiant Irishmen the difficult task of
+capturing the position was entrusted, was ordered to advance. This
+advance from Onderbrook Spruit to the base of Terrace Hill, the
+companion of Railway Hill, was a feat of cool courage that has seldom
+been equalled. The hill, triangular and standing some three hundred feet
+above the Tugela, was approached by a wide open space, which was
+commanded by the Boers, whose complicated position on Railway Hill and
+its component ridges gave them every advantage. The correspondent of the
+_Standard_ furnished a description of these precipitous steeps. "Railway
+Hill rises from the Tugela a mile from Platelayers' House. It is,
+perhaps, best described as triangular in shape, with one angle pointing
+towards the river. It rises from the latter in a series of jagged,
+boulder-strewn kopjes, until three hundred feet or so above the Tugela.
+A kloof, through which the railway passes upwards on its way to Pieters
+Station, separates the last jagged ledge from the hill proper. From the
+last kopje or ledge, and immediately on the other side of the line, the
+main part of the hill rises abruptly, almost precipitously, with a sharp
+edge running back in a north-westerly direction for several hundred
+yards. The base of this north-westerly line of hill makes up a kloof
+thick with thorn trees, and this kloof recedes round the left end of the
+hill to the rear, where the enemy's force, under Commandant Dupreez, had
+its quarters, while a little farther to the rear is still another kloof,
+in which the enemy's Creusots were mounted. Along the beginning of the
+sharp edge referred to a long trench was cut out, and right ahead, as
+the hill ran still upwards on an incline for three hundred yards or so,
+were other trenches, until the hill terminated in a crest crowded with
+commanding fortifications." To assail this formidable stronghold the
+troops moved off in the following order--the Inniskilling Fusiliers
+leading, followed by the Connaught Rangers, the Dublin Fusiliers, and
+the Imperial Light Infantry. Steadily marched the kharki-clad throng,
+advancing along the railroad in single file with rifles at the slope. At
+that time there was comparative silence save for the muffled drumming of
+artillery in the surrounding kopjes. These apparently frowned free of
+human influence, the dark, dull frown that portends many evil things to
+the eye of the advancing soldier. But nevertheless the troops moved
+nearer and nearer to the hill over the open ground by the railway bridge
+with a steady step and that air of consolidated distinction that marks
+acutely the difference between Briton and Boer armies. They had no
+sooner showed themselves in the open than the air grew alive, the
+trenches on the frowning hill vomited furiously. A casual observer
+remarked that it reminded him of the pantomimes of his youth, of Ali
+Baba's cave, when, at a given signal, its jars opened and the forty
+thieves suddenly--simultaneously--popped up their heads. Only now there
+were not forty but thousands of brigandish forms--forms that hastened to
+deal death from their Mausers on the advancing men. These were now
+coming on at a rush, a rush through the hailstorm whose every shower
+meant disaster. But Hart the valiant had said, "That hill must be taken
+at all costs"--and that was enough! The hill was about to be seized and
+the payments had already begun. One, two, three, four, six--more and
+yet more down, one after another. So the men began to fall. The ironwork
+of the bridge had now its fringe of fainting forms. Still the splendid
+fellows pushed on. Still the air reverberated with the puissant
+pom-poming of the Boers' automatic gun. This they had turned on to the
+position they knew must be passed by the advancing warriors. Meanwhile
+the British artillery was saluting the hill, throwing up to heaven dust
+and splinter spouts that filled the whole atmosphere with blinding,
+choking debris, and causing the purple boulders far and wide to give
+forth rumbling echoes of the infernal rampage.
+
+Gradually, in face of the deluge of shot and shell, the Inniskilling
+Fusiliers, the Connaught Rangers, and one company each of the Dublin
+Fusiliers, had wound their way towards the eastern spurs of Railway
+Hill, and in the late afternoon were ready for the attack. General Hart
+gave the word. Then, up the rugged stone-strewn heights the troops
+laboriously began to climb. Soon they reached a point, some hundred
+yards above, whence the Boers could pepper them with ease. At the same
+time from the adjacent hill more bullets whizzed upon them. Yet, with
+this horrible fire on their flanks and the deadly fusillade from the
+front, they persevered, dropping one after another like ripe fruit in a
+gust of wind. Volley after volley poured down on them, but up they went,
+cutting through wire, leaping boulders, and hurling themselves forward,
+and in such grand style, that the Boers, seeing the determined glitter
+of the bayonet, thought it wiser to retreat. They receded some two
+hundred yards up the hill, while the troops occupied the first position.
+Then, in the growing dusk, the Dutchmen were seen taking a commanding
+place on a somewhat higher or parent peak of the hill. From this point
+the Inniskillings, flushed with their first triumph, deemed it necessary
+to rout them. Fire streamed and spouted, the dim gloom of twilight came
+on; still the Irishmen, through the mist of evening and flashings
+furious from every side, advanced along the hill--a glorious, a tragic
+advance. One after another bit the dust. Men in mute or groaning agony
+lay prone in the gathering dusk. First went a major, afterwards another,
+and then two captains of this gallant band. The Boers had known their
+business. Some of their kopjes are of the nature of spider-webs; the
+outer fringe involves entanglement; and this especial eminence was of
+that particular nature that the second Boer position commanded the
+first. The Dutchmen, even as they receded, were able to mow down the men
+as they advanced, by a converging fire, against which it was impossible
+to stand. It was now an almost hand-to-hand struggle between doughty
+Dutchman and dashing Briton. The Inniskillings were close, but every
+inch was gained with appalling loss to their numbers--indeed, the
+charging companies might almost have been described as individual men!
+
+Finally, some one gave the order to retire. But how? Most of the
+valorous band were stricken down, or had perished. The wounded could not
+be removed. Yet those that remained were too few to hold the ground in
+the darkness. All that could be done was to retire below the crest and
+wait till morning. A retirement was attempted, under the personal
+direction of the Colonel (Colonel Sitwell),[4] but in the course of the
+movement he was hit, never to rise again. The troops at last got to the
+cover of the hill, where they built schanzes and bivouacked. But from
+this point throughout the night firing continued, while the Boers above,
+between the intervals of dozing, peppered the bivouacs with bullets.
+
+At 7 A.M., while cannonading had elsewhere assumed dangerous
+proportions, the Irish regiments were again assailed in their schanzes
+by the persistent Dutchmen. These had crept round the base of the hill
+and attacked the trenches from the western side. Volleys poured from all
+directions on a scene that was already deplorable. Only four officers of
+the Inniskillings remained. Of the Connaught Rangers five officers were
+wounded. The Dublin Fusiliers had lost their gallant Colonel (Colonel
+Sitwell), and also Captain Maitland of the Gordon Highlanders
+(attached). The picture at dawn and on throughout the day was truly
+appalling. The trenches of the Boers and those of the attacking force
+were now only some three or four hundred yards apart, and between them
+was spread an arena of carnage heart-breaking as irremediable. It was
+impossible for any one to show a nose and live. Wounded lay here, there,
+and everywhere, heaped as they had fallen, drenched in their own gore
+and helpless, yet struggling pathetically to edge themselves with hands
+or knees or heels nearer some place of safety. Dead, too, were entangled
+with the sinking, huddled together in grievous ghastly comradeship....
+
+For thirty-six hours some of these heroes lay in wretchedness, hanging
+between life and death. Mercifully the Boers brought them water, but all
+their acts were not equally generous. Unfortunately, some
+misinterpretation regarding the Red Cross flag accentuated the
+misfortunes of the day.
+
+The Boers, it appeared, had begun by producing one. This signal should
+have been responded to by our troops, who, however, were not prepared to
+show another Red Cross flag, which display would have been the signal
+for truce. This being the case, the Boers, after carrying off their
+wounded and giving certain of the British wounded some water, removed
+their rifles. Further, they rifled their pockets and despoiled dead and
+wounded of boots and other property. Naturally, those who saw them were
+so infuriated at this wanton behaviour that they began to fire. From
+this time hostilities recommenced, and the innate cruelty of the Boers
+was evidenced in several cases. It was stated on the authority of an
+officer that many of the wounded in act of crawling away were
+deliberately shot. Let us hope that the aggravation at the
+non-appearance of the British Red Cross flag was the cause of the ugly
+display of character on the part of the enemy.
+
+During the late afternoon the worn-out troops in their trenches at the
+base of the hill were fiercely attacked by the enemy's guns from all
+quarters. No such effective shell fire had been experienced since Spion
+Kop. Indeed, with the assistance of Krupps, and Creusots, and Maxims,
+and other diabolical instruments, the Boers managed to make a fitting
+concert for Beelzebub. Many of our positions on the lower slopes of the
+kopjes were enfiladed, and thus many gallant fellows in Hildyard's and
+Kitchener's brigades were killed. Several officers among those who were
+fighting on the left also fell, among them Colonel Thorold, Royal Welsh
+Fusiliers.
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+At this juncture, finding that the original passage of the river was
+commanded by entrenchments on every side, and that further advance would
+be costly in the extreme, the General decided that he must reconnoitre
+for another passage across the Tugela. This was forthwith discovered.
+Meanwhile, the day being Sunday, there was an armistice for the
+interment of the dead on both sides. Grievous were the sensations of
+those whose duty brought them to the awesome scene of death, who spent
+the long hours surrounded by sights hideous and forms uncouth, the
+remains of heroes, discoloured from days of exposure to the sun's
+scorching rays, to the damps and dews of night--lying limply rigid and
+rigidly limp in the unmistakable and undescribable abandonment of
+untenanted clay; or succouring still more pitiable wrecks, wrecks joined
+perhaps by an invisible handclasp with comrades in the other world, but
+still here, making a last struggle for the dignity of manhood, or
+fainting slowly, peaceably, beyond all knowledge of pain as of the
+splendid heroism that had placed them where they were!
+
+One who was present contributed to _Blackwood's Magazine_ a curious
+account of that armistice--that was not entirely an armistice--of
+Colonel Hamilton's approach with the flag of fraternity (so often
+misused and abused by the Dutchmen), and of the strange apparitions that
+came forth suspiciously one by one from the depths of the hostile
+trenches. He said: "Seldom have I set eyes on a more magnificent
+specimen of male humanity than the Commandant of the trenchful of Boers,
+Pristorius by name, a son of Anak by descent, and a gallant,
+golden-bearded fighting-man by present occupation; for in far-away
+Middleburg those mighty limbs--he told it us without any of that stupid
+deprecation which would probably have characterised a similar confession
+on the part of an Englishman--were wont to stretch themselves beneath a
+lawyer's desk. Close on his heels came what a person who had never seen
+Boers before would have thought the strangest band of warriors in the
+world--old men with flowing, tobacco-stained, white beards; middle-aged
+men with beards burnt black with the sun and sweat of their forty years;
+young men, mostly clean shaven, exhibiting strongly the heavy Dutch
+moulding of the broad nose and chin; big boys in small suits, suits of
+all kinds and colours, tweed, velveteen, homespun, and 'shoddy,' all
+untidy in the extreme, but mostly as serviceable as their wearers."
+These strange beings formed a strong contrast to the men who joined
+them, particularly in their attitude when confronted with the ghastly
+foreground of death which made the prominent feature of the amicable
+picture. The eye-witness before quoted declared that "it was much more
+difficult for them to conceal the natural discomposure which all men
+feel in the presence of the silent dead than for their more artificial
+opponents. From the airy and easy demeanour of the uniformed British
+officers, that dreadful plateau might have been the lobby of a London
+club. A Briton is at all times prone to conceal his emotions, and
+certainly in this instance the idiosyncrasy gave him a great social
+advantage over the superstitious Burghers, with their sidelong glances
+and uneasy shiftings." By-and-by, however, both parties grew even
+friendly, and the writer went on to describe an animated dialogue
+between himself and "a deep-chested old oak-tree of a man, whose swarthy
+countenance was rendered more gipsy-like by the addition of ear-rings.
+The opening of the conversation had its humours. 'Good-morning!' quoth
+I. 'Gumorghen,' rumbled the oak-tree sourly. 'Surely we can be friends
+for five minutes,' I ventured, after a pause. The rugged countenance was
+suddenly, not to say startlingly, illumined with a beaming smile. '_Why_
+not, indeed! _why_ not, officer! Have you any tobacco?' Out came my
+pouch, luckily filled to bursting that very morning, and the oak-tree
+proceeded to stuff a huge pipe to the very brim, gloating over the
+fragrance of the 'best gold flake' as he did so. The rumour of tobacco
+had the effect of dispelling the chill that still lingered on the
+outskirts of that little crowd, and many a grimy set of fingers claimed
+their share as the price of the friendship of the owners, the Commandant
+himself not disdaining to accept a fill with a graceful word of thanks.
+They were out of tobacco in that trench, it appeared, and suffering
+acutely from the deprivation of what to a Boer is more necessary than
+food."
+
+Near to the place where they were stricken the Irish heroes were buried.
+Their last bed was made in a picturesque spot within the whisper of the
+spray of the river, and sheltered by the low-spreading thorn-bushes. The
+rest of the day was unusually peaceful, but in the evening the crackle
+of musketry from left to right of the position taken up by the Durhams
+again showed that the enemy was on the alert, and it was believed he was
+preparing for offensive operations during the night. It was discovered,
+however, that a gallant deed had put any effort to rush the British
+lines out of his power. Captain Phillips with eight Bluejackets had
+effectually rendered their searchlight useless, and had, moreover, got
+safely away after the venturesome act had been perpetrated and
+discovered.
+
+The new passage was found by Colonel Sandbach (Royal Engineers) at a
+point below the waterfall on the east, and again guns, baggage, &c.,
+were ordered to be removed to the south side of the Tugela. It may be
+advisable to note that the armistice mentioned was an informal one,
+which did not interfere with military movements. Owing to the desperate
+straits of the wounded on Inniskilling Hill (as the position, baptized
+in the blood of our heroes, had now been christened), the General had
+sent in a flag asking for an armistice. The Boers had refused. On
+condition that we should not fire on their positions during the day,
+they only consented to allow the bearer companies to remove the wounded
+and bury the dead. The Boers meanwhile improved their entrenchments, and
+the British troops, as stated, prepared for the operation of removal
+across the river. This they at first did with some misgivings, for they
+had tacked about so many times, but, on the whole, they bore the strain
+admirably. What with the hammering of Maxims, Nordenfeldts, and the
+fluting of Mausers, the men had for twelve days past run through the
+gamut of discomfort. They had been fed up with war. They were in the
+daytime fried, grilled, and toasted. At night the cold with its contrast
+had bitten and numbed them. They had bivouacked now in keen chilly
+blasts, now in intermittent downpours of rain, which had drenched them
+and made existence a prolonged wretchedness. And nothing had been
+achieved. Lives only had been lost. But they still munched their bully
+beef and biscuit with an heroic cheerfulness and resignation that served
+to astonish and inspirit all who beheld it. There was no doubt about it
+that the pluck and perseverance of the British Tommy had become subjects
+for wonder and veneration!
+
+[Illustration: MAJOR-GENERAL H. J. T. HILDYARD, C.B.
+
+Photo by C. Knight, Aldershot.]
+
+During the night the pontoon bridge was removed from its original
+position and relaid at the point indicated by Colonel Sandbach. The
+Boers, watching the commencement of the move, were under the impression
+that a repetition of the retirements from Spion Kop and Vaal Krantz was
+to be enacted. They therefore deemed that the movement might be carried
+out with more expedition did they start a magazine fire at long range at
+such troops as happened to be between Colenso and the angle of the
+river. When they discovered, however, that only a portion of the troops
+had departed, they subsided and reserved their ammunition till morning,
+when a brisk artillery duel commenced operations--a duel in which the
+British in quantity and the Dutch in quality of practice distinguished
+themselves.
+
+General Buller's revised plan was now to avoid the enemy's front, and
+work back again to the Hlangwane plateau, whence he would start again,
+having, as it were, made a redistribution of his troops, so that Hart's
+brigade in its expensively acquired position would now, instead of being
+his extreme right, become his extreme left. To this end guns and cavalry
+were removed, Naval batteries being posted on the Hlangwane and Monte
+Cristo positions, while Hart's brigade was left holding to the skirts,
+so to speak, of the enemy at Inniskilling Hill, and preventing him from
+congratulating himself on freedom.
+
+The anniversary of Majuba began in clouds. Guns very early broke into an
+_aubade_, but awakened few. For there had been little sleep that night.
+All had dozed in their boots, ready for the worst. The cavalry proceeded
+to range itself at the northern point of the Hlangwane position, in
+order that by their guns and long-range rifle fire they might assist the
+advance of Barton's Brigade. This brigade was the first to start in the
+attack on the three hills on which the Boer left still rested. The
+disposition of the forces was as follows:--General Barton's Fusilier
+Brigade on the extreme right, with Colonel Kitchener's Lancashire
+Brigade--Colonel Kitchener having taken over General Wynne's Brigade
+while that officer was wounded--on his left, this latter being on the
+right of Colonel Northcott's Brigade. Colonel Stuart, working with a
+composite regiment on the south bank of the Tugela, protected the
+crossing.
+
+General Barton, with two battalions of the 6th Brigade and the Royal
+Dublin Fusiliers, crept one and a half miles down the banks of the
+river, the Scots Fusiliers leading. Here the Tugela flowed between high
+shelving banks, while above them frowned the three spurs of the great
+Pieters position. As usual, these eminences were well ribbed with
+shelter trenches, and embedded everywhere were Boer sharpshooters, ready
+to pit cunning against courage, and sniggle at the victory of one over
+the other. A hot fire commenced on the river-banks while Barton's
+Brigade advanced gallantly towards its destination. The top of the hill
+was being raked noisily by the gunners. "Hell was dancing hornpipes
+aloft," some one said. However, in the afternoon British bayonets
+glittered against the skyline, and the thing was done. This, the most
+wonderful infantry in the world, had ascended precipitous cliffs 500
+feet high, assaulted Pieter's Hill, gained the crest, and turned the
+enemy's left.
+
+[Illustration: SIGNAL APPARATUS OF H.M.S. _FORTE_, MOUNTED ON TRUCK AND
+USED NIGHTLY TO COMMUNICATE WITH LADYSMITH.]
+
+This storming of the main position, which was accomplished by the Royal
+Scots Fusiliers and the Royal Irish Fusiliers, was a remarkable
+achievement, though the enemy, conscious of their weakness at this
+point, and knowing how completely they were dominated by the Monte
+Cristo ridge, made no very prolonged opposition. No sooner had the
+brigade occupied the hill than the disheartened Boers removed in
+considerable strength to some dongas on the east, whence they continued
+to be aggressive, and poured a heavy rifle fire on the Fusiliers, whose
+losses were considerable. They failed, however, to dislodge them. At
+this time a simultaneous attack was taking place in the region of the
+two other hills which composed the Pieter's position. These the 4th
+Brigade under Colonel Northcott and the 11th Brigade under Colonel
+Kitchener were now assailing with magnificent courage. For two hours
+every spot on the kopjes had been searched, painted with the noxious
+hues of lyddite, and seamed with shrapnel, and few Dutchmen there were
+who cared to remain to welcome the bayonets of Kitchener's braves. Their
+preliminary advance was scarcely recognisable, kharki and kopje so
+smoothly blending themselves in one. Then on a sudden, as in the
+transformation scene when jars become forty thieves or shell-fish become
+fairies, the boulders took to themselves human shape and human tongue,
+and up flew a surging, yelling mass of fierce warriors, rushing the hill
+in the red light of the setting sun. The crest was carried magnificently
+by the Royal Lancasters, men who had been in the thick of everything for
+a month past, and who yet maintained their unconquerable British
+qualities without a flaw; and the Boers, recognising that the game was
+up, were seen skimming the distance like swallows in flight. Some
+magnificent service was done by the gunners of the Royal Navy and the
+Natal Naval Volunteers, service that was especially eulogised by the
+General, who declared that the losses consequent on the taking of the
+position might have been far greater but for the efficient manner in
+which the artillery was served. Be this as it may, an officer said what
+many echoed, namely, that however deadly our shell fire was, and however
+instrumental in winning the battle, "No infantry in the world but ours
+would have crowned such a victory with so much glory." For the Boers at
+first fought doggedly, relinquishing their hold of trench after trench
+only when artillery followed by the bayonets of the infantry made their
+positions untenable. In turn three hills were stormed; in turn cheer on
+cheer rent the air and travelled along the funnel-like banks of the
+river, and floated up to the rejoiced ears of those on Hlangwane and
+Monte Cristo, who had assisted to bring about the devoutly wished for
+consummation. The song of victory seemed to be taken up by the elements,
+earth and air and water, and the last flare of the guns of the enemy
+repeated it. All now knew that the way to Ladysmith was won; that the
+toil and tribulation, the perplexity and suspense, that had harassed
+them since the fatal day of Colenso had come to an end! There, right and
+left, were little black figures scudding away like ants disturbed; here
+streams of prisoners who had thrown up hands at glint of bayonet; on all
+sides kopjes, kopjes, kopjes--ours, unchallengeably ours!
+
+Some idea of the situation may be gathered from the description of a
+sergeant in the 2nd Royal Irish Fusiliers:--
+
+"On the 27th we put the damper on them.... You have read, no doubt, of
+Barton's Brigade deploying to the right early in the day. That
+deployment was made by crossing the pontoon bridge put up during the
+night by the Engineers. Instead of climbing up the banks on the opposite
+side, we crept down the water's edge over huge rocks for about a couple
+of miles. In the meantime our Naval guns, artillery, Maxims, were all
+blazing away overhead, and a terrible rifle fire was raging on the left.
+As we struggled up the steep banks the beggars spotted us, and things
+began to get lively. We got under a little cover, and blazed away for
+all we were worth.
+
+"The whole brigade gradually pushed forward from one bit of cover to
+another, but still the Boers held their ground. About five o'clock in
+the afternoon the staff passed the word round to charge them out of it.
+We left our cover, and advanced by half-companies at the double. The
+company officers were given a point to make for, and as soon as we got
+in the open it was a case of every man for himself. It was a good 800
+yards of open ground where my company had to cross, and, of course, they
+fired at us for all they were worth. A good many dropped, including
+A---- and the two subalterns. What with shells bursting and a front and
+cross fire, it was like a full-dress rehearsal for the lower regions. We
+got on the hill, and made short work of our Brothers. Needless to say,
+they didn't all stand for the steel. They kept up a heavy fire on us
+until long after dark. Orders were passed to hold our own until
+daylight. As many of the wounded were without water, a terrible night
+was put in. The shouts for water, mingled with the groans of the dying,
+the sparks from the Mauser bullets as they struck the rocks, the
+blackness of the night, &c., fairly made me say my prayers.... The
+stretcher-bearers searching for the wounded carry lamps, and these lamps
+made a nice target for Brother Boer to snipe at. Daylight came at last,
+the night mist began to clear away, dead Tommies grinning at dead Boers,
+wounded men of all sorts, everybody stiff, sore, dirty, and tired. The
+Boers scooted."
+
+And the next day came the serene happiness of viewing the Boers in full
+retreat behind Bulwana and in the direction of Acton Homes, the winding
+string of waggons trekking away from the scene of past triumphs. The
+misery, the lives, the pains, the doubts, the disappointments were well
+repaid by that vision of the departing foe, the foe moving off for ever
+from the strongholds of Natal. All had been accomplished by a blend of
+pluck, obduracy, and perseverance that can scarcely find its match in
+the records of British prowess. They had suffered at Colenso, they had
+tested the deadly summit of Spion Kop. They had backed out from that
+cruel region with their lives in their hands, and repeated the same
+process in the equally terrific area of Vaal Krantz. They had come forth
+smiling, stalwart, staunch as ever, believing and trusting and
+determining to hew their way through the rocky wilderness sown with
+destruction and save the 8000 odd of their fellows whose lives verily
+hung by a thread. And now for fourteen days, each hour fraught with
+blood and broiling, they had moved on from one dangerous position to a
+second more dangerous position, till at last, after protracted torment
+and suspense, they had driven before them the whole horde of adventurous
+Dutchmen--foes allowed to be the bravest of the brave, if the shiftiest
+of the shifty. Now they had their reward. The Boers were scrambling to
+be off--that much they could see of them. It was only in those fleeing
+moments they saw them at all. At other times, when battle raged warmest,
+all that was known of the Brother Boer was the shape and number of his
+bullet!
+
+The following officers were killed and wounded on the 22nd, 23rd, and
+24th of February:--
+
+     Staff--Wounded, Major-General A. S. Wynne, C.B. 3rd King's
+     Royal Rifle Corps--Killed, Lieutenant Hon. R. Cathcart;
+     wounded, Lieutenant D. H. Blundell-Hollinshead-Blundell and
+     Lieutenant A. F. MacLachlan. 2nd Royal Lancaster
+     Regiment--Killed, Lieutenant R. H. Co� and Second Lieutenant N.
+     J. Parker; wounded, Major E. W. Yeatherd, Lieutenant A. R. S.
+     Martin, Lieutenant F. C. Davidson (since dead), and Lieutenant
+     R. G. D. Parker. 2nd East Surrey Regiment--Wounded,
+     Lieutenant-Colonel R. H. W. H. Harris, Major H. L. Smith, Major
+     H. P. Treeby, Captain F. L. A. Packman, Lieutenant C. H.
+     Hinton, Second Lieutenant J. P. Benson. 1st South Lancashire
+     Regiment--Wounded, Captain B. R. Goren, Lieutenant H. R. Kane,
+     Captain S. Upperton, Second Lieutenant C. H. Marsh. 2nd
+     Devonshire Regiment--Wounded, Lieutenant E. J. F. Vaughan. 2nd
+     Royal West Surrey Regiment--Wounded, Lieutenants B. H. Hastie,
+     H. C. Winfield, and A. E. M'Namara. 1st Rifle Brigade--Wounded,
+     Captain and Quarter-Master F. Stone and Second Lieutenant C.
+     D'A. Baker-Carr. 2nd King's Royal Rifle Corps--Wounded,
+     Lieutenant W. Wyndham and Second Lieutenant G. C. Kelly. 2nd
+     Rifle Brigade--Wounded, Second Lieutenant H. C. Dumaresq. 1st
+     Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers--Killed, Lieutenant-Colonel T. M.
+     G. Thackeray,[5] Major F. A. Sanders, Lieutenant W. O. Stuart;
+     wounded, Major C. J. L. Davidson, Captain R. M. Foot,
+     Lieutenant J. Evans, Lieutenant J. N. Crawford, Second
+     Lieutenant C. Ridings, Second Lieutenant H. P. Pott, Second
+     Lieutenant J. G. Devenish; missing, Second Lieutenant T. A. D.
+     Best. 2nd Royal Dublin Fusiliers--Killed, Brevet
+     Lieutenant-Colonel C. G. H. Sitwell, D.S.O.; wounded,
+     Lieutenant A. V. Hill, Second Lieutenant A. Broadhurst-Hill,
+     Second Lieutenant F. B. Lane, Second Lieutenant J. T. Dennis.
+     2nd Gordon Highlanders--Killed, Captain S. C. Maitland.
+     Imperial Light Infantry--Wounded, Major Hay. 1st Connaught
+     Rangers--Wounded, Lieutenant J. L. T. Conroy, Lieutenant R. W.
+     Harling, Lieutenant H. Moore Hutchinson, Lieutenant A. Wise,
+     Second Lieutenant A. T. Lambert, Second Lieutenant J. M. B.
+     Wratislaw, Captain E. M. Woulfe Flanagan (5th Battalion,
+     attached). Royal Welsh Fusiliers--Killed, Lieutenant-Colonel C.
+     C. H. Thorold,[6] Lieutenant F. A. Stebbing; wounded, Second
+     Lieutenant C. C. Norman and Second Lieutenant H. V. V. Kyrke.
+     2nd Royal Fusiliers--Wounded, Lieutenant R. H. Torkington.
+
+The following casualties occurred on the 27th of February:--
+
+     _Killed._--1st South Lancashire Regiment--Lieutenant-Colonel W.
+     M'Carthy O'Leary.[7] 2nd Royal Scots Fusiliers--Brevet-Major V.
+     Lewis, Captain H. S. Sykes, Second Lieutenant F. J. T. U.
+     Simpson. 1st Royal Warwickshire Regiment--Lieutenant H. L.
+     Mourilyan. Second Royal Irish Fusiliers--Second Lieutenant C.
+     J. Daly.
+
+     _Wounded._--Major-General Barton. 2nd Scots
+     Fusiliers--Lieutenant-Colonel E. E. Carr, Captain C. P. A.
+     Hull, Captain E. E. Blaine, Lieutenant C. H. I. Jackson, Second
+     Lieutenant H. C. Fraser. 2nd Royal Irish Fusiliers--Major F. F.
+     Hill, Lieutenant A. G. Knocker, Second Lieutenant A. Hamilton,
+     Second Lieutenant V. H. Kavanagh. 1st South Lancashire
+     Regiment--Major T. Lamb. 2nd West Yorkshire Regiment--Captain
+     C. Mansel Jones, Captain C. C. B. Tew, Lieutenant L. H. Spry,
+     Lieutenant A. M. Boyall. 2nd Derbyshire Regiment--Lieutenant H.
+     S. Pennell, V.C. 2nd Royal Lancaster Regiment--Captain G. L.
+     Palmes, Second Lieutenant C. W. Grover, Lieutenant E. A. P.
+     Vaughan. 1st Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers--Second Lieutenant G.
+     R. V. Steward. 1st Rifle Brigade--Captain and Adjutant S. C.
+     Long, Second Lieutenant J. L. Buxton. 2nd Royal
+     Fusiliers--Lieutenant H. B. G. Macartney. 2nd Royal Dublin
+     Fusiliers--Lieutenant J. M'D. Hastard, Second Lieutenant De B.
+     Bradford.
+
+
+
+EXPECTATION
+
+[Illustration: KING'S POST, THE ENTRENCHED POSITION OF 2ND BATT. RIFLE
+BRIGADE AT LADYSMITH. (Reduced facsimile of sketch by Melton Prior.)]
+
+"Gloom, gloom, gloom, unending gloom!" So said one on the 26th of
+February, one who was fast sinking in the slough of despondency into
+which so many had slipped lower and lower, till they were sucked down
+and ended their troubles with fever and the grave. Some few days before
+all hearts had leapt with joy at reading of hopeful signals, listening
+to booming guns, which all thought to be bursting the gates of their
+imprisonment. So certain were they that the joyful hour of freedom was
+at hand that the force was placed on full rations. "We can afford to
+have a blow-out now," some one had said, and began to arrange what menu
+he should chose when he at last came face to face with civilisation.
+Then had come gloom--gloom blacker than Erebus--for it was gloom without
+and within. The guns--the welcome guns--not the obstreperous ones of
+Bulwana and the companion hills--had ceased their clamour. Hope was
+gone, and even the "helio" refused its communications. The sky was
+overcast, and rumours, that had always been prolific as flies, now began
+to breed apace. The air of Ladysmith was thick with them. No word from
+Buller's column. Kaffirs hinted that for the fourth time the relief
+column had retired at the back of the Tugela. Doubt, anxiety, suspense
+set in with renewed terrors. Quarter rations--the more trying because
+temporarily dropped--again became the order of the course. This in spite
+of the fact that Buller had now signalled "Everything progressing
+favourably." It seemed that they had heard that message before, those
+poor, half-hopeful, half-sceptical sufferers.
+
+Some said that on Tuesday, Majuba Day, the spirits of the community
+arrived at their nadir. When the barometer of fate registers its lowest,
+it is bound to rise. It rose in skips and jumps. There came the grand
+news that Cronje had surrendered to Lord Roberts. It was evident that
+the Boers too had heard, understood, and decided that they must scuttle
+the next morning. Signs of disturbance were evident. Long serpentine
+lines of trekking waggons were throwing up dust columns in the roads
+leading to Modder Spruit and Pepworth; droves of oxen were hurried along
+as fast as hoofs would carry them. Guns--the terrible guns which for 118
+days had bayed and barked and rumbled and thundered--were in course of
+being dismantled. What did it all mean? Time was when the "braves" in
+Ladysmith would have sallied forth with their inherent dash and turned
+the retreat into a rout. But things were changed. Men and horses were
+now almost too weak to enter into sustained conflict with a mosquito,
+had a mosquito deigned to look at them. But most of them were past even
+the attentions of mosquitos. All they could do was to send a salvo at
+the heels of their tormentors, and hope that one or two shells at least
+might serve to "speed the parting guest." This was all they could
+attempt. They also flashed to Monte Cristo a message--a deplorable
+message--full of their despair and despondency. It said, "Garrison
+bitterly disappointed at delay of relieving force." This was at twelve
+o'clock. Then, as though Fate, with a full appreciation of the
+picturesque, had placed her highest light against her deepest
+dark--then, within the hour, came back glorious news!
+
+[Illustration: IN BELEAGUERED LADYSMITH--WATCHING FOR BULLER FROM
+OBSERVATION HILL.
+
+From a Sketch by Melton Prior.]
+
+"Have thoroughly beaten the enemy. Believe them to be in full retreat.
+Have sent my cavalry to ascertain which way they have gone." Surprise,
+rapture, prolonged jubilation! Cheer on cheer rose on the clear midday
+air and rang for miles, till the sick in Intombi camp lifted pallid
+heads and strained their ears and wondered. Then came the rolling
+National Anthem and "Rule Britannia," and Sir George White and those
+around him who had grown old within the spell of those awful 118 days,
+began to grow young again. And soon the Jack Tars set to work and the
+Naval guns pounded away with a reckless disregard for ammunition and a
+zest that did them credit. "One more go at him!--only one more!--only
+one more!" and "Long Tom," which was in act of being dismantled, was the
+subject of boisterous farewells.
+
+
+THE RELIEF OF LADYSMITH
+
+At six o'clock on the evening of the 28th of February all the suffering,
+suspense, and tension came to an end. The obstinate resistance, the
+heroic combats, the semi-starvation, the appalling melancholy of
+enforced exile, all were over.
+
+In the late afternoon those viewing the departure of the Boers from a
+vantage-point at C�sar's Camp espied along the hazy blue of the valley
+horsemen recklessly approaching, riding at full gallop across the open.
+Conjectures wild were attempted. Hearts began to flutter, to stand
+still, to beat again with sharp quick thuds. Boers? Or Buller's cavalry?
+Yes--no--yes! Hurrah! Hurrah! They were coming--the squadron was
+distinctly visible--they were making direct for Ladysmith. A roar went
+up from a multitude of throats. The Manchesters on C�sar's Camp, the
+Gordons at Fly Kraal, and presently the troops in the town, broke into
+shouts of exultation. Soon it was known everywhere they were
+coming--coming--coming--at last--at last! It was quite true. There was
+Lord Dundonald with Major Mackenzie (Light Horse) and Major Gough (16th
+Lancers), accompanied by the little column of Colonials, grand gallant
+fellows of the Light Horse, Natal Carabineers, and Border Mounted
+Police, some three hundred of them, pounding across the open country as
+fast as horses would carry them.
+
+In the twilight the troops sped along over boulder and rock, down donga
+and ravine, reckless of every obstacle, and at last the melancholy
+perimeter was reached. Then from out the gloom came a challenge. A
+British voice called "Halt! Who goes there?" A British voice gave
+answer--the almost unbelievable answer--"The Ladysmith Relieving Army."
+Four words, just four words! Paradise seemed to be opened. From all
+quarters came crowding and cheering--cheering faintly with wizened
+voices of the famished--men battered and almost bootless--happy, yet for
+all that deplorably sad in their happiness. Tears even glistened on some
+cheeks and in some eyes--the "unconquerable British blue eyes" of the
+Ladysmith "invincibles." With a due sense of decorum, and in the
+determination to give none the precedence, the procession had arranged
+itself in special order. The Natal Carabineers and Imperial Light Horse
+riding two and two abreast, with Major Gough at the head of the column,
+now marched in triumph into the town.
+
+At the English church they were met by General White, the defender of
+Ladysmith, fevered and thin and grey-haired, yet erect with the carriage
+of one who, without the strength, has the inextinguishable pride of his
+race, and the will to bear his country's burden to the last. With him
+were General Hunter and Colonel Ian Hamilton, heroes of the defence.
+Each instant the scene gained in colour, in vehemence, in pathos.
+Cheers and tears were commingled. Women wept unreservedly. Men, to
+dispose of a lump in their throats, shouted with all the scanty vigour
+that a limited diet of horse-sausage and mule would allow. But new life
+coursed through their veins. There was no glow of health on their
+cheeks, but the gleam of joy in their eyes rendered them young, almost
+hale. The Kaffirs and coolies gave expression to their rapture by dances
+and shouts that relieved the almost solemn ecstasy of the moment. Then
+General White, surrounded on one side by his pallid, worn, and wounded
+heroes, on the other by the bronzed warriors of the relieving force,
+made a brief address to the crowd: "People of Ladysmith," he said, in a
+voice that wavered with the emotion it was needless to conceal--"People
+of Ladysmith, I thank you one and all for the patient manner you have
+assisted me during the siege. From the bottom of my heart I thank you.
+It hurt me terribly when I was compelled to cut down rations, but, thank
+God, we have kept our flag flying!" Cheers broke out afresh, and then
+the battered multitude with one voice rent the grey gloom of the
+evening, and the strains of "God save the Queen" rang forth, till the
+banks, hollows, and rocks of the surrounding country gave back the
+glorious refrain. That night Sir George White, with his valorous
+colleagues around him, gave a dinner to the newly arrived, and these sat
+down with a feeling of exaltation, almost of awe, to find themselves
+thus in the familiar company of heroes. And all were conscious of a
+strange sense of unreality which pervaded the scene. It was almost
+impossible to realise that the drama was played, that they were about to
+ring down the curtain on the last act. It was scarce possible to believe
+that for three months the Natal Field Force had kept at bay a force
+double its number, had fortified and held a perimeter of fourteen miles
+against the most fiendish inventions of modern artillery, had made
+brilliant sorties and repulsed assaults innumerable--two of them being
+ferocious, almost hand-to-hand combats--had fought and watched and
+sickened and starved.... And now, all was changed. Those dire
+experiences were over for ever!
+
+Yet the effect of them remained. As a consequence of the close
+confinement of some 20,000 persons, disease was stalking abroad, even
+attacking those who but an hour ago had neared the place. Away at
+Intombi camp, too, where drugs were scarce, many of the
+patients--convalescent patients--were sinking for want of the sustaining
+food which was necessary to recovery. There was regret, poignant and
+newly awakened, in this moment of relief, regret standing dry-eyed, yet
+with a grievous ache at the heart--regret that before had learnt to bear
+and be still. It was impossible to see the glad side without also
+remembering the deeply pathetic one. The pestiferous atmosphere
+breathed of fever and disease, and those coming into it realised only
+too well what havoc such an atmosphere must have played on the sickly
+and the starved. Besides this there were gaps--woeful gaps. Names that
+dared not be mentioned, spots that could scarce be looked upon with dry
+eyes. The bronzed warriors, who day after day had shown tough fronts to
+the enemy, and whose ceaseless struggles should have hardened them to
+emotion, now turned aside to conceal the agony of bleeding hearts.
+
+Outside the town, in a sheltered hollow below Waggon Hill, was a
+pathetic garden of sleep. Here, under the shadow of cypress trees, lay
+the honoured remains of brave fellows who had given themselves to save
+the town, and with the town the prestige of their motherland. The earth
+barely covered them, but for all that their peace was perfect. They had
+struggled to save Natal, and Natal through them and the survivors was
+saved. If there is a loophole whence those who have passed on to the
+Invisible can peer down and observe the issues of mortal deeds, surely
+in that great hour, those splendid, those self-abnegating ones, who had
+given their heart's blood for the glory of the Empire, must then have
+gazed their fill, and in the general rejoicing have reaped their
+beatific reward.
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+The effect in England of the news of the relief was truly surprising.
+The spectacle was unique in the annals of Victoria's reign. On Thursday
+the 1st of March the whole City of London by one consent burst into
+jubilation. Every human being, however hard-worked, wore a smile; every
+heart, however sore, throbbed with a sense of reflected triumph; for
+all, if they had not been at the front in the flesh, had been there in
+the spirit these many, many days. Never was such a spontaneous outburst
+of rejoicing! A nation of shopkeepers indeed! Why, shopkeeping and work
+of all kinds were forgotten, and in front of the Mansion House crowded
+the delighted multitudes, oblivious of everything save the glorious fact
+that British bull-dog tenacity had withstood the most fiendish warfare,
+and wiles, and wickedness that vengeful Dutchmen could invent.
+
+From north, south, east, and west the people flocked, springing as it
+were from the very earth. The news came in at 10 A.M. By eleven the City
+was alive with drama. Hats were being waved or flung into the air,
+regardless of the effect upon the nap; flags from here, there, and
+everywhere fluttered--in default of these, other brandishable things
+were seized. Sometimes handkerchiefs did duty, newspapers, and even
+parcels and commercial bags; and from tongues innumerable came cheers
+and shouts and snatches of patriotic song, till an ignorant spectator,
+if one such there could have been, might have imagined Bedlam to have
+broken loose. "Rule Britannia," "God save the Queen," "Tommy Atkins,"
+"The Absent-Minded Beggar"--all tunes poured forth to an accompaniment
+of cheers. The Lord Mayor was called out, and appeared on his balcony.
+He was forthwith invited to speak. The great man opened and shut his
+mouth--he was much moved with the general emotion--but no sound
+penetrated the uproar. Cheers loud and vehement tore the air, and the
+walls of the civic domain literally shook with the inspiriting fracas.
+Then for a moment or two there was a lull, and taking advantage of the
+opportunity, in a short sincere speech the Lord Mayor expressed himself.
+
+"Fellow-citizens, this news of the relief of Ladysmith makes our hearts
+leap with joy. We are now satisfied that at last our sacrifices of blood
+and treasure are not in vain!"
+
+Upon that the crowd roared itself hoarse, sung "For he's a jolly good
+fellow," and never with better cause, for Sir A. J. Newton had put the
+best of himself into the launching of the glorious C.I.V.'s. By-and-by
+came, with banners and much ceremony, a deputation from the Stock
+Exchange, and after them waves on waves of shouting enthusiasts--a
+spectacle so un-English, so genuine, so unrestrained, that the gloomy
+decorous regions of the City seemed suddenly to have become things
+apart, card-houses to fill in the background to a soul-stirring scene.
+Everywhere, in the alleys of "'Arriet," in the haunts of the "wild, wild
+West," at the Bank, in Leadenhall Market, and along the Thames, went up
+the jubilant echo--"Ladysmith is relieved!" Whereupon windows and
+balconies were dressed, flags, red, white, and blue, and the green of
+Erin with its romantic harp in the corner, fluttered wings of ecstasy
+from every British nest, and from every British household there rose
+unanimously a rapturous cry that was almost a sob, a cry of thanksgiving
+that the end had come, and that Ladysmith and the honour of the old
+country were saved!
+
+
+THE FORMAL ENTRY
+
+It seemed but artistic that Lord Dundonald and his brave irregulars
+should have met the keen edge of joyous welcome, that the burst of
+enthusiasm which greeted them should have been the heartiest of which
+Ladysmith, after a siege of 118 days, was capable. It was right, almost
+beautiful, that the staunch Colonials, who so well had fought for the
+Empire, should be the ones to throw open the doors of the dolorous
+prison, and deliver those who had been not only victims to the devilish
+machinations of the Boer, but had suffered from the active ache of
+suspense and the passive one of starvation, from their hellish
+bondage. Their informal coming was part and parcel of the unrehearsed
+and the splendid that appeared at every corner in this absolutely
+incomprehensible war.
+
+[Illustration: BRIGADIER-GENERAL THE EARL OF DUNDONALD, C.B.
+
+Photo by R. Faulkner & Co.]
+
+The next day things were more decorously done--more English in their
+reserve. Etiquette and custom resumed their sway, and General Sir
+Archibald Hunter straightened out the limp backbone of the army, and
+made soldierly preparations to welcome the relief column. There were
+cleansings and polishings, washings and brushings up, of a ramshackle
+kind, it is true, but they savoured of the old parade days returned.
+Poor skeletons of horses were groomed down, Sunday best was smoothed
+out, everything was done that the slender resources of the melancholy
+perimeter would allow. Shortly after noon on the 3rd of March Sir
+Redvers Buller made his formal entry. His arrival was somewhat
+unexpected, and there was little effervescent demonstration. Sir George
+White and Sir Redvers Buller meeting with a handclasp, said at first
+little more than the familiar "D'ye do?" of saunterers in Piccadilly.
+What else could be done? There was much to say, so much that must remain
+ever unsaid, and throats to-day were too tightly compressed in
+strangling the large and unspeakable emotion to give vent to the
+infinitesimal resource of speech. Meanwhile the forlorn streets had
+begun to fill. They were margined by the garrison, and with them were
+collected such of the sorry civilians as were able to stand exposed to
+the tropical glare of the sun in its zenith. They came out wondering,
+almost diffident. Was it possible that the morning message of melenite
+was no longer to be heard? that the hoarse cadence of hostile artillery
+was silent for good? Was the open distance really innocuous--clear and
+peaceful as a Swiss landscape? They scarcely recognised themselves or
+their surroundings, and looked dazedly to right and left as on a changed
+world. Sir George White, with his staff, now took up a position in front
+of the Town Hall, where, backgrounded by the ruined tower--it had been
+battered, as it were, by the whole armoury of Satan--the broken blue tin
+houses and the parched trees, the group made an appropriate picture of
+noble wreck--of aristocratical exhaustion. The relievers, though
+physically hale, were externally scarcely more presentable than the
+relieved. The outsiders, it is true, were begrimed and tattered, though
+robust and swarthy; while the Invincibles, rigged up in honour of their
+deliverers in Sunday best, and washed and scrubbed to a nicety,
+seemed--soap-like--to have dissolved in the very process of ablution. No
+joy of the moment could alter the tale of shrinkage that was printed on
+man and beast. But jubilation expressed itself in the best way it could.
+From windows and balconies soon hung strips of colour, national emblems,
+gathered from hither and thither to mark a rapture that it was
+impossible for human tongue to describe. From hotels and habitations
+the citizens began to pour forth and to congregate. And then, when all
+were collected, the curtain drew up on the most wondrous scene that the
+nineteenth century has witnessed--the march past of the Ladysmith
+Relieving Column! Sir Redvers Buller, imperturbable of visage as usual,
+accompanied by his staff, rode at the head of his magnificent warriors,
+and leading, in the place of honour, were the valorous Dublin Fusiliers,
+the poor but glorious remnant, consisting now of 400 of the original
+battalion who had so grandly acquitted themselves in many battlefields.
+Next came Sir Charles Warren and the Fifth Division, and afterwards
+General Barton and General Lyttelton's Brigades--goodly fellows all, who
+had proved themselves deliberately brave and doughtily undefeatable.
+Meanwhile the pipes and drums of the Gordon Highlanders, with such
+vigour as was left them, made exhilarating music, to which was united
+the clanking and clamping of the Artillery Howitzer Battery and Naval
+Brigade as they filed past with uproarious martial rampage. Each section
+was greeted with admiring cheers. The regiments moved along in review
+order, a superb throng, bronzed, and battered, and brawny, a curious
+contrast to the pallid and emaciated comrades-in-arms--morally superb
+too, but physically degenerate--who welcomed them. The spectacle was
+unique in soul-stirring grandeur as in unspoken pathos.
+
+"A march of lions," said Mr. Churchill, who had played his part with
+Lord Dundonald's force, and was now looked on as a critic. "A procession
+of giants," said some one else, who watched the lines and lines of
+heroes greeting each other with wild huzzas! Friends, kindred,
+comrades-in-arms--from either side the yawning gulf of destruction, from
+even the voracious maw of death--they came together again, all jubilant,
+all generously appreciative, all self-respecting, and glowing with
+honest and honourable emotion. The Gordon Highlanders cheered the
+Dublins, the Dublins, with little sprigs of green in their caps,
+responded right royally to the greeting of the Scotsmen. One battalion
+of the Devons met its twin battalion: the men of doughty deeds,
+large-hearted and large-lunged, accosted with zest the men of equally
+doughty deeds but dwindled frames, whose deep bass notes cracked with
+the strain of rollicking intention and futile realisation.
+
+While all this was going forward, from the balcony of the gaol a
+wondering crowd of Boer prisoners looked on agape. They could barely
+believe the evidence of their eyes: the town was free. Had their
+compatriots at last turned tail and bolted? They stared down on the vast
+interminable avenue of men and guns winding through what only the day
+before yesterday was a fiery concave--watched a continuous moving
+multitude, tattered and begrimed, saddle-brown and burly--and little by
+little began to fathom the meaning to themselves of this mighty display.
+The despised rooineks had, after all, not even been thrust into the sea:
+in fact, it appeared that the sea had cultivated a trick of casting up
+rooineks by the thousand, to be killed in scores only to come up in
+swarms!
+
+By-and-by, when the military parade was over, the Mayor of the town, Mr.
+Farquhar, presented Sir George White with an address, in which the
+corporation and inhabitants expressed their appreciation of all that he
+had done for them in those dark days of durance. Flattering reference
+was also made to the services of General Hunter and Colonel Ward
+(A.A.G.). To these officers the General, in reply, alluded gratefully,
+eulogising the work done by the former, and describing the latter as the
+"best supply officer since Moses." He then called attention to the
+stubborn patience of the civilians of Ladysmith, "who had borne
+themselves like good and true soldiers throughout a very trying time."
+These remarks were followed by three hearty cheers for the civilians of
+Ladysmith. The Mayor expressed his pride in the manner the civilian
+population had comported itself, and the excellent feeling that had
+existed between both civil and military authorities. He then presented
+an illuminated address to Sir Redvers Buller, of which the following is
+the text:--
+
+     "We, the Mayor and members of the Town Council of the borough
+     of Ladysmith, Natal, and as such representing the inhabitants
+     of the said borough, beg most respectfully to welcome with
+     great joy the arrival of yourself and your gallant soldiers at
+     our township, and to express to you our most sincere and
+     heartfelt appreciation of your noble and courageous efforts in
+     the relief of this long-beleaguered borough. As members of the
+     great British Empire, as loyal subjects of Her Most Gracious
+     Majesty the Queen, and as colonists of Natal, we beg
+     respectfully to tender you our most hearty thanks, realising as
+     we do the magnitude and difficulty of the work you have
+     accomplished. At the same time our sympathies are great for the
+     heavy losses among your gallant troops that have occurred in
+     your successful efforts to relieve us."
+
+The following telegrams were sent to Sir Redvers Buller and Sir George
+White by the Queen.
+
+To Sir Redvers Buller:--
+
+     "Thank God for news you have telegraphed to me. Congratulate
+     you and all under you with all my heart.
+
+    "V.R.I."
+
+To Sir George White:--
+
+     "Thank God that you and all those with you are safe after your
+     long and trying siege, borne with such heroism. I congratulate
+     you and all under you from the bottom of my heart. Trust you
+     are all not very much exhausted.
+
+    "V.R.I."
+
+Reply from Sir George White to the Queen:--
+
+     "Your Majesty's most gracious message has been received by me
+     with deepest gratitude and with enthusiasm by the troops.
+
+     "Any hardships and privations are a hundred times compensated
+     for by the sympathy and appreciation of our Queen, and your
+     Majesty's message will do more to restore both officers and men
+     than anything else.
+
+    "GENERAL SIR GEORGE WHITE, Ladysmith."
+
+The following telegram was received by the Queen from Sir Redvers
+Buller:--
+
+     "Troops much appreciate your Majesty's kind telegram.
+
+     "Your Majesty cannot know how much your sympathy has helped to
+     inspire them.
+
+    "GENERAL BULLER."
+
+An additional telegram was sent by the Queen to Sir Redvers Buller on
+the 2nd inst.:--
+
+     "Pray express to the Naval Brigade my deep appreciation of the
+     valuable services they have rendered with their guns.
+
+    "V.R.I."
+
+Later on a special Army Order was issued as follows:--
+
+     GALLANTRY OF IRISH REGIMENTS IN SOUTH AFRICA--DISTINCTION TO BE
+     WORN ON ST. PATRICK'S DAY.
+
+     Her Majesty the Queen is pleased to order that in future, upon
+     St. Patrick's Day, all ranks in her Majesty's Irish regiments
+     shall wear, as a distinction, a sprig of shamrock in their
+     headdress, to commemorate the gallantry of her Irish soldiers
+     during the recent battles in South Africa.
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+Soon after this came the transformation scene. Seventy-three
+waggon-loads of supplies, eleven of which contained hospital comforts,
+began to wind into the town. Major Morgan and Colonel Stanley, like
+fairy godmothers in the story-book, waved the wand of office, and
+promptly the machinery began to revolve, and manna in the form of
+nourishing food-stuffs poured into the famished regions. The Boers, too,
+in the precipitate retreat had left welcome loads of grass, herds, and
+ammunition--the ammunition of the besieged was well-nigh
+exhausted--besides individual necessaries which came in handy. But of
+course, the machinery of relief, well as it worked, could scarcely work
+fast enough to make an appreciable result, and save invalids who were
+sinking from the protracted trial. It was amazing how the sick-list
+swelled. Many who had come into the town jocund and jaunty, found
+themselves in a few hours clutched by the fell fever. It was enough but
+to breathe the tainted atmosphere to fall sick, and those who were
+seized at once discovered all the horror of helplessness in an area
+where provision for the comfort of the suffering was well-nigh
+exhausted. Looking back on the past from the new standpoint, the gaps
+became more than ever remarkable; for, despite incessant fighting, shot
+and shell were responsible for less lives than famine and fever.
+
+[Illustration: LIEUT.-GENERAL HON. N. G. LYTTELTON, C.B.
+
+Photo by Elliott & Fry, London.]
+
+Ladysmith at the commencement of the siege held some 13,496 fighting men
+and over 2000 civilians. Owing to sickness and hard fighting, the number
+had diminished to 10,164 men. There were about 2000 in hospital, but the
+death-rate practically increased only when, after January, food,
+nourishment of all kinds, and medical appliances grew scarce. At that
+time sickness of whatever kind assumed an ominous aspect; there was no
+chance of relief. It was impossible for languishing men to apply
+themselves to the soup made of old horse and mule, which was gladly
+devoured by those who had still the appetite without the means of
+appeasing it. From the 15th of January death stalked abroad uncombated;
+later he held carnival. Many died from wounds, very slight wounds,
+received on the 6th of January, from which they had not stamina to
+recover; the fevered and weakly dropped off from sheer starvation and
+famine; the gaunt talons needed scarcely to touch them, for they were
+exhausted, and some of them were glad to go. The deaths as a result of
+fighting were 24 officers and 235 men, while those attributed to
+sickness numbered six officers and 520 men, exclusive of white
+civilians.
+
+The following special Army Order was issued:--
+
+     "The relief of Ladysmith unites two forces which have striven
+     with conspicuous gallantry and splendid determination to
+     maintain the honour of their Queen and country. The garrison of
+     Ladysmith for four months held the position against every
+     attack with complete success, and endured its privations with
+     admirable fortitude. The relieving force had to make its way
+     through unknown country, across unfordable rivers, and over
+     almost inaccessible heights, in the face of a fully-prepared,
+     well-armed, tenacious enemy. By the exhibition of the truest
+     courage, which burns steadily besides flashing brilliantly, it
+     accomplished its object and added a glorious page to our
+     history. Sailors, soldiers, Colonials, and the home-bred have
+     done this, united by one desire and inspired by one patriotism.
+
+     "The General Commanding congratulates both forces on their
+     martial qualities, and thanks them for their determined
+     efforts. He desires to offer his sincere sympathy to the
+     relatives and friends of the good soldiers and gallant comrades
+     who have fallen in the fight. BULLER."
+
+Less formally and with more warmth the Chief addressed himself to his
+friends in England. He said:--
+
+     "We began fighting on the 14th February, and literally fought
+     every day and nearly every night till the 27th. I am filled
+     with admiration for the British soldiers; really, the manner in
+     which they have worked, fought, and endured during the last
+     fortnight has been something more than human. Broiled in a
+     burning sun by day, drenched in rain by night, lying but 300
+     yards off an enemy who shoots you if you show as much as a
+     finger; they could hardly eat or drink by day, and as they
+     were usually attacked at night they got but little sleep; and
+     through it all they were as cheery and willing as could be."
+
+Telegraphic wires and cables wore themselves out in repeating
+congratulation on the relief of Ladysmith. Veritably all the winds of
+heaven seemed to repeat them. From north, south, east, and west came the
+chorus of acclamation, a chorus most reviving to the magnificent
+multitude both inside and outside the place, who had been ready to offer
+up their heart's blood on the altar of patriotism. Though the haunted
+and worn look could not die out of the faces of the sufferers in a
+moment, they had already begun to mend; though the shrunken and
+emaciated forms could not at once be relieved from the starvation and
+disease which had wasted them, there was over all a soothing glow of
+hope that acted magically, beatifically, as the mists of sunrise over a
+squalid landscape.
+
+On the 9th of March Sir George White, looking much worn, he having
+suffered from Indian fever brought on by the malarious surroundings,
+left with his staff. The General addressed the Gordon Highlanders who
+formed the guard of honour, and in few and affecting words bade them
+farewell.
+
+FOOTNOTES:
+
+[4] Brevet Lieutenant-Colonel Claude George Henry Sitwell, D.S.O., 2nd
+Battalion Royal Dublin Fusiliers, was born in 1858, and entered the army
+through the militia in 1878. His first ten years of service were with
+the Shropshire Light Infantry, from which he exchanged, in 1889, into
+the Manchester Regiment. He was subsequently promoted to a majority in
+the 2nd Royal Dublin Fusiliers in October 1898. Colonel Sitwell had seen
+a considerable amount of active service, his first campaign being the
+Afghan war of 1879-80, in which he served with the Koorum Division, and
+took part in the Zaimust expedition. He accompanied the 1st Battalion
+Shropshire Light Infantry in the Egyptian war of 1882, and was present
+at the occupation of Kafr Dowar and the surrender of Damietta. From 1892
+to 1895 he was employed with the Egyptian army, and from 1895 to 1898 in
+the Uganda Protectorate. In 1895, as a captain, he commanded the
+expeditions against the Kitosh, Kabras, and Kikelwa tribes in East
+Africa, and was present with the Nandi expedition in 1895-96. Finally,
+he commanded the operations against Mwanga in 1897-98, including the
+engagement near Katonga River, and several minor affairs. For his
+important services in Uganda Major Sitwell was given a brevet
+lieutenant-colonelcy, and decorated with the Distinguished Service
+Order.
+
+[5] Lieutenant-Colonel Thomas Martin Gerard Thackeray, commanding the
+1st Battalion Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers, was born in 1849, and was
+appointed to the 16th Foot in 1868. In 1876 he exchanged into the 1st
+West India Regiment, subsequently obtaining his captaincy in the Royal
+Inniskilling Fusiliers in 1881. During 1880 and part of 1881 he served
+as Fort Adjutant at Sierra Leone. He was promoted to the command of the
+1st Battalion Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers in February 1897.
+
+[6] Lieutenant-Colonel Thorold, of the Royal Welsh Fusiliers, who was
+killed on February 24, became lieutenant on June 13, 1874, a captain on
+October 25, 1882, a major on July 10, 1890, and was promoted to be
+lieutenant-colonel on March 4, 1896.
+
+[7] Lieutenant-Colonel William M'Carthy O'Leary, commanding the 1st
+Battalion of the South Lancashire Regiment, was born on January 6, 1849,
+and entered the 82nd Foot (now the 2nd Battalion of the South Lancashire
+Regiment) as an ensign in the old purchase days on April 17, 1869. He
+obtained his lieutenancy, also by purchase, on February 15, 1871. He was
+instructor of musketry to the regiment from July 19, 1874, to March 19,
+1878, when he became captain, received his major's commission on August
+13, 1883, and from the January preceding until January 1888, was an
+adjutant of Auxiliary forces. He had been lieutenant-colonel of the
+battalion since November 1896. He was a Justice of the Peace for the
+County of Cork and one of the Under Sheriffs of the city.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER VI
+
+CHANGES IN CAPE COLONY
+
+
+We must now return to Colesberg after the departure of General French.
+The Boers, doubtless much relieved to get quit of him, still occupied a
+semicircular set of camps from east to west round the north of the town,
+while the British, in the same manner, occupied the opposite half of the
+circle, and so continued, by dint of much fighting and skirmishing, to
+keep them in check. On the 9th February the Dutchmen threatened the
+right flank of the British, and shot one of Rimington's Guides. During
+the morning Captain Cameron, commanding the Tasmanian Contingent, with
+Captain Salmon and fifty Australians and Tasmanians, started out from
+Rensburg on a reconnaissance. He was supported by a detachment of the
+Inniskilling Dragoons under Captain Stevenson-Hamilton. The enemy was
+soon encountered, and promptly gave the Australians a warm time as they
+advanced across the plain. These cleverly took shelter and returned an
+active fusillade, but the Boers seemed to be everywhere in overwhelming
+numbers. The Australians with great gallantry took possession of a
+kopje, and maintained their grip of the position for a good hour and a
+half; but the crowds opposing them were too great, and when the Dutchmen
+worked round to the rear and fired on their horses, they thought it high
+time to come down, mount, and retire, amid a hurricane of lead from the
+foe. The same action was repeated, the holding of another kopje, and the
+evacuation of it in consequence of the arrival, in the rear, of the
+Boers; and finally a retirement had to be effected across the open plain
+exposed to fierce volleys from the pursuing enemy. Strange to say, very
+few of the Colonials were injured, though they held their ground
+throughout the day with wondrous pluck, and tackled the Boers with
+dexterity equal to their own. Indeed, the coolness and courage of
+Captain Cameron were reflected by his men, and Captain Salmon, whose
+baptism of fire it was, made a remarkable display of talent in the
+field. Of grit and gallantry there was no end. Specially noticeable was
+the pluck of Corporal Whiteley of the Tasmanians, who hurried to the
+rescue of a dismounted comrade, and through a storm of bullets brought
+him to a place of safety.
+
+More of the Australians on the same day came in for a good share of
+work. A reconnaissance was made from Slingersfontein by the
+Inniskillings and some Australians under Captain Moor. The Australians
+discovered the enemy in the act of preparing to shell the British camp
+from the south-east. They therefore took up a position on a hill some
+9000 yards from camp, but here were assailed by a party of Dutchmen who
+endeavoured to force them to surrender. So close had the Boers
+approached, that their shouts calling them to give up their arms could
+be heard by the Colonials. For answer, however, the Australians only
+fixed bayonets and yelled defiance! Their position was most critical;
+nevertheless they held their ground with such fierce tenacity that the
+Burghers were cautious of approach. Meanwhile, through the maze of fiery
+elements and in the teeth of the enemy, a sergeant and two troopers had
+galloped off to inform the commanding officer of the safety of the
+little band, and of their intention to make a good fight of it until,
+under cover of the shades of night, they could effect an escape. This
+they eventually did. Three of their number were wounded and one was
+killed in the act of succouring a wounded comrade.
+
+On the 11th of February, at Rensburg, a picket of five Victorian Rifles
+had a nasty experience. After pluckily holding a post for several hours,
+during which they were fired on by the Boers from an adjacent kopje,
+they were forced to retire. Three of the party were slightly wounded,
+and one gallant fellow, who had helped the others to mount and escape,
+was missing. A patrol from Jasfontein, consisting of eight Tasmanians
+and eight of French's Guides, also came to grief. Only two Tasmanians
+and three Guides returned to camp, the rest being captured by the enemy.
+In course of the day's work Trooper Bosch distinguished himself. On his
+way with two comrades to join the main body at Slingersfontein he came
+on a large party of Boers on a hill. Though fired on, the party made off
+in hot haste, when Trooper Bosch, who was ahead, came suddenly on a
+solitary horseman. The two riders, each believing the other to be a
+friend, approached, then discovering their mistake, they raised rifles.
+But Trooper Bosch being the quicker, promptly disarmed his antagonist
+and made him prisoner. With the Dutchman in charge, Bosch and his
+companions proceeded. Presently they came on seven Boer riders. On these
+the scouts opened fire, with the result that the enemy hurriedly made
+off, leaving behind them one wounded, who was taken prisoner. So the
+three scouts returned to camp very proud of their "bag."
+
+The correspondent of the _Melbourne Herald_, accompanied by Mr. Cameron,
+the Australian correspondent, bearing a flag of truce, went to the Boer
+line west of Rensburg to make inquiries from Commandant Delarey
+regarding Mr. Lambie and Mr. Hales, the missing Australian
+correspondents. They were blindfolded before being taken to the Boer
+camp, where they were informed that Mr. Lambie had been killed, and
+were handed the portrait of his wife, which had been found in his
+pocket. Mr. Hales, owing to a fall from his horse, had been taken
+prisoner. The correspondents were informed that some 120,000 men were
+fighting with the Federals, which was probably a piece of Boer bravado.
+
+[Illustration: MAP ILLUSTRATING THE OPERATIONS ON THE ORANGE RIVER.]
+
+It was now found necessary to retire from Coles Kop and the outposts
+round it, as the Boers had placed a 40-pounder off Bastard Nek, and thus
+commanded the vicinity. The Wiltshire Regiment retired from Pink Hill,
+and the Australians and Bedfordshire Regiment moved from Windmill Hill.
+The Berkshire Regiment had also to move from their post--indeed, a
+wholesale withdrawal became imperative owing to the activity of the Boer
+pieces. There was now no camp west of Rensburg, and presently the camp
+at Slingersfontein had to withdraw on Rensburg, the eastern flank being
+threatened. There were Boers on all sides busily shelling the hills, and
+the overwhelming number of the enemy made retreat to Rensburg
+inevitable. In the course of the fighting Colonel Coningham was mortally
+wounded.[8]
+
+On the 13th the British "strategically" evacuated Rensburg, and General
+Clements fell back on Arundel. The guns from Coles Kop were safely
+removed, and a Maxim was destroyed to save it from the clutches of the
+enemy.
+
+The retirement was quite orderly. On the previous day the stores and
+baggage-waggons were removed. After the evacuation the Boers held a
+prayer-meeting, and offered up thanks for their success. They then
+marched off in small parties to their various outposts, chanting in
+nasal tones their favourite hymns.
+
+The gallantry displayed by the members of General Clements' force during
+the retirement was amazing. It is found impossible to note all the acts
+of pluck and heroism which took place, and elicited the profound
+admiration of those who witnessed them, but especially noticeable was
+the devotion of some score of the Mounted Victorian Rifles. These were
+surrounded by the enemy--caught in a veritable trap--but they refused to
+surrender, and declared they would "die game." They fought like heroes,
+not one of them being left to tell the tale.
+
+Near Dordrecht, too, which had been occupied by General Brabant, the
+Colonial forces were performing prodigious feats of pluck. They forced
+the rebels to abandon the country between Dordrecht and Penhoek. During
+the attack on a Boer laager on the 16th, Trooper Drysdale bravely rushed
+to the succour of Sergeant Weinecke under a close and heavy fire and
+carried him off to a place of safety. The young Colonial was promoted to
+the rank of lieutenant in recognition of the valorous deed.
+Unfortunately two gallant officers--Captain Crallah and Lieutenant
+Chandler--were killed.
+
+Curiously enough, when the Boers and British became acquainted with each
+other they grew friendly with great rapidity. When Captain Longhurst,
+R.A.M.C., from Arundel, was attending wounded Australians, he remarked
+on the exceeding kindness of the enemy to the wounded. He also
+fraternised with the Boer commander, and discovered they had mutual
+friends in London. The "Tommies" chatted most amicably with the Boers,
+notwithstanding the fact that their bandoliers were filled with
+soft-nosed bullets. To account for their having them, the Boers said,
+"We must use whatever we can get." It was suggested that their
+ammunition--since they were of the northern district--had been obtained
+for the purpose of hunting big game at the Limpopo. This excuse the
+"Tommies" accepted, and one wounded in the thigh said good-humouredly,
+"Well, I wish you'd been kind enough to hit me lower down." Another
+informed a Boer that the British had specially come to deliver them out
+of the House of Bondage. The Boer was sceptical, whereon "Tommy"
+enlightened him. "Africander bondage," he explained, with a wink of the
+eye.
+
+The moral effect of the relief of Kimberley soon became obvious. Barkly
+West was occupied by troops on the 21st of February, and there was
+evidence that the country west of Cape Colony and Kimberley was
+gradually settling down.
+
+On the same day, General Brabant occupied Jamestown, some twenty miles
+north of Dordrecht, and seized quantities of horses belonging to the
+enemy, who in their retreat modestly had recourse to "Shank's pony."
+
+During a reconnaissance of the Boer position at Stormberg, a party of
+scouts under Captain Montmorency, V.C., got within some fifty yards of
+the enemy, and a fierce and fatal combat ensued, which resulted in the
+sad loss of one of the most brilliant officers of the day.
+
+The object of the reconnaissance was to ascertain the strength of the
+Boers at Stormberg. Accordingly, with four companies of Mounted Infantry
+drawn from the Royal Scots, the Northumberland Fusiliers, the Derbyshire
+Regiment, and the Royal Berkshire Regiment, with the 77th and four guns
+of the 74th Batteries Royal Field Artillery, the Derbyshire Regiment
+(Sherwood Foresters), a portion of De Montmorency's Scouts, and some
+Cape Police, supported by the armoured train under the charge of
+Lieutenant F. J. Gosset, 2nd Royal Berkshire Regiment, Sir William
+Gatacre occupied Molteno early on Friday morning the 23rd. Preceded by
+thirty Scouts, Captain de Montmorency, Lieutenant Hockley, and Colonel
+Hoskier, the force marched in the same direction that was to have been
+taken on the night of the fatal affair in December. Unfortunately the
+Scouts, on nearing their destination, came on a party of dismounted
+Boers, and these, as the British rushed up a kopje, executed the same
+feat on the other side of the hill. Though both instantly took cover,
+the scouts got the worst of it, each one as he raised a head being laid
+low by the fatal bullets of the completely hidden foe. Among the first
+to fall was Captain de Montmorency,[9] who, gallant fellow, was
+creeping round to a flank to surprise the enemy. Not long after Colonel
+Hoskier[10] received his second wound, a mortal one, and two comrades,
+Collett and Vice, adventurous and dashing Colonials, were shot through
+the head. Lieutenant Hockley, rendered almost blind and senseless by a
+wound between the eyes, was taken prisoner. A gallant attempt to rescue
+the Scouts was made in the midst of a tremendous storm. All were
+drenched to the skin. The thunder and lightning rendered artillery fire
+almost impossible, and very few of the daring party got away from the
+scene of the fight. On the kopje by Shoeman's Farm were left seven
+killed and five wounded.
+
+On the following day the bodies were recovered by the military
+chaplains. Deeply to their regret, they discovered that the dead had
+been robbed, and it is asserted that a Boer was seen in the feathered
+hat of the heroic leader of the Scouts, while even the clothes of the
+others had been filched by some despicable Dutchmen. Mr. Duncombe-Jewell
+in the _Morning Post_ gave a pathetic account of the affair:--"The
+chaplains to the forces, Father Ryan and Rev. R. Armitage, proceeded
+under a flag of truce on the following morning to recover the bodies.
+This they were permitted to do, but they found that the Boers had
+stripped and robbed the slain, one of them riding about in triumph with
+poor De Montmorency's hat, with its black riband ornamented with the
+white skull and cross-bones and the black ostrich feather at the side,
+hanging at his saddle-bow. So far did they carry these ravages, that on
+the tunic, which they hastily replaced as the chaplains approached,
+there remained only one button. The rest of the unfortunate men were as
+shamefully treated, the three buried by the Boers before the arrival of
+the flag of truce being interred without either clothing or ceremony of
+any sort."
+
+A sad funeral took place on the Sunday following, when the remains were
+buried. The band played a dirge as the procession--in which was the
+younger officer's gallant servant and comrade, Byrne, V.C., of
+Omdurman fame, and his favourite grey Arab pony--wound its way through
+the town to the Molteno Cemetery. Wreaths were placed on the
+newly-turned earth by the General and his staff--ephemeral symbols, but
+in this case emblems of lasting lament for heroes sacrificed on the
+altar of duty.
+
+[Illustration: HINDOO REFUGEES FROM THE TRANSVAAL IN CAMP AT CAPE TOWN
+
+Photo by Alf. S. Hosking, Cape Town.]
+
+In a Divisional Order General Gatacre recorded with deep regret the news
+of the death of Captain Montmorency, V.C., commanding Montmorency's
+Scouts, and of Lieutenant-Colonel Hoskier, 3rd Middlesex Volunteer
+Artillery, who were killed at Schoeman's Farm. "By their deaths," the
+order concluded, "the division has lost two very valuable officers."
+
+While this affair was taking place at Molteno the West Riding Regiment
+was distinguishing itself at Arundel. The troops were preparing to clear
+some kopjes held by the enemy when some Boers suddenly advanced on them.
+The West Ridings stood their ground grandly, waited with fixed bayonets
+the arrival of the Dutch horde, and then promptly advanced and scattered
+them. Unfortunately Captain Wallis was shot dead. Lieutenant Wilson was
+wounded, but rescued in the midst of a leaden blizzard by a gallant
+sergeant (Frith), who rushed to his assistance and carried him off on
+his back to a place of shelter. Scarcely had he done so than he was
+wounded in the face--in the left eye and nose. Lieutenant Wilson and
+Sergeant Frith were placed in an ambulance, but owing to the tremendous
+storm which prevailed at the time, their waggon lost its bearings and
+wandered aimlessly throughout the night. The sufferers reached hospital
+on the following day. On the 26th Colesberg and Colesberg Junction were
+held by our troops, and on the 27th Rensburg was reoccupied.
+
+On the 5th of March Captain M'Neill, who after the death of Captain de
+Montmorency was appointed to the command of Montmorency's Scouts,
+discovered that the Boers had evacuated Stormberg. The Scouts now
+pursued the enemy, determining to keep him on the run. This they did
+over rugged country and at great personal risk, eventually chasing the
+Dutchmen to and beyond Burghersdorp.
+
+On the 7th of March General Gatacre occupied Burghersdorp, and the
+railway arrangements towards Stormberg and Steynsburg were being hurried
+on in view of the coming operations. The enthusiasm of the loyal
+inhabitants of the district was great and their relief intense. The
+greetings from one and all were most effusive, the National Anthem was
+sung, and the British flag hoisted with jubilation so great that many
+wept at the relaxation of the long strain.
+
+General Gatacre issued a proclamation requesting rebels to surrender and
+give up arms, when they would receive a pass to their farms, and where
+they were to remain till called to account later. Some few rebels
+appeared to the summons, but many were still shy and were waiting, as
+the phrase says, "to see which way the cat jumped."
+
+The oath administered to rebels was as follows:--
+
+     "I, a British subject, do hereby and hereon swear and declare
+     that I was forced by the Queen's enemies to take up arms
+     against Her Majesty's troops, and that the rifle and ammunition
+     were issued to me by Commandant ----, that I joined the
+     commando on or about ----, and left it on or about ----. I now
+     hand in my horse, rifle, and ammunition, and, if permitted,
+     will proceed direct to my own farm, to remain there as a loyal
+     British subject until Her Majesty's pleasure be made further
+     known. I further promise to hold no further communication,
+     either directly or indirectly, with Her Majesty's enemies, or
+     to aid or abet them in any way whatever, under penalty of
+     death."
+
+General Clements now took up his quarters at Norval's Pont, on the south
+bank of Orange River. The north bank was still being strongly held by
+the enemy, who had succeeded in blowing up the bridge two days
+previously.
+
+Aliwal North was next occupied, but the occupation was attended with
+severe fighting across the river. But the British took up tenable
+positions, while the Boers, after a wholesome experience of British
+fire, removed their laager from the hills. The inhabitants of the town,
+despite the fact that our entry was accompanied by shells, were full of
+enthusiasm. Colonel Page Henderson and his advance party seized the
+heights beyond Lundean's Nek. The enemy shelled the bridge with Krupp
+guns with great vigour, and twenty men were wounded. The British from
+their entrenched positions silenced these barkings, but were then
+attacked by the Boer riflemen, who were finally driven off by the Border
+Horse and a Maxim gun. A waggon of ammunition was captured and several
+Boers. There were general complaints as to the treatment experienced by
+British people in the place, and there was some satisfaction when Mayor
+Smuts was subsequently arrested on a charge of treason.
+
+Railway and telegraphic communication were now carried to Burghersdorp.
+Everywhere the commencement of a new system was evident. In the
+north-eastern districts of the Free State the rebels, on the withdrawal
+of the commandos, slowly returned to their senses. Both English and
+Dutch loyalists were beginning to breathe freely; they had both equally
+suffered from Boer oppression. Europeans and natives were jubilant at
+the now continual laying down of arms by rebels and Boer refugees along
+the whole of the Colonial borders. The Boer refugees, some of whom were
+in a pitiable plight, many of them having subsisted for weeks mainly on
+bread and water and a species of coffee made from rye, were anxious for
+protection. They stood in fear of their lives, as Commandant Olivier had
+threatened to shoot those who should surrender. Major Hook of the Cape
+Police, with his smart men, occupied Barkly East, and at Lady Grey
+British rule, after three and a half months of oppression, was
+re-established. It is pleasing to record that the heroic postmistress
+returned to her post there with an increased salary. The total collapse
+of the rebels was impending, and there were now only animated arguments
+among loyalists and others as to the treatment which should be given to
+those who had engaged in and fostered the lamentable revolt. All voted
+for the speedy appointment of a Judicial Commission. Though a policy of
+revenge was to be deprecated, it was urged that the ringleaders should
+be punished with exemplary severity, as a deterrent for the future, and
+for the purpose of demonstrating to those who had suffered annoyances,
+loss, and anxiety, that there was some advantage in the maintenance of
+loyalty in trying circumstances.
+
+
+AT BETHULIE
+
+Sir William Gatacre, owing to the species of general post that had been
+set on foot by Lord Roberts' successful advance, suddenly found himself
+released from the shackles that had bound him. As we know, the enemy had
+retreated from Stormberg, and from Burghersdorp. Towards the Orange
+River they had betaken themselves in hot haste, and it was now time to
+fly after the retreating foe, to catch them, if possible, at the river.
+At Bethulie there was still the railway bridge. But even as it was
+neared it ceased to exist. Fragments filled the air. The Boers had blown
+it up behind them, and wrecked iron was all that displayed itself to the
+British troops. The road bridge, however, remained; a structure valued
+by the Colony at �100,000. Of course that would go directly, and the
+great question was whether the British troops, by putting the spur on
+their already jaded energies, would be able to reach the place in time
+to defend it. Captain M'Neill and thirty Scouts made a rush for it; and
+only just reached the scene of action in time! The Derby was never more
+hotly contested. The Scouts, like hunted fiends, had sped over obstacle
+and acre to gain the goal before the fell work of the Boers could begin.
+They won by a neck. The Boers were already buzzing along the bridge,
+manipulating with wire and explosive, putting the finishing touches on
+their design! At sight of the British there was a stampede to north of
+the river. Here the enemy had supports. (The Scouts carefully hid the
+fact they had none.) Here the enemy ensconced himself and prepared to do
+his worst. The Scouts took up their position in the kraal of a farm from
+which they could sweep the northern approach to the already laid mines,
+and sent back word urgently praying for reinforcements. Others took
+their well-deserved rest. Meanwhile with ferocious tenacity some eleven
+of them held on to the bridge, hawk-eyed, watching, firing, hiding,
+dodging, anything that should gain time till the reinforcements could
+appear. On the other side, only a question of yards off was the
+foe--numberless, it seemed to them, sniping, potting, and banging with
+every missile at their command, and determining to hang round the
+precious bone of contention, the valuable road bridge. The British
+maintained the same determination. Perhaps a touch, an unseen movement,
+would set the whole string of dynamite mines in motion; perhaps in this
+moment or the next, with a roar and a rumble, the clear atmosphere would
+be decked to blindness with little bits--bits of the bridge that stood
+before them--bits, too, of the men that were! Still they hung on. It was
+a grievous subject for contemplation, a sorry possibility to roll in the
+wrappings of meditation. But fear they scorned. The Boers in vast
+numbers thronged on the opposite side, bullets from Mausers and
+Martini-Henrys spurted and flicked up their little wisps of dust till
+sand became thick as a veil between Boer and Briton. But still the hardy
+Scouts clung to their post. Moments, every one long as days, sped on;
+hours passed, night waned, day broke. Still the tiny British band of
+braves behind bush and boulder stayed with rifles cocked and pointed at
+the bridge. They dared not approach, but they defied the enemy to
+venture. Then, with morn, the eternity of anxiety was ended--they were
+reinforced by the Cape Police! Later the artillery came up. Oh, the sigh
+of relief! The bridge was saved! Oh, the rejoicing to hear the grand
+bark of British guns, and see the great earth mushrooms opening up to
+the sky on the opposite side! Then, at eventide came the supreme deed,
+among deeds no less worthy. Shot and shell were now falling on all sides
+of the mined bridge. The Boers were firmly ensconced across the front;
+hidden and sniping, and now and then appearing and firing boldly. The
+gloaming was otherwise peaceful, the purple shades of evening blending
+with the gentle, rippling golden grey of the river. Then from his
+fellows advanced one Lieutenant Popham of the Derbyshire Regiment.
+Straight to the threatened bridge, already peppered with the storms of
+the enemy, he went, crossed to the other side, and quick as thought
+deftly cut the connecting wires for firing the mines! By a miracle no
+Boers observed the act, an act that rendered abortive all their
+ingenious efforts and made the British masters of the situation. Then
+followed more plucky feats. Young Popham, on advancing through the
+trenches, had come across large, suspicious-looking boxes. He returned
+to the British lines. He gathered together some of the goodly men of his
+regiment, and with them again made his way to the threatened bridge. The
+sight of the party was the signal for a volley from the Dutchmen, but
+still they pursued their way to the boxes. "Dynamite, by Jove!" said
+one; "Kingdom come!" said another. But up they took them, and there
+and then, under a storm of bullets that now meant more even than death,
+the splendid fellows marched back again. The astonishing feat cast
+dismay over the Federals on the other side of the water, as it filled
+with admiration and pride all in the British camp who were privileged to
+view a sight seldom seen in a lifetime. And then, later on, as though
+the quality of heroism were inexhaustible as the widow's cruse of oil,
+another splendid act followed on the heels of the foregoing ones. In the
+dead of night Captain Grant of the Royal Engineers groped his way to the
+bridge. The Boers were on the alert, but he groped cautiously. The
+soldier's martial step gave way to the catlike burglarious tread! It was
+ticklish work that had to be done--work that needed time and nicety of
+touch. But he meant to do it, and one hint, one rumour of activity would
+have roused the whole Dutch horde and ruined his plan. The bridge, as we
+know, was mined. Lieutenant Popham had cut the wires. But the charges of
+dynamite were somewhere. These Captain Grant found, removed, and
+dexterously dropped, buried for ever in the purling river! Then with
+infinite care he detached the other connecting wires, and the bridge was
+safe! This was the beginning of the end. A few more passages at arms,
+and then the British on the 15th of March crossed the Orange River.
+
+[Illustration: CONVEYING WOUNDED TO WYNBERG HOSPITAL CAMP.
+
+Photo by Alf. S. Hosking, Cape Town.]
+
+Yet another brilliant act was performed soon after the arrival of the
+troops at Bethulie. Captain Hannessy of the Cape Police, an officer on
+General Gatacre's staff, was detailed to capture the railway station,
+which was situated some distance from the town. This he did. He examined
+the telegraph room, found the instrument intact, and learnt by
+communication with Springfontein that there were Boers still in that
+direction. Without hesitation he at once set off, in company with
+another adventurous spirit (Captain Turner of the Scouts), on his way to
+Springfontein. They commandeered a trolley and moved up the line. On
+nearing the station they saw two trains with steam up, ready for
+departure. Within the building were Boers--not slim Boers this time--but
+snoring ones, with bandoliers awry and rifles lollopping. It was a
+moment to be grasped. The rifles and the bandoliers were gently removed.
+Then the sleepers were awakened. They rubbed their eyes, and found, not
+rifles or bandoliers, but that they were prisoners of war! They were
+without arms, resistance was useless. They were escorted to the railway
+trucks; an engine-driver was found, and presently the two officers with
+their "bag" (two trains and eight prisoners) returned in triumph to
+Bethulie. Here their big-game hunting was vastly appreciated, as at this
+time, their engines having been left on the other side of the river, the
+capture of rolling stock was of tremendous importance. Soon after this,
+troops from Bloemfontein were sent off to occupy Springfontein.
+
+FOOTNOTES:
+
+[8] Lieutenant-Colonel Charles Coningham, 2nd Battalion Worcestershire
+Regiment, was born in 1851, and joined the army in 1872. His first
+appointment was to the 103rd Foot, afterwards the 2nd Battalion Royal
+Dublin Fusiliers, with which he served until 1891, when he was
+transferred as major to the Worcestershire Regiment. Colonel Coningham
+was an adjutant of Militia from 1889 to 1894. He also served in the
+Soudan with the Frontier Field Force in 1885-86.
+
+[9] Captain the Hon. Raymond Harvey Lodge Joseph de Montmorency, 21st
+Empress of India's Lancers, and commanding De Montmorency's Scouts in
+South Africa, was the eldest son of Viscount Frankfort de Montmorency,
+K.C.B. He was born on February 5, 1867, joined the army on September 14,
+1887, as second lieutenant in the Lincolnshire Regiment, and was
+promoted to a lieutenancy in the 21st Lancers, November 6, 1889. In this
+rank he served in the campaign in the Soudan in 1898, and was present at
+the battle of Khartoum, and was awarded the Victoria Cross for the
+following service:--"At the battle of Khartoum on September 2, 1898,
+Lieutenant de Montmorency, after the charge of the 21st Lancers,
+returned to assist Second Lieutenant R. G. Grenfell, who was lying
+surrounded by a large body of Dervishes. Lieutenant de Montmorency drove
+the Dervishes off, and finding Lieutenant Grenfell dead, put the body on
+his horse, which then broke away. Captain Kenna and Corporal Swarbrich
+then came to his assistance, and enabled him to rejoin the regiment,
+which had begun to open a heavy fire on the enemy." Lieutenant de
+Montmorency, in addition to being mentioned in despatches and receiving
+the V.C., had also the British medal and Khedive's medal with clasp. He
+was promoted to captain August 2, 1899, having in the previous October
+been despatched on special service to South Africa, when he raised and
+commanded the special body of scouts whose gallant services have under
+him been so frequently referred to in connection with the operations in
+the neighbourhood of Stormberg and Dordrecht.
+
+[10] Lieutenant-Colonel Commandant F. H. Hoskier was a well-known
+Volunteer officer, who had brought the force which he commanded to a
+high state of military efficiency. He held a certificate for proficiency
+in several subjects, and had obtained special mention in examinations in
+tactics, besides having qualified as an interpreter.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER VII
+
+BLOEMFONTEIN UNDER BRITISH RULE
+
+
+The pastoral little town of brick and tin in the vast expanse of toasted
+grass had now become a centre of civilisation, one may almost say a
+fashionable rendezvous. There regiments multitudinous were congregated,
+and these helped to convert the sleepy, dozing capital into a miniature
+sphere of many dialects born of a common tongue. Human beings, the
+conquered and the conquerors, brushed shoulders in friendliness, bought
+and sold, listened to the bands playing the well-worn British airs in
+the market-place, and discoursed, under the �gis of the Union Jack,
+which fluttered from pinnacle and spire, of trade and prospects as
+though such things as big guns had never acted in place of handshakes,
+and such men as Steyn had never staked their all on the possibilities of
+a mirage.
+
+That potentate had betaken himself to Kroonstad, which, in new
+conditions, had also assumed a new aspect. It was now the capital of the
+Free Staters, and the seat of the polyglot army that was gathered
+together to consider the new face of affairs. A Norwegian attach�, who
+was with the strange horde, gave a description of the quaint dust-bound
+town and its still quainter inhabitants:--
+
+    "KROONSTAD, _March 16_.
+
+     "Here prevails the most extraordinary life it has ever been my
+     lot to witness. All hotels and private houses are filled to
+     overflowing, whilst little laagers are spread everywhere in and
+     outside the town. A wild stream of loose horses, mules,
+     donkeys, and oxen, and little bodies of troops and solitary
+     riders pour through the streets, broken by heavy ox-waggons and
+     mule-carts driven by whips and shouts. All nationalities and
+     all colours are present, and the most Babylonian babble of
+     tongues resounds on all sides. Here are foreign military
+     attach�s, surgeons, nurses, regular and irregular Boer troops,
+     volunteers of all arms, officers as well as privates, and
+     besides a goodly lot which I can only stamp as 'freebooters,'
+     for they do not belong to any fixed commando, but look upon the
+     fighting as sport or chase. Frequently, however, among them I
+     come across men of high culture and of first-class families,
+     often fine handsome men with martial bearing, side by side with
+     the worst scum of the earth. Many pass from one war to another.
+     I have spoken with some who have gone through the Greek, Cuban,
+     and Philippine wars. And what uniforms do these mercenaries
+     wear? None at all, or, more correctly speaking, each one has
+     invented his own! The only common badge is the bandolier across
+     the shoulder and the slouch hat. Otherwise every one wears
+     whatever clothes he may possess, only so that it is nothing
+     new. Many of them who are well off have donned a fantastic
+     costume--slouch hat, with waving ostrich feathers and gold
+     lace, jacket edged with yellow, orange, and green bands,
+     epaulettes with great gold tassels, white or gilt buttons,
+     stripes on the trousers, top-boots with spurs, cockades in the
+     hat and on the breast, and revolvers in the belt. At present
+     the Boer troops are spread all over the place, mostly without
+     any order or discipline. Most of them, particularly the Orange
+     Boers, are sick of the war, and long to go home to their
+     families and farms. Others have simply gone home after the
+     Bloemfontein _d�b�cle_. In these circumstances Steyn considered
+     it best to allow his men to go home for a few days, and call
+     them together again when the great council of war at the end of
+     the week had decided whether the war should be continued. Many
+     thousands have thus gone home, with or without leave. Will they
+     return? It seems a dangerous experiment."
+
+The fact was that gradually, very gradually, the eyes of the Boers were
+being opened, though they still tried to persuade themselves that Lord
+Roberts' presence in the capital of the Free State had no decisive
+effect on the game of war. They began to look anxiously towards the
+Continental Powers, who, they had been led to believe, were in sympathy
+with them, and to wonder when some intervention would save them from the
+doom they had brought on themselves. In one respect they were beginning
+to see clearly and to understand, that the great ideal of sweeping the
+British into the sea was a chimera, and that they must limit their aim
+to retaining their own freedom, the sole one that could be indulged in
+and clung to with any shadow of success.
+
+The Dutchmen still hoped against hope for victory, but their scorn for
+the British was fast dying a natural death. Our repeated fights, had
+they served no other purpose, succeeded in educating those who had dared
+to flout us, and after the capture of Cronje the effect of the somewhat
+brusque lesson was very conspicuous. Before the battle of Elandslaagte,
+a resident of Cape Town indulged in argument with an obstinate Boer in
+terms somewhat similar to these:--
+
+"We are going to send 50,000 or 60,000 troops into the field."
+
+"They will be all shot!" he bragged.
+
+"We shall send another 50,000 or 60,000."
+
+"They, too, will all be shot!" he repeated.
+
+"We shall send more."
+
+"Almighty! am I to keep on shooting the Englishman all my life!" sighed
+the Dutchman, with his best air of braggadocio.
+
+Such bumptiousness was not confined to himself. All his compatriots
+started on the campaign with identical bombast, for they took their cue
+from the attitude of those Continental nations with which they had
+lately become associated. Our neighbours across the Channel had found it
+convenient to persuade themselves we were a decadent race, that the Old
+Country was played out and her children effete. As with the empires of
+Xerxes, Alexander, Augustus, so with that of Victoria, they said to
+themselves; and since the wish is father to the thought, the idea was
+rapidly propagated that Great Britain was fast becoming a second-rate
+Power.
+
+Almost the whole of Europe had indulged in objectionable comment on the
+subject of the campaign, and treated us to naked truths that, though
+unpalatable, were useful as an excellent opportunity to see ourselves as
+others see us, and correct a somewhat overweening passion for resting on
+British-grown laurels. But however good as a tonic the cosmopolitan
+criticism may have been, it was distinctly ill-timed and decidedly
+ungrateful. Our sneering foes should have patted us on the back, have
+applauded us. They might even have subscribed to help us to do the hard
+work of Europe, for, as the Norwegian showed, we were not fighting the
+Boer alone, but were attacking thousands of his mercenaries--the scum of
+Europe. We were scouring a veritable Augean stable. Ne'er-do-weels of
+every nationality were congregated under the Transvaal flag--vagabonds,
+for the most part, who had made their own country too hot to hold them,
+and who hoped by promoting a general upheaval to come down on their feet
+safely--somehow, somewhere!
+
+Fortunately Lord Roberts' masterly combinations had rapidly brought
+about a general disillusionment, and served to prove to our critical
+neighbours that our martial race--from officers to the most raw and
+fledgling "Tommies"--was the same race as of yore, "game for anything,"
+even when the thing might range between and include shot and shell,
+sickness and starvation! The object-lesson was a grand one, and could
+not pass unrecognised. For us the sad part of it was that the flower of
+our country, the valiant sons of brave men and the noble descendants of
+kings, should have had to risk their lives against such a mob of
+adventurers and filibusters, creatures who were actuated by none of the
+finer and natural impulses of the Boers to secure their independence,
+but flung themselves into the fight merely because the spirit of
+ruffianism which had driven them from their native soils was too rampant
+to be appeased by any other exercise. But there is no achievement
+without sadness--no success without pain. Lives must ever be sacrificed
+to maintain any great nation's prestige, and now how much more noble
+seemed the sacrifice when it secured the prestige of a Power that had
+propagated equality and civilisation over the whole face of the world!
+
+[Illustration: THE BRITISH OCCUPATION OF BLOEMFONTEIN--AN EVENING
+CONCERT IN MARKET SQUARE BY THE PIPERS OF THE HIGHLAND BRIGADE.
+
+Drawing by A. Forestier.]
+
+The British once having put their hand to the plough, had stuck manfully
+to their work, not in hope of reward, but in the belief in the ministry
+of their great race. Beyond the minor considerations of franchise and
+political advantage, there had been greater and higher ends to be
+attained, and as the flag was fluttering over the capital of the Free
+State these great ends served to inspire and refresh those who almost
+fainted by the way. Where the British flag waved there was freedom,
+enlightenment, progress, evolution--there was emancipation from sin,
+injustice, and degradation; therefore at the cost of precious lives, and
+for no personal gain, the great end for which they toiled and suffered
+and died had to be achieved.
+
+Every ideal, whether merely human or bordering on the divine, demands
+enormous sacrifices from those who desire to realise it, and the spread
+of civilisation calls for its ministers and martyrs, and will continue
+to call for them so long as there are men of heroic mould who,
+regardless of personal cost, are ready to prize and protect a great and
+national cause. Only this reflection could serve to hearten and brace
+our warriors at the front, for, at this time, Lord Roberts' glorious
+position was far from a happy one. It was impossible to ignore the cost
+at which the prestige of his country and his splendid success was being
+secured. He found himself at Bloemfontein with the wreck of an army on
+his hands, with men dropping thick as flies from disease resulting from
+the terrible exhaustion of the march and from the insanitary conditions
+of the camp at Paardeberg. There the only water available for drinking
+purposes had flowed down from the Boer camp a mile and a half up the
+river, and was polluted by rotting carcases in various stages of
+decomposition, and, as a natural consequence of these conditions,
+Bloemfontein was suddenly filled with an appalling number of sick, some
+2000 patients suffering from typhoid and enteric, in addition to a very
+considerable number of wounded at the fight at Driefontein. How to help
+the abnormal number of sufferers was a problem that taxed the medical
+authorities to the utmost, for it was impossible to meet the huge demand
+under the existing conditions. To improvise mere accommodation for so
+large an influx of sick within the narrow confines of Bloemfontein was a
+hard task in itself, and even the field-hospitals were inadequate, for
+owing to the rapidity of the march from the Modder no tents were carried
+with the force, and none were available until railway communication with
+Cape Colony could be restored. The Commander-in-Chief of this immense
+army in this dilemma had but a single narrow-gauge line of railway
+between himself and his base some 700 miles distant, and this line of
+rails was not yet available. The first duty was to utilise it for the
+bringing up of supplies sufficient to sustain the bare life of the
+healthy force, and prevent those who were sound from joining those who
+were already exhausted. Tents for the sick, nurses, doctors, hospitals
+were ordered up, but these could only arrive in their turn, and
+meanwhile the patients were distributed in all the public buildings,
+schools, &c. The town being small, this accommodation was meagre in the
+extreme, and quantities of the sick in the field hospitals had to place
+their blankets and waterproof sheets on the ground, and lie there
+huddled together in a condition that was grievous in the extreme. The
+mortality was tremendous, and the sufferings of those who were
+recovering were pitiable, but these things it was impossible to avert;
+they have belonged in all ages to the horror of war, and in other times
+were the natural and ordinary, and not, as in the present case, an
+abnormal consequence of an exceptional situation.
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+The relief of Ladysmith and Kimberley accomplished, Lord Roberts was
+able to adhere to the cherished Napoleonic maxim--an army should have
+but one line of operation, which should be carefully preserved, and
+abandoned only as the result of weightier considerations. This army was
+now being reorganised as one great whole, a task which involved gigantic
+labour and called for rare discrimination. But the marvellous tact, one
+might say magnetism, of Lord Roberts smoothed every difficulty, and the
+enthusiasm with which those who were brought into contact with the
+Commander-in-Chief alluded to him, was remarkable. An army chaplain,
+writing home, voiced the popular feelings for the one and only
+"Bobs":--"We are serving under the best and noblest man who ever led an
+army. You can have no conception of the passionate and devoted affection
+which Lord Roberts inspires in all ranks. It is not artifice, or
+adroitness, or dramatic power, but a simple overflowing of the milk of
+human kindness. Every one notices it; all remark it. The roughest and
+most cynical of the brave men out here cannot escape the fascination of
+his delightfully quiet and natural manner, his transparent
+unselfishness; and one sees in him the value in a born leader of men of
+a clear and musical voice, and eyes bright and piercing, yet full of
+kindness and benevolent sympathy. He is entirely without affectation,
+and takes care that the troops are fed, and not stinted of recreation
+whenever it can be found. Nothing pleases him more than to mix with the
+men when at play. And he is an example to all in his regular attendance
+at public worship and in resting on the Lord's Day. His staff take their
+'tone' from him, and this is good for all who come into contact with
+that staff. I never met so active a man. At daybreak he is in the
+saddle, riding round the camp before he makes an informal inspection,
+without notice, of some portion of the lines. He shows no sign of
+failing strength or of impaired energy, and fatigue is a word not to be
+found in his vocabulary. I am told that the secret is frugal living and
+early to rest which keeps him in such excellent health. It is a
+privilege which all value very highly that they have had the good
+fortune to serve under our Field-Marshal."
+
+No such raptures were expended on the silent man of Egyptian fame who
+had made himself into the machinery of the tremendous movement, but how
+much his wonderful work was appreciated the following extract from the
+_Times_ serves to show:--"When Lord Roberts and his Chief of the Staff
+reached Cape Town, we had troops of all arms in South Africa, but we had
+no field-army, and until we had a field-army the enemy were to a great
+extent masters of the position. It is not easy to realise the abilities
+and the unwearying energy needed to convert all the scattered raw
+material we possessed in South Africa and the reinforcements daily
+arriving from all parts of the Empire into the coherent and mobile
+fighting machine now directed by the Commander-in-Chief. To Lord
+Kitchener under him belongs the credit of that remarkable achievement.
+He has not only marshalled the fragmentary units of the paper army corps
+into a workmanlike fighting force, but in a country without roads in a
+European sense, and with few and light railways, he has seen that they
+were fed and clothed and supplied with all the innumerable articles
+indispensable to their efficiency. If Lord Roberts has won the battles,
+Lord Kitchener has been the 'organiser of victory.'"
+
+The result of the combined methods of these two great soldiers was
+little short of marvellous, and when we look back to the days of
+Wellington, and compare the army of his day with the army at
+Bloemfontein, we can but wonder and admire and congratulate ourselves.
+
+For instance, the army at Bloemfontein, the victorious army, which had
+suffered exceedingly from the many annoyances of the Boers, comported
+themselves in their day of triumph with admirable reserve. Brave as the
+British warriors of old, they showed themselves men of finer stamp and
+higher discipline than the men who followed Wellington. We have the
+words of that great commander, to assure us that his force was almost
+incorrigible. He declared that his own troops at the beginning of the
+Peninsular war were "a rabble, who cannot bear success any more than Sir
+John Moore's army could bear failure." He also confessed, "I am
+endeavouring to tame them, but if I should not succeed, I must make an
+official complaint of them, and send one or two corps home in disgrace.
+They plunder in all directions."
+
+Things in Bloemfontein were very different. The victorious army under
+Lord Roberts walked in like the heroes they were, stopped their
+predatory instincts at a word, and paid their way and conducted
+themselves like gentlemen. Indeed the Free Staters lined their pockets
+almost too satisfactorily at the expense of their conquerors!
+
+Meanwhile the enemy conspired and plotted. On the 17th of March, at
+Kroonstad, a great council of war was held by the two Presidents, which
+was attended by a strange and mongrel community. Among the motley crew
+were some forty Boer leaders, De Wet, De Larey, Botha, and De
+Villebois-Mareuil (who was killed at Boshop later on). They were not
+goodly to look on, as uniform was non-existent, and clean shirts were
+luxuries that long since had been dispensed with. The action of the
+Boers, their strength and weakness, came under discussion, and all
+decided that they must fight to the bitter end. President Kruger offered
+up prayer, and petitioned the Almighty to give ear to the just claims of
+his people, while President Steyn, when his turn came, stuck to
+practical matters, discussed the situation, and declared that if the
+English thought that because they had captured the Free State capital
+they had won the battle they were self-deluded. He went on to say: "How
+should we now continue the war? Should we, as before, defend ourselves
+in fortified positions, or should we try a new method? I am no soldier,"
+he continued, "but, according to my conviction, we ought no longer to
+occupy fortified positions, as the English have learned to manoeuvre us
+out of them without fighting, for which they invariably have plenty of
+men. Therefore, we ought only, as much as possible, to hamper the
+enemy's forward march, and, whilst threatening his rear and flank,
+attack him everywhere where there is a chance with small commandos
+without train. We must by this method proceed more offensively than
+hitherto, and before all turn upon his lines of communication."
+
+The President's scheme was much applauded and approved, after which De
+Larey began to complain of the state of the Boer army, the size and
+irregularity of the commandos, and the huge waggon laagers behind their
+positions, stating that owing to these being threatened by a manoeuvre
+of the British, the men were forced hurriedly to leave the ranks to look
+after the safety of the waggons. He attributed the Boers' flight at
+Poplar Grove entirely to anxiety regarding these waggons. He suggested
+in future fighting with small commandos without train, as he declared it
+impossible for the Boers to succeed in wielding big armies, because when
+the enemy attempted to surround or outflank them the Boers lost their
+heads.
+
+General Joubert proposed "that the so-called 'veldcornetschappen,' which
+are too large bodies to be led by one man, should be reduced to sections
+of twenty-five, with a corporal at the head. In the Transvaal this had
+already been initiated with very satisfactory results." This proposal
+was also adopted, with the proviso that "'veldcornets' who did not at
+once adopt it should be fined �10." The position of such a corporal is
+similar to that of a sergeant in Europe.
+
+Discussion later turned to the coalfields in Dundee, and to prevent them
+becoming of use to the British it was decided that they must be
+destroyed. General Botha, however, objected to this destruction, on the
+principle that the fields were not contraband of war, but private
+property. Thereupon President Steyn argued: "I am not of a destructive
+disposition, but this is necessary, and in accord with the law of
+nations. Does any one think that the English would let a vessel with
+coal for the Transvaal go by? If I had to blow up half the Orange Free
+State in order to secure the independence of my people I would do so."
+The great council then closed with the following appeal by President
+Steyn:----"I close the council in the hope that every officer realises
+the seriousness of the situation. It is a question of life or death to
+us, whether we shall remain an independent nation or become slaves. I do
+all that is in my power, and so does also my elder brother (Kruger). I
+am no soldier, but you officers are, and to you much is entrusted--the
+future of our country. Your reward will depend on your actions. Your
+task is a very difficult one. May God aid you! We are all mortal, but is
+there a more glorious death than to fall for your country and people at
+the head of your fellow-Burghers. May God help us! The position is
+indeed full of trouble, but when night is darkest dawn is nearest."
+
+These impassioned periods were highly effective, and the Burghers who
+were present forgot to ask themselves why the speaker had carefully
+insured himself against so glorious an exit from life by carefully
+taking to his heels whenever he was confronted by the British!
+
+Some Burghers evidently thinking that an ounce of example was worth a
+ton of precept, decided not to die gloriously, but to live at peace with
+all men inside their homes, and consequently turned their backs on their
+party and returned to their farms.
+
+A proclamation had been issued requiring Burghers residing within ten
+miles of the military headquarters and the town to deliver up all arms
+and ammunition by noon on the 18th, under penalty of being punished and
+having their goods confiscated, and by degrees, as a consequence of the
+proclamation, rifles in considerable quantities were handed in. On the
+other hand, a great many more modern weapons were surreptitiously
+disposed of, many of them being buried in order to be dug up as occasion
+might require, and obsolete firearms surrendered in their place.
+
+The work of pacification was going on apace at Springfontein, where the
+1st Scots Guards, the 3rd Grenadier Guards, four Royal Artillery guns,
+and forty Mounted Infantry were now stationed, and at Bethulie, which
+place also had decided not to show fight.
+
+Sir Godfrey Lagden from Maseru now telegraphed to Lord Roberts stating
+that the residents of Wepener (a town at the extreme east of the Free
+State on the Basutoland border) wished to receive copies of the
+proclamation and had decided to lay down their arms, and it was stated
+that many more towns on the eastern fringe desired to follow suit.
+
+With marvellous celerity things began to shape themselves. The law
+courts resumed work. Mr. Papenfus, whose services as Landrost had been
+dispensed with, was replaced by Mr. Collins. A train service was
+speedily established between Bloemfontein and Cape Town, and the Bank of
+Africa and the National Bank of the Free State were permitted (subject
+to restriction) to continue business. Transactions with towns in the
+Transvaal and Free State still occupied by the enemy were not allowed.
+
+[Illustration: SIGNAL STATION AT BLOEMFONTEIN.
+
+On the left of the picture is the heliograph, and on the right a Begbie
+signal lamp, for use when there is no sun. (Photo by Reinhold Thiele.)]
+
+Naturally some of the best type of farmers in the vicinity who had
+surrendered were anxious for protection against attacks by Boers still
+in the field, and Lord Roberts, bearing this in mind, sent out columns
+to register names and take over arms, and give assurance that the
+necessary protection was forthcoming. During the end of March, General
+French, on this mission intent, was sent to Thabanchu (forty miles east
+of Bloemfontein), while a detachment from General Gatacre's headquarters
+had gone to Smithfield (some forty miles north of Aliwal North). General
+Clements operated in the same pacific way round the south-west skirts of
+Bloemfontein, while General Brabant "tackled" the only still aggressive
+force of the Boers in the southern part of the Free State. Commandant
+Olivier with a force of some 5000 men and sixteen guns was there, being
+pushed back inch by inch, it was hoped into the arms of General French,
+who was waiting with such horses as he could still muster at Thabanchu
+to pounce on him. Still, though slowly, the country was settling down,
+and the inhabitants were beginning to realise the advantage of bringing
+in supplies for sale. They, however, were "slim" at the core, and their
+slimness was responsible for some lamentable occurrences with which we
+shall have to deal anon.
+
+The telegraph was now restored as far as Reddersberg Railway,
+communication had been restored with Bethulie, and the railway at
+Norval's Pont had been completed. In south and west peace reigned. There
+were even signs that the Transvaalers were thinking of abandoning the
+defence of the Free State. Friction between the Federals was reported on
+all sides. Even Mr. Steyn and Mr. Kruger were scarcely at one. Mr.
+Steyn's last remark to the grand old man of Pretoria when they parted at
+Bloemfontein was, "Mind the British don't catch you, or you will get
+better quarters in St. Helena than I." Both Presidents were aware that
+the Commander-in-Chief was a person to be reckoned with, and that, if
+they wished to make a last wild effort, they must put their shoulder to
+the wheel. So on the 21st of March President Steyn and General Joubert
+went on a tour of inspection for the purpose of encouraging the troops.
+With them was a foreigner who described their movements. "The troops who
+are in laager at Venterburg, Roodstation, Zand River Bridge, and
+Smaldeel (Winburgroodstation), number only some 700 men, with a battery
+and six machine guns, all Transvaal Boers. The feeling was everywhere
+buoyant, and all were determined to hold out. To-day the Orange Boers
+begin to return after their leave. It looks as if they are recovering
+their breath after the Bloemfontein _d�b�cle_, and if the English wait
+much before they advance, the men will have time to reorganise
+themselves. Colonel De Villebois-Mareuil is now occupied with the scheme
+of organising a flying column of foreigners, to be called the 'European
+Corps,' of 600 men, two guns, and a waggon with dynamite and tools, with
+which he intends to operate on the English lines of communication, if
+possible in conjunction with Major Stenekamp, who has collected some
+2000 men to the west, who are furnished with ammunition, stores, and
+money by General du Toit at Fourteen Streams. The English have indeed
+lost much valuable time; the next few weeks should show if the Boers
+have understood to take advantage of it. But there seems to be too
+little plan and too little organisation among them."
+
+The loss of time was deplored on all hands, but Lord Roberts, rather
+than do things imperfectly, was content to wait. There was no use in
+attempting to hammer at the demoralised Boers till, rail, horses, and
+constitutions being in working order, his tools should be equal to the
+task required of them.
+
+But the Chief, though stationary, was not allowing the grass to grow
+under his feet. It must be remembered that prior to his entry into
+Bloemfontein he had been marching and fighting for a month away from the
+railway, and that his primary duties had been, first, to capture and
+secure the railroad; second, to repair it and get it, together with
+bridges, &c., in working order; and thirdly, to shift his base from Cape
+Town to Port Elizabeth, a distance of 750 miles, by a single line of
+rails with a rise of 4500 feet. Much time had also been spent in
+defeating detached forces of the enemy which threatened his
+communications with Cape Town and Port Elizabeth, and blocked them from
+East London.
+
+The question of horses, too, was a most important one, one which could
+not be settled without much delay, because, do what it might, the
+Government could scarcely send them off with sufficient haste to meet
+the demand. During the first four months of the new year there had been
+shipped, as remounts, in addition to those sent with the troops, 27,041
+horses and 17,143 mules. A further supply was expected in May,
+consisting of 7500 horses and 4500 mules, and after that date another
+batch of 7500 horses and 20,000 mules was to be forwarded. The total of
+remounts bought since the opening of 1900 was about 42,000 horses and
+23,000 mules! But, until the steady flow of these into the country
+commenced, the great final move could not be more than planned out.
+
+[Illustration: STRATHCONA'S HORSE.
+
+Photo by Pittaway, Ottawa.]
+
+The art of battle had resolved itself into a question of pace. The Boers
+had taught us that to be successful we must be slim, swift, and sudden.
+Lord Roberts decided that there must be no breathing-time, that their
+cunning commandos must not be permitted to collect, and that mounted
+troops must be met by mounted troops. It began to be evident that the
+army of the future would need to gallop--machine guns with the Horse
+Artillery, Royal Engineers with the cavalry, while guns of position and
+traction engines would have to follow a corresponding process of
+activity! With flying cavalry and mounted infantry must also go flying
+engineers, ready to take their share in schemes of scientific
+demolition, effective destruction of lines and culverts and bridges,
+which cannot be remedied under the loss of days--days which will mean
+the success or the failure of the enterprise in hand. In fact, hereafter
+a vast and wonderful military dictionary will be comprised in the word
+"mobility."
+
+To the ordinary mind the question of mobility resolves itself into a
+mere matter of mounted men. It is almost impossible to follow the
+extraordinary ramifications strategically and tactically connected with
+the term. To increase the mobility of the army--the problem which had to
+be faced by Lord Roberts on his arrival at the Cape and again at
+Bloemfontein--it was, above all things, imperative to have quicker
+moving transport; strategically, a leader would be hand-tied without it.
+After this it was necessary to provide for perpetual relays of mounts
+for the cavalry with far less weight on the saddle, and to feed up the
+infantry, and thus restore to the men their mental and muscular
+elasticity. Tactical mobility was dependent on these considerations, and
+they had to be faced equally with the great difficulty of how to deal
+with the daily increasing number of sick. The Boers had been given too
+much breathing-time at first, and the delay had to be made up for by the
+hurried and costly swoop on Cronje, which turned the tide of British
+fortune. It was now important that another rush should be made--a rush
+without the "intervals for refreshments" which had served the Boers so
+conveniently, and enabled their recuperative courage to assert
+itself--and to organise this a somewhat long halt was obligatory.
+
+The Chief now intended to make the capital the advanced base for the
+invasion of the Transvaal, and decided to attempt no further move till
+sixty days' supplies should have arrived from the Cape. The
+heterogeneous units of Imperial and Colonial troops now called for
+redistribution. Gaps had to be filled in and "inefficients" weeded out.
+General Warren was put into civil charge of Griqualand West; General
+Nicholson was given charge of the transport--a thankless and onerous
+post; General Chermside took over the Third Division from General
+Gatacre; General Hunter was drawn with Barton's Brigade from Natal to
+the Free State side; Generals Pole-Carew and Rundle got Divisions; and
+General Ian Hamilton was appointed to the command of a Division of
+Mounted Infantry, 11,000 men in all, composed of two Brigades, each of
+four corps, with batteries of artillery attached. The remounting of the
+cavalry and Mounted Infantry was an undertaking needing time and help
+from all parts of the British world. Activities were not all serious,
+however.
+
+Bloemfontein boasted a newspaper. It was styled the _Friend of the Free
+State_. Before many days were over it had changed hands, and had become
+the perquisite of the war correspondents. It was now run on Imperial
+lines, and formed the organ of official communications during the
+military occupation of the capital. But for that reason it did not lose
+the sense of humour with which the freelances of the press--Rudyard
+Kipling among them--were bubbling. A specimen of the jocosity of our
+exuberant scribes serves as a memento of a wonderful period.
+
+
+"STINKOSSMULEFONTEIN"
+
+THE DESCRIPTIVE ART
+
+     We have often felt that the gallant members of Lord Roberts'
+     force, although themselves daily engaged in doing deeds which
+     will live in history, yet have to exercise a vast amount of
+     patience before they can read for themselves the brilliant,
+     graphic, and wonderful accounts of their doings sent home by
+     the war correspondents attached to the force. England is three
+     weeks away, and it is a long time for the gallant soldier to
+     wait to see his name in all the glory of leaded type. With the
+     usual enterprise of the _Friend_, we have--we will not say
+     how--managed to see and copy the telegrams sent home by the
+     leading correspondents describing the action at
+     Stinkossmulefontein Kopje. It was not, it is true, a very big
+     engagement, for two companies of Mounted Infantry were sent to
+     see if there were any Boers in the said kopje. They found them
+     there--in the usual manner--one man wounded and six horses--and
+     then retired to report the fact. That is the bare solid truth
+     of the whole thing; now for the correspondents' accounts:--
+
+     _Times_ (London):--Human element in what commonly supposed be
+     machine, namely, two companies Mounted Infantry to-day severely
+     tried. To put to-day's action form algebraic equation situation
+     briefly this Boers keen-eyed, rugged held kopje (forget name
+     kopje but know stink and fontein in it but see Reuter) sitting
+     behind boulders, while other portion equation represented two
+     companies Mounted Infantry (don't know commander or regiment
+     see Reuter) is possible work whole thing algebraically Boer on
+     kopje equal ten Mounted Infantry advancing along level plain
+     therefore fifty boers on kopje more than match for two hundred
+     Mounted Infantry advancing across plain whole thing followed
+     mathematical sequence Mounted Infantry returned from kopje
+     having tried solve impossible equation.
+
+     _Daily Telegraph_ (London):--Early morning while camp asleep
+     rose prepared my coffee saddled horse left camp each side lay
+     poor wearied soldiers fast asleep dreaming doubtless home
+     mothers wives sweethearts some tossed uneasily hard veldt moon
+     shone pouring paling with silver light features [please insert
+     here one my night-before-battle scenes No. 4] but I could not
+     help feeling Army doing wrong sleep knew enemy front determined
+     myself go forward find out position enemy passed outlying
+     picket told officer keep good look out as knew enemy front
+     officer answer and actually wished prevent me passing picket
+     but when told him my name allowed pass sun now rising glorious
+     [insert sunrise scene No. 2] moved cautiously forward saw near
+     distance kopje approached near suddenly whole kopje burst forth
+     into flame of flashes bullets whizzed past but I remained still
+     counting carefully each flash till I found out exactly number
+     Boers then putting spurs galloped back full speed flying past
+     picket sentries horse lines arrived myself and horse breathless
+     Field Marshal's cart dismounted saluted told him I had
+     discovered fifty enemy in position four miles on. Field marshal
+     drinking coffee said thank you continued eating breakfast I
+     then developed to him my plan campaign drew statement correct
+     map. Field marshal continued breakfast again said thank you I
+     left him field marshal following my plan ordered two companies
+     Mounted Infantry reconnoitre position which did with loss one
+     man six horses wounded [insert famous "Vulture Scene"].
+
+     _Daily News_ (London):--Again British arms successfully came
+     contact enemy locating position number with great exactness
+     early morning two companies mounted infantry under Major Jones
+     pushed just as sun tinging kopjes with ruby light saw kopje
+     front which from indications appeared be held enemy opening
+     into skirmishing order small force advanced till within rifle
+     range when enemy opened heavy fire Major Jones having found
+     what he wanted immediately ordered retirement of force without
+     replying to enemys fire our loss man wounded six horses enemys
+     loss unknown but must be enormous value of horses wounded about
+     �150.
+
+     _Cape Times_ (Capetown):--Morning opened with soft breezes from
+     north just sufficient to shake mimosa bushes into sweet
+     rustling music when I rose rode forward fully sure that I
+     should see something and I did for before we rode forward two
+     gallant companies of Mounted Infantry having, it is true, none
+     of the shining pomp war for every button, every shining bit of
+     steel or metal covered with kharki still little force looked
+     gallant enough reminded me one James Grant's novels. Veldt was
+     green with recent rains there was a freshness in the air
+     everything was peaceful around me but in front was war and
+     wounds and death. I stood on rising ground and saw before me a
+     panorama unfolded the little band of British soldiers
+     approaching the grim kopje where lay the watchful Boer. Closer
+     and closer rode our men and now I could see them open out and
+     work like a perfect machine round the bases of the kopje and
+     then across the still morning air came the ominous crack! which
+     told me that the grim game had commenced crack! crack! crack!
+     followed in quick succession the Boers were firing on our men
+     whose orders were simply to feel for the enemy, but they not
+     only felt for him, but also felt him for as we retired one man
+     was wounded in the fleshy part of the arm, and through six
+     horses Boer bullets passed though without fatal effects. And
+     then I rode back with the little force who in spite of the
+     shower of lead which had passed through their ranks laughed and
+     chaffed and thought only of their coming breakfast.
+
+     _Cape Argus_ (Capetown):--Early this morning two companies
+     Mounted Infantry under Major Jones proceeded west came into
+     touch with enemy at Stinkossmulefontein Kopje which lies on
+     farm belonging old Pete Bumbleknuckel who well known Rand
+     circles his daughter married Jacobus Pimplewinkel who lost an
+     eye fighting in the Langberg Campaign his cousin maternal side
+     is Jack Jackson who is one of General Brabant's most active
+     Scouts. But to return to the skirmish the mounted infantry
+     succeeded in locating the enemy retired having effected their
+     object with the loss of one man and six horses wounded on way
+     back I met native who told me commander Boer force Lucus
+     Prussic old personal friend mine who curious to relate still
+     owes me five pounds which borrowed just before I left
+     Johannesburg.
+
+     _Daily Mail_ (London):--Shakespeare said better lie bed than go
+     fighting early morning. I agree but Plutarch said man who lies
+     abed when work abroad moral coward am not moral coward but all
+     same wish people fight decent hours fancy going out fighting
+     cold raw morning nothing in stomach but one miserable cup cocoa
+     however went being late lost my way instead witnessing fight
+     British side found myself next Boer who not perceive me firing
+     over our men by happy interposition Providence managed reach
+     our men leaving behind enemy's hand one horse Cape cart pipe
+     lucky get off with life insensibly reminded celebrated lines
+     Heine "wo ist mein pferd und mein kaap-tart?" no breakfast when
+     arrived camp kept thinking how Boers enjoying my sausages
+     drinking my whisky Boers must be destroyed now, with spirit old
+     Roman I now say "delendi sunt Boeri" though I have greater
+     reason for saying so since Hannibal's soldiers never stole
+     sausages and whisky from Roman correspondents.
+
+     _Morning Post_ (London):--Stinkossmulefontein mounted Jones
+     reconnoitred kopje half dismounted half rear enemy fired
+     returned front. Experience say half gone left flank greater
+     success turning movement only against Boers see Page 431
+     Napoleonic Legends also Life Moltke Page 239 Battle
+     Schweitzerk�sse. Had Jones read more Schweitzerk�sse--no
+     Moltke--would capture whole army waggons. Paper should impress
+     importance this all arms.
+
+     _Reuter_ (London):--Stinkossmulefontein Thursday via
+     Disselboomlaagte per despatch riders--Yesterday two companies
+     Mounted Infantry Major Jones under orders General Flanker
+     proceeded reconnoitre kopje was present what some may call
+     unimportant rearguard action can say was most important event
+     entire expedition at distance 2033.4216 yards enemy opened
+     fire. Jones dismounted A company, B company sent E.N.E. by E.
+     direction rear enemy. At 6.3� a.m. front rank left section A
+     after returned fire 6.4� a.m. Trooper Metford, fourth man rear
+     rank right section A received wound four inches below left
+     elbow. Having ascertained strength enemy force returned camp
+     object reconnaissance accomplished six horses missing five
+     receiving wounds sixth left behind with staggers not shot as
+     some declare.
+
+Every one exerted himself to make the newspaper a success, and, as may
+be imagined, the journal became a source of merriment and delight. Nor
+was it without pathos. Mr. Rudyard Kipling, whose patriotic feeling had
+dragged him to the scene of action to view the British flag as erected
+there by Mr. Thomas Atkins, contributed his quota. On the death of Mr.
+G. W. Steevens, the brilliant young war correspondent, who died in
+Ladysmith, he wrote the following lines:--
+
+    "Through war and pestilence, red siege and fire,
+      Silent and self-contained, he drew his breath.
+    Brave not for show of courage, his desire:
+      Truth as he saw it, even to the death."
+
+The Naval Brigade was now busy furbishing itself up, and veritably began
+to look as "fresh as paint." The guns received new coats, and the
+Bluejackets and marines made themselves spick and span. It is not often
+that Tommy waxes enthusiastic over Jack, but over the conduct of the
+Naval Brigade he was even eloquent. One writing home said:--"It was a
+good job the Boers did not make a stand at Bloemfontein, for it would
+have been a great pity to have had to destroy so fine a town. It would
+not have taken us long to have made the town a heap of stones, as in
+addition to our ordinary batteries, we had with us 'Joe Chamberlain' and
+five of his 'chums' belonging to the Naval Brigade. I hope when the war
+is over you at home will not forget the splendid service of the Naval
+men. I for one shall never forget the way in which they dragged their
+heavy guns across a most difficult country, or the manner in which they
+handled them in the face of the enemy." On the 21st the Brigade, under
+Captain Bearcroft, was inspected by Lord Roberts, who made one of the
+charming and appropriate speeches which have always rendered him so
+popular. He thanked the Brigade for the excellent work done in the
+campaign, and wished good luck to those about to rejoin their ship. The
+Chief also eulogised the splendid service of Captain Lambton and his men
+in saving the situation at Ladysmith.
+
+Meanwhile on the east and south of the Free State things were not
+entirely comfortable. Commandant Olivier and his hordes, with their
+usual cunning, assisted by their remarkable mobility, were flitting
+about, now withdrawing before General Brabant, now evading the equally
+cunning and active French, now laying in wait for unprotected
+detachments, or hanging about railway lines in order to wreck them, but
+making themselves scarce with lightning velocity when a hint of British
+reinforcements was given by the appearance of a dust-cloud on the
+horizon. Fortunately our officers on the principal line of
+communications were so vigilant and cautious that the rail, running
+through some hundred miles of hostile ground, was safely protected.
+
+On the 23rd of March an unlucky incident took place in the neighbourhood
+of Karee Siding. Some officers of the Guards Brigade rode off from Glen
+Camp in the early morning to make arrangements with the local farmers
+for ensuring forage and supplies. Glen Siding is a station on the Orange
+Free State Railway some fourteen miles north of Bloemfontein. Near here
+the Brigade of Guards and a force of Mounted Infantry had been stationed
+owing to the destruction by the Boers of a bridge on the Modder. Other
+troops were posted at intervals along the line of rail in order to watch
+over the enemy and prevent any further efforts at dynamite wrecking. On
+this day the party consisted of Colonel Crabbe, 3rd Grenadiers (who
+greatly distinguished himself in the battle of Belmont, and was
+wounded); Colonel Codrington, Coldstreams; Adjutant Hon. E. Lygon, who
+was also wounded at Belmont; Captain Trotter, and an orderly, Private
+Turner of the 1st Cape Volunteers. Why, when officers of high rank were
+so extremely valuable, these two Colonels should have thus recklessly
+exposed themselves has never been satisfactorily explained. The day was
+spent in making a tour of the farms, and everything went well until the
+middle of the afternoon. While riding along close to a homestead called
+Maas Farm, the Guards party discovered that four mounted men were making
+for a kopje as though to head them off. Whereupon the party instantly
+advanced to meet the enemy. These promptly hid themselves behind the
+friendly boulders, where they were joined by three other Dutchmen, who
+assisted them in pouring a smart shower of lead upon the approaching
+officers. These, with only four Lee-Metfords between them, made an
+effort to get at the unseen enemy, but in a very few moments all the
+members of the British band had dropped. Colonel Crabbe had a bullet
+through arm and leg, and his horse was killed. Colonel Codrington was
+injured in the thigh. Lieutenant Lygon was shot through the heart and
+died instantaneously, while Captain Trotter and Private Turner were also
+wounded. The situation was a lamentable one. The veldt was strewn with
+helpless men, while from the kopje the Dutchmen continued to fire, the
+flute-like song of the Mauser falling ominously on the ears of the
+gallant men who were unable to move a limb in defence. Then between the
+prostrate Colonels a debate took place. Now that resistance was useless,
+each invited the other to display a white handkerchief. One refused
+because he declared he couldn't--his handkerchief was a crimson one. The
+other refused because he vowed he wouldn't--his handkerchief was a
+British one, and never manufactured for waving at Boers. But, finally,
+he was brought to reason, and immediately on the display of the magic
+square the Boers ceased fire. They now emerged from their boulders,
+tended the wounded, spoke apologetically of their good marksmanship, and
+finally carried off their prizes to the neighbouring farm. Here the
+prisoners were fed and carefully looked after till evening. A messenger
+was sent to the Guards' Camp at Glen requesting surgeons and an
+ambulance to remove the wounded to their headquarters, and on the
+arrival of the medical party the officers were given up by their captors
+and allowed to return to camp in their charge. They were relieved of
+their warlike belongings, firearms, and glasses, &c., but their private
+effects remained in their pockets undisturbed.
+
+The body of the Hon. E. Lygon was also removed, but the next day, in
+accordance with the wishes of his family, it was interred in the wild
+and lonely spot where he met his death.
+
+On the 27th of March Sir Alfred Milner arrived at Bloemfontein on a
+private visit, and was met by Lord Roberts and his Staff. General French
+returned from Thabanchu after having occupied the town and captured the
+flour-mills.
+
+Lord Kitchener also reappeared. His operations had been short and to the
+point. He came on the same day from Prieska, having received the
+submission of some 200 rebels, and put to flight such of them as had no
+taste for an encounter with "the man of ice and iron" as the Italians
+called the hero of Omdurman.
+
+Towards Ladybrand news was less satisfactory. The British loyalists,
+owing to their sympathy with their fellow-countrymen, were subjected to
+annoyance and cruelty. Many of them were captured, imprisoned, and some
+were sent to Kroonstad, which had been declared to be the capital of the
+Free State. Daily, English farmers were commandeered, robbed,
+threatened. The smart activities of Olivier had produced a lamentable
+effect on the state of affairs, as it was now impossible to afford full
+protection to the farmers in the south-east and east who had surrendered
+their rifles, and who were subjected to the vengeful barbarity of the
+Boers. The mistaken policy of leniency to the Free Staters was now being
+demonstrated, the "live and let live" principle having helped Olivier to
+gather together under his banner such of the enemy as had met us with a
+Janus-faced surrender. Those who fight and run away, live to fight
+another day; and on this cautious code the Free Staters had modelled
+their manners, so as to reserve themselves for further truculent
+exploits. Again British magnanimity was mistaken for weakness, and the
+temporary success of their manoeuvres in the east was causing the Boers
+to indulge in reprisals of abominable kind on British born people, whose
+action in surrendering was the only possible one in the circumstances. A
+rumour existed that the late President Steyn had issued orders that all
+British burghers refusing to fight with the Boer army would be shot.
+
+On the 27th of March a formidable figure was removed from the drama in
+South Africa. General Joubert, who had long been in somewhat delicate
+health (so much so that in his campaigns he was accompanied by his wife,
+who cooked for him), now suddenly succumbed to an acute attack of
+inflammation of the kidneys. General Joubert was much esteemed by all
+who knew him. In him the Boers lost not only a remarkable commander, but
+an enlightened and level-headed politician. It was declared that had the
+General succeeded to the Presidency in 1895, the whole Uitlander
+agitation would have ceased to exist. The deceased Dutchman had
+moderately progressive views, and he announced his belief that the
+demand for a five years' franchise was a reasonable one. He also
+discountenanced the idea of war, and in many ways used the influence he
+had with his countrymen in the cause of reason and liberality of
+outlook. At times he seemed to desire friendly co-operation with Great
+Britain. For this cause he was accused by his more narrow countrymen of
+being half-hearted in the Africander cause, and was intrigued against by
+Mr. Kruger and such of the subsidised sympathisers as the President
+could gather around him. Still his attitude may be gauged by his famous
+speech in 1878:--
+
+"I have been to England, and have with my own eyes seen the might of
+that mighty nation. And let me tell you that England is a very mighty
+nation--in my opinion the mightiest in the world. But, thank God, it is
+not almighty." And his motto, which he invented for himself, was, "Trust
+in God, and fight England."
+
+On hearing the news of General Joubert's death, Lord Roberts sent the
+following to President Kruger:--
+
+     "I have just received the news of General Joubert's death, and
+     desire at once to offer my sincere condolence to your Honour
+     and the burghers of the South African Republic on the sad
+     event.
+
+     "I would ask you to convey to General Joubert's family the
+     expression of my most respectful sympathy in their sad
+     bereavement, and to assure them also from me that all ranks of
+     her Majesty's forces serving in South Africa share my feeling
+     of deep regret at the sudden and untimely end of so
+     distinguished a general, who devoted his life to the service of
+     his country, and whose personal gallantry was only surpassed by
+     his humane conduct and chivalrous bearing under all
+     circumstances."
+
+On the afternoon of the 29th the funeral took place, and many wreaths
+were sent by the British officers in the Pretoria prison.
+
+
+THE BATTLE OF KARREE
+
+Karree Station is situated some seventy miles north of Bloemfontein, and
+here the Dutchmen were distributed on kopjes commanding the railway west
+and north. As they promised to be an impediment to further progress,
+Lord Roberts decided that they must be removed. Generals Tucker, Wavell,
+and Chermside, with infantry and artillery, were already in the
+vicinity. To join them General French started from Bloemfontein with
+reinforcements on the 28th of March. These consisted of a Cavalry
+Brigade composed of 12th Lancers, the Carabineers, the Greys, the
+Australian Horse, a Mounted Infantry Brigade, Kitchener's Horse, and
+three Vickers-Maxim guns under Colonel Le Gallais.
+
+[Illustration: Mr M. T. STEYN.
+
+LATE PRESIDENT ORANGE FREE STATE.
+
+From "South Africa" by permission of the Publishers.]
+
+The artillery planted their shells with admirable exactness on the
+kopjes west of Karree where the enemy had ensconced himself. Meanwhile,
+in a wonderful and almost invisible manner, an enveloping movement was
+organised, Colonel Le Gallais, the Mounted Infantry, and Kitchener's
+Horse operating on the right wing, while General French with 1st and 3rd
+Cavalry Brigades were on the left. General Chermside's Brigade was on
+the right centre, and General Wavell's on the left centre. About midday
+the enemy was discovered near a farmhouse some two miles east of Karree.
+The Dutchmen then began to fire from some small kopjes, on the infantry.
+From this point they were routed by the smart action of the Norfolks,
+but they continually reappeared, there being some five thousand of them,
+under Grobler, occupying four different positions, with a frontage some
+three miles long. Both ends of the position were strengthened by
+trenches and guns. The right flank consisted of a thickly wooded hill
+connected with the main position by a ridge also covered with scrub.
+The left was protected by an incrustation of minor kopjes, and round
+these fastnesses the Boers clung tenaciously.
+
+The finest performance of the day was that of the East Lancashires, who,
+with comparatively small loss, eventually succeeded in moving the enemy
+from his main stronghold. The City Imperial Volunteers also
+distinguished themselves, the men advancing the first time under fire
+with the utmost coolness.
+
+While the enemy were retreating from the assault of the Lancashires
+General French's guns opened on them, and with such good result that the
+fight was practically at an end, for the Boers having begun to beat a
+retreat were forced finally to scuttle off as fast as legs would carry
+them. Till sunset the artillery continued to direct deadly attentions to
+the various kopjes, thus deciding the Dutchmen that their efforts to run
+and return would be of no avail. Dusk was setting in, and consequently
+the cavalry failed to pursue them, and they succeeded once more in
+getting away clear. Owing to the rapidity with which the night came on,
+most of the troops, who had experienced some very trying hours of
+fighting, bivouacked where they were.
+
+The battery on the right centre was unable to come into action owing to
+the nature of the ground, which was sliced with ravines and blotched
+with irregularities, but nevertheless the upshot of the day's work was
+satisfactory, as the country as far as the little town of
+Brandfort--important to us in our future operations--was swept clear of
+the enemy, and henceforth the British outposts covered the ground gained
+and preserved it from further incursions of the nimble Dutchmen.
+
+The casualties were numerous:--
+
+     King's Own Scottish Borderers.--_Killed._--Capt. A. C. Going.
+     _Wounded._--Lieut. E. M. Young, dangerously (since dead);
+     Second Lieut. B. J. Coulson; Capt. W. D. Sellar. Norfolk
+     Regiment.--Capt. E. Peebles; Capt. A. H. Luard. Lincolnshire
+     Regiment.--Capt. L. Edwards. South Wales Borderers.--Lieut. W.
+     C. Curgenven. Hampshire Regiment.--Lieut. C. N. French. 1st
+     Dragoon Guards.--Capt. W. M. Marter (Brigade Major).
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER VIII
+
+MAFEKING IN MARCH
+
+
+Five months of beleaguerment and no nearer the end! Ruefully the caged
+crowd began to draw pictures of themselves as weird Rip Van Winkles,
+curious fossilised things that would some day be unearthed by the
+inquiring historian. They wondered whether Ginevra in her sealed oaken
+chest felt more lost to the world, more forgotten, more impossible of
+rescue! "We," said some one who shall be nameless, "we are all modern
+Ginevras--only no one seems to look for us, and, by-and-by, perhaps no
+one will even mourn. It is five months, you see! Ginevra was probably
+asphyxiated in five hours, whereas we--we do the thing more
+sluggishly--more painfully--we starve mentally and physically by slow
+degrees. If we get air, it is air that is best not respired."
+Nevertheless, these people sent forth to the world radiant accounts of
+their doings, and sported the mask of Punchinello over the visage of
+Melpomene. It was very British, this jocose unreserve that was a still
+more tragic reserve, this festivity on the lips with famine gnawing at
+the vitals.
+
+Fever, the fever of heat, ennui, and mental and bodily depression, had
+begun to assail the unfortunate besieged. The climate of Mafeking--in
+ordinary circumstances most inspiriting--was becoming tainted, and the
+feeling of creeping malaria swept over all who were forced to remain
+cooped within the sorry regions. But the chief on whose wits the whole
+community depended defied the malign influence of his surroundings.
+During the day, with reserved, adamantine calm, he busied himself
+inventing the thousand and one projects by which might be defeated any
+possible move of the enemy, in reviving the spirits of his followers,
+and providing for their appetites, in fighting against the encroachments
+of disease and retaining the perfect discipline, which was no easy
+matter in so small a radius with so many conflicting emotions to be
+dealt with. At night, stealthy as a cat, he would creep forth to make
+the necessary investigations and acquaint himself with the state of the
+force opposing him, and if possible discover the Boer machinations of
+the future. Creeping along the veldt all eyes and ears, he gathered
+inspiration from a glimmer, the sound of a hoof, the flutter of bird and
+rustle of bush. Even the colour of the darkness in east and west gave
+him unspoken hints of designs nefarious--secrets or prophetic warnings
+of movements to be. And then he would return from his mysterious
+peregrinations primed with notions ingenious and plans elaborate, and
+remain for the day under the roof of the verandah of the headquarters
+office concocting some of the multitudinous schemes which confounded the
+Boers and frustrated their best efforts at assault.
+
+On the 3rd of March a little peace was secured owing to the
+disappearance of the Teuton who worked the huge gun. He had been what
+was described as "providentially potted." On the other hand a more
+valuable life than that of the German mercenary had been sacrificed, for
+Sergeant-Major Taylor of the Cape Boys, who had been doing splendid work
+for his country, fell early in the morning mortally wounded. The Boers
+fired something under forty shells before breakfast, and might have
+pursued their activities the whole day had the loss of their chief
+gunner not damped their ardour and forced them to postpone their
+activities to a more convenient period. They nevertheless "sniped" at
+intervals throughout the following Sunday, doubtless with the righteous
+desire to avenge their artillery-man.
+
+New brooms sweep clean. As a fresh gunner had come upon the scene, there
+now began some more active bombardment. But the activity was no longer
+what it had been, and but for the meagreness of the fare, and the fear
+that the rations might diminish till they became invisible, the besieged
+would have got on fairly well. On the 7th there died an adventurous
+Scotsman whose history would have delighted the heart of the late Robert
+Louis Stevenson. Major Baillie in his sparkling account of the siege
+gave a brief outline of his romantic career. "Trooper M'Donald joined
+the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders in 1847, served in the Crimea
+(French and Sardinian medals and two clasps) and in the Indian Mutiny,
+was kidnapped when embarking home by Americans, fought for the North
+against the South, deserted the North and fought for the South,
+afterwards went to Australia, thence to New Zealand, and served in the
+Maori War, in which he was taken prisoner. Later he came to South
+Africa, served in the Basuto War with Sir Charles Warren's expedition,
+Carrington's Horse, the Bechuanaland Border Police, and transferred to
+the Cape Police, in which corps he has died of hardships and old age,
+fighting the Boers." The Major went on to say: "He is not the only
+Crimean veteran we have here. Both the Navy and Army are represented.
+Mr. Ellis joined the Royal Navy in 1854, served in the Baltic and the
+Black Sea, came to Africa and served in the Galika War. Mr. Brasier
+served in the Crimea and the Mutiny, and there are others of whose
+records of service I am not so certain. The contrast between them and
+the cadet corps, utilised for orderly work, &c., is remarkable, and if
+the Boers have their greybeards and boys fighting, why so have we." The
+cadet corps was composed of youths ranging from the ages of ten to
+fifteen years, game little fellows who did their duty splendidly.
+
+The great news of the capture of Cronje and his horde now served to
+raise the drooping spirits of the community. It was also reported that
+Snyman was on the move, and that Malan, who was opposing Colonel Plumer,
+had come into the neighbourhood of Mafeking. Sounds of rejoicing came
+from the Boer camp, and on the following day Boers with their field kit
+were seen to be clearing off. The information that the force was
+marching to Bloemfontein, that Cape Colony was being swept of rebels,
+that Ladysmith was relieved, now poured in, and caused the whole place
+to become simply inebriated with joy.
+
+On the 9th of March, to commemorate the victory at Paardeberg, a special
+siege slip was published at the newspaper office. The news was announced
+in the form of a poster, and concluded with the effectively printed
+information: "Cronje a prisoner. Snyman to be hanged." Copies were
+afterwards liberally pelted into the Boer quarter, who digested the news
+with their morning biltong.
+
+On the 11th (Sunday) a truce was observed. The Colonel, writing at that
+date, said:--
+
+     "Our men, sitting upon the parapets, held a friendly
+     conversation with a detachment of the enemy, and an
+     enterprising photographer endeavoured to get them into line
+     while he photographed them, but they were evidently suspicious,
+     and feared the temptation to turn a Maxim upon them instead of
+     a camera would prove too great. Small parties appeared
+     throughout the day, and amicable relations were maintained
+     until dark."
+
+The Boers outside were a hardy and stalwart lot, brawny and uncouth and
+unkempt, though from a distance not unpicturesque. In their
+rough-and-tumble attire no two were alike. Some were slouching in
+velveteen coats and soft felt hats, others in black jackets with
+"billycocks," and all with the inevitable well-worn neckerchief that
+some one suggested might "come in handy for turtle soup." Their
+bandoliers and their Martini and Mauser rifles gave them a certain
+uniformity of aspect, but otherwise they seemed the most motley gang
+that the hands of fate could have shuffled together. Some of the Boers
+did not approve of the camera, and were inclined to suspect the British
+of attempting dodges equal to their own, but others took a pride in
+being portrayed.
+
+A remarkable, almost a pathetic, feature of Mafeking fighting was the
+strange ability of both sides to fraternise when hostilities were
+suspended. The fact was that the combatants were linked together by ties
+of relationship so mysteriously interwoven that the fights partook of
+the nature of civil war--brothers and cousins-in-law, and, in one case,
+two brothers, contending on either side of the battlefield. Naturally,
+when the bloody business of their lives was ended, they were inclined to
+foregather, to compare losses and make kindly inquiries strangely
+inconsistent with the trend of their antagonistic pursuits. The Colonel
+further reported:--
+
+     "Sergeant Currie has been promoted to the rank of a
+     commissioned officer. He has thus risen by gallantry and hard
+     work from a third-class private to be a lieutenant within five
+     months. Early on Monday morning (12th) the enemy recommenced
+     the bombardment with their six-inch gun, which had been
+     comparatively silent the previous week, now firing shrapnel.
+     Used against troops in the open the fire of these projectiles
+     is ineffectual as long as cover can be obtained, but they are
+     more dangerous to persons passing to the front from the streets
+     of the town. A detachment of Colonial native troops, under
+     Lieutenant Mackenzie, made an advance on Jackal Tree Fort, the
+     position originally occupied by the siege gun on the
+     south-western heights. The Boers got wind of the movement, and
+     evacuated the position before it could be carried through. To
+     cover the advance on Jackal Tree Fort, a detachment of Baralong
+     natives were despatched to make a feint attack on Fort Snyman,
+     a new work recently erected by the Boers, and threatening the
+     most advanced western position. They succeeded in creeping to
+     within thirty yards of the enemy, many of whom were sleeping
+     outside, and when near the fort poured in two or three rapid
+     volleys. Trooper Webb got sufficiently close to the fort to
+     blow out the brains of one of the enemy. The natives then beat
+     a rapid retreat, in accordance with instructions previously
+     given to them, having inflicted some losses upon the enemy. In
+     the brickfields the Cape Boys were reinforced by a detachment
+     of Protectorate troops under Captain Fitzclarence."
+
+All were much perturbed at the sad news of the death of the genial young
+trooper, Webb of the Cape Police, who was shot through the head while on
+guard in the brickfields. This gallant fellow had been previously
+wounded in October, and had been carried off under fire by Trooper
+Stevens, and had only just returned to duty when he lost his
+life--possibly in revenge for the act described above.
+
+According to Colonel Baden-Powell's despatch of this date, a raiding
+party of Baralongs, who had gone out on their own initiative,
+encountered a patrol of the enemy, and opened fire upon them, killing
+one man, whose rifle and bandolier they secured. The enemy retired for
+reinforcements, but the Baralongs ambushed these reinforcements from a
+convenient ditch at Madibi Siding, and the enemy fell back in confusion,
+losing six men. The Baralongs, being unable to cope with long-range
+fire, then commenced to retire on Mafeking, having captured two horses
+with saddles and bridles. Finding the Boers were in pursuit, and fearing
+the arrival of reinforcements from the investing forces, however, they
+returned to a kopje in the vicinity of Madibi. Here they maintained
+their position until dark, and then made good their retreat into the
+stadt, having lost one killed and bringing in a few wounded. Three of
+the party were missing.
+
+It was impossible to prevent the Baralongs from retaliating by raids of
+this description upon those whom they called the murderers of their
+women and children. Mr. C. G. Bell, however, rendered invaluable service
+in dealing with the natives, and a board was appointed by the Colonel
+commanding to go thoroughly into the native question.
+
+The Colonel described the effects of the bombardment on the following
+day:--
+
+     "On Tuesday a shrapnel shell, bursting just about my
+     bomb-proof, sprinkled the wall of the fire brigade office with
+     bullets, which entered the bedrooms of Dixon's Hotel. These
+     were unoccupied, but afterwards a steel-plated shell passed
+     through the wall of the office, and when spent fell beneath the
+     table, and was scrambled for by the staff of clerks. In the
+     afternoon a shell, bursting in the court-house, killed two
+     natives and wounded four, slightly injuring another. All these
+     belonged to an unfortunate working party who happened to be
+     passing at the moment. A woman was also slightly wounded."
+
+The conduct of the Boers towards the natives varied according to the
+policy of the commandant engaged in subduing Mafeking. A Scottish farmer
+who remained some ten miles south of the heroic hamlet, said that in the
+beginning of the war the Boers were not so severe on the natives as they
+were later on. About Christmas-time natives began to come out of
+Mafeking and loot cattle to take back into the town. Then the Boers were
+ordered to give no quarter to natives. If this order had had reference
+to those found looting cattle, it would only have been according to the
+rules of warfare, but the Boers were told to shoot down any strange
+native found in the veldt without a pass from their people; and this was
+done in a very large number of cases, their bodies being left to rot on
+the veldt as if they were dogs. In some cases they had come out of
+Mafeking, which need hardly be wondered at, in view of the scarcity of
+food amongst the natives there. Considering the risk run, it was
+wonderful how natives could be found willing to creep through the Boer
+lines with despatches; but the natives are certainly anything but
+cowards.
+
+Towards the middle of March the attitude of the Boers towards the
+natives improved, and they began to allow fugitives to escape through
+their lines. The reason for this change of front was attributed to a
+desire to conciliate the Baralongs in the event of Boer defeat, and to
+keep them from raiding into Boer territory when their time for reprisals
+might come.
+
+Native spies brought in all manner of rumours, to the effect that
+Colonel Plumer's armoured train had reached Pitsani Pothlugo, notable as
+Jameson's starting-point on his famous raid, and that the enemy was
+concentrating at Ramathlabama to prevent the advance of the relieving
+force. But news certainly lost nothing by passing through the medium of
+native channels, and the inhabitants of Mafeking were not over
+credulous. The great ideal of the Bechuanas was Dr. Jameson, and he, it
+was averred, was coming down from Buluwayo with an army to relieve
+Mafeking. One rumour had it that the famous raider had totally
+annihilated a Boer laager with a bomb from a balloon! Over an extensive
+area, west and south of Mafeking, all the natives had been compelled to
+leave their homes, and were placed near the Transvaal border with a
+view--it was thought--to prevent despatches passing through to Mafeking.
+Whatever the object, such a proceeding, especially in the wet season,
+was very cruel. The poor people were robbed of their herds and household
+goods, and driven away, and deposited like cattle wherever the Boers
+thought fit to place them.
+
+[Illustration: NATIVE CHURCH, MAFEKING.]
+
+On the 18th the Boers were found in occupation of the new trench which
+had just been triumphantly constructed by the besieged. It was, as Mr.
+Neilly said, "like the soldier crab who gets into the shell of a winkle
+when the winkle has gone out for a walk. As a rule the soldier crab
+keeps what he has gained, but in this case the winkle came back and
+recovered his shell." He did so very promptly. Lieutenant Feltham and a
+small party advanced and threw bombs at the intruders, which caused them
+quickly to evacuate their trenches. Then some of the Bechuanaland
+Volunteers "speeded the parting guest" with a smart fusillade from the
+flank, and the prized trench was recovered.
+
+On the 20th the Boers appeared to be breaking up their western laager,
+and on the 23rd it was discovered that the enemy had evacuated his
+positions in the brickfields. These were promptly annexed and dismantled
+by the Mafeking men. Major Panzera had what some one called "a real
+sporting day." From morn till night he plied his Hotchkiss and kept the
+Boers active till dusk. After dark the acetyline searchlight built by
+the railwaymen was erected at the main work, but no demonstration from
+the direction of the enemy took place. Then started off Lieutenant
+Murray and trooper Mallalen (Cape Police) to reconnoitre. On reaching
+the enemy's sap they crawled round cautiously on hands and knees to
+investigate. It was a ticklish moment, but they were rewarded. They
+peered in and made the discovery that the Boers had vanished. They crept
+still farther along the connecting trench to the rear of the main work
+and made assurance doubly sure. The Dutchmen were flown. So rapid had
+been their flight that biltong, biscuits, and journals were left behind.
+Quick as thought the trench was dismantled. Then Sergeant Page
+(Protectorate Regiment) burrowed about for the mine which he and Mr.
+Kiddy had laid in the direction of this trench in the early days of the
+siege. The Boers had "slimly" unearthed the dynamite, and presently it
+was discovered that the evacuated trench was connected by a copper wire
+with the enemy's line. This was carefully cut. Then its direction was
+traced, and a neat little plot of the Boers exposed itself to view. They
+had arranged some 250 pounds of war gelatine and dynamite in the trench,
+which, at a given moment, a touch from the wily Dutchman on the look-out
+was meant to explode and blow some of the garrison into the air.
+
+This failure served to depress the Boers, and for a time their siege gun
+ceased fire, something having gone wrong with its works. Colonel
+Baden-Powell was very proud of the brickfield's success and those who
+contributed to it. Colonel Vyvyan, Inspector Marsh (Cape Police), Majors
+Panzera and Fitzclarence, Inspector Browne, Lieutenant Currie (Cape
+Police), Sergeant Page, and trooper Thompson (Cape Police), were all
+eulogised in general orders.
+
+[Illustration: (Captain). (Sergeant).
+
+THE CAPE TOWN HIGHLANDERS.
+
+Photo by J. E. Bruton, Cape Town.]
+
+The captured newspapers afforded great satisfaction to the beleaguered
+company, for they recounted the entry of Lord Roberts to Bloemfontein,
+the surrender of Cronje, and the relief of Ladysmith. The intelligence
+was intensely heartening, and the garrison seemed to gain in
+backbone--not that it had ever been deficient in that quality. But now
+its obstinate resistance of the Boers was resumed with renewed zest.
+
+It must be noted that besides the Baralongs, who defended their own
+stadt, were four other black contingents--the Fingoes, under Webster;
+the Cape Boys, under Lieutenant Currie, B.S.C.P., who succeeded Captain
+Goodyear when that officer was wounded; a detachment of Baralongs, under
+Sergeant Abrams; and a Zulu crowd, called the "Black Watch," under
+Mackenzie. All these contingents "put their backs into it," and rejoiced
+in making things as hot and uncomfortable for the enemy as they could.
+
+In default of other amusement some of the inhabitants interested
+themselves in the Dutch snipers, and began to grow so familiar with them
+that they resorted to the primeval mode of christening, that of
+designating each individual by his personal attributes. One would be
+called "Bow-legs," another "Bluebeard," or "Draggle Beard," and so on.
+One Rip Van Winkle was particularly admired. Despite his years and his
+probable "rheumatics," he would take up his post from dawn till dusk,
+and snipe with persistence worthy a better cause. His patience and
+perseverance somewhat endeared him to the garrison, and there was felt
+to be something missing in the excitement of life when it was found that
+he, like many of his compatriots, had been "curried," otherwise
+"dished," by Lieutenant Currie, B.S.C.P., and his ever-active
+contingent. These cheery fellows in off moments were ready enough to
+exchange jocosities with the foe, almost treating him, despite his
+barbarism, as one of themselves.
+
+The correspondent of the _Pall Mall Gazette_ quoted a sample scene to
+describe the style of friendly intercourse that took place.
+
+"Cape 'boy' to Boer: 'Could you hit a bottle?' 'Yes, I think so. Put one
+up.' (A hand rises cautiously to the top of the British trench, and a
+black bottle is deposited there.)
+
+"Boer: 'I can't see it. Put it higher.' (The Cape 'boy' balances a hat
+on the head of the bottle and says, 'There you are; you can see that.')
+The Boer fires, and the bullet flies wide.
+
+"Cape 'boy': 'Wide to the left.' (Boer fires again and asks, 'Is that
+nearer?')
+
+"Cape 'boy': 'Rather high.' Boer fires a third shot that comes through
+the loophole.
+
+"The Cape soldier announces the result, and the Boer, fearing that he
+will lose his good reputation for marksmanship, and angered by his bad
+display, sings out--
+
+"'Look here, you rooinek, we were sent here not to shoot bottles, but
+men.'"
+
+Curiously enough many of the Boers were hopelessly ignorant and
+unsophisticated. They hardly knew what they were fighting for, and one
+raw individual was heard to declare that he didn't believe the Queen had
+caused this war, but the foreman of the English Raad. They retained
+their bumptiousness in all circumstances. After a victory they would
+brag of the number of British killed, about 80,000 as a rule, their news
+being gleaned from the imaginative columns of the _Standard and Diggers'
+News_. On the subject of defeat they were reticent, but fairly confident
+that the Dutch flag in a month or two was bound to be floating over
+South Africa.
+
+On Sunday the 25th, a great Siege Exhibition took place--an exhibition
+notable for its originality. Among the articles on view were bonnets
+which had been trimmed with "siege" materials by ladies of the town.
+These were never tired of showing their usefulness and versatility, but,
+as Lady Sarah Wilson--a host in herself--declared in the _Daily Mail_,
+"even the dogs played a prominent part in the siege. One belonging to
+the base commandant was wounded no less than three times; another, a
+rough Irish terrier, accompanied the Protectorate Regiment in all its
+engagements; a third amused itself by running after the small Maxim
+shells, barking loudly and trying hard to retrieve pieces; while the
+Resident Commissioner's dog, a prudent animal, whenever she heard the
+alarm-bell tore into the bomb-proof attached to her master's redoubt,
+and remained there till the explosion was over. The sagacious creatures
+rendered themselves most valuable, for no sooner had the warning bell
+announced the firing of a shell than the town dogs began to bark loudly
+in all quarters, thus enabling persons who, owing to the direction of
+the wind or other circumstances, had failed to note the signal, to
+escape to their shelters." The natives were much more apathetic, and
+Reuter's correspondent gave curious instances of their stupidity and
+_laisser faire_. "They would gather in great crowds round the
+soup-kitchens in the town, and when bells were rung warning them that
+the enemy's 6-inch gun had been fired they were too lazy to take cover
+in the lee of the surrounding buildings, and had to be driven to do so
+by means of sticks and sjamboks. Many would rather die than work, and
+were too lazy to attempt the now comparatively safe journey to Kanya."
+
+It was annoying to hear perpetual rumours of relief and to find relief
+as far off as ever. Runners continually brought in telegrams of
+congratulation, which added not a little to the bitterness of
+incarceration. At one moment Plumer seemed to be coming; he was said to
+be only eleven miles off, and the town was in ecstasies; at another
+bombardment began briskly as ever, and spirits descended to zero. One of
+the besieged, writing home on March 22, said:--
+
+     "Things are going on as usual. Every one is heartily sick and
+     tired of the siege. Colonel Plumer, with 1500 men, is only
+     about thirty-five miles away, with provisions for us.... Every
+     one here feels the want of more, better, and varied food. A
+     friend of ours was very ill for ten days, and the only
+     comforts the doctor could order were two tins of milk and some
+     lunch biscuits! There is no margarine left in the town, and the
+     Commissariat Department is calling in all the starch. The
+     hospital is very full; and there is a good deal of malarial and
+     typhoid fever.... Sometimes the bread is awful, black, and made
+     from locally-crushed oats, with all the husks on, simply split
+     in long pieces. We are all downright hungry, and cannot buy a
+     bit of food, except on some special occasion. Last Sunday
+     Weil's store was allowed to sell certain articles of food,
+     _e.g._ pea flour and margarine; former, 2s. 6d. a tin; latter,
+     3s. per lb. The crush outside the store was so great that women
+     fainted, and some were waiting for hours, and then unable to
+     get in.... The railings of the park and tennis-courts are used
+     for firing, and we are authorised to use our fences for the
+     same purpose. Our meat is good, but poor and tough. We almost
+     entirely depend upon the natives looting enemy's cattle, and
+     sometimes we have horse-flesh, but that I cannot manage, so on
+     those days I am hungrier than ever.... My husband is
+     quarter-master-sergeant in charge of the rations--not a very
+     enviable billet. The whole town is on rations. We are all under
+     martial law, and Colonel Baden-Powell looks after us all, and
+     we may be very thankful that the defence of Mafeking has been
+     entrusted to such a capable man."
+
+The menu was not variegated. You took your choice between a species of
+porridge (made from the husks of oats fermented for some hours prior to
+boiling) and a noxious brown biscuit, or, as the Indians called it,
+"chupattie." But it had none of the savouriness of the chupattie, and
+was described as a cross between a ship's biscuit and a baked brick. It
+was certainly filling at the price, so filling, in fact, that those who
+devoured it suffered from what was styled "hippopotamus on the chest"
+for some hours afterwards.
+
+March 27th was described as the hottest day in the siege, the mud walls
+of Mafeking being liberally dosed to the tune of 200 shells by Creusots
+and quick-firing Krupps. As many as 250 shells were said to have been
+fired into the town, while the 100-pounder was responsible for 70.
+Sergeant Abrams, of the Cape Police, an officer who had been in the
+thick of the whole siege, was caught by a high-velocity shell and had
+the misfortune to lose his foot. Some of the shells penetrated the
+bomb-proofs, and one or two persons were more or less injured. It was
+calculated that during the sixty-four days of the siege as many as 1300
+shells from the 100-pound Creusot, independently of minor missiles, had
+descended in the midst of the valorous community. Some of the shells
+were sold as curios and fetched as much as five guineas apiece; rarer
+ones sold for ten or twelve. The losses of the garrison up to this date
+were: Killed and missing: 7 officers and 93 men, besides 53 native and
+other non-combatants. Wounded: 11 officers and 38 men, besides 114
+native and other non-combatants.
+
+The congratulations of the Lord Mayor of London on the relief now
+arrived, and all began to hope that "coming events cast their shadows
+before." But cruel disappointment followed.
+
+Heavy firing was reported from the north on the 31st, and there was
+tremendous excitement. One and all agreed that it was Colonel Plumer
+coming to the rescue. They hoped, they prayed, and when at last the
+sounds died away hope died with them. The next morning explained it.
+General Snyman sent in a letter under a flag of truce requesting Colonel
+Baden-Powell to send an ambulance for Colonel Plumer's dead! A horrible
+description of the battlefield "strewn with corpses" followed, and
+caused deep concern to those who were the cause of the gallant
+enterprise which had cost so many lives. Fortunately only three bodies
+were found, but these had rifled pockets, while the boots of one had
+been removed. The action of removing boots from the dead savours of the
+barbaric, but it must be remembered that the Boers, and indeed some of
+our own men, were almost soleless. War brings about strange conditions
+and strange ethics. A trooper, one of the remnant of the Light Brigade,
+told a strange story of how on that "great occasion" he came on the
+corpse of a Russian officer magnificently booted, while he himself could
+barely hobble in his tatters. He could not resist the prize, and
+possessed himself of the much-needed apparel. He was in the act of going
+off in triumph when his conscience smote him; he returned, and taking
+off his own boots reverentially clothed the feet of the dead man! He
+appeased his qualms by arguing that exchange was not robbery!
+
+
+COLONEL PLUMER'S OPERATIONS
+
+Colonel Plumer lived in the hope of joining hands with Colonel
+Baden-Powell at Mafeking, and messages were successfully interchanged
+between the two officers. Life in the north was occupied mainly with
+skirmishes and the repairs of railway lines and culverts, which were
+needed along almost every mile of route. Between Gaberones and Crocodile
+Pools the engineers worked arduously, under the protection of an
+armoured train and a strong body of dismounted men. Very useful
+information was received of the Boers' whereabouts from papers contained
+in a Boer mail-bag captured between Sequani and Sauerpoord. The Boers
+were found to be in force at Crocodile Pools, and to have in their
+possession two cannon and two machine-guns, and here it was evident they
+meant to harass any progressive movement of the British.
+
+[Illustration: MAP SHOWING THE ADVANCE FROM THE NORTH AND THE SOUTH FOR
+THE RELIEF OF MAFEKING.
+
+The above sketch-plan of Mafeking shows the Boer trenches and the
+British lines of defence round the town, with the localities and dates
+of the principal fights which have taken place between the besiegers and
+besieged. Above and below the plan (though not, of course, upon the same
+scale) there is a map of the country between Kimberley and Tuli. The
+margin is divided into spaces of twenty-five miles, measuring from
+Mafeking north and south, and the advance of Plumer from the north and
+of Methuen from the south is shown step by step.]
+
+On the 11th of January Colonel Plumer, with a portion of his forces,
+arrived near Mochudi. The Boers--about 200--were reported to have
+gathered some thirty miles to the south-east, while others were
+entrenched on the kopjes by the railway at Crocodile Pools. With them
+were said to be guns in charge of German officers--an objectionable
+discovery for the British, who were almost gunless! There was reason
+to suppose that discontent reigned among the Boers owing to scarcity of
+provisions, and that they were longing to throw up the sponge and return
+to their farms. They found life in the trenches and kopjes not what is
+vulgarly described as "all beer and skittles," and began to think of the
+coming seasons which would find them empty as the fabled grasshopper in
+winter.
+
+Some of the troops also proceeded to Gaberones, where three armoured
+trains were kept active. On the 12th a Boer patrol made an effort to
+burn a bridge a mile north of the station, but was frustrated by the
+promptness with which Lieutenant Wallis brought No. 3 armoured train on
+the scene. When the enemy fell back on the station they were welcomed by
+No. 1 armoured train under Colonel Llewellyn, and the welcome was so
+unexpected and so hearty that the enemy bolted. Owing to the darkness
+they got off in safety. Reconnaissances were made, and it was discovered
+that the Boers were located one mile south of Crocodile Pools.
+
+Major Bird made a reconnaissance on the 23rd of January--with four
+squadrons of the Rhodesian Regiment--in the direction of a Boer laager.
+In consequence of a storm of rain operations could not be carried as far
+as intended, but some of the enemy were dislodged from a hill, and two
+horses and two Transvaal flags were captured.
+
+On the 31st an animated artillery duel took place between Colonel Plumer
+and Commandant Eloff, and on the following day it was some satisfaction
+to see the Boers busily engaged in repairing the havoc wrought by the
+British 12�-pounder on their fort. On the 2nd of February more
+activities took place. Major Bird, with 150 mounted infantry and one
+7-pounder, made a demonstration on the right flank of the Boer position.
+This occupied a ridge running for a mile and a half from south-west to
+north-east. In the centre of the ridge was a nek, which was protected on
+either side by a fringe of Boer sharpshooters. This nek became the
+object of British attention, and Lieutenants Harland and Blunt with
+their men poured on it some forty volleys, to which the Boers replied,
+but without serious effect. While the rattling of musketry was kept up
+by the mounted infantry, a 7-pounder, manned by the British South
+African Police, escorted by troopers under Captain Maclaren, shelled the
+nek. Whereupon the Boers brought into play a 12�-pounder, which forced
+the British 7-pounder to retire. The weapon, however, was met by one of
+its own calibre, which was posted near Basuto kopje, and a spirited
+contest ensued. On the 4th of February the hostile guns were silenced by
+well-directed shells adroitly dropped by Lieutenant Montmorency in the
+middle of the Boer fortress.
+
+Colonel Plumer, though still too weak to make a decisive move on, was
+bent on energetically annoying the Boers, but night escapades for some
+time were stopped by infamous weather. On the first opportunity Major
+Bird devised a midnight attack, which, unfortunately, was more costly
+than successful. In dense darkness, on the night of the 11th of
+February, the troops deployed at the base of a thorny and rocky ridge at
+Crocodile Pools Bridge, where the enemy was entrenched. No sooner had
+the men neared the summit than they came on wire entanglements and
+thorny scrub, and in surmounting wire and bush they necessarily made
+some noise. This set the Boer dogs barking and the Boer pickets blazing
+with their rifles. Thereupon Major Bird ordered a bayonet charge. He had
+forbidden rifle fire lest it should betray the position of the storming
+party. Before the men could get to close quarters, however, the Dutchmen
+exploded dynamite mines and followed the fracas with volleys of
+musketry. The result was disastrous to the British, and Major Bird
+ordered a retreat. Captain French (Royal Irish Regiment) was among the
+killed. Seven of the party were more or less severely injured. At first
+the Boers refused to give up the dead and wounded. When Archdeacon
+Upcher and Father Hartmann, under cover of the white flag, made the
+demand, they declared that they could not respect the symbol, as General
+Buller had stated that the British would no longer respect it. They
+eventually gave up five of the dead, but refused for some time to part
+with the wounded. Among these were Major Straker and Colonel Hon. H.
+White (British South African Police).
+
+On the 26th of February Colonel Plumer, after many strenuous efforts and
+continued fighting, occupied the enemy's position at Crocodile Pools,
+the Boers having taken themselves off and gone south to Lobatsi. Trains
+were now moving from the Pools to Ramoutsa. A cairn was erected over the
+spot where the valiant officer, Captain French, met his fate. The wounds
+received by Major Straker in the disastrous night attack were mending
+slowly, and great hopes were entertained of his ultimate recovery.
+
+Colonel Plumer and his little force, numbering some 700 in all,
+continued to suffer many harassments, to fight and to struggle manfully
+for the assistance of Mafeking, whose relief they believed could not be
+long delayed. To help in this relief was their perpetual aim, and to
+this end Colonel Plumer accumulated a vast quantity of stores at Kanya,
+some sixty miles to the west of Crocodile Pools, so that when
+opportunity should offer the starving braves might not have to wait for
+provisions. For some weeks the troops had been fixed on a string of
+kopjes to the north of the Metsima Suma Bridge, while the Boers' laager,
+strongly fortified, occupied another ridge in the vicinity. Both Britons
+and Boers from their elevated posts could command the river above named,
+and the Notwani River for some miles. On the 26th of February, for some
+unaccountable reason, the Boers suddenly made themselves scarce, and
+suspicion grew that events elsewhere were demanding their prompt
+attention. The disappearance caused some sensation, as it was
+reported--erroneously as it afterwards proved--that not a Boer was
+visible between the British and Mafeking. Thereupon Colonel Plumer
+decided to be up and doing, and an advance on Lobatsi (situated some
+forty-five miles from Colonel Baden-Powell's kingdom) was organised.
+First of all telegraph lines and rails were repaired, an armoured train
+being sent forward to Pitsani Pothlugo to protect the operations. This
+work accomplished, rations for thirty days, the base hospital, &c., were
+transferred to Lobatsi.
+
+There on the morning of the 6th of March Colonel Plumer's force arrived.
+The efforts of the relieving party were now directed to the
+reconstruction of the railway and bridges which had been wrecked by the
+Boers in October. These were slowly got into working order.
+Reconnaissances were pushed south with a view to farther advance, and
+provision was made for the protection of the railway behind him as
+Colonel Plumer advanced.
+
+[Illustration: COLONEL PLUMER'S GALLANT ATTEMPT TO RELIEVE MAFEKING FROM
+THE NORTH.
+
+Drawing by Frank Dudd, R.I., from a Sketch by F. J. Mackenzie.]
+
+At daybreak on the 13th of March a column of some 300 men with three
+guns marched towards Kanya on the west, while Colonel Bodle (B.S.A.P.)
+with 150 men and a Maxim proceeded towards Pitsani. When the former
+party had succeeded in reaching a place some twenty miles beyond Lobatsi
+camp they were suddenly ordered to return. Captain Maclaren with his
+party, though fairly worn out after a long day's tramp, at once obeyed
+orders, marched throughout the night, and by dawn on the 15th had
+retraced his steps. The reason for the recall was this. Colonel Bodle's
+advanced scouts had come upon swarms of the enemy to the north of
+Pitsani, and the colonel with his small force had been compelled to
+retire in hot haste. His position was a ticklish one, for all round, in
+every available kopje, the Boers had ensconced themselves, and only by
+great nerve and splendid presence of mind was it possible to execute
+anything like an orderly retreat. But these qualities were possessed by
+Colonel Bodle, who promptly retired his ambulance and waggons, covering
+their move by forming his troops in Zulu fashion in crescent shape.
+Unluckily the right horn of the crescent, under Lieutenant Chapman, was
+pounced upon by some hidden Boers, who succeeded in making three or four
+of the party prisoners, and capturing a box or two of ammunition. Owing
+to an accident to his horse Lieutenant Chapman was thrown and captured.
+Corporal Galt nearly shared the same fate, but while he was engaged in a
+smart tussle for freedom, Colonel Bodle came to the rescue and put the
+Boers to flight. The Dutchmen then commenced to follow at the heels of
+the column, approaching to within some 2500 yards of the camp, doing
+some damage among cattle with their smokeless guns, which with
+difficulty could be located. Their fire was eventually returned, but not
+before Lieutenant Tyler (West Riding Regiment) had fallen a victim to a
+shell, which caught him in his tent and killed him instantaneously. The
+next day (the 16th) the Boers pursued their aggravations, and the
+British, as usual, gave a very good account of themselves, though their
+gunners had neither range-finder nor range-table. An animated artillery
+duel lasted for some hours, and was only terminated at sunset by the
+successful landing of a shell in the midst of the Boer guns. This served
+to silence them for the rest of the day. That done, the troops retired,
+most of the force moving from Lobatsi back to Crocodile Pools (whither
+stores, &c., had been removed by rail during the whole of the previous
+night), while Colonel Plumer and the mounted men took the direction of
+Kanya. On the 17th of March the armoured train voyaged towards Lobatsi,
+where it was saluted by the Boers, who had returned in hordes with
+marvellous celerity, and were hovering round that place.
+
+The enemy had now placed a 1-pound Maxim and a 12�-pounder on the east
+side of the line 4000 yards to the south of the main camp, but
+fortunately the right flank was protected by the Chief Bathoen, who
+defied the Boers to enter his territory. The left flank, however,
+engaged Colonel Plumer's attention, and there was every fear that the
+enemy, repulsed on the western border, might fall in force upon the
+Rhodesians. The Dutchmen were now busy in wrecking the rail south of
+Lobatsi, and preparing to meet any further advance made by Colonel
+Plumer with stout resistance. On the 18th, somewhat exhausted with
+fruitless toil and endless marching and fighting, the troops were once
+more at their starting-point on the ridges overlooking the Metsima Suma
+and Notwani Rivers, Colonel Plumer's force now occupying the position
+there formerly held by the Boers.
+
+On the 21st Commandant Snyman entertained himself with a little journey
+to Lobatsi and gaily bombarded it, in ignorance that it had been
+evacuated by Colonel Plumer's force, and explosions on all sides
+announced that he also was engaged in the destruction of the railway.
+While the Boers were away, the Baralongs made hay--they utilised the
+shining hour by looting some of the Boer cattle and driving them in
+triumph into Mafeking. There, the result of Snyman's attack on Plumer
+was in its way approved; the town enjoyed temporary repose. The
+bombardment lessened for a day or two, and the besieged were buoyed up
+by the hope that Colonel Plumer was pursuing his advance.
+
+To intercept the same the enemy had taken up positions at Maritzuni and
+Ramathlabama, but they at the same time had to engage themselves with a
+native chief in the south. This personage, who had hitherto been
+friendly to them, working on the good old principle of "kick a man when
+he's down," had heard of the Boer reverses in the Free State, and
+promptly seized his opportunity.
+
+On the 25th Colonel Plumer left his base camp with a force of infantry
+and as little impedimenta as possible, and invaded the Transvaal, making
+two rapid night marches for the purpose of threatening the Boer lines of
+communication. In this way, though he found himself too weak in men and
+guns for really aggressive operations, he determined to make himself a
+thorn in the side of the persecutors of Mafeking, and keep the Boer
+hordes too busily engaged to allow of their attempting serious
+operations on their own part.
+
+Early on the morning of the 31st Colonel Plumer, with 270 mounted men,
+some infantry, and a Maxim reached Ramathlabama, where the Boers were
+said to have made their headquarters. The advance guard under Colonel
+White proceeding within six miles of Mafeking, encountered a Boer
+commando, whereupon Captain Kensman on the left and Major Bordan on the
+right simultaneously became engaged. Desperate fighting ensued, the
+Boers almost doubling the British. The Dutchmen formed a semicircle,
+vainly endeavouring to outflank the party east and west, while Colonel
+Plumer's small force, fighting "tooth and nail," retired slowly, the
+squadrons covering the retreat of the unmounted men for a good ten miles
+till the force reached its base. Owing to the close proximity of the
+Boer laagers, reinforcements of Dutchmen and guns were constantly at
+hand, while Colonel Plumer was entirely at a disadvantage. Little cover
+was available, and the railway embankment, which was his only
+protection, was barely two feet high. Captain Crewe, a most popular
+officer, was mortally wounded while covering the retreat of the rest, as
+was also Lieutenant Milligan while gallantly defending his position.
+
+Some interesting particulars of the fighting outside Mafeking came in a
+letter from a trooper.
+
+     "On our latest patrol we had a real exciting time. We went to
+     have a look at Mafeking, and actually saw the promised land,
+     but we had to pay dearly for the sight. We marched from here
+     (halfway between Kanya and Mafeking) on March 30th, and arrived
+     at Ramathlabama on the 31st at 9 A.M. Between 300 and 350 men
+     went, with one Maxim, all under Colonel Plumer himself. We were
+     all mounted except thirty men of E Squadron. We formed a camp
+     at Ramathlabama, and at 11 A.M. all the mounted men moved off
+     towards Mafeking, our unmounted men and the Maxim remaining in
+     camp. Our troop and Crewe's scouts formed the advance guard
+     under our skipper, Colonel White. We rode on about eight miles,
+     and then we got our first glimpse of Mafeking. We raised a bit
+     of a cheer on spotting the place. Very soon we saw a large body
+     of Boers coming up in front at a fast pace, while others were
+     working round our flanks. We started firing at 1000 yards,
+     with hardly anything to see to fire at. Their fire was high at
+     first, but some of them soon got the range. We had to retreat,
+     as we were far outnumbered, and the Boers were working away at
+     our flanks. Moreover, they had an unlimited supply of
+     ammunition, their base being a mile or two away, while we had
+     to go slow with ours. So we retired by alternate squadrons.
+
+     "We were nearly caught once. The Boers were coming round on our
+     flank, and were making for some Kaffir kraals whence they would
+     have had us fairly on toast. Our skipper, however, spotted the
+     move in time, and we raced them for the first place and won.
+     Crewe's men, who were sent to the second kraal, also got there
+     first. We made them turn tail and bolt, and they were never
+     afterwards quite so keen in getting round our flank. Our
+     skipper worked splendidly. It was a running fight for about
+     eight miles, lasting from 1 P.M. till 6 P.M. When we reached
+     the camp we found that Colonel Plumer had decided to abandon
+     it, and had already sent the waggons off an hour before. We had
+     to cover the retreat of the unmounted men, who had been in turn
+     covering the retreat of the Maxim. There was a very warm time
+     over that business. The unmounted men nearly got caught. Our
+     casualties were pretty heavy--52 in all--12 killed, 26 wounded,
+     and 14 missing. Altogether 75 horses were killed, wounded, and
+     missing. Don't get the idea that we were disgracefully licked.
+     We retreated certainly and were chased by the Boers, but we
+     retreated in perfect order without any confusion. Moreover, in
+     retreating we were doing as we were intended to do. Colonel
+     Baden-Powell had some move he wished to make at Mafeking, and
+     we were to draw away as many Boers as possible, and we
+     certainly were successful in that. There must have been at
+     least 600 or 700 against us."
+
+In the fight at Ramathlabama the following were taken
+prisoners:--Captain K. Maclaren, Captain F. Crewe, Captain Duncan
+Robertson, all badly wounded; the two last mentioned since dead.
+Staff-Officers Cecil and Granville and nine soldiers, of whom six were
+more or less severely wounded, were also captured.
+
+Owing to the absence of war correspondents with Colonel Plumer's force
+this officer's unceasing efforts to match the Boers and rescue Colonel
+Baden-Powell received none of the publicity they deserved. It has been
+possible only from private sources to gauge the terrible tension of the
+situation, and the truly noble activity that was maintained in the face
+of a most alarming outlook. Of the heroism of the commander little has
+been said, but from a few lines written by a trooper we may understand
+how his gallant conduct stimulated his men. He said: "It was a good
+fight, and our men behaved very well. Plumer was slightly wounded, but
+behaved splendidly. He sent his horse away and walked behind the
+dismounted men, encouraging them when they were retreating."
+
+Colonel Bodle and Captain Rolt (adjutant) were also slightly wounded.
+
+Some splendid service was rendered by Sergeant-Major Manning (5th
+Dragoon Guards), on whom the whole work of staff officer afterwards
+devolved.
+
+Another writer shows the trying circumstances in which Colonel Plumer's
+campaign was conducted, circumstances which, when the historian of the
+future sets to work, cannot be disregarded:--
+
+     "On the 31st ult. we got as far as six miles from Mafeking, but
+     had to retire after four hours' heavy fighting, losing 48
+     killed, wounded, and missing. We have had a very rough time
+     indeed, always fighting against much superior odds armed with
+     splendid artillery, living on short rations, without tents or
+     any other shelter, wet through with the rain, and scorched with
+     the sun, and yet the people at home never give us a thought. We
+     have been so hard up for tobacco that men have been smoking tea
+     leaves. We have not had a thing from home, not even the Queen's
+     chocolate, and yet we have done as much in our small way as the
+     troops down south. Of course, we have had no big battles, as we
+     have not the men or guns, but we have had constant patrols and
+     skirmishes, nearly always losing men killed or wounded, or
+     both. We have also suffered very heavily with fever and
+     dysentery, and all our hospitals are full."
+
+These lines in their bald simplicity are quoted because they, like the
+work they describe, were originated with no view to effect nor applause,
+and serve exactly to describe the modest deeds of perpetual valour which
+were perpetrated by our countrymen, and which by force of circumstance
+were left to waste their smartness "on the desert air."
+
+[Illustration: LOBATSI RAILWAY STATION]
+
+
+
+
+LIST OF STAFF
+
+
+The following is a list of appointments to the Staff of the Eighth
+Division, which left England in February:--
+
+EIGHTH DIVISION
+
+Lieutenant-General on the Staff--Major-General (temporary
+Lieutenant-General) Sir H. M. L. Rundle, K.C.B., C.M.G., D.S.O., R.A.
+
+Aides-de-Camp (2).
+
+Assistant Adjutant-General--Colonel G. E. Harley, C.B.
+
+Deputy-Assistant Adjutant-Generals--Major A. E. J. Cavendish, _p.s.c._,
+Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders; Captain G. I. Walsh, Leicestershire
+Regt.
+
+Assistant Provost-Marshal[11]--Lieut.-Colonel R. H. Morrison.
+
+Principal Medical Officer--Lieut.-Colonel W. A. May, Royal Army Medical
+Corps.
+
+Medical Officer--Major J. W. Jerome, Royal Army Medical Corps.
+
+Chaplains--Rev. C. F. O'Reilly; Rev. F. J. P. Jellicoe.
+
+Divisional Signalling Officer--Captain C. H. Bennett, Worcestershire
+Regt.
+
+16th BRIGADE
+
+Major-General on the Staff--Major-General B. B. D. Campbell, M.V.O.
+
+Aide-de-Camp.
+
+Brigade-Major--Captain E. F. O. Gascoigne, D.S.O., Grenadier Guards.
+
+17th BRIGADE
+
+Major-General on the Staff--Major-General J. E. Boyes.
+
+Aide-de-Camp.
+
+Brigade-Major--Captain C. B. FitzHenry, 7th Hussars.
+
+At the same time a Ninth Division was formed under the command of
+Lieut.-General Sir Henry Colvile, consisting of the 3rd (Highland
+Brigade), Colonel (Major-General) H. A. Macdonald, C.B., and 19th
+Brigade, Colonel (Major-General) H. L. Smith-Dorrien. For particulars,
+see Vol. V.
+
+FOOTNOTES:
+
+[11] Graded as a Deputy-Assistant Adjutant-General.
+
+
+
+
+APPENDIX
+
+
+KURUMAN[12]
+
+At time of the surrender of Kuruman it was impossible to obtain complete
+details regarding the gallant defence of the place. The following short
+story published by the _Cape Argus_ serves to throw light on deeds too
+brave to be overlooked:--
+
+"On the 15th October 1899, the Cape Police, Vryburg, 96 miles north-east
+of Kuruman, evacuated their station without giving battle to the Boers;
+the detachment with one Maxim and 110 men retiring on Kimberley. The
+commanding officer, Major Scott, Cape Police, committed suicide _en
+route_. Refugees came into Kuruman on the 16th and following days.
+
+"On the 23rd October communication was cut off from Kuruman except by
+wire to Koopmansfontein, and on the 5th November all wires were cut.
+Information reached Kuruman that the South African Republic and Orange
+Free State Boers, assisted by rebels from that and surrounding
+districts, intended to march on Kuruman and hoist the 'Vierkleur.'
+
+"The defence of Kuruman was commenced by Captain Bates,[13] C.P.
+(formerly captain B.B.P. under Sir Frederick Carrington), assisted by
+Sergeant Hemsworth, C.P., and Captain Dennison, Intelligence Department.
+On the 19th October, Colonel Kekewich, officer commanding forces
+Griqualand West and Bechuanaland, instructed the force to endeavour to
+prevent Kuruman falling into the hands of the enemy. The officer
+commanding, Captain Bates, had orders to defend the place, and the
+Kuruman defence force was raised, consisting of, approximately, 54 Cape
+Police and Special Police (whites), 62 Bastards and natives--total, 116.
+
+"Redoubts were built on the north, south, east, and west sides of the
+main camp, which was fortified with trenches and stone walls loopholed
+and raised with sandbags.
+
+"On the 12th November 1899, a letter was received from Commandant Visser
+(signed Fighting General), demanding the surrender of Kuruman
+voluntarily in the name of the Z.A.R. and O.F.S. Governments, saying
+that he was at Pakani, six miles off, with his commando, and failing
+compliance with his demand he would attack and take Kuruman by main
+force at 7 A.M. the following day. A reply was sent that should he
+attack he would have to take the consequences of his illegal act, as no
+instructions had been issued by the Colonial Government to evacuate the
+town.
+
+"At 9 A.M. on the 13th November a commando of about 400 men came at full
+gallop towards the Soeden Mission Station, three miles from Kuruman.
+Coming within range (1500 yards) the redoubt on the eastern side opened
+fire on them with their rifles. The enemy halted, and then at once
+retired out of range. After about ten minutes, one portion, 250 strong,
+advanced towards the Mission Station, the other, 150 strong, moving to
+the ridge above the Court House. At 10 A.M. the commando from Soeden
+attacked the western redoubt held by Corporal Childs, C.P., with six
+whites and seven natives. Heavy firing took place. At about 5 P.M. the
+enemy, who had during the day occupied a ridge about 400 yards from the
+redoubt, retired, and in so doing lost heavily--they were seen falling
+from their horses. Our men behaved splendidly. The estimated Boer loss
+was six killed and fourteen wounded; ours, one native killed. Captain
+Bates rode up during the day to encourage the men, and both going and
+returning was received with heavy volleys from the Boers, but both he
+and his horse returned unhurt. While the fighting was going on Corporal
+Barnes, C.P., and nine men volunteered to take an extra supply of
+ammunition to this redoubt, about 1000 yards in the open, under heavy
+fire, and remained there to the end of the attack without any further
+casualty. Firing from all the enemy's schanzes was kept up during the
+night.
+
+"At dawn next day it was discovered that the enemy had built schanzes
+(stone entrenchments) all round our redoubts at distances varying from
+1200 to 900 yards, and commenced firing volleys into our positions. We
+replied, and our losses this day were one native slightly wounded and
+five horses badly wounded. The enemy stuck to their schanzes and
+continued firing heavily on us daily until the 19th November, when to
+our surprise they withdrew to Pakani.
+
+"On the 20th November our scouts, who were sent to find out the enemy's
+movements, returned, stating that they were retiring towards Vryburg.
+
+"On the 26th November it was reported by our scouts that the Boers had
+formed three laagers, one at Mooifontein, 30 miles away; one at
+Magagapirie, 20 miles off; and one at Botitilotse, about 18 miles off;
+the total commando numbering about 1100 to 1200 men, and a large number
+of waggons.
+
+"On the 1st December a headman, Seloa, reported that the Boers were
+waiting for a cannon from Pretoria, and were coming again to attack us
+or starve us out. Captain Bates strengthened the forts as much as
+possible to resist shell fire.
+
+"On the 5th December the enemy arrived with from 1100 to 1200 men under
+Visser, of the Transvaal, now Commandant, and Field-Cornet Wessels, of
+the Free State, but without any cannon. They commenced by attacking
+Captain Dennison's (Intelligence Officer to Commanding Officer,
+Kimberley, Colonel Kekewich) redoubt on the east, but were repulsed. The
+enemy made five night attacks on this redoubt and a smaller one held by
+Private Brown, Special Police, about 300 yards on the S.E. Their mode of
+attack was as follows:--They built schanzes within 500 yards of these
+redoubts, surrounding them, and threw up small schanzes of stone and
+bags within thirty or forty yards of the redoubts early in the night and
+attacked about two or three o'clock in the morning, retiring from time
+to time to these small schanzes. They thus succeeded in pushing off the
+sandbags from our redoubts on the S.E. side, but were driven back,
+losing about four killed and ten or twelve wounded. This redoubt was
+held by Private Brown, three white men, and two natives, the enemy
+numbering from sixty to seventy men. Our casualties were one white man
+wounded. During these attacks a bullet (presumably an explosive one)
+struck inside the east fort or redoubt, badly wounding two whites and
+two others slightly. Firing was kept up night and day for these five
+days. The enemy ceased their attacks and went in for volley firing and
+sniping, coming nearer our redoubts by building schanzes during the
+night. These two redoubts had to be abandoned, as the loopholes of
+sandbags were shot away, and there was no means of building them up
+agin. The enemy occupied them after being abandoned for two nights, and
+also took possession of a store in a hollow about 800 yards from the
+main camp, between it and the Court House. This left only one of our
+redoubts occupied by our defence force, and which commanded the water.
+Corporal Gash, C.P., was in charge. Our horses had to be watered at
+night.
+
+"The Boers made several attempts to cut us off from the water, but were
+prevented by our pickets, who were placed in entrenched positions to
+cover our cattle and horses while watered. The Boers must have fired
+away an enormous quantity of ammunition, and they had five waggon-loads
+of it. A unique armistice was arranged on Christmas Day. F. C. Wessels,
+of the Free State, wrote to the Commanding Officer saying that if we
+would not fire on them this day, the Boers would not fire on us. This
+was agreed to, and word was sent round to all the schanzes and redoubts
+notifying this. The men came out, but to our surprise, as one of us was
+going to bathe, a volley from the Transvaal Boer schanzes on the east
+was sent after him. Wessels went to inquire the reason, and was told
+that the Transvaal commando would not agree to this armistice, whereupon
+Wessels arranged with us that the Free State men, who were on the south
+and south-east side, would not fire on us, and our men, running the
+gauntlet of the Transvaal fire for about 20 yards, went under cover of
+the Free State schanzes, and British and Boer bathed together at the
+bathing-place. This circumstance caused a split in the Boer camp, and
+Wessels with 150 men of the Free State burghers left for the south,
+presumably towards Kimberley. The Boers continued firing and sniping
+daily. Up to this we had one white (Private Ward, C.P.) and two natives
+killed, seven whites and seven natives wounded. Of the animals 23 horses
+were killed and wounded and three oxen killed. We were holding out and
+were confident of doing so for another two months, when on the 1st
+January 1900, a New Year's gift arrived in the Boer camp in the shape of
+a 9-pounder. They started shelling at dawn, with common shell, the
+redoubt on the north side; then came to a ridge on the south and shelled
+the main camp, four shells falling in the camp without doing any serious
+damage. They then fired on the western redoubt without hitting it. On
+going to their schanzes about 2000 yards on the eastern side, they
+shelled the only remaining redoubt on that side, held by Corporal Gash,
+C.P., and 15 men. The 90th shell breached the redoubt, the 91st and 92nd
+striking it, and the 93rd falling inside. The men in the redoubt got
+into the trenches, which, owing to the stony nature of the ground, could
+not be dug deep, and were subjected to such a heavy fire from three of
+the enemy's schanzes, that they were compelled to surrender.
+
+"Captain Bates then saw that as the key of the position had fallen, and
+that reinforcements could not possibly arrive for weeks or months, it
+was hopeless to continue to hold out.
+
+"Thus Kuruman was surrendered after seven weeks, and its defence was
+principally due to Captain Bates. Captain Dennison and Sergeant
+Hemsworth and Captain Bates were sent to the Pretoria gaol (as they were
+supposed to know too much, whatever that meant), and the Magistrate was
+sent to the State Model School with the other officers."
+
+FOOTNOTES:
+
+[12] See Vol. iii. p. 25.
+
+[13] This officer's name was originally given as Baker in telegrams
+home.
+
+
+
+
+TRANSCRIBERS' NOTES
+
+
+Page vi: Christo standardised to Cristo after "Scene of Fighting at Monte"
+
+Page vii: Reit standardised to Riet after "on north bank of the"
+
+Page vii: Majesfontein standardised to Majersfontein (two instances)
+
+Page vii: Koodoesrand standardised to Koodoosrand after "Spyfontein,
+retreating to"
+
+Page viii: landdrost standardised to landrost after "and arrested the"
+
+Page 9: " added after "180,600 of all arms."
+
+Page 13: no corrected to not after "now engaged stronger," cf. Hansard
+
+Page 22: "Homes were destroyed mothers and children stricken" as in the
+original, without punctuation
+
+Page 30: Kimberly standardised to Kimberley before "man stared at the
+three objects"
+
+Page 33: Accent on d�tour not standardised as part of a quotation
+
+Pages 34, 152: Variable spelling of mosquitoes/mosquitos as in the
+original
+
+Page 36: horseflesh standardised to horse-flesh after "Cronje had to be
+paid for in"
+
+Page 39: Duplicate the removed from "for the the team of mules"
+
+Page 40: duplicate an removed in "having detected an an unusual haze of
+dust"
+
+Pages 40, 54: Inconsistent hyphenation of rear-guard as in the original.
+Retained as part of a quotation
+
+Page 56: . added after "for the rest of the day"
+
+Page 60: Infanty corrected to Infantry in "Duke of Cornwall's Light
+Infantry"
+
+Page 62: mid-day standardised to midday before "came the rumour that
+French"
+
+Page 65: reveille standardised to reveill� after "a volley by way of"
+
+Page 69: insistance as in the original
+
+Page 71: silhoutte corrected to silhouette before "which gradually grew
+clearer"
+
+Page 88 [Illustration]: ( added before Colour-Sergeant)
+
+Page 93: Accent on d�bris not standardised as part of a quotation
+
+Page 101: depot standardised to dep�t after "converted into the advanced"
+
+Page 115: shortlived standardised to short-lived after "Rest was"
+
+Page 116: Mr. Shcreiner corrected to Mr. Schreiner
+
+Page 120: Horseflesh standardised to Horse-flesh before "was diversified
+by bread"
+
+Page 122: head-quarters standardised to headquarters after "subsequently
+established his"
+
+Page 123: Lyttleton corrected to Lyttelton after "While this was going on
+above, General"
+
+Page 128: caligraphy as in the original
+
+Page 132: Lee-Mitfords corrected to Lee-Metfords after "been hit by
+Mausers or"
+
+Page 133: Inconsistent hyphenation of horseflesh as in the original.
+Retained as part of a quotation
+
+Page 148: unchallengably corrected to unchallengeably after "kopjes,
+kopjes, kopjes--ours,"
+
+Page 148: . added after "rifle fire was raging on the left"
+
+Page 150: Lieutenan corrected to Lieutenant before "C. H. I. Jackson"
+
+Page 177: martrys corrected to martyrs after "calls for its ministers and"
+
+Page 182: Llandrost corrected to Landrost after "Mr. Papenfus, whose
+services as"
+
+Page 189: fourteeen corrected to fourteen after "on the Orange Free State
+Railway some"
+
+Page 190: markmanship corrected to marksmanship after "spoke
+apologetically of their good"
+
+Page 192: ensconed corrected to ensconced after "where the enemy had"
+
+Page 200: lookout standardised to look-out after "the wily Dutchman on
+the"
+
+Page 210: Inconsistent hyphenation of halfway as in the original. Retained
+as part of a quotation
+
+Page 216: agin as in the original
+
+
+
+
+
+End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of South Africa and the Transvaal War,
+Vol. IV (of 6), by Louis Creswicke
+
+*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK SOUTH AFRICA, TRANSVAAL WAR, VOL IV ***
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+      The Project Gutenberg eBook of South Africa and the Transvaal War, vol. 4, by Louis Creswicke.
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+
+The Project Gutenberg EBook of South Africa and the Transvaal War, Vol. IV
+(of 6), by Louis Creswicke
+
+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: South Africa and the Transvaal War, Vol. IV (of 6)
+       From Lord Roberts' Entry into the Free State to the Battle of Karree
+
+Author: Louis Creswicke
+
+Release Date: February 4, 2012 [EBook #38768]
+
+Language: English
+
+Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1
+
+*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK SOUTH AFRICA, TRANSVAAL WAR, VOL IV ***
+
+
+
+
+Produced by Brownfox and the Online Distributed Proofreading
+Team at https://www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from
+images generously made available by The Internet Archive)
+
+
+
+
+
+
+</pre>
+
+<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_i" id="Page_i">[Pg i]</a></span></p>
+
+<h1>SOUTH AFRICA AND THE
+TRANSVAAL WAR</h1>
+<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_ii" id="Page_ii">[Pg ii]</a></span></p>
+
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 372px;">
+<a name="ill_004" id="ill_004"></a><img src="images/ill_004.png" width="372" height="545" alt="" title="" />
+<div><span class="caption">THE QUEEN LISTENING TO A DISPATCH FROM THE FRONT.</span><br />
+<span class="small">From the Picture by S. Begg</span>
+</div></div>
+
+<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_iii" id="Page_iii">[Pg iii]</a></span></p>
+
+<p class="center gap4"><b><span class="smcap"><span class="xxlarge">South Africa</span><br />
+<span class="xlarge">and the</span><br />
+<span class="xxlarge">Transvaal War</span></span></b></p>
+
+<p class="center small gap4">BY</p>
+
+<p class="center xlarge gap2"><b>LOUIS CRESWICKE</b></p>
+
+<p class="center small">AUTHOR OF &#8220;ROXANE,&#8221; ETC.</p>
+
+<p class="center gap4">WITH NUMEROUS ILLUSTRATIONS AND MAPS</p>
+
+<p class="center gap4 large">IN SIX VOLUMES</p>
+
+<p class="center">VOL. IV.&mdash;FROM LORD ROBERTS&#8217; ENTRY INTO THE FREE
+STATE TO THE BATTLE OF KARREE</p>
+
+<p class="center gap4 large">EDINBURGH: T. C. &amp; E. C. JACK</p>
+<p class="center">MANCHESTER: KENNETH MACLENNAN, 75 PICCADILLY</p>
+<p class="center">1900</p>
+<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_iv" id="Page_iv">[Pg iv]</a></span></p>
+
+<p class="center gap4 small">Printed by <span class="smcap">Ballantyne, Hanson &amp; Co.</span></p>
+
+<p class="center small">At the Ballantyne Press</p>
+<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_v" id="Page_v">[Pg v]</a></span></p>
+
+<h2 class="gap4">CONTENTS&mdash;&mdash;<span class="smcap">Vol. IV.</span></h2>
+
+<table class="w70" summary="">
+<tr>
+<td class="w90">&nbsp;</td>
+<td class="w10 small ralign pad1">PAGE</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td>CHRONOLOGICAL TABLE</td>
+<td class="padr5 ralign"><a href="#Page_vii">vii</a></td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td class="center large pad1" colspan="2">CHAPTER I</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td class="smcap">The Vote of Censure</td>
+<td class="padr5 ralign"><a href="#Page_1">1</a></td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td class="smcap">Kimberley</td>
+<td class="padr5 ralign"><a href="#Page_14">14</a></td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td class="smcap">General French&#8217;s Ride, February 12 to 15</td>
+<td class="padr5 ralign"><a href="#Page_30">30</a></td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td><span class="smcap">Strategy</span> <i>versus</i> <span class="smcap">Tactics</span></td>
+<td class="padr5 ralign"><a href="#Page_37">37</a></td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td class="smcap">The Herding of Cronje, February 16 to 18</td>
+<td class="padr5 ralign"><a href="#Page_49">49</a></td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td class="smcap">The Battle of Paardeberg, February 18</td>
+<td class="padr5 ralign"><a href="#Page_54">54</a></td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td class="smcap">Trapped</td>
+<td class="padr5 ralign"><a href="#Page_62">62</a></td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td class="smcap">The Surrender of Cronje</td>
+<td class="padr5 ralign"><a href="#Page_71">71</a></td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td class="center large pad1" colspan="2">CHAPTER II</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td class="smcap">Mafeking, December and January</td>
+<td class="padr5 ralign"><a href="#Page_80">80</a></td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td class="center large pad1" colspan="2">CHAPTER III</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td class="smcap">At Poplar Grove</td>
+<td class="padr5 ralign"><a href="#Page_95">95</a></td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td class="smcap">The Fight at Driefontein, March 10</td>
+<td class="padr5 ralign"><a href="#Page_101">101</a></td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td class="smcap">At Bloemfontein, March 13</td>
+<td class="padr5 ralign"><a href="#Page_108">108</a></td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td class="center large pad1" colspan="2">CHAPTER IV</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td class="smcap">Mafeking, February</td>
+<td class="padr5 ralign"><a href="#Page_112">112</a></td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td class="center large pad1" colspan="2">CHAPTER V</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td class="smcap">At Chieveley Again</td>
+<td class="padr5 ralign"><a href="#Page_121">121</a></td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td class="smcap">Ladysmith, February 1 to 26</td>
+<td class="padr5 ralign"><a href="#Page_129">129</a></td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td class="smcap">The Battle of Pieters, February 20 to 27</td>
+<td class="padr5 ralign"><a href="#Page_134">134</a></td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td class="smcap">Expectation</td>
+<td class="padr5 ralign"><a href="#Page_151">151</a></td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td class="smcap">The Relief of Ladysmith, February 28</td>
+<td class="padr5 ralign"><a href="#Page_153">153</a></td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td class="smcap">The Formal Entry, March 3</td>
+<td class="padr5 ralign"><a href="#Page_156">156</a></td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td class="center large pad1" colspan="2">CHAPTER VI</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td class="smcap">Changes in Cape Colony, February and March</td>
+<td class="padr5 ralign"><a href="#Page_163">163</a></td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td class="smcap">At Bethulie, March 12</td>
+<td class="padr5 ralign"><a href="#Page_171">171</a></td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td class="center large pad1" colspan="2">CHAPTER VII</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td class="smcap">Bloemfontein Under British Rule</td>
+<td class="padr5 ralign"><a href="#Page_174">174</a></td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td class="smcap">The Battle of Karree</td>
+<td class="padr5 ralign"><a href="#Page_192">192</a></td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td class="center large pad1" colspan="2">CHAPTER VIII</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td class="smcap">Mafeking in March</td>
+<td class="padr5 ralign"><a href="#Page_194">194</a></td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td class="smcap">Colonel Plumer&#8217;s Operations</td>
+<td class="padr5 ralign"><a href="#Page_204">204</a></td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td class="pad1">LIST OF STAFF</td>
+<td class="padr5 ralign"><a href="#Page_213">213</a></td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td class="pad1">APPENDIX</td>
+<td class="padr5 ralign"><a href="#Page_215">215</a></td>
+</tr>
+</table>
+
+<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_vi" id="Page_vi">[Pg vi]</a></span></p>
+
+<h2 class="gap4"><a name="LIST_OF_ILLUSTRATIONS_Vol_IV" id="LIST_OF_ILLUSTRATIONS_Vol_IV"></a>LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS&mdash;&mdash;<span class="smcap">Vol. IV.</span></h2>
+
+<table class="w70" summary="">
+<tr>
+<td class="w90 smcap">Map illustrating the Movements for the Relief of
+Kimberley and the Capture of Bloemfontein</td>
+<td class="w10 ralign"><a href="#ill_012"><i>At Front</i></a></td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td class="center large pad1" colspan="2">1. <i>COLOURED PLATES</i></td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td>&nbsp;</td>
+<td class="small ralign">PAGE</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td class="smcap">The Queen Listening to a Dispatch from the Front</td>
+<td class="ralign"><a href="#ill_004"><i>Frontispiece</i></a></td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td class="smcap">The Imperial Yeomanry</td>
+<td class="padr5 ralign"><a href="#ill_027">12</a></td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td class="smcap">The Royal Lancasters</td>
+<td class="padr5 ralign"><a href="#ill_033">16</a></td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td class="smcap">West Yorkshire and Yorkshire Regiments</td>
+<td class="padr5 ralign"><a href="#ill_125">88</a></td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td class="smcap">The Inniskilling Dragoons</td>
+<td class="padr5 ralign"><a href="#ill_145">104</a></td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td class="smcap">South African Light Horse, Brabant&#8217;s Horse, and
+Duke of Edinburgh&#8217;s Volunteer Rifles</td>
+<td class="padr5 ralign"><a href="#ill_167">120</a></td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td class="smcap">Strathcona&#8217;s Horse</td>
+<td class="padr5 ralign"><a href="#ill_251">184</a></td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td class="smcap">The Cape Town Highlanders</td>
+<td class="padr5 ralign"><a href="#ill_271">200</a></td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td class="center large pad1" colspan="2">2. <i>FULL-PAGE PLATES</i></td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td class="smcap">The Dash for Kimberley&mdash;The 10th Hussars Crossing
+Klip Drift</td>
+<td class="padr5 ralign"><a href="#ill_053">32</a></td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td class="smcap">The Last Stand made by the Boers before Kimberley</td>
+<td class="padr5 ralign"><a href="#ill_059">36</a></td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td class="smcap">Capture of a Boer Convoy by General French&#8217;s Troops</td>
+<td class="padr5 ralign"><a href="#ill_065">40</a></td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td class="smcap">The Battle of Paardeberg</td>
+<td class="padr5 ralign"><a href="#ill_085">56</a></td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td class="smcap">Cronje&#8217;s Stronghold</td>
+<td class="padr5 ralign"><a href="#ill_095">64</a></td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td class="smcap">Cronje Surrenders to Lord Roberts</td>
+<td class="padr5 ralign"><a href="#ill_105">72</a></td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td class="smcap">Cronje&#8217;s Force on their March South</td>
+<td class="padr5 ralign"><a href="#ill_115">80</a></td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td class="smcap">Shell from the Naval Brigade Dispersing Boers</td>
+<td class="padr5 ralign"><a href="#ill_135">96</a></td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td class="smcap">The Formal Surrender of Bloemfontein</td>
+<td class="padr5 ralign"><a href="#ill_151">108</a></td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td class="smcap">Sleepless Mafeking</td>
+<td class="padr5 ralign"><a href="#ill_157">112</a></td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td class="smcap">The Relief of Ladysmith&mdash;The Last Rush at Hlangwane Hill</td>
+<td class="padr5 ralign"><a href="#ill_177">128</a></td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td class="smcap">In Beleaguered Ladysmith&mdash;Watching for Buller from
+Observation Hill</td>
+<td class="padr5 ralign"><a href="#ill_207">152</a></td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td class="smcap">Hindoo Refugees from the Transvaal in Camp at Cape Town</td>
+<td class="padr5 ralign"><a href="#ill_229">168</a></td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td class="smcap">Conveying Wounded to Wynberg Hospital Camp</td>
+<td class="padr5 ralign"><a href="#ill_235">172</a></td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td class="smcap">The British Occupation of Bloemfontein&mdash;An Evening Concert
+in Market Square by the Pipers of the Highland Brigade</td>
+<td class="padr5 ralign"><a href="#ill_241">176</a></td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td class="smcap">Colonel Plumer&#8217;s Gallant Attempt to Relieve Mafeking
+from the North</td>
+<td class="padr5 ralign"><a href="#ill_281">208</a></td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td class="center large pad1" colspan="2">3. <i>FULL-PAGE PORTRAITS</i></td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td class="smcap">The Marquis of Salisbury, K.G.</td>
+<td class="padr5 ralign"><a href="#ill_021">8</a></td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td class="smcap">Lieut.-General Thomas Kelly-Kenny, C.B.</td>
+<td class="padr5 ralign"><a href="#ill_043">24</a></td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td class="smcap">General Cronje</td>
+<td class="padr5 ralign"><a href="#ill_075">48</a></td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td class="smcap">Major-General A. Fitzroy Hart, C.B.</td>
+<td class="padr5 ralign"><a href="#ill_187">136</a></td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td class="smcap">Major-General H. J. T. Hildyard, C.B.</td>
+<td class="padr5 ralign"><a href="#ill_197">144</a></td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td class="smcap">Brigadier-General the Earl of Dundonald, C.B.</td>
+<td class="padr5 ralign"><a href="#ill_213">156</a></td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td class="smcap">Lieut.-General Hon. N. G. Lyttelton, C.B.</td>
+<td class="padr5 ralign"><a href="#ill_219">160</a></td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td class="smcap">Mr. M. T. Steyn, Late President Orange Free State</td>
+<td class="padr5 ralign"><a href="#ill_261">192</a></td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td class="center large pad1" colspan="2">4. <i>MAPS AND ENGRAVINGS IN THE TEXT</i></td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td class="smcap">Shell Picked up in Kimberley Streets</td>
+<td class="padr5 ralign"><a href="#ill_031">15</a></td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td class="smcap">&#8220;Long Cecil&#8221; made at De Beers Mines</td>
+<td class="padr5 ralign"><a href="#ill_039">21</a></td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td class="smcap">Placard Erected by Mr. Rhodes</td>
+<td class="padr5 ralign"><a href="#ill_047">27</a></td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td class="smcap">Typical Underground Dwelling at Kimberley</td>
+<td class="padr5 ralign"><a href="#ill_058">36</a></td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td class="smcap">10th Hussars with Nordenfeldt Gun</td>
+<td class="padr5 ralign"><a href="#ill_072">46</a></td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td class="smcap">Plan of Paardeberg</td>
+<td class="padr5 ralign"><a href="#ill_087">57</a></td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td class="smcap">Guns Captured at Paardeberg</td>
+<td class="padr5 ralign"><a href="#ill_100">68</a></td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td class="smcap">Boer Trenches at Paardeberg</td>
+<td class="padr5 ralign"><a href="#ill_112">78</a></td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td class="smcap">Market Square, Mafeking</td>
+<td class="padr5 ralign"><a href="#ill_121">85</a></td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td class="smcap">Gun Made in Mafeking</td>
+<td class="padr5 ralign"><a href="#ill_123">87</a></td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td class="smcap">Directing an Army from a Military Balloon</td>
+<td class="padr5 ralign"><a href="#ill_142">102</a></td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td class="smcap">Facsimile of &#8220;The Mafeking Mail&#8221;</td>
+<td class="padr5 ralign"><a href="#ill_160">114</a></td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td class="smcap">Scene of Fighting at Monte Cristo</td>
+<td class="padr5 ralign"><a href="#ill_173">125</a></td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td class="smcap">Balloon Map&mdash;Battle of Pieters and Relief of Ladysmith</td>
+<td class="padr5 ralign"><a href="#ill_185">135</a></td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td class="smcap">Signal Apparatus of H.M.S. &#8220;Forte&#8221;</td>
+<td class="padr5 ralign"><a href="#ill_200">146</a></td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td class="smcap">King&#8217;s Post, Ladysmith</td>
+<td class="padr5 ralign"><a href="#ill_205">151</a></td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td class="smcap">Map of Operations on Orange River</td>
+<td class="padr5 ralign"><a href="#ill_225">165</a></td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td class="smcap">Signal Station at Bloemfontein</td>
+<td class="padr5 ralign"><a href="#ill_248">182</a></td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td class="smcap">Native Church, Mafeking</td>
+<td class="padr5 ralign"><a href="#ill_269">199</a></td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td class="smcap">Map showing Advance to Mafeking</td>
+<td class="padr5 ralign"><a href="#ill_277">205</a></td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td class="smcap">Lobatsi Railway Station</td>
+<td class="padr5 ralign"><a href="#ill_286">212</a></td>
+</tr>
+</table>
+
+<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_vii" id="Page_vii">[Pg vii]</a></span></p>
+
+<h2 class="gap4"><a name="CHRONOLOGICAL_TABLE_mdashVol_IV" id="CHRONOLOGICAL_TABLE_mdashVol_IV"></a>CHRONOLOGICAL TABLE&mdash;&mdash;<span class="smcap">Vol. IV.</span></h2>
+
+<p class="center gap2">FEBRUARY 1900.</p>
+
+<p class="hangind">12-13.&mdash;General French, following up
+Hannay&#8217;s movement, crossed Riet
+River, and next day with a strong
+force marched twenty-five miles
+into the Free State, seized Klip
+Drift on the Modder River, occupied
+the hills to the north, and
+captured three of the enemy&#8217;s
+laagers, with supplies.</p>
+
+<p class="hangind">13-14.&mdash;6th (Kelly-Kenny&#8217;s) Division on
+north bank of the Riet River at
+Waterfall Drift.</p>
+
+<p class="hangind">14.&mdash;Lord Roberts advanced to Dekiel&#8217;s
+Drift.</p>
+
+<p class="hangind">15.&mdash;General French reached and relieved
+Kimberley, captured Boer
+laager and supplies, and forced the
+enemy to withdraw.</p>
+
+<p class="padl3">The Boers evacuated Majersfontein
+and Spyfontein, retreating to
+Koodoosrand Drift.</p>
+
+<p class="hangind">16.&mdash;General Kelly-Kenny, in pursuit of
+Cronje retiring east with 10,000
+men on Bloemfontein, captured
+78 waggons with stores, 2 waggons
+with Mauser rifles, and 8 waggons
+with shell belonging to Cronje&#8217;s
+column.</p>
+
+<p class="padl3">Capture of Cingolo Hill by Sir
+Redvers Buller&#8217;s force.</p>
+
+<p class="padl3">Lord Roberts occupied Jacobsdal.</p>
+
+<p class="padl3">Flight of Cronje&#8217;s force and occupation
+of Majersfontein by the Guards.</p>
+
+<p class="hangind">17.&mdash;Cronje&#8217;s force overtaken and surrounded
+at Paardeberg. General
+Brabant engaged the enemy near
+Dordrecht.</p>
+
+<p class="padl3">Successful reconnaissance by Colonel
+Henderson from Arundel.</p>
+
+<p class="hangind">18.&mdash;Severe fighting at Paardeberg, where
+Cronje was being gradually surrounded.</p>
+
+<p class="padl3">Capture of Monte Cristo. General
+Lyttelton&#8217;s Division, by a brilliant
+converging movement, drove the
+Boers across the river.</p>
+
+<p class="hangind">19.&mdash;Capture of Hlangwane by the Fusilier
+Brigade. The Boers evacuated
+the hill, and left a large camp
+behind them.</p>
+
+<p class="padl3">Bombardment of Cronje&#8217;s position
+began. Boer reinforcements driven
+back.</p>
+
+<p class="padl3">Cronje asked for armistice, but
+Lord Kitchener demanded his surrender;
+Cronje refused, and was
+then bombarded heavily.</p>
+
+<p class="padl3">Reoccupation of Dordrecht. General
+Brabant entered the town in the
+morning, the Boers taking to flight.</p>
+
+<p class="hangind">20.&mdash;General Hart occupied Colenso.</p>
+
+<p class="padl3">Lord Roberts defeated Boer reinforcements
+at Paardeberg.</p>
+
+<p class="hangind">21.&mdash;5th Division crossed the Tugela at
+Colenso.</p>
+
+<p class="hangind">23.&mdash;Advance on Ladysmith continued.
+The Boers&#8217; position at Grobler&#8217;s
+Kloof attacked.</p>
+
+<p class="padl3">The cordon round Cronje began to
+close in.</p>
+
+<p class="padl3">Captain Hon. R. H. L. J. de
+Montmorency, V.C. (21st Hussars),
+killed while doing magnificent work
+with his Scouts near Stormberg.</p>
+
+<p class="hangind">26.&mdash;Finding the passage of the river near
+Colenso commanded by strong entrenchments,
+Sir Redvers Buller
+sent his guns and baggage back to
+the south side of the Tugela, and
+found a new crossing.</p>
+
+<p class="hangind">26-27.&mdash;Colesberg and Rensberg, having
+been evacuated by the Boers, were
+occupied by General Clements,
+while Jamestown was occupied by
+General Brabant.</p>
+
+<p class="hangind">27 (on anniversary of Majuba, 1881).&mdash;Cronje,
+with 44 commandants and
+other officers of all grades, and
+over 3500 men, surrendered unconditionally
+to Lord Roberts.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_viii" id="Page_viii">[Pg viii]</a></span></p>
+
+<p class="padl3">Sir Redvers Buller&#8217;s force captured
+the Boer position at Pieters. This
+action opened the road to Ladysmith.
+Boers retired north to
+Ladysmith.</p>
+
+<p class="hangind">28.&mdash;Relief of Ladysmith after 120 day&#8217;s
+investment.</p>
+
+<p class="center gap2">MARCH 1900.</p>
+
+<p class="hangind">1.&mdash;Lord Roberts and Lord Kitchener
+visited Kimberley and attended a
+meeting in the Town Hall.</p>
+
+<p class="hangind">2.&mdash;Cronje and his staff, having been
+moved to Simonstown under a
+guard of City Imperial Volunteers,
+were put on board H.M.S.
+<i>Doris</i>, and sent to St. Helena.</p>
+
+<p class="hangind">3.&mdash;General Buller formally entered
+Ladysmith.</p>
+
+<p class="padl3">Skirmish near Osfontein. General
+French came in contact with a
+Boer force, who tried to get away,
+but were held to their position by
+the British force.</p>
+
+<p class="hangind">4-5.&mdash;General Brabant advanced from
+Dordrecht against Labuschagne,
+and was completely successful.</p>
+
+<p class="hangind">5.&mdash;General Gatacre occupied Stormberg
+without opposition.</p>
+
+<p class="hangind">7.&mdash;Lord Roberts dispersed Boers near
+Poplar Grove.</p>
+
+<p class="padl3">General Gatacre reached Burghersdorp.</p>
+
+<p class="hangind">8.&mdash;General Clements occupied Norval&#8217;s
+Pont.</p>
+
+<p class="hangind">10.&mdash;The Boers dispersed near Driefontein,
+fifteen miles east of Poplar
+Grove.</p>
+
+<p class="hangind">11.&mdash;Presidents Kruger and Steyn received
+reply from the Prime
+Minister refusing to entertain their
+absurd overtures for peace.</p>
+
+<p class="hangind">12.&mdash;General French (with cavalry,
+R.H.A., and Mounted Infantry)
+arrived before Bloemfontein, and
+captured two hills which command
+the railway and town.</p>
+
+<p class="padl3">General French captured the railway
+near Bloemfontein.</p>
+
+<p class="padl3">General Gatacre approached Bethulie.</p>
+
+<p class="hangind">13.&mdash;Lord Roberts occupied Bloemfontein.
+His despatch ran:&mdash;&#8220;The
+British flag now flies over the
+Presidency vacated last evening
+by Mr. Steyn, late President of
+the Orange Free State. The inhabitants
+gave the troops a cordial
+welcome.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p class="hangind">14.&mdash;General Pretyman, C.B., appointed
+Military Governor of Bloemfontein.</p>
+
+<p class="hangind">15.&mdash;General Gatacre occupied Bethulie.</p>
+
+<p class="padl3">Boers attacked Colonel Plumer&#8217;s
+camp and were repulsed.</p>
+
+<p class="hangind">16.&mdash;Fighting at Fourteen Streams.</p>
+
+<p class="hangind">19.&mdash;Lord Kitchener occupied Prieska,
+and received the submission of
+rebels.</p>
+
+<p class="hangind">20.&mdash;Rouxville occupied by Major Cumming.</p>
+
+<p class="hangind">21.&mdash;Smithfield occupied by British
+troops.</p>
+
+<p class="hangind">23.&mdash;Party of English officers shot near
+Bloemfontein.</p>
+
+<p class="hangind">27.&mdash;General Clements occupied Fauresmith,
+and arrested the landrost.</p>
+
+<p class="padl3">Death of General Joubert.</p>
+
+<p class="hangind">29.&mdash;Action at Karree Siding. Boer
+position taken.</p>
+
+<p class="padl3">Wepener occupied by Brabant&#8217;s
+Horse under Colonel Dalgety.</p>
+
+<p class="hangind">30.&mdash;Colonel Broadwood with Cavalry
+Brigade and two batteries Royal
+Horse Artillery at Thabanchu retired
+on waterworks pressed by
+the enemy.</p>
+
+<p class="hangind">31.&mdash;Loss of convoy and six guns at
+Koorn Spruit.</p>
+
+<p class="padl3">Action at Ramathlabama for the
+relief of Mafeking, and Colonel
+Plumer&#8217;s small force repulsed by
+the Boers.</p>
+
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 521px;"><a name="ill_012" id="ill_012"></a><a href="images/ill_012.png">
+<img src="images/ill_012th.png" width="521" height="352" alt="" title="" /></a>
+<div><span class="caption">MAP ILLUSTRATING THE MOVEMENTS FOR THE RELIEF OF
+KIMBERLEY AND THE CAPTURE OF BLOEMFONTEIN</span><br /><br />
+<span class="small">EDINBURGH <span class="smaller">AND</span> LONDON T. C. &amp; E. C. JACK.</span>
+</div></div>
+
+<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_1" id="Page_1">[Pg 1]</a></span></p>
+
+<p class="gap4 xxlarge center"><b>SOUTH AFRICA AND THE TRANSVAAL WAR</b></p>
+
+<h2 class="gap2"><a name="CHAPTER_I" id="CHAPTER_I"></a>CHAPTER I<br />
+<br />
+<span class="smaller">THE TURNING OF THE TIDE</span></h2>
+
+<p class="center"><i>February 27, 1900.</i></p>
+
+<div class="poem"><div class="stanza">
+<span class="i0">&#8220;Storm, strong with all the bitter heart of hate,<br /></span>
+<span class="i2">Smote England, now nineteen dark years ago,<br /></span>
+<span class="i2">As when the tide&#8217;s full wrath in seaward flow<br /></span>
+<span class="i0">Smites and bears back the swimmer. Fraud and fate<br /></span>
+<span class="i0">Were leagued against her: fear was fain to prate<br /></span>
+<span class="i2">Of honour in dishonour, pride brought low,<br /></span>
+<span class="i2">And humbleness whence holiness must grow,<br /></span>
+<span class="i0">And greatness born of shame to be so great.<br /></span>
+</div><div class="stanza">
+<span class="i0">The winter day that withered hope and pride<br /></span>
+<span class="i0">Shines now triumphal on the turning tide<br /></span>
+<span class="i2">That sets once more our trust in freedom free,<br /></span>
+<span class="i0">That leaves a ruthless and a truthless foe<br /></span>
+<span class="i0">And all base hopes that hailed his cause laid low,<br /></span>
+<span class="i2">And England&#8217;s name a light on land and sea.&#8221;<br /></span>
+</div></div>
+
+<p class="marg50">&mdash;<span class="smcap">Algernon Charles Swinburne.</span></p>
+
+<h3 class="gap2">THE VOTE OF CENSURE</h3>
+
+<p>The terrible events of the month of December had produced
+a disquieting effect upon the public mind. Agitated questions
+were asked on all subjects connected with the series
+of catastrophes, and the replies were so unsatisfactory that
+one and all became sensible that the actions of those in
+power were not sufficiently in unison with public sentiment, and
+even the keenest supporters of the Government numbly experienced
+a loss of confidence in those at the helm. It was felt that some one
+must be to blame for the miserable condition of affairs, the hideous
+series of defeats that had made Great Britain an object of ridicule
+on the Continent. For the forwarding of our troops &#8220;in driblets,&#8221;
+for the ineffectiveness of our guns in comparison with Boer weapons,
+for the uselessness of the carbine in competition with the Mauser,
+for the scarcity of horses, for the preparedness of the Boers, for the
+unpreparedness of the British, for the under-estimation of the strength<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_2" id="Page_2">[Pg 2]</a></span>
+of the enemy, and for many other things which tended to bring about
+the national disaster, various members of the Government were
+blamed. Charges of incapacity were levelled at the Secretary of
+State for War, the War Office, and the Committee of National
+Defence. Even the stoutest Tories were found declaiming against
+the attitude of lethargy&mdash;flippancy, some said&mdash;adopted by those in
+whose hands the fate of the nation rested. Mr. Balfour, in certain
+speeches somewhat ill-advisedly delivered at a critical moment, had
+contrived almost to wound people who were already deeply wounded
+by humiliation and anxiety. His mood had not been in sympathy
+with the public mood. He had endeavoured to brush away the
+stern problems facing him by minimising their seriousness, by affecting
+to believe that the Government was, like C�sar&#8217;s wife, beyond
+reproach. His attitude implied that the Cabinet could do no wrong,
+and that the misfortunes and errors (if errors there were) were due to
+a concatenation of circumstances for which neither the Government
+at home nor the generals abroad could be held responsible. In
+consequence of this attitude, on one side Mr. Balfour was blamed,
+on another, Mr. Chamberlain. The Colonial Secretary was accused
+of the policy of &#8220;bluffing with a weak hand,&#8221; while the Chancellor
+of the Exchequer, as was inevitable, came in for his share of obloquy.
+It was the cheeseparing principle that was at the bottom of it all;
+cheeseparing and red-tape were responsible for debility and delay
+of all kinds, and political inertia had undoubtedly spelt defeat.
+The clamour was reasonable and just. It was felt that prudence
+and energy should have served as fuel to stoke the engine of public
+affairs, not as a brake to be put on in the face of disaster. On all
+hands the public of one consent cried for a new broom and &#8220;a great
+co-ordinating guiding mind,&#8221; and the universal clamour awoke the
+Government to a consciousness that there are times and seasons
+in the history of nations when party recriminations and crystallised
+party etiquette must give way before the stress of a great national
+need&mdash;the need to preserve at all costs the honour and the reputation
+of the Empire in face of the whole world.</p>
+
+<p>Accordingly, the opening debate of the Session was one which
+cannot be passed over. The Queen&#8217;s Speech struck a note of decision
+that was at once comforting and in sympathy with her people.
+Thus it ran: &#8220;I have witnessed with pride and the heartiest gratification
+the patriotism, eagerness, and spontaneous loyalty with which
+my subjects in all parts of my dominions have come forward to
+share in the common defence of their Imperial interests. I am
+confident that I shall not look to them in vain when I exhort them
+to sustain and renew their exertions until they have brought this
+struggle for the maintenance of the Empire and the assertion of its
+supremacy in South Africa to a victorious conclusion.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_3" id="Page_3">[Pg 3]</a></span>&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>The Earl of Kimberley commented on the ignorance of the
+Government regarding the military preparations that for years had
+been going on in the Transvaal, and indulged in criticisms which
+might have been weighty had his hearers not been tickled by the
+strange irony of fate which converted into critic one of the authors
+of the humiliating drama which had been left to shape itself from
+the disastrous <i>scena</i> of 1881.</p>
+
+<p>To these criticisms the Prime Minister&mdash;somewhat broken by
+domestic bereavement&mdash;offered but a weak and depressing reply.
+&#8220;How,&#8221; he asked, in regard to the Boer preparations, &#8220;could the
+Government know what was going on?&#8221;</p>
+
+<blockquote><p>&#8220;I believe, as a matter of fact, though this must not be taken as official, that
+the guns were generally introduced in the boilers of locomotives, and that the
+munitions of war were introduced in piano-cases and tubs. But we had no
+power of search, we had no power of knowing what munitions of war were sent
+out. We certainly had no power of supervising their importation into the
+Transvaal. It is a very remarkable peculiarity of the public opinion of this
+country that people always desire to eat their cake and have it. They rejoice
+very much with a spirit of complacency that we have a very small Secret Service
+Fund. Information is a matter of money and nothing else. If you want much
+information you must give much money; if you give little money you will get
+little information; and considering the enormous sums which are spent by
+other Powers, not least by the Transvaal Republic, in secret service&mdash;which I
+was told on high diplomatic authority has been �800,000 in one year&mdash;and
+comparing this with the ludicrously small sums which have for a great number
+of years been habitually spent by English Governments, it is impossible for us
+to have the omniscience which the noble Earl seems to regard as a necessary
+attribute of Her Majesty&#8217;s Government.&#8221;</p></blockquote>
+
+<p>Further on he said:</p>
+
+<blockquote><p>&#8220;We must all join together to exercise all the power that we can give in
+order to extricate ourselves from a situation that is full of humiliation and not
+free from danger, though I do not say the danger may not be easily exaggerated.
+Many a country has commenced a great war with difficulties of this
+kind. We have only to look back at what the Northern States of America
+went through at the opening of the Civil War to see how easy it would be to
+draw a mistaken inference from the reverses which we have met at the opening
+of this war. We have every ground to think that if we set ourselves heartily
+to work and exert all the instruments of power we possess we shall bring this
+war to a satisfactory conclusion. I think we must defer the pleasing task of
+quarrelling among ourselves until that result has been obtained. We have a
+work that now appeals to us as subjects of the Queen, as Englishmen, and it
+must throw into shadow the ancient claims which party expediency has on the
+action of all our statesmen.&#8221;</p></blockquote>
+
+<p>This speech concluded, Lord Rosebery suddenly sprang up, and
+delivered himself with thrilling emphasis of sentiments which went
+at once to the heart of the nation. Deeply he deplored the Prime<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_4" id="Page_4">[Pg 4]</a></span>
+Minister&#8217;s speech, which made it hard for &#8220;the man in the street&#8221;
+to support the policy of the Government.</p>
+
+<p>The country, he insisted, had a right to know if there was adequate
+information given to the Government before the crisis of the
+Transvaal affair, or even sufficient to guide them in their diplomacy
+or their negotiation. &#8220;That is a point which the nation will insist on
+knowing, whether in this House or the other. If you had not sufficient
+information, dismiss your Intelligence Department, dismiss Mr.
+Conyngham Greene and your consular agents wherever they had
+touch with this matter&mdash;at Louren�o Marques or elsewhere. If you
+did know of it, you have a heavy responsibility to bear. The noble
+Marquis asks, &#8216;How could we see through a deal board?&#8217; I
+suppose he meant by that to allude to the pianoforte cases in which,
+with more knowledge than he gave himself credit for, he unofficially
+states that the ammunition was brought into Pretoria.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>Passing on to the question of Secret Service money, he declared
+that the Government was in possession of a very commanding majority
+in the House, and that if they had the responsibility of Government
+they were bound to ask for what funds, whether Secret Service
+or other, which they might think necessary for the safety of the
+Empire.</p>
+
+<blockquote><p>&#8220;They cannot,&#8221; he pursued, &#8220;devolve that responsibility on others by speaking
+of the working of the British Constitution. I ask noble Lords to analyse the
+speech of the noble Marquis, which is still ringing in their ears. It is the
+speech of a Minister explaining a disastrous position. He practically has only
+given two explanations of that situation. They are, first, that the Government
+had not enough Secret Service money to obtain information, and, secondly, the
+mysterious working of the British Constitution. I suppose that there are
+foreign representatives in the gallery listening to this debate, and I suppose
+that the speech of the Prime Minister will be flashed to-night all over Europe,
+and Europe, which is watching with a keen and not a benevolent interest the
+proceedings of our armies in South Africa, will learn that the causes of our
+disasters are one avoidable and the other inevitable. The avoidable one is the
+inadequate amount of the Secret Service Fund, and the inevitable one the
+secular working of the British Constitution.&#8221;</p></blockquote>
+
+<p>Leaving the question of unpreparedness, he came to the great
+point, and asked what the Government intended to do.</p>
+
+<blockquote><p>&#8220;There is a paragraph in the Queen&#8217;s Speech which I rejoice to see, of a
+somewhat didactic character in its first sentence, but not without interest in its
+second. &#8216;The experience of a great war must necessarily afford lessons of the
+greatest importance to the military administration of the country. You will
+not, I am convinced, shrink from any outlay that may be required to place our
+defensive preparations on a level with the responsibilities which the possession
+of so great an Empire has laid on us.&#8217; The noble Marquis made no reference
+to that paragraph, except to say that he does not think we shall see compulsory
+service in the life of the youngest peer present. I do not affirm or question<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_5" id="Page_5">[Pg 5]</a></span>
+that proposition, but I can say I do not think it is so immeasurably remote as
+the noble Marquis considers that some form of compulsory service may have to
+be introduced to meet the growing exigencies of the Empire. I am sure that
+neither from this nor from any other sacrifice will the nation recoil to preserve
+the predominance of our Empire. We have sent away from our island a
+vast mass of troops which usually garrison it. Situated as we are in the
+centre of a universe by no means friendly to us, that we should not have a
+hint from the First Minister of the Crown what military measures the Government
+propose to take in face of the disasters we have met with, and what
+sacrifices we must inevitably be called on to make to redress them, is one of
+the most extraordinary features of the working of the British Constitution on
+which the noble Marquis has laid such great stress. I agree with him
+in saying that the country will carry this thing through. It will carry
+it through in spite of all the impediments, both of men and of methods, that
+have shackled it in the past; but I venture to say that it will have to be
+inspired by a loftier tone and by a truer patriotism than we have heard from
+the Prime Minister to-night.&#8221;</p></blockquote>
+
+<p>Mr. Balfour, in the House of Commons, was as damping to
+popular hopes as the Prime Minister in the House of Lords.
+Regarding the all-important subject of the under-estimation of
+the Boer strength, he somewhat airily said:</p>
+
+<blockquote><p>&#8220;It will be asked, How comes it, then, that this great under-estimate of the
+Boer strength was made if we knew approximately what the Boer armaments
+were, and what Boers were likely to take the field? I do not know that I have
+got any very satisfactory answer to give to that question. It is a purely and
+strictly military problem, and, as history shows, it is a kind of problem very
+difficult to answer satisfactorily. You can gauge the military strength of a
+European nation with a fixed army, with all their modern military apparatus, and
+with all their military statistics at your disposal; but when you come to problems
+of States whose military organisation is not of that elaborate kind,
+great mistakes have been made in the past, and I doubt not great mistakes
+will be made in the future. They certainly have been made by almost
+every military nation of whom we have any record. But if this is regarded as
+an attack upon the military experts of the War Office, it is surely an unfair
+attack, because soldiers, who are not especially given to agreeing with one
+another, were absolutely unanimous upon this point. I do not believe you will
+be able to quote the opinion of a single soldier of any position whatever, or of
+no position, delivered before, say, July 31 or August 31 last, indicating any
+opinion which will show that the force which we in the first instance sent out
+would not be amply sufficient, or more than amply sufficient, for all purposes.
+(Cries of &#8220;What about Butler?&#8221;) The right hon. gentlemen put a question to
+me about Sir W. Butler. We had not the slightest trace at the War Office in
+any communication, public, semi-public, or private&mdash;no communication of any
+sort, kind, or description, which indicated that in Sir W. Butler&#8217;s opinion the
+force we sent out was not sufficient&mdash;I was going to say doubly sufficient&mdash;for
+any work that it might be called upon to perform.&#8221;</p></blockquote>
+
+<p>Indeed, the whole tenor of the speech was generally regarded
+as unsatisfactory and dispiriting. It was felt that, as Lord Rosebery
+expressed it, the Government must be left to &#8220;muddle through<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_6" id="Page_6">[Pg 6]</a></span>&#8221;
+somehow. People who hung anxiously on the lips of the Government
+for definite statements regarding future resolute action were
+disappointed, and waited wearily the conclusion of the debate.</p>
+
+<p>On February 1, Sir Charles Dilke drew vigorous comparisons
+between the present and former campaigns. In regard to our lack
+of artillery he said:</p>
+
+<blockquote><p>&#8220;All our generals had told us that direct artillery fire had failed against the
+Boer entrenchments. It had been known for years past that direct artillery
+fire would be likely to fail against strong entrenchments; yet we sent twenty-one
+batteries of field-artillery to South Africa before the first one of the three
+howitzer batteries was despatched. It was one of the strongest charges which
+he and others had brought against the War Office for some years, that our
+army was more badly supplied with field-artillery than any other army in the
+world. It was not even comparable with the field-artillery of Switzerland and
+Roumania. In regard to our guns, the Leader of the House had stated in a
+speech at Manchester that we had guns in South Africa sufficient for three
+army corps of regular troops. He should like to know on whose authority the
+right hon. gentleman made that statement. The first force sent to South
+Africa from India was supplied with guns, not on that scale, but still in fairly
+decent and respectable measure. The forces of Lord Methuen and Sir Redvers
+Buller fell altogether short of even the scale adopted for the Indian Contingent.
+Both these generals had themselves called attention to their deficiency in
+this respect. We had not even now got artillery on anything like the scale
+laid down by the right hon. gentleman, and we could not have it in South
+Africa, because we had not got it in the world. In these circumstances
+he could only characterise the statement of the Leader of the House as entirely
+erroneous and misleading, and altogether a blunder. With regard to the
+batteries which were even now being sent out, many of them were manned
+by reservists and by garrison artillerymen, who had had no experience in the
+handling of modern field-guns.&#8221;</p></blockquote>
+
+<p>Proceeding to the question of lack of cavalry, he argued:</p>
+
+<blockquote><p>&#8220;With regard to cavalry as with regard to artillery, the first force was well
+supplied, but the forces of Lord Methuen and General Buller were very
+deficient in that respect. In that connection the First Lord had made an
+attack on the critics of the War Office. He said they had not seen, or if they
+had seen had not insisted on, a novel fact in the present war, namely, that for
+the first time in the history of the world they had seen an army composed
+entirely of mounted infantry. The right hon. gentleman had only
+to read Sir William Butler&#8217;s &#8216;Life of General Colley,&#8217; where he would
+find very marked attention drawn to that matter. As to the Defence Committee
+of the Cabinet, of which the right hon. gentleman was a member, though he
+himself had been spoken of as the author of that body, he must admit that it
+had failed. It was instituted after a correspondence in which he himself, his
+hon. friend (Mr. Arnold Foster), and Mr. Spenser Wilkinson took part, and it
+was not new to the present Government. It was instituted in the time of Lord
+Rosebery&#8217;s Government as a Committee of the Cabinet, but it had been proclaimed
+to the world in the time of the present Government. It had
+failed on account of the slackness of those who attended the deliberations
+of the Committee. It had not been worked as the authors of the proposal<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_7" id="Page_7">[Pg 7]</a></span>
+thought it might have been worked in the interests of the Empire. The
+Committee ought to have foreseen these difficulties with respect to mounted
+men; they were foreseen by military men. Though political differences
+occurred between Sir A. Milner and Sir W. Butler, Sir A. Milner consulted
+General Butler on the military aspect of the situation, and General Butler&#8217;s
+opinions were known to the Government, or should have been. They were
+known to Sir A. Milner at any rate and were not concealed by him when
+he was in this country a year ago. According to his (Sir C. Dilke&#8217;s) information,
+which reached him immediately after the statement had been made to
+Sir A. Milner, General Sir W. Butler declared that 60,000 men would be
+required in Cape Colony and 25,000 men in Natal. Leaving that, however,
+what was the attitude of the Cabinet with regard to the need for cavalry?
+They telegraphed to the Colonies to refuse mounted men. They gave
+their reasons in the telegram of October 3: &#8216;In view of the numbers
+already available, infantry most and cavalry least serviceable.&#8217; On December
+16 they telegraphed to the Colonies, &#8216;Mounted men preferred.&#8217; After all
+the loss of life that had taken place, and the months of checks and reverses,
+they had discovered what competent soldiers had discovered before the war,
+and must have told them, that mounted men were essential for a campaign
+of this kind.&#8221;</p></blockquote>
+
+<p>In reply, the Under-Secretary of State for War made the first
+telling and apposite statement which had been furnished for the
+Government during the course of the proceedings. His exposition
+was straightforwardness itself. Though merely the mouthpiece
+of the Government, Mr. Wyndham gave utterance to definite statements
+which created a very favourable impression throughout the
+country, and served at once to wipe away the taste of foregone
+pronouncements. He said:</p>
+
+<blockquote><p>&#8220;Every one to his dying day would look back with regret on the great
+many disasters which had followed, but no one could ever know what would
+have happened if the other course had been adopted. It was very easy to
+conceive that if Sir G. White had not stayed at Ladysmith and Sir R. Buller
+had not gone to his relief disaster might have been developed in another line,
+and that there might have been that universal rising of the Cape Dutch which,
+thank Heaven, had not occurred. When it was stated that Lord Methuen had
+not sufficient cavalry and artillery with him, it must be remembered that Lord
+Methuen was hurried off to the Orange River, and, as a matter of fact, he
+arrived on the frontier in fewer days than the German army reached the
+French frontier, and he had not with him the cavalry, which had been
+diverted for the relief of Ladysmith and other purposes. On the morrow after
+Nicholson&#8217;s Nek three more battalions were sent from home, though none had
+been asked for, and Lord Landsowne offered a sixth division. In reply, he
+was told that preparation was desirable, but that there was no immediate
+need for its despatch. The situation was again changed by the reverses at
+Stormberg and Magersfontein and the check at Colenso. Thereupon the
+sixth division was ordered to embark without any communication from South
+Africa, and at the same time the seventh division was ordered to be mobilised.
+On December 15, the day after his check at Colenso, Sir R. Buller asked for
+the seventh division, the mobilisation of which had already been ordered, and for<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_8" id="Page_8">[Pg 8]</a></span>
+8000 mounted irregulars from this country. Lord Landsowne replied that the
+seventh division would embark on January 4, which it did. Next day the
+first step was taken in connection with the raising of the Imperial Yeomanry,
+and volunteers were invited to come forward in order to fill the places left
+vacant by the raising from each battalion of one company of mounted infantry.
+The patriotism of the Militia was also appealed to, and fourteen battalions
+were now serving in South Africa, while others were on the way. A great
+military authority once said, &#8216;When a battalion is asked for, send a brigade.&#8217;
+That had been the course pursued by Lord Landsowne.&#8221;</p></blockquote>
+
+<p>In regard to the number of our guns, Mr. Wyndham continued
+his argument in the following terms:&mdash;</p>
+
+<blockquote><p>&#8220;As the right hon. baronet had pressed for information with regard to
+the number of guns which had been despatched to South Africa, it would not
+be out of place to tell the House that we had sent and were sending 36 siege
+train heavy guns; there were already there 38 mobile naval guns, and in
+addition to these there were 36 5-inch howitzers carrying a heavy shell charged
+with 50 lbs. of lyddite, in all 110 guns, some of them with a range of 10,000
+yards, and all capable of throwing heavy shells. Besides these there were 54
+horse-artillery guns and 234 field-artillery guns, in all, counting the howitzers,
+324 guns capable of accompanying troops in the field. Including the two
+mountain batteries, there were altogether 410 guns in South Africa, without
+reckoning the guns that were going out with the Volunteers and the Colonials,
+which would bring the number up to 452.&#8221;</p></blockquote>
+
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 344px;">
+<a name="ill_021" id="ill_021"></a><img src="images/ill_021.png" width="344" height="478"
+alt="" title="" />
+<div><span class="caption">THE MARQUIS OF SALISBURY, K.G.<br />
+<br />
+PRIME MINISTER AND FOREIGN SECRETARY.</span><br />
+<br />
+<span class="small">Photo by Russell &amp; Sons, London.</span>
+</div></div>
+
+<p>Then taking the subject of mounted troops, he went on:&mdash;</p>
+
+<blockquote><p>&#8220;On the question of mounted troops, it had been said that the Government
+announced to the world their conviction that unmounted troops were the kind
+of troops most suitable to South African warfare. The word &#8216;mounted&#8217; was
+never used. However, he would not insist on that, but he did think that those
+who had quoted this opinion so often should consider when they were used,
+because then they would see that they gave no indication that the Government
+held the opinion attributed to them. As a matter of fact, since the outbreak
+of the war the Government had sent out a larger proportion of mounted troops
+than was usually contemplated, because they believed that mounted troops were
+especially suited to go to Africa. The time at which the phrase was used that
+infantry was most wanted and cavalry least wanted was on October 3, before
+the ultimatum was sent, before the war began, and at a time when Sir R.
+Buller was satisfied that an army corps, a cavalry division, and the necessary
+troops for the line of communication, giving 50,000 men in addition to the
+25,000 already in South Africa, was an adequate force. When the question
+of the Colonial Contingents was first raised, Queensland offered 250 and New
+Zealand 200 mounted infantry, and the 108 New South Wales Lancers then in
+this country volunteered, making in all 558 mounted men. No specific offer
+was received from the other Colonies, but they expressed a wish that they
+might be allowed to take some part in the campaign. He thereon consulted
+Sir R. Buller as to the number that should be asked for in order that each
+Colony might be represented more or less in proportion to their respective
+populations. Sir Redvers stated that it would be easier to give the Colonial
+troops an immediate place at the front if they were invited to contribute
+manageable units of 125 men each. If the original offers of the Colonies<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_9" id="Page_9">[Pg 9]</a></span>
+had been accepted, there would have been 1375 more mounted men at the
+front at an earlier date, when no one contemplated that the force sent out
+would be insufficient for its task. The Colonial Legislatures have not changed
+their note in consequence of the disappointments and reverses which have
+been experienced, but have made further offers&mdash;an example which might well
+have been followed nearer home. Altogether there had been accepted from the
+Colonies 2075 unmounted and 4678 mounted men. The proportion of mounted
+to unmounted troops in South Africa at four different periods were: In the
+original garrison, 7600 unmounted and 2000 mounted; on October 9, the day
+of the ultimatum, 12,600 unmounted and 3400 mounted; on January 1, 83,600
+unmounted and 19,800 mounted; while the total number of troops in South
+Africa, not including the Fourth Cavalry Brigade, were 142,800 unmounted
+and 37,800 mounted, and in the next fortnight or three weeks there would be
+out there 180,600 of all arms.&#8221;</p></blockquote>
+
+<p>Sir Edward Grey said:&mdash;</p>
+
+<blockquote><p>&#8220;He was giving the right hon. gentleman some instances of the value of
+the support from his side. The primary object of the policy which had ended
+in the war was not to drive the Boers from British territory, as they were not
+then on it. The primary object was not to plant the British flag at Pretoria
+and Johannesburg. These two things might be the result of the war, but they
+were not the primary objects of the Government policy. The objects which he
+wished to see attained, and which he would pledge himself to give the utmost
+support to the Government in attaining, were, first, equal rights between all
+white men in South Africa, and by that he meant that never again should a
+situation arise in any part of the British sphere in which a modern industrial
+community should be placed under the heel of an antiquated minority which
+was dominated by prejudice and governed by corruption. The second object
+was that never again in South Africa should it be possible for arsenals to be
+formed or an accumulation of military material under any control except British
+control. That was the end to be attained, and to that end the Government
+would have support.&#8221;</p></blockquote>
+
+<p>On the 3rd of February Mr. Bryce expressed his opinions. He
+affected to disbelieve that there had been any Dutch conspiracy to
+drive the British from South Africa, and considered that, owing to
+the menace of the Government in the arrangement of negotiations,
+the meek Boer had no resource but to prepare for war.</p>
+
+<p>Mr. Goschen admitted the gravity of the situation and the responsibility
+of the Government <i>en masse</i>. The Cabinet, he decided,
+must stand or fall together. The Admiralty, in acceptation of its
+responsibility, had assisted the army with heavy guns without weakening
+its resources. Lastly, he touched enthusiastically on the
+exhibition of Colonial loyalty:&mdash;</p>
+
+<blockquote><p>&#8220;Before concluding I must say a word with reference to the Colonists.
+They have been supporting us with unstinted loyalty and unstinted generosity.
+There has been a spirit shown by the Colonies of affection to the mother
+country which has been the admiration of the world. May we not suggest
+that that unstinted loyalty and that unstinted generosity is to some extent<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_10" id="Page_10">[Pg 10]</a></span>
+a reward for the consideration which has been shown the Colonies for some
+time past; and is it not right to remember that for years there has not been a
+Secretary for the Colonies who has so endeavoured to win the affection of the
+Colonies as the right hon. gentleman who now holds that office? You tax us
+with not having shown foresight and judgment. At all events our treatment
+of the Colonies has ensured, not their loyalty&mdash;that will always be there&mdash;but
+the enthusiastic impulse of the Colonies to come to the assistance of the mother
+country. We have a great work to do; we want to do that work, and now
+hon. gentlemen opposite move an amendment the only object of which could be
+to damage and weaken the Government, who are the instruments of the national
+will. If hon. gentlemen opposite do not wish to take our places and to bear
+the burden which rests on our shoulders, is it wise to endeavour to shake the
+confidence of the country in the men who must continue this war, and gather
+together all the forces of the Empire to bring it to a successful conclusion?
+Supposing there should be a division which could be called a bad division for
+the Government, what would the cheers which would greet that division mean?
+They would mean, &#8216;We have succeeded in damaging and weakening the
+Government.&#8217; The time may come when we will be damaged. If the war is
+not successful, sweep us away as men who have no judgment, but do not lame
+the arm of the Executive Government when they have such a work on hand as
+we have got to do. There has been patriotic co-operation between us and some
+of the Liberal Party. We thank them for it. I believe this is a Parliamentary
+bad dream&mdash;an interlude between the patriotic attitude of these gentlemen a
+few weeks ago and the patriotic attitude which I hope we may look forward to
+when this debate closes. They have assured the country they will support us
+in going forward. I thank them for that, for it is more important than the
+petty criticisms to which we have been treated. We are the trustees of the
+nation for the work that has to be done. The nation will support us, I believe;
+and so long as we receive that support, God willing, we will fulfil our task.&#8221;</p></blockquote>
+
+<p>Sir E. Clarke, among other things, said:&mdash;</p>
+
+<blockquote><p>&#8220;He did not believe the annexation of the Transvaal and the Orange Free
+State would be of the slightest benefit to the country. The annexation of the
+two Republics would compel us to very greatly increase our already enormous
+military expenditure, and it would not give us any advantage commensurate
+with the difficulties of administration. He had no desire to press his own
+views, which were singular, and certainly not popular, on that side of the
+House. He only pleaded that this question might be left open, and that
+Ministers might not pledge themselves to a course which would involve so
+great a sacrifice. While he agreed generally with the doctrine of Cabinet
+responsibility, he considered that the real responsibility for the war lay with
+the Colonial Secretary. The Prime Minister, in whom all England put the
+greatest confidence, having many other things to deal with, and being distressed
+by domestic anxieties, might not have been able to attend so closely as he
+otherwise would have done to South African affairs; but it could not be gainsaid
+that there were two men, one in this country and the other in South Africa,
+who must be associated with the beginning of the war. He wished that the
+highest sentiments of patriotism would induce those two men to leave to others
+the positions they now occupied. He believed that the difficulties involved in
+a solution of the questions arising out of the war would be increased by the fact
+that the lines of communication and action in South Africa were in the hands<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_11" id="Page_11">[Pg 11]</a></span>
+of the Colonial Secretary and Sir A. Milner. He had not a word to say about
+the honesty of these two gentlemen; but if, for a few weeks or a few months,
+in this grave national crisis and time of deep anxiety, others could take their
+places&mdash;if the Prime Minister himself would take under his own control the
+communications of the Colonial Office with South Africa, and if Lord Rosebery
+would give his services to the country, and go out to South Africa to assist in
+a solution of the difficulties, it would be a sacrifice not too great to ask even
+from the greatest men among us, and one for which the country would be very
+grateful. He had said that he was not going to make a controversial speech.
+He did not think he had. If he had, it had been with no intention of personal
+attack or party bitterness, but with the deep conviction that in deciding on the
+great issues with which Parliament had to deal we had to consider not only the
+things of to-day but the things of the future.&#8221;</p></blockquote>
+
+<p>Mr. Chamberlain&#8217;s speech on the 5th of February was an
+advance on former proceedings. Sir William Harcourt dilated on
+the indomitable energy of a free people fighting for their independence,
+praised the gallantry of the troops, and blamed the Government
+for being led by the opinions of the authors of the Jameson
+Raid, to which the Colonial Secretary made dignified reply. Finally
+he questioned&mdash;</p>
+
+<blockquote><p>&#8220;How do we meet the charge of mistakes? Not by denying the mistakes,
+but by saying what we have done and what we are doing to repair them. You
+say we sent too few troops. We are pouring troops into South Africa, and, as
+you have been told, in a few weeks you will have an army of 200,000. You
+said we were forgetful of the need for mounted men. We have been increasing
+the number of horse infantry until in a very short time the number of
+mounted men in the British forces will be almost as great, if not as great, as
+the total number of mounted men in the Boer army. You say our artillery is
+deficient and not heavy enough. We have sent battery after battery, until now
+you have an unexampled force of that arm. We have at the same time added
+a number of heavier guns. When the war began, no doubt the needs of the
+war were under-estimated at that time; it is part of the same mistake. We
+failed to respond as we ought to have done to the splendid offers that came from
+our Colonies. We accepted enough to show how much we valued their assistance,
+but we hesitated to put on them any greater strain than necessary. But
+what is happening now? They are multiplying their forces, and every offer
+is gratefully and promptly appreciated and accepted. And we shall have
+in this war before it is over an army of Colonials called to the aid of Her
+Majesty who will outnumber the British army at Waterloo and nearly equal to
+the total British force in the Crimea.&#8221;</p></blockquote>
+
+<p>In conclusion he said:&mdash;</p>
+
+<blockquote><p>&#8220;In Africa these two races, so interesting, so admirable, each in its own
+way, though different in some things, will now, at any rate, have learned to
+respect one another. I hear a great deal about the animosity which will remain
+after the war, but I hope I am not too sanguine when I say that I do not believe
+in it. When matters have settled down, when equal rights are assured to both
+the white races, I believe that both will enjoy the land together in settled peace
+and prosperity. Meanwhile, we are finding out the weak spots in our armour,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_12" id="Page_12">[Pg 12]</a></span>
+and trying to remedy them. We are finding out the infinite potential resources
+of the Empire; we are advancing steadily, if slowly, to the realisation of that
+great federation of our race which will inevitably make for peace, liberty, and
+justice.&#8221;</p></blockquote>
+
+<p>On the following night Mr. Asquith, on Talleyrand&#8217;s principle&mdash;that
+speech is given us to hide our thoughts&mdash;dilated interestingly
+on the position, his sympathies oscillating between the Opposition,
+the Government, and Mr. Kruger. Sir Henry Campbell Bannerman
+declared it to be the duty of the Opposition to press Lord
+Edmond Fitzmaurice&#8217;s amendment to a division. He inferred that
+the conspiracy of the Cape Dutch was a chimera, and went so far
+as to suggest that when our military supremacy was asserted in
+South Africa the question of settlement might be left to decide itself
+<i>sine die</i>! Said he: &#8220;Provided that our territories are free and our
+military supremacy asserted, what matters it at what time or what
+place a settlement is arrived at?&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>In his reply Mr. Balfour distinguished himself. He said that it
+was discovered that the War Office has more than fulfilled its promises,
+and appealed to the members of the Opposition who sympathised
+with the justice of the war to reflect before voting for the
+amendment. It was necessary to help the soldiers at the front by
+proving to them that they were supported by a united country, and
+that every hostile vote might induce or encourage our opponents to
+prolong the contest. He concluded by saying:&mdash;</p>
+
+<blockquote><p>&#8220;Can they contemplate with equanimity that their first action in a session
+of Parliament meeting under such circumstances should be a weakening of the
+Government, whose hands they profess to desire to strengthen&mdash;whose hands I
+believe they genuinely desire to strengthen&mdash;in every succeeding operation connected
+with this war? Can they contemplate with equanimity the reflection
+that possibly their votes may lengthen the war, and, by lengthening it, may
+increase that tragic list of losses with which we are already too familiar? If
+in giving their vote they add one fraction to the chances of a European complication,
+one fraction of a chance that an unnecessary life may be lost or a
+family thrown into mourning, can they easily reconcile that with their duty
+towards their own principles and to that country of which they are, I believe,
+as devoted servants as we on this side of the House? I think it is a violation
+of every Parliamentary tradition that men who desire to keep in office a
+Government should vote for an amendment which, if carried, will turn out that
+Government, and that it is contrary to every patriotic instinct to vote in a
+minority against the Government. The size of that minority will affect the
+whole course of European policy, the whole course of the war. I have stated
+the problem as it presents itself to my mind. I know that you are men of
+conscience and honour, and I must leave it to you to decide the problem, each
+man in his own case as his conscience and honour dictate. To the House at
+large I can only make one appeal. It is that we, who are the representatives of
+the country, may rise to the height reached by those whom we represent. I ask
+no more, and I can ask no more, of the House than that they should imitate, for
+they cannot exceed, the courage, steadfastness, resolution, and firmness under<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_13" id="Page_13">[Pg 13]</a></span>
+adversity, and the calmness of temper with which our countrymen all over the
+world have dealt with the situation in its entirety. If the House of Commons
+do, as no doubt they will, imitate, for they cannot better, the conduct of those
+who have sent them here, then who can doubt that the clouds by which we
+are at present surrounded will in a short time be dissipated and the Empire will
+issue from the struggle in which it is now engaged stronger, not only in its own
+consciousness of strength, but in the eyes of the civilised world.&#8221;</p></blockquote>
+
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 503px;">
+<a name="ill_027" id="ill_027"></a><img src="images/ill_027.png" width="503" height="389" alt="" title="" />
+<div><span class="caption">SERGEANT OF THE IMPERIAL YEOMANRY.</span><br />
+<br />
+<span class="small">Photo by Gregory &amp; Co., London.</span>
+</div></div>
+
+<p>In the end, by 352 to 139&mdash;a majority of 213&mdash;the vote of
+censure on the Government moved by Lord Edmond Fitzmaurice
+was defeated. The decision adequately expressed the feelings of
+the country. It must be remembered that many of the Government
+supporters were in South Africa, consequently a total poll of 491
+represented a heavy vote. The following list serves to show the
+number of members of both Houses who had sacrificed party spirit
+to patriotic convictions, and had proceeded to the front:&mdash;</p>
+
+<blockquote><p><span class="smcap">House of Lords.</span>&mdash;Earl of Airlie, commanding 12th Lancers; Earl of
+Albemarle, lieutenant-colonel, City of London Imperial Volunteers; Lord
+Basing, major, 1st Dragoons; Lord Castletown, special service, South Africa;
+Lord Chesham, commanding a battalion of Imperial Yeomanry; Earl Cowley,
+lieutenant, Imperial Yeomanry; Lord Denman, lieutenant, Imperial Yeomanry;
+Earl of Dudley, D.A.A.G. for Imperial Yeomanry; Earl of Dundonald, C.B.,
+major-general, commanding 3rd Brigade (Natal) Cavalry Division; Earl of
+Dunraven, captain, Imperial Yeomanry; Earl of Erroll, special service, South
+Africa; Earl of Essex, second in command of battalion of Imperial Yeomanry;
+Earl of Fingal, lieutenant, Imperial Yeomanry; Lord Kitchener of Khartoum,
+G.C.B., K.C.M.G., Chief of the Staff; Earl of Leitrim, lieutenant, Imperial
+Yeomanry; Earl of Longford, captain, Imperial Yeomanry; Lord Lovat,
+captain, Lord Lovat&#8217;s Corps; Duke of Marlborough, staff captain for Imperial
+Yeomanry; Lord Methuen, K.C.V.O., C.B., commanding 1st Division in South
+Africa; Duke of Norfolk, K.G., captain, Imperial Yeomanry; Lord Roberts of
+Kandahar, K.P., G.C.B., G.C.I.E., G.C.S.I., V.C., Field Marshal Commanding-in-Chief;
+Lord Romilly, special service, South Africa; Lord Rosmead, major,
+6th Battalion Lancashire Fusiliers; Duke of Roxburghe, lieutenant, Royal
+Horse Guards; Earl of Scarborough, second in command of battalion of
+Imperial Yeomanry; Earl Sondes, lieutenant, Imperial Yeomanry; Duke of
+Westminster, A.D.C. to Governor; Lord Wolverton, second lieutenant,
+Somersetshire Yeomanry Cavalry; Lord Zouche, lieutenant, Imperial Yeomanry.</p>
+
+<p><span class="smcap">House of Commons.</span>&mdash;Mr. W. Allen, trooper, Imperial Yeomanry;
+Hon. A. B. Bathurst, captain, 4th Battalion Gloucester Regiment; Colonel
+A. M. Brookfield, commanding battalion of Imperial Yeomanry; Lieutenant-Colonel
+R. G. W. Chaloner, commanding battalion of Imperial Yeomanry;
+Hon. T. H. Cochrane, captain, 4th Battalion Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders;
+Lord A. F. Compton, captain, Imperial Yeomanry; Viscount Cranborne,
+commanding 4th Battalion Bedford Regiment; Mr. W. Bromley-Davenport,
+captain, Imperial Yeomanry; Sir J. Dickson-Poynder, lieutenant,
+Imperial Yeomanry; Viscount Folkestone, major, 1st Wilts Volunteer Rifle
+Corps; Mr. W. R. Greene, lieutenant, Imperial Yeomanry; Hon. J. Guest,
+lieutenant, Imperial Yeomanry; Mr. G. Kemp, captain, Imperial Yeomanry;<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_14" id="Page_14">[Pg 14]</a></span>
+Mr. E. H. Llewellyn, major, 4th battalion Somerset Light Infantry; Mr.
+H. L. B. McCalmont, commanding 6th battalion Royal Warwick Regiment;
+Mr. F. B. Mildmay, lieutenant, Imperial Yeomanry; Viscount Milton, lieutenant,
+Imperial Yeomanry; Mr. D. V. Pirie, with Remounts Department, South
+Africa; Lord Stanley, special service, South Africa; Lord Edmund Talbot,
+special service, South Africa; Viscount Valentia, A.A.G. for Imperial Yeomanry;
+Major W. H. Wyndham-Quin, captain, Imperial Yeomanry; Major
+the Hon. H. V. Duncombe, adjutant, Imperial Yeomanry; Sir Elliott Lees,
+captain, Imperial Yeomanry; Sir S. Scott, lieutenant, Imperial Yeomanry.</p></blockquote>
+
+<h3 class="gap2">KIMBERLEY</h3>
+
+<p>There was little bombardment after the 25th of November, and
+though not living on the fat of the land, the garrison was not
+short of provisions. Mr. Rhodes, with characteristic forethought,
+now caused the formation of a committee to inquire into the resources
+of those dependent on the men killed, with a view to compensating
+them for their loss, and in other ways exerted himself for the
+welfare of sufferers in the town.</p>
+
+<p>Considerable friction occurred between the civil and military
+authorities. The clashing of wills was inevitable in so small an
+area, for Colonel Kekewich represented military power, while Mr.
+Rhodes could be no other than he is, and ever has been&mdash;a power in
+himself. It was unfortunate that two such forces should have been
+placed in collision, but it remains to the credit of both that, in spite
+of the tension of the situation, they should have co-operated to the
+end to save the town from the common enemy, and protect the
+interests and lives of all who, but for this co-operation, might have
+suffered much more intensely than they did.</p>
+
+<p>Early on the morning of the 9th of December a force with a
+battery under Colonel Chamier&mdash;to whom the efficient and mobile
+condition of the artillery was due&mdash;made a reconnaissance to the
+north. The Lancashire&#8217;s Mounted Infantry and two guns were
+posted on Otto&#8217;s Kopje while the Cape Police protected the Dam
+Wall. The Kimberley Light Horse in the centre extemporised some
+rifle-pits out of some prospectors&#8217; huts in order to cover retreat when
+necessary.</p>
+
+<p>The enemy were screened by the debris of a wall at Kamfeens,
+but when the boom of the British gun burst out and a shell roared
+in their midst, they hurriedly sought cover in their foremost rifle-pits,
+whence with great energy they &#8220;sniped&#8221; in the direction of the
+officers who were superintending the operations. Meanwhile tremendous
+barking of cannon and pinging of rifles continued, the
+Boers having got the range of Otto Kopje to perfection. The
+troops had an exceedingly hard time, but continued their operations
+till dusk. They lost only one killed and four wounded.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_15" id="Page_15">[Pg 15]</a></span></p>
+
+<p>On the wise principle that it is safer to act early on the aggressive
+if you do not want to have to act late on the defensive, the
+smart little force indulged in more military movements.</p>
+
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 462px;">
+<a name="ill_031" id="ill_031"></a><img src="images/ill_031.png" width="462" height="310" alt="" title="" />
+<div><span class="caption smcap">Shell Picked up in Kimberley Streets.</span><br />
+<br />
+<span class="small">Photo by Alf. S. Hosking, Cape Town.</span>
+</div></div>
+
+<p>Colonel Kekewich&#8217;s general plan for the defence of Kimberley was
+based on the principle of always keeping the enemy on the move and
+constantly in fear of attack from an unexpected quarter, but the immediate
+object of the numerous sorties and demonstrations in force now
+made by the garrison was to assist the operations of Lord Methuen.
+The Colonel explained that, &#8220;when the advance of the Relief Column
+from the Orange River commenced, and I was put in possession of information
+concerning the probable date of its arrival at Kimberley,
+I adopted such measures as I hoped would cause the retention of a
+large force of the enemy in my immediate neighbourhood, and thus
+enable the Relief Column to deal with the Boer force in detail.&#8221;
+As the portions of mounted corps were continually employed, the
+work which fell on the detachment, 1st Batt. Loyal North Lancashire
+Regiment, Cape Police, Diamond Fields Horse, Kimberley Light
+Horse, and the Diamond Fields Artillery, was very arduous; but
+the bravery and dash of these troops was unending. Colonel
+Murray, of the Loyal North Lancashire, was invaluable in many
+capacities, and Captain O&#8217;Brien of the same regiment, in command
+of a section of the defences, was unfailing in energy and zeal. Cool
+as the proverbial cucumber were Major Rodger of the Diamond
+Fields Horse and Major May of the Diamond Fields Artillery.
+The motto of these officers was the reverse of that of the notable
+<i>gens d&#8217;armes</i>, for they were &#8220;always there when wanted,&#8221; and gene<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_16" id="Page_16">[Pg 16]</a></span>rally
+in the fore-front. The officers of the Kimberley Regiment, too,
+were conspicuous for courage, coolness, and sagacity. They knew
+as by intuition what was wanted and did it. From Colonel Finlayson,
+who commanded the regiment, to Surgeon-Major Smith, who tended
+the wounded in the field, there was none who did not contribute to the
+stock of efficiency which was placed at the disposal of the Colonel.</p>
+
+<p>On the 20th of December, the mounted detachments under
+Colonel Peakman, with maxims and 7-pounders under Colonel May,
+started off in the pitch darkness of 2 <span class="allsmcap">A.M.</span>, and marched through
+Kenilworth in the direction of the wreck of Webster&#8217;s Farm, and on
+towards Tollpan in the Free State. British cannonading then took
+place, the Kimberley guns shelling Tollpan Homestead at 2500
+yards&#8217; range, and the Boer gun on Klippiespan ridge returning the
+compliment with interest. Fortunately the hostile shells burrowed
+deep in the sandy soil, and consequently little damage was done.
+The Boers were found to be very comfortably situated at the three
+corners of a six-mile triangle&mdash;at Coetgie, Scholtz, and Alexandersfontein&mdash;commanding
+three separate sources of water supply.
+This reconnaissance was of importance, as the positions of the
+enemy&#8217;s guns and outposts were determined, and the garrison was
+enabled to be on guard against raiders and snipers, and to protect
+itself, its patrols, and cattle from the fire of the enemy. In the
+matter of protecting the cattle from the tricks of the Dutchmen, as
+in many other ways, Mr. Fynn, manager of the De Beers farms,
+did splendid service. This gentleman was Mr. Rhodes&#8217;s right-hand
+man, and as a natural consequence of the honour he enjoyed rose
+to every occasion that offered, now managing a corps of scouts, now
+superintending the conveyance of food, now dealing with truculent
+natives, and always conducting his varied avocations with immense
+energy and tact.</p>
+
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 404px;">
+<a name="ill_033" id="ill_033"></a><img src="images/ill_033.png" width="404" height="556" alt="" title="" />
+<table summary="" class="w100">
+<tr>
+<td class="center small">Lieutenant.</td>
+<td class="center small">Captain.</td>
+<td class="center small">Adjutant.</td>
+</tr>
+</table>
+<br />
+<span class="caption">THE ROYAL LANCASTERS.</span><br />
+<br />
+<span class="small">Photo by Gregory &amp; Co., London.</span>
+</div>
+
+<p>On the 22nd of December a good deal of martial activity took
+place. At cockcrow a detachment of mounted forces, with artillery
+and infantry, went west for the purpose of reconnoitring Voornitzright
+and part of Weldermstkuil. On the right were the Diamond
+Fields Horse under Major Rodger, supported by a company of the
+North Lancashire Regiment under Lieutenant de Putron. Presently
+an animated cannonade began between the enemy&#8217;s artillery from
+Kamferdam and the Diamond Fields Artillery guns on Otto&#8217;s Kopje.
+In the centre Colonel Peakman, with the Kimberley Light Horse
+and Cape Police, proceeded along Lazaretto Ridge. There, before
+retreating, he made the necessary discoveries&mdash;firstly, that the Boer
+patrols were then the only occupants of the place, and secondly,
+that the enemy&#8217;s reinforcements were advancing behind Wimbledon
+Ridge. Meanwhile Colonel Chamier on the left, with R.A. guns
+and an escort under Major Snow, was exchanging salutations with<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_17" id="Page_17">[Pg 17]</a></span>
+the Boer guns posted in the earthwork in the centre of Wimbledon
+Ridge. This occupation was pursued for some time, during which
+the enemy were found to be rapidly approaching. Directly the guns
+were limbered up some 500 Boers came on the scene, and began to
+pour a fierce fire from the earthworks at the foot of the Ridge upon
+the Kimberley troops, who retired to cover. The object of the
+reconnaissance was gained, however, for it proved in what an
+inconceivably short space of time the enemy could summon his
+reinforcements, and, moreover, that three of his guns were yet in
+the neighbourhood of the town.</p>
+
+<p>On Christmas Eve congratulations were received by flashlight
+signals from the Military Secretary at Cape Town:&mdash;</p>
+
+<blockquote><p>&#8220;Convey to Colonel Kekewich and all the garrison and inhabitants of
+Kimberley his Excellency&#8217;s best wishes for their good luck on Christmas Day
+and in the coming New Year.&#8221;</p></blockquote>
+
+<p>Colonel Kekewich replied:&mdash;</p>
+
+<blockquote><p>&#8220;Kindly inform the Military Secretary that I and the garrison and inhabitants
+of Kimberley thank his Excellency for his kind message. We also wish respectfully
+to offer our very best wishes for Christmas and New Year.&#8221;</p></blockquote>
+
+<p>This little interchange of compliments caused infinite pleasure to
+those whose days were one unvarying round of trial and suspense. The
+weather was exceedingly hot; at times the thermometer registered
+105� in the shade, and life without absolute necessities in torrid
+weather is trying even to the patience of the active. To those whose
+intercourse with the world was confined to flashlight signals, it was
+barren in the extreme. But with much pluck they thus announced
+their sentiments in a journal called the <i>Diamond Fields Advertiser</i>,
+which still maintained a languishing existence: &#8220;Excepting two or
+three of our inhabitants who shared the terrible privations of the siege
+of Paris, few of us have ever spent such a Christmas before, and few
+will ever care to spend such a Christmas again. The scarcity of
+turkeys and plum-pudding at this time of traditional plenty need
+only distress the gourmand. The majority of the people of Kimberley
+are happily made of sterner stuff, and do not look for luxuries
+in a time of siege.&#8221; They were nevertheless not utterly plum-puddingless.
+Mr. Rhodes, with characteristic forethought, had caused
+to be cooked in the Sanatorium some two score of these bombshells
+to digestion, and had distributed them in each of the camps. Here
+they were devoured with much merrymaking and a general interchange
+of felicitations, which went on by telephone from one camp
+to another. From the Mounted Camp to the Royal Artillery:
+&#8220;Best wishes and longer range to your guns.&#8221; From the gunners,
+in return, while they kept one ear open for movement in the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_18" id="Page_18">[Pg 18]</a></span>
+direction of the Boers&#8217; &#8220;Susannah:&#8221; &#8220;May our range be always
+long enough for us to be guardian-angels to the Mounted Corps.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>On the following day the artillery was at work responding to the
+salutes of the Boers, who commenced to fire with great activity
+after their Christmas rest. They dropped some thirty-five shells
+in the direction of the fort, and received nineteen well-directed
+replies. Two of the mines were fired by the thunderstorm of the
+previous night, but no one was injured. Food now was becoming
+more and more scarce, and those connected with the distribution of
+provisions had to exercise much forethought and economy.</p>
+
+<p>The task of arranging for the victualling and supply of the
+garrison and 40,000 people in the town was undertaken by Major
+Gorle, Army Service Corps, and the zeal and resource which he
+brought to bear on his onerous duties were applauded on all sides.
+Of course there were found persons who, on the take-everything-from-everybody-else-and-give-it-all-to-me
+principle, thought they were
+badly treated, but these were the exception rather than the rule.
+The arrangements for milk were made by a special civil committee,
+consisting of Mr. Oliver, the Mayor, whose courage and energy in
+keeping up the spirits of the people were wonderful, Mr. Judge,
+and four visiting surgeons of Kimberley Hospital, Doctors Ashe,
+Watkins, Mackenzie, and Stoney. These made themselves notable
+for the untiring energy with which they devoted themselves to their
+incessant duties. They kept a sharp eye on the milk, serving it out
+cautiously at the dep�t, and only to those who had a medical certificate
+that they required it. The Colonel was very appreciative of the help
+given by most of his civilian coadjutors, for, in reference to the difficulties
+of his position, he stated in his despatch: &#8220;It will be realised
+that, under the peculiar circumstances in which the defence of the
+scattered town, containing over 40,000 inhabitants and much valuable
+machinery, was entrusted in the first instance to a force consisting
+of about 570 Imperial troops and 630 Colonial troops, my efforts
+would have been of no avail had it not been for the valuable assistance
+and advice which many citizens afforded me in a military as
+well as a civil capacity.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>Mr. Henderson, Captain Tyson of the Kimberley Club, and
+Dr. Smart collaborated with the ruling spirit of the place, organising
+relief committees, distributing thousands of pints of soup per diem,
+and apportioning such fruit and vegetables as were to be had for the
+good of those who were most sorely in need. That green stuffs were
+scarce may be gathered from the fact that the allowance for nine
+people for half a week was a bunch of five carrots, four liliputian
+parsnips, and several beets (duodecimo editions). The garrison,
+later on, were glad of mangel-wurzels, when quantity rather than
+quality came to be appreciated.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_19" id="Page_19">[Pg 19]</a></span></p>
+
+<p>The Boers were now beginning to build redoubts on Dronfield
+Kopjes, about a mile east of the railway and in a northerly direction,
+showing that whatever withdrawals might be going on from besieged
+places elsewhere, the City of Mines would receive its due of attention
+up to the last. The Boer prisoners inside the town presented
+quite a rejuvenated appearance, owing to the delicate attentions of
+Mr. Rhodes. Christmas saw them provided with new outfits, and a
+general air of cleanliness and health pervaded them. The invalids
+in hospital, both British and Boers, were visited frequently by the
+Colossus, whose generosity in the matter of delicacies, which were
+now very scarce, was highly appreciated.</p>
+
+<p>Much of the Kimberley news was obtained through the energy
+and acuteness, almost amounting to genius, of the despatch-runners.
+Of these, Mr. Lumming of Douglas succeeded in getting in and out
+of the town with missives for and from Mr. Rhodes, always at
+tremendous risk. The Boers had offered a large reward for his
+capture. On one occasion, so as to evade observation in a district
+swarming with the enemy, he had to travel quadruped fashion on
+hands and knees for some thirty miles. Tales of the despatch-runners&#8217;
+ingenuity in all parts of the Colony were many. One Kaffir
+boy, though caught by the Boers and stripped by them, carried his
+despatch safely, it having been packed in a quill and hid in his
+nostril, while another&mdash;a canny Scot&mdash;concealed his treasure in the
+inmost recesses of a hard-boiled egg.</p>
+
+<p>On the morning of the 27th of January the mounted troops under
+the indefatigable Colonel Peakman at an early hour reconnoitred the
+Boer position near the Premier mine. The Boers were indulging
+in a last little doze, when some shells were neatly dropped into their
+laager. The alarum was effective. They were up and doing in no
+time, and set to work firing with the utmost vigour, but their shots
+were not accurate and much waste of ammunition took place. It
+may be remembered that Colonel Peakman, Kimberley Light
+Horse, after the death of Colonel Turner was selected for the
+command of the mounted troops in Kimberley. A tower of strength
+of himself, he was surrounded by a gallant crew, among whom
+were Major Scott, V.C., Captains Ap-Bowen and Mahoney (both
+severely wounded on the 25th of November), Captains Robertson
+and Rickman. There were also in the corps several lieutenants
+conspicuous for dash and daring, notably Lieutenants Hawker
+(wounded 22nd November), Harris, and Chatfield. Of the Colonel
+an amusing tale was told, which, if not <i>vero</i>, was certainly <i>bentrovato</i>,
+and served to cheer up those who needed to salt the monotonous
+flavour of daily life. It fell to the duty of Colonel Peakman to introduce
+horse-flesh at the officers&#8217; mess, a ticklish task, and one that
+required considerable tact. When the dish was served, the Colonel<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_20" id="Page_20">[Pg 20]</a></span>
+said, &#8220;Gentlemen, as I was unable to get the whole of our ration in
+beef, a part of it had to be taken in horse-flesh. Here is the beef,&#8221;
+said he, carving at the joint opposite him, &#8220;that at the other end of
+the table is the horse. Any one who prefers it may help himself.&#8221;
+No one accepted the invitation, and after there had been a great run
+on the beef, the Colonel suddenly said, &#8220;By Jove, I&#8217;m mistaken; of
+course <i>this</i> joint is the horse, the other is the beef!&#8221; Thus the
+palates of the heroes of the Kimberley Light Horse were educated
+to the fare that was shortly to become unvaried.</p>
+
+<p>Later on, a chunk of donkey occasionally replaced the equine
+morsel, and cats, it was noticed, began to be less in evidence. There
+were whispers&mdash;hints&mdash;&mdash; But to proceed to facts.</p>
+
+<p>On the 29th a tussle took place between the foe and a man named
+Sheppy, who, with twelve mounted natives, was herding a thousand
+De Beers horses and mules. The cattle-drivers were at work when
+out from the bushes rushed a hundred Boers. These at once opened
+fire, but the herdsmen managed to return it and effect their escape.</p>
+
+<p>The transformation of diamond-diggers into warriors was an
+entire novelty, of which Kimberley boasted not a little. The entire
+community of the De Beers Company were now soldiers of the Queen,
+receiving the same rate of pay as before, with food in addition. The
+total white population in the town was 14,000, and of these 6000
+were employ�s of the mine, men from Natal. The Company worked
+wonders&mdash;of course under the auspices of the ruling genius of
+Kimberley. They stuck at nothing, from assisting with food supplies&mdash;distributing
+soup in gallons&mdash;to providing for the employment of
+upwards of 4000 natives in making improvements in the town.
+Sanitation too they undertook when contractors failed, and, when the
+supply of water was cut off at the main reservoir by the enemy, they
+came to the rescue by providing another source of water supply.</p>
+
+<p>Owing to the excellent management and regulation of stores, the
+community had hitherto been enabled to live at normal prices, and
+food had been within the reach of all. But now the pinch of the
+siege began to be felt. Luxuries such as eggs, vegetables, &amp;c.,
+were naturally scarce, but horse-flesh even grew to be limited, for
+there was little forage left. The tramcars ceased to work, and Dr.
+Ashe predicted that presently there would be &#8220;no carts save military
+ones and the doctors&#8217; and the hearse!&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>People had to take their meat allowance half in beef and half in
+horse-flesh, and the over-fastidious were but meagrely nourished.
+These, however, soon came to &#8220;take their whack&#8221; of horse-flesh
+gladly, and some even declared that horse, by any other name,
+would be quite appetising! Conversation largely consisted of speculations
+regarding food or its absence, and once or twice there was a
+rub with the military. Dr. Ashe expressed himself frankly when<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_21" id="Page_21">[Pg 21]</a></span>
+confronted with red-tape difficulties, addressed the Colonel&mdash;of course,
+minding p&#8217;s and q&#8217;s, for people had to look to the dotting of i&#8217;s and
+crossing of t&#8217;s in those days&mdash;and suggested that, &#8220;in matters which
+affected the health and feeding of the people,&#8221; the doctors thought
+that, in virtue of their knowledge of town, climate, and people, they
+might be consulted. The objection to the red-tape difficulty being
+proved sound, the Colonel at once altered the routine, but, said Dr.
+Ashe, &#8220;he flatly declined to ask any opinion from the general body
+of doctors, as they might have ideas which would affect the military
+situation.&#8221;</p>
+
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 470px;">
+<a name="ill_039" id="ill_039"></a><img src="images/ill_039.png" width="470" height="340" alt="" title="" />
+<div><span class="caption smcap">&#8220;Long Cecil,&#8221; made at the De Beers Mines.</span><br />
+<br />
+<span class="small">Photo by D. Barnett, War Correspondent.</span>
+</div></div>
+
+<p>The new gun, &#8220;Long Cecil,&#8221; manufactured in De Beers, was
+greatly prized. It distinguished itself on its d�but by plumping a
+shell in the centre of the Kamfersdam head-laager exactly over the
+position of the Dutchmen&#8217;s gun. Bombardment continued spasmodically,
+sometimes at night, the shells entering several houses and
+&#8220;making hay&#8221; of the furniture; but wantonly barbarous was the
+attack on the laager containing the women and children, which took
+place on the 23rd of January. One of the little innocents was killed
+and another probably maimed for life. On the 24th more bombardment
+began as early as four in the morning, and firing continued<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_22" id="Page_22">[Pg 22]</a></span>
+all day. The worst feature in the affair was the attack&mdash;deliberate
+and premeditated it appeared&mdash;on the hospital, which caused general
+grief and indignation. There was no excuse for such inhumanity,
+as the place was distinguished by two Red Cross flags.</p>
+
+<p>Very lamentable was this habit of the Boers to violate the
+sacred rules of the Geneva Convention, for it alienated even those
+who were in sympathy with their cause. They could not plead
+ignorance of the rules of warfare, for at one time they ignored these
+rules to play the barbarian, while at another they utilised them to act
+the poltroon. The history of the Convention may not be generally
+known. It was promoted in 1864 and subsequently signed by all the
+Continental Powers. It was decided that&mdash;</p>
+
+<p>1. Ambulances and military hospitals were to be recognised as
+neutral, and as such to be protected and respected by all belligerents.</p>
+
+<p>2. The <i>personnel</i> of these hospitals and ambulances, including the
+<i>intendance</i>, the sanitary officers, officers of the administration, as well
+as military and civil chaplains, were to be benefited by the neutrality.</p>
+
+<p>3. The inhabitants of the country rendering help to the sick and
+wounded were to be respected and free from capture.</p>
+
+<p>4. The sick and wounded were to be attended to without distinction
+of nation.</p>
+
+<p>5. A flag and a uniform were to be adopted for the hospitals, ambulances,
+and convoys of invalids; an armlet or badge for the <i>personnel</i>
+of the ambulances and hospitals.</p>
+
+<p>6. The badge was to consist of a red cross on a white ground.</p>
+
+<p>Committees were formed throughout Europe and America to
+carry out this convention, and the Society worked under the title of
+the &#8220;International Society of Aid for the Sick and Wounded.&#8221; It
+played its first important part in 1870 in the Franco-German War,
+before which time battlefields had been scenes of almost inhuman
+torture.</p>
+
+<p>Now, in consequence of the brutal disregard of a world-appreciated
+agreement, the Boers&mdash;in many ways men of fine character&mdash;were
+placing themselves beneath contempt. Their conduct also to
+the loyalists and non-belligerents was also causing exasperation.</p>
+
+<p>The ministers of all denominations&mdash;Wesleyan, Presbyterian,
+Baptist, Congregational, and Jewish&mdash;all united in condemning the
+Boer Government and its methods. They were especially scandalised
+at the inhumanity of the Dutch commandoes, who intermittently
+poured shells not only into the heart of the town, but into the suburbs,
+where women and children were known to congregate, while leaving
+for the most part unmolested the forts occupied by the citizen-soldiers.
+Homes were destroyed mothers and children stricken
+down, and some killed. These might have been looked upon as<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_23" id="Page_23">[Pg 23]</a></span>
+the accidents of war had it not been confessed in Boer papers that
+such acts were deliberately committed and vaunted.</p>
+
+<p>Spasmodic bombardment took place during the evening of the
+24th, and continued through the night, striking some buildings&mdash;the
+hospital and other defenceless positions&mdash;and maiming a woman
+and her child. Another child was killed. Profound admiration
+was expressed by all in the achievements of &#8220;Long Cecil,&#8221; and the
+utility of the new long-range weapon was highly appreciated. Indeed,
+Mr. Rhodes viewed this Kimberley masterpiece with quite a paternal
+eye, and his pleasure in firing it was considerable.</p>
+
+<p>Enough could not be said of the splendid valour and pertinacity
+of the townspeople, who co-operated in the warlike proceedings
+as though they had been to the manner born. Though
+the fortification belt was some twelve miles in circumference, at all
+points it was protected by these amateurs of the sword, who, under
+no military obligations whatever till sworn in on the immediate
+emergency, rose to the occasion with a chivalric warmth that was as
+perfectly amazing as it was admirable. Devotion to the Sovereign
+Lady who rules the Empire was never more steadfastly shown and
+more ardently maintained.</p>
+
+<p>The zeal and the &#8220;go&#8221; of the Cape Police was notable. Among
+the most prominent of the corps were Colonel Robinson, gallant
+Major Elliot and Major Ayliff (wounded on December 3), who was
+brave as he was tactful. Perpetually useful and conspicuously
+gallant were Captains Colvin, Crozier, White, and Cummings.
+Their duties, most difficult, were almost interminable.</p>
+
+<p>Life was monotonous in the extreme. From the town it was
+possible on clear days to view the Modder River balloon, and the
+occasional sight of it afforded a stimulus to the drooping spirits
+of the inhabitants. Its rotund form floating so peacefully high in
+air seemed like a harbinger of hope promising and consoling, and
+teaching the lesson of patience and perseverance that overcome
+all things! Of course, it was only the sentimentalists of the community
+who thus interpreted the language of the a�rial monster,
+but these, like the people who find sermons in stones, promptly
+took heart, and bore their trials with renewed dignity and pluck.
+Both these qualities were in great demand, for the Boers and
+their tactics were exhausting to the patience of the most forbearing.
+Their pertinacity was great. At one moment they would pour
+shells into the town, making hearts palpitate or stand still in horror
+at the gruesome fracas; at others they would persistently &#8220;snipe&#8221;
+from hidden corners and bushes, and render movements in the
+open, to say the least of it&mdash;inconvenient.</p>
+
+<p>Sniping always continued, though, for a day or two, no serious
+bombardment took place. Indeed, there was reason to believe that<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_24" id="Page_24">[Pg 24]</a></span>
+a Boer gun was <i>hors de combat</i>. The report came in that &#8220;Susannah&#8221;
+had burst. There was general jubilation. Later on it filtered out
+that &#8220;Susannah&#8221; was &#8220;all serene,&#8221; but this was doubted. The sanguine
+hoped against hope. We are ready enough to believe what
+we wish to be true, and finally, for want of something to discuss,
+the question of &#8220;Has she burst, or has she not burst?&#8221; was
+bandied about in the tone of a popular riddle. Unfortunately
+&#8220;Susannah&#8221; was intact, as subsequent experience proved. Not only
+was &#8220;Susannah&#8221; herself again, but it was reported that a considerable
+Boer reinforcement had arrived in the neighbourhood, and that three
+guns from Spyfontein were being ranged in attitude to defy &#8220;Long
+Cecil,&#8221; whose prowess was more decided than pleasant. Still the
+inhabitants bore up very creditably, and enlivened themselves continually
+with concerts or entertainments of some kind. The programmes,
+it must be noted, were always marked &#8220;weather and Boers
+permitting&#8221;&mdash;a modern adaptation of the customary <i>D.V.</i></p>
+
+<p>The Boer spies took a lively interest in all that concerned Mr.
+Rhodes, and hopes were entertained that before long some one
+would receive the price of his capture. But this gentleman pursued
+his avocations in the town and its suburbs with unabated interest,
+arranging for the comfort of the refugees, and evincing paternal
+solicitude in the laying out of new suburbs, and the construction of a
+regular row of bomb-proof shelters, which were being excavated at
+Kenilworth. People now became great connoisseurs on the virtue
+of brick, old and new, and began to mistrust corrugated iron as
+affording less protection from the artillery fire of the enemy. They
+became judges also of shell&mdash;of the peculiarities of shrapnel and
+ring shells&mdash;and sapiently discussed the merits of time fuses and
+percussion fuses. Food, however, was the prime subject of conversation&mdash;a
+subject of &#8220;devouring&#8221; interest, some one said. The
+refugee fund now amounted to �3000, owing to the united subscriptions
+of Mr. Rhodes and the De Beers Company. It was none
+too much, as the demand on its resources was some �600 weekly.</p>
+
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 364px;">
+<a name="ill_043" id="ill_043"></a><img src="images/ill_043.png" width="364" height="522" alt="" title="" />
+<div><span class="caption">LIEUT.-GENERAL THOMAS KELLY-KENNY, C.B.</span><br />
+<br />
+<span class="small">Photo by C. Knight, Aldershot.</span>
+</div></div>
+
+<p>The Colossus, regardless of the fate that hung over the town,
+continued to make plans and projects for the development of the
+place. On a high plateau he purposed to create a new suburb, and
+the name will doubtless bear a relationship to the great events of
+1900. A column was in course of erection to commemorate the
+siege, but the tale of bombardment, writ large on many of the buildings,
+is one that will scarcely be forgotten, and forms memorial
+enough. Some curious damage was done, a shrapnel shell electing
+to penetrate the wall of a draper&#8217;s shop and wound a feminine
+dummy and smash a wax effigy of a boy used as a clothes model.
+Fortunately few human beings suffered. Great precautions were
+taken for the safety of the inhabitants, and a look-out was kept, so<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_25" id="Page_25">[Pg 25]</a></span>
+as to give warning by whistle whenever the smoke of the enemy&#8217;s
+guns breathed a hint of coming destruction. A calculation was made
+as to the sum total expended by guns, British and Dutch, and it was
+discovered that Kimberley had fired 1005 shells, while the besiegers
+had spent three times that number. The total loss of life attributable
+to shell fire amounted at this date to about twelve killed.</p>
+
+<p>Affairs within the town were now growing almost as bellicose as
+affairs without it. Continued friction generates heat, and of this
+throughout the siege there had been more and more as time went
+on. It was quite evident that Kimberley was not sufficiently large
+to afford an arena for the combat of brains <i>versus</i> military discipline,
+and that the patience of the besieged was nearing the snapping-point.
+Indeed there was doubt as to whether operations for the relief of
+Kimberley would be pursued, and it is averred that the Commander-in-Chief
+sent a message to Mr. Rhodes, saying, &#8220;Hope I shall not
+be compelled to leave you in the lurch.&#8221; Naturally the Kimberley
+barometer fell to zero. Then came rumours of the coming of Lord
+Roberts, but these scarcely served to allay the general impatience.</p>
+
+<p>A curious incident occurred on the 29th. Some thirty-five Zulus
+took their departure. They had been ordered by their chief to leave
+the town, but when they obeyed they had promptly to return, as
+they encountered the Boers, who threatened to shoot them.</p>
+
+<p>At this time food was becoming more and more scarce; even
+horse-flesh was distributed with caution. Milk was obtainable only
+by the invalids, and some four hundred babes died for want of proper
+nourishment. It was pathetic to see people standing at the Town
+Hall waiting eagerly to take their turn for the scanty portion of
+meat that could be provided for them. The ceremony of the
+drawing of meat rations had an aspect almost comic in its desperate
+seriousness. Matutinally at 5.30 <span class="allsmcap">A.M.</span> might be seen a
+vast concourse of persons scampering in hot haste to gain a front
+place. So animated was the early bird to catch its morning worm,
+that it was up and doing before the regulated hour, 5.30 (fixed by
+proclamation), before which time people were forbidden to leave
+their houses. The police put a stop to this superactivity, and hungry
+persons were seen from five to the half-hour waiting patiently at
+their gates till the exact moment should arrive when they could
+make a dash for a place in the tremendous crush which, two by two,
+gathered outside the market.</p>
+
+<p>Marvellous was the rapidity with which this vast crowd, at hint
+of a shell, would drop to earth. As by some mechanical process
+there would come a bang, and then, like a card castle, the whole
+procession would drop flat. The Boers, knowing, most probably,
+that this was an eventful period of the morning, would invariably
+start off about six with a boisterous &#8220;good-morrow.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_26" id="Page_26">[Pg 26]</a></span>&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>Gradually the rations grew shorter and shorter and shorter. They
+now consisted mainly of horse-meat, served out every second day,
+mealie meal, stamped mealies, with a sparse allowance of tea, coffee,
+and bread. For those who had children under three years of age one
+tin of milk was allowed. With this strong children could get along
+well, but there were many weakly ones, and these waned and waned
+till the baby funerals became pathetically frequent.</p>
+
+<p>The Dutchmen were exceedingly ingenious in the invention of
+tricks and traps. One of these was to move a waggon with sixteen
+fat oxen in charge of but two men into the open Vlei below Tarantaal
+Ridge, and there to leave it, apparently unguarded, for two hours.
+They thought that this bait would lure forth the cattle-guard, but
+they were disappointed, for the authorities were too acute to allow
+them to get &#8220;a bite.&#8221; They knew that in rear of the Vlei was a
+deep sand-drift, behind which a large body of men might be comfortably
+concealed, and consequently left waggon and cattle severely
+alone.</p>
+
+<p>After this began the bombardment by a new Boer gun&mdash;a diabolical
+instrument, whose perfections were hymned by an artillery
+expert, who declared it to be one of the most perfect pieces of ordnance
+ever made! A correspondent in the <i>Daily Telegraph</i> described the
+terrifying effect produced on the nerves of the sick and the weakly. He
+went on: &#8220;The shock caused by the firing of this gun was distinctly
+perceptible five feet under ground at a distance of five miles, and
+the miniature earthquake thus created was clearly registered by the
+new seismograph at Kenilworth, the pendulum of which remained
+perfectly stationary during the firing of the smaller guns, or the
+passage of the most heavily laden trains or vehicles at very close
+quarters.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>The 9th of February was a terrible day. There was crashing and
+booming from morning till night, and no one dared venture abroad.
+One inhabitant had his child killed under his very eyes and his wife
+mortally stricken down. Towards sundown a shell struck the Grand
+Hotel, killing Mr. Labram, the De Beers chief engineer, whose
+valuable brains had been the salvation of the place. He had constructed
+armoured engines, armoured trains, and had completed his
+ingenious labours by constructing the huge 4.1-inch gun, with carriage
+and shells complete&mdash;a triumph of science considering the conditions
+under which the achievement was attempted. Now he was gone,
+and Kimberley was vastly the poorer.</p>
+
+<p>The bombardment was growing daily more severe. Each time
+the Boers fired their 100-pounder gun a bugle was blown from the
+conning tower and all ran to cover. There would be an interval
+of seven minutes between every shell, and the bombardment would
+last for about two hours. Then the Boers would take a rest, and,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_27" id="Page_27">[Pg 27]</a></span>
+after a breathing spell, begin again. By the kindness of Mr. Rhodes
+the mines now became harbours of refuge for thousands of women
+and children, who, huddled together in the 1200-feet level, were thus
+protected from the shells which were launched in the midst of
+the town. Those days in dark diamondiferous caverns were full
+of strange experiences. There, over a thousand shrinking beings
+found asylum, bedding, food, and such comfort as could be secured
+for them. There, babes were born into the world&mdash;human diamonds
+brought into the daylight from the grottoes of the millionaires&mdash;babes
+which surely should take some strange part in the
+drama of the century. It was an underground village swarming
+with the weak and the distressed, a feminine populace, kept from
+panic and despair by the man who, large enough to make empires,
+yet proved himself capable of sympathy with the small sorrows and
+quakings of the sick and the fearful.</p>
+
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 432px;">
+<a name="ill_047" id="ill_047"></a><img src="images/ill_047.png" width="432" height="314" alt="Placard Erected by Mr. Rhodes. Photo by F. H. Hancox, Kimberley." title="" />
+<div><span class="caption smcap">Placard Erected by Mr. Rhodes.</span><br />
+<br />
+<span class="small">Photo by F. H. Hancox, Kimberley.</span>
+</div></div>
+
+<p>The experiences of a lady who enjoyed the hospitality of the
+mine were scarcely exhilarating. She said: &#8220;We went down the
+mine, but only stayed one day. Of course, one felt safe, but it was
+so miserable; still, it was another siege experience, the crowds of
+people down there. On the 1000-feet level were 500 persons alone,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_28" id="Page_28">[Pg 28]</a></span>
+and the buzz of tongues, and the children crying, and the noises
+altogether, besides the damp, were horrible; although Mr. Rhodes
+and those working under him did all in their power to make things
+as comfortable as possible. Hot coffee, soup, bread, milk for the
+children, everything obtainable was sent down; and some thousands
+of people were fed free of charge from the Saturday night till the
+following Friday morning.... Those people who run down Mr.
+Rhodes should have been here during the four months of the
+siege. The soup-kitchen was another of his institutions, threepence
+a pint for good soup, and those who had no money got it free.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>Now that the nerve-destroying capabilities of the Boers&#8217; 100-pounder
+gun were proved, and Mr. Rhodes and other citizens were
+conscious of the immense amount of danger to town and life that
+must result from the bombardment, the Colossus, in conjunction with
+the Mayor and others, forwarded to Colonel Kekewich a letter which
+he begged might be heliographed to headquarters. The letter ran:&mdash;</p>
+
+<blockquote>
+<p class="address">&#8220;<span class="smcap">Kimberley</span>, <i>February 10</i>.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;On behalf of the inhabitants of this town, we respectfully desire to be
+informed whether there is an intention on your part to make an immediate
+effort for our relief. Your troops have been for more than two months within
+a distance of little over twenty miles from Kimberley, and if the Spytfontein
+hills are too strong for them, there is an easy approach over a level flat. This
+town, with a population of over 45,000 people, has been besieged for 120 days,
+and a large portion of the inhabitants has been enduring great hardships.
+Scurvy is rampant among the natives; children, owing to lack of proper food,
+are dying in great numbers, and dysentery and typhoid are very prevalent.
+The chief food of the whites have been bread and horse-flesh for a long time
+past, and of the blacks meal and malt only. These hardships, we think you
+will agree, have been borne patiently and without complaint by the people.
+During the last few days the enemy have brought into action from a position
+within three miles of us a 6-inch gun throwing a 100-lb. shell, which is setting
+fire to our buildings and is daily causing death among the population. As you
+are aware, the military guns here are totally inadequate to cope with this new
+gun. The only weapon which gives any help is one of local manufacture.
+Under these circumstances, as representing this community, we feel that we
+are justified in asking whether you have any immediate intention of instructing
+your troops to advance to our relief. We understand large reinforcements
+have recently arrived in Cape Town, and we feel sure that your men at Modder
+River have at the outside 10,000 Boers opposed to them. You must be the
+judge as to what number of British troops would be required to deal with this
+body of men, but it is absolutely necessary that relief should be afforded to
+this place.&#8221;</p></blockquote>
+
+<p>To this Lord Roberts replied:&mdash;</p>
+
+<blockquote><p>&#8220;I beg you represent to the Mayor and Mr. Rhodes as strongly as you
+possibly can the disastrous and humiliating effect of surrender after so prolonged
+and glorious a defence. Many days cannot possibly pass before Kimberley
+will be relieved, as we commence active operations to-morrow. Future<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_29" id="Page_29">[Pg 29]</a></span>
+military operations depend in a large measure on your maintaining your position
+a very short time longer.&#8221;</p></blockquote>
+
+<p>A great deal of gossip hung round the suppression of the
+<i>Diamond Fields Advertiser</i>, but the whole affair was merely a storm
+in the ink-pot resulting from the clashing of opinions civil and military.
+After the publication of a leading article on the 10th of
+February, an article with which Mr. Rhodes was entirely in accord,
+the military censor addressed the following letter to the editor:&mdash;</p>
+
+<blockquote><p class="address" style="padding-right:3em;">&#8220;<span class="smcap">Army Headquarters,</span></p>
+<p class="address"><span class="smcap">Kimberley</span>, <i>February 10, 1900</i>.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;Sir,&mdash;Since the <i>Diamond Fields Advertiser</i> has now on two occasions
+printed leading articles on the military situation which are extremely injurious
+to the interests of the army and the defence of this town, without previously
+submitting the same to the military censor, I am directed to inform you that
+from this date the proof of the <i>Diamond Fields Advertiser</i> must be submitted
+to me before the copies of any daily number, leaflet, or other form of publication
+is issued to the public.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;I am further requested to inform you, in your own interests, that on the
+two occasions referred to you have committed the most serious offences dealt
+with by the Army Act, under which Act you are liable to be tried.&mdash;Yours
+faithfully, <span class="smcap">W. A. O&#8217;Meara</span>, Major, Military Censor.&#8221;</p></blockquote>
+
+<p>The military censor was within his rights. The editor, after the
+manner of editors, did not care to be muzzled, so the <i>Diamond
+Fields Advertiser</i> was temporarily suspended.</p>
+
+<p>The editorial chair at the time was not an enviable berth, owing
+to the invasion of shells from the 100-pounder gun, therefore the
+holiday may have been beneficial in more ways than one.</p>
+
+<p>The new gun, mounted on the kopje at Kamferdam, was determined
+to make life hideous, and so incessantly swept the
+neighbourhood that a state of panic began to prevail even among
+those who had hitherto borne themselves with unconcerned front.
+In addition to this perpetual tornado of horror the pinch of famine
+was becoming sharper, and the question of relief seemed to be
+growing into one of &#8220;now or never.&#8221; Despair seized on many.
+They began to count the days, and wonder when it would all end,
+and whether indeed it would ever end at all! Two days&mdash;three
+days&mdash;five days&mdash;the 15th of February! Then, dramatically, as in
+a fairy tale or a stage play, came the rumour of help, the whisper
+that French, the gallant, the energetic, the invincible, was coming,
+as on the wings of the wind&mdash;coming to restore freedom to those
+who, in their tedious imprisonment, were fainting with hope deferred.
+In an instant all was changed. The rumour became reality. Colonel
+Kekewich and his staff rode forth, and it was as though the good
+fairy had waved a wand. In an instant the dismal streets seemed<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_30" id="Page_30">[Pg 30]</a></span>
+to grow gaudy with flags, to flutter and flare as with the hues of the
+butterfly. Panic ceased, and gave way to almost hysterical joy.
+People laughed, chaffed, threw up their hats. The mines disgorged
+their human wealth&mdash;some thousand of women and children, who
+came forth alacrious, with swinging step and loudly babbling&mdash;babbling
+like mountain torrents let loose from the ice of winter! It
+was a scene for painter, not for penman; for who shall describe
+wrinkles of anxiety swept suddenly away, pangs of hunger allayed
+by thrills of glad excitation, nervous exhaustion magically forgotten,
+and all this simply because there was dust in the distance&mdash;the dust
+of coming feet&mdash;the dust of the British cavalry sweeping nearer and
+nearer on a glorious errand of deliverance!</p>
+
+<p>Five minutes later the looked-for moment had arrived. Anticipation
+had given way to fact&mdash;the 124 days&#8217; siege was at an end.
+Yet there were some who could scarce believe their ears. A man,
+hearing that General French had arrived, approached a trooper who
+was holding a horse outside the Club, and asked if the good news
+was true. &#8220;Yes,&#8221; was the reply; &#8220;I&#8217;m &#8217;is horderly; this is &#8217;is &#8217;at,
+and over there is &#8217;is &#8217;orse!&#8221; And the Kimberley man stared at the
+three objects before him as though he could never take his fill of
+satisfaction.</p>
+
+<h3 class="gap2">GENERAL FRENCH&#8217;S RIDE</h3>
+
+<p>And now, as the conjuror says, to explain how it was all done.
+The object of the combined movements was to turn Cronje&#8217;s position,
+which extended west and east from Majersfontein to Koodoesberg
+Drift on the one side towards Klip Drift on the Modder on
+the other, to relieve Kimberley, and, if possible, cut off the retreat
+of the Boers to Bloemfontein and invest the whole force. This
+stupendous programme was unfolded to General French and his
+A.A.G. Colonel Douglas Haig at the time already mentioned,
+when the great cavalry leader mysteriously ran down from Colesberg
+to the Cape. Here the plans for the future campaign were
+discussed, and here General French agreed to embark on an enterprise
+which had it failed in a single particular might have brought
+about &#8220;such a disaster as would have shaken England&#8217;s dominion
+in South Africa to its very foundation.&#8221; This is the opinion of
+Captain Cecil Boyle, a splendid young officer, who, when asked to
+join General French&#8217;s staff as galloper, was almost overcome with
+joy. But the plan did not fail: indeed it succeeded beyond expectation,
+and the relief of Kimberley, accomplished solely by the mounted
+troops&mdash;said to be the largest force ever commanded by a British
+General&mdash;was a feat scarcely to be excelled in the annals of warfare.
+This feat was performed between the 11th and the 15th of
+February, during which the Division experienced hardships of<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_31" id="Page_31">[Pg 31]</a></span>
+every kind. Horses and men were worked incessantly, without
+a day&#8217;s rest and in a broiling sun, which literally baked every
+portion of the human frame exposed to it, and grilled the eyeballs,
+causing the most acute suffering to man and beast. Supplies
+and forage ran short, and the horses were reduced to 1&frac12; lb. of corn
+a day, while the men lived finally from hand to mouth, killing and
+eating as they went along, now a sheep, now a goat, and presently
+nothing but boiled mealie cobs. Water was so scarce, and the
+sufferings of the animals so terrible, that when a stream was once
+encountered, the brutes, wild with an anguish of delight, tore towards
+it in their frantic career, becoming absolutely beyond control,
+and carrying their riders straight into the river. Some in this way
+were drowned. Many horses died of exhaustion. At the end, out
+of 8000, only 5400 remained. But all discomforts were forgotten in
+the success of the achievement, which from first to last was conducted
+with admirable <i>finesse</i> and consummate dash. Indeed this
+marvellous ride is looked upon by those who could technically
+criticise the difficulty and daring of the enterprise as one of the
+finest achievements of British arms.</p>
+
+<p>On the 11th of February the great cavalry division under
+General French started. With marvellous rapidity, and with a vast
+amount of mystery, the troops had gathered together in the neighbourhood
+of Enslin or Graspan, and commenced to move south-east
+on the now celebrated march for the relief of Kimberley. So
+swiftly was everything planned, and so dexterously was it accomplished,
+that even the wary Cronje, whose spies were everywhere,
+was incapable of believing that the detested rooineks were advancing
+with the rapidity of a cyclone for the purpose of sweeping him and
+his burghers from their comfortable positions. But a clean sweep
+they made nevertheless. Before the British advance Dutchmen
+fled precipitately from their farms, leaving their sweet mealie pap <i>in
+statu quo</i>, and all their effects exactly as they had been using them.</p>
+
+<p>They carried to Cronje wild rumours of British multitudes
+approaching, and preparing to make a last frontal attack upon
+Majersfontein, rumours which exactly suited Lord Roberts&#8217; strategic
+plan. Cronje instantly primed himself for the reception of the
+British, strengthening his fortifications and keeping his eye on the
+west, where he knew the Highland Brigade was operating. This
+again was precisely what Lord Roberts had intended him to do.</p>
+
+<p>Meanwhile, in the light of the stars, the great cavalry division
+with its batteries of artillery was on the move, rumbling cautiously
+through the mysterious, Boer-haunted regions under the guidance
+of the Hon. Major Lawrence, Chief of the Intelligence Department,
+and travelling many miles before sunrise on its important journey to
+Ramdam. Here horses were watered, men rested, details and remounts<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_32" id="Page_32">[Pg 32]</a></span>
+from Orange River picked up. On the morning of Monday the
+12th, the troops were again on the move, starting at 3 <span class="allsmcap">A.M.</span>, and
+endeavouring to cover as many miles as possible before the sun should
+rise and make the whole earth into a scorching, blistering wilderness.
+But now, in return for the cool night air, they had to contend with
+jetty obscurity. Very slow, therefore, was their progress. When
+helped by the dawn they got along faster, and soon the whole division
+reached Waterval. Here extra precautions were taken, for none
+knew how many Dutchmen might be ensconced in the surrounding
+kopjes or whether the drift might be swarming with Boers. But
+they were not long left in doubt. A Boer shell greeted the troops
+with such nicety of range that the General and his staff barely
+escaped. Colonel Eustace, R.H.A., immediately turned his attention
+to the hostile gun, and shortly silenced it, but the enemy still
+held on.</p>
+
+<p>Dekiel&#8217;s Drift is commanded by kopjes, having on the bank an
+octopus-armed donga which cuts deeply into the soil. At this drift
+the Boers endeavoured to make a stand, but the Mounted Infantry
+and Roberts&#8217; Horse were too much for them. Unfortunately, Captain
+Majendie, second in command of the latter regiment, was shot
+from Drift Kopje, in the shadow of which his remains were interred.
+There was no time for expression of mourning and regret; the Boers
+had to be routed, and presently, finding their rear threatened, they
+went streaming away from their strong position, taking with them
+their guns. After this the drift was taken possession of, and in the
+rays of the setting sun the disciplined hosts&mdash;brigade after brigade&mdash;crossed
+the Riet River, keeping possession of both banks.</p>
+
+<p>Horses and men were wearied out, scorched, and famishing, and
+there was a general sense of relief when at last they were joined by
+Lord Kitchener and staff and the Sixth Division, with convoys of
+provisions and fodder. At dawn on Tuesday a great deal had to
+be done&mdash;breakfast finished, nose-bags filled, &amp;c., before it was
+possible to order the advance. Day was well developed by the time
+the brigades had started, and now came the exceeding trials of their
+march. The level veldt was like a mirror to a brazen sky, and all
+through the sweltering hours when the sun blazed its strongest, men
+and horses, shadeless, parched, and sparsely fed, moved on mile after
+mile on their imperative errand without pause and without relief.
+Even a beautiful well of water, which tempted them to distraction,
+had to be passed by untouched. It was necessary to reserve it for the
+infantry, who were following on the morrow. So dry, dejected, yet
+determined, they went on and on, crossed the districts of Poortje,
+Zwart Kopjes, Kromkuil, and made a brief halt at Wegdraai.
+From thence they swung along past pans and kopjes and plains,
+due north to Klip Drift.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_33" id="Page_33">[Pg 33]</a></span></p>
+
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 438px;">
+<a name="ill_053" id="ill_053"></a><img src="images/ill_053.png" width="438" height="279" alt="" title="" />
+<div><span class="caption">THE DASH FOR KIMBERLEY&mdash;THE 10th HUSSARS CROSSING KLIP DRIFT.</span><br />
+<br />
+<span class="small">Drawing by John Charlton, from a Sketch by G. D. Giles, War Artist.</span>
+</div></div>
+
+<p>Captain Boyle, in the <i>Nineteenth Century</i>, gave a fresh and
+spirited account of their movements on this important and critical
+march.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;The distance covered in extended order was great, and to save
+the artillery horses Major Lawrence directed the columns by a slight
+<i>d�tour</i> north-easterly, leaving Jacobsdal some seven or eight miles
+to our left. The heat was now intense, and was further increased
+by the accidental burning of the veldt over a large area, thereby
+destroying our field-cable, as we learnt afterwards. From flank to
+flank the distance was so great that at times the General&#8217;s gallopers
+could not move their horses out of a walk, though the message was
+important, and everywhere men and horses alike suffered from sun
+and thirst.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;General Gordon&#8217;s brigade, far away on the left, was ordered to
+bring up its left shoulders to meet what looked like an attack on the
+right, but the guns of the 1st Brigade put the enemy to flight, and
+the march was resumed in slightly different order. The left brigade,
+under General Gordon, was ordered to advance; the centre brigade,
+under General Broadwood, was deployed to the right; and the right
+brigade, under Colonel Alexander, was ordered to follow in the rear.
+From a little stone-covered knoll the General and his staff scanned
+the distant river and its banks eight miles off, and instantly determined
+to push on for the drift. &#8216;Move up the whole division,&#8217; and
+the three gallopers started back with the order to the brigades,
+which had been halted meanwhile. General Gordon on the left,
+with the 9th and 16th Lancers and his guns, and General Broadwood
+on the right, with the 12th Lancers, Household Composite, and 10th
+Hussars, moved off at once; but Colonel Alexander&#8217;s brigade was
+far in the rear&mdash;he had already lost sixty horses, and the rest could
+move but slowly. The artillery horses could scarcely drag their
+guns and waggons, but still the General determined to force the
+drift; and I believe this decision was one of the most critical in the
+relief of Kimberley, for, had we not gained the drift directly our
+presence was known, the enemy would most certainly have fortified
+a very strong natural position. But the General&#8217;s mind was made
+up, and he was quick to act. Throwing Gordon on to the left to
+effect a crossing, and Broadwood some five miles away on his right,
+the advance to the river was made so swiftly that the enemy were
+absolutely surprised. After shelling for some time, Gordon crossed
+and went in pursuit. Only four guns out of twelve could come into
+action in the centre, but with such effect that the enemy shortly
+retreated over the hills. By this time General Broadwood had
+crossed on the right, and his brigade trumpeter sounded the
+&#8216;pursue.&#8217; The general rout was now complete&mdash;camp, waggons,
+everything was in our hands. New bread was lying about on the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_34" id="Page_34">[Pg 34]</a></span>
+veldt and dough-tins ready to be placed on the fire, with such haste
+had the Boers left their position.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;My horse had died with my last message to the 1st Brigade,
+and I trudged on over the level veldt partly on foot, partly on
+ammunition waggons, over the last five miles, crossed the Modder
+River with the four guns of P and G Batteries, and went to congratulate
+the General, who was sitting on the north bank, on his
+splendid achievement; for by this last forced march of nearly ten
+miles he had won half his way to Kimberley. Little incidents after
+the rout were full of the humour that hangs around everything
+grave. One of the staff plunged into the river and caught some
+geese, but some one else ate them; a pig ran the gauntlet through
+the camp&mdash;amidst roars of laughter, even from the serious General&mdash;of
+lances, bayonets, knives, sticks, boots, water-bottles, anything
+to hand, and at length was caught by a lucky trooper, who shared
+his feast that night with his friends. A waggon of fresh fruit was
+taken, sufficient to make thirsty men&#8217;s mouths water, but some
+thought the grapes were sour. Why the Boers retreated in such a
+hurry is difficult to understand, for the position and drift were very
+strong and easy to defend, especially against a spent foe; and, but
+for the quickness of the advance over the open veldt, which took
+the Boers completely by surprise, the division would have encountered
+a very nasty opposition.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>The Dutchmen were pursued with splendid animation by
+General Gordon&#8217;s jaded brigade, who succeeded, worn out as
+they were, in capturing some ambulance waggons and some Boer
+doctors; while General Broadwood&#8217;s brigade, also worn out, chased
+the Boers into the far distance till absolute exhaustion forced the
+abandonment of the pursuit. So at the drift the cavalry division
+enjoyed its terribly needed repose. They had gone through an
+appalling ordeal, but it had been wonderfully surmounted, and the
+command of river both at Klip Drift and Klip Kraal, some miles to
+the east, had been secured.</p>
+
+<p>On the 14th the Boers still continued to buzz about after the
+fashion of mosquitoes&mdash;now advancing, now retiring, worrying and
+annoying, but never coming boldly to the attack.</p>
+
+<p>They made strong efforts to fathom the movements and designs
+of the British, but without success. Colonel Gorringe, Chief of
+Lord Kitchener&#8217;s Staff, now arrived, and announced that Lord
+Kitchener and General Kelly-Kenny were advancing by night from
+Dekiel Drift, whereupon Captain Laycock, A.D.C., rode out and
+succeeded by midnight in conducting these officers safely to camp.
+In the small hours the Sixth Division, after a hard and really
+glorious march, which must be described anon, arrived. Thus his
+left flank being secured, General French was free to pursue his<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_35" id="Page_35">[Pg 35]</a></span>
+impetuous ride. This he did after handing over to the infantry the
+positions he had gained. While the cavalry division moved out,
+Kelly-Kenny&#8217;s division&mdash;as in the game of &#8220;general post&#8221;&mdash;quickly
+shifted to the vacant place, thus making any return of the fleeing
+Boers impossible.</p>
+
+<p>The three cavalry brigades then drew up in columns of brigade
+masses, with the seven batteries of horse-artillery on their left,
+where the strongest attack from the laager near Kimberley was
+expected. How far the Boers were aware and prepared for the
+British move was uncertain, but it was decided that at all costs the
+cavalry would cut through them.</p>
+
+<p>Operations began with the shelling and capture of two laagers on
+the north side of the river, and the way being thus cleared of the
+enemy, the division made its way to a point where it was met by the
+contingent from the Modder River. The force, now increased by
+Scots Greys, Household Cavalry, and two Lancer Regiments, numbered
+some 10,000 men, seven batteries of horse-artillery and three
+field-batteries.</p>
+
+<p>Scarcely had the brigades proceeded before the Boers opened
+fire, and soon men and gunners fell, and horses riderless and pairs
+devoid of drivers were seen rushing madly over the plain. From a
+kopje on the right came the rattle and roar of musketry, which was
+replied to by the guns of the horse-artillery. There was no
+doubt now that a horde of Boers were hiding in front, and that the
+way forward was only to be gained by a desperate plunge. There
+was no hesitation. General Gordon and his gallant men were ordered
+to charge and clear the right front, and the thing was done. Away
+went the 9th and 12th Lancers, galloping for all they were worth,
+on and on like a flash of avenging lightning. At sight of the human
+avalanche the Boers, who had been &#8220;raining hell&#8221; from their
+trenches, suddenly threw up Mausers and hands; but it was too
+late, the whirlwind was upon them, and over a hundred Dutchmen
+bit the dust. Others ran helter-skelter, a whimpering and shouting
+rabble!</p>
+
+<p>Now came the greatest sight that military men have witnessed
+for years&mdash;the rush of the legions across the great plain of Alexandersfontein.
+This vast area, about three to five miles square, is
+surrounded by menacing kopjes, which harboured Boers rendered
+desperate by surprise and consternation. Across the open the
+Lancer regiments and Scots Greys as advance guard, with the
+rest of the force deployed at ten yards&#8217; intervals, rushed like a
+hurricane, a sirocco in the desert. Boers still showered down their
+lead, but the cavalry, heedless, thundered along, throwing up a
+volume of dust, while kopje after kopje was swept by the mounted
+infantry. The enemy was dispersed on every side.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_36" id="Page_36">[Pg 36]</a></span></p>
+
+<p>Five long miles the race of the centaurs continued&mdash;centaurs
+galloping as if for dear life&mdash;Carabineers and Greys leading the
+main body, the 12th Lancers on the left, the Household Composite
+Regiment with the 9th Lancers on the right&mdash;a regal show,
+and one worth a lifetime to have witnessed.</p>
+
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 434px;">
+<a name="ill_058" id="ill_058"></a><img src="images/ill_058.png" width="434" height="332" alt="" title="" />
+<div><span class="caption smcap">Typical Underground Dwelling at Kimberley.</span>
+</div></div>
+
+<p>At De Villiers the exhausted warriors watered their horses and
+strove to gather together the poor brutes for a final effort. Many
+were sun-stricken, others had simply used themselves up. The
+speed that was to outwit Cronje had to be paid for in horse-flesh.
+But, owing to that speed, much loss of human life was spared.
+Lieutenant Sweet Escott (16th Lancers) had fallen early in the
+day, but considering the fire of the enemy it was a marvel that only
+one officer had been killed. One man was also slain, and there were
+about thirty wounded.</p>
+
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 517px;">
+<div style="margin-left:20%;text-align:left;" class="xsmall">Kopje held by the Boers.</div>
+<a name="ill_059" id="ill_059"></a><img src="images/ill_059.png" width="517" height="297" alt="" title="" />
+<div>
+<table class="w100" summary="">
+<tr>
+<td class="xsmall center">16th Lancers.</td>
+<td class="xsmall center">9th Lancers.</td>
+<td class="xsmall center">Household Cavalry.</td>
+</tr>
+</table>
+<span class="caption">THE LAST STAND MADE BY THE BOERS BEFORE KIMBERLEY&mdash;CHARGE OF BRITISH CAVALRY IN
+THE ENGAGEMENT AT KLIP DRIFT.</span><br />
+<br />
+<span class="small">Drawing by W. S. Small, from a Sketch by G. D. Giles, War Artist.</span>
+</div></div>
+
+<p>At two o&#8217;clock the troops were halted at the base of a small
+kopje, from the crown of which it was possible to descry the chimneys
+of Kimberley in the distance. It was as though they had sighted
+the Promised Land. Up went a mighty cheer from a thousand
+throats, ringing almost against the vault of the burnished heaven,
+and echoing far and wide among the threatening Boer-haunted<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_37" id="Page_37">[Pg 37]</a></span>
+kopjes! Kimberley was on the eve of relief. The trial, the trouble,
+the turmoil were over! The triumph was won! On went the
+Division, riding now with all their might, and at sight of them the
+enemy, hot-foot, commenced to gallop into space. Soon the Division
+was within sight of the suburbs, and their guns were addressing
+themselves to a Boer laager on the east of the town. The extra
+uproar struck fresh alarm in the people of Kimberley, who had
+been driven distraught by the Boer&#8217;s 100-pounders, and a message
+was flashed out, &#8220;The Boers are shelling the town.&#8221; Then came
+the answer&mdash;the glorious answer&mdash;&#8220;<i>It is General French coming to
+the relief of Kimberley</i>.&#8221; The news to the imprisoned multitude
+seemed incredible. They dreaded lest it might be a new wile of
+the Dutchman, and, to make assurance doubly sure, flashed out a
+fresh query. But by sunset the British troops had appeared: the
+whole force, battered, bronzed, but jubilant, was galloping into
+Beaconsfield.</p>
+
+<h3 class="gap2">STRATEGY <i>VERSUS</i> TACTICS</h3>
+
+<p>Some one has said that strategy is a permanent science whose
+principles are immutable, while tactics vary with the variations of
+weapons and modes of warfare. The first example of this permanent
+science was presented only when Lord Roberts came to
+South Africa, but so complete and skilful, and withal so subtle, was
+the initial demonstration, that its fruits within ten days of his arrival
+at the front were ready to drop to his hand. Looking back, the
+plan of Lord Roberts&#8217; operations appears simple in the extreme, but
+at the time only masterly conception and accuracy of execution could
+have ensured success for so complicated a programme. To appreciate
+its subtlety and its neat execution, it becomes necessary to
+follow the other portions of the programme, beginning from the
+entry into the Free State of the enormous army that was massed on
+its borders by Monday the 12th. On that day three divisions of
+infantry, the 6th, 7th, and 9th, General French&#8217;s division, two
+brigades of mounted infantry under Colonels Hannay and Ridley
+respectively, the artillery under General Marshall, consisting of
+three brigade divisions of horse-artillery, two brigade divisions of
+field-artillery, one howitzer battery, and a Naval Contingent of
+four 4.7-inch and four 12-pounders, marched from Graspan and
+Honeynest Kloof through Ramdam. The total field force
+amounted to 23,000 infantry and 11,000 mounted men, with 98
+guns, and a transport of over 700 waggons drawn by nearly 9000
+mules and oxen. Later on the artillery was reinforced by the
+arrival of a battery of 6-inch howitzers, throwing 100-lb. shells, and
+three Vickers-Maxim quick-firers and the Brigade of Guards, which
+had remained opposite the Boer trenches at Majersfontein.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_38" id="Page_38">[Pg 38]</a></span></p>
+
+<p>The following table serves to show roughly the disposition of
+the troops:&mdash;</p>
+
+<blockquote><p class="center">FIELD-MARSHAL LORD ROBERTS&#8217; FORCE</p>
+
+<p><span class="smcap">First Division.</span>&mdash;(Lieutenant-General Lord Methuen).&mdash;1st (Pole-Carew&#8217;s)
+Brigade&mdash;3rd Grenadier Guards; 1st Coldstream Guards; 2nd Coldstream
+Guards; 1st Scots Guards. 9th (Douglas&#8217;s) Brigade&mdash;1st Northumberland
+Fusiliers; 1st Loyal North Lancashire (half); 2nd Northamptonshire; 2nd
+Yorkshire Light Infantry; 18th, 62nd, 75th Field Batteries.</p>
+
+<p><span class="smcap">Sixth Division.</span>&mdash;(Lieutenant-General Kelly-Kenny).&mdash;12th Brigade&mdash;2nd
+Worcestershire, 1st Royal Irish, 2nd Bedfordshire, 2nd Wiltshire (half battalions).
+13th Brigade (Knox&#8217;s)&mdash;2nd East Kent; 1st Oxfordshire Light
+Infantry; 1st West Riding; 2nd Gloucester; 76th, 81st, and 82nd Field
+Batteries; 38th Company Royal Engineers.</p>
+
+<p><span class="smcap">Seventh Division.</span>&mdash;(Lieutenant-General Tucker).&mdash;14th Brigade&mdash;2nd
+Norfolk; 2nd Lincoln; 1st King&#8217;s Own Scottish Borderers; 2nd Hants. 15th
+Brigade&mdash;2nd Cheshire; 1st East Lancashire; 2nd South Wales Borderers;
+2nd North Stafford; 83rd, 84th, and 85th Field Batteries; 9th Company Royal
+Engineers.</p>
+
+<p><span class="smcap">Ninth Division.</span>&mdash;(Major-General Sir H. Colvile).&mdash;3rd (Highland) Brigade
+(MacDonald&#8217;s)&mdash;1st Argyll and Sutherland; 1st Highland Light Infantry; 2nd
+Seaforth Highlanders; 2nd Royal Highlanders (Black Watch). 18th Brigade&mdash;1st
+Essex; 1st Yorkshire; 1st Welsh; 2nd Royal Warwick.</p>
+
+<p><span class="smcap">Cavalry Division.</span>&mdash;(Major-General (Local Lieutenant-General) French).&mdash;1st
+Brigade (Broadwood)&mdash;10th Hussars; 12th Lancers; Household Cavalry.
+2nd Brigade (Porter)&mdash;6th Dragoon Guards; 6th Dragoons (two squadrons);
+2nd Dragoons; New Zealanders; Australians. 3rd Brigade (Gordon)&mdash;9th
+Lancers; 16th Lancers; Horse Artillery; G, P, O, R, Q, T, U Batteries.</p>
+
+<p><span class="smcap">Troops with Lord Roberts.</span>&mdash;Gordon Highlanders; 2nd Duke of Cornwall&#8217;s
+Light Infantry; 2nd Shropshire Light Infantry; Canadian Regiment;
+Roberts&#8217; Horse; Kitchener&#8217;s Horse; City of London Imperial Volunteers
+(Mounted Infantry Company); 2nd, 38th, 39th, 44th, and 88th Field Batteries;
+A Battery R.H.A.; 37th and 65th Howitzer Batteries; three Naval 4.7-in. guns;
+part of Siege Train.</p></blockquote>
+
+<p>It will be seen by the above that General Colvile had been
+appointed to the command of the Ninth Division, while Colonel
+Pole-Carew was transferred from the command of the Ninth Brigade
+to that of the Guards Brigade, and was succeeded in the former post
+by Colonel Douglas, late Chief of the Staff to Lord Methuen.</p>
+
+<p>Having viewed this force, it becomes somewhat interesting to
+note how smoothly wheel turned within wheel. The movement
+began by the concentration of General French&#8217;s division at Ramdam.
+On the morning of the 12th the infantry appeared, and General
+French moved on, crossed Dekiel&#8217;s Drift on Tuesday the 13th, and
+captured Klip Drift and Drieput Drift, on the Modder River. Following
+him closely on the 12th came the divisions of General Tucker and
+General Kelly-Kenny. The latter division was accompanied by Lord
+Kitchener and his staff. The negotiation of the first drift, which was<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_39" id="Page_39">[Pg 39]</a></span>
+almost impassable for transport, next occupied the ingenuity and tested
+the perseverance of the troops. The drifts, like the kopjes, are the
+almost unconquerable bogies of South Africa. They are the natural
+defences of the country, offering obstruction on every hand, and,
+however boldly you may storm the kopje, you must with infinite
+patience negotiate the drift. This is no small undertaking, for drifts,
+in a way, partake of the paradoxical character of individuals&mdash;the
+weaker the person, the more difficult is he to manage; the more insignificant
+the river, the greater the perverseness of the drift. It
+resolves itself in both cases into a question of narrowness. Small
+streams and small minds are banked up too high to allow moving
+room in their midst. The result of an attempt to advance is congestion
+of a painful kind. At this particular drift it was found impossible
+for the team of mules to lug the formidable waggon-loads up the
+north bank, and at last the feat had to be accomplished by adding
+relays of oxen to assist in the tremendous labour. Finally, by 4 <span class="allsmcap">A.M.</span>
+the next morning the troops got across, General Tucker&#8217;s division
+marching to within some three miles of Jacobsdal, and hugging
+the river all the way, so as to run no risk of being without water.
+General Kelly-Kenny followed, marching from Waterval Drift to
+Wegdraai on the morning of the 14th, and proceeding thence at
+5 <span class="allsmcap">P.M.</span> on the same day to Klip Drift, which was reached in the
+middle of the night. The rapidity with which this rush on his heels
+was accomplished enabled General French, who had been awaiting
+the arrival of the infantry, to proceed on his flying swoop for the
+relief of Kimberley. This, as we know, was accomplished on
+Thursday the 15th of February. Meanwhile the wheels of the
+strategic machinery were going round. A small cavalry patrol had
+entered Jacobsdal, which town was found to be full of wounded, including
+many of our own invalids from Rensburg. On the way back
+the mounted infantry were attacked, and Colonel Henry was fired
+on by a party of Dutchmen who were concealed in the vicinity of
+the river, and so sudden was the attack that nine men were wounded.
+Colonel Henry, Major Hatchell, and ten men were missing. A
+battery of artillery shelled the environs of the place, and put to flight
+such Boers as were hanging about, whereupon the British remained
+masters of the situation. Thus it will be seen that while the Dutchmen
+were fleeing from Jacobsdal, from Alexandersfontein, and from
+the neighbourhood of Kimberley, for fear of being cut off, they had
+surrounding them Lord Methuen at Majersfontein, General Tucker
+at Jacobsdal, General Kelly-Kenny at the Klip and Rondeval Drifts,
+General French on the north, and General Colvile wheeling around,
+ready to suit his movements to any emergency. In this manner
+Cronje found the teeth of a trap preparing to close on him, and
+recognised that there was no alternative but to &#8220;make a bolt for it.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_40" id="Page_40">[Pg 40]</a></span>&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>Thus the first part of the programme was accomplished. Kimberley
+was automatically relieved; Cronje was on the run. But his
+running was no easy matter. Since Lord Roberts&#8217; strategy had
+come into play, there was a prospect of a neck-and-neck race between
+the mobile Boer and the mobile Briton, and success depended on
+General French&#8217;s ability not only to rout but to head off the retreat
+of the Dutchman. That the British cavalry commander should outmatch
+him in celerity was a contingency which had not occurred to
+Cronje; that he should advance independently of the rail, and start
+off across the Riet to trek to the Modder, was described by one of
+his countrymen as distinctly &#8220;un-British.&#8221; Whether this epithet
+was used to denote admiration or contempt we cannot say. Certain
+it was that the wily persecutor of Mafeking and Kimberley thought
+that the secret of the art of trekking was confined to himself and
+his rabble, until he discovered, too late, that the equally wily French
+with his disciplined legions was ready to ride over him. On the
+16th of February the astonished commandant, with a horde of 10,000
+Boers, was scudding in full retreat towards Bloemfontein. On all
+sides were Boer laagers in a state of abandonment&mdash;stores, tents,
+food, Bibles, raiment&mdash;everything had been left by the amazed
+and panic-stricken Dutchmen. Dronfield, Saltpan, Scholtz Nek,
+and Spyfontein were now evacuated. Under cover of darkness
+the investing hordes had taken to their heels, leaving behind them
+even herds of cattle and ammunition, in their desire to gain a loophole
+of escape. But they soon found that, wherever they might go,
+there was the rumour of British opposition, an armed and avenging
+race advancing!</p>
+
+<p>The fact was that the trekking of the Boer hordes had been
+adroitly discovered by Lord Kitchener, who, having detected an
+unusual haze of dust in the distance, at once gave orders for the
+mounted infantry not to follow French, but to pursue the enemy.
+Accordingly, to quote the <i>Times</i> correspondent, who was present:&mdash;</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;The mounted infantry rode in pursuit across the plain, endeavouring
+to get to the north of the convoy, while General Knox&#8217;s
+Brigade was pushed along the north bank of the river, which makes
+a large bend to the north between Klip Drift and Klipkraal Drift,
+to strike the convoy on its southern flank. Cronje sent on his
+waggons to Drieputs Farm, at the north-eastern end of the bend,
+where they laagered at about eleven, and maintained a running
+fight with our troops all day. The skill with which the Boers
+conducted this rear-guard action extorted unqualified praise from all
+our officers. As the detachments on the extreme right of the Boer
+line were driven back by our mounted infantry, they rode round
+behind their centre and took up fresh positions on their left against
+the 81st Battery and Knox&#8217;s Brigade, which were advancing along<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_41" id="Page_41">[Pg 41]</a></span>
+the north bank of the river. At midday the Boers attempted to
+hold three low kopjes two miles north-east of Klip Drift, but were
+driven back to a stronger position at Drieputs.&#8221;</p>
+
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 470px;">
+<a name="ill_065" id="ill_065"></a><img src="images/ill_065.png" width="470" height="292" alt="" title="" />
+<div><span class="caption">CAPTURE OF A BOER CONVOY BY GENERAL FRENCH&#8217;S TROOPS NEAR KIMBERLEY.</span><br />
+<br />
+<span class="small">Drawing by Stanley L. Wood, from a Sketch by an Officer.</span>
+</div></div>
+
+<p>Fighting went on throughout the day. At seven o&#8217;clock on the
+evening of the 16th it became almost possible to see the end; the
+artillery had commenced the vigorous shelling of the laager, and all
+the divisions moving on the great axis were now aware that Lord
+Roberts&#8217; strategic plan was likely&mdash;how soon they knew not&mdash;to be
+crowned with success.</p>
+
+<p>But we must here break off to eulogise the wonderful activity of
+Kelly-Kenny&#8217;s division, which acquitted itself so honourably. The
+march from Graspan to Brandvallei beyond Klip Drift, a distance
+55&frac34; miles, was accomplished in five marching days. The Light
+Brigade on the eve of the battle of Talavera did sixty-two English
+miles in twenty-six hours, losing only seventeen stragglers by the way.
+They accomplished this feat by adopting the peculiar step invented
+by Sir John Moore, three paces walking alternating with three paces
+running, which enabled them, when tracks were suitable, to cover
+six miles an hour! No such evolutions as these were possible, owing
+to the torrid weather and the necessity to take precautions against
+exposure in the open veldt during midday. The temperature may
+be imagined when it is stated that in one day about sixty-six soldiers
+sun-stricken fell out of the ranks. On the morning of the 12th
+of February the infantry marched some nine and a half miles from
+Graspan to Ramdam, and from thence on the 13th moved to
+Waterval Drift. On the 14th they proceeded to Wegdraai, and on
+to Klip Drift, which was reached in the small hours of the 15th.
+Here, notwithstanding their fatigues, the 13th Brigade at once
+engaged with the enemy&#8217;s rearguard, and exhibited splendid fighting
+qualities, which in the circumstances were remarkable even for
+Englishmen. The West Riding, Gloucesters, Buffs, and Oxfords
+had a warm time during the whole of the 16th, as the enemy from
+kopjes beyond the river in the region of Klipkraal assailed them
+for nearly eight hours, assisted by a pom-pom which caused considerable
+loss. Though a furious sandstorm later on permitted the
+Boers under cover of night to get away, abandoning seventy-eight
+waggons, the next morning the invincible Sixth Division started in
+pursuit. Captain Trevor (1st East Kent Regiment), Lieutenant Shipway
+(2nd Gloucester Regiment), and Colonel M&#8217;Donnell, R.A., were
+wounded in the course of the engagement. Major Evelegh, Oxford
+Light Infantry, while proceeding to join his battalion in the Sixth
+Division with a small convoy and escort, was surrounded by a large
+party of Boers, and after a gallant defence was forced to surrender.</p>
+
+<p>Fighting and marching without ceasing, the infantry went to
+Brandvallei and thence to Paardeberg, where they arrived at<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_42" id="Page_42">[Pg 42]</a></span>
+9.30 <span class="allsmcap">P.M.</span> on the 17th, in time to take a brief rest prior to the
+operations which have yet to be described, and in which they took
+such a prominent part. The marching, considering the tremendous
+heat and the difficulty of obtaining water, was a feat of which
+General Kelly-Kenny might justly have felt proud. Though plodding
+along incessantly through the heavy burning sand under a
+sun which baked and frizzled even through their uniforms, these
+men maintained patience and cheerfulness in a rare degree. The
+whole force was animated by complete faith in their commander,
+and moved unanimously like some magnificent piece of machinery,
+scarce taking time to eat or sleep in the zest of their persistent
+pursuit of the enemy. And they were not alone in their zealous
+performance of their share in the great scheme. The nicety and
+precision of the transport arrangements may be imagined when
+we remember that at one time four divisions were moving independently
+of their base, making marches across the arid waterless
+tracks, and carrying with them the necessaries of life for a healthy
+working multitude. A new regime had begun, and the mobility of
+our columns had grown equal to that of the Boers, while the railway
+had been relegated to a subordinate place in the strategical plan.</p>
+
+<p>Colonel Graham, in his &#8220;Art of War,&#8221; declares that &#8220;to organise
+the means of transport for an army acting at a long distance from
+its principal magazines, in a country where it is entirely dependent
+on its own supplies, is a problem difficult of solution.&#8221; Now,
+the solution of this problem was due to the wonderful talent of
+Lord Kitchener, who was earning his right to be looked upon as
+the greatest military organiser of his generation. But his gigantic
+effort did not increase the popularity of the late Sirdar. He ran
+counter to too many private interests. The army is too intersected
+with grooves to be crossed without a few nasty jars, and it was
+scarcely possible for so young and successful a general and a peer&mdash;one
+possessed of almost criminal good luck and amazing moral as
+well as physical courage&mdash;to be looked upon by his contemporaries-in-arms
+with excessive approval. The secret of discord was given
+in a nutshell by Mr. Ralph of the <i>Daily Mail</i>. He wrote:&mdash;&#8220;His
+first conspicuous act when in South Africa was the withdrawal of
+the transport service from separated commands in order that it
+should be managed by the Army Service Corps. Thus it came
+about that every brigadier and colonel saw a certain amount of his
+power shifted to what he considered a subordinate branch of the
+service. A goodish degree of latitude in the enjoyment of comforts
+and extras, which had been made possible when these officers controlled
+the waggons, was also curtailed. The army wailed and
+gnashed its teeth, but I confess I always thought that reason and
+right were on Lord Kitchener&#8217;s side in this matter. Lord Kitchener&#8217;s<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_43" id="Page_43">[Pg 43]</a></span>
+plan was the only one by which an insufficient number of waggons
+and teams could be utilised for all that they were worth.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>The mobility of an army depends on the reduction of transport,
+and to the task of organising transport sufficient to ensure the
+mobility of 100,000 men the hero of Omdurman applied himself
+with his customary thoroughness. He conceived the gigantic ambition
+of doing away with all distinctions of transport, regimental,
+departmental, ammunition, or ambulance, and merging them in an immense
+whole, thus creating a single general corps, and it was doubtless
+to this conception and the able way that the scheme&mdash;with the assistance
+of Colonel Richardson&mdash;was carried out, that Lord Roberts
+owed the expedition of his march to Bloemfontein and the further success
+which resulted from his sure and swift rushes onward. Ordinarily
+speaking, in the army each unit is allowed its own transport. For instance,
+colonel, adjutant, and orderly-room are allotted by regulation
+a tent apiece. Every three officers share a tent, every fourteen men
+another. Staff-sergeants, batmen, and other details are proportionately
+provided for. Mounted officers are allowed 80 lbs. baggage,
+double the amount allowed for &#8220;smaller fry.&#8221; Without going
+into minute particulars, we may reckon that a brigade would move
+with 70 waggons and a division with about 180. To reduce the
+huge encumbrance of say some 2000 waggons, with their complement
+of oxen and drivers, was a stupendous labour, from which, with its
+consequences, this military Hercules did not shrink. Each unit
+was taken in hand, and its excrescences&mdash;regulation excrescences, we
+may call them&mdash;were cut down, peeled of all superfluities, much to
+the disgust of the staff officers and various other personages who
+stickle for their rights, and resent any innovation that threatens to
+dock off an iota of the creature comforts that belong to them by the
+divine right of red-tape and red-book regulations.</p>
+
+<p>Not only were the rules of transport revised, but special hints
+tending to the development of the initiative of the private soldier
+were issued to the troops. Herewith is appended the notable document
+which may be said to have marked the beginning of the new
+era:&mdash;</p>
+
+<blockquote>
+<p class="address"><span class="smcap">Cape Town</span>, <i>February 5, 1900</i>.</p>
+
+<p>The following notes by the Field-Marshal Commanding-in-Chief are communicated
+for the guidance of all concerned.&mdash;By order,</p>
+
+<p class="address"><span class="smcap">Kitchener of Khartoum</span>, <i>Chief of Staff</i>.</p>
+
+<p class="center smcap">Notes for Guidance in South African Warfare</p>
+
+<p class="center"><i>Cavalry</i></p>
+
+<p>1. On reconnaissances or patrols not likely to be prolonged beyond one
+day, the cavalry soldier&#8217;s equipment should be lightened as much as possible,
+nothing being taken that can possibly be dispensed with.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_44" id="Page_44">[Pg 44]</a></span></p>
+
+<p>2. It has been brought to my notice that our cavalry move too slowly when
+on reconnaissance duty, and that unnecessary long halts are made, the result
+being that the enemy, although starting after the cavalry, are able to get ahead
+of it. I could understand this if the country were close and difficult, but between
+the Modder and the Orange Rivers its general features are such as to
+admit of small parties of cavalry, accompanied by field-guns, being employed
+with impunity.</p>
+
+<p class="center"><i>Artillery</i></p>
+
+<p>3. If the enemy&#8217;s guns have, in some instances, the advantage of ours
+in range, we have the advantage of theirs in mobility, and we should make
+use of them by not remaining in position the precise distance of which from
+the enemy&#8217;s batteries has evidently been fixed beforehand. Moreover, it has
+been proved that the Boers&#8217; fire is far less accurate at unknown distances. In
+taking up positions, compact battery formations should be avoided, the guns
+should be opened out, or it may be desirable to advance by sections or batteries.
+Similarly retirements should be carried out, at considerably increased intervals,
+by alternate batteries or sections, if necessary, and care should be taken to
+travel quickly through the dangerous zone of hostile artillery fire.</p>
+
+<p>The following plan, frequently adopted by the Boers, has succeeded in
+deceiving our artillery on several occasions.</p>
+
+<p>Suppose A to be a gun emplacement, the gun firing smokeless powder.
+Simultaneously with the discharge of the gun at A a powder flash of black
+powder will be exploded at B, a hill in rear, leading us to direct our projectile
+on B. Careful calculation with a watch, however, will defeat this plan.</p>
+
+<p class="center"><i>Infantry</i></p>
+
+<p>4. The present open formation renders it difficult for officers to exercise
+command over their men, except such as may be in their immediate vicinity.
+A remedy for this would appear to be a system of whistle calls, by which a
+company lying in extended order could obey orders as readily as if in quarter
+column. I invite suggestions for such a system of whistle calls as would be
+useful.</p>
+
+<p>5. It is difficult to recognise officers as equipped at present, and it seems
+desirable they should wear a distinguishing mark of some kind, either on the
+collar at the back of the neck or on the back of the coat.</p>
+
+<p>6. Soldiers, when under fire, do not take sufficient advantage of the sandy
+nature of the soil to construct cover for themselves. If such soil is scraped,
+even with a canteen tin, a certain amount of cover from rifle fire can be obtained
+in a short time.</p>
+
+<p>7. The distribution of ammunition to the firing line is one of the most
+difficult problems of modern warfare. One solution, which has been suggested
+to me, is for a portion of the supports gradually to creep forward until a regular
+chain of men is established from the supports (where the ammunition carts
+should be) right up to the firing line. The ammunition could then be gradually
+worked up by hand till it reached the firing line, where it could be passed along
+as required. This would, no doubt, be a slow method of distributing ammunition,
+but it appears to be an improvement on the present method, which is
+almost impossible to carry out under fire.</p>
+
+<p>8. Reports received suggest that the Boers are less likely to hold entrenchments
+on the plain with the same tenacity and courage as they display when
+defending kopjes, and it is stated that this applies especially to night-time, if<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_45" id="Page_45">[Pg 45]</a></span>
+they know that British infantry are within easy striking distance from them.
+How far this is true time only can show.</p>
+
+<p class="address"><span class="smcap">Roberts</span>, <i>Field-Marshal Commanding-in-Chief, South Africa</i>.</p>
+</blockquote>
+
+<p>To return, however, to the great advance. Much of the travelling
+was done by night, in order to save the oxen from the trying
+temperature of the day, though even during the night the heat was
+equal to that of an ordinary British midsummer. In addition to the
+painful toil of motion over the heavy, sandy, rugged leagues, there
+was the hourly danger of attack. Cronje had made known his need
+for reinforcements, and at the time, from the south, Andries Cronje
+was moving, and from the north, Commandants Snyman and Fournie,
+while from other quarters and in the direction of Ladysmith there was
+the belief that Boer hordes might be advancing. There was only
+one encounter with the Dutchmen, but it ended in a mishap that was
+a serious one, for the results were felt for days afterwards, and
+helped to try the heroism of the troops who engaged in the movement
+to the uttermost. A convoy of 180 waggons, one-quarter of
+the total transport, containing forage and provisions, was lost at
+Waterval Drift. An interesting picture of the terrible passage of
+the drift was given by a sapper who accompanied the convoy:&mdash;</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;It was a pitiful sight to see the poor infantry fellows played
+out, some dropping with a slight sunstroke, and the cattle dropping
+dead in all directions. We moved sometimes by day and sometimes
+by night. Night-time was the best on account of the oxen working
+much better in the cool of night. Nothing occurred of note with us&mdash;but
+our fellows were fighting every day in front on their way to
+Kimberley&mdash;till we got to Riet River or Drift, which was a terrible
+pass in the river. Miles and miles of transport had to pass through
+a narrow passage across the drift, and it took a terrible time for one
+waggon to pass over, let alone the hundreds that had to pass. We
+were lucky to get across and encamp below a hill for the night.
+Next day they still continued to pass the drift, in fact they had been
+at it all night, and still hundreds of waggons to come on. The Boers
+evidently knew of this obstacle, and a party came up from the south
+and had vengeance on the column, as they couldn&#8217;t on the fighting
+line. It was a lucky thing for us we were clear, or else we might
+have found our baggage gone and ourselves put over the border (i.e.
+sent to Pretoria or shot). The Boers took up position in the hills
+and shelled the waggon convoy. The nigger drivers are terrible
+cowards, and all fled to the hills or kopjes near at hand, leaving the
+waggons and oxen to the mercy of the Boers. Some of the oxen
+we succeeded in driving back into our camp on the other side of the
+river. The good old New Zealanders (who have proved of great
+use and very daring in this campaign) rode over to where the nigger<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_46" id="Page_46">[Pg 46]</a></span>
+drivers were, and threatened to blow their brains out if they didn&#8217;t
+return to the waggons, which they did after the Boers had left off
+shelling for a bit, after doing a terrible lot of damage. Lord Bobs
+came up just as they were going to try and get some of the
+waggons away, and said &#8216;Let them go.&#8217; Our loss proved to be
+over �100,000, which I am glad to say we recovered later. The
+Boers thought this convoy was lost purposely, and when we arrived
+here we found the whole of it except what had been sent to our
+prisoners at Pretoria.&#8221;</p>
+
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 415px;">
+<a name="ill_072" id="ill_072"></a><img src="images/ill_072.png" width="415" height="312" alt="" title="" />
+<div><span class="caption smcap">Troop of the 10th Hussars with Nordenfeldt Gun.</span><br />
+<br />
+<span class="smaller">Photo by H. Johnston, London.</span>
+</div></div>
+
+<p>The unpleasant adventures of E Squadron of Kitchener&#8217;s Light
+Horse, who were taken as prisoners to Pretoria, make a separate
+narrative of themselves, as they took place while the main body
+was moving on to the relief of Kimberley.</p>
+
+<p>The squadron was attached to General French&#8217;s column, and
+took part in the engagement at Riet River. On its way to the
+relief of Kimberley, a halt was made at a farm a short distance from
+Modder River, and part of E squadron was detached to hold a well
+of water until the arrival of another column, expected in four
+hours, and then to advance along with them. The relieving column
+never arrived. Squadron E held the position for four days without<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_47" id="Page_47">[Pg 47]</a></span>
+food against a large force of Boers. They (E Squadron) occupied
+an old farmhouse. They loopholed the walls, and although continuously
+harassed by the Boer fire, they managed to maintain their
+position and the post they were placed in charge of. During that
+time they had to subsist on water only, and that brackish. Their
+horses were dying daily, as there was not a blade of grass on the
+veldt, and the stench was abominable. On the third day of the
+siege a poor goat that had wandered near the besieged was immediately
+captured and devoured. On the fourth day they commandeered
+one of the enemy&#8217;s horses, which they intended to
+slaughter, their own being too emaciated for that purpose. But
+the Boers, having been reinforced, gave them no time to do the
+butchering. On the evening of the fourth day a messenger bearing
+a letter from General de Wet arrived, demanding surrender within
+ten minutes. The Boer force consisted of 500 men and two
+12-pounders. The officers consulted together, and decided, in
+view of the hopeless condition of their little garrison of fifty all
+told, worn out and starving and their horses dead, to accept the
+inevitable.</p>
+
+<p>While all this was going on, and Cronje was making the discovery
+that he might be completely outflanked, and that the
+position of the Boer army at Spyfontein must become untenable,
+Lord Roberts was entering into Jacobsdal. The place was orderly
+and quiet. The three churches were full of patients, the town having
+been used mainly as an hospital. The invalids, for the most part,
+were sufferers from enteric, the result of too much Modder River.
+After a long and painful intimacy with the grilling veldt, the sight
+of houses and civilised dwellings struck gratefully on the eyes of
+the incoming troops. A store was hailed as a veritable godsend.
+Some one bought a tin of oatmeal, and walked off with it as one
+who had secured a prize; some one else gave a goodly price for
+a pot of pickles, and came away licking his lips like a modern
+Eliogabalus. The rejoicing was no mean emotion, for the unfortunate
+men, with the appetites of athletes, had been existing on
+lovers&#8217; fare. One of the famished but cheery fellows wrote: &#8220;We
+marched into Jacobsdal, and as soon as we arrived we thronged
+the stores for provisions. I made the following purchases for three
+of us:&mdash;</p>
+
+<table summary="" class="w70" style="border-collapse:collapse;">
+<tr>
+<td>&nbsp;</td>
+<td class="ralign"><i>s.</i></td>
+<td class="ralign"><i>d.</i></td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td>Three two-pound loaves at 1s. each</td>
+<td class="ralign">3</td>
+<td class="ralign">0</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td>Three tins of condensed milk at 1s. each</td>
+<td class="ralign">3</td>
+<td class="ralign">0</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td>Two tins of syrup at 1s. 3d. each</td>
+<td class="ralign">2</td>
+<td class="ralign">6</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td>One small packet of cocoa</td>
+<td class="ralign">0</td>
+<td class="ralign">9</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td>One tin of Quaker oats</td>
+<td class="ralign">1</td>
+<td class="ralign">3</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td>One pound of sugar</td>
+<td class="ralign">0</td>
+<td class="ralign">6</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td>&nbsp;</td>
+<td class="bt ralign">11</td>
+<td class="bt ralign">0</td>
+</tr>
+</table>
+<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_48" id="Page_48">[Pg 48]</a></span></p>
+
+<p>Then we gorged ourselves to make up for three weeks&#8217; semi-starvation.
+The most prominent building of Jacobsdal is the church,
+which stands in the centre of the town. The town itself lies in a
+hollow&mdash;Sleepy Hollow would be an apt title for the place just now.
+Most of the houses, including the church, are at present converted
+into hospitals, and the female population are acting as nurses. Most
+of them are in mourning for relatives lost during the campaign.&#8221;
+Later, the troops moved on and encamped at a farm which had
+also been used as an hospital. Sights pathetic were only too common&mdash;our
+own sick and wounded in various stages of suffering,
+and outside, to use a &#8220;Tommy&#8217;s&#8221; description, &#8220;some poor devils
+wrapped in sheets ready to be put to bed for the last time!&#8221;</p>
+
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 355px;">
+<a name="ill_075" id="ill_075"></a><img src="images/ill_075.png" width="355" height="487" alt="" title="" />
+<div><span class="caption">GENERAL CRONJE.</span><br />
+<br />
+<span class="small">From a Photo by M. Plumbe.</span>
+</div></div>
+
+<p>Lord Roberts visited the large German hospital, and expressed
+himself well pleased with the splendid cleanliness of the place and
+the general evidences of good management. Among the sufferers
+was found Colonel Henry, who had been taken prisoner on the 14th.
+Strangely enough, all the inhabitants of the place evinced satisfaction
+at the arrival of the British, particularly on making the discovery
+that it was not the habit of the British troops to loot and
+destroy, as they had been led by the Burghers to believe was the
+case. They were now made acquainted with the proclamation which
+Lord Roberts issued to the Burghers of the Orange Free State
+when his force invaded their territory. It was printed both in
+English and Dutch:&mdash;</p>
+
+<blockquote><p>&#8220;The British troops under my command having entered the Orange Free
+State, I feel it my duty to make known to all Burghers the cause of our coming,
+as well as to do all in my power to put an end to the devastation caused by
+this war, so that, should they continue the war, the inhabitants of the Orange
+Free State may not do so ignorantly, but with full knowledge of their responsibility
+before God for the lives lost in the campaign.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;Before the war began the British Government, which had always desired
+and cultivated peace and friendship with the people of the Orange Free State,
+gave a solemn assurance to President Steyn that, if the Orange Free State
+remained neutral, its territory would not be invaded, and its independence
+would be at all times fully respected by Her Majesty&#8217;s Government.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;In spite of that declaration, the Government of the Orange Free State
+was guilty of a wanton and unjustifiable invasion of British territory.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;The British Government believes that this act of aggression was not committed
+with the general approval and free will of a people with whom it has
+lived in complete amity for so many years. It believes that the responsibility
+rests wholly with the Government of the Orange Free State, acting, not in the
+interests of the country, but under mischievous influences from without. The
+British Government, therefore, wishes the people of the Orange Free State to
+understand that it bears them no ill-will, and, so far as is compatible with the
+successful conduct of the war and the re-establishment of peace in South
+Africa, it is anxious to preserve them from the evils brought upon them by the
+wrongful action of their Government.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;I therefore warn all Burghers to desist from any further hostility towards<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_49" id="Page_49">[Pg 49]</a></span>
+Her Majesty&#8217;s Government and the troops under my command, and I undertake
+that any of them who may so desist, and who are found staying in their homes
+and quietly pursuing their ordinary occupations, will not be made to suffer in
+their persons or property on account of their having taken up arms in obedience
+to the order of their Government. Those, however, who oppose the forces
+under my command, or furnish the enemy with supplies or information, will be
+dealt with according to the customs of war.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;Requisitions for food, forage, fuel, or shelter made on the authority of the
+officers in command of Her Majesty&#8217;s troops, must be at once complied with;
+but everything will be paid for on the spot, prices being regulated by the local
+market rates. If the inhabitants of any district refuse to comply with the
+demands made on them, the supplies will be taken by force, a full receipt being
+given.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;Should any inhabitant of the country consider that he or any member of
+his household has been unjustly treated by any officer, soldier, or civilian
+attached to the British army, he should submit his complaint, either personally
+or in writing, to my headquarters or to the headquarters of the nearest general
+officer. Should the complaint on inquiry be substantiated, redress will
+be given.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;Orders have been issued by me prohibiting soldiers from entering private
+houses or molesting the civil population on any pretext whatever, and every
+precaution has been taken against injury to property on the part of any person
+belonging to or connected with the army.</p>
+
+<p class="address">&#8220;<span class="smcap">Roberts</span>, <i>Field-Marshal, Commanding-in-Chief, South Africa</i>.&#8221;</p>
+</blockquote>
+
+<h3 class="gap2">THE HERDING OF CRONJE</h3>
+
+<p>To return to General French. The cavalry division bivouacked
+outside the town of Kimberley, but their repose was limited. At
+3 <span class="allsmcap">A.M.</span> on the morning of the 16th they were up and doing. The
+enemy in the north was giving trouble. Some sharp fighting took
+place, during which Lieutenants Brassey (9th Lancers) and P. Bunbury
+were killed. This early activity was tough work for the already
+weary troops, who had been fifteen hours without a meal. Indeed,
+it was generally remarked that the relievers looked sorrier specimens
+of humanity than the relieved. The Colonial troops, the Queensland
+and New Zealand Contingents, and the New South Wales
+Lancers, considering all things, were wonderfully fit after having
+played a conspicuous part in the operations. These troops had
+joined General French&#8217;s column from the regions of the Orange and
+Modder Rivers. The New South Wales Lancers rode on the
+extreme right flank of the first brigade, and their ambulance corps,
+under Lieutenant Edwards, kept up with the column, and was
+complimented on being the first ambulance to cross the Modder
+River. Like the rest of the troops, they had taken their share of
+small rations, merely nominal rest, sun-scorching, and maddening
+thirst, and yet were full of zeal&mdash;&#8220;keen as mustard,&#8221; as some one
+said&mdash;to engage in the herding of Cronje and effect his capture.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_50" id="Page_50">[Pg 50]</a></span>
+Worn out as they were, they had sprung to attention on a rumour
+brought in by a despatch-rider to the effect that Cronje had evacuated
+Majersfontein and was in full retreat.</p>
+
+<p>At midnight on the 16th, no confirmation of this news had been
+received. The jaded troops, and still more jaded horses&mdash;mere
+skeletons in horse&#8217;s skins&mdash;were preparing for real repose, when all
+was changed! A telegram arrived from Lord Kitchener saying
+that Cronje, with 10,000 men, was in full retreat from Majersfontein,
+with all his waggons and equipment and four guns, along the
+north bank of the Modder River towards Bloemfontein; that he had
+already fought a rearguard action with him; and that if French, with
+all available horses and guns, could head him and prevent his
+crossing the river, the infantry from Klip Drift would press on
+and annihilate or take the whole force prisoners.</p>
+
+<p>Here was a surprise! Pleasant yet unpleasant, for shattered
+men in the last stage of fatigue. But General French&mdash;whom
+some one has described as possessing the shape of a brick, with all
+the solid and excellent qualities of one&mdash;rose to the occasion. He
+was on the point of going to sleep, but there was no thought of
+rest now. Arrangements had to be made, horses weeded&mdash;out of a
+division of 5000 only one brigade was fit to move!&mdash;more borrowed
+from the Kimberley Light Horse, whose holiday-time had come, and
+other preparations hurriedly set on foot to ensure an immediate rush&mdash;a
+swoop that should be as swift and successful as it was startling!</p>
+
+<p>One may imagine the midnight picture. The dark immensity of
+veldt&mdash;the dust-driven, sweltering veldt&mdash;and Cronje, miles ahead
+with his horde, the remnant of his convoy, his women and children,
+fleeing along the north bank of the Modder, harassed by the
+Sixth Division, threatened by the Seventh and Ninth, and yet
+longing to cross the river, to get safely to Koodoosrand Drift,
+where he hourly expected reinforcements would come to his succour.
+French, dead beat after glorious work accomplished, rising from
+the first hospitable pillow he had seen for days&mdash;springing suddenly
+to action, ordering, organising, deciding how to effect the great
+swoop on Koodoosrand Drift and head off the fugitive. There was
+no time for the buckling on of mental and moral armour; only the
+warrior at soul could have been ready for such a situation. But
+such an one was here. He gave swift orders. In three hours&#8217; time
+General Broadwood and his brigade and three batteries of artillery&mdash;the
+only ones available out of seven&mdash;sallied forth towards the
+east, in the dusk of the morning. Their destination&mdash;Koodoosrand
+Drift&mdash;was some forty miles off, and once here Cronje&#8217;s last loophole
+of escape would be gone! The General and his staff followed
+at 4.15 <span class="allsmcap">A.M.</span>, riding at full speed, and catching up the brigade about
+fifteen miles off.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_51" id="Page_51">[Pg 51]</a></span></p>
+
+<p>The whole nature of their errand and the proposed movement
+was a surprise, for this man&oelig;uvre had not entered into General
+French&#8217;s original calculations.</p>
+
+<p>When the General had seen the Sixth Division safely at Klip
+Drift and secured his left flank, he proceeded on his rush to
+Kimberley. Of other movements save his own he was ignorant.
+Even as he and the troops were riding into the town, Cronje,
+who had discovered the futility of his position at Majersfontein
+and the danger of it, was trekking madly across the front of
+the Sixth Division. On the morning of the 16th Lord Kitchener,
+hearing that the Majersfontein laager and the Modder River camp
+were deserted, and seeing a cloud of dust in the distance, had
+guessed what was happening, and immediately altered his plans
+to meet the emergency. As we are aware, he instantly gave
+orders for the mounted infantry not to follow French, but to
+pursue and attack the Boer convoy, while he telegraphed later
+to French, with the results just described. General French grasped
+the position at a glance. He knew no time was to be lost,
+and soon Broadwood&#8217;s brigade, with horses that could barely
+move, was pushing on as fast as spurs could insist. The early
+morning dusk broke into the green and grey and gold of dawn;
+birds flew frightened hither and thither; foxes rushed to their holes;
+springbok and hares tempted the sportsmen, but never a glance to
+right or left was wasted. All eyes were strained to the east, to the
+momentous east, and the wooded banks of the distant river. Nearer
+and ever nearer they came&mdash;specks were seen on the horizon&mdash;men?&mdash;horses?&mdash;the
+enemy moving?&mdash;scudding away before he could be
+cornered? No&mdash;Yes? A moment of excitement, anguish&mdash;joy! The
+General had mounted a kopje, reconnoitred, and discovered the
+truth. It was Cronje&#8217;s force&mdash;the remnants of his convoy some
+4000 yards off&mdash;the convoy streaming down into the drifts that lead
+to Petrusberg and thence to Bloemfontein! They must never
+reach that destination! Kitchener&#8217;s words&mdash;&#8220;Head him and prevent
+his crossing the river&#8221;&mdash;so simple in sound, so complex in
+execution, thrilled every heart. Quickly the guns were got into
+action&mdash;grandly&mdash;almost magically&mdash;the first shot plumped&mdash;bang!
+in front of the leading waggon just as the convoy was preparing
+to descend the drift! What a reveill�! Cronje, as we know, was
+rushing from the clutches of the Sixth Division at Drieputs. Breathless,
+he gathered himself together. Suddenly he found himself
+assailed by a new force&mdash;a new terror! He divined in a moment
+what had happened. It was French, the ubiquitous French&mdash;French
+redivivus, as it were&mdash;who was putting the finishing touch to the
+chapter of disaster. Poor Captain Boyle, in his letter to the <i>Nineteenth
+Century</i>, thus described the great Dutchman&#8217;s plight:<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_52" id="Page_52">[Pg 52]</a></span>&mdash;</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;His only chance now was to sacrifice his guns and convoy, and
+cut his way across the river under the heavy fire of our guns.
+Immediately on the first shell bursting in the laager, about thirty
+Boers galloped out to seize a kopje on our right, afterwards called
+Roberts&#8217; Hill; but the 10th Hussars in a neck-and-neck race had
+the legs of them, and seizing the hill in advance, beat them off with
+their carbine and Maxim fire. The Boers from their laager answered
+our shell fire for a short time with great accuracy from two or three
+guns. But these were quickly silenced, and shell after shell from
+Artillery Hill fell plump into the laager. Finally, our second battery
+was moved to a little distance from Roberts&#8217; Hill and opened fire
+from the southern slope on to a kopje to which the Boers had retired.
+All that afternoon at intervals our guns poured shells into the laager,
+but no response came, and we spent our time watching the Boers,
+now 3000 yards away, entrenching themselves in the open and
+along the river-bank. Their waggons caught fire and the ammunition
+exploded, and as they realised their position more and more, so
+must their hearts have sunk. Anxiously must they have waited for
+the first sign of the infantry gathering round, as anxiously as we did
+in our turn watching from the high kopjes.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;The cavalry, worn out as they were and without food, had to
+hold the kopjes and water their horses in turn some five miles off.
+They got what grazing they could in the kopjes as they lay there,
+for no corn had come on from Kimberley, and neither men nor
+horses had had any food except the three days&#8217; rations with which
+they originally started from Klip Drift the Thursday before, a good
+deal of which had been shaken off the saddles or lost in the long
+gallop up the plain to Kimberley. The General, the men, the
+horses, all alike had to live on what was found at Kamilfontein&mdash;a
+few mealies, a few onions, and the crumbs of biscuits in our pockets
+were all we had until some Free Staters&#8217; sheep and cattle were
+rounded and killed. Had it not been for this plentiful supply of
+meat, the men must have fared very badly for the next three days.
+No transport came in until Monday night, and the horses had but
+1&frac12; lb. of corn in three days. The men were put on half rations of
+biscuits even after the transport arrived.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;Meanwhile, on Saturday afternoon about 5 <span class="allsmcap">P.M.</span> Broadwood sent
+word to French that in the far distance he observed the dust rising,
+which he took for Kelly-Kenny&#8217;s division. French returned to
+Roberts&#8217; Hill, and, until the sun set, anxiously awaited the arrival
+of the infantry&mdash;but they marched but slowly. From 6 <span class="allsmcap">P.M.</span> till
+7 <span class="allsmcap">P.M.</span> we opened fire again from our batteries to show Lord Kitchener
+our exact positions.&#8221; The splendid work done by the Royal Horse
+Artillery was described by another eye-witness. He said: &#8220;I will
+give you an idea of what good gunners we have in the Artillery.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_53" id="Page_53">[Pg 53]</a></span>
+General French said to one of the gunners, &#8216;See those three waggons
+over there? (a distance of about 3&frac12; miles); see what you can do with
+them.&#8217; The gunner fired three shell, and the waggons were no
+more.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>We must now watch the progress of the other portions of the
+force who were actively engaged in taking their share in the huge
+undertaking. Colonel Stephenson&#8217;s brigade, on the night of the
+16th (while General French was learning the great news), had
+re-crossed the river at Klip Drift, and on the morning of the 17th
+(at the same hour as Broadwood&#8217;s brigade was moving from Kimberley)
+had marched to the south of the river with the same intention&mdash;that
+of heading off Cronje at Paardeberg and Koodoosrand
+Drift. Thus, with Broadwood&#8217;s brigade on one side, and Stephenson&#8217;s
+on the other, Cronje&#8217;s prospects of escape were scarcely worth
+a dime. The <i>Times&#8217;</i> correspondent, talking of Colonel Stephenson&#8217;s
+troops on the morning of the fateful 17th, said:&mdash;</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;They were joined about ten at Klipkraal Drift by Knox&#8217;s
+brigade, which marched along the northern bank. The mounted
+infantry, pushing on, reached Paardeberg Drift that evening, and
+encamped on rising ground close to the south bank. The infantry,
+leaving Klipkraal at six in the evening, made a night march for
+Paardeberg Drift, but, missing their way, slightly passed the Drift
+and bivouacked on some rising ground nearly two miles beyond,
+separated from the river by a smooth plain shelving gently down
+to it. The mistake was a fortunate one, as it brought the infantry
+almost opposite to the place where Cronje had determined to cross.
+Cronje had left Drieputs during the night after the battle, abandoning
+seventy-eight waggons, and pushed on along the north bank of
+the river during Saturday for Koodoosrand Drift. Soon after passing
+north of Paardeberg Drift he heard that French had already
+returned from Kimberley, and was holding a line of high kopjes
+running north-west from Koodoosrand Drift, and completely
+commanding the drift. Wheeling his waggons to the right
+across the plain, he laagered on the north bank of the river at
+Wolveskraal Farm. This was opposite to a drift of the same name,
+about half-way between Paardeberg and Koodoosrand Drifts, being
+about four miles in a straight line from each. Here he intended to
+cross on Sunday morning. But already, during the night, he became
+aware of the presence of the mounted infantry south of Paardeberg
+Drift, and decided that he could not get his convoy away without
+fighting. Probably Cronje did not realise that Kelly-Kenny&#8217;s
+infantry could have already marched up and occupied the rising
+ground not three thousand yards south of Wolveskraal Drift; still
+less could he know that General Colvile&#8217;s division (whose endurance
+had been extraordinary) was but a few miles behind, and was<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_54" id="Page_54">[Pg 54]</a></span>
+to reach Paardeberg Drift before daybreak. If Cronje had known
+this, there is little doubt that he would have promptly sacrificed all
+his transport and all his guns in order to get his men away and
+escape from the trap into which he was now caught. As it was,
+he sent a great part of his force to line the river-bed all the way
+down to Paardeberg Drift, in order to act as a rear-guard and check
+any attempt to interfere with his crossing Wolveskraal Drift at his
+leisure.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>Later on, the Ninth Division, with the Highland Brigade, who had
+made a forced march from Jacobsdal, arrived on the scene just in time
+to see the Boers sending up rockets to show their position to expected
+reinforcements. And there is little doubt that Cronje, unable to
+realise the expeditious advance of &#8220;lumbering Britons,&#8221; mistook
+General Colvile&#8217;s troops for the longed-for relief.</p>
+
+<p>Among the missing from near Paardeberg were Lieutenants
+Romilly (Duke of Cornwall&#8217;s Light Infantry) and Metge (Welsh
+Regiment), and Captains Arnold and Vaughan of Kitchener&#8217;s Horse.</p>
+
+<p>Here we have the position of affairs as they stood on the night
+of the 17th and on the morning of the 18th, when the trap so
+ingeniously set for Cronje commenced to close little by little&mdash;north,
+south, east, and west. Everywhere he turned the detestable rooineks
+menaced him, and he who so lately had eaten his breakfast to the
+tune of his 100-pounder gun, that belched ruin and mutilation over
+the whole region of Kimberley, was now constrained to breakfast
+to a new and disagreeable inversion of an identical melody!</p>
+
+<h3 class="gap2">THE BATTLE OF PAARDEBERG</h3>
+
+<p>On Sunday, the 18th of February, the most exciting action of the
+war took place. It was costly as it was momentous, for it served to
+decide the fate of the fleeing Dutchman. The scene of the drama was
+not unpicturesque. From the Paardeberg to the Koodoosrand Drift
+the Modder flowed along a deep hollow from thirty to a hundred
+yards in depth. To either side the forks of small dongas radiated,
+while the high banks were fringed with the feathery foliage of the
+mimosa and willow. Donga and tree stump afforded excellent cover
+for the slim adversary, sniper or scout. The river travelled from
+Koodoosrand Drift west-south-west, deviating southwards on either
+side of the Wolveskraal Drift. A vast expanse of veldt, some two
+thousand yards wide, shelved down towards the south bank of the
+river, fringed by higher ground; and this grassy plain extending
+eastwards joined a circle of kopjes now known as Kitchener&#8217;s Hill.
+On the opposite, the north bank of the river, was another similar
+plain, dotted with minor kopjes to within a thousand yards of the
+river, and beyond them was the higher hump of Paardeberg Hill.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_55" id="Page_55">[Pg 55]</a></span></p>
+
+<p>The action began at dawn. Firing grew hotter and hotter with
+the growth of the morning, and soon pandemonium was let loose.
+While part of the mounted infantry was forcing the rearguard up the
+river another part was man&oelig;uvring on the right front and flank of
+the enemy. The Dutchmen meanwhile from King&#8217;s Kop turned on
+a quick-firing Hotchkiss gun, which swept the flat country from the
+kop to the southern bank of the river. The antagonists had both
+posted themselves on the north bank of the river&mdash;both banks of
+which were level, and this expanse afforded no cover for movements.
+Over this expanse the Ninth Brigade had to move, struggling
+through a zone of fire towards the concealed enemy.</p>
+
+<p>Cronje by this time had realised that his position was critical&mdash;almost
+hopeless. Bringing his fine military qualities to bear on the
+situation, he decided to make the best of a bad job, and entrench
+himself with all the skill possible. He held about one square mile
+of the river-bed on either side of Wolveskraal Drift, and beyond
+that he knew were encircling kopjes, each one concealing its multitude
+of rooineks. On the east, slowly creeping up, were the
+menacing numbers of Tucker&#8217;s Division; on the west the vast crowds
+of the mounted infantry and the Sixth Division; on the south were
+field-guns little more than a mile off, threatening to shower destruction
+from Gun Hill, while on the north were Naval guns and howitzers.
+Indeed, everywhere was fate frowning, obdurate, vengeful. But the
+Dutchman retained his pluck and his wits. He even believed that
+with everything against him he might yet employ the same tactics
+which had nonplussed Lord Methuen at Modder River. He still
+retained a poor opinion of his adversary, and his delusion lent him
+confidence. He hurriedly built trenches, that in themselves were
+masterpieces of defensive art, and took up his headquarters in the
+centre, in a red brick house&mdash;a species of travellers&#8217; hostelry, which
+may be found near all drifts in South Africa. Here at night Mrs.
+Cronje joined him. During the day she was placed in the women&#8217;s
+shelter at the east side of the area, which shelter was protected by
+waggons and trenches all along the bed of the river. Talking of
+these trenches, the correspondent of the <i>Times</i> declared that &#8220;the
+skill with which they were constructed as defences against both rifle
+and shell fire was worthy of the highest praise. All except those of
+the outer lines of pickets were made so narrow and deep that it
+seems as though they were in many cases entered from one end
+rather than the top, as any such ingress must even in a week&#8217;s time
+have considerably widened the neck of the excavation. At the top
+they were perhaps eighteen inches wide, at the bottom about three
+feet, and by crouching down the most complete protection was
+afforded from bursting shell.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;Every natural protection, such as the ramifications of the dongas<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_56" id="Page_56">[Pg 56]</a></span>
+which eat into the banks on both sides of the river, had been utilised,
+though the bombardment from both sides compelled them to abandon
+their first hasty breastworks cut into the actual top of the bank,
+which was here from about fifty to a hundred yards from the river
+itself, and thirty feet in height.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;For the first time here the &#8216;T&#8217; trenches, of which much has
+been said during the present campaign, were used. They did not
+seem to present the least advantage over the ordinary shapes, except
+that in an exposed angle they may have provided additional protection
+against an enfilading fire.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>Cronje&#8217;s first object in entrenching himself in the bed of the
+river was to arrest the further advance of the mounted infantry, who
+had taken possession of the bed of the river west of his position.
+In this he was successful. Worn, harassed, and almost helpless, he
+determined to make a desperate stand, hoping against hope to gain
+time till some help from without should arrive. But this help never
+reached him. A grand enveloping movement commenced, and
+Cronje, brought to bay, found himself face to face with what proved
+to be his Sedan.</p>
+
+<p>By this time he and his followers were snugly ensconced in bush
+and donga and scrub round the laager, and from the trees around
+they vigorously sniped and poured volleys at the advancing troops.
+In the advance to the attack the Highland Brigade was on the left,
+General Knox&#8217;s brigade in the centre and on the right, while General
+Smith Dorrien&#8217;s brigade, after crossing the river by Paardeberg Drift,
+moved along the north bank. The Highland Brigade had a terrific
+duty. The Boers, from their position in the bed of the river and
+on both sides of it, commanded the left of the Brigade, and as
+the kilted mass moved forward in the open poured upon them a
+deadly fire, which forced them to lie prone for the rest of the day.
+Here at noon, when bullets were humming their loudest, General
+Hector Macdonald was wounded. He had dismounted, and was
+directing the movements of the brigade, when overtaken by a shot
+which penetrated thigh and foot. Despite this unlucky accident and
+a tremendous spell of hard fighting, the brigade exhibited splendid
+pluck and tenacity. They were destitute of cover, but maintained
+their position with astonishing fortitude, and this after the long
+forced march they had made from Jacobsdal, and while enduring
+the tortures of maddening thirst, which could not be assuaged. A
+heavy thunderstorm mercifully overtook them in the course of the
+afternoon and raindrops large as gooseberries clattered down their
+relieving moisture on the parched and exhausted troops.</p>
+
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 529px;">
+<table summary="" class="w100">
+<tr>
+<td class="center small">British Guns.</td>
+<td class="center small">Laager in Flames</td>
+<td class="center small">French's Cavalry</td>
+<td class="center small">6th Division</td>
+</tr>
+</table>
+<a name="ill_085" id="ill_085"></a><img src="images/ill_085.png" width="529" height="357" alt="" title="" />
+<table summary="" class="w100">
+<tr>
+<td class="center small w50">9th Division.</td>
+<td class="center small w50">&nbsp;</td>
+</tr>
+</table>
+<div><span class="caption">THE BATTLE OF PAARDEBERG.</span><br />
+<br />
+<span class="small">Drawing by Sidney Paget from a Sketch by W. B. Wollen, R.I.</span>
+</div></div>
+
+<p>On the north bank of the river was Cronje&#8217;s laager, an environment
+of waggons, carts, ammunition, and stores. While General
+Smith Dorrien&#8217;s force, among which were the Canadians, Gordons,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_57" id="Page_57">[Pg 57]</a></span>
+and Shropshires, attempted to charge into the laager, they too
+were vigorously shelled by the enemy, who, undefeatable, held on
+valiantly to a kopje on the south bank of the river. Here they
+posted a Vickers-Maxim and other deadly weapons, and in a
+measure divided our force in two. The Seaforths and the Cornwall
+Regiment made a splendid charge with the bayonet, and drove
+the Boers from their cover round the drift, but in the glorious
+rush both the Colonel and Adjutant of the Cornwalls were stricken
+down. Ninety-six of the men were wounded, but they now held the
+north-west side of the enemy&#8217;s position.</p>
+
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 594px;">
+<a name="ill_087" id="ill_087"></a><img src="images/ill_087.png" width="594" height="389" alt="" title="" />
+<span class="caption smcap">Plan of the Boer Laagers and Trenches and the British Positions at Paardeberg.</span><br />
+<br />
+<span class="small">(By an Officer of the Royal Field Artillery.)</span>
+</div>
+
+<p>On the east the Sixth Division was hard at work tackling a
+horde of Boers, who made a last despairing lunge in order to burst
+through the entangling forces and push for the south bank of the
+river. The effort was stubborn as it was desperate, but they were
+defeated by the dash of the West Riding Regiment, who pressed
+forward with the bayonet and succeeded in seizing the drift. Many
+splendid fellows were wounded and slain in the collision. Meanwhile
+the artillery continued to direct their incessant thunder against
+the laager, pouring in a deluge of destruction from all quarters, and
+forcing the Dutchmen to shrink within the space, little more than
+a mile square, into which they had so hurriedly scrambled.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_58" id="Page_58">[Pg 58]</a></span></p>
+
+<p>General Kelly-Kenny having possessed himself of both Klip
+Drift and Koodoosrand Drift, the Boers were now enclosed east
+and west. But here, crunched in a veritable death-trap, they
+fought tenaciously. Worn, harassed, and weakened by their hurried
+march, they yet held a stubborn front to our assaulting troops, and
+from the cramped region of their laager did as much damage as it
+was possible to do. The Canadians, who had behaved with conspicuous
+gallantry in the attack on the laager, lost nineteen killed
+and sixty-three wounded. A description of the fight as seen from
+their point of view was given by a private in the 1st Contingent:&mdash;</p>
+
+<blockquote><p>&#8220;We left Klip Drift on the Modder River at 6 <span class="allsmcap">P.M.</span> Saturday, and marched
+all night until seven on Sunday morning, covering 23 miles. During the march
+we could hear the guns ahead. I was orderly man for Sunday, so, removing
+my pack, I went to the river for water. Just a little way up the river a brisk
+fire opened up. When I got back to our lines I found them issuing a ration
+of rum. I had mine, and it just braced me up.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;By this time the engagement was pretty brisk. Our brigade was ordered
+on the left of the river, which we crossed at a ford just in rear of the camp.
+The Shropshires crossed first, then followed the Canadians and Gordons.
+The water was up to our necks. Some went deeper and had to swim. We
+crossed in fours, holding on to each other, formed up in column and advanced
+a short distance, when we extended to seven paces in skirmishing order.
+C Company formed to support A Company.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;By this time the bullets were coming pretty thickly, and we had some
+very narrow squeaks. We reinforced A Company at 500 yards and opened
+fire. The Boer fire was heavy, and some of our boys had been hit, but we
+soon subdued the fire. Their position was in the river, and we were lying out
+in the open, no cover of any kind except a few anthills. We could see very
+little to fire at except the fire from their guns. Our line was in a crescent
+shape, the right on the river, and the left extended along about 500 yards. In
+the afternoon our troops were ordered to cease fire. As soon as we stopped
+they started sniping, which made us hug the ground.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;Shortly after joining the firing line Captain Arnold of A Company was
+struck. The Boers started a murderous fire on the stretcher-bearers who
+carried him away, a trick they did all day long. Towards evening the left
+was ordered to reinforce the right. It was a daring move, but we did it by
+running down in threes and fours. At dark all the forces retired, and quite
+a few men volunteered to search for the wounded. I was out all night until
+four the next morning, when I laid down played out. I never want to witness
+such terrible sights as I saw that night again. Whenever we showed ourselves
+in the moonlight the sharpshooters would fire at us. We were all
+up early next morning, but the Boers had retired farther up the river. So we
+collected our wounded and buried the dead. I was helping a hospital sergeant,
+and he sent two of us up the river to search for wounded. We found a
+few, and also came across a wounded Boer, whom we bandaged and took
+back to camp. We also came across a few dead. We questioned the Boer,
+and he said that they had retired during the night, carrying their wounded and
+throwing the dead into the river. After dinner, which we had about four, we
+went out on outpost duty. During the night there was quite a little firing
+going on. This morning we advanced towards the position again, and about<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_59" id="Page_59">[Pg 59]</a></span>
+ten o&#8217;clock retired for some breakfast and advanced again. Although under
+fire all day we did not fire, but the artillery certainly played Cain with them.&#8221;</p></blockquote>
+
+<p>Captain Arnold&#8217;s wound was mortal, but Lieutenant Mason, who
+was also shot, was not dangerously hurt.</p>
+
+<p>A Colonial, writing from the front at Paardeberg, said that
+fighting &#8220;went on during the day until about five o&#8217;clock, when the
+Cornwalls arrived in support. The officer commanding this battalion
+seemed to think that too much time had already been spent in
+fighting the Boers, so ordered the charge. The result was fatal to the
+Cornwalls, as they had to retire. The Canadians, acting under the
+orders of the commanding officer of the Cornwalls as senior officer,
+also charged, and with a like result; but the Canadians, in place of
+retiring, simply lay down and remained. It was during this charge
+that most of the fatalities occurred. The unfortunate commanding
+officer of the Cornwalls was killed, and Captain Arnold and Lieutenant
+Mason of the Canadians wounded. The Brigadier subsequently expressed
+his regret that the charge took place, but at the same time
+warmly congratulated the Canadians on their behaviour, as did Lord
+Roberts also.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>Of gallantry and daring there was no end. From dawn till
+sunset raged a battle of appalling fierceness, of magnificent persistency.
+From drift to drift the hollows reverberated with the
+perpetual roll of musketry, the brawling of multifarious guns, the
+hoarse cheers of charging troops, the shouts of the unflinching enemy.
+Curling smoke burst in wreaths and garlands from the sides of the
+hills and rose against the purple of thunder-clouds; flaring tongues
+of vengeful flame danced and forked their reflections of heaven&#8217;s
+lightnings; spouts and torrents of water poured from the sky,
+mingling with the heroical blood of Britain&#8217;s best, that trickled in
+rivulets, north, south, east, and west of the scene, and traced far
+and wide the history of sacrifice on the now sacred ground. For
+all this, the position of the contending parties remained unchanged&mdash;Cronje
+defiant and enclosed, the British lion crouching, watching.</p>
+
+<p>At dusk the scene was weirdly, terrifically picturesque. From
+the south and north sides of the river shells hurtled through the air,
+falling and exploding along the river-bed, now setting fire to a
+waggon, now a cart, and filling the gloom with lurid panoramas of
+flame and an awe-striking, ceaseless din. Once an ammunition
+waggon was struck. Then the blaze and crackling which followed,
+intermingling as they did with the roar of artillery and the rattle
+of rifles, made a fitting concert for Hades. And to the tune
+of this demoniacal intermezzo the cordon round the enemy was
+gradually closing, his last chances of escape were one by one
+being sealed, the last links in Lord Roberts&#8217; strategical chain
+were being forged.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_60" id="Page_60">[Pg 60]</a></span></p>
+
+<p>At night there was peace. The Modder might have been the
+placid purling Thames winding along between fringed and sloping
+banks to the bosom of the sea. But there was none to admire the
+pretty scene. All were worn out, and glad to drop to sleep where
+they had fought, while the bearer-parties&mdash;&#8220;body-snatchers,&#8221; as they
+were jocosely styled&mdash;picked their way in the darkness, doing their
+deeds of mercy with zealous, unflagging perseverance. During
+this time many deserters from the enemy came in. They had seen
+the hopelessness of their case, and had been urging, uselessly, the
+implacable Cronje to surrender.</p>
+
+<p>The following is the list of those who were killed and wounded
+during the fight:&mdash;</p>
+
+<blockquote><p><i>Killed</i>:&mdash;Mounted Infantry&mdash;Colonel Hannay.<a name="FNanchor_1_1" id="FNanchor_1_1"></a><a href="#Footnote_1_1" class="fnanchor">[1]</a> 2nd Warwick&mdash;Lieutenant
+Hankay. Duke of Cornwall&#8217;s Light Infantry&mdash;Lieutenant-Colonel Aldworth,<a name="FNanchor_2_2" id="FNanchor_2_2"></a><a href="#Footnote_2_2" class="fnanchor">[2]</a>
+Captain E. P. Wardlaw, Captain Newbury. Seaforth Highlanders&mdash;Second
+Lieutenant M&#8217;Clure. Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders&mdash;Lieutenant Courtenay.
+West Riding Regiment&mdash;Lieutenant Siordet. 1st Yorkshire&mdash;Second
+Lieutenant Neave. Oxford Light Infantry&mdash;Lieutenant Bright, Second Lieutenant
+Ball-Acton. <i>Wounded</i>:&mdash;Staff&mdash;Major-General Knox (13th Brigade),
+Major-General Hector MacDonald (3rd Brigade). Duke of Cornwall&#8217;s Light
+Infantry&mdash;Captain J. H. Maunder, Lieutenant H. W. Fife, Second Lieutenant<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_61" id="Page_61">[Pg 61]</a></span>
+J. W. C. Fife, Second Lieutenant R. M. Grigg. Seaforth Highlanders&mdash;Captain
+G. C. Fielden, Captain E. A. Cowans, Captain G. M. Lumsden, Lieutenant J.
+P. Grant, Second Lieutenant D. P. Monypenny (died of wounds), Second Lieutenant
+A. R. Moncrieff. 1st Gordon Highlanders&mdash;Second Lieutenant W. B. J.
+Nutford. Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders&mdash;Lieutenant C. N. Macdonald,
+Lieutenant G. Thorpe, Second Lieutenant G. A. Akers-Douglas, Second
+Lieutenant F. G. S. Cunningham. Black Watch&mdash;Lieutenant-Colonel A. M.
+Carthew-Yorkstoun, Major Hon. H. E. Maxwell, Major T. M. N. Berkeley,
+Captain J. G. H. Hamilton, Lieutenant J. G. Grieve (N.S.W. forces attached).
+West Riding Regiment&mdash;Captain F. J. de Gex, Captain H. D. E. Greenwood.
+1st Yorkshire&mdash;Lieutenant-Colonel H. Bowles, Major Kirkpatrick, Lieutenant
+C. V. Edwards, Captain A. C. Buckle (South Stafford attached). Oxford Light
+Infantry&mdash;Major Day, Captain Watt, Lieutenant Hammich. East Kent Regiment&mdash;Captain
+Geddes. Shropshire Light Infantry&mdash;Captain Gubbins, Captain
+Smith, Lieutenant English, Second Lieutenant Kettlewell. Canadians&mdash;Captain
+H. M. Arnold (since died of wounds), Lieutenant J. C. Mason, Lieutenant
+Armstrong. R.A.M.C.&mdash;Captain J. E. C. Canter. Lieutenant G. H. Goddard.
+East Surrey&mdash;Captain A. H. S. Hart. 2nd Lincoln&mdash;Second Lieutenant Dockray
+Waterhouse. 1st Yorkshire&mdash;Second Lieutenant W. G. Turbet. 2nd Oxford
+Light Infantry&mdash;Captain Fanshawe, Lieutenant Stapleton. 2nd Bedford&mdash;Captain
+R. W. Waldy, Lieutenant Selous. 2nd Norfolk&mdash;Lieutenant Cramer-Roberts.
+1st Welsh&mdash;Lieutenant-Colonel Banfield, Major Ball. 2nd East Kent&mdash;Captain
+Godfrey-Faussett, accidentally shot (died February 21). 1st West
+Riding&mdash;Captain Taylor, Captain Harris. Roberts&#8217; Horse&mdash;Lieutenant A.
+Grant. Argyll and Sutherland&mdash;Captain N. Malcolm, D.S.O. 1st Gordon
+Highlanders&mdash;Lieutenant Ingilby. 1st Welsh Regiment&mdash;Major Harkness,
+Lieutenant F. A. Jones, Lieutenant Veal. Mounted Infantry&mdash;Lieutenant-Colonel
+Tudway (1st Essex). 1st Essex&mdash;Captain Milward, Second Lieutenant
+Thomson. <i>Missing</i>:&mdash;Captain Lennox, 81st Field Battery R.A.</p></blockquote>
+
+<p>The following table gives the distribution of the losses among
+officers:&mdash;</p>
+
+<table summary="">
+<tr>
+<td>&nbsp;</td>
+<td><i>Killed.</i></td>
+<td><i>Wounded.</i></td>
+<td><i>Missing.</i></td>
+<td><i>Total.</i></td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td>Staff</td>
+<td class="ralign padr5">&mdash;</td>
+<td class="ralign padr5">2</td>
+<td class="ralign padr5">&mdash;</td>
+<td class="ralign padr5">2</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td>2nd Duke of Cornwall&#8217;s Light Infantry</td>
+<td class="ralign padr5">3</td>
+<td class="ralign padr5">4</td>
+<td class="ralign padr5">&mdash;</td>
+<td class="ralign padr5">7</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td>2nd Seaforth Highlanders</td>
+<td class="ralign padr5">1</td>
+<td class="ralign padr5">6</td>
+<td class="ralign padr5">&mdash;</td>
+<td class="ralign padr5">7</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td>1st Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders</td>
+<td class="ralign padr5">1</td>
+<td class="ralign padr5">4</td>
+<td class="ralign padr5">&mdash;</td>
+<td class="ralign padr5">5</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td>1st West Riding Regiment</td>
+<td class="ralign padr5">1</td>
+<td class="ralign padr5">2</td>
+<td class="ralign padr5">&mdash;</td>
+<td class="ralign padr5">3</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td>1st Yorkshire Regiment</td>
+<td class="ralign padr5">1</td>
+<td class="ralign padr5">4</td>
+<td class="ralign padr5">&mdash;</td>
+<td class="ralign padr5">5</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td>1st Oxfordshire Light Infantry</td>
+<td class="ralign padr5">2</td>
+<td class="ralign padr5">3</td>
+<td class="ralign padr5">&mdash;</td>
+<td class="ralign padr5">5</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td>2nd East Kent Regiment</td>
+<td class="ralign padr5">&mdash;</td>
+<td class="ralign padr5">1</td>
+<td class="ralign padr5">&mdash;</td>
+<td class="ralign padr5">1</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td>1st Gordon Highlanders</td>
+<td class="ralign padr5">&mdash;</td>
+<td class="ralign padr5">1</td>
+<td class="ralign padr5">&mdash;</td>
+<td class="ralign padr5">1</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td>2nd Royal Highlanders</td>
+<td class="ralign padr5">&mdash;</td>
+<td class="ralign padr5">4</td>
+<td class="ralign padr5">&mdash;</td>
+<td class="ralign padr5">4</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td>2nd Shropshire Light Infantry</td>
+<td class="ralign padr5">&mdash;</td>
+<td class="ralign padr5">4</td>
+<td class="ralign padr5">&mdash;</td>
+<td class="ralign padr5">4</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td>Royal Canadian Regiment</td>
+<td class="ralign padr5">&mdash;</td>
+<td class="ralign padr5">2</td>
+<td class="ralign padr5">&mdash;</td>
+<td class="ralign padr5">2</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td>Royal Army Medical Corps</td>
+<td class="ralign padr5">&mdash;</td>
+<td class="ralign padr5">2</td>
+<td class="ralign padr5">&mdash;</td>
+<td class="ralign padr5">2</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td>81st Battery R.A.</td>
+<td class="ralign padr5">&mdash;</td>
+<td class="ralign padr5">&mdash;</td>
+<td class="ralign padr5">1</td>
+<td class="ralign padr5">1</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td class="padl3">Total</td>
+<td class="ralign padr5 bt">9</td>
+<td class="ralign padr5 bt">39</td>
+<td class="ralign padr5 bt">1</td>
+<td class="ralign padr5 bt">49</td>
+</tr>
+</table>
+
+<p>The heaviness of this list and the evenness with which the casualties
+were shared bear witness to the dash and daring displayed by all the
+battalions engaged.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_62" id="Page_62">[Pg 62]</a></span></p>
+
+<p>A good deal of comment subsequently took place regarding the
+methods adopted during this day&#8217;s warfare, and many were of opinion
+that the attempt to take the position by assault was unnecessarily wasteful
+of life. Considering the positions of the various regiments on the
+morning of the battle, it seemed as though the encircling of the
+enemy and forcing him to submission by a slow process of pressure
+would have served equally well to bring about the inevitable end.
+But again it has been urged that there was at the time no knowing
+how soon reinforcements might come to the assistance of Cronje,
+or what results might accrue from permitting the Boers&mdash;at the
+time breathless and weary&mdash;to gather themselves together for fresh
+resistance. Delay was evidently the one thing that Cronje was
+playing for, and Lord Kitchener, on his side, was averse from risks
+which might bring about the failure of the vital undertaking.</p>
+
+<h3 class="gap2">TRAPPED</h3>
+
+<p>The enemy had little rest. The small hours were spent in constructing
+entrenchments round the laager. All owned that their
+stubborn energy was admirable, but further active resistance on the
+part of Cronje was now beginning to be regarded by all&mdash;even his
+own people&mdash;as an act of suicide and murder. &#8220;It was magnificent,
+but it was not war,&#8221; as the Frenchman said. The Mounted Infantry
+and a battery of artillery next morning turned their attention to an
+offending kopje, whence the Boers could yet pour their equivalent for
+&#8220;cold water&#8221; on the British plans, and while circling round the
+position were accosted with a morning salutation from the rifles of
+the Federals on the summit of the hill. Fortunately the fusillade was
+launched with more vigour than accuracy, and there were no casualties.
+Pursuing their investigations, the troops discovered a good
+defensive position and seized it.</p>
+
+<p>Early in the morning Cronje sent a white flag, demanding twenty-four
+hours&#8217; armistice for the purpose of burying his dead. This most
+probably being part of a wary plot to gain time for reinforcements
+to come to the rescue, a reply was sent back from Lord Kitchener
+to the effect that it was impossible to grant the request, which must
+await the arrival of the Commander-in-Chief. Lord Roberts was
+then on his way from Jacobsdal, and when the matter was referred to
+him, he at once sent a message refusing to accede to the proposition.
+General Cronje&#8217;s reply, being roughly translated, implied that he
+wished to surrender, but when Lord Kitchener requested him to
+surrender in person, it was discovered that he had no notion of
+capitulation&mdash;unconditional surrender being the terms offered. Lord
+Roberts then ordered the resumption of the bombardment.</p>
+
+<p>About midday came the rumour that French was at hand, and<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_63" id="Page_63">[Pg 63]</a></span>
+that he was taking his share of the great hemming-in movement,
+but the cavalry division was then nowhere in view. Lord Roberts
+arrived later, and addressed the troops, who welcomed him with
+cheers. Meanwhile the 18th, 62nd, and 75th field-batteries and the
+65th (howitzer) battery surrounded the laager, and commenced an
+avalanche of destruction, the howitzers battering the river-bed with
+an enfilading fire, the fumes of lyddite rendering the surrounding air
+green with noxious vapour. Waggon after waggon of ammunition
+exploded with infernal uproar, shrapnel and lyddite danced diabolically
+over the river-bed and laager, yet there were no signs of surrender&mdash;not
+the flutter of a white flag in the direction where remained
+the obdurate man who, his last chance gone, refused to bow to the
+inevitable. Prisoners now and then, worn out and disgusted, came
+in, their rifles slung, and gave themselves up. In the laager were
+sixty women and girls, they said, and Cronje, &#8220;disconsolate and
+defiant, sat holding Mrs. Cronje&#8217;s hand and comforting her in the
+river-bed.&#8221; Meanwhile Broadwood&#8217;s brigade had appeared, exhausted
+and starving. The cavalry had come along the river-bank
+to Paardeberg in order to reach the forage and the convoy which
+was accompanying the infantry divisions from Klip Drift. Their
+state was lamentable, for it must be remembered that General
+Broadwood had galloped off during the night of the 16th almost
+provisionless. His brigade had borne the brunt of the fray, for
+General Gordon had only been able to follow later with some 120
+horses out of his whole brigade. Colonel Porter&#8217;s brigade marched
+later still, owing to some accident with the telegraph. The work of
+relieving Kimberley and heading Cronje had cost the cavalry some
+990 horses out of a total of 4800.</p>
+
+<p>The loss of life, however, had not been excessive considering the
+strain and the engagements that had taken place between the 14th
+and 16th, but some goodly young officers were missing. Lieutenant
+Carbutt (R.H.A.), Lieutenant Brassey (9th Lancers), Lieutenant
+Hesketh (16th Lancers), and Lieutenant the Hon. M&#8217;Clintock Banbury
+(Scots Greys), were among the killed. Among the wounded
+were Captain Humfreys (Q Battery), Lieutenant Houston (P Battery),
+Lieut. Barnes (Q Battery), Captain Gordon and Lieut. Durand
+(9th Lancers), Captain Tuson (16th Lancers), Lieut. Fordyce and
+Second Lieut. Long (Scots Greys), Lieut. Johnson (Inniskilling
+Dragoons), Lieut. Gray (Roberts&#8217; Horse). The fatigued remnant
+of the cavalry division now engaged in tackling the reinforcements
+that Cronje had so ardently expected.</p>
+
+<p>In consequence of the huge circumference of the British circle, it
+was almost impossible to chronicle the innumerable small but brilliant
+actions which were continually taking place, and which in the
+excitement of the investment were almost overlooked. On the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_64" id="Page_64">[Pg 64]</a></span>
+night of the 19th the Gloucesters performed a dashing though futile
+feat. In the afternoon they neared a kopje in which the Dutchmen
+were ensconced. They bided their time, and just as the shades
+of night began to fall rushed on the enemy with bayonets and drove
+them off with considerable loss. The positions taken were evacuated,
+however, during the night.</p>
+
+<p>On the 20th the Boers before dawn were again hard at work
+increasing their entrenchments all round their laager, but their
+plucky labours were impeded by continual shells which were
+launched now and again to prevent the work from being carried to
+completion. Meanwhile from the east came the echo of artillery,
+a rumour of battle which proved that the untiring French was
+actively engaged in standing between the Boer reinforcements
+and Cronje, who still held out gallantly in the fond yet forlorn
+hope of their ultimate arrival. He was humanely offered many
+chances to give in, but since he stoutly refused them all, measures
+were taken by Lord Roberts to bring the fighting to a speedy
+conclusion.</p>
+
+<p>But the doggedly valiant attitude of the enemy was not lost on
+his assailants. It had been impossible to withhold from Cronje a
+certain admiration for the masterful man&oelig;uvres which extricated him
+from his impossible position at Majersfontein, or for the stubborn
+resistance with which his force, outwitted, harassed by the mounted
+infantry, and fighting a skilful rearguard action, had succeeded in
+getting at least thirty-five miles to Koodoosrand Drift. It was now
+equally impossible to overlook the magnificent energy of the man,
+who, with his means of flight at an end, his 50,000 lbs. of ammunition
+sacrificed, his stores captured, his oxen exhausted to the death,
+with almost certain defeat staring him in the face, could turn and
+fight an action both ferocious and sanguinary. Moreover, by the
+sheer magnetism of his personality he forced his followers to show
+a bold front and maintain a desperate, almost fatuous, courage in
+the face of the most terrific shelling that the century has known.</p>
+
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 448px;">
+<a name="ill_095" id="ill_095"></a><img src="images/ill_095.png" width="448" height="329" alt="" title="" />
+<div><span class="caption">CRONJE&#8217;S STRONGHOLD ON THE MODDER RIVER.</span><br />
+<br />
+<span class="small">Drawing by H. C. Seppings Wright, from a Sketch by Frederic Villiers, War Artist.</span>
+</div></div>
+
+<p>Little by little the enclosing circle began to grow narrower.
+The infantry&mdash;the Cornwalls assisted by the Engineers&mdash;again
+set to work to push the enemy still farther back into the river,
+but otherwise little advance was made. The position was now
+sufficiently terrible for the enemy. Cronje&#8217;s trap was about a mile
+square, while commanding it in every direction were guns multifarious;
+bushes and banks and ravines were swept by cataracts
+of shrapnel, while volumes of greenish-yellow smoke from bursting
+lyddite curved and twisted around the river-bed, then carried
+their noxious vapour to the serene sapphire of the heavens. In
+the clear atmosphere the reiterations of Maxims filled up the pauses
+between the steady booming of artillery, while now and again the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_65" id="Page_65">[Pg 65]</a></span>
+impotent despairing splutter of rifles from the enemy&#8217;s laager mingled
+with the stertorous rampage.</p>
+
+<p>On the fourth day of Cronje&#8217;s resistance what might have been
+an unfortunate incident occurred. The Gloucester and Essex regiments
+by an accident had bivouacked on the north side of the river
+too close to the enemy&#8217;s laager. The result was that on the first
+gleam of daylight they were discovered by the Dutchmen, who
+treated them to a volley by way of reveill�. Luckily the firing
+was not at all up to the Boer mark and the regiments came off
+scot-free.</p>
+
+<p>During the day General Smith Dorrien&#8217;s force on the north
+worked towards the doomed laager while General Knox&#8217;s brigade
+held the containing lines on the south side of the river. In the
+east General French was keeping an eye on a swarm of Boers
+who were hoping to come to the rescue of Cronje. These held
+a strong position on a kopje which seemed to be specially constructed
+by nature for defensive purposes. Still, when General
+Broadwood&#8217;s brigade and a battery of horse-artillery turned their
+attention to the summit and scoured it thoroughly, the Dutchmen
+helter-skelter fled. Unluckily for them, their precipitate action took
+them straight into the arms of General French, who having headed
+them towards the drift, now gave them so warm a reception that
+numbers bit the dust. Some escaped, but fifty were taken prisoners.
+Forage, provisions, and equipment were also seized, though the
+corpses of the slain were carried off, so that the tale of loss could
+not be told.</p>
+
+<p>The capture of the kopje was an excellent move, as it was a
+useful position whence to watch for and intercept reinforcements
+that might be coming from Ladysmith or elsewhere to the succour
+of the doomed. A message was sent to the obdurate Commandant
+offering a safe conduct and a free pass anywhere for the women and
+children. Lord Roberts also proffered medical attendance and
+drugs. The offers were curtly rejected. Finding courteous overtures
+of no avail, the bombardment of the position was resumed, and
+the artillery continued to fire till dusk put an end to the operations.
+While the firing was taking place the mules of the 82nd
+Battery, while still hitched to the waggons, took it into their heads
+to stampede, causing a scene of the wildest confusion. The next
+day, however, all save one waggon were recovered.</p>
+
+<p>During the night the Shropshire Regiment accomplished a fine
+feat. They pressed forward some two hundred yards, captured
+new ground, and there entrenched themselves. It was an excellent
+finale to four days&#8217; incessant work under a withering fire, and by
+the 22nd they were fairly exhausted. They were then relieved by
+the Gordons. Here be it noticed that the Gordons were now<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_66" id="Page_66">[Pg 66]</a></span>
+incorporated with the Highland Brigade, which was thus composed
+of four kilted regiments. The Highland Light Infantry, who wear
+&#8220;trews,&#8221; had joined General Smith Dorrien&#8217;s force.</p>
+
+<p>The exchange of positions between the Shropshires and Gordons
+was effected in a manner worthy of the slim Boer himself, and
+showed that the Britons had speedily taken practical lessons from
+their adversaries. The Shropshires having, as said, seized 200
+yards of new ground, they were relieved the following morning by
+the Gordons. The Highlanders, snake-like, wormed themselves
+forward to the trenches on their stomachs, while the Shropshire
+men in like manner crawled over the bodies of the relieving force.
+An officer who witnessed the evolution said, &#8220;I have often heard
+of walking on an empty stomach, but I&#8217;m hanged if I&#8217;ve ever seen
+the feat accomplished so well and so literally.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>Another tremendous thunderstorm broke over the position,
+causing considerable discomfort to the troops, but still more to the
+unhappy creatures who, through the stout resistance of Cronje,
+were held to all the horrors of the trap into which he had fallen.
+We were now closing in on every side.</p>
+
+<p>A grand attempt was made on the morning of the 23rd to bring
+help to the Dutchman. Commandant de Wet with a horde of some
+1000 Boers, collected from the region of Ladysmith, appeared, and
+made a desperate effort to thrust himself through the British lines.
+Part of the force on its way towards its hoped-for destination was
+luckily accosted from a kopje occupied by the Scottish Borderers.
+The greeting, smart and accurate, was scarcely to the Dutchmen&#8217;s
+liking, and they made off in another direction, but still with the
+same result. From position to position they were hunted, and
+in sheer despair they made for an unoccupied kopje, where they
+hoped at last to make a stand. But they were disappointed.
+The lively Scottish Borderers were &#8220;one too many for them.&#8221;
+Seeing the Boers in act of seizing this point of vantage, the
+Borderers promptly hurled themselves in the coveted direction.
+There was an animated neck-and-neck race, and the Borderers,
+who won by a nose, promptly took possession of the hill and
+completely routed the Federals.</p>
+
+<p>Finally the Boers found shelter in a kopje which was <i>vis-�-vis</i>
+to a like eminence held by the Yorkshires. A passage at arms
+followed, with the result that the fusillade of the enemy died a
+natural death. Then the Yorkshires, who had so strenuously
+brought about this result, were reinforced by the Buffs, lest some
+more of the Boer hosts from Ladysmith should put in an appearance.
+At this time the 75th and 62nd Batteries gave tongue from
+an adjacent farm, but their vociferous notes produced little effect
+upon the crown of the Boers&#8217; stronghold.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_67" id="Page_67">[Pg 67]</a></span></p>
+
+<p>So great was the silence that the Yorkshires moved on with
+a view to prodding the enemy in his lair, but, in the attempt, they
+were so furiously assailed by the shot of the enemy that they,
+in default of cover, were unable to proceed. Meanwhile the Buffs
+persevered, moving warily round the position till within 150 yards
+of the Dutchmen, who were eventually driven off. More than
+eighty&mdash;their horses having been shot&mdash;surrendered. On many of
+these were discovered explosive bullets, and it became evident that
+desperation was driving the Boers to disregard the rules of civilised
+warfare. Many of our wounded were found injured by these unholy
+missiles; and other tricks&mdash;barbarous tricks&mdash;were reported. On
+one occasion a Vickers-Maxim gun was directed at an ambulance,
+which at the time was fortunately unoccupied.</p>
+
+<p>During the week our losses were fewer than on the opening
+day. Captain Dewar and Lieutenant Percival, 4th King&#8217;s Royal
+Rifles, and Lieutenant Angell, Welsh Regiment, were killed.
+Among the wounded were:&mdash;</p>
+
+<blockquote><p>2nd Gloucester&mdash;Lieutenant-Colonel R. F. Lindsell; 2nd Derbyshire&mdash;Lieutenant
+C. D. M. Harrington; 9th Lancers&mdash;Captain Campbell; P.R.H.A.&mdash;Lieutenant
+Houston; Royal Engineers&mdash;Captain Crookshank; 1st Lincoln&mdash;Second
+Lieutenant Wellesley; Argyll and Sutherland&mdash;Lieutenant and Adjutant
+Glasford; 1st East Kent Regiment (attached 2nd Battalion)&mdash;Lieutenant
+Hickman; 2nd Lincoln&mdash;Captain Gardner; King&#8217;s Own Scottish
+Borderers&mdash;Captain Pratt; East Kent&mdash;Captain Marriott; Yorkshire&mdash;Captain
+Pearson, Lieutenant Gunthorpe, 2nd Lieutenant Wardle.</p></blockquote>
+
+<p>Lieutenant Metge (1st Welsh Regiment) was missing.</p>
+
+<p>Daily the enemy was squeezed into a smaller space. General
+Smith Dorrien had now pushed up the river-bed to within two
+hundred yards of Cronje&#8217;s entrenchments. The object lesson in
+perseverance, both on the part of Boers and British, was becoming
+almost awe-inspiring&mdash;the tension was veritably appalling. Soaked
+with rain to the very skin&mdash;the fevered skin that had been scorched,
+and toasted, and begrimed with dust&mdash;our men, grim and fierce, with
+the storm-winds piping the pipe of death about their ears, held their
+ground. Rations had been intermittent till the convoys began to
+come in, and, almost fasting, they had been acutely conscious of the
+foul, the nauseating atmosphere that now enveloped them like a
+loathely vaporous entanglement. The river had swollen and bore
+upon its turbid breast horrific revelations&mdash;thousands of rotting carcases
+and festering loads of poisonous wreckage, that rendered the
+act even of drawing breath almost a heroism. All along the great
+march endurance had been put to supreme test, for the track had
+been margined with the dead bodies of exhausted oxen and horses.
+These lay littered about, unburied, disembowelled, and in various
+stages of putrefaction. Everywhere vultures and flies and other<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_68" id="Page_68">[Pg 68]</a></span>
+loathsome parasites of the veldt hovered and sidled and crawled,
+glutting themselves at veritable orgies of destruction, and contesting
+their prizes with the winds. These, taking their fill, hastened
+to diffuse the remains of the grisly banquet far and wide. Thus
+the foul dust, wantonly distributed, blew in the throats and eyes
+and ears of gallant men, and contributed death more liberally, more
+pitifully, than even the bullets of the Boers!</p>
+
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 434px;">
+<a name="ill_100" id="ill_100"></a><img src="images/ill_100.png" width="434" height="331" alt="Guns Captured at Paardeberg. Photo by Alf. S. Hosking, Cape Town." title="" />
+<div><span class="caption smcap">Guns Captured at Paardeberg.</span><br />
+<br />
+<span class="small">Photo by Alf. S. Hosking, Cape Town.</span>
+</div></div>
+
+<p>Plentiful rain had fallen, saturating humanity, and causing the
+heated ground to retract the fumes of a charnel-house. But in one
+way better times had come. There was fuller fare. Large convoys
+made a daily appearance, and the men were refreshed after their
+labours with the promise of plenty. Food of a substantial kind was
+indeed necessary, for it served to attune the stomach to the noxious
+vapours that hourly grew almost tangible. Cronje, though he
+knew it not, was sowing the seeds of a harvest of revenge! He
+was killing his thousands! For many days our troops had been
+enduring lenten fare; they had rung the changes on hardships,
+fatigues, and self-abnegations of all kinds. They had been battered
+on by storms. They had outstripped transport and supplies. They
+had kept the inner man appeased and working on quarter rations.
+They had marched like giants in ten-league boots, and meanwhile
+fed like fairies; yet withal had borne countenances cheery and<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_69" id="Page_69">[Pg 69]</a></span>
+noble, full of confidence and unquenchable pluck. But these splendid
+creatures were but mortal. The foul fiends of enteric and malaria
+were already sapping their buoyant constitutions, and marking them,
+one after another, with the deadly seal of possession.</p>
+
+<p>Every day of the Dutchman&#8217;s resistance was therefore full of
+horror, full of anxiety. There were continual rumours that the
+Boer reinforcements were in view, that the Federals were massing
+for a desperate effort. Wearied and battered, the cavalry at
+Koodoosrand were perpetually speeding on wild-goose chases, in
+one of which both General French and Colonel Haig nearly lost
+their lives. A reconnaissance in force had been ordered. The drift,
+swollen by rains, was now a torrent, and in crossing the General
+and his A.D.C. were thrown by their restive horses into the river,
+whence they only emerged safe and sound in consequence of their
+being fine swimmers and pneumonia-proof Britons.</p>
+
+<p>Cronje, finding that the reinforcements failed to reach him,
+decided on the night of the 26th to cut his way out and seize a kopje
+before dawn. But his intention was frustrated by the Mounted
+Infantry, who, in spite of the darkness, kept a watchful eye on the
+slippery enemy.</p>
+
+<p>Quite early on the morning of the 27th of February, the anniversary
+of Majuba day, the splutter of musketry greeted the ears of
+the dozing camp. Some one was up and doing early. It was the
+Canadians. They were acting on the principle of the early bird that
+catches the morning worm. Supported by the Gordons, Cornwalls,
+and Shropshires, they were advancing, building a trench in
+the very teeth of the enemy, and at fifty yards&#8217; range were
+saluting him with such deadly warmth as to render his position
+untenable. How this energetic and gallant movement, the wonder
+and admiration of all, was brought about was described by the
+correspondent of the <i>Times</i>. &#8220;It appeared that Brigadier-General
+MacDonald sent from his bed a note to Lord Roberts, reminding
+him that Tuesday was the anniversary of that disaster which, we all
+remembered, he had by example, order, and threat himself done his
+best to avert, even while the panic had been at its height; Sir Henry
+Colvile submitted a suggested attack backed by the same unanswerable
+plea. For a moment Lord Roberts demurred to the plan; it
+seemed likely to cost too heavily, but the insistance of Canada broke
+down his reluctance, and the men of the oldest colony were sent out
+in the small hours of Tuesday morning to redeem the blot on the
+name of the mother-country.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;From the existing trench, some 700 yards long, on the northern
+bank, held jointly by the Gordons and the Canadians, the latter were
+ordered to advance in two lines&mdash;each, of course, in extended order&mdash;thirty
+yards apart, the first with bayonets fixed, the second rein<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_70" id="Page_70">[Pg 70]</a></span>forced
+by fifty Royal Engineers under Colonel Kincaid and Captain
+Boileau.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;In dead silence, and covered by a darkness only faintly illuminated
+by the merest rim of the dying moon, &#8216;with the old moon
+in her lap,&#8217; the three companies of Canadians moved on over the
+bush-strewn ground. For over 400 yards the noiseless advance
+continued, and when within eighty yards of the Boer trench the
+trampling of the scrub betrayed the movement. Instantly the outer
+trench of the Boers burst into fire, which was kept up almost without
+intermission from five minutes to three o&#8217;clock to ten minutes past
+the hour. Under this fire the courage and discipline of the Canadians
+proved themselves. Flinging themselves on the ground, they
+kept up an incessant fire on the trenches, guided only by the flashes
+of their enemy&#8217;s rifles; and the Boers admit that they quickly reduced
+them to the necessity of lifting their rifles over their heads to the
+edge of the earthwork and pulling their triggers at random. Behind
+this line the Engineers did magnificent work; careless of danger,
+the trench was dug from the inner edge of the bank to the crest,
+and then for fifty or sixty yards out through the scrub. The Canadians
+retired three yards to this protection and waited for dawn,
+confident in their new position, which had entered the protected
+angle of the Boer position, and commanded alike the rifle-pits of the
+banks and the trefoil-shaped embrasures on the north.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>For some time it seemed as though hostilities were suspended,
+and then&mdash;a sign, a flutter of white, a signal of surrender caught
+the straining eyes of the regiment nearest the crest of the hill. In
+an instant the plains and the hollows, the kopjes, and even the dome
+of heaven, seemed animated&mdash;lending themselves to repeat the ringing
+cheer, to reiterate the cry of an immense joyous heart splitting a little
+universe in twain. Ears languid, ears hard-working, ears occupied,
+ears expectant, all caught the sound, echoed it and knew that at last
+the looked-for hour had come, Cronje had surrendered! Many
+Boers threw up their hands and dashed unarmed across the intervening
+space; others waved white flags and exposed themselves
+carelessly on their entrenchments, but not a shot was fired. Colonel
+Otter and Colonel Kincaid held a hasty consultation, which was
+disturbed by the sight of Sir Henry Colvile (commanding the Ninth
+Division) quietly riding down within 500 yards of the northern Boer
+trenches to bring the news that at that very moment a horseman
+was hurrying in with a white flag and Cronje&#8217;s unconditional surrender,
+to take effect at sunrise.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_71" id="Page_71">[Pg 71]</a></span></p>
+
+<h3 class="gap2">THE SURRENDER OF CRONJE</h3>
+
+<p>Then all was activity. A note was borne to Lord Roberts
+stating that Cronje had given in, and General Pretyman thereupon
+rode out to take his surrender. The scene was highly impressive.
+Lord Roberts, in front of the cart in which he slept, walked up and
+down awaiting his prisoner, while a guard of the Seaforth Highlanders
+with drawn bayonets formed a line to either side. In the
+distance a small group of horsemen was seen approaching, a silhouette
+which gradually grew clearer in the golden light of the morning. It
+was General Pretyman with the redoubtable Cronje riding a white
+pony on his right and the escort of the 12th Lancers following. The
+subsequent scene was a study in reserve. After all the tumultuous
+passions, the ferocity of bloodshed, the diamond-cut-diamond activities
+of death-dealing lyddite and Vickers-Maxims, the two leaders met
+without the smallest sign of emotion. To Lord Roberts, who stood
+with his staff awaiting him, Colonel Pretyman said, &#8220;Commandant
+Cronje, sir!&#8221; The two great men looked at each other, the Dutchman
+touched his hat, the Englishman returned the salute. The
+group dismounted, and then, regretfully be it noted, Lord Roberts,
+the blameless upright British soldier gave his hand to the tyrant of
+Potchefstroom. &#8220;You have made a gallant defence, sir,&#8221; said the
+British Commander-in-Chief; &#8220;I am glad to see you. I am glad to
+get so brave a man!&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>The picture of the redoubtable Cronje as he approached our
+great little Field-Marshal was remarkable in its contrast. On
+the one side you saw a burly square-jawed agriculturist, grizzly
+of beard, tanned and battered of complexion, portly and cumbrous
+of form. On the other, you had the lithe figured aristocratical
+British soldier, trim in his kharki uniform, and wearing his sword
+with the air of nameless distinction which belongs to the born ruler
+of men. Cronje&#8217;s aspect was that of a substantial farmer, his heavy
+cane, his slouch hat encircled by its orange leather band, his bottle-green
+overcoat and tan boots were distinctly bucolic, but his rigid
+implacable countenance, an utterly impenetrable fa�ade, betrayed the
+masterly and indomitable character of the man.</p>
+
+<p>There is no doubt that by his fierce, his masterly resistance to
+the British he won for himself the respect of all who trapped him.
+His undoubted pluck, a quality which has such unending fascination
+for the English, served in a great measure to wipe off the terrible
+remembrance of his atrocious deeds in other years. Cronje spoke
+scarcely a word. He said there were 3000 Boers in the laager&mdash;as
+a matter of fact, there were over 3700&mdash;and also requested that his
+wife, son, grandson, and secretary might be allowed to remain with
+him. This request was acceded to; arrangements were made that<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_72" id="Page_72">[Pg 72]</a></span>
+his relatives should accompany him into captivity. He then partook
+of refreshment in Lord Roberts&#8217; quarters with the staff. Though
+he smoked, he said little and remained gloomy and preoccupied.</p>
+
+<p>The prisoners trooped across the river like some patriarchal or
+gipsy horde, with trousers turned up so as not to damp them in
+the swollen drift. They splashed along, each armed with his household
+effects, pots and pans, blankets and rifles, some jesting and
+skipping in sheer exuberance of animal spirits that long had been
+subdued, some stolid and serious in the full comprehension of the
+grievous end of all their pluck and endurance. And they had
+endured! From the hundreds of wounded that were brought in
+the same tale of suspense, and misery, and horror was told in varying
+keys. Always they had awaited reinforcement; they had even
+invented a scheme for cutting a way out to meet the relieving force
+which never came. But volunteers for this deed of daring were
+few. About a hundred in all. This meagre array was not sufficient.
+Others had pressed on the relentless Cronje the philosophy of
+surrender. They urged that directly, if not annihilated by shell fire,
+they would be laid low by fever; already eighty-seven men were
+slain and a hundred and sixty wounded. These had no doctors
+even to attend them. The surgeons had been left behind on the
+Modder, and the offer of Lord Roberts of medicine and succour
+had been refused. The suffering had indeed been terrible and now
+was of no avail.</p>
+
+<p>It was not pleasing to the vanity of the British army to find
+themselves confronted with such a rabble of tatterdemalions, and to
+remember how this nondescript mob had so long held them in check.
+But there was no denying that the ruffians had qualities, and that
+they, unkempt and undisciplined as they were, had proved themselves
+foemen worthy of our steel and tacticians meriting study.</p>
+
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 470px;">
+<a name="ill_105" id="ill_105"></a><img src="images/ill_105.png" width="470" height="314" alt="" title="" />
+<div><span class="caption">&#8220;MAJUBA DAY&#8221;&mdash;CRONJE SURRENDERS TO LORD ROBERTS AT PAARDEBERG.</span><br />
+<br />
+<span class="small">Drawing by R. Caton Woodville, from a Sketch by Frederic Villiers, War Artist.</span>
+</div></div>
+
+<p>It was curious how much our troops had learnt both from the
+undisciplined Boers and the inexperienced Colonials. From the
+latter they picked up the art of taking cover, and from the
+former the art of obtaining it. The Boer was not content merely
+to crouch behind a stone and show a head only when about to
+shoot. He cunningly arranged his sangar so that he should expose
+no head at all. He built up his small stones to the necessary
+height, taking care to leave a central loophole through which
+he could take aim and yet remain invisible. An officer, in giving
+his opinion of the Boer as a fighter, showed the lessons that had
+been taught by him. &#8220;As a defender of defensive positions in
+a mountainous country he is unequalled. He digs good trenches
+and chooses good defensive positions, and he lies there quietly
+and waits for his enemy to advance across the open. But he
+never, hardly ever, dares to attack in the open, and if his flank<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_73" id="Page_73">[Pg 73]</a></span>
+is turned or his rear threatened, he gets nervous, and retires to a
+better position if he can. If our positions could be reversed&mdash;that
+is, if Tommy Atkins had to defend the kopjes, and if the Boers had
+to attack them in the open, there can be no doubt as to the result.
+Tommy, perhaps, would not be quite so good as the Boer in defence,
+but, on the other hand, the Boer would fail in the attack;
+indeed, he could not be brought to attempt it. As a shooter the
+Boer is no better than our own men. The only difference is that he
+attempts to shoot at far longer ranges. The Boer has taught us to
+dig big trenches and to use big guns as mobile artillery.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>The mobility of the big guns was at the moment more of a
+puzzle than ever. The Boers were in possession of some Vickers-Maxims
+in laager, two 15-pounders, and some big guns. We captured
+the minor weapons, but the big ones were sedulously hidden,
+and how they had vanished became a problem that was never solved.
+It was supposed they were buried in the bed of the river, but search
+failed to unearth them.</p>
+
+<p>Trophies innumerable were picked up. Sir Howard Vincent
+succeeded in securing a quaint seventeenth-century Bible, and
+Roberts&#8217; Horse possessed themselves of Cronje&#8217;s green bell-tent
+and ox-waggon. One cavalry officer thought himself lucky to secure
+a new pair of stays marked &#8220;11&frac34;, waist 28 inches,&#8221; evidently the
+property of a capacious vrow. Letters multifarious were found,
+among them Cronje&#8217;s commission, signed by President Steyn.</p>
+
+<p>Most of the prisoners, when interrogated, declared they were
+sick of the war, and confessed that but for their fear of Cronje they
+would long ago have surrendered. His was the powerful, the guiding
+hand. Some of them expressed queer notions of the causes
+of the trouble, giving forth at second and even third hand&mdash;and
+in a very garbled condition&mdash;the sentiments poured into them by
+&#8220;sympathisers.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>Said one, &#8220;The war is got up by the capitalists. The generals
+arrange a victory or a reverse to suit their own interests on the
+Stock Exchange!&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>A private remonstrated, &#8220;You don&#8217;t include Lord Roberts?
+You&#8217;ll admit that he is disinterested!&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;Not a bit of it! He is a shareholder along with Chamberlain
+and Rhodes and the other millionaires. They all look after number
+one.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>Against such prejudice and ignorance it was useless to argue.</p>
+
+<p>Some of the Free Staters expressed their joy at being relieved
+of the company of the Boers. They had been on bad terms with
+them, and had scarcely dared to speak a word in English for fear of
+their lives. One declared that he was not permitted even to address
+his horse in the odious language!<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_74" id="Page_74">[Pg 74]</a></span></p>
+
+<p>There were great and astonishing contrasts in the groups of
+prisoners that were gathered together. Many of them were youths
+of sixteen to eighteen years of age. Some seemed in a hopeless
+stage of sickness and despair, others attenuated by the amount of
+vinegar consumed to cure the stupefying effects of our lyddite. Endurance,
+it was plainly to be seen, had been carried to the last pitch.
+Some, on the other hand, appeared as though already reviving with
+the relaxation of the strain to which they had been subjected; some
+even delighted to find themselves in British hands, no longer tormented
+by &#8220;hell-scrapers,&#8221; as they called the shrapnel, and already clamouring
+to partake of spirits and refreshment, for which they had longed in
+vain. The rapture at their deliverance overcame all other sentiments;
+they had no thought for the ups and downs of the war, and
+many, indeed, were still unaware of the causes that had led them to
+share in it. Cronje had evidently kept a tight hand on them, and but
+for his unique influence many would long before have surrendered.
+This peculiar despotism was marvellous when it is considered that
+none of the younger commanders could induce more than a portion
+of his commando to follow him from the Natal side to the scene of
+operations. Cronje had the privilege of being the most admired and
+well-detested person on the stage of the moment, and one Boer was
+seen clenching his fist in the direction of the vanquished tyrant and
+exclaiming, &#8220;You hard man! you deserve to be shot.&#8221; There were
+many who heard him who endorsed the opinion.</p>
+
+<p>A great deal of undue attention seemed to be bestowed on the
+Dutch Commandant, and evidently it was his undisputed military
+genius that earned for him the admiration of his conquerors. Only
+to this final display of skill and pluck can be attributed the deference
+paid to a man whose Anglophobia had made itself prominent for
+many years, one who cut such a despicable figure in his relations
+with us at Potchefstroom, and who was responsible in particular for
+much of the brutality which has been accredited to the Boers in
+general. It was certainly a case of turning the other cheek to the
+smiter, for the captive was allowed to take with him his wife, and
+retain in his possession his favourite horse, Wolmarens!</p>
+
+<p>Accompanied by Mrs. Cronje, he was sent to Cape Town in a
+covered waggon, guarded by a special convoy under the command
+of Colonel Pretyman. There was considerable pathos in the scene
+of departure, for many of the other prisoners had gone through the
+ordeal of the bombardment with their wives by their sides, and these,
+less fortunate than Mrs. Cronje, had to be left behind!</p>
+
+<p>The majority of people, it must be owned, were horrorstruck at
+the consideration shown to one to whom the word consideration was
+an empty name. A Scottish Colonial, writing home, expressed his
+irritation at the mode in which warfare was conducted. He said:<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_75" id="Page_75">[Pg 75]</a></span>
+&#8220;Cronje is now a hero, housed in the Admiral&#8217;s cabin on board
+the <i>Doris</i>. He is probably saying, &#8216;What fools the British are.&#8217;
+For, give him a chance, and he would commit again the treacherous
+murders for which he has been responsible in the past with as little
+compunction as he would feel at putting his heel on a scorpion. I
+wonder if we may take this bit of foolishness as an indication of the
+way in which England is going to settle up finally with the Republics.
+Her policy has so often before ended in weakness that one cannot
+help feeling nervous.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>He was merely one of a thousand who argued that it was impossible
+to go to war with kid-gloves on, and who regretted the
+terms of the proclamation which had been made on the entry of
+Lord Roberts to the Free State. This proclamation, which will be
+discussed anon, was another of the nineteenth-century humanitarian
+movements which were mistakenly applied to seventeenth-century
+comprehension. To return to the events of Majuba day.</p>
+
+<p>Lord Roberts subsequently visited the Boer laager, and testified
+his admiration of the ingenuity and energy with which the position
+was made almost impregnable to assault. In spite of ten days&#8217;
+bombardment by over fifty guns and howitzers, the number of Boer
+wounded was said to amount to only 160&mdash;a fact which went to
+prove that the power of artillery can be broken by the ingenious use
+of the spade. The entrenchments, when examined, proved to be
+most skilfully contrived, with narrow mouths some eighteen inches
+wide, and wide bases, some quite three feet broad, which rendered
+them almost impregnable to shell fire.</p>
+
+<p>The effect of the bombardment was terrific. The laager presented
+an appearance of black chaos, varied only by streaks of
+yellow, which told of the gambols of lyddite. Waggons were
+wrecked with shrapnel; some had ceased to exist; rings and twists
+and girandoles of distorted metal were all that was left of them.
+Within the laager was a decaying, disordered mass of Boer belongings,
+saddles innumerable, karosses and panniers, coats and feminine
+apparel, fragments of old tin trunks, and 2,000,000 rounds of ammunition;
+wreckage of all sorts, united by the super-evident, unavoidable,
+and persistent bonds of stench, which permeated everything,
+weaving visible and invisible in one noxious nightmare of the
+senses.</p>
+
+<p>Round this arena of pestilence sentries were posted. It was
+necessary to prevent loot, though little of value remained save
+munitions of war. Most of the Boer property had been left behind
+in the hurried rush from Majersfontein and Spyfontein. Still the
+locality had to be guarded, and the guards, as well as all who
+approached, had to pocket their sensibilities. Indeed, it was a
+marvel how the Boers had managed to exist in the pestilential<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_76" id="Page_76">[Pg 76]</a></span>
+atmosphere that pervaded the river-bed. Dotted everywhere, or
+collected in heaps, already rotting in the tropical heat, were the
+remains of horses, mules, and cattle, some of which had been driven
+to death, while others had been hurried there by the voice of our
+howitzers or the rain of our rifle fire. In the fringe of this atmosphere
+our troops had lived for some three days past, for nightly
+they had advanced some fifty to an hundred yards nearer the laager,
+and there dug trenches and located themselves, till, at the end, the
+last three nights were passed almost within pistol-shot of the
+enemy and in the thick of a stench whose opacity was well-nigh
+suffocating.</p>
+
+<p>An interesting account of his enforced stay in the laager was
+given by a trooper in Kitchener&#8217;s Horse, who was taken prisoner
+on the day previous to the great battle which settled Cronje&#8217;s fate.
+He had become separated from the rest of his troop while scouting
+along the Modder River. When he looked round for his friends,
+he found himself surrounded by a party of Boers, who, jumping
+from the bushes, fired upon him. His horse was shot and rolled
+over upon the young trooper, carrying him with him into the river.
+The Boers rescued him, relieved him of his bandolier, and made him
+prisoner. Together they went to the laager. &#8220;There,&#8221; the trooper
+said, &#8220;I was taken before Commandant Cronje, who asked me
+our strength and movements. On my replying that I was only a
+trooper, and did not know, he said, &#8216;Oh, never mind; if you don&#8217;t
+want to tell me, I shall not try to make you.&#8217; A guard was placed
+over me, and we stayed the night in the laager. I should say
+there were about 6000 Dutchmen all told, and forty women and
+children. A great many among them were Irishmen, a few Scotchmen;
+in short, almost every nation was more or less numerously
+represented. All that night they were busy entrenching themselves,
+employing a great deal of native labour to help them.&#8221;
+Through the whole of the 18th of February the young man
+endured the bombardment, which he described as so heavy that
+it was impossible to remain in the laager, and consequently all,
+even the women and children, took refuge in the trenches. The
+Boers&#8217; mode of firing he specially made a note of: &#8220;The Boers did
+not in the least mind our attack, and laughed amongst themselves
+as they saw the men advancing. They allowed them to come up
+to about 600 yards from the trenches, and then opened a tremendous
+fire from their rifles. It did not seem to be aimed at any
+particular man, but more at a certain fixed distance. At that they
+fired as fast as they could. The range was obtained by a few
+fixed shots, who fired, watched the dust caused by the strike of the
+bullets, and then gave out the range. Our men came up to within
+150 yards and then retired. They fired volleys at the longer<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_77" id="Page_77">[Pg 77]</a></span>
+distances, but all their fire seemed to me to be short.&#8221; Each day
+there were losses, but comparatively few, as the bottle-shaped
+trenches afforded excellent cover; those that fell, however, were
+buried where they lay. He went on to say that &#8220;The shelling
+of Monday night destroyed several waggons, two of which were on
+either side of Cronje&#8217;s own. No one could have been braver than
+he was. He stood upon the waggon-step, field-glasses in hand,
+and did not seem to care in the least how thickly the shells and
+bullets fell. Many of the Free Staters, however, were quite the
+reverse, and were in a great state of terror when the bombardment
+began. The ammunition waggons blew up, and several of the
+provision waggons were burned. The shrapnel killed the majority
+of the horses and cattle, which had no shelter but the banks of
+the river. Beyond that the fire did little real damage.&#8221; The
+prisoner declared his belief that &#8220;could they have kept their laager
+out of fire they would never have surrendered. The loss of the
+provision waggons was what caused them to give in. They had
+only four days&#8217; food left. Their ammunition was still plentiful.
+After the explosion of the ammunition waggons by shell-fire on
+February 19, all the remaining cartridges were distributed throughout
+the trenches, and on the south side every trench was still full
+of unused ammunition. Everything was done in the trenches,
+even the cooking, each individual having with him a box of provisions
+sunk into the ground. These boxes were replenished at
+night as there was no possibility of reaching the laager during the
+day.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>Lord Roberts addressed the Canadians, and expressed his satisfaction
+and appreciation of the splendid work they had done and the
+courage they had shown. To them he attributed the greater share
+in the Boer surrender. All were delighted at the attention shown
+the heroic Colonials, who had done splendid work, and at the
+exhibition of Lord Roberts&#8217; tact and kindliness in thus singling
+out the Canadians for the position of honour. In the Jubilee of 1897
+the Field-Marshal had told the Colonial Bodyguard that he would
+like to have them with him if he were ever in another campaign,
+and now the Canadians felt that the Chief&#8217;s cherished words had
+been no mere formula, and that they had been given the chance to
+distinguish themselves that they had so eagerly desired.</p>
+
+<p>To General Colvile was given the credit of inventing the order of
+attack which at last brought the Boers to their senses. He arranged
+that the first rank should advance, bayonets fixed, till the enemy
+opened fire. Then they were to lie down and continue to fire on
+the Boers, while Engineers and the second line dug a trench. The
+trench thus made was within eighty yards of those of the Boers, and
+owing to its trefoil shape, the troops were able to enfilade both the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_78" id="Page_78">[Pg 78]</a></span>
+river and northern trenches of the enemy and make them untenable.
+From their point in the original trench the Gordon Highlanders
+kept up a brisk fire, while the Shropshire Light Infantry, who were
+posted over a thousand yards to the north-west of the position, co-operated.</p>
+
+<p>In the very successful attack on the enemy&#8217;s trenches the Royal
+Canadian Contingent lost seven killed and twenty-nine wounded.
+Major Pelletier, who commanded the French company, foremost
+of the three companies, was wounded, and also Lieutenant Armstrong.
+It is interesting to note that few of this gallant company of
+Great Britain&#8217;s defenders could speak English!</p>
+
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 387px;">
+<a name="ill_112" id="ill_112"></a><img src="images/ill_112.png" width="387" height="431" alt="" title="" />
+<div><span class="caption smcap">Boer Trenches at Paardeberg.</span><br />
+<br />
+<span class="small">Photo by Alf. S. Hosking, Cape Town.</span>
+</div></div>
+
+<p>Colonel Otter, in command of the Canadians, had distinguished
+himself on many occasions by rare coolness and display of great
+talent in the field, and he now took pleasure in reporting excellently<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_79" id="Page_79">[Pg 79]</a></span>
+of the various members of the battalion under his command who had
+especially distinguished themselves. Among these were:&mdash;</p>
+
+<blockquote><p>Captain H. B. Stairs, 66th P. L. Fusiliers, and Lieutenant and Captain A.
+H. Macdonell, Royal Canadian Regiment. E Company, No. 5130, Corporal
+T. E. Baugh, R.C.R. F Company, No. 7782, Private O. Matheson, 12th Newcastle
+Field Battery; No. 7803, Private A. Sutherland, D. of Y. R. C. Hrs.;
+No. 7868, Sergeant W. Peppeatt, Royal Canadian Artillery; No. 7871, Corporal
+R. D. M&#8217;Donald, Royal Canadian Artillery; No. 7822, Private C. Harrison,
+2nd Montreal Regiment C.A.; No. 7841, Private A. Bagot, 65th Montreal
+Rifles; No. 7778, Private Sievert, 93rd Cumberland Infantry; No. 7615, Private
+A. T. Seriault, 9th Voltigeurs de Quebec.</p></blockquote>
+
+<p>But these were only a select few among the number who were
+engaged in incomparable things done incomparably well.</p>
+
+<div class="footnotes"><h3>FOOTNOTES:</h3>
+
+<div class="footnote"><p><a name="Footnote_1_1" id="Footnote_1_1"></a><a href="#FNanchor_1_1"><span class="label">[1]</span></a> Colonel Ormelie Campbell Hannay was in his fifty-second year, having been born
+on December 23, 1848. He entered the army as an ensign in the 93rd Foot (now the
+Princess Louise&#8217;s Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders) on October 5, 1867, received his
+lieutenancy on the 28th of October 1871, and from February to November 1878 was
+instructor of musketry. Obtaining his captaincy on November 17, 1878, he was employed
+on special service in South Africa during the latter part of the Zulu War, from
+June to October 1879, for which he had the medal with clasp. From April to September
+1883 he was aide-de-camp to the brigadier-general at Aldershot, was gazetted a
+major in January 1884, and from September 1886 to November 1887 was again employed
+on staff service, for the first portion of the period as an aide-de-camp in Bengal, and for
+the latter portion in Bombay. He became lieutenant-colonel in June 1893, and colonel in
+June 1897, and in June 1899 was placed on the half-pay list, from which he was removed last
+October in order to take up the temporary appointment of assistant-adjutant-general at Portsmouth.
+Not till December 30, 1899, was he chosen for special service in South Africa.</p></div>
+
+<div class="footnote"><p><a name="Footnote_2_2" id="Footnote_2_2"></a><a href="#FNanchor_2_2"><span class="label">[2]</span></a> Lieutenant-Colonel William Aldworth, D.S.O., was forty-four years of age, having
+been born on October 3, 1855. He entered the army as a sub-lieutenant on June 13, 1874,
+and was gazetted to the 16th Foot, of which he was adjutant from October 17, 1877,
+to March 29, 1881. Gazetted a captain in the Bedfordshire Regiment on March 30,
+1881, he served with the Burmese Expedition from January 14, 1885, to March 3, 1886,
+as aide-de-camp and acting military secretary to Sir Harry Prendergast, first as a
+major-general in Madras, and then as general officer commanding in Upper Burma,
+being mentioned in despatches and receiving the D.S.O. and the medal with clasp.
+He also took part in the Isazai Expedition in 1892, and in February 1893 was gazetted a
+major. In 1895 he served with the Chitral Relief Force under Sir Robert Low with the
+1st battalion of his then regiment (the Bedfordshire), and took part in the storming of the
+Malakand Pass and the engagement near Khar, for which he had the medal with clasp.
+Again he was in active service in 1897-98, under Sir William Lockhart, in the campaign on
+the North-West Frontier of India, with the Tirah Expeditionary Force as deputy-assistant-adjutant-general
+of the 2nd Brigade, and with the Khyber Force as deputy-assistant-adjutant-general,
+being present at the forcing of the Sampagha and Arhanga Passes, and the
+operations against the Chamkanis and in the Bazar Valley. He was mentioned in despatches,
+received the brevet of lieutenant-colonel (May 20, 1898), and two clasps. He
+obtained the substantive rank of lieutenant-colonel in the Duke of Cornwall&#8217;s Light Infantry
+on October 12, 1898.</p></div>
+</div>
+
+<p class="pagenum"><a name="Page_80" id="Page_80">[Pg 80]</a></p>
+
+<h2 class="gap4"><a name="CHAPTER_II" id="CHAPTER_II"></a>CHAPTER II<br />
+<br />
+<span class="smaller">MAFEKING IN DECEMBER AND JANUARY</span></h2>
+
+<p>Christmas Day, in deference to warlike etiquette, was
+observed as a holiday; but, in spite of the pacific nature
+of the occasion, the man who was the brain of Mafeking
+was organising a plan by which the cordon around the
+town might be broken. He was deciding that there must
+be a big fight on the morrow, and that a desperate effort must be
+made to change the cramped vista of affairs. Waiting was a weary
+game, and it was felt that some one must make a move. The Boers
+certainly, had they chosen, might have carried the town by assault,
+but for such activity they had no appetite. This was no boy&#8217;s job,
+and, as they themselves confessed, they went out to shoot, not to be
+shot. Not so the gentle civilians, who, while incarcerated in this
+little hamlet of the veldt, had developed into valiant campaigners.
+They were always ready to be up and doing, and gladly fell in with
+the Colonel&#8217;s plans. Frequent reconnaissances had disclosed the
+fact that the enemy&#8217;s position, though strong on the western face,
+was fairly vulnerable at a point on the east, and at this point it was
+decided an attack on the morning of the 26th should be directed.</p>
+
+<p>The plan of attack was as follows:&mdash;Captain R. Vernon, King&#8217;s
+Royal Rifles, with C Squadron, and Captain FitzClarence and D
+Squadron, to lead; Captain Lord Charles Bentinck, with A Squadron,
+to hold the reserve upon the left, which was under the command of
+Colonel Hore. Major Panzera and the artillery were to take up a
+position upon the extreme left of the line. The railway running to
+within a few hundred yards of Game Tree had been repaired, in
+order that the armoured train, under Captain Williams and twenty
+men of the British South Africa Police, with one-pounder Hotchkiss
+and Maxim, from a point parallel with Game Tree, might protect
+the right flank. This flank was to be further supported by Captain
+Cowan and seventy men of the Bechuanaland Rifles. The entire
+operations from this side were to be under the command of Major
+Godley, while Colonel Baden-Powell and his staff, Major Lord
+Edward Cecil (Chief Staff Officer), Captain Wilson, A.D.C., and
+Lieutenant Hanbury Tracy watched the direction of events from
+Dummie Fort.</p>
+
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 500px;">
+<a name="ill_115" id="ill_115"></a><img src="images/ill_115.png" width="500" height="296" alt="" title="" />
+<div><span class="caption">CRONJE&#8217;S FORCE ON THEIR MARCH SOUTH.</span><br />
+<br />
+<span class="small">Drawing by Sidney Paget, from a Sketch made 8 Miles South of Paardeberg by W. B. Wollen, R.I.</span>
+</div></div>
+
+<p>It must be remembered that at that time the character of the
+fort they intended to assail was barely known. In reality, it rose<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_81" id="Page_81">[Pg 81]</a></span>
+some seven feet above a ditch deep and wide, which almost defied
+assault. However, it was decided that Game Tree, from which
+had poured voluble rifle and artillery fire for many weeks, must at
+all hazards be silenced. It was most important that communication
+with the north should be, if possible, re-established, and there was
+every hope that a successful fight might make it easier for Colonel
+Plumer to eventually join hands with the besieged.</p>
+
+<p>The night passed. As the grey dawn broke over the veldt, a
+flash weirdly orange and a golden puff of smoke showed that the
+preconcerted plan had begun to be put in operation. Major Panzera
+with his seven-pounders had started the programme. Presently the
+Maxim rapped out in chorus, while on the right the great dusty
+crocodile, the armoured train, slunk along to its destination. Its
+whistle shrieked. It was Captain Vernon&#8217;s signal for action. On
+the instant a thin line of moving kharki broke from cover, bayonets
+glittered among the scrub, cheers and the rattle of musketry filled
+the air. Officers and men were dashing, as only Britons can dash,
+each striving to outrush the other towards the lair of the enemy.
+Quick as thought they had plunged into the scrub that girdled the
+sandbags, and excitedly, jubilantly, some one on Dummie Fort sang
+out, &#8220;They are swarming over the bags&mdash;the position is ours!&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>All waited anxiously, almost breathlessly. The moments grew
+and grew, seconds became years. The sputtering of rifles continued,
+and swelled into a vast hum, and then some one&mdash;the same some
+one, only in a very different voice from that which spoke last, said
+hoarsely, &#8220;Our men are coming back!&#8221;... Yes. They were indeed
+coming back&mdash;the remnant&mdash;firing sullenly their parting shots
+ere they receded. The enemy&#8217;s position had been proved impregnable!
+Their parapet was loopholed in triple tiers and roofed with
+a bomb-proof protection. It had but a single opening, large enough
+to admit one man at a time. It was in firing his revolver into one of
+the loopholes and endeavouring to pull out a sandbag with his left
+hand that Lieutenant Paton was killed. Captain FitzClarence, far
+ahead of his men, was shot in the thigh within 150 yards of the
+fort, and both Captains Sandford and Vernon were laid low almost
+within a stone&#8217;s throw of the rifles of the enemy. Lieutenant Swinburne,
+who, directly Captain FitzClarence was wounded, led his men
+forward with dauntless energy, escaped unhurt. But few were equally
+lucky. Out of a storming party of eighty, twenty-one were killed
+and thirty-three wounded. It was when he saw this useless sacrifice
+of life that Major Godley sent a message to headquarters
+by the aide-de-camp. &#8220;Captain Vernon, sir, has been repulsed,&#8221; he
+said, &#8220;and Major Godley does not think it worth while trying again.&#8221;
+Nor was it. All that could be done was to send the ambulance to
+perform its grim duty.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_82" id="Page_82">[Pg 82]</a></span></p>
+
+<p>In describing the tragic affair, Mr. Angus Hamilton, in <i>Black
+and White</i>, said: &#8220;Indeed, from the armoured train it could be
+seen that the progress of the men towards the fort was like the
+Charge of the Six Hundred into the Valley of Death&mdash;a conviction
+which became more and more apparent as our men gallantly held to
+their course. Within 300 yards of the fort it was almost impossible
+for any living thing to exist, and the rush of the bullets across the
+zone of fire was like the hum of myriads of locusts before the wind.
+The gallantry of the effort, the admirable steadiness and precision
+with which the attack was delivered, has been compared by our
+commanding officers to deeds which rank among the foremost of our
+martial chronicles.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>It was veritably a charge of heroes. Scarcely one man could
+be singled out as the bravest of the brave where all showed such
+magnificent courage. Captain Sandford, Indian Staff Corps, though
+wounded mortally by a bullet in the spine, with his last breath
+ordered his men to continue their advance and leave him to his
+fate. Captain FitzClarence, wounded in the leg, bleeding, exhausted,
+was seen sitting up and directing the charge. Elsewhere
+was Captain Vernon, with a bullet through him, rushing on and on
+in company with the heroic youth, Paton, whose effort to scale the
+inaccessible rampart brought about his death. This splendid fellow
+was shot through the heart; while Captain Vernon, who had again
+been hit, and still pursued his onward course into the teeth of the
+foe, was struck on the head and killed. The only other officer that
+escaped uninjured was Lieutenant Bridges, and he hurt his ankle
+while assisting a wounded comrade. The details of the killed and
+wounded were as follows:&mdash;Officers killed, three; wounded, one.
+Men killed, eighteen; wounded, thirty-two; missing, thirteen. Thus
+ended a superb effort, which, failure though it was, was vastly superior
+to many a meaner martial success.</p>
+
+<p>So the garrison had to go on in the old, old way, though
+many popular and beloved members were now missing, and the
+hospital was full of cases that threatened to end seriously. Owing
+to the commendable forethought of Lord Edward Cecil and
+the enterprise of Messrs. Julius Weil, the garrison was provided
+with the wherewithal to make what resistance they did. Lord
+Edward Cecil&#8217;s work was ceaseless; as Chief Staff Officer he came
+in for both the external fights and the internal discords. He
+smoothed down quarrels, dispensed justice, allayed &#8220;siege fever&#8221; in
+all its intermittent phases, and in fact performed the tasks of ten
+men, with unfailing courtesy and inexhaustible patience. The pinch
+of the siege had gradually become more painful, and luxuries for
+some time had been commandeered for the use of the sick. Luckily,
+some Chinamen among the besieged contrived to grow vegetables<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_83" id="Page_83">[Pg 83]</a></span>
+in small quantities for the use of the inhabitants, and by force of
+good management in the disposal of the food supplies, which had
+been stocked by Messrs. Weil before the outbreak of the war, a
+fixed scale of rations for every man, woman, and child was secured.
+Conversation grew monotonous. It circled round the positions of
+the guns, the chance of relief, and question of stores, till it produced a
+mental giddiness that verged on the idiotic. Few grumbled, few
+swore. In this matter the Boers acted as a safety-valve. When
+people felt in the &#8220;something&#8217;s too bad of somebody&#8221; mood, they
+could go out and snipe, and vent their spleen usefully and to the
+honour of their country! Sundays were more than ever flat. There
+was not the excitement attendant on dodging shells in the open.
+Speculation on the subject of food languished round the limitations
+of Hobson&#8217;s choice. Mr. Neilly in the <i>Pall Mall Gazette</i> gave a
+sorry outline of the scanty fare. &#8220;I will attempt to give you an idea
+of what this scarcity of diet means. You are in a trench. In the
+early morning you have handed to you a piece of bread as big as a
+breakfast roll and a little tin of &#8216;bully&#8217; sufficient for one average
+meal. You have some of it for breakfast, and if you have not an
+iron will you will eat the lot there and then, and go hungry for the
+rest of the twenty-four hours. What you leave is kept in the broiling
+sun until luncheon-time, when you find the beef reduced to an
+oily mess that does not look very appetising. You eat more and
+tighten your belt a hole or two to delude yourself into the belief
+that you have had a satisfying meal. You roast away again until
+dinner-time, when you gather up the last crumb and sigh for a few
+hours in the Adelaide Gallery or even in an East-End cookshop.
+But this is not all; you are for guard duty from midnight until
+3 <span class="allsmcap">A.M.</span> You have no sleep before you go on, and the slumber you
+fall into when relieved is destroyed an hour after you have entered
+upon it by the morning order to stand to arms. You thus get a
+schoolboy&#8217;s luncheon to keep you alive for twenty-four hours. It
+is made unpalatable by the sun, and if a Mafeking shower falls, the
+odds are that it will be flooded over and buried in the mud at the
+bottom of the trench.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>At this time Cronje, by way of recreation, returned to Mafeking,
+a fleeting visit, possibly to test some novel plans for the purpose of
+subduing the town. He came armed with incendiary shells, which
+were supposed to hit and blaze up and cause an inspiriting conflagration.
+But they did not succeed. They caused a conflagration
+certainly, but its duration was limited. At the end of it, Mafeking
+smiled still, but smiled with the curled lip of scorn. The convent,
+notwithstanding its symbol of the Red Cross, had been hit, and
+crushed, and wrecked; the hospital had been assailed; the sacred
+claim of humanity had been outraged; women and children had<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_84" id="Page_84">[Pg 84]</a></span>
+been subjected to terrors of fact and terrors of dread. These
+atrocities continued, and Her Majesty&#8217;s long-suffering subjects looked
+on and waited; they believed that deliverance must soon come.
+If they had not had that belief to help them, they would have
+died or surrendered. They believed that a day of reckoning would
+arrive, and that then Cronje and his diabolical hirelings would
+come by their deserts. If only they could have skipped six weeks
+and looked into the mirror of Fate, the drama at Paardeberg Drift
+would have reassured them. As it was, they had to live in faith.
+The series of atrocities that marked the Boer assaults had scarcely
+a counterpart in modern history, and it grew doubtful, if ever their
+turn should come, whether the besieged would be prevailed upon
+to emit one spark of that &#8220;magnanimity&#8221; with which their countrymen
+had been so lavish, and which the Boer had grown to account
+as a natural weakness of these &#8220;verdomde rooineks.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>Siege life was now becoming painfully irksome. A blazing sun,
+a drenching rain, a gust of wind through the pepper trees, this
+was all the variety at hand. The inhabitants of the town began
+to feel like ghosts of themselves, ghouls walking the earth, yet out
+of touch with those who spoke of them as a memory, and nothing
+more. To them it was the quiet of the grave. They waited like some
+enchanted princess of a fairy tale for the time when the magic wand
+should wave and their pulses throb with joy and excitation, with
+laughter and zest for the good things of the hour. Now they
+walked as in a dream to the accompaniment of shot and shell, surrounded
+by devilish ogres and looters of the dead, while somewhere
+within a few miles of them, kith and kin, living and breathing kith
+and kin, seemed as phantoms in a nightmare to pass by and to
+ignore! A speechless, soundless asphyxia of the soul seemed to
+be creeping over these tired patient heroes! They still waited and
+hoped, but hoping and waiting had now grown monotonous, almost
+mechanical, as the tickings of an eight-day clock.</p>
+
+<p>Rumours many and fantastic were brought in by the natives.
+It was believed that a new year&#8217;s gift of three waggon loads of
+ammunition had been received by the Boers from Pretoria, and also
+a new gun. This weapon it was afterwards discovered was provided
+with more combustible bombs, horrible missiles that disgorge a
+chemical liquid which ignites in contact with the air. Here was
+a continual horror, and one that was only combated by extreme
+precautions. Though Colonel Baden-Powell in his nook on the
+stoep of his house continued to whistle his insouciant notes, his
+busy brains needed to be Machiavellian in their ingenuity. Some
+declared he slept with one eye open; others, that he never slept
+at all. Certain it was that when all were hushed in slumber he
+was &#8220;on the prowl,&#8221; either on the roof or in the open, reading from<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_85" id="Page_85">[Pg 85]</a></span>
+the heavens above or the earth beneath the enemy&#8217;s approaching
+machinations. Some find sermons in stones; B.-P. found inspiration
+in sand and sky.</p>
+
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 528px;">
+<a name="ill_121" id="ill_121"></a><img src="images/ill_121.png" width="528" height="271" alt="The Market Square, Mafeking." title="" />
+<div><span class="caption smcap">The Market Square, Mafeking.</span>
+</div></div>
+
+<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_86" id="Page_86">[Pg 86]</a></span>The Boers continued their bombardment, the sun continued to
+blaze, to smite the tin roofs and glaring sandy roads. After persistently
+directing shells on the women&#8217;s laager the ruffians succeeded in
+murdering three little children. These were of Dutch nationality,
+and it was hoped that their loss might possibly awaken a feeling
+of humanity and remorse in the breast of those who had prompted
+the assault on the defenceless position. But their conduct was
+rendering those within the town exasperated almost to madness.
+They panted for a chance to mete out annihilation to the blood-lusting
+rascals and untamed savages who were harassing them.
+They did their best, and sat down to the business of clearing off
+as many as possible of the polyglot horde who worked the guns.</p>
+
+<p>The work done by the Bechuanaland Rifles and the British
+South Africa Police was prodigious. They shrunk from no toil
+and no exposure so that they might reduce the number of the
+besiegers. Early in the New Year the Rifles entrenched themselves
+within 900 yards of the enemy&#8217;s big guns, and spent days
+and nights in the trenches, relieved at intervals by the Police.
+From nine on one night till nine the next they would occupy their
+unenviable position, carrying with them their day&#8217;s food and water,
+and employing themselves during the hours of light by keeping
+up a persistent fire on the Boer siege gun. On occasions their fire
+was so accurate that the Dutchmen had entirely to abandon the
+work of loading and training the gun. So smart, at last, grew the
+British sharpshooters, that during each Sabbath the gun was shifted
+farther and farther away.</p>
+
+<p>Colonel Baden-Powell&#8217;s resourcefulness was again put to the
+test, and was again triumphant. The Boers were somewhat nonplussed
+by the discovery that he had a new weapon of defence.
+They put their heads together and concluded that the weapon must
+have sprung from the bowels of the earth. It so happened that in
+some long-forgotten stores in the town an old ship&#8217;s gun was suddenly
+discovered. Quickly it was brought into action. But the
+ways of this old muzzle-loading 16-pounder were not as the ways
+of the modern &#8220;Long Toms,&#8221; whose tricks were &#8220;understanded&#8221;
+of the Boer people. It had curious and distinctive virtues of its
+own. This gun threw solid shot, which, unlike a shell that bursts
+and is done with for better or for worse, gallivanted along the
+ground according to its own sweet will, and produced little surprises
+that caused the Colonel much amusement and not a little satisfaction.</p>
+
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 455px;">
+<a name="ill_123" id="ill_123"></a><img src="images/ill_123.png" width="455" height="296" alt="" title="" />
+<div><span class="caption smcap">Gun made in Mafeking.</span><br />
+<br />
+<span class="small">Photo by D. Taylor, Mafeking.</span>
+</div></div>
+
+<p>The biography of the treasure-trove was written by Mr. Angus<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_87" id="Page_87">[Pg 87]</a></span>
+Hamilton of <i>Black and White</i>, who declared that there was quite a
+flutter of excitement at the appearance of the antiquated weapon.
+&#8220;It would seem,&#8221; he said, &#8220;to have been made about 1770, and
+is identical with those which up till very recently adorned the
+quay at Portsmouth. Its weight is 8 cwt. 2 qr. 10 lbs., and it was
+made by B. P. &amp; Co. It is a naval gun, and is stamped &#8216;No. 6
+port.&#8217; How it came here is uncertain, and its origin unknown;
+but one gathers that it must have been intended more for privateering
+than for use in any Government ship of war, since it is wanting
+in all official superscription. This weapon, which we have now
+christened &#8216;B. P.&#8217; out of a compliment to the Colonel, has been
+lying upon the farm of an Englishman whose interests are very
+closely united with the native tribe whose headquarters are in
+Mafeking Stadt. Mr. Rowlands can recall the gun passing this
+way in charge of two Germans nearly forty years ago. He remembers
+to have seen it in the possession of Linchwe&#8217;s tribe, and
+upon his return to the Baralongs, after one of his trading journeys,
+he urged the old chief to secure it for use in defence of the Stadt
+against the attacks of Dutch freebooters. The chief then visited
+Linchwe and bought the gun for twenty-two oxen, bringing it down
+to Mafeking upon his waggon. In those days it had three hundred
+rounds of ammunition, which were utilised in tribal fights. With
+the exception of visits which the gun made to local tribes, it has
+remained here, and is now in the possession of Mr. Rowlands. It<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_88" id="Page_88">[Pg 88]</a></span>
+has recently been mounted, and is in active operation against our
+enemies. We have made balls for it, and are intending to manufacture
+shells, in the hope we shall at least be able to reach the
+emplacement of Big Ben. The first trial of &#8216;B. P.&#8217; in its new
+career gave very satisfactory results. With two pounds of powder
+it threw a ball of ten pounds more than two thousand yards. The
+power of the charge was increased by half pounds until a charge of
+three pounds threw a ball of the same weight as the first rather
+more than two miles. We, therefore, have pinned our hopes upon
+it, and commend to the responsible authorities the reflections which
+may be derived from the fact that our chief and most efficient means
+of defence lie in such a weapon.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>The mosquito tactics of the wily Colonel proceeded as usual,
+but the Boer was hard to checkmate. On the 15th of January an
+attack was made by the sharpshooters against the enemy&#8217;s big gun
+battery, with the pleasing result that on the following day the
+94-pounder and high-velocity Krupp evacuated their positions, and
+retired to a more distant one on the east side of the town, whence
+their command of the place was comparatively limited. In this
+quarter, now that the foe was pushed out of rifle range, it was
+possible to open grazing for cattle, a very desirable movement, for
+the poor lean beasts were waning rapidly. At this time Captain
+FitzClarence was reported among the convalescents, the wound
+received on the 26th of December having almost healed.</p>
+
+<p>Preparations were set on foot for the purpose of routing the
+enemy with dynamite, failing all other means of ridding the town
+of his too intimate proximity. Colonel Baden-Powell&#8217;s motto, unlike
+that of British Governments, was to take time by the forelock.
+He left nothing to chance. In order to avert any risk of
+running short of supplies, rations were reduced, and oats which had
+previously belonged to the beasts were promoted to the use of their
+owners. Very stringent laws existed for the economising of everything.
+Matches and tinned milk were commandeered, and the theft
+of a matchbox was now viewed as a heinous crime. Tobacco in
+small quantities remained, but wines and spirits were fast running
+out. There were pathetic leave-takings as each quart of whisky
+disappeared from the stores; there was no knowing when would
+arrive the hour for a fond and a last farewell. Conversation grew
+still more monotonous. It mostly consisted of how the inner man
+should be sustained, and of anecdotes of agility in avoiding shot
+and shell.</p>
+
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 396px;">
+<a name="ill_125" id="ill_125"></a><img src="images/ill_125.png" width="396" height="506" alt="" title="" />
+<div>
+<table summary="" class="w100">
+<tr>
+<td class="caption w50">WEST YORKSHIRE REGIMENT (Colour-Sergeant).</td>
+<td class="caption w50">YORKSHIRE REGIMENT (Sergeant).</td>
+</tr>
+</table>
+<br />
+<span class="small">Photo by Gregory &amp; Co., London.</span>
+</div></div>
+
+<p>Still, considerable interest was taken in the performances of the
+old 16-pounder, which had been rigged up and christened by some
+&#8220;Skipping Polly,&#8221; on account of its skittish habits and its propensity
+to ricochet. This, though erratic in its proceedings, did good work,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_89" id="Page_89">[Pg 89]</a></span>
+and struck the parapet of the enemy&#8217;s fort. On the 10th of January
+violent rains came down, and rendered most of the trenches in front
+of the town uninhabitable, and life in general almost unendurable.
+Never was there greater need for the inestimable virtues of pluck and
+patience, and if medals had been awarded for these united qualities,
+the inhabitants of Mafeking would all have possessed them.</p>
+
+<p>The pinch of siege life now became terribly evident, for the
+Kaffirs were reduced to eating mules. The British feared their turn
+at this diet would come directly. But the garrison was still cheery,
+and their entrenchments were considerably improved. In these
+Colonel Baden-Powell took a just pride, and his activity in promoting
+the safety and comfort of the inhabitants was boundless.
+They declared that they could feed themselves for another three
+months, but the nature of the form of provision was not divulged.
+Hardships and privations were endured by the little force with
+really amazing pluck. Beds they had scarcely enjoyed since the
+commencement of the siege; baths were almost as foreign, few had
+had a chance to remove their clothes; and news&mdash;the stimulus of
+the outside world&mdash;was entirely lacking. Letters now and then
+were passed out, but the real truth could never be trusted to black
+and white.</p>
+
+<p>The office of censor was undertaken by the Hon. A. H. Hanbury
+Tracy (Royal Horse Guards). His occupation was a hard
+and a thankless one, for constant vigilance had to be exercised
+lest reports concerning the inner state of Mafeking&mdash;reports most
+ardently craved by those interested at home&mdash;might fall into the
+hands of the enemy, and thus cramp the operations of Colonel
+Baden-Powell and those who helped him to present a bold and
+fearless front to the hovering hordes who were waiting smugly for
+what they believed to be the inevitable.</p>
+
+<p>On the 17th General Snyman bethought himself of a new way
+of starving the garrison into surrender. He sent a party of natives
+to enjoy the hospitality of the already sparsely fed town. It had
+not a mule to spare for extra Kaffirs, and Colonel Baden-Powell
+sternly though regretfully refused admittance to the new-comers.
+According to Boer usage, the officer and orderly who conveyed the
+message, notwithstanding the fact that they carried a white flag,
+were fired upon by the enemy while they were returning. A dastardly
+trick this, and the garrison resented it.</p>
+
+<p>At this time the news of the grand Ladysmith sortie was received
+with rejoicings, and the bellicose youngsters of the community began
+to rack fertile brains in hope to emulate the courage and dash of the
+sister garrison. On this day a shell hit the shelter occupied by Major
+Baillie and Mr. Stent, Reuter&#8217;s correspondent, and portions crashed
+through Dixon&#8217;s Hotel, but fortunately without injuring any one.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_90" id="Page_90">[Pg 90]</a></span></p>
+
+<p>News now reached the benighted villagers that Colonel Plumer,
+with three armoured trains, had actually reached Gaberones, some
+three hundred miles north of Mafeking. The troops had some
+sharp tussles with the Boers, and drove them out of rifle range while
+the railway operatives mended the line. Where Colonel Plumer&#8217;s
+three trains came from was a mystery. He was known to have <i>one</i>,
+but there was no saying of what Rhodesia might not be capable in
+time of stress. Colonel Plumer had his work cut out for him, but
+he was not a man to sheer off difficult tasks, and there was intense
+hope that he might succeed. But there was always the Boer artillery&mdash;a
+terrible barrier between the relieving force and Mafeking&mdash;and
+in the face of this even the finest warriors, almost gunless, could
+scarcely be expected to advance alive.</p>
+
+<p>On the 19th of January the small community celebrated the
+100th day of the siege. All the corners of the square had been
+knocked off by the ever-active Boers, but the village maintained a
+suitable air of liveliness. Exhibitions were arranged, and some
+smart fighting showed that the right arm of the British had lost none
+of its cunning.</p>
+
+<p>There were fat days and lean days in Mafeking. Though for
+the most part leanness prevailed, there was now and then to be
+found an oasis in the desert of the commissariat. Occasionally
+some successful raid made by the natives was productive of real
+meals&mdash;succulent beef <i>versus</i> old mule and husks. In the course of
+one daring foray the natives secured two dozen head of cattle; in
+another they carried off prizes of fat kine to the tune of a score.
+The excursions took place under cover of darkness, and, like all
+raids, were pursued without the consent of the Government. The
+natives had a process peculiarly their own in seducing the fat kine
+to follow them home. Devoid of clothing, and crawling snake-like
+over the veldt, they would approach the grazing cattle and gradually
+draw off such beasts as appeared goodly in their eyes, and which had
+been previously marked down with the acuteness of hungry instinct.
+Noiselessly the animals were enticed on and on till they reached the
+precincts of the staadt, where the raiders were anxiously looked for
+by their Baralong friends. These famishing individuals greeted the
+successful capture of the wherewithal to maintain life with shouts
+and dances of joy.</p>
+
+<p>The garrison was soon put on a scale of still more reduced
+rations. These consisted of half a pound of meat and the same
+of bread daily. The luxuries of life&mdash;the people in England looked
+on them as necessaries!&mdash;tea, sugar, biscuits, jams, &amp;c., were commandeered.
+In January the following housekeeper&#8217;s notes were
+made by the correspondent of the <i>Times</i>:&mdash;&#8220;Meal and flour have
+jumped from 27s. per bag to 50s.; potatoes, where they exist at<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_91" id="Page_91">[Pg 91]</a></span>
+all, are �2 per cwt.; fowls are 7s. 6d. each; and eggs 12s. per
+dozen. Milk and vegetables can no longer be obtained, and rice
+has taken the place of the latter upon the menus. These figures
+mark the rise in the more important food-stuffs as sold across the
+counter, but the hotels have, in sympathy, followed the example,
+they upon their part attributing it to the increase which the wholesale
+merchants have decreed. A peg of whisky is 1s. 6d., dop
+brandy 1s., gin 1s., large stout is 4s., small beer 2s. In ordinary
+times whisky retails at 5s. per bottle. This rate has now advanced
+to 18s. per bottle and 80s. per case. Dop, which is usually 1s. 4d.,
+is now 12s. per bottle; the difference upon beer is almost 200 per
+cent., and inferior cigarettes are now 18s. per 100.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>On the good management of the contractors, Messrs. Weil &amp;
+Co., every one depended for flesh and blood. On them rested
+the responsibility of issuing daily rations&mdash;bread and meat for the
+garrison, forage for horses, and food for natives&mdash;and very excellently
+they fulfilled their difficult task.</p>
+
+<p>On the 21st an unusual sort of show was held. The exhibits
+ranged from foals to babies, Mr. Minchin (Bechuanaland Rifles)
+securing first prize for the former, while Sergeant Brady, B.S.A.P.,
+was the proud winner of the prize for the latter.</p>
+
+<p>Colonel Baden-Powell sent a despatch reporting his own doings
+at the end of January to Colonel Nicholson. It ran as follows:&mdash;</p>
+
+<blockquote><p>&#8220;Inform the Commanding Staff Officer that we are well here. On January
+23 the enemy moved their north-east supporting laager to within 4500 yards
+of the town. We pushed our advance works in that direction, and mounted
+Lord Nelson, an old naval smooth-bore gun, in an emplacement 3100 yards
+from the enemy. On the evening of January 29 we unmasked our guns and
+shelled the enemy&#8217;s camp with complete success. Next morning the Boer
+laager was moved back two miles.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;On the 31st we were busy on all sides of the town. On the south the men
+in our advance works had a skirmish with three of the enemy&#8217;s Krupp and
+Maxim guns, the firing being very heavy. A bombardment of our front on
+Cannon Kopje by the Boer 94-pounder followed. On the east front our four
+guns replied to this by a concentrated fire on the brickfield entrenchments,
+where the enemy poured in a musketry and artillery fire.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;On the north the enemy&#8217;s 5-pounders kept up a steady fire. They
+dropped one shell through the roof of the hospital, but luckily it did not
+explode. On the west the enemy, from their advanced works, opened a heavy
+rifle and Maxim fire on Fort Ayr, which our fort eventually silenced by the
+well-aimed fire of its guns. The enemy sent three big shells into the town
+after dark, but they gained nothing during the day.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;Our casualties during the past two days from the enemy&#8217;s shell fire have
+been three killed and three wounded. Mr. Kiddy, of the Railway Department,
+has died of fever.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;On February 2 General Snyman, in reply to my letter with regard to his
+deliberately shelling the women and children&#8217;s laagers on the 27th ult., offered
+no excuse or apology, and by a transparent falsehood practically admits that<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_92" id="Page_92">[Pg 92]</a></span>
+he ordered it. I have told him that I have now established temporary premises
+for the Boer prisoners in the women&#8217;s laager and in the hospital, in order to
+protect these places from deliberate shelling.&#8221;</p></blockquote>
+
+<p>General Snyman and Colonel Baden-Powell had also a correspondence
+regarding Snyman&#8217;s arming and raising of natives. In
+reply the old commandant said that he had merely armed the
+natives as cattle-guards. In his turn he complained that the British
+had been seen making fortifications on Sunday. The Colonel, who
+only relaid some mine wires, informed him that he had himself
+been entertained by watching the building of new fortifications by
+the Boers on that day.</p>
+
+<p>On the 25th of January a shell burst through the convent,
+which was used as a convalescent hospital, and slightly wounded
+Lady Sarah Wilson, who had taken upon herself the care of the
+invalids. On the following day the women&#8217;s laager was continuously
+shelled, but fortunately with small result. There was general
+jubilation at reports received regarding the success of Lord Roberts&#8217;
+operations. The news was an immense stimulus, and speculation
+as to the date of relief was freely indulged in. The besieged had
+learnt to gather hope from the smallest incidents. The disappearance
+from time to time of the 5-pounder Krupp, the 1-pounder
+Maxim, the 9-pounder quick-firing Creusot, which had a trick of
+making weekly excursions somewhere&mdash;caused them to conjecture
+whether Colonel Plumer had reached a point where these pieces
+could be made to come in handy. The 100-pounder Creusot, however,
+was untiring. It engaged only in shorter peregrinations,
+moving from one emplacement to another by way of variety, and
+keeping up a system of torture which acted badly on the nerves of
+the unhappy persons who were honoured with its attentions.</p>
+
+<p>The following telegram, forwarded by runner from the Mayor
+of Mafeking (Mr. Whiteley), was addressed to Queen Victoria:
+&#8220;Mafeking upon the hundredth day of siege sends loyal devotion
+to your Majesty, and assurance of continued resolve to
+maintain your Majesty&#8217;s supremacy in this town.&#8221; The splendid
+little garrison had indeed a right to be proud of itself for
+having for so long a period held at bay a puissant and spiteful
+foe. It had fought, it had schemed, it had set its wits against the
+wits of Cronje and his successors, and defied them magnificently.
+&#8220;No surrender&#8221; was its motto, and the reply from the enemy was
+stamped on every house of this minute town&mdash;so minute that it could
+have been &#8220;stowed within the railings of St. James&#8217; Park&#8221;&mdash;and
+scribbled in large black defacing lines wherever shot and shell
+could penetrate. Some idea of life&#8217;s daily accompaniment of
+artillery may be arrived at by reading a description of his experiences
+recounted by Mr. Neilly of the <i>Pall Mall Gazette</i>. He<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_93" id="Page_93">[Pg 93]</a></span>
+said:&mdash;&#8220;When the enemy&#8217;s artillery began to send us the heavy
+ration, those who knew most about the power of modern long-range
+high-velocity arms dreaded most the consequences. At the
+advice of our commander-in-chief, we went to earth, some into dug-outs,
+I, with others, into the wine-cellar of the hotel, which I
+consider was the most comfortable and luxurious place in the town.
+After breakfast a twelve-pounder on the heights went &#8216;Boom!&#8217;
+Where had the shell gone? Had it struck a house? Had the
+building collapsed? Would the town be flattened and set on fire
+when the whole battery came into action? We speculated so until
+the second boom sounded, and the third quickly followed. Himmel!
+We had got it, and what a crash it was! Something had given
+way, and <i>d�bris</i> and shrapnel scattered like a hailstorm across the
+dining-room floor overhead. While some calmed the ladies, others
+of us doubled up through the trapdoor, slid the panel that divides
+the bar from the dining-room, and looked in. The dense smoke of
+the bursting charge filled the place, but there was nothing to indicate
+that anything was aflame. When the air cleared slightly we
+entered, to find the floor and tables littered with brick-dust and
+scrap iron; but the area of destruction was confined to the brickwork
+at the side of the window. Nothing was stirred upon the
+tables, which were laid for luncheon. That was enough. Had the
+house been built of good tough English brick, its flank would have
+probably collapsed; the rottenness of the walls had saved them; the
+rottenness of all the houses would bring about comparative safety to
+the town. Solids struck by shell add to the destruction wrought by
+the projectile through flying splinters; but there is no use in trying
+to batter sand stuck together with water. The concussion sends off
+the detonator, the burst makes a hole in the wall, and the further
+results are an untidied room and a bad fright to anybody who may
+be in it.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>The writer, like the rest of the plucky crew, talked airily of the
+ordeal that all passed through, without a single boast of the splendid
+effect of the garrison&#8217;s doughty resistance to the enemy in the early
+phases of the war.</p>
+
+<p>It is scarcely possible to exaggerate the full importance of this
+magnificent defence at that time. As an object-lesson in British
+pluck, and the marvellous celerity with which peace-loving citizens
+may become glorious fighters, the defence as a whole stands without
+parallel. But from a political point of view the initial stoutness of
+the resistance was a <i>coup</i> which had far-reaching results.</p>
+
+<p>There is no doubt that at the outset of the war a conspiracy
+was on foot between the Cape Dutch and the Federals,
+and that the capture of certain towns was to be taken as a
+signal for the joining of the allies to drive the British from South<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_94" id="Page_94">[Pg 94]</a></span>
+Africa. It was thought that the apparently insignificant village
+of Mafeking would be among the first to fall, and the conspirators
+congratulated themselves that once the place went under, the
+door to Rhodesia would fly open. The gallant Cronje, with nothing
+better to occupy him, could have worked his way north, attacked
+Colonel Plumer and his small force, and without doubt defeated
+them. He would then have proceeded on a triumphal march.
+Having intimidated the natives, who invariably back the man with
+the visible biceps, and having armed the Matabele and Mashonas,
+he would have completely swept and devastated the fair country of
+the Colossus before our troops could have had time to save it from
+ruin. How far the ruin would have spread it is difficult to say.
+Like dynamite, it would have struck upwards and downwards,
+north and south. The capture of Mafeking would have unhinged
+the native population there, and forced them to side with the
+Boers; and once the natives got under arms the situation would
+have become so complicated that it might have taken years to
+unravel, if indeed the Government had the patience to unravel
+it at all.</p>
+
+<p>Then disaffection would have spread rapidly, even to Table Bay.
+Had Cronje at the outset not been kept tied to the place, occupied
+in trying to crack the nut which he eventually found too hard for
+his own teeth and for the sledge-hammer weapons of his mercenaries,
+he would have gone on from town to town gathering up adherents
+as he went, and causing intimidation of such a kind that even the
+loyally disposed would in sheer self-defence have thrown in their lot
+with him.</p>
+
+<p class="pagenum"><a name="Page_95" id="Page_95">[Pg 95]</a></p>
+
+<h2 class="gap4"><a name="CHAPTER_III" id="CHAPTER_III"></a>CHAPTER III<br />
+<br />
+<span class="smaller">AT POPLAR GROVE</span></h2>
+
+<p>Before going on, it must be noted that on the 19th Lord
+Roberts had issued a proclamation to the Burghers of the
+Free State in English and Dutch. He said that the
+British having entered the Free State, he felt it his duty
+to make known the cause, and to do his utmost to end the
+war. Should the Free Staters continue fighting, they would do so
+in full knowledge of their responsibility for the lives lost in the
+campaign. Before the war, the Imperial Government desired the
+friendship of the Free State, and solemnly assured President Steyn
+that if he remained neutral the Free State territory would not be
+invaded and its independence would be respected. Nevertheless,
+the Free Staters had wantonly and unjustifiably invaded British
+territory, though the Imperial Government believed that the Free
+State Government was wholly responsible, under mischievous outside
+influence, for this invasion.</p>
+
+<p>The Imperial Government bore the people no ill-will, and was
+anxious to preserve them from the evils which the action of their
+Government had caused. Lord Roberts warned the Burghers to
+desist from further hostilities, and he undertook that Burghers so
+desisting should not suffer in their persons or property. Requisitions
+of food, forage, fuel, and shelter must be complied with. Everything
+would be paid for on the spot, and if supplies were refused they
+would be taken, a receipt being given. Should the inhabitants consider
+that they had been unjustly treated, and should their complaint
+on inquiry be substantiated, redress would be given. In conclusion,
+Lord Roberts stated that British soldiers were prohibited from
+entering houses or molesting the civil population.</p>
+
+<p>By the terms of this proclamation it was necessary to abide,
+though, by degrees, as will be seen, it began to be discovered that
+generous concessions made to our enemies were misinterpreted and
+taken advantage of in ways which tended to prolong the war.</p>
+
+<p>Lords Roberts and Kitchener paid a flying visit to Kimberley
+on the 1st of March, and attended a crowded meeting in the Town
+Hall. Lord Roberts, with his usual grace, dwelt on the courage,
+endurance, and heroism exhibited by the troops and residents, not
+only in Kimberley, but in the other besieged towns.</p>
+
+<p>Cronje&#8217;s fate being sealed, the Field-Marshal shifted his head<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_96" id="Page_96">[Pg 96]</a></span>quarters
+to Osfontein, seven miles up the Modder from Paardeberg.
+Near here it was rumoured that such Boers as had failed to come to
+the succour of Cronje had flocked. These, numbering some 10,000,
+had gathered at the summons of their chief from the regions round
+Stormberg, Colesberg, and Ladysmith, and were now busily entrenching
+a position some fifteen miles long. Of this the flanks
+rested on kopjes to the south of the river on a group called Seven
+Sisters, and to the north across the river on a flat-topped kopje,
+behind which were further fortified kopjes, forming a formidable
+position at Poplar Grove, a place so called because of a sparse display
+of poplar and Australian gum-trees in the vicinity.</p>
+
+<p>At this time the two Presidents of the Republics, finding things
+getting too hot to be comfortable, made magnanimous proposals
+for peace. The following is the text of their despatch.</p>
+
+<blockquote>
+<p class="address">&#8220;<span class="smcap">Bloemfontein</span>, <i>March 5, 1900</i>.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;The blood and the tears of the thousands who have suffered by this war,
+and the prospect of all the moral and economic ruin with which South Africa
+is now threatened, make it necessary for both belligerents to ask themselves
+dispassionately, and as in the sight of the Triune God, for what they are
+fighting, and whether the aim of each justifies all this appalling misery and
+devastation.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;With this object, and in view of the assertions of various British statesmen,
+to the effect that this war was begun and is being carried on with the
+set purpose of undermining Her Majesty&#8217;s authority in South Africa, and of
+setting up an Administration over all South Africa independent of Her Majesty&#8217;s
+Government, we consider it our duty solemnly to declare that this war was
+undertaken solely as a defensive measure to safeguard the threatened independence
+of the South African Republic, and is only continued in order to secure
+and safeguard the incontestable independence of both Republics as sovereign
+international States, and to obtain the assurance that those of Her Majesty&#8217;s
+subjects who have taken part with us in this war shall suffer no harm whatsoever
+in person or property.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;On these conditions, but on these conditions alone, are we now, as in the
+past, desirous of seeing peace re-established in South Africa, and of putting an
+end to the evils now reigning over South Africa; while, if Her Majesty&#8217;s Government
+is determined to destroy the independence of the Republics, there is
+nothing left to us and to our people but to persevere to the end in the course
+already begun, in spite of the overwhelming pre-eminence of the British Empire,
+confident that that God who lighted the unextinguishable fire of the love of
+freedom in the hearts of ourselves and of our fathers will not forsake us, but
+will accomplish His work in us and in our descendants.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;We hesitated to make this declaration earlier to your Excellency, as we
+feared that as long as the advantage was always on our side, and as long as our
+forces held defensive positions far in Her Majesty&#8217;s Colonies, such a declaration
+might hurt the feelings of honour of the British people; but now that the
+prestige of the British Empire may be considered to be assured by the capture
+of one of our forces by Her Majesty&#8217;s troops, and that we are thereby forced to
+evacuate other positions which our forces had occupied, that difficulty is over,
+and we can no longer hesitate clearly to inform your Government and people, in<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_97" id="Page_97">[Pg 97]</a></span>
+the sight of the whole civilised world, why we are fighting, and on what conditions
+we are ready to restore peace.&#8221;</p></blockquote>
+
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 488px;">
+<a name="ill_135" id="ill_135"></a><img src="images/ill_135.png" width="488" height="325" alt="" title="" />
+<div><span class="caption">SHELL FROM THE NAVAL BRIGADE DISPERSING BOERS FROM BEHIND THE SEVEN SISTERS KOPJES, DURING THE
+ACTION OF 7th MARCH AT LE GALLAIS KOPJE, NEAR OSFONTEIN.</span><br />
+<br />
+<span class="small">Drawing by Sidney Paget, from a Sketch by W. B. Wollen, R.I.</span>
+</div></div>
+
+<p>The answer to this effusion, addressed by Lord Salisbury on
+behalf of Her Majesty&#8217;s Government to the Presidents, ran:&mdash;</p>
+
+<blockquote>
+<p class="address">&#8220;<span class="smcap">Foreign Office</span>, <i>March 11, 1900</i>.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;I have the honour to acknowledge your Honours&#8217; telegram, dated March 5,
+from Bloemfontein, of which the purport is principally to demand that Her
+Majesty&#8217;s Government shall recognise the &#8216;incontestable independence&#8217; of the
+South African Republic and Orange Free State as &#8216;sovereign international
+States,&#8217; and to offer, on those terms, to bring the war to a conclusion.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;In the beginning of October last, peace existed between Her Majesty and
+the two Republics under the Conventions which then were in existence. A
+discussion had been proceeding for some months between Her Majesty&#8217;s Government
+and the South African Republic, of which the object was to obtain redress
+for certain very serious grievances under which British residents in the South
+African Republic were suffering. In the course of these negotiations, the South
+African Republic had, to the knowledge of Her Majesty&#8217;s Government, made
+considerable armaments, and the latter had, consequently, taken steps to provide
+corresponding reinforcements to the British garrisons of Cape Town and Natal.
+No infringement of the rights guaranteed by the Conventions had, up to that
+point, taken place on the British side. Suddenly, at two days&#8217; notice, the South
+African Republic, after issuing an insulting ultimatum, declared war upon Her
+Majesty; and the Orange Free State, with whom there had not even been any
+discussion, took a similar step. Her Majesty&#8217;s dominions were immediately
+invaded by the two Republics, siege was laid to three towns within the British
+frontier, a large portion of the two Colonies was overrun, with great destruction
+to property and life, and the Republics claimed to treat the inhabitants of extensive
+portions of Her Majesty&#8217;s dominions as if those dominions had been
+annexed to one or other of them. In anticipation of these operations the South
+African Republic had been accumulating for many years past military stores on
+an enormous scale, which, by their character, could only have been intended for
+use against Great Britain.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;Your Honours make some observations of a negative character upon the
+object with which these preparations were made. I do not think it necessary
+to discuss the questions you have raised. But the result of these preparations,
+carried on with great secrecy, has been that the British Empire has been compelled
+to confront an invasion which has entailed upon the Empire a costly war
+and the loss of thousands of precious lives. This great calamity has been the
+penalty which Great Britain has suffered for having in recent years acquiesced
+in the existence of the two Republics.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;In view of the use to which the two Republics have put the position which
+was given to them, and the calamities which their unprovoked attack has inflicted
+upon Her Majesty&#8217;s dominions, Her Majesty&#8217;s Government can only answer
+your Honours&#8217; telegram by saying that they are not prepared to assent to the
+independence either of the South African Republic or of the Orange Free State.&#8221;</p></blockquote>
+
+<p>To return to Osfontein. There was now a short and much-needed
+interval of repose, in which men and horses tried to recuperate.
+It was, however, necessary for the cavalry to be continually
+scouring the country to ascertain the whereabouts of the enemy.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_98" id="Page_98">[Pg 98]</a></span></p>
+
+<p>On the 6th of March Lord Roberts welcomed the Ceylon
+Mounted Infantry, and sent the following telegram to Sir West
+Ridgeway, Governor of Ceylon:&mdash;&#8220;I have just ridden out to meet
+Ceylon Mounted Infantry, and welcome them to this force. They
+look most workmanlike, and are a valuable addition to Her Majesty
+the Queen&#8217;s army in South Africa.&#8221; These troops were in excellent
+condition, so also were their handy Burma ponies, smart, knowing,
+and game little beasts, warranted to turn on a sixpence and stand
+any amount of wear and tear.</p>
+
+<p>On the same day the Colonials had a smart set-to with the
+Dutchmen, who were endeavouring to locate themselves in the
+vicinity, and the New Zealanders and Australians made themselves
+more than a match for the Boers, losing themselves only six wounded,
+while they put ten of the enemy out of action. The rest of the gang
+disappeared, on the principle of those who fight and run away live
+to fight another day. In fact, they moved to some strong eminences
+that commanded either side of the river, the centre of the position
+being at Poplar Grove Farm. Here the Federals thought to
+embarrass the British advance, but Lord Roberts decided to undeceive
+them. The Field-Marshal&#8217;s plan was now to turn their
+left flank with the cavalry division, and then to meet their line of
+defence with the infantry divisions, and thus enclose them as Cronje
+had been enclosed.</p>
+
+<p>Accordingly the troops got themselves into battle array. The
+Naval Brigade brought their 4.7 guns four miles north-east of
+Osfontein, while the cavalry prepared to turn the Boer left, and
+started before daybreak of the 7th to accomplish this feat. On the
+north bank was left the Ninth Division with some handy Colonials
+and guns. Moving to the east were the Sixth and Seventh Divisions,
+with the Guards Brigade in the centre.</p>
+
+<p>The dawn grew. The Boers in the golden rays of morning
+were disclosed massed in the far front, and later was seen the
+glorious mass of French&#8217;s cavalry sweeping south&mdash;a martial broom
+which the Boers began to know meant business.</p>
+
+<p>At eight o&#8217;clock the music of battle started, the Naval guns on
+one side and the batteries of General French on the other. Lyddite
+and shrapnel bounced and spluttered over all the small kopjes wherein
+the Dutchmen had made a lodgment. It was sufficient. The Boer
+guns spat impotently&mdash;the puling cry of dismay&mdash;then, knowingly,
+the Federals made preparations for a stampede. They saw in the
+distance the Sixth Division advancing, the Colonials cleaving the
+columns of dust, the Highland Brigade coming on and on, their dark
+kilts cutting a thin line across the atmosphere&mdash;they saw enough!
+To east they flew, speeding towards Bloemfontein&mdash;guns, waggons,
+horsemen&mdash;as arrows from the bow, and leaving behind them their<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_99" id="Page_99">[Pg 99]</a></span>
+well-constructed trenches, their ammunition, tents, and supplies.
+After them went the Colonials and City Imperial Volunteers, all keen
+sportsmen, exhilarated with the heat of the chase, but the Boers were
+uncatchable. No one has yet beaten them in the art of running away.
+Nevertheless, Lord Roberts was left in undisturbed possession of
+Poplar Grove. In the early afternoon the Boers certainly endeavoured
+to make one futile, feeble stand, but their effort was unavailing,
+and by sunset they were careering into space, while the cavalry
+vainly endeavoured to hem them in. Horse-flesh had come to the
+end of its tether; poor food and much galloping had reduced the
+noble steeds to helpless wrecks, and unfortunately the man&oelig;uvres
+of Paardeberg could not be repeated. Curiously enough, though no
+Boers were caught, the military net was full of strange fish, a
+Russian, a Hollander, a German all being left in the lurch. It was
+a humorous episode. While the Boers were making off as fast as legs&mdash;the
+mounts of some had been shot&mdash;and horses could carry them,
+a dilapidated country cart, surmounted by a red flag, was seen to be
+approaching. From this cart presently emerged several forlorn personages,
+looking very sorry for themselves indeed. They accounted
+for their plight by saying that while the final fight was taking place
+their mule-waggon had broken down. The mules having been
+unloosed, promptly stampeded, and left them between two fires, that
+of the Boers (to whom they were attached) and the British. The
+name of one foreigner, in dark blue uniform, was Colonel Prince
+Gourko, of the Russian army; the other, attired in plain clothes,
+was Lieutenant Thomson, of the Netherlands (Military Attach� of
+the Boers). With them was a German servant in attendance on the
+Russian prince. Finding themselves in an uncomfortable quandary,
+one from which there was no escape, they decided to join the British.
+They were introduced to Lord Kitchener, and thereupon presented
+to the Commander-in-Chief, who received them with his usual
+courtesy.</p>
+
+<p>Lord Roberts, telegraphing home in the afternoon, thus described
+the day&#8217;s work:&mdash;</p>
+
+<blockquote>
+<p class="address">&#8220;<span class="smcap">Osfontein</span>, <i>March 7</i> (4.30 <span class="allsmcap">P.M.</span>).</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;March 7.&mdash;Our operations to-day promise to be a great success.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;The enemy occupied a position four miles north and eleven miles south
+of Modder River.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;I placed Colvile&#8217;s division on north bank; Kelly-Kenny&#8217;s and Tucker&#8217;s,
+with cavalry division, on south bank.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;The cavalry division succeeded in turning the left flank, opening the road
+for 6th Division, which is advancing without having been obliged to fire a shot
+up to present time (twelve noon).</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;Enemy are in full retreat toward north and east, being closely followed
+by cavalry, horse-artillery, and mounted infantry, while the 7th (Tucker&#8217;s) and
+9th (Colvile&#8217;s) divisions, and Guards Brigade, under Pole-Carew, are making<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_100" id="Page_100">[Pg 100]</a></span>
+their way across the river at Poplar&#8217;s Drift, where I propose to place my headquarters
+this evening.&#8221;</p></blockquote>
+
+<p>Later on the Commander-in-Chief wired from the said headquarters:&mdash;</p>
+
+<blockquote>
+<p class="address">&#8220;<span class="smcap">Poplar Grove</span>, <i>March 7</i> (7.35 <span class="allsmcap">P.M.</span>).</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;We have had a very successful day and completely routed the enemy,
+who are in full retreat.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;The position they occupied was extremely strong, and cunningly arranged
+with a second line of entrenchments, which would have caused us heavy loss
+had a direct attack been made.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;The turning movement was necessarily wide owing to the nature of the
+ground, and the cavalry and horse-artillery horses are much done up.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;The fighting was practically confined to the cavalry division, which, as
+usual, did exceedingly well, and French reports that the horse-artillery batteries
+did a great deal of execution amongst the enemy.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;Our casualties number about fifty.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;I regret to say that Lieutenant Keswick, 12th Lancers, was killed, and
+Lieutenant Bailey, of the same regiment, severely wounded. Lieutenant De
+Crespigny, 2nd Life Guards, also severely wounded.&#8221;</p></blockquote>
+
+<p>Though the state of the cavalry was deplorable, it was thanks to
+the splendid execution of General French that the Boers showed so
+little fight, and there were so few casualties. The enemy saw the
+cavalry menacing their line of retreat, and pelted off from kopje to
+kopje, now and then sniping at the leading squadrons, and occasionally
+plumping a shell or two into the British midst. With
+the Dutchmen, Presidents Steyn and Kruger were said to be, and
+these worthies made a desperate attempt to rally the forces, but without
+success. Some say they even shed tears to encourage their
+countrymen, which tears had evidently a damping effect, for the
+Boers&mdash;some 14,000 of them&mdash;retreated all the faster. They were
+absolutely demoralised by Lord Roberts&#8217; tactics, and felt seriously
+injured that the trenches which had been prepared against a frontal
+attack should have been ignored. They had been so accustomed to
+be attacked in front that they began to look upon the Commander-in-Chief&#8217;s
+&#8220;roundabout way of doing things&#8221; as distinctly unfair.
+They took themselves off, and when General French, who advanced
+ten miles ahead of the main body, scoured the front, he reported
+that not a Boer was to be seen. A vast amount of ammunition
+was left behind, and this, including several boxes of explosive bullets,
+labelled &#8220;Manufactured for the British Government,&#8221; was promptly
+destroyed.</p>
+
+<p>Good news now arrived. The A and B squadrons of Kitchener&#8217;s
+Horse, reported missing, suddenly returned to camp at Paardeberg.
+They, with E squadron, were cut off on the 13th of February, and
+given up for lost. Though E squadron was captured by the enemy,
+A and B squadrons succeeded in escaping, and, after losing their<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_101" id="Page_101">[Pg 101]</a></span>
+bearings on the veldt, and enduring three weeks&#8217; somewhat unpleasant
+experiences, found their way into safety.</p>
+
+<p>Quantities of the Transvaalers disbanded and returned to their
+farms. In other quarters, too, progress was announced. General
+Gatacre occupied Burghersdorp and General Clements had reached
+Norval&#8217;s Pont, and thus the sporadic rebellion in Cape Colony was
+slowly beginning to die out.</p>
+
+<p>The army advanced and formed a fresh camp beyond Poplar
+Grove, where on the 8th and 9th more of the troops concentrated.
+The force was now moving through a fine grassy country, made
+additionally green and refreshing by plentiful rains, and the horses
+were improving in condition and spirits, while the men were in
+first-rate fettle.</p>
+
+<p>On the 10th of March the army proceeded onwards. By this
+time the Boers had posted themselves on the kopjes eight miles
+south of Abraham&#8217;s Drift. It was imagined that they would be able
+to offer little resistance to the advancing force, but they, however,
+made a very determined stand.</p>
+
+<h3 class="gap2">THE FIGHT AT DRIEFONTEIN</h3>
+
+<p>On leaving Poplar Grove, Lord Roberts&#8217; force, rearranged and
+divided into three, advanced on Bloemfontein <i>via</i> Driefontein, a place
+about six miles south-west of Abraham&#8217;s Kraal and some forty miles
+from the capital of the Free State. Along the Petrusberg Road,
+to the right, moved General Tucker&#8217;s division, with the Gordons
+and a cavalry brigade. The central column, composed of General
+Colvile&#8217;s division, the Guards Brigade (General Pole-Carew), and
+Colonel Broadwood&#8217;s brigade of cavalry, accompanied Lord Roberts,
+while on the left, advancing along the Modder River, was General
+French with Colonel Porter&#8217;s cavalry brigade and General Kelly-Kenny&#8217;s
+division. The ranks had been filled up by detachments
+from the Modder and Kimberley, which latter place had been converted
+into the advanced dep�t. Among the additional troops were
+the Ceylon Mounted Rifles, a soldierly lot and much admired by
+those who saw them. At 10 <span class="allsmcap">A.M.</span> the brigade of cavalry under
+Colonel Broadwood, which was marching in advance of the central
+column, came in touch with the enemy. Their position was a strong
+one, an open, crescent-shaped group of kopjes, with the centre a
+plateau, dropping on all sides to flat ground. At the extreme end
+of the semicircle (on the crescent at the north-east) was posted a
+formidable gun, and this weapon, perched on a commanding kopje
+at Abraham&#8217;s Kraal, protected the position from advance from the
+north-west. It also provided the Republicans with a loophole for
+escape. Colonel Broadwood had no sooner discovered the enemy<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_102" id="Page_102">[Pg 102]</a></span>
+in his snake-shaped array of kopjes than he commenced to shell
+him and drive him forth from the lower projections of the position.
+That done, he there planted his mounted infantry till reinforcements
+should come to his aid.</p>
+
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 335px;">
+<a name="ill_142" id="ill_142"></a><img src="images/ill_142.png" width="335" height="460" alt="" title="" />
+<div><span class="caption smcap">Directing an Army from a Military Balloon.</span>
+</div></div>
+
+<p>On the right Colonel Porter had now come in contact with
+the foe. General French&#8217;s orders were to avoid imbroglio with the
+enemy and to keep in touch with the centre. On a message being
+sent by Colonel Porter to inform General French of the presence of
+the Dutchmen, the infantry division changed its course. They now
+marched twenty miles to the south, reaching the position about one
+o&#8217;clock. The march was an achievement. Twenty miles across
+the blistering, blinding veldt, as a commencement to a fighting day
+six hours in length, was a feat of endurance of which the infantry
+division might well have been proud. The change of course had<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_103" id="Page_103">[Pg 103]</a></span>
+the effect of avoiding the necessity to attack Abraham&#8217;s Kraal,
+though at the same time it unfortunately left open the enemy&#8217;s line
+of retreat to the north, which, later on, he was not slow to make use
+of. With the arrival of General French&#8217;s force, Colonel Broadwood
+was free to continue his movement to the left of the enemy&#8217;s position,
+and working round it, found himself assailed by the 9-pounder
+of the enemy. He nevertheless pursued his course, gaining
+ground very slowly but surely, and by nightfall the brigade of cavalry
+had worked eight miles to the rear of the Dutchmen&#8217;s position.
+This flanking movement, though not concluded at dusk, resulted in
+the eventual retirement of the enemy.</p>
+
+<p>Meanwhile in the centre of the plateau hot fighting was taking
+place, General Kelly-Kenny&#8217;s division having made a bold attack
+on the north of the stronghold, whence the troops were greeted
+from behind a screen of boulders with a storm of shot and shell.
+The Dutchmen, safe and invisible, could not, however, succeed in
+arresting the dogged advance of the Welsh Regiment, who formed
+the first line of the attacking force. They went on and on
+despite the fierce fusillade of the Federals, their numbers growing
+momentarily thinner, but their nerve and perseverance showing no
+diminution. The Boers, ingenious as ever, offered a skilful and
+stubborn resistance, pouring a heavy enfilading fire from kopjes
+both east and south-west, while they plied two 12-pounders with
+intense vigour.</p>
+
+<p>From the south now came the artillery, T Battery R.H.A.
+sweeping the way for the infantry advance. But they had no easy
+task. Before they could get into action the Vickers-Maxim of the
+Federals commenced its deadly activities, and while the gunners
+were unlimbering killed first one man then another, and laid
+low several horses. But the brave artillerymen undauntedly pursued
+their work, and presently, with the loss of very few minutes,
+exchanged hearty greetings with the weapon which had wrought
+such havoc among their numbers. At this time U Battery, at the
+north of the Boer centre, was active, but later on, when the 76th
+Field Battery moved towards the enemy with a view to clearing
+a way for the rush of the infantry, U Battery joined T, and
+together they blazed away at the ridges held by the Dutchmen.
+But throughout the whole period they pursued their work under
+showers which unceasingly rained down from the rifles of the foe.
+Meanwhile the Welsh Regiment, supported by the Essex and
+Gloucesters, moved on and on till they reached the shelter of the
+crest of the ridge. Here, at 500 yards range, a crackling concert
+of musketry was heard, the Boers firing with great ferocity and
+stubbornness, the British with coolness and accuracy. From the
+centre of the position the Yorks, supported by the Buffs, did mag<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_104" id="Page_104">[Pg 104]</a></span>nificent
+work, and they, together with the Essex Regiment, later
+on in the afternoon began doggedly to ascend towards the stone
+sangars of the enemy, which yet vomited forks of flame.</p>
+
+<p>Now they crawled and now they wormed themselves along
+through the grass, dripping with gore and covered with sweat, many
+of their officers gone, comrades dropping to right and to left of
+them, while the fire of the enemy continued to rattle down in their
+midst. Then, as the fusillade slackened, they leapt up and made
+for the ridge, taking it, going over the crest with glittering steel
+and ringing cheer, and finding not one single Boer had awaited
+their coming. The Dutchmen had vanished into thin air! It was
+a magnificent deed&mdash;the finest that had been witnessed for a long
+time&mdash;but it was dearly paid for. The way was paved to Bloemfontein,
+but with the corpses of the honoured dead. The brunt of the
+fighting fell on the Sixth Division, more particularly on the Welsh
+and Essex Regiments, the Ninth Division, with the Guards, arriving
+too late in the day to take part in the fight. A great number
+of officers were put out of action&mdash;so many, indeed, that some of the
+leading companies were led, and admirably led, by their colour-sergeants.
+A characteristic feature of the engagement was the
+Dutchmen&#8217;s slim and ingenious mode of firing a big gun from amid
+a group of red houses, each floating a white flag, an arrangement
+which served to cover the retirement of the enemy, and on the success
+of which he doubtless complimented himself not a little.</p>
+
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 360px;">
+<a name="ill_145" id="ill_145"></a><img src="images/ill_145.png" width="360" height="540" alt="" title="" />
+<div><span class="caption">SERGEANT OF THE INNISKILLING DRAGOONS.</span><br />
+<br />
+<span class="small">Photo by Gregory &amp; Co., London.</span>
+</div></div>
+
+<p>At dusk a splendid sight was visible. In the last glimmer of
+day Lord Roberts and his staff entered the central plateau, followed
+by degrees by all the troops&mdash;an imposing force, which evidently
+determined the Boers in their resolution to make themselves scarce.
+This they did, guns included, with really creditable and surprising
+rapidity. They were much disheartened by defeat, however, and
+though they had offered most stubborn resistance, the character of
+their defence was lacking in evidence of the determination which
+had hitherto been noticeable. Among the mortally wounded was
+the gallant officer commanding the Royal Australian Artillery,
+Colonel Umphelby.<a name="FNanchor_3_3" id="FNanchor_3_3"></a><a href="#Footnote_3_3" class="fnanchor">[3]</a> The Boers lost over 100, but the list of our own
+killed and wounded was a long one. Amongst the killed were:&mdash;Captain
+Eustace, the Buffs; Lieutenant Parsons and Second Lieutenant
+Coddington, Essex Regiment; Captain Lomax, Welsh Regi<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_105" id="Page_105">[Pg 105]</a></span>ment;
+Mr. McKartie, a retired Indian civilian attached to Kitchener&#8217;s
+Horse. Wounded&mdash;Colonel Hickson, the Buffs, Lieutenant Ronald,
+the Buffs; Captain Jordan, Gloucesters; Second Lieutenant Torkington,
+Welsh Regiment; Second Lieutenant Pope, Welsh Regiment;
+Second Lieutenant Wimberley, Welsh Regiment; Captain
+Broadmead, Essex Regiment; Lieutenant Devenish, Royal Field
+Artillery; Major Waite, Royal Army Medical Corps; Lieutenant
+Berne, Royal Army Medical Corps; Colonel Umphelby, Royal
+Australian Artillery (since dead); Lieutenant C. Berkeley and Second
+Lieutenant Lloyd, Welsh Regiment; Second Lieutenant G. H.
+Raleigh, Essex Regiment.</p>
+
+<p>The Australians came in for a heavy share of the fighting. The
+1st Australian Horse, brigaded with the Scots Greys, were fiercely
+fired on by the enemy as they advanced to within 800 yards of the
+wide bend of kopjes. The New South Wales Mounted Infantry,
+under Colonel Knight, and the Mounted Rifles, under Captain Antill,
+engaged in animated pursuit of the enemy as they fled towards the
+north, their fleet horses showing a marked contrast in condition to
+the jaded steeds of the English cavalry.</p>
+
+<p>Lord Roberts expressed his satisfaction at the brilliant work
+performed by the Welsh Regiment in the storming of Alexander
+Kopje, a feat in which they displayed consummate skill as well as
+amazing pluck. Some heroic actions took place during the day,
+particularly in connection with the supply of ammunition, which ran
+short owing to the necessity of relieving the infantry for their heavy
+march, of fifty rounds apiece. Some dastardly ones were also practised
+by the Boers, who, finding themselves in a perilous situation,
+the artillery in front and a squadron of mounted infantry hovering
+on their flank, hoisted a white flag and threw up their hands in token
+of surrender. Naturally the British accepted the sign, and, while they
+were approaching the Dutchmen, some others of their number
+hastened to pour a volley into the British ranks. Lord Roberts
+himself having been a witness of this treacherous act, remonstrated
+with the Boer leaders, and ordered that in future if such action
+were repeated the white flag should be utterly disregarded. The
+following protest was made by the Commander-in-Chief:&mdash;</p>
+
+<blockquote><p>&#8220;To their Honours the State Presidents of the Orange Free State and
+South African Republic.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;Another instance having occurred of a gross abuse of the white flag, and
+of the signal of holding up the hands in token of surrender, it is my duty to
+inform your Honours that if such abuse occurs again, I shall most reluctantly be
+compelled to order my troops to disregard the white flag entirely.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;The instance occurred on the kopje east of Driefontein Farm yesterday
+evening, and was witnessed by several of my own staff-officers as well as by
+myself, and resulted in the wounding of several of my officers and men.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;A large quantity of explosive bullets of three different kinds was<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_106" id="Page_106">[Pg 106]</a></span>
+found in Cronje&#8217;s laager, and after every engagement with your Honours&#8217;
+troops.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;Such breaches of the recognised usages of war and of the Geneva Convention
+are a disgrace to any civilised Power.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;A copy of this telegram has been sent to my Government, with a request
+that it may be communicated to all neutral Powers.&#8221;</p></blockquote>
+
+<p>The Boers had now entirely disappeared. It was nevertheless
+hinted that they might be collecting in some new and unexpected
+region. The column, however, resumed its victorious march, proceeding
+twelve miles without coming upon the enemy. The beating
+of yesterday had produced a good effect, for the Dutchmen kept
+their distance, though in the kopjes all along the direct road to
+Bloemfontein, which lay due east, they were said to be swarming.
+It was also reported that Transvaalers and Free Staters had fallen
+out, and that the former, under Joubert, were determined to make a
+stand behind a magnificent entrenchment that they had built. The
+advance was supposed to come from the west, and consequently the
+Boer line of entrenchments extended some six or eight miles from
+the town facing towards Bam&#8217;s Vlei. There were shelter trenches,
+made not on the kopjes, but about a hundred yards out on the
+plain beneath. They used sandbags, and had gun epaulements
+besides. In addition to all this, they had made sangars and piles
+of stones on the kopjes. Unfortunately for them, our troops made
+a cunning detour, which again dislocated the Dutchmen&#8217;s programme,
+and forced them in their mountain fastnesses to sit inactive, while
+the cavalry was wheeling south to the outskirts of Bloemfontein!
+Here there were no fortifications and very few Boers.</p>
+
+<p>Mr. Steyn now secretly left Bloemfontein for Kroonstad, as, in
+spite of Mr. Kruger&#8217;s representations, it had been decided to surrender
+the capital of the Free State. Lord Roberts, who had sent
+in a formal demand for surrender, received no reply. General
+Joubert made preparations, with some 3000 men, to avert the
+surrender, but his approach, veritably at the eleventh hour, was
+barred by the clever man&oelig;uvres of the British. This splendid piece
+of work was executed by Major Hunter-Weston, R.E. He was
+sent by General French to cut the railway north of Bloemfontein,
+and thus preclude any chance of Boer interruption to the triumphal
+progress into the town. In the dead of night the Major, with seven
+men of the field-troop, all mounted on picked horses (a precaution
+that was very necessary considering the hard work done by the
+troops both before and after the relief of Kimberley), started on
+their hazardous expedition. Darkness cramped, though it cloaked
+their movements, and the ground over which they sped was seamed
+with dongas and many impediments; and, moreover, a wide sweep
+had to be made to avoid Boer pickets. Before the peep o&#8217; day they<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_107" id="Page_107">[Pg 107]</a></span>
+reached their destination. Then they began to search for a place
+suitable for demolition. They came on a culvert supported with iron
+girders, one of which was hastily but cautiously prepared by placing
+two 10-lb. charges of gun-cotton against the web, which was fired
+within twenty minutes. Then, with a detonation that seemed to
+shake the day into dawning, the line was completely wrecked and
+rendered impassable, and Joubert, whose &#8220;special&#8221; was timed to
+arrive at Bloemfontein at 8.10 <span class="allsmcap">A.M.</span>, lost his last chance of interfering
+with the proceedings! This in itself was an excellent <i>coup</i>, and
+particularly serviceable, since it secured to the British the use of
+twenty-six locomotives at a time when they were much needed.</p>
+
+<p>General French had also seized and destroyed some portions of
+the railway south of Bloemfontein. His headquarters were made at
+the house of Mr. Steyn&#8217;s brother&mdash;who had tried unsuccessfully to
+get away, and was forced to remain at his farm&mdash;while the troops
+were now posted at different points outside the town, and were, in
+comparison with their former state, in clover.</p>
+
+<p>Early on the 13th the 1st Cavalry Brigade moved slowly towards
+some kopjes to the east of Bloemfontein and occupied them. All
+knew the great day was come when Lord Roberts with Kelly-Kenny&#8217;s
+and Colvile&#8217;s divisions, the Guards Brigade, and the Mounted
+Infantry would be presently marching into the Free State capital.
+Whereupon the adventurous journalist, determined there should be no
+pie without the impress of his finger, put his best leg foremost and
+decided to lead the way. The correspondents of the <i>Sydney Herald</i>,
+the <i>Daily News</i>, and the <i>Daily Telegraph</i> were seen like madmen
+spurring over the plain. There was ten to one on the favourite, the
+Burleigh veteran, and the Colonial was only backed for a place, yet
+he it was who won! They were received in the Market Square with
+beams. There was a shade of relief even on the most surly countenances.
+Mr. Fraser, a member of the Executive, the Mayor of
+Bloemfontein, and others, &#8220;bigwigs of B.,&#8221; as somebody called
+them, came out and did the honours. These gentlemen were invited
+to take carriages out to welcome the British force, which&mdash;diplomacy
+being the better part of hostility&mdash;they accordingly did. In
+starting they encountered the first of the British victors, Lieutenant
+Chester-Master, with three of Remington&#8217;s scouts. At last they
+came to the Chief&#8217;s halting-place, and the surrender of the town was
+made known. The medi�val ceremony of delivering up the keys of
+Parliament and Presidency was gone through. Formalities over,
+Lord Roberts made the gracious assurance that, provided no
+opposition was offered, the lives and properties of the Bloemfontein
+public were safe in his hands. Having notified his intention to enter
+the capital in state, the Mayor, Landrost, and others departed to
+acquaint the townspeople.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_108" id="Page_108">[Pg 108]</a></span></p>
+
+<h3 class="gap2">AT BLOEMFONTEIN</h3>
+
+<p>Bloemfontein! A name of milk and honey, of flowers and
+dew! Every vowel breathed of pastoral simplicity, of luscious
+grasses and lowing kine, of gambolling game and purling stream.
+A name for a poet to conjure with! a talisman to awaken the mellow
+music of a Herrick and recall the soul of Walton to benevolent
+rejoicings in the &#8220;sights and sounds of the open landscape.&#8221; Unfortunately,
+the mellifluous name was not derived from the German
+for flowers or from the melody of fountains. It owed its origin to
+a Boer peasant who stood godfather to the hamlet and also to an
+adjacent stream. Here in other days the innocent Voertrekker
+unpacked his waggons and set out his little farmstead, choosing
+green rising ground, an oasis in the sandy veldt, and the neighbourhood
+of a refreshing rivulet for comfort&#8217;s sake, and not because he
+foresaw that in fifty years this spot would be the central scene in
+one of the largest dramas of the world! In the year 1845 the
+Union Jack first waved its protective folds over the homestead. At
+that period it was converted into the official abode of a British
+Resident, and from that time, with an expansion which was truly
+British, the tiny village developed till it became a town, and finally
+passed over, through British apathy and dislike for responsibility,
+to the hands of the Free Staters. And there it might and would
+have remained had not President Steyn, who owed us no grudge,
+and with whom we were on the best of terms, decided to put his
+finger in the diplomatic pie, in the hope that some of the plums
+would fall to his share. Thus, in his greed for power and his contempt
+for the British, he embroiled his country, and being unable to
+defend his capital, was forced to scurry off to his birthplace, Winburg,
+some miles to the east, where, with the assistance of his foreign
+mercenaries, he yet hoped to save himself from the consequences of
+his ill-advised interference. So it came to pass that on the 13th
+of March 1900, thirty-nine days after the commencement of his
+great march, Lord Roberts, with the magnificent British army
+in his wake, moved unopposed towards the capital of the Free
+State.</p>
+
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 497px;">
+<table class="w100" summary="">
+<tr>
+<td class="w25">&nbsp;</td>
+<td class="w10 xsmall">Mr Kellner.</td>
+<td class="w65">&nbsp;</td>
+</tr>
+</table>
+<table class="w100" summary="">
+<tr>
+<td class="w20">&nbsp;</td>
+<td class="w10 xsmall">Mr Pappenfus.</td>
+<td class="w10 xsmall">Mr Collins.</td>
+<td class="w10 xsmall">Lord Roberts.</td>
+<td class="w50">&nbsp;</td>
+</tr>
+</table>
+<a name="ill_151" id="ill_151"></a><img src="images/ill_151.png" width="497" height="298" alt="" title="" />
+<div><span class="caption">THE FORMAL SURRENDER OF BLOEMFONTEIN.</span><br />
+<br />
+<span class="small">Drawing by J. Finnemore, from a Sketch by W. B. Wollen, R.I.</span>
+</div></div>
+
+<p>The entry into the town was an imposing spectacle. The Mayor,
+Dr. Kellner, the Landrost, Mr. Papenfus, and Mr. Fraser, as we
+know, had driven out in a cart to meet Lord Roberts, and four
+miles outside the town the keys of the town were given up. Then
+the Field-Marshal, the most simply dressed man in his whole army,
+appeared at the head of a cavalcade a mile long. He was followed
+by his military secretary, his aides-de-camp, the general officers
+on his staff with their respective staffs. Then came the foreign
+attach�s, some war-correspondents, and Lord Roberts&#8217; Indian ser<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_109" id="Page_109">[Pg 109]</a></span>vants,
+who contributed a warm note of colour to the sombre files of
+kharki. After this came a serpentine train of cavalry and guns, which
+entered the city at one o&#8217;clock. It was the most wonderful military
+display that has been seen for years. A gigantic army&mdash;not a
+peace but a war army, not the crude army of Salisbury Plain but
+the perfected article, the army minus its raw recruits and plus its
+trained reserves, which owed its magnificent development to the
+man whom Lord Wolseley has called &#8220;the greatest War Minister
+we ever had.&#8221; Looking at the splendid physique of the warrior
+multitude, it was impossible for military men, even those who had
+criticised most severely the short service system, to deny that to-day
+the triumph of Lord Cardwell&#8217;s principle was complete!</p>
+
+<p>The crowds collected from far and wide, all business was suspended,
+and knots and cliques gathered together to witness the procession
+moving up the slopes towards the town itself. Cheer after cheer
+rang through the air, kerchiefs waved and blessings were prayed
+for, as the procession marched through the collected crowd and on
+into the market square. Lord Roberts then went to the Government
+Buildings, and took formal possession in the name of the
+sovereign. There was renewed cheering and singing of &#8220;God save
+the Queen,&#8221; when, half-an-hour later, at twenty minutes to two, a
+small silken Union Jack, specially worked by Lady Roberts, was seen
+floating over the town.</p>
+
+<p>The day passed without notable incident. A public holiday was
+observed, and the kharki-clad crowds rejoiced themselves by singing
+&#8220;Tommy Atkins&#8221; and feasting right royally. They were quite
+undisturbed by the scarcely complimentary remarks of the Burghers,
+who compared them in number and colour and appetite to a swarm
+of locusts!</p>
+
+<p>Mr. Steyn&#8217;s brother, who, it may be remembered, had failed to
+get away with his belongings in time, remained discreetly at his
+farm, where he entertained General French, and subsequently Lord
+Roberts. One of the curious features of the entry into the capital
+of the Free State was the extraordinary welcome given by the
+inhabitants to the conquerors. Regiment after regiment filed past
+to the tune of hearty cheers, and surprised pleasure at the orderly
+and humane entry of the enemy was visible on every face. While the
+public offices were taken over by Lord Roberts&#8217; staff, the banks were
+visited by Colonel Richardson. This officer was accounted one of
+the heroes of the hour, for sufficient praise could not be given to
+the achievements of the Army Corps or to Colonel Richardson,
+whose task of provisioning, foraging, and transporting 40,000 men
+and 18,000 horses savoured of the labours of Hercules. There
+were quibblers, of course; but, practically considered, all had gone
+off without a hitch, and the whole arrangements moved, as the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_110" id="Page_110">[Pg 110]</a></span>
+phrase is, &#8220;on greased wheels,&#8221; the influence over all of the beloved
+&#8220;Bobs&#8221; having been simply magical.</p>
+
+<p>The next day Lord Roberts inspected the Guards Brigade,
+complimented them on their splendid march, and expressed his
+regret that through a mistake he had been unable to enter Bloemfontein
+at the head of the Brigade. He consoled them by saying,
+&#8220;I will lead you into Pretoria!&#8221; In these gracious words the
+troops were rewarded for their disappointment, for the Chief, though
+he had promised them to lead them into the town, had finally
+decided that it was expedient to enter the capital without waiting
+for the infantry.</p>
+
+<p>The Guards Brigade had made a magnificent march of thirty-eight
+miles in twenty-eight hours, taking from 3 <span class="allsmcap">P.M.</span> on the 12th to
+1 <span class="allsmcap">P.M.</span> on the 13th, with an interval of only two and a half hours for
+sleep. Yet, in spite of this, and of having been in some of the
+toughest fights of the campaign, they were cheery and elated. One
+of their number (the Scots Guards) described their arrival:&mdash;&#8220;We
+waited three hours outside Bloemfontein for Lord Roberts, as we
+were told that the Commander-in-Chief wished to ride at the head
+of the Guards Brigade into the town. But he did not come, and
+our Colonel got orders to go in on his own. Our reception in
+Bloemfontein would have surprised you. It was quite funny in its
+way&mdash;not in the least like entering an enemy&#8217;s town. The people
+simply came forth and cheered us as friends. A small group of nuns
+who came out to meet us wished us &#8216;Good evening,&#8217; and said we
+were very welcome. To myself, as an Aberdonian, it was very
+home-like to pass by a shop with the inscription, &#8216;Bon-Accord
+Restaurant.&#8217; The proprietor was standing at the door shouting
+himself hoarse. I was not surprised afterwards to learn that he was
+a pure Aberdonian. We camped outside the town, and next day
+Lord Roberts reviewed the Guards Brigade. His Lordship made
+a short speech, in which he complimented us on our rapid march,
+and said he was sorry he had not been able to lead us into Bloemfontein.
+&#8216;But,&#8217; said his Lordship, &#8216;I hope to be at your head when
+we go into Pretoria.&#8217; We all gave three very hearty cheers for the
+Commander-in-Chief, who has always been the soldier&#8217;s friend. We
+would follow him anywhere.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>To return to the closing events of the momentous 13th. At
+8 <span class="allsmcap">P.M.</span> a telegram was sent home describing with simple brevity the
+entry into the capital:&mdash;&#8220;From Lord Roberts to the Secretary for
+War.&mdash;Bloemfontein, March 13, 8 <span class="allsmcap">P.M.</span>&mdash;By the help of God and by
+the bravery of Her Majesty&#8217;s soldiers, the troops under my command
+have taken possession of Bloemfontein. The British flag
+now flies over the Presidency, vacated last evening by Mr. Steyn,
+late President of the Orange Free State.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_111" id="Page_111">[Pg 111]</a></span>&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>An army order was issued on the 14th, in which the Chief
+said:&mdash;</p>
+
+<blockquote><p>&#8220;On February 12 this force crossed the boundary of the Free State; three
+days later Kimberley was relieved; on the fifteenth day the bulk of the Boer
+army under one of its most trusted generals was made prisoner; on the seventeenth
+day news came of the relief of Ladysmith; and on March 13, twenty-nine
+days from the commencement of operations, the capital of the Free State
+was occupied.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;This is a record of which any army would be proud&mdash;a record which could
+not have been achieved except by earnest, well-disciplined men, determined to
+do their duty, whatever the difficulties and dangers.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;Exposed to the extreme heat of the day, bivouacking under heavy rain,
+marching long distances often on reduced rations, all ranks have displayed an
+endurance, cheerfulness, and gallantry which is beyond all praise.&#8221;</p></blockquote>
+
+<p>Lord Roberts added that he desired especially to refer to the
+heroic spirit with which the wounded had borne their suffering.
+No word nor murmur of complaint had been uttered. The anxiety of
+all when succour came was that their comrades should be attended
+to first.</p>
+
+<p>So the great march was over&mdash;the hurry, the fatigue, the loss of
+life, the perpetual anxieties had brought about the desirable end&mdash;and
+the tremendous first act in the historic drama of the century was
+nearing its conclusion. Looking back on the difficulties that had
+been surmounted&mdash;the movement of some 40,000 men and 20,000
+quadrupeds across over 100 miles of mostly dry veldt, where water
+was scarce and heat tropical, and where the enemy lurked in masses
+in kopje or donga, and had to be fought at intervals&mdash;the march
+appeared little short of miraculous. Now the curtain was shortly
+to go up on the first scene of the second act, an act which would
+have for its background the Orange River Colony, formerly known
+as the Orange Free State!</p>
+
+<div class="footnotes"><h3>FOOTNOTES:</h3>
+
+<div class="footnote"><p><a name="Footnote_3_3" id="Footnote_3_3"></a><a href="#FNanchor_3_3"><span class="label">[3]</span></a> Lieutenant-Colonel C. E. E. Umphelby, who died of the wounds which he received
+during the fight, was forty-six years of age. He commanded the Victorian portion of the
+Royal Australian Regiment of Artillery. He joined the Victorian Militia Garrison Artillery
+in 1884, and in the following year was appointed lieutenant in the Permanent Artillery. He
+was promoted to be captain in 1888, major in 1891, and lieutenant-colonel in 1897. Sent
+to England by the Victorian Government in 1889, he passed through various artillery
+courses, including the long course at Shoeburyness. Lieutenant-Colonel Umphelby was
+attached to the staff of Major-General M. Clarke at Aldershot from June to August 1890.
+See vol. iii., &#8220;Victoria.&#8221;</p></div>
+</div>
+
+<p class="pagenum"><a name="Page_112" id="Page_112">[Pg 112]</a></p>
+
+<h2 class="gap4"><a name="CHAPTER_IV" id="CHAPTER_IV"></a>CHAPTER IV<br />
+<br />
+<span class="smaller">MAFEKING IN FEBRUARY</span></h2>
+
+<p>The investment was much less close than formerly. Owing
+to the increasing activity in other parts of the theatre of war,
+Colonel Baden-Powell was relieved of the pressing attentions
+that were previously bestowed on him. Now for the
+first time he found himself in touch with the outer world, for
+telegraphic communication was restored in the direction of Gaberones,
+about ninety miles north of Mafeking, and from thence a
+bi-weekly service of runners was instituted for the conveyance of
+letters and telegrams, of course at the owners&#8217; risk. There was
+delight all round, and &#8220;Old Bathing Towel,&#8221; as contemporary Carthusians
+used irreverently to call him, made haste to rejoice the
+hearts of those at home with a report of his doings.</p>
+
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 482px;">
+<a name="ill_157" id="ill_157"></a><img src="images/ill_157.png" width="482" height="321" alt="" title="" />
+<div><span class="caption">SLEEPLESS MAFEKING&mdash;HOT WORK IN THE TRENCHES.</span><br />
+<br />
+<span class="small">Drawing by R. Caton Woodville.</span>
+</div></div>
+
+<p>On the 4th of February the etiquette of the Sabbath was broken
+by an accident. The machine-gun at Fort Ayr was fired, and the
+enemy was not slow to reply. Lieutenant Grenfell, unarmed and
+without a flag of truce, pluckily went out to tender apologies for the
+accident. He was met by the Boers, who exchanged for a flask of
+whisky two copies of the <i>Standard and Diggers&#8217; News</i>, containing
+glowing accounts of Boer victories on the Tugela! It needed more
+than the contents of the flask to correct the dismay occasioned by
+the lamentable, if exaggerated, news of the abandonment of Spion
+Kop, and the inhabitants could only console themselves by remembering
+what a stupendous and gratuitous liar the Boer could be.
+Luckily for them, they only accepted half of the Dutchmen&#8217;s tales,
+and had learnt by experience that the art of editing Boer journals
+was dependent on imaginative rather than realistic talent. For
+instance, &#8220;one who knew&#8221; described the methods of <i>Volkstem</i>
+thus:&mdash;&#8220;When you knew it, something could be extracted. The
+key to the mystery was this: The paper always published the
+exact opposite of what had taken place. For instance, a few days
+before Cronje&#8217;s capture it had a grand headline&mdash;&#8216;Cronje the Captor.&#8217;
+And underneath came the astounding statement that Cronje had
+cornered 900 British Lancers on the Koodoosrand. Alas! for
+Cronje and his Lancers! They existed only in the editor&#8217;s fertile
+imagination.&#8221; So, notwithstanding the report of reverses elsewhere,
+the large heart of Mafeking was still bent on bursting its cramped
+shell. If antiquated methods of warfare were carried on in other<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_113" id="Page_113">[Pg 113]</a></span>
+parts of South Africa, they were certainly not pursued here, for
+Colonel Baden-Powell was a modern of the moderns. The secrets
+of the enemy&#8217;s tactics were at his fingers&#8217; ends, and where science
+failed to match them resource came in. He knew how to make
+dynamite spit and scream and threaten; he studied the problem of
+tension and the art of playing on the nerves of his adversary, and
+Cronje&#8217;s remark, &#8220;Not men, but devils,&#8221; made as that redoubtable
+one shook the dust of Mafeking off his shoes, must have been
+the dearest compliment the Colonel&#8217;s heart could crave. The
+Colonel, in a despatch forwarded to Colonel Nicholson&mdash;an officer
+who, with a small column and armoured train, held Mangwe,
+Palapye, and other places on the rail&mdash;dated February 12, described
+his activities:&mdash;</p>
+
+<blockquote>
+<p class="address">&#8220;<span class="smcap">Mafeking</span>, <i>February 12</i>.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;On the 3rd inst. our Nordenfeldt was chiefly occupied in preventing the
+enemy from completing their new work on the northern slope of the south-eastern
+heights. Assistance was rendered by our seven-pounder, emplaced
+in the bush to the east of Cannon Kopje. The enemy&#8217;s siege-gun replied
+vigorously. During that night the enemy were nervous and restless, and kept
+firing volleys at our working parties, being apparently apprehensive of attack.
+Their firing continued until dawn, when the work in our trenches ceased.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;There was a curious incident at Fort Ayr that Sunday. Our machine-gun
+there was fired accidentally, and the enemy replied. Lieutenant Grenfell went
+out and apologised for the accident. Though the gun had been fired and the
+enemy had replied, he did not take a flag of truce with him. The Boers met
+him, and exchanged two copies of the <i>Standard and Diggers&#8217; News</i> for a flask
+of whisky.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;On Monday, the 5th, irregular shelling continued all day. In the evening
+heavy rains fell, but the enemy kept up the bombardment till midnight, firing a
+new incendiary shell, which, however, failed to take effect.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;On the 7th there was a desultory bombardment, and the sharpshooters were
+busy. On the 8th the enemy&#8217;s siege-gun fired one shell only.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;On the 11th the enemy were quiet, being engaged in fortifying their big
+gun emplacement, and generally preparing to resist attack from outside. A
+good deal of night-firing was exchanged between our outlying positions and
+those of the enemy, volleys being fired at short ranges.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;Next day the enemy were fairly quiet. Mr. Dall, a well-known citizen,
+was killed, and two Cape boys were wounded, while two natives in the town
+were killed and some four wounded.&#8221;</p></blockquote>
+
+<p>The circumstances of Mr. Dall&#8217;s death were deeply tragic, for
+his wife, who was in the women&#8217;s laager at the time, on hearing of
+the news was half-distracted by the shock. Owing to the grievous
+affair the dance that was to have taken place was postponed to the
+following day.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_114" id="Page_114">[Pg 114]</a></span></p>
+
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 208px;">
+<a name="ill_160" id="ill_160"></a><a href="images/ill_160.png"><img src="images/ill_160th.png" width="208" height="356" alt="" title="" /></a>
+<div><span class="caption smcap">Facsimile of Issue of 25th January 1900 of the Mafeking Mail.</span>
+</div></div>
+
+<p>Colonel Baden-Powell issued an order which broke to the besieged
+the information that the Commander-in-Chief had requested
+them to hold on till May. Hearts dropped to zero! If properly
+conserved, it was believed that provisions might be eked out till the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_115" id="Page_115">[Pg 115]</a></span>
+Queen&#8217;s birthday, but the quality of the fare was bad enough
+without consideration of the quantity. The men were tough, they
+were game for anything; but the women&mdash;helpless, worn, unnerved,
+surrounded by children, and limited to the confines of an insanitary
+laager&mdash;they made an additional tangle to the already knotty situation.
+The townsfolk going to the posts in the trenches, with their
+own lives in their hands, had upon them the burden of thought for
+those, their weaklier belongings, who were waning with anxiety and
+disease&mdash;waning many of them into their graves. Still the garrison
+grumbled little. It set out as Sabbath decoration for the forts and
+trenches some smart Union Jacks which had been worked by the
+ladies in the town, and the dauntless ones engaged in a concert, the
+programme of which was vastly appreciated. Here &#8220;B.-P.&#8217;s&#8221; well-known
+talents came in handy, for he played the Chevalier of the entertainment
+and displayed all the versatility of that renowned performer.
+From the �sthetic Paderewski (with his hair on) to a Whitechapel
+Coster is a good jump, but the gallant Colonel, who had so long
+impersonated Job to order of the British Government, was not to
+be defeated by minor representations, however various. After this
+joviality a ball was attempted, but alas! with sorry success. Before
+the gaily attired guests were well under way the uproar of Maxims
+and Mausers had begun. They tried to dance. It would have
+been a case of Nero fiddling while Rome was burning. A staff
+officer arrived ordering all to fall in. Soon there was a general
+stampede, officers fled to their posts, orderlies rushed off to sound
+the alarm, the galloping Maxim tore through the blue obscurity
+from the western outposts to the town; the Bechuanaland Rifles
+and the Protectorate Regiment hurried to the brickfields, the Cape
+Police made for the eastern advance posts, while the ladies, charming,
+disconsolate, hied them precipitately to places of refuge. There,
+in the lambent beams of the moon, were seen excited shadows, all
+either rushing to their bomb-proof shelters or scudding to the sniping
+posts of the river. Showers of bullets flecked the sapphire air,
+and the exquisite serene night was changed into a long, wakeful,
+quaking anguish. The Boers kept up their firing operations
+throughout the small hours, but at dawn, when they received a
+<i>quid pro quo</i> from the British quarter, they deemed it best to
+subdue their ardour for a brief space. Rest was short-lived. On
+the 13th the gunners again made themselves offensive by endeavouring
+to hit the flour-mill, and they succeeded in their efforts,
+though fortunately without destroying it. They pursued their
+murderous industries throughout the day, pouring bullets on any
+one who dared to show a nose in the open, and about noon succeeded
+in seriously wounding Captain Girdwood, who was returning
+to luncheon on his bicycle.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_116" id="Page_116">[Pg 116]</a></span></p>
+
+<p>The unfortunate officer&mdash;one of the most popular fellows and
+as gallant as he was jolly&mdash;never rallied after receiving the fatal
+wound and died on the following day. In the evening he was
+buried. The solemn rite was conducted with simplicity under the
+mild moonbeams which silvered the gloomy scene and softened
+the rigid faces of the bronzed warriors who hung in melancholy
+regret round the open grave.</p>
+
+<p>The Boers sometimes endeavoured to affect jocosity. From the
+advanced trench, which was some hundred and ten yards from the
+besiegers&#8217; main trench, their voices could be heard travelling on the
+breeze. The prelude to their attacks began not seldom with &#8220;Here&#8217;s
+a good morning to you, Mafeking,&#8221; or other remarks of cheery or
+personal nature. Then rattle, rattle, and one of the British band would
+drop. On one of these occasions an amusing if tragic ruse was perpetrated.
+The Boers were known to be fond of music, and some one
+of the tormented hit on the happy idea of performing for the benefit
+of the hostile audience. The savage breast was soothed. The Boers
+were &#8220;drawn.&#8221; They stopped to listen. Enraptured, they advanced
+nearer, nearer. Finally, two enthusiastic, inquisitive heads protruded
+from cover&mdash;protruded never to protrude again!</p>
+
+<p>The Boers soon began to try the expedient of attacking Mafeking
+by proxy. Assaults were made, or rather attempted, by a mongrel
+force, composed largely of mercenaries&mdash;Germans, Scandinavians,
+Frenchmen, and renegade Irish (probably &#8220;returned empties&#8221; from
+the gallant Emerald Isle), ne&#8217;er-do-weel&#8217;s, who felt it necessary at times
+to do something for their living. These were assisted by natives,
+who were pressed into their service to make a convenient padding
+for their front in advance, for their rear in retreat, as they took good
+care to save their own hides when retirement was obligatory.</p>
+
+<p>Fortunately their artillery practice, which was patiently kept up,
+was very inferior, otherwise Mafeking would soon have been in
+ruins. On one afternoon the enemy plied his siege-gun and another
+gun with great vigour. Out of eight rounds one shot besprinkled
+two of the besieged with dust; a 5-pounder gun from one quarter
+and a 1-pounder Maxim from another filled the air with deplorable
+detonations for two whole hours, yet happily no life was lost. To
+this hot fire the inhabitants replied only with their rifles. It was
+wonderful in what good stead their rifles had stood them, and it
+was thanks to them, and not to the Government, that the town had
+been saved at all.</p>
+
+<p>The difficulties both at Kimberley and Mafeking were the result
+of the obstructive policy adopted by the Colonial Government before
+the outbreak of hostilities. While the storm-cloud hung on the
+horizon, Kimberley had appealed to Mr. Schreiner for permission to
+send up from Port Elizabeth Maxims which had been ordered by<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_117" id="Page_117">[Pg 117]</a></span>
+the De Beers Company, and the licence was refused on the ground
+that there was no necessity to strengthen the defences of the town.
+The appeals from Mafeking were treated in much the same way,
+the authorities at the Cape suggesting that there was no reason to
+believe that the situation demanded extra precautions!</p>
+
+<p>Ingenuity and pluck had been the backbone of British defence,
+not British guns. An ordnance factory was established, and excellent
+shells were cast, and even powder manufactured. Thus the alarm
+lest ammunition should run out before the arrival of relief was allayed.
+The great ambition of the garrison was to complete a 5&frac12;-inch
+howitzer, and throw &#8220;home-made shells from a home-made gun
+with home-made powder.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>Major Baillie described with some pride the self-contained nature
+of the community: &#8220;We have our bank, our ordnance factory, and
+our police; and we flourish under a beneficent and remote autocracy.
+And now, as regards the ordnance factory, it was started for the
+manufacture of shells for our 7-pounder, for shot, brass and iron, for
+our antique cannon, and for the adaptation of 5-pounder shells (left
+here by Dr. Jameson) to our 7-pounders by the addition of enlarged
+driving-bands. These have all proved a complete success, and too
+much praise cannot be given to Connely and Cloughlan of the Locomotive
+Department, who have organised and run the factory. As
+great a triumph has been the manufacture of powder and the invention
+of fuses by Lieutenant Daniels, British South Africa Police and
+the Glamorgan Artillery Militia, which render us secure against
+running short of ammunition. A gun also is being manufactured,
+and will shortly be used. This factory is of long standing, but the
+authorities had not allowed us to allude to its existence.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>Other manufactures, too, were commenced, for manufacture it
+must be called&mdash;the art of making the poor skeletons, at one time
+known as horses, into succulent meat. Some declared that the
+number of cats and dogs was visibly thinning, but none dared pry
+too closely into the workings of the wonderful machinery that
+fed them. A number of the Protectorate Regiment&#8217;s horses were
+slaughtered, and any others that were shot by the enemy were
+passed on to the commissariat.</p>
+
+<p>A soup-kitchen, under the supervision of Captain Wilson, was
+opened for the purpose of supplying some 600 natives with nourishing
+food, and rendering them contented with the vicissitudes of fate.
+The compound was scarcely inviting, and resembled a third-rate
+haggis. In two great boilers scraps of such meat as could be
+gathered together were simmered down, and to this immense stockpot
+was added various meals, which gave the mess the necessary
+consistency. The natives bought it eagerly at 6d. a quart, and
+really rejoiced in it.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_118" id="Page_118">[Pg 118]</a></span></p>
+
+<p>The blacks, indeed, suffered less than the whites. The latter
+were paying a guinea a day for very scant fare, while the Baralongs,
+who were earning from 1s. to 2s. 6d. a day, were able to sustain life
+on half their wages, and save the rest to buy luxuries, a wife possibly,
+when the stress of the siege was over. The young children suffered
+most of all, for malaria and unsuitable food played havoc in the
+women&#8217;s laager, and the graveyard was filled with small victims to
+the Imperial cause.</p>
+
+<p>About the middle of the month the Boers became abnormally
+active, and for several days sounds of digging and picking
+suggested that they were throwing out new trenches beyond those
+they already manned in the region of the brickfields. The full
+significance of the activity was discovered by Sergeant-Major
+Taylor, who&mdash;in charge of three pits which formed the most advanced
+post&mdash;suddenly espied, some fifty yards in advance of the
+limit of the Boer trenches, a hostile figure! The apparition wore a
+German uniform, and Sergeant-Major Taylor was soon aware that
+the enemy were intending to sap the British position. Colonel
+Baden-Powell was informed of the impending danger, and at night
+a counter-sap extending 100 yards was thrown out, from which point
+it would be possible for the besieged to fire on the new work. The
+tension of the situation was extreme. Eighty yards only separated
+the combatants, and the enemy continued to burrow, approaching
+little by little, while the British continued to harass them in their
+labours by an active fusillade whenever a chance presented itself.
+But the operations continued, and every hour brought the Boers
+nearer. At last a night came when the enemy had almost reached
+his goal, and, moreover, had moved the Creusot gun to a position
+on the south-eastern heights so as to command the entire area.
+With due precaution the defenders tried to occupy the advanced
+posts, but the Boer firing was so correct and persistent that the
+position was rendered untenable. Sergeant-Major Taylor, a splendid
+fellow&mdash;who more than once had ventured eavesdropping to the edge
+of the Boer trenches&mdash;and four others were mown down in their
+gallant efforts to save the situation. The enemy, satisfied with his
+exertions in this direction, now began to turn his attention to the
+forts in the rear&mdash;a bad move, for while the Dutchmen hammered
+in that region the British rapidly seized the occasion to construct a
+traverse across the mouth of the sap. This, of course, was not carried
+forward without attracting the attention of the enemy, who fired fast
+and furiously. But the task was accomplished, after which the Boers
+and the British, worn out, rested from their hostilities. For a day
+and a night the Boers were in occupation of the advanced hole and
+the sap that had been carried from it, but it was soon recaptured, and
+the connection made with the Boer trenches blown up with dynamite.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_119" id="Page_119">[Pg 119]</a></span></p>
+
+<p>On the 20th the Protectorate Regiment gave a dinner, which
+turned out to be quite a luxurious repast. Invitations were supplemented
+by the request to bring their own bread! Some of the
+officers shot a few locust-birds, small as quail, which, when carved
+judiciously, went round among the guests. Added to this there was
+a sucking pig, obtained none knew whence, but nevertheless most
+welcome.</p>
+
+<p>On the 22nd, Sergeant-Major Looney of the Commissariat was
+sentenced to five years penal servitude for the misappropriation of
+comestibles and stores, which had been going on for some time.
+The Commissariat was reorganised by Captain Ryan (Army Service
+Corps) with untiring energy and economy. To the soup-kitchen
+went everything, scraps of meat, or hoof, meal, unsifted oats, bran,
+all were turned to account, and food of a sustaining, if not luxurious
+kind, was provided for every one. At this time the Boers were
+growing despondent, and began to doubt their chance of forcing the
+town to surrender. From a conversation overheard by some wary
+ones who had crept close to the enemy&#8217;s trenches, it appeared that
+President Steyn had urged Commandant Snyman to carry the town
+by storm, and afterwards to come to the rescue of the Free Staters
+with his force, but the Burghers had expressed their opinion that it
+was now too late to take Mafeking&mdash;they should have done so the
+first week.</p>
+
+<p>The inhabitants were very pleased with their own ingenuity, and
+in their ordnance workshops the manufacture of shot and shell went
+on apace. The mechanics of the railway works, by a system which
+seemed to act on the lines of a conjuring trick, turned out from
+the shell-factory about fifty rounds a day. No waste was allowed.
+Even the fragments of the enemy&#8217;s shells were utilised. These and
+scraps of cast iron were purchased at twopence a pound for smelting,
+and twopence, it must be remembered, was now a magnificent disbursement,
+as money was growing more and more scarce. Curiously
+enough, the present foreman, Conolly, was at one time manager of the
+shell department of the ordnance factory at Pretoria, where he personally
+supervised the manufacture of the larger shells. He now
+necessarily took a parental interest in the shells flung into Mafeking
+by the Boers&#8217; Creusot gun, and also in those new ones that were
+flung out of Mafeking as a result of his own and others&#8217; inventive
+genius! A good deal of shelling took place, and that on the 23rd
+was said to be a salute in honour of Independence Day in the
+Orange Free State. The inhabitants of Mafeking would not have
+grudged their enemies the, to them, distressing attempt at festivity
+had they then known that four days later the death-blow of that
+independence would be struck, and the salute was destined to be the
+last in the history of the Republics!<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_120" id="Page_120">[Pg 120]</a></span></p>
+
+<p>Fare was growing more and more meagre. Horse-flesh was
+diversified by bread made from horse forage; water, to say the
+least of it, was becoming interesting only to bacteriologists. The
+native population for the most part starved; they now and then
+indulged in a raid and brought back fat fare, which for a day or
+two had a visible effect upon their ebon skeletons, but they brought
+it at the risk of their lives.</p>
+
+<p>Uninterrupted deluges of rain made existence a perpetual misery,
+the trenches and also the bomb-proof shelters were flooded, and
+the hapless inhabitants, saturated, fled into the open, uncertain
+whether death by fire was not preferable to death by water. The
+first, at all events, promised to be expeditious, while the second
+offered prospects of prolonged sousing and exquisite tortures of
+enduring rheumatism. Daily the state of affairs became less tolerable.
+Typhoid and malaria stalked abroad, and in the children&#8217;s
+and women&#8217;s laager diphtheria had set in.</p>
+
+<p>On the 25th a message was received from the Queen. Its effect
+was electrical. It was vastly heartening to feel and to know that
+the great Sovereign herself knew and sympathised with the history
+of the struggles and privations, the loyalty and pluck of this little
+hamlet in a remote corner of Her Majesty&#8217;s possessions. It seemed
+more possible now to starve patriotically, and, with every mouthful
+of nauseating mule or horse, to put aside personal discomfort and to
+remember the gracious fact that each individual was a symbol, a
+sorry and dilapidated one perhaps, but nevertheless a symbol of
+the majesty and might of Greater Britain. In addition to the
+royal message there came two days later the stimulating intelligence
+that Kimberley had been relieved, and that Lord Roberts
+was advancing on Bloemfontein!</p>
+
+<p>On Majuba Day, all made sure that some sort of attack might
+be expected, and they prepared to welcome it with a salute from
+the new howitzer gun which had engaged the genius of the siege
+arsenal. The Boers, however, were quiet. A good deal of psalm-singing
+took place in the Boer camp, while the besieged put the big
+gun through his paces.</p>
+
+<p>Ash Wednesday was observed without sackcloth and ashes.
+Mafeking had been enjoying Lenten abstinence for months past,
+and therefore when, at the service on the following Sabbath, the
+parson reminded them that it was the fast season, every one in
+the church enjoyed the joke so hugely that smiles were with difficulty
+suppressed. As one of the congregation afterwards suggested,
+they had had so much &#8220;Extra Special&#8221; fasting that they ought to
+be let off Lenten obligations for five years.</p>
+
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 479px;">
+<a name="ill_167" id="ill_167"></a><img src="images/ill_167.png" width="479" height="354" alt="" title="" />
+<div>
+<table class="w100" summary="">
+<tr>
+<td class="caption">SOUTH AFRICAN LIGHT HORSE (Trooper).</td>
+<td class="caption">BRABANT&#8217;S HORSE (Trooper).</td>
+<td class="caption">DUKE OF EDINBURGH&#8217;S VOLUNTEER RIFLES (Dispatch Rider).</td>
+</tr>
+</table>
+<br />
+<span class="small">Photos by J. E. Bruton, Cape Town.</span>
+</div></div>
+
+<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_121" id="Page_121">[Pg 121]</a></span></p>
+
+<h2 class="gap4"><a name="CHAPTER_V" id="CHAPTER_V"></a>CHAPTER V<br />
+<br />
+<span class="smaller">AT CHIEVELEY AGAIN</span></h2>
+
+<p>On the 8th of February General Buller again retired
+across the Tugela. He realised that his whole flanking
+movement had been a failure, and though the ill-success
+has been attributed to many causes, we may
+safely say that the main cause of the fiasco was the
+insufficient rapidity with which the scheme was conducted. Napoleon
+declared that flank marches should be as short, and executed in as
+brief a time, as possible. Celerity and concealment in these cases
+must go hand in hand, and when celerity is overlooked concealment
+becomes impossible. Delay had given the Boers the opportunity to
+shift their positions and produce a new front even more powerful
+than that at Colenso. The General&#8217;s idea had been, after taking
+Vaal Krantz, to entrench it as the pivot of further operations, but
+the experience of two days&#8217; hard fighting taught him that, owing to
+the nature of the ground, and the despatch of the Dutchmen, the
+plan was far from practicable. The position was found to be
+dominated in every direction by the enemy, and unless Vaal
+Krantz could be held securely during the advance to Ladysmith,
+it was thought advisable not to hold it at all. For this reason
+the Natal Field Force returned to Chieveley, the original scene
+of operations, where the &#8220;Red Bull,&#8221; as the Boers called him,
+with indomitable energy, planned out a fourth scheme of attack.
+It was now to be directed against the Boer left. The battle
+of the 15th of December was mainly directed against the Boer
+right, as there were reasons to believe the right to be the weaker
+of the two flanks. That attack had failed for reasons we know.
+Circumstances having changed, and more guns and men being
+now at his disposal, the General determined to direct his energies
+to the Boer left. The task was a complicated one. Both river
+and hills twist themselves mysteriously, and seemingly in conspiracy
+with Boer notions of defence. For instance, the river after
+leaving Colenso (which may be looked upon as the Boer centre)
+twists invisibly into the shelter of the impregnable kopjes, and
+takes a direct turn towards the north, thereby passing in front of
+the Boer right and in rear of the Boer left. By taking to themselves
+possession of Hlangwane the enemy had made their position
+almost unassailable. This formidable left ran in a series of trenches,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_122" id="Page_122">[Pg 122]</a></span>
+sangars, and rifle-pits from Colenso past the thorn-bushes by the
+river, and on to the powerfully fortified hill of Hlangwane. From
+thence it was extended over the ridge called Green Hill, and farther
+to the companion eminences of Cingolo and Monte Cristo, and the
+nek that united them. The first thing, therefore, to be done in a
+plan for turning this formidable position was to take possession of
+Hussar Hill, which was accomplished on the 14th of February, from
+which day and on till the 27th fighting without cessation took place.
+Some one called it the fighting march, for it was a series of ferociously
+contested moves from Chieveley to Hussar Hill, and thence
+<i>via</i> Cingolo Nek and Monte Cristo Ridge till the Boer line had
+been turned and the British forces had placed themselves diagonally
+across the left of the Boer position. Having worked round in a
+species of hoop, which crumpled the Boer left before it, and having
+deposited men and guns to mark as milestones the victorious
+advance, a frontal advance was soon made on Green Hill, the
+adjacent slope some three miles from Hlangwane, which mountain
+became, as a natural consequence of the foregoing proceedings, a
+somewhat easy prize. The victory at Monte Cristo, which enabled
+us to acquire Green Hill, may be looked upon as the turning of the
+tide. From the hour that commanding point was occupied the
+future of the relieving army was practically secure, for the river was
+gained, and the Boers once on the run, there needed only the fine
+fighting quality of our troops&mdash;the A1 quality of the world&mdash;to
+bring things to a satisfactory conclusion. But now to try to follow
+this complicated and well-considered march.</p>
+
+<p>On the 12th of February a force of mounted infantry, with a
+battalion of infantry, a field-battery, and a Colt battery, reconnoitred
+Hussar Hill (so called because it was the scene of the
+surprise to a picket of the 13th Hussars), a long ridge situated
+at the south of Hlangwane, where General Buller subsequently
+established his headquarters. The South African Light Horse
+and another Colt battery were treated to some fierce volleys by
+the enemy, with the result that Lieutenant J. Churchill and another
+officer were wounded. Four men were injured and one was missing.
+The fight was a brisk one, though of but half-an-hour&#8217;s duration, for
+the hill was not strongly held. The troops then moved forwards,
+winding through a series of wooded ridges to the right, till they
+reached an entrenched ridge connecting Hlangwane with higher
+hills on the east. As there were continual increases and changes
+in regard to the troops, it will be found advisable, before going
+further, to refer to a table of the distribution of the forces as far
+as they were then known:<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_123" id="Page_123">[Pg 123]</a></span>&mdash;</p>
+
+<blockquote><p class="center">SIR REDVERS BULLER&#8217;S FORCE</p>
+
+<p><span class="smcap">Second Division.</span>&mdash;(Major-General Lyttelton).&mdash;2nd (Hildyard&#8217;s) Brigade&mdash;2nd
+East Surrey; 2nd West Yorks; 2nd Devons; 2nd West Surrey. 4th
+(Norcott&#8217;s Brigade)&mdash;1st Rifle Brigade; 1st Durham Light Infantry; 3rd
+King&#8217;s Royal Rifles; 2nd Scottish Rifles (Cameronians); Squadron 13th
+Hussars; 7th, 14th, and 66th Field Batteries.</p>
+
+<p><span class="smcap">Third Division.</span>&mdash;5th (Hart&#8217;s) Brigade&mdash;1st Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers;
+1st Connaught Rangers; 2nd Royal Dublin Fusiliers; 1st Border. 6th (Barton&#8217;s)
+Brigade&mdash;2nd Royal Fusiliers; 2nd Royal Scots Fusiliers; 1st Royal
+Welsh Fusiliers; 2nd Royal Irish Fusiliers; Squadron 13th Hussars; 63rd,
+64th, and 73rd Field Batteries.</p>
+
+<p><span class="smcap">Fifth Division.</span>&mdash;(Lieutenant-General Sir Charles Warren).&mdash;10th
+(Coke&#8217;s) Brigade&mdash;2nd Dorset; 2nd Middlesex; 2nd Somerset Light Infantry.
+11th (Wynne&#8217;s) Brigade&mdash;2nd Royal Lancaster; 2nd Lancashire Fusiliers;
+1st South Lancashire; 1st York and Lancaster; Squadron 13th Hussars;
+19th, 20th, and 28th Field Batteries. Corps Troops&mdash;1st Royal Dublin Fusiliers;
+Imperial Light Infantry; Thorneycroft&#8217;s Mounted Infantry; 61st Field
+Battery (Howitzers); 78th Field Battery; Natal Battery, 9-pounders; twelve
+Naval 12-pounder quick-firers; 4th Mountain Battery; two 4.7 Naval guns,
+1st Cavalry Brigade (Burn-Murdoch)&mdash;1st Royal Dragoons; 14th Hussars;
+Gough&#8217;s Composite Regiment. 2nd Cavalry Brigade (Dundonald)&mdash;Natal Carabineers
+(squadron); South African Light Horse (four squadrons); Imperial
+Light Horse (squadron); Natal Police (squadron).</p></blockquote>
+
+<p>General Lyttelton succeeded General Clery (disabled by blood-poisoning)
+in command of the Second Division, while Colonel
+Norcott (Rifle Brigade) temporarily took command of the Fourth
+Brigade.</p>
+
+<p>On the 14th the army moved to occupy the new position on
+Hussar Hill. As we know, the irregular cavalry, the South African
+Horse, had secured the position, and some disappointed Boers who
+had thought to be beforehand with them had disappeared with much
+haste and not a little chagrin. After a short time Generals Wynne
+Coke, and Barton with their respective brigades joined Sir Charles
+Warren&#8217;s division, and bivouacked on the new ground. There was
+some trouble about water, as Hussar Hill was arid and the nearest
+river was some miles away. However, necessity is the mother of
+invention, and necessity brought to light a system of water-waggons
+by which a small but appreciable amount of water was carried to the
+troops. While this was going on above, General Lyttelton was
+moving to the east of Chieveley round the eastern spur of Hussar
+Hill.</p>
+
+<p>Here during the afternoon a number of Boers hiding among the
+boulders and dense scrub made themselves obstreperous; but their
+fire was overcome by our artillery, and before long they were
+dislodged.</p>
+
+<p>Little happened for two days save some artillery duelling, then<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_124" id="Page_124">[Pg 124]</a></span>
+an appreciable advance was made. A wooded hill called Cingolo,
+part of the range east of Hlangwane, was the next to be seized
+by an adroit flanking movement of the infantry. They gained and
+kept the top of the hill with but few casualties owing to the dense
+cover.</p>
+
+<p>At dawn on the 17th a general advance was ordered. Consequently
+soon after midnight the business of movement began. At
+daybreak the cavalry under Lord Dundonald marched to discover
+the enemy&#8217;s left flank through the tangled and rugged country to
+the east&mdash;country so broken and wooded that on occasions it was
+impossible to ride, and all that could be done was to lead the horses
+through thicket, and thorns, and over boulders by the light of intelligence
+rather than military regime. And while this was going on
+the artillery was performing a boisterous symphony on seventy instruments,
+an <i>aubade</i> to awaken such Boers as might still be dozing
+in rock, ravine, or ridge in the regions of Hlangwane.</p>
+
+<p>At last the troopers had wormed and torn and scrambled their
+way up the ridge, where, on arriving, the Boers accosted them
+with the music of musketry in tolerably fast time. Bullets whizzed
+and commenced to send the now well-known cataracts over the
+advancing troops, and for the moment it seemed to be a toss up as
+to whether the toil of gaining the position would be in vain. However,
+the Boers were in small number, and very soon they fell back,
+leaving the top of the hill before the advance of the Imperial Light
+Horse and the Natal Carabineers, who slew or captured some
+Burghers and horses. In their attack they were supported by the
+Queen&#8217;s, the right battalion of Hildyard&#8217;s attack, who had taken
+a short cut and came up in the nick of time, so that the Boers
+promptly scurried off and left the troops in undisturbed possession
+of Cingolo Hill.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_125" id="Page_125">[Pg 125]</a></span></p>
+
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 706px;">
+<a name="ill_173" id="ill_173"></a><img src="images/ill_173.png" width="706" height="260" alt="" title="" />
+<div><span class="caption smcap">The Scene of the Fighting at Monte Cristo Hill on February 19.</span><br />
+<br />
+<span class="small">(From sketches taken during the action by Captain P. U. Vigors, 2nd Devon Regiment.)</span>
+</div></div>
+
+<p>Further important movements took place on the 18th. Through
+the operations of the day before, the Boers had been hunted along
+towards Monte Cristo, and from thence at daylight they commenced
+to pour Creusot shells on the British troops. The Queen&#8217;s, who had
+bivouacked on the northern slope of Cingolo, and came in for a good
+deal of fire, valiantly crossed the nek, and, supported by the rest of
+the 2nd Brigade under General Hildyard, assaulted and finally took
+the southern end of Monte Cristo. The 4th Brigade occupied the
+left or western slope. Operations were begun very early, and the
+long precipitous climb in a baking sun occupied till midday. The
+advance over country that is trellised with spruits, dongas, thorn-bush,
+and scrub at times was painfully slow, and the scrambling
+and stumbling, sometimes on all fours, to the roll and rattle of
+musketry and the banging of unseen and unlocatable guns occupied
+some hours. The words of the Scripture, &#8220;Eyes have<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_126" id="Page_126">[Pg 126]</a></span>
+they and see not,&#8221; might have been applied to this nerve-trying
+assault against hidden men with smokeless weapons. No sooner
+had the troops reached the top of Monte Cristo than they were
+assailed by a well-directed artillery fire from the direction of the
+invisible foe, shrapnel, Maxim, and Nordenfeldt guns pouring over
+the men as they advanced. But they steadily pushed on and up
+till at last they entirely routed the Boers. These, finding themselves
+in a desperate situation, took to their heels, leaving tents,
+food, biltong, lard, potatoes, onions, clothing, bridles, blankets, and
+Bibles behind them in disarray. In their retreat they were fired on
+by the cavalry, but they made small reply. Quantities of ammunition
+were captured, and, unfortunately for those who still maintained
+their respect for the enemy, several forms of expanding
+bullets. The Royal Welsh Fusiliers, supported by the rest of the
+6th Brigade, assailed the eastern flank of the enemy&#8217;s position. The
+2nd Brigade of Cavalry on the extreme right watched the eastern
+slopes of Monte Cristo, and drove back those of the enemy who
+scurried there to escape the artillery fire. They had been completely
+taken by surprise; they had expected the British to begin
+a frontal attack on Green Hill, a smooth grassy eminence sliced
+with the gashes of Boer entrenchments, some of these six feet in
+depth, others blasted in the solid rock. Assaulted now by big
+guns in front and flank, attacked in flank and rear, the enemy,
+without offering much resistance, evacuated their strong positions
+and fled across the Tugela. That their flight was precipitate was
+testified by the fact that they even left letters behind. One of these
+was from General Joubert in answer to a request for supports, in
+which he said these could not be sent; the position was sufficiently
+garrisoned with the men they had.</p>
+
+<p>The crest of Monte Cristo gained, all at once took heart. This
+hill was the hinge on which all the subsequent movements turned.
+By means of it Green Hill and the frowning eminence of Hlangwane
+could become ours. From Hlangwane the whole western section
+of the great Colenso position could be rendered untenable by the
+enemy. This the Boers well knew, and this was the reason for their
+tough resistance on the dreadful 15th of December. Now, seeing us
+masters of Monte Cristo, they wisely decided to make themselves
+scarce. The British guns once mounted on Monte Cristo made a
+complete difference in the situation. It was now possible to enfilade
+many of the choice positions which for two months had been the
+snug hiding-places of the enemy. Now, in the distance, was visible&mdash;the
+subject of many dreams, many nightmares&mdash;Ladysmith.
+Around it, here and there, were dotted the enemy&#8217;s camps and
+hospitals&mdash;only eight miles away&mdash;a comfortable walking distance&mdash;eight
+miles ahead of our advanced lines! Ladysmith&mdash;an austere<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_127" id="Page_127">[Pg 127]</a></span>
+queen to be wooed, a fainting beauty to be won&mdash;so she had
+seemed, with lives risked and sacrificed like mere handfuls of
+sand for the sake of her, for a few yards of approach near to that
+cestus which engirdled all the grand British blood that had
+palpitated for our coming, so long, so very long. It was glorious
+merely to know that Ladysmith was now in sight of the British
+picquets: there was a sense of exhilaration in the thought of
+real progress after the ghastly six days at Spion Kop, the fluctuating
+four at Vaal Krantz, the fourteen in and out and round about
+the precincts of fatal Colenso. Success was now almost within a
+stone&#8217;s throw, and all hearts throbbed with expectation and confidence.
+All were in some way longing for the handclasp of
+those beleaguered men. There, in that cup of the hills were
+kindred; if not kindred, friends; if not friends, comrades in arms&mdash;comrades
+who had belonged to the same old regiments or &#8220;ground&#8221;
+with the same &#8220;crammers&#8221; at the same schools. And even for
+complete strangers there was a thrill of excitement, almost of exultation,
+at the prospect of coming in touch with these men, of grasping
+hands with renowned warriors, every one of whom had helped
+to illuminate one of the most sumptuous pages of the history of the
+nineteenth century.</p>
+
+<p>The intense heat, the terrific toil, the unparalleled hardships were
+forgotten. The energy and dash of the troops, hitherto unfailing,
+were now redoubled. They had now taken possession of the most
+important ridge which pointed towards the frowning guardian
+eminence of the beleaguered concave&mdash;Bulwana Hill&mdash;and hopes
+were high and spirits exuberant. There remained but Pieter&#8217;s Hill
+between them and the imprisoned multitude. They now saw that
+the turn of the tide had arrived, and already they looked towards
+the distressed town, veiled in the haze of distance, and pictured
+the hour when their long spell of strain and turmoil should meet
+its reward. In this day&#8217;s fight, the Queens, the Scots Fusiliers, the
+Rifle Brigade, and the irregular cavalry had especially distinguished
+themselves. It was the distinction of endurance rather than of display.
+The dogged perseverance with which they launched themselves
+at the positions to be taken, toiling through scrub and thorn,
+&#8220;potting away&#8221; at an invisible foe, was more to be applauded
+than more demonstrative feats of heroism. Colenso and Spion
+Kop had been showy in their tragedy, but the &#8220;fighting march,&#8221;
+as it was called, was a feat of superb endurance, of obdurate pluck.
+A perpetual stumbling and tearing, an eternal pushing up and on
+against opposition the more terrifying because unseen; the sound
+of booming, smokeless murderous guns; the sight of maimed or
+mutilated human beings dropping suddenly under the serene and
+smiling sky were experiences to test the grit of the toughest and<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_128" id="Page_128">[Pg 128]</a></span>
+most stoical. A bolt from the blue! That was all. Yet presently
+there were dead men littered about, and far away, unconscious of
+their woe, were widows and orphans.</p>
+
+<p>On the 19th, Hlangwane Hill&mdash;the impregnable Gibraltar, as it
+has been called&mdash;was taken by the Fusilier Brigade. As this hill,
+which commanded Colenso, had been evacuated by the enemy&mdash;who
+had left three camps and all their paraphernalia, thousands of rounds
+of ammunition, and 2000 Maxim automatic shells behind them&mdash;we
+were now free to cross the Tugela. Whether the enemy would
+continue to fight inch by inch was uncertain, but still there was one
+subject of rejoicing&mdash;the river was ours. The following officers
+were killed and wounded during this day&#8217;s operations:&mdash;2nd Royal
+Fusiliers&mdash;Killed, Captain W. L. Thurburn; wounded, 2nd Lieutenant
+E. C. Packe. 2nd Scottish Rifles&mdash;Wounded, 2nd Lieutenant
+J. M. Colchester-Wemyss.</p>
+
+<p>On the 20th General Hart, after a slight resistance by a weak
+rearguard, occupied the village, and now the line of the Tugela on
+the south side from Colenso to Eagle&#8217;s Nest was in British hands.</p>
+
+<p>Colenso was found to be a desolate ruin. The enemy had evidently
+tried to make matchwood of the place. Windows and doors
+told the tale of wanton destruction. They were wrecked past remedy.
+Houses everywhere were redolent of the Boer, the walls bore
+traces of his illiterate caligraphy, and his offensive remarks in many
+tongues amused without disturbing those who read them. They
+could afford to smile now. And while they went on their tour of
+investigation the hidden Boers could not resist some sniping shots
+from their trenches in Port Wylie, which were only silenced by the
+forcible arguments of the Naval gunners on Hussar Hill. On this
+day another trooper of the South African Light Horse (Walters)
+distinguished himself by swimming across the Tugela and bringing
+over the pontoon, thus repeating the gallant deed of his comrades at
+Potgieter&#8217;s Drift. Thorneycroft&#8217;s Mounted Infantry, though peppered
+by Boers who were ensconced on the kopjes on the opposite side,
+succeeded in fording the river, and proceeded to reconnoitre the
+kopjes on the other side. All the guns were gone, and the kopjes
+themselves seemed to be weakly held. In the distance small clusters
+of Boers were seen in the act of digging trenches, but it was
+generally believed that the enemy&#8217;s tactics were now those of a
+rearguard action.</p>
+
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 499px;">
+<a name="ill_177" id="ill_177"></a><img src="images/ill_177.png" width="499" height="305" alt="" title="" />
+<div><span class="caption">THE RELIEF OF LADYSMITH&mdash;THE LAST RUSH AT HLANGWANE HILL.</span><br />
+<br />
+<span class="small">From a Sketch by Ren� Bull, War Artist.</span>
+</div></div>
+
+<p>Terrible reminiscences of the battle of Colenso greeted them
+wherever they turned. Fort Wylie was seamed with bombardment.
+The railway bridge remained a lamentable picture of upheaval. Outside
+the village, lying as they had dropped, were the rotted carcases
+of horses which had fallen victims to the enemy&#8217;s volleys&mdash;fallen in
+tangled masses, all harnessed together, while making a futile effort<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_129" id="Page_129">[Pg 129]</a></span>
+to save the guns of the 14th and 66th Batteries. The trenches,
+beginning on the very brink of the river, with their protective layers
+of sandbags and their ingeniously arranged earthworks, told how
+comfortably and with what immunity from danger the Boers had set
+about their fell work on the fatal 15th of December. The labour in
+making Colenso and its surroundings impregnable must have been
+as immense as it was skilful.</p>
+
+<p>General Hart&#8217;s advanced guard now proceeded to cross the
+Tugela, the Boers having vacated all their positions south of the
+river, and on the 21st he was followed by the 5th Division, who
+drove back the enemy&#8217;s rearguard. The enemy had moved north
+and turned into a strongly fortified line of kopjes midway between
+the river and Grobler&#8217;s Kloof, and from thence there was some
+doubt whether he could ever be displaced. At the approach of the
+British, he, however, retired precipitately towards Grobler&#8217;s Kloof.</p>
+
+<p>The crossing, on both days, of the magnificent infantry was apiece
+with all that had gone before. First came one shell, then another,
+but the troops steadily pursued their warlike course while the missiles
+hurtling over their heads exploded in the plain behind them. The
+great question had been as to where the river should be crossed.
+Now that the British were in possession of the whole area of
+Hlangwane and its connecting hills, it was possible to cross either
+where the river ran north and south, or where it ran east and west.
+The idea was to cross and get along the line of railroad, and follow
+a straight course up to Ladysmith. The enemy were believed to be
+in retreat, and therefore it seemed perfectly feasible to advance in
+the way attempted.</p>
+
+<p>On the 21st the gunners continued persistently at work, determining
+that the Dutchmen should have no spare time for the
+building of further entrenchments. The foe managed, however, to
+render themselves aggressive by firing on an ambulance train that
+was steaming out of Colenso station. Meanwhile the army was
+moving westward from Hlangwane plateau, with a view to marching
+up beyond the stream, and getting out of the valley of the river and
+beyond the kopjes that frowned over it.</p>
+
+<h3 class="gap2">LADYSMITH</h3>
+
+<p>The story of famine is an insidious story, a creeping horror that,
+scarcely visible, yet slowly and very gradually saps first the spirits,
+then the energies, then the blood, and finally all the little sparks of
+being that serve to divide us from the dead. The seal of hunger
+was set on every action, though there was no complaint. The
+cramped-up Tommy in his sangar was scarcely as conscious of his
+risk of danger from shot and shell as of the aching void that assured<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_130" id="Page_130">[Pg 130]</a></span>
+him how much nature abhorred a vacuum. When he marched, he
+marched now with the step of one who husbands his resources;
+when he whistled as of old, he ceased abrupt, the lung power being
+scant and short-lived. His eyes, plucky and Britishly dogged, grew
+large and wistful, as though looking for something that never came.
+Dysentery and fever caught him and left him, but left him still in
+charge of famine, which held him in leading-strings, allowing him his
+freedom to crawl so far and no farther. Yet daily routine went on
+as of yore. The shadow of the man went on picket or fatigue duty
+and met his fellow-shadows as often as not with a jest. In ordinary
+life you don&#8217;t look upon cheek-bones as the features of a face. You
+take stock of eyes, nose, mouth, possibly ears. In Ladysmith a
+man&#8217;s character betrayed itself in his cheek-bones and in the an�mic
+tone of the tanned parchment that was stretched across them. You
+could read of patience and heroism in the hard, distinct outlines, and
+comprehend the magnificent endurance of one who, expecting to
+fight like a devil, was condemned to feed like an anchorite.</p>
+
+<p>The men were very near the barbaric brink of starvation. On
+one occasion a shell plumped into the mule lines and killed a mule.
+There was a general rush. Shells followed on the first, crashing all
+around, but the famished racing throng heeded them not; their one
+desire was to get at the slain beast, to capture the wherewithal to
+stay their grievous cravings. Quickly with their clasp-knives they
+possessed themselves of great chunks of the flesh, and then, with
+death hurtling around them and over their heads, they proceeded to
+carry their prize to safer quarters. Here they determined to have a
+good &#8220;tuck-in.&#8221; Fires were kindled, and the flesh was toasted and
+swallowed with lightning rapidity.</p>
+
+<p>For some weeks the inhabitants had been reduced to an essence
+of horse politely termed Chevril, which was declared to be both
+palatable and nourishing. The horses, with their ribs shining in
+painful high lights along their skins, dropped day after day from
+sheer famine, and were boiled down to meet the pressing demand.
+Their bones were gelatinous, however wizened their poor flesh.</p>
+
+<p>The horses that were used for food, like those that yet crawled,
+were mere skeletons. When the General, in view of making another
+sortie, inquired how many there were in camp that could still carry
+their rider for six miles, he was informed that there were only twelve
+equal to the task.</p>
+
+<p>The lack of fat and milk and vegetables was irremediable, but
+dainties, so called, were provided in curious ways. Blancmange was
+manufactured from ladies&#8217; violet-powder which had been &#8220;commandeered&#8221;
+for service in the kitchen, and biscuits were fried by
+the men in the axle-grease provided for the carts, in hope to make
+the task of biting them less like crunching ashes.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_131" id="Page_131">[Pg 131]</a></span></p>
+
+<p>The place itself appeared to be becoming the Abomination of
+Desolation. Many of the dwellings were unoccupied; the low bungalow-shaped
+villas were closed and barricaded; here and there
+were buildings cracked and seamed by shot and shell, with great
+gaps in their faces, reminding one of human beings without eyes and
+teeth. Melancholy and depression reigned everywhere&mdash;on the
+tangled, desolated gardens, as on the silent, listless men, who had
+almost ceased to converse, for there was nothing left to converse
+about. Buller&#8217;s coming had been discussed threadbare; the prospect
+of the food holding out had been examined in all its hideous
+emptiness. Lassitude and weariness was the universal expression on
+the visages of the hollow-eyed spectres that were the remains of the
+dashing heroes of Glencoe and Elandslaagte. The land and riverbeds
+presented the appearance of a series of grottoes, shelters of
+wood, stone, and wire, the dens of wild animals, the caves of primitive
+man. Between the burrows and caves were sentry-paths and
+paths to the water-tanks, worn with the incessant traffic of weary
+feet.</p>
+
+<p>Though affairs were arriving at a sorry pass, there were still
+some wonderful recoveries. For instance, Captain Paley (Rifle
+Brigade), who was wounded in both hips, was getting on amazingly.
+Though the leg was badly shattered near the joint of the hip, there
+was every reason to hope that it might be saved. Captain Mills,
+too, was mending. To have a bullet pass through the lung and
+pierce the spinal column is not a common experience, and one that
+few recover from; yet the doctors gave hopeful reports. They
+had scarcely thought that Major Hoare would outlive a fractured
+skull&mdash;completely riddled they said it was&mdash;yet the Major was expected
+to be himself again shortly. These were marvellous cases,
+and probably the wounded owed their curious recovery to the nature
+of the weapon of offence. Missiles have peculiar characteristics,
+and differ in their capacity for deadliness. For instance, bullets of
+the most harmless kind are those having a high velocity, those that
+hit apex-first and do not &#8220;keyhole,&#8221; and those possessing a hard,
+smooth sheath with a smooth, rounded surface. After these come
+missiles of more death-dealing or mutilating nature&mdash;the Dum-Dum
+bullets, with the nickel sheaths around the apex removed in order to
+expose the lead nucleus, Remington lead or brass bullets, shrapnel
+bullets, and fragments of shell. Each and all of these things had
+been endured by one or other of our gallant men during the course
+of the campaign, and the surgeons were able to make a profound
+study of causes and effects. One of the heroes of Ladysmith who
+went near to testing the efficacy of that most deadly thing, the shell,
+was Archdeacon Barker. With the utmost presence of mind, he
+picked up a shell in the act of exploding and plumped it into a tub<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_132" id="Page_132">[Pg 132]</a></span>
+of water, thus saving many lives. Numbers of officers who had
+been hit by Mausers or Lee-Metfords were now pronounced out of
+danger, among them Colonel C. E. Beckett (Staff), Major F. Hammersley
+(Staff), Captain W. B. Silver, Captain M. J. W. Pike, Major
+H. Mullaly, Lieutenants Crichton, S. C. Maitland, W. W. MacGregor
+(of the Gordons), and A. A. G. Bond. Captain Lowndes,
+who was wounded dangerously on Surprise Hill, was picking up
+wonderfully. Lieutenant Campbell, of the Imperial Light Horse,
+whose case at first seemed serious, was rapidly gaining ground.</p>
+
+<p>Very capricious sometimes was the action of bullets. Some of
+the injured would have as many as four or five wounds, all &#8220;outers,&#8221;
+to use their musketry phrase, while others would suffer strange and
+wonderful things in consequence of the vagaries of a single shot.
+A strange chapter of accidents befell one officer. He was hit under
+the left eye, the bullet passing out of his cheek into his left shoulder,
+and then into his upper arm, which it broke. Not content with
+doing this damage, the shock of the blow knocked him down, and in
+falling the unfortunate man broke the other arm! On the other
+hand, there were some, reported doing well, and expecting to be fit
+for duty shortly, who were veritably perforated with bullets&mdash;&#8220;a
+perfect sieve&#8221; one man called himself, with a touch of excusable
+pride.</p>
+
+<p>The bravery of these men! The bravery of these women!
+Outside we knew only of the husk of their suffering; but the kernel
+of it, the bitter sickening taste of it, the taste that lived with them,
+that was there when they woke, and remained after they had closed
+their eyes in sleep&mdash;that, none but themselves could ever know.
+Boredom and flies, they jestingly said it was! Rather was it a
+slow petrifaction of the soul. Death to them had lost its sting,
+as life had lost its fire. Ladysmith was the grave of corpses
+that were not dead, forms in the cerements of burial now too
+weak to knock themselves against the coffin-lid and cry, &#8220;Save
+us! our last breath is not yet spent; we are living, loving men!&#8221;
+Yes, they were too weak. They made no sound, no cry. They
+who had so long resisted could resist no longer; they, who with
+their last effort on that fatal 6th of January had been a terror to
+their enemies, were now only a terror to themselves. Could they
+bear it longer? Was it possible? Might they not in some fit of
+madness, some palpitating moment of lust for dear life, begin to
+spell the letters of the unframable word, begin just to think how it
+might be spelt?&mdash;S&mdash;u&mdash;r&mdash;r&mdash; No! They could not get to the
+end of it! It choked them. They could stand the fetid water, the
+foul air with its loathsome whispers, its hideous suggestions, which
+at eventide grew strong as phantoms from the nether world; they
+could face the sight of virulent disease and gaunt famine stalking<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_133" id="Page_133">[Pg 133]</a></span>
+up and down as the hyena slinks round and about his prey; they
+could gasp under the fierce heat; they could tune their ears to the
+racking, rending tortuous explosions of death dealing shells&mdash;they
+could do all this, but they could not get beyond. The first syllable
+of the crushing word could never pass their lips!</p>
+
+<hr class="w50" />
+
+<p>Food now was only interesting because of its mystery; it was
+beginning to have merely an ornamental value in the programme.
+Various &#8220;confections&#8221; made of violet-powder that had been impounded,
+strange brawns of mule-heel and suspicious &#8220;savouries&#8221;
+were the subject of speculation and awe. People pretended to
+be pleased and to put a good face on matters, and indeed they had
+every reason to be thankful; for, owing to the ingenuity of Lieutenant
+M&#8217;Nalty, A.S.C., under whose auspices potted meats, jellies,
+soups, were manufactured, the imagination if not the appetite was
+appeased with what, when not too closely investigated, appeared to
+be quite delectable fare.</p>
+
+<p>The following prices were realised at an auction on February 21:&mdash;Fourteen
+lbs. of oatmeal, �2, 19s. 6d.; a tin of condensed milk,
+10s.; 1 lb. of fat beef, 11s.; a 1-lb. tin of coffee, 17s.; a 2-lb. tin of
+tongue, �1, 6s.; a sucking-pig, �1, 17s.; eggs, �2, 8s. per dozen;
+a fowl, 18s.; four small cucumbers, 15s.; green mealies, 3s. 8d.
+each; a small quantity of grapes, �1, 5s.; a plate of tomatoes, 18s.;
+one marrow, �1, 8s.; a plate of potatoes, 19s.; two small bunches
+of carrots, 9s.; a glass of jelly, 18s.; a 1-lb. bottle of jam, �1, 11s.;
+a 1-lb. tin of marmalade, �1, 1s.; a dozen matches, 13s. 6d.; a
+packet of cigarettes, �1, 5s.; 50 cigars, �9, 5s.; a &frac14;-lb. cake of
+tobacco, �2, 5s.; &frac12; lb. of tobacco, �3, 5s.</p>
+
+<p>A doctor, writing home about this time, said:&mdash;</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;Things are getting very trying here now. For two or three
+weeks we have had only half a pound of horseflesh and a quarter a
+pound of very bad mealie-meal bread, with one ounce of sugar.
+Sometimes a little mealie porridge is added or a little more bread.
+This is precious low fare, I can tell you, especially as the bread is so
+bad we can hardly eat it, and it makes us ill. Of course, drinks
+gave out after the first month, and tobacco followed suit some time
+ago, but, fortunately, they discovered a little Kaffir tobacco recently,
+which, vile as it is, we smoke eagerly. Alas! mine won&#8217;t last long
+now. It is impossible to get proper food for patients, and not much
+of improper. Consequently men are beginning to die fast of scurvy,
+enteric, and dysentery. We have reduced the number of sick from
+two thousand to seventeen hundred here, of which I have about a
+hundred severe cases, and am allowed about two to three wineglasses
+of stimulants a day for the lot; so you can imagine what a
+farce that is. Drugs, too, are almost finished, and firewood for<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_134" id="Page_134">[Pg 134]</a></span>
+cooking is an endless difficulty; so you can imagine I am pretty
+tired of the daily duty in these terrible fever-tents. About half of
+our doctors and half the nurses are sick, and there were always few
+enough. One doctor has already died and a nurse.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>Among the severe cases alluded to was one especially to be
+deplored. Colonel Royston, whose name is intimately connected
+with Volunteering in Natal, was hopelessly ill. In spite of his iron
+constitution, he succumbed to the ravages of enteric fever, and was in
+reality marked by the finger of death at the very time when the relief
+force was pressing to deliver the town from the awful doom that
+hung like a miasma over the whole place. The gallant Colonel had
+done splendid service, and for two decades had worked energetically
+to promote the welfare of the Colony and stimulate interest in the
+Volunteer movement. As trumpeter in the Carabineers in 1872, the
+youth was found engaging in operations against Langalibalele, including
+the flying column in the Double Mountains and the capture
+of the chief; and in 1879, in command of a troop of Carabineers, he
+distinguished himself in the Zulu campaign. Later he accompanied
+Sir Bartle Frere to the Transvaal in command of the High Commissioner&#8217;s
+escort. From 1881 to 1889 he commanded the regiment,
+and was appointed Commandant of Volunteers in 1898. When
+the call to arms came, the brave Volunteers of Natal were ready to
+a man, fully equipped to go to the front&mdash;a practical proof of the
+splendid ability and foresight of their chief. All agreed in deploring
+his illness, and declared that an officer more fitted to lead the gallant
+regiment, more trusted and more beloved, it would be hard to find.</p>
+
+<h3 class="gap2">THE BATTLE OF PIETERS</h3>
+
+<p>On Wednesday the 21st, as we know, our troops were back at
+Colenso. The day was mainly devoted to &#8220;sniping,&#8221; to bringing
+up heavy guns, and to getting the troops across the Tugela.
+But the 12-pounder Naval guns on Hlangwane, and the 61st
+Howitzer Battery in the open, indulged in a stupendous concert
+addressed to the enemy&#8217;s position, in which they were assisted
+from below Monte Cristo on the right by more Naval guns.
+The enemy was not inactive. No sooner had a pontoon been
+thrown across the river below Hlangwane than they began to
+drop shells in the neighbourhood of the troops who were attempting
+to cross. These, however, accomplished their intention without
+sustaining much loss. Meanwhile, Corporal Adams, of the
+Telegraph Brigade, distinguished himself by swimming across the
+Tugela, wire in mouth. The troops now advanced&mdash;General
+Coke&#8217;s Brigade, followed by two battalions of General Wynne&#8217;s
+and a field-battery. The Somersets, Dorsets, Middlesex, covered<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_135" id="Page_135">[Pg 135]</a></span>
+by shell-fire from two field-batteries and the heavy guns, moved
+across the plain to the foot of the hill, with the object of reconnoitring
+Grobler&#8217;s Kloof. At first no signs of the enemy were
+visible, the Dutchmen, though not entrenched, being cunningly<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_136" id="Page_136">[Pg 136]</a></span>
+hidden in the dongas and thorn-bushes, which crowded the vicinity.
+But no sooner had the Somersets, who had been the first across
+the pontoon, approached the base of the hill, than a cataract from
+the rifles of the enemy suddenly burst over them. The Boers had
+withheld their fire till the troops were within point-blank range,
+and then rent the weird mystery of the dusk with jets of flame.
+Nearly a hundred of the gallant fellows dropped and three officers
+were killed. Some said that they were fighting the enemy&#8217;s rearguard,
+but in reality a large portion of the whole Boer army was
+engaged. Though it was the first time the regiment had been under
+fire, the admirable behaviour of the men in the face of overwhelming
+hostile numbers was remarkable. Nevertheless, the unpleasant discovery
+of the enemy&#8217;s strength at last involved the retreat of the
+troops, and decided the General that an advance in force must be
+made on the following day.</p>
+
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 290px;">
+<a name="ill_185" id="ill_185"></a><img src="images/ill_185.png" width="290" height="550" alt="" title="" />
+<div><span class="caption smcap">Balloon Map illustrating the Battle of Pieters
+and Relief of Ladysmith.</span>
+</div></div>
+
+<p>The following officers were killed and wounded in the operations
+of 20th and 21st February:&mdash;</p>
+
+<blockquote><p>1st Rifle Brigade&mdash;Wounded, Lieutenant W. R. Wingfield-Digby. 2nd
+Somersetshire Light Infantry&mdash;Killed, Captain S. L. V. Crealock, Lieutenant
+V. F. A. Keith-Falconer, Second Lieutenant J. C. Parr; wounded, Captain
+E. G. Elger. 2nd Dorsetshire Regiment&mdash;Wounded, Second Lieutenant
+F. Middleton. 2nd Royal Irish Fusiliers&mdash;Wounded, Colonel J. Reeves.
+Staff&mdash;Wounded, Captain H. G. C. Phillips. Royal Army Medical Corps&mdash;Died
+of wounds, Captain R. E. Holt.</p></blockquote>
+
+<p>On Thursday the 22nd, part of General Wynne&#8217;s Brigade began
+to advance. They were supported by Hildyard&#8217;s Brigade from the
+region of Fort Wylie. (General Barton&#8217;s Brigade and part of
+General Hart&#8217;s were left on the south side of the river.) Progress
+was slow and painful. The country&mdash;a strip some two miles broad
+and stretching out between high hills and the river&mdash;was richly
+veined with irritating dongas and covered with bushes and scrub.
+The position was commanded by the wooded slopes of Grobler&#8217;s
+Kloof, and enabled the Boers to worry the men in their advance
+with an enfilading fire. All around were steep kopjes such as the
+Boer soul delights in, and thorny tangles which afforded comfortable
+shelter for the enemy&#8217;s guns. The movement, therefore,
+was costly, as it was difficult to locate the guns, and the sharpshooters
+of the enemy, well hidden in their rocky fastnesses, maintained
+a continuous fire on front and flanks of the advancing force.
+With their usual wiliness, the Dutchmen had evidently suspended
+their contemplated retreat, and had gathered together, crept up,
+and taken up a strong position on the left flank, whence they were
+enabled to hamper the troops considerably. Nevertheless the Royal
+Lancasters leading, the South Lancashire following, valiantly advanced
+towards their objective so resolutely that the Boers, who<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_137" id="Page_137">[Pg 137]</a></span>
+almost to the last stood their ground, pelted off to the sheltering
+nooks and dongas in the shadow of Grobler&#8217;s Kloof. Only one
+remained to face the bayonet. But the losses consequent on this
+smart day&#8217;s work were many. Brigadier-General Wynne while
+conducting operations was slightly wounded, and about a hundred
+and fifty more were put out of action.</p>
+
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 313px;">
+<a name="ill_187" id="ill_187"></a><img src="images/ill_187.png" width="313" height="445" alt="" title="" />
+<div><span class="caption">MAJOR-GENERAL A. FITZROY HART, C.B.</span><br />
+<br />
+<span class="small">Photo by Elliott &amp; Fry, London.</span>
+</div></div>
+
+<p>The troops were now moving on a route along the line of river
+and rail to Ladysmith, half-way between Colenso and Pieters Hill,
+and with kopjes to be stormed at intervals during the onward course.
+They had performed a species of zigzag movement, pointing from
+Chieveley north-east to Cingolo and Monte Cristo, and coming back
+in an acute line north-west to the river. Now the forward march
+involved the capture of all the strong positions, beginning with
+the twin kopjes, Terrace and Railway Hill, and ending with the
+whole Pieters position, and possibly Bulwana.</p>
+
+<p>On the three hills&mdash;Terrace Hill, Railway Hill, and Pieters
+Hill&mdash;rested the Boers&#8217; second line of defence. The first hill, called
+Terrace Hill, lay about a mile and a half to north-east of the right
+flank. Farther east, divided by a valley, was Railway Hill, so called
+because on its east came the railway line, on the other side of which
+was Pieters Hill. Sir Redvers Buller&#8217;s plan was to advance the
+infantry beyond the angle of the river, and then stretch round the
+enemy&#8217;s left from Railway Hill, and so go straight to Ladysmith.
+The idea seemed a good one, as the Dutchmen were believed to be
+moving off; but it was afterwards discovered that they, seeing the
+assault was not to be made at once upon the weak, the left edge
+of their position, had gathered courage and returned, reinforced by
+commandos from Ladysmith, to their well-known hunting-ground
+on Grobler&#8217;s Kloof and elsewhere, preparing to give battle so long as
+there was safety for their extreme left. Most of the night of the
+22nd was spent in fighting of desperate character, the Howitzer
+Battery keeping up an incessant roar, explosion following explosion
+in the sombre blackness of midnight. The Boers, meanwhile, were
+attacking with rifle fire all along the line, and so persistent were the
+Dutchmen in their effort to get rid of the troops, that some even
+were only repulsed by the bayonet.</p>
+
+<p>Details of that dreadful night&#8217;s work are scarce, but a faint, yet
+tragic, outline was given by an officer of the 60th Rifles, who was one
+of the survivors of the fatal fray. This regiment had moved on the
+left of Hildyard&#8217;s Brigade, and were swinging along a boulder-strewn
+hillside, which, surmounted by a series of uneven and indefinite
+crest-lines, gave on to a plateau where they intended to take up a
+line of outposts for the night. It so happened that the Boers had
+ensconced themselves at the rear edge of the position which the
+troops, in the belief that it was evacuated, were so incautiously<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_138" id="Page_138">[Pg 138]</a></span>
+approaching. Accordingly, in the gathering gloom a collision of
+amazing violence occurred&mdash;amazing to both Britons and Burghers,
+for the former surprisedly plumped upon the Dutchmen, who as
+surprisedly gave way before them. In an instant the gallant 60th
+were after the fugitives, charging and cheering, but assailed now
+by fierce volleys from undreamed-of trenches. This sudden and
+furious attack forced them, unsupported as they were, to seek
+cover till reinforcements could arrive. But no help appeared.
+The plight of the unfortunate band, whose peril had been hidden
+in the grim density of the night, was entirely unsuspected by the
+companion forces that fringed the crests in the vicinity, and therefore
+the unhappy fellows lay all night clinging to the cover of the
+boulders, and rained on by showers of bullets that traced a tale of
+agony along the ground. At dawn on the 23rd, no supports having
+arrived, and under the same fervid fusillade, they began to retire.
+In twos and threes they commenced to go back, finally covered in
+their retreat by the East Surreys, who had grandly gone forward
+to the rescue. But the cost of splendid succour was dearly and
+almost instantaneously paid. Men fell thick and fast over the
+hilltop&mdash;the Colonel, second in command, and four officers of the
+East Surrey Regiment dropping one after another, some wounded
+in many places. Captain the Hon. R. Cathcart, &#8220;the rearmost of
+his command, as he had been foremost of the night before,&#8221; dropped
+dead, and round him within a few moments fifty other noble fellows
+had passed to the Unknown!</p>
+
+<p>General Buller&#8217;s orders on the 23rd were brief. Push for
+Ladysmith to-day, horse, foot, and artillery; both cavalry brigades
+to cross the river at once. The advance, which had hitherto
+been slow, was now hurried on. At midday it was in full swing,
+the cavalry having crossed the Tugela and massed at Fort Wylie.
+Meanwhile the Boers had taken up a formidable position on the
+right&mdash;on the well-entrenched height called by the gunners Three
+Knoll Hill, to describe the three hills, Terrace, Railway, and
+Pieters, that formed the entire position&mdash;while on the left they
+plied their activities from Grobler&#8217;s Kloof. The artillery in front
+of Railway Hill concentrated a brisk fire upon the Boers therein
+entrenched, who returned some animated replies, assisted by other
+Dutchmen from a hidden vantage-point on the north-east of that
+eminence. General Hart&#8217;s Brigade, to whose valiant Irishmen the
+difficult task of capturing the position was entrusted, was ordered
+to advance. This advance from Onderbrook Spruit to the base of
+Terrace Hill, the companion of Railway Hill, was a feat of cool
+courage that has seldom been equalled. The hill, triangular and
+standing some three hundred feet above the Tugela, was approached
+by a wide open space, which was commanded by the Boers, whose<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_139" id="Page_139">[Pg 139]</a></span>
+complicated position on Railway Hill and its component ridges gave
+them every advantage. The correspondent of the <i>Standard</i> furnished
+a description of these precipitous steeps. &#8220;Railway Hill rises
+from the Tugela a mile from Platelayers&#8217; House. It is, perhaps,
+best described as triangular in shape, with one angle pointing
+towards the river. It rises from the latter in a series of jagged,
+boulder-strewn kopjes, until three hundred feet or so above the
+Tugela. A kloof, through which the railway passes upwards on
+its way to Pieters Station, separates the last jagged ledge from
+the hill proper. From the last kopje or ledge, and immediately on
+the other side of the line, the main part of the hill rises abruptly,
+almost precipitously, with a sharp edge running back in a north-westerly
+direction for several hundred yards. The base of this
+north-westerly line of hill makes up a kloof thick with thorn trees,
+and this kloof recedes round the left end of the hill to the rear,
+where the enemy&#8217;s force, under Commandant Dupreez, had its
+quarters, while a little farther to the rear is still another kloof, in
+which the enemy&#8217;s Creusots were mounted. Along the beginning of
+the sharp edge referred to a long trench was cut out, and right ahead,
+as the hill ran still upwards on an incline for three hundred yards or
+so, were other trenches, until the hill terminated in a crest crowded
+with commanding fortifications.&#8221; To assail this formidable stronghold
+the troops moved off in the following order&mdash;the Inniskilling Fusiliers
+leading, followed by the Connaught Rangers, the Dublin Fusiliers,
+and the Imperial Light Infantry. Steadily marched the kharki-clad
+throng, advancing along the railroad in single file with rifles at the
+slope. At that time there was comparative silence save for the
+muffled drumming of artillery in the surrounding kopjes. These
+apparently frowned free of human influence, the dark, dull frown
+that portends many evil things to the eye of the advancing soldier.
+But nevertheless the troops moved nearer and nearer to the hill
+over the open ground by the railway bridge with a steady step and
+that air of consolidated distinction that marks acutely the difference
+between Briton and Boer armies. They had no sooner showed
+themselves in the open than the air grew alive, the trenches on
+the frowning hill vomited furiously. A casual observer remarked
+that it reminded him of the pantomimes of his youth, of Ali
+Baba&#8217;s cave, when, at a given signal, its jars opened and the forty
+thieves suddenly&mdash;simultaneously&mdash;popped up their heads. Only now
+there were not forty but thousands of brigandish forms&mdash;forms that
+hastened to deal death from their Mausers on the advancing men.
+These were now coming on at a rush, a rush through the hailstorm
+whose every shower meant disaster. But Hart the valiant had
+said, &#8220;That hill must be taken at all costs&#8221;&mdash;and that was enough!
+The hill was about to be seized and the payments had already begun.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_140" id="Page_140">[Pg 140]</a></span>
+One, two, three, four, six&mdash;more and yet more down, one after
+another. So the men began to fall. The ironwork of the bridge
+had now its fringe of fainting forms. Still the splendid fellows
+pushed on. Still the air reverberated with the puissant pom-poming
+of the Boers&#8217; automatic gun. This they had turned on to
+the position they knew must be passed by the advancing warriors.
+Meanwhile the British artillery was saluting the hill, throwing
+up to heaven dust and splinter spouts that filled the whole atmosphere
+with blinding, choking debris, and causing the purple
+boulders far and wide to give forth rumbling echoes of the infernal
+rampage.</p>
+
+<p>Gradually, in face of the deluge of shot and shell, the Inniskilling
+Fusiliers, the Connaught Rangers, and one company each of the
+Dublin Fusiliers, had wound their way towards the eastern spurs of
+Railway Hill, and in the late afternoon were ready for the attack.
+General Hart gave the word. Then, up the rugged stone-strewn
+heights the troops laboriously began to climb. Soon they reached a
+point, some hundred yards above, whence the Boers could pepper
+them with ease. At the same time from the adjacent hill more bullets
+whizzed upon them. Yet, with this horrible fire on their flanks and
+the deadly fusillade from the front, they persevered, dropping one
+after another like ripe fruit in a gust of wind. Volley after volley
+poured down on them, but up they went, cutting through wire, leaping
+boulders, and hurling themselves forward, and in such grand
+style, that the Boers, seeing the determined glitter of the bayonet,
+thought it wiser to retreat. They receded some two hundred yards
+up the hill, while the troops occupied the first position. Then, in
+the growing dusk, the Dutchmen were seen taking a commanding
+place on a somewhat higher or parent peak of the hill. From this
+point the Inniskillings, flushed with their first triumph, deemed it
+necessary to rout them. Fire streamed and spouted, the dim gloom
+of twilight came on; still the Irishmen, through the mist of
+evening and flashings furious from every side, advanced along the
+hill&mdash;a glorious, a tragic advance. One after another bit the dust.
+Men in mute or groaning agony lay prone in the gathering dusk.
+First went a major, afterwards another, and then two captains of
+this gallant band. The Boers had known their business. Some
+of their kopjes are of the nature of spider-webs; the outer fringe
+involves entanglement; and this especial eminence was of that
+particular nature that the second Boer position commanded the
+first. The Dutchmen, even as they receded, were able to mow
+down the men as they advanced, by a converging fire, against which
+it was impossible to stand. It was now an almost hand-to-hand
+struggle between doughty Dutchman and dashing Briton. The
+Inniskillings were close, but every inch was gained with appalling<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_141" id="Page_141">[Pg 141]</a></span>
+loss to their numbers&mdash;indeed, the charging companies might almost
+have been described as individual men!</p>
+
+<p>Finally, some one gave the order to retire. But how? Most
+of the valorous band were stricken down, or had perished. The
+wounded could not be removed. Yet those that remained were too
+few to hold the ground in the darkness. All that could be done was
+to retire below the crest and wait till morning. A retirement was
+attempted, under the personal direction of the Colonel (Colonel
+Sitwell),<a name="FNanchor_4_4" id="FNanchor_4_4"></a><a href="#Footnote_4_4" class="fnanchor">[4]</a> but in the course of the movement he was hit, never to
+rise again. The troops at last got to the cover of the hill, where
+they built schanzes and bivouacked. But from this point throughout
+the night firing continued, while the Boers above, between the
+intervals of dozing, peppered the bivouacs with bullets.</p>
+
+<p>At 7 <span class="allsmcap">A.M.</span>, while cannonading had elsewhere assumed dangerous
+proportions, the Irish regiments were again assailed in their schanzes
+by the persistent Dutchmen. These had crept round the base of the
+hill and attacked the trenches from the western side. Volleys poured
+from all directions on a scene that was already deplorable. Only four
+officers of the Inniskillings remained. Of the Connaught Rangers
+five officers were wounded. The Dublin Fusiliers had lost their
+gallant Colonel (Colonel Sitwell), and also Captain Maitland of the
+Gordon Highlanders (attached). The picture at dawn and on
+throughout the day was truly appalling. The trenches of the Boers
+and those of the attacking force were now only some three or four
+hundred yards apart, and between them was spread an arena of
+carnage heart-breaking as irremediable. It was impossible for any
+one to show a nose and live. Wounded lay here, there, and everywhere,
+heaped as they had fallen, drenched in their own gore and
+helpless, yet struggling pathetically to edge themselves with hands
+or knees or heels nearer some place of safety. Dead, too, were
+entangled with the sinking, huddled together in grievous ghastly
+comradeship....</p>
+
+<p>For thirty-six hours some of these heroes lay in wretchedness,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_142" id="Page_142">[Pg 142]</a></span>
+hanging between life and death. Mercifully the Boers brought them
+water, but all their acts were not equally generous. Unfortunately,
+some misinterpretation regarding the Red Cross flag accentuated the
+misfortunes of the day.</p>
+
+<p>The Boers, it appeared, had begun by producing one. This
+signal should have been responded to by our troops, who, however,
+were not prepared to show another Red Cross flag, which
+display would have been the signal for truce. This being the case,
+the Boers, after carrying off their wounded and giving certain
+of the British wounded some water, removed their rifles. Further,
+they rifled their pockets and despoiled dead and wounded of boots
+and other property. Naturally, those who saw them were so infuriated
+at this wanton behaviour that they began to fire. From
+this time hostilities recommenced, and the innate cruelty of the Boers
+was evidenced in several cases. It was stated on the authority of
+an officer that many of the wounded in act of crawling away were
+deliberately shot. Let us hope that the aggravation at the non-appearance
+of the British Red Cross flag was the cause of the ugly
+display of character on the part of the enemy.</p>
+
+<p>During the late afternoon the worn-out troops in their trenches
+at the base of the hill were fiercely attacked by the enemy&#8217;s guns
+from all quarters. No such effective shell fire had been experienced
+since Spion Kop. Indeed, with the assistance of Krupps, and
+Creusots, and Maxims, and other diabolical instruments, the Boers
+managed to make a fitting concert for Beelzebub. Many of our
+positions on the lower slopes of the kopjes were enfiladed, and thus
+many gallant fellows in Hildyard&#8217;s and Kitchener&#8217;s brigades were
+killed. Several officers among those who were fighting on the
+left also fell, among them Colonel Thorold, Royal Welsh Fusiliers.</p>
+
+<hr class="w50" />
+
+<p>At this juncture, finding that the original passage of the river
+was commanded by entrenchments on every side, and that further
+advance would be costly in the extreme, the General decided that
+he must reconnoitre for another passage across the Tugela. This
+was forthwith discovered. Meanwhile, the day being Sunday, there
+was an armistice for the interment of the dead on both sides.
+Grievous were the sensations of those whose duty brought them to
+the awesome scene of death, who spent the long hours surrounded
+by sights hideous and forms uncouth, the remains of heroes, discoloured
+from days of exposure to the sun&#8217;s scorching rays, to the
+damps and dews of night&mdash;lying limply rigid and rigidly limp in the
+unmistakable and undescribable abandonment of untenanted clay;
+or succouring still more pitiable wrecks, wrecks joined perhaps by
+an invisible handclasp with comrades in the other world, but still
+here, making a last struggle for the dignity of manhood, or fainting<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_143" id="Page_143">[Pg 143]</a></span>
+slowly, peaceably, beyond all knowledge of pain as of the splendid
+heroism that had placed them where they were!</p>
+
+<p>One who was present contributed to <i>Blackwood&#8217;s Magazine</i> a
+curious account of that armistice&mdash;that was not entirely an armistice&mdash;of
+Colonel Hamilton&#8217;s approach with the flag of fraternity (so
+often misused and abused by the Dutchmen), and of the strange
+apparitions that came forth suspiciously one by one from the depths
+of the hostile trenches. He said: &#8220;Seldom have I set eyes on a
+more magnificent specimen of male humanity than the Commandant
+of the trenchful of Boers, Pristorius by name, a son of Anak by descent,
+and a gallant, golden-bearded fighting-man by present occupation;
+for in far-away Middleburg those mighty limbs&mdash;he told it us without
+any of that stupid deprecation which would probably have characterised
+a similar confession on the part of an Englishman&mdash;were
+wont to stretch themselves beneath a lawyer&#8217;s desk. Close on his
+heels came what a person who had never seen Boers before would
+have thought the strangest band of warriors in the world&mdash;old men
+with flowing, tobacco-stained, white beards; middle-aged men with
+beards burnt black with the sun and sweat of their forty years;
+young men, mostly clean shaven, exhibiting strongly the heavy
+Dutch moulding of the broad nose and chin; big boys in small
+suits, suits of all kinds and colours, tweed, velveteen, homespun,
+and &#8216;shoddy,&#8217; all untidy in the extreme, but mostly as serviceable
+as their wearers.&#8221; These strange beings formed a strong contrast
+to the men who joined them, particularly in their attitude when confronted
+with the ghastly foreground of death which made the prominent
+feature of the amicable picture. The eye-witness before
+quoted declared that &#8220;it was much more difficult for them to conceal
+the natural discomposure which all men feel in the presence of
+the silent dead than for their more artificial opponents. From the
+airy and easy demeanour of the uniformed British officers, that
+dreadful plateau might have been the lobby of a London club. A
+Briton is at all times prone to conceal his emotions, and certainly in
+this instance the idiosyncrasy gave him a great social advantage
+over the superstitious Burghers, with their sidelong glances and
+uneasy shiftings.&#8221; By-and-by, however, both parties grew even
+friendly, and the writer went on to describe an animated dialogue
+between himself and &#8220;a deep-chested old oak-tree of a man, whose
+swarthy countenance was rendered more gipsy-like by the addition
+of ear-rings. The opening of the conversation had its humours.
+&#8216;Good-morning!&#8217; quoth I. &#8216;Gumorghen,&#8217; rumbled the oak-tree
+sourly. &#8216;Surely we can be friends for five minutes,&#8217; I ventured,
+after a pause. The rugged countenance was suddenly, not to say
+startlingly, illumined with a beaming smile. &#8216;<i>Why</i> not, indeed!
+<i>why</i> not, officer! Have you any tobacco?&#8217; Out came my pouch,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_144" id="Page_144">[Pg 144]</a></span>
+luckily filled to bursting that very morning, and the oak-tree proceeded
+to stuff a huge pipe to the very brim, gloating over the
+fragrance of the &#8216;best gold flake&#8217; as he did so. The rumour of
+tobacco had the effect of dispelling the chill that still lingered on
+the outskirts of that little crowd, and many a grimy set of fingers
+claimed their share as the price of the friendship of the owners, the
+Commandant himself not disdaining to accept a fill with a graceful
+word of thanks. They were out of tobacco in that trench, it appeared,
+and suffering acutely from the deprivation of what to a
+Boer is more necessary than food.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>Near to the place where they were stricken the Irish heroes
+were buried. Their last bed was made in a picturesque spot
+within the whisper of the spray of the river, and sheltered by the
+low-spreading thorn-bushes. The rest of the day was unusually
+peaceful, but in the evening the crackle of musketry from left to
+right of the position taken up by the Durhams again showed that
+the enemy was on the alert, and it was believed he was preparing
+for offensive operations during the night. It was discovered, however,
+that a gallant deed had put any effort to rush the British lines
+out of his power. Captain Phillips with eight Bluejackets had effectually
+rendered their searchlight useless, and had, moreover, got
+safely away after the venturesome act had been perpetrated and
+discovered.</p>
+
+<p>The new passage was found by Colonel Sandbach (Royal Engineers)
+at a point below the waterfall on the east, and again guns,
+baggage, &amp;c., were ordered to be removed to the south side of the
+Tugela. It may be advisable to note that the armistice mentioned
+was an informal one, which did not interfere with military movements.
+Owing to the desperate straits of the wounded on Inniskilling Hill
+(as the position, baptized in the blood of our heroes, had now been
+christened), the General had sent in a flag asking for an armistice.
+The Boers had refused. On condition that we should not fire on
+their positions during the day, they only consented to allow the
+bearer companies to remove the wounded and bury the dead. The
+Boers meanwhile improved their entrenchments, and the British
+troops, as stated, prepared for the operation of removal across the
+river. This they at first did with some misgivings, for they had
+tacked about so many times, but, on the whole, they bore the strain
+admirably. What with the hammering of Maxims, Nordenfeldts,
+and the fluting of Mausers, the men had for twelve days past run
+through the gamut of discomfort. They had been fed up with war.
+They were in the daytime fried, grilled, and toasted. At night the
+cold with its contrast had bitten and numbed them. They had
+bivouacked now in keen chilly blasts, now in intermittent downpours
+of rain, which had drenched them and made existence a prolonged<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_145" id="Page_145">[Pg 145]</a></span>
+wretchedness. And nothing had been achieved. Lives only had
+been lost. But they still munched their bully beef and biscuit with
+an heroic cheerfulness and resignation that served to astonish and
+inspirit all who beheld it. There was no doubt about it that the
+pluck and perseverance of the British Tommy had become subjects
+for wonder and veneration!</p>
+
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 353px;">
+<a name="ill_197" id="ill_197"></a><img src="images/ill_197.png" width="353" height="512" alt="" title="" />
+<div><span class="caption">MAJOR-GENERAL H. J. T. HILDYARD, C.B.</span><br />
+<br />
+<span class="small">Photo by C. Knight, Aldershot.</span>
+</div></div>
+
+<p>During the night the pontoon bridge was removed from its
+original position and relaid at the point indicated by Colonel Sandbach.
+The Boers, watching the commencement of the move, were
+under the impression that a repetition of the retirements from Spion
+Kop and Vaal Krantz was to be enacted. They therefore deemed that
+the movement might be carried out with more expedition did they
+start a magazine fire at long range at such troops as happened to be
+between Colenso and the angle of the river. When they discovered,
+however, that only a portion of the troops had departed, they subsided
+and reserved their ammunition till morning, when a brisk
+artillery duel commenced operations&mdash;a duel in which the British
+in quantity and the Dutch in quality of practice distinguished themselves.</p>
+
+<p>General Buller&#8217;s revised plan was now to avoid the enemy&#8217;s front,
+and work back again to the Hlangwane plateau, whence he would
+start again, having, as it were, made a redistribution of his troops,
+so that Hart&#8217;s brigade in its expensively acquired position would
+now, instead of being his extreme right, become his extreme left.
+To this end guns and cavalry were removed, Naval batteries being
+posted on the Hlangwane and Monte Cristo positions, while Hart&#8217;s
+brigade was left holding to the skirts, so to speak, of the enemy at
+Inniskilling Hill, and preventing him from congratulating himself
+on freedom.</p>
+
+<p>The anniversary of Majuba began in clouds. Guns very early
+broke into an <i>aubade</i>, but awakened few. For there had been little
+sleep that night. All had dozed in their boots, ready for the worst.
+The cavalry proceeded to range itself at the northern point of the
+Hlangwane position, in order that by their guns and long-range rifle
+fire they might assist the advance of Barton&#8217;s Brigade. This brigade
+was the first to start in the attack on the three hills on which
+the Boer left still rested. The disposition of the forces was as
+follows:&mdash;General Barton&#8217;s Fusilier Brigade on the extreme right,
+with Colonel Kitchener&#8217;s Lancashire Brigade&mdash;Colonel Kitchener
+having taken over General Wynne&#8217;s Brigade while that officer
+was wounded&mdash;on his left, this latter being on the right of
+Colonel Northcott&#8217;s Brigade. Colonel Stuart, working with a
+composite regiment on the south bank of the Tugela, protected the
+crossing.</p>
+
+<p>General Barton, with two battalions of the 6th Brigade and the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_146" id="Page_146">[Pg 146]</a></span>
+Royal Dublin Fusiliers, crept one and a half miles down the banks
+of the river, the Scots Fusiliers leading. Here the Tugela flowed
+between high shelving banks, while above them frowned the
+three spurs of the great Pieters position. As usual, these
+eminences were well ribbed with shelter trenches, and embedded
+everywhere were Boer sharpshooters, ready to pit cunning
+against courage, and sniggle at the victory of one over the other.
+A hot fire commenced on the river-banks while Barton&#8217;s Brigade
+advanced gallantly towards its destination. The top of the hill was
+being raked noisily by the gunners. &#8220;Hell was dancing hornpipes
+aloft,&#8221; some one said. However, in the afternoon British bayonets
+glittered against the skyline, and the thing was done. This, the
+most wonderful infantry in the world, had ascended precipitous cliffs
+500 feet high, assaulted Pieter&#8217;s Hill, gained the crest, and turned
+the enemy&#8217;s left.</p>
+
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 503px;">
+<a name="ill_200" id="ill_200"></a><img src="images/ill_200.png" width="503" height="350" alt="" title="" />
+<div><span class="caption smcap">Signal Apparatus of H.M.S. Forte, Mounted on Truck and used Nightly
+to communicate with Ladysmith.</span>
+</div></div>
+
+<p>This storming of the main position, which was accomplished by
+the Royal Scots Fusiliers and the Royal Irish Fusiliers, was a
+remarkable achievement, though the enemy, conscious of their
+weakness at this point, and knowing how completely they were<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_147" id="Page_147">[Pg 147]</a></span>
+dominated by the Monte Cristo ridge, made no very prolonged
+opposition. No sooner had the brigade occupied the hill than
+the disheartened Boers removed in considerable strength to some
+dongas on the east, whence they continued to be aggressive, and
+poured a heavy rifle fire on the Fusiliers, whose losses were considerable.
+They failed, however, to dislodge them. At this time
+a simultaneous attack was taking place in the region of the two
+other hills which composed the Pieter&#8217;s position. These the 4th
+Brigade under Colonel Northcott and the 11th Brigade under
+Colonel Kitchener were now assailing with magnificent courage.
+For two hours every spot on the kopjes had been searched, painted
+with the noxious hues of lyddite, and seamed with shrapnel, and few
+Dutchmen there were who cared to remain to welcome the bayonets
+of Kitchener&#8217;s braves. Their preliminary advance was scarcely
+recognisable, kharki and kopje so smoothly blending themselves
+in one. Then on a sudden, as in the transformation scene when
+jars become forty thieves or shell-fish become fairies, the boulders
+took to themselves human shape and human tongue, and up flew a
+surging, yelling mass of fierce warriors, rushing the hill in the red
+light of the setting sun. The crest was carried magnificently by
+the Royal Lancasters, men who had been in the thick of everything
+for a month past, and who yet maintained their unconquerable
+British qualities without a flaw; and the Boers, recognising that
+the game was up, were seen skimming the distance like swallows in
+flight. Some magnificent service was done by the gunners of the
+Royal Navy and the Natal Naval Volunteers, service that was
+especially eulogised by the General, who declared that the losses
+consequent on the taking of the position might have been far greater
+but for the efficient manner in which the artillery was served. Be
+this as it may, an officer said what many echoed, namely, that however
+deadly our shell fire was, and however instrumental in winning
+the battle, &#8220;No infantry in the world but ours would have crowned
+such a victory with so much glory.&#8221; For the Boers at first fought
+doggedly, relinquishing their hold of trench after trench only when
+artillery followed by the bayonets of the infantry made their positions
+untenable. In turn three hills were stormed; in turn cheer on cheer
+rent the air and travelled along the funnel-like banks of the river,
+and floated up to the rejoiced ears of those on Hlangwane and Monte
+Cristo, who had assisted to bring about the devoutly wished for
+consummation. The song of victory seemed to be taken up by the
+elements, earth and air and water, and the last flare of the guns of
+the enemy repeated it. All now knew that the way to Ladysmith
+was won; that the toil and tribulation, the perplexity and suspense,
+that had harassed them since the fatal day of Colenso had come to
+an end! There, right and left, were little black figures scudding<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_148" id="Page_148">[Pg 148]</a></span>
+away like ants disturbed; here streams of prisoners who had thrown
+up hands at glint of bayonet; on all sides kopjes, kopjes, kopjes&mdash;ours,
+unchallengeably ours!</p>
+
+<p>Some idea of the situation may be gathered from the description
+of a sergeant in the 2nd Royal Irish Fusiliers:&mdash;</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;On the 27th we put the damper on them.... You have read,
+no doubt, of Barton&#8217;s Brigade deploying to the right early in the
+day. That deployment was made by crossing the pontoon bridge
+put up during the night by the Engineers. Instead of climbing up
+the banks on the opposite side, we crept down the water&#8217;s edge over
+huge rocks for about a couple of miles. In the meantime our Naval
+guns, artillery, Maxims, were all blazing away overhead, and a
+terrible rifle fire was raging on the left. As we struggled up the
+steep banks the beggars spotted us, and things began to get lively.
+We got under a little cover, and blazed away for all we were
+worth.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;The whole brigade gradually pushed forward from one bit of
+cover to another, but still the Boers held their ground. About five
+o&#8217;clock in the afternoon the staff passed the word round to charge
+them out of it. We left our cover, and advanced by half-companies
+at the double. The company officers were given a point to make
+for, and as soon as we got in the open it was a case of every man
+for himself. It was a good 800 yards of open ground where my
+company had to cross, and, of course, they fired at us for all they
+were worth. A good many dropped, including A&mdash;&mdash; and the two
+subalterns. What with shells bursting and a front and cross fire, it
+was like a full-dress rehearsal for the lower regions. We got on the
+hill, and made short work of our Brothers. Needless to say, they
+didn&#8217;t all stand for the steel. They kept up a heavy fire on us until
+long after dark. Orders were passed to hold our own until daylight.
+As many of the wounded were without water, a terrible night was
+put in. The shouts for water, mingled with the groans of the
+dying, the sparks from the Mauser bullets as they struck the
+rocks, the blackness of the night, &amp;c., fairly made me say my
+prayers.... The stretcher-bearers searching for the wounded
+carry lamps, and these lamps made a nice target for Brother
+Boer to snipe at. Daylight came at last, the night mist began
+to clear away, dead Tommies grinning at dead Boers, wounded
+men of all sorts, everybody stiff, sore, dirty, and tired. The Boers
+scooted.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>And the next day came the serene happiness of viewing the
+Boers in full retreat behind Bulwana and in the direction of Acton
+Homes, the winding string of waggons trekking away from the
+scene of past triumphs. The misery, the lives, the pains, the
+doubts, the disappointments were well repaid by that vision of the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_149" id="Page_149">[Pg 149]</a></span>
+departing foe, the foe moving off for ever from the strongholds of
+Natal. All had been accomplished by a blend of pluck, obduracy,
+and perseverance that can scarcely find its match in the records of
+British prowess. They had suffered at Colenso, they had tested the
+deadly summit of Spion Kop. They had backed out from that cruel
+region with their lives in their hands, and repeated the same process
+in the equally terrific area of Vaal Krantz. They had come forth
+smiling, stalwart, staunch as ever, believing and trusting and determining
+to hew their way through the rocky wilderness sown with
+destruction and save the 8000 odd of their fellows whose lives verily
+hung by a thread. And now for fourteen days, each hour fraught
+with blood and broiling, they had moved on from one dangerous
+position to a second more dangerous position, till at last, after protracted
+torment and suspense, they had driven before them the
+whole horde of adventurous Dutchmen&mdash;foes allowed to be the
+bravest of the brave, if the shiftiest of the shifty. Now they had
+their reward. The Boers were scrambling to be off&mdash;that much
+they could see of them. It was only in those fleeing moments they
+saw them at all. At other times, when battle raged warmest, all
+that was known of the Brother Boer was the shape and number of
+his bullet!</p>
+
+<p>The following officers were killed and wounded on the 22nd,
+23rd, and 24th of February:&mdash;</p>
+
+<blockquote><p>Staff&mdash;Wounded, Major-General A. S. Wynne, C.B. 3rd King&#8217;s Royal
+Rifle Corps&mdash;Killed, Lieutenant Hon. R. Cathcart; wounded, Lieutenant D.
+H. Blundell-Hollinshead-Blundell and Lieutenant A. F. MacLachlan. 2nd
+Royal Lancaster Regiment&mdash;Killed, Lieutenant R. H. Co� and Second Lieutenant
+N. J. Parker; wounded, Major E. W. Yeatherd, Lieutenant A. R. S.
+Martin, Lieutenant F. C. Davidson (since dead), and Lieutenant R. G. D.
+Parker. 2nd East Surrey Regiment&mdash;Wounded, Lieutenant-Colonel R. H. W.
+H. Harris, Major H. L. Smith, Major H. P. Treeby, Captain F. L. A. Packman,
+Lieutenant C. H. Hinton, Second Lieutenant J. P. Benson. 1st South Lancashire
+Regiment&mdash;Wounded, Captain B. R. Goren, Lieutenant H. R. Kane,
+Captain S. Upperton, Second Lieutenant C. H. Marsh. 2nd Devonshire Regiment&mdash;Wounded,
+Lieutenant E. J. F. Vaughan. 2nd Royal West Surrey
+Regiment&mdash;Wounded, Lieutenants B. H. Hastie, H. C. Winfield, and A. E.
+M&#8217;Namara. 1st Rifle Brigade&mdash;Wounded, Captain and Quarter-Master F.
+Stone and Second Lieutenant C. D&#8217;A. Baker-Carr. 2nd King&#8217;s Royal Rifle
+Corps&mdash;Wounded, Lieutenant W. Wyndham and Second Lieutenant G. C.
+Kelly. 2nd Rifle Brigade&mdash;Wounded, Second Lieutenant H. C. Dumaresq.
+1st Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers&mdash;Killed, Lieutenant-Colonel T. M. G. Thackeray,<a name="FNanchor_5_5" id="FNanchor_5_5"></a><a href="#Footnote_5_5" class="fnanchor">[5]</a>
+Major F. A. Sanders, Lieutenant W. O. Stuart; wounded, Major C. J. L.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_150" id="Page_150">[Pg 150]</a></span>
+Davidson, Captain R. M. Foot, Lieutenant J. Evans, Lieutenant J. N. Crawford,
+Second Lieutenant C. Ridings, Second Lieutenant H. P. Pott, Second
+Lieutenant J. G. Devenish; missing, Second Lieutenant T. A. D. Best. 2nd
+Royal Dublin Fusiliers&mdash;Killed, Brevet Lieutenant-Colonel C. G. H. Sitwell,
+D.S.O.; wounded, Lieutenant A. V. Hill, Second Lieutenant A. Broadhurst-Hill,
+Second Lieutenant F. B. Lane, Second Lieutenant J. T. Dennis. 2nd
+Gordon Highlanders&mdash;Killed, Captain S. C. Maitland. Imperial Light Infantry&mdash;Wounded,
+Major Hay. 1st Connaught Rangers&mdash;Wounded, Lieutenant J.
+L. T. Conroy, Lieutenant R. W. Harling, Lieutenant H. Moore Hutchinson,
+Lieutenant A. Wise, Second Lieutenant A. T. Lambert, Second Lieutenant J.
+M. B. Wratislaw, Captain E. M. Woulfe Flanagan (5th Battalion, attached).
+Royal Welsh Fusiliers&mdash;Killed, Lieutenant-Colonel C. C. H. Thorold,<a name="FNanchor_6_6" id="FNanchor_6_6"></a><a href="#Footnote_6_6" class="fnanchor">[6]</a> Lieutenant
+F. A. Stebbing; wounded, Second Lieutenant C. C. Norman and Second
+Lieutenant H. V. V. Kyrke. 2nd Royal Fusiliers&mdash;Wounded, Lieutenant R. H.
+Torkington.</p></blockquote>
+
+<p>The following casualties occurred on the 27th of February:&mdash;</p>
+
+<blockquote><p><i>Killed.</i>&mdash;1st South Lancashire Regiment&mdash;Lieutenant-Colonel W. M&#8217;Carthy
+O&#8217;Leary.<a name="FNanchor_7_7" id="FNanchor_7_7"></a><a href="#Footnote_7_7" class="fnanchor">[7]</a> 2nd Royal Scots Fusiliers&mdash;Brevet-Major V. Lewis, Captain H. S.
+Sykes, Second Lieutenant F. J. T. U. Simpson. 1st Royal Warwickshire
+Regiment&mdash;Lieutenant H. L. Mourilyan. Second Royal Irish Fusiliers&mdash;Second
+Lieutenant C. J. Daly.</p>
+
+<p><i>Wounded.</i>&mdash;Major-General Barton. 2nd Scots Fusiliers&mdash;Lieutenant-Colonel
+E. E. Carr, Captain C. P. A. Hull, Captain E. E. Blaine, Lieutenant C. H. I.
+Jackson, Second Lieutenant H. C. Fraser. 2nd Royal Irish Fusiliers&mdash;Major
+F. F. Hill, Lieutenant A. G. Knocker, Second Lieutenant A. Hamilton, Second
+Lieutenant V. H. Kavanagh. 1st South Lancashire Regiment&mdash;Major T. Lamb.
+2nd West Yorkshire Regiment&mdash;Captain C. Mansel Jones, Captain C. C. B.
+Tew, Lieutenant L. H. Spry, Lieutenant A. M. Boyall. 2nd Derbyshire Regiment&mdash;Lieutenant
+H. S. Pennell, V.C. 2nd Royal Lancaster Regiment&mdash;Captain
+G. L. Palmes, Second Lieutenant C. W. Grover, Lieutenant E. A. P.
+Vaughan. 1st Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers&mdash;Second Lieutenant G. R. V.
+Steward. 1st Rifle Brigade&mdash;Captain and Adjutant S. C. Long, Second Lieutenant
+J. L. Buxton. 2nd Royal Fusiliers&mdash;Lieutenant H. B. G. Macartney.
+2nd Royal Dublin Fusiliers&mdash;Lieutenant J. M&#8217;D. Hastard, Second Lieutenant
+De B. Bradford.</p></blockquote>
+
+<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_151" id="Page_151">[Pg 151]</a></span></p>
+<h3 class="gap2">EXPECTATION</h3>
+
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 482px;">
+<a name="ill_205" id="ill_205"></a><img src="images/ill_205.png" width="482" height="341" alt="" title="" />
+<div><span class="caption smcap">King&#8217;s Post, the Entrenched Position of 2nd Batt. Rifle Brigade at Ladysmith.</span><br />
+<br />
+<span class="small">(Reduced facsimile of sketch by Melton Prior.)</span>
+</div></div>
+
+<p>&#8220;Gloom, gloom, gloom, unending gloom!&#8221; So said one on
+the 26th of February, one who was fast sinking in the slough of
+despondency into which so many had slipped lower and lower, till
+they were sucked down and ended their troubles with fever and the
+grave. Some few days before all hearts had leapt with joy at reading
+of hopeful signals, listening to booming guns, which all thought
+to be bursting the gates of their imprisonment. So certain were
+they that the joyful hour of freedom was at hand that the force was
+placed on full rations. &#8220;We can afford to have a blow-out now,&#8221;
+some one had said, and began to arrange what menu he should chose
+when he at last came face to face with civilisation. Then had come
+gloom&mdash;gloom blacker than Erebus&mdash;for it was gloom without and
+within. The guns&mdash;the welcome guns&mdash;not the obstreperous ones
+of Bulwana and the companion hills&mdash;had ceased their clamour.
+Hope was gone, and even the &#8220;helio&#8221; refused its communications.
+The sky was overcast, and rumours, that had always been prolific as
+flies, now began to breed apace. The air of Ladysmith was thick
+with them. No word from Buller&#8217;s column. Kaffirs hinted that
+for the fourth time the relief column had retired at the back of the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_152" id="Page_152">[Pg 152]</a></span>
+Tugela. Doubt, anxiety, suspense set in with renewed terrors.
+Quarter rations&mdash;the more trying because temporarily dropped&mdash;again
+became the order of the course. This in spite of the fact that
+Buller had now signalled &#8220;Everything progressing favourably.&#8221; It
+seemed that they had heard that message before, those poor, half-hopeful,
+half-sceptical sufferers.</p>
+
+<p>Some said that on Tuesday, Majuba Day, the spirits of the community
+arrived at their nadir. When the barometer of fate registers
+its lowest, it is bound to rise. It rose in skips and jumps. There
+came the grand news that Cronje had surrendered to Lord Roberts.
+It was evident that the Boers too had heard, understood, and decided
+that they must scuttle the next morning. Signs of disturbance were
+evident. Long serpentine lines of trekking waggons were throwing
+up dust columns in the roads leading to Modder Spruit and Pepworth;
+droves of oxen were hurried along as fast as hoofs would
+carry them. Guns&mdash;the terrible guns which for 118 days had bayed
+and barked and rumbled and thundered&mdash;were in course of being
+dismantled. What did it all mean? Time was when the &#8220;braves&#8221;
+in Ladysmith would have sallied forth with their inherent dash and
+turned the retreat into a rout. But things were changed. Men
+and horses were now almost too weak to enter into sustained conflict
+with a mosquito, had a mosquito deigned to look at them. But
+most of them were past even the attentions of mosquitos. All they
+could do was to send a salvo at the heels of their tormentors, and
+hope that one or two shells at least might serve to &#8220;speed the
+parting guest.&#8221; This was all they could attempt. They also flashed
+to Monte Cristo a message&mdash;a deplorable message&mdash;full of their despair
+and despondency. It said, &#8220;Garrison bitterly disappointed at
+delay of relieving force.&#8221; This was at twelve o&#8217;clock. Then, as
+though Fate, with a full appreciation of the picturesque, had placed
+her highest light against her deepest dark&mdash;then, within the hour,
+came back glorious news!</p>
+
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 484px;">
+<table summary="" class="w100">
+<tr>
+<td class="w20 xsmall">King's Post.</td>
+<td class="w20 xsmall">Rifleman's Ridge.</td>
+<td class="w20 xsmall">Direction of Colenso.</td>
+<td class="w20 xsmall">Spion Kop.</td>
+<td class="w20 xsmall">Boer Laager.</td>
+</tr>
+</table>
+<a name="ill_207" id="ill_207"></a><img src="images/ill_207.png" width="484" height="299" alt="" title="" />
+<div><span class="caption">IN BELEAGUERED LADYSMITH&mdash;WATCHING FOR BULLER FROM OBSERVATION HILL.</span><br />
+<br />
+<span class="small">From a Sketch by Melton Prior.</span>
+</div></div>
+
+<p>&#8220;Have thoroughly beaten the enemy. Believe them to be in full
+retreat. Have sent my cavalry to ascertain which way they have
+gone.&#8221; Surprise, rapture, prolonged jubilation! Cheer on cheer
+rose on the clear midday air and rang for miles, till the sick in Intombi
+camp lifted pallid heads and strained their ears and wondered.
+Then came the rolling National Anthem and &#8220;Rule Britannia,&#8221;
+and Sir George White and those around him who had grown old
+within the spell of those awful 118 days, began to grow young again.
+And soon the Jack Tars set to work and the Naval guns pounded
+away with a reckless disregard for ammunition and a zest that did
+them credit. &#8220;One more go at him!&mdash;only one more!&mdash;only one
+more!&#8221; and &#8220;Long Tom,&#8221; which was in act of being dismantled,
+was the subject of boisterous farewells.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_153" id="Page_153">[Pg 153]</a></span></p>
+
+<h3 class="gap2">THE RELIEF OF LADYSMITH</h3>
+
+<p>At six o&#8217;clock on the evening of the 28th of February all the
+suffering, suspense, and tension came to an end. The obstinate
+resistance, the heroic combats, the semi-starvation, the appalling
+melancholy of enforced exile, all were over.</p>
+
+<p>In the late afternoon those viewing the departure of the Boers
+from a vantage-point at C�sar&#8217;s Camp espied along the hazy blue
+of the valley horsemen recklessly approaching, riding at full gallop
+across the open. Conjectures wild were attempted. Hearts began
+to flutter, to stand still, to beat again with sharp quick thuds.
+Boers? Or Buller&#8217;s cavalry? Yes&mdash;no&mdash;yes! Hurrah! Hurrah!
+They were coming&mdash;the squadron was distinctly visible&mdash;they were
+making direct for Ladysmith. A roar went up from a multitude of
+throats. The Manchesters on C�sar&#8217;s Camp, the Gordons at Fly
+Kraal, and presently the troops in the town, broke into shouts of
+exultation. Soon it was known everywhere they were coming&mdash;coming&mdash;coming&mdash;at
+last&mdash;at last! It was quite true. There was
+Lord Dundonald with Major Mackenzie (Light Horse) and Major
+Gough (16th Lancers), accompanied by the little column of Colonials,
+grand gallant fellows of the Light Horse, Natal Carabineers, and
+Border Mounted Police, some three hundred of them, pounding
+across the open country as fast as horses would carry them.</p>
+
+<p>In the twilight the troops sped along over boulder and rock,
+down donga and ravine, reckless of every obstacle, and at last the
+melancholy perimeter was reached. Then from out the gloom came
+a challenge. A British voice called &#8220;Halt! Who goes there?&#8221; A
+British voice gave answer&mdash;the almost unbelievable answer&mdash;&#8220;The
+Ladysmith Relieving Army.&#8221; Four words, just four words! Paradise
+seemed to be opened. From all quarters came crowding and
+cheering&mdash;cheering faintly with wizened voices of the famished&mdash;men
+battered and almost bootless&mdash;happy, yet for all that deplorably sad
+in their happiness. Tears even glistened on some cheeks and in
+some eyes&mdash;the &#8220;unconquerable British blue eyes&#8221; of the Ladysmith
+&#8220;invincibles.&#8221; With a due sense of decorum, and in the determination
+to give none the precedence, the procession had arranged itself
+in special order. The Natal Carabineers and Imperial Light Horse
+riding two and two abreast, with Major Gough at the head of the
+column, now marched in triumph into the town.</p>
+
+<p>At the English church they were met by General White, the
+defender of Ladysmith, fevered and thin and grey-haired, yet erect
+with the carriage of one who, without the strength, has the inextinguishable
+pride of his race, and the will to bear his country&#8217;s
+burden to the last. With him were General Hunter and Colonel
+Ian Hamilton, heroes of the defence. Each instant the scene<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_154" id="Page_154">[Pg 154]</a></span>
+gained in colour, in vehemence, in pathos. Cheers and tears were
+commingled. Women wept unreservedly. Men, to dispose of a
+lump in their throats, shouted with all the scanty vigour that
+a limited diet of horse-sausage and mule would allow. But new
+life coursed through their veins. There was no glow of health
+on their cheeks, but the gleam of joy in their eyes rendered them
+young, almost hale. The Kaffirs and coolies gave expression to
+their rapture by dances and shouts that relieved the almost solemn
+ecstasy of the moment. Then General White, surrounded on one
+side by his pallid, worn, and wounded heroes, on the other by the
+bronzed warriors of the relieving force, made a brief address to the
+crowd: &#8220;People of Ladysmith,&#8221; he said, in a voice that wavered with
+the emotion it was needless to conceal&mdash;&#8220;People of Ladysmith, I
+thank you one and all for the patient manner you have assisted
+me during the siege. From the bottom of my heart I thank you.
+It hurt me terribly when I was compelled to cut down rations, but,
+thank God, we have kept our flag flying!&#8221; Cheers broke out
+afresh, and then the battered multitude with one voice rent the
+grey gloom of the evening, and the strains of &#8220;God save the
+Queen&#8221; rang forth, till the banks, hollows, and rocks of the surrounding
+country gave back the glorious refrain. That night Sir
+George White, with his valorous colleagues around him, gave a
+dinner to the newly arrived, and these sat down with a feeling of
+exaltation, almost of awe, to find themselves thus in the familiar
+company of heroes. And all were conscious of a strange sense
+of unreality which pervaded the scene. It was almost impossible
+to realise that the drama was played, that they were about to ring
+down the curtain on the last act. It was scarce possible to believe
+that for three months the Natal Field Force had kept at bay a
+force double its number, had fortified and held a perimeter of
+fourteen miles against the most fiendish inventions of modern
+artillery, had made brilliant sorties and repulsed assaults innumerable&mdash;two
+of them being ferocious, almost hand-to-hand combats&mdash;had
+fought and watched and sickened and starved.... And
+now, all was changed. Those dire experiences were over for ever!</p>
+
+<p>Yet the effect of them remained. As a consequence of the
+close confinement of some 20,000 persons, disease was stalking
+abroad, even attacking those who but an hour ago had neared
+the place. Away at Intombi camp, too, where drugs were scarce,
+many of the patients&mdash;convalescent patients&mdash;were sinking for want
+of the sustaining food which was necessary to recovery. There
+was regret, poignant and newly awakened, in this moment of relief,
+regret standing dry-eyed, yet with a grievous ache at the heart&mdash;regret
+that before had learnt to bear and be still. It was impossible
+to see the glad side without also remembering the deeply pathetic<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_155" id="Page_155">[Pg 155]</a></span>
+one. The pestiferous atmosphere breathed of fever and disease,
+and those coming into it realised only too well what havoc such an
+atmosphere must have played on the sickly and the starved. Besides
+this there were gaps&mdash;woeful gaps. Names that dared not be
+mentioned, spots that could scarce be looked upon with dry eyes.
+The bronzed warriors, who day after day had shown tough fronts
+to the enemy, and whose ceaseless struggles should have hardened
+them to emotion, now turned aside to conceal the agony of bleeding
+hearts.</p>
+
+<p>Outside the town, in a sheltered hollow below Waggon Hill, was
+a pathetic garden of sleep. Here, under the shadow of cypress
+trees, lay the honoured remains of brave fellows who had given
+themselves to save the town, and with the town the prestige of
+their motherland. The earth barely covered them, but for all that
+their peace was perfect. They had struggled to save Natal, and
+Natal through them and the survivors was saved. If there is a
+loophole whence those who have passed on to the Invisible can
+peer down and observe the issues of mortal deeds, surely in that
+great hour, those splendid, those self-abnegating ones, who had
+given their heart&#8217;s blood for the glory of the Empire, must then
+have gazed their fill, and in the general rejoicing have reaped their
+beatific reward.</p>
+
+<hr class="w50" />
+
+<p>The effect in England of the news of the relief was truly surprising.
+The spectacle was unique in the annals of Victoria&#8217;s reign.
+On Thursday the 1st of March the whole City of London by one
+consent burst into jubilation. Every human being, however hard-worked,
+wore a smile; every heart, however sore, throbbed with a
+sense of reflected triumph; for all, if they had not been at the front
+in the flesh, had been there in the spirit these many, many days.
+Never was such a spontaneous outburst of rejoicing! A nation of
+shopkeepers indeed! Why, shopkeeping and work of all kinds
+were forgotten, and in front of the Mansion House crowded the
+delighted multitudes, oblivious of everything save the glorious fact
+that British bull-dog tenacity had withstood the most fiendish warfare,
+and wiles, and wickedness that vengeful Dutchmen could invent.</p>
+
+<p>From north, south, east, and west the people flocked, springing
+as it were from the very earth. The news came in at 10 <span class="allsmcap">A.M.</span> By
+eleven the City was alive with drama. Hats were being waved or
+flung into the air, regardless of the effect upon the nap; flags from
+here, there, and everywhere fluttered&mdash;in default of these, other
+brandishable things were seized. Sometimes handkerchiefs did
+duty, newspapers, and even parcels and commercial bags; and
+from tongues innumerable came cheers and shouts and snatches of<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_156" id="Page_156">[Pg 156]</a></span>
+patriotic song, till an ignorant spectator, if one such there could
+have been, might have imagined Bedlam to have broken loose.
+&#8220;Rule Britannia,&#8221; &#8220;God save the Queen,&#8221; &#8220;Tommy Atkins,&#8221;
+&#8220;The Absent-Minded Beggar&#8221;&mdash;all tunes poured forth to an
+accompaniment of cheers. The Lord Mayor was called out, and
+appeared on his balcony. He was forthwith invited to speak. The
+great man opened and shut his mouth&mdash;he was much moved with
+the general emotion&mdash;but no sound penetrated the uproar. Cheers
+loud and vehement tore the air, and the walls of the civic domain
+literally shook with the inspiriting fracas. Then for a moment or
+two there was a lull, and taking advantage of the opportunity, in a
+short sincere speech the Lord Mayor expressed himself.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;Fellow-citizens, this news of the relief of Ladysmith makes our
+hearts leap with joy. We are now satisfied that at last our sacrifices
+of blood and treasure are not in vain!&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>Upon that the crowd roared itself hoarse, sung &#8220;For he&#8217;s a
+jolly good fellow,&#8221; and never with better cause, for Sir A. J. Newton
+had put the best of himself into the launching of the glorious C.I.V.&#8217;s.
+By-and-by came, with banners and much ceremony, a deputation
+from the Stock Exchange, and after them waves on waves of
+shouting enthusiasts&mdash;a spectacle so un-English, so genuine, so
+unrestrained, that the gloomy decorous regions of the City seemed
+suddenly to have become things apart, card-houses to fill in the
+background to a soul-stirring scene. Everywhere, in the alleys of
+&#8220;&#8217;Arriet,&#8221; in the haunts of the &#8220;wild, wild West,&#8221; at the Bank, in
+Leadenhall Market, and along the Thames, went up the jubilant
+echo&mdash;&#8220;Ladysmith is relieved!&#8221; Whereupon windows and balconies
+were dressed, flags, red, white, and blue, and the green of Erin with
+its romantic harp in the corner, fluttered wings of ecstasy from every
+British nest, and from every British household there rose unanimously
+a rapturous cry that was almost a sob, a cry of thanksgiving
+that the end had come, and that Ladysmith and the honour of the
+old country were saved!</p>
+
+<h3 class="gap2">THE FORMAL ENTRY</h3>
+
+<p>It seemed but artistic that Lord Dundonald and his brave
+irregulars should have met the keen edge of joyous welcome, that
+the burst of enthusiasm which greeted them should have been the
+heartiest of which Ladysmith, after a siege of 118 days, was capable.
+It was right, almost beautiful, that the staunch Colonials, who
+so well had fought for the Empire, should be the ones to throw
+open the doors of the dolorous prison, and deliver those who had
+been not only victims to the devilish machinations of the Boer,
+but had suffered from the active ache of suspense and the passive<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_157" id="Page_157">[Pg 157]</a></span>
+one of starvation, from their hellish bondage. Their informal coming
+was part and parcel of the unrehearsed and the splendid that appeared
+at every corner in this absolutely incomprehensible war.</p>
+
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 339px;">
+<a name="ill_213" id="ill_213"></a><img src="images/ill_213.png" width="339" height="468" alt="" title="" />
+<div><span class="caption">BRIGADIER-GENERAL THE EARL OF DUNDONALD, C.B.</span><br />
+<br />
+<span class="small">Photo by R. Faulkner &amp; Co.</span>
+</div></div>
+
+<p>The next day things were more decorously done&mdash;more English
+in their reserve. Etiquette and custom resumed their sway, and
+General Sir Archibald Hunter straightened out the limp backbone
+of the army, and made soldierly preparations to welcome the relief
+column. There were cleansings and polishings, washings and
+brushings up, of a ramshackle kind, it is true, but they savoured
+of the old parade days returned. Poor skeletons of horses were
+groomed down, Sunday best was smoothed out, everything was
+done that the slender resources of the melancholy perimeter would
+allow. Shortly after noon on the 3rd of March Sir Redvers Buller
+made his formal entry. His arrival was somewhat unexpected,
+and there was little effervescent demonstration. Sir George White
+and Sir Redvers Buller meeting with a handclasp, said at first
+little more than the familiar &#8220;D&#8217;ye do?&#8221; of saunterers in Piccadilly.
+What else could be done? There was much to say, so much
+that must remain ever unsaid, and throats to-day were too tightly
+compressed in strangling the large and unspeakable emotion to give
+vent to the infinitesimal resource of speech. Meanwhile the forlorn
+streets had begun to fill. They were margined by the garrison,
+and with them were collected such of the sorry civilians as were
+able to stand exposed to the tropical glare of the sun in its zenith.
+They came out wondering, almost diffident. Was it possible that
+the morning message of melenite was no longer to be heard? that
+the hoarse cadence of hostile artillery was silent for good? Was
+the open distance really innocuous&mdash;clear and peaceful as a Swiss
+landscape? They scarcely recognised themselves or their surroundings,
+and looked dazedly to right and left as on a changed
+world. Sir George White, with his staff, now took up a position in
+front of the Town Hall, where, backgrounded by the ruined tower&mdash;it
+had been battered, as it were, by the whole armoury of Satan&mdash;the
+broken blue tin houses and the parched trees, the group made
+an appropriate picture of noble wreck&mdash;of aristocratical exhaustion.
+The relievers, though physically hale, were externally scarcely
+more presentable than the relieved. The outsiders, it is true, were
+begrimed and tattered, though robust and swarthy; while the
+Invincibles, rigged up in honour of their deliverers in Sunday best,
+and washed and scrubbed to a nicety, seemed&mdash;soap-like&mdash;to have
+dissolved in the very process of ablution. No joy of the moment
+could alter the tale of shrinkage that was printed on man and beast.
+But jubilation expressed itself in the best way it could. From
+windows and balconies soon hung strips of colour, national emblems,
+gathered from hither and thither to mark a rapture that it was impos<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_158" id="Page_158">[Pg 158]</a></span>sible
+for human tongue to describe. From hotels and habitations
+the citizens began to pour forth and to congregate. And then,
+when all were collected, the curtain drew up on the most wondrous
+scene that the nineteenth century has witnessed&mdash;the march past
+of the Ladysmith Relieving Column! Sir Redvers Buller, imperturbable
+of visage as usual, accompanied by his staff, rode at the
+head of his magnificent warriors, and leading, in the place of
+honour, were the valorous Dublin Fusiliers, the poor but glorious
+remnant, consisting now of 400 of the original battalion who had so
+grandly acquitted themselves in many battlefields. Next came Sir
+Charles Warren and the Fifth Division, and afterwards General
+Barton and General Lyttelton&#8217;s Brigades&mdash;goodly fellows all, who
+had proved themselves deliberately brave and doughtily undefeatable.
+Meanwhile the pipes and drums of the Gordon Highlanders,
+with such vigour as was left them, made exhilarating music, to
+which was united the clanking and clamping of the Artillery
+Howitzer Battery and Naval Brigade as they filed past with uproarious
+martial rampage. Each section was greeted with admiring
+cheers. The regiments moved along in review order, a superb
+throng, bronzed, and battered, and brawny, a curious contrast to
+the pallid and emaciated comrades-in-arms&mdash;morally superb too,
+but physically degenerate&mdash;who welcomed them. The spectacle was
+unique in soul-stirring grandeur as in unspoken pathos.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;A march of lions,&#8221; said Mr. Churchill, who had played his part
+with Lord Dundonald&#8217;s force, and was now looked on as a critic.
+&#8220;A procession of giants,&#8221; said some one else, who watched the lines
+and lines of heroes greeting each other with wild huzzas! Friends,
+kindred, comrades-in-arms&mdash;from either side the yawning gulf of
+destruction, from even the voracious maw of death&mdash;they came
+together again, all jubilant, all generously appreciative, all self-respecting,
+and glowing with honest and honourable emotion. The
+Gordon Highlanders cheered the Dublins, the Dublins, with little
+sprigs of green in their caps, responded right royally to the greeting
+of the Scotsmen. One battalion of the Devons met its twin battalion:
+the men of doughty deeds, large-hearted and large-lunged,
+accosted with zest the men of equally doughty deeds but dwindled
+frames, whose deep bass notes cracked with the strain of rollicking
+intention and futile realisation.</p>
+
+<p>While all this was going forward, from the balcony of the gaol
+a wondering crowd of Boer prisoners looked on agape. They
+could barely believe the evidence of their eyes: the town was free.
+Had their compatriots at last turned tail and bolted? They stared
+down on the vast interminable avenue of men and guns winding
+through what only the day before yesterday was a fiery concave&mdash;watched
+a continuous moving multitude, tattered and begrimed,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_159" id="Page_159">[Pg 159]</a></span>
+saddle-brown and burly&mdash;and little by little began to fathom the
+meaning to themselves of this mighty display. The despised
+rooineks had, after all, not even been thrust into the sea: in fact, it
+appeared that the sea had cultivated a trick of casting up rooineks
+by the thousand, to be killed in scores only to come up in
+swarms!</p>
+
+<p>By-and-by, when the military parade was over, the Mayor of the
+town, Mr. Farquhar, presented Sir George White with an address,
+in which the corporation and inhabitants expressed their appreciation
+of all that he had done for them in those dark days of durance.
+Flattering reference was also made to the services of General Hunter
+and Colonel Ward (A.A.G.). To these officers the General, in reply,
+alluded gratefully, eulogising the work done by the former, and
+describing the latter as the &#8220;best supply officer since Moses.&#8221; He
+then called attention to the stubborn patience of the civilians of
+Ladysmith, &#8220;who had borne themselves like good and true soldiers
+throughout a very trying time.&#8221; These remarks were followed by
+three hearty cheers for the civilians of Ladysmith. The Mayor
+expressed his pride in the manner the civilian population had
+comported itself, and the excellent feeling that had existed between
+both civil and military authorities. He then presented an illuminated
+address to Sir Redvers Buller, of which the following is
+the text:&mdash;</p>
+
+<blockquote><p>&#8220;We, the Mayor and members of the Town Council of the borough of
+Ladysmith, Natal, and as such representing the inhabitants of the said borough,
+beg most respectfully to welcome with great joy the arrival of yourself and
+your gallant soldiers at our township, and to express to you our most sincere
+and heartfelt appreciation of your noble and courageous efforts in the relief
+of this long-beleaguered borough. As members of the great British Empire,
+as loyal subjects of Her Most Gracious Majesty the Queen, and as colonists
+of Natal, we beg respectfully to tender you our most hearty thanks, realising
+as we do the magnitude and difficulty of the work you have accomplished.
+At the same time our sympathies are great for the heavy losses among your
+gallant troops that have occurred in your successful efforts to relieve us.&#8221;</p></blockquote>
+
+<p>The following telegrams were sent to Sir Redvers Buller and
+Sir George White by the Queen.</p>
+
+<p>To Sir Redvers Buller:&mdash;</p>
+
+<blockquote><p>&#8220;Thank God for news you have telegraphed to me.
+Congratulate you and all under you with all my heart.</p>
+
+<p class="address">&#8220;V.R.I.&#8221;</p></blockquote>
+
+<p>To Sir George White:&mdash;</p>
+
+<blockquote><p>&#8220;Thank God that you and all those with you are safe after your long and
+trying siege, borne with such heroism.
+I congratulate you and all under you from the bottom of my heart.
+Trust you are all not very much exhausted.</p>
+
+<p class="address">&#8220;V.R.I.&#8221;</p></blockquote>
+<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_160" id="Page_160">[Pg 160]</a></span></p>
+
+<p>Reply from Sir George White to the Queen:&mdash;</p>
+
+<blockquote><p>&#8220;Your Majesty&#8217;s most gracious message has been received by me with
+deepest gratitude and with enthusiasm by the troops.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;Any hardships and privations are a hundred times compensated for by
+the sympathy and appreciation of our Queen, and your Majesty&#8217;s message will
+do more to restore both officers and men than anything else.</p>
+
+<p class="address">&#8220;<span class="smcap">General Sir George White</span>, Ladysmith.&#8221;</p>
+</blockquote>
+
+<p>The following telegram was received by the Queen from Sir
+Redvers Buller:&mdash;</p>
+
+<blockquote><p>&#8220;Troops much appreciate your Majesty&#8217;s kind telegram.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;Your Majesty cannot know how much your sympathy has helped to
+inspire them.</p>
+
+<p class="address">&#8220;<span class="smcap">General Buller.</span>&#8221;</p>
+</blockquote>
+
+<p>An additional telegram was sent by the Queen to Sir Redvers
+Buller on the 2nd inst.:&mdash;</p>
+
+<blockquote><p>&#8220;Pray express to the Naval Brigade my deep appreciation of the valuable
+services they have rendered with their guns.</p>
+
+<p class="address">&#8220;V.R.I.&#8221;</p>
+</blockquote>
+
+<p>Later on a special Army Order was issued as follows:&mdash;</p>
+
+<blockquote><p class="center"><span class="smcap">Gallantry of Irish Regiments in South Africa&mdash;Distinction
+to be Worn on St. Patrick&#8217;s Day.</span></p>
+
+<p>Her Majesty the Queen is pleased to order that in future, upon St. Patrick&#8217;s
+Day, all ranks in her Majesty&#8217;s Irish regiments shall wear, as a distinction,
+a sprig of shamrock in their headdress, to commemorate the gallantry of her
+Irish soldiers during the recent battles in South Africa.</p></blockquote>
+
+<hr class="w50" />
+
+<p>Soon after this came the transformation scene. Seventy-three
+waggon-loads of supplies, eleven of which contained hospital comforts,
+began to wind into the town. Major Morgan and Colonel Stanley,
+like fairy godmothers in the story-book, waved the wand of office, and
+promptly the machinery began to revolve, and manna in the form of
+nourishing food-stuffs poured into the famished regions. The Boers,
+too, in the precipitate retreat had left welcome loads of grass, herds,
+and ammunition&mdash;the ammunition of the besieged was well-nigh
+exhausted&mdash;besides individual necessaries which came in handy. But
+of course, the machinery of relief, well as it worked, could scarcely
+work fast enough to make an appreciable result, and save invalids
+who were sinking from the protracted trial. It was amazing how
+the sick-list swelled. Many who had come into the town jocund
+and jaunty, found themselves in a few hours clutched by the fell
+fever. It was enough but to breathe the tainted atmosphere to
+fall sick, and those who were seized at once discovered all the
+horror of helplessness in an area where provision for the comfort<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_161" id="Page_161">[Pg 161]</a></span>
+of the suffering was well-nigh exhausted. Looking back on the
+past from the new standpoint, the gaps became more than ever
+remarkable; for, despite incessant fighting, shot and shell were
+responsible for less lives than famine and fever.</p>
+
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 344px;">
+<a name="ill_219" id="ill_219"></a><img src="images/ill_219.png" width="344" height="485" alt="" title="" />
+<div><span class="caption">LIEUT.-GENERAL HON. N. G. LYTTELTON, C.B.</span><br />
+<br />
+<span class="small">Photo by Elliott &amp; Fry, London.</span>
+</div></div>
+
+<p>Ladysmith at the commencement of the siege held some 13,496
+fighting men and over 2000 civilians. Owing to sickness and hard
+fighting, the number had diminished to 10,164 men. There were
+about 2000 in hospital, but the death-rate practically increased only
+when, after January, food, nourishment of all kinds, and medical
+appliances grew scarce. At that time sickness of whatever kind
+assumed an ominous aspect; there was no chance of relief. It was
+impossible for languishing men to apply themselves to the soup made
+of old horse and mule, which was gladly devoured by those who had
+still the appetite without the means of appeasing it. From the 15th
+of January death stalked abroad uncombated; later he held carnival.
+Many died from wounds, very slight wounds, received on the 6th
+of January, from which they had not stamina to recover; the fevered
+and weakly dropped off from sheer starvation and famine; the gaunt
+talons needed scarcely to touch them, for they were exhausted, and
+some of them were glad to go. The deaths as a result of fighting
+were 24 officers and 235 men, while those attributed to sickness
+numbered six officers and 520 men, exclusive of white civilians.</p>
+
+<p>The following special Army Order was issued:&mdash;</p>
+
+<blockquote><p>&#8220;The relief of Ladysmith unites two forces which have striven with conspicuous
+gallantry and splendid determination to maintain the honour of their
+Queen and country. The garrison of Ladysmith for four months held the
+position against every attack with complete success, and endured its privations
+with admirable fortitude. The relieving force had to make its way through
+unknown country, across unfordable rivers, and over almost inaccessible heights,
+in the face of a fully-prepared, well-armed, tenacious enemy. By the exhibition
+of the truest courage, which burns steadily besides flashing brilliantly,
+it accomplished its object and added a glorious page to our history. Sailors,
+soldiers, Colonials, and the home-bred have done this, united by one desire
+and inspired by one patriotism.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;The General Commanding congratulates both forces on their martial
+qualities, and thanks them for their determined efforts. He desires to offer
+his sincere sympathy to the relatives and friends of the good soldiers and
+gallant comrades who have fallen in the fight. <span class="smcap">Buller.</span>&#8221;</p></blockquote>
+
+<p>Less formally and with more warmth the Chief addressed himself
+to his friends in England. He said:&mdash;</p>
+
+<blockquote><p>&#8220;We began fighting on the 14th February, and literally fought every day
+and nearly every night till the 27th. I am filled with admiration for the British
+soldiers; really, the manner in which they have worked, fought, and endured
+during the last fortnight has been something more than human. Broiled in
+a burning sun by day, drenched in rain by night, lying but 300 yards off an
+enemy who shoots you if you show as much as a finger; they could hardly<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_162" id="Page_162">[Pg 162]</a></span>
+eat or drink by day, and as they were usually attacked at night they got but
+little sleep; and through it all they were as cheery and willing as could be.&#8221;</p></blockquote>
+
+<p>Telegraphic wires and cables wore themselves out in repeating
+congratulation on the relief of Ladysmith. Veritably all the winds
+of heaven seemed to repeat them. From north, south, east, and
+west came the chorus of acclamation, a chorus most reviving to the
+magnificent multitude both inside and outside the place, who had
+been ready to offer up their heart&#8217;s blood on the altar of patriotism.
+Though the haunted and worn look could not die out of the faces
+of the sufferers in a moment, they had already begun to mend;
+though the shrunken and emaciated forms could not at once be
+relieved from the starvation and disease which had wasted them,
+there was over all a soothing glow of hope that acted magically,
+beatifically, as the mists of sunrise over a squalid landscape.</p>
+
+<p>On the 9th of March Sir George White, looking much worn, he
+having suffered from Indian fever brought on by the malarious surroundings,
+left with his staff. The General addressed the Gordon
+Highlanders who formed the guard of honour, and in few and
+affecting words bade them farewell.</p>
+
+<div class="footnotes"><h3>FOOTNOTES:</h3>
+
+<div class="footnote"><p><a name="Footnote_4_4" id="Footnote_4_4"></a><a href="#FNanchor_4_4"><span class="label">[4]</span></a> Brevet Lieutenant-Colonel Claude George Henry Sitwell, D.S.O., 2nd Battalion Royal
+Dublin Fusiliers, was born in 1858, and entered the army through the militia in 1878. His
+first ten years of service were with the Shropshire Light Infantry, from which he exchanged,
+in 1889, into the Manchester Regiment. He was subsequently promoted to a majority in
+the 2nd Royal Dublin Fusiliers in October 1898. Colonel Sitwell had seen a considerable
+amount of active service, his first campaign being the Afghan war of 1879-80, in which he
+served with the Koorum Division, and took part in the Zaimust expedition. He accompanied
+the 1st Battalion Shropshire Light Infantry in the Egyptian war of 1882, and was
+present at the occupation of Kafr Dowar and the surrender of Damietta. From 1892 to
+1895 he was employed with the Egyptian army, and from 1895 to 1898 in the Uganda Protectorate.
+In 1895, as a captain, he commanded the expeditions against the Kitosh, Kabras,
+and Kikelwa tribes in East Africa, and was present with the Nandi expedition in 1895-96.
+Finally, he commanded the operations against Mwanga in 1897-98, including the engagement
+near Katonga River, and several minor affairs. For his important services in Uganda
+Major Sitwell was given a brevet lieutenant-colonelcy, and decorated with the Distinguished
+Service Order.</p></div>
+
+<div class="footnote"><p><a name="Footnote_5_5" id="Footnote_5_5"></a><a href="#FNanchor_5_5"><span class="label">[5]</span></a> Lieutenant-Colonel Thomas Martin Gerard Thackeray, commanding the 1st Battalion
+Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers, was born in 1849, and was appointed to the 16th Foot in 1868.
+In 1876 he exchanged into the 1st West India Regiment, subsequently obtaining his captaincy
+in the Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers in 1881. During 1880 and part of 1881 he served as Fort
+Adjutant at Sierra Leone. He was promoted to the command of the 1st Battalion Royal
+Inniskilling Fusiliers in February 1897.</p></div>
+
+<div class="footnote"><p><a name="Footnote_6_6" id="Footnote_6_6"></a><a href="#FNanchor_6_6"><span class="label">[6]</span></a> Lieutenant-Colonel Thorold, of the Royal Welsh Fusiliers, who was killed on February
+24, became lieutenant on June 13, 1874, a captain on October 25, 1882, a major on July 10,
+1890, and was promoted to be lieutenant-colonel on March 4, 1896.</p></div>
+
+<div class="footnote"><p><a name="Footnote_7_7" id="Footnote_7_7"></a><a href="#FNanchor_7_7"><span class="label">[7]</span></a> Lieutenant-Colonel William M&#8217;Carthy O&#8217;Leary, commanding the 1st Battalion of the
+South Lancashire Regiment, was born on January 6, 1849, and entered the 82nd Foot (now the
+2nd Battalion of the South Lancashire Regiment) as an ensign in the old purchase days on
+April 17, 1869. He obtained his lieutenancy, also by purchase, on February 15, 1871. He
+was instructor of musketry to the regiment from July 19, 1874, to March 19, 1878, when he
+became captain, received his major&#8217;s commission on August 13, 1883, and from the January
+preceding until January 1888, was an adjutant of Auxiliary forces. He had been lieutenant-colonel
+of the battalion since November 1896. He was a Justice of the Peace for the
+County of Cork and one of the Under Sheriffs of the city.</p></div>
+</div>
+
+<p class="pagenum"><a name="Page_163" id="Page_163">[Pg 163]</a></p>
+
+<h2 class="gap4"><a name="CHAPTER_VI" id="CHAPTER_VI"></a>CHAPTER VI<br />
+<br />
+<span class="smaller">CHANGES IN CAPE COLONY</span></h2>
+
+<p>We must now return to Colesberg after the departure
+of General French. The Boers, doubtless much
+relieved to get quit of him, still occupied a semicircular
+set of camps from east to west round the
+north of the town, while the British, in the same
+manner, occupied the opposite half of the circle, and so continued,
+by dint of much fighting and skirmishing, to keep them in check.
+On the 9th February the Dutchmen threatened the right flank of
+the British, and shot one of Rimington&#8217;s Guides. During the morning
+Captain Cameron, commanding the Tasmanian Contingent, with
+Captain Salmon and fifty Australians and Tasmanians, started
+out from Rensburg on a reconnaissance. He was supported by
+a detachment of the Inniskilling Dragoons under Captain Stevenson-Hamilton.
+The enemy was soon encountered, and promptly
+gave the Australians a warm time as they advanced across the
+plain. These cleverly took shelter and returned an active fusillade,
+but the Boers seemed to be everywhere in overwhelming numbers.
+The Australians with great gallantry took possession of a kopje, and
+maintained their grip of the position for a good hour and a half; but
+the crowds opposing them were too great, and when the Dutchmen
+worked round to the rear and fired on their horses, they thought it high
+time to come down, mount, and retire, amid a hurricane of lead from
+the foe. The same action was repeated, the holding of another kopje,
+and the evacuation of it in consequence of the arrival, in the rear, of
+the Boers; and finally a retirement had to be effected across the open
+plain exposed to fierce volleys from the pursuing enemy. Strange
+to say, very few of the Colonials were injured, though they held
+their ground throughout the day with wondrous pluck, and tackled
+the Boers with dexterity equal to their own. Indeed, the coolness
+and courage of Captain Cameron were reflected by his men, and
+Captain Salmon, whose baptism of fire it was, made a remarkable
+display of talent in the field. Of grit and gallantry there was no
+end. Specially noticeable was the pluck of Corporal Whiteley of
+the Tasmanians, who hurried to the rescue of a dismounted comrade,
+and through a storm of bullets brought him to a place of safety.</p>
+
+<p>More of the Australians on the same day came in for a good
+share of work. A reconnaissance was made from Slingersfontein by<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_164" id="Page_164">[Pg 164]</a></span>
+the Inniskillings and some Australians under Captain Moor. The
+Australians discovered the enemy in the act of preparing to shell the
+British camp from the south-east. They therefore took up a position
+on a hill some 9000 yards from camp, but here were assailed
+by a party of Dutchmen who endeavoured to force them to surrender.
+So close had the Boers approached, that their shouts calling them to
+give up their arms could be heard by the Colonials. For answer,
+however, the Australians only fixed bayonets and yelled defiance!
+Their position was most critical; nevertheless they held their ground
+with such fierce tenacity that the Burghers were cautious of approach.
+Meanwhile, through the maze of fiery elements and in the teeth of
+the enemy, a sergeant and two troopers had galloped off to inform
+the commanding officer of the safety of the little band, and of their
+intention to make a good fight of it until, under cover of the shades
+of night, they could effect an escape. This they eventually did.
+Three of their number were wounded and one was killed in the
+act of succouring a wounded comrade.</p>
+
+<p>On the 11th of February, at Rensburg, a picket of five Victorian
+Rifles had a nasty experience. After pluckily holding a post
+for several hours, during which they were fired on by the Boers
+from an adjacent kopje, they were forced to retire. Three of the
+party were slightly wounded, and one gallant fellow, who had
+helped the others to mount and escape, was missing. A patrol from
+Jasfontein, consisting of eight Tasmanians and eight of French&#8217;s
+Guides, also came to grief. Only two Tasmanians and three
+Guides returned to camp, the rest being captured by the enemy.
+In course of the day&#8217;s work Trooper Bosch distinguished himself.
+On his way with two comrades to join the main body at Slingersfontein
+he came on a large party of Boers on a hill. Though fired
+on, the party made off in hot haste, when Trooper Bosch, who
+was ahead, came suddenly on a solitary horseman. The two riders,
+each believing the other to be a friend, approached, then discovering
+their mistake, they raised rifles. But Trooper Bosch being the
+quicker, promptly disarmed his antagonist and made him prisoner.
+With the Dutchman in charge, Bosch and his companions proceeded.
+Presently they came on seven Boer riders. On these the
+scouts opened fire, with the result that the enemy hurriedly made
+off, leaving behind them one wounded, who was taken prisoner.
+So the three scouts returned to camp very proud of their &#8220;bag.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>The correspondent of the <i>Melbourne Herald</i>, accompanied by
+Mr. Cameron, the Australian correspondent, bearing a flag of truce,
+went to the Boer line west of Rensburg to make inquiries from
+Commandant Delarey regarding Mr. Lambie and Mr. Hales, the
+missing Australian correspondents. They were blindfolded before
+being taken to the Boer camp, where they were informed that<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_165" id="Page_165">[Pg 165]</a></span>
+Mr. Lambie had been killed, and were handed the portrait of his
+wife, which had been found in his pocket. Mr. Hales, owing to a
+fall from his horse, had been taken prisoner. The correspondents
+were informed that some 120,000 men were fighting with the
+Federals, which was probably a piece of Boer bravado.</p>
+
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 677px;">
+<a name="ill_225" id="ill_225"></a><img src="images/ill_225.png" width="677" height="594" alt="Map illustrating the Operations on the Orange River." title="" />
+<div><span class="caption smcap">Map illustrating the Operations on the Orange River.</span>
+</div></div>
+
+<p>It was now found necessary to retire from Coles Kop and the
+outposts round it, as the Boers had placed a 40-pounder off Bastard
+Nek, and thus commanded the vicinity. The Wiltshire Regiment
+retired from Pink Hill, and the Australians and Bedfordshire
+Regiment moved from Windmill Hill. The Berkshire Regiment
+had also to move from their post&mdash;indeed, a wholesale withdrawal
+became imperative owing to the activity of the Boer pieces. There
+was now no camp west of Rensburg, and presently the camp at
+Slingersfontein had to withdraw on Rensburg, the eastern flank
+being threatened. There were Boers on all sides busily shelling
+the hills, and the overwhelming number of the enemy made retreat<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_166" id="Page_166">[Pg 166]</a></span>
+to Rensburg inevitable. In the course of the fighting Colonel
+Coningham was mortally wounded.<a name="FNanchor_8_8" id="FNanchor_8_8"></a><a href="#Footnote_8_8" class="fnanchor">[8]</a></p>
+
+<p>On the 13th the British &#8220;strategically&#8221; evacuated Rensburg,
+and General Clements fell back on Arundel. The guns from Coles
+Kop were safely removed, and a Maxim was destroyed to save it
+from the clutches of the enemy.</p>
+
+<p>The retirement was quite orderly. On the previous day the
+stores and baggage-waggons were removed. After the evacuation
+the Boers held a prayer-meeting, and offered up thanks for their
+success. They then marched off in small parties to their various
+outposts, chanting in nasal tones their favourite hymns.</p>
+
+<p>The gallantry displayed by the members of General Clements&#8217;
+force during the retirement was amazing. It is found impossible to
+note all the acts of pluck and heroism which took place, and elicited
+the profound admiration of those who witnessed them, but especially
+noticeable was the devotion of some score of the Mounted Victorian
+Rifles. These were surrounded by the enemy&mdash;caught in a veritable
+trap&mdash;but they refused to surrender, and declared they would
+&#8220;die game.&#8221; They fought like heroes, not one of them being left
+to tell the tale.</p>
+
+<p>Near Dordrecht, too, which had been occupied by General
+Brabant, the Colonial forces were performing prodigious feats of
+pluck. They forced the rebels to abandon the country between
+Dordrecht and Penhoek. During the attack on a Boer laager
+on the 16th, Trooper Drysdale bravely rushed to the succour of
+Sergeant Weinecke under a close and heavy fire and carried him
+off to a place of safety. The young Colonial was promoted to
+the rank of lieutenant in recognition of the valorous deed. Unfortunately
+two gallant officers&mdash;Captain Crallah and Lieutenant
+Chandler&mdash;were killed.</p>
+
+<p>Curiously enough, when the Boers and British became acquainted
+with each other they grew friendly with great rapidity. When
+Captain Longhurst, R.A.M.C., from Arundel, was attending
+wounded Australians, he remarked on the exceeding kindness of
+the enemy to the wounded. He also fraternised with the Boer
+commander, and discovered they had mutual friends in London.
+The &#8220;Tommies&#8221; chatted most amicably with the Boers, notwithstanding
+the fact that their bandoliers were filled with soft-nosed
+bullets. To account for their having them, the Boers said, &#8220;We
+must use whatever we can get.&#8221; It was suggested that their<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_167" id="Page_167">[Pg 167]</a></span>
+ammunition&mdash;since they were of the northern district&mdash;had been
+obtained for the purpose of hunting big game at the Limpopo.
+This excuse the &#8220;Tommies&#8221; accepted, and one wounded in the
+thigh said good-humouredly, &#8220;Well, I wish you&#8217;d been kind
+enough to hit me lower down.&#8221; Another informed a Boer that
+the British had specially come to deliver them out of the House of
+Bondage. The Boer was sceptical, whereon &#8220;Tommy&#8221; enlightened
+him. &#8220;Africander bondage,&#8221; he explained, with a wink of the eye.</p>
+
+<p>The moral effect of the relief of Kimberley soon became obvious.
+Barkly West was occupied by troops on the 21st of February, and
+there was evidence that the country west of Cape Colony and
+Kimberley was gradually settling down.</p>
+
+<p>On the same day, General Brabant occupied Jamestown, some
+twenty miles north of Dordrecht, and seized quantities of horses
+belonging to the enemy, who in their retreat modestly had recourse
+to &#8220;Shank&#8217;s pony.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>During a reconnaissance of the Boer position at Stormberg, a
+party of scouts under Captain Montmorency, V.C., got within some
+fifty yards of the enemy, and a fierce and fatal combat ensued, which
+resulted in the sad loss of one of the most brilliant officers of
+the day.</p>
+
+<p>The object of the reconnaissance was to ascertain the strength
+of the Boers at Stormberg. Accordingly, with four companies of
+Mounted Infantry drawn from the Royal Scots, the Northumberland
+Fusiliers, the Derbyshire Regiment, and the Royal Berkshire Regiment,
+with the 77th and four guns of the 74th Batteries Royal Field
+Artillery, the Derbyshire Regiment (Sherwood Foresters), a portion
+of De Montmorency&#8217;s Scouts, and some Cape Police, supported by the
+armoured train under the charge of Lieutenant F. J. Gosset, 2nd Royal
+Berkshire Regiment, Sir William Gatacre occupied Molteno early
+on Friday morning the 23rd. Preceded by thirty Scouts, Captain
+de Montmorency, Lieutenant Hockley, and Colonel Hoskier, the
+force marched in the same direction that was to have been taken on
+the night of the fatal affair in December. Unfortunately the Scouts,
+on nearing their destination, came on a party of dismounted Boers,
+and these, as the British rushed up a kopje, executed the same feat
+on the other side of the hill. Though both instantly took cover, the
+scouts got the worst of it, each one as he raised a head being laid
+low by the fatal bullets of the completely hidden foe. Among the
+first to fall was Captain de Montmorency,<a name="FNanchor_9_9" id="FNanchor_9_9"></a><a href="#Footnote_9_9" class="fnanchor">[9]</a> who, gallant fellow, was<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_168" id="Page_168">[Pg 168]</a></span>
+creeping round to a flank to surprise the enemy. Not long after
+Colonel Hoskier<a name="FNanchor_10_10" id="FNanchor_10_10"></a><a href="#Footnote_10_10" class="fnanchor">[10]</a> received his second wound, a mortal one, and two
+comrades, Collett and Vice, adventurous and dashing Colonials, were
+shot through the head. Lieutenant Hockley, rendered almost blind
+and senseless by a wound between the eyes, was taken prisoner.
+A gallant attempt to rescue the Scouts was made in the midst of a
+tremendous storm. All were drenched to the skin. The thunder
+and lightning rendered artillery fire almost impossible, and very few
+of the daring party got away from the scene of the fight. On the
+kopje by Shoeman&#8217;s Farm were left seven killed and five wounded.</p>
+
+<p>On the following day the bodies were recovered by the military
+chaplains. Deeply to their regret, they discovered that the dead
+had been robbed, and it is asserted that a Boer was seen in the
+feathered hat of the heroic leader of the Scouts, while even the
+clothes of the others had been filched by some despicable Dutchmen.
+Mr. Duncombe-Jewell in the <i>Morning Post</i> gave a pathetic
+account of the affair:&mdash;&#8220;The chaplains to the forces, Father
+Ryan and Rev. R. Armitage, proceeded under a flag of truce
+on the following morning to recover the bodies. This they were
+permitted to do, but they found that the Boers had stripped and
+robbed the slain, one of them riding about in triumph with poor
+De Montmorency&#8217;s hat, with its black riband ornamented with the
+white skull and cross-bones and the black ostrich feather at the side,
+hanging at his saddle-bow. So far did they carry these ravages, that
+on the tunic, which they hastily replaced as the chaplains approached,
+there remained only one button. The rest of the unfortunate men
+were as shamefully treated, the three buried by the Boers before the
+arrival of the flag of truce being interred without either clothing or
+ceremony of any sort.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>A sad funeral took place on the Sunday following, when the remains
+were buried. The band played a dirge as the procession&mdash;in which
+was the younger officer&#8217;s gallant servant and comrade, Byrne, V.C.,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_169" id="Page_169">[Pg 169]</a></span>
+of Omdurman fame, and his favourite grey Arab pony&mdash;wound
+its way through the town to the Molteno Cemetery. Wreaths
+were placed on the newly-turned earth by the General and his staff&mdash;ephemeral
+symbols, but in this case emblems of lasting lament
+for heroes sacrificed on the altar of duty.</p>
+
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 430px;">
+<a name="ill_229" id="ill_229"></a><img src="images/ill_229.png" width="430" height="286" alt="" title="" />
+<div><span class="caption">HINDOO REFUGEES FROM THE TRANSVAAL IN CAMP AT CAPE TOWN</span><br />
+<br />
+<span class="small">Photo by Alf. S. Hosking, Cape Town.</span>
+</div></div>
+
+<p>In a Divisional Order General Gatacre recorded with deep regret
+the news of the death of Captain Montmorency, V.C., commanding
+Montmorency&#8217;s Scouts, and of Lieutenant-Colonel Hoskier,
+3rd Middlesex Volunteer Artillery, who were killed at Schoeman&#8217;s
+Farm. &#8220;By their deaths,&#8221; the order concluded, &#8220;the division has
+lost two very valuable officers.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>While this affair was taking place at Molteno the West Riding
+Regiment was distinguishing itself at Arundel. The troops were
+preparing to clear some kopjes held by the enemy when some Boers
+suddenly advanced on them. The West Ridings stood their ground
+grandly, waited with fixed bayonets the arrival of the Dutch horde,
+and then promptly advanced and scattered them. Unfortunately
+Captain Wallis was shot dead. Lieutenant Wilson was wounded,
+but rescued in the midst of a leaden blizzard by a gallant sergeant
+(Frith), who rushed to his assistance and carried him off on his back
+to a place of shelter. Scarcely had he done so than he was wounded in
+the face&mdash;in the left eye and nose. Lieutenant Wilson and Sergeant
+Frith were placed in an ambulance, but owing to the tremendous
+storm which prevailed at the time, their waggon lost its bearings and
+wandered aimlessly throughout the night. The sufferers reached hospital
+on the following day. On the 26th Colesberg and Colesberg Junction
+were held by our troops, and on the 27th Rensburg was reoccupied.</p>
+
+<p>On the 5th of March Captain M&#8217;Neill, who after the death of Captain
+de Montmorency was appointed to the command of Montmorency&#8217;s
+Scouts, discovered that the Boers had evacuated Stormberg.
+The Scouts now pursued the enemy, determining to keep him on the
+run. This they did over rugged country and at great personal risk,
+eventually chasing the Dutchmen to and beyond Burghersdorp.</p>
+
+<p>On the 7th of March General Gatacre occupied Burghersdorp,
+and the railway arrangements towards Stormberg and Steynsburg
+were being hurried on in view of the coming operations. The
+enthusiasm of the loyal inhabitants of the district was great and their
+relief intense. The greetings from one and all were most effusive,
+the National Anthem was sung, and the British flag hoisted with jubilation
+so great that many wept at the relaxation of the long strain.</p>
+
+<p>General Gatacre issued a proclamation requesting rebels to surrender
+and give up arms, when they would receive a pass to their
+farms, and where they were to remain till called to account later.
+Some few rebels appeared to the summons, but many were still shy and
+were waiting, as the phrase says, &#8220;to see which way the cat jumped.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_170" id="Page_170">[Pg 170]</a></span>&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>The oath administered to rebels was as follows:&mdash;</p>
+
+<blockquote><p>&#8220;I, a British subject, do hereby and hereon swear and declare that I was
+forced by the Queen&#8217;s enemies to take up arms against Her Majesty&#8217;s troops,
+and that the rifle and ammunition were issued to me by Commandant &mdash;&mdash;,
+that I joined the commando on or about &mdash;&mdash;, and left it on or about &mdash;&mdash;. I
+now hand in my horse, rifle, and ammunition, and, if permitted, will proceed
+direct to my own farm, to remain there as a loyal British subject until Her
+Majesty&#8217;s pleasure be made further known. I further promise to hold no
+further communication, either directly or indirectly, with Her Majesty&#8217;s enemies,
+or to aid or abet them in any way whatever, under penalty of death.&#8221;</p></blockquote>
+
+<p>General Clements now took up his quarters at Norval&#8217;s Pont, on
+the south bank of Orange River. The north bank was still being
+strongly held by the enemy, who had succeeded in blowing up the
+bridge two days previously.</p>
+
+<p>Aliwal North was next occupied, but the occupation was attended
+with severe fighting across the river. But the British took up
+tenable positions, while the Boers, after a wholesome experience of
+British fire, removed their laager from the hills. The inhabitants
+of the town, despite the fact that our entry was accompanied by
+shells, were full of enthusiasm. Colonel Page Henderson and his
+advance party seized the heights beyond Lundean&#8217;s Nek. The
+enemy shelled the bridge with Krupp guns with great vigour, and
+twenty men were wounded. The British from their entrenched
+positions silenced these barkings, but were then attacked by the
+Boer riflemen, who were finally driven off by the Border Horse and
+a Maxim gun. A waggon of ammunition was captured and several
+Boers. There were general complaints as to the treatment experienced
+by British people in the place, and there was some satisfaction
+when Mayor Smuts was subsequently arrested on a charge of
+treason.</p>
+
+<p>Railway and telegraphic communication were now carried to
+Burghersdorp. Everywhere the commencement of a new system
+was evident. In the north-eastern districts of the Free State the
+rebels, on the withdrawal of the commandos, slowly returned to
+their senses. Both English and Dutch loyalists were beginning to
+breathe freely; they had both equally suffered from Boer oppression.
+Europeans and natives were jubilant at the now continual
+laying down of arms by rebels and Boer refugees along the whole
+of the Colonial borders. The Boer refugees, some of whom were
+in a pitiable plight, many of them having subsisted for weeks mainly
+on bread and water and a species of coffee made from rye, were
+anxious for protection. They stood in fear of their lives, as Commandant
+Olivier had threatened to shoot those who should surrender.
+Major Hook of the Cape Police, with his smart men,
+occupied Barkly East, and at Lady Grey British rule, after three<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_171" id="Page_171">[Pg 171]</a></span>
+and a half months of oppression, was re-established. It is pleasing
+to record that the heroic postmistress returned to her post there
+with an increased salary. The total collapse of the rebels was
+impending, and there were now only animated arguments among
+loyalists and others as to the treatment which should be given to
+those who had engaged in and fostered the lamentable revolt.
+All voted for the speedy appointment of a Judicial Commission.
+Though a policy of revenge was to be deprecated, it was urged
+that the ringleaders should be punished with exemplary severity,
+as a deterrent for the future, and for the purpose of demonstrating
+to those who had suffered annoyances, loss, and anxiety, that there
+was some advantage in the maintenance of loyalty in trying circumstances.</p>
+
+<h3 class="gap2">AT BETHULIE</h3>
+
+<p>Sir William Gatacre, owing to the species of general post that
+had been set on foot by Lord Roberts&#8217; successful advance, suddenly
+found himself released from the shackles that had bound him. As
+we know, the enemy had retreated from Stormberg, and from
+Burghersdorp. Towards the Orange River they had betaken themselves
+in hot haste, and it was now time to fly after the retreating
+foe, to catch them, if possible, at the river. At Bethulie there
+was still the railway bridge. But even as it was neared it ceased
+to exist. Fragments filled the air. The Boers had blown it up
+behind them, and wrecked iron was all that displayed itself to the
+British troops. The road bridge, however, remained; a structure
+valued by the Colony at �100,000. Of course that would go
+directly, and the great question was whether the British troops,
+by putting the spur on their already jaded energies, would be able
+to reach the place in time to defend it. Captain M&#8217;Neill and
+thirty Scouts made a rush for it; and only just reached the scene
+of action in time! The Derby was never more hotly contested.
+The Scouts, like hunted fiends, had sped over obstacle and acre to
+gain the goal before the fell work of the Boers could begin. They
+won by a neck. The Boers were already buzzing along the bridge,
+manipulating with wire and explosive, putting the finishing touches
+on their design! At sight of the British there was a stampede
+to north of the river. Here the enemy had supports. (The Scouts
+carefully hid the fact they had none.) Here the enemy ensconced
+himself and prepared to do his worst. The Scouts took up their
+position in the kraal of a farm from which they could sweep the
+northern approach to the already laid mines, and sent back word
+urgently praying for reinforcements. Others took their well-deserved
+rest. Meanwhile with ferocious tenacity some eleven of them held
+on to the bridge, hawk-eyed, watching, firing, hiding, dodging,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_172" id="Page_172">[Pg 172]</a></span>
+anything that should gain time till the reinforcements could appear.
+On the other side, only a question of yards off was the foe&mdash;numberless,
+it seemed to them, sniping, potting, and banging with every
+missile at their command, and determining to hang round the precious
+bone of contention, the valuable road bridge. The British
+maintained the same determination. Perhaps a touch, an unseen
+movement, would set the whole string of dynamite mines in motion;
+perhaps in this moment or the next, with a roar and a rumble, the
+clear atmosphere would be decked to blindness with little bits&mdash;bits
+of the bridge that stood before them&mdash;bits, too, of the men that
+were! Still they hung on. It was a grievous subject for contemplation,
+a sorry possibility to roll in the wrappings of meditation. But
+fear they scorned. The Boers in vast numbers thronged on the
+opposite side, bullets from Mausers and Martini-Henrys spurted and
+flicked up their little wisps of dust till sand became thick as a veil
+between Boer and Briton. But still the hardy Scouts clung to their
+post. Moments, every one long as days, sped on; hours passed,
+night waned, day broke. Still the tiny British band of braves
+behind bush and boulder stayed with rifles cocked and pointed at
+the bridge. They dared not approach, but they defied the enemy
+to venture. Then, with morn, the eternity of anxiety was ended&mdash;they
+were reinforced by the Cape Police! Later the artillery came
+up. Oh, the sigh of relief! The bridge was saved! Oh, the
+rejoicing to hear the grand bark of British guns, and see the great
+earth mushrooms opening up to the sky on the opposite side! Then,
+at eventide came the supreme deed, among deeds no less worthy.
+Shot and shell were now falling on all sides of the mined bridge.
+The Boers were firmly ensconced across the front; hidden and
+sniping, and now and then appearing and firing boldly. The
+gloaming was otherwise peaceful, the purple shades of evening
+blending with the gentle, rippling golden grey of the river. Then
+from his fellows advanced one Lieutenant Popham of the Derbyshire
+Regiment. Straight to the threatened bridge, already peppered
+with the storms of the enemy, he went, crossed to the other side,
+and quick as thought deftly cut the connecting wires for firing
+the mines! By a miracle no Boers observed the act, an act that
+rendered abortive all their ingenious efforts and made the British
+masters of the situation. Then followed more plucky feats. Young
+Popham, on advancing through the trenches, had come across large,
+suspicious-looking boxes. He returned to the British lines. He
+gathered together some of the goodly men of his regiment, and
+with them again made his way to the threatened bridge. The sight
+of the party was the signal for a volley from the Dutchmen, but
+still they pursued their way to the boxes. &#8220;Dynamite, by Jove!&#8221;
+said one; &#8220;Kingdom come!&#8221; said another. But up they took them,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_173" id="Page_173">[Pg 173]</a></span>
+and there and then, under a storm of bullets that now meant more
+even than death, the splendid fellows marched back again. The
+astonishing feat cast dismay over the Federals on the other side of the
+water, as it filled with admiration and pride all in the British camp
+who were privileged to view a sight seldom seen in a lifetime.
+And then, later on, as though the quality of heroism were inexhaustible
+as the widow&#8217;s cruse of oil, another splendid act followed on
+the heels of the foregoing ones. In the dead of night Captain Grant
+of the Royal Engineers groped his way to the bridge. The Boers
+were on the alert, but he groped cautiously. The soldier&#8217;s martial
+step gave way to the catlike burglarious tread! It was ticklish
+work that had to be done&mdash;work that needed time and nicety of
+touch. But he meant to do it, and one hint, one rumour of activity
+would have roused the whole Dutch horde and ruined his plan.
+The bridge, as we know, was mined. Lieutenant Popham had cut
+the wires. But the charges of dynamite were somewhere. These
+Captain Grant found, removed, and dexterously dropped, buried for
+ever in the purling river! Then with infinite care he detached the
+other connecting wires, and the bridge was safe! This was the
+beginning of the end. A few more passages at arms, and then the
+British on the 15th of March crossed the Orange River.</p>
+
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 483px;">
+<a name="ill_235" id="ill_235"></a><img src="images/ill_235.png" width="483" height="319" alt="" title="" />
+<div><span class="caption">CONVEYING WOUNDED TO WYNBERG HOSPITAL CAMP.</span><br />
+<br />
+<span class="small">Photo by Alf. S. Hosking, Cape Town.</span>
+</div></div>
+
+<p>Yet another brilliant act was performed soon after the arrival
+of the troops at Bethulie. Captain Hannessy of the Cape Police,
+an officer on General Gatacre&#8217;s staff, was detailed to capture the
+railway station, which was situated some distance from the town.
+This he did. He examined the telegraph room, found the instrument
+intact, and learnt by communication with Springfontein that
+there were Boers still in that direction. Without hesitation he at
+once set off, in company with another adventurous spirit (Captain
+Turner of the Scouts), on his way to Springfontein. They commandeered
+a trolley and moved up the line. On nearing the
+station they saw two trains with steam up, ready for departure.
+Within the building were Boers&mdash;not slim Boers this time&mdash;but
+snoring ones, with bandoliers awry and rifles lollopping. It was a
+moment to be grasped. The rifles and the bandoliers were gently
+removed. Then the sleepers were awakened. They rubbed their
+eyes, and found, not rifles or bandoliers, but that they were prisoners
+of war! They were without arms, resistance was useless. They
+were escorted to the railway trucks; an engine-driver was found,
+and presently the two officers with their &#8220;bag&#8221; (two trains and
+eight prisoners) returned in triumph to Bethulie. Here their big-game
+hunting was vastly appreciated, as at this time, their engines
+having been left on the other side of the river, the capture of rolling
+stock was of tremendous importance. Soon after this, troops from
+Bloemfontein were sent off to occupy Springfontein.</p>
+
+<div class="footnotes"><h3>FOOTNOTES:</h3>
+
+<div class="footnote"><p><a name="Footnote_8_8" id="Footnote_8_8"></a><a href="#FNanchor_8_8"><span class="label">[8]</span></a> Lieutenant-Colonel Charles Coningham, 2nd Battalion Worcestershire Regiment,
+was born in 1851, and joined the army in 1872. His first appointment was to the
+103rd Foot, afterwards the 2nd Battalion Royal Dublin Fusiliers, with which he served
+until 1891, when he was transferred as major to the Worcestershire Regiment. Colonel
+Coningham was an adjutant of Militia from 1889 to 1894. He also served in the Soudan
+with the Frontier Field Force in 1885-86.</p></div>
+
+<div class="footnote"><p><a name="Footnote_9_9" id="Footnote_9_9"></a><a href="#FNanchor_9_9"><span class="label">[9]</span></a> Captain the Hon. Raymond Harvey Lodge Joseph de Montmorency, 21st Empress of
+India&#8217;s Lancers, and commanding De Montmorency&#8217;s Scouts in South Africa, was the eldest
+son of Viscount Frankfort de Montmorency, K.C.B. He was born on February 5, 1867,
+joined the army on September 14, 1887, as second lieutenant in the Lincolnshire Regiment,
+and was promoted to a lieutenancy in the 21st Lancers, November 6, 1889. In this rank he
+served in the campaign in the Soudan in 1898, and was present at the battle of Khartoum,
+and was awarded the Victoria Cross for the following service:&mdash;&#8220;At the battle of Khartoum
+on September 2, 1898, Lieutenant de Montmorency, after the charge of the 21st Lancers,
+returned to assist Second Lieutenant R. G. Grenfell, who was lying surrounded by a large
+body of Dervishes. Lieutenant de Montmorency drove the Dervishes off, and finding
+Lieutenant Grenfell dead, put the body on his horse, which then broke away. Captain
+Kenna and Corporal Swarbrich then came to his assistance, and enabled him to rejoin the
+regiment, which had begun to open a heavy fire on the enemy.&#8221; Lieutenant de Montmorency,
+in addition to being mentioned in despatches and receiving the V.C., had also the
+British medal and Khedive&#8217;s medal with clasp. He was promoted to captain August 2,
+1899, having in the previous October been despatched on special service to South Africa,
+when he raised and commanded the special body of scouts whose gallant services have
+under him been so frequently referred to in connection with the operations in the neighbourhood
+of Stormberg and Dordrecht.</p></div>
+
+<div class="footnote"><p><a name="Footnote_10_10" id="Footnote_10_10"></a><a href="#FNanchor_10_10"><span class="label">[10]</span></a> Lieutenant-Colonel Commandant F. H. Hoskier was a well-known Volunteer officer,
+who had brought the force which he commanded to a high state of military efficiency. He
+held a certificate for proficiency in several subjects, and had obtained special mention in
+examinations in tactics, besides having qualified as an interpreter.</p></div>
+</div>
+
+<p class="pagenum"><a name="Page_174" id="Page_174">[Pg 174]</a></p>
+
+<h2 class="gap4"><a name="CHAPTER_VII" id="CHAPTER_VII"></a>CHAPTER VII<br />
+<br />
+<span class="smaller">BLOEMFONTEIN UNDER BRITISH RULE</span></h2>
+
+<p>The pastoral little town of brick and tin in the vast expanse
+of toasted grass had now become a centre of civilisation,
+one may almost say a fashionable rendezvous. There
+regiments multitudinous were congregated, and these helped
+to convert the sleepy, dozing capital into a miniature sphere
+of many dialects born of a common tongue. Human beings, the
+conquered and the conquerors, brushed shoulders in friendliness,
+bought and sold, listened to the bands playing the well-worn
+British airs in the market-place, and discoursed, under the �gis
+of the Union Jack, which fluttered from pinnacle and spire, of trade
+and prospects as though such things as big guns had never acted
+in place of handshakes, and such men as Steyn had never staked
+their all on the possibilities of a mirage.</p>
+
+<p>That potentate had betaken himself to Kroonstad, which, in
+new conditions, had also assumed a new aspect. It was now the
+capital of the Free Staters, and the seat of the polyglot army that
+was gathered together to consider the new face of affairs. A
+Norwegian attach�, who was with the strange horde, gave a description
+of the quaint dust-bound town and its still quainter
+inhabitants:&mdash;</p>
+
+<blockquote>
+<p class="address">&#8220;<span class="smcap">Kroonstad</span>, <i>March 16</i>.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;Here prevails the most extraordinary life it has ever been my lot to
+witness. All hotels and private houses are filled to overflowing, whilst little
+laagers are spread everywhere in and outside the town. A wild stream of
+loose horses, mules, donkeys, and oxen, and little bodies of troops and solitary
+riders pour through the streets, broken by heavy ox-waggons and mule-carts
+driven by whips and shouts. All nationalities and all colours are present, and
+the most Babylonian babble of tongues resounds on all sides. Here are
+foreign military attach�s, surgeons, nurses, regular and irregular Boer
+troops, volunteers of all arms, officers as well as privates, and besides a
+goodly lot which I can only stamp as &#8216;freebooters,&#8217; for they do not belong to
+any fixed commando, but look upon the fighting as sport or chase. Frequently,
+however, among them I come across men of high culture and of first-class
+families, often fine handsome men with martial bearing, side by side with the
+worst scum of the earth. Many pass from one war to another. I have
+spoken with some who have gone through the Greek, Cuban, and Philippine
+wars. And what uniforms do these mercenaries wear? None at all, or, more
+correctly speaking, each one has invented his own! The only common badge
+is the bandolier across the shoulder and the slouch hat. Otherwise every one<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_175" id="Page_175">[Pg 175]</a></span>
+wears whatever clothes he may possess, only so that it is nothing new. Many
+of them who are well off have donned a fantastic costume&mdash;slouch hat, with
+waving ostrich feathers and gold lace, jacket edged with yellow, orange, and
+green bands, epaulettes with great gold tassels, white or gilt buttons, stripes
+on the trousers, top-boots with spurs, cockades in the hat and on the breast,
+and revolvers in the belt. At present the Boer troops are spread all over the
+place, mostly without any order or discipline. Most of them, particularly the
+Orange Boers, are sick of the war, and long to go home to their families and
+farms. Others have simply gone home after the Bloemfontein <i>d�b�cle</i>. In
+these circumstances Steyn considered it best to allow his men to go home for
+a few days, and call them together again when the great council of war at
+the end of the week had decided whether the war should be continued. Many
+thousands have thus gone home, with or without leave. Will they return?
+It seems a dangerous experiment.&#8221;</p></blockquote>
+
+<p>The fact was that gradually, very gradually, the eyes of the
+Boers were being opened, though they still tried to persuade themselves
+that Lord Roberts&#8217; presence in the capital of the Free State
+had no decisive effect on the game of war. They began to look
+anxiously towards the Continental Powers, who, they had been
+led to believe, were in sympathy with them, and to wonder
+when some intervention would save them from the doom they had
+brought on themselves. In one respect they were beginning to see
+clearly and to understand, that the great ideal of sweeping the
+British into the sea was a chimera, and that they must limit their
+aim to retaining their own freedom, the sole one that could be indulged
+in and clung to with any shadow of success.</p>
+
+<p>The Dutchmen still hoped against hope for victory, but their
+scorn for the British was fast dying a natural death. Our repeated
+fights, had they served no other purpose, succeeded in educating
+those who had dared to flout us, and after the capture of Cronje
+the effect of the somewhat brusque lesson was very conspicuous.
+Before the battle of Elandslaagte, a resident of Cape Town indulged
+in argument with an obstinate Boer in terms somewhat similar to
+these:&mdash;</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;We are going to send 50,000 or 60,000 troops into the field.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;They will be all shot!&#8221; he bragged.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;We shall send another 50,000 or 60,000.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;They, too, will all be shot!&#8221; he repeated.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;We shall send more.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;Almighty! am I to keep on shooting the Englishman all my
+life!&#8221; sighed the Dutchman, with his best air of braggadocio.</p>
+
+<p>Such bumptiousness was not confined to himself. All his compatriots
+started on the campaign with identical bombast, for they
+took their cue from the attitude of those Continental nations with
+which they had lately become associated. Our neighbours across
+the Channel had found it convenient to persuade themselves we<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_176" id="Page_176">[Pg 176]</a></span>
+were a decadent race, that the Old Country was played out and
+her children effete. As with the empires of Xerxes, Alexander,
+Augustus, so with that of Victoria, they said to themselves; and since
+the wish is father to the thought, the idea was rapidly propagated
+that Great Britain was fast becoming a second-rate Power.</p>
+
+<p>Almost the whole of Europe had indulged in objectionable comment
+on the subject of the campaign, and treated us to naked truths
+that, though unpalatable, were useful as an excellent opportunity to
+see ourselves as others see us, and correct a somewhat overweening
+passion for resting on British-grown laurels. But however good as
+a tonic the cosmopolitan criticism may have been, it was distinctly
+ill-timed and decidedly ungrateful. Our sneering foes should have
+patted us on the back, have applauded us. They might even have
+subscribed to help us to do the hard work of Europe, for, as the
+Norwegian showed, we were not fighting the Boer alone, but were
+attacking thousands of his mercenaries&mdash;the scum of Europe. We
+were scouring a veritable Augean stable. Ne&#8217;er-do-weels of every
+nationality were congregated under the Transvaal flag&mdash;vagabonds,
+for the most part, who had made their own country too hot to hold
+them, and who hoped by promoting a general upheaval to come
+down on their feet safely&mdash;somehow, somewhere!</p>
+
+<p>Fortunately Lord Roberts&#8217; masterly combinations had rapidly
+brought about a general disillusionment, and served to prove to
+our critical neighbours that our martial race&mdash;from officers to the
+most raw and fledgling &#8220;Tommies&#8221;&mdash;was the same race as of yore,
+&#8220;game for anything,&#8221; even when the thing might range between
+and include shot and shell, sickness and starvation! The object-lesson
+was a grand one, and could not pass unrecognised. For us
+the sad part of it was that the flower of our country, the valiant
+sons of brave men and the noble descendants of kings, should have
+had to risk their lives against such a mob of adventurers and
+filibusters, creatures who were actuated by none of the finer and
+natural impulses of the Boers to secure their independence, but flung
+themselves into the fight merely because the spirit of ruffianism
+which had driven them from their native soils was too rampant to
+be appeased by any other exercise. But there is no achievement
+without sadness&mdash;no success without pain. Lives must ever be
+sacrificed to maintain any great nation&#8217;s prestige, and now how
+much more noble seemed the sacrifice when it secured the prestige
+of a Power that had propagated equality and civilisation over the
+whole face of the world!</p>
+
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 439px;">
+<a name="ill_241" id="ill_241"></a><img src="images/ill_241.png" width="439" height="295" alt="" title="" />
+<div><span class="caption">THE BRITISH OCCUPATION OF BLOEMFONTEIN&mdash;AN EVENING CONCERT IN MARKET SQUARE BY THE
+PIPERS OF THE HIGHLAND BRIGADE.</span><br />
+<br />
+<span class="small">Drawing by A. Forestier.</span>
+</div></div>
+
+<p>The British once having put their hand to the plough, had stuck
+manfully to their work, not in hope of reward, but in the belief in
+the ministry of their great race. Beyond the minor considerations of
+franchise and political advantage, there had been greater and higher<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_177" id="Page_177">[Pg 177]</a></span>
+ends to be attained, and as the flag was fluttering over the capital
+of the Free State these great ends served to inspire and refresh those
+who almost fainted by the way. Where the British flag waved there
+was freedom, enlightenment, progress, evolution&mdash;there was emancipation
+from sin, injustice, and degradation; therefore at the cost
+of precious lives, and for no personal gain, the great end for which
+they toiled and suffered and died had to be achieved.</p>
+
+<p>Every ideal, whether merely human or bordering on the divine,
+demands enormous sacrifices from those who desire to realise it,
+and the spread of civilisation calls for its ministers and martyrs,
+and will continue to call for them so long as there are men of heroic
+mould who, regardless of personal cost, are ready to prize and protect
+a great and national cause. Only this reflection could serve
+to hearten and brace our warriors at the front, for, at this time, Lord
+Roberts&#8217; glorious position was far from a happy one. It was
+impossible to ignore the cost at which the prestige of his country
+and his splendid success was being secured. He found himself at
+Bloemfontein with the wreck of an army on his hands, with men
+dropping thick as flies from disease resulting from the terrible exhaustion
+of the march and from the insanitary conditions of the camp at
+Paardeberg. There the only water available for drinking purposes
+had flowed down from the Boer camp a mile and a half up the river,
+and was polluted by rotting carcases in various stages of decomposition,
+and, as a natural consequence of these conditions, Bloemfontein
+was suddenly filled with an appalling number of sick, some
+2000 patients suffering from typhoid and enteric, in addition to a
+very considerable number of wounded at the fight at Driefontein.
+How to help the abnormal number of sufferers was a problem that
+taxed the medical authorities to the utmost, for it was impossible to
+meet the huge demand under the existing conditions. To improvise
+mere accommodation for so large an influx of sick within the narrow
+confines of Bloemfontein was a hard task in itself, and even the field-hospitals
+were inadequate, for owing to the rapidity of the march
+from the Modder no tents were carried with the force, and none
+were available until railway communication with Cape Colony could
+be restored. The Commander-in-Chief of this immense army in
+this dilemma had but a single narrow-gauge line of railway between
+himself and his base some 700 miles distant, and this line of rails was
+not yet available. The first duty was to utilise it for the bringing up
+of supplies sufficient to sustain the bare life of the healthy force, and
+prevent those who were sound from joining those who were already
+exhausted. Tents for the sick, nurses, doctors, hospitals were ordered
+up, but these could only arrive in their turn, and meanwhile the
+patients were distributed in all the public buildings, schools, &amp;c. The
+town being small, this accommodation was meagre in the extreme,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_178" id="Page_178">[Pg 178]</a></span>
+and quantities of the sick in the field hospitals had to place their
+blankets and waterproof sheets on the ground, and lie there huddled
+together in a condition that was grievous in the extreme. The
+mortality was tremendous, and the sufferings of those who were
+recovering were pitiable, but these things it was impossible to
+avert; they have belonged in all ages to the horror of war, and in
+other times were the natural and ordinary, and not, as in the present
+case, an abnormal consequence of an exceptional situation.</p>
+
+<hr class="w50" />
+
+<p>The relief of Ladysmith and Kimberley accomplished, Lord
+Roberts was able to adhere to the cherished Napoleonic maxim&mdash;an
+army should have but one line of operation, which should be
+carefully preserved, and abandoned only as the result of weightier
+considerations. This army was now being reorganised as one great
+whole, a task which involved gigantic labour and called for rare discrimination.
+But the marvellous tact, one might say magnetism, of
+Lord Roberts smoothed every difficulty, and the enthusiasm with
+which those who were brought into contact with the Commander-in-Chief
+alluded to him, was remarkable. An army chaplain, writing
+home, voiced the popular feelings for the one and only &#8220;Bobs&#8221;:&mdash;&#8220;We
+are serving under the best and noblest man who ever led an
+army. You can have no conception of the passionate and devoted
+affection which Lord Roberts inspires in all ranks. It is not artifice,
+or adroitness, or dramatic power, but a simple overflowing of the
+milk of human kindness. Every one notices it; all remark it. The
+roughest and most cynical of the brave men out here cannot escape
+the fascination of his delightfully quiet and natural manner, his transparent
+unselfishness; and one sees in him the value in a born leader
+of men of a clear and musical voice, and eyes bright and piercing,
+yet full of kindness and benevolent sympathy. He is entirely without
+affectation, and takes care that the troops are fed, and not stinted of
+recreation whenever it can be found. Nothing pleases him more
+than to mix with the men when at play. And he is an example to
+all in his regular attendance at public worship and in resting on the
+Lord&#8217;s Day. His staff take their &#8216;tone&#8217; from him, and this is good
+for all who come into contact with that staff. I never met so active
+a man. At daybreak he is in the saddle, riding round the camp
+before he makes an informal inspection, without notice, of some
+portion of the lines. He shows no sign of failing strength or of
+impaired energy, and fatigue is a word not to be found in his vocabulary.
+I am told that the secret is frugal living and early to rest
+which keeps him in such excellent health. It is a privilege which all
+value very highly that they have had the good fortune to serve under
+our Field-Marshal.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>No such raptures were expended on the silent man of Egyptian<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_179" id="Page_179">[Pg 179]</a></span>
+fame who had made himself into the machinery of the tremendous
+movement, but how much his wonderful work was appreciated the
+following extract from the <i>Times</i> serves to show:&mdash;&#8220;When Lord
+Roberts and his Chief of the Staff reached Cape Town, we had
+troops of all arms in South Africa, but we had no field-army, and
+until we had a field-army the enemy were to a great extent masters
+of the position. It is not easy to realise the abilities and the unwearying
+energy needed to convert all the scattered raw material we
+possessed in South Africa and the reinforcements daily arriving from
+all parts of the Empire into the coherent and mobile fighting machine
+now directed by the Commander-in-Chief. To Lord Kitchener
+under him belongs the credit of that remarkable achievement. He
+has not only marshalled the fragmentary units of the paper army
+corps into a workmanlike fighting force, but in a country without
+roads in a European sense, and with few and light railways, he has
+seen that they were fed and clothed and supplied with all the innumerable
+articles indispensable to their efficiency. If Lord Roberts
+has won the battles, Lord Kitchener has been the &#8216;organiser of
+victory.&#8217;&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>The result of the combined methods of these two great soldiers
+was little short of marvellous, and when we look back to the days of
+Wellington, and compare the army of his day with the army at
+Bloemfontein, we can but wonder and admire and congratulate
+ourselves.</p>
+
+<p>For instance, the army at Bloemfontein, the victorious army,
+which had suffered exceedingly from the many annoyances of the
+Boers, comported themselves in their day of triumph with admirable
+reserve. Brave as the British warriors of old, they showed themselves
+men of finer stamp and higher discipline than the men who
+followed Wellington. We have the words of that great commander,
+to assure us that his force was almost incorrigible. He declared
+that his own troops at the beginning of the Peninsular war were &#8220;a
+rabble, who cannot bear success any more than Sir John Moore&#8217;s
+army could bear failure.&#8221; He also confessed, &#8220;I am endeavouring
+to tame them, but if I should not succeed, I must make an official
+complaint of them, and send one or two corps home in disgrace.
+They plunder in all directions.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>Things in Bloemfontein were very different. The victorious army
+under Lord Roberts walked in like the heroes they were, stopped
+their predatory instincts at a word, and paid their way and conducted
+themselves like gentlemen. Indeed the Free Staters lined their
+pockets almost too satisfactorily at the expense of their conquerors!</p>
+
+<p>Meanwhile the enemy conspired and plotted. On the 17th
+of March, at Kroonstad, a great council of war was held by the
+two Presidents, which was attended by a strange and mongrel<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_180" id="Page_180">[Pg 180]</a></span>
+community. Among the motley crew were some forty Boer leaders,
+De Wet, De Larey, Botha, and De Villebois-Mareuil (who was
+killed at Boshop later on). They were not goodly to look on, as
+uniform was non-existent, and clean shirts were luxuries that long
+since had been dispensed with. The action of the Boers, their
+strength and weakness, came under discussion, and all decided that
+they must fight to the bitter end. President Kruger offered up
+prayer, and petitioned the Almighty to give ear to the just claims of
+his people, while President Steyn, when his turn came, stuck to
+practical matters, discussed the situation, and declared that if the
+English thought that because they had captured the Free State
+capital they had won the battle they were self-deluded. He went
+on to say: &#8220;How should we now continue the war? Should we,
+as before, defend ourselves in fortified positions, or should we try a
+new method? I am no soldier,&#8221; he continued, &#8220;but, according to
+my conviction, we ought no longer to occupy fortified positions, as
+the English have learned to man&oelig;uvre us out of them without
+fighting, for which they invariably have plenty of men. Therefore,
+we ought only, as much as possible, to hamper the enemy&#8217;s forward
+march, and, whilst threatening his rear and flank, attack him everywhere
+where there is a chance with small commandos without train.
+We must by this method proceed more offensively than hitherto,
+and before all turn upon his lines of communication.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>The President&#8217;s scheme was much applauded and approved, after
+which De Larey began to complain of the state of the Boer army,
+the size and irregularity of the commandos, and the huge waggon
+laagers behind their positions, stating that owing to these being
+threatened by a man&oelig;uvre of the British, the men were forced
+hurriedly to leave the ranks to look after the safety of the waggons.
+He attributed the Boers&#8217; flight at Poplar Grove entirely to anxiety
+regarding these waggons. He suggested in future fighting with
+small commandos without train, as he declared it impossible for the
+Boers to succeed in wielding big armies, because when the enemy
+attempted to surround or outflank them the Boers lost their heads.</p>
+
+<p>General Joubert proposed &#8220;that the so-called &#8216;veldcornetschappen,&#8217;
+which are too large bodies to be led by one man, should be reduced
+to sections of twenty-five, with a corporal at the head. In the Transvaal
+this had already been initiated with very satisfactory results.&#8221;
+This proposal was also adopted, with the proviso that &#8220;&#8216;veldcornets&#8217;
+who did not at once adopt it should be fined �10.&#8221; The position of
+such a corporal is similar to that of a sergeant in Europe.</p>
+
+<p>Discussion later turned to the coalfields in Dundee, and to prevent
+them becoming of use to the British it was decided that they must
+be destroyed. General Botha, however, objected to this destruction,
+on the principle that the fields were not contraband of war, but<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_181" id="Page_181">[Pg 181]</a></span>
+private property. Thereupon President Steyn argued: &#8220;I am not
+of a destructive disposition, but this is necessary, and in accord with
+the law of nations. Does any one think that the English would
+let a vessel with coal for the Transvaal go by? If I had to blow
+up half the Orange Free State in order to secure the independence
+of my people I would do so.&#8221; The great council then closed with
+the following appeal by President Steyn:&mdash;&mdash;&#8220;I close the council in
+the hope that every officer realises the seriousness of the situation.
+It is a question of life or death to us, whether we shall remain an
+independent nation or become slaves. I do all that is in my power,
+and so does also my elder brother (Kruger). I am no soldier, but
+you officers are, and to you much is entrusted&mdash;the future of our
+country. Your reward will depend on your actions. Your task is
+a very difficult one. May God aid you! We are all mortal, but
+is there a more glorious death than to fall for your country and
+people at the head of your fellow-Burghers. May God help us!
+The position is indeed full of trouble, but when night is darkest
+dawn is nearest.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>These impassioned periods were highly effective, and the Burghers
+who were present forgot to ask themselves why the speaker had
+carefully insured himself against so glorious an exit from life by carefully
+taking to his heels whenever he was confronted by the British!</p>
+
+<p>Some Burghers evidently thinking that an ounce of example was
+worth a ton of precept, decided not to die gloriously, but to live at
+peace with all men inside their homes, and consequently turned their
+backs on their party and returned to their farms.</p>
+
+<p>A proclamation had been issued requiring Burghers residing
+within ten miles of the military headquarters and the town to deliver
+up all arms and ammunition by noon on the 18th, under penalty of
+being punished and having their goods confiscated, and by degrees,
+as a consequence of the proclamation, rifles in considerable quantities
+were handed in. On the other hand, a great many more modern
+weapons were surreptitiously disposed of, many of them being buried
+in order to be dug up as occasion might require, and obsolete firearms
+surrendered in their place.</p>
+
+<p>The work of pacification was going on apace at Springfontein,
+where the 1st Scots Guards, the 3rd Grenadier Guards, four
+Royal Artillery guns, and forty Mounted Infantry were now stationed,
+and at Bethulie, which place also had decided not to show fight.</p>
+
+<p>Sir Godfrey Lagden from Maseru now telegraphed to Lord
+Roberts stating that the residents of Wepener (a town at the extreme
+east of the Free State on the Basutoland border) wished to
+receive copies of the proclamation and had decided to lay down
+their arms, and it was stated that many more towns on the eastern
+fringe desired to follow suit.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_182" id="Page_182">[Pg 182]</a></span></p>
+
+<p>With marvellous celerity things began to shape themselves.
+The law courts resumed work. Mr. Papenfus, whose services
+as Landrost had been dispensed with, was replaced by Mr. Collins.
+A train service was speedily established between Bloemfontein and
+Cape Town, and the Bank of Africa and the National Bank of the
+Free State were permitted (subject to restriction) to continue business.
+Transactions with towns in the Transvaal and Free State
+still occupied by the enemy were not allowed.</p>
+
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 365px;">
+<a name="ill_248" id="ill_248"></a><img src="images/ill_248.png" width="365" height="349" alt="" title="" />
+<div><span class="caption smcap">Signal Station at Bloemfontein.</span><br />
+<br />
+On the left of the picture is the heliograph, and on the right a Begbie signal lamp, for use
+when there is no sun. (Photo by Reinhold Thiele.)
+</div></div>
+
+<p>Naturally some of the best type of farmers in the vicinity who
+had surrendered were anxious for protection against attacks by
+Boers still in the field, and Lord Roberts, bearing this in mind, sent
+out columns to register names and take over arms, and give assurance
+that the necessary protection was forthcoming. During the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_183" id="Page_183">[Pg 183]</a></span>
+end of March, General French, on this mission intent, was sent to
+Thabanchu (forty miles east of Bloemfontein), while a detachment
+from General Gatacre&#8217;s headquarters had gone to Smithfield (some
+forty miles north of Aliwal North). General Clements operated in
+the same pacific way round the south-west skirts of Bloemfontein,
+while General Brabant &#8220;tackled&#8221; the only still aggressive force of the
+Boers in the southern part of the Free State. Commandant Olivier
+with a force of some 5000 men and sixteen guns was there, being
+pushed back inch by inch, it was hoped into the arms of General
+French, who was waiting with such horses as he could still muster
+at Thabanchu to pounce on him. Still, though slowly, the country
+was settling down, and the inhabitants were beginning to realise
+the advantage of bringing in supplies for sale. They, however,
+were &#8220;slim&#8221; at the core, and their slimness was responsible for
+some lamentable occurrences with which we shall have to deal
+anon.</p>
+
+<p>The telegraph was now restored as far as Reddersberg Railway,
+communication had been restored with Bethulie, and the railway at
+Norval&#8217;s Pont had been completed. In south and west peace
+reigned. There were even signs that the Transvaalers were
+thinking of abandoning the defence of the Free State. Friction
+between the Federals was reported on all sides. Even Mr. Steyn
+and Mr. Kruger were scarcely at one. Mr. Steyn&#8217;s last remark to
+the grand old man of Pretoria when they parted at Bloemfontein
+was, &#8220;Mind the British don&#8217;t catch you, or you will get better
+quarters in St. Helena than I.&#8221; Both Presidents were aware that
+the Commander-in-Chief was a person to be reckoned with, and that,
+if they wished to make a last wild effort, they must put their shoulder
+to the wheel. So on the 21st of March President Steyn and General
+Joubert went on a tour of inspection for the purpose of encouraging
+the troops. With them was a foreigner who described their movements.
+&#8220;The troops who are in laager at Venterburg, Roodstation,
+Zand River Bridge, and Smaldeel (Winburgroodstation), number
+only some 700 men, with a battery and six machine guns, all
+Transvaal Boers. The feeling was everywhere buoyant, and all
+were determined to hold out. To-day the Orange Boers begin to
+return after their leave. It looks as if they are recovering their
+breath after the Bloemfontein <i>d�b�cle</i>, and if the English wait
+much before they advance, the men will have time to reorganise
+themselves. Colonel De Villebois-Mareuil is now occupied with the
+scheme of organising a flying column of foreigners, to be called
+the &#8216;European Corps,&#8217; of 600 men, two guns, and a waggon with
+dynamite and tools, with which he intends to operate on the
+English lines of communication, if possible in conjunction with
+Major Stenekamp, who has collected some 2000 men to the west,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_184" id="Page_184">[Pg 184]</a></span>
+who are furnished with ammunition, stores, and money by General
+du Toit at Fourteen Streams. The English have indeed lost much
+valuable time; the next few weeks should show if the Boers have
+understood to take advantage of it. But there seems to be too little
+plan and too little organisation among them.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>The loss of time was deplored on all hands, but Lord Roberts,
+rather than do things imperfectly, was content to wait. There was
+no use in attempting to hammer at the demoralised Boers till, rail,
+horses, and constitutions being in working order, his tools should be
+equal to the task required of them.</p>
+
+<p>But the Chief, though stationary, was not allowing the grass to
+grow under his feet. It must be remembered that prior to his
+entry into Bloemfontein he had been marching and fighting for a
+month away from the railway, and that his primary duties had been,
+first, to capture and secure the railroad; second, to repair it and
+get it, together with bridges, &amp;c., in working order; and thirdly,
+to shift his base from Cape Town to Port Elizabeth, a distance
+of 750 miles, by a single line of rails with a rise of 4500 feet.
+Much time had also been spent in defeating detached forces of the
+enemy which threatened his communications with Cape Town and
+Port Elizabeth, and blocked them from East London.</p>
+
+<p>The question of horses, too, was a most important one, one
+which could not be settled without much delay, because, do what it
+might, the Government could scarcely send them off with sufficient
+haste to meet the demand. During the first four months of the
+new year there had been shipped, as remounts, in addition to those
+sent with the troops, 27,041 horses and 17,143 mules. A further
+supply was expected in May, consisting of 7500 horses and 4500
+mules, and after that date another batch of 7500 horses and 20,000
+mules was to be forwarded. The total of remounts bought since
+the opening of 1900 was about 42,000 horses and 23,000 mules!
+But, until the steady flow of these into the country commenced, the
+great final move could not be more than planned out.</p>
+
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 456px;">
+<a name="ill_251" id="ill_251"></a><img src="images/ill_251.png" width="456" height="597" alt="" title="" />
+<div><span class="caption">STRATHCONA&#8217;S HORSE.</span><br />
+<br />
+<span class="small">Photo by Pittaway, Ottawa.</span>
+</div></div>
+
+<p>The art of battle had resolved itself into a question of pace.
+The Boers had taught us that to be successful we must be slim,
+swift, and sudden. Lord Roberts decided that there must be no
+breathing-time, that their cunning commandos must not be
+permitted to collect, and that mounted troops must be met by
+mounted troops. It began to be evident that the army of
+the future would need to gallop&mdash;machine guns with the Horse
+Artillery, Royal Engineers with the cavalry, while guns of position
+and traction engines would have to follow a corresponding process of
+activity! With flying cavalry and mounted infantry must also go
+flying engineers, ready to take their share in schemes of scientific
+demolition, effective destruction of lines and culverts and bridges,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_185" id="Page_185">[Pg 185]</a></span>
+which cannot be remedied under the loss of days&mdash;days which will
+mean the success or the failure of the enterprise in hand. In fact,
+hereafter a vast and wonderful military dictionary will be comprised
+in the word &#8220;mobility.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>To the ordinary mind the question of mobility resolves itself into
+a mere matter of mounted men. It is almost impossible to follow
+the extraordinary ramifications strategically and tactically connected
+with the term. To increase the mobility of the army&mdash;the problem
+which had to be faced by Lord Roberts on his arrival at the Cape
+and again at Bloemfontein&mdash;it was, above all things, imperative to
+have quicker moving transport; strategically, a leader would be
+hand-tied without it. After this it was necessary to provide for
+perpetual relays of mounts for the cavalry with far less weight on
+the saddle, and to feed up the infantry, and thus restore to the
+men their mental and muscular elasticity. Tactical mobility was
+dependent on these considerations, and they had to be faced equally
+with the great difficulty of how to deal with the daily increasing
+number of sick. The Boers had been given too much breathing-time
+at first, and the delay had to be made up for by the hurried
+and costly swoop on Cronje, which turned the tide of British fortune.
+It was now important that another rush should be made&mdash;a rush
+without the &#8220;intervals for refreshments&#8221; which had served the
+Boers so conveniently, and enabled their recuperative courage to
+assert itself&mdash;and to organise this a somewhat long halt was
+obligatory.</p>
+
+<p>The Chief now intended to make the capital the advanced base
+for the invasion of the Transvaal, and decided to attempt no further
+move till sixty days&#8217; supplies should have arrived from the Cape.
+The heterogeneous units of Imperial and Colonial troops now called
+for redistribution. Gaps had to be filled in and &#8220;inefficients&#8221; weeded
+out. General Warren was put into civil charge of Griqualand West;
+General Nicholson was given charge of the transport&mdash;a thankless
+and onerous post; General Chermside took over the Third Division
+from General Gatacre; General Hunter was drawn with Barton&#8217;s
+Brigade from Natal to the Free State side; Generals Pole-Carew
+and Rundle got Divisions; and General Ian Hamilton was appointed
+to the command of a Division of Mounted Infantry, 11,000 men in
+all, composed of two Brigades, each of four corps, with batteries of
+artillery attached. The remounting of the cavalry and Mounted
+Infantry was an undertaking needing time and help from all parts
+of the British world. Activities were not all serious, however.</p>
+
+<p>Bloemfontein boasted a newspaper. It was styled the <i>Friend of
+the Free State</i>. Before many days were over it had changed hands,
+and had become the perquisite of the war correspondents. It was
+now run on Imperial lines, and formed the organ of official com<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_186" id="Page_186">[Pg 186]</a></span>munications
+during the military occupation of the capital. But for
+that reason it did not lose the sense of humour with which the freelances
+of the press&mdash;Rudyard Kipling among them&mdash;were bubbling.
+A specimen of the jocosity of our exuberant scribes serves as a
+memento of a wonderful period.</p>
+
+<blockquote><p class="center">&#8220;STINKOSSMULEFONTEIN&#8221;</p>
+
+<p class="center"><span class="smcap">The Descriptive Art</span></p>
+
+<p>We have often felt that the gallant members of Lord Roberts&#8217; force, although
+themselves daily engaged in doing deeds which will live in history, yet have to
+exercise a vast amount of patience before they can read for themselves the
+brilliant, graphic, and wonderful accounts of their doings sent home by the war
+correspondents attached to the force. England is three weeks away, and it is
+a long time for the gallant soldier to wait to see his name in all the glory of
+leaded type. With the usual enterprise of the <i>Friend</i>, we have&mdash;we will not
+say how&mdash;managed to see and copy the telegrams sent home by the leading
+correspondents describing the action at Stinkossmulefontein Kopje. It was
+not, it is true, a very big engagement, for two companies of Mounted Infantry
+were sent to see if there were any Boers in the said kopje. They found them
+there&mdash;in the usual manner&mdash;one man wounded and six horses&mdash;and then
+retired to report the fact. That is the bare solid truth of the whole thing; now
+for the correspondents&#8217; accounts:&mdash;</p>
+
+<p><i>Times</i> (London):&mdash;Human element in what commonly supposed be machine,
+namely, two companies Mounted Infantry to-day severely tried. To put to-day&#8217;s
+action form algebraic equation situation briefly this Boers keen-eyed, rugged
+held kopje (forget name kopje but know stink and fontein in it but see Reuter)
+sitting behind boulders, while other portion equation represented two companies
+Mounted Infantry (don&#8217;t know commander or regiment see Reuter) is possible
+work whole thing algebraically Boer on kopje equal ten Mounted Infantry
+advancing along level plain therefore fifty boers on kopje more than match for
+two hundred Mounted Infantry advancing across plain whole thing followed
+mathematical sequence Mounted Infantry returned from kopje having tried
+solve impossible equation.</p>
+
+<p><i>Daily Telegraph</i> (London):&mdash;Early morning while camp asleep rose prepared
+my coffee saddled horse left camp each side lay poor wearied soldiers
+fast asleep dreaming doubtless home mothers wives sweethearts some tossed
+uneasily hard veldt moon shone pouring paling with silver light features [please
+insert here one my night-before-battle scenes No. 4] but I could not help feeling
+Army doing wrong sleep knew enemy front determined myself go forward find
+out position enemy passed outlying picket told officer keep good look out as
+knew enemy front officer answer and actually wished prevent me passing
+picket but when told him my name allowed pass sun now rising glorious [insert
+sunrise scene No. 2] moved cautiously forward saw near distance kopje approached
+near suddenly whole kopje burst forth into flame of flashes bullets
+whizzed past but I remained still counting carefully each flash till I found out
+exactly number Boers then putting spurs galloped back full speed flying past
+picket sentries horse lines arrived myself and horse breathless Field Marshal&#8217;s
+cart dismounted saluted told him I had discovered fifty enemy in position four
+miles on. Field marshal drinking coffee said thank you continued eating<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_187" id="Page_187">[Pg 187]</a></span>
+breakfast I then developed to him my plan campaign drew statement correct
+map. Field marshal continued breakfast again said thank you I left him field
+marshal following my plan ordered two companies Mounted Infantry reconnoitre
+position which did with loss one man six horses wounded [insert famous
+&#8220;Vulture Scene&#8221;].</p>
+
+<p><i>Daily News</i> (London):&mdash;Again British arms successfully came contact
+enemy locating position number with great exactness early morning two companies
+mounted infantry under Major Jones pushed just as sun tinging kopjes
+with ruby light saw kopje front which from indications appeared be held
+enemy opening into skirmishing order small force advanced till within rifle
+range when enemy opened heavy fire Major Jones having found what he wanted
+immediately ordered retirement of force without replying to enemys fire our loss
+man wounded six horses enemys loss unknown but must be enormous value
+of horses wounded about �150.</p>
+
+<p><i>Cape Times</i> (Capetown):&mdash;Morning opened with soft breezes from north
+just sufficient to shake mimosa bushes into sweet rustling music when I rose
+rode forward fully sure that I should see something and I did for before we rode
+forward two gallant companies of Mounted Infantry having, it is true, none of
+the shining pomp war for every button, every shining bit of steel or metal
+covered with kharki still little force looked gallant enough reminded me one
+James Grant&#8217;s novels. Veldt was green with recent rains there was a freshness
+in the air everything was peaceful around me but in front was war and wounds
+and death. I stood on rising ground and saw before me a panorama unfolded
+the little band of British soldiers approaching the grim kopje where lay the
+watchful Boer. Closer and closer rode our men and now I could see them open
+out and work like a perfect machine round the bases of the kopje and then
+across the still morning air came the ominous crack! which told me that the
+grim game had commenced crack! crack! crack! followed in quick succession
+the Boers were firing on our men whose orders were simply to feel for the
+enemy, but they not only felt for him, but also felt him for as we retired one
+man was wounded in the fleshy part of the arm, and through six horses Boer
+bullets passed though without fatal effects. And then I rode back with the
+little force who in spite of the shower of lead which had passed through their
+ranks laughed and chaffed and thought only of their coming breakfast.</p>
+
+<p><i>Cape Argus</i> (Capetown):&mdash;Early this morning two companies Mounted
+Infantry under Major Jones proceeded west came into touch with enemy at
+Stinkossmulefontein Kopje which lies on farm belonging old Pete Bumbleknuckel
+who well known Rand circles his daughter married Jacobus
+Pimplewinkel who lost an eye fighting in the Langberg Campaign his cousin
+maternal side is Jack Jackson who is one of General Brabant&#8217;s most active
+Scouts. But to return to the skirmish the mounted infantry succeeded in
+locating the enemy retired having effected their object with the loss of one man
+and six horses wounded on way back I met native who told me commander
+Boer force Lucus Prussic old personal friend mine who curious to relate still
+owes me five pounds which borrowed just before I left Johannesburg.</p>
+
+<p><i>Daily Mail</i> (London):&mdash;Shakespeare said better lie bed than go fighting
+early morning. I agree but Plutarch said man who lies abed when work
+abroad moral coward am not moral coward but all same wish people fight
+decent hours fancy going out fighting cold raw morning nothing in stomach but
+one miserable cup cocoa however went being late lost my way instead witnessing
+fight British side found myself next Boer who not perceive me firing over our
+men by happy interposition Providence managed reach our men leaving behind<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_188" id="Page_188">[Pg 188]</a></span>
+enemy&#8217;s hand one horse Cape cart pipe lucky get off with life insensibly reminded
+celebrated lines Heine &#8220;wo ist mein pferd und mein kaap-tart?&#8221; no
+breakfast when arrived camp kept thinking how Boers enjoying my sausages
+drinking my whisky Boers must be destroyed now, with spirit old Roman
+I now say &#8220;delendi sunt Boeri&#8221; though I have greater reason for saying so
+since Hannibal&#8217;s soldiers never stole sausages and whisky from Roman correspondents.</p>
+
+<p><i>Morning Post</i> (London):&mdash;Stinkossmulefontein mounted Jones reconnoitred
+kopje half dismounted half rear enemy fired returned front. Experience say
+half gone left flank greater success turning movement only against Boers see
+Page 431 Napoleonic Legends also Life Moltke Page 239 Battle Schweitzerk�sse.
+Had Jones read more Schweitzerk�sse&mdash;no Moltke&mdash;would capture
+whole army waggons. Paper should impress importance this all arms.</p>
+
+<p><i>Reuter</i> (London):&mdash;Stinkossmulefontein Thursday via Disselboomlaagte per
+despatch riders&mdash;Yesterday two companies Mounted Infantry Major Jones
+under orders General Flanker proceeded reconnoitre kopje was present what
+some may call unimportant rearguard action can say was most important event
+entire expedition at distance 2033.4216 yards enemy opened fire. Jones dismounted
+A company, B company sent E.N.E. by E. direction rear enemy. At
+6.3&frac12; a.m. front rank left section A after returned fire 6.4&frac14; a.m. Trooper Metford,
+fourth man rear rank right section A received wound four inches below left
+elbow. Having ascertained strength enemy force returned camp object reconnaissance
+accomplished six horses missing five receiving wounds sixth left
+behind with staggers not shot as some declare.</p></blockquote>
+
+<p>Every one exerted himself to make the newspaper a success,
+and, as may be imagined, the journal became a source of merriment
+and delight. Nor was it without pathos. Mr. Rudyard Kipling,
+whose patriotic feeling had dragged him to the scene of action to
+view the British flag as erected there by Mr. Thomas Atkins, contributed
+his quota. On the death of Mr. G. W. Steevens, the
+brilliant young war correspondent, who died in Ladysmith, he wrote
+the following lines:&mdash;</p>
+
+<div class="poem"><div class="stanza">
+<span class="i0">&#8220;Through war and pestilence, red siege and fire,<br /></span>
+<span class="i2">Silent and self-contained, he drew his breath.<br /></span>
+<span class="i0">Brave not for show of courage, his desire:<br /></span>
+<span class="i2">Truth as he saw it, even to the death.&#8221;<br /></span>
+</div></div>
+
+<p>The Naval Brigade was now busy furbishing itself up, and
+veritably began to look as &#8220;fresh as paint.&#8221; The guns received
+new coats, and the Bluejackets and marines made themselves spick
+and span. It is not often that Tommy waxes enthusiastic over Jack,
+but over the conduct of the Naval Brigade he was even eloquent.
+One writing home said:&mdash;&#8220;It was a good job the Boers did not
+make a stand at Bloemfontein, for it would have been a great pity
+to have had to destroy so fine a town. It would not have taken us
+long to have made the town a heap of stones, as in addition to our
+ordinary batteries, we had with us &#8216;Joe Chamberlain&#8217; and five of
+his &#8216;chums&#8217; belonging to the Naval Brigade. I hope when the war<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_189" id="Page_189">[Pg 189]</a></span>
+is over you at home will not forget the splendid service of the Naval
+men. I for one shall never forget the way in which they dragged
+their heavy guns across a most difficult country, or the manner
+in which they handled them in the face of the enemy.&#8221; On the
+21st the Brigade, under Captain Bearcroft, was inspected by Lord
+Roberts, who made one of the charming and appropriate speeches
+which have always rendered him so popular. He thanked the
+Brigade for the excellent work done in the campaign, and wished
+good luck to those about to rejoin their ship. The Chief also
+eulogised the splendid service of Captain Lambton and his men in
+saving the situation at Ladysmith.</p>
+
+<p>Meanwhile on the east and south of the Free State things were
+not entirely comfortable. Commandant Olivier and his hordes,
+with their usual cunning, assisted by their remarkable mobility,
+were flitting about, now withdrawing before General Brabant, now
+evading the equally cunning and active French, now laying in wait
+for unprotected detachments, or hanging about railway lines in order
+to wreck them, but making themselves scarce with lightning velocity
+when a hint of British reinforcements was given by the appearance
+of a dust-cloud on the horizon. Fortunately our officers on
+the principal line of communications were so vigilant and cautious
+that the rail, running through some hundred miles of hostile ground,
+was safely protected.</p>
+
+<p>On the 23rd of March an unlucky incident took place in the
+neighbourhood of Karee Siding. Some officers of the Guards
+Brigade rode off from Glen Camp in the early morning to make
+arrangements with the local farmers for ensuring forage and supplies.
+Glen Siding is a station on the Orange Free State Railway some
+fourteen miles north of Bloemfontein. Near here the Brigade of
+Guards and a force of Mounted Infantry had been stationed owing
+to the destruction by the Boers of a bridge on the Modder. Other
+troops were posted at intervals along the line of rail in order to watch
+over the enemy and prevent any further efforts at dynamite wrecking.
+On this day the party consisted of Colonel Crabbe, 3rd Grenadiers
+(who greatly distinguished himself in the battle of Belmont, and was
+wounded); Colonel Codrington, Coldstreams; Adjutant Hon. E.
+Lygon, who was also wounded at Belmont; Captain Trotter, and an
+orderly, Private Turner of the 1st Cape Volunteers. Why, when
+officers of high rank were so extremely valuable, these two Colonels
+should have thus recklessly exposed themselves has never been
+satisfactorily explained. The day was spent in making a tour
+of the farms, and everything went well until the middle of the
+afternoon. While riding along close to a homestead called Maas
+Farm, the Guards party discovered that four mounted men were
+making for a kopje as though to head them off. Whereupon the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_190" id="Page_190">[Pg 190]</a></span>
+party instantly advanced to meet the enemy. These promptly hid
+themselves behind the friendly boulders, where they were joined
+by three other Dutchmen, who assisted them in pouring a smart
+shower of lead upon the approaching officers. These, with only
+four Lee-Metfords between them, made an effort to get at the
+unseen enemy, but in a very few moments all the members of the
+British band had dropped. Colonel Crabbe had a bullet through
+arm and leg, and his horse was killed. Colonel Codrington was
+injured in the thigh. Lieutenant Lygon was shot through the heart
+and died instantaneously, while Captain Trotter and Private Turner
+were also wounded. The situation was a lamentable one. The
+veldt was strewn with helpless men, while from the kopje the Dutchmen
+continued to fire, the flute-like song of the Mauser falling
+ominously on the ears of the gallant men who were unable to move
+a limb in defence. Then between the prostrate Colonels a debate
+took place. Now that resistance was useless, each invited the other
+to display a white handkerchief. One refused because he declared
+he couldn&#8217;t&mdash;his handkerchief was a crimson one. The other refused
+because he vowed he wouldn&#8217;t&mdash;his handkerchief was a British one,
+and never manufactured for waving at Boers. But, finally, he was
+brought to reason, and immediately on the display of the magic
+square the Boers ceased fire. They now emerged from their
+boulders, tended the wounded, spoke apologetically of their good
+marksmanship, and finally carried off their prizes to the neighbouring
+farm. Here the prisoners were fed and carefully looked after till
+evening. A messenger was sent to the Guards&#8217; Camp at Glen
+requesting surgeons and an ambulance to remove the wounded to
+their headquarters, and on the arrival of the medical party the
+officers were given up by their captors and allowed to return to camp
+in their charge. They were relieved of their warlike belongings,
+firearms, and glasses, &amp;c., but their private effects remained in their
+pockets undisturbed.</p>
+
+<p>The body of the Hon. E. Lygon was also removed, but the next
+day, in accordance with the wishes of his family, it was interred in
+the wild and lonely spot where he met his death.</p>
+
+<p>On the 27th of March Sir Alfred Milner arrived at Bloemfontein
+on a private visit, and was met by Lord Roberts and his
+Staff. General French returned from Thabanchu after having
+occupied the town and captured the flour-mills.</p>
+
+<p>Lord Kitchener also reappeared. His operations had been short
+and to the point. He came on the same day from Prieska, having
+received the submission of some 200 rebels, and put to flight such of
+them as had no taste for an encounter with &#8220;the man of ice and
+iron&#8221; as the Italians called the hero of Omdurman.</p>
+
+<p>Towards Ladybrand news was less satisfactory. The British<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_191" id="Page_191">[Pg 191]</a></span>
+loyalists, owing to their sympathy with their fellow-countrymen, were
+subjected to annoyance and cruelty. Many of them were captured,
+imprisoned, and some were sent to Kroonstad, which had been
+declared to be the capital of the Free State. Daily, English farmers
+were commandeered, robbed, threatened. The smart activities of
+Olivier had produced a lamentable effect on the state of affairs, as it
+was now impossible to afford full protection to the farmers in the
+south-east and east who had surrendered their rifles, and who were
+subjected to the vengeful barbarity of the Boers. The mistaken
+policy of leniency to the Free Staters was now being demonstrated,
+the &#8220;live and let live&#8221; principle having helped Olivier to gather
+together under his banner such of the enemy as had met us with a
+Janus-faced surrender. Those who fight and run away, live to fight
+another day; and on this cautious code the Free Staters had
+modelled their manners, so as to reserve themselves for further
+truculent exploits. Again British magnanimity was mistaken for
+weakness, and the temporary success of their man&oelig;uvres in the east
+was causing the Boers to indulge in reprisals of abominable kind on
+British born people, whose action in surrendering was the only possible
+one in the circumstances. A rumour existed that the late
+President Steyn had issued orders that all British burghers refusing
+to fight with the Boer army would be shot.</p>
+
+<p>On the 27th of March a formidable figure was removed from the
+drama in South Africa. General Joubert, who had long been in somewhat
+delicate health (so much so that in his campaigns he was
+accompanied by his wife, who cooked for him), now suddenly succumbed
+to an acute attack of inflammation of the kidneys. General
+Joubert was much esteemed by all who knew him. In him the
+Boers lost not only a remarkable commander, but an enlightened and
+level-headed politician. It was declared that had the General succeeded
+to the Presidency in 1895, the whole Uitlander agitation would
+have ceased to exist. The deceased Dutchman had moderately
+progressive views, and he announced his belief that the demand
+for a five years&#8217; franchise was a reasonable one. He also discountenanced
+the idea of war, and in many ways used the influence
+he had with his countrymen in the cause of reason and liberality of
+outlook. At times he seemed to desire friendly co-operation with
+Great Britain. For this cause he was accused by his more narrow
+countrymen of being half-hearted in the Africander cause, and was
+intrigued against by Mr. Kruger and such of the subsidised
+sympathisers as the President could gather around him. Still his
+attitude may be gauged by his famous speech in 1878:&mdash;</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;I have been to England, and have with my own eyes seen the
+might of that mighty nation. And let me tell you that England is a
+very mighty nation&mdash;in my opinion the mightiest in the world. But,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_192" id="Page_192">[Pg 192]</a></span>
+thank God, it is not almighty.&#8221; And his motto, which he invented
+for himself, was, &#8220;Trust in God, and fight England.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>On hearing the news of General Joubert&#8217;s death, Lord Roberts
+sent the following to President Kruger:&mdash;</p>
+
+<blockquote><p>&#8220;I have just received the news of General Joubert&#8217;s death, and desire at once
+to offer my sincere condolence to your Honour and the burghers of the South
+African Republic on the sad event.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;I would ask you to convey to General Joubert&#8217;s family the expression of
+my most respectful sympathy in their sad bereavement, and to assure them also
+from me that all ranks of her Majesty&#8217;s forces serving in South Africa share
+my feeling of deep regret at the sudden and untimely end of so distinguished a
+general, who devoted his life to the service of his country, and whose personal
+gallantry was only surpassed by his humane conduct and chivalrous bearing
+under all circumstances.&#8221;</p></blockquote>
+
+<p>On the afternoon of the 29th the funeral took place, and many
+wreaths were sent by the British officers in the Pretoria prison.</p>
+
+<h3 class="gap2">THE BATTLE OF KARREE</h3>
+
+<p>Karree Station is situated some seventy miles north of Bloemfontein,
+and here the Dutchmen were distributed on kopjes commanding
+the railway west and north. As they promised to be an
+impediment to further progress, Lord Roberts decided that they
+must be removed. Generals Tucker, Wavell, and Chermside, with
+infantry and artillery, were already in the vicinity. To join them
+General French started from Bloemfontein with reinforcements
+on the 28th of March. These consisted of a Cavalry Brigade
+composed of 12th Lancers, the Carabineers, the Greys, the
+Australian Horse, a Mounted Infantry Brigade, Kitchener&#8217;s Horse,
+and three Vickers-Maxim guns under Colonel Le Gallais.</p>
+
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 360px;">
+<a name="ill_261" id="ill_261"></a><img src="images/ill_261.png" width="360" height="512" alt="" title="" />
+<div><span class="caption">Mr M. T. STEYN.<br />
+<br />
+LATE PRESIDENT ORANGE FREE STATE.</span><br />
+<br />
+<span class="small">From &#8220;South Africa&#8221; by permission of the Publishers.</span>
+</div></div>
+
+<p>The artillery planted their shells with admirable exactness on
+the kopjes west of Karree where the enemy had ensconced himself.
+Meanwhile, in a wonderful and almost invisible manner,
+an enveloping movement was organised, Colonel Le Gallais, the
+Mounted Infantry, and Kitchener&#8217;s Horse operating on the right wing,
+while General French with 1st and 3rd Cavalry Brigades were on
+the left. General Chermside&#8217;s Brigade was on the right centre, and
+General Wavell&#8217;s on the left centre. About midday the enemy was
+discovered near a farmhouse some two miles east of Karree. The
+Dutchmen then began to fire from some small kopjes, on the infantry.
+From this point they were routed by the smart action of the
+Norfolks, but they continually reappeared, there being some five
+thousand of them, under Grobler, occupying four different positions,
+with a frontage some three miles long. Both ends of the position
+were strengthened by trenches and guns. The right flank consisted
+of a thickly wooded hill connected with the main position by a ridge<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_193" id="Page_193">[Pg 193]</a></span>
+also covered with scrub. The left was protected by an incrustation
+of minor kopjes, and round these fastnesses the Boers clung
+tenaciously.</p>
+
+<p>The finest performance of the day was that of the East Lancashires,
+who, with comparatively small loss, eventually succeeded in
+moving the enemy from his main stronghold. The City Imperial
+Volunteers also distinguished themselves, the men advancing the
+first time under fire with the utmost coolness.</p>
+
+<p>While the enemy were retreating from the assault of the Lancashires
+General French&#8217;s guns opened on them, and with such good
+result that the fight was practically at an end, for the Boers having
+begun to beat a retreat were forced finally to scuttle off as fast as
+legs would carry them. Till sunset the artillery continued to direct
+deadly attentions to the various kopjes, thus deciding the Dutchmen
+that their efforts to run and return would be of no avail. Dusk was
+setting in, and consequently the cavalry failed to pursue them, and
+they succeeded once more in getting away clear. Owing to the
+rapidity with which the night came on, most of the troops, who
+had experienced some very trying hours of fighting, bivouacked where
+they were.</p>
+
+<p>The battery on the right centre was unable to come into action
+owing to the nature of the ground, which was sliced with ravines and
+blotched with irregularities, but nevertheless the upshot of the day&#8217;s
+work was satisfactory, as the country as far as the little town of
+Brandfort&mdash;important to us in our future operations&mdash;was swept
+clear of the enemy, and henceforth the British outposts covered the
+ground gained and preserved it from further incursions of the nimble
+Dutchmen.</p>
+
+<p>The casualties were numerous:&mdash;</p>
+
+<blockquote><p>King&#8217;s Own Scottish Borderers.&mdash;<i>Killed.</i>&mdash;Capt. A. C. Going. <i>Wounded.</i>&mdash;Lieut.
+E. M. Young, dangerously (since dead); Second Lieut. B. J. Coulson;
+Capt. W. D. Sellar. Norfolk Regiment.&mdash;Capt. E. Peebles; Capt. A. H.
+Luard. Lincolnshire Regiment.&mdash;Capt. L. Edwards. South Wales Borderers.&mdash;Lieut.
+W. C. Curgenven. Hampshire Regiment.&mdash;Lieut. C. N. French. 1st
+Dragoon Guards.&mdash;Capt. W. M. Marter (Brigade Major).</p></blockquote><p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_194" id="Page_194">[Pg 194]</a></span></p>
+
+<h2 class="gap4"><a name="CHAPTER_VIII" id="CHAPTER_VIII"></a>CHAPTER VIII<br />
+<br />
+<span class="smaller">MAFEKING IN MARCH</span></h2>
+
+<p>Five months of beleaguerment and no nearer the end!
+Ruefully the caged crowd began to draw pictures of
+themselves as weird Rip Van Winkles, curious fossilised
+things that would some day be unearthed by the inquiring
+historian. They wondered whether Ginevra in her sealed
+oaken chest felt more lost to the world, more forgotten, more impossible
+of rescue! &#8220;We,&#8221; said some one who shall be nameless,
+&#8220;we are all modern Ginevras&mdash;only no one seems to look for us,
+and, by-and-by, perhaps no one will even mourn. It is five months,
+you see! Ginevra was probably asphyxiated in five hours, whereas
+we&mdash;we do the thing more sluggishly&mdash;more painfully&mdash;we starve
+mentally and physically by slow degrees. If we get air, it is air
+that is best not respired.&#8221; Nevertheless, these people sent forth to
+the world radiant accounts of their doings, and sported the mask of
+Punchinello over the visage of Melpomene. It was very British,
+this jocose unreserve that was a still more tragic reserve, this
+festivity on the lips with famine gnawing at the vitals.</p>
+
+<p>Fever, the fever of heat, ennui, and mental and bodily depression,
+had begun to assail the unfortunate besieged. The climate of
+Mafeking&mdash;in ordinary circumstances most inspiriting&mdash;was becoming
+tainted, and the feeling of creeping malaria swept over all
+who were forced to remain cooped within the sorry regions. But
+the chief on whose wits the whole community depended defied the
+malign influence of his surroundings. During the day, with
+reserved, adamantine calm, he busied himself inventing the
+thousand and one projects by which might be defeated any possible
+move of the enemy, in reviving the spirits of his followers, and
+providing for their appetites, in fighting against the encroachments
+of disease and retaining the perfect discipline, which was no easy
+matter in so small a radius with so many conflicting emotions to be
+dealt with. At night, stealthy as a cat, he would creep forth to
+make the necessary investigations and acquaint himself with the
+state of the force opposing him, and if possible discover the Boer
+machinations of the future. Creeping along the veldt all eyes and
+ears, he gathered inspiration from a glimmer, the sound of a hoof,
+the flutter of bird and rustle of bush. Even the colour of the darkness
+in east and west gave him unspoken hints of designs nefarious<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_195" id="Page_195">[Pg 195]</a></span>&mdash;secrets
+or prophetic warnings of movements to be. And then he
+would return from his mysterious peregrinations primed with notions
+ingenious and plans elaborate, and remain for the day under the
+roof of the verandah of the headquarters office concocting some of
+the multitudinous schemes which confounded the Boers and frustrated
+their best efforts at assault.</p>
+
+<p>On the 3rd of March a little peace was secured owing to the
+disappearance of the Teuton who worked the huge gun. He had
+been what was described as &#8220;providentially potted.&#8221; On the
+other hand a more valuable life than that of the German mercenary
+had been sacrificed, for Sergeant-Major Taylor of the Cape Boys,
+who had been doing splendid work for his country, fell early in
+the morning mortally wounded. The Boers fired something under
+forty shells before breakfast, and might have pursued their activities
+the whole day had the loss of their chief gunner not damped their
+ardour and forced them to postpone their activities to a more convenient
+period. They nevertheless &#8220;sniped&#8221; at intervals throughout
+the following Sunday, doubtless with the righteous desire to
+avenge their artillery-man.</p>
+
+<p>New brooms sweep clean. As a fresh gunner had come upon
+the scene, there now began some more active bombardment. But
+the activity was no longer what it had been, and but for the meagreness
+of the fare, and the fear that the rations might diminish till they
+became invisible, the besieged would have got on fairly well. On
+the 7th there died an adventurous Scotsman whose history would
+have delighted the heart of the late Robert Louis Stevenson.
+Major Baillie in his sparkling account of the siege gave a brief
+outline of his romantic career. &#8220;Trooper M&#8217;Donald joined the
+Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders in 1847, served in the Crimea
+(French and Sardinian medals and two clasps) and in the Indian
+Mutiny, was kidnapped when embarking home by Americans, fought
+for the North against the South, deserted the North and fought for
+the South, afterwards went to Australia, thence to New Zealand,
+and served in the Maori War, in which he was taken prisoner.
+Later he came to South Africa, served in the Basuto War with
+Sir Charles Warren&#8217;s expedition, Carrington&#8217;s Horse, the Bechuanaland
+Border Police, and transferred to the Cape Police, in which
+corps he has died of hardships and old age, fighting the Boers.&#8221; The
+Major went on to say: &#8220;He is not the only Crimean veteran we
+have here. Both the Navy and Army are represented. Mr. Ellis
+joined the Royal Navy in 1854, served in the Baltic and the Black
+Sea, came to Africa and served in the Galika War. Mr. Brasier
+served in the Crimea and the Mutiny, and there are others of whose
+records of service I am not so certain. The contrast between them
+and the cadet corps, utilised for orderly work, &amp;c., is remarkable, and<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_196" id="Page_196">[Pg 196]</a></span>
+if the Boers have their greybeards and boys fighting, why so have we.&#8221;
+The cadet corps was composed of youths ranging from the ages of
+ten to fifteen years, game little fellows who did their duty splendidly.</p>
+
+<p>The great news of the capture of Cronje and his horde now
+served to raise the drooping spirits of the community. It was
+also reported that Snyman was on the move, and that Malan, who
+was opposing Colonel Plumer, had come into the neighbourhood of
+Mafeking. Sounds of rejoicing came from the Boer camp, and on
+the following day Boers with their field kit were seen to be clearing
+off. The information that the force was marching to Bloemfontein,
+that Cape Colony was being swept of rebels, that Ladysmith was
+relieved, now poured in, and caused the whole place to become simply
+inebriated with joy.</p>
+
+<p>On the 9th of March, to commemorate the victory at Paardeberg,
+a special siege slip was published at the newspaper office. The
+news was announced in the form of a poster, and concluded with the
+effectively printed information: &#8220;Cronje a prisoner. Snyman to
+be hanged.&#8221; Copies were afterwards liberally pelted into the Boer
+quarter, who digested the news with their morning biltong.</p>
+
+<p>On the 11th (Sunday) a truce was observed. The Colonel,
+writing at that date, said:&mdash;</p>
+
+<blockquote><p>&#8220;Our men, sitting upon the parapets, held a friendly conversation with a
+detachment of the enemy, and an enterprising photographer endeavoured to
+get them into line while he photographed them, but they were evidently suspicious,
+and feared the temptation to turn a Maxim upon them instead of a
+camera would prove too great. Small parties appeared throughout the day,
+and amicable relations were maintained until dark.&#8221;</p></blockquote>
+
+<p>The Boers outside were a hardy and stalwart lot, brawny and
+uncouth and unkempt, though from a distance not unpicturesque. In
+their rough-and-tumble attire no two were alike. Some were
+slouching in velveteen coats and soft felt hats, others in black
+jackets with &#8220;billycocks,&#8221; and all with the inevitable well-worn
+neckerchief that some one suggested might &#8220;come in handy for turtle
+soup.&#8221; Their bandoliers and their Martini and Mauser rifles gave
+them a certain uniformity of aspect, but otherwise they seemed the
+most motley gang that the hands of fate could have shuffled together.
+Some of the Boers did not approve of the camera, and
+were inclined to suspect the British of attempting dodges equal to
+their own, but others took a pride in being portrayed.</p>
+
+<p>A remarkable, almost a pathetic, feature of Mafeking fighting
+was the strange ability of both sides to fraternise when hostilities
+were suspended. The fact was that the combatants were linked
+together by ties of relationship so mysteriously interwoven that the
+fights partook of the nature of civil war&mdash;brothers and cousins-in-law,
+and, in one case, two brothers, contending on either side of the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_197" id="Page_197">[Pg 197]</a></span>
+battlefield. Naturally, when the bloody business of their lives was
+ended, they were inclined to foregather, to compare losses and
+make kindly inquiries strangely inconsistent with the trend of
+their antagonistic pursuits. The Colonel further reported:&mdash;</p>
+
+<blockquote><p>&#8220;Sergeant Currie has been promoted to the rank of a commissioned officer.
+He has thus risen by gallantry and hard work from a third-class private to be
+a lieutenant within five months. Early on Monday morning (12th) the enemy
+recommenced the bombardment with their six-inch gun, which had been comparatively
+silent the previous week, now firing shrapnel. Used against troops
+in the open the fire of these projectiles is ineffectual as long as cover can be
+obtained, but they are more dangerous to persons passing to the front from
+the streets of the town. A detachment of Colonial native troops, under
+Lieutenant Mackenzie, made an advance on Jackal Tree Fort, the position
+originally occupied by the siege gun on the south-western heights. The Boers
+got wind of the movement, and evacuated the position before it could be carried
+through. To cover the advance on Jackal Tree Fort, a detachment of Baralong
+natives were despatched to make a feint attack on Fort Snyman, a new work
+recently erected by the Boers, and threatening the most advanced western
+position. They succeeded in creeping to within thirty yards of the enemy, many
+of whom were sleeping outside, and when near the fort poured in two or three
+rapid volleys. Trooper Webb got sufficiently close to the fort to blow out the
+brains of one of the enemy. The natives then beat a rapid retreat, in accordance
+with instructions previously given to them, having inflicted some losses
+upon the enemy. In the brickfields the Cape Boys were reinforced by a detachment
+of Protectorate troops under Captain Fitzclarence.&#8221;</p></blockquote>
+
+<p>All were much perturbed at the sad news of the death of the genial
+young trooper, Webb of the Cape Police, who was shot through
+the head while on guard in the brickfields. This gallant fellow had
+been previously wounded in October, and had been carried off under
+fire by Trooper Stevens, and had only just returned to duty when
+he lost his life&mdash;possibly in revenge for the act described above.</p>
+
+<p>According to Colonel Baden-Powell&#8217;s despatch of this date, a
+raiding party of Baralongs, who had gone out on their own initiative,
+encountered a patrol of the enemy, and opened fire upon
+them, killing one man, whose rifle and bandolier they secured.
+The enemy retired for reinforcements, but the Baralongs ambushed
+these reinforcements from a convenient ditch at Madibi Siding,
+and the enemy fell back in confusion, losing six men. The Baralongs,
+being unable to cope with long-range fire, then commenced
+to retire on Mafeking, having captured two horses with saddles and
+bridles. Finding the Boers were in pursuit, and fearing the arrival
+of reinforcements from the investing forces, however, they returned
+to a kopje in the vicinity of Madibi. Here they maintained their
+position until dark, and then made good their retreat into the stadt,
+having lost one killed and bringing in a few wounded. Three of
+the party were missing.</p>
+
+<p>It was impossible to prevent the Baralongs from retaliating by<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_198" id="Page_198">[Pg 198]</a></span>
+raids of this description upon those whom they called the murderers
+of their women and children. Mr. C. G. Bell, however, rendered
+invaluable service in dealing with the natives, and a board was
+appointed by the Colonel commanding to go thoroughly into the
+native question.</p>
+
+<p>The Colonel described the effects of the bombardment on the
+following day:&mdash;</p>
+
+<blockquote><p>&#8220;On Tuesday a shrapnel shell, bursting just about my bomb-proof, sprinkled
+the wall of the fire brigade office with bullets, which entered the bedrooms of
+Dixon&#8217;s Hotel. These were unoccupied, but afterwards a steel-plated shell
+passed through the wall of the office, and when spent fell beneath the table,
+and was scrambled for by the staff of clerks. In the afternoon a shell, bursting
+in the court-house, killed two natives and wounded four, slightly injuring
+another. All these belonged to an unfortunate working party who happened
+to be passing at the moment. A woman was also slightly wounded.&#8221;</p></blockquote>
+
+<p>The conduct of the Boers towards the natives varied according to
+the policy of the commandant engaged in subduing Mafeking. A
+Scottish farmer who remained some ten miles south of the heroic
+hamlet, said that in the beginning of the war the Boers were not so
+severe on the natives as they were later on. About Christmas-time
+natives began to come out of Mafeking and loot cattle to take back
+into the town. Then the Boers were ordered to give no quarter to
+natives. If this order had had reference to those found looting
+cattle, it would only have been according to the rules of warfare, but
+the Boers were told to shoot down any strange native found in the
+veldt without a pass from their people; and this was done in a very
+large number of cases, their bodies being left to rot on the veldt as
+if they were dogs. In some cases they had come out of Mafeking,
+which need hardly be wondered at, in view of the scarcity of food
+amongst the natives there. Considering the risk run, it was wonderful
+how natives could be found willing to creep through the Boer
+lines with despatches; but the natives are certainly anything but
+cowards.</p>
+
+<p>Towards the middle of March the attitude of the Boers towards
+the natives improved, and they began to allow fugitives to escape
+through their lines. The reason for this change of front was attributed
+to a desire to conciliate the Baralongs in the event of Boer
+defeat, and to keep them from raiding into Boer territory when
+their time for reprisals might come.</p>
+
+<p>Native spies brought in all manner of rumours, to the effect that
+Colonel Plumer&#8217;s armoured train had reached Pitsani Pothlugo,
+notable as Jameson&#8217;s starting-point on his famous raid, and that the
+enemy was concentrating at Ramathlabama to prevent the advance
+of the relieving force. But news certainly lost nothing by passing
+through the medium of native channels, and the inhabitants of<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_199" id="Page_199">[Pg 199]</a></span>
+Mafeking were not over credulous. The great ideal of the Bechuanas
+was Dr. Jameson, and he, it was averred, was coming down
+from Buluwayo with an army to relieve Mafeking. One rumour
+had it that the famous raider had totally annihilated a Boer laager
+with a bomb from a balloon! Over an extensive area, west and
+south of Mafeking, all the natives had been compelled to leave their
+homes, and were placed near the Transvaal border with a view&mdash;it
+was thought&mdash;to prevent despatches passing through to Mafeking.
+Whatever the object, such a proceeding, especially in the wet season,
+was very cruel. The poor people were robbed of their herds and
+household goods, and driven away, and deposited like cattle wherever
+the Boers thought fit to place them.</p>
+
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 478px;">
+<a name="ill_269" id="ill_269"></a><img src="images/ill_269.png" width="478" height="340" alt="" title="" />
+<div><span class="caption smcap">Native Church, Mafeking.</span>
+</div></div>
+
+<p>On the 18th the Boers were found in occupation of the new
+trench which had just been triumphantly constructed by the besieged.
+It was, as Mr. Neilly said, &#8220;like the soldier crab who gets into the
+shell of a winkle when the winkle has gone out for a walk. As a
+rule the soldier crab keeps what he has gained, but in this case the
+winkle came back and recovered his shell.&#8221; He did so very promptly.
+Lieutenant Feltham and a small party advanced and threw bombs
+at the intruders, which caused them quickly to evacuate their<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_200" id="Page_200">[Pg 200]</a></span>
+trenches. Then some of the Bechuanaland Volunteers &#8220;speeded
+the parting guest&#8221; with a smart fusillade from the flank, and the
+prized trench was recovered.</p>
+
+<p>On the 20th the Boers appeared to be breaking up their western
+laager, and on the 23rd it was discovered that the enemy had evacuated
+his positions in the brickfields. These were promptly annexed
+and dismantled by the Mafeking men. Major Panzera had what
+some one called &#8220;a real sporting day.&#8221; From morn till night he
+plied his Hotchkiss and kept the Boers active till dusk. After dark
+the acetyline searchlight built by the railwaymen was erected at
+the main work, but no demonstration from the direction of the enemy
+took place. Then started off Lieutenant Murray and trooper
+Mallalen (Cape Police) to reconnoitre. On reaching the enemy&#8217;s
+sap they crawled round cautiously on hands and knees to investigate.
+It was a ticklish moment, but they were rewarded. They
+peered in and made the discovery that the Boers had vanished.
+They crept still farther along the connecting trench to the rear of
+the main work and made assurance doubly sure. The Dutchmen
+were flown. So rapid had been their flight that biltong, biscuits,
+and journals were left behind. Quick as thought the trench was
+dismantled. Then Sergeant Page (Protectorate Regiment) burrowed
+about for the mine which he and Mr. Kiddy had laid in the direction
+of this trench in the early days of the siege. The Boers had
+&#8220;slimly&#8221; unearthed the dynamite, and presently it was discovered
+that the evacuated trench was connected by a copper wire with the
+enemy&#8217;s line. This was carefully cut. Then its direction was traced,
+and a neat little plot of the Boers exposed itself to view. They had
+arranged some 250 pounds of war gelatine and dynamite in the trench,
+which, at a given moment, a touch from the wily Dutchman on the
+look-out was meant to explode and blow some of the garrison into
+the air.</p>
+
+<p>This failure served to depress the Boers, and for a time their
+siege gun ceased fire, something having gone wrong with its works.
+Colonel Baden-Powell was very proud of the brickfield&#8217;s success and
+those who contributed to it. Colonel Vyvyan, Inspector Marsh
+(Cape Police), Majors Panzera and Fitzclarence, Inspector Browne,
+Lieutenant Currie (Cape Police), Sergeant Page, and trooper
+Thompson (Cape Police), were all eulogised in general orders.</p>
+
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 482px;">
+<a name="ill_271" id="ill_271"></a><img src="images/ill_271.png" width="482" height="436" alt="" title="" />
+<div class="caption">
+<table summary="" class="w100">
+<tr>
+<td class="center">(Captain).</td>
+<td class="center">(Sergeant).</td>
+</tr>
+</table>
+THE CAPE TOWN HIGHLANDERS.<br />
+<br />
+<span class="small">Photo by J. E. Bruton, Cape Town.</span>
+</div></div>
+
+<p>The captured newspapers afforded great satisfaction to the
+beleaguered company, for they recounted the entry of Lord Roberts
+to Bloemfontein, the surrender of Cronje, and the relief of Ladysmith.
+The intelligence was intensely heartening, and the garrison
+seemed to gain in backbone&mdash;not that it had ever been deficient
+in that quality. But now its obstinate resistance of the Boers was
+resumed with renewed zest.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_201" id="Page_201">[Pg 201]</a></span></p>
+
+<p>It must be noted that besides the Baralongs, who defended
+their own stadt, were four other black contingents&mdash;the Fingoes,
+under Webster; the Cape Boys, under Lieutenant Currie, B.S.C.P.,
+who succeeded Captain Goodyear when that officer was wounded;
+a detachment of Baralongs, under Sergeant Abrams; and a Zulu
+crowd, called the &#8220;Black Watch,&#8221; under Mackenzie. All these
+contingents &#8220;put their backs into it,&#8221; and rejoiced in making things
+as hot and uncomfortable for the enemy as they could.</p>
+
+<p>In default of other amusement some of the inhabitants interested
+themselves in the Dutch snipers, and began to grow so familiar
+with them that they resorted to the primeval mode of christening,
+that of designating each individual by his personal attributes. One
+would be called &#8220;Bow-legs,&#8221; another &#8220;Bluebeard,&#8221; or &#8220;Draggle
+Beard,&#8221; and so on. One Rip Van Winkle was particularly admired.
+Despite his years and his probable &#8220;rheumatics,&#8221; he would
+take up his post from dawn till dusk, and snipe with persistence
+worthy a better cause. His patience and perseverance somewhat
+endeared him to the garrison, and there was felt to be something
+missing in the excitement of life when it was found that he, like
+many of his compatriots, had been &#8220;curried,&#8221; otherwise &#8220;dished,&#8221;
+by Lieutenant Currie, B.S.C.P., and his ever-active contingent.
+These cheery fellows in off moments were ready enough to exchange
+jocosities with the foe, almost treating him, despite his
+barbarism, as one of themselves.</p>
+
+<p>The correspondent of the <i>Pall Mall Gazette</i> quoted a sample
+scene to describe the style of friendly intercourse that took place.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;Cape &#8216;boy&#8217; to Boer: &#8216;Could you hit a bottle?&#8217; &#8216;Yes, I think
+so. Put one up.&#8217; (A hand rises cautiously to the top of the British
+trench, and a black bottle is deposited there.)</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;Boer: &#8216;I can&#8217;t see it. Put it higher.&#8217; (The Cape &#8216;boy&#8217;
+balances a hat on the head of the bottle and says, &#8216;There you are;
+you can see that.&#8217;) The Boer fires, and the bullet flies wide.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;Cape &#8216;boy&#8217;: &#8216;Wide to the left.&#8217; (Boer fires again and asks,
+&#8216;Is that nearer?&#8217;)</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;Cape &#8216;boy&#8217;: &#8216;Rather high.&#8217; Boer fires a third shot that comes
+through the loophole.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;The Cape soldier announces the result, and the Boer, fearing
+that he will lose his good reputation for marksmanship, and angered
+by his bad display, sings out&mdash;</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;&#8216;Look here, you rooinek, we were sent here not to shoot
+bottles, but men.&#8217;&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>Curiously enough many of the Boers were hopelessly ignorant
+and unsophisticated. They hardly knew what they were fighting
+for, and one raw individual was heard to declare that he didn&#8217;t
+believe the Queen had caused this war, but the foreman of the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_202" id="Page_202">[Pg 202]</a></span>
+English Raad. They retained their bumptiousness in all circumstances.
+After a victory they would brag of the number of
+British killed, about 80,000 as a rule, their news being gleaned from
+the imaginative columns of the <i>Standard and Diggers&#8217; News</i>. On
+the subject of defeat they were reticent, but fairly confident that the
+Dutch flag in a month or two was bound to be floating over South
+Africa.</p>
+
+<p>On Sunday the 25th, a great Siege Exhibition took place&mdash;an exhibition
+notable for its originality. Among the articles on view were
+bonnets which had been trimmed with &#8220;siege&#8221; materials by ladies of
+the town. These were never tired of showing their usefulness and
+versatility, but, as Lady Sarah Wilson&mdash;a host in herself&mdash;declared
+in the <i>Daily Mail</i>, &#8220;even the dogs played a prominent part in the siege.
+One belonging to the base commandant was wounded no less than
+three times; another, a rough Irish terrier, accompanied the Protectorate
+Regiment in all its engagements; a third amused itself by
+running after the small Maxim shells, barking loudly and trying
+hard to retrieve pieces; while the Resident Commissioner&#8217;s dog, a
+prudent animal, whenever she heard the alarm-bell tore into the
+bomb-proof attached to her master&#8217;s redoubt, and remained there
+till the explosion was over. The sagacious creatures rendered themselves
+most valuable, for no sooner had the warning bell announced
+the firing of a shell than the town dogs began to bark loudly in all
+quarters, thus enabling persons who, owing to the direction of the
+wind or other circumstances, had failed to note the signal, to escape
+to their shelters.&#8221; The natives were much more apathetic, and
+Reuter&#8217;s correspondent gave curious instances of their stupidity and
+<i>laisser faire</i>. &#8220;They would gather in great crowds round the soup-kitchens
+in the town, and when bells were rung warning them that
+the enemy&#8217;s 6-inch gun had been fired they were too lazy to take
+cover in the lee of the surrounding buildings, and had to be driven
+to do so by means of sticks and sjamboks. Many would rather die
+than work, and were too lazy to attempt the now comparatively safe
+journey to Kanya.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>It was annoying to hear perpetual rumours of relief and to find
+relief as far off as ever. Runners continually brought in telegrams
+of congratulation, which added not a little to the bitterness of
+incarceration. At one moment Plumer seemed to be coming; he
+was said to be only eleven miles off, and the town was in ecstasies;
+at another bombardment began briskly as ever, and spirits descended
+to zero. One of the besieged, writing home on March 22, said:&mdash;</p>
+
+<blockquote><p>&#8220;Things are going on as usual. Every one is heartily sick and tired of the
+siege. Colonel Plumer, with 1500 men, is only about thirty-five miles away,
+with provisions for us.... Every one here feels the want of more, better,
+and varied food. A friend of ours was very ill for ten days, and the only<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_203" id="Page_203">[Pg 203]</a></span>
+comforts the doctor could order were two tins of milk and some lunch biscuits!
+There is no margarine left in the town, and the Commissariat Department
+is calling in all the starch. The hospital is very full; and there is a good deal of
+malarial and typhoid fever.... Sometimes the bread is awful, black, and made
+from locally-crushed oats, with all the husks on, simply split in long pieces.
+We are all downright hungry, and cannot buy a bit of food, except on some
+special occasion. Last Sunday Weil&#8217;s store was allowed to sell certain articles
+of food, <i>e.g.</i> pea flour and margarine; former, 2s. 6d. a tin; latter, 3s. per lb.
+The crush outside the store was so great that women fainted, and some were
+waiting for hours, and then unable to get in.... The railings of the park
+and tennis-courts are used for firing, and we are authorised to use our
+fences for the same purpose. Our meat is good, but poor and tough. We
+almost entirely depend upon the natives looting enemy&#8217;s cattle, and sometimes
+we have horse-flesh, but that I cannot manage, so on those days I am hungrier
+than ever.... My husband is quarter-master-sergeant in charge of the
+rations&mdash;not a very enviable billet. The whole town is on rations. We are all
+under martial law, and Colonel Baden-Powell looks after us all, and we may be
+very thankful that the defence of Mafeking has been entrusted to such a
+capable man.&#8221;</p></blockquote>
+
+<p>The menu was not variegated. You took your choice between
+a species of porridge (made from the husks of oats fermented for
+some hours prior to boiling) and a noxious brown biscuit, or, as the
+Indians called it, &#8220;chupattie.&#8221; But it had none of the savouriness
+of the chupattie, and was described as a cross between a ship&#8217;s
+biscuit and a baked brick. It was certainly filling at the price, so
+filling, in fact, that those who devoured it suffered from what was
+styled &#8220;hippopotamus on the chest&#8221; for some hours afterwards.</p>
+
+<p>March 27th was described as the hottest day in the siege, the
+mud walls of Mafeking being liberally dosed to the tune of 200
+shells by Creusots and quick-firing Krupps. As many as 250 shells
+were said to have been fired into the town, while the 100-pounder
+was responsible for 70. Sergeant Abrams, of the Cape Police, an
+officer who had been in the thick of the whole siege, was caught by
+a high-velocity shell and had the misfortune to lose his foot. Some
+of the shells penetrated the bomb-proofs, and one or two persons
+were more or less injured. It was calculated that during the sixty-four
+days of the siege as many as 1300 shells from the 100-pound
+Creusot, independently of minor missiles, had descended in the
+midst of the valorous community. Some of the shells were sold as
+curios and fetched as much as five guineas apiece; rarer ones sold
+for ten or twelve. The losses of the garrison up to this date were:
+Killed and missing: 7 officers and 93 men, besides 53 native and
+other non-combatants. Wounded: 11 officers and 38 men, besides
+114 native and other non-combatants.</p>
+
+<p>The congratulations of the Lord Mayor of London on the relief
+now arrived, and all began to hope that &#8220;coming events cast their
+shadows before.&#8221; But cruel disappointment followed.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_204" id="Page_204">[Pg 204]</a></span></p>
+
+<p>Heavy firing was reported from the north on the 31st, and there
+was tremendous excitement. One and all agreed that it was
+Colonel Plumer coming to the rescue. They hoped, they prayed,
+and when at last the sounds died away hope died with them. The
+next morning explained it. General Snyman sent in a letter under
+a flag of truce requesting Colonel Baden-Powell to send an ambulance
+for Colonel Plumer&#8217;s dead! A horrible description of the
+battlefield &#8220;strewn with corpses&#8221; followed, and caused deep concern
+to those who were the cause of the gallant enterprise which had
+cost so many lives. Fortunately only three bodies were found, but
+these had rifled pockets, while the boots of one had been removed.
+The action of removing boots from the dead savours of the barbaric,
+but it must be remembered that the Boers, and indeed some of our
+own men, were almost soleless. War brings about strange conditions
+and strange ethics. A trooper, one of the remnant of the
+Light Brigade, told a strange story of how on that &#8220;great occasion&#8221;
+he came on the corpse of a Russian officer magnificently booted,
+while he himself could barely hobble in his tatters. He could not
+resist the prize, and possessed himself of the much-needed apparel.
+He was in the act of going off in triumph when his conscience
+smote him; he returned, and taking off his own boots reverentially
+clothed the feet of the dead man! He appeased his qualms by
+arguing that exchange was not robbery!</p>
+
+<h3 class="gap2">COLONEL PLUMER&#8217;S OPERATIONS</h3>
+
+<p>Colonel Plumer lived in the hope of joining hands with Colonel
+Baden-Powell at Mafeking, and messages were successfully interchanged
+between the two officers. Life in the north was occupied
+mainly with skirmishes and the repairs of railway lines and culverts,
+which were needed along almost every mile of route. Between
+Gaberones and Crocodile Pools the engineers worked arduously,
+under the protection of an armoured train and a strong body of
+dismounted men. Very useful information was received of the
+Boers&#8217; whereabouts from papers contained in a Boer mail-bag
+captured between Sequani and Sauerpoord. The Boers were
+found to be in force at Crocodile Pools, and to have in their possession
+two cannon and two machine-guns, and here it was evident
+they meant to harass any progressive movement of the British.</p>
+
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 756px;">
+<a name="ill_277" id="ill_277"></a><a href="images/ill_277.png"><img src="images/ill_277th.png" width="756" height="271" alt="" title="" /></a>
+<div><span class="caption smcap">Map showing the Advance from the North and the South for the Relief of Mafeking.</span><br />
+<br />
+The above sketch-plan of Mafeking shows the Boer trenches and the British lines of defence round the town, with the
+localities and dates of the principal fights which have taken place between the besiegers and besieged. Above and below
+the plan (though not, of course, upon the same scale) there is a map of the country between Kimberley and Tuli. The
+margin is divided into spaces of twenty-five miles, measuring from Mafeking north and south, and the advance of Plumer
+from the north and of Methuen from the south is shown step by step.
+</div></div>
+
+<p>On the 11th of January Colonel Plumer, with a portion of his
+forces, arrived near Mochudi. The Boers&mdash;about 200&mdash;were reported
+to have gathered some thirty miles to the south-east, while
+others were entrenched on the kopjes by the railway at Crocodile
+Pools. With them were said to be guns in charge of German
+officers&mdash;an objectionable discovery for the British, who were almost<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_206" id="Page_206">[Pg 206]</a></span><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_205" id="Page_205">[Pg 205]</a></span>
+gunless! There was reason to suppose that discontent reigned
+among the Boers owing to scarcity of provisions, and that they were
+longing to throw up the sponge and return to their farms. They
+found life in the trenches and kopjes not what is vulgarly described
+as &#8220;all beer and skittles,&#8221; and began to think of the coming seasons
+which would find them empty as the fabled grasshopper in winter.</p>
+
+<p>Some of the troops also proceeded to Gaberones, where three
+armoured trains were kept active. On the 12th a Boer patrol made
+an effort to burn a bridge a mile north of the station, but was frustrated
+by the promptness with which Lieutenant Wallis brought
+No. 3 armoured train on the scene. When the enemy fell back on
+the station they were welcomed by No. 1 armoured train under
+Colonel Llewellyn, and the welcome was so unexpected and so
+hearty that the enemy bolted. Owing to the darkness they got off
+in safety. Reconnaissances were made, and it was discovered that
+the Boers were located one mile south of Crocodile Pools.</p>
+
+<p>Major Bird made a reconnaissance on the 23rd of January&mdash;with
+four squadrons of the Rhodesian Regiment&mdash;in the direction of a
+Boer laager. In consequence of a storm of rain operations could
+not be carried as far as intended, but some of the enemy were
+dislodged from a hill, and two horses and two Transvaal flags
+were captured.</p>
+
+<p>On the 31st an animated artillery duel took place between
+Colonel Plumer and Commandant Eloff, and on the following
+day it was some satisfaction to see the Boers busily engaged
+in repairing the havoc wrought by the British 12&frac12;-pounder on
+their fort. On the 2nd of February more activities took place.
+Major Bird, with 150 mounted infantry and one 7-pounder, made a
+demonstration on the right flank of the Boer position. This occupied
+a ridge running for a mile and a half from south-west to north-east.
+In the centre of the ridge was a nek, which was protected on
+either side by a fringe of Boer sharpshooters. This nek became
+the object of British attention, and Lieutenants Harland and Blunt
+with their men poured on it some forty volleys, to which the Boers
+replied, but without serious effect. While the rattling of musketry
+was kept up by the mounted infantry, a 7-pounder, manned by the
+British South African Police, escorted by troopers under Captain Maclaren,
+shelled the nek. Whereupon the Boers brought into play a
+12&frac12;-pounder, which forced the British 7-pounder to retire. The
+weapon, however, was met by one of its own calibre, which was
+posted near Basuto kopje, and a spirited contest ensued. On the
+4th of February the hostile guns were silenced by well-directed
+shells adroitly dropped by Lieutenant Montmorency in the middle
+of the Boer fortress.</p>
+
+<p>Colonel Plumer, though still too weak to make a decisive move<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_207" id="Page_207">[Pg 207]</a></span>
+on, was bent on energetically annoying the Boers, but night escapades
+for some time were stopped by infamous weather. On the first
+opportunity Major Bird devised a midnight attack, which, unfortunately,
+was more costly than successful. In dense darkness, on the
+night of the 11th of February, the troops deployed at the base of
+a thorny and rocky ridge at Crocodile Pools Bridge, where the
+enemy was entrenched. No sooner had the men neared the summit
+than they came on wire entanglements and thorny scrub, and in
+surmounting wire and bush they necessarily made some noise.
+This set the Boer dogs barking and the Boer pickets blazing with
+their rifles. Thereupon Major Bird ordered a bayonet charge. He
+had forbidden rifle fire lest it should betray the position of the
+storming party. Before the men could get to close quarters, however,
+the Dutchmen exploded dynamite mines and followed the
+fracas with volleys of musketry. The result was disastrous to the
+British, and Major Bird ordered a retreat. Captain French (Royal
+Irish Regiment) was among the killed. Seven of the party were
+more or less severely injured. At first the Boers refused to give
+up the dead and wounded. When Archdeacon Upcher and Father
+Hartmann, under cover of the white flag, made the demand, they
+declared that they could not respect the symbol, as General Buller
+had stated that the British would no longer respect it. They
+eventually gave up five of the dead, but refused for some time to
+part with the wounded. Among these were Major Straker and
+Colonel Hon. H. White (British South African Police).</p>
+
+<p>On the 26th of February Colonel Plumer, after many strenuous
+efforts and continued fighting, occupied the enemy&#8217;s position at
+Crocodile Pools, the Boers having taken themselves off and gone
+south to Lobatsi. Trains were now moving from the Pools to
+Ramoutsa. A cairn was erected over the spot where the valiant
+officer, Captain French, met his fate. The wounds received by
+Major Straker in the disastrous night attack were mending slowly,
+and great hopes were entertained of his ultimate recovery.</p>
+
+<p>Colonel Plumer and his little force, numbering some 700 in all,
+continued to suffer many harassments, to fight and to struggle
+manfully for the assistance of Mafeking, whose relief they believed
+could not be long delayed. To help in this relief was their perpetual
+aim, and to this end Colonel Plumer accumulated a vast quantity
+of stores at Kanya, some sixty miles to the west of Crocodile Pools,
+so that when opportunity should offer the starving braves might
+not have to wait for provisions. For some weeks the troops had
+been fixed on a string of kopjes to the north of the Metsima Suma
+Bridge, while the Boers&#8217; laager, strongly fortified, occupied another
+ridge in the vicinity. Both Britons and Boers from their elevated
+posts could command the river above named, and the Notwani<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_208" id="Page_208">[Pg 208]</a></span>
+River for some miles. On the 26th of February, for some unaccountable
+reason, the Boers suddenly made themselves scarce, and
+suspicion grew that events elsewhere were demanding their prompt
+attention. The disappearance caused some sensation, as it was
+reported&mdash;erroneously as it afterwards proved&mdash;that not a Boer was
+visible between the British and Mafeking. Thereupon Colonel
+Plumer decided to be up and doing, and an advance on Lobatsi
+(situated some forty-five miles from Colonel Baden-Powell&#8217;s kingdom)
+was organised. First of all telegraph lines and rails were
+repaired, an armoured train being sent forward to Pitsani Pothlugo
+to protect the operations. This work accomplished, rations for thirty
+days, the base hospital, &amp;c., were transferred to Lobatsi.</p>
+
+<p>There on the morning of the 6th of March Colonel Plumer&#8217;s
+force arrived. The efforts of the relieving party were now directed to
+the reconstruction of the railway and bridges which had been wrecked
+by the Boers in October. These were slowly got into working
+order. Reconnaissances were pushed south with a view to farther
+advance, and provision was made for the protection of the railway
+behind him as Colonel Plumer advanced.</p>
+
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 531px;">
+<a name="ill_281" id="ill_281"></a><img src="images/ill_281.png" width="531" height="320" alt="" title="" />
+<div><span class="caption">COLONEL PLUMER&#8217;S GALLANT ATTEMPT TO RELIEVE MAFEKING FROM THE NORTH.</span><br />
+<br />
+<span class="small">Drawing by Frank Dudd, R.I., from a Sketch by F. J. Mackenzie.</span>
+</div></div>
+
+<p>At daybreak on the 13th of March a column of some 300 men
+with three guns marched towards Kanya on the west, while Colonel
+Bodle (B.S.A.P.) with 150 men and a Maxim proceeded towards
+Pitsani. When the former party had succeeded in reaching a place
+some twenty miles beyond Lobatsi camp they were suddenly ordered
+to return. Captain Maclaren with his party, though fairly worn out
+after a long day&#8217;s tramp, at once obeyed orders, marched throughout
+the night, and by dawn on the 15th had retraced his steps.
+The reason for the recall was this. Colonel Bodle&#8217;s advanced scouts
+had come upon swarms of the enemy to the north of Pitsani, and the
+colonel with his small force had been compelled to retire in hot haste.
+His position was a ticklish one, for all round, in every available
+kopje, the Boers had ensconced themselves, and only by great nerve
+and splendid presence of mind was it possible to execute anything
+like an orderly retreat. But these qualities were possessed by
+Colonel Bodle, who promptly retired his ambulance and waggons,
+covering their move by forming his troops in Zulu fashion in crescent
+shape. Unluckily the right horn of the crescent, under Lieutenant
+Chapman, was pounced upon by some hidden Boers, who succeeded
+in making three or four of the party prisoners, and capturing a box
+or two of ammunition. Owing to an accident to his horse Lieutenant
+Chapman was thrown and captured. Corporal Galt nearly
+shared the same fate, but while he was engaged in a smart tussle
+for freedom, Colonel Bodle came to the rescue and put the Boers to
+flight. The Dutchmen then commenced to follow at the heels of
+the column, approaching to within some 2500 yards of the camp,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_209" id="Page_209">[Pg 209]</a></span>
+doing some damage among cattle with their smokeless guns, which
+with difficulty could be located. Their fire was eventually returned,
+but not before Lieutenant Tyler (West Riding Regiment) had fallen
+a victim to a shell, which caught him in his tent and killed him
+instantaneously. The next day (the 16th) the Boers pursued their
+aggravations, and the British, as usual, gave a very good account
+of themselves, though their gunners had neither range-finder nor
+range-table. An animated artillery duel lasted for some hours, and
+was only terminated at sunset by the successful landing of a shell
+in the midst of the Boer guns. This served to silence them for the
+rest of the day. That done, the troops retired, most of the force
+moving from Lobatsi back to Crocodile Pools (whither stores, &amp;c.,
+had been removed by rail during the whole of the previous night),
+while Colonel Plumer and the mounted men took the direction of
+Kanya. On the 17th of March the armoured train voyaged
+towards Lobatsi, where it was saluted by the Boers, who had
+returned in hordes with marvellous celerity, and were hovering
+round that place.</p>
+
+<p>The enemy had now placed a 1-pound Maxim and a 12&frac12;-pounder
+on the east side of the line 4000 yards to the south of the main
+camp, but fortunately the right flank was protected by the Chief
+Bathoen, who defied the Boers to enter his territory. The left
+flank, however, engaged Colonel Plumer&#8217;s attention, and there was
+every fear that the enemy, repulsed on the western border, might
+fall in force upon the Rhodesians. The Dutchmen were now busy
+in wrecking the rail south of Lobatsi, and preparing to meet any
+further advance made by Colonel Plumer with stout resistance. On
+the 18th, somewhat exhausted with fruitless toil and endless marching
+and fighting, the troops were once more at their starting-point on the
+ridges overlooking the Metsima Suma and Notwani Rivers, Colonel
+Plumer&#8217;s force now occupying the position there formerly held by
+the Boers.</p>
+
+<p>On the 21st Commandant Snyman entertained himself with a
+little journey to Lobatsi and gaily bombarded it, in ignorance that
+it had been evacuated by Colonel Plumer&#8217;s force, and explosions on
+all sides announced that he also was engaged in the destruction of
+the railway. While the Boers were away, the Baralongs made hay&mdash;they
+utilised the shining hour by looting some of the Boer cattle
+and driving them in triumph into Mafeking. There, the result of
+Snyman&#8217;s attack on Plumer was in its way approved; the town
+enjoyed temporary repose. The bombardment lessened for a day
+or two, and the besieged were buoyed up by the hope that Colonel
+Plumer was pursuing his advance.</p>
+
+<p>To intercept the same the enemy had taken up positions at
+Maritzuni and Ramathlabama, but they at the same time had to<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_210" id="Page_210">[Pg 210]</a></span>
+engage themselves with a native chief in the south. This personage,
+who had hitherto been friendly to them, working on the good old
+principle of &#8220;kick a man when he&#8217;s down,&#8221; had heard of the Boer
+reverses in the Free State, and promptly seized his opportunity.</p>
+
+<p>On the 25th Colonel Plumer left his base camp with a force of
+infantry and as little impedimenta as possible, and invaded the
+Transvaal, making two rapid night marches for the purpose of
+threatening the Boer lines of communication. In this way, though
+he found himself too weak in men and guns for really aggressive
+operations, he determined to make himself a thorn in the side of the
+persecutors of Mafeking, and keep the Boer hordes too busily
+engaged to allow of their attempting serious operations on their
+own part.</p>
+
+<p>Early on the morning of the 31st Colonel Plumer, with 270
+mounted men, some infantry, and a Maxim reached Ramathlabama,
+where the Boers were said to have made their headquarters. The
+advance guard under Colonel White proceeding within six miles of
+Mafeking, encountered a Boer commando, whereupon Captain
+Kensman on the left and Major Bordan on the right simultaneously
+became engaged. Desperate fighting ensued, the Boers almost
+doubling the British. The Dutchmen formed a semicircle, vainly
+endeavouring to outflank the party east and west, while Colonel
+Plumer&#8217;s small force, fighting &#8220;tooth and nail,&#8221; retired slowly, the
+squadrons covering the retreat of the unmounted men for a good ten
+miles till the force reached its base. Owing to the close proximity of
+the Boer laagers, reinforcements of Dutchmen and guns were constantly
+at hand, while Colonel Plumer was entirely at a disadvantage.
+Little cover was available, and the railway embankment, which was
+his only protection, was barely two feet high. Captain Crewe,
+a most popular officer, was mortally wounded while covering the
+retreat of the rest, as was also Lieutenant Milligan while gallantly
+defending his position.</p>
+
+<p>Some interesting particulars of the fighting outside Mafeking
+came in a letter from a trooper.</p>
+
+<blockquote><p>&#8220;On our latest patrol we had a real exciting time. We went to have a
+look at Mafeking, and actually saw the promised land, but we had to pay dearly
+for the sight. We marched from here (halfway between Kanya and Mafeking)
+on March 30th, and arrived at Ramathlabama on the 31st at 9 <span class="allsmcap">A.M.</span> Between
+300 and 350 men went, with one Maxim, all under Colonel Plumer himself. We
+were all mounted except thirty men of E Squadron. We formed a camp at
+Ramathlabama, and at 11 <span class="allsmcap">A.M.</span> all the mounted men moved off towards Mafeking,
+our unmounted men and the Maxim remaining in camp. Our troop and Crewe&#8217;s
+scouts formed the advance guard under our skipper, Colonel White. We rode
+on about eight miles, and then we got our first glimpse of Mafeking. We
+raised a bit of a cheer on spotting the place. Very soon we saw a large body
+of Boers coming up in front at a fast pace, while others were working round<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_211" id="Page_211">[Pg 211]</a></span>
+our flanks. We started firing at 1000 yards, with hardly anything to see to
+fire at. Their fire was high at first, but some of them soon got the range.
+We had to retreat, as we were far outnumbered, and the Boers were working
+away at our flanks. Moreover, they had an unlimited supply of ammunition,
+their base being a mile or two away, while we had to go slow with ours. So
+we retired by alternate squadrons.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;We were nearly caught once. The Boers were coming round on our flank,
+and were making for some Kaffir kraals whence they would have had us fairly
+on toast. Our skipper, however, spotted the move in time, and we raced them
+for the first place and won. Crewe&#8217;s men, who were sent to the second kraal,
+also got there first. We made them turn tail and bolt, and they were never
+afterwards quite so keen in getting round our flank. Our skipper worked
+splendidly. It was a running fight for about eight miles, lasting from 1 <span class="allsmcap">P.M.</span>
+till 6 <span class="allsmcap">P.M.</span> When we reached the camp we found that Colonel Plumer had
+decided to abandon it, and had already sent the waggons off an hour before.
+We had to cover the retreat of the unmounted men, who had been in turn
+covering the retreat of the Maxim. There was a very warm time over that
+business. The unmounted men nearly got caught. Our casualties were
+pretty heavy&mdash;52 in all&mdash;12 killed, 26 wounded, and 14 missing. Altogether
+75 horses were killed, wounded, and missing. Don&#8217;t get the idea that
+we were disgracefully licked. We retreated certainly and were chased
+by the Boers, but we retreated in perfect order without any confusion. Moreover,
+in retreating we were doing as we were intended to do. Colonel Baden-Powell
+had some move he wished to make at Mafeking, and we were to draw
+away as many Boers as possible, and we certainly were successful in that. There
+must have been at least 600 or 700 against us.&#8221;</p></blockquote>
+
+<p>In the fight at Ramathlabama the following were taken prisoners:&mdash;Captain
+K. Maclaren, Captain F. Crewe, Captain Duncan
+Robertson, all badly wounded; the two last mentioned since dead.
+Staff-Officers Cecil and Granville and nine soldiers, of whom six
+were more or less severely wounded, were also captured.</p>
+
+<p>Owing to the absence of war correspondents with Colonel
+Plumer&#8217;s force this officer&#8217;s unceasing efforts to match the Boers
+and rescue Colonel Baden-Powell received none of the publicity
+they deserved. It has been possible only from private sources to
+gauge the terrible tension of the situation, and the truly noble activity
+that was maintained in the face of a most alarming outlook. Of the
+heroism of the commander little has been said, but from a few lines
+written by a trooper we may understand how his gallant conduct
+stimulated his men. He said: &#8220;It was a good fight, and our men
+behaved very well. Plumer was slightly wounded, but behaved
+splendidly. He sent his horse away and walked behind the dismounted
+men, encouraging them when they were retreating.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>Colonel Bodle and Captain Rolt (adjutant) were also slightly
+wounded.</p>
+
+<p>Some splendid service was rendered by Sergeant-Major Manning
+(5th Dragoon Guards), on whom the whole work of staff officer
+afterwards devolved.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_212" id="Page_212">[Pg 212]</a></span></p>
+
+<p>Another writer shows the trying circumstances in which Colonel
+Plumer&#8217;s campaign was conducted, circumstances which, when the
+historian of the future sets to work, cannot be disregarded:&mdash;</p>
+
+<blockquote><p>&#8220;On the 31st ult. we got as far as six miles from Mafeking, but had to
+retire after four hours&#8217; heavy fighting, losing 48 killed, wounded, and missing.
+We have had a very rough time indeed, always fighting against much superior
+odds armed with splendid artillery, living on short rations, without tents or any
+other shelter, wet through with the rain, and scorched with the sun, and yet
+the people at home never give us a thought. We have been so hard up for
+tobacco that men have been smoking tea leaves. We have not had a thing
+from home, not even the Queen&#8217;s chocolate, and yet we have done as much in
+our small way as the troops down south. Of course, we have had no big
+battles, as we have not the men or guns, but we have had constant patrols and
+skirmishes, nearly always losing men killed or wounded, or both. We have
+also suffered very heavily with fever and dysentery, and all our hospitals are
+full.&#8221;</p></blockquote>
+
+<p>These lines in their bald simplicity are quoted because they,
+like the work they describe, were originated with no view to effect
+nor applause, and serve exactly to describe the modest deeds of
+perpetual valour which were perpetrated by our countrymen, and
+which by force of circumstance were left to waste their smartness
+&#8220;on the desert air.&#8221;</p>
+
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 524px;">
+<a name="ill_286" id="ill_286"></a><img src="images/ill_286.png" width="524" height="320" alt="Lobatsi Railway Station" title="" />
+<div><span class="caption smcap">Lobatsi Railway Station</span>
+</div></div>
+
+<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_213" id="Page_213">[Pg 213]</a></span></p>
+
+<h2 class="gap4"><a name="LIST_OF_STAFF" id="LIST_OF_STAFF"></a>LIST OF STAFF</h2>
+
+<p>The following is a list of appointments to the Staff of the Eighth Division,
+which left England in February:&mdash;</p>
+
+<h3 class="gap2">EIGHTH DIVISION</h3>
+
+<p>Lieutenant-General on the Staff&mdash;Major-General (temporary Lieutenant-General)
+Sir H. M. L. Rundle, K.C.B., C.M.G., D.S.O., R.A.</p>
+
+<p>Aides-de-Camp (2).</p>
+
+<p>Assistant Adjutant-General&mdash;Colonel G. E. Harley, C.B.</p>
+
+<p>Deputy-Assistant Adjutant-Generals&mdash;Major A. E. J. Cavendish, <i>p.s.c.</i>, Argyll and
+Sutherland Highlanders; Captain G. I. Walsh, Leicestershire Regt.</p>
+
+<p>Assistant Provost-Marshal<a name="FNanchor_11_11" id="FNanchor_11_11"></a><a href="#Footnote_11_11" class="fnanchor">[11]</a>&mdash;Lieut.-Colonel R. H. Morrison.</p>
+
+<p>Principal Medical Officer&mdash;Lieut.-Colonel W. A. May, Royal Army Medical Corps.</p>
+
+<p>Medical Officer&mdash;Major J. W. Jerome, Royal Army Medical Corps.</p>
+
+<p>Chaplains&mdash;Rev. C. F. O&#8217;Reilly; Rev. F. J. P. Jellicoe.</p>
+
+<p>Divisional Signalling Officer&mdash;Captain C. H. Bennett, Worcestershire Regt.</p>
+
+<h4 class="smcap">16th BRIGADE</h4>
+
+<p>Major-General on the Staff&mdash;Major-General B. B. D. Campbell, M.V.O.</p>
+
+<p>Aide-de-Camp.</p>
+
+<p>Brigade-Major&mdash;Captain E. F. O. Gascoigne, D.S.O., Grenadier Guards.</p>
+
+<h4 class="smcap">17th BRIGADE</h4>
+
+<p>Major-General on the Staff&mdash;Major-General J. E. Boyes.</p>
+
+<p>Aide-de-Camp.</p>
+
+<p>Brigade-Major&mdash;Captain C. B. FitzHenry, 7th Hussars.</p>
+
+<p>At the same time a Ninth Division was formed under the command of Lieut.-General
+Sir Henry Colvile, consisting of the 3rd (Highland Brigade), Colonel (Major-General)
+H. A. Macdonald, C.B., and 19th Brigade, Colonel (Major-General) H. L.
+Smith-Dorrien. For particulars, see Vol. V.</p>
+<div class="footnotes"><h3>FOOTNOTES:</h3>
+
+<div class="footnote"><p><a name="Footnote_11_11" id="Footnote_11_11"></a><a href="#FNanchor_11_11"><span class="label">[11]</span></a> Graded as a Deputy-Assistant Adjutant-General.</p></div>
+</div>
+
+<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_214" id="Page_214">[Pg 214]</a></span></p>
+<p>&nbsp;</p>
+<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_215" id="Page_215">[Pg 215]</a></span></p>
+
+<h2 class="gap4"><a name="APPENDIX" id="APPENDIX"></a>APPENDIX</h2>
+
+<h3 class="gap2">KURUMAN<a name="FNanchor_12_12" id="FNanchor_12_12"></a><a href="#Footnote_12_12" class="fnanchor">[12]</a></h3>
+
+<p>At time of the surrender of Kuruman it was impossible to obtain complete details
+regarding the gallant defence of the place. The following short story published by the
+<i>Cape Argus</i> serves to throw light on deeds too brave to be overlooked:&mdash;</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;On the 15th October 1899, the Cape Police, Vryburg, 96 miles north-east of
+Kuruman, evacuated their station without giving battle to the Boers; the detachment
+with one Maxim and 110 men retiring on Kimberley. The commanding officer, Major
+Scott, Cape Police, committed suicide <i>en route</i>. Refugees came into Kuruman on the
+16th and following days.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;On the 23rd October communication was cut off from Kuruman except by wire to
+Koopmansfontein, and on the 5th November all wires were cut. Information reached
+Kuruman that the South African Republic and Orange Free State Boers, assisted by
+rebels from that and surrounding districts, intended to march on Kuruman and hoist
+the &#8216;Vierkleur.&#8217;</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;The defence of Kuruman was commenced by Captain Bates,<a name="FNanchor_13_13" id="FNanchor_13_13"></a><a href="#Footnote_13_13" class="fnanchor">[13]</a> C.P. (formerly captain
+B.B.P. under Sir Frederick Carrington), assisted by Sergeant Hemsworth, C.P., and
+Captain Dennison, Intelligence Department. On the 19th October, Colonel Kekewich,
+officer commanding forces Griqualand West and Bechuanaland, instructed the force to
+endeavour to prevent Kuruman falling into the hands of the enemy. The officer commanding,
+Captain Bates, had orders to defend the place, and the Kuruman defence force
+was raised, consisting of, approximately, 54 Cape Police and Special Police (whites), 62
+Bastards and natives&mdash;total, 116.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;Redoubts were built on the north, south, east, and west sides of the main camp,
+which was fortified with trenches and stone walls loopholed and raised with sandbags.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;On the 12th November 1899, a letter was received from Commandant Visser
+(signed Fighting General), demanding the surrender of Kuruman voluntarily in the
+name of the Z.A.R. and O.F.S. Governments, saying that he was at Pakani, six miles
+off, with his commando, and failing compliance with his demand he would attack and
+take Kuruman by main force at 7 <span class="allsmcap">A.M.</span> the following day. A reply was sent that should
+he attack he would have to take the consequences of his illegal act, as no instructions
+had been issued by the Colonial Government to evacuate the town.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;At 9 <span class="allsmcap">A.M.</span> on the 13th November a commando of about 400 men came at full gallop
+towards the Soeden Mission Station, three miles from Kuruman. Coming within range
+(1500 yards) the redoubt on the eastern side opened fire on them with their rifles. The
+enemy halted, and then at once retired out of range. After about ten minutes, one portion,
+250 strong, advanced towards the Mission Station, the other, 150 strong, moving to the
+ridge above the Court House. At 10 <span class="allsmcap">A.M.</span> the commando from Soeden attacked the
+western redoubt held by Corporal Childs, C.P., with six whites and seven natives. Heavy
+firing took place. At about 5 <span class="allsmcap">P.M.</span> the enemy, who had during the day occupied a ridge
+about 400 yards from the redoubt, retired, and in so doing lost heavily&mdash;they were seen
+falling from their horses. Our men behaved splendidly. The estimated Boer loss was
+six killed and fourteen wounded; ours, one native killed. Captain Bates rode up during
+the day to encourage the men, and both going and returning was received with heavy
+volleys from the Boers, but both he and his horse returned unhurt. While the fighting
+was going on Corporal Barnes, C.P., and nine men volunteered to take an extra supply
+of ammunition to this redoubt, about 1000 yards in the open, under heavy fire, and remained
+there to the end of the attack without any further casualty. Firing from all the enemy&#8217;s
+schanzes was kept up during the night.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;At dawn next day it was discovered that the enemy had built schanzes (stone
+entrenchments) all round our redoubts at distances varying from 1200 to 900 yards, and
+commenced firing volleys into our positions. We replied, and our losses this day were
+one native slightly wounded and five horses badly wounded. The enemy stuck to their
+schanzes and continued firing heavily on us daily until the 19th November, when to our
+surprise they withdrew to Pakani.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;On the 20th November our scouts, who were sent to find out the enemy&#8217;s movements,
+returned, stating that they were retiring towards Vryburg.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;On the 26th November it was reported by our scouts that the Boers had formed three<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_216" id="Page_216">[Pg 216]</a></span>
+laagers, one at Mooifontein, 30 miles away; one at Magagapirie, 20 miles off; and one
+at Botitilotse, about 18 miles off; the total commando numbering about 1100 to 1200
+men, and a large number of waggons.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;On the 1st December a headman, Seloa, reported that the Boers were waiting for a
+cannon from Pretoria, and were coming again to attack us or starve us out. Captain Bates
+strengthened the forts as much as possible to resist shell fire.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;On the 5th December the enemy arrived with from 1100 to 1200 men under Visser,
+of the Transvaal, now Commandant, and Field-Cornet Wessels, of the Free State, but
+without any cannon. They commenced by attacking Captain Dennison&#8217;s (Intelligence
+Officer to Commanding Officer, Kimberley, Colonel Kekewich) redoubt on the east, but
+were repulsed. The enemy made five night attacks on this redoubt and a smaller one held
+by Private Brown, Special Police, about 300 yards on the S.E. Their mode of attack was
+as follows:&mdash;They built schanzes within 500 yards of these redoubts, surrounding them, and
+threw up small schanzes of stone and bags within thirty or forty yards of the redoubts early
+in the night and attacked about two or three o&#8217;clock in the morning, retiring from time to
+time to these small schanzes. They thus succeeded in pushing off the sandbags from our
+redoubts on the S.E. side, but were driven back, losing about four killed and ten or twelve
+wounded. This redoubt was held by Private Brown, three white men, and two natives, the
+enemy numbering from sixty to seventy men. Our casualties were one white man wounded.
+During these attacks a bullet (presumably an explosive one) struck inside the east fort or
+redoubt, badly wounding two whites and two others slightly. Firing was kept up night and
+day for these five days. The enemy ceased their attacks and went in for volley firing and
+sniping, coming nearer our redoubts by building schanzes during the night. These two
+redoubts had to be abandoned, as the loopholes of sandbags were shot away, and there was
+no means of building them up agin. The enemy occupied them after being abandoned for
+two nights, and also took possession of a store in a hollow about 800 yards from the main
+camp, between it and the Court House. This left only one of our redoubts occupied by our
+defence force, and which commanded the water. Corporal Gash, C.P., was in charge.
+Our horses had to be watered at night.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;The Boers made several attempts to cut us off from the water, but were prevented by
+our pickets, who were placed in entrenched positions to cover our cattle and horses
+while watered. The Boers must have fired away an enormous quantity of ammunition,
+and they had five waggon-loads of it. A unique armistice was arranged on Christmas
+Day. F. C. Wessels, of the Free State, wrote to the Commanding Officer saying that if we
+would not fire on them this day, the Boers would not fire on us. This was agreed to, and
+word was sent round to all the schanzes and redoubts notifying this. The men came out,
+but to our surprise, as one of us was going to bathe, a volley from the Transvaal Boer
+schanzes on the east was sent after him. Wessels went to inquire the reason, and was told
+that the Transvaal commando would not agree to this armistice, whereupon Wessels
+arranged with us that the Free State men, who were on the south and south-east side,
+would not fire on us, and our men, running the gauntlet of the Transvaal fire for about
+20 yards, went under cover of the Free State schanzes, and British and Boer bathed
+together at the bathing-place. This circumstance caused a split in the Boer camp, and
+Wessels with 150 men of the Free State burghers left for the south, presumably towards
+Kimberley. The Boers continued firing and sniping daily. Up to this we had one white
+(Private Ward, C.P.) and two natives killed, seven whites and seven natives wounded. Of
+the animals 23 horses were killed and wounded and three oxen killed. We were holding
+out and were confident of doing so for another two months, when on the 1st January 1900,
+a New Year&#8217;s gift arrived in the Boer camp in the shape of a 9-pounder. They started
+shelling at dawn, with common shell, the redoubt on the north side; then came to a ridge
+on the south and shelled the main camp, four shells falling in the camp without doing any
+serious damage. They then fired on the western redoubt without hitting it. On going to
+their schanzes about 2000 yards on the eastern side, they shelled the only remaining
+redoubt on that side, held by Corporal Gash, C.P., and 15 men. The 90th shell breached
+the redoubt, the 91st and 92nd striking it, and the 93rd falling inside. The men in the
+redoubt got into the trenches, which, owing to the stony nature of the ground, could not be
+dug deep, and were subjected to such a heavy fire from three of the enemy&#8217;s schanzes,
+that they were compelled to surrender.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;Captain Bates then saw that as the key of the position had fallen, and that reinforcements
+could not possibly arrive for weeks or months, it was hopeless to continue to hold out.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;Thus Kuruman was surrendered after seven weeks, and its defence was principally due
+to Captain Bates. Captain Dennison and Sergeant Hemsworth and Captain Bates were
+sent to the Pretoria gaol (as they were supposed to know too much, whatever that meant),
+and the Magistrate was sent to the State Model School with the other officers.&#8221;</p>
+
+<div class="footnotes"><h3>FOOTNOTES:</h3>
+
+<div class="footnote"><p><a name="Footnote_12_12" id="Footnote_12_12"></a><a href="#FNanchor_12_12"><span class="label">[12]</span></a> See Vol. iii. p. 25.</p></div>
+
+<div class="footnote"><p><a name="Footnote_13_13" id="Footnote_13_13"></a><a href="#FNanchor_13_13"><span class="label">[13]</span></a> This officer&#8217;s name was originally given as Baker in telegrams home.</p></div>
+</div>
+
+<div class="bbox gap4">
+<h3>TRANSCRIBERS' NOTES</h3>
+
+<p class="hangindent">Page vi: Christo standardised to Cristo after &#8220;Scene of Fighting at Monte&#8221;</p>
+
+<p class="hangindent">Page vii: Reit standardised to Riet after &#8220;on north bank of the&#8221;</p>
+
+<p class="hangindent">Page vii: Majesfontein standardised to Majersfontein (two instances)</p>
+
+<p class="hangindent">Page vii: Koodoesrand standardised to Koodoosrand after &#8220;Spyfontein,
+retreating to&#8221;</p>
+
+<p class="hangindent">Page viii: landdrost standardised to landrost after &#8220;and arrested the&#8221;</p>
+
+<p class="hangindent">Page 9: &#8221; added after &#8220;180,600 of all arms.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p class="hangindent">Page 13: no corrected to not after &#8220;now engaged stronger,&#8221; cf. Hansard</p>
+
+<p class="hangindent">Page 22: &#8220;Homes were destroyed mothers and children stricken&#8221; as in the
+original, without punctuation</p>
+
+<p class="hangindent">Page 30: Kimberly standardised to Kimberley before &#8220;man stared at the
+three objects&#8221;</p>
+
+<p class="hangindent">Page 33: Accent on d�tour not standardised as part of a quotation</p>
+
+<p class="hangindent">Pages 34, 152: Variable spelling of mosquitoes/mosquitos as in the
+original</p>
+
+<p class="hangindent">Page 36: horseflesh standardised to horse-flesh after &#8220;Cronje had to be
+paid for in&#8221;</p>
+
+<p class="hangindent">Page 39: Duplicate the removed from &#8220;for the the team of mules&#8221;</p>
+
+<p class="hangindent">Page 40: duplicate an removed in &#8220;having detected an an unusual haze of
+dust&#8221;</p>
+
+<p class="hangindent">Pages 40, 54: Inconsistent hyphenation of rear-guard as in the original.
+Retained as part of a quotation</p>
+
+<p class="hangindent">Page 56: . added after &#8220;for the rest of the day&#8221;</p>
+
+<p class="hangindent">Page 60: Infanty corrected to Infantry in &#8220;Duke of Cornwall's Light
+Infantry&#8221;</p>
+
+<p class="hangindent">Page 62: mid-day standardised to midday before &#8220;came the rumour that
+French&#8221;</p>
+
+<p class="hangindent">Page 65: reveille standardised to reveill� after &#8220;a volley by way of&#8221;</p>
+
+<p class="hangindent">Page 69: insistance as in the original</p>
+
+<p class="hangindent">Page 71: silhoutte corrected to silhouette before &#8220;which gradually grew
+clearer&#8221;</p>
+
+<p class="hangindent">Page 88 [Illustration]: ( added before Colour-Sergeant)</p>
+
+<p class="hangindent">Page 93: Accent on d�bris not standardised as part of a quotation</p>
+
+<p class="hangindent">Page 101: depot standardised to dep�t after &#8220;converted into the advanced&#8221;</p>
+
+<p class="hangindent">Page 115: shortlived standardised to short-lived after &#8220;Rest was&#8221;</p>
+
+<p class="hangindent">Page 116: Mr. Shcreiner corrected to Mr. Schreiner</p>
+
+<p class="hangindent">Page 120: Horseflesh standardised to Horse-flesh before &#8220;was diversified
+by bread&#8221;</p>
+
+<p class="hangindent">Page 122: head-quarters standardised to headquarters after &#8220;subsequently
+established his&#8221;</p>
+
+<p class="hangindent">Page 123: Lyttleton corrected to Lyttelton after &#8220;While this was going on
+above, General&#8221;</p>
+
+<p class="hangindent">Page 128: caligraphy as in the original</p>
+
+<p class="hangindent">Page 132: Lee-Mitfords corrected to Lee-Metfords after &#8220;been hit by
+Mausers or&#8221;</p>
+
+<p class="hangindent">Page 133: Inconsistent hyphenation of horseflesh as in the original.
+Retained as part of a quotation</p>
+
+<p class="hangindent">Page 148: unchallengably corrected to unchallengeably after &#8220;kopjes,
+kopjes, kopjes&mdash;ours,&#8221;</p>
+
+<p class="hangindent">Page 148: . added after &#8220;rifle fire was raging on the left&#8221;</p>
+
+<p class="hangindent">Page 150: Lieutenan corrected to Lieutenant before &#8220;C. H. I. Jackson&#8221;</p>
+
+<p class="hangindent">Page 177: martrys corrected to martyrs after &#8220;calls for its ministers and&#8221;</p>
+
+<p class="hangindent">Page 182: Llandrost corrected to Landrost after &#8220;Mr. Papenfus, whose
+services as&#8221;</p>
+
+<p class="hangindent">Page 189: fourteeen corrected to fourteen after &#8220;on the Orange Free State
+Railway some&#8221;</p>
+
+<p class="hangindent">Page 190: markmanship corrected to marksmanship after &#8220;spoke
+apologetically of their good&#8221;</p>
+
+<p class="hangindent">Page 192: ensconed corrected to ensconced after &#8220;where the enemy had&#8221;</p>
+
+<p class="hangindent">Page 200: lookout standardised to look-out after &#8220;the wily Dutchman on
+the&#8221;</p>
+
+<p class="hangindent">Page 210: Inconsistent hyphenation of halfway as in the original. Retained
+as part of a quotation</p>
+
+<p class="hangindent">Page 216: agin as in the original</p>
+
+</div>
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+<pre>
+
+
+
+
+
+End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of South Africa and the Transvaal War,
+Vol. IV (of 6), by Louis Creswicke
+
+*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK SOUTH AFRICA, TRANSVAAL WAR, VOL IV ***
+
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+</body>
+</html>
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+The Project Gutenberg EBook of South Africa and the Transvaal War, Vol. IV
+(of 6), by Louis Creswicke
+
+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: South Africa and the Transvaal War, Vol. IV (of 6)
+       From Lord Roberts' Entry into the Free State to the Battle of Karree
+
+Author: Louis Creswicke
+
+Release Date: February 4, 2012 [EBook #38768]
+
+Language: English
+
+Character set encoding: ASCII
+
+*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK SOUTH AFRICA, TRANSVAAL WAR, VOL IV ***
+
+
+
+
+Produced by Brownfox and the Online Distributed Proofreading
+Team at https://www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from
+images generously made available by The Internet Archive)
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+    SOUTH AFRICA AND THE
+    TRANSVAAL WAR
+
+[Illustration: THE QUEEN LISTENING TO A DISPATCH FROM THE FRONT.
+
+From the Picture by S. Begg]
+
+
+
+
+SOUTH AFRICA
+AND THE
+TRANSVAAL WAR
+
+BY
+
+LOUIS CRESWICKE
+
+AUTHOR OF "ROXANE," ETC.
+
+WITH NUMEROUS ILLUSTRATIONS AND MAPS
+
+IN SIX VOLUMES
+
+VOL. IV.--FROM LORD ROBERTS' ENTRY INTO THE FREE
+STATE TO THE BATTLE OF KARREE
+
+EDINBURGH: T. C. & E. C. JACK
+MANCHESTER: KENNETH MACLENNAN, 75 PICCADILLY
+1900
+
+
+
+
+Printed by BALLANTYNE, HANSON & CO.
+
+At the Ballantyne Press
+
+
+
+
+CONTENTS----VOL. IV.
+
+
+                                               PAGE
+
+CHRONOLOGICAL TABLE                            vii
+
+
+      CHAPTER I
+
+THE VOTE OF CENSURE                              1
+KIMBERLEY                                       14
+GENERAL FRENCH'S RIDE, FEBRUARY 12 TO 15        30
+STRATEGY _versus_ TACTICS                       37
+THE HERDING OF CRONJE, FEBRUARY 16 TO 18        49
+THE BATTLE OF PAARDEBERG, FEBRUARY 18           54
+TRAPPED                                         62
+THE SURRENDER OF CRONJE                         71
+
+
+      CHAPTER II
+
+MAFEKING, DECEMBER AND JANUARY                  80
+
+
+      CHAPTER III
+
+AT POPLAR GROVE                                 95
+THE FIGHT AT DRIEFONTEIN, MARCH 10             101
+AT BLOEMFONTEIN, MARCH 13                      108
+
+
+      CHAPTER IV
+
+MAFEKING, FEBRUARY                             112
+
+
+      CHAPTER V
+
+AT CHIEVELEY AGAIN                             121
+LADYSMITH, FEBRUARY 1 TO 26                    129
+THE BATTLE OF PIETERS, FEBRUARY 20 TO 27       134
+EXPECTATION                                    151
+THE RELIEF OF LADYSMITH, FEBRUARY 28           153
+THE FORMAL ENTRY, MARCH 3                      156
+
+
+      CHAPTER VI
+
+CHANGES IN CAPE COLONY, FEBRUARY AND MARCH     163
+AT BETHULIE, MARCH 12                          171
+
+
+      CHAPTER VII
+
+BLOEMFONTEIN UNDER BRITISH RULE                174
+THE BATTLE OF KARREE                           192
+
+
+      CHAPTER VIII
+
+MAFEKING IN MARCH                              194
+COLONEL PLUMER'S OPERATIONS                    204
+
+
+LIST OF STAFF                                  213
+
+
+APPENDIX                                       215
+
+
+
+
+LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS----VOL. IV.
+
+
+MAP ILLUSTRATING THE MOVEMENTS FOR THE RELIEF OF
+KIMBERLEY AND THE CAPTURE OF BLOEMFONTEIN             _At Front_
+
+
+1. _COLOURED PLATES_
+                                                         PAGE
+THE QUEEN LISTENING TO A DISPATCH FROM THE FRONT    _Frontispiece_
+
+THE IMPERIAL YEOMANRY                                     12
+
+THE ROYAL LANCASTERS                                      16
+
+WEST YORKSHIRE AND YORKSHIRE REGIMENTS                    88
+
+THE INNISKILLING DRAGOONS                                104
+
+SOUTH AFRICAN LIGHT HORSE, BRABANT'S HORSE, AND
+DUKE OF EDINBURGH'S VOLUNTEER RIFLES                     120
+
+STRATHCONA'S HORSE                                       184
+
+THE CAPE TOWN HIGHLANDERS                                200
+
+
+2. _FULL-PAGE PLATES_
+                                                         PAGE
+THE DASH FOR KIMBERLEY--THE 10TH HUSSARS CROSSING
+KLIP DRIFT                                                32
+
+THE LAST STAND MADE BY THE BOERS BEFORE KIMBERLEY         36
+
+CAPTURE OF A BOER CONVOY BY GENERAL FRENCH'S TROOPS       40
+
+THE BATTLE OF PAARDEBERG                                  56
+
+CRONJE'S STRONGHOLD                                       64
+
+CRONJE SURRENDERS TO LORD ROBERTS                         72
+
+CRONJE'S FORCE ON THEIR MARCH SOUTH                       80
+
+SHELL FROM THE NAVAL BRIGADE DISPERSING BOERS             96
+
+THE FORMAL SURRENDER OF BLOEMFONTEIN                     108
+
+SLEEPLESS MAFEKING                                       112
+
+THE RELIEF OF LADYSMITH--THE LAST RUSH AT HLANGWANE HILL 128
+
+IN BELEAGUERED LADYSMITH--WATCHING FOR BULLER FROM
+OBSERVATION HILL                                         152
+
+HINDOO REFUGEES FROM THE TRANSVAAL IN CAMP AT CAPE TOWN  168
+
+CONVEYING WOUNDED TO WYNBERG HOSPITAL CAMP               172
+
+THE BRITISH OCCUPATION OF BLOEMFONTEIN--AN EVENING CONCERT
+IN MARKET SQUARE BY THE PIPERS OF THE HIGHLAND BRIGADE   176
+
+COLONEL PLUMER'S GALLANT ATTEMPT TO RELIEVE MAFEKING
+FROM THE NORTH                                           208
+
+
+3. _FULL-PAGE PORTRAITS_
+                                                         PAGE
+THE MARQUIS OF SALISBURY, K.G.                             8
+
+LIEUT.-GENERAL THOMAS KELLY-KENNY, C.B.                   24
+
+GENERAL CRONJE                                            48
+
+MAJOR-GENERAL A. FITZROY HART, C.B.                      136
+
+MAJOR-GENERAL H. J. T. HILDYARD, C.B.                    144
+
+BRIGADIER-GENERAL THE EARL OF DUNDONALD, C.B.            156
+
+LIEUT.-GENERAL HON. N. G. LYTTELTON, C.B.                160
+
+MR. M. T. STEYN, LATE PRESIDENT ORANGE FREE STATE        192
+
+
+4. _MAPS AND ENGRAVINGS IN THE TEXT_
+                                                         PAGE
+SHELL PICKED UP IN KIMBERLEY STREETS                      15
+
+"LONG CECIL" MADE AT DE BEERS MINES                       21
+
+PLACARD ERECTED BY MR. RHODES                             27
+
+TYPICAL UNDERGROUND DWELLING AT KIMBERLEY                 36
+
+10TH HUSSARS WITH NORDENFELDT GUN                         46
+
+PLAN OF PAARDEBERG                                        57
+
+GUNS CAPTURED AT PAARDEBERG                               68
+
+BOER TRENCHES AT PAARDEBERG                               78
+
+MARKET SQUARE, MAFEKING                                   85
+
+GUN MADE IN MAFEKING                                      87
+
+DIRECTING AN ARMY FROM A MILITARY BALLOON                102
+
+FACSIMILE OF "THE MAFEKING MAIL"                         114
+
+SCENE OF FIGHTING AT MONTE CRISTO                        125
+
+BALLOON MAP--BATTLE OF PIETERS AND RELIEF OF LADYSMITH   135
+
+SIGNAL APPARATUS OF H.M.S. "FORTE"                       146
+
+KING'S POST, LADYSMITH                                   151
+
+MAP OF OPERATIONS ON ORANGE RIVER                        165
+
+SIGNAL STATION AT BLOEMFONTEIN                           182
+
+NATIVE CHURCH, MAFEKING                                  199
+
+MAP SHOWING ADVANCE TO MAFEKING                          205
+
+LOBATSI RAILWAY STATION                                  212
+
+
+
+
+CHRONOLOGICAL TABLE----VOL. IV.
+
+
+FEBRUARY 1900.
+
+12-13.--General French, following up Hannay's movement, crossed Riet
+River, and next day with a strong force marched twenty-five miles into
+the Free State, seized Klip Drift on the Modder River, occupied the
+hills to the north, and captured three of the enemy's laagers, with
+supplies.
+
+13-14.--6th (Kelly-Kenny's) Division on north bank of the Riet River at
+Waterfall Drift.
+
+14.--Lord Roberts advanced to Dekiel's Drift.
+
+15.--General French reached and relieved Kimberley, captured Boer laager
+and supplies, and forced the enemy to withdraw.
+
+The Boers evacuated Majersfontein and Spyfontein, retreating to
+Koodoosrand Drift.
+
+16.--General Kelly-Kenny, in pursuit of Cronje retiring east with 10,000
+men on Bloemfontein, captured 78 waggons with stores, 2 waggons with
+Mauser rifles, and 8 waggons with shell belonging to Cronje's column.
+
+Capture of Cingolo Hill by Sir Redvers Buller's force.
+
+Lord Roberts occupied Jacobsdal.
+
+Flight of Cronje's force and occupation of Majersfontein by the Guards.
+
+17.--Cronje's force overtaken and surrounded at Paardeberg. General
+Brabant engaged the enemy near Dordrecht.
+
+Successful reconnaissance by Colonel Henderson from Arundel.
+
+18.--Severe fighting at Paardeberg, where Cronje was being gradually
+surrounded.
+
+Capture of Monte Cristo. General Lyttelton's Division, by a brilliant
+converging movement, drove the Boers across the river.
+
+19.--Capture of Hlangwane by the Fusilier Brigade. The Boers evacuated
+the hill, and left a large camp behind them.
+
+Bombardment of Cronje's position began. Boer reinforcements driven back.
+
+Cronje asked for armistice, but Lord Kitchener demanded his surrender;
+Cronje refused, and was then bombarded heavily.
+
+Reoccupation of Dordrecht. General Brabant entered the town in the
+morning, the Boers taking to flight.
+
+20.--General Hart occupied Colenso.
+
+Lord Roberts defeated Boer reinforcements at Paardeberg.
+
+21.--5th Division crossed the Tugela at Colenso.
+
+23.--Advance on Ladysmith continued. The Boers' position at Grobler's
+Kloof attacked.
+
+The cordon round Cronje began to close in.
+
+Captain Hon. R. H. L. J. de Montmorency, V.C. (21st Hussars), killed
+while doing magnificent work with his Scouts near Stormberg.
+
+26.--Finding the passage of the river near Colenso commanded by strong
+entrenchments, Sir Redvers Buller sent his guns and baggage back to the
+south side of the Tugela, and found a new crossing.
+
+26-27.--Colesberg and Rensberg, having been evacuated by the Boers, were
+occupied by General Clements, while Jamestown was occupied by General
+Brabant.
+
+27 (on anniversary of Majuba, 1881).--Cronje, with 44 commandants and
+other officers of all grades, and over 3500 men, surrendered
+unconditionally to Lord Roberts.
+
+Sir Redvers Buller's force captured the Boer position at Pieters. This
+action opened the road to Ladysmith. Boers retired north to Ladysmith.
+
+28.--Relief of Ladysmith after 120 day's investment.
+
+
+MARCH 1900.
+
+1.--Lord Roberts and Lord Kitchener visited Kimberley and attended a
+meeting in the Town Hall.
+
+2.--Cronje and his staff, having been moved to Simonstown under a guard
+of City Imperial Volunteers, were put on board H.M.S. _Doris_, and sent
+to St. Helena.
+
+3.--General Buller formally entered Ladysmith.
+
+Skirmish near Osfontein. General French came in contact with a Boer
+force, who tried to get away, but were held to their position by the
+British force.
+
+4-5.--General Brabant advanced from Dordrecht against Labuschagne, and
+was completely successful.
+
+5.--General Gatacre occupied Stormberg without opposition.
+
+7.--Lord Roberts dispersed Boers near Poplar Grove.
+
+General Gatacre reached Burghersdorp.
+
+8.--General Clements occupied Norval's Pont.
+
+10.--The Boers dispersed near Driefontein, fifteen miles east of Poplar
+Grove.
+
+11.--Presidents Kruger and Steyn received reply from the Prime Minister
+refusing to entertain their absurd overtures for peace.
+
+12.--General French (with cavalry, R.H.A., and Mounted Infantry) arrived
+before Bloemfontein, and captured two hills which command the railway
+and town.
+
+General French captured the railway near Bloemfontein.
+
+General Gatacre approached Bethulie.
+
+13.--Lord Roberts occupied Bloemfontein. His despatch ran:--"The British
+flag now flies over the Presidency vacated last evening by Mr. Steyn,
+late President of the Orange Free State. The inhabitants gave the troops
+a cordial welcome."
+
+14.--General Pretyman, C.B., appointed Military Governor of
+Bloemfontein.
+
+15.--General Gatacre occupied Bethulie.
+
+Boers attacked Colonel Plumer's camp and were repulsed.
+
+16.--Fighting at Fourteen Streams.
+
+19.--Lord Kitchener occupied Prieska, and received the submission of
+rebels.
+
+20.--Rouxville occupied by Major Cumming.
+
+21.--Smithfield occupied by British troops.
+
+23.--Party of English officers shot near Bloemfontein.
+
+27.--General Clements occupied Fauresmith, and arrested the landrost.
+
+Death of General Joubert.
+
+29.--Action at Karree Siding. Boer position taken.
+
+Wepener occupied by Brabant's Horse under Colonel Dalgety.
+
+30.--Colonel Broadwood with Cavalry Brigade and two batteries Royal
+Horse Artillery at Thabanchu retired on waterworks pressed by the enemy.
+
+31.--Loss of convoy and six guns at Koorn Spruit.
+
+Action at Ramathlabama for the relief of Mafeking, and Colonel Plumer's
+small force repulsed by the Boers.
+
+[Illustration: MAP ILLUSTRATING THE MOVEMENTS FOR THE RELIEF OF
+KIMBERLEY AND THE CAPTURE OF BLOEMFONTEIN
+
+EDINBURGH AND LONDON T. C. & E. C. JACK.]
+
+
+
+
+SOUTH AFRICA AND THE TRANSVAAL WAR
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER I
+
+THE TURNING OF THE TIDE
+
+_February 27, 1900._
+
+    "Storm, strong with all the bitter heart of hate,
+      Smote England, now nineteen dark years ago,
+      As when the tide's full wrath in seaward flow
+    Smites and bears back the swimmer. Fraud and fate
+    Were leagued against her: fear was fain to prate
+      Of honour in dishonour, pride brought low,
+      And humbleness whence holiness must grow,
+    And greatness born of shame to be so great.
+
+    The winter day that withered hope and pride
+    Shines now triumphal on the turning tide
+      That sets once more our trust in freedom free,
+    That leaves a ruthless and a truthless foe
+    And all base hopes that hailed his cause laid low,
+      And England's name a light on land and sea."
+
+    --ALGERNON CHARLES SWINBURNE.
+
+
+THE VOTE OF CENSURE
+
+The terrible events of the month of December had produced a disquieting
+effect upon the public mind. Agitated questions were asked on all
+subjects connected with the series of catastrophes, and the replies were
+so unsatisfactory that one and all became sensible that the actions of
+those in power were not sufficiently in unison with public sentiment,
+and even the keenest supporters of the Government numbly experienced a
+loss of confidence in those at the helm. It was felt that some one must
+be to blame for the miserable condition of affairs, the hideous series
+of defeats that had made Great Britain an object of ridicule on the
+Continent. For the forwarding of our troops "in driblets," for the
+ineffectiveness of our guns in comparison with Boer weapons, for the
+uselessness of the carbine in competition with the Mauser, for the
+scarcity of horses, for the preparedness of the Boers, for the
+unpreparedness of the British, for the under-estimation of the strength
+of the enemy, and for many other things which tended to bring about the
+national disaster, various members of the Government were blamed.
+Charges of incapacity were levelled at the Secretary of State for War,
+the War Office, and the Committee of National Defence. Even the stoutest
+Tories were found declaiming against the attitude of lethargy--flippancy,
+some said--adopted by those in whose hands the fate of the nation rested.
+Mr. Balfour, in certain speeches somewhat ill-advisedly delivered at a
+critical moment, had contrived almost to wound people who were already
+deeply wounded by humiliation and anxiety. His mood had not been in
+sympathy with the public mood. He had endeavoured to brush away the stern
+problems facing him by minimising their seriousness, by affecting to
+believe that the Government was, like Caesar's wife, beyond reproach. His
+attitude implied that the Cabinet could do no wrong, and that the
+misfortunes and errors (if errors there were) were due to a concatenation
+of circumstances for which neither the Government at home nor the
+generals abroad could be held responsible. In consequence of this
+attitude, on one side Mr. Balfour was blamed, on another, Mr.
+Chamberlain. The Colonial Secretary was accused of the policy of
+"bluffing with a weak hand," while the Chancellor of the Exchequer, as
+was inevitable, came in for his share of obloquy. It was the cheeseparing
+principle that was at the bottom of it all; cheeseparing and red-tape
+were responsible for debility and delay of all kinds, and political
+inertia had undoubtedly spelt defeat. The clamour was reasonable and
+just. It was felt that prudence and energy should have served as fuel to
+stoke the engine of public affairs, not as a brake to be put on in the
+face of disaster. On all hands the public of one consent cried for a new
+broom and "a great co-ordinating guiding mind," and the universal clamour
+awoke the Government to a consciousness that there are times and seasons
+in the history of nations when party recriminations and crystallised
+party etiquette must give way before the stress of a great national
+need--the need to preserve at all costs the honour and the reputation of
+the Empire in face of the whole world.
+
+Accordingly, the opening debate of the Session was one which cannot be
+passed over. The Queen's Speech struck a note of decision that was at
+once comforting and in sympathy with her people. Thus it ran: "I have
+witnessed with pride and the heartiest gratification the patriotism,
+eagerness, and spontaneous loyalty with which my subjects in all parts
+of my dominions have come forward to share in the common defence of
+their Imperial interests. I am confident that I shall not look to them
+in vain when I exhort them to sustain and renew their exertions until
+they have brought this struggle for the maintenance of the Empire and
+the assertion of its supremacy in South Africa to a victorious
+conclusion."
+
+The Earl of Kimberley commented on the ignorance of the Government
+regarding the military preparations that for years had been going on in
+the Transvaal, and indulged in criticisms which might have been weighty
+had his hearers not been tickled by the strange irony of fate which
+converted into critic one of the authors of the humiliating drama which
+had been left to shape itself from the disastrous _scena_ of 1881.
+
+To these criticisms the Prime Minister--somewhat broken by domestic
+bereavement--offered but a weak and depressing reply. "How," he asked,
+in regard to the Boer preparations, "could the Government know what was
+going on?"
+
+     "I believe, as a matter of fact, though this must not be taken
+     as official, that the guns were generally introduced in the
+     boilers of locomotives, and that the munitions of war were
+     introduced in piano-cases and tubs. But we had no power of
+     search, we had no power of knowing what munitions of war were
+     sent out. We certainly had no power of supervising their
+     importation into the Transvaal. It is a very remarkable
+     peculiarity of the public opinion of this country that people
+     always desire to eat their cake and have it. They rejoice very
+     much with a spirit of complacency that we have a very small
+     Secret Service Fund. Information is a matter of money and
+     nothing else. If you want much information you must give much
+     money; if you give little money you will get little
+     information; and considering the enormous sums which are spent
+     by other Powers, not least by the Transvaal Republic, in secret
+     service--which I was told on high diplomatic authority has been
+     L800,000 in one year--and comparing this with the ludicrously
+     small sums which have for a great number of years been
+     habitually spent by English Governments, it is impossible for
+     us to have the omniscience which the noble Earl seems to regard
+     as a necessary attribute of Her Majesty's Government."
+
+Further on he said:
+
+     "We must all join together to exercise all the power that we
+     can give in order to extricate ourselves from a situation that
+     is full of humiliation and not free from danger, though I do
+     not say the danger may not be easily exaggerated. Many a
+     country has commenced a great war with difficulties of this
+     kind. We have only to look back at what the Northern States of
+     America went through at the opening of the Civil War to see how
+     easy it would be to draw a mistaken inference from the reverses
+     which we have met at the opening of this war. We have every
+     ground to think that if we set ourselves heartily to work and
+     exert all the instruments of power we possess we shall bring
+     this war to a satisfactory conclusion. I think we must defer
+     the pleasing task of quarrelling among ourselves until that
+     result has been obtained. We have a work that now appeals to us
+     as subjects of the Queen, as Englishmen, and it must throw into
+     shadow the ancient claims which party expediency has on the
+     action of all our statesmen."
+
+This speech concluded, Lord Rosebery suddenly sprang up, and delivered
+himself with thrilling emphasis of sentiments which went at once to the
+heart of the nation. Deeply he deplored the Prime Minister's speech,
+which made it hard for "the man in the street" to support the policy of
+the Government.
+
+The country, he insisted, had a right to know if there was adequate
+information given to the Government before the crisis of the Transvaal
+affair, or even sufficient to guide them in their diplomacy or their
+negotiation. "That is a point which the nation will insist on knowing,
+whether in this House or the other. If you had not sufficient
+information, dismiss your Intelligence Department, dismiss Mr. Conyngham
+Greene and your consular agents wherever they had touch with this
+matter--at Lourenco Marques or elsewhere. If you did know of it, you
+have a heavy responsibility to bear. The noble Marquis asks, 'How could
+we see through a deal board?' I suppose he meant by that to allude to
+the pianoforte cases in which, with more knowledge than he gave himself
+credit for, he unofficially states that the ammunition was brought into
+Pretoria."
+
+Passing on to the question of Secret Service money, he declared that the
+Government was in possession of a very commanding majority in the House,
+and that if they had the responsibility of Government they were bound to
+ask for what funds, whether Secret Service or other, which they might
+think necessary for the safety of the Empire.
+
+     "They cannot," he pursued, "devolve that responsibility on
+     others by speaking of the working of the British Constitution.
+     I ask noble Lords to analyse the speech of the noble Marquis,
+     which is still ringing in their ears. It is the speech of a
+     Minister explaining a disastrous position. He practically has
+     only given two explanations of that situation. They are, first,
+     that the Government had not enough Secret Service money to
+     obtain information, and, secondly, the mysterious working of
+     the British Constitution. I suppose that there are foreign
+     representatives in the gallery listening to this debate, and I
+     suppose that the speech of the Prime Minister will be flashed
+     to-night all over Europe, and Europe, which is watching with a
+     keen and not a benevolent interest the proceedings of our
+     armies in South Africa, will learn that the causes of our
+     disasters are one avoidable and the other inevitable. The
+     avoidable one is the inadequate amount of the Secret Service
+     Fund, and the inevitable one the secular working of the British
+     Constitution."
+
+Leaving the question of unpreparedness, he came to the great point, and
+asked what the Government intended to do.
+
+     "There is a paragraph in the Queen's Speech which I rejoice to
+     see, of a somewhat didactic character in its first sentence,
+     but not without interest in its second. 'The experience of a
+     great war must necessarily afford lessons of the greatest
+     importance to the military administration of the country. You
+     will not, I am convinced, shrink from any outlay that may be
+     required to place our defensive preparations on a level with
+     the responsibilities which the possession of so great an Empire
+     has laid on us.' The noble Marquis made no reference to that
+     paragraph, except to say that he does not think we shall see
+     compulsory service in the life of the youngest peer present. I
+     do not affirm or question that proposition, but I can say I do
+     not think it is so immeasurably remote as the noble Marquis
+     considers that some form of compulsory service may have to be
+     introduced to meet the growing exigencies of the Empire. I am
+     sure that neither from this nor from any other sacrifice will
+     the nation recoil to preserve the predominance of our Empire.
+     We have sent away from our island a vast mass of troops which
+     usually garrison it. Situated as we are in the centre of a
+     universe by no means friendly to us, that we should not have a
+     hint from the First Minister of the Crown what military
+     measures the Government propose to take in face of the
+     disasters we have met with, and what sacrifices we must
+     inevitably be called on to make to redress them, is one of the
+     most extraordinary features of the working of the British
+     Constitution on which the noble Marquis has laid such great
+     stress. I agree with him in saying that the country will carry
+     this thing through. It will carry it through in spite of all
+     the impediments, both of men and of methods, that have shackled
+     it in the past; but I venture to say that it will have to be
+     inspired by a loftier tone and by a truer patriotism than we
+     have heard from the Prime Minister to-night."
+
+Mr. Balfour, in the House of Commons, was as damping to popular hopes as
+the Prime Minister in the House of Lords. Regarding the all-important
+subject of the under-estimation of the Boer strength, he somewhat airily
+said:
+
+     "It will be asked, How comes it, then, that this great
+     under-estimate of the Boer strength was made if we knew
+     approximately what the Boer armaments were, and what Boers were
+     likely to take the field? I do not know that I have got any
+     very satisfactory answer to give to that question. It is a
+     purely and strictly military problem, and, as history shows, it
+     is a kind of problem very difficult to answer satisfactorily.
+     You can gauge the military strength of a European nation with a
+     fixed army, with all their modern military apparatus, and with
+     all their military statistics at your disposal; but when you
+     come to problems of States whose military organisation is not
+     of that elaborate kind, great mistakes have been made in the
+     past, and I doubt not great mistakes will be made in the
+     future. They certainly have been made by almost every military
+     nation of whom we have any record. But if this is regarded as
+     an attack upon the military experts of the War Office, it is
+     surely an unfair attack, because soldiers, who are not
+     especially given to agreeing with one another, were absolutely
+     unanimous upon this point. I do not believe you will be able to
+     quote the opinion of a single soldier of any position whatever,
+     or of no position, delivered before, say, July 31 or August 31
+     last, indicating any opinion which will show that the force
+     which we in the first instance sent out would not be amply
+     sufficient, or more than amply sufficient, for all purposes.
+     (Cries of "What about Butler?") The right hon. gentlemen put a
+     question to me about Sir W. Butler. We had not the slightest
+     trace at the War Office in any communication, public,
+     semi-public, or private--no communication of any sort, kind, or
+     description, which indicated that in Sir W. Butler's opinion
+     the force we sent out was not sufficient--I was going to say
+     doubly sufficient--for any work that it might be called upon to
+     perform."
+
+Indeed, the whole tenor of the speech was generally regarded as
+unsatisfactory and dispiriting. It was felt that, as Lord Rosebery
+expressed it, the Government must be left to "muddle through" somehow.
+People who hung anxiously on the lips of the Government for definite
+statements regarding future resolute action were disappointed, and
+waited wearily the conclusion of the debate.
+
+On February 1, Sir Charles Dilke drew vigorous comparisons between the
+present and former campaigns. In regard to our lack of artillery he
+said:
+
+     "All our generals had told us that direct artillery fire had
+     failed against the Boer entrenchments. It had been known for
+     years past that direct artillery fire would be likely to fail
+     against strong entrenchments; yet we sent twenty-one batteries
+     of field-artillery to South Africa before the first one of the
+     three howitzer batteries was despatched. It was one of the
+     strongest charges which he and others had brought against the
+     War Office for some years, that our army was more badly
+     supplied with field-artillery than any other army in the world.
+     It was not even comparable with the field-artillery of
+     Switzerland and Roumania. In regard to our guns, the Leader of
+     the House had stated in a speech at Manchester that we had guns
+     in South Africa sufficient for three army corps of regular
+     troops. He should like to know on whose authority the right
+     hon. gentleman made that statement. The first force sent to
+     South Africa from India was supplied with guns, not on that
+     scale, but still in fairly decent and respectable measure. The
+     forces of Lord Methuen and Sir Redvers Buller fell altogether
+     short of even the scale adopted for the Indian Contingent. Both
+     these generals had themselves called attention to their
+     deficiency in this respect. We had not even now got artillery
+     on anything like the scale laid down by the right hon.
+     gentleman, and we could not have it in South Africa, because we
+     had not got it in the world. In these circumstances he could
+     only characterise the statement of the Leader of the House as
+     entirely erroneous and misleading, and altogether a blunder.
+     With regard to the batteries which were even now being sent
+     out, many of them were manned by reservists and by garrison
+     artillerymen, who had had no experience in the handling of
+     modern field-guns."
+
+Proceeding to the question of lack of cavalry, he argued:
+
+     "With regard to cavalry as with regard to artillery, the first
+     force was well supplied, but the forces of Lord Methuen and
+     General Buller were very deficient in that respect. In that
+     connection the First Lord had made an attack on the critics of
+     the War Office. He said they had not seen, or if they had seen
+     had not insisted on, a novel fact in the present war, namely,
+     that for the first time in the history of the world they had
+     seen an army composed entirely of mounted infantry. The right
+     hon. gentleman had only to read Sir William Butler's 'Life of
+     General Colley,' where he would find very marked attention
+     drawn to that matter. As to the Defence Committee of the
+     Cabinet, of which the right hon. gentleman was a member, though
+     he himself had been spoken of as the author of that body, he
+     must admit that it had failed. It was instituted after a
+     correspondence in which he himself, his hon. friend (Mr. Arnold
+     Foster), and Mr. Spenser Wilkinson took part, and it was not
+     new to the present Government. It was instituted in the time of
+     Lord Rosebery's Government as a Committee of the Cabinet, but
+     it had been proclaimed to the world in the time of the present
+     Government. It had failed on account of the slackness of those
+     who attended the deliberations of the Committee. It had not
+     been worked as the authors of the proposal thought it might
+     have been worked in the interests of the Empire. The Committee
+     ought to have foreseen these difficulties with respect to
+     mounted men; they were foreseen by military men. Though
+     political differences occurred between Sir A. Milner and Sir W.
+     Butler, Sir A. Milner consulted General Butler on the military
+     aspect of the situation, and General Butler's opinions were
+     known to the Government, or should have been. They were known
+     to Sir A. Milner at any rate and were not concealed by him when
+     he was in this country a year ago. According to his (Sir C.
+     Dilke's) information, which reached him immediately after the
+     statement had been made to Sir A. Milner, General Sir W. Butler
+     declared that 60,000 men would be required in Cape Colony and
+     25,000 men in Natal. Leaving that, however, what was the
+     attitude of the Cabinet with regard to the need for cavalry?
+     They telegraphed to the Colonies to refuse mounted men. They
+     gave their reasons in the telegram of October 3: 'In view of
+     the numbers already available, infantry most and cavalry least
+     serviceable.' On December 16 they telegraphed to the Colonies,
+     'Mounted men preferred.' After all the loss of life that had
+     taken place, and the months of checks and reverses, they had
+     discovered what competent soldiers had discovered before the
+     war, and must have told them, that mounted men were essential
+     for a campaign of this kind."
+
+In reply, the Under-Secretary of State for War made the first telling
+and apposite statement which had been furnished for the Government
+during the course of the proceedings. His exposition was
+straightforwardness itself. Though merely the mouthpiece of the
+Government, Mr. Wyndham gave utterance to definite statements which
+created a very favourable impression throughout the country, and served
+at once to wipe away the taste of foregone pronouncements. He said:
+
+     "Every one to his dying day would look back with regret on the
+     great many disasters which had followed, but no one could ever
+     know what would have happened if the other course had been
+     adopted. It was very easy to conceive that if Sir G. White had
+     not stayed at Ladysmith and Sir R. Buller had not gone to his
+     relief disaster might have been developed in another line, and
+     that there might have been that universal rising of the Cape
+     Dutch which, thank Heaven, had not occurred. When it was stated
+     that Lord Methuen had not sufficient cavalry and artillery with
+     him, it must be remembered that Lord Methuen was hurried off to
+     the Orange River, and, as a matter of fact, he arrived on the
+     frontier in fewer days than the German army reached the French
+     frontier, and he had not with him the cavalry, which had been
+     diverted for the relief of Ladysmith and other purposes. On the
+     morrow after Nicholson's Nek three more battalions were sent
+     from home, though none had been asked for, and Lord Landsowne
+     offered a sixth division. In reply, he was told that
+     preparation was desirable, but that there was no immediate need
+     for its despatch. The situation was again changed by the
+     reverses at Stormberg and Magersfontein and the check at
+     Colenso. Thereupon the sixth division was ordered to embark
+     without any communication from South Africa, and at the same
+     time the seventh division was ordered to be mobilised. On
+     December 15, the day after his check at Colenso, Sir R. Buller
+     asked for the seventh division, the mobilisation of which had
+     already been ordered, and for 8000 mounted irregulars from
+     this country. Lord Landsowne replied that the seventh division
+     would embark on January 4, which it did. Next day the first
+     step was taken in connection with the raising of the Imperial
+     Yeomanry, and volunteers were invited to come forward in order
+     to fill the places left vacant by the raising from each
+     battalion of one company of mounted infantry. The patriotism of
+     the Militia was also appealed to, and fourteen battalions were
+     now serving in South Africa, while others were on the way. A
+     great military authority once said, 'When a battalion is asked
+     for, send a brigade.' That had been the course pursued by Lord
+     Landsowne."
+
+In regard to the number of our guns, Mr. Wyndham continued his argument
+in the following terms:--
+
+     "As the right hon. baronet had pressed for information with
+     regard to the number of guns which had been despatched to South
+     Africa, it would not be out of place to tell the House that we
+     had sent and were sending 36 siege train heavy guns; there were
+     already there 38 mobile naval guns, and in addition to these
+     there were 36 5-inch howitzers carrying a heavy shell charged
+     with 50 lbs. of lyddite, in all 110 guns, some of them with a
+     range of 10,000 yards, and all capable of throwing heavy
+     shells. Besides these there were 54 horse-artillery guns and
+     234 field-artillery guns, in all, counting the howitzers, 324
+     guns capable of accompanying troops in the field. Including the
+     two mountain batteries, there were altogether 410 guns in South
+     Africa, without reckoning the guns that were going out with the
+     Volunteers and the Colonials, which would bring the number up
+     to 452."
+
+[Illustration: THE MARQUIS OF SALISBURY, K.G.
+
+PRIME MINISTER AND FOREIGN SECRETARY.
+
+Photo by Russell & Sons, London.]
+
+Then taking the subject of mounted troops, he went on:--
+
+     "On the question of mounted troops, it had been said that the
+     Government announced to the world their conviction that
+     unmounted troops were the kind of troops most suitable to South
+     African warfare. The word 'mounted' was never used. However, he
+     would not insist on that, but he did think that those who had
+     quoted this opinion so often should consider when they were
+     used, because then they would see that they gave no indication
+     that the Government held the opinion attributed to them. As a
+     matter of fact, since the outbreak of the war the Government
+     had sent out a larger proportion of mounted troops than was
+     usually contemplated, because they believed that mounted troops
+     were especially suited to go to Africa. The time at which the
+     phrase was used that infantry was most wanted and cavalry least
+     wanted was on October 3, before the ultimatum was sent, before
+     the war began, and at a time when Sir R. Buller was satisfied
+     that an army corps, a cavalry division, and the necessary
+     troops for the line of communication, giving 50,000 men in
+     addition to the 25,000 already in South Africa, was an adequate
+     force. When the question of the Colonial Contingents was first
+     raised, Queensland offered 250 and New Zealand 200 mounted
+     infantry, and the 108 New South Wales Lancers then in this
+     country volunteered, making in all 558 mounted men. No specific
+     offer was received from the other Colonies, but they expressed
+     a wish that they might be allowed to take some part in the
+     campaign. He thereon consulted Sir R. Buller as to the number
+     that should be asked for in order that each Colony might be
+     represented more or less in proportion to their respective
+     populations. Sir Redvers stated that it would be easier to give
+     the Colonial troops an immediate place at the front if they
+     were invited to contribute manageable units of 125 men each. If
+     the original offers of the Colonies had been accepted, there
+     would have been 1375 more mounted men at the front at an
+     earlier date, when no one contemplated that the force sent out
+     would be insufficient for its task. The Colonial Legislatures
+     have not changed their note in consequence of the
+     disappointments and reverses which have been experienced, but
+     have made further offers--an example which might well have been
+     followed nearer home. Altogether there had been accepted from
+     the Colonies 2075 unmounted and 4678 mounted men. The
+     proportion of mounted to unmounted troops in South Africa at
+     four different periods were: In the original garrison, 7600
+     unmounted and 2000 mounted; on October 9, the day of the
+     ultimatum, 12,600 unmounted and 3400 mounted; on January 1,
+     83,600 unmounted and 19,800 mounted; while the total number of
+     troops in South Africa, not including the Fourth Cavalry
+     Brigade, were 142,800 unmounted and 37,800 mounted, and in the
+     next fortnight or three weeks there would be out there 180,600
+     of all arms."
+
+Sir Edward Grey said:--
+
+     "He was giving the right hon. gentleman some instances of the
+     value of the support from his side. The primary object of the
+     policy which had ended in the war was not to drive the Boers
+     from British territory, as they were not then on it. The
+     primary object was not to plant the British flag at Pretoria
+     and Johannesburg. These two things might be the result of the
+     war, but they were not the primary objects of the Government
+     policy. The objects which he wished to see attained, and which
+     he would pledge himself to give the utmost support to the
+     Government in attaining, were, first, equal rights between all
+     white men in South Africa, and by that he meant that never
+     again should a situation arise in any part of the British
+     sphere in which a modern industrial community should be placed
+     under the heel of an antiquated minority which was dominated by
+     prejudice and governed by corruption. The second object was
+     that never again in South Africa should it be possible for
+     arsenals to be formed or an accumulation of military material
+     under any control except British control. That was the end to
+     be attained, and to that end the Government would have
+     support."
+
+On the 3rd of February Mr. Bryce expressed his opinions. He affected to
+disbelieve that there had been any Dutch conspiracy to drive the British
+from South Africa, and considered that, owing to the menace of the
+Government in the arrangement of negotiations, the meek Boer had no
+resource but to prepare for war.
+
+Mr. Goschen admitted the gravity of the situation and the responsibility
+of the Government _en masse_. The Cabinet, he decided, must stand or
+fall together. The Admiralty, in acceptation of its responsibility, had
+assisted the army with heavy guns without weakening its resources.
+Lastly, he touched enthusiastically on the exhibition of Colonial
+loyalty:--
+
+     "Before concluding I must say a word with reference to the
+     Colonists. They have been supporting us with unstinted loyalty
+     and unstinted generosity. There has been a spirit shown by the
+     Colonies of affection to the mother country which has been the
+     admiration of the world. May we not suggest that that unstinted
+     loyalty and that unstinted generosity is to some extent a
+     reward for the consideration which has been shown the Colonies
+     for some time past; and is it not right to remember that for
+     years there has not been a Secretary for the Colonies who has
+     so endeavoured to win the affection of the Colonies as the
+     right hon. gentleman who now holds that office? You tax us with
+     not having shown foresight and judgment. At all events our
+     treatment of the Colonies has ensured, not their loyalty--that
+     will always be there--but the enthusiastic impulse of the
+     Colonies to come to the assistance of the mother country. We
+     have a great work to do; we want to do that work, and now hon.
+     gentlemen opposite move an amendment the only object of which
+     could be to damage and weaken the Government, who are the
+     instruments of the national will. If hon. gentlemen opposite do
+     not wish to take our places and to bear the burden which rests
+     on our shoulders, is it wise to endeavour to shake the
+     confidence of the country in the men who must continue this
+     war, and gather together all the forces of the Empire to bring
+     it to a successful conclusion? Supposing there should be a
+     division which could be called a bad division for the
+     Government, what would the cheers which would greet that
+     division mean? They would mean, 'We have succeeded in damaging
+     and weakening the Government.' The time may come when we will
+     be damaged. If the war is not successful, sweep us away as men
+     who have no judgment, but do not lame the arm of the Executive
+     Government when they have such a work on hand as we have got to
+     do. There has been patriotic co-operation between us and some
+     of the Liberal Party. We thank them for it. I believe this is a
+     Parliamentary bad dream--an interlude between the patriotic
+     attitude of these gentlemen a few weeks ago and the patriotic
+     attitude which I hope we may look forward to when this debate
+     closes. They have assured the country they will support us in
+     going forward. I thank them for that, for it is more important
+     than the petty criticisms to which we have been treated. We are
+     the trustees of the nation for the work that has to be done.
+     The nation will support us, I believe; and so long as we
+     receive that support, God willing, we will fulfil our task."
+
+Sir E. Clarke, among other things, said:--
+
+     "He did not believe the annexation of the Transvaal and the
+     Orange Free State would be of the slightest benefit to the
+     country. The annexation of the two Republics would compel us to
+     very greatly increase our already enormous military
+     expenditure, and it would not give us any advantage
+     commensurate with the difficulties of administration. He had no
+     desire to press his own views, which were singular, and
+     certainly not popular, on that side of the House. He only
+     pleaded that this question might be left open, and that
+     Ministers might not pledge themselves to a course which would
+     involve so great a sacrifice. While he agreed generally with
+     the doctrine of Cabinet responsibility, he considered that the
+     real responsibility for the war lay with the Colonial
+     Secretary. The Prime Minister, in whom all England put the
+     greatest confidence, having many other things to deal with, and
+     being distressed by domestic anxieties, might not have been
+     able to attend so closely as he otherwise would have done to
+     South African affairs; but it could not be gainsaid that there
+     were two men, one in this country and the other in South
+     Africa, who must be associated with the beginning of the war.
+     He wished that the highest sentiments of patriotism would
+     induce those two men to leave to others the positions they now
+     occupied. He believed that the difficulties involved in a
+     solution of the questions arising out of the war would be
+     increased by the fact that the lines of communication and
+     action in South Africa were in the hands of the Colonial
+     Secretary and Sir A. Milner. He had not a word to say about the
+     honesty of these two gentlemen; but if, for a few weeks or a
+     few months, in this grave national crisis and time of deep
+     anxiety, others could take their places--if the Prime Minister
+     himself would take under his own control the communications of
+     the Colonial Office with South Africa, and if Lord Rosebery
+     would give his services to the country, and go out to South
+     Africa to assist in a solution of the difficulties, it would be
+     a sacrifice not too great to ask even from the greatest men
+     among us, and one for which the country would be very grateful.
+     He had said that he was not going to make a controversial
+     speech. He did not think he had. If he had, it had been with no
+     intention of personal attack or party bitterness, but with the
+     deep conviction that in deciding on the great issues with which
+     Parliament had to deal we had to consider not only the things
+     of to-day but the things of the future."
+
+Mr. Chamberlain's speech on the 5th of February was an advance on former
+proceedings. Sir William Harcourt dilated on the indomitable energy of a
+free people fighting for their independence, praised the gallantry of
+the troops, and blamed the Government for being led by the opinions of
+the authors of the Jameson Raid, to which the Colonial Secretary made
+dignified reply. Finally he questioned--
+
+     "How do we meet the charge of mistakes? Not by denying the
+     mistakes, but by saying what we have done and what we are doing
+     to repair them. You say we sent too few troops. We are pouring
+     troops into South Africa, and, as you have been told, in a few
+     weeks you will have an army of 200,000. You said we were
+     forgetful of the need for mounted men. We have been increasing
+     the number of horse infantry until in a very short time the
+     number of mounted men in the British forces will be almost as
+     great, if not as great, as the total number of mounted men in
+     the Boer army. You say our artillery is deficient and not heavy
+     enough. We have sent battery after battery, until now you have
+     an unexampled force of that arm. We have at the same time added
+     a number of heavier guns. When the war began, no doubt the
+     needs of the war were under-estimated at that time; it is part
+     of the same mistake. We failed to respond as we ought to have
+     done to the splendid offers that came from our Colonies. We
+     accepted enough to show how much we valued their assistance,
+     but we hesitated to put on them any greater strain than
+     necessary. But what is happening now? They are multiplying
+     their forces, and every offer is gratefully and promptly
+     appreciated and accepted. And we shall have in this war before
+     it is over an army of Colonials called to the aid of Her
+     Majesty who will outnumber the British army at Waterloo and
+     nearly equal to the total British force in the Crimea."
+
+In conclusion he said:--
+
+     "In Africa these two races, so interesting, so admirable, each
+     in its own way, though different in some things, will now, at
+     any rate, have learned to respect one another. I hear a great
+     deal about the animosity which will remain after the war, but I
+     hope I am not too sanguine when I say that I do not believe in
+     it. When matters have settled down, when equal rights are
+     assured to both the white races, I believe that both will enjoy
+     the land together in settled peace and prosperity. Meanwhile,
+     we are finding out the weak spots in our armour, and trying to
+     remedy them. We are finding out the infinite potential
+     resources of the Empire; we are advancing steadily, if slowly,
+     to the realisation of that great federation of our race which
+     will inevitably make for peace, liberty, and justice."
+
+On the following night Mr. Asquith, on Talleyrand's principle--that
+speech is given us to hide our thoughts--dilated interestingly on the
+position, his sympathies oscillating between the Opposition, the
+Government, and Mr. Kruger. Sir Henry Campbell Bannerman declared it to
+be the duty of the Opposition to press Lord Edmond Fitzmaurice's
+amendment to a division. He inferred that the conspiracy of the Cape
+Dutch was a chimera, and went so far as to suggest that when our
+military supremacy was asserted in South Africa the question of
+settlement might be left to decide itself _sine die_! Said he: "Provided
+that our territories are free and our military supremacy asserted, what
+matters it at what time or what place a settlement is arrived at?"
+
+In his reply Mr. Balfour distinguished himself. He said that it was
+discovered that the War Office has more than fulfilled its promises, and
+appealed to the members of the Opposition who sympathised with the
+justice of the war to reflect before voting for the amendment. It was
+necessary to help the soldiers at the front by proving to them that they
+were supported by a united country, and that every hostile vote might
+induce or encourage our opponents to prolong the contest. He concluded
+by saying:--
+
+     "Can they contemplate with equanimity that their first action
+     in a session of Parliament meeting under such circumstances
+     should be a weakening of the Government, whose hands they
+     profess to desire to strengthen--whose hands I believe they
+     genuinely desire to strengthen--in every succeeding operation
+     connected with this war? Can they contemplate with equanimity
+     the reflection that possibly their votes may lengthen the war,
+     and, by lengthening it, may increase that tragic list of losses
+     with which we are already too familiar? If in giving their vote
+     they add one fraction to the chances of a European
+     complication, one fraction of a chance that an unnecessary life
+     may be lost or a family thrown into mourning, can they easily
+     reconcile that with their duty towards their own principles and
+     to that country of which they are, I believe, as devoted
+     servants as we on this side of the House? I think it is a
+     violation of every Parliamentary tradition that men who desire
+     to keep in office a Government should vote for an amendment
+     which, if carried, will turn out that Government, and that it
+     is contrary to every patriotic instinct to vote in a minority
+     against the Government. The size of that minority will affect
+     the whole course of European policy, the whole course of the
+     war. I have stated the problem as it presents itself to my
+     mind. I know that you are men of conscience and honour, and I
+     must leave it to you to decide the problem, each man in his own
+     case as his conscience and honour dictate. To the House at
+     large I can only make one appeal. It is that we, who are the
+     representatives of the country, may rise to the height reached
+     by those whom we represent. I ask no more, and I can ask no
+     more, of the House than that they should imitate, for they
+     cannot exceed, the courage, steadfastness, resolution, and
+     firmness under adversity, and the calmness of temper with
+     which our countrymen all over the world have dealt with the
+     situation in its entirety. If the House of Commons do, as no
+     doubt they will, imitate, for they cannot better, the conduct
+     of those who have sent them here, then who can doubt that the
+     clouds by which we are at present surrounded will in a short
+     time be dissipated and the Empire will issue from the struggle
+     in which it is now engaged stronger, not only in its own
+     consciousness of strength, but in the eyes of the civilised
+     world."
+
+[Illustration: SERGEANT OF THE IMPERIAL YEOMANRY.
+
+Photo by Gregory & Co., London.]
+
+In the end, by 352 to 139--a majority of 213--the vote of censure on the
+Government moved by Lord Edmond Fitzmaurice was defeated. The decision
+adequately expressed the feelings of the country. It must be remembered
+that many of the Government supporters were in South Africa,
+consequently a total poll of 491 represented a heavy vote. The following
+list serves to show the number of members of both Houses who had
+sacrificed party spirit to patriotic convictions, and had proceeded to
+the front:--
+
+     HOUSE OF LORDS.--Earl of Airlie, commanding 12th Lancers; Earl
+     of Albemarle, lieutenant-colonel, City of London Imperial
+     Volunteers; Lord Basing, major, 1st Dragoons; Lord Castletown,
+     special service, South Africa; Lord Chesham, commanding a
+     battalion of Imperial Yeomanry; Earl Cowley, lieutenant,
+     Imperial Yeomanry; Lord Denman, lieutenant, Imperial Yeomanry;
+     Earl of Dudley, D.A.A.G. for Imperial Yeomanry; Earl of
+     Dundonald, C.B., major-general, commanding 3rd Brigade (Natal)
+     Cavalry Division; Earl of Dunraven, captain, Imperial Yeomanry;
+     Earl of Erroll, special service, South Africa; Earl of Essex,
+     second in command of battalion of Imperial Yeomanry; Earl of
+     Fingal, lieutenant, Imperial Yeomanry; Lord Kitchener of
+     Khartoum, G.C.B., K.C.M.G., Chief of the Staff; Earl of
+     Leitrim, lieutenant, Imperial Yeomanry; Earl of Longford,
+     captain, Imperial Yeomanry; Lord Lovat, captain, Lord Lovat's
+     Corps; Duke of Marlborough, staff captain for Imperial
+     Yeomanry; Lord Methuen, K.C.V.O., C.B., commanding 1st Division
+     in South Africa; Duke of Norfolk, K.G., captain, Imperial
+     Yeomanry; Lord Roberts of Kandahar, K.P., G.C.B., G.C.I.E.,
+     G.C.S.I., V.C., Field Marshal Commanding-in-Chief; Lord
+     Romilly, special service, South Africa; Lord Rosmead, major,
+     6th Battalion Lancashire Fusiliers; Duke of Roxburghe,
+     lieutenant, Royal Horse Guards; Earl of Scarborough, second in
+     command of battalion of Imperial Yeomanry; Earl Sondes,
+     lieutenant, Imperial Yeomanry; Duke of Westminster, A.D.C. to
+     Governor; Lord Wolverton, second lieutenant, Somersetshire
+     Yeomanry Cavalry; Lord Zouche, lieutenant, Imperial Yeomanry.
+
+     HOUSE OF COMMONS.--Mr. W. Allen, trooper, Imperial Yeomanry;
+     Hon. A. B. Bathurst, captain, 4th Battalion Gloucester
+     Regiment; Colonel A. M. Brookfield, commanding battalion of
+     Imperial Yeomanry; Lieutenant-Colonel R. G. W. Chaloner,
+     commanding battalion of Imperial Yeomanry; Hon. T. H. Cochrane,
+     captain, 4th Battalion Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders; Lord
+     A. F. Compton, captain, Imperial Yeomanry; Viscount Cranborne,
+     commanding 4th Battalion Bedford Regiment; Mr. W.
+     Bromley-Davenport, captain, Imperial Yeomanry; Sir J.
+     Dickson-Poynder, lieutenant, Imperial Yeomanry; Viscount
+     Folkestone, major, 1st Wilts Volunteer Rifle Corps; Mr. W. R.
+     Greene, lieutenant, Imperial Yeomanry; Hon. J. Guest,
+     lieutenant, Imperial Yeomanry; Mr. G. Kemp, captain, Imperial
+     Yeomanry; Mr. E. H. Llewellyn, major, 4th battalion Somerset
+     Light Infantry; Mr. H. L. B. McCalmont, commanding 6th
+     battalion Royal Warwick Regiment; Mr. F. B. Mildmay,
+     lieutenant, Imperial Yeomanry; Viscount Milton, lieutenant,
+     Imperial Yeomanry; Mr. D. V. Pirie, with Remounts Department,
+     South Africa; Lord Stanley, special service, South Africa; Lord
+     Edmund Talbot, special service, South Africa; Viscount
+     Valentia, A.A.G. for Imperial Yeomanry; Major W. H.
+     Wyndham-Quin, captain, Imperial Yeomanry; Major the Hon. H. V.
+     Duncombe, adjutant, Imperial Yeomanry; Sir Elliott Lees,
+     captain, Imperial Yeomanry; Sir S. Scott, lieutenant, Imperial
+     Yeomanry.
+
+
+KIMBERLEY
+
+There was little bombardment after the 25th of November, and though not
+living on the fat of the land, the garrison was not short of provisions.
+Mr. Rhodes, with characteristic forethought, now caused the formation of
+a committee to inquire into the resources of those dependent on the men
+killed, with a view to compensating them for their loss, and in other
+ways exerted himself for the welfare of sufferers in the town.
+
+Considerable friction occurred between the civil and military
+authorities. The clashing of wills was inevitable in so small an area,
+for Colonel Kekewich represented military power, while Mr. Rhodes could
+be no other than he is, and ever has been--a power in himself. It was
+unfortunate that two such forces should have been placed in collision,
+but it remains to the credit of both that, in spite of the tension of
+the situation, they should have co-operated to the end to save the town
+from the common enemy, and protect the interests and lives of all who,
+but for this co-operation, might have suffered much more intensely than
+they did.
+
+Early on the morning of the 9th of December a force with a battery under
+Colonel Chamier--to whom the efficient and mobile condition of the
+artillery was due--made a reconnaissance to the north. The Lancashire's
+Mounted Infantry and two guns were posted on Otto's Kopje while the Cape
+Police protected the Dam Wall. The Kimberley Light Horse in the centre
+extemporised some rifle-pits out of some prospectors' huts in order to
+cover retreat when necessary.
+
+The enemy were screened by the debris of a wall at Kamfeens, but when
+the boom of the British gun burst out and a shell roared in their midst,
+they hurriedly sought cover in their foremost rifle-pits, whence with
+great energy they "sniped" in the direction of the officers who were
+superintending the operations. Meanwhile tremendous barking of cannon
+and pinging of rifles continued, the Boers having got the range of Otto
+Kopje to perfection. The troops had an exceedingly hard time, but
+continued their operations till dusk. They lost only one killed and four
+wounded.
+
+On the wise principle that it is safer to act early on the aggressive if
+you do not want to have to act late on the defensive, the smart little
+force indulged in more military movements.
+
+[Illustration: SHELL PICKED UP IN KIMBERLEY STREETS. Photo by Alf. S.
+Hosking, Cape Town.]
+
+Colonel Kekewich's general plan for the defence of Kimberley was based
+on the principle of always keeping the enemy on the move and constantly
+in fear of attack from an unexpected quarter, but the immediate object
+of the numerous sorties and demonstrations in force now made by the
+garrison was to assist the operations of Lord Methuen. The Colonel
+explained that, "when the advance of the Relief Column from the Orange
+River commenced, and I was put in possession of information concerning
+the probable date of its arrival at Kimberley, I adopted such measures
+as I hoped would cause the retention of a large force of the enemy in my
+immediate neighbourhood, and thus enable the Relief Column to deal with
+the Boer force in detail." As the portions of mounted corps were
+continually employed, the work which fell on the detachment, 1st Batt.
+Loyal North Lancashire Regiment, Cape Police, Diamond Fields Horse,
+Kimberley Light Horse, and the Diamond Fields Artillery, was very
+arduous; but the bravery and dash of these troops was unending. Colonel
+Murray, of the Loyal North Lancashire, was invaluable in many
+capacities, and Captain O'Brien of the same regiment, in command of a
+section of the defences, was unfailing in energy and zeal. Cool as the
+proverbial cucumber were Major Rodger of the Diamond Fields Horse and
+Major May of the Diamond Fields Artillery. The motto of these officers
+was the reverse of that of the notable _gens d'armes_, for they were
+"always there when wanted," and generally in the fore-front. The
+officers of the Kimberley Regiment, too, were conspicuous for courage,
+coolness, and sagacity. They knew as by intuition what was wanted and
+did it. From Colonel Finlayson, who commanded the regiment, to
+Surgeon-Major Smith, who tended the wounded in the field, there was none
+who did not contribute to the stock of efficiency which was placed at
+the disposal of the Colonel.
+
+On the 20th of December, the mounted detachments under Colonel Peakman,
+with maxims and 7-pounders under Colonel May, started off in the pitch
+darkness of 2 A.M., and marched through Kenilworth in the direction of
+the wreck of Webster's Farm, and on towards Tollpan in the Free State.
+British cannonading then took place, the Kimberley guns shelling Tollpan
+Homestead at 2500 yards' range, and the Boer gun on Klippiespan ridge
+returning the compliment with interest. Fortunately the hostile shells
+burrowed deep in the sandy soil, and consequently little damage was
+done. The Boers were found to be very comfortably situated at the three
+corners of a six-mile triangle--at Coetgie, Scholtz, and
+Alexandersfontein--commanding three separate sources of water supply.
+This reconnaissance was of importance, as the positions of the enemy's
+guns and outposts were determined, and the garrison was enabled to be on
+guard against raiders and snipers, and to protect itself, its patrols,
+and cattle from the fire of the enemy. In the matter of protecting the
+cattle from the tricks of the Dutchmen, as in many other ways, Mr. Fynn,
+manager of the De Beers farms, did splendid service. This gentleman was
+Mr. Rhodes's right-hand man, and as a natural consequence of the honour
+he enjoyed rose to every occasion that offered, now managing a corps of
+scouts, now superintending the conveyance of food, now dealing with
+truculent natives, and always conducting his varied avocations with
+immense energy and tact.
+
+[Illustration: Lieutenant. Captain. Adjutant.
+
+THE ROYAL LANCASTERS.
+
+Photo by Gregory & Co., London.]
+
+On the 22nd of December a good deal of martial activity took place. At
+cockcrow a detachment of mounted forces, with artillery and infantry,
+went west for the purpose of reconnoitring Voornitzright and part of
+Weldermstkuil. On the right were the Diamond Fields Horse under Major
+Rodger, supported by a company of the North Lancashire Regiment under
+Lieutenant de Putron. Presently an animated cannonade began between the
+enemy's artillery from Kamferdam and the Diamond Fields Artillery guns
+on Otto's Kopje. In the centre Colonel Peakman, with the Kimberley Light
+Horse and Cape Police, proceeded along Lazaretto Ridge. There, before
+retreating, he made the necessary discoveries--firstly, that the Boer
+patrols were then the only occupants of the place, and secondly, that
+the enemy's reinforcements were advancing behind Wimbledon Ridge.
+Meanwhile Colonel Chamier on the left, with R.A. guns and an escort
+under Major Snow, was exchanging salutations with the Boer guns
+posted in the earthwork in the centre of Wimbledon Ridge. This
+occupation was pursued for some time, during which the enemy were found
+to be rapidly approaching. Directly the guns were limbered up some 500
+Boers came on the scene, and began to pour a fierce fire from the
+earthworks at the foot of the Ridge upon the Kimberley troops, who
+retired to cover. The object of the reconnaissance was gained, however,
+for it proved in what an inconceivably short space of time the enemy
+could summon his reinforcements, and, moreover, that three of his guns
+were yet in the neighbourhood of the town.
+
+On Christmas Eve congratulations were received by flashlight signals
+from the Military Secretary at Cape Town:--
+
+     "Convey to Colonel Kekewich and all the garrison and
+     inhabitants of Kimberley his Excellency's best wishes for their
+     good luck on Christmas Day and in the coming New Year."
+
+Colonel Kekewich replied:--
+
+     "Kindly inform the Military Secretary that I and the garrison
+     and inhabitants of Kimberley thank his Excellency for his kind
+     message. We also wish respectfully to offer our very best
+     wishes for Christmas and New Year."
+
+This little interchange of compliments caused infinite pleasure to those
+whose days were one unvarying round of trial and suspense. The weather
+was exceedingly hot; at times the thermometer registered 105 deg. in the
+shade, and life without absolute necessities in torrid weather is trying
+even to the patience of the active. To those whose intercourse with the
+world was confined to flashlight signals, it was barren in the extreme.
+But with much pluck they thus announced their sentiments in a journal
+called the _Diamond Fields Advertiser_, which still maintained a
+languishing existence: "Excepting two or three of our inhabitants who
+shared the terrible privations of the siege of Paris, few of us have
+ever spent such a Christmas before, and few will ever care to spend such
+a Christmas again. The scarcity of turkeys and plum-pudding at this time
+of traditional plenty need only distress the gourmand. The majority of
+the people of Kimberley are happily made of sterner stuff, and do not
+look for luxuries in a time of siege." They were nevertheless not
+utterly plum-puddingless. Mr. Rhodes, with characteristic forethought,
+had caused to be cooked in the Sanatorium some two score of these
+bombshells to digestion, and had distributed them in each of the camps.
+Here they were devoured with much merrymaking and a general interchange
+of felicitations, which went on by telephone from one camp to another.
+From the Mounted Camp to the Royal Artillery: "Best wishes and longer
+range to your guns." From the gunners, in return, while they kept one
+ear open for movement in the direction of the Boers' "Susannah:" "May
+our range be always long enough for us to be guardian-angels to the
+Mounted Corps."
+
+On the following day the artillery was at work responding to the salutes
+of the Boers, who commenced to fire with great activity after their
+Christmas rest. They dropped some thirty-five shells in the direction of
+the fort, and received nineteen well-directed replies. Two of the mines
+were fired by the thunderstorm of the previous night, but no one was
+injured. Food now was becoming more and more scarce, and those connected
+with the distribution of provisions had to exercise much forethought and
+economy.
+
+The task of arranging for the victualling and supply of the garrison and
+40,000 people in the town was undertaken by Major Gorle, Army Service
+Corps, and the zeal and resource which he brought to bear on his onerous
+duties were applauded on all sides. Of course there were found persons
+who, on the take-everything-from-everybody-else-and-give-it-all-to-me
+principle, thought they were badly treated, but these were the exception
+rather than the rule. The arrangements for milk were made by a special
+civil committee, consisting of Mr. Oliver, the Mayor, whose courage and
+energy in keeping up the spirits of the people were wonderful, Mr.
+Judge, and four visiting surgeons of Kimberley Hospital, Doctors Ashe,
+Watkins, Mackenzie, and Stoney. These made themselves notable for the
+untiring energy with which they devoted themselves to their incessant
+duties. They kept a sharp eye on the milk, serving it out cautiously at
+the depot, and only to those who had a medical certificate that they
+required it. The Colonel was very appreciative of the help given by most
+of his civilian coadjutors, for, in reference to the difficulties of his
+position, he stated in his despatch: "It will be realised that, under
+the peculiar circumstances in which the defence of the scattered town,
+containing over 40,000 inhabitants and much valuable machinery, was
+entrusted in the first instance to a force consisting of about 570
+Imperial troops and 630 Colonial troops, my efforts would have been of
+no avail had it not been for the valuable assistance and advice which
+many citizens afforded me in a military as well as a civil capacity."
+
+Mr. Henderson, Captain Tyson of the Kimberley Club, and Dr. Smart
+collaborated with the ruling spirit of the place, organising relief
+committees, distributing thousands of pints of soup per diem, and
+apportioning such fruit and vegetables as were to be had for the good of
+those who were most sorely in need. That green stuffs were scarce may be
+gathered from the fact that the allowance for nine people for half a
+week was a bunch of five carrots, four liliputian parsnips, and several
+beets (duodecimo editions). The garrison, later on, were glad of
+mangel-wurzels, when quantity rather than quality came to be
+appreciated.
+
+The Boers were now beginning to build redoubts on Dronfield Kopjes,
+about a mile east of the railway and in a northerly direction, showing
+that whatever withdrawals might be going on from besieged places
+elsewhere, the City of Mines would receive its due of attention up to
+the last. The Boer prisoners inside the town presented quite a
+rejuvenated appearance, owing to the delicate attentions of Mr. Rhodes.
+Christmas saw them provided with new outfits, and a general air of
+cleanliness and health pervaded them. The invalids in hospital, both
+British and Boers, were visited frequently by the Colossus, whose
+generosity in the matter of delicacies, which were now very scarce, was
+highly appreciated.
+
+Much of the Kimberley news was obtained through the energy and
+acuteness, almost amounting to genius, of the despatch-runners. Of
+these, Mr. Lumming of Douglas succeeded in getting in and out of the
+town with missives for and from Mr. Rhodes, always at tremendous risk.
+The Boers had offered a large reward for his capture. On one occasion,
+so as to evade observation in a district swarming with the enemy, he had
+to travel quadruped fashion on hands and knees for some thirty miles.
+Tales of the despatch-runners' ingenuity in all parts of the Colony were
+many. One Kaffir boy, though caught by the Boers and stripped by them,
+carried his despatch safely, it having been packed in a quill and hid in
+his nostril, while another--a canny Scot--concealed his treasure in the
+inmost recesses of a hard-boiled egg.
+
+On the morning of the 27th of January the mounted troops under the
+indefatigable Colonel Peakman at an early hour reconnoitred the Boer
+position near the Premier mine. The Boers were indulging in a last
+little doze, when some shells were neatly dropped into their laager. The
+alarum was effective. They were up and doing in no time, and set to work
+firing with the utmost vigour, but their shots were not accurate and
+much waste of ammunition took place. It may be remembered that Colonel
+Peakman, Kimberley Light Horse, after the death of Colonel Turner was
+selected for the command of the mounted troops in Kimberley. A tower of
+strength of himself, he was surrounded by a gallant crew, among whom
+were Major Scott, V.C., Captains Ap-Bowen and Mahoney (both severely
+wounded on the 25th of November), Captains Robertson and Rickman. There
+were also in the corps several lieutenants conspicuous for dash and
+daring, notably Lieutenants Hawker (wounded 22nd November), Harris, and
+Chatfield. Of the Colonel an amusing tale was told, which, if not
+_vero_, was certainly _bentrovato_, and served to cheer up those who
+needed to salt the monotonous flavour of daily life. It fell to the duty
+of Colonel Peakman to introduce horse-flesh at the officers' mess, a
+ticklish task, and one that required considerable tact. When the dish
+was served, the Colonel said, "Gentlemen, as I was unable to get the
+whole of our ration in beef, a part of it had to be taken in
+horse-flesh. Here is the beef," said he, carving at the joint opposite
+him, "that at the other end of the table is the horse. Any one who
+prefers it may help himself." No one accepted the invitation, and after
+there had been a great run on the beef, the Colonel suddenly said, "By
+Jove, I'm mistaken; of course _this_ joint is the horse, the other is
+the beef!" Thus the palates of the heroes of the Kimberley Light Horse
+were educated to the fare that was shortly to become unvaried.
+
+Later on, a chunk of donkey occasionally replaced the equine morsel, and
+cats, it was noticed, began to be less in evidence. There were
+whispers--hints---- But to proceed to facts.
+
+On the 29th a tussle took place between the foe and a man named Sheppy,
+who, with twelve mounted natives, was herding a thousand De Beers horses
+and mules. The cattle-drivers were at work when out from the bushes
+rushed a hundred Boers. These at once opened fire, but the herdsmen
+managed to return it and effect their escape.
+
+The transformation of diamond-diggers into warriors was an entire
+novelty, of which Kimberley boasted not a little. The entire community
+of the De Beers Company were now soldiers of the Queen, receiving the
+same rate of pay as before, with food in addition. The total white
+population in the town was 14,000, and of these 6000 were employes of
+the mine, men from Natal. The Company worked wonders--of course under
+the auspices of the ruling genius of Kimberley. They stuck at nothing,
+from assisting with food supplies--distributing soup in gallons--to
+providing for the employment of upwards of 4000 natives in making
+improvements in the town. Sanitation too they undertook when contractors
+failed, and, when the supply of water was cut off at the main reservoir
+by the enemy, they came to the rescue by providing another source of
+water supply.
+
+Owing to the excellent management and regulation of stores, the
+community had hitherto been enabled to live at normal prices, and food
+had been within the reach of all. But now the pinch of the siege began
+to be felt. Luxuries such as eggs, vegetables, &c., were naturally
+scarce, but horse-flesh even grew to be limited, for there was little
+forage left. The tramcars ceased to work, and Dr. Ashe predicted that
+presently there would be "no carts save military ones and the doctors'
+and the hearse!"
+
+People had to take their meat allowance half in beef and half in
+horse-flesh, and the over-fastidious were but meagrely nourished. These,
+however, soon came to "take their whack" of horse-flesh gladly, and some
+even declared that horse, by any other name, would be quite appetising!
+Conversation largely consisted of speculations regarding food or its
+absence, and once or twice there was a rub with the military. Dr. Ashe
+expressed himself frankly when confronted with red-tape difficulties,
+addressed the Colonel--of course, minding p's and q's, for people had to
+look to the dotting of i's and crossing of t's in those days--and
+suggested that, "in matters which affected the health and feeding of the
+people," the doctors thought that, in virtue of their knowledge of town,
+climate, and people, they might be consulted. The objection to the
+red-tape difficulty being proved sound, the Colonel at once altered the
+routine, but, said Dr. Ashe, "he flatly declined to ask any opinion from
+the general body of doctors, as they might have ideas which would affect
+the military situation."
+
+[Illustration: "LONG CECIL," MADE AT THE DE BEERS MINES. Photo by D.
+Barnett, War Correspondent.]
+
+The new gun, "Long Cecil," manufactured in De Beers, was greatly prized.
+It distinguished itself on its debut by plumping a shell in the centre
+of the Kamfersdam head-laager exactly over the position of the
+Dutchmen's gun. Bombardment continued spasmodically, sometimes at night,
+the shells entering several houses and "making hay" of the furniture;
+but wantonly barbarous was the attack on the laager containing the women
+and children, which took place on the 23rd of January. One of the little
+innocents was killed and another probably maimed for life. On the 24th
+more bombardment began as early as four in the morning, and firing
+continued all day. The worst feature in the affair was the
+attack--deliberate and premeditated it appeared--on the hospital, which
+caused general grief and indignation. There was no excuse for such
+inhumanity, as the place was distinguished by two Red Cross flags.
+
+Very lamentable was this habit of the Boers to violate the sacred rules
+of the Geneva Convention, for it alienated even those who were in
+sympathy with their cause. They could not plead ignorance of the rules
+of warfare, for at one time they ignored these rules to play the
+barbarian, while at another they utilised them to act the poltroon. The
+history of the Convention may not be generally known. It was promoted in
+1864 and subsequently signed by all the Continental Powers. It was
+decided that--
+
+1. Ambulances and military hospitals were to be recognised as neutral,
+and as such to be protected and respected by all belligerents.
+
+2. The _personnel_ of these hospitals and ambulances, including the
+_intendance_, the sanitary officers, officers of the administration, as
+well as military and civil chaplains, were to be benefited by the
+neutrality.
+
+3. The inhabitants of the country rendering help to the sick and wounded
+were to be respected and free from capture.
+
+4. The sick and wounded were to be attended to without distinction of
+nation.
+
+5. A flag and a uniform were to be adopted for the hospitals,
+ambulances, and convoys of invalids; an armlet or badge for the
+_personnel_ of the ambulances and hospitals.
+
+6. The badge was to consist of a red cross on a white ground.
+
+Committees were formed throughout Europe and America to carry out this
+convention, and the Society worked under the title of the "International
+Society of Aid for the Sick and Wounded." It played its first important
+part in 1870 in the Franco-German War, before which time battlefields
+had been scenes of almost inhuman torture.
+
+Now, in consequence of the brutal disregard of a world-appreciated
+agreement, the Boers--in many ways men of fine character--were placing
+themselves beneath contempt. Their conduct also to the loyalists and
+non-belligerents was also causing exasperation.
+
+The ministers of all denominations--Wesleyan, Presbyterian, Baptist,
+Congregational, and Jewish--all united in condemning the Boer Government
+and its methods. They were especially scandalised at the inhumanity of
+the Dutch commandoes, who intermittently poured shells not only into the
+heart of the town, but into the suburbs, where women and children were
+known to congregate, while leaving for the most part unmolested the
+forts occupied by the citizen-soldiers. Homes were destroyed mothers and
+children stricken down, and some killed. These might have been looked
+upon as the accidents of war had it not been confessed in Boer papers
+that such acts were deliberately committed and vaunted.
+
+Spasmodic bombardment took place during the evening of the 24th, and
+continued through the night, striking some buildings--the hospital and
+other defenceless positions--and maiming a woman and her child. Another
+child was killed. Profound admiration was expressed by all in the
+achievements of "Long Cecil," and the utility of the new long-range
+weapon was highly appreciated. Indeed, Mr. Rhodes viewed this Kimberley
+masterpiece with quite a paternal eye, and his pleasure in firing it was
+considerable.
+
+Enough could not be said of the splendid valour and pertinacity of the
+townspeople, who co-operated in the warlike proceedings as though they
+had been to the manner born. Though the fortification belt was some
+twelve miles in circumference, at all points it was protected by these
+amateurs of the sword, who, under no military obligations whatever till
+sworn in on the immediate emergency, rose to the occasion with a
+chivalric warmth that was as perfectly amazing as it was admirable.
+Devotion to the Sovereign Lady who rules the Empire was never more
+steadfastly shown and more ardently maintained.
+
+The zeal and the "go" of the Cape Police was notable. Among the most
+prominent of the corps were Colonel Robinson, gallant Major Elliot and
+Major Ayliff (wounded on December 3), who was brave as he was tactful.
+Perpetually useful and conspicuously gallant were Captains Colvin,
+Crozier, White, and Cummings. Their duties, most difficult, were almost
+interminable.
+
+Life was monotonous in the extreme. From the town it was possible on
+clear days to view the Modder River balloon, and the occasional sight of
+it afforded a stimulus to the drooping spirits of the inhabitants. Its
+rotund form floating so peacefully high in air seemed like a harbinger
+of hope promising and consoling, and teaching the lesson of patience and
+perseverance that overcome all things! Of course, it was only the
+sentimentalists of the community who thus interpreted the language of
+the aerial monster, but these, like the people who find sermons in
+stones, promptly took heart, and bore their trials with renewed dignity
+and pluck. Both these qualities were in great demand, for the Boers and
+their tactics were exhausting to the patience of the most forbearing.
+Their pertinacity was great. At one moment they would pour shells into
+the town, making hearts palpitate or stand still in horror at the
+gruesome fracas; at others they would persistently "snipe" from hidden
+corners and bushes, and render movements in the open, to say the least
+of it--inconvenient.
+
+Sniping always continued, though, for a day or two, no serious
+bombardment took place. Indeed, there was reason to believe that a Boer
+gun was _hors de combat_. The report came in that "Susannah" had burst.
+There was general jubilation. Later on it filtered out that "Susannah"
+was "all serene," but this was doubted. The sanguine hoped against hope.
+We are ready enough to believe what we wish to be true, and finally, for
+want of something to discuss, the question of "Has she burst, or has she
+not burst?" was bandied about in the tone of a popular riddle.
+Unfortunately "Susannah" was intact, as subsequent experience proved.
+Not only was "Susannah" herself again, but it was reported that a
+considerable Boer reinforcement had arrived in the neighbourhood, and
+that three guns from Spyfontein were being ranged in attitude to defy
+"Long Cecil," whose prowess was more decided than pleasant. Still the
+inhabitants bore up very creditably, and enlivened themselves
+continually with concerts or entertainments of some kind. The
+programmes, it must be noted, were always marked "weather and Boers
+permitting"--a modern adaptation of the customary _D.V._
+
+The Boer spies took a lively interest in all that concerned Mr. Rhodes,
+and hopes were entertained that before long some one would receive the
+price of his capture. But this gentleman pursued his avocations in the
+town and its suburbs with unabated interest, arranging for the comfort
+of the refugees, and evincing paternal solicitude in the laying out of
+new suburbs, and the construction of a regular row of bomb-proof
+shelters, which were being excavated at Kenilworth. People now became
+great connoisseurs on the virtue of brick, old and new, and began to
+mistrust corrugated iron as affording less protection from the artillery
+fire of the enemy. They became judges also of shell--of the
+peculiarities of shrapnel and ring shells--and sapiently discussed the
+merits of time fuses and percussion fuses. Food, however, was the prime
+subject of conversation--a subject of "devouring" interest, some one
+said. The refugee fund now amounted to L3000, owing to the united
+subscriptions of Mr. Rhodes and the De Beers Company. It was none too
+much, as the demand on its resources was some L600 weekly.
+
+[Illustration: LIEUT.-GENERAL THOMAS KELLY-KENNY, C.B.
+
+Photo by C. Knight, Aldershot.]
+
+The Colossus, regardless of the fate that hung over the town, continued
+to make plans and projects for the development of the place. On a high
+plateau he purposed to create a new suburb, and the name will doubtless
+bear a relationship to the great events of 1900. A column was in course
+of erection to commemorate the siege, but the tale of bombardment, writ
+large on many of the buildings, is one that will scarcely be forgotten,
+and forms memorial enough. Some curious damage was done, a shrapnel
+shell electing to penetrate the wall of a draper's shop and wound a
+feminine dummy and smash a wax effigy of a boy used as a clothes model.
+Fortunately few human beings suffered. Great precautions were taken for
+the safety of the inhabitants, and a look-out was kept, so as to give
+warning by whistle whenever the smoke of the enemy's guns breathed a
+hint of coming destruction. A calculation was made as to the sum total
+expended by guns, British and Dutch, and it was discovered that
+Kimberley had fired 1005 shells, while the besiegers had spent three
+times that number. The total loss of life attributable to shell fire
+amounted at this date to about twelve killed.
+
+Affairs within the town were now growing almost as bellicose as affairs
+without it. Continued friction generates heat, and of this throughout
+the siege there had been more and more as time went on. It was quite
+evident that Kimberley was not sufficiently large to afford an arena for
+the combat of brains _versus_ military discipline, and that the patience
+of the besieged was nearing the snapping-point. Indeed there was doubt
+as to whether operations for the relief of Kimberley would be pursued,
+and it is averred that the Commander-in-Chief sent a message to Mr.
+Rhodes, saying, "Hope I shall not be compelled to leave you in the
+lurch." Naturally the Kimberley barometer fell to zero. Then came
+rumours of the coming of Lord Roberts, but these scarcely served to
+allay the general impatience.
+
+A curious incident occurred on the 29th. Some thirty-five Zulus took
+their departure. They had been ordered by their chief to leave the town,
+but when they obeyed they had promptly to return, as they encountered
+the Boers, who threatened to shoot them.
+
+At this time food was becoming more and more scarce; even horse-flesh
+was distributed with caution. Milk was obtainable only by the invalids,
+and some four hundred babes died for want of proper nourishment. It was
+pathetic to see people standing at the Town Hall waiting eagerly to take
+their turn for the scanty portion of meat that could be provided for
+them. The ceremony of the drawing of meat rations had an aspect almost
+comic in its desperate seriousness. Matutinally at 5.30 A.M. might be
+seen a vast concourse of persons scampering in hot haste to gain a front
+place. So animated was the early bird to catch its morning worm, that it
+was up and doing before the regulated hour, 5.30 (fixed by
+proclamation), before which time people were forbidden to leave their
+houses. The police put a stop to this superactivity, and hungry persons
+were seen from five to the half-hour waiting patiently at their gates
+till the exact moment should arrive when they could make a dash for a
+place in the tremendous crush which, two by two, gathered outside the
+market.
+
+Marvellous was the rapidity with which this vast crowd, at hint of a
+shell, would drop to earth. As by some mechanical process there would
+come a bang, and then, like a card castle, the whole procession would
+drop flat. The Boers, knowing, most probably, that this was an eventful
+period of the morning, would invariably start off about six with a
+boisterous "good-morrow."
+
+Gradually the rations grew shorter and shorter and shorter. They now
+consisted mainly of horse-meat, served out every second day, mealie
+meal, stamped mealies, with a sparse allowance of tea, coffee, and
+bread. For those who had children under three years of age one tin of
+milk was allowed. With this strong children could get along well, but
+there were many weakly ones, and these waned and waned till the baby
+funerals became pathetically frequent.
+
+The Dutchmen were exceedingly ingenious in the invention of tricks and
+traps. One of these was to move a waggon with sixteen fat oxen in charge
+of but two men into the open Vlei below Tarantaal Ridge, and there to
+leave it, apparently unguarded, for two hours. They thought that this
+bait would lure forth the cattle-guard, but they were disappointed, for
+the authorities were too acute to allow them to get "a bite." They knew
+that in rear of the Vlei was a deep sand-drift, behind which a large
+body of men might be comfortably concealed, and consequently left waggon
+and cattle severely alone.
+
+After this began the bombardment by a new Boer gun--a diabolical
+instrument, whose perfections were hymned by an artillery expert, who
+declared it to be one of the most perfect pieces of ordnance ever made!
+A correspondent in the _Daily Telegraph_ described the terrifying effect
+produced on the nerves of the sick and the weakly. He went on: "The
+shock caused by the firing of this gun was distinctly perceptible five
+feet under ground at a distance of five miles, and the miniature
+earthquake thus created was clearly registered by the new seismograph at
+Kenilworth, the pendulum of which remained perfectly stationary during
+the firing of the smaller guns, or the passage of the most heavily laden
+trains or vehicles at very close quarters."
+
+The 9th of February was a terrible day. There was crashing and booming
+from morning till night, and no one dared venture abroad. One inhabitant
+had his child killed under his very eyes and his wife mortally stricken
+down. Towards sundown a shell struck the Grand Hotel, killing Mr.
+Labram, the De Beers chief engineer, whose valuable brains had been the
+salvation of the place. He had constructed armoured engines, armoured
+trains, and had completed his ingenious labours by constructing the huge
+4.1-inch gun, with carriage and shells complete--a triumph of science
+considering the conditions under which the achievement was attempted.
+Now he was gone, and Kimberley was vastly the poorer.
+
+The bombardment was growing daily more severe. Each time the Boers fired
+their 100-pounder gun a bugle was blown from the conning tower and all
+ran to cover. There would be an interval of seven minutes between every
+shell, and the bombardment would last for about two hours. Then the
+Boers would take a rest, and, after a breathing spell, begin again. By
+the kindness of Mr. Rhodes the mines now became harbours of refuge for
+thousands of women and children, who, huddled together in the 1200-feet
+level, were thus protected from the shells which were launched in the
+midst of the town. Those days in dark diamondiferous caverns were full
+of strange experiences. There, over a thousand shrinking beings found
+asylum, bedding, food, and such comfort as could be secured for them.
+There, babes were born into the world--human diamonds brought into the
+daylight from the grottoes of the millionaires--babes which surely
+should take some strange part in the drama of the century. It was an
+underground village swarming with the weak and the distressed, a
+feminine populace, kept from panic and despair by the man who, large
+enough to make empires, yet proved himself capable of sympathy with the
+small sorrows and quakings of the sick and the fearful.
+
+[Illustration: PLACARD ERECTED BY MR. RHODES. Photo by F. H. Hancox,
+Kimberley.]
+
+The experiences of a lady who enjoyed the hospitality of the mine were
+scarcely exhilarating. She said: "We went down the mine, but only stayed
+one day. Of course, one felt safe, but it was so miserable; still, it
+was another siege experience, the crowds of people down there. On the
+1000-feet level were 500 persons alone, and the buzz of tongues, and
+the children crying, and the noises altogether, besides the damp, were
+horrible; although Mr. Rhodes and those working under him did all in
+their power to make things as comfortable as possible. Hot coffee, soup,
+bread, milk for the children, everything obtainable was sent down; and
+some thousands of people were fed free of charge from the Saturday night
+till the following Friday morning.... Those people who run down Mr.
+Rhodes should have been here during the four months of the siege. The
+soup-kitchen was another of his institutions, threepence a pint for good
+soup, and those who had no money got it free."
+
+Now that the nerve-destroying capabilities of the Boers' 100-pounder gun
+were proved, and Mr. Rhodes and other citizens were conscious of the
+immense amount of danger to town and life that must result from the
+bombardment, the Colossus, in conjunction with the Mayor and others,
+forwarded to Colonel Kekewich a letter which he begged might be
+heliographed to headquarters. The letter ran:--
+
+
+    "KIMBERLEY, _February 10_.
+
+     "On behalf of the inhabitants of this town, we respectfully
+     desire to be informed whether there is an intention on your
+     part to make an immediate effort for our relief. Your troops
+     have been for more than two months within a distance of little
+     over twenty miles from Kimberley, and if the Spytfontein hills
+     are too strong for them, there is an easy approach over a level
+     flat. This town, with a population of over 45,000 people, has
+     been besieged for 120 days, and a large portion of the
+     inhabitants has been enduring great hardships. Scurvy is
+     rampant among the natives; children, owing to lack of proper
+     food, are dying in great numbers, and dysentery and typhoid are
+     very prevalent. The chief food of the whites have been bread
+     and horse-flesh for a long time past, and of the blacks meal
+     and malt only. These hardships, we think you will agree, have
+     been borne patiently and without complaint by the people.
+     During the last few days the enemy have brought into action
+     from a position within three miles of us a 6-inch gun throwing
+     a 100-lb. shell, which is setting fire to our buildings and is
+     daily causing death among the population. As you are aware, the
+     military guns here are totally inadequate to cope with this new
+     gun. The only weapon which gives any help is one of local
+     manufacture. Under these circumstances, as representing this
+     community, we feel that we are justified in asking whether you
+     have any immediate intention of instructing your troops to
+     advance to our relief. We understand large reinforcements have
+     recently arrived in Cape Town, and we feel sure that your men
+     at Modder River have at the outside 10,000 Boers opposed to
+     them. You must be the judge as to what number of British troops
+     would be required to deal with this body of men, but it is
+     absolutely necessary that relief should be afforded to this
+     place."
+
+To this Lord Roberts replied:--
+
+     "I beg you represent to the Mayor and Mr. Rhodes as strongly as
+     you possibly can the disastrous and humiliating effect of
+     surrender after so prolonged and glorious a defence. Many days
+     cannot possibly pass before Kimberley will be relieved, as we
+     commence active operations to-morrow. Future military
+     operations depend in a large measure on your maintaining your
+     position a very short time longer."
+
+A great deal of gossip hung round the suppression of the _Diamond Fields
+Advertiser_, but the whole affair was merely a storm in the ink-pot
+resulting from the clashing of opinions civil and military. After the
+publication of a leading article on the 10th of February, an article
+with which Mr. Rhodes was entirely in accord, the military censor
+addressed the following letter to the editor:--
+
+"ARMY HEADQUARTERS, KIMBERLEY, _February 10, 1900_.
+
+     "Sir,--Since the _Diamond Fields Advertiser_ has now on two
+     occasions printed leading articles on the military situation
+     which are extremely injurious to the interests of the army and
+     the defence of this town, without previously submitting the
+     same to the military censor, I am directed to inform you that
+     from this date the proof of the _Diamond Fields Advertiser_
+     must be submitted to me before the copies of any daily number,
+     leaflet, or other form of publication is issued to the public.
+
+     "I am further requested to inform you, in your own interests,
+     that on the two occasions referred to you have committed the
+     most serious offences dealt with by the Army Act, under which
+     Act you are liable to be tried.--Yours faithfully, W. A.
+     O'MEARA, Major, Military Censor."
+
+The military censor was within his rights. The editor, after the manner
+of editors, did not care to be muzzled, so the _Diamond Fields
+Advertiser_ was temporarily suspended.
+
+The editorial chair at the time was not an enviable berth, owing to the
+invasion of shells from the 100-pounder gun, therefore the holiday may
+have been beneficial in more ways than one.
+
+The new gun, mounted on the kopje at Kamferdam, was determined to make
+life hideous, and so incessantly swept the neighbourhood that a state of
+panic began to prevail even among those who had hitherto borne
+themselves with unconcerned front. In addition to this perpetual tornado
+of horror the pinch of famine was becoming sharper, and the question of
+relief seemed to be growing into one of "now or never." Despair seized
+on many. They began to count the days, and wonder when it would all end,
+and whether indeed it would ever end at all! Two days--three days--five
+days--the 15th of February! Then, dramatically, as in a fairy tale or a
+stage play, came the rumour of help, the whisper that French, the
+gallant, the energetic, the invincible, was coming, as on the wings of
+the wind--coming to restore freedom to those who, in their tedious
+imprisonment, were fainting with hope deferred. In an instant all was
+changed. The rumour became reality. Colonel Kekewich and his staff rode
+forth, and it was as though the good fairy had waved a wand. In an
+instant the dismal streets seemed to grow gaudy with flags, to flutter
+and flare as with the hues of the butterfly. Panic ceased, and gave way
+to almost hysterical joy. People laughed, chaffed, threw up their hats.
+The mines disgorged their human wealth--some thousand of women and
+children, who came forth alacrious, with swinging step and loudly
+babbling--babbling like mountain torrents let loose from the ice of
+winter! It was a scene for painter, not for penman; for who shall
+describe wrinkles of anxiety swept suddenly away, pangs of hunger
+allayed by thrills of glad excitation, nervous exhaustion magically
+forgotten, and all this simply because there was dust in the
+distance--the dust of coming feet--the dust of the British cavalry
+sweeping nearer and nearer on a glorious errand of deliverance!
+
+Five minutes later the looked-for moment had arrived. Anticipation had
+given way to fact--the 124 days' siege was at an end. Yet there were
+some who could scarce believe their ears. A man, hearing that General
+French had arrived, approached a trooper who was holding a horse outside
+the Club, and asked if the good news was true. "Yes," was the reply;
+"I'm 'is horderly; this is 'is 'at, and over there is 'is 'orse!" And
+the Kimberley man stared at the three objects before him as though he
+could never take his fill of satisfaction.
+
+
+GENERAL FRENCH'S RIDE
+
+And now, as the conjuror says, to explain how it was all done. The
+object of the combined movements was to turn Cronje's position, which
+extended west and east from Majersfontein to Koodoesberg Drift on the
+one side towards Klip Drift on the Modder on the other, to relieve
+Kimberley, and, if possible, cut off the retreat of the Boers to
+Bloemfontein and invest the whole force. This stupendous programme was
+unfolded to General French and his A.A.G. Colonel Douglas Haig at the
+time already mentioned, when the great cavalry leader mysteriously ran
+down from Colesberg to the Cape. Here the plans for the future campaign
+were discussed, and here General French agreed to embark on an
+enterprise which had it failed in a single particular might have brought
+about "such a disaster as would have shaken England's dominion in South
+Africa to its very foundation." This is the opinion of Captain Cecil
+Boyle, a splendid young officer, who, when asked to join General
+French's staff as galloper, was almost overcome with joy. But the plan
+did not fail: indeed it succeeded beyond expectation, and the relief of
+Kimberley, accomplished solely by the mounted troops--said to be the
+largest force ever commanded by a British General--was a feat scarcely
+to be excelled in the annals of warfare. This feat was performed between
+the 11th and the 15th of February, during which the Division experienced
+hardships of every kind. Horses and men were worked incessantly,
+without a day's rest and in a broiling sun, which literally baked every
+portion of the human frame exposed to it, and grilled the eyeballs,
+causing the most acute suffering to man and beast. Supplies and forage
+ran short, and the horses were reduced to 11/2 lb. of corn a day, while
+the men lived finally from hand to mouth, killing and eating as they
+went along, now a sheep, now a goat, and presently nothing but boiled
+mealie cobs. Water was so scarce, and the sufferings of the animals so
+terrible, that when a stream was once encountered, the brutes, wild with
+an anguish of delight, tore towards it in their frantic career, becoming
+absolutely beyond control, and carrying their riders straight into the
+river. Some in this way were drowned. Many horses died of exhaustion. At
+the end, out of 8000, only 5400 remained. But all discomforts were
+forgotten in the success of the achievement, which from first to last
+was conducted with admirable _finesse_ and consummate dash. Indeed this
+marvellous ride is looked upon by those who could technically criticise
+the difficulty and daring of the enterprise as one of the finest
+achievements of British arms.
+
+On the 11th of February the great cavalry division under General French
+started. With marvellous rapidity, and with a vast amount of mystery,
+the troops had gathered together in the neighbourhood of Enslin or
+Graspan, and commenced to move south-east on the now celebrated march
+for the relief of Kimberley. So swiftly was everything planned, and so
+dexterously was it accomplished, that even the wary Cronje, whose spies
+were everywhere, was incapable of believing that the detested rooineks
+were advancing with the rapidity of a cyclone for the purpose of
+sweeping him and his burghers from their comfortable positions. But a
+clean sweep they made nevertheless. Before the British advance Dutchmen
+fled precipitately from their farms, leaving their sweet mealie pap _in
+statu quo_, and all their effects exactly as they had been using them.
+
+They carried to Cronje wild rumours of British multitudes approaching,
+and preparing to make a last frontal attack upon Majersfontein, rumours
+which exactly suited Lord Roberts' strategic plan. Cronje instantly
+primed himself for the reception of the British, strengthening his
+fortifications and keeping his eye on the west, where he knew the
+Highland Brigade was operating. This again was precisely what Lord
+Roberts had intended him to do.
+
+Meanwhile, in the light of the stars, the great cavalry division with
+its batteries of artillery was on the move, rumbling cautiously through
+the mysterious, Boer-haunted regions under the guidance of the Hon.
+Major Lawrence, Chief of the Intelligence Department, and travelling
+many miles before sunrise on its important journey to Ramdam. Here
+horses were watered, men rested, details and remounts from Orange River
+picked up. On the morning of Monday the 12th, the troops were again on
+the move, starting at 3 A.M., and endeavouring to cover as many miles as
+possible before the sun should rise and make the whole earth into a
+scorching, blistering wilderness. But now, in return for the cool night
+air, they had to contend with jetty obscurity. Very slow, therefore, was
+their progress. When helped by the dawn they got along faster, and soon
+the whole division reached Waterval. Here extra precautions were taken,
+for none knew how many Dutchmen might be ensconced in the surrounding
+kopjes or whether the drift might be swarming with Boers. But they were
+not long left in doubt. A Boer shell greeted the troops with such nicety
+of range that the General and his staff barely escaped. Colonel Eustace,
+R.H.A., immediately turned his attention to the hostile gun, and shortly
+silenced it, but the enemy still held on.
+
+Dekiel's Drift is commanded by kopjes, having on the bank an
+octopus-armed donga which cuts deeply into the soil. At this drift the
+Boers endeavoured to make a stand, but the Mounted Infantry and Roberts'
+Horse were too much for them. Unfortunately, Captain Majendie, second in
+command of the latter regiment, was shot from Drift Kopje, in the shadow
+of which his remains were interred. There was no time for expression of
+mourning and regret; the Boers had to be routed, and presently, finding
+their rear threatened, they went streaming away from their strong
+position, taking with them their guns. After this the drift was taken
+possession of, and in the rays of the setting sun the disciplined
+hosts--brigade after brigade--crossed the Riet River, keeping possession
+of both banks.
+
+Horses and men were wearied out, scorched, and famishing, and there was
+a general sense of relief when at last they were joined by Lord
+Kitchener and staff and the Sixth Division, with convoys of provisions
+and fodder. At dawn on Tuesday a great deal had to be done--breakfast
+finished, nose-bags filled, &c., before it was possible to order the
+advance. Day was well developed by the time the brigades had started,
+and now came the exceeding trials of their march. The level veldt was
+like a mirror to a brazen sky, and all through the sweltering hours when
+the sun blazed its strongest, men and horses, shadeless, parched, and
+sparsely fed, moved on mile after mile on their imperative errand
+without pause and without relief. Even a beautiful well of water, which
+tempted them to distraction, had to be passed by untouched. It was
+necessary to reserve it for the infantry, who were following on the
+morrow. So dry, dejected, yet determined, they went on and on, crossed
+the districts of Poortje, Zwart Kopjes, Kromkuil, and made a brief halt
+at Wegdraai. From thence they swung along past pans and kopjes and
+plains, due north to Klip Drift.
+
+[Illustration: THE DASH FOR KIMBERLEY--THE 10th HUSSARS CROSSING KLIP
+DRIFT.
+
+Drawing by John Charlton, from a Sketch by G. D. Giles, War Artist.]
+
+Captain Boyle, in the _Nineteenth Century_, gave a fresh and spirited
+account of their movements on this important and critical march.
+
+"The distance covered in extended order was great, and to save the
+artillery horses Major Lawrence directed the columns by a slight
+_detour_ north-easterly, leaving Jacobsdal some seven or eight miles to
+our left. The heat was now intense, and was further increased by the
+accidental burning of the veldt over a large area, thereby destroying
+our field-cable, as we learnt afterwards. From flank to flank the
+distance was so great that at times the General's gallopers could not
+move their horses out of a walk, though the message was important, and
+everywhere men and horses alike suffered from sun and thirst.
+
+"General Gordon's brigade, far away on the left, was ordered to bring up
+its left shoulders to meet what looked like an attack on the right, but
+the guns of the 1st Brigade put the enemy to flight, and the march was
+resumed in slightly different order. The left brigade, under General
+Gordon, was ordered to advance; the centre brigade, under General
+Broadwood, was deployed to the right; and the right brigade, under
+Colonel Alexander, was ordered to follow in the rear. From a little
+stone-covered knoll the General and his staff scanned the distant river
+and its banks eight miles off, and instantly determined to push on for
+the drift. 'Move up the whole division,' and the three gallopers started
+back with the order to the brigades, which had been halted meanwhile.
+General Gordon on the left, with the 9th and 16th Lancers and his guns,
+and General Broadwood on the right, with the 12th Lancers, Household
+Composite, and 10th Hussars, moved off at once; but Colonel Alexander's
+brigade was far in the rear--he had already lost sixty horses, and the
+rest could move but slowly. The artillery horses could scarcely drag
+their guns and waggons, but still the General determined to force the
+drift; and I believe this decision was one of the most critical in the
+relief of Kimberley, for, had we not gained the drift directly our
+presence was known, the enemy would most certainly have fortified a very
+strong natural position. But the General's mind was made up, and he was
+quick to act. Throwing Gordon on to the left to effect a crossing, and
+Broadwood some five miles away on his right, the advance to the river
+was made so swiftly that the enemy were absolutely surprised. After
+shelling for some time, Gordon crossed and went in pursuit. Only four
+guns out of twelve could come into action in the centre, but with such
+effect that the enemy shortly retreated over the hills. By this time
+General Broadwood had crossed on the right, and his brigade trumpeter
+sounded the 'pursue.' The general rout was now complete--camp, waggons,
+everything was in our hands. New bread was lying about on the veldt and
+dough-tins ready to be placed on the fire, with such haste had the Boers
+left their position.
+
+"My horse had died with my last message to the 1st Brigade, and I
+trudged on over the level veldt partly on foot, partly on ammunition
+waggons, over the last five miles, crossed the Modder River with the
+four guns of P and G Batteries, and went to congratulate the General,
+who was sitting on the north bank, on his splendid achievement; for by
+this last forced march of nearly ten miles he had won half his way to
+Kimberley. Little incidents after the rout were full of the humour that
+hangs around everything grave. One of the staff plunged into the river
+and caught some geese, but some one else ate them; a pig ran the
+gauntlet through the camp--amidst roars of laughter, even from the
+serious General--of lances, bayonets, knives, sticks, boots,
+water-bottles, anything to hand, and at length was caught by a lucky
+trooper, who shared his feast that night with his friends. A waggon of
+fresh fruit was taken, sufficient to make thirsty men's mouths water,
+but some thought the grapes were sour. Why the Boers retreated in such a
+hurry is difficult to understand, for the position and drift were very
+strong and easy to defend, especially against a spent foe; and, but for
+the quickness of the advance over the open veldt, which took the Boers
+completely by surprise, the division would have encountered a very nasty
+opposition."
+
+The Dutchmen were pursued with splendid animation by General Gordon's
+jaded brigade, who succeeded, worn out as they were, in capturing some
+ambulance waggons and some Boer doctors; while General Broadwood's
+brigade, also worn out, chased the Boers into the far distance till
+absolute exhaustion forced the abandonment of the pursuit. So at the
+drift the cavalry division enjoyed its terribly needed repose. They had
+gone through an appalling ordeal, but it had been wonderfully
+surmounted, and the command of river both at Klip Drift and Klip Kraal,
+some miles to the east, had been secured.
+
+On the 14th the Boers still continued to buzz about after the fashion of
+mosquitoes--now advancing, now retiring, worrying and annoying, but
+never coming boldly to the attack.
+
+They made strong efforts to fathom the movements and designs of the
+British, but without success. Colonel Gorringe, Chief of Lord
+Kitchener's Staff, now arrived, and announced that Lord Kitchener and
+General Kelly-Kenny were advancing by night from Dekiel Drift, whereupon
+Captain Laycock, A.D.C., rode out and succeeded by midnight in
+conducting these officers safely to camp. In the small hours the Sixth
+Division, after a hard and really glorious march, which must be
+described anon, arrived. Thus his left flank being secured, General
+French was free to pursue his impetuous ride. This he did after handing
+over to the infantry the positions he had gained. While the cavalry
+division moved out, Kelly-Kenny's division--as in the game of "general
+post"--quickly shifted to the vacant place, thus making any return of
+the fleeing Boers impossible.
+
+The three cavalry brigades then drew up in columns of brigade masses,
+with the seven batteries of horse-artillery on their left, where the
+strongest attack from the laager near Kimberley was expected. How far
+the Boers were aware and prepared for the British move was uncertain,
+but it was decided that at all costs the cavalry would cut through them.
+
+Operations began with the shelling and capture of two laagers on the
+north side of the river, and the way being thus cleared of the enemy,
+the division made its way to a point where it was met by the contingent
+from the Modder River. The force, now increased by Scots Greys,
+Household Cavalry, and two Lancer Regiments, numbered some 10,000 men,
+seven batteries of horse-artillery and three field-batteries.
+
+Scarcely had the brigades proceeded before the Boers opened fire, and
+soon men and gunners fell, and horses riderless and pairs devoid of
+drivers were seen rushing madly over the plain. From a kopje on the
+right came the rattle and roar of musketry, which was replied to by the
+guns of the horse-artillery. There was no doubt now that a horde of
+Boers were hiding in front, and that the way forward was only to be
+gained by a desperate plunge. There was no hesitation. General Gordon
+and his gallant men were ordered to charge and clear the right front,
+and the thing was done. Away went the 9th and 12th Lancers, galloping
+for all they were worth, on and on like a flash of avenging lightning.
+At sight of the human avalanche the Boers, who had been "raining hell"
+from their trenches, suddenly threw up Mausers and hands; but it was too
+late, the whirlwind was upon them, and over a hundred Dutchmen bit the
+dust. Others ran helter-skelter, a whimpering and shouting rabble!
+
+Now came the greatest sight that military men have witnessed for
+years--the rush of the legions across the great plain of
+Alexandersfontein. This vast area, about three to five miles square, is
+surrounded by menacing kopjes, which harboured Boers rendered desperate
+by surprise and consternation. Across the open the Lancer regiments and
+Scots Greys as advance guard, with the rest of the force deployed at ten
+yards' intervals, rushed like a hurricane, a sirocco in the desert.
+Boers still showered down their lead, but the cavalry, heedless,
+thundered along, throwing up a volume of dust, while kopje after kopje
+was swept by the mounted infantry. The enemy was dispersed on every
+side.
+
+Five long miles the race of the centaurs continued--centaurs galloping
+as if for dear life--Carabineers and Greys leading the main body, the
+12th Lancers on the left, the Household Composite Regiment with the 9th
+Lancers on the right--a regal show, and one worth a lifetime to have
+witnessed.
+
+[Illustration: TYPICAL UNDERGROUND DWELLING AT KIMBERLEY.]
+
+At De Villiers the exhausted warriors watered their horses and strove to
+gather together the poor brutes for a final effort. Many were
+sun-stricken, others had simply used themselves up. The speed that was
+to outwit Cronje had to be paid for in horse-flesh. But, owing to that
+speed, much loss of human life was spared. Lieutenant Sweet Escott (16th
+Lancers) had fallen early in the day, but considering the fire of the
+enemy it was a marvel that only one officer had been killed. One man was
+also slain, and there were about thirty wounded.
+
+[Illustration: THE LAST STAND MADE BY THE BOERS BEFORE KIMBERLEY--CHARGE
+OF BRITISH CAVALRY IN THE ENGAGEMENT AT KLIP DRIFT.
+
+Drawing by W. S. Small, from a Sketch by G. D. Giles, War Artist.]
+
+At two o'clock the troops were halted at the base of a small kopje, from
+the crown of which it was possible to descry the chimneys of Kimberley
+in the distance. It was as though they had sighted the Promised Land. Up
+went a mighty cheer from a thousand throats, ringing almost against the
+vault of the burnished heaven, and echoing far and wide among the
+threatening Boer-haunted kopjes! Kimberley was on the eve of relief.
+The trial, the trouble, the turmoil were over! The triumph was won! On
+went the Division, riding now with all their might, and at sight of them
+the enemy, hot-foot, commenced to gallop into space. Soon the Division
+was within sight of the suburbs, and their guns were addressing
+themselves to a Boer laager on the east of the town. The extra uproar
+struck fresh alarm in the people of Kimberley, who had been driven
+distraught by the Boer's 100-pounders, and a message was flashed out,
+"The Boers are shelling the town." Then came the answer--the glorious
+answer--"_It is General French coming to the relief of Kimberley_." The
+news to the imprisoned multitude seemed incredible. They dreaded lest it
+might be a new wile of the Dutchman, and, to make assurance doubly sure,
+flashed out a fresh query. But by sunset the British troops had
+appeared: the whole force, battered, bronzed, but jubilant, was
+galloping into Beaconsfield.
+
+
+STRATEGY _VERSUS_ TACTICS
+
+Some one has said that strategy is a permanent science whose principles
+are immutable, while tactics vary with the variations of weapons and
+modes of warfare. The first example of this permanent science was
+presented only when Lord Roberts came to South Africa, but so complete
+and skilful, and withal so subtle, was the initial demonstration, that
+its fruits within ten days of his arrival at the front were ready to
+drop to his hand. Looking back, the plan of Lord Roberts' operations
+appears simple in the extreme, but at the time only masterly conception
+and accuracy of execution could have ensured success for so complicated
+a programme. To appreciate its subtlety and its neat execution, it
+becomes necessary to follow the other portions of the programme,
+beginning from the entry into the Free State of the enormous army that
+was massed on its borders by Monday the 12th. On that day three
+divisions of infantry, the 6th, 7th, and 9th, General French's division,
+two brigades of mounted infantry under Colonels Hannay and Ridley
+respectively, the artillery under General Marshall, consisting of three
+brigade divisions of horse-artillery, two brigade divisions of
+field-artillery, one howitzer battery, and a Naval Contingent of four
+4.7-inch and four 12-pounders, marched from Graspan and Honeynest Kloof
+through Ramdam. The total field force amounted to 23,000 infantry and
+11,000 mounted men, with 98 guns, and a transport of over 700 waggons
+drawn by nearly 9000 mules and oxen. Later on the artillery was
+reinforced by the arrival of a battery of 6-inch howitzers, throwing
+100-lb. shells, and three Vickers-Maxim quick-firers and the Brigade of
+Guards, which had remained opposite the Boer trenches at Majersfontein.
+
+The following table serves to show roughly the disposition of the
+troops:--
+
+     FIELD-MARSHAL LORD ROBERTS' FORCE
+
+     FIRST DIVISION.--(Lieutenant-General Lord Methuen).--1st
+     (Pole-Carew's) Brigade--3rd Grenadier Guards; 1st Coldstream
+     Guards; 2nd Coldstream Guards; 1st Scots Guards. 9th
+     (Douglas's) Brigade--1st Northumberland Fusiliers; 1st Loyal
+     North Lancashire (half); 2nd Northamptonshire; 2nd Yorkshire
+     Light Infantry; 18th, 62nd, 75th Field Batteries.
+
+     SIXTH DIVISION.--(Lieutenant-General Kelly-Kenny).--12th
+     Brigade--2nd Worcestershire, 1st Royal Irish, 2nd Bedfordshire,
+     2nd Wiltshire (half battalions). 13th Brigade (Knox's)--2nd
+     East Kent; 1st Oxfordshire Light Infantry; 1st West Riding; 2nd
+     Gloucester; 76th, 81st, and 82nd Field Batteries; 38th Company
+     Royal Engineers.
+
+     SEVENTH DIVISION.--(Lieutenant-General Tucker).--14th
+     Brigade--2nd Norfolk; 2nd Lincoln; 1st King's Own Scottish
+     Borderers; 2nd Hants. 15th Brigade--2nd Cheshire; 1st East
+     Lancashire; 2nd South Wales Borderers; 2nd North Stafford;
+     83rd, 84th, and 85th Field Batteries; 9th Company Royal
+     Engineers.
+
+     NINTH DIVISION.--(Major-General Sir H. Colvile).--3rd
+     (Highland) Brigade (MacDonald's)--1st Argyll and Sutherland;
+     1st Highland Light Infantry; 2nd Seaforth Highlanders; 2nd
+     Royal Highlanders (Black Watch). 18th Brigade--1st Essex; 1st
+     Yorkshire; 1st Welsh; 2nd Royal Warwick.
+
+     CAVALRY DIVISION.--(Major-General (Local Lieutenant-General)
+     French).--1st Brigade (Broadwood)--10th Hussars; 12th Lancers;
+     Household Cavalry. 2nd Brigade (Porter)--6th Dragoon Guards;
+     6th Dragoons (two squadrons); 2nd Dragoons; New Zealanders;
+     Australians. 3rd Brigade (Gordon)--9th Lancers; 16th Lancers;
+     Horse Artillery; G, P, O, R, Q, T, U Batteries.
+
+     TROOPS WITH LORD ROBERTS.--Gordon Highlanders; 2nd Duke of
+     Cornwall's Light Infantry; 2nd Shropshire Light Infantry;
+     Canadian Regiment; Roberts' Horse; Kitchener's Horse; City of
+     London Imperial Volunteers (Mounted Infantry Company); 2nd,
+     38th, 39th, 44th, and 88th Field Batteries; A Battery R.H.A.;
+     37th and 65th Howitzer Batteries; three Naval 4.7-in. guns;
+     part of Siege Train.
+
+It will be seen by the above that General Colvile had been appointed to
+the command of the Ninth Division, while Colonel Pole-Carew was
+transferred from the command of the Ninth Brigade to that of the Guards
+Brigade, and was succeeded in the former post by Colonel Douglas, late
+Chief of the Staff to Lord Methuen.
+
+Having viewed this force, it becomes somewhat interesting to note how
+smoothly wheel turned within wheel. The movement began by the
+concentration of General French's division at Ramdam. On the morning of
+the 12th the infantry appeared, and General French moved on, crossed
+Dekiel's Drift on Tuesday the 13th, and captured Klip Drift and Drieput
+Drift, on the Modder River. Following him closely on the 12th came the
+divisions of General Tucker and General Kelly-Kenny. The latter division
+was accompanied by Lord Kitchener and his staff. The negotiation of the
+first drift, which was almost impassable for transport, next occupied
+the ingenuity and tested the perseverance of the troops. The drifts,
+like the kopjes, are the almost unconquerable bogies of South Africa.
+They are the natural defences of the country, offering obstruction on
+every hand, and, however boldly you may storm the kopje, you must with
+infinite patience negotiate the drift. This is no small undertaking, for
+drifts, in a way, partake of the paradoxical character of
+individuals--the weaker the person, the more difficult is he to manage;
+the more insignificant the river, the greater the perverseness of the
+drift. It resolves itself in both cases into a question of narrowness.
+Small streams and small minds are banked up too high to allow moving
+room in their midst. The result of an attempt to advance is congestion
+of a painful kind. At this particular drift it was found impossible for
+the team of mules to lug the formidable waggon-loads up the north bank,
+and at last the feat had to be accomplished by adding relays of oxen to
+assist in the tremendous labour. Finally, by 4 A.M. the next morning the
+troops got across, General Tucker's division marching to within some
+three miles of Jacobsdal, and hugging the river all the way, so as to
+run no risk of being without water. General Kelly-Kenny followed,
+marching from Waterval Drift to Wegdraai on the morning of the 14th, and
+proceeding thence at 5 P.M. on the same day to Klip Drift, which was
+reached in the middle of the night. The rapidity with which this rush on
+his heels was accomplished enabled General French, who had been awaiting
+the arrival of the infantry, to proceed on his flying swoop for the
+relief of Kimberley. This, as we know, was accomplished on Thursday the
+15th of February. Meanwhile the wheels of the strategic machinery were
+going round. A small cavalry patrol had entered Jacobsdal, which town
+was found to be full of wounded, including many of our own invalids from
+Rensburg. On the way back the mounted infantry were attacked, and
+Colonel Henry was fired on by a party of Dutchmen who were concealed in
+the vicinity of the river, and so sudden was the attack that nine men
+were wounded. Colonel Henry, Major Hatchell, and ten men were missing. A
+battery of artillery shelled the environs of the place, and put to
+flight such Boers as were hanging about, whereupon the British remained
+masters of the situation. Thus it will be seen that while the Dutchmen
+were fleeing from Jacobsdal, from Alexandersfontein, and from the
+neighbourhood of Kimberley, for fear of being cut off, they had
+surrounding them Lord Methuen at Majersfontein, General Tucker at
+Jacobsdal, General Kelly-Kenny at the Klip and Rondeval Drifts, General
+French on the north, and General Colvile wheeling around, ready to suit
+his movements to any emergency. In this manner Cronje found the teeth of
+a trap preparing to close on him, and recognised that there was no
+alternative but to "make a bolt for it."
+
+Thus the first part of the programme was accomplished. Kimberley was
+automatically relieved; Cronje was on the run. But his running was no
+easy matter. Since Lord Roberts' strategy had come into play, there was
+a prospect of a neck-and-neck race between the mobile Boer and the
+mobile Briton, and success depended on General French's ability not only
+to rout but to head off the retreat of the Dutchman. That the British
+cavalry commander should outmatch him in celerity was a contingency
+which had not occurred to Cronje; that he should advance independently
+of the rail, and start off across the Riet to trek to the Modder, was
+described by one of his countrymen as distinctly "un-British." Whether
+this epithet was used to denote admiration or contempt we cannot say.
+Certain it was that the wily persecutor of Mafeking and Kimberley
+thought that the secret of the art of trekking was confined to himself
+and his rabble, until he discovered, too late, that the equally wily
+French with his disciplined legions was ready to ride over him. On the
+16th of February the astonished commandant, with a horde of 10,000
+Boers, was scudding in full retreat towards Bloemfontein. On all sides
+were Boer laagers in a state of abandonment--stores, tents, food,
+Bibles, raiment--everything had been left by the amazed and
+panic-stricken Dutchmen. Dronfield, Saltpan, Scholtz Nek, and Spyfontein
+were now evacuated. Under cover of darkness the investing hordes had
+taken to their heels, leaving behind them even herds of cattle and
+ammunition, in their desire to gain a loophole of escape. But they soon
+found that, wherever they might go, there was the rumour of British
+opposition, an armed and avenging race advancing!
+
+The fact was that the trekking of the Boer hordes had been adroitly
+discovered by Lord Kitchener, who, having detected an unusual haze of
+dust in the distance, at once gave orders for the mounted infantry not
+to follow French, but to pursue the enemy. Accordingly, to quote the
+_Times_ correspondent, who was present:--
+
+"The mounted infantry rode in pursuit across the plain, endeavouring to
+get to the north of the convoy, while General Knox's Brigade was pushed
+along the north bank of the river, which makes a large bend to the north
+between Klip Drift and Klipkraal Drift, to strike the convoy on its
+southern flank. Cronje sent on his waggons to Drieputs Farm, at the
+north-eastern end of the bend, where they laagered at about eleven, and
+maintained a running fight with our troops all day. The skill with which
+the Boers conducted this rear-guard action extorted unqualified praise
+from all our officers. As the detachments on the extreme right of the
+Boer line were driven back by our mounted infantry, they rode round
+behind their centre and took up fresh positions on their left against
+the 81st Battery and Knox's Brigade, which were advancing along the
+north bank of the river. At midday the Boers attempted to hold three low
+kopjes two miles north-east of Klip Drift, but were driven back to a
+stronger position at Drieputs."
+
+[Illustration: CAPTURE OF A BOER CONVOY BY GENERAL FRENCH'S TROOPS NEAR
+KIMBERLEY.
+
+Drawing by Stanley L. Wood, from a Sketch by an Officer.]
+
+Fighting went on throughout the day. At seven o'clock on the evening of
+the 16th it became almost possible to see the end; the artillery had
+commenced the vigorous shelling of the laager, and all the divisions
+moving on the great axis were now aware that Lord Roberts' strategic
+plan was likely--how soon they knew not--to be crowned with success.
+
+But we must here break off to eulogise the wonderful activity of
+Kelly-Kenny's division, which acquitted itself so honourably. The march
+from Graspan to Brandvallei beyond Klip Drift, a distance 553/4 miles, was
+accomplished in five marching days. The Light Brigade on the eve of the
+battle of Talavera did sixty-two English miles in twenty-six hours,
+losing only seventeen stragglers by the way. They accomplished this feat
+by adopting the peculiar step invented by Sir John Moore, three paces
+walking alternating with three paces running, which enabled them, when
+tracks were suitable, to cover six miles an hour! No such evolutions as
+these were possible, owing to the torrid weather and the necessity to
+take precautions against exposure in the open veldt during midday. The
+temperature may be imagined when it is stated that in one day about
+sixty-six soldiers sun-stricken fell out of the ranks. On the morning of
+the 12th of February the infantry marched some nine and a half miles
+from Graspan to Ramdam, and from thence on the 13th moved to Waterval
+Drift. On the 14th they proceeded to Wegdraai, and on to Klip Drift,
+which was reached in the small hours of the 15th. Here, notwithstanding
+their fatigues, the 13th Brigade at once engaged with the enemy's
+rearguard, and exhibited splendid fighting qualities, which in the
+circumstances were remarkable even for Englishmen. The West Riding,
+Gloucesters, Buffs, and Oxfords had a warm time during the whole of the
+16th, as the enemy from kopjes beyond the river in the region of
+Klipkraal assailed them for nearly eight hours, assisted by a pom-pom
+which caused considerable loss. Though a furious sandstorm later on
+permitted the Boers under cover of night to get away, abandoning
+seventy-eight waggons, the next morning the invincible Sixth Division
+started in pursuit. Captain Trevor (1st East Kent Regiment), Lieutenant
+Shipway (2nd Gloucester Regiment), and Colonel M'Donnell, R.A., were
+wounded in the course of the engagement. Major Evelegh, Oxford Light
+Infantry, while proceeding to join his battalion in the Sixth Division
+with a small convoy and escort, was surrounded by a large party of
+Boers, and after a gallant defence was forced to surrender.
+
+Fighting and marching without ceasing, the infantry went to Brandvallei
+and thence to Paardeberg, where they arrived at 9.30 P.M. on the 17th,
+in time to take a brief rest prior to the operations which have yet to
+be described, and in which they took such a prominent part. The
+marching, considering the tremendous heat and the difficulty of
+obtaining water, was a feat of which General Kelly-Kenny might justly
+have felt proud. Though plodding along incessantly through the heavy
+burning sand under a sun which baked and frizzled even through their
+uniforms, these men maintained patience and cheerfulness in a rare
+degree. The whole force was animated by complete faith in their
+commander, and moved unanimously like some magnificent piece of
+machinery, scarce taking time to eat or sleep in the zest of their
+persistent pursuit of the enemy. And they were not alone in their
+zealous performance of their share in the great scheme. The nicety and
+precision of the transport arrangements may be imagined when we remember
+that at one time four divisions were moving independently of their base,
+making marches across the arid waterless tracks, and carrying with them
+the necessaries of life for a healthy working multitude. A new regime
+had begun, and the mobility of our columns had grown equal to that of
+the Boers, while the railway had been relegated to a subordinate place
+in the strategical plan.
+
+Colonel Graham, in his "Art of War," declares that "to organise the
+means of transport for an army acting at a long distance from its
+principal magazines, in a country where it is entirely dependent on its
+own supplies, is a problem difficult of solution." Now, the solution of
+this problem was due to the wonderful talent of Lord Kitchener, who was
+earning his right to be looked upon as the greatest military organiser
+of his generation. But his gigantic effort did not increase the
+popularity of the late Sirdar. He ran counter to too many private
+interests. The army is too intersected with grooves to be crossed
+without a few nasty jars, and it was scarcely possible for so young and
+successful a general and a peer--one possessed of almost criminal good
+luck and amazing moral as well as physical courage--to be looked upon by
+his contemporaries-in-arms with excessive approval. The secret of
+discord was given in a nutshell by Mr. Ralph of the _Daily Mail_. He
+wrote:--"His first conspicuous act when in South Africa was the
+withdrawal of the transport service from separated commands in order
+that it should be managed by the Army Service Corps. Thus it came about
+that every brigadier and colonel saw a certain amount of his power
+shifted to what he considered a subordinate branch of the service. A
+goodish degree of latitude in the enjoyment of comforts and extras,
+which had been made possible when these officers controlled the waggons,
+was also curtailed. The army wailed and gnashed its teeth, but I confess
+I always thought that reason and right were on Lord Kitchener's side in
+this matter. Lord Kitchener's plan was the only one by which an
+insufficient number of waggons and teams could be utilised for all that
+they were worth."
+
+The mobility of an army depends on the reduction of transport, and to
+the task of organising transport sufficient to ensure the mobility of
+100,000 men the hero of Omdurman applied himself with his customary
+thoroughness. He conceived the gigantic ambition of doing away with all
+distinctions of transport, regimental, departmental, ammunition, or
+ambulance, and merging them in an immense whole, thus creating a single
+general corps, and it was doubtless to this conception and the able way
+that the scheme--with the assistance of Colonel Richardson--was carried
+out, that Lord Roberts owed the expedition of his march to Bloemfontein
+and the further success which resulted from his sure and swift rushes
+onward. Ordinarily speaking, in the army each unit is allowed its own
+transport. For instance, colonel, adjutant, and orderly-room are
+allotted by regulation a tent apiece. Every three officers share a tent,
+every fourteen men another. Staff-sergeants, batmen, and other details
+are proportionately provided for. Mounted officers are allowed 80 lbs.
+baggage, double the amount allowed for "smaller fry." Without going into
+minute particulars, we may reckon that a brigade would move with 70
+waggons and a division with about 180. To reduce the huge encumbrance of
+say some 2000 waggons, with their complement of oxen and drivers, was a
+stupendous labour, from which, with its consequences, this military
+Hercules did not shrink. Each unit was taken in hand, and its
+excrescences--regulation excrescences, we may call them--were cut down,
+peeled of all superfluities, much to the disgust of the staff officers
+and various other personages who stickle for their rights, and resent
+any innovation that threatens to dock off an iota of the creature
+comforts that belong to them by the divine right of red-tape and
+red-book regulations.
+
+Not only were the rules of transport revised, but special hints tending
+to the development of the initiative of the private soldier were issued
+to the troops. Herewith is appended the notable document which may be
+said to have marked the beginning of the new era:--
+
+    CAPE TOWN, _February 5, 1900_.
+
+     The following notes by the Field-Marshal Commanding-in-Chief
+     are communicated for the guidance of all concerned.--By order,
+
+    KITCHENER OF KHARTOUM, _Chief of Staff_.
+
+
+NOTES FOR GUIDANCE IN SOUTH AFRICAN WARFARE
+
+     _Cavalry_
+
+     1. On reconnaissances or patrols not likely to be prolonged
+     beyond one day, the cavalry soldier's equipment should be
+     lightened as much as possible, nothing being taken that can
+     possibly be dispensed with.
+
+     2. It has been brought to my notice that our cavalry move too
+     slowly when on reconnaissance duty, and that unnecessary long
+     halts are made, the result being that the enemy, although
+     starting after the cavalry, are able to get ahead of it. I
+     could understand this if the country were close and difficult,
+     but between the Modder and the Orange Rivers its general
+     features are such as to admit of small parties of cavalry,
+     accompanied by field-guns, being employed with impunity.
+
+     _Artillery_
+
+     3. If the enemy's guns have, in some instances, the advantage
+     of ours in range, we have the advantage of theirs in mobility,
+     and we should make use of them by not remaining in position the
+     precise distance of which from the enemy's batteries has
+     evidently been fixed beforehand. Moreover, it has been proved
+     that the Boers' fire is far less accurate at unknown distances.
+     In taking up positions, compact battery formations should be
+     avoided, the guns should be opened out, or it may be desirable
+     to advance by sections or batteries. Similarly retirements
+     should be carried out, at considerably increased intervals, by
+     alternate batteries or sections, if necessary, and care should
+     be taken to travel quickly through the dangerous zone of
+     hostile artillery fire.
+
+     The following plan, frequently adopted by the Boers, has
+     succeeded in deceiving our artillery on several occasions.
+
+     Suppose A to be a gun emplacement, the gun firing smokeless
+     powder. Simultaneously with the discharge of the gun at A a
+     powder flash of black powder will be exploded at B, a hill in
+     rear, leading us to direct our projectile on B. Careful
+     calculation with a watch, however, will defeat this plan.
+
+     _Infantry_
+
+     4. The present open formation renders it difficult for officers
+     to exercise command over their men, except such as may be in
+     their immediate vicinity. A remedy for this would appear to be
+     a system of whistle calls, by which a company lying in extended
+     order could obey orders as readily as if in quarter column. I
+     invite suggestions for such a system of whistle calls as would
+     be useful.
+
+     5. It is difficult to recognise officers as equipped at
+     present, and it seems desirable they should wear a
+     distinguishing mark of some kind, either on the collar at the
+     back of the neck or on the back of the coat.
+
+     6. Soldiers, when under fire, do not take sufficient advantage
+     of the sandy nature of the soil to construct cover for
+     themselves. If such soil is scraped, even with a canteen tin, a
+     certain amount of cover from rifle fire can be obtained in a
+     short time.
+
+     7. The distribution of ammunition to the firing line is one of
+     the most difficult problems of modern warfare. One solution,
+     which has been suggested to me, is for a portion of the
+     supports gradually to creep forward until a regular chain of
+     men is established from the supports (where the ammunition
+     carts should be) right up to the firing line. The ammunition
+     could then be gradually worked up by hand till it reached the
+     firing line, where it could be passed along as required. This
+     would, no doubt, be a slow method of distributing ammunition,
+     but it appears to be an improvement on the present method,
+     which is almost impossible to carry out under fire.
+
+     8. Reports received suggest that the Boers are less likely to
+     hold entrenchments on the plain with the same tenacity and
+     courage as they display when defending kopjes, and it is stated
+     that this applies especially to night-time, if they know that
+     British infantry are within easy striking distance from them.
+     How far this is true time only can show.
+
+    ROBERTS, _Field-Marshal Commanding-in-Chief, South Africa_.
+
+To return, however, to the great advance. Much of the travelling was
+done by night, in order to save the oxen from the trying temperature of
+the day, though even during the night the heat was equal to that of an
+ordinary British midsummer. In addition to the painful toil of motion
+over the heavy, sandy, rugged leagues, there was the hourly danger of
+attack. Cronje had made known his need for reinforcements, and at the
+time, from the south, Andries Cronje was moving, and from the north,
+Commandants Snyman and Fournie, while from other quarters and in the
+direction of Ladysmith there was the belief that Boer hordes might be
+advancing. There was only one encounter with the Dutchmen, but it ended
+in a mishap that was a serious one, for the results were felt for days
+afterwards, and helped to try the heroism of the troops who engaged in
+the movement to the uttermost. A convoy of 180 waggons, one-quarter of
+the total transport, containing forage and provisions, was lost at
+Waterval Drift. An interesting picture of the terrible passage of the
+drift was given by a sapper who accompanied the convoy:--
+
+"It was a pitiful sight to see the poor infantry fellows played out,
+some dropping with a slight sunstroke, and the cattle dropping dead in
+all directions. We moved sometimes by day and sometimes by night.
+Night-time was the best on account of the oxen working much better in
+the cool of night. Nothing occurred of note with us--but our fellows
+were fighting every day in front on their way to Kimberley--till we got
+to Riet River or Drift, which was a terrible pass in the river. Miles
+and miles of transport had to pass through a narrow passage across the
+drift, and it took a terrible time for one waggon to pass over, let
+alone the hundreds that had to pass. We were lucky to get across and
+encamp below a hill for the night. Next day they still continued to pass
+the drift, in fact they had been at it all night, and still hundreds of
+waggons to come on. The Boers evidently knew of this obstacle, and a
+party came up from the south and had vengeance on the column, as they
+couldn't on the fighting line. It was a lucky thing for us we were
+clear, or else we might have found our baggage gone and ourselves put
+over the border (i.e. sent to Pretoria or shot). The Boers took up
+position in the hills and shelled the waggon convoy. The nigger drivers
+are terrible cowards, and all fled to the hills or kopjes near at hand,
+leaving the waggons and oxen to the mercy of the Boers. Some of the oxen
+we succeeded in driving back into our camp on the other side of the
+river. The good old New Zealanders (who have proved of great use and
+very daring in this campaign) rode over to where the nigger drivers
+were, and threatened to blow their brains out if they didn't return to
+the waggons, which they did after the Boers had left off shelling for a
+bit, after doing a terrible lot of damage. Lord Bobs came up just as
+they were going to try and get some of the waggons away, and said 'Let
+them go.' Our loss proved to be over L100,000, which I am glad to say we
+recovered later. The Boers thought this convoy was lost purposely, and
+when we arrived here we found the whole of it except what had been sent
+to our prisoners at Pretoria."
+
+[Illustration: TROOP OF THE 10TH HUSSARS WITH NORDENFELDT GUN. Photo by
+H. Johnston, London.]
+
+The unpleasant adventures of E Squadron of Kitchener's Light Horse, who
+were taken as prisoners to Pretoria, make a separate narrative of
+themselves, as they took place while the main body was moving on to the
+relief of Kimberley.
+
+The squadron was attached to General French's column, and took part in
+the engagement at Riet River. On its way to the relief of Kimberley, a
+halt was made at a farm a short distance from Modder River, and part of
+E squadron was detached to hold a well of water until the arrival of
+another column, expected in four hours, and then to advance along with
+them. The relieving column never arrived. Squadron E held the position
+for four days without food against a large force of Boers. They (E
+Squadron) occupied an old farmhouse. They loopholed the walls, and
+although continuously harassed by the Boer fire, they managed to
+maintain their position and the post they were placed in charge of.
+During that time they had to subsist on water only, and that brackish.
+Their horses were dying daily, as there was not a blade of grass on the
+veldt, and the stench was abominable. On the third day of the siege a
+poor goat that had wandered near the besieged was immediately captured
+and devoured. On the fourth day they commandeered one of the enemy's
+horses, which they intended to slaughter, their own being too emaciated
+for that purpose. But the Boers, having been reinforced, gave them no
+time to do the butchering. On the evening of the fourth day a messenger
+bearing a letter from General de Wet arrived, demanding surrender within
+ten minutes. The Boer force consisted of 500 men and two 12-pounders.
+The officers consulted together, and decided, in view of the hopeless
+condition of their little garrison of fifty all told, worn out and
+starving and their horses dead, to accept the inevitable.
+
+While all this was going on, and Cronje was making the discovery that he
+might be completely outflanked, and that the position of the Boer army
+at Spyfontein must become untenable, Lord Roberts was entering into
+Jacobsdal. The place was orderly and quiet. The three churches were full
+of patients, the town having been used mainly as an hospital. The
+invalids, for the most part, were sufferers from enteric, the result of
+too much Modder River. After a long and painful intimacy with the
+grilling veldt, the sight of houses and civilised dwellings struck
+gratefully on the eyes of the incoming troops. A store was hailed as a
+veritable godsend. Some one bought a tin of oatmeal, and walked off with
+it as one who had secured a prize; some one else gave a goodly price for
+a pot of pickles, and came away licking his lips like a modern
+Eliogabalus. The rejoicing was no mean emotion, for the unfortunate men,
+with the appetites of athletes, had been existing on lovers' fare. One
+of the famished but cheery fellows wrote: "We marched into Jacobsdal,
+and as soon as we arrived we thronged the stores for provisions. I made
+the following purchases for three of us:--
+
+                                                _s._ _d._
+    Three two-pound loaves at 1s. each           3    0
+    Three tins of condensed milk at 1s. each     3    0
+    Two tins of syrup at 1s. 3d. each            2    6
+    One small packet of cocoa                    0    9
+    One tin of Quaker oats                       1    3
+    One pound of sugar                           0    6
+                                                --------
+                                                11    0
+
+Then we gorged ourselves to make up for three weeks' semi-starvation.
+The most prominent building of Jacobsdal is the church, which stands in
+the centre of the town. The town itself lies in a hollow--Sleepy Hollow
+would be an apt title for the place just now. Most of the houses,
+including the church, are at present converted into hospitals, and the
+female population are acting as nurses. Most of them are in mourning for
+relatives lost during the campaign." Later, the troops moved on and
+encamped at a farm which had also been used as an hospital. Sights
+pathetic were only too common--our own sick and wounded in various
+stages of suffering, and outside, to use a "Tommy's" description, "some
+poor devils wrapped in sheets ready to be put to bed for the last time!"
+
+[Illustration: GENERAL CRONJE.
+
+From a Photo by M. Plumbe.]
+
+Lord Roberts visited the large German hospital, and expressed himself
+well pleased with the splendid cleanliness of the place and the general
+evidences of good management. Among the sufferers was found Colonel
+Henry, who had been taken prisoner on the 14th. Strangely enough, all
+the inhabitants of the place evinced satisfaction at the arrival of the
+British, particularly on making the discovery that it was not the habit
+of the British troops to loot and destroy, as they had been led by the
+Burghers to believe was the case. They were now made acquainted with the
+proclamation which Lord Roberts issued to the Burghers of the Orange
+Free State when his force invaded their territory. It was printed both
+in English and Dutch:--
+
+     "The British troops under my command having entered the Orange
+     Free State, I feel it my duty to make known to all Burghers the
+     cause of our coming, as well as to do all in my power to put an
+     end to the devastation caused by this war, so that, should they
+     continue the war, the inhabitants of the Orange Free State may
+     not do so ignorantly, but with full knowledge of their
+     responsibility before God for the lives lost in the campaign.
+
+     "Before the war began the British Government, which had always
+     desired and cultivated peace and friendship with the people of
+     the Orange Free State, gave a solemn assurance to President
+     Steyn that, if the Orange Free State remained neutral, its
+     territory would not be invaded, and its independence would be
+     at all times fully respected by Her Majesty's Government.
+
+     "In spite of that declaration, the Government of the Orange
+     Free State was guilty of a wanton and unjustifiable invasion of
+     British territory.
+
+     "The British Government believes that this act of aggression
+     was not committed with the general approval and free will of a
+     people with whom it has lived in complete amity for so many
+     years. It believes that the responsibility rests wholly with
+     the Government of the Orange Free State, acting, not in the
+     interests of the country, but under mischievous influences from
+     without. The British Government, therefore, wishes the people
+     of the Orange Free State to understand that it bears them no
+     ill-will, and, so far as is compatible with the successful
+     conduct of the war and the re-establishment of peace in South
+     Africa, it is anxious to preserve them from the evils brought
+     upon them by the wrongful action of their Government.
+
+     "I therefore warn all Burghers to desist from any further
+     hostility towards Her Majesty's Government and the troops
+     under my command, and I undertake that any of them who may so
+     desist, and who are found staying in their homes and quietly
+     pursuing their ordinary occupations, will not be made to suffer
+     in their persons or property on account of their having taken
+     up arms in obedience to the order of their Government. Those,
+     however, who oppose the forces under my command, or furnish the
+     enemy with supplies or information, will be dealt with
+     according to the customs of war.
+
+     "Requisitions for food, forage, fuel, or shelter made on the
+     authority of the officers in command of Her Majesty's troops,
+     must be at once complied with; but everything will be paid for
+     on the spot, prices being regulated by the local market rates.
+     If the inhabitants of any district refuse to comply with the
+     demands made on them, the supplies will be taken by force, a
+     full receipt being given.
+
+     "Should any inhabitant of the country consider that he or any
+     member of his household has been unjustly treated by any
+     officer, soldier, or civilian attached to the British army, he
+     should submit his complaint, either personally or in writing,
+     to my headquarters or to the headquarters of the nearest
+     general officer. Should the complaint on inquiry be
+     substantiated, redress will be given.
+
+     "Orders have been issued by me prohibiting soldiers from
+     entering private houses or molesting the civil population on
+     any pretext whatever, and every precaution has been taken
+     against injury to property on the part of any person belonging
+     to or connected with the army.
+
+    "ROBERTS, _Field-Marshal, Commanding-in-Chief, South Africa_."
+
+
+THE HERDING OF CRONJE
+
+To return to General French. The cavalry division bivouacked outside the
+town of Kimberley, but their repose was limited. At 3 A.M. on the
+morning of the 16th they were up and doing. The enemy in the north was
+giving trouble. Some sharp fighting took place, during which Lieutenants
+Brassey (9th Lancers) and P. Bunbury were killed. This early activity
+was tough work for the already weary troops, who had been fifteen hours
+without a meal. Indeed, it was generally remarked that the relievers
+looked sorrier specimens of humanity than the relieved. The Colonial
+troops, the Queensland and New Zealand Contingents, and the New South
+Wales Lancers, considering all things, were wonderfully fit after having
+played a conspicuous part in the operations. These troops had joined
+General French's column from the regions of the Orange and Modder
+Rivers. The New South Wales Lancers rode on the extreme right flank of
+the first brigade, and their ambulance corps, under Lieutenant Edwards,
+kept up with the column, and was complimented on being the first
+ambulance to cross the Modder River. Like the rest of the troops, they
+had taken their share of small rations, merely nominal rest,
+sun-scorching, and maddening thirst, and yet were full of zeal--"keen as
+mustard," as some one said--to engage in the herding of Cronje and
+effect his capture. Worn out as they were, they had sprung to attention
+on a rumour brought in by a despatch-rider to the effect that Cronje had
+evacuated Majersfontein and was in full retreat.
+
+At midnight on the 16th, no confirmation of this news had been received.
+The jaded troops, and still more jaded horses--mere skeletons in horse's
+skins--were preparing for real repose, when all was changed! A telegram
+arrived from Lord Kitchener saying that Cronje, with 10,000 men, was in
+full retreat from Majersfontein, with all his waggons and equipment and
+four guns, along the north bank of the Modder River towards
+Bloemfontein; that he had already fought a rearguard action with him;
+and that if French, with all available horses and guns, could head him
+and prevent his crossing the river, the infantry from Klip Drift would
+press on and annihilate or take the whole force prisoners.
+
+Here was a surprise! Pleasant yet unpleasant, for shattered men in the
+last stage of fatigue. But General French--whom some one has described
+as possessing the shape of a brick, with all the solid and excellent
+qualities of one--rose to the occasion. He was on the point of going to
+sleep, but there was no thought of rest now. Arrangements had to be
+made, horses weeded--out of a division of 5000 only one brigade was fit
+to move!--more borrowed from the Kimberley Light Horse, whose
+holiday-time had come, and other preparations hurriedly set on foot to
+ensure an immediate rush--a swoop that should be as swift and successful
+as it was startling!
+
+One may imagine the midnight picture. The dark immensity of veldt--the
+dust-driven, sweltering veldt--and Cronje, miles ahead with his horde,
+the remnant of his convoy, his women and children, fleeing along the
+north bank of the Modder, harassed by the Sixth Division, threatened by
+the Seventh and Ninth, and yet longing to cross the river, to get safely
+to Koodoosrand Drift, where he hourly expected reinforcements would come
+to his succour. French, dead beat after glorious work accomplished,
+rising from the first hospitable pillow he had seen for days--springing
+suddenly to action, ordering, organising, deciding how to effect the
+great swoop on Koodoosrand Drift and head off the fugitive. There was no
+time for the buckling on of mental and moral armour; only the warrior at
+soul could have been ready for such a situation. But such an one was
+here. He gave swift orders. In three hours' time General Broadwood and
+his brigade and three batteries of artillery--the only ones available
+out of seven--sallied forth towards the east, in the dusk of the
+morning. Their destination--Koodoosrand Drift--was some forty miles off,
+and once here Cronje's last loophole of escape would be gone! The
+General and his staff followed at 4.15 A.M., riding at full speed, and
+catching up the brigade about fifteen miles off.
+
+The whole nature of their errand and the proposed movement was a
+surprise, for this manoeuvre had not entered into General French's
+original calculations.
+
+When the General had seen the Sixth Division safely at Klip Drift and
+secured his left flank, he proceeded on his rush to Kimberley. Of other
+movements save his own he was ignorant. Even as he and the troops were
+riding into the town, Cronje, who had discovered the futility of his
+position at Majersfontein and the danger of it, was trekking madly across
+the front of the Sixth Division. On the morning of the 16th Lord
+Kitchener, hearing that the Majersfontein laager and the Modder River camp
+were deserted, and seeing a cloud of dust in the distance, had guessed
+what was happening, and immediately altered his plans to meet the
+emergency. As we are aware, he instantly gave orders for the mounted
+infantry not to follow French, but to pursue and attack the Boer convoy,
+while he telegraphed later to French, with the results just described.
+General French grasped the position at a glance. He knew no time was to be
+lost, and soon Broadwood's brigade, with horses that could barely move,
+was pushing on as fast as spurs could insist. The early morning dusk broke
+into the green and grey and gold of dawn; birds flew frightened hither and
+thither; foxes rushed to their holes; springbok and hares tempted the
+sportsmen, but never a glance to right or left was wasted. All eyes were
+strained to the east, to the momentous east, and the wooded banks of the
+distant river. Nearer and ever nearer they came--specks were seen on the
+horizon--men?--horses?--the enemy moving?--scudding away before he could
+be cornered? No--Yes? A moment of excitement, anguish--joy! The General
+had mounted a kopje, reconnoitred, and discovered the truth. It was
+Cronje's force--the remnants of his convoy some 4000 yards off--the convoy
+streaming down into the drifts that lead to Petrusberg and thence to
+Bloemfontein! They must never reach that destination! Kitchener's
+words--"Head him and prevent his crossing the river"--so simple in sound,
+so complex in execution, thrilled every heart. Quickly the guns were got
+into action--grandly--almost magically--the first shot plumped--bang! in
+front of the leading waggon just as the convoy was preparing to descend
+the drift! What a reveille! Cronje, as we know, was rushing from the
+clutches of the Sixth Division at Drieputs. Breathless, he gathered
+himself together. Suddenly he found himself assailed by a new force--a new
+terror! He divined in a moment what had happened. It was French, the
+ubiquitous French--French redivivus, as it were--who was putting the
+finishing touch to the chapter of disaster. Poor Captain Boyle, in his
+letter to the _Nineteenth Century_, thus described the great Dutchman's
+plight:--
+
+"His only chance now was to sacrifice his guns and convoy, and cut his
+way across the river under the heavy fire of our guns. Immediately on
+the first shell bursting in the laager, about thirty Boers galloped out
+to seize a kopje on our right, afterwards called Roberts' Hill; but the
+10th Hussars in a neck-and-neck race had the legs of them, and seizing
+the hill in advance, beat them off with their carbine and Maxim fire.
+The Boers from their laager answered our shell fire for a short time
+with great accuracy from two or three guns. But these were quickly
+silenced, and shell after shell from Artillery Hill fell plump into the
+laager. Finally, our second battery was moved to a little distance from
+Roberts' Hill and opened fire from the southern slope on to a kopje to
+which the Boers had retired. All that afternoon at intervals our guns
+poured shells into the laager, but no response came, and we spent our
+time watching the Boers, now 3000 yards away, entrenching themselves in
+the open and along the river-bank. Their waggons caught fire and the
+ammunition exploded, and as they realised their position more and more,
+so must their hearts have sunk. Anxiously must they have waited for the
+first sign of the infantry gathering round, as anxiously as we did in
+our turn watching from the high kopjes.
+
+"The cavalry, worn out as they were and without food, had to hold the
+kopjes and water their horses in turn some five miles off. They got what
+grazing they could in the kopjes as they lay there, for no corn had come
+on from Kimberley, and neither men nor horses had had any food except
+the three days' rations with which they originally started from Klip
+Drift the Thursday before, a good deal of which had been shaken off the
+saddles or lost in the long gallop up the plain to Kimberley. The
+General, the men, the horses, all alike had to live on what was found at
+Kamilfontein--a few mealies, a few onions, and the crumbs of biscuits in
+our pockets were all we had until some Free Staters' sheep and cattle
+were rounded and killed. Had it not been for this plentiful supply of
+meat, the men must have fared very badly for the next three days. No
+transport came in until Monday night, and the horses had but 11/2 lb. of
+corn in three days. The men were put on half rations of biscuits even
+after the transport arrived.
+
+"Meanwhile, on Saturday afternoon about 5 P.M. Broadwood sent word to
+French that in the far distance he observed the dust rising, which he
+took for Kelly-Kenny's division. French returned to Roberts' Hill, and,
+until the sun set, anxiously awaited the arrival of the infantry--but
+they marched but slowly. From 6 P.M. till 7 P.M. we opened fire again
+from our batteries to show Lord Kitchener our exact positions." The
+splendid work done by the Royal Horse Artillery was described by another
+eye-witness. He said: "I will give you an idea of what good gunners we
+have in the Artillery. General French said to one of the gunners, 'See
+those three waggons over there? (a distance of about 31/2 miles); see what
+you can do with them.' The gunner fired three shell, and the waggons
+were no more."
+
+We must now watch the progress of the other portions of the force who
+were actively engaged in taking their share in the huge undertaking.
+Colonel Stephenson's brigade, on the night of the 16th (while General
+French was learning the great news), had re-crossed the river at Klip
+Drift, and on the morning of the 17th (at the same hour as Broadwood's
+brigade was moving from Kimberley) had marched to the south of the river
+with the same intention--that of heading off Cronje at Paardeberg and
+Koodoosrand Drift. Thus, with Broadwood's brigade on one side, and
+Stephenson's on the other, Cronje's prospects of escape were scarcely
+worth a dime. The _Times'_ correspondent, talking of Colonel
+Stephenson's troops on the morning of the fateful 17th, said:--
+
+"They were joined about ten at Klipkraal Drift by Knox's brigade, which
+marched along the northern bank. The mounted infantry, pushing on,
+reached Paardeberg Drift that evening, and encamped on rising ground
+close to the south bank. The infantry, leaving Klipkraal at six in the
+evening, made a night march for Paardeberg Drift, but, missing their
+way, slightly passed the Drift and bivouacked on some rising ground
+nearly two miles beyond, separated from the river by a smooth plain
+shelving gently down to it. The mistake was a fortunate one, as it
+brought the infantry almost opposite to the place where Cronje had
+determined to cross. Cronje had left Drieputs during the night after the
+battle, abandoning seventy-eight waggons, and pushed on along the north
+bank of the river during Saturday for Koodoosrand Drift. Soon after
+passing north of Paardeberg Drift he heard that French had already
+returned from Kimberley, and was holding a line of high kopjes running
+north-west from Koodoosrand Drift, and completely commanding the drift.
+Wheeling his waggons to the right across the plain, he laagered on the
+north bank of the river at Wolveskraal Farm. This was opposite to a
+drift of the same name, about half-way between Paardeberg and
+Koodoosrand Drifts, being about four miles in a straight line from each.
+Here he intended to cross on Sunday morning. But already, during the
+night, he became aware of the presence of the mounted infantry south of
+Paardeberg Drift, and decided that he could not get his convoy away
+without fighting. Probably Cronje did not realise that Kelly-Kenny's
+infantry could have already marched up and occupied the rising ground
+not three thousand yards south of Wolveskraal Drift; still less could he
+know that General Colvile's division (whose endurance had been
+extraordinary) was but a few miles behind, and was to reach Paardeberg
+Drift before daybreak. If Cronje had known this, there is little doubt
+that he would have promptly sacrificed all his transport and all his
+guns in order to get his men away and escape from the trap into which he
+was now caught. As it was, he sent a great part of his force to line the
+river-bed all the way down to Paardeberg Drift, in order to act as a
+rear-guard and check any attempt to interfere with his crossing
+Wolveskraal Drift at his leisure."
+
+Later on, the Ninth Division, with the Highland Brigade, who had made a
+forced march from Jacobsdal, arrived on the scene just in time to see
+the Boers sending up rockets to show their position to expected
+reinforcements. And there is little doubt that Cronje, unable to realise
+the expeditious advance of "lumbering Britons," mistook General
+Colvile's troops for the longed-for relief.
+
+Among the missing from near Paardeberg were Lieutenants Romilly (Duke of
+Cornwall's Light Infantry) and Metge (Welsh Regiment), and Captains
+Arnold and Vaughan of Kitchener's Horse.
+
+Here we have the position of affairs as they stood on the night of the
+17th and on the morning of the 18th, when the trap so ingeniously set
+for Cronje commenced to close little by little--north, south, east, and
+west. Everywhere he turned the detestable rooineks menaced him, and he
+who so lately had eaten his breakfast to the tune of his 100-pounder
+gun, that belched ruin and mutilation over the whole region of
+Kimberley, was now constrained to breakfast to a new and disagreeable
+inversion of an identical melody!
+
+
+THE BATTLE OF PAARDEBERG
+
+On Sunday, the 18th of February, the most exciting action of the war
+took place. It was costly as it was momentous, for it served to decide
+the fate of the fleeing Dutchman. The scene of the drama was not
+unpicturesque. From the Paardeberg to the Koodoosrand Drift the Modder
+flowed along a deep hollow from thirty to a hundred yards in depth. To
+either side the forks of small dongas radiated, while the high banks
+were fringed with the feathery foliage of the mimosa and willow. Donga
+and tree stump afforded excellent cover for the slim adversary, sniper
+or scout. The river travelled from Koodoosrand Drift west-south-west,
+deviating southwards on either side of the Wolveskraal Drift. A vast
+expanse of veldt, some two thousand yards wide, shelved down towards the
+south bank of the river, fringed by higher ground; and this grassy plain
+extending eastwards joined a circle of kopjes now known as Kitchener's
+Hill. On the opposite, the north bank of the river, was another similar
+plain, dotted with minor kopjes to within a thousand yards of the river,
+and beyond them was the higher hump of Paardeberg Hill.
+
+The action began at dawn. Firing grew hotter and hotter with the growth
+of the morning, and soon pandemonium was let loose. While part of the
+mounted infantry was forcing the rearguard up the river another part was
+manoeuvring on the right front and flank of the enemy. The Dutchmen
+meanwhile from King's Kop turned on a quick-firing Hotchkiss gun, which
+swept the flat country from the kop to the southern bank of the river.
+The antagonists had both posted themselves on the north bank of the
+river--both banks of which were level, and this expanse afforded no
+cover for movements. Over this expanse the Ninth Brigade had to move,
+struggling through a zone of fire towards the concealed enemy.
+
+Cronje by this time had realised that his position was critical--almost
+hopeless. Bringing his fine military qualities to bear on the situation,
+he decided to make the best of a bad job, and entrench himself with all
+the skill possible. He held about one square mile of the river-bed on
+either side of Wolveskraal Drift, and beyond that he knew were
+encircling kopjes, each one concealing its multitude of rooineks. On the
+east, slowly creeping up, were the menacing numbers of Tucker's
+Division; on the west the vast crowds of the mounted infantry and the
+Sixth Division; on the south were field-guns little more than a mile
+off, threatening to shower destruction from Gun Hill, while on the north
+were Naval guns and howitzers. Indeed, everywhere was fate frowning,
+obdurate, vengeful. But the Dutchman retained his pluck and his wits. He
+even believed that with everything against him he might yet employ the
+same tactics which had nonplussed Lord Methuen at Modder River. He still
+retained a poor opinion of his adversary, and his delusion lent him
+confidence. He hurriedly built trenches, that in themselves were
+masterpieces of defensive art, and took up his headquarters in the
+centre, in a red brick house--a species of travellers' hostelry, which
+may be found near all drifts in South Africa. Here at night Mrs. Cronje
+joined him. During the day she was placed in the women's shelter at the
+east side of the area, which shelter was protected by waggons and
+trenches all along the bed of the river. Talking of these trenches, the
+correspondent of the _Times_ declared that "the skill with which they
+were constructed as defences against both rifle and shell fire was
+worthy of the highest praise. All except those of the outer lines of
+pickets were made so narrow and deep that it seems as though they were
+in many cases entered from one end rather than the top, as any such
+ingress must even in a week's time have considerably widened the neck of
+the excavation. At the top they were perhaps eighteen inches wide, at
+the bottom about three feet, and by crouching down the most complete
+protection was afforded from bursting shell.
+
+"Every natural protection, such as the ramifications of the dongas
+which eat into the banks on both sides of the river, had been utilised,
+though the bombardment from both sides compelled them to abandon their
+first hasty breastworks cut into the actual top of the bank, which was
+here from about fifty to a hundred yards from the river itself, and
+thirty feet in height.
+
+"For the first time here the 'T' trenches, of which much has been said
+during the present campaign, were used. They did not seem to present the
+least advantage over the ordinary shapes, except that in an exposed
+angle they may have provided additional protection against an enfilading
+fire."
+
+Cronje's first object in entrenching himself in the bed of the river was
+to arrest the further advance of the mounted infantry, who had taken
+possession of the bed of the river west of his position. In this he was
+successful. Worn, harassed, and almost helpless, he determined to make a
+desperate stand, hoping against hope to gain time till some help from
+without should arrive. But this help never reached him. A grand
+enveloping movement commenced, and Cronje, brought to bay, found himself
+face to face with what proved to be his Sedan.
+
+By this time he and his followers were snugly ensconced in bush and
+donga and scrub round the laager, and from the trees around they
+vigorously sniped and poured volleys at the advancing troops. In the
+advance to the attack the Highland Brigade was on the left, General
+Knox's brigade in the centre and on the right, while General Smith
+Dorrien's brigade, after crossing the river by Paardeberg Drift, moved
+along the north bank. The Highland Brigade had a terrific duty. The
+Boers, from their position in the bed of the river and on both sides of
+it, commanded the left of the Brigade, and as the kilted mass moved
+forward in the open poured upon them a deadly fire, which forced them to
+lie prone for the rest of the day. Here at noon, when bullets were
+humming their loudest, General Hector Macdonald was wounded. He had
+dismounted, and was directing the movements of the brigade, when
+overtaken by a shot which penetrated thigh and foot. Despite this
+unlucky accident and a tremendous spell of hard fighting, the brigade
+exhibited splendid pluck and tenacity. They were destitute of cover, but
+maintained their position with astonishing fortitude, and this after the
+long forced march they had made from Jacobsdal, and while enduring the
+tortures of maddening thirst, which could not be assuaged. A heavy
+thunderstorm mercifully overtook them in the course of the afternoon and
+raindrops large as gooseberries clattered down their relieving moisture
+on the parched and exhausted troops.
+
+[Illustration: THE BATTLE OF PAARDEBERG.
+
+Drawing by Sidney Paget from a Sketch by W. B. Wollen, R.I.]
+
+On the north bank of the river was Cronje's laager, an environment of
+waggons, carts, ammunition, and stores. While General Smith Dorrien's
+force, among which were the Canadians, Gordons, and Shropshires,
+attempted to charge into the laager, they too were vigorously shelled by
+the enemy, who, undefeatable, held on valiantly to a kopje on the south
+bank of the river. Here they posted a Vickers-Maxim and other deadly
+weapons, and in a measure divided our force in two. The Seaforths and
+the Cornwall Regiment made a splendid charge with the bayonet, and drove
+the Boers from their cover round the drift, but in the glorious rush
+both the Colonel and Adjutant of the Cornwalls were stricken down.
+Ninety-six of the men were wounded, but they now held the north-west
+side of the enemy's position.
+
+[Illustration: PLAN OF THE BOER LAAGERS AND TRENCHES AND THE BRITISH
+POSITIONS AT PAARDEBERG. (By an Officer of the Royal Field Artillery.)]
+
+On the east the Sixth Division was hard at work tackling a horde of
+Boers, who made a last despairing lunge in order to burst through the
+entangling forces and push for the south bank of the river. The effort
+was stubborn as it was desperate, but they were defeated by the dash of
+the West Riding Regiment, who pressed forward with the bayonet and
+succeeded in seizing the drift. Many splendid fellows were wounded and
+slain in the collision. Meanwhile the artillery continued to direct
+their incessant thunder against the laager, pouring in a deluge of
+destruction from all quarters, and forcing the Dutchmen to shrink within
+the space, little more than a mile square, into which they had so
+hurriedly scrambled.
+
+General Kelly-Kenny having possessed himself of both Klip Drift and
+Koodoosrand Drift, the Boers were now enclosed east and west. But here,
+crunched in a veritable death-trap, they fought tenaciously. Worn,
+harassed, and weakened by their hurried march, they yet held a stubborn
+front to our assaulting troops, and from the cramped region of their
+laager did as much damage as it was possible to do. The Canadians, who
+had behaved with conspicuous gallantry in the attack on the laager, lost
+nineteen killed and sixty-three wounded. A description of the fight as
+seen from their point of view was given by a private in the 1st
+Contingent:--
+
+     "We left Klip Drift on the Modder River at 6 P.M. Saturday, and
+     marched all night until seven on Sunday morning, covering 23
+     miles. During the march we could hear the guns ahead. I was
+     orderly man for Sunday, so, removing my pack, I went to the
+     river for water. Just a little way up the river a brisk fire
+     opened up. When I got back to our lines I found them issuing a
+     ration of rum. I had mine, and it just braced me up.
+
+     "By this time the engagement was pretty brisk. Our brigade was
+     ordered on the left of the river, which we crossed at a ford
+     just in rear of the camp. The Shropshires crossed first, then
+     followed the Canadians and Gordons. The water was up to our
+     necks. Some went deeper and had to swim. We crossed in fours,
+     holding on to each other, formed up in column and advanced a
+     short distance, when we extended to seven paces in skirmishing
+     order. C Company formed to support A Company.
+
+     "By this time the bullets were coming pretty thickly, and we
+     had some very narrow squeaks. We reinforced A Company at 500
+     yards and opened fire. The Boer fire was heavy, and some of our
+     boys had been hit, but we soon subdued the fire. Their position
+     was in the river, and we were lying out in the open, no cover
+     of any kind except a few anthills. We could see very little to
+     fire at except the fire from their guns. Our line was in a
+     crescent shape, the right on the river, and the left extended
+     along about 500 yards. In the afternoon our troops were ordered
+     to cease fire. As soon as we stopped they started sniping,
+     which made us hug the ground.
+
+     "Shortly after joining the firing line Captain Arnold of A
+     Company was struck. The Boers started a murderous fire on the
+     stretcher-bearers who carried him away, a trick they did all
+     day long. Towards evening the left was ordered to reinforce the
+     right. It was a daring move, but we did it by running down in
+     threes and fours. At dark all the forces retired, and quite a
+     few men volunteered to search for the wounded. I was out all
+     night until four the next morning, when I laid down played out.
+     I never want to witness such terrible sights as I saw that
+     night again. Whenever we showed ourselves in the moonlight the
+     sharpshooters would fire at us. We were all up early next
+     morning, but the Boers had retired farther up the river. So we
+     collected our wounded and buried the dead. I was helping a
+     hospital sergeant, and he sent two of us up the river to search
+     for wounded. We found a few, and also came across a wounded
+     Boer, whom we bandaged and took back to camp. We also came
+     across a few dead. We questioned the Boer, and he said that
+     they had retired during the night, carrying their wounded and
+     throwing the dead into the river. After dinner, which we had
+     about four, we went out on outpost duty. During the night there
+     was quite a little firing going on. This morning we advanced
+     towards the position again, and about ten o'clock retired for
+     some breakfast and advanced again. Although under fire all day
+     we did not fire, but the artillery certainly played Cain with
+     them."
+
+Captain Arnold's wound was mortal, but Lieutenant Mason, who was also
+shot, was not dangerously hurt.
+
+A Colonial, writing from the front at Paardeberg, said that fighting
+"went on during the day until about five o'clock, when the Cornwalls
+arrived in support. The officer commanding this battalion seemed to
+think that too much time had already been spent in fighting the Boers,
+so ordered the charge. The result was fatal to the Cornwalls, as they
+had to retire. The Canadians, acting under the orders of the commanding
+officer of the Cornwalls as senior officer, also charged, and with a
+like result; but the Canadians, in place of retiring, simply lay down
+and remained. It was during this charge that most of the fatalities
+occurred. The unfortunate commanding officer of the Cornwalls was
+killed, and Captain Arnold and Lieutenant Mason of the Canadians
+wounded. The Brigadier subsequently expressed his regret that the charge
+took place, but at the same time warmly congratulated the Canadians on
+their behaviour, as did Lord Roberts also."
+
+Of gallantry and daring there was no end. From dawn till sunset raged a
+battle of appalling fierceness, of magnificent persistency. From drift
+to drift the hollows reverberated with the perpetual roll of musketry,
+the brawling of multifarious guns, the hoarse cheers of charging troops,
+the shouts of the unflinching enemy. Curling smoke burst in wreaths and
+garlands from the sides of the hills and rose against the purple of
+thunder-clouds; flaring tongues of vengeful flame danced and forked
+their reflections of heaven's lightnings; spouts and torrents of water
+poured from the sky, mingling with the heroical blood of Britain's best,
+that trickled in rivulets, north, south, east, and west of the scene,
+and traced far and wide the history of sacrifice on the now sacred
+ground. For all this, the position of the contending parties remained
+unchanged--Cronje defiant and enclosed, the British lion crouching,
+watching.
+
+At dusk the scene was weirdly, terrifically picturesque. From the south
+and north sides of the river shells hurtled through the air, falling and
+exploding along the river-bed, now setting fire to a waggon, now a cart,
+and filling the gloom with lurid panoramas of flame and an awe-striking,
+ceaseless din. Once an ammunition waggon was struck. Then the blaze and
+crackling which followed, intermingling as they did with the roar of
+artillery and the rattle of rifles, made a fitting concert for Hades.
+And to the tune of this demoniacal intermezzo the cordon round the enemy
+was gradually closing, his last chances of escape were one by one being
+sealed, the last links in Lord Roberts' strategical chain were being
+forged.
+
+At night there was peace. The Modder might have been the placid purling
+Thames winding along between fringed and sloping banks to the bosom of
+the sea. But there was none to admire the pretty scene. All were worn
+out, and glad to drop to sleep where they had fought, while the
+bearer-parties--"body-snatchers," as they were jocosely styled--picked
+their way in the darkness, doing their deeds of mercy with zealous,
+unflagging perseverance. During this time many deserters from the enemy
+came in. They had seen the hopelessness of their case, and had been
+urging, uselessly, the implacable Cronje to surrender.
+
+The following is the list of those who were killed and wounded during
+the fight:--
+
+     _Killed_:--Mounted Infantry--Colonel Hannay.[1] 2nd
+     Warwick--Lieutenant Hankay. Duke of Cornwall's Light
+     Infantry--Lieutenant-Colonel Aldworth,[2] Captain E. P.
+     Wardlaw, Captain Newbury. Seaforth Highlanders--Second
+     Lieutenant M'Clure. Argyll and Sutherland
+     Highlanders--Lieutenant Courtenay. West Riding
+     Regiment--Lieutenant Siordet. 1st Yorkshire--Second Lieutenant
+     Neave. Oxford Light Infantry--Lieutenant Bright, Second
+     Lieutenant Ball-Acton. _Wounded_:--Staff--Major-General Knox
+     (13th Brigade), Major-General Hector MacDonald (3rd Brigade).
+     Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry--Captain J. H. Maunder,
+     Lieutenant H. W. Fife, Second Lieutenant J. W. C. Fife, Second
+     Lieutenant R. M. Grigg. Seaforth Highlanders--Captain G. C.
+     Fielden, Captain E. A. Cowans, Captain G. M. Lumsden,
+     Lieutenant J. P. Grant, Second Lieutenant D. P. Monypenny (died
+     of wounds), Second Lieutenant A. R. Moncrieff. 1st Gordon
+     Highlanders--Second Lieutenant W. B. J. Nutford. Argyll and
+     Sutherland Highlanders--Lieutenant C. N. Macdonald, Lieutenant
+     G. Thorpe, Second Lieutenant G. A. Akers-Douglas, Second
+     Lieutenant F. G. S. Cunningham. Black Watch--Lieutenant-Colonel
+     A. M. Carthew-Yorkstoun, Major Hon. H. E. Maxwell, Major T. M.
+     N. Berkeley, Captain J. G. H. Hamilton, Lieutenant J. G. Grieve
+     (N.S.W. forces attached). West Riding Regiment--Captain F. J.
+     de Gex, Captain H. D. E. Greenwood. 1st
+     Yorkshire--Lieutenant-Colonel H. Bowles, Major Kirkpatrick,
+     Lieutenant C. V. Edwards, Captain A. C. Buckle (South Stafford
+     attached). Oxford Light Infantry--Major Day, Captain Watt,
+     Lieutenant Hammich. East Kent Regiment--Captain Geddes.
+     Shropshire Light Infantry--Captain Gubbins, Captain Smith,
+     Lieutenant English, Second Lieutenant Kettlewell.
+     Canadians--Captain H. M. Arnold (since died of wounds),
+     Lieutenant J. C. Mason, Lieutenant Armstrong. R.A.M.C.--Captain
+     J. E. C. Canter. Lieutenant G. H. Goddard. East Surrey--Captain
+     A. H. S. Hart. 2nd Lincoln--Second Lieutenant Dockray
+     Waterhouse. 1st Yorkshire--Second Lieutenant W. G. Turbet. 2nd
+     Oxford Light Infantry--Captain Fanshawe, Lieutenant Stapleton.
+     2nd Bedford--Captain R. W. Waldy, Lieutenant Selous. 2nd
+     Norfolk--Lieutenant Cramer-Roberts. 1st
+     Welsh--Lieutenant-Colonel Banfield, Major Ball. 2nd East
+     Kent--Captain Godfrey-Faussett, accidentally shot (died
+     February 21). 1st West Riding--Captain Taylor, Captain Harris.
+     Roberts' Horse--Lieutenant A. Grant. Argyll and
+     Sutherland--Captain N. Malcolm, D.S.O. 1st Gordon
+     Highlanders--Lieutenant Ingilby. 1st Welsh Regiment--Major
+     Harkness, Lieutenant F. A. Jones, Lieutenant Veal. Mounted
+     Infantry--Lieutenant-Colonel Tudway (1st Essex). 1st
+     Essex--Captain Milward, Second Lieutenant Thomson.
+     _Missing_:--Captain Lennox, 81st Field Battery R.A.
+
+The following table gives the distribution of the losses among
+officers:--
+
+                                        _Killed._ _Wounded._ _Missing._ _Total._
+ Staff                                     --         2         --         2
+ 2nd Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry      3         4         --         7
+ 2nd Seaforth Highlanders                   1         6         --         7
+ 1st Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders      1         4         --         5
+ 1st West Riding Regiment                   1         2         --         3
+ 1st Yorkshire Regiment                     1         4         --         5
+ 1st Oxfordshire Light Infantry             2         3         --         5
+ 2nd East Kent Regiment                    --         1         --         1
+ 1st Gordon Highlanders                    --         1         --         1
+ 2nd Royal Highlanders                     --         4         --         4
+ 2nd Shropshire Light Infantry             --         4         --         4
+ Royal Canadian Regiment                   --         2         --         2
+ Royal Army Medical Corps                  --         2         --         2
+ 81st Battery R.A.                         --        --          1         1
+
+                                         ---        ---        ---       ---
+    Total                                  9         39          1        49
+
+The heaviness of this list and the evenness with which the casualties
+were shared bear witness to the dash and daring displayed by all the
+battalions engaged.
+
+A good deal of comment subsequently took place regarding the methods
+adopted during this day's warfare, and many were of opinion that the
+attempt to take the position by assault was unnecessarily wasteful of
+life. Considering the positions of the various regiments on the morning
+of the battle, it seemed as though the encircling of the enemy and
+forcing him to submission by a slow process of pressure would have
+served equally well to bring about the inevitable end. But again it has
+been urged that there was at the time no knowing how soon reinforcements
+might come to the assistance of Cronje, or what results might accrue
+from permitting the Boers--at the time breathless and weary--to gather
+themselves together for fresh resistance. Delay was evidently the one
+thing that Cronje was playing for, and Lord Kitchener, on his side, was
+averse from risks which might bring about the failure of the vital
+undertaking.
+
+
+TRAPPED
+
+The enemy had little rest. The small hours were spent in constructing
+entrenchments round the laager. All owned that their stubborn energy was
+admirable, but further active resistance on the part of Cronje was now
+beginning to be regarded by all--even his own people--as an act of
+suicide and murder. "It was magnificent, but it was not war," as the
+Frenchman said. The Mounted Infantry and a battery of artillery next
+morning turned their attention to an offending kopje, whence the Boers
+could yet pour their equivalent for "cold water" on the British plans,
+and while circling round the position were accosted with a morning
+salutation from the rifles of the Federals on the summit of the hill.
+Fortunately the fusillade was launched with more vigour than accuracy,
+and there were no casualties. Pursuing their investigations, the troops
+discovered a good defensive position and seized it.
+
+Early in the morning Cronje sent a white flag, demanding twenty-four
+hours' armistice for the purpose of burying his dead. This most probably
+being part of a wary plot to gain time for reinforcements to come to the
+rescue, a reply was sent back from Lord Kitchener to the effect that it
+was impossible to grant the request, which must await the arrival of the
+Commander-in-Chief. Lord Roberts was then on his way from Jacobsdal, and
+when the matter was referred to him, he at once sent a message refusing
+to accede to the proposition. General Cronje's reply, being roughly
+translated, implied that he wished to surrender, but when Lord Kitchener
+requested him to surrender in person, it was discovered that he had no
+notion of capitulation--unconditional surrender being the terms offered.
+Lord Roberts then ordered the resumption of the bombardment.
+
+About midday came the rumour that French was at hand, and that he was
+taking his share of the great hemming-in movement, but the cavalry
+division was then nowhere in view. Lord Roberts arrived later, and
+addressed the troops, who welcomed him with cheers. Meanwhile the 18th,
+62nd, and 75th field-batteries and the 65th (howitzer) battery
+surrounded the laager, and commenced an avalanche of destruction, the
+howitzers battering the river-bed with an enfilading fire, the fumes of
+lyddite rendering the surrounding air green with noxious vapour. Waggon
+after waggon of ammunition exploded with infernal uproar, shrapnel and
+lyddite danced diabolically over the river-bed and laager, yet there
+were no signs of surrender--not the flutter of a white flag in the
+direction where remained the obdurate man who, his last chance gone,
+refused to bow to the inevitable. Prisoners now and then, worn out and
+disgusted, came in, their rifles slung, and gave themselves up. In the
+laager were sixty women and girls, they said, and Cronje, "disconsolate
+and defiant, sat holding Mrs. Cronje's hand and comforting her in the
+river-bed." Meanwhile Broadwood's brigade had appeared, exhausted and
+starving. The cavalry had come along the river-bank to Paardeberg in
+order to reach the forage and the convoy which was accompanying the
+infantry divisions from Klip Drift. Their state was lamentable, for it
+must be remembered that General Broadwood had galloped off during the
+night of the 16th almost provisionless. His brigade had borne the brunt
+of the fray, for General Gordon had only been able to follow later with
+some 120 horses out of his whole brigade. Colonel Porter's brigade
+marched later still, owing to some accident with the telegraph. The work
+of relieving Kimberley and heading Cronje had cost the cavalry some 990
+horses out of a total of 4800.
+
+The loss of life, however, had not been excessive considering the strain
+and the engagements that had taken place between the 14th and 16th, but
+some goodly young officers were missing. Lieutenant Carbutt (R.H.A.),
+Lieutenant Brassey (9th Lancers), Lieutenant Hesketh (16th Lancers), and
+Lieutenant the Hon. M'Clintock Banbury (Scots Greys), were among the
+killed. Among the wounded were Captain Humfreys (Q Battery), Lieutenant
+Houston (P Battery), Lieut. Barnes (Q Battery), Captain Gordon and
+Lieut. Durand (9th Lancers), Captain Tuson (16th Lancers), Lieut.
+Fordyce and Second Lieut. Long (Scots Greys), Lieut. Johnson
+(Inniskilling Dragoons), Lieut. Gray (Roberts' Horse). The fatigued
+remnant of the cavalry division now engaged in tackling the
+reinforcements that Cronje had so ardently expected.
+
+In consequence of the huge circumference of the British circle, it was
+almost impossible to chronicle the innumerable small but brilliant
+actions which were continually taking place, and which in the excitement
+of the investment were almost overlooked. On the night of the 19th the
+Gloucesters performed a dashing though futile feat. In the afternoon
+they neared a kopje in which the Dutchmen were ensconced. They bided
+their time, and just as the shades of night began to fall rushed on the
+enemy with bayonets and drove them off with considerable loss. The
+positions taken were evacuated, however, during the night.
+
+On the 20th the Boers before dawn were again hard at work increasing
+their entrenchments all round their laager, but their plucky labours
+were impeded by continual shells which were launched now and again to
+prevent the work from being carried to completion. Meanwhile from the
+east came the echo of artillery, a rumour of battle which proved that
+the untiring French was actively engaged in standing between the Boer
+reinforcements and Cronje, who still held out gallantly in the fond yet
+forlorn hope of their ultimate arrival. He was humanely offered many
+chances to give in, but since he stoutly refused them all, measures were
+taken by Lord Roberts to bring the fighting to a speedy conclusion.
+
+But the doggedly valiant attitude of the enemy was not lost on his
+assailants. It had been impossible to withhold from Cronje a certain
+admiration for the masterful manoeuvres which extricated him from his
+impossible position at Majersfontein, or for the stubborn resistance
+with which his force, outwitted, harassed by the mounted infantry, and
+fighting a skilful rearguard action, had succeeded in getting at least
+thirty-five miles to Koodoosrand Drift. It was now equally impossible to
+overlook the magnificent energy of the man, who, with his means of
+flight at an end, his 50,000 lbs. of ammunition sacrificed, his stores
+captured, his oxen exhausted to the death, with almost certain defeat
+staring him in the face, could turn and fight an action both ferocious
+and sanguinary. Moreover, by the sheer magnetism of his personality he
+forced his followers to show a bold front and maintain a desperate,
+almost fatuous, courage in the face of the most terrific shelling that
+the century has known.
+
+[Illustration: CRONJE'S STRONGHOLD ON THE MODDER RIVER.
+
+Drawing by H. C. Seppings Wright, from a Sketch by Frederic Villiers,
+War Artist.]
+
+Little by little the enclosing circle began to grow narrower. The
+infantry--the Cornwalls assisted by the Engineers--again set to work to
+push the enemy still farther back into the river, but otherwise little
+advance was made. The position was now sufficiently terrible for the
+enemy. Cronje's trap was about a mile square, while commanding it in
+every direction were guns multifarious; bushes and banks and ravines
+were swept by cataracts of shrapnel, while volumes of greenish-yellow
+smoke from bursting lyddite curved and twisted around the river-bed,
+then carried their noxious vapour to the serene sapphire of the heavens.
+In the clear atmosphere the reiterations of Maxims filled up the pauses
+between the steady booming of artillery, while now and again the
+impotent despairing splutter of rifles from the enemy's laager mingled
+with the stertorous rampage.
+
+On the fourth day of Cronje's resistance what might have been an
+unfortunate incident occurred. The Gloucester and Essex regiments by an
+accident had bivouacked on the north side of the river too close to the
+enemy's laager. The result was that on the first gleam of daylight they
+were discovered by the Dutchmen, who treated them to a volley by way of
+reveille. Luckily the firing was not at all up to the Boer mark and the
+regiments came off scot-free.
+
+During the day General Smith Dorrien's force on the north worked towards
+the doomed laager while General Knox's brigade held the containing lines
+on the south side of the river. In the east General French was keeping
+an eye on a swarm of Boers who were hoping to come to the rescue of
+Cronje. These held a strong position on a kopje which seemed to be
+specially constructed by nature for defensive purposes. Still, when
+General Broadwood's brigade and a battery of horse-artillery turned
+their attention to the summit and scoured it thoroughly, the Dutchmen
+helter-skelter fled. Unluckily for them, their precipitate action took
+them straight into the arms of General French, who having headed them
+towards the drift, now gave them so warm a reception that numbers bit
+the dust. Some escaped, but fifty were taken prisoners. Forage,
+provisions, and equipment were also seized, though the corpses of the
+slain were carried off, so that the tale of loss could not be told.
+
+The capture of the kopje was an excellent move, as it was a useful
+position whence to watch for and intercept reinforcements that might be
+coming from Ladysmith or elsewhere to the succour of the doomed. A
+message was sent to the obdurate Commandant offering a safe conduct and
+a free pass anywhere for the women and children. Lord Roberts also
+proffered medical attendance and drugs. The offers were curtly rejected.
+Finding courteous overtures of no avail, the bombardment of the position
+was resumed, and the artillery continued to fire till dusk put an end to
+the operations. While the firing was taking place the mules of the 82nd
+Battery, while still hitched to the waggons, took it into their heads to
+stampede, causing a scene of the wildest confusion. The next day,
+however, all save one waggon were recovered.
+
+During the night the Shropshire Regiment accomplished a fine feat. They
+pressed forward some two hundred yards, captured new ground, and there
+entrenched themselves. It was an excellent finale to four days'
+incessant work under a withering fire, and by the 22nd they were fairly
+exhausted. They were then relieved by the Gordons. Here be it noticed
+that the Gordons were now incorporated with the Highland Brigade, which
+was thus composed of four kilted regiments. The Highland Light Infantry,
+who wear "trews," had joined General Smith Dorrien's force.
+
+The exchange of positions between the Shropshires and Gordons was
+effected in a manner worthy of the slim Boer himself, and showed that
+the Britons had speedily taken practical lessons from their adversaries.
+The Shropshires having, as said, seized 200 yards of new ground, they
+were relieved the following morning by the Gordons. The Highlanders,
+snake-like, wormed themselves forward to the trenches on their stomachs,
+while the Shropshire men in like manner crawled over the bodies of the
+relieving force. An officer who witnessed the evolution said, "I have
+often heard of walking on an empty stomach, but I'm hanged if I've ever
+seen the feat accomplished so well and so literally."
+
+Another tremendous thunderstorm broke over the position, causing
+considerable discomfort to the troops, but still more to the unhappy
+creatures who, through the stout resistance of Cronje, were held to all
+the horrors of the trap into which he had fallen. We were now closing in
+on every side.
+
+A grand attempt was made on the morning of the 23rd to bring help to the
+Dutchman. Commandant de Wet with a horde of some 1000 Boers, collected
+from the region of Ladysmith, appeared, and made a desperate effort to
+thrust himself through the British lines. Part of the force on its way
+towards its hoped-for destination was luckily accosted from a kopje
+occupied by the Scottish Borderers. The greeting, smart and accurate,
+was scarcely to the Dutchmen's liking, and they made off in another
+direction, but still with the same result. From position to position
+they were hunted, and in sheer despair they made for an unoccupied
+kopje, where they hoped at last to make a stand. But they were
+disappointed. The lively Scottish Borderers were "one too many for
+them." Seeing the Boers in act of seizing this point of vantage, the
+Borderers promptly hurled themselves in the coveted direction. There was
+an animated neck-and-neck race, and the Borderers, who won by a nose,
+promptly took possession of the hill and completely routed the Federals.
+
+Finally the Boers found shelter in a kopje which was _vis-a-vis_ to a
+like eminence held by the Yorkshires. A passage at arms followed, with
+the result that the fusillade of the enemy died a natural death. Then
+the Yorkshires, who had so strenuously brought about this result, were
+reinforced by the Buffs, lest some more of the Boer hosts from Ladysmith
+should put in an appearance. At this time the 75th and 62nd Batteries
+gave tongue from an adjacent farm, but their vociferous notes produced
+little effect upon the crown of the Boers' stronghold.
+
+So great was the silence that the Yorkshires moved on with a view to
+prodding the enemy in his lair, but, in the attempt, they were so
+furiously assailed by the shot of the enemy that they, in default of
+cover, were unable to proceed. Meanwhile the Buffs persevered, moving
+warily round the position till within 150 yards of the Dutchmen, who
+were eventually driven off. More than eighty--their horses having been
+shot--surrendered. On many of these were discovered explosive bullets,
+and it became evident that desperation was driving the Boers to
+disregard the rules of civilised warfare. Many of our wounded were found
+injured by these unholy missiles; and other tricks--barbarous
+tricks--were reported. On one occasion a Vickers-Maxim gun was directed
+at an ambulance, which at the time was fortunately unoccupied.
+
+During the week our losses were fewer than on the opening day. Captain
+Dewar and Lieutenant Percival, 4th King's Royal Rifles, and Lieutenant
+Angell, Welsh Regiment, were killed. Among the wounded were:--
+
+     2nd Gloucester--Lieutenant-Colonel R. F. Lindsell; 2nd
+     Derbyshire--Lieutenant C. D. M. Harrington; 9th
+     Lancers--Captain Campbell; P.R.H.A.--Lieutenant Houston; Royal
+     Engineers--Captain Crookshank; 1st Lincoln--Second Lieutenant
+     Wellesley; Argyll and Sutherland--Lieutenant and Adjutant
+     Glasford; 1st East Kent Regiment (attached 2nd
+     Battalion)--Lieutenant Hickman; 2nd Lincoln--Captain Gardner;
+     King's Own Scottish Borderers--Captain Pratt; East
+     Kent--Captain Marriott; Yorkshire--Captain Pearson, Lieutenant
+     Gunthorpe, 2nd Lieutenant Wardle.
+
+Lieutenant Metge (1st Welsh Regiment) was missing.
+
+Daily the enemy was squeezed into a smaller space. General Smith Dorrien
+had now pushed up the river-bed to within two hundred yards of Cronje's
+entrenchments. The object lesson in perseverance, both on the part of
+Boers and British, was becoming almost awe-inspiring--the tension was
+veritably appalling. Soaked with rain to the very skin--the fevered skin
+that had been scorched, and toasted, and begrimed with dust--our men,
+grim and fierce, with the storm-winds piping the pipe of death about
+their ears, held their ground. Rations had been intermittent till the
+convoys began to come in, and, almost fasting, they had been acutely
+conscious of the foul, the nauseating atmosphere that now enveloped them
+like a loathely vaporous entanglement. The river had swollen and bore
+upon its turbid breast horrific revelations--thousands of rotting
+carcases and festering loads of poisonous wreckage, that rendered the
+act even of drawing breath almost a heroism. All along the great march
+endurance had been put to supreme test, for the track had been margined
+with the dead bodies of exhausted oxen and horses. These lay littered
+about, unburied, disembowelled, and in various stages of putrefaction.
+Everywhere vultures and flies and other loathsome parasites of the
+veldt hovered and sidled and crawled, glutting themselves at veritable
+orgies of destruction, and contesting their prizes with the winds.
+These, taking their fill, hastened to diffuse the remains of the grisly
+banquet far and wide. Thus the foul dust, wantonly distributed, blew in
+the throats and eyes and ears of gallant men, and contributed death more
+liberally, more pitifully, than even the bullets of the Boers!
+
+[Illustration: GUNS CAPTURED AT PAARDEBERG. Photo by Alf. S. Hosking,
+Cape Town.]
+
+Plentiful rain had fallen, saturating humanity, and causing the heated
+ground to retract the fumes of a charnel-house. But in one way better
+times had come. There was fuller fare. Large convoys made a daily
+appearance, and the men were refreshed after their labours with the
+promise of plenty. Food of a substantial kind was indeed necessary, for
+it served to attune the stomach to the noxious vapours that hourly grew
+almost tangible. Cronje, though he knew it not, was sowing the seeds of
+a harvest of revenge! He was killing his thousands! For many days our
+troops had been enduring lenten fare; they had rung the changes on
+hardships, fatigues, and self-abnegations of all kinds. They had been
+battered on by storms. They had outstripped transport and supplies. They
+had kept the inner man appeased and working on quarter rations. They had
+marched like giants in ten-league boots, and meanwhile fed like fairies;
+yet withal had borne countenances cheery and noble, full of confidence
+and unquenchable pluck. But these splendid creatures were but mortal.
+The foul fiends of enteric and malaria were already sapping their
+buoyant constitutions, and marking them, one after another, with the
+deadly seal of possession.
+
+Every day of the Dutchman's resistance was therefore full of horror,
+full of anxiety. There were continual rumours that the Boer
+reinforcements were in view, that the Federals were massing for a
+desperate effort. Wearied and battered, the cavalry at Koodoosrand were
+perpetually speeding on wild-goose chases, in one of which both General
+French and Colonel Haig nearly lost their lives. A reconnaissance in
+force had been ordered. The drift, swollen by rains, was now a torrent,
+and in crossing the General and his A.D.C. were thrown by their restive
+horses into the river, whence they only emerged safe and sound in
+consequence of their being fine swimmers and pneumonia-proof Britons.
+
+Cronje, finding that the reinforcements failed to reach him, decided on
+the night of the 26th to cut his way out and seize a kopje before dawn.
+But his intention was frustrated by the Mounted Infantry, who, in spite
+of the darkness, kept a watchful eye on the slippery enemy.
+
+Quite early on the morning of the 27th of February, the anniversary of
+Majuba day, the splutter of musketry greeted the ears of the dozing
+camp. Some one was up and doing early. It was the Canadians. They were
+acting on the principle of the early bird that catches the morning worm.
+Supported by the Gordons, Cornwalls, and Shropshires, they were
+advancing, building a trench in the very teeth of the enemy, and at
+fifty yards' range were saluting him with such deadly warmth as to
+render his position untenable. How this energetic and gallant movement,
+the wonder and admiration of all, was brought about was described by the
+correspondent of the _Times_. "It appeared that Brigadier-General
+MacDonald sent from his bed a note to Lord Roberts, reminding him that
+Tuesday was the anniversary of that disaster which, we all remembered,
+he had by example, order, and threat himself done his best to avert,
+even while the panic had been at its height; Sir Henry Colvile submitted
+a suggested attack backed by the same unanswerable plea. For a moment
+Lord Roberts demurred to the plan; it seemed likely to cost too heavily,
+but the insistance of Canada broke down his reluctance, and the men of
+the oldest colony were sent out in the small hours of Tuesday morning to
+redeem the blot on the name of the mother-country.
+
+"From the existing trench, some 700 yards long, on the northern bank,
+held jointly by the Gordons and the Canadians, the latter were ordered
+to advance in two lines--each, of course, in extended order--thirty
+yards apart, the first with bayonets fixed, the second reinforced by
+fifty Royal Engineers under Colonel Kincaid and Captain Boileau.
+
+"In dead silence, and covered by a darkness only faintly illuminated by
+the merest rim of the dying moon, 'with the old moon in her lap,' the
+three companies of Canadians moved on over the bush-strewn ground. For
+over 400 yards the noiseless advance continued, and when within eighty
+yards of the Boer trench the trampling of the scrub betrayed the
+movement. Instantly the outer trench of the Boers burst into fire, which
+was kept up almost without intermission from five minutes to three
+o'clock to ten minutes past the hour. Under this fire the courage and
+discipline of the Canadians proved themselves. Flinging themselves on
+the ground, they kept up an incessant fire on the trenches, guided only
+by the flashes of their enemy's rifles; and the Boers admit that they
+quickly reduced them to the necessity of lifting their rifles over their
+heads to the edge of the earthwork and pulling their triggers at random.
+Behind this line the Engineers did magnificent work; careless of danger,
+the trench was dug from the inner edge of the bank to the crest, and
+then for fifty or sixty yards out through the scrub. The Canadians
+retired three yards to this protection and waited for dawn, confident in
+their new position, which had entered the protected angle of the Boer
+position, and commanded alike the rifle-pits of the banks and the
+trefoil-shaped embrasures on the north."
+
+For some time it seemed as though hostilities were suspended, and
+then--a sign, a flutter of white, a signal of surrender caught the
+straining eyes of the regiment nearest the crest of the hill. In an
+instant the plains and the hollows, the kopjes, and even the dome of
+heaven, seemed animated--lending themselves to repeat the ringing cheer,
+to reiterate the cry of an immense joyous heart splitting a little
+universe in twain. Ears languid, ears hard-working, ears occupied, ears
+expectant, all caught the sound, echoed it and knew that at last the
+looked-for hour had come, Cronje had surrendered! Many Boers threw up
+their hands and dashed unarmed across the intervening space; others
+waved white flags and exposed themselves carelessly on their
+entrenchments, but not a shot was fired. Colonel Otter and Colonel
+Kincaid held a hasty consultation, which was disturbed by the sight of
+Sir Henry Colvile (commanding the Ninth Division) quietly riding down
+within 500 yards of the northern Boer trenches to bring the news that at
+that very moment a horseman was hurrying in with a white flag and
+Cronje's unconditional surrender, to take effect at sunrise.
+
+
+THE SURRENDER OF CRONJE
+
+Then all was activity. A note was borne to Lord Roberts stating that
+Cronje had given in, and General Pretyman thereupon rode out to take his
+surrender. The scene was highly impressive. Lord Roberts, in front of
+the cart in which he slept, walked up and down awaiting his prisoner,
+while a guard of the Seaforth Highlanders with drawn bayonets formed a
+line to either side. In the distance a small group of horsemen was seen
+approaching, a silhouette which gradually grew clearer in the golden
+light of the morning. It was General Pretyman with the redoubtable
+Cronje riding a white pony on his right and the escort of the 12th
+Lancers following. The subsequent scene was a study in reserve. After
+all the tumultuous passions, the ferocity of bloodshed, the
+diamond-cut-diamond activities of death-dealing lyddite and
+Vickers-Maxims, the two leaders met without the smallest sign of
+emotion. To Lord Roberts, who stood with his staff awaiting him, Colonel
+Pretyman said, "Commandant Cronje, sir!" The two great men looked at
+each other, the Dutchman touched his hat, the Englishman returned the
+salute. The group dismounted, and then, regretfully be it noted, Lord
+Roberts, the blameless upright British soldier gave his hand to the
+tyrant of Potchefstroom. "You have made a gallant defence, sir," said
+the British Commander-in-Chief; "I am glad to see you. I am glad to get
+so brave a man!"
+
+The picture of the redoubtable Cronje as he approached our great little
+Field-Marshal was remarkable in its contrast. On the one side you saw a
+burly square-jawed agriculturist, grizzly of beard, tanned and battered
+of complexion, portly and cumbrous of form. On the other, you had the
+lithe figured aristocratical British soldier, trim in his kharki
+uniform, and wearing his sword with the air of nameless distinction
+which belongs to the born ruler of men. Cronje's aspect was that of a
+substantial farmer, his heavy cane, his slouch hat encircled by its
+orange leather band, his bottle-green overcoat and tan boots were
+distinctly bucolic, but his rigid implacable countenance, an utterly
+impenetrable facade, betrayed the masterly and indomitable character of
+the man.
+
+There is no doubt that by his fierce, his masterly resistance to the
+British he won for himself the respect of all who trapped him. His
+undoubted pluck, a quality which has such unending fascination for the
+English, served in a great measure to wipe off the terrible remembrance
+of his atrocious deeds in other years. Cronje spoke scarcely a word. He
+said there were 3000 Boers in the laager--as a matter of fact, there
+were over 3700--and also requested that his wife, son, grandson, and
+secretary might be allowed to remain with him. This request was acceded
+to; arrangements were made that his relatives should accompany him into
+captivity. He then partook of refreshment in Lord Roberts' quarters with
+the staff. Though he smoked, he said little and remained gloomy and
+preoccupied.
+
+The prisoners trooped across the river like some patriarchal or gipsy
+horde, with trousers turned up so as not to damp them in the swollen
+drift. They splashed along, each armed with his household effects, pots
+and pans, blankets and rifles, some jesting and skipping in sheer
+exuberance of animal spirits that long had been subdued, some stolid and
+serious in the full comprehension of the grievous end of all their pluck
+and endurance. And they had endured! From the hundreds of wounded that
+were brought in the same tale of suspense, and misery, and horror was
+told in varying keys. Always they had awaited reinforcement; they had
+even invented a scheme for cutting a way out to meet the relieving force
+which never came. But volunteers for this deed of daring were few. About
+a hundred in all. This meagre array was not sufficient. Others had
+pressed on the relentless Cronje the philosophy of surrender. They urged
+that directly, if not annihilated by shell fire, they would be laid low
+by fever; already eighty-seven men were slain and a hundred and sixty
+wounded. These had no doctors even to attend them. The surgeons had been
+left behind on the Modder, and the offer of Lord Roberts of medicine and
+succour had been refused. The suffering had indeed been terrible and now
+was of no avail.
+
+It was not pleasing to the vanity of the British army to find themselves
+confronted with such a rabble of tatterdemalions, and to remember how
+this nondescript mob had so long held them in check. But there was no
+denying that the ruffians had qualities, and that they, unkempt and
+undisciplined as they were, had proved themselves foemen worthy of our
+steel and tacticians meriting study.
+
+[Illustration: "MAJUBA DAY"--CRONJE SURRENDERS TO LORD ROBERTS AT
+PAARDEBERG.
+
+Drawing by R. Caton Woodville, from a Sketch by Frederic Villiers, War
+Artist.]
+
+It was curious how much our troops had learnt both from the
+undisciplined Boers and the inexperienced Colonials. From the latter
+they picked up the art of taking cover, and from the former the art of
+obtaining it. The Boer was not content merely to crouch behind a stone
+and show a head only when about to shoot. He cunningly arranged his
+sangar so that he should expose no head at all. He built up his small
+stones to the necessary height, taking care to leave a central loophole
+through which he could take aim and yet remain invisible. An officer, in
+giving his opinion of the Boer as a fighter, showed the lessons that had
+been taught by him. "As a defender of defensive positions in a
+mountainous country he is unequalled. He digs good trenches and chooses
+good defensive positions, and he lies there quietly and waits for his
+enemy to advance across the open. But he never, hardly ever, dares to
+attack in the open, and if his flank is turned or his rear
+threatened, he gets nervous, and retires to a better position if he can.
+If our positions could be reversed--that is, if Tommy Atkins had to
+defend the kopjes, and if the Boers had to attack them in the open,
+there can be no doubt as to the result. Tommy, perhaps, would not be
+quite so good as the Boer in defence, but, on the other hand, the Boer
+would fail in the attack; indeed, he could not be brought to attempt it.
+As a shooter the Boer is no better than our own men. The only difference
+is that he attempts to shoot at far longer ranges. The Boer has taught
+us to dig big trenches and to use big guns as mobile artillery."
+
+The mobility of the big guns was at the moment more of a puzzle than
+ever. The Boers were in possession of some Vickers-Maxims in laager, two
+15-pounders, and some big guns. We captured the minor weapons, but the
+big ones were sedulously hidden, and how they had vanished became a
+problem that was never solved. It was supposed they were buried in the
+bed of the river, but search failed to unearth them.
+
+Trophies innumerable were picked up. Sir Howard Vincent succeeded in
+securing a quaint seventeenth-century Bible, and Roberts' Horse
+possessed themselves of Cronje's green bell-tent and ox-waggon. One
+cavalry officer thought himself lucky to secure a new pair of stays
+marked "113/4, waist 28 inches," evidently the property of a capacious
+vrow. Letters multifarious were found, among them Cronje's commission,
+signed by President Steyn.
+
+Most of the prisoners, when interrogated, declared they were sick of the
+war, and confessed that but for their fear of Cronje they would long ago
+have surrendered. His was the powerful, the guiding hand. Some of them
+expressed queer notions of the causes of the trouble, giving forth at
+second and even third hand--and in a very garbled condition--the
+sentiments poured into them by "sympathisers."
+
+Said one, "The war is got up by the capitalists. The generals arrange a
+victory or a reverse to suit their own interests on the Stock Exchange!"
+
+A private remonstrated, "You don't include Lord Roberts? You'll admit
+that he is disinterested!"
+
+"Not a bit of it! He is a shareholder along with Chamberlain and Rhodes
+and the other millionaires. They all look after number one."
+
+Against such prejudice and ignorance it was useless to argue.
+
+Some of the Free Staters expressed their joy at being relieved of the
+company of the Boers. They had been on bad terms with them, and had
+scarcely dared to speak a word in English for fear of their lives. One
+declared that he was not permitted even to address his horse in the
+odious language!
+
+There were great and astonishing contrasts in the groups of prisoners
+that were gathered together. Many of them were youths of sixteen to
+eighteen years of age. Some seemed in a hopeless stage of sickness and
+despair, others attenuated by the amount of vinegar consumed to cure the
+stupefying effects of our lyddite. Endurance, it was plainly to be seen,
+had been carried to the last pitch. Some, on the other hand, appeared as
+though already reviving with the relaxation of the strain to which they
+had been subjected; some even delighted to find themselves in British
+hands, no longer tormented by "hell-scrapers," as they called the
+shrapnel, and already clamouring to partake of spirits and refreshment,
+for which they had longed in vain. The rapture at their deliverance
+overcame all other sentiments; they had no thought for the ups and downs
+of the war, and many, indeed, were still unaware of the causes that had
+led them to share in it. Cronje had evidently kept a tight hand on them,
+and but for his unique influence many would long before have
+surrendered. This peculiar despotism was marvellous when it is
+considered that none of the younger commanders could induce more than a
+portion of his commando to follow him from the Natal side to the scene
+of operations. Cronje had the privilege of being the most admired and
+well-detested person on the stage of the moment, and one Boer was seen
+clenching his fist in the direction of the vanquished tyrant and
+exclaiming, "You hard man! you deserve to be shot." There were many who
+heard him who endorsed the opinion.
+
+A great deal of undue attention seemed to be bestowed on the Dutch
+Commandant, and evidently it was his undisputed military genius that
+earned for him the admiration of his conquerors. Only to this final
+display of skill and pluck can be attributed the deference paid to a man
+whose Anglophobia had made itself prominent for many years, one who cut
+such a despicable figure in his relations with us at Potchefstroom, and
+who was responsible in particular for much of the brutality which has
+been accredited to the Boers in general. It was certainly a case of
+turning the other cheek to the smiter, for the captive was allowed to
+take with him his wife, and retain in his possession his favourite
+horse, Wolmarens!
+
+Accompanied by Mrs. Cronje, he was sent to Cape Town in a covered
+waggon, guarded by a special convoy under the command of Colonel
+Pretyman. There was considerable pathos in the scene of departure, for
+many of the other prisoners had gone through the ordeal of the
+bombardment with their wives by their sides, and these, less fortunate
+than Mrs. Cronje, had to be left behind!
+
+The majority of people, it must be owned, were horrorstruck at the
+consideration shown to one to whom the word consideration was an empty
+name. A Scottish Colonial, writing home, expressed his irritation at the
+mode in which warfare was conducted. He said: "Cronje is now a hero,
+housed in the Admiral's cabin on board the _Doris_. He is probably
+saying, 'What fools the British are.' For, give him a chance, and he
+would commit again the treacherous murders for which he has been
+responsible in the past with as little compunction as he would feel at
+putting his heel on a scorpion. I wonder if we may take this bit of
+foolishness as an indication of the way in which England is going to
+settle up finally with the Republics. Her policy has so often before
+ended in weakness that one cannot help feeling nervous."
+
+He was merely one of a thousand who argued that it was impossible to go
+to war with kid-gloves on, and who regretted the terms of the
+proclamation which had been made on the entry of Lord Roberts to the
+Free State. This proclamation, which will be discussed anon, was another
+of the nineteenth-century humanitarian movements which were mistakenly
+applied to seventeenth-century comprehension. To return to the events of
+Majuba day.
+
+Lord Roberts subsequently visited the Boer laager, and testified his
+admiration of the ingenuity and energy with which the position was made
+almost impregnable to assault. In spite of ten days' bombardment by over
+fifty guns and howitzers, the number of Boer wounded was said to amount
+to only 160--a fact which went to prove that the power of artillery can
+be broken by the ingenious use of the spade. The entrenchments, when
+examined, proved to be most skilfully contrived, with narrow mouths some
+eighteen inches wide, and wide bases, some quite three feet broad, which
+rendered them almost impregnable to shell fire.
+
+The effect of the bombardment was terrific. The laager presented an
+appearance of black chaos, varied only by streaks of yellow, which told
+of the gambols of lyddite. Waggons were wrecked with shrapnel; some had
+ceased to exist; rings and twists and girandoles of distorted metal were
+all that was left of them. Within the laager was a decaying, disordered
+mass of Boer belongings, saddles innumerable, karosses and panniers,
+coats and feminine apparel, fragments of old tin trunks, and 2,000,000
+rounds of ammunition; wreckage of all sorts, united by the
+super-evident, unavoidable, and persistent bonds of stench, which
+permeated everything, weaving visible and invisible in one noxious
+nightmare of the senses.
+
+Round this arena of pestilence sentries were posted. It was necessary to
+prevent loot, though little of value remained save munitions of war.
+Most of the Boer property had been left behind in the hurried rush from
+Majersfontein and Spyfontein. Still the locality had to be guarded, and
+the guards, as well as all who approached, had to pocket their
+sensibilities. Indeed, it was a marvel how the Boers had managed to
+exist in the pestilential atmosphere that pervaded the river-bed.
+Dotted everywhere, or collected in heaps, already rotting in the
+tropical heat, were the remains of horses, mules, and cattle, some of
+which had been driven to death, while others had been hurried there by
+the voice of our howitzers or the rain of our rifle fire. In the fringe
+of this atmosphere our troops had lived for some three days past, for
+nightly they had advanced some fifty to an hundred yards nearer the
+laager, and there dug trenches and located themselves, till, at the end,
+the last three nights were passed almost within pistol-shot of the enemy
+and in the thick of a stench whose opacity was well-nigh suffocating.
+
+An interesting account of his enforced stay in the laager was given by a
+trooper in Kitchener's Horse, who was taken prisoner on the day previous
+to the great battle which settled Cronje's fate. He had become separated
+from the rest of his troop while scouting along the Modder River. When
+he looked round for his friends, he found himself surrounded by a party
+of Boers, who, jumping from the bushes, fired upon him. His horse was
+shot and rolled over upon the young trooper, carrying him with him into
+the river. The Boers rescued him, relieved him of his bandolier, and
+made him prisoner. Together they went to the laager. "There," the
+trooper said, "I was taken before Commandant Cronje, who asked me our
+strength and movements. On my replying that I was only a trooper, and
+did not know, he said, 'Oh, never mind; if you don't want to tell me, I
+shall not try to make you.' A guard was placed over me, and we stayed
+the night in the laager. I should say there were about 6000 Dutchmen all
+told, and forty women and children. A great many among them were
+Irishmen, a few Scotchmen; in short, almost every nation was more or
+less numerously represented. All that night they were busy entrenching
+themselves, employing a great deal of native labour to help them."
+Through the whole of the 18th of February the young man endured the
+bombardment, which he described as so heavy that it was impossible to
+remain in the laager, and consequently all, even the women and children,
+took refuge in the trenches. The Boers' mode of firing he specially made
+a note of: "The Boers did not in the least mind our attack, and laughed
+amongst themselves as they saw the men advancing. They allowed them to
+come up to about 600 yards from the trenches, and then opened a
+tremendous fire from their rifles. It did not seem to be aimed at any
+particular man, but more at a certain fixed distance. At that they fired
+as fast as they could. The range was obtained by a few fixed shots, who
+fired, watched the dust caused by the strike of the bullets, and then
+gave out the range. Our men came up to within 150 yards and then
+retired. They fired volleys at the longer distances, but all their fire
+seemed to me to be short." Each day there were losses, but comparatively
+few, as the bottle-shaped trenches afforded excellent cover; those that
+fell, however, were buried where they lay. He went on to say that "The
+shelling of Monday night destroyed several waggons, two of which were on
+either side of Cronje's own. No one could have been braver than he was.
+He stood upon the waggon-step, field-glasses in hand, and did not seem
+to care in the least how thickly the shells and bullets fell. Many of
+the Free Staters, however, were quite the reverse, and were in a great
+state of terror when the bombardment began. The ammunition waggons blew
+up, and several of the provision waggons were burned. The shrapnel
+killed the majority of the horses and cattle, which had no shelter but
+the banks of the river. Beyond that the fire did little real damage."
+The prisoner declared his belief that "could they have kept their laager
+out of fire they would never have surrendered. The loss of the provision
+waggons was what caused them to give in. They had only four days' food
+left. Their ammunition was still plentiful. After the explosion of the
+ammunition waggons by shell-fire on February 19, all the remaining
+cartridges were distributed throughout the trenches, and on the south
+side every trench was still full of unused ammunition. Everything was
+done in the trenches, even the cooking, each individual having with him
+a box of provisions sunk into the ground. These boxes were replenished
+at night as there was no possibility of reaching the laager during the
+day."
+
+Lord Roberts addressed the Canadians, and expressed his satisfaction and
+appreciation of the splendid work they had done and the courage they had
+shown. To them he attributed the greater share in the Boer surrender.
+All were delighted at the attention shown the heroic Colonials, who had
+done splendid work, and at the exhibition of Lord Roberts' tact and
+kindliness in thus singling out the Canadians for the position of
+honour. In the Jubilee of 1897 the Field-Marshal had told the Colonial
+Bodyguard that he would like to have them with him if he were ever in
+another campaign, and now the Canadians felt that the Chief's cherished
+words had been no mere formula, and that they had been given the chance
+to distinguish themselves that they had so eagerly desired.
+
+To General Colvile was given the credit of inventing the order of attack
+which at last brought the Boers to their senses. He arranged that the
+first rank should advance, bayonets fixed, till the enemy opened fire.
+Then they were to lie down and continue to fire on the Boers, while
+Engineers and the second line dug a trench. The trench thus made was
+within eighty yards of those of the Boers, and owing to its trefoil
+shape, the troops were able to enfilade both the river and northern
+trenches of the enemy and make them untenable. From their point in the
+original trench the Gordon Highlanders kept up a brisk fire, while the
+Shropshire Light Infantry, who were posted over a thousand yards to the
+north-west of the position, co-operated.
+
+In the very successful attack on the enemy's trenches the Royal Canadian
+Contingent lost seven killed and twenty-nine wounded. Major Pelletier,
+who commanded the French company, foremost of the three companies, was
+wounded, and also Lieutenant Armstrong. It is interesting to note that
+few of this gallant company of Great Britain's defenders could speak
+English!
+
+[Illustration: BOER TRENCHES AT PAARDEBERG. Photo by Alf. S. Hosking,
+Cape Town.]
+
+Colonel Otter, in command of the Canadians, had distinguished himself on
+many occasions by rare coolness and display of great talent in the
+field, and he now took pleasure in reporting excellently of the various
+members of the battalion under his command who had especially
+distinguished themselves. Among these were:--
+
+     Captain H. B. Stairs, 66th P. L. Fusiliers, and Lieutenant and
+     Captain A. H. Macdonell, Royal Canadian Regiment. E Company,
+     No. 5130, Corporal T. E. Baugh, R.C.R. F Company, No. 7782,
+     Private O. Matheson, 12th Newcastle Field Battery; No. 7803,
+     Private A. Sutherland, D. of Y. R. C. Hrs.; No. 7868, Sergeant
+     W. Peppeatt, Royal Canadian Artillery; No. 7871, Corporal R. D.
+     M'Donald, Royal Canadian Artillery; No. 7822, Private C.
+     Harrison, 2nd Montreal Regiment C.A.; No. 7841, Private A.
+     Bagot, 65th Montreal Rifles; No. 7778, Private Sievert, 93rd
+     Cumberland Infantry; No. 7615, Private A. T. Seriault, 9th
+     Voltigeurs de Quebec.
+
+But these were only a select few among the number who were engaged in
+incomparable things done incomparably well.
+
+FOOTNOTES:
+
+[1] Colonel Ormelie Campbell Hannay was in his fifty-second year, having
+been born on December 23, 1848. He entered the army as an ensign in the
+93rd Foot (now the Princess Louise's Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders)
+on October 5, 1867, received his lieutenancy on the 28th of October
+1871, and from February to November 1878 was instructor of musketry.
+Obtaining his captaincy on November 17, 1878, he was employed on special
+service in South Africa during the latter part of the Zulu War, from
+June to October 1879, for which he had the medal with clasp. From April
+to September 1883 he was aide-de-camp to the brigadier-general at
+Aldershot, was gazetted a major in January 1884, and from September 1886
+to November 1887 was again employed on staff service, for the first
+portion of the period as an aide-de-camp in Bengal, and for the latter
+portion in Bombay. He became lieutenant-colonel in June 1893, and
+colonel in June 1897, and in June 1899 was placed on the half-pay list,
+from which he was removed last October in order to take up the temporary
+appointment of assistant-adjutant-general at Portsmouth. Not till
+December 30, 1899, was he chosen for special service in South Africa.
+
+[2] Lieutenant-Colonel William Aldworth, D.S.O., was forty-four years of
+age, having been born on October 3, 1855. He entered the army as a
+sub-lieutenant on June 13, 1874, and was gazetted to the 16th Foot, of
+which he was adjutant from October 17, 1877, to March 29, 1881. Gazetted
+a captain in the Bedfordshire Regiment on March 30, 1881, he served with
+the Burmese Expedition from January 14, 1885, to March 3, 1886, as
+aide-de-camp and acting military secretary to Sir Harry Prendergast,
+first as a major-general in Madras, and then as general officer
+commanding in Upper Burma, being mentioned in despatches and receiving
+the D.S.O. and the medal with clasp. He also took part in the Isazai
+Expedition in 1892, and in February 1893 was gazetted a major. In 1895
+he served with the Chitral Relief Force under Sir Robert Low with the
+1st battalion of his then regiment (the Bedfordshire), and took part in
+the storming of the Malakand Pass and the engagement near Khar, for
+which he had the medal with clasp. Again he was in active service in
+1897-98, under Sir William Lockhart, in the campaign on the North-West
+Frontier of India, with the Tirah Expeditionary Force as
+deputy-assistant-adjutant-general of the 2nd Brigade, and with the
+Khyber Force as deputy-assistant-adjutant-general, being present at the
+forcing of the Sampagha and Arhanga Passes, and the operations against
+the Chamkanis and in the Bazar Valley. He was mentioned in despatches,
+received the brevet of lieutenant-colonel (May 20, 1898), and two
+clasps. He obtained the substantive rank of lieutenant-colonel in the
+Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry on October 12, 1898.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER II
+
+MAFEKING IN DECEMBER AND JANUARY
+
+
+Christmas Day, in deference to warlike etiquette, was observed as a
+holiday; but, in spite of the pacific nature of the occasion, the man
+who was the brain of Mafeking was organising a plan by which the cordon
+around the town might be broken. He was deciding that there must be a
+big fight on the morrow, and that a desperate effort must be made to
+change the cramped vista of affairs. Waiting was a weary game, and it
+was felt that some one must make a move. The Boers certainly, had they
+chosen, might have carried the town by assault, but for such activity
+they had no appetite. This was no boy's job, and, as they themselves
+confessed, they went out to shoot, not to be shot. Not so the gentle
+civilians, who, while incarcerated in this little hamlet of the veldt,
+had developed into valiant campaigners. They were always ready to be up
+and doing, and gladly fell in with the Colonel's plans. Frequent
+reconnaissances had disclosed the fact that the enemy's position, though
+strong on the western face, was fairly vulnerable at a point on the
+east, and at this point it was decided an attack on the morning of the
+26th should be directed.
+
+The plan of attack was as follows:--Captain R. Vernon, King's Royal
+Rifles, with C Squadron, and Captain FitzClarence and D Squadron, to
+lead; Captain Lord Charles Bentinck, with A Squadron, to hold the
+reserve upon the left, which was under the command of Colonel Hore.
+Major Panzera and the artillery were to take up a position upon the
+extreme left of the line. The railway running to within a few hundred
+yards of Game Tree had been repaired, in order that the armoured train,
+under Captain Williams and twenty men of the British South Africa
+Police, with one-pounder Hotchkiss and Maxim, from a point parallel with
+Game Tree, might protect the right flank. This flank was to be further
+supported by Captain Cowan and seventy men of the Bechuanaland Rifles.
+The entire operations from this side were to be under the command of
+Major Godley, while Colonel Baden-Powell and his staff, Major Lord
+Edward Cecil (Chief Staff Officer), Captain Wilson, A.D.C., and
+Lieutenant Hanbury Tracy watched the direction of events from Dummie
+Fort.
+
+[Illustration: CRONJE'S FORCE ON THEIR MARCH SOUTH.
+
+Drawing by Sidney Paget, from a Sketch made 8 Miles South of Paardeberg
+by W. B. Wollen, R.I.]
+
+It must be remembered that at that time the character of the fort they
+intended to assail was barely known. In reality, it rose some seven
+feet above a ditch deep and wide, which almost defied assault. However,
+it was decided that Game Tree, from which had poured voluble rifle and
+artillery fire for many weeks, must at all hazards be silenced. It was
+most important that communication with the north should be, if possible,
+re-established, and there was every hope that a successful fight might
+make it easier for Colonel Plumer to eventually join hands with the
+besieged.
+
+The night passed. As the grey dawn broke over the veldt, a flash weirdly
+orange and a golden puff of smoke showed that the preconcerted plan had
+begun to be put in operation. Major Panzera with his seven-pounders had
+started the programme. Presently the Maxim rapped out in chorus, while
+on the right the great dusty crocodile, the armoured train, slunk along
+to its destination. Its whistle shrieked. It was Captain Vernon's signal
+for action. On the instant a thin line of moving kharki broke from
+cover, bayonets glittered among the scrub, cheers and the rattle of
+musketry filled the air. Officers and men were dashing, as only Britons
+can dash, each striving to outrush the other towards the lair of the
+enemy. Quick as thought they had plunged into the scrub that girdled the
+sandbags, and excitedly, jubilantly, some one on Dummie Fort sang out,
+"They are swarming over the bags--the position is ours!"
+
+All waited anxiously, almost breathlessly. The moments grew and grew,
+seconds became years. The sputtering of rifles continued, and swelled
+into a vast hum, and then some one--the same some one, only in a very
+different voice from that which spoke last, said hoarsely, "Our men are
+coming back!"... Yes. They were indeed coming back--the remnant--firing
+sullenly their parting shots ere they receded. The enemy's position had
+been proved impregnable! Their parapet was loopholed in triple tiers and
+roofed with a bomb-proof protection. It had but a single opening, large
+enough to admit one man at a time. It was in firing his revolver into
+one of the loopholes and endeavouring to pull out a sandbag with his
+left hand that Lieutenant Paton was killed. Captain FitzClarence, far
+ahead of his men, was shot in the thigh within 150 yards of the fort,
+and both Captains Sandford and Vernon were laid low almost within a
+stone's throw of the rifles of the enemy. Lieutenant Swinburne, who,
+directly Captain FitzClarence was wounded, led his men forward with
+dauntless energy, escaped unhurt. But few were equally lucky. Out of a
+storming party of eighty, twenty-one were killed and thirty-three
+wounded. It was when he saw this useless sacrifice of life that Major
+Godley sent a message to headquarters by the aide-de-camp. "Captain
+Vernon, sir, has been repulsed," he said, "and Major Godley does not
+think it worth while trying again." Nor was it. All that could be done
+was to send the ambulance to perform its grim duty.
+
+In describing the tragic affair, Mr. Angus Hamilton, in _Black and
+White_, said: "Indeed, from the armoured train it could be seen that the
+progress of the men towards the fort was like the Charge of the Six
+Hundred into the Valley of Death--a conviction which became more and
+more apparent as our men gallantly held to their course. Within 300
+yards of the fort it was almost impossible for any living thing to
+exist, and the rush of the bullets across the zone of fire was like the
+hum of myriads of locusts before the wind. The gallantry of the effort,
+the admirable steadiness and precision with which the attack was
+delivered, has been compared by our commanding officers to deeds which
+rank among the foremost of our martial chronicles."
+
+It was veritably a charge of heroes. Scarcely one man could be singled
+out as the bravest of the brave where all showed such magnificent
+courage. Captain Sandford, Indian Staff Corps, though wounded mortally
+by a bullet in the spine, with his last breath ordered his men to
+continue their advance and leave him to his fate. Captain FitzClarence,
+wounded in the leg, bleeding, exhausted, was seen sitting up and
+directing the charge. Elsewhere was Captain Vernon, with a bullet
+through him, rushing on and on in company with the heroic youth, Paton,
+whose effort to scale the inaccessible rampart brought about his death.
+This splendid fellow was shot through the heart; while Captain Vernon,
+who had again been hit, and still pursued his onward course into the
+teeth of the foe, was struck on the head and killed. The only other
+officer that escaped uninjured was Lieutenant Bridges, and he hurt his
+ankle while assisting a wounded comrade. The details of the killed and
+wounded were as follows:--Officers killed, three; wounded, one. Men
+killed, eighteen; wounded, thirty-two; missing, thirteen. Thus ended a
+superb effort, which, failure though it was, was vastly superior to many
+a meaner martial success.
+
+So the garrison had to go on in the old, old way, though many popular
+and beloved members were now missing, and the hospital was full of cases
+that threatened to end seriously. Owing to the commendable forethought
+of Lord Edward Cecil and the enterprise of Messrs. Julius Weil, the
+garrison was provided with the wherewithal to make what resistance they
+did. Lord Edward Cecil's work was ceaseless; as Chief Staff Officer he
+came in for both the external fights and the internal discords. He
+smoothed down quarrels, dispensed justice, allayed "siege fever" in all
+its intermittent phases, and in fact performed the tasks of ten men,
+with unfailing courtesy and inexhaustible patience. The pinch of the
+siege had gradually become more painful, and luxuries for some time had
+been commandeered for the use of the sick. Luckily, some Chinamen among
+the besieged contrived to grow vegetables in small quantities for the
+use of the inhabitants, and by force of good management in the disposal
+of the food supplies, which had been stocked by Messrs. Weil before the
+outbreak of the war, a fixed scale of rations for every man, woman, and
+child was secured. Conversation grew monotonous. It circled round the
+positions of the guns, the chance of relief, and question of stores,
+till it produced a mental giddiness that verged on the idiotic. Few
+grumbled, few swore. In this matter the Boers acted as a safety-valve.
+When people felt in the "something's too bad of somebody" mood, they
+could go out and snipe, and vent their spleen usefully and to the honour
+of their country! Sundays were more than ever flat. There was not the
+excitement attendant on dodging shells in the open. Speculation on the
+subject of food languished round the limitations of Hobson's choice. Mr.
+Neilly in the _Pall Mall Gazette_ gave a sorry outline of the scanty
+fare. "I will attempt to give you an idea of what this scarcity of diet
+means. You are in a trench. In the early morning you have handed to you
+a piece of bread as big as a breakfast roll and a little tin of 'bully'
+sufficient for one average meal. You have some of it for breakfast, and
+if you have not an iron will you will eat the lot there and then, and go
+hungry for the rest of the twenty-four hours. What you leave is kept in
+the broiling sun until luncheon-time, when you find the beef reduced to
+an oily mess that does not look very appetising. You eat more and
+tighten your belt a hole or two to delude yourself into the belief that
+you have had a satisfying meal. You roast away again until dinner-time,
+when you gather up the last crumb and sigh for a few hours in the
+Adelaide Gallery or even in an East-End cookshop. But this is not all;
+you are for guard duty from midnight until 3 A.M. You have no sleep
+before you go on, and the slumber you fall into when relieved is
+destroyed an hour after you have entered upon it by the morning order to
+stand to arms. You thus get a schoolboy's luncheon to keep you alive for
+twenty-four hours. It is made unpalatable by the sun, and if a Mafeking
+shower falls, the odds are that it will be flooded over and buried in
+the mud at the bottom of the trench."
+
+At this time Cronje, by way of recreation, returned to Mafeking, a
+fleeting visit, possibly to test some novel plans for the purpose of
+subduing the town. He came armed with incendiary shells, which were
+supposed to hit and blaze up and cause an inspiriting conflagration. But
+they did not succeed. They caused a conflagration certainly, but its
+duration was limited. At the end of it, Mafeking smiled still, but
+smiled with the curled lip of scorn. The convent, notwithstanding its
+symbol of the Red Cross, had been hit, and crushed, and wrecked; the
+hospital had been assailed; the sacred claim of humanity had been
+outraged; women and children had been subjected to terrors of fact and
+terrors of dread. These atrocities continued, and Her Majesty's
+long-suffering subjects looked on and waited; they believed that
+deliverance must soon come. If they had not had that belief to help
+them, they would have died or surrendered. They believed that a day of
+reckoning would arrive, and that then Cronje and his diabolical
+hirelings would come by their deserts. If only they could have skipped
+six weeks and looked into the mirror of Fate, the drama at Paardeberg
+Drift would have reassured them. As it was, they had to live in faith.
+The series of atrocities that marked the Boer assaults had scarcely a
+counterpart in modern history, and it grew doubtful, if ever their turn
+should come, whether the besieged would be prevailed upon to emit one
+spark of that "magnanimity" with which their countrymen had been so
+lavish, and which the Boer had grown to account as a natural weakness of
+these "verdomde rooineks."
+
+Siege life was now becoming painfully irksome. A blazing sun, a
+drenching rain, a gust of wind through the pepper trees, this was all
+the variety at hand. The inhabitants of the town began to feel like
+ghosts of themselves, ghouls walking the earth, yet out of touch with
+those who spoke of them as a memory, and nothing more. To them it was
+the quiet of the grave. They waited like some enchanted princess of a
+fairy tale for the time when the magic wand should wave and their pulses
+throb with joy and excitation, with laughter and zest for the good
+things of the hour. Now they walked as in a dream to the accompaniment
+of shot and shell, surrounded by devilish ogres and looters of the dead,
+while somewhere within a few miles of them, kith and kin, living and
+breathing kith and kin, seemed as phantoms in a nightmare to pass by and
+to ignore! A speechless, soundless asphyxia of the soul seemed to be
+creeping over these tired patient heroes! They still waited and hoped,
+but hoping and waiting had now grown monotonous, almost mechanical, as
+the tickings of an eight-day clock.
+
+Rumours many and fantastic were brought in by the natives. It was
+believed that a new year's gift of three waggon loads of ammunition had
+been received by the Boers from Pretoria, and also a new gun. This
+weapon it was afterwards discovered was provided with more combustible
+bombs, horrible missiles that disgorge a chemical liquid which ignites
+in contact with the air. Here was a continual horror, and one that was
+only combated by extreme precautions. Though Colonel Baden-Powell in his
+nook on the stoep of his house continued to whistle his insouciant
+notes, his busy brains needed to be Machiavellian in their ingenuity.
+Some declared he slept with one eye open; others, that he never slept at
+all. Certain it was that when all were hushed in slumber he was "on the
+prowl," either on the roof or in the open, reading from the heavens
+above or the earth beneath the enemy's approaching machinations. Some
+find sermons in stones; B.-P. found inspiration in sand and sky.
+
+[Illustration: THE MARKET SQUARE, MAFEKING.]
+
+The Boers continued their bombardment, the sun continued to blaze, to
+smite the tin roofs and glaring sandy roads. After persistently
+directing shells on the women's laager the ruffians succeeded in
+murdering three little children. These were of Dutch nationality, and it
+was hoped that their loss might possibly awaken a feeling of humanity
+and remorse in the breast of those who had prompted the assault on the
+defenceless position. But their conduct was rendering those within the
+town exasperated almost to madness. They panted for a chance to mete out
+annihilation to the blood-lusting rascals and untamed savages who were
+harassing them. They did their best, and sat down to the business of
+clearing off as many as possible of the polyglot horde who worked the
+guns.
+
+The work done by the Bechuanaland Rifles and the British South Africa
+Police was prodigious. They shrunk from no toil and no exposure so that
+they might reduce the number of the besiegers. Early in the New Year the
+Rifles entrenched themselves within 900 yards of the enemy's big guns,
+and spent days and nights in the trenches, relieved at intervals by the
+Police. From nine on one night till nine the next they would occupy
+their unenviable position, carrying with them their day's food and
+water, and employing themselves during the hours of light by keeping up
+a persistent fire on the Boer siege gun. On occasions their fire was so
+accurate that the Dutchmen had entirely to abandon the work of loading
+and training the gun. So smart, at last, grew the British sharpshooters,
+that during each Sabbath the gun was shifted farther and farther away.
+
+Colonel Baden-Powell's resourcefulness was again put to the test, and
+was again triumphant. The Boers were somewhat nonplussed by the
+discovery that he had a new weapon of defence. They put their heads
+together and concluded that the weapon must have sprung from the bowels
+of the earth. It so happened that in some long-forgotten stores in the
+town an old ship's gun was suddenly discovered. Quickly it was brought
+into action. But the ways of this old muzzle-loading 16-pounder were not
+as the ways of the modern "Long Toms," whose tricks were "understanded"
+of the Boer people. It had curious and distinctive virtues of its own.
+This gun threw solid shot, which, unlike a shell that bursts and is done
+with for better or for worse, gallivanted along the ground according to
+its own sweet will, and produced little surprises that caused the
+Colonel much amusement and not a little satisfaction.
+
+[Illustration: GUN MADE IN MAFEKING. Photo by D. Taylor, Mafeking.]
+
+The biography of the treasure-trove was written by Mr. Angus Hamilton
+of _Black and White_, who declared that there was quite a flutter of
+excitement at the appearance of the antiquated weapon. "It would seem,"
+he said, "to have been made about 1770, and is identical with those
+which up till very recently adorned the quay at Portsmouth. Its weight
+is 8 cwt. 2 qr. 10 lbs., and it was made by B. P. & Co. It is a naval
+gun, and is stamped 'No. 6 port.' How it came here is uncertain, and its
+origin unknown; but one gathers that it must have been intended more for
+privateering than for use in any Government ship of war, since it is
+wanting in all official superscription. This weapon, which we have now
+christened 'B. P.' out of a compliment to the Colonel, has been lying
+upon the farm of an Englishman whose interests are very closely united
+with the native tribe whose headquarters are in Mafeking Stadt. Mr.
+Rowlands can recall the gun passing this way in charge of two Germans
+nearly forty years ago. He remembers to have seen it in the possession
+of Linchwe's tribe, and upon his return to the Baralongs, after one of
+his trading journeys, he urged the old chief to secure it for use in
+defence of the Stadt against the attacks of Dutch freebooters. The chief
+then visited Linchwe and bought the gun for twenty-two oxen, bringing it
+down to Mafeking upon his waggon. In those days it had three hundred
+rounds of ammunition, which were utilised in tribal fights. With the
+exception of visits which the gun made to local tribes, it has remained
+here, and is now in the possession of Mr. Rowlands. It has recently
+been mounted, and is in active operation against our enemies. We have
+made balls for it, and are intending to manufacture shells, in the hope
+we shall at least be able to reach the emplacement of Big Ben. The first
+trial of 'B. P.' in its new career gave very satisfactory results. With
+two pounds of powder it threw a ball of ten pounds more than two
+thousand yards. The power of the charge was increased by half pounds
+until a charge of three pounds threw a ball of the same weight as the
+first rather more than two miles. We, therefore, have pinned our hopes
+upon it, and commend to the responsible authorities the reflections
+which may be derived from the fact that our chief and most efficient
+means of defence lie in such a weapon."
+
+The mosquito tactics of the wily Colonel proceeded as usual, but the
+Boer was hard to checkmate. On the 15th of January an attack was made by
+the sharpshooters against the enemy's big gun battery, with the pleasing
+result that on the following day the 94-pounder and high-velocity Krupp
+evacuated their positions, and retired to a more distant one on the east
+side of the town, whence their command of the place was comparatively
+limited. In this quarter, now that the foe was pushed out of rifle
+range, it was possible to open grazing for cattle, a very desirable
+movement, for the poor lean beasts were waning rapidly. At this time
+Captain FitzClarence was reported among the convalescents, the wound
+received on the 26th of December having almost healed.
+
+Preparations were set on foot for the purpose of routing the enemy with
+dynamite, failing all other means of ridding the town of his too
+intimate proximity. Colonel Baden-Powell's motto, unlike that of British
+Governments, was to take time by the forelock. He left nothing to
+chance. In order to avert any risk of running short of supplies, rations
+were reduced, and oats which had previously belonged to the beasts were
+promoted to the use of their owners. Very stringent laws existed for the
+economising of everything. Matches and tinned milk were commandeered,
+and the theft of a matchbox was now viewed as a heinous crime. Tobacco
+in small quantities remained, but wines and spirits were fast running
+out. There were pathetic leave-takings as each quart of whisky
+disappeared from the stores; there was no knowing when would arrive the
+hour for a fond and a last farewell. Conversation grew still more
+monotonous. It mostly consisted of how the inner man should be
+sustained, and of anecdotes of agility in avoiding shot and shell.
+
+[Illustration: WEST YORKSHIRE REGIMENT (Colour-Sergeant).
+
+YORKSHIRE REGIMENT (Sergeant).
+
+Photo by Gregory & Co., London.]
+
+Still, considerable interest was taken in the performances of the old
+16-pounder, which had been rigged up and christened by some "Skipping
+Polly," on account of its skittish habits and its propensity to
+ricochet. This, though erratic in its proceedings, did good work, and
+struck the parapet of the enemy's fort. On the 10th of January violent
+rains came down, and rendered most of the trenches in front of the town
+uninhabitable, and life in general almost unendurable. Never was there
+greater need for the inestimable virtues of pluck and patience, and if
+medals had been awarded for these united qualities, the inhabitants of
+Mafeking would all have possessed them.
+
+The pinch of siege life now became terribly evident, for the Kaffirs
+were reduced to eating mules. The British feared their turn at this diet
+would come directly. But the garrison was still cheery, and their
+entrenchments were considerably improved. In these Colonel Baden-Powell
+took a just pride, and his activity in promoting the safety and comfort
+of the inhabitants was boundless. They declared that they could feed
+themselves for another three months, but the nature of the form of
+provision was not divulged. Hardships and privations were endured by the
+little force with really amazing pluck. Beds they had scarcely enjoyed
+since the commencement of the siege; baths were almost as foreign, few
+had had a chance to remove their clothes; and news--the stimulus of the
+outside world--was entirely lacking. Letters now and then were passed
+out, but the real truth could never be trusted to black and white.
+
+The office of censor was undertaken by the Hon. A. H. Hanbury Tracy
+(Royal Horse Guards). His occupation was a hard and a thankless one, for
+constant vigilance had to be exercised lest reports concerning the inner
+state of Mafeking--reports most ardently craved by those interested at
+home--might fall into the hands of the enemy, and thus cramp the
+operations of Colonel Baden-Powell and those who helped him to present a
+bold and fearless front to the hovering hordes who were waiting smugly
+for what they believed to be the inevitable.
+
+On the 17th General Snyman bethought himself of a new way of starving
+the garrison into surrender. He sent a party of natives to enjoy the
+hospitality of the already sparsely fed town. It had not a mule to spare
+for extra Kaffirs, and Colonel Baden-Powell sternly though regretfully
+refused admittance to the new-comers. According to Boer usage, the
+officer and orderly who conveyed the message, notwithstanding the fact
+that they carried a white flag, were fired upon by the enemy while they
+were returning. A dastardly trick this, and the garrison resented it.
+
+At this time the news of the grand Ladysmith sortie was received with
+rejoicings, and the bellicose youngsters of the community began to rack
+fertile brains in hope to emulate the courage and dash of the sister
+garrison. On this day a shell hit the shelter occupied by Major Baillie
+and Mr. Stent, Reuter's correspondent, and portions crashed through
+Dixon's Hotel, but fortunately without injuring any one.
+
+News now reached the benighted villagers that Colonel Plumer, with three
+armoured trains, had actually reached Gaberones, some three hundred
+miles north of Mafeking. The troops had some sharp tussles with the
+Boers, and drove them out of rifle range while the railway operatives
+mended the line. Where Colonel Plumer's three trains came from was a
+mystery. He was known to have _one_, but there was no saying of what
+Rhodesia might not be capable in time of stress. Colonel Plumer had his
+work cut out for him, but he was not a man to sheer off difficult tasks,
+and there was intense hope that he might succeed. But there was always
+the Boer artillery--a terrible barrier between the relieving force and
+Mafeking--and in the face of this even the finest warriors, almost
+gunless, could scarcely be expected to advance alive.
+
+On the 19th of January the small community celebrated the 100th day of
+the siege. All the corners of the square had been knocked off by the
+ever-active Boers, but the village maintained a suitable air of
+liveliness. Exhibitions were arranged, and some smart fighting showed
+that the right arm of the British had lost none of its cunning.
+
+There were fat days and lean days in Mafeking. Though for the most part
+leanness prevailed, there was now and then to be found an oasis in the
+desert of the commissariat. Occasionally some successful raid made by
+the natives was productive of real meals--succulent beef _versus_ old
+mule and husks. In the course of one daring foray the natives secured
+two dozen head of cattle; in another they carried off prizes of fat kine
+to the tune of a score. The excursions took place under cover of
+darkness, and, like all raids, were pursued without the consent of the
+Government. The natives had a process peculiarly their own in seducing
+the fat kine to follow them home. Devoid of clothing, and crawling
+snake-like over the veldt, they would approach the grazing cattle and
+gradually draw off such beasts as appeared goodly in their eyes, and
+which had been previously marked down with the acuteness of hungry
+instinct. Noiselessly the animals were enticed on and on till they
+reached the precincts of the staadt, where the raiders were anxiously
+looked for by their Baralong friends. These famishing individuals
+greeted the successful capture of the wherewithal to maintain life with
+shouts and dances of joy.
+
+The garrison was soon put on a scale of still more reduced rations.
+These consisted of half a pound of meat and the same of bread daily. The
+luxuries of life--the people in England looked on them as
+necessaries!--tea, sugar, biscuits, jams, &c., were commandeered. In
+January the following housekeeper's notes were made by the correspondent
+of the _Times_:--"Meal and flour have jumped from 27s. per bag to 50s.;
+potatoes, where they exist at all, are L2 per cwt.; fowls are 7s. 6d.
+each; and eggs 12s. per dozen. Milk and vegetables can no longer be
+obtained, and rice has taken the place of the latter upon the menus.
+These figures mark the rise in the more important food-stuffs as sold
+across the counter, but the hotels have, in sympathy, followed the
+example, they upon their part attributing it to the increase which the
+wholesale merchants have decreed. A peg of whisky is 1s. 6d., dop brandy
+1s., gin 1s., large stout is 4s., small beer 2s. In ordinary times
+whisky retails at 5s. per bottle. This rate has now advanced to 18s. per
+bottle and 80s. per case. Dop, which is usually 1s. 4d., is now 12s. per
+bottle; the difference upon beer is almost 200 per cent., and inferior
+cigarettes are now 18s. per 100."
+
+On the good management of the contractors, Messrs. Weil & Co., every one
+depended for flesh and blood. On them rested the responsibility of
+issuing daily rations--bread and meat for the garrison, forage for
+horses, and food for natives--and very excellently they fulfilled their
+difficult task.
+
+On the 21st an unusual sort of show was held. The exhibits ranged from
+foals to babies, Mr. Minchin (Bechuanaland Rifles) securing first prize
+for the former, while Sergeant Brady, B.S.A.P., was the proud winner of
+the prize for the latter.
+
+Colonel Baden-Powell sent a despatch reporting his own doings at the end
+of January to Colonel Nicholson. It ran as follows:--
+
+     "Inform the Commanding Staff Officer that we are well here. On
+     January 23 the enemy moved their north-east supporting laager
+     to within 4500 yards of the town. We pushed our advance works
+     in that direction, and mounted Lord Nelson, an old naval
+     smooth-bore gun, in an emplacement 3100 yards from the enemy.
+     On the evening of January 29 we unmasked our guns and shelled
+     the enemy's camp with complete success. Next morning the Boer
+     laager was moved back two miles.
+
+     "On the 31st we were busy on all sides of the town. On the
+     south the men in our advance works had a skirmish with three of
+     the enemy's Krupp and Maxim guns, the firing being very heavy.
+     A bombardment of our front on Cannon Kopje by the Boer
+     94-pounder followed. On the east front our four guns replied to
+     this by a concentrated fire on the brickfield entrenchments,
+     where the enemy poured in a musketry and artillery fire.
+
+     "On the north the enemy's 5-pounders kept up a steady fire.
+     They dropped one shell through the roof of the hospital, but
+     luckily it did not explode. On the west the enemy, from their
+     advanced works, opened a heavy rifle and Maxim fire on Fort
+     Ayr, which our fort eventually silenced by the well-aimed fire
+     of its guns. The enemy sent three big shells into the town
+     after dark, but they gained nothing during the day.
+
+     "Our casualties during the past two days from the enemy's shell
+     fire have been three killed and three wounded. Mr. Kiddy, of
+     the Railway Department, has died of fever.
+
+     "On February 2 General Snyman, in reply to my letter with
+     regard to his deliberately shelling the women and children's
+     laagers on the 27th ult., offered no excuse or apology, and by
+     a transparent falsehood practically admits that he ordered it.
+     I have told him that I have now established temporary premises
+     for the Boer prisoners in the women's laager and in the
+     hospital, in order to protect these places from deliberate
+     shelling."
+
+General Snyman and Colonel Baden-Powell had also a correspondence
+regarding Snyman's arming and raising of natives. In reply the old
+commandant said that he had merely armed the natives as cattle-guards.
+In his turn he complained that the British had been seen making
+fortifications on Sunday. The Colonel, who only relaid some mine wires,
+informed him that he had himself been entertained by watching the
+building of new fortifications by the Boers on that day.
+
+On the 25th of January a shell burst through the convent, which was used
+as a convalescent hospital, and slightly wounded Lady Sarah Wilson, who
+had taken upon herself the care of the invalids. On the following day
+the women's laager was continuously shelled, but fortunately with small
+result. There was general jubilation at reports received regarding the
+success of Lord Roberts' operations. The news was an immense stimulus,
+and speculation as to the date of relief was freely indulged in. The
+besieged had learnt to gather hope from the smallest incidents. The
+disappearance from time to time of the 5-pounder Krupp, the 1-pounder
+Maxim, the 9-pounder quick-firing Creusot, which had a trick of making
+weekly excursions somewhere--caused them to conjecture whether Colonel
+Plumer had reached a point where these pieces could be made to come in
+handy. The 100-pounder Creusot, however, was untiring. It engaged only
+in shorter peregrinations, moving from one emplacement to another by way
+of variety, and keeping up a system of torture which acted badly on the
+nerves of the unhappy persons who were honoured with its attentions.
+
+The following telegram, forwarded by runner from the Mayor of Mafeking
+(Mr. Whiteley), was addressed to Queen Victoria: "Mafeking upon the
+hundredth day of siege sends loyal devotion to your Majesty, and
+assurance of continued resolve to maintain your Majesty's supremacy in
+this town." The splendid little garrison had indeed a right to be proud
+of itself for having for so long a period held at bay a puissant and
+spiteful foe. It had fought, it had schemed, it had set its wits against
+the wits of Cronje and his successors, and defied them magnificently.
+"No surrender" was its motto, and the reply from the enemy was stamped
+on every house of this minute town--so minute that it could have been
+"stowed within the railings of St. James' Park"--and scribbled in large
+black defacing lines wherever shot and shell could penetrate. Some idea
+of life's daily accompaniment of artillery may be arrived at by reading
+a description of his experiences recounted by Mr. Neilly of the _Pall
+Mall Gazette_. He said:--"When the enemy's artillery began to send us
+the heavy ration, those who knew most about the power of modern
+long-range high-velocity arms dreaded most the consequences. At the
+advice of our commander-in-chief, we went to earth, some into dug-outs,
+I, with others, into the wine-cellar of the hotel, which I consider was
+the most comfortable and luxurious place in the town. After breakfast a
+twelve-pounder on the heights went 'Boom!' Where had the shell gone? Had
+it struck a house? Had the building collapsed? Would the town be
+flattened and set on fire when the whole battery came into action? We
+speculated so until the second boom sounded, and the third quickly
+followed. Himmel! We had got it, and what a crash it was! Something had
+given way, and _debris_ and shrapnel scattered like a hailstorm across
+the dining-room floor overhead. While some calmed the ladies, others of
+us doubled up through the trapdoor, slid the panel that divides the bar
+from the dining-room, and looked in. The dense smoke of the bursting
+charge filled the place, but there was nothing to indicate that anything
+was aflame. When the air cleared slightly we entered, to find the floor
+and tables littered with brick-dust and scrap iron; but the area of
+destruction was confined to the brickwork at the side of the window.
+Nothing was stirred upon the tables, which were laid for luncheon. That
+was enough. Had the house been built of good tough English brick, its
+flank would have probably collapsed; the rottenness of the walls had
+saved them; the rottenness of all the houses would bring about
+comparative safety to the town. Solids struck by shell add to the
+destruction wrought by the projectile through flying splinters; but
+there is no use in trying to batter sand stuck together with water. The
+concussion sends off the detonator, the burst makes a hole in the wall,
+and the further results are an untidied room and a bad fright to anybody
+who may be in it."
+
+The writer, like the rest of the plucky crew, talked airily of the
+ordeal that all passed through, without a single boast of the splendid
+effect of the garrison's doughty resistance to the enemy in the early
+phases of the war.
+
+It is scarcely possible to exaggerate the full importance of this
+magnificent defence at that time. As an object-lesson in British pluck,
+and the marvellous celerity with which peace-loving citizens may become
+glorious fighters, the defence as a whole stands without parallel. But
+from a political point of view the initial stoutness of the resistance
+was a _coup_ which had far-reaching results.
+
+There is no doubt that at the outset of the war a conspiracy was on foot
+between the Cape Dutch and the Federals, and that the capture of certain
+towns was to be taken as a signal for the joining of the allies to drive
+the British from South Africa. It was thought that the apparently
+insignificant village of Mafeking would be among the first to fall, and
+the conspirators congratulated themselves that once the place went
+under, the door to Rhodesia would fly open. The gallant Cronje, with
+nothing better to occupy him, could have worked his way north, attacked
+Colonel Plumer and his small force, and without doubt defeated them. He
+would then have proceeded on a triumphal march. Having intimidated the
+natives, who invariably back the man with the visible biceps, and having
+armed the Matabele and Mashonas, he would have completely swept and
+devastated the fair country of the Colossus before our troops could have
+had time to save it from ruin. How far the ruin would have spread it is
+difficult to say. Like dynamite, it would have struck upwards and
+downwards, north and south. The capture of Mafeking would have unhinged
+the native population there, and forced them to side with the Boers; and
+once the natives got under arms the situation would have become so
+complicated that it might have taken years to unravel, if indeed the
+Government had the patience to unravel it at all.
+
+Then disaffection would have spread rapidly, even to Table Bay. Had
+Cronje at the outset not been kept tied to the place, occupied in trying
+to crack the nut which he eventually found too hard for his own teeth
+and for the sledge-hammer weapons of his mercenaries, he would have gone
+on from town to town gathering up adherents as he went, and causing
+intimidation of such a kind that even the loyally disposed would in
+sheer self-defence have thrown in their lot with him.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER III
+
+AT POPLAR GROVE
+
+
+Before going on, it must be noted that on the 19th Lord Roberts had
+issued a proclamation to the Burghers of the Free State in English and
+Dutch. He said that the British having entered the Free State, he felt
+it his duty to make known the cause, and to do his utmost to end the
+war. Should the Free Staters continue fighting, they would do so in full
+knowledge of their responsibility for the lives lost in the campaign.
+Before the war, the Imperial Government desired the friendship of the
+Free State, and solemnly assured President Steyn that if he remained
+neutral the Free State territory would not be invaded and its
+independence would be respected. Nevertheless, the Free Staters had
+wantonly and unjustifiably invaded British territory, though the
+Imperial Government believed that the Free State Government was wholly
+responsible, under mischievous outside influence, for this invasion.
+
+The Imperial Government bore the people no ill-will, and was anxious to
+preserve them from the evils which the action of their Government had
+caused. Lord Roberts warned the Burghers to desist from further
+hostilities, and he undertook that Burghers so desisting should not
+suffer in their persons or property. Requisitions of food, forage, fuel,
+and shelter must be complied with. Everything would be paid for on the
+spot, and if supplies were refused they would be taken, a receipt being
+given. Should the inhabitants consider that they had been unjustly
+treated, and should their complaint on inquiry be substantiated, redress
+would be given. In conclusion, Lord Roberts stated that British soldiers
+were prohibited from entering houses or molesting the civil population.
+
+By the terms of this proclamation it was necessary to abide, though, by
+degrees, as will be seen, it began to be discovered that generous
+concessions made to our enemies were misinterpreted and taken advantage
+of in ways which tended to prolong the war.
+
+Lords Roberts and Kitchener paid a flying visit to Kimberley on the 1st
+of March, and attended a crowded meeting in the Town Hall. Lord Roberts,
+with his usual grace, dwelt on the courage, endurance, and heroism
+exhibited by the troops and residents, not only in Kimberley, but in the
+other besieged towns.
+
+Cronje's fate being sealed, the Field-Marshal shifted his headquarters
+to Osfontein, seven miles up the Modder from Paardeberg. Near here it
+was rumoured that such Boers as had failed to come to the succour of
+Cronje had flocked. These, numbering some 10,000, had gathered at the
+summons of their chief from the regions round Stormberg, Colesberg, and
+Ladysmith, and were now busily entrenching a position some fifteen miles
+long. Of this the flanks rested on kopjes to the south of the river on a
+group called Seven Sisters, and to the north across the river on a
+flat-topped kopje, behind which were further fortified kopjes, forming a
+formidable position at Poplar Grove, a place so called because of a
+sparse display of poplar and Australian gum-trees in the vicinity.
+
+At this time the two Presidents of the Republics, finding things getting
+too hot to be comfortable, made magnanimous proposals for peace. The
+following is the text of their despatch.
+
+    "BLOEMFONTEIN, _March 5, 1900_.
+
+     "The blood and the tears of the thousands who have suffered by
+     this war, and the prospect of all the moral and economic ruin
+     with which South Africa is now threatened, make it necessary
+     for both belligerents to ask themselves dispassionately, and as
+     in the sight of the Triune God, for what they are fighting, and
+     whether the aim of each justifies all this appalling misery and
+     devastation.
+
+     "With this object, and in view of the assertions of various
+     British statesmen, to the effect that this war was begun and is
+     being carried on with the set purpose of undermining Her
+     Majesty's authority in South Africa, and of setting up an
+     Administration over all South Africa independent of Her
+     Majesty's Government, we consider it our duty solemnly to
+     declare that this war was undertaken solely as a defensive
+     measure to safeguard the threatened independence of the South
+     African Republic, and is only continued in order to secure and
+     safeguard the incontestable independence of both Republics as
+     sovereign international States, and to obtain the assurance
+     that those of Her Majesty's subjects who have taken part with
+     us in this war shall suffer no harm whatsoever in person or
+     property.
+
+     "On these conditions, but on these conditions alone, are we
+     now, as in the past, desirous of seeing peace re-established in
+     South Africa, and of putting an end to the evils now reigning
+     over South Africa; while, if Her Majesty's Government is
+     determined to destroy the independence of the Republics, there
+     is nothing left to us and to our people but to persevere to the
+     end in the course already begun, in spite of the overwhelming
+     pre-eminence of the British Empire, confident that that God who
+     lighted the unextinguishable fire of the love of freedom in the
+     hearts of ourselves and of our fathers will not forsake us, but
+     will accomplish His work in us and in our descendants.
+
+     "We hesitated to make this declaration earlier to your
+     Excellency, as we feared that as long as the advantage was
+     always on our side, and as long as our forces held defensive
+     positions far in Her Majesty's Colonies, such a declaration
+     might hurt the feelings of honour of the British people; but
+     now that the prestige of the British Empire may be considered
+     to be assured by the capture of one of our forces by Her
+     Majesty's troops, and that we are thereby forced to evacuate
+     other positions which our forces had occupied, that difficulty
+     is over, and we can no longer hesitate clearly to inform your
+     Government and people, in the sight of the whole civilised
+     world, why we are fighting, and on what conditions we are ready
+     to restore peace."
+
+[Illustration: SHELL FROM THE NAVAL BRIGADE DISPERSING BOERS FROM BEHIND
+THE SEVEN SISTERS KOPJES, DURING THE ACTION OF 7th MARCH AT LE GALLAIS
+KOPJE, NEAR OSFONTEIN.
+
+Drawing by Sidney Paget, from a Sketch by W. B. Wollen, R.I.]
+
+The answer to this effusion, addressed by Lord Salisbury on behalf of
+Her Majesty's Government to the Presidents, ran:--
+
+    "FOREIGN OFFICE, _March 11, 1900_.
+
+     "I have the honour to acknowledge your Honours' telegram, dated
+     March 5, from Bloemfontein, of which the purport is principally
+     to demand that Her Majesty's Government shall recognise the
+     'incontestable independence' of the South African Republic and
+     Orange Free State as 'sovereign international States,' and to
+     offer, on those terms, to bring the war to a conclusion.
+
+     "In the beginning of October last, peace existed between Her
+     Majesty and the two Republics under the Conventions which then
+     were in existence. A discussion had been proceeding for some
+     months between Her Majesty's Government and the South African
+     Republic, of which the object was to obtain redress for certain
+     very serious grievances under which British residents in the
+     South African Republic were suffering. In the course of these
+     negotiations, the South African Republic had, to the knowledge
+     of Her Majesty's Government, made considerable armaments, and
+     the latter had, consequently, taken steps to provide
+     corresponding reinforcements to the British garrisons of Cape
+     Town and Natal. No infringement of the rights guaranteed by the
+     Conventions had, up to that point, taken place on the British
+     side. Suddenly, at two days' notice, the South African
+     Republic, after issuing an insulting ultimatum, declared war
+     upon Her Majesty; and the Orange Free State, with whom there
+     had not even been any discussion, took a similar step. Her
+     Majesty's dominions were immediately invaded by the two
+     Republics, siege was laid to three towns within the British
+     frontier, a large portion of the two Colonies was overrun, with
+     great destruction to property and life, and the Republics
+     claimed to treat the inhabitants of extensive portions of Her
+     Majesty's dominions as if those dominions had been annexed to
+     one or other of them. In anticipation of these operations the
+     South African Republic had been accumulating for many years
+     past military stores on an enormous scale, which, by their
+     character, could only have been intended for use against Great
+     Britain.
+
+     "Your Honours make some observations of a negative character
+     upon the object with which these preparations were made. I do
+     not think it necessary to discuss the questions you have
+     raised. But the result of these preparations, carried on with
+     great secrecy, has been that the British Empire has been
+     compelled to confront an invasion which has entailed upon the
+     Empire a costly war and the loss of thousands of precious
+     lives. This great calamity has been the penalty which Great
+     Britain has suffered for having in recent years acquiesced in
+     the existence of the two Republics.
+
+     "In view of the use to which the two Republics have put the
+     position which was given to them, and the calamities which
+     their unprovoked attack has inflicted upon Her Majesty's
+     dominions, Her Majesty's Government can only answer your
+     Honours' telegram by saying that they are not prepared to
+     assent to the independence either of the South African Republic
+     or of the Orange Free State."
+
+To return to Osfontein. There was now a short and much-needed interval
+of repose, in which men and horses tried to recuperate. It was, however,
+necessary for the cavalry to be continually scouring the country to
+ascertain the whereabouts of the enemy.
+
+On the 6th of March Lord Roberts welcomed the Ceylon Mounted Infantry,
+and sent the following telegram to Sir West Ridgeway, Governor of
+Ceylon:--"I have just ridden out to meet Ceylon Mounted Infantry, and
+welcome them to this force. They look most workmanlike, and are a
+valuable addition to Her Majesty the Queen's army in South Africa."
+These troops were in excellent condition, so also were their handy Burma
+ponies, smart, knowing, and game little beasts, warranted to turn on a
+sixpence and stand any amount of wear and tear.
+
+On the same day the Colonials had a smart set-to with the Dutchmen, who
+were endeavouring to locate themselves in the vicinity, and the New
+Zealanders and Australians made themselves more than a match for the
+Boers, losing themselves only six wounded, while they put ten of the
+enemy out of action. The rest of the gang disappeared, on the principle
+of those who fight and run away live to fight another day. In fact, they
+moved to some strong eminences that commanded either side of the river,
+the centre of the position being at Poplar Grove Farm. Here the Federals
+thought to embarrass the British advance, but Lord Roberts decided to
+undeceive them. The Field-Marshal's plan was now to turn their left
+flank with the cavalry division, and then to meet their line of defence
+with the infantry divisions, and thus enclose them as Cronje had been
+enclosed.
+
+Accordingly the troops got themselves into battle array. The Naval
+Brigade brought their 4.7 guns four miles north-east of Osfontein, while
+the cavalry prepared to turn the Boer left, and started before daybreak
+of the 7th to accomplish this feat. On the north bank was left the Ninth
+Division with some handy Colonials and guns. Moving to the east were the
+Sixth and Seventh Divisions, with the Guards Brigade in the centre.
+
+The dawn grew. The Boers in the golden rays of morning were disclosed
+massed in the far front, and later was seen the glorious mass of
+French's cavalry sweeping south--a martial broom which the Boers began
+to know meant business.
+
+At eight o'clock the music of battle started, the Naval guns on one side
+and the batteries of General French on the other. Lyddite and shrapnel
+bounced and spluttered over all the small kopjes wherein the Dutchmen
+had made a lodgment. It was sufficient. The Boer guns spat
+impotently--the puling cry of dismay--then, knowingly, the Federals made
+preparations for a stampede. They saw in the distance the Sixth Division
+advancing, the Colonials cleaving the columns of dust, the Highland
+Brigade coming on and on, their dark kilts cutting a thin line across
+the atmosphere--they saw enough! To east they flew, speeding towards
+Bloemfontein--guns, waggons, horsemen--as arrows from the bow, and
+leaving behind them their well-constructed trenches, their ammunition,
+tents, and supplies. After them went the Colonials and City Imperial
+Volunteers, all keen sportsmen, exhilarated with the heat of the chase,
+but the Boers were uncatchable. No one has yet beaten them in the art of
+running away. Nevertheless, Lord Roberts was left in undisturbed
+possession of Poplar Grove. In the early afternoon the Boers certainly
+endeavoured to make one futile, feeble stand, but their effort was
+unavailing, and by sunset they were careering into space, while the
+cavalry vainly endeavoured to hem them in. Horse-flesh had come to the
+end of its tether; poor food and much galloping had reduced the noble
+steeds to helpless wrecks, and unfortunately the manoeuvres of
+Paardeberg could not be repeated. Curiously enough, though no Boers were
+caught, the military net was full of strange fish, a Russian, a
+Hollander, a German all being left in the lurch. It was a humorous
+episode. While the Boers were making off as fast as legs--the mounts of
+some had been shot--and horses could carry them, a dilapidated country
+cart, surmounted by a red flag, was seen to be approaching. From this
+cart presently emerged several forlorn personages, looking very sorry
+for themselves indeed. They accounted for their plight by saying that
+while the final fight was taking place their mule-waggon had broken
+down. The mules having been unloosed, promptly stampeded, and left them
+between two fires, that of the Boers (to whom they were attached) and
+the British. The name of one foreigner, in dark blue uniform, was
+Colonel Prince Gourko, of the Russian army; the other, attired in plain
+clothes, was Lieutenant Thomson, of the Netherlands (Military Attache of
+the Boers). With them was a German servant in attendance on the Russian
+prince. Finding themselves in an uncomfortable quandary, one from which
+there was no escape, they decided to join the British. They were
+introduced to Lord Kitchener, and thereupon presented to the
+Commander-in-Chief, who received them with his usual courtesy.
+
+Lord Roberts, telegraphing home in the afternoon, thus described the
+day's work:--
+
+    "OSFONTEIN, _March 7_ (4.30 P.M.).
+
+     "March 7.--Our operations to-day promise to be a great success.
+
+     "The enemy occupied a position four miles north and eleven
+     miles south of Modder River.
+
+     "I placed Colvile's division on north bank; Kelly-Kenny's and
+     Tucker's, with cavalry division, on south bank.
+
+     "The cavalry division succeeded in turning the left flank,
+     opening the road for 6th Division, which is advancing without
+     having been obliged to fire a shot up to present time (twelve
+     noon).
+
+     "Enemy are in full retreat toward north and east, being closely
+     followed by cavalry, horse-artillery, and mounted infantry,
+     while the 7th (Tucker's) and 9th (Colvile's) divisions, and
+     Guards Brigade, under Pole-Carew, are making their way across
+     the river at Poplar's Drift, where I propose to place my
+     headquarters this evening."
+
+Later on the Commander-in-Chief wired from the said headquarters:--
+
+    "POPLAR GROVE, _March 7_ (7.35 P.M.).
+
+     "We have had a very successful day and completely routed the
+     enemy, who are in full retreat.
+
+     "The position they occupied was extremely strong, and cunningly
+     arranged with a second line of entrenchments, which would have
+     caused us heavy loss had a direct attack been made.
+
+     "The turning movement was necessarily wide owing to the nature
+     of the ground, and the cavalry and horse-artillery horses are
+     much done up.
+
+     "The fighting was practically confined to the cavalry division,
+     which, as usual, did exceedingly well, and French reports that
+     the horse-artillery batteries did a great deal of execution
+     amongst the enemy.
+
+     "Our casualties number about fifty.
+
+     "I regret to say that Lieutenant Keswick, 12th Lancers, was
+     killed, and Lieutenant Bailey, of the same regiment, severely
+     wounded. Lieutenant De Crespigny, 2nd Life Guards, also
+     severely wounded."
+
+Though the state of the cavalry was deplorable, it was thanks to the
+splendid execution of General French that the Boers showed so little
+fight, and there were so few casualties. The enemy saw the cavalry
+menacing their line of retreat, and pelted off from kopje to kopje, now
+and then sniping at the leading squadrons, and occasionally plumping a
+shell or two into the British midst. With the Dutchmen, Presidents Steyn
+and Kruger were said to be, and these worthies made a desperate attempt to
+rally the forces, but without success. Some say they even shed tears to
+encourage their countrymen, which tears had evidently a damping effect,
+for the Boers--some 14,000 of them--retreated all the faster. They were
+absolutely demoralised by Lord Roberts' tactics, and felt seriously
+injured that the trenches which had been prepared against a frontal attack
+should have been ignored. They had been so accustomed to be attacked in
+front that they began to look upon the Commander-in-Chief's "roundabout
+way of doing things" as distinctly unfair. They took themselves off, and
+when General French, who advanced ten miles ahead of the main body,
+scoured the front, he reported that not a Boer was to be seen. A vast
+amount of ammunition was left behind, and this, including several boxes of
+explosive bullets, labelled "Manufactured for the British Government," was
+promptly destroyed.
+
+Good news now arrived. The A and B squadrons of Kitchener's Horse,
+reported missing, suddenly returned to camp at Paardeberg. They, with E
+squadron, were cut off on the 13th of February, and given up for lost.
+Though E squadron was captured by the enemy, A and B squadrons succeeded
+in escaping, and, after losing their bearings on the veldt, and
+enduring three weeks' somewhat unpleasant experiences, found their way
+into safety.
+
+Quantities of the Transvaalers disbanded and returned to their farms. In
+other quarters, too, progress was announced. General Gatacre occupied
+Burghersdorp and General Clements had reached Norval's Pont, and thus
+the sporadic rebellion in Cape Colony was slowly beginning to die out.
+
+The army advanced and formed a fresh camp beyond Poplar Grove, where on
+the 8th and 9th more of the troops concentrated. The force was now
+moving through a fine grassy country, made additionally green and
+refreshing by plentiful rains, and the horses were improving in
+condition and spirits, while the men were in first-rate fettle.
+
+On the 10th of March the army proceeded onwards. By this time the Boers
+had posted themselves on the kopjes eight miles south of Abraham's
+Drift. It was imagined that they would be able to offer little
+resistance to the advancing force, but they, however, made a very
+determined stand.
+
+
+THE FIGHT AT DRIEFONTEIN
+
+On leaving Poplar Grove, Lord Roberts' force, rearranged and divided
+into three, advanced on Bloemfontein _via_ Driefontein, a place about
+six miles south-west of Abraham's Kraal and some forty miles from the
+capital of the Free State. Along the Petrusberg Road, to the right,
+moved General Tucker's division, with the Gordons and a cavalry brigade.
+The central column, composed of General Colvile's division, the Guards
+Brigade (General Pole-Carew), and Colonel Broadwood's brigade of
+cavalry, accompanied Lord Roberts, while on the left, advancing along
+the Modder River, was General French with Colonel Porter's cavalry
+brigade and General Kelly-Kenny's division. The ranks had been filled up
+by detachments from the Modder and Kimberley, which latter place had
+been converted into the advanced depot. Among the additional troops were
+the Ceylon Mounted Rifles, a soldierly lot and much admired by those who
+saw them. At 10 A.M. the brigade of cavalry under Colonel Broadwood,
+which was marching in advance of the central column, came in touch with
+the enemy. Their position was a strong one, an open, crescent-shaped
+group of kopjes, with the centre a plateau, dropping on all sides to
+flat ground. At the extreme end of the semicircle (on the crescent at
+the north-east) was posted a formidable gun, and this weapon, perched on
+a commanding kopje at Abraham's Kraal, protected the position from
+advance from the north-west. It also provided the Republicans with a
+loophole for escape. Colonel Broadwood had no sooner discovered the
+enemy in his snake-shaped array of kopjes than he commenced to shell
+him and drive him forth from the lower projections of the position. That
+done, he there planted his mounted infantry till reinforcements should
+come to his aid.
+
+[Illustration: DIRECTING AN ARMY FROM A MILITARY BALLOON.]
+
+On the right Colonel Porter had now come in contact with the foe.
+General French's orders were to avoid imbroglio with the enemy and to
+keep in touch with the centre. On a message being sent by Colonel Porter
+to inform General French of the presence of the Dutchmen, the infantry
+division changed its course. They now marched twenty miles to the south,
+reaching the position about one o'clock. The march was an achievement.
+Twenty miles across the blistering, blinding veldt, as a commencement to
+a fighting day six hours in length, was a feat of endurance of which the
+infantry division might well have been proud. The change of course had
+the effect of avoiding the necessity to attack Abraham's Kraal, though
+at the same time it unfortunately left open the enemy's line of retreat
+to the north, which, later on, he was not slow to make use of. With the
+arrival of General French's force, Colonel Broadwood was free to
+continue his movement to the left of the enemy's position, and working
+round it, found himself assailed by the 9-pounder of the enemy. He
+nevertheless pursued his course, gaining ground very slowly but surely,
+and by nightfall the brigade of cavalry had worked eight miles to the
+rear of the Dutchmen's position. This flanking movement, though not
+concluded at dusk, resulted in the eventual retirement of the enemy.
+
+Meanwhile in the centre of the plateau hot fighting was taking place,
+General Kelly-Kenny's division having made a bold attack on the north of
+the stronghold, whence the troops were greeted from behind a screen of
+boulders with a storm of shot and shell. The Dutchmen, safe and
+invisible, could not, however, succeed in arresting the dogged advance
+of the Welsh Regiment, who formed the first line of the attacking force.
+They went on and on despite the fierce fusillade of the Federals, their
+numbers growing momentarily thinner, but their nerve and perseverance
+showing no diminution. The Boers, ingenious as ever, offered a skilful
+and stubborn resistance, pouring a heavy enfilading fire from kopjes
+both east and south-west, while they plied two 12-pounders with intense
+vigour.
+
+From the south now came the artillery, T Battery R.H.A. sweeping the way
+for the infantry advance. But they had no easy task. Before they could
+get into action the Vickers-Maxim of the Federals commenced its deadly
+activities, and while the gunners were unlimbering killed first one man
+then another, and laid low several horses. But the brave artillerymen
+undauntedly pursued their work, and presently, with the loss of very few
+minutes, exchanged hearty greetings with the weapon which had wrought
+such havoc among their numbers. At this time U Battery, at the north of
+the Boer centre, was active, but later on, when the 76th Field Battery
+moved towards the enemy with a view to clearing a way for the rush of
+the infantry, U Battery joined T, and together they blazed away at the
+ridges held by the Dutchmen. But throughout the whole period they
+pursued their work under showers which unceasingly rained down from the
+rifles of the foe. Meanwhile the Welsh Regiment, supported by the Essex
+and Gloucesters, moved on and on till they reached the shelter of the
+crest of the ridge. Here, at 500 yards range, a crackling concert of
+musketry was heard, the Boers firing with great ferocity and
+stubbornness, the British with coolness and accuracy. From the centre of
+the position the Yorks, supported by the Buffs, did magnificent work,
+and they, together with the Essex Regiment, later on in the afternoon
+began doggedly to ascend towards the stone sangars of the enemy, which
+yet vomited forks of flame.
+
+Now they crawled and now they wormed themselves along through the grass,
+dripping with gore and covered with sweat, many of their officers gone,
+comrades dropping to right and to left of them, while the fire of the
+enemy continued to rattle down in their midst. Then, as the fusillade
+slackened, they leapt up and made for the ridge, taking it, going over
+the crest with glittering steel and ringing cheer, and finding not one
+single Boer had awaited their coming. The Dutchmen had vanished into
+thin air! It was a magnificent deed--the finest that had been witnessed
+for a long time--but it was dearly paid for. The way was paved to
+Bloemfontein, but with the corpses of the honoured dead. The brunt of
+the fighting fell on the Sixth Division, more particularly on the Welsh
+and Essex Regiments, the Ninth Division, with the Guards, arriving too
+late in the day to take part in the fight. A great number of officers
+were put out of action--so many, indeed, that some of the leading
+companies were led, and admirably led, by their colour-sergeants. A
+characteristic feature of the engagement was the Dutchmen's slim and
+ingenious mode of firing a big gun from amid a group of red houses, each
+floating a white flag, an arrangement which served to cover the
+retirement of the enemy, and on the success of which he doubtless
+complimented himself not a little.
+
+[Illustration: SERGEANT OF THE INNISKILLING DRAGOONS.
+
+Photo by Gregory & Co., London.]
+
+At dusk a splendid sight was visible. In the last glimmer of day Lord
+Roberts and his staff entered the central plateau, followed by degrees
+by all the troops--an imposing force, which evidently determined the
+Boers in their resolution to make themselves scarce. This they did, guns
+included, with really creditable and surprising rapidity. They were much
+disheartened by defeat, however, and though they had offered most
+stubborn resistance, the character of their defence was lacking in
+evidence of the determination which had hitherto been noticeable. Among
+the mortally wounded was the gallant officer commanding the Royal
+Australian Artillery, Colonel Umphelby.[3] The Boers lost over 100, but
+the list of our own killed and wounded was a long one. Amongst the
+killed were:--Captain Eustace, the Buffs; Lieutenant Parsons and Second
+Lieutenant Coddington, Essex Regiment; Captain Lomax, Welsh Regiment;
+Mr. McKartie, a retired Indian civilian attached to Kitchener's Horse.
+Wounded--Colonel Hickson, the Buffs, Lieutenant Ronald, the Buffs;
+Captain Jordan, Gloucesters; Second Lieutenant Torkington, Welsh
+Regiment; Second Lieutenant Pope, Welsh Regiment; Second Lieutenant
+Wimberley, Welsh Regiment; Captain Broadmead, Essex Regiment; Lieutenant
+Devenish, Royal Field Artillery; Major Waite, Royal Army Medical Corps;
+Lieutenant Berne, Royal Army Medical Corps; Colonel Umphelby, Royal
+Australian Artillery (since dead); Lieutenant C. Berkeley and Second
+Lieutenant Lloyd, Welsh Regiment; Second Lieutenant G. H. Raleigh, Essex
+Regiment.
+
+The Australians came in for a heavy share of the fighting. The 1st
+Australian Horse, brigaded with the Scots Greys, were fiercely fired on
+by the enemy as they advanced to within 800 yards of the wide bend of
+kopjes. The New South Wales Mounted Infantry, under Colonel Knight, and
+the Mounted Rifles, under Captain Antill, engaged in animated pursuit of
+the enemy as they fled towards the north, their fleet horses showing a
+marked contrast in condition to the jaded steeds of the English cavalry.
+
+Lord Roberts expressed his satisfaction at the brilliant work performed
+by the Welsh Regiment in the storming of Alexander Kopje, a feat in
+which they displayed consummate skill as well as amazing pluck. Some
+heroic actions took place during the day, particularly in connection
+with the supply of ammunition, which ran short owing to the necessity of
+relieving the infantry for their heavy march, of fifty rounds apiece.
+Some dastardly ones were also practised by the Boers, who, finding
+themselves in a perilous situation, the artillery in front and a
+squadron of mounted infantry hovering on their flank, hoisted a white
+flag and threw up their hands in token of surrender. Naturally the
+British accepted the sign, and, while they were approaching the
+Dutchmen, some others of their number hastened to pour a volley into the
+British ranks. Lord Roberts himself having been a witness of this
+treacherous act, remonstrated with the Boer leaders, and ordered that in
+future if such action were repeated the white flag should be utterly
+disregarded. The following protest was made by the Commander-in-Chief:--
+
+     "To their Honours the State Presidents of the Orange Free State
+     and South African Republic.
+
+     "Another instance having occurred of a gross abuse of the white
+     flag, and of the signal of holding up the hands in token of
+     surrender, it is my duty to inform your Honours that if such
+     abuse occurs again, I shall most reluctantly be compelled to
+     order my troops to disregard the white flag entirely.
+
+     "The instance occurred on the kopje east of Driefontein Farm
+     yesterday evening, and was witnessed by several of my own
+     staff-officers as well as by myself, and resulted in the
+     wounding of several of my officers and men.
+
+     "A large quantity of explosive bullets of three different kinds
+     was found in Cronje's laager, and after every engagement with
+     your Honours' troops.
+
+     "Such breaches of the recognised usages of war and of the
+     Geneva Convention are a disgrace to any civilised Power.
+
+     "A copy of this telegram has been sent to my Government, with a
+     request that it may be communicated to all neutral Powers."
+
+The Boers had now entirely disappeared. It was nevertheless hinted that
+they might be collecting in some new and unexpected region. The column,
+however, resumed its victorious march, proceeding twelve miles without
+coming upon the enemy. The beating of yesterday had produced a good
+effect, for the Dutchmen kept their distance, though in the kopjes all
+along the direct road to Bloemfontein, which lay due east, they were
+said to be swarming. It was also reported that Transvaalers and Free
+Staters had fallen out, and that the former, under Joubert, were
+determined to make a stand behind a magnificent entrenchment that they
+had built. The advance was supposed to come from the west, and
+consequently the Boer line of entrenchments extended some six or eight
+miles from the town facing towards Bam's Vlei. There were shelter
+trenches, made not on the kopjes, but about a hundred yards out on the
+plain beneath. They used sandbags, and had gun epaulements besides. In
+addition to all this, they had made sangars and piles of stones on the
+kopjes. Unfortunately for them, our troops made a cunning detour, which
+again dislocated the Dutchmen's programme, and forced them in their
+mountain fastnesses to sit inactive, while the cavalry was wheeling
+south to the outskirts of Bloemfontein! Here there were no
+fortifications and very few Boers.
+
+Mr. Steyn now secretly left Bloemfontein for Kroonstad, as, in spite of
+Mr. Kruger's representations, it had been decided to surrender the
+capital of the Free State. Lord Roberts, who had sent in a formal demand
+for surrender, received no reply. General Joubert made preparations,
+with some 3000 men, to avert the surrender, but his approach, veritably
+at the eleventh hour, was barred by the clever manoeuvres of the
+British. This splendid piece of work was executed by Major
+Hunter-Weston, R.E. He was sent by General French to cut the railway
+north of Bloemfontein, and thus preclude any chance of Boer interruption
+to the triumphal progress into the town. In the dead of night the Major,
+with seven men of the field-troop, all mounted on picked horses (a
+precaution that was very necessary considering the hard work done by the
+troops both before and after the relief of Kimberley), started on their
+hazardous expedition. Darkness cramped, though it cloaked their
+movements, and the ground over which they sped was seamed with dongas
+and many impediments; and, moreover, a wide sweep had to be made to
+avoid Boer pickets. Before the peep o' day they reached their
+destination. Then they began to search for a place suitable for
+demolition. They came on a culvert supported with iron girders, one of
+which was hastily but cautiously prepared by placing two 10-lb. charges
+of gun-cotton against the web, which was fired within twenty minutes.
+Then, with a detonation that seemed to shake the day into dawning, the
+line was completely wrecked and rendered impassable, and Joubert, whose
+"special" was timed to arrive at Bloemfontein at 8.10 A.M., lost his
+last chance of interfering with the proceedings! This in itself was an
+excellent _coup_, and particularly serviceable, since it secured to the
+British the use of twenty-six locomotives at a time when they were much
+needed.
+
+General French had also seized and destroyed some portions of the
+railway south of Bloemfontein. His headquarters were made at the house
+of Mr. Steyn's brother--who had tried unsuccessfully to get away, and
+was forced to remain at his farm--while the troops were now posted at
+different points outside the town, and were, in comparison with their
+former state, in clover.
+
+Early on the 13th the 1st Cavalry Brigade moved slowly towards some
+kopjes to the east of Bloemfontein and occupied them. All knew the great
+day was come when Lord Roberts with Kelly-Kenny's and Colvile's
+divisions, the Guards Brigade, and the Mounted Infantry would be
+presently marching into the Free State capital. Whereupon the
+adventurous journalist, determined there should be no pie without the
+impress of his finger, put his best leg foremost and decided to lead the
+way. The correspondents of the _Sydney Herald_, the _Daily News_, and
+the _Daily Telegraph_ were seen like madmen spurring over the plain.
+There was ten to one on the favourite, the Burleigh veteran, and the
+Colonial was only backed for a place, yet he it was who won! They were
+received in the Market Square with beams. There was a shade of relief
+even on the most surly countenances. Mr. Fraser, a member of the
+Executive, the Mayor of Bloemfontein, and others, "bigwigs of B.," as
+somebody called them, came out and did the honours. These gentlemen were
+invited to take carriages out to welcome the British force,
+which--diplomacy being the better part of hostility--they accordingly
+did. In starting they encountered the first of the British victors,
+Lieutenant Chester-Master, with three of Remington's scouts. At last
+they came to the Chief's halting-place, and the surrender of the town
+was made known. The mediaeval ceremony of delivering up the keys of
+Parliament and Presidency was gone through. Formalities over, Lord
+Roberts made the gracious assurance that, provided no opposition was
+offered, the lives and properties of the Bloemfontein public were safe
+in his hands. Having notified his intention to enter the capital in
+state, the Mayor, Landrost, and others departed to acquaint the
+townspeople.
+
+
+AT BLOEMFONTEIN
+
+Bloemfontein! A name of milk and honey, of flowers and dew! Every vowel
+breathed of pastoral simplicity, of luscious grasses and lowing kine, of
+gambolling game and purling stream. A name for a poet to conjure with! a
+talisman to awaken the mellow music of a Herrick and recall the soul of
+Walton to benevolent rejoicings in the "sights and sounds of the open
+landscape." Unfortunately, the mellifluous name was not derived from the
+German for flowers or from the melody of fountains. It owed its origin
+to a Boer peasant who stood godfather to the hamlet and also to an
+adjacent stream. Here in other days the innocent Voertrekker unpacked
+his waggons and set out his little farmstead, choosing green rising
+ground, an oasis in the sandy veldt, and the neighbourhood of a
+refreshing rivulet for comfort's sake, and not because he foresaw that
+in fifty years this spot would be the central scene in one of the
+largest dramas of the world! In the year 1845 the Union Jack first waved
+its protective folds over the homestead. At that period it was converted
+into the official abode of a British Resident, and from that time, with
+an expansion which was truly British, the tiny village developed till it
+became a town, and finally passed over, through British apathy and
+dislike for responsibility, to the hands of the Free Staters. And there
+it might and would have remained had not President Steyn, who owed us no
+grudge, and with whom we were on the best of terms, decided to put his
+finger in the diplomatic pie, in the hope that some of the plums would
+fall to his share. Thus, in his greed for power and his contempt for the
+British, he embroiled his country, and being unable to defend his
+capital, was forced to scurry off to his birthplace, Winburg, some miles
+to the east, where, with the assistance of his foreign mercenaries, he
+yet hoped to save himself from the consequences of his ill-advised
+interference. So it came to pass that on the 13th of March 1900,
+thirty-nine days after the commencement of his great march, Lord
+Roberts, with the magnificent British army in his wake, moved unopposed
+towards the capital of the Free State.
+
+[Illustration: THE FORMAL SURRENDER OF BLOEMFONTEIN.
+
+Drawing by J. Finnemore, from a Sketch by W. B. Wollen, R.I.]
+
+The entry into the town was an imposing spectacle. The Mayor, Dr.
+Kellner, the Landrost, Mr. Papenfus, and Mr. Fraser, as we know, had
+driven out in a cart to meet Lord Roberts, and four miles outside the
+town the keys of the town were given up. Then the Field-Marshal, the
+most simply dressed man in his whole army, appeared at the head of a
+cavalcade a mile long. He was followed by his military secretary, his
+aides-de-camp, the general officers on his staff with their respective
+staffs. Then came the foreign attaches, some war-correspondents, and
+Lord Roberts' Indian servants, who contributed a warm note of colour
+to the sombre files of kharki. After this came a serpentine train of
+cavalry and guns, which entered the city at one o'clock. It was the most
+wonderful military display that has been seen for years. A gigantic
+army--not a peace but a war army, not the crude army of Salisbury Plain
+but the perfected article, the army minus its raw recruits and plus its
+trained reserves, which owed its magnificent development to the man whom
+Lord Wolseley has called "the greatest War Minister we ever had."
+Looking at the splendid physique of the warrior multitude, it was
+impossible for military men, even those who had criticised most severely
+the short service system, to deny that to-day the triumph of Lord
+Cardwell's principle was complete!
+
+The crowds collected from far and wide, all business was suspended, and
+knots and cliques gathered together to witness the procession moving up
+the slopes towards the town itself. Cheer after cheer rang through the
+air, kerchiefs waved and blessings were prayed for, as the procession
+marched through the collected crowd and on into the market square. Lord
+Roberts then went to the Government Buildings, and took formal
+possession in the name of the sovereign. There was renewed cheering and
+singing of "God save the Queen," when, half-an-hour later, at twenty
+minutes to two, a small silken Union Jack, specially worked by Lady
+Roberts, was seen floating over the town.
+
+The day passed without notable incident. A public holiday was observed,
+and the kharki-clad crowds rejoiced themselves by singing "Tommy Atkins"
+and feasting right royally. They were quite undisturbed by the scarcely
+complimentary remarks of the Burghers, who compared them in number and
+colour and appetite to a swarm of locusts!
+
+Mr. Steyn's brother, who, it may be remembered, had failed to get away
+with his belongings in time, remained discreetly at his farm, where he
+entertained General French, and subsequently Lord Roberts. One of the
+curious features of the entry into the capital of the Free State was the
+extraordinary welcome given by the inhabitants to the conquerors.
+Regiment after regiment filed past to the tune of hearty cheers, and
+surprised pleasure at the orderly and humane entry of the enemy was
+visible on every face. While the public offices were taken over by Lord
+Roberts' staff, the banks were visited by Colonel Richardson. This
+officer was accounted one of the heroes of the hour, for sufficient
+praise could not be given to the achievements of the Army Corps or to
+Colonel Richardson, whose task of provisioning, foraging, and
+transporting 40,000 men and 18,000 horses savoured of the labours of
+Hercules. There were quibblers, of course; but, practically considered,
+all had gone off without a hitch, and the whole arrangements moved, as
+the phrase is, "on greased wheels," the influence over all of the
+beloved "Bobs" having been simply magical.
+
+The next day Lord Roberts inspected the Guards Brigade, complimented
+them on their splendid march, and expressed his regret that through a
+mistake he had been unable to enter Bloemfontein at the head of the
+Brigade. He consoled them by saying, "I will lead you into Pretoria!" In
+these gracious words the troops were rewarded for their disappointment,
+for the Chief, though he had promised them to lead them into the town,
+had finally decided that it was expedient to enter the capital without
+waiting for the infantry.
+
+The Guards Brigade had made a magnificent march of thirty-eight miles in
+twenty-eight hours, taking from 3 P.M. on the 12th to 1 P.M. on the
+13th, with an interval of only two and a half hours for sleep. Yet, in
+spite of this, and of having been in some of the toughest fights of the
+campaign, they were cheery and elated. One of their number (the Scots
+Guards) described their arrival:--"We waited three hours outside
+Bloemfontein for Lord Roberts, as we were told that the
+Commander-in-Chief wished to ride at the head of the Guards Brigade into
+the town. But he did not come, and our Colonel got orders to go in on
+his own. Our reception in Bloemfontein would have surprised you. It was
+quite funny in its way--not in the least like entering an enemy's town.
+The people simply came forth and cheered us as friends. A small group of
+nuns who came out to meet us wished us 'Good evening,' and said we were
+very welcome. To myself, as an Aberdonian, it was very home-like to pass
+by a shop with the inscription, 'Bon-Accord Restaurant.' The proprietor
+was standing at the door shouting himself hoarse. I was not surprised
+afterwards to learn that he was a pure Aberdonian. We camped outside the
+town, and next day Lord Roberts reviewed the Guards Brigade. His
+Lordship made a short speech, in which he complimented us on our rapid
+march, and said he was sorry he had not been able to lead us into
+Bloemfontein. 'But,' said his Lordship, 'I hope to be at your head when
+we go into Pretoria.' We all gave three very hearty cheers for the
+Commander-in-Chief, who has always been the soldier's friend. We would
+follow him anywhere."
+
+To return to the closing events of the momentous 13th. At 8 P.M. a
+telegram was sent home describing with simple brevity the entry into the
+capital:--"From Lord Roberts to the Secretary for War.--Bloemfontein,
+March 13, 8 P.M.--By the help of God and by the bravery of Her
+Majesty's soldiers, the troops under my command have taken possession of
+Bloemfontein. The British flag now flies over the Presidency, vacated
+last evening by Mr. Steyn, late President of the Orange Free State."
+
+An army order was issued on the 14th, in which the Chief said:--
+
+     "On February 12 this force crossed the boundary of the Free
+     State; three days later Kimberley was relieved; on the
+     fifteenth day the bulk of the Boer army under one of its most
+     trusted generals was made prisoner; on the seventeenth day news
+     came of the relief of Ladysmith; and on March 13, twenty-nine
+     days from the commencement of operations, the capital of the
+     Free State was occupied.
+
+     "This is a record of which any army would be proud--a record
+     which could not have been achieved except by earnest,
+     well-disciplined men, determined to do their duty, whatever the
+     difficulties and dangers.
+
+     "Exposed to the extreme heat of the day, bivouacking under
+     heavy rain, marching long distances often on reduced rations,
+     all ranks have displayed an endurance, cheerfulness, and
+     gallantry which is beyond all praise."
+
+Lord Roberts added that he desired especially to refer to the heroic
+spirit with which the wounded had borne their suffering. No word nor
+murmur of complaint had been uttered. The anxiety of all when succour
+came was that their comrades should be attended to first.
+
+So the great march was over--the hurry, the fatigue, the loss of life,
+the perpetual anxieties had brought about the desirable end--and the
+tremendous first act in the historic drama of the century was nearing
+its conclusion. Looking back on the difficulties that had been
+surmounted--the movement of some 40,000 men and 20,000 quadrupeds across
+over 100 miles of mostly dry veldt, where water was scarce and heat
+tropical, and where the enemy lurked in masses in kopje or donga, and
+had to be fought at intervals--the march appeared little short of
+miraculous. Now the curtain was shortly to go up on the first scene of
+the second act, an act which would have for its background the Orange
+River Colony, formerly known as the Orange Free State!
+
+FOOTNOTES:
+
+[3] Lieutenant-Colonel C. E. E. Umphelby, who died of the wounds which he
+received during the fight, was forty-six years of age. He commanded the
+Victorian portion of the Royal Australian Regiment of Artillery. He joined
+the Victorian Militia Garrison Artillery in 1884, and in the following
+year was appointed lieutenant in the Permanent Artillery. He was promoted
+to be captain in 1888, major in 1891, and lieutenant-colonel in 1897. Sent
+to England by the Victorian Government in 1889, he passed through various
+artillery courses, including the long course at Shoeburyness.
+Lieutenant-Colonel Umphelby was attached to the staff of Major-General M.
+Clarke at Aldershot from June to August 1890. See vol. iii., "Victoria."
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER IV
+
+MAFEKING IN FEBRUARY
+
+
+The investment was much less close than formerly. Owing to the
+increasing activity in other parts of the theatre of war, Colonel
+Baden-Powell was relieved of the pressing attentions that were
+previously bestowed on him. Now for the first time he found himself in
+touch with the outer world, for telegraphic communication was restored
+in the direction of Gaberones, about ninety miles north of Mafeking, and
+from thence a bi-weekly service of runners was instituted for the
+conveyance of letters and telegrams, of course at the owners' risk.
+There was delight all round, and "Old Bathing Towel," as contemporary
+Carthusians used irreverently to call him, made haste to rejoice the
+hearts of those at home with a report of his doings.
+
+[Illustration: SLEEPLESS MAFEKING--HOT WORK IN THE TRENCHES.
+
+Drawing by R. Caton Woodville.]
+
+On the 4th of February the etiquette of the Sabbath was broken by an
+accident. The machine-gun at Fort Ayr was fired, and the enemy was not
+slow to reply. Lieutenant Grenfell, unarmed and without a flag of truce,
+pluckily went out to tender apologies for the accident. He was met by
+the Boers, who exchanged for a flask of whisky two copies of the
+_Standard and Diggers' News_, containing glowing accounts of Boer
+victories on the Tugela! It needed more than the contents of the flask
+to correct the dismay occasioned by the lamentable, if exaggerated, news
+of the abandonment of Spion Kop, and the inhabitants could only console
+themselves by remembering what a stupendous and gratuitous liar the Boer
+could be. Luckily for them, they only accepted half of the Dutchmen's
+tales, and had learnt by experience that the art of editing Boer
+journals was dependent on imaginative rather than realistic talent. For
+instance, "one who knew" described the methods of _Volkstem_
+thus:--"When you knew it, something could be extracted. The key to the
+mystery was this: The paper always published the exact opposite of what
+had taken place. For instance, a few days before Cronje's capture it had
+a grand headline--'Cronje the Captor.' And underneath came the
+astounding statement that Cronje had cornered 900 British Lancers on the
+Koodoosrand. Alas! for Cronje and his Lancers! They existed only in the
+editor's fertile imagination." So, notwithstanding the report of
+reverses elsewhere, the large heart of Mafeking was still bent on
+bursting its cramped shell. If antiquated methods of warfare were
+carried on in other parts of South Africa, they were certainly not
+pursued here, for Colonel Baden-Powell was a modern of the moderns. The
+secrets of the enemy's tactics were at his fingers' ends, and where
+science failed to match them resource came in. He knew how to make
+dynamite spit and scream and threaten; he studied the problem of tension
+and the art of playing on the nerves of his adversary, and Cronje's
+remark, "Not men, but devils," made as that redoubtable one shook the
+dust of Mafeking off his shoes, must have been the dearest compliment
+the Colonel's heart could crave. The Colonel, in a despatch forwarded to
+Colonel Nicholson--an officer who, with a small column and armoured
+train, held Mangwe, Palapye, and other places on the rail--dated
+February 12, described his activities:--
+
+    "MAFEKING, _February 12_.
+
+     "On the 3rd inst. our Nordenfeldt was chiefly occupied in
+     preventing the enemy from completing their new work on the
+     northern slope of the south-eastern heights. Assistance was
+     rendered by our seven-pounder, emplaced in the bush to the east
+     of Cannon Kopje. The enemy's siege-gun replied vigorously.
+     During that night the enemy were nervous and restless, and kept
+     firing volleys at our working parties, being apparently
+     apprehensive of attack. Their firing continued until dawn, when
+     the work in our trenches ceased.
+
+     "There was a curious incident at Fort Ayr that Sunday. Our
+     machine-gun there was fired accidentally, and the enemy
+     replied. Lieutenant Grenfell went out and apologised for the
+     accident. Though the gun had been fired and the enemy had
+     replied, he did not take a flag of truce with him. The Boers
+     met him, and exchanged two copies of the _Standard and Diggers'
+     News_ for a flask of whisky.
+
+     "On Monday, the 5th, irregular shelling continued all day. In
+     the evening heavy rains fell, but the enemy kept up the
+     bombardment till midnight, firing a new incendiary shell,
+     which, however, failed to take effect.
+
+     "On the 7th there was a desultory bombardment, and the
+     sharpshooters were busy. On the 8th the enemy's siege-gun fired
+     one shell only.
+
+     "On the 11th the enemy were quiet, being engaged in fortifying
+     their big gun emplacement, and generally preparing to resist
+     attack from outside. A good deal of night-firing was exchanged
+     between our outlying positions and those of the enemy, volleys
+     being fired at short ranges.
+
+     "Next day the enemy were fairly quiet. Mr. Dall, a well-known
+     citizen, was killed, and two Cape boys were wounded, while two
+     natives in the town were killed and some four wounded."
+
+The circumstances of Mr. Dall's death were deeply tragic, for his wife,
+who was in the women's laager at the time, on hearing of the news was
+half-distracted by the shock. Owing to the grievous affair the dance
+that was to have taken place was postponed to the following day.
+
+[Illustration: FACSIMILE OF ISSUE OF 25TH JANUARY 1900 OF THE _Mafeking
+Mail_.]
+
+Colonel Baden-Powell issued an order which broke to the besieged the
+information that the Commander-in-Chief had requested them to hold on
+till May. Hearts dropped to zero! If properly conserved, it was believed
+that provisions might be eked out till the Queen's birthday, but the
+quality of the fare was bad enough without consideration of the
+quantity. The men were tough, they were game for anything; but the
+women--helpless, worn, unnerved, surrounded by children, and limited to
+the confines of an insanitary laager--they made an additional tangle to
+the already knotty situation. The townsfolk going to the posts in the
+trenches, with their own lives in their hands, had upon them the burden
+of thought for those, their weaklier belongings, who were waning with
+anxiety and disease--waning many of them into their graves. Still the
+garrison grumbled little. It set out as Sabbath decoration for the forts
+and trenches some smart Union Jacks which had been worked by the ladies
+in the town, and the dauntless ones engaged in a concert, the programme
+of which was vastly appreciated. Here "B.-P.'s" well-known talents came
+in handy, for he played the Chevalier of the entertainment and displayed
+all the versatility of that renowned performer. From the aesthetic
+Paderewski (with his hair on) to a Whitechapel Coster is a good jump,
+but the gallant Colonel, who had so long impersonated Job to order of
+the British Government, was not to be defeated by minor representations,
+however various. After this joviality a ball was attempted, but alas!
+with sorry success. Before the gaily attired guests were well under way
+the uproar of Maxims and Mausers had begun. They tried to dance. It
+would have been a case of Nero fiddling while Rome was burning. A staff
+officer arrived ordering all to fall in. Soon there was a general
+stampede, officers fled to their posts, orderlies rushed off to sound
+the alarm, the galloping Maxim tore through the blue obscurity from the
+western outposts to the town; the Bechuanaland Rifles and the
+Protectorate Regiment hurried to the brickfields, the Cape Police made
+for the eastern advance posts, while the ladies, charming, disconsolate,
+hied them precipitately to places of refuge. There, in the lambent beams
+of the moon, were seen excited shadows, all either rushing to their
+bomb-proof shelters or scudding to the sniping posts of the river.
+Showers of bullets flecked the sapphire air, and the exquisite serene
+night was changed into a long, wakeful, quaking anguish. The Boers kept
+up their firing operations throughout the small hours, but at dawn, when
+they received a _quid pro quo_ from the British quarter, they deemed it
+best to subdue their ardour for a brief space. Rest was short-lived. On
+the 13th the gunners again made themselves offensive by endeavouring to
+hit the flour-mill, and they succeeded in their efforts, though
+fortunately without destroying it. They pursued their murderous
+industries throughout the day, pouring bullets on any one who dared to
+show a nose in the open, and about noon succeeded in seriously wounding
+Captain Girdwood, who was returning to luncheon on his bicycle.
+
+The unfortunate officer--one of the most popular fellows and as gallant
+as he was jolly--never rallied after receiving the fatal wound and died
+on the following day. In the evening he was buried. The solemn rite was
+conducted with simplicity under the mild moonbeams which silvered the
+gloomy scene and softened the rigid faces of the bronzed warriors who
+hung in melancholy regret round the open grave.
+
+The Boers sometimes endeavoured to affect jocosity. From the advanced
+trench, which was some hundred and ten yards from the besiegers' main
+trench, their voices could be heard travelling on the breeze. The
+prelude to their attacks began not seldom with "Here's a good morning to
+you, Mafeking," or other remarks of cheery or personal nature. Then
+rattle, rattle, and one of the British band would drop. On one of these
+occasions an amusing if tragic ruse was perpetrated. The Boers were
+known to be fond of music, and some one of the tormented hit on the
+happy idea of performing for the benefit of the hostile audience. The
+savage breast was soothed. The Boers were "drawn." They stopped to
+listen. Enraptured, they advanced nearer, nearer. Finally, two
+enthusiastic, inquisitive heads protruded from cover--protruded never to
+protrude again!
+
+The Boers soon began to try the expedient of attacking Mafeking by
+proxy. Assaults were made, or rather attempted, by a mongrel force,
+composed largely of mercenaries--Germans, Scandinavians, Frenchmen, and
+renegade Irish (probably "returned empties" from the gallant Emerald
+Isle), ne'er-do-weel's, who felt it necessary at times to do something
+for their living. These were assisted by natives, who were pressed into
+their service to make a convenient padding for their front in advance,
+for their rear in retreat, as they took good care to save their own
+hides when retirement was obligatory.
+
+Fortunately their artillery practice, which was patiently kept up, was
+very inferior, otherwise Mafeking would soon have been in ruins. On one
+afternoon the enemy plied his siege-gun and another gun with great
+vigour. Out of eight rounds one shot besprinkled two of the besieged
+with dust; a 5-pounder gun from one quarter and a 1-pounder Maxim from
+another filled the air with deplorable detonations for two whole hours,
+yet happily no life was lost. To this hot fire the inhabitants replied
+only with their rifles. It was wonderful in what good stead their rifles
+had stood them, and it was thanks to them, and not to the Government,
+that the town had been saved at all.
+
+The difficulties both at Kimberley and Mafeking were the result of the
+obstructive policy adopted by the Colonial Government before the
+outbreak of hostilities. While the storm-cloud hung on the horizon,
+Kimberley had appealed to Mr. Schreiner for permission to send up from
+Port Elizabeth Maxims which had been ordered by the De Beers Company,
+and the licence was refused on the ground that there was no necessity to
+strengthen the defences of the town. The appeals from Mafeking were
+treated in much the same way, the authorities at the Cape suggesting
+that there was no reason to believe that the situation demanded extra
+precautions!
+
+Ingenuity and pluck had been the backbone of British defence, not
+British guns. An ordnance factory was established, and excellent shells
+were cast, and even powder manufactured. Thus the alarm lest ammunition
+should run out before the arrival of relief was allayed. The great
+ambition of the garrison was to complete a 51/2-inch howitzer, and throw
+"home-made shells from a home-made gun with home-made powder."
+
+Major Baillie described with some pride the self-contained nature of the
+community: "We have our bank, our ordnance factory, and our police; and
+we flourish under a beneficent and remote autocracy. And now, as regards
+the ordnance factory, it was started for the manufacture of shells for
+our 7-pounder, for shot, brass and iron, for our antique cannon, and for
+the adaptation of 5-pounder shells (left here by Dr. Jameson) to our
+7-pounders by the addition of enlarged driving-bands. These have all
+proved a complete success, and too much praise cannot be given to
+Connely and Cloughlan of the Locomotive Department, who have organised
+and run the factory. As great a triumph has been the manufacture of
+powder and the invention of fuses by Lieutenant Daniels, British South
+Africa Police and the Glamorgan Artillery Militia, which render us
+secure against running short of ammunition. A gun also is being
+manufactured, and will shortly be used. This factory is of long
+standing, but the authorities had not allowed us to allude to its
+existence."
+
+Other manufactures, too, were commenced, for manufacture it must be
+called--the art of making the poor skeletons, at one time known as
+horses, into succulent meat. Some declared that the number of cats and
+dogs was visibly thinning, but none dared pry too closely into the
+workings of the wonderful machinery that fed them. A number of the
+Protectorate Regiment's horses were slaughtered, and any others that
+were shot by the enemy were passed on to the commissariat.
+
+A soup-kitchen, under the supervision of Captain Wilson, was opened for
+the purpose of supplying some 600 natives with nourishing food, and
+rendering them contented with the vicissitudes of fate. The compound was
+scarcely inviting, and resembled a third-rate haggis. In two great
+boilers scraps of such meat as could be gathered together were simmered
+down, and to this immense stockpot was added various meals, which gave
+the mess the necessary consistency. The natives bought it eagerly at 6d.
+a quart, and really rejoiced in it.
+
+The blacks, indeed, suffered less than the whites. The latter were
+paying a guinea a day for very scant fare, while the Baralongs, who were
+earning from 1s. to 2s. 6d. a day, were able to sustain life on half
+their wages, and save the rest to buy luxuries, a wife possibly, when
+the stress of the siege was over. The young children suffered most of
+all, for malaria and unsuitable food played havoc in the women's laager,
+and the graveyard was filled with small victims to the Imperial cause.
+
+About the middle of the month the Boers became abnormally active, and
+for several days sounds of digging and picking suggested that they were
+throwing out new trenches beyond those they already manned in the region
+of the brickfields. The full significance of the activity was discovered
+by Sergeant-Major Taylor, who--in charge of three pits which formed the
+most advanced post--suddenly espied, some fifty yards in advance of the
+limit of the Boer trenches, a hostile figure! The apparition wore a
+German uniform, and Sergeant-Major Taylor was soon aware that the enemy
+were intending to sap the British position. Colonel Baden-Powell was
+informed of the impending danger, and at night a counter-sap extending
+100 yards was thrown out, from which point it would be possible for the
+besieged to fire on the new work. The tension of the situation was
+extreme. Eighty yards only separated the combatants, and the enemy
+continued to burrow, approaching little by little, while the British
+continued to harass them in their labours by an active fusillade
+whenever a chance presented itself. But the operations continued, and
+every hour brought the Boers nearer. At last a night came when the enemy
+had almost reached his goal, and, moreover, had moved the Creusot gun to
+a position on the south-eastern heights so as to command the entire
+area. With due precaution the defenders tried to occupy the advanced
+posts, but the Boer firing was so correct and persistent that the
+position was rendered untenable. Sergeant-Major Taylor, a splendid
+fellow--who more than once had ventured eavesdropping to the edge of the
+Boer trenches--and four others were mown down in their gallant efforts
+to save the situation. The enemy, satisfied with his exertions in this
+direction, now began to turn his attention to the forts in the rear--a
+bad move, for while the Dutchmen hammered in that region the British
+rapidly seized the occasion to construct a traverse across the mouth of
+the sap. This, of course, was not carried forward without attracting the
+attention of the enemy, who fired fast and furiously. But the task was
+accomplished, after which the Boers and the British, worn out, rested
+from their hostilities. For a day and a night the Boers were in
+occupation of the advanced hole and the sap that had been carried from
+it, but it was soon recaptured, and the connection made with the Boer
+trenches blown up with dynamite.
+
+On the 20th the Protectorate Regiment gave a dinner, which turned out to
+be quite a luxurious repast. Invitations were supplemented by the
+request to bring their own bread! Some of the officers shot a few
+locust-birds, small as quail, which, when carved judiciously, went round
+among the guests. Added to this there was a sucking pig, obtained none
+knew whence, but nevertheless most welcome.
+
+On the 22nd, Sergeant-Major Looney of the Commissariat was sentenced to
+five years penal servitude for the misappropriation of comestibles and
+stores, which had been going on for some time. The Commissariat was
+reorganised by Captain Ryan (Army Service Corps) with untiring energy
+and economy. To the soup-kitchen went everything, scraps of meat, or
+hoof, meal, unsifted oats, bran, all were turned to account, and food of
+a sustaining, if not luxurious kind, was provided for every one. At this
+time the Boers were growing despondent, and began to doubt their chance
+of forcing the town to surrender. From a conversation overheard by some
+wary ones who had crept close to the enemy's trenches, it appeared that
+President Steyn had urged Commandant Snyman to carry the town by storm,
+and afterwards to come to the rescue of the Free Staters with his force,
+but the Burghers had expressed their opinion that it was now too late to
+take Mafeking--they should have done so the first week.
+
+The inhabitants were very pleased with their own ingenuity, and in their
+ordnance workshops the manufacture of shot and shell went on apace. The
+mechanics of the railway works, by a system which seemed to act on the
+lines of a conjuring trick, turned out from the shell-factory about
+fifty rounds a day. No waste was allowed. Even the fragments of the
+enemy's shells were utilised. These and scraps of cast iron were
+purchased at twopence a pound for smelting, and twopence, it must be
+remembered, was now a magnificent disbursement, as money was growing
+more and more scarce. Curiously enough, the present foreman, Conolly,
+was at one time manager of the shell department of the ordnance factory
+at Pretoria, where he personally supervised the manufacture of the
+larger shells. He now necessarily took a parental interest in the shells
+flung into Mafeking by the Boers' Creusot gun, and also in those new
+ones that were flung out of Mafeking as a result of his own and others'
+inventive genius! A good deal of shelling took place, and that on the
+23rd was said to be a salute in honour of Independence Day in the Orange
+Free State. The inhabitants of Mafeking would not have grudged their
+enemies the, to them, distressing attempt at festivity had they then
+known that four days later the death-blow of that independence would be
+struck, and the salute was destined to be the last in the history of the
+Republics!
+
+Fare was growing more and more meagre. Horse-flesh was diversified by
+bread made from horse forage; water, to say the least of it, was
+becoming interesting only to bacteriologists. The native population for
+the most part starved; they now and then indulged in a raid and brought
+back fat fare, which for a day or two had a visible effect upon their
+ebon skeletons, but they brought it at the risk of their lives.
+
+Uninterrupted deluges of rain made existence a perpetual misery, the
+trenches and also the bomb-proof shelters were flooded, and the hapless
+inhabitants, saturated, fled into the open, uncertain whether death by
+fire was not preferable to death by water. The first, at all events,
+promised to be expeditious, while the second offered prospects of
+prolonged sousing and exquisite tortures of enduring rheumatism. Daily
+the state of affairs became less tolerable. Typhoid and malaria stalked
+abroad, and in the children's and women's laager diphtheria had set in.
+
+On the 25th a message was received from the Queen. Its effect was
+electrical. It was vastly heartening to feel and to know that the great
+Sovereign herself knew and sympathised with the history of the struggles
+and privations, the loyalty and pluck of this little hamlet in a remote
+corner of Her Majesty's possessions. It seemed more possible now to
+starve patriotically, and, with every mouthful of nauseating mule or
+horse, to put aside personal discomfort and to remember the gracious
+fact that each individual was a symbol, a sorry and dilapidated one
+perhaps, but nevertheless a symbol of the majesty and might of Greater
+Britain. In addition to the royal message there came two days later the
+stimulating intelligence that Kimberley had been relieved, and that Lord
+Roberts was advancing on Bloemfontein!
+
+On Majuba Day, all made sure that some sort of attack might be expected,
+and they prepared to welcome it with a salute from the new howitzer gun
+which had engaged the genius of the siege arsenal. The Boers, however,
+were quiet. A good deal of psalm-singing took place in the Boer camp,
+while the besieged put the big gun through his paces.
+
+Ash Wednesday was observed without sackcloth and ashes. Mafeking had
+been enjoying Lenten abstinence for months past, and therefore when, at
+the service on the following Sabbath, the parson reminded them that it
+was the fast season, every one in the church enjoyed the joke so hugely
+that smiles were with difficulty suppressed. As one of the congregation
+afterwards suggested, they had had so much "Extra Special" fasting that
+they ought to be let off Lenten obligations for five years.
+
+[Illustration: SOUTH AFRICAN LIGHT HORSE (Trooper).
+
+BRABANT'S HORSE (Trooper).
+
+DUKE OF EDINBURGH'S VOLUNTEER RIFLES (Dispatch Rider).
+
+Photos by J. E. Bruton, Cape Town.]
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER V
+
+AT CHIEVELEY AGAIN
+
+
+On the 8th of February General Buller again retired across the Tugela.
+He realised that his whole flanking movement had been a failure, and
+though the ill-success has been attributed to many causes, we may safely
+say that the main cause of the fiasco was the insufficient rapidity with
+which the scheme was conducted. Napoleon declared that flank marches
+should be as short, and executed in as brief a time, as possible.
+Celerity and concealment in these cases must go hand in hand, and when
+celerity is overlooked concealment becomes impossible. Delay had given
+the Boers the opportunity to shift their positions and produce a new
+front even more powerful than that at Colenso. The General's idea had
+been, after taking Vaal Krantz, to entrench it as the pivot of further
+operations, but the experience of two days' hard fighting taught him
+that, owing to the nature of the ground, and the despatch of the
+Dutchmen, the plan was far from practicable. The position was found to
+be dominated in every direction by the enemy, and unless Vaal Krantz
+could be held securely during the advance to Ladysmith, it was thought
+advisable not to hold it at all. For this reason the Natal Field Force
+returned to Chieveley, the original scene of operations, where the "Red
+Bull," as the Boers called him, with indomitable energy, planned out a
+fourth scheme of attack. It was now to be directed against the Boer
+left. The battle of the 15th of December was mainly directed against the
+Boer right, as there were reasons to believe the right to be the weaker
+of the two flanks. That attack had failed for reasons we know.
+Circumstances having changed, and more guns and men being now at his
+disposal, the General determined to direct his energies to the Boer
+left. The task was a complicated one. Both river and hills twist
+themselves mysteriously, and seemingly in conspiracy with Boer notions
+of defence. For instance, the river after leaving Colenso (which may be
+looked upon as the Boer centre) twists invisibly into the shelter of the
+impregnable kopjes, and takes a direct turn towards the north, thereby
+passing in front of the Boer right and in rear of the Boer left. By
+taking to themselves possession of Hlangwane the enemy had made their
+position almost unassailable. This formidable left ran in a series of
+trenches, sangars, and rifle-pits from Colenso past the thorn-bushes by
+the river, and on to the powerfully fortified hill of Hlangwane. From
+thence it was extended over the ridge called Green Hill, and farther to
+the companion eminences of Cingolo and Monte Cristo, and the nek that
+united them. The first thing, therefore, to be done in a plan for
+turning this formidable position was to take possession of Hussar Hill,
+which was accomplished on the 14th of February, from which day and on
+till the 27th fighting without cessation took place. Some one called it
+the fighting march, for it was a series of ferociously contested moves
+from Chieveley to Hussar Hill, and thence _via_ Cingolo Nek and Monte
+Cristo Ridge till the Boer line had been turned and the British forces
+had placed themselves diagonally across the left of the Boer position.
+Having worked round in a species of hoop, which crumpled the Boer left
+before it, and having deposited men and guns to mark as milestones the
+victorious advance, a frontal advance was soon made on Green Hill, the
+adjacent slope some three miles from Hlangwane, which mountain became,
+as a natural consequence of the foregoing proceedings, a somewhat easy
+prize. The victory at Monte Cristo, which enabled us to acquire Green
+Hill, may be looked upon as the turning of the tide. From the hour that
+commanding point was occupied the future of the relieving army was
+practically secure, for the river was gained, and the Boers once on the
+run, there needed only the fine fighting quality of our troops--the A1
+quality of the world--to bring things to a satisfactory conclusion. But
+now to try to follow this complicated and well-considered march.
+
+On the 12th of February a force of mounted infantry, with a battalion of
+infantry, a field-battery, and a Colt battery, reconnoitred Hussar Hill
+(so called because it was the scene of the surprise to a picket of the
+13th Hussars), a long ridge situated at the south of Hlangwane, where
+General Buller subsequently established his headquarters. The South
+African Light Horse and another Colt battery were treated to some fierce
+volleys by the enemy, with the result that Lieutenant J. Churchill and
+another officer were wounded. Four men were injured and one was missing.
+The fight was a brisk one, though of but half-an-hour's duration, for
+the hill was not strongly held. The troops then moved forwards, winding
+through a series of wooded ridges to the right, till they reached an
+entrenched ridge connecting Hlangwane with higher hills on the east. As
+there were continual increases and changes in regard to the troops, it
+will be found advisable, before going further, to refer to a table of
+the distribution of the forces as far as they were then known:--
+
+     SIR REDVERS BULLER'S FORCE
+
+     SECOND DIVISION.--(Major-General Lyttelton).--2nd (Hildyard's)
+     Brigade--2nd East Surrey; 2nd West Yorks; 2nd Devons; 2nd West
+     Surrey. 4th (Norcott's Brigade)--1st Rifle Brigade; 1st Durham
+     Light Infantry; 3rd King's Royal Rifles; 2nd Scottish Rifles
+     (Cameronians); Squadron 13th Hussars; 7th, 14th, and 66th Field
+     Batteries.
+
+     THIRD DIVISION.--5th (Hart's) Brigade--1st Royal Inniskilling
+     Fusiliers; 1st Connaught Rangers; 2nd Royal Dublin Fusiliers;
+     1st Border. 6th (Barton's) Brigade--2nd Royal Fusiliers; 2nd
+     Royal Scots Fusiliers; 1st Royal Welsh Fusiliers; 2nd Royal
+     Irish Fusiliers; Squadron 13th Hussars; 63rd, 64th, and 73rd
+     Field Batteries.
+
+     FIFTH DIVISION.--(Lieutenant-General Sir Charles Warren).--10th
+     (Coke's) Brigade--2nd Dorset; 2nd Middlesex; 2nd Somerset Light
+     Infantry. 11th (Wynne's) Brigade--2nd Royal Lancaster; 2nd
+     Lancashire Fusiliers; 1st South Lancashire; 1st York and
+     Lancaster; Squadron 13th Hussars; 19th, 20th, and 28th Field
+     Batteries. Corps Troops--1st Royal Dublin Fusiliers; Imperial
+     Light Infantry; Thorneycroft's Mounted Infantry; 61st Field
+     Battery (Howitzers); 78th Field Battery; Natal Battery,
+     9-pounders; twelve Naval 12-pounder quick-firers; 4th Mountain
+     Battery; two 4.7 Naval guns, 1st Cavalry Brigade
+     (Burn-Murdoch)--1st Royal Dragoons; 14th Hussars; Gough's
+     Composite Regiment. 2nd Cavalry Brigade (Dundonald)--Natal
+     Carabineers (squadron); South African Light Horse (four
+     squadrons); Imperial Light Horse (squadron); Natal Police
+     (squadron).
+
+General Lyttelton succeeded General Clery (disabled by blood-poisoning)
+in command of the Second Division, while Colonel Norcott (Rifle Brigade)
+temporarily took command of the Fourth Brigade.
+
+On the 14th the army moved to occupy the new position on Hussar Hill. As
+we know, the irregular cavalry, the South African Horse, had secured the
+position, and some disappointed Boers who had thought to be beforehand
+with them had disappeared with much haste and not a little chagrin.
+After a short time Generals Wynne Coke, and Barton with their respective
+brigades joined Sir Charles Warren's division, and bivouacked on the new
+ground. There was some trouble about water, as Hussar Hill was arid and
+the nearest river was some miles away. However, necessity is the mother
+of invention, and necessity brought to light a system of water-waggons
+by which a small but appreciable amount of water was carried to the
+troops. While this was going on above, General Lyttelton was moving to
+the east of Chieveley round the eastern spur of Hussar Hill.
+
+Here during the afternoon a number of Boers hiding among the boulders
+and dense scrub made themselves obstreperous; but their fire was
+overcome by our artillery, and before long they were dislodged.
+
+Little happened for two days save some artillery duelling, then an
+appreciable advance was made. A wooded hill called Cingolo, part of the
+range east of Hlangwane, was the next to be seized by an adroit flanking
+movement of the infantry. They gained and kept the top of the hill with
+but few casualties owing to the dense cover.
+
+At dawn on the 17th a general advance was ordered. Consequently soon
+after midnight the business of movement began. At daybreak the cavalry
+under Lord Dundonald marched to discover the enemy's left flank through
+the tangled and rugged country to the east--country so broken and wooded
+that on occasions it was impossible to ride, and all that could be done
+was to lead the horses through thicket, and thorns, and over boulders by
+the light of intelligence rather than military regime. And while this
+was going on the artillery was performing a boisterous symphony on
+seventy instruments, an _aubade_ to awaken such Boers as might still be
+dozing in rock, ravine, or ridge in the regions of Hlangwane.
+
+At last the troopers had wormed and torn and scrambled their way up the
+ridge, where, on arriving, the Boers accosted them with the music of
+musketry in tolerably fast time. Bullets whizzed and commenced to send
+the now well-known cataracts over the advancing troops, and for the
+moment it seemed to be a toss up as to whether the toil of gaining the
+position would be in vain. However, the Boers were in small number, and
+very soon they fell back, leaving the top of the hill before the advance
+of the Imperial Light Horse and the Natal Carabineers, who slew or
+captured some Burghers and horses. In their attack they were supported
+by the Queen's, the right battalion of Hildyard's attack, who had taken
+a short cut and came up in the nick of time, so that the Boers promptly
+scurried off and left the troops in undisturbed possession of Cingolo
+Hill.
+
+[Illustration: THE SCENE OF THE FIGHTING AT MONTE CRISTO HILL ON
+FEBRUARY 19. (From sketches taken during the action by Captain P. U.
+Vigors, 2nd Devon Regiment.)]
+
+Further important movements took place on the 18th. Through the
+operations of the day before, the Boers had been hunted along towards
+Monte Cristo, and from thence at daylight they commenced to pour Creusot
+shells on the British troops. The Queen's, who had bivouacked on the
+northern slope of Cingolo, and came in for a good deal of fire,
+valiantly crossed the nek, and, supported by the rest of the 2nd Brigade
+under General Hildyard, assaulted and finally took the southern end of
+Monte Cristo. The 4th Brigade occupied the left or western slope.
+Operations were begun very early, and the long precipitous climb in a
+baking sun occupied till midday. The advance over country that is
+trellised with spruits, dongas, thorn-bush, and scrub at times was
+painfully slow, and the scrambling and stumbling, sometimes on all
+fours, to the roll and rattle of musketry and the banging of unseen and
+unlocatable guns occupied some hours. The words of the Scripture, "Eyes
+have they and see not," might have been applied to this nerve-trying
+assault against hidden men with smokeless weapons. No sooner had the
+troops reached the top of Monte Cristo than they were assailed by a
+well-directed artillery fire from the direction of the invisible foe,
+shrapnel, Maxim, and Nordenfeldt guns pouring over the men as they
+advanced. But they steadily pushed on and up till at last they entirely
+routed the Boers. These, finding themselves in a desperate situation,
+took to their heels, leaving tents, food, biltong, lard, potatoes,
+onions, clothing, bridles, blankets, and Bibles behind them in disarray.
+In their retreat they were fired on by the cavalry, but they made small
+reply. Quantities of ammunition were captured, and, unfortunately for
+those who still maintained their respect for the enemy, several forms of
+expanding bullets. The Royal Welsh Fusiliers, supported by the rest of
+the 6th Brigade, assailed the eastern flank of the enemy's position. The
+2nd Brigade of Cavalry on the extreme right watched the eastern slopes
+of Monte Cristo, and drove back those of the enemy who scurried there to
+escape the artillery fire. They had been completely taken by surprise;
+they had expected the British to begin a frontal attack on Green Hill, a
+smooth grassy eminence sliced with the gashes of Boer entrenchments,
+some of these six feet in depth, others blasted in the solid rock.
+Assaulted now by big guns in front and flank, attacked in flank and
+rear, the enemy, without offering much resistance, evacuated their
+strong positions and fled across the Tugela. That their flight was
+precipitate was testified by the fact that they even left letters
+behind. One of these was from General Joubert in answer to a request for
+supports, in which he said these could not be sent; the position was
+sufficiently garrisoned with the men they had.
+
+The crest of Monte Cristo gained, all at once took heart. This hill was
+the hinge on which all the subsequent movements turned. By means of it
+Green Hill and the frowning eminence of Hlangwane could become ours.
+From Hlangwane the whole western section of the great Colenso position
+could be rendered untenable by the enemy. This the Boers well knew, and
+this was the reason for their tough resistance on the dreadful 15th of
+December. Now, seeing us masters of Monte Cristo, they wisely decided to
+make themselves scarce. The British guns once mounted on Monte Cristo
+made a complete difference in the situation. It was now possible to
+enfilade many of the choice positions which for two months had been the
+snug hiding-places of the enemy. Now, in the distance, was visible--the
+subject of many dreams, many nightmares--Ladysmith. Around it, here and
+there, were dotted the enemy's camps and hospitals--only eight miles
+away--a comfortable walking distance--eight miles ahead of our advanced
+lines! Ladysmith--an austere queen to be wooed, a fainting beauty to be
+won--so she had seemed, with lives risked and sacrificed like mere
+handfuls of sand for the sake of her, for a few yards of approach near
+to that cestus which engirdled all the grand British blood that had
+palpitated for our coming, so long, so very long. It was glorious merely
+to know that Ladysmith was now in sight of the British picquets: there
+was a sense of exhilaration in the thought of real progress after the
+ghastly six days at Spion Kop, the fluctuating four at Vaal Krantz, the
+fourteen in and out and round about the precincts of fatal Colenso.
+Success was now almost within a stone's throw, and all hearts throbbed
+with expectation and confidence. All were in some way longing for the
+handclasp of those beleaguered men. There, in that cup of the hills were
+kindred; if not kindred, friends; if not friends, comrades in
+arms--comrades who had belonged to the same old regiments or "ground"
+with the same "crammers" at the same schools. And even for complete
+strangers there was a thrill of excitement, almost of exultation, at the
+prospect of coming in touch with these men, of grasping hands with
+renowned warriors, every one of whom had helped to illuminate one of the
+most sumptuous pages of the history of the nineteenth century.
+
+The intense heat, the terrific toil, the unparalleled hardships were
+forgotten. The energy and dash of the troops, hitherto unfailing, were
+now redoubled. They had now taken possession of the most important ridge
+which pointed towards the frowning guardian eminence of the beleaguered
+concave--Bulwana Hill--and hopes were high and spirits exuberant. There
+remained but Pieter's Hill between them and the imprisoned multitude.
+They now saw that the turn of the tide had arrived, and already they
+looked towards the distressed town, veiled in the haze of distance, and
+pictured the hour when their long spell of strain and turmoil should
+meet its reward. In this day's fight, the Queens, the Scots Fusiliers,
+the Rifle Brigade, and the irregular cavalry had especially
+distinguished themselves. It was the distinction of endurance rather
+than of display. The dogged perseverance with which they launched
+themselves at the positions to be taken, toiling through scrub and
+thorn, "potting away" at an invisible foe, was more to be applauded than
+more demonstrative feats of heroism. Colenso and Spion Kop had been
+showy in their tragedy, but the "fighting march," as it was called, was
+a feat of superb endurance, of obdurate pluck. A perpetual stumbling and
+tearing, an eternal pushing up and on against opposition the more
+terrifying because unseen; the sound of booming, smokeless murderous
+guns; the sight of maimed or mutilated human beings dropping suddenly
+under the serene and smiling sky were experiences to test the grit of
+the toughest and most stoical. A bolt from the blue! That was all. Yet
+presently there were dead men littered about, and far away, unconscious
+of their woe, were widows and orphans.
+
+On the 19th, Hlangwane Hill--the impregnable Gibraltar, as it has been
+called--was taken by the Fusilier Brigade. As this hill, which commanded
+Colenso, had been evacuated by the enemy--who had left three camps and
+all their paraphernalia, thousands of rounds of ammunition, and 2000
+Maxim automatic shells behind them--we were now free to cross the
+Tugela. Whether the enemy would continue to fight inch by inch was
+uncertain, but still there was one subject of rejoicing--the river was
+ours. The following officers were killed and wounded during this day's
+operations:--2nd Royal Fusiliers--Killed, Captain W. L. Thurburn;
+wounded, 2nd Lieutenant E. C. Packe. 2nd Scottish Rifles--Wounded, 2nd
+Lieutenant J. M. Colchester-Wemyss.
+
+On the 20th General Hart, after a slight resistance by a weak rearguard,
+occupied the village, and now the line of the Tugela on the south side
+from Colenso to Eagle's Nest was in British hands.
+
+Colenso was found to be a desolate ruin. The enemy had evidently tried
+to make matchwood of the place. Windows and doors told the tale of
+wanton destruction. They were wrecked past remedy. Houses everywhere
+were redolent of the Boer, the walls bore traces of his illiterate
+caligraphy, and his offensive remarks in many tongues amused without
+disturbing those who read them. They could afford to smile now. And
+while they went on their tour of investigation the hidden Boers could
+not resist some sniping shots from their trenches in Port Wylie, which
+were only silenced by the forcible arguments of the Naval gunners on
+Hussar Hill. On this day another trooper of the South African Light
+Horse (Walters) distinguished himself by swimming across the Tugela and
+bringing over the pontoon, thus repeating the gallant deed of his
+comrades at Potgieter's Drift. Thorneycroft's Mounted Infantry, though
+peppered by Boers who were ensconced on the kopjes on the opposite side,
+succeeded in fording the river, and proceeded to reconnoitre the kopjes
+on the other side. All the guns were gone, and the kopjes themselves
+seemed to be weakly held. In the distance small clusters of Boers were
+seen in the act of digging trenches, but it was generally believed that
+the enemy's tactics were now those of a rearguard action.
+
+[Illustration: THE RELIEF OF LADYSMITH--THE LAST RUSH AT HLANGWANE HILL.
+
+From a Sketch by Rene Bull, War Artist.]
+
+Terrible reminiscences of the battle of Colenso greeted them wherever
+they turned. Fort Wylie was seamed with bombardment. The railway bridge
+remained a lamentable picture of upheaval. Outside the village, lying as
+they had dropped, were the rotted carcases of horses which had fallen
+victims to the enemy's volleys--fallen in tangled masses, all harnessed
+together, while making a futile effort to save the guns of the 14th
+and 66th Batteries. The trenches, beginning on the very brink of the
+river, with their protective layers of sandbags and their ingeniously
+arranged earthworks, told how comfortably and with what immunity from
+danger the Boers had set about their fell work on the fatal 15th of
+December. The labour in making Colenso and its surroundings impregnable
+must have been as immense as it was skilful.
+
+General Hart's advanced guard now proceeded to cross the Tugela, the
+Boers having vacated all their positions south of the river, and on the
+21st he was followed by the 5th Division, who drove back the enemy's
+rearguard. The enemy had moved north and turned into a strongly
+fortified line of kopjes midway between the river and Grobler's Kloof,
+and from thence there was some doubt whether he could ever be displaced.
+At the approach of the British, he, however, retired precipitately
+towards Grobler's Kloof.
+
+The crossing, on both days, of the magnificent infantry was apiece with
+all that had gone before. First came one shell, then another, but the
+troops steadily pursued their warlike course while the missiles hurtling
+over their heads exploded in the plain behind them. The great question
+had been as to where the river should be crossed. Now that the British
+were in possession of the whole area of Hlangwane and its connecting
+hills, it was possible to cross either where the river ran north and
+south, or where it ran east and west. The idea was to cross and get
+along the line of railroad, and follow a straight course up to
+Ladysmith. The enemy were believed to be in retreat, and therefore it
+seemed perfectly feasible to advance in the way attempted.
+
+On the 21st the gunners continued persistently at work, determining that
+the Dutchmen should have no spare time for the building of further
+entrenchments. The foe managed, however, to render themselves aggressive
+by firing on an ambulance train that was steaming out of Colenso
+station. Meanwhile the army was moving westward from Hlangwane plateau,
+with a view to marching up beyond the stream, and getting out of the
+valley of the river and beyond the kopjes that frowned over it.
+
+
+LADYSMITH
+
+The story of famine is an insidious story, a creeping horror that,
+scarcely visible, yet slowly and very gradually saps first the spirits,
+then the energies, then the blood, and finally all the little sparks of
+being that serve to divide us from the dead. The seal of hunger was set
+on every action, though there was no complaint. The cramped-up Tommy in
+his sangar was scarcely as conscious of his risk of danger from shot and
+shell as of the aching void that assured him how much nature abhorred a
+vacuum. When he marched, he marched now with the step of one who
+husbands his resources; when he whistled as of old, he ceased abrupt,
+the lung power being scant and short-lived. His eyes, plucky and
+Britishly dogged, grew large and wistful, as though looking for
+something that never came. Dysentery and fever caught him and left him,
+but left him still in charge of famine, which held him in
+leading-strings, allowing him his freedom to crawl so far and no
+farther. Yet daily routine went on as of yore. The shadow of the man
+went on picket or fatigue duty and met his fellow-shadows as often as
+not with a jest. In ordinary life you don't look upon cheek-bones as the
+features of a face. You take stock of eyes, nose, mouth, possibly ears.
+In Ladysmith a man's character betrayed itself in his cheek-bones and in
+the anaemic tone of the tanned parchment that was stretched across them.
+You could read of patience and heroism in the hard, distinct outlines,
+and comprehend the magnificent endurance of one who, expecting to fight
+like a devil, was condemned to feed like an anchorite.
+
+The men were very near the barbaric brink of starvation. On one occasion
+a shell plumped into the mule lines and killed a mule. There was a
+general rush. Shells followed on the first, crashing all around, but the
+famished racing throng heeded them not; their one desire was to get at
+the slain beast, to capture the wherewithal to stay their grievous
+cravings. Quickly with their clasp-knives they possessed themselves of
+great chunks of the flesh, and then, with death hurtling around them and
+over their heads, they proceeded to carry their prize to safer quarters.
+Here they determined to have a good "tuck-in." Fires were kindled, and
+the flesh was toasted and swallowed with lightning rapidity.
+
+For some weeks the inhabitants had been reduced to an essence of horse
+politely termed Chevril, which was declared to be both palatable and
+nourishing. The horses, with their ribs shining in painful high lights
+along their skins, dropped day after day from sheer famine, and were
+boiled down to meet the pressing demand. Their bones were gelatinous,
+however wizened their poor flesh.
+
+The horses that were used for food, like those that yet crawled, were
+mere skeletons. When the General, in view of making another sortie,
+inquired how many there were in camp that could still carry their rider
+for six miles, he was informed that there were only twelve equal to the
+task.
+
+The lack of fat and milk and vegetables was irremediable, but dainties,
+so called, were provided in curious ways. Blancmange was manufactured
+from ladies' violet-powder which had been "commandeered" for service in
+the kitchen, and biscuits were fried by the men in the axle-grease
+provided for the carts, in hope to make the task of biting them less
+like crunching ashes.
+
+The place itself appeared to be becoming the Abomination of Desolation.
+Many of the dwellings were unoccupied; the low bungalow-shaped villas
+were closed and barricaded; here and there were buildings cracked and
+seamed by shot and shell, with great gaps in their faces, reminding one
+of human beings without eyes and teeth. Melancholy and depression
+reigned everywhere--on the tangled, desolated gardens, as on the silent,
+listless men, who had almost ceased to converse, for there was nothing
+left to converse about. Buller's coming had been discussed threadbare;
+the prospect of the food holding out had been examined in all its
+hideous emptiness. Lassitude and weariness was the universal expression
+on the visages of the hollow-eyed spectres that were the remains of the
+dashing heroes of Glencoe and Elandslaagte. The land and riverbeds
+presented the appearance of a series of grottoes, shelters of wood,
+stone, and wire, the dens of wild animals, the caves of primitive man.
+Between the burrows and caves were sentry-paths and paths to the
+water-tanks, worn with the incessant traffic of weary feet.
+
+Though affairs were arriving at a sorry pass, there were still some
+wonderful recoveries. For instance, Captain Paley (Rifle Brigade), who
+was wounded in both hips, was getting on amazingly. Though the leg was
+badly shattered near the joint of the hip, there was every reason to
+hope that it might be saved. Captain Mills, too, was mending. To have a
+bullet pass through the lung and pierce the spinal column is not a
+common experience, and one that few recover from; yet the doctors gave
+hopeful reports. They had scarcely thought that Major Hoare would
+outlive a fractured skull--completely riddled they said it was--yet the
+Major was expected to be himself again shortly. These were marvellous
+cases, and probably the wounded owed their curious recovery to the
+nature of the weapon of offence. Missiles have peculiar characteristics,
+and differ in their capacity for deadliness. For instance, bullets of
+the most harmless kind are those having a high velocity, those that hit
+apex-first and do not "keyhole," and those possessing a hard, smooth
+sheath with a smooth, rounded surface. After these come missiles of more
+death-dealing or mutilating nature--the Dum-Dum bullets, with the nickel
+sheaths around the apex removed in order to expose the lead nucleus,
+Remington lead or brass bullets, shrapnel bullets, and fragments of
+shell. Each and all of these things had been endured by one or other of
+our gallant men during the course of the campaign, and the surgeons were
+able to make a profound study of causes and effects. One of the heroes
+of Ladysmith who went near to testing the efficacy of that most deadly
+thing, the shell, was Archdeacon Barker. With the utmost presence of
+mind, he picked up a shell in the act of exploding and plumped it into a
+tub of water, thus saving many lives. Numbers of officers who had been
+hit by Mausers or Lee-Metfords were now pronounced out of danger, among
+them Colonel C. E. Beckett (Staff), Major F. Hammersley (Staff), Captain
+W. B. Silver, Captain M. J. W. Pike, Major H. Mullaly, Lieutenants
+Crichton, S. C. Maitland, W. W. MacGregor (of the Gordons), and A. A. G.
+Bond. Captain Lowndes, who was wounded dangerously on Surprise Hill, was
+picking up wonderfully. Lieutenant Campbell, of the Imperial Light
+Horse, whose case at first seemed serious, was rapidly gaining ground.
+
+Very capricious sometimes was the action of bullets. Some of the injured
+would have as many as four or five wounds, all "outers," to use their
+musketry phrase, while others would suffer strange and wonderful things
+in consequence of the vagaries of a single shot. A strange chapter of
+accidents befell one officer. He was hit under the left eye, the bullet
+passing out of his cheek into his left shoulder, and then into his upper
+arm, which it broke. Not content with doing this damage, the shock of
+the blow knocked him down, and in falling the unfortunate man broke the
+other arm! On the other hand, there were some, reported doing well, and
+expecting to be fit for duty shortly, who were veritably perforated with
+bullets--"a perfect sieve" one man called himself, with a touch of
+excusable pride.
+
+The bravery of these men! The bravery of these women! Outside we knew
+only of the husk of their suffering; but the kernel of it, the bitter
+sickening taste of it, the taste that lived with them, that was there
+when they woke, and remained after they had closed their eyes in
+sleep--that, none but themselves could ever know. Boredom and flies,
+they jestingly said it was! Rather was it a slow petrifaction of the
+soul. Death to them had lost its sting, as life had lost its fire.
+Ladysmith was the grave of corpses that were not dead, forms in the
+cerements of burial now too weak to knock themselves against the
+coffin-lid and cry, "Save us! our last breath is not yet spent; we are
+living, loving men!" Yes, they were too weak. They made no sound, no
+cry. They who had so long resisted could resist no longer; they, who
+with their last effort on that fatal 6th of January had been a terror to
+their enemies, were now only a terror to themselves. Could they bear it
+longer? Was it possible? Might they not in some fit of madness, some
+palpitating moment of lust for dear life, begin to spell the letters of
+the unframable word, begin just to think how it might be
+spelt?--S--u--r--r-- No! They could not get to the end of it! It choked
+them. They could stand the fetid water, the foul air with its loathsome
+whispers, its hideous suggestions, which at eventide grew strong as
+phantoms from the nether world; they could face the sight of virulent
+disease and gaunt famine stalking up and down as the hyena slinks round
+and about his prey; they could gasp under the fierce heat; they could
+tune their ears to the racking, rending tortuous explosions of death
+dealing shells--they could do all this, but they could not get beyond.
+The first syllable of the crushing word could never pass their lips!
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+Food now was only interesting because of its mystery; it was beginning
+to have merely an ornamental value in the programme. Various
+"confections" made of violet-powder that had been impounded, strange
+brawns of mule-heel and suspicious "savouries" were the subject of
+speculation and awe. People pretended to be pleased and to put a good
+face on matters, and indeed they had every reason to be thankful; for,
+owing to the ingenuity of Lieutenant M'Nalty, A.S.C., under whose
+auspices potted meats, jellies, soups, were manufactured, the
+imagination if not the appetite was appeased with what, when not too
+closely investigated, appeared to be quite delectable fare.
+
+The following prices were realised at an auction on February
+21:--Fourteen lbs. of oatmeal, L2, 19s. 6d.; a tin of condensed milk,
+10s.; 1 lb. of fat beef, 11s.; a 1-lb. tin of coffee, 17s.; a 2-lb. tin
+of tongue, L1, 6s.; a sucking-pig, L1, 17s.; eggs, L2, 8s. per dozen; a
+fowl, 18s.; four small cucumbers, 15s.; green mealies, 3s. 8d. each; a
+small quantity of grapes, L1, 5s.; a plate of tomatoes, 18s.; one
+marrow, L1, 8s.; a plate of potatoes, 19s.; two small bunches of
+carrots, 9s.; a glass of jelly, 18s.; a 1-lb. bottle of jam, L1, 11s.; a
+1-lb. tin of marmalade, L1, 1s.; a dozen matches, 13s. 6d.; a packet of
+cigarettes, L1, 5s.; 50 cigars, L9, 5s.; a 1/4-lb. cake of tobacco, L2,
+5s.; 1/2 lb. of tobacco, L3, 5s.
+
+A doctor, writing home about this time, said:--
+
+"Things are getting very trying here now. For two or three weeks we have
+had only half a pound of horseflesh and a quarter a pound of very bad
+mealie-meal bread, with one ounce of sugar. Sometimes a little mealie
+porridge is added or a little more bread. This is precious low fare, I
+can tell you, especially as the bread is so bad we can hardly eat it,
+and it makes us ill. Of course, drinks gave out after the first month,
+and tobacco followed suit some time ago, but, fortunately, they
+discovered a little Kaffir tobacco recently, which, vile as it is, we
+smoke eagerly. Alas! mine won't last long now. It is impossible to get
+proper food for patients, and not much of improper. Consequently men are
+beginning to die fast of scurvy, enteric, and dysentery. We have reduced
+the number of sick from two thousand to seventeen hundred here, of which
+I have about a hundred severe cases, and am allowed about two to three
+wineglasses of stimulants a day for the lot; so you can imagine what a
+farce that is. Drugs, too, are almost finished, and firewood for
+cooking is an endless difficulty; so you can imagine I am pretty tired
+of the daily duty in these terrible fever-tents. About half of our
+doctors and half the nurses are sick, and there were always few enough.
+One doctor has already died and a nurse."
+
+Among the severe cases alluded to was one especially to be deplored.
+Colonel Royston, whose name is intimately connected with Volunteering in
+Natal, was hopelessly ill. In spite of his iron constitution, he
+succumbed to the ravages of enteric fever, and was in reality marked by
+the finger of death at the very time when the relief force was pressing
+to deliver the town from the awful doom that hung like a miasma over the
+whole place. The gallant Colonel had done splendid service, and for two
+decades had worked energetically to promote the welfare of the Colony
+and stimulate interest in the Volunteer movement. As trumpeter in the
+Carabineers in 1872, the youth was found engaging in operations against
+Langalibalele, including the flying column in the Double Mountains and
+the capture of the chief; and in 1879, in command of a troop of
+Carabineers, he distinguished himself in the Zulu campaign. Later he
+accompanied Sir Bartle Frere to the Transvaal in command of the High
+Commissioner's escort. From 1881 to 1889 he commanded the regiment, and
+was appointed Commandant of Volunteers in 1898. When the call to arms
+came, the brave Volunteers of Natal were ready to a man, fully equipped
+to go to the front--a practical proof of the splendid ability and
+foresight of their chief. All agreed in deploring his illness, and
+declared that an officer more fitted to lead the gallant regiment, more
+trusted and more beloved, it would be hard to find.
+
+
+THE BATTLE OF PIETERS
+
+On Wednesday the 21st, as we know, our troops were back at Colenso. The
+day was mainly devoted to "sniping," to bringing up heavy guns, and to
+getting the troops across the Tugela. But the 12-pounder Naval guns on
+Hlangwane, and the 61st Howitzer Battery in the open, indulged in a
+stupendous concert addressed to the enemy's position, in which they were
+assisted from below Monte Cristo on the right by more Naval guns. The
+enemy was not inactive. No sooner had a pontoon been thrown across the
+river below Hlangwane than they began to drop shells in the
+neighbourhood of the troops who were attempting to cross. These,
+however, accomplished their intention without sustaining much loss.
+Meanwhile, Corporal Adams, of the Telegraph Brigade, distinguished
+himself by swimming across the Tugela, wire in mouth. The troops now
+advanced--General Coke's Brigade, followed by two battalions of General
+Wynne's and a field-battery. The Somersets, Dorsets, Middlesex, covered
+by shell-fire from two field-batteries and the heavy guns, moved across
+the plain to the foot of the hill, with the object of reconnoitring
+Grobler's Kloof. At first no signs of the enemy were visible, the
+Dutchmen, though not entrenched, being cunningly hidden in the dongas
+and thorn-bushes, which crowded the vicinity. But no sooner had the
+Somersets, who had been the first across the pontoon, approached the
+base of the hill, than a cataract from the rifles of the enemy suddenly
+burst over them. The Boers had withheld their fire till the troops were
+within point-blank range, and then rent the weird mystery of the dusk
+with jets of flame. Nearly a hundred of the gallant fellows dropped and
+three officers were killed. Some said that they were fighting the
+enemy's rearguard, but in reality a large portion of the whole Boer army
+was engaged. Though it was the first time the regiment had been under
+fire, the admirable behaviour of the men in the face of overwhelming
+hostile numbers was remarkable. Nevertheless, the unpleasant discovery
+of the enemy's strength at last involved the retreat of the troops, and
+decided the General that an advance in force must be made on the
+following day.
+
+[Illustration: BALLOON MAP ILLUSTRATING THE BATTLE OF PIETERS AND RELIEF
+OF LADYSMITH.]
+
+The following officers were killed and wounded in the operations of 20th
+and 21st February:--
+
+     1st Rifle Brigade--Wounded, Lieutenant W. R. Wingfield-Digby.
+     2nd Somersetshire Light Infantry--Killed, Captain S. L. V.
+     Crealock, Lieutenant V. F. A. Keith-Falconer, Second Lieutenant
+     J. C. Parr; wounded, Captain E. G. Elger. 2nd Dorsetshire
+     Regiment--Wounded, Second Lieutenant F. Middleton. 2nd Royal
+     Irish Fusiliers--Wounded, Colonel J. Reeves. Staff--Wounded,
+     Captain H. G. C. Phillips. Royal Army Medical Corps--Died of
+     wounds, Captain R. E. Holt.
+
+On Thursday the 22nd, part of General Wynne's Brigade began to advance.
+They were supported by Hildyard's Brigade from the region of Fort Wylie.
+(General Barton's Brigade and part of General Hart's were left on the
+south side of the river.) Progress was slow and painful. The country--a
+strip some two miles broad and stretching out between high hills and the
+river--was richly veined with irritating dongas and covered with bushes
+and scrub. The position was commanded by the wooded slopes of Grobler's
+Kloof, and enabled the Boers to worry the men in their advance with an
+enfilading fire. All around were steep kopjes such as the Boer soul
+delights in, and thorny tangles which afforded comfortable shelter for
+the enemy's guns. The movement, therefore, was costly, as it was
+difficult to locate the guns, and the sharpshooters of the enemy, well
+hidden in their rocky fastnesses, maintained a continuous fire on front
+and flanks of the advancing force. With their usual wiliness, the
+Dutchmen had evidently suspended their contemplated retreat, and had
+gathered together, crept up, and taken up a strong position on the left
+flank, whence they were enabled to hamper the troops considerably.
+Nevertheless the Royal Lancasters leading, the South Lancashire
+following, valiantly advanced towards their objective so resolutely that
+the Boers, who almost to the last stood their ground, pelted off to
+the sheltering nooks and dongas in the shadow of Grobler's Kloof. Only
+one remained to face the bayonet. But the losses consequent on this
+smart day's work were many. Brigadier-General Wynne while conducting
+operations was slightly wounded, and about a hundred and fifty more were
+put out of action.
+
+[Illustration: MAJOR-GENERAL A. FITZROY HART, C.B.
+
+Photo by Elliott & Fry, London.]
+
+The troops were now moving on a route along the line of river and rail
+to Ladysmith, half-way between Colenso and Pieters Hill, and with kopjes
+to be stormed at intervals during the onward course. They had performed
+a species of zigzag movement, pointing from Chieveley north-east to
+Cingolo and Monte Cristo, and coming back in an acute line north-west to
+the river. Now the forward march involved the capture of all the strong
+positions, beginning with the twin kopjes, Terrace and Railway Hill, and
+ending with the whole Pieters position, and possibly Bulwana.
+
+On the three hills--Terrace Hill, Railway Hill, and Pieters Hill--rested
+the Boers' second line of defence. The first hill, called Terrace Hill,
+lay about a mile and a half to north-east of the right flank. Farther
+east, divided by a valley, was Railway Hill, so called because on its
+east came the railway line, on the other side of which was Pieters Hill.
+Sir Redvers Buller's plan was to advance the infantry beyond the angle
+of the river, and then stretch round the enemy's left from Railway Hill,
+and so go straight to Ladysmith. The idea seemed a good one, as the
+Dutchmen were believed to be moving off; but it was afterwards
+discovered that they, seeing the assault was not to be made at once upon
+the weak, the left edge of their position, had gathered courage and
+returned, reinforced by commandos from Ladysmith, to their well-known
+hunting-ground on Grobler's Kloof and elsewhere, preparing to give
+battle so long as there was safety for their extreme left. Most of the
+night of the 22nd was spent in fighting of desperate character, the
+Howitzer Battery keeping up an incessant roar, explosion following
+explosion in the sombre blackness of midnight. The Boers, meanwhile,
+were attacking with rifle fire all along the line, and so persistent
+were the Dutchmen in their effort to get rid of the troops, that some
+even were only repulsed by the bayonet.
+
+Details of that dreadful night's work are scarce, but a faint, yet
+tragic, outline was given by an officer of the 60th Rifles, who was one
+of the survivors of the fatal fray. This regiment had moved on the left
+of Hildyard's Brigade, and were swinging along a boulder-strewn
+hillside, which, surmounted by a series of uneven and indefinite
+crest-lines, gave on to a plateau where they intended to take up a line
+of outposts for the night. It so happened that the Boers had ensconced
+themselves at the rear edge of the position which the troops, in the
+belief that it was evacuated, were so incautiously approaching.
+Accordingly, in the gathering gloom a collision of amazing violence
+occurred--amazing to both Britons and Burghers, for the former
+surprisedly plumped upon the Dutchmen, who as surprisedly gave way
+before them. In an instant the gallant 60th were after the fugitives,
+charging and cheering, but assailed now by fierce volleys from
+undreamed-of trenches. This sudden and furious attack forced them,
+unsupported as they were, to seek cover till reinforcements could
+arrive. But no help appeared. The plight of the unfortunate band, whose
+peril had been hidden in the grim density of the night, was entirely
+unsuspected by the companion forces that fringed the crests in the
+vicinity, and therefore the unhappy fellows lay all night clinging to
+the cover of the boulders, and rained on by showers of bullets that
+traced a tale of agony along the ground. At dawn on the 23rd, no
+supports having arrived, and under the same fervid fusillade, they began
+to retire. In twos and threes they commenced to go back, finally covered
+in their retreat by the East Surreys, who had grandly gone forward to
+the rescue. But the cost of splendid succour was dearly and almost
+instantaneously paid. Men fell thick and fast over the hilltop--the
+Colonel, second in command, and four officers of the East Surrey
+Regiment dropping one after another, some wounded in many places.
+Captain the Hon. R. Cathcart, "the rearmost of his command, as he had
+been foremost of the night before," dropped dead, and round him within a
+few moments fifty other noble fellows had passed to the Unknown!
+
+General Buller's orders on the 23rd were brief. Push for Ladysmith
+to-day, horse, foot, and artillery; both cavalry brigades to cross the
+river at once. The advance, which had hitherto been slow, was now
+hurried on. At midday it was in full swing, the cavalry having crossed
+the Tugela and massed at Fort Wylie. Meanwhile the Boers had taken up a
+formidable position on the right--on the well-entrenched height called
+by the gunners Three Knoll Hill, to describe the three hills, Terrace,
+Railway, and Pieters, that formed the entire position--while on the left
+they plied their activities from Grobler's Kloof. The artillery in front
+of Railway Hill concentrated a brisk fire upon the Boers therein
+entrenched, who returned some animated replies, assisted by other
+Dutchmen from a hidden vantage-point on the north-east of that eminence.
+General Hart's Brigade, to whose valiant Irishmen the difficult task of
+capturing the position was entrusted, was ordered to advance. This
+advance from Onderbrook Spruit to the base of Terrace Hill, the
+companion of Railway Hill, was a feat of cool courage that has seldom
+been equalled. The hill, triangular and standing some three hundred feet
+above the Tugela, was approached by a wide open space, which was
+commanded by the Boers, whose complicated position on Railway Hill and
+its component ridges gave them every advantage. The correspondent of the
+_Standard_ furnished a description of these precipitous steeps. "Railway
+Hill rises from the Tugela a mile from Platelayers' House. It is,
+perhaps, best described as triangular in shape, with one angle pointing
+towards the river. It rises from the latter in a series of jagged,
+boulder-strewn kopjes, until three hundred feet or so above the Tugela.
+A kloof, through which the railway passes upwards on its way to Pieters
+Station, separates the last jagged ledge from the hill proper. From the
+last kopje or ledge, and immediately on the other side of the line, the
+main part of the hill rises abruptly, almost precipitously, with a sharp
+edge running back in a north-westerly direction for several hundred
+yards. The base of this north-westerly line of hill makes up a kloof
+thick with thorn trees, and this kloof recedes round the left end of the
+hill to the rear, where the enemy's force, under Commandant Dupreez, had
+its quarters, while a little farther to the rear is still another kloof,
+in which the enemy's Creusots were mounted. Along the beginning of the
+sharp edge referred to a long trench was cut out, and right ahead, as
+the hill ran still upwards on an incline for three hundred yards or so,
+were other trenches, until the hill terminated in a crest crowded with
+commanding fortifications." To assail this formidable stronghold the
+troops moved off in the following order--the Inniskilling Fusiliers
+leading, followed by the Connaught Rangers, the Dublin Fusiliers, and
+the Imperial Light Infantry. Steadily marched the kharki-clad throng,
+advancing along the railroad in single file with rifles at the slope. At
+that time there was comparative silence save for the muffled drumming of
+artillery in the surrounding kopjes. These apparently frowned free of
+human influence, the dark, dull frown that portends many evil things to
+the eye of the advancing soldier. But nevertheless the troops moved
+nearer and nearer to the hill over the open ground by the railway bridge
+with a steady step and that air of consolidated distinction that marks
+acutely the difference between Briton and Boer armies. They had no
+sooner showed themselves in the open than the air grew alive, the
+trenches on the frowning hill vomited furiously. A casual observer
+remarked that it reminded him of the pantomimes of his youth, of Ali
+Baba's cave, when, at a given signal, its jars opened and the forty
+thieves suddenly--simultaneously--popped up their heads. Only now there
+were not forty but thousands of brigandish forms--forms that hastened to
+deal death from their Mausers on the advancing men. These were now
+coming on at a rush, a rush through the hailstorm whose every shower
+meant disaster. But Hart the valiant had said, "That hill must be taken
+at all costs"--and that was enough! The hill was about to be seized and
+the payments had already begun. One, two, three, four, six--more and
+yet more down, one after another. So the men began to fall. The ironwork
+of the bridge had now its fringe of fainting forms. Still the splendid
+fellows pushed on. Still the air reverberated with the puissant
+pom-poming of the Boers' automatic gun. This they had turned on to the
+position they knew must be passed by the advancing warriors. Meanwhile
+the British artillery was saluting the hill, throwing up to heaven dust
+and splinter spouts that filled the whole atmosphere with blinding,
+choking debris, and causing the purple boulders far and wide to give
+forth rumbling echoes of the infernal rampage.
+
+Gradually, in face of the deluge of shot and shell, the Inniskilling
+Fusiliers, the Connaught Rangers, and one company each of the Dublin
+Fusiliers, had wound their way towards the eastern spurs of Railway
+Hill, and in the late afternoon were ready for the attack. General Hart
+gave the word. Then, up the rugged stone-strewn heights the troops
+laboriously began to climb. Soon they reached a point, some hundred
+yards above, whence the Boers could pepper them with ease. At the same
+time from the adjacent hill more bullets whizzed upon them. Yet, with
+this horrible fire on their flanks and the deadly fusillade from the
+front, they persevered, dropping one after another like ripe fruit in a
+gust of wind. Volley after volley poured down on them, but up they went,
+cutting through wire, leaping boulders, and hurling themselves forward,
+and in such grand style, that the Boers, seeing the determined glitter
+of the bayonet, thought it wiser to retreat. They receded some two
+hundred yards up the hill, while the troops occupied the first position.
+Then, in the growing dusk, the Dutchmen were seen taking a commanding
+place on a somewhat higher or parent peak of the hill. From this point
+the Inniskillings, flushed with their first triumph, deemed it necessary
+to rout them. Fire streamed and spouted, the dim gloom of twilight came
+on; still the Irishmen, through the mist of evening and flashings
+furious from every side, advanced along the hill--a glorious, a tragic
+advance. One after another bit the dust. Men in mute or groaning agony
+lay prone in the gathering dusk. First went a major, afterwards another,
+and then two captains of this gallant band. The Boers had known their
+business. Some of their kopjes are of the nature of spider-webs; the
+outer fringe involves entanglement; and this especial eminence was of
+that particular nature that the second Boer position commanded the
+first. The Dutchmen, even as they receded, were able to mow down the men
+as they advanced, by a converging fire, against which it was impossible
+to stand. It was now an almost hand-to-hand struggle between doughty
+Dutchman and dashing Briton. The Inniskillings were close, but every
+inch was gained with appalling loss to their numbers--indeed, the
+charging companies might almost have been described as individual men!
+
+Finally, some one gave the order to retire. But how? Most of the
+valorous band were stricken down, or had perished. The wounded could not
+be removed. Yet those that remained were too few to hold the ground in
+the darkness. All that could be done was to retire below the crest and
+wait till morning. A retirement was attempted, under the personal
+direction of the Colonel (Colonel Sitwell),[4] but in the course of the
+movement he was hit, never to rise again. The troops at last got to the
+cover of the hill, where they built schanzes and bivouacked. But from
+this point throughout the night firing continued, while the Boers above,
+between the intervals of dozing, peppered the bivouacs with bullets.
+
+At 7 A.M., while cannonading had elsewhere assumed dangerous
+proportions, the Irish regiments were again assailed in their schanzes
+by the persistent Dutchmen. These had crept round the base of the hill
+and attacked the trenches from the western side. Volleys poured from all
+directions on a scene that was already deplorable. Only four officers of
+the Inniskillings remained. Of the Connaught Rangers five officers were
+wounded. The Dublin Fusiliers had lost their gallant Colonel (Colonel
+Sitwell), and also Captain Maitland of the Gordon Highlanders
+(attached). The picture at dawn and on throughout the day was truly
+appalling. The trenches of the Boers and those of the attacking force
+were now only some three or four hundred yards apart, and between them
+was spread an arena of carnage heart-breaking as irremediable. It was
+impossible for any one to show a nose and live. Wounded lay here, there,
+and everywhere, heaped as they had fallen, drenched in their own gore
+and helpless, yet struggling pathetically to edge themselves with hands
+or knees or heels nearer some place of safety. Dead, too, were entangled
+with the sinking, huddled together in grievous ghastly comradeship....
+
+For thirty-six hours some of these heroes lay in wretchedness, hanging
+between life and death. Mercifully the Boers brought them water, but all
+their acts were not equally generous. Unfortunately, some
+misinterpretation regarding the Red Cross flag accentuated the
+misfortunes of the day.
+
+The Boers, it appeared, had begun by producing one. This signal should
+have been responded to by our troops, who, however, were not prepared to
+show another Red Cross flag, which display would have been the signal
+for truce. This being the case, the Boers, after carrying off their
+wounded and giving certain of the British wounded some water, removed
+their rifles. Further, they rifled their pockets and despoiled dead and
+wounded of boots and other property. Naturally, those who saw them were
+so infuriated at this wanton behaviour that they began to fire. From
+this time hostilities recommenced, and the innate cruelty of the Boers
+was evidenced in several cases. It was stated on the authority of an
+officer that many of the wounded in act of crawling away were
+deliberately shot. Let us hope that the aggravation at the
+non-appearance of the British Red Cross flag was the cause of the ugly
+display of character on the part of the enemy.
+
+During the late afternoon the worn-out troops in their trenches at the
+base of the hill were fiercely attacked by the enemy's guns from all
+quarters. No such effective shell fire had been experienced since Spion
+Kop. Indeed, with the assistance of Krupps, and Creusots, and Maxims,
+and other diabolical instruments, the Boers managed to make a fitting
+concert for Beelzebub. Many of our positions on the lower slopes of the
+kopjes were enfiladed, and thus many gallant fellows in Hildyard's and
+Kitchener's brigades were killed. Several officers among those who were
+fighting on the left also fell, among them Colonel Thorold, Royal Welsh
+Fusiliers.
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+At this juncture, finding that the original passage of the river was
+commanded by entrenchments on every side, and that further advance would
+be costly in the extreme, the General decided that he must reconnoitre
+for another passage across the Tugela. This was forthwith discovered.
+Meanwhile, the day being Sunday, there was an armistice for the
+interment of the dead on both sides. Grievous were the sensations of
+those whose duty brought them to the awesome scene of death, who spent
+the long hours surrounded by sights hideous and forms uncouth, the
+remains of heroes, discoloured from days of exposure to the sun's
+scorching rays, to the damps and dews of night--lying limply rigid and
+rigidly limp in the unmistakable and undescribable abandonment of
+untenanted clay; or succouring still more pitiable wrecks, wrecks joined
+perhaps by an invisible handclasp with comrades in the other world, but
+still here, making a last struggle for the dignity of manhood, or
+fainting slowly, peaceably, beyond all knowledge of pain as of the
+splendid heroism that had placed them where they were!
+
+One who was present contributed to _Blackwood's Magazine_ a curious
+account of that armistice--that was not entirely an armistice--of
+Colonel Hamilton's approach with the flag of fraternity (so often
+misused and abused by the Dutchmen), and of the strange apparitions that
+came forth suspiciously one by one from the depths of the hostile
+trenches. He said: "Seldom have I set eyes on a more magnificent
+specimen of male humanity than the Commandant of the trenchful of Boers,
+Pristorius by name, a son of Anak by descent, and a gallant,
+golden-bearded fighting-man by present occupation; for in far-away
+Middleburg those mighty limbs--he told it us without any of that stupid
+deprecation which would probably have characterised a similar confession
+on the part of an Englishman--were wont to stretch themselves beneath a
+lawyer's desk. Close on his heels came what a person who had never seen
+Boers before would have thought the strangest band of warriors in the
+world--old men with flowing, tobacco-stained, white beards; middle-aged
+men with beards burnt black with the sun and sweat of their forty years;
+young men, mostly clean shaven, exhibiting strongly the heavy Dutch
+moulding of the broad nose and chin; big boys in small suits, suits of
+all kinds and colours, tweed, velveteen, homespun, and 'shoddy,' all
+untidy in the extreme, but mostly as serviceable as their wearers."
+These strange beings formed a strong contrast to the men who joined
+them, particularly in their attitude when confronted with the ghastly
+foreground of death which made the prominent feature of the amicable
+picture. The eye-witness before quoted declared that "it was much more
+difficult for them to conceal the natural discomposure which all men
+feel in the presence of the silent dead than for their more artificial
+opponents. From the airy and easy demeanour of the uniformed British
+officers, that dreadful plateau might have been the lobby of a London
+club. A Briton is at all times prone to conceal his emotions, and
+certainly in this instance the idiosyncrasy gave him a great social
+advantage over the superstitious Burghers, with their sidelong glances
+and uneasy shiftings." By-and-by, however, both parties grew even
+friendly, and the writer went on to describe an animated dialogue
+between himself and "a deep-chested old oak-tree of a man, whose swarthy
+countenance was rendered more gipsy-like by the addition of ear-rings.
+The opening of the conversation had its humours. 'Good-morning!' quoth
+I. 'Gumorghen,' rumbled the oak-tree sourly. 'Surely we can be friends
+for five minutes,' I ventured, after a pause. The rugged countenance was
+suddenly, not to say startlingly, illumined with a beaming smile. '_Why_
+not, indeed! _why_ not, officer! Have you any tobacco?' Out came my
+pouch, luckily filled to bursting that very morning, and the oak-tree
+proceeded to stuff a huge pipe to the very brim, gloating over the
+fragrance of the 'best gold flake' as he did so. The rumour of tobacco
+had the effect of dispelling the chill that still lingered on the
+outskirts of that little crowd, and many a grimy set of fingers claimed
+their share as the price of the friendship of the owners, the Commandant
+himself not disdaining to accept a fill with a graceful word of thanks.
+They were out of tobacco in that trench, it appeared, and suffering
+acutely from the deprivation of what to a Boer is more necessary than
+food."
+
+Near to the place where they were stricken the Irish heroes were buried.
+Their last bed was made in a picturesque spot within the whisper of the
+spray of the river, and sheltered by the low-spreading thorn-bushes. The
+rest of the day was unusually peaceful, but in the evening the crackle
+of musketry from left to right of the position taken up by the Durhams
+again showed that the enemy was on the alert, and it was believed he was
+preparing for offensive operations during the night. It was discovered,
+however, that a gallant deed had put any effort to rush the British
+lines out of his power. Captain Phillips with eight Bluejackets had
+effectually rendered their searchlight useless, and had, moreover, got
+safely away after the venturesome act had been perpetrated and
+discovered.
+
+The new passage was found by Colonel Sandbach (Royal Engineers) at a
+point below the waterfall on the east, and again guns, baggage, &c.,
+were ordered to be removed to the south side of the Tugela. It may be
+advisable to note that the armistice mentioned was an informal one,
+which did not interfere with military movements. Owing to the desperate
+straits of the wounded on Inniskilling Hill (as the position, baptized
+in the blood of our heroes, had now been christened), the General had
+sent in a flag asking for an armistice. The Boers had refused. On
+condition that we should not fire on their positions during the day,
+they only consented to allow the bearer companies to remove the wounded
+and bury the dead. The Boers meanwhile improved their entrenchments, and
+the British troops, as stated, prepared for the operation of removal
+across the river. This they at first did with some misgivings, for they
+had tacked about so many times, but, on the whole, they bore the strain
+admirably. What with the hammering of Maxims, Nordenfeldts, and the
+fluting of Mausers, the men had for twelve days past run through the
+gamut of discomfort. They had been fed up with war. They were in the
+daytime fried, grilled, and toasted. At night the cold with its contrast
+had bitten and numbed them. They had bivouacked now in keen chilly
+blasts, now in intermittent downpours of rain, which had drenched them
+and made existence a prolonged wretchedness. And nothing had been
+achieved. Lives only had been lost. But they still munched their bully
+beef and biscuit with an heroic cheerfulness and resignation that served
+to astonish and inspirit all who beheld it. There was no doubt about it
+that the pluck and perseverance of the British Tommy had become subjects
+for wonder and veneration!
+
+[Illustration: MAJOR-GENERAL H. J. T. HILDYARD, C.B.
+
+Photo by C. Knight, Aldershot.]
+
+During the night the pontoon bridge was removed from its original
+position and relaid at the point indicated by Colonel Sandbach. The
+Boers, watching the commencement of the move, were under the impression
+that a repetition of the retirements from Spion Kop and Vaal Krantz was
+to be enacted. They therefore deemed that the movement might be carried
+out with more expedition did they start a magazine fire at long range at
+such troops as happened to be between Colenso and the angle of the
+river. When they discovered, however, that only a portion of the troops
+had departed, they subsided and reserved their ammunition till morning,
+when a brisk artillery duel commenced operations--a duel in which the
+British in quantity and the Dutch in quality of practice distinguished
+themselves.
+
+General Buller's revised plan was now to avoid the enemy's front, and
+work back again to the Hlangwane plateau, whence he would start again,
+having, as it were, made a redistribution of his troops, so that Hart's
+brigade in its expensively acquired position would now, instead of being
+his extreme right, become his extreme left. To this end guns and cavalry
+were removed, Naval batteries being posted on the Hlangwane and Monte
+Cristo positions, while Hart's brigade was left holding to the skirts,
+so to speak, of the enemy at Inniskilling Hill, and preventing him from
+congratulating himself on freedom.
+
+The anniversary of Majuba began in clouds. Guns very early broke into an
+_aubade_, but awakened few. For there had been little sleep that night.
+All had dozed in their boots, ready for the worst. The cavalry proceeded
+to range itself at the northern point of the Hlangwane position, in
+order that by their guns and long-range rifle fire they might assist the
+advance of Barton's Brigade. This brigade was the first to start in the
+attack on the three hills on which the Boer left still rested. The
+disposition of the forces was as follows:--General Barton's Fusilier
+Brigade on the extreme right, with Colonel Kitchener's Lancashire
+Brigade--Colonel Kitchener having taken over General Wynne's Brigade
+while that officer was wounded--on his left, this latter being on the
+right of Colonel Northcott's Brigade. Colonel Stuart, working with a
+composite regiment on the south bank of the Tugela, protected the
+crossing.
+
+General Barton, with two battalions of the 6th Brigade and the Royal
+Dublin Fusiliers, crept one and a half miles down the banks of the
+river, the Scots Fusiliers leading. Here the Tugela flowed between high
+shelving banks, while above them frowned the three spurs of the great
+Pieters position. As usual, these eminences were well ribbed with
+shelter trenches, and embedded everywhere were Boer sharpshooters, ready
+to pit cunning against courage, and sniggle at the victory of one over
+the other. A hot fire commenced on the river-banks while Barton's
+Brigade advanced gallantly towards its destination. The top of the hill
+was being raked noisily by the gunners. "Hell was dancing hornpipes
+aloft," some one said. However, in the afternoon British bayonets
+glittered against the skyline, and the thing was done. This, the most
+wonderful infantry in the world, had ascended precipitous cliffs 500
+feet high, assaulted Pieter's Hill, gained the crest, and turned the
+enemy's left.
+
+[Illustration: SIGNAL APPARATUS OF H.M.S. _FORTE_, MOUNTED ON TRUCK AND
+USED NIGHTLY TO COMMUNICATE WITH LADYSMITH.]
+
+This storming of the main position, which was accomplished by the Royal
+Scots Fusiliers and the Royal Irish Fusiliers, was a remarkable
+achievement, though the enemy, conscious of their weakness at this
+point, and knowing how completely they were dominated by the Monte
+Cristo ridge, made no very prolonged opposition. No sooner had the
+brigade occupied the hill than the disheartened Boers removed in
+considerable strength to some dongas on the east, whence they continued
+to be aggressive, and poured a heavy rifle fire on the Fusiliers, whose
+losses were considerable. They failed, however, to dislodge them. At
+this time a simultaneous attack was taking place in the region of the
+two other hills which composed the Pieter's position. These the 4th
+Brigade under Colonel Northcott and the 11th Brigade under Colonel
+Kitchener were now assailing with magnificent courage. For two hours
+every spot on the kopjes had been searched, painted with the noxious
+hues of lyddite, and seamed with shrapnel, and few Dutchmen there were
+who cared to remain to welcome the bayonets of Kitchener's braves. Their
+preliminary advance was scarcely recognisable, kharki and kopje so
+smoothly blending themselves in one. Then on a sudden, as in the
+transformation scene when jars become forty thieves or shell-fish become
+fairies, the boulders took to themselves human shape and human tongue,
+and up flew a surging, yelling mass of fierce warriors, rushing the hill
+in the red light of the setting sun. The crest was carried magnificently
+by the Royal Lancasters, men who had been in the thick of everything for
+a month past, and who yet maintained their unconquerable British
+qualities without a flaw; and the Boers, recognising that the game was
+up, were seen skimming the distance like swallows in flight. Some
+magnificent service was done by the gunners of the Royal Navy and the
+Natal Naval Volunteers, service that was especially eulogised by the
+General, who declared that the losses consequent on the taking of the
+position might have been far greater but for the efficient manner in
+which the artillery was served. Be this as it may, an officer said what
+many echoed, namely, that however deadly our shell fire was, and however
+instrumental in winning the battle, "No infantry in the world but ours
+would have crowned such a victory with so much glory." For the Boers at
+first fought doggedly, relinquishing their hold of trench after trench
+only when artillery followed by the bayonets of the infantry made their
+positions untenable. In turn three hills were stormed; in turn cheer on
+cheer rent the air and travelled along the funnel-like banks of the
+river, and floated up to the rejoiced ears of those on Hlangwane and
+Monte Cristo, who had assisted to bring about the devoutly wished for
+consummation. The song of victory seemed to be taken up by the elements,
+earth and air and water, and the last flare of the guns of the enemy
+repeated it. All now knew that the way to Ladysmith was won; that the
+toil and tribulation, the perplexity and suspense, that had harassed
+them since the fatal day of Colenso had come to an end! There, right and
+left, were little black figures scudding away like ants disturbed; here
+streams of prisoners who had thrown up hands at glint of bayonet; on all
+sides kopjes, kopjes, kopjes--ours, unchallengeably ours!
+
+Some idea of the situation may be gathered from the description of a
+sergeant in the 2nd Royal Irish Fusiliers:--
+
+"On the 27th we put the damper on them.... You have read, no doubt, of
+Barton's Brigade deploying to the right early in the day. That
+deployment was made by crossing the pontoon bridge put up during the
+night by the Engineers. Instead of climbing up the banks on the opposite
+side, we crept down the water's edge over huge rocks for about a couple
+of miles. In the meantime our Naval guns, artillery, Maxims, were all
+blazing away overhead, and a terrible rifle fire was raging on the left.
+As we struggled up the steep banks the beggars spotted us, and things
+began to get lively. We got under a little cover, and blazed away for
+all we were worth.
+
+"The whole brigade gradually pushed forward from one bit of cover to
+another, but still the Boers held their ground. About five o'clock in
+the afternoon the staff passed the word round to charge them out of it.
+We left our cover, and advanced by half-companies at the double. The
+company officers were given a point to make for, and as soon as we got
+in the open it was a case of every man for himself. It was a good 800
+yards of open ground where my company had to cross, and, of course, they
+fired at us for all they were worth. A good many dropped, including
+A---- and the two subalterns. What with shells bursting and a front and
+cross fire, it was like a full-dress rehearsal for the lower regions. We
+got on the hill, and made short work of our Brothers. Needless to say,
+they didn't all stand for the steel. They kept up a heavy fire on us
+until long after dark. Orders were passed to hold our own until
+daylight. As many of the wounded were without water, a terrible night
+was put in. The shouts for water, mingled with the groans of the dying,
+the sparks from the Mauser bullets as they struck the rocks, the
+blackness of the night, &c., fairly made me say my prayers.... The
+stretcher-bearers searching for the wounded carry lamps, and these lamps
+made a nice target for Brother Boer to snipe at. Daylight came at last,
+the night mist began to clear away, dead Tommies grinning at dead Boers,
+wounded men of all sorts, everybody stiff, sore, dirty, and tired. The
+Boers scooted."
+
+And the next day came the serene happiness of viewing the Boers in full
+retreat behind Bulwana and in the direction of Acton Homes, the winding
+string of waggons trekking away from the scene of past triumphs. The
+misery, the lives, the pains, the doubts, the disappointments were well
+repaid by that vision of the departing foe, the foe moving off for ever
+from the strongholds of Natal. All had been accomplished by a blend of
+pluck, obduracy, and perseverance that can scarcely find its match in
+the records of British prowess. They had suffered at Colenso, they had
+tested the deadly summit of Spion Kop. They had backed out from that
+cruel region with their lives in their hands, and repeated the same
+process in the equally terrific area of Vaal Krantz. They had come forth
+smiling, stalwart, staunch as ever, believing and trusting and
+determining to hew their way through the rocky wilderness sown with
+destruction and save the 8000 odd of their fellows whose lives verily
+hung by a thread. And now for fourteen days, each hour fraught with
+blood and broiling, they had moved on from one dangerous position to a
+second more dangerous position, till at last, after protracted torment
+and suspense, they had driven before them the whole horde of adventurous
+Dutchmen--foes allowed to be the bravest of the brave, if the shiftiest
+of the shifty. Now they had their reward. The Boers were scrambling to
+be off--that much they could see of them. It was only in those fleeing
+moments they saw them at all. At other times, when battle raged warmest,
+all that was known of the Brother Boer was the shape and number of his
+bullet!
+
+The following officers were killed and wounded on the 22nd, 23rd, and
+24th of February:--
+
+     Staff--Wounded, Major-General A. S. Wynne, C.B. 3rd King's
+     Royal Rifle Corps--Killed, Lieutenant Hon. R. Cathcart;
+     wounded, Lieutenant D. H. Blundell-Hollinshead-Blundell and
+     Lieutenant A. F. MacLachlan. 2nd Royal Lancaster
+     Regiment--Killed, Lieutenant R. H. Coe and Second Lieutenant N.
+     J. Parker; wounded, Major E. W. Yeatherd, Lieutenant A. R. S.
+     Martin, Lieutenant F. C. Davidson (since dead), and Lieutenant
+     R. G. D. Parker. 2nd East Surrey Regiment--Wounded,
+     Lieutenant-Colonel R. H. W. H. Harris, Major H. L. Smith, Major
+     H. P. Treeby, Captain F. L. A. Packman, Lieutenant C. H.
+     Hinton, Second Lieutenant J. P. Benson. 1st South Lancashire
+     Regiment--Wounded, Captain B. R. Goren, Lieutenant H. R. Kane,
+     Captain S. Upperton, Second Lieutenant C. H. Marsh. 2nd
+     Devonshire Regiment--Wounded, Lieutenant E. J. F. Vaughan. 2nd
+     Royal West Surrey Regiment--Wounded, Lieutenants B. H. Hastie,
+     H. C. Winfield, and A. E. M'Namara. 1st Rifle Brigade--Wounded,
+     Captain and Quarter-Master F. Stone and Second Lieutenant C.
+     D'A. Baker-Carr. 2nd King's Royal Rifle Corps--Wounded,
+     Lieutenant W. Wyndham and Second Lieutenant G. C. Kelly. 2nd
+     Rifle Brigade--Wounded, Second Lieutenant H. C. Dumaresq. 1st
+     Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers--Killed, Lieutenant-Colonel T. M.
+     G. Thackeray,[5] Major F. A. Sanders, Lieutenant W. O. Stuart;
+     wounded, Major C. J. L. Davidson, Captain R. M. Foot,
+     Lieutenant J. Evans, Lieutenant J. N. Crawford, Second
+     Lieutenant C. Ridings, Second Lieutenant H. P. Pott, Second
+     Lieutenant J. G. Devenish; missing, Second Lieutenant T. A. D.
+     Best. 2nd Royal Dublin Fusiliers--Killed, Brevet
+     Lieutenant-Colonel C. G. H. Sitwell, D.S.O.; wounded,
+     Lieutenant A. V. Hill, Second Lieutenant A. Broadhurst-Hill,
+     Second Lieutenant F. B. Lane, Second Lieutenant J. T. Dennis.
+     2nd Gordon Highlanders--Killed, Captain S. C. Maitland.
+     Imperial Light Infantry--Wounded, Major Hay. 1st Connaught
+     Rangers--Wounded, Lieutenant J. L. T. Conroy, Lieutenant R. W.
+     Harling, Lieutenant H. Moore Hutchinson, Lieutenant A. Wise,
+     Second Lieutenant A. T. Lambert, Second Lieutenant J. M. B.
+     Wratislaw, Captain E. M. Woulfe Flanagan (5th Battalion,
+     attached). Royal Welsh Fusiliers--Killed, Lieutenant-Colonel C.
+     C. H. Thorold,[6] Lieutenant F. A. Stebbing; wounded, Second
+     Lieutenant C. C. Norman and Second Lieutenant H. V. V. Kyrke.
+     2nd Royal Fusiliers--Wounded, Lieutenant R. H. Torkington.
+
+The following casualties occurred on the 27th of February:--
+
+     _Killed._--1st South Lancashire Regiment--Lieutenant-Colonel W.
+     M'Carthy O'Leary.[7] 2nd Royal Scots Fusiliers--Brevet-Major V.
+     Lewis, Captain H. S. Sykes, Second Lieutenant F. J. T. U.
+     Simpson. 1st Royal Warwickshire Regiment--Lieutenant H. L.
+     Mourilyan. Second Royal Irish Fusiliers--Second Lieutenant C.
+     J. Daly.
+
+     _Wounded._--Major-General Barton. 2nd Scots
+     Fusiliers--Lieutenant-Colonel E. E. Carr, Captain C. P. A.
+     Hull, Captain E. E. Blaine, Lieutenant C. H. I. Jackson, Second
+     Lieutenant H. C. Fraser. 2nd Royal Irish Fusiliers--Major F. F.
+     Hill, Lieutenant A. G. Knocker, Second Lieutenant A. Hamilton,
+     Second Lieutenant V. H. Kavanagh. 1st South Lancashire
+     Regiment--Major T. Lamb. 2nd West Yorkshire Regiment--Captain
+     C. Mansel Jones, Captain C. C. B. Tew, Lieutenant L. H. Spry,
+     Lieutenant A. M. Boyall. 2nd Derbyshire Regiment--Lieutenant H.
+     S. Pennell, V.C. 2nd Royal Lancaster Regiment--Captain G. L.
+     Palmes, Second Lieutenant C. W. Grover, Lieutenant E. A. P.
+     Vaughan. 1st Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers--Second Lieutenant G.
+     R. V. Steward. 1st Rifle Brigade--Captain and Adjutant S. C.
+     Long, Second Lieutenant J. L. Buxton. 2nd Royal
+     Fusiliers--Lieutenant H. B. G. Macartney. 2nd Royal Dublin
+     Fusiliers--Lieutenant J. M'D. Hastard, Second Lieutenant De B.
+     Bradford.
+
+
+
+EXPECTATION
+
+[Illustration: KING'S POST, THE ENTRENCHED POSITION OF 2ND BATT. RIFLE
+BRIGADE AT LADYSMITH. (Reduced facsimile of sketch by Melton Prior.)]
+
+"Gloom, gloom, gloom, unending gloom!" So said one on the 26th of
+February, one who was fast sinking in the slough of despondency into
+which so many had slipped lower and lower, till they were sucked down
+and ended their troubles with fever and the grave. Some few days before
+all hearts had leapt with joy at reading of hopeful signals, listening
+to booming guns, which all thought to be bursting the gates of their
+imprisonment. So certain were they that the joyful hour of freedom was
+at hand that the force was placed on full rations. "We can afford to
+have a blow-out now," some one had said, and began to arrange what menu
+he should chose when he at last came face to face with civilisation.
+Then had come gloom--gloom blacker than Erebus--for it was gloom without
+and within. The guns--the welcome guns--not the obstreperous ones of
+Bulwana and the companion hills--had ceased their clamour. Hope was
+gone, and even the "helio" refused its communications. The sky was
+overcast, and rumours, that had always been prolific as flies, now began
+to breed apace. The air of Ladysmith was thick with them. No word from
+Buller's column. Kaffirs hinted that for the fourth time the relief
+column had retired at the back of the Tugela. Doubt, anxiety, suspense
+set in with renewed terrors. Quarter rations--the more trying because
+temporarily dropped--again became the order of the course. This in spite
+of the fact that Buller had now signalled "Everything progressing
+favourably." It seemed that they had heard that message before, those
+poor, half-hopeful, half-sceptical sufferers.
+
+Some said that on Tuesday, Majuba Day, the spirits of the community
+arrived at their nadir. When the barometer of fate registers its lowest,
+it is bound to rise. It rose in skips and jumps. There came the grand
+news that Cronje had surrendered to Lord Roberts. It was evident that
+the Boers too had heard, understood, and decided that they must scuttle
+the next morning. Signs of disturbance were evident. Long serpentine
+lines of trekking waggons were throwing up dust columns in the roads
+leading to Modder Spruit and Pepworth; droves of oxen were hurried along
+as fast as hoofs would carry them. Guns--the terrible guns which for 118
+days had bayed and barked and rumbled and thundered--were in course of
+being dismantled. What did it all mean? Time was when the "braves" in
+Ladysmith would have sallied forth with their inherent dash and turned
+the retreat into a rout. But things were changed. Men and horses were
+now almost too weak to enter into sustained conflict with a mosquito,
+had a mosquito deigned to look at them. But most of them were past even
+the attentions of mosquitos. All they could do was to send a salvo at
+the heels of their tormentors, and hope that one or two shells at least
+might serve to "speed the parting guest." This was all they could
+attempt. They also flashed to Monte Cristo a message--a deplorable
+message--full of their despair and despondency. It said, "Garrison
+bitterly disappointed at delay of relieving force." This was at twelve
+o'clock. Then, as though Fate, with a full appreciation of the
+picturesque, had placed her highest light against her deepest
+dark--then, within the hour, came back glorious news!
+
+[Illustration: IN BELEAGUERED LADYSMITH--WATCHING FOR BULLER FROM
+OBSERVATION HILL.
+
+From a Sketch by Melton Prior.]
+
+"Have thoroughly beaten the enemy. Believe them to be in full retreat.
+Have sent my cavalry to ascertain which way they have gone." Surprise,
+rapture, prolonged jubilation! Cheer on cheer rose on the clear midday
+air and rang for miles, till the sick in Intombi camp lifted pallid
+heads and strained their ears and wondered. Then came the rolling
+National Anthem and "Rule Britannia," and Sir George White and those
+around him who had grown old within the spell of those awful 118 days,
+began to grow young again. And soon the Jack Tars set to work and the
+Naval guns pounded away with a reckless disregard for ammunition and a
+zest that did them credit. "One more go at him!--only one more!--only
+one more!" and "Long Tom," which was in act of being dismantled, was the
+subject of boisterous farewells.
+
+
+THE RELIEF OF LADYSMITH
+
+At six o'clock on the evening of the 28th of February all the suffering,
+suspense, and tension came to an end. The obstinate resistance, the
+heroic combats, the semi-starvation, the appalling melancholy of
+enforced exile, all were over.
+
+In the late afternoon those viewing the departure of the Boers from a
+vantage-point at Caesar's Camp espied along the hazy blue of the valley
+horsemen recklessly approaching, riding at full gallop across the open.
+Conjectures wild were attempted. Hearts began to flutter, to stand
+still, to beat again with sharp quick thuds. Boers? Or Buller's cavalry?
+Yes--no--yes! Hurrah! Hurrah! They were coming--the squadron was
+distinctly visible--they were making direct for Ladysmith. A roar went
+up from a multitude of throats. The Manchesters on Caesar's Camp, the
+Gordons at Fly Kraal, and presently the troops in the town, broke into
+shouts of exultation. Soon it was known everywhere they were
+coming--coming--coming--at last--at last! It was quite true. There was
+Lord Dundonald with Major Mackenzie (Light Horse) and Major Gough (16th
+Lancers), accompanied by the little column of Colonials, grand gallant
+fellows of the Light Horse, Natal Carabineers, and Border Mounted
+Police, some three hundred of them, pounding across the open country as
+fast as horses would carry them.
+
+In the twilight the troops sped along over boulder and rock, down donga
+and ravine, reckless of every obstacle, and at last the melancholy
+perimeter was reached. Then from out the gloom came a challenge. A
+British voice called "Halt! Who goes there?" A British voice gave
+answer--the almost unbelievable answer--"The Ladysmith Relieving Army."
+Four words, just four words! Paradise seemed to be opened. From all
+quarters came crowding and cheering--cheering faintly with wizened
+voices of the famished--men battered and almost bootless--happy, yet for
+all that deplorably sad in their happiness. Tears even glistened on some
+cheeks and in some eyes--the "unconquerable British blue eyes" of the
+Ladysmith "invincibles." With a due sense of decorum, and in the
+determination to give none the precedence, the procession had arranged
+itself in special order. The Natal Carabineers and Imperial Light Horse
+riding two and two abreast, with Major Gough at the head of the column,
+now marched in triumph into the town.
+
+At the English church they were met by General White, the defender of
+Ladysmith, fevered and thin and grey-haired, yet erect with the carriage
+of one who, without the strength, has the inextinguishable pride of his
+race, and the will to bear his country's burden to the last. With him
+were General Hunter and Colonel Ian Hamilton, heroes of the defence.
+Each instant the scene gained in colour, in vehemence, in pathos.
+Cheers and tears were commingled. Women wept unreservedly. Men, to
+dispose of a lump in their throats, shouted with all the scanty vigour
+that a limited diet of horse-sausage and mule would allow. But new life
+coursed through their veins. There was no glow of health on their
+cheeks, but the gleam of joy in their eyes rendered them young, almost
+hale. The Kaffirs and coolies gave expression to their rapture by dances
+and shouts that relieved the almost solemn ecstasy of the moment. Then
+General White, surrounded on one side by his pallid, worn, and wounded
+heroes, on the other by the bronzed warriors of the relieving force,
+made a brief address to the crowd: "People of Ladysmith," he said, in a
+voice that wavered with the emotion it was needless to conceal--"People
+of Ladysmith, I thank you one and all for the patient manner you have
+assisted me during the siege. From the bottom of my heart I thank you.
+It hurt me terribly when I was compelled to cut down rations, but, thank
+God, we have kept our flag flying!" Cheers broke out afresh, and then
+the battered multitude with one voice rent the grey gloom of the
+evening, and the strains of "God save the Queen" rang forth, till the
+banks, hollows, and rocks of the surrounding country gave back the
+glorious refrain. That night Sir George White, with his valorous
+colleagues around him, gave a dinner to the newly arrived, and these sat
+down with a feeling of exaltation, almost of awe, to find themselves
+thus in the familiar company of heroes. And all were conscious of a
+strange sense of unreality which pervaded the scene. It was almost
+impossible to realise that the drama was played, that they were about to
+ring down the curtain on the last act. It was scarce possible to believe
+that for three months the Natal Field Force had kept at bay a force
+double its number, had fortified and held a perimeter of fourteen miles
+against the most fiendish inventions of modern artillery, had made
+brilliant sorties and repulsed assaults innumerable--two of them being
+ferocious, almost hand-to-hand combats--had fought and watched and
+sickened and starved.... And now, all was changed. Those dire
+experiences were over for ever!
+
+Yet the effect of them remained. As a consequence of the close
+confinement of some 20,000 persons, disease was stalking abroad, even
+attacking those who but an hour ago had neared the place. Away at
+Intombi camp, too, where drugs were scarce, many of the
+patients--convalescent patients--were sinking for want of the sustaining
+food which was necessary to recovery. There was regret, poignant and
+newly awakened, in this moment of relief, regret standing dry-eyed, yet
+with a grievous ache at the heart--regret that before had learnt to bear
+and be still. It was impossible to see the glad side without also
+remembering the deeply pathetic one. The pestiferous atmosphere
+breathed of fever and disease, and those coming into it realised only
+too well what havoc such an atmosphere must have played on the sickly
+and the starved. Besides this there were gaps--woeful gaps. Names that
+dared not be mentioned, spots that could scarce be looked upon with dry
+eyes. The bronzed warriors, who day after day had shown tough fronts to
+the enemy, and whose ceaseless struggles should have hardened them to
+emotion, now turned aside to conceal the agony of bleeding hearts.
+
+Outside the town, in a sheltered hollow below Waggon Hill, was a
+pathetic garden of sleep. Here, under the shadow of cypress trees, lay
+the honoured remains of brave fellows who had given themselves to save
+the town, and with the town the prestige of their motherland. The earth
+barely covered them, but for all that their peace was perfect. They had
+struggled to save Natal, and Natal through them and the survivors was
+saved. If there is a loophole whence those who have passed on to the
+Invisible can peer down and observe the issues of mortal deeds, surely
+in that great hour, those splendid, those self-abnegating ones, who had
+given their heart's blood for the glory of the Empire, must then have
+gazed their fill, and in the general rejoicing have reaped their
+beatific reward.
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+The effect in England of the news of the relief was truly surprising.
+The spectacle was unique in the annals of Victoria's reign. On Thursday
+the 1st of March the whole City of London by one consent burst into
+jubilation. Every human being, however hard-worked, wore a smile; every
+heart, however sore, throbbed with a sense of reflected triumph; for
+all, if they had not been at the front in the flesh, had been there in
+the spirit these many, many days. Never was such a spontaneous outburst
+of rejoicing! A nation of shopkeepers indeed! Why, shopkeeping and work
+of all kinds were forgotten, and in front of the Mansion House crowded
+the delighted multitudes, oblivious of everything save the glorious fact
+that British bull-dog tenacity had withstood the most fiendish warfare,
+and wiles, and wickedness that vengeful Dutchmen could invent.
+
+From north, south, east, and west the people flocked, springing as it
+were from the very earth. The news came in at 10 A.M. By eleven the City
+was alive with drama. Hats were being waved or flung into the air,
+regardless of the effect upon the nap; flags from here, there, and
+everywhere fluttered--in default of these, other brandishable things
+were seized. Sometimes handkerchiefs did duty, newspapers, and even
+parcels and commercial bags; and from tongues innumerable came cheers
+and shouts and snatches of patriotic song, till an ignorant spectator,
+if one such there could have been, might have imagined Bedlam to have
+broken loose. "Rule Britannia," "God save the Queen," "Tommy Atkins,"
+"The Absent-Minded Beggar"--all tunes poured forth to an accompaniment
+of cheers. The Lord Mayor was called out, and appeared on his balcony.
+He was forthwith invited to speak. The great man opened and shut his
+mouth--he was much moved with the general emotion--but no sound
+penetrated the uproar. Cheers loud and vehement tore the air, and the
+walls of the civic domain literally shook with the inspiriting fracas.
+Then for a moment or two there was a lull, and taking advantage of the
+opportunity, in a short sincere speech the Lord Mayor expressed himself.
+
+"Fellow-citizens, this news of the relief of Ladysmith makes our hearts
+leap with joy. We are now satisfied that at last our sacrifices of blood
+and treasure are not in vain!"
+
+Upon that the crowd roared itself hoarse, sung "For he's a jolly good
+fellow," and never with better cause, for Sir A. J. Newton had put the
+best of himself into the launching of the glorious C.I.V.'s. By-and-by
+came, with banners and much ceremony, a deputation from the Stock
+Exchange, and after them waves on waves of shouting enthusiasts--a
+spectacle so un-English, so genuine, so unrestrained, that the gloomy
+decorous regions of the City seemed suddenly to have become things
+apart, card-houses to fill in the background to a soul-stirring scene.
+Everywhere, in the alleys of "'Arriet," in the haunts of the "wild, wild
+West," at the Bank, in Leadenhall Market, and along the Thames, went up
+the jubilant echo--"Ladysmith is relieved!" Whereupon windows and
+balconies were dressed, flags, red, white, and blue, and the green of
+Erin with its romantic harp in the corner, fluttered wings of ecstasy
+from every British nest, and from every British household there rose
+unanimously a rapturous cry that was almost a sob, a cry of thanksgiving
+that the end had come, and that Ladysmith and the honour of the old
+country were saved!
+
+
+THE FORMAL ENTRY
+
+It seemed but artistic that Lord Dundonald and his brave irregulars
+should have met the keen edge of joyous welcome, that the burst of
+enthusiasm which greeted them should have been the heartiest of which
+Ladysmith, after a siege of 118 days, was capable. It was right, almost
+beautiful, that the staunch Colonials, who so well had fought for the
+Empire, should be the ones to throw open the doors of the dolorous
+prison, and deliver those who had been not only victims to the devilish
+machinations of the Boer, but had suffered from the active ache of
+suspense and the passive one of starvation, from their hellish
+bondage. Their informal coming was part and parcel of the unrehearsed
+and the splendid that appeared at every corner in this absolutely
+incomprehensible war.
+
+[Illustration: BRIGADIER-GENERAL THE EARL OF DUNDONALD, C.B.
+
+Photo by R. Faulkner & Co.]
+
+The next day things were more decorously done--more English in their
+reserve. Etiquette and custom resumed their sway, and General Sir
+Archibald Hunter straightened out the limp backbone of the army, and
+made soldierly preparations to welcome the relief column. There were
+cleansings and polishings, washings and brushings up, of a ramshackle
+kind, it is true, but they savoured of the old parade days returned.
+Poor skeletons of horses were groomed down, Sunday best was smoothed
+out, everything was done that the slender resources of the melancholy
+perimeter would allow. Shortly after noon on the 3rd of March Sir
+Redvers Buller made his formal entry. His arrival was somewhat
+unexpected, and there was little effervescent demonstration. Sir George
+White and Sir Redvers Buller meeting with a handclasp, said at first
+little more than the familiar "D'ye do?" of saunterers in Piccadilly.
+What else could be done? There was much to say, so much that must remain
+ever unsaid, and throats to-day were too tightly compressed in
+strangling the large and unspeakable emotion to give vent to the
+infinitesimal resource of speech. Meanwhile the forlorn streets had
+begun to fill. They were margined by the garrison, and with them were
+collected such of the sorry civilians as were able to stand exposed to
+the tropical glare of the sun in its zenith. They came out wondering,
+almost diffident. Was it possible that the morning message of melenite
+was no longer to be heard? that the hoarse cadence of hostile artillery
+was silent for good? Was the open distance really innocuous--clear and
+peaceful as a Swiss landscape? They scarcely recognised themselves or
+their surroundings, and looked dazedly to right and left as on a changed
+world. Sir George White, with his staff, now took up a position in front
+of the Town Hall, where, backgrounded by the ruined tower--it had been
+battered, as it were, by the whole armoury of Satan--the broken blue tin
+houses and the parched trees, the group made an appropriate picture of
+noble wreck--of aristocratical exhaustion. The relievers, though
+physically hale, were externally scarcely more presentable than the
+relieved. The outsiders, it is true, were begrimed and tattered, though
+robust and swarthy; while the Invincibles, rigged up in honour of their
+deliverers in Sunday best, and washed and scrubbed to a nicety,
+seemed--soap-like--to have dissolved in the very process of ablution. No
+joy of the moment could alter the tale of shrinkage that was printed on
+man and beast. But jubilation expressed itself in the best way it could.
+From windows and balconies soon hung strips of colour, national emblems,
+gathered from hither and thither to mark a rapture that it was
+impossible for human tongue to describe. From hotels and habitations
+the citizens began to pour forth and to congregate. And then, when all
+were collected, the curtain drew up on the most wondrous scene that the
+nineteenth century has witnessed--the march past of the Ladysmith
+Relieving Column! Sir Redvers Buller, imperturbable of visage as usual,
+accompanied by his staff, rode at the head of his magnificent warriors,
+and leading, in the place of honour, were the valorous Dublin Fusiliers,
+the poor but glorious remnant, consisting now of 400 of the original
+battalion who had so grandly acquitted themselves in many battlefields.
+Next came Sir Charles Warren and the Fifth Division, and afterwards
+General Barton and General Lyttelton's Brigades--goodly fellows all, who
+had proved themselves deliberately brave and doughtily undefeatable.
+Meanwhile the pipes and drums of the Gordon Highlanders, with such
+vigour as was left them, made exhilarating music, to which was united
+the clanking and clamping of the Artillery Howitzer Battery and Naval
+Brigade as they filed past with uproarious martial rampage. Each section
+was greeted with admiring cheers. The regiments moved along in review
+order, a superb throng, bronzed, and battered, and brawny, a curious
+contrast to the pallid and emaciated comrades-in-arms--morally superb
+too, but physically degenerate--who welcomed them. The spectacle was
+unique in soul-stirring grandeur as in unspoken pathos.
+
+"A march of lions," said Mr. Churchill, who had played his part with
+Lord Dundonald's force, and was now looked on as a critic. "A procession
+of giants," said some one else, who watched the lines and lines of
+heroes greeting each other with wild huzzas! Friends, kindred,
+comrades-in-arms--from either side the yawning gulf of destruction, from
+even the voracious maw of death--they came together again, all jubilant,
+all generously appreciative, all self-respecting, and glowing with
+honest and honourable emotion. The Gordon Highlanders cheered the
+Dublins, the Dublins, with little sprigs of green in their caps,
+responded right royally to the greeting of the Scotsmen. One battalion
+of the Devons met its twin battalion: the men of doughty deeds,
+large-hearted and large-lunged, accosted with zest the men of equally
+doughty deeds but dwindled frames, whose deep bass notes cracked with
+the strain of rollicking intention and futile realisation.
+
+While all this was going forward, from the balcony of the gaol a
+wondering crowd of Boer prisoners looked on agape. They could barely
+believe the evidence of their eyes: the town was free. Had their
+compatriots at last turned tail and bolted? They stared down on the vast
+interminable avenue of men and guns winding through what only the day
+before yesterday was a fiery concave--watched a continuous moving
+multitude, tattered and begrimed, saddle-brown and burly--and little by
+little began to fathom the meaning to themselves of this mighty display.
+The despised rooineks had, after all, not even been thrust into the sea:
+in fact, it appeared that the sea had cultivated a trick of casting up
+rooineks by the thousand, to be killed in scores only to come up in
+swarms!
+
+By-and-by, when the military parade was over, the Mayor of the town, Mr.
+Farquhar, presented Sir George White with an address, in which the
+corporation and inhabitants expressed their appreciation of all that he
+had done for them in those dark days of durance. Flattering reference
+was also made to the services of General Hunter and Colonel Ward
+(A.A.G.). To these officers the General, in reply, alluded gratefully,
+eulogising the work done by the former, and describing the latter as the
+"best supply officer since Moses." He then called attention to the
+stubborn patience of the civilians of Ladysmith, "who had borne
+themselves like good and true soldiers throughout a very trying time."
+These remarks were followed by three hearty cheers for the civilians of
+Ladysmith. The Mayor expressed his pride in the manner the civilian
+population had comported itself, and the excellent feeling that had
+existed between both civil and military authorities. He then presented
+an illuminated address to Sir Redvers Buller, of which the following is
+the text:--
+
+     "We, the Mayor and members of the Town Council of the borough
+     of Ladysmith, Natal, and as such representing the inhabitants
+     of the said borough, beg most respectfully to welcome with
+     great joy the arrival of yourself and your gallant soldiers at
+     our township, and to express to you our most sincere and
+     heartfelt appreciation of your noble and courageous efforts in
+     the relief of this long-beleaguered borough. As members of the
+     great British Empire, as loyal subjects of Her Most Gracious
+     Majesty the Queen, and as colonists of Natal, we beg
+     respectfully to tender you our most hearty thanks, realising as
+     we do the magnitude and difficulty of the work you have
+     accomplished. At the same time our sympathies are great for the
+     heavy losses among your gallant troops that have occurred in
+     your successful efforts to relieve us."
+
+The following telegrams were sent to Sir Redvers Buller and Sir George
+White by the Queen.
+
+To Sir Redvers Buller:--
+
+     "Thank God for news you have telegraphed to me. Congratulate
+     you and all under you with all my heart.
+
+    "V.R.I."
+
+To Sir George White:--
+
+     "Thank God that you and all those with you are safe after your
+     long and trying siege, borne with such heroism. I congratulate
+     you and all under you from the bottom of my heart. Trust you
+     are all not very much exhausted.
+
+    "V.R.I."
+
+Reply from Sir George White to the Queen:--
+
+     "Your Majesty's most gracious message has been received by me
+     with deepest gratitude and with enthusiasm by the troops.
+
+     "Any hardships and privations are a hundred times compensated
+     for by the sympathy and appreciation of our Queen, and your
+     Majesty's message will do more to restore both officers and men
+     than anything else.
+
+    "GENERAL SIR GEORGE WHITE, Ladysmith."
+
+The following telegram was received by the Queen from Sir Redvers
+Buller:--
+
+     "Troops much appreciate your Majesty's kind telegram.
+
+     "Your Majesty cannot know how much your sympathy has helped to
+     inspire them.
+
+    "GENERAL BULLER."
+
+An additional telegram was sent by the Queen to Sir Redvers Buller on
+the 2nd inst.:--
+
+     "Pray express to the Naval Brigade my deep appreciation of the
+     valuable services they have rendered with their guns.
+
+    "V.R.I."
+
+Later on a special Army Order was issued as follows:--
+
+     GALLANTRY OF IRISH REGIMENTS IN SOUTH AFRICA--DISTINCTION TO BE
+     WORN ON ST. PATRICK'S DAY.
+
+     Her Majesty the Queen is pleased to order that in future, upon
+     St. Patrick's Day, all ranks in her Majesty's Irish regiments
+     shall wear, as a distinction, a sprig of shamrock in their
+     headdress, to commemorate the gallantry of her Irish soldiers
+     during the recent battles in South Africa.
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+Soon after this came the transformation scene. Seventy-three
+waggon-loads of supplies, eleven of which contained hospital comforts,
+began to wind into the town. Major Morgan and Colonel Stanley, like
+fairy godmothers in the story-book, waved the wand of office, and
+promptly the machinery began to revolve, and manna in the form of
+nourishing food-stuffs poured into the famished regions. The Boers, too,
+in the precipitate retreat had left welcome loads of grass, herds, and
+ammunition--the ammunition of the besieged was well-nigh
+exhausted--besides individual necessaries which came in handy. But of
+course, the machinery of relief, well as it worked, could scarcely work
+fast enough to make an appreciable result, and save invalids who were
+sinking from the protracted trial. It was amazing how the sick-list
+swelled. Many who had come into the town jocund and jaunty, found
+themselves in a few hours clutched by the fell fever. It was enough but
+to breathe the tainted atmosphere to fall sick, and those who were
+seized at once discovered all the horror of helplessness in an area
+where provision for the comfort of the suffering was well-nigh
+exhausted. Looking back on the past from the new standpoint, the gaps
+became more than ever remarkable; for, despite incessant fighting, shot
+and shell were responsible for less lives than famine and fever.
+
+[Illustration: LIEUT.-GENERAL HON. N. G. LYTTELTON, C.B.
+
+Photo by Elliott & Fry, London.]
+
+Ladysmith at the commencement of the siege held some 13,496 fighting men
+and over 2000 civilians. Owing to sickness and hard fighting, the number
+had diminished to 10,164 men. There were about 2000 in hospital, but the
+death-rate practically increased only when, after January, food,
+nourishment of all kinds, and medical appliances grew scarce. At that
+time sickness of whatever kind assumed an ominous aspect; there was no
+chance of relief. It was impossible for languishing men to apply
+themselves to the soup made of old horse and mule, which was gladly
+devoured by those who had still the appetite without the means of
+appeasing it. From the 15th of January death stalked abroad uncombated;
+later he held carnival. Many died from wounds, very slight wounds,
+received on the 6th of January, from which they had not stamina to
+recover; the fevered and weakly dropped off from sheer starvation and
+famine; the gaunt talons needed scarcely to touch them, for they were
+exhausted, and some of them were glad to go. The deaths as a result of
+fighting were 24 officers and 235 men, while those attributed to
+sickness numbered six officers and 520 men, exclusive of white
+civilians.
+
+The following special Army Order was issued:--
+
+     "The relief of Ladysmith unites two forces which have striven
+     with conspicuous gallantry and splendid determination to
+     maintain the honour of their Queen and country. The garrison of
+     Ladysmith for four months held the position against every
+     attack with complete success, and endured its privations with
+     admirable fortitude. The relieving force had to make its way
+     through unknown country, across unfordable rivers, and over
+     almost inaccessible heights, in the face of a fully-prepared,
+     well-armed, tenacious enemy. By the exhibition of the truest
+     courage, which burns steadily besides flashing brilliantly, it
+     accomplished its object and added a glorious page to our
+     history. Sailors, soldiers, Colonials, and the home-bred have
+     done this, united by one desire and inspired by one patriotism.
+
+     "The General Commanding congratulates both forces on their
+     martial qualities, and thanks them for their determined
+     efforts. He desires to offer his sincere sympathy to the
+     relatives and friends of the good soldiers and gallant comrades
+     who have fallen in the fight. BULLER."
+
+Less formally and with more warmth the Chief addressed himself to his
+friends in England. He said:--
+
+     "We began fighting on the 14th February, and literally fought
+     every day and nearly every night till the 27th. I am filled
+     with admiration for the British soldiers; really, the manner in
+     which they have worked, fought, and endured during the last
+     fortnight has been something more than human. Broiled in a
+     burning sun by day, drenched in rain by night, lying but 300
+     yards off an enemy who shoots you if you show as much as a
+     finger; they could hardly eat or drink by day, and as they
+     were usually attacked at night they got but little sleep; and
+     through it all they were as cheery and willing as could be."
+
+Telegraphic wires and cables wore themselves out in repeating
+congratulation on the relief of Ladysmith. Veritably all the winds of
+heaven seemed to repeat them. From north, south, east, and west came the
+chorus of acclamation, a chorus most reviving to the magnificent
+multitude both inside and outside the place, who had been ready to offer
+up their heart's blood on the altar of patriotism. Though the haunted
+and worn look could not die out of the faces of the sufferers in a
+moment, they had already begun to mend; though the shrunken and
+emaciated forms could not at once be relieved from the starvation and
+disease which had wasted them, there was over all a soothing glow of
+hope that acted magically, beatifically, as the mists of sunrise over a
+squalid landscape.
+
+On the 9th of March Sir George White, looking much worn, he having
+suffered from Indian fever brought on by the malarious surroundings,
+left with his staff. The General addressed the Gordon Highlanders who
+formed the guard of honour, and in few and affecting words bade them
+farewell.
+
+FOOTNOTES:
+
+[4] Brevet Lieutenant-Colonel Claude George Henry Sitwell, D.S.O., 2nd
+Battalion Royal Dublin Fusiliers, was born in 1858, and entered the army
+through the militia in 1878. His first ten years of service were with
+the Shropshire Light Infantry, from which he exchanged, in 1889, into
+the Manchester Regiment. He was subsequently promoted to a majority in
+the 2nd Royal Dublin Fusiliers in October 1898. Colonel Sitwell had seen
+a considerable amount of active service, his first campaign being the
+Afghan war of 1879-80, in which he served with the Koorum Division, and
+took part in the Zaimust expedition. He accompanied the 1st Battalion
+Shropshire Light Infantry in the Egyptian war of 1882, and was present
+at the occupation of Kafr Dowar and the surrender of Damietta. From 1892
+to 1895 he was employed with the Egyptian army, and from 1895 to 1898 in
+the Uganda Protectorate. In 1895, as a captain, he commanded the
+expeditions against the Kitosh, Kabras, and Kikelwa tribes in East
+Africa, and was present with the Nandi expedition in 1895-96. Finally,
+he commanded the operations against Mwanga in 1897-98, including the
+engagement near Katonga River, and several minor affairs. For his
+important services in Uganda Major Sitwell was given a brevet
+lieutenant-colonelcy, and decorated with the Distinguished Service
+Order.
+
+[5] Lieutenant-Colonel Thomas Martin Gerard Thackeray, commanding the
+1st Battalion Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers, was born in 1849, and was
+appointed to the 16th Foot in 1868. In 1876 he exchanged into the 1st
+West India Regiment, subsequently obtaining his captaincy in the Royal
+Inniskilling Fusiliers in 1881. During 1880 and part of 1881 he served
+as Fort Adjutant at Sierra Leone. He was promoted to the command of the
+1st Battalion Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers in February 1897.
+
+[6] Lieutenant-Colonel Thorold, of the Royal Welsh Fusiliers, who was
+killed on February 24, became lieutenant on June 13, 1874, a captain on
+October 25, 1882, a major on July 10, 1890, and was promoted to be
+lieutenant-colonel on March 4, 1896.
+
+[7] Lieutenant-Colonel William M'Carthy O'Leary, commanding the 1st
+Battalion of the South Lancashire Regiment, was born on January 6, 1849,
+and entered the 82nd Foot (now the 2nd Battalion of the South Lancashire
+Regiment) as an ensign in the old purchase days on April 17, 1869. He
+obtained his lieutenancy, also by purchase, on February 15, 1871. He was
+instructor of musketry to the regiment from July 19, 1874, to March 19,
+1878, when he became captain, received his major's commission on August
+13, 1883, and from the January preceding until January 1888, was an
+adjutant of Auxiliary forces. He had been lieutenant-colonel of the
+battalion since November 1896. He was a Justice of the Peace for the
+County of Cork and one of the Under Sheriffs of the city.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER VI
+
+CHANGES IN CAPE COLONY
+
+
+We must now return to Colesberg after the departure of General French.
+The Boers, doubtless much relieved to get quit of him, still occupied a
+semicircular set of camps from east to west round the north of the town,
+while the British, in the same manner, occupied the opposite half of the
+circle, and so continued, by dint of much fighting and skirmishing, to
+keep them in check. On the 9th February the Dutchmen threatened the
+right flank of the British, and shot one of Rimington's Guides. During
+the morning Captain Cameron, commanding the Tasmanian Contingent, with
+Captain Salmon and fifty Australians and Tasmanians, started out from
+Rensburg on a reconnaissance. He was supported by a detachment of the
+Inniskilling Dragoons under Captain Stevenson-Hamilton. The enemy was
+soon encountered, and promptly gave the Australians a warm time as they
+advanced across the plain. These cleverly took shelter and returned an
+active fusillade, but the Boers seemed to be everywhere in overwhelming
+numbers. The Australians with great gallantry took possession of a
+kopje, and maintained their grip of the position for a good hour and a
+half; but the crowds opposing them were too great, and when the Dutchmen
+worked round to the rear and fired on their horses, they thought it high
+time to come down, mount, and retire, amid a hurricane of lead from the
+foe. The same action was repeated, the holding of another kopje, and the
+evacuation of it in consequence of the arrival, in the rear, of the
+Boers; and finally a retirement had to be effected across the open plain
+exposed to fierce volleys from the pursuing enemy. Strange to say, very
+few of the Colonials were injured, though they held their ground
+throughout the day with wondrous pluck, and tackled the Boers with
+dexterity equal to their own. Indeed, the coolness and courage of
+Captain Cameron were reflected by his men, and Captain Salmon, whose
+baptism of fire it was, made a remarkable display of talent in the
+field. Of grit and gallantry there was no end. Specially noticeable was
+the pluck of Corporal Whiteley of the Tasmanians, who hurried to the
+rescue of a dismounted comrade, and through a storm of bullets brought
+him to a place of safety.
+
+More of the Australians on the same day came in for a good share of
+work. A reconnaissance was made from Slingersfontein by the
+Inniskillings and some Australians under Captain Moor. The Australians
+discovered the enemy in the act of preparing to shell the British camp
+from the south-east. They therefore took up a position on a hill some
+9000 yards from camp, but here were assailed by a party of Dutchmen who
+endeavoured to force them to surrender. So close had the Boers
+approached, that their shouts calling them to give up their arms could
+be heard by the Colonials. For answer, however, the Australians only
+fixed bayonets and yelled defiance! Their position was most critical;
+nevertheless they held their ground with such fierce tenacity that the
+Burghers were cautious of approach. Meanwhile, through the maze of fiery
+elements and in the teeth of the enemy, a sergeant and two troopers had
+galloped off to inform the commanding officer of the safety of the
+little band, and of their intention to make a good fight of it until,
+under cover of the shades of night, they could effect an escape. This
+they eventually did. Three of their number were wounded and one was
+killed in the act of succouring a wounded comrade.
+
+On the 11th of February, at Rensburg, a picket of five Victorian Rifles
+had a nasty experience. After pluckily holding a post for several hours,
+during which they were fired on by the Boers from an adjacent kopje,
+they were forced to retire. Three of the party were slightly wounded,
+and one gallant fellow, who had helped the others to mount and escape,
+was missing. A patrol from Jasfontein, consisting of eight Tasmanians
+and eight of French's Guides, also came to grief. Only two Tasmanians
+and three Guides returned to camp, the rest being captured by the enemy.
+In course of the day's work Trooper Bosch distinguished himself. On his
+way with two comrades to join the main body at Slingersfontein he came
+on a large party of Boers on a hill. Though fired on, the party made off
+in hot haste, when Trooper Bosch, who was ahead, came suddenly on a
+solitary horseman. The two riders, each believing the other to be a
+friend, approached, then discovering their mistake, they raised rifles.
+But Trooper Bosch being the quicker, promptly disarmed his antagonist
+and made him prisoner. With the Dutchman in charge, Bosch and his
+companions proceeded. Presently they came on seven Boer riders. On these
+the scouts opened fire, with the result that the enemy hurriedly made
+off, leaving behind them one wounded, who was taken prisoner. So the
+three scouts returned to camp very proud of their "bag."
+
+The correspondent of the _Melbourne Herald_, accompanied by Mr. Cameron,
+the Australian correspondent, bearing a flag of truce, went to the Boer
+line west of Rensburg to make inquiries from Commandant Delarey
+regarding Mr. Lambie and Mr. Hales, the missing Australian
+correspondents. They were blindfolded before being taken to the Boer
+camp, where they were informed that Mr. Lambie had been killed, and
+were handed the portrait of his wife, which had been found in his
+pocket. Mr. Hales, owing to a fall from his horse, had been taken
+prisoner. The correspondents were informed that some 120,000 men were
+fighting with the Federals, which was probably a piece of Boer bravado.
+
+[Illustration: MAP ILLUSTRATING THE OPERATIONS ON THE ORANGE RIVER.]
+
+It was now found necessary to retire from Coles Kop and the outposts
+round it, as the Boers had placed a 40-pounder off Bastard Nek, and thus
+commanded the vicinity. The Wiltshire Regiment retired from Pink Hill,
+and the Australians and Bedfordshire Regiment moved from Windmill Hill.
+The Berkshire Regiment had also to move from their post--indeed, a
+wholesale withdrawal became imperative owing to the activity of the Boer
+pieces. There was now no camp west of Rensburg, and presently the camp
+at Slingersfontein had to withdraw on Rensburg, the eastern flank being
+threatened. There were Boers on all sides busily shelling the hills, and
+the overwhelming number of the enemy made retreat to Rensburg
+inevitable. In the course of the fighting Colonel Coningham was mortally
+wounded.[8]
+
+On the 13th the British "strategically" evacuated Rensburg, and General
+Clements fell back on Arundel. The guns from Coles Kop were safely
+removed, and a Maxim was destroyed to save it from the clutches of the
+enemy.
+
+The retirement was quite orderly. On the previous day the stores and
+baggage-waggons were removed. After the evacuation the Boers held a
+prayer-meeting, and offered up thanks for their success. They then
+marched off in small parties to their various outposts, chanting in
+nasal tones their favourite hymns.
+
+The gallantry displayed by the members of General Clements' force during
+the retirement was amazing. It is found impossible to note all the acts
+of pluck and heroism which took place, and elicited the profound
+admiration of those who witnessed them, but especially noticeable was
+the devotion of some score of the Mounted Victorian Rifles. These were
+surrounded by the enemy--caught in a veritable trap--but they refused to
+surrender, and declared they would "die game." They fought like heroes,
+not one of them being left to tell the tale.
+
+Near Dordrecht, too, which had been occupied by General Brabant, the
+Colonial forces were performing prodigious feats of pluck. They forced
+the rebels to abandon the country between Dordrecht and Penhoek. During
+the attack on a Boer laager on the 16th, Trooper Drysdale bravely rushed
+to the succour of Sergeant Weinecke under a close and heavy fire and
+carried him off to a place of safety. The young Colonial was promoted to
+the rank of lieutenant in recognition of the valorous deed.
+Unfortunately two gallant officers--Captain Crallah and Lieutenant
+Chandler--were killed.
+
+Curiously enough, when the Boers and British became acquainted with each
+other they grew friendly with great rapidity. When Captain Longhurst,
+R.A.M.C., from Arundel, was attending wounded Australians, he remarked
+on the exceeding kindness of the enemy to the wounded. He also
+fraternised with the Boer commander, and discovered they had mutual
+friends in London. The "Tommies" chatted most amicably with the Boers,
+notwithstanding the fact that their bandoliers were filled with
+soft-nosed bullets. To account for their having them, the Boers said,
+"We must use whatever we can get." It was suggested that their
+ammunition--since they were of the northern district--had been obtained
+for the purpose of hunting big game at the Limpopo. This excuse the
+"Tommies" accepted, and one wounded in the thigh said good-humouredly,
+"Well, I wish you'd been kind enough to hit me lower down." Another
+informed a Boer that the British had specially come to deliver them out
+of the House of Bondage. The Boer was sceptical, whereon "Tommy"
+enlightened him. "Africander bondage," he explained, with a wink of the
+eye.
+
+The moral effect of the relief of Kimberley soon became obvious. Barkly
+West was occupied by troops on the 21st of February, and there was
+evidence that the country west of Cape Colony and Kimberley was
+gradually settling down.
+
+On the same day, General Brabant occupied Jamestown, some twenty miles
+north of Dordrecht, and seized quantities of horses belonging to the
+enemy, who in their retreat modestly had recourse to "Shank's pony."
+
+During a reconnaissance of the Boer position at Stormberg, a party of
+scouts under Captain Montmorency, V.C., got within some fifty yards of
+the enemy, and a fierce and fatal combat ensued, which resulted in the
+sad loss of one of the most brilliant officers of the day.
+
+The object of the reconnaissance was to ascertain the strength of the
+Boers at Stormberg. Accordingly, with four companies of Mounted Infantry
+drawn from the Royal Scots, the Northumberland Fusiliers, the Derbyshire
+Regiment, and the Royal Berkshire Regiment, with the 77th and four guns
+of the 74th Batteries Royal Field Artillery, the Derbyshire Regiment
+(Sherwood Foresters), a portion of De Montmorency's Scouts, and some
+Cape Police, supported by the armoured train under the charge of
+Lieutenant F. J. Gosset, 2nd Royal Berkshire Regiment, Sir William
+Gatacre occupied Molteno early on Friday morning the 23rd. Preceded by
+thirty Scouts, Captain de Montmorency, Lieutenant Hockley, and Colonel
+Hoskier, the force marched in the same direction that was to have been
+taken on the night of the fatal affair in December. Unfortunately the
+Scouts, on nearing their destination, came on a party of dismounted
+Boers, and these, as the British rushed up a kopje, executed the same
+feat on the other side of the hill. Though both instantly took cover,
+the scouts got the worst of it, each one as he raised a head being laid
+low by the fatal bullets of the completely hidden foe. Among the first
+to fall was Captain de Montmorency,[9] who, gallant fellow, was
+creeping round to a flank to surprise the enemy. Not long after Colonel
+Hoskier[10] received his second wound, a mortal one, and two comrades,
+Collett and Vice, adventurous and dashing Colonials, were shot through
+the head. Lieutenant Hockley, rendered almost blind and senseless by a
+wound between the eyes, was taken prisoner. A gallant attempt to rescue
+the Scouts was made in the midst of a tremendous storm. All were
+drenched to the skin. The thunder and lightning rendered artillery fire
+almost impossible, and very few of the daring party got away from the
+scene of the fight. On the kopje by Shoeman's Farm were left seven
+killed and five wounded.
+
+On the following day the bodies were recovered by the military
+chaplains. Deeply to their regret, they discovered that the dead had
+been robbed, and it is asserted that a Boer was seen in the feathered
+hat of the heroic leader of the Scouts, while even the clothes of the
+others had been filched by some despicable Dutchmen. Mr. Duncombe-Jewell
+in the _Morning Post_ gave a pathetic account of the affair:--"The
+chaplains to the forces, Father Ryan and Rev. R. Armitage, proceeded
+under a flag of truce on the following morning to recover the bodies.
+This they were permitted to do, but they found that the Boers had
+stripped and robbed the slain, one of them riding about in triumph with
+poor De Montmorency's hat, with its black riband ornamented with the
+white skull and cross-bones and the black ostrich feather at the side,
+hanging at his saddle-bow. So far did they carry these ravages, that on
+the tunic, which they hastily replaced as the chaplains approached,
+there remained only one button. The rest of the unfortunate men were as
+shamefully treated, the three buried by the Boers before the arrival of
+the flag of truce being interred without either clothing or ceremony of
+any sort."
+
+A sad funeral took place on the Sunday following, when the remains were
+buried. The band played a dirge as the procession--in which was the
+younger officer's gallant servant and comrade, Byrne, V.C., of
+Omdurman fame, and his favourite grey Arab pony--wound its way through
+the town to the Molteno Cemetery. Wreaths were placed on the
+newly-turned earth by the General and his staff--ephemeral symbols, but
+in this case emblems of lasting lament for heroes sacrificed on the
+altar of duty.
+
+[Illustration: HINDOO REFUGEES FROM THE TRANSVAAL IN CAMP AT CAPE TOWN
+
+Photo by Alf. S. Hosking, Cape Town.]
+
+In a Divisional Order General Gatacre recorded with deep regret the news
+of the death of Captain Montmorency, V.C., commanding Montmorency's
+Scouts, and of Lieutenant-Colonel Hoskier, 3rd Middlesex Volunteer
+Artillery, who were killed at Schoeman's Farm. "By their deaths," the
+order concluded, "the division has lost two very valuable officers."
+
+While this affair was taking place at Molteno the West Riding Regiment
+was distinguishing itself at Arundel. The troops were preparing to clear
+some kopjes held by the enemy when some Boers suddenly advanced on them.
+The West Ridings stood their ground grandly, waited with fixed bayonets
+the arrival of the Dutch horde, and then promptly advanced and scattered
+them. Unfortunately Captain Wallis was shot dead. Lieutenant Wilson was
+wounded, but rescued in the midst of a leaden blizzard by a gallant
+sergeant (Frith), who rushed to his assistance and carried him off on
+his back to a place of shelter. Scarcely had he done so than he was
+wounded in the face--in the left eye and nose. Lieutenant Wilson and
+Sergeant Frith were placed in an ambulance, but owing to the tremendous
+storm which prevailed at the time, their waggon lost its bearings and
+wandered aimlessly throughout the night. The sufferers reached hospital
+on the following day. On the 26th Colesberg and Colesberg Junction were
+held by our troops, and on the 27th Rensburg was reoccupied.
+
+On the 5th of March Captain M'Neill, who after the death of Captain de
+Montmorency was appointed to the command of Montmorency's Scouts,
+discovered that the Boers had evacuated Stormberg. The Scouts now
+pursued the enemy, determining to keep him on the run. This they did
+over rugged country and at great personal risk, eventually chasing the
+Dutchmen to and beyond Burghersdorp.
+
+On the 7th of March General Gatacre occupied Burghersdorp, and the
+railway arrangements towards Stormberg and Steynsburg were being hurried
+on in view of the coming operations. The enthusiasm of the loyal
+inhabitants of the district was great and their relief intense. The
+greetings from one and all were most effusive, the National Anthem was
+sung, and the British flag hoisted with jubilation so great that many
+wept at the relaxation of the long strain.
+
+General Gatacre issued a proclamation requesting rebels to surrender and
+give up arms, when they would receive a pass to their farms, and where
+they were to remain till called to account later. Some few rebels
+appeared to the summons, but many were still shy and were waiting, as
+the phrase says, "to see which way the cat jumped."
+
+The oath administered to rebels was as follows:--
+
+     "I, a British subject, do hereby and hereon swear and declare
+     that I was forced by the Queen's enemies to take up arms
+     against Her Majesty's troops, and that the rifle and ammunition
+     were issued to me by Commandant ----, that I joined the
+     commando on or about ----, and left it on or about ----. I now
+     hand in my horse, rifle, and ammunition, and, if permitted,
+     will proceed direct to my own farm, to remain there as a loyal
+     British subject until Her Majesty's pleasure be made further
+     known. I further promise to hold no further communication,
+     either directly or indirectly, with Her Majesty's enemies, or
+     to aid or abet them in any way whatever, under penalty of
+     death."
+
+General Clements now took up his quarters at Norval's Pont, on the south
+bank of Orange River. The north bank was still being strongly held by
+the enemy, who had succeeded in blowing up the bridge two days
+previously.
+
+Aliwal North was next occupied, but the occupation was attended with
+severe fighting across the river. But the British took up tenable
+positions, while the Boers, after a wholesome experience of British
+fire, removed their laager from the hills. The inhabitants of the town,
+despite the fact that our entry was accompanied by shells, were full of
+enthusiasm. Colonel Page Henderson and his advance party seized the
+heights beyond Lundean's Nek. The enemy shelled the bridge with Krupp
+guns with great vigour, and twenty men were wounded. The British from
+their entrenched positions silenced these barkings, but were then
+attacked by the Boer riflemen, who were finally driven off by the Border
+Horse and a Maxim gun. A waggon of ammunition was captured and several
+Boers. There were general complaints as to the treatment experienced by
+British people in the place, and there was some satisfaction when Mayor
+Smuts was subsequently arrested on a charge of treason.
+
+Railway and telegraphic communication were now carried to Burghersdorp.
+Everywhere the commencement of a new system was evident. In the
+north-eastern districts of the Free State the rebels, on the withdrawal
+of the commandos, slowly returned to their senses. Both English and
+Dutch loyalists were beginning to breathe freely; they had both equally
+suffered from Boer oppression. Europeans and natives were jubilant at
+the now continual laying down of arms by rebels and Boer refugees along
+the whole of the Colonial borders. The Boer refugees, some of whom were
+in a pitiable plight, many of them having subsisted for weeks mainly on
+bread and water and a species of coffee made from rye, were anxious for
+protection. They stood in fear of their lives, as Commandant Olivier had
+threatened to shoot those who should surrender. Major Hook of the Cape
+Police, with his smart men, occupied Barkly East, and at Lady Grey
+British rule, after three and a half months of oppression, was
+re-established. It is pleasing to record that the heroic postmistress
+returned to her post there with an increased salary. The total collapse
+of the rebels was impending, and there were now only animated arguments
+among loyalists and others as to the treatment which should be given to
+those who had engaged in and fostered the lamentable revolt. All voted
+for the speedy appointment of a Judicial Commission. Though a policy of
+revenge was to be deprecated, it was urged that the ringleaders should
+be punished with exemplary severity, as a deterrent for the future, and
+for the purpose of demonstrating to those who had suffered annoyances,
+loss, and anxiety, that there was some advantage in the maintenance of
+loyalty in trying circumstances.
+
+
+AT BETHULIE
+
+Sir William Gatacre, owing to the species of general post that had been
+set on foot by Lord Roberts' successful advance, suddenly found himself
+released from the shackles that had bound him. As we know, the enemy had
+retreated from Stormberg, and from Burghersdorp. Towards the Orange
+River they had betaken themselves in hot haste, and it was now time to
+fly after the retreating foe, to catch them, if possible, at the river.
+At Bethulie there was still the railway bridge. But even as it was
+neared it ceased to exist. Fragments filled the air. The Boers had blown
+it up behind them, and wrecked iron was all that displayed itself to the
+British troops. The road bridge, however, remained; a structure valued
+by the Colony at L100,000. Of course that would go directly, and the
+great question was whether the British troops, by putting the spur on
+their already jaded energies, would be able to reach the place in time
+to defend it. Captain M'Neill and thirty Scouts made a rush for it; and
+only just reached the scene of action in time! The Derby was never more
+hotly contested. The Scouts, like hunted fiends, had sped over obstacle
+and acre to gain the goal before the fell work of the Boers could begin.
+They won by a neck. The Boers were already buzzing along the bridge,
+manipulating with wire and explosive, putting the finishing touches on
+their design! At sight of the British there was a stampede to north of
+the river. Here the enemy had supports. (The Scouts carefully hid the
+fact they had none.) Here the enemy ensconced himself and prepared to do
+his worst. The Scouts took up their position in the kraal of a farm from
+which they could sweep the northern approach to the already laid mines,
+and sent back word urgently praying for reinforcements. Others took
+their well-deserved rest. Meanwhile with ferocious tenacity some eleven
+of them held on to the bridge, hawk-eyed, watching, firing, hiding,
+dodging, anything that should gain time till the reinforcements could
+appear. On the other side, only a question of yards off was the
+foe--numberless, it seemed to them, sniping, potting, and banging with
+every missile at their command, and determining to hang round the
+precious bone of contention, the valuable road bridge. The British
+maintained the same determination. Perhaps a touch, an unseen movement,
+would set the whole string of dynamite mines in motion; perhaps in this
+moment or the next, with a roar and a rumble, the clear atmosphere would
+be decked to blindness with little bits--bits of the bridge that stood
+before them--bits, too, of the men that were! Still they hung on. It was
+a grievous subject for contemplation, a sorry possibility to roll in the
+wrappings of meditation. But fear they scorned. The Boers in vast
+numbers thronged on the opposite side, bullets from Mausers and
+Martini-Henrys spurted and flicked up their little wisps of dust till
+sand became thick as a veil between Boer and Briton. But still the hardy
+Scouts clung to their post. Moments, every one long as days, sped on;
+hours passed, night waned, day broke. Still the tiny British band of
+braves behind bush and boulder stayed with rifles cocked and pointed at
+the bridge. They dared not approach, but they defied the enemy to
+venture. Then, with morn, the eternity of anxiety was ended--they were
+reinforced by the Cape Police! Later the artillery came up. Oh, the sigh
+of relief! The bridge was saved! Oh, the rejoicing to hear the grand
+bark of British guns, and see the great earth mushrooms opening up to
+the sky on the opposite side! Then, at eventide came the supreme deed,
+among deeds no less worthy. Shot and shell were now falling on all sides
+of the mined bridge. The Boers were firmly ensconced across the front;
+hidden and sniping, and now and then appearing and firing boldly. The
+gloaming was otherwise peaceful, the purple shades of evening blending
+with the gentle, rippling golden grey of the river. Then from his
+fellows advanced one Lieutenant Popham of the Derbyshire Regiment.
+Straight to the threatened bridge, already peppered with the storms of
+the enemy, he went, crossed to the other side, and quick as thought
+deftly cut the connecting wires for firing the mines! By a miracle no
+Boers observed the act, an act that rendered abortive all their
+ingenious efforts and made the British masters of the situation. Then
+followed more plucky feats. Young Popham, on advancing through the
+trenches, had come across large, suspicious-looking boxes. He returned
+to the British lines. He gathered together some of the goodly men of his
+regiment, and with them again made his way to the threatened bridge. The
+sight of the party was the signal for a volley from the Dutchmen, but
+still they pursued their way to the boxes. "Dynamite, by Jove!" said
+one; "Kingdom come!" said another. But up they took them, and there
+and then, under a storm of bullets that now meant more even than death,
+the splendid fellows marched back again. The astonishing feat cast
+dismay over the Federals on the other side of the water, as it filled
+with admiration and pride all in the British camp who were privileged to
+view a sight seldom seen in a lifetime. And then, later on, as though
+the quality of heroism were inexhaustible as the widow's cruse of oil,
+another splendid act followed on the heels of the foregoing ones. In the
+dead of night Captain Grant of the Royal Engineers groped his way to the
+bridge. The Boers were on the alert, but he groped cautiously. The
+soldier's martial step gave way to the catlike burglarious tread! It was
+ticklish work that had to be done--work that needed time and nicety of
+touch. But he meant to do it, and one hint, one rumour of activity would
+have roused the whole Dutch horde and ruined his plan. The bridge, as we
+know, was mined. Lieutenant Popham had cut the wires. But the charges of
+dynamite were somewhere. These Captain Grant found, removed, and
+dexterously dropped, buried for ever in the purling river! Then with
+infinite care he detached the other connecting wires, and the bridge was
+safe! This was the beginning of the end. A few more passages at arms,
+and then the British on the 15th of March crossed the Orange River.
+
+[Illustration: CONVEYING WOUNDED TO WYNBERG HOSPITAL CAMP.
+
+Photo by Alf. S. Hosking, Cape Town.]
+
+Yet another brilliant act was performed soon after the arrival of the
+troops at Bethulie. Captain Hannessy of the Cape Police, an officer on
+General Gatacre's staff, was detailed to capture the railway station,
+which was situated some distance from the town. This he did. He examined
+the telegraph room, found the instrument intact, and learnt by
+communication with Springfontein that there were Boers still in that
+direction. Without hesitation he at once set off, in company with
+another adventurous spirit (Captain Turner of the Scouts), on his way to
+Springfontein. They commandeered a trolley and moved up the line. On
+nearing the station they saw two trains with steam up, ready for
+departure. Within the building were Boers--not slim Boers this time--but
+snoring ones, with bandoliers awry and rifles lollopping. It was a
+moment to be grasped. The rifles and the bandoliers were gently removed.
+Then the sleepers were awakened. They rubbed their eyes, and found, not
+rifles or bandoliers, but that they were prisoners of war! They were
+without arms, resistance was useless. They were escorted to the railway
+trucks; an engine-driver was found, and presently the two officers with
+their "bag" (two trains and eight prisoners) returned in triumph to
+Bethulie. Here their big-game hunting was vastly appreciated, as at this
+time, their engines having been left on the other side of the river, the
+capture of rolling stock was of tremendous importance. Soon after this,
+troops from Bloemfontein were sent off to occupy Springfontein.
+
+FOOTNOTES:
+
+[8] Lieutenant-Colonel Charles Coningham, 2nd Battalion Worcestershire
+Regiment, was born in 1851, and joined the army in 1872. His first
+appointment was to the 103rd Foot, afterwards the 2nd Battalion Royal
+Dublin Fusiliers, with which he served until 1891, when he was
+transferred as major to the Worcestershire Regiment. Colonel Coningham
+was an adjutant of Militia from 1889 to 1894. He also served in the
+Soudan with the Frontier Field Force in 1885-86.
+
+[9] Captain the Hon. Raymond Harvey Lodge Joseph de Montmorency, 21st
+Empress of India's Lancers, and commanding De Montmorency's Scouts in
+South Africa, was the eldest son of Viscount Frankfort de Montmorency,
+K.C.B. He was born on February 5, 1867, joined the army on September 14,
+1887, as second lieutenant in the Lincolnshire Regiment, and was
+promoted to a lieutenancy in the 21st Lancers, November 6, 1889. In this
+rank he served in the campaign in the Soudan in 1898, and was present at
+the battle of Khartoum, and was awarded the Victoria Cross for the
+following service:--"At the battle of Khartoum on September 2, 1898,
+Lieutenant de Montmorency, after the charge of the 21st Lancers,
+returned to assist Second Lieutenant R. G. Grenfell, who was lying
+surrounded by a large body of Dervishes. Lieutenant de Montmorency drove
+the Dervishes off, and finding Lieutenant Grenfell dead, put the body on
+his horse, which then broke away. Captain Kenna and Corporal Swarbrich
+then came to his assistance, and enabled him to rejoin the regiment,
+which had begun to open a heavy fire on the enemy." Lieutenant de
+Montmorency, in addition to being mentioned in despatches and receiving
+the V.C., had also the British medal and Khedive's medal with clasp. He
+was promoted to captain August 2, 1899, having in the previous October
+been despatched on special service to South Africa, when he raised and
+commanded the special body of scouts whose gallant services have under
+him been so frequently referred to in connection with the operations in
+the neighbourhood of Stormberg and Dordrecht.
+
+[10] Lieutenant-Colonel Commandant F. H. Hoskier was a well-known
+Volunteer officer, who had brought the force which he commanded to a
+high state of military efficiency. He held a certificate for proficiency
+in several subjects, and had obtained special mention in examinations in
+tactics, besides having qualified as an interpreter.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER VII
+
+BLOEMFONTEIN UNDER BRITISH RULE
+
+
+The pastoral little town of brick and tin in the vast expanse of toasted
+grass had now become a centre of civilisation, one may almost say a
+fashionable rendezvous. There regiments multitudinous were congregated,
+and these helped to convert the sleepy, dozing capital into a miniature
+sphere of many dialects born of a common tongue. Human beings, the
+conquered and the conquerors, brushed shoulders in friendliness, bought
+and sold, listened to the bands playing the well-worn British airs in
+the market-place, and discoursed, under the aegis of the Union Jack,
+which fluttered from pinnacle and spire, of trade and prospects as
+though such things as big guns had never acted in place of handshakes,
+and such men as Steyn had never staked their all on the possibilities of
+a mirage.
+
+That potentate had betaken himself to Kroonstad, which, in new
+conditions, had also assumed a new aspect. It was now the capital of the
+Free Staters, and the seat of the polyglot army that was gathered
+together to consider the new face of affairs. A Norwegian attache, who
+was with the strange horde, gave a description of the quaint dust-bound
+town and its still quainter inhabitants:--
+
+    "KROONSTAD, _March 16_.
+
+     "Here prevails the most extraordinary life it has ever been my
+     lot to witness. All hotels and private houses are filled to
+     overflowing, whilst little laagers are spread everywhere in and
+     outside the town. A wild stream of loose horses, mules,
+     donkeys, and oxen, and little bodies of troops and solitary
+     riders pour through the streets, broken by heavy ox-waggons and
+     mule-carts driven by whips and shouts. All nationalities and
+     all colours are present, and the most Babylonian babble of
+     tongues resounds on all sides. Here are foreign military
+     attaches, surgeons, nurses, regular and irregular Boer troops,
+     volunteers of all arms, officers as well as privates, and
+     besides a goodly lot which I can only stamp as 'freebooters,'
+     for they do not belong to any fixed commando, but look upon the
+     fighting as sport or chase. Frequently, however, among them I
+     come across men of high culture and of first-class families,
+     often fine handsome men with martial bearing, side by side with
+     the worst scum of the earth. Many pass from one war to another.
+     I have spoken with some who have gone through the Greek, Cuban,
+     and Philippine wars. And what uniforms do these mercenaries
+     wear? None at all, or, more correctly speaking, each one has
+     invented his own! The only common badge is the bandolier across
+     the shoulder and the slouch hat. Otherwise every one wears
+     whatever clothes he may possess, only so that it is nothing
+     new. Many of them who are well off have donned a fantastic
+     costume--slouch hat, with waving ostrich feathers and gold
+     lace, jacket edged with yellow, orange, and green bands,
+     epaulettes with great gold tassels, white or gilt buttons,
+     stripes on the trousers, top-boots with spurs, cockades in the
+     hat and on the breast, and revolvers in the belt. At present
+     the Boer troops are spread all over the place, mostly without
+     any order or discipline. Most of them, particularly the Orange
+     Boers, are sick of the war, and long to go home to their
+     families and farms. Others have simply gone home after the
+     Bloemfontein _debacle_. In these circumstances Steyn considered
+     it best to allow his men to go home for a few days, and call
+     them together again when the great council of war at the end of
+     the week had decided whether the war should be continued. Many
+     thousands have thus gone home, with or without leave. Will they
+     return? It seems a dangerous experiment."
+
+The fact was that gradually, very gradually, the eyes of the Boers were
+being opened, though they still tried to persuade themselves that Lord
+Roberts' presence in the capital of the Free State had no decisive
+effect on the game of war. They began to look anxiously towards the
+Continental Powers, who, they had been led to believe, were in sympathy
+with them, and to wonder when some intervention would save them from the
+doom they had brought on themselves. In one respect they were beginning
+to see clearly and to understand, that the great ideal of sweeping the
+British into the sea was a chimera, and that they must limit their aim
+to retaining their own freedom, the sole one that could be indulged in
+and clung to with any shadow of success.
+
+The Dutchmen still hoped against hope for victory, but their scorn for
+the British was fast dying a natural death. Our repeated fights, had
+they served no other purpose, succeeded in educating those who had dared
+to flout us, and after the capture of Cronje the effect of the somewhat
+brusque lesson was very conspicuous. Before the battle of Elandslaagte,
+a resident of Cape Town indulged in argument with an obstinate Boer in
+terms somewhat similar to these:--
+
+"We are going to send 50,000 or 60,000 troops into the field."
+
+"They will be all shot!" he bragged.
+
+"We shall send another 50,000 or 60,000."
+
+"They, too, will all be shot!" he repeated.
+
+"We shall send more."
+
+"Almighty! am I to keep on shooting the Englishman all my life!" sighed
+the Dutchman, with his best air of braggadocio.
+
+Such bumptiousness was not confined to himself. All his compatriots
+started on the campaign with identical bombast, for they took their cue
+from the attitude of those Continental nations with which they had
+lately become associated. Our neighbours across the Channel had found it
+convenient to persuade themselves we were a decadent race, that the Old
+Country was played out and her children effete. As with the empires of
+Xerxes, Alexander, Augustus, so with that of Victoria, they said to
+themselves; and since the wish is father to the thought, the idea was
+rapidly propagated that Great Britain was fast becoming a second-rate
+Power.
+
+Almost the whole of Europe had indulged in objectionable comment on the
+subject of the campaign, and treated us to naked truths that, though
+unpalatable, were useful as an excellent opportunity to see ourselves as
+others see us, and correct a somewhat overweening passion for resting on
+British-grown laurels. But however good as a tonic the cosmopolitan
+criticism may have been, it was distinctly ill-timed and decidedly
+ungrateful. Our sneering foes should have patted us on the back, have
+applauded us. They might even have subscribed to help us to do the hard
+work of Europe, for, as the Norwegian showed, we were not fighting the
+Boer alone, but were attacking thousands of his mercenaries--the scum of
+Europe. We were scouring a veritable Augean stable. Ne'er-do-weels of
+every nationality were congregated under the Transvaal flag--vagabonds,
+for the most part, who had made their own country too hot to hold them,
+and who hoped by promoting a general upheaval to come down on their feet
+safely--somehow, somewhere!
+
+Fortunately Lord Roberts' masterly combinations had rapidly brought
+about a general disillusionment, and served to prove to our critical
+neighbours that our martial race--from officers to the most raw and
+fledgling "Tommies"--was the same race as of yore, "game for anything,"
+even when the thing might range between and include shot and shell,
+sickness and starvation! The object-lesson was a grand one, and could
+not pass unrecognised. For us the sad part of it was that the flower of
+our country, the valiant sons of brave men and the noble descendants of
+kings, should have had to risk their lives against such a mob of
+adventurers and filibusters, creatures who were actuated by none of the
+finer and natural impulses of the Boers to secure their independence,
+but flung themselves into the fight merely because the spirit of
+ruffianism which had driven them from their native soils was too rampant
+to be appeased by any other exercise. But there is no achievement
+without sadness--no success without pain. Lives must ever be sacrificed
+to maintain any great nation's prestige, and now how much more noble
+seemed the sacrifice when it secured the prestige of a Power that had
+propagated equality and civilisation over the whole face of the world!
+
+[Illustration: THE BRITISH OCCUPATION OF BLOEMFONTEIN--AN EVENING
+CONCERT IN MARKET SQUARE BY THE PIPERS OF THE HIGHLAND BRIGADE.
+
+Drawing by A. Forestier.]
+
+The British once having put their hand to the plough, had stuck manfully
+to their work, not in hope of reward, but in the belief in the ministry
+of their great race. Beyond the minor considerations of franchise and
+political advantage, there had been greater and higher ends to be
+attained, and as the flag was fluttering over the capital of the Free
+State these great ends served to inspire and refresh those who almost
+fainted by the way. Where the British flag waved there was freedom,
+enlightenment, progress, evolution--there was emancipation from sin,
+injustice, and degradation; therefore at the cost of precious lives, and
+for no personal gain, the great end for which they toiled and suffered
+and died had to be achieved.
+
+Every ideal, whether merely human or bordering on the divine, demands
+enormous sacrifices from those who desire to realise it, and the spread
+of civilisation calls for its ministers and martyrs, and will continue
+to call for them so long as there are men of heroic mould who,
+regardless of personal cost, are ready to prize and protect a great and
+national cause. Only this reflection could serve to hearten and brace
+our warriors at the front, for, at this time, Lord Roberts' glorious
+position was far from a happy one. It was impossible to ignore the cost
+at which the prestige of his country and his splendid success was being
+secured. He found himself at Bloemfontein with the wreck of an army on
+his hands, with men dropping thick as flies from disease resulting from
+the terrible exhaustion of the march and from the insanitary conditions
+of the camp at Paardeberg. There the only water available for drinking
+purposes had flowed down from the Boer camp a mile and a half up the
+river, and was polluted by rotting carcases in various stages of
+decomposition, and, as a natural consequence of these conditions,
+Bloemfontein was suddenly filled with an appalling number of sick, some
+2000 patients suffering from typhoid and enteric, in addition to a very
+considerable number of wounded at the fight at Driefontein. How to help
+the abnormal number of sufferers was a problem that taxed the medical
+authorities to the utmost, for it was impossible to meet the huge demand
+under the existing conditions. To improvise mere accommodation for so
+large an influx of sick within the narrow confines of Bloemfontein was a
+hard task in itself, and even the field-hospitals were inadequate, for
+owing to the rapidity of the march from the Modder no tents were carried
+with the force, and none were available until railway communication with
+Cape Colony could be restored. The Commander-in-Chief of this immense
+army in this dilemma had but a single narrow-gauge line of railway
+between himself and his base some 700 miles distant, and this line of
+rails was not yet available. The first duty was to utilise it for the
+bringing up of supplies sufficient to sustain the bare life of the
+healthy force, and prevent those who were sound from joining those who
+were already exhausted. Tents for the sick, nurses, doctors, hospitals
+were ordered up, but these could only arrive in their turn, and
+meanwhile the patients were distributed in all the public buildings,
+schools, &c. The town being small, this accommodation was meagre in the
+extreme, and quantities of the sick in the field hospitals had to place
+their blankets and waterproof sheets on the ground, and lie there
+huddled together in a condition that was grievous in the extreme. The
+mortality was tremendous, and the sufferings of those who were
+recovering were pitiable, but these things it was impossible to avert;
+they have belonged in all ages to the horror of war, and in other times
+were the natural and ordinary, and not, as in the present case, an
+abnormal consequence of an exceptional situation.
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+The relief of Ladysmith and Kimberley accomplished, Lord Roberts was
+able to adhere to the cherished Napoleonic maxim--an army should have
+but one line of operation, which should be carefully preserved, and
+abandoned only as the result of weightier considerations. This army was
+now being reorganised as one great whole, a task which involved gigantic
+labour and called for rare discrimination. But the marvellous tact, one
+might say magnetism, of Lord Roberts smoothed every difficulty, and the
+enthusiasm with which those who were brought into contact with the
+Commander-in-Chief alluded to him, was remarkable. An army chaplain,
+writing home, voiced the popular feelings for the one and only
+"Bobs":--"We are serving under the best and noblest man who ever led an
+army. You can have no conception of the passionate and devoted affection
+which Lord Roberts inspires in all ranks. It is not artifice, or
+adroitness, or dramatic power, but a simple overflowing of the milk of
+human kindness. Every one notices it; all remark it. The roughest and
+most cynical of the brave men out here cannot escape the fascination of
+his delightfully quiet and natural manner, his transparent
+unselfishness; and one sees in him the value in a born leader of men of
+a clear and musical voice, and eyes bright and piercing, yet full of
+kindness and benevolent sympathy. He is entirely without affectation,
+and takes care that the troops are fed, and not stinted of recreation
+whenever it can be found. Nothing pleases him more than to mix with the
+men when at play. And he is an example to all in his regular attendance
+at public worship and in resting on the Lord's Day. His staff take their
+'tone' from him, and this is good for all who come into contact with
+that staff. I never met so active a man. At daybreak he is in the
+saddle, riding round the camp before he makes an informal inspection,
+without notice, of some portion of the lines. He shows no sign of
+failing strength or of impaired energy, and fatigue is a word not to be
+found in his vocabulary. I am told that the secret is frugal living and
+early to rest which keeps him in such excellent health. It is a
+privilege which all value very highly that they have had the good
+fortune to serve under our Field-Marshal."
+
+No such raptures were expended on the silent man of Egyptian fame who
+had made himself into the machinery of the tremendous movement, but how
+much his wonderful work was appreciated the following extract from the
+_Times_ serves to show:--"When Lord Roberts and his Chief of the Staff
+reached Cape Town, we had troops of all arms in South Africa, but we had
+no field-army, and until we had a field-army the enemy were to a great
+extent masters of the position. It is not easy to realise the abilities
+and the unwearying energy needed to convert all the scattered raw
+material we possessed in South Africa and the reinforcements daily
+arriving from all parts of the Empire into the coherent and mobile
+fighting machine now directed by the Commander-in-Chief. To Lord
+Kitchener under him belongs the credit of that remarkable achievement.
+He has not only marshalled the fragmentary units of the paper army corps
+into a workmanlike fighting force, but in a country without roads in a
+European sense, and with few and light railways, he has seen that they
+were fed and clothed and supplied with all the innumerable articles
+indispensable to their efficiency. If Lord Roberts has won the battles,
+Lord Kitchener has been the 'organiser of victory.'"
+
+The result of the combined methods of these two great soldiers was
+little short of marvellous, and when we look back to the days of
+Wellington, and compare the army of his day with the army at
+Bloemfontein, we can but wonder and admire and congratulate ourselves.
+
+For instance, the army at Bloemfontein, the victorious army, which had
+suffered exceedingly from the many annoyances of the Boers, comported
+themselves in their day of triumph with admirable reserve. Brave as the
+British warriors of old, they showed themselves men of finer stamp and
+higher discipline than the men who followed Wellington. We have the
+words of that great commander, to assure us that his force was almost
+incorrigible. He declared that his own troops at the beginning of the
+Peninsular war were "a rabble, who cannot bear success any more than Sir
+John Moore's army could bear failure." He also confessed, "I am
+endeavouring to tame them, but if I should not succeed, I must make an
+official complaint of them, and send one or two corps home in disgrace.
+They plunder in all directions."
+
+Things in Bloemfontein were very different. The victorious army under
+Lord Roberts walked in like the heroes they were, stopped their
+predatory instincts at a word, and paid their way and conducted
+themselves like gentlemen. Indeed the Free Staters lined their pockets
+almost too satisfactorily at the expense of their conquerors!
+
+Meanwhile the enemy conspired and plotted. On the 17th of March, at
+Kroonstad, a great council of war was held by the two Presidents, which
+was attended by a strange and mongrel community. Among the motley crew
+were some forty Boer leaders, De Wet, De Larey, Botha, and De
+Villebois-Mareuil (who was killed at Boshop later on). They were not
+goodly to look on, as uniform was non-existent, and clean shirts were
+luxuries that long since had been dispensed with. The action of the
+Boers, their strength and weakness, came under discussion, and all
+decided that they must fight to the bitter end. President Kruger offered
+up prayer, and petitioned the Almighty to give ear to the just claims of
+his people, while President Steyn, when his turn came, stuck to
+practical matters, discussed the situation, and declared that if the
+English thought that because they had captured the Free State capital
+they had won the battle they were self-deluded. He went on to say: "How
+should we now continue the war? Should we, as before, defend ourselves
+in fortified positions, or should we try a new method? I am no soldier,"
+he continued, "but, according to my conviction, we ought no longer to
+occupy fortified positions, as the English have learned to manoeuvre us
+out of them without fighting, for which they invariably have plenty of
+men. Therefore, we ought only, as much as possible, to hamper the
+enemy's forward march, and, whilst threatening his rear and flank,
+attack him everywhere where there is a chance with small commandos
+without train. We must by this method proceed more offensively than
+hitherto, and before all turn upon his lines of communication."
+
+The President's scheme was much applauded and approved, after which De
+Larey began to complain of the state of the Boer army, the size and
+irregularity of the commandos, and the huge waggon laagers behind their
+positions, stating that owing to these being threatened by a manoeuvre
+of the British, the men were forced hurriedly to leave the ranks to look
+after the safety of the waggons. He attributed the Boers' flight at
+Poplar Grove entirely to anxiety regarding these waggons. He suggested
+in future fighting with small commandos without train, as he declared it
+impossible for the Boers to succeed in wielding big armies, because when
+the enemy attempted to surround or outflank them the Boers lost their
+heads.
+
+General Joubert proposed "that the so-called 'veldcornetschappen,' which
+are too large bodies to be led by one man, should be reduced to sections
+of twenty-five, with a corporal at the head. In the Transvaal this had
+already been initiated with very satisfactory results." This proposal
+was also adopted, with the proviso that "'veldcornets' who did not at
+once adopt it should be fined L10." The position of such a corporal is
+similar to that of a sergeant in Europe.
+
+Discussion later turned to the coalfields in Dundee, and to prevent them
+becoming of use to the British it was decided that they must be
+destroyed. General Botha, however, objected to this destruction, on the
+principle that the fields were not contraband of war, but private
+property. Thereupon President Steyn argued: "I am not of a destructive
+disposition, but this is necessary, and in accord with the law of
+nations. Does any one think that the English would let a vessel with
+coal for the Transvaal go by? If I had to blow up half the Orange Free
+State in order to secure the independence of my people I would do so."
+The great council then closed with the following appeal by President
+Steyn:----"I close the council in the hope that every officer realises
+the seriousness of the situation. It is a question of life or death to
+us, whether we shall remain an independent nation or become slaves. I do
+all that is in my power, and so does also my elder brother (Kruger). I
+am no soldier, but you officers are, and to you much is entrusted--the
+future of our country. Your reward will depend on your actions. Your
+task is a very difficult one. May God aid you! We are all mortal, but is
+there a more glorious death than to fall for your country and people at
+the head of your fellow-Burghers. May God help us! The position is
+indeed full of trouble, but when night is darkest dawn is nearest."
+
+These impassioned periods were highly effective, and the Burghers who
+were present forgot to ask themselves why the speaker had carefully
+insured himself against so glorious an exit from life by carefully
+taking to his heels whenever he was confronted by the British!
+
+Some Burghers evidently thinking that an ounce of example was worth a
+ton of precept, decided not to die gloriously, but to live at peace with
+all men inside their homes, and consequently turned their backs on their
+party and returned to their farms.
+
+A proclamation had been issued requiring Burghers residing within ten
+miles of the military headquarters and the town to deliver up all arms
+and ammunition by noon on the 18th, under penalty of being punished and
+having their goods confiscated, and by degrees, as a consequence of the
+proclamation, rifles in considerable quantities were handed in. On the
+other hand, a great many more modern weapons were surreptitiously
+disposed of, many of them being buried in order to be dug up as occasion
+might require, and obsolete firearms surrendered in their place.
+
+The work of pacification was going on apace at Springfontein, where the
+1st Scots Guards, the 3rd Grenadier Guards, four Royal Artillery guns,
+and forty Mounted Infantry were now stationed, and at Bethulie, which
+place also had decided not to show fight.
+
+Sir Godfrey Lagden from Maseru now telegraphed to Lord Roberts stating
+that the residents of Wepener (a town at the extreme east of the Free
+State on the Basutoland border) wished to receive copies of the
+proclamation and had decided to lay down their arms, and it was stated
+that many more towns on the eastern fringe desired to follow suit.
+
+With marvellous celerity things began to shape themselves. The law
+courts resumed work. Mr. Papenfus, whose services as Landrost had been
+dispensed with, was replaced by Mr. Collins. A train service was
+speedily established between Bloemfontein and Cape Town, and the Bank of
+Africa and the National Bank of the Free State were permitted (subject
+to restriction) to continue business. Transactions with towns in the
+Transvaal and Free State still occupied by the enemy were not allowed.
+
+[Illustration: SIGNAL STATION AT BLOEMFONTEIN.
+
+On the left of the picture is the heliograph, and on the right a Begbie
+signal lamp, for use when there is no sun. (Photo by Reinhold Thiele.)]
+
+Naturally some of the best type of farmers in the vicinity who had
+surrendered were anxious for protection against attacks by Boers still
+in the field, and Lord Roberts, bearing this in mind, sent out columns
+to register names and take over arms, and give assurance that the
+necessary protection was forthcoming. During the end of March, General
+French, on this mission intent, was sent to Thabanchu (forty miles east
+of Bloemfontein), while a detachment from General Gatacre's headquarters
+had gone to Smithfield (some forty miles north of Aliwal North). General
+Clements operated in the same pacific way round the south-west skirts of
+Bloemfontein, while General Brabant "tackled" the only still aggressive
+force of the Boers in the southern part of the Free State. Commandant
+Olivier with a force of some 5000 men and sixteen guns was there, being
+pushed back inch by inch, it was hoped into the arms of General French,
+who was waiting with such horses as he could still muster at Thabanchu
+to pounce on him. Still, though slowly, the country was settling down,
+and the inhabitants were beginning to realise the advantage of bringing
+in supplies for sale. They, however, were "slim" at the core, and their
+slimness was responsible for some lamentable occurrences with which we
+shall have to deal anon.
+
+The telegraph was now restored as far as Reddersberg Railway,
+communication had been restored with Bethulie, and the railway at
+Norval's Pont had been completed. In south and west peace reigned. There
+were even signs that the Transvaalers were thinking of abandoning the
+defence of the Free State. Friction between the Federals was reported on
+all sides. Even Mr. Steyn and Mr. Kruger were scarcely at one. Mr.
+Steyn's last remark to the grand old man of Pretoria when they parted at
+Bloemfontein was, "Mind the British don't catch you, or you will get
+better quarters in St. Helena than I." Both Presidents were aware that
+the Commander-in-Chief was a person to be reckoned with, and that, if
+they wished to make a last wild effort, they must put their shoulder to
+the wheel. So on the 21st of March President Steyn and General Joubert
+went on a tour of inspection for the purpose of encouraging the troops.
+With them was a foreigner who described their movements. "The troops who
+are in laager at Venterburg, Roodstation, Zand River Bridge, and
+Smaldeel (Winburgroodstation), number only some 700 men, with a battery
+and six machine guns, all Transvaal Boers. The feeling was everywhere
+buoyant, and all were determined to hold out. To-day the Orange Boers
+begin to return after their leave. It looks as if they are recovering
+their breath after the Bloemfontein _debacle_, and if the English wait
+much before they advance, the men will have time to reorganise
+themselves. Colonel De Villebois-Mareuil is now occupied with the scheme
+of organising a flying column of foreigners, to be called the 'European
+Corps,' of 600 men, two guns, and a waggon with dynamite and tools, with
+which he intends to operate on the English lines of communication, if
+possible in conjunction with Major Stenekamp, who has collected some
+2000 men to the west, who are furnished with ammunition, stores, and
+money by General du Toit at Fourteen Streams. The English have indeed
+lost much valuable time; the next few weeks should show if the Boers
+have understood to take advantage of it. But there seems to be too
+little plan and too little organisation among them."
+
+The loss of time was deplored on all hands, but Lord Roberts, rather
+than do things imperfectly, was content to wait. There was no use in
+attempting to hammer at the demoralised Boers till, rail, horses, and
+constitutions being in working order, his tools should be equal to the
+task required of them.
+
+But the Chief, though stationary, was not allowing the grass to grow
+under his feet. It must be remembered that prior to his entry into
+Bloemfontein he had been marching and fighting for a month away from the
+railway, and that his primary duties had been, first, to capture and
+secure the railroad; second, to repair it and get it, together with
+bridges, &c., in working order; and thirdly, to shift his base from Cape
+Town to Port Elizabeth, a distance of 750 miles, by a single line of
+rails with a rise of 4500 feet. Much time had also been spent in
+defeating detached forces of the enemy which threatened his
+communications with Cape Town and Port Elizabeth, and blocked them from
+East London.
+
+The question of horses, too, was a most important one, one which could
+not be settled without much delay, because, do what it might, the
+Government could scarcely send them off with sufficient haste to meet
+the demand. During the first four months of the new year there had been
+shipped, as remounts, in addition to those sent with the troops, 27,041
+horses and 17,143 mules. A further supply was expected in May,
+consisting of 7500 horses and 4500 mules, and after that date another
+batch of 7500 horses and 20,000 mules was to be forwarded. The total of
+remounts bought since the opening of 1900 was about 42,000 horses and
+23,000 mules! But, until the steady flow of these into the country
+commenced, the great final move could not be more than planned out.
+
+[Illustration: STRATHCONA'S HORSE.
+
+Photo by Pittaway, Ottawa.]
+
+The art of battle had resolved itself into a question of pace. The Boers
+had taught us that to be successful we must be slim, swift, and sudden.
+Lord Roberts decided that there must be no breathing-time, that their
+cunning commandos must not be permitted to collect, and that mounted
+troops must be met by mounted troops. It began to be evident that the
+army of the future would need to gallop--machine guns with the Horse
+Artillery, Royal Engineers with the cavalry, while guns of position and
+traction engines would have to follow a corresponding process of
+activity! With flying cavalry and mounted infantry must also go flying
+engineers, ready to take their share in schemes of scientific
+demolition, effective destruction of lines and culverts and bridges,
+which cannot be remedied under the loss of days--days which will mean
+the success or the failure of the enterprise in hand. In fact, hereafter
+a vast and wonderful military dictionary will be comprised in the word
+"mobility."
+
+To the ordinary mind the question of mobility resolves itself into a
+mere matter of mounted men. It is almost impossible to follow the
+extraordinary ramifications strategically and tactically connected with
+the term. To increase the mobility of the army--the problem which had to
+be faced by Lord Roberts on his arrival at the Cape and again at
+Bloemfontein--it was, above all things, imperative to have quicker
+moving transport; strategically, a leader would be hand-tied without it.
+After this it was necessary to provide for perpetual relays of mounts
+for the cavalry with far less weight on the saddle, and to feed up the
+infantry, and thus restore to the men their mental and muscular
+elasticity. Tactical mobility was dependent on these considerations, and
+they had to be faced equally with the great difficulty of how to deal
+with the daily increasing number of sick. The Boers had been given too
+much breathing-time at first, and the delay had to be made up for by the
+hurried and costly swoop on Cronje, which turned the tide of British
+fortune. It was now important that another rush should be made--a rush
+without the "intervals for refreshments" which had served the Boers so
+conveniently, and enabled their recuperative courage to assert
+itself--and to organise this a somewhat long halt was obligatory.
+
+The Chief now intended to make the capital the advanced base for the
+invasion of the Transvaal, and decided to attempt no further move till
+sixty days' supplies should have arrived from the Cape. The
+heterogeneous units of Imperial and Colonial troops now called for
+redistribution. Gaps had to be filled in and "inefficients" weeded out.
+General Warren was put into civil charge of Griqualand West; General
+Nicholson was given charge of the transport--a thankless and onerous
+post; General Chermside took over the Third Division from General
+Gatacre; General Hunter was drawn with Barton's Brigade from Natal to
+the Free State side; Generals Pole-Carew and Rundle got Divisions; and
+General Ian Hamilton was appointed to the command of a Division of
+Mounted Infantry, 11,000 men in all, composed of two Brigades, each of
+four corps, with batteries of artillery attached. The remounting of the
+cavalry and Mounted Infantry was an undertaking needing time and help
+from all parts of the British world. Activities were not all serious,
+however.
+
+Bloemfontein boasted a newspaper. It was styled the _Friend of the Free
+State_. Before many days were over it had changed hands, and had become
+the perquisite of the war correspondents. It was now run on Imperial
+lines, and formed the organ of official communications during the
+military occupation of the capital. But for that reason it did not lose
+the sense of humour with which the freelances of the press--Rudyard
+Kipling among them--were bubbling. A specimen of the jocosity of our
+exuberant scribes serves as a memento of a wonderful period.
+
+
+"STINKOSSMULEFONTEIN"
+
+THE DESCRIPTIVE ART
+
+     We have often felt that the gallant members of Lord Roberts'
+     force, although themselves daily engaged in doing deeds which
+     will live in history, yet have to exercise a vast amount of
+     patience before they can read for themselves the brilliant,
+     graphic, and wonderful accounts of their doings sent home by
+     the war correspondents attached to the force. England is three
+     weeks away, and it is a long time for the gallant soldier to
+     wait to see his name in all the glory of leaded type. With the
+     usual enterprise of the _Friend_, we have--we will not say
+     how--managed to see and copy the telegrams sent home by the
+     leading correspondents describing the action at
+     Stinkossmulefontein Kopje. It was not, it is true, a very big
+     engagement, for two companies of Mounted Infantry were sent to
+     see if there were any Boers in the said kopje. They found them
+     there--in the usual manner--one man wounded and six horses--and
+     then retired to report the fact. That is the bare solid truth
+     of the whole thing; now for the correspondents' accounts:--
+
+     _Times_ (London):--Human element in what commonly supposed be
+     machine, namely, two companies Mounted Infantry to-day severely
+     tried. To put to-day's action form algebraic equation situation
+     briefly this Boers keen-eyed, rugged held kopje (forget name
+     kopje but know stink and fontein in it but see Reuter) sitting
+     behind boulders, while other portion equation represented two
+     companies Mounted Infantry (don't know commander or regiment
+     see Reuter) is possible work whole thing algebraically Boer on
+     kopje equal ten Mounted Infantry advancing along level plain
+     therefore fifty boers on kopje more than match for two hundred
+     Mounted Infantry advancing across plain whole thing followed
+     mathematical sequence Mounted Infantry returned from kopje
+     having tried solve impossible equation.
+
+     _Daily Telegraph_ (London):--Early morning while camp asleep
+     rose prepared my coffee saddled horse left camp each side lay
+     poor wearied soldiers fast asleep dreaming doubtless home
+     mothers wives sweethearts some tossed uneasily hard veldt moon
+     shone pouring paling with silver light features [please insert
+     here one my night-before-battle scenes No. 4] but I could not
+     help feeling Army doing wrong sleep knew enemy front determined
+     myself go forward find out position enemy passed outlying
+     picket told officer keep good look out as knew enemy front
+     officer answer and actually wished prevent me passing picket
+     but when told him my name allowed pass sun now rising glorious
+     [insert sunrise scene No. 2] moved cautiously forward saw near
+     distance kopje approached near suddenly whole kopje burst forth
+     into flame of flashes bullets whizzed past but I remained still
+     counting carefully each flash till I found out exactly number
+     Boers then putting spurs galloped back full speed flying past
+     picket sentries horse lines arrived myself and horse breathless
+     Field Marshal's cart dismounted saluted told him I had
+     discovered fifty enemy in position four miles on. Field marshal
+     drinking coffee said thank you continued eating breakfast I
+     then developed to him my plan campaign drew statement correct
+     map. Field marshal continued breakfast again said thank you I
+     left him field marshal following my plan ordered two companies
+     Mounted Infantry reconnoitre position which did with loss one
+     man six horses wounded [insert famous "Vulture Scene"].
+
+     _Daily News_ (London):--Again British arms successfully came
+     contact enemy locating position number with great exactness
+     early morning two companies mounted infantry under Major Jones
+     pushed just as sun tinging kopjes with ruby light saw kopje
+     front which from indications appeared be held enemy opening
+     into skirmishing order small force advanced till within rifle
+     range when enemy opened heavy fire Major Jones having found
+     what he wanted immediately ordered retirement of force without
+     replying to enemys fire our loss man wounded six horses enemys
+     loss unknown but must be enormous value of horses wounded about
+     L150.
+
+     _Cape Times_ (Capetown):--Morning opened with soft breezes from
+     north just sufficient to shake mimosa bushes into sweet
+     rustling music when I rose rode forward fully sure that I
+     should see something and I did for before we rode forward two
+     gallant companies of Mounted Infantry having, it is true, none
+     of the shining pomp war for every button, every shining bit of
+     steel or metal covered with kharki still little force looked
+     gallant enough reminded me one James Grant's novels. Veldt was
+     green with recent rains there was a freshness in the air
+     everything was peaceful around me but in front was war and
+     wounds and death. I stood on rising ground and saw before me a
+     panorama unfolded the little band of British soldiers
+     approaching the grim kopje where lay the watchful Boer. Closer
+     and closer rode our men and now I could see them open out and
+     work like a perfect machine round the bases of the kopje and
+     then across the still morning air came the ominous crack! which
+     told me that the grim game had commenced crack! crack! crack!
+     followed in quick succession the Boers were firing on our men
+     whose orders were simply to feel for the enemy, but they not
+     only felt for him, but also felt him for as we retired one man
+     was wounded in the fleshy part of the arm, and through six
+     horses Boer bullets passed though without fatal effects. And
+     then I rode back with the little force who in spite of the
+     shower of lead which had passed through their ranks laughed and
+     chaffed and thought only of their coming breakfast.
+
+     _Cape Argus_ (Capetown):--Early this morning two companies
+     Mounted Infantry under Major Jones proceeded west came into
+     touch with enemy at Stinkossmulefontein Kopje which lies on
+     farm belonging old Pete Bumbleknuckel who well known Rand
+     circles his daughter married Jacobus Pimplewinkel who lost an
+     eye fighting in the Langberg Campaign his cousin maternal side
+     is Jack Jackson who is one of General Brabant's most active
+     Scouts. But to return to the skirmish the mounted infantry
+     succeeded in locating the enemy retired having effected their
+     object with the loss of one man and six horses wounded on way
+     back I met native who told me commander Boer force Lucus
+     Prussic old personal friend mine who curious to relate still
+     owes me five pounds which borrowed just before I left
+     Johannesburg.
+
+     _Daily Mail_ (London):--Shakespeare said better lie bed than go
+     fighting early morning. I agree but Plutarch said man who lies
+     abed when work abroad moral coward am not moral coward but all
+     same wish people fight decent hours fancy going out fighting
+     cold raw morning nothing in stomach but one miserable cup cocoa
+     however went being late lost my way instead witnessing fight
+     British side found myself next Boer who not perceive me firing
+     over our men by happy interposition Providence managed reach
+     our men leaving behind enemy's hand one horse Cape cart pipe
+     lucky get off with life insensibly reminded celebrated lines
+     Heine "wo ist mein pferd und mein kaap-tart?" no breakfast when
+     arrived camp kept thinking how Boers enjoying my sausages
+     drinking my whisky Boers must be destroyed now, with spirit old
+     Roman I now say "delendi sunt Boeri" though I have greater
+     reason for saying so since Hannibal's soldiers never stole
+     sausages and whisky from Roman correspondents.
+
+     _Morning Post_ (London):--Stinkossmulefontein mounted Jones
+     reconnoitred kopje half dismounted half rear enemy fired
+     returned front. Experience say half gone left flank greater
+     success turning movement only against Boers see Page 431
+     Napoleonic Legends also Life Moltke Page 239 Battle
+     Schweitzerkaesse. Had Jones read more Schweitzerkaesse--no
+     Moltke--would capture whole army waggons. Paper should impress
+     importance this all arms.
+
+     _Reuter_ (London):--Stinkossmulefontein Thursday via
+     Disselboomlaagte per despatch riders--Yesterday two companies
+     Mounted Infantry Major Jones under orders General Flanker
+     proceeded reconnoitre kopje was present what some may call
+     unimportant rearguard action can say was most important event
+     entire expedition at distance 2033.4216 yards enemy opened
+     fire. Jones dismounted A company, B company sent E.N.E. by E.
+     direction rear enemy. At 6.31/2 a.m. front rank left section A
+     after returned fire 6.41/4 a.m. Trooper Metford, fourth man rear
+     rank right section A received wound four inches below left
+     elbow. Having ascertained strength enemy force returned camp
+     object reconnaissance accomplished six horses missing five
+     receiving wounds sixth left behind with staggers not shot as
+     some declare.
+
+Every one exerted himself to make the newspaper a success, and, as may
+be imagined, the journal became a source of merriment and delight. Nor
+was it without pathos. Mr. Rudyard Kipling, whose patriotic feeling had
+dragged him to the scene of action to view the British flag as erected
+there by Mr. Thomas Atkins, contributed his quota. On the death of Mr.
+G. W. Steevens, the brilliant young war correspondent, who died in
+Ladysmith, he wrote the following lines:--
+
+    "Through war and pestilence, red siege and fire,
+      Silent and self-contained, he drew his breath.
+    Brave not for show of courage, his desire:
+      Truth as he saw it, even to the death."
+
+The Naval Brigade was now busy furbishing itself up, and veritably began
+to look as "fresh as paint." The guns received new coats, and the
+Bluejackets and marines made themselves spick and span. It is not often
+that Tommy waxes enthusiastic over Jack, but over the conduct of the
+Naval Brigade he was even eloquent. One writing home said:--"It was a
+good job the Boers did not make a stand at Bloemfontein, for it would
+have been a great pity to have had to destroy so fine a town. It would
+not have taken us long to have made the town a heap of stones, as in
+addition to our ordinary batteries, we had with us 'Joe Chamberlain' and
+five of his 'chums' belonging to the Naval Brigade. I hope when the war
+is over you at home will not forget the splendid service of the Naval
+men. I for one shall never forget the way in which they dragged their
+heavy guns across a most difficult country, or the manner in which they
+handled them in the face of the enemy." On the 21st the Brigade, under
+Captain Bearcroft, was inspected by Lord Roberts, who made one of the
+charming and appropriate speeches which have always rendered him so
+popular. He thanked the Brigade for the excellent work done in the
+campaign, and wished good luck to those about to rejoin their ship. The
+Chief also eulogised the splendid service of Captain Lambton and his men
+in saving the situation at Ladysmith.
+
+Meanwhile on the east and south of the Free State things were not
+entirely comfortable. Commandant Olivier and his hordes, with their
+usual cunning, assisted by their remarkable mobility, were flitting
+about, now withdrawing before General Brabant, now evading the equally
+cunning and active French, now laying in wait for unprotected
+detachments, or hanging about railway lines in order to wreck them, but
+making themselves scarce with lightning velocity when a hint of British
+reinforcements was given by the appearance of a dust-cloud on the
+horizon. Fortunately our officers on the principal line of
+communications were so vigilant and cautious that the rail, running
+through some hundred miles of hostile ground, was safely protected.
+
+On the 23rd of March an unlucky incident took place in the neighbourhood
+of Karee Siding. Some officers of the Guards Brigade rode off from Glen
+Camp in the early morning to make arrangements with the local farmers
+for ensuring forage and supplies. Glen Siding is a station on the Orange
+Free State Railway some fourteen miles north of Bloemfontein. Near here
+the Brigade of Guards and a force of Mounted Infantry had been stationed
+owing to the destruction by the Boers of a bridge on the Modder. Other
+troops were posted at intervals along the line of rail in order to watch
+over the enemy and prevent any further efforts at dynamite wrecking. On
+this day the party consisted of Colonel Crabbe, 3rd Grenadiers (who
+greatly distinguished himself in the battle of Belmont, and was
+wounded); Colonel Codrington, Coldstreams; Adjutant Hon. E. Lygon, who
+was also wounded at Belmont; Captain Trotter, and an orderly, Private
+Turner of the 1st Cape Volunteers. Why, when officers of high rank were
+so extremely valuable, these two Colonels should have thus recklessly
+exposed themselves has never been satisfactorily explained. The day was
+spent in making a tour of the farms, and everything went well until the
+middle of the afternoon. While riding along close to a homestead called
+Maas Farm, the Guards party discovered that four mounted men were making
+for a kopje as though to head them off. Whereupon the party instantly
+advanced to meet the enemy. These promptly hid themselves behind the
+friendly boulders, where they were joined by three other Dutchmen, who
+assisted them in pouring a smart shower of lead upon the approaching
+officers. These, with only four Lee-Metfords between them, made an
+effort to get at the unseen enemy, but in a very few moments all the
+members of the British band had dropped. Colonel Crabbe had a bullet
+through arm and leg, and his horse was killed. Colonel Codrington was
+injured in the thigh. Lieutenant Lygon was shot through the heart and
+died instantaneously, while Captain Trotter and Private Turner were also
+wounded. The situation was a lamentable one. The veldt was strewn with
+helpless men, while from the kopje the Dutchmen continued to fire, the
+flute-like song of the Mauser falling ominously on the ears of the
+gallant men who were unable to move a limb in defence. Then between the
+prostrate Colonels a debate took place. Now that resistance was useless,
+each invited the other to display a white handkerchief. One refused
+because he declared he couldn't--his handkerchief was a crimson one. The
+other refused because he vowed he wouldn't--his handkerchief was a
+British one, and never manufactured for waving at Boers. But, finally,
+he was brought to reason, and immediately on the display of the magic
+square the Boers ceased fire. They now emerged from their boulders,
+tended the wounded, spoke apologetically of their good marksmanship, and
+finally carried off their prizes to the neighbouring farm. Here the
+prisoners were fed and carefully looked after till evening. A messenger
+was sent to the Guards' Camp at Glen requesting surgeons and an
+ambulance to remove the wounded to their headquarters, and on the
+arrival of the medical party the officers were given up by their captors
+and allowed to return to camp in their charge. They were relieved of
+their warlike belongings, firearms, and glasses, &c., but their private
+effects remained in their pockets undisturbed.
+
+The body of the Hon. E. Lygon was also removed, but the next day, in
+accordance with the wishes of his family, it was interred in the wild
+and lonely spot where he met his death.
+
+On the 27th of March Sir Alfred Milner arrived at Bloemfontein on a
+private visit, and was met by Lord Roberts and his Staff. General French
+returned from Thabanchu after having occupied the town and captured the
+flour-mills.
+
+Lord Kitchener also reappeared. His operations had been short and to the
+point. He came on the same day from Prieska, having received the
+submission of some 200 rebels, and put to flight such of them as had no
+taste for an encounter with "the man of ice and iron" as the Italians
+called the hero of Omdurman.
+
+Towards Ladybrand news was less satisfactory. The British loyalists,
+owing to their sympathy with their fellow-countrymen, were subjected to
+annoyance and cruelty. Many of them were captured, imprisoned, and some
+were sent to Kroonstad, which had been declared to be the capital of the
+Free State. Daily, English farmers were commandeered, robbed,
+threatened. The smart activities of Olivier had produced a lamentable
+effect on the state of affairs, as it was now impossible to afford full
+protection to the farmers in the south-east and east who had surrendered
+their rifles, and who were subjected to the vengeful barbarity of the
+Boers. The mistaken policy of leniency to the Free Staters was now being
+demonstrated, the "live and let live" principle having helped Olivier to
+gather together under his banner such of the enemy as had met us with a
+Janus-faced surrender. Those who fight and run away, live to fight
+another day; and on this cautious code the Free Staters had modelled
+their manners, so as to reserve themselves for further truculent
+exploits. Again British magnanimity was mistaken for weakness, and the
+temporary success of their manoeuvres in the east was causing the Boers
+to indulge in reprisals of abominable kind on British born people, whose
+action in surrendering was the only possible one in the circumstances. A
+rumour existed that the late President Steyn had issued orders that all
+British burghers refusing to fight with the Boer army would be shot.
+
+On the 27th of March a formidable figure was removed from the drama in
+South Africa. General Joubert, who had long been in somewhat delicate
+health (so much so that in his campaigns he was accompanied by his wife,
+who cooked for him), now suddenly succumbed to an acute attack of
+inflammation of the kidneys. General Joubert was much esteemed by all
+who knew him. In him the Boers lost not only a remarkable commander, but
+an enlightened and level-headed politician. It was declared that had the
+General succeeded to the Presidency in 1895, the whole Uitlander
+agitation would have ceased to exist. The deceased Dutchman had
+moderately progressive views, and he announced his belief that the
+demand for a five years' franchise was a reasonable one. He also
+discountenanced the idea of war, and in many ways used the influence he
+had with his countrymen in the cause of reason and liberality of
+outlook. At times he seemed to desire friendly co-operation with Great
+Britain. For this cause he was accused by his more narrow countrymen of
+being half-hearted in the Africander cause, and was intrigued against by
+Mr. Kruger and such of the subsidised sympathisers as the President
+could gather around him. Still his attitude may be gauged by his famous
+speech in 1878:--
+
+"I have been to England, and have with my own eyes seen the might of
+that mighty nation. And let me tell you that England is a very mighty
+nation--in my opinion the mightiest in the world. But, thank God, it is
+not almighty." And his motto, which he invented for himself, was, "Trust
+in God, and fight England."
+
+On hearing the news of General Joubert's death, Lord Roberts sent the
+following to President Kruger:--
+
+     "I have just received the news of General Joubert's death, and
+     desire at once to offer my sincere condolence to your Honour
+     and the burghers of the South African Republic on the sad
+     event.
+
+     "I would ask you to convey to General Joubert's family the
+     expression of my most respectful sympathy in their sad
+     bereavement, and to assure them also from me that all ranks of
+     her Majesty's forces serving in South Africa share my feeling
+     of deep regret at the sudden and untimely end of so
+     distinguished a general, who devoted his life to the service of
+     his country, and whose personal gallantry was only surpassed by
+     his humane conduct and chivalrous bearing under all
+     circumstances."
+
+On the afternoon of the 29th the funeral took place, and many wreaths
+were sent by the British officers in the Pretoria prison.
+
+
+THE BATTLE OF KARREE
+
+Karree Station is situated some seventy miles north of Bloemfontein, and
+here the Dutchmen were distributed on kopjes commanding the railway west
+and north. As they promised to be an impediment to further progress,
+Lord Roberts decided that they must be removed. Generals Tucker, Wavell,
+and Chermside, with infantry and artillery, were already in the
+vicinity. To join them General French started from Bloemfontein with
+reinforcements on the 28th of March. These consisted of a Cavalry
+Brigade composed of 12th Lancers, the Carabineers, the Greys, the
+Australian Horse, a Mounted Infantry Brigade, Kitchener's Horse, and
+three Vickers-Maxim guns under Colonel Le Gallais.
+
+[Illustration: Mr M. T. STEYN.
+
+LATE PRESIDENT ORANGE FREE STATE.
+
+From "South Africa" by permission of the Publishers.]
+
+The artillery planted their shells with admirable exactness on the
+kopjes west of Karree where the enemy had ensconced himself. Meanwhile,
+in a wonderful and almost invisible manner, an enveloping movement was
+organised, Colonel Le Gallais, the Mounted Infantry, and Kitchener's
+Horse operating on the right wing, while General French with 1st and 3rd
+Cavalry Brigades were on the left. General Chermside's Brigade was on
+the right centre, and General Wavell's on the left centre. About midday
+the enemy was discovered near a farmhouse some two miles east of Karree.
+The Dutchmen then began to fire from some small kopjes, on the infantry.
+From this point they were routed by the smart action of the Norfolks,
+but they continually reappeared, there being some five thousand of them,
+under Grobler, occupying four different positions, with a frontage some
+three miles long. Both ends of the position were strengthened by
+trenches and guns. The right flank consisted of a thickly wooded hill
+connected with the main position by a ridge also covered with scrub.
+The left was protected by an incrustation of minor kopjes, and round
+these fastnesses the Boers clung tenaciously.
+
+The finest performance of the day was that of the East Lancashires, who,
+with comparatively small loss, eventually succeeded in moving the enemy
+from his main stronghold. The City Imperial Volunteers also
+distinguished themselves, the men advancing the first time under fire
+with the utmost coolness.
+
+While the enemy were retreating from the assault of the Lancashires
+General French's guns opened on them, and with such good result that the
+fight was practically at an end, for the Boers having begun to beat a
+retreat were forced finally to scuttle off as fast as legs would carry
+them. Till sunset the artillery continued to direct deadly attentions to
+the various kopjes, thus deciding the Dutchmen that their efforts to run
+and return would be of no avail. Dusk was setting in, and consequently
+the cavalry failed to pursue them, and they succeeded once more in
+getting away clear. Owing to the rapidity with which the night came on,
+most of the troops, who had experienced some very trying hours of
+fighting, bivouacked where they were.
+
+The battery on the right centre was unable to come into action owing to
+the nature of the ground, which was sliced with ravines and blotched
+with irregularities, but nevertheless the upshot of the day's work was
+satisfactory, as the country as far as the little town of
+Brandfort--important to us in our future operations--was swept clear of
+the enemy, and henceforth the British outposts covered the ground gained
+and preserved it from further incursions of the nimble Dutchmen.
+
+The casualties were numerous:--
+
+     King's Own Scottish Borderers.--_Killed._--Capt. A. C. Going.
+     _Wounded._--Lieut. E. M. Young, dangerously (since dead);
+     Second Lieut. B. J. Coulson; Capt. W. D. Sellar. Norfolk
+     Regiment.--Capt. E. Peebles; Capt. A. H. Luard. Lincolnshire
+     Regiment.--Capt. L. Edwards. South Wales Borderers.--Lieut. W.
+     C. Curgenven. Hampshire Regiment.--Lieut. C. N. French. 1st
+     Dragoon Guards.--Capt. W. M. Marter (Brigade Major).
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER VIII
+
+MAFEKING IN MARCH
+
+
+Five months of beleaguerment and no nearer the end! Ruefully the caged
+crowd began to draw pictures of themselves as weird Rip Van Winkles,
+curious fossilised things that would some day be unearthed by the
+inquiring historian. They wondered whether Ginevra in her sealed oaken
+chest felt more lost to the world, more forgotten, more impossible of
+rescue! "We," said some one who shall be nameless, "we are all modern
+Ginevras--only no one seems to look for us, and, by-and-by, perhaps no
+one will even mourn. It is five months, you see! Ginevra was probably
+asphyxiated in five hours, whereas we--we do the thing more
+sluggishly--more painfully--we starve mentally and physically by slow
+degrees. If we get air, it is air that is best not respired."
+Nevertheless, these people sent forth to the world radiant accounts of
+their doings, and sported the mask of Punchinello over the visage of
+Melpomene. It was very British, this jocose unreserve that was a still
+more tragic reserve, this festivity on the lips with famine gnawing at
+the vitals.
+
+Fever, the fever of heat, ennui, and mental and bodily depression, had
+begun to assail the unfortunate besieged. The climate of Mafeking--in
+ordinary circumstances most inspiriting--was becoming tainted, and the
+feeling of creeping malaria swept over all who were forced to remain
+cooped within the sorry regions. But the chief on whose wits the whole
+community depended defied the malign influence of his surroundings.
+During the day, with reserved, adamantine calm, he busied himself
+inventing the thousand and one projects by which might be defeated any
+possible move of the enemy, in reviving the spirits of his followers,
+and providing for their appetites, in fighting against the encroachments
+of disease and retaining the perfect discipline, which was no easy
+matter in so small a radius with so many conflicting emotions to be
+dealt with. At night, stealthy as a cat, he would creep forth to make
+the necessary investigations and acquaint himself with the state of the
+force opposing him, and if possible discover the Boer machinations of
+the future. Creeping along the veldt all eyes and ears, he gathered
+inspiration from a glimmer, the sound of a hoof, the flutter of bird and
+rustle of bush. Even the colour of the darkness in east and west gave
+him unspoken hints of designs nefarious--secrets or prophetic warnings
+of movements to be. And then he would return from his mysterious
+peregrinations primed with notions ingenious and plans elaborate, and
+remain for the day under the roof of the verandah of the headquarters
+office concocting some of the multitudinous schemes which confounded the
+Boers and frustrated their best efforts at assault.
+
+On the 3rd of March a little peace was secured owing to the
+disappearance of the Teuton who worked the huge gun. He had been what
+was described as "providentially potted." On the other hand a more
+valuable life than that of the German mercenary had been sacrificed, for
+Sergeant-Major Taylor of the Cape Boys, who had been doing splendid work
+for his country, fell early in the morning mortally wounded. The Boers
+fired something under forty shells before breakfast, and might have
+pursued their activities the whole day had the loss of their chief
+gunner not damped their ardour and forced them to postpone their
+activities to a more convenient period. They nevertheless "sniped" at
+intervals throughout the following Sunday, doubtless with the righteous
+desire to avenge their artillery-man.
+
+New brooms sweep clean. As a fresh gunner had come upon the scene, there
+now began some more active bombardment. But the activity was no longer
+what it had been, and but for the meagreness of the fare, and the fear
+that the rations might diminish till they became invisible, the besieged
+would have got on fairly well. On the 7th there died an adventurous
+Scotsman whose history would have delighted the heart of the late Robert
+Louis Stevenson. Major Baillie in his sparkling account of the siege
+gave a brief outline of his romantic career. "Trooper M'Donald joined
+the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders in 1847, served in the Crimea
+(French and Sardinian medals and two clasps) and in the Indian Mutiny,
+was kidnapped when embarking home by Americans, fought for the North
+against the South, deserted the North and fought for the South,
+afterwards went to Australia, thence to New Zealand, and served in the
+Maori War, in which he was taken prisoner. Later he came to South
+Africa, served in the Basuto War with Sir Charles Warren's expedition,
+Carrington's Horse, the Bechuanaland Border Police, and transferred to
+the Cape Police, in which corps he has died of hardships and old age,
+fighting the Boers." The Major went on to say: "He is not the only
+Crimean veteran we have here. Both the Navy and Army are represented.
+Mr. Ellis joined the Royal Navy in 1854, served in the Baltic and the
+Black Sea, came to Africa and served in the Galika War. Mr. Brasier
+served in the Crimea and the Mutiny, and there are others of whose
+records of service I am not so certain. The contrast between them and
+the cadet corps, utilised for orderly work, &c., is remarkable, and if
+the Boers have their greybeards and boys fighting, why so have we." The
+cadet corps was composed of youths ranging from the ages of ten to
+fifteen years, game little fellows who did their duty splendidly.
+
+The great news of the capture of Cronje and his horde now served to
+raise the drooping spirits of the community. It was also reported that
+Snyman was on the move, and that Malan, who was opposing Colonel Plumer,
+had come into the neighbourhood of Mafeking. Sounds of rejoicing came
+from the Boer camp, and on the following day Boers with their field kit
+were seen to be clearing off. The information that the force was
+marching to Bloemfontein, that Cape Colony was being swept of rebels,
+that Ladysmith was relieved, now poured in, and caused the whole place
+to become simply inebriated with joy.
+
+On the 9th of March, to commemorate the victory at Paardeberg, a special
+siege slip was published at the newspaper office. The news was announced
+in the form of a poster, and concluded with the effectively printed
+information: "Cronje a prisoner. Snyman to be hanged." Copies were
+afterwards liberally pelted into the Boer quarter, who digested the news
+with their morning biltong.
+
+On the 11th (Sunday) a truce was observed. The Colonel, writing at that
+date, said:--
+
+     "Our men, sitting upon the parapets, held a friendly
+     conversation with a detachment of the enemy, and an
+     enterprising photographer endeavoured to get them into line
+     while he photographed them, but they were evidently suspicious,
+     and feared the temptation to turn a Maxim upon them instead of
+     a camera would prove too great. Small parties appeared
+     throughout the day, and amicable relations were maintained
+     until dark."
+
+The Boers outside were a hardy and stalwart lot, brawny and uncouth and
+unkempt, though from a distance not unpicturesque. In their
+rough-and-tumble attire no two were alike. Some were slouching in
+velveteen coats and soft felt hats, others in black jackets with
+"billycocks," and all with the inevitable well-worn neckerchief that
+some one suggested might "come in handy for turtle soup." Their
+bandoliers and their Martini and Mauser rifles gave them a certain
+uniformity of aspect, but otherwise they seemed the most motley gang
+that the hands of fate could have shuffled together. Some of the Boers
+did not approve of the camera, and were inclined to suspect the British
+of attempting dodges equal to their own, but others took a pride in
+being portrayed.
+
+A remarkable, almost a pathetic, feature of Mafeking fighting was the
+strange ability of both sides to fraternise when hostilities were
+suspended. The fact was that the combatants were linked together by ties
+of relationship so mysteriously interwoven that the fights partook of
+the nature of civil war--brothers and cousins-in-law, and, in one case,
+two brothers, contending on either side of the battlefield. Naturally,
+when the bloody business of their lives was ended, they were inclined to
+foregather, to compare losses and make kindly inquiries strangely
+inconsistent with the trend of their antagonistic pursuits. The Colonel
+further reported:--
+
+     "Sergeant Currie has been promoted to the rank of a
+     commissioned officer. He has thus risen by gallantry and hard
+     work from a third-class private to be a lieutenant within five
+     months. Early on Monday morning (12th) the enemy recommenced
+     the bombardment with their six-inch gun, which had been
+     comparatively silent the previous week, now firing shrapnel.
+     Used against troops in the open the fire of these projectiles
+     is ineffectual as long as cover can be obtained, but they are
+     more dangerous to persons passing to the front from the streets
+     of the town. A detachment of Colonial native troops, under
+     Lieutenant Mackenzie, made an advance on Jackal Tree Fort, the
+     position originally occupied by the siege gun on the
+     south-western heights. The Boers got wind of the movement, and
+     evacuated the position before it could be carried through. To
+     cover the advance on Jackal Tree Fort, a detachment of Baralong
+     natives were despatched to make a feint attack on Fort Snyman,
+     a new work recently erected by the Boers, and threatening the
+     most advanced western position. They succeeded in creeping to
+     within thirty yards of the enemy, many of whom were sleeping
+     outside, and when near the fort poured in two or three rapid
+     volleys. Trooper Webb got sufficiently close to the fort to
+     blow out the brains of one of the enemy. The natives then beat
+     a rapid retreat, in accordance with instructions previously
+     given to them, having inflicted some losses upon the enemy. In
+     the brickfields the Cape Boys were reinforced by a detachment
+     of Protectorate troops under Captain Fitzclarence."
+
+All were much perturbed at the sad news of the death of the genial young
+trooper, Webb of the Cape Police, who was shot through the head while on
+guard in the brickfields. This gallant fellow had been previously
+wounded in October, and had been carried off under fire by Trooper
+Stevens, and had only just returned to duty when he lost his
+life--possibly in revenge for the act described above.
+
+According to Colonel Baden-Powell's despatch of this date, a raiding
+party of Baralongs, who had gone out on their own initiative,
+encountered a patrol of the enemy, and opened fire upon them, killing
+one man, whose rifle and bandolier they secured. The enemy retired for
+reinforcements, but the Baralongs ambushed these reinforcements from a
+convenient ditch at Madibi Siding, and the enemy fell back in confusion,
+losing six men. The Baralongs, being unable to cope with long-range
+fire, then commenced to retire on Mafeking, having captured two horses
+with saddles and bridles. Finding the Boers were in pursuit, and fearing
+the arrival of reinforcements from the investing forces, however, they
+returned to a kopje in the vicinity of Madibi. Here they maintained
+their position until dark, and then made good their retreat into the
+stadt, having lost one killed and bringing in a few wounded. Three of
+the party were missing.
+
+It was impossible to prevent the Baralongs from retaliating by raids of
+this description upon those whom they called the murderers of their
+women and children. Mr. C. G. Bell, however, rendered invaluable service
+in dealing with the natives, and a board was appointed by the Colonel
+commanding to go thoroughly into the native question.
+
+The Colonel described the effects of the bombardment on the following
+day:--
+
+     "On Tuesday a shrapnel shell, bursting just about my
+     bomb-proof, sprinkled the wall of the fire brigade office with
+     bullets, which entered the bedrooms of Dixon's Hotel. These
+     were unoccupied, but afterwards a steel-plated shell passed
+     through the wall of the office, and when spent fell beneath the
+     table, and was scrambled for by the staff of clerks. In the
+     afternoon a shell, bursting in the court-house, killed two
+     natives and wounded four, slightly injuring another. All these
+     belonged to an unfortunate working party who happened to be
+     passing at the moment. A woman was also slightly wounded."
+
+The conduct of the Boers towards the natives varied according to the
+policy of the commandant engaged in subduing Mafeking. A Scottish farmer
+who remained some ten miles south of the heroic hamlet, said that in the
+beginning of the war the Boers were not so severe on the natives as they
+were later on. About Christmas-time natives began to come out of
+Mafeking and loot cattle to take back into the town. Then the Boers were
+ordered to give no quarter to natives. If this order had had reference
+to those found looting cattle, it would only have been according to the
+rules of warfare, but the Boers were told to shoot down any strange
+native found in the veldt without a pass from their people; and this was
+done in a very large number of cases, their bodies being left to rot on
+the veldt as if they were dogs. In some cases they had come out of
+Mafeking, which need hardly be wondered at, in view of the scarcity of
+food amongst the natives there. Considering the risk run, it was
+wonderful how natives could be found willing to creep through the Boer
+lines with despatches; but the natives are certainly anything but
+cowards.
+
+Towards the middle of March the attitude of the Boers towards the
+natives improved, and they began to allow fugitives to escape through
+their lines. The reason for this change of front was attributed to a
+desire to conciliate the Baralongs in the event of Boer defeat, and to
+keep them from raiding into Boer territory when their time for reprisals
+might come.
+
+Native spies brought in all manner of rumours, to the effect that
+Colonel Plumer's armoured train had reached Pitsani Pothlugo, notable as
+Jameson's starting-point on his famous raid, and that the enemy was
+concentrating at Ramathlabama to prevent the advance of the relieving
+force. But news certainly lost nothing by passing through the medium of
+native channels, and the inhabitants of Mafeking were not over
+credulous. The great ideal of the Bechuanas was Dr. Jameson, and he, it
+was averred, was coming down from Buluwayo with an army to relieve
+Mafeking. One rumour had it that the famous raider had totally
+annihilated a Boer laager with a bomb from a balloon! Over an extensive
+area, west and south of Mafeking, all the natives had been compelled to
+leave their homes, and were placed near the Transvaal border with a
+view--it was thought--to prevent despatches passing through to Mafeking.
+Whatever the object, such a proceeding, especially in the wet season,
+was very cruel. The poor people were robbed of their herds and household
+goods, and driven away, and deposited like cattle wherever the Boers
+thought fit to place them.
+
+[Illustration: NATIVE CHURCH, MAFEKING.]
+
+On the 18th the Boers were found in occupation of the new trench which
+had just been triumphantly constructed by the besieged. It was, as Mr.
+Neilly said, "like the soldier crab who gets into the shell of a winkle
+when the winkle has gone out for a walk. As a rule the soldier crab
+keeps what he has gained, but in this case the winkle came back and
+recovered his shell." He did so very promptly. Lieutenant Feltham and a
+small party advanced and threw bombs at the intruders, which caused them
+quickly to evacuate their trenches. Then some of the Bechuanaland
+Volunteers "speeded the parting guest" with a smart fusillade from the
+flank, and the prized trench was recovered.
+
+On the 20th the Boers appeared to be breaking up their western laager,
+and on the 23rd it was discovered that the enemy had evacuated his
+positions in the brickfields. These were promptly annexed and dismantled
+by the Mafeking men. Major Panzera had what some one called "a real
+sporting day." From morn till night he plied his Hotchkiss and kept the
+Boers active till dusk. After dark the acetyline searchlight built by
+the railwaymen was erected at the main work, but no demonstration from
+the direction of the enemy took place. Then started off Lieutenant
+Murray and trooper Mallalen (Cape Police) to reconnoitre. On reaching
+the enemy's sap they crawled round cautiously on hands and knees to
+investigate. It was a ticklish moment, but they were rewarded. They
+peered in and made the discovery that the Boers had vanished. They crept
+still farther along the connecting trench to the rear of the main work
+and made assurance doubly sure. The Dutchmen were flown. So rapid had
+been their flight that biltong, biscuits, and journals were left behind.
+Quick as thought the trench was dismantled. Then Sergeant Page
+(Protectorate Regiment) burrowed about for the mine which he and Mr.
+Kiddy had laid in the direction of this trench in the early days of the
+siege. The Boers had "slimly" unearthed the dynamite, and presently it
+was discovered that the evacuated trench was connected by a copper wire
+with the enemy's line. This was carefully cut. Then its direction was
+traced, and a neat little plot of the Boers exposed itself to view. They
+had arranged some 250 pounds of war gelatine and dynamite in the trench,
+which, at a given moment, a touch from the wily Dutchman on the look-out
+was meant to explode and blow some of the garrison into the air.
+
+This failure served to depress the Boers, and for a time their siege gun
+ceased fire, something having gone wrong with its works. Colonel
+Baden-Powell was very proud of the brickfield's success and those who
+contributed to it. Colonel Vyvyan, Inspector Marsh (Cape Police), Majors
+Panzera and Fitzclarence, Inspector Browne, Lieutenant Currie (Cape
+Police), Sergeant Page, and trooper Thompson (Cape Police), were all
+eulogised in general orders.
+
+[Illustration: (Captain). (Sergeant).
+
+THE CAPE TOWN HIGHLANDERS.
+
+Photo by J. E. Bruton, Cape Town.]
+
+The captured newspapers afforded great satisfaction to the beleaguered
+company, for they recounted the entry of Lord Roberts to Bloemfontein,
+the surrender of Cronje, and the relief of Ladysmith. The intelligence
+was intensely heartening, and the garrison seemed to gain in
+backbone--not that it had ever been deficient in that quality. But now
+its obstinate resistance of the Boers was resumed with renewed zest.
+
+It must be noted that besides the Baralongs, who defended their own
+stadt, were four other black contingents--the Fingoes, under Webster;
+the Cape Boys, under Lieutenant Currie, B.S.C.P., who succeeded Captain
+Goodyear when that officer was wounded; a detachment of Baralongs, under
+Sergeant Abrams; and a Zulu crowd, called the "Black Watch," under
+Mackenzie. All these contingents "put their backs into it," and rejoiced
+in making things as hot and uncomfortable for the enemy as they could.
+
+In default of other amusement some of the inhabitants interested
+themselves in the Dutch snipers, and began to grow so familiar with them
+that they resorted to the primeval mode of christening, that of
+designating each individual by his personal attributes. One would be
+called "Bow-legs," another "Bluebeard," or "Draggle Beard," and so on.
+One Rip Van Winkle was particularly admired. Despite his years and his
+probable "rheumatics," he would take up his post from dawn till dusk,
+and snipe with persistence worthy a better cause. His patience and
+perseverance somewhat endeared him to the garrison, and there was felt
+to be something missing in the excitement of life when it was found that
+he, like many of his compatriots, had been "curried," otherwise
+"dished," by Lieutenant Currie, B.S.C.P., and his ever-active
+contingent. These cheery fellows in off moments were ready enough to
+exchange jocosities with the foe, almost treating him, despite his
+barbarism, as one of themselves.
+
+The correspondent of the _Pall Mall Gazette_ quoted a sample scene to
+describe the style of friendly intercourse that took place.
+
+"Cape 'boy' to Boer: 'Could you hit a bottle?' 'Yes, I think so. Put one
+up.' (A hand rises cautiously to the top of the British trench, and a
+black bottle is deposited there.)
+
+"Boer: 'I can't see it. Put it higher.' (The Cape 'boy' balances a hat
+on the head of the bottle and says, 'There you are; you can see that.')
+The Boer fires, and the bullet flies wide.
+
+"Cape 'boy': 'Wide to the left.' (Boer fires again and asks, 'Is that
+nearer?')
+
+"Cape 'boy': 'Rather high.' Boer fires a third shot that comes through
+the loophole.
+
+"The Cape soldier announces the result, and the Boer, fearing that he
+will lose his good reputation for marksmanship, and angered by his bad
+display, sings out--
+
+"'Look here, you rooinek, we were sent here not to shoot bottles, but
+men.'"
+
+Curiously enough many of the Boers were hopelessly ignorant and
+unsophisticated. They hardly knew what they were fighting for, and one
+raw individual was heard to declare that he didn't believe the Queen had
+caused this war, but the foreman of the English Raad. They retained
+their bumptiousness in all circumstances. After a victory they would
+brag of the number of British killed, about 80,000 as a rule, their news
+being gleaned from the imaginative columns of the _Standard and Diggers'
+News_. On the subject of defeat they were reticent, but fairly confident
+that the Dutch flag in a month or two was bound to be floating over
+South Africa.
+
+On Sunday the 25th, a great Siege Exhibition took place--an exhibition
+notable for its originality. Among the articles on view were bonnets
+which had been trimmed with "siege" materials by ladies of the town.
+These were never tired of showing their usefulness and versatility, but,
+as Lady Sarah Wilson--a host in herself--declared in the _Daily Mail_,
+"even the dogs played a prominent part in the siege. One belonging to
+the base commandant was wounded no less than three times; another, a
+rough Irish terrier, accompanied the Protectorate Regiment in all its
+engagements; a third amused itself by running after the small Maxim
+shells, barking loudly and trying hard to retrieve pieces; while the
+Resident Commissioner's dog, a prudent animal, whenever she heard the
+alarm-bell tore into the bomb-proof attached to her master's redoubt,
+and remained there till the explosion was over. The sagacious creatures
+rendered themselves most valuable, for no sooner had the warning bell
+announced the firing of a shell than the town dogs began to bark loudly
+in all quarters, thus enabling persons who, owing to the direction of
+the wind or other circumstances, had failed to note the signal, to
+escape to their shelters." The natives were much more apathetic, and
+Reuter's correspondent gave curious instances of their stupidity and
+_laisser faire_. "They would gather in great crowds round the
+soup-kitchens in the town, and when bells were rung warning them that
+the enemy's 6-inch gun had been fired they were too lazy to take cover
+in the lee of the surrounding buildings, and had to be driven to do so
+by means of sticks and sjamboks. Many would rather die than work, and
+were too lazy to attempt the now comparatively safe journey to Kanya."
+
+It was annoying to hear perpetual rumours of relief and to find relief
+as far off as ever. Runners continually brought in telegrams of
+congratulation, which added not a little to the bitterness of
+incarceration. At one moment Plumer seemed to be coming; he was said to
+be only eleven miles off, and the town was in ecstasies; at another
+bombardment began briskly as ever, and spirits descended to zero. One of
+the besieged, writing home on March 22, said:--
+
+     "Things are going on as usual. Every one is heartily sick and
+     tired of the siege. Colonel Plumer, with 1500 men, is only
+     about thirty-five miles away, with provisions for us.... Every
+     one here feels the want of more, better, and varied food. A
+     friend of ours was very ill for ten days, and the only
+     comforts the doctor could order were two tins of milk and some
+     lunch biscuits! There is no margarine left in the town, and the
+     Commissariat Department is calling in all the starch. The
+     hospital is very full; and there is a good deal of malarial and
+     typhoid fever.... Sometimes the bread is awful, black, and made
+     from locally-crushed oats, with all the husks on, simply split
+     in long pieces. We are all downright hungry, and cannot buy a
+     bit of food, except on some special occasion. Last Sunday
+     Weil's store was allowed to sell certain articles of food,
+     _e.g._ pea flour and margarine; former, 2s. 6d. a tin; latter,
+     3s. per lb. The crush outside the store was so great that women
+     fainted, and some were waiting for hours, and then unable to
+     get in.... The railings of the park and tennis-courts are used
+     for firing, and we are authorised to use our fences for the
+     same purpose. Our meat is good, but poor and tough. We almost
+     entirely depend upon the natives looting enemy's cattle, and
+     sometimes we have horse-flesh, but that I cannot manage, so on
+     those days I am hungrier than ever.... My husband is
+     quarter-master-sergeant in charge of the rations--not a very
+     enviable billet. The whole town is on rations. We are all under
+     martial law, and Colonel Baden-Powell looks after us all, and
+     we may be very thankful that the defence of Mafeking has been
+     entrusted to such a capable man."
+
+The menu was not variegated. You took your choice between a species of
+porridge (made from the husks of oats fermented for some hours prior to
+boiling) and a noxious brown biscuit, or, as the Indians called it,
+"chupattie." But it had none of the savouriness of the chupattie, and
+was described as a cross between a ship's biscuit and a baked brick. It
+was certainly filling at the price, so filling, in fact, that those who
+devoured it suffered from what was styled "hippopotamus on the chest"
+for some hours afterwards.
+
+March 27th was described as the hottest day in the siege, the mud walls
+of Mafeking being liberally dosed to the tune of 200 shells by Creusots
+and quick-firing Krupps. As many as 250 shells were said to have been
+fired into the town, while the 100-pounder was responsible for 70.
+Sergeant Abrams, of the Cape Police, an officer who had been in the
+thick of the whole siege, was caught by a high-velocity shell and had
+the misfortune to lose his foot. Some of the shells penetrated the
+bomb-proofs, and one or two persons were more or less injured. It was
+calculated that during the sixty-four days of the siege as many as 1300
+shells from the 100-pound Creusot, independently of minor missiles, had
+descended in the midst of the valorous community. Some of the shells
+were sold as curios and fetched as much as five guineas apiece; rarer
+ones sold for ten or twelve. The losses of the garrison up to this date
+were: Killed and missing: 7 officers and 93 men, besides 53 native and
+other non-combatants. Wounded: 11 officers and 38 men, besides 114
+native and other non-combatants.
+
+The congratulations of the Lord Mayor of London on the relief now
+arrived, and all began to hope that "coming events cast their shadows
+before." But cruel disappointment followed.
+
+Heavy firing was reported from the north on the 31st, and there was
+tremendous excitement. One and all agreed that it was Colonel Plumer
+coming to the rescue. They hoped, they prayed, and when at last the
+sounds died away hope died with them. The next morning explained it.
+General Snyman sent in a letter under a flag of truce requesting Colonel
+Baden-Powell to send an ambulance for Colonel Plumer's dead! A horrible
+description of the battlefield "strewn with corpses" followed, and
+caused deep concern to those who were the cause of the gallant
+enterprise which had cost so many lives. Fortunately only three bodies
+were found, but these had rifled pockets, while the boots of one had
+been removed. The action of removing boots from the dead savours of the
+barbaric, but it must be remembered that the Boers, and indeed some of
+our own men, were almost soleless. War brings about strange conditions
+and strange ethics. A trooper, one of the remnant of the Light Brigade,
+told a strange story of how on that "great occasion" he came on the
+corpse of a Russian officer magnificently booted, while he himself could
+barely hobble in his tatters. He could not resist the prize, and
+possessed himself of the much-needed apparel. He was in the act of going
+off in triumph when his conscience smote him; he returned, and taking
+off his own boots reverentially clothed the feet of the dead man! He
+appeased his qualms by arguing that exchange was not robbery!
+
+
+COLONEL PLUMER'S OPERATIONS
+
+Colonel Plumer lived in the hope of joining hands with Colonel
+Baden-Powell at Mafeking, and messages were successfully interchanged
+between the two officers. Life in the north was occupied mainly with
+skirmishes and the repairs of railway lines and culverts, which were
+needed along almost every mile of route. Between Gaberones and Crocodile
+Pools the engineers worked arduously, under the protection of an
+armoured train and a strong body of dismounted men. Very useful
+information was received of the Boers' whereabouts from papers contained
+in a Boer mail-bag captured between Sequani and Sauerpoord. The Boers
+were found to be in force at Crocodile Pools, and to have in their
+possession two cannon and two machine-guns, and here it was evident they
+meant to harass any progressive movement of the British.
+
+[Illustration: MAP SHOWING THE ADVANCE FROM THE NORTH AND THE SOUTH FOR
+THE RELIEF OF MAFEKING.
+
+The above sketch-plan of Mafeking shows the Boer trenches and the
+British lines of defence round the town, with the localities and dates
+of the principal fights which have taken place between the besiegers and
+besieged. Above and below the plan (though not, of course, upon the same
+scale) there is a map of the country between Kimberley and Tuli. The
+margin is divided into spaces of twenty-five miles, measuring from
+Mafeking north and south, and the advance of Plumer from the north and
+of Methuen from the south is shown step by step.]
+
+On the 11th of January Colonel Plumer, with a portion of his forces,
+arrived near Mochudi. The Boers--about 200--were reported to have
+gathered some thirty miles to the south-east, while others were
+entrenched on the kopjes by the railway at Crocodile Pools. With them
+were said to be guns in charge of German officers--an objectionable
+discovery for the British, who were almost gunless! There was reason
+to suppose that discontent reigned among the Boers owing to scarcity of
+provisions, and that they were longing to throw up the sponge and return
+to their farms. They found life in the trenches and kopjes not what is
+vulgarly described as "all beer and skittles," and began to think of the
+coming seasons which would find them empty as the fabled grasshopper in
+winter.
+
+Some of the troops also proceeded to Gaberones, where three armoured
+trains were kept active. On the 12th a Boer patrol made an effort to
+burn a bridge a mile north of the station, but was frustrated by the
+promptness with which Lieutenant Wallis brought No. 3 armoured train on
+the scene. When the enemy fell back on the station they were welcomed by
+No. 1 armoured train under Colonel Llewellyn, and the welcome was so
+unexpected and so hearty that the enemy bolted. Owing to the darkness
+they got off in safety. Reconnaissances were made, and it was discovered
+that the Boers were located one mile south of Crocodile Pools.
+
+Major Bird made a reconnaissance on the 23rd of January--with four
+squadrons of the Rhodesian Regiment--in the direction of a Boer laager.
+In consequence of a storm of rain operations could not be carried as far
+as intended, but some of the enemy were dislodged from a hill, and two
+horses and two Transvaal flags were captured.
+
+On the 31st an animated artillery duel took place between Colonel Plumer
+and Commandant Eloff, and on the following day it was some satisfaction
+to see the Boers busily engaged in repairing the havoc wrought by the
+British 121/2-pounder on their fort. On the 2nd of February more
+activities took place. Major Bird, with 150 mounted infantry and one
+7-pounder, made a demonstration on the right flank of the Boer position.
+This occupied a ridge running for a mile and a half from south-west to
+north-east. In the centre of the ridge was a nek, which was protected on
+either side by a fringe of Boer sharpshooters. This nek became the
+object of British attention, and Lieutenants Harland and Blunt with
+their men poured on it some forty volleys, to which the Boers replied,
+but without serious effect. While the rattling of musketry was kept up
+by the mounted infantry, a 7-pounder, manned by the British South
+African Police, escorted by troopers under Captain Maclaren, shelled the
+nek. Whereupon the Boers brought into play a 121/2-pounder, which forced
+the British 7-pounder to retire. The weapon, however, was met by one of
+its own calibre, which was posted near Basuto kopje, and a spirited
+contest ensued. On the 4th of February the hostile guns were silenced by
+well-directed shells adroitly dropped by Lieutenant Montmorency in the
+middle of the Boer fortress.
+
+Colonel Plumer, though still too weak to make a decisive move on, was
+bent on energetically annoying the Boers, but night escapades for some
+time were stopped by infamous weather. On the first opportunity Major
+Bird devised a midnight attack, which, unfortunately, was more costly
+than successful. In dense darkness, on the night of the 11th of
+February, the troops deployed at the base of a thorny and rocky ridge at
+Crocodile Pools Bridge, where the enemy was entrenched. No sooner had
+the men neared the summit than they came on wire entanglements and
+thorny scrub, and in surmounting wire and bush they necessarily made
+some noise. This set the Boer dogs barking and the Boer pickets blazing
+with their rifles. Thereupon Major Bird ordered a bayonet charge. He had
+forbidden rifle fire lest it should betray the position of the storming
+party. Before the men could get to close quarters, however, the Dutchmen
+exploded dynamite mines and followed the fracas with volleys of
+musketry. The result was disastrous to the British, and Major Bird
+ordered a retreat. Captain French (Royal Irish Regiment) was among the
+killed. Seven of the party were more or less severely injured. At first
+the Boers refused to give up the dead and wounded. When Archdeacon
+Upcher and Father Hartmann, under cover of the white flag, made the
+demand, they declared that they could not respect the symbol, as General
+Buller had stated that the British would no longer respect it. They
+eventually gave up five of the dead, but refused for some time to part
+with the wounded. Among these were Major Straker and Colonel Hon. H.
+White (British South African Police).
+
+On the 26th of February Colonel Plumer, after many strenuous efforts and
+continued fighting, occupied the enemy's position at Crocodile Pools,
+the Boers having taken themselves off and gone south to Lobatsi. Trains
+were now moving from the Pools to Ramoutsa. A cairn was erected over the
+spot where the valiant officer, Captain French, met his fate. The wounds
+received by Major Straker in the disastrous night attack were mending
+slowly, and great hopes were entertained of his ultimate recovery.
+
+Colonel Plumer and his little force, numbering some 700 in all,
+continued to suffer many harassments, to fight and to struggle manfully
+for the assistance of Mafeking, whose relief they believed could not be
+long delayed. To help in this relief was their perpetual aim, and to
+this end Colonel Plumer accumulated a vast quantity of stores at Kanya,
+some sixty miles to the west of Crocodile Pools, so that when
+opportunity should offer the starving braves might not have to wait for
+provisions. For some weeks the troops had been fixed on a string of
+kopjes to the north of the Metsima Suma Bridge, while the Boers' laager,
+strongly fortified, occupied another ridge in the vicinity. Both Britons
+and Boers from their elevated posts could command the river above named,
+and the Notwani River for some miles. On the 26th of February, for some
+unaccountable reason, the Boers suddenly made themselves scarce, and
+suspicion grew that events elsewhere were demanding their prompt
+attention. The disappearance caused some sensation, as it was
+reported--erroneously as it afterwards proved--that not a Boer was
+visible between the British and Mafeking. Thereupon Colonel Plumer
+decided to be up and doing, and an advance on Lobatsi (situated some
+forty-five miles from Colonel Baden-Powell's kingdom) was organised.
+First of all telegraph lines and rails were repaired, an armoured train
+being sent forward to Pitsani Pothlugo to protect the operations. This
+work accomplished, rations for thirty days, the base hospital, &c., were
+transferred to Lobatsi.
+
+There on the morning of the 6th of March Colonel Plumer's force arrived.
+The efforts of the relieving party were now directed to the
+reconstruction of the railway and bridges which had been wrecked by the
+Boers in October. These were slowly got into working order.
+Reconnaissances were pushed south with a view to farther advance, and
+provision was made for the protection of the railway behind him as
+Colonel Plumer advanced.
+
+[Illustration: COLONEL PLUMER'S GALLANT ATTEMPT TO RELIEVE MAFEKING FROM
+THE NORTH.
+
+Drawing by Frank Dudd, R.I., from a Sketch by F. J. Mackenzie.]
+
+At daybreak on the 13th of March a column of some 300 men with three
+guns marched towards Kanya on the west, while Colonel Bodle (B.S.A.P.)
+with 150 men and a Maxim proceeded towards Pitsani. When the former
+party had succeeded in reaching a place some twenty miles beyond Lobatsi
+camp they were suddenly ordered to return. Captain Maclaren with his
+party, though fairly worn out after a long day's tramp, at once obeyed
+orders, marched throughout the night, and by dawn on the 15th had
+retraced his steps. The reason for the recall was this. Colonel Bodle's
+advanced scouts had come upon swarms of the enemy to the north of
+Pitsani, and the colonel with his small force had been compelled to
+retire in hot haste. His position was a ticklish one, for all round, in
+every available kopje, the Boers had ensconced themselves, and only by
+great nerve and splendid presence of mind was it possible to execute
+anything like an orderly retreat. But these qualities were possessed by
+Colonel Bodle, who promptly retired his ambulance and waggons, covering
+their move by forming his troops in Zulu fashion in crescent shape.
+Unluckily the right horn of the crescent, under Lieutenant Chapman, was
+pounced upon by some hidden Boers, who succeeded in making three or four
+of the party prisoners, and capturing a box or two of ammunition. Owing
+to an accident to his horse Lieutenant Chapman was thrown and captured.
+Corporal Galt nearly shared the same fate, but while he was engaged in a
+smart tussle for freedom, Colonel Bodle came to the rescue and put the
+Boers to flight. The Dutchmen then commenced to follow at the heels of
+the column, approaching to within some 2500 yards of the camp, doing
+some damage among cattle with their smokeless guns, which with
+difficulty could be located. Their fire was eventually returned, but not
+before Lieutenant Tyler (West Riding Regiment) had fallen a victim to a
+shell, which caught him in his tent and killed him instantaneously. The
+next day (the 16th) the Boers pursued their aggravations, and the
+British, as usual, gave a very good account of themselves, though their
+gunners had neither range-finder nor range-table. An animated artillery
+duel lasted for some hours, and was only terminated at sunset by the
+successful landing of a shell in the midst of the Boer guns. This served
+to silence them for the rest of the day. That done, the troops retired,
+most of the force moving from Lobatsi back to Crocodile Pools (whither
+stores, &c., had been removed by rail during the whole of the previous
+night), while Colonel Plumer and the mounted men took the direction of
+Kanya. On the 17th of March the armoured train voyaged towards Lobatsi,
+where it was saluted by the Boers, who had returned in hordes with
+marvellous celerity, and were hovering round that place.
+
+The enemy had now placed a 1-pound Maxim and a 121/2-pounder on the east
+side of the line 4000 yards to the south of the main camp, but
+fortunately the right flank was protected by the Chief Bathoen, who
+defied the Boers to enter his territory. The left flank, however,
+engaged Colonel Plumer's attention, and there was every fear that the
+enemy, repulsed on the western border, might fall in force upon the
+Rhodesians. The Dutchmen were now busy in wrecking the rail south of
+Lobatsi, and preparing to meet any further advance made by Colonel
+Plumer with stout resistance. On the 18th, somewhat exhausted with
+fruitless toil and endless marching and fighting, the troops were once
+more at their starting-point on the ridges overlooking the Metsima Suma
+and Notwani Rivers, Colonel Plumer's force now occupying the position
+there formerly held by the Boers.
+
+On the 21st Commandant Snyman entertained himself with a little journey
+to Lobatsi and gaily bombarded it, in ignorance that it had been
+evacuated by Colonel Plumer's force, and explosions on all sides
+announced that he also was engaged in the destruction of the railway.
+While the Boers were away, the Baralongs made hay--they utilised the
+shining hour by looting some of the Boer cattle and driving them in
+triumph into Mafeking. There, the result of Snyman's attack on Plumer
+was in its way approved; the town enjoyed temporary repose. The
+bombardment lessened for a day or two, and the besieged were buoyed up
+by the hope that Colonel Plumer was pursuing his advance.
+
+To intercept the same the enemy had taken up positions at Maritzuni and
+Ramathlabama, but they at the same time had to engage themselves with a
+native chief in the south. This personage, who had hitherto been
+friendly to them, working on the good old principle of "kick a man when
+he's down," had heard of the Boer reverses in the Free State, and
+promptly seized his opportunity.
+
+On the 25th Colonel Plumer left his base camp with a force of infantry
+and as little impedimenta as possible, and invaded the Transvaal, making
+two rapid night marches for the purpose of threatening the Boer lines of
+communication. In this way, though he found himself too weak in men and
+guns for really aggressive operations, he determined to make himself a
+thorn in the side of the persecutors of Mafeking, and keep the Boer
+hordes too busily engaged to allow of their attempting serious
+operations on their own part.
+
+Early on the morning of the 31st Colonel Plumer, with 270 mounted men,
+some infantry, and a Maxim reached Ramathlabama, where the Boers were
+said to have made their headquarters. The advance guard under Colonel
+White proceeding within six miles of Mafeking, encountered a Boer
+commando, whereupon Captain Kensman on the left and Major Bordan on the
+right simultaneously became engaged. Desperate fighting ensued, the
+Boers almost doubling the British. The Dutchmen formed a semicircle,
+vainly endeavouring to outflank the party east and west, while Colonel
+Plumer's small force, fighting "tooth and nail," retired slowly, the
+squadrons covering the retreat of the unmounted men for a good ten miles
+till the force reached its base. Owing to the close proximity of the
+Boer laagers, reinforcements of Dutchmen and guns were constantly at
+hand, while Colonel Plumer was entirely at a disadvantage. Little cover
+was available, and the railway embankment, which was his only
+protection, was barely two feet high. Captain Crewe, a most popular
+officer, was mortally wounded while covering the retreat of the rest, as
+was also Lieutenant Milligan while gallantly defending his position.
+
+Some interesting particulars of the fighting outside Mafeking came in a
+letter from a trooper.
+
+     "On our latest patrol we had a real exciting time. We went to
+     have a look at Mafeking, and actually saw the promised land,
+     but we had to pay dearly for the sight. We marched from here
+     (halfway between Kanya and Mafeking) on March 30th, and arrived
+     at Ramathlabama on the 31st at 9 A.M. Between 300 and 350 men
+     went, with one Maxim, all under Colonel Plumer himself. We were
+     all mounted except thirty men of E Squadron. We formed a camp
+     at Ramathlabama, and at 11 A.M. all the mounted men moved off
+     towards Mafeking, our unmounted men and the Maxim remaining in
+     camp. Our troop and Crewe's scouts formed the advance guard
+     under our skipper, Colonel White. We rode on about eight miles,
+     and then we got our first glimpse of Mafeking. We raised a bit
+     of a cheer on spotting the place. Very soon we saw a large body
+     of Boers coming up in front at a fast pace, while others were
+     working round our flanks. We started firing at 1000 yards,
+     with hardly anything to see to fire at. Their fire was high at
+     first, but some of them soon got the range. We had to retreat,
+     as we were far outnumbered, and the Boers were working away at
+     our flanks. Moreover, they had an unlimited supply of
+     ammunition, their base being a mile or two away, while we had
+     to go slow with ours. So we retired by alternate squadrons.
+
+     "We were nearly caught once. The Boers were coming round on our
+     flank, and were making for some Kaffir kraals whence they would
+     have had us fairly on toast. Our skipper, however, spotted the
+     move in time, and we raced them for the first place and won.
+     Crewe's men, who were sent to the second kraal, also got there
+     first. We made them turn tail and bolt, and they were never
+     afterwards quite so keen in getting round our flank. Our
+     skipper worked splendidly. It was a running fight for about
+     eight miles, lasting from 1 P.M. till 6 P.M. When we reached
+     the camp we found that Colonel Plumer had decided to abandon
+     it, and had already sent the waggons off an hour before. We had
+     to cover the retreat of the unmounted men, who had been in turn
+     covering the retreat of the Maxim. There was a very warm time
+     over that business. The unmounted men nearly got caught. Our
+     casualties were pretty heavy--52 in all--12 killed, 26 wounded,
+     and 14 missing. Altogether 75 horses were killed, wounded, and
+     missing. Don't get the idea that we were disgracefully licked.
+     We retreated certainly and were chased by the Boers, but we
+     retreated in perfect order without any confusion. Moreover, in
+     retreating we were doing as we were intended to do. Colonel
+     Baden-Powell had some move he wished to make at Mafeking, and
+     we were to draw away as many Boers as possible, and we
+     certainly were successful in that. There must have been at
+     least 600 or 700 against us."
+
+In the fight at Ramathlabama the following were taken
+prisoners:--Captain K. Maclaren, Captain F. Crewe, Captain Duncan
+Robertson, all badly wounded; the two last mentioned since dead.
+Staff-Officers Cecil and Granville and nine soldiers, of whom six were
+more or less severely wounded, were also captured.
+
+Owing to the absence of war correspondents with Colonel Plumer's force
+this officer's unceasing efforts to match the Boers and rescue Colonel
+Baden-Powell received none of the publicity they deserved. It has been
+possible only from private sources to gauge the terrible tension of the
+situation, and the truly noble activity that was maintained in the face
+of a most alarming outlook. Of the heroism of the commander little has
+been said, but from a few lines written by a trooper we may understand
+how his gallant conduct stimulated his men. He said: "It was a good
+fight, and our men behaved very well. Plumer was slightly wounded, but
+behaved splendidly. He sent his horse away and walked behind the
+dismounted men, encouraging them when they were retreating."
+
+Colonel Bodle and Captain Rolt (adjutant) were also slightly wounded.
+
+Some splendid service was rendered by Sergeant-Major Manning (5th
+Dragoon Guards), on whom the whole work of staff officer afterwards
+devolved.
+
+Another writer shows the trying circumstances in which Colonel Plumer's
+campaign was conducted, circumstances which, when the historian of the
+future sets to work, cannot be disregarded:--
+
+     "On the 31st ult. we got as far as six miles from Mafeking, but
+     had to retire after four hours' heavy fighting, losing 48
+     killed, wounded, and missing. We have had a very rough time
+     indeed, always fighting against much superior odds armed with
+     splendid artillery, living on short rations, without tents or
+     any other shelter, wet through with the rain, and scorched with
+     the sun, and yet the people at home never give us a thought. We
+     have been so hard up for tobacco that men have been smoking tea
+     leaves. We have not had a thing from home, not even the Queen's
+     chocolate, and yet we have done as much in our small way as the
+     troops down south. Of course, we have had no big battles, as we
+     have not the men or guns, but we have had constant patrols and
+     skirmishes, nearly always losing men killed or wounded, or
+     both. We have also suffered very heavily with fever and
+     dysentery, and all our hospitals are full."
+
+These lines in their bald simplicity are quoted because they, like the
+work they describe, were originated with no view to effect nor applause,
+and serve exactly to describe the modest deeds of perpetual valour which
+were perpetrated by our countrymen, and which by force of circumstance
+were left to waste their smartness "on the desert air."
+
+[Illustration: LOBATSI RAILWAY STATION]
+
+
+
+
+LIST OF STAFF
+
+
+The following is a list of appointments to the Staff of the Eighth
+Division, which left England in February:--
+
+EIGHTH DIVISION
+
+Lieutenant-General on the Staff--Major-General (temporary
+Lieutenant-General) Sir H. M. L. Rundle, K.C.B., C.M.G., D.S.O., R.A.
+
+Aides-de-Camp (2).
+
+Assistant Adjutant-General--Colonel G. E. Harley, C.B.
+
+Deputy-Assistant Adjutant-Generals--Major A. E. J. Cavendish, _p.s.c._,
+Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders; Captain G. I. Walsh, Leicestershire
+Regt.
+
+Assistant Provost-Marshal[11]--Lieut.-Colonel R. H. Morrison.
+
+Principal Medical Officer--Lieut.-Colonel W. A. May, Royal Army Medical
+Corps.
+
+Medical Officer--Major J. W. Jerome, Royal Army Medical Corps.
+
+Chaplains--Rev. C. F. O'Reilly; Rev. F. J. P. Jellicoe.
+
+Divisional Signalling Officer--Captain C. H. Bennett, Worcestershire
+Regt.
+
+16th BRIGADE
+
+Major-General on the Staff--Major-General B. B. D. Campbell, M.V.O.
+
+Aide-de-Camp.
+
+Brigade-Major--Captain E. F. O. Gascoigne, D.S.O., Grenadier Guards.
+
+17th BRIGADE
+
+Major-General on the Staff--Major-General J. E. Boyes.
+
+Aide-de-Camp.
+
+Brigade-Major--Captain C. B. FitzHenry, 7th Hussars.
+
+At the same time a Ninth Division was formed under the command of
+Lieut.-General Sir Henry Colvile, consisting of the 3rd (Highland
+Brigade), Colonel (Major-General) H. A. Macdonald, C.B., and 19th
+Brigade, Colonel (Major-General) H. L. Smith-Dorrien. For particulars,
+see Vol. V.
+
+FOOTNOTES:
+
+[11] Graded as a Deputy-Assistant Adjutant-General.
+
+
+
+
+APPENDIX
+
+
+KURUMAN[12]
+
+At time of the surrender of Kuruman it was impossible to obtain complete
+details regarding the gallant defence of the place. The following short
+story published by the _Cape Argus_ serves to throw light on deeds too
+brave to be overlooked:--
+
+"On the 15th October 1899, the Cape Police, Vryburg, 96 miles north-east
+of Kuruman, evacuated their station without giving battle to the Boers;
+the detachment with one Maxim and 110 men retiring on Kimberley. The
+commanding officer, Major Scott, Cape Police, committed suicide _en
+route_. Refugees came into Kuruman on the 16th and following days.
+
+"On the 23rd October communication was cut off from Kuruman except by
+wire to Koopmansfontein, and on the 5th November all wires were cut.
+Information reached Kuruman that the South African Republic and Orange
+Free State Boers, assisted by rebels from that and surrounding
+districts, intended to march on Kuruman and hoist the 'Vierkleur.'
+
+"The defence of Kuruman was commenced by Captain Bates,[13] C.P.
+(formerly captain B.B.P. under Sir Frederick Carrington), assisted by
+Sergeant Hemsworth, C.P., and Captain Dennison, Intelligence Department.
+On the 19th October, Colonel Kekewich, officer commanding forces
+Griqualand West and Bechuanaland, instructed the force to endeavour to
+prevent Kuruman falling into the hands of the enemy. The officer
+commanding, Captain Bates, had orders to defend the place, and the
+Kuruman defence force was raised, consisting of, approximately, 54 Cape
+Police and Special Police (whites), 62 Bastards and natives--total, 116.
+
+"Redoubts were built on the north, south, east, and west sides of the
+main camp, which was fortified with trenches and stone walls loopholed
+and raised with sandbags.
+
+"On the 12th November 1899, a letter was received from Commandant Visser
+(signed Fighting General), demanding the surrender of Kuruman
+voluntarily in the name of the Z.A.R. and O.F.S. Governments, saying
+that he was at Pakani, six miles off, with his commando, and failing
+compliance with his demand he would attack and take Kuruman by main
+force at 7 A.M. the following day. A reply was sent that should he
+attack he would have to take the consequences of his illegal act, as no
+instructions had been issued by the Colonial Government to evacuate the
+town.
+
+"At 9 A.M. on the 13th November a commando of about 400 men came at full
+gallop towards the Soeden Mission Station, three miles from Kuruman.
+Coming within range (1500 yards) the redoubt on the eastern side opened
+fire on them with their rifles. The enemy halted, and then at once
+retired out of range. After about ten minutes, one portion, 250 strong,
+advanced towards the Mission Station, the other, 150 strong, moving to
+the ridge above the Court House. At 10 A.M. the commando from Soeden
+attacked the western redoubt held by Corporal Childs, C.P., with six
+whites and seven natives. Heavy firing took place. At about 5 P.M. the
+enemy, who had during the day occupied a ridge about 400 yards from the
+redoubt, retired, and in so doing lost heavily--they were seen falling
+from their horses. Our men behaved splendidly. The estimated Boer loss
+was six killed and fourteen wounded; ours, one native killed. Captain
+Bates rode up during the day to encourage the men, and both going and
+returning was received with heavy volleys from the Boers, but both he
+and his horse returned unhurt. While the fighting was going on Corporal
+Barnes, C.P., and nine men volunteered to take an extra supply of
+ammunition to this redoubt, about 1000 yards in the open, under heavy
+fire, and remained there to the end of the attack without any further
+casualty. Firing from all the enemy's schanzes was kept up during the
+night.
+
+"At dawn next day it was discovered that the enemy had built schanzes
+(stone entrenchments) all round our redoubts at distances varying from
+1200 to 900 yards, and commenced firing volleys into our positions. We
+replied, and our losses this day were one native slightly wounded and
+five horses badly wounded. The enemy stuck to their schanzes and
+continued firing heavily on us daily until the 19th November, when to
+our surprise they withdrew to Pakani.
+
+"On the 20th November our scouts, who were sent to find out the enemy's
+movements, returned, stating that they were retiring towards Vryburg.
+
+"On the 26th November it was reported by our scouts that the Boers had
+formed three laagers, one at Mooifontein, 30 miles away; one at
+Magagapirie, 20 miles off; and one at Botitilotse, about 18 miles off;
+the total commando numbering about 1100 to 1200 men, and a large number
+of waggons.
+
+"On the 1st December a headman, Seloa, reported that the Boers were
+waiting for a cannon from Pretoria, and were coming again to attack us
+or starve us out. Captain Bates strengthened the forts as much as
+possible to resist shell fire.
+
+"On the 5th December the enemy arrived with from 1100 to 1200 men under
+Visser, of the Transvaal, now Commandant, and Field-Cornet Wessels, of
+the Free State, but without any cannon. They commenced by attacking
+Captain Dennison's (Intelligence Officer to Commanding Officer,
+Kimberley, Colonel Kekewich) redoubt on the east, but were repulsed. The
+enemy made five night attacks on this redoubt and a smaller one held by
+Private Brown, Special Police, about 300 yards on the S.E. Their mode of
+attack was as follows:--They built schanzes within 500 yards of these
+redoubts, surrounding them, and threw up small schanzes of stone and
+bags within thirty or forty yards of the redoubts early in the night and
+attacked about two or three o'clock in the morning, retiring from time
+to time to these small schanzes. They thus succeeded in pushing off the
+sandbags from our redoubts on the S.E. side, but were driven back,
+losing about four killed and ten or twelve wounded. This redoubt was
+held by Private Brown, three white men, and two natives, the enemy
+numbering from sixty to seventy men. Our casualties were one white man
+wounded. During these attacks a bullet (presumably an explosive one)
+struck inside the east fort or redoubt, badly wounding two whites and
+two others slightly. Firing was kept up night and day for these five
+days. The enemy ceased their attacks and went in for volley firing and
+sniping, coming nearer our redoubts by building schanzes during the
+night. These two redoubts had to be abandoned, as the loopholes of
+sandbags were shot away, and there was no means of building them up
+agin. The enemy occupied them after being abandoned for two nights, and
+also took possession of a store in a hollow about 800 yards from the
+main camp, between it and the Court House. This left only one of our
+redoubts occupied by our defence force, and which commanded the water.
+Corporal Gash, C.P., was in charge. Our horses had to be watered at
+night.
+
+"The Boers made several attempts to cut us off from the water, but were
+prevented by our pickets, who were placed in entrenched positions to
+cover our cattle and horses while watered. The Boers must have fired
+away an enormous quantity of ammunition, and they had five waggon-loads
+of it. A unique armistice was arranged on Christmas Day. F. C. Wessels,
+of the Free State, wrote to the Commanding Officer saying that if we
+would not fire on them this day, the Boers would not fire on us. This
+was agreed to, and word was sent round to all the schanzes and redoubts
+notifying this. The men came out, but to our surprise, as one of us was
+going to bathe, a volley from the Transvaal Boer schanzes on the east
+was sent after him. Wessels went to inquire the reason, and was told
+that the Transvaal commando would not agree to this armistice, whereupon
+Wessels arranged with us that the Free State men, who were on the south
+and south-east side, would not fire on us, and our men, running the
+gauntlet of the Transvaal fire for about 20 yards, went under cover of
+the Free State schanzes, and British and Boer bathed together at the
+bathing-place. This circumstance caused a split in the Boer camp, and
+Wessels with 150 men of the Free State burghers left for the south,
+presumably towards Kimberley. The Boers continued firing and sniping
+daily. Up to this we had one white (Private Ward, C.P.) and two natives
+killed, seven whites and seven natives wounded. Of the animals 23 horses
+were killed and wounded and three oxen killed. We were holding out and
+were confident of doing so for another two months, when on the 1st
+January 1900, a New Year's gift arrived in the Boer camp in the shape of
+a 9-pounder. They started shelling at dawn, with common shell, the
+redoubt on the north side; then came to a ridge on the south and shelled
+the main camp, four shells falling in the camp without doing any serious
+damage. They then fired on the western redoubt without hitting it. On
+going to their schanzes about 2000 yards on the eastern side, they
+shelled the only remaining redoubt on that side, held by Corporal Gash,
+C.P., and 15 men. The 90th shell breached the redoubt, the 91st and 92nd
+striking it, and the 93rd falling inside. The men in the redoubt got
+into the trenches, which, owing to the stony nature of the ground, could
+not be dug deep, and were subjected to such a heavy fire from three of
+the enemy's schanzes, that they were compelled to surrender.
+
+"Captain Bates then saw that as the key of the position had fallen, and
+that reinforcements could not possibly arrive for weeks or months, it
+was hopeless to continue to hold out.
+
+"Thus Kuruman was surrendered after seven weeks, and its defence was
+principally due to Captain Bates. Captain Dennison and Sergeant
+Hemsworth and Captain Bates were sent to the Pretoria gaol (as they were
+supposed to know too much, whatever that meant), and the Magistrate was
+sent to the State Model School with the other officers."
+
+FOOTNOTES:
+
+[12] See Vol. iii. p. 25.
+
+[13] This officer's name was originally given as Baker in telegrams
+home.
+
+
+
+
+TRANSCRIBERS' NOTES
+
+
+Page vi: Christo standardised to Cristo after "Scene of Fighting at Monte"
+
+Page vii: Reit standardised to Riet after "on north bank of the"
+
+Page vii: Majesfontein standardised to Majersfontein (two instances)
+
+Page vii: Koodoesrand standardised to Koodoosrand after "Spyfontein,
+retreating to"
+
+Page viii: landdrost standardised to landrost after "and arrested the"
+
+Page 9: " added after "180,600 of all arms."
+
+Page 13: no corrected to not after "now engaged stronger," cf. Hansard
+
+Page 22: "Homes were destroyed mothers and children stricken" as in the
+original, without punctuation
+
+Page 30: Kimberly standardised to Kimberley before "man stared at the
+three objects"
+
+Page 33: Accent on detour not standardised as part of a quotation
+
+Pages 34, 152: Variable spelling of mosquitoes/mosquitos as in the
+original
+
+Page 36: horseflesh standardised to horse-flesh after "Cronje had to be
+paid for in"
+
+Page 39: Duplicate the removed from "for the the team of mules"
+
+Page 40: duplicate an removed in "having detected an an unusual haze of
+dust"
+
+Pages 40, 54: Inconsistent hyphenation of rear-guard as in the original.
+Retained as part of a quotation
+
+Page 56: . added after "for the rest of the day"
+
+Page 60: Infanty corrected to Infantry in "Duke of Cornwall's Light
+Infantry"
+
+Page 62: mid-day standardised to midday before "came the rumour that
+French"
+
+Page 65: reveille standardised to reveille after "a volley by way of"
+
+Page 69: insistance as in the original
+
+Page 71: silhoutte corrected to silhouette before "which gradually grew
+clearer"
+
+Page 88 [Illustration]: ( added before Colour-Sergeant)
+
+Page 93: Accent on debris not standardised as part of a quotation
+
+Page 101: depot standardised to depot after "converted into the advanced"
+
+Page 115: shortlived standardised to short-lived after "Rest was"
+
+Page 116: Mr. Shcreiner corrected to Mr. Schreiner
+
+Page 120: Horseflesh standardised to Horse-flesh before "was diversified
+by bread"
+
+Page 122: head-quarters standardised to headquarters after "subsequently
+established his"
+
+Page 123: Lyttleton corrected to Lyttelton after "While this was going on
+above, General"
+
+Page 128: caligraphy as in the original
+
+Page 132: Lee-Mitfords corrected to Lee-Metfords after "been hit by
+Mausers or"
+
+Page 133: Inconsistent hyphenation of horseflesh as in the original.
+Retained as part of a quotation
+
+Page 148: unchallengably corrected to unchallengeably after "kopjes,
+kopjes, kopjes--ours,"
+
+Page 148: . added after "rifle fire was raging on the left"
+
+Page 150: Lieutenan corrected to Lieutenant before "C. H. I. Jackson"
+
+Page 177: martrys corrected to martyrs after "calls for its ministers and"
+
+Page 182: Llandrost corrected to Landrost after "Mr. Papenfus, whose
+services as"
+
+Page 189: fourteeen corrected to fourteen after "on the Orange Free State
+Railway some"
+
+Page 190: markmanship corrected to marksmanship after "spoke
+apologetically of their good"
+
+Page 192: ensconed corrected to ensconced after "where the enemy had"
+
+Page 200: lookout standardised to look-out after "the wily Dutchman on
+the"
+
+Page 210: Inconsistent hyphenation of halfway as in the original. Retained
+as part of a quotation
+
+Page 216: agin as in the original
+
+
+
+
+
+End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of South Africa and the Transvaal War,
+Vol. IV (of 6), by Louis Creswicke
+
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