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diff --git a/41788.txt b/41788.txt deleted file mode 100644 index 371896c..0000000 --- a/41788.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,10272 +0,0 @@ -The Project Gutenberg EBook of General Gatacre, by Beatrix Gatacre - -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: General Gatacre - The Story of the Life and Services of Sir William Forbes - Gatacre, K.C.B., D.S.O., 1843-1906 - -Author: Beatrix Gatacre - -Release Date: January 6, 2013 [EBook #41788] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: ASCII - -*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK GENERAL GATACRE *** - - - - -Produced by Al Haines - - - - - - - - - -[Illustration: Cover] - - - - - -[Frontispiece: Major-General Sir William Gatacre, K.C.B., D.S.O.] - - - - - - GENERAL GATACRE - - THE STORY OF THE LIFE AND SERVICES OF - SIR WILLIAM FORBES GATACRE, K.C.B., D.S.O. - 1843-1906 - - - BY BEATRIX GATACRE - - - - WITH PORTRAITS, MAPS, AND ILLUSTRATIONS - - - - What I aspired to be - And was not, comforts me. - R. B. - - - - -LONDON JOHN MURRAY, ALBEMARLE STREET, W. 1910 - - - - - PRINTED BY - HAZELL, WATSON AND VINEY, LD., - LONDON AND AYLESBURY. - - - - - THIS BOOK IS DEDICATED TO - TWO FRIENDS - WITHOUT WHOSE SYMPATHY AND ASSISTANCE - IT WOULD NEVER HAVE BEEN WRITTEN - - - - -{vii} - - Assured of worthiness, we do not dread - Competitors; we rather give them hail - And greeting in the lists where we may fail: - Must, if we bear an aim beyond the head! - My betters are my masters; purely fed - By their sustainment I likewise shall scale - Some rocky steps between the mount and vale; - Meanwhile the mark I have, and I will wed. - So that I draw the breath of finer air, - Station is naught, nor footways laurel-strewn, - Nor rivals tightly belted for the race. - God-speed to them! My place is here or there; - My pride is that among them I have place: - And thus I keep the instrument in tune. - - GEORGE MEREDITH. - - - - -{ix} - -PREFACE - -The main object in laying this book before the public is to provide an -authentic narrative of Sir William Gatacre's work in South Africa. At -the time of his recall no despatch giving the reason for this step was -published, but a letter dealing with this matter has since appeared as -an Appendix in the _Official History_ of the war; it is with reluctance -that I have been persuaded to reprint this letter at the end of this -volume. It seemed, however, that Sir William's previous career was -such a large factor in determining any opinion regarding his later work -that some account of the man and his surroundings from the beginning -would not be without interest. - -In preparing the first half of this story I have been entirely -dependent on the recollections of others, and have studiously avoided -any attempt to eke out the material with an imaginary amplification; in -the latter half my own personal knowledge of himself and his affairs -has enabled {x} me to seek my information from numerous sources, and to -draw the portrait in richer colours on a more suggestive background. - -I wish to acknowledge in full the loyal assistance afforded me by my -husband's friends. In every case I have received the most cordial -response and co-operation. I am sincerely grateful both to those who -have asked me to refrain from naming them and to those who have given -me the support of their names. Through the courtesy of these officers -and others, I am able to say that every word has been read by one who -has personal knowledge of the incidents recorded. In this way I trust -that this narrative will have acquired an unimpeachable accuracy. - -I am also deeply indebted to the _Official History of the War in South -Africa_. Indeed, before the publication of this authoritative -statement my task would have been impossible. - -To the facts therein recorded I have added extracts from officers' -reports, and from Sir William's own letters, and also the words of -certain important telegrams which I had found amongst his papers, and -for the reproduction of which official permission has been graciously -accorded. - -{xi} - -I beg the indulgence of the reader for faults of literary inexperience, -and trust that he will recognise my honest endeavour to handle the -facts fairly and dispassionately. - -BEATRIX GATACRE. - -_April_ 8, 1910. - - - - -{xiii} - -CONTENTS - - -CHAPTER I - -GATACRE . . . 1 - - -CHAPTER II - -TO INDIA AND BACK . . . 13 - - -CHAPTER III - -RANGOON . . . 38 - - -CHAPTER IV - -SECUNDERABAD . . . 52 - - -CHAPTER V - -BLACK MOUNTAIN EXPEDITION . . . 63 - - -CHAPTER VI - -MANDALAY . . . 82 - - -CHAPTER VII - -POONA . . . 98 - - -CHAPTER VIII - -BOMBAY . . . 110 - - -CHAPTER IX - -CHITBAL . . . 127 - - -{xiv} - -CHAPTER X - -QUETTA . . . 145 - - -CHAPTER XI - -THE PLAGUE . . . 161 - - -CHAPTER XII - -FROM ALDERSHOT TO BERBER . . . 184 - - -CHAPTER XIII - -ATBARA AND OMDURMAN . . . 198 - - -CHAPTER XIV - -COLCHESTER . . . 214 - - -CHAPTER XV - -CAPE COLONY . . . 221 - - -CHAPTER XVI - -ORANGE FREE STATE . . . 239 - - -CHAPTER XVII - -BACK TO COLCHESTER . . . 261 - - -CHAPTER XVIII - -ABYSSINIA . . . 273 - - -DESPATCH, APRIL 16, 1900 . . . 286 - -INDEX . . . 289 - - - - -{xv} - -ILLUSTRATIONS - - -MAJOR-GENERAL SIR WILLIAM GATACRE, K.C.B., D.S.O. - (_Photogravure_) . . . _Frontispiece_ - - -COLONEL W. F. GATACRE, D.S.O., 1888 . . . 74 - -KACHIN BRIDGE, OVER WHICH 500 MEN CROSSED IN ONE DAY . . . 90 - -GOORKHAS CROSSING THE LOWARI PASS . . . 134 - -ON THE ROAD TO CHITRAL . . . 138 - -GENERAL GATACRE AND HIS FAVOURITE PONY . . . 142 - -BELUCHI MURDERERS . . . 158 - -HINDU BURNING-GHAT . . . 162 - -HOUSE-TO-HOUSE VISITATION . . . 172 - -INVASION OF CAPE COLONY: THE BOERS MARCHING SOUTH OVER - THE ORANGE RIVER AT ALIWAL NORTH . . . 224 - - -MAPS - -_At the end_ - - -MAP I. INDIA [Transcriber's note: this map was omitted, being too large -to scan.] - -MAP II. EGYPT AND THE SOUDAN - -MAP III. EASTERN CAPE COLONY AND PART OF THE ORANGE FREE STATE - -MAP IV. ABYSSINIA - - - - -{1} - -GENERAL GATACRE - -1843-1906 - - - - -CHAPTER I - -1843-1862 - -GATACRE - -According to a venerable Shropshire antiquarian, that county "has ever -been inhabited by a race of men characteristic for uniformity of -principle and energy of action."[1] Mr. Eyton goes on to tell of -various places mentioned in the Domesday Book, and among these of the -Manor of Claverley, which included a very large tract of country, and -is described as an "ancient demesne of the Crown." The Manor of -Claverley was broken up into various townships, to three of which he -accords special notice, "in regard that the King's Tenants thereof were -of a rank superior to that of the average class of Freeholders in Royal -Manors. These Townships were Broughton, Beobridge, and Gatacre."[2] - - -[1] _Antiquities of Shropshire_, by R. W. Eyton, 1854, preface. - -[2] _Ibid._, vol. iii. p. 77. - - -{2} - -[Sidenote: Ancestors] - -There is a well-authenticated tradition that the family established at -Gatacre at the time of the Conquest held their lands by tenure of -military service, under a grant from Edward the Confessor. Eyton -speaks of them as "a family of knightly rank, which, having early -feoffment in Gatacre, took its name from the place. The period of such -feoffment it is vain to conjecture, as being beyond all record of such -matters."[3] - - -[3] Eyton's _Antiquities of Shropshire_, vol. iii. p. 86. - - -In the reign of Henry II., Sir William de Gatacre had a suit with one -Walter, about half a hide of land in Great Lye: this was subject to a -Wager of Battle, and apparently Gatacre proved himself the better man, -for Great Lye is even now held by his descendant. This same William -appears in another record as one of the four "Visors," who in July 1194 -had to report to the Courts of Westminster on the validity of the -"essoign of Cecilia de Cantreyn, a litigant. Gatacre's associates in -this duty--to which knights only were usually appointed--were Henry -Christian, Philip Fitz Holegod, and William de Rudge, all his -neighbours and of equal rank with himself."[4] - - -[4] _Ibid._ - - -He was succeeded by Sir Robert, his son; who sat on a Jury of Grand -Assizes in April 1200, to try a question of right in relation to lands -at Nordley Regis, at the "Iter of the King's Justices."[5] - - -[5] _Ibid._ - - -The tenure of the estates was in great jeopardy {3} in the life of -Thomas de Gatacre; for it is told how a certain Philip de Lutley, the -King's Escheator, did "seize the estates of Gatacre, Sutton, and Great -Lye into the King's hand, on the ground that Thomas de Gatacre had -entered upon these estates without doing homage and fealty to the -Crown, and without paying his relief, so that he had occupied the same -unjustly for twenty-two years and more."[6] At this unfortunate moment -Thomas died, leaving Alice, his widow, to fight for herself and their -son Thomas. She appealed to the King (Edward III.) in Chancery, in the -Michaelmas Term 1368. There was a trial by twenty-four jurors, being -knights and others in the visnage of Sutton not being kin to Alice. -She herself appeared in person at Westminster, and won her cause, for a -"King's writ of the same year commits to the same Alice, widow of -Thomas de Gatacre, custody of the Manor of Gatacre and the hamlet of -Sutton with their appurtenances." - - -[6] See Eyton's _Antiquities_, vol. iii. pp. 90, 91, - - -The grandson of the younger Thomas was called John; he flourished in -the reigns of Henry IV., Henry V., and Henry VI., and was High Sheriff -of Shropshire in 1409. In a contemporary stained-glass window now in -the hall at Gatacre there is a portrait of the same John, who is -described as "Groom of the body to Henry VIth." He was succeeded by -his son John, who was Member of Parliament for Bridgnorth in the -twelfth year of Edward IV. - -{4} - -[Sidenote: The ancient house] - -The house at Gatacre stands in the parish of Claverley, and is about -two miles distant from this village. Inside the church--a red -sandstone building full of interest to the archaeologist--are many -monuments, of which the most ancient are two incised marble slabs -inlaid in the eastern wall; these are about six feet high. On one is -shown a man in armour, elaborate and perfect in all its detail, -commemorating William Gatacre, who died in 1577, and his wife and -eleven children; and on the other his successor Francis, 1599, is -depicted in civilian dress with his wife at his side. - -Close by is a very fine alabaster tomb on which lie three full-length -recumbent figures, being the effigies of Robert Brooke of Madeley -Court, who is described as "Recorder of London, Speaker of P'lyament, -and Chiefe Justice of Com'on Pleace," and his two wives, one of whom -was a daughter of Gatacre.[7] - - -[7] See _Shropshire_, by A. C. Hare, p. 319. - - -Thomas, brother to Francis named above, was destined by his parents for -the law; but he "diverted his mind from the most profitable to the most -necessary study, from law to divinity," and, much to the grief of his -parents, who were of the old persuasion, embraced the Reformed Faith, -and became Rector of St. Edmond's, Lombard Street. He died in 1593; -but his son and grandson followed the same profession. The former, -Thomas (1574-1654), was a friend of Archbishop Ussher, and a member of -the Westminster Assembly of Divines. {5} He took part in preparing the -annotations to the English Bible, and published a work on Marcus -Aurelius; in 1648 he subscribed the Remonstrance against the trial of -Charles I. His son, Charles, was Chaplain to Lucius Gary, Viscount -Falkland, and was also the author of many books.[8] This younger -branch of the family settled at Mildenhall, in Suffolk, and has always -spelt the name Gataker. Though there has never failed a male heir to -the senior line, this is the only cadet branch that has survived. - - -[8] See quotation by A. C. Hare, from Thomas Fuller, 1662. - - -The house inhabited by this ancient family was a unique survival of -very early times.[9] Where we should now use iron girders our ancestors -used oak-trees; they erected them upside-down, so that the roots made -arches on which to lay the roof. Large stones were hewn to fill in the -walls, and in this particular building the outer surface of the stones -was incrusted with a transparent green glaze, very similar to what is -now seen on rough pottery. This curious specimen of domestic -architecture survived in a habitable condition till the early part of -the eighteenth century, when it was wantonly destroyed, and replaced by -a brick mansion of the dark and uninteresting type of the early -Georges. Portions of the glazed stones are still preserved in the -house amongst many other relics of more obvious value. - - -[9] See _The Severn Valley_, by John Randall, 1882, and _Archaeologia_, -iii. 112, quoted by him. - - -{6} - -Colonel Edward Gatacre and his only son, born in 1806 (who figures as -the Squire in this narrative), were specimens of the best type of -country gentleman of their day. The former was twentieth in direct -descent from Sir William de Gatacre of the twelfth century, and was -grandfather to Sir William, the hero of this story. The pedigree shows -that through the centuries the family had maintained their status as -gentle-folk, and had allied themselves with other families of the same -standing in the neighbouring counties. Both were men of remarkable -activity and considerable cultivation. With the advent of railways -came the facility for travel, of which the younger man was quick to -avail himself. He visited London every year, and among other men of -renown knew Sir Francis Grant, P.R.A., and persuaded him to come and -paint the portrait of his father that still hangs at Gatacre--a -beautiful picture. He also went abroad, and made a pilgrimage to Rome -in the old days when people travelled in their own carriages, making a -long stay at many places of interest in Switzerland and Italy. - -[Sidenote: Forbes] - -At the age of eighty-one the Colonel died, sincerely mourned throughout -the county; and thus in 1849 the young Squire came into his -inheritance. About ten years earlier he had married Jessie, second -daughter of William Forbes of Callendar, in the county of Stirling. -Mr. Forbes, who sprang from a cadet branch of the family of that name, -started his career in a shipping office; by his enterprise and -inventions {7} he built up a considerable fortune, with which he bought -the Callendar estate. His elder son, William Forbes, who succeeded -him, represented Stirlingshire in Parliament for many years; and his -younger son became Colonel John Forbes of the Coldstream Guards. Their -sister Jessie must always have been a beautiful woman, rather Scottish, -perhaps, in the vigorous outline of her face, with a depth about her -blue eyes and a symmetry of feature that reappeared in her third son; a -look of "all-comprehensive tenderness" is the dominant note of the -portrait. Indeed, we are told that while Mrs. Gatacre was a very able -woman, she had a singular gentleness of manner. - -The family already numbered two sons and a daughter when in 1843 Mrs. -Gatacre went on a visit to her widowed mother, who was then living at -Herbertshire Castle, near Stirling: and so it came about that when a -little boy was born on December 3, he was given the names of his uncle -and godfather, William Forbes. - -Perhaps it is to his Scottish descent that we may trace some of the -qualities that became most marked when the child, grown to perfect -manhood, had evolved that balance of innumerable strains that go to -make the individual--had, as it were, tuned the manifold strings of his -lineage to a chord of his own finding. Did he draw his habit of -concentration on the matter in hand, his painstaking attention to -detail, from the inventor-engineer of Aberdeen? Did he draw his -fervent notions of duty {8} and his stern disregard of personal -considerations from the blood of the Covenanters that ran in his veins? -My own father was heard to say that this son-in-law of his was born out -of due time, that his right place would have been at the head of -Cromwell's Ironsides. - -In course of time another son, Stephen, completed the family. The -children were a great source of pride and pleasure to their parents, -and had the benefit of all that loving early training could do for -them. In this wholesome atmosphere of parental affection and brotherly -competition the four boys grew up straight and strong. They vied with -one another in childish feats and manly sports, but in all these Willie -was the keenest and the most daring. - -Even in these latter days the house at Gatacre seems difficult of -access, for the nearest railway station (unless you cross the Severn in -a ferry) is at Bridgnorth, six miles away; but sixty years ago there -was no railway nearer than Wolverhampton, a good ten miles' drive. The -eldest son well remembers his father driving his coach-and-four to and -fro. The Squire was a famous whip, and maintained this practice far -into the sixties. But as the boys grew older they thought nothing of -doing this journey on foot at any hour of the day or night; perhaps it -was the remoteness of the country in which they were nurtured that had -endowed this family for generations back with powers of physical -endurance and enterprise beyond the common. - -{9} - -[Sidenote: At school] - -The elder brothers Edward and John[10] were sent to Mr. Hopkirk's -school at Eltham, in Kent; and both were still there when Willie joined -them a year or two later. Some of Willie's letters from school are -still to be seen; and if handwriting is any sign of character, he must -have been an exemplary boy at his lessons, for his letters are so -exquisitely written that were it not for the dates duly recorded one -could scarcely believe them to be the work of a high-spirited boy of -thirteen. Writing to his mother in March 1857, he says: "Did you see -in the papers that peace had been made with Persia?" - - -[10] Now Major-General Sir John Gatacre, K.C.B. - - -The interest in Persia had been aroused by the approaching departure of -his brother John to India, where he was to join a regiment that was at -that moment fighting in Persia. Though loth to part from one who was -said to be his father's favourite son, the Squire had thought the offer -of a commission in the East India Company's army too good an opening to -refuse. In May 1857 he accompanied the boy, who was then only sixteen -and a half, as far as Marseilles, and did not see him again for nearly -twelve years. - -At Gatacre there was a famous kennel of setters, and also some good -retrievers. A puppy of the latter breed was given to Willie for his -own, and he broke and trained it so skilfully, when only fifteen, that -the dog was sold for fifteen guineas, and eventually became celebrated -in the canine world. - -{10} - -[Sidenote: In the holidays] - -There are many excellent fox-holding coverts in that part of the -country; the Albrighton Hounds still draw them regularly. Such visits -were great events to the boys; and we can well believe that Willie -would always be out, mounted on whatever he could get, big or small, -old or young. One day he was riding a mare who was known to be -twenty-two years old, and had all her life been used for harness work; -but nothing stopped Willie. When a fox was found close to the house, -away he went, and it is still told how Rushlight led the field for -miles. Willie seems to have shared more intimately than any of his -brothers the Squire's love for horses. He had a vivid recollection of -journeys to Birmingham with his father, when he visited the big stables -there to search for horses, either for himself or a friend; the elder -man taught his son what points to look for and what to avoid. Willie -thus acquired a certain confident genius for judging a horse, and all -his life took a pleasure in exercising this quality; like his father -before him, he was never afraid to buy horses at their request for -friends who had more confidence in his judgment than in their own. - -One summer holiday the boy found for himself a new recreation. In a -letter to Stephen, dated from Gatacre, July 20, 1860, we find the -following passage: - - -"Did you know that there was an Alderney bull come? I have begun to -work him every {11} day, but he does not like it, and he fights with me -a great deal. But I find a good stick the best remedy; sometimes I -have to bate him a good deal." - - -The brothers and sister clearly recall seeing Willie ride this animal -day after day in the park. - -It is evident that Number Three must often have been a source of -anxiety to his parents. One evening in February he gave his mother a -most horrible fright. The boys had arranged to go out after -wood-pigeons in the spinneys round the house; as there was snow on the -ground they slipped a night-shirt over their clothes to make themselves -less visible. The three guns posted themselves in three coverts some -distance apart, and then lay in wait for the birds as they came in to -roost. Willie, who was then sixteen or seventeen, was in a lucky -corner: he shot so many that he was at a loss how to bring the birds -in. Slipping off his white covering, he made a bag of it and gathered -up his spoils. By the time he reached the house he presented such an -alarming appearance that his mother naturally imagined him the victim -of some terrible accident. With great pride the boy counted out -forty-two birds. - -In 1856 the Squire was pricked for High Sheriff. There is an ancient -custom by which all the sons of Gatacre are enrolled as Freemen of the -Borough of Bridgnorth; and on June 25, 1860, William Forbes was duly -sworn and inscribed on the rolls. - -{12} - -In the same year, on August 1, he was admitted to the Royal Military -College; he was then only sixteen and a half, and measured five feet -seven and a quarter inches in height. Ultimately he reached five feet -eleven inches in his socks. - -Except in the riding-school he does not seem to have made much mark at -Sandhurst, but when he left in December 1861 he had earned the college -"Recommendation," and on February 18 following was gazetted an ensign -in the 77th Foot, now the 2nd Battalion (Duke of Cambridge's Own) -Middlesex Regiment. - - - - -{13} - -CHAPTER II - -1862-1880 - -TO INDIA AND BACK - -[Sidenote: 1862] - -The 77th Regiment was raised in 1787, and for twenty years served in -India, taking part in the fierce campaigns against Tippoo Sahib in -1790-91, in the storming of Seringapatam in 1799, and in many minor -operations. On their colours are also recorded the suggestive names, -Albuhera, Ciudad Rodrigo, Badajoz, Vittoria, Pyrenees, Nivelle, Nive, -Peninsula. In the Crimea they had charged at the Alma and at Inkerman; -they had shivered in the trenches before Sebastopol, and had taken part -in the final assault of the Redan. There were many officers and men -still with the colours in 1862 who had three clasps to their medals, -and also wore the French medal, and in the ranks there was an -exceptional number of Gallant Conduct medals. - -Without doubt the fine record of the regiment and the fact that all the -senior officers had been proved in actual warfare, as their medals so -brilliantly testified, had a stimulating effect on the juniors. - -{14} - -Unfortunately the 77th sailed for Sydney, New South Wales, just before -the news of the Indian Mutiny reached England; and being detained -there, they did not reach India till June 1858, too late to take a -share in any but the minor operations incident to the disturbed state -of the country. - -[Sidenote: As subaltern] - -The regiment was at Hazaribagh, in Bengal, when Ensign William Gatacre -joined on June 5, 1862, but was shortly afterwards moved to Allahabad. -It was while Gatacre was doing duty with a detachment in the Fort that -Major Henry Kent (now Colonel-in-Chief of the Middlesex Regiment) first -saw the new subaltern; he describes him as good-looking, thin, smart, -and gentlemanly, adding that he took an immediate fancy to him. - -It is to General Kent, who still speaks of Gatacre with great -affection, that I am indebted for the following story. - -Sir Robert Napier, who at that time was Military Member of Council, was -passing through Allahabad on tour that winter, and took a walk round -the Fort one evening. Seeing a smart young officer with the famous -77th on his cap, he accosted him. - -"Ah," he said, "I see you belong to the 77th, which Lord Gough -commanded at the battle of Barrosa." - -"Yes, sir." - -"And you captured a French Eagle there?" - -"Yes, sir, we did." - -"Well," said Napier, "what have you done {15} with the French Eagle? -Have you got it out here?" - -"Not at present, sir," came the audacious reply: "we are putting up a -memorial in St. Paul's Cathedral to all our poor fellows who fell in -the Crimea, and we have sent the Eagle home to have a model taken of -it." - -Now all this was an imaginary story invented to ease the situation, for -Napier was wrong in his facts. It was the 87th that Lord Gough had -commanded, and the 87th who had captured the French Standard; but -Gatacre's intuitive sense of discipline, even at nineteen, led him to -try any way of escape before putting his senior in the wrong. - -Major-General Sir Harcourt Bengough, who was a few years senior to -Gatacre in the regiment, writes thus: - -"The impression I retain of him as a young soldier is that of a strong -will and a quick determination to succeed, combined with a very kindly -disposition and a great charm of manner." - -Another officer tells us that in the hottest weather Gatacre was always -cool, smiling, and good-tempered. He was noticeably abstemious and -frugal, and very careful of his appearance. At one time he used to -clean his own boots because he was too hard up to pay for this service. -When he related this in after-life he added, with the pride of -efficiency, "And they did shine!" - -An officer's wife who knew Gatacre in these early days, and saw him at -intervals throughout {16} his career, tells us that there hung about -him when he first joined a certain countrified simplicity of mind and -manner, as opposed to the conventionality of a town-bred man. Though -he enjoyed society, social distractions got little hold on his -self-contained nature, and it was rarely that any of his friendships -developed into intimacy. He had, however, a ready sympathy, was easily -interested in whatever went on around him, and, being very unselfish, -was always prepared to do any one a service. - -[Sidenote: 1865] - -Young Gatacre's letters to his mother from Allahabad disclose a -reasoned industry inspired by ambition. The reiteration of the -recurring features of his life, cholera, rain, and work, is suggestive -of the monotony of existence in the summer months. But his experiences -and his surroundings differ in nothing from that of every other -subaltern in the Plains. That he worked with assiduity at acquiring -the language is shown by his having been placed first out of twenty-two -in the Higher Standard, after only two years' study. When the 77th -moved to Bareilly, Gatacre was made secretary to the Mutton and Poultry -Club, and kept a quailery, which was a venture of his own. The -following letter shows the real interest that he took in his charges: - - -_July_ 31, 1865. - -"When the musketry instructor comes down from leave on September 30, I -shall try for fifteen days' leave. I cannot get more, as the {17} -course begins on October 15, with all its hard work. It is raining -very hard here, and I am sitting in the verandah watching all my ducks -and geese enjoying themselves. I have both my horses in the field -round the house: one of them has a peculiarly unpleasant temper with -strangers. The other day the doctor was breakfasting with us; when he -went away and had got a short distance, he saw this animal coming at -him open-mouthed, but he turned and ran for my room, and both the -doctor and horse came into the room together. He does not run at me, -as he knows me so well, but I never trust him much; they are very -uncertain in India." - - -[Sidenote: On leave] - -In November 1866 the 77th was sent to Peshawur, and in the following -May young Gatacre took six months' leave to Kashmir. But he did not -confine himself to shooting in the Happy Valley; he was filled with an -adventurous curiosity to see the temples and wild scenery of the -mountains beyond. He felt that his pleasure in the trip would lie in -his freedom to go where he chose, and when he chose, and as fast as he -chose. He knew that his mobility would outstrip that of any companion, -and so decided to go alone. In this decision, in which we see the -first indication of originality, Gatacre showed a fearlessness, a -confidence in his own resources, and a willingness to sever -communications with all external support that are remarkable in a lad -of only twenty-three. These characteristics never faded; they may be -traced throughout the record of his life {18} whenever occasion arose -for his individuality to take action. What other man would have -attempted to explore the forests of Abyssinia unaccompanied at the age -of sixty-one! His fearlessness and his confidence were with him to the -end, and to the end he preserved a mobility that preferred to be -unhampered. - -[Sidenote: 1867] - -Young Gatacre's first objective was Leh. He left Srinagar on May 2, -and halting at Manasbal Lake one night, reached Kangan. Here he learnt -that the road over the Zoji-La between Sonamarg and Dras was still -blocked with snow, and so made up his mind to halt for a time. His -diary during this fortnight's halt shows that he was more interested in -what he saw than in what he shot. This is the feature of his trip; he -writes much more of the temples that he has sketched than of the game -that he has killed. One day when he had run across some friends he -writes: "Saw a gerau deer that Troop had killed; would like to get one -to make a sketch of." He subsequently collected many of his sketches -in a book; and these early water-colours are quite surprising in their -freshness and finish. They are not pictures, but most painstaking -studies of what he saw--picturesque men and women, animals, temples, -idols, and occasionally the detail of some designs from the temples. -He records with the greatest interest the flowers and birds that he -sees, and speaks of its physical features if the country he was passing -through was of special interest. It is clear that he had at some time -studied the elements of geology, {19} for he writes of the Zoji-La: -"Rocks very barren, and look very old--no sharp points." - -[Sidenote: Goes after bear] - -After ten days he moved one march up the road to Reval, and spent ten -days there shooting, whenever the rain and the snow allowed. On May 16 -he writes: - - -"Fine morning at last; put everything in the sun to dry. Went out -shooting after breakfast, and had a good day; killed a black bear about -200 yards from camp. Had a shot at an ibex; saw nine, but did not hit -one. Slept under a tree for about an hour; on my way back killed a -brown bear with a beautiful silvery skin, and hit a barrasingh buck in -the chest; tracked him a long way, found some blood. Night was coming -on and it began to rain, so had to give up the search or should -probably have got him--a magnificent beast, horns about a foot high, -just beginning to grow. In jumping across the stream I fell in and got -wet through; water very strong, was carried down like an arrow; caught -hold of a stone and came ashore, took off my things and stood in the -sun to dry: sketch reserved." - - -There is a pleasant vein of boyish humour in some of the entries. - - -"Went after a huge black bear that we saw on the hill-side, but could -not find him. Climbed one of the stiffest and most slippery hills that -I ever was on after the aforesaid bear, and found his cave. Thought -him a fool for selecting such a spot; going up there once was bad -enough, but to have such an ascent to one's residence was absurd. -Found some one of the name of {20} Thorpe had arrived at the -camping-ground, asked him to dinner, but he refused as he was so tired; -could not understand his reason--the very one why I should have -accepted, as he could have gone to bed directly afterwards, my dinner -being ready and his not. - - -It was not till May 23 that he got really started, and even then the -road was still deep in snow, or the melting snow was flooding over the -road in many places. Under date May 25 we read: - - -"Passed some dead men in the pass; they were men going to Yarkand -(eight men and a woman) several days ago, when they were overtaken with -snow and smothered, all their bedding, clothes, etc., lying about." - - -Next day, writing from Dras, he notices the great change that has come -over the country; and here he spent three days, partly because his -servant had fever, and partly because he finds so much to sketch that -he cannot tear himself away. The same motive kept him at Lama Guru, of -which he gives an excellent description. He reached Leh on June 9, -having accomplished the 250 miles from Reval in seventeen days, or -deducting four halts, thirteen days; which works out at an average of -over nineteen miles every marching day. - -[Sidenote: At Hemis] - -The following day he started off for Hemis, where there was a great -gathering for the visit of the Burra Lama: this involved a stony and -arduous march of twenty-four miles, but he was {21} up early next -morning and was very much interested in what was going on. - - -_June_ 11, 1867. - -"Went all over the Monastery and gained a little information--not much, -as the monks keep no records, only from year to year. The place is -about 1,300 years old, well built of stone with a whitening on it, on -the side of a rock. There are several halls of worship (Gompas) hung -round with splendid silk flags and banners, all Chinese silk. There -are a few idols, but very small ones, magnificently woven pictures of -gods on silk being the chief things. About 10 o'clock the tamasha -began, monks dressed in the most magnificent silk garments and quaint -tall hats and masks dancing; the costumes were varied about every -quarter of an hour and every one equally grand as the former. They -each held in their hands a drum like a warming-pan and either a bell or -a rattle. They danced a sort of war-dance in a circle, occasionally -singing and drumming. Under the verandah of the Quadrangle were seated -about thirty monks dressed in red and yellow silk gowns, with -fan-shaped hats on their heads; some with drums, some with cymbals, and -some with long trumpets, silver and copper, formed the band; they -played from music and it went very well with the wild dance. One dance -was performed with bears, another was supposed to be a wild man's -dance: about ten monks--dressed in hideous masks, yellow embroidered -silk jackets, on the shoulders of which tigers' heads were embroidered, -and round whose waists were strings of bells, from which were suspended -strips of tiger skins--danced in a circle, beating drums and ringing -bells. The figure of a man {22} bound hand and foot was placed in the -centre. After they had danced round the figure some time, one of them -cut off his head with a sword. One of the side walls of the -Quadrangle, about 30 ft. high and 12 ft. broad, was covered with a -single cloth or flag on which was most beautifully woven the figure of -one of their gods and other subjects--worth about 5,000 or 6,000 -rupees. This was at first covered with long silk streamers, which were -removed; and when the large banner had been duly worshipped and -admired, it was rolled up and replaced by another equally splendid, but -not so large, by a third and by a fourth. Each dress could not have -cost less than L80 or L100--I never saw anything so magnificent; the -whole Quadrangle was hung round with silk streamers too. Round the -Quadrangle, the prayer-books--viz. rollers of wood with the prayers -written on them--are placed, one turn of which is equal to saying a -prayer. All the villagers have them at their doors; at one corner of -the Quadrangle there is a room in which there is a huge prayer roller. -They are called Marni-prayer." - - -Gatacre was determined to make the most of his opportunities, and -insisted on seeing the Burra Lama, whom he thus describes: - - -"He is a short, stout, middle-aged man, clothed in fine scarlet cloth, -sitting on a throne on which incense was burning; he is never seen by -any one except on the occasion of the festival, when he comes and sits -on a platform in the Quadrangle for about half an hour. I could not -wait till evening to see him, so as a special favour was allowed to see -the mortal whom no vulgar European eye had seen before. He {23} -received me graciously, and asked me to be seated and how I was; asked -me if I had anything to give him. I had brought nothing from Ladak -with me, but had some matches with me, which I gave him. He comes from -Lhassa; it is three months' journey from here, and he comes once in -every five or six years. It was great luck my seeing this festival, as -occurring so early in the year it is seldom or never seen." - - -[Sidenote: The Salt Lakes] - -On his return to Leh, Gatacre was horrified at getting letters telling -him to hurry back to Peshawur, as cholera had broken out. But he was -too cunning to take this very literally, and at once got his friend the -Wazeer to lend him ponies to ride to the Salt Lakes; he adds most -sapiently: "If I don't see them now, probably never shall." - -It was, however, a very long way (ninety-eight miles) to the Salt Lakes -at Rupshu; he did this journey in two days, and on the second day -writes: - - -"The distance I came to-day was fifty-eight miles; I was nearly dead -with fever, and sun and cold, and walking, and riding in a wooden -saddle all day." - - -He spent one day in his tent with fever on the snow-covered plain, but -was better next morning and able to get about, and on the following day -he started on the return journey, which he accomplished in two marches -as before. - -After four days spent at Leh with some friends who had turned up, he -marched back by the same {24} route, covering 265 miles from Leh to -Kangan in twelve days, one of which was a halt at Lama Yuru, where he -"slept nearly all day." - -[Sidenote: Off again] - -Writing from Baltal on July 1, he comments on the change that has taken -place in the Zoji-La in his absence: - - -"The Pir is a very different-looking place from what it was when I came -through it before. Then it was a wilderness of snow, ice, and rocks; -now it is the most beautiful pass, hills covered with grass and flowers -and shrubs and trees that were before buried in the snow. The snow -rivers are very full and furious; nearly lost a pony in one of them; -drove him through it and carried saddles, etc., over the snow some way -higher up; the pony was rolled over and over and with difficulty came -to land. Now that the snow has disappeared, one sees what a quantity -there must have been in the pass when I went through, at least 70 or 80 -ft. in some places. The Pir is covered with sweet peas and flowers of -all colours and shapes, excessively pretty. - -"The hills wear a quite different aspect to what they did when I came -up. The snow has melted except on a few of the highest peaks, and the -grass has grown, likewise the shrubs. The barley and all the corn is -in the ear; it was hardly sown when I came, just a month ago. There -are waterfalls from nearly every rock, which looks very pretty and the -water is such as 'only teetotallers desire or deserve.' The wild -roses, white, red, and yellow, are covered with blossoms, and their -smell is delicious." - - -But before he reached Srinagar the orders for his return were -cancelled, and we find him shooting in his old haunts round Kangan. - -{25} - -It is clear that he was enjoying himself thoroughly, that he felt no -impatience to return to civilisation, and that he considered his march -to Leh and back very much worth doing, for at the end of July he -started on another extended tour. It is about 120 miles from Kangan to -Skardo, about 200 thence to Leh, and about 250 from Leh to Srinagar, so -that he added another 570 miles to his score in the fifty days between -July 28 and September 15. Leaving the Sind River by the tributary -valley to the north called Wangat, he crossed into the valley of Tylel -by a little-known route "said to have been a track made by a gang of -horse dealers who came from Tylel into Kashmir years ago." There were -two very steep hills, of which the coolies only managed to accomplish -the first. - -Turning north-east, he made his way across the plains of Deosai, but -there was a difficult pass to negotiate before he descended into the -valley of the Indus. On August 7 he writes: - - -"Got up early and started for Skardo. Got to the top of the ridge in -about an hour, all snow and ice, great trouble to get the ponies over -the glacier, as it was a nearly perpendicular sheet of ice--they slid -down most of the way. From the bottom of the glacier there is a -descent of about eight miles down the valley, which opens out into the -plain of Skardo. Skardo consists of a number of villages scattered -over a stony plain covered with apricot-trees which yield great -quantities of fruit. The plain is surrounded with high rocky hills, no -grass or trees on them. The Wazeer is an old man with long {26} grey -beard, uncle to the present Wazeer Labjar of Ladak, who was formerly -Wazeer here. His name is Myraram, he came to see me on my arrival, -bringing a large basket of apricots as a present." - - -[Sidenote: A snow pass] - -The last sentence is a sample of many entries, for wherever he went he -made friends with the headmen of the village, and he seems nowhere to -have been in difficulties about supplies. As it is unlikely that the -Hindustani of the plains of India would be understood in Thibet, he -must either have mastered working fragments of the dialect, or he must -have talked Persian with the more educated natives. Later on he says: -"Met some Tartars who had been to Simla, and had a long talk with -them." And in another place: "Had a long talk with a Sepoy who was in -one of the four regiments sent by the Maharajah to assist in the -capture of Delhi, and saw General Nicholson fall." - -Three officers of the 11th Hussars came in to Skardo the day after -Gatacre's arrival, and fired him with the desire to see Shigar, a town -a few miles higher up the Indus, where they had seen the original game -of polo. - -After five days' halt at Skardo, Gatacre started on his return journey, -via Leh. Both Skardo and Leh are on the Indus: he did not, however, -follow the course of this river, but chose to make his way up the -valley of the Shyok. This necessitated a passage over the Indus at the -junction of the two streams on the second day's march, which he thus -describes: - - -{27} - -"Started at daybreak, and reached this at 6 o'clock. Crossed the river -at Kiris on twelve mussocks fastened together by eight bamboos or thin -sticks--the luggage in the centre, I on one side, Collassie on the -other, and two steerers at one end, who steered with long sticks. When -they got into the middle of the stream they began their tarnasha, -namely, turning the raft round and round like a top by digging their -sticks deeply into the water." - - -Two days later he crossed the Shyok in the same manner, and found the -stream "very fast and furious," although it was half a mile across. It -is difficult to picture these watercourses, which, with the manners and -appearance of mountain-torrents, have the volume and grandeur of mighty -rivers. After following the Shyok for about fifty miles, he left it at -Paxfain, and turned southwards along the side-stream which leads up to -the Chorbat-La, a pass 16,696 ft. above the sea. Writing that evening, -he says: - - -"Marched at break of day and walked on steadily till the sun went -down--a very long march; the first four or five hours were occupied in -getting to the top of the pass--a terrible climb--after that it is all -down-hill. The Pir was covered with snow, with an immense glacier -reaching right across it for about 200 yards." - - -The next day he struck into the valley of the Indus once more, and -reached Leh in six marches on August 26. On the way "a very civil {28} -Sepoy turned up," who was also on his way to Ladak. While in his -company Gatacre found that he met with unusual politeness and -attention, which was accounted for later when "the Sepoy turned out to -be the new Thanadar of these parts." - -On September 1 he started back on the direct route to Srinagar, which -must have seemed quite familiar to him on this, his third journey. On -the Zoji-La he notes that "all the grass that was so beautifully green -is now withered up." At Sonamarg he found it "very cold," and writes -of his blankets being frozen hard in the morning, and quite white. On -September 15 he reached Srinagar, having marched the 285 miles from Leh -in sixteen days, making an average of eighteen miles a day. He seems -to have done most of his travelling on foot, though it is clear that he -sometimes had ponies for his baggage, and that he sometimes rode them. -When he was making long marches he had great sympathy for his beasts, -and often notices that the ponies were very tired. The rate at which -he travelled would, of course, be nothing exceptional on made roads, -but it must be remembered that in no case was there any road at all, as -we understand the word, and that he habitually moved by double marches. - -He found several friends at Srinagar whom he had come across in his -travels, and enjoyed an easy fortnight with them there before rejoining -at Peshawur. - -[Sidenote: On sick leave] - -This season had proved itself a very trying {29} and unhealthy one for -the 77th; the regiment had been attacked with cholera and Peshawur -fever, and had lost five officers and forty-nine men. Colonel Kent -tells us that on his return Gatacre had a sharp attack of fever, and -that he and another subaltern had been so very ill when they were sent -off home that it was feared they would never again be able to serve in -India. - -Even after his arrival in England Gatacre had severe recurrences of -fever, but home nursing triumphed; and before long he was posted to a -depot battalion then commanded by Colonel Browne of the 77th, and -stationed at Pembroke Dock. Writing on August 13, 1909, Colonel Browne -says: - - -"Gatacre's relations with his brother officers were always very smooth, -and I cannot recall to mind his ever exchanging an angry word with any -one of them, but as a rule he did not encourage intimacy. - -"Whatever Gatacre was asked or had to do he did well and thoroughly. -Whilst he joined heartily in whatever socially was going on, he never -in the days I speak of put himself prominently forward; but there was -something about him which I at least recognised as showing a dormant -power which only awaited opportunity to exert itself, and this view of -him has been fully borne out by his later career." - - -When Colonel Kent brought the battalion home in March 1870, Lieutenant -Gatacre was on the quay to greet his regiment on its arrival at -Portsmouth. - -{30} - -The Clarence Barracks in which the regiment was first quartered were at -that time old and dilapidated, and have since vanished. In those days -every officer who took part in a route-march had to send in a report to -the General Officer Commanding. The opening sentence of one of -Gatacre's reports amused his wing-commander so much that it survives: -"Starting from the Clarence Barracks, long since condemned as unfit for -habitation by the Royal Marines, etc." - -[Sidenote: 1870] - -The events of 1870 on the continent were of course followed with -breathless interest by all intelligent Englishmen, and many soldiers -must have longed to go and see the ground on which these sanguinary -contests had been fought out. This desire was anticipated by the War -Office, and special regulations were issued forbidding such an attempt. -But to Gatacre the call was irresistible. Having taken first leave -that autumn in order to see something of his brother John before his -return to India, he slipped away via Harwich and Antwerp to Brussels, -which he reached on November 6. He seems afterwards to have followed -the route taken by the First German Army under Steinmetz in early -August--in fact, Saarbrucken was the scene of the first encounter. -Gravelotte had been fought on August 18, but doubtless to a soldier's -eye the ground occupied by the combatants could still be identified. -Metz had capitulated on October 27, so that the state of a city in -which 150,000 men had been blockaded {31} for three months was -exhibited in all its horrors. - -[Sidenote: Continental battlefields] - -Writing from Luxembourg on Sunday, November 6, 1870, he says: - - -"I started again at 6.30 this morning, and got here, without stopping, -at 1 o'clock; nothing but soldiers, horses, and baggage, besides sick -men by the hundreds, hospitals filled. I never saw such a sight. -To-night I am going to Treves, and then on to Metz, via Saarlouis and -Saarbruck, as the road via Vionville is not open on account of the -French holding it. I will write from Metz and let you know my -movements. I mean to attach myself to the English Ambulance, if -possible, for a while, if I can see anything more by doing so." - - -And again on November 13, from Brussels: - - -"From Luxembourg I went on to Treves, Saarbruck, Metz, and then round -by Ottange, through Belgium to Brussels again. I went to Gravelotte -and several battlefields, and picked up heaps of things, most of which -I have got with me; but as nothing is allowed to go over the French -frontier, there was a difficulty about passing. I met a man named -Caldecott in the service, and he and I travelled together all the way; -we drove across the frontier with our things, and so got them through. -Metz is in a terrible state; nothing to eat or drink, or place to -sleep. I could not write, as all postal communication is stopped, and -most of the country round Metz a desert. - -"I shall come by the coach Thursday night, so if you could send the -cart to Shipley to fetch my things, I will just walk over." - -{32} - -[Sidenote: 1871-3] - -Writing on the day following his return, his sister gives Stephen a -rchauffe of the traveller's tales: - - -"Metz is not injured in the least, but is full of soldiers, and that is -why there was no place to sleep in there. When Willie left, the shops -were open and provisions coming in. Willie travelled with another -Englishman in a waggon with a poor starved horse, and was going about -in this way for four or five days. The cold intense; deep snow. He -saw 25,000 prisoners going into Germany, packed in trucks, forty -officers and men in a truck like cattle, and snow among them. He slept -in a hospital three nights, 1,700 men in it. - -"I do not think, from what he says, that travelling is over safe--that -is, on the French side. The sentries are very sharp; an Englishman who -was foolishly travelling by himself, and at night, and could speak no -language well, was shot a month ago. - -"Willie is glad he went; he met an old gentleman who knew grandpapa at -Saarbruck." - - -It is much to be regretted that the daily impressions of this tour were -not recorded with the accuracy of the Kashmir trip, but 1867 seems to -have been the only year in which he kept a journal. We hear nothing of -how he contrived to get anything to eat, or to get about at all, in a -region stripped of supplies by the armies that had passed through; but -the interesting fact remains that he did visit this ground, and -reappeared at home on Thursday, November 17. - -Colonel Henry Kent was very popular in the 77th regiment, which he had -first joined in 1845. He held the command for twelve years, and {33} -had brought the battalion into a very high state of efficiency when he -resigned in 1880. It is notified in General Orders of that year that -for the third time in succession the 77th was the best shooting -regiment, and that Private H. Morgan, of this corps, was the best shot -in the army. - -[Sidenote: Staff College] - -In February 1873 Captain Gatacre was admitted to the Staff College. He -had worked hard to prepare himself for the entrance examination, had -taken private lessons to rub up his mathematics, and had been abroad to -polish his French; for not only had he to secure a vacancy in open -competition, but he had to dispute the place with another officer in -the same corps. - -It is clear that even in these early days Gatacre had acquired the art -of making himself valued among his fellows. Colonel Kent was dining -with the Rifle Brigade at Aldershot one evening when he had the -gratification of hearing the laments of some of his contemporaries at -the Staff College at the prospect of losing Gatacre. But the Colonel, -highly delighted at the success and popularity of his young friend, -reassured them, saying: - -"Never mind, I have another quite as good to send in his place. I am -sending Bengough next term." - -"Ah, yes," they said, "but we shall never have another like Gatacre; we -shall miss him dreadfully. Why, what can the 77th be made of!" - -"Gatacres and Bengoughs," was the proud reply. General Kent affirms, -moreover, that {34} His Royal Highness the Duke of Connaught was -present on this occasion. - -[Sidenote: 1873-4] - -During these two years Captain Leir[1] was Master of the Staff College -Drag-hounds. He speaks of Gatacre, who acted as his Whip, as "the best -who ever turned them for me"; and tells us that he was quite the most -accomplished horseman of his day--that he used to ride all sorts of -horses, made and unmade, that he had wonderful patience and nerve, and -was always in the front. - - -[1] Now Major-General Leir-Carleton. - - -Captain Leir writes that the only fuss he ever had with his colleague -was over a hound, called Bellman, who had been given to him by the late -Lord Cork when master of the Queen's Buckhounds. Bellman was a great -favourite, being very companionable, which is unusual with fox-hounds. -Gatacre begged leave to take him home and summer him in Shropshire, but -having got him there the Squire took such a fancy to Bellman that his -return was delayed till the following January. On another occasion, -however, the Master had every reason to be grateful to his friend, as -he tells us in the following story. - -[Sidenote: Indefatigable] - -For drag-hounds the scent is laid by a man who runs with aniseed half -an hour before the hounds start; but as it is imperative that he should -thoroughly know his line, he must walk it first, carefully selecting a -track which avoids risk of damage to growing crops and affords suitable -fences for the field. On one occasion when {35} Captain Leir's runner -(or fox as he was familiarly termed) was _hors de combat_ from a fall, -he sent for a noted runner from Reading to take his place. But when -the Master had shown this man half the course, he suddenly threw up the -job, and after that no bribe would induce him to go a yard farther. -The meet was advertised for the following day, but there was no fox, -and Leir, vexed and despairing, now turned to his Whip, who was noted -for his resource in all difficulties. - -At 6 a.m. the next morning Gatacre started to walk the line by the aid -of a map, drove back, did his morning's work on the heath with his -class, and ran the line again in the afternoon. The runs varied from -four to six miles, according to the season and the condition of hounds -and horses, with a ten minutes' check in the middle. The fox on this -occasion, however, was a long-winded one; he ran a bit farther than his -instructions warranted, in order to enjoy the sight of half the field -struggling on the banks of a big brook. - -At the final examination in December 1874 Gatacre passed out of the -Staff College with special honours in military drawing and surveying, -and was at once offered the post of Professor in these subjects at the -Royal Military College; he took up this appointment early in 1875. - -In the following year, being then thirty-two, he was married to a -charming and beautiful girl of Irish descent. Early in the year 1878 -their {36} eldest son, William Edward, who is now a Captain in the -Yorkshire Light Infantry, was born at Yorktown. - -[Sidenote: 1875-9] - -A few months later Gatacre was to know the first great grief of his -life in the loss of his mother. Willie had always proved intensely -lovable, and had also his own graceful and attentive ways of returning -the love which he received from his parents. There was, moreover, a -strong vein of sentiment in him which led him throughout his life to -cling to souvenirs and relics of the past. - -[Sidenote: As professor] - -It is evidence of the strength and the simplicity of Gatacre's -character that his charm of manner was felt equally by men older and -younger than himself. "Manners impress as they indicate real power. -And you cannot rightly train one to an air and manner except by making -him the kind of man of whom that manner is the natural expression. -Nature ever puts a premium on reality." - -The cadets in his class were fascinated by this singular and brilliant -personality, and loved him with a "schoolboy heat." One of them tells -how he seemed more one of themselves than the other professors; another -remembers how he treated them as gentlemen, instead of regarding them -as schoolboys; another that he was full of sympathy when anything -needed explanation; another that if he found out and fell upon some -little meanness with the weight of his own uprightness, he would gave -the culprit from official correction {37} thus win him as a disciple; -another, writing at the time of his death, speaks of Gatacre's -influence for good throughout his career. Another, who has afforded me -very real assistance in this narrative, tells us that he felt such a -genuine hero-worship for Captain Gatacre that he applied for the 77th -Regiment in order to serve under him. This cadet not only passed well, -but, being a protege of General William Napier, who was then Governor -of the College, might have got himself gazetted into any regiment that -he liked to name. - -After serving four years as a military instructor, Gatacre was -appointed temporarily to the post of Deputy Assistant -Quarter-Master-General on the Headquarters Staff at Aldershot. This -was his first experience of staff work. The following winter a new -field-service equipment was engaging much attention; this was, of -course, worked out in the office in which Gatacre was employed. He -writes with some satisfaction of the "mess-tin invented by me" being -approved and adopted. - - - - -{38} - -CHAPTER III - -1880-1883 - -RANGOON - -[Sidenote: 1880] - -At the expiration of his term of office at Aldershot, in May 1880, -Captain Gatacre took short leave home, and then rejoined the 77th at -Dover. The regiment had been already warned for India in the next -trooping season, but the news of our misfortune at Maiwand hastened -their departure, and in August 1880 they were hurriedly embarked at -only a fortnight's notice. To Gatacre the hope of seeing active -service must have more than compensated for a disappointment he had -expressed at not getting another staff billet. This hope, however, -vanished on their arrival at Bombay, where the regiment learnt that the -defeat of Ayub Khan outside Khandahar on September 2 had brought the -campaign to a conclusion. The battalion was landed at Bombay on -September 10, and made its way by road to Madras. - -[Sidenote: On the staff] - -It is evident that Gatacre's reputation as a {39} zealous and efficient -officer had preceded him, for within one month of his arrival in India -he was seconded for service on the staff of the Hyderabad Subsidiary -Force, which had its headquarters at Secunderabad. All keen soldiers -are pleased to be in India, for there is more chance of active service -there than at home, and it was in the hope of getting this opportunity -that Gatacre lived and worked. In the meantime his selection for staff -work, although the post was only "temporary," was sufficiently -complimentary to satisfy all his aspirations. His qualities and -temperament had greater scope to expand in such a post than in the more -rigid routine of a regiment; his previous experience of India added -discernment to his enthusiasm in dealing with all the manifold -interests with which he came in contact. - -But there was a cloud on the horizon which rapidly grew until the whole -sky was for the moment overcast. Early in the New Year his little son, -born at Aldershot and aged only fifteen months, fell sick with cholera, -and died on January 18. Both parents felt the blow terribly: the -mother took fright for the elder boy, and decided to carry him off -home. Several touching relics, in the way of a lock of hair, etc., -that Gatacre, in spite of his many changes of residence, never -afterwards cared to destroy, show how deeply he was moved by this loss. -He had a spontaneous fondness for children that led him all his life to -accost them; and his attentions to them invariably met with that {40} -quick response which is in itself a sign of grace in the recipient. - - A manhood fused with female grace, - In such a sort, a child would twine - A trustful hand, unasked, in thine, - And find his comfort in thy face. - - -He looked forward with pleasure to getting a change when he should be -relieved in June by the officer whose post he was holding, and soon had -the satisfaction of accepting an offer from General the Honourable -Arthur Hardinge, Commander-in-Chief of the Bombay Army, to take the -place of his Military Secretary, who was for the moment employed -elsewhere. - -[Sidenote: 1881] - -This appointment was even more congenial than the last: for to be on -the personal staff of the Commander-in-Chief of a province meant -accompanying him on all his tours of inspection. Like the former, this -appointment was an eight months' business, for staff officers in India -get sixty days' short leave every year, and eight months' long leave -occasionally; for the latter period it was usual to appoint some -officer to carry on, and it was Gatacre's good fortune throughout his -career to be constantly selected for such temporary tenure of office. -In this way he gained an acquaintance with all the provinces of India, -and with all arms, British and Native, such as rarely falls to the lot -of one man. When he left India, seventeen years later, there was -hardly a station in all the four provinces which he had not visited. - -[Sidenote: Military Secretary] - -In the course of the winter, 1881-2, General {41} Hardinge paid an -official visit to Sir Robert Phayre, at Mhow. One of his daughters -well remembers Major Gatacre on this occasion. His handsome bronzed -face, his slight athletic figure, and keen but kindly blue eyes -arrested the attention; and then on further acquaintance, his -indefinable charm of manner, his courtly way of devoting himself to his -companion for the moment, his curious mixture of modesty and power left -an impression which later years exaggerated as his name became -identified with all the soldierly qualities and achievements which -built up his fame. - -Every moment of these inspection tours was full of interest for -Gatacre; who, being a good son, writes fully and simply about -everything to the Squire at home. - - -CAMP HAMURGHURI, - -_December_ 18, 1881. - -"We are having a very pleasant march from Nusserabad to Neemuch; good -shooting all the way--duck, snipe, and deer; also some capital -pig-sticking. The wild boars here are very difficult to get out of the -jungle and grass, but when one does get them out across the open ground -they run like greyhounds. I have two ponies a little under fourteen -hands, both fast, and I have sometimes galloped a mile and a half -before I could catch one; this was allowing him about a quarter of a -mile start, otherwise if pressed they turn into the jungle. When you -get up to them on the open ground, they turn round and run back a pace -or two, and then come straight at you, rising on their hind legs to cut -your horse if they get the chance, but {42} this of course they can't -do if you use your spear properly. I have got some capital tushes. -The best run we have had as yet was at a place called Roopauli, two -marches back; two boars broke covert together and went away over -capital ground to another place two miles off. The Commander-in-Chief -and I took one and had a capital run after him. I had the luck to get -the first spear. I was pleased, because I was riding a horse of the -Chief's that could never be got up to a pig before. To-morrow we are -coming to a place celebrated for cheetul, a kind of spotted deer, -antlers like a stag and skin like a fallow deer. I am in hopes of -getting one or two. This is a beautiful country to march through, very -long grass and jungle all round; nearly all the hills are of white -marble; and spotted marbles of sorts, and an enormous number of old -forts and temples beautifully ornamented with carvings in marble and -stone. Some of them are extraordinarily beautiful in form and design -of carving, far superior to anything we see now--and these are -thousands, not hundreds, of years old." - - -[Sidenote: 1882] - -It is difficult to say when Gatacre "found" himself--to use an -expression that Mr. Rudyard Kipling has for ever endowed with -psychological meaning; but there can be no doubt that the shifting -scenes in which he played his part from the time he landed in India, in -August 1880, till he commanded his regiment in June 1884, must have -widened his outlook on life, must have quickened his sense of the -opportunities before him, and have enabled him to gauge his own powers. -India encourages individuality to {43} a very high degree; men live in -small groups in stations that are hundreds of miles apart; in any one -place there is (in a sense) only one man of any one grade, so that the -labourers do not jostle one another, but each has enough elbow-room to -play freely with his tools. - -[Sidenote: To Burma] - -At the conclusion of his time with General Hardinge in February 1882, -Gatacre was sent to act as Assistant Quarter-Master-General to the -Burmese Division, with headquarters at Rangoon, then under the command -of General H. Prendergast. The British connection with this -picturesque river-port dates from 1824, when Sir Archibald Campbell -captured it after a feeble resistance. In the following year, owing to -continued outrages on British subjects and the refusal of the King of -Ava to enter into any treaty obligations with us, a British force -advanced up the Irrawaddy to Prome, and stayed there throughout the -rainy season. In October the Burmese Army made an organised attempt to -recover the place; but the British forces repulsed the attack, and -followed up the enemy to within four days' march of their capital at -Ava. At this point the Burmese sued for peace: their apologies were -accepted, and the country was evacuated, except for the sea-board -provinces of Arakan and Tenasserim. The Province of Pegu was restored -to the Burmese and remained in their hands till 1852, when fresh -outrages and insolence on the part of another Burmese sovereign again -gave rise to hostilities. At the conclusion of peace Pegu {44} was -formally annexed by Proclamation, while Lord Dalhousie was Viceroy, -under the name of Lower Burma, and Rangoon was made the seat of -government. - -Upper Burma was at that time in a deplorable condition; the excesses of -the ruler, who was called Pagan-min, are described as recalling the -worst years of the later Roman Empire. With a change of dynasty in the -person of Mindon-min, matters improved somewhat. The new ruler -realised the value of European enterprise and capital; he allowed -strangers of all nations to settle in the country, and protected -travellers and explorers. A few years later a commercial treaty was -negotiated with Great Britain, a Resident was received, and for his -protection he was allowed a small guard and an armoured boat on the -river. To commemorate his flourishing reign Mindon founded a new -capital at Mandalay, and in 1874 had himself crowned there to fulfil a -prophecy. - -[Sidenote: King Theebaw] - -On his death, in September 1878, a terrible tragedy was enacted. -Mindon, being an Oriental, had many wives and many sons; these latter -he had dispersed as rulers of provinces with very good effect. When -the old king lay dying, one of his wives devised a scheme by which to -secure the succession to Prince Theebaw, for the reason that he was her -son-in-law by his marriage with Supya-lat, her daughter. With the most -fiendish designs Theebaw and the queen, in the king's name, summoned -all the princes to Mandalay. They arrived each with {45} his Oriental -retinue of women of all ages. The royal ladies were lodged in the -prison, which had been cleared for their reception; the princes were -received into the palace. "Under instructions from the King," a -massacre was perpetrated on the nights of February 15, 16, and 17, -1879. The queens and princesses and even royal children were done to -death by the "ruffians released for the purpose from the jail which was -now the scene of their cruelties, and their bodies were flung into a -hole already dug in the jail."[1] The princes were compelled to pass -through a certain doorway in the palace, where each one was in turn cut -down; it is even said that the queen-mother and Supya-lat with their -own hands did the deed. "Eight cartloads of the bodies of the Princes -of the Blood were conveyed out of the city by the western or 'Funeral -Gate,' and thrown into the river according to custom." - - -[1] _Parliamentary Papers_ (Burma), 1886. Quotations from the -_Mandalay Confidential Diary_, by Mr. R. B. Shaw, Resident, of February -19, 1879, and later dates. - - -It was calculated that some eighty souls thus perished. Even the -people were horrified. Our Resident, Mr. Shaw, could do no more than -express with vigour the light in which his Government would regard -these atrocities; but King Theebaw was inaccessible to argument, and -reasserted his right to take "such measures to prevent disturbance as -might be desirable," stating that such acts were in accordance with the -custom of the State, and that he would {46} go his own way without -regard to "censure or blame."[2] - - -[2] _Parliamentary Papers_ (Burma), 1886. - - -[Sidenote: 1883] - -Owing to further gross outrages, the Resident was driven to fulfil his -threat of breaking off friendly relations with such a ruler; the -British flag was hauled down in August 1879, and the Residency -evacuated. - -There were now no governors to keep order in the provinces: dacoits -sprang up, traders were robbed and killed, the people were oppressed, -and the land neglected. English merchants, however, continued to carry -on their business at their own risk; their boats plied up and down the -broad stream, and it was in their hospitable company that Gatacre spent -Christmas 1882 at Mandalay. - - -RANGOON, _January_ 11, 1883. - -"MY DEAR FATHER, - -"I send you a line to tell you my doings up-country at Christmas time. -I was sorry to leave Alice just then, but the opportunity of seeing -Mandalay for nothing was a great temptation. - -"We went, a party of six, including myself, most of them merchants. We -had a steamer to ourselves, and the head of the Irrawaddy Flotilla -Company, a Mr. Swan, who took us, did everything in first-rate style. -The River Irrawaddy is a very difficult one to navigate at this dry -season of the year, owing to the constantly shifting sands. We did not -get aground, luckily, but we passed several steamers fast on the sands; -they sometimes remain there six months till the river fills and floats -them off. The steamers only drew 4 ft. 6 in. of water. - -{47} - -"We took four and a half days altogether to go up to Mandalay, but I -did not join them till the steamer reached Prome, so I had only three -days on board going up. The country, as far as we could see from the -banks, consists of large rich plains, covered with grass and scrub -jungle; very little cultivation, owing to the poverty of the people, -but if capital was forthcoming the soil would grow anything. Where the -crops were sown the yield was very large. There are low ranges of -hills on the right bank, and a highish range, called the Shan -Mountains, on the left bank. - -"We were told there was but little game inland; we saw plenty of -wild-fowl, geese, etc. The poverty of the people is chiefly owing to -the King having started lotteries, which bring him in 10,000 Rs., about -L800, a day. The people have gone gambling mad, and barter everything -they have for tickets--property, children, everything. The King ruins -the country by his recklessness in squandering money; he presses the -people to such an extent that an up-country Burman will hardly take the -trouble to make money. - -"Mandalay is nothing but a collection of mud huts and a few masonry -buildings, laid out in a beautiful style, all the houses in rows, with -large streets running between each at right angles. It was laid out by -Italians. None of the roads are made, so the bullock-carts passing -along them in the rains have cut them up to a frightful extent; and in -the rains they are impassable except quite at the edges, and then only -to pedestrians. Mandalay was only built twenty-five years ago; -formerly the capital was Ameerapoora, about six miles off, but was -changed to Mandalay by order of the King. {48} Ameerapoora is a -beautiful site--large trees, grass, and water everywhere. Some of the -carved pagodas are very beautiful, but going very much to decay. The -custom is, in Burma, that when a man builds a house or pagoda he only -can repair it, or his relations; the consequence is that in course of -time the building is forgotten and goes to pieces. - -"We saw the war-boats on the river; they are long dug-out canoes, a -beautiful shape somewhat like this,[3] generally with a figure-head of -a peacock (their sacred bird). The canoes are gilt all over, and -manned with eighty to one hundred men; each has a short paddle, and is -armed with a 'dah,' the Burmese knife, a 2 ft. 6 in. blade, with handle -of 8 in. or 12 in. The canoes go like lightning, driven by the rowers, -who shout all the time. The Burmese are great boatmen, and their races -on the water are well worth seeing. They bet tremendously high on them. - - -[3] See drawing in letter. [Transcriber's note: this letter was -missing from the source book.] - - -"The second largest bell in the world is at Mendoon, near Mandalay; -this we went to see. It is 14 ft. high, and of a most enormous -thickness--about 1 ft. 6 in. I should say. It was originally suspended -on three enormous teak trees laid on masonry supports, but these have -given way, and now it rests in the ground. There is also near the bell -the commencement of a very large pagoda. Some one (I forget who) made -up his mind to build the largest pagoda in the world, so started upon -one. He got together an extraordinary amount of brick-work, but an -earthquake unfortunately stopped the work by splitting it up in several -places. It is about 100 yards square and high, so you can imagine the -size of it. It is built with {49} large red bricks, 2 ft. long by 1 -ft. wide by 4 in. thick. - -"We stopped in Mandalay two and a half days. I rode about all over the -place, and found the people very civil, though they are very suspicious -of Englishmen. - -"We came down in one and a half days to Prome, where I caught the night -train down, as I had to be back on New Year's Day, my leave being up. -The trip was a most enjoyable one." - - -[Sidenote: Second-in-command] - -The temporary staff billet having run out at the end of 1882, Gatacre -went home on three months' leave early in the following year, and when -he returned in May took up the post of second-in-command of his -regiment, which in those days meant taking command of one wing of the -battalion. This brought no change of residence, as the 77th were then -quartered in Rangoon. - -He joined heartily in everything that was going on, and had, moreover, -interests of his own which lay beyond the field of duty. The spring -and autumn race-meetings were a great event. Though he does not seem -to have owned any racing ponies, he was always in request as a jockey. -Every morning he would hack down to the racecourse, and being a light -weight was often asked to give a gallop to the ponies that were in -training. In a letter of June 1883 he says: "I rode in five races, and -won two, the hurdle race and an open race--the best race of the -meeting--which pleased me." - -{50} - -There was a steeplechase pony named Free Lance that he rode to victory -many times. The owner of Free Lance appeared as Mr. Darwood, a -gentleman of Rangoon, of mixed nationality; but I am inclined to think -that Free Lance was in reality the property of King Theebaw, for the -General told me that at one time he had half shares with King Theebaw -in a racing pony, which he rode, and there is no other period to which -this incident could be attached. I have now in my possession a gold -scarf-pin that King Theebaw sent as a recognition of Gatacre's services -in the matter of this pony. Although this secret was kept so close -that none of the regimental officers got wind of it, it is not -considered improbable.[4] It was well known that Gatacre had friends -amongst the leading men of Rangoon, and it is entirely in accordance -with his character that he should have been personally acquainted with -his native neighbours. Indeed it is not altogether impossible that he -was engaged in some sort of secret intelligence duties for Government, -for he told me that at one time he used to disguise himself and go and -talk in the Native Bazaar, and it is certain that he acquired the -Burmese language, and could even write it to some extent. - - -[4] As King Theebaw was at that time an independent friendly sovereign, -there is nothing contrary to any regulations in Gatacre's association -with him in this matter. - - -[Sidenote: Iolanthe] - -In the summer of 1882 the regimental officers and others in the station -got up a performance of _Patience_, in which Gatacre {51} figured as -one of the Dragoon Chorus. In the following year _Iolanthe_ was -produced. Gatacre was anxious that the audience should include persons -of all nationalities; and in order that those who could not understand -the English words should have some key to the action, he made a precis -of the play, and, having written it in Hindustani characters, had it -lithographed, and distributed with the programmes. A copy of this -curious document, which covers three sides of foolscap, and is signed -in full, is still to be seen in the scrap-book of the officer who -joined the 77th Regiment for love of his tutor at Sandhurst. - -At the end of September Gatacre heard of the birth of his third son, -John Kirwan, now in the 11th Bengal Lancers. - -In December 1883 the regiment left Rangoon for Secunderabad. - - - - -{52} - -CHAPTER IV - -1884-1885 - -SECUNDERABAD - -[Sidenote: 1884] - -I have read in a recent biography of Alexander Hamilton that "the power -of his intellect was hardly suspected under the ambush of his -extraordinary charm."[1] This was equally true of Gatacre. Moreover, -the high standard of his physical endowments was in itself a mask to -his mental abilities; in reality, his physical force was but the -evidence and the result of his intellectual energy. - - -[1] Alexander Hamilton, by F. S. Oliver, p. 149. - - -[Sidenote: Camp of exercise] - -He turned the whole of his power on to the work in hand; even when -partly disabled, he would not allow himself to be cheated of the -pleasure and opportunity that his work afforded. Of course the -opportunity that his soul yearned for was active service; he was daily -discovering his own value, and longed to prove himself in the fierce -furnace of war. - -The year 1884 opened with the nearest approach to these conditions that -can be contrived without an enemy. A camp of exercise on a very large -scale was held near Bangalore, {53} at which 10,000 troops were -assembled. Sir Charles Keyes commanded the First Division, in which -the 77th were included, and General H. Prendergast had command of the -Second Division, with Colonel W. F. Gatacre as -Assistant-Quarter-Master-General. - -In spite of the misfortune recorded in Gatacre's own letter given -below, he more than satisfied his General, who writes on June 11, 1909: - - -"I found him a remarkably clever, zealous, and efficient officer. -During the operations his horse fell, and injured his ankle so that he -could neither ride nor walk, but that did not prevent him from thinking -out and arranging all our plans; though disabled and in great pain, he -would write till two in the morning, and all went well with the -Division, which he accompanied carried on a stretcher, owing to his -devotion." - - -Below is Gatacre's own account of it all: - - -HEADQUARTERS 2ND DIVISION, - CAMP KRISTNARAJAHPUR, - -_January_ 27, 1884. - -"MY DEAR FATHER, - -"I send you a short letter by this mail, but will write at length by -next one, and tell you all about the manoeuvres. They are over now and -have been most successful. I have enjoyed them thoroughly, though I -have been most unfortunate. I told you one of my horses or charger -ponies died of anthrax a few days before leaving Burma (I had just sold -the brute for 600 rupees); and the other charger, which I had had for -two years, and who {54} was a first-rate animal, died of colic the day -after I arrived here. Fortunately for me a friend of mine was kicked -off his horse a few days after coming here, and hurt a good deal, so he -asked me to ride him, which I have done all through the fortnight's -work. Though a very fine horse, he, like many walers, was very nervous -and shy, and the last day of the manoeuvring he got nervous in jumping -a nullah, and instead of jumping it he jumped into it, and rolled over -me, giving me a regular flattening out; he has damaged my ankle and -both my knees slightly, and I think it will be at least a month before -I can do anything at all, though I am perfectly well in every way. The -doctor says that the small bones of the foot are crushed, but that in a -month I shall be all right. It was very annoying, just at the finish, -wasn't it? Sir Frederick Roberts came to see me, and said he was very -sorry about it; so did General Hardinge, the C.-in-C. in Bombay; he -came and had a long talk in my tent, and told me all about John and his -regiment. He thinks a great deal of John, and says his regiment is one -of his best. Your luminous match-box has furnished lights for all -these big people; it is always on my table; I shall scratch their names -on the back of it. I wanted to see Sir Frederick Roberts about the -command of the regiment; so I asked to see him in the usual way, and he -sent word to say he would be glad to see me; so I got a litter and went -across. He was most kind, said he knew all about it, that he would -give his support, and that I need have no doubts on the matter. He -asked me if I would like a staff appointment; I said I would, but that -I wanted to command the regiment. - -"At present the camp has all broken up; {55} my regiment goes -to-morrow, and I go with it. I have not seen my own regiment since I -came here scarcely; as they were in the 1st Division and I was A.Q.M.G. -of the 2nd Division." - - -[Sidenote: In command] - -On June 24, 1884, Gatacre realised his immediate desire, and succeeded -to the command of the 2nd Battalion Middlesex Regiment, as the old 77th -had been renamed. - -Although nothing occurred during his period of command to distinguish -him from many another equally efficient officer, still a recapitulation -of the qualities which remain in the minds of those who served under -him will give us some idea of what he then was. I am mainly indebted -for the material for the following sketch of Gatacre as a Commanding -Officer to the kindness of Colonel N. W. Barnardiston, M.V.O., who -writes in July 1909: - - -"I was adjutant at the time, and never before or since have I served -under a better or more efficient battalion commander, nor have I come -across one during my experience on the staff." - - -Gatacre was forty years old when he succeeded Colonel Colquhoun; he had -served very little with the regiment, but the time spent on the staff -had added to his professional value. While his acute perceptions and -easy receptiveness had ripened his judgment on many points, his -simplicity of character and natural integrity remained unimpaired. He -had downright notions about right and wrong, but was influenced more by -the spirit than by the letter of the {56} bond: he was very just, but -never hard, always showing a lofty sympathy for those in trouble of any -sort, and a tender consideration for their feelings. There was about -him a curious balance of moral austerity and physical -tenderheartedness; these apparently contradictory qualities both came -into fuller play when in the field. He taught the regiment to work -with the disinterested spirit that animated himself; to work for the -work's sake: he insisted on every duty being done correctly and -conscientiously and strictly according to regulations. He never shrank -from the disagreeable duty of rebuke, where the interests of the -service were at stake; but at the same time he never unduly worried his -subordinates, or interfered with their province, and in no way passed -the frontier of his own department. If he wanted more work, he looked -beyond and not below his own sphere of influence. - -Even at this time Gatacre's willingness to accept responsibility and to -undertake troublesome and unexpected tasks was remarkable. Where some -men might raise objections and fear obstructions when asked, or even -ordered, to get something done that was new or out of the common, he -would welcome the call on his resources, and do his utmost, by -enlisting the goodwill and co-operation of those about him, to carry -the business through. Later on, one of his colleagues in Poona looked -upon his trick of saying, "No difficulty about that," as evidence of a -very valuable quality; and in {57} the Office in Bombay there was a -joke that the word "impossible" was not allowed. - -It was a sign of the lack of vanity in his composition that Gatacre -took so long to find out that there was anything exceptional about -himself, but it is now admitted on all sides that his capacity for work -was far in excess of the average. According to Mr. G. W. Steevens in -1898, "his body was all steel wire." He was certainly lean and light; -at sixty he discovered to his great satisfaction that his weight was -the same, ten stone two, as it had been as a subaltern in Peshawur. In -appearance also he changed very little, looking always about ten years -younger than his age. His back was short in proportion to the length -of his limbs, which gave the impression of a shorter man than he -measured, but at the same time this was the secret of his graceful seat -on a horse, and of his extraordinary walking powers. Like the good -horses that he loved to bestride, Gatacre was fast and free, and had -the staying powers of the thorough-bred animal; it was inevitable that -such a one should be sometimes difficult to "follow," and that other -men should occasionally feel that he called upon them for exertions -that were beyond their powers. - -His whole heart was in his profession; and with the material that was -now under his hand he developed an aptitude for the practical training -of both officers and men. Acting on ideas suggested by the recent camp -at Bangalore, {58} he initiated small field-days at Secunderabad, in -which one major with one half-battalion was pitted against another with -the remainder. This was before the days of staff-rides and annual -camps of exercise, and was so much of a novelty that his adjutant -writes that many of his officers "learnt more of the art of organising -manoeuvres, drawing up schemes, and issuing orders than it was then -possible to do at the Staff College." Moreover, to accompany Gatacre -on a field-day was a lesson in horsemanship. He had two capital Arab -ponies, and would often lend the spare one to his adjutant or galloper. -No obstacle stopped him, though sometimes these clever little animals -were expected to move over the most impossible-looking country--craggy -hills, big rocks and boulders, and the steep sides of deep nullahs. If -really pounded, he would slip off and lead or drive his pony, until at -the earliest moment he would be on its back again. - -[Sidenote: 1885] - -His gift for administration was further exercised in perfecting the -regulations for the rapid turn-out of the Movable Column which had its -base at Secunderabad: every little detail was most carefully thought -out on the lines of a far larger mobilisation, and every man knew -exactly where he had to go, and what he had to do, whenever he should -hear the "Alarm." - -If he was impatient of laziness or shirking, he was, on the other hand, -generous in his appreciation of honest work. He made it a practice to -help good men to get forward. There were at that time in India a large -number of {59} extra-regimental appointments open to non-commissioned -officers. The natural training-ground for such aspirants was in the -orderly room, but few commanding officers cared to part with a man who -had just become really competent in his particular job and valuable to -themselves; with the result that the more promising and ambitious young -fellows were unwilling to serve. But during Gatacre's reign the plan -was reversed: if a good man, no matter what his duties were, or how -difficult he would be to replace, applied for a suitable and desirable -position outside the regiment, Gatacre would heartily support the -application. Very soon there were plenty of keen young soldiers eager -to qualify for billets which were the sure road to advancement. When -as a General Officer he had the opportunity of pushing forward -promising young officers, he acted on the same principle; he was always -ready to train, but never hesitated to let others reap the harvest that -he had sown. - -Thus in a hundred ways the Colonel built up a reputation for kindness, -efficiency, originality, and power: and we are not surprised to read -that "his period of command was a very happy one for the 77th." - -In April 1885 the far-reaching consequences of the Russian scare made -themselves felt at Secunderabad, where the following telegram was -received: - - -"Warn for service the 2nd Middlesex Regiment and 24th Madras Native -Infantry. Detail hereafter." - - -{60} - -The excitement was intense. No officer was allowed to leave his -bungalow for a walk without saying in which direction he was going. To -Gatacre the idea of leading his regiment into action must have -presented visions of endless opportunities, and those who knew him must -always regret that he had no chance to display as a regimental officer -that personal valour and forwardness under fire for which, as a General -Officer, he has been subjected to so much criticism. - -This state of expectant commotion lasted for six weeks, and then all -hopes were quenched, for on May 26 official intimation reached the -Commanding Officer that: - - -"War with Russia having been averted, the regiment need no longer hold -itself in readiness for active service." - - -This was the second time that he had had to bury his disappointment, -and again a third time was it to happen. - -[Sidenote: D.Q.M.G.] - -It was clear to all that before long there would be another Burmese -War. The grievances of Europeans against King Theebaw had gone on -accumulating: diplomatic efforts had entirely failed to secure -attention or redress, the patience of the Foreign Office was at an end, -and the Government of India was directed to prepare an expeditionary -force to march on Mandalay, and thereby to teach King Theebaw that he -could not afford to flout the British Government. This {61} mission -was entrusted to General Prendergast. Gatacre volunteered to come down -and help his former Chief in the embarkation of the troops at Madras -for Rangoon. Having proved his value as a staff officer, and having -heard of his previous journey to Mandalay, Prendergast was most anxious -to take Gatacre with him; but all the posts had been filled, and to the -General's "grievous disappointment and much to the disadvantage of the -Government," the application to take him as Military Secretary or -Special Transport Officer was refused, and Gatacre had to be content -with the thanks of the Government of India for his services in the -embarkation of troops which he was not permitted to accompany.[2] - - -[2] _Proceedings of Government_, No. 6502, November 17, 1885. - - -[Sidenote: Secunderabad] - -In a later chapter we shall follow the fortunes of the Expedition, but -for the moment all thought of Burma was swept out of Gatacre's mind by -the prospect of serving on the Headquarters Staff of the army. On -November 24, 1885, the following telegrams were exchanged: - - -"If agreeable to you, Sir Frederick proposes to recommend you to -Government as Deputy Quarter-Master-General; you will have to join at -once if Government approve." - - -To which this reply was sent: - - -"I gratefully accept His Excellency's offer; am ready to go anywhere." - - -On December 11 the following Farewell Order was issued: - - -{62} - -"Lieutenant-Colonel Gatacre wishes the Battalion farewell. - -"He thanks the officers, non-commissioned officers, and men for the way -in which they have zealously and loyally carried out his orders during -the short eighteen months he has had the honour of commanding them, and -will always take the deepest interest in their welfare. - -"He especially thanks his regimental staff, viz. Lieutenant and -Adjutant N. W. Barnardiston, and Captain and Quarter-Master Hunt, for -their good service as Adjutant and Quarter-Master respectively, and -Lieutenant Savile and Lieutenant Burton, who have on many occasions -officiated in their capacities. - -"He wishes the 2nd Battalion Middlesex Regiment many happy New Years, -and success wherever they go." - - - - -{63} - -CHAPTER V - -1885-1889 - -BLACK MOUNTAIN EXPEDITION - -Sir Frederick Roberts succeeded Sir Donald Stewart as -Commander-in-Chief in India in 1885. After short leave home the new -Chief returned just in time to preside over a great concentration of -troops near Delhi in December of that year. It was the biggest thing -of the sort that had yet been attempted; the manoeuvres occupied about -three weeks, and concluded on January 8, 1886, with a Grand Review in -which about 35,000 men took part. It would have been a splendid sight, -had it not been spoilt by a deluge of rain. The Viceroy, Lord -Dufferin, was on parade, and it was afterwards suggested that it was -the firing of his salute that had brought down the rain. Anyhow, just -as his flag was run up, the storm burst and the rain pitilessly poured -down on the columns of men as they carried out the unaltered programme -of the day. The march-past occupied six hours. According to an -eye-witness, the "trot-past of cavalry and artillery in spite of -everything was magnificent, and could have been performed {64} by no -other troops.... The Viceroy sat on his horse through the rain with -exemplary patience, and we only hope that he will be none the worse." - -General Chapman[1] had just taken up the post of -Quarter-Master-General, and first saw his Deputy at this camp. Gatacre -seems from the outset to have made a good impression on his Chief, who -describes him in a letter from Delhi as "a man of active intelligence, -quick and ready to do anything, a good rider, and a popular man." - - -[1] Now General Sir Edward Chapman, K.C.B. - - -[Sidenote: At Headquarters] - -It is the province of the Deputy to take charge of the office in which -he is working--that is, to acquaint himself with all that is going on -in the department and to know all the staff and the clerks personally. -On his arrival at Headquarters Gatacre rapidly gathered up all the -threads of his new work, and made himself more and more valuable to his -Chief; while from his own point of view he used to say that it was at -this time that he learnt how to put a finish to his work in the office, -and to appreciate the scope and importance to the army at large of the -individual work done at Headquarters. As is often the case after a -campaign, there was much important reorganisation worked out during the -next few years; new schemes of training, housing and surveying, were -initiated and carried out. From the inside of the -Quarter-Master-General's office Gatacre could in a short time get a -comprehension of many points of {65} army administration such as a -lifetime in the field would fail to give. - -[Sidenote: 1886] - -During the winter months the Commander-in-Chief goes on tour, -accompanied by a few staff officers: sometimes the -Quarter-Master-General would go himself and leave Gatacre in charge, -sometimes it was the other way round. One year when the Q.M.G. was -making an extended tour, Mrs. Chapman was much pleased at getting a -visit from Colonel Gatacre every morning as he went down to office. In -response to her appreciation of these attentions he averred that he -looked upon her as part of the office, and must see that all was well. - -The two men were associated in this department for more than three -years, and by the time that General Chapman had to resign (owing to bad -health) a fast friendship had sprung up between them, one from which -"the all-assuming months and years" have taken no part. On hearing of -his friend's death in 1906 General Chapman wrote: - - -"A more loyally devoted assistant I could not have found, active, -untiring, and self-sacrificing; the public service and the interests of -others were always before him. His gallantry and forwardness on -service were acknowledged by all, but it was late in life that he so -distinguished himself. I recall chiefly the straight-forwardness and -honesty of his help and advice, and remember his never-failing and -cheery support whenever we had a difficulty to face." - - -Owing to the illness of the Quarter-Master-General, {66} Gatacre -accompanied the Commander-in-Chief on two long tours in the spring of -1886. On the first he saw many places of great historical interest, -such as Cawnpore, Futtehghur, Lucknow; and in the second he was taken -to Peshawur and Lundi Kotal, where many interesting problems of -frontier defence were discussed on the ground. For two months in 1886 -he officiated as Quarter-Master-General, pending the arrival of Sir -William Lockhart, who was to act for General Chapman while away on long -leave. - -[Sidenote: 1887] - -Christmas was spent at Calcutta, and early in 1887 Gatacre was again on -the move. During this year he was twice entrusted with an independent -mission; in March he accompanied the Chief on his official visit to -Peshawur, Kohat, Rawulpindi, and Quetta, and was afterwards sent to -survey and report upon the proposed line for a military road from -Loralai in Beluchistan to Dera Ghazi Khan on the Indus. His abstract -of daily work shows that he was out all day exploring and surveying. -His report shows that he thoroughly investigated all questions relating -to the water supply and the area of the camping-grounds on the road, -and deals with many questions as to the safety and comfort of the -working parties and their guards. Although the country to be explored -covered 183 miles, he worked with such celerity that the work was -completed in thirteen days. - -[Sidenote: On tour] - -Writing from Bannu a week or two later he finds time to send a -comprehensive account of his doings: - -{67} - -"I think I wrote you last from Loralai, beyond Quetta to the east: -well, from there I explored a new road which is to run through Mekhtar, -Kingri, Rukni, to Dera Ghazi Khan on the Indus. It has been approved, -and is to be carried out at once; as in the event of troops moving up -towards Kandahar, it would be the route along which all our regiments -and stores from the Punjab would move. The country is a wild one at -present, savage, with no cultivation or inhabitants, except a few -robbers: but the lie of the road is good, and the gradients are easy. -Of course a made road will draw the large Kafilas of camels with -merchandise from one end to the other, and as the roads will be under -our protection the native merchants will gladly use it, and this will -gradually people the various halting-places, and so settle the country -by degrees. There was much game along the route; markhor, a large goat -with splendid horns; gud, a large sheep with very large curly horns, -wolves and small game, hares, partridges, wood-pigeons, etc. I had -very little time for shooting, but shot one markhor and much small game -here and there as I came across it; but as I had a lot of surveying to -do all day, I had no time to make excursions after game alone, though I -should much have liked to have had a turn with Stephen in some of the -hills through which I passed. You would have been delighted with the -country in some places, something like Scotland with fewer trees and -more sun, but comparatively cool for India. The only disagreeable -thing about it is the general want of water and the number of poisonous -snakes. Water is found only in certain streams and in single springs, -and is very valuable. Of course, any good road which is {68} required -has to follow the line of water, but the rivers commence to flow at any -point in the river-bed, and after becoming a rushing torrent, disappear -as suddenly as they arose, into the ground and are seen no more; where -they go to no one knows, but you may seek in vain further down the bed -of the river and not find water. In some cases the water reappears in -the stream ten miles lower down, and disappears again as before. The -snakes are everywhere, and it was a few days before I left Khur that a -young engineer named Hackman was bitten. I saw his death in -yesterday's paper. I killed several cobras while marching, I am glad -to say." - - -In November of the same year he was sent on a similar mission to -Sikkim. It was discovered that a private treaty had been signed by -which the Rajah had declared that Sikkim was subject only to China and -Tibet, thus repudiating the British suzerainty. By way of preparation -for an expedition to settle this question Gatacre was sent up to report -upon the road over the Jelap-La along which troops would move on to -Lingtu, the capital of Sikkim. Though it was at that time held by a -hostile force of Tibetans, he approached near enough to sketch the fort -at Lingtu. His report and his sketches were afterwards incorporated -with other matter in a blue-book dealing with the affairs of Sikkim. -Sir Thomas Graham asserts that the information set down was of great -value to him when in the following spring he led a force into Lingtu -and brought the incident to a satisfactory conclusion. - -{69} - -[Sidenote: At Simla] - -In a letter to his father from Simla of September 1887 Gatacre relates -the following story: - - -"Did I tell you I was nearly polished off by a madman with a revolver? -He shot two men he came across, then got on to a rock and defied the -crowd, but I got a stick and went for him, to prevent his doing more -mischief. He warned me not to come near him, but I spoke to him in his -own language, and never took my eyes off him, and when he was going to -have a shot at me he suddenly changed his mind and blew a hole in his -breast about three or four inches in diameter. The fact was he was not -quite sure whether he had a spare round for himself, and these -fanatical fellows always destroy themselves after doing as much -mischief as they are able; when he shot himself I was just within reach -of him, but too late to knock the pistol out of his hands." - - -This incident attracted a good deal of attention at the time, as the -murderer was the personal servant of a resident member of the United -Service Club. He had begun by shooting at another servant, and -inflicted a mortal wound; the next shot struck the chowkidar, or -caretaker, in the arm. Gatacre then appeared on the scene and played -the part he describes. - - -There is another story told of him that belongs to this same year. - -On September 27 Lady Dufferin gave a ball at Government House; all the -world was there and Gatacre among them. As was his invariable habit, -he stayed to the end, and early in the {70} morning told a friend that -he was just starting for a ride to Umballa, but would be back in office -the next day. To accomplish this design he had arranged for ponies to -be in readiness at the various stages along the Old Road from Simla to -Umballa, which is a distance of ninety-seven miles, descending about -6,000 ft. from the mountains to the plains. As far as Kalka they were -hired ponies, from there to Umballa he had borrowed mounts from a -friend, using nine ponies each way. Leaving Simla at 5.15 a.m., he -reached Umballa at 2.30 that afternoon. At 4 o'clock he started back -and dismounted at Simla again at 3.5 a.m. That is to say, after -dancing till daybreak, he covered little short of two hundred miles in -twenty-two hours, and turned up again at 10 o'clock ready and fit for -his office work as usual. - -It is unnecessary to seek for any pretext for such exertion; the fun of -the rapid ride, the desire to excel, were quite sufficient stimulus for -him. He told the newspapers at the time that he wanted to show what -office men could do. - -But before very long he was to have an opportunity of putting these -powers to more practical uses. In September 1888 Gatacre and two of -his colleagues on the Headquarter Staff were given posts on the Hazara -Field Force, then concentrating near Abbottabad. - -[Sidenote: Hazara border] - -After the Mutiny the Hazara and Peshawur borders became "a -rallying-point for mutinous Sepoys and traitors in arms who had to flee -from British justice." There was in particular {71} a sect known as -the Sittana Fanatics, who continued to stir up coalitions against our -power, as they had previously done against our Sikh predecessors in the -Punjab. An expedition under Sir Sydney Cotton in 1858 advanced into -the mountains, drove the Hindustani fanatics from Sittana, destroyed -their forts, razed their dwellings to the ground, and extorted an -undertaking from the neighbouring tribes that the rebels should not be -allowed a passage through their territory. - -[Sidenote: 1888] - -Although the centre of disturbance was thus forced back at the point of -the sword to Malka, it was not long before numerous raids on unarmed -traders, and other outrages, brought the peace of the frontier again -into question. Our allies were either unable or unwilling to carry out -their pledges, and in 1863 Sir Neville Chamberlain led a force through -the Ambeyla Defile. This expedition differed from the others in that -all the contiguous tribes were in a state of disaffection, and on this -account there was more fighting than in the previous punitive -expeditions. The story of the repeated capture and loss of the Eagle's -Nest and Crag Picquet still makes brave reading, and afforded moreover -most satisfactory proof of the loyalty of our reorganised Native Army. -It was noted with satisfaction in 1888 that very few of the Hindustani -fanatics were to be found in the ranks of the enemy, showing that the -lesson of 1863 was more lasting in its effect than the others had been. -The policy of the Government {72} had never altered; in every case the -tribe was informed-- - - -"That the British Government did not covet their possessions, nor those -of other neighbouring tribes, with whom it desired to be at peace; but -that it expected tribes would restrain individual members from -committing unprovoked outrages on British subjects, and afford redress -when they are committed; that when a whole tribe, instead of affording -redress, seeks to screen the individual offenders, the British -Government has no alternative but to hold the whole tribe -responsible."[2] - - -[2] _A Record of the Expeditions against the North-West Frontier -Tribes_, by Paget and Mason (1884), p. 41. - - -The enforcing of this principle has led to the numerous little wars -that have afforded the opportunities for distinction to all ranks of -which the personnel of an army is so quick to avail itself. Each -expedition has usually been of a few weeks' duration only; sometimes -there was very little actual fighting; sometimes there was very little -political gain; but always there has been a story of hardship and -valour. - -The Hazara Field Force of 1888 was mobilised for the punishment of -certain tribes inhabiting the slopes of the Black Mountain, a region -lying on the left bank of the Indus, north of Abbottabad. It was some -years since we had had a reckoning with Hassanzais and Akazais in -particular, and they had been showing increased insolence in their -attitude and daring in their raids. - -{73} - -[Sidenote: Battye killed] - -A sufficient occasion was all that was needed to bring about open -hostility, and this was afforded by the tribesmen themselves on June -18, 1888. On that day Colonel Battye and Captain Urmston conducted a -route-march with some three score Goorkhas from the frontier post at -Oghi; they had gone perhaps a little nearer to the frontier than was -quite expedient, but it was afterwards shown that they had never -actually left British territory. When about ten miles from Oghi, they -were fired at from two points simultaneously. Colonel Battye ordered -the Goorkhas to rush a ridge just ahead on which they could make a -stand. The ridge was secured, but, unfortunately, the two British -officers turned back to help a wounded man, and, while they were thus -separated from the troops, both were cut down with swords. The Subadar -(native officer) at once took command, though one arm had been disabled -by a blow from a stone, and a bullet had gone through his thigh, and -his head was streaming with blood. He collected the party, and marched -back to the spot where the two officers had fallen. Keeping up a -spirited fire to drive back the tribesmen, he succeeded in recovering -both bodies, and brought the whole party back into camp at 8.30 that -night. This man, Subadar Kishnbir Nagar Koti, had already gained the -Order of Merit three times in the Kabul Campaign.[3] - - -[3] See _Civil and Military Gazette_, June 1888. - - -As the Headman of the tribe refused to hand over the offenders, the -Government was driven {74} to avenge this outrage by sending an armed -force into the country of the Hassenzais and Akazais, who were held -responsible. - -[Sidenote: Hazara Field Force] - -This force, which numbered about 8,000 men, was organised in four -columns, each formed of one British and two native regiments. A -peculiar feature of this force was that no regiment was allowed to send -more than six hundred men, which was a device to ensure the selection -of a picked body of men. The late Sir John McQueen, who was then -commanding the Punjab Frontier Force, was given command of the -expedition, and Colonel W. F. Gatacre was appointed his Chief Staff -Officer. This was naturally a moment of the liveliest satisfaction and -anticipation for him. At last he found himself on active service; at -last he was to face the ordeal for which he had been training for -twenty-six years. - -Three of the columns marched out of Oghi on October 2, twenty-four -hours' grace having been allowed beyond the time named in the ultimatum -sent to the Maliks of the tribes. No. 4 Column, under -Brigadier-General Galbraith,[4] had assembled at Derband on the River -Indus, and was known throughout the campaign as the River Column; its -function was to prevent any trans-Indus tribes moving eastwards across -the river to join their neighbours, and it was hoped that the area of -hostilities could thus be confined to those spurs of the Black Mountain -where lay the heart of the disaffection. - - -[4] The late Sir William Galbraith, K.C.B.] - - -[Illustration: COLONEL W. F. GATACRE, D.S.O., 1888.] - -{75} - -The main mass of the Black Mountain lies in a curve of the River Indus -between Thakot and Arab. To the north and west its slopes are cut into -ridges which descend precipitously into the deep gorge of the river; to -the east the eye rests on a bewildering succession of pine-clad -mountain ranges, till, stretching over the vale of Kashmir, it reaches -the line of eternal snows. - -The three mountain columns met with little opposition as they made -their way up the spurs overlooking the Agror Valley. The Headquarter -Camp was established at Khaim Gali, near the summit of the range, and -from that point General McQueen directed the movements against the -various villages. After about a fortnight General Channer, commanding -No. 1 Column, was able to open up communication with General Galbraith -in the valley below, at Kunhar. The latter at the outset had met with -some slight opposition at Kotkai, resulting in the loss of two officers -and five men, but had since made considerable progress up the river, -and had moreover come to an understanding with the tribes in his -immediate neighbourhood. The mountainous nature of the country made it -extremely difficult to secure unity of action in the two regions. It -became imperative that General McQueen should know what General -Galbraith had done and had promised. To effect this purpose Gatacre -offered to make his way down on foot to Kunhar, where the River Column -had its headquarters. - -{76} - -[Sidenote: Visits Galbraith] - -By this time he was fairly well acquainted with the lie of the country, -for he had been out daily with the columns, and, according to his -colleague, Major Elles,[5] "had worked harder than any man in the -force." He must have known that the direct descent from the ridge on -which the Headquarter Camp at Khaim Gali was situated was a series of -precipices. Taking the figures given on a map compiled for the -expedition of 1891, the elevation of Khaim Gali is 8,680 ft., while the -camp at Kunhar in the Indus valley is 1,560 ft., which means a clear -descent of 7,120 ft. in a horizontal distance of less than five miles, -though the distance actually marched worked out at fourteen miles. -Major Elles accompanied Colonel Gatacre, and they took an escort of -fifty Khybari Rifles. The party left camp at 6 a.m., and reached -Kunhar at noon. Although it was then October, the sun had great power -in the middle of the day; the narrow valleys down which they crept were -very stuffy, and as they approached the end of the journey the air -became very close and oppressive. Major Elles confesses that he felt -the sun very much, was tired out, and "could not have attempted the -climb back again that day. But nothing," he says, "seemed to tire -Gatacre, who was the hardest man I ever met. He neither drank nor -smoked, and ate very little." - - -[5] Now Lieut.-General Sir Edmond Elles, G.C.I.E., K.C.B. - - -After settling the business that was the motif of the journey, and -partaking of the hospitality of the River Column headquarter mess, -Gatacre {77} announced his intention of starting back at 2 o'clock. -The men who acted as escort were dismayed at the Colonel Sahib's -startling decision; indeed, only half of them were capable of setting -off at once, but these insisted on being allowed to do so. Half-way up -the mountain they were dead-beat; and as a small party able to take -their place had been accidentally met with, the services of the -newcomers were impressed, and Gatacre proceeded. It is a question for -mountaineers whether the descent or the ascent was the more trying to a -man's muscular system, and a question for Anglo-Indians whether the sun -is hotter in the forenoon or the afternoon; anyhow, it must have been -fairly fierce at 2 p.m. in the deep gorge of the Indus, and to have -reached Khaim Gali again the same evening was an achievement worthy of -mention in despatches. We are told that the first part of the ascent -was very precipitous for about 2,500 ft., and impracticable even for -mule carriage; the next 1,500 ft. was nothing but a succession of -steps. Farther on, the line lay across terraced cultivation, which -involved climbing up the walls supporting the fields, and walking -across the soft plough which they enclosed, while throughout the march -there were "passages which were impossible for anything but a goat." - -At 11 p.m. that same night Gatacre marched into the Headquarter Camp at -Khaim Gali, the only man who had completed the double journey. The two -marches had occupied six hours and nine hours respectively, and two -hours only had {78} been spent in the triple business of negotiation, -refreshment, and repose. - -This feat did not pass unnoticed at the time. The editor of the _Broad -Arrow_ of October 20, 1888, says: - - -"The story is suggestive of physical endurance and courage, and may be -read with profit by fireside warriors and cynical philosophers upon the -decline of the British officer." - - -[Sidenote: Active service] - -Such an exchange of views between a confidential messenger from -Headquarters and the officer commanding a column operating -independently must always have great military value to the commander of -an expedition, and it is evident that the consultation in this case was -not without result, for in despatches we read that the first phase of -the operations reached its conclusion on October 20. The Akazais and -Hassanzais made complete submission, and by the end of the month had -paid their fines in full. The object of the second phase was the -coercion on similar lines of the Parari Saiads and Tikariwals. In the -same way this involved much marching and counter-marching over the same -"exigeant" class of country. Although there was scarcely any fighting, -doubtless all those who took part in these operations learned many of -the supplementary lessons of war which no manoeuvres can ever teach. A -British officer in a Goorkha regiment tells us how he learned one of -these lessons from Gatacre himself. - -The Brigade had just reached its {79} camping-ground: there had been a -very arduous and hot march, finishing with a stiff climb up-hill. The -Goorkha officer had flung himself on the ground, feeling dead-beat, -when Gatacre rode up, and began making inquiry as to the water supply -of the camp. - -"Who is the Quarter-Master of this regiment?" he asked. - -"I am, sir," said the officer, struggling to his feet. - -"What has been done to secure the water supply from contamination?" - -"Nothing, sir." - -"I must have a guard put over it at once. Where is the spring?" - -The spring was a thousand feet below. The commanding officer of the -regiment, coming upon the scene, protested that his officer had only -just come up. - -"Never mind," said Gatacre. "It is of the utmost importance. I order -you as Quarter-Master to go down and see that a sufficient guard is put -round the spring, and that the animals are kept at a proper distance." - -Much against his inclination the officer set about carrying out this -injunction. On his arrival at the spring he saw the urgency of the -order he was sent down to execute, and confessed the justice of the -call upon his further exertions. Soldiers, bheesties, and animals were -crowding round the pool, which, fed by a small spring, was the only -water supply for the Brigade. He quickly restored order, made -arrangements for {80} the watering of the different units, and, by thus -securing the purity of the head-water, eliminated the chance of fever -to thousands of men. - -[Sidenote: 1888-9] - -On October 28 General Channer occupied Thakot without resistance; on -November 7 a deputation from the Parari Saiads came in and made full -submission, as the Tikariwals had done already. On November 12 the -Hazara Field Force began to disperse, having been under arms for six -weeks. The casualties to the whole force amounted to twenty-seven men -killed, fifty-nine wounded, and eight who had died of disease, showing -that, from a military point of view, it was essentially a minor -campaign. Moreover, politically, the results were inconclusive, but to -Gatacre it was the field on which he had won his spurs: "the loyal -support and valuable aid" that he had afforded his Chief were now for -ever recorded; his initiative, energy, and physical powers had been -proved in the field; his possession of military ability and soldierly -qualities in a marked degree was now established. - -It is difficult to understand why he was awarded the Distinguished -Service Order, which had been newly created as a recognition of the -services of junior officers in the field, while his rank as substantive -colonel in the army fully qualified him for a Companionship of the -Bath; but so it was. Seven years had yet to run before the latter -decoration was awarded, after the Chitral Campaign. - -[Sidenote: Safe home] - -Colonel Gatacre and Major Elles did not return {81} direct to -Headquarters on the disbanding of the force, but made an extended march -down the Indus, and reached Calcutta early in December. When writing -his Christmas greeting to his father, Gatacre says: - - -"We are all returned safely from the Black Mountain, and I must say I -for one thoroughly enjoyed myself; it was rough going, of course, but -the climate was good, and there was plenty of outdoor exercise--such a -pleasant change after the office life." - - -After another summer spent at Simla, Gatacre was sent in October 1889 -to act for Sir George Wolseley, who was then commanding the Mandalay -Brigade. Throughout the three and a half years that he had served with -the Headquarter Staff, much of the work in the Quarter-Master-General's -office had had reference to the welfare of the troops which since -November 1885 had been operating in Upper Burma. Gatacre had taken -moreover a personal interest in the success and well-being of the Army -of Occupation, for his brother John had been serving there in command -of his regiment, the 23rd Bombay Infantry. - -The events which had occurred since Gatacre first visited Mandalay in -1883 will be dealt with in the next chapter. - - - - -{82} - -CHAPTER VI - -1889-1890 - -MANDALAY - -It was with difficulty that the British Government had lived so long at -peace with Theebaw, King of Burma. In 1883 he sent a mission to -Europe, ostensibly to study western civilisation, but it was recognised -that in reality he was making advances to the French Government, who -were of course our neighbours on the east, in Siam. There was also -friction over the demarcation of the Manipur frontier on the west, but -the actual ground for the outbreak of hostilities arose over a -commercial question. An English trading company found that King -Theebaw had sold over again to the French the rights over some forest -lands for which the company had paid seven years' tolls in advance. -The High Court of Mandalay upheld their sovereign's proceedings, so -that the corporation were driven to appeal to the British Government to -vindicate their claims. King Theebaw, however, flatly refused to -discuss the matter with the Chief Commissioner of Lower Burma. The -British Government welcomed the occasion to {83} send an ultimatum to -King Theebaw "which aimed at a settlement of all the main matters in -dispute between the two Governments,"[1] and simultaneously instructed -Sir Harry Prendergast to prepare a force to march on Mandalay. - - -[1] _Parliamentary Papers_ (Burma), 1886. - - -A defiant answer having been returned by the King, orders for the -advance were issued. A fleet of transports was escorted by a few -vessels from the Royal Navy up the Irrawaddy. On November 14, 1885, at -a point about twenty-eight miles beyond our frontier post at Thayetmyo, -the forts at Minhla barred the passage of the river. Our naval guns -then opened fire with good effect, and when the troops landed there was -no resistance. - -[Sidenote: Theebaw surrenders] - -The advance continued, and ten days later a similar engagement took -place about seven miles from Ava. After the naval guns had silenced -the enemy's artillery, the Hampshire Regiment was landed, and drove the -defenders from their entrenchments. At 4 p.m. on November 24 a royal -state barge appeared bearing a flag of truce, and a message that the -King "was well disposed in mind and heart."[2] To this a reply was -sent that nothing less than the unconditional surrender of the King and -his capital would satisfy the British Government, and that the response -must be received within twelve hours. - - -[2] Despatch dated January 13, 1886. - - -The picturesqueness of the scene was so irresistible that even the -official despatch breaks into description of the "far-famed city of -Ava, {84} with its mouldering monasteries and decaying walls. On the -banks are batteries bristling with guns, and parapets alive with -scarlet-clad soldiers," etc., etc. - -King Theebaw's reply was received by the time specified, and when -translated was found to express a frame of mind that was acceptable to -the invaders. The subsequent advance from Ava was therefore unopposed, -and on November 28 British troops made their way peacefully through the -streets of Mandalay. In the afternoon of the next day the King and his -Queens and a suitable retinue were conveyed on board a steamer and -transported to Rangoon, _en route_ to India. As a compliment to their -former estate, the escort was detailed from the Royal Navy. It is said -that Supya-lat offered violent resistance to this deportation, saying -that she would prefer death or any fate at the hands of the Englishmen -to life as a state prisoner with her husband. But she had to conform. - -By Proclamation on January 1, 1886, Upper Burma was declared a part of -the British Empire, and the Chief Commissioner, Sir Charles Bernard, -transferred his headquarters from Rangoon to Mandalay. - -[Sidenote: Dacoity] - -Sir Harry Prendergast had completed his task in the occupation of the -capital, but the subjugation of the vast province of Upper Burma, -covering about 100,000 square miles, was a very different matter. The -collapse of the Civil Government and the disbanding of the native army -led to a state of anarchy. Pretenders sprang {85} up who were -exploited by enterprising ex-officers, and became leaders of the -various bands of dacoits that infested the land. These armed bands -were a terror to the people, for they lived on the country and robbed -and looted freely but it was not till we had won the confidence of the -peaceable peasants that they would venture to give us information as to -the whereabouts of their enemies. The fact that there was no cohesion -or community of interest between these marauders made them the more -troublesome to suppress, as each one had to be dealt with separately. -The pacification of the country was entrusted to Sir George White with -a force of three infantry brigades. But as there was no national party -in arms against him, so there was no organised resistance; the enemy -were not soldiers, but a lawless rabble led by brigands. - -In his report of this work in a country which he describes as "one vast -military obstacle," he says: - - -"The actual resistance offered to our troops was not very trying to -disciplined well-armed soldiers, but small bodies of these soldiers -have often had to stand up against bands whose numbers were estimated -in thousands. Between April 1 and July 31 over one hundred affairs -took place, and few days elapsed without the occurrence of fighting in -some part of the newly acquired province."[3] - - -[3] See _Despatch_, July 17, 1886. - - -After a time it was found possible partially {86} to replace the -soldiers by specially recruited armed military police, who were thickly -distributed in all the disturbed districts; and gradually the more -peaceable inhabitants realised that every time a military raid was -organised there would be a smaller number of thieves and robbers left -in the land. - -When the bulk of Sir George White's expeditionary force was withdrawn, -Brigadier-General George Wolseley, who had been commanding the Mandalay -Brigade, assumed the command of the permanent garrison. It was as his -substitute that Gatacre held the post from October 1889 to October -1890, with a few weeks' interval in the spring. Gatacre had been -nearly four years in the same office on the Headquarter Staff, and his -letters show that after the departure of General Chapman in April 1889 -he was anxiously watching for some new opening for himself. The change -to an independent command was very welcome, and not less so was the -change from the social life of Headquarters to the wild simplicity of -Upper Burma. The military direction of such a vast and unsettled -province would provide scope for administration and opportunity for -personal exertion--would, in short, afford all the arduous duties in -which Gatacre found his delight. - -[Sidenote: Fort Dufferin] - -The ancient citadel of Mandalay is now called Fort Dufferin. It -consists of a vast quadrilateral enclosure, in the centre of which -stands the palace, surrounded by gardens and a high teak-wood stockade. -The walls are 10 ft. thick {87} and 29 ft. high; each side of the -square is a mile and a quarter in length; at regular intervals there -are gates leading to bridges over a moat that is more than 200 ft. -wide. Along the walls are numerous picturesque watch-houses with -little seven-roofed pagodas over each gate. These buildings provided -quarters and offices for both the civil and military departments. - -Sir Charles Crosthwaite, who was Chief Commissioner of Burma when -Gatacre took up the command, writes: - - -"I lived in one of the pagoda erections over a gate in the Mandalay -wall, and there was a long flight of steps leading up to my rooms. I -can see Sir William now flying up the steps and rushing down them, -after he had seen me, and vaulting on to his horse. He was -indefatigable."[4] - - -[4] August 18, 1909. - - -The reception rooms in the palace itself were fitted up as a club for -the officers of the garrison. Some men were playing whist there one -evening in November 1889, when Gatacre came in, and going up to one of -the players asked him if he knew anything about transport. The -officer, busy with his cards, replied "Not a damn!" which elicited the -unexpected response: - -"Will you be my transport officer?" - -When the hand was finished the subaltern turned round, and for the -first time perceived who was speaking to him. - -"I am afraid you are chaffing me, sir." - -{88} - -"Not at all. The last two transport officers I have had knew -everything--one could not teach them anything. Are you willing to -learn?" - -That officer did his best to learn, and remained Gatacre's transport -officer till his regiment left the station. He remembers especially -his General's friendly manner, tells us how the dignity and power of -his personality enabled him to dispense with the formalities of his -position, and to do things which in other men might have resulted in -undue familiarity. There was an arrangement by which the other staff -officer carried on the work in the office, while the transport officer -accompanied the General on all his tours. It is to this officer that -we are indebted for the following story. - -[Sidenote: Maymyo] - -About forty miles from Mandalay there is a little hill-station called -Maymyo, at an elevation of 3,500 ft. It is now full of red-brick -buildings, and is the headquarters of the Lieutenant-General commanding -the Burma Division, and there is a railway up from Mandalay which runs -on to Lashio. But in 1889 Maymyo was but a collection of huts and -tents, and the road that led thither was not only execrable to travel -on, but infested with robbers. However, it served as a sanatorium, and -the sick folk from Mandalay had to brave the dangers of the road. The -transport officer had been spending a month at Maymyo with his wife, -and, having met with exceptional difficulties in making his journey -down, was very much alive to its discomforts. Only two days before -another party had been {89} attacked, their native driver killed, and -their kit dacoited. - -When they met next morning the General told the officer to lay a dak to -Maymyo, as he intended going there next day. The thought of doing that -journey again so soon was most distasteful, but the officer only asked: - -"What time do we start?" - -"There is no 'we' in it. You don't go. I am going alone." - -"That's ridiculous!" followed on, with such simplicity and directness -that both broke into laughter. - -The idea was ridiculous, but it was carried out. The subaltern's pride -of office was wounded by his being thus set on one side, but when he -realised that it was done out of consideration to himself, and that no -one else was taken, he could not but be satisfied. Risk and exertion -were like magnets to draw Gatacre; he went alone, dispensing even with -an orderly. The fastest and most active ponies were always sent out -for the General's use, and it would have been difficult to find man and -beast to keep up with him when on such an excursion. He must have made -a very early start, for he rode forty miles up into the mountains, -inspected the detachment of the Madras Native Infantry quartered there, -and returned in time to dine with the Chief Commissioner. There he met -Sir Frederick Fryer, to whom he related his day's work. It afterwards -transpired that two of the ponies were broken down by the journey, but -{90} even for such a mishap the General found a cheerful use. When -rallied by one of his commanding officers on this point, he replied: - -"Hard on the ponies! Not at all. Why, my dear fellow, it is really a -good thing, for the useless ones get weeded out." - -In 1886 Sir George White wrote that it would be a "long time before -dacoity died of inanition."[5] But British methods, worked with -British perseverance, had triumphed over Burmese institutions. In 1889 -Sir Charles Crosthwaite could write that "disorder and lawlessness had -been put down, and the power of the Government firmly established and -fully acknowledged."[6] It was, however, reserved for Gatacre to equip -a little expedition which was to penetrate into the Kachin Hills, where -a leader known as Kan Hlaing was harassing the country. The General -sent the following telegram to Calcutta on November 25, 1889: - - -[5] _Despatch_, August 18, 1886. - -[6] _Report of Administration_, August 1887 to August 1889. - - -"Chief Commissioner has applied for services of troops to operate from -Bhamo against Lwe Saing Tonhon Kachins, in Meteilaing, to effect -capture or surrender of Kan Hlaing and reduction of Tonhon, the chief -town. After effecting this, to march southwards in Binhong and attack -pretender Sairyawuiniz. A column to co-operate from Ruby Mines -district, marching on Momeit. Bhamo Column to consist of 75 rifles -Hants, two guns No. 2 Bombay, 100 rifles 17th Bengal Infantry, and 250 -rifles Mogoung Levy. Momeit {91} Column to consist of 50 rifles Hants, -150 Bengal Native Infantry from Mandalay. Have complied with his -wishes, made all necessary arrangements. Column will start from Bhamo -Dec. 1. The Momeit Column will reach Momeit about Dec. 10. Solicits -Army's approval." - -[Illustration: Kachin Bridge over which five hundred men crossed in one -day] - -The Bhamo Column was under Major Blundell's command, and the Momeit -Column under Major Greenway. Lwe Saing was captured on December 23, -and Tonhon on the 24th, after sharp fighting. Early in January the -force crossed the Shweli River, which was a fierce mountain torrent, so -strong that the rafts were swept away, and a man drowned. The passage -over the various rocky streams was a great difficulty; in one place a -swinging bridge was rigged up with transport ropes and timber; on -another occasion the whole column of five to six hundred men with their -stores were passed over the Kachin Bridge shown in the picture. A -report arrived that the rebel Prince Sawanai and the dacoit leader, Kan -Hlaing, were strongly stockaded at Manton, three marches farther on, -and that he had a following of 2,000 men. The two columns met as -arranged, and captured the village, though it was fiercely defended. -Before the force left Manton, Brigadier-General Gatacre and Colonel -Strover, the Commissioner, joined the column. - -The following letters give the General's own impressions of the country. - - -{92} - -[Sidenote: 1890] - -IN THE DEFILE JUST BELOW BHAMO, - -_February_ 8, 1890. - -"We expect a first-class trip, and should be away about six weeks. We -take a month's provisions with us, and a fortnight's follow us. There -is a great charm to me in going into quite an unknown country, full of -wild beasts and savages; there is nearly every animal under the sun -said to be in these jungles, and the place has every appearance of it: -tracks of all sorts along the river-banks. But we shall soon see for -ourselves. I fancy the scenery will be grand, and we shall probably -get many beautiful orchids." - - -BERNARDMYO, _March_ 20, 1890. - -"I have only a moment for a line to say I've 'come out alive' at this -end of the country, which is fortunate. It is one of the roughest -journeys I have ever done, and we have been wet through for days, with -no change possible; great mountains, with only goat tracks to move by, -had to be climbed two or three times in the day, which made going most -tedious. By marching from 5 a.m. to 6 and sometimes 7 p.m. we could -only do thirty miles a day; this was for a ten days' movement, so you -may imagine the country is rough. It's a magnificent land, -however--wild elephants, lots of tigers, and beasts of every -description everywhere, and the inhabitants perfect savages, but clever -beyond measure at agriculture in their valleys, and on the hill-sides -at weaving, knitting, basket-work, etc., of all kinds. I went to find -the column I sent out some three months ago, and found it about 150 -miles off; they had had a good deal of fighting, and lost a matter of -thirty men, which was unfortunate, but it might have been {93} more. I -have ordered them all back, except 100 men to hold a post at Mantone, -for if the rains commence I should never get them back at all, owing to -the impossibility of the roads. I never saw such a desperate country -for roads, as they call them; a goat would be puzzled with some of them. - -"I hope the Squire and all of you are well. How I should like to see -you all, and have a dinner at Gatacre! I have not had any real good -food for about two months, but, though rough, we enjoy what we do get." - - -[Sidenote: A rough journey] - -Though the leader Kan Hlaing succeeded in effecting his escape, the -expedition had good effect, for his following was dispersed and his -prestige broken. To all those who had taken part in this "rough -journey" it brought another clasp to their medal. - -On March 27 Brigadier-General Wolseley reached Mandalay on his return -from leave, and took over the command next day. But before two months -were out, he was wanted to officiate elsewhere, and Gatacre was sent -back to Mandalay. He had been very sorry to "give up charge," and was -proportionately pleased to resume the command. In his letters he -speaks of having initiated many experiments which interested him very -much. Writing to his sister in July 1890, he says: - - -"I have commenced a Government farm here on a large scale, about eight -hundred acres at present, but will run up to four or five thousand -acres. I have started elephant ploughs, as the ground is so hard owing -to want of rain that the {94} ordinary bullock plough is not strong -enough, and if we do not plough now the season will be too far gone to -enable us to get a crop off the ground this year. The elephant plough -has to be specially made, or the brute will pull it to pieces; -sometimes they get frightened, and then it is best to clear out, for -though the plough weighs half a ton, it is nothing to a frightened -elephant, who goes straight home with it through everything. I hope to -send you a report on the working of the farm just now; the Squire would -like to read it. I wish I had that big plough here that we used to -have at Coton; it would be just the thing for this land. I forget how -many horses it took, but I should put a couple of elephants in." - - -[Sidenote: Down with fever] - -During these summer months he suffered repeatedly from fever. - - -THE PALACE, MANDALAY, - -_July_ 22, 1890. - -"I have got influenza, which is a great nuisance, as it keeps me from -my work, and the doctor warns me solemnly not to go in draughts and to -keep out of the sun; but as my present abode is merely a large gilt -shed, about thirty yards square, with looking-glass panels open to the -four winds of heaven, it is rather difficult to follow his advice. -Fortunately the open air always agreed with me, and I feel better -to-day, so I hope I may soon be all right again. The rain keeps off, -and I am afraid we shall have a famine if we do not get heavy rain -soon, for the rice will fail. I wish I could hear somewhat of my -future; it is a nuisance being left in doubt as to what I am going to -do. - -{95} - -"I wish I had the services of Payne for a bit in the palace gardens; I -would make them so pretty. We have rocks, grass, water, everything -that one could wish to work upon, but have no artistic people who -understand gardening. I am working at it, and getting seeds, and hope -to make it a pretty place by-and-by." - - -MYINGYAN, IRRAWADDY, - -_August_ 30, 1890. - -"When I last wrote I was in full steam down the Irrawaddy with the -Chief Commissioner, but I got a bad go of fever, and the doctor put me -ashore, as he thought I would have a better chance. I was rather bad, -but the cool breeze on the bank has made a wonderful change, and has -quite pulled me round. I've had no fever since I came, and am -beginning to feel all right again. Of course, I haven't much walk in -me, but that soon comes back with food--that's of course the difficulty -in a place like this, but I've managed to get hold of a few chickens -and cook them with my servant. Some of them have turned out a success, -others smell of kerosine oil, but they all have to be eaten, so it -doesn't much matter. I mean to go back to Mandalay in three or four -days, and shall be glad to get on my horse again, for it doesn't suit -me to be on my back. I have lots to do, and have a man to write from -dictation, which saves me writing out long official letters, but still -I'm anxious about many things which are being carried out at Mandalay. -This place is just opposite Pakoko, where John commanded for a long -time, and is very pretty, especially now the river is in full flood, -miles across (five or six at least)." - - -{96} - -S.S. "GEORGE," ON THE IRRAWADDY ABOVE MANDALAY, - -_September_ 22, 1890. - -"I'm off on my travels again, you see. We started this morning on -inspection duty at Bhamo and Shwebo. We should arrive at the former -place on 26th. We stay there two days, and then come down to Shwebo on -right bank of river; the trip will do me good, I think, and will give -me some relaxation while on board. I'm better, but not up to much yet. - -"I heard from the C.-in-C. Bombay, Sir George Greaves, to the effect -that he was applying for my services as A.G. of Bombay Army. If I get -this it will be nice, and I should see a good deal of John. It's a -long time since I've seen him now. - -"The quail here have been abundant, and the snipe are coming in, but no -bags have been made yet. I only speak from hearsay, as I have been -unable to go out myself, as you will understand. - -"I wish you could all run up the river with me on this steamer; you -would enjoy the voyage--such beautiful scenery, and such a river." - -[Sidenote: A new post] - -In October the "rightful owner" returned to the command at Mandalay, -and Gatacre handed over finally. He brought away many specimens of -Burmese art and handicraft. His own artistic faculties enabled him to -appreciate all that was quaint or interesting in every locality that he -visited. In later life he took great pleasure in showing his friends -the objects of value or beauty that he had collected, and {97} -evidently looked back on these years of strenuous service with real -delight. - -From Mandalay he brought away a teak-wood drum that had belonged to -King Theebaw. It is cut out of a solid trunk, and stands about three -feet from the ground, weighs about a ton, and is covered with the most -exquisite carving. He took special pleasure in this piece of -furniture, and in a beautiful silver plate from the Shan States. - -In November 1890 Gatacre relinquished his substantive post at -Headquarters, on his appointment as Adjutant-General to the Bombay -Army, with the temporary and local rank of Brigadier-General. - - - - -{98} - -CHAPTER VII - -1890-1894 - -POONA - -Brigadier-General Gatacre took over the duties of Adjutant-General to -the Bombay Army on November 25, 1890, under Sir George Greaves as -Commander-in-Chief. - -His deputy in the office was surprised to find that Gatacre was not so -regular in his attendance as might have been expected, and noticed -other signs that suggested that he was unhappy and had something on his -mind. His colleague was quite right. Gatacre was indeed passing -through a severe and prolonged trial, one about which he could take no -one into his confidence. To his highly strung nature, in which the -loftiest integrity was allied to the tenderest human feelings, a blow -such as had fallen upon him must have wrung every fibre, and there is -no doubt that he writhed under it. - -[Sidenote: In adversity] - -It was about this time that the General was bitten in the hand by a -jackal that was said to be mad. His nerves being already unduly -strained, the poison (or the thought of it) got such a hold on him that -the howling of the {99} jackals kept him awake at night, and a terror -even possessed him of their coming in through the open windows. So -real was this obsession that he ordered iron railings to be fixed -outside, and by thus convincing himself of the impossibility of such a -thing, he gradually conquered the fantasies of his sick brain, -triumphed over his sleeplessness, and reaped the benefit to his general -health. - -What was really preying on his mind was not generally known till his -friends read of the dissolution of his marriage. Gatacre was the -petitioner, and there was no defence. This news gave rise to a strong -feeling of sympathy with a man whose probity was unquestioned, and -whose attractive appearance and genial manners had already made him a -favourite in Poona. There was in Gatacre a depth of faithful affection -which nothing could kill; the generosity and kindliness of his judgment -forbad his harbouring any thought of blame, and he clung with unaltered -loyalty to memories of the past. - - Love is not love - Which alters when it alteration finds, - Or bends with the remover to remove. - - -It is from this time that we find him working with an _acharnement_, -with a restless and passionate self-obliteration that became an -unconquerable habit. Ambition stepped in to revive his interest in his -profession, and the service of his neighbour provided occupation for -his leisure hours. - -{100} - -[Sidenote: 1890-4] - -Poona is not only the Headquarters of the Bombay Army, but for a good -part of the year it is the residence of the Governor of the Bombay -Presidency. In the hot weather both civil and military officials -retire to the country life of Mahabuleshwar, and in the cold weather -spend a few weeks in Bombay City. Thus all the year round there was a -succession of official and social engagements; every one had rather -more to do than there was time for in office hours, and every one -wanted to put in an appearance at such social functions as appealed to -his particular tastes. Gatacre not only took part in all these events, -but was the prime mover and organiser of everything that went on--no -committee of management, no horse-show, gymkhana, or display was -complete without his name. Amongst other details the programmes -engaged his particular attention. He had a special chalk which, when -used on prepared paper, could be reproduced as a lithograph by a very -simple process. He rapidly gained great facility in the use of this -medium, and there is now quite a remarkable series of exquisite -drawings that were thus reproduced. A lively sense of humour animates -some of these efforts, more especially those that did duty as -hunt-cards. The card was the size of foolscap paper; each season had a -new drawing, but all were variations of the study of foxes, while words -were put into their mouths expressing the sentiments of the quarry -towards Doctor Bull's hounds. - -[Sidenote: A.G.] - -The position of Adjutant-General is one of great {101} influence, and -this influence Gatacre invariably used to promote the cause of -uprightness and true benevolence. There was no red-tape about him; he -was always accessible to all ranks, and instantly ready to deal with -any emergency. - -On one occasion the friends of a young officer wanted to get him out of -the way of temptation--the Adjutant-General detailed him to some -outlying station. On the other hand, a young cavalry officer from -Mhow, who was engaged to a lady in Poona, found himself unexpectedly -detained at Headquarters by the A.G. If an officer and his family on -their arrival were unable to find quarters, the A.G. would take the -whole party in, regardless of any previous acquaintance. In the club -one day Gatacre noticed the name of a young officer on the Headquarter -Staff posted up as having failed to pay his club account. He sent for -the officer and paid his bill, choosing to come himself to the rescue -rather than that a young fellow in an honourable post should suffer -disgrace. Thus many an unrecorded kindness, many a deed of silent -sacrifice, showed the natural generosity of his heart, showed his -freedom from any taint of bitterness. Instinctively and deliberately -he endeavoured to obliterate his own sorrow by adding to the happiness -of others, and in this way surrounded himself with an atmosphere of -esteem and gratitude which reacted powerfully for his own benefit. The -officer who succeeded him as Adjutant-General had worked in his office -for some time, and he {102} now writes that the thought of him revives -the "deep impression of what a dear, good fellow he was, and how -hospitable and kind." - -[Sidenote: 1891] - -Gatacre's efforts at hospitality once gave rise to much amusement on -the one part and dismay on the other. He usually kept but a small -staff of servants, and dined at the club of Western India; but when -there was some special gaiety going on, he would fill his house with -guests from the outlying stations, and instruct his bearer to engage a -good cook and other servants for the necessary period. At the Poona -Race Week one year Gatacre's friends were complimenting him on the -excellence of his arrangements, and stories were related as to the -enormities of which native cooks are sometimes guilty in the -preparation of the Sahib's food, and of their troublesome ways in -general. One lady was particularly eloquent on the annoyance of having -had to part with her khansama only a few days before in order that he -might go and nurse his wife, who was dying. Some one suggested a tour -of inspection round Gatacre's house, which he had held up as a model -establishment. When the party reached the cook-house, I leave you to -imagine the lady's surprise and amusement at finding her own truant -cook installed for the nonce in her host's kitchen! - -His easy camaraderie of manner was so remarkable that a friend once -asked Gatacre whether he had ever found that people took advantage of -it, and treated him with undue familiarity, to which he replied that he -had {103} never known them try. He defended himself with a dry and -subtle humour. Assuming an impenetrable blandness of manner, he would -on occasion utter sarcasms so veiled that some men could scarcely tell -whether he was in earnest or not. He was never angry, but he had a -command of quiet language that made his remarks as stinging as they -were humorous. The man on the pillory would feel the sting, and the -onlooker would see the humour. - -When another friend asked him why he was taking so much trouble over a -matter that appeared outside the sphere of his interests, and scarcely -worthy of the attention that he was lavishing on it, his reply seemed -weighted with reproof as he said: "I don't think I ever knew what the -meaning of the word trouble was." - -[Sidenote: Goes on tour] - -In the province of Bombay the inspections take place in the cold -weather between November and March; a spell of hot weather then -precedes the break of the monsoon early in June. The rains last till -September, and are followed by another spell of hot weather, till the -air cools down again to quite a pleasant temperature in November. The -first inspection tour arranged for the end of 1891 included a visit to -the regiments quartered at Kamptee in the Central Provinces. Kamptee -was the Headquarters of the Nagpur District, to the command of which -Brigadier-General John Gatacre, C.B., had been recently gazetted. To -those who have heard of "inspection fever" (and even the best officers -{104} are not always immune), it will be obvious that the station must -have been in rather a commotion at the idea of a visit from the -Commander-in-chief only four days after the arrival of a new General -Officer Commanding. But the new General was well known and trusted in -Kamptee, for he had already been in the station for three years while -in command of his regiment. - -[Sidenote: A railway accident] - -Between 6 and 7 a.m. on November 5 the General was on the platform of -Nagpur Station awaiting the arrival of the train, when a telegraphic -message came in, saying that there had been a serious railway accident -to the Chief's train about nine miles away. A message was sent back -for medical assistance, and as soon as possible a break-down gang was -got together, but it was nearly 11 o'clock before the relief train -reached the spot. General John tells us that the sight that greeted -him was more shocking than any battlefield. Eight men of the North -Lancashire Regiment were killed outright, twenty-four were severely -injured; a European guard, both drivers and both firemen were killed; -five native passengers were also killed and eight wounded. Beyond this -total of eighteen deaths, four soldiers died within the next few days -in hospital. The framework of the carriages, the iron rails, and the -men's rifles--everything was amazingly crumpled up and distorted. - -The permanent way at this spot runs along a thirty-foot embankment. -The whole train was derailed, both engines with their tenders, a -horse-box, and five or six coaches had rolled {105} to the bottom of -the slope; the next carriage, in which Sir George Greaves had been -travelling, was suspended half-way down the bank at an angle of 45 deg., -the body having been completely wrenched away from the platform; and -the last coach, which had been occupied by the staff officers--Gatacre, -Hogg, and Leach--was hanging in the most precarious position over the -edge. - -It turned out that the train was unusually long and heavy that day, as -it was bringing some fifty men of the North Lancashire Regiment back -from Chi-Kulda, a civil hill-station in the Berars, where a few sickly -men had been sent as an experiment. When the railway officials at -Budnari Junction found that the three coaches set aside for the use of -the Headquarter Staff had also to be attached, they feared that the -engine would not be powerful enough to pull the train up a certain -incline, and gave directions that a spare engine (which was meant only -for local shunting work) should be put on in front. This supplementary -engine was the cause of the misfortune, for the tyres of its wheels, -having been mended, gave way under the unusual strain of a long -journey. The front engine left the metals, and, rolling over, pulled -the whole train along with it. - -The great majority of the fatal cases were of course in the first two -coaches, in which the soldiers were unfortunately travelling. Some (of -the poor fellows suffered fearfully from scalding, over and above -terrible fractures and injuries; some were so inextricably wedged in -amongst {106} the wreckage that it was not till the relief train came -up with jacks and crowbars that anything could be done to relieve their -excruciating sufferings. None of the staff officers were hurt, but -Colonel Hogg had a narrow escape, for the end compartment, in which he -had been shaving a few minutes earlier, was completely staved in by -impact with the Chief's coach in front. - -In the official report forwarded by Sir George Greaves we read: - - -"I desire to record with pleasure that the officers of the Headquarter -Staff were conspicuous in their efforts to release the injured from the -wreck of the train, especially Brigadier-General Gatacre, A.G., -Lieutenant-Colonel Leach, Military Secretary, and Captain Peyton, -A.D.C., all of whom, at considerable personal risk, worked in under the -overturned engines and carriages to get at the wounded." - - -There were also miraculous escapes. A gymnastic sergeant was -travelling in the first coach with two small dogs on his knees. Owing -apparently to his trained activity, he was able to leap through the -window, and thus escaped without injury from a compartment where all -his companions were killed. - -As soon as possible the wounded were sent on into Kamptee under the -charge of their companions, and it was three o'clock before the train -got back again to pick up the staff officers. - -[Sidenote: "Such good sons"] - -On his arrival in Kamptee a telegram was handed to Gatacre, informing -him of his father's {107} death. This was not unexpected, but for both -brothers it must have added a more profound and personal sadness to the -horrors with which the day had begun; and as next day they listened to -the Service read over the poor young fellows who had been so suddenly -struck down, their hearts must have been at Gatacre, where the same -words would soon be read over the old man of eighty-six whom they had -so sincerely loved and reverenced. Only a few days earlier they had -sent a telegram of farewell in their joint names; and in due course had -the satisfaction of hearing that it had arrived just in time to please -the dying man, who murmured in response, "I thank God for such good -sons." - -On April 1, 1893, Lieutenant-General Sir John Hudson took over command -of the Bombay Army; only two months later he was killed by a fall from -his horse. The Commander-in-Chief was taking his usual ride with -Colonel Leach, his Military Secretary, before breakfast on the morning -of June 9, when his horse stumbled heavily, throwing Sir John forward -on his head. Six weeks earlier Sir James Dormer, Commander-in-Chief in -Madras, had met with his death while out tiger-shooting, so that this -further catastrophe came with added force to the sister Presidency. - -Gatacre had written home a few days before, saying how genial and -kindly he found his new chief, with whom he was already on intimate -terms. It was always a great satisfaction to him to think that the -horse which had made {108} the blunder was not one of his choosing, for -Sir John had already sought his advice in the matter of getting himself -provided with chargers. As chief staff officer it fell to him to make -all the arrangements for the imposing ceremony that took place at 8.30 -a.m. on the day following the tragedy. Lord Harris, the Governor, came -down from Panchguni for the occasion. By special instructions he -placed a wreath on the coffin in the name of Her Majesty the Queen, and -numberless similar tributes showed the respectful sympathy of the whole -army. The Guard of Honour was furnished by the 2nd Battalion -Lancashire Fusiliers; all the troops in garrison, both in Poona and -Kirkee, accompanied by massed bands, took part in the solemn -procession. It is said that five thousand men attended the funeral, -and that the whole was so admirably thought out and arranged in the -short space of time that no confusion or difficulty arose at any point. - -[Sidenote: Hands over] - -In due course Sir Charles Nairne, R.A., became Commander-in-Chief of -the Bombay Army. He was the last of the race, for during his tenure of -the office its name was changed, and he handed over as -Lieutenant-General Commanding the Bombay Army Corps. The office of -Adjutant-General was also renamed, but that was not until after Gatacre -had been succeeded by General Reginald Curteis. Sir Charles was the -third Chief under whom Gatacre had served in this capacity in less than -three years. But as these changes made no difference to Gatacre's -{109} loyal service, so there seems to have been no difference in the -high esteem in which his seniors held him. When he relinquished his -post, some eighteen months later, the same cordial regard had grown up -which he always contrived to win from all those with whom he was -associated either officially or socially. When I came to live in the -command, about two years later, there was no household from whom I -received a more genuine welcome than from Sir Charles and Lady Nairne -and their personal staff. - -Early in 1894 the Adjutant-General was appointed to the command of the -military district that had its headquarters at Bombay. - - - - -{110} - -CHAPTER VIII - -1894-1895 - -BOMBAY - -[Sidenote: Colara] - -Although the climate of Bombay, which is situated on the nineteenth -parallel, did not offer the attractions of Poona, and although the -appointment brought no promotion in army rank, still Gatacre welcomed -the change of work, and the accession of dignity and opportunity -afforded by an independent command. On January 30, 1894, his selection -for the command of the Bombay District was gazetted, and shortly -afterwards he moved into the bungalow in the Marine Lines, which then -formed the official residence. Of this quaint building he was the last -tenant, for three years later this relic of Old Bombay and its naval -neighbour disappeared under the consuming flame of the Plague -Commission. - -This house and the adjacent one which sheltered the Admiral were -historic erections, being survivals of the days when the Englishman -first pitched his moving tent in these regions. For the original -canvas covering of the tent, "jaffray-work," or plaited palm-leaves, -had {111} been substituted, which had to be renewed each year just -before the monsoon broke; this roof was supported on wooden columns -that were the successors of the original tent-poles, and made a quaint -feature in all the rooms. The canvas walls of the tent had been -replaced by Venetian shutters; the doors were made of cotton stuff -stretched on a frame, which left a large space above and below the -eye-line. The deep verandah, on which greenhouse creepers sprawled -luxuriantly, covered a space wide enough to allow of dining and -sleeping out-of-doors. - -The weather is warm all the year round, and becomes exceedingly damp -and oppressive in the spring and autumn, while in the summer the -monsoon winds bring a rainfall of nearly 300 inches in three months. -White uniform is worn throughout the year, even on full-dress -occasions. At the extreme point of the island, in the breeziest and -healthiest situation, there are barracks for one British regiment, and -hard by is the beautiful chapel raised as a memorial to those who fell -in the Afghan Campaign of 1849. It was an exceedingly pretty sight to -see a regiment of men all clad in spotless white file into their places -on a Sunday morning. The rifle regiments wear their black buttons and -ornaments, and one would say that nothing could be smarter, until the -reliefs bring another corps, who with their gold buttons and belts -produce a more brilliant effect. - -According to the military classification, {112} Bombay is a -Second-class District, held by a Brigadier-General, who is not really a -General Officer, but a full colonel with temporary rank. A First-class -District is held by a Major-General, whose importance is further marked -by the presence of an A.D.C. There is, however, so much ceremonial -work peculiar to Bombay that the General often wished that he had been -granted the services of such a young officer, as a way of saving his -regular staff. - -[Sidenote: Transports] - -Gatacre held this command for more than three years--from January 1894 -to July 1897--but for eight months in the summer of the second year, -1895, he was on active service in Chitral, and for the same period in -1896 he was officiating at Quetta. Owing to the difference in climate -he thus served for five drill seasons in succession. Although these -two short episodes will be dealt with separately, the fact that he did -duty through the cold weather for three seasons in Bombay seems to -justify also a study of the conditions peculiar to that command. - -So far as the passenger traffic is concerned, Bombay is the port of -India. It is the quickest route to all the provinces, even as far east -as Calcutta. All the transports between England and India call at -Bombay, and the vast majority of troops are there embarked and -disembarked. In consideration of the work entailed in arranging the -transport service, an extra Deputy Assistant Adjutant-General was -allowed on the staff; practically this department of the staff office -was the shipping agency for all the reliefs {113} throughout India. -Not only had the transhipping and railway arrangements to be made for -every regiment on its arrival and departure, and for drafts of men from -every branch of the service, but privilege passages had to be allotted -to the innumerable officers and their families who, when going home on -leave, hoped to avail themselves of the chance of a vacancy on a -transport. The rule in allotting these passages was that the junior -officer should take precedence, Government having apparently in mind -that their scale of pay gave them the first title to consideration. At -the same time, senior officers were often needed to take command of a -ship full of details, and sometimes had to be searched for, Army -nursing sisters, too, had special claims. - -All these conflicting interests gave rise to almost as many private -letters as there were official applications. Ladies and children would -come and live in Bombay in the hope of securing a vacancy at the -eleventh hour--a device which was often successful. There were -numberless hard cases and jealousies over these passages, and many -funny stories were told. It was whispered that if an applicant called -in person on the General, her chances would be in direct proportion to -her personal attractions. The amount of baggage allowed was also a -source of infinite vexation. Once a nursing sister, who had recently -married an army surgeon, asked to be allowed to send her effects under -her maiden name, as the scale of baggage allowed in her professional -capacity {114} was slightly higher than that considered sufficient for -a captain's wife. - -During the loading and unloading of these transports an officer of the -General's staff had to be continuously on duty to attend to any matter -that might arise, and to check the freight, live and dead. This was a -tedious and very irksome duty, and, considering the amount of work -going on in the office during the winter months, the time thus spent -could be ill spared. The General made a practice of calling in person -on all transports immediately before their departure, at whatever hour -it might be, and soon after their arrival. If a homeward-bound vessel -was starting on a midnight tide, he would dine in his picturesque white -mess-dress, and thus be ready to go and pay his official visit of -farewell. The house was a long way from the Bunder, so that this duty -involved a drive of more than a mile, and a run across the harbour in -the Government launch, which was always at his disposal. In that -intensely Oriental setting the thrill of living (as it were) in the -exchange, and seeing the great ships that go down to the sea carrying -their load of joyful anticipations, was irresistibly moving. Gatacre -was thus on terms of personal friendship with all the captains, and -used to ask them to his own house. As a Christmas recognition of such -attentions, the captain of the _Victoria_ sent up a specially selected -sirloin of English beef one year on the morning of December 25. All -who have tasted Indian beef will know that this was a rare delicacy. - -{115} - -[Sidenote: The Navy] - -But transports were not the only vessels in Bombay Harbour. There were -ships from the Royal Navy, ships from the foreign navies, and -Peninsular and Oriental weekly mails, outward and homeward bound. - -Between the navy and the army there was a strict etiquette regarding -the exchange of visits. Writing from Bombay on November 3, 1909, -General Swann tells us that-- - - -"The procedure in the matter of ceremonial calling was for a staff -officer to go on board within twenty-four hours of a ship's arrival and -arrange for the exchange of visits between the captain and the general; -the first visit was made by whichever was the junior of the two, and -both visits were supposed to be over within the twenty-four hours." - - -Such official visiting had also to be attended to with great -punctuality in the case of foreign warships, and on these occasions a -bottle of champagne would be produced at any hour, and the health of -the respective sovereigns ceremoniously toasted. The General -particularly exerted himself to entertain these foreign guests. When a -Russian vessel was in the harbour he asked the captain and three or -four officers to breakfast at his house, inviting some ladies who could -talk French to come and entertain them. On another occasion, when an -Italian vessel lay at anchor, the General writes: - - -"I got up in the middle of the night last night to take the Duke of -Savoy and his staff out {116} hunting to-day. He thoroughly enjoyed -himself, galloped to his heart's content, made himself very sore at the -knees, and came home perfectly happy. I got back just in time to dress -for parade service, but could not get time for breakfast. Went to -church, and got back to luncheon at 2.30." - - -[Sidenote: 1894-7] - -The hunting days in Bombay were Thursday and Sunday mornings; horses -were sent on overnight. The meet was at daybreak at a place reached -after about forty minutes in a train that left the station at 4.30 a.m. -Hounds moved off as soon as the light allowed. It was a sporting -country, for there were plenty of jackals, and the ground varied from -soft ricefields, enclosed by Irish banks, to hard rock and heavy sand -in which prickly-pear hedges were disagreeably abundant. The hunt -usually returned to the Jackal Club Camp in time for the 8.30 train, -and all the men got back in time to be at their offices by 10 o'clock. -Every one in Bombay has an office of some sort, for no one would live -there unless forced thereto by the necessity of fulfilling their -vocation. - -Another feature of the Bombay command was the constant semi-official -attendances at the railway station and elsewhere. Whenever His -Excellency the Governor, or His Excellency the Commander-in-Chief, or -His Excellency the Admiral Commanding the East Indian Squadron passed -through the station, the General Officer Commanding was there to -receive him, or to see him off as the occasion demanded. - -{117} - -[Sidenote: Guests] - -It was also his pleasure to meet any friends, official or private, who -might be arriving or departing by the mail. There was hardly a week -when his launch was not in attendance on the mail-boats. These usually -arrived at daybreak, but for Gatacre no hour was too early. One -morning the mail was to bring a general officer who was on his way to -take over a command up-country. His son, already appointed as A.D.C., -had come down to Bombay to meet his father, and had called at the Staff -Office on the previous day. The General offered to take him on board -in his launch, as he was himself going to fetch his guest home to -breakfast, and named the hour. But when the General stepped into the -launch next morning the A.D.C. was nowhere visible on the Bunder. -Afterwards the young man turned up, and his father said with a -carelessnesss of speech which Gatacre was quick to detect: "May I -introduce you to my son?" To which Gatacre replied: "You may bring him -up to me if you like." - -It was one of the paradoxes of Gatacre's character that he was -sometimes as punctilious about fine shades of etiquette as he was on -other occasions kindly when such subtleties interfered with his mood or -his purpose. - -All through the cold weather the General's house was full. There were -the friends going by the mail to whom an invitation would be of the -greatest convenience; there were the friends arriving by the mail who -must stay one night to clear their baggage before starting up-country; -{118} there were the friends who had entertained him when inspecting at -their station, and whose daughters would enjoy the gaiety of the city. -He was very fond of ladies, and minutely thoughtful for every detail -which might contribute to their comfort or pleasure while in his house. - -Over and above all these calls on his time there was still the -soldiering. The district covered a considerable area, extending -northward as far as Cutch-Bhuj in Kathywarj and including many inland -stations such as Ahmedabad, Baroda, Surat, and Khandalla. There was -also a detachment of the Marine Battalion in the Persian Gulf. All the -arrangements had been made for an official visit to Bushire in the -spring of 1896, and it was with great reluctance that the General gave -up this trip when he found himself under orders for Quetta. - -It was the soldiering that he loved, and it was for this love of the -soldiering that he deliberately overworked himself. No personal -considerations had any weight. Having no one at home to watch over -him, he became recklessly irregular at his meals, and would sit up to -all hours of the night writing--endlessly writing. What kept him going -were the trips up-country to inspect the outlying regiments and -detachments; for in the train he would make up his arrears of sleep, -and the rules of politeness secured his punctual attendance at -meal-time. The uncertainty of his hours was a matter of some comment -at the office, where no doubt it {119} gave rise to considerable -inconvenience, and probably not less troublesome was his habit of -utterly disregarding the usual luncheon interval. The General was -playfully conscious of all these misdemeanours, for on bidding good-bye -to his chief staff officer on his departure for Quetta, he said: - -[Sidenote: Office hours] - -"Now you will be all right--with a brand-new General whom you can -educate to attend the office regularly at eleven, and go home to tiffin -at two." - -This officer, however, bore him no grudge for his vagaries, and now -writes with great affection of his old Chief. - - -POONA, _September_ 17, 1909. - -"As his staff officer there were two points he used to impress on -me--'No difficulty' and 'No finality.' Difficulties, like hills, were -useful for the exercise they give in surmounting them. There is no -difficulty that cannot be overcome somehow. No finality is the -watch-word of progress. What may seem best to-day can be improved upon -to-morrow, but that is no reason for deferring action indefinitely: -'The best is the enemy of the good.' Act on what seems good at the -moment, and trust to time and opportunity to find something better to -act on later. But act, and act promptly. This, I think, sums up the -principles he tried to instil into me, and his example illustrates his -teaching. - -"I never served under a chief who thought more quickly, decided more -readily, or acted more promptly." - - -During the last week of November 1894 the {120} Viceroy, Lord Elgin, -arranged to hold a Durbar at Lahore. There was to be a great gathering -of the native princes of the Punjab, and a concentration of British, -Native, and Imperial Service troops. The Viceroy and the -Commander-in-Chief both had large camps, to which they invited guests -from all parts of India. Having received the offer of a tent and the -hospitality of his camp from Sir George White, Gatacre selected the two -best-looking chargers in his stable and repaired to Lahore in the -highest spirits. - -[Sidenote: 1894] - -In a letter written a little later, however, he confesses that it was -not the attractions of the Durbar that took him so far out of his -command at such a busy time of the year, but the expectation of seeing -some one again whom he had recently met as she passed through Bombay. -For the guests a Durbar week is a holiday; the General was a free -man--he had only to look on and enjoy himself. There were many -official functions where every one was gloriously apparelled, but he -looked as splendid as any in that brilliant company; and there were -many social festivities which afforded opportunity for daily -intercourse. It was during the picturesque pageants of the Lahore Week -that I came under the spell of the General's charm. To know him was to -love him, as many another has since said to me. During that week we -learnt to know one another, and at the end of it he wrote a frank manly -letter to my father, Lord Davey, begging him to sanction the idea of -our marriage. {121} I regret that the kindly reply to his honest -exposition of the whole matter has not been preserved; its purport -being in accordance with our hopes, the engagement was made known, and -I had the gratification of hearing my General's praises on all sides. - -In some letters of December 1894 he intentionally writes about himself, -and supplies us with the incentives which inspired him. - - -"I am always thinking of how I can get on, not for the sake of the -money it brings, but for soldiering itself." - - -And again: - -[Sidenote: Soldiering first] - -"I hope you will not mind my love of soldiering and work; it has such a -fascination for me, I am inclined to put it first always. But my love -for you will stand out first, and your love for me will enable me to -carry out my work at personal inconvenience to ourselves, won't it? -You see I am cunningly trying to get you to overlook my endeavours to -think of soldiering as the first thing, but, dear, you will always be -in my heart all the time." - - -Perhaps it was by contrast with the slackness natural to the soft -climate of Bombay that Gatacre's indomitable spirit attracted so much -attention. Colonel James Arnott writes: - - -"Working, as I did, in the Civil Department, I had no official -association with your husband, and it was only when he commanded the -Bombay District that I got to know him at all well. I was much -impressed by his keen interest in his {122} profession, his strong -_esprit de corps_, his enthusiasm for work, and the activity and -strength which enabled him to carry it on in a way to stimulate others. -I have a clear recollection of his active figure and his first-rate -horsemanship, riding, as he often used to do, bare-backed, an -indication of character and of those qualities so necessary in a -soldier. - -"General Gatacre took his share in everything of public interest in -Bombay, but I shall only refer to the very successful Assault-at-Arms -which he organised--the first and best thing of the kind that I saw in -my long residence in Bombay."[1] - - -[1] September 13, 1909. - - -[Sidenote: The first tournament] - -This tournament was a great event. The large grass-covered enclosure -known as the Oval was borrowed from the Municipality for the purpose of -a Grand Naval and Military Display and Assault-at-Arms. This space, -flanked on one side by the Town Hall, and on the other open to the sea, -offered every facility for such an undertaking. Admiral Kennedy, who -was in residence for Christmas, willingly co-operated; his handy men -rendered most valuable assistance, the naval element lending a -distinction of which only a Bombay Assault-at-Arms could boast. An -attractive programme was made out and entries were invited from all the -stations in India. - -It was of course necessary to get subscriptions and guarantees; but the -General was already personally acquainted with all the leading men in -Bombay, and had no difficulty in {123} getting what he wanted. The -Governor and the resident native princes gave their support and -patronage, and many wealthy merchants, realising the great local -expenditure that such a tamasha must involve, contributed generously. -In the friendly relations established with the citizens of Bombay over -the multifarious business of this tournament lay the secret of the -facility with which Gatacre two years later won them to accept his -views about segregation. - -Every detail of the entertainment had the General's personal attention; -his fertile brain organised and perfected the whole and every part, his -hands painted the scenery of the Soudan Village, his horse carried the -officer's daughter who, in the gay uniform of the Royal Horse -Artillery, opened the proceedings by presenting His Excellency the -Governor with a programme in a silver case. The incessant labour -entailed by this vast undertaking, and the strain necessary to honour -all its calls upon him while carrying on simultaneously the routine of -his official life, can be best expressed in his own words. - -Writing on the Thursday before the tournament, which was to open on -Monday, December 17, he says: - - -"Before I met you I thought there was only one thing in the world, and -that was soldiering; now I think there are two, but the soldiering is -at present the only one I have got. I have been busy to-day, and in a -fever about the whole thing. I have been calling on the Italian ship, -drinking 'The King and Italy,' again very bad {124} when one has fever, -I should say; but no matter, the champagne was very good. The levee is -just over, the whole world pouring before Lord Harris, and now I am -going to paint till about 3 a.m. to-morrow. I have half a town to do, -and no one seems able to originate anything." - - -On the 18th, after the first day's performance, he writes: - - -"What will you say to me, not writing to you yesterday? But if you -only knew the sort of day I have had! First I was busy in the office, -could not move from my chair till 4 o'clock p.m.; then I had to dress -and meet H.E. the C.-in-C. at the station at 4.45, then to meet the -Admiral at the Apollo Bunder a mile away at 5 o'clock--all official -receptions; then to go to the Tournament to see all was right, finish -painting scenery, entertain the Governor's party at dinner, go to the -Tournament, watch it till 1 a.m., then drink 'the King and Italy' with -the Italian officers, who remained till the last. Finally, at 2 a.m., -commence to count with an enormous staff of clerks 10,000 tickets, to -see if the money was right. You see, I am responsible, and I like to -be sure what we are doing. Well, dearest, the thing was a tremendous -success. We sold 10,000 Rs. worth of tickets last night, shall sell -probably 11,000 Rs. to-night, and so on. - -[Sidenote: Tent-pegging] - -"Everything went well. The light was not as good as I should wish, but -it was fair. We had no accident in the ring, but got a horse killed -afterwards, his leg being broken by a kick.... Well, I finished these -beastly tickets at 4 a.m., and at 7 had to go tent-pegging for an hour, -and since then have never sat down, so you see why I did not write. -Now it is 5.30 {125} p.m., and I am so tired--or at least my eyes are; -and I shall not have a chance to rest till 5 a.m. to-morrow; it will -take us all that time to check the takings." - - -On the 21st, when it was all over except for the prize-giving and the -congratulations, he writes: - - -"I have fever this morning; have not had any sleep for days, and had to -run in the Open Competition for Officers' Tent-pegging, which I won -easily, taking both pegs and then touching two more turned on edge. I -was rather pleased, as no one else touched one sideways at all, and all -were about twenty years younger than I! My team ran fourth for the -Duke of Savoy's Cup; my men could not ride well enough; I got both mine. - -"To-day is the final ceremony. You have never seen such an -extraordinary multitude; tens of thousands of children, who pay one -anna each, crowding round the place endeavouring to get an entrance. I -do wish you were here to see the unusual activity reigning in the town -and the excitement we have caused." - - -It was the novelty of the thing that gave importance to this -tournament; the idea has since been carried out in many stations with -marked success. It is interesting to note that such a gathering has -also an indirect value; it promotes camaraderie between different -branches of the service, and shows how much pleasure may be provided to -both competitors and on-lookers by what was essentially "soldiering" in -its inception. - -{126} - -In _The Times of India_ we read: - - -"At the close of the Commander-in-Chief's speech three ringing cheers -were given for His Excellency and a similar number for -Brigadier-General Gatacre. The Commander-in-Chief having then left the -arena, the troops left the ground with bands playing, the men-of-war's -men as a special and well-deserved honour being escorted to the Apollo -Bunder by a regimental band, and followed by a large crowd of -civilians. Several of the troops in camp on the Oval visited the -flagship H.M.S. _Bonaventure_, and the turret-ship _Magdala_ yesterday -morning, while others were taken for a cruise in the harbour, a number -of the up-country native troops being taken on a visit to inspect the -local cotton mills. - -"The work of demolishing the enclosure and removing the plant has -already begun, and to-day the majority of the troops will be _en route_ -for their up-country stations, many of them taking back prizes and -other mementoes of the well-organised, well-managed, and finest -military display and gathering of its kind ever held in the East." - - -As soon as it was all over Gatacre took ten days' leave to Calcutta, -where he was welcomed with surprise and pleasure by his friends of the -other side. - - - - -{127} - -CHAPTER IX - -1895 - -CHITRAL - -The annual inspections in the Bombay District for the season 1894-5 had -all been carried out, confidential reports were rapidly being filled -in, and got ready to forward to Headquarters, the arrangements for the -sailing of the last transport were all settled, and all work was -beginning to slacken in Bombay with the approach of the hot weather. -Gatacre was making a push to conclude the season's work with a view to -taking eight months' leave to England. In theory this long leave can -be secured once in every five-year command; but Gatacre had now -completed two such appointments without availing himself of this -privilege, having been content with the sixty days' leave allowed each -year. - -But whatever might be the special reasons which drew him homewards in -1895, a better thing still was in prospect for him: in whole-hearted -joy he writes on March 15: - - -"I am so pleased: have got a telegram from {128} Sir George White -saying, 'Have nominated you to command Third Brigade in Division to be -mobilised for possible service Chitral.' This is a first-class -business, for though it will prevent my coming home so soon, still it -is a step onwards, and that is what we want, isn't it, dear? I am so -pleased at getting this chance, and will do my best for your sake and -my own." - - -[Sidenote: The Third Brigade] - -The Chitral Relief Force was under the command of Sir Robert Low; the -expedition was organised to effect the relief of Surgeon-Major -Robertson, I.C.S., and some half-dozen officers who were shut up with a -small garrison in the fort at Chitral. We are not concerned here with -the internal events which had culminated in the siege of the fort by a -hostile faction; suffice it to say that the Government of India -regarded the matter as very urgent, and were sending a strong division -of both British and Native troops to their assistance. - -Sir Robert Low's force was to approach from the south over the Malakand -Pass, and to make its way up the valley of the Chitral River. This was -a route which had not hitherto been used by the Indian Government, and -covered about 185 miles. Communications with Chitral had previously -been maintained from the north-east, via Gilgit. During the winter -months this latter route was closed, as the road lay over snow-covered -passes; the distance was about 160 miles from Gilgit, and this was the -recognised access and the base of supplies for the little garrison. -And so it came about that, {129} in response to messages from Major -Robertson, Colonel Kelly was endeavouring to reach him from Gilgit, -undismayed by almost impassable winter snows, at the same time that the -Indian Relief Force was advancing with similar intention from Peshawur. - -In a letter from Mian Mir, March 24, 1895, Gatacre writes: - - -"I leave to-morrow to take command of my Brigade at Hoti Mardan, about -twenty-five miles north-east of Peshawur, and we shall march from there -on April 1, right away for Chitral; but without doubt we shall have -some rough work and some fighting. Umra Khan knows he will have no -mercy after destroying Captain Ross's detachment, and will do his best -to raise the whole border against us. - -"I have four first-class regiments--the Seaforth Highlanders, the -Buffs, the 25th Punjab Infantry, the Second 4th Ghoorkas, and we are -all sound and prepared to go anywhere, so I hope we shall all come well -out of it. - - * * * * * - -"I think myself we shall have to drop our tents, small as they are, and -march without them. Our difficulty will be crossing deep rivers; we -shall have no boats, and must trust to making rafts of skins and -floating the men across; but it is always a shaky business when there -are bullets flying about." - - -On March 30, in drenching rain, the first troops marched out of Hoti -Mardan; on April 2 they met the enemy, who were lying in wait for them -on the slopes of the Malakand Pass. But {130} in this and the -subsequent engagements on the banks of the Swat and the Panjkora -Rivers, the Third Brigade took no part, being held in reserve. A -stirring account of the fighting is given by Colonel Younghusband in -his _Story of the Guides_. - -A bridge of rafts was thrown across the Panjkora River; the Guides -Cavalry and Infantry were passed over on the afternoon of April 15, -with orders to reconnoitre certain villages early the next morning. -But in the night a flood arose, huge trees crashed down on the swollen -stream, completely wrecking the bridge. Two miles below this point, -the Sappers were rigging up a suspension bridge; and in the meantime an -attempt was made to float the men across on rafts supported by -mussocks, or inflated goat-skins, and navigated by native boatmen. - -[Sidenote: A rescue] - -Gatacre, whose brigade was still in the rear, had pushed forward to see -what was going on, and stood by the river's edge watching this "shaky -business." Suddenly a raft on which four men were seated got out of -control, broke away from the guiding rope, and was immediately caught -by the current, and swirled down the turbulent stream. In an instant -Gatacre jumped on his pony, and dashed at full gallop over the rocky -ground in the wild hope of reaching the spot where the bridge was being -made in time to warn the Sappers, and attempt a rescue. The bend of -the river gave him time; with equal promptitude Major Aylmer got into a -sling-cradle, and was lowered in mid-stream {131} just as the raft came -in sight. Two men only were still on it, one of whom saw his chance -and grasped the extended hand. As the river had narrowed from 200 -yards to ninety feet, the raft was travelling at a tremendous pace. -There was a moment of thrilling strain on the ropes; the cradle was -submerged by the sudden pull; but all held on heroically, and Aylmer -had the satisfaction of bringing Private Hall safely to land. The -other man, together with the two comrades who had been thrown off in -the wild descent, were hopelessly lost.[1] - - -[1] See Sir Robert Low's _Despatch_, April 18, 1895, par. 18. - - -Early on April 17, the bridge being completed, the advance was resumed. -It was here that the Third Brigade got its chance. An officer writes: - - -"I can well recall our intense joy when we found ourselves going over -the Panjkora Bridge in front of the Second Brigade, which had been -leading since we left the Malakand. With feverish haste we packed our -mules, having moved our camp the night before, so as to be as close as -possible to the bridge." - - -By 10.45 the Third Brigade, accompanied by the Guides Cavalry and the -11th Bengal Lancers, were all across, and orders were received for a -general advance on Miankalai, which was being held against us. Sir -Robert Low's despatch runs: - - -"I pushed on to Ghobani with the Third Brigade, arriving there soon -after noon. The enemy had then collected on a bluff in two villages -west of Mamugai. The battery came into action {132} about 12.30 p.m., -and the enemy soon fell back under cover. The Seaforth Highlanders and -4th Goorkhas moved up to the south side of the valley, and then -advanced against the enemy in a westerly direction, driving them back -from spur to spur, and eventually arrived at the bluff mentioned about -4 p.m., which they occupied for the night. - -"The enemy on this occasion did not show the bold front of previous -days, but retired as the infantry advanced; and though the guns were -sent forward about 1,000 yards to hasten their retreat, the loss of the -enemy was not great. Throughout the action the troops were well -handled by Brigadier-General Gatacre, D.S.O. - - * * * * * - -"The same afternoon Brigadier-General Gatacre with the Buffs, the 4th -Goorkhas, half of No. 4 Company Bengal Sappers and Miners, No. 2 -Derajat Mountain Battery, and the Maxim guns of the Devonshire Regiment -pushed on to Barwa, _en route_ for Dir and Chitral, with twenty days' -supplies. - - * * * * * - -"On the afternoon of April 20 Brigadier-General Gatacre sent a message -back to me that Major Deane, chief political officer, had received news -that the garrison of Chitral was reduced to great straits, and that the -mines of the enemy had reached to within ten yards of the fort, and he -suggested that he should advance rapidly with a small body of five -hundred men. - -"To this I consented, as being the only way of passing quickly through -the intricate country we were now traversing, and the only chance of -rescuing the garrison."[2] - - -[2] See Sir Robert Low's _Despatch_, April 19, 1895. - - -{133} - -[Sidenote: The Flying Column] - -The excitement and joyful anticipation amongst those who were to -compose the Flying Column were intense. One of them writes: - - -"We had intended pushing on over the Lowari Pass without baggage -animals, the paths being unfit for even mules without much tedious and -lengthy preparation. Every officer and man was to have carried ten -days' supplies on his back, and I had already broken up the General's -mess stores into suitable 40-lb. loads for hillmen to carry for us. In -order to do this I only got to bed at our Janbatai camp at 1 a.m. and -had to be up at 3 a.m.; so you can imagine it was impressed on my mind. - -"The dear General was, I fancy, awake all night, partly on account of -the painful abscess that had been lanced that evening; but in spite of -this he marched with us all next day, standing in his stirrups, because -of the pain of sitting; and indefatigably urged on our bridging and -road-making parties. After our arrival at Dir, having marched twenty -miles and made the road and bridged the streams _en route_, the General -would not rest or dine till the last of the transport mules had been -piloted with lamps over a very difficult and rocky part of the path, -just outside Dir. I fancy we dined at about 9.30 p.m.; but this was no -unusual thing, for the General always insisted on seeing to the comfort -of his brigade before his own, and I hardly ever managed to induce him -to sit down to dinner till some time between 9 and 10 p.m." - -But much to the chagrin of the five hundred they were a flying column -for twenty-four hours only, for on the 22nd news was received that the -siege, which had lasted forty-six days, had {134} been raised. It was -afterwards ascertained that Colonel Kelly had reached the fort at 2 -p.m. on the 20th, and that Sher Afzul and his supporters had fled the -previous day. The General says nothing of his personal disappointment -in the letters of this date, but when he was in the fort a month later, -he writes: - - -"I wish they had let me loose as I wished, when we reached the Swat -River. I should have been in Chitral before Kelly, though he had only -half the distance to go that I had. But G.O.C. wanted to move with a -united force. Of course we all hold different views regarding the best -way of doing these things, but had I had the doing of it, I would have -moved by separate lines, one brigade in advance; one would have got on -quicker, and more effectively. But this is only between you and me." - - -[Illustration: Goorkhas crossing the Lowari Pass] - -The campaign now entered into the second phase; the fighting was over, -but not so the work. The Government decided that the Third Brigade -should proceed to Chitral. Having already reached Dir, they had -covered nearly two-thirds of the distance according to the map, but the -most difficult part of the journey was ahead of them. The Lowari Pass, -10,450 ft. high, was covered with deep snow, and the valleys leading up -to it on both sides were known to present almost insurmountable -obstacles to the passage of a large body of men and animals. - -The following extract from _Trans-frontier Wars_ (vol. i. p. 544) gives -a good idea of the physical features of the country to be traversed. - - -{135} - -"Throughout its entire length from Dir to Ashreth, the road was a mere -goat-track, offering extraordinary difficulties to the passage of -troops, and requiring extensive improvements before laden animals could -follow it. - -"The route to Gujar, at the foot of the pass, lay for eleven miles up -the Dir Valley beside the tumbling snow-fed torrent that streams from -the south side of the pass. The track was in general extremely -difficult, frequently losing itself among the boulders that choked the -bed of the stream, and rising steeply to traverse the face of a rocky -bluff, only to fall again with equal abruptness on the other side. -This portion of the road had to be realigned and reconstructed -throughout, the river had to be bridged in three or four places, and -stone staircase ramps had to be built in the water at more than one -point, to enable laden animals to pass where the stream washed the foot -of a precipitous cliff. From Gujar, 8,450 ft., to the summit of the -pass, a distance of three miles, the track lay over frozen and often -treacherous snow, at first at a fairly easy gradient, but growing -steeper and more slippery as the pass was approached. Beyond the crest -a great snow cornice, 15 ft. in height, overhung the head of the glen, -down which the track descended for about 1,000 yards at a gradient of -one in three or four, over vast drifts of avalanche snow, in which -great rocks and the uprooted trunks of gigantic trees lay deeply -embedded. From the foot of this descent the route lay down a steep and -rocky gorge, now following the tangled bed of the torrent, now winding -through fine forests of pine and cedar, or traversing open grassy -glades clogged with the drainage of melting snows." - - -{136} - -[Sidenote: The advance] - -In such a struggle with the forces of nature Gatacre was at his best. -No difficulty dismayed him; his own passionate belief in the power of -goodwill and hard work to overcome every obstacle inspired the whole -force. The men learnt to work hard because he expected it of them and -seemed always present to appreciate their efforts. They learnt to -endure every hardship because he endured physical discomforts as great -as theirs. Some few men were attacked with frost-bite, and the General -was amongst the number; it caught him across the knuckles, and put him -to great inconvenience. They saw him daily riding up and down the -road, ministering to their comfort and their safety; and they realised -that as a master he was one whom all good workmen delight to serve, -because he made himself their servant. - -An officer who is now a Brevet-Colonel and has since served in Egypt, -in East Africa, and in Natal, writes thus: - - -"I have seen a good deal of active service, but nowhere have I met any -officer, either of high or low rank, who more completely gave himself -up to ensure the comfort of the troops under his command than the dear -General. Nothing escaped his eagle eye: at one moment we were -arranging that some picket should protect itself better against the -wind and rain; at the next the General was showing how a shelter should -be run up over the tent of some sick officer, to protect him from the -heat of the or describing how better troughs could be for watering -horses or mules. - -{137} - -"As to road-making, the General was unsurpassed. From the very -commencement of the expedition he realised that good communications -must be ensured; and made our brigade work as I have never seen any -troops work, except Egyptian troops on the railway in the Soudan. -Morning, noon, and night did every available man slave away at -bettering the wild mountain paths which were our only link with our -supplies and civilisation. The country supplied absolutely nothing but -a little hill grass obtainable in some districts, which meant that -every grain of food had to be laboriously carried up." - - -It is evident that the care of 3,000 men in such a country was no light -work; and Gatacre, who never took his work lightly even at home, -certainly did not spare himself on service. His own letters give such -a good idea of the routine of camp life, and of the spirit of genuine -pleasure in it all that was so characteristic of him, that they shall -tell their own tale. - - -"We are marching all day over the most impossible ground. Our food -comes up at about 10 o'clock at night. Last night, owing to the -badness of the track, it never came in at all, and this morning I hear -it is still four miles off, the other side of the pass: this means -another eight hours! Talk about roads, you never saw such a country! -You approach a range of hills 10,000 ft. high, you have to cut a road -for the animals before you attempt to bring them up, and this means -time. Every now and then they have to stop and clear away these -creatures who stalk us and shoot from behind rocks. We have {138} been -very fortunate in losing no men, though we have knocked over a good -many of them." - - * * * * * - -"Yesterday we were soaked with rain twice, had difficulty about wood -for cooking, all green and soaked with wet; but everybody got in by 10 -p.m. except about fifty mules and a company of Goorkhas who were -stopped by the road falling away and some mules falling through about -300 yards down the khud. This of course stopped the remainder there -for the night, but we got them some food, and they had to bivouac the -night there without fire or blankets. We got them on this morning. - -"Is it not marvellous? Out of my whole force of four regiments, a -battery, and a company of Sappers, I have no sick men; they march all -day, making roads, constantly get wet through, often have to sleep at -great elevations. We were 8,700 ft. the night before last, without -blankets, and yet they are all quite fit: no sick officer or man. Of -course we take all the care we can of them. - -"Yesterday after passing over the pass we found on the hills along -which the road ran all English flowers--narcissus, iris, lilies (they -plant them on their graves), may, hawthorn, hyacinths, tulips, in great -profusion. The country is magnificent, soil very rich, would grow -anything; we must take the country and improve it. It is another -Kashmir." - - * * * * * - -"We had a thunderstorm with lightning last night, a grand sight. I was -coming back from Ashreth after nightfall, and stopped several times to -watch the lightning light the snow peaks--quite beautiful! - -[Illustration: On the road to Chitral.] - -"I had a hard day the day before yesterday. {139} My orderly officer -and I had to go from Dir to Janbatai and back, about fifty-six miles -over a difficult road; we started at 5 a.m. and did not get back till 1 -a.m. yesterday. For we were delayed on the road so long inspecting -that night overtook us, and we had to walk along a most impossible -track leading our ponies; we literally had to feel our way with our -feet. We all got falls over rocks and stones, but beyond breaking our -skin and clothes we were none the worse. The river was running under -us nearly all the way about 300 ft. straight down, so you may imagine -we had to be careful. I lost my helmet, but fortunately it rolled down -the track instead of over the khudside." - - * * * * * - -"Though I get up at daybreak and go to bed at 11 p.m. daily, I assure -you that I never have a moment; it seems strange, but if you saw the -country you would understand it. I have a long line of troops -scattered over some forty miles of country connected by a single road -along which only one man and one animal can pass at a time; sixteen -bridges which may be washed away at any moment, causing many hours' -delay in replacement; a snow pass, in the centre exactly, over which -every ounce of food has to come; a terrific road along river-beds at -one moment, running nearly up to the sky the next; 4,000 mules and -donkeys working in stages from place to place, with supplies, guards, -escorts, regiments, all of which have to be carefully watched to see -that they have food and that nothing goes wrong. All this takes time, -for it is a country one cannot gallop in, hardly go off a walk, but we -are improving the roads and cutting new ones." - - * * * * * - -{140} - -"Then the snow pass stops us; we have to carry all our loads and -supplies over the pass by hand. This makes us slow, but it is very -sure; now the snow is melting and avalanches falling in every -direction. Such an interesting country, and so beautiful! I have -never seen such scenery, such mountains, trees, and rivers--simply -magnificent! The spot I am now encamped in is about 2,000 ft. below -the top of the pass, covered with gigantic cedars and pine-trees, eight -and nine feet in diameter; I have never seen such trees. It is -impossible to imagine anything more beautiful. There are high snow -mountains all around us, a snow torrent from the avalanches rushing -some hundreds of feet below us, carrying trees, rocks, etc., along with -it; one can hardly hear oneself speak. Below in the valley one finds -every English flower almost, chiefly in blossom, white peonies, -honeysuckle--all sorts. - -"Well, we are getting on all right. I have been halted here for seven -days owing to want of supplies; one of our bridges broke and stopped -them. But we are moving on to-day; this refers to the troops only--of -course I move up and down the line every day. - -"One of my officers was shot at yesterday, but up to date I have been -unable to discover the man. I always have a duffedar (Native Cavalry -N.C.O.) with a carbine behind me whenever I ride, and two Goorkhas -whenever I walk; but I am out all day and most of the night, and I -wonder they have not had a shot at me yet, for it is a wild country, -full of trees, stones, and jungle. - -"Yesterday I caught thirty drivers stealing stores from their loads. -There has been a great deal of this all along the road, causing us much -{141} loss; so I had them all thrashed. There was much howling, but I -do not think there will be any more thieving; we have to be summary -here." - - -[Sidenote: The fort] - -On May 15 the Third Brigade marched into Chitral. Sir Robert Low and -the Headquarter Staff followed a few days later; their arrival was made -the occasion for a political durbar, and a grand review of all the -troops, including the garrison of the fort, and Colonel Kelly's -triumphant little band. Sir Robert Low made a speech in which he -complimented all ranks on the good work that each contingent had -performed, and more particularly thanked the Third Brigade and their -Brigadier for their share in the success of his expedition. - -At the first opportunity Gatacre himself read the Funeral Service over -the grave where Captain Baird, who fell in the sortie of March 3, had -been hastily buried during the siege. He gave orders for the erection -of a wooden cross, and had photographs taken of this and the country -round, which he sent with a sympathetic letter to the young officer's -mother. On his arrival in England in the autumn he regarded it as one -of his first duties to fulfil his promise to call on Mrs. Baird, a -widow lamenting her only son. - -On the approach of the hot weather, the troops were withdrawn from the -fort, and disposed in suitable camps along the road, pending the -decision of Government on the question of {142} occupation. The long -line of communications was divided into sections, the most advanced, -from Dir northwards to Chitral, being held by the Third Brigade, the -section from Dir southwards to Janbatai by the Second, and the Swat -Valley by the First. Road-making and mending was still the principal -occupation, for the General was never satisfied with his roads; and all -through the summer months the men were kept, happy, and well by -improving the roadway which is still used by the column of troops which -every two years relieves the garrison of Chitral. - -It was probably at this time that the following incident took place. -The General one day passed a supply convoy on the road, in charge of a -transport officer with whose appearance he was dissatisfied, though he -said nothing at the time. Next day he sent for the senior officer, and -after a short talk with him told him to smarten up his subaltern. - -"Certainly, sir, certainly," said the officer, and a look of pride and -relief stole over his face that he had himself escaped unfriendly -criticism. The General, reading the man's expression, added, "And -smarten yourself up, too." - -The officer who supplies this tale concludes: "I can see and hear the -General's chuckle after administering this little pill." - -[Sidenote: Snipers] - -Colonel Ronald Brooke,[3] who proved himself an orderly officer after -his General's own heart, tells us how the Ashreth Valley became -infested by a band of hillmen who cut up stragglers from {143} the -convoys, and finally one night attacked a band of Chitrali traders -(under the impression that they were our transport followers) who had -incautiously spent the night at the foot of the pass. Twelve out of -thirteen were killed; one only escaped, badly wounded, to carry the -news to the nearest military post. The story goes on: - - -[3] Brevet-Lieutenant-Colonel R. G. Brooke, D.S.O. - - -"The General and I at once hurried to the spot, which looked just like -a shambles, and he immediately ordered a beat on a huge scale. Troops -silently surrounded the Ashreth Valley from every side; and on August -12, instead of a grouse drive, we indulged in the far more exciting -experience of a Kafristan robber drive. A band of fifteen were flushed -on the hillside, of whom five were captured, the others escaping, never -to return to so dangerous a spot. Of the five prisoners, three were -sentenced to death, and the other two were set free on account of their -youth." - - -[Illustration: General Gatacre and his favourite pony.] - -Having thus cleared his own valley of snipers, Gatacre longed to do the -same on the Dir-Janbatai section, where the troops on escort-duty had -been constantly fired on, several soldiers having been mortally -wounded. At last he secured from the Major-General Commanding -permission to take over this dangerous section as well as his own. A -picked lot of Pathan Sepoys were sent down under an excellent native -non-commissioned officer, with instructions to patrol the hillsides far -above the position that snipers might take up, just when convoys {144} -were on the move, and thus literally to stalk the stalkers. This idea -was crowned with success. In a few days' time the Pathans spotted a -party of three hillmen lying up for the convoy. With extraordinary -skill they succeeded in capturing two of the party; the third man -escaped, although so severely wounded that he was tracked by his -blood-marks for nine miles. The two prisoners turned out to be Afghans -who had come over the frontier bent on doing as much harm as possible. -Both were hanged, and thenceforward there was no more sniping on that -section. - -The General's interest in the scenery and flowers was very genuine. -During the three months that the troops were scattered in various camps -in these beautiful valleys, he found time to make a large collection of -flowers and ferns, and himself attended to the drying and packing of -the specimens. When these were eventually handed over to the Forest -Department at Calcutta, the botanists found one fern which was -pronounced a new variety, and named it after the General in the records -of the Department. - -In due course orders arrived for the withdrawal of the Relief Force. -Early in September Gatacre conducted his Brigade over the frontier, and -bade them farewell amidst the heartiest expressions of affection and -goodwill on the part of all ranks, British and Native. - - - - -{145} - -CHAPTER X - -1896 - -QUETTA - -On November 10, 1895, a few familiar words were read once more in a -village church in Sussex, the old-world troth was given and plighted, -and the face of the earth was changed thereby for the two persons most -concerned. - -The General had been unable to take more than ninety days' privilege -leave, and therefore had to be back in Bombay early in January. The -drill season was already far advanced, the programme for the inspection -of the various regiments in the outlying stations included in the -Bombay Command was already laid out, and trips to Baroda, Ahmedabad, -Surat, and Cutch-Bhuj followed one another in close succession. - -These trips, which made a welcome respite from the heavy office-work -and town-life at Headquarters, sometimes included a day's sport and -recreation. - -On Friday, February 21, the General, his staff officer, and the writer -disembarked from the S.S. _Kola_ at Mandvi, in the Gulf of Cutch. This -coast is so shallow that the steamers have to lie a long way out, and -the process of {146} disembarkation includes transfer from the -mail-boat to a steam-launch, thence to a rowing-boat, which runs -aground alongside some bullock-drawn waggons. Across the highest -timbers of these carts nets are stretched, on which the passengers seat -themselves, while the final stage is a chair borne by four natives who -are waist-deep in water as they cross the pools in the interminable -stretch of sea and sand. A forty-mile drive in a carriage provided by -the Rao Saheb of Cutch brought us to the capital where the 17th Bombay -Infantry were then quartered. The Resident, whose guests we were, the -Commandant of the regiment, four other officers, the doctor, and four -ladies made up the whole British contingent. - -The inspection went off without memorable incident. The real interest -of the trip lay in the native races and the pig-sticking camp, which -the Rao Saheb had arranged to fill in the blank days while waiting for -the weekly mail-boat. - -The Rao Saheb was a man of about thirty, who, together with his younger -brother, Karloba, had taken kindly to English ways; they played -lawn-tennis on even terms with the officers and their wives, and when -on horseback their costume was entirely English except for the -brilliant puggri. The camp and all its accessories were furnished by -the hospitality of the Rao Saheb; he was our companion throughout the -day, dinner alone excepted, and nothing was omitted for the comfort of -his guests. - -[Sidenote: Pig-sticking] - -We reached Wanoti Camp early in the {147} morning, and the seven men -who were carrying spears were soon on horseback. The country was flat -and sandy, and bare except where patches of low scrub provided -excellent cover. A few beaters were sent forward to drive out the -game, and before long you could see some very solid-looking bodies, -very low on the ground, moving amongst the bushes at a surprising pace: -these were a "sounder" of pigs. The Rao Saheb selected one, the -General another, and, being mounted on a capital white pony, I was -close at his heels. This boar, which was scored to the General's -spear, turned out to be the biggest of the seven which was the total -for the day. But he was no sooner dispatched than we were off after -another. Again the same spear was the first to touch him; then we lost -sight of him as he crashed through a thick hedge. When we emerged -through the nearest gap we found that the Resident had picked up his -line, but while taking a thrust at him the pig jinked and tripped up -the horse, so that both he and his rider rolled in the sand, while the -pig went off with the eight-foot spear stuck in his body like a pin in -a pin-cushion. If we had not been close at hand the savage creature -would have turned and rent the fallen man, who, though unhurt, would -have been defenceless. - -In the afternoon the beaters started on the other side of the camp, and -a most thrilling incident occurred. After a chase of about two miles -our pig disappeared over the edge of a forty-foot precipice, which was -the cliff-like side of a dry nullah; we had to look for a chine, and -{148} after a scrambling descent found him again, rather winded, hiding -in a ditch about five feet deep and six to eight feet wide. The -General had broken his spear in a previous conflict, and was therefore -unarmed. There were two officers only with us, one of whom cried out, -"If you do not know how to tackle him yourself, give your spear to the -General, and let him try." - -He took the proffered spear, and, handing over his pony, stepped down -into the nullah, just opposite the boar, and with the lance under his -elbow stood facing the fierce creature for some four or five minutes, -till the latter suddenly rose up and plunged forward; but the spear was -in readiness, the charge was stayed, and the animal fell back, run -right through the throat. - -While at Bhuj the following telegram reached the General: - - -"From Military Secretary, Chief, Calcutta: Chief proposes to select you -to officiate in command Quetta District during absence of General -Galbraith proceeding on leave to England. Please wire if agreeable to -you." - - -It was followed two days later by another, from Sir Charles Nairne, -Commander-in-Chief Bombay Army: - - -"I congratulate you both on going to Quetta. You will have a wide -enough field there." - - -Throughout the month of March the General was kept busy with the -preparation and execution of some extensive manoeuvres which took place -on the hills near Khandalla. There was {149} also a Horse Show in -Bombay to attend to; this was on a bigger scale than had hitherto been -attempted. The General rode in several classes, and won the first -prize for Arab chargers, and also for the best turn-out in the driving -classes. The cheers that greeted him as he appeared in the -prize-winners' parade were significant of the public appreciation of -the energy that, as chairman of the committee, he had thrown into the -undertaking. - -[Sidenote: Leaves Bombay] - -On the evening of April 7, as the General Officer Commanding sailed in -the transport _Warren Hastings_ for Karachi, _en route_ for Quetta, the -nine-gun salute boomed out its farewell greeting in the summer night. - -This First-class District, with its headquarters on the lofty plateau -known as Quetta, about 6,000 ft. high, was a command wholly congenial -to Gatacre's temperament. The office-work was very light; there was a -garrison of two battalions of British infantry, one regiment of Native -cavalry, and two of Native infantry, besides a complement of artillery, -equipped both with oxen and mules, a splendid transport train, and -other details. The outposts are on the actual frontier of the British -Empire; their very distance and inaccessibility exercised a great -attraction for him, so that the official visit to each station became a -picnic pleasure-party in a very literal sense. Nothing was wanting, -not even battle, murder, and sudden death, to create that sense of -danger and adventure that casts its fascinating shadow over this wild -frontier land. - -{150} - -As the season in which marching could be accomplished in comfort was -already advanced, and the days were fast growing hot and long, it was -decided to start very soon after our arrival on a tour of inspection to -Fort Sandeman, Lorelai, and other outlying posts. Fort Sandeman lies -to the north-east of Quetta, and is in the Lower Zhob Valley; it is 180 -miles from Khanai station on the Quetta Railway. A squadron of the 5th -Sind Horse, under Captain Sherard, furnished the escort. No supplies -could be reckoned on by the way, so that transport had to be drawn to -carry six weeks' food for five mounted officers, their servants and -horses, and also for the hundred Sowars and their horses, and for the -transport animals themselves. This made quite a long line of horses, -camels, and mules on the march, and one of the duties of our daily -routine was a walk down the transport lines at sunset. - -There is not space here to do justice to this delightful ride. We -covered between six and seven hundred miles in the six weeks we were -out. The early starts while the moon shone brilliantly, the long -leisurely days in camp, the evening scramble over the nearest hills, -and the nights passed under the clear stars, with no sound but the -steady tramp of the sentries; the puzzling alternation of sandy desert -and rocky rift, dry nullahs and roaring torrents,--all make up memories -of strange and delightful doings never to be spoilt, even by the -counter recollections of sun and dust. - -In the autumn of the same year Fort Sandeman {151} was the scene of a -shocking tragedy. A Sepoy of the 40th Pathans ran amok while on sentry -duty one evening outside the officers' mess. According to his -deposition later, he had been waiting to get all the five officers into -line as they wandered round the billiard-table, so that he might strike -them all with one bullet. But the finesse of his idea was defeated by -his own impatience; he fired his shot when only three men were covered. -Two young officers were so seriously wounded that they fell -immediately, and died a few hours later. With great presence of mind -and courage, and undismayed by a severe wound in the arm, Mr. -Maclachlan gave chase to the murderer, and by raising the alarm and -calling out the guard contributed to his capture, though unfortunately -this was not effected till the tehsildar and two native clerks had been -shot dead. - -It was the custom to make the last afternoon of an inspection visit the -occasion for a social gathering; sports and trials of skill would be -arranged, the native regiments would perform feats of horsemanship, and -organize a display of national dancing and wrestling. One peculiarly -striking effect was worked out by an officer in the 15th Bengal Lancers -at Lorelai. Thirty-two Sowars in their white undress uniform, mounted -on white or grey horses, cantered past doing sword-practice, their -curved blades flashing in the sun; but the ghostly effect of these -white horsemen was enhanced when they were followed by another group -mounted entirely on chestnuts, doing {152} lance-practice, the red and -white pennons and scarlet cummerbunds adding to the colour scheme. - -Lorelai also contributed its note of tragedy, for very shortly after -our departure from Beluchistan, Colonel Gaisford (soldier and civilian) -was treacherously assassinated in the very dak-bungalow in which we had -resided. - -The object of a short tour planned for September was formally to take -over a strip of land known as the Toba Plateau, which had been recently -ceded to the Government of India under an arrangement effected by a -Frontier Delimitation Commission. As this was a desolate land with few -inhabitants, the General planned to combine this political object with -military training in the way of practice in field-firing. He arranged -that detachments of the 1st Bombay Grenadiers and of the 26th Beluchis -should take part in the manoeuvres, and that the 25th Bombay Rifles -should meet him at the camping-ground. It was the first time a white -man had been seen in the country. The march abounded with picturesque -and amusing incidents. For instance, there was the day when the camel -transport lost their way. Their pace being a little slower than that -of the mules, and the country that day with its low round sandhills -being peculiarly puzzling, they lost touch with the tail of the column. -A transport duffedar was sent back to look for the string of camels, -but came not again; a corporal was sent on a mule to look for the -duffedar, and he came not again. It was now getting late, and darkness -would soon fall, so the {153} General himself started on a pony to look -for the corporal. It was six o'clock before the camels, who were -carrying our tents, mess kit, and clothing, reached the camp, from a -point exactly opposite to the direction whence they were expected. - -[Sidenote: Field-firing] - -When the rendezvous on Toba Plateau was reached, after about three -days' march from Chaman, we settled down for a week, and field-firing -in the miniature valleys took place daily. The day before the proposed -attack newspapers are spread out with the help of stones in the -positions where tribesmen defending their homes would be likely to -erect sangars and make a stand. The attacking column, being supplied -with ball cartridges, shoot at these targets till they disappear, and -then advance till a bend of the valley discloses another imaginary -concentration of the enemy. This device presents a very realistic -counterfeit of hill warfare. - -It seems to me now that all our time at Quetta was spent in such mimic -fighting. The wild and desolate country, in which the cantonments lay -like an oasis, lent itself admirably to military training; the -garrison, complete in all its units, provided the necessary troops of -all arms, so that a succession of field-officers were sent up for -tactical examination, the practical side of which meant a series of -field-days. The General's A.D.C., when called upon for reminiscences, -sends the following anecdote: - - -"His good temper and quiet way of rebuking people was, I have always -thought, remarkable. {154} I remember a field-day when an officer had -got a company in a very badly chosen spot. The General, in his usual -innocent sort of way, went up to him to gather, as it were, -information. He always did that: he looked as if he was dying to -learn, while really he was leading on the man to talk and show what he -knew, or else to convict him out of his own mouth. The Major had no -good reason for his dispositions, and when cornered began to quote the -drill-book. The General quietly said: 'It's not very good form to -throw the drill-book at your General.'" - - -On a similar occasion, at an outpost parade, the captain in charge of -the picquet was unaccountably nervous, and had great difficulty in -explaining the "idea." With two words the General put him out of his -pain and signalised his incompetence: "You're shot," he said. "Who is -next in command?" - -On the Sind-Pishin Railway, as the branch line is called that runs from -Ruk Junction on the Indus through Quetta and on to Chaman, there is -only one train in each direction in the twenty-four hours. The -railroad runs for miles over the wildest and most desolate tracts. It -is 150 miles from Quetta to Sibi, and Sibi is 100 miles north of -Jacobabad. The roadside stations consist merely of a few planks as -platform, a hut for the station-master, who is commonly an Eurasian, -and a standpipe; sometimes there is a second hut, in which a bunnia -does business in food-stuffs and other simple trading. - -[Sidenote: A massacre] - -Sunari Station, lying about 100 miles east of Quetta, must have been a -place of slightly more {155} importance, for when the Marris fell upon -it they found fifteen persons to murder. Unfortunately for him, a -European youth, named Canning, a sub-inspector of the line, and son of -the station-master at Sibi, happened to be there that fatal morning. -As the daily train approached the station between 9 and 10 a.m., the -engine-driver was puzzled at not receiving the customary greeting on -the signals, but decided to crawl on carefully into the station. It -was only too clear that a wholesale slaughter with swords had been -perpetrated; the place was strewn with dead bodies, terribly slashed -about, and the bunnia's shop had been set on fire. The terrified -driver and guard found the station-master with his arm cut off, but -still breathing, and carefully laid him on the train, but even this -sole survivor of this unparalleled outrage died before the next station -was reached. In the meantime the pointsman had fled on foot to the -next station, and telegraphed the startling news from there to Quetta. - -Very shortly after the arrival of the news the telegraph wires were -found to be cut; to imaginative minds a rising of the whole powerful -tribe of Marris was imminent. The railroad, which ran for miles -through the Marris' country, might be destroyed, the telegraph lines -were already severed, all communication with India would thus be cut -off, and Quetta isolated might have added another picturesque story to -the romantic series of frontier annals. - -Very naturally a panic took place at the {156} adjoining -railway-stations, some of the station-masters actually constructing -amateur wire entanglements with the telegraph stores. A new staff was -established at Sunari with a strong guard, and detachments of the 25th -Bombay Rifles were posted all along the line. The Political Department -offered the very handsome reward of 2,500 rupees for the capture of the -three ringleaders, and Gatacre, who had been on short leave at Simla, -hurried back to take a hand in the search. - -Early in the morning of October 23 the following letter was sent back -to Quetta: - - -"To-day I am going out with some of the Pathans to look over the ground -where we hear some of these men have been, possibly are now. I do not -think we shall get back to-night, as the ground is said to be very bad, -but we have taken our blankets and some food. I should much like to -catch these Ghazis; it would be highly satisfactory. The Marris -promise Gaisford much, but I think they are humbugging him." - - -The party left Dalujal Station at 5.30 a.m. The troops were drawn from -the 24th Beluchistan Regiment. At nightfall they bivouacked near Dirgi -Springs; and next morning, with a view to scouring the hills, the party -was divided into four groups. Besides the General there were two -British officers, two Native officers, and forty-four Pathans. One -British officer was allotted to each party, and a subadar took charge -of the fourth; the rendezvous was to be a well-marked peak in the range -in front of them. {157} The General, with five Sepoys and a Marri whom -he had impressed as guide, took a middle line and made straight for the -summit, instructing the other parties to take a wider sweep. He had -regarded this peak as a likely place, because he had heard that there -was a musjid or small shrine built there, to which the murderers might -have resorted for purification after contact with the Feringhi. - -As the handful of men crept up the rocky slope a sangar came into view, -which was suggestive. The leading Pathan signalled with his hand that -all should go silently, and crouch; a few more yards were covered in -this way, and then the sangar was rushed. The Sepoys flung themselves -upon the two men who were found sleeping behind the rocks with such -splendid dash that they all rolled together as the enemy made frantic -efforts to get at their knives. But no one was hurt, and in an instant -the prisoners were securely bound with the puggris of their captors. - -The other search-parties now appeared on the scene, and very soon -discovered the third Ghazi, who, being also asleep in fancied security, -had no chance to get away. Three others, who had been sent away to -draw water, were now seen approaching, but they turned and fled. The -nature of the ground made it impossible to follow them on their own -mountains with any chance of success. - -At noon the little force started back. On this return journey the -General shifted his position from leading to bringing up the rear; -{158} for he anticipated that a stampede might be made on the part of -the prisoners with the intention of knocking him down the khud, while -in the scuffle and panic they would hope to effect their escape. This -reasoned caution in protecting his life against obvious and purposeless -dangers was as habitual and spontaneous with the General as was his -forwardness in disregarding the risks when occasion demanded. He was -punctilious in protecting himself against sunstroke, and wore a pad -down his spine as well as the universal topee, and by such personal -heedfulness safeguarded his life and general health. - -However, on this particular occasion his precaution nearly proved -disastrous. As the string of men crept down the mountain-side a -jemadar noticed that one of the Sepoys had failed to uncock his rifle, -and gave the necessary order. A shot rang out. The General's helmet -was blown off his head, and was picked up blackened with the smoke of -the charge. He is said to have smiled, as he rescued the Sepoy from -the jemadar's wrath and secured the empty cartridge as a memento. - -[Illustration: Beluchi murderers.] - -When the party reached Sunari Station, after a march of seventeen -miles, the General discovered that there was no political officer there -to whom he could hand over the prisoners, so that there was no choice -but to march another six miles to Dalujal. Here the murderers were -taken over by the Civil Department. The irons with which they were -immediately loaded seemed fantastically medieval in their weight {159} -and simplicity. But on the other hand, nothing could have been more -fantastic than the proceedings of the Englishman who had effected their -capture. This was the view taken by Sir George White, the -Commander-in-Chief, though he little guessed when he wrote how very -nearly his words had come true. - - -"I congratulate you on the way in which you managed and executed the -capture. I am also very glad to know we have General Officers -commanding first-class districts who take to the hills for amusement, -but I must also say that I don't think the job was quite one for the -G.O.C. to conduct personally. If they had managed to get a bullet into -you it would have made the affair one of very sinister importance. -However, from that point of view, 'all is well that ends well.'" - - -[Sidenote: A death sentence] - -A few days later the headmen of the Marri tribe handed over the other -three men implicated, and at Sibi, on November 2, the three Ghazis, -Fakir Kala Khan, Jalamb, and Rahim Ali, atoned for their misdeeds. The -sentence was death by hanging followed by public cremation.[1] - - -[1] Compare _Beluchistan Gazette_, October 29, November 5, 1896, and -_Civil and Military Gazette_, November 12, 1896. - - -On the return of the troops to Quetta great excitement prevailed when, -through the presence of a strong guard at the station, it became known -that the promised treasure was on the same train. Of course this was -divided amongst the Sepoys only; all those who went to the mountain had -a share, with extra money to those {160} who actually took a hand in -the fray. It was evening when the train came in, so that it was not -till we reached the house that I noticed the blackened helmet, and saw -the rent cut by the bullet. When called upon for an explanation, the -emotion of that moment took possession of him again: it was the only -time that I heard his voice break. - -Throughout that summer Mr. Curry and the railway engineers had been -busy over the new railroad that was to connect Sibi and Quetta via the -Bolan Pass. This line is shorter than the Hurnai route by fifty miles, -but it had hitherto presented insuperable difficulties to the engineer. -Two previous attempts had been made; but the floods rise so high in the -gorges and had twice so completely wrecked the permanent way, that this -route had been discarded by Sir James Browne, who preferred to tackle -the Chupper Rift with his magnificent suspension bridge. But owing to -the unreliability of the shifting sands at Mud Gorge it was imperative -for military purposes to have an alternative line. The new -Bolan-Mushkaf railroad was completed in November 1896. To give the -General an opportunity of seeing this triumph of construction, Mr. -Curry decided to initiate the new service on the day of our departure -from Quetta. The eight months' acting appointment reached its -conclusion on November 30, 1896, and the first mail train left Quetta -for Sibi on that day at 10 a.m., carrying Gatacre back to resume his -substantive appointment at Bombay. - - - - -{161} - -CHAPTER XI - -1897 - -THE PLAGUE - -In the Report issued by the Bombay Plague Committee of 1897 it is shown -that 27,597 persons died of that disease between August 8, 1896, and -June 30, 1897; while the total mortality from all causes for the same -period was 45,886. This is more than one-twentieth of the normal -average population given as 850,000.[1] - - -[1] See Chart 3, issued with the _Report on the Bubonic Plague_, by -Brigadier-General W. F. Gatacre, C.B., D.S.O., 1897. - - -When the disease first declared itself, the Press and its volunteer -correspondents showed extraordinary ingenuity in denying its existence, -in attempting to discount the seriousness of the situation and -inventing euphemisms by which to describe the "glandular fever." But -the authorities responsible for the health of the city appreciated the -gravity of the prospect. The Municipality appointed a special -sub-committee to investigate the causes of the epidemic and to carry -out measures for its suppression; and Mr. Haffkine, the bacteriologist, -was requisitioned from Calcutta to identify the bacillus. By the {162} -end of October the accommodation available in the Municipal Hospital -for infectious diseases was lamentably inadequate. Customs officers in -foreign ports took alarm and imposed quarantine on all vessels from -Bombay Port. Natives of all classes were terror-stricken, and many -families fled up-country. Thousands daily streamed over the two -causeways that connect the Island of Bombay with the mainland; vast -crowds assembled at the Bunders and the railway-stations in their haste -to get away by sea and rail. Before January was out, half the -inhabitants had escaped, for it has been shown that the population fell -from 797,000 on December 8 to 437,000 on February 8. At the same time -the mortality reached alarming figures, showing 4,559 in December and -6,189 in January in excess of the normal death-rate duly corrected. -Although January is the coolest and pleasantest month of the year, it -proved the most disastrous; the outbreak reached its climax on the 15th -and 16th, on which days 344 and 345 fatal attacks were recorded. - -The fires that burn inside the high walls that bound the Charni Road -sent up a thicker smoke and a more suggestive stench than ever before. -The price of wood for funeral pyres went up; in some cases Hindus -consented to bury their dead, because they could not afford to buy the -necessary timber. On January 18, 1897, an article appeared in _The -Times of India_ seriously discussing the supply of vultures then -inhabiting the Towers of Silence. The writer concludes {163} with the -quaint phrase: "There are now nearly 400, the number being ample, even -with the high death-rate now existing in the Parsee Community." - -[Illustration: Hindu burning-ghat] - - -The General Officer Commanding was fully alive to the dangerous and -insanitary condition of some of the older parts of the town. For the -greater security of his household he took an airy house on Malabar -Hill, instead of inhabiting the official residence in the Marine Lines. -He further arranged for the Marine Battalion, which forms the permanent -garrison of Bombay, to leave their antiquated huts in the same road and -go out under canvas. Two English ladies living in the Marine Lines -caught the plague, but fortunately both recovered. - -[Sidenote: A white man dies] - -The European colony were profoundly distressed on hearing of the death -of Surgeon-Major Robert Manser on January 6, 1897. He was First -Physician of the Jamsetjee Jeejeebhoy Hospital, and Professor at the -Grant Medical College. It was said at first that pneumonia was the -cause; but when Nurse Joyce, who had been attending him, died on the -following day, suspicions were aroused, and the bacteriological -examination established the connection between plague and pneumonia. - -Early in February, under a pseudonym, the General published two -carefully reasoned and suggestive articles in _The Times of India_. In -the first he pointed put that the existence of the plague and the -consequent exodus of the {164} population afforded an excellent -opportunity of carrying out extensive improvements in the housing and -sanitation of the worst parts of the city, and in acquiring official -control over the disposal of the dead. In the second he called -attention to the inadequacy of the hospital accommodation to meet even -the present demand, and boldly handles the question of finance, saying: - - -"What is a lakh or ten lakhs of rupees where the prosperity of Bombay -is concerned? The question is not one for Bombay to haggle over. The -plague has become a thing of Imperial importance, Her Majesty takes a -deep interest in it, and the necessary funds must be found. But the -Government of India will want to see some exhaustive efforts on our -part; they will expect an amount of thoroughness in combating the -disease which up to the present we have not shown." - - -After this appeal the writer goes on to suggest that a hospital should -be established in Government House, Parel, a large mansion which had -been the Governor's residence in the time of Sir James Fergusson, and -had since been discarded in favour of a more breezy site on Malabar -Point. - -[Sidenote: Official thanks] - -The municipality took the hint and voted funds. Lord Sandhurst -responded readily and offered his "country seat" for the purposes of a -Special Plague Hospital, and the General came forward officially, and -promised to see to the equipment of the wards, and to provide doctors, -orderlies, attendants, etc., from the troops under his command. His -call for volunteers met with {165} the same ready response; for nurses -he applied to the various Roman Catholic Convents in the neighbourhood; -and expended a special donation from Lady Sandhurst in making the -Sisters' quarters as comfortable as possible, and in fitting up a -little Oratory for them. In ten days 150 beds were ready, and by the -erection of matting huts in the large compound accommodation could be -quickly provided for several hundred more. - -The following paragraphs, taken from a letter from the Government of -Bombay to the Government of India, dated February 23, 1897, foreshadow -the policy which was adopted a few days later: - -"3. To General Gatacre the thanks of His Excellency the Governor in -Council are in a special degree due, both for the offer of assistance -and for the energy he has thrown into the undertaking. He has spared -himself no trouble, and the result will be an unquestionable benefit to -the city. - -"5. I may add that His Excellency the Governor in Council anticipates -great indirect benefit from a measure which brings the Military in -touch with the Civil authorities in organising measures for preventing -the spread of the plague, for it is not improbable that the Civil -authorities may before long be driven to seek considerable assistance -at the hands of the Military."[2] - - -[2] Government Orders: General Department No. 1481/934 P. Bombay -Castle, March 16, 1897. - - -It was evident that the Governor regarded the situation as one which -called for combined effort and extraordinary measures. He also {166} -realised that if such an undertaking as stamping out the plague before -the monsoon broke was to have any chance of success, there must be -central control and central responsibility. He wanted a man endowed -equally with the administrative capacity to conceive a comprehensive -plan of action, and the executive sagacity to carry it out with success. - -[Sidenote: The Gatacre Committee] - -Lord Sandhurst, having decided to execute what amounted to a "coup" in -its startling supersession of all the traditions of the civil, -municipal, and military services, sent for Gatacre as the strongest man -whose services he could command, asked him to name his own committee, -and to frame in his own words the instructions under which he was to -act, and the powers with which he was to be invested. There can be no -doubt that the Governor himself contributed enormously to the good -results achieved by the Plague Committee by the splendid freedom from -control which he allowed its Chairman, and the manner in which he put -every department of Government--civil and municipal--at his disposal, -and then let him work out his own system unhampered by any question of -custom or finance. - -Gatacre realised to the full that he was making himself personally -responsible for the success of the undertaking. In a confidential -letter he writes: - - -"The Government of Bombay has given me its thanks, and I have been -appointed chairman {167} of the committee to stamp out the plague. -Lord Sandhurst sent for me, and asked me whom I would like to assist -me, and I took Snow, Municipal Commissioner--he is the head of an -enormous department and controls the municipality, which thus falls -under me--James, an executive engineer of the municipality, an -energetic man with an enormous staff of engineers and workmen--Dr. -Dimmock, who is a sound man and has energy. I have made Cahusac -secretary. I have been told that money is no object, but that I am to -stamp out the plague. They have passed an Act directing all to carry -out _any order_ I like to issue, so if I fail it will be my own fault; -but I do not intend to fail. We shall have much opposition, as this -gives me powers over all except the Governor and his Councillors. - - * * * * * - -"I wish they had handed me over this business in December, when I first -came down; it would never have got out of Bombay. It has now become a -most serious question, and has extended to the whole of India." - - -We have to thank Dr. Dimmock[3] for an account of the first meeting of -the Committee. - - -[3] Lieut.-Colonel H. P. Dimmock, M.D., I.M.S. - - -"We began at once to decide on sites for plague hospitals. One -question that was asked was, What sort of disease was plague? In those -days one knew very little about it, for the bacillus had not been -discovered. I tried to explain as much as was known, and finished my -remarks with words to the effect that whatever the special infection -might be, it seemed to be deadly and certainly contagious, and that we -need none of us expect 'to come out alive.' 'Well,' said the {168} -General, with a smile, 'we can't think about that; we've only got to -stop it, so let's get to work.' - -"One must consider that at the time plague was such an appalling and -mysterious disease that even the doctors feared for their lives each -day, though it was their business to face it. How much more awful the -invisible foe must have seemed to a layman, and still more to one who -had to lead the attack on it as he did most cheerfully and -energetically without experience of the ways of infectious diseases!" - - -The first step was to surround the city with a cordon to put a stop to -the spread of the infection up-country. This could be the more easily -and effectually carried out because Bombay City is built on an island. -A police guard was posted on the Sion and the Mahim Causeways, where -the road is carried over the water by long bridges, and at a ford -available at low water; a foot-track along the main water-supply was -boarded up; and the two railway-stations and all the Bunders were -watched by inspection parties. - -[Sidenote: Special hospitals] - -Within the city the principle was laid down that all persons suffering -from the plague must be brought into hospital. This involved two -departments of labour; the first was to provide hospital accommodation, -the second to enforce the handing over of the patients. - -To meet one of the manifold objections put forward by the population to -the use of hospitals, a system was started by which each community -should have its own building or camp. This disposed of many -insuperable difficulties as to {169} the attendance on the sick, the -preparation of food, etc.; and so much did this concession to their -peculiar prejudices please the more enlightened communities, that their -leaders came in person to the General and offered to run hospitals for -their respective brotherhoods at their own expense. Such offers were -willingly accepted, but control over these locations was rigidly -maintained in the hands of the Committee. Indeed, so rapid was this -demand for special accommodation for each sect, that-- - - -"A scheme of hospital organisation was designed, a special equipment of -staff, stores, furniture, and appliances being drawn on a ready basis, -suitable to any pressing demands.... So that on an order being issued -by the Committee for the institution of a hospital of any proportion, -the District Medical Officer had merely to follow the orders laid down -for a hospital of the size indicated.... Copies of the plan and -equipment of a one-section hospital (twenty beds) was accordingly -issued to the various executive departments of the Committee, and to -all contractors, with directions to regulate the constructions of -buildings and the supply of stores, medicines, and furniture -accordingly."[4] - - -[4] _Report_, p. 22. - - -Within one month of its creation the Committee were running forty-three -hospitals, of which fifteen were Government and twenty-eight were -special private institutions such as have been described. In every -detail of the internal management of these private {170} institutions -the will of the Dictator prevailed. He was always a welcome visitor; -he took the keenest interest in the symptoms as they developed in any -exceptional cases, and he made sure that those peculiarly Christian -principles should be upheld which decree that there should be no -distinction of caste in any one "jamat," no difference made between -high and low, rich and poor, and that all the sick should receive equal -attention. - -But it was one thing to provide model buildings and the best of -attendance, and another to persuade the relatives of the sick to bring -in the patients. At the same time the segregation of the sick was the -basis of the whole policy, and it was to secure this end that the -house-to-house visitation was instituted. - -While the mere idea of such a thing inflamed the minds of the writers -in the Native Press, in practice the people soon found out that every -consideration was shown. An appeal was made to the native gentlemen -who were Justices of the Peace to attend at such visitations, and this -had an excellent effect. White men did not enter the houses unless -opposition was made; in the street a small body of troops was employed -as a show of authority, but these were mostly drawn from the Native -regiments. In no case was violence needed; the only pressure used was -the personal presence of the General, the force of his will and -character, the persuasion of his words uttered in their own tongue; the -people grew to have faith in his promises, to {171} appreciate his -devotion to their interests, and to respect his methods. - -[Sidenote: Drives the brake] - -The Fire Brigade brake was commandeered to carry the search-parties. -The rendezvous was at daybreak; every one had to be punctual, for the -General waited for no one. The Committee was accompanied by officials -with special knowledge of the quarter to be visited, and there were -always a few lady-doctors present. - -Supplies were taken in tiffin-baskets, but, says Dr. Dimmock, "the -General's spare diet was a subject of wondering comment; some bread and -dried fruit and a bottle of soda water was his usual breakfast, and his -untiring energy on such diet was marvellous." - -The General himself drove the brake, and one or other of the Plague -Committee staff would sit on the box in order to give him an -opportunity of discussing urgent matters. - -On one occasion in April such a search-party was organised for an -essentially Mahommedan quarter, where some opposition might be -expected. The locality was occupied by Memons, Sunni Mahommedans, and -opulent merchants hailing from Cutch. The usual military precautions -were taken, and house-to-house visitation was in full swing. In a -five-storied building in Kambekar Street occupied by rich Memons a -plague case was discovered on the third floor. The patient was a Memon -boy aged twenty, belonging to the rich family of Noorani, who were also -the "Patels of the Moholla," _i.e._ leaders of the neighbourhood. The -usual {172} certificate was made out, in the name of the patient, Haji -Ayub Haji Abdul Rahim Noorani, by the sub-divisional medical officer, -and the family were informed that the young man would be removed to the -hospital. To this they objected, and already a sullen crowd had -assembled outside. In Mahommedan quarters the crowd is essentially -male, with an admixture of children; the women, being "Purdah Nashins," -do not show themselves. - -On being informed of the trouble, the General, who was a little farther -up the street, immediately repaired to the spot, speaking conciliatory -words to the crowd as he made his way to the third floor and entered -the room. Here he selected the oldest member of the family and "very -courteously" discussed with him the necessity for the removal of the -youth to hospital. In the meantime the new hand ambulance (which was a -litter on a pair of bicycle wheels, worked out on an idea of the -General's) reached the door; but the sight of it upset the parents so -much that they withdrew their reluctant consent to Haji's removal. -Recollecting that he was dealing with a wealthy family, the General -suggested that they should send for one of their own carriages. -Impervious to any notions of infection, but highly conscious of their -local standing, the family readily consented to this compromise. -Having won his point, the General made his way down to the street, -where the crowd was now very dense: he whispered to a native inspector, -slipping a few rupees into his {173} hand. In a few minutes there was -a vast scramble for sweets which were flying in every direction; under -cover of this bombardment the patient was successfully carried off in -an English brougham drawn by richly caparisoned white horses.[5] - - -[5] Recollections furnished by Mr. Louis Godniho, Deputy Officer; see -also _Advocate of India_, April 3, 1897. - - -[Sidenote: The Seedee king] - -On another occasion the quarter known as Kazipura was selected for the -morning's search work. Kazipura is inhabited by all classes of -Mahommedans, including the African Negroes or Seedees. On the arrival -of the brake the party broke up and entered various dwellings. One -party, consisting of two members of the Committee and Dr. Sorab -Hormusjee (to whom I am indebted for this story, and who held the -appointment of Lady Assistant to the Health Officer), came across a -Seedee boy aged eighteen years, whom they declared to be suffering from -the plague. The mother denied this, saying her son was only tired, -having been dancing all night, and, supported by some male relatives, -angrily asserted that she would not allow his removal. - -[Illustration: House-to=house visitation.] - -Within a few minutes the streets and alleys were swarming with Seedees -armed with sticks, and a serious riot seemed inevitable. But -fortunately the Chairman was on the spot; he instructed Mr. Vincent, -the Police Commissioner, to send for the Seedee King Makanda. The -arrival of the Great Man and his Queen Sophie had a magic effect; a few -words of explanation {174} from the Chairman, a few words from the King -to the sick man's mother, won the day for the cause of law and order. - -The third story that I have selected is told by Miss Remy, a nursing -sister of the Order of St. John of Jerusalem. As her contribution -describes the horrible dens that were daily visited I give her -recollections in her own words: - - -"When plague broke out in Bombay I gave up my post for a time (as -Matron of a Maternity Hospital attached to a College School) and was -selected by the Plague Committee to organise and take charge of the -Grant Road Hospital till such time as the Roman Catholic Sisters of the -Order of Jesus and Mary were able to take up the work as they had -promised. From this hospital--the Police Hospital, where I afterwards -worked--I was taken out on several occasions by the Plague Committee in -their house-to-house visitation. The people have strong prejudices -against natives of another caste, and especially Europeans, approaching -too near their places, so that in examining the houses it was necessary -to respect the feelings of the owners in this regard. The rooms are -usually 10 ft. by 10 ft.; the floor sometimes is of clay beaten down -till it is firm and smooth and covered with a layer of liquid cow-dung, -which quickly dries, forming a clean and neat surface; this is renewed -at short intervals of a week or so. The internal arrangements are very -simple; the cooking-place, usually surrounded by shining brass and -copper pots, occupies a corner of the room, a low charpoy or cot in -another, bundles of firewood, cow-dung cakes used as fuel, are stocked -in odd recesses with a collection of dried fish and grain. General -{175} Gatacre, always courteous and tactful, was most careful in -observing their prejudices. He always asked me to go in first and -report if any of the occupants were suffering from plague or other -causes, and also as to the condition of their room. The General would -follow closely, and as the door opened to admit me he would look into -the room. If it was particularly clean and cared-for, he invariably -rewarded the occupants with a rupee or so as encouragement. He was -quick to see things, patient with details, and possessed of a tact and -eloquence which smoothed over many difficulties that came in the way of -our work. He was particularly fond of little children, and I have -often seen him pat their heads and slip some coppers into their hands -as we went along visiting the different tenements. One incident I -remember very well. On leaving the neighbourhood of Ripon Road, after -visiting a long row of _chawls_, we were followed by a crowd of -children, about fifty or more. Suddenly on turning a corner we came -upon a sweet shop. The General went up to the stall and, to the utter -amazement and indignation of the owner, seized several trays of the -sweets and scattered them on the pavement, when there was a general -scramble and loud hurrahs. Before the man could remonstrate Sir -William took a handful of loose silver from his pocket and placed it on -the counter. This more than compensated the man for the sweets, and he -smiled and salaamed." - - -During this systematic visitation hovels were discovered where white -men had never before penetrated; scores of houses were boarded up and -labelled "U.H.H.," which stood for "Unfit for human habitation." - -{176} - -In _The Times of India_ of March 31, 1897, we have a graphic but, alas! -lengthy account of the visit of the Committee to a Mahommedan quarter -to sanction buildings selected for use as hospitals. We read: "When -the General's brake was sighted they lustily cheered him." On this -occasion a feast and a vote of thanks was part of the programme. - - -"Tea and coffee were provided by the members of the party. When all -were seated, Khan Bahadur Cassum Mitha rose and said in Hindustani: - -"'General Gatacre,--We have been much honoured by your visit to this -place to-day. Since you have assumed the command of affairs relating -to this dire pestilence, we have learnt to assure ourselves of our -safety. We are convinced that you honour our religious feelings, and -we believe that what you do is for our own good. You have perhaps no -idea of the esteem and respect you command among us. You have won over -our hearts by your noble demeanour, and on the altar of your popularity -we are ready to sacrifice everything.... In you, General, we find a -saviour, and we thank Lord Sandhurst for sending you among us. You may -count on our assistance at any and every moment. Our lives and our -money will be always at your command.'"[6] - - -[6] See _Bombay Gazette_, March 31, 1897. - - -[Sidenote: Opposition] - -As if in protest against the compliance of the great majority to the -wishes of Government, one sect of Mahommedans, the Sunnis, showed -themselves very refractory. After much elaborate {177} letter-writing -the Headmen sent a Mr. Raikes to lay before the Plague Committee the -objections to their proceedings. At the conference that was arranged -the delegate was heckled into expressing himself clearly: "'It really -comes to this,' he said; 'they ask you to minimise as far as you -possibly can the great objections they have to the removal of the sick -by not doing it at all.'"[7] To which the Chairman seems to have -rapped out: "That is absolute nonsense!"--to the great amusement of his -supporters. But though his words were pointed, his conduct was -deliberate, and his patience faultless, for in a leading article we -read: - - -[7] See _Advocate of India_, March 31, 1897. - - -"The correspondence between General Gatacre and the representatives of -the Sunni Mahommedans will satisfy every one that the community has -been treated with extraordinary patience. The Chairman of the -Committee has given two long interviews to the Sunni leaders, who have -had professional assistance in placing their views before him. He has -listened patiently and respectfully to every argument and objection -that has been put before him; they have gone to the Governor with a -letter which put their case at its strongest; and once again they have -gone back to General Gatacre, who once more, in replying to their -solicitors, treats them with a kindness and a consideration which sheer -stubbornness seldom meets with in this world."[8] - - -[8] See _Times of India_, April 7, 1897. - - -The show of troops was slightly increased {178} when the recalcitrant -quarter was visited, but this precaution had due effect, and no -violence took place. - -After about six weeks of unsparing toil and incredible devotion, it was -becoming clear that the labours of all those concerned were not in -vain: the returns were showing a steady and unmistakable decline. But -this had not been accomplished without very great persistence on every -side. The General writes: - - -"I hope I shall hold out all right, but the strain is pretty severe; -some of my Committee are feeling it, but have not broken down yet. We -are working from fourteen to eighteen hours in the day, which does not -give me much time for writing." - - -That he won the loyal support of all his colleagues is clear from the -following letter: - - -"... The General is keeping very well; the amount of work he gets -through is tremendous. There is one thing about him that has struck me -very much, and that is the extraordinary personal influence he quite -unconsciously exerts over the men working under him. A Surgeon-Colonel -H---- has been sent down from Chitral for plague duty here, and he -dislikes the whole thing. He had congenial work up there, a lovely -climate, snow and frost, a nice house with a lovely garden; and he has -come down to work in the slums of Bombay at the hottest time of the -year, with no friends in the place, and a most enervating climate. He -says that if any one else but General Gatacre was at the head of -affairs, he would resign to-morrow. {179} Major B---- is the same. -His staff appointment will be up in October; he has eight months' leave -due to him, and would have taken it if there had been any other General -here. But he knows how busy General Gatacre is with the plague, and -feels that it would be hard on him to get a new A.A.G. just now. And -Major B---- is a hard-headed man, with, one would think, little -sentiment about him. But I could give you many instances. Captain -C---- of the Bombay Infantry, who is working as a secretary in the -office, is only staying because General Gatacre is the Chief.... The -General had a great dinner last month for all the medical men in -Bombay, and as they refrained from discussing the plague, or their -methods of treating it, it went off very well. Last week we had -another dinner of twenty-four, to which all the Russian, German, and -Austrian scientists and all the foreign consuls were invited; it was a -decidedly interesting evening." - - -On April 30 the General writes: - - -"... We are still struggling with the plague, and though it is milder -in Bombay it is still dreadfully severe in the provinces all around. -We have now been put on to take up the provinces, and it is like paying -the labourers of an enormous town when our pay-day comes on.... The -work and worry here is unceasing, and I really don't know when we shall -be out of the wood." - - -And again a fortnight later: - - -"The climate, though good for Bombay, is beastly, and there is still -much sickness about. {180} We lost a nurse, Miss Horne, ten days ago, -of plague. In Bombay the mortality has come down to nearly normal, but -in Cutch-Mandvi it is still very bad; at the latter place, with a -population of 10,000 actually present, they have lost 2,000 in the last -fortnight! I am just beginning to write the Report; it will take about -two months, I think. We trust the disease will not break out again -during the rains, but people know so little about it that it is -impossible to say." - - -Writing on May 21, 1897, he says: - - -"... Our work has not lightened much here yet, although the disease is -under control. You see the same organisation must exist to prevent the -plague breaking out again as up to date has existed for controlling it. -There is much plague in the districts, and people are trying to get -back to Bombay. Many come in with the disease on them, but we catch -them all at the stations and Bunders, and put them in hospital. Now we -are stopping every one coming in and detaining them eight days, to make -sure they have not got the disease." - - -In India that year the Queen's birthday was to be celebrated on June -22. Lord Sandhurst invited the General to his official dinner on the -occasion, and urged him to come to Poona for a few days' change; but -the latter declined the kind invitation, being fearful lest -disturbances should occur in Bombay owing to the general holiday. - -[Sidenote: A murderous assault] - -That very night, at Poona, as the guests were returning after the -dinner, a horrible outrage was {181} perpetrated. In the darkness -armed men climbed on to the back of two open carriages and shot the -officers riding in them. Mr. Ayerst, who with his wife was in the -first carriage attacked, died on the spot, being shot through the head. -It was afterwards shown that there was no ill-feeling against this -young officer, and that he was the victim of a mistake. In the -carriage immediately following, Mr. Rand, a political officer who had -been acting as Chairman of the Poona Plague Committee, was driving -alone; he was shot through the lungs, and though at one time there -seemed some hope of his recovery, he succumbed about ten days later. - -It was well known that Gatacre had been receiving threatening -letters[9]; violent language of this sort had even appeared in the -papers. It was therefore natural that a very strong wave of sympathy -and resentment at such an outrage should have been felt in Bombay, -where the measures likely to provoke such personal retribution had -necessarily been more drastic. - - -[9] See _Advocate of India_, April 13, 1897. - - -The General writes on June 25: - - -"... Our dinner was a success, but the affair at Poona has rather upset -people; it appears that the people there have been determined to have -the blood of the Plague Committee, and accordingly arranged to -assassinate them. Rand I fear must die; Ayerst, who was shot by -mistake, was killed at once; L----, who was on the Committee as -segregation officer, was wanted, but the assassin mistook Ayerst for -{182} him. I trust the man will be discovered; we know who the -instigator is, but it will be difficult to prove it. I wish I was on -the job. I went to Poona yesterday, and saw the place, and had a long -talk with Brewin, head detective; he seems fairly confident he will -trace the murderers and bring the crime home to the suspected -instigators." - - -[Sidenote: Farewell] - -Though telegrams conveying the welcome news had reached him a fortnight -earlier, it was not till the end of June that Bombay learnt that its -General Officer Commanding had been appointed to the command of a -Brigade at Aldershot, and would shortly be leaving the scene of his -labours. The city had now been pronounced free from plague, hospitals -were being closed on all sides, and employes of all ranks were daily -dismissed. The Gatacre Committee had succeeded in stamping out the -plague, and a chorus of gratitude arose towards the man to whose -courage and determination the success of the attempt was mainly -attributed. Every community wished to present him with a token of its -recognition, while all combined to entertain him "on a very grand -scale."[10] Leave was obtained from the Government of India to accept -five testimonials, which, being cased in the silver cylinders familiar -to the Anglo-Indian, are as beautiful as their contents are unique. -Two of these offerings were a source of special pride and pleasure to -their recipient. The casket {183} presented by "The Citizens of -Bombay" contains a scroll of parchment on which sixty signatures -testify that all the representative men in the city, Christian, -Mussulman, and Hindu, all merged their differences in their unanimous -appreciation of the brilliant qualities and self-sacrificing devotion -of the Chairman of the Bombay Plague Committee. A silver box presented -by the seven officers who had so loyally served on the Committee -throughout those four arduous months was also specially prized. But I -am very sure that he would wish me not to omit a record of the offering -of the Plague Staff, native clerks, engineers, and workmen of all -classes; or of the touching farewell accorded him by the Sisters of the -Cross at the Bandora Convent. - - -[10] See _Bombay Gazette_, July 6, 1897, and _Times of India_, July 22, -1807. - - -On July 2, one week before he sailed for home, he writes: - - -"I am looking forward to getting back to life again; I have been buried -in a plague-pit for the last few months." - - - - -{184} - -CHAPTER XII - -1897-1898 - -FROM ALDERSHOT TO BERBER - -[Sidenote: 1897] - -When Gatacre reached Aldershot on Sunday, August 11, 1897, he found -that his Brigade was already engaged in manoeuvres. The training was -so arranged that year that though a continuous scheme was carried on -from day to day, the troops returned each evening to their barracks. -His Royal Highness the Duke of Connaught, who commanded the Aldershot -District, sent a kind message of welcome to the new Brigadier, saying -that he would not expect to see him out for the first few days, but -hoped that he would soon be able to take up the command of his troops -in the field. - -[Sidenote: Route-marching] - -As the field-days all took place within easy reach of Aldershot, many -ladies used at first to ride out on their bicycles to see what was -going on. This practice was, however, suddenly dropped after we learnt -that two of our friends had been taken prisoners one day. They were -detained, and entertained, at the Headquarter Camp during the day's -operations, and were not liberated until the troops were on the march -{185} homewards. It was thought that ladies thus prowling round until -they got in touch with their husbands' corps would quite innocently -carry information that would materially affect the execution of the -military scheme. - -It was a great pleasure to Gatacre to find himself in England again. -His sociable and friendly instincts all came into play. I remember his -getting hold of a list of the cadets at Sandhurst, and seeking out the -sons of his friends, and asking them over to such events as would -interest them. He set about getting horses, and looked forward to a -hunting season at home. The Brigade route-marching was positively an -enjoyment to him; he took so much interest in his new regiments that he -would get up early on the route-marching days and be on the barrack -square to see the first battalion march out, and sit there on his horse -until the last man of the last battalion had passed him. Then -cantering on, he would work his way up to the head of the column and -see the first and the last company march in. He found the most genuine -and unaffected pleasure in every phase of his work. The conditions -under which it was carried out were much easier and less exacting than -they had been in India. Indeed, the light work that goes on after -October 1 was so much of a holiday to him that all thought of long -leave was postponed till later in the season. - -At Christmas he took ten days' leave, which we spent at my father's -house in Sussex. The distance being only twenty-four miles, and the -{186} weather being open, we did the journey on horseback, and had a -few days' hunting with Lord Leconfield's hounds during our visit. On -Monday, January 3, we rode back, and, arriving late, had just sat down -to luncheon when the A.D.C. suddenly turned up, bringing a telegram in -his hand. - -[Sidenote: 1898] - -"This seemed so important, sir," he said, "that I thought I ought to -bring it myself." - -The telegram was from the War Office in London to the Aldershot -Divisional Office, and ran: - - -"Please send General Gatacre and Major Snow, Brigade-Major, here as -soon as possible; may be wanted for foreign service." - - -There had been a paragraph in the morning papers announcing the -movement of troops from Cairo up the Nile, and this news supplied us -with the true interpretation. The General got away by the next train, -and in the afternoon sent back this telegram: - - -"Arrive 9.15; sail Wednesday next." - - -Having returned so recently from India, the General had all that he -wanted in the way of field-service uniform and camp kit. Though -twenty-four hours seemed a short time in which to make preparations for -such a momentous journey, still he got away more comfortably than the -other men who had received the same short summons. On Tuesday morning -he cleared up work in the office, and handed over {187} his Brigade; he -left Aldershot in the evening, and started from Charing Cross at 8.30 -a.m. on Wednesday, January 5, 1898, for Egypt, via Marseilles. - -There is no need to tell over again the long story of the gradual loss -of the Soudan to Egypt, with the encroachment of the Dervish Empire, -nor of the fall of Khartoum with the death of General Gordon ("my -brother dreamer in an iron race") on January 26, 1885, nor of the -patient preparation that had been going on in the thirteen years that -had passed. This book is concerned only with the final act of the -drama, the defeat of the forces of the Khalifa Abdullahi, and the -recovery of the capital. - -In 1898 Sir Herbert Kitchener was Sirdar of the Egyptian Army. He had -organised his force for the purpose it was to fulfil, and had gradually -crept onwards up the Nile, until, on September 3, 1897, he reached and -occupied Berber. At that point he was, as it were, within striking -distance of Khartoum. This view seems also to have been held by the -enemy, for in December the Intelligence Department heard of warlike -preparations on his part. This report precipitated the massing of the -forces on our side. The Sirdar knew that he could call for the -assistance of British troops when the real struggle was to take place, -and he made his call in December. - -Orders were immediately issued for the concentration of three -battalions at Wady Halfa. The 1st Lincolnshire and the 1st Cameron -{188} Highlanders were already at Cairo, the 1st Warwickshire were -moved from Alexandria, while the 1st Seaforth Highlanders at Malta were -warned and shipped to Cairo in a very short space of time. This -regiment was also pushed forward, as soon as others had been brought -from Crete and Gibraltar and Burma, to maintain the usual garrison in -Lower Egypt. The command of this service Brigade was given to -Major-General W. F. Gatacre, C.B., D.S.O. Major d'Oyly Snow -accompanied him as Brigade-Major, and Captain R. G. Brooke as A.D.C. - -The General proceeded by train to Assouan, and by boat to Wady Halfa, -which he reached on Thursday, January 25. It was here that he first -met the Sirdar. But the troops had already passed on in front to -Railhead, which was then the other side of Abu Hamed. From Wady Halfa -the new Desert Railway, which was still under construction, leaves the -Nile and strikes out to the south-east across the open country towards -Abu Hamed, a journey of about 250 miles. - -Writing from Camp Guheish, about seventeen miles south of Abu Hamed, on -February 2, the General says: - - -"We arrived here last night about eight o'clock, after a long journey -across the desert from Halfa. Such a desert--not a thing to be seen -but sand and a few low black rocks jutting out of the plain. A few -straw-coloured birds, like stonechats, and a wagtail I saw at one -place; goodness knows what they live on. At {189} one o'clock we were -within one mile of Abu Hamed, and were steaming steadily along, when, -in ploughing through a sand-drift, we went off the line, and had to -turn to and clear the line with the few shovels on the train and our -hands. Fortunately we were only a mile from Abu Hamed, so I sent on a -messenger, and in fifty minutes a relief train came up, and, with the -help of jacks, the engine was got on to the line again in four hours. -It was fortunate we did not run off the line in the middle of the -Desert, or we should have been delayed at least a day, and would have -been put to inconvenience for food, though of course we had some. -Well, I found Snow waiting for us, and we detrained our horses safely, -and then, after going on another mile, we came to our camp, placed -between the Nile and the railway--a howling desert, with a tremendous -wind blowing night and day. The dust fills everything, but the climate -up to date is magnificent, and I hope will continue so for a long time; -quite cold at night and in the morning, sufficient to make me put on my -great-coat, and at night, though of course I sleep in my clothes, I am -glad of all the blankets I can put on.... The Maxim guns I left at -Halfa temporarily, as we haven't got sufficient food for the mules yet, -but as soon as the train is running through we shall have them up." - - -A fortnight later the railway had grown longer, and as Railhead -advanced, so the British Brigade moved southwards and finally camped at -Abu Dis. - -Gatacre used the three weeks that the troops were encamped by the -railway to get in touch with his Brigade--to feel and to improve their -{190} marching powers. His methods excited some comment at the time, -but afterwards, when there was a real call for exceptional exertions, -it was frankly admitted that the previous training had been of great -value. "It is impossible to deny that, while discipline and health -were successfully maintained, the general efficiency was greatly -increased."[1] - - -[1] _The River War_, by Winston Spencer Churchill, vol. i. p. 366. - - -There were, however, two directions in which efficiency was seriously -hampered--boots and bullets. The General writes on February 2: - - -"The present-shaped bullet .303 Lee-Metford rifle has little stopping -power. Well, we have only this class of ammunition, so I am altering -the shape of the bullet to that of the Dum-Dum bullet, which has a -rounded point. I do this by filing the point off. Before I left Cairo -I provided four hundred files and small gauges to test the length of -the altered bullet, and daily here we have 2,800 men engaged on this -work. I borrowed fifty railway rails and mounted them flat side -uppermost, to form anvils on which to file. We have a portion of men -unpacking, and another portion packing, so that the same men are always -at the same work. The men are getting very sharp at it; it would make -a capital picture. This is a terrible place for boots, and many of the -men whose boots were not new at starting have mere apologies for boots -on their feet. Fortunately, we have time to rectify this, and I have -taken the necessary steps." - - -And again a week later: - - -"The men are working very well; we have {191} no drink, and therefore -no crime or sickness. I am getting on well with altering our -ammunition. We have 3,000,000 rounds to alter, but are making good -progress, altering about 80,000 rounds per day." - - -In the same letter we read: - - -"There are crocodiles in the river here, but not many. A fisherman -caught one about three feet long, a most vicious little brute, who -snaps at everyone and everything; he is tied by the middle with a piece -of string, and swims about in a bath; he will probably be eaten when -his master gets hungry. Three days ago a gazelle was trapped and sent -in to us by a native. He was uninjured, and a beautiful little brute, -with large eyes like Lorna's. We all decided to keep him as a pet, and -he got quite tame in a few hours. But alas! we got hungry, and some -one suggested that he might escape--so we ate him. Perhaps it was the -wisest course." - -In a letter dated Abu Dis, February 24, we get the first word of the -forced march that was ordered on the following day: - - -"I am so frightfully busy that I cannot find time for anything, so I -think I may as well sit down and write to you for relaxation. -Yesterday we had a seventy-mile ride to a place called Bastinab and -back, looking out for future camping-grounds, for I have got a hint to -be ready to move on at once, as Mahmoud at Metemma has crossed over to -the east side of the Nile, and threatens to attack Atbara and -Berber.... We may have to move and stack our camp baggage, etc., by -the side of the line {192} in the desert, and march on in light order, -the same sort of thing as in Chitral--a most exciting business this -would be, wouldn't it? - -"My Maxim Battery came in to-day; I am quite pleased to get it. The -men are looking splendid, and we have only thirty or so sick out of a -total strength of nearly 3,000. I have now got my camel transport, -something like 800 animals; this makes me more independent, and if I am -required to move I can do so." - - -Between February 22 and 25 a series of telegrams had been flying -between the Sirdar at Berber and the Brigadier at Abu Dis. All the -details of the march which would be necessary to bring the British -troops forward were proposed on the one side and sanctioned on the -other, so that when on Friday, February 25, the following telegram was -received at midday, orders were immediately issued and the start was -made that evening. - - -"News has come in that enemy in ten rubs advancing. You can therefore -move Brigade as arranged.--SIRDAR." - - -(A rub means any number between 500 and 1,500 men.) - -To which this message was sent in reply: - - -"I shall arrive at Atbara Camp nine or ten o'clock on Wednesday second -with Maxims and 2,000 men; guns and cavalry will arrive on -first.--GATACRE." - - -I have found a rough draft of the official {193} report of the forced -march made by the British Brigade on Berber in accordance with the -order received, and have decided to print this narrative almost as it -stands. - - -"The 1st Lincolnshire and detachment 1st Royal Warwickshire Regiment, -with the six guns Maxim Battery, Royal Engineer detachment, Army -Hospital Corps, and Army Service Corps, moved to Railhead, sixteen -miles, by an empty ballast train, thence by route march seven and a -half miles to camp at El Sherreik, which they reached at daylight on -the morning of Saturday, February 26, all well. Remainder of Warwicks -moved at midnight, arriving at Sherreik 7.30 a.m. The 1st Cameron -Highlanders bivouacked by the side of the railway, and on the arrival -of a train at 5 a.m. were railed to Railhead. They reached camp at -9.30 a.m. all well. - -"At El Sherreik the Brigade halted for the day, and at 10 p.m. started -on their march for Diveryah. Tea was made at Nedi, and the troops left -again, after resting, at 2.30 a.m. on Sunday. Bastinab was reached -shortly after daybreak. Captain Bainbridge, Egyptian Army, supplied -firewood, and fires were lit, it being very cold. Here sixty pairs of -fantasses were taken, as no water was available _en route_. The road -onward proved rocky and sandy in places, and was very heavy going for -tired men, but Diveryah was reached at 3 p.m. The stony nature of the -country completely wore out many of the boots. The last three miles -were very trying, as the sun was hot; there was no shade, and the men -felt the weight of their equipment. The bivouac was laid in a small -nullah, running at right angles to the Nile, and the men made -themselves very comfortable. Finding that a {194} great number of men -had worn through the soles of their boots, I arranged with Captain -Strickland, Egyptian Army, to convey about 400 men, under the command -of Major Napier, Cameron Highlanders, by an Egyptian steamer to Berber. -They left Diveryah on Monday morning, February 28, and reached Berber -the same day, where they were refitted from the boot store of the -Egyptian Army, and rejoined the Brigade on arrival. - -"At 2.30 a.m. on Monday, February 28, the Brigade moved from its -bivouac _en route_ to Um Hosheyo by the desert track, which, almost -immediately after leaving the bivouac, lay through brushwood and broken -ground. Owing to touch being lost by the rear battalion, a delay of -three-quarters of an hour ensued, when the march was resumed over a -rough and stony piece of country. After about five miles the track -improved, and at 6.15 a.m. the first man of the Brigade marched into Um -Hosheyo. Continuing its march the advanced guard reached a grove of -Dom palms at Wady Hamar at 8.30 a.m., where a halt was made till 4.30 -p.m. to enable the troops to cook and sleep. At 4.30 p.m. the troops -again moved forward over a good level track, and continued marching -until 10.45 p.m., at which hour Genenetti was reached. Total distance -from El Sherreik to Genenetti forty-five miles. Here we dropped -another 122 men whose boots had completely gone. - -"At 3 a.m. on Tuesday, March 1, the Brigade paraded and moved off along -a fairly good track, heavy in places, for Aboudyeh, twelve miles. -After a trying hot march the Brigade reached a point two miles north of -Aboudyeh at 9 a.m., where they rested till 4.30 p.m. Three men were -reported missing, but it was subsequently {195} ascertained that they -had proceeded with other men who had worn out their boots from -Genenetti, under command of Major Snow, Brigade-Major, with spare -ammunition and commissariat supplies. At 4.30 p.m. the troops left -Aboudyeh for El Hassa, thirteen miles, a very hot evening, over (at -first) a good hard plain, crossed here and there by heavy sandy khors; -there was little wind, and the column marched till 11 p.m. through -dense clouds of dust. After marching about two miles the Brigade -halted to give the men water at Aboudyeh, where a certain number of -wells containing brackish water were found. The inhabitants turned out -and provided _dilus_ (buckets) and ropes, willingly giving the men -water. Company after company filed past, each man getting half a -canteen full of water. After this halt no more water was obtainable, -as the route lay inland, and the men had to rely on their water-bottles. - -"At 11 p.m. on Tuesday the Brigade filed on to the El Hassa -camping-ground, about three miles north of Berber, and bivouacked by -the side of the Nile. Two miles before reaching El Hassa, the General -Officer Commanding received a letter by camel messenger from His -Excellency the Sirdar, directing that the column should halt for -twenty-four hours, and pass through Berber at 5.30 a.m. on the morning -of March 3. The Brigade, therefore, remained halted till 3.30 a.m. on -the morning of Thursday the 3rd, when it marched for Berber. - -"On arriving at the north end of the town of Berber, the column was -reinforced by the 400 men who had been refitted with boots from the -Egyptian Army stores. The Sirdar met the column at about 5.30 a.m. on -the outskirts of the town, and was heartily cheered by the troops {196} -as they passed him. The bands of the Soudanese battalions played in -the three regiments, and the men met with a great reception from all -ranks of the battalions in garrison, who turned out to a man, and -afterwards provided tea and cigarettes for the men, and breakfasts for -the officers, at the camping-ground. The officers likewise received -much hospitality at the hands of the Sirdar and the various messes in -garrison. At 4.30 p.m. the troops moved on again to Camp Dabeika, -eleven miles from Berber, along an excellent desert track, about a mile -from, and parallel to, the Nile. The Brigade arrived with no sick man. -The conduct of the troops during the whole march was excellent; there -were no cases of difficulty between them and the natives of the -country, and there was no crime, which may be considered as highly -satisfactory and showing the state of discipline in which the -commanding officers hold their regiments." - - -The General marched the greater part of the way on foot, and made use -of his spare horses to mount footsore men. When questioned on this -point, he gave the following reply in a letter: - - -"With regard to my doing our long march on foot, it was nothing to me; -troops necessarily march slowly, and it is pleasanter and less -fatiguing (not to speak of its being a better example) for me to walk -all the way. I always had my horse with me, and I constantly had to -get on to go to the head of the column, or the tail, to see if all was -going right, and this made a nice change." - - -The distance from Railhead to El Hassa, just {197} short of Berber, was -sixty-five to seventy miles, and this journey was accomplished between -10 p.m. on Saturday and 11 p.m. on Tuesday--seventy-three hours. -Another fifteen miles on Thursday completed the march to Dabeika. - -This concentration had its effect on the enemy, who gave up any idea of -attacking the Sirdar on the Nile, and the camp was unmolested for the -next three weeks. Some critics have on this account made out that -Gatacre overtaxed his troops in bringing them along at an unnecessary -pace in such a climate; but surely the measure of the necessity for -rapidity lies in the danger which this junction averted rather than in -the security which it brought about. Moreover, it was the Sirdar on -the spot who decided and gave orders: the General carried them out. At -the time he wrote of it as a race between himself and Mahmoud. - - - - -{198} - -CHAPTER XIII - -1898 - -ATBARA AND OMDURMAN - -[Sidenote: Combined force] - -All through the winter every movement on the part of the Dervish -leaders was carefully watched by the gun-boats on the Nile and the -Egyptian cavalry on its banks. The Intelligence Department had a -system of espionage by which the feeling inside Omdurman was made known -to them. The Sirdar knew that the Khalifa was unwilling to turn out -his main army, but that a large force was preparing to move out of -Metemma under the combined command of the Emir Mahmoud and the cavalry -leader Osman Digna. Before long the Sirdar knew that this force had -crossed to Shendy on the right bank of the Nile on February 28, and -that on March 13 they had reached Aliab, which is only twenty miles -south of Dakila, the Egyptian outpost. But their subsequent designs -were not known. It was doubtful whether their scheme was to attack the -Sirdar at Dakila, a fort which had recently been built on the right -bank of the Nile, where the large tributary stream of the Atbara flows -in from the south-east, or to make a dash {199} on Berber and sever the -railway communication lower down. Eventually the Dervish leader found -himself unable to carry out either of these schemes, the fortress -appearing too formidable after the arrival of the British contingent, -and Berber proving too remote. He decided therefore to threaten both -points, and took up a strong position on the banks of the Atbara, about -thirty miles above Dakila, which he fortified and entrenched -elaborately, and waited for his foes to take the initiative. - -The force with which the Sirdar could meet the enemy was composed of -the British Brigade, which had now been completed to four battalions by -the arrival of the Seaforth Highlanders, and three Brigades of the -Egyptian Army, commanded respectively by Colonel Maxwell, Colonel -Macdonald, and Colonel Lewis. There were also eight squadrons of -cavalry, and two Maxim guns under Colonel Broadwood, six companies of -the Camel Corps under Major Tudway, and some artillery, both heavy and -light, under Colonel Long. The total ran up to nearly 14,000 men of -all arms. This force was concentrated at Kenur on the Nile, and all -the officers seem genuinely to have held the opinion that contact with -the enemy might occur at any moment. But as it turned out, it was not -till seventeen days after the Sirdar's force started on their march to -meet the enemy that the two armies met. - -On Sunday, March 20, the whole force marched across the angle of the -desert to Da {200} Hudi, a camp on the Atbara River about twelve miles -south-east of Kenur. They started as if only for a reconnaissance in -force, for we read: "We are taking only one day's supplies and what we -stand up in, one blanket being carried for us on camels." The hospital -staff and transport was cut down to such narrow dimensions that it was -hardly adequate for the work when the big fight really took place. -Through all the next seventeen days the force lived on tinned beef and -biscuits, in daily anticipation of closing with the enemy. But what -was privation, discomfort, and hardship to every man in the force was -vexation of spirit also to Gatacre. Writing on March 30, he says: - - -"We may move to-morrow against Mahmoud, who is still in his entrenched -jungle position at Hilgi on the east bank of the Atbara, eighteen miles -south of this. I have been urging the Sirdar to move forward and -attack him, as we have been inactive for some days, while Mahmoud is -merely sitting and waiting for us. The inaction has a bad effect, both -on our men and on the enemy." - - -And again on April 3: - - -"We are leaving the camp to-morrow, and going on to one three and a -half to four miles south of Abadar. I was in great hopes that the -Sirdar would attack Mahmoud at once. I thought I had persuaded him, -but he wired my recommendation to Lord Cromer, and gave his own opinion -and that of General Hunter, which were for waiting. To-day he got a -wire from Lord Cromer, deciding not to attack--a great {201} pity, I -think. At present the situation is as under: Mahmoud is in a zariba -about ten miles from here, with about 20,000 men, very much crushed up -for space, exceedingly hard up for food, and so placed that they -cannot, in the event of a reverse, get away at all as an organised -force. There never was such a chance, and we are missing it." - - -Continuing his letter on the following day, he says: - - -"Yesterday, after writing so far, I got a bad go of colic, or malaria, -or something, which made me feel very bad; but I am better to-day, and -hope to be all right to-morrow. I hear that another telegram has come -from Lord Cromer, saying, on consideration he leaves the matter to the -Sirdar, so I presume he will now attack as soon as possible. I hope -so. We have moved to-day to Abadar, and are encamped in a shady belt -of trees, near the river, but it is getting very hot." - - -[Sidenote: A forward policy] - -During this time there had been frequent reconnaissances in the -direction of the enemy's camp by the cavalry and Camel Corps and -artillery. Three small actions had been fought; and with the help of -the information thus obtained, and from the tales of deserters, the -position, size, and strength of Mahmoud's camp were known with -considerable accuracy. - -It was the responsibility which Gatacre had incurred by advocating an -early attack on this fortified position, against the advice of others -better acquainted with Soudan warfare, that {202} coloured all his -dispositions when the day arrived. He did not, however, let his -natural forwardness of character deceive him as to the resistance to be -overcome. The author of _The River War_ has already made this point, -although he did not know the true interpretation of the situation. - - -"It is impossible not to sympathise with General Gatacre's obvious -determination that, whatever happened to the other parts of the -assault, the British Brigade should burst into the enclosure at all -costs.[1] - - -[1] _The River War_, vol. i. p. 457. - - -This feeling of exaggerated personal responsibility led the General to -take up his position at the head of his Brigade. In his letter written -four days later he anticipates the criticism that would be levelled -against him on this account, and shows that he had weighed the point, -and had deliberately forsaken the traditional place. Scientific -soldiers may criticise his action, but, according to Mr. Churchill, -there was to a civilian a certain grim splendour in the spectacle.[2] - - -[2] _Ibid._, vol. i. p. 468. - - -In the General's last letter before the fight we find the following -words: - - -"My men are ready. I have taught them all I know. We shall do our -best, and I think my regiments will do all I expect of them; God bless -you." - - -[Sidenote: The assault] - -The battle of the Atbara was fought on Good Friday, April 8, 1898. It -was a brilliant victory, and resulted in the capture of Mahmoud and the -{203} total defeat of his army. The enemy's losses were estimated at -40 Emirs and 3,000 Dervishes killed. On our side the losses were 24 -killed and 101 wounded in the British Brigade, and 56 killed and 371 -wounded in the Egyptian Army. It is interesting to note that the -casualties in the two Egyptian Brigades, which took part in the assault -on the zariba simultaneously with the British regiments, amount to 381, -which gives a higher ratio per Brigade than the figure for the British -troops, which is 125. So that it is scarcely possible to maintain that -the formation adopted in Gatacre's brigade was peculiarly destructive. - -The General's own letter of April 14 from Darmali furnishes a very -graphic account of the engagement and the return march: - - -"They all did very well, but I had to get a bit forward to watch that -all went well. Between you and me, a General Officer should not get up -into the firing line of his Brigade without good reason; this I know, -but I had good reasons for going there. When your whole Brigade only -covers a space of 200 yards by 200 yards, it is immaterial where you -are, so far as the penetration of bullets is concerned, but what is -important is that the G.O.C. should be where he can watch any important -point.... Well, our men started the ball, and we pushed straight on -over the stockade. It was pretty hot when we were pulling away the -zariba fence; the ground was flying up as if it was being harrowed all -round me, with the fire of the riflemen, and I lost a terrible bunch of -men at that {204} spot. Of course I saw the sooner we got to the -stockade the sooner we should stop the rifle fire, so we rushed it, and -as soon as we were in we soon killed all the riflemen and the spearmen -there, but we had a real good fight. The general operations of the -day, however, were as follows: On evening of the 7th (Thursday) the -British Brigade and three Egyptian Brigades moved out from Abadar at 6 -p.m., my Brigade leading; we moved in square about three miles, sat -down in the Desert, had some food and water, and slept in square till 1 -o'clock a.m. Of course we took no blankets or anything with us, merely -one day's food, ammunition, and water. At one o'clock we moved on in -square, the other brigades following; it was moonlight, and a curious -sight to see these three enormous hollow squares moving solemnly on -with not a note or a whisper even--no smoking. We went on till just -before dawn, then halted and deployed into line; a fine line it -was--the Camerons, Seaforths, and Lincolnshires, with the Warwicks in -column on the left flank at right angles. - -"We then advanced a bit, till we could see the Dem (zariba), pulled up, -and commenced firing with our artillery, in hopes of drawing Mahmoud -out to fight, and secondly of pounding his army well before we -assaulted the position. Our cavalry was on my left, watching the left -flank; the Dervishes made several attempts to get their cavalry out, -but failed. Well, after hammering away for an hour, the order for -assault was given, and away we went, the, Camerons covering the front -of the assaulting column, and firing as they went; directly we got on -to the crest of the hill men began to tumble about, and I gave the -order to rush the zariba and stockade. - -{205} - -[Sidenote: The return march] - -"We lost some very good officers and men killed, but that must always -be; we lost fewer than I expected. Captain Findlay, Camerons, a nice -fellow, was killed getting over the zariba. Captain Urquhart, of the -Camerons, too, was killed. He had just come back from the Staff -College on purpose to take part in the expedition. Gore was quite a -boy. I was with Captain Findlay most of the march to the zariba, as -his was the company of direction, and as we were marching principally -by the stars, I had to be there or thereabouts. After they were dead I -cut off a bit of hair from Findlay and Urquhart to send home; Gore had -had his hair cut so short that none was procurable. We buried them all -in one grave, immediately after the fight. A curious sight: the Pipers -and Buglers of a Soudanese battalion played the Dead March in Saul, -then the Pipers of the Camerons and Seaforths played a Lament, then we -filled in the grave. We had amongst the four Brigades about 600 killed -and wounded, and we had, immediately we had buried the dead and dressed -the wounded, to carry all these men back about eight miles across the -desert. We told off eight men to each stretcher, and moved slowly -homewards, leaving at 6 p.m. The fight was over about 8.45 a.m. I -think, but it took us all day to dress the wounded and build sheds for -them (of bushes). The sun, of course, is very hot, and we had all to -sit in the desert, as the bush and the river-bank was so full of dead -and dying Dervishes as to make it inadvisable for our men to lie there. - - * * * * * - -"Now I suppose we shall be here for three months, to refit and prepare -for the next go-in at Khartoum, which will require careful doing." - - -{206} - -The Sirdar was naturally very much gratified at the decisive nature of -his victory, and was overwhelmed with telegrams of congratulation. The -following quotation from an article in _Blackwood's Magazine_ of -December 1902 tells us how the Sirdar expressed himself to his -colleague: - - -"Kitchener was dictating his dispatch to the Queen when there passed in -front of us a pony led by a syce, and laden with spoils selected from -that field of plenty with the praiseworthy discrimination of an art -connoisseur. Kitchener hailed the man, and selecting the finest coat -of mail and the most beautifully finished spear, bade me take them to -General Gatacre with his warmest thanks for the splendid gallantry and -good judgment with which he had led his fine Brigade. I seem now to -see the pleasant light that shone in that brave soldier's eyes as I -gave him the message word for word. What a splendid fellow, and how -willingly any of us would have given our right hands to save him from -the fate that befell him--at the hands of his own chiefs--in South -Africa."[3] - - -[3] _Ex_ article, "Campaigning with Kitchener," December 1902, p. 738. - - -In the official dispatch the Sirdar wrote: - - -"The high state of efficiency to which the British Brigade was brought -is, I consider, in a large measure due to the untiring energy and -devotion to duty of Major-General Gatacre and the loyal support -rendered him by the commanding officers of his battalions, all of whom -he has brought to favourable notice. During the engagement on the 8th -inst. General Gatacre showed a fine example of gallant leading. The -{207} cordiality and good feeling existing between the British and -Egyptian troops, who have fought shoulder to shoulder, is to a great -extent due to the hearty co-operation of General Gatacre, and I cannot -speak too highly of the services rendered by him and the troops under -his command in the recent operations."[4] - - -[4] _The Times_, Wednesday, May 25, 1898. - - -All through May, June, and July the time hung heavily for the British -Brigade. They were quartered in the villages of Darmali and El Sillem, -the General's headquarters being at the former. The temperature ran up -to 106 deg. and 108 deg. in the shade, but he makes light of the heat and says, -"One does not feel it as one does in India." - -One little incident of these weary days has survived, and is recorded -by an officer in his recollections. - - -"When the General was inspecting the Ordnance workshops at our camp on -the Nile, a non-commissioned officer was brought to his notice as -having done very good work. Gatacre complimented him highly, and said: - -"'Now, what can I do for you? I'll tell you what, you shall carry my -flag when we advance to Omdurman.' - -"I believe the man's face was a picture, and he did not see it at all -in the same light."[5] - - -[5] _With the 72nd Highlanders in the Sudan Campaign_, by Colonel -Granville Egerton. - - - -For, as all the Brigade knew, the General's flag had been carried at -the battle of the Atbara by Staff-Sergeant Wyeth, who had been shot -through the knee and had subsequently died of his {208} wound, so that -the non-commissioned officer had good cause to look on it as an -undesirable honour. - -This matter of carrying a flag into action has also aroused comment, -but it is recorded that the Sirdar was always accompanied by the red -Egyptian Flag, and it is probable that, in flying a little Union Jack -behind him, the General had merely adopted this practice to flatter the -nationality of his troops. - -At the end of May he made a trip in a gunboat to Shendy and Metemma, -which he much enjoyed. In June he took a fortnight's leave to -Alexandria and Cairo. It was while staying there that he received -official intimation of his having been advanced to Major-General's -rank, for hitherto his name had appeared in the Army List as a Colonel -with the temporary and local rank of Major-General. According to -regulations, a medical examination was necessary before this promotion -could be confirmed. The idea that there could be any question about -his health amused Gatacre greatly, and he offered, as a test, to run a -hundred yards' race with the Principal Medical Officer. The challenge -was politely declined, and an appointment made for the formal -examination. - -[Sidenote: Promotion] - -In August Gatacre had the great satisfaction of finding himself in -command of a Division in the field. A second Brigade of British troops -was being sent up, and Colonel Wauchope[6] and Colonel Lyttelton[7] -arrived from England to take {209} over the First and Second Brigades -respectively. But however gratifying this promotion might be, it -lifted him farther from the soldiers and the fighting, and it is owing -to this circumstance that his name was so little mentioned in the story -of the fight before Omdurman. This elevation, however, made no -difference to his work or his activity. On August 17 he writes from -Dakila: - - -[6] The late Major-General Andrew Wauchope, C.B. - -[7] General the Hon. Sir Neville Lyttelton, G.C.B. - - -"We are very busy now with embarkations and detrainments of troops -arriving from the north; we are up nearly every night, as trains arrive -at most unearthly hours; this of course is unavoidable. My first -Brigade has gone on, and the embarkation of the second commences at -daybreak to-morrow morning.... We move by steamers towing barges to -Wad Bishara, about 145 miles, and thence by route march." - - -Wad Bishara is just below the Sixth Cataract, and lies on the western -bank about fifty-five miles north of Omdurman. - -The defeat of the Dervish army at the battle of Omdurman took place on -Sunday, September 2, 1898. The story was told with much detail in the -newspapers at the time, and has since been elaborately set out in _The -River War_, but, notwithstanding the existence of many records, this -book would not be complete without some account of such an important -event. Though far from being a comprehensive narrative, the General's -letter is interesting in itself: - - -"_September_ 7, 1898. - -"On the morning of September 1 we marched twelve miles through jungle, -finding everywhere {210} traces of the flight of the Dervish -outposts--dead animals, men, etc., who had been killed by them, -probably people attempting to desert. - -"We arrived at Kerreri about 12 noon, and found a village on the river -with much open ground to our front and south-west, with a conical hill -standing up in the plain about two miles to the south. We settled down -to eat in the village, and in about an hour our cavalry sent in to say -that the Khalifa's army was on the march from Omdurman towards us in -three bodies, a centre and two wings. As soon as we had had our food, -we set to work to get our troops into position in a kind of semicircle -round the village, and strengthened ourselves with a zariba and trench, -where zariba thorns were unprocurable; this we finished by dark, and -then sat down to eat and sleep. The night passed quietly. The Khalifa -missed a chance of doing us much damage by not attacking at night, but -luckily he did not disturb us. - -"At 3.30 a.m. we stood to our arms, ready for an attack at dawn. It -was a beautiful moonlight night, and I had been up most of the time, -watching my line and inspecting the patrols, etc. About six in the -morning of the 2nd we got intelligence that the Khalifa's army was -coming on, and presently they began to pour across the open ground -about two miles off, yelling like demons, apparently an endless stream -of men and horses. I have never seen anything like it--banners flying -all along the line, guns firing, etc. For an hour they kept pouring -along in thousands, and suddenly the centre of the mass turned, and -came straight for us. I made all my men lie down, so that nothing -could be seen of us except our zariba fence. As soon as they got -within range, about 2,300 yds., we opened {211} fire with all our guns, -rifles, and Maxims, and a hail of lead fell on the army; but they were -impervious to any influences of this kind, and kept pressing on and on -till we literally mowed them down by hundreds. After about -three-quarters of an hour, the ground was strewn with dead and dying, -and then, as our fire did not slacken, they began to turn and go, but -only at a walk, no running about it. - -[Sidenote: The great fight] - -"Then we advanced, and after we had moved on about one mile the centre -of the Dervish force returned to the charge and fell upon a Soudanese -Brigade, to whose assistance I sent a British Brigade (General -Wauchope's); this stayed the Dervish attack, which was driven back and -followed up. The whole force advanced and poured a heavy fire into the -retreating Dervishes, who slowly withdrew, fighting. We had now been -at work fighting and moving from 3.30 a.m. under a heavy sun without -water, and had still four miles to march over a very sandy country, so -we started in fighting formation, keeping ourselves ready at any moment -to face west again. Well, they finally drew off to the hills, and we -moved slowly on-towards the water, which one Brigade reached at 2 p.m. -and the other at 3.30 p.m.; halted there till 4.30 p.m., and then -marched on again into Omdurman, about three and a half miles; this we -did not reach till dark, as we had to go carefully. There were still a -lot of Dervishes in the town, and our gun-boats were shelling them, up -the river and in the town. We had to bivouac out in the desert, as we -could not find a suitable place. We could get no water that night, as -the river was too far to send to, and it was not safe to allow small -parties to go out. - -{212} - -"Next morning we marched down to the river and bivouacked on the -water's edge, and there we are now. - -"The total dead counted were 10,324 as near as could be; the wounded it -would be impossible to count, as they all crowded away on to the -river-bank and into the town, but there were thousands of them, -possibly another 10,000 or more, some with the most fearful wounds. I -went out the next afternoon and also the day following with water for -the wounded. I sent out many mules laden entirely with water, and we -relieved many of these unfortunates, but no doubt many died from want -of water. - -"Now the whole thing is over, except an excursion to Fashoda, which the -Sirdar is arranging; I think he goes up to-morrow with 100 men of the -Northumberland Fusiliers in a steamer. - -"We had a nice day at Khartoum; we (800 men from various battalions), -two or three bands, nearly all the officers, and an equal number of -Egyptians steamed up on gun-boats to Khartoum, landed opposite Gordon's -Palace, hoisted the Union Jack and Egyptian flag simultaneously, -saluted them, and then held a Memorial Service for Gordon. All our -clergymen were present; the Sirdar made me stand on his right hand, -thus paying a compliment to the British troops. Afterwards we wandered -about and hunted among the ruins to find traces of Gordon." - - -[Sidenote: Friendly words] - -There is no doubt that the General enhanced his reputation enormously -in this campaign. Not only was his work done in the sight of Europe, -but it was done under the eyes of a very exacting master. _The World_ -wrote at the time: {213} "Perhaps the highest compliment that can be -paid him is that he has satisfied the Sirdar." Another paper said: -"General Gatacre is a keen soldier--a workman 's'il y en a.' His idea -of practising troops in the field during a campaign was an inspiration. -The conventional idea has been that in the field the only alternatives -were fighting and taking it easy. Result when campaigning in a bad -climate, laziness in camp, rum, fever, and loss of condition generally." - -In a letter of congratulation from a Civil Service friend in India, we -find the following generous appreciation: - - -"You yourself are becoming more famous every day, to the great delight -of your friends and well-wishers; and I was proud to see that at the -Atbara you gave them a touch of the same bravery and indifference to -danger that you delighted us with at the old club at Simla, when you -rushed across the open and disarmed that Pathan servant who, after -murdering the cook's mate, was firing 'promiscuous,' while we all -huddled in the next block. Do you remember?" - - -One of his former Chiefs on the Bombay side wrote: - - -You ought to have been a K.C.B. long ago, but you are all right now, -and nothing can keep you back." - - - - -{214} - -CHAPTER XIV - -1898-1899 - -COLCHESTER - -[Sidenote: Festivities] - -On November 15, 1898, the Honours Gazette for the recent campaign was -published, and Gatacre found himself a Knight Commander of the Bath. -Having also been awarded the Second Class of the Imperial Order of the -Medjidieh by His Highness the Khedive, he was now in possession of two -stars as well as two additional war medals. He had the honour of -receiving his knighthood at the hands of Her Majesty Queen Victoria at -Windsor on December 10, 1898. Not long afterwards he received an -invitation to stay at Windsor Castle, and had the honour of dining with -Her Majesty. - -[Sidenote: 1899] - -In the following February it was notified that Her Majesty the Queen -had been graciously pleased to nominate Sir William as one of the -officers to receive a Reward for Distinguished and Meritorious Service. - -The whole nation was delighted with the success of its representatives -in Egypt, and as all hearts had been wrung by the tragedy of 1885, so -now all rejoiced with the victors of 1898. A {215} unanimous vote of -thanks was passed in both Houses of Parliament. A large copy of these -gratifying words printed on vellum and bound in red and green covers -respectively was presented to each of the senior officers named -therein. These were forwarded through Lord Kitchener, who added a few -words endorsing the appreciation of Sir William's good work. - -The Lord Mayor of London gave a dinner at the Guildhall in the Sirdar's -honour. The Lord Provost of Edinburgh invited Lord Dufferin and Lord -Kitchener to accept the Freedom of that ancient city. Edinburgh had -reason to feel a special interest in the campaign, for one of the -brigadiers was a Midlothian man and there had been two Highland -regiments in his command. Lord Dufferin was especially pleased to see -Gatacre again, for as Viceroy of India he remembered him well while -serving on the Headquarters Staff. - -There were also two gala days when the General was the central figure; -for his native county of Shropshire was very proud of her son. On -December 15 Sir William was enrolled a Freeman of the City of -Shrewsbury with much acclamation and many kindly speeches. The county -town of Bridgnorth also entertained him handsomely, and reminded him -that he had signed their roll in the year 1860. Sir William was not a -pretentious speaker, but when called upon for a speech on such -occasions his ideas were simple and his words fluent and appropriate. - -The appointment he had held at Aldershot {216} having been cancelled on -his departure for Egypt, the General found himself unemployed for a -time after his return, but at the end of October he was informally -invited to say whether the Poona First-class District in India or the -command of the Eastern District with Headquarters at Colchester would -be the more agreeable to him. It was without hesitation that he chose -the latter. From August 1880, when he left Dover with his regiment, to -August 1897, when he had returned to take over his brigade at -Aldershot, he had served continuously in India, while (with a short -interval of five months) he had been working in the tropics for a -further ten months. He had now nearly completed thirty-seven years' -service, of which twenty-three had been spent in India. There was -therefore to him a most attractive novelty about serving at home, and -the independent provincial command that was offered to him would, he -knew, in many ways prove most congenial. He took over the command from -General Burnett on December 8, 1898, and went into residence at -Colchester the next day. - -The Eastern District at that time included the nine counties which lie -between Norfolk and London, and between Nottingham and the sea. The -General Officer Commanding was directly responsible to the War Office -for the troops of all arms, regular, militia, and volunteers, within -this area. During the training season the work was very heavy and -necessitated a great deal of touring. His previous experience in -Bombay {217} had given the General a special interest in coast defence, -and it was therefore with pleasure that he again found himself in -command of a long sea-board. - -In the last year of his command, 1903, the Army Reorganisation scheme -slightly changed his official position, but this was purely technical, -and only affected his last six months there. - -[Sidenote: In Sussex] - -Occasionally Sir William was called upon to take part in the training -outside his own district. Early in the year 1899 he was detailed to -conduct one side of a staff-ride that took place in Sussex. An -imaginary Blue Force was supposed to be concentrated at Eastbourne, -while the Defence held the heights to the north of Ashdown Forest. The -wild and picturesque district over which the operations were conducted -added immensely to Gatacre's pleasure in the trip; he wrote with -enthusiasm of the miles of heather-land, and had in the end the further -satisfaction of finding that, as the Blue Invader, he had defeated his -Red Opponent by a night-march on Dorking. - -Among other events of the London season Sir William was present at the -Royal Academy Dinner. Invitations to all sorts of public functions and -city dinners followed throughout the summer. As the journey from -Colchester only occupies one hour, it was possible for him to enjoy all -such London diversions without in any way neglecting his professional -duties. - -Further evidence of his enhanced reputation was afforded by his -selection to command a Division on Salisbury Plain in the forthcoming -{218} manoeuvres. Two Divisions were organised, under the general -direction of Sir Charles Mansfield Clarke. One had its headquarters at -Perham Down and was commanded by Sir Leslie Rundle, the other by -Gatacre with headquarters on the Downs above Bulford. This latter -Division consisted of two brigades under Colonel Ian Hamilton and -Colonel Clements; the staff remained in camp throughout the ten weeks' -training, but the troops (which included units from the militia and -volunteers as well as the regular army) took part in the training for -two or three weeks only. This was the first occasion on which khaki -uniform was worn in England; a certain battalion having recently -returned from abroad, came into camp as it was, before refitting with -home clothing. The camp lasted from June 25 to September 3; at the end -Sir William wrote that his stay had been most instructive, and that Sir -Charles Mansfield Clarke had expressed himself as much pleased with all -that had been done. - -Throughout this summer the situation in South Africa, so far as it -could be known through the daily papers, was giving rise to great -anxiety, and the probability of an outbreak of hostilities before very -long became more and more apparent. Early in October Gatacre was -warned that in the event of an Army Corps proceeding to South Africa he -had been selected for the post of Lieutenant-General commanding the -Third Division. Sir George White had only a week before started to -take command of the forces in {219} Natal, and had borrowed Gatacre's -A.D.C.; and at the same time the 6th Company Army Service Corps had -been sent off from Colchester to the Cape. - -Before the middle of the month Sir William's appointment and the -details of his command were gazetted, and he received orders to sail on -the Union-Castle Line mail steamer _Moor_ on Saturday, October 21, from -Southampton. His departure from Colchester was fixed for Friday the -20th. Although it was scarcely ten months since he had been resident -in the district, the General had, as usual, become very popular with -all classes. The Mayor and Corporation insisted on being given an -opportunity of expressing their congratulations and good wishes. - -"The Council," they said, "felt that they were parting not only with a -distinguished officer and an ornament to Her Majesty's service, but -with a brother citizen." - -[Sidenote: Off to the Cape] - -Crowds of friends were assembled on the platform that Friday afternoon, -every officer of the garrison was there in uniform, and there were many -persons who had come in by train to cry "God-speed," for not a few had -husbands, sons, and brothers already at the front. Many people at that -time thought that the war would be a very short affair after the -arrival of the reinforcements, and it was in this spirit that a lady in -her farewell greeting said: "Good-bye, General--good luck to you; but I -fear it will all be over before you get out." To which the General -replied so gravely that she felt reproved: {220} "Make no mistake. We -have a long tough job before us." - - -In the evening papers that same day the news of the battle of Talana -Hill was published. This was the first conflict of the three years' -war, and very naturally the account of it added fervour to the public -interest in the official departures. Two troopships were leaving -Southampton that Saturday as well as the Union-Castle liner which was -to carry Sir Redvers Buller and his three divisional commanders. The -public knew by what train the officers would travel, and both at -Waterloo and at Southampton the popular enthusiasm was expressed with -extraordinary vehemence. - - - - -{221} - -CHAPTER XV - -1899 - -CAPE COLONY - -It was with great reluctance that Sir Redvers Buller had been persuaded -to give any forecast to the War Office in London of the disposition of -troops he intended to make on reaching Capetown. But whatever these -may have been, he found on his arrival that the situation had so -materially changed that he had to rearrange his plans to suit the -emergency. - -The Boers were bringing so much pressure to bear on Ladysmith, where -Sir George White had established his headquarters, and on Kimberley, -that he decided to send the First Division under Lord Methuen to the -relief of the latter place, and to employ in Natal the Second Division -and the two brigades of which the Third Division had been originally -composed. It seemed at the same time so important to reassure the -loyal colonists in Eastern Cape Colony that he sent Gatacre there with -one battalion of infantry and a promise of speedy reinforcements. - -Writing on board ship between Capetown and {222} East London, on -November 16, Sir William says: - - -"I am ordered to go to East London, and take command of the district up -to Bethulie Bridge. Now, what does this mean? Why, that with the -Royal Irish Rifles, which has never been on service before, together -with half-battalion Berkshire Regiment, and a few Volunteers, I become -responsible for the railway line and adjacent country up to the Orange -River, about 200 miles long--but the last 100 miles are much -disaffected. I have no definite orders, except that I am to hold -Queenstown if possible, but East London at any rate, and am to raise as -many Volunteers as possible." - - -When the General reached East London he found that it could be left -under the care of a local Volunteer Corps, and so he proceeded by train -to Queenstown the same day. Here he found the half-battalion named -above, a small detachment of Royal Garrison Artillery, and half a -company of Royal Engineers. Besides these regular troops there were -229 men of the Frontier Mounted Rifles, and 285 of the Queenstown Rifle -Volunteers. - -Sir Redvers Buller, who was the General Commanding-in-Chief, chose -Natal for his headquarters. Sir F. Forestier-Walker was in command of -the Lines of Communication, with headquarters at Capetown. Sometimes -Sir Redvers sent his messages direct to Gatacre, and sometimes they -came through Capetown. There was no friction and no contradiction, -{223} but it may well have been that this duplication of important -telegrams created an atmosphere of unrest and added poignancy to -Gatacre's feeling of helplessness. - -On November 18 a telegram was received from Sir Redvers Buller, -pointing out that "the great thing in this sort of warfare is to be -pretty certain that one position is safe before you advance to another, -and that we are not yet strong enough to play tricks."[1] - - -[1] See _Official History of the War in South Africa_, 1899-1902, vol. -i. pp. 286, 287. - - -[Sidenote: Conflicting messages] - -Three days, later, however, the General Commanding-in-Chief strikes a -different note: - - -"I calculate it will be at least five days and probably a week before I -have a second battalion to send you, or a battery of field artillery, -but I am anxious to get into a position to protect the Indwe mines -better than we do. Do you think it would be safe for you to advance -your force or part of it to Stormberg, and hold that instead of -Queenstown? I am told it is a good position for a force the size of -yours. Of course you will have no support."[2] - - -[2] From contemporary copy of telegram in W. F. G.'s own handwriting. - - -To this Sir William replied that he had not sufficient men as yet to -advance on Stormberg, but as soon as more troops arrived he intended to -occupy that junction and clear the country round it. - -At the time this message was sent the Boers had not yet crossed the -Orange River {224} in strength, but by November 5 they had occupied -Aliwal North and Stormberg, and were advancing on Dordrecht. The first -is an important town on the Orange River, near which there are good -bridges, both for the road and the railway; the second is a railway -junction fifty-five miles north-west of Queenstown, and Dordrecht is a -small town only thirty-five miles from Queenstown to the north-east. - -[Illustration: Invasion of Cape Colony: the Boers marching south over -the Orange River at Aliwal North.] - -On hearing of the occupation of Dordrecht, Sir Redvers grew anxious -lest his former suggestion should be taken too seriously, and -telegraphed to Sir F. Forestier-Walker: - - -"Caution Gatacre to be careful. I think he is hardly strong enough to -advance beyond Putters Kraal before Methuen's return."[3] - - -[3] See _Official History_, vol. i. p. 288. - - -And on the following day he added instructions to reinforce Gatacre by -one, or if possible two battalions, and "any mounted men that can be -spared."[4] - - -[4] _Ibid._ - - -Writing on November 24, Sir William says: - - -"I have not yet got any more troops, but am hoping for some directly. -Fancy what a predicament for a General Officer to be in--no troops, no -transport, no horses for his Mounted Infantry; but I trust all are -coming. The only unfortunate thing is that our people in front, -police, civilian officers, etc., are obliged to fall back for want of -support. I have been over a good deal of country the last few days, -round our outposts, and am delighted with it. It is fine and open, and -the farmers are a nice set of people. The sun is hot, but nothing like -India: {225} one can ride in it all day without inconvenience, and it -hardly ever gives you sunstroke." - - -[Sidenote: An anxious time] - -And again on the 28th: - - -"I have had a terribly anxious time the last two days, the Boers -wrecking everything in my front, and no troops to drive them out. I am -thankful to say that I hear to-day that a regiment, the 2nd -Northumberland Fusiliers, is arriving here to-morrow, ... and so I -shall be able to make some kind of show--but I am still badly off for -everything. I am still praying for artillery, hospitals, etc. The -whole country is seething with rebellion, and to put it down we require -a lot of men." - - -Immediately after the arrival of this reinforcement, Gatacre advanced -his Headquarters to Putters Kraal, twenty-five miles up the railway, -and placed outposts at Sterkstroom, Bushman's Hoek, and Penhoek. The -cross railway line running from Stormberg westwards through Rosmead to -Naauwpoort was soon afterwards destroyed by the enemy, thus putting a -stop to any combined action between Sir William and Sir John French, -who was defending a parallel railway which runs up from Port Elizabeth -through Naauwpoort and Colesberg to Bloemfontein. - -On November 30 Sir William writes: - - -"I fear this is a grumbling letter, but I am in a miserable state of -inefficiency. I have only two regiments (one joined yesterday). We -have waggons but no harness, and only {226} half the mules to draw -them--and are within a few miles of the enemy. I have orders to raise -Mounted Volunteers, but have no saddlery, no equipment, no clothing to -supply them with: it would be laughable if it were not lamentable and -serious.... - -"The worst point about the whole thing is that I can hear nothing of -any more troops coming to me, that the Boers are eating up the country -in our front, and forcing the farmers to join them, because I cannot -move: and consequently they are getting stronger every day. I assure -you that I am perfectly sick at such a display of inefficiency, -unpreparedness, and apathy. - -"Yesterday I made a dash out to Molteno, some sixteen miles ahead of my -present position, and seized some 7,000 bags of food, meal, etc., and -brought it in on some trains which I took out." - - -On Saturday, December 2, Sir William sent the following message to Sir -Redvers Buller: - - -"Military situation here requires dealing with extreme carefulness. -Boers have occupied Dordrecht, and enemy is advancing in a southerly -direction, evidently pointing for Queenstown. I have two British -regiments only, and I am thirty-three miles to the north of Queenstown. -I am holding Bushman's Hoek range, to endeavour to prevent descent into -Queenstown district, which would mean general state of rebellion of -Dutch. Force will be strengthened at Queenstown by next British -regiment, which should arrive at Queenstown December 5, but Queenstown -is indefensible position. Are there any orders, especially as regards -my movements?"[5] - - -[5] See _Official History_, vol. i. p. 288. - - -{227} To which this reply was returned: - - -"We have to make the best of the situation, and if the enemy is -advancing by Dordrecht, the importance of Bushman's Hoek is diminished. -You have a force which altogether is considerably stronger than the -enemy can now bring against you. Cannot you close with him, or else -occupy a defensible position which will obstruct his advance? You have -an absolutely free hand to do what you think best."[6] - - -[6] See _Official History_, vol. i. p. 288. - - -[Sidenote: Night attack suggested] - -On the following day the message given below reached Gatacre through -Sir F. Forestier-Walker: - - -"General Buller inquires whether you can safely leave your present -position and advance to Henning's Station, or somewhere near where you -can get a safe position, and also institute a policy of worry. He -thinks if you could occupy Henning's Station Boers would fall back on -Burghersdorp, or if you could get near enough to Burghersdorp to make -night attack, it would be the thing to stop anxiety (_sic_). He adds -Hildyard with a battalion and half sent a column of seven thousand -Boers under Joubert himself flying. The above was probably wired -before Buller read notification of the enemy's occupation of Dordrecht. -He wired last night as follows: tell Gatacre he will have to take care -of himself till 5th Division arrives. A telegram just received says he -has given you a free hand."[7] - - -[7] From copy of telegram in A.D.C.'s handwriting. - - -Burghersdorp is about twenty-three miles north of Stormberg, and -Henning is a station about ten miles west of Stormberg on the cross -{228} line. This telegram, therefore, sketched a far more arduous and -hazardous enterprise than that which Gatacre afterwards attempted. - -Within the next few days the Third Division was strengthened by the -arrival of the 74th and 77th Batteries Royal Field Artillery, the First -Battalion Royal Scots, the 33rd Company Army Service Corps, and the -16th Field Hospital. All these units were only just arrived from -England, so that, although the additional battalion of infantry was -very valuable, Gatacre was unable to employ the men on the raid that he -had been planning for some time past. They would serve, however, to -protect the camp, and would thus set the other two battalions free for -use as a striking force. Even these had only been two and three weeks -in the country respectively, and the General had had no opportunity of -getting them into the hard condition and fighting form that was reached -by his Brigade on the Nile. - -On December 8 he writes: - - -"I am frightfully busy and worried. The whole of this country is -seething with rebels, and as they are all mounted, and I have only a -few mounted infantry on half-fed ponies, it is very difficult to cope -with them. - -"I have now three regiments of infantry, but have a long railway line -to guard, and every culvert has a couple of armed men in it. Fancy -what an anxiety this is--their safety, their food, their overworked -condition. If I had my Division I could really strike somewhere.... - -"I am hoping to move on a bit to-morrow or next day to recover some of -the country given {229} up prior to my arrival, as I think occupation -of a position in advance of this may tend to awe the Dutch behind me." - - -In the _Official History_ we read that-- - - -"The General Officer Commanding considered that, in the existing -strategic situation, any further prolongation of the defensive attitude -he had hitherto been obliged to maintain would be injurious. He -determined, therefore, to take advantage of the free hand left to him -by Sir Redvers Buller, and to follow the further suggestion that he -should close with the enemy."[8] - - -[8] See _Official History_, vol. i. p. 289. - - -The first week in December was spent in reconnoitring the Stormberg -position so far as wandering parties of Boers would permit. The -general himself prepared a sketch of the hills surrounding it and the -roads leading thereto, which he carried with him on the march. The -only map available was on too small a scale (twelve and a half miles to -the inch) to be useful for tactical purposes, but all possible -information was extracted from every man acquainted with the locality. -Their accounts of the features and the distances were often inexact, -and did not always agree, but eventually five local men, belonging to -the Cape Mounted Police, under Sergeant Morgan of the same corps, were -selected as guides. - -The General's scheme was to attack the Boer laager on the Stormberg -Nek; by a night march of nine miles from Molteno he hoped to reach a -{230} position from which the enemy's camp could be assaulted at -daybreak. - -The concentration was made at Molteno, on the afternoon of December 9, -the troops being brought from Putters Kraal by train, about sixteen -miles, and some from Bushman's Hoet, which was half the distance. The -force consisted of the two field batteries, with an escort of Mounted -Infantry and two Infantry Battalions. It should have been further -augmented by the detachment from Penhoek of 235 Cape Mounted Rifles, -but, owing to the miscarriage of a telegram, these men failed to appear. - -Another circumstance that modified the original plan was a report that -was brought in at the last minute that the enemy had fortified and -entrenched the pass between the Kissieberg and Rooi Kop, over which -runs the main road and the railway to the junction. The informant -affirmed that the Boer main laager was placed on the heights of the -Kissieberg, which could be easily ascended from the western side, where -there were no artificial defences. The General was assured by all -those who should have known that to reach this hill on its western -flank would only add two miles to the projected march, and that they -could lead him to a favourable spot for such an attempt. - -[Sidenote: The start] - -A council was held in the station-master's room at Molteno, and all the -commanding officers were consulted as to their men's condition and -fitness for the expedition. Although the train service had been most -carefully timed, a {231} delay of two hours had somehow crept in; the -railway was but a single line and the siding accommodation very -limited. However, no one foresaw any difficulty, and so the start was -made at nine o'clock that evening by moonlight. Indeed, so eager were -the men that they set out at an unusually brisk pace. - -In the General's official report we read: - - -"The force marched, with the usual halts, for about eight miles by -moonlight, and halted near Roberts's farm at 12.30. The chief guide -now reported that we were within one and a half miles of the enemy's -position, and, after a rest of about three-quarters of an hour, we -marched off again in the dark."[9] - - -[9] See _Despatches_ published March 17, 1900. - - -It was soon after this halt that the General realised that the guides -had not brought him along the road that he had indicated, but, as he -wrote, to turn back in consequence of this discovery did not commend -itself to him. So the men tramped on, and at 4.20 a.m. found -themselves under a face of the Kissieberg. A single shot from a Boer -picket precipitated the attack, and before long the enemy had located -the British column. - - -"Three companies of the Royal Irish Rifles formed to the left, and -occupied a kopje; the remainder of this battalion and the -Northumberland Fusiliers advanced up a steep hill against the enemy's -position."[10] - - -[10] _Ibid._ - - -"There was no good position for the British {232} guns, except the -ridge 2,000 yards to the west of the Kissieberg. But the infantry's -need of immediate support was too pressing to allow time for that -ridge's occupation. Lieutenant-Colonel Jeffreys, by direction of -General Gatacre, caused the 77th Battery to come into action near the -kopje, the 74th unlimbering in the open veldt to the westward. The -Mounted Infantry continued to escort the batteries.... - -[Sidenote: A fatal mischance] - -"The Boers from the main laager had now manned the hill, but the -British artillery was bursting shells on the threatened crest, and a -Boer gun, which had come into action, was for a time silenced. - -"The attack had lasted half an hour, and progress up the hill was being -slowly made by the British infantry, when five companies of the -Northumberlands, on the right of the line, were ordered to retire by -their commanding officer. He considered that his battalion must leave -the hill. The three foremost companies, who were nearly on the summit, -did not hear this order, and, under the command of Captain Wilmott, -remained with the Irish Rifles, clinging on as they were. The fire of -the enemy appeared to be slackening, and for the moment the groups of -British officers were convinced that, if they were supported, they -could gain the crest. But the withdrawal of a portion of the attacking -line had made further success impossible. Nor was that all. Seeing -the five companies of the Northumberland Fusiliers falling back to the -west, the batteries conceived that all the assailants were retreating, -and exerted themselves to the utmost to cover the movement by their -fire. The sun was now rising behind the western face of the -Kissieberg, so that all the upper part presented to the British guns a -black target, on {233} which neither friend nor foe could be -distinguished. Thus a fatal mischance came about. A shell fused for -explosion just short of the Boer defensive line burst over the foremost -group of the Irish Rifles, and struck down Lieutenant-Colonel Eager, -Major H. J. Seton, the second-in-command, Major Welman, Captain Bell, -and three men. A conference had a few moments before been held between -Colonel Eager and Captain Wilmott, as to the steps which should be -taken to protect the men from the shells of their own gunners. The -former officer had stated that as the situation of the infantry was -evidently unknown to the batteries, and was masking their fire, it was -necessary to fall back. Captain Wilmott, on the other hand, urged that -if the men were once ordered to withdraw, it would be very difficult to -get them up the hill again. Colonel Eager replied that there was no -help for it. Therefore a general retirement now began."[11] - - -[11] See _Official History_, vol. i. pp. 297-8. - - -An officer of the Royal Irish Rifles writes in his official report: - - -"At this time I did not think there was more than a piquet in front, -and a rush at the end of the kopje would have taken that part of the -position and the Boer gun. Colonel Eager, Major Seton, Major Welman, -and Captain Bell were knocked over at this point by one of our shells, -otherwise I think they would have taken this portion of the Boer -position. From subsequent conversation with one Voss, Secretary to -Swanepoel, Commandant Smithfield Laager there is no doubt that many of -the Boers were leaving the position." - - -{234} - -It seems, therefore, clear that the day was almost won, for had our -shells fallen a little farther forward, so that the infantry could have -held on a quarter of an hour longer, they would doubtless have found -the defences evacuated. If our victorious troops had been able to eat -the enemy's breakfast, we should have heard nothing of the fatigues of -the night march, nor of the missing telegram. - -But, unfortunately, the morning ended differently. We will close the -account with a quotation from a letter written by one of the -aides-de-camp: - - -"The General, as soon as he realised the state of things, arranged for -the retirement, quite cool under the hottest fire, encouraging the men -and moving over the position in every direction, not recklessly, but -with a fine courage, which did us all good to watch. The retirement -was carried out in wonderful order, and, weary though the men were, -they hastened to join their units, and marched home in fair order.... -Throughout the retirement he was the last man of the column, beating up -tired stragglers, and bringing in abandoned transport." - - -In all the accounts something is said about a secondary force of Boers -that came on to the scene soon after the general retirement had begun, -but according to the following extract from another officer's report, -they refrained from doing us as much damage as might have been effected -by a more experienced enemy. - -{235} - -"Just as we were moving off about 400 Boers appeared on the high -plateau on our right flank from the Steynsburg direction, but were at -once checked by the fire of our guns, and gave the infantry no further -trouble." - - -The advanced troops got back to Molteno at 11 a.m., and all were in by -12.30. The casualties were officially returned as eight officers -wounded (one died of wounds) and thirteen missing; in other ranks there -were 25 killed, 102 wounded, and 548 missing. The whole force employed -amounted to 3,035 of all ranks. - -The main facts of this account are taken from the _History of the War -in South Africa_ recently published. So little is said in the -General's despatch of the part played by the infantry that this -omission is a subject of comment in Lord Roberts's covering letter of -February 1900.[12] It may therefore be concluded that the -Field-Marshal (who was commanding the forces in Ireland at the time -that the engagement was fought) was at the time of writing ignorant of -many incidents that have since been brought to light. - - -[12] See _Despatches_ published March 17, 1900. - - -[Sidenote: With an ace] - -In Sir William's letter three days later he speaks of the action as "a -most lamentable failure, and yet within an ace of being the success I -anticipated," and goes on: - - -"The fault was mine, as I was responsible of course. I went rather -against my better judgment in not resting the night at Molteno, but I -{236} was tempted by the shortness of the distance and the certainty of -success. It was so near being a brilliant success." - - -Both in the articles published at the time, and in the _Official -History_ referred to above, the circumstances in which Sir William was -placed are held to have made some demonstration imperative. - - -"Sir William Gatacre's decision to advance on Stormberg was fully -justified by the strategical situation. General Buller's telegram, -although it left him a free hand as to time and opportunity, had -suggested that operation. The plan, though bold, was sound in its -design, and would have succeeded had not exceptional misfortune -attended its execution."[13] - - -[13] See _Official History_, vol. i. pp. 301, 302. - - -On the following day, Monday, the battle of Magersfontein was fought on -the north-west, and on Friday of the same week Sir Redvers Buller -delivered his unsuccessful attack on Colenso. Owing to the proximity -of dates, the attempt to retake Stormberg is associated in the public -mind with the other engagements of that week; but in the numbers -employed, in the losses suffered, and in political importance it -shrinks into insignificance compared with them. At Magersfontein, on -December 11, 14,964 troops of all ranks were engaged, the total killed -and wounded was returned as 885, with 63 missing; at Colenso, out of -19,378 men, the losses were 899, with 240 missing; while at Stormberg, -out {237} of 3,035 engaged, 135 were killed and wounded, and 571 taken -prisoners.[14] From a political point of view, though no ground was -gained, still none was lost, and Sir William was actually able, the day -after, to establish his headquarters at Sterkstroom, which was five -miles farther up the railway than he had been at Putters Kraal. - - -[14] See _Official History_, vol. i. app. vi. pp. 468, 469, 470. - - -From the General Commanding-in-Chief Sir William received the following -telegram: - - -"Your telegram respecting your action and dispositions, I think you -were quite right to try the night attack and hope better luck next -time. I don't think you will find them attack you when in position, -but it would be better to retire than run the risk of being surrounded; -as to this you must judge for yourself, but military considerations -should be held paramount.--BULLER."[15] - - -[15] See original text. From Frere Camp, 2.17 p.m.; reached -Sterkstroom 4.4 p.m., December 11, 1899. - - -Writing on December 18, Sir William says: - - -"I have now three regiments--the Derbyshire, Royal Scots, and Royal -Irish Rifles. I have been obliged to send the Northumberland Fusiliers -to East London to look after the base, as Sir Redvers Buller wished -this done. My Howitzer Battery he has been obliged to send to Natal to -assist Clery. - -"I have up here (Sterkstroom) a large camp with supplies, stores, etc., -and have been ordered by Buller to entrench and endeavour with my -mounted troops to harry the district round me, but I have so few -trained troops, and these Boers {238} are so mobile (all mounted) that -it is a very difficult matter to catch them. - - * * * * * - -"You must not expect to see much movement from my force: I have no -strength--cannot leave my line of communications, which are long. All -the districts behind me are ready to rise, and I cannot separate my -regiments. I have received orders to entrench my camp, and this I am -about to do. This will, of course, free my mounted men a bit, as the -post, with provisions, will be safe for them to come back to. As I am -writing I hear of a threatened rising in Alice and Seymour, two -districts south-west of Stutterheim, right away behind me, which makes -it difficult for me to retain my communications with the coast. These -may be exaggerated reports, but I have had so many warnings that one -cannot afford to disregard them. You may rest assured we shall fight -to the end anyhow, and my thoughts will be with you." - - - - -{239} - -CHAPTER XVI - -1900 - -ORANGE FREE STATE - -The anxiety felt by the commanders of the three detached forces in -South Africa was shared by the nation at home. The telegrams sent to -England by Sir Redvers Buller showed that the state of affairs in Natal -after the battle of Colenso was very critical, and that only prompt and -ample reinforcements would be of any avail. Troops of all arms were -despatched to Capetown as fast as ships could be got ready to carry -them, and Field-Marshal Lord Roberts was appointed Commander-in-Chief, -with Lord Kitchener as his chief staff officer. - -The Field-Marshal reached Capetown on January 10. Four weeks were -necessary for the organisation of his new army, which amounted to -35,000 men when concentrated at Modder River on February 8. A week -later General French at the head of a Cavalry Division rode into -Kimberley, and on the same day the Sixth Division got in touch with -General Cronje, and commenced the series of operations which led to his -surrender with all his army. There {240} were yet, however, two -serious engagements to be fought, at Poplar Grove and Driefontein, -before the Commander-in-Chief entered Bloemfontein on Thursday, March -15, 1900. By that time this advance in force into the enemy's country -had had its effect in the east and south. The pressure in Natal was -relaxed, and on March 1 Sir Redvers Buller rode into Ladysmith and -greeted Sir George White and his gallant garrison. In the meantime -Gatacre and Clements had been holding on to the railways, impatient to -move forward as soon as it was safe to do so. Both these columns, -which had been marking time in the face of the enemy, had had -occasional conflicts, but these were, for the most part, outpost -affairs, or the result of reconnaissance. - -Writing from Sterkstroom on February 24, Sir William says: - - -"Yesterday we had a fight just north of Molteno, and unfortunately lost -about seventy men, but we gained the information we required. -Montmorency is missing, and I fear he has been wounded or shot. His -party got too far ahead of us, and it was with difficulty I extricated -them. I was very nearly shot twice, once by a rifleman (Boer), once by -a shell--very near. I have had marvellous luck on more than one -occasion. The men all behaved very well. I do not think that people -realise quite the extent of the country I am covering. From Karn Nek -to Bird's River is thirty-five miles, and I have three and a half -regiments only to do it with. I think I told you that Brabant, a -Colonial, {241} had been given a command under me of mounted troops. -He has a very mixed lot, and their procedure is sketchy, but Lord -Roberts wishes him to have a free hand. He is to start to-day towards -Dordrecht, and I have told him what I want him to do, _i.e._ to cut in -between Dordrecht and Jamestown, which I think should have the effect -of making them fall back from Stormberg, in which case I could occupy -it, but, as you see, I cannot occupy it without evacuating some place -behind me." - - -[Sidenote: Across the river] - -On March 5 the Third Division reoccupied Stormberg; on the 6th they -reached Burghersdorp; on the 9th the scouts chased the Boers to the -bridge over the Orange River at Bethulie, and entrenched themselves on -the southern bank. The little band arrived just in time to see the -railway bridge blown up, but their advance saved the roadway. -Lieutenant Popham, of the Derbyshire Regiment, promptly cut the -electric wire that would have fused the dynamite, and at night Sir -William, accompanied by Lieutenant Grant, R.E., crept along the -parapet, and dropped the parcels of explosives into the river. The -scouts of the Third Division were rather proud of having saved this -bridge, as at Norvals Pont both were destroyed. The next day the -column occupied Bethulie in the enemy's country, and on the 15th took -possession of the railway junction at Springfontein. Colonel Clements -had also crossed the Orange River, and made his way on to the junction -shortly after the Third Division had captured the place. - -{242} - -"The deliberation of Gatacre's movements surprised his younger -officers, who did not know that the Divisional General had received -orders from the Commander-in-Chief not to commit himself seriously -until reinforcements had reached him, and, if possible, to repair the -railway which connects Stormberg with Naauwpoort Junction."[1] - - -[1] See _Official History_, vol. ii. p. 247. - - -Colonel Clements had received orders in the same strain: - - -"Do not attempt to force passage of river until you hear from me, or -are certain that the enemy have considerably loosened their hold over -the heights on the north bank. This they are sure to do when we reach -Bloemfontein, and it is better that the repair of the bridge be delayed -a few days than that lives be lost unnecessarily."[2] - - -[2] _Ibid._, vol. ii. p. 256. - - -On March 16 General Pole-Carew was sent down the line from Bloemfontein -to meet Gatacre and Clements. - - -"He found at Edenburg that he had just missed Grobler's contingent -proceeding north-east. This was only the first of two parties escaping -from Colesberg, the second being under Lemmer, while Du Plessis and -Olivier were leading a third party in the same direction from Bethulie -and Aliwal North. When the three parties united in the neighbourhood -of Ladybrand, they formed the imposing total of 5,500 Boers, 1,000 -Kaffirs, 10,000 oxen and 800 waggons, covering a total extent of -twenty-four miles on the march. - -{243} - -"As soon as Pole-Carew heard of Grobler's movements on the 16th, he -urged upon the Commander-in-Chief the advisability of sending out a -strong force east of Bloemfontein, to intercept the Boer commandoes as -they came up from the south, and of bringing Brabant from Aliwal North -and Gatacre from Springfontein to close in upon their rear."[3] - - -[3] See _Times History_, vol. iv. p. 7. - - -[Sidenote: A pacific policy] - -The Field-Marshal was not, however, ready to undertake such an -extensive movement; his force had only reached its goal the day before, -and neither his men nor his horses would have been equal to such a -chase. Moreover the situation presented itself to him in quite a -different light. The ready submission of the Boer farmers in the -vicinity of the main army led him to exaggerate the effect on the -nation at large of the capture of General Cronje and his four thousand -fighting men. He was led to believe by reports from various outlying -districts that there was no fight left in the Boers, and in his desire -to win them without unnecessary blood-shed he decided to try a policy -of pacification. - -On his arrival at Bloemfontein Lord Roberts issued a Proclamation by -which, in the name of Her Majesty the Queen, he offered pardon and -protection to all such burghers as would lay down their arms and swear -an oath of allegiance.[4] A week later he telegraphed to the War -Office: - - -[4] For words of Proclamation see _Official History_, vol. ii. p. 260. - - -"So many burghers have expressed their {244} desire to surrender under -the terms of the last proclamation that I have sent small columns in -various directions to register the names and to take over arms."[5] - - -[5] See _Times History_, vol. iv. p. 8. - - -In pursuance of this policy the Field-Marshal on March 19 telegraphed -the following order to Sir William Gatacre, whose headquarters were at -Springfontein: - - -"Could you manage to take a small force, say two battalions, one -battery, and some mounted infantry, as far as Smithfield? It is very -desirable British troops should be seen all over the country and -opportunity given to burghers to surrender and deliver up their arms -under the conditions of the Proclamation of March 15."[6] - - -[6] See _Official History_, vol. ii. p. 301. - - -Gatacre's command at this time had increased to four battalions of -infantry, with such mounted infantry as he had been able to raise from -their ranks, and this Brigade was now employed as line-of-communication -troops. Two battalions were needed at Bethulie Bridge, where the men's -assistance was required in passing stores, etc., over the road-bridge -until the railway should be repaired; from the other two he had to -supply guards for 115 miles of railway from Bethulie to Bloemfontein. -The Colonial section of his force was acting more or less independently -under General Brabant, who had established his headquarters at Aliwal -North. - -{245} - -To the telegram given above Gatacre replied that he could not spare -more than one battalion (the 2nd Royal Irish Rifles), a field battery, -a company of the mounted infantry of the Royal Scots and a section of -that of the Royal Irish Rifles. His suggested reduction was approved, -and the column started on its fifty-mile march to Smithfield on the -20th. - -On the 21st Sir William rode about twenty miles west of the railway to -Philipolis, where he took over the keys from the Landrost without -opposition, returning the same evening to Springfontein. - -In order to understand Sir William's part in the affairs of the next -ten days, it will be necessary to follow in detail the messages that -passed daily between the Field-Marshal Commanding-in-Chief and the -Divisional General. - -[Sidenote: Troops sent to Wepener] - -On Monday, March 26, instructions were received directing that two -squadrons of Brabant's Mounted Colonials from Aliwal North, together -with the mounted infantry company of the Royal Scots already at -Smithfield, should push on to Wepener, which lies fifty miles to the -north-east of Smithfield. - -On Tuesday, the 27th, the 1st Derbyshire Regiment and the 11th Brigade -Division of the Royal Field Artillery were called up to complete a -Division at headquarters, thus reducing Gatacre's small force by about -1,000 men. - -On the same day Sir William telegraphed to Headquarters reporting a -rumoured concentration of the enemy at Modder Poort, expressing {246} -his anxiety for the detachment that was marching on Wepener, and -suggesting that he should reinforce the column. In reply he was -informed that the Field-Marshal did not anticipate danger at Wepener, -but that he concurred in the strengthening of the party there. - -On March 28 the following telegram was received from Headquarters: - - -"If you have enough troops at your disposal, I should wish you to -occupy Dewetsdorp will make road from here to Maseru safe preventing -enemy's forces from using telegraph lines to the south let me know what -you can do to this ends."[7] - - -[7] From _True Copy_, furnished by D.A.A.G. in 1900. - - -Now there are two versions of this telegram. The above is the version -as it was received by General Gatacre at 9.40 a.m. on March 28. -Between the words "_Dewetsdorp_" and "will" he mentally supplied the -word "_I_" to fill in the sense. When, however, this important -telegram was quoted by Lord Roberts in a despatch to the War Office -(dated April 16, 1900), the following verbal variations occur. We find -"_I should like_" for "_I should wish_"; the words "_it would_" take -the place of "_will_"; "_and prevent enemy_" stands for "_preventing -enemy's forces_"; and the last word "_ends_" appears in the singular, -thus bringing it into the body of the message.[8] These differences -will seem trifling to the reader, but the meaning of this telegram has -since been questioned. Gatacre {247} read it as an order to send a -detachment to Dewetsdorp similar to the one already ordered to Wepener, -and the writer of the _Official History_ so reads it, even in the -secondary form.[9] - - -[8] See _Official History_, vol. ii. app. vii. p. 614. - -[9] See marginal note, _Official History_, vol. ii. p. 302. - - -[Sidenote: Detachments] - -Dewetsdorp lies on the main road that runs from Bloemfontein south-east -through Wepener into Basutoland; the distance from the capital to -Dewetsdorp is forty miles, and it is twenty-five miles on to Wepener. -A detachment sent there was therefore in far less danger than the post -at Wepener, and was a source of strength to the latter. It was also -known to Gatacre that General French was operating with a mounted force -at Thaba'Nchu, so that he naturally concluded that the road -Bloemfontein--Thaba'Nchu--Ladybrand, or Maseru, was strongly held. As -he himself said in evidence before the Royal Commission, he "never sent -them [the troops] there as an outpost, nor expected them to act as -such, but merely to hold a post on an interior road."[10] - - -[10] See _Report South African War Commission_, vol. iii. p. 276. - - -On the same day, March 28, Gatacre sent this reply to the disputed -telegram: - - -"Following moves are in progress, in view to covering whole country -east of railway. - -"Three squadrons Brabant's Horse moving Rouxville to Wepener; two will -reach Wepener Sunday next (April 1), the third on Tuesday. - -"One squadron Brabant's is moving to Bushman's Kop half-way between -Rouxville and Wepener. - -{248} - -"One company Royal Scots Mounted Infantry reaches Wepener Sunday. - -"Two companies 2nd Royal Irish, Rifles reach Dewetsdorp Sunday. - -"One company Royal Irish Rifles and one section Mounted Infantry Royal -Irish Rifles reach Helvetia to-morrow. - -"Three companies Royal Irish Rifles at Smithfield with squadron -Brabant's Horse."[11] - - -[11] See Official History, vol. ii. p. 303. - - -As Gatacre received no reply to the above message he assumed that his -dispositions were approved. In furtherance of Lord Roberts's wishes he -slightly strengthened the post at Dewetsdorp next day by sending there -some mounted infantry of the Northumberland Fusiliers. These changes -were also telegraphed to Headquarters. - -Although such detachment duty naturally fell to the Third Division as -line-of-communication troops, still it would seem that the Headquarters -Staff, in calling upon Gatacre to furnish these remote garrisons, had -overlooked the fact that his _Division_ had never numbered more than -four infantry battalions, and had not at any time ever possessed any -cavalry. By thus scattering the few men at Gatacre's disposal, the -Commander-in-Chief reduced the numbers available for guarding the -hundred miles of railway. - - -"The railway was necessarily the first care; if that was seriously -broken, the army at Bloemfontein, if it did not actually starve, must -be injuriously affected."[12] - - -[12] _Ibid._ vol. ii. p. 306 - - -That this question of the adequate protection {249} of the railway line -became a week later a great anxiety to Lord Roberts we know from his -urgent telegram of April 5, in which he tells Gatacre to satisfy -himself that the guards are properly placed, sufficiently entrenched, -and on the alert. - -[Sidenote: Great distances] - -There were at Headquarters in March 1900 three brigades of Cavalry, and -three divisions of Infantry, with their complement of Horse and Field -Artillery, which with other units made up a fighting force of 34,000 -men. As has been said, Dewetsdorp and Wepener were both nearer to -Bloemfontein than to Springfontein, the headquarters of the Third -Division. From this place Gatacre had to arrange for the supplies for -posts which were eighty and ninety miles away, and that this could not -be done without difficulty we see in his letter to me, dated March 31, -1900: - - -"After reaching this we have been occupied in covering the whole -country from Wepener to Philipolis, and all the country between them -and the Orange River, with patrols and small parties, and it is such a -business getting supplies to all these scattered detachments. We find -we can make them somewhat self-supporting by making the farmers supply -sheep, and they can get the farmers' wives to bake bread on payment. -The roads generally speaking are good, not metalled, of course, but -hard clay, which in dry weather are perfect to move upon; in wet -weather they become slippery." - - -[Illustration: Map of India and Burma] (Transcriber's note: map -omitted from this etext because too large to scan)] - -The same day the following telegram reached Gatacre from Bloemfontein: - - -{250} - -"(With) Reference (to) telegram from Brabant to your Assistant -Adjutant-General Springfontein repeated to Intelligence here, what -reinforcement do you propose to send him? Boers are active on that -side and have strong force between Ladybrand and Thabanchu. Brabant -should be reinforced and supported."[13] - - -[13] From _True Copy_, furnished by D.A.A.G., 1900. - - -In response to this Gatacre ordered up troops from the Colonial Corps -at Aliwal North, and pushed forward the support at Bushman's Kop. - -On that same Saturday, March 31, he was directed to arrange for a -battalion of infantry and a battery to be at Leeuwberg Kopje, eight -miles from Bloemfontein, at daybreak of April 1. Three companies of -the Northumberland Fusiliers and five companies of the Royal Scots were -accordingly sent. When replying to this order he adds that he has no -infantry left, and only one battalion from which to find guards for the -railway line. - -A third message from Headquarters reached Gatacre at 10.47 that night -(the 31st), which informed him of the engagement near the Waterworks, -told him to exercise special caution on the railway, and to draw in all -outlying forces, adding that "it would appear that Dewetsdorp is too -far advanced for security."[14] - - -[14] _Ibid._ - - -In response, Gatacre immediately sent off various telegrams by which he -hoped to get in touch with his detachments, and also started off a -despatch-rider; but the distance was eighty miles, as has been said. - -{251} - -[Sidenote: At Dewetsdorp] - -It will be remembered that the troops from Smithfield and Helvetia that -were assembling at Dewetsdorp were due to reach their destination on -Sunday, April 1. On his arrival the Officer Commanding the three -companies Royal Irish Fusiliers-- - -"was greeted with information from local sources that a Boer commando -was expected soon to appear before the village, and, selecting ground -which commanded the place, he began to strengthen his position, which -he covered by outposts. In the evening a patrol to the north of -Dewetsdorp was fired upon. He informed the Headquarters Third Division -of this by telegram, and also of the rumoured approach of the commando, -which, however, was not credited by the Intelligence Officer who -accompanied his detachment."[15] - - -[15] See _Official History_, vol. ii. p. 306. - - -At midnight Gatacre's telegram arrived directing him "that he should -immediately move his troops to Reddersburg," and closing with the words -"matter urgent." At 3.30 a.m. next morning (April 2) the -despatch-rider appeared with the same instructions. - -In the meantime the engagement known as Sannah's Post had taken place -on Saturday, March 31, only thirty miles away. As this unfortunate -affair directly affected the Proclamation detachments, I hope it will -not seem out of place if I give a brief sketch of what had been taking -place a little farther north. - -The main water-supply for the city of Bloemfontein was drawn from a -point on the Modder {252} River, where it is crossed by the high road -running due east to Thaba'Nchu. This point, which is about twenty-one -miles from the capital, is known as Sannah's Post. On March 15 the -"somewhat inadequate force of 300 mounted infantry" was sent out to -hold the Waterworks, and two days later a mounted column, 1,500 strong, -under General French, was pushed on to Thaba'Nchu, twenty-one miles -farther east. From this force Colonel Pilcher was detached, and -through his operations definite news of the enemy's whereabouts was -obtained and duly forwarded to Bloemfontein. General French was soon -after called back to Headquarters, and left Colonel Broadwood in -command of the column. It is clear that-- - - -"Broadwood, with his 1,500 men, had never been intended to fight -battles where he was, forty miles from any supporting force, but only -to publish Lord Roberts's proclamations, and to collect arms from any -Boers that might surrender."[16] - - -[16] See _Times History_, vol. iv. p. 33. - - -So that when he discovered that General Olivier was behind him with -5,000 men, he had no choice but to retire on the Waterworks. - -After the death of Joubert the control of the Boer forces fell into the -hands of younger men, the most conspicuous amongst whom was Christian -de Wet. Having conceived a plan for capturing the Waterworks guard, he -placed {253} his forces astride of the road, and hid them in the bed of -a stream about five miles west of the Modder River. When the day -arrived for the execution of his plan, he found that the mounted column -was also delivered into his hand. - -[Sidenote: Sannah's Post] - -A messenger got through who carried news of Broadwood's plight between -Olivier and De Wet to Lord Roberts, and he sent out an infantry -division under General Colvile. But the two forces failed to work -together, and the enemy triumphed. This was on Saturday, March 31. - - -"The material result of De Wet's achievements at Sannah's Post was the -acquisition of seven guns, much ammunition, many horses and waggons, -and a large number of prisoners. By occupying the Waterworks, which -did not again pass into Lord Roberts's hands until April 23, he -inflicted great injury on the health of the troops in Bloemfontein. -The moral effect of his success was enormous. It confirmed the -resolution of those of the Free State burghers who still remained in -arms; it encouraged the waverers; it afforded De Wet the occasion for -putting strong pressure upon the considerable numbers of his fellow -countrymen who, declaring themselves tired of the war, had given in -their rifles to the British troops, and had been allowed to return to -their farms as peaceful non-combatants; and it gave those who followed -him good heart for his next stroke."[17] - - -[17] See _Official History_, vol. ii. pp. 298, 299. - - -On the Sunday following Gatacre was summoned to Headquarters, and had -interviews {254} with the Commander-in-Chief, of which he has left the -following memorandum: - - -"On Sunday, April 1, I proceeded to Bloemfontein by order to see Lord -Roberts, arriving late at night. Early next morning (April 2) I saw -the Field-Marshal, and he told me he was placing me in command of the -Orange Free State territory held by us, and was giving me ten other -battalions, which were to be used as under, _i.e._ six Militia -battalions to be distributed along the railway south of Bloemfontein, -and in the country east and west of it; the four battalions were, with -the four I had already (the 2nd wing of the Berkshire was to be called -up from Cape Colony), to make up a Division with which I was to proceed -at once to Dewetsdorp and operate along the Basuto border through -Ladybrand, Clocolan, Ficksburg country, to clear Lord Roberts's right -flank, to enable him to advance northwards. He directed me to draw up -for his approval a scheme of distribution for the six Militia -battalions through the country. This I did, and submitted it on the -spot. The Field-Marshal was anxious to know by what date I considered -I could concentrate my troops at Reddersburg, ready to move, after -relief by the Militia battalions. I replied that, on the assumption -that I received the Militia battalions on the 6th, I could move on -April 17 (reliefs had to be effected, transport collected, supplies, -etc., etc.). This date was considered satisfactory by Lord Roberts. -The same evening (April 2) about 9.30 p.m. Lord Roberts again explained -to me carefully what he wished, that he was anxious for me to move as -soon as possible, and that I was to proceed to Springfontein -immediately, and commence {255} preparations. This I did, morning of -April 3, by first train." - - -It would appear that nothing was said during the Monday spent at -Bloemfontein about the detachment that was moving that very day from -Dewetsdorp through Reddersburg back to the railway at Bethanie. No -anxiety seems to have been felt at Headquarters as to what De Wet would -do next. - -[Sidenote: A relief column] - -At about 7 o'clock on Tuesday evening, April 3, information was brought -into Edenburg that the Dewetsdorp detachment was surrounded at -Mostert's Hoek, a ridge three or four miles east of Reddersburg. This -disquieting news was telegraphed to Lord Roberts, who sent an urgent -message to Gatacre directing him to prepare to move on Reddersburg, and -asking what troops he had available. The reply stated that there were -forty scouts and about twenty-five mounted infantry at Springfontein, a -Brigade Division Field Artillery at Bethanie, and about two companies -mounted infantry at or near Edenburg. A return message informed -Gatacre that the Field-Marshal was sending five companies of the -Cameron Highlanders by train to Bethanie, and told the General that he -was on no account to go without them. - -The order to turn out reached the regiment just before midnight; they -had three miles to march to the station, and were entrained at 3.30 a.m. - -{256} - -That same morning, April 4, at about 6 o'clock, the scouts and some -mounted infantry started from Bethanie to reconnoitre towards -Reddersburg, which was about twelve miles distant, and an hour later -they sent in a message that they could hear the firing. - -When the five companies of the Camerons and the mounted infantry from -Edenburg had joined him at Bethanie, Gatacre started at the head of the -column. At 9.30 a.m. another message was sent back by the Officer -Commanding the scouts to say that firing had ceased for half an hour. -Gatacre pushed on till he reached a ridge west of the village, but he -was still five or six miles from the scene of the fight when he learnt -through a loyal colonial that two hours earlier the British had -surrendered to a force of Boers between two and three thousand strong. - -[Sidenote: Too late] - -It was then 11 o'clock, and the relief column was at least five miles -from the scene of the misfortune. - -The General called a halt, and eventually decided that his troops, -being mainly infantry, could do nothing in the way of pursuit of a -mounted enemy. After resting for an hour or so, Gatacre came to the -conclusion that the safer course would be to retire on the railway, for -it must be remembered that he had received the most precise orders "not -to move against the Boers until he had satisfied himself that their -strength and position warranted his doing so with success."[18] - - -[18] See _Official History_, vol. ii. p. 311. - - -{257} - -About four miles had been accomplished on the return journey, when a -messenger arrived from the Chief Staff Officer ordering the column to -return and occupy Reddersburg. Accordingly the men retraced their -steps and settled down for the night as best they could; but at -midnight a telegram reached the General containing very urgent -counter-orders: - - -"The C.-in-C. directs that you retire to Bethanie during this night so -as to reach Bethanie to-morrow morning, as our information leads us to -believe that the enemy are moving down in the Reddersburg direction and -you are not strong enough to oppose a large force."[19] - - -[19] From original text. - - -The column started off again at 2 a.m. April 5.[20] - - -[20] The movements of the Relief Column are taken from _The 79th News_, -special issue entitled "South African War Record," p. 17. The hours -differ slightly from those given in the _Official History_. - - -We are not concerned here with the fatigues of the march from -Dewetsdorp, nor with the particular stress which led to capitulation. -It is enough to know that although a messenger had succeeded in getting -through the enemy's lines, and although the casualties numbered only -ten killed and thirty-five wounded out of 591 men of the regular army, -some one betrayed his comrades' honour, and the whole party was -captured.[21] If this column had been able to hold on an hour or so -longer, there would have been no Reddersburg incident. In the same -way, {258} if more prompt and more energetic measures had been taken -from Headquarters to rescue the column from the perilous situation -created by the defeat at Sannah's Post, the little force could easily -have been brought into Bloemfontein with the help of cavalry. As a -matter of fact there were on April 2 three cavalry brigades camped at -Springfield, Rustfontein, and Bloemspruit respectively, all of which -lie just outside the capital to the south and east. - - -[21] NOTE.--The Officer Commanding was exonerated from all blame in -this matter. - - -In the meantime, what had become of the other detachments? At Wepener, -four days later, a force of 1,898 men, composed almost entirely of -Colonial Corps, under the command of Colonel Dalgety of the Cape -Mounted Rifles, was attacked by De Wet and blockaded for fourteen days; -but so skilfully, under the guidance of Major Ronald Maxwell, R.E., did -the men entrench themselves, that the total casualties at the end of -the siege were only 169. - -The other columns, at Smithfield, Helvetia, and Rouxville, were only -saved by the skilful handling of Major Allen of the Royal Irish Rifles, -who collected them all and withdrew on Aliwal North, and by the heroic -spirit of the men themselves. The detachment from Helvetia marched -seventy-three miles in fifty-two hours, and that from Smithfield -forty-five miles in thirty-six hours. General Brabant sent out some -empty waggons to meet the exhausted infantry, but, though almost -barefoot and reeling with fatigue, they refused to accept the lift, -saying that if they did so the good name of the regiment would suffer. - -{259} - -The story of all these detachments must be looked at as a whole, as a -policy. It was the defeat at Sannah's Post which, coming "like a bolt -from the blue," changed the whole situation; "the dispositions of the -troops, designed to restore peace, were (now) not merely inadequate, -they were wholly inappropriate."[22] It is difficult to see how the -position of the Dewetsdorp detachment differs from that of the others, -all of which were but the execution of the policy sketched in the -telegram from the Field-Marshal to the War Office of March 21, given on -page 243. - - -[22] See _Official History_, vol. ii. p. 305. - - -On April 9 Sir Herbert Chermside arrived at Springfontein to take over -the command of the Third Division, and the next day the following -letter reached Sir William Gatacre: - - -"_From Chief of the Staff, S.A.F.F._ - -"SIR, - -"I am directed by the Field-Marshal Commanding-in-Chief in South Africa -to inform you that his lordship has decided, though with much regret, -to relieve you of your present command. You will therefore be good -enough to make over the command of the 3rd Division to Major-General -Sir Herbert Chermside, G.C.M.G., C.B., and proceed to England at an -early date. - -"I have the honour to be, Sir, "Your obedient servant, "B. DUFF, -_Colonel, for Major-General,_ "_Chief of the Staff, S.A.F. Force._" - - -When the camp woke up on the morning of the 11th their ex-commander was -gone. The {260} following letter reflects the spirit in which his -staff officers looked at the matter. - - -"REDDERSBURG, _April_ 12, 1900. - -"It is with a heavy heart indeed that I write this. Why, oh why did -they treat our General so hardly, so unfairly? We know nothing except -the bare facts. All are sorry and grieved, and many question the -fairness, the justice of the action taken. No one worked harder than -he did. I may say it would have been impossible to do so. He never -spared himself. Luck, cursed luck, has been all against him. I heard -two days ago from England that they believed that he had attacked at -Stormberg with two battalions when he had eight at his command,--such a -gross mistake! Now the luck having turned, as it appeared, the -unfortunate Royal Irish Rifles get caught again, although no possible -blame could be attached to him by reasonable men. I worked out the -orders and telegrams he had given and received myself, and I know what -was done. They seem to have attributed the blame of it to him--most -unfairly. He was so good about it and so plucky, blaming no one and -taking the blow so courageously,--man could not be braver under any -circumstances. All the interest of the campaign has gone for me, and ----- feels for him as much as I do. - -"We shall never have a chief whom we can serve more loyally, who was -always considerate and even-tempered, and spared himself so little. -His faults, if I may use the expression, are his virtues, devotion and -loyalty and energy--to use all in the service of his country. It has -been a great blow to us all. - -"Believe me, we feel it as the loss of a personal and dear friend." - - - - -{261} - -CHAPTER XVII - -1900-1903 - -BACK TO COLCHESTER - -Since the Book of Job was written steadfastness in adversity has ever -been considered as a virtue of high order. Indeed, what need is there -in a Christian country to insist that want of success in the affairs of -this world is not incompatible with an unsullied conscience and a -stainless shield? - -From Capetown Gatacre sent a telegram begging Lord Roberts to give some -reason for his action, and in reply received a letter which (while -declining to discuss the main issue) closes with the following sentence: - - -"This action, which Lord Roberts has felt it his duty to take, casts no -slur whatever upon your honour, your personal courage, your energy and -zeal, which are beyond all question."[1] - - -[1] For the reasons given by Lord Roberts to the War Office, see the -dispatch printed at the end of this volume, p. 286; reprinted from the -_Official History_, vol. ii. p. 614. - - -This was the spirit that welcomed Sir William on his arrival in -England; for he came straight home and calmly awaited the verdict of -the War Office in London. - -The first to pour balm on her servant's {262} wounded spirit was Her -Gracious Majesty Queen Victoria. Gatacre reached London on May 12, and -on the 24th, in the _Birthday Gazette_, his name appeared as a -recipient of the Gold Medal of a new Order, the Kaiser-i-Hind, which -the Queen had just created for the recognition of Public Service in -India. This first distribution of the decoration had regard more -especially to services rendered in dealing with the plague and the -famine of 1897 and the following years. - -Only five days after Gatacre's arrival the relief of Mafeking, after -217 days' siege, was celebrated in London with much popular rejoicing. -This uproarious joy jarred mercilessly on Sir William's mood, but the -whole country exulted, and there was no way of escape. The daily -papers too were full of South African news, so that even this source of -idle distraction carried its sting. And so it happened that when an -old friend came to call on the morning of May 24, and to inquire after -the General's health (which to most men seemed to provide an obvious -explanation of his return), he had the pleasure of informing us of the -new decoration. - -On the following day Gatacre received instructions to resume command of -the Eastern District. - -[Sidenote: A welcome home] - -British hearts, ever loyal to brave men in distress, did not stop to -quibble over professional responsibilities; they remembered the years -of devoted service, they knew of his personal gallantry, and they -trusted time to prove their faith. Colchester struck the first {263} -note: the townspeople turned out in their thousands to cheer one whom -they knew and loved. During the drive from the station to the camp the -crowd massed in the streets was so great and so vociferous that the -wave of feeling was overwhelming, and it was with a sense of relief -that we reached our destination. - -In the following June the Prince and Princess of Wales (as we then -spoke of Their present Majesties) honoured Norwich with a visit to open -the new buildings of the Jenny Lind Hospital. The whole population of -the royal borough was in the streets that lovely summer day, and made -their loyalty known in the usual way; but they did not forget to keep a -sharp lookout for the man who had come from the war, for the man who -had so lately fought in their battles; and as the cheers died away -after the royal carriage had passed out of sight, they were renewed -with deafening insistence as each voice strained to make its message of -love and esteem reach the ears of one who with his own eyes had seen -the enemy. For I believe that in those days of popular excitement over -the occupation of Pretoria, Gatacre was, to the man in the street, the -personification of a successful war that had just reached its -conclusion. - -This burst of feeling, howsoever prompted, was very touching, but what -did more to encourage Sir William than any other single event was the -gracious and cordial greeting accorded to him by His Royal Highness -when, as in duty bound, the General had the honour of receiving {264} -him at Norwich Station. Her Royal Highness the Princess of Wales also -sent for me in the course of the afternoon and was pleased to use very -kindly and appreciative words about my husband's services to his -country, and her sympathy with his immediate trouble. - -When in the round of annual inspections the General visited the Cadet -Corps of Bedford Grammar School, he had further evidence of his -personal popularity in the attentions showered upon him by all the boys -in the school, who insisted on dispensing with the usual mode of -traction and harnessing themselves to his carriage. It was the same -thing at Clacton, when the Lord Mayor of London opened the Essex -Agricultural Show. Sir William had been detained in his office, and -only reached the show-ground just before the luncheon assembly broke -up; the speaker within the tent was at a loss to account for an -untimely uproar. It was the crowd outside who had recognised "General -Gatacre," and, as he entered, those inside the tent took up the strain. - -However gratifying such popular outbursts may be in their spontaneity, -it is the reasoned judgment of his peers that a man ultimately values. -The following telegram was received by the senior officer in the -station on the day after our return to Colchester. - - -"The members of the Aldershot Conservative Club are delighted to read -of the deservedly enthusiastic welcome accorded to General Gatacre -yesterday, and wish to convey through you {265} to the General their -hearty greetings upon his safe return from the seat of war. We do not -forget his services to the Empire, and we loyally reciprocate -Colchester's sentiment." - - -[Sidenote: Sympathy] - -It was in the summer of 1900 that the call arose for more troops for -South Africa, which brought several new county Yeomanry Corps and the -Volunteer Service Companies into existence; it was Sir William's -business to promote the formation of all such corps within the nine -counties that made up the Eastern District, and to contribute in every -way to their efficiency. This brought him into personal contact with -the leading men of all parts of his command, for it will be remembered -how much public spirit was shown in the revival of interest in the -Auxiliary Forces that marked the years 1900 and 1901. I should like -here to record how helpful were the loyalty, the confidence, and I may -say the sympathy (if that word can stand for an unexpressed sentiment -where silence alone befitted the dignity of the personnel on both -sides) that he received on all sides; and how the cordial relations -established between the General and the county society of his district -encouraged him to tread patiently and hopefully the path he had traced -for himself. In many cases the official visit to some great man's -house to inspect the corps encamped in his park led to shooting visits -in the following autumn--a delightful testimony to the undiminished -power of his personal charm. - -{266} - -On the other hand, those in daily converse with Sir William, both in -his office and outside, were not blind to the sustained effort on his -part that was necessary to carry him through those trying days of -eclipse. One under whom he had served in India wrote, with the insight -of true affection, for the guidance and inspiration of another: - - -"I feel that it is very difficult for Gatacre to face all that he has -to bear; but I feel certain that through it all he has exhibited -soldierly qualities of a high order, that must be appreciated; but his -return home will be very difficult for him to accept, and I fear he -will have no opportunity of justifying himself. You must, you know, be -in very good heart, and feel very brave for his coming." - - -It was very difficult for Gatacre to bear, and he never forgot - - The hopes by weakness foiled, or evil fate, - The slander, the dumb heart-break, and the pain. - -It was incontrovertibly the fiercest trial to which he could have been -subjected. - -Those who have only known suffering when it comes shrouded in the -simple majesty of death can have no measure of the additional -bitterness of blows dealt by the hand of man, nor the torture endured -by a righteous man when his honour is affected. - -Gatacre had known what it was to suffer in his private life, but then -his profession had come {267} to his assistance, and by flinging -himself with all his natural vigour into its arms for shelter and -comfort he had triumphed over his pain. In this case he had been given -a second chance, he had been allowed to be happy again. The laurels -that he had reaped doubled their value in his eyes in that there was -another to share them. But his profession at all times had a far -larger share of his heart than anything that contributed to his -pleasure. That was the way he was made; his profession was identified -with his duty, and for him there was nothing so enjoyable as those -duties which taxed his endurance and his energy. His soldiering was -all in all to him; it was his record; all he had to show; the building -that he had built with the bricks that had been served out to him. In -his own estimation he was nothing if not a soldier. - -Now, recalled, rejected, the worldly hope on which he had set his heart -had turned to ashes in his hand: the ambition which had been his saving -grace in the days of tribulation was lost to him now. Was this the -guerdon for all the years of loving toil? Was this "the reward of it -all"? - -Who shall say whence a man draws his reserves of strength? It seemed -to some of us that in his own dauntless character Gatacre found -unquenchable inspiration: his independence of the opinion of men, his -own intimate knowledge of the facts of the case, his untarnished record -of loyal service, and his own "triumphant endurance and conquering -moral {268} energy"--these were things of which no one could deprive -him. - - I will be patient and proud, and soberly acquiesce. - - -[Sidenote: Hopes] - -With a supreme effort of steadfastness and a resolute courage he forced -his faith in disinterested work to come to his rescue, but henceforth -he was working not to deaden the pain of outraged sensibilities, not -for his own advancement, but for the work's own sake--to forward the -cause of the army in South Africa, for the simple service of the -country. Nothing but his accumulated powers of silent endurance, his -proud indifference to his own feelings, aided by the response that his -speechless loyalty won from his daily companions, could have sustained -him through those three and a half long years while he silently and -quietly did his duty. Borrowing the words of another we may say that -"his military experience had intensified his natural horror of schism -and lukewarm co-operation, and magnanimity was a stronger force than -any personal consideration." - -Now I contend that in achieving this triumph of discipline Gatacre -reached a loftier level in the sight of God and man than any to which -high appointments could have raised him; and I believe that his example -and his memory in this respect alone will outlive the story of many -battlefields, and that he will thus have transformed a story of -momentary defeat into an everlasting victory. - -This attitude implied a rare simplicity and a {269} profound knowledge -of the world. He preferred to accept misconstruction and -misrepresentation rather than betray the lofty promptings of his own -soul; and he was at the same time perfectly conscious that any attempt -(even though successful in the main) to set himself right in the eyes -of the world would alienate his friends and make enemies. These words -are something more than a speculative analysis of what might have been -his frame of mind; for the latter argument was the ground of his -refusal to accept any of the several offers he received from writers -who asked his sanction for the preparation of articles throwing light -on the events in which he had taken part. - -As the General recovered his balance and settled down to the routine of -his work, his natural buoyancy returned, and he once more took a -pleasure in all that went on around him. Hopes that things might work -out all right in the end arose to cheer him, and there was much to -foster such an idea. - -When the South African War Commission was initiated, he hoped that this -would give him a chance to explain matters, imagined that it would be a -confidential court of inquiry, a sort of hearing in camera, where, -without insubordination or disloyalty, he would be encouraged to speak. -In May 1903 he was summoned to give evidence. On their arrival all the -witnesses are taken aside by one of the Commissioners and formally -cautioned not to say anything that might be used against them. To -Gatacre these words carried a personal meaning, though the phraseology -completely puzzled {270} him. He failed to see how anything that was -true could be so used, and could find no purpose in the warning. The -Commissioners, however, confined their attention to questions of -efficiency and other generalities, and no interest was shown in his -personal affairs. And thus this hope of salvation vanished. One touch -of character showed itself: he tells the Commissioners how he raised -companies of mounted infantry from the battalions in his command, and -goes on to say that as soon as the men had learnt to ride and to -perform their special duties, he was ordered to send them forward to -Army Headquarters, so that his own force was constantly denuded of -mounted troops. In the proof submitted for correction his reply to an -obvious question appeared as "I never complained." He struck out the -past tense, and it stands as his motto: "I never complain."[2] - - -[2] _South African War Commission_, vol. iii. p. 277. - - -[Sidenote: Departure] - -Another circumstance in the last year of his command revived his hopes -of re-employment. This was a visit by the Commander-in-Chief to -Colchester and other places in the Eastern District. Everything had -gone very well, the Commander-in-Chief had expressed himself highly -satisfied with all that he had seen, and on the last day, at a garden -party at Chelmsford, the Chief Staff Officer handed on the encouraging -message that Lord Roberts had been much pleased with his visit, and -that he had remarked a higher tone amongst officers and men at -Colchester than at any other camp. This was, of {271} course, said in -private conversation, but it was taken as "inspired." - -In August of the same year, 1903, when preparations were being made for -extensive manoeuvres to be held on Salisbury Plain, Gatacre was -appointed as Umpire-in-Chief of the Blue Army. This was a good omen, -for it seemed incredible that a post of such importance in the training -of the troops engaged should be given to an officer who was likely soon -to be struck off the active list, who was, so to speak, already cast. - -That he had a genuine belief that his services might yet be utilised by -the State in some capacity is shown by his decision to go on half pay. -In the summer of 1903 he called on the Secretary of State for the -Colonies and asked him to consider his name for any suitable post in -that Department. I believe that he would have taken the Governorship -of any island, regardless of its size or climate, just for the love of -the service of the State--just for the pleasure of using powers that he -knew himself still to possess unimpaired. - -The term of the command ran out on December 8, 1903. That he should -vacate the post without immediate prospect of re-employment was in -itself a bitterness to him, and chilled the expectations that had -contributed to the harmony of his days. - -His memory hung about Colchester for many years. It was not merely -that his portrait hung in the Soldiers' Institute that he had opened, -{272} nor that he had won many extra comforts for both officers and men -in the new barracks that were built under his direction. It was more -than this; it was the weight of his name, the tradition of love and -esteem that the name revived. When the men were decorating their rooms -for Christmas 1906 they made a banner which carried these words: "To -the memory of Major-General Sir William Forbes Gatacre--one of the -best." This spontaneous tribute was set up nearly a year after his -death, and four years after he had left Colchester, a time long enough -for the reliefs to have removed all the battalions that had known him -there; but there was scarcely a regiment in the service that had not -known him somewhere in his thirteen years' service as General Officer. - - - - -{273} - -CHAPTER XVIII - -1904-1906 - -ABYSSINIA - -Although Gatacre undoubtedly indulged hopes of further employment, he -had not much confidence in such expectations. While prepared to move -onwards should his desires be fulfilled, he was simultaneously -safeguarding his retreat. - -During the manoeuvres he had made inquiries about the working of the -Remount Department in the counties, and had discovered that there was a -post open to him which would provide both congenial occupation and -reasonable remuneration, namely L500 a year in addition to pension. - -He bought a little house in the Cotswold Hills, and for the first few -weeks enjoyed the leisure, as he had always enjoyed the leisure of his -sixty days' leave. - -Although the post he coveted was vacant, and although similar posts -were being worked by retired officers of his rank, unaccountable -difficulties arose in securing it. In the hope of wearing down these -obstacles, whatever might be their origin, Gatacre got permission to -hold the post for eight months, but the pay attached was withheld, the -arrangement being that he was to draw allowances only, {274} on the -scale fixed by Government for all such duty, which is calculated to -cover actual travelling expenses. The work consisted mainly of -overhauling and replenishing the list of registered horses, over an -area of twenty-two counties. These included Wales and Cornwall to the -west, while on the east a line drawn from Cheshire to Hampshire -inclusive of these two counties would form a rough boundary. He very -soon got profoundly interested in his task. - -He invented a new system of tabulating all sorts of information useful -to the Department. He found that to complete what was properly a -year's work in eight months involved working under more pressure than -could justly be expected, more especially as his services were -voluntary; but the old incentive of reaching his own self-imposed -standard would not let him leave his work unfinished. The facts he had -collected were useless, his labour would be in vain, unless he could -record them in a form that would be handy for reference. His reports -were to be the _vade mecum_ of the Remount and Yeomanry Officer in each -county; there was one little volume for each county, and a General -Directory for use at Headquarters. Permission was obtained from Sir -Evelyn Wood, commanding the Second Army Corps, to employ an army clerk -and two typewriting clerks (women) in an office in Salisbury, and there -Gatacre worked for six weeks in July and August 1904. In order to -complete his task in the allotted time, he had to stick so closely to -his desk that he {275} grudged the loss of working hours which would be -the consequence of a Sunday at home. But it occurred to him that as -the nights were short and cool he could save the time that would be -wasted in the train by doing the journey by night on his bicycle. The -distance was sixty-four miles; the first time it worked very well and -he met with no mishap, but on the return journey he punctured at 2 -a.m., and as it was too dark to do his own repairs, he had to complete -the last twenty-four miles on foot. - -[Sidenote: On the road] - -A fortnight later he was on the road again, but decided to come by day. -He telegraphed to me that he was leaving Salisbury at noon on Saturday. -Having remonstrated with him about making this journey in one stretch, -as he had done previously, I wired that I would meet him at Malmesbury -at 5 p.m., reckoning that he could not complete his forty-eight miles -in less than five hours, and that my presence would ensure a break in -the long spin. He arrived five minutes before time, but we did not -start off again till six. On another occasion he started at daybreak, -and we met at nine o'clock for breakfast at Malmesbury. His age was -then sixty; the story is told in order to show not only that he still -possessed staying powers above the average, but that he still found the -highest delight in using such powers. - -In September he was informed that the Remount Department had no longer -any use for his services. Across the letter to this effect I find -written in his own hand "Disappointing, {276} very!" Once more it -seemed to him that his devotion and exertion counted for naught; he had -done good work, but he had mysteriously failed to make it of any -account. - -[Sidenote: 1905] - -There was, however, an interpretation of the situation which, though -hidden from his eyes, can be read between the lines of the file of -correspondence. He could see and could gauge the usefulness of his -services and ideas, but his humble-mindedness hid from him the fact -that it was his own value that stood in his way. His highly trained -administrative faculties immediately grasped all the bearings and -possibilities of the problem before him, and he could not resist the -desire to improve upon existing methods. This was not what the -Department wanted. Although willing to admit the intrinsic merits of -his scheme, the authorities were not prepared to put in force such a -comprehensive measure of reorganisation; so that while they could -honestly say that his "work would serve as a model," they had no option -but to discontinue using a tool that was too powerful, too keen, for -their purpose. His military rank and his administrative ability made -it impossible to employ him in the subordinate position that he coveted. - -[Sidenote: Retired] - -Yet another blow was hanging over him. On March 22,1905, he went to -London to attend the Memorial Service to His Royal Highness the Duke of -Cambridge in Westminster Abbey. At such a gathering he naturally found -many friends (more especially as the Duke had been Colonel-in-Chief of -the Middlesex Regiment), {277} and, according to one who was amongst -the number, it was a pleasure to see how many distinguished men came to -greet him, civilians as well as soldiers, and among them men of -political standing who knew him more by reputation than in person. -This was the last flicker of his public life, for when he returned to -the country that evening the intimation of his immediate retirement lay -among his correspondence. By contrast to his mood when a few hours -earlier he had stood honoured among his peers, this letter seemed a -stinging blow, and I can confidently say that he did not expect it. -There were still eight months to run before he reached the age of -sixty-two, at which point he would (in the event of his not having been -promoted to the rank of Lieutenant-General) have had to "retire" under -the regulations. - -The one thing that we had vaguely dreaded had come to pass. The thing -was unthinkable, but it was true--the words in his friend's letter had -become prophecy: he was to "have no opportunity of justifying himself," -no chance of obliterating the slur that had been cast on his name. His -career was at an end, and it had closed a dishonoured career, when to -have held one more appointment, however insignificant, would have -implied recognition of the facts of the case and compensation for the -hasty judgment. - -It was some time in the summer of 1905 that the late Sir Lepel Griffin -invited Gatacre to sit on the board of the Kordofan Trading Company. -{278} We welcomed the new interest. I thought that the pretext for -regular visits to London was a desirable thing; I liked to think of his -moving amongst busy men, and having something to occupy his mind. -There was no idea of making a fortune; we had very little spare -capital, and he only invested the small amount necessary to qualify as -a Director. - -From the first he foresaw the opportunity that might arise of visiting -the territory specified in the concession. The prospect attracted him -wildly. As the season approached when such a proposition could be -seriously entertained, his spirits rose, and he revelled in the idea of -starting off for the desert; he took the keenest pleasure in preparing -every contrivance for his comfort that his experience of camp-life -could suggest; he set about getting books and pamphlets in which he -could learn the history of the trade in rubber and the chemical -processes of its manufacture. - -A telegram which reached us on November 10, asking whether he could be -ready to start by the Peninsular and Oriental night mail of the 17th, -lifted him into the highest spirits: from that moment he talked of -nothing but tents, rifles, and such-like necessities, and thought of -nothing but the valuable report that he would prepare for his -co-Directors. - -To those who have been inclined to blame me for letting him go, I would -reply that it still appears to me that any attempt to stop him would -have been dictated by selfish motives. He was offered a delightful -trip, one that would {279} afford him all those arduous pleasures that -his soul loved. Why should I stand in his way? I did desire greatly -to accompany him, but in such a short space it would have been -impossible to wind up his affairs and so set me free to go. - -[Sidenote: Up the Nile] - -The rubber forests that were the objective of the trip lay in -Abyssinia, east and south of Addis Abeba. The party consisted of the -General, in command; an experienced Syrian trader named Idlibi, who had -acted as his interpreter during the Egyptian Campaign of 1898; one or -two men of a similar class, and a suitable number of servants and -porters. Amongst Sir William's three personal servants, one was a -Mahommedan bearer from India, with whom he could talk freely in -Hindustani, and who could therefore act as interpreter to the Arab -servants. The route selected involved a trip in steamers of about 500 -miles up the White Nile to Taufikia, and then, turning eastward, a -further 250 miles up the tributary river Sobat, which in its upper -reaches is called the Baro, to Gambela, from which it is 300 miles by a -good caravan track to Addis Abeba. - -At Fashoda, which is now officially called Kodok, the party came across -an English missionary boat. Gatacre went on board and had tea with the -five missionaries a few days before Christmas. - -It was hoped that there would have been enough water in the river to -float the shallow craft right on to Gambela, but first one boat and -then the two smaller craft ran aground. {280} It was therefore -necessary to open communications from Keg, where the last barge -stranded, to Gambela by road, a distance of about thirty-eight miles. -Leaving Idlibi in charge of the caravan, Sir William accomplished this -march on foot in three days, accompanied by his servants and a few -porters. - -[Sidenote: 1906] - -Gambela is an important trading centre, and was the first objective of -the journey. Politically it is known as an Enclave--that is, a tract -of country leased by the King of Abyssinia to the Soudan Government. -It thus becomes a frontier post of the Soudan, and has a small -Soudanese garrison, which in January 1906 was under the command of the -Memour Mehined Riad Effendi. - -The Memour was exceedingly hospitable to Sir William, receiving him as -a guest in his house, and doing everything in his power to facilitate -his journey. Gatacre's letters speak most gratefully of the kindness -he received at this officer's hands. At Gambela he discovered the -Company's agent, and arranged with him to procure three hundred -coolies, who should march to Keg, and then carry the merchandise from -the boats along the track by which Sir William himself had just -travelled. - -[Sidenote: His death in the desert] - -Having completed his business, Gatacre started back to join Idlibi, and -report progress. On this return journey he was unfortunate in his -camping-grounds. Tents being superfluous in such a climate, the party -just bivouacked where they halted when the sudden darkness of {281} the -tropics fell upon them. In a small notebook of daily jottings, which -at his leisure Gatacre worked up into a more formal journal, I find the -following entry on January 11, 1906: "Camped in a swamp--horrible -water." He reached Keg next day, and was pleased to find that Idlibi -had disembarked all the stuff and divided it into suitable loads for -the men to carry. A few days later, being impatient at the non-arrival -of the coolies, Gatacre decided again to make his way to Gambela, but -was attacked with fever on the road, and died at a place known as -Iddeni. - -His body was conveyed in a canoe to Gambela, where Mehined Riad Effendi -saw to its burial in the Abyssinian Christian Cemetery, with due -formality. - -On Idlibi's arrival with the merchandise a court of inquiry was held, -at which the Memour presided. The depositions of all the servants were -formally taken, and a translation of their words was forwarded through -the British Consul at Addis Abeba to the Foreign Office in London. It -appears therein that there was another Englishman moving to and fro -during that week, and that he passed the General on the Tuesday -previous to his death, which took place on Thursday, January 18, 1906. -I mention this to show that the locality was not unknown to -civilisation, and that Gatacre was not the only one to brave the -climate. - -It is clear that darkness overtook him on the 11th while on swampy -ground, so that he was {282} compelled to pass the night exposed to -dangerous miasmas. I am convinced that had it not been for this -misfortune, or some similar accidental misadventure, he would have -returned with the rest of the mission on June 10 as young and -high-spirited as he was on his departure. - - * * * * * - - Lofty designs must close in like effects: - Loftily lying, - Leave him--still loftier than the world suspects, - Living and dying. - - * * * * * - -The key-note to Gatacre's character may be said to be willingness--an -eager and fearless willingness to follow the right, the best, an -unconditional spending of himself in carrying out the lofty conceptions -of duty and service with which he was gifted. Everything he undertook, -everything he accomplished, was done with an eager gallantry and a -joyful zeal. The effect of these qualities was enhanced by a proud -indifference to the cost to himself. - -His soldierly heedlessness in risking his life had its moral -counterpart in his willingness to accept to the full all responsibility -for his actions. How should one who feared not the Hand of God--"the -arrow that flieth by day, nor the pestilence that walketh in -darkness"--how should such a one fear the judgment of man? - -It is to the remarkable association of an exalted sense of duty with -exceptional physical powers that Gatacre owes much of his distinction. -His {283} standard of efficiency and discipline was as far above the -average as were his powers of bodily endurance. His lowliness of mind, -however, hid from him the true measure of his endowments, and led him -to try to inspire all men with his own lofty ideals. During his long -services as staff officer he was always ready to show to his Chief the -enthusiastic co-operation that he expected from those who were serving -under him. Though some officers may have smarted under his sarcasms, -though they may have thought that he overtaxed his troops, it is -admitted on all sides that his exactions were prompted solely by the -interests of the service, and that his life was the expression of the -precepts that he instilled. In the final act of his military career -Gatacre proved that he was ready to do as he would be done by--to -submit himself without question to the word of authority. Many a time -had he been face to face with death; when something more precious than -life itself was demanded he laid aside his reputation without a murmur. - -[Sidenote: The broken arcs] - - * * * * * - - Therefore to whom do I turn but to Thee, the ineffable Name? - Builder and Maker, Thou, of houses not made with hands! - What, have fear of change from Thee who art ever the same? - Doubt that Thy power can fill the heart that Thy power expands? - There shall never be one lost good! What was, shall live as before; - The evil is null, is nought, is silence implying sound; - What was good, shall be good, with, for evil, so much good more; - On the earth the broken arcs; in the heaven a perfect round. - - * * * * * - -{284} - -[Sidenote: Finis] - -In a sense Gatacre was but the fulfilment of an everlasting type. It -is this quality in him, this spark of the eternal Quixotic, of the -eternal Heroic, of the eternal Tragic, that redeems his life from the -commonplace, that has made him an example to some of his own -generation, and may yet make him an example to some that are to come. -Death has put an end to controversy. His fair fame remains; he is -crowned with the halo of the departed, and his name is written on the -long roll of true knights, _sans peur et sans reproche_. - - - - -{285} - -In Memoriam - -On Saturday, May 26, 1906, an alabaster tablet bearing the inscription -given below was dedicated by the Rev. H. Hensley Henson, Canon of -Westminster, in Claverley Church, Shropshire. - -IN LOVING MEMORY OF - -SIR WILLIAM FORBES GATACRE - -MAJOR-GENERAL KNIGHT COMMANDER OF THE BATH A MEMBER OF THE -DISTINGUISHED SERVICE ORDER HOLDING THE KAISER-I-HIND GOLD MEDAL AND OF -THE ORDER OF THE MEDJIDIEH AND KNIGHT OF GRACE OF THE ORDER OF SAINT -JOHN OF JERUSALEM - -THIRD SON OF EDWARD LLOYD GATACRE ESQ OF GATACRE IN THIS PARISH BORN AT -HERBERTSHIRE CASTLE 3 DECEMBER 1843 DIED NEAR GAMBELLA ABYSSINIA 18 -JANUARY 1906 - -HE SERVED WITH DISTINCTION IN THE HAZARA CAMPAIGN 1888 IN THE TON-HON -EXPEDITION 1889-90 IN THE CHITRAL RELIEF FORCE 1895 HE COMMANDED THE -BRITISH DIVISION IN THE ADVANCE ON KHARTOUM 1898 AND THE THIRD DIVISION -OF THE SOUTH AFRICAN FIELD FORCE 1899-1900 NOT LESS MEMORABLE WAS HIS -SERVICE AS PRESIDENT OF THE BOMBAY PLAGUE COMMITTEE 1897 - -STRENUOUS IN ACTION AND GIFTED WITH AN EXALTED SENSE OF EFFICIENCY AND -DISCIPLINE HE TROD HIS PATH IN LIFE WITH AN UNSWERVING DEVOTION TO DUTY -HIS SIMPLICITY OF CHARACTER HIS GREAT COURAGE AND POWERS OF ENDURANCE -HIS MANLY TENDERNESS OF HEART WON HIM THE ADMIRATION AND AFFECTION OF -ALL WHO KNEW HIM - -"WHOM GOD LOVETH HE CHASTENETH" - - - - -{286} - -REASONS FOR THE REMOVAL OF LIEUT.-GENERAL GATACRE[1] - - -[1] See _Official History_, vol. ii. p. 614. - - -In a memorandum to the Secretary of State for War, dated April 16, -1900, Lord Roberts set forth his reasons for the step he had taken in -removing Lieut.-General Sir William Gatacre from the command of the 3rd -Division. - -With reference to the defeat at Stormberg, Lord Roberts explained the -view he had taken as follows: - - -"In my opinion, Lieut.-General Gatacre on this occasion showed a want -of care, judgment, and even of ordinary military precautions, which -rendered it impossible for me, in justice to those who might be called -on to serve under him, to employ him in any position where serious -fighting might be looked for. I was, however, most anxious to avoid, -if it were possible, the infliction on him of the slur which -necessarily attaches itself to a General who is removed from his -command while on active service. I, therefore, refused to supersede -him at the time when I assumed the chief command in South Africa, -believing that I might safely employ him on the lines of communication -or in any position not actually in the front. - -{287} - -"On March 28 I telegraphed to Lieut.-General Gatacre as follows: - - -"'No. C. 696. If you have enough troops at your disposal I should like -you to occupy Dewetsdorp. It would make the road to Maseru safe, and -prevent the enemy from using the telegraph line to the south. _Let me -know what you can do to this end._' - - -"To the question italicised above, Lieut.-General Gatacre gave me no -reply. In answer to my telegram he sent a list of movements then in -progress in the southern part of the Orange Free State, east of the -railway, which included a movement of two companies Royal Irish Rifles -towards Dewetsdorp, where they were due to arrive on Sunday (April 1). - -"On March 30 he wired that two companies mounted infantry and three -companies Royal Irish Rifles were moving on Dewetsdorp. - -"On March 31 I wired to Lieut.-General Gatacre that I considered -Dewetsdorp too far advanced for security, and on April 1 he informed me -that he had sent a despatch rider to Dewetsdorp with orders for the -troops there to fall back on Reddersburg. - -"The result of these movements was that in falling back these companies -were surrounded east of Reddersburg and, being without food or water, -were eventually compelled to surrender. For this result I must hold -Lieut.-General Gatacre responsible. Dewetsdorp is some forty-five -miles by road east of the railway on which the mass of the troops were -stationed, and is {288} therefore a position in which a small force is -much isolated and might be in great danger if attacked. It appears, -however, that Lieut.-General Gatacre ordered two companies mounted -infantry and three companies Royal Irish Rifles to Dewetsdorp on his -own responsibility, and failed to give me the information I asked for -as to what he could do with the troops at his disposal as regards -holding the place, which, if supplied, would have enabled me to judge -of its adequacy or otherwise, and therefore whether Dewetsdorp should -or should not be occupied. The small force he actually sent was -entirely incapable of holding its own so far from sufficient force, and -being partly composed of infantry was unable to move rapidly when a -retirement became necessary. I consider that in thus isolating a small -detachment, Lieut.-General Gatacre has shown a grave want of judgment -which must necessarily shake the confidence of those under his orders -and have a bad effect on the _moral_ of his troops. I am therefore -unable to retain him in command of his division and have given orders -for his relief and return to England. - -"ROBERTS, Field-Marshal" - -"BLOEMFONTEIN, "_April_ 16, 1900." - - - - -{289} - -INDEX - - -Addis Abeba, Abyssinia: W. F. G. starts for, Nov. 1905, 278 - -Adjutant-General Bombay Army. See Staff Services. - -Aldershot: W. F. G. serves there as D.A.Q.M.G. in 1879-80, 37 - serves as G.O.C. Third Infantry Brigade, 1897-8, 184 - -Aldershot Conservative Club: telegram of welcome from, 1900, 264 - -Allahabad: W. F. G. quartered there, 1862-4, 14 - -Allen, Colonel E., R.I.R., withdraws detachments to Aliwal North, 258 - -Aliwal North, O.F.S.: headquarters of Colonial Corps, 1900, 244 - -Appointments held by W. F. G. See Staff Services and War Services. - -Arnott, Colonel James: recollections of 1894, 121 - -Assault-at-Arms, Bombay, 1894, 122-5 - -Atbara: events leading to engagement on banks of, 1898, 199-202 - battle of, April 8, 1898, 203-6 - -Aylmer, Maj.-Gen. F. J., V.C., C.B.: served with Royal - Engineers on Chitral Relief Force, 1895, 131 - - -Baird, Captain A. McD.: killed during siege of Chitral, 1895, 141 - -Bannu: letter written from, by W.F.G. while on tour, 1887, 67 - -Barnardiston, Col. N. W., M.V.O., adjutant to 77th Regt.: - recollections of, 55-9 - -Battye, Col. L. R., 5th Goorkhas, killed near Oghi, 1888, 73 - -Beluohistan. See Quetta, Fort Sandeman, etc. - -Bengough, Maj.-Gen. Sir Harcourt, K.C.B., late Middlesex Regt.: - recollections of, 15 - -Bethulie Bridge: saved by scouts of Third Division, 241 - removal of explosives by W. F. G. and Lieut. Grant, R. E., March, - 1900, 241 - -Black Mountain Expedition, or Hazara Field Force, 1888, 72-81 - Tribes: historical sketch of, 71-2 - -Bloemfontein, O.F.S.: occupied by F.-M. Lord Roberts, March, 1900, 240 - garrison of, April 1900, 249 - W. F. G. proceeds to, for interview of, April 2, 1900, 254 - -Bolan-Mushkaf Railroad: first mail train Nov. 30, 1896, 160 - -Bombay: W. F. G. commands mil. district, 1894-7, 110-26 - testimonials by citizens of, 182 - -Boots: unsatisfactory nature of, Egypt, 1898, 190 - -Brabant, Maj.-Gen. Sir E. Y., K.C.B., commanding Colonial Corps, - South Africa, 1899-1900, 240 - headquarters of, at Aliwal North, 244 - his detachment at Wepener to be reinforced, March 1900, 250 - sends waggons to meet infantry detachments, 258 - -Broadwood, Maj.-Gen. R. G., C.B., A.D.C.: operations near - Thaba' Nchu, 252 - at Sannah's Post, 253 - -Brooke, Bt.-Lieut.-Col. R. G., D.S.O.: Orderly Officer - Third Brigade, Chitral Relief Force, 1895, 142 - A.D.C. to W. F. G. in Egypt, 1898, 188 - -Brooke, Robert, of Madeley Court: effigy of, in Claverley Church, 4 - -Browne, Col. H. L., late 77th Regt, : recollections of, 29 - -Buffs, the, 1st Batt. East Kent Regt.: form part of Third - Brigade Chitral Relief Force, 1895, 129 - -Buller, Gen. Sir Redvers, V.C., G.C.B., etc: sent to the Cape - in command of Army Corps, Oct. 1899, 220 - dispositions made on arrival, 221 - telegrams sent for W. F. G.'s guidance, 223 - suggests night attack, 227 - approves unsuccessful attempt on Stormberg, 237 - anxious position of, Dec. 1899, 239 - relieves Ladysmith, March 1900, 240 - -Bullets: unsatisfactory nature of, Egypt 1898, 191 - -Burma, Lower: historical sketch of, 43-4 - Upper: under Mindon-min and King Theebaw, 44 - annexed by Proclamation, Jan. 1, 1886, 84 - - -Cambridge, H.R.H. the Duke of, K.G., G.C.B., etc.: Memorial - Service to, March 22, 1905, 276 - -Cameron Highlanders: 1st batt. in Egypt, 1898, 187 - march on Reddersburg, April 1900, 255 - -Camp of Exercise, at Bangalore, 1884, 53 - at Delhi, 1885-6, 63-4 - -Cape Colony: W. F. G. sent to reassure eastern portion of, Oct. 1899, -221 - invasion by Boers, Nov. 1899, 224 - -Channer, Lt.-Gen., V.C., C.B.; commanding No. 1 Column, Hazara Field - Force, 1888, 75 - occupies Thakot, 80 - -Chapman, Gen. Sir Edward, K.C.B.: Q.M.G. India, 1885-9, 64 - -Chermside, Hon. Lt.-Gen. Sir H. C., G.C.M.G., K.C.B., takes over - command, of Third Division, South Africa Field Force, 1900, 259 - -Chitral Relief Force: See Chapter IX., 127-44 - W. F. G. to command Third Brigade, March 1895, 128 - advance over the Lowari Pass, 134-40 - reaches Chitral Fort, 141 - -Churchill, the Right Hon. Winston Spencer, author of _The - River War_, cited, 202, 209 - -Clarke, Gen. Sir Charles Mansfield, G.C.B., G.C.V.O.: Director - of manoeuvres on Salisbury Plain, 1899, 218 - -Claverley: church of, ancient tombs therein, 4 - Manor of, mentioned in Domesday Book, 1 - -Clements, Maj.-Gen. R. A. P., C.B., D.S.O.: commanding brigade - on Salisbury Plain, 1899, 218 - orders given to, _re_ Norval's Pont Bridge, 242 - -Colchester: headquarters of Eastern District; W. F. G. takes up - command, Dec. 1898, 216 - departs for South Africa, Oct. 1899, 219 - resumes command, May 1900, 262 - hands over, Dec. 1903, 271 - -Colenso: battle of, Dec. 1899, compared with attempt on Stormberg, 236 - -Colville, Maj.-Gen. Sir Henry, K.C.B., 253 - -Connaught, H.R.H. the Duke of, K.G., G.C.B., etc.; at Aldershot, 1874, -34 - -Crosthwaite, Sir Charles, K.C.S.I.: Chief Commissioner, - Burma, 1887-90, 87 - report on administration by, cited, 90 - - -Dacoity: difficulties of suppression, 85 - -Decorations worn by W. F. G.: - D.S.O., 1889 - C.B., 1895 - Jubilee, 1897 - K.C.B., 1898 - Order of the Medjidieh, 2nd class, 1898 - Kaiser-i-Hind Gold Medal, 1900 - Coronation Medal, 1902 - War Medals: - Indian Frontier, 2 clasps. - Chitral 1895, 1 clasp. - British Soudan. - South Africa, Queen's medal, 2 clasps. - Egyptian Soudan, 2 clasps. - -Delhi: Camp of Exercise at, 1884-5, 63-4 - -Deputy Assistant Quartermaster-General, Aldershot, 1879-80. See - Staff Services. - -Deputy Quartermaster-General, India, 1885-9. See Staff Services - -Derbyshire Regt.: with Third Division in South Africa, 1900, 237 - called up to headquarters, 245 - -Dewetsdorp: telegram regarding occupation of, March 1900, 246 - geographical position of, 247 - party of occupation strengthened, 248 - arrival of detachment, 251 - anxiety about safety of detachment, 255 - -Dimmock, Col. H. P., M.D., I.M.S.: recollections of, 1897, 167 - -Dufferin and Ava, First Marquess of, Viceroy of India, 1885, 63 - receives Freedom of the City of Edinburgh, 1898, 215 - - -Eager, Lieut.-Col., R.I.R.; mortally wounded at Stormberg, 1899, 233 - -East London, C.C.: W. F. G. disembarks at, Nov. 1899, 222 - -Elles, Lieut.-Gen. Sir Edmond, G.C.I.E., K.C.B.: serves with Hazara - Field Force, 1888, 76 - -Egypt: campaign of 1898. See Chapters XII., XIII., 186-213 - -Eyton, R. W.: author of _Antiquities of Shropshire_, cited, 1-3 - - -Forbes, William, Esq., of Callendar: maternal grandfather to W. F. G., 7 - William, son of above, M.P. for Stirlingshire, 7 - Jessie, sister to above: married Edward Lloyd Gatacre, Esq.; - mother of W. F. G., 7 - -Forced march on Berber, Feb. 1898, 191-7 - -Forestier-Walker, Gen. Sir Frederick, G.C.M.G., K.C.B.: commanded - Lines of Communication, South Africa, 1899, 222 - -Fort Sandeman: official visit to, 1896, 150 - murderous outrage at, 1896, 151 - -Franco-Prussian War: W. F. G. visits battlefields, 1870, 30 - -Free Lance, steeplechase pony, Rangoon, 1882-3, 50 - -French, Gen. Sir John, G.C.V.O., K.C.B., etc.: operations - round Colesberg, C.C., 1899, 225 - operations round Thaba 'Nchu, O.F.S., 1900, 252 - -Fryer, Sir Frederick, K.C.S.I.; Financial Commissioner, - Burma, 1888-92, 89 - - -Galbraith, Maj.-Gen. Sir William, K.C.B.: commanding the River - Column, Hazara Field Force, 1888, 74 - hands over Quetta District to W. F. G., while on leave for - eight months, 1896, 148 - -Gambela, Abyssinia: visited by W. F. G., 1906, 280 - W. F. G. buried at, 1906, 281 - -Gatacre, feoffment held by royal grant, 2 - house at, curious specimen of domestic architecture, 5 - township of, 1 - -Gatacre, ancestors and others, as named in text, in chronological order: - Sir William de, suit subject to Wager of Battle, 2 - Sir Robert de, sat on jury, Grand Assizes, 1200, 2 - Sir Thomas de, estate escheated unjustly, 1368, 3 - Alice, his wife, appeals to King in Chancery, 3 - John, Groom of the Body to Henry VI.: High Sheriff - of Shropshire, 1409, 3 - John, son of above, M.P. for Bridgnorth, 12th year of Edward IV., 3 - William, died 1577, interesting monument in Claverley Church, 4 - Francis, died 1599, his son, similar tablet, 4 - Thomas, brother to above, died 1593, distinguished divine, 4 - Thomas, his son (1574-1654), member of Westminster Assembly, 4 - Colonel Edward (1768-1849), grandfather to W. F. G., 6 - Edward Lloyd, Esq., the Squire (1806-1891), father of W. F. G., 6 - he died, Nov. 1891, 107 - -Gatacre, Maj.-Gen. Sir John, K.C.B., late Indian Army: leaves home for - India, 1867, 9 - serves in Burma, 1885-9, 81 - G.O.C. Nagpur District, 1891-6, 103 - -Gatacre, William Forbes: For career of, see Promotions, Staff Services, - War Services, and Decorations - -Ghazis: Marri outrage at Sunari Station, Beluchistan, 1896, 155 - W. F. G. conducts search-party, 156 - -Goorkhas, 2nd batt. 4th Goorkha Rifles, part of Third Brigade Chitral - Relief Force, 1895, 129 - -Gordon, Gen. Charles, C.B.: fall of Khartoum, 1885, 187 - Memorial Service to, Sept. 1898, 212 - -Graham, Maj.-Gen. Sir Thomas, K.C.B.: _re_ Sikkim, 1888-9, 68 - -Grant, Major P. G., R.E.: removes explosives from Bethulie Bridge, - 1900, 241 - -Grant, Sir Francis, P.R.A., portrait by, 6 - -Greaves, Gen. Sir George, G.C.B., K.C.M.G.: C.-in-C. Bombay Army, - 1890-3, 96 - in railway accident, 1891, 105 - - -Hamilton, Gen Sir Ian, K.C.B., D.S.O.: commanding a Brigade on - Salisbury Plain, 1899, 218 - -Hardinge, Gen. the Hon. Sir Arthur, K.C.B.: C.-in-C. Bombay - Army, 1881, 40 - visits W. F. G. in camp, 1884, 54 - -Harris, Lord, G.C.S.I., etc.; Governor of Bombay, 1890-5, 108 - -Hazara Field Force, 1888: W. F. G. as A.A. and Q.M.G., 70-81 - -Hazaribagh, Bengal: W. F. G. joins 77th Regt. at, 1862, 14 - -Hemis, monastery at. See Kashmir - -Herbertshire Castle, Stirlingshire: W. F. G. born at, Dec. 3, 1843, 7 - -Hudson, Gen. Sir John D., K.C.B.: his death while C.-in-C. Bombay - Army, 107 - - -Idlibi, Syrian trader and interpreter, with W. F. G. in Abyssinia, - 1905, 279 - gives evidence, 1906, 281 - returns to England, June 1906, 282 - -_Iolanthe_: performed by officers, 77th Regt., 1883, 51 - - -Kamptee, headquarters of Nagpur District: railway accident - near, 1891, 103 - -Kashmir: W. F. G. takes trip to, 1867, 17 - crosses the Zoji-La to Leh, 19 - visits Hemis, 20 - sees Burra Lama, 22 - visits Skardo, 25 - -Kelly, Col. J. G., C.B.: advances from Gilgit, 1895, 129 - raises the siege of Chitral, 1895, 134 - on parade at Chitral, 141 - -Kent, Gen. Henry, C.B., late 77th Regt.: at Allahabad, 1862, 14 - at Aldershot, 1874, 34 - -Keyes, Gen. Sir Charles, K.C.B.: commanding First Division, - Bangalore Camp of Exercise, 1884, 53 - -Khaim Gali: headquarter camp on Black Mountain, 1888: W. F. G. marched - from Khaim Gali to Indus and back, 75-8 - -Kitchener, Gen. Viscount, G.C.B., etc.: Sirdar of Egyptian - Army, 1898, 187 - orders advance of British Brigade, 192 - sends trophies to W. F. G., 206 - receives Freedom of City of Edinburgh, 1898, 215 - appointed C.S.O. to F.-M. Lord Roberts, 1899, 239 - -Kunhar: headquarters of River Column, Hazara Field Force, 1888, 75 - - -Ladak, Leh. See Kashmir. - -Lahore: Durbar at, 1894, 120 - -Leach, Col. H. P., C.B., D.S.O.: Mil. Sec. to C.-in-C., Bombay; - in railway accident, 1891, 106 - with Sir John Hudson, 1893, 107 - -Leeuwberg Kopje, O.F.S.: batt. of infantry called up to, 1900, 250 - -Leir-Carleton, Maj.-Gen. R. L.: Master of Staff College Draghounds, - 1873-4, 35 - -Lincolnshire Regt., 1st Batt.: in Egypt, 1898, 193 - -Lorelai, Beluchistan: official visit to, 150 - display by 15th Bengal Lancers, 1896, 151 - assassination of Col. Gaisford, 152 - -Low, Gen. Sir Robert, G.C.B.: commanding Chitral Relief Force, 1895, 128 - dispatches quoted, 131-2 - parade at Chitral, 141 - -Lowari Pass: description of, 135 - -Lyttelton, Gen. Sir Neville, G.C.B., in Egypt, 1898, 208 - - -Magersfontein, battle of: compared with attack on Stormberg, 1899, 236 - -Mahmoud, Dervish Emir: advance of, 1898, 197 - defeat and capture of, 202 - -Malakand Pass: action during advance on Chitral, 1895, 128 - -Mamugai: action during advance on Chitral, 1896, 131 - -Mandalay: visited by W. F. G. in 1882, 46 - W. F. G. officiates in command of brigade, 1889-90, 86-97 - -Manser, Surgeon-Major Robert: died of plague, 1897, 163 - -Marris: outrage at Sunari Station, 1896, 155 - -Maymyo, Upper Burma: W. F. G. makes flying visit to, 1890, 89-90 - -McQueen, Lieut.-Gen. Sir John, G.C.B.: commanding Hazara Field Force, - 1888, 74 - -Memour Mehined Riad Effendi: Egyptian officer at Gambela, 1906, 280 - holds court of inquiry there, 281 - -Methuen, Gen. Lord, G.C.B., etc.: marches to the relief of - Kimberley, 221 - -Middlesex Regt. See Seventy-seventh. - -Military Secretary: W.F.G. as. See Staff Services - - -Nairne, Gen. Sir Charles, G.C.B.: C.-in-C. Bombay Army, 1893-7, 109 - telegram of congratulation from, 1896, 148 - -Napier, Gen. Sir Robert, G.C.B., etc.: Mil. Member of Council, 1862: - story of French Eagle, 14 - -Northumberland Fusiliers: at Stormberg, 1899, 232 - M.I. Company sent to Dewetsdorp, 1900, 248 - -Norval's Pont Bridge: telegram regarding tenure of, 1900, 242 - -Norwich: Royal visit to, 1900, 265 - - -_Official History of the War in South Africa_, 1899-1902: - quoted as under: - account of attack on Stormberg, Dec. 1899, 231-3 - justification for ditto, 236 - _re_ deliberation of Gatacre's movements, 242 - telegram ordering occupation of Smithfield, 244 - telegram regarding occupation of Dewetsdorp, 246 - marginal note _re_ above cited, 247 - telegram _re_ movements of units of the Third Division, 248 - arrival of detachment at Dewetsdorp, 251 - results of action at Sannah's Post, March 31, 1900, 253 - cautionary telegram to W. F. G., 256 - situation subsequent to Sannah's Post, 259 - -Omdurman: capture of, Sept. 2, 1898, 209 - letter describing same, 209-12 - - -Panjkora River: rescue of Private Hall, 1895, 131 - -Pembroke Dock: W. F. G. with Depot Batt. there, 1868, 29 - -Pig-sticking: while Mil. Sec., 1881, 41-2 - near Cutch-Bhuj, 1896, 146-8 - -Pilcher, Maj.-Gen. T. D., C.B.: operations round Ladybrand, 1900, 252 - -Plague, bubonic, at Bombay, 1897: See Chapter XI., 161-83 - total mortality from, 161 - cause of Surgeon-Major Manser's death, 163 - subject of two anonymous articles by W. F. G., 164 - appointment of Plague Committee, 166 - policy instituted by above, 168 - incidents of house-to-house visitation, 171-5 - opposition of Sunni Mahommedans, 177 - President of Poona Committee shot, 181 - -Pole-Carew, Lt.-Gen. Sir Reginald, K.C.B., C.V.O.: movements and - recommendations of, March 1900, 242 - -Poona: W. F. G. as Adjutant-General there, 1890-4. See - Chapter VII., 98-109 - outrage after Queen's birthday dinner, 1897, 181-3 - -Prendergast, Gen. Sir H. N. D., V.C., G.C.B.: commanding Burmese - Division, 1882, 43 - commanding Second Division Bangalore Camp of Exercise, 1884, 53 - asks for W. F. G. as Special Service Officer, 1885, 61 - account of his expedition to Mandalay, 1885, 82-4 - -Promotions: William Forbes Gatacre: - gazetted Ensign 77th Foot, Feb. 18, 1862 - Lieutenant 77th Foot, Dec. 23, 1864 - Captain 77th Foot, Dec. 7, 1870 - Major Middlesex Regt., March 23, 1881 - Lieut.-Col. Middlesex Regt., April 23, 1884 - Colonel, April 29, 1886 - Colonel substantive, Nov. 25, 1890 - Major-General, June 25, 1898 - retired March, 1904 - -Punjab Infantry, 25th Regt.: part of Third Brigade Chitral - Relief Force, 1895, 129 - -Putter's Kraal, C.C.: W. F. G. advances to, Nov. 1899, 225 - - -Quetta: visits while on tour as D.Q.M.G., 1887, 66 - W. F. G. officiates in command of District, 1896, 145-60 - - -Rangoon: history of occupation of, 43-4 - W. F. G. quartered there as A.Q.M.G., 1882, 43 - -Reddersburg, O.F.S.: surrender near, April 1900, 257 - -Remount Department: W. F. G. temporarily works for, 1903-4, 273-6 - -_River War, The_: by the Right Hon. W. S. Churchill, quoted as under: - _re_ efficiency of British Brigade Egypt, 1898, 190 - _re_ assault of zariba by above, 202 - _re_ position of G. O. C., cited, 202 - -Roberts, Field-Marshal Earl, V.C., K.P., G.C.B., etc.; - visits W. F. G. in camp at Bangalore, 54 - becomes C.-in-C. India, 1885, 63 - his covering letter to Dispatches (pubd. March 1900), cited, 235 - reaches Capetown as C.-in-C. South African Field Force, 239 - telegram to W.O. _re_ Proclamation, 243 - orders occupation of Smithfield, 244 - orders occupation of Wepener, 245 - telegram _re_ occupation of Dewetsdorp, 246 - summons W. F. G. to Bloemfontein, and forecasts his plans for - the advance, 254 - expresses anxiety about the detachment at Dewetsdorp, 255 - sends 5 cos. Cameron Highlanders to Bethanie, 255 - orders the return of the Relief Column from Reddersburg, 257 - sends official letter instructing W. F. G. to proceed to - England, April 1900, 259 - quotation from private letter _re_ recall, 263 - his official visit to the Eastern District, 1903, 270 - -Robertson, Sir George Scott, K.C.S.I., M.P.: defended the Fort at - Chitral, 129 - -Royal Irish Rifles, 2nd Batt.: reaches Queenstown, C.C., 222 - quotation from officers' reports _re_ Stormberg, 233, 235 - sent to Smithfield, O.F.S., 245 - 2 cos. pushed on to Dewetsdorp, 248 - the O.C. directed to retire on Reddersburg, 251 - column surrenders at Mostert's Hoek, 257 - splendid marching by detachments from Smithfield, Helvetia, and - Rouxville, 258 - -Royal Military College, Sandhurst: W. F. G. there as cadet, 1860-1, 12 - W. F. G. there as professor, 1875-9, 36-7 - -"Run amok": W. F. G. attempts to disarm man with pistol at Simla, - 1887, 69 - letter _re_ above, 213 - -Rundle, Lieut.-Gen. Sir Leslie, K.C.B., K.C.M.G.: commanding a Division - on Salisbury Plain, 1899, 218 - - -Salisbury: W. F. G. works there on remount duty, 1904, 275 - bicycles to and fro, 275 - -Salisbury Plain: W. F. G. commands a Division, 1899, 217-18 - Chief Umpire, Blue Army, 1903, 271 - -Salt Lakes, Bupshu. See Kashmir - -Sandhurst. See Royal Military College - -Sandhurst, Lord, G.C.I.E. etc.: Governor of Bombay, 1895-9, 164, 166, -180 - -Sannah's Post, O.F.S.; engagement at, 1900, 251 - material results of engagement at, 253 - change brought about by engagement at, 259 - -Seaforth Highlanders: 1st Batt. in Egypt, 1898, 188 - 2nd Batt. in Chitral, 1895, 129 - -Seton, Col. H. J.: wounded at Stormberg, 1899, 233 - -Seventy-seventh Regt., afterwards 2nd Batt. (D.C.O.) Middlesex Regt.: - raised 1787, 13 - services and movements of, 14 - at Hazaribagh, Allahabad, Barreilly, and Peshawur, 14-17 - reaches Portsmouth, 1870, 29 - leaves Dover for Rangoon, 1880, 38 - moves to Secunderabad, 1883, 51 - W. F. G. in command, June 1884 to Dec. 1885, 55-61 - -Shaw, F. B., Esq.: Resident at Mandalay, 1879, 46 - -Sikkim: W. F. G. sketches Fort at Lingtu, 1887, 68 - -Simla: W. F. G. and the servant "run amok, " 1887, 69 - rapid ride to Umballa and back, 1887, 70 - -Sirdar, the: See Kitchener - -Sniping: during advance on Chitral, 1895, 143-4 - -Snow, Brig.-Gen. T. D'O., C.B.: Brigade-Major, Egypt, 1898, 186 - -South African War Commission, Report of, quoted, 247 - and again, 270 - -Springfontein, O.F.S.: occupied by Third Division troops, 241 - troops at, April 3, 1900, 40 - scouts and 25 M.I., 255 - -Staff College, Camberley: W. F. G. admitted, 1873, 33 - Drag-hounds, W. F. G. as First Whip, 34 - -Staff Services, W. F. G.: Instructor in Surveying, B.M.C., 1875-9, 36 - D.A.A. and Q.M.G. Aldershot, 1879-80, 37 - A.A.G. (officiating) Secunderabad, 1880-1, 39 - Mil. Sec. (officiating) to C.-in-C. Bombay, 1881-82, 40 - A.Q.M.G. (officiating) Rangoon, 1882, 43 - D.Q.M.G., Bengal, 1885-90, 61-97 - G.O.C. (officiating), Mandalay, 81-96 - A.-G. Bombay, 1890-4, 98-109 - G.O.C. Bombay, 1894-97, 110-82 - G.O.C. (officiating), Quetta, 1896, 148-60 - G.O.C. Third Infantry Brigade, Aldershot, 1897-98, 184-6 - G.O.C. Eastern District, 1898-1903, 216-71 - -Stormberg, C.C.: Sir R. Buller suggests advance to, 223 - occupied by Boers, Nov. 1899, 224 - W. F. G. makes arrangements for the attack, 229 - description of the advance and assault, Dec. 10, 1899, 231-5 - casualties, 235 - compared with Magersfontein and Colenso, 236 - -Sunari Station, Beluchistan: outrage at, 1896, 155 - -Supya-lat, wife to King Theebaw, 45 - deported, 1885, 84 - -Swann, Brig.-Gen. J. C., C.B.: A.A.G. to W. F. G. while commanding - Bombay district; letter _re_ procedure quoted, 115 - recollections of, 119 - - -Thaba 'Nchu, O.F.S.: Sir John French's operations near, 247 - movements of troops preceding Sannah's Post, 251 - -Theebaw, King of Burma: succeeds Mindon-Min, 1879, 44 - as owner of "Free Lance" (?), 50 - surrender of Mandalay, 1885, 83 - -"_Times_" _History of the War_, quoted, as under: - _re_ Col. Pole-Carew's movements, 1900, 243 - _re_ telegram about spreading proclamations, 244 - _re_ Col. Broadwood's position at Thaba 'Nchu, 252 - -Transport officer, the: at Mandalay, 88-89 - -Transport Service, the: P. and O. vessels, 122-5 - -Toba Plateau, Beluchistan: Camp of Exercise at, 1896, 153 - -Ton-Hon Expedition, 1889-90, 90-92 - -Tournament at Bombay, 1894, 122-5 - - -Umballa: rapid ride from Simla, and back, 1887, 70 - - -War Services, W. F. G.: Hazara Field Force, 1888, as A.A. and - Q.M.G., 70-81 - Ton-Hon Expedition, 1889-90 as Brig.-Gen., 90-92 - Chitral Relief Force, 1895, G.O.C. Third Brigade, 128-44 - Egypt, advance on Khartoum, 1898, G.O.C. commanding British - Brigade and (subsequently) Division, 186-213! - South African Field Force 1899-1900, G.O.C. Third Division, 219-60 - -Warwickshire Regt. (Royal): 1st Batt. in Egypt, 1898 - -Wauchope, Maj.-Gen. Andrew. C.B., C.M.G.; commanding First Brigade, - Egypt, 1898, 208 - his brigade sent forward, 211 - -Wepener, O.F.S.: telegram ordering occupation of, March 1900, 245 - W. F. G.'s anxiety as to safety of detachment, 246 - besieged by Boers, 258 - -de Wet, Christian, Boer General; lays his plans for capture of - Waterworks guard, March 1900, 252 - value of his victory at Sannah's Post, 253 - -White, F.-M. Sir George, V.C., G.C.B., etc.: in Burma, 1885, 85 - entertains W. F. G. at Lahore, 1894, 120 - appoints W. F. G. to command Third Brigade, Chitral Relief Force, - 1894, 128 - letter from, _re_ Marri Raid, 1896, 159 - starts for Natal, Sept. 1899, 219 - at Ladysmith, 221 - relief of Ladysmith, 240 - -Wolseley, Gen. Sir George, G.C.B.: commanding Mandalay Brigade, 86 - returns to his command, 96 - - - - -_Printed by Hazell, Watson & Viney, Ld., London and Aylesbury._ - - - - - - -[Illustration: Map of the UPPER NILE] - -[Illustration: Part of CAPE COLONY and the ORANGE FREE STATE] - -[Illustration: Map of THE SOUDAN & ABYSSINIA] - - - - -THE MILITARY MEMOIRS OF LIEUT.-GEN. SIR JOSEPH THACKWELL, G.C.B., -K.H., Colonel 16th Lancers. Arranged from Diaries and Correspondence -by Colonel H. C. Wylly, C.B. With Portraits, Maps, and other -Illustrations. Demy 8vo. 15s. net. - -"The Memoirs of this fine old soldier, whose lot it was to see a vast -amount of very hard fighting in many notable campaigns, are of quite -exceptional interest.... 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By Henry Richard Vassall, -3rd Lord Holland (1773-1840). With which is Incorporated a Chapter -termed "Miscellaneous Reminiscences." Edited by Lord Stavordale, -Editor of "The Letters of Lady Sarah Lennox." With Portraits. Demy -8vo. 18s. net. - - -LENNOX, LADY SARAH, THE CORRESPONDENCE OF. 1745-1826. Edited by the -Countess of Ilchester and Lord Stavordale. With Photogravure -Frontispiece and other Illustrations. One Vol. 10s. 6d. net. - - -THE HATZFELDT LETTERS. Letters of Count Paul Hatzfeldt to his Wife, -written from the Headquarters of the King of Prussia, 1870-71. -Translated from the French by J. L. Bashford, M.A. With Illustrations. -Demy 8vo. 15s. net. - - -CHARLES JAMES FOX. A Commentary on his Life and Character. By Walter -Savage Landor. Edited by Stephen Wheeler. With Photogravure Portrait. -Demy 8vo. 9s. net. - - -THE FIRST BRITISH AMBASSADOR TO CHINA. - -THE LIFE AND CORRESPONDENCE OF GEORGE FIRST EARL MACARTNEY, 1737-1806. -From hitherto Unpublished Correspondence and Documents. By Mrs. A. G. -Robbins. With Portraits and other Illutrations. Demy 8vo. 16s. net. - - -MOLTKE IN HIS HOME. By Friedrich August Dressier. Authorised -Translation by Mrs. C. E. Barrett-Lennard. With an Introduction by -Lieut.-General Lord Methuen. With Illustrations. Demy 8vo. 6s. net. - -This does not attempt to give a biography of the great Field-Marshal, -but contains a series of sketches and incidents of his life, and of the -characteristics and surroundings of one of the greatest soldiers of the -nineteenth century. - - -NELSON'S HARDY. His Life, Letters, and Friends. By A. M. Broadley and -the Rev. R. G. Bartelot. Many Illustrations and Portraits, 10s. 6d. -net. - -"A record of the beautiful human friendship which existed between the -two men, and should be read by everybody interested in one of England's -greatest heroes and in the historical incidents of his time."--The -Tatler. - -"The importance of this Life and Letters of Hardy is undeniable.... -That Hardy is worthy of a complete biography is undoubted, and this -book is a desirable possession to all who care for England's naval -glories."--Daily Chronicle. - - -LETTERS FROM THE PENINSULA (1808-1812). Written by Lieut.-General Sir -William Warre, C.B., K.T.S. Edited by the Rev. Edmond Warre, D.D., -C.B. With Portrait and Map. Demy 8vo. 10s. 6d. net. - -"If we wanted to choose the sort of testimony that would make the -circumstances of a well-known campaign more real to us than ever -before, we should undoubtedly choose the private letters of an officer -to his friends.... We advise the general reader to try William Warre's -letters. They will find revealed in them a stout and loyal heart, and -a careful and intelligent mind which had a singular ability for -discerning the drift and significance of things."--Spectator. - - -A WEEK AT WATERLOO IN 1815. Lady De Lancey's Narrative. Being an -account of how she nursed her husband, Colonel Sir William H. De -Lancey, mortally wounded in the great battle. With Photogravure -Portraits and other Illustrations. Square crown 8vo. 6s. net. - -"A vastly interesting human document.... We need not trouble to praise -where Sir Walter Scott and Charles Dickens have so fervently -belauded."--Daily Telegraph. - -"Pages of writing of terrible beauty, subtlety, delicacy, and power -describe her nursing of him and his death. It is not a jagged series -of poignant notes.... There is no heroine in English history or -literature more worshipful than Lady De Lancey."--World. - - -THE BOOK OF WAR. Translated into English by Captain E. F. Calthrop, -R.A. Crown 8vo. 2s. 6d. net. - -This work, the writings of Suntzu and Wutzu, Chinese Strategists of -about the 5th century B.C., is the most famous work on the art of war -in the Far East. It deals with operations of war, statecraft, moral -and training of troops, stratagem, the use of spies, etc., and for 25 -centuries it has been the Bible of the Chinese or Japanese ruler. The -book is distinguished alike by the poetry and grandeur of its language -and the modernity of its spirit. - - -THE LETTERS OF QUEEN VICTORIA. A Selection from Her Majesty's -Correspondence between the Years 1837 and 1861. Published by Authority -of His Majesty the King. Edited by Arthur Christopher Benson, MLA., -C.V.O., and Viscount Esher, G.C.V.O., K.C.B. With numerous -Photogravures. Medium 8vo. Three Vols. L3 3s. net. Also Crown 8vo. -Three Vols. 6s. net. - - -FOURTEEN YEARS IN PARLIAMENT, 1892 TO 1906. By A. S. T. -Griffith-Boscawen, formerly M.P. for the Tonbridge Division of Kent. -Demy 8vo. 10s. 6d. net. - - -LIFE OF THE MARQUIS OF DUFFERIN AND AVA. By Sir Alfred Lyall, P.C. -Third Impression. With Portraits, etc. Demy 8vo. Two Vols. 36s. net. - - -THE DUKE OF ARGYLL, 1823-1900. Comprising his Autobiography down to -1857, and his Life from that Date onwards, based on his Correspondence -and Diaries. Edited by the Dowager Duchess of Argyll. With Portraits -and other Illustrations. Two Vols. Medium 8vo. 36s. net. - - -LIFE OF SIR ROBERT PEEL. Based on his Correspondence and Private -Documents. Edited by Charles Stuart Parker. With a Summary of Peel's -Life by his Grandson, the Hon. George Peel. With Portraits. Three -Vols. Demy 8vo. - -VOL. I. FROM HIS BIRTH TO 1827. 16s. VOLS. II. AND III. FROM 1827 -TO HIS DEATH IN 1852. 32s. - - -THE CREEVEY PAPERS. A Selection from the Diaries and Correspondence of -Thomas Creevey (1768-1838) from Family Papers hitherto unpublished. -Edited by the Rt. Hon. Sir Herbert Maxwell, Bart., M.P. With -Portraits. One Vol. Demy 8vo. 10s. 6d. net. - - -SIDNEY HERBERT (LORD HERBERT OF LEA). A Memoir. By Lord Stanmore. -With Portraits and other Illustrations. Two Vols. Demy 8vo. 24s. -net. No Life of Sidney Herbert has hitherto been published. - - -THE LIFE AND LETTERS OF GEORG JOACHIM GOSCHEN, 1752-1829. By Viscount -Goschen. With Portraits and Illustrations. Demy 8vo. 36s. net. - - -NELSON AND OTHER NAVAL STUDIES. By James R. Thursfield. With -Illustrations. Demy 8vo. 12s. net. - -"Few other writers except Mahan possess Mr. Thursfield's faculty of -combining the romance of the sea with the science of naval warfare, and -in both alike the cult of Nelson gives life and warmth to their -studies.... The merit of Mr. Thursfield's writing is the firm hold -which he has of the central principles of a maritime defensive policy. -His writing is effective, and at times even brilliant; but this it is -which gives it force and lucidity."--Westminster Gazette. - - -A SHORT HISTORY OF THE CHIEF CAMPAIGNS IN EUROPE SINCE 1792. By -General A. von Horsetzky, G.O.C. the 1st Austro-Hungarian Army Corps -and the Troops in Cracow. Translated by Lieutenant K. B. Ferguson, -R.G.A. With numerous Maps and Plans. Demy Svo. 18s. net. - -"We have nothing but praise for Gen. von Horsetzky's book. It is a -valuable addition to military literature, for we do not know where -else, in such form, records of so many campaigns can be studied. The -work of translation and condensation has been admirably done. The -merit of the book is its extreme clearness and known accuracy ... those -who desire to gain a correct idea of modern military history will find -the book invaluable."--Army and Navy Gazette. - - -RASPLATA (The Reckoning). By Commander Wladimir Semenoff. His Diary -during the Blockade of Port Arthur and the Voyage of the Fleets under -Admiral Rojdestvensky. With Maps. Demy Svo. 10s. 6d. net. - -"Commander Semenoff writes only of what he knows and has seen. His -simple candour and cool intrepidity enable him to record his -experiences at the moment in the most appalling scenes of naval -conflict that modern times have known."--Times. - -"An authentic record of the highest value, which is likely to become a -classic among naval annals."--Westminster Gazette. - - -THE RUSSIAN ARMY AND THE JAPANESE WAR. Being Historical and Critical -Comments on the Military Policy and Power of Russia and on the Campaign -in the Far East. By General Kuropatkin. Translated by Captain A. B. -Lindsay. Edited by Major E. D. Swinton, D.S.O., R.E. With Maps and -Illustrations. 2 Vols. Demy 8vo. 28s. net. - -"... We doubt if a more virile or sincere document was ever put before -the public, and it says little for the official wisdom of General -Kuropatkin's fellow-countrymen that such a record should have been -suppressed in the land of its origin. In England, at any rate, the -patent honesty and abundant good feeling of these measured criticisms -will be valued at their proper worth."--Daily Telegraph. - - -THE TRUTH ABOUT PORT ARTHUR. By Monsieur E. K. Nojine, accredited -Russian War Correspondent during the Siege. Translated and Abridged by -Captain A. B. Lindsay. Edited by Major E. D. Swinton, D.S.O. With Map -and Illustrations. Demy 8vo. 15s. net. - -"M. Nojine is unusually well qualified to offer testimony on the long -beleaguerment. He writes with vivacity and force, and the translation -is competent and spirited, both on account of its vivid narrative and -by reason of the extraordinary revelations it contains.... It is the -most remarkable book about the war yet issued."--Times. - - -OFFICIAL ACCOUNT OF THE SECOND AFGHAN WAR, 1878-1880. Produced in the -Intelligence Branch, Army Headquarters, India. Abridged Official -Account. With numerous Maps and Illustrations. Medium 8vo. 21s. net. - -"An excellent compendium of the whole war, clearly written and amply -illustrated by photographs, maps, and diagrams.... It is a narrative -that will fascinate the many who love to read about war-like -movements.... It is a story of wise and patient preparation, carefully -arranged generalship, supreme daring, amazing tenacity. Undoubtedly -the right thing has been done in giving to the world a stiring story, -which has remained too long, many will think, a secret record."--The -Sheffield Independent. - - -CAVALRY IN FUTURE WARS. By His Excellency Lt.-General Frederick von -Bernhardi, Commander of the 7th Division of the German Army. -Translated by Charles Sydney Goldman, Editor of "The Empire and the -Century." With an Introduction by General Sir John French, K.C.M.G., -K.C.B., G.C.V.O. Demy 8vo. 10s. 6d. net. - -"Here at last, in the English language, we have a really important work -on the German cavalry at first hand."--Broad Arrow. - -"General Von Bernhardi most certainly knows what he is talking about, -and is equally at home when discussing matters of the highest import or -others of comparatively trifling details; he displays a sound knowledge -and judgment concerning all things of organization, strategy, tactics, -and training; and moreover, he thoroughly understands horses, so that -he is enabled to offer very valuable service on every subject connected -with them, from training of the remount to the economical use of -horseflesh in war."--Westminster Gazette. - - -THE GERMAN OFFICIAL ACCOUNT OF THE WAR IN SOUTH AFRICA. Prepared in -the Historical Section of the Great General Staff, Berlin. Translated -by Colonel W. H. H. Waters, R.A., C.V.O., and Colonel Hubert Du Cane, -R.A., M.V.O. 2 Vols. With Maps and Plans. Demy 8vo. 15s. net each. - -"The most valuable work in which, since its close, the war has been -discussed. It stands alone, because it is the only work in which the -war has been surveyed by trained and competent students of war, the -only one of which the judgments are based on a familiarity with the -modern theory of war. The best book that has yet appeared on the South -African War."--The Morning Post. - - -FROM LIBAU TO TSU-SHIMA. A Narrative of the Voyage of Admiral -Rojdestvensky's Squadron to the East, including a detailed Account of -the Dogger Bank Incident. By the late Eugene Politovsky, Chief -Engineer of the Squadron. Translated by Major F. R. Godfrey, R.M.L.I. -Crown 8vo. 6s. - -"A painful book, but a deeply interesting and a really valuable one, -which will have a place of permanent value among the documents of the -Russo-Japanese war."--Daily Telegraph. - - -BEFORE PORT ARTHUR IN A DESTROYER. The Personal Diary of a Japanese -Naval Officer. Translated from the Spanish Edition by Captain R. -Grant, D.S.O., Rifle Brigade. With Maps and Illustrations. Cheap -Edition. Square 8vo. 3s. 6d. net. - -"It is pre-eminently a book to be read for enjoyment as well as -instruction; but it will fall short of its more immediate value if -measures are not devised for bringing it before the attention of those -responsible for the education of 'youngsters' in training for a sea -life."--Pall Mall Gazette. - - -THE BATTLE OF TSU-SHIMA. Between the Japanese and Russian Fleets, -fought on the 27th May, 1905. By Captain Vladimir Semenoff (one of the -survivors). Translated by Captain A. B. Lindsay. With a Preface by -Sir George Sydenham Clarke. Crown 8vo. 3s. 6d. net. - -"It is one of the most thrilling and touching records of naval warfare -that we have ever read."--The Westminster Gazette. - - -FORTIFICATION: Its Past Achievements, Recent Developments, Future -Progress. By Colonel Sir George S. Clarke, R.E., K.C.M.G., F.R.S. New -Edition Enlarged. With numerous Illustrations. Medium 8vo. 18s. net. - - -ARTILLERY AND EXPLOSIVES. Essays and Lectures written and delivered at -various times. By Sir Andrew Noble, K.C.B., D.C.L., F.R.S. With -numerous diagrams and Illustrations. Medium 8vo. 21s. net. - -"No one can speak on the subject of modern artillery and explosives -with greater authority than Sir Andrew Noble."--Engineering. - - -THE ARMY IN 1906. A Policy and a Vindication. By the Rt. Hon. H. O. -Arnold-Forster, M.P. Demy 8vo. 15s. net. - -"Mr. Arnold-Forster's remarkable work will be read with the deepest -attention and respect by all who have the interest of the Army at -heart; and though many may differ from him, now as formerly, in -reference to matters of detail, few will be found to deny that the -principles he enunciates are in themselves absolutely sound.... -However much any may disagree with Mr. Arnold-Forster's proposals, few -will deny that he has given very strong reasons in support of them -all."--Westminster Gazette. - - -IMPERIAL OUTPOSTS. From a Strategical and Commercial Aspect. With -Special Reference to the Japanese Alliance. By Colonel A. M. Murray. -With a Preface by Field-Marshal The Earl Roberts, V.C., K.G. With Maps -and Illustrations. Demy 8vo. 12s. net. - -"We should like to see every officer in the British Army with the wide -vision and interest in the strategical and commercial organization of -the Empire which Colonel Murray displays."--Spectator. - -"Colonel Murray deals with subjects of the highest interest. If we -note those opinions from which we differ, it must be with the -preliminary remarks that there is still more in the book with which we -thoroughly agree, and that the whole of it is suggestive and worthy of -the most careful consideration."--Athenaum. - - -THE ART OF RECONNAISSANCE. By Colonel David Henderson, D.S.O. With -Diagrams. Small crown 8vo. 5s. net. - -PRINCIPLES AND METHODS--PROTECTION AND SECURITY--CONTACT--INDEPENDENT -RECONNAISSANCE--THE SCOUT--THE PATROL--RECONNAISSANCE OF -GROUND--TRANSMISSION OF INFORMATION. - -This work is a guide to the study of reconnaissance in the field under -modern conditions of war, and deals with the practical details as well -as with the theoretical principles of the subject. It has been printed -in clear type on special paper and so bound that it can be conveniently -carried in the pocket by military students. - - -IMPERIAL STRATEGY. By the Military Correspondent of "The Times." With -Maps. Medium 8vo. 21s. net. - -"The book is a most valuable and timely aid to the cause of national -security, and should be read by all those who are in a position to -influence the destinies of the Empire."--Morning Post. - - -A NATION IN ARMS. Speeches on the Maintenance of the British Army. -Delivered by Field-Marshal The Earl Roberts, V.C., K.G. Crown 8vo. -Cloth, 2s. 6d. net; paper, 1s. net. - -The Spectator says:--"It is with no small satisfaction that we note the -republication, under the title of 'A Nation in Arms,' of the speeches -on the question of National Service delivered by Lord Roberts.... It -is not the creation of a military caste for which he pleads, but the -building up of the highest type of citizen--the citizen who is able to -protect his native land and his rights and liberties himself and -without external aid, and who believes that national safety is not to -be hired, but to be achieved by self-sacrifice.... It is hardly -necessary to say that Lord Roberts and those who agree with him ask for -national training such as is willingly and cheerfully undergone by the -citizens of Switzerland, not for that which is imposed on the German -population. We have one more word to say--that is, to ask our readers -to study carefully Lord Roberts' book. We would specially ask this of -those who dread, and, as we hold, are right in dreading, militarism, -and who look forward to universal peace as the ultimate goal for -mankind. They will find that Lord Roberts has not a word to say in -praise of war.... What he does desire is that as long as war -continues--and no sane man can, unfortunately, doubt its continuance in -our generation--the British people shall, when it comes, be prepared to -meet it." - - -THE RISE AND EXPANSION OF THE BRITISH DOMINION IN INDIA. By Sir Alfred -Lyall. Fourth Edition, with a new Chapter bringing the History down to -1907. With Maps. Demy 8vo. 5s. net. - - -OVER-SEA BRITAIN. A Descriptive Record of the Geography, the -Historical, Ethnological, and Political Development, and the Economic -Resources of the Empire. - -THE NEARER EMPIRE.--The Mediterranean, British Africa, and British -America. By E. F. Knight. Author of "Where Three Empires Meet," -"Small Boat Sailing," etc. With 9 Coloured Maps. Crown 8vo. 6s. - -Mr. E. F. Knight, the well-known traveller and war correspondent, in -this volume gives a description of what he calls the Nearer -Empire--_i.e._, the British possessions in the Mediterranean, Africa, -and America. The book is no mere collection of geographical facts. It -seeks to show what the Empire is, how it came to be, and what is the -history of its growth. It deals also with the political development -and the economic resources of the Colonies. The descriptive parts have -an additional charm through being to a large extent a record of -personal observation. To quote from the Preface:--"The author has -travelled in most of the countries over which the British flag flies. -He has witnessed, and on some occasions taken part in the making of -several portions of that Empire in times both of peace and war, and has -therefore been able to draw on his own personal experiences and -observations when writing this short account of Britain beyond the -seas." - - - - - - - - - -End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of General Gatacre, by Beatrix Gatacre - -*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK GENERAL GATACRE *** - -***** This file should be named 41788.txt or 41788.zip ***** -This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: - http://www.gutenberg.org/4/1/7/8/41788/ - -Produced by Al Haines - -Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions -will be renamed. - -Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no -one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation -(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without -permission and without paying copyright royalties. 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